Jack was grumpy. He loosened the tie and yanked it from his neck. It had been a long morning of interviewing. He stripped out of the shirt and reached for his usual black t-shirt. He had got the result he wanted though; Colonel Paul Emerson had been selected. Jack knew the other officer and had served with him in Desert Storm; Hammond and Landry had both been impressed by him and Jack knew they could work well together. Paul would transfer officially in five days time, two days before the official restructure went into effect. Everything was in place; the procedures had been revised, the new military command had been chosen and in seven days he would officially be retired.

He was looking forward to it; his job wouldn't substantially change and more importantly, he could finally be with Sam. The thought of the blonde Air Force Colonel lightened his mood although he felt a twinge of regret that she and the rest of SG1 was off-world on Dakara. Maybe, he mused, with a second permanent leader assigned to the base in the shape of the military lead he would have the opportunity to accompany them on the odd off-world assignment in the future. He swapped his pants, pulled on his combat boots and headed out of the locker room and into the base. There was a stack of paperwork waiting for him on his desk. He had just exited the elevator when the sirens started. He took off at a run for the control room.

'Walter?' Jack asked as he came to a breathless halt.

'Receiving IDC, sir.' Walter confirmed. 'It's SG1, sir.'

The Sergeant's eyes met the concerned brown eyes of the General's in perfect understanding. The last time SG1 had come back unscheduled, it had been to report Colonel Carter's disappearance.

'Open the iris.' Jack ordered already on his way down to the gate room. He was at the bottom of the ramp when Sam walked through the wormhole. He breathed an inward small sigh of relief even as he registered her set face. 'Carter.' He acknowledged her as the wormhole blinked out behind her. She had returned alone.

She came to a halt in front of him. 'General.' She focused on Jack and gestured at him with her crumpled baseball cap. 'Sorry for the early return, sir.'

'What's going on, Carter?' Jack asked.

'We have a small problem, sir.' Sam said sighing.

'A problem?' Jack's eyebrows rose.

She nodded unhappily. 'I have the Ancient gene.'

Jack stared at her. 'But you don't have the Ancient gene.'

'That would be the problem, sir.' She sighed. 'Request permission to report to the infirmary, sir.'

Jack nodded slowly. 'Permission granted.'

'I think you should come with me, sir.' Sam said lowering her voice.

'Why?' Jack asked bemused. 'I already have the Ancient gene.'

'Yes.' Sam agreed. 'But according to Daniel you were also covered by Orlin's energy when he healed me. Whatever he did might have affected us both.'

'Oh.' Jack rocked back slightly on his heels. 'You go ahead, Carter. I'll join you in a minute.'

'Yes, sir.'

Jack watched her go and rubbed his hand through his grey hair as he turned made his way back through the opposite entrance and up the stairs to Walter. 'Sergeant, rearrange my meetings for the afternoon. I'll be in the infirmary if anyone needs me urgently.'

Walter nodded his mind already leaping to the complexity of altering the General's schedule. 'Yes, sir.' He murmured although the General was already walking away.

Jack left the control room and headed to the nearest elevator. In the privacy of the small square compartment he allowed himself to worry a little. He couldn't believe that Orlin would have done anything to hurt Sam but that he had done something more than simply healing her concerned him. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. He walked through the corridors to the main examination room. He tapped on the open door and poked his head into the room to check it was OK to enter. Sam sat on a bed alone in the room. He wandered in and she looked over, her blue eyes warming at the sight of him.

'How are you doing, Carter?' He asked sympathetically as he came to stand in front of her.

'I'm fine, sir.' Sam responded automatically.

He sighed. In Carter language that meant she wasn't fine but she would sooner chew her own arm off than admit it. 'Really.'

She smiled at the blatant disbelief. She gestured weakly. 'OK. I'm a little worried.'

'I'm sure Orlin wouldn't have done anything to hurt you.' Jack assured her.

'I know.' She sighed. 'He told me when he was saying goodbye that he was going to do all he could to help me through the coming days. I thought he was talking about his healing me but now I'm wondering…'

'What he knew that we didn't?' Jack asked dryly.

She gave a small smile. 'Something like that.'

Jack couldn't stop himself reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder. 'We'll figure it out, Carter.'

She reached up and placed her own hand over his. For a moment, they both enjoyed the comfort of the simple touch.

The sound of approaching footsteps had them turning toward the door and Sam's hand slipped away from Jack's. He gave her a small squeeze before he removed his own from her shoulder. When Carolyn entered, they were back to their previous positions; Sam on the bed with Jack stood in front of her with both his hands stuffed in the pockets of his pants.

'So what's up, Sam?' Carolyn asked as she pushed past the General to get to her patient.

'Nothing, I hope.' Sam said. 'But I seemed to have developed the Ancient gene.'

'How do you know?' Carolyn asked.

Sam explained what had happened on Dakara. Jack's own eyes widened at her description of the chair's reaction to her.

'By the sound of it, it might not be just a question of you developing the Ancient gene if Doctor Cooper had problems accessing the chair because he has the gene.' Carolyn pointed out. She sighed and shoved her hands into the wide pockets of her lab coat. 'I guess it's possible Orlin did more than heal your injuries,' she murmured, 'we've never really understood what he did or how you woke up.'

Jack shifted uncomfortably. He had no idea what Orlin had done to heal her but he knew why Sam had woken up but he couldn't admit that his declaration of love for her had been the key to her recovery without risking court-martial.

