Night One
"Everyone okay?" Jack O'Neill swiveled around, checking on Teal'c and Carter, and then taking in his surroundings. He stood in front of the Stargate on its familiar plinth, in the midst of a sea of blue. The Colonel blinked a couple of times at the unexpectedly vivid color and the cloyingly sweet smell that assaulted his nostrils. Quickly regaining his equilibrium, he looked round for Thor, just in time to see the alien's casket disappear in a flash of shimmering blue light. "I hope they got you in time, buddy," O'Neill mumbled to himself.
Sam Carter walked up to him, closely followed by Teal'c. "Do you think we did it, sir?"
"I guess we'll only find out if we make it back to Earth." He spun round again, gesturing at their surroundings. "I know I'm not always the sharpest tool in the box but I think even I would remember a planet being this blue."
"It wasn't, sir. When we visited before it was this planet's winter; now it's summer... and the flowers are blooming."
"You're telling me!" muttered the Colonel, glancing round again. He frowned. "I guess this blue stuff is a crop of some sort. Any ideas what it might be?"
Carter shrugged. "The only Earth crop I can think of with blue flowers is linseed but that doesn't smell like this."
"So what you're saying is that you have no idea?" O'Neill grimaced. His nose was starting to prickle. He was not going to sneeze... he was not. Daniel was the one with the allergies, not him. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he looked round again. In the distance he spotted smoke rising. "I don't remember this place being inhabited either."
"Daniel Jackson suggested there could be a nomadic population," said Teal'c solemnly.
"I think he's about to be proved right," muttered the Colonel, pointing into the field to their left. The crops were waving and bobbing as if someone were pushing through them on hands and knees. O'Neill drew his weapon and released the safety catch.
There was one final rustle and a man emerged in front of them. Before he could stop himself, the Colonel said, "It's a munchkin!"
The man was tiny, only about four feet tall and, as far as Jack could tell, unarmed. He wore a simple pale green tunic and sandals but his clothing wasn't what drew the attention. His completely bald head reflected the sunlight and there was a tattoo in the center of his forehead. O'Neill wasn't familiar with that particular symbol, but he knew what it meant. He raised his weapon - a Jaffa was a Jaffa, no matter how big they were.
The man looked at them curiously, his head tipped on one side. He then glanced over his shoulder and beckoned. Dozens more munchkins appeared from the crops and completely surrounded them, staring silently, all wearing the same kind of pale green tunics, all totally bald. Jack felt a shiver run up his spine. This was getting kind of creepy.
Carter apparently felt the same. There was a nervous edge to her voice when she said, "Are you going to speak to them, sir?"
Hell, where was Daniel when you needed him? O'Neill cleared his throat; he was sure this wasn't included in his job description. "We come in peace..." he said, then added, "from Earth." Not up to Jackson's standard but it would have to do for now.
The munchkins took this as some kind of signal and crowded in closer, forcing the three members of SG-1 to stand back to back at the center of a space no more than six feet in diameter. Oh crap, thought O'Neill, better try talking to them again. He lowered his weapon and raised his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. "We don't mean you any harm. We're friends." He forced a smile, which he hoped looked more convincing than it felt.
A low muttering broke out amongst the munchkins, who crowded in even closer, until they were almost touching SG-1. Then Jack felt a push on his right thigh, followed by a push on his left. "Okay!" he protested. "I get the idea. You want us to go this way, right?" He began walking in the direction he'd been pushed.
==
Sam Carter didn't like this at all. No sir, not one little bit. They'd only just escaped from the doomed Asgard ship with their lives, only to find themselves surrounded by extras from a bad horror movie.. Or the Wizard of Oz.. Take your pick. She glanced down to her right at one of the munchkins. He - well, she assumed he was a 'he' - looked up at her curiously. She tried smiling. The munchkin frowned, then looked away. Oh well, so much for Sam Carter's people skills, she thought grimly. She assessed their chances in a fight as they were pushed along a wide track towards the rising smoke. Somewhere between bad and zero she decided. There were just too many of them.
