Ties that Bind Pt 11
Arriving at the General's office, the Colonel informed him of Senator Kinsey's aide that was helping the NID to gather information. The General said that he had just gotten off the phone with the President. He was just made aware of the fact that the SGC was under scrutiny again and that we were to give the NID and anyone with them our full cooperation with their assignment.

The Colonel was not happy, but agreed to play along for the time being. He also told him of the odd behavior that the aide displayed towards me, and what Agent Barnett had said about him having such a high security clearance, which was especially odd since he was a civilian. The General said he would look into it and get back to him once he found out anything.

General Hammond then asked what information had been found out about the dart that we had brought in. The Colonel explained everything the technicians from the lab had told him and that they were still working on finding out what type of dart it was. As soon as he found out, he would let the General know. We informed him that we were leaving and to let us know as soon as my dad arrived, and to have him come by the Colonel's house so we could plan our next line of attack.

I had forgotten some disks that I wanted to work on and told the Colonel I would meet him topside as soon as I went to get them. Walking quickly to the elevator I got in and exited on my floor without noticing that I was being followed. I walked into my lab, turned on the light, and stepped on the shattered paperweight.

Damn! I had meant to pick that up earlier. As I bent down and started to pick up the bigger pieces, I didn't notice that some one was behind me. I felt someone breathing right by my ear. Startled, I dropped the pieces again. I whipped around to see who was standing next to me. It was Mr. Smith. I tried to step back and almost tripped. Mr. Smith grabbed onto my arm to keep me from falling.

"Are you all right? I hope I didn't frighten you?"

Trying to keep my cool, I shook his hand off me and walked away from him. I needed to get space between this creep and myself. He continued to come towards me as I stepped around to my desk.

"Can I help you with something? As you can see, you caught me at a bad time. I was about to leave for the day."

"Yes, you can help. I had some questions about your research, and I was wondering if I could pick your brain. These theories you have come up withare quite remarkable. Your mind is very fascinating Dr. Carter. I've been reading your reports and you are quiet amazing in what you have achieved here. I would really like to hear about it from your mouth rather than read a boring report."

I could see him sizing me up. If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn he was mentally undressing me with his eyes. I shuddered and grabbed my disks from the top of my desk and started to lock everything up.

"Like I said, I'm sorry, but I can't help you today. I was just leaving. I'm on leave for the rest of the week as well. Maybe Dr. Felger or Dr. Combs could help you. They are very familiar with my research. I'm sure they wouldn't mind you picking their brains."

"Well Samantha, I really wanted to talk to you since it is your research. I thought maybe we could get together and go over some of your latest projects. They are so fascinating. What do you say?"

He surprised me by calling me by my first name. The gall of this guy! To think that I would want to spend anytime with him! I had to get out of there fast. I was feeling a little uneasy with him so close, and when I didn't respond quickly enough, he had gotten closer to me.

I stepped back.

"First of all, I don't remember giving you permission to call me Samantha. Second, you may address me as Major Carter. Third, I already told you that I am on leave. My best friend was killed yesterday and I have been appointed her daughter's guardian. She needs me right now, so if you'll excuse me, I need to leave now! If you need to get in touch with me please let General Hammond know, or my CO Colonel O'Neill."

Getting up, he blocked my way to the door. I stood and stared at him. I was scared. I was beginning to panic and he just smiled at seeing the effect he had on me. He wouldn't back down and was starting to get too close again when I noticed Agent Barnett walking by.

I yelled out. "Agent Barnett! May I have a word with you?"

Stopping at my door, Agent Barnett looked at the shattered paperweight on the floor. "Major Carter? Is everything alright?"

Seeing me take a deep breath in relief that he was here, I said, "I think Colonel O'Neill wanted to speak to you about that report you had asked about earlier. He has a copy and since were both leaving, I thought I'd take you to him."

Walking around Mr. Smith, Agent Barnett could see I was visible shaken by my encounter with Mr. Smith.

"Smith, let the other agents know that I'm going to be with Colonel O'Neill. Is there anything else you needed with Major Carter?"

