Teal'c arrived late in the morning at the SGC. He was not surprised to see General Hammond already awaiting his report. Hammond was there whenever a team returned. Just like he was always there to see a team off on their mission. And while Hammond did not go into the field often, Teal'c had come to respect him as a strong leader of this facility and of the Tau'ri, loyal to his friends and the protection of Earth. He was even sympathetic and understanding of Teal'c and the Jaffa who were fighting to be free of Goa'uld oppression.

"General Hammond, the excavation is complete," Teal'c immediately reported. "Dr. Lee as already begun examining the device to determine how it functions."

"Three weeks! One week ahead of scheduled. That's good!" General Hammond said rather excitedly.

Teal'c raised his eyebrow as he followed the General. He never saw Hammond so excited about such news; Hammond never showed any excitement about the excavations projects on other planets...ever. Such project only seemed to excite Dr. Jackson.

"Has Dr. Lee given a time frame for getting the device to work on reversing what it did to our people?" Hammond anxiously asked.

"No, Sir he has not. And the device will not be able to be dismantled and brought to Earth, as hoped. According to Dr. Lee there are too many components involved and that the device, as a whole, is too large. He wants to be thorough with his investigation before he sends you his report."

"Very well," Hammond sighed, somewhat disappointed by that news.

"Is there something else that you require of me, General Hammond?" Teal'c asked.

"Yes, since you are not needed for the engineering part of this mission, I'm in need of you here."

"I am, how you would say, at your disposal, General Hammond," Teal'c nodded.

Hammond chuckled, "You may be the only one who can handle them too."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow, again. It was very rare for Hammond to laugh so freely in front of the soldiers. And Teal'c himself very rarely witnessed Hammond laugh. But this laugh was not filled with joy; it seemed more out of frustration.

"Does this have something to do with Colonel O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, knowing that O'Neill has often been the cause of General Hammond's frustrations.

"Partly…the main culprit seems to be Jacob. Although, both he and the Colonel have often been incriminated together!"

"I do not understand. What have General Carter and Colonel O'Neill done?"

"What haven't they done!" Hammond retorted.

Teal'c wasn't sure if he was to respond to that question. First of all, he didn't know the answer. How could he answer such a question when he has not seen General Carter or Colonel O'Neill in three weeks?

"I need you to keep an eye on them," Hammond explained. "Keep them out of trouble. Those two seem to be hell bent on making me go nuts! They're worse than kids!"

"But are they are in fact children," Teal'c stated.

Hammond muttered something to himself that Teal'c didn't hear and wasn't meant to. It wasn't the first time he heard Hammond mutter something softly. It usually followed some sarcastic remark from O'Neill.

"Just keep an eye on them. And keep them away from the Gate Room…in fact from this whole level. You can find them all on level twenty, section C. Either in their quarters or the Romper Room."

"Romper Room?"

"Sorry, Conference Room. I had the room converted into a Recreation Room for them."

"Very well. I will do my best to…keep an eye on them," Teal'c said, then added, "In fact, I will keep both eyes on them."

"Thank you Teal'c!" Hammond said cheerfully as he patted Teal'c on the shoulder.

The General marched away before Teal'c could ask any further questions. He was left with the distinct impression that he just got stuck with an assignment he may not exactly want.

However, whether he wanted the assignment or not, Teal'c had his orders. He never disobeyed General Hammond's orders.

It took Teal'c exactly fifteen minutes to change out of his gear as well as clean up and change into a fresh uniform. Despite the symbiote helping to sustain certain body functions, clean clothes were something that always felt good to put on. And the SGC uniforms were much more comfortable that the Jaffa uniform he wore while serving Apophis. Of course, Teal'c would never admit any discomfort…to anyone! Not even his closest friend on Earth, O'Neill.

Teal'c wondered what kind of discomforts O'Neill was experiencing now. The Colonel had made that annoyed look as Teal'c witnessed the Colonel and Dr. Jackson being engulfed by the bright light. Often, whenever Teal'c saw that face, Colonel O'Neill was in some kind of physical discomfort. He often witnessed O'Neill making that same face when visiting the infirmary and getting a shot from Dr. Fraiser.

