Thank you to all of you who Read, and Reviewed this. But I'm starving here folks…please R & R!

Sophiedb – This John Ryan has nothing to do with Clansy's novels. It was just a name I picked out of my head, and you will get the reason why later in the story. I'm not giving anything away here at this point.

YESTERDAY.

by Lingren.

Italics...indicate the internal conversation between Jack and his Tok'ra symbiote.

Previously:

Daniel droned on about how the settlement looked to be of Mayan origins or something like that. Jack wasn't really paying him much attention.

Chapter 3

They walked on for what seemed like miles before Jack called a halt. He was hungry and his ears were burning from Daniel's assault, which hadn't let up one bit all the way.

Peace reigned; until Kanan started that is.

"Hey! Has he finished chattering at last? I swear that man could talk the hind leg off a donkey!"

"For now, yeah!" Jack sighed. So much for having a little peace and quiet!

"I had to shut him out; he was giving me a headache!" Kanan complained.

"Oh boy does that have a familiar ring to it!" Jack quipped, meaning Kanan's constant chatter too.

"I hope that wasn't a reflection on my presence Hassak?"

"Now whatever gave you that idea Hiss?"

"I wonder?"

"This was sooo not my idea!"

"Maybe not, but you've got to admit, you'd miss me!"

"No I wouldn't!" Jack replied forcefully

"Would!"

"Not!"

"Would!"

"Oh fer cryin' out loud! Go back to sleep will ya. Give me a break!" Jack grouched.

"Ooh! Tetchy!"

"Hiss!" Jack yelled aloud unintentionally.

All heads turned at looked at him.

"Jack?"

"Colonel?"

Teal'c didn't say anything; he just did that eyebrow thing, which said more than words ever could.

Jack threw his hands up into the air in frustration, and stood up.

"He's drivin' nuts okay!" he griped, turning away from his friends to pack away his canteen. It was time to move on again.

There was no need for him to explain anything, they all knew whom he was talking about. It took some getting used to, to hear Jack converse aloud with his symbiote on occasions. It was something they were all adjusting to.

Sam studied his back guiltily, before stowing her own things away. Implanting Jack with a Tok'ra symbiote had been her responsibility. She may not have come up with the idea, but 'she' was the person who had talked him into it. He'd done it for her when she'd pleaded with him to accept it and not die, and now she could only feel that his melancholy regret was all her fault.

Suddenly, and without any of them noticing, the quiet air was rent with lightning, followed by an almighty crash of thunder.

"Oh that's just great!" Jack muttered, looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. He hadn't noticed how cloudy it had become. He delved into his pack, digging out his rain poncho just as the heavens opened and did its best to drown them. "You were saying Daniel? Something about 'looking on the bright side?' No rain?" he yelled above the noise.

Daniel felt guilty. It's not as if the weather had anything to do with him. He didn't exactly want it to turn stormy. Jack was obviously blaming him for it though. Ever since the General had informed them of this VIP's visit, Jack had been in a foul mood.

A cold wind picked up and blew the rain straight into their faces as they walked. Jack stopped suddenly; enough was enough!

"Okay!" Jack yelled, calling them to a halt. "Carter you found anything?"

"No sir, nothing!"

"That's it then! We are sooo outta here!" Jack yelled above the roaring gale and the pouring rain. "We'll flag this 'paradise' as a dead loss!"

"But...!" Daniel spluttered.

"No Daniel! You can always come back another day. We're going back! Now!"

He did an about turn and retreated back towards the gate. The others followed suit, and not one of them complained about the latest order. Jack had had enough! Besides no-one felt like arguing the toss with Jack in the mood he was in right now. Sam for one was happy to obey; she hadn't discovered a damn thing so far and she was cold and soaked through already. Daniel was unhappy at the missed opportunity but had resigned himself to his fate that Jack had more or less promised him they'd come back another time.

It was a long, wet, wordless trek back to the gate, and it seemed to take them twice as long. The lightning grew in intensity and the thunder louder and instantaneous. The storm was right overhead now. The long grasses whipped viciously at their legs as they hurried through it, adding to their discomfort.

"Jack!"

"What?"

"Do you think it's wise to open the gate up in this?" Daniel asked as they approached the Stargate.

"Daniel, I don't know; and right now, I don't care. We need to get out of this and that's the only place to go!" Jack pointed towards the silent gate, and had to shout in order to be heard. "Just dial it up Daniel!"

"He's right, you know Jack!"

"Shut up Kanan! We're gettin' out of here! Even if it's the last thing I do; my team goes home."

Kanan sighed but refrained from making any further comment with Jack being in such a bad mood as he was.

Daniel looked across at Sam and she gave a minute shrug. If Jack saw the gesture, he never mentioned it. Perhaps, Sam wondered, she might be able to chat with Jack when they got back. The proposed visit of the VIP seemed to be upsetting him more than she thought it possible, and she wanted to find out why.

"Sir..."

"Damn it Carter. There's no shelter out here, and it's getting worse. We've got no choice!"

"Yes sir!" Sam replied anxiously, knowing that he was right too. The chances of being struck by lightning were far greater the longer they remained exposed. It was a classic case of 'Hobson's choice'; it was a risk that had to be taken.

Jack realised that he was being unreasonable towards everyone and flashed an apologetic look at her with a small wry smile that reassured her that things between them were still okay, despite the way he was feeling. He'd just got a bad feeling about something and wanted to get his team home before anything happened.

Daniel dialled up the gate and Sam sent the IDC. They hadn't been on the planet more than five hours, but that was long enough for them. Too long, as far as Jack was concerned.

He ordered them through, watching as Teal'c stepped into the shimmering flux first, and then he followed, certain that his two scientists were right on his tail.

Just as he stepped into the wormhole a brilliant flash of lightning connected with the gate. Amid a shower of sparks and a far too bright light accompanied with a loud booming crack of thunder, the event horizon winked out of existence.

Sam fell backwards in the flashback, landing on her butt. Daniel rushed forwards and asked if she was okay.

"Damn!" she cursed.

"What the hell happened?"

"The lightening must have short circuited the gate. Try dialling again!" Sam cried.

Daniel ran back to the DHD and punched in the co-ordinates once more. The gate exploded into a new wormhole and Sam sent their iris code again. Then both of them ran into the liquid like fluctuations and landed with a clatter on the metal ramp in the SGC.

TBC