She glanced round at her teammates. The Colonel was furious. She could tell - a muscle under his eye was twitching - he had to be exercising phenomenal self-control not to try and fight his way out of the situation. Meanwhile, Teal'c was walking along as if being surrounded by beings under half his size was the most normal thing in the world. She caught the Jaffa's eye and said quietly, "Which System Lord do they serve?"
"Bastet," said Teal'c.
"New kid on the block, huh?" the Colonel asked.
"He is not a child, nor is he new," replied Teal'c. "He is a most respected and feared System Lord with many worlds under his control."
"So why haven't we met him before?"
"He was allied with Ra and has not been heard from since Ra and his forces were destroyed at Abydos."
"Keeping a low profile."
"Indeed."
They lapsed into silence and Sam looked out over the sea of shiny heads as she trudged along towards the rising smoke. It wasn't far now. Perhaps half a mile, possibly less. Apart from the smoke, she couldn't see any other signs of civilization but considering Daniel's hypothesis of a nomadic population, this was hardly surprising. The fields had changed from the continuous blue they'd encountered around the Stargate to pasture, complete with grazing animals. She surmised they were something like sheep or goats, but with a slightly more avant-garde color scheme.
"Green sheep.." Muttered the Colonel thoughtfully. "Who'd have thought it. ready dyed wool. I guess that explains why they're all dressed in the same color."
"This particular animal is kept mainly for its milk," offered Teal'c, "which is also green."
Sam and the Colonel exchanged a look. It was obvious that neither of them had any urge to try a thick shake in this neck of the woods. Then completely out of the blue, she was suddenly struck by what a lovely shade of chocolate brown his eyes were. Almost as if he could read her thoughts, he gave her a shy half smile and her stomach fluttered. Her totally inappropriate thoughts were interrupted by Teal'c's booming voice. "I believe we have reached their settlement."
Sam looked round to see a circle of low tents clustered in the shelter of trees about two hundred yards ahead. There were more munchkins milling around, then she noticed one stop and point in their direction. Here comes the welcoming committee, she thought wryly.
A couple of their escorts ran on ahead and disappeared amongst the tents. Sam guessed they were reporting to some elder about their prisoners. Moments later, she was proved right when the escorts returned, closely followed by three more munchkins in bright green tunics. The crowd parted to let them through, bowing reverentially as the elders passed by.
=====
Jack winced. It looked like this was the time for serious negotiations and there was no Daniel to help with the diplomatic stuff. Why, oh why had he come down with appendicitis now? O'Neill took a deep breath and said, more sincerely than he felt, "We come in peace.from Earth."
The three elders studied SG1 carefully, their heads cocked to one side. Jack took the opportunity to look more closely at them. The three could have been brothers, but there were slight differences when you looked carefully. They weren't all exactly the same height - the one standing in the center was a little taller than the other two - and their expressions were different too. Out of the three there was one "curious", one "puzzled" and one "hostile".
"Hostile" pointed sharply at Carter and said something. His two colleagues nodded in agreement. Frustration washed over Jack. He had absolutely no idea what they'd decided about his 2IC but he'd bet his Senator Kinsey voodoo doll it was nothing good. Then "Puzzled" turned to Jack and said the same thing.or at least Jack thought he said the same thing. There was more nodding, a little more enthusiastic this time, from the other two. Jack's stomach clenched. He weighed up the odds of fighting their way out. They still had their weapons, but there had to be a couple of hundred munchkins at least. To escape, there'd have to be a lot of bloodshed - something he wasn't willing to do until he was sure these strange little guys were actually their enemy. After all, so far, they'd just been annoying.
While he was deep in thought, the munchkins had turned their attention to Teal'c. "Curious" stared hard at the Jaffa, apparently paying particular attention to his tattoo, then his eyes widened and his mouth formed a perfect 'o'. He yelled something, pointing at Teal'c.
The effect on the munchkins was instantaneous. They all fell to the ground face down.
Jack pursed his lips and frowned at Teal'c. "T?" he whispered. "Any idea what's going on?"
The Jaffa looked almost embarrassed. "I do not, O'Neill, but they are behaving towards me as they would towards their god."
"But you said they were in the service of Bastet," interrupted Carter. "They wouldn't do this for the First Prime of another System Lord."
