A/N: Finally, here we go with Chapter 4. We're about halfway through, depends on my Muse and her whims. I guess that's it for today's author's note, I'm drained. Disclaimer and all that jazz applies as usual. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Read on!

Chapter 4

Sam input yet another set of coordinates into the computer, pressed the Start button and took a step back as a simulation began to play out on the monitor. She stood next to Captain O'Brien and both women watched anxiously as a simulated wormhole connected two gates, then one of the surrounding stars exploded, sending out a massive EM pulse which was represented by a series of circles emanating from the point of the explosion. Sam felt rather than saw the young woman next to her stiffen as the circles neared the line representing the subspace conduit. A prayer ran through her mind when the EM pulse collided with the wormhole. For a millisecond that seemed like ages, nothing happened and then… the line disappeared.

O'Brien hit the table with her fist and muttered something that Sam recognized to be a rather colorful goa'uld curse.

"I'm sorry," Sam said apologetically and stepped forward to turn off the monitor.

'SIMULATION FAILURE' the screen announced in bright red letters. Yeah, like they didn't already know that. Sam hit the Off button, probably with a little more force than necessary. As brilliant as Captain O'Brien's supernova hypothesis had been, it had also, unfortunately, been incorrect. This simulation had been the last in a long line of failed scenarios and after two days of work (their work time was severely restricted by doctor Fraiser who would barge in every five or so hours, insisting that the Captain gets some rest), they appeared to be nowhere nearer the solution to this time travel mystery than in the beginning. Rather the contrary, actually.

"Yeah, so am I," O'Brien remarked dryly.

Sam took two empty mugs from the workbench and walked over to the coffee machine Daniel had given her for her last birthday and which now held an honorable place on one of the counters in the back of her lab. She poured them full of the dark liquid and handed one to the Captain. The younger woman accepted it silently and rested her back against the workbench, letting out a quiet hiss of pain as she accidentally nudged the table with her injured leg. Sam followed her example, mirroring her pose. She wrapped her fingers around the mug, more out of habit than actual desire for warmth, since the coffee was far from fresh brewed.

O'Brien took a sip of the coffee and grimaced. "Wow, this is… Uh, no offence, Major, but this coffee is…" she paused, looking for the right word.

Sam chuckled. "I know, but, well, it's better than running to the commissary every time I need a refill."

Now it was the Captain's turn to chuckle. "It's good to know some things never change."

For a moment, Sam contemplated whether there was something more to the younger woman's remark. It was not as though she'd made a tremendous revelation, but her tone was… Sam didn't really know what it was, she just had a weird feeling.

O'Brien noticed her hesitation and added with a small smile. "Future or not, Major, caffeine is still the driving force of the SGC."

"Daniel will be pleased to hear that."

"I'm sure he will," O'Brien said with a smirk.

They stood in silence, sipping their coffee and Sam considered their options. She knew they had to find a way to send the two officers back to their time and the sooner they did, the better, but that wasn't possible without knowing the cause. The problem was that there seemed to be no obvious naturally occurring phenomenon that would explain what had happened. It had of course occurred to her that there may have been an unnatural factor at work, namely an enemy weapon of some sort, one so powerful that it could actually make the wormhole cross time and space simultaneously. She even considered asking Captain O'Brien about it, but decided not to, since she would probably not receive an answer.

Suddenly, O'Brien broke the silence. "You know what the most frustrating thing about this is?" she asked, gesturing carefully with her mug.

Having figured that the question was rhetorical, Sam waited for the younger woman to continue. "That I know of at least two reasonably complicated ways to get us back," the Captain finished with a sigh.

Sam nodded sympathetically. As a physicist, she understood that the risk of changing the timeline by introducing any technology or methods that had yet to be invented was too great. In fact, she had been faced with a similar problem several years before when SG-1 got stranded in 1969.

"Don't worry, Captain, we'll figure it out," she said with an encouraging smile.

O'Brien's dark eyes met Sam's, her expression serious except for the barest hint of a smile twitching the left corner of her lips as she mouthed: "Yeah."

A sharp rap on the door had Sam jumping, just as Colonel Bishop popped his head in.

"Hello there, ladies, have you figured it out yet?" he asked with a smile.

Sam was perplexed at being called a 'lady' by a superior officer and before she had time to answer, Captain O'Brien spoke.

