"I take it that this premonition is the reason Doctor Jackson requested the information on the isotope." Jacob broke the silence that descended after Annika had left the room.

Each member of the SGC were distracted by their own thoughts, whether they be regarding the two civilians who’d just left, the ominous dream, or the matter that had temporarily taken a back seat this morning, the traitor.

General Hammond nodded. He was about to launch into an explanation when Ferretti shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "SG-2, given what has been revealed today, you are back on rotation. We made contact with a group of people call the Nydi’ians the day of the lockdown. They are a ritualistic society who happen to have a large deposit of naquadah in their mountains. After they complete a cleansing ceremony they are expecting our representatives. You leave in three days." He caught their disappointed looks at the delay. "If the MALP readings are correct then this could be the biggest deposit of naquadah we have found to date. We can’t afford to miss this meeting date. With so few teams active at the moment we need to prioritize the missions even if it means no one goes through for a few days."

"Yes, sir," the team leader nodded in understanding.

Jacob felt Selmak’s curiosity at the General’s explanation. Why had the SGC been in lockdown?

All four members snapped to attention, though Dodger remained in his wheelchair. They had been as good as dismissed and they were grateful for it. They really didn’t want to sit through another telling of how they wound up as snakeheads and destroyed the SGC.

"Major, given Captain Richards’ injury, I’ll leave it up to you if you want a temporary replacement or to go in with a three man team." Even as Hammond made the offer, he was pretty sure of the answer he’d receive.

Ferretti made eye contact with each of his team. To the outsider it was a cursory glance, not lingering long enough to get any real indication of what their opinions were. To the men and women in the room, they understood that a single blink was all that was needed.

"Don’t bother with a temp, sir," the major shot a sly look at his wounded teammate. "By the time we break ’em in, Dodger will be back poisoning our lungs with passive smoking."

The captain’s face was the picture of innocence. "Now, sir, you know I tried to quit a while back. I lasted three whole days before you ordered me to start up again."

"Yeah, ‘cause we nearly didn’t survive the experience," Brooklyn replied dryly.

The now grinning team looked to the general for the final nod of dismissal, which they received. With Nyan pushing Dodger’s chair, they exited the briefing room, their continued banter echoing down the corridor.

With the secondary team gone, Hammond summarized the key points of Annika’s vision, only leaving out any mention of the spy. It wasn’t particularly any easier the second time round. The general could only imagine what Doctor Jackson and Annika were going through.

Jacob slid the pile of data crystals in Janet’s direction. "This is everything we have. Our scientists had to modify the isotope extensively, so I don’t know how useful it will be."

"You don’t have a sample of the original?" the doctor asked.

"Not anymore. The vial we had was smashed long ago during one of our relocations. It wasn’t considered a priority so we didn’t bother to acquire another."

"Can you give us a quick rundown of what you know of the isotope?" Hammond asked.

Selmak took over to relay what he remembered. "It was discovered by accident by a minor Goa’uld who happened to invade a scientist host body. He had the grand idea of trying to infiltrate the Tok’ra, under the guise of being a human sympathetic to our cause. He was going to use whatever secrets he learned as leverage with the System Lords and get promoted up the ranks. He tried for years to get it to work, but in the end the System Lords grew weary of his failure and shelved the idea…and him. When we managed to get a sample, our scientists saw the potential in it, and began our own experiments. The original had an unexpected side effect in our non-host volunteers that made it useless for our purposes."

"What was it?" Janet was itching to get started on analyzing the data, but the verbal history was interesting.

"As soon as it was injected, they began hallucinating and didn’t stop for five days."

"But the isotope stops working after eight hours," Sam frowned. "Unless you altered the time frame with your modifications."

The Tok’ra shook his head. "We didn’t tamper with the longevity. Even though it loses effectiveness after eight hours, it remains in the blood stream for days."

"You knew the Goa’uld had this stuff that could hide them from all of our tests, and you didn’t think this little snippet was important to pass along?" Jack wondered why in hell he was surprised. He of all people knew that the Tok’ra were famous for keeping ‘tiny’ details from them.

"Jack," the Tok’ra blinked, indicating that Jacob was back in control. "The original gave full control to the host. No Goa’uld would ever take a back seat like that. There was no reason to even think that they had renewed their experiments."

"Why not?" the colonel demanded.

"We first got the sample two centuries ago."

"It took the Tok’ra two hundred years to modify it?" Sam couldn’t believe with all their advanced technology that it had taken so long.

"Technically, yes," her dad grimaced. "A few months after acquiring it, other issues took priority. The project got pushed to the back burners and was forgotten about. It was only recently when one of our historians was searching the archives that he stumbled across the information." He paused, hesitant to add a thought that nudged at his and Selmak’s mind. "I find it a bit of a coincidence that the Goa’uld have also renewed their experiments with the isotope after so long." He didn’t miss the slight widening of eyes of every other person in the room as though they’d been hit with a realization. Almost immediately, dejected slumps followed.

"Oy," Jack sighed.

