Ferretti unzipped his pack to get some clean clothes and toiletries. Give me this kind of mission any day! This was five star luxury and he was getting paid to be here! No snakeheads to worry about, at least not now that Kinsey had done a runner. The biggest danger they were in was being chased by an over eager servant to give them anything they wanted. Couldn’t get much better than that! He frowned at the shirt he pulled out. Is the Air Force cutting costs by buying kiddie sizes? He'd heard of cutbacks but this was just ridiculous. He’d barely fit an arm through the neckline let alone the sleeve. Dug through to find another, but the item that wound up hooked on his finger made him blink. Definitely not my pack. He critically assessed the bra, his practiced eye determining what size cup it was without needing to look at the tag. Mentally ran through the list of SG women on the planet. Jack and Sam had prepared packs for their team when they’d reported in to Hammond. He crossed off Cupid and Keelah on the basis of the cup size alone. Those ladies were a too well endowed for this to fit them. It was too petite around the middle for Sam, which left...

Hastily he stuffed the intimate apparel back into the pack and shoved the t-shirt on top to hide it. Great. Just fuckin' great! As if he wasn’t having enough trouble as it was keeping his mind clear of her, now he’d been pawing through her underwear! Tried to banish the mental image his mind had created from his size assessment, before his body clued in to the lady who fitted that bra. Then heaved a sigh at the recently all to familiar ache that meandered through his veins. For fuck’s sake, the bra is military issue! There isn’t a god damned sexy thing about it! And yet he was reacting like a teenager.

Disgusted with himself he jerked the bag closed. That pack has to go...as in now! Striding out he headed for the room at the end of the corridor, wondering if all the packs had been mixed up. Paused when he saw the door was closed. Hadn’t she arrived back from the hospital yet? He was positive he’d heard her voice a few minutes ago. He rapped his knuckles on the door. "Doc, you home?"

"Come in." Her voice was muffled through the thick wood of the door and surrounding stone.

He tugged the heavy door open and poked his head around. "Sorry to intrude."

Janet looked up from the side table she'd turned into a temporary desk where she was going through her notes on the tretonin treatments. "Not intruding. What can I do for you, Major?"

Ferretti couldn't help but notice how cute she looked sitting there in her BDUs and bare feet. She was so tiny that the bulky uniform made her look like a kid playing dress up. Then she went and stretched her back, inadvertently thrusting out her breasts, proving she was definitely all woman. Jerkily he held out the pack in front of him. "Been a mix up. I got yours by mistake." Willed his cheeks not to flush when he noticed the bra strap hanging out the side. "Do you have mine?"

"No idea." She gestured with her pen to the pack sitting at the end of the bed.

He placed hers down next to it and checked the second one. "Yep, that’s it."

The sound of the door clicking shut made him jump.

Janet didn’t comment on his skittishness. "The door seems to be spring loaded."

"Oh, okay," Ferretti replied dumbly. He knew he should turn his ass around and march straight back out. His feet had other ideas and led him in the opposite direction to where Janet was sitting. "How’s the junior swap over going?"

"So far so good." She put aside her notes, stretching her shoulders to ease the tension caused from working constantly with larvae Goa’uld for the afternoon. She'd performed and assisted on this procedure many times since the tretonin became a viable treatment, but it still gave her the willies to be in such close proximity to a Goa'uld even in its infant state. "We’ve removed close to a hundred prim’tas and the men seem to be adapting well. Tomorrow we’re going to the monastery to see if we can convert the barracks into temporary wards. The King wants to get the removals done as quickly as possible. Which is understandable."

Ferretti frowned, leaning against the desk. "They better be sending an armed escort with you."

The doctor ignored the funny tickle in her stomach at how protective he sounded. "They probably will. But Annika’s going to do an aura sweep in the morning to make sure there are no more...dissenters. Plus the rest of SG-1 are going to search the Goa'uld structure to see if they can get any more intel on Uneg and the queen. They're hoping to find some clues on where Kinsey could be headed." Absently she rubbed at her shoulder kneading the tension in her muscles. "We should be fine."

