Chapter 1: Goodnight, Dr. Jackson

Daniel tugged lightly at his restraints, but his captors had used those plastic handcuffs that were impossible to get out of. Looking up, Daniel�s eyes met those of a man in a dark grey suit, sitting across the table from him, a laptop closed under his hands.

�Doctor Daniel Jackson,� the man recited, looking unblinkingly back at Daniel. �So pleased you could join us.�

�What do you want?�

�Nothing you can�t give up without much trouble.� The man opened the laptop and turned it on. �How well do you know Major Samantha Carter?�

What a ridiculous question. Daniel rolled his eyes. �Pretty well, considering I�ve worked with her for almost seven years now. She�s like a sister to me.�

�How about intimately? Did you ever have any romantic entanglements with her?�

Daniel frowned at him. What did I just say?! �No�It may have crossed my mind once or twice�and I�m sure Jack and Teal�c would say the same thing. But she�s our co-worker and we respect her.�

�Hmm.� The man glanced at the computer screen and Daniel wondered if this was being recorded. Knowing the NID it probably was. �How about her private life? You know many details of that?�

�Sure.� They must have drugged Daniel earlier. His tongue felt loosened and his mind wasn�t quite comprehending everything the man was saying. �She spends most of her free time with Cassandra, fixing her motorcycle, reading �Scientific American��nothing interesting.�

�And her love life?�

�Uhhh�No�if she was ever involved with someone who wasn�t an alien, she didn�t mention it.�

The man snorted, and began typing quickly on the computer.

�I slipped.� Sam grinned embarrassedly. �There was a sharp piece of rock sticking out and it cut me.�

Janet winced in sympathy before carefully sliding the bunched up sleeve of Sam�s t-shirt back down over the cut. �It should heal up fine. You might want to avoid using that arm for a while, it�ll probably be sore.�

Sam nodded. Janet�s hand was still lightly resting on her shoulder. As she lowered it, Janet let her fingers run down Sam�s arm. Sam shivered slightly, deliberately avoiding the doctor�s eyes.

�Cassie�s been asking about you,� Janet said, trying to cover up the uncomfortable silence as she scribbled something on her clipboard. �She wants to have another girl�s night.�

�Sure,� Sam nodded. �I�ll have to see when I�m free, I�ve got a lot of projects lined up�What?�

Janet was giving her a stern, almost sad look. �Sam, you can�t find just a couple hours to come watch a movie with us? You know it�s not good for you to be working all the time. And Cassie misses you.�

�Ok ok,� Sam grinned. �This weekend. Saturday. I promise.�

Janet returned the smile, waving her pen at Sam. �I�m holding you to that, Major Carter.�

�Yes, Ma�am.�

That was Monday. Tuesday, SG-1 and Janet had a mission to go on, delivering much needed medicine to a small village on P3Y-946. It was a lot of work, and the people on Janet�s medical team were all running around like mad. Finally as the alien sun began setting, Janet wandered over to where Sam sat in the shade of two trees and sat down herself, facing the blonde major.

�Tired?� Sam raised her eyebrows.

�Sweaty too.� Janet tossed her hat aside and ran the back of her hand over her forehead. �God, what I wouldn�t give for a shower right now��

Sam chuckled. �Now you understand why we always smell like hell when we get back from our missions.�

Janet wrinkled her nose and laughed quietly. She pulled her shoes off her aching feet and stretched her legs out next to Sam�s. Feeling a little daring, Janet pushed the side of her foot against Sam�s thigh. She looked up; Sam was watching her lazily through half lidded eyes. She gently lifted Janet�s foot, rubbing her fingers along the arch, easing the kinks out of the sore muscles.

Janet�s head rested back against the wide trunk of the tree behind her as she tried not to read too much into the sensation of Sam�s fingers running along her foot. This was all so perfect, such a fragile moment off world without the worry of security cameras or Cassie walking in an the wrong moment�Sam set Janet�s foot down between her own legs and lifted the other, beginning the same gentle massage. A faint sigh escaped Janet�s lips. She flexed her foot, almost unconsciously, pushing it forward, pressing lightly against Sam�s center. The legs on either side of her own tensed, and Janet heard a soft intake of breath, even above the light wind that had sprung up.

