Author's Note: The Glock isn't the dart gun; they're two completely different weapons. Ian picked them both up when he was rummaging around the upstairs of the safe house.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jack had to smile. He honestly couldn't help himself. He did turn his head so Clay couldn't see how amused he was – he wanted the Major afraid of him, after all, and it's hard to fear a giggling man – but he had to admit that Ian had definitely pulled off a stunt that was something he, himself, would have done.

He looked at the unconscious form of Graf. Clay was standing once more, furious at having been tricked but unable to say anything about it, since he was once more on this side of the cell door and they were on the other.

"It's effective."

"Yes, Sir."

"I'll be right back. You guard him."

Ian nodded.

"Shoot him if he looks at you funny."

"Yes, Sir."

Since Jack was still holding the dart gun, and the only weapon in the cadet's hand was one that Clay recognized as his own Glock, the Major knew that there was no way he was going to look at the cadet funny.

O'Neill vanished down the hallway towards the other cell, and less than a minute later there were two loud shots. A minute or two after that, Jack was back and this time with Jaffer walking cheerfully at his side. Obviously, he'd darted the other two Rangers as well. He turned the gun on Payne, and another shot rang out.

"God damn it!" Clay objected. "You could kill him; knocking him out like that with a gunshot wound."

Jack nodded.

"I could."

It went unsaid that Jack could have killed him by simply shooting him with the Beretta in his other hand. He gave the dart gun back to Ian and pulled out his device that he used to contact Thor.

"It's time I got some backup," Jack said, pulling Ian to the side and out of sight of the cell. "I'm going to send you back to Thor, okay? I want you to tell him to beam everyone but the Major down to cells in the SGC and then I want you to have him send you to the infirmary – he knows where that is. You tell Sam – and General Hammond if he's there – that I want those guys watched and isolated from each other. I want Teal'c and Jack here – but no one else from the SGC."

"But-"

"Tell them who's behind this. They'll understand why Teal'c's the only one who can come."

"Why?"

Jack shook his head.

"I don't have time to explain it to you right now, Ian, and I'm sorry. Do what I tell you, okay? When this is over, you and I definitely need to have a talk."

"About me telling you to fuck yourself?"

Jack smiled and shook his head.

"Go do what I told you. And make sure you tell Sam that I'm fine so she doesn't worry."

Jack pushed the button on the device that told Thor to get Ian the hell out of the area, and there was a bright flash of light, a soft growl from Jaffer, and the cadet was gone.

OOOOOOOOOOO

It was amazing what you could get used to, Ian decided as he found himself once more standing on the deck of the room that had the cool moving video of the Earth spinning lazily below them. The little... whatever it was... was walking towards him, and Ian put both guns in his waistband, glad the sweats weren't loose so the guns didn't pull them down.

"What is happening?" Thor asked Ian, who found himself staring at the thing, amazed that it was so real looking. It couldn't be real, could it? He just barely stopped himself from reaching out and touching the thing, to see what it felt like. It certainly looked like an alien from one of those Roswell shows.

"Um... Colonel O'Neill wants you to um... beam the four guys that are knocked out down to cells in the SGC - probably when they're ready for them. Then I'm supposed to have you beam me to the infirmary where I'm supposed to report to Major O'Neill and a General named Hammond. Then he's going to want you to beam some people back over to him to give him some backup."

"Who?" Thor asked. He had to know which people to pluck from the SGC when the call was given.

"Um... Teal'c, Jack and... myself."

Thor nodded and handed Ian a device similar to the one O'Neill had had.

"When you and the others are ready, press the blue button and I will bring you back here. When you are ready for the men to be transferred to the holding cells, press the red button and I will transfer them."

Ian nodded, and the alien-looking thing walked over to the chair and touched the arm. A moment later he felt himself dissolving in a bright light, and then reappeared in yet another strange room.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

The first person he saw was Janet Fraiser. The flash of light had warned everyone in the room what was happening, and the doctor just happened to be looking in that direction. Ian had only met her twice – and once had been when he'd been reeling from an attack by Ashrak and not at his best – but that was one of the advantages of having a memory like his; he never forgot a name or a face. Or anything else, for that matter.

"Ian!"

She hurried over to him, looking concerned, and he wasn't sure what to say, exactly. Obviously she wasn't all that shocked at seeing him appear out of nowhere, which told him that it wasn't the first time this kind of thing happened around here – wherever here was.

"Doctor Fraiser. Is Major O'Neill around? Or a General Hammond? I'm supposed to report to them."

"Is Colonel O'Neill all right?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Did he find out who is responsible for-"

"Yes, Ma'am."

However, she wasn't on the list of people that O'Neill had said to tell. Ian saw a pair of bright orange pajama bottoms with glow in the dark moons and stars hanging over the edge of one of the beds in the long, double row of beds.

"Is River here?"

Janet nodded.

"He had an allergic reaction to the tranquilizer that was used on you guys. How do you feel?"

Ian found himself the subject of a suddenly very intent look as Janet checked his pupils for any reaction to the drug.

"I'm fine," Ian told her, giving her his hand when she took his wrist to check his pulse. "Are they all right?"

"They're both fine. I have them under observation. Which is where you're going, too."

"I can't. I have to go find Major O'Neill. Colonel O'Neill wants me to report to her and that General Hammond I was telling you about. He wants-"

"I'm here," a voice said from behind Ian. The cadet turned and saw a portly bald man a couple inches shorter than himself standing next to Samantha O'Neill – who was looking at Ian as if she really wanted to ask how Colonel O'Neil was, but didn't want to ask just then and be in the way.

"General Hammond," Sam said, stepping forward with a smile for Ian. "This is Cadet Ian Brooks. One of Shawn's roommates."

Hammond gave Ian a thorough look – making the young man well aware of the fact that he was standing there in sweats and a baggy jacket only – and then nodded.

"Brooks?"

Ian nodded, pulling his shoulders back in a somewhat defensive stance.

"Yes, Sir."

"You have a report for me, son?"

"Yes, Sir." Ian looked over at Fraiser, apologetically. "Colonel O'Neill said to just tell you and Major Carter, Sir..."

"Doctor Fraiser has clearance," Hammond said, just a little stiffly.

"Yes, Sir."

Hammond looked around the room, and decided that whatever it was that Jack hadn't wanted everyone to hear, he obviously didn't want the entire staff of the infirmary to hear it.

"Let's take a walk. You can tell us in the debriefing room."

Janet spoke up. She didn't really want to leave her patients just then – besides the two young men (and Ian if he was counted) she still had a very badly injured soldier to keep an eye on.

"I need to stay here, General. Unless you need me...?"

"I'll keep you informed, Doctor. Thank you." Hammond gestured for Sam to lead the way, and then they headed for the door.