AN: I'd like to thank my 7th grade English teacher who encouraged me to write but also to research research research!

A Busy Day in the Old West

Daniel starts his morning at the post office checking the land for sale bulletins. Jack and Teal'c head out and look for employment. Jack tries the carpentry jobs first. His first choice would be building furniture but he'd take anything woodworking including building barns and houses. He didn't mind smithery but it was hot sweaty work. He didn't think Sam would mind him getting all buff but she might mind him coming home reeking of iron and sweat. Especially in the winter when it was a lot more work to bathe regularly even with running water which if they built a farmhouse was going to require paying the town to run out to the land they bought unless they could dig a well.

Teal'c walks with him part of the way. "I wish to speak to you on an urgent matter, O'Neill."

Jack nods. "It's about junior, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is."

"I've got a pretty good idea of what you are going to ask of me. If I can shoot Carter, you can trust me to handle it, T."

"You have always been a true friend, O'Neill. I am honored to have you as a brother."

Jack nodded and smiled grimly. "Any time, T."

"I will indeed inform you of the time." The large man agreed.

Sam walks through town to Professor Bartok's laboratory on the outskirts. She is met in the courtyard by Mr. Ramos who greets her effusively. "Miss Carter, it is delightful to meet you. I am Huitzilopochtli Ramos but you may call me Ramos. Yonish and Ernest speak highly of you madam."

Sam smiles fondly at the swarthy man. "It is very nice to meet you, Ramos. Yonish asked me to stop by the lab this morning for a little brainstorming."

"So I have heard. Come this way please. Mr. Pratt is sleeping in this morning but Yonish is up and working on an experiment. Follow me."

Sam smiled. Nothing about Mr. Pratt sleeping in surprised her. Jack was more like his great grandfather than he'd admit. It was, she suspected, why Jack was angry at the man for his behavior. He saw himself in Ernest and some of those things weren't aspects Jack liked about himself. He didn't typically indulge in such behaviors however and she supposed at some point she needed to help him see himself for the man he is and not the man he was afraid of becoming. Ernest was, however, charming. Sam felt drawn to him much as she was to Jack. She was glad he wasn't here yet. She suspected Yonish was engaging in a pipe dream. The physics invented that made the Gates work hadn't even been discovered on Earth yet let alone a time traveling puddle jumper and what she wouldn't give for one of those right now.

They walked into the lab and Sam was zapped by something electrical. Sam shook her singed hand.

"Ah! Miss Carter! How lovely of you to join us. I apologize for my experiment. I haven't quite perfected how it works." He said to her as he took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I must admit, I am so used to Ernest's tall tales that I at first thought you were making a grand joke at our expense. However, your Mr. O'Neill knows far too much about Ernest personally for him to be anything but a relation as he claims to be."

"Colonel." Sam corrects him.

"My apologies. He did not share his rank last night. Tell me, for what is Colonel O'Neill angry at Ernest? He's quite the affable fellow really."

Sam smiled wanly. She'd never been one much for gossip anyway but especially not about Jack. "You'll have to ask him."

"Ah… I have overstepped. My apologies. Would it be fair to say you and Colonel O'Neill have something of an understanding?"

Sam blushes. "Um… Something like that." She still wasn't sure where this was going with him. It wasn't like him to be this aggressive about things but they also had never been in the situation they were, or, had been once briefly but he'd snapped her out of her hysterical reaction. Of course, arguably… there was a working Gate right up the beach from them at that time.

"I suspect Ernest has something of an understanding with many women myself. It is your own business of course. So, tell me, how it is you came to be here in this time."

She thinks for a long moment. The men who invented the math she needs to explain to even get a start on time travel won't be adults for several years, one not having been born yet. Sam then explained the Gate as simply as she could to Yonish and why it had malfunctioned.

"Truly, madam, you are describing a method of transportation that is purely fantastical." Yonish admits over the tea they are sharing.

"Yes, I realize that and in order to explain to you how quantum mechanics works I'd have to teach you math that hasn't been discovered yet and won't be for another hundred years." She says sadly.

"Might I make a suggestion?"

"Sure." Sam says with a shrug.

"Is Colonel O'Neill an honorable man?"

Sam nods. "Possibly the most honorable man I know other than Teal'c."

"Then I suggest if you return his obvious regard for you that you inform him of such. Life is too short to wait for things to happen." He says with a kind smile. "Now then, let's go through what I have on hand and see if there's any way to get you home."

Sam nods thoughtfully. She didn't hold out much hope though. The eighteen hundreds were nowhere near what she needed to get home... And yet... Orlin had built a gate with a toaster and some copper wire.

Meanwhile Daniel had wandered over to the stockades and talked to the rancher about the horses they had been offered. Mort was negotiating with the town butcher about a few head of cattle.

