Jack sauntered into the flight office at Peterson and nodded to the few airmen that he recognised. His gaze flitted over the room and he soon found his target. A blonde Captain was sat at the flight management desk and he smiled as he recognised her from a few meetings he'd attended there. She had on one occasion hinted at the possibility of going for a drink with him. He made his way across the room whilst he racked his brains trying to remember her name.

"Captain Tyler… how nice to see you again." He smiled brightly, half from the achievement of remembering her name and half to impress her. This woman had records of all the flight plans in and out of Peterson and he needed to get a good look at them. "Working hard?"

The blonde Captain got up from her seat and saluted him. Jack formally saluted back. "Colonel O'Neill."

"At ease Captain." He watched her sit back in her chair and took a seat on the desk next to her. "So… how's the job holding up?"

"Fine thank you sir. What brings you to Peterson?"

"Oh you know… this and that. I have a few meetings to attend…" he leaned in closer "but I was wondering, since I'm going to be at a loose end this evening, whether you would join me for a drink later?"

She blushed "I apologise sir. I should not have asked you the last time we met."

"Don't worry about it Captain. I'm not a huge lover of protocol and we officers do have such a thing as spare time ya know. It's nice to get out every once in a while. Especially in our line of work if you know what I mean."

"Yes sir. Of course, I would be honoured." She smiled up at him. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"As a matter of fact there is. Can I have a record of all the flights into Peterson over the last week or so? I'm trying to track down a flight that landed with some packages for the SGC. Dr Jackson is missing a very important artefact and whilst usually I wouldn't bother… the whining is starting to grate a little."

She sniggered softly. "I can imagine." She pulled out a file and handed it to him. "These are all the flights since the beginning of the month. I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for in here. I finish at about six."

"I'll swing by and get ya! Be seeing you…" Jack hopped down of the desk and made his way out of the office, scanning the records as he went. He found what he was looking for and then looked at the record underneath. Pulling out his cell phone he immediately dialled Carter's number and rolled his eyes when it went to voicemail. "Hey Carter… you'll never guess who's in town. Ring me."

-

Sam pulled up just around the corner from the address she had and stopped the bike, firmly placing one foot on the floor. She looked over the street and nudged Daniel.

Daniel pulled his helmet off and looked in the direction that she was looking in. "Well well… he's confident!"

Sam pulled out her cell phone as it beeped and listened to the message on her phone. Re-dialling the number she got off the bike. "Sir - I'm looking at him right now."

"Ok well with him in town it can't be good. Carter is Daniel with you?"

"Yes sir he is."

"Right I want to know what he's up to. You two snoop around over there. I've got a few meetings to attend and then I have a date with the Flight Manager. I'll see what I can get out of her."

"Good luck sir."

"Oh and Carter… see if you can get hold of Rihanna. I need to speak to Paul."

"Yes sir." Sam ended the call and looked at Daniel. "He's over at Peterson skulking around. He wants us to tail Kinsey."

"Figures. Looks like he's having lunch. There's no way we can walk into that restaurant without it looking too obvious."

Sam looked across the road and smiled. "Oh… I think we could manage it."

Daniel looked across the road and groaned. "You have got to be kidding!"

-

"General Hammond. I do not believe that this is wise."

Hammond sighed and looked at Teal'c. "I agree with you son. But things being as they are at the moment, we need someone on the outside. I want you to go to the Tok'ra and stay there. They can contact us anytime they need to as we can contact them. I need someone with our allies in case this hits the fan. At least with you out there, the Tok'ra can always bring a ship back."

"I believe I understand General Hammond. You wish me to be able to contact our other allies if needs be and seeing as all gate activity here is suspended…"

"You got it Teal'c." The gate opened. "Now quick, before Major Jefferies gets whiff of this."

Teal'c nodded and made his way up the ramp and through the event horizon. Just as the gate shut down, Hammond turned and saw Major Jefferies storm into the gateroom. "What exactly is the meaning of this?!"

"Teal'c is an alien. He wanted to go home. You cannot expect him to stay here on Earth when we have no idea as to how long this suspension will last. The man has family out there."

"You walk a thin line General!" He turned on his heels and fled.

"Yes I do. That's why I'm so damn good." He walked out of the gateroom to the sound of several of the SF's chuckling and smiled.

-

Paul looked down at his cell as it began to ring. He'd brought his with him, knowing that they may trace it but it was more likely they would just tap it. It was his mother. He groaned and answered the call. "Hi Mom."

Rihanna glanced sideways at him before returning her attention to the road.

"Paul… what is going on? I'm hearing all sorts of things. I called your house and your neighbour answered. She said you'd gone away for a month. A month?!"

"Mom calm down. There's been an… issue at work. I'm taking some time out."

"They say you've got married! Is it true?"

Paul contemplated his answer. He was aware that this was common rumour, he was also aware that all they had to do was check for a marriage certificate and they'd realise it wasn't. "Not exactly Mom, but I may be, very soon."

"Well who is she? You haven't had a girlfriend in a long time and suddenly you're getting married!"

Rihanna winced. She could hear her quite clearly and she sounded aggravated.

"It's a long story. You know her actually. Remember Rihanna?"

"Your PA! You're marrying your PA!? Paul you could do so much better…"

"Mom I love her. What better reason is there?"

Rihanna squirmed in her seat, more than a little uncomfortable with hearing his conversation. His mother obviously wasn't pleased and what was worse, was that she was fretting over nothing.

"Paul… where are you? I'm coming to see you."

Paul sighed. "No Mom… I'll come to you." He checked the next sign he saw on the road. "We're not far. I'll see you shortly." He ended the call "What are you doing?"

Rihanna pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the ignition. "You have got to be kidding me."

"What?"

"Paul lying to every Tom, Dick and Harry to clear our names is one thing… but lying to your mother…"

"Rihanna, please. You said that you would do whatever it takes…"

"Yes but this is your family we are talking about Paul, not some bureaucrats at the White House."

Paul turned in his seat so he was facing her. "Rihanna we have got to pull this off. I've been thinking about it on the drive up here, we have to make this as real as possible." He pulled out a small velvet box from the glove compartment and gave it to her. "This was my grand mothers… I want you to wear it."

Rihanna took the box and opened it. Inside was an amazing diamond engagement ring, with a stunning pear shaped diamond and two smaller ones on the band. She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. Opening them again she looked at Paul. "Paul… I've never been married. I've never even been proposed to. This just… this isn't how I imagined it." A tear formed in her eye and ran down her cheek before she could stop it. "I wanted to get married for all the right reasons… not like this."

"Who said anything about getting married?"

"You don't have to. You know as well as I do that the first thing they are going to do is search for a marriage certificate."

"Rihanna I know. Really I do. The more I get to know you, the more I fall for you. My feelings for you are increasing by the day and I know that by the end of this month, if I didn't have to do this now, then I would be doing it then and for all the right reasons. If it doesn't work out… we can get an annulment. Please… I know how much I ask of you…"

Rihanna looked into his eyes as he took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. She laughed softly. "I haven't said yes yet."

"But you haven't said no either…" He leant over and kissed her softly. "…you just broke a lot of hearts in the Pentagon."

She slapped him softly. "Hark at you Mr Ego!" She threw Katie's cell at him. "You'd best call your mother and arrange a meeting place. We can't meet there."

"Agreed." Paul began to dial the number as she pulled back into the traffic.