The Continuing Misadventures of SG-1 or 101 Things A Girl Can Do.
by ALC Punk! and Ryuu
Chapter Two: In Which Daniel Speaks His Mind

"Jack, you're being an ass."

The General looked up from the report he was in the middle of signing at the bottom, inspecting the archeologist who had entered without knocking, and was now flopped in one of the chairs across the desk from him. "Daniel."

Daniel regarded him steadily. "Jack."

"Care to elaborate or is this just a run-by mocking?"

"You know what I mean, Jack." Daniel crossed his arms.

"Well, if that's all you wanted to tell me, then I should really get back to work," Jack replied, waving the report for emphasis. "But thank you for that astute assessment of-"

"Dammit, Jack!"

"Go away, Daniel."

Throwing up his hands, Daniel swore in Egyptian, then changed tactics. "Did you know that there are at least six SG team leaders who believe Sam's only got SG-1 because you greased the wheels for her? And that she isn't competent to lead any team in the field-and before you say it, none of them are Reynolds."

"Daniel, I don't have time for base gossip."

"But you do have time to make damn certain Sam and SG-1 never go out alone unless it's a peaceful planet?" Daniel let some of the scorn he felt show through.

"I already had this discussion with Carter," Jack replied coldly. "I'm protecting this base's best team."

"Who are more than capable of protecting themselves!" Daniel snapped. "Sam learned how to lead from the best, Jack!"

"Did she also learn how to be an ass?" Jack commented mildly.

"You're never going to know what she's capable of unless you cut the apron strings, Jack!"

"This dicussion is over, Dr. Jackson."

"Fine." Standing stiffly, Daniel glared at the man he thought he knew. "Thank you for your time, General." About-facing, he stalked from the office, almost running into Teal'c as he exited the doorway. "Adolf will see you now."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment.

Jack made a face. "Can I help you, Teal'c?"

"I was just speaking to Colonel Carter," Teal'c replied calmly.

The General sighed. "So, you're also here to tell me I'm an ass?"

"I believe that judgment is up to you," Teal'c answered, unruffled. "However, Colonel Carter did have concerns over your confidence in her leadership abilities."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Has everyone gone nuts?"

"While I do not doubt that you have every confidence in Colonel Carter's abilities, O'Neill. It is less clear to an outsider."

"Great. More gossip. Don't you have better things to do than pass on second-hand comments, Tealc?"

"Indeed, O'Neill. And yet, you have not listened." For a moment, the large jaffa eyed the man he greatly respected. Almost, he sighed. O'Neill was not understanding, possibly because he didn't want to. And unlike Colonel Carter, who would think things through, he suspected the old soldier across from him would merely shelve the thoughts and believe what he wished.

"What am I supposed to be hearing?" Jack replied, frustrated. "Carter's unhappy? I don't know what to do about that, Teal'c. I trust her abilities. She never would've been promoted if she couldn't do the job."

"She does not feel that way, O'Neill."

"Then why isn't she in here telling me this?" Jack snapped.

"I believe you know that answer to that question already."

"No. No I don't. And I'm sick of you and Daniel insinuating that this is somehow all my fault, Teal'c!" He stood, and slammed a fist onto his desk. "And now, if you'll forgive me, Teal'c, I believe I have an appointment."

On cue, Walter appeared in the doorway, "Sir, Major Davis is here from the Pentagon to go over the budget rewrites."

"See?" Looking suddenly exhausted, Jack sank back into his chair. "Send him in, Walter."

If he were given to swearing, Teal'c was pretty sure he would have. Instead, he stood himself and turned without inclining his head to the man he considered a friend. Right now, he wasn't sure about him being worthy of his respect.

"Teal'c..." an utterly weary voice called out.

"O'Neill?" Teal'c replied, not turning.

"Look, tell Carter-" Jack sighed. "Never mind. I'll tell her myself."


"He doesn't listen!" Daniel knew he was ranting. He knew Sam didn't need to hear this, but he still couldn't help himself. Jack's dismissal of his concerns had left him angry and frustrated, and he'd found himself gravitating to her lab without conscious thought.

"I know, Daniel." Her tone was distracted, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she worked on some report.

"And you're not listening, either," he continued, his tone rueful. "Sorry, Sam. It's just..."

She glanced at him and half-smiled. "I know. So, any further thoughts on the ruins we're going to look at, tomorrow?"

"I wanted to get a closer look at some of the carvings the MALP showed," Daniel replied, trying to shove his brain back into work mode. "You realize that this might actually shed some light on why the Olmec civilization just vanished? Archeologists have debated for years on what happened to them."

Sam smiled and shook her head. "Too bad the only ones who get to know have to have the proper clearance."

"Yeah." Daniel made a face. "But at least I'll get to know."

"Sometimes that's all we seem to have, isn't it?" Sam replied a bit distantly.

Daniel stood for a moment, watching her, then nodded, "Yeah. Sometimes, I wonder why we do all of this."

"And then we get chased by the jaffa?" she said, her tone light.

"Well, that, or I fall and hit my head. Or Jack dies."

She blinked at him. "Or you ascend."

A grin tugged at his lips, and he looked away. "So... If you could do anything you wanted, right at this moment, what would it be?"

