AN: In celebration of that damn ppt finally being done as well, here's a litte bit more. :) Please R&R!

Chapter Two

By the time he rejoined Teal'c, the hour was up. The miserably hot sun was sinking along the horizon and he knew they should start back. Unfortunately, Carter and Daniel were either pretending not to notice the time or they were really that amazed by the humming slab of rock. Jack and Teal'c slowly approached, catching snippets of a conversation that really should have been quite funny. Carter had found some sort of panel that opened to reveal crystals, crystals which appeared to have something to do with the humming, and she practically had her head shoved in the alcove behind the panel. Her voice was lilting and musical, as it always got when she found some form of technology she hadn't mastered by the age of five. Daniel was crouching beside her, so close that had it been anyone else Jack would have been seriously annoyed, with his head shoved under the panel Carter had opened. He too was raving about something or other. At first glance they appeared to be talking to one another, each making a statement or posing a question before pausing for a response. But each of them was having their own conversation, answering their own questions, and it just so happened that their timing was so bang-on that it seemed they were talking to one another.

Teal'c looked intrigued, immediately trying to make sense of the indecipherable conversation. Jack knew better, instead amusing himself by creeping up behind his friends, squatting down, and announcing that their hour was up.

Daniel turned toward the sound, jerked when he saw how close Jack was, and promptly fell on his ass trying to put some space between them.

Carter jumped at the sound of the colonel's voice, smacking her head into the machine, and clutching her forehead with both hands. Her sudden movement caused her to lose her balance. Jack, who'd positioned himself way too close on purpose, found her resulting collapse into his lap to be well worth the glare he received when he pried her hands away and insisted on examining her forehead.

Teal'c hid his smile while Daniel prattled on about what a truly remarkable discovery they'd made. Jack reluctantly allowed Carter to scramble to her feet while he tried to hide his grin. His bad mood had been erased that quickly. Amazing what having Carter in his arms for ten seconds could do for his psyche.

"Jack, we have to stay here and study this."

With a sigh, Jack pulled his eyes away from Carter, who was either sporting a sunburn or was still blushing. Jack was quite proud of himself for having caused such a reaction in his unflappable second in command and there Daniel was, trying to ruin it. "Why?"

"Because it's unbelievable. It could be the biggest discovery yet!"

"What is it?" Jack was still unable to ascertain what purpose the rock seemed to have besides amusing Carter and Daniel for hours, which he realized might well have made it worth keeping on that prospect alone.

Daniel floundered for words for a moment. "I don't know, but these symbols must mean something and obviously, it's still working."

Jack shook his head. "Maybe it's a bomb, Daniel."

Daniel looked concerned, as though he had no legitimate argument to offer that it wasn't a bomb. "Wouldn't General Hammond love to hear that we found a marvelous new bomb?"

Jack turned back to Carter. Her sunburn had faded which only caused him to smile. But her attention was glued to the rock. "Carter?"

"Hmm?" She squatted back down to examine the crystals.

"Carter?"

Snapping out of it, she realized it wasn't Daniel talking to her. "Oh, sorry, sir."

He smiled, trying to force himself not to be angry over having been forgotten so quickly. "Any ideas what this is, Carter?"

"Sir, the power source should be studied. This machine is obviously very old and it's still working." She frowned for a moment. "Presuming, of course, the humming is within its normal functional parameters."

"Oh, yes, it's very old."

"Yes, sir." Carter was trying to read him and his exceedingly flat tone.

He took pride in the fact that none of them ever quite could. "And I'm getting very old standing here trying to figure out what the hell this very old rock is!" He thought about his words and once again felt like an idiot in front of his friends. "Well, besides, that it's a very old rock."

As usual, Carter took the safe, vague route. "Sir, this device needs to be studied. Daniel and I could stay here while you and Teal'c head back for the gate. A scientific research team could join us in the morning to begin-"

"No."

Carter actually looked confused. "No, sir?" She wasn't used to not getting her way.