The major’s fingers twitched, his first instinct was to try to massage the knots from her back. A few weeks ago that kind of action wouldn’t have given him pause, but that was before his damned heart decided to start singing ballads. Now it just wouldn’t be ‘safe’. Needing something to keep his hands busy his gaze landed on the tray of food, which Janet had shifted to the far end of the table to make room for her reports. He popped a grape-type fruit in his mouth. "You got one too, huh?"

A smile tilted Janet’s lips. "Apparently the head cook thinks I’m too skinny."

"I got the same rebuke when she delivered mine," he chuckled. "She’s quite the character."

"Try one of these. It’s like a cross between a strawberry and a kiwi fruit." Janet plucked a small pink berry from the tray, which so far was her favorite of the alien delights. "And she’s so excited about Keelah’s return. If happiness could make a person fly she’d be in the stratosphere right now."

"Whoda’ thunk our little Keelah would turn out to be royalty?" He sampled the berry Janet had endorsed. "She never even gave a hint."

"It’s funny what people think they need to hide." She had meant the comment to refer just to the former slave, however, as soon as the words were out of her mouth she wanted to retract them. The air seemed to crackle with electricity in the abrupt silence that descended.

Ferretti eventually cleared his throat. "Well, I’ll let you get back to your reports." Then he was off striding across the floor. "See you at the shindig." He grabbed the handle and pushed. Too late he realized the heavy wood hadn’t budged and he collided with the door.

"Are you alright?" Janet was on her feet in an instant and hurried over.

"Just a bruised ego," he muttered. Trying once again to push it open. Frowned when the door remained solidly closed. "What the fuck?"

Janet jiggled the handle and it moved freely. "It’s not locked."

"So what’s blocking it?" Ferretti asked, getting down on his hands and knees to see if there were any obvious culprits to be causing the jam between the door and floor. Couldn't see a damned thing.

"No idea." Janet shook her head bemusedly.

Ferretti tried again, putting all his weight behind the door. Still it didn’t shift. There was no way this sucker was moving without help. His hand went to his hip then realized his radio was in his room. "Doc, you got your radio handy?"

Janet hurried over to her gear, which she'd taken off just a few minutes earlier and tossed the radio to him.

Immediately he depressed the speaker button. "General O'Neill, do you read? I have a bit of a problem."

There was a few seconds delay and then Jack's voice crackled through. "Crap, now what? It’s not another snakehead is it?"

"Nothing like that," he assured. "The door to the Doc’s room is stuck and we can’t get out."

There was a pregnant pause.

"What are you doing in the Doc’s room?"

Ferretti rolled his eyes. He was going to get ragged about this for months! "There was a mix up with our packs."

"Uh huh." It was clear from Jack's voice he didn't believe him. "And you needed to close the door to return it?"

Janet snatched the radio from Ferretti. "The door’s spring load-" She bit back a sigh. "What does it matter why the Major is here? The point is he can’t leave." Janet cursed herself for the hint of panic in her tone.

"Alright, Doc, don't stress. Which room you at?"

"At the end of the corridor."

"I'm on my way."

The seconds ticking by seemed to be hours as the pair waited, studiously avoiding looking directly at each other. After what seemed a lifetime they saw the door handle jiggle, then a couple of thumps.

"This ain't budging," Jack reported.

Yeah, no shit, Sherlock, Ferretti silently groused.

"Hang tight, I'll track down a handyman or something and get you out of there."

Neither Janet nor Ferretti moved, because if they did, it would mean acknowledging that they were trapped together, alone, with nothing to do but continue to ignore the huge metaphorical elephant that had been trumpeting around them for over two weeks. Both heaved a sigh of relief when a few minutes later the radio crackled to life.

"Ah...Lou?"

"Tell me you're ready to say 'open sesame'."

"Not quite. It's gonna' take some time."

"How much?"

"Not sure. It seems the guy in charge of maintenance went home for the night. We gotta track him down. Could be a couple of hours."

"Can no one else use a screwdriver on the hinge or something?" the major asked exasperated.

"Apparently the doors here are considered an antique. They don't want to damage it."

