Thanks for the reviews guys, keep 'em coming! Sorry more suspense in this chapter, so keep a tissue handy! Hey, at least you'll be put out of your misery in this one.

YESTERDAY.

by Lingren.

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

Previously:

Long minutes after Daniel and Teal'c had left the room did he finally heave himself off the chair and sadly make his way down the hallway to the elevator.

Chapter 5

"Jack!"

"Jack! Wake up!" Kanan called urgently. "C'mon buddy. This isn't the time for a nap."

No amount of yelling or threatening by the Tok'ra could rouse his host, so Kanan set to work on healing the smoking burns beneath the ruined jacket. Jack's shoulder had withstood the worst of the high-energy blast that had shot them from the wormhole. He'd hit the ground pretty hard and Kanan knew that Jack had suffered a concussion to go with the burned shoulder. Jack's knee was also damaged, where he'd hit the ground before rolling to a halt.

Every now and then, the Tok'ra tried to wake Jack, eventually succeeding after roughly twenty minutes.

"Hey! You with me now?" Kanan heaved a deep sigh of relief as Jack's consciousness returned. "We have got to get out of here! In case you hadn't noticed yet, we are most definitely not in Kansas!"

Jack groggily looked about him and had to agree. Dragging his thoughts together with difficulty, he sat up gingerly allowing Kanan to bear the brunt of pain from his injuries, and clear his dizzy, aching head. He glanced around him again and sighed.

"Ya think?" he groaned."What happened?"

"The wormhole spat us out here. I believe that the gate must have been struck by lightning as we entered and it caused the wormhole to jump to another gate."

"Really? So where are we?"

"I have no idea Jack."

Jack groaned. Things must be pretty serious if his snake was actually calling him by his given name. He sat there for a few moments, studying the lay of the land. He was hurt and for the time being he couldn't muster the wherewithal to move, but he knew he definitely had to. With more grunts and groans, he stood, shakily, and hobbled away from the gate to hide. There was no telling if there was anyone around here, wherever here was. He couldn't see a DHD anywhere which made it glaringly obvious that he was stuck where he was, and there was no chance of getting home anytime soon.

OoOoOoOoO

THE FOLLOWING MONDAY.

The tense uneasy atmosphere in the briefing room was so thick that it would have been easy to cut it with a knife. Nobody wanted to do this, to be here right now. Hammond had tried to cancel the meeting but Mr. Ryan's aide had been firm in his resolve that his employer would not defer the engagement. So here they were, furious with Ryan and upset that he appeared to have no sensibilities whatsoever for their sad and sudden loss. Sam recalled Jack's words about the man when they had been informed of this gathering... 'A pompous and pretentious old shrub!' he had complained of Ryan, and Sam wholeheartedly agreed, adding a few colourful adjectives along for good measure.

Sam sat silent and broody in her place, her back to the vast window that overlooked the Stargate. The mug of coffee, stood untouched and cooling in front of her. Her cold hands tightly clenching at each other, were pressed hard against her mouth, maybe holding in the sobs, which somehow she could not stop, along with the tears she tried hard to keep from falling. Those blue eyes that Jack had loved so much, were red and puffy, glassy with salty moisture that she was determined not to let fall; if she did she knew she wouldn't be able to stop them again, and then she'd be no good to anyone for hours.

She still found it hard to comprehend that Jack had gone. In the blink of an eye, well, a wormhole, he'd disappeared into nothing, never to return to them. Just like that, no more Jack. The sheer suddenness still haunted her. It had all been her fault. She was the one who had ordered Daniel to dial the DHD that had lost him forever. Lost the man she'd fallen in love with and now that guilt would lie heavily on her shoulders for the rest of her life. How the hell could she bear it? She wondered.

Fresh tears wobbled on her lashes, and then with the onset of a noisy gulp from a sob, they overflowed; running rivers down her face uncontrolled and for the hundredth time since it happened. She just couldn't seem to stop crying. Sam longed to feel his arms around her; yearned with all her heart for him to be there, but it wasn't so, and her heart broke all over again.