Walking into the Conference Room, Teal'c was expecting to see the Colonel in some kind of discomfort. Only he wasn't there. And neither was General Carter. However, Dr. Jackson and Major Carter were present. Both appeared preoccupied by the books they were reading and didn't notice his entrance. And while both appeared to be children, Teal'c thought it best to still treat them with the respect that they rightfully deserved.

"Teal'c!" Daniel Jackson said with his usual enthusiasm, when he glanced up from his book. "How goes the digging?"

"With your suggestions, Dr. Jackson, we were able to finish one week ahead of schedule," he replied, sitting at the table with them.

"Good! That's great!"

"How long will it take Dr. Lee to examine the device?" Major Carter asked setting her book aside.

"He did not say," Teal'c replied.

"Judging from the energy readings and the remote sensing images received from the UAV probe, the device would be too large to bring back to Earth. I wouldn't risk dismantling it for fear of damaging it."

"Dr. Lee came to the same conclusion," Teal'c said to the Major.

"Too bad General Hammond won't let you go to the planet and work on it yourself, Sam," Dr. Jackson added with a smiled.

"Don't worry Daniel, Dr. Lee is a brilliant engineer. I'm sure he has everything under control," she smiled back.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed, having witness Dr. Lee at work for three weeks now. "Where are O'Neill and General Carter? I hoped to bring them this news. And to 'keep an eye' on them, per General Hammond's orders."

"Good luck!" Carter and Jackson laughed at the same time.

"I do not understand."

"Jacob and Jack have…bonded I guess," Jackson said. "They're acting their physical age so to speak. And driving General Hammond nuts!"

"You'll find them on the surface," Carter added. "Probably playing catch with the football or the baseball."

"It was the football. They lost another baseball through General Hammond's car window yesterday," Jackson continued.

"General Hammond should not leave his car window open," Teal'c stated earnestly.

"He didn't, they broke it!" Jackson explained. "Then he refused to give the ball back to them!"

"I told them not to take the bat," Carter smiled, opening up her book.

"Oh, Hammond took that away days ago. He even took the ball away. They had Janet buy them another baseball. Jacob and Jack were playing catch with it when Jack dared Jacob to throw it as far as he could. It went right through the windshield!"

Major Carter laughed, "That's three windshields in three weeks! I would hate to see Hammond's insurance rates! They must be through the roof!"

"Oh, he made then both write him checks to pay for the damage so he wouldn't have to report it to his insurance company," Jackson smiled.

"Still, I wish I had seen the look on their faces when General Hammond took their toys away!" she chuckled.

"I must find them," Teal'c said seriously, getting to his feet.

"Wait up…I'll go with you," Dr. Jackson said as he got up and hurried to grab his jacket. "Sam?"

"Sure," the Major smiled setting her book down.

"Come on Teal'c, let's go," he smiled pulling Teal'c by the arm.

Major Carter and Daniel Jackson were in such high spirits that Teal'c was surprised. He did not expect them to have adapted so easily to their condition. But then, the Tau'ri were an amazing race. One worthy of fighting against the Goa'uld. Watching the doctor hit the elevator button made Teal'c realize, again, just how dominating the human spirit was.

"Why did you not go with the Colonel and the General?" Teal'c asked.

"I'm not into football or baseball," Major Carter answered.

"I'm not as athletic as they are. Apparently the two were high school quarterbacks and baseball pitchers," Jackson answered while cleaning his glasses. "I was never into sports. I believe the term they so delicately used was 'four-eyed geek'. Besides, they're having fun. I don't think either of them really had fun as children. I overheard Jack mentioning something about both their fathers being alcoholics and abusive towards them. Jacob mentioned he lost his mom when he was only seven. I know Jack lost his mom around the same age."

"I see. They were forced to become adults while they still were children," Teal'c said as they exited the elevator.

"Right," Jackson said, zipping up his jacket as they neared the door to the outside.

"You can't blame them for having fun. If I skipped my childhood, I would do the same thing," Sam added.

As they exited, and before Teal'c could ask his next question, Major Carter, Dr. Jackson and he were hit in their faces with snow. The unexpected ambush was followed by the sound of children's laughter disappearing into the nearby trees.

"Shit! Jacob! Perfect shot! Right in their faces!" Jack cheered as the two ran up the trail.

"I believe you owe me fifty bucks!" Jacob shot back.

"As soon as we're changed back, I'll get it to you. You took all my cash during our poker game and I doubt George will let us off the base to go to the bank to get some!"

