*

*

*

''I'd really feel more comfortable if you put the gun down, Jack.''

''Tough.''

''Jack, I'm unarmed.''

''That just tells me that you're more stupid than I thought.''

''Guys, come on,'' Sam said, knowing that witty 'Dangerous O'Neill' banter could go on for some time. She knew Colonel O'Neill wouldn't actually shoot Maybourne right then and there and blow the whole operation before they knew what was going on, but she didn't have the patience to wait out their pissing contest.

''Colonel, please put the gun down. How did you get in here, Maybourne?''

He held up his right hand, and a key dangled, the metal glinting in the lamplight. She supposed she ought to have known he'd have a key - he was Maybourne after all - but the idea that a man who she certainly didn't trust and whose motivations were entirely suspect, could come in whenever he chose was, frankly, alarming.

''Give me that,'' Colonel O'Neill ordered, his right hand coming away from the light so he could hold it out expectantly.

The key was swiftly tucked back into a pocket. ''I have copies.'' Maybourne shrugged genially. ''What would be the point?''

Sam shook her head. ''It's too early in the morning to be doing this. Maybourne, what the hell do you want?''

''An update, of course! You didn't think I'd just abandon you, did you? Ah, is this the layout of the restaurant?'' He pounced on the pad of paper sitting on the coffee table and tilted the map to the light, his blue eyes running over the lines thoroughly. ''Very neat, Major, your work I presume?''

She nodded slightly. ''What do you want to know?''

''You got the job today. They train their waitresses very well, I'm told.''

The Colonel lowered the gun, but kept it in his hand. He swiveled out of bed and stood up in his T-shirt and boxers. ''Told by whom?''

Apparently, Maybourne chose to ignore that question. ''And you will have met the Goa'uld.''

''Yes, I did.''

He nodded, pleased, and tore off the sheet of paper. ''Good. I'm going to borrow this, if you don't mind.''

''Hey, I do!'' Sam's CO exclaimed.

Maybourne glanced at Sam. ''You have a good memory, don't you, Major? You can draw yourself another one.''

Sam rolled her eyes. ''Couldn't you just wait until tomorrow? I'll photocopy it and you can pick it up or something. Are you staying somewhere? We could even deliver it, if you like, Maybourne.''

He shook a warning finger at her. ''Can it, Major. Considering all I'm doing for you...''

''Yeah, about that...''

Maybourne held up a hand. ''Now, now, Colonel. You don't want to know. I'm sure the Major doesn't want you to know either.''

''The Major is in a lot of trouble right now and I'm not sure you're the best person to get her out of it,'' the Colonel said through his teeth.

Well, Sam thought, at least she knew that Colonel O'Neill wanted to help her redeem herself. Presuming that was what he was talking about.

''And you are, Colonel?''

''At least she can trust me.''

He had a point.

''Trust is overrated. Major Carter is doing some work for me for which she will be repaid appropriately.'' Smiling that damn creepy smile again, he looked back at Sam proudly. ''I already have the paperwork arranged. Hammond will be informed shortly that you are working undercover on a mission of great importance.''

Sam blinked. ''Already? But I haven't completed the mission yet.''

''SG-1 as a team are phenomenal. With even just the two of you, I'm sure the mission will be a complete success.''

So nice that a treasonous ex-Air Force officer had so much faith in them.

''Just what exactly do you want Carter to do, Maybourne?''

''Give her some time to get comfortable, infiltrate and get people to trust her. Then we'll discuss the next step.''

''I want to know the next step now, Maybourne.''

''Jack, I appreciate your role as Major Carter's overprotective CO, but you have to understand...'' He chuckled. ''... I enjoy being mysterious.''

*That* didn't go down well. The Colonel was rapidly heading towards enraged - which really wasn't pretty.

Sam jumped up quickly and walked to Maybourne, trying to diffuse the situation. ''Take the map, Maybourne. We need to sort out a safe place to hide everything, anyway. It's not like the security's fantastic,'' she said dryly.

''True enough. Little I can do about that, I'm afraid.'' Looking over her shoulder at the Colonel, Maybourne gave him a little smarmy wave. ''I'll see you both around.''

Hurriedly, Sam ushered him out of the apartment, closing the door behind him with relief. ''I didn't even hear him come in.''

''I did.'' He flicked the safety on and dropped his gun back in the bedside table drawer. ''Jesus, he's a piece of work.''

''You've worked with him before, though.''

The Colonel looked at her sideways and picked up his watch. ''Three-thirty in the morning. I think we ought to get some sleep.''

Sam crossed her arms across her chest. ''Why won't you tell me?''

''You know why I won't tell you.''

''You don't trust me anymore, is that it?'' She shook her head. Fine. So she'd messed up to an extent she'd never messed up before in her life. But... they had to have more than that, didn't they? He had to be able to forgive her, didn't he? ''Did you *ever* trust me?''

''Carter, I'd trust you out in the field any day.''

She moaned and closed her eyes. Trust her in the field. Perfect. Anywhere else? A big, resounding 'No'. ''Tell me that's not just because of this... this *mess*.''

''Go to sleep, Carter.''

