Jack and Teal'c, with a hat secured firmly over the symbol on his forehead, walked down the halls of the White House with expr

Jack and Teal'c, with a hat secured firmly over the symbol on his forehead, walked down the halls of the White House with expressions of intense focus. Although it was Teal'c's first time to the White House, his mind was occupied with more important matters. Approaching the Oval Office, a Secret Service Agent stopped Jack and Teal'c in their tracks.

"Identification please." He requested. Jack pulled his ID from his pocket, turning to Teal'c, who did the same. The officer checked the ID thoroughly before addressing them again.

"Colonel O'Neill, Murray, the President is expecting you. If you would follow me this way." He asked, taking off down the corridor then turning and opening a seemingly invisible door built into the wall. Standing at the door, the Agent stepped aside and let Jack and Teal'c inside. President Lynch was sitting at his desk, signing papers with his female receptionist next to him. At the sound of the door closing, the President looked up and spotted Jack and Teal'c.

"Jenny, I'll sign these later." The President handed the papers back to the confused receptionist who made a hurried exit. He got out of his desk chair to greet his visitors.

"Colonel O'Neill, nice to see you again." Jack shook hands with him, putting on the best smile possible under the circumstances.

"This is Teal'c. Teal'c, this is the President of the United States." Jack made the brief introductions. Teal'c bowed his head respectfully,

"It is an honour to meet you." He replied. President Lynch smiled at Teal'c's uncharacteristic behaviour for a visitor to the Oval Office.

"I have heard a lot about you Teal'c." Teal'c nodded.

"As I have you." President Lynch indicated towards the couches in the middle of the room. Jack took a seat opposite the President while Teal'c preferred to stand.

"So what brings you to my office Colonel." He enquired, as if he was perfectly oblivious to their conversation the day before.

"Well I didn't want to meet with you, Teal'c did. Teal'c." Jack handed the reins to his friend to explain why they were there.

"Thank you O'Neill. I have requested to meet with you, as I would like General Hammond to be returned as the commander of the SGC." The Jaffa began. President Lynch looked at Jack and shook his head.

"Colonel, as I told you over the phone, I can't reinstate George. It's a matter with the Joint Chiefs." He reiterated. Jack held out his hands in a defensive manner.

"I know that sir, but try telling that to Teal'c." Jack replied with a smile of satisfaction, gesturing to his friend. The President's eyes following Teal'c's huge frame up to his stern expression, gulping at the sheer size of the Jaffa.

"Unfortunately Teal'c, it is not my place to say whether or not General Hammond should be reinstated. It is for the Joint Chiefs to decide. I cannot help you." But Teal'c was not dissuaded by Lynch's explanation.

"If it was not for General Hammond you would most probably not be alive." Teal'c pointed out.

"Or you'd have a snake in your head. Teal'c, show 'em Junior." Jack said, knowing he would enjoy watching the President squirm at the sight of the Goa'uld. Teal'c lifted up his shirt, exposing the X where his pouch was located. Seconds later the Goa'uld larvae began to emerge, the nasty lizard-like creature with large teeth and beady eyes. Lynch jumped out of his seat and scrambled behind it in sheer terror at watching the creature emerging out of the Jaffa's abdomen. Jack himself winced at the sight of the Goa'uld, even though he'd seen them before many times and even had one implanted in him on the odd occasion, it never got any easier to see them. Jack nodded at Teal'c asking him to put it away. Soon the President was back in his seat, his eyes barely leaving Teal'c.

"I guess what Teal'c is trying to say is that without Hammond we'd all be either be dead or have one of those things in our head controlling our bodies. I've had one of those things in my body, take my word for it, it ain't pretty." Jack assured him from personal experience. President Lynch tried to slow down his breathing after getting the fright of his life.

"If I overruled the decision and authority of the Joint Chiefs it would be political suicide." He exclaimed in his defence trying to get his visitors to see reason.

"Look, the last time you let Kinsey handle things with the SGC we almost got wiped out completely by two Goa'uld ships from space because he wouldn't listen to what we had to say. If it weren't for my team defying Kinsey's order, we wouldn't be sitting here discussing this. I don't think you want to make the same mistake twice." Jack pressured him with strong tenacity. The President's eyebrows raised in surprise, catching an unknown portion of Jack's statement.

