In all fairness, the assigned mission was a cakewalk mission. Jack crossed his arms on top of his P90 and leaned back into his hips. But that didn't mean he was having an easy time of it. His gaze drifted from one small group of natives to another. He was especially aware of their proximity to each member of his team – too close to Daniel, too close to Carter, too much space between the poles of Jack's and Teal'c's protection. Though, if Jack were being honest, the locals were a bit too close to Teal'c, too.

Sure, they seemed nice and helpful. But then one of them offered Daniel a cup of something to drink and Daniel, always the trusting diplomat, reached out for it. "Daniel!" Jack said sharply.

The younger man looked at him with wide eyes at the tone of voice.

Jack gave one quick shake of his head and made a grab for the canteen strapped to his pack and started walking towards Daniel. "Don't take anything they offer you," Jack said lowly when he'd approached Daniel and handed over the canteen.

"But Jack-"

"No, Daniel."

Jack knew his tone brooked no argument. He also knew he was being overly cautious. These people had given them no reason for alarm. But then again, neither, really, had Astarte and look how that had ended up. He'd drank her wine and been psychologically tortured for a month. It just went to show that even the benign seeming planets could pose dangerous threats. And he wasn't going to open his team up to those threats unnecessarily.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Teal'c take a few steps towards Carter and he wondered what that was about but he'd been too focused on Daniel. He'd been too focused on the perceived problematic minutia to see the big picture. That was when he realized that he couldn't do the job he needed to do. No longer able to be fully aware of his surroundings at any given moment, he had to rely on Teal'c to pick up the slack. Not that the big man wouldn't – couldn't – do it, but he shouldn't have to. It was Jack's job to keep his team safe so they could do their actual jobs. Nevermind that Teal'c was, basically, the muscle of the group and a built-in safety measure. Jack's brain wasn't willing to make that concession.

"Don't you think you and Teal'c are being a little... I don't know... overprotective?" Daniel asked, his voice low in deference to the natives milling about.

"No." Jack said shortly.

"A little diplomacy will go a long way in helping us in these trade negotiations," Daniel pointed out.

"I'm not being undiplomatic," Jack said gruffly, "I just don't want you taking their damned drinks."

"Look, I realize that this probably has something to do with what happened to you, but-"

"Can it, Daniel."

Daniel frowned, never pleased with being told to stop talking and usually generally even further displeased to be told in such a manner. He huffed and dropped to one knee to dig through the pack at his feet. He produced a book that he handed to Jack. "Will you take this to Sam, please?"

Jack took the book and scowled at it then leveled his gaze at Daniel. "Don't take anything from the locals," Jack reiterated lowly.

"Yes, sir," Daniel said derisively.

Jack rolled his eyes and turned on his heels. If nothing else, being the delivery guy for the book meant he got to check in on Carter and possibly find out why Teal'c had felt it necessary to take those few steps closer to her.

"… and so the geomagnetic field created by the device has an effect on the surrounding instruments," she was saying to a young man who was paying her rapt attention.

That was when Jack decided they were camping rather than taking the local leaders up on the offer of lodgings. Jack didn't want her any closer to someone who was going to look at her like that than she needed to be for any longer than she needed to be. Not that he hadn't already been leaning that way, anyhow.

"Daniel wanted me to give you this," he interrupted, impolitely, and shoved the book at her.

She looked over at him, her eyes marvelously unguarded for a moment, brightly lit, smiling and it socked him in the gut. Quickly, very quickly, she schooled her expression into something more befitting their current situation, though, and he found equilibrium. "Thank you, sir," she said, taking the book from his hand. Her fingers brushed his and he could have sworn he felt electricity pass between them.

The young man she'd been talking to took a possessive step towards her and so did Jack. Carter looked between the two men and took a step discreet backwards and yet in Jack's direction. He reached out and touched her elbow, just to let her know he was there, available, dialed in to the situation. Jack looked over at Teal'c to see the man's hand tightly clutching his staff weapon and a tight frown on his face. Jack shook his head minutely and watched as Teal'c relaxed infinitesimally.

