Day 6 AM

"The cavern was this way." Jack said, indicating with his P-90.

"Shouldn't we visit the village first?" Daniel asked.

"No time." Sam said, starting off. "Maybe afterwards. This should work even if we don't go."

As they approached the cavern, there was a rustling in the bushes. A creature stepped out in brown robes. He chattered at them.

"Daniel?"

Daniel blinked.

"It's a strange dialect, Jack. Chattering…chirping…clicks…it's like some form of African or maybe Australasian basis…"

"In other words, you don't know it."

"Yup…that would be it." Daniel replied absently, watching the hand movements. "But I think he wants us to come with him."

"Daniel…we don't have time." Sam hissed. "The sun is already up. Judging by the planet's rate of orbit, we have only an hour…maybe a bit longer…before the sixth pass over the cavern is complete."

"I think he wants to bless us first." Daniel argued.

"Can't he do it here?" Jack complained.

"Jack, the faster we get this over with, the faster we can get back here."

"Fine…but this had better not be long some ceremony…I hate those…always missed the pre-game football show on Sundays."

Sam grinned, as the team followed the brown-robed creature.

Entering the village, they were quickly taken to the largest hut where the blue robed creature Teal'c had said was their leader waited for them. He motioned to Daniel first.

"I think we go in one at a time." Daniel said to Jack and Sam.

"Okay…you be the guinea pig. Let us know if it tickles." Jack motioned for Daniel to go.

"You know," Sam said as she watched Daniel enter the hut, "If this works, we're back to normal again."

"Yeah."

"You'll be a man…I'll be a woman…"

"Yeah."

"What will we be?"

"Careful?" Jack said after thinking for a moment.

"Careful, sir?" Sam repeated.

"Careful…as we try to figure out how to make this work?" Jack elaborated, but still questioningly.

"I like careful." Sam mused.

"Thought you would." Jack grinned as he stepped forward.

"For good luck, sir?" Blue eyes twinkled.

"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Brown eyes sparkled as they moved in closer.

"I like good luck."

"Knew you would."

Lips touched, as Sam's hand wrapped around the back of Jack's neck and brought him in closer.

Loud chirping and chattering surrounded them, cheering them on.

"Ahem…" Daniel's voice carried over to them. Jack and Sam slowly broke apart. "Umm…next."

"I'll go." Sam said, unwilling to pull herself out of Jack's embrace, but knowing it had to be done.

"So…" Daniel started as Sam entered the hut.

"So…" Jack replied and grinned. "We know what the techs did last night."

Daniel's eyes widened.

"I knew it!" He stepped closer. "And?"

"And…" Jack paused. "Remember when we first met Carter and I said 'I like women'?"

Daniel nodded slowly.

"I've got a whole new level of appreciation for them now and when this is over…."

"…that appreciation had better last, sir." Sam announced as she exited the hut. "Your turn."

Jack mock-saluted his 2IC and proceeded to enter the hut.

"You know, you and Janet would look awfully cute together." Sam commented idly.

"I don't she's going to talk to me again, outside of a professional discussion." Daniel sadly remarked.

"What did you do now?" Sam asked.

She frowned as Daniel mumbled his response, catching the phrase "weaker gender" and "power monger".

"Make it up to her and she'll forgive you." Sam said.

"She said I reminded her of why she got a divorce." Daniel replied.

"Ouch…harsh." Jack remarked as he approached. "Come on, team, let's get this dog-and-pony show on the road. This thong's beginning to ride up my butt."

"Thong?" Sam and Daniel asked, scampering to catch up to their leader as he marched off towards the cavern.

"So now what?" Daniel asked as they stood the cavern where they had awoken to their new bodies.

"What did we do last time?" Sam asked.

"Daniel said something about some possible ritualistic symbols out front, Teal'c was his stoic and silent self…Carter, you were scrunching up your nose at the smell…and I…" Jack frowned. "I….I touched the walls."

"Touch them again, Jack." Daniel instructed.

Jack hesitated for a moment and suddenly realizing that his ability to pee standing up depended on him doing this quickly, pressed his hand against the damp-looking walls.