"No they would not," agreed Teal'c. "It is most curious." The Jaffa looked back at the prostrate munchkins and Jack swore he saw a small smile flicker over Teal'c's face. Could their normally stoic Jaffa actually be enjoying this?
"Sir, I have an idea," said Carter.
"What?"
"Do you think they speak Goa'uld?"
Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that? He glanced at Carter and smiled in thanks. She was gorgeous and mind-blowingly intelligent, there was no way he could keep up with her, no matter how much he wanted to. He stopped mid-thought. Where the hell had that come from? For crying out loud, they were in a dangerous situation and he was having unprofessional thoughts about his second in command? What was the matter with him?
Dragging himself back to reality, he said, "Shoot, Teal'c!" Then he added, just in case Teal'c was about to take him a little too literally, "Metaphorically speaking."
O'Neill and Carter waited patiently while Teal'c carried on a conversation with the munchkins who were still face down on the ground. After a few minutes, they all got to their feet keeping their eyes fixed on the ground.
"Well?" asked Jack.
"They are the Volari people and their primary purpose is to harvest the blue lotus flower for Bastet. They intend to put you and Major Carter to work assisting with this harvest."
"And the throwing themselves at your feet thing?" asked Jack sarcastically.
"They believe I fulfil an ancient prophecy and will liberate them from Bastet."
"They were expecting the First Prime of Apophis to come and save them?" asked Sam.
"It is written that the servant of the snake-headed god will come through the magic ring and smite the evil one, banishing him to oblivion," said Teal'c calmly nodding at the surrounding Volari, who were all staring at him with eyes like saucers. "I fit the description."
"Smite?" muttered Sam under her breath, trying to suppress a smile.
Jack frowned. He was rapidly tiring of these munchkins. "No chance of us going home?"
"I believe we should help them before we attempt to return to the SGC," said Teal'c, simply.
"And free them from their god." Jack took a deep breath, resigning himself to staying on the planet for a while at least. "Sounds fun, but we can't do that while we're picking flowers."
"I told them that, O'Neill. But they were most insistent that I do not need your assistance to free them, therefore they believe the best use of your time is in helping with the harvest." Teal'c paused and inclined his head slightly to one side. "However, I will continue to try and change their opinion on this matter."
Jack jumped when he felt a prod from behind. He looked round and saw two Volari close behind them, one pushing Carter and one shoving him forward with a little more enthusiasm than he felt was necessary. After a particularly painful prod Jack yelled, "Hey! There's no need for that, we get the idea." As they were forced towards a nearby tent and relieved of their weapons, Jack cast a glance back at Teal'c, who nodded, silently acknowledging he would do everything he could to secure their freedom.
=====
The inside of the tent was dark and musty. Sam blinked a couple of times, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the dim light. After a few moments she managed to make out what looked like a pile of skins and blankets on a low pallet against one of the sides of the tent. That must be the bed. A second glance round the tent confirmed there didn't seem to be anything else. She turned to the Colonel. "What now, sir?"
O'Neill raked his hand through his hair, making it stick up at all angles. Sam stifled the urge to smile at how boyish it made him look. He walked over to the bed, fiddled with the blankets a little and sat down. "We wait," he said, patting the bed next to him. "Teal'c will get us out of here soon."
Sam looked at the space next to her commanding officer and swallowed. He wanted her on the bed with him. Oh wow! All kinds of fantasies raced through her mind, most of which were concerned with getting down and dirty with the Colonel. She shook herself. No, he didn't want her on the bed with him, he wanted her to sit on the bed next to him - there was quite a difference. What was the matter with her? It had to be the stress. some kind of after effect of too much adrenaline. Yes, that was it. adrenaline.
Sam sat down on the bed next to him and stretched out her legs. Unsure what to do or say, she let out a long breath and smiled nervously at the Colonel.
It was going to be a long night.
==
Night Two
Jack awoke and forced his eyes open. He'd been having such a nice dream - he'd cuddled a giant hot water bottle in the shape of Carter all night - it seemed a shame to have to wake up. Then he realized the hot water bottle was still there. still warm. and still Carter-shaped. Uh-oh. It was Carter, fast asleep and in his arms. She was turned away from him and he had his arm around her, his hand resting on her stomach. He gently flexed his fingers, trying to move his hand away before she noticed what he was doing. She muttered something unintelligible and grabbed hold of his hand.
