"So?" Daniel asked eagerly.
"Nada," Jack replied.
"What?"
"He wouldn't listen. Dumb ass..."
"Sir!" Sam's sharp words stopped Jack in mid tirade, just as the object of his rant walked into the control room. Jack and Sam immediately snapped to attention, but Daniel didn't bother to move from where he was slouched next the coffee machine. He would have done it for General Hammond, but not for this guy.
"Still here, Colonel?" Bauer said as he walked past.
"Just saying goodbye, sir," Jack replied.
"Make it quick. I'm sure Major Carter and Dr. Jackson have work to do."
"Yes, sir."
It was all Jack could do to stop himself making an obscene gesture as the General walked away.
"So, this is it? You're just leaving?" Daniel demanded.
"You heard the man," Jack replied.
"He doesn't have any choice," Sam said, "and neither do we."
"Everyone has a choice, Carter," Jack snapped back.
"Really? So Bauer ordering me to make a bomb out of Naquedah is different from you ordering me to do the same thing?"
"That was a completely different situation and you know it!"
"An order is an order, sir!"
Jack didn't know why he was taking this out on Sam.....or vice versa for that matter. Maybe she didn't feel the need to hold back, now he was no longer her commanding officer.
"It's my job!" she finished, "I suggest you do yours and get out of here!"
With that final remark, she spun on her heel and marched out of the room. Jack looked at Daniel, who just shrugged,
"I'd start dating if I were you, Jack," he said.
"What?"
"Dating....Sam ....there's no reason why you can't."
And there wasn't....no reason at all. Why was it always Daniel who pointed out these things? But even though it was annoying, Daniel was right. Jack felt his mouth go dry at the very thought. He could barely remember how to ask a woman out on a date. It wasn't something he'd done a lot of recently. Would Sam accept? He wasn't going to ask if there was any chance of her
shooting him down. Given the mood she was in.....He supposed he should take her some kind of offering. Taking a detour into the briefing room, he stole the flowers which were, for some reason, decorating the table and hurried up to Carter's lab.
She was in there, fiddling with the device he'd come to recognise as a Naquedah reactor. The fact he knew that much was an indication of what this woman had done for him.
"Hey," he called out.
Sam looked up, saw who was standing there and forced her features into a scowl.
"Peace," he offered, holding out the flowers.
"Put those back, sir," she returned.
"C'mon, give a guy a break! If you don't want flowers how about....dinner?"
"Dinner?"
"Nothing wrong with that, is there?"
Sam shook her head.
"Colleagues, friends if you will....having dinner?"
Jack smiled his best smile. It had the desired effect and Sam's face broke into a grin.
"There isn't anything wrong, is there?" he repeated.
"I guess not," Sam admitted.
"So, pick you up at 2000?"
"Yes, sir."
Jack put the flowers down on her reactor and left the lab. As he walked down the corridor, he half expected her to come running after him, but she didn't. From his perspective that was good...very good.
*************************************************************************************
Sam had a date with Jack. An actual date, not a gathering with the rest of SG-1 where she would be forced to pretend she wasn't in the least bit interested in the Colonel. But this was going to be different, and just a little disconcerting. She actually finished work early....but that was more a lack of enthusiasm for what she was doing rather than to get ready for her date. As it was, she didn't take that long. She had a shower, threw on a pair of jeans, a touch of make-up and that was it. There was no point in going OTT. When a man saw you in fatigues every day, anything else was going to be an improvement.
She thought she'd be nervous, but she wasn't. After all, she had known Jack for years. It wasn't like they wouldn't have anything to talk about. But this was a date....didn't that make it different? Shouldn't she be different? But Sam didn't really know how. She wasn't trying to be anything other than the woman she knew Jack cared for. Then why were her palms sweating? And why did she suddenly have the urge to clean the kitchen closet, despite the fact she knew there was no way he was ever going to see inside that part of her house? Still better to be safe.....Sam was on her hands and knees, her head inside the cupboard when the doorbell rang. She crawled back out again , hitting her head in the process.
Sam was swearing when she opened the door, her hand gingerly touching the sore spot.
"Hey Carter...woah...what happened to you?" Jack exclaimed.
Somehow, Sam knew the Colonel wasn't referring to her outfit. She pulled her hand away and saw the blood. Uggghhh.....way to make and impression, Sam.
"C'mon, let's get you cleaned up," he said.
Taking her hand, Jack led her through to the kitchen. He sat her down at the table, while he searched for a cloth. Cuts to the head were always messy. She felt like such an idiot. Now she'd have to wash her hair again, just to get the blood out. So much for going out tonight. By the time she'd made herself presentable it'd be too late.
Jack was surprisingly gentle as he washed the blood away. Sam found herself leaning into his touch. She would have enjoyed it if her head hadn't been so sore.
"I think this might need stitches," he said.
"It'll be okay," Sam said.
"If you're sure."
"I've had worse....Am I going to have to wash my hair? "
"Yeah. Tell you what, while you do that, I'll order us some diner."
"You might as well."