Bright flash of light.

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" Walter announced, as the sirens started to wail.

Hammond stepped closer.

"It's SG-1's IDC, sir." The sergeant announced.

"Bring 'em home."

"Yes, sir."

Jacob entered the room.

"It's them, Jacob."

The Tok'ra exhaled loudly.

"Cross your fingers, my friend." George said. "And if Selmak has 'em, cross them, too."

Jacob showed a weak smile.

Three bodies stepped out from the wormhole…two men and a woman. SG-1…the normal SG-1…was home.

Jacob breathed a sigh of relief.

Hammond stepped up to the microphone.

"Welcome back, SG-1. Debriefing will take place in 20 minutes."

Nodding up to the control room, SG-1 made their way to the infirmary for a post-off world check up.

"Hey, can we make a quick stop at the bathroom first?" Jack asked as they walked down the corridor.

"Sir…rules state that we…"

"Carter…look…remember that thong I mentioned…as woman, that's one thing…but it's grabbing at some things right now…some extremely precious things, if you catch my meaning…"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind a stop, either." Daniel looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Daniel?" Carter frowned.

"I need to…umm…remove…something that I needed while I was a woman…it's still there…"

"You know…I was kind of getting used to you smelling like baby powder." Jack remarked.

"Just go…I'll wait outside the door." Sam said stiffly.

"Dibs!" Jack cried out as they neared SG-1's temporary "private" bathroom.

"Fine…just hurry up…this is not nice…" Daniel squirmed.

"But at least nothing is being pinched by a piece of cloth…my ability to procreate is in serious jeopardy right now.."

"Hey." Jack said softly as he left the bathroom and met Sam outside.

"Sir."

"We…uh…need to talk."

"Now, sir?" Sam asked, meeting her C.O.'s eyes with a dull gaze. She dreaded this conversation.

"Carter…Sam…I meant what I said back there on the planet about trying to find a way to make this work. We have a lot to talk about and we both know that I'm not that good at…talking…so I'm going to need your help and patience."

"Supper sound good, sir?"

"Supper?" Jack blinked.

"Supper…food…sustenance…nutritional intake converted into…"

"I know what supper is, Carter." Jack glared.

"Good…do you know what nineteen hundred is?"

"A time." Jack said harshly.

"Wonderful…so if I said, supper at your place at nineteen hundred, what would you say?"

"I'd say bring pizza and we're on."

"Well, I feel refreshed!" Daniel said happily as he exited the bathroom, oblivious to the conversation between his teammates.

"Me, too." Jack smiled at Sam.

"Glad everyone's here." George said as he said down and looked around the table. "I'm pleased to see that everyone has returned to their normal self."

Oh, thank god he's back to normal…but I will miss those long legs of his…and how he looked in that tank top…then again, no phone call is necessary to the President.

"As am I." Jacob said.

No need to explain anything to Mark. Oh crap…will Jack and Sam still…umm...a father's mind shouldn't go there…

"As am I." Thor said.

I am relieved that there will be no need to re-name and re-paint the ships.

"As am I." Teal'c proclaimed, nodding his head.

After what I have seen in that book from Doctor Frasier...dizzy…

"Teal'c, are you sure you're okay?" Jack asked in concern. "What happened to you?"

"Walter said something about a book." Sam added.

"It was…perhaps we should continue with the debriefing. General Hammond…"

The older man nodded.

"So, I take it the cavern worked?" He asked the team.

"Yes, sir." Daniel started. "Apparently, what we missed the first time was the blessing."

"Blessing?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, dad." Sam started. "We were not properly prepared that first time, which is why we were rendered unconscious when we entered the cavern. We needed to be exposed to some of their herbs and local fruit. It's our theory that they contain some chemicals which protected us from blacking out."

"I think we could send a team back, sir." Daniel said. "They could analyze the make-up of the herbs and fruits to determine what protected us from being knocked out. There could be some medical benefits here."