Smith turned around and looked at Agent Barnett and then to me. "No, nothing that can't wait till later. It's been a pleasure Major Carter." He walked out of my lab, and with a backward glance at me, he proceeded down the hallway. I locked my door and leaned back against it. I closed my eyes and had forgotten that Agent Barnett was still there.

"I'm sorry Agent Barnett, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He wanted to ask me questions about my research. I was on my way home and he just startled me."

"Major Carter, you can call me Malcolm. If you want, I could have him kept away from you. I thought he was too pushy and nosey for his own good. Just because he thinks he can go around intimidating people doesn't give him the right to. I saw the look of panic in your eyes, Major. There's more to this, but you still don't trust me, do you?"

"It's not a question of trust. There are a lot of things going on that I can't talk about right now. Please be patient Malcolm. As soon as I can, I'll fill you in. And thank you. I really needed your help back there. He just wouldn't back down. He made me very uncomfortable. I usually can handle men like that, but he just made me feel very uneasy. I can't even explain it to you. His actions were saying more than his words."

"I'm glad I can help Major. I'll keep an eye on him for you . If I find out anything, where can I reach you?"

"I really appreciate that. Why don't we exchange cell numbers, and that way we can call each other if anything comes up. Malcolm, thank you again for rescuing me back there. I don't know what would have happen if you didn't walk by."

Walking me topside to the Colonel's truck, Jack knew something had happen. He got out of his truck and started toward us.

"What happen," he asked.

I waved him off and said I'd tell him later. "Thank you again, Malcolm. And remember, we're not the bad guys here either."

Getting into Jack's truck, I wanted to get home and take a long hot shower and scrub the arm that Mr. Smith had grabbed. Thinking of that again made me shuddered.

"I'm not moving until you tell me what happen," Jack said.

I tried to sugar coat what had happened, but it still took all my power to convince him not to go down the elevator, hunt Smith down and tear him from limb to limb.

Banging his hand against the steering wheel, he cursed himself. "I shouldn't have let you go to your lab by yourself. I said you were safe and this guy almost assaults you. Wait till I get my hands on him. I'll break the hand he grabbed you with. And I'll wipe that smirk off his face and make him sorry he ever laid eyes on you."

"Jack, please stop! Its over, thank God. I'm just grateful that Agent Barnett came by when he did. I just want to go home and take a hot shower and sleep. It's been a long day, so lets just get away from here, please," I pleaded.

Starting the truck, we drove away. I scooted next to him and put my head on his shoulder, and within moments, started to nod off. He put his arm around me and gave me a kiss on my forehead. He whispered that he was sorry and that if he ever left me alone again, I was allowed to use the ribbon device on him.

I chuckled and whispered, "I wish I had that earlier. That would teach him to leer at me and make me feel uneasy."

He hugged me closer. "I don't like this guy getting this type of reaction from you Sam. I want you to be on your guard. You're stronger than this . He is nothing but a spy for Kinsey. Remember, they're after Cassie, and they'll use any of us to get to her. I won't let him harm you and if Smith ever touches you again, nothing you say will stop me from hurting him. You have my word on that."

I nodded and snuggled closer. Before I knew it, we were almost to Jack's house. He woke me up before we got there. "Hey sleepy head. Time to get up. I don't think it's wise to give the SGC more gossip for the grapevine. So you better wipe that drool from the side of your lip and sit on the passenger side."

I put my hand to my mouth. "I don't drool. And you have to give me one last hug before we get there. That's gonna have to last me till tonight.

He hugged me and gave me a soft kiss that I wanted to last forever, but knew it couldn't as he pulled away. "If we start that again, I won't be responsible for my actions. And don't look at me with that pout on your face. It drives me nuts."

I smiled and moved over to the passenger side. I gave him a sideways glance and said, "So I drive you nuts huh? It's nice to know that I'm not the only one going crazy over the one they love."

Coming closer to his house, we notice cars parked on the street in front and across his house.