Sighing to herself, Sam returned to the shower. Well, she'd managed to totally screw this up....and all because of a sudden cleaning fetish. She'd laugh about this in the morning, but right now it was less than funny. After her shower, Sam didn't bother to put her jeans back on. She crawled into her sweats, leaving her wet hair to dry naturally. When she got back into the
living room, she found that dinner had already arrived. She had clearly been in the bathroom longer than she thought. He'd also opened a bottle of wine and lit some candles....
"Here," he offered her a glass.
"Thanks....what did you get?"
"Chinese. I hope that's okay. You had the menu by the phone."
"It's good."
She curled up on the couch, while Jack piled food onto her plate.
"This wasn't exactly what you had planned, was it?" she said.
"Not really...but this is okay," he answered.
"Is it?"
"Yeah. We don't get much chance to hang out together."
He smiled at her, a little shyly. Then he reached out and wiped a smear of sauce from her mouth. Sam laughed, finally feeling more relaxed. She stuck a movie on and she and Jack chilled out on the couch. This was better than going out, Sam decided. Especially as, when they had finished eating, she found herself dropping her head onto his shoulder.
"This brings back memories," he whispered.
"Yeah," Sam admitted. "It was the only thing I liked about that place."
"Me too."
She settled against him, enjoying the closeness and warmth of his body. Jack made a very comfortable pillow. She wished they could have gotten this close off-world...would have warmed up some of those long rainy nights. His fingers were absently playing with her hair, comforting in it's way, but somehow Sam had the feeling Jack's mind was somewhere else. She turned her head to look at him. He definitely wasn't concentrating on the job in hand.
"Sir?" she questioned, falling back on the military form of address.
"What?" he asked.
"We can't do this, can we?!
From the look in his eyes, Sam knew she'd read him correctly. He took her hands in his,
"Sam.....," he began.
"It's okay, sir."
"I want this more than anything, but I can't help thinking about Hammond."
"He was pushed?"
"I'm damn sure of it."
"What are you going to do?"
The question was a valid one, Jack was the only one who was in a position to act. Sam would have to report for duty the following morning. She never realised how much she had relied on Hammond's tact and discretion. He had always believed in her abilities.....both as soldier and a scientist. He would never have grounded her.....he would never have ordered her to develop a weapon of mass destruction. Hammond understood the unique working relationship of SG-1. No one else would have put together a special forces colonel, a scientist, an archaeologist and a renegade......
Sam wanted it back....more than anything. She took her hands from Jack's and sat up straight, putting some distance between them.
"First thing I'm going to do is talk to George and hope he'll tell me something," Jack said.
"And if he doesn't ?" Sam asked.
"Then we resign and go to Maui, coz we might as well spend what'll be left of our lives in paradise."
He offered her a tired smile.
"Bauer's a jerk.....if we don't do something we'll be hip deep in Goa'uld by the end of the year," he finished.
"No we won't...he'll nuke 'em," Sam said. "And I'll be the one to give him the power to do it."
She slumped back into the couch, clutching a cushion to her.
"You're doing what you have to," Jack told her. "Just hang on in there, Sam."
His hand hovered above hers...as if he wanted to touch her again....knowing it wouldn't be a good idea. Their eyes met.
*************************************************************************************
Jack knew it was time to leave. If he stayed any longer, he knew they'd do something they'd regret. Then there wouldn't be any going back. Sam wanted SG-1...she needed it...in the same way he did. It was their life.
"Sir, I'm sorry," Sam whispered.
"It's okay," he replied. "We'll have our time, Carter...it just won't be now."
"Promise?" she asked.
"Yeah...yeah I do."
He pulled her into his arms, just wanting to hold her for a little while. There wasn't anything wrong with that, was there? Sam's head settled on his chest, but it was nothing more than pretence....playing at something they couldn't have. It was getting harder every day, he realised. He brushed his lips against her hair and Sam uttered a deep sigh. One of them was going to have to move....soon.
"I'd better go," he said.
"Yes," Sam replied.
"And you should get some sleep....what with that knock on the head and all..."
Neither of them showed any signs of releasing the other. This wasn't good. The lure of not having to obey the regulations was strong...even if it were only for a single night. Jack ran his fingers through her hair again. This time he wasn't distracted, he knew how precious this moment was. Sam...his beautiful major, was in his arms, right where she was meant to be. He felt it more tonight than ever before.
Time seemed to slow. They stayed in each others arms, watching and waiting....until the darkness faded and the sky lightened.
"Time to go," Jack heard himself say as the sun peeped through the curtains.
"Yes, sir," Sam answered.
She pushed herself away from him.
"You going to be okay?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," she repeated.
He picked up his coat and made his way to the door.
"Keep me posted, sir," Sam said as she held it open for him.
"I will."
"And...good luck."
She placed her hand on his cheek. The gesture said more than any words...They would have their time, Jack repeated to himself.....
Story Notes: Waiting 4 : SPOILERS: Chain Reaction
SEQUEL: Waiting and Waiting 2: Politics, Waiting 3: Shades of Grey......I'll Happily send copies to anyone who wants one :):)
SEQUEL: Waiting and Waiting 2: Politics, Waiting 3: Shades of Grey......I'll Happily send copies to anyone who wants one :):)
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 ]