Monday The SGC

Jack had been in an annoyed state all day. He'd been trying to find Sam all day, but she had been avoiding him all day. In fact, she had been avoiding Daniel and Teal'c as well. It was almost five o'clock and he decided to try her lab one last time. His call was forwarded to another scientist, "Is Carter down there?"

"No sir. She left a few minutes ago."

"Was she leaving for the day?" he asked anxiously.

"I believe so sir."

Jack rapidly hung up the phone and headed out of his office. He wasn't going to let Sam keep avoiding her teammates. When he pulled open his door he saw that she was just about to knock on his door. Her presence caught him off guard, "Carter!"

"Sir. Can I come in?"

Jack stared at her momentarily before ushering her in, "Yeah come on in. I was just about to go looking for you." He was relieved as he sat down across from her, she was finally going to talk to him. "What can I do for you?" he asked her hopefully. The answer he received though came out of left field.

"I'd like to request a transfer off SG-1 sir," she told him calmly. Internally, she was hiding her sadness at having to leave her friends' sides… at least when it came to missions.

"What?!" he exclaimed as he didn't try to hide his shock from hearing her request. His mind couldn't form complete questions to find out why she would want to leave SG-1, and more importantly, him. "Why?" was all he was able to utter.

"Several reasons, both professional and personal, sir. In light of recent events, I feel that my position within SG-1 has been compromised and I would be a liability to the team. I believe it's in the best interest of the rest of SG-1 that I not be a member of your team sir."

As Jack listened he was able to find his voice, "Major, I decide what's in the best interest for this entire team. You are definitely not a liability! Sorry, your reasons aren't good enough. You're staying on SG-1."

As Sam listened to Jack's denial she was comforted slightly. At least he still wanted her around, but she knew that she still had to get off SG-1. "Sir, I appreciate that, but I would still like a transfer from SG-1."

"Why? ... For personal reasons?" he saw the nearly imperceptible nod from her eyes. What was she hiding from him? "What personal reasons?"

"I'd rather not discuss them sir."

He knew there was something there, "Come on Carter, we can work it out... What is it?" He then saw a hopeful look in her eyes; unfortunately he drew the wrong conclusion. "Does it have something to do with that Jason guy?"

Carter shook her head in disbelief, "No sir, it has nothing to do with Jason."

"Good! Because I've never heard you mention him. Yet you feel comfortable having him over and talking to him while your teammates have been worried about you!" he finally let out, unfortunately his jealousy was showing its ugly head when it came to his scientist.

Sam was disturbed at his over-reaction, "Yes sir I was," she forcefully told him.

"What? You could talk to him but you wouldn't talk to Daniel or me?"

"Yes sir, I could. He's a good friend."

"And we're not?" he exclaimed.

Sam had had enough of his inquisition, "Sir, are you going to grant my request?"

Jack stared at her, "No, you're staying on SG-1."

Sam stood up and calmly made another request, "Permission to return to duty sir?"

Jack continued to stare into her angry eyes and nodded his head, "Yeah." After she left he continued to stare at the space she had recently occupied while he tried to figure out what had happened to Sam.

A few minutes after she'd left, Jack left his office and headed to Daniel's office to see if he could offer any insights to Sam's behavior. "Carter just stopped by my office," he told him as he walked in, startling Daniel.

"What'd she say?"

"She requested a transfer off SG-1."

Daniel was shocked, "She what?!?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought!" he told him as he lowered himself into another chair.

Daniel searched for understanding, "Did she say why?"

"She gave me a bogus reason that she was now a liability to the team... that she'd been compromised."

Daniel listened intently as he tried to figure out why she would leave them, "That doesn't make sense... Wait a minute..."

Jack's eyes went wide as he looked at Daniel, "What?"

"She thinks we don't trust her Jack... She's got it all wrong, we're the ones who have to gain her trust back!" Daniel and Jack stared at each other before the phone rang on Daniel's desk and interrupted them. "Doctor Jackson... Yes sir, he's right here... I'll let him know." He hung up the phone and looked at Jack, "That was General Hammond, he wants to see you in his office right away... He sounds pretty angry."

"Carter," Jack quietly whispered. "Find her for me will you," he said over his shoulder as he headed to General Hammond's office. "Sir, you wanted to see me?"

Hammond looked up from the file in front of him, "Colonel, did I not tell you to keep an eye on Major Carter?"

"Yes sir, but you see… she didn't want to talk to us."

"Well maybe you should have tried harder because then maybe I wouldn't have to try and transfer her!"

"Excuse me sir? I already told her I wasn't going to transfer her off SG-1."

"Yes she told me that. But she just requested a transfer out of the SGC! And I have no choice but to do that!"

"What do you mean sir? We can't let her go."

"I know, but she threatened to resign her commission if she didn't get a transfer! The Pentagon would have my ass if I let her leave the Air Force. Now would you like to tell me what personal reasons the brightest scientist here would have for wanting to leave the SGC?"

"I don't know sir."

"Well find out because the SGC needs her here!"

"Yes sir," he replied as he got up and headed to find Carter. He stopped at the phone in the conference room and began to make some phone calls, remembering what had happened a few days ago, "Has Major Carter passed through that checkpoint? ... Shit," he exclaimed as he disconnected the call and made another phone call. "Has Major Carter left the base?"

"No sir, not yet."

"Good! Stall her until I get there."

"Do you want me to detain her Colonel?"

Jack considered that option but decided against it since it would anger Carter even more. "No, just stall her. I'm on my way up." Jack sprinted to the elevators; luckily for him the elevators seemed to be on his side. Two minutes later he was running to the base security station, he didn't see her there though.

"I'm sorry sir. She just went out to the parking lot."

Jack ignored the Sergeant as he ran out to the parking lot to find Sam. He saw her standing by her bike putting on her helmet, "Carter!" he yelled out.

But Sam already had her helmet on. As she mounted her bike she looked up and saw Jack running to her. She made a decision as she turned the key and drove off, away from her CO.

"Damnit," Jack yelled as he headed to his own truck. "She stared right at me and drove off," he spoke to himself as he took off after her.

TBC

A/N: I know some of you don't want her to resign... and it might not come to that... but I feel her actions in this chapter might be what one would expect when her reasons are explained in the next two chapters that will be posted by the weekend.