Ferretti's eyes narrowed on the radio, suspiciously. "Okay, enough with the practical joke. Open the door."

"No joke."

Janet was equally skeptical, not trusting the apparent sincerity in Jack's tone. "Come on, General, this is not funny anymore."

"I assure you it is no joke," a new voice answered.

Both Janet and Ferretti stiffened, all thoughts and hopes of their situation being a joke fizzling out.

"Your Majesty?"

"Yes. I most wholeheartedly apologize for this mishap." Corfy paused, "I'm looking at the door now and there is no way we can open it. We are making every effort to locate the maintenance man as soon as possible."

The major heaved a sigh. "I'm sure you are, Your Majesty."

"We gotta go down for Corfy's announcement, but we'll keep you posted," Jack replied.

"Yeah, thanks," he grumbled. "We'll be waiting."

On the other side of the door, Jack flashed the King a smile. "Thanks, Corfy, you're a pal."

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" The young monarch frowned uncertainly at the wedge, which was as long as the width of the door and placed between the hard wood and floor. Such a simple device to effectively jam the door tightly shut.

"Oh yeah. Trust me." The general pushed off against the wall where he had been standing since Ferretti had entered Janet's room; the room Jack had personally selected out of all the suites on the floor, for it had its own bathroom, no balcony to climb over to the adjacent room, and most importantly, a single entrance. Gerino had ensured the packs had been swapped and Evie had been more than happy to provide trays of snacks for the 'young man who'd brought her 'Neenya home' as the final set up prop. "I cannot take them mooning over each other any more. It's driving me nuts."

"They're your people," the King shrugged. "I would not have thought you to be such a romantic."

"I will deny that to my dying breath," Jack said with a perfectly straight face.

"Doesn't mean it's not true," Corfy countered.

"Those two are so busy pretending they haven't fallen in love that it's become a distraction to their work, and I need them focused. That's my official story and I'm sticking to it."

Corfy didn't believe a word of it but he knew when to let a matter slide. "How will you know when to remove the wedge?"

"That's where this little baby comes in." Jack pulled from his pocket what looked like a fishing reel of a fiber-optic cable with a tiny camera on the end. "This will be lowered down to the window from the room above. I'm thinking after your speech shindig hourly checks to start with."

The mention of his official announcement had the King realizing that the time was drawing close. Both men set off for the courtyard where already quite a crowd had gathered.

"It seems you have thought of every contingency," Corfy observed.

"I tried," Jack grinned. "The only unpredictable variables are those two themselves." He jerked a thumb behind them indicating Janet and Ferretti. "I thought my team held the gold cup for stubbornness, but they're amateurs compared to those two."

For a few long moments Ferretti and Janet simply stared at the door in disbelief.

A couple of hours. Alone. The very situation they had been trying to avoid had come to pass with a simple door jam. To be suddenly thrust into that situation had them both mentally scrambling for some space. They had become experts in procrastinating and this time was no exception. The noise of the crowd gathering below drew them to the window, the up and coming announcement giving them a safe topic to discuss to break the silence.

"At least we have the best seats in the house," Ferretti commented, leaning on the sill. Craned his neck around to look along the outside of the wall. Before the idea to try to scale the wall could even begin to form, it was dismissed. The stone bricks were compacted so tightly there was no chance of a foot or handhold. The closest balcony was at least ten feet away, too far to jump across. He chanced a glance at Janet. Even if he could make it, he'd never let the Doc risk herself that way. And there was no way he'd leave her alone stuck in the room by herself.

"I wonder how the town folk will react to finding out about the Goa'uld." Looking down at the sea of heads, Janet made an assessment of the crowd's demeanor. For the moment they seemed more curious than anything else, though there was an undercurrent of wariness. Which was understandable from what she knew of the happenings of the last few weeks here.

"With Rock Doc helping with the speech they'll go away happy," Ferretti predicted. Daniel could sell ice to Eskimos and make them think they had a bargain. Add to that the King, whom he could tell just from the word on the street today, was well respected and loved by the people even if they were a bit disgruntled at the moment, and it should be a breeze.

