"Doctor MacKenzie is on base today. You will all report to him on an individual basis." Hammond paused, wondering if he had given them any wiggle room to get out of attending the session with the psychiatrist. "And you will participate." He looked pointedly at Jack. "None of this, I'm Luke Skywalker or my microwave is sending me secret messages from Thor. You will all answer truthfully any questions the doctor puts to you."

"Aw, General, do we have to?" Jack moaned. "It's a waste of time. None of us are chewing on table legs or running naked through the halls..."

"Yes, Colonel, you do," the general replied firmly. "It's out of my hands. You won't be cleared for 'gate travel until Doctor MacKenzie gives his stamp of approval. Doctor Fraiser, given recent events I want you see him as well."

Reluctantly SG-1 and Janet acknowledged the order. The last thing any of them wanted was to have to a virtual stranger running around in their heads.

"On a side note, the quantum mirror from the New York museum has been shipped in. We'll be storing it with the other mirror."

"They're not being destroyed?" Sam asked.

"No. The President has decided to keep them intact, and I agree with him. We don't know how many such devices exist that the Nox do not control. If another being, Goa'uld or otherwise, should tamper with the timeline again we'd like to have some method to rectify it."

"That would only work if there was a temporal shield that protects people or the base from the changes," Annika said quietly. "I can't do that anymore."

"We have already contacted the Nox and asked if we could negotiate for a device similar to their time monitor."

"What was their response?" Daniel could feel the mixed emotions from his wife at the mention of the alien race. He knew that she was still hurt by what they had done to her.

"They wouldn't hear of negotiation. They are giving us one of the monitors as a peace offering. They'll be delivering it today."

"Will that be all, General Hammond?" Teal'c prompted when the CO didn't speak for a few long seconds.

"Not quite. Senator Kinsey will also be on base today."

"Peachy, could this day get any better?" Jack griped.

"May I ask why, sir?" Sam jumped in, cutting off any more grumbles from her fiancé.

"I'm assuming he has some budget issues he'd like to go over, he always does. And the usual update on the latest artifacts and technology we have been able to acquire. Off the record, I believe it's just a ruse, though for what I don't know." Another pause. "As such I'd like to keep an eye on him the entire time he is here. I'm assigning you as official tour guides."

Shoulders slumped and pained sighs echoed around the room.

Daniel looked accusingly at Jack. "You had to jinx us, didn't you?"

Jack gave his head a shake of disgust, as annoyed at himself for hexing the day by his comment as at the distasteful task of having to spend hours with the person he considered the lowest scum on Earth. "Sir, permission to speak freely?"

Hammond nodded.

"Did we piss you off in some way?"

"No, Colonel. I just want my best team on the job. If Kinsey is up to something then I know that you will discover what it is. Now, if there are no questions..." He looked at the six people around him. When no one spoke he stood up. "Doctor MacKenzie will be arriving within the hour, the Senator before noon. Let's get some real work done before they arrive."

The rest of them rose as well, waiting until the general was out of earshot before annoyed harrumphs burst from their lips.

"Well, I have a stack of med reports to sign off." Janet straightened her lab coat. "I'll go first with MacKenzie. Get it out of the way."

"Okay, Doc, we'll see you around." Jack gave a half wave, leaning against the table.

"So much for a day of catch up," Daniel grumped. "None of us are going to get any work done babysitting Kinsey and dodging MacKenzie." He cocked his head when the others raised an eyebrow at trying to evade the psychiatrist. "What? Isn't it our standard practice to spend the least amount of time with him as humanly possible?"

"Perhaps we should spend the day in a training exercise," Teal'c spoke speculatively. "Evasion and extraction tactics."

"T, I like your way of thinking," Jack approved.

"If only we could include dodging Kinsey as well." Annika had the sudden need to shower at the mere idea of being in the senator's presence.

"Well, we can't dodge him, the general gave us a direct order," Sam was thinking out loud. "But maybe we could encourage him to cut his visit short."

SG-1 let that idea float around in their heads for a moment, and then wickedly mischievous grins spread across their faces.

