410 Beneath the Surface

Endless medical exams, endless debriefs, endless meetings with psychologist and with MacKenzie too, otherwise they were on stand down. They were all so bored. Maybe not Daniel, he couldn't continue any of his research per se but could read his dusty tomes to his heart's content. Carter, to her endless irritation, was locked out of her lab. All of SG-1 was left cooling their collective heels.

Work would have helped get his mind off the ice planet. Jack was sure he was himself again. He needed something to do, needed something else to think about. Every time he slept he dreamed of her.

Sam didn't know what to do with herself. She had so many projects in her lab. Why lock her out, she wasn't a threat, she was herself again. Maybe she was lucky instead of being locked out they all could have been locked up. Teal'c and the colonel burned up energy in the gym. Daniel read. She could catch up on journals or tone up in the gym but still... She, sure as hell, wasn't going to mention the dreams she'd been having, the dreams of Jonah.

Late at night Daniel, wandering around the labyrinth of the SGC corridors, ran into Jack O'Neill.

"What are you doing this time of night?"

"I could ask you the same question. Can't sleep?" Jack asked.

"You know when you're working on a problem and the answer is so close. And you can't give up no matter how tired you are."

"Crossword puzzle? We are on a total stand down."

"I had to stop, needed to sleep. I was walking to the locker room to change, then I didn't know where I was. I was back there. Is this happening to you?"

"You should go see MacKenzie."

"Funny Jack." They both had the same opinion of the man.

"I wake up in the morning and I don't know where I am."

"Well who does." Jack said still deflecting.

"I'm serious."

"It will fade, give it a little more time."

"You know what I mean?"

To that O'Neill gave the slightest tilt of his head.

It gave Daniel some hope to know he was not alone with this problem.

Jack paced the endless tunnels of the base remembering Tor, no Teal'c say "We don't belong here." and he wasn't sure which here he meant. When he slept he was back there - he was Jonah remembering her. In sleep, in his dreams he was consumed by his feelings for her. How many times did O'Neill turn a corner on base and expected to see Thera or was surprised to see gray concrete instead of machinery belching steam. He had almost said 'It's my honor to serve' to Hammond. He knew exactly what Daniel meant. On the ice planet Teal'c said we must remember and now for his sanity sake he'd have to forget.

Thera questioned how he could be so calm. "I'm not." It left her a little confused. After Carlin left, they talked a little more. He remembered 'feeling feelings'. It made her smile. He enjoyed kissing her, and she him. And kissing led to other things. That's how she found herself naked under a blanket with him with post coital waves of pleasure still coursing through her body.

Sam woke from the dream with a start, her heart pounding and her body awash with the same ripples of pleasure.

Weeks later they were finally back to a normal schedule or what passes for normal for SG-1. The ice planet was now in the past, only the subject of reports gathering dust – but still.

Sam thought about the experience.

When they finally left the Ice Planet, when they were beginning to remember, beginning to pull themselves together, she said "Sir" and turned away. Was she dismissing him, putting him in his place or daring him to object and make a move?

He was her boss for god sake. This had to stop and yet...

You used to walk behind him and thoughts would come unbidden –

what does it feel like to run your fingers through his hair,

what does it feel like to kiss him,

to be with him.

And now you know.

And now that you know, you're not supposed to.

You try to put it all behind you and you comes off awkward, stiff and formal.

How does he manage that relaxed air of nonchalance so well?

What does he think, what does he feel?