Something I Can Use
CHAPTER TWO IN THE "SLOW SLIDE INTO PSYCHOSIS" SERIES
There is much Spammie-hate yet thriving at Chez Carron - so if you like Sam, and don't want to see her trashed through what remains of this season (and probably into the next millenium at the rate they're going), do you *and* me a favor and don't read any farther into this series. 'K? 'K.
***
"Give me something I can use, or the next paperwork I fill out will declare Mitchell MIA." General Landry stalked off leaving Sam and Daniel in the darkened briefing room.
"I'll call the General," Sam said, her jaw tight with anger.
"You heard what he just said," Daniel returned, his brows knit.
"I mean Ja . . . General O'Neill. Get him to give us more time."
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Daniel said quietly. "You know better than anyone that you can't jump up the chain of command like that."
"We've got to do something," she hissed.
"We didn't give up on Jack, and we won't give up on Mitchell. Just . . . let me think about this for a bit. See if I can come up with something."
Sam turned and looked at him blandly. "You usually do."
"Yeah," Daniel said tiredly as he left the room, "and it gets damned old."
++++
"She was going to call me? What the hell does she think I can do? I'm the one who's gotten her this much time as it is. Hell, the Pentagon wanted to declare Mitchell missing three days after he'd been taken." Jack's voice over the phone was thin, taut. He was feeling the stress of having one of his command missing just as if he were in the mountain with them. "Don't tell me Carter's finally come up against a machine she can't crack."
"We're all at our wits' end," Daniel grumbled into the phone that was wedged solidly between his face and the cushion of the couch. He was flopped and sprawled across the piece of furniture like a well-used blanket.
"I'll come there . . . if you think it'd help."
Daniel knew the offer was to lead an off-world rescue mission. He couldn't let Jack do that - and there was no practical reason for him to come to Colorado.
"As much as I would love for you to be here," Daniel said, letting all the affection he had for the man show in his voice, "there really isn't anything . . ."
"Yeah, I know," Jack said, sounding a little defeated. "I know."
"We'll find him," Daniel assured him. "Mitchell will be home and we'll all be fine."
"So," Jack ventured after a slight pause. "What're you wearing?" He smiled as he heard Daniel chuckle at the other end of the line.
++++
" . . . and you know what gets me most?" Sam asked as she poured her second glass of wine. "His tone of voice. Like he was accusing me or . . . or . . . blaming me for not having Mitchell home yet. Like it's my fault. He was the one in charge of that mission, not me. And I don't mean anything by that," she said hurriedly, waving her glass for emphasis. "I know you reassigned me to Area 51 because it was the thing that needed to be done and I was the only one who could take over and do it right. I know that and I appreciate that. But the point is - let's sit on the couch, my feet are killing me - the point is, Mitchell doesn't have anywhere near the field experience I do." She took a drink and cuddled down into her couch, leaning against a pile of pillows as though she were leaning into someone's side. "I didn't leave the mountain once while you were trapped on Edora. Not once. If it weren't for Janet helping take care of things at the house, it would have fallen to pieces. But Daniel? Home every night - strolled in when he damned well felt like it every morning. I bet you didn't know that. It's true though. Mr. We-Don't-Leave-Our-People-Behind didn't exactly miss a lot of beauty sleep while we were trying to pull you out of the mess you were in. And Landry has the gall to insinuate that this is all my fault. The bastard."
She shook her head and took another drink of wine.
++++
Daniel threw his pen down onto his notes, lifted his glasses and rubbed at his eyes.
"You must take care of yourself, DanielJackson," Teal'c's said in a low voice from the doorway of Daniel's office. "Did you not leave a mere few hours ago?"
Daniel looked at his watch. It was four-thirty in the morningand he'd been at work for at least an hour and a half already, trying to find something, anything, that would help free Mitchell. "I got a couple hours sleep, Teal'c."
"You have not eaten properly in many days. Will you accompany me to breakfast?"
Daniel smiled. There were some things that would just never change - the misconception that he didn't eat right being one of them. "Sure."
"Have you spoken with O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as they wandered down the quiet halls.
Daniel nodded and stuffed his hands deep into the hip pockets of his BDUs. "He's done everything for us he can, up to and including speaking to some heads of state to get us more time. He's pretty much at a loss with the rest of us."
"Did he suggest anything at all?" Teal'c asked.
"A swap," Daniel said. "He's gonna call Landry."
"I do not believe the Sodan . . ."
"Yeah, he knows. But it's the only thing he could think of."
