CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It was no surprise that Jack had a few choice things to say about the NID when Daniel told him about that government agency's latest interest in him. It was also no surprise that the colonel wasn't broken up over the news that Daniel would not be going to Antarctica for a while. In fact, he was downright pleased, for once in his life happy that politics were messing something up.
When Daniel told Jack and Teal'c that he'd regained all his memories from the year he was ascended, the colonel was delighted at first, then he saw how hard some of those memories were hitting the archeologist. Daniel shared his memories of Abydos and Anubis with them, repeating what he'd told Sam. The two men assured him that he was not to blame for what happened, agreeing that the blame rested squarely on the shoulders of Oma and the other Ascended.
Daniel's belief that it wouldn't take long for the rest of the base to find out about the change in his and Sam's relationship proved to be right. By the time SG-1 got together for lunch, quite a few people in the commissary were staring at the couple. It was a little disconcerting, but they tried not to let it bother them. Jack thought it was rather amusing how the personnel were reacting. He had to wonder if the money in any pools would be paid out today. A few at the SGC must have considered the possibility that Daniel and Sam would become romantically involved someday. Actually, there were probably some people who thought that the two scientists were already having an affair. The closeness of their friendship would have had some thinking that there was more to it than that.
It was then that a thought occurred to Jack. "Crap!" he cursed aloud.
The rest of his teammates looked at him inquiringly.
"Something wrong, Jack?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah, I just realized that I could have made myself a nice piece of change. I should have put some money down on you guys in the pool."
"There's a pool on whether or not Daniel and I get together?" Sam asked, appalled.
"Ummm, yeah, there is," Daniel admitted a little reluctantly. "Or at least there used to be."
Everyone turned to him.
"And how would you know that?" Jack asked, extremely curious.
"I found out by accident. I overheard someone talking about it."
"When was that?" Sam asked.
It took a few seconds for Daniel to answer. When he did, he looked extremely embarrassed. "About, uh, six years ago."
Sam's eyes widened. "Six years?! You mean almost since the beginning?"
"I guess. It bothered me a lot because of Sha're. I was a married man, after all. But I guess some people thought that wouldn't make a difference since she was taken by a Goa'uld, which was as good as dead in a lot of people's eyes."
"But, after all these years, it couldn't possibly still exist."
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that, Carter," Jack responded. "Until one or the other of you got married, the possibility would still be open."
"And what about when I ascended?" Daniel pointed out. "That would have put a crimp in any romantic pairing with me and Sam . . . or me and anyone, for that matter."
"Yeah, but you came back, didn't you. A lot of people here understood that you weren't really dead, that you were still around somewhere. I should imagine that some of them hoped that, someday, you'd un-glow and come back to us."
"I did," Sam murmured softly.
"As did I," Teal'c stated, also quietly.
"Yeah, me too," said Jack. He pushed away the sadness of that time. "So, I wouldn't be surprised if that pool still exists. And, even if the original one doesn't, another one could have sprung up after you descended. So, somebody on this base probably made themselves a nice little wad of cash."
A satisfied little smile curved Teal'c's lips. "Indeed they did, O'Neill."
It was the Jaffa's turned to be subjected to a stare from his teammates.
"You didn't," Daniel said, realizing what Teal'c's statement meant.
"As I told you in my quarters, Daniel Jackson, I have long believed that you and Major Carter would make a very suitable couple."
"So, you did bet on them getting together!" Jack exclaimed.
Teal'c's head nodded once.
"And when did you do that?" Sam asked, feeling horribly embarrassed. "Was it after you found out that Daniel had feelings for me?"
"No, it was not. I placed the bet nearly one year ago, after Daniel Jackson returned to us."
Daniel was surprised. "Why?"
"Before your ascension, I was aware that you still grieved over the loss of your wife. I knew that you were not ready to find love with someone else. After you descended and regained your memories, I could see that, though you still felt sorrow over Sha're's death, you had finally moved on. It was then that I hoped that, someday, you and Major Carter would become romantically involved."