The colonel read the unanimous consensus from his team and rubbed his hands together in glee. "Right, campers, we have concurrent ops to plan and execute, and less than an hour to do it. Let's adjourn to our office to figure out the finer details."

With eager nods they headed for the main archaeological office that was their usual gathering point.

Annika held back when the elevator arrived. "I just need to ask the General something. I'll join you in a sec."

"Everything alright?" Daniel asked with a look of concern.

"Uh huh. Just want to run something by him." She gave him a light peck on the lips to reassure him. "I won't be long."

"See that you're not," Jack ordered with a devilish smirk as the doors began to slide shut. "I've already got part of a plan and it involves you."

Annika gave him a mock salute and hurried back the way they'd come in search of the base CO.

A  A  A

The general had barely sat down at his desk when there was a hesitant knock on his door. He looked up to see Annika waiting a little nervously at the threshold. He smiled warmly, motioning for her to enter. "Annika, what can I do for you?"

"General, I was wondering if I could ask a favor." She sat down, her posture slightly rigid.

He waited expectantly for her to continue.

"I'm not really comfortable airing my laundry about Ba'al with a stranger."

Hammond frowned. "I can't exempt you from the session with Doctor MacKenzie."

"I'm not asking you to," she hastily assured. "It's just that he hasn't experienced what I have, so anything he recommends or says is going to be from a book. It's like a priest giving marriage counseling."

"I don't think there's anyone who has been through what you and your team have been through," he pointed out.

"Not in this reality, sir." She let that comment sink in. "I know of one person who has been in the same...predicament...as myself, and if I could talk to her before I see MacKenzie it would help me compose my thoughts."

"Who is this person?"

"Casey Jackson."

It took a moment for Hammond to place the name. "You'd like to use the quantum mirror to contact the woman you met when you and Doctor Jackson were transported to a parallel universe?"

She nodded. "I don't know if she could offer any advice, but to talk to someone who really understands, not only about Ba'al but about my gift, it would help me." When the general remained silent she hurried on. "If you need an official reason we could say it's an exchange of intel. They have had years more experience fighting the Goa'uld, they know which planets to avoid and-"

"Annika, I don't need any other official reason than the well being of my personnel. The truth is we don't have anyone truly qualified to make assessments on you with your psychic abilities or anyone else on this base. Anyone not associated with the SGC cannot comprehend the situations we find ourselves in on a daily basis. If you have found someone who you think can help, then I'm all for you trying to contact her." Hammond could hardly miss that since arriving back from their last mission, the dark circles that marred all of SG-1's faces due to almost three days without sleep, had not lessened on Annika. Her behavior wasn't any different to usual, however the physical evidence and the fact that she was even making this kind of request, spoke volumes. He'd do anything he could to assist her.

"Really?" The psychic let out a breath of relief.

"Yes. But why don't we make this officially a fact-finding assignment as you suggested. If you just happen to discuss other things while you are gathering the intel, well, that's all in the nature of establishing diplomatic relations." He saw that she was grateful at the idea. "You're sure you can find the right universe and time?"

The redhead nodded. "The time is in our mission report and I remember the hum of their universe from when I astral traveled to their SGC."

"When you use the mirror, make sure you are armed..." he broke off, a strange expression crossing his face.

"Having a vision, sir?" The quip flew out of her mouth before she could stop it.

"No, but apparently Lya did," he replied dryly, opening his desk drawer and removing a small disc the size of a quarter coin. "She sent this through the 'gate when we enquired about the monitor."

Annika recognized it as one of the devices that had been attached to the mirrors on the Nox planet. "That allows the mirror to be used without the...um...other side knowing about it."

Hammond watched her absently flip the device between her fingers, knew that she was thinking about the Nox family she had been welcomed into and been betrayed by. "For what it's worth, Lya seemed genuinely contrite when we spoke."

"I know she is," she shrugged. "You know how it is with family, sir. You can love them and want to kick their butts at the same time."

"Been there quite a few times." He smiled in understanding. "Despite the 'safety' that device offers, I still would prefer you to be armed when you use the mirror, just in case."

"I will," she promised, tucking the disc into her shirt pocket and rose to her feet. "And at the first sign of trouble I'll switch channels."