Alternate Politics

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a/n: I was persuaded into writing this chapter by my new friend, Katie, who insists that I say: I dedicate this update and chapter to my favorite girl in Alabama, Katie! She rocks my world. (hangs head in shame) The things I can be talked into doing!

Unfortunately, it isn't as long as it was originally supposed to be because I have been trying to write it and watch the Superbowl at the same time. (It isn't working out quite well!) So, after trying to balance the two for the last two hours, I'm giving up and posting what I've got. I'll post another chapter sometime this week to make up for this short one.

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Chapter Four

Jack, of course, was last to make it to the briefing room. Walking in, he noticed Tobias, Teal'c, and Daniel already sitting at the table, and General Hammond still in his office, probably waiting on Jack to finally arrive. "Anyone know what this briefing's about?" Jack asked, taking his customary seat at the table.

"Uh, no, I have no idea," Daniel answered, lifting his head from the book he had brought with him.

Jack looked over at Tobias, expecting her to tell him that the meeting had something to do with some engineering thingamabob she was working on.

"I don't have a clue, sir," she announced before he said a word.

Jack made a face and turned his attention to Teal'c, but before he could ask the silent jaffa, Hammond opened his office door and made his way to the briefing table.

Jack and Claire both started to stand up before Hammond motioned for them to remain seated. "At ease," he said, taking his seat at the front of the table. "I called this meeting to inform all of you that Col. Tom Smith from Area 51 is currently assembling a team to go through the gate to Hanka and set up an observatory."

"Sir?" Jack asked, wanting more information.

"According to data Captain Carter has been studying, there is a black hole in the vicinity of Hanka. In two months time, an eclipse is going to take place which, Captain Carter believes, will allow us to see the black hole. The Pentagon believes the information we can gain from such an occasion warrants the cost of this observatory."

"Will Captain Carter be a part of the team?" Daniel asked.

"In a way, yes. Captain Carter will be on base helping the team get the parts through the gate to Hanka. Because of her status here and at Area 51, she will be acting as the diplomat between us and Col. Smith's team. However, her work load is keeping her on earth until the day before the eclipse when she will accompany SG-1 through the gate to witness the eclipse."

"SG-1, sir?" Jack asked with a huge smile on his face.

"Yes, colonel. SG-7 will be accompanying Smith's team through, but I figured SG-1 could use a small assignment that isn't life-threatening for once. Not to mention, Captain Carter requested your company."

"My company?" Jack asked, in almost a squeak.

Hammond eyed Jack a moment before answering. "Your team's company, colonel."

"Of course," Jack said, throwing his hands up in the air, in a subconscious act of nervousness. "My team, that's what I meant."

After a few more details were discussed, Hammond dismissed them and Jack hurried to his office before Daniel started badgering him, again, about his attraction to the blonde captain.

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'Okay,' Jack mentally encouraged himself. 'I can do this! Just walk in there, nonchalantly acknowledge her, crack a funny joke, and ask her out. Easy. I can do this,' he continued, pacing back and forth in front of the stairs leading up to the control room.

Jack was so caught up in his encouraging chant, that he failed to notice General Hammond turn the corner for the control room and stop and watch Jack pace the small corridor.

"Colonel, what are you doing?" Hammond finally asked.

Jack immediately stopped and, with his hands shooting up into his hair, turned to see General Hammond standing in front of him with a very bemused look on his face. "Uhhh….just thinking, sir," he said in almost a question.

"Well, stop," Hammond replied and then continued to walk towards the control room steps.

Jack turned to watch Hammond go and noticed several technicians and Captain Carter watching the scene between him and Hammond. 'Damnit!' he cursed under his breath. 'They must have heard Hammond yell. No reason to stay out here now,' he mumbled below his breath before following Hammond up into the control room.

"Colonel O'Neill, it's nice to see you again," Carter greeted, a warm, slightly humorous smile on her face.

"You, too, Captain," Jack greeted, noticing the humorous glint and wondering if she knew he had been pacing the corridor for a good ten minutes.

Sam reported Col. Smith's progress to General Hammond before he continued up the spiral staircase to his office. Jack watched the men working in the gate room for several minutes after Hammond left before getting up the courage to talk to Sam again.

