Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For a moment there was nothing but the steady clack of reels as they went through the motions of fishing. Then, as if on cue, there was another layer of energy, accompanied by the nearly audible clack of cogs turning in that brain of hers. He took a calming breath, knowing she was about to speak.

“Sir, I think we should go back and analyze the footage.”

He stopped reeling and looked at her. She was biting her bottom lip in concentration. He played dumb. “Oh really, why’s that, Carter?” He resumed reeling.

“The fish might seem like a minor anomaly, but we know from past experiences with the timeline that…”

“Calm down, Lorenz,” he said with a chuckle, “We didn’t mess up the timeline.”

That shut her up, which was immensely amusing to him. Her line was already in, so she laid her pole on the dock and folded her hands in her lap. Then turned to face him with that doe-eyed gaze of hers.

“Chaos theory, right?” he continued, grinning like the idiot he sometimes was.

She squinted at him. “Right, but how did you…”

“You know I can read, right?”

“Sorry, sir.” Embarrassment colored her features at being caught underestimating him, but whereas Captain or even Major Carter might have stewed on the embarrassment a while, Colonel Carter jumped right back in.

“How can you be so sure, sir?”

He let her off the hook. “I had Earl stock the pond yesterday. Figured it might be a nice change.”

“Oh.” Her shoulders slumped at the shame of being duped.

 Jack nearly felt guilty until she turned and fixed him with a steely-eyed gaze and smirk that made him consider sleeping with one eye open. He broke first and looked away. Then cleared his throat.

“So, uh, Carter, you get everything taken care of before we left?” She’d had a lot to deal with after Jacob’s death and even though they’d all offered, she’d dutifully ticked off most tasks solo. He didn’t want to sour the mood, but he also didn’t want her feeling guilty for taking a much-needed vacation.

“Yes, sir.” She didn’t elaborate.

He regretted asking. “Carter, you have officially reached your sir quota for the week. Knock it off.”

“Sam.”

“Huh?”

“Goes both ways.”

The smirk was back. This was going to be an interesting week.

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Two poles lay near the water’s edge untouched.

“Do you enjoy fishing, Daniel Jackson?” Teal’c spoke low, just out of earshot of their companions. Sam and Jack were on the other side of the dock attempting to unsnag a line from the weeds.

Daniel shrugged. “Not particularly.” He didn’t turn to look at Teal’c, but eyed him in his periphery, aware there was a second question forthcoming.

 “Then why did you agree to participate?”

Teal’c continued staring at the water, but Daniel still felt the weight of his judgmental brow. “Come on, Teal’c, it’s a team outing. You’re telling me you enjoy fishing?”

He cocked his head sideways in contemplation. “I do enjoy the taste of what O’Neill calls crappie.”

Daniel snorted. “Okay, but it’s pronounced ‘crah-pee’.”

“Very well.”

“Besides,” Daniel continued, “I think we’re along partly as chaperones.”

“But there is no one here under the age of majority.”

“I mean…Just so things don’t look too fishy, if you know what I mean.” He nodded his head in the direction of the dock.

“I see.” Teal’c turned to look at him then. “Do you believe O’Neill will step down?”

There it was - the question. The two of them hadn’t put much voice to whatever had been going on between their teammates all these years. It was as though if anyone said anything, it would break the spell and suddenly become a real hurdle they had to face.

Daniel sighed, “Teal’c, just about the time I think I’ve got Jack figured out, he goes and surprises me. I guess that’s why I make a better archeologist than anthropologist.”

Teal’c nodded. Daniel turned to look at him and noticed the slight furrow in his brow, just outside that prominent emblem they had learned to ignore. He felt the need to reassure his friend.

“But we’ve been doing alright, the three amigos.” Daniel smiled as he thought of the adventures they’d had since Jack’s promotion. A few had been rather harrowing, but that only tended to happen when they were separated. Sam was a good leader. She'd always had good instincts and had picked up a lot of Jack's under his tutelage.

“That may soon change.”

The usually soothing deep bass rumble startled him from his thoughts. “What do you mean, Teal’c?”

“I have been asked to join the high council.” 

“And you’re considering it?” Daniel wasn’t surprised he’d been asked, but Teal’c had often told him he felt he had more resources in his SGC position.

“I am Jaffa.” Was there a hint of a question in his voice?

“I mean, of course you are, but, well…” Daniel couldn’t express his hurt considering his own decisions of late.

Teal’c continued. “I do consider Earth to be my home, and you to be my family, but my people need me.”

Daniel relished the comfort those simple words provided. And there was a weight to the Jaffa’s tone with which he could not argue.

“They couldn’t find anyone better, Teal’c, but we’ll miss you.” Daniel had expected to escape his concerns this week, not run into them head-first.

“I will miss you, as well.”

Daniel leaned down to pick up both poles and passed one to his companion. “I’m glad we can all be here at the same time.”

“Indeed.”                    

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Teal’c felt her presence before she spoke from behind them, something he once solely attributed to the fact that she had carried a symbiote, but as their friendship deepened, he realized she carried a presence of her own.

“Hey guys, having any luck?” Colonel Carter appeared beside Daniel, having just returned from the cabin with beers in hand.

Teal’c noticed Daniel did not make eye contact with her, an oddity he filed away. He was usually comfortable with silence, but he rarely experienced it between these two. She glanced his way before returning her attention to the man from whom she really wanted a response. Daniel must have felt her eyes on him and spoke without looking up.

“A few nibbles.”

She continued, now speaking to them both. “General O’Neill was blaming it on the barometric pressure and wind direction, but I’m not sure his pond is all that susceptible to the greater Minnesota climate.” She rolled her eyes and grinned at them, her skin glowing with fresh sun. Teal’c noticed Daniel looking up at her finally.

“Maybe we’ll have more luck as the sun goes down.” Daniel gestured with his pole and started to reel for the first time in an hour, a valid excuse to look away again.

“You want to sit on the dock for a while?” she offered.

“Fine here, thanks.” Daniel seemed impatient with her presence, and Teal’c thought he knew why, but didn’t consider it his place yet to inquire. The smile on the young Colonel’s face was falling for the first time since their trip had begun.

“What have you guys been talking about?” she tried.

Teal’c knew she was really trying to engage their suddenly reclusive friend, but he also wanted to avoid her feelings getting hurt, so he answered for them. “The timing of our trip.”

Her smile instantly returned, and it warmed his heart.

“It’s great that it worked out, isn’t it? We rarely get a breather, and with the replicators gone, it feels too good to be true.”

Beside him, Daniel shivered. “As a matter of fact, I think I will sit on the dock for a little while, it’s that’s okay.”

And before they could protest, Daniel was gone. While Colonel Carter appeared saddened by his behavior, she didn’t seem surprised. She simply took the vacated seat and continued.

“How are you, Teal’c?”

“I am fine.”

She put her hand on her hip dramatically and cocked her head sideways. He hadn’t meant to evoke the same evasiveness they’d bantered about on the cargo ship all those months ago, and he realized she needed more engagement than he was providing.

“The plans for Dakara are going better than I had hoped.” He left out the part about the council for now, unsure if he could face her disappointment.