"So, you went and plopped your money down on them, huh," Jack said. "You gonna share the wealth, T?"
Teal'c's eyebrow quirked upward. "For what reason would I share my winnings with you, O'Neill?"
"Because we're friends?" Jack answered hopefully.
"And if you had been the one to win, would you have shared your winnings with Major Carter, Daniel Jackson and I?"
"Well . . . no, probably not."
"Then what is the difference?"
Jack opened his mouth, then closed it, realizing that there was nothing he could say that would make sense.
"I am not the only one who will be gaining monetarily from this," Teal'c informed him.
"You mean that someone else bet on us?" Daniel asked. "Who?"
"I believe that Doctor Fraiser did so."
"Janet?!" Sam nearly shrieked. Then her expression changed. "You know what? I bet I know when she did it. She's known for months that I was thinking about Daniel like that. I just can't believe she bet on us."
"Doctor Fraiser is a wise and intelligent woman," Teal'c stated.
"Yeah, smarter than I am, that's for sure," Jack grumbled, mad at himself for missing the opportunity to win some extra cash.
"Cheer up, Jack," Daniel said, deciding that this whole thing was actually rather funny. "If you'd bet on us, too, it would have changed the odds. Having both of the other members of SG-1 bet on us would have made people think that you guys knew something everyone else didn't, especially since Janet bet on us, too, and everybody knows that she and Sam are close. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if, when Janet placed her bet, some others did, too, when they found out."
"Such would not be the case," Teal'c stated. "Doctor Fraiser did not place the bet herself. She had Colonel Ferretti do it for her."
"Ferretti?" Daniel almost exclaimed. "Why Ferretti?"
"I do not know. You must ask Doctor Fraiser to answer that."
After lunch, Sam went to the infirmary to confront Janet, whom it turned out had placed her bet not long after Sam had admitted to her that she was thinking of asking Daniel out on a date.
"I can't believe you bet on us," Sam muttered.
"Hey, I know a sure thing when I see it," the physician responded. "I'm just glad that I didn't place the bet myself. If I had, everyone might have wondered if I had inside information, considering how close you and I are."
"Why on Earth did you pick Ferretti?"
"Because I knew that he kind of liked the idea of you two being a couple, and I decided that, because of that, he'd be the best one to place the bet for me. Of course, part of the money he put down was his."
"Colonel O'Neill is unhappy because he didn't think about placing a bet on us."
Janet smiled. "I can imagine so." She looked at Sam more closely. "You know, some of my nurses aren't very fond of you right now."
"Yes, I noticed the pouts and glares aimed at me."
"Don't worry. They'll get over it. It's not like any of them had any serious hope that Daniel would ever ask them out."
"So, what are your plans for your winnings?" Sam asked.
"I haven't decided yet, although I think I'll spend part of it on a nice mother/daughter trip to the salon, get the works for both of us, hair, nails, facial. By the way, Cassie is going to be delighted that you are a couple."
"Yes, I know. Daniel told me about the conversation the two of them had last Christmas. I'm guessing that's what inspired that whole thing with the mistletoe." Sam smiled. "I'm also guessing that there was something else as well. I did notice the effects of that kiss between you and the colonel, you know. I just decided not to say anything, although I should have to get back at you for bugging me endlessly about Daniel."
Janet blushed slightly. "Cassie has it in her head that the colonel and I should be together. It's certainly nothing I ever encouraged. In fact, I had no idea she felt like that."
"So, what did you tell her?"
"Sam, this isn't appropriate."
"Why not? Being at the base didn't stop you from talking to me about Daniel."
"Daniel's isn't a superior officer."
"You're the C.M.O. The regulations wouldn't prevent you from having a relationship with Colonel O'Neill, though some up the chain of command might not like it."
"He's also your commanding officer, Sam, which makes it even more inappropriate," Janet said firmly.
"No fair using that excuse," Sam pouted. "I spilled my guts to you about Daniel. The least you could do is tell me if you like the colonel that way."
Janet sighed heavily. "All right. I don't know how I feel. Yes, there was . . . something in that kiss, but I haven't thought about it since then . . . much."
