Elizabeth couldn't help but smile when she spotted John leaning against his car, waiting for her. After he'd spent days pestering her, she had eventually given in and agreed to go to one of Langford's football games with him. It wasn't that she didn't support the team, she just wasn't particularly keen on football and was happy to just read the results in the school paper. John, of course, was an ardent fan. When she had asked him if this weekend's game was important he had told her in a slightly shocked tone, that they were all important.

So, in retrospect, it should not have come as a big surprise to see him dressed nearly entirely in burgundy and gold, including a Langford sweatshirt and Langford scarf. She was tempted to find out what color his socks were or ask him if he had the Langford boxers on.

Elizabeth, by contrast, had just dug out her Langford t-shirt from the back of her closet. She'd bought it on a whim one day, not long after she started working there, and never really had occasion to wear it since. However, it wasn't warm enough to wear on its own, so the effect was somewhat lost when she put a jacket over it.

"Hey," he greeted her, standing up as she approached. "Don't you at least have something in school colors?"

She sighed. "Just this t-shirt." Since she hadn't yet zipped her jacket up, she opened it to show him.

There was an expression on his face for a minute that she couldn't quite decipher, but then he pulled off his scarf and wrapped it around her. She shivered when his cold hands brushed her neck. He stepped back and smiled at the effect. "That's better. And it will keep you warm too."

"Thank you," she said, resisting the temptation to ask John what laundry detergent he used, because his scarf smelled wonderful.

"Come on." He turned in the direction of the football field. "I'll buy you a hot chocolate."

She followed him. "You're just trying to get me to take my coat off, aren't you?"

He turned to smirk at her. "It's not as if you're not wearing anything under it."

"Why do all men have one-track minds?" She asked rhetorically, but smiled back anyway.

"Two," he said, calling out to her as she trailed behind him, "don't forget football!"

She rolled her eyes. He was saved from her reply, though, because he was busy buying them a hot chocolate each and stopping to have a conversation about the game with the guy selling it. Elizabeth stood off to one side, cradling her hot chocolate and looked around. There weren't that many people about and none of them wanted hot drinks yet. When John had told her what time to meet him she thought it was early, but given that he knew more about the subject than she did, she assumed she'd got the kick-off time wrong. But perhaps not.

"Why are we so early?" she asked him, when other people came looking for drinks and he was forced to tear himself away.

"So we can get the best seats." His tone of voice suggested this was obvious.

She couldn't complain about that because she'd done the same thing herself in the past, just not for football. As she sipped her drink, she let him lead them up into the stands to where he assured her was the best place to sit, although she couldn't tell why it was an improvement over most of the other seats. Once there they found Jack and Teal'c had beat them to it. They were both in Langford colors, although Jack's consisted of the baseball team's cap and jersey, which Elizabeth had to stifle a laugh at.

They exchanged greetings and Elizabeth slid in next to Jack, with John on the other side of her.

"I didn't think you were that keen on football," she said to Jack.

"Hockey is better," he confirmed, "but Teal'c's a fan and I support the team."

"I hear the new quarterback is worth watching," Teal'c put in and before she knew it he and John had launched into a discussion over her and Jack about the merits of the members of the team.

"I didn't know you liked football," Jack said to her, also tuning out the other's football conversation.

"I don't. But I was persuaded to come. And I support the team too," she added.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "So the rumors are true."

She sighed. "Not you, too."

Jack just grinned at her and Elizabeth shook her head, refusing to answer.

Luckily for her, the smell of hot dogs intruded and she started to feel hungry, even though she had eaten before she left the house. The owner of the hot dog was a good few paces behind the scent and revealed himself to be Jonas, with Daniel in tow.

"Hey, guys," Daniel said, and another round of greetings were exchanged, except for Jonas who had his mouth full. His food disappeared quickly enough, though, and he sat down next to John, who had moved on to debate the merits of the opposing team. Today they were up against the Wraith. Daniel sat behind Jack, and he and Elizabeth turned round to talk to him.

Not that they had a chance to say much before Sam and Janet arrived. If Elizabeth didn't have a good sense of self-preservation she might have accused Janet of stalking Daniel - Elizabeth was sure her appearance so soon after Daniel's arrival was unlikely to be a coincidence. So she was unsurprised to watch Janet make a beeline for Daniel and sit next to him, although Sam was happy enough to join in the football talk. Despite being at the other end of the group, Teal'c had no problem making himself heard.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jonas's pants leg had moved up and exposed a strip of what looked suspiciously like a dark yellow sock. Not quite able to believe what she was seeing, and the possibility of what she was not, despite what she had thought about John's clothes earlier, she interrupted their conversation. "Jonas, please tell me your other sock isn't dark red."

Jonas flashed her a grin and a leg, and revealed that it was exactly as bad as she suspected.

Elizabeth groaned.

John leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I've got the school boxer shorts on."

She ignored the way his breath tickled her skin. "Why does that not surprise me?" she said in a low voice. "But how can they show how big a fan you are if no one can see them?"