"Don't worry, I know you're good for it."

"That was worth the fifty bucks! Did you see the looks on their faces?"

"Priceless!" Jacob laughed.

"Hell, I was surprised to see Carter! Did your daughter ever go out and play as a kid?"

"Yeah, she played a lot. I remember my wife having to drag her home on a number of occasions…kicking and screaming. As soon as she became a teenager she started concentrating more on her studies. Especially after her mother died."

Jack heard the sadness in Jacob's voice. Even after all these years the man still mourned his wife. Just like Jack still mourned the loss of his son. It was scary how similar their lives were. Both had abusive alcoholic fathers and were forced to grow up quickly. Both had strong take charge personalities that had taken them far up the ranks in the Air Force. Yet, with all these similarities, Jacob would never let Jack date the Major. Jacob made that very clear when he wrestled Jack to the ground, again, for saying something to the Major.

Of course, Jack never considered dating the Major. He considered her a good friend and a fine officer. He respected her far too much to waste their friendship by having an intimate relationship. All this he tried to convey to Jacob, while his arm was being twisted. If Dr. Fraiser hadn't walked in, Jack might still be wearing the floor on his face.

At them time, Jack didn't realize why Jacob had quickly stopped. Then, when they were all in the infirmary getting immunization shots, because Daniel was sneezing and coughing after catching a damn cold, Jack noticed Jacob's eyes following the doctor. Jack even noticed how nice she was treating Jacob, while Jack himself got jabbed to the bone with a needle!

"Jack, I still don't want you involved with my daughter," Jacob said.

Damn, it was like he could read Jack's mind at times. It would have been spooky if Jack wasn't having so much fun with Jacob.

"Why? You and I seem to have so much in common!"

"That's why! Jack, you and I are too much a like. We're both so fucked up because of our crappy childhood. Sam deserves better!"

"You're right," Jack sighed.

"But, I'm glad you're there to keep an eye on her for me," Jacob smiled putting his arm around Jack's shoulders. "I know you'll make sure she gets home when a mission goes bad. I know I can count on you to keep my little girl safe."

"Thanks Jacob," Jack smiled. "That means a lot to me."

"So, where were we going again?"

"This way," Jack pointed. "There's a spot where you can see the front of the compound and the mountain entrance."

"Too bad the day is overcast. These mountains look so much better in the bright sun, even with snow on them."

Perfect opportunity, Jack couldn't refuse. While he and Jacob have bonded, have become buds, brothers in arms, Jack still couldn't help but tease Jacob from time to time.

As long as it wasn't about Selmak being a female snake. Jack learned quickly that was like hitting Jacob below the belt. Jacob didn't talk to Jack for three days after he called Selmak a 'decrepit old fart'. And Jack spent one day in the infirmary for a concussion.

Of course, it was an accident they both said to Hammond. It really was. But the General didn't believe them and threatened to whip their hides with his belt if they got into one more fight!

Jacob didn't mean to hurt Jack that badly. He was upset and embarrassed about what he had done. He finally came and apologized to Jack. Jack apologized to Jacob. Then Jack apologized to Selmak by slipping her a mini-bottle of Rum. And Jack promised never to make fun of Selmak…ever.

The universe was balanced again. Jack and Jacob were back to being as close as brothers.

However, brothers did often tease each other about the subject of girls. And while Selmak was off limits, another spunky lady was not.

"Speaking of looking…I saw you looking at the Doc," Jack smiled.

Jack turned to see Jacob had stopped in his tracks a few paces back.

"Don't worry, no one else noticed. Including the Doc."

"Are you going to tell her?" Jacob asked nervously.

"No. I would never do that to a guy. Unless I thought he wasn't worthy."

"Thanks…I think," Jacob said sitting down on the ground.

Jack sat down beside Jacob, putting his arm around him.

"Hey, all I'm saying is the Doc is like everyone's little sister. We all tend to look out for her."

"Really, I was under the impression that she scared the shit out of all the men on this base, including you," Jacob smiled.

"Yeah, she's a formidable woman," Jack sighed resting his arms on his knees. "Are you sure you know what you're getting into?"

"She reminds me a little of my wife, Allison. Strong willed, beautiful…the kind of woman that scares a man to death. The kind of woman you can't live without."

"Oh, Jacob…have you got it bad!" Jack laughed. "Don't forget! Janet has those needles of hers!"

