An hour later Daniel knocked gently on Hope's door as Jack waited impatiently in the rather sordid hall. To their surprise it swung open. Jack reached under his jacket for his gun as Daniel stuck his head around the frame.

"Hope?"

Yanking Danny back into the hall, Jack gave him a glare that said 'Shut up and stay put' before easing into the room. His eyes took in the cramped, bare space, ending up on Hope's body sprawled over the bed. Moving slowly he placed two fingers on the side of her neck.

"She's still alive," Jack called out over his shoulder.

Without warning Hope grabbed Jack's hand and twisted it around his back, shoving him onto the bed before taking off toward the door.

"Whoa! Hope!" Daniel stepped in front of her, throwing up his hands as she jerked to a stop in front of him.

"Daniel! You scared me half to death!" She glared at him, her heart pumping madly. "Did you bring back my book?" All the frustration of the past few days boiled up inside her as she saw his empty hands. "Where have you been all this time? Do you know what I went through when you disappeared? I thought maybe you went back to work with Dr. Jordan, but they hadn't seen you; Sarah was her usual bitchy self, practically gloating that you finally saw the error of your ways and 'left me'. Do you know how much funding dried up when you disappeared? Stupid, chauvinistic committees— You know, I don't care. Just give me my book and get the hell back out of my life."

Daniel stood silently during Hope's entire diatribe, a sad and sympathetic look on his face. Jack, after squelching his first instinct to knock Hope on her butt, had made himself comfortable, sitting on the thin bed and leaning back against the wall.

Sighing, Daniel rested his hands on her shoulders. "I can't do that."

Hope shrugged them off. "Can't do what? The book or leaving? 'Cause I can help you with the latter, the door's right behind you."

"Both. You were right; I did discover what the writing was. That's part of what I've been doing the past two years."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Hope glared at him. "And you never thought during all that time to pick up a phone and call me? After all we went through collecting that data, after all the ridicule, the scorn we endured, you found the key and you never told me? You son of a BITCH!"

The crack of Hope's palm hitting the side of Daniel's face was loud in the small efficiency; Jack had popped up off the bed as she drew her arm back but was too late to stop the slap.

"Get out, Daniel. Give my book and get out." Hope's voice was thick with emotion as the tears finally fell.

"I can't, not without you," Daniel said gently. "We need your knowledge of the Goa'uld language."

"The- the what?" asked Hope, her anger momentarily forgotten at the strange name for her language.

"Besides," Jack interjected. "You're working for the Air Force now." He ignored the furious glare Daniel gave him as Hope stared at the two men, shocked.

"What? The Air Force? I'm an archaeologist, not a pilot! What does the Air Force have to do with an ancient language anyway?"

"It's a long story, Dr. Kylie." Looking around the tiny living space, Jack frowned. "How much of this do you want to take?"

"Take?" Shocked, Hope looked to Daniel. "What is going on?"

Daniel sighed at Jack's usual lack of tact. "As Jack said, it's a long story… "

"What you know of the Goa'uld language makes you a security risk." Swinging around from inspecting the contents of her dresser, Jack's expression was frank. "A transport is waiting to take us back to Colorado where you'll work with Daniel translating Gou'ald and any other languages we come across."

"You're kidding me! You can't just… conscript me into the military! Daniel, what is going on?"

"Hope, please. We need you, we need your knowledge. Trust me." Daniel held her by her shoulders again, looking into her stunned brown eyes.

"Trust you?" she whispered. "Daniel, you disappear, without a trace, for over two years; I see you by chance three days ago across a crowded airport terminal, and now you want me to trust you, and this man wants to kidnap me."

"Yes, I do. You won't regret it, I swear."

Sighing, Hope gazed at Daniel, his hair flopping into his eyes the way it always did. She reached up, pushing it back, only to have it fall down again.

"Am I at least gonna get paid?"