"Come in, Doctor Fraiser, and take a seat." MacKenzie gestured to the couch beside him. The general had given him use of the Officer's Lounge to keep the atmosphere as informal as possible.

Janet closed the door and perched on the cushion with what she hoped wasn't an obviously wary smile.

"How are you feeling about the last couple of weeks?"

"Well, it's been more eventful than usual," she hedged.

He gave an encouraging smile, "So I hear." He paused. "Just so you know, the President briefed me himself regarding the zatarc incident. Besides the normal doctor-patient confidentiality, at the President's and General Hammond's request I have also signed another non-disclosure agreement specifically for this case. There will be no soft copy files. Only one hand written report which will be sealed with the mission file."

Some of the tension eased from the woman's shoulders.

"So, how are you really feeling?"

"You like to jump right in, don't you?" Janet gave a weak smile.

"I've learnt to when dealing with SGC personnel. There seems to be a running trend of getting interrupted."

She followed his cue of being up front. "It's been hard. I know it wasn't my fault, but it doesn't help the guilt, you know?"

He nodded though he didn't verbally respond.

"Sometimes I wish I'd never heard of the SGC and the Stargate," she reluctantly admitted. "There's a comfort zone in not knowing."

"A false comfort zone," MacKenzie pointed out gently.

"I know." It came out as a sigh. "And if I hadn't, I wouldn't have Cassie, which I wouldn't change no matter how many Goa'uld use me as a guinea pig spy. And I wouldn't have become a small part of the amazing reality that the Stargate opened up."

"From what I understand, you're more than a small part. Every man and woman on this base owes their life to you, some numerous times over."

"As they've saved me."

"Sounds like a good group to belong to."

"Yes, it is," she confirmed. She brought the topic back on track. "But I guess what's really eating at me is how easily Ba'al got to me. That he was in my home at least a dozen times and I had no idea...I feel violated."

"Which is perfectly understandable. How have you coped with that?"

Slim shoulders gave a self-conscious shrug. "Annika was able to tell me precisely what Ba'al touched. What I couldn't sterilize, I threw out. Since the transport block has been installed it's been better. I feel safer knowing that Ba'al or any other Goa'uld can't beam in anymore. I'm really just looking forward to putting this whole thing behind me."

"How have those who know about you being the zatarc been around you?"

Her sigh this time was grateful. "Their support is what's kept me sane. Without them we'd be having this conversation in a padded cell."

MacKenzie opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a message over the loud speaker.

"Doctor Fraiser, report to the infirmary."

"I'm sorry." Before the message had been repeated Janet was on her feet with an apologetic smile.

"See what I mean by interruptions?" The psychiatrist gave a wry grin. "Do you mind if I walk with you?"

Janet shook her head. "Not if you don't mind power-walking."

The two doctors set off at a brisk pace.

"How's Cassie doing?" MacKenzie kept this voice low though it wasn't really necessary. The few people they passed in the hall thought nothing of the two doctors talking together.

"A few bad dreams, but nothing really severe. Having a reason for the recurring nightmare has helped." Janet hit the button for the elevator. "Plus I think she's been a bit distracted by Dodger."

"Oh?" MacKenzie let Janet precede him into the carriage.

"Since he's still off active duty, Major Ferretti has unofficially assigned him as a not so subtle security guard. He's been dropping around almost every night." Janet gave a low chuckle. "I think he has an ulterior motive. It's an excuse to talk to Cassie."

"You're okay with that?"

She knew he was referring to the 'babysitting' as much as the captain's romantic pursuit of her adopted daughter. "He is a comforting presence. Even injured he's a formidable opponent. And he's a good man. It's entirely up to Cassie if she wants to pursue a relationship but I don't have a problem with it."

Entering the infirmary they found it empty except for Teal'c.

The Jaffa was a little taken aback to see MacKenzie follow her in. "Doctor Fraiser, I require your assistance."

"What's the problem?" She automatically gave him a visual once over and saw no obvious injuries.

"I have incurred a wood penetration beneath my epidermis and have been unable to remove it."

For a moment Janet blinked blankly at him. "You have a splinter?"

"Indeed." He held up his right hand, index finger extended.

"Where're Jenkins and the nurses?" Janet frowned pulling on a pair of latex gloves and gesturing for him to take a seat on the closest bed. Teal'c coming in for something as minor as a splinter was just unheard of.

"I believe Major Jenkins was called to suture a knife wound on one of the kitchen staff and the nurses are on their coffee breaks." Teal'c sat down, casting a surreptitious glance at the psychiatrist who had positioned himself off to one side against the wall.