"All you had to do was ask." He caught hold of the waistband of his pants on the side nearest to her.

"John!" she said, shocked, and grabbed his hand before he could do anything, not quite believing that he was willing to reveal his underwear in the football stadium.

There was the sound of giggling behind them, which stopped immediately when Elizabeth turned round. "I know exactly why you're here, Janet Fraiser," she said, to divert Janet's suspicions about what she thought she'd seen.

"And why would that be?" Janet asked, in an innocent tone.

Elizabeth noticed that not only were Sam and Janet staring at her - Sam looking interested, Janet her usual combination of innocent and murderous - but Daniel had also stopped his conversation with Jack to hear her answer. Despite her law background she found herself unable to mount her own defense and had to settle for, "You know."

Janet merely grinned and Elizabeth decided to turn her attention to the field, where the cheerleaders were gathering as the bleachers filled up. A shouting war was just starting up between the two teams' fans, led by the cheerleaders, and Elizabeth winced as John joined in. Oblivious to her discomfort he picked up one end of his scarf - that she was wearing - and waved it a bit.

"Would you like your scarf back?" she asked him.

"Huh?" he replied, before he focused on her and dropped the scarf in response. "Are you warm yet?"

"No." Although it had become something of a matter of pride that she was not going to take her jacket off regardless.

He grinned as he slid closer to her so they were almost touching at the leg and shoulder. She didn't move away. "When you are, let me know."

Fortunately for them both, the players started making their way onto the field and Elizabeth's ears were assaulted once more. It didn't stop once they started playing either, for John was quick to shout encouragement at the players and jeer at the opposition. Every time the Explorers scored he jumped up and Elizabeth thought she might as well have been invisible. Everyone else around them was getting into the spirit too.

Elizabeth couldn't help but be caught up in the excitement, but it might have been easier if she knew what was going on. It was difficult to concentrate on the game when people stood up in front of her every five minutes and all that told her was that she should have been watching beforehand, not trying to work out what she had just missed.

"Did you see that?" John asked, excitement in his eyes as he sat back down and noticed she was watching him.

"No, what just happened?"

"The Wraith fumbled and we scored from nowhere."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Never mind," he sighed. "It's half-time anyway."

He was right, she discovered, and she turned back to the field to watching the cheerleaders perform. She was sure she had seen at least one of them outside John's office door, which didn't surprise her. However, cheerleading routines were better appreciated by young men and Elizabeth looked for someone to to converse with. Preferably about a topic that wasn't football. But Janet and Daniel were having an earnest discussion about something Elizabeth couldn't quite hear and she didn't want to intrude. Everyone was talking about the Explorers' amazing playing in the first half of the game.

Fortunately Jack leaned over and asked, "Help me with this crossword?"

Elizabeth looked over to see he had a folded up newspaper in his lap, containing a half-completed crossword. It said something about her concentration on the game that she hadn't even noticed Jack wasn't paying attention. Or perhaps it was just that he wasn't paying attention to the cheerleaders. "Don't you have a bet with Sam about that?"

He shrugged. "She's not listening."

Elizabeth looked over and saw that he was right, so she took pity on him. "All right, what are you stuck on?"

"Up, down, charmed, something."

It wasn't her field of expertise but she had heard of that sequence. "Strange."

"Hmm, yes, it is." Jack's tone suggested that he hadn't understood the answer. "Never mind."

She didn't get a chance to explain it to him before the second half began and everyone turned their attention back to the game.

They weren't far into the second half when it became clear, even to Elizabeth, that both teams were playing completely differently than their earlier performances. The Explorers had been scoring, although not often, but when they had it had been spectacular, and the Wraith had consistently missed easy shots. Now, however, the Wraith seemed to have woken up and the Explorers were struggling to catch up. The Wraith beat their impressive score during the third quarter.

After berating the Explorers for a while, John had lapsed into silence along with most of the rest of the crowd. Elizabeth stifled a yawn and pretended not to notice John's fingers playing with his scarf.

The next thing she knew she was comfortably warm, even if her pillow was a little hard. The background noise of the football game grew and she pushed herself up from her position on John's shoulder.

"Hello, Sleeping Beauty," he said, smiling at her, but not moving his arm from around her waist.

"I'm not," she replied, rubbing her eyes. She had been comfortable, even though she was sitting on a hard seat with John's shoulder for a pillow.

His smile turned to a grin. "What, not sleeping or not beautiful?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth but couldn't find a good way to answer that without incriminating herself.

"If you were trying to stop any rumors," Janet said, leaning down to mutter in her ear, with a grin Elizabeth didn't like the look of, "falling asleep on his shoulder wasn't the way to do it."

"It was only because he was sitting next to me," she said, turning round to face Janet. "It could just as easily have been Jack."

"Except you're sitting a lot closer to John."

Elizabeth glared at her even though she and John had been shoulder to shoulder the whole time - or at least whenever John was sitting down. When she turned back round to face the field John removed his arm and she could see that the game was over. The score up on the board explained why the Explorers cheerleaders were leaning despondently against each other. The crowd and the cheerleaders on the opposite side of the field were much more animated.

