snapshots

Jack looked at the faces of his friends and smiled. "Well, this is nice, isn't it? No really, I'm enjoying myself."

Sam and Daniel exchanged glances like they always did, Sam looking away sheepishly and Daniel rolling his eyes a little. Teal'c simply arched an eyebrow at Jack.

Jack shifted a little, relieving one ass cheek of all the pressure and displacing it to the other side, leaning against the wall with a sigh.

"So, Carter, how are your experiments going? Made Landry's hair fall out yet?" Jack asked.

Sam smiled brightly. "No, not yet, Sir. Actually, lab accidents are down by fifteen per cent this year. It's a pretty big improvement."

Jack raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Sweet. What about you, Teal'c? Think you're ready to join the American political scene?"

Teal'c gave Jack another arched eyebrow and amazingly, it seemed to convey more than any words ever could. Jack sensed he was being humored and mocked simultaneously. That was some eyebrow. "No," was Teal'c's only deadpan reply.

Jack gave little lift of the chin. "Not even in a consulting capacity?"

Teal'c stared. "No."

Jack watched his friend cautiously for a moment, before he slowly turned his face to the man next to him.

"Daniel," Jack said, clapping a hand on his shoulder and receiving a rather happy smile. "So, how are you doing with..." Jack stopped. This was a slippery slope. Being too specific could mean inviting discussion and information overload. He would have to word this cleverly. In an almost genius-like manner in fact. Especially if he was going to avoid a similar incident to the one where he ended up having to listen to a lengthy discussion on Sumerian bread making. All he had asked was how much sugar Daniel took in his coffee. "Uh...stuff?" Jack asked.

Daniel's forehead creased, but then he smiled and nodded. "Uh...good. Stuff is good."

Jack smiled and nodded, squeezing Daniel's shoulder. Oh yeah, genius. "So, what's the food like here? You know, when you actually get to eat."

"Actually, really good," Sam said. "We were here just a few weeks ago."

Teal'c smiled and Daniel gave a small laugh, while Jack watched them all on the verge of snickering like children. "What?"

"Oh, it was very funny actually," Daniel said. "We..."

Daniel trailed off. Probably because he had quite rightly interpreted Jack's expression as 'this is so not the time for funny anecdotes.'

"You know, maybe later," Daniel said with a nod.

Jack gave his 'yeah, maybe' smile. He looked around at their surroundings, getting a good look at all their options. "Food must be real good here. Especially if they're willing to hold everyone hostage."

"Maybe they're really hungry," Daniel said.

Jack frowned at Daniel, wondering if he'd always been such a smart ass.

One of the balaclava-wearing gunmen walked by. Jack decided now would be a good a time as any to antagonize him. He missed antagonizing gun-toting bad guys. That was the best part of inter-galactic travel.

"Excuse me?" Jack asked, as his teammates watched. "You think we could get some bread sticks?"

Behind the balaclava, the eyes of one of their captors narrowed. "What?"

"Hey, it's not me. It's just that, my friend here gets cranky if he doesn't eat regularly," Jack said, pointing at Teal'c, who was giving Balaclava Man his most threatening look.

"Yeah? How about I knock your teeth out and give them to your friend as Tic Tacs, wise ass?" the man replied, with a particularly whiny voice.

Jack blinked. "You don't have any starters?"

"How about you shut your yap or I tape it shut?"

Jack smiled. "You brought tape? Who does that?"

There seemed to be a shift in the air, like suddenly they all just knew who brought tape. Teal'c, Daniel and Jack turned to look at Sam who looked a little embarrassed.

"What? It can be useful," she said with a shrug.

"Hey!" the balaclava snapped. "How about you all shut up?"

"You could ask nicely," Jack suggested.

"Jack," Daniel said, in his 'please don't make the angry man shoot us' voice.

"Daniel," Jack replied, in his 'you know how to duck' voice.

Daniel's eyes shifted, giving their 'not from bullets!' look.

The man in the balaclava gave a final threatening stare before moving on.

"What? Not even a glass of water?" Jack called after him.

Sam looked at Jack with a frown. "Sir, is it really necessary to antagonize the men who are looking for an excuse to kill us all?"

"No," Jack said. "Actually, I find it's one of my biggest flaws."

"I would have to concur," Teal'c said.

Jack narrowed his eyes at Teal'c, receiving a smug smile. "Okay. Teal'c, you take out the big guy. Daniel, you've got my friend over there. Carter, seriously, you have tape?"

Sam reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out an almost finished roll of duct tape that had been flattened to carry around easily.

Jack blinked and shook his head. "Carter, you take the guy by the plant."

"What about you?" Daniel asked.

Jack reached around his back for the gun he always carried. "I'm going after the bread sticks."

His team smiled at him. He would have rolled his eyes, but he'd missed them just as much.

