They stepped into the elevator and Daniel pressed the button that would take them to the commissary floor. Teal'c stood silently watching Sam as she struggled to control the anger and emotions threatening to spill over. Suddenly she stepped forward and pressed another button.
"Sam, what are you doing?"
"This won't solve anything, Daniel and you know it. The General's right, I have work to do. I need to get back to my lab."
"But, Sam…"
Daniel turned his gaze to Teal'c, mouth open; hoping the big Jaffa would assist him. Teal'c only stared with his typical raised eyebrow and didn't speak. Returning his gaze to Sam, he saw instead the military persona of Colonel Carter and dropped his head in defeat.
"Well, so much for saving face." He muttered.
"What?" Sam snapped, her voice still sharp with anger.
"I said, "so much for saving face." Jack's the commander of this base, Sam. You're his 2IC. We've worked with him so long I think we tend to forget that he's responsible for everyone and everything now – not just SG1. Those people heard you. You can't think that's a good thing!"
"It happens, Daniel. We disagree on some things." She seemed calm, but she was still avoiding his eyes.
"Yeah…from the sound of it, that was more than a disagreement. Are you absolutely sure that what they heard will convince them this was a professional disagreement? And even if you have decided to ignore your careers, we need to fix this, Sam, before it destroys you both."
Carter raised her eyes to meet his and he involuntarily backed away from what he saw there. She turned to Teal'c and then returned to Daniel, "I don't think it can be fixed. I told you, it's too late."
"We need to try, Sam. I'll try to help; I swear I will. You promised you'd meet and discuss this."
"Yes, I did, but I don't think it's going to help. I don't think anything will change."
"Ok." He decided to ignore the second part of her reply and focused on the first. "We'll work it out, you'll see."
"Don't forget who you're dealing with, Daniel." Doubt filled her voice as she reflected on the stubborn single-mindedness of Jack O'Neill. "Once he's made up his mind…"
"That's not true, Sam. Jack has always valued our judgment and even when he didn't agree, he listened."
"Right!" She laughed, unable to believe the words she was hearing fall so easily from Daniel's lips. "You've been away too long, Daniel. He never listened. He wants his own way and he's used to having it."
Daniel dropped his head and leaned back against the cold wall of the elevator. She was right and wrong at the same time and she knew it. He also knew she wasn't given to relinquishing once she got her back up either. They were both stubborn and willful and together an almost unbeatable force but opposed? He didn't even want to think about it. If they couldn't find a way to resolve this, if they couldn't work out whatever was affecting their relationship, Cheyenne mountain wouldn't be nearly big enough for both of them. They watched silently as Sam exited the elevator and walked down the hallway towards her lab.
Daniel rubbed one hand over his face and turned to Teal'c. "This isn't good, Teal'c."
"I agree. O'Neill and Colonel Carter have reached a crossroads. It is unadvisable to have two such capable warriors standing against each other."
"You're right about that! What the hell are they arguing about? Do you have any ideas?"
"I do not, but Colonel Carter has been most upset lately."
"What? When? Did she say something?"
"I am unsure what is involved, Daniel Jackson. I state only what I have observed."
"Then she didn't say anything?"
"She has not. Were you not aware of her anxiety at our recent ceremonial gathering?"
Daniel frowned, confused at what Teal'c was referring to. "Oh, the party! No! Were you?"
"Indeed."
"I thought she enjoyed herself, although now that you mention it she did seem a bit tense." Teal'c nodded his head in agreement. "I assumed it was just nerves or maybe the fact that Pete was there…and so was Jack."
Teal'c again nodded, but did not speak. "Well, whatever it is we have to get to the bottom of this – hopefully before they get into another face-off."
"I agree, however, they are both strong willed and I do not expect them to give in easily."
"No, no, neither do I."