She smiled to herself, letting her foot relax. The wind blew a little harder, ruffling Janet�s hair.

�Janet�� Sam whispered her name, just as light as her fingers skimming Janet�s foot. Suddenly she released Janet�s foot. �Sir!�

Janet drew her knees up to her chest, looking up at Jack.

�Ready to go, ladies?� Jack said, offering hands to help them to their feet once Janet had put her shoes back on. �The locals say there�s a storm brewing.�

Janet craned her head back to look at the sky. The wind was blowing harder now, bringing with it the scent of rain and tendrils of clouds to the sky. She sighed heavily, and the three headed back towards the stargate.

�I knew that, actually,� Daniel said, recalling one particular night off world. �Sam might too. I doubt that anyone cares. I doubt Jack realizes he�s doing it.�

�How about that he does it consciously when he�s jerking off?�

Daniel narrowed his eyes and swallowed thickly. �That doesn�t surprise me.�

The man smirked, as if amused by the fact that he wasn�t getting to Daniel. �You, however, call for Shau�ree. Nothing surprising or even interesting about that�Pining for your dead wife�� he shot Daniel a look, then went back to typing at the computer. �How about Dr. Fraiser, what do you know about her?�

�She�s an impressive person. I admire her.�

�How well do you know her?�

Daniel shrugged. �A little. I�ve never had a relationship with her, if that�s what you mean. She�s a little wary of guys from what I�ve heard. But she cares about her daughter.�

�So you don�t know any details of her private life?�

�Not me. Sam�s good friends with her�she would probably know something.�

�Just good friends?�

�Excuse me?�

As though in explanation, the man turned the computer around so Daniel could see the screen. It showed a photo of Sam and Janet, sitting on a park bench with their arms around each other, looking at something to the left and laughing. This didn�t prove anything; they were friends. Friends did that occasionally.

�So you�ve been stalking my co-workers...� Daniel said slowly. �What are you trying to achieve here?�

The man smirked again, taking the computer back and clicking around for a moment. He chuckled, muttered something about excellent timing, then asked Daniel, �Have you ever seen two women having sex, Dr. Jackson?�

Hammond nodded. �Very well, Doctor, assuming the MALP shows that this storm is fully blown over.� He turned to look at the rest of them. �Dismissed.�

Jack caught up with Sam and Janet in the hall. �Danny, T, and I were gonna run out and grab some pizza, you girls want to come along?�

�Sure.� Janet said after a moment�s thought. �Only if we bring it back to my place, though, Cassie�s expecting me.�

�That�s doable.� Jack nodded, then looked at Sam. �Carter, if you say that you have a project you�re working on�� the rest of his sentence hung in mid-air as two pairs of brown eyes turned entreatingly at Sam.

She laughed. �Doesn�t look like I have much choice, does it? Just let me go get cleaned up.�

Roughly three hours later they were all sprawled in the Fraiser�s living room, contentedly stuffed, Teal�c still plowing away at the food the others had been unable to finish. Cassie yawned.

�Cass, you should go to bed,� Janet said, looking at her watch. �You�ve got school in the morning.�

�I know!� Cassie whined. �But everyone�s here.�

�It�s not that late,� Sam pointed out, earning a glare from Janet and a look of utter respect from Cassie.

�DoctorFraiser,� Teal�c said, looking at Janet. �Do you not have to rise early tomorrow as well for the mission?�

Janet smiled sleepily. �I do, and that�s why I�m afraid I�ll have to kick you all out. Feel free to take the pizza.�

�Mom!�

�Ok,� Janet corrected. �Some of the pizza. Leave the pepperoni for Cassie.�

She stood up and showed the three men out, then she and Sam set about cleaning up the mess.

Cassie watched them sleepily from her spot curled in the armchair in the corner of the living room. Though Janet was the one she called �Mom�, Sam was one of her parents as well. Sam was the one who had stayed with her in the bowels of the earth when she had a bomb in her chest, Sam was the one who let her eat as much junk food as she wanted and took her to see the rated R movies that Janet turned her nose up to. And Sam was the one out there almost every day, protecting Cassie and the rest of the world from the goa�uld.