"Jake, I need to know," Hammond’s voice was grim. "Are we talking to General Carter of the United States Air Force…"

The Tok’ra couldn’t stop the quirk of his brow at the melodrama but remained silent.

"…Who has signed that confidentiality agreement forbidding you from revealing information regarding the SGC to any third party…"

Jacob stiffened at the raised technicality of the non-disclosure form he’d signed in the hospital six years ago. The emphasis on the word ‘any’ told him the CO meant ‘third party’ was not restricted to the people of Earth and included the alien community he had become part of.

"…Or are we talking to Selmak, who coincidentally wouldn’t have survived without our provision of a host."

"Was that really necessary, George?" Jacob snapped, stunned by the out of character low blow from his friend. What was with his former home planet today? First Doctor Jackson treats him like he’s committed some unforgivable sin and now George was using emotional blackmail.

"Yes, I’m sorry to say it was."

The consciousness that was Selmak bristled in his mind, then just as quickly calmed. The wiser being realized that for the Tau'ri commander to so blatantly ask where their loyalty lay, the situation was more serious than they’d imagined. Selmak forced herself to the forefront before her more emotional host could give an angry retort. "General Hammond, while I am Tok’ra, my first loyalty is to my host, for as you pointed out, without him I would not live. In previous years, the question of loyalty has been mute, as the volunteer hosts had spent their entire lives committed to our cause. It is only since my joining with Jacob that I find myself walking a fine line that has made others on the Council wary of allowing us full access to Tok’ra plans. They fear I will impart the knowledge to you."

It wasn’t exactly the firm stepping off the fence that the general was hoping for. He silently asked for the opinion of his premier team. It seemed that they were just as dubious as he was. Given the circumstances they were faced with a dilemma. The investigation into the spy had been limited to few core people for a reason. Basically the fewer who knew, the less chance word would get back to the Goa’uld about their progress. However with the revelation that the spy could have been active for months, they were ethically obliged to tell the Tok’ra and thus the Council. The Tok’ra/Tau'ri alliance was tenuous at best. If the Council learned of a spy, that could well have revealed whatever the Tok’ra had shared with them, and the Tau'ri didn’t have an active game plan to resolve the situation, it threatened the relationship they had forged.

Jack cleared his throat, reading from his CO that they basically had no choice. "Who’s up for a game of hypotheticals? I know it’s one of Teal’c’s favorite games."

The Tok’ra gave a slow single nod, wary of what was about to be revealed.

"Hypothetically, what would you do, if we told you we’ve got a rat problem?"

Jacob could feel Selmak’s confusion at the slang and despite himself grinned. Mentally he translated that the colonel didn’t mean an actual furry vermin. "How long have you known…hypothetically?"

"Since the invasion of the base three days ago," Teal’c replied, "hypothetically. And less than an hour that Ba’al is the instigator."

Well, that explained the tension they’d walked into, Selmak thought wryly.

"And hypothetically," Jack added the key factor for having this conversation. "That we just realized that the rat has been in cahoots with the snake for waaaay longer than we…hoped."

The Tok’ra connected the dots that the time frame was at least from the mission on Anubis’ ship when the isotope had first been used. "Hypothetically, I would have to inform the High Council. Any or all of our people may be compromised, not to mention the Intel they have passed along could be deliberate disinformation if the Goa’uld knows of the operatives."

"Is there any way we could convince you to delay telling the High Council?" Hammond asked. At Jack’s discreet cough he rolled his eyes. "Hypothetically."

The Tok’ra silently conversed with her host, weighing up the consequences and risks involved. If they told the High Council, based on what information the Tau'ri had revealed at this moment, all operatives, that had taken months to position, would be pulled out. Yet, the Tau'ri hadn’t had time to discover precisely what the spy had revealed to Ba’al. They could be ruining months of infiltration for nothing. Jacob stalled for time. "Hypothetically, what is your next step?"

"We haven’t decided yet." Today’s debrief was originally going to be a strategy meeting to discuss just that. Hammond was reluctant to plan any action without Doctor Jackson and Annika present. Not that he and the others of SG-1 weren’t capable of planning ahead. The three people in front of him were in fact the damned best strategists he’d ever had the privilege to work with, however the two civilians provided a unique perspective that military minds sometimes missed. He heard the sounds of low laughter in the corridor and hid a sigh of relief. Sometimes those two had perfect timing…

He looked up and was a tad surprised to see Annika’s regulation boots bob into view sideways, a third of the way down from the ceiling. It took a second to put two and two together, that Doctor Jackson was for whatever reason carrying his wife and had stopped shy of the doorway. The boots stopped jiggling and if the general was a betting man, he’d wager that slow flexing of her ankles and the scrunching of her toes inside the leather, was a clear indication that the good doctor was planting one hell of kiss on her.

Everyone was watching by now, and saw the boots swing down, heard a few unintelligible whispers and then the couple stepped into sight.

"Permission to rejoin the meeting, sir?" Annika asked, her face slightly flushed.

"Granted." Hammond was happy to see Doctor Jackson back to his usual self.

They resumed their seats.