"I guess we lost," she said.

"Yeah," John answered, without enthusiasm.

"I need a drink," Jack said, with feeling.

"Good idea," she heard from Daniel, behind her, followed by, "I concur," from Teal'c. Jonas was the only one who didn't appear to be affected by the result, but that was just because he was more excitable to begin with and sometimes it was hard to tell the difference.

The walk to Maybourne's bar was not a long one. They were soon seated around a table with drinks and still no one spoke.

"That was..." John trailed off, obviously unable to find a good word to describe the game.

"Pathetic," Sam finished.

"Yeah, pathetic, that's it," John agreed, and heaved a big sigh.

Elizabeth smiled. He was actually quite sweet like this - like he needed a hug to make it all better. Not that she was about to offer, and certainly not in front of other people, even if they were their friends. Especially if they were their friends.

The atmosphere was quickly dispelling the comfortable warmth she had felt upon waking. She also couldn't stop thinking of all the work she needed to get done. Normally she would have tried to get through it all during the week but John was a disruptive influence. Which, admittedly, was not always a bad thing, but she did get far less work done now she had him to interrupt her every day. And yet she rarely threw him out of her office.

"I have to go," she said, breaking the morose silence and finishing her drink as she stood. "I have work to do," she added, smiling at John who looked puzzled at her wanting to leave.

There was a chorus of farewells and promises from her to Sam and Janet to meet for lunch next week. Outside, the air felt refreshing after the atmosphere in the bar, but she had no time to enjoy it because John had followed her out and cornered her outside the bar.

"I'm sorry." He stuck his hands in his pants pockets and looked contrite.

"What for?"

"I should have listened when you said you didn't like football. I thought once you gave it a chance--"

"Don't worry about it, John. I enjoyed myself." She wasn't going to think about how much of that was due to his presence. Or his shoulder.

He frowned. "Really? But we lost and you fell asleep."

She smiled. John was so focused on the game and the outcome that he failed to see what she had: she'd spent an enjoyable morning with her friends. That they lost was probably the only reason it hadn't turned into a whole day - although given the work she needed to get through before Monday morning, that was probably just as well. "See you Monday," she said, not feeling the need to explain it to him. Not least because he might then ask her to future games and she suspected the novelty would soon wear off.

"Wait!" he called, jogging the few steps to catch her up. She turned round to find him standing very close behind her. She resisted the immediate impulse to step backwards.

He put out one hand to finger her scarf. She ignored the way her heart beat faster as the back of his hand brushed her shoulder. "Can I have my scarf back?"

Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from smiling and shook her head. "I'm warm now," she said. "I think I'll keep it."

She stepped backwards, out of his reach and headed towards her car, leaving him too stunned to do anything about it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Part 2

"It's just a football game, how long can it take to get ready?" John called up to Elizabeth.

She didn't bother answering, just carried on going through her wardrobe. "Aha," she said, finding what she had been looking for hidden away at the back behind some uncomfortable shoes. Watching the Langford Explorers pick their new team was not her ideal way of spending Saturday morning, but John went religiously every year and now that they were living together she was trying to take more of an interest in his interests. Even if that included football. For one reason or another they hadn't seen each other much this week, so they would at least get to spend some time together, which was how Elizabeth had rationalized it when John asked her to go with him.

By the time she made it to the bottom of the stairs, John was already out of the door and on the way to the car. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Any other time she had trouble getting him out of the door late, never mind on time. And even though she had held them up, they would still be early.

He was so focused on getting there in time that he had driven to Langford, parked the car and bought her a coffee (so she wouldn't fall asleep this time, he told her) and handed it to her before he noticed what she was wearing. Elizabeth had never gotten around to building up the selection of Langford clothing that others had. She'd had a t-shirt once but that had long since been turned into a rag. What she did have now was a scarf, even if she hadn't worn it since the last football game she'd been to.

"That's my scarf," John pointed out.

"Good eyes." Elizabeth sipped her coffee to remind him she was holding it, therefore would be a bad idea for him to tackle her to get his scarf back. Not that it was his scarf any more. He had given it to her to keep her warm the last time he had dragged her to the football field. Refusing to give it back when he asked had started off as a game but ended up as a point of principle. Elizabeth wasn't sure why she was doing it, but she was certainly not going to stop and let him win.

John settled for glaring at her but Elizabeth knew he was plotting for later. It didn't matter, she would be ready.

Neither of them said anything as they made their way to the front row of the bleachers. Various students were already warming up and Elizabeth was unsurprised that several of them waved at John, or greeted him with a "Hey, Shep". John returned all of their greetings and asked a few of them for the names of the new players - presumably these were freshmen or older students only just trying out this year.

Elizabeth was seriously wondering if she should just give up now and lie down for a nap until it was all over when she was rescued by the surprise appearance of Sam Carter.

