Author's Note: I know this update is coming on the heels of the previous, but I'm going to be out of commission for the next 4-6 weeks (nothing bad, but good vibes would be appreciated), so it's likely that I won't be able to provide updates until after this time.

I'll do my best to share another chapter on Sunday evening, but if I don't… I know you all love cliff-hangers.

Chapter 8

July 30, 1997
Stargate Alliance (SGA)
Cheyenne Mountain

When Sam steps inside Catherine's lab, the catches her surprise at her sudden return before it's quickly replaced by concern.

"What happened?"

She wants nothing more than to vent about General O'Neill and his attitude, his obvious distrust towards her, and the not-so-subtle way he insinuated that she's only at the SGA because of her father and his connections, but she's so angry that she doesn't want her mentor to get caught in the crossfire. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Let's just say the meeting could have gone better."

Catherine continues to watch her closely and Sam feels tears prick the corners of her eyes but she refuses to let them fall.

"He really doesn't like scientists," she says instead but her attempt to lighten the mood falls flat when Catherine frowns. "Sam, did something happen?"

She shakes her head. "No. It's fine. I'm fine – and I should really get back to work."

Work, she repeats. Her life's work.

"Samantha." Slowly, she meets Catherine's kind gaze. "Talk to me."

"I –"

The rest of her sentence is cut off when the phone rings and Catherine gives her an apologetic smile before she answers.

"Doctor Langford." She nods, then meets Sam's gaze, pressing the phone to her shoulder. "It's for you, but you don't have to take it."

Sam frowns. "If it's General O'Neill –"

Catherine shakes her head. "It's not the General."

"Then who is it?"

But even as she asks the question, Sam already knows the answer.

"I can tell him you're busy."

"No," she says, "it's okay."

Catherine studies her for a moment longer before she reluctantly hands over the phone. She then turns to leave, only for Sam to reach out and grab her hand.

"Would you mind staying?" she asks quietly.

She immediately sits down and Sam's grateful for her support. It gives her a nudge to lift the phone to her ear.

"Doctor Carter."

"Samantha."

She hesitates at his voice. "Hi dad."

"So… you can talk to me."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at his barbed comment, Sam forces herself to be civil.

"Things have been… busy since I arrived. You know how it is."

She receives a noncommittal grunt in response. "I'm disappointed that you didn't tell me you were leaving."

"I didn't know. I tried to call –"

"I had to find out the next day when your paperwork crossed my desk."

"The next day?" she repeats in disbelief, choosing to ignore the second half of his sentence completely for the time-being. "When were you going to let me know that you couldn't make dinner?"

"I had to work late. It was important."

"It always is with you, isn't it?"

He sighs. "Sam–"

"Sorry," she relents. "I did mean to call, I just – I can't tell you anything. My work here is classified."

"Oh, please," he fires back. "You think I don't know what's going on under Cheyenne Mountain?"

She freezes as her father's words sink in and for the first time she receives confirmation that her father is keeping tabs on the Stargate and, most likely, has been. Her heart starts to race as she wonders how long he's known about the project.

"Dad –"

"You shouldn't be there –"

She's stunned into silence by his words, but before she can answer, he continues.

"– and you have no idea what you're getting into."

It is the second time in the space of a few minutes that she's effectively been told she shouldn't be at Stargate Alliance and it's starting to grow wearisome.

"I'm an adult," she argues, "perfectly capable of making decisions… I know the risks involved."

"Do you?"

She doesn't really, none of them do, but she knows that's not what this is about.

"I can make a difference here."

"You could make a difference at NASA."

And there it is. Her father interfering in her life, thinking he still knows what is best for her and her career, and not having faith in her to be doing the right thing. Nothing she has done has ever been good enough for General Carter; not since their family fell apart. Sam quickly pulls herself from those thoughts and shakes her head.

"I'm needed here."

"I disagree."

"It is not your decision to make."

"Do you even hear what you're saying, Sammie?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's been three days, and at least ten of our people are dead and one is missing; kidnapped and taken to god knows where –"

"In case you've forgotten, I'm not in the Air Force."

"It doesn't mean you're safe," he snaps, "and as for Jack O'Neill –"

"What about him?"

There's a heavy silence that settles on the line and Sam instinctively knows that whatever is coming next will not be good.

"You don't know the kind of man he is. What he's capable of doing."

"He's doing a good job," she instinctively fires back, surprising herself with the veracity of her defense, as well as the sudden 360 she appears to have made regarding General O'Neill's attitude and character.

"You don't know him."

"And I suppose you do?"

A bitter chuckle travels over the line turning Sam's blood cold. "More than you know."

She wants to ask just what the hell that means but her father obviously takes her silence as answer enough because when he speaks again, his disappointment in her is unmistakable.

"Oh, Sammie, has he gotten to you already?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she says, hating the waver in her voice.

