First Times and Formals

Author's Note: This one starts right where Painful Separations lets off… (just so you know) Sam is in her 6th month of pregnancy and is definitely showing.

Disclaimer: I don't own all the regular characters, only those that I have created (Ian, Jaffer and Jack (the dog) in this case), and God knows I'm not making any money off this, or I wouldn't have to come back from my vacation. Sigh.

That said… here we go!

OOOOOOOOO

The people in the briefing room looked up as Jack and Ian walked into the room, and Hammond frowned.

"So good of you to join us."

Ian had the grace to look apologetic, but Jack just walked over and sat down beside Sam, leaving the New Yorker to take the spot beside Teal'c, who nodded a greeting to him. They weren't late, everyone else was just early.

Sam gave Ian a welcoming smile, and he grinned at her.

"How's the hand?"

The grin faded into a scowl, and he once more looked down at his hand – which had a bandage on it.

"It's fine, Sam.

"I can't believe you tried to burn down my apartment before you'd even lived there two weeks…" Daniel said, shaking his head in amusement.

"It wasn't that big of a fire," Ian protested. "There was just a little grease on the-"

"Can you hold a weapon, Cadet?" Hammond interrupted.

Ian nodded, holding up his left hand to show the bandage.

"I shoot right-handed, General. I'm fine."

Like he'd miss the first mission, just because of a little burn?

Hammond nodded, "Good." He turned his attention to Daniel, who took his cue and stood up.

"The planet we're going to today is connoted as P93-X56," Daniel said, showing gate coordinates on a slide behind him and then another slide showing a planet that was lush and tropical, and caused Jack to scowl. More trees. Lovely. "There are no indications of life, but as you can see, it's jungle, and that means that trees and brush can overrun ruins and any signs of civilization fairly quickly, so we're going to take a look around and see if we can find out who lived there – or see if anyone still does."

Jack watched Ian as Daniel gave his briefing. The cadet wasn't taking notes – of course, he didn't need to with that memory of his – but he was paying close attention, and while he looked excited, he didn't look like he was going to pee his pants. That was good.

"Did the probe find any signs of Goa'uld activities?" Teal'c asked.

Daniel shook his head.

"As far as we can tell, it's deserted."

"But there's only one way to be sure," Jack said.

Daniel nodded.

"Well, get to it," Hammond said, trying to ignore the nervousness he, himself, felt. He didn't like sending a person out for the first time. It always made him worried – even when that person was going to be going with SG-1, who were the best when it came to coming back home intact. Not always in one piece, but alive, at least. And that was what counted. "SG-1, you have a go. Get equipped, and be in the gate room in 15 minutes."

"Yes, Sir."

They all stood up and Hammond went to his office, leaving them alone to go prepare. Sam met Ian at the door, and hooked her arm through his.

"How do you feel? Excited?"

He smiled and nodded.

"A bit."

"Not nervous?"

"Me?"

He gave her a slightly injured look, and she smiled and released his arm.

"I'll meet you guys in the gate room."

Since the others weren't wearing BDUs, they'd have to change, and since Sam wasn't going, there was no point in her going to the locker room and waiting outside for them, only to follow them to supply, where they'd draw their equipment. Except their side arms, which Sam knew were hanging in their lockers. She'd just wait for them to come to her.

"We'll be there in a bit," Jack promised, touching her arm for the briefest of moments, and then heading down the hallway with Ian, Daniel, Teal'c and Jack (the dog).

Sam looked down at Jaffer, who had been with her all morning, and she sighed.

"They're going to be okay, right?"

Jaffer rumbled a growl deep in his chest and wagged his tail cheerfully. Of course they were going to be okay! He was going with them! He'd bring them home just fine.

She reached down and slapped his shoulder, grateful that he was hanging out with her that morning instead of leaving her alone, and turned and headed for the gate room with Jaffer walking beside her.

OOOOO

It was almost exactly 15 minutes later when Jack and the rest of SG-1 walked in, fully equipped and ready to go. Hammond and Sam were standing at the bottom of the ramp waiting for them, and both were forced to admit that Ian looked like he was as cool as the other side of the pillow. Wearing a pack and a Kevlar vest, with his Glock in its holster at his side, and the P-90 hanging from the strap on his shoulder, he looked formidable and not at all nervous. Of course, with Teal'c and Jack (the dog) walking at his side, he looked even more formidable, and add to it Jack and even Daniel, and there was as much protection there for him as Sam or Hammond could hope for.

Then Jaffer wuffled Sam's hand briefly and went over and joined Jack, adding even more weapons to the arsenal.

"Ready, Colonel?"

Jack nodded.

"Yes, Sir."

Hammond looked over at the control center and nodded, and the gate started dialing. Then the General turned to Ian.

"I don't need to tell you to do everything Colonel O'Neill tells you to?"

Ian shook his head.

"No, Sir."

"Good." Hammond stepped back, making room for SG-1 at the base of the ramp as the gate flared to life.

Sam bit her lower lip softly, trying to hide her nervousness, and Jack gave her his cockiest smile as he walked over to her to take his place by the ramp.

"Don't worry, Sam, we'll be fine," he murmured, just loud enough that she could hear it, but no one else. "We'll be back before you know it."

She nodded, and his smile turned from cocky to soft, as his eyes showed her the love he felt for her, even when he couldn't really say it aloud. She felt warmed by that look, and felt a little of her concern fade as she was wrapped up in it, and she was able to smile as the others walked past her, each of them giving her a smile of their own, as if they understood how she felt being left behind.

Ian was the last to walk by, and Sam couldn't help but smile. Jack's grin had been cocky, but Ian's was just as bad. As if he knew he was bulletproof – despite the fact that he'd already been shown otherwise.

"Relax, Sam," Ian told her. "We're just going through a wormhole to another planet with God knows what on the other side. What's the worst that-"

He was stopped by her putting her hand to his mouth, hushing him.

"Don't even say that," Sam told him, smiling despite her concerns. "Every time someone asks that question, they always try to answer it."

Ian nodded, and gave her another quick grin, and then headed up the ramp to where Jack was waiting. A moment later they both stepped through and were gone.