Janet scooted a chair to the bedside and examined Teal'c's hand. "I don't see anything."

"It is minute but causes annoying discomfort," the Jaffa intoned. "Left unattended it may become infected. I recently watched a documentary depicting the gruesome results of such neglect."

The doctor gave a shake of her head. That's all she needed, for their resident Jaffa to turn into a hypochondriac. "Teal'c, you may want to lay off the science channel." She smiled up at him. Beyond his shoulder through the circle window of the flapping doors, she could see Jenkins approaching.

Suddenly from the side, a hand closed over her 2IC's mouth and he was yanked from view. A second later Major Ferretti cautiously peered through the glass portal at MacKenzie, then gestured to someone beyond her sight. A couple of seconds later Brooklyn pushed open the door, his arm wrapped around his stomach.

"Captain Lyndermann, what seems to be the trouble?" Janet returned her attention to Teal'c's finger, trying to stifle her laugh and a simultaneous wash of emotion as it dawned on her precisely what was going on. SG-1's opinion of psychiatry was only marginally higher than that of a Goa'uld. SG-2, while not as vocal as the primary team, felt the same way. In their eyes they were 'protecting' her from spending too much time with Doctor MacKenzie.

"Got the worst gut ache, Doc." Brooklyn put on a very convincing show of being in pain. "Think I ate a bad batch of clams."

"I'll be with you in a moment, Captain," Janet replied, her eyes widening as she actually found the splinter Teal'c spoke of. She'd been sure it had been a total fabrication, the Jaffa unable to think of anything else when MacKenzie had arrived on her heels. Snuck a peek at his dark face. To those who didn't know him, his expression didn't change, however to Janet she knew he was just as surprised at the discovery as she was. Carefully she removed it with tweezers, making sure she didn't snap the splinter that was as thin as a hair, and applied disinfectant. "There, no need to amputate."

"That is a relief," Teal'c replied, glaring at what was supposed to have been an imaginary ailment. "Thank you, Doctor Fraiser."

"Welcome." She peeled off the gloves. "Next."

Brooklyn replaced Teal'c on the bed, though he lay down curled on his side.

The door hadn't finished swinging from Teal'c's exit when Daniel strode in, his nose buried in a report held in one hand, his trusty coffee cup in the other. "Janet, I need help with a translation."

A  A  A

Teal'c peeked through the window of the infirmary door, being careful to keep out of the line of sight of the room's occupants. "Doctor MacKenzie is not vacating the room."

"Damn," Ferretti muttered under his breath. "Inconsiderate Quack not giving Brooklyn some privacy. Can't he see that my man's in agony?"

"Perhaps I should assist Doctor Fraiser." Jenkins had been forgotten about by the two men hovering by the door. He wasn't entirely sure why Ferretti had prevented him from entering in the first place.

"Nuh uh." The major held his hand up to forestall the medic. "The Doc can handle it."

"We need another decoy who requires medical expertise," Teal'c whispered.

"Well, you can't go back in," Ferretti stated. "And it'd be suspicious if I was suddenly struck down with something. Two members of one team in a matter of seconds, the Quack's not dumb."

"But you're using two members of SG-1," Jenkins couldn't help but butt in. The penny had finally dropped as to what was going on.

"Which is why we can't use two members of SG-2," Ferretti absently replied. "Now shhh. We need a plan C."

Paging Janet to the infirmary had been plan A. An obvious ruse that they knew wouldn't fool the psychiatrist, however they hadn't counted on MacKenzie coming with their Doctor. Teal'c's ailment had also been deliberately obvious, hastily concocted and discussed via hidden ear radios, in the hope that MacKenzie would take the hint and wrap up his session. Plan B had more authenticity, the 'real' medical condition of Brooklyn, combined with Daniel's academic query. The idea was that after the obvious fake plan A, MacKenzie would be more inclined to believe plan B.

Both Jaffa and major came up with the same idea at the same time.

Jenkins took a wary step back as the men turned their heads towards him, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

"Major Jenkins, you must pretend to be injured." Teal'c's tone brokered no argument.

"Twisted ankle should work," Ferretti nodded, casting another glance into the infirmary to check on the status inside. Brooklyn was giving some pretty convincing groans. "Easy to fake."

"I can't pretend to be injured," Jenkins protested.

"I can stamp on your foot to lend credibility," Teal'c offered. "Left or right?"