"I'd thought you would have learned your lesson."

Sam scoffs. "I can't believe you –"

"Stay away from –"

"Stay out of this," she warns, her hurt fueling her anger as she straightens in her chair. "I'm here because I'm needed to do a job. Me. Samantha Carter. Not the General's daughter. And this is where I want to be, not Washington or NASA."

"We'll see about that," he growls before the line goes dead.

It's only when Sam tries to hand the phone to Catherine that she realizes she is shaking. She closes her eyes as she tries to regain control of her emotions and stores the conversation with her father away to deal with later when she's alone in her hotel room, while Catherine glances over her shoulder, surprised to see Jack standing in the doorway, a look of concern etched on his face. She opens her mouth to speak when he shakes his head and slowly backs away from the lab and into the corridor. She waits a few moments and then turns to Sam who opens her eyes.

"I thought I'd left all my drama behind in Washington," she sighs.

"Come on," Catherine smiles gently, "let's grab a coffee."

Curiosity.

It was curiosity that took him out of his office and on his way to find Doctor Carter just moments after she'd left and before he fully realized what he was doing.

"Curiosity," he mumbles to himself as he pulls apart another pen and starts to piece it back together.

He still doesn't like scientists but Sam doesn't seem like the stereotypical scientist, and while they clashed, he appreciates that she did speak up for herself and her work. It tells him that she isn't afraid to speak her mind, so he already knows that he'd know where he stands with her – that is, if he pisses her off, she'll soon let him know about it – but he also believes he could trust her.

She is insanely clever and undoubtedly the best person for the job otherwise she wouldn't have been able to set foot anywhere near Cheyenne Mountain. If he's honest, he doesn't really have a problem with the doc, but he does have a problem with her father. Unfortunately, he'd allowed his feelings to surface during their meeting and – after hearing snippets of her phone call he knows he needs to apologize.

He pulls a face at the revelation. He'll try to find her again and say sorry, but also let her know that it doesn't mean he'll go easy on her. He will treat her like the rest of the people under his command – firmly, but fairly – because they've all got to be on top of their game all of the time and learn to work together. It's too dangerous to mess around or hold grudges.

He casts a quick glance at his watch and grimaces. He's due to speak to the President shortly so doesn't have time to talk to Sam now, but decides he'll make a point of dropping by to see her later when there's a knock on his office door. It pulls him from his thoughts and he looks up to see Catherine. They share a look and Jack suddenly feels foolish for having earlier been caught listening to what was a private conversation between Sam and her father.

"Is this a bad time?"

"I can only give you a few minutes," he admits, gesturing for her to close the door.

Neither of them speak but then Catherine sits down and gives him a look which he's quickly come to decipher as 'start talking'.

He sighs. "OK, look. I'd gone to your lab to apologize to the doc but I thought she was talking to you and I didn't want to interrupt. When I only heard one side of the conversation - I figured she was on the phone. I wasn't listening per se... but I heard enough."

Catherine nods slowly. "Jack, I recommended Samantha for this post because she's the best and I trust her. I've known her for years, and I know her father, but that had no bearing on her appointment."

"I know. You're one of the few people I trust, Catherine. How bad is their relationship?" he asks after a beat.

"It's… strained."

His guilt increases with Catherine's confirmation and while he wonders if Sam will even listen to an apology from him, some of his indecision must show on his face.

"What happened between you and Samantha?"

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"She came storming into my lab earlier, but didn't say why."

"Well, she's feisty, I'll give her that."

Catherine smirks. "She stood up to you, in other words."

"Gives as good as she gets," he chuckles before he sobers. "I maybe deserved some of her attitude but… I was trying to feel her out. See what kind of character she has."

"So, why did you have to apologize?"

He frowns at the non sequitur. "Hm?"

"You said you went by the lab to apologize?"

"Yeah… I might have mentioned her father."

She sighs. "You're a man of many talents, Jack, you didn't need to do that to get your answers."

His jaw tightens at her gentle rebuke but he knows she's right.

"I know," he sighs heavily. "I'll apologize."

Just then, the red phone rings and startles them both.

"Jacob was wrong to do what he did," she says carefully as she stands and Jack's expression darkens. "He may not believe that, but maybe this is the best way to prove to him that he made a mistake."

Jack studies her for a moment before he averts his gaze to the phone. "I need to get this."

"Of course," she says, heading for the door.

"Catherine." She turns back at the threshold and meets his eye. "What do you suggest I do?"

"Get along with your new scientist."

He smirks. "That's all?"

"It might be all you need," she replies cryptically.

He narrows his eyes in suspicion as he picks up the phone receiver. "Check in with Carter and see how she's doing," he says instead, "and make sure she takes lunch. We'll need her at the briefing later."

She nods and closes the door behind her.