Jack and Teal'c watched with smiles as White, Cross and Singer were each deposited into different cells. "They look a little worse than when we left them, Ferretti."

Ferretti rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. "Uh yeah, well, they fell down a couple times sir." He cleared his throat, praying that he wouldn't get court marshaled for this, "he's not only your geek sir." He quickly walked away before Jack could rip him the new one he figured he deserved.

"I did not realize JonasQuinn has made so many friends in the short time he has been here."

"Yeah, me neither, what do you say we go check on the kid?"

"Indeed."

Turned out, they weren't the only ones with that particular idea, they ran into Carter just outside the infirmary. But all three stopped just inside the door when they spied Lt. Rush hovering over Jonas.

O'Neill leaned toward Sam and whispered quietly, "think we should leave them alone?" Apparently he wasn't quite enough because the Lt. straightened up and spun around to face them. "Everything ok, Lt?"

"Um, yes sir." Rush could feel the heat creeping up to flush her cheeks. "He's stable and his temperature has dropped dramatically. Uh, I have to go check on, uh, another patient. Excuse me, sir."

"It appears JonasQuinn has admirers as well as friends."

Carter couldn't hold it in any longer, she doubled over laughing silently. Jack pulled up a chair for her and pounded her on the back when it became evident that she'd stopped breathing. Sam collapsed gratefully in the proffered chair. She pulled the chair closer to her friend's bed and took his exposed hand. "He looks so young," she mused.

"Well, believe it or not, he's only twenty-six."

They turned to Janet in unison, "Twenty-six?"

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone," a weak and sleep muddled voice floated up from the bed between them.

Janet, laid a hand on his head, ever mindful of his injuries. "I said I wouldn't tell anyone until you settled in and I think you officially settled in a couple months ago. How are you feeling?"

Jonas turned to look Jack in the eye before answering. "Oh, just peachy."

Jack couldn't help but grin, his geek was obviously going to be ok. "What is it with everyone stealing my lines?"

His only reply was a shit-eating grin as Jonas sank back onto the pillows. He would have run a hand through his hair, but Sam was clinging to his right hand and his entire left arm was strapped to his chest to protect his ribs and shoulder. He felt like he'd been put through the proverbial ringer, but he was home now with his team, his family. And, he'd even managed to foil an evil alien plot, which just made it all that much better. He couldn't help but smile as he surveyed his friends; it was then that he noticed Jack's hands. "Col., what happened to your hands?" He didn't miss the fact that Sam and Teal'c both made a move to hind their own hands.

"Oh, ah, Agent White accidentally ran into my fist a couple dozen times." Jack scrubbed at his bruised knuckles, trying to wipe some of the dried blood away. He left the 'nobody messes with my team' comment left unsaid.

"Oh well thanks." He wasn't sure if that was the correct thing to say to a person who'd just beaten the hell out of someone for you, but it sounded right.

Teal'c watched as Jonas's eyes slowly clouded with pain and exhaustion. "I believe that it is time we take our leave before Dr Fraiser ushers us out forcefully. We will check on you later JonasQuinn, sleep well."

O'Neill and Carter had also observed the subtle change in their young friend and moved to follow Teal'c out of the infirmary. "Got a surprise for you when Janet finally lets you out of clutches," Jack threw over his shoulder.

STARGATE: SG-1

Jonas couldn't help but bounce a bit as Sam wheeled him up to the back entrance of the Denver Public Library. The bruises on his face and torso were still some rather interesting shades of blue, but his leg and shoulder were healing well according to Janet. She had released him the day before. "This is great, thanks so much for bringing me back here, but where is everyone?"

Jack chuckled, "With your track record we decided not to take any chances. The library is closed and we have SFs stationed at every exit."

"Oh"

Five hours later, Jack was sprawled out asleep in an overstuffed chair in the natural history section. Teal'c was in a deep state of Kel-no-reem on the floor next to him. Sam watched with a grin as Jonas finally lost the 'head-bobbing' war and his chin settled on to his chest for good. Feeling a light presence behind her, Sam knew that, at least for now, all was right with the world.