"Get that translation done, didja?" Jack quipped.

The archaeologist looked a bit sheepish. "It, uh, wasn’t quite what I thought." He darted an apologetic grin at the Tok’ra, who gave a single nod of acceptance.

With their team once again complete, talk of the ‘hypothetical’ was abandoned, and they immediately got down to business.

"Sir, now that Annika’s voodoo has identified the snitch as working for Balls," Jack absently tugged at the lobe of his ear. "I’m thinking a sneaky visit is called for."

"We have exhausted all avenues here," Teal’c pointed out. "If we could gain access to Ba’al’s home base, we could search for any information he has gathered from the shol’va."

It was a logical course of action and the general immediately agreed.

"Do you even know where Ba’al is?" Jacob queried. He had forgotten how quickly decisions were made, at least at this level. The top brass of the military were similar to the High Council, in that they took days if not weeks or months to agree on a course of action. But the people in this room were a frontline team, used to working on the fly.

"Well, no," his daughter blinked back at him. "But, Dad, you do, right?"

Seven pairs of eyes swiveled to the Tok’ra and he nodded.

"Sweet," Jack gave him the thumbs up. "We’ll gear up and be gone in the hour."

"You’ll have to delay until morning," Selmak informed them. "Ba’al is in the process of shifting his base of operations. We haven’t been able to discover the location of the planet as yet. He’s coded the sequence in his ship’s computer, keeping it from even his most trusted Jaffa. Tomorrow he’s due to collect the last of his possessions."

"Even better." Daniel adjusted his glasses. "The Jaffa will be focused on the move."

"So, we ‘gate to the planet, wait for him to arrive, ring up to his ship, poke around and ring back down before he’s loaded up." Jack gained a nod of agreement from his team and then lifted an inquiring eyebrow at the base commander.

"You have a go, SG-1."

Janet made a request. "I understand that primarily you’ll be going in looking for information relating to the spy, but if it’s possible could you get an updated sample of the isotope? If we know precisely what the components are we can start working on a way of detecting it."

"We’ll do our best, Doc," the colonel promised. He understood that while it wasn’t as urgent as information on the snitch, the isotope was just as important.

"Um…we need another reason." Annika had remained silent while the plan had been hashed out. She still felt she wasn’t experienced enough to offer tactical input, but there was a nagging at the back of her mind that refused to go away. She rubbed her forehead, trying to force the thought to the surface.

"Finding snitch Intel and icy-tope isn’t enough for ya’?" Jack wisecracked, though he was instantly alert to the fact that their resident psychic was scratching at the lilac star that focused her hocus pocus.

Daniel had picked up on Annika’s unusual phrasing. "A reason for what?"

Annika closed her eyes, the tugging becoming more insistent. "Not for what, for whom. A reason to throw off Ba’al for why we’re sneaking around his ship."

"Annika Jackson, are you suggesting that we shall be apprehended?" Teal’c broke the silence that had descended at the psychic’s statement.

"Hmmm?" Her brain was now pounding. "Oh, I’ve no idea. Just that Ba’al is going to know we’ve been there." The hammering stopped and she opened her eyes to see the whole room looking at her. "Sorry, it’s all I’ve got."

"Okay, people, let’s come up with a decoy," Hammond ordered. He’d learnt not to ignore the young woman’s ‘suggestions’.

"I don’t suppose he’d believe we just dropped by to annoy the crap out of him?" Jack looked hopeful. "’Cause that really is one of my favorite hobbies."

Chuckles were almost bitten back.

"What about the weapon?" Janet put forward.

Sam agreed. "Ba’al was after the instruction manual. Even without Dad telling us, it would be logical for us to assume that he had the weapon." She grimaced. "Which we should have thought of already."

"We have been a little preoccupied with other matters," Daniel gently reminded.

Hammond shifted his attention to the Tok’ra. "Will you delay telling the High Council until after SG-1’s mission?"

"We think it would be better for all concerned if we did," Selmak spoke on behalf of her host. "We would much prefer to inform the High Council of a successful resolution, than the unanswered questions we have now."

"Thank you," the General smiled at his friend.

Jacob returned the smile. "Our operative has provided us with the layout of the Ba’al’s ship. Once I’ve gone over the data crystals with Doctor Fraiser I’ll duck back and get it. It may give you some starting points on where to look once you’re on board."

Thanks were reiterated again, and the General closed the meeting that had started as a debrief and ended as a pre-mission strategy session. Everyone rose and started filing out.

"Jacob, could we have a word please?" Daniel called the man back.

The older man moved back, but rather than sit in a chair, he leant against the table. This had been a rather bizarre morning, even by his standards, and it was with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity that he waited for the room to clear of everyone but himself, Doctor Jackson and Annika.

"I owe you an apology," Daniel began. ‘My behavior-"

Jacob held his up, cutting the young man off. "Don’t worry about it, Daniel. The others explained what I’d walked in on. I’m surprised you were both," he smiled at Annika, "as calm as you were. I won’t pretend to know what it’s like to experience such a vision, but I do know a bit about sharing another’s emotions. It was very…disconcerting…when I first blended with Selmak." He held out his hand.

