"Have you seen Colonel Sheppard?" asked Sam, tapping her fingers irritably on the security desk. Sheppard was visiting with some new high-tech Ancient stuff that Sam was itching to get her hands on – if they could just find the damn man.

The security guard nodded. "Yes, ma'am. He's with General O'Neill and Colonel Mitchell. I believe they were headed to the commissary."

Sam's flinch was almost imperceptible. "Really? All three of them, in one room… at the same time?"

The security guard looked bewildered. "Yes, ma'am. Is there a problem?"

Sam and Daniel exchanged looks. "Uh, no. No, there's no problem," said Sam, unconvincingly. "Daniel, want to go get a coffee?"

"No," said Daniel, promptly. As they strolled away, he stared at the ceiling. "It's kind of reassuring, though, in a way," he said, thoughtfully.

Sam looked sideways at him. "It is?" She couldn't see how having Colonels Mitchell and Sheppard and General O'Neill all together in one place was in any way reassuring. The statistical probability of alien attack had just tripled, for a start.

"Yeah. All that Alpha Male posturing... it's sort of like – like having your dad around, swapping lies with his fishing buddies."

Sam flailed her hands, grimacing. "Ack! Shut up right now, Daniel."

Daniel grinned. "Squicky?"

"Squicky," agreed Sam, looking disturbed.

"I bet you think of that, next time you and-"

"Daniel!" She glared at him, but after all these years he still wasn't intimidated. "I hate you."

"You love me," he said, cheerfully unrepentant.

The bastard was right, too.