Jack sauntered into Daniel's office, and took a seat next to Carter.

"So, anything yet?"

"Jack, we've only just started. Give us a few hours."

"Yes Daniel. Carter, any ideas?"

"No, Sir. Did they head off yet?"

"Yeah, just left."

"Bosco show up?"

"Yeah. Cam sent him to my office as soon as he found him."

"Where was he?"

"Said he got a phone call. The alarm on his house went off, so he went to check it out. Took longer than he expected."

"You check it out?" Sam knew that Jack didn't believe Bosco's story.

"Yes. He signed out, but the alarm company hasn't got back to me yet."

"Why did you let him go?" Daniel stopped looking at the computer to focus on Jack.

"I called the guards at the gate, and confirmed he signed out, and let him go, with a reprimand. I didn't think to call the alarm company until after he left."

"How long do they have?"

"I told them to check in within 12hrs to let us know if they found anything."

"Jack, do you have any of the files on Ba'al's attempt to blow up that building?" Sam had been scribbling notes on a pad frantically.

"Yes, but they're in D.C. You need them?"

"I just want to take a look at them."

"I'll get them sent over for you. You guys need anything else?"

"We'll let you know, Jack." Daniel turned back to the computer as Jack left the office.

Sam rubbed her eyes and thanked Daniel for pouring her another cup of coffee. She turned around to look at the clock on the wall. 0100. Jack should've heard back from the team on P8X 412 by now.

"Sam."

"Yes?"

"Remember when we tried to capture Ba'al on Earth?"

"Yes. There was a TV interview at the same time that he was spotted at the hotel. Did anyone ever look into that?"

"Agent Barrett did. They found a man around the hotel who looked very much like Ba'al. We can only assume that he was hired to distract us."

"Did he talk?"

"No. He died shortly after being apprehended."

"From?"

"Poison."

"Goa'uld?"

"No."

"So why bring that up?"

"There's something here in a newspaper from England."

Sam scooted over to look at the article on Daniel's computer. She scanned the article and looked at Daniel when she was done.

"That's impossible."

"I know. There's no way he was in England the same time that he was on live TV here in the States."

"Another look alike?"

"There's two pages. Photo's on the second."

Sam clicked the mouse to view the second page. There was a picture of Ba'al, standing in front of a new building. The caption indicated that Mr. Cliff was standing in front of a new office building that he had contracted for.

"That's him."

"How do we explain that he was in the States giving a live interview, and on the same day, in England giving a newspaper interview. Both were clearly him, and unless he's got a ship in orbit to get him from the two points in a few seconds, I can't see a way to explain it."

"What if there's more than one of him?"

"You mean, cloning, Daniel? Surely you aren't suggesting that he cloned himself."

"Why not? There's got to be a race out there, besides the Asgard, that know how to clone themselves."

"For what purpose? So he can open office buildings in London, and give TV interviews here?"

"Sam, it's Ba'al. He could be up to anything."

"Wait, what about Harlan?"

"Harlan? That crazy guy who turned us into androids?"

"Yes."

"Harlan buried his gate after our copies were killed. We checked several times to make sure."

"But Cronus' Jaffa knew about the copies. What if Ba'al got that information?"

"Why would he need more of himself? He's not been heard of since the building incident. Even the Free Jaffa haven't seen or heard of him in almost a year."

"I don't know. He must either be telling the truth on that interview about wanting to stay on Earth, as a law abiding citizen, or he's planning something, biding his time."

"I'm going to do a search on his new name, Mr. Cliff. See if anything pops up."

"I'll go fill in Jack."

Sam arrived at the control room as the gate connected from off world. She smiled as Teal'c emerged, and went to the briefing room. She assumed that's where Teal'c and Jack would be, and it still took her some time to navigate around the spiral staircase with the crutches. She had just taken a seat when the two men arrived.

"Sam. What are you doing here?"

"I came to fill you in on some stuff me 'n' Daniel dug up. Hi Teal'c."

"Samantha Carter. O'Neill, I have discussed with several members of the council what we discovered yesterday."

"And?"

"They are aware of Athena and her connections to Ba'al. She has only allied herself with him, and has not attempted any action since."

"When was this?" Sam was trying to piece together a time line of Ba'al's activities.

"A year or two at most since the fall of Anubis."

"What about the other two. Tanit and, er, Nith?" Sam smiled as Jack screwed up the unfamiliar name.

"Neith's Jaffa, while never been seen, have been heard of on occasion, but have not engaged the Free Jaffa in battle. We do not have any information on Tanit."

"Thanks Teal'c. What do you have Sam?"

"Teal'c, if a goa'uld could clone himself, do you think he would?"

"Perhaps. If there were many of one goa'uld, it would make it easier for him to control and conquor worlds."

"Sam?"

"Jack, Daniel found a newspaper article from England that interviewed Ba'al on the same day as he gave the TV interview here in the States."

"Another lookalike?"

"No, there was a picture. It's him."

"And you think he cloned himself?"

"It's possible. The other theory is a copy."

"Isn't that the same as cloning?"

"Harlan."

"Harlan?"

"I believe Samantha Carter is referring to P3X 989, O'Neill."

"Harlan! What does he have to do with this. He buried that gate. We tried dialing it to make sure, many times. That was years ago!"

"What if Ba'al discovered that technology and used it on himself."

"If he did copy himself in that manner, he would not keep the goa'uld symbiote. It is possible that such a procedure would eliminate the presence of the symbiote, and the copy would be of the host."