Sam came back into the room to grab the last few paper plates and she grinned at Cassie. �Getting sleepy, squirt?�

�Mmmhmm.� Cassie nodded, smiling to herself. Sam was also the only person in the whole universe who could call her �squirt� and not get yelled at. Finally Cassie stood up and went to bed, comforted by the fact that this tall, fearless, blonde scientist stood between her and unimaginable evil.

Sam threw away the last of the paper plates then grabbed her jacket from where it was draped over the back of a chair. �I�m heading home, Janet.�

Janet hurried over to give her friend a quick peck on the cheek, which was returned as Sam pulled her jacket on. Neither of them admitted how much they liked doing that, or how they wished it was more acceptable to go for the lips.

�What�s that got to do with anything?�

Yet again, the man answered by showing him the computer screen. The image Daniel was looking at was obviously footage from a hidden camera.

Sam and Janet, sitting on the end of a bed; Sam and Janet kissing passionately, tugging desperately at clothing�

�Turn it off!� Daniel snapped, turning his head away. He didn�t even care about what he was seeing; all he knew was that it was a horrible invasion of the privacy of two women he held in great respect. The agent got to his feet, walking behind Daniel, taking his head in his hands and forcing him to watch as things got more intense.

�Does this bother you, Dr. Jackson?� he sneered. �Does it bother you to see your �sister� fucking another woman and you feeling so�aroused�by it?� His eyes flickered down to Daniel�s lap and the archaeologist felt his cheeks turn red with embarrassment. �Did I mention this is a live feed? Yes�they�re doing this right now.�

�Turn it off!� Daniel snarled again, now unable to look away, watching with a mixture of sick pleasure and disgust as Janet pushed Sam back on the bed, then straddled the taller woman�s hips, leaning down to kiss the exposed curves of her breasts. Heat rose inside Daniel and he closed his eyes, tight, blocking out the images.

�I could turn on the sound if you like.� The man said, half amused, half threatening.

�Why are you doing this?� Daniel took a chance and opened his eyes, trying to look up at his captor�s face.

�Because you have something we want.� The man jerked Daniel�s head sharply, forcing him to keep looking at the screen. �Actually Major Carter has it. You just know about it.�

�So you�re showing me proof that Sam�s a lesbian in hopes that it�ll get me to turn this�thing over to you?� Daniel�s voice was full of skepticism.

�Something like that.� The man chuckled wickedly. �Actually, we�re merely letting you know that if you don�t hand the device over, we�ll ruin her career. How do you think certain officials at the pentagon would react if they saw this tape?�

Daniel sighed, closing his eyes again.

The Hall had obviously started out as a natural formation, but somewhere along the course of its development a race of advanced creatures, ancients, probably, had come along and turned it into what was apparently a lab. Daniel and Sam were nearly hysterical with excitement as they found some devices that had ancient writing on them and looked quite interesting.

The natives stolidly told them they could take one device.

Sam selected something that looked like a laptop computer. When they left The Hall, however, they found themselves in the middle of another storm. Rain was pouring down in torrents and lightning slashed open the sky.

�Come with us!� The villagers beckoned for them to follow.

Sam ran next to Janet, the ancient device safe in her waterproof bag. Suddenly there was an impossibly bright flash of light, Sam stumbled into Janet, knocking the smaller woman to the ground. They were trying to pull each other to their feet when there was a loud crack and a crash, followed by Jack bellowing something at the top of his lungs.

Sam spun around, her arm still around Janet. The lightning had split the trunk of a tree and the thing had come crashing down, right on Daniel.

�Danny!� The colonel was trying to push the tree trunk off Daniel, but he wasn�t very successful.

Together in the pounding rain they threw their shoulders against the tree trunk, pushing it off Daniel�s limp form. After Janet spent a full five minutes checking his injuries, Teal�c and Jack carried Daniel back to the village.