"Yeah, I noticed! I also noticed how hard she jabbed you. I thought you were going to jump through the ceiling."

"Yeah…well, I noticed how gentle she was with you!"

"Really, I didn't notice. She's always that way with me…lately."

"Jacob! Open your eyes! You're getting to her! I think it's brilliant…this whole kid thing, it's a great way to get to know a woman and get her to like you! I'm shocked that I never even thought to use it!"

"Jack!"

"For crying out loud Jacob! Go for it!"

"I don't know…she's my daughter's age…I don't want her to be uncomfortable."

"Jacob, you like her, she likes you…it's simple."

"Jack, it's not that simple."

"Shit Jacob! How the hell did you ever get married?"

"George's wife set me up on a date with Allison. The first time I saw her I couldn't breathe. A week later I knew I was in love with her and would never let her go. Three months after that we were married…a month later she told be she was pregnant."

"It happened that fast for you too?"

"When you're in love so deeply, is there any other way?"

"No, there isn't," Jack sighed. "Bottom line, do you want something to happen between you and the doc?"

Jacob looked up with a devilish grin.

"We already have a date…that is once this condition is reversed."

"You dog!" Jack laughed and pushed Jacob over.

Next thing Jack realized was that Jacob had him pinned again. Damn, for a skinny kid, Jacob was strong. Of course, Jack wasn't much bigger than Jacob, maybe only by a few pounds. Still, it was fun wrestling each other. At least outside they didn't have to worry about breaking any furniture!

"Is that all you two do?" Daniel whined.

"Dog pile!" Jack shouted and both he and Jacob charged.

"Guys! I just got these! They're my fourth pair of glasses!" Daniel sniveled as he was being tackled to the ground. "Guys! Come on…don't break my glasses…again!"

After a few minutes of laughing and hearing Daniel complaining about his glasses and that he couldn't breathe, they all finally got to their feet. Daniel carefully inspected his glasses while Jack was brushing the snow off his pants.

"Sorry about earlier Teal'c…it was Jacob who did it!" Jack smiled.

"Gee, thanks Jack!" Jacob retorted.

"I was not injured," Teal'c simply said.

"Didn't think you would be!" Jack smirked. "But you were surprised! Don't deny it…I saw the look on all of your faces!"

"You could have hurt someone," Daniel insisted.

"Quit whining! Really, Teal'c you're lucky you've been gone," Jack explained. "Your ears have been spared from the constant bitching and moaning from Dr. Jackson!"

Daniel merely rolled his eyes while shaking his head.

"Sammy, you came out of hibernation!" Jacob smiled.

"Just wanted to make sure you both took it easy on Daniel," she replied.

"Danny, hurt by us?" Jack asked in mock disbelief.

"Sam, it's ok. These two are much kinder than what I actually went through when in school!"

"You know we love ya, Danny boy!" Jack said messing up Daniel's hair.

"Hey, I heard they're having hamburgers and fries in the commissary," Jacob said as they all started heading down the trail.

"We're not supposed to eat in the commissary," Daniel said.

"Danny, don't be such a nerd! I'm a General…I'm eating in the commissary!" Jacob said. "I'm going to puke if I have to choke down another peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Jack?"

"Count me in!" Jack smiled.

He agreed with Jacob. He was getting tired of those sandwiches too.

"Sammy?" Jacob asked.

"You don't need to order me! I agree with you, Dad!" Carter smiled.

"But…"

"Daniel quit whining!" Jack, Jacob and Sam shouted at him.

"Mark! Set! Go!" Jacob said before he raced off.

Carter grabbed Daniel's hand before he stared complaining, again, and dragged him along.

"What?" Jack asked when Teal'c raised his eyebrows at him.

"You are all acting like children!"

"So, I don't see a problem with that," Jack smirked. "Tag…you're it!"

Jack hurried off.

"Jacob, wait up buddy!" he shouted.

It was a quiet day. Even the commissary was quiet as Janet sat down for a burger and salad. Of course, she came for an early lunch. The main crowd wouldn't show for another hour. But it was also the time General Hammond usually came to lunch.

Janet was hoping to have a talk with him about the 'kids'. She was concerned that they were going stir crazy. Jacob and Jack's antics had increased this week. Siler ended up in the infirmary twice, in one day but four times total over the course of two weeks! Davis twice, for the same thing. Three marines, each at separate times during the course of a day! Each man was given the unfortunate task to baby sit Jacob and Jack.