“I’m proud of you, Teal’c.” She beamed at him warmly, and for a second he reconsidered a path that meant he didn’t see his friend almost every day.

“Thank you, Samantha.” He nearly choked up using her given name, but schooled his features before continuing. “I am sorry again for the passing of your father.”

She reached over and patted his arm. “Thank you, Teal’c.”

“Selmak was a great asset to us,” he offered.

She nodded dutifully. He continued.

“But Jacob Carter was a good man.”

She sniffed then and looked straight into his soul, but didn’t speak. She just nodded, picked up Daniel’s pole, and cast into the pond.

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“Where are we headed?” Daniel inquired once they had all piled into Jack’s ludicrously large F-350. She didn’t actually know the answer to the question that was directed at the general, or else she would have intercepted just to interact with her curiously aloof teammate.

“McQuade’s,” Jack answered gruffly, but she knew it was just an act. A necessity for their banter.

“Oh. Do they have good steaks?” Daniel continued from the back seat.

Jack huffed impatience. “No, but my buddy runs the place, and I told him we’d stop in before the show. We can go to the chophouse tomorrow if you want.”

“You know who has really good steaks?”

She recognized the mischievous glee in Daniel’s voice, something she had yet to hear on their trip.

Jack was shaking his head. “Not funny, Daniel.”

“What’s he talking about?” she asked.

Jack rolled his head toward her and dramatically drew out the word, “O’Malley’s.”

His eyes were off the road a little too long for her comfort, so she reached over and pushed his chin back to 12 o’clock. He obeyed. Her hand tingled from the contact and she rushed to continue the conversation.

“Yeah,” she said as casually as she could muster, “Such a shame we’re still banned.”

“I am not banned,” came a rumble from the other rear passenger seat.

“That’s a low blow Teal’c,” Jack responded.

It dawned on her second, which was typically unheard of. She whipped around to indict him. “Wait a second, have you been there?”

Teal’c nodded, but Jack must have seen it in the rearview mirror.

“That hurts, T,” was all he said.

Then, several seconds of silence before Daniel broke it, “Maybe you can put in a good word for us.”

Chapter Text

As Daniel racked a new set of balls, Sam passed her stick to Jack, who winked at her. Her heart fluttered and she turned away, walking a little too quickly to the booth where Teal’c remained. She wound her way through the Fourth of July crowd and had barely slid into her spot before he started in on her.

“You let him win,” Teal'c accused.

She wanted to argue, but she was too amused. She took a tone out of the general’s playbook.

“Teal’c, I would never,” she said, feigning shock.

He rose an eyebrow.

She puffed out a breath. “Okay, maybe my heart wasn’t fully in it,” she admitted.

“What is troubling you?”

Leave it to Teal’c to ask the tough questions. She sputtered for a response.

“Wow, okay. Well, I got an offer to transfer to Groom Lake.” Better to rip the band-aid off.

His facial expression didn’t change. “You have been offered this opportunity before.”

Touché. She attempted an explanation. “Yeah, but I couldn’t have stepped away. There was too much at stake with the system lords and then the replicators.” She left the part about being codependent on her team unsaid.

“And now you do not feel guilty.”

He had a habit of conveying her true meaning with fewer words. She sighed. “I suppose so.” She took a drink of her soda.

“I understand.”

“Thanks, Teal’c. I’m not sure everyone else will. Don’t get me wrong, being on this team is the best thing that ever happened to me. But I joined because I thought I would get to study and help advance the technology we discovered. That has taken a backseat to everything else.” The everything else had been pretty amazing, though.

He smiled knowingly. “We will take great pride in your accomplishments.”

It was then she realized her plan to leave her tears in Colorado Springs was at serious risk.

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As they spilled into the parking lot with Daniel muttering something about being a pool shark, Jack realized he shouldn’t have let the younger man dare him to take shots. He held out a set of keys to Teal’c.

“Teal’c, buddy, do you mind driving?”

“I do not, O’Neill.” He accepted the keys as they walked to the driver’s side.

Jack noticed Daniel had upgraded his seat, as well, which left him to share the back with Carter. He rolled his eyes at the passive-aggressive game his male companions had been playing of late. He clapped Teal’c on the shoulder a little more forcefully than necessary and pointed to the left side of the lot.

 “It’s just up the road, good view, not much crowd.” But as he turned to grab his door handle, Teal’c spoke.

“Daniel Jackson says we are your chaperones.”

Jack whipped back around. “What?”

He only got an eyebrow in response. For crying out loud. He checked to make sure Carter was already in the truck before he responded, not quite a whisper, but strategically quieter.

“T, I used to buy the whole ‘I don’t understand Earth culture’ routine. But you don’t have to use Danny boy as a filter for your questions.”

Teal’c bowed his head in acquiescence and asked directly, “Do you wish Daniel Jackson and I to be here?”

Jack blew out a breath. “T, it might be a while before the four of us are together again.”

“Perhaps you wish two things simultaneously?”

“Perhaps,” Jack said wistfully.

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They’d left Daniel guarding their blanket on what Jack had declared the perfect spot while he and Teal’c went for drinks. Sam snuck off to the restroom, as much to collect her emotions as to use the facilities. The concessions line was long and on the other side of the park, so she figured she had time to confront Daniel before the guys returned. She looked in the mirror, took a deep breath, and marched back to their spot.

Her momentum was so great, she nearly ran into him as she came to a stop on the blanket. “Okay, Daniel, what gives?” she asked before she lost her nerve. She almost felt guilty for the bewildered look on his face. Almost.

“Huh?”

She stared at him, assessing whether he was playing dumb.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

He seemed genuinely curious, and it was then she realized part of his behavior might not be conscious. But that didn’t let him off the hook for the other part.

“You’ve barely looked at me since you came back and whenever I try to talk to you, you act like I kicked your puppy. So tell me, what did I do?”

“I don’t have a puppy,” he quipped, using his boyish features to his advantage.

“Daniel,” she admonished.

He looked down at the blanket. “You didn’t do anything.”

She squatted in an attempt to force eye contact. “I don’t believe you.” It wasn’t harsh, but it was certainly more forceful than she typically was with him. And it made him look at her.

“What?”

She couldn’t stand the confusion in his stormy eyes, so she rushed to explain, “Maybe it’s a memory thing like last time, or maybe you just don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine, but…”

“Sam…”

“Maybe it’s stupid of me considering you keep coming back, but I thought…we thought we’d lost you and when you showed up…”

“You’re right.”

She stopped talking, confused at what part she was right about.

“I mean, you’re sort of right.” He patted the space in front of him. “Sit down.”

Sam sat cross-legged in front of him and waited. Daniel took a moment to speak.

“I know what Fifth did to you.”

She inhaled harshly. “What?” It wasn’t what she’d expected. Her mind reeled with the possibilities of what he meant.

“I know because…well, because she did the same thing to me.”

She closed her eyes, horrified. She’d suspected, but hoped it wasn’t true. She knew no apology would ever be enough, but they were the only words she could muster.

“I’m so sorry, Daniel.”

“It’s not your fault,” he said with a conviction she didn’t deserve.

