The original title of this story was When it's quiet and meatloaf is on the menu you just know trouble is around the corner, but that was too long. Here is a Jack/Sam story that veers off from the original timeline shortly after Divide and Conquer. But, the main story line takes place after season eight.

Flashbacks are in italics

Chapter 1: All Guilty Parties

Jack had just finished dinner in the commissary. Yum meatloaf, he thought walking back to his office. It had been a long day, the quiet ones are always the longest -- and why George Hammond needed to schedule a meeting with him at 9:00pm on a Friday was beyond him. So here he was walking the eerily quiet corridors of the SGC. Daniel was in Washington at a budget meeting justifying his budget requests' and Teal'c was on Dakara with Bra'tac planning for a brave new world for the free Jaffa. Siler was the only patient in the infirmary, there were the necessary gate technicians in the control room, SF's at their standard posts and Marines playing cards in the common room close to the gate just in case of an emergency – it was way too quiet. And, when it got like this you just knew all hell was about to break loose. At any moment, a team could come in hot, an ally could show up needing help to fight the good fight, or maybe even a foothold situation. Yep, something was around the corner he could smell it in the air.

Brigadier General Jack O'Neill walked into the control room – "Sergeant, how's it going?"

"All's well, Sir." Replied the gate technician, quickly at attention.

"At ease and carry on, before your coffee gets cold." He walked up the stairs to his office via the conference room, thinking he should talk to Walter tomorrow about getting some pictures of the X-302 and X-303 on the walls, that would be sweet. As he reached the top step, he heard a familiar Texan voice coming in his office. "Yes, Sir. They are schedule to arrive in uhhh….5 minutes. Yep, time to come clean. I hope you are right, Mr. President." George swiveled around in the chair and saw Jack standing in the door way. "Ahh, speak of the devil."

"The devil you know…" replied Jack with a smirk and outstretched arms. Watching his boss sitting in his chair on his red phone.

George continued, "Yes, Sir he is. Jack, the President would like a word." Jack reached across the desk for the red phone.

"Good evening Mr. President, late night for you as well?"

"Hi Jack, you should know. Late night, every night when you're the man. About tonight – I would really like for you to keep this in mind. We made the very best decision we could at the time, and I apologize for well, you'll understand soon enough. Just trust that we could think of no better way. Well I need to run looks like my next appointment is here. Goodbye and tell George I'll see him tomorrow. Oh and Jack, good luck!"

"Al---right, Sir. Will do. Goodbye." With that he hung up his red phone. With a deep crease in his brow, he wondered about the cryptic nature of the phone call and this late night meeting. Jack passed along the message and asked. "So want to fill me in on what that was about?"

"All in good time son. Just let me say we did what we thought was best."

The crease between Jack's eyebrows got even deeper. "That's what the President just said. Is there not enough adventure and intrigue in running the world's most top secret military program that you have to create even more?"

"Wish that was the case Jack." General Hammond leaned back in Jack's comfortable new office chair.

"Are we waiting on someone else or can we-?" Jack started to inquire. Then a bright light flashed in the conference room. Jack turned around to see Jacob Carter, Colonel Carter and Thor appear in the conference room.

George jumped up out of the chair "Looks like all guilty parties have arrived. Let's get this underway" George walked into the conference room, leaving Jack standing in the door way – suddenly feeling a sense of dread at his earlier premonition. Looks like tonight's crisis of choice would be to assist alien ally. Jack thought as he cautiously walked into the conference room.

George was over greeting the party, "Jacob, glad you could make it. Colonel Carter glad to see you, it has been too long. You look great." And he kissed her on the cheek, not standard military protocol, but she didn't come around these parts often. "Thor – thank you so much for joining us." Jack approached the group slowly trying to take the scene in, gathering what intel he could.

"Greetings O'Neill." Thor was the first to acknowledge Jack's presence.

"Hi Thor, Jacob, …Carter …." No one looked panicked that's good, he thought. Jacob/Selmack looked as smug as ever. Thor blinking, no clue there. Carter seems a little tired, she's biting her lower lip so maybe she's a little nervous – that could be bad or maybe she's just hungry. Maybe no one kicks her out of her lab late at night or makes sure she eats. Should have sent Thor Instructions on the Proper Care of Carter. Maybe I won't let him have her back, wonder if I can do that?

This was only the sixth time he had seen her in person since she had taken this assignment 4 years, 4 months and 6 days ago. But, who was counting? He had seen her on the monitor numerous times for briefings and had conference call meetings with her and various scientists and officials as needed. She always called in for tech support to save the day. Sometimes she had been here when he was not. Her presence was always felt, she was everywhere and yet nowhere. He had only seen her here in the SGC when Cassie was ill, when that goa'uld hurled an asteroid at earth, when Daniel died the first time, to convince him to take that stupid Tok'ra symbiote, and when she was promoted to Lt. Colonel.

Jack was brought back to the meeting when George invited everyone to be seated as the Major General took Jack's usual chair at the head of the table. Jack took the seat to his right and tapped his fingers on his conference table, Jacob sat to George's left, Carter next to Jacob and Thor sat next to Carter.

…All guilty parties? Jack thought. Oh yeah, something is definitely up.