But how do you send a single man to baby sit the likes of General Carter and Colonel O'Neill? One of the two is enough to cause trouble. Both together and the trouble is multiplied by a factor of four squared! No wonder Hammond ordered someone else to do it!

All were signs to Janet that Hammond needed to set some time aside for the 'kids' to get off the base. Jacob appeared somewhat desperate when he asked if he could go home with her one night for a movie or something. Anything to get the hell out of here.

Hopefully she could convince Hammond.

However, when Janet heard Jacob and Jack laughing as they were getting closer to the commissary, Janet had a feeling her plan would be shot to hell. She then realized she was not going to be able to ask Hammond now as the whole crew walked in, followed by Teal'c who was watching all four kids intently. Janet knew Hammond was going to blow a gasket the moment he arrived.

Janet was hoping she could talk with Jacob. He was the leader and he listened to her. And the others would listen to him. Maybe she could convince him to leave. Then again, maybe not.

"Hi Janet," he smiled brightly, too brightly for her to bring him down. "Mind if we join you?"

"No, go ahead," she sighed.

"If you don't want us to, just say so," he smiled. "I won't mind. We can always sit at the kids table."

Janet laughed softly. Jacob had a knack for making her laugh unexpectedly.

"Jacob, it's fine," she smiled and his smile seemed to brighten even more.

"Good," he said sitting directly across from her.

'Maybe it won't be so bad,' she thought as Jack sat next to Jacob.

Teal'c pushed another table next to hers so they could all seat together. And all had been going well. They were all in such high spirits. Jacob and Jack were chatting well with her and shared the good news about the excavation process being complete. Both were hoping to be adults again very soon.

It was funny watching them interact when two weeks ago they literally hated each other. Now they were like two brothers. They still had their tiffs but those were minor, nothing like before when they we brawling with each other on a daily basis. Even now, Jack poked Jacob with his elbow and quietly teased Jacob about something that made him blush. At which point, Jack winked at her, flashing that shit-eating grin of his.

"Jack, I never should have told you I had date with her!" Jacob whispered loud enough for her to hear.

However, all good things must come to an end.

"Shit," she cursed softly.

"What?" Jacob asked then followed her gaze. "Oh, it's the Commandant!"

"You shouldn't call General Hammond that!" Daniel hissed.

"Danny, put a sock in it or I'll have Jack do it for you! I don't think you want him to use one of his socks either!" Jacob snapped and Janet watched Daniel shrink into his seat.

Jacob quickly wiped his hands and face with his napkin.

"Just keep quiet…all of you, I'll handle George," Jacob ordered to everyone while Hammond was slowly walking over towards them all.

Janet could swear with each step that Hammond took, he grew a darker shade of red.

"Hello George," Jacob smiled innocently. "Come, join us for lunch."

"Jacob, I thought I ordered all of you to remain in the recreation room."

"That you did!" Jack agreed.

"Jack," Jacob snapped glaring at Jack. Turning back to Hammond, "I know you did George, but we all wanted hamburgers and fries. We never get any of the good meals sent our way. I'm getting sick of eating PBJ sandwiches!"

"I'm ordering…"

"I beg your pardon, George, but I'm a two star General…the same rank as you. You can't order me around."

Janet remained as quiet as possible. So did the others. No one wanted the wrath of Hammond to come down on them. She just prayed that Jacob wouldn't go too far.

"Besides, George. I make more money than you do now that I'm the liaison to the Tok'ra. I'm a month older than you. And let's see…oh…I have more hair on my head than you."

There was a long moment of silence. Janet didn't dare close her eyes. She didn't want to miss all the fireworks!

"Was that before or after you were turned into a kid?" Jack asked Jacob.

"Before," Jacob snorted. "And after!"

Another long moment of silence.

"You know Jacob, you're right," Hammond smiled.

Only Janet knew that was not the smile of agreement. And she was right.

"However, I am taller than you right now!" Hammond growled. "And I'm going to enjoy this."

"Enjoy what?" Jack asked. "What can you do to him, he's just a kid?"

"Oh, not just him Colonel. This is something I've been wanting to do you for a long time!" Hammond countered.

