2.

Daniel slammed the locker with unnecessary force, feeling better at the noise, and then grabbed his finger, which had somehow managed to get caught in the crossfire, checking to see if he broken it. No. Damn it anyway. If Jack wanted to keep his head up his … whatever, there was nothing more he could do. He'd tried to talk some sense into him, but Jack O'Neill was nothing if not stubborn. So be it. He'd tried.

"Daniel Jackson."

He looked up, suddenly realizing that Teal'c had been trying to get his attention since he slammed the locker on his finger. " Teal'c. Sorry. Didn't see you."

"Apparently not. You were engaged in an altercation with your locker. No doubt it distracted you."

Daniel shrugged, still checking his finger. "Well, yeah. I think I lost that 'altercation' too. Anyway, I'm out of here. I'll see you next week."

Teal'c looked at him, clearly surprised. "I thought you planned to decipher the language on the artifact that we retrieved on P3X464 this week."

"Yeah, well, things change."

At Teal'c's raised eyebrow, he explained. "Jack's kicked me off the base for the rest of the week."

If anything, the eyebrow just moved higher.

Daniel sighed. "We got into a discussion and he didn't like what I had to say."

Teal'c stared at him, his expression stoic and noncommittal. "You confronted O'Neill about what we saw last night."

"Well, somebody had to say something. This is just … wrong on so many levels."

Teal'c turned away from him and opened his locker. "I believe your actions were unwise."

"Not you too. Damn it, Teal'c, you know as well as I do what's been going on, or rather what should have been going on but hasn't been for the last seven years. This latest start of Jack's is just pure insanity, not to mention seriously stupid, and they're all going to end up miserable over all of it."

Teal'c, at least, didn't pretend to misunderstand him; he just ignored him, grabbing towels and soap from his locker. "Colonel Carter is engaged. She has chosen another path."

Daniel grimaced and sat down on the bench next to his locker. "Another act of supreme stupidity. It's obvious they're made for each other --even when they're not in synch, they manage to be stupid together. I just wish the hell they'd see it before everyone, including Shanahan and Johnson, end up hurt."

Teal'c continued to grab clothes from his locker, then finally closed it and turned around to look at him. "I believe you are incorrect. Colonel Carter appears happy, and it is not surprising that O'Neill has chosen to find companionship elsewhere. He has been alone a very long time. We were not meant to see what we did last night. Our arrival at O'Neill's was inopportune. You should not have spoken to him about it."

"Oh for… you're as bad as they are. And when has Jack ever had anything going on in the evening? How were we supposed to know?"

"Obviously that has changed. But I believe you are wrong to be concerned for them. O'Neill and Colonel Carter are honorable. They would not deceive those they have chosen."

Daniel sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Not deliberately. The problem is they don't know they're doing it because they're too busy deceiving themselves."

Teal'c's expression was as serious as Daniel had ever seen it, and that was saying a lot. Daniel got the point even before Teal'c decided to comment. "Regardless of our opinions, it is their decision and not for us to interfere. "

"Yeah, that's what Jack said, only his version was 'mind your own damned business'. I just -- oh the hell with it. Maybe I could use some time off base. I'm damned sick of the regs right now. I did want to work on the artifact, but this situation is just too damned --"

"If you wish to remain on base, perhaps you should consider talking to O'Neill again."

Daniel looked up at that, annoyed with just about everything, including Teal'c at this point. "And say what? Apologize? No way. I meant what I said. He's being an ass and they can't see what's staring them in the face. And any way you look at it, the whole thing's a mess. Something needs to be done."

Teal'c tilted his head, the same way he did when he was reviewing battle strategy. "I hope you are not considering having a conversation with Colonel Carter on this topic."

Daniel sighed. "I considered it." Teal'c just looked at him, his disapproval evident. Daniel swallowed. "I said I thought about it. I didn't say I was going to do it." He shrugged. "It wouldn't help. She's as bad as he is, maybe worse. I'd hoped she'd get over this engagement idiocy in time and see sense, but that's never going to happen if she thinks Jack's moved on. And to be honest, I don't want to hurt her. And she's gonna be hurt one way or another, because it's only a matter of time until she learns Jack's having an affair."

"O'Neill's actions are not a betrayal."

Daniel grimaced. "The hell they aren't. And she's going to be hurting the same way Jack was when he found out about the cop."

"If O'Neill was upset he hid it well."

Daniel brushed the comment aside. "Of course he did. In standard Jack O'Neill style."

"I hope you are incorrect about all of this."

Daniel sighed again. "Trust me, Teal'c, I'm not." He picked up his backpack. "Look, I'll see you next Monday. Let me know if anything happens in the meantime, because they're going to need some help picking up the pieces if it does."

"As you wish." Teal'c stopped him as he turned to go out the door. "For what it is worth, I too had hoped for a different outcome. The universe is --"

"I know, Teal'c. It's not a pretty place and there are no happy endings."

"Indeed. We have both learned this to our cost."

"Yeah, we have. As for the universe, I just wish it was a little nicer to Jack and Sam. But at least they're not dead yet. Just acting like it." He watched as Teal'c shrugged and headed out towards the showers and then finally left himself, disgusted and concerned.

TBC…