�Colonel,� Janet said quietly. �We need to get him back to the base. I don�t have the proper equipment to even diagnose what�s wrong with him, let alone treat it here.�

Jack was standing with his fists balled up in his hair, looking ready to explode. �Mudslides, Doc, they say people have died from mudslides cus they got too far away from the safe zone the village is in. I�d be risking everyone�s lives if we went out there.�

�We�re risking Daniel�s life staying here!�

Jack sighed heavily, looking around at them all. Anxious eyes looked back. He nodded then moved to help get Daniel up on a makeshift backboard the villagers had brought in.

They moved quickly through the darkened and rain drenched forest, their boots slipping in the mud. Jack and Teal�c were carrying Daniel, and moving as quickly and carefully as they could down the muddy path, their native guides listening for the tell-tale rumbling of an impending mudslide.

Sam was jogging along when she suddenly heard a squelch and a thud, then Janet calling her name.

�Sam, help me up!�

Sam turned to see Janet struggling to lever herself up out of the sticky, slick mud. With a roll of her blue eyes, Sam rushed back and, far from giving Janet a hand, lifted her right out of the mud and into her arms.

Janet blinked rain out of her eyes. �Sam, you can put me down,� she murmured, her arms looped around Sam�s neck as the major ran to catch up with the rest of the team.

�We�re almost there��

Once back safely in the gate room Janet ran off with the medical team to look after Daniel, leaving Jack, Sam and Teal�c to go shower. Sam took a little longer than necessary, letting her thoughts simmer in the warm jet of water.

Coming out of the women�s locker room, she nearly walked headlong into Jack.

�Oh, sir, sorry, I didn�t see you.�

Jack waved his hand. �It�s fine, Carter.� They started walking towards the elevator. Jack shot her a sideways look. �You ok?�

�I�m fine, sir.� Sam smiled reassuringly. �You?�

�Just worried about Danny-boy.� Jack muttered. �I was just down there�things aren�t looking too good.�

They�d entered the elevator and Sam let out a quiet groan, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes.

�Yeah, that�s just about how I feel.� Jack murmured.

Sam sensed his presence close to her and opened her eyes, looking up at Jack. Without saying anything they came together in a comforting hug. After a moment, Jack moved so their foreheads were resting against each other.

�He�ll get better, colonel,� Sam whispered, hoping the use of his rank would help cut through the awkward tension filling the elevator.

�I hope so.�

Jack brought one hand up to touch her cheek. Sam felt cold. She put her hands on his chest, lightly pushing him away from her.

�Sir.� Her eyes delivered another silent reprimand as they connected with his momentarily before she retreated to the other corner of the elevator.

The sudden change in topic almost caught Daniel�s drugged mind off guard, almost, but not quite. �I�m not telling you�because I don�t know.�

�I don�t believe you. We�ll have to work a little harder.�

�What, by showing me more hidden camera footage of Sam? Or maybe you�ll switch to Jack and show me what he gets up to.� Daniel spat, trying to hide his disgust in pure rage. �You�ve shown me so much you�ve desensitized me. It doesn�t even bother me anymore.� He prayed silently to the gods of reverse psychology.

�Oh, if I wanted to I could really screw with your mind, Dr. Jackson,� the agent said with a chuckle. �But I won�t�not in the way you think anyway.� He picked up a syringe off the table. �By the way, do you still have back problems from that accident with the tree?�

�What?� Daniel frowned. �Occasionally. Why?�

�Just wondering. Seeing as that�s when it all started.� He walked around and stuck the needle into the side of Daniel�s neck. �Good-night, Dr. Jackson.�

Chapter 2: Being Human

The rest of the week was hectic to say the least. For a few days Sam felt a lingering sense of guilt each time she made eye contact with Jack, though he seemed to return to his usual jovial self once Daniel was back on his feet.

Janet, however, wasn�t any less tense with Daniel�s recovery. SG-5 had gotten caught in some unexpected volcanic activity and the damages done to them were hellish. It didn�t help, either, that the major in charge of the team had the worst temper in the SGC and did nothing but snap at the medical staff.

Sam came down to the infirmary on Friday afternoon to find nurses rushing around, tending to everything from the usual scrapes and bruises to changing the dressings on SG-5�s extensive and rather incredible burns.

Jack was sitting with Daniel, getting his butt kicked at chess.

�Where�s Dr. Fraiser?� Sam asked, wandering over.

