Chapter Two

"We're what?!" Jack roared.

"Interconnecting." Daniel repeated. "I think somehow our minds are mixing, first it was just raw uncontrolled emotions, then it quickly turned to personality traits and abilities. It explains a lot."

"I don't see how that explains anything!" Jack spat in Arabic.

"Hey, I understood that." Sam said in disbelief.

"It makes perfect sense, well maybe not 'perfect'..." Daniel shook the thought off. "You're talking in tongues because you can't control all the languages I know, Sam tried to kill Teal'c because she was channeling his symbiot's rage, I kis..."

"Stop right there." Jack warned.

"I'm just saying that it's clear that we're not acting like ourselves," Daniel continued "we're acting like each other."

"Okay, that's it, vacations for everyone." Jack stated seriously.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Clearly we've been working too closely for too long. As soon as Junior heals Teal'c I want each of you to pick a different country. Scratch that a different planet and spend at least two weeks there. No contact with each other of any kind. Especially you, Daniel, I want you as far away from me as conceivably possible. You're always griping about wanting to go to Atlantis, if you can find a way to get there...go for it."

"I highly doubt that this has anything to do with working together." Daniel protested. "Something's causing this."

"Well, think of a way to 'uncaused' it!" Sam snarled angrily. "Sorry, Daniel...I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's not your fault." Daniel smiled. "The temper is clearly Jack's influence."

"Ha ha." Jack said sardonically. "Seriously, Daniel, fix this."

"Yes, Sir." Daniel replied without thinking.

"'Sir'?" Jack repeated. "This is getting worse by the second."

"Maybe not," Sam pointed out "maybe it's actually getting better."

"Whoa, Carter, what makes you think that?"

"The fact that I think it too?" Daniel offered.

"Indeed." Sam agreed and then shook her head.

"What are you two babbling about?!"

"In a way we're slowly gaining control over what is happening." Sam tried to clarify. "It's almost as if whatever is going on here is...is..."

"Calibrating." Jack muttered.

"That's exactly the word I was looking for."

"A word I shouldn't even know." Jack sighed.

"But one that fits perfectly." Daniel pointed out. "At first we experienced just a raw and powerful emotion that wasn't our own. Right before I..."

"Daniel." Jack growled sternly.

"Sam's going to know eventually." Daniel sighed. "I assume it was her...unless you think it was Teal'c."

"Know what?"

"Nothing." Jack insisted. "Assumptions are dangerous, Danny-boy, it could have just as easily been 'me'...I do have a fairly high opinion of myself."

"Fine, it doesn't really matter, the point is, you were just about to say something about going back to the planet when it happened...right?"

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Maybe." Jack admitted.

"Why?"

"I...uh...I was..."

"Curious?" Sam asked with a knowing smile.

"Maybe."

"And are you still curious?" Daniel asked.

"No. Not in any sense of the word."

"Sam...do you still feel like killing Teal'c?"

"No, of course not."

"So clearly whatever the caused the initial reaction is trying to reach some sort of equilibrium."

"Great...which means giving a little time it will go away."

"I don't think so, Sir," Sam said in alarm "if things continue like this it probably won't be long before..."

"...we can read each other's minds." Daniel finished.

Sam and Daniel looked at one another and exchanged a nervous smile. This was going to be a nightmare. Daniel furrowed his brow at that last thought, and realized he was actually a little curious about this prospect. It didn't hurt that he couldn't think of anything that he had to hide. Jack put his head in his hands and moaned pitifully.

"Well, Kids," Jack sighed "I suggest you two go get yourselves a pair of dark glasses and a German Sheppard Dog."

"What?" They asked in unison.

"Anyone reading my mind...is bound to go blind."