Daniel shot from his chair and squatted down next to her, reaching round her shoulders to pull her into a hug. He pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it into her hands; hands that were fighting a losing battle to wipe away the flood.

He looked up and his eyes met with those of General Hammond's. A silent nod of understanding passed between them but nothing was said about the Major's breakdown.

Each and every one round that table understood her feelings and could only empathize with her ability to let it all out. Hell, Hammond sighed, the whole of the SGC was in mourning; the place was like a morgue, it would never be the same.

Daniel had cried. Jack was his greatest friend. Yes he'd shed plenty of tears; but in the privacy of his office, where no-one except Sam or Teal'c and maybe even the General, had been aware of his grief.

General Hammond hadn't been that close to actually crying since losing his beloved wife. Jack may have been a pain in the ass on occasions but he was everything that Hammond expected of him. He had been a loyal officer and friend, as well as a brilliant leader of men. He'd been an inspiration to the others at the SGC. And yes, Hammond was grieving too, he wasn't above admitting to his feelings; it was like losing a son, because that was what Jack had become to him over the years. And now he could perhaps finally appreciate and understand, a little of how much Jack had mourned the loss of his son Charlie, and that thought brought him closer to shedding those tears, when no-one was looking, than any other time for years before.

Teal'c sat silent and brooding too, though his expression barely gave away his tumultuous inner thoughts. He had offered comfort to his team-mates. He was like a steadfast rock; a rock which had grounded them and kept them from getting lost in the desert of their emotions. He himself gave nothing away, not even a hint of his own cavernous grief would he openly display. His eyes though saddened, remained dry, and no tremor in his deep voice gave vent to the feelings welling inside. If Teal'c ever gave way to his inner sadness, then it was in the privacy of his own quarters, alone, and without witness. Nothing of his sorrow revealed itself under that stolid stoic façade.

The shrill ring of the telephone startled them from their inner sorrow and Hammond moved slowly to answer it. His conversation was of necessity brief. He acknowledged the message and replaced the phone then returned to his seat.

"He's on his way down," he said shortly, trying valiantly to rouse that inner spark called military professionalism so that he could hide the pain and face the task before him with something like his normal self.

Sam sniffed back another sob and straightened herself. Smiling sadly at Daniel, she nodded her silent message of 'I'm fine now thanks,' at him and he withdrew his arms from around her. Daniel sat in the chair next to her, hoping his proximity would strengthen her for the ordeal to come. His own eyes were just as puffy and red as Sam's were and she knew he had silently cried along with her. She reached out and curled her hand over his, telling him silently that she appreciated his comfort. He smiled back and patted the top of her hand in empathy. They could do this together.

Long minutes dragged by when the door was flung open and Sergeant Matheson announced their guests, ushering in the most objectionable VIP, they had ever wanted to see, along with another, younger man.

Sam's hackles rose defensively as she studied the visitor through her tear-stained eyes. He on the other hand looked directly at her as soon as he'd walked in and a flash of something crossed his face before he visibly winced under her resentful gaze, then quickly looked away to greet the General.

So, thought Sam, he wasn't quite so oblivious to their grief after all. So why now? Why did he need to see them so soon after the tragedy? Couldn't he have waited until after the memorial service at least?

Hammond rose and walked across the room to meet Mr. Ryan and usher him to a seat at the other end of the table, away from the rest of them.

Sam snorted softly. The man made it plain that he didn't even want to mix with them. Perhaps he was afraid of catching something, though what, she wondered after all this time of gating to other worlds. She'd known that he was a recluse of course, but wasn't that taking things a bit too far? After all, this was his idea.

John Ryan was tall and well built, despite the impression that they had expected of an old man. His hair was iron grey and long at the back where it rested over his collar, a fringe of thin wispy silver hair dangled over his forehead and clashed with his darker eyebrows; yet still it managed to make him look a distinguished businessman. His eyes though a dull blue, were intense, and shadowed by his deep brows. He sported a neat moustache and well trimmed beard; a salt and pepper affair in differing shades of grey and white. He sat down at the far end of the highly polished table and folded his hands into his lap, keeping them hidden from sight.