"Damn. Forgot about that. Is it possible that it could be modified to copy the goa'uld's consciousness, and not the hosts?"

"I am unsure."

"Sam, how many of these Ba'al's are we looking at here?"

"Right now, possibly two. That's only here on Earth. There could be many still out there and we have no way to find out how many, or where."

"Bra'tac will contact me if the continuing Jaffa search turns up any information on Athena, Neith, Tanit, or Ba'al."

"Thanks. Teal'c. Carter, get Daniel to talk to the person who interviewed Ba'al in England. Teal'c, when SG-1 returns from P8X 412, I want you to rejoin them, and go back to Dakara. Carter, see what else you can turn up on Ba'al." Teal'c rose and wished them both goodnight, before leaving the room.

"Uh, Sir. I wanted to ask if you heard anything from Cam."

"They checked in about 3 hrs ago."

"Did they find anything yet?"

"No. Cam just kept bitching about some play, and Vala."

"What about her?"

"Apparently these folks on the planet didn't know that Qetesh was killed. She's currently posing as a goa'uld, and some of the locals put on a play for her."

"I bet Cam's thrilled with that."

"Oh, he's real happy. I told him to wait and see how things go."

"When are they due back?"

"I gave Cam another 24hrs, then I want them back at the base, unless they've found something."

"Alright. Well, I'm off to bed. Night, Sir."

"Carter, wait."

"Yes?"

"What's with the sir?"

"What's with the Carter?"

"I told you, old habit."

"Same here."

"Look, Sam, about the other night."

"Don't worry about it."

"No, Sam. I am sorry."

"For?"

"It's kinda lame, but I had too much to drink."

"That's it?" Sam stared at him in disbelief.

"What d'ya mean, that's it?"

"Never mind. Good night."

Sam stood up, grabbed her crutches and started to make her way out of the room.

"Sam, wait.."

"Wait for what? I've got to be up early. Good night Jack."

"Sam..."

She wasn't turning back. Jack shoved the chair back to the table and stormed into his office, slamming the door. All he wanted to do was apologize for his actions. How had that gone so wrong? He had a vague memory of her getting up and telling him she had to go to the bathroom. He had assumed when she didn't come back, that he had been out of line. He wanted to make sure that their new friendship wasn't going to be ruined again, but looked like he screwed up again.

His mind wandered back to that night. She had fallen asleep just under halfway through the movie, and her head had fallen onto his shoulder. He had moved his arm to the top of the couch, and when she had moved closer, his arm had gone behind her head, and around her shoulders. He had watched the entire movie, without seeing it, the thought of her sleeping there distracting him. Once the movie was over, he had flipped to a channel showing the day's hockey highlights and dozed off.

He couldn't help the feelings that arose in him that night. He thought he had banished all those notions of Sam when she had married Pete. The years of no contact had helped him forget his feelings for her, but now he remembered.

He wondered what had happened between them. He knew they were divorced, from Daniel, who claimed he didn't know anything else. Most of all, he wanted to know exactly what she thought of himself.

Daniel looked up from the computer when he heard the office door close.

"Hi."

"Hi. You look surprised to see me."

"I was expecting Sam."

"Oh."

"Yeah, she came in here after talking to you, grabbed a few notes, and left. I assumed she'd be back by now."

"She told me she was going to bed."

"When was that?"

"Oh, a little over an hour ago."

"Jack."

"Yes, Daniel?"

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"You've got this 'I need to talk about something, but I don't know how' look."

"There's a look for that?"

"Jack. Did you and Sam talk?"

"About what?"

"I don't know. Whatever it is thats got you two in some weird mood."

"Weird mood?"

"Are you going to answer me, or just repeat the question?"

"We talked."

"And?"

"It didn't go too well."

"In what way?"

"Well, she's pissed. I think."

"You think?"

"She kinda stomped out on me. Well, figuratively speaking."

"Jack, does this have anything to do with the night you were at my house?"

"Maybe."

"I saw you two."

"When?"

"On the couch. I woke up and went to the kitchen."

"Oh."

"Jack, what did you say to her?"

"I apologized."

"For what?"

"Well, I was out of line that night."

"By falling asleep on the same couch?"

"Daniel, you saw us. It wasn't two people falling asleep on opposite ends of the couch. Besides, she woke up, and left."

"So what did you say?"

"I told her I was sorry, and that I was drunk."

"You told her that! No wonder she's mad."

"What! I was trying to explain..."

"And in the process, basically told her that you only did that because you were drunk."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"That's probably how she took it."

"Now what?"

"I'll talk to her tomorrow. Give her a few days, then talk to her again."

"I'm gone in three days."

"Oh. Forgot about that. I'll talk to her tomorrow and let you know."

"Thanks Daniel."

"Jack, just do me one favour."

"Depending on what it is, sure."

"Just figure out what it is you want from Sam. Friendship or more.'

"Daniel, I've walked that road once before."

"But it's different now. Before you say anything to Sam, do her that courtesy, and know what it is you want. If it's just friendship, stick to it. If it's something more, or less, you need to find a way to tell her that. No pissing around anymore. She's been hurt enough."

With that Daniel turned off the computer, grabbed his half full mug of cold coffee, and turned off the desk light.

"Lock the door behind you when you leave, Jack."

AN: This story has become much more different than I had planned. How do you think it's doing? Is it getting confusing? Too many characters? Hope it's good, as I'm having fun writing it!!!!