Author's Note: The trip was great! I got a cold at the end of it and came back home to several feet of snow, but all's good. Thanks for the well wishes, and I hope everyone had a good holiday season too. Because you've all been so nice and patient here's the longest chapter I've written for this story yet. And, as it seems, the last chapter for 2003. :D Sadly, I didn't have much time to write while I was out, so I'm regressing to my only one chapter a week plan and will goal for two a week whenever possible.

Author's Note2: My Stargate/MacGyver moment!!! :D While I was off in the desert I went and saw the movie Paycheck (good movie btw) with some friends. What does this have to do with Stargate or MacGyver? Well, one of the previews for the movie was for a movie called…er…okay I can't remember what it was called but it's a remake of an old black and white and something about an invasion or the end of the world…and they used the Stargate soundtrack for the preview!! I recognized it immediately. Then, during Paycheck the main character has to MacGyver an electrical box. The second he pulled the paperclip out my friend and I were doubled over laughing. Personally…I'm beginning to think this movie was a sign. :P

Author's Note3: I just want to thank everyone for the comments and reviews such far. And I assure you, I will finish this. Also, to Starre and others, when I do finish this story I'll put a big long Author's Note at the end explaining just how and where the idea for the story came and developed. Savy? :D

Author's Note4: Lots of major changes in this chapter due to one gigantic plot hole!! :P

Dexter Fillmore – An alias MacGyver has used on more than one occasion. Generally portrayed as a computer nerd.

HIT – Homicide International Trust. An international assassination group MacGyver helped to bring down.

Dolly – the first ever successfully cloned sheep. Although, she only lived a few years, passed away last Valentines Day. :(

Mercalli Intensity – A method of measuring an earthquake not on an instrument but by the effects it has on the surface. Not to be confused with the Richter Scale. :)

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Janet was glad to see Daniel's eyes open, although she really hadn't expected him to wake up so soon. His body had only just gotten over the fever and he looked like he could fall asleep again at any moment, but the anthropologist still smiled as she and the rest of SG1 entered the room. He was the only long-term patient she had right now, so the recovery room was nice and quiet. The perfect remedy for an SG member, especially since one SG patient often meant having the whole team in her infirmary cluttering up space. Here at least they could stay out of the way. Janet returned Daniel's smile warmly, thanking and dismissing the nurse who'd been set to watch over him.

As the woman left Janet noticed the Colonel close the door firmly behind her, unreasonably making Janet feel somewhat closed in, but then turning back to Daniel the doctor was all business as she began her usual checkup. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been hit by lightning," Daniel replied then with a small frown amended, "or maybe a truck."

"Probably both," Sam stated with a nervous grin.

Daniel grimaced readily agreeable on that point. He looked up at all of them and asked concerned, "So did everyone get back okay?"

Janet looked up from checking the numbers on the watching machines. Everyone one was here, weren't they? Teal'c clasped his hands behind his back and said to the anthropologist, "Everyone has, DanielJackson."

Janet almost frowned in concern. Teal'c was a man of little words but those words could communicate volumes and something had just been said but she didn't know what. Apparently neither did Daniel because as he stifled a yawn and rubbed the sleep from his eyes the anthropologist tiredly asked, "And your brother's okay Jack? He's here now?"

Janet looked up sharply. A brother? Now she knew something was wrong and the momentary claustrophobia was joined by a keen sense of alarm.

"Daniel," the Colonel drawled out. "I think that fever might have gotten to you because I don't have a brother."

"Well I know you don't have a brother, but…" Daniel started annoyed but stopped as if he were suddenly remembering something. "Oh…ya, um…"

It was enough to convince Janet that SG1 was in fact compromised. She made an immediate step towards the panic button only to find someone steadfastly blocking her way. "Teal'c, move please," Janet stated, her alarm increasing a notch.

Yet the big jaffa merely told her, "I cannot."

Janet turned to try a break for the door, but the Colonel stood in front of her with his hands up. "Wait, just let us explain."

At the same time Sam said trying to calm her, "It's okay Janet, really."

"Okay my foot!" Janet retorted. "What is going on?" She considered yelling for help but the Colonel was giving her a look of such pleading that she bit her tongue.

"I promise, I'll explain. Just give me a chance. Can you do that?" He asked her.

