Chapter 4

Monday morning rolled around the Sam marched into Daniel's office early to speak to him. She found him at his desk sipping a hot cup of coffee and wearing green BDU's.

"Did you hear that rumor about Colonel O'Neill and Lieutenant Converse?" she asked confused.

Daniel replied befuddled, "No! What rumor?"

"They're a couple." she stated. "He spent all weekend with her at his private cabin."

"She did go up fishing with him." he informed.

"What?" Sam barked. "She's only been here a week and he's already bugging her to go up there with him."

Daniel sighed, "That therapist who helped him recover was her mother. I think he was trying to make her feel welcomed. Her mother died."

"Still he just met her…" she replied worried. What if the rumors were true? What if Jack was having an affair with a much younger woman?

"I don't know what to say, Sam." he confessed.

Janet Frasier then stormed into the office next. She was fuming, "What's all this about Colonel O'Neill sleeping with Lieutenant Converse?"

"Jack invited her to the cabin to go fishing and she accepted." Daniel shrugged. "I'm sure it's nothing but a rumor."

"I certainly hope it's nothing more than a rumor." Janet told him. "She's half his age. She's young enough to be his daughter." How little Janet knew the truth in her statement.

Daniel hushed them, "I'm sure it's nothing. Jackie is very attractive young woman and is a very talented musician and I'm sure she garnered a lot of attention. I imagine there are some jealous guys out there who see Jack with this beautiful young lady…" he puckered as his own thoughts cast doubt, "I mean what man wouldn't want to take her to a secluded cabin for a weekend?"

Janet shook her finger, "That could ruin both of their careers."

He made a face, "Maybe she likes older men?"

Sam confessed to him. "I thought she liked you, Daniel. She seemed to get along real well with you. So, well I felt like I was a third wheel."

Janet waved it off, "She gets along fine with everyone."

"I have trouble talking to her at times." Sam admitted.

"You do?" she asked.

She nodded, "She tends to gain a lot of attention."

Janet huffed "But still she can't be having an affair with the colonel."

Daniel assured them, "It's just a stupid rumor and it will go away. They always do."

Meanwhile

Jack was on his way to work when he got a phone call from his daughter. He opened his flip phone as he sat at the light. "What's up?"

"My car won't start." she replied. "I think the battery is dead."

He flipped the turn signal on the steering column, "I'll be there in a minute. I'll pick ya up."

"I just need a jump." she told him.

"No," he disagreed. "You need a new battery. I'm not letting you drive it until it's fixed. I'll be there in a minute." He closed the phone and continued towards her house.

Short Time Later

After retrieving his daughter he continued to the SGC. He parked the truck and climbed out with Jackie climbing down from the passenger's side. "I will need a lift to the auto store to get a new battery."

"I'll take care of it." he assured her.

Side by side, in civilian clothes, they walked to the troop truck and he held her purse as she climbed in. He then climb in the back and took a seat beside her. They sat as all eyes fell on the pair. It certainly did look suspicious as Jack helped her and out of the truck. They stood close together as they entered the SGC and rode the elevator the twenty eight floors down. Odd looks and assumptions erupted around them. Rumors flew at the speed of light as it appeared Colonel O'Neill had found himself a girlfriend who was half his age and under his command. He wasn't aware of just how fast or how far the rumors had flown. His mind was consumed with the old threat from long ago and he was worried the CIA would resurrect the Project Moonbeam and recruit his daughter to finish the work. He gave Jackie a reassuring squeeze of the hand as the elevator descended.

She couldn't say anything and simply looked back up at him. She squeezed his hand in return to signal she knew she had his support and supported him in return. The elevator came to a stop and Jack led his daughter off with a number of enlisted an officers behind them.

"See ya at lunch." he told her.

"See ya then," she smiled and started the opposite direction to the ladies' locker room.

He reminded her in jest, "That's sir."

"Sir," she played the game without much thought.

