Thanks to all the folks who left messages for Chapter Two. You've all made your feelings pretty clear about a certain character *vbg* And The spud-related names you guys have come up with!... *smh*

I've taken note and hopefully this chapter will address your concerns.

Some action in this one. Let's do this!


The first thing that Sam did, the moment Macy had left her alone for the night, was to text Daniel ordering him to call her right away.

She desperately needed to talk to someone, and since the person she really wanted to talk to was avoiding her, she would settle for the next best thing.

Her phone vibrated in her hand and she quickly pressed the "answer" button.

"Hey, Sam."

"Is he with you?"

"Who?"

"Don't try my patience Daniel," she said through gritted teeth. "Is he there?"

"He went for a walk a few hours ago. I haven't seen him since."

She quelled the urge to hurl her phone against the wall.

"Sam?"

"What the hell happened, Daniel? One moment everything was great. We were closer than we've ever been. Then BAM! In a matter of hours, we're back to CO and 2IC and he's pushing me into the arms of another man. What gives?"

Daniel sighed, equally confused by Jack's behavior. "I don't know. Maybe he's just being... you know... Jack. He can be a real idiot when it comes to feelings. I mean, who the heck knows what really goes on in the man's mind."

Sam scoffed. "Does that mean he'll suddenly stop being an idiot and give me a grovelling apology?"

"Hmm. Maybe. Not so much on the grovelling. When was the last time you heard Jack apologize for anything?"

"Seriously, Daniel. Did I do anything wrong? Did I look like I was encouraging Pete in any way?"

He shook his head even though Sam couldn't see him. "I don't think you did anything wrong, Sam. I think Teal'c is right. We have to let Jack sort this out his own way. Something is clearly bothering him, but I doubt he'll share what that is until he's good and ready."

"And in the meantime?"

"Try to enjoy your day with your family. We'll run interference and see if we can figure what put a bee in Jack's bonnet."

"Clichés, Daniel?" she asked, laughing.

"Yes, we all know how Jack feels about those. Night, Sam."

"Thanks, Daniel."

"Anytime."

She stared at her phone, wondering if she should try calling. She'd left him several text messages asking if he was all right, but he hadn't responded.

The clock on the nightstand told her that it was beyond late, and she needed to get some shut-eye. There was a long day planned for tomorrow and she would need all her wits about her to survive what was sure to be an exhausting time.


Surprisingly, by lunchtime, Sam had to admit that she was actually having fun. Mark and Pete were really good friends and it showed in their banter. The stories and description of their mutual friends had her laughing along with them.

It was a nice change hearing about the the lives of normal people.

Macy's complaints about the PTA and the never ending need to keep up with the Joneses... Mark's incompetent boss and the lethargy of his colleagues... Pete's frustration with the turnstile legal system.

There was no mention of megalomaniacal System Lords hell-bent on conquering their galaxy. No talk of naquadah reactors, or ancient texts needing translation. No regulations constantly hovering over her, telling her not to let her gaze linger for too long on the Colonel's face, or to sit too close, smile too much, care too much... Care for him at all.

God, she missed him.

For a very brief moment, she'd entertained the idea of taking what was clearly being offered by Pete. It would be so easy with him. She thought of being with someone who didn't have a checkered military past, whose life wasn't censored with black marks and all the other baggage that came with it. Someone who wasn't a galactic hero duty bound to put the fate of the galaxy before her. What did it feel like to be someone's first priority? Something she couldn't expect from Jack.

She quickly dismissed those thoughts, realizing right away how ridiculous they were. She'd chosen her path long ago, there was only one person for her and Jack O'Neill was He. The weight of the galaxy might fall on their shoulders often enough, but she wouldn't trade the life she had with him for something mundane.

She couldn't wait to see Jack and show him what an idiot he was being. How could he even think that there would be anyone else for either of them? Didn't the universe give them enough of a clue that they should be together? All those realities and somehow, there was one thing that never really changed...

Them.

Even if their world were to end tomorrow, she would have no regrets, knowing that she was loved and had loved in return would suffice.

Much to her annoyance, Pete insisted on driving her back to the hotel, determined to convince her of their suitability.

He was a very nice man, if a bit on the goofy side, and while she had no interest in him she found it difficult to let him down easy. Instead, she made sure to stick to safe topics, like stories about her brother. She valiantly steered him away from anything that focused on her, and asked about his work, the movies he'd seen, the hobbies he had.

