Sorry guys I don't post more often but I just don't have that motivation I should. Maybe you could boost my motivation by reviewing. ;) I know my english is not perfect and that my vocabulary is poor but my first language is not english, so...Anyway, here's chapter 11.

Chapter 11

Unsurprisingly, Jack was sitting on the couch. The room was silent as the five of them were waiting for Major Lorne's unit to arrive. Jack watched as Sam walked across the room, stopping in front of the Christmas tree. He had been watching her for the past ten minutes and he would have been surprised if nobody had noticed that. It was too obvious, but he didn't care. He couldn't snap Sam's words out of his mind. The way she looked at him as she exposed herself at the pond. He had never seen her like that before and he was really touched by seeing her got that emotional. He so wanted to…

'Sir?' Sam asked with a questioning look on her face.

As Jack returned to reality he saw Sam was staring right at him. He didn't notice while he was lost in his thoughts.

'Sorry.' He simply replied trying to get done with it as quick as possible. He felt a bit embarrassed but he tried not to show it.

She didn't say anything just turned back towards the tree and Jack couldn't see as a small smile appeared on her face.

'And…three, two, one.' They all heard Daniel's voice counting down.

'Whatcha got there?' Cameron asked.

'The hour has passed. Lorne should be here by now." Daniel complained as he nervously stood up from the kitchen table and made his way to the living room.

Teal'c looked at Daniel and raised one of his eyebrows as to try to understand the archeologist. He opened his mouth to ask but Jack reacted faster.

'Daniel, did you really think they would arrive exactly in an hour?' His tone was a bit contemptuous but he could understand his friend.

'Whatcha think Jack?' Daniel asked back and nobody in the room could miss the naked irony and sarcasm in his voice.

Jack, as well as the others, was surprised by Daniel's tone. He thought about replying the same way but as he opened his mouth to send him a good dose of O'Neill irony he realized it wouldn't help either of them. Jack uttered an imperceptible 'right' and swallowed the words his was about to unleash.

Daniel regretted his behavior at the moment he spoke but it was too late to take it back and he knew if it came to it again, he would answer the same way anyway.

'They will soon arrive, Daniel Jackson.' Teal'c reassured.

'Yeah.' Daniel simply replied and turned away from the others.

A huge variety of feelings were swirling in Daniel's mind and he could hardly separate them. Anger, fear, care, love. Though he didn't want to face the fact, he couldn't avoid thinking of the possibility that he would never have the opportunity to give Vala her Christmas present. To get away from the thought he tried to remember the good times they'd spent together. He had already recalled several memories of their past but the memories of her seemed to be the only things keeping him from breaking down. When they first met he never would have thought about anything serious develop between them but here he was, worrying about Vala as if she were a part of him he just could not afford to lose. He hoped for the best and didn't give up on her but Daniel felt as despondency was about to overcome his hope.

oOo

Cameron's headache had finally disappeared and it made him feel a lot better. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, his eyes wandering from one person in the room to the other. He could read about the same feelings on each of their faces. He was probably showing the same. He stopped as he looked at Teal'c. He had always wondered how someone could possibly be this solemn all the time. He liked the Jaffa, and he owed him his life, which he was grateful for. But there was this part of Teal'c that Cameron never seemed to be able to read. As much as he didn't understand, Cameron always looked up to Teal'c. He was the warrior Cameron would never be and that made him respect him even more.

His eyes slowly wandered to Sam. As he looked at her he felt something he would call attraction. First, when she rebuffed the opportunity to rejoin SG-1 two years ago, Cameron was truly disappointed. Sam Carter was the most beautiful astrophysicist in the universe and he wasn't the only one with that opinion. Jack O'Neill. Cameron always felt a kind of rivalry going on between him and the general. Though he would never admit as much as Jack had to Sam, he still had those feelings inside him but when he saw Jack and Sam together he could feel, he knew, that they were meant to be together. Cameron never really understood how Jack could let the opportunity slip right out of his hands. He could have the woman he had always wanted to be with and he just stood by, watching time pass and one day realizing it was too late and that he should have taken the first step a long time ago. Not that it was any of his business. But it wasn't just Jack who he felt sorry for, but he could see the spark in Sam's eyes when she was with Jack. It would hurt her just as much as Jack if he didn't do something about them and Sam didn't deserve that. She hadn't deserved that in the last ten years either. He wished there was something he could do about it.

oOo

Major General Jack O'Neill. Has a nice ring, Jack thought as he kept repeating the name his nameplate read on his desk in Washington D.C. He was satisfied with his achievements; that he made it to the two stars on his uniform. He was proud of himself. Major General Jack O'Neill…

Jack heard Cameron utter something but he couldn't understand.