"Sam!" Elizabeth greeted her friend. "I didn't think anyone else would be crazy enough to be here."

As the potential players lined up there were a few cheers from the stand nearby, filled with students both male and female.

"Except for the players' fans, of course," she added.

"I could say the same for you," Sam replied. "Especially given what happened at the last game you went to."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Was anyone ever going to let her forget that? She kept the subject on Sam's reasons for being here and not the last game when she'd fallen asleep on John's shoulder. "John might occasionally get accused of cradle-snatching with his groupies--"

"Hey!" he said, without taking his eyes off the field.

Elizabeth ignored him. "--but I didn't think you were into the same thing."

"Well, in a choice between one of these guys and Rodney McKay..."

"I see your point." Elizabeth couldn't imagine anyone willingly dating Rodney.

"No, you're right. I'm trying to get more students interested in physics and I thought a course on the physics of football might help."

Elizabeth nodded, acknowledging the brilliance of the idea. "Sounds good."

"Yeah. You can imagine what McKay thought of it, though."

Elizabeth grinned; she could. "So what is he offering in competition?"

"I don't know yet. Either he's keeping it very secret, even from Radek, or he hasn't thought of anything better yet. I'm hoping for the second, although I don't think for one minute I'm going to lose this one." She sounded fierce about it.

"Ouch," John interrupted from beside them.

Elizabeth turned to the field, intending to ask what happened, but since she could see two of the players lying on the floor, she could guess, even with her meager knowledge of football.

"So, how's it going?" she asked him instead. Out the corner of her eye she saw Sam pull out a notebook and pen and start taking notes.

"I don't know why some of them are here at all," he gestured at the field, at a guy who'd just let the ball slip through his fingers. "They obviously don't know how to play."

"Perhaps they're hoping everyone else is going to be worse than them and they're going to get all the girls attention simply by being on the squad," she said, genuinely trying to take an interest this time.

"Probably. Although I think some of them do it for a dare."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"There's a bunch of freshmen who look really good, but some of the old players are going to be hard to replace."

Throughout the training session John continued to point out those players he thought were good and would make the squad for sure, and those he thought were useless and had no chance. Elizabeth was surprised that she found his commentary interesting. But it was probably because he didn't just tell her the names of the players, he also talked about the backgrounds of the ones he knew, so she felt as if she knew them too, and was routing for them just as much as John was.

By the time they'd finished Elizabeth could see Sam had taken plenty of notes. Elizabeth wished her luck with the course as they departed, but Sam was already deep in thought.

"I think they picked the right players in the end," John said, as they made their way home.

"Hmm," Elizabeth said, non-committally.

"So, did you enjoy yourself?"

She could tell that was a leading question from the smile on his face. "The company was all right, I guess." She was certainly not going to give himself the satisfaction of saying yes.

"Only all right? And you didn't answer my question."

"I didn't?" She grinned. "I think I need a nap after that early morning."

John's smile only grew as she evaded his questions and tried to think of reasons not to go to any more games, let alone practice sessions, which he would certainly drag her along to if he could.

In the end, she let him have this victory. "I had a not entirely pleasant morning spent with my boyfriend and my friend."

"So," John began, "the next game is--"

"Oh, no, you don't," she cut in, pointing a finger at him. "That was my one game for the year. You can get up early if you like, but my weekends are sacred and I intend to spend them sleeping."

He shrugged. "It was worth a try."

And not just one either. John would be sure to leave it a while until she thought he had forgotten, then spring it on her when she least expected it. Probably at such a time when she was powerless to say no. There was definitely some tactical thinking she needed to employ on this problem.

John never quite stopped grinning all the way home and Elizabeth could tell he was making plans already. It would be annoying if she didn't find it so cute. She was almost relieved when they arrived home and could turn their attention to different topics. John certainly had another one in mind because they were barely inside the door when all of a sudden Elizabeth found herself against the wall being thoroughly kissed. Not that she was going to complain, it was just a little unexpected.

It was only when she realized his hands had made their way to her neck while he distracted her with his mouth that she worked out what he was doing.

"Oh no you don't," she said, managing to pull away and extricate her scarf from his grip.

"You can't say you weren't enjoying it." He pouted a little, but didn't look surprised that she'd rumbled him.

"Let me just hide my scarf and I'll be happy to pick up where we left off." She took a step towards the stairs, but he grabbed her arm.

"Forget about the scarf and we can get on with this sooner."

She raised her eyebrows. "So, you'd quite like to do this with the scarf on?"

John opened his mouth to retort but closed it again as he looked her up and down with a lascivious look on his face. Elizabeth couldn't help but blush under his gaze. "Kinky," he said.

Elizabeth laughed, although not for long because she soon found herself back against the wall, but this time John's hands were trying to remove other pieces of her clothing. Elizabeth suspected she might have won the scarf argument for good.