"SG-8 has had a few weeks of down time…a mission like this would be right up their alley, sir." Jack commented. "Maybe send Felger with them…and forget to mention the fruit at first?"

Hammond shook his head in disbelief. Yup...back to normal...

Sam opened the door and peeked in. Some soft jazz was playing in the background. She grinned.

"You're late." Jack said, grabbing the pizza from her. "What, no flowers?"

"Sorry, Dad didn't want me to leave…flowers?"

"Yeah, flowers…aren't you supposed to bring them on a date?"

"You want flowers?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Well, traditionally the man brings them to the woman…but I figure in light of recent events, we could try reversing some roles…"

"Great…guess that means you're doing dishes then tonight."

"Hey." Jack frowned, as Sam followed him into the living room.

Sam watched Jack's back and shoulders stiffen a bit as he put the pizza down on a table.

"Jack?"

"I'm debating…" His back remained facing her.

"On?"

"On what to say…how to say it…when to say it…"

"Glad it's nothing too deep then."

"Aren't I the one who's supposed to use sarcasm in awkward moments?" Jack turned around.

Sam shrugged.

"I've always known that you're much more complex than you let most of the world see, Jack." Sam stepped closer. "Beneath that wall of cynicism and sarcasm, beats a heart that cares."

"Too much, Sam." Jack acknowledged.

"I know…it'd be easy to forget about what happened between us, wouldn't it?" Sam asked.

"No…not easy…never easy…" Jack stepped closer. "But we should. Should forget that we crossed that line. Should forget that we tossed the regs out the window. Should forget how we feel."

"Should, Jack…but will we? Can we? Can you?" Sam stepped up to Jack, a hand reaching up to caress his face. "Because I don't know if I can. We did cross that line…we opened up our own Pandora's box…and I don't think I can close it up again."

Jack closed his eyes, as if in pain.

"I don't think I can either." He whispered harshly.

Ding dong!

Growling in frustration, the door was whipped open.

"What do you want?" A tense voice asked.

"I…uh…came to see you….and…umm…"

"Spill it."

"…say I'm sorry." Daniel blurted out. "I couldn't decide if chocolates or flowers or wine was the way to go, but I thought…no, hoped…that me saying I'm sorry would be enough for you to forgive me."

Janet blinked.

"I'm sorry, Janet. You aren't the weaker gender…you aren't weak. Your strength goes beyond physical appearances…I never realized…appreciated…your emotional strength and the depth of it."

Janet sniffed.

"You're not talking about all women here, are you?"

"No…you...just you…I'm talking about your strength, Doctor Janet Frasier. And how I need your strength to keep me going."

Janet smiled.

"Cassandra's over at a friends…why don't you come in and tell me more about my strength?" She suggested.

Daniel's eyebrows raised.

"I…uh…didn't come over to do…uh…for…that….I just wanted to apologize and…hey!..."

Janet grabbed Daniel and pulled him forcibly into her house.

"You know, for a man, you talk a lot." Janet growled as she slammed the door shut behind them.

"You know, the pizza's probably cold by now." Jack mused, his fingers playing in Sam's hair.

His 2IC rolled over to face him.

"Have you heard of this wonder invention called a microwave?"

"I don't remember you being this sarcastic before." Jack replied.

"Could be some high levels of residual testosterone in me." Sam contemplated. "We didn't start acting like our modified sexes immediately…the change back to completely normal could take some time as well."

"Damn." Jack replied, as Sam straddled him. "I'm not going to have hot flashes as a man, am I?"

"I'm sure we find ways to cool you down." Sam said softly as she leaned down and started to nibble on a very tempting earlobe. "I can get pretty inventive with ice cubes."

"Hey…what am I going to do with all that lingerie?" Was Jack's last coherent statement.

- Fin

A/N : And thus ends my first SG-1 fanfic. Thank you to my reviewers, my story alerters, and those who made this fic one of their faves. You've truly inspired me to write some more stories in this area…and buying Seasons 1-3 on dvd has also helped (Seasons 4-8 will be added as the pay cheques allow). Iris closed.

- Rahainia