"Disconcerting is putting it mildly." Daniel accepted the handshake of friendship, then sat in the chair to the side of the Tok’ra

"Actually it’s your and Selmak’s blending that we’d like to talk about." Annika perched herself on the armrest next to her husband.

"What would you like to know?"

"Well, you know of my ability to see auras and my telekinesis." The psychic waited for the general’s nod. "I can see both your and Selmak’s personalities surrounding your body-"

"How do we look?" Jacob couldn’t help butting in.

"Oh, um…" The question distracted her for a second. She focused on the rainbow of colors swirling around him. "Happy and content with each other, you share very similar senses of humor, crack each other up all the time, though Selmak’s wit is a bit dryer. A little bewildered, very anxious about the spy, both of you warring with your loyalty to the Tok’ra and us."

Jacob blinked in surprise at the accurate list she rattled off.

"Anyway, it got me thinking that there may be a way for me to separate the mental connection of a host and symbiote…"

The Tok’ra blanched at the idea and Daniel interceded. "We’re talking Goa’uld and host, not Tok’ra."

"It’s my understanding that the mental connection is as powerful as the physical one." Annika tilted her head in question, seeking confirmation.

"That’s right," Jacob nodded. "Which is why the extraction process we have only has a seventy percent success rate. We sedate the symbiote itself, but it doesn’t nullify the mental link."

"I’m working on the theory, that if I can visually see the connection, then I can split the connection. Would you let us examine your blending?"

"Us?" Jacob was surprised by the use of the plural. "Daniel, have you developed Annika’s ability?"

He shook his head. "No. But Annika can show me what she sees."

"Oh." There was a trace of puzzlement in his voice. "Okay, is there anything you need me to do?" The idea intrigued the double entity. If the young psychic could really do as she claimed then it could prove beneficial. Besides the obvious of saving a host, there was also a political bonus. The High Council was currently split down the middle, with half of the members already wanting to terminate the alliance with the Tau'ri, and the spy would only give them a valid reason to do so. If the Tau'ri had a method of extracting a symbiote with a nil mortality rate it would give them a certain amount of leverage with the Tok’ra. Leverage which they very likely would need if tomorrow’s mission did not go according to plan and he and Selmak had to give a negative summary of the spy.

"Nope. Just remain still. I’ll do the rest."

Jacob watched as Annika placed her hand to Daniel’s forehead and the archaeologist closed his eyes. Clearly this procedure had been done many times before. The psychic drew in a deep breath, and when she exhaled her eyes lifted to the Tok’ra, her gaze slightly unfocussed.

"Daniel, can you see Jacob’s and Selmak’s auras?"

Her husband took a moment to let the vision behind his eyelids settle. The body of the Tok’ra was shadowed, like an object standing directly in front of a spot light, though this ‘spot light’ was a rainbow of colors swirling around a one foot radius. The basic colors were the same in the circle, however one side had different shades than the other; sky blue versus azure, rose and baby pink, grass green and aqua, periwinkle and lilac, lemon and cayenne yellow. Jacob was the dominant one at present, so his side was slightly brighter than Selmak’s. "I can see both on either side but the center is blurred."

"Hmmm…" Annika pondered the dilemma. "Jacob, is there anything that you and Selmak disagree on? It doesn’t have to be big, just a difference of opinion."

Daniel watched totally fascinated as the dual aura partly changed to a nondescript beige color.

"They’re thinking," Annika murmured, explaining the alteration to him.

At the quiet commentary the aura briefly sparked orange. The detail that Annika was seeing shocked both host and symbiote. Annika was like a walking talking lie detector. They refocused their thoughts on the question they’d been asked and the beige color was back.

Suddenly there was a clear distinction between the two sides. One was tinged with red, the other pink.

"Whoa." Daniel didn’t know how, but he could identify the emotions that were associated with the colors. Selmak’s red was a deep loathing, while Jacob’s pink was love.

"I take it you thought of something," Annika grinned. From the pale lilac border surrounding the aura outskirt, it was obvious to her that this ‘disagreement’ was the source of great amusement to them.

The shadowed body Daniel was ‘watching’ nodded and he just had to ask. "If it’s not too personal, what is it?"

The lilac glowed brighter.

"Coffee," Jacob chuckled. "I love it. Selmak hates it."

Annika got them back on track. "Is the center line more obvious now?"

"Yes." The middle was now a zigzagging line, similar to the screen of an ECG machine only turned sideways. It continually shifted but the two sides remained distinct.

"Now from memory I’d have to do this…" Annika gathered her will then concentrated on the trick Lya used to make the force of her telekinesis visible to her student. She saw wariness in the Tok’ra’s aura. "Don’t worry, I’m not going to actually do it," she reassured them.

Daniel saw the violet wave of his wife’s gift spin out from her fingertips and blanket over the aura. Jacob and Selmak felt the gentle touch surrounding them with a sense of warmth and safety, in a tingly sort of way.

