"So who's gonna come with me?" Jack demanded.
Teal'c and Daniel glanced at each other. Daniel cleared his throat before replying.
"Are you...uh....sure?" he asked.
"Yes, Daniel."
O'Neill was pretty certain that, if he turned up at Carter's house by himself, she wouldn't even open the front door......and he couldn't exactly blame her. His behaviour over the past year had bordered on the obsessive. He still couldn't believe he had been dumb enough to think that Sam would throw away the rule book for a guy like him. She was way smarter than that. So Jack had made a conscious decision to back off for a while. When Hammond had given them some time off, he hadn't even mentioned fishing. If anything he had sounded a little harsher than he'd meant to....although afterwards he had started second guessing himself. What if Sam had wanted him to ask her.....
Whatever, that didn't matter now. She had to have been pretty shaken up by the psychiatric evaluation and he really wanted to check that she was OK. His previous offer to 'hang out' had been rejected, so he figured that Sam still didn't want to be alone with him....
"So?" Jack pushed.
"This translation...," Daniel began.
"I will accompany you O'Neill," Teal'c offered.
"Thank you, Teal'c. Grab a movie and I'll meet you topside in ten."
Jack was grinning to himself as he hurried to the locker room. Result! They'd pick up a pizza, watch a movie...it'd be fun. Sam would have fun...which was the important thing.
Teal'c was waiting in the parking lot....a cowboy hat perched on his head. Jack stifled a groan, someone really had to talk to the man about his dress sense. The idea was to blend into the surrounding population....and not look like a reject from the Village People. Who was going to miss a man in that hat? Not to mention the shirt.....Jack settled his own hat on his head and opened the door of his truck.
"So what you get?" he asked as they pulled out of the lot.
"Star Wars."
"Star Wars....Carter is going to have seen that, you know?"
"Have you seen it O'Neill?"
"Well...no..."
"Than we will watch it together and rejoice in the victory of the rebel alliance."
"Okaaaay....you know it's all made up, don't you?"
"It is a powerful metaphor for our struggle against the Goa'uld."
Star Wars...Jack hadn't seen it....probably the only person in the Western hemisphere who hadn't. When the film had been released he had never wanted to succumb to the hype. Charlie had had the thing on video but, Jack had never gotten around to watching it with him. Shaking himself out of the melancholy introspection, he returned his mind to the present,
"So, Teal'c, what do you want on your pizza?" he asked.
"Does Major Carter have a preference?"
He didn't know. Did she even like pizza?
"Order us half pepperoni and half of whatever," he decided, handing Teal'c his phone. "The number's on the speed dial."
While Teal'c order the pizza, Jack found himself sinking back into his thoughts. He needed to be Carter's friend. That was the first step....forget any feelings they might have for each other. Jack couldn't help thinking that some of this was his fault. He had been as guilty as any of them when it came to pushing Sam. Everyone expected her to work miracles and that kind of pressure had to be destructive. She didn't know when to say no.
He was concerned about the fact that the pentagon guys still found it necessary to monitor her. The psychiatric evaluation had been clear, so he didn't really think it was necessary anymore. Even if this alien did turn up again, he was more than confident that Sam could handle the situation. But it wasn't his call and he had been overruled. That was another good reason for turning up at her house with a chaperone, then no one could accuse them of unsuitable behaviour.
**********************************************************************************
Sam frowned to herself as she raised her fork to her mouth.
She was just following his orders, right? That was the reason she hadn't let them into the house. If the Colonel had seen Orlan, he may have been forced to turn him in. The alien...the man...didn't deserve to be dragged off to Area 51 for....God only knew what the NID guys would do if they got their hands on him. Although she trusted her commanding officer, Sam couldn't take the risk.
It had been sweet of him, though, to check that she was all right. Pizza and a movie was typical Jack O'Neill style. No emeralds, no surprise candlelit dinners..... Why hadn't he sounded jealous, when she'd intimated that she had a date? He had seemed to congratulate her. In fact his behaviour over the past few weeks had undergone a subtle shift. Maybe he had finally given up chasing her. Which was good....wasn't it? But Sam couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. If he had asked, she had the feeling that, this time, she may have accepted his fishing invitation.
