Sam was reeling from the revelation of her next assignment and the fact that she had to pretend she was married to the man she wished she was really married to. She was on her way to the infirmary to see Dr Janet Frasier. Frasier had just finished running routine tests on SG-13 after they had come back from a recon mission.
"Hi Janet." Sam said. Frasier turned and saw her.
"Oh hey Sam. I'll be done in a minute." Frasier said, and then she turned to SG-13. "Thank you gentlemen, you're free to go." Then the team walked out. "What can I do for you, Sam?"
"Do you have any of the inhibitor fluid that masks my protein marker from Goa'uld detection?" Sam said.
"I sure do." Frasier said, reaching into a cabinet and pulling out a vial of blue liquid. "Are you going undercover on a Goa'uld ship?"
"Yes, I'm going undercover, but not on a Goa'uld ship. It's a pair of Goa'uld who have been working here in Colorado, under out very noses." Sam said.
"Ouch. How did they get here?" Frasier asked.
"We think Niarrti may have given them her cloaking technology. They could have snuck by us at anytime without us knowing." Sam said.
"Alright. So what's the assignment?" Frasier asked curiously.
"They run a marriage counselling clinic. Couples have gone in there and have either come out different or not at all. We have to go in as a married couple whose marriage in on the rocks and find out what's going on. It's our job to expose them and stop them." Sam said.
"Sounds reasonable. Who's going to be playing your 'husband'?" Frasier said. She noticed Sam shift uncomfortably and look anxious.
"Colonel O'Neill." Sam said, sheepishly.
"Herein lies the problem, right?" Frasier said.
"Janet, I have been trying so hard to conceal my feelings for him and I think I've done well. But now we have to pretend we're man and wife and I'll end up getting to know him more intimately." Sam said.
"And let me guess, you don't know if you'll be able to conceal them much longer." Frasier said.
"Exactly. I mean we'll be playing out one of my all time fantasies about us, what I hope we can one day have." Sam said.
"That does put you in an awkward spot. I wish I knew what to say to help you because I can't tell you not to fall in love with him, but it's too late for that. My best suggestion would be to keep running the regulations through your head over and over again and think of what's at stake." Frasier said.
"But that's the appeal of it all, the fact that it's forbidden. Janet, it takes all of myself control and restraint not to kiss him when we're in the same room, let alone in a life or death situation." Sam said.
"That is intense." Frasier asked.
"There have been a number of times where we've been close, so much so I can almost taste a kiss, hoping he'll kiss me, but he doesn't." Sam said.
"Wow. So, do you love him?" Frasier said.
"Janet!" Sam exclaimed. She was taken back by the question.
"It's a perfectly legitimate question. Do you love him?" Frasier asked.
"It's against regulations." Sam said.
"I'm not asking if Major Carter loves Colonel O'Neill; I'm asking if Samantha Carter loves Jack O'Neill." Frasier asked. Sam thought about it. All the times she had almost lost him, all the times he had been hurt, missing, tortured. How she felt all those times. His reactions to when she was injured.
"Yes, I think I do." Sam confessed. "I don't know what to do Janet."
"Well, all I can suggest is that you think of the regulation and keep them in mind as you're both working. Think of it as a challenge. You've never shied away from a challenge before." Frasier said.
"That'll be hard because we have to be convincing as a real married couple whose marriage is in crisis." Sam said.
"Then talk to him. Tell Colonel O'Neill your concerns; maybe tell him how you feel." Frasier said.
"I can't do that! I can't tell him because it would put him in an awkward position and jeopardise our working relationship. Besides I could be risking a court martial." Sam said.
"Not if you don't act upon it. As for jeopardising your working relationship, well, it's your choice. You need to do what you think is best." Frasier said.
"Thanks Janet. God, I hope I don't screw this up." Sam said.
Meanwhile, in the commissary, Jack was sitting with Daniel and Teal'c.
"Come on guys, I need some help here. I have to pretend I'm married to the woman I wish I really was married to. How do I do this without letting her know?" Jack said.
"I suggest that while you are in this assignment, you think of the reasons why you cannot really be with her." Teal'c said.
"Easier said then done. So this is basically the closest I'm ever going to get to the real thing? I don't think I could handle that." Jack said.
"What would be at risk if you were to become involved?" Teal'c said.
"We both risk court martial, loss of our commissions, no hope of ever joining the military again." Jack said.
"Not if nothing happens. Talk to Sam; tell her your concerns.2 Daniel said.
"And risk creating an awkward situation which would jeopardise our professional relationship? I can't do that. I still need her on this team and I want a clear air of untense atmosphere between us. And even if I did talk to her and found out she felt the same, it would still create a tense atmosphere because we wouldn't be able to do anything about it." Jack said.
"O'Neill does have a valid point. To jeopardise his current relationship with Major Carter is to jeopardise any future missions we have as a team as well as the one at hand." Teal'c said.
"Well, all I can suggest is to either talk to Sam or keep you're concerns to yourself. Either way, it's your choice." Daniel said.
"Yeah." Jack said absentmindedly.
"But if you want my opinion, and I'm sure Teal'c will agree with me on this. Don't let regulations stand in your way. Remember, the world owes you one and it's time you cash in." Daniel said.
"Thank you Daniel. I just so hope I don't screw this up." Jack said.