�In her office,� Jack said. �Though a nurse tried going in there a little while ago and came out nearly in tears.� He took his eyes off the board to give Sam a teasing look. �Watch your six around the doc, she�s vicious today.�

Sam rolled her eyes and headed for Janet�s office, opening the door and slipping inside. Janet was sitting at her desk, chin resting in her hands and a thoroughly frazzled expression on her face. For a moment after Sam entered the two women just stared at each other.

Janet was forcefully reminded of the first time they�d met, when Sam had come down to the infirmary seeking treatment for a burned hand. Something in those blue eyes had caught Janet�s attention, and something about Sam as a whole held it. Held her in a way that no one had in years.

�I can�t do this anymore.� Janet whispered, looking up at Sam with eyes ringed with fatigue. Her lips were parted slightly in a grimace of pain and mental stress.

Sam gave her a sympathetic look and hurried over to kneel before her, putting her hands on Janet�s knees. �Can�t do what?�

�This.� Janet reached out and ran her fingers through Sam�s short blond hair, down her cheek, along her jawbone to her chin. Then Janet let her hand fall to her lap. �These games. I just can�t do it, Sam.�

Sam didn�t reply, she merely looked down to where her hands rested on Janet�s knees.

�Unless�� Janet�s usually strong and commanding voice faltered for a moment. �Unless that�s all they were, just games.� Oh God, had she just imagined it all? She didn�t think she could stand it if she had. From the moment they�d met at least a small part of her had acknowledged the fact that she was deeply in love with Samantha Carter.

�No,� Sam said quietly. �That�s not all they are.� She reached up and put one hand to Janet�s cheek. The doctor shivered, closing her eyes. As she moved her hand to cover Sam�s she slowly slid out of the chair and onto the floor.

Sam pulled Janet into a tight embrace and Janet allowed herself to relax against the strong form of the other woman. Suddenly, however, all of her emotions seemed to hit her in a rush and she began to cry rather loudly, her face buried in Sam�s shoulder. The blonde held Janet to her, whispering comforting nothings in her ear. Finally Janet looked up, laughing a little at herself as she wiped her tears away.

�I�m sorry,� she said. �I�m a mess, aren�t I?�

Sam tenderly brushed the tears off Janet�s cheeks. �Yeah, but a beautiful mess, all the same.�

�Oh, shut up, no I�m not.� Janet rolled her eyes.

Sam chuckled and rested her forehead against Janet�s so that the tips of their noses were barely touching. Sam�s hand came up timidly to cup Janet�s face as she turned her head to press their lips together.

Out of all the people that Sam had ever dated, which was considerably more than Janet had, Janet conveyed more emotion in that single, chaste kiss than all the others ever had. It lasted all of five seconds, and when they parted, Sam couldn�t help but grin and kiss Janet again.

�Colonel O�Neill.� A flat recognition.

�Yeah,� Jack tried to blink back the drug-induced haze clouding his mind. �And you are�?�

The agent smirked, and shook his head. �Aren�t you in the least bit curious about why we�ve brought you here, colonel?�

�Oh�You probably want something from me,� Jack said, trying to sound nonchalant. �And I�m not going to tell you, whatever it is.�

�You might not tell us right away, colonel, but we�ll get the information out of you one way or another.�

It was so clich� that Jack wanted to puke.

�I suppose I don�t need to remind you,� Jack sneered. �That I�ve been through more torture and interrogation than the average person can comprehend?�

�I never said anything about torture.� The agent took a laptop computer out from under his chair and set it on the table. �Mental duress would be better phrasing, though even that��

�Been through that too.� But a faint frown crossed Jack�s forehead. What were they playing at?

The agent cleared his throat. �Lets talk about Major Carter.�

�Why?�

�Because she�s got plenty of dirty little secrets.�

Jack�s frown deepened.

�And don�t flatter yourself into thinking I�m talking about the brief encounters you�ve had with her. A quick fuck off world, a few kisses�those aren�t really anything, no matter what the superiors say. Those things are�expected.�

�What the hell are you talking about?� Jack shook his head, dismayed. �Anyway, there�s nothing you could tell me that would make me turn on Carter.�

The man stood up, moving behind Jack to inject something into the side of his neck, causing the colonel to slump a little in his seat.