"I remember that," Daniel said softly, the memory of what happened next threatened to strangle his vocal chords.

The Tok’ra had surmised that Annika’s dream vision had prompted this ‘examination’, however right now he was pretty sure that the couple was not recalling a host/symbiote relationship.

Annika’s heart wrenched, without a hand free to offer him comfort she reached out with the only resource left to her. She was very careful that when she sent the pulse of her love to him, that it was in a quick steady stream, making it distinctively different from the engulfing wave she had sent in the dream. Daniel immediately sent his own emotions back…

And the Tok’ra nearly found himself flat on his back on the table from the force of the ‘blow’. "What was that?"

Daniel and Annika’s mouths dropped open in shock.

"Did you just-?"

"Did I-?"

"Who did what?" Jacob demanded, placing a steadying hand to the tabletop.

"I think I almost knocked you out with my love," Daniel gave a bewildered shake of his head.

"Didn’t know you cared, Doctor Jackson," Selmak replied sarcastically, a little shaken by the experience.

The archaeologist flushed. "My love for Annika…I sent it to her…"

"And I was still focusing my will," Annika stammered. "And it just shot right on through…to, um…you."

"I take it, this has never happened before?"

Two heads shook the negative.

"We didn’t hurt you, did we?" the redhead asked anxiously.

"No, we just weren’t expecting it." Selmak gave a wistful smile. In that split second before the power of the emotion propelled her back, an euphoric joy engulfed her. Oh, to have experienced such a love. Annika was one lucky woman. Jacob blinked to the forefront. "Brings new meaning to the term ‘head over heels in love’."

The three shared a smile.

"Daniel," Annika became thoughtful. "Do you think it’s possible for you to…control…what you did just then? Use our bond to examine for yourself Jacob’s and Selmak’s link?" This interesting development they could explore properly when they had more time. Right now, they had to stay focused on the task at hand. "It might help you understand how to…" her voice trailed off.

He didn’t need her to finish the sentence. "I’m willing to try, if Jacob and Selmak will let me." Blue eyes looked questioningly at the Tok’ra, who nodded.

They once again went through the ritual of Annika placing her hand to Daniel’s forehead, and Jacob and Selmak were once again surrounded by the force of the psychic’s will. Then very hesitantly, in small spurts, they felt a shift in the ‘blanket’. It wasn’t quite as gentle. It was by no means rough, but rather a little less confident and the ‘weave’ wasn’t anywhere near as strong.

"Okay, now Daniel, try to trace the outline of the center line," Annika guided her husband through the process.

The archaeologist attempted to do as bid and inadvertently pressed too hard, making the older man wince slightly. "Sorry." He immediately drew back a little only to have Jacob squirm on the table.

This time it was the Tok’ra that apologized. "Sorry, it tickles."

"Is this how our bond looks?" Daniel asked.

"No. It’s more of a rope, each fiber extending to a different part of the body. To sever it you need to outline every one of them, just like you’re doing now. When the time comes to," she broke off. "The outline…kind of cauterizes the separation, stops the flow from one side to the other."

Jacob listened aptly to Annika’s quiet words. Clearly there was more to this examination than what he’d been told. For a second he was irked that he was being used for some unknown agenda, then he picked up on Annika’s tone. Whatever the reason was, it was obviously a private matter between husband and wife and had nothing to do with the SGC.

"I think I’ve got it now," Daniel said softly. He sounded regretful and determined at the same time.

Jacob felt Daniel pull away and then Annika released her own hold surrounding him.

"Thank you, Jacob."

"You’ve helped more than you know." Annika gave a grateful smile.

"Anytime. I’d better get up to the science labs to help Doctor Fraiser with the crystals." The experiment over, he pushed away from the table. He strode through the door, only to double back a second later. "By the way, congratulations on tying the knot, even if it did get interrupted."

"At least the Goa’uld was good enough to wait until the ceremony was over," Daniel responded.

Selmak grinned mischievously. "The Goa’uld are all about self-preservation. They know better than to come between a man and woman on their wedding day."

"Hopefully the next wedding won’t be so eventful." Annika accepted Jacob’s kiss on the cheek.

He pulled back with a frown of confusion. "You’re having a second ceremony?"

This time it was the newlyweds who were puzzled.

"Not us."

"Don’t tell me you missed the rock on Sam’s finger," Annika teased.

"It’s been a bit of a busy morning," Jacob defended himself. "Jack proposed?"

"Yep," Daniel confirmed. "In front of all the guests at our wedding."

"Spouted poetry and everything!" she added.

"Now that I would have liked to have seen." A smile touched the father’s lips. He couldn’t picture the crusty colonel reciting any sort of poetry except of the dirty limerick variety.

"Don’t worry, the whole thing has been captured on tape," the redhead assured.

With the smile still in full force, Jacob strode down the corridor, intending to make a detour to the engaged pair before going up to the science labs. It’s about time, he silently quipped to Selmak. Sam had been nursing a flame for Jack for years now. If the two of them had finally gotten their act together then the general couldn’t be happier.

