Title: Seven Days- The Return Home
Author: dietcokechic
Email: dietcokechic@hotmail.com
Season: 4 (Just don't ask me exactly where)
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Notes: Yes, I did promise J/S shippiness but it fit in MUCH nicer in the next chapter.
I'm posting the two at the same time so no one can curse my name for too long!
Enjoy.

Chapter 10

"And the first clue of the hour is.." Jack paused for dramatic flair waiting to see if
anyone would guess. "Alien"

"Geesh Jack, could you BE more vague?" Daniel sighed as he guessed "Unas."
Daniel knew that the name applied more to the general species than a single alien
but he just might get lucky.

"I think the Colonel is trying to be tricky. How about Cassandra?"

"Wrong on both counts. Next clue is…" He paused again.

"Jack!" Daniel shouted throwing a used lemon wedge at the older man.

"Male. And the proprietor requests that the unruly guests refrain from throwing
food." Daniel just rolled his eyes.

"Male alien. Well that narrows it down loads."

"Daniel, quit griping and guess. Geesh, you don't give Carter this much flack!"

"That's because Sam isn't obnoxious like you. Apophis."

Sam couldn't help but grin. She had forgotten how much fun it could be to hang out
with her team outside of work. "Martin?" The geeky UFO nut who turned out to
really be from another planet just might be what the Colonel had in mind.

"Nope!" Ha! Jack thought. I'm good.

Ring-Ring.
Ring-Ring.

The shrill sound of the telephone broke the easygoing flow of the game.

"Betcha it's the Doc." Jack said putting down his clue cards and heading towards the
phone. He was halfway there before he sprinted back to the table and grabbed his
cards back. "Not that I wouldn't trust either of you with my life or anything." Jack
said with a cocky grin holding the cards close to his chest. "Next clue is 'bad guy'"

Jack picked up the phone on the fourth ring. "She's fine Janet." He said as he
caught Carter's small smile.

"Colonel!" Janet replied over the phone. "I'd ask how you knew it was me, but I
probably don't want to know. What the hell were you thinking taking the Major off
base without my permission?!"

**Ooo, she does sound pissed.** Jack thought.

"Jack, is it Alar, the creep from Euronda?" Daniel yelled across the room. Jack
shook his head.

"Colonel, are you listening to me?" Janet's tinny voice came through on the
telephone.

"I'm here Doc. Daniel, Carter and I are playing a rousing game of SGC Password at
the moment." Jack paused as he shook his head again at Sam's guess of Heru-ur.

Janet couldn't help but smile, that was indeed a fun game. "Colonel," she said
softening her voice. "I really was going to allow Sam to leave the infirmary later this
week- why'd you have to be so damn sneaky and take her without asking me?"

"Another clue Jack!" Daniel yelled.

"Worm." Jack shouted back covering up the phone's mouth piece.

"Colonel! I head that!" Janet warned.

"You wanna guess too?" 35 miles away Janet rolled her eyes. The colonel could be
incorrigible sometimes!

"Can I talk to Sam please?"

"Sure Doc, hold on." Jack set the phone gently down and returned to the table.
"Ms. Carter, it's for you. Something about wanting to sell you encyclopedias…" Sam
playfully slapped Jack on the shoulder as she slowly walked over to the phone.

"Hi Janet."

"Sam, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine Janet. Really. And before you ask, yes I have taken my medication."

"You had PT today Sam."

"Jan, I've been slowly walking around all day—I think that beats 45 minutes on a
tread mill don't you." Sam replied in a calm voice.

"Uh, Jack? You might want to come over here and take a look at this." Daniel said
from across the room. After spending most of the afternoon inside, Daniel had
thought it might be nice to take a walk outside before they needed to bring Sam
back to the SGC. He was a little surprised when he parted the drapes and looked
outside.

Sam looked up from her phone conversation with Janet and raised an eyebrow in
question. Jack shrugged and stepped around the table to where Daniel was staring
out the partially open windows.

Jack casually walked over to the window and breathed out noisily through his teeth
as he spied a vast sea of whiteness. "Yep- that's a blizzard." He declared turning
back around and heading towards the kitchen.

"Jack! You promised me there'd be no serious weather today!" Daniel whined.

"Danny," Jack sighed running his fingers through his short silver hair. "now you know
why I chose to be a Colonel in the USFA and NOT a weather person." He turned to
where Sam was waiting patiently on the telephone. "Carter, we have a bit of a
problem here."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After consulting the television news programs, it was confirmed that Colorado
Springs was indeed in the midst of a strong weather system and the local populace
was urged to stay inside. Already nearly a foot of snow had fallen in the metro area
and the forecast called for 2-3 more feet later in the evening. Jack couldn't help but
mutter a quiet "sweet!" He liked snow.

Janet did NOT like snow. This was one of the problems of working underground,
little things like natural weather disasters tended to sneak up on you. Janet wasn't
looking forward to spending the night at the SGC but was thankful that Cassie
already had plans that evening as she was attending a slumber party. And she was
NOT happy to learn that Sam would be unable to make it back to the infirmary.

After a short conversation with the Colonel it was decided that Sam (and Daniel)
would be better off weathering the storm at the Colonel's house. Not only did he
have several spare rooms, but he was also the most skilled at driving in severe
winter conditions. Janet might not like the idea of her patient spending the night out
of the infirmary but if it had to be done, she was glad the Colonel was with her. For
purely medical reasons of course. Janet sighed and accepted the inevitable.

"If you could put Sam back on Sir."

"Absolutely Doc. I'll take good care of her." Jack said meeting Sam's eyes.
"Promise." With that he handed the phone back to Sam and headed back to the
kitchen.

"So it looks like you're going to spend the night at the Colonel's place." Janet said
with a tease in her voice.

Sam blushed. "Yes Janet. Daniel and I will be spending the night at the Colonel's."
Sam had turned around, but not before he caught the faint color in her cheeks. He
raised an eyebrow, curious as to what the doctor was saying.

"Seriously Sam, you DO need to apply antibiotic crème to your remaining stitches
AND the bandages need to be changed."

"I know that Jan." Sam said crossly idly fiddling with her hair. It had been nearly
two months now since she had seen a stylist. While short hair was definitely more
practical, Sam had to admit she liked the way the slightly longer hair framed her
face. She might be military but she was still a woman with a few vanities.

"Do I have your word that you'll get one of the guys to assist you?" Janet asked.

"I promise." Sam said sounding like a petulant child.

"So, "Janet continued in a lighter voice, "who are you going to have help you?"

"Goodbye Janet." Sam said firmly hanging up the phone and heading back into the
kitchen. It was now a little past 3 and Dr. Samantha Carter was hungry.

"So Colonel, what's for lunch?"


Next part is right behind this…