Sometimes he hated his job. Sometimes he hated the people with whom he worked. Sometimes he felt that this was the worst posting he had ever received from his commanders. The amount of new worry lines and the number of sleepless nights he had incurred were both already in the hundreds. A slow descent into retirement was what he had wanted, but instead he had been ordered to the most thrilling yet most worrisome position he had ever held. For years, he had awaited the day that he could retire and spend his time at his own leisure, following nature's deadlines rather than the military's. Instead, he had SG-1 which was both the love of his life and the bane of his life. Sometimes he watched the new additions to his family and considered himself to be so amazingly lucky. From his many years of experience, he knew that luck ran out for every soldier – every person – eventually. Today was not that day for SG-1.

There was a knock on the door and he looked up from his desk, commanding whoever was at the door to enter. He set his face into a slight scowl and leaned backwards in his chair. He did not say anything, choosing the option to wait for the other man to begin and preferably he would begin by grovelling. He only had to wait a few seconds.

"I'm sorry, General."

"For what?" George asked because he had no intention of helping the colonel out.

"Disobeying direct orders. Taking my team off-world and putting them in direct danger. Doing all of this when there was possibly a spy on my team and therefore actually endangering more than just my team." Jack paused before smiling grimly. "I did at least bring them all back alive."

George shot him a warning look. He knew what Jack was saying was true, that he had in fact brought back the other four members of SG-1 and Sarah, too, but that did not cover up for what he had risked. "Colonel, I know that you understand the ramifications of what you did and how you were damn lucky this time. You walked right into Osiris' lair, possibly into his trap and you returned completely unscathed. Doesn't that seem odd to you?"

"Yes, sir."

"There anything else you need to apologise or account for?"

George could see the hesitation on Jack's face. The colonel rocked backwards and forwards on his feet, jamming his hands as far into his pockets as he could. "General," Jack started, "I need to apologise to you for my actions and the reasons behind them."

George nodded remembering the discussion concerning Zatarc testing and Jack's admittance to loving Major Carter. For many years, George had suspected as much. Even before their first Zatarc testing, George had witnessed the increasing bond between all four members of SG-1, but especially between Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter. He had never been completely comfortable with their increasing relationship, especially after they had moved in together to raise their daughter. George had never fully believed that they were just living together as parents, but he had chosen to accept what they told him because they were still able to work as a team. Throughout the years, it was the four friendship bonds and how unique it made SG-1 which kept them alive and it was for those reasons that George had always gone to bat for them and tried to ignore any misgivings he had. George could only take their word that their feelings and private living arrangements were not going to affect their work. "You've broken your word to me, son."

Jack bowed his head in shame and regret. "I am sorry, General," he apologised again. "I thought that we could work together, that our personal arrangements would not have any detrimental effect on the team." George nodded at his honesty.

"You understand that you can't work together anymore?" George knew that there was more he could say to Jack and that there was more to berate him for, but as per usual his fondness for SG-1 clouded his mind ever so slightly.

"I haven't spoken to Carter since we found her, so I don't know what's going to happen with her." George got the impression that Jack meant both in a personal and professional situation. "But this time I will follow your orders. Whatever you say. Your word's gospel. You the man." Jack's brow furrowed.

George suppressed a smile and instead simply said, "Dismissed, Colonel." SG-1 really was the love of his life and the bane of his life.

SG – SG – SG

Hesitantly, Jack knocked on the door to the private infirmary room. He had brought Sam home five days ago and she had been unconscious until a few hours ago. Jack had visited every day, spending a lot of time quietly at her bedside, too afraid to say anything. He felt it was too cheesy to speak to the comatose woman he loved and he feared that if he would say stuff that she would wake up remembering and he did not really want that. Although, considering the nerves he now felt Jack was regretting that decision. Gently, he pushed the door open without waiting for an answer to his knock because he did not know if Sam were sleeping. After closing the door behind him, Jack headed to the chair next to the bed where he had spent many hours sitting over the past five days. Sam had awoken earlier and Janet had explained to her what had happened. As he sat down Jack noted that she was indeed asleep and he figured it was possibly partially due to the fact that Janet had laid a lot of information on her. Jack was more than willing to wait for her to awaken before he tried to tell her how he felt. The road ahead for them was not going to be easy due to her recovery from Osiris' mental subjugation of her and they had never actually attempted a relationship before. He felt nervous.