"As a matter of fact, we have, several hours ago. So now we're just kicking back, reveling in our success," she deadpanned, her face and tone flawlessly serious. If Sam didn't know better, she'd have bought it without hesitation.

Bishop seemed to play along. "Good, then I'm sure you won't mind if we join you for the party," he said, his smile widening as Teal'c's muscular form appeared behind him.

Both men stepped in and the Jaffa laid a tray he carried onto the table. It contained four servings of dessert; a slice of apple-pie, a cup of chocolate ice-cream, a small bowl of fruit salad and a glass of blue jell-O.

Sam smiled gratefully at Teal'c and received a little nod in return. She noticed the Captain's grin as she reached for the pie without hesitation. The Colonel procured a small fork from his pocket and handed it to the younger officer.

"Thanks, sir" O'Brien smiled again and eagerly sunk her fork into the dessert.

Sam took the jell-O and accepted a spoon from Bishop, Teal'c chose the ice-cream, while Bishop went for fruit salad. As the Major took the first mouthful, she felt the Captain's suspicious dark eyes on her.

"What?"

The younger woman shrugged. "I don't know how you can eat that stuff," she pointed at the glass with a forkful of pie.

Sam briefly examined the blue contents of her next spoonful and then shoved it resolutely into her mouth. "It's good, I like it."

O'Brien scoffed. Sam decided it was time for a change of topic, she'd had the jell-O vs. pie argument one too many times.

She turned to Bishop. "So, what have you been up to, Colonel?"

She shrugged. "I've been spending a lot of time in the gym. If anything, this little trip is good for my shape, I don't think I've worked out this much since the Academy."

"Colonel Bishop and I have engaged in sparring sessions on several occasions," Teal'c confirmed. "He is a skilled warrior."

"Thank you, Teal'c."

The Jaffa bowed his head slightly in response. Sam contemplated that statement for a moment. Teal'c wasn't one to give praise to just someone, if he considered the military man a worthy opponent, his skills must have been extraordinary. From personal experience Sam knew that he often combined Earth and Jaffa moves in hand-to-hand combat in order to confuse the enemy. Perhaps in the future, that was also included in training. She was dying to ask but then she noticed a mischievous spark in Captain O'Brien's eye and the tiniest of smiles playing on her lips.

But before Sam could say anything, O'Brien spoke. "What about you, Teal'c? Any news on your front?"

"There is little news on my front, Captain O'Brien. My mission with SG-3 was unsuccessful, P4A 459 was conquered by Anubis," the Jaffa answered grimly.

Sam's heart sank, Anubis's forces conquered one world after another in search of the Lost City of the Ancients. As far as they knew, he hadn't had much success but his power was greater than ever before.

"Let's hope Daniel has more luck with the tablet," she said quietly.

"I visited Daniel Jackson in his office, he appears to have encountered an obstruction on the street."

O'Brien chuckled. "Hit a road block, Teal'c." She sobered. "He's been at it for days. Literally. Doesn't he ever take a break?"

"No, that's our Daniel," Sam answered, "once he gets started, he doesn't stop until he either finds a solution or blacks out on the table from exhaustion."

Bishop smirked. "Reminds me of someone," he remarked with a meaningful look at the Captain.

She ignored him and said with a smirk of her own tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Perhaps he just hasn't been properly… stimulated… yet," she chewed on her pie thoughtfully and a lopsided grin slowly graced her lips.

What the hell is that about? Sam thought aggrievedly. Granted, ever since he'd descended from the higher plane of existence, Daniel had seemed a little… lethargic. Come to think of it, he'd been that way off and on ever since the death of his wife, Sha're, but who was this woman to judge that? Furthermore, she could not imagine Daniel letting anything or anyone get in the line of his work. He could concentrate and become so engulfed in whatever he was doing that even Sam envied him sometimes. No, there was no way that she knew of that Daniel's concentration and patience could be disturbed. Nothing that she'd encountered. But that didn't mean the possibility wasn't there. Maybe she didn't need to know the cause after all. Sam's mind started racing.

"I've got an idea!"

Thank you for making me happy by reading this story. Now, if you want to make me even happier, please hit that lovely 'Review' button and share your thoughts with me ;-) Thank you again!