Janet looked around the room at all the members of SG1 and then back at the Colonel. Going against her better judgment she reluctantly nodded. He sighed with relief but when he opened his mouth he didn't say anything, looking very much like a deer caught in the headlights of a car.

"Well," he finally said cringing somewhat, "It's a bit of a long story, do you want to sit down?"

Janet gave him a very pointed look and crossed her arms. "No. Thank you."

He ducked his head and Janet heard him murmur under his breath, "Jack is so going to kill me."

"Wait," Janet quickly interrupted any bit of hope that she was overreacting vanishing in an instant. "Are you telling me you are not Colonel Jack O'Neill?" It wasn't possible. The DNA samples were identical. If the Colonel had a twin that would be a different matter, but she knew the full history of O'Neill's colorful background and she knew for a fact he didn't any siblings, let alone an identical twin! That meant if this man wasn't Jack O'Neill he had to be an alien.

Again the man cringed, but finally admitted, "No. My name's MacGyver."

Janet again went for the door but the man caught her arms stopping her. "Do you value O'Neill's life?"

Squirming in the man's hold and frantically wondering why no one else was helping her Janet yelled, "Let go of me!"

"Do you value O'Neill's life?" The man asked again harder this time.

Going limp in the man's arms, Janet's body filled with dread, realizing just what exactly he was implying. Across the room Daniel was half out of the bed in alarm and Sam had a look not dissimilar to what Janet was feeling, but none of SG1 rushed forward to help her. "Where is the real Colonel O'Neill?"

"On P5C-421," Sam told her quietly, her eyes filling with guilt.

Then the man who could be Colonel O'Neill calmly said to her, "I'm going to let go now. Are you going to do something rash?"

"Not if you explain yourself," Janet told him in a tight hard voice. He let go and took a step back giving her some room. Janet crossed her arm tightly glaring at all of SG1 and then back at the imposter. He looked so much like the Colonel, but knowing he wasn't cleared up a few things at least, although not why he was here.

The man nervously shoved his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath to begin. "Like I said before, my name is MacGyver. I'm Jack O'Neill's brother."

"Colonel O'Neill doesn't have a brother."

"Things weren't supposed to come out like this." MacGyver ruefully replied.

Janet took a breath, she needed time to sort this out, and then realization dawned on her. "The person who called the General really was Colonel O'Neill, wasn't it?"

Again MacGyver's lips twitched into a grin. "You got it in one. I was hiding out at Jack's when this whole mix up began and rather than blow my cover I rather unwittingly ended up on this radical adventure."

Frowning, her mind tried to wrap around facts that were suddenly fitting into place. Then Janet asked, "But why the subterfuge at all? Why not just tell the General you're his brother?"

Daniel half sank back onto his cushions in exhaustion grumbling out, "That's the million dollar question."

"Because Jack O'Neill doesn't have a brother. Dexter Fillmore does, or at least did, but according to government records they both died when he was a young teenager."

"Wait," Sam said blinking hard and scrunching her face in disbelief, "Are you trying to tell us that Colonel O'Neill is under the Witness Protection Program?"

But Daniel seemed more focused on something else. "Dexter?" He questioned incredulous sitting back up again.

MacGyver shrugged. "Have you ever heard of HIT?"

"I have," Janet replied grudgingly. Some people she knew had been killed by HIT. "They're an assassin group for hire. They're disbanded now."

"But not all found," MacGyver said solemnly. "Last I heard the DXS still had open cases on several of HIT's ex-members."

"Dexter?" Daniel repeated with disbelief.

"When Jack was a teenager he was the key witness to a trial that put several of HIT's best agents away. HIT still holds a grudge and while for the most part it's gone I know for a fact that those remaining agents are trying to form the organization up again. They have their fingers in all sorts of places these days. So you see, if anyone knew we were brothers, identical twins at that, mention would have to be made on his record. One thing leads to another and people will discover that 'Jack O'Neill' is just a cover."

Daniel scrunched his face up asking one final time, "Dexter?"

"Daniel, you're tired," Sam told him patting him on the arm.

"Ya, but Sam, Dexter? I just can't see Jack's real name being Dexter!"

Janet had to agree, but what MacGyver had told them actually made a bit of sense. As Head Medical Examiner she was privy to the classified reports of everyone. There was no mention of the WPP, but there wouldn't be, and there was mention of his family moving around quite a bit during the early years of his life. He was listed as an only child, but… "How do you fit into all this?" Janet asked MacGyver giving him a hard look.