The medic's reply was drowned out by Ferretti's hiss, "Abort. Everyone scatter."

Jenkins blinked. In a flash the corridor was suddenly absent of everyone but him. Two hands closed around his shoulders and he was yanked backwards into a supply closet, just as one of the infirmary flapping doors was pushed open from the inside.

A  A  A

"That's a bit of a role reversal, isn't it?" Janet responded to Daniel's comment while she efficiently began examining the captain's abdomen, not really expecting to find anything.

"Well, it's either a medical text describing an operation to what could be the equivalent of the large intestine, or a torturer's handbook." Daniel barely acknowledged anyone else in the room as he placed the report down on the closest rollaway tray and scribbled a note in the margin.

When Janet applied pressure on one particular spot, Brooklyn almost bolted upright giving a groan of pain. "A bit tender?" Janet was instantly concerned. Perhaps this wasn't an act.

"Like a knife," Brooklyn gasped.

MacKenzie cleared his throat. "Doctor Fraiser, I see that you're busy. I'll catch up with you next time." The psychiatrist was tempted to stay just to see what other spur of the moment ailments and interruptions SG-1 and 2 would come up with, but the day was young and he had quite a few people to see.

"Okay," Janet replied distractedly, her focus now entirely on Brooklyn who'd broken out into a sweat. "Captain, I'd like you to stretch out for me, keep your legs straight and try to lift your feet as high as you can." It was a simple diagnostic test that doctors had been using for decades, and was much quicker than all the technological medical advancements for a preliminary exam.

The psychiatrist paused, looking back at the captain as he gingerly slid his legs flat. Took in the sudden sheen to his skin, and that his sharp sucked in breath actually drew Doctor Jackson's attention away from his medical-torturer report. The archaeologist was looking at his friend with bewildered concern. Walking out into the hall, he heard a low groan of pain and Doctor Fraiser's voice, "Captain, I think you may have appendicitis." Hmmm, perhaps I'm just being paranoid and Lyndermann really is ill. Either way, that was one session to cross off his list, and he'd observed two members of SG-1 on a limited basis. Not too bad all things considered. He decided to try to catch Colonel O'Neill. Going by previous experiences, the colonel would dodge him at least twice before he'd manage to get more than a view of his back. May as well get the first out of the way.

A  A  A

The tiny radio nestled in Brooklyn's ear crackled to life. "Daffy has cleared the pond." The captain cut off in mid groan. "I need water, my mouth is on fire."

"You're experiencing a burning sensation?" Janet was worried by this new symptom for it wasn't one of appendicitis. Her mind was already running through possible diagnoses, both Earth and alien in origin.

Brooklyn sat up, reaching for the glass Daniel had poured immediately at his request and was holding out to him.

Janet snatched it away. "No. If you do have appendicitis and we need to operate, it's nil by mouth."

"Don't worry, Janet, he's made a miraculous recovery."

"He has?" The doctor kept the glass out of reach.

"Yep." The stocky man jumped up, doing a couple of star-jumps to prove it. "Really need that water." He grabbed at the pitcher and gulped down some of the cool liquid.

Janet raised an eyebrow. "I'm waiting for an explanation, gentlemen."

Daniel gave a mischievous smile. "Brooklyn took one for the team and ate a chili."

"Why?"

"To cause the sweats," Brooklyn gasped after a final swig. "Rock Doc gave me the low down on the symptoms from when he had appendicitis. Had to make it look real."

"Operation 'Daffy Evasion'," Daniel further explained, protectively nursing his coffee cup as his partner in deception's gaze locked on it as another source of respite to ease the self-inflicted fire in his mouth.

Janet gave an exasperated chuckle. "So it was all a ruse. I commend you for your acting ability."

"Why thank you, ma'am." Brooklyn took a bow.

"Let me guess, Colonel O'Neill came up with the name." Knowing the teams in question, it didn't take a genius to figure out how the code-name had developed. "Psychiatrist = Quack = duck = Daffy Duck.

"Joint effort," Daniel admitted.

Ferretti poked his head around the door, Teal'c visible behind him. "All clear."

Janet tried to be stern, feeling obligated to defend her medical colleague. "Psychiatry is a valid science and form of treatment."

"We know that," the major answered. "We just figured you didn't need a Quack to tell you you're fine."

"Did it occur to you that I may want to talk to Doctor MacKenzie?"

The men exchanged glances. "Nope."

Daniel's blue eyes were instantly contrite. "Did you?"

