"Next Saturday night."

Jack's eyes briefly widened in horror before he quickly suppressed the reaction. "Next Saturday? It's…" As he paused to find the words, Sam noticed a slightly lost and confused look in his eyes. "I haven't seen him for a long time."

Sam realised Jack was anxious about meeting his old friend after so long, uncertain of what reaction might greet his sudden reappearance in Daniel's life. Guilt weighed heavily on her ex-CO – guilt about losing touch and shutting them out.

"Then maybe it's a good place to start," she commented.

"At a party full of strangers?"

"It's strictly SGC only."

"And that's better because…?" He'd lost touch with so many people from the SGC that he'd respected and admired, if not been friendly with. Would they all be accusing and recriminatory? Jack now believed he was at fault but that didn't necessarily make facing up to these people any easier. He genuinely wasn't sure why any of them might want to see him again.

Sam understood this much more than Jack imagined she might. Rising from her seat she approached him, sighing heavily as she neared his chair. Not wishing to be in the more vulnerable position, Jack got up too so he could meet her eyeball to eyeball.

"We aren't gonna bite your head off, Jack, not even Daniel," she said, trying to use a tone of reassurance, although Jack didn't appear to be reassured. "And you can hide in a crowd."

"Why would I want to hide?"

Sam didn't reply at first, simply pursing her lips and eyeing him impatiently. "Isn't that what you've been doing?" she asked after staring at him disconcertingly for a while.

"I told you, I've been here the whole time, just around the corner. That's not hiding."

"Yeahsureyabetchya," she replied in a tone laden with sarcasm and Jack looked at her sharply, then remembered he wasn't her CO anymore so couldn't pull her up on it. She was right of course. He had been hiding, in plain sight, but hiding nonetheless.

Thinking this was the opportunity she'd been waiting for, Sam sucked up a sharp intake of breath to steady her nerves before plunging on. "I need to know what happened Jack. Something... anything." Her eyes showed confusion, doubt and, worst of all, pain.

He gulped, rubbing his hands over his face to hide his consternation. "Decided you can't just move forward?" he asked, referring to the conversation they'd had in the commissary. When his hands moved away, he was avoiding her eyes.

"I just need… don't I deserve something?"

Jeez, she knew how to play him and he wasn't used to it. She'd been his subordinate, and as such she could never have pushed him like this. Now she wasn't she could be Sam. Jack decided he kind of liked that even though she was leading him somewhere he didn't really want to go.

"Yeah, I guess you do," he replied, worrying his lip with his teeth. Urging her back into a chair he sat beside her groping for words, forcing himself to look at her while he spoke stumblingly. "S-something happened and it brought the nightmares back."

"Post-traumatic stress?"

"I guess." He tried to keep his hands still and concentrate on Sam. If this were important to her he would make himself tell her. Jack didn't want to lose what they'd found again, however small that was. "I just… I needed to get out Sam, but it wasn't easy. I tried to deny it for a long time, fought hard. Eventually, although I knew I had to, I resented having to go."

Sam was shocked to hear him confess he'd been cracking up. He might not have said it in so many words but, fundamentally, that was the story, or at least part of it. He'd had enough; it was as simple as that. After all, how much can one man be expected to take in a lifetime? She got it.

"You were hurting so you pushed us away because you didn't want to show it, or for us to know. You never did like anyone to think you might just be human, Jack. Did you believe we'd think less of you?" He was startled by her swift grasp of his situation and regarded her open mouthed.

"A-am I that obvious?"

"I didn't work with you for all those years without learning a little something about the O'Neill psyche." His hands were clasped together on his lap and she placed one of hers on top of them.

"It wasn't so much to do with you thinking less of me, Sam, or maybe that was part of it. It was… you-you reminded me of everything I'd lost."

"Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry. I wish I'd known." She wondered what he'd think if she put an arm around his shoulders in comfort, just as he had done for her many times, but she thought better of it as he might just believe she pitied him. So instead she squeezed his clasped hands gently.

