Author's Note: This chapter is a little short – but that's okay. There'll be more later! Can you believe how long this story is getting???

OOOOOOOO

"You're not going to become an archeologist."

Ian looked over at Jack as they got into his truck after leaving Daniel's apartment.

"What?"

"I said, you can't become an archeologist."

"I don't want to be an archeologist."

"What? Why not?"

"How many archeological digs are there in the United States?"

Jack shrugged.

"Beats me."

"Not a lot."

"You don't like to travel?"

That would be a problem.

"I don't like to fly," Ian corrected him.

"You're afraid to fly?" Jack remembered him saying something about not liking flying, come to think of it. And they could get around that.

"I'm not afraid to fly," Ian said, slightly defensively. "I'm just not all that keen about the possibility of crashing and burning."

"Then why did you borrow Daniel's books?" Jack asked, pointing at the books on Ian's lap.

"Because Daniel wrote them – so I thought I'd read them."

"Oh."

Ian shook his head, amused.

"Of course... I suppose I could be an archeologist who went by boat everywhere..."

"You could, but I'd have to kill you."

Jack knew Ian was just messing with him, now, though, and since he didn't have to worry about the cadet suddenly deciding on a life of archeology – not that there was anything wrong with archeology, mind you, it was just that he had other ideas in mind for Ian to choose from – he wasn't going to rise to the bait.

"What do you want for dinner?"

"I don't care – as long as there's a lot of it."

"Hungry?"

"You're not?"

"I'm starved."

"There's a Taco Bell – how about Mexican food?"

Good enough. Jack pulled into the drive thru and the two of them ordered large quantities of burritos and tacos with hot sauce on the side and an few orders of the tater tots as well just for filling.

OOOOOOO

When they got home, Ian carried the books in and Jack carried in the bags of Taco Bell, with Jaffer right beside him, making sure he didn't drop anything – and hoping that he would.

Sam was lounged on the sofa when they opened the door, and the smell of something cooking told them that she'd decided that since they were on their way she'd start dinner. Jack wondered how he was going to hide the fast food bags, but before he could even think of anything, Sam caught sight of them.

"You stopped somewhere?" She asked.

"Ian made me."

Sam shook her head, smiling. Boy, he was as fast as they came when it had to do with getting out of trouble.

"How's Daniel?"

"He's fine." Jack set the Taco Bell bags down on the coffee table and leaned over and kissed Sam lightly. "He was already asleep when we left, but the shoulder's back in place and it won't hurt for long."

"What did you do to your nose?"

"Ian hit me."

Sam looked over at Ian, who shook his head.

"If I'd have hit him, it'd be a lot worse than that, Sam. Daniel said he slipped and hit it on a rock or something."

He dropped Daniel's books on the coffee table as well, and pulled off his sweatshirt while Jack took off his jacket.

"Are you thinking of becoming an archeologist?" Sam asked, looking at the books.

"Nah, I just saw them at Daniel's place and borrowed them."

"He's afraid to fly, Sam. So unless they found King Tut's twin in Boise, Idaho, he'd be out of work."

"I'm not afraid to-"

'I know, you're afraid to crash."

Sam smiled, and picked up one of the books. She'd read Daniel's books as well, once she'd met him, and had found them fascinating, even though most of the rest of the scientific world thought he was out of his mind because of his oddball theories. She frowned; realizing that the book she was holding was one that explained several of those theories. Ian was quick enough to put two and two together if he ever actually-

"What are you making for dinner?" Ian asked, distracting Sam from her thoughts.

"I had thought I'd boil some of the turkey and add some noodles and make soup."

"Sounds great."

She smiled.

"Except that you're having tacos."

"I can have both. How long until the soup's ready?"

"An hour or so."

"Plenty of time."

Ah the joys of having an endless appetite, Sam thought. She put down Daniel's book. Maybe Ian wouldn't get around to reading it. Of course that as a small hope, considering what she'd seen him reading the night before. If he could get around to reading an advanced textbook to a class he wasn't even positive he was going to take, she was pretty sure he'd find time to read a book written by someone he knew.

"You want a burrito or a taco, Sam?" Jack asked, already rifling through the bags.

Ah, what the hell? She could have both soup and burritos, too.

"I'll have one of each, please."