He remembered the night before and how they had ended up in the same bed.
They'd been finishing off the meal of fruit provided by the Volari he thought of as "Puzzled" when Carter asked, "Do you think Teal'c is going to come back tonight, sir?"
Jack stood up and peered out the tent flap. "Somehow I doubt it. It's almost completely dark now. It's pretty quiet out there. I guess everyone has turned in for the night."
"So. are we going to try and escape, sir?" She looked hopefully at him.
He grinned back. "Sounds like a plan, Carter."
Sam stood up and walked over to the doorway. They both looked out. No signs of life whatsoever. Nodding curtly to Carter, Jack took two careful steps outside the door. He stopped instantly as he felt something sharp prodding at his stomach. A Volari stared up at him, frowning and pressing a spear into Jack's midsection. He was sure there hadn't been anyone there a moment ago - so where the hell did he come from?
"Why have you stopped, sir?" asked Sam, as she cannoned off his back.
"I don't think we're going anywhere, Carter," Jack said wearily, pointing at the Volari.
She peered round him. "Ah, I see. Perhaps we ought to go back inside, sir?"
"Good thinking, Carter."
They'd gone back into the tent, feeling rather dispirited and slumped down on the bed in unison. "I guess we ought to try and get some rest, sir," Carter had said.
"Yeah." Jack had stared at the bed. It was kind of narrow for two people. He swallowed hard. With more bravado than he felt, he gestured toward it. "After you."
Sam frowned. "Thank you, sir." She carefully lay down on the bed, facing away from him. Jack waited until she seemed settled and lay down beside her, facing the opposite direction, their backs towards each other like a pair of bookends. When he finally stilled, he heard a quiet, "Good night, sir."
"Good night, Carter."
He'd lain awake for a while listening to her breathing until it slowed and deepened. Somehow knowing she had nodded off soothed him and he'd surrendered himself to sleep.
So sometime during the night he must have turned over and started cuddling Carter. Yes, it was definitely him that had moved; he was facing away from the door now. He tried to move his arm away again but Sam grabbed it more firmly and pulled it hard against her, moaning quietly. She shifted in her sleep and ground her ass into his lap. Oh god, he thought, don't do that. please don't do that. He wriggled his hips backwards so Carter wouldn't feel his mounting embarrassment. He was horrified when she just wriggled back with him. No, much as he wanted to grab her, turn her over and kiss her until they couldn't breathe, that was not professional behavior and he wasn't going to do it. No, sir. He wasn't.
Though he might if she kept writhing against him like that and letting out those little breathy moans.
Summoning up every ounce of self-control he possessed, he yanked his hand away from Carter's iron grip and propelled himself backwards, ending up in an undignified heap on the floor. He was just trying to get his breath back and his wayward hormones under control when he heard, "Sir?" from behind him. He turned to find Carter sitting up and staring at him, wide-eyed and innocent, from the bed. "Are you all right, sir?" She seemed genuinely concerned and apparently completely unaware that she was the cause of his discomfort.
"Er. yeah. I guess. I think I had a nightmare." Ooh, smooth, O'Neill, see if she buys that one.
Sam looked doubtful for a moment, then said, "Well, I'm glad you fell that way. You would have ended up on top of me if you'd rolled this way." She stopped dead, as if suddenly realizing what she'd said, and by the look on her face, Jack surmised she was thinking exactly the same thing as him.
Him on top of her. And not in an innocent, friendly way. Oh boy. He swallowed. Their eyes locked. Blue on brown. Female on male. Jack began to move towards her, drawn by some animal magnetism he was powerless to resist. Her eyes challenged him to continue. He leaned in towards her. Their lips brushed, sending shocks of pure sensation straight through Jack's body. He reached up, cupping her head in his hand and..
"O'Neill, Major Carter!" The booming voice was unmistakable and they sprang apart like they'd been stung.
Jack swiveled round to face the Jaffa, fully aware that he was blushing bright red like a teenager who'd been caught making out, which considering how he felt wasn't far from the truth. "Yes, Teal'c," he said, with more authority than he felt.
"If you are busy, I can return later."