They had all gone too easy on her after the replicator version of her wreaked havoc on the galaxy. She voiced the thoughts that had plagued her since her evil twin had disappeared through the gate.

“I let our connection crowd my judgment. I never should have trusted her. None of this would have happened.”

Daniel scooted closer, knees grazing hers, and she tried not to flinch. Her emotions were on overload. He laid a steadying hand on her knee as he spoke.

“She played on your humanity. The very thing that beat them in the end. You can’t second guess yourself.”

She’d ached to hear those words, but could not absorb them. “If you really believe that, then what’s going on between us?”

Daniel pushed nervously at his glasses before he continued, “My brain is just…having a hard time processing. She wasn’t like you at all, but she looked like you. Talked like you. She played my humanity, too. I might have been able to beat her sooner, except…”

“You couldn’t.” She knew too well the futility of fighting against them.

“Yeah.”

She rushed to add, “But you gave us the time we needed to use the weapon.”

He nodded. They were no longer looking at each other, just staring at the same star pattern on the ridiculous Star Wars blanket Jack had brought for their outing. She hated to admit it, but Fifth had broken her. Her final plea had convinced the one shred of humanity he had in him to release her. Daniel’s report had been light on details, partially because of the amnesia he suffered when he descended, and partially because they rarely included the more personally demeaning details in their reports. But she’d unfortunately read enough between the lines to convince her that the replicator version of herself had been even worse than Fifth. It shook her.

“She killed me before the ship was destroyed,” Daniel admitted.

She jerked her head back up to find him looking at her. His report seemed to indicate he’d been killed when the ship had disintegrated.

“Wh...what?” was all she managed.

“She stabbed me.” Then he whipped his arm around in a motion that painted the picture for her too clearly. She got a chill. Steadied herself with a hand on his outstretched arm.

“I’m...” she didn’t trust her voice. “I’m so sorry you went through that.”

He scooted to her left and offered an embrace that she worried would shatter her, but she could not refuse. She buried her head in his shoulder and heaved a guilty sigh that he was the one comforting her when he’d literally died at her hands. He was stronger than they’d ever given him credit for.

He interrupted her thoughts.

“I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you. You’re nothing like her and you never will be.”

Tears escaped her eyelids, but she refused to fall apart in public. Perhaps sensing her discomfort, he pulled back. Then wiped under her eyes and kissed her forehead.

“Okay?” he asked.

She nodded, unsure.

He supplied the words. “We will be.”

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Jack and Teal’c returned to find their scientists lying on their stomachs like little kids, engaged in a book. A book! For crying out loud, where had they even found one in the park? There was barely even enough light left to read it. Jack left Teal’c at the back of the blanket with an armload of supplies and stood over them. He managed to read the title upside down.

“Lakeview Park Presents: The History of Two Harbors…you’re kidding right?”

They looked up simultaneously, all big eyes and innocent smiles. How had he taken these actual children into battle with him?

“You ever see that show the Edison Twins?” he quipped.

In sync, they turned to each other, shrugged, then looked back up at him.

“No, why?” Sam asked.

Jack rolled his eyes. “No reason.” He picked up the book with the guise of examining it, then set it just out of reach. Sam stuck out her tongue at him, while Daniel rolled his eyes in return and sat up. He scooted to the left edge of the blanket and Sam instinctively followed suit.

Teal’c did not move to sit, just stared at him, so he relented again to the game and sat next to his second-in-command. He wasn’t disappointed, but Teal’c then milked it by taking up way too much blanket space on his other side. Jack resigned himself to his fate of being squeezed in the middle. He had to give the boys credit for persistence.

Chapter Text

They had just settled in with their snacks, which no one had protested despite having already eaten dinner, when music began to play. The sparse crowd around them cheered, and they heard echoes of a larger crowd further down the waterfront. Daniel instantly recognized the opening to Tom Petty’s American Girl and considered all the things that had happened in his life since the last time he’d first heard it.

It was sometime in college. He’d been reading in the quad when someone nearby turned on a radio and blasted music. It attracted a few passersby and inspired some impromptu dances. A girl from his Ancient Civilizations class who he was certain didn’t know he existed had stood up on a bench, pulled her hair free from a ponytail, then shouted “Woo!” as she swayed, cheered on by onlookers. He’d looked down at his stack of books and questioned his life choices. And he questioned them now.

At the first lyric, the opening fireworks began, nearly a mirror image on the still water. Back then he also couldn’t help thinking there was a little more to life somewhere else. He glanced to his right at Sam’s face, illuminated by multicolored lights. Considering the trauma they’d just shared, he wondered if she ever questioned her decisions. He’d focused so much on life out in the galaxy, he hadn’t stopped to consider the life here on Earth. After all it was a great big world.

He hadn’t intended to share the truth of what had happened to him, but she’d called him out on his behavior and to be honest, he was ashamed. He may have been through more than he could imagine in his worst nightmare, but rather than turn to the one person who’d understand and had always been there for him, he’d ignored her. He’d retreated into himself and used his memory as an excuse. And now, with his current plans, was he running away again? As if on cue, she turned to him and caught his eye. He could tell she was feeling introspective, as well. He smiled and she surprised him by slipping her hand in his. He looked over her head at Jack, who was watching the show expressionless. Daniel knew that someone else held Sam’s heart, but he would hold her hand.

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When they’d returned from the concession stand, Teal’c had sensed the shift in his friends. He wasn’t sure what had occurred, but he was fairly sure he’d seen Colonel Carter marching toward their unsuspecting archeologist. All of their lives had become so intermingled in the past eight years that a disruption in one relationship was a disruption for them all. Perfect harmony did not exist. There had been heated exchanges, harsh words, and offenses. But there was a mutual respect that ran deep like an aquifer, existing regardless of the circumstances on the surface. He hadn’t worried they wouldn’t find each other again, but he’d wondered if it would be before he left for his new position. Teal’c considered the wonderful irony that they were celebrating the independence of the country that had become his home, just as the Jaffa people were declaring their own independence.

As the music changed, the color of the explosions shifted to all white, followed by bursts of red and blue. O'Neill had once told him the Ray Charles version of America the Beautiful was the only one worth listening to, and he tended to agree. He reflected on how much he had yet to see of those amber waves and mountain majesties. Would he see the fruited plains and shining seas again?

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Jack could tell the fireworks were ramping up for the finale by the time the first words of The Star-Spangled Banner began to play. While he’d grown up patriotic and had dedicated his life to serving his country, the words hit differently now in light of their recent victory over the replicators.

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watch'd were so gallantly streaming

With his team spread across the galaxy, it had looked like all was lost. But then…something had changed. A miracle had occurred. And he didn’t use that word lightly.

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there

While the America before the Stargate Program had been mostly supportive of the military, politics had played a nasty role of late. More and more people were learning of the program, and many were not happy with its direction. He found himself questioning the decisions made by his government and superiors. Hammond was one of the good ones, and now he was retiring. What would happen if he left, too?

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

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“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” Jack announced to his sleepy children as they rose from their positions on the blanket.