"Sir, this is Balvin," Carter introduced, "and he's the Truskin's scientific ambassador."

Jack grunted noncomitally. He didn't care what the guy's name was. He just cared that the guy was standing close enough to Carter to make her take a step away. In the back of his mind he knew he should care who the guy was. They were there to negotiate a trade agreement and Jack would need to do his part as the leader of SG-1 to secure a deal. But he didn't trust these people.

He looked over his shoulder at Daniel and saw the younger man surrounded by natives and felt fear climb up his back. He took a deep breath and tamped it back down. "Teal'c. You wanna go keep an eye on Daniel?"

Teal'c nodded once and moved off in the direction of the archaeologist, his staff weapon tapping against the ground like a walking stick.

"Was there something you needed, sir?" Carter asked, as proper as she ever was, back at the beginning before things had gotten comfortable between them.

"Just, you know, the book," he gestured dumbly. "You need a hand with anything?"

"Actually if you don't mind I..." she started rattling off a series of things she needed that boiled down to him and Balvin following her to one of their scientific buildings to move crates of stuff away from a centrally mounted device that was apparently creating a geomagnetic field – that much he'd overheard.

Hours later, when it was time to adjourn for the evening, the leader of the Truskin people, Akully, once again offered Jack accommodations for SG-1. "We've got gear," Jack told the man brusquely. "We'll just camp out here."

"The nights can get cold, Colonel O'Neill," Akully said, clearly personally affronted that Jack would turn down the offer.

"We'll be fine," Jack assured him.

Akully sniffed and looked down his considerable nose at Jack. "Very well."

He turned away, his white cape whipping around him dramatically, forbodingly, leaving Jack feeling off center as if things were going to go very, very wrong.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

That evening, when Daniel went to drop his stuff in the tent where the colonel had stowed his own gear, Jack stoped him. "Danny, bunk with Teal'c tonight, okay?" The younger man looked at him with confusion but did as asked without question. Huh, Sam figured he was learning. She was confused, though, too. They had barely spoken to one another and they were going to share a tent? Was that really wise considering the fact that not only had they been ordered to suspend a personal relationship but that the other half of their team was aware of that order as well?

She looked at him sharply but he seemed to be doing his level best to look anywhere but at her. With a resoluteness she was faking more than making, she carried her own pack to the colonel's tent and tossed it inside.

"Carter'll take first watch," he said predictably, "I'll take second, Teal'c third, Daniel, you can make the coffee."

"Right," Daniel said.

They didn't need to hear the rundown. It was the same old, same old. Just the sleeping arrangements were different. She'd always bunked with Teal'c. Daniel sometimes talked in his sleep and made it difficult for Teal'c to achieve Kelno'reem. He didn't need much time, but he did need some so they'd just worked it out so that Daniel slept with the colonel – who was able to nudge the archaeologist when he got to waxing poetic in his sleep – and Teal'c bunked with Sam, who slept still and quiet as a church mouse next to the Jaffa who made her feel pretty damn safe even while off world.

But not tonight.

What was going on in Jack's head? Why did he want them to share a tent? Sure he had to know that it was improper under the circumstances. Naturally, neither Daniel nor Teal'c would say anything about it – to them or to General Hammond, but still. And honestly, if they couldn't even talk to one another, what business did they have sleeping together? Or, perhaps, that was exactly what made it safe. But, in that case, why did he want it? He had to have an angle, she just couldn't figure out what it was and she didn't have the guts to ask. At least, not at the present moment.

After they all had dinner, the three guys filed into the tents leaving her to her watch and to her own thoughts. She tried not to dwell too much on knowing that soon enough she'd be sharing sleeping quarters with Jack. Again. She was actually rather glad he had the watch immediately following hers because it gave her another two hours to collect herself. She didn't really think she'd sleep.

She must have zoned out, though, because, like clock work, when it was time for his watch, the colonel appeared, boots on but untied, belt on but unbuckled. He looked mussed and rumpled and absolutely delicious – like he always did when it was time for him to relieve her from her watch. Not a thing was different about this change over than any one that had come before it. And yet, it felt different because now she knew what it felt like for those warm arms to be tightened around her.