A man who dressed as one of the Tau'ri stepped out, followed by a red-haired girl nearly as tall as him. "Hello there!" the man said. From his vantage point in the control room, Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

~*~

"Oh, this is brilliant. How many channels do you get?" The Doctor was rapidly flicking through them all, pressing the button on the remote control faster than the television could keep up.

"All of them," Teal'c replied from his post by the door of the rec room. He had been told to keep the Doctor here until General Hammond arrived. Samantha Carter and Amy Pond had not left the infirmary, where they were still talking. The Doctor had bored of their conversation and Teal'c could not allow him to wander around the base.

He stopped on the one showing the Yule log. "A Yule log! On TV! It's amazing what you humans think up."

"I have found the Tau'ri to be most inventive." He was unsure what an image of a burning log was supposed to achieve, but he suspected it was like many shows he'd seen, which were purely for entertainment.

"Tau'ri?" The Doctor turned to look at him. "Of course. The tattoo is a dead give away. You're Jaffa, am I right?"

Teal'c inclined his head.

The Doctor sprang up and said excitedly, "Oh, what you people achieve. Almost as great as humans. Tau'ri." Then he calmed down, although Teal'c suspected that excited was normal for him. "But I shouldn't tell you your future."

He didn't need the Doctor to. "I have no doubt we will prevail."

The Doctor slapped him on the shoulder. "That's the attitude." Then he went up close to the television and held his hands out to it as if it was a real fire. Teal'c had seen some odd people on Earth, but none as odd as the Doctor. "I love Christmas, don't you?"

"I have found it most enjoyable." Tau'ri holidays were something Teal'c had been keen to observe at first. Now he had been living on Earth for some time, they became something he anticipated greatly. "But I have yet to discover where the belief in Santa Claus arises from."

The Doctor smiled. "Humans. They can make something out of nothing. Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy. They all come from real life events, but then someone tells a charming story and the next thing you know, the whole world believes."

"I have found this to be so."

"Of course, you know all about that. Why don't you sit down?" he asked, having at last moved away from the television and sat on a chair.

Teal'c shook his head. "I would rather stand."

The Doctor shrugged. "Suit yourself. Humans are great, aren't they?"

"I believe we have already covered this topic of conversation."

The Doctor frowned. "So we have. But I do love Earth, it's my favourite planet. Don't you love it?"

Teal'c had not previously considered which planet was his favourite, so he could not say whether or not Earth was. But there was no doubt that he liked it. So he merely said, "Indeed."

Now it was Daniel's bet and he'd zoned out again. Jack and Carter exchanged a glance over their cards.

"That's what, the second time he's done that?" Jack commented.

"Third," Teal'c put in.

Carter looked more worried and called Daniel's name softly, but there was no response.

"Daniel," Jack said, louder, and waved a hand in front of Daniel's face.

Daniel jumped and the creases in his face smoothed out as he focused on Jack for a moment, before looking round at the identical concerned expressions on Carter and Teal'c's faces. "Jack?"

"You zoned out again," he explained, a mixture of worry and fear in his voice. "For five minutes this time."

"Sorry." Daniel frowned, but didn't volunteer any more details of what he'd been remembering.

Jack hesitated to ask again. The last time this had happened they'd been on P2X 445 two days ago and despite Daniel looking like he'd been in pain when he'd come out of it, he'd refused to tell Jack what it had all been about, beyond it being a memory from when he was Ascended. Jack had been sure Daniel knew more than that, but he hadn't said anything, giving Daniel the chance to volunteer more information himself. When nothing had been forthcoming he'd hoped their weekly team night would help, what with being off the base and at Jack's house. Daniel had felt comfortable here once.

Teal'c broke the lengthening silence. "It is your bet, Daniel Jackson."

"Ah, right." Daniel straightened up and considered his cards. "I'll call." He added some more cash to the pile in the center of the table.

Jack was unsurprised to find that merely added to Teal'c's win and he was glad to hear the doorbell announcing the arrival of the pizza.

"I'll help you," Carter said, following him to the door. That last round had cleaned her out too and Jack wondered just how long Daniel could hold out against the might of Teal'c. Especially since Daniel had drunk over half of his beer.

Carter took the pizzas while Jack paid for them out of the money he'd been keeping back for the purpose. "What are we going to do about Daniel, sir?" she asked quietly, as the door closed.

Jack sighed. "Let him finish that bottle of beer?" he suggested, half-seriously, putting his change back in his pocket.

"I think you should talk to him."

He frowned and tried to take the pizzas from Carter, but she held on tightly to them. "Why me?" Jack had been very careful to keep his real feelings for Daniel hidden from Carter and Teal'c. If she had known what had gone on between them before Daniel Ascended, she'd never so much as hinted at it before.

"Have you seen the way he keeps looking at you?"

Even if he was sure she didn't mean in that way, his heart skipped a beat anyway. He was careful not to change his expression and Carter carried on without waiting for an answer.

"It's that same protective look you get about him sometimes. Whatever he's remembering from when he was Ascended, I'm sure it has something to do with you."