A few minutes after Hammond headed up to his office, two technicians had disappeared and the third had gone to the back of the room to record some readings. Figuring it was now or never, Jack cleared his throat and turned to Carter. "So, uh, how long are you going to be in town?" he coughed out.

"Oh, a few days," Sam answered, looking over at Jack and smiling shyly.

Jack nodded his head, nervous and unsure of how to continue. After clearing his throat, again, Jack put his hands in his pockets and turned back towards the pretty captain. "Uh, you, uh, going out to dinner again with Hammond's daughter?"

"No, not this time," Sam replied as she typed in control functions on the computer in front of her. "I, actually, haven't even gotten around to calling her this trip."

"I see," Jack replied, tipping himself back and forth on his heels. "So, you don't have dinner plans tonight?"

Sam lifted her head and looked over at Colonel O'Neill, a look of surprise on her face. 'Was he going to ask me out?' she wondered. "Um, actually, I do have plans for dinner," she replied, a little disappointment in her voice.

"Ah," Jack responded and pulled his hands out of his pockets to fidget with some buttons on the wall. "Hot date?" he asked with his back turned to Sam, almost too low for her to hear him.

"Uh, no. It's with Daniel," Sam said as she watched the colonel mess with the intercom buttons.

Hearing her response, Jack whipped his head around to face her again. "Daniel? You're going to dinner with Daniel?" he asked, quite obviously flustered.

Sam cringed slightly after Jack's reaction. "Yes," she replied, her forehead wrinkled.

"You, you know he's married, right?" Jack asked, his voice rising slightly in irritation. 'Why would Daniel ask her out?'

"Yes, I know he's married," Sam replied, still looking at Jack like he just fell off his rocker.

"Okay, well then, you two kids have fun then, I guess. I should probably let you get back to work here before Hammond has my ass for slowing you down. I'll see you later." And with that, Jack turned and fled from the room.

The technician turned around and walked back over to his monitor, taking a moment to look at Captain Carter and size up the lost expression on her face. He had to get the description just right for the rumor mill, after all.

Jack left the control room and headed straight to the office of none other than the SGC's resident archaeologist. "DANIEL!" Jack roared, walking into the young man's untidy work area.

"Jack!" Daniel tried to yell back, but it somehow never came out sounding as belligerent as Jack's.

"Got plans tonight, Danny-boy?" he all but growled at the younger man.

"Uh, yes, actually, I do. Sam and I are going to that new Chinese restaurant that opened last week. Why?"

"You and Sam. You and Sam. You are going on a date with Captain Carter?"

"I guess I never really thought of it as a date. We were talking and she asked if I'd have dinner with her tonight. Hmm, I wonder if this means she's paying.." Daniel mumbled, already lost in thought, rubbing the back of his neck.

"She asked you?" Jack roared, his face red. "Captain Carter asked you out? Of all people, you!"

Daniel looked back up at Jack. "Jack, are you trying to give me a complex?"

"Daniel! Are you forgetting about your wife? You know, the woman you're supposed to be spending every waking minute searching the galaxy for? One hot blonde who can speak more technobabble than you and you just completely forget about Sha're!"

"Jack! I have not forgotten about Sha're! She's my wife! Sam and I are friends. There's nothing wrong with two friends having dinner!" Daniel yelled at the colonel.

"Sure, Daniel," Jack said in a calm voice, completely in contrast to his explosive behavior. "You just keep telling yourself that," he quietly finished, throwing the archaeologist a disappointed look and walking out of his office. His shoulders much more slumped than they had been in quite some time.

A few hours later found Jack knocking on Teal'c's quarters. He had spent the majority of his day locked up in his office, fuming about Daniel and his date. By 1900, he figured Daniel and Captain Carter would definitely be out of the mountain by now and decided to venture back out into civilization, or at least what passed for civilization 28 floors underneath a mountain!

"Hey, Teal'c, what's up?" Jack asked after walking into the jaffa's living quarters.

Teal'c looked up at the ceiling. "Immediately above us is the ceiling, O'Neill. How far up were you referring?"

"Uh, no, Teal'c. It was just an expression. It means what are you doing."

"Then why not just ask what it is I am doing?"

