"Sit down Majors." Woolsey instructed when Lorne and Teldy finally entered the briefing room. He waited as they scanned the room, clearly surprised by the presence of SG1 as well as John's team.
When they had finally taken their places at the table Woolsey questioned. "Has either of you spoken to Dr Zelenka since his return?" In response Lorne asked.
"He's back? Why? Has something else happened?"
"He was sent back by the Caretaker." Woolsey answered. "It seems that the Caretaker is upset that we have not returned the second Ark."
"Another Ark?" Teldy asked, surprised she didn't know. "How does the Caretaker know about it?"
"That's the million dollar question." Cam said.
"Due to the link between the planet and the contents of the Ark it is possible that he has, in a way, communicated with it. The planet may react differently when an Ark is nearby." Lorne said as if he'd been lecturing in the subject for years. Realising what he had said he shrunk back into his chair. "Sorry, it'll take a bit of getting used to having to filter things out of my mind."
"Regardless of how he knows, the Caretaker, and maybe the nine, apparently thought we'd view what they did to you as a gift and as a result we'd feel compelled into returning the Ark." Woolsey explained after giving Lorne a sympathetic glance. "When we did not send the second Ark back they gave Zelenka a message."
"Death to our first borns?" Lorne asked.
"No." Woolsey replied with a grim smile.
"They want us to send someone else to be connected to the database." John said.
"Why? Who?"
"They believe that we did not send the second Ark as we, or rather Colonel Mitchell, does not trust you enough." Woolsey said carefully.
"No offence." Cam quickly added.
"So they want us to send someone the Colonel trusts?" Lorne asked. "That means a member of SG1 or Jennifer. No wonder she thought you were looking at her strangely."
"Dr Keller doesn't know this yet?" Teldy guessed.
"No." Cam answered succinctly.
"You're not seriously planning on hooking her up are you?" Lorne asked in disbelief.
"No." Sam answered. "After some discussions we feel the best candidate is Daniel."
"Are you mad?" Lorne blurted out before quickly adding. "No disrespect meant Ma'am."
"Thank you. Finally someone sees sense." Vala commented.
"Our plan is for you to return to the planet and tell the Caretaker that if he takes out everything he put in your head, next time Daniel will come and volunteer to be connected to the database." Sam explained, ignoring Vala.
"No." Lorne said, surprising everyone in the room. "I can't in good consciousness let Dr Jackson effectively take my place."
"You wouldn't." Daniel assured him. "I'm planning on volunteering anyway. Getting the knowledge out of your head is just a bonus."
"A damn good bonus in my opinion." John commented.
"Ultimately Daniel will use any information that gets downloaded into his brain more efficiently than the rest of us as he can filter it and tie it into what he already knows about the Ancients." Sam explained.
"What if they refuse to take the information out of Lorne's head?" Teldy asked.
"Then Dr Jackson doesn't go and they don't get their Ark." Woolsey said in a voice that meant the decision was final. "Your job is to make them realise that."
-00-
"Hey." Cam said as he sat down next to Jennifer, having finally found her in the mess hall. "Sorry for taking so long."
"I thought we agreed you'd stop apologising." Jennifer said yawning as she looked up from her mug of hot chocolate.
"I think you agreed that." Cam pointed out before adding sheepishly. "And I should have told you, your room has been free for the last hour, sorry."
"You've been in the briefing with Lorne?" She asked, yawning again. The knowledge surprising Cam, his look compelling Jennifer to explain. "He was keeping me company down here when he was summoned."
"Sorry."
"Please stop apologising."
"I'll try."
"You get everything sorted?"
"More or less."
"But you're still not happy about it?" Jennifer guessed from Cam's less than upbeat attitude.
"No. But it is apparently out of my hands."
"Anything I can do?"
"No. But thank you." Cam said before leaning over and kissing the crown of Jennifer's head.
"I haven't done anything." Jennifer said as, yawning, she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah you have. You've been here for me and put up with all the secrecy." The Colonel countered as he rested his head on hers. He paused for a moment and then said. "But that's going to change. It's time you were brought into the loop." He paused again, waiting for a response from Jennifer. When none was forth coming he pulled away slightly and looked down at Jennifer who had dozed off on his shoulder. "You're right. You've waited this long, another few hours won't hurt." He commented, more to himself than anyone else, before moving round and picking Jennifer up and carrying her back to her quarters.
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up on Sunday.