They turned toward the elevators. "This is indeed a frustrating situation."
"That'd be one way to look at it," Daniel mumbled.
++++
Daniel watched Mitchell stare at the now-closed iris. After everyone had returned to their offices and the gateroom was quiet once again, Daniel stepped up behind the man. "You okay?"
"Didn't think you guys would still be looking."
"Yeeeahhh," Daniel drawled. "We're kinda funny that way."
Mitchell smiled. "Thank God."
Daniel chuckled. "More like 'thank Teal'c.' He took the suggestion of the prisoner exchange right to the breaking point for you. I think he's starting to warm up to ya."
Mitchell smiled and nodded. "Maybe a little. Hey, you up for some chow?"
"What is it with you people?" Daniel asked no one in particular as he watched the man walk from the gateroom.
++++
"Dr. Jackson, Teal'c, I want to personally thank you for your extraordinary effort, time and perseverance in assisting with Colonel Mitchell's return." Landry looked at each man across the briefing table. "Thank you, all of you, for all your hard work. Well done. And since this has been an inordinately long emergency situation, I am ordering SG-1 and the various science departments associated in this rescue to take a full fourteen days off. Dismissed."
Sam stood as Landry left the room, only to return to her seat once he was gone, stone faced and cold.
"Sam, you okay?" Daniel asked quietly as the rest of the teams filtered out.
"Fine," came the clipped reply. She began putting her notes away.
"Not okay," Daniel countered. "Are you angry? At me?"
"No," she said cooly. "Why would I be?"
"I don't know. That's why I'm asking." Daniel blinked owlishly and waited for the reply.
"Have a nice time in DC," she said as she stood. "I'm sure you'll give the General a very informative briefing."
Stunned, Daniel could only watch her stand and stride from the room. He turned his gaze to Teal'c who seemed surprised. "What the hell did I say?"
"I do not know," Teal'c intoned quietly. "Perhaps she feels as though she did not perform as she should have in ColonelMitchell's return."
"There was nothing she could *do*," Daniel said. "I mean, once sentence of text and a machine we couldn't even begin to understand - even she has limits. And I meant about that last comment. I'm not going to DC."
"She is under the impression you are."
"She's scheduled to give that debrief, not me." Daniel stood up to go after Sam when Walter intercepted him.
"Doctor Jackson, General Landry needs you packed and ready to leave on a flight in half an hour."
"Flight? Flight? What flight?"
"Apparently your presence has been requested by the oversight committee in DC. General O'Neill made the request personally to General Landry just now."
"And Sam?"
"She . . . won't be going," Walter said carefully. "Also by request."
"Does she know this?" Daniel asked.
"She was told before the briefing but we didn't have a chance to tell you before things got started in here."
"I see," Daniel said.
"General Landry thought it best for Colonel Carter to remain here and . . . relax a bit."
"Relax?"
Walter motioned Daniel closer. "She's been a little . . . tense . . . lately."
Daniel nodded his understanding. "Thank you, Walter. I'll just go throw some things together."
"I took the liberty," Walter said. "You just need to change and go topside. There's a car waiting to take you to Peterson."
Daniel couldn't help but crack a smile. "You are an efficient man."
"Survival of the fittest," Walter mumbled as he led Daniel out into the corridor.
++++
"You shouldn't have made Sam stay back in Colorado."
"She's a big girl, she can handle it. She just would have come and techno-babbled me into brain death." Jack struggled with the buckle on Daniel's belt. "I hate it when you wear this one."
"And besides the obvious reasons," Daniel smirked as he watched Jack work, "you needed me here . . ."
"You spent extended time with that Sudan guy."
"Sodan."
"Whatever. Jesus CHRIST! How the *hell* do you undo this thing?"
Daniel reached down with one hand and flicked the buckle open. "That better?"
"You're a smug little shit, you know that?" Jack pushed the fly down on Daniel's jeans, opened them and looked hungrily at the curve of his lover's cock as it strained to be released from its denim prison. While hard, Daniel's cock was still curved down, the thick shaft trapped by the pressure of the material.
"I have every reason to be," Daniel smirked.
Jack lifted his eyes to meet Daniel's . . . and smiled. "Yes, you do. Now, take it out for me."
Daniel complied happily enough, freeing his dick and holding it by the base, giving it a little shake for emphasis. "Want some?"
"Some?" Jack asked haughtily.
"Get me out of these," Daniel said, pushing at his jeans.
Jack quickly did as asked and soon Daniel was laying spread out, gloriously naked, before him.
It was a very thorough debriefing.
TBC