"Because, it's an expression, just, never mind, Teal'c, okay. We'll….keep working on it," Jack finished, not feeling any less stressed than he was before he left his office.

Teal'c bowed his head. "What brings you to my quarters, O'Neill?"

"Oh, nothing, really," Jack said, sighing and taking a seat in one of the chairs.

"Is there something on your mind, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked after watching Jack fidget in his chair for several minutes and sigh exasperatedly.

Jack shot his head up to look at Teal'c. "Why do you ask?"

Teal'c stared at his friend and lifted his eyebrow.

"It's just….Did you know Daniel went out to dinner with Carter tonight?" Jack blurted out.

"You are unsettled by Daniel Jackson and Captain Carter having dinner together?"

"No!…….yeah."

Jack shuffled around in his seat some more and then buried his head in his hands.

"I do not believe there is any romantic interest between Daniel Jackson and Captain Carter," Teal'c announced in his monotone voice.

"And yet, they're having dinner together," Jack said through his hands.

Teal'c cocked his head, a gesture that was not seen as Jack still had his hands covering his face. "Captain Carter merely invited Daniel Jackson to dinner to take his mind off of Sha're."

Jack lifted his head up to look at the jaffa, confusion creased across his face.

"Daniel Jackson confided that today was the anniversary of his marriage to Sha're."

"Ah, shit!" Jack cursed, realization dawning on his face. "I'm such an ass," he sighed and looked over at his friend. "I accused him of cheating on Sha're with Carter."

"I believe Daniel Jackson understands your actions, O'Neill. He will forgive you, of that I am certain."

"Well, at least someone is. I think I'll head over to his apartment to apologize. They should be done with dinner by now." Jack stood up and headed for the door, reaching the door, he turned back around to Teal'c. "Thanks, Teal'c."

"You are welcome, O'Neill."

After changing into his jeans and t-shirt, Jack headed out of the mountain and over to Daniel's apartment. By the time he entered Daniel's building it was already 2030. Figuring he was probably home by now, Jack took the elevator up to the third floor and knocked on Daniel's apartment door.

"Who is it?" a female voice sounded on the other side of the door.

"Uh, Captain Carter?" Jack asked, his heart rate quickening at hearing her voice.

"Yes."

"It's Jack O'Neill. Is Daniel in there?"

Jack heard the lock click and a second later the door opened to reveal Sam Carter. "Hi, colonel," she greeted and opened the door wide enough for him to enter.

"I didn't know you would be here," Jack told her, completely honest.

Sam gave him a small smile. "I thought drinking would be a good idea. So, after dinner we came here."

Jack smirked. "So then, where is Danny-boy?"

"He…. passed out," Sam told him, crossing her arms across her chest and rolling her eyes as she tried to suppress the grin that wanted to spread across her face.

Jack smirked even bigger. "How many beers did he have?"

"Two."

"Just two! And he passed out!" Jack laughed in disbelief.

"And three shots of tequila," Sam added, her face scrunching slightly in worry.

Jack looked at Sam. "You gave Daniel tequila?" he gasped.

"I didn't know he couldn't handle it," Sam whined, a pleading look on her face. "I even made sure it didn't come with a worm."

Jack laughed out loud. "Daniel's the biggest light-weight ever when it comes to drinking."

"Yeah, now you tell me," Sam said sarcastically and laughed.

Jack's heart jumped at hearing the woman laugh and turned warm, laughing eyes back to her pretty face. "Thank you. For doing this for him. I should've remembered. I guess….. I'm not such a great friend after all."

Sam smiled at the colonel. "Daniel was telling me earlier how great you've been since he returned from Abydos."

"Really?" Jack asked in surprise and took a seat at Daniel's small dinette table.

Sam gave the colonel another warm smile. "Yeah, he really looks up to you. He told me if anyone can get Sha're and Skaara back, it will be you," Sam told him, taking a seat across from O'Neill at the dinette table.

"I don't care if it's me who gets them back or not, as long as someone gets them back. They're both great people. They don't deserve this. No one does," Jack sighed.

Sam reached over and covered Jack's hands with her own. "You'll get them back. I'm going to have to agree with Daniel on this one," she said in a low voice, looking in his eyes with a small, shy smile playing on her face.

