Jack sat at his desk, his head buried in his hands. Everything was so messed up. At least before he and Sam had always been friends. That, if nothing else, was always there. But now, he wasn't even sure there was that.

A quick knock sounded on Jack's door, interrupting his thoughts. He lifted his head to see Teal'c standing there. "Are you unwell O' Neill?" Teal'c asked. In all the time Teal'c had known him he had never seen O' Neill look so defeated as he did at this moment. Jack brushed the question aside with a wave of his hand.

"Something I can do for you Teal'c?" Jack asked, busying himself with a stack of paperwork on his desk. "It is I who wish to help you," Teal'c said coming fully into the room. Jack raised his eyes to meet Teal'cs, his eyebrows arching. "Oh? With what?" Jack asked, dropping the paperwork and leaning back in his chair.

Teal'c stood in front of the desk, his hands clasped behind him. "I have observed a change in both you and Colonel Carter," Teal'c began. Jack groaned loudly, scrubbing his hands over his face. "Isn't it about time for that mission of yours?" Jack asked, checking his watch and rising to his feet. Teal'c cocked his head to one side and raised his eyebrows.

Jack sighed and came to stand in front of him. "Look T, I know what you're trying to do. And it's appreciated, really. But I'll be just fine." He assured Teal'c. "Now get going. Everyone's waiting for you."

Jack watched her from the control room, his eyes glued to her. She glanced back and for a brief moment their eyes locked. His heart jumped in his chest, his pulse hammering in his ears. The very next second she turned away from him and the spell was broken.

"Chevron 4 encoded," the sergeant at the controls intoned. Jack stood there, watching until chevron seven had locked and the gate room filled with an ethereal glow. Jack stood there and watched SG-11 enter the shimmering horizon, SG-1 following close behind.

Before stepping through the gate Sam turned and caught his eye. Her mouth lifting at the corners in a small smile. Jack smiled back at her, feeling hope enter his heart.

Jack paced the expanse of the briefing room. He had given Daniel explicit instructions to check in every two hours. It was normal for Daniel to be a little overdue, when he would get distracted by ruins or run across some really fascinating indigenous people. But he had never been this late before. It was an hour past the scheduled check in time and Jack was worried.

'It could be nothing.' He tried telling himself, pacing faster. But he knew that something was wrong. He just knew, deep in his gut.

Jack ran down the stairs and stormed into the control room. "Dial PJX-785," he barked at the lieutenant manning the controls. "Yes sir," the lieutenant said, hurriedly punching keys on the keyboard.

Jack watched as the gate spun to life, each chevron slowly locking into place. As the seventh chevron locked into place the gate opened. "Bring up the MALP," Jack ordered impatiently, as though the lieutenant should already know what to do.

The lieutenant pushed a few more keys and the MALP came online. "Whoa!" The lieutenant exclaimed staring at the feed from the MALP.

Jack felt his stomach drop to his feet as he leaned closer to the monitor, not wanting to believe what he was seeing.

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