"You don't think something happen? Why are there so many cars here? Daniel would have called, right Jack? What if something happen to Cassie? "

My mind was going 100 miles a minute. As soon as he parked in his driveway, I was out of the truck and flying up the steps and into the living room, with Jack steps behind me.

The living room was in a mess. The only one sitting on the couch was Daniel, holding a bag of frozen peas on his nose.

"What the hell happened? Daniel! Where's Cassie? And what's with the peas," Jack asked.

Daniel looked startled like he must have been dozing off. He explained that SG-3, SG-4 and SG-9 had heard what happen and decided to visit to make sure everything was okay. Ferretti and his team where in the kitchen preparing dinner for all of them, and everyone else was in the backyard being used for Teal'c's demonstration of hand to hand Jaffa tactics for Cassie.

"I was Cassie's first target, and she got a little carried away and hit me pretty hard on the nose. She was so sorry. I told her it was alright, but that I would be sitting out the rest of the day."

"Do you think it's wise that Cassie is outdoors with all that's happened? What if they try again? We can't be to careful. I think we should bring her back in what do you think, Sir?"

I turned to Jack and waited to see what he would decide.

Daniel took the peas off his nose. "Jack, that's one of the reason's I got hurt. There's not enough room in here for her to learn properly. That's why they moved it outdoors. She has 9 bodyguards plus 6 in here. I don't think the NID is stupid enough to try something with all these people here. She's really enjoying having everyone here. She was even laughing earlier. Don't be too upset at them for coming over. Remember, they feel this loss just as much as we do. There is so much comfort we could give her, and if them being here is making her feel normal again, than so be it."

Jack sat next to Daniel and said, "Yeah, I don't think they'll try anything else today. It was just weird driving up to my house with all these cars parked out front. We thought something had happen and that you guys were hurt. So how exactly did Cassie do that to you?"

"I'll let her tell you. She's really picked up what Teal'c is teaching her. She's a fast learner. I kind of feel sorry for the rest of those guys out there."

Once I knew Cassie was safe, we updated Daniel on the NID back at the SGC and the findings on the dart. We also told him about Senator Kinsey's aide and I told of our encounter in the commissary and in my lab. Daniel was just as upset as Jack was and said that he wanted to see who this jerk was, and that maybe Cassie could teach him some manners. I reassured Daniel that I would always have one of them with me, and that Agent Barnett was also keeping an eye on him for us.

Daniel remembered Agent Barnett with the whole Martin thing. I had filled him in of all the things that had happened during his ascension, including Jack being accused of killing Senator Kinsey. He mirrored my sentiment that he was a good agent and could be trusted. Jack was still not convinced, but said he would keep an open mind. We also told him that my dad should be arriving tonight with Maybourne. Jack went to see what type of mess Ferretti and his team had created in his kitchen, and left Daniel and I in the living room.

I sat next to Daniel and asked him how he was doing.

He sighed. "Better I guess. I was just getting over my headache when my face came in contact with Cassie's fist. I don't know what I really feel."

I nodded I told him I was here if he wanted to talk about anything or if he just needed a shoulder to cry on.

He smiled at me and put his head back against the sofa. "I regret not telling Janet how I really felt about her. I just didn't think I could tell her exactly how I felt. I don't think it would have been fair to start something if I could be killed or taken captive. She would have to deal with the aftermath. I've been sitting here analyzing this. Why I was afraid to act out on how I felt. I should have done what you and Jack did. Take what I could and worry about the consequences later. I guess I'll never know how she really felt. That's my only regret."

I put my arm around him and gave him a hug. I knew that it took a lot for him to say what he just did. He was so vulnerable right now.

"Daniel it's going to be hard, but I'll help you, we all will. I'm sure Janet did feel the same way. When you ascended, she took that really hard. She tried everything she could to make you comfortable, when she knew there was nothing earthly possible she could do to keep you alive. She tried to hide her feelings, but you could just tell that this was affecting her. She took a leave of absence after you ascended. I tried to help her, but she wanted to deal with it on her own. She told me that when she got back, we would celebrate your life and not mourn your death."