"Well, no," she admitted. "But General Hammond gave the order..."

The mischievous twinkle was back behind his glasses. "Yes, he did. He just neglected to say how long we'd have to talk to him."

"Nice loophole," Janet complimented.

"We thought so."

A  A  A

"Can't a girl look up an old friend just to chat?" Annika hedged, not meeting Casey's eyes.

"Hey, lay off the old, will you?" the Immortal grinned. "Today I'm feeling every one of those years!"

"Kids running you ragged?"

"Kids and the Goa'uld and every other alien that has decided to drop by lately," the blonde replied ruefully. "And the Tok'ra are being their usual pains in the ass."

"Oh, tell me about it!" Annika rolled her eyes. "We spent months gathering the bits and pieces of a super-dooper weapon, and now that the hard work has been done they want to step in to be the ones to use it...something about them being more experienced with Ancient technology."

"Weapon?" Casey's interest was piqued. "What's it do?"

"No idea," the redhead shrugged. "It's driving Daniel and Sam nuts."

"They'll figure it out," Casey was confident. "They always..." She broke off, realizing what her friend had done. "Nice diversion. So you were about to tell me the reason for this unexpected call."

Annika looked a little sheepish at having been caught changing the subject. "Well, officially it's a swap of intel..." Suddenly restless she got to her feet.

"And unofficially?"

She shoved her hands in her pockets. "I really did want to see how you were doing."

"Annika, it's not like you to stall like this," Casey said gently. "You don’t usually have any problem saying what’s on your mind.

Annika started pacing, unsure of where to begin. "Did I tell you about our latest mission?"

The blonde shook her head. "What happened?"

"Oh, Ba'al messed with the timeline, used this device actually," she gestured to the Ancient attachment currently in use on the mirror. "Changed our...as in SG-1's lives, specifically, and then invaded a couple of months after the first Abydos mission. Took us prisoner before the SGC existed and basically made himself at home on Earth."

"I'm assuming that you managed to fix it." Casey could sense that it wasn't the mission itself that was troubling her friend, although it was clear it had been emotionally wrenching. At Annika's nod, she asked. "What did he change?"

"He stopped the deaths of Daniel's parents, Sam's mom and Charlie. My dad was saved by default."

"Oh, sweet Goddess." It came out a horrified whisper. Casey felt her stomach churn as she realized what they'd been through. "How are you all coping?"

"We're doing okay all things considered," Annika assured. "It turned out to be one of those self-fulfilling prophecies. In changing things back we discovered that we had inadvertently altered other events in history to how it should be, gave us a warped kinda perspective and reason for their deaths. But as a result we are on stand down until we pass MacKenzie's psych eval."

"I bet Jack's loving that," Casey grinned. At the mention of the psychiatrist she could feel her friend's emotions shift. Knew that Annika was finally working her way to the crux of what was worrying her.

Violet eyes crinkled with mirth. "The colonel is in the middle of dodge the shrink even as we speak...we all are."

Casey thought back to Annika's description of the mission. If it wasn't the traumatic changes that Ba'al had made that were concerning her, then what was it? "You said Ba'al took you guys prisoner before SG-1 was formed."

"Yeah. Made us into his very public lackey's, basically keeping us in line with the threat of killing our families and innocents." She took a deep breath. "He used me as his own personal weapon...and whore. We had to find the time device, and to do so we pretended to be our counterparts."

Casey's heart skipped a beat at the implication. "Did you have to...did Ba'al..." her voice tapered off, not sure if she wanted to know the answer. Green eyes revealed the demons that particular Goa’uld had left on her soul were beginning to stir.

"No. Almost, but not quite." Annika's gaze dropped and her boot scuffed at the floor. "But while that was almost happening, I could sense his feelings...his..." Slowly she lifted her eyes to meet her friend's. "Look, I hate to dredge up bad memories for you, but you're the only one I know who can relate. I saw it when you and I 'sparked' each other when we first met..."

"Annika, spit it out."

She took a deep breath. "How do you deal with a Goa'uld's love? With his obsession of you?"

"Oooh boy." Casey let out a slow breath. "I remember it was hard, especially when he was so gentle. He could be so very charming, performing random acts of kindness...he tried so hard to get me to fall in love with him. He...he actually believed...I let him believe...no, I tricked him into believing that I was attracted to him. He...responded...like a...like a normal man."

"How did you deal with that?"

"I used it against him," she shrugged.

"Just like that?" Annika snapped her fingers. "You make it sound easy."