They had all pretty much resorted to lying back against the slope, much as most groups had done from the beginning. But they’d held out, military bravado eventually succumbing to barely concealed snuggling as the temperature near the lake had dropped. Teal’c was basically his own furnace and despite having barely made contact, Jack could still feel the heat on his right elbow like a fire brand. Daniel, who’d chosen his own fate on the outside, paid the price for it in his thin t-shirt, though he'd tried to use Carter as a blanket, as she’d toted along a tactically advantageous fleece jacket she’d refused to share.

Then there was the middle, where he and Carter had pretended her right side and his left weren’t in the same chain of command for an hour. He could still feel the outline of her from shoulder to ankle. Neither had dared move a millimeter once they’d assumed the position. And there was a silent agreement to never speak of it, as all such physical contact typically occurred with two layers of sleep roll between them.

They all made their way to the truck in silence, Carter taking point and Teal’c bringing up the rear. Daniel sidled up to Jack, slightly groggy and perhaps a bit tipsy.

“I put my Atlantis request on your desk,” he whispered dramatically.

Jack stopped walking, then realized Teal’c would catch up, so he grabbed Daniel around the back of the neck to steady him and dragged him along at a moderate pace. He whispered back to him, a little more forcefully.

“Wh…when, before we left the mountain?”

“Yeah,” was all he said.

Jack prompted him further, “Daniel, we left together.”

“I know,” Daniel half-whined. “I just…didn’t want it to weigh on the trip.”

“So, you’re telling me now because…”

“I wanted you to know,” he said more seriously.

Jack sighed.

“And maybe I’m a little drunk.” Daniel seemed more proud than ashamed.

“Do you really want me to approve it?” Jack asked.

Daniel stopped walking this time.

“What, you think this is plausible deniability?” he asked, with sudden sobriety.

He didn’t answer, so Daniel continued.

“Do what you think is best. As my supervisor.”

Not as my friend. The unspoken words were as loud as the fireworks, but echoed longer.

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His passengers were lightly dozing, but Teal’c didn’t mind. He hadn’t grown up with a vehicle like they all had, and he secretly enjoyed cruising on the open highway. But his peace of mind was interrupted by a threat he sensed before he saw. He didn’t warn them, just jerked to the left. The tires squealed, and if that didn’t wake them, a series of rumbling pops certainly did. He skidded to a stop on the right shoulder.

“Oh, for crying out loud,” came a voice from the back seat.

“I attempted to avoid it O’Neill.”

“I know you did, Teal’c. There wasn’t much you could do without running us off the road.” He turned to Sam, dipped his head. She nodded.

The sound of pistols being pulled from their holsters dragged Daniel more fully from sleep.

“What are you guys doing?” he mumbled.

“Spike strips,” Jack responded.

“You’re kidding,” Daniel said, more coherent now.

“He is not,” Teal’c said as he reached beneath his seat for a zat. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the General motion with his hand toward his own door.

“Carter,” was all he said.

“Right,” she nodded again.

Teal’c didn’t see the look Jack directed to the front passenger seat, but he saw Daniel nod and pull out his phone. Before Daniel could hit send, Jack spoke.

“Go.”

The three of them exited swiftly, Sam crossing the bench to dump out behind Jack. Teal’c moved toward the hood, crouched as low as his frame could manage. Jack moved toward the rear wheel well and peered over the edge of the bed. Sam dropped to the ground, having never peeked her head above the rim. Teal’c peered into the darkness beyond the shoulder. There was barely any moonlight, but he could make out corn stalk silhouettes, which had a lingering sway unattributable to wind. Whoever was there had the advantage of having adjusted to the dark. In his periphery, Sam was creeping along the asphalt toward the rear of the truck. She paused at the corner, allowing the General to initiate.

“Come on out, we know the game, and we’re armed,” Jack called out as he perched his left forearm on the bed’s edge to steady his weapon.

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“I’m not sure where we are, don’t you have like GPS or something?” Daniel asked the operator. Her response had him rolling his eyes in the dark. “Right, what was I thinking?”

He’d laid the seat backward as the others exited, so he peeked his head just above the window, both to assess their location and to check on the status of his friends. He hadn’t heard gunshots. Yet.

“There’s a corn field on the east side,” he continued. Scoffed at her response. “No, this isn’t a prank.” The operator asked for more information. He chanced a glance in the opposite direction. The sparse clouds had shifted, allowing a bit more moonlight to filter through.

 “Okay, on the west side there’s a tractor, a barn with an American flag, and one of those round hay thingies.” He pulled the phone away and stared at it in awe when the operator said that was the Johnson farm.

“Really? Wow, good job. Five minutes? They should maybe step on it, or my friends might shoot someone.” He reconsidered. “That…didn’t come out right. Hello? Crap.” He chose to believe it was a bad signal rather than an actual 911 operator hanging up on him.

He pulled the zat higher to his chest and prepared to join his team.

Chapter Text

Jack noticed movement in the corn stalks, heard light crunching from multiple directions. He aimed his sights at the nearest one. “Don’t move or I’ll shoot.”

The underfoot noise ceased, and a gruff voice called out, “Put your guns down, there’s more of us than there are of you.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Jack mumbled.

But a different voice responded. “Just give us your wallets and we’ll be on our way.”

“Yeah, don’t think so,” he called defiantly.

He heard the distinct clack of a slide racking from somewhere in the stalks. Amateurs.

Sam shot before he’d even identified the source.

“OW!! Son of a…” then a thud on the ground. He and Teal’c rushed simultaneously from their perches. Sam was still crouched just behind the right rear bumper, gun trained on a bulky man sprawled on his back. He heard a loud “Oof” as Teal’c dropped someone else in the distance, no shots needed.

A younger man, taller but thinner, appeared behind the one Sam shot. He had a gun in his hand, not yet raised. He was just staring at him menacingly.

“Drop it,” Jack ordered, his own weapon trained on the man’s chest. Emboldened, the man waved his gun but then rushed toward him. Jack shot, but the man kept coming. Just then, the truck door swung forcefully open, the bottom edge catching the man’s shins. Daniel emerged and pointed his zat at him where he'd landed on his stomach in the grass.

“Don’t move!” he shouted. Unfamiliar with zat'nik'tels, the man rolled, and lifted his arm. Daniel shot and the man convulsed.

“Or get zatted, your choice,” Daniel deadpanned. He snagged the gun from limp fingers.

Planned or fortuitous, Jack couldn’t help but grin with pride at his space monkey’s timing. The air was suddenly less heavy, the stalks calm, but he scanned the field anyway, ready for more threats to emerge. Sam and Daniel still had their weapons trained, so he lowered his slightly. He pulled a flashlight from his pocket and shone it along the edge of the road.

“Teal’c,” he called out.

“Here, O’Neill.” He emerged from the field dragging a half-conscious body. Now aided by light, Sam moved forward to grab a pistol from the ground and pass it back to Jack.

The body next to it rolled over and moaned. “He shot me.”

“She shot you,” Jack emphasized, then taunted, “You got shot by a girl.”

Sam snorted. As she approached her target and holstered her own weapon, Jack trained his more fully on the large lump of a man with a bullet hole in his shoulder.

