Daniel poked his head in, "Hey Sam, have you seen Jack?"

Sam glanced up from her lab table, looking a bit out of it. "Umm, yeah Daniel, he just left."

Daniel's eyebrows scrunched together, sensing something amiss, "You okay?"

She gave a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and nodded.

Daniel thought about digging in a little deeper, but she'd gone back to typing. "Okay, well, if you wanna talk…"

Sam gave him a dismissive thanks, and another small smile before he headed back out.

He was in the last place Daniel checked, the General's office. In the past, Jack seemed to be in Daniel's office or Sam's lab so much, Daniel had almost forgotten he even had an office. But now that he was in charge of the base, Daniel realized half-heartedly, it was one of the many changes he would have to get used to.

The door was closed and he lifted his hand to knock, fully ready for a negative response, since he usually kept the door open. If he had gone by way of the briefing room, he could've just looked through the glass chart he thought absentmindedly. If this didn't pan out, calling topside to check with the guards would be his next move.

But as his knuckles made contact, he heard a long bang.

Concern overrode his politeness and he turned the knob, "Jack?"

When he opened the door, he saw Jack sitting at his desk, with his head in his hands and his fingers gripping his hair.

"Get out Daniel," he growled without looking up.

Daniel's eyes widened as he looked at the metal file holder that usually sits on his desk, now on the ground. Folders and papers were scattered all around it, "What's going on Jack?" he asked warily.

"Daniel, I said get out!" Jack roared, slamming his fists on the desk as he stood…his voice quivering and his expression deadly.

Anyone else would've been gone in an instant. Walter probably would've pissed himself. But this wasn't Daniel's first rodeo. Instead, he stood his ground and closed the door behind him. "Jack, I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on."

"Goddamn it!" Jack thumped the desk again with his fists and dropped back into his chair, combing his fingers roughly through his hair.

Daniel waited. He was good at waiting when it mattered.

Jack huffed, and then looked at him, jaw clenched. "He gave her a ring."

Daniel look confused for a moment, putting the words together. Her. Ring. Then it clicked. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped, "A ring? Wait, Pete? Pete gave Sam a ring? He asked her to marry him?"

Jack growled again and nodded angrily.

"Did she say yes?" Daniel asked, feeling his heartbeat quicken for his friend as he took some steps forward.

"Not yet, but she will." Jack's anger was laced with defeat.

Daniel gave a small sigh of relief that she hadn't committed yet, before the confusion set in, "And she showed it to you? What did she say Jack?"

Jack leaned back, trying to calm down, and lifted his hand dismissively, "Said she was worried about how things would work out, you know, if she had kids." He glanced up uncomfortably, "I told her people do it all the time, work here and have families."

Daniel waved his hand in a circle impatiently, "Okay…then what."

"Then she asked if it was fair to put someone else through that; when every time we go through the gate, we don't know whether we'll make it back or not."

"And…you said?"

Jack sat up and threw his arms up in frustration, "What the hell could I say Daniel?!"

Eyebrows furrowed, Daniel stared him down and folded his arms across his chest.

"That him being a cop, he could probably handle it." Jack groaned and put his head in his hands.

Daniel was incredulous, his arms waving through the air, "Jack, are you kidding me? You vouched for the guy?! What were you thinking?!"

Jack shook his head, "I just, I don't know…. I panicked!"

"Did she say anything else?"

Jack sighed, "She asked about me, if things were… different…"

Daniel shook his head, "Oh no." He paused and ran a hand through his hair, "You know I'm actually scared to hear what you said to her…."

Jack just stared at him blankly.

Daniel's arms shot out, "What Jack?! What did you say!?

"That I wouldn't be here…" Jack mumbled quietly as he glanced down at his clasped hands.

Daniel squinted and cocked his head before closing the distance to Jack's desk. He put his hands on the edge of it and leaned forward, "That you… what?"

Jack let out a frustrated sigh, "That I wouldn't be here," he said louder.

Daniel eyes widened as he grabbed his head, "What the fuck does that mean?!"