Actually, she didn't think that was likely. She was pretty pissed off now - and while part of her knew she was being unreasonable, part of her was starting to stick up for herself. It wasn't as if she'd ever screwed up before, was it? She helped save the world on a daily basis, went through professional crisis that would send a normal person completely crazy, was an emotional rock through four years of nightmare situations - but one slip up and suddenly she was kicked to the curb.

He switched off the lamp and climbed into the bed that she'd yet to sleep in, his back to her. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was clearly over.

Sam continued to stand in the middle of the room.

She didn't know what to do.

*

Well, this is surreal.

She didn't know what time it was, and she could hardly pull away from him to check her watch. Not that she really wanted too.

SG-1 had gone out for a little post-Hathor-kicking-ass-again party - which had basically meant going to O'Malley's for a meal and then drinking a lot while playing several games of pool. The Colonel and Sam had been on one team, Teal'c and Daniel on the other.

Both Teal'c and Daniel had complained about being on the same team. After all, Teal'c had pointed out, both Major Carter and O'Neill had far more experience in the game than either him or Daniel.

''Yeah,'' Daniel pointed out, ''Sam's a shark.''

But the Colonel had refused to swap Sam with either one of them.

In fact, the whole night long, he'd refused to leave Sam's side. He'd sat next to her at the table, he went with her to the bar to get the drinks and he was even on the same team as her.

But she sure as hell wasn't going to complain about it. Particularly since she was having exactly the same problem. Only supreme self control stopped Sam from following him into the bathroom. She didn't know *what* was going on with them.

Until the moment the taxis had arrived to take them home. Since Daniel and Sam lived closer to each other, one taxi had been called for them, the other was to take Teal'c back to base and then to take the Colonel on home.

Sam had kissed Teal'c good-bye, then shoved Daniel forcefully into the taxi, before turning around and - over-exuberant with a job well done and too much beer - also kissing her Colonel on the cheek.

Somehow, they'd ended up hugging.

''Er... guys?'' came Daniel's voice.

''Be there in a sec, Daniel,'' the Colonel said, chuckling. His hand came up to cup the back of her head and he moved his head, resting his chin on her shoulder. ''Thanks for coming back for me, Sam.''

''We don't leave people behind. You think I'd just forget that?''

Her CO chuckled. ''Not you. Definitely not you, Sam.'' He squeezed her really hard suddenly, stealing her breath, then, just as suddenly, let her go. She stumbled back and he reached out to grab her upper arm, smiled at her warmly. ''I'm glad you're you, Carter.''

''A woman *and* a scientist?'' she said teasingly.

He laughed. ''Really glad.''

Daniel cleared his throat pointedly, leaning to look out of the window. ''See you on Monday, Jack.''

''See you on Monday.''

He raised his hand in goodbye, his eyes lingering warmly on warm, and then clapped Teal'c on the back. ''Time to go. What do you say we get pizza on the way home?''

Teal'c almost rolled his eyes. ''But you have only just eaten, O'Neill.''

''And who says I can't eat again?''

*

''I don't know what to say.''

He lay there silently and for the longest moment she though he had gone to sleep.

Then, quietly, ''There's nothing to say.''

''There has to be.''

''Daniel's wrong, Carter. You can't fix everything with talking.''

''Well how else are we going to fix this?''

He rolled onto his back and she saw his hand move towards his face, probably to rub at his eyes. It was too dark to see exactly what he was doing so she crept a little closer to him.

The Colonel held the hand out in front of his face, almost appealing to her. ''Look, Carter, I'm just having a little difficulty... getting used to you again.''

''Getting used to me? You have to get used to me? What the hell does that mean?''

''Exactly what I said. You've been gone for months. Months. Jesus. Why the hell didn't you call?'' he shouted suddenly, sitting upright and looking at her. ''I thought you'd died! Or someone had kidnapped you. Or you'd been murdered and were lying somewhere, bleeding to death. *God*, Sam. You completely disappeared.''

She blinked as his voice echoed around the room. This was a new one. She could count on one hand when he'd shouted at her. ''You thought I'd died.''

''Yes! What else was I supposed to think? It's not inconceivable that someone out there knows about Jolinar - NID or some godawful scientific body who wants to cut you open for medical research. You know there were rumblings about it afterwards. I thought it had finally happened. I thought...'' He stopped talking and began pushing the covers down his body. He was standing in front of her before she'd really had time to think about it properly, his hands going to her shoulders and shaking her. ''You *left* me. How the hell could you do that to me?''

Sam started shaking her head. ''I don't know,'' she said, weary with the whole situation. ''I just don't know. I'm *sorry*.''

His hands dropped from her shoulders, but moved down to grip her waist, the fingers warming her through the thin material of her top. She found herself being pulled towards him and since she was currently working very hard on not crying she allowed him to tuck her against him. And, since she was there in his arms anyway, it made sense to wrap her own arms around his neck and clutch at him, whispering apologies all the while, her mouth against his neck and his cheek pressed against hers.

Eventually, they pulled away, both steadfastly avoiding each other's eyes.

The Colonel cleared his throat. ''It's still way too early in the morning. We should get some sleep.''

''You're right. Goodnight, sir.''

''Night, Carter.''