�Let�s talk about Major Carter.� The man said again, returning to his seat on the other side of the table.

�What about �er?� Jack slurred.

�You�ve obviously had sexual relations�well, entanglements, at least�with her,� the agent said blandly. �Why?�

� �Cus I�ve got feelings for her,� Jack replied, wondering why they couldn�t realize that.

�Which she doesn�t return, at least not the way you expect.�

�I never expected anything from her, so I have no idea what you�re talking about.�

The man opened the laptop and turned it on. �How about I show you what I�m talking about? You know, Major Carter doesn�t spend a lot of time at home, but that makes it all the easier for us to watch her when she is��

�I�ll be sure to tell her to look for bugs.�

The agent laughed. �You do that, Colonel. But we�ve already got everything we need.�

�How�s it going?� Janet walked over, peering over Sam�s shoulder at the screen that was covered with strange symbols.

�Slow.� Sam had her chin resting in her hand, watching as Daniel translated the ancient writings off the screen.

Daniel looked up. �Sam, this is gonna take a while, so if you�ve got plans��

Sam turned to Janet, her eyebrows raised. �I don�t know, do I?� Janet merely gave her a secretive smile and beckoned as she headed out into the hallway.

A while later Sam and Janet were sitting in the corner of a small and crowded bar called �River Gods�, eating a late dinner and listening to the bustle around them.

�Any idea of what that thing is for?� Janet asked, wiping her mouth off with such care that Sam couldn�t help but smirk.

�Nope, but I do know it�s pretty important, whatever it is.�

Janet smiled, reaching out to touch Sam�s hand where it rested on the table. �You amaze me sometimes.�

�Only sometimes?� Sam�s eyebrows wiggled suggestively and Janet laughed.

�So, Major Carter, how long have you been trampling the military�s policies on homosexuality?�

Sam wrinkled her nose. �You make it sound so cold.�

�Well?�

�I dated the secretary of some senator once.�

�Really now?� Janet had her chin resting in both hands and was watching Sam with exaggerated intentness. Underneath the table her foot was rubbing against the side of Sam�s leg.

�Uhuh,� Sam�s blue eyes were hazing over. �She was pretty hot�but not half as interesting as you. Spent most of her time sitting behind a desk�no good off-world stories.�

A twinge of jealousy flashed almost imperceptibly in Janet�s dark eyes. �So what do you find �hot�?�

�Well,� Sam pretended to look thoughtful. �This girl had long copper-red hair, but I think I go for the dark brownish red more.� She reached out, grinning and toying with a lock of Janet�s hair. �And dark eyes. Deep dark eyes. What about you?�

�Oh, I don�t know,� Janet shrugged, blushing slightly. � As long as she�s got a good brain in her head looks don�t matter too much�� Sam made a disappointed noise and Janet looked up, laughing. �But I�ve always had this thing for blonds��

Jack had been ready to tune it out. Had been ready to ignore whatever he was going to be shown. He knew it would be intense, he knew what type of mind bending these NID people were capable of.

But he had honestly never expected this. Never expected something so close to his own heart. Never expected Carter�s deepest secrets to be splashed so blatantly on a screen before him.

Shit, she was hot. But there was something so intensely wrong about this that Jack wanted to smash the agent�s head in.

He must have masked his emotions well, because the agent frowned.

�Tell me, Colonel, what do you think of your second in command now?�

Jack would play it off. �I still think she�s brilliant as all hell.�

�So this doesn�t bother you.�

�Look, I don�t care who she fucks,� the drugs were wearing off and Jack was angry. �If you showed me a tape of her screwing Fraiser and Danny at the same time�� Better not go there. �What do you want, anyway?�

�Information.� The NID agent leaned on the arms of the chair, his face inches from Jack. �We know that Cassandra Fraiser can activate the properties of that device, we can have her in seconds. Now all we need is the device.�

�I don�t know where it is.�

�Oh we know that.�

Jack frowned. �What?! Then why the hell�� he shook his head. �What the hell are you doing?�

The agent ignored him, walking back around the table and sitting down. �Did you ever think that Major Carter returned the feelings you had for her?�

�Go fuck yourself.�

The agent scowled and pushed a button. A jolt seemed to emanate from the back of the chair and Jack grunted. The agent smirked. �Lets remember our manners, Colonel.�

�Well, at least I don�t videotape decorated air force Majors having sex with people,� Jack sneered.

