AJ settled in a far corner of the tel'tak and watched Daniel as he told his team mates about their adventures at the oasis. Sam explained how Sergeant Lewis had seen the flash of light as they had entered the abandoned building, and watched them vanish. She figured it was a device that worked like Thor's Hammer and had transported them somewhere. The problem had been to find out where. She'd done some experimenting with the transporter and made an educated guess at the range. The rest of the time, they'd just had to work on a search pattern until they found the lost scientists. They'd been searching for almost four weeks.

"How far away from the gate were we? We were about ready to begin to try and find the gate since we didn't think anyone would be able to find us." Daniel sat hip-to-hip, shoulder-to-should with Sam.

"You were about six thousand miles away, with an ocean between you and the gate. You'd never have made it." Jack hadn't taken his eyes off Daniel, sure that if he did the younger man would vanish again. "It's a good thing you hadn't left the oasis or we might never have found you."

AJ sat watching Daniel with his friends. Sam never let go of Daniel, always kept a hand on him, as if she were trying to hold him down. AJ watched as Daniel would occasionally pat her hand or give it a squeeze. She saw the looks that passed between Sam and Daniel, both always grinning. AJ was convinced that if Daniel and Sam had been alone there would have been a lot more touching going on.

She finally turned away from the group, curled up and went to sleep, tears of loss sliding down her cheeks.

XXXXXXXXXX

They flew back to the nearest Tok'ra base, where Jacob awaited them. He'd made arrangements for them to borrow the ship and would later take them to the closest planet with a gate. The team could gate home and Jacob would return with the tel'tak to the Tok'ra.

Jacob stood waiting as he watched the ship's descent. Sam emerged first, with a huge smile on her face and Jacob knew the mission had been successful. Sam ran to her father and hugged him.

"Daniel's safe, Dad. Thanks for getting us the ship. We'd never have been able to find him without your help."

"Any time, Sammy." Jacob was a softy when it came to his little girl. "Come on inside. Rest, eat, and I'll take you home tomorrow."

Jacob led the small group underground into the Tok'ra's hidden base. He showed them to a couple of rooms the team could share. Then he showed Daniel and AJ where they could shower and change into fresh clothes. Theirs were pretty ragged.

"When you're ready, I'll have some hot, fresh food sent to your rooms. You two are probably ready to eat something more interesting than what you've been having." Jacob grinned at Daniel and AJ.

"Anything will do, except rabbit… or chicken…or anything tasting remotely like chicken." replied Daniel, screwing up his face.

"Pizza and beer would be great! But I've learned to eat almost anything the past few months." AJ liked Sam's dad. It was the first time she'd met a Tok'ra and she'd expected to be intimidated by him, but he was warm and helpful.

AJ stopped Sam's dad with a gentle hand on his arm. "Jacob, before you go, is there anyway to get word to my family immediately that I'm safe. I know they'll be frantic."

"Not from here. We don't have access to a gate, but as soon as you arrive back at the SGC tomorrow I'm sure General Hammond will let you call them." Jacob gave her a reassuring pat on her hand and left the group.

"Well, I'm going to take the longest, hottest shower in recorded history. I'm sure you guys have some catching up to do. Daniel, I just might save you some hot water." AJ left with a bundle of clean BDUs Sam had given her.

Hot, welcoming water streaming over her body, AJ slumped to the floor and allowed herself the luxury of crying. She mourned the loss of DJ, even before she'd had a chance to accustom herself to him. Tremors pulsing through her body, she cried for the little house they'd never share. Tears mingled with the hot water as she huddled on the floor trying to merge with alien walls.

Finally, her optimistic nature surfaced from the emotional wreckage, and she stood. She squeezed a handful of shampoo into her hand and tortured her scalp into cleanliness. She repeated the process with the shower gel and scrubbed her skin until it shined.

Turning off the shower, she emerged, wrapped a towel around her tangled hair and vigorously annihilated every bit of moisture on her skin with another towel. Determined not to let Daniel see how he had broken her heart, she dressed, then dried and combed her hair.

She reentered the group's room three-quarters of an hour after leaving, shinny clean and ready to face Daniel.

"All yours, Daniel. I might have left some hot water, but no promises." She threw him a grin that didn't reach her eyes.

Daniel had turned to see her enter the room. He'd never seen her with her long, chestnut brown hair loose, waving down her back. The few times he'd seen her on base and the whole time at the oasis, she always kept it pulled back. The startling sight pulled him toward her and as he reached up to caress her hair, he caught the warning in her eyes. Keep away. Don't touch. He couldn't have received the message any clearer if she'd shouted it.

Confused and hurt, Daniel grabbed his clean clothes and headed to the shower. He let the hot fingers of water massage the muscles in his shoulders and back that he had tortured over the past three months. Relaxing, he scrubbed his hair and body, Daniel tried to comprehend what was going through AJ's mind since they had been picked up. As he reran the day through his mind, it occurred to him that she hadn't come anywhere near him. She had isolated herself in the tel'tak and he'd been so caught up in the relief and joy of rescue and reuniting with his friends, that he'd ignored her.

Distraught by his lack of compassion for her, he determined he would watch her closely. If what they had shared at the oasis was just a fling for her, then he would back off. He wouldn't push himself on her if she wasn't interested. He'd wait and watch.