It hurt Sam to imagine how it must have been for him, having to leave something he loved and unable to face his friends. He'd needed time. If only he could have told them, but Jack would never have done that. How could he?

"I guess I always thought I'd be okay, and once I was everything would get back to normal again, with you, Daniel, and T, that is. I never thought you'd give up on me, but you stopped trying, or that's the way I saw it."

Sam's heart broke. It was hard to hear this from him. He was right, they had given up because they thought he didn't want them around, and they'd left him to deal with his nightmares alone. They should have been there for him.

She couldn't quite believe he was being so open now when he had been so closed only a couple of years before. Jack might not have said very much but what he had said explained everything. Poor Jack. She wondered what had sparked it all off and if he would tell her if she asked.

"I'm sorry," she said weakly, "And now?"

"I'm fine. Great!"

"Really?"

"Would I lie?" he countered, his mouth creasing up with an ironical grin, and then he straightened up, pulling his hands away from her grasp, and the intimate moments were gone. "Anyway, that's how I ended up here. The rest you know, I guess."

Sam seemed to be considering everything he'd said, and Jack could see he'd upset her. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Sam, not then and not now. You know I'd never want to do that don't you?"

She nodded feebly, but her eyes were watering a little and she was trying to hold back the threatening tears. Jack wanted to pull her into his arms but knew that would only make things worse. Sam was desperate to maintain control, he could see that.

"I didn't mean to make it sound like I was blaming you for anything," he said.

"But you did, didn't you?"

He nodded and he heard a gasping sob, but she kept hold of herself.

"Not anymore," he said, trying to reassure, "I should have called when I was ready, but I didn't."

"Because you thought it was too late?" she queried and he nodded again. "It's not too late, Jack."

He smiled and reached a fingertip up to her hair and tenderly brushing the long fringe out of her eyes. "So you said. You need a haircut, Colonel."

She chuckled, his joviality helping to reassure her, and it was so typical of Jack to try escaping from a subject he didn't feel comfortable about like that.

"Yes sir!" she exclaimed with a small salute, pleased she'd got this much from him. It was way more than she'd expected. "So, what about Daniel's party?" she asked, going along with his need to get away from that subject. "He'll be so disappointed if you don't go. We all will. Please say you'll come."

Jack drew in a deep ragged breath. "Will you rescue me if things get a little… too much?" he asked with a quirky smile. Although the response was spoken in a light-hearted manner, Sam knew there was some genuine need in the question. She resolved to speak to Daniel about keeping his behaviour and questions in check for Jack's sake. Daniel could press Jack too hard, and his hurt feelings and anger might make his penetrating interrogation worse than normal. Sam empathised with both of them and realised it would be Daniel's probing and censure that Jack would wish to avoid most of all.

"Yes, I'll rescue you. I'll stick to you like glue if you want, make sure you don't get hassled," she said with an affectionate smile.

Jack reached out and squeezed her arm, his head cocked to one side and a small half smile on his lips. Then he nodded. "Okay, I'll come."

"Good. I'll look forward to it."

"Me too, I think."

Now they were both back on an even keel Sam looked at her watch, clucking to herself. "Damn, I was hoping we might have more of that chocolate cake, but I've got to get back to the SGC."

Jack was disappointed she couldn't hang around for a while and watching her leave was so much harder than he thought it would be. As the door closed behind her, he sprung into action, catching up with her in the hall.

"Um, I'll walk you to your car?" he said with a slight query in his voice as if seeking permission.

"That would be nice," she replied, more than happy to accept that gesture of friendship, and pleased by it.

They didn't talk much but Jack tentatively placed his hand in the crook of her back as if to steer her to her destination. She smiled up at him as his hand touched, stirring memories from their shared past. Sam had always loved when Jack did that as her CO, steering her gently through the corridors of the SGC with a gentle touch that was close to forbidden – normally about as far as he could push it to show his affection for his second-in-command.