“Roll over on your stomach,” Sam ordered.

 “Daniel, grab those zip ties out of the toolbox,” Jack called out. Daniel scanned the scene and nodded before returning to the truck. Sam had straddled the guy and was busy yanking his arms behind his back.

“Ouch!”

“Hold still, pansy,” she admonished.

Jack laughed more fully then, genuinely amused by his second, but also a little off kilter from the impending adrenaline dump. He was getting too old for this.

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“Thanks, Jack, we’ve been trying to catch these guys for months. We should have you come to town more often.”

The Lake County sheriff was the latest in a line of law enforcement personnel to assess the scene and congratulate them. Daniel realized then he should have just said “Jack O’Neill” to the 911 operator. Apparently, he knew everyone in the surrounding area, from the paramedics that had toted off the injured would-be bandits, to the Two Harbors police officers that had been happy to shove the remaining felon in the back of their squad car, to the Minnesota state trooper that had arrived from Duluth to confirm his own warrants.

“I have a good team,” Jack replied. His smile was thin, face stoic.

They’d been in worse fights, even on Earth. It seemed to Daniel that Jack’s mind was elsewhere. His role had changed considerably since he’d replaced Hammond, and he had turned to them for advice more in the past year than in the preceding seven. There was a crack in his bravado, despite their recent victories. Perhaps his Atlantis request was ill-timed.

“Looks like it,” the sheriff continued. “Listen, you all need a ride to your cabin? We’ll tow your truck in for you.”

“Nah, we have plans. I was thinking we might try to change both tires tonight. I already have a full-sized spare. I just need another.”

Daniel wasn’t aware they had plans, but he nodded alongside Jack, his only contribution to the conversation thus far. The backup was instinctive - they could sort out the details later.

The sheriff nodded. “I understand. Jerry owes me a favor, and luckily, he gave up drinking, so he should be able to bring over a tire from his shop.”

Both men chuckled at that, so Daniel decided to join in. The day’s exhaustion was setting in, delaying his reactions.

“I’d really appreciate it, Brett,” Jack added, clapping him on the shoulder.

The sheriff gave a reciprocal clap. “Sure thing, you guys need help?”

“Nah, you get back to your family, we can handle it.”

“Thanks, again,” Daniel finally spoke up as the sheriff turned to leave. He tipped his hat in response.

Jack turned to his remaining companion, but didn’t speak. Daniel had never seen him look wearier. And this was supposed to be a vacation. He glanced toward the rear of the truck where Sam was still speaking with Two Harbors police. They’d agreed to an informal statement for now, and Jack had vouched for the guys. Still, they’d left Teal’c nearby to guard her in case anyone tried to turn the tables on her good shoot. She was speaking softly, as relaxed as one could be after such an incident, and the officer she spoke with seemed completely in awe of her. Daniel chuckled. Nothing to worry about there. But he was still concerned for her after the whole ordeal.

“You gonna check on her?” Daniel asked.

Jack nodded and started to walk off but paused. He looked Daniel in the eye and gripped his upper arm briefly. “Thanks.”

The word conveyed more meaning than a speech. The guy who’d rushed Jack had been some kind of local militia wannabe. He’d been wearing a vest, which is why Jack’s shots only delayed rather than stopped him. No one was really sure why he had rushed Jack rather than shooting, maybe to get a closer shot in the dark? The guy seemed more off-kilter than the others. Daniel had only seen movement he knew wasn’t from his team, so he’d chosen that moment to thrust his door open.

“You’re welcome,” Daniel offered. He was concerned for Jack, as well, but sensed there was no cracking his bravado while he was still in commanding officer mode.

Jack handed him the card the sheriff had given him. “Will you get an ETA from the tire guy?”

“Sure.” Then Daniel ducked his head in Sam’s direction. Jack took a steadying breath and walked toward her.

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Though he'd spent extensive time on Earth, Teal’c still didn’t fully comprehend the bureaucracy of law enforcement. When the officer asked Colonel Carter for her weapon for evidence, he nearly pounced on the guy before he saw her steadying hand. The officer eyed him warily.

“It’s…uh… just standard procedure. We’ll expedite the process and have it back to you before you leave for Colorado.”

Despite not understanding her acquiescence, Teal’c didn’t second guess her when she pulled it from her holster, cleared it, and handed it to the officer.

The general was approaching, and since he didn’t protest either, Teal’c relaxed slightly.

Jack reached out to shake the officer’s hand. “Thanks, Nathan. Call us as soon as you’re finished.” It sounded like an order. The officer nodded.

“Absolutely, Jack.” He turned to Sam. “Good evening, ma’am, thank you for speaking with me and…nice work.” He grinned. “Night fellas,” he called out as he returned to his vehicle.

Jack addressed Sam. “All good?”

Teal’c wasn’t sure his friend had left room for her to say otherwise, but he remained silent.

Sam blew out a breath. “Yeah, thanks.” There was a layer of anxiety to her exhaustion. Jack continued.

“I know an OSI guy in St. Paul. I left a message to make sure we’re all squared away.”

She visibly relaxed. “Thanks, Jack.”

Teal’c couldn’t stop his own eyebrow from rising. Perhaps more had occurred between them of late than he’d realized. There was a brief awkward silence.

“Never a dull moment,” Jack announced finally.

“We seem to attract it,” Sam responded.

“Yeah.”

Teal’c merely nodded in agreement.

“Good shoot, by the way,” Jack added.

“Indeed.” Teal’c smiled his approval. She’d played her part perfectly. Their ambush tactics didn’t always work out so well.

“Thanks.” She accepted their praise reluctantly.

“Okay?” Jack asked.

“It just…feels different on this side of the gate.”

“Mmm,” Jack hummed, “Fog of war and all that?”

Teal’c was unfamiliar with the phrase, but he could surmise its meaning.

“I guess,” she answered after a pause. The silence returned, thoughts drifting through the air to continue their conversation for them. The three remained that way until a tow truck pulled up.

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Jerry dropped off an extra spare and a set of tools. He’d offered to help change the tires, but Jack had waved him off, loathe to interrupt yet another person’s holiday evening. They dismissed most of the LEOs, as well, but the trooper had insisted on remaining behind as backup. He ran minimal lights on his SUV to alert passersby to the stopped vehicle. Teal’c positioned himself on the shoulder in front of the truck to monitor the north side.

Daniel also offered to help them with the tires, but while they were removing tools from the truck, he began sharing his extensive knowledge of the history of ancient wheels. When Jack’s phone rang, he tossed it to Daniel.

“Hammond,” he offered by way of explanation.

“What am I, your personal assistant?” Daniel asked before accepting the call. Jack just shrugged.

“Good evening, sir,” he answered. Then, in Daniel fashion, began to pace excitedly as he recounted the tale.

Jack returned to the passenger side where Sam was struggling with the lug nuts she’d insisted on removing. He knew she was the most efficient of them at all things mechanical, but she was also exhausted. And stubborn to a fault. He attempted levity.

“You want me to grab Teal’c? He doesn’t know as much as Daniel about wheels, but he can muscle his way through most anything.”