"It was. And yet it was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. I felt like I needed to have my skin stripped off after being around Ba’al. The worst part was..." She paused, blinked away her tears. "He...well...when he...my body responded. My mind was screaming for Daniel...my heart was screaming for Daniel. My body was betraying me...at least that’s how it felt. It took me awhile, I guess I had to move far enough away from the events to see them clearly...but it wasn’t any more...arousing...than being groped by a couple of the guys I had dated. What happened wasn’t anything other than simple biology. Hell, a bicycle seat on a bumpy road can bring about a similar reaction!"

"Or a tac vest," Annika murmured, recalling her early morning talk with Daniel. She caught Casey's curious head tilt and she gave a small smile. "Daniel explained it in a similar way."

"Was he able to convince you it was true?"

She nodded, a blush staining her cheeks at the memory of Daniel's 'test' to be sure that it had sunk in. "He has quite a way with words...and his hands."

Casey grinned despite the solemnity of the conversation. "And that linguist's tongue can be quite persuasive when he sets his mind to it."

The two friends shared warm knowing smiles. They were both married to Daniel Jackson, knew what it meant to be loved by that passionate archaeologist.

"I just don't understand Ba'al's love," Annika sighed. "I mean, jeez, I gave the guy the biggest inferiority complex in the universe! Totally humiliated him! How can he be in love with me after that?"

"Love, even a Goa'uld's love, is the most...resilient emotion around. It survives almost anything. But I think you need to stop thinking of what Ba'al feels for you as love. What a Goa'uld considers 'love' is so twisted and warped from what the emotion really is that it can't be compared to the true love that we share with our Daniel's. Take what Ba'al did to your counterpart...what he did to 'you'. He used you as a weapon when he had other...um...toys that could do the same thing. He abused you, did everything in his power to humiliate you...to break you, all in an effort to make you...pliable...to his demands, his wishes. That’s not love, Annika. Lust...absolutely. Infatuation? Without a doubt. The desire to control you and possess you? You bet. But it is NOT love."

"Okay, so it's not love," Annika conceded. "But that doesn't change the fact that I have a psychotic glowing eyed freak who would do anything to jump my bones."

"And nothing that you do is going to change that," Casey said softly, but firmly. "Do you have the 'Serenity Prayer' in your universe? It goes something like, 'Give me the grace to accept the things that cannot be changed..."

She nodded and continued the verse, "The courage to change the things I can..."

The two friends concluded it together. "And the wisdom to know the difference."

Annika automatically spouted off another line that she had learned from the internet. "And if I can't have those, then grant me the brains and the friends to help me hide the body."

The unexpected punch line made Casey blink then she gave a low chuckle. "You've read that email too?" At Annika's nod, she became serious once more. "The point is, you can't change Ba'al. So don't try to. Make his obsession of you work for you, it's his weakness. Next time you have the unfortunate experience of meeting up with him, bat your eyelashes at him. Give him a soft, sexy smile. Let him grope if necessary...do whatever you have to in order to get the upper hand in the situation. He used you as a weapon against others...use that same weapon against him." Annika remained silent, but Casey could see that the redhead was considering her advice. She knew the moment that the redhead accepted it, and offered a cheeky grin to lighten the mood. "And then kill the bastard. Better yet, let Daniel kill the bastard. That will help both of you, I promise."

"We'd have to get in line," Annika replied ruefully. "Jack has first dibs and then Janet."

"Team effort?" Casey suggested.

"Works for me." She gave a bright smile, then grimaced at the sound of SG-1 being paged to the briefing room. "Damn, I've gotta go."

The blonde had cocked her head to the side and Annika heard an echo of the same page from the parallel universe.

"Seems I do too."

Annika took an unconscious step forward towards the mirror, wanting to give Casey a hug, one that would express her gratitude, thanks and friendship she felt for her, in a way that words never could. "Thank you, Casey...that sounds so lame, but...I just...just...Thank you."

"Anytime, my friend." Casey had also moved closer to the mirror. "Hey, now that you know where to find me..." She let the suggestion hang.

"Next time I'll bring the Oreos," she promised, loving the idea of keeping in contact.

"Deal!"

The pages once again echoed in both universes and the women gave a quick wave in farewell. Casey waited until Annika had switched off the mirror securely breaking their link, before dashing out the room. Annika made sure the trip lasers were once again activated and gave a sloppy salute to the security camera, letting the guards watching know that she was finished. Feeling more at peace within herself than she had in days, she set off at a jog to level twenty-eight.