"How come?"
"Because it would be way too complicated. It just wouldn't work out. Besides, we'd probably kill each other if we ever got involved."
Sam grinned. "Yes, you're right about that, but I bet you'd have lots of fun before you did."
By the end of the day, the majority of the SGC personnel on duty knew about Daniel and Sam. To his surprise, the archeologist was congratulated by a few guys, the men saying that he was lucky to get a woman like Sam. Though he couldn't agree more, he hadn't expected anyone to actually approach him and say so. Sam was not surprised, however, that several women on base had said the same thing to her about Daniel.
The couple got some takeout on the way home and went to Daniel's. They were almost finished eating when Sam glanced at her watch.
"Right about now, Janet is probably telling Cassie the good news about us."
"Yeah. It wouldn't surprise me if Cassie—" he was interrupted by the phone ringing, "calls me," he finished with a grin. He went to the phone and saw on the caller ID readout that it was, indeed, Janet's daughter. He pressed the speakerphone button so that Sam could hear both sides of the conversation.
"Hi, Cass. Yes, I know you're happy," he said before the teen had a chance to say anything.
"Hey! That's not fair. You're not supposed to use your psychic abilities on me. It gives you an unfair advantage."
"No psychic abilities needed. You're just predicable."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not!"
"Are too."
"Not!"
Daniel paused and turned to Sam, who had joined him at the phone. "Why do I feel like I'm talking to Jack?"
The major let out a small snort of laughter.
Cassie apparently chose to ignore the remark. "So, Mom said that you guys are finally together. Took you long enough."
"Well, thank you very much for the words of congratulations, Cassandra," Daniel responded with mild sarcasm.
"Hey, I call it like I see it. Mom told me that it took Sam forever to finally admit to herself that she was in love with you."
"Gee, remind me to thank Janet for telling you that," Sam said.
"Oops," Cassie murmured sheepishly, not having realized that Sam was listening in. "Uh . . . don't tell her I said that, okay? She'll get mad at me if she knows."
"I'll think about it," Sam responded, though she knew that she probably wouldn't say a word.
"I really am happy that you guys are together," Cassie told them earnestly. "I know how sad Daniel was at Christmastime because he loved you and thought you didn't love him back. So, are you going to live together? Daniel's house is definitely big enough."
"Cassie, we've only been together for a week. It's a little soon to be talking about living arrangements," Daniel responded.
Cassie sighed. "Yeah, I guess," she admitted a little reluctantly. Her voice brightened. "Well, I just wanted to call and tell you how happy I am. I'll let you get back to what you were doing."
The tone of the teenager's voice made it clear what she thought Daniel and Sam had been doing.
"Eating, Cass. We were eating," Daniel told her.
"Uh huh. Sure you were."
"Think about it, Cassie. Do you really believe I'd have answered the phone if we were doing what you think we were?"
"Daniel!" Sam hissed, his question embarrassing her.
"Good point," the teen said. "Talk to you later, okay? Bye."
As soon as Daniel hung up the phone, Sam socked him in the arm. "What possessed you to say that? That's Cassie!"
"Who is almost nineteen years old. Trust me, Sam. She's not an innocent little girl anymore. Poor Janet probably would have had a coronary if she heard what Cassie said to me when we had that conversation at Christmas."
Sam's curiosity was piqued. "What, for instance?"
"Ohhhh, I don't think so. Nope, not gonna tell you."
Sam pouted. "How come?"
"Because I was embarrassed enough when Cassie said it. Telling you would be way worse."
"Embarrassing? What could she say that would embarrass you?"
Daniel gave her a shake of his head. "My lips are sealed."
Sam stared at him narrowly. "I bet I could bribe Cassie into telling me."
Daniel glared at her, knowing that she would do what she was threatening. Realizing that it would be far better if he told her than if she heard it from the teenager, he let out explosive sigh. "Fine! Cassie told me that she . . . thinks I'm attractive."