“No,” she grimaced, “I need the outlet.”

“Ah.”

She jerked the wrench fruitlessly. The last nut would not budge. He slowly lowered himself to the ground behind her, testing his knee. He knew better than to take it from her, so he merely placed his hands alongside hers. She froze for a moment. Then, without speaking, they began to turn the iron together. It started to move, then stopped.

“One, two, three…” he called, leaning into her as they turned. The nut loosened, and they relaxed. He released the iron and she set it on the ground. She leaned forward against the tire, drained. He sat on the ground to get off his nearly good knee. Then scooted around with his back against the running board, left thigh resting against her foot.

“Hammond asked me to come to DC,” he blurted before thinking.

She looked up, eyes wild, black soot on her forehead.

“And you’re considering it?” she accused.

He thought it a bit hypocritical considering the scuttlebutt on her own prospects, but couldn’t muster the energy to be angry with her.

“Hammond’s retiring,” he offered. “He said he didn’t trust anyone else to do the job.”

“And when are you planning to retire?”

That wasn’t what she was asking, and they both knew it, but neither dared to elaborate. They just stared at each other in the near darkness, spent.

Chapter Text

They finished changing the tires with minimal conversation. Sam retrieved a sleepy Daniel from the trooper’s vehicle, and by the time they returned to the truck, Jack was in the driver’s seat. She motioned for Teal’c to get in the front. He cocked his head at her, but complied. Her eyes were brimming with tears again, but she refused to allow them to fall. She thought she noticed Jack eyeing her through the rearview mirror, but she avoided looking up to confirm it. By the time they arrived at the cabin, Daniel was practically asleep in her lap. She pushed, gently but wordlessly, and he groaned.

“I’m never drinking again.”

She laughed in spite of her melancholy. “You always say that.”

“Okay, well I’m definitely not drinking before an ambush again,” he announced, illogically.

Jack and Teal’c left the vehicle without speaking. Daniel patted her knee and motioned toward her door. She opened it, and rather than exiting on his own side, he followed her in solidarity, and they walked side-by-side to the cabin. She was unprepared for the General’s tone that greeted them as they crossed the threshold.

“Alright, out with it.” He was barely inside the doorway and still had his keys in his hand.

She looked to Daniel, who was equally bewildered. Jack fixed Teal’c with a look that indicated he was on his radar, as well. Teal’c spoke first.

“Of what do you speak, O’Neill?”

“I’m tired of all the whispering and secrets. We’re gonna resolve this right now.”

No one moved. Sam didn’t even bother to shut the cabin door.

“I’ll go first,” he offered, “Hammond recommended me for his position, and I can’t turn him down.”

It was then Sam realized she was the first one he’d told. Before shock had a chance to ripple through the group, she rushed ahead.

“I’m transferring to Area 51,” she stated without emotion.

The confessions turned into parries and thrusts.

“I put in for Atlantis.”

“I am joining the high council.”

Everyone stopped talking. Stared at each other in turn. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Blood was pounding in her ears. For a second, she thought she might throw up. Or collapse. Or run away. Or punch someone.

Daniel broke the silence. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Sam looked up to see him staring at her. She tilted her head at him, echoing his question with her eyes.

“Right,” he breathed.

“Teal’c, when did you…” she started, but didn’t trust her voice.

“I spoke with General Hammond Thursday.”

She noticed a barely concealed look of surprise on Jack’s face. Teal’c never went over his head. They’d all done a fine job of avoiding protocol and each other. Their revelations had a time-delay, causing miniature explosions around the room.

“Are you certain, O’Neill?” Teal’c asked.

He didn’t answer, just closed his eyes, and walked into the kitchen. “I need a drink.”

Daniel groaned. “You started it.”

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Wordlessly they piled into the tiny living room, though no one was really sure why – It was the middle of the night. Jack and Teal’c took up opposite ends of the couch, with Sam between them. Daniel claimed the recliner near Teal’c. The original plan had been for Sam to take the master bedroom, Daniel and Teal’c to take the room with the bunks, and Jack to sleep on the couch. At least, that’s where everyone’s bags were. But the act of going to bed threatened to sunset far more than just a day of vacation, and they weren't prepared for it. No one really picked up the discussion of the band finally breaking up. They knew all the words already, anyway.

Daniel started to doze again, but when Jack told him to go to bed, he whined and started instructing him about the biphasic sleep patterns of pre-industrial societies. Teal’c drifted into a state of half-sleep, half-meditation, but still aware of his surroundings. He made comments occasionally, mostly about food, like Jack’s promise of steak and a fish fry before the end of their vacation. Jack grumbled at pretty much anyone who spoke, detailing their lack of gratitude for the provision of his cabin. Sam was quiet for once as she listened to her boys argue good-naturedly. She rested her head against the back of the couch, barely an inch from Jack’s. She kicked off her shoes and drew her legs up, sock feet grazing Teal’c’s leg. Her mind was at the edge of consciousness, and she was afraid to leap from it.

She woke up a few hours later to Teal’c lightly snoring. He’d grabbed a pillow from the couch and stretched his massive frame on the rug in front of them. Daniel was sprawled out in the recliner, dead to the world. Jack had lain his head on the arm of the couch and partially stretched out beside her, one foot resting on the floor and one long leg stretched out along the front. She’d fallen back into the couch cushions, partially behind and partially on top of his hip, her legs along the back of the couch. The her of a few years ago would have panicked and fled to her bedroom. The her of even a few months ago would have at least retreated to the opposite end of the couch.

Today, she was so over it all that she reached over and snagged a pant leg to coax his other leg onto the couch. His knee couldn’t be very comfortable in that position. He let out a puff of breath that wasn’t quite a snore and stretched out. She scooted up and lined her back against the couch, sinking into the spot behind him. Her chin grazed his back where she lay, and she awkwardly fiddled with her left hand as she decided what to do with it. She first rested it on her hip, but the angle made it slide off. She groaned inwardly. This was ridiculous. They’d lain closer than this in Antarctica, in Goa’uld prisons, in tents, on cargo ships, and, if she were honest, in a public park the night before. She finally settled on resting her palm against his back, then leaned her cheek against it. Before she had time to overthink her decision, she was fast asleep.

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Normally, a light rapping at the door would have instantly roused all of them from slumber, but fatigue had been settling deeply into all of them for months now, and they’d barely been asleep four hours. Daniel was typically an early riser, which is why he tended to doze off earlier than the others. He'd already been dreaming of coffee when he heard the sound, so he decided to spare the rest of them the trouble of answering the door. Daniel realized his mistake the second he caught sight of dress blues. He checked himself to at least make sure he had pants on.

“Colonel Westin, here to see General O’Neill.”

At the mention of ranks, both Air Force officers sat bolt upright on the couch. Daniel thanked a God he hadn’t prayed to in a while that he’d only opened the door a few inches, blocking most of the room from view. Otherwise, this Westin guy might have witnessed his friends murder him.

“Uh…sure…just a second.” And with that, he used his relative ignorance of military decorum to his advantage and promptly shut the door in Westin’s face.

“Daniel,” Jack warned.

“I know,” Daniel apologized.