"Go back in time and let the air out of your tires the afternoon I visited the Colonel and we discovered Hammond was being replaced."

Daniel reached over to pat Sam's shoulder, a sad smile crossing his face. "Sam-"

"How about you?" she asked quickly. "What would you do?"

He looked down. "I don't know. Get my own on-base barista?" He shot her a quick smile.

She chuckled, "And never leave your office again?"

"Yup." It sounded like a plan. He'd never have to see Jack again. Well, unless the General came to bother him.

"So, Daniel. Dinner?"

"What, now?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes, "No, at about seven?"

"Somewhere off-base?"

"Yes," she replied firmly. "O'Malley's? I think we're finally allowed back in there."

"Sounds good." Daniel nodded. "Want me to see if Teal'c's free?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. We'll have a team night," she said lightly. "It'll help us all bond before we go off-world, right?"

"I'm not sure we can get much more bonded," Daniel replied dryly.

Rolling her eyes, she pointed at the door. "Now go away so I can finish this day's work, Daniel."

"Yes, sir." He mock-saluted.

"Besides, don't you have things to do, too?"

"Always."

Sam grinned. "I'll see you at seven, Daniel."

"Do I get to see you beat every guy in the place at pool again?"

She laughed and pointed at the door again. "Out!"

Daniel bowed and scampered away.


"Sir?"

Jack looked up and blinked. "Carter?"

"It's three," she said quietly. "You said you had an opening then."

"Ah."

She stood there, staring down at him. "The things I said earlier, sir, I -"

"Want to take them back, Carter?"

A pause, and she swallowed. "No, sir. I don't." This was harder than she'd thought it would be. Staring straight ahead, she elaborated. "I believe the lack of trust you're exhibiting in my command abilities is detrimental to both SG-1, and myself, sir."

"Carter, I trust you." He looked at her in disbelief. "I don't know where you get the idea that I don't. There's no one else I'd rather have watching my back."

"I feel like you trust me personally, sir, but you don't trust me to do a good job leading SG-1 without help, and I don't understand why I was promoted if you don't think I can do my job."

"Carter-"

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You weren't before?"

"Sir?"

He sighed. "What is it, Carter?"

"I've heard the base gossip about why I was promoted-"

"Carter, that's not true," he interrupted her. "Any personal feelings had nothing to do with your promotion. You earned it. Many times over."

"If that's true, sir, then why is SG-1 rarely sent out alone?" She challenged. "Why are we only sent alone if the planet is peaceful?"

"Just tryin' to keep Daniel's injury count down, Carter."

She wanted to smile, but this was something too serious. And he still wasn't getting it. "General Hammond never sent anyone out with SG-1, sir."

"Well, yeah, but -"

"He trusted you, sir. In a way that you don't trust me."

"SG-1 doesn't have four people anymore."

What? She blinked at him, "Sir, what does that-"

"If I'm going to be sending you out alone from now on, Carter, you have to have a fourth. And not some damned Russian who'd let you die to save his own skin."

"Sir, I -" she floundered for a moment, then straightened, "I want Jonas Quinn."

"Jonas isn't military, Carter," he replied, his expression unreadable.

"Neither are Daniel and Teal'c, sir."

"Both have proven they can handle military protocol and handle themselves in combat."

"And Jonas hasn't, sir?" She fought the urge to cross her arms, telling herself that there was no need to go on the defensive.

"It's going to be hard to talk the Kelownans into that, Carter," he warned.

"But who else understands the team better than Jonas, sir?"

"I'm not disagreeing with you." He sighed. "Fine. I'll get in contact with Kelowna and see what we can arrange."

Which was all she could ask, since he still wasn't getting it. Sam wondered if it was simply an inability to communicate on her part. But there would be time for more discussion later. "Thank you, sir."

"Meanwhile, Carter, until we have him, I'm going to assign one of the marines to your team."

She made a face, but then considered. If the marine didn't have problems with her command-style, there would be one more person who could confirm that she was competent. "Who, sir?"

"I was thinking Captain Theo Jones would fit in nicely for a while."

And be big and beefy, and probably argue with her every step of the way. Sam didn't sigh. That would be beneath her. "All right, sir. Permission to kick his ass back through the stargate if he disobeys an order?"

"Granted, Colonel." He nodded, "I think I'm about-" The phone rang, cutting him off. "O'Neill."

Sam raised an eyebrow and pointed towards the door. Jack shrugged and gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk. She took the offered seat, perching on the edge carefully.

"Yes, Mr. President, I did meet with Major Davis about the base's budget." He paused. "No, I don't feel that's an unnecessary expenditure."

Sam studied her hands and began mentally running simulations in her head while Jack continued to talk to Hayes, shooting her the occasional apologetic glance. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, she took a pen and memo pad from his desk and scrawled "O'Malley's, 1900" and slid it in front of him. He read it and nodded.

Carefully not making more noise than she had to, Sam got up and headed out the door.

Walter looked up at her from his desk, "Is the General -?"

"The President."

"Ah. He had mentioned he might call today. We'd been hoping it would be tomorrow."

Sam shrugged, "Make sure he's out of his office by 1830."

"Yes, ma'am."