Jack squinted at Teal'c. Was he making a joke? Sometimes it was difficult to tell. In his experience it was best to err on the side of caution. "No, not doing anything important." At this he thought he heard a strangled noise from Carter but he couldn't be sure and he certainly wasn't going to turn round to check. "What did you want, Teal'c?"
"I have not as yet secured your release. However." Teal'c paused, and looked at Jack long and hard, ".I have discovered that the Volari are not true Jaffa. They do not carry symbiotes because of their size."
"That's interesting," said Carter. "So they are enslaved purely to harvest those blue flowers?"
"Indeed."
"I have also discovered the use to which the Goa'uld put the flowers."
Jack thought Teal'c looked uncomfortable in a peculiarly Jaffa kind of way. "Spit it out, Teal'c," he said impatiently.
The Jaffa's eyes flicked from Jack to Sam and back again. "They are a powerful aphrodisiac."
Jack heard a whispered, "So that's why." from behind him and suddenly everything started to make some kind of sense.
"Do you think these flowers could affect humans?" he asked, in what he hoped was a nonchalant way.
Teal'c nodded. "The Volari could not answer that question but they know the flowers do not affect them. That is why they are enslaved to harvest them. They tell me the normal dose for a Goa'uld is to inhale the scent of two blooms. You have been breathing in the aroma from several fields. I believe it could have a debilitating effect on both of you."
"You don't say," muttered Jack under his breath.
There were raised voices from outside the tent. "I must leave now," said Teal'c as he turned to go. "I believe you will be put to work in the fields shortly."
"Oh joy," said Sam, loud enough for Jack to hear.
Jack watched Teal'c leave, then took a deep breath and turned to face Carter. She was studying her fingernails intently. "Carter," he said quietly. "Sam." She looked up and he thought he saw the glistening of unshed tears in her eyes. "Sam," he repeated. "This is weird, very weird. I'm not sure how we'll deal with it. but we'll find a way."
She nodded and forced a smile. "I'm sorry for earlier."
Before she finished her sentence, Jack cut her off. "No, anything that almost happened earlier was instigated by me, not you, and in any case Teal'c came in before we." The memory of her kiss hit him like a thunderbolt, stopping him mid-sentence. The touch of her lips was branded indelibly on his brain and he knew he would never forget it. All he wanted to do at this moment was kiss her again. He gritted his teeth. No, he had to be strong.
"Yeah," she said, so quietly he almost couldn't hear her voice.
"What happened earlier.what I've been feeling since we got here.." At this Sam's eyebrows shot up and he instantly realized she'd been thinking the same things, feeling the same things. That idea did nothing for his peace of mind. "It's just been because we've been drugged.we don't really feel like this at all." When he said that last phrase, Jack felt like he ought to have his fingers crossed behind his back. The truth was he did carry a torch for his 2IC, but he knew she wouldn't be interested in an old soldier like him.well, she might if she was drugged with some Goa'uld aphrodisiac, but under normal circumstances, no way.
==
Sam's heart fell at Jack's words. "We don't really feel like this at all." Well, he might not, but she certainly did. She'd wanted him almost since they'd met in that briefing room three years before, she'd wanted him when he'd said, "I adore you already." She'd wanted him when she'd jumped him in the locker room and he'd pushed her away saying, "Not like this." She'd wanted him then, and she still wanted him now. Oh boy, she wanted him now. That kiss had set her nerves on fire and it hadn't even really been a kiss, more of a whisper.
She tried to pull herself together and remember she was being affected by the aphrodisiac, tried to tell herself that these feelings weren't quite real, but it was hard, very hard. Sam didn't feel drugged, in fact, she felt alive, invigorated. She dropped her head into her hands and sighed.
Jack's hand squeezed her shoulder. The feel of it burned into her skin and she shuddered. "We'll get through this, Carter. We'll get through this." To Sam it sounded like he was trying to convince himself as well as her. He squeezed again, and then removed his hand. She looked up and smiled weakly at him. "That's my girl," he said, smiling back, then realized what he'd said and winced. Was everything they said going to be laced with double meanings?
"I'm okay sir," she said firmly. "As you said, we'll get through this. And without doing anything.er.unprofessional. I think I just need a while to get used to the idea of what's happening to us."