Daniel and Annika were once again going through the transcripts of the interviews they’d conducted. The linguist was looking for any verbal slip that they had missed the first half a dozen times they’d read them. Annika was focusing her energy on her third eye trying to sense any deception in the answers given. The rest of the team was due to join them to help sift through the stacks of folders. It was a vain attempt to find a ‘miraculous’ clue that would make the mission tomorrow unnecessary. Though they had infiltrated Goa’uld ships many times before, it was always risky going into the lion’s den, and they tried to avoid it whenever they could.

Sam rounded the corner to see Annika throw down Sergeant Harriman’s interview.

"Dammit, another one to add to the list."

"Walter’s responses were suspicious?" Sam asked with a frown.

"Nope," Daniel chuckled. Keeping the report he was reading open with one hand, he reached for his pen with the other. "Okay, shoot." He looked at his wife over his glasses.

"Krupps espresso coffee maker." The psychic glared at the closed folder she’d just discarded.

The major watched curiously as Daniel jotted the kitchen appliance down on a sheet of paper that had a list of few other items, and waited expectantly for an explanation.

"Annika’s ability is going off on an unusual tangent. So far she’s identified four of our wedding gifts." The groom gestured to the neat stack of gaily wrapped parcels on the corner desk.

"Sometimes my gift is just a pain in the ass," Annika groused. "Where’s the fun in opening presents when you know what’s in them?"

"Just as well we got our gift in before the wedding, huh?" the blonde grinned, choosing a folder at random before making herself comfortable on the high center table usually reserved for examining artifacts.

"Yep, didn’t have a clue about that one," Annika picked up another folder then immediately dropped it with a disgusted huff. "For shit’s sake! A limited edition book from Janet. A translation of a Sanskrit text…"

Daniel’s head popped up. "As in the Hindu Indians?"

She shrugged. "I guess." Annika wasn’t really familiar with the Hindu culture except in a generic way.

"A translation?" His eyes lit up at the word. "Of what?"

Annika placed an index finger back on the folder. The first time round the flash of the gift had been too quick to read the title. She sounded out the letters that she saw printed on the cover. "Ka-mas-utr-am." It took a second for her to realize what the word actually was.

Sam giggled at the blush that stained her friend’s cheeks.

"This you show me?" Annika mock growled, looking towards the heavens with an exaggerated sigh. "You can’t show me something useful?"

"Oh, I don’t know," Daniel teased. "The Kama Sutra could come in handy."

"You, my dear husband, do not need any help on sexual positions."

This time it was Daniel who turned a slight shade of pink. "Actually, thanks to the internet, it’s a common misconception that the Kamasutrum is only about sex. It’s more a manual on how to enjoy sensory pleasures in the context of a virtuous and rewarding life. The Indians believed in purusharthas, the four main goals of life. Dharma, artha, kama and moksha…"

"Virtuous living, material prosperity, aesthetic and erotic pleasure, and liberation."

Three heads looked up in surprise at the interpretation coming from a familiar baritone voice in the doorway.

"You’ve read the Kama Sutra, Teal’c?" Annika asked.

"Indeed I have, Annika Jackson. It was most enlightening." The Jaffa entered carrying a tray laden with mugs, a large carafe of coffee and a smaller pot of tea for himself. "O’Neill is procuring our meals."

"Oh good, cause I’m starved." On cue Annika’s stomach rumbled.

"Well, we did skip breakfast." This morning the last thing on either of their minds had been food, but now Daniel was feeling quite hungry.

"Have you had any success in reviewing the transcripts?" Teal’c eyed the folders in Sam’s and Daniel’s hands.

His teammates shook their heads.

"I can’t work out why the snitch’s aura hasn’t changed." Annika accepted the mug from Teal’c. "It should be lighting up like a beacon."

"This might sound odd," Sam took a sip of her own drink. "But maybe you should try talking to Jack."

"Jack?" Annika’s eyebrow shot up. "The same Jack that refers to my ability as hocus pocus mumbo jumbo?"

The major nodded. "You be surprised at how many times I’ve explained a technical problem to him and the answer just comes."

Teal’c nodded his agreement. "I believe it has to do with the shift to a simpler terminology that is required when relaying such details to O’Neill." The Jaffa wasn’t implying that the colonel was in any way an intellectual idiot, rather that Jack had made an art form of playing dumb. It was a tactical ploy he used to his advantage, however Teal’c harbored the notion that he did it more to get a rise out the two scientists on his team.

Annika looked to her husband, silently asking for his opinion.

"Can’t hurt to try."

"Try what?" The colonel sauntered into the room. "Oh, before I forget, Siler’s gonna stop by and fix your door. Should be done by the time we get outta’ here. I bribed him with the promise of one of Casper’s chocolate cakes."

Daniel grinned. "You’re finally learning that art of negotiation."

"Eight years with you and something was bound to rub off." He tossed around packets of sandwiches. "Try what?" he asked again.

Teal‘c answered. "We are attempting to determine why Annika Jackson has not perceived deception in the shol’va’s aura."