Cameron tumbled to the mat again. So much for bonding with his potential teammates. Teal'c was kicking the snot out of him and though there was nothing to indicate as such, Cameron decided the Jaffa warrior was having fun.

Cameron jumped up to his feet, bouncing from foot to foot, jabbing left/right. Teal'c was a picture of calm, barely moving, yet disgustingly fast.

“So, Teal'c,” Cameron said, breathlessly. “How'd'you pick up boxing anyway?”

Teal'c dodged a blow, swift and smooth. “O'Neill and I used to spar regularly.”

“Yeah?” Cameron asked. “I suppose you miss it, now that the general's gone.”

Teal'c seemed to slow fractionally, though really, it was probably too little a difference to notice. Still, Cameron took the opportunity and punched.

Teal'c ducked the move and came back with an undercut, jabbing Cameron's chin and sending him skidding across the mat.

Cameron rolled his eyes, waiting for the room to stop spinning. He didn't know what spell General O'Neill had cast on SG-1, but it was sure as hell going to be painful breaking it.

He slowly got up, much slower than the last million times and got back into position, moving like a drunk instead of a sleek fighting machine.

“His company is sorely missed,” Teal'c answered the question and threw another punch that landed Cameron on his ass.

Cameron lay on the ground and laughed up at the ceiling he was becoming so acquainted with. “Yeah, I can see why. The guy's a real character.”

Cameron rolled over and pushed himself up to his feet. He turned to face Teal'c again, a little more determined and a little less antsy about being Lieutenant Colonel Chopped Liver.

“But, I guess we all have to move on, right? I mean, it's not the first time you guys have had to deal with a new guy.”

Teal'c stopped, frowning a little and Cameron could virtually see the cloud of thought that crossed the other man's face.

“Jonas Quinn,” Teal'c said.

“Right, right. Jonas,” Cameron said, doing his foot-to-foot dance. “You guys gave him a chance, right? It's like that. Takes time to get the machine moving again.”

Teal'c looked up at Cameron and Cameron figured exactly what kind of chance SG-1 must have given Jonas. This team was harder to get into than a mermaid's panties. Damn straight. SG-1 was the girl you couldn't even kiss goodbye on the doorstep, let alone get anywhere near first base.

“Indeed,” Teal'c said, looking thoughtful.

So Cameron punched him and he punched him hard enough to knock the man down and probably sprain his own wrist.

Cameron grimaced and held his hand close. “Son of a bitch. I was better off getting my ass kicked.”

Teal'c slowly got up, eyeing Cameron. “I believe you cheated.”

Cameron nodded, offering a shrug and sniff. “Sure, but sometimes it's the only way in.”

Teal'c gave a slow nod, his mouth quirking up in a smile. “Indeed,” he said, before knocking Cameron back on his ass.

Cameron decided that the next time General O'Neill e-mailed him with a suggestion on how to bond with his team, it was going straight into the recycle bin.

That guy sure had one sick sense of humor.

And it wasn't just his team anymore.

Daniel sighed from where he sat on the infirmary bed, Vala's hand grasped tight in his as she sat next to him, legs swinging back and forth. The urge to reach over and pull her stupid pigtails was strong within him. Instead, he sighed and looked across at Cameron and Sam, seated on the opposite bed, hand in hand, while Cameron pointed at her and announced, "Now, she was really something."

Sam looked bored, sharing a look with Daniel before offering Cameron a tight smile and, "Wow."

"So, you named this thunder bird, Betsy?" Vala asked with a frown. "I like the part about the thunder bird, but the name Betsy's making me nervous. Sounds like a fruit I ate once. Made me very sick. Couldn't get off the-"

"Oh god," Daniel said with a heavy sigh.

Vala turned to him, arching an eyebrow. "You don't look as pleased as you should, considering you finally got your dusty hands on me."

Daniel looked at her, weary and tired and on the verge of crying a little.

"You know, I swear I'm getting some deja vu here," Cameron said, holding up Sam's hand, earning another tight smile.

"Really?" Vala asked. "Spend a lot of time being glued to women?"

Cameron gave Vala a cool, unreadable look and then turned to Daniel. "Girlfriend's getting out of hand again, Jackson."

"She is not my girlfriend. Not even a friend. Or much of girl for that matter," Daniel said, wishing she'd stop swinging her legs like that.

"You're very sexy when you're making no sense," Vala said with something akin to a sultry look.

Cameron and Sam shared mischievous looks as Daniel felt his cheeks burn.

Carolyn walked by at that moment and smiled at the group, earning a strangely twinkling smile from Cameron.

"You know what, I think it's time we move on. Hey, doesn't Dr. Lam look good today?" Daniel asked, innocently.

Cameron's smile vanished and he pointed at Daniel. "Hey, man, don't talk about her that way."

"Why not? She looks great," Daniel said with a shrug.

"Why not? Because things'll be weird between us and I'll have to break your legs and you need those for running from the bad guys."

