Chapter 3

Sam and Jack sat silent in shock. Daniel was already sat at the briefing table, Ferretti sat on one side of him - present as a member of SG2, the SGC's current flagship team in SG1's absence - but neither of these two men held their attention. It was Teal'c, who had just entered the room, that captivated them.

"Teal'c." Sam managed eventually.

"Doctor Carter, Colonel O'Neill. It is good to see you after such a time." Teal'c looked slightly bemused as Jack got out of his chair to embrace him, slapping his back heartily.

"Yeah, T. It's been too long."

Sam looked just about ready to cry, and cleared her throat.

"Hey. How are you?" She squeaked out.

"I am well." He examined the infirmary wheelchair she sat in. "Are you injured?"

"Long ago, I'm afraid." She replied. Seeing the other's strange looks, she couldn't help but smile. "I think we should explain. Our Teal'c was lost to the Gou'ald on a mission to PX6-233, about a year and a half ago." Her smile faltered. "Needless to say, it's very good to see you again Teal'c. We've missed you."

"As we have missed you here."

"Good evening everyone." Came the familiar drawl. Sam quelled the usual pang of annoyance that she couldn't rise as her ex-CO entered the room.

"Dr.?" Hammond inquired of Dr. Fraiser.

"Preliminary tests indicate they are who they say they are, sir. The more intensive tests will be back later this evening." Nodding his approval, Hammond sat, Jack, Janet and Ferretti joining him. Ferretti's obvious enthusiasm at seeing Jack and Sam had dulled slightly at finding that they were not truly his friends, and now he sat back in his chair, watching the whole exchange curiously.

"Colonel, Doctor. Would you care to explain how you got here?"

"Honestly sir, neither of us were anywhere where we could have been in contact with a quantum mirror. Sam and I have been talking through some of the options and we can't come up with anything firm. The only thing we can come up with is that perhaps we were abducted and purposefully brought into contact with a quantum mirror."

"Umm, Jack?" Daniel interrupted, waving a hand to get their attention.

"Daniel?" Jack prompted.

"I have another suggestion, something that's just occurred to me."

"Go on." General Hammond prompted when Daniel fell silent.

"What if..." He stopped a moment, as if to think. "What if the last two years that you've experienced were fake, created just for you? If you were our Sam and Jack, and you'd been on that planet all this time. You said there were other captives in the other rooms, what if they were part of it. I mean, it would be like the gamekeeper on P7J-989." He trailed off.

"Why?" Sam ventured eventually, her face pale.

"I don't know. Study, entertainment..."

"Daniel, why would anyone put us through what we've been through the last few years. And how could they do that. Even the gamekeeper couldn't fool us into thinking we were back home. It makes no sense." Jack stated firmly. No one missed the hand that came to rest on his ex-2IC's shoulder.

"But Jack, if you think about..."

"Daniel." Jack interrupted. "It makes no sense."

"I concur, DanielJackson." Teal'c added. "I do not believe the technology exists which would deceive us to this extent." Daniel glanced from one to the other, finally giving in under their combined glares.

"OK then. What do we do now."

It was later that night when Daniel, knowing Sam was talking to Janet in the infirmary, ventured into Jack's assigned VIP quarters. He was surprised to find Teal'c already there.

"OK, what was that?"

"What was what, Daniel?"

"Unless I was much mistaken you two were barracking me in that briefing." Jack rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Daniel, for someone who studies people, you can be pretty dense when it comes to emotion."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Two years ago Sam lost the use of her legs. For someone whose life revolves around the military you can see how this might be a bit of a blow for her." Daniel winced at the sarcasm in Jack's voice. "She wasn't allowed back into the SGC, because they thought she might be a safety risk for God's sake." He calmed for a minute, as though considering something. "She tried to commit suicide." He continued in a quieter voice. "Things were pretty messed up for her. Eventually she started coping with things, it got easier. She convinced the people that counted that she was still a capable scientist and rather than spending the rest of her career flying a desk she got herself a lab set up. It wasn't her job back, but it was something. There was never any question of anger against the villagers on PX8-512. I asked her once and she laughed at me, told me what a stupid question it was.

"Daniel, if what happened to her wasn't just some villagers protecting themselves against the Gou'ald, if it was all for the sake of... some kind of soap opera. It introduces a whole new level of pain for her. This could tear her apart Daniel, please say you can see that." Daniel stood and stared for a moment, Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

"The experiences of these past years have changed you O'Neill." Teal'c observed.

"I watched the most stable person I know pull the trigger on herself. I held onto a gushing wound in her chest as I waited for an ambulance to arrive. Shit like that changes people." Daniel had paled.

"I had no idea... things could have... that... would have... I didn't think things would have gotten so bad." He managed eventually.

"You can't think of it like that. I just put a ring on the finger of the woman I love..." He grinned as the door opened. "Speak of the devil."

"And she shall appear unto you." Sam quipped back. She took in the tension in the small room. "Am I interrupting?"

"No, we've just been talking."

"You proposed!" Daniel squealed, finally taking in what Jack had said and the sudden change in mood. Jack grinned.

"Yup, meet Mrs. O'Neill to be."

"My congratulations." Teal'c offered a small grin as Daniel's full beam smile threatened to split his face.

Jack beckoned to Sam, seeing something more in her face. Smiling softly she shifted out of the wheelchair and onto the bed beside him. Wrapping his arms around her they clung to each other for a moment, taking simple solace in each other's company.

"Everything was perfect." She whispered into his shoulder. "Everything was fine, why did it have to stop there?" She laughed wryly. "Things were just starting to get good." Daniel and Teal'c looked on, feeling a little like voyeurs to the private moment. Their two friends fit together seamlessly; her head in the hollow of his shoulder, her arms across his chest, his around her back, one hand trailing her cheek, lending a little comfort.

"Janet wants to do some scans, to get the final say on your theory Daniel. She's going to have to put me under; she's going to do it tomorrow when we've all had some sleep." Jack nodded.

"Until tomorrow then."