Two days later, SG-1 pulled up outside a quaint-looking building on the edges of Colorado Springs.
"This is the place." Jack said, turning off the engine.
"Right. Remember; you two are James and Sally O'Neill, you've been married for 5 years and have spent the better part of the last year arguing." Daniel said.
"Yeah, Daniel, we've got it. Look, we need to come up with some problems in our marriage. You're too involved in your work." Jack said.
"You don't spend anytime with me." Sam said.
"The spark has gone from our relationship." Jack said.
"I want kids and you don't." Sam added.
"Ok, that's good. Now Teal'c and I will be listening to everything and we'll be right there if you need us." Daniel said.
"Alright, we've got it." Sam said. Then she and Jack got out the car and headed towards the reception. Sam was wearing black trousers with a red, sleeveless polo-neck top with a white suede jacket, while Jack was wearing beige trousers, black t-shirt and black leather jacket.
"Good luck, Mr and Mrs O'Neill." Daniel sniggered.
"Shut up Daniel." Jack shot back sarcastically. They walked inside, but before they got to the reception, they put on their 'wedding' rings. "Let's go." They went to the reception. "Hi, we're the O'Neill's, I'm James and this is Sally."
"I can introduce myself, thank you very much." Sam snapped. Outside, Daniel was impressed.
"Nicely done, Sam." He said. Back inside, the receptionist looked at them.
"I'm surprised I remember who you are, you're never at home." Jack retorted.
"Very good, Jack." Daniel commented.
"Let me guess, you're here for marriage counselling?" The receptionist said.
"Ya think?" Jack said sarcastically.
"I need you both to sign in and then wait in that hall there." The receptionist said. Jack and Sam both signed in and went to the waiting area. There were 5 other couples there.
"Daniel, Teal'c, we're in." Jack whispered.
"Good. Sam, do you sense any Goa'uld?" Daniel asked.
"Not yet." Sam said.
"Keep your eyes open." Daniel said. Then Jack and Sam heard a door open and two people stepped out. Sam turned to Jack.
"Colonel, it's them, they're both Goa'uld." Sam said.
"Daniel did you get that?" Jack said.
"Loud and clear, O'Neill." Teal'c said.
"Welcome everyone. I am Thomas and this is my wife Rose. Please won't you come in?" Thomas said. Everyone started to file.
"And we're walking." Jack said. Sam giggled lightly.
"Alright, Good luck." Daniel said. Once they were all inside, Rose shut the door.
"Now, we will each go around the room and introduce ourselves and explain why we are here and what we hope to accomplish." Thomas said.
"We're the Roxtons, I'm Steve." Steve said.
"And I'm Diana." Diana butted in.
"How many times have I told you; don't butt in." Steve said.
"Don't talk to me like I'm a child." Diana whined.
"I will if you stop acting like one." Steve said. Jack and Sam looked at each other.
"Needless to say, you seem to have a problem with communication and behavioural problems. Next please?" Thomas said. The couple next to Jack stood up.
"I'm Rosanna and he's Charles. We're the Burtons. His problem is he's too dependent and possessive of me and he's a wimp. He needs some backbone." Rosanna said.
"No, I'm not. You're domineering and short fused." Charles said.
"Excuse me?" Rosanna fumed.
"Nothing dear." Charles said timidly.
"Ok, we have a one sided relationship lacking confidence. Next please." Rose said. Jack and Sam stood up.
"I'm James O'Neill and this is my wife Sally." Jack said.
"I've told you, I can introduce myself." Sam snapped.
"Count yourself lucky I remember who you are, you're never home." Jack snapped back.
"You never have time for me when I am." Sam said.
"So we have a break down of communication and bad time management resulting in the neglect of each other's needs and feelings. Next please." Thomas said.
After everyone had introduced themselves, Thomas and Rose had them all facing each other.
"Now, I want you all to verbalise what is wrong in your marriage. This is a communications exercise and that mean no interrupting. James, Sally, why don't you go first?" Thomas said. Outside, Daniel and Teal'c were listening in.
"Alright guys, you need to really convince them that your 'marriage' is in trouble." Daniel said.
"Sally, if you would care to go first." Rose said.
"James, I love you but I can't go on like this, hiding how we really feel. Letting our work get in the way of our relationship. I know I work a lot, but that's because it shields me from the truth. The bottom line is I want to have children and you don't and it's driving a wedge between us. When I am home, you never touch me anymore. The spark has gone from our relationship." Sam said. Outside, Daniel and Teal'c were impressed.
"How much of that do you think is true?" Daniel said to Teal'c. Teal'c simply raised his eyebrows. Inside, Rose turned to Sam.
"Very good, Sally. James, it's your turn." Rose said.
"Sal, I wish you would pull yourself away from your work long enough to see that I miss you and I know I ignore you, but that's just my spiteful way of trying to make you understand how I feel. I miss the times we used to share together and my bottom line is, I don't think I'm in the position to have children, but that doesn't mean that I never will be." Jack said. Again, Daniel and Teal'c were impressed.
"For a minute there, I honestly believed him." Daniel said.
"It was though he was talking to her as though she was his real wife." Teal'c said. Inside, Thomas was pleased.
"Good, you've both embraced you problems, which will make them easier to work through. Steve, Diana, it's your turn." Thomas said.
3 hours later and the session was over. Jack and Sam headed out to the car.
"Well that was a supreme waste of time." Jack said.
"We have to play this thing through to the end to see what those Goa'uld are doing there, even if it means pulling more time with the most sinfully boring people on the planet." Sam said. Jack looked at her, amused by what she just said. "What?"
"Carter, I'm impressed. It appears my sarcastic wit is finally rubbing off on you." Jack smiled..
"No, it just means I've been hanging around you way too long." Sam smirked. Jack opened the car door to Daniel clapping at them.
"And the Oscar for best performance goes to…" Daniel said.
"Knock it off, Daniel." Jack said as he got into the driver's seat.
"You have to admit. We had them fooled." Sam said as she got into the passenger seat.
"We almost bought it." Daniel said.
"Yeah well, whatever. I just hope all of this isn't for nothing." Jack said as he drove away.