It had been a long time since he'd done that and the feel of his hand on her back made her shiver with a frisson of delight. It told her much more than Jack himself would say. It was his move in this game of chess they seemed to be playing.

When they reached her car door, Jack caught hold of her jacket to stop her. "Um, Sam, don't tell Daniel or Teal'c what I told you. I guess I'll have to tell them myself one day, just… not yet."

She agreed, flattered he'd confided in her while thinking Saturday night might be easier if Daniel knew, but she understood. "W-what sparked it all off Jack? What happened?" she ventured to ask.

He pursed his lips considering his response. At first she thought he wouldn't answer and Sam was quite taken aback when he finally spoke. "Let's just say I put myself in harms way and got harmed. It's classified."

She eyed him in amazement. "What? You went on some kind of mission? Not off-world, I'd have known."

"Of course not. Two star generals don't go on missions. It wasn't like that. But there's still plenty of danger right here on Earth. I, um, went missing for a while."

"Oh my God, I think I remember! We thought you were on vacation."

"Don't think the Pentagon wanted people to know one of their generals was missing." His tone was sardonic and his face bore a cheeky grin.

"Someone kidnapped you, captured you, what?" Her curiosity was overwhelming. She had to know.

"Sam, don't ask!" he cried, but when he saw her expression he sighed and decided to tell her a little more. "There was some pain and a sarcophagus involved," he said emotionlessly. The memory of it was painful to him but he fiercely tried to suppress that anguish.

"What? On Earth?" she asked with astonishment, and then considered further. "It can't have been Ba'al."

"No, it wasn't Ba'al. Way more sinister than that."

"Not Goa'uld at all," she replied, catching on quick to his hints. "Human. Trust, something…"

"Like that," he finished for her and she looked at him aghast. No wonder it was classified. Someone on Earth had got hold of a sarcophagus and, reading between the lines, was using it pretty much like Ba'al had when he'd captured Jack a few years ago.

She grasped his arm, looking worried. "They tortured you." Jack said nothing to confirm or deny. He'd already told her more than he'd imagined he ever would and it was actually quite cathartic, which surprised him.

He'd been taken, badly tortured and then resurrected again in the sarcophagus, just like had happened with Ba'al. Not as bad or as long-lasting as the Ba'al experience, but bad enough, and made worse by the fact that the atrocity had been carried out by humans with their own sinister agenda. They'd wanted information, just as Ba'al had, and they'd wanted to test the power of the sarcophagus that had fallen into their hands from who knew where. Jack knew almost everything there was to know about the Stargate program, so he had been their choice as guinea pig.

Ironically, it had been the NID who had come to his rescue. Jack dreaded to think what might have happened if the NID hadn't already been looking into the group of bastards who had taken him. His captors had become the captives and Jack had ensured the sarcophagus was destroyed, much to the annoyance of the NID, and O'Neill's superiors. No way, no how, had he wanted that dangerous temptation to become the subject of human experimentation. Too dangerous, too tempting.

Jack considered the experience to be the nail in his coffin as far as his career in the Air Force and his close involvement with the Stargate program were concerned. In the end the sarcophagus withdrawal and the later PTS, had proved to be too much. He had fought one last time, himself, his demons and nightmares, and the folks in DC, but this time he had lost the fight with himself, and as a result he'd lost everything that had been dear to him.

Jack still wasn't sure he'd fully recovered from that experience or loss yet and thought he probably never would. But one of the most precious things he'd lost was sitting right here now, talking to him about it and he realised he should be grateful for small mercies because he'd been given a chance to find something he'd believed had disappeared forever.

Sam loosed his arm and scrubbed her hands through her hair, stunned and tormented by his revelation. No wonder he'd got an acute case of PTS. "Final straw?" she asked, her voice quivering with pent up emotion, and he nodded almost imperceptibly. "And now? Are you all right now?" Her obvious deep concern touched him in a way he thought he'd never be touched again and he let out a shaky sigh.