She feared this only made things worse. He misinterpreted her casual conversation for genuine interest, and so it was a massive relief when her hotel came in sight.

Finally, the day and the suffocating drive could end!

"What the hell?!" she heard Pete exclaim.

"I'm sorry?" she asked startled at his sudden aggression.

He pulled the car to an abrupt stop in the middle of the parking lot and reached for something concealed at the bottom of his pants leg. "Stay in the car, Sam and call for backup."

She sat there for a moment slightly stunned.

Backup?!

Hell, no!

She pushed the car door open and went after Pete. She had no idea what was going on, but she had a very bad feeling that SG-1 was involved.


The three men collapsed in exhaustion the moment they stepped foot in Jonas's and Teal'c's suite.

Jack dropped the bags of tacky souvenirs he'd been forced to buy at inflated prices, vowing to never take Teal'c to an amusement park ever again.

He'd felt less stress infiltrating Goa'uld motherships than the chaos that had been 'The Happiest Place on Earth'.

The lines had been horrendous, the food expensive (Teal'c and Jonas certainly packed it away), and the crowds oppressive.

Daniel grew bored quite quickly, and had forced him to listen about the historical inaccuracies and bastardization of Disney fairytales.

At least he'd gotten a few laughs and blackmail material when Teal'c had ridden the teacups. Jonas had been forced to wait in line, as the ride was only big enough for one Jaffa.

He imagined the look on the Free Jaffa's faces when he showed them 'Master Teal'c' wedged into a pink oversized cup. He'd never live it down.

Jack pulled out his cell phone and took another picture, this time of Jonas sleeping on the hotel armchair his mouth wide open, Mickey Mouse ears still on his head.

"This one's for the ladies," he muttered whilst chuckling at the picture.

"My feet are killing me," Daniel moaned, sitting on the sofa next to Jack.

"It's those civilian shoes. They're not broken in yet."

Daniel snorted. "Says a lot doesn't it? I spend more time in uniform that I do in civilian garb."

"And you love it," Jack replied matter-of-factly. "Face it, Daniel. You've become one of us."

"Another cog in the military industrial complex."

"Hey! Don't knock it. Steady paycheck, free food, and a wonderful retirement package if you survive that long."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "I think you're being too generous calling MREs 'food'."

"I thought you liked chicken?" Jack teased.

"For the last time, it was supposed to be macaroni and cheese!" Daniel stalked off to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Jack chuckled and looked over at Teal'c. "How ya doing there, big guy?"

Teal'c was methodically wrapping up their haul in tissue paper and placing them individually into little bags.

"It is I who should be asking you, O'Neill."

Jack raised his eyebrows at the Jaffa. "Pourquoi?"

"You were not yourself yesterday."

"No biggie." Jack got up to stretch his legs and to distance himself from Teal'c's all knowing gaze.

Teal'c remained silent, making Jack feel very transparent. Like he'd apparently told Carter once, he wasn't terribly complicated.

"T, really, I'm fine. Just had to thrash out some things in the old fron. I'm good now."

Teal'c continued to stare at him, before finally inclining his head. "If you say that it is, O'Neill, then it must be so."

He was saved from replying by Daniel exiting the can.

"I wouldn't go in there for a bit," he said rubbing circles on his stomach. "I don't think those chili dogs agreed with me."

Jack grimaced. "Thanks for the warning... and for using their bathroom instead of ours."

The two of them left Teal'c to his gift wrapping and headed next door to their room.

Daniel looked shattered and collapsed on his bed after toeing off his shoes.

Still feeling wide awake - It was only 21.00 for crying out loud! - Jack grabbed his phone and keycard and told Daniel he was going to the hotel bar.

The younger man barely acknowledged him with a grunt, so Jack left him to rest.


Finally! The human was asleep and his companion had left the room.

Osiris knew that he did not have much time before O'Neill returned. He used the kara kesh - hybridized with Asgard technology - to beam himself from the tel'tak into Jackson's hotel room.

Daniel shifted in his sleep, so Osiris used the hand device to settle him before placing the memory recall device on Daniel's temple. The device immediately started flashing as it interfaced with its twin that was attached to Osiris.


Jack drained the last of his beer and replaced the empty mug on the coaster provided. He slid out of the bar stool before dropping several bills on the counter and pointing at the bar tender in parting.

He made his way to the elevators in the lobby, all the while fiddling with his phone. He saw that Sam had sent him another message. He didn't bother reading it before hitting the delete button.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a hotel employee who nodded at him in greeting as he exited. He returned it with a tight smile as the man exited past him. Once inside the elevator, he poked at his floor number several times before attacking the close button forcing the sliding doors to finally shut.