As he settled into the chair he noticed her eyes slowly flicker open. "Morning," he greeted.

"Is it?"

He nodded. "You spoke to Janet a few hours ago."

"So I've been unconscious for five days?"

Again, he nodded. "And you were… missing for just over a week."

"Missing?" she laughed dryly. "Taken hostage."

"Do you remember anything?" He needed to know if she could remember all of the horrors of being invaded by a Goa'uld, of what Osiris had made her do to him.

She shook her head and Jack could see pain in response to the movement. "Nothing. Janet told me Osiris took me from a planet where SG-1 was. I don't even remember going through the 'gate."

Jack took a deep breath and leaned forwards in his chair, moving closer to her. Her admission meant that she did not remember their conversation or their kiss or how they had decided to develop their relationship. He tried to focus on her needs and how he had to explain what happened to her. Her answers were more important than him wallowing in the self-pity of being back at square one with her. "After you were taken, SG-1 came to find you. We got everyone back safely after we found you collapsed on the floor. Osiris was already gone." He pointed at her forehead and she carefully moved her right hand up to touch the burn mark above her nose. "We're assuming that Anubis killed Osiris as part of some plan." She shook her head indicating that she had no recollection. "Anise is still Zatarc testing everyone on the base, but Daniel and Carpenter both passed already." He paused and then continued, "It may have been simple, but the mission was accomplished. We kind of walked right in and then after a bit, walked straight back out. If I was a negative person, I'd say it was too simple."

"Where's Daniella?" she asked with a panic in her voice. "When can I see her?" Whilst Sam may not remember the past two weeks, she still knew that their daughter had spent that time without her mother.

"Jacob took her. After we learnt that Osiris had taken you as a host, SG-1 came after you kind of unofficially and I asked Jacob to take Cassie and Daniella off world to keep them safe. I figured that Osiris might use those memories to his advantage." Jack had also written to Jacob about his declaration concerning Sam, telling him that he was in fact in love with her, wanted to be with her and would do anything for her. "Meanwhile," Jack continued, "Aldwin went back to the Tok'ra to organize their moving and SG-3 oversaw the relocation of the alpha site."

"All because I knew where they were." It was not a question from her; it was a statement.

"There's been no indication yet that Anubis has gone after either of them or us, but we can't be too careful, can we?" Jack wanted to laugh at his own question, knowing how hypocritical it was seeing as he had left Earth with two people he could not trust and returned with four. "Maybe Anubis never got it out of Osiris before he…"

Sam nodded with a painful grimace on her face again. "But why let me live? I only survived the Ashrak because Jolinar protected me. Why would Osiris protect me when, from what I can gather, it was a plan to get me?"

"We're, uh, gonna Zatarc test you in a few days' time." He found it a difficult thing to say and suggest, but she smiled very slightly in agreement. "But you don't remember anything about being host to Osiris?"

"No. I remember going to bed at home one night and then waking up here."

"Not being taken? Not SG-1 coming to rescue you? Osiris captured us," he said as she shook her head to his questions. "You don't remember any of that?"

"No, Colonel, I don't." She sounded angry at his constant questioning highlighted by her use of his rank, but he hated the thought that she had forgotten important events in their life. He was quite glad that she could not remember anything Osiris had inflicted on SG-1 using her body. Daniel and Carpenter had both been checked out for injuries and as soon as they were cleared, both medically and from the Zatarc test, Carpenter had disappeared from the base. Jack knew that Daniel was with Sarah, who was confined to the base for now, but Carpenter had not spoken to any other member of SG-1 and had seemed incredibly relieved when they had been told that SG-1 were on extended down time. He could not help but wonder at what Osiris had fully done to Daniel and Carpenter.

"One last question," he said. "Any idea why Sarah was spared, too?"

"Sarah's alive?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah. Daniel's with her. Osiris did a right number on her." He studied her, trying to see if he could see the same level of pain and damage in her eyes that he could in Sarah's, trying to see if Sam had as much lasting mental damage.

"Why did he let us go?" Jack shrugged. "Anubis must have a reason. He must have a plan."

"Or," Jack said, "we're still lucky." His smile at Sam showed how much he disbelieved his own words.

SG – SG – SG