'I was thinking we should run some tests on me,' Sam suggested, 'and possibly the General too.'

Carolyn's brown eyes skipped to Jack's.

'The Colonel thinks that as I was included in Orlin's energy thing that whatever he did might have affected me too.' Jack explained.

Carolyn nodded. 'That would make sense. You were both under his control for a long time.'

Jack gestured impatiently. 'So shall we get started?'

Carolyn sighed and headed for the door. She called to her nursing staff and rattled off instructions for a battery of tests. She turned back to Jack and Sam. 'I'd get comfortable. The tests are going to take a couple of hours. You'll be free to leave once they're done.'

'Great.' Sam muttered. 'When will we get the results back?'

Carolyn sighed. 'I may not get some of the results until tomorrow morning.'

'Maybe I could head back to Dakara once we're done.' Sam's eyes flickered hopefully to Jack.

He looked at Carolyn. 'What do you think, Doc?'

'I don't think that would be a good idea.' Carolyn said her brown eyes regarding Sam's unhappy expression. 'I think it would be wise to wait until we fully understand what's going on.'

'But…' Sam began.

'You heard the doctor, Carter.' Jack said firmly jumping up onto the bed behind her. 'You can head back tomorrow if everything checks out.'

'Yes, sir.' Sam said.

Jack's lips quirked at the slightly sulky tone and he settled back as Carolyn waved the nurse over. Her day of study might have been ruined but, apart from being poked by needles, his day was definitely looking up. It took almost all afternoon for the tests to be completed and both of them were hungry by the time they left the infirmary.

'Food, Carter?' Jack asked as they waited for the elevator.

'Sounds good to me, sir.' Sam said. 'Oh, I didn't get a chance to ask you earlier, how did it go with the interviews today?'

'Good. Colonel Emerson got the job.' Jack said. 'Paul's a good guy. He should fit in well.'

'When does he transfer?' Sam asked.

'In five days.' Jack said.

Sam was about to reply when the siren sounded again. They looked at each other for a split second before they both ran for the stairs.

'What now?' Jack asked as he entered the control room. A technician made way for Sam and she slipped into the chair next to Walter.

'There's an unscheduled incoming wormhole.' Walter informed him.

'Carter?'

'Receiving IDC, sir.' She hit a key on the computer and stared at the results. 'It's the Tok'ra, sir.'

Jack sighed heavily. Jacob and Selmak had been the only Tok'ra host and symbiote he had ever really gotten along with and he could quite happily live the rest of his life without seeing another Tok'ra.

'Sir, if we don't open the iris…' Sam let the rest of the sentence fall away; the General was well aware of the consequences of not opening up the protective metal barrier.

There was a moment's silence.

'Sir?' asked Walter nervously.

'OK, OK.' Jack gave in waving at the Stargate on the opposite side of the window. 'Open the iris.'

He made his way down to the gate room knowing without checking that Sam was following him. They were lined up at the bottom of the ramp when the Tok'ra stepped through the wormhole.

Jack's heart sank at the sight of Delek. Delek served on the Tok'ra High Council; his one interaction with the other Tok'ra just after the old Alpha site had been hit by Anubis hadn't left him with a good impression.

Jack stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels as he regarded the slim built man with blond hair and brown eyes. 'Hi Delek, long time no see. What brings you to our patch of the galaxy?'

'General O'Neill.' Delek inclined his head. 'We need to speak to you urgently.'

'Really,' said Jack with biting sarcasm, 'you didn't just stop by to say hi?' He glanced over at Sam and felt his annoyance at the Tok'ra ramp up another notch at the tight look in her face. It was the first time she had seen a Tok'ra since they had waved goodbye to the last of the visitors after her father and Selmak's death and he figured it had to be stirring up her grief all over again. He fought against the urge to throw the Tok'ra back through the Stargate.

Delek seemed to follow his gaze because he stiffened. 'Colonel Carter.' He shuffled as though nervous. 'I was saddened to hear about your father and Selmak.'

Sam swallowed the angry retort on her lips. According to her father, Delek had been amongst the most virulent of his detractors and it was unlikely the Tok'ra felt any sadness at all at his passing. She nodded coldly in acknowledgement of the meaningless platitude he had spouted.

Jack looked from the Tok'ra to Sam and back again in the tense silence. He gestured at him. 'So what exactly brings you here?'

Delek tugged on his dark brown tunic. 'I would prefer to discuss this matter in private.'

Jack rocked back and motioned at the SF. 'Why don't you show our,' he searched for a term, 'guest to the briefing room?'

He waited until the Tok'ra had left the room with the guard and stopped Sam with a light touch of her arm as she made to follow them. He lowered his voice to prevent the rest of the gate room picking up his comments. 'You OK?'

'I'm fine, sir.'

He sighed. There was that phrase again. He waved her out and followed her up the stairs.

He slipped into his seat at the head of the table and Sam sat at his right hand side opposite Delek who sat on the left. 'OK,' Jack said, as he turned to the Tok'ra after dismissing the SF, 'what's going on?'

Delek shifted under Jack's impatient gaze. 'We've recently learned something concerning the Jaffa at Dakara.'

Jack and Sam exchanged a concerned look.

'What?' Jack asked.

Delek met his eyes squarely. 'The weapon on Dakara was never destroyed.'