"Well, we're about to find out."

The pair watched as the King stepped out from the main entrance of the castle, with the Queen by his side. They walked to the top of the set of steps leading down to the courtyard but didn't descend, so that their people had a clear view of them. Gerino, with four of the King's Guards, lined the Royals' backs on the right, while SG-1 stood on the left. From their vantage point, Janet and Ferretti could see that more of the King's Guards were dispersed amongst the front of the crowd on the chance that the announcement wouldn't be accepted as was hoped.

Though Corfy would be the primary speaker, he clasped Xa'bella's hand in his, giving a show of unity. He raised his other hand for quiet and the rumble of voices died away, giving their attention to their monarchs. "Xa'bella and I know the last few weeks have left you confused and angry, with rumors running riot for the reasoning behind the curfew and the Light Seekers' behavior, and we thank you all for your patience. What I can now tell you is that our planet was under threat from a hostile takeover by an alien species known as the Goa'uld. That threat, thanks primarily to the help of this team known as SG-1," he gestured for the team to step forward, "General Jack O'Neill, Colonel Samantha Carter, Doctor Daniel Jackson, Lady Annika Jackson and Sir Teal'c, has now been eliminated and our way of life can return to normal."

That announcement caused quite a stir and Corfy waited for the exclamations to taper off.

The crowd started to disperse, but a middle-aged man hesitantly stepped forward. "Your Majesty, if you could clear up one other rumor before you retire, I would be grateful. It is unrelated to the goings on of late."

"I can try," Corfy immediately agreed.

"Well, Sire," the man, who was one of the castle servants, twisted his hands in uncertainty. "I was in the courtyard during the happenings of the golden ship this afternoon and I couldn't help but overhear the Lord Captain call one of your guests 'Highness'...and just now you didn't introduce the young lady as a member of SG-1..." he broke off. "Call me an old fool if I have let hope deceive me, but the lady bears a striking family resemblance to you, Sire."

The crowd had halted their exit at the man's hesitant voice and a hush fell over the square, waiting for the King's response.

Startled by the direction of the man's topic, Corfy's head automatically swung over to his shoulder to where Keelah was standing with SG-1.

A murmur began to ripple out as the people followed the monarch's gaze and they craned their necks for a better view.

Keelah gave her brother a helpless shrug. Her return would have to come out sooner or later.

The murmurs increased when Corfy simply held out his hand to her.

Taking a steadying breath Keelah stepped forward with a shy smile.

"No, your eyes did not deceive you," Corfy replied, with a wide smile. "In addition to helping us with the Goa'uld, SG-1 have been instrumental in the return of my sister, Her Royal Highness Kara'neenya, to us."

There was a sudden silence at that announcement, and every face focused on the princess they had not seen for a decade. It didn't take long for them to see the child they once knew in the woman who now stood before them, and an excited babble started up. With smiles on their faces and more than a few tears of joy and disbelief, a deafening cheer echoed around the square.

The exuberant and immediate response stunned Keelah. She knew that those close to her during her childhood would be happy to see her, however, she had underestimated how the citizens would react, how her abduction had not just affected her family but an entire nation. The comments from Gerino and Evie had given clues, yet it hadn't prepared her for the reality. For a decade she had been treated like dirt beneath her Master's feet, had been mentally beaten so low that she felt like she had to stand up to even touch the ground. It was humbling and overwhelming to realize that in that time she truly hadn't been forgotten, that her people's love for her had been tenaciously held onto with the hope that she would be found. Excited questions and warm wishes were starting to be yelled out to her after the initial cheer had died down, yet she couldn't focus on one of them. It was too much, she needed...she didn't know what, but her head twisted around looking for the one person who had become her pillar of support.