Jack got up from the floor and sat next to her on the bed. They sat in awkward silence for several minutes until a Volari arrived and gestured that they should follow him out to the fields.
==
The field was hot, dusty and smelly. At the Colonel's suggestion, they'd both tied cloths around their faces to try and limit the effect of the flowers. Sam had no idea if it was working but as the scent of the flowers prickled at her nose and irritated her throat, she suspected it wasn't helping much. That, and the thoughts she was still having about her commanding officer. He was working to her left, a large wicker basket on the ground next to him as he picked the flowers from a bush. O'Neill was bent almost double to reach the flowers near the ground, presenting her with a most distracting rear view. She swallowed hard and turned away. No, she rationalized, that view was enough to drive an undrugged woman insane. She definitely didn't need to feel guilty about that one. But the ones where she'd imagined him throwing her to the ground in amongst the bushes? Well, she was marking those up to the flowers.
Sam wiped away the sweat beading on her forehead and straightened up, stretching her aching back. The sun shone high in the sky and the temperature was already uncomfortably warm. She felt moisture trickling down her back and between her breasts. What she'd give for a cool shower right now! But although the Volari had been meticulous about making sure they had enough to eat and drink, they didn't seem to care much about personal hygiene - they hadn't been offered so much as a bowl of water to wash in. The work was boring, monotonous and they seemed staggeringly bad at it; the Volari working near them were going much faster. Three hours of hard work and all she had to show for it was half a basket of flowers. The Volari watching them hadn't seemed too displeased by this when he'd checked on them, he'd just shrugged and gestured that they ought to go faster. Sam guessed he was too hot to care as well.
A shout went up and all the Volari in the field stopped work. Sam looked at the Colonel and he nodded, indicating he thought they ought to do the same. They sat down on the ground, glad of the chance to rest their tired muscles. "How are you doing, Carter?" he asked.
"Apart from the aching back, sore fingers and sweat? Fine, sir." She thought it best not to mention the sex-filled thoughts she'd been having.
"Me too." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him turn towards her. "And the passion-soaked fantasies of an apparently sex-starved mind aren't doing me much good either. I haven't felt like this since I was eighteen."
She looked up quickly to see him grinning at her. Sam grinned back. "I know what you mean." A wave of relief washed over her. Perhaps if they made a joke out of it, it would be easier to deal with. "The recurring fantasy of you throwing me in amongst the bushes and having your wicked way with me was getting too much."
"Ouch, sounds uncomfortable. Definitely not going to happen. I'm more of a 'nice, soft bed' man myself. Not getting any younger, you know."
Sam giggled. Yes, humor was the key to dealing with this. if they could laugh about it, they were going to be able to get through it.
She firmly ignored the little voice that reminded her that there was a nice, soft bed in their tent.
==
Jack frowned at Teal'c's departing back. It had been a long day and he'd hoped the Jaffa would have had better news. He'd been allowed, as the Volari's prophesied savior, to go where he liked and had taken advantage of this and tried dialing Earth from the Stargate. No wormhole had formed. How long would it take them to get the second gate up and running? Of course, that assumed that they had succeeded in destroying the Replicators. He wasn't going to consider the other options at this stage. Carter had speculated it would be a few days at least before they could reasonably expect the second gate to be running, so for now, they had to sit tight and wait.
He closed his eyes and leant back against one of the tent poles. Things had been easier between himself and Carter since he'd decided to make a joke out of their predicament. Easier.but not easy. The awkwardness had gone but he still wanted to make love to her every time he looked at her. Did she feel the same? He couldn't tell. And now they had to share that damn bed again.
==
Night three
It was a wonderful dream. Sam was snuggled up to Jack's back, her arm looped over his waist. He shifted slightly in his sleep and she took the opportunity to caress the flat planes of his stomach, the muscles shifting a little under her touch. In the dream state her senses were heightened, setting her fingertips on fire at the slightest touch, sending shocks up her arm and through her body. Growing bolder, she worked her hand lower, to his waistband, and she tugged gently on his t-shirt, pulling it free of his trousers. Sighing deeply, she insinuated her hand under his t-shirt, feeling the warm skin under her fingertips. Nuzzling the back of his neck with her lips, she started to work her hand upwards when suddenly Jack's breathing changed and he stirred slightly.
