Author's Note: So! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas (or whatever the holiday is you celebrate). I certainly did, even though I had to work. I'm going to focus on this story and try to finish it, because just as I suspected when I started it, I can't handle three at a time AND the holidays.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"Well, that might be a problem…"

Jack looked the direction Ian pointed and saw two huge mounds of snow close by the stargate – which was about half buried under a large snowdrift.

"What? It'll burn off when the stargate engages, right?"

"If we can uncover the DHD," Ian told him, pointing not at the stargate but at one of the drifts of snow.

"We might want to take the MALP home with us, too," Daniel added.

Jack frowned and looked over at the other mound of snow, realizing that the twin mountains of snow were, indeed, the MALP and the DHD. Both of which they definitely needed.

Crap.

"We will help you dig it out," Fisai offered. The men behind him all nodded.

Before Jack could say anything in reply, the Stargate started to dial.

"Move!" Jack yelled, throwing his pack behind the mountain of snow that covered the MALP and pulling his P90 into position from where it had been resting across his back. He gestured for the Woem to get behind cover, and then motioned for his team to move out as well. There was no way of knowing who or what was coming through the gate, and Jack wasn't one for standing around and waiting to see. Better to take a defensive posture until they knew what to expect.

Jaffer reacted instantly as well, hackles flaring and head going low as his entire demeanor changed from frolicking lab to intent guardian. Teal'c carefully lowered Jack (the dog) to the snow, where he, too, lowered his head and watched the gate, shifting slightly to get a better angle at things, and showing no sign of discomfort from the injury to his leg.

Ian tossed Teal'c his staff weapon and unslung his P90, moving to take the left flank and taking care to put the snowdrift that hid the DHD close at hand so he could use it for cover if need be, followed closely by Daniel who had also tossed his pack towards the snow bank and was readying his own weapon.

Jack looked over to make sure the Woem were clear – they were, standing beside one of the drifts that had formed against the far wall of the entrance to the trail they'd dug out on their way here.

The Stargate engaged, the event horizon whooshing out and disintegrating the snow that had only a moment before so solidly blocked it. Jack's P90 came up, the chill and the bright sun both forgotten now and his attention only on what was at hand. Jaffer, Jack (the dog) and the others were equally attentive and Teal'c had his staff weapon raised, ready to protect O'Neill, who would be the first to make contact with whomever emerged.

Which turned out to be Lieutenant Colonel David James and the rest of SG-4. Followed closely by Captain Kelly Thorpe and his team – SG-3. Both groups were armored to the nines and carrying standard rescue gear – and came out of the gate looking for trouble to judge by the way they were moving. Jack breathed a sigh of relief, lowered his weapon and stepped out from behind the snowdrift, with Jaffer right beside him, tail wagging idly as he recognized several members of the two teams.

"Colonel…" Jack said, giving the two groups plenty of time to recognize him and stand down before they could make any mistakes that he wouldn't appreciate.

James smiled, and lowered his P90, signaling for his party to do the same – which they did.

"Hey, Jack."

Ian, Teal'c and Daniel all stepped out from their own points of protection while Jack gestured to the Woem that everything was okay. Fisai and the others also came out from behind piles of snow, and the newcomers all watched them as curiously as they were being watched.

"What's going on, Dave?" O'Neill asked.

Colonel James smiled.

"You missed check in."

Daniel frowned and looked at his watch.

"By seven minutes?"

Kelly Thorpe stepped up as well.

"General Brooks was… concerned."

Ian rolled his eyes, but it was Jack who spoke up.

"We ran into some problems."

SG-3 and 4 looked over at the Woem automatically.

"These guys?"

O'Neill was bruised, after all – and so was Ian. And when Jack (the dog) moved over with Teal'c, they all noticed the lab's limp. None of them raised their weapons, but they did tense a little. You never knew, after all – and SG-3 and 4 were very good at what they did.

Jack shook his head.

"They were the solution. That's the problem."

He looked over to the snowdrifts covering the MALP and DHD, and the others followed his gaze uncomprehending.

"The pack?" Sergeant Dobbs asked uncertainly, noticing Daniel's discarded pack.

Now it was Jack's turn to roll his eyes.

"The snow, Sergeant."

Thorpe frowned.

"What about it?"

"There wasn't any when we got here."

"What?"

"That's the MALP," Daniel added, pointing.

"You're kidding."

Jack shook his head.

"The MALP?" James repeated.

"Yep."

"It was sunny and green when we got here," Ian said, enjoying the clueless looks.

"No way."

"Yes, sir. The other drift is the DHD."

Jack grinned.

"You guys are just in time to help us dig them out."