'Headache?' He asked, looking at the colonel.

Cameron first didn't realize Jack was talking to him only when the proud two star genera couched as to call his attention.

'No, sir. I was just thinking about…stuff.'

'Stuff!' Jack repeated with fake-enthusiasm. 'Stuff's good. I love stuff.'

Jack was slightly sarcastic in his best moments but now that they were in the middle of a crisis his behavior just worsened and they all could feel it in the room. Cameron muttered again and Jack couldn't understand that either but this time he had a feeling the colonel was talking about him in a disparaging way and if that was the case, Jack rejected the idea to hear and understand him. He let out an exhausted sigh and sank into the couch, closing his eyes.

'There's something wrong.' He could hear Daniel's voice just when he was about to try to relax.

'What do you mean?' Sam asked. She knew a lot of things were wrong but Daniel's tone told her he was meaning something new.

'We've been waiting foranother half-hour and they're still not here. It's like them to be overdue.' Daniel shared his thoughts.

'I believe Daniel Jackson is correct. Major Lorne is most reliable. There must be a reason for being late.' Teal'c agreed with Daniel. Both of them shared concerned looks.

Jack knew Daniel was worried and was overreacting a couple of times earlier but thirty minutes was a long time. He pulled the sleeve of his hoodie so that he could check his watch. Thirty minutes.

'Daniel's right, sir. They should've arrived by now.'

Jack studied his watch absorbedly as he heard Sam confirm Daniel's opinion.

'Well,' Jack started with his gaze still fixed on the watch. 'Maybe we should call Landry. Ask what takes so long.'

Nobody replied but Jack knew they agreed. He slowly reached for the phone on the table and dialed the number of the SGC.

'Landry.' The general answered on the second ring.

'This is Jack. When did you say Lorne was due to arrive?'

'Around seventeen hundred hours, why?' Landry asked hiding his curiosity in his monotone tone.

'It's seventeen forty-two and they're not here.' Jack informed Hank.

'How's that possible?

'Don't ask me. Daniel and Teal'c say there must have something gone wrong. Would you call them and ask where the hell they are?' Jack asked but it sounded more like a demand.

'Sure. Just a minute.' Landry answered and hung up.

Jack lowered his hand holding the phone and turned to the others who were looking at him questioningly.

'He said he'll call 'em.' Jack told the others.

A minute passed in uncomfortable silence after which Jack's phone rang.

'Yeah.' He answered immediately.

'Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson may be right. There might be a problem. Lorne didn't answer the phone.' Landry told him the news.

'Great. Then we're alone.' Jack stated offhandedly. He could hear Sam ask a 'what' in the background but he kept his attention at Landry.

'It seems so, Jack.' General Landry didn't succeed at reassuring him.

'Great.' Jack simply replied and started thinking about what to do now. 'Hank, is the Daedalus available?'

'What do you mean, Jack?'

'I was just thinking that maybe they could beam us some of those ancient life sign detectors.' Jack could hear the others talking but he still couldn't explain them the situation. They would have to wait until he had finished.

'Done.' Landry said after a short pause and a moment later two of the required detectors appeared on the coffee table among a bright white beam.

'Thanks. And we would also need some ammo.' Jack continued the wish list.

Landry approved and seconds later a box of P-90 clips appeared next to the table. 'Thank you, Hank. I think this is it.'

'You want to go by yourself?'

'We have no other choice.' Jack said resolutely.

'Alright then. Good luck, Jack. To all of you.' Landry wished luck.

'Thanks.' Jack replied and hung up.

He threw the phone on the table and faced the others. He could see the confusion on their faces so he began to explain the situation before any of them could have asked.

'Lorne's unit seems to be in trouble. They didn't answer the phone. We should suspect that they were attacked by those hybrid creatures. Fortunately I could get some ammo and two ancient devices as you can see. We're only five but now we will hopefully be able to see each other and to see those creatures as well.'

It took a couple of seconds for the others to take in the bad news. The confusion didn't disappear from their faces.

'Ok.' Jack said when he saw there were no questions. 'We should go right away. We go in the same teams as yesterday so Carter and Teal'c with me and Cameron with Daniel. One of the life sign detectors will be with me, the other will be at Cameron.'

He took one of the devices and threw it to the colonel.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Jack and Cameron walked to the table to put away the clips into their backpacks. It would have been better to have their vests with them but they weren't planning to go on a mission so they had to do with backpacks.
Finally all of them picked up their P-90s, Teal'c his staff weapon and they stood in the living room, ready to go.

'Ok, kids. Move out.' Jack ordered and the two teams left the house, out into the cold, chilly winter twilight.

~TBC