"Well, we wouldn't have to run so much if someone here wasn't wanted on every planet we go to," Daniel said, casting Vala an unamused look.

Vala had her confused pout on, frowning at the group. "Hmm, I suppose I can see how as a former First Prime, Teal'c might have that problem."

Everyone looked at Teal'c who was standing in the middle of the infirmary with his cellphone. "I am not lying, O'Neill. They are in fact actually glued to each other. No, I am not yanking your chain. Indeed, I am very serious. I will send you evidence."

Teal'c aimed his phone as everyone stared at him.

"I believe you are supposed to say 'cheese'," Teal'c said, giving everyone a tilt of the head.

Vala edged closer to Daniel and he was sure that if their hands weren't glued together, she'd being making bunny ears behind his head with her fingers.

"Cheese," she whispered too close to his ear and he could feel her smile everywhere.

Teal'c was back on the phone. "Indeed. Once again it was by pure chance that I was not involved in the more humiliating aspects of the mission."

"Is it just me or does Teal'c get cooler by the day?" Sam asked with a frown.

"If by cool you mean a delicious man mountain, then yes, I'd have to agree," Vala said with a wink, earning a laugh from Sam. Vala turned to Daniel with an innocent look. "Don't you agree, Daniel?"

Daniel narrowed his eyes at her. "Yes, I agree. That's how I've always seen Teal'c. Delicious man mountain."

"Really? I always saw him as smoking hot Jaffa beefcake," Cameron said with a nod.

It wasn't that Teal'c had said anything to alert his sudden appearance, it was more like a feeling that said 'Teal'c is here' that made everyone turn to find said smoking hot Jaffa beefcake looking at them with amusement.

He looked at Cameron, blinked, inclined his head politely and smiled. "Thank you."

Cameron brought up a finger. "Uh, that's not what...we were just..." Then he nodded. "You're welcome."

"General O'Neill have a good laugh?" Sam asked Teal'c.

Teal'c gave a nod a smile. "Indeed. I believe he is forwarding the photograph to many people as
we speak."

Daniel gave Teal'c a tight smile. "Thanks for that, Teal'c."

Teal'c smiled, looking just a little too smug. "You are welcome, Daniel Jackson."

"Oh, hey, look," Sam said, yanking her hand away from Cameron's and showing a gooey purple palm.

Cameron made a face. "Okay, that nasty stuff was not there when they stuck us together."

Sam looked at her palm, poking the goo. "We should probably analyze this."

"You are kidding me," Cameron said. "It's goo."

Sam nodded. "Right. Goo that wasn't there when they stuck us together. I'm sure it'll bring up some interesting results.

"You mean besides my lunch?" Cameron asked.

"Do you think ours will be purple?" Vala mused.

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose as everyone, except for Sam, gave Vala an intrigued look.

"Well, actually, probably not. Whatever this is, it's obviously a bi-product of the antidote and differences in our individual chemistry. I wouldn't be surprised if you both produced a different color."

Vala smiled at Daniel, looking rather excited.

Cameron scowled and stared at Sam. "Wait a second. You're telling me we made purple?"

Sam's eyes shifted around the group and back at Cameron with her humoring smile that seemed to be made just for him. "Yep."

Cameron turned his nose up, but smiled as he looked at everyone with his usual 'this is totally out there' expression.

Daniel felt a shift between his and Vala's palm and a sudden slick warmness that made him grimace. He looked down at their hands and pulled his away with a yank. The slime spread across his fingers like a web.

"Hey, you made blue," Sam said, looking impressed as Vala grinned and went to sit next to her. Vala held up her hand, palm facing Teal'c as he took his cellphone out. Sam followed suit and they both grinned for a photograph as Daniel stared.

"What?" Cameron asked.

Daniel held up his blue hand. "I'm really beginning to see why everyone thinks our reports are fiction."

"But good fiction, right?" Cameron got up and winked, slapping Daniel on the shoulder.

Daniel looked at a spot of purple that was left behind.

"Oh, yeah," Cameron said, turning his nose up at the spot. "Sorry," he said, before wandering away in the direction of Carolyn.

Sam got up and pointed at Vala's gooey hand. "Hey, mind if I get a sample?"

"Business or pleasure?" Vala asked with a smile.

Sam rolled her eyes, but waited as Vala got up to follow, giving Daniel one of her completely indiscreet and flirtatious smiles. Daniel just shook his head as Teal'c sat down opposite. He took a photograph of Daniel, squinting uncomfortably at the cellphone.

Daniel looked at the phone in Teal'c's hand and beckoned for it. Teal'c threw it across and Daniel caught it in his goo-free hand. Opening it, he lined up to get a serene looking Teal'c into the frame.

"What? No peace sign?" Daniel asked with a smile.

Teal'c arched an eyebrow. Then he held up his fingers in a peace sign, a picture of serenity. Daniel pressed the button and sent the image to Jack, completing the day's picture of SG-1.

- the end -