"Ho Jackson, yah be here for those horses? Gimme a few."

Daniel nods. "Take your time."

Several minutes later Mort returns to where Daniel is standing. "My home herd has gotten a might too big. Mares are all broody and half of them got that way by a local mustang. Chased him off but it was too late." He says chuckling. "Can't blame the fellow, had to be a purdy sight all that opportunity like that."

Daniel chuckled with him. "What were you thinking of selling them for?" He asks the other man who has an impressive handlebar mustache and grizzled hair.

"Thinkin' 'bout fifty a head. Seem fair to you?" He asks Daniel.

Daniel shrugs. "Don't suppose you could throw the saddles in for that?"

"Nah, good saddles come dear but some of the boys rode in on ones that have seen their share of wear. Thinkin' I could sell you some of those except for that moose your man rode. He's too big a feller for a standard saddle."

Daniel nods thoughtfully.

"A'ight. How about I sell you the saddles for thirty a piece and their tack for another twenty each? Figure they have a good few years left in them but might be time to retire them from drive work."

"So about four hundred total then?" Daniel says thoughtfully. "Let me go hunt down my sister and friends. That's going to cut into the reward money we made pretty quickly."

"You the one that shot that blasted rustler yesterday morning?"

Daniel shrugs. "It was a lucky shot. Had his first one not gone wild, I'd be a dead man."

"Well, why didn't you say so? That dirty rustler's been stealing my cows for years now. Take the horses with my regards, Jackson. Yah done us all a favor."

"You're sure?"

"A'yuh. One less rustler is worth a few horses and saddles. I'll be given y'all the good saddles yah rode in on as well. Yah done earned em."

Daniel blinked at the man, not believing his good fortune before nodding enthusiastic thanks. "We're looking to start a farm ourselves. This will really help." He admits as he pumps the other man's hand enthusiastically.

"Don't let 'em charge yah more than a dolla twenty five an acre. 'Taint worth more than that round here. Soil is good for sheep and not much else round these parts, mind. Thank you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Daniel assures him and Mort lets out a sharp whistle and makes a hand gesture to another hand who trots off to retrieve the horses in question with a nod.

Half an hour later, Daniel rides back to the hotel, leading the other three horses that were trained together halter to halter by a lead rope that was tied securely to the pommel of his saddle. He was whistling Home on the Range happily to himself. It was arguably the only cowboy song he knew the words to. Boarding them would be a problem over the winter as there was no way to have a cabin built let alone two of them in the short time they would have between buying the land and the snowy Colorado winter. He tied off all four horses in front of the hotel at the hitching rail and went in for lunch. He still needed to figure out where the boarding house was for the horses if they even had one.

"Gonna cost you more iffin yah want ta leave them thar horses at that rail." The desk clerk told Daniel.

"Er, no, actually I was wondering where there was a boarding stable?"

"Out the other side of that Professor Bartok's land. Horses don't much like his experiments on account of so many of them blowin up."

Daniel chuckled. "I could imagine why. I better give Sam the really calm one if she's going to be there a lot."

"If yah don't want ta put in fer bordin', there's a stable behind the hotel. Yah'll have ta take care of them yerselves but the rent's cheap on account of it bein' free and all." The desk clerk said.

Daniel nodded. Horses weren't much trouble really. Food and bedding were the biggest expenses.

Ernest Pratt wandered down the stairs looking for all the world like he'd just woken up and possibly slept in at least some of his clothing. "Doctor Jackson. Just the man I wanted to see." He says affably. "Coffee, Jim?" He asks the man who kept the dinner room tidy and made sure non-residents were charged for their meals.

"Coming right up, Mr. Pratt." He said in a friendly way.

"When I first came here, they all thought I was the character from my book. They settled down a bit after a few years but the mayor is still using it to attract tourists." Pratt says as he sits down across from Daniel. "Your friends should have no trouble finding employment today. I made a point of mentioning they know me… though… I'm a bit at odds about that whole great grandson thing. I stay on friendly terms with my lady friends. If I had any children out there already I'd know. Between you and me, prophylactics can't work that good… I'm starting to think I'm shooting blanks." He winked.

Daniel laughed uncomfortably. "I… ah... wouldn't know about that but Jack isn't known for making things up so I'm inclined to believe him."

"Oh, I don't not believe him… it's just that I don't believe him. Time travel." He made a rude noise with his lips. "Fantasy novel stuff."

"Er… science fiction actually… though I suspect that term hasn't become generally popular yet."

"Science fiction, eh? Let's leave a note for your friends to meet us at Yonish's lab. I'll tell the manager on duty to have a basket of dinner made up for them to take with them." Pratt has a familiar twinkle in his eye that makes Daniel wary.

"Sure. Did you want to take a couple of the horses?"