For a brief moment he had the deer in the headlights look again, but then told her, "Jack and I never actually met each other until after he'd gained his new identity. There was a mix-up at the hospital when we were born so no one realized Jack's twin was identical and not fraternal. Unfortunately Mike was killed. From what little Jack's told me about it, He and Mike ended up in the wrong spot at the wrong time and Mike was shot in the crossfire. It's the event Jack testified to in the trial." MacGyver's hands seemed to dig deeper into his pockets as he told them, "After we met and figured out the truth Jack and I realized if anyone saw us together they'd figure out his identity was false. So we've been doing our best to stay as far away from each other as possible ever since."

The room was quiet for a long time after that as everyone thought things through. Janet knew the story was plausible, and here they'd certainly seen things for more incredible. That wasn't so much her problem; it was the idea of keeping it all secret. Surely the General could be trusted to keep it out of the files, she reasoned in her head, but the more she thought about it the more she realized he couldn't. Not because he'd want to put O'Neill in danger, but because he had to hold to regulations more than anyone else here. The security of the base was too important, and knowing a man looked just like the Colonel was too large a risk to not put it in the file.

Janet let out a long sigh of frustration and looking around at the rest of SG1 questioned, "And you all agreed to keep this a secret?"

"O'Neill requested it personally," Teal'c stated as if that was all that was needed. Maybe for him. Sam didn't respond but the expression on her face said she had, and would, and perhaps for more personal reasons. Daniel didn't answer either but had a hand to his forehead as if it hurt.

Doctor instincts kicking in Janet moved to his side, checked the IV bag and pulled out some pain medication. The rest moved to the bed side as well and MacGyver stated quietly, "If you feel you have to tell the General I'll understand."

She looked up at him, but he had that wide-eyed and altogether innocent pleading look in his eyes again. Janet quickly turned back to what she was doing, she couldn't think with someone looking at her like that. If she hadn't known this wasn't O'Neill she'd have sworn he'd picked it up from Daniel. The Anthropologist had a tendency to use that tactic in her infirmary quite a lot.

Then Daniel put his hand on hers to catch her attention. "Janet? Most of this is new to me too, but Jack secretly broke into the SGC and came through the gate to come get Mac. I don't think he would have done that if he didn't think it was really important."

Janet sighed. She couldn't believe she was really considering this, but then looking up at them all finally relented, "All right. I'll keep your secret."

MacGyver broadly grinned. "Great!"

But Janet gave him a hard gaze that made the man back up a step intimidated. "You still need to explain just why you're here. If you and the Colonel have been trying to avoid each other all this time, why did you risk coming here in the first place?"

For a third time that day the man gave her the 'lost in the headlights' look, and then told her, "A friend of mine was killed at a dig site in Oregon. I tracked his killer here but things didn't really go as I planned so I took refuge at Jack's place. You know the story from there."

It was almost too much to believe, but Janet felt herself wanting to trust this man. Something about the way he carried himself. It was with that same confidence the Colonel had but unlike the Colonel whose trust you had to earn this man practically radiated it.

Then Daniel remarked, "Speaking of which? Where did you say Jack was?"

Sam's face tightened with worry as she told him, "Hopefully on P5C-421."

"The planet SG4 relocated the Gerations to?" Daniel asked startled.

"They should be taking a shipment of supplies to them tomorrow. The Colonel plans to hide in one of the empty boxes coming back."

Daniel's eyes went wide. "There's enough room in one of those?"

"If we make sure they take one of the big containers."

Janet thinly smiled, "You might have another problem. With this security problem the General has all outgoing missions on hold until further notice."

Yet MacGyver put in with a broad grin, "Jack's made it through much worse, waiting an extra day will be nothing."

The group regarded the optimistic man with worry, but no one disputed the fact. It was true, Janet reminded herself, the Colonel, all of SG1 had been through 'much worse' than a simple extra day off world. Still, as Janet well knew, the longer SG1 was off world, the greater their chances of getting into trouble.

*****

Jack had managed to find a rather convenient spot to hide. A lot of hills surrounded the gate here and the first one Jack searched had produced a rather nice hollow underneath a lining of shrubs. When Jack squirmed underneath he found not only did it fit him rather well but he could also still see easily through the shrubs to the gate.