Short Time Later

After changing into a pair of green BDU's Jackie went to Sam's office to work on the artifacts with sound recordings. She walked inside and greeted Sam.

"Morning Major." she stated.

Sam looked back at her and snapped, "You're late."

"My car wouldn't start. Dead battery." she told her. "I had to get a lift."

"I see." she replied. "You got a friend to bring you in?"

"My…Ah…Colonel O'Neill picked me up." she reported.

"Colonel O'Neill picked you up?" she asked unsure if she heard correctly.

"I have his number." she mentioned offhand. She went to the artifact on the counter and took a seat before it. "What do we have here?"

"It's the artifact from P3X-8675." she told her rather annoyed she had Jack's number.

Amused Jackie softly snag out a tune, "8675309! I got your number on the wall."

Sam sighed and turned back to her work trying to get the rumor out of her mind.

Jackie asked, "You know why tunes stay in your head so long?"

Sam miffed, "Why?"

"Something my mother coined 'rhythmic recollection.'" she explained. "The rhythm activates parts of your long term memory and allows the words to be planted long term in your subconscious." She turned, "Hence when you stated the digits of the planet it activated the rhythm and retrieved the words in my mind. The words have a stronger connection than the music itself. That's why if you play a tune you struggle to find the words but the words will trigger the tune stored in your memory."

"That's interesting." she told her. "But what does have to do with what we are doing here?"

"Um…" she pondered. "Well, the Ancients were human and that's a human trait so it has to be in their culture as well."

Sam stated, "Well when you get that all figured out then write it up in your report. Until then I have a lot of work to do using actual physics."

"Music is based in physics." she reminded her.

Sam really didn't feel like chatting. She was still upset over the rumors and the fact Jack drove her to work. She snapped, "Just do your job, Lieutenant."

She winced, "Yes ma'am."

Commissary

Jack sat waiting for his daughter at a table in the commissary. He had snatched up the last piece of lemon pie upon finding it was his daughter's favorite dessert.

Sam and Daniel filtered into the commissary next. They got their food and went to see Jack at the table.

"Jack," Daniel greeted his friend.

"Sir," Sam cheered. She really wanted to speak to him privately about Jackie but figured it was not her place to do so.

"Carter. Daniel." he greeted them.

Daniel spotted the pie, "Ooh, you got the last piece of lemon pie. You saved that for me?" he jested secretly hoping that was the case for Daniel it was his favorite pie as well.

Sam kidded, "Or he could have saved it for me." She started to eat her food.

He admitted, "I saved it for Jackie. It's her favorite."

Sam paused and took a breath. She wasn't sure what to say.

Daniel made an observation, "You and Lieutenant Converse seem to be hitting off quite a friendship, Jack."

He merely shrugged it off.

Daniel stated, "She's a bit younger than you."

Jack cocked his head and simply waited for the next assumption.

His friend stated, "Jack! There are rumors flying around about you and Jackie."

"Such as?" he asked trying not to laugh.

He whispered, "That you two are involved."

Jack didn't answer and simply shrugged.

He assumed his friend had confirmed the rumors. "Jack! This is serious."

"Rumors are rumors." he told him. He spotted his daughter walk into the commissary. He waved to her and she waved in return.

Sam noticed how much his eyes lit up upon seeing Jackie enter the room. Her heart sank as she figured she was too late. He was already lost to another woman. But what really upset her was the other woman was another officer under his command and even younger than she. It was as if every reservation she held about her feeling for Jack had been for nothing. She began to feel sick to her stomach.

Jack noticed Sam had gone pale and stopped eating. He recalled the confession about how they held deep feeling for another that needed to suppress. Jackie was right. Sam was just like her mother and just his type. He wasn't sure how he would make things right with Sam but he didn't wish to see her suffer. He then glanced at Daniel who was watching Jackie intently. Daniel seemed to have much in common with his daughter and she always spoke adoringly of him over the weekend. Jack began to suspect Jackie and Daniel also had a mutual attraction and that suggestion he didn't care for. His goal was to find a way for Sam and Jackie to become much closer and Daniel to simply not have a chance at winning Jackie's affections. That plan would be most challenging for the old colonel.