There was one thing it could be, but since it was something Jack didn't like to think about at all, he wasn't keen to discuss it with Daniel. "Then I'm the last person he should talk to." To forestall her argument, he snatched the pizzas off her and took them into the living room, where Teal'c had just won the last of Daniel's money.

Daniel smiled at the sight of the pizzas and they all dug in, while Teal'c explained just what he'd done to his Wii Fit to necessitate buying a new one with all the money he'd won tonight. Jack ignored Carter's pointed looks at him and told Teal'c he was banned from future poker games. At the rate he was going Teal'c would end up having to pay Jack's mortgage within a year.

Fortunately, Daniel suggested a game called senet, which he and Teal'c then waxed enthusiastically about for a good ten minutes. Jack established from their conversation that it was a game Teal'c had played as a child and Sha're taught to Daniel on Abydos. Apparently Daniel was sure he knew where he could get hold of a set and Jack ended up agreeing to play it at their next team night.

Jack allowed Daniel to finish his beer without comment, even though he had pointedly taken it away from him earlier in the evening. Daniel didn't even notice how warm it had gotten, which wasn't a good sign, even though he hadn't zoned out at all since they started eating.

Afterwards Teal'c suggested a game of Rock Band on the Wii he'd brought with him. Jack didn't remember who had first shown Teal'c the Wii, but he would bet anything it was now Teal'c's favorite thing about Earth. It had been a slippery slope from beating everyone at boxing and bowling, to Teal'c and Carter's arguments over who was better at Rock Band. Jack hadn't even known Carter was that musical, but that was typical Carter, being good at everything. Jack and Daniel were usually happy to just watch and not make fools of themselves. Jack knew this would be the perfect time to talk to Daniel even without the pointed looks Carter gave him as Teal'c set the game up.

Daniel sat in the corner of the couch, right where he used to sit before he Ascended. It was the first time Jack had seen him sit there since he came back and he couldn't help smiling at the sight before he settled back beside him, another beer in his hand.

Under cover of the song Teal'c and Carter were playing to, Jack turned to Daniel and, keeping his voice quiet enough not to be heard by the other two, said, "So, what is it?"

"Mm?" Daniel frowned and sounded like he was concentrating more on the game than on Jack.

"What you've been remembering," he clarified.

Daniel didn't say anything, just blinked, but Jack knew Daniel knew what he was talking about. When he still said nothing, Jack decided to up the ante a little. "You keep zoning out. I can't take someone off world who might not be concentrating when there are people are trying to kill us."

"I remembered Ba'al torturing you," Daniel said all of a sudden.

As much as Jack knew that it would help Daniel to talk about what he had been remembering, he just couldn't do it. "I've been trying not to," he said and turn his attention back to the television screen. The song came to an end with a new high score and Jack jumped up before Teal'c could click on 'Play again'. "How about a game of baseball," he suggested, and picked Wii Sports out of the pile of Teal'c's games.

"I will beat you, O'Neill."

Jack smiled at the challenge. "Don't count on it."

Carter sighed. "I'll sit this one out." She took Jack's place on the couch next to Daniel, who hadn't said anything. Jack didn't expect him to either.

Since it was Teal'c's game, Jack let him bat first. It was easier to eavesdrop on Carter and Daniel's conversation while he pitched. It wasn't that he didn't care what Daniel had gone through, it was more that he didn't want to dream about it tonight.

"Ba'al tortured Jack," Daniel said. Carter hadn't even had to ask anything.

"I know," Carter replied, almost too quietly for Jack to hear. "He spent a day in the infirmary when he got back."

Jack had spent half that day asleep and the other half trying to get Dr. Fraiser to let him out.

Teal'c scored a run and the Wii crowd went wild. Carter and Daniel said nothing and Jack wasn't sure if that was because they were used to Teal'c being good at all the Wii games or because they weren't really watching. He wasn't going to turn round to find out.

"I couldn't do anything to stop him." Daniel sounded frustrated. "The only thing I could do was to take away some of Jack's pain."

"And that's what you were remembering?"

Daniel must have nodded, because they were both quiet while Teal'c finished his turn at bat and Jack was up.

"There's something else important I'm forgetting. From before I was Ascended."

Jack completely failed to swing his bat, he was so busy listening to what Daniel might say next.

"Are you ready O'Neill?"

Jack nodded and this time he hit the ball far enough to get a double.

"I'm going to get some water," Carter said. "Playing guitar is thirsty work."

"I'll come with you," Daniel said, and Jack heard them both go off to the kitchen. Which at least meant he'd equalled Teal'c's score by the time the inning ended.

He could hear their low voices carrying over the sound of the game. He wasn't sure if he was glad or annoyed not to be able to hear the words. If they were talking about what Daniel had been remembering when he was zoning out, then Jack thought it was probably just as well they were in another room. It was in the past and he'd prefer not to know any more details now.

In the end, Teal'c did beat him. It was only because he was distracted, but he wasn't going to tell Teal'c the reason why, so he didn't offer it as an excuse.