"Physically I'm fine, better than ever. All that crap about my knees and back, forget it!" he admitted with a small curve of a smile on his lips. That unsought outcome had been one of the ironies of his situation.

"But mentally?" she dared to probe, knowing it was this issue that was so hard for Jack to take, or talk about.

"I'm okay now. Mostly," he confessed in a small voice that moved her almost beyond words.

The urge she had to take him in her arms was almost overwhelming, but she resisted the impulse. She didn't dare to touch him. He'd exposed himself enough and she knew he wouldn't be able to take much more. Sam found it almost unbearable to imagine what he'd gone through, and what she was putting him through now. Although she was grateful for his confidence, that he had been willing to give her so much just because she'd asked, enough was enough.

When she thought back to what had happened between the small group of friends, Sam was filled with deep guilt and regret.

"Oh my god, and we just… if we'd known… we should have known something was… we were your friends and we abandoned you. You were right to be angry with us."

"Sam, stop already. We've been over this. Fault on both sides, remember?"

She frowned ruefully. "Seems there were sides after all. Jack, I'm so sorry. We should have been there for you."

"Don't," he responded, "it doesn't matter anymore. You're here now." Jack was more concerned with moving forward than raking over the ashes of the past. This was a fresh start and it meant a lot to him.

Sam gave him a weak smile. "Why are you telling me all this? It's not like you." She thought she'd ask that one final question while she was on a roll as she might never get this opportunity again.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips once more. "You're my friend aren't you? What else are friends for?" he said, grasping the tops of her arms gently and leaning in to kiss her forehead softly before stepping back to let her go. She nodded as if she understood, but wasn't sure she did. Was this friendship or the start of something more? That question would nag at her for many weeks to come.

Out of the car mirror she could see him standing still and watchful as she drove away. He didn't move until she was out of his line of sight, and for all she knew he could have stood in the parking lot for a long time after that, deep in thought.

Daniel Jackson's house in Colorado Springs:

It was an emotional reunion, way more emotional than Jack might normally have liked, but on this occasion he was moved by it.

When Daniel opened the door to find Jack standing there holding a crate of beer, his face broke out into the biggest grin Jack thought he'd ever seen. Taking the beer from Jack's arms, he placed it on the floor and then gave Jack a huge bear hug, accepting him back into his life as if he'd never been away. Initially, the stiffly nervous Jack was a reluctant recipient of that hug, but after a few awkward seconds he willingly allowed himself to relax into it, and return the compliment.

"It's good to see you, Jack. I'm glad you came."

"Nearly didn't."

"Yeah, I figured that." Daniel stood back and looked Jack up and down. "Come in! You're looking well," he said as he led him through the hall.

Jack was dreading the moment of walking into a room full of SGC members he hadn't been in touch with for way too long. They probably all thought he was a standoffish, arrogant jerk, but he'd come because he had to face up to them, and face Daniel's wrath. He was surprised, therefore, when he walked into the living room and Sam and Teal'c were the only people there.

"Um-er…" Jack stuttered, "I-I thought…"

"Sorry, I lied about the party," Sam confessed and Jack looked at her in amazement but his witty and sarcastic riposte was left unsaid when Teal'c approached and bowed his head.

"It is good to see you again, O'Neill." A glimmer of a smile crossed his lips as he rose from the bow, and Jack grinned.

"You too, old friend."

The two hugged briefly, thumping each other on the back in a manly fashion, which made Sam smirk with amusement, and Jack turned to face her. "So there never was a party?"

"No. I'm sorry I had to lie to you, but we thought you'd never come if…"

"If I thought it was just the three of you instead of a whole room of people?"

"You can't hide from just the three of us. In a room full of people you could play avoidance for hours," she explained truthfully.

Sam had expected him to be angry but to her surprise Jack laughed and, because laughter is contagious, in the end all of them were laughing in their individual ways. When the mirth died down, Jack demanded a drink from his host, who got him a beer, and he sat down at last.

"What?" Jack asked when he realised all three of his ex-team mates were looking at him.

