Walking through the corridors of Stargate Command, Jonas felt oddly comfortable despite the reasons for his visit. For a few brief moments, Jonas was able to forget the imminent danger to his home planet and instead revel in the comforts of the place he had called home for a little over a year. Ever since his return to Kelowna, Jonas had been working hard with Kianna on the Naquadria project and as soon as they had realised there was an increasing problem with the internal deposits, Jonas had barely taken time for meals and so, even though the situation was worsening, he felt the need for a quick few minutes to catch up with people.

"Feel good to be back?" Sam asked him. She must have seen his smile, Jonas decided.

"Yeah. I mean, I was here not too long ago." Grinning at Sam, she smiled back. "But that was only a flying visit. How is Daniella?"

"She's fine." Jonas was an astute guy and he heard the clipped tones in her voice.

"What's up then? I know we were busy back on Kelowna, but you weren't just preoccupied with the work." He did not want to jump to the conclusion, but he had to voice his concerns: "Is everything okay at home?"

"A bit strained," she admitted after a few moments as they passed a few air men walking in the opposite direction. "But it'll be fine. We both need to work through a few things. I guess that I need to work through a few things. What's with you and Kianna because I could have sworn I saw you flirting with my nanny?"

Allowing her to change the subject, he also tried to hide a blush. "We've been seeing each other for a while. It's not serious or anything. Not yet, anyway."

"So she's not just your replacement lab buddy then?"

At the door to his old shared laboratory with Nicola, they paused in the doorway. "Speaking of lab buddies."

Sam smiled in reply. "I'll see you in the briefing room in a bit."

"Hey, lab buddy!" Jonas called and walked into what used to also be his laboratory, too. He missed a lot about Earth.

"Jonas!" Nicola jumped up from her desk and moved around it to hug her friend hello. After returning the hug, Jonas allowed Nicola to pull away first. "I didn't realise you were going to be visiting. I'm so sorry about Kelowna. Is there any chance of…?"

"Still working on it. How are you anyway? I barely got to speak with you at Daniella's party." He remembered how she had quickly vanished after Daniel had arrived with Sarah Gardner in tow. Communication was less frequent between them since he had returned home, but he was kept up to date with certain events. Jonas was fully aware of Sam's capture at the hands of Osiris and how SG-1 had raced to rescue her, returning with her and Sarah Gardner.

"I'm okay."

"Who did you flee from?" he asked. "Daniel or his friend, Sarah?"

"Maybe a bit of both." She looked a bit ashamed of her own thoughts and comments. Jonas wondered what had happened to all of his friends in the few months since he had returned home.

"I probably don't have the time right now, but if you ever need to talk about anything…" Nicola barely ever opened up to anyone and she had happily spent more time working in the lab with him than socialising with her team. "If Daniel doesn't have the time?" Her back straightened and Jonas noticed the thin line her lips formed.

"Sarah needs his help."

"And if you need mine…" He left the offer open.

"You have enough on your plate, Jonas, but thank you."

"Speaking of plates – lunch? I notice that it is almost an hour late, but you always forget to eat and I am kind of hungry."

"That's because you're always hungry." There was finally a smile on his friend's face and it pleased Jonas. "I've already had lunch, but I'll keep you company."

Mock shock on his face, Jonas said, "You've had lunch *and* you're willing to socialise in place of work. What happened to the Nicola I left behind?" He reached his hand out to her forehead to feel for a temperature and was rewarded by a thwack across his chest from her.

"Things have changed, Jonas." There was a melancholy to her voice, but a smile on her face. Putting away the file she had been looking at, the two of them set off for the commissary.

"Can you believe that I missed this food?" Jonas asked a short while later as he sat there eating a late lunch and Nicola ate a piece of fruit.

"No, not really."

"Who'd you have lunch with?" A blush flooded her face and Jonas grinned, pressing her with: "Ooh, spill it, Nic."

"Major Lorne."

"I spoke to him at Daniella's birthday party. And?"

"And, nothing. We're friends, is that okay?"

Wary of pushing the jovial mood too far, Jonas shrugged his shoulders. "Just wondering if Nicola Carpenter could be getting herself a boyfriend."

"I don't have the time for such things. What about you? Any special someone back on Kelowna?"

"Maybe," he responded, clamming up slightly just as she had.

"Spill."

"We've been working together on the Naquadria project. Her name's Kianna and, and I think you'd like her."

"Are things serious?"

"Maybe."

"Are you happy?" she asked and Jonas only needed a moment to consider it.

"Yeah, I am."

"Well that's all that matters."