"No. There's no chance in hell that I'm leaving the two of you here with something that is so damn fascinating that you don't notice someone coming up behind you." Carter opened her mouth to dispute his words, but he reached out and poked the red spot on her forehead. "No."

Undeterred, Carter smiled. "Then we need to bring it with us, sir."

Jack took a moment to assess the device which still looked very much like a rock to him. It was about two feet long and a foot wide and three feet high. If it was rock, there was no way they'd be able to carry it that far, especially not over rough terrain in the dark. "We'll send someone back for it." He watched as Carter and Daniel met each other's eyes for a moment and he knew he was about to get tag-teamed.

Daniel stepped up to one side of him. "Jack, there's no telling that it will still be here or that we would even get clearance to come back here. Some Goa'uld could be on his way to grab this right now."

"Which would mean we probably shouldn't be here when he comes calling."

Carter closed in on the other side. "Sir, this power source could have infinite military applications."

Jack ignored Daniel's argument because he was fairly certain no one besides Carter and Daniel and their over-educated friends were all that interested. Carter's words, however, were teasing him. Because while he was fairly certain there were no military applications for it, he couldn't be sure she was wrong. "Carter, it's a humming rock. Are we going to use it to annoy the Goa'uld to death?"

"Maybe, sir." She cracked a smile and then pulled out all the stops. "Please, sir? We may not know what it is yet, but we can stay here and study it until we know for sure that it's safe. Please?"

Jack didn't have a clue what to do with begging. He'd never had to face a begging Carter, and he decided that was a very good thing because he realized he had no chance. "Fine. We'll stay here tonight and you've got until noon tomorrow to come up with a definitive purpose. I mean it, Carter." Carter's face broke into a huge smile as she turned back to her toy.

"Teal'c, you and Daniel head back for the gate. Let General Hammond know we're staying and that we'll check in first thing."

Teal'c barely had time to nod his assent before Daniel's whining made him grimace. "Jack! That's not fair! I should have just as much time to study it as Sam! There's just as much chance of me figuring out what it's for!"

"Daniel, two people have to head for the gate and I already pointed out that you and Sam are far too engrossed to defend yourselves while you're playing. Go." He started looking around for another rock to sit on.

"That's not fair. Why can't Sam go with Teal'c?"

"Quit whining, Daniel." Jack's search for a good rock wasn't working, so he sat down right where he was. "Carter has a head injury." Not that the bump on her forehead would really merit any attention, but it seemed a viable excuse.

"You're just being nice to her because you like her more." Daniel slung his pack over his shoulder roughly.

Jack grinned. "No, Daniel, it's because she's prettier than you are." Carter started snickering as she leaned in to examine the crystals once again.

Jack listened to the sound of Daniel stomping off as long as he could hear him. No matter how petulant Daniel was acting, Jack always preferred to have his team together. As soon as the sun was down, he ordered Carter to stop playing with the machine and eat dinner. She barely got two bites in while she yammered on about the endless possibilities of the device. Jack frowned dejectedly because apparently, her audience didn't matter. She would have behaved the exact same way had it been Daniel sitting there with her. She'd happily talk at whoever was there.

Bored senseless, Jack was at the point of seriously wishing he'd gone with Teal'c and left the two scientists to play. Teal'c wouldn't have said a single unnecessary word. "Ok, Carter, I'd volunteer to take first watch, but I know that's just silly."

Carter grinned at him from the far side of the ridiculous rock. "That's ok, sir. I'll take it."

"That's what I thought." He rolled his eyes at her. "Don't forget to look around occasionally for intruders, ok?"

"Yes, sir."

"Don't make me regret this." He couldn't resist the threat, since he knew Carter would sooner die than let him down.

She grinned widely. "No, sir."

With that, Jack laid back, closed his eyes, and tightened his hold on his gun. He refused to be lured into a false sense of security about the place or its humming whatsermajiggy, but all the same, he fell asleep listening to Carter's quiet discussion with herself. All things considered, there wasn't really anywhere else he'd rather be.