His friends quickly collected themselves, ignored their relative positioning on the couch, and stood up. Everyone was barefoot and rumpled, but at least they were dressed, albeit in yesterday’s jeans and t-shirts. What time was it anyway? In his periphery, he saw Teal’c roll over toward the couch and away from the sun streaming in the window. Daniel knew he was awake, but had no interest in getting up if there wasn’t a threat. A physical threat anyway. Jack and Sam simply stared at each other in disbelief. Jack unconsciously reached out to smooth down her wild hair. Daniel looked away to hide his shock. Well, that was different.

“You, too,” she remarked, pointing at his hair. But either because he was taller or she was wiser, she didn’t reach up. Jack’s hand shot to the back of his own head, and he swiped a few times to soothe a cowlick.

"Ready?” he asked her.

“Yeah,” she responded.

Daniel had to give the Westin guy credit – his facial expression didn’t change when he opened the door again to reveal his companions.

Jack spoke first. “Morning Todd, how are you?”

“I’m well, sir, how are you?”

“A little sleepy,” he answered honestly. “This is Colonel Carter. Carter, this is Colonel Westin.”

Sam winced at the attention and stepped forward to shake his hand.

“Good morning, nice to meet you.”

“And you, as well, Colonel.”

“And thank you for meeting with us,” she added, remembering her manners as sleep faded.

“Of course. Sorry to bother you all so early. I know you had a rough night. But I have some meetings in the afternoon, and I’m sure you’d like to get this over with. I just have a few details to go over, and I can be out of your hair.”

Considering what had just happened, that comment tickled Daniel, but apparently, he laughed more loudly than he realized because they all turned to look at him. Jack rolled his eyes.

“Todd, my scruffy butler here is Daniel Jackson. And that log on the floor is Teal’c.”

“Gentlemen, nice to meet you. I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Well, we’re all alive, I suppose that’s as good a circumstance as any,” Daniel said gratefully.

“You are quite correct, sir,” Westin agreed.

Jack motioned them toward the kitchen table while Daniel closed the front door. Westin continued the explanation he had interrupted.

“If we fill out a few forms, the rest we can do over the phone.”

Sam bristled at the mention of forms and Westin must have picked up on it.

“The main thing is, I don’t want you to worry. I may not know everything about your positions, but I know enough to trust you’ve acted appropriately. I’m sure the police reports will back that up. My role is merely a formality at this point.”

Sam relaxed and shared a look with Jack. An unspoken conversation passed between them. It was something Daniel was accustomed to witnessing, but typically drew unwanted attention from newcomers. If Westin clocked it, he ignored it. Wise man.

“Shall we sit down?” he asked as he opened his briefcase. And they sat. This guy was not at all like the horror stories he’d heard about OSI. Then again, they’d all been tortured by evil aliens, so he was biased.

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Teal’c pretended to be asleep until Westin had exited the cabin, then rolled over reluctantly and winced at the sun in his eyes. Daniel was hovering near the kitchen while the other half of their group stared out the window.

He'd woken up in the middle of the night with Sam’s feet in his lap. He didn’t mind, they had all shared tiny spaces before, but in this instance, there was no need for him to crowd himself into a space half his size. He’d considered going to his bunk, but he wasn’t quite ready to leave the group yet, so he’d picked up her legs and gingerly set them back down again before stretching out on the floor. Both remaining occupants of the couch were awkwardly sprawled across it and would likely have knots in the morning, but he never relished the role of waking the grouchier half of his team. It appeared it was Daniel's turn to bear the brunt of it.

A car started, and Jack spoke as he retreated from the window.

“Daniel, a little warning would have been nice.”

Teal’c opened his eyes and smiled. What was the phrase Daniel had used about the general? He doth protest too much?

“What, there’s no peephole,” Daniel sputtered.

“Ever hear of a window, Dannyboy?” Jack continued.

Daniel looked astounded as he surveyed the room. “Oh. Sorry.”

Sam took a sip of coffee and joined the conversation. When had she made that? Teal’c perked up and rose as she spoke.

“We bring you out to some Earth woods and you forget everything we taught you about tactics.”

Just as she was about to hand Daniel his own mug of coffee, Teal’c reached to take it from her. She’d didn’t resist, just snorted.

“Hey!” Daniel complained. “He just laid there like an oaf, why does he get coffee?”

“Because he didn’t open the door,” Jack responded.

Teal’c took a dramatic sip without breaking eye contact with Daniel.

“Hmmph.” Daniel stalked off to the kitchen muttering about societal regression since the Enlightenment and the systematic dismantling of scientific reason in favor of militaristic conquest.

Chapter Text

They'd been taking showers in turn, conspiring to make Daniel go last as punishment. He worried they’d run out of hot water. He sipped his second cup of coffee, hoping it would warm him up on the inside, at least. Post shower, Teal’c had stretched out on a bunk in the sole guest room and Sam was rummaging in the kitchen while Jack took an especially long turn.

“Hoo! Barely made it,” Jack announced dramatically as he exited the bathroom, steam following him. He was such a dramatic child. Daniel just rolled his eyes and set his cup in the sink. Sam shot him a glance of half-pity, half-amusement. He grabbed the bundle of clothes he’d left on the table and set about taking a quick military shower. He’d beat them to it the next day and get his revenge. And maybe he'd open all the doors in the cabin while he was at it.

He was not expecting the warm spray that greeted him. Jerks, the lot of them. Jack must have installed the tankless heater he’d mentioned a while back. He’d just hinted otherwise until the last possible moment to mess with him. And Teal’c and Sam hadn’t clued him in.

Truth be told, he’d miss his team’s harassment and camaraderie. Would he find a similar dynamic among the Atlantis crew? Somehow, he doubted it. He was glad Sam had confronted him when she had about the rift in their friendship. He was ashamed to think he might have snuck through the gate before telling her what had truly happened. But there was one more thing he’d like to see resolved before he left. Once dressed and thankfully warm, he decided to bring Teal’c in on his plan, if he could get him out of bed.

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With the promise of donuts, they split up to fulfill their individual missions, having carefully chosen their targets. Sam was in the kitchen and Jack was out cleaning the grill. Daniel selected the latter, figuring Sam would see through his façade more quickly. Teal’c was more of a wild card and honestly, she had a soft spot for him. Jack would be a little trickier to handle.

“Hey, Jack?” he called as he shut the side door.

Jack stopped scrubbing and looked up. “Yeah?”

“Teal’c and I are gonna run into town to pick up some more supplies.”

“Uh,” he stammered, “well, if you wait, we can all go together.”

“I mean, we have the list, wouldn’t it be more efficient this way?” Daniel threw in one of Jack’s esteemed military tenets for good measure.

Jack sighed, the lack of sleep apparent. “Okay, maybe I do need a chaperone,” he admitted, surprising Daniel with uncharacteristic frankness in personal matters. The poor guy was closer to breaking than he’d realized, but turnabout was fair play.

“That just makes me want to leave even more.” Daniel waggled his eyebrows.

“Danny…”

Something in his tone took some wind out of his prank, so he softened.  “Look, we’ll just head up to the corner store for a bit so you guys can talk, how’s that?”