The Goa'uld hissed in annoyance, frustrated at the slow progress. He'd lost many days trying to locate Daniel's location and finding a time when he slept alone. The dreams he'd previously created had become disjointed.

Daniel was having difficulty focusing on his memories of the tablet, much less interpreting anything from it. 'Sarah' had tried guiding him, but Daniel questioned her motives, suspicious of her sudden interest in his work.

Osiris pulled off the device attached to Daniel and activated the kara kesh to beam back to his ship.

The device failed to initiate much to his confusion and he growled in outrage.

Daniel woke up startled, blinking rapidly at the blurry figure standing in front of him.

Glasses...

Osiris immediately pointed the ribbon device at him, causing Daniel to collapse back on the bed, paralyzed and wide eyed with pain.


The keycard slipping from his unsteady hand had Jack muttering curses. While not strictly drunk, he was definitely not fit to operate large machinery.

He hoped the beers would do their job and he'd been sound asleep by the time Carter got back and further postpone that talk he was betting she was wanting to have.

He counted down the numbers on the doors and slowed once his room was in sight. Pausing for a moment, he girded his loins before inserting the keycard into the slot and watched it as it turned green.

Osiris was so intent in his torture that he failed to notice the door open to admit Jack who took one look at what was happening to Daniel and pulled out the 9mm pistol concealed at his back.

He took aim at the woman and watched as the bullet bounced harmlessly off her personal shield.

"Ah, crap!"

He dove for cover as the Goa'uld whipped around and shot at him with a Hara'kesh.

"O'Neill!"

The single gunshot had Teal'c abandoning his wrapping job, and startled Jonas awake. The loud whine of the alien weapon and subsequent explosion had them rushing out of their suite just in time to see Sarah Gardener follow Jack into Sam's adjoining room.

Teal'c pursued Osiris, tackling the Goa'uld to the ground giving Jack the chance to make a grab for the ashrak device.

He tried to pull the ring-like weapon from Sarah's fingers, but Osiris had curled her hand into a fist and swung at Jack, connecting with his side. His breath whooshed out of him, winded by the solid hit to his abdomen area, and he lost his footing forcing him to let go of her hand.

Osiris managed to roll over on his back and aimed his kara kesh at Teal'c's chest, sending him flying to the wall, his body hitting the plasterboard hard.

Regaining some of his equilibrium, Daniel grabbed his keycard from the nightstand and tossed it to Jonas, who caught it and ran out to the hallway to enter through the main door and join the commotion.

Jack was just getting up when Jonas burst into the room, distracting Osiris enough so Jack could attempt another tackle. The Goa'uld saw the movement and fired the hand device again, dealing Jack a glancing blow, whilst firing the Hara'kesh at Jonas who had taken cover in the hallway.

"Shek'na kree!"

Seeing no immediate threat, Osiris spun around and walked briskly out of the room. He tried beaming out again to no avail. "Bal'dak, Tau'ri," he cursed out loud and followed the exit signs.

Jonas went in silent pursuit at a safe distance, very aware of his lack of weaponry.

O'Neill and Teal'c followed a moment later, catching up with Jonas at the elevators.

"What's going on, son?" Jack rasped out, the pain in his side slowly abating.

Jonas pointed at the descending numbers. "I thought he'd go up, but he seems to be heading down to the lobby."

Jack nudged him towards the fire escape. "Let's go. I'll take point, you have our six T," he instructed as they barrelled down the stairwell at full speed.

Jack caught sight of Osiris, regally walking out the main entrance of the hotel, thick robes billowing around her body.

Figures. The bastards are so damned arrogant, they think running is beneath them.

He raised his gun, hoping the Goa'uld had neglected to raise his personal shield again after their tussle.

He fired the weapon, aiming somewhere non-fatal, giving them the chance to capture the Goa'uld alive.

Normally, he wouldn't bother, but the host was Daniel's friend and the archaeologist had made it perfectly clear in the past that he would prefer to catch rather than kill Osiris so that the Tok'ra could extract the snake.

Osiris staggered from the force of the bullet entering her shoulder. His eyes flashed in abject fury. "You will pay for your insolence, Tau'ri!"

He lifted the hand containing the Hara'kesh-

"Freeze! No one move!"

Pete came running into the scene brandishing his pistol.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Jack glared at the clueless cop, keeping his weapon raised and his finger on the trigger.

