"So I took his card and told him I'd call him if I 'found out' where Jack was." Sam was leaning on the bench in Daniels office, Howard's business card between her fingers.

Daniel sipped his coffee slowly. "And why exactly do you think this guy is looking for Jack?"

Sam flipped the card over and slid it to Daniel so he could see the Illinois DFCS logo and Chicago address. "Do you remember the story he told us last year when we were all helping him pack before he left? When I found my father's letter?"

Daniel barely glanced at the card and rolled his eyes at Sam, "How could I forget?"

Sam again pushed the card under Daniel's nose, "Remember the beginning of the story? Howard...Howie..."

Daniel scrunched up his face in thought. After a prolonged moment he put down his coffee mug and stared at Sam. "You think this guy is the little boy Jack knew when he was in foster care? Like 45 years ago?"

Sam shrugged, "It's possible, isn't it? Jack said the two of them really bonded but when Howie went home all communication was cut off. It was a strong enough connection that he ran away after that. It could have been strong enough that Howie would spend a lot of time and effort looking for him. This Howard said that Jack did something for him ages ago that he never got to thank him for."

Daniel looked up at her with a shrug, "To be fair there are a lot of people out there who could probably say the same."

Sam shook her head, "He didn't know Jack was in the Air Force. He had found out he had been enlisted but thought he never reupped. He had to have known him from before Vietnam."

"And been tracking him all this time?" Daniel wondered aloud, fingers tracing the edge of the card.

"Isn't possible?" Sam leaned back. "I mean I know it's farfetched but if someone had really helped you out when you were in foster care wouldn't you want to make sure they knew you appreciated it?"

Daniel nodded slowly, "I guess..."

"And doesn't it make sense for someone who felt some kind of connection to the system to want to work for them and make it better?" Sam's eyes were earnest as she waited for Daniel to confirm her thoughts.

Daniel shrugged, "I mean, it's possible. You met the guy, I didn't and I trust your judgment; if you think that's who this guy is then you're probably right."

Sam smirked and leaned over the table to grab the card back.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

She let out a long sigh, "I honestly don't know." she lowered her eyes to the name on the card. "I could just give this to Jack...but what if I'm wrong? Or what if I'm right but he doesn't want any reminder of that part of his life? He's completely detached himself from it. I don't want to stir something up which is just going to make him unhappy." She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. "I just don't know what to do."

"Bout what?" Cameron asked as he entered the room still in his gym gear, followed shortly by Teal'c.

Sam slipped the card off the desk and into her pocket. She shrugged lightly, "Just whether or not I should tell General O'Neill something."

Cameron smirked, "You mean that you blew up that big honkin' space gun on PX2374 before we had a chance to try and bring it back through the gate? He's going to be sooo disappointed."

Sam rolled her eyes, "No...well...yes...but I'm going to write that in the mission report! I don't need to tell him that personally...right?" She bit her lip and anxiously looked at the faces of her teammates.

"Yeah, because you know he reads all those mission reports." Daniel smiled.

Sam's shoulders slumped, "Great. Something else I need to decide how to tell him."

Teal'c glanced at the clock on the wall, "You should make your decision shortly Colonel Carter, General O'Neill's plane was scheduled to land not long ago."

Everyone's eyes jumped to alien.

"What?" Daniel was the first to ask.

Teal'c tilted his head and glanced around the room, "General O'Neill has a scheduled base inspection today. He is to be arriving at Cheyenne Mountain at 1000 hours."

Cam's eyes went wide and he took a quick glance at his disheveled gym outfit, "Oh crap!" was all he muttered as he sprinted out of the door in the direction of the locker room.

The remaining members of SG-1 exchanged amused glances.

Sam sighed, "I suppose it would be appropriate for me to change into my blues as well...I can't believe he didn't call and tell us he was coming!"

Teal'c raised his eyebrow, "Perhaps he found it unnecessary as he assumed you to have read the memo."

Daniel pursed his lips and got up to shuffle through a pile of papers on the counter. After a number of books and papers and artifacts were shuffled or dropped he finally turned, with a single paper held triumphantly in his hand.

"Base Wide announcement, blah blah blah" he began to read aloud, "Homeworld Security inspection, blah blah...Friday 1100 hours...Class A's NOT required by request of the general" Daniel glanced up and smirked at Sam who visibly relaxed, "blah, blah, blah...will be inspecting all departments and teams in individual and group meetings beginning with maintenance and base operations at 1030 and finishing with SG1 at a time to be determined..." Daniel stopped reading out loud and slammed the paper to the desk, before exclaiming, "You have got to be kidding me!"

"What?" Sam asked reaching across the desk for the memo.

Before she could read for herself a familiar voice in the doorway recalled from memory the line that had Daniel pouting, "'And as a final note from General O'Neill, base personnel are requested to refrain from discussing his visit with those who may not have read the memo. For example, a particular archaeologist with a penchant for ignoring Air Force business and from whom a surprise inspection is likely to illicit an amusing reaction.'"

Sam immediately turned and jumped out of her chair when he started speaking but the smile on her face was in direct contrast with her rigid attention pose.

Jack smirked, "At ease Carter."

"Good to see you, Sir." she grinned at the sight of his casual recline against the door frame, completely unaware of the crease he was putting in his heavily decorated uniform jacket.

"You as well, Colonel." He smiled warmly before turning his attention to the glowering archaeologist.

He tilted his head to try and make eye contact with Daniel who sat with his arms crossed, "Oh come on Danny. What's this? No jumping for joy to see me? I'm hurt, really."

Daniel held up the memo, pointing to the offending instructions, "You had to add that?"

Jack shrugged, "Well, I was right, wasn't I? You didn't read the memo and I am now heartily amused. Best way to start the day!"

Daniel shook his head, "You're lucky I miss you more than I'm angry with you. One of these days I will not be so forgiving."

Jack just smirked as he turned his attention to Teal'c holding out his hand and blinking in surprise when Teal'c slapped his palm in a series of motions as opposed to the anticipated forearm grasp.

"T?"

"The new team of Marines have an interesting greeting ritual which I have been endeavoring to perfect."

Jack nodded in slow understanding, "Ooookay. You just be careful around those jarheads."

"Always O'Neill." Teal'c inclined his head solemnly with a subtle tilt at the corner of his lips.

Jack shook his head and turned back to the room, "Anyway, I was just passing by as Landry is expecting me but I'm glad I caught you three. Obviously we have things to discuss on base but I'm here for the weekend. Maybe we grab drinks and burgers in town tonight? Vala and Cam could come too but might also be nice to be the 4 of us again."

Sam glanced briefly at Teal'c and Daniel before turning back to Jack, "Of course, Sir. When do you think SG1's on base meeting will happen?"

He glanced at his watch, "I'm hoping to fly through most of this but I will probably get bogged down by the geologists and botanists like always," he rolled his eyes, "And I want to dig into what happened last month with SG4 so we'll probably end up around 1800?"

Sam nodded, "Okay, so how about the Black Rose Bar and Grill around 2000?"

Jack shrugged, "Sure, whatever works for the group." He glanced at his watch again, "Gotta go. See you kids in a few hours!"

Daniel looked at Sam, "We're all going to be together later, what's the point of picking a place and time?"

Sam smirked and pulled the business card from her pocket, "I have an idea."