The agent pulled out a syringe and walked over behind Jack, drugging him again before turning the laptop around. Wordlessly he turned on another video feed.

It took Jack a minute to realize it was one of the security cameras from the base. It must have been in Carter or Fraiser�s quarters. The two were sitting on the small, military issue bed. Carter was sitting; Fraiser was practically on her lap as they made out like a couple of teenagers.

�Carter,� Jack muttered to himself. �You�re supposed to be smarter than that.�

Fraiser was pushing Carter�s shirt up. Feelings seemed to explode inside the pit of Jack�s stomach and he didn�t want to admit that mostly it was a burning jealousy. He respected Fraiser a great deal, but watching her screw his 2IC, he was having difficulty remembering that respect.

�Hey Cass.� Sam said without looking up as Cassie leaned on the back of the couch to see what Sam was doing.

�I thought we were supposed to get together over the weekend, what happened to that?� When all she got was a half hearted, apologetic shrug, Cassie gave up and pointed to a picture of the ancient device that was displayed on the screen of the computer. �What�s that?�

�I have no idea�Daniel managed to translate the symbols that show when we turn it on, but we still can�t figure out how to do anything else with it.� Sam wrinkled her nose, re-reading the translation Daniel had sent her. �It pretty much says that only certain people can operate it.�

Cassie walked over and pushed Sam�s feet out of the way to sit down on the end of the couch. �Don�t you have some special marker in your blood that lets you work stuff like that?�

�Goa�uld technology,� Sam corrected. �Chances are whoever made this thing wouldn�t want people like the Goa�uld to be able to operate it.�

�Huh.� Cassie stood up and wandered into the kitchen.

�Danny?� Jack sat up and winced as pain flared in his head.

Daniel turned around, walking over and taking a seat next to Jack. �What�d they do to you?�

�Showed me tapes. Pictures. Talked shit to me.�

�Of?�

�Carter and Fraiser.�

�Me too.�

They were silent for a long time. Daniel wondered aloud when they�d be let out, but Jack merely shrugged. Time passed, neither really knew how long.

�Did this bother you, at all? More than being captured by the NID usually does?� Daniel asked after a while.

�Yeah.� Jack�s throat was dry. He found himself blinking back tears for some strange reason and gritted his teeth against a cry of rage as he stared down at the stone floor.

�This must be even harder on you,� Daniel said sympathetically. �I know you love her.�

�The noble thing for me to say right now would be that the invasion of her privacy bothers me more�more�� For once, Jack O�Neill�s voice faltered, �more than the fact that Fraiser�s�� he made a vague gesture with his hand. When he spoke again, it was in a whisper. �But it doesn�t.�

�Jack,� Daniel said quietly. �You�re only human. It�s ok to be jealous.�

�Okkkaayy, Major Carter, I�m officially removing you from duty, active or otherwise, for the rest of the evening,� Janet said, walking over and closing the laptop, nearly shutting it on Sam�s fingers in the process.

Sam looked up, and Janet was lost in the blue of her eyes; her eyes wide and pleading.

�Janet��

�No.� Janet raised an eyebrow. �Have you made an progress?�

�Not really, but - �

�Exactly. It won�t hurt to take a break.�

Sam leaned back against the couch, pouting in an exaggerated manner, sticking her lower lip out. Janet chuckled, scooting over and putting an arm around Sam�s waist.

�Is it really that hard to forget about work for a little while? Even for me?�

�Yeah.� Sam nodded earnestly.