What happened next was laughable. But Janet dared not laugh as Hammond grabbed both Jacob and Jack by their ears. Hammond ordered Sam and Daniel to leave, and they did…running!

"George, this is ridiculous!" Jacob protested.

"Oh, really! I'm rather enjoying this!" Hammond smiled, pulling Jacob by his right ear.

"Ow!" Jack protested getting pulled by his left ear.

"Now, walk with me boys," Hammond ordered.

And it was the kind of order that meant 'if you don't walk with me, I'm going to pull your fucking ear off!'

Only after they were gone did Janet burst into a hearty laugh. Teal'c admitted that he did not understand what was so funny and requested that she explain. But she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe and was unable to answer him.

"So, what did they do to you?" Davis asked Siler as they slowly walked down the tunnel towards the commissary. "They put glue on my coffee cup. It took Dr. Fraiser twenty minutes to separate it from my hand. Both times!"

"You're lucky," Siler replied. "First my socket wrench was glued to my hand. Second trip, they put paint on my goggles."

"Did the paint get in your eyes?"

"No. I was wiping it off with a rag and didn't see where I was going. I smacked my head…got six stitches."

"Ouch!" Davis said.

"Ow!" a young voice protested a head of them. It sounded like Colonel O'Neill's voice.

Davis and Siler looked up and smiled.

"George really! You can let go, I think we get the point!" General Carter protested.

General Hammond was dragging both General Carter and Colonel O'Neill by their ears. The General had the biggest smile on his face. A smile Davis hadn't seen in a long time.

"Carry on gentlemen," Hammond smiled as he walked by.

"Not a word, Sparky!" Jack snapped.

Davis and Siler watched until Hammond disappeared around a turn with the hoodlums.

"That made my day!" Davis smiled.

"Yeah, mine too!"

Her internal alarm clock went off so Selmak quickly woke up. Any minute Jacob would be there for his daily visit. He usually talked with her for an hour or so. Telling her about the days events. And giving her a few drops of her favorite drink.

Only someone was approaching her tank and she could sense that it wasn't Jacob. Heading up to the surface, she took a look to see who it was.

'Dr. Fraiser? Jacob, did you get hurt again?' Selmak asked herself, mentally sighing about her klutz of a host. 'Jacob, Jacob…when will you ever learn that I'm the only reason why you didn't get hurt more often! That lame excuse of yours is so pathetic, insisting that I wanted you to go left while you wanted to go right, meaning your body never moved, would cause you to get injured! When will you admit that you're a klutz?'

"Hi Selmak. Sorry, Jacob's in the doghouse today. Confined to his quarters. Colonel O'Neill too. So, I'm here to give you your drink. Jacob might be able to drop by later, but I doubt it. He really pissed off General Hammond."

'That's my boy!' Selmak exclaimed. 'Only Jake could make a nice man like George blow a gasket! Well, next to Colonel O'Neill that is.'

"I still can't believe you love Tequila! I was actually glad Jacob took that bottle. It had been sitting there for over a year. I never liked the stuff, but Sam thought we could try shots one night. We never did again. I was so sick the next day and so was she! But that's just between us girls, don't tell Jacob. I don't think he would like hearing such things about his daughter."

'Don't worry Janet, my lips are seal! Now pour me that drink!'

The food didn't look appetizing. Of course, Jacob was still fuming about earlier. And he wasn't really that hungry. Dr. Fraiser was nice enough to get them some better food for dinner and he thanked her for it. But he just wasn't in the mood to eat

"Jacob, you should eat something," Jack insisted. "I know George embarrassed us but what's done is done. There's nothing we can do about it."

"But there is something I can do about it," Jacob counted.

"What, like flatten the tires of his car?" Jack asked jokingly.

Jacob glared at Jack to let him know he was being serious. Jack nodded back in acknowledgement.

"Before I let you in on my plan, I need to know if you're all in on it?" Jacob asked.

"You know you can always count on me," Jack smiled.

"Sammy?"

"I'm with you Dad," she smiled.

"Daniel?" Jacob asked, and the other two looked at him.

"As long as it doesn't involve me getting hurt, I'm in," Daniel said nervously.

"Good, Sammy, give me your laptop," Jacob ordered.

"For what?" she asked even as she slid it across the table.

"We're getting out of here. At 0500 the shift changes, that will be our best opportunity to get off the base," Jacob explained as he typed away on the keyboard.