He was feeling rather nervous at finally meeting these people that he knew so well by reading the reports and, he felt, in person too. They were like his friends, though he felt his reception was rather frosty, but expected nothing different after their recent loss.

Daniel watched the man closely. There was something about him that reminded him of someone. A vague likeness but to whom it was, he couldn't think.

The man had actually brought his aide with him who was hovering over him while he settled, then took his place on his employer's right, settling into the seat and smiling at everyone there. Ryan actually looked younger than he'd imagined. He'd been expecting an elderly gentleman, but then, looks can be deceiving, especially hidden beneath a plethora of facial hair to hide the lines and wrinkles.

The aide on the other hand was younger, probably about 40ish. His manner was one of concern for his employer, though Daniel could see that there was more than just a business arrangement between them. The younger man obviously revered the older man, and fussed constantly, receiving only smiles and nods of reassurance from his boss.

General Hammond returned to stand at the head of the table to launch into his welcome speech, which Ryan appeared to enjoy, though his mind seemed elsewhere, namely fixed on Sam for some reason, from Daniel's point of view. Which in turn, made him wonder at the man's real reason for the visit, and which sparked an indignant anger from within him. One heard all sorts of stories about old men and their wandering eyes. If he thought that he could buy Sam off, then he had another thing coming.

The General sat down, feeling somewhat superfluous under the steady gaze that Ryan sent his way when he'd rounded up his oration.

Ryan nodded silently to his right hand man, who then stood and politely coughed into his hand in order to attract their attention.

The man was younger than Ryan was, probably in his early forties, Sam surmised, maybe late thirties at a push, though the man had a boyish look about him, and a ready smile, especially for Ryan, which set her wondering about them instead of concentrating on the meeting.

"Good Afternoon General Hammond, Major Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c." he smiled deeply and nodded to each of them in turn. "My name is Adam and I will be Mr. Ryan's voice for the duration of this meeting."

Sam released a little gasp of surprise, her eyebrows impersonating Teal'c's. She was shocked when she realised that this business man couldn't even speak for himself. How stupid was that? she thought in disgust. She couldn't help but gape at the man in question.

Ryan closed his eyes against the thoughts that welled up in his mind when he saw her reaction, but shut them away quickly. He knew what she must think of him, but it had to be this way, he could think of no other way round it.

Adam continued as if the Major's surprise had been nothing out of the ordinary and somehow, expected.

"Mr. Ryan would like to offer you his deepest sympathy at this time of sorrow, but, time waits for no man and business is business..." Adam continued with a smile.

Again, Sam gasped, barely holding back a bitter retort at the man's audacity. He was no sorrier at their loss than anyone of the Goa'ulds would have been. He almost looked, dare she think it, 'interested' in her reaction. She glowered angrily at him until he averted his gaze.

Daniel sighed, prepared for a long boring afternoon. With those unsympathetic words reeling through his mind, he conjured up an image of Jack, swaying back and forth on his toes and heels saying exactly the same sort of cliché as he lectured his friend on being late for briefings or when he'd arrived late in the gate room for their next mission. He then realised with a sudden jolt that he had lost the next part of the oration and forced himself to listen to Adam as he spouted forth.

"...Mr. Ryan would like to extend..."

Again, Daniel lost the thread of the speech, wondering if the man was going to waffle on like this all the time. This whole thing was nuts. Definitely not worthy of SG-1's time, or that of the SGC's come to think of it; simply because the man had billions of dollars to throw away, even if it was for a good cause. Nevertheless, did he have to waste their time as well?

"...He believes..." Adam continued. "...that everyone of you is curious as to how he knows so much about the Stargate Project and all of you in particular, and has permitted me to relay to you how this is so."

Daniel perked up in his seat a little, now this information was going to be interesting, maybe.

Daniel's eyes flicked round to Sam in time to see her sit up and take note too. He swung his gaze back to Ryan to see the gentle amusement in his bright blue eyes, a slight smile playing on the thin lips, not quite hidden amongst the growth of beard and moustache.

TBC