Teal'c could see just from the set of her shoulders how freaked out Keelah was becoming from the cheering onslaught. He was already stepping forward when she turned to him with pleading eyes that held a touch of fear. Fear not of the crowd, but that she would not be able to hold herself together. One thing he had surmised of her position as the Royal Princess, was that it was similar to his as First Prime; that publicly such displays of emotion such as she was barely containing, would go against her own personal honor. Though he doubted that in this instance the people would care, he knew that she would. An obvious display of physical support from him was also out of the question, and it would cause queries that he was not prepared to answer, for he didn't know the answers. His own emotions had been...disturbing...all day, compounded by events, and he needed time to contemplate on them. Yet he was compelled to try to help Keelah get through this. Being careful that his gesture was hidden from the crowd ahead, he placed his hand against the small of her back.

Keelah cursed herself for seeking his support. She had been here less than a day but already the protocol that had been ingrained in her as a child was coming back. The Family did not seek 'support' from 'outsiders'. And while in her heart she considered not only Teal'c but all of SG-1 as her family, as far as the citizens before her were concerned, they were not official. The Family had to show strength to instill the people's faith; public image was everything. When she felt Teal'c's hand against her back, it nearly floored her that somehow he knew the 'importance' of the public image. Then from that simple gentle touch, she was able to rein in the emotions, to bottle them up to be released once she was behind closed doors. Gradually she composed herself enough to be able to comprehend the questions that were being thrown at her thick and fast, the most common one being where she'd been taken and by who.

She didn't dare look towards Xa'bella when she answered. "Where I have been and who my abductors were doesn't matter anymore. Those involved have answered to a higher justice than man can give. I do not want to dwell on the past, for that cannot be changed. The present and the future, they are what's important."

There were a few, who with slightly accusing tones directed at the Family, wanted to know why her return had been kept from them.

Though Keelah's right to claim the throne was one of the primary reasons her presence had been kept quiet, she had no intention of allowing it to be revealed now, for it would inevitably lead to an explanation of Uneg's threat to take Xa'bella as his consort because she was one of the ruling monarchs. For reasons of their own Corfy and Xa'bella had deliberately left out that detail in the announcement about the Goa'uld takeover attempt. Instead she answered with a different truth. "So much time has passed, I was unsure of how my return would be received. I see now my concerns were unwarranted. Your warm wishes and welcoming faces mean more than you could ever know."

For the next half hour Keelah, with the help of Corfy and Xa'bella, answered more questions and accepted the happy well wishes.

Annika rested her cheek on Daniel's shoulder, totally in awe of the spectrum of colors her third sight was showing her. "Wow."

The archaeologist, while pleased to see that Keelah's return was greeted with such joy, had diverted his attention to the captivation on his wife's face. With her abilities more often than not showing the dark and seedy side of life, it was rare for her to be able to enjoy the gift she had been blessed with. He could literally feel her soaking up the positive emotions, and the happiness of every person in the courtyard was reflected in her violet depths. "An impressive sight?"

"You have no idea," she breathed, her eyes not moving from the crowd. She had been listening with half an ear to her friend field the questions. "Keelah could give you a run for your money in the diplomacy department."

Daniel agreed. "If she comes back with us, I'll suggest to Hammond that she help with the treaties and trade agreements."

"I'm glad you were able to convince Corfy to take the 'self-blaming' bits out."

"You helped with that."

"What are Janet and Ferretti doing?" Sam asked. Even though there was little threat, it was habit for her to make continual risk assessments, especially since they were surrounded by the most prominent people on the planet. Looking for 'snipers', she'd caught sight of the pair at the window high above them, looking positively miserable. They looked like kids who had been sent to bed without supper.

"Oh, probably wondering if it's worth the risk of trying to scale the wall," Jack spoke out of the side of his mouth. "Or if they'd survive the jump."

"They haven't heard of using the door?" Daniel raised an eyebrow.

"All exits have been blocked, there is no escape. Operation Matchmaker is in play." Jack kept his eyes forward. "And if any one of you so much as grins in their direction you will be on latrine duty for a month."

The general's comment drew Annika's attention away from the crowd's aura. "What did you do?"

Jack, with more than a hint of snugness, detailed his scheme.

"So that's why you really requested SG-2 come here!" Sam exclaimed.

"Yep."

"Do you think it'll work?" Annika asked.

"Why don't you tell me?" Jack threw back. "What're their auras showing?"