"No, no… it's not that long of a walk to warrant a horse ride." Ernest said quickly, avoiding the topic.

Daniel shrugged and followed Ernest through town after the other man made arrangements. "So you're pretty popular around here, huh?"

Ernest chuckled. "Kid… I'm a legend." And then he laughed with silly glee which seemed so out of place in Jack's face. It was contagious though and Daniel found himself laughing with the other man.

Daniel listened to Ernest chatter ideally about the various shop owners as they passed buildings and wave and said hello to nearly everyone they passed. By the enthusiastic 'afternoon Mr. Pratt' he heard over and over Daniel concluded it wasn't just an act for show. Everyone in town loved the guy. Honestly, Daniel wasn't shocked. When he wasn't in work mode, Jack was a really likeable guy too.

"I should warn you lots of this stuff will zap yah. Keep your fingers in your pockets. Don't touch anything." Pratt admonished Daniel.

"Now you sound like Jack." Daniel muttered.

"What?"

"What?" Daniel said back, feigning an innocent look.

Ernest shook his head and headed for the doors to the lab.

"Ah! Ernie! There you are. Honestly, you really must stop staying up all night writing if it means you sleep half the day."

Ernest shrugs. "I work better when it's quiet."

"I imagine so." Yonish says with a smile. "Of course if you'd buy a house you would have far more silence."

"Ah! I would." He said holding up a finger. "But I would not have three meals a day served to me without any effort of my own."

"Perhaps what you need is a wife." Yonish teased him.

"I would never subject some poor woman to my personality day in and day out, Yonish. It would be cruel and unusual punishment." Ernest tells him in a fake offended tone that makes Sam laugh.

"Miss Carter! How nice to see you." He says grinning. "I could make an exception for a woman as beautiful and obviously as intelligent as yourself."

Daniel yelped and pulled his hand away from a machine that arced and shook his stinging fingers.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch anything?" Ernest asked him and Sam giggled.

"My dear, what amuses you so?" Yonish asked.

"Jack is always telling Daniel not to touch stuff even though it's usually Jack touching stuff that gets us in trouble." She said, still chuckling.

"Ah. Yes. Quite droll." He said and laughed with her.

"So any progress, Yoni?" Ernest asked out of curiosity.

"Miss Carter has been explaining what quantum mechanics is and how it relates to time travel. I do not personally think we yet have the technology to achieve her desired result but I'm more than willing to give it a shot as they say."

Ernest nods. "Never hurt to try I suppose." He says thoughtfully as he looks over the math Sam has written down on Yonish's chalkboard. "You understand this?" He asks Yonish, his eyebrows drawn together.

"Not a bit of it but I'm willing to learn." Yonish admits.

Ramos smiles. "I found it fascinating and wish to learn more."

Sam grins and Ernest finds himself grinning back. She's simply stunning when she smiles and he can see why Jack has fallen for this woman. She's brilliant and beautiful. He's certain she's good hearted too. The only woman he had more than passing feelings for was sweet natured under her loud mouth and propensity for shooting people.

"Sadly Miss Carter, building a time machine is not a paying gig. With any luck your betrothed and your companion will have secured employment. Dr. Jackson, there is a position open at the post office. I realize it is beneath your skill set but employment is employment." Ernest says to them.

Daniel shrugs. "It's a living. I'd ask if you had a local historical society or museum but I think... The town isn't old enough for that yet, is it?"

"Indeed not. I came when the town was founded in eighteen sixty, only a year after R. McBroom founded the town as Petersburg. His brother had changed it soon thereafter and we're yet to even be an incorporated town. A Mr. Magnus of Sweden is handling getting us all official." Yonish told them. "There is, of course, the Nicodemus Legend historical museum and gift shop but I rather doubt that is the sort of museum you had in mind?"

"Wait… we aren't even a real town yet?" Ernest asks, his tone incredulous.

"I was unaware that you did not know that." Yonish said to him, perplexed.

"But we have a post office!" Ernest yelps.

"Indeed we do."

"How can we not be a real town yet if we already have a post office?"

Sam and Daniel look at each other and start laughing.

"What's so funny?" Yonish and Ernest ask in unison.

Sam wipes away a tear of mirth. "You sound like Daniel and Jack arguing." She says and cracks up all over again. Daniel joins her in laughing.

"His family certainly has a type." Daniel agrees, still chuckling.

Sam looks at Ramos, looks at Daniel, raises an eyebrow and says "Indeed" in a very serious deep tone.

They both crack up again while Yonish and Ernest look at them in confusion and Ramos looks a bit amused at their humor.

Jack and Teal'c walk into the lab. "Good news, campers! I got a job!'' Jack announces and plunks a basket full of food on the workbench, brushing a piece of equipment with his arm and gets zapped. "Yow!" He yelps.

Sam and Daniel crack up helplessly all over again.