Daniel looked at me. "So what did you two do to celebrate my life?"

"Got drunk beyond comprehension and toasted you with each shot we took. We also promised to tell our love ones and the ones we held dear how much they mean to us. We always wait until it's to late to let the ones we love know how much they mean to us. We decided in your honor that we would write letters to those we care for and find the right time to give them out. I have my letters at home. I wrote one to each of you since sometimes saying things face to face can be awkward. I never asked Janet if she ever followed through with her letters."

Daniel put his head back against the couch and said, "I still can't believe she's gone. It must have been weird going to her house. I don't think I could do that just yet. It would be to hard, walking in there and expecting to see her in the kitchen or sitting on her couch."

Giving him a tight squeeze on his hand that I now held, I let him cry. We must have nodded off because I felt a hand on my shoulder, giving me a slight shake. Looking up, I saw Jack looking down at me. He motioned for me to come with him. I took my arm away from Daniel and helped Jack get him comfortable with a pillow on the couch. He looked like he was going to have a nasty bruise, but other than that he looked peaceful. I grabbed the blanket that Jack had brought out and I covered him. Following Jack, he stood in front of his patio door and pointed outside.

There was Cassie, being held with an arm around her neck, and before you knew it, she had used her left elbow to hit the guy behind her and bring him down over her. I was taken aback and looked at Jack.

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about boyfriends getting out of hand with her."

Jack looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Boyfriends? Oh Carter, one problem at a time."

I chuckled and asked what Ferretti and his team were making in the kitchen that smelled so good.

"Old Italian secret," he said. "But I could have sworn I saw jars of Prego spaghetti sauce!" Jack said loudly enough for Ferretti to hear.

"I heard that if you can't say anything nice about the chef, then the chef will leave." Ferretti yelled back.

Moving into the kitchen, I saw Major Ferretti stirring a huge pot of sauce. While Lt. Bauer was grating cheese, Lt Travers was making pasta and Captain Murphy was stirring a cake mix.

"Hey Carter! What's going on? Come over here and taste this sauce and tell me what you think," Ferretti asked me.

Walking over to Ferretti, I tasted his sauce and was surprised by the wonderful and full taste of it. "Ferretti, this is good. No way this is Prego, Sir, maybe Ragu."

His team started to chuckle and Jack gave me a big smile. Ferretti took the spoon away from me. "Ingrates! I try to do something nice and this is the thanks I get! Shoo! Get out of my kitchen before I do something we'll all regret."

"I was just kidding Ferretti. I didn't know you could cook. I was just surprised. Wait till I tell the women at the SGC."

Captain Murphy looked up. "Permission to speak freely, Sir ?" she asked Ferretti.

"No, permission denied. I know where you're going with this Murphy, and I will not let you say a word."

"Ignore that order Captain since I'm the ranking member in this room. Go on, say what you want to say," Jack said with a huge grin on his face.

Looking at Ferretti, Captain Murphy smirked. "The only reason the Major knows how to cook is because his mother was afraid he'd never find a girl and she didn't want her son to go hungry."

"Murphy, your suppose to be my second in command and back me up, not give this guy here more ammunition against me. I'll never hear the end of it with him. Hey Jack! How about we trade 2IC Murphy for Carter."

Murphy and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes.

"Murphy, he'd be lost without you. He couldn't figure out all those computer codes that you come up with, along with trying to figure out any alien technology. Please you don't have anything to worry about. I could always put in a good word with SG-12's CO, if you want". I was enjoying the scene that was playing out.

"Thanks Major Carter, but I think I'll stick to my team. He knows his mother calls me constantly trying to get information about him since he doesn't return calls in a timely manner. He would be lost without me. He just doesn't know it."

The banter continued between Murphy and Ferretti. There was something definitely going on between them. They reminded me of Jack and I. It was weird to see it at a different perspective, and now I knew how gossip got around.

We left them in the kitchen and checked on Daniel, who was still dozing, and went to the backyard to see Cassie in action.

To be continued.