Sam blinked. "She thinks you're attractive? That's it? That's hardly something to get embarrassed about, Daniel. There's got to be more to it than that. What did she really tell you?"
The archeologist gave her a hard stare. "All right, you asked for it. She told me that, if she was you, or, more accurately, if she was your age, she wouldn't bother dating me, we'd, and I quote, 'get to the good stuff right off.'"
Sam's eyes widened in shock that the girl she'd watched grow up had actually said that. "She did?"
"Yep."
"Uh. . . ."
Daniel smiled at her reaction. "Uh huh."
"You're right. She's not a little girl anymore."
"Nope."
"And Janet would definitely have had a coronary."
"No doubt of it."
"Cassie has a crush on you?"
"No, I don't think Boy, I hope not." Daniel shook his head. "No, she couldn't. She wouldn't have done that mistletoe thing, and she wouldn't be so happy that we're together."
"Ah, you're right." Sam smiled. "She'd be acting like Janet's nurses were toward me today."
It took a few seconds for Daniel to realize what she was saying. When he did, he ducked his head in embarrassment. "It can't be all the nurses," he mumbled.
"No, of course not." There was a long pause. "Some of them are married, after all."
"Oh, come on! You can't tell me that every one of the unmarried nurses on Janet's staff has a-a, uh . . . crush on me."
Sam smiled, enjoying herself. "You're right. Probably not all of them. Maybe only three-quarters."
Daniel shook his head. "No way. There are tons of guys on base who are way better looking than me."
"Even if that were true, which it's not, physical attractiveness is only part of the equation, Daniel. I know that from personal experience." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "It wasn't your face or your body that I fell in love with," she murmured against his lips. They shared a long, deep kiss. "Although do I have to admit that I definitely love the packaging."
Their second kiss had a lot more heat. "Ditto," Daniel whispered. He smiled. "So, you wanna go do what Cassie thought we were doing?"
"Mmm. Maybe later. We should finish dinner before it gets cold." She grinned. "We'll need the calories."
With a matching grin, Daniel released his lover, and they returned to their meal.
After they were finished eating and the trash thrown away, Sam took the beverage glasses into the kitchen to rinse them out while Daniel went to the living room to select a video for them to watch. As the major was running water into one of the glasses, it slipped from her hand and fell into the sink, breaking.
"What happened?" Daniel called.
"Oh, one of the glasses broke." She reached for it. "Ow!" Sam drew her right hand back sharply and clutched it, staring at the blood welling from the gash in her palm. "Damn!"
Daniel hurried in. Seeing the cut, he grabbed a towel and pressed it to the wound.
"Well, that was really stupid," Sam said, chastising herself.
"It was an accident, Sam."
"Yeah, but it's one that's probably going to keep me off missions for at least a week. Janet will say I can't use a P-90 or a sidearm."
Daniel carefully drew the towel away to look at the wound. It was still bleeding quite a bit and looked like it might need a couple of stitches. Seeing the pain in Sam's eyes and how mad at herself she was, he wished that he still had the power to heal. He'd just wish it away. . . .
Some instinct took Daniel over. Only half-aware of what he was doing, he placed his hand over Sam's and closed his eyes. He felt a current of warmth flow through his body, down his arm to his hand and then out into Sam's hand.
Wondering what was going on, Sam felt the pain in her hand fade away to nothing. After a few seconds, Daniel withdraw his hand and they both stared at hers. The cut was gone. All that remained was the blood.
"Oh . . . my," Sam whispered in a hushed voice.
Daniel just gaped at the place where the cut had been, thoughts whirling chaotically.
Sam looked up at him. "Daniel, you . . . you. . . ."
"Yeah," he breathed.
"Holy Hannah."
The archeologist stared down at his own hands. "I, uh . . . I guess I kept something else from the download."
"Daniel, this is amazing. You have the Ancients' power to heal, like Ayiana did."
Daniel didn't respond. He washed Sam's blood off his hands, then went into the living room. Sam quickly washed her own hands, then joined him on the couch.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "I would think that you'd be delighted. You could save even more lives with this."