"What are you doing?" she asked as they all moved to see what Jacob was typing.

"Writing a subroutine into the security systems. The base will shut down for ten minutes. Everyone will be locked out of the computers. All cameras will be turned off. All lights will be out. I've timed a route, ten minutes is more than enough time for all of us to make it to the surface without being detected."

No one responded so he looked up to see their curious faces.

"Jacob, I didn't know you knew how to use a computer," Jack smiled. "I can't use one. Why do you think my reports are always late?"

"You guys didn't think Selmak had all the brains…did you?" he smirked. "Besides, Sam's mother would not marry some dummy and I graduated high school a year early. The Academy kept trying to encourage me towards studies geared towards the space program but I wanted to fly jets! Nothing like pulling those Gs in a nose dive then pulling up at the last possible second!"

They were still giving him a curious look.

"What? If you don't believe how smart I am, look at my profile. I have a doctorate in mechanical engineering."

"Well, now we now where Carter gets her brains from!" Jack smiled.

"So, what's the plan, Dad?" she asked, smiling.

"We need night vision goggles."

"Done, I can get them," Jack said.

"Money, we still have our wallets. Daniel, go to the locker room and get them. If we don't have cash," he paused looking at Jack. "We can use our ATM cards."

"How are we getting off the base?" Jack asked.

Jacob pulled a set of keys out of his pocket.

"I swiped them earlier after George gave us our lecture. You were talking to him in the briefing room and I took the keys. It's a Government car. The one George usually let's me use whenever I'm visiting Earth. I'm driving. We'll be leaving when others are leaving. Only we'll be going out the back gate. No guards will be there. And I have the key to the gate."

"So, where are we going?" Daniel asked.

"To town. We can head to Denny's for breakfast. The mall opens at ten. We can see a movie or do whatever we want," Jacob answered. "But at least we'll be out of here. I'm going nuts being stuck here."

"We're with you Jake," Jack agreed slapping his hand on Jacob's back.

"Good, we stay in our rooms. Set your clocks for whatever time you need to wake up. Jack, get everyone watches so we all are on the same time. From our rooms, as soon as the power goes out, we meet at maintenance door down the hall. That ladder goes straight to the surface. We clear on the plan?"

"Yes, Sir!" Jack said for everyone.

"Excuse me…but what is the point of all of this?" Daniel asked raising his hand.

"To have fun, Danny," Jacob smiled.

The phone ringing, and not his alarm, woke Hammond up. Not that his alarm would be going off so early on a Saturday morning! The phone only rang a couple of times before he answered it.

"General Hammond, Sir, this is Colonel Donaldson. We had a situation at the base, Sir."

"Had?" George asked while trying not to yawn.

"Yes, Sir. We lost power for ten minutes, Sir."

"I take it you were able to turn it back on?"

"No, Sir. It came on by itself, Sir. I have a couple of teams sweeping the base as we speak."

"Good. Call me if they find anything."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Is there something else, Colonel?" George asked, somewhat annoyed.

"You…you're not coming in, Sir?"

"Colonel, do you know what day it is? It's Saturday…my day off! I'm not coming in for some little hickup in the power! Now, if there isn't some interplanetary emergency I would like to go BACK to sleep!"

"Yes, Sir! Sorry, Sir."

George thought he heard the Colonel jump to attention on the other end. At least, in George's mind that's what he saw with as angry as he sounded on the phone.

"Just, keep me informed, Colonel," he sighed.

"Understood, Sir."

George yawned as he hung up the phone.

It was still dark outside, he could get a couple of more hours of sleep. Only after he snuggled back under his covers his mind was wide awake. Two reasons why: Jacob and Jack.

After yesterday's incident with Jacob and Jack in the commissary, George felt confident he finally convinced those two into behaving themselves.

But, lying there in the dark, his mind was going nuts with all kinds of scenarios about why the power went out.

"What am I thinking?" George laughed out loud. "Where the hell can they go?"

Thinking about it, the more George realized he had nothing worry about. It's not like the kids could leave the base undetected. Even if they did, they wouldn't get far because the town was over twenty miles away.

Confident that the power outage was probably a glitch in the system and that the 'kids' were safely tucked into Cheyenne Mountain George nestled his head into his pillow and fell quickly into a much needed sleep.