AN: Sorry for the delay. I have some big RL issues that I'm dealing with at the moment. More is already written, so hopefully there won't be as long a wait for the next part! Please keep the reviews coming! They motivate me!

Chapter Three

Luckily, I happened to catch Dr. Frasier's words, which did, somewhat, kind of explain it. "Yes, sir, all the scans were clear, except for Colonel O'Neill's and Major Carter's. They both show a device located in the exact same spot as before that appears almost identical to the ones responsible for the whole Urgo incident."

My hand stilled in Carter's hair and we simultaneously looked around. "Urgo?" Her voice was almost as soft as her hair. Nothing happened.

"Urgo!" I thought maybe shouting would have some effect.

Daniel watched us eagerly. "Anything?"

We checked with each other and then shook our heads. I shrugged and went back to petting Carter as I started to wonder if the rest of her was as soft as her hair. She must have been having the same thought, because her hand reached out, tentatively touching my cheek. I could see the question in her eyes, if it was ok with me. Her fingers moved along my chin and I closed my eyes, savoring the touch. I'd never felt anything so good in my life. Her fingers stopped and slowly began moving back and forth. I peeked at her. She didn't even notice. She was staring intently at my chin, rubbing her hand over my five o'clock shadow.

People were probably staring at us, but I certainly didn't care. The conversation continued around us. Hammond dismissed the other teams, since they seemed unaffected, but no one left. They were getting a kick out of watching us. I still didn't care. My hand moved to her neck, reveling in the feel of her skin.

And then I was staring at her lips, knowing undeniably that they were soft and wanting desperately to feel them. The only thought that registered with me was to check if it was ok with Carter. She was staring at my lips; her smile mirroring my own. We leaned in.

"Colonel! Major!" Hammond was on his feet. We jerked apart; our hands retreating back to our respective laps. "What the hell is going on here? Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

I knew I should answer, but the only thing I could think of was how desperate I was to feel her lips. I kept casting my eyes over at her and was thrilled each and every time to discover that she was doing the same.

Luckily, Daniel came to our rescue. "General, when we were all implanted with Urgo, he was able to enhance our sensory perception - but it was only taste and smell. Perhaps this Urgo program is designed a little differently. Maybe this one enhances touch."

Teal'c nodded, as though our particularly odd behavior really needed any more acknowledgment. "I believe we were summoned to P4X-884 as a rouse. Perhaps Togar's true intention was to find test subjects for his new program."

I was bored, and completely unstimulated by the chatter, so I turned back to Carter. I reached over and took her hand in mine, delighting the sensation of her skin moving against mine. She leaned closer and put her other hand on my arm, testing the feel. I felt myself being drawn toward her again and I did nothing to resist it. It didn't seem like Carter was trying either.

"Damn it!" Hammond hurried over to us, using the wheels on the chairs to his advantage and pushing Carter beyond my reach. "Will you two stop touching each other!"

Dead silence reigned for about ten seconds. Janet was the first to give in, dissolving into a fit of giggles unlike any I'd ever seen. Being her best friend, Carter was a second behind her. And being trapped in a room with two grown women giggling like school girls, the rest of us quickly followed suit.

General Hammond, however, did not giggle. He didn't laugh. He didn't hoot and holler like those overzealous Marines. He fixed me with a glare that should have taken away my urge to feel what the glossy top of his head felt like. Luckily, for both our sakes, he backed out of reach. "Colonel, I want you to take SG-1 right back there and get those damn things removed."

I opened my mouth to argue that I didn't want it removed because tactile sensation had suddenly become so amazing that it would be a shame to be without it. Not that it would be entirely bad if my pants didn't physically hurt anymore.

But Daniel spoke up, which was probably a good thing. "Sir, with all due respect, what if the devices are moved from Jack and Sam to Teal'c and I?"

I leaned back so I could see Carter. We shared a smile thinking about what a trip it would be if Teal'c and Daniel suddenly discovered that touching each other was fun. I caught the look of disgust on Teal'c's face, which impressed me because he was never really emotive. He turned to General Hammond. "Perhaps it is best if Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter return alone."

I glanced at the general to see what he thought of the suggestion. I knew he was loathe to send a mere two people into any situation without backup, but Daniel had a valid point. Switching the devices to anyone else would have the exact same disruptive effective - only I wouldn't have been able to enjoy it. Hammond turned to look at me, narrowing his eyes when he caught me closely examining the texture of my watch.

"Colonel!"

Sheepishly, I lowered my arms, fully intending to return to my study as soon as he wasn't looking. "Yes, sir?" And then I watched in horror as Carter's hand appeared from behind him and poked him right in the belly.

The sad thing was, I wasn't horrified that she was touching his large belly - no, that would have been understandable, really. My problem was, based on my assessment of how angry he was and how quickly he relocated to the other side of the table, I knew her actions pretty much destroyed any chance I had of finding out if his bald head was as smooth as it looked. And that was unfortunate, because I desperately wanted to know.

For his part, the general was very mature and patient in his response. He didn't explode with anger as I'd expected. He surveyed the room with a straight face and ordered everyone out. Then he looked at me and Carter. "Everyone, except you two." The smile on his face at that moment was downright chilling. Carter must have thought so too because she scooted her chair back next to mine.

He narrowed his eyes as he looked at us, a deep red color creeping into his cheeks. As much as I wanted to touch Carter again, his stare kept my hands glued to the cushioned armrests. Luckily, he couldn't see under the table where my bare foot had started to nudge Carter's leg. Hammond blew out a breath which conveniently masked the soft sigh that came from Carter.

I expected a stern dressing down. I expected a lecture. I expected some horrible punishment, like not being able to work with Carter anymore, which I was prepared to fight him on.

Instead he held our gazes alternately for a long time before he spoke. "I swear, Jack, if you two are putting me on, you will wish you hadn't ever met me. Do you understand?"

I nodded. "Absolutely." I glanced at Carter, who'd take to touching the rubber soles of her boots. Even if he thought we were playing with him, certainly he knew it would take something extraordinary to render Carter fascinated with her shoes - really, it was Carter, after all, probably the smartest person on the planet. Of course, as I watched her, I noticed her shirt, which had been hastily tucked in on her way to the briefing, had come untucked in her fervor to study her boots. My eyes locked on that pale patch of exposed skin. I forgot entirely about the general and reached out, letting my fingers lightly brush across the spot.

Hammond might have been shocked beyond belief, unbelievably irritated, or thoroughly convinced. I had no idea; I wasn't looking at him. I was watching Carter. She jerked upright the moment my hands touched her skin and then, as my hand slowly began to caress her, she turned just as slowly towards me. I could see the amazement in her eyes and I knew my touch felt as good to her as her skin did to me.

And I saw something else pop into that brilliant mind as well - if a chaste touch like that could feel so good, then the effects on anything more intimate would be unfathomable. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed the slightest bit.

My stupid grin returned when I realized she was, in fact, fathoming it.