"I know, and I am happy about that, but. . . ." Daniel met her eyes. "Sam, do you have any idea what this is going to cause? I'm already having trouble with the NID. This it going to make it even worse. In their eyes, this will be proof positive that I retained the stuff from the download. They'll think I'm lying about not remembering most of the Ancients' knowledge."
"Just because you retained the ability to heal people wouldn't mean that you consciously retained all the knowledge."
"You and I understand that, and most of the people at the SGC will understand or at least accept that, but the NID won't."
Sam sighed. "You're probably right. So, what are we going to do, keep it a secret?"
"We can't. Janet has to be told. There could come a time when she'd really need this for a patient."
"Then we'll just have to deal with the NID when the time comes."
The couple spent the rest of the evening watching TV, though their minds weren't fully on what they were watching. That night, instead of making love, they just held each other, wondering what the days ahead would bring.
The next morning, Daniel requested a meeting with his teammates, Janet and General Hammond. They were now all sitting at the table, looking at him expectantly, except for Sam, of course, who was watching him with an expression of encouragement.
"Um . . . last night, I discovered something," Daniel began. He looked at everyone. "I don't know how, but I've retained the Ancients' ability to heal others."
Both Jack and Janet exclaimed in surprise.
"How did you find out?" the doctor asked.
"I cut my hand on a piece of broken glass," Sam explained. "Daniel healed it. There's not a mark left."
"So, you just, what, looked at her hand and healed it?" Jack asked. "How'd you know to do that?"
"I didn't just look at it, Jack," Daniel replied. "And it was . . . instinct. No, that's not right. Some part of me just knew that I could do it. I didn't even think about it."
"This is extraordinary news, Doctor Jackson," Hammond said. "This ability could save many lives."
Janet shook her head. "It could save lives, yes, but we have to remember something. When Ayiana cured us of the Ancients' plague, it weakened her significantly. Chances are that, if Daniel used this ability extensively, the same thing would happen to him. He would have to be very careful."
"When he healed Teal'c, he almost passed out," Jack recalled.
"Exactly."
"This is going to cause a big problem, you know," Daniel told everyone. "The NID are going to suspect that, because I still have this ability, I must also still consciously have the Ancients' knowledge."
"Crap," Jack cursed. "You're right."
"They will believe that you are lying when you say that you do not," Teal'c stated.
"Can we keep this a secret?" Jack asked hopefully.
Hammond shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Colonel. This must be reported to my superiors."
"Even if they don't believe Daniel, what can they do. They can't prove that he's lying when he's not," Janet pointed out.
"No, they can just cause a lot of trouble and be an even bigger pain in the ass," Jack responded.
"They're already showing even more interest in me because of the download," Daniel said. He turned to the general. "What did they say when you told them that I didn't remember most of the knowledge?"
"Though they did not say so openly, I got the impression that they have doubts about your claim."
"Which doesn't surprise me," Jack said. "We'll just have to make it clear that Daniel's telling the truth." He smiled. "I just thought of something. There is another good thing about this healing stuff. Miss Eternal Bloom could heal herself, too, or at least from injuries. Considering how often Daniel gets hurt, that could really come in handy."
Daniel gave him a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, Jack. Maybe I'll stop dying so often now. That's a big plus."
"You got that right."
President Hayes shook his head in wonder as he read the latest report from General Hammond. The more time that passed, the more amazing Doctor Jackson revealed himself to be. Now, the archeologist had discovered that he had the ability to heal injuries. Hayes had to wonder what the next revelation would be.
The president leaned back in his chair. Ever since Daniel and the rest of SG-1 saved Earth from Anubis, he had been intending to send them all personal letters of commendation, but his duties as president had been especially heavy since the events in Antarctica because of having to deal with the fallout from those events. The Chinese, Russian, British, French and Canadian governments were all up in arms about the whole thing. Hayes did not envy Elizabeth Weir and the job she had trying to keep them calm and reasonable. But this is what she was trained for, and Hayes had confidence that she could handle it.