Later That Day

Jackie was back to working Sam's office on the artifact. It would have been easier if Sam didn't seem cold to Jackie but she was upset and it showed in her attitude towards the young woman.

Jack tapped on the doorway as he came to collect his daughter to get the new battery. "Hey!"

Sam and Jackie both glanced over as they opposite sides of the room. Sam couldn't help but smile.

"Sir," she greeted him with a soft tone of voice.

Jackie cocked an eyebrow and soon figured out what Sam was so upset about. She was in love with her father and must have seen her as a threat. She spoke to her father, "Hey!"

Jack gave her a look, "How do you address your commanding officer?"

Jackie had Jack's sense of humor and understood the he was actually having a jest with her. She smirked, "With adoring eyes." Her reference was to Sam and how obvious it was that the Major had feelings for Jack.

Sam fully expected Jack to give her gripe over the remark but instead he let it slide.

He pronounced aloud while holding his finger high, "Only if the CO is as good looking as me."

Sam normally loved his sense of humor but she assumed he was flirting with Jackie and didn't understand the private joke. She sat utterly sure that they were a couple and she already lost the man she loved before she had a chance to love him.

Jackie asked, "What's up?"

"Time to get your battery." he told her. He waved, "Go get changed and I'll meet ya at the elevators. We'll head to Sears Auto Center at the mall."

Jackie hopped down from her chair, "Great we can go shopping at the mall while we are there."

He balked, "We're just going to get your battery."

She rebutted, "But I want to drop by Field and Stream. I think we need new lures. We didn't catch anything fishing."

Normally, Jack would admit there are no fish in his pond but he never told her and Jackie assumed there were fish in the pond upon spending all weekend fishing with him. He decided not to tell her and let her figure it out for herself. He smiled coy at her. "New lures it is!" he cheered. What dedicated angler would turn down the chance to buy new lures after all!

Sam assumed Jackie must have known there were no fish in the pond for it was well known that the pond at Jack's cabin was fishless. She assumed they were talking in code to cover their romance. She sat brewing as she watched Jack escort Jackie out the door.

"Come on," he waved for his daughter to leave.

Jackie spoke to Sam, "See you tomorrow Major."

"Lieutenant," was all she could reply. After they were gone Sam wiped the tear that started to roll down her cheek away. It was obvious there were in a relationship. However, she misjudged what type of relationship.

Short Time Later

Jackie sat beside Jack in the truck as he drove to Sears to get the new battery. She looked over at him and bluntly stated, "She's in love with you!"

Jack cocked an eyebrow and glanced over at her, "Who?" He knew who but played dumb.

"My mother's long lost twin!" she huffed. "Carter!"

He shrugged, "And?"

"Don't you think it's rather ironic that twenty-five years later, you find yourself in a situation where you have another subordinate officer in love with you and she also happens to be just like my mother?" she stated amazed.

He assured her, "But we are not involved. I knew not to make that mistake twice. It will ruin both our careers."

She asked him, "You realize how we look right now? I heard the chatter this morning in the ladies' locker room. They think we are sleeping together. What are you gonna tell Hammond when he hears it?"

"George already knows you are my kid. He also knows about the project and the stolen information. We need to keep a lid on this until we can figure out what she did with it." he stated.

"Knowing mom she probably burned it." she told him.

"It wasn't all just files. She took audio and video recordings too." he told her. "She wiped out the research. I believe she burned the files. But I'm not sure she did with the rest of it."

"I have all of mom's stuff in storage. I just haven't found the time to go through it yet. We can start there." she suggested.

"That's a start," he gave a nod.