It'd be a long wait before SG4 showed up, and thankfully as yet Jack hadn't seen any of the Gerations, hopefully it'd stay that way. Wincing as a his side suddenly clenched in pain Jack shifted and felt down where the bandages covered his bullet wound now almost a day old. It felt dry to the touch which could be considered a miracle if he didn't know better. It meant the wound wasn't leaking blood. Still he'd rather not have the wound at all.

Feeling somewhat grouchy, Jack pulled out the alien 'artifact.' This was what those guys on Earth had been looking for. The question was why? It didn't look like any other kind of Goa'uld data crystal the Colonel had ever seen. But he'd never seen one of them do what this one did either. Jack idly wondered what would happen if this disk and the one MacGyver had came together. Would it be like what happened every time he and Mac got together? If that was the case Jack didn't want any part of it. He had enough to deal with as it was.

Part of him seriously wished he could just get rid of the disk. He knew of one sure way to do it. Dial Earth and toss it through. Without the GDO code to open the Iris…poof! But if it was like him and Mac, the iris wouldn't be closed. Jack gave the object a look of disgust and put it back in his pocket. Out of sight, out of mind. Besides, when he got back he just knew his team would be telling him how important it was. It'll be some something or another that will save the world no doubt, Jack silently grumbled to himself.

Just then movement caught his eye and Jack watched as a young Geration boy came walking up to the gate. The kid stopped and gazed at it for a while, and then after a few moments turned and started up one of the hills. The same hill Jack was currently hiding on.

The Colonel froze, trying to breath as slowly as possible as he watched the boy draw closer. He passed right by the shrubs and Jack mentally asked for the Geration to just keep going. So of course he stopped, just passed the bushes as he looked around. Jack held his breath in the anticipation of being discovered, but a moment later the kid continued on.

It was still a while before Jack dared to let himself relax again. That had been close, a little too close, Jack suspiciously thought and after a minute decided to improve his little hiding spot. Something told him this was going to be a longer wait then he expected.

*****

Sam approached the Colonel's office with some hesitation. Only a few people, like Teal'c, had permanent quarters on base. Everyone else used whatever spare bed they could find and by the time SG1 had left the infirmary the night before most of the isolated rooms had been taken. Sam had no problem using one of the group bunk rooms, but she didn't think it'd be safe for MacGyver to do the same. The more people he was around the more likely someone was going to notice he wasn't the Colonel. So instead she'd suggested he crash on the couch in the Colonel's office. He readily agreed and with a warm smile had asked her for directions.

Shaking her head Sam found she had a hard time disliking the man. It was still too uncanny how much he looked like the Colonel, and there were obviously some things the Colonel and his brother were hiding from them. Truth be told, like Daniel, she had a hard time believing the Colonel's real name was Dexter Fillmore. Because she couldn't resist, she ran a search on the name but came up empty. At least nothing that fit with the story MacGyver had given them.

Still, it was hard to not trust him, either. It was hard to not trust the Colonel, too, but it was different with him. Then there was the fact that she'd been idolizing the legend of MacGyver for years now and suddenly here he was, her superior's twin brother.

Sam reached the office and stopped, feeling herself flush slightly from mixed emotions. You're being silly Sam, she told herself and calming her nerves raised a hand to knock on the door but it opened before she could actually get that far. "How…how did you know I was here?" Sam asked startled.

MacGyver stood before her with a peculiar look on his face. "I guessed. Actually, I was hoping I'd be wrong."

For a moment Sam was torn between the irrational thought that he didn't want to see her and the crazy notion he might have some sort of precognitive ability. "I was just coming to see if you wanted to go for some breakfast?" She asked now uncertain.

Mac's face brightened considerably. "Ya that sounds great. Did they get the cameras fixed?"

"Only just, but we can still talk. Only certain areas of the base are equipped to record sound and we usually have to turn them on separately. Guess it didn't fit in the Budget."

He gave her a knowing grin and Sam felt her lips curl in a returning smile but her mind was still locked on what he'd said before. Guessed?

The cafeteria was fairly packed. A little unusual for the SGC but not surprising considering the night had just about everyone here. Sam watched curiously as MacGyver went down the line picking up a fruit bowl, Grape Nuts, and a yogurt. The Colonel hated yogurt so she deftly put that back and placed a bowl of jello on his tray instead.

MacGyver looked at it then at her in question. "It was too healthy," Sam murmured looking around to see if anyone else noticed. No one had, an advantage they had with the place so crowded. Beside her MacGyver chuckled, but move on.