Nobody knew that Doctor Weir was one of the people Hayes had considered putting in command of the SGC before he decided that it would be best to keep Hammond there. Well, there was the chance that Daniel Jackson knew.
Hayes' thoughts turned fully to the archeologist. They all owed the man a great deal. He had saved the lives of everyone on Earth, almost at the cost of his own. A letter of commendation seemed a poorly inadequate reward.
The president recalled something that General Maynard had said. There was no doubt that Daniel Jackson deserved the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He had done more for this planet than any other civilian in history. But there was a problem. The list of Medal of Freedom recipients was public, and there was no way that an unclassified reason could be made up for Daniel being given the medal, which meant that it would have to be awarded in secret, at least from the rest of the world.
This was something he'd have to discuss with others. Though deciding who would receive the medal was his decision alone, there would be others who would have to be involved in the process, some of whom would have to be told about the Stargate Program. But, regardless of the unique difficulties that giving the medal to Daniel would cause, the archeologist was definitely worthy of the effort.
Hayes wrote a list of the people he knew would have to be involved in this, then pressed on the intercom button and told his aide to ask the vice president to come to his office. The president smiled upon thinking about what Kinsey's reaction was going to be when he told the man that he was going to give the Presidential Medal of Freedom to someone that Kinsey had reason to hate and fear.
A short while later, the vice president walked in. Hayes waved him to a seat.
"I wanted to let you know that I've been thinking about this year's recipients of the Medal of Freedom, one in particular," Hayes told him.
Kinsey nodded. "Yes, that is something that needs to be decided on within the next few months for the award ceremony in July."
"Actually, the particular recipient I'm thinking of wouldn't get his medal in the ceremony at the White House. It would be more of a . . . private affair."
Kinsey frowned. "I don't understand."
"I'm speaking of Doctor Jackson."
As Hayes watched closely, the face of the man sitting across from him darkened. "Mister President, you can't be serious."
"Why not? Doctor Jackson has repeatedly performed services to this country, to this planet, that fits well within the criteria laid down for the Medal of Freedom. If Bob Hope and Julia Child could be given the medal, you can't honestly say that someone like Doctor Jackson doesn't deserve it. The man deserves the Congressional Gold Medal, too, but, unfortunately, awarding that medal has to be passed by Congress, and since a huge chunk of the House of Representatives and Senate don't know about the Stargate, it'll be out of the question until the program goes public. But I and I alone decide who gets the Medal of Freedom, and I think it's way past time that Daniel Jackson is given one."
The sour expression remained on Kinsey's face. "It could not be made public."
"I am aware of that. There are a few people who will have to know, but it can be done." He handed the list of names to Kinsey. "These are the people who will have to be brought in on this. Some of them will need to be told about the Stargate Program. I want to get them together here and tell them all at once so that I don't have to repeat everything several times."
"When were you planning on giving him the medal?"
"As soon as it can be arranged." Hayes grinned. "I'd sort of like to do it before he dies yet again, not that it would make much of a difference since he'd likely pull another Lazarus."
Kinsey handed the slip of paper back to the president. "While I'm here, I wanted to ask you about your plans for Stargate Command. Now that the danger of Anubis has passed and we don't have to rush to find this Lost City of the Ancients, I think it would be an excellent time to find a replacement for General Hammond. You made a valid point about the political situation before, and—"
"Sorry, Bob. Not gonna happen," Hayes interrupted. "Hammond is staying right where he is, at least until the time comes that I choose to promote him."
"P-promote him? After all the ways he's screwed up as commander of the SGC?! Promote him to what?"
"Once we get this whole thing with the Ancient outpost straightened out, I am considering creating a new military-run organization that would oversee it, the Stargate Program, and the 302 program, everything that is connected to our . . . off-world interests. I'm thinking of calling it Homeworld Security. I thought that had a nice ring to it. General Hammond would be placed in charge since I can't think of another man more qualified for the job than he is."
Kinsey tried to hide how disturbed he was by this announcement. Such an organization would make it even harder for him and the people he was in league with to be in control of the Stargate.
