Dinner Date – Part 4

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what, Daniel?"

Daniel knew Sam was aware of exactly what he meant, the guilt on her face was enough to tell him that, but he was battling with his own sense of guilt and had no time for compassion.

"Tell Jack about Ba'al like that. That's exactly why we decided to keep the news from him."

"He wouldn't have reacted like that if you had been honest with him in the first place. He had to be told."

"Yes, but not like that."

"How did you want him told, Daniel? Would you have done it? This is as much your fault as mine and don't pretend otherwise."

Daniel glared at his teammate, taking a step towards her across the small room. The one step almost took him right up to her, but before he could close the gap another body slid between them and he found himself with a face full of angry Jaffa.

"That is enough!"

Daniel fell back, as much from guilt as surprise. He watched Sam's face as Teal'c moved aside and saw the worry that he knew was on his own.

"There was no correct time to inform General O'Neill of the clones, nor was there any correct way. It did not matter when or how he was told, he would have reacted just as badly. There is no blame to be apportioned here. This is O'Neill's battle to fight, not yours."

Paul Davis started speaking as soon as their teammate had finished. "Teal'c's right. We couldn't keep things from General O'Neill any longer." He turned to Sam. "There was no way you could know he would react like that. If you hadn't told him, I would have."

"Thanks, Paul." Sam nodded her head wearily and slumped down into a chair. "I just wish I'd had time to tell him the rest . . ." Her words trailed off as she rested her head in her hands, her posture a picture of despondency.

Daniel's anger left him as suddenly as it had appeared and he knelt in front of Sam, and gently pulled her hands away from her face. "What? What were you going to tell Jack?"

She dragged a hand from his grasp and quickly swiped at the tears that glistened in the corner of her eyes. "I think I've found a solution to the clone problem, at least partially."

"Then you'll be able to give Jack some good news when we're allowed in to see him."

She raised her head and gave Daniel a watery smile.

"Yes. I will."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Finally, some decent food." Jack grinned around a mouthful of steak. "And some good company for a change. I was beginning to go stir crazy with only myself to talk to. I'm not the most brilliant conversationalist, you know."

"I don't know about that, sir." Carter stopped speaking as O'Neill put his finger to his lips in a sign for quiet.

"No arguing, Colonel. Sick man here. You don't want to upset me."

Jack cringed as Carter's face went pale. He gave himself a mental kick and a reminder not to mention being upset again. It was obvious he wasn't the only one with unresolved issues over their last conversation.

Now, four days later, he finally felt up to having the discussion he should have had then.

"Tell me about the genetic replication technology you found. I want the full details, plus any conclusions you have come to."

He waited, eyeing them all sternly.

Colonel Carter stiffened, but kept her eyes fixed on his face, plainly prepared to obey his orders.

"Yes, sir."

To Jack's surprise, Daniel didn't utter a single protest as she began to speak, explaining in some detail what they had discovered in the basement at Ba'al's compound.

Jack kept his face impassive as she talked, but when she told him they had no way of knowing how many clones were out there he was glad the monitors had been removed. They didn't even know if it was the original snakehead that had been killed by Gerak. Probably wasn't – just a sacrificial lamb, one of many and easily replaced.

"I doubt Ba'al will make another attempt on your life, O'Neill. He clearly did not want his presence broadcast before he was ready. Now he will be more concerned with escaping detection."

"So I'm not a high priority on Ba'al's shopping list, T? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Indeed."

"That doesn't make me feel any better. Even the thought of one Goa'uld running free on this planet is enough to turn my stomach, but possibly hundreds. . . "

"I may have a solution to that, sir."

"Do tell, Colonel."

Carter gave a nervous smile. "The lab equipment we found had clear similarities to that Loki used, sir. We know the Goa'uld rarely invent anything of their own, taking from other technologies instead. I think this is one of those times."

"And this helps us, how?"

"The Ba'al clones probably have similar genetic markers to yourself and your duplicate, sir. It should be easy enough to find Ba'al's clones using the same Asgard technology they use to keep a track of you."

"You're saying they all have little locator beacons in them and we can use them to track them down?"

She nodded. "I think so, sir. We'll need to talk to the Asgard about it, but it is logical."

"Sweet!" Jack smiled, already thinking of the possibilities. "We can catch them." Then he thought of something – something rather important. "But not the original, right?"

"Ah, no, sir."

"Pity."

The thought that the original would probably escape made him furious, but he hid the anger, and turned to Daniel instead.

"Now, I have something to say to you." Daniel looked like he wanted to run and hide. "I know why you did what you did, and don't get me wrong, I do understand your reasoning. But," he paused, then continued, emphasizing each word, "Don't you ever lie to me like that again. I need to know I can trust you, that you're honest with me. I have enough people around me here in Washington willing to sugarcoat the truth. I don't need you to do it." He stopped, calmly picked up his fork again and stabbed at the baked potato on his plate. "Now – let's get down to working out what creative things we can do with the Ba'al clones once we catch them. Should be fun, don't ya think?"

O'Neill grinned a feral grin as he swallowed the forkful of food. Yeap, he could certainly think of some interesting ways to extract as much information as possible from the bounteous Ba'als. Far more creative than the methods Ba'al had used on him.

Yes, things were truly looking up at last.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The End