Annika cast a careful look up to the window. A single glance and she had to quickly turn her face away to hide her chuckle. "Right now they're sulking, trying to ignore each other."

"Sounds like it's time for phase two."

"Which is what, O'Neill?" Teal'c took a slight step back, though he didn't break contact with Keelah, who was winding up the last of the questions.

"Are they still looking at us?" Jack asked.

Sam murmured the affirmative trying not to be obvious with her glance.

The general caught the Master Trainer's eye who was standing off to the side. Making sure his hand movement was blocked from view of the couple above, he gestured for him to come up.

Confused by the covert action and the solemn expression, Abner hurried up.

Jack hid his grin. The man's expression couldn't have been more perfect! "Abner, just play along. Pretend you're telling me something very serious."

The Master Trainer blinked in bewilderment but kept his face from showing it. "What shall I say?"

"It doesn't matter. Okay, now shake your head."

"Like this?"

"Perfect. Sam?"

"Still like hawks." The blonde had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep her face neutral.

"Thanks, Abner," Jack gave a slow nod, then made a show of heaving a sigh, his eyes darting up to the window.

Ferretti squinted a little to get a clearer look at the general. By the fact that Jack had glanced up at them while talking with the guard told him that the discussion was about the jammed door. Damn, learning to lip read is next on my to do list. Jack's sigh dashed his hope of getting free any time soon. "That's not a good sign, Doc," he murmured.

"No, it's not." Janet has also seen the exchange and the tension in her shoulders increased.

With a sense of impending dread, they watched Jack step out of formation from along the back of the King, pull his radio from his hip and look right up at them.

"Doc? Lou?"

"Give us the bad news, General."

"Little bit of a hiccup. Seems that the maintenance guy had a tiff with his wife and she threw him out. They're trying to find him at his usual haunts."

Ferretti exchanged a look with Janet. Wondered if he had that same flash of panic flitter across his face as she did. With a sigh he acknowledged the bad news. "Roger that." He tossed the radio to the chair, giving his companion a wane smile. "Guess we're stuck for a while."

Her returning smile was just as weak. "I guess so."

The silence that descended once again brought the tension back too. With the hoopla below over, there wasn't even that to act as a distraction anymore.

Ferretti desperately turned away from the window, looking for something to occupy his mind that didn't involve talking or looking, or touching or smelling... Fuck, what was in those berries? Somehow every single one of his senses was heightened. It just wasn't normal that he should be aware of her every breath, or could smell the subtle fragrance of her perfume. Since when does the Doc wear perfume to work anyway? And how was it possible that he could hear her heart beat from three feet away? Or maybe it was his own ka-thump-thump echoing in his ears like cymbals. And, now what the hell is that smell? His nose crinkled. As much as her new perfume was leading his thoughts down a path he was trying to ignore, he much preferred it to this new smell. Jeez, it reeks like a gorilla's armpit... He looked down at himself and took cautious sniff of his shoulder. Damn. He was the gorilla after digging all afternoon. Remembered that his original plan had been to shower before getting trapped in here. Perfect! It would put as much distance as possible between them...put him in another room! "Doc, you mind if I grab a shower?"

"Please do, Major." The quip came out a tad strained. The disinfectant from the hospital must have affected her olfactory receptors. Every breath she took seemed to be filled with the musky, sweaty smell of him. She cursed her heart for the rapid thumping in response to that manly smell. Her reaction was ridiculous! She'd lost count of how many times she'd endured teams who had returned home after not being able to bathe for a week. It had happened so often that she was barely aware of the stench anymore. Yet today her nose was annoyingly sensitive. She ignored the little voice in her head that told her that she wasn't finding the aroma offensive, that in fact it was quite the opposite.