"Twice?" He queried. Teal'c decided to answer the question himself.

"The Goa'uld Bastet is planning to attack Earth just as Apophis did previously. I have experienced this from being captured by the Goa'uld and tortured until near death." Teal'c recounted. Lynch looked from Teal'c to Jack for confirmation of Teal'c's claim. Jack nodded, taking the note that had been sent by Bastet from his pocket and handing to the President, explaining it contents as Lynch opened it.

"I realise it is not in English, but roughly translated it says, "Beware People of Earth, you are next."" The President was flabbergasted by the ghastly warning, sitting in silence staring at the note. This was when Jack saw the opportunity to go in for the kill.

"This is a warning. This gives us a chance to do something to prevent this. But we can't do it without Hammond." Jack declared firmly. The President looked up from the note, up at Teal'c, down to the pouch where the Goa'uld had emerged and then finally at Jack. Clearing his throat to remain composed.

"In light of this new information I believe it be in the best interests of all concerned that General Hammond be reinstated as Commander of the SGC." Lynch made the announcement. Teal'c bowed respectfully in thanks and Jack shook the President's hand gratefully with a satisfied smile of his face.

"I'll make the call immediately Colonel, Teal'c. Thank you for coming today and alerting me to the events and the actions of Senator Kinsey." The President thanked them both before getting a Secret Service Agent to escort them out of the Oval Office. Outside the White House, Jack and Teal'c walked down the stairs to the car that waited for them.

"So? How'd did you like your first visit to the White House Teal'c?" Jack asked with a smile. A very rare smile appeared on Teal'c's face.

"I was most enjoyable O'Neill. The President is indeed a honourable man."

The official announcement that General Hammond had been reinstated reached the SGC before Teal'c and Jack even touched down in Colorado Springs. When they entered the base in the late afternoon, they were met with cheers from their fellow officers. Most men made sarcastic comments that it was a godsend because it meant that Colonel O'Neill was no longer in charge but Jack took them in good humour. As Jack was making his way through the SGC he ran into Janet in the elevator.

"Hey Doc, did Carter get discharged?" He enquired, hoping she was able to keep his dinner invitation.

"Yes, she's resting at home under doctor's orders. By the way sir, I hear you got the Presidents to reverse the General's dismissal. Thank you sir." Janet congratulated him.

For the rest of the day was stuck in his office, signing reports and telling his story of showing the President Teal'c's little Goa'uld friend to every officer that entered the room. Teal'c was extremely tired after the plane trip and proceeded to Kelnoreem in his room for the remainder of the day while Daniel remain his hermit self, with his head permanently buried in his translations. At 1700, Jack left the SGC to prepare for what could be the most important dinner of his life, stopping off at the grocery store to pick up the essentials. It was rarity that Jack O'Neill ever cooked anything but steak, hamburgers and sausages on the BBQ. But tonight, Jack was going to go all out. Swinging by the cheesecake shop Jack picked up Sam's favourite, Black Forest Cherry Cake for dessert and then headed straight home.

At 1845, Jack's blood pressure was finally beginning to return to normal levels. The Chicken Mornay was simmering away softly on the stove with a pot of pasta beside it and steam vegetables beside that. His dining room table was set with a silk tablecloth that Jack had had buried away in the back of his cupboard. Wine glasses stood in the centre with two candles, the knives and forks placed carefully in front of the seats at either end of the table. Pacing about the kitchen like a nervous teenager, Jack was wearing a dark blue, casual but stylish shirt and beige trousers with brown dress shoes.

On the other side of town, Sam was as nervous, if not more than Jack. She discarded outfit after outfit in frustration. Nothing seemed quite right. After 45 minutes of digging through her closet, Sam was finally happy with what she was wearing. But when she glanced at the clock, Sam noticed it was only fifteen minutes until she had to be there. And she still had to pick up a bottle of wine. Grabbing her purse she ran out the front door and jumped into her car, heading for the nearest bottle shop. Soon she was driving towards Jack's house, and the dinner she had been looking forward to for over four years.

After ten minutes of pacing Jack was interrupted by his doorbell chiming…

TBC…