“Talk?” Jack looked like he’d rather face Anubis.

“Yeah, I know it’s difficult for you tough military types, but I’m sure you can manage.” He patted Jack on the upper chest for effect, then offered a sugary smile and slinked off before Jack could take him hostage. He high stepped it around the side of the cabin to collect his companion, who’d already fulfilled his mission of obtaining the truck keys. Once they were settled in the cab, he threw Teal’c a serious look.

“Drive.” Daniel ordered.

Teal’c nodded.

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After Teal’c practically slinked away in very un-Jaffa-like fashion, she decided to confer with her CO concerning the shenanigans that were afoot. She found him on the side deck, staring aimlessly at the grill scraper in his hand. He looked as bewildered as she felt, not turning his attention to her until she was nearly in front of him.

“I just got a suspicious eyebrow from Teal’c, a ridiculous excuse about needing a haircut, and then he darted off with Daniel. You know what’s going on?” She had been practicing leaving the sir off, but it still occupied a silent space at the end of her questions.

Jack closed the grill. “Yeah, they set us up.”

“What do you mean?”

He pursed his lips and looked at her pointedly.

“Oh.” The topic they hadn’t broached out loud in four years, but was always there, right at the surface to be referenced with a look. She fiddled with her hands. “I can go call them back…”

He waved a dismissive hand.

“Or I can keep cleaning the kitchen,” she tried.

“I think you’ve rearranged enough for one day.”

She nodded at that. It was probably driving him crazy having her in his space. She wasn’t much for cooking, but she was an expert organizer – she had to be with as many widgets she dealt with in her lab. He’d patiently let her arrange his cabinets. They weren’t disorganized, just not efficient, she’d teased, which she and Daniel had learned would usually make him relent and have their way.

“You want to fish some more?” she offered, trying to fill the awkward silence. Things had been more comfortable between them lately, but the news of the team spreading out across the galaxy had disturbed their fragile equilibrium.

He set down his cleaning tools and gestured toward the stairs. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Her eyes widened, but he left no room for argument, so she followed him down the opposite stairs on the far side of the cabin.

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They walked for several minutes without saying much. He commented on the weather. She agreed it was mild for summer. She noted the family of deer in the distance. He advised her he’d seen a black bear the last time he was here. There was somewhat of a trail on the far side of the pond, and they meandered slowly around it, boots crunching on twigs and loose pebbles. He heard the intake of breath that signaled weightier matters.

“I don’t make it to DC much anymore,” she carefully broached the true reason for their walk, and he felt guilty for leaving the burden on her.

“Maybe you will now that you’re head of Groom Lake research,” he infused the comment with much more hope than he felt. She didn’t respond, so he continued to ramble, which was normally her forte.

“And I’ll probably have to make trips there and to the SGC. Budgets and all that.” He cringed at the mention of the bureaucracy he’d managed to avoid for most of his career.

She’d stopped walking and turned to stare at the water. The wind picked up, rustling leaves and strands of her hair, then rippled across the pond. He stepped beside her and leaned forward to gauge her expression, realized then she was intentionally hiding her face, where there were already tracks forming. He couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Hey, none of that now, come here.” He turned her toward him and pulled her into an embrace.

She scoffed, but went willingly. “I’m sorry, I think I’ve wept on everyone this week.”

It was absurd, really, her apologizing for being upset the same week she’d lost her dad and broken off her engagement, but he thought it prudent to table both topics for the time being.

“Yeah, well, you were always better than us at getting it out.” He rubbed her back. “We guys just brood until we get the chance to shoot someone.”

“Pretty sure I just shot someone,” she mumbled into his chest.

He laughed. “Touché.”

She pulled back to look at him, eyes glistening. “It’s really over, isn’t it?”

Her words hit him like a staff blast to the chest. He hadn’t understood all the ramifications until now. But he refused to let her be the negative one. It didn’t bode well for the group if that happened. He’d considered some of the possibilities of his change of position, but realized for all of her intellect, she wasn’t a mind reader. But he sucked at being direct if he wasn’t in battle.

“You know, Carter, maybe it’s just beginning?” he tried.

She smiled at him, looking for a moment no older than the Captain that had confidently marched into the briefing room all those years ago and challenged him to arm wrestle.  He ached to kiss her. He’d felt it a hundred times before. Maybe a thousand. But the timing was never right.

He’d chanced it during a time loop, then felt like a coward afterward when she didn’t remember. Sometimes he dreamed of late-night whispers and frantic kisses on P3R-118 that he could never be sure had actually happened, and he certainly wasn’t going to ask. He’d considered doing it the day he resigned on the cargo ship, half mad with ancient knowledge and barely able to speak. But he knew she’d never forgive him for leaving her afterward. And now, he was still technically her boss until all the paperwork was processed. But he was overcome with sudden resentment and grief at all of the technicalities that had separated them. He found himself deliriously undaunted, and if the NID wanted to surveil him in the middle of nowhere, Minnesota, well, he might as well make it worth it.

He leaned in, and despite the fact he could tell she’d been thinking along similar lines, he knew she absolutely did not expect him to follow through. As he neared her face, he saw panic in her impossibly large eyes, but not reluctance, so he brushed his thumb along her cheek before she could retreat. He paused for a second to feel the gravity of his decision, saw the instant she decided to meet him halfway. Their lips met, but for a moment neither closed their eyes, that contact more intimate than the kiss. They parted for the briefest of moments, taking in the new reality, and he saw a look of contentedness on her face he wasn’t sure he’d seen before. They melded together again, and he deepened the kiss, hands at the small of her back. She tangled her hands in his collar and leaned into him fully.

Before it had truly gotten started, it began to fizzle out, due purely to emotional exhaustion rather than lack of enthusiasm. She leaned her forehead against his chest and sighed. He felt it, too. The weight of the galaxy had been on them for longer than was fair to anyone, and they were shutting down from an eight-year adrenaline high. They weren’t naïve to the threats that may still be out there, but they were winning for a change, and it was a bittersweet victory…one they couldn’t share with those they’d lost along the way. He left one hand on her hip and raised the other to a shoulder, massaging lightly. He felt her smile against his neck, place a kiss there. This was easier than he’d imagined. They could make this work, right?

V_e = √315.5G/6,371

“Do you not feel we are intruding on a private moment, Daniel Jackson?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Daniel handed Teal’c the binoculars, and reached for his bag of peanuts. It wasn’t popcorn, but it would do.

They’d parked along the gravel road that led to the highway and were peering through a slight break in the tree line, where they could just make out two figures standing near the pond in the distance.

“Very well.” Teal’c took the binoculars from him, and before he lifted them to his eyes, responded to Daniel’s outstretched invitation for a fist bump. Mission accomplished.

V_e = √315.5G/6,371

They were still holding each other, swaying with the breeze, loathe to part.

“They’re spying on us, aren’t they?” she asked without looking up.

“Oh, without a doubt,” he said, nodding into her hair.

She considered that for a moment. “Might as well embarrass them.”

He heard the smirk in her voice and couldn’t contain his own laughter that bubbled up.

“C'mere.”