She planted herself back in her chair and picked up the report she'd been studying before this fiasco. Just concentrate on the report. Studiously she kept her eyes averted while the major quickly sorted through his pack and practically bolted to the bathroom. Tried to block the sounds of clothes sliding off, of water running to fill the tub...10 cc's of tretonin...blood pressure a bit low, up the dosage by... Nearly jumped out of her skin when a high-pitched whistle echoed out. Dammit, how am I supposed to ignore that Ferretti is naked in the next room when he's whistling Dixie? Get a grip, Janet, she silently ordered. You're a doctor. You've dealt with naked Air Men your entire career. Had dealt with this naked Air Man for over eight years! Having him shower now should be no different than all the medical exams she'd conducted routinely! And yet it was very different. They weren't in the infirmary where she could hide behind her doctor's coat. They were just about as far away from the clinical surroundings of the infirmary as they could get, in a very luxurious, very private and very enclosed room.

That thought started her heart racing for a very different reason. Oh shit. Not now. She began pacing, taking slow, steady breaths. At least she tried to. All she could actually muster were sharp, shallow gasps. Don't think about where I am...trapped...with no way out. The room is perfectly safe...solid...no chance of the ceiling collapsing on top of me... She knew it was her eyes playing tricks on her, but the room seemed to shrink a few feet. Stay calm...stay calm...Now is not the time for a panic attack. What she needed was to splash some water on her face, but that option was out with Ferretti in the bathroom. A drink...that could help...a few sips, a simple normal act...

In two strides she was at the tray, pouring a glass of what looked like fruit juice from a carafe. Took a long sip. Nearly choked when she realized it wasn't juice but a fruity wine. Alcohol! Medically proven to calm nerves! She had another gulp and another and waited for it to take effect.

When Ferretti hightailed it to the bathroom he almost skidded right over the rim of the sunken bath and barely stopped himself from toppling in. Blinking at the stone that was as hard as marble and his mind flashing images of what kind of injury he could have caused himself, was a wake up call. What the fuck am I doing? What am I running from? I almost split my head open, or worse, running from the woman I love. Another blink. There, I've said it. Well, I thought it. But semantics aside, it was the first time he'd truly acknowledged it. He realized that no matter how much he tried to avoid it, to avoid her, this feeling wasn't going to go away. He was stuck with it, as surely as he was stuck in this room. He didn't believe in Fate, that kind of theology was Cupid and Rock Doc's departments. But he did believe that sometimes circumstances conjoined to whack a person over the head to make them see reason. His lips twisted into a wry grin, his gaze landing on the bath. Or almost a whack on the head. Okay, so in my case it took a mixed up pack, a jammed door and...he glanced down at his boots...an unnoticed, untied shoelace. He raised his eyes heavenwards, the point is I fuckin' get it.

A weight seemed to lift from his shoulders and a rush of exhilaration took its place. Working out how to use the unusual water controls he was also figuring out what his next move should be. Getting Janet to admit her feelings would be tricky. She was as stubborn as he was. And they had both had their guards up since the virus whenever they were around each other. But she had to admit it...it just felt so damned good to accept it...he wanted her to feel that buzz! He was pretty sure that Janet felt the same way; her behavior had been on par with his own after his recovery from the virus. He'd seen the looks she'd sent his way, and before they'd sent him running in the opposite direction, he'd recognized the emotion as the same as what was reflected on his face.

Stripping his clothes off and sliding into the water he found himself whistling a little ditty. The only problem he foresaw was that he wasn't the most eloquent of men. He couldn't spout off a slew of fancy words like Rock Doc and didn't have an ounce of finesse to even begin to know how to broach the subject. And as confident as he was of Janet's feelings, he was nervous enough that he couldn't rule out that his mouth would run ahead of his brain and his tendency to swear like a trooper would pop out. Saying, 'I fuckin' luv' ya', Doc,' wouldn't exactly be romantic. Maybe keeping his mouth shut was the way to go. Teal'c barely said a word and he had managed to woo Keelah into his arms. Whatever great game plan he came up with, he had only a couple of hours of privacy to put it into action.

Not wanting to waste any time, he quickly washed the grime and sweat from his body and within a few minutes had dried off and redressed in fresh clothes. Stepping from the room all thoughts of romance took a back seat. Something was wrong. Janet was no teetotaler but she didn't skull down drinks, especially not alien drinks, no matter how friendly the planet. This situation was making Janet nervous, he got that, however this was more than that. "Doc, you okay?"