"We got the band back together, as Mitchell might say," Daniel replied with a smile.

"Glad it makes you go to your happy place, Daniel."

"And what about you, Jack, how do you feel about it?"

'Here we go with that feelings crap again,' Jack thought. 'Daniel just loves to ask the awkward questions, but then he wouldn't be Daniel if he didn't.'

"It's good to see you all," Jack said aloud.

"Don't overwhelm us with your enthusiasm," Daniel quipped sarcastically.

"I mean it," Jack replied earnestly. "It's me who's overwhelmed."

Hiding behind his beer can, just as he had a cup of coffee a couple of weeks earlier, Jack tried to conceal the turbulent emotions this reunion had stirred up. Why had he kept away for so long? He'd just let things fall apart and then it had seemed too late to pick up the broken pieces.

In keeping with her promise, Sam sat next to Jack as if to protect him from too much scrutiny and too many questions. Jack was grateful and wondered what she'd said to Daniel that stopped the flow of questions he might normally have expected in this situation. The three members of SG-1 sensed Jack's unease and the conversation was too light and bright at first, with Jack remaining mainly silent but just watching the interactions of his old teammates.

"What's this?" Daniel asked with a grimace as he fished something out of Jack's beer crate. "It's soft and squishy." Whatever it might be was wrapped in aluminum and Daniel started to unfold it gingerly.

"Oh!" Jack exclaimed, "I forget. I brought that along for Sam." He snatched it from Daniel's hands. "Thought you might like it," he said with a shy grin, handing it to her. Curiously she unwrapped it and squeaked with delight.

"Chocolate cake! Thanks," she said with a bright beam, leaning to whisper in his ear conspiratorially. "If you behave yourself tonight I might even share it with you later." Her wink was exaggerated and Jack laughed, watching with a smile as she carefully wrapped the cake up again.

"Chocolate cake?" Daniel enquired, hoping to be let in on the joke. Cake had been a private joke between the original members of SG-1 for a long time, but he didn't get the chocolate cake reference at all. Jack and Sam just looked at him, said nothing, and then exchanged secretive little smiles.

"Oh for Christ's sake you two, get a room!" Daniel exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

"Daniel!" Both Jack and Sam cried out in unison, and Sam blushed a delicate shade of pink.

"I'm sorry, did I say that out loud?" Daniel replied, the picture of innocence.

"Stop! This isn't funny," Jack retorted, angrily. "There's nothing… Sam and I… Aw crap! I need a pee," he declared and sauntered out of the room as casually as he could in the circumstances.

"Told you he's still got it bad," Daniel said, turning towards Sam, a smirk on his face.

"How could you, Daniel? That was so… so embarrassing."

When Daniel realised the extent of her mortification he knew he'd humiliated both his friends. What had he been thinking? "I'm sorry, Sam, I thought…"

"Then don't think. Mind your own business," she snapped crossly.

"I'm sorry," Daniel repeated, rising from his chair, "I'll go apologise to Jack."

Sam was close to trying to stop him, but anger made her think better of it. If Daniel wished to encounter the wrath of O'Neill, that was his problem. There was only so much she could do to protect any of them from each other. She wanted them all to be friends again, but maybe it simply wasn't possible anymore. If not, she would deeply regret it, although if Daniel screwed up the progress she'd already made with Jack, O'Neill's wrath would be the least of his problems.

She exchanged a look with Teal'c and shook her head in answer to the question in his eyes. Clearly he was having similar thoughts about stopping Daniel, but it was no more his responsibility to make things go smoothly than it was hers. This was Daniel's house and he was host. Let him live with any consequences of his actions.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom Jack doused his face in cold water and took a few deep breaths. Sam had promised to protect him, but he should have been protecting her. What the hell was Daniel playing at for crying out loud? How could he think…? Sam had been as embarrassed as hell, and who could blame her? They were friends and that was all they ever would be. His thoughts on the subject were somewhat rueful but he decided he shouldn't dwell, and dried his face, knowing he had to return to face the music, despite his almost overwhelming desire to cut and run. He owed it to Sam to make an effort, just as she had.