Jack couldn't move. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He just sat there, holding her hands and staring into her beautiful blue eyes. Finally, when he noticed her cheeks were starting to redden, he coughed lightly. "Uh, anymore alcohol left?"

Sam lowered her gaze, trying to recompose herself and get her cheeks to go back to their normal color. "Yeah, quite a bit, really. There's more than half a bottle of tequila and probably eight bottles of beer left."

"Sweet," Jack said, standing up and opening the fridge, pulling two bottles out and handing one to Sam.

Sam smiled and took the proffered drink. "Wanna play cards?" she asked.

Jack smiled warmly. "Sure."

A couple hours later, Daniel woke up and stumbled to the kitchen where Sam and Jack were laughing and slamming cards down on the table. "What are you doing?" he asked, holding his head in his hands.

"Playing war. Wanna play?" Jack asked, looking up at the disheveled man.

"Uh, no. Don't you think we get enough of that at work?" Daniel asked, only half-joking as he opened a cupboard and took out a bottle of aspirin.

Sam smiled at Jack and then looked over at Daniel. "Are you going to be okay, Daniel?' she asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, thanks, Sam," Daniel said, popping the pills and slugging down half a bottle of water.

"Why don't you go on to bed and I'll take Carter back to base," Jack suggested.

Daniel nodded his head and started heading towards his bedroom.

Jack watched Daniel stumble down the hallway. "Um, I'm going to go make sure he gets all tucked in. I'll be right back," he said, standing up.

"Okay. I'll pick up our mess out here before we go," Sam returned.

Jack followed Daniel to his bedroom and helped the younger man find his way back in bed. Once he was sure Daniel was lying down and wasn't going to fall off the bed, he apologized to him about his earlier behavior. Just as Teal'c predicted, Daniel forgave him and mumbled something about good luck and Sam before falling back to sleep.

Jack grinned at the geeky man who had somehow wormed his way into his heart before heading back out to the awaiting captain.

"Daniel's out again," he said, walking back into the living room.

Sam smiled. "Good. I picked up our mess, but I really don't think he'll even notice," Sam said, looking around at Daniel's disorganized apartment.

Jack laughed. "Yeah, Daniel gets so involved with his work, he doesn't pay attention to where he puts anything."

"I guess if it wasn't for the military, I could've ended up like that," Sam cringed, walking towards the door.

"Thank God for the military, huh?" Jack joked, seeing the captain's jacket hanging over the back of Daniel's recliner and retrieving it for her. He walked up behind her and helped her put it on.

"Thank you," she said softly after slipping her coat on and turning around to face Jack.

"Anytime," he whispered, his eyes locked on hers while his hands still rested on her shoulders. Before he realized it, he had moved closer to the captain and leaned in, gently touching her lips with his own.

The feel of her lips against his caused Jack to back away slightly, not wanting to force her into anything and knowing she had quite a bit to drink.

Sam opened her eyes and looked at Jack. Instead of backing away, she leaned back in and captured Jack's lips with her own.

Jack was stunned. He knew she was probably drunk, but at the same time, her lips were causing all sorts of fuzzy feelings all over his body. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, his tongue begging for entrance in her mouth. Sam's lips complied and let him in to taste and explore the confines of her sweet, warm mouth.

Moments later, Jack pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. "You okay?" he whispered, his hands playing with her hair.

She smiled. "Yeah, great," she whispered back.

"I should get you back to the base," Jack said in a disappointed tone.

Sam let out a sigh. "Yeah," she whispered, her eyes shifting to the floor.

"Dinner…..with me, tomorrow?" he asked, still playing with her hair.

Sam lifted her head back up to meet Jack's gaze. "I'd like that."

Jack smiled warmly. "Good. Me, too."

Sam smiled back and then leaning back up, kissed Jack again. The kiss was meant to be short and sweet, but it turned passionate rather quickly and when they finally pulled away, they were both panting for air.

Jack moaned and smiled at Sam before finally removing his hands from her hair and leading them both out of Daniel's apartment.

He dropped her back off at the base and went home with a huge smile plastered on his face.

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a/n: So, like I said above, my mind is being pulled in two different directions, so if this chapter is really bad, let me know and I'll just delete it and try to come up with a better one. Damn my love for football!