"Who is Jack?" Orlan asked.
"Excuse me?" Sam replied, her face flushing.
"You mind had images of a man....you called him Jack."
"He's...a friend."
"Your feelings for this man are very strong."
"It's complicated."
Sharing your mind with someone could be a very enlightening experience....but this was one of the drawbacks. Sam felt strangely vulnerable. As if she had been stripped naked. She took a healthy gulp of her wine, hoping to calm herself a little.
"Why?"
"It may be difficult for you to understand, but there are certain rules that prevent Colonel O'Neill and I pursuing a romantic relationship."
"The man that was here?"
"Yes."
"I touched his mind briefly, he seems to be a strange choice for a mate."
Sam felt a flash of anger,
"He's a good man," she snapped.
"You would die for him."
"Without hesitation."
"I would die for you Samantha."
This wasn't what Sam wanted to hear. Too many men told her how beautiful she was, showered her with flowery compliments, gifts, declarations of undying love.....Colonel O'Neill didn't do that. To him, she was a soldier first and a woman second.
"I make you uncomfortable?"
"A little."
"I will work on that."
Sam smiled at Orlan. Deep down she knew she liked him, she liked him a lot....if it wasn't for Colonel O'Neill...
**********************************************************************************
This time Jack found himself standing outside Sam's house on his own. Daniel had taken Teal'c Jell-O wrestling again, but more than once a month was a little too much for Jack....or that was the excuse he had given them.
"Don't tell me, pizza and a movie?" Sam asked when she opened the door.
"It's not Star Wars," Jack replied.
"What is it?"
"Three Kings...I know you have a thing for George Clooney."
"You just want to criticise..."
"That too."
He grinned at her. Sam shook her head as she stood back to let him in.
"I see they cleaned up," he said as they walked through to the living room.
"Oh yes...and General Hammond paid the bill...the Macguyvered Stargate had to go, though."
"Shame, coulda been useful. You remember that planet.....where the beaches go on forever....."
He let his voice trail off. Sam looked a little sad. She had clearly cared a great deal for this Orlan guy. Jack had to fight a surge of jealousy....but he figured, if this guy had been good for Sam, then he should be happy. She couldn't spend the rest of her life alone. That just wasn't fair. If it couldn't be him, then make it some nice guy who really cared about her. Sam deserved nothing less.
"So, you up for this?" he asked.
"Sure."
He placed the pizza box on the coffee table, while Sam turned on the television.
"I didn't know what kind of pizza to get so I had them put everything on it. Hope you like Chicago style..."
"Sir."
"Yeah?"
"Let's just watch the movie."
**********************************************************************************
It was kinda funny really. The pizza had been consumed and the film had long finished, but Sam was loathed to leave the comfort of her couch. When they had started watching the movie, Colonel O'Neill had sat beside her, arms crossed, determined not to let any part of their respective anatomies come into contact. However, he had no control over his sleeping mind. He'd managed to stay awake for about half of the film, but as soon as he'd drifted off his head had dropped to one side. When he shifted in his sleep, the inevitable happened. Sam found herself with Colonel O'Neill's head on her shoulder.
He was snoring softly. The sound more comforting than annoying. Sam couldn't help the sensation of closeness the gesture implied. She'd tried to wriggle away from him, but he'd responded by turning his body towards hers, an arm flopping across her waist. Unless the colonel moved, she was stuck here for the night. Of course she could have woken him up, but Sam didn't really want to do that. He looked so peaceful. Sam had never seen a man look so satisfied by the simple gesture of holding a woman close. There'd be apologies in the morning.....maybe a little awkwardness, but she didn't really care.
Sam shifted herself into a more comfortable position, Jack's head now resting on her breast. He sighed, the sound drawn from the depths of his soul, but he did not wake. His sleeping mind had betrayed what his conscious could not. Sam ran her fingers through his hair. This respite was temporary....This one night....
Story Notes: NOTES: My attempt at an Ascension fic :):)
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]