Pete saw the blood spreading on Osiris's cloak and frowned at her in concern. "Are you okay, lady?"

Osiris merely smirked in amusement before flinging Pete across the parking lot, his body landing on the hood of a car making a sickening crunch on impact.

His attention diverted, Teal'c ran towards the Goa'uld, using his superior mass to push him to the ground. Osiris struggled against the bulk of Teal'c's weight, but Jack and Jonas piled on, one man on either side of her holding her arms down.

"I guess he didn't like being called 'lady'," Jack quipped.

"Colonel!" Sam appeared and made her way to her teammates. "You guys need my help?"

Jack's eyes drank her in, before internally shaking himself to focus on the matter at hand. "We're good here, Carter. You might want to check on your friend though." He gestured to the slumped form of Pete Shanahan whose body had slid off the hood of the car.

"Oh my God, what happened to him?"

"Got on the evil side of Daniel's girlfriend."

"Stop being an ass, Jack!" Daniel materialized beside him looking a bit worse for wear. He knelt down and removed the Goa'uld weapons from Sarah's hands.


Sam was on the phone to the SGC after calling 911, asking Walter to send a containment team to their location. She was on her knees beside Pete who had yet to regain full consciousness. While his pulse was slow, his breathing wasn't obstructed.

"You'll need to let General Hammond know that Paul Davis might be needed on the ground. We're going to need someone who can coordinate with local law enforcement. We also have an injured civilian who may have been..." she chose her words carefully over the unsecure line. "...exposed to foreign technology."

She heard the Master Sergeant pause at the end of the line. "Understood, Major. Colonel Reynolds's team has been dispatched to your location. They should be in the air in thirty."

"Thanks, Walter."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll patch the General though the moment he gets in."

The conversation had lasted only a couple of minutes, but when Sam looked up, a small crowd of people were starting to gather in the parking lot and lobby. She noticed that the guys had disappeared along with the Goa'uld, with only the Colonel remaining.

He was speaking to what looked like the hotel manager. The short, stocky, bald man was gesturing at the bloodstained entrance and then pointed elsewhere inside the building.

She had no idea what had happened or how much property was damaged, but she wasn't counting on being welcomed back to this particular location again.

Jack left the bewildered hotelier to sort out the chaos in the lobby after instructing him not to touch anything until local enforcement okayed it.

"How's he doing, Carter?"

His 2IC was crouched down holding the detective's hand. He tamped down the sudden surge of jealousy. The man was injured, for crying out loud! Get a hold of yourself, O'Neill.

"His pulse is steady. He's showing signs of coming around."

"Good. Paramedics are here. I want you to ride with Shanahan."

"Sir?"

Jack took her by the elbow and helped her back up to her feet as the EMTs took over Pete's care. Sam quickly explained how he was injured and gave his vitals while the EMTs collared and boarded him for transport.

Jack and Sam took a few steps back so that they couldn't be overheard.

"He knows you. You're the ideal person to find out exactly what he saw. Stick with the story you've already given him. If he asks for more, standard line about classified experimental weapons research and have him sign an NDA."

He scrubbed at his tired face and eyes. It had gone past midnight and his day was far from ending. "This is going to be a logistical nightmare. We've got to transport good old Osiris back to the SGC ASAP before local LEO start their investigation..."

"Yes, sir. I've spoken to Sgt. Harriman, he says the General's on his way to the mountain. SG-3's on a flight from Peterson, they're bringing equipment to deal with the prisoner."

"Great." He indicated at the EMTs wheeling Shanahan to the rig. "You're ride's ready. Keep me updated. You run into any trouble let me know."

She nodded, wanting to say more but decided that it wasn't the right time or place.

"See you later, sir."


"...I promise. Okay. That's fine. See you soon."

Sam disconnected the call with an audible sigh. Mark had been surprisingly calm about the whole mess.

Small mercies, she thought grimly.

While Pete would recover from his ordeal without any lasting consequences, the bad news was that he would remember everything, which meant she would have to convince him of their cover story and to sign the NDA.

Her brother would pass by after work and she couldn't wait to see his expression when she mentioned the word "classified". He would either blow up at her or refuse to speak to her again. She wasn't sure which she prefered.

She'd gotten a call from Daniel a couple of hours before to let her know that the police were willing to cooperate and they maintained custody of Osiris. SG-3 brought tranqs from Janet to make it easier to transport the Goa'uld back to Cheyenne; Teal'c and Jonas accompanied them.