"So, who would take over command of the SGC?"
"Actually, I was thinking of giving that command to Colonel O'Neill." Hayes almost smiled, waiting for the vice president's reaction.
"O'Neill?!" Kinsey squawked. "The man's an incompetent idiot! He and his team have put this planet at risk numerous times. How can you even consider giving command of the SGC to him?"
"Unlike you, Bob, I happen to think that Colonel O'Neill and the rest of his team have done a damn fine job in their position, considering what they're up against and all the strange and unique situations they have to deal with. I doubt that anyone else could have done better. But this isn't final. I'm still mulling it all over in my mind." He began riffling through a stack of papers on his desk. "That'll be all for now, Bob. I'll let you know when the meeting with those people has been arranged."
The president watched Kinsey stalk out of the Oval Office, chuckling after the door closed behind him. The truth was that, from a military standpoint, O'Neill really was the logical choice to take over command of the SGC. He was equally as experienced as Hammond was in dealing with the Goa'uld and other alien issues and dangers. The only major reservation Hayes had was the colonel's less than stellar record when it came to diplomacy. But, since talking with Doctor Jackson and after witnessing the events of the fight with Anubis, Hayes had come to realize that diplomacy was not the skill that was most needed at the SGC; it was knowledge of the Goa'uld, military experience and a keen mind for tactics and strategy, all of which Colonel O'Neill had in spades. Even so, Hayes was still not a hundred percent convinced that he would be the best man for the job. It was going to take a lot more thought before he could decide on this.
This brought the president's mind back to his original thought, the one about the commendations for SG-1. That's when an idea came into his head.
He picked up the phone and called a number it hadn't taken long to memorized. "George! How's it going?"
"Oh, pretty much the same as usual for this place, Mister President," General Hammond replied.
"Saved the planet again this week?"
"No, sir. Nothing that dramatic. Can I assume this call has to do with my report about Doctor Jackson?"
"Only partly. This newest information is astounding, that's for sure. I have to wonder what revelations are going to be made next. But the main reason for my call is that I've been wanting to send all the members of SG-1 letters of commendation for their actions in stopping Anubis, but it just hasn't gotten done. I decided that I'd like to give them the letters personally."
Hammond smiled, pleased. "They would be honored, sir."
"So, what is their mission schedule like?"
"They're not scheduled for anything important, nothing that can't be handled by another team."
"Good. Then how about Saturday? I'm planning on taking a little break this weekend and going to Camp David, have a bit of fun in the snow. I don't think that SG-1's ever been there."
"No, they haven't, sir, and, considering the problems you've had to deal with recently, I'd say you deserve a weekend off."
"My thoughts exactly. Okay then, it's settled. I will be expecting SG-1 to join me at Camp David on Saturday. Say around noon? We can all have a nice meal together before getting down to business. They can spend the night and head back home Sunday morning."
"I'm sure they'll enjoy it, sir."
"I'll have a helicopter waiting for them at the airport. Just give my aide their flight information when you have it." Hayes paused a moment. "I should tell you that there is another reason why I've decided to give them their commendations in person."
"Oh?"
"It's regarding Doctor Jackson." Hayes paused again. "I'm awarding him the Medal of Freedom, George."
Surprise and then absolute delight stilled Hammond's tongue for a moment. "I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that, Mister President. If there is any man on this planet who's earned it, it's him."
"I couldn't agree more. While I'd dearly love to surprise him with the presentation, that probably wouldn't be wise. We wouldn't want him to faint from the shock."
Hammond chuckled. "I doubt that he would, sir, but it would be best to warn him ahead of time."
"Which is what I'll be doing on Saturday."
"How were you planning on doing this, sir? The public does not know about Doctor Jackson's achievements, so the medal cannot be awarded publically."
"I know. How would you feel about a little presidential visit to the SGC?"
"We would be pleased and honored, sir."
"Good. I can't think of a more fitting place to award that medal than on the ramp to the gate that Doctor Jackson opened to us."
"Neither can I, Mister President."
