Centennial Street in Boulder was a quiet road filled with cafes and small restaurants that was well off the main roads. It was a laid back area of town and this was where Sam and Janet took their reluctant charge. Jack didn't say a word as they chose the outdoor café, and when the waiter came and asked him what he wanted to drink, he growled something unintelligible.

"He'll have a beer," Sam said from where she was sitting next to him. She put her hand on his knee under the table and gave him a look that asked him to please be civilized, and Jack sighed again.

"Beer is fine."

"What kind, Sir?" The waiter asked.

"The kind you drink," he snapped. Fingers dug into his thigh and he scowled. "Whatever's handy will be fine. Thank you."

Janet gave Sam a curious look, wondering how she was managing to keep him from getting up and stalking off. She'd been shocked that he'd agreed to come in the first place. Especially after making it so obvious that he didn't want to go. Carter shrugged, then smiled at the waiter and ordered a cup of coffee.

The two women chatted while they waited for their lunch to arrive, but Jack was silent as he nursed his beer, refusing all attempts to get him involved with the conversation. He responded in single syllable answers if they asked him anything directly, and shrugged if one of the two tried for a clarification. His mind was on other things and he wasn't in the mood to enjoy the fine weather.

Sam wasn't bothered by his reticence. She knew she was pressing him into doing what he didn't want to do, and knew she was shamelessly using the feelings they had for each other as a tool to manipulate him. Under ordinary circumstances, she'd never have considered such tactics, but the way things were going it was all she had to fall back on at the moment. She didn't even complain when he picked at his lunch, although Fraiser wasn't quite so forgiving, and managed to bully him into eating about half of everything.

When they returned to O'Neill's house, he went straight into his room, and didn't come back out.

"Has he been so quiet all week?" Janet asked her friend.

Sam nodded, "It beats having him tell me to go away, though."

"Has he mentioned Daniel?"

She shook her head. "No. I asked him if he wanted to talk, but he said he couldn't." She was quiet for a moment. "Sometimes he'll be sitting there, and you can tell just by the look on his face that he's thinking about him. He gets so distant." She looked at Fraiser, "I dreamed about him the other night."

"The Colonel?"

"No. Daniel. It was the weirdest thing. It felt like he was right there, talking to me." Sam shrugged, "I thought I was getting over it a little better, you know?"

"Well, it takes time, Sam. People deal with grief differently. Some can't stop crying, and some can't start."

"Like the Colonel."

"Yeah."

"He's blaming himself. I know he is."

"I'm sure he is. It's common for Commanders who lose a member of their team to do that, and Jack and Daniel were a lot closer than either wanted to admit." She looked at Carter pointedly. "You and the Colonel are close, too, Sam. That's why I'm putting so much hope in your ability to get him to open up and talk about it. You might be able to get through to him where none of the rest of us could."

"I'm trying, Janet," Sam said, blushing slightly despite herself. "He's not making it easy, that's for sure."

"I know. Just remember that if you need someone to talk to – who will talk back – I'm always a phone call away."

"I will."

"Good. Now, I have patients to go check on. Do you want me to check on the Colonel before I leave?"

"I'll do it, thanks. He'll probably give me the silent treatment the rest of the day."

Janet smiled and gave her friend a hug, "Just remember to call me if you need me."