"Aura cam still on the blink, huh?" Jack pushed aside the pile of folders to make a clear space next to Sam and planted his butt on the table.

Annika nodded.

"Okay, let’s start at the beginning." The colonel was more than happy to delay going through the hundred plus interviews again. Paperwork really was not his thing at the best of times. He flipped open the lid of the plastic container and took a bite of the soft bread. "Explain this aura stuff."

"I see people’s basic emotions and personalities." Annika unwrapped her own sandwich and warily eyed the filling. It looked like roast beef, but one could never be sure.

"With colors." Jack’s words were slightly muffled by another bite. He remembered that little tid-bit from when they had taken that rue pill.

"Yes." She snuck a peek at Daniel’s sandwich. Ham, that definitely was ham.

With a grin Daniel swapped her beef-like sandwich with his easily identifiable ham and received a grateful tickle in his solar plexus.

"Why not words?" Jack was distracted for a second by the switcheroo. It had been a simple, almost automatic act. The kind that couples who had been married for years did because they know precisely what the other liked. He didn’t notice that Sam and he had already split their own sandwiches between them.

Annika was tempted to say, ‘Colors are prettier’ but stopped the wisecrack with a mouthful of bread. "Words can be misinterpreted," she paused for a swallow of coffee. "Say I saw the word ‘happy’. It doesn’t tell me how happy the person is. Are they just a little bit jolly or ecstatic? With colors, the intensity of what I see tells me how much."

"So it’s a conscious choice by you to see colors?" Sam became intrigued.

The psychic thought back to when she first started seeing auras. "I’ve always seen colors. Never questioned it before."

"Then it is subconscious," Teal’c voiced the conclusion.

"I suppose."

"Okay," Jack moved on. He had to admit that he was glad to be having this conversation. He accepted Annika’s ability, but sure as hell didn’t understand it. This was giving him the perfect opportunity to gain some insight into his youngest team member’s skills. "So say I stole all of Daniel’s rocks from him and tried to cover it up. What would you see?"

"Well, assuming you survived Daniel’s wrath," she chuckled at the outraged look on her husband’s face at Jack’s example. "It would depend on why you did it."

"How so?" Sam asked.

"If it was a joke, then there’d be deception mixed with humor and anticipation of Daniel’s reaction."

"What if I did it for his own good? If they were infected by some alien bug or something?"

"I’d still expect to see deception. There’d also be determination and concern because you’re protecting him. Also some guilt."

"Guilt?" Daniel dumped his sandwich back into the container. Annika had been right to be cautious of whatever the filling was. "Why?" He leaned over to his desk and opened the drawer, pulling out one of the Fifth Avenue bars he had stashed inside.

"Well, even though the rocks would cause you harm, you love working with them, they’re your passion. Jack knows this and he doesn’t like depriving you of doing something you love."

"Cruel to be kind, type thing?" Jack clarified.

"Yes." Annika offered half of the ham sandwich back to Daniel. He took it, replacing it with half of the chocolate bar.

"Okay, so say the snitch truly believes in their warped mind, that he or she is doing the snitching for the greater good, you’d still see deception and guilt?"

"In some form or another."

"So it’s cause and effect.," Sam’s scientific mind stepped in. "They snitch and their aura changes."

"What if they are unaware?" Daniel mused out loud, licking a smidgen of melted chocolate from his thumb.

"How could they not know?" Jack demanded incredulously.

The younger man shrugged. "Hypothetically, what if the snitch doesn’t know they’ve done these things?"

Annika’s eyes widened. "I wouldn’t see any changes in their aura."

"Could we be dealing with another zatarc?" Sam threw out the question.

"No one’s off-ed themselves," Jack pointed out. "Don’t those zanex blow their brains out when they’ve done their dastardly deed?"

"Perhaps the zatarc has not completed their assigned task," Teal’c suggested.

"Is it even possible to program more than one command?" Annika asked.

None of them had an answer.

"Carter, why don’t you see if your dad’s still here?" Jack popped the last of his sandwich in his mouth.

The major was already on her feet and heading for the door.

The four remaining members of SG-1 exchanged cautiously optimistic looks. If this theory panned out it would make their job a hell of a lot harder, but their faith in their co-workers would be restored. The worst thing they’d had to come to grips with since learning of the spy, was that one of their friends had willingly betrayed them to their mortal enemy. If they were a zatarc then the poor sod was only an unknowing pawn.

They looked up at the sound of a single set of feet approaching the door. Thinking that it was Sam returning with the news that the Tok’ra had already left, they were relieved to see Janet enter, a large postal package in her arms.

"Just the man I’m looking for." The diminutive doctor’s gaze fell to Teal’c. "Our monthly order has arrived." She’d just finished up going over the basics of the crystals with General Carter when the parcel had been delivered.

Jack, Annika and Daniel took note of the indulgent gleam in both of their friend’s eyes, and studied the carton. The label on the side was stamped with a company logo, ‘KuKuRuZa’.

Janet produced a packing knife from her pocket and held it out to Teal’c. "Shall I give you the honors?"