"I'm tagging you out, Carter," he said when she didn't move from her place by the fire for the staring she was doing at him.

"Oh, right. Yes, sir," she said, fumbling over her words. Embarassed to have been caught staring at him. Wondering if he'd actually caught her staring or if he was just muddled from his sleep and wondering, himself, why she hadn't gotten up yet.

"See you in a couple hours," he said.

She swallowed at the reminder. "Yes sir," she said again, for lack of anything better to say. She took off towards the tent. Inside the tent smelled like him and the Air Force, so mostly just him. She stripped off her boots and belt and jacket and laid down on the sleeping bad he'd thoughtfully rolled out for her, regulation distance from his own. The night was warm so she didn't snuggle down inside it, instead she turned onto her side and curled in on herself in an attempt to get comfortable.

The next thing she knew she was waking up to the sound of Jack coming into the tent. He must have heard her breathing change because he said, very quietly, "It's just me, go back to sleep." He didn't sound at all like her CO. As a matter of fact, he sounded just like the man she'd shared a bed with for too short a period of time. She licked her lips against the pang of hurt that shot through her belly.

She listened as he took off his boots and his belt and as he laid down and got comfortable. She remembered thinking she wasn't going to be able to get to sleep knowing he was beside her but then she was waking up again to the sounds of him struggling.

She was immediately on alert and then realized he was dreaming. She instantly remembered the night he'd choked her when she'd awoken him from a nightmare and she knew she had to proceed carefully. She switched on a flashlight so she could see a swinging fist if she needed to. "Colonel," she said calmly. "Jack." The sound of her voice seemed to have a bit of a dull sort of effect. He was still struggling but he appeared to be fighting his way up towards consciousness.

She reached out for his knee, deciding to stay out of reach of his hands, knowing she was safer if he couldn't reach her. She cupped one hand around the joint and squeezed gently as she said his name again, firmer, more loudly, but not so loudly, she hoped, that her voice would be picked up in the other tent, "Jack."

She murmured nonsense at him as she stroked his thigh, just above his knee, watching as his nightmare released him from its grip. She couldn't help but notice how he was sweating when he pushed himself up into a seated position. "Sam?" he asked, his voice low and confused as he tried to put together where and when he was.

"Yeah."

"You're okay," he said and reached for her, hauling her to him, crushing her to his chest. He, for long moments, seemed to forget about their orders. She, however, could not, did not, and didn't return his fervent embrace. She didn't stop him, though, either. She knew the moment he remembered. He stiffened against her and slowly moved her away from him. He wouldn't meet her eyes. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's okay," she said as he set her back on the ground an arm's length away. "You haven't been sleeping... have you?"

His eyes looked guarded before they shifted away and she knew he didn't want to talk about this with her. Talking about this with her was too much like what they weren't supposed to be doing.

"Jack," she said softly, pulling his eyes to hers.

He grasped at the back of his neck with one hand. "Nah," he said.

She sighed and scooched closer to him. "How did you get cleared for duty? Did you lie to MacKenzie?"

"I did what I had to do," he said resignedly.

"You were on edge all day."

He didn't say anything he just let his eyes bore into hers.

"Why did you do this to us?" She wanted to know, she really did. And then, with a sudden clarity, she knew. "You knew you'd have a nightmare and you didn't want Daniel to see." She sighed again, she wanted to touch him so badly but she didn't think she should.

"I know this is hard for you," he said apologetically. "And I shouldn't have done it. But after today and how it felt to not trust anybody, I knew..."

"You don't have to explain it to me."

His eyes were so deep and soulful, more than she'd seen from him ever before and she felt real pain that he was allowing her to see so much at a time when she couldn't give him what he needed.

"Do you want to try to sleep again?"

He just nodded and maneuvered himself back down into a reclined position. She situated herself back atop her bag and then switched off the flashlight. He snagged her hand in the darkness. It was forbidden. It was wrong. But she allowed it, that one tenuous connection between them. Something to ground him. If he dreamed anymore that night, it was silent.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Jack stepped through the gate and listened to the satisfying sound of the iris sliding closed behind him. Daniel was still shooting daggers at him with his eyes and Sam was giving him worried looks. Teal'c was resolutely handing over his staff weapon to the young SF at the bottom of the ramp.