Jack figured he shouldn't have been surprised to find Daniel lurking outside waiting for him and sighed resignedly to his fate.

"I'm sorry Jack. I shouldn't have…"

"You embarrassed Sam. Sometimes you can be such a jerk."

"Look who's talking. Why the hell haven't you asked her out? All this time outside of her chain of command and you never even called her. Who's the jerk?"

"Daniel, it really is none of your business," Jack snapped.

"That's what Sam says, but you are both friends…"

"But are we friends anymore?" Jack countered snarkily.

"I hope so. I'd like us to be. Wouldn't you?"

Jack was taken aback by the sorrowful and regretful look in Daniel's eyes and it knocked the anger right out of him. "Yes. Yes, I would," he admitted, surprising Daniel with the open and raw truthfulness in those few words.

"Then why didn't you…?" And despite the question remaining unspoken, Jack knew what he was asking. Why didn't you make the effort? Why did you push us away?

"It's complicated. Don't ask. One day I might tell you all about it, but not today," he replied in a firm but conciliatory tone.

The younger man smiled winningly. "I guess it doesn't really matter anymore. You're here now," he said, thinking of the conversation he'd had with Sam about how they should tackle this encounter. She'd advised him not to press for answers, not to push Jack away again through accusations born from his hurt feelings. She'd been right.

"I-I just want you and Sam…" he added, tailing off again. Push, press. Sheesh, he couldn't seem to help himself.

"That's never going to happen. Why would it?" Jack responded, immediately defensive again.

"Why wouldn't it?" Daniel replied and Jack simply regarded him archly, and said nothing. Maybe that was a good question, but he wasn't going to answer.

"Just leave it," Jack said after a lengthy pause and Daniel nodded agreement. Silently, they returned to join the others and tried to pretend Daniel's comments had never been uttered.

It was Teal'c who turned the conversation to Jack's current profession with a perfectly innocent question. "What is this literature that you teach, O'Neill?"

Jack hesitated before answering, slurping some beer during the pause. "The art of the written word, Teal'c." Out of the corner of his eye, Jack could see Daniel was itching to say something, but his Jaffa friend beat him to the punch.

"What manner of written word?" he asked, perfectly seriously.

"Books, T, many different kinds," Jack said, wondering if Teal'c really didn't know or was being polite. "Classical, nineteenth century American, Shakespeare…"

"Why do warriors need to learn of such things?"

Jack smiled, prepared to defend his corner. "Leadership starts with effective communication. Can't communicate and you're screwed. Great literature is communication as deliberate human endeavour. Imagination is key, as are skills in analytical and argumentative writing and thought, research methodology, critical reading. That's what literature is all about."

Teal'c looked thoughtful and while he hesitated, Daniel leapt in. "You sound like an Academy brochure, not Jack O'Neill, except maybe for the screwed part." His tone was slightly sarcastic.

"The Air Force is more than just brute force, Daniel, you know that," Jack retorted.

"Sure it is. I just can't believe my old friend Jack O'Neill is saying that. Did we ever really know you?"

"Ah, I see, you're pissed with me for never letting on about my brain, huh?" Jack responded, riled by Daniel's words. "Is that all you ever thought I was capable of, brute force?"

Sam intervened quickly, worried about how the exchange might escalate. "I'm sure Daniel didn't mean…"

"To infer he always thought I was stupid?" Jack interrupted acerbically.

"No I didn't mean it like that!" Daniel said hastily, and he hadn't. "I never thought you were stupid." Jack glanced at him accusingly and Daniel looked shamefaced. "Well, maybe a long time ago I did, but… Okay, you're right. I'm pissed you never gave us a clue." Jack smirked knowingly at Daniel's capitulation.

"I do not recall seeing any great works of literature in your house, O'Neill," Teal'c said, catching Jack by surprise.