There was about a million questions waiting on the tip of her tongue and none of which ones she could risk asking here so for the most part they ate in silence. Sam tried not to be obvious but she couldn't help herself, he just looked so much like the Colonel it was weird.

His eyes smiled back as he finished off the jello. She realized then that she was staring again and looked down at her now empty plate but then MacGyver startled her by suddenly asking, "Tell me Carter, do you like to fish?"

Sam looked at him surprised. He seemed earnestly concerned by her reaction but thankfully Sam was spared from actually answering him as Teal'c approached. The Jaffa stated, "It is time for our practice O'Neill."

Now it was MacGyver's turn to look uncomfortable. "Okay," he replied somewhat hesitantly but got up and followed after the big man. Sam let out a slow breath of relief. It wasn't as if she didn't like fishing. Actually, she didn't know if she did or didn't, but the Colonel had certainly asked her to join him enough times before. It was just one more thing the Colonel and his twin had in common.

It still made Sam wonder just what else they had in common and with some resolution left to make a phone call.

*****

Daniel had the pages of rubbings spread out all over his bed, a book open at his side and a stack more on the side table. On a pad of paper he wrote the ruff translation, not really thinking too much on what it was about yet, wanting to just get it down on paper first. Later he'd ask Teal'c to go over it with him to make sure it was as close to accurate as possible. So far, it didn't really make much sense but he wrote it down anyway.

The door to his room opened and Daniel smiled up at Sam as she entered glad for the interruption. "Hey Sam."

"Hi Daniel. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Much better. Janet says by tomorrow I should be good enough to leave."

"Great!" She grabbed a chair and slid it next to the bed giving the strewn papers a small grin. "And how goes it with the translation?"

Daniel grimaced. "I'm not sure. If I've got this right it talks a lot about keys, stars, and the end of time." He shook his head and put the pad down. "I don't know." Then he noticed what Sam was carrying and curious asked, "What's that?"

To his surprised she gave him a somewhat mischievous grin and handing the folder over told him, "I called in a favor to an old friend of mine. This is the file the DXS have on MacGyver."

Daniel gave her one last look of surprise but then eagerly opened it. "There are some things missing." He stated noticing right away that they didn't even have his full name listed.

"I know. MacGyver was never a true agent of the DXS but there's recommendations in there about him from a couple Generals as well as several of the DXS Intelligence Agents. According to my friend the DXS considered MacGyver to kind of be on contract."

"You'd think they'd at least know his name," Daniel grumbled. There was more than just that missing from the report but for the most part the main sections of MacGyver's history seemed to be listed. There was even an addendum under remaining relatives giving Mac a son. "Sean Angus Malloy," Daniel read out loud and then commented reading the notes on Sean, "Can you imagine discovering you have a son after 19 years?"

"Couldn't be any stranger than discovering you have a twin brother," Janet remarked catching what he said as she walked into the room. She, too, had a file folder in hand.

"Good point," Daniel replied with a slight grin but Janet's face was wrinkled in concern.

"Janet?" Sam asked worried.

"When identical twins are born, it's because two embryos form from the same zygote. But while they're in the womb each child is subjected to subtle changes, not so much in their DNA but in other aspects."

"You're talking about phenotypes, aren't you?" Sam asked.

Janet nodded, dropping the Colonel's file on Daniel's lap next to MacGyver's and telling them, "I ran a few more tests on MacGyver's blood sample. Normal DNA testing won't show any differences but the immunoglobins on white blood cells should."

Sam added with a thoughtful expression on her face, "The proteins change according to environment, disease, whatever infects the body."

Janet nodded and Daniel could see they were both following the same line of thinking. Whatever it was it was important. "And?"

"And according to what I have on file O'Neill and MacGyver are exactly the same."

"How is that possible?"

"It isn't. At least not here on Earth."

Daniel couldn't help himself and curiously opened Jack's file. It was privy information he knew and for Janet to bring it to them now meant she was really concerned. It was much thicker than MacGyver's and far more encompassing, even with Jack's childhood, which might be odd for a file that supposedly contained a false history.

"We have to tell the General," Janet stated pulling Daniel's attention away from the file.

"I don't think we should," the anthropologist replied wondering himself just when he'd made that decision.

Before Janet could reply Sam put in, "MacGyver's been around a lot longer than the gate's been open. I just don't think aliens have anything to do with their connection to each other."