�Oh, that hurts,� Janet patted her chest over her heart. �That hurts right here. You, my darling, are a workaholic.�

Sam grinned cheekily. �You gonna cure me of that, Doc?�

�Hmm�maybe,� Janet�s expression suddenly grew serious. �But in the meantime you and I need to have a little talk.�

�Oh dear.�

�It�s not bad,� Janet assured her. �I just want to know where we�re headed.�

Sam tilted her head to one side. �What d�you mean? I love you.�

�I know.� Janet�s face broke into a momentary, dazzling smile. �I love you too. But if I know anything about you, geek girl, you�re worse when it comes to commitments than I am.�

�Hey, it�s not my fault that all my boyfriends have ended up dead or missing or just plain insane��

�Sam.� Janet gave her a serious look. �I�m just saying this is going to be hard�we probably won�t be able to tell anyone�won�t be able to show affection at work�and with you going off world all the time�� Sam�s eyes narrowed suspiciously. This is what she�d been worried about, that one of them would realize the cost of their relationship would be too much. Janet seemed to notice her worry and smiled, reaching out to run her fingers through Sam�s hair reassuringly. �I just want to make sure you�re not going to back out on me.�

�Wouldn�t dream of it.� Sam leaned in and placed a kiss on Janet�s soft lips.

Janet smiled to herself as she pulled Sam closer and the kiss deepened. Her fingers curled around Sam�s short blond hair and a shiver ran through her as she felt the lightest touch on the skin of her stomach. Sam pulled away, staring at Janet.

Her name was barely a whisper from Sam�s mouth before their lips came crashing together again. The feeling reminded Sam of being in an airplane that suddenly starts loosing altitude; except this time there was also a fire beneath her that added heat to the free fall sensation in her stomach. It wasn�t until Janet made a soft noise that Sam looked down and realized sheepishly that she�d been using all her weight to pin her lover rather uncomfortably against the edge of the couch.

�Sorry,� Sam whispered, moving so she was leaning back against the couch with Janet sitting in her lap. Her hands moved to the small of Janet�s back, rubbing gently. Sam tilted her head to one side, her expression dazed. �Should we, er, move?�

�Too lazy.� Janet muttered. She shifted, pushing Sam�s legs together so she could kneel on either side of them and kiss Sam, her hands on either side of the major�s face. Sam�s hands came to rest on Janet�s hips, just as Janet�s slipped lower.

Though still engaged in a furious, open-mouthed kiss, Sam let out an involuntary gasp as she felt fingers tracing the curves of her breasts. Janet�s hand opened, palm flat and gently pressing�

The sound of something heavy hitting the floor caused them to look up, their lips parting with a wet smack.

�Oh my god, what are you�doing?!� Cassie looked and sounded half confused, half disgusted. ��In the middle of the living room!� Her geometry book lay at her feet, open, a few pages crumbled from its unexpected fall. The teenager made a face. �Ew.�

And the world kept on turning.

The scene was of Carter�s bedroom in the early morning. Jack wasn�t quite sure that the agent had meant to show him that scene, because far from disturbing, it was one of the most beautiful things Jack had seen, despite the fact that it caused a painful longing to well up in his stomach.

The sunlight was falling through the curtains and across the bed where Carter and Fraiser lay amongst rumpled blankets. Carter was on her back, arm bent and hand under the back of her head, her eyes closed and lips parted slightly in a peaceful expression. Fraiser was laying half next to and half on top of her, her arms wrapped around Carter�s body. For a long time they just lay there, sleeping.

Fraiser nuzzled her face against Carter�s neck, and the blonde brought her arms down to hug the smaller body to her, murmuring something that the hidden camera didn�t quite pick up. Fraiser smiled, and said audibly, �I love you too, baby.�

Jack pushed the heels of his palms against his eyes, half wanting to rid himself of that image, half wanting to never loose it because it showed him that Carter was happy and loved.

Jesus fucking Christ this was a huge mess! Jack kicked the wall, earning an eyebrow raise from Daniel who was sitting in the corner. He hadn�t felt his head spin this much since Charlie died. It reminded him of being in a plane during takeoff, when gravity doesn�t want to let you go and the floor is tilting wildly underneath you, shooting up against all probabilities.

So this was why they told him not to get emotionally attached. This is where the problems lay. The NID were pretty fucking smart. �Bravo to them!� Jack thought bitterly. �They found how to crack Colonel O�Neill!� What did the military expect, anyhow?

He was only human, after all.