Disclaimer: 'Stargate SG1' and all the characters associated with the show belong to someone who isn't me. As I doubt that the owners would be willing to trade their rights for some magic beans that aren't in any way magical, this is not going to change at any point in the foreseeable future.

Author's Note: To Nikki - I quite like Martouf, but he strikes me as somebody who would be fun to torment.

Chapter Nine

"I believe that you are tired, Samantha." Martouf observed as Sam yawned for the third time in as many minutes, either not seeing or not heeding Jack's gestures to shut up. "Perhaps you ought to go to bed."

"I'm not sleepy!" Sam's predictable objection would have slightly more convincing if she had been able to keep her eyes from starting to drift shut.

"You appear to be."

"It is getting late, Sam."

Jack groaned inwardly as Teal'c and Daniel both seconded Martouf, wondering how they could possibly be so clueless about four year olds - or about Sam Carter, for that matter.

"I don't want to go to bed!" Keeping her eyes open out of sheer stubbornness, Sam scowled at them. It had been a busy day and she was tired but there was no way that she was going to admit that now.

"You heard the lady." Both the adults and the child looked surprised by Jack's words.

"Jack, I don't think..."

"Daniel," Jack cut him off warningly. "If Sam says that she isn't tired, then she isn't tired."

"But she is clearly..."

"Ah!" Jack raised a warning finger in the Tok'ra's direction before returning his attention to Sam. "We can all head to your room and watch TV if you like - you've never seen 'The Simpsons', have you?" She shook her head sleepily, looking close to dropping off then and there. At least she had some excuse for being taken in by his cheerful words; Daniel, Teal'c and Martouf were wide awake and they were all looking at him as though he was insane to even consider doing anything other that bundling the little girl straightoff to bed. "Of course," He continued in a would-be casual tone. "It'll be easier if you get changed for bed now, so we can watch TV without being interrupted later, right?"

"Okay."

As soon as the female SF who, in Janet's absence, was responsible for giving Sam any help she needed with washing and dressing, had left with the little girl, Jack turned to the other three with a frown.

"'Perhaps you ought to go to bed'?" He quoted Martouf disbelievingly. "That's probably the best way to get her to insist on staying up half the night."

"I do not understand." Poor Martouf looked bewildered.

A small, smug smile tugged at the corners of Jack's mouth. "Watch and learn."

As Jack had expected, Little Sam didn't even make it to the end of the first episode before her body lost its battle against sleep.

Moving as smoothly as possible, he lifted her up and gently transferred her from the couch to the bed, motioning to Teal'c to switch off the television.

Sam stirred a little when he set her down and she felt the covers being tucked around her. She yawned widely, holding out her arms. "Kiss." Once Jack had obediently bent down to accept her hug and kiss her on the forehead, she mumbled "Night-night" before rolling onto her side and falling fast asleep.

Jack straightened, adopting a gruff tone. "This gets to be one of those things that we never speak of again." He announced as he led the way out of the room, switching off all lights save the dim night light.

"I do not understand why you recommended staying up when Samantha was clearly exhausted." Martouf observed disapprovingly. "Surely it would have been better if she had gone to bed immediately."

"Good theory – except that she wouldn't have gone. Not without a fight, anyway."

"Do human children not obey their elders unconditionally?"

Jack winced slightly at Teal'c's query, remembering the warnings about how dangerous guns were and the admonitions never to touch them that had been forgotten as soon as one was within reach.

"Jack's got a point." Daniel conceded, thinking back on his own childhood obstinacy.

"Besides, this is Carter we're talking about." Jack said. "'Sleep' is practically a dirty word."

Nobody could argue against that.

"When I meet with my contact, I will try to send a message to Jacob." Martouf said.

"Oh you don't need to go to so much trouble." Jack said hastily.

"It is no trouble."

"What if Sam doesn't recognize her dad?" Daniel asked. "It might upset her."

"Did Samantha have any memories of any of you when she was first altered?" Martouf asked curiously.

"No." Jack grimaced at the memory of the difficulty he had had carrying the little girl bodily back through the stargate. He was rather surprised that he didn't have teeth marks on his hand.

"Sam didn't recognize anybody except for General Hammond." Daniel supplied.

"And she's known him since she was in diapers."

"Surely General Hammond looked different when Samantha was a child."

"Yeah - he probably had hair back then." Jack joked.

"Yet she recognized him." Martouf persisted. "This could mean that her memories still exist in her mind, and that they are dormant at present."

"So why General Hammond and not us?" Daniel asked, intrigued.

"As Colonel O'Neill pointed out, Samantha was acquainted with the general as a child. Perhaps her mind was able to form the link between the man she knew then and the man she knows now as a result."

"So Sam's memories are in there somewhere, but she's not ready to access them yet."

"I believe so."

"That's not much good, is it?" Jack asked dryly.

"Given time, she may remember her adult life on her own."

Jack grinned briefly at the idea of a four year old Sam ordering the techs around and tinkering with her doohickeys before his expression became serious. "Let's hope she's back to normal before then."

Although none of the others spoke, they all shared this sentiment.

The next morning

"Good morning, campers!" Jack greeted the three – well, two and a half – members of his team cheerfully before acknowledging Martouf with a nod. "Marty."

"Hey, Jack."

"Good morning, O'Neill."

"Good morning, Colonel."

Sam, engrossed in another breakfast construction project, this one bearing a startling resemblance to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, scarcely noticed his approach. George the Rabbit sat in a chair next to her, observing her through glassy eyes.

"Were you able to actually get any food into her?" Jack asked.

"Do chocolate donuts count as food?" Daniel quipped.

"The jury's still out on that one."

"What have we planned for today?" Martouf asked eagerly.

"Well, Hammond said that you're free to explore the base." Jack said hastily.

"What will you and Samantha be doing?"

"There's a lot of 'gate activity scheduled for today." Jack directed his words at Daniel and Teal'c. "General Hammond thought that it might be a good idea if you know who wasn't underfoot."

"Are we to go to the zoo again?" Teal'c queried immediately.

Jack's prayers that Sam hadn't heard this went unanswered.

"Are we going back to see Mr Einstein?"

"Not today. You don't want to overdo it." He said hastily, hoping to avert a tantrum, or, worse still, tears. "Besides, wouldn't you like to take George for a day out."

She nodded eagerly. "Uh-huh."

"Where will we be going?" Martouf, thankfully, did not hear Jack's faint groan as he included himself in the party.

"Any ideas where we can go, guys?" Jack appealed to his friends. Child-friendly activities in Colorado Springs was not one of his areas of expertise.

"I have heard of a place where humans do battle in a ring of jello."

"Okay…" Jack took a moment to digest Teal'c's suggestion. "Any ideas that won't get us arrested?"

TBC.

Author's Note: That's all for now. Next Up: SG-1 -and Martouf's - day out. Don't forget to review.