As Teal'c packed up, Carter came back into the living room and gave him a sympathetic look. She'd been worried about him at the time, he got that, but he didn't want any of them to be reliving it now. She turned it into a smile when she noticed he was watching her.

Daniel followed her, looking happier, so that was something. Except that he frowned at the couch and stood there, unmoving, looking at the spot he'd been sitting in earlier.

"Something wrong with my couch?" Jack kept his tone jokey, wanting Daniel to relax enough to tell him what he was thinking.

"No," Daniel replied, slowly. "Just something I've forgotten."

Jack wondered if it was the same thing Daniel had mentioned to Carter earlier. He wanted to ask Daniel if he remembered anything about his feelings for Jack before he'd Ascended, but Carter and Teal'c were only in the hall and it wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with them listening. So instead he said, "If it's important, it'll come back to you."

Daniel nodded and smiled.

Jack was tempted to touch him, to help him remember, but he could wait. The moment would be so much sweeter when Daniel had all of his memories back of the time when he and Jack had been together. For now, Jack had to let him go and hope that the next time Daniel zoned out it was because of a memory from before he Ascended, rather than during.

My loyalty is to the Jaffa. It is they who I have worked to set free and now they need my guidance to live free.

My loyality is to SG-1. It is they who helped me to free the Jaffa.

I do not know if I wish to stay with the Jaffa for they squabble and do not always listen to reason.

I do not know if I wish to aid Colonel Mitchell in re-forming SG-1.

It is not easy to decide which path to take.

At least Thor would speak to him. Frankly he was bored, and although Teal'c's verbosity was great on missions, it wasn't when driving. And there was no way he was going to let Teal'c drive, no matter how many times he offered.

"Say something, Teal'c."

"I believe our exit was the one we just passed."

The big black man wearing a hat ate his without stopping - at least after his first tentative bite. Once he'd finished he approached the counter.

"I desire more of this ice-cream," he said, holding up his now empty tub.

"Sure, which flavour would you like?"

"There is more than one flavour?"

"Well, yeah. What are you, from another planet or something?"

"Yes."

Definitely crazy people.

Beside him, also bound and kneeling, Sergeant Grogan flinched.

The pain must have been intense, O'Neill is a trained warrior and he would never give the enemy the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. I am familiar with these Goa'uld pain-giving devices; I have even used them myself when under command of the false god Apophis. There is no shame in crying out under these circumstances.

"Lower the force field or your friends will be killed," said the Jaffa with the pain stick.

I could have told him that he was wasting his breath. Colonel O'Neill would die before he gave them access to the Sentinel, as would any member of SG-1. Whoever controls the Sentinel has the power to destroy their enemies on this planet. The System Lord, Svarog, would not be allowed to succeed in his conquest of this world.

"Sir?" Major Carter asked. She is a soldier. She would never obey such an order unless it was endorsed by her commanding officer.

"Don't do it, Carter. That's an order!"

He barely completed his words before being struck again. Only one who knew Major Carter well would understand the extreme nature of her distress. As I commented before, she is a professional. It does not do to let the enemy know of a weakness.

In some respects the issue was academic. Neither Major Carter nor Doctor Jackson had been able to determine how to repair the Sentinel. However, the Jaffa were unable to know they were demanding access to a device that would neither function for them nor destroy them.

I observed Major Carter as she examined the alien device. For one so young she has extensive analytical abilities. Her capacity to evaluate non-Goa'uld technology is far in excess of my own. The education of humans is far more broad-ranging than that of Jaffa.

The Sentinel resembled a human child's construction kit in appearance, being composed of rectangular glass blocks of many different colours. The Major removed several blocks in turn, examined them in detail and then replaced them. On Chulak, no woman would be trained in such a field. The very idea that a woman could be either a scientist or a warrior would be laughed to scorn. And yet, do we not entrust our women to educate our sons? Will not a female protect to the death those she loves?

While the Major studied the Sentinel, Doctor Jackson was examining the alien inscription and frantically scribbling notes. He, no less than Major Carter, was aware of what hung on their ability to make the Sentinel operational. It was strange, indeed, for them both to be working in full view of the enemy, and yet for the Jaffa weapons to be unable to hurt them through the force field. As Doctor Jackson worked, his eyes frequently flicked towards O'Neill. Doctor Jackson is a man of deep feelings.

O'Neill screamed again, his voice rough and raw.

We turned as one, only to see the Colonel struck in the back by a staff weapon and fall forward to the ground. Major Carter took an abortive step forward, "Colonel." She hesitated as he struggled awkwardly back to his knees, fighting to regain his balance against the impediment of the iron bar that passed behind his back and in front of his elbows.

"Carter." He spoke no other word but she responded to his unspoken command and returned once more to her work on the Sentinel.

"Bastards," muttered Doctor Jackson under his breath. He was probably not aware that I had heard him, but then I have exceptional hearing. He flicked rapidly through the pages of his notebook, comparing symbols there with those on the inscription.

"Teal'c, do these look similar to you?"

