A/N: Sorry this is short, but this is where the chapter wanted to be cut. OH, and gothfairy: I never stop eating pie.
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They were in one of the interrogation rooms that wasn't in use. It was pretty much the most private place in the building that Bobby could think of for Jack and Sam to have the intimate conversation. Sam and Jack didn't know it, but Bobby had also chosen that room so he could observe their physical interactions without them seeing him.
It was an enlightening experience for Bobby to watch the couple interact. When they were in front of others, in a work environment they were so professional that Bobby wasn't sure he'd have pegged them as a couple if Jack hadn't told him. But here, alone with just the two of them, as they waited for news about Cassie and Scott, here there was no General O'Neill and Colonel Carter Ph.D. – here there was only Jack and Sam.
He didn't know how long he stood there, watching them, but it was a long time, finally interrupted by someone coming up to stand beside him. "Amazing, isn't it?"
"What?" Bobby asked, unsure what the other man was talking about.
Daniel gestured to Sam and Jack, "Them. You know they've been in love with each other for over eight years? I wasn't surprised at all when I found out they were married – to tell the truth I was just a little upset they hadn't invited me. It was a long time coming for them."
"How long?" Bobby asked, wondering if it was anywhere near as long as he'd waited for Alex already.
"Eight years." Daniel smirked, "I remember the first time they kissed. They'd only known each other for a few months and when we came across a disease off world that … brought out the … ape in them."
Bobby smiled slightly, trying to imagine that, "What happened?" he asked Daniel as he continued to study the couple on the other side of the wall.
Daniel shrugged, "Sam jumped him in the locker room."
"And?"
"He … idiot that he was, fought her off and took her to the infirmary." Daniel looked at Bobby with a look that said how stupid he thought Jack had been all those years ago, "Then, about half an hour later, when I was talking to him about it, he attacked me because he thought I was trying to steal Sam away from him."
Bobby whistled, "All this just a few months after they met?"
Daniel nodded, "Yep. There are lots of stories like that about them."
"Daniel, you're not telling him about the Touched thing, are you?" someone asked as they walked up behind the pair of men.
Daniel shrugged, "Scott, what can I say? It was just so obvious!"
Jack's clone glared at Daniel, suppressing the feelings of loneliness that threatened to overwhelm his young body as he looked past the archeologist and saw his 'original' intimately hugging his wife. Finally he turned back to Daniel with sad eyes, "Daniel, you know it's not your place to tell him. No matter what you think."
"Scott?" a young, feminine voice asked from the doorway, "Don't do this to yourself."
Scott turned to look at the redhead standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest, "Do what, Cassie?"
Her eyes flared with anger, "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Scott! Now stop it right now!"
Bobby was a little surprised at the power and command her small form radiated as she glared at the older man/boy/clone. He couldn't quite place what exactly was going on between Scott and Cassie, but he could sense a lot of the emotions boiling under the skins of both college students.
The stand off between the two continued for a few more minutes before Cassie finally whispered, "What would happen to me if you did it?"
His eyes softened slightly, "You have them."
"But I need you," she insisted. "They can support me, but they don't know what it's like. Scott, you're the only one who knows. I need you to help me, and you dwelling on all of this, isn't helping."
Scott shook his head, "I'm not sure I can help you, Cassie."
"Don't you dare say that, Scott Douglas!" Cassie said, the venom evident and thick in her voice, "Don't you dare let Ba'al win." Unable to control her emotions anymore, Cassie fled from the room, into the woman's restroom, where she ran into the last open stall, locked the door, and collapsed in a crying heap next to the toilet.
Scott watched her leave, unable to move and follow her like she needed him to. Ba'al's words were just so fresh in his mind, he couldn't think straight. Part of him knew that Cassie was right, but then Ba'al's words about how he was "nothing but an unwanted clone of a great leader among the Tau'ri" kept on playing again in his mind.
"Where's the gym?" Scott asked, not removing his eyes from the last place he'd seen Cassie at.
"Third floor," Bobby said, concerned for the younger man who wasn't really younger, but unable to help him because he just didn't know enough about the situation.
Scott mumbled a 'thank you' as he calmly walked from the room, toward the elevator, intent on beating the shit out of a punching bag while pretending it was his original and Ba'al at the same time.
Daniel saw the look of concern on Bobby's face and sighed, "They'll be okay. Probably not today, but they'll make it. Both of them are really tough."
Bobby nodded, knowing that no words were needed.
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A/N: Hmmm...review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review! I just got some rather interesting news from one of my friends and I WANT REVIEWS!