"But what else could it be other than cloning, and it'd have to be fairly recent cloning at that?" Janet asked.

"We can make clones," Daniel remarked.

Both women gave him a look and with a slight grin Sam stated, "MacGyver's been around a lot longer than Dolly, too."

Daniel had to agree the idea was pretty inconceivable, but so was the idea that Jack's real name was Dexter. "There's something else you should know. When we were back on the planet I saw something kind of…strange. They thought I was asleep at the time and I saw them arguing. I'm not sure about what exactly but the next thing I knew one of them had willingly pulled the pin of a grenade, for no reason." Janet and Sam just stared at him in shock and he continued exasperated, reliving some of the panic, "It never went off. It was a dud. And well I know there's absolutely no way they could have known but somehow they did."

"The chance of there even being a dud is so low now, but it must have been the same one we threw at the Goa'ulds," Sam murmured mystified. Then after a minute she said seriously, "Whatever their secret is, it's not endangering anyone and I think we should help them."

There was a minute of worried silence but they finally all agreed and then Daniel stated with a wry gin, "This doesn't stop us from finding out their secret for ourselves, though. Didn't Jack mention Mac once burnt down his house?"

They checked the file, but the only mention of a fire they found was when Jack was nine. "He went missing for the next six days, too." Daniel said with a frown.

"What was the date on that?" Sam asked looked through MacGyver's file. Daniel told her and she leaned forward saying as she pointed it out to them, "There was a missing children's report filed for almost the same time period for MacGyver. Coincidence?"

But no one believed that. Then Janet pointed out, "This is also well before the time MacGyver said he first met O'Neill. Do you think that's a lie, too?"

Daniel stated confidently, "There's no way Jack's name is Dexter Fillmore!"

"Where is MacGyver now?"

Sam grinned. "With Teal'c at the gym."

*****

Thankfully they were the only ones in the small room, but Mac still felt silly to be dressed in so much padding. Not that he didn't think he'd need it, but he'd never learned how to box before and standing there with his hands up felt weird. The closest to any kind of fighting sport Mac had ever come to was hockey.

"As O'Neill has told me on many occasions," Teal'c told him, "you must move around."

Mac dropped his hands questioning confused, "Move?"

Teal'c's padded fist jabbed him smartly in the chest and Mac felt himself hit the ground. Catching his breath again Mac stated with understanding, "Move. Right." In the end dodging the jaffa's punches proved much easier than punching back.

"You are quick," Teal'c commented with a slight smile helping Mac up off the ground for a second time.

"Obviously not quick enough," Mac replied and then asked hopeful, "Do you guys do anything else?"

"We do. I shall teach you staff fighting."

Mac gave the big man a pained look. "Staff fighting?" But the jaffa only grinned, not at all reassuring any of Mac's apprehension.

While although Mac did end up gaining a few new bruises, staff fighting turned out to be much easier for him to learn than boxing. Mac didn't really have much in the line of actual training but he'd gotten into a lot of fights in his life and his instincts were good enough that he could block at least half of what came towards him.

By the end of an hour with Teal'c teaching him several moves and techniques Mac was really starting to enjoy it. Knowing this stuff could have been handy so many times in the past. Although he was sure the jaffa was going easy on him.

He had just completed a successful counterattack when Major Carter came into the gym. MacGyver at once noticed the suspicious narrowing of her eyes, but then she smiled at them and the look softened. "How goes it?"

"Teal'c's a great teacher," Mac replied grinning.

Teal'c seemed to grow an inch in height and solemnly intoned, "The pupil learns only as well as he's willing."

"Thanks Teal'c, that means a lot."

Carter smiled and then told them, "The General will need our reports soon."

"I have finished mine already MajorCarter," Teal'c stated.

Mac thought about what he'd typed up the night before and told them, "Ya, I've finished mine, too, but I'd really appreciate it if you guys would look over it for me. I've never really had to write a report quite like this before."

"I can help," Carter quickly replied, then said, "And Daniel's ready to go over the translation with you Teal'c."

"Then I shall assist him," Teal'c stated inclining his head. After changing Mac and Carter collected the computer disk from Jack's office and decided to go over it in Carter's lab. "It'll be less suspicious for us to both be there," she told him, looking nervous for a moment although Mac couldn't reason why.

