"Okay, I'm here. What's wrong?" Daniel asked, slightly out of breath, as he entered the briefing room.

"Have a seat, Doctor Jackson, you're early or rather our guest is late." The newly promoted Colonel Paul Davis said and motioned towards the empty chair beside Jacob.

Daniel blinked as he moved over to the chair and sat down. "Early for what? What guest? Why's he here?" He directed the last question to Sam in reference to her father. "And where is General Landry?"

Colonel Davis, Paul to his friends, folded his hands on the table in front of him. "He's on his way to Washington for a private briefing with the President."

"Oh." Daniel frowned. "Briefing on what?" With each passing second he was growing more and more confused. "What's going on?"

"Sam stumbled upon some highly classified material while working on a personal project. Apparently, her discovery of this information has raised some eyebrows." Jacob explained, grimly.

Daniel focused on his quiet friend, she didn't look too good. "What did you do hack into the Pentagon's X-Files?" He kept his voice light, teasing. His teasing tone disappeared when he refocused on Paul. "How could she have stumbled upon something she doesn't have clearance to? I thought we all had the highest clearance known to man?"

"You do." A new voice added from the direction of the stairs, they hadn't even heard his approach. "For your country."

"Leave us." Paul dismissed the two airmen escorting the newcomer. "I'm glad you could fly in on such short notice." He motioned for the late arrival to sit at the head of the table. "Now that we're all here, lets get started." He stood and began to pace around the table. "First let me introduce Professor Daniel Osbourne, NWC representive. He's here to determine if we pose a security risk. You're to give him your full cooperation, understood?" He directed the question towards the two Carters.

"Oz?" Daniel was shocked to say the least. Gone was the easy going, laid back, young man that he had just had coffee and small talk with. In his place was a man that had clearly seen more than most people his age, if his eyes were any indication. "This is what you were flying into Colorado Springs for?"

Oz gave the other man an impassive look. "Looks like it." With that simple answered he dismissed his presence and focused on the pacing Pentagon liaison to the SGC. His expression clearly showed that he was waiting for some answers.

Paul didn't seemed surprised that the NWC representive knew Daniel. "Professor Osbourne, this is Jacob Carter, his daughter Colonel Samantha Carter, and you obviously already know Doctor Jackson." He introduced by pointing to each person. "It was Colonel Carter and her father that attempted the illegal intrusion." He pointed out.

"Why?" Oz directed his attention to the quiet blonde that had been pointed out to be Colonel Samantha Carter.

Sam looked up and held the younger mans gaze. She was surprised to see a mirror image from one of the earlier photos looking back at her. "You're friends of theirs." It wasn't a question but rather a statement of fact.

Oz sized her up. "Since high school." He told her, honestly. "You still haven't answered my question." He pointed out.

Jacob felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Something about this kid screamed danger. "You mentioned something about highest clearance level in our country, what did you mean because you sure sound American? And what the hell is the NWC?"

"I'm here on behalf of the Crown." Oz eyed Jacob, this one felt different than the others. He got an uneasy feeling from Samantha but this one...this one didn't feel human. "You were attempting to gain access to highly sensitive MI5 documents and, as your Colonel already explained, I'm here to find out why. As for the NWC, all information regarding my employer is classified." He gave Jacob a look that clearly said not to ask about the NWC again.

Daniel noticed something. "You don't trust us, do you? Or does that mistrust apply to the entire military and not just us?" He asked.

Oz blinked and looked at Daniel. "The United States military has a history of sticking its nose where is doesn't belong. Ask the Army, they'll tell you."

"We're not the Army, Professor Osbourne." Paul assured. "We do things differently here."

"We're the good guys." Sam quoted her former CO, General Jack O'Neill. "And you're a good guy too, right? So why don't we cut the crap and get right down to it? What's your real interest in this? Is it because I was researching your friends or because I was trying to hack into British Intelligence files? It was an accident, as I told General Landry. I have no secret agenda."

"Both, actually." Oz let out a barely audible sigh. "I have been authorized to give you the information you were trying to illegal obtain if, and only if, I deem you a non-security risk to the people of Great Britain." He pulled out two folders that had been concealed inside his jacket. "Harris, Alexander, DOB-December nineteenth, nineteen-eighty." One folder was placed on the table. "Summers, Buffy, DOB-January nineteenth, nineteen-eighty-one." Another folder was placed on top of the other. Once that was out of the way, he waited.

"Wait, this is about the two I interviewed about the café incident?" Daniel sat back in his chair when two identical pairs of blue eyes locked on him. "What?"

Authors Note

This is way shorter than I would have liked but my muse just didn't want to write this chapter. This was actually the third draft and it still turned out like this so please forgive me. The next chapter will be longer, I promise.