"SG-1, welcome home," Hammond said, greeting them in person instead of over the loudspeaker. "I trust we've got a trade deal to discuss in the debrief."

Daniel shot another glare at Jack and opened his mouth to speak but Jack beat him to it. "No, sir. Things didn't go quite according to plan."

The smile slid down the General's face into a frown. "What the hell happened, Colonel O'Neill?"

Jack cringed inwardly. It was supposed to have been a cakewalk, he knew that. This mission had been handed to him on a silver platter. Daniel would negotiate a trade agreement, same as he'd done a handful of times before. Jack's real job was to sit back and make sure nothing bad happened. And nothing bad had happened. He had no excuse to give the General.

Something must have shown on his face because the General waved him off. "Save it for the debrief. Infirmary first. Debrief in two hours."

Jack went through the motions of the post-mission physical without his usual personality quirks. It earned him a raised eyebrow from the doc as she drew his blood. She didn't badger him with small talk, though.

Daniel, on the other hand, wasn't so easily dissuaded. "Aren't we going to talk about this, Jack?" he waned to know as they were leaving the infirmary.

"What is there to talk about?"

"How about why the trade deal didn't go through?"

"I already know why it didn't."

"We all know why it didn't!" Daniel said emphatically.

"So, again I ask you, what is there to talk about?"

"How about why it happened?"

"Daniel-" Jack said warningly at the same time Sam said, "Daniel, I don't think-"

"You guys can't possibly be on the same side of this," the younger man said hot-headedly.

"Why not?" Sam wanted to know, she sounded cool-headed enough to Jack, but she had fire in her eyes and he wondered if it was something everyone could see or if it was something that came with knowing her differently, because Daniel seemed oblivious but that could really just be Daniel.

"This is why team members aren't supposed to be in relationships," Daniel spit, "because when one does something stupid, the other one shouldn't side with him." Daniel stalked off towards his office.

Sam's jaw dropped then clenched and it took everything Jack had not to make matters worse by confronting Daniel about what he'd just said.

Teal'c turned towards Sam and said, "When Daniel Jackson realizes what he has said, he will feel badly."

Sam huffed. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Doesn't matter, his problem is with me. He shouldn't have taken it out on her," Jack said.

"Perhaps he just needs some time to let his anger fade away."

Later on, in the debrief, Jack had to tell his commanding officer that the trade agreement broke down because Jack found himself completely untrusting of the locals to the point of insulting them. Apparently not allowing them to give food or drinks to his teammates or be near his teammates without his apparent agitation was more than their egos could bear. They wanted to know why Earth wanted to trade with Trusk if there was no trust to be had between the two lands at all. And, most of all, as it turned out, he was right about the way Balvin had been looking at Sam. And apparently Balvin was related to Akully and Jack being overprotective of Sam stepped on some sensitive toes.

After Hammond dismissed Teal'c, Daniel, and Sam from the debrief, he said, "So you're saying that your personal feelings, and I'm not just saying your personal feelings for Major Carter, shot this deal to hell?"

Jack sighed. "I didn't plan this. This wasn't me trying to prove I'm not capable."

"I didn't think it was, son." And General Hammond sounded genuinely apologetic for the situation that Jack found himself in. Even if he was still a little pissed that the deal fell through.

"So... what now?"

"Now I send SG-2 to attempt to clean up this mess," Hammond said.

"Yes, sir."

"And you put a tighter lid on whatever's going on with you and Major Carter or I'll have to transfer her off SG-1."

Jack felt the color drain from his face. She didn't deserve to be punished for her feelings and because he couldn't get his act together. "Yes, sir."

"I know you don't like this, but this is the way it is. For now."

"For now," Jack said, clinging to hope that perhaps all this was just temporary. "Yes, sir."

But the truth was, he wasn't sure how long he could deal with it, even if it was only temporary.