Then she realized.
She had swum up to consciousness. Her eyes were open and she wasn't dreaming any more. No wonder the dream had seemed so vivid. Sam was lying with her hand under Jack's t-shirt, caressing his chest and she was kissing the back of his neck. Oh god.
She froze. Was he awake? If she stayed very still, perhaps he wouldn't notice, and then she could carefully remove her hand. She listened intently to his breathing. Slowly it evened out. Good, he was asleep. She slowly withdrew her hand, trying not to touch his skin as she worked it back out of his clothes. When it came free, she let out a long breath and rolled onto her back.
Jack rolled with her. Sam twisted round in horror; if he was awake, he was going to be seriously pissed about this. And he was awake; he had propped himself up on one elbow and was looking down at her. She met his eyes and swallowed. "I'm sorry, I was dreaming." she stuttered.
His expression softened. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me, Sam? Waking me up like that." he whispered. His eyes searched her face, looking almost black in the dim light. He reached over and gently stroked her cheek, leaning in towards her. "I'm just about past caring what is causing this and what the consequences will be if we take it further." He moved closer, brushing her forehead with his lips. Sam shuddered and closed her eyes. "I want to make love to you."
Her eyelids fluttered open and she was aware of his breath on her face, his eyes getting nearer.then his lips gently touching hers. "Oh god," she murmured. "We shouldn't.."
"Do you want me to stop?" He pulled back and looked down at her, tracing a finger along her jaw, making her swallow hard.
"No.yes.I don't know. I don't know how much of this is the drug and how much is what I really want."
He smiled gently, sighed and kissed her on the nose. "Then perhaps we shouldn't, Sam. I'd like you to still respect me in the morning."
Jack sat up and got out of bed, leaving a cooling patch beside Sam on the bed and in her heart. That might have been the only time he would ever offer to do that and she'd turned him down. Why the hell had she done that?
===
Jack opened the flap of the tent and stared out. One or two Volari acknowledged him as they walked past, nodding curtly. He barely registered their presence. What the hell had he been thinking? He'd propositioned Carter. Thank god she'd hesitated, or he would have made love to her right there on the bed. He glanced back over his shoulder. She was lying on her back, staring into space.
Feeling more than a little awkward, he went back into the tent. "Carter.Sam. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."
She smiled. "I do, sir. I was thinking pretty much the same thing. It's the aphrodisiac.I think it's beginning to effect our judgment."
"Ya' think?"
Sam grinned in response and shook her head. "What I meant is that I think it's getting worse."
"Yeah, you could be right."
"So what are we going to do about it?"
"I think we should try and maintain a distance." Jack waved his arm in a vague gesture. "Not make physical contact." He glanced down at Sam, and swallowed hard before continuing. "Considering what's almost happened the last two mornings, I really don't think sharing the bed is an option we can entertain at the moment."
"I agree." Sam looked as disappointed about this idea as he felt. Seeing her unhappy made him want to take her in his arms and hold her till she cheered up, which of course wasn't going to happen under the current circumstances. Holding her would lead to cuddling her, which would lead to kissing her.which would lead to making love to her. It all made him want to scream with frustration but he knew he had to behave professionally or they'd ruin their friendship forever.
=====
They'd spent all day picking the noxious blue flowers, until their backs screamed in protest and their fingers throbbed. Sam had deliberately tried to think of other things to keep her mind off Jack - after what had almost happened that morning there was no way she was ever going to think of him as 'sir' or 'Colonel' in her private thoughts. She'd considered the inner workings of the DHD, the existence (or not) of dark matter, which kind of doughnut was her favorite and how many things she could think of that were exactly the same shade of blue as the flowers (all she came up with was blue jello). None of it had really worked. There was a constant nagging pull in her lower belly; a yearning that wouldn't go away.
She had stolen a few glances at him when she'd weakened, and judging by the grim set of his features, he wasn't coping much better. They'd hardly exchanged any conversation all morning, and then they'd eaten their lunch in silence, sitting a few feet apart on the dusty ground. Then they'd gone back to work when the Volari did without so much as an acknowledgment of each other's presence.