"What, are you ganging up on me now?" he whined. "I do Warrior as Hero and some other war literature related tutorials, if that makes you feel any better."

"Guys, please!" Sam exclaimed, her protective instincts kicking in. "Stop giving Jack such a hard time." Her hand grasped Jack's lower thigh, squeezed, and then withdrew, and Jack found his heart thudding at the touch. Recovering quickly, he turned to face her and smiled.

"It's okay, Sam, I've had worse hard times. More beer, mien host?" he asked, eyeing Daniel, who decided a change of subject might be more diplomatic. Now they'd found Jack again, he had no wish to drive him away. This evening was about reunion and reconciliation – explanations, arguments and recriminations could wait for another day.

After that, the conversation turned to more light-hearted and safer topics, like base gossip, The Simpson's, movies and the like. Jack was at his wittiest best and his warmth melted any remaining frosty resentments. It was good to have him back.

On P4X-928:

Sam's mind was on training programs and what they could do to teach these trainees to be more furtive. To her ears they sounded like a herd of small elephants as they trekked to the rendezvous with O'Neill. She thought they must be close now as she could see the shimmering of the lake beyond the trees and the edge of the Stargate's ring.

A tall lean figure slid out gracefully from behind the trees and stood in their path, looking at them irately. "For crying out loud Carter, did you guys plan to wake the dead? I could hear you five minutes ago," he said in a loud whisper, eyeing the trainees disdainfully. "What is it about the word stealth you don't understand exactly?" he asked and the four looked pained.

"Sorry, sir…" Taylor started to say but Jack raised his hands to silence him.

"Shut it, Taylor, I think they probably heard that all the way to Earth." He signalled for Carter to approach.

"Have any trouble?" he asked in a low voice.

"No sir, everything's fine."

"Apart from the fact that they lost and I won you mean? You owe me dinner!" A satisfied smirk appeared on his face and Sam couldn't help but grin back. "So, home, Jeeves?" She chuckled at his reference to that classic English comic literature featuring the slightly dim Bertie Wooster and his ever-resourceful and intelligent manservant Jeeves.

"Yes, Bertie," she agreed with a wink and Jack was pleased to realise she had understood his reference, and meaning.

O'Neill heard nothing until they were right on top of them and his sixth sense told him they were there. He raised his weapon but knew it was too late. They were surrounded, a fact that was confirmed when the aliens stepped out of their hiding places. There were six of them, all armed with something that looked like it might have been a prop ray gun in an episode of Flash Gordon, but Jack figured it was probably very much more lethal. Oh shit!

The aliens said nothing but it was clear from their demeanour they intended Jack and the others should surrender. Standing in a defensive position with his P-90 pointing towards one of the enemy, Jack briefly considered options and if it hadn't been for the presence of four wet-behind-the ears Academy graduates he might have put up a fight. As it was, he and Sam exchanged glances. They came to an unspoken agreement so he slowly raised his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender and the other followed his lead.

"We could fight our way out of this, sir," Taylor said.

"Can it, Taylor!" Sam ordered and she heard him mutter something to Thompson.

"Gee the old man gave up easy enough didn't he?" His tone was derisive and Jack didn't seem to hear it, or if he did he ignored it, but Sam's anger flared. However, she said nothing because the aliens gestured for them to throw their weapons to the ground, which they did.

'Crap!' Jack thought, wondering if it was his pesky curiosity that had been their undoing. 'Now we're in trouble." O'Neill was responsible for those graduates and now he might have endangered them all. 'Jeez, just when you think you've got out, they drag you back in. It's all Carter's fault. If she hadn't come to the Academy for that lecture… oh yeah, Jack, blame it all on Carter, you moron.'

And that was virtually the last thought he had as his body spiked with searing agony and he collapsed in a heap on the forest floor. An alien had shot him with the Flash Gordon ray gun. In fact his very last thoughts were something along the lines of, "Aw shit, that hurts!"

To be continued