Weeeelll, firstly I'd like to apologize about the short chapters. Hurricane Frances is on its way, and unfortunately it is cutting into my time on the compie. x.x Anywho, hope you all enjoy it! –ish watching Beneath The Surface- Good episode, gotta love it.

Waiters in perfectly tailored suits scattered across the large banquet hall, every one of them hold a silver platter dotted with plates. A short and plump man that reminded Sam greatly of her former ultimate CO walked up behind her and Jack. He placed a plate in front of her with steady hands, and then moved on to O'Neill. Carter sat there motionless for a moment, admiring the fine china she was about to dine from.

The first course intrigued Jack greatly. Wonderful aromas drifted to him. Nothing like the cafeteria served. Pasta, it seemed. Some foreign looking noodles mixed with wonderfully red sauce. Pepper green parsley dotted it like a snow capped mountain. He grinned and dug in a fork ravenously. And boy did it taste good. He would have sat there in an Italian food heaven if it hadn't been for his talkative Colonel. Sam gently tapped him on the shoulder, looking over his way. Jack dropped the fork to the once white plate and stared, a slightly annoyed expression on his face.

"Sorry, sir. Didn't mean to disturb you. Who knew you were this into pasta?" His 2IC said innocently. She bit her bottom lip slightly, having only taken a small bite from her meal.

"Carter, you can't disturb me. Isn't possible." O'Neill gave his classic half grin. He played with the pasta childishly, reminding Sam of a fourth grader at the dinner table. "Was there something you wanted to say?"

"Well, sir, I was just thinking about something..."

"And this isn't normal?" He smirked, and to his delight, made her laugh.

"Well, no. I mean yes. Ah, what I mean is I was thinking that this is our eighth year with the SGC. So much has happened with traveling to other countries and all." She knew well that saying other planets would turn heads. Some of the men at this table had little knowledge of the SGC, as well as the waiters...and none of them needed to know. So of course, they had all had the cover story down. It had been studied too many times to count, and was engraved deeply into everyone's heads.

"Ah yes, and a great eight years it has been. I can still remember my first trip...To Egypt of course. That was before you came around. Me and Danny boy didn't get along so great then, I recall." Jack placed his hands behind his head. He had almost said Abydos. It would have been hell to go through if he had and sparked someone's interest. He sighed and shook his head, looking at his Colonel.

"Yeah. I wish I had gone with you guys." She laughed, recalling their first meeting. "You didn't take to me that great at first either. If it weren't for General Hammond, we would have arm wrestled." Jack chuckled lightly, remembering the day with ease.

"Yes, I remember that. All of you scientists are the same, you know. Hmm, let's see here. In that first year we screwed with a pla...country's social system, another country's caste system, brought back a virus, learned about the other...plane." Damn, it was hard to remember to use the cover story. Gates were planes, planets countries, and too much more for the General to handle. He took another large fork full of pasta.

"Mm, among other things." She smirked and finally dug into her meal. Soon enough, Sam realized why Jack had been so annoyed with her for disturbing him from his meal. This was some amazing pasta..

And tada! Chapter two! Lemme know what you all think, and Ch. 3 will be up ASAP. As I said, Hurricane Frances could delay it. x.x