In the afternoon she found a recurring thought preying on her mind. What would happen if they never did manage to establish a wormhole with Earth? Would they consummate their relationship? Or would they be doomed to eternal frustration and eventual madness? Sam shook herself. Veering into melodrama wouldn't do either of them any good.
When they got back to the tent, they found Teal'c waiting for them. "I have been speaking with the Volari elders," he said, as soon as they were in earshot. "We have a problem."
Sam glanced at Jack. His expression was stormy. "Another one?" he snapped.
Teal'c quirked an eyebrow at O'Neill but apparently decided to ignore his outburst. "I have been told that Bastet's Jaffa will be here tomorrow or the day after to collect the flowers. When they leave, they also take four Volari with them. This happens every harvest." The Jaffa paused. "They do not know where these people go.they are never seen or heard from again."
Jack straightened visibly, slipping unconsciously into what Sam thought of as command mode. "We need a plan." He glanced at Sam, as he always would under these kinds of circumstances, then flinched and quickly turned to Teal'c, as if he couldn't bear to look her in the eye. She shuddered inwardly. This was what things had come to.he couldn't stand the sight of her.
"I have already told them to bury the Stargate when we have left," said Teal'c. "However, if we do this now, we will remove our only means of escape."
"I take it you've tried dialing out again today?" asked Sam, relieved to finally have something else concrete to think about.
Teal'c nodded. "The seventh chevron did not lock."
"Any chance of us getting our weapons back?" asked Jack.
"I believe they may consider that option, O'Neill, but I need to talk to them again."
"Go to it, Teal'c. I don't see any other way of stopping Bastet's Jaffa." Jack leant forward and looked more closely at Teal'c's face. "What's that on your chin?"
Teal'c rubbed the small area covered in stubble and said, enigmatically, "It is a sign of the prophet. I am required to wear it."
"I don't have to grow one too, do I?" asked Jack, sounding to Sam just like a petulant little boy.
The Jaffa frowned. "You are not the prophet."
"And you are?"
"They believe I am." When O'Neill did not reply, Teal'c continued, "I must go and talk to the elders."
"Knock yourself out, Teal'c," said Jack to the Jaffa's departing back. After letting out a deep sigh, he turned to Sam. "Any ideas?"
"We could bury the gate now." Sam really didn't like that option but she knew it had to be said. They'd be safe enough here - in a week or two, they'd either be completely insane or at it like rabbits, but they'd be safe - and it didn't take a genius to guess what might happen to the Volari who were captured. It was no contest, but she didn't have to like it.
Jack frowned, apparently agreeing with her. "We'll leave that as a final option. I'd like to get home."
"Me too, sir." She smiled grimly at him and he smiled back.
"So we need a plan B.."
=====
Sam wasn't sure if it was because they finally had something else to concentrate on apart from each other but the feelings of intense attraction and frustration eased a little as they sat at opposite ends of the bed in companionable silence. She stretched and bent down to take off her boots. Studying the pile of skins and blankets on the bed she guessed that whoever was sleeping on the floor was going to get pretty cold; there weren't really enough for two.
Flexing her shoulders and yawning until her jaw cracked, Sam realized she was exhausted. "I'm ready for bed, sir," she said quietly, trying hard not to think of any and all double meanings associated with what she'd just said. "Shall I take the floor?"
"No, I will," Jack said, pulling a couple of skins and a blanket off the bed and depositing them on the floor a few feet away.
=========
Night Four
Jack woke up with a sore back, pins and needles in his arm and no feeling whatsoever in his right leg. He was also shivering with the cold. Why had he had that sudden urge to be the gentleman and volunteer to sleep on the floor? Gentleman or no, Sam could have the floor tonight. He stopped mid-thought. When had he stopped calling her Carter and started calling her Sam, in his mind at least?
Perhaps it was when he'd almost made love to her.
He listened carefully. The encampment was quiet. It had to be really early. The only sound was Sam's steady breathing. He couldn't see her face, she was turned away from him, the rise and fall of her shoulder silhouetted against the side of the tent. Jack levered himself up into a sitting position and stifled a groan as every muscle in his body protested. He stretched, allