Jack hadn't actually intended to escort her to the commissary, but when she got up from the lab bench and walked purposely out the door he couldn't help but feel a tug from certain parts of his anatomy, willing him to follow.  After waving off the two SF assigned to her, he caught up with her halfway down the hall.

Now, a half hour later he was seated across from her, coffees nearly finished and the remnants of two questionable ham and cheese sandwich between them.

She asked him about missions he had been on where there he encountered problems with the gate.  Hammond had authorized her clearance to review SGC mission reports that detailed gate malfunctions.   Failing miserably at answering her technical questions he retreated to telling her about his more adventurous exploits.  It didn't occur to him until much later that he was trying his damnedest to impress her.

For Sam's part, she figured out early in the conversation that Jack O'Neill was not going to provide an insight into the gate's malfunction history.  Rather than quickly collecting her coffee and heading back to the lab she found his tales a pleasant enough distraction.  As he talked, he leaned back in his chair, nearly balancing on only the back legs.  Seated opposite, she was unaware of how her body leaned in, towards the Colonel.

"I know I can come off as some Neanderthal at times.  In fact I was one once, trust me this," sweeping his hands down and up before him, "is a big improvement."

"What do you mean, you've been a Neanderthal?"

"Years back we visited a planet where the population was infected with a virus that caused half of the population to devolve into the chest beating, drag the women off by their hair types.  Several team members were infected and brought it back to the SGC.  Daniel was one of the few not affected.  That's how Doc Frasier figured out how to stop it."

"Frasier?"

"Yeh, base CMO, at least she was.  Died a few years ago."  A shadow caste over his eyes. Girlfriend, maybe? She thought then shifted in her seat, suddenly unsettled with the idea that Jack O'Neill was involved with someone.  Realizing what she was reacting to, Sam drew herself from the table's edge, completely rearranging her position.  If the thought of Jack O'Neill involved with someone made her squirm,   realizing she was jealous made her downright antsy.

Hoping he took no notice she asked, "How did she stop the virus?"

"It's funny actually.  For a guy who has devoted himself to working around old musty things Daniel has the worst allergies.  His medication kept him safe."

"Antihistamines?"

"Yeh, so Frasier figured out that by dosing everyone the effects of the virus could be reversed."

"So rather than remove the virus, she inhibited the bodies response to it?"

"Yeh, I guess that's how it worked."

Jack could almost hear the clicking of gears from Carter's head.  Her blue eyes, no longer obscured by the hideous glasses sparked and flared.  He wondered what else it would take to make her eyes light up.

___________________________________________

Jack once more followed Carter as she rushed from the commissary.  She had starting rattling off what he assumed to be equations until finally he stopped her at the elevators, grabbing a hold of her shoulder.

Suddenly aware of his presence, his warm, firm hand upon her, she turned to him.

"Get Lee and Brandon back to the lab.  I know how we are going to stop the discharges and get your people back."  She then smiled and entered the waiting lift.

As the doors closed Jack couldn't help but notice that this was the first time he had seen her do that, smile. That's something I could go for seeing again. He thought to himself as he turned to a base phone and called into Hammond's line.

__________________________________________________________

"The power discharge is not caused by the virus.  It's the gate system's response to it.  The system's program can identify it as a malicious program.  The power discharge is its way of trying to purge it from the system." An excited Dr Carter announced to the assembled.

It was a ragged group now clustered in the gate technicians' lab.  Ten minutes ago Drs Lee and Brandon and handful of other tech had been dragged from their quarters by Jack and Teal'c.  General Hammond also joining them.

"So, you're saying that when we dial up, the gate on the other side is what, sneezing?" Jack asked, still not sure what the now glowing blond was telling them, but pretty sure he had given her the idea in the first place.

"Well, in the crudest terms, yes.  It's trying to protect itself from the foreign program in its system."

"We can design an independent algorithm that will act as an inhibitor to the gate's response.  It won't remove the virus but it will allow us to stabilize the wormhole and get your off world teams back safely. "

"What we still don't know is what the original virus was meant to do.  If the gate system itself had not reacted by creating the energy spikes we may have never known about the virus in the first place."  Dr Lee observed.

"Then whoever planted the virus was not trying to sabotage the gate?"  Hammond directed to Sam.

"I can't tell you what the virus was meant to do, only that the discharges were not the intended outcome."

A long pregnant pause settled over the assemble group.  Finally, it was the Teal'c who broke the silence.

"Doctor Samantha Carter, once you inhibit the Stargate from protecting itself from the virus, will this not allow the virus to achieve its purpose, whatever that maybe?"

"Yes, it will."  Sam answered.