Janet was so focused on trying to calm her breathing she hadn't heard him emerge. She gave a start at his concerned voice, spilling what wine was left in her glass all over her. "Shit." Putting the glass aside she looked for something to mop herself up with.

Ferretti snaked his hand back inside the bathroom to the towel he'd hung up and hurried over to her.

Embarrassment had Janet keeping her eyes downcast as she took the damp cloth and started patting herself down.

"Doc?"

"I'm fine." Her cheeks flushed, hating to admit to what she considered a weakness. "I...I just don't like enclosed spaces anymore."

He fought down a stab of guilt. It didn't take a rocket scientist to guess when this 'dislike' had started. Being trapped for hours after the glider he'd shot down caused a rockslide burying her and Dodger. He picked up a corner of the towel and gently wiped her cheek where the wine had splashed. "You work in an underground facility with no windows."

"An underground facility where I know all the codes to get out!" she exclaimed. "And has a Stargate if all else fails."

"Come on, Doc. We're in no danger. Nothing's gonna fall on top of us. We've even got food and drink to help us pass the time. And the room's big enough we can run laps around the bed if the urge strikes us."

"You're right. They'll jimmy open the door and we'll be free." She took a deep breath. Figured the wine must have been kicking in because when she released it she did feel calmer. "But...talk to me?" she asked, not caring that there was a hint of pleading in her tone.

"Sure," he agreed immediately. "What about?"

"Anything. I just need a distraction."

"Okay." Desperately he searched for a topic and said the first thing that popped into his head. "So, how about those Red Sox?"

Taking another breath, she blinked blankly at the sports reference. "I wouldn't know." The absurdity of his chosen subject made her smile. How did he do that? A few seconds ago she'd been almost hyperventilating and with just a few words he had her smiling. She supposed that was just the magic of Ferretti. He could make her forget her woes with something as simple as a cheeky wink; he always had and she hoped he always would.

"You did say anything," Ferretti grinned back, heaving an inner sigh of relief to see that her breathing had returned to normal.

"New rule." Her smile grew wider. "Topics I know something about."

He felt a tingle shoot through him. How did I not notice for almost eight years how gorgeous her smile is? He pushed the thought away, trying not to be too obvious as he searched for signs of her panic attack. Almost forgot what he was doing when his 'assessment' reached her eyes. The frantic tinge had melted away, leaving just the warm twinkle that had greeted him for every med check and wished him good luck for every mission. With a start he noticed something else in those caramel depths. Distracted by the panic attack, her guard was completely down; the walls created over the last couple of weeks were gone. Will I get a better opportunity than this? Decided it was worth the risk. He playfully shook the soaked towel they both still had a hold of, his voice taking on a teasing lilt. "How's the wine? You guzzled enough to be an expert."

A chuckle escaped. "Fruity. Sticky. Sweet." She felt a flutter in her stomach. There had been a subtle shift in his mood, but downing a full glass of wine so quickly and his banter relaxed her enough that she could go with the flow. "There's some left if you want to try it."

"Don't mind if I do."

Expecting him to reach for the carafe, Janet was surprised when instead his hand moved upwards and gently tilted her chin up. His eyes locked on hers as he slowly bent his head down, pausing for a moment to give her the opportunity to draw away. Then his lips closed over hers. The kiss was soft and gentle and filled with such tenderness that Janet forgot to breathe. She couldn't say how long it lasted, a second, a lifetime, but when he eventually drew away her soul cried out in protest.

"You're right," he whispered huskily. "Fruity, sticky and sweet. But you left out smooth as silk and highly intoxicating. And after that first long anticipated...sip...it spreads a warm fuzzy feeling through the body...an addictive desire for more...a thirst..." he swallowed, "...a love that will forever need quenching."

Janet 's heart was thumping. "Lou...I..."

What she saw in his dark brown eyes chased away whatever fears her heart had been protecting itself with. "I'd like another...sip."

Ferretti thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest it was beating so hard with joy and love for her. "Just one sip?"

She shook her head, reaching up to cup his face. "A lifetime more."