I could see no obvious resemblance, but then I have difficulty reading Doctor Jackson's handwriting at the best of times. His script is only slightly more legible than that of Colonel O'Neill.

"There is a possibility of a resemblance, Daniel Jackson."

He looked mildly reassured at this comment and pushed his glasses back into position on his nose.

"I think there may be a resemblance to the script used on P2A 463."

"You believe the two planets may have been visited by the same ancient civilisation?" I asked.

"Yes," he said excitedly. "The level of technology represented by both is far beyond anything the natives of the planets could produce themselves."

"And the technology certainly isn't Asgard," said Major Carter, looked up from her examination of a set of photographs.

We were all of us intensely aware of the suffering of O'Neill and also of Sergeant Grogan, however, it did not behove us to let our concern interfere with the execution of our duty. Major Carter kept her back towards the prisoners, doubtless this made it easier for her to concentrate. Daniel Jackson was talking to himself in some archaic tongue. I have occasionally speculated as to whether he does this to enable him to swear without anyone else understanding.

Colonel O'Neill's language is always far more direct and to the point.

Out of the corner of my eye, I observed one of the Jaffa raise his pain stick. He had obviously concluded that O'Neill could not easily be forced into giving the order to lower the force shield, because he turned his attentions to Sergeant Grogan.

Grogan's agony was obvious and as I had feared, was clearly having an effect upon Colonel O'Neill. Part of what makes the Colonel such a good commander is that he has a strong loyalty to those under his command. However, there are occasions when this loyalty can be used against him.

The Colonel clenched his fists and arched his back in agony as though the torture was being inflicted on him personally. His eyes closed for a few moments, shutting out the scene, then he relaxed and opened them once more.

"Why don't you try picking your teeth with that thing," he said. "With teeth like yours you need all the help you can get."

That earned him a boot in the ribs, but also distracted their attention from Grogan, which I am sure had been his intention. I will not describe precisely what they did to him, suffice to say that it looked extremely painful. The Colonel bore it as well as he could, but the reaction of my companions to his suffering was as painful to me as the injuries of the Colonel himself. SG-1 are closer to me than my own family. It is the nature of the life of a Jaffa that he is frequently away from home. Because of this, tight family bonds are rare among us; this is another reason why I seek to liberate my people from the oppression of false gods.

"There's nothing wrong with this." Major Carter gesticulated violently. "I've read all of Kershaw's notes. This is exactly how it was when they found it." She flung her hands out in exasperation. "It should work!"

"Perhaps you have overlooked something," I suggested.

"I checked everything against the original description. Nothing is damaged or broken and everything appears to be as it was in Greaves' and Kershaw's photographs."

"I think I've found something," Doctor Jackson interrupted. "Here, come take a look at this." He waved animatedly at one of many symbols written in greens and blues on a pillar.

Major Carter and I looked where he directed.

"This one's related to the symbol for life energy and this one, if I've understood it correctly, represents the concept 'two as one'."

"But," Major Carter said, "that could-"

"Lower the force field," the Jaffa with the pain stick demanded, "or this one dies." He prodded at Grogan to emphasise his meaning.

Grogan arched in agony as the stick electrified the metal collar around his neck.

"Give the order," hissed the Jaffa at O'Neill.

"When the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup."

"Now!"

O'Neill met Grogan's eye. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Grogan nodded. "Sir. Just avenge my team."

The pain stick touched metal again. Light burst forth in bright streams as Grogan screamed his last. He slumped to the ground, his body still bound by the heavy chains. If there are any true gods may they take his soul into their keeping.

"The Caretaker," O'Neill said suddenly. "The Caretaker is missing. He-"

A sharp blow to the head caused him to pitch forward. O'Neill caught one hand to the ground to slow his fall. Head hanging low, he gasped out, "The Caretaker guarded the Sentinel."

"Two as one," Doctor Jackson breathed. "The Caretaker and the Sentinel."

"Lower the force field," demanded the Jaffa, "or he dies too."

Major Carter turned, desperation in her facce. "Wait. I'll do it."

"Carter!" the Colonel shouted. "I'm giving you a direct order. Do not deactivate the force field."

"I'm sorry, sir." She walked over to the Sentinel. "Two as one. Man and machine," she said softly. She stretched out her hands to embrace the machine. "Colonel, it was an honour."

The Sentinel glowed in rainbow hues, the field embracing Major Carter even as she embraced the machine. For a second, she was outlined in a living halo, then the halo collapsed inwards and she was gone.

As brilliant light shot out from the Sentinel destroying the two Jaffa outside the force field and consuming every enemy within its path, the image that was branded upon my mind was that of Colonel O'Neill. Face raised to the heavens he screamed, "No!" to the uncaring gods with greater agony than any inflicted upon him by the Jaffa.

From that day to this, I have wondered about Major Carter. Was her sacrifice a humanitarian act solely to save the people of this planet or was it the action of a loyal officer to save her CO, or was it simply the determination of a woman to save the man she loved?

I have never been able to decide.