With a formal nod of his head, Teal’c accepted the blade and sliced open the packing tape. The cardboard flaps were barely free when Janet’s hand dove into the box to pull out one of the airtight packets inside.

"Ah, food of the Gods," she declared, ripping open the seal and taking an appreciative sniff.

"Indeed," Teal’c agreed, his own nostrils flaring slightly at the sweet aroma.

"Popcorn?" Jack wore an expression of disbelief. "You sent away for popcorn?"

"Wouldn’t exactly call it heavenly," Daniel remarked, though from the almost reverent sighs from doctor and Jaffa he sounded doubtful.

"You haven’t tried this," Janet defended the sweet treat, offering the open bag for all of them to taste.

Annika took a few kernels with hesitation. "It’s pink."

"This one’s ‘Black Raspberry and Corn’." She popped another piece in her mouth.

"Oh, that’s good!" Daniel was already helping himself to a second handful.

Annika tasted the few in her hand and was delighted by the explosion of raspberry liqueur and white chocolate on her tongue. "Okay, I’ll go with your original statement, food of the Gods."

"I prefer the ‘Jalapeno Cheese’," Teal’c riffled through the box until he found the required bag.

"I’m up for that one." The colonel had found the first bag too sweet…too pink, for his taste buds, but a spicy corn he always enjoyed.

Teal’c opened the pack and the two men dug in.

"Now that’s good." Jack tossed a kernel in the air and caught it in his mouth.

Janet divided the remaining bags into two piles. "Another ‘Jalapeno Cheese’ for you and an ‘Amaretto Almond’." She placed them next to Teal’c. "And a ‘German Chocolate’ and ‘Burgundy Cheddar’ for me." She gave the others a lopsided grin. "I’ve got to have them delivered here otherwise when Cassie sees them I’m lucky to get even a whiff."

Annika caught a dimming in Janet’s aura at the mention of her daughter. "Everything alright at home?"

The laughter died from her eyes and a weary sigh escaped her lips. "I don’t know. Lately Cassie’s been having nightmares. It usually happens around this time of year, but I don’t remember them being this bad before."

"It’s almost the…anniversary… of when we found her, the lone survivor of her planet," Daniel explained at his wife’s confusion.

Annika gave a nod of understanding. She knew about Nirrti making the child into a living bomb to blow up the SGC, as well as the experiments the Goa’uld had conducted, resulting in the ‘mind fire’ in the pubescent Hankan children. It wasn’t surprising to learn that she’d suffered from bad dreams.

"Perhaps the intensity of the dreams is due to Cassandra’s preparations to leave the security of your home," Teal’c suggested. He referred to the young woman’s decision to live on campus at the university she’d be attending in the fall.

"Or maybe I’m projecting my worry over what’s been happening on base," Janet rubbed a hand over tired eyes. "It isn’t exactly easy to leave work behind, especially these last couple of days. Had a few nightmares myself."

"We can relate to that," Daniel smiled ruefully, automatically reaching out to clasp Annika’s hand in his, once again needing the physical reassurance that she was alive and well.

"Hey, at least you’re getting some sleep," Jack butted in, pointing to the dark circles under his eyes. "These bags are so big you’d think I was taking a trip around the world."

Sam returned with her dad and General Hammond in tow. She’d caught up with them just as the two friends were saying farewell. She’d quickly outlined the new theory they had come up with regarding the spy and both Generals were intrigued by it.

Annika re-asked her question to the Tok’ra. "Can zatarc’s be programmed with more than one command?"

Selmak took a moment before answering. "We haven’t heard of a zatarc being used more than once," he saw the deflated look on the Tau'ri’s faces and hurried on. "However it’s difficult to draw definite conclusions with only one confirmed subject to study. It’s possible it originally was designed for multiple tasks or that Ba’al has adapted the technology."

There was a collective releasing of breath from the SGC personnel. A huge weight had just been lifted from their shoulders.

"Considering what we know of the Goa’uld they would have considered the zatarcs as disposable as the Jaffa," Daniel speculated.

"Freya and Anise are our experts on the technology. I could request she bring what information she has," Jacob resumed control of his body. "I don’t know how much help it will be if Ba’al has modified the process, but it may give you some insight."

"Any information you have would be greatly appreciated," Hammond refrained from pointing out, that according to their alliance the Tok’ra were required to hand over any such Intel. Now was not the time to get into that kettle of fish.

"Should we not also add acquiring confirmation to our mission parameters tomorrow?" Teal’c suggested.

"More than likely it’ll be close to the other stuff we’re going after," Jack pondered the idea. "May as well get what we can." He looked to the general for the go ahead.

Hammond took into consideration that he’d be asking them to remain longer in the lion’s den than they previously decided. "Get what information you can," he ordered.

As one, SG-1 nodded.

"I’ll see that Anise arrives before you ship out, she may be able to give you a heads up on what to look for," the Tok’ra said quietly, taking in the determination of the group before him.

After the two generals and Janet had left them alone, Jack cleared the desk of all the interview folders. "Okay, campers, let’s work out the tiny details I so love for tomorrow."