They were all due back the next day for a debrief, including the Colonel.

Paul Davis arrived before lunch and had joined Sam in speaking to Pete. The Major had done most of the talking, explaining the secret nature of their work and its importance to national security.

He then produced the NDA and Sam asked Pete to sign it.

"What, you don't trust me?" Pete joked. "I get it, Sam. You're some super genius who designs space weapons for the government. My lips are sealed, just between us," he made a zipper motion across his mouth.

She saw Paul roll his eyes, but he remained silent.

"It's standard procedure, Pete. We can't actually let you go without you signing it."

He frowned at her. "I'm in your custody? Am I under arrest?"

"No. Of course not. Posse Comitatus. The Air Force has no authority over civilian matters on American soil. But we do ask that you cooperate with ongoing operations, in light of the nation's heightened state of alert," Sam clarified.

Major Davis handed Pete a folder and a pen. "Please, Detective."

"Thank you, Pete," Sam said gratefully after he handed the signed document back to Davis.

"Major Carter," Paul Davis nodded at her before exiting the partition.

Without Paul in the room, Sam didn't know what to do, except smile uncomfortably at Pete.

"You owe me one," he suddenly told her.

She stared at him in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"We didn't get those drinks you promised to have with me at your hotel. You'll have to make it up to me once you're back at the Springs."

She promised him that? "Pete-"

"Sure, it kinda sucked being assaulted by that cute blonde, but at least now you can tell me more about yourself without having to keep saying 'Classified'," he chuckled.

"You're a really nice guy, Pete, but like I told my brother, I don't have time for a relationship right now."

"Then how about time for a friend?" Pete suggested. "Two friends hanging out. Get to know each other better and once you do have time then maybe we'll see..."

Sam bit her lip in consternation. Pete's persistence was admirable, but also misguided. She would not change her mind on this. Her life plans did not include him, but rather a misanthropic Spec Ops colonel who was too pig-headed for his own good.

The man in front of her looked bruised and so pathetic that she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He was pleading with her with puppy dog eyes, and dashing his hopes right then and there felt too much like kicking a sick dog while it was down.

"Sure, Pete. We can hang out," she said, following it with a forced closed mouth smile.

A grin broke out on his face. "Really?" he asked excitedly. "That's great! I know of this amazing place we can go dancing. You'll love it!"

Sam raised her eyebrow at his presumptive comment which Pete failed to notice.

Now she just had to make sure that she was off world whenever he called. They were due several galactic emergencies, right?


Jack hastily turned away from the 'touching' scene not bothering to let Carter know of his presence.

Daniel turned around and caught up with his rapidly retreating friend.

"Jack... Would you just wait. I'm sure it wasn't what-"

"Save it, Daniel. I don't wanna hear it."

"What do you expect, Jack?" Daniel continued undeterred. "You pushed her away for no apparent reason. Now you're mad because she's considering her options?"

Jack ignored the question. "Once she's done comforting Pat there, tell Carter that the Pentagon's sent over a team to take over the cleanup and she's expected at the SGC at oh-nine-hundred tomorrow."

Daniel stopped walking and watched Jack's departing form disappear in the distance.


He was done. He was so done. He hadn't counted on how hard it would be to watch her move on and be with someone else.

He had no idea how he was going to face her the next day or the day after that. The foremost thought in his mind was to quit; tell George he'd enough of the fighting and to exile him somewhere in the Beta site.

He knew he wasn't thinking rationally. There was still that minor little detail of his personal vow to rid the galaxy of those irksome snakes and he wasn't naïve enough to think that the Joint Chiefs would allow him to retire, considering recent events.

Far too valuable with our allies, blah, blah, blah, etcetera, etcetera...

Like Daniel had pointed out the night before, he was just another one of those pesky cogs in the giant gizmo that was the SGC.

He wished they'd realize that he was more like a rusted out tool rather than a crucial piece, and like any tool he was easily replaceable.


Was that better? I know the poor sap is still around and continue to cause trouble , but you know Sam's not inclined to return those feelings. Let me know. It takes a minute or so and is a tiny fraction of the hours we authors spend writing =)

For those following this story, I'm going back home to London this weekend for a few weeks (I'm currently in the West Coast of the US) and won't be posting for a few days, maybe a week. I'm expecting to be jet lagged; It's also F1 at Silverstone on Sunday and I just found out my man, Mark Webber is retiring next season. I'll be glued to that. If you're a fan of his, give me a shout out.