Chapter Three: Carter, Too

"So, I actually think it might be a medical device," Daniel explained, half-trotting down the corridor to keep up with his team leader and best friend. "I'm only about halfway done with the translations, but if I'm right and Sam can make it work, and then maybe we'll pass it on to Doctor Brightman for further study."

"O...kay," he muttered, then added acerbically, "Why do you tell me this stuff?"

Daniel grinned and shrugged. Sometimes babbling until Jack's head exploded was grand entertainment. "I was just going to her lab to give her a head's up. Care to..." He trailed off as the woman in question crossed the corridor ahead of them. "Sam! Hey, Sam!"

Her blue eyes flew to his immediately, but there was something... odd... there. She looked a little confused, almost lost, but as she stared at him, it morphed into an expression Daniel was much more familiar with from her – determination. She covered the corridor in long strides and, before he quite figured out what was happening, wrapped her arms around his neck and planted one solidly on his lips.

"Mmphh!" he protested against her lips, trying to recoil and finding himself caught in her embrace. It took a moment for his brain to get further than that, to figure out the next steps, before he reached behind him to gently untangle her arms and push her away, holding her hands safely in front of her and down. "What's going on?" he choked.

"Like you don't know," she growled.

Jack's tone was just as dark. "Something you wanna tell me, Daniel?"

"Uh..." Flummoxed, it took him a second to come up with anything – anything at all – to say. "Is this some kind of joke?" he managed finally. "Did he put you up to this?" He couldn't imagine that, but Jack had done more devious things, and sending Sam after him was pretty much guaranteed to set him off balance.

But he was either wrong or she was a much better actress than he gave her credit for, because the look she gave him could melt glaciers. She pulled her hands away. "We talked about this."

"Ah, no, I'm pretty sure that's a conversation I'd remember," he insisted, taking a step back for safety. "Are you okay?"

It took her long enough to answer that he hazarded a glance at Jack, who – thankfully – was also looking at her like she'd just grown a tail and wings. Well, at least it wasn't just him.

"No," she spat softly, though her eyes sparkled a little and her voice quivered, "I am not okay. This is not okay, Daniel. And this conversation is not over."

Apparently, it was over for the moment, though, as she spun on her heel to flee. Daniel was too shell-shocked to stop her, leaving Jack to grab her wrist. "Oh, no, you don't. You don't get to act all crazy and then just walk away."

"Get your hands off me!" Whipping around, she yanked out of her CO's grip, her eyes ablaze. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Only a beat went by before he answered coolly, "Watch it, Major."

She blinked. "Major?" The uncertainty Daniel had first seen in her eyes returned as she glanced his way again. "Who is this guy?" she asked before looking back at Jack. "No, seriously. Who the hell are you?"

Daniel sucked in a breath, but if Jack was upset by that, he didn't show it. "Yep, that settles it," the colonel said simply. "Off to the infirmary with you." Ignoring her protests, he wrapped a hand firmly around her upper arm and hauled her toward the elevator, leaving one very confused Daniel Jackson in his wake.