Disclaimer: 'Stargate SG1', 'The 4400' and all the characters associated with both shows belong to people who aren't me. As I doubt that the owners would be willing to trade their rights for some magic beans that aren't in any way magical, this is not going to change at any point in the foreseeable future.
Author's Note: I didn't expect to be posting this chapter so soon. Thank you all for your reviews.
Chapter Five
"How are you getting on with McKay?" Jack asked between mouthfuls of Froot Loops. "Have you been tempted to strangle him yet?"
"Not yet." Sam assured him, though she was aware that he already knew that. He had been in the lab with her most of the time over the past few days. "He's not that bad, really."
"There aren't too many people who share that opinion." He watched as she finished her yogurt and fruit. "We've got to introduce more junk food to your diet." He remarked, lifting his cereal box and shaking it temptingly. "Sure you don't want to reconsider?"
"No, thank you."
"What about one of my world famous omelets?"
Aware that the recipe for the omelets consisted entirely of eggs and beer, Sam gracefully declined the offer.
"Suit yourself." Jack grinned. "I just thought that you'd need the extra energy for our trip this afternoon. Little place called M74-162." He elaborated, watching her face light up as his words registered. "Quiet place, by the looks of things, but great weather, lots of rocks to keep Daniel happy and a weird looking doohickey just waiting for your attention."
"Really?"
"Really." He confirmed.
Although General Hammond had been able to obtain clearance to bring Sam back to the SGC, one or two of his superiors had had a few misgivings about allowing her to take part in offworld missions and it had taken time, persuasion and a full physical from Janet to confirm that Sam had returned exactly as she had left to calm their fears – though Jack fancied that his, Teal'c's and Daniel's refusals to take part in any missions until they could do so with their teammate might have helped to sway them.
"So are you sure you don't want some Froot Loops?" Jack tried to tempt her.
"Positive." She assured him. "What time is our mission?"
"Briefing at 1400, leaving an hour later. So," He smirked. "I'm afraid that you're going to put up with McKay until lunchtime."
"Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!" McKay all but snatched the notepad from her hand, scowling. He glanced over the calculations she had jotted down, snorting in derision. "Look, I know that you've been out of the loop for a while, Goldilocks, but I hate to break it to you – the laws of physics didn't magically rewrite themselves while you were away."
It was with some difficulty that Sam managed to keep her temper, especially after the 'Goldilocks' part. The idea of strangling him was starting to appeal to her. "Some of the calculations you made don't take into account…"
"I've been working on this project for three years. You've been back all of two months, back to work for barely a week." He reminded her scathingly, leaning forward to enter a few commands on the computer closest to them, bringing the schematics and notes for the project up onto the screen. "I think that you need to take a little refresher course: Naquadah Reactors for Beginners."
Half-regretting that, glad as he was to have her back at the SGC, General Hammond would still reprimand her for smacking a civilian, Sam kept her irritation at this rude dismissal in check as best she could.
McKay, though relatively gracious at first, had not been pleased by the presence of a potential rival.
She was glad that she had been cleared for offworld missions and would therefore only be working with him part-time.
"She's got a point about the decay rate of naquadah." Dr Lee pointed out timidly. "We have been having a lot of problems compensating for the inherent instability. If Captain Carter's calculations are correct…"
"They're not!"
A few feet away from her the computer screen flickered briefly, sparks leaping from the keyboard when a paper cup of cold coffee, carelessly abandoned on top of the monitor, tumbled down, splashing it thoroughly.
McKay and Lee abandoned their argument to help her mop up the spillage before it could spread to the files and notes on the bench.
"Remind me to strangle Jay the next time I see him." McKay muttered grimly to nobody in particular.
"How do you know that it was him?" Sam asked.
"Because everybody else here knows better than to leave liquids lying around like that."
"Um… Rodney?" Dr Lee, who had resumed his study of Sam's calculations, and her suggestions for improvements to their long running project. "You really should take a look at this."
"At what?" The notepad was thrust into his hand, the key equation indicated with a point of a finger.
"This is what we've been missing." Dr Lee said, delighted with the breakthrough.
McKay scanned the page several times, searching for an error of some kind and finding none. "Well, this is… I guess you can never underestimate the value of a fresh pair of eyes, can you?" He said at last. "Not that I wouldn't have spotted it myself." He amended hastily. "Because I would have, probably a long time ago if things hadn't been so crazy around here lately."
"Of course."
"Still," He gave her the slightest of smiles. "Good work."
Afternoon
Shouldering his pack, Mitchell hurried towards the 'gate room, thrilled to be going offworld again. The briefing, though it had lasted just under twenty minutes in reality, had seemed to stretch for hours before General Hammond had dismissed them to gear up.
In his haste, he collided with Colonel Makepeace, almost sending him flying.
"Easy, Major," Makepeace grinned. "No need to run me over."
"Sorry, sir."
"It's alright." Makepeace waved the apology aside. "Never thought I'd see anybody so excited about going on a routine survey." He observed good-naturedly.
"It's been a while since SG-1 went on any missions." Mitchell explained sheepishly. "Colonel O'Neill asked to be taken off the mission rotation for a while…"
"Until Carter was able to go with them again?" Makepeace suggested shrewdly. ". I guess Jackson and the Jaffa wanted to stay put too. I guess I can't fault them for that. Pretty hard on you, though." He clapped the other man on the shoulder. "You should have asked Hammond to let you tag along with another team on their missions. You'd have been more than welcome on SG-3."
"Never thought of that." The lie came awkwardly. He had been afraid that if he had become temporarily attached to another team, he would find himself summoned into the general's office and told that his transfer was to be made permanent.
"You'll know for the next time." Makepeace glanced at his watch. "You'd better run if you don't want to be late. Have fun."
"Yes, sir."
Colonel O'Neill was speaking when he reached the 'gate room.
"M74-162, here we come." He quipped as Mitchell joined the rest of the team. "Everyone got everything they need?" He asked. "Because we're not coming back if anyone forgot anything – Daniel?"
"When did I ever ask to go back to pick something up?" Daniel demanded indignantly.
Jack glanced at Sam, who stood next to him. "I wanted to bring a cake to celebrate your first trip through the stargate in six years." He assured her solemnly. "But I was overruled." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Daniel's got the cookies and chocolate in his pack." She laughed. "No giggling." He warned, trying to sound serious.
"Yes, sir."
In front of them, the chevrons on the stargate glowed as they locked into place.
A few moments later, Walter's voice filtered through the loudspeakers. "Chevron seven locked."
"Never gets old, does it." Jack remarked as the stargate came to life.
The satisfaction in General Hammond's voice was plain to all when he spoke. "SG-1, you have a go."
TBC.
Author's Note: I'll have the next chapter out soon, in the meantime, please review.