Sam walked into the Mess and looked around for her friends. Well, technically one of them was her husband. But she always thought of Daniel first and foremost as a friend. She spotted him sitting with Janet at SG-1's usual table in the corner.

Sam's marriage to Daniel had changed SG-1's camaraderie in ways no one had predicated. Jack's close friends -and some not so close friends who listened to certain rumors- had expected Jack to be upset over the wedding. But Teal'c had been a surprise. He'd found seeing Sam and Daniel together difficult, and when he'd eventually started being 'otherwise occupied' every time Sam and Daniel asked him out with them as a couple, and always managed to make time for either of them if they were alone, they got the picture.

After Jack had died Teal'c had been forced to come to terms with their marriage and had been a great comfort and strength to both of them, separately. Though the loss of Jack put pressure on Teal'c to keep the team together he disliked the idea of their marriage –if possible- even more than before. A fact which he didn't show much, except perhaps, in his increasing tendency to be off world.

Which was why, once again, Janet Fraiser was at their table today. She'd started coming by and sitting with Sam and Daniel after it became apparent the pressure of Jack's coldness and Teal'c's disapproval was getting to them. Janet had stuck by her two friends, and been the only person they knew who actually bothered to conceal her surprise at their new relationship.

Sam walked up quietly behind Janet and listened in on the conversation.

"You'd better watch it Doctor Jackson." Janet warned.

"Why? Are you going to give me another checkup or something?" Daniel countered.

"I might if you keep pushing your luck" Janet warned seriously.

"Isn't that abusing the doctor-patient privilege?" Daniel asked innocently.

"No one's noticed before" Janet smirked.

"Well, aren't we in a good mood this morning" Sam said grinning at antics.

Janet's head whirled around so fast she almost got whiplash. "Hi Sam" she smiled quickly. "I didn't hear you come over"

"I was listening to you two bicker." Sam sat down beside Daniel. "It's obvious you got up on the right side of the bed this morning."

Actually it was the left…Daniel corrected mentally. Then kicked himself for having that thought while his wife was sitting next to him.

"Well," Janet looked at her watch. "It's nearly seven o'clock and I haven't had one broken bone, staff blast or new virus. Although I probably shouldn't have said that, now I'm sure to get at least one of those."

"Oh" Sam pouted. "I thought maybe it was a guy." her eyes sparkled mischievously.

Daniel very nearly choked on his coffee.

Fortunately for him Sam didn't notice "What ever happened to the man you met at that restaurant with Cassie last week? I mean, you sounded pretty excited when you called me."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. He hadn't heard about that. Not that he was supposed to be interested…

"It didn't work out" Janet said vaguely, purposely avoiding Daniel's attempts to catch her eye.

"Loser?" Sam inquired

"No, just…wrong" Janet shrugged "Maybe I'm too picky"

"Well they say anything's better than settling." Sam admonished.

The table was suddenly silent. Sam wanted to kill herself. She desperately tried to think of something to say that would sound like that wasn't what she meant, or to change their train of thought, or to just break the damned silence. But in the end she didn't have to.

"Unscheduled off-world activation"

For once grateful for the disruption Sam and Daniel ran for the Control Room.

"Close the iris" Hammond ordered.

"Already done sir" the technician announced. "Receiving no iris-code"

"Keep that Iris closed."

Sam and Daniel stood side by side and watched the gate, waiting for the signal, or the transmission, or the 'bug on a windshield' sound of a matter stream striking the trinium. Instead their eyes widened as they saw a figure walk right through the iris. Every gun in the Gate Room instantly aimed at the new arrival.

Jack stood in the Gate Room and surveyed the shocked expressions of the airmen surrounding him. "So" he said "I take it I'm dead in this one?"