Her lab looked like an explosion of science. There were things everywhere. Mac gazed around at everything with open delight. This place was more interesting then any of the Phoenix Foundation research labs. "How often do you get to work on this stuff?" Mac asked picking up the pieces of some sort of device."

Carter looked over from her laptop and gave him another somewhat nervous look. Mac knew that look, it was the 'don't touch anything look,' so he put the device down and tucked his hands into his pockets. From her look of relief Mac guessed Jack usually ignored the look.

"Sorry, it's just…" the Major floundered for a second then went straight to answering his question, "Not that often. Backwards engineering is sort of a hobby of mine and gives me something to do whenever we're between missions."

Mac just grinned understanding her ambition completely. Settling in they went over his report and Mac was glad to see the Major finally start to relax around him again. She even outright laughed at one point, reading with a grin, "'The electromagnetic vibrations of the goa'uld ship's anti-gravity stabilizers resulted in an earthquake that increased in intensity about 1 Mercalli every 10 minutes.' This isn't the way the Colonel would write it."

"How did you write it?" Mac questioned curious if he'd gotten the name of the ship's technology wrong.

"Well," Carter awkwardly hesitated, "much like you did, but the Colonel isn't known for including too many technical details into his reports."

"You're kidding." MacGyver was genuinely surprised. He knew Jack hated scientists, and Mac couldn't blame him considering what they'd gone through, but that didn't mean Jack didn't have an understanding of science himself. After they discovered what they were Mac and Jack had decided to overtly forego that route, Jack perhaps more than Mac thought.

Carter was regarding him with suspicion again as she questioned, "How well do you know the Colonel?"

Mac just leaned back in his seat telling her honestly, "We've kept in touch, but I can't exactly say we've been able to spend any real quality time together."

For a moment Mac thought the Major would start probing him with questions, but she suddenly took a turn in the conversation asking instead, "Do you still have the goa'uld crystal?"

Mac pulled it from his pocket and handed it over to her. It hadn't left his side since he took it. It was the reason he was here after all and once again Mac internally struggled with whether or not he should tell them so but finally decided to wait till he could talk to Jack first. "Do you know what it is?"

"No," she told him looking at it closely. "It's not shaped like any of the goa'uld crystals we've found before, but dad might know something."

"Dad?"

She looked up at him and hedged, "He's earth's ambassador to the Tok'ra. An alien group we came across a few years ago."

He realized there was a story behind that but didn't want to pry so he casually asked instead, "Has Daniel had any luck with the translation?"

"It refers to the crystal as a key to the secrets of time. Actually, it refers to multiple keys. There weren't any other crystals there were there?"

Mac shook his head. "No, but it looked like there was room for two more."

Carter sighed discouraged. "Oh well. We might never know without the device from the ship, especially if this was just a key."

"I don't think so," Mac responded before he could stop himself and she looked at him in question. It was hard not to just tell her everything he'd already discovered about the disk right then and there. Supposedly his first time encountering the crystal disks was on the ship, just like her. "When I first turned the device on the only thing it seemed to do was give off a kind of light."

"What kind of light?"

"Some level of ultraviolet light would be my best guess." MacGyver shrugged but it took some considerable control on his part to resist searching her lab for the items he'd need to make another reader so they could see the symbols from the disk.

Carter had her lips pursed together in thought, and after a minute –and much to MacGyver's delight- she got up and pulled out a black light from one of the cabinets. Holding the disk over the light only showed the barest shadow of the floating symbols and turning the rest of the lights off didn't really improve it much, but it was enough to prove his theory.

"Amazing," Carter murmured, running a hand through the symbols. They moved, just as they had before.

Mac grinned at the expression of fascination on her face. Sometimes he really loved scientists! But then as he turned the lights back on he felt the slightest hint of sensation crawl up his spine and with a small sigh opened the door fully expecting to see someone on the other side. Much to his relief the hallway was empty.

"MacGyver?" Carter asked confused.

He opened his mouth to tell her it was nothing, but just as he was closing the door Dr. Fraiser showed up. "Oh good, you're both here."

"What is it Janet?" Sam immediately asked concerned but Dr. Fraiser waited till the door was closed behind her before telling them anything.

"SG4 just got approved for their mission to P5C-421."

"When do they leave?"

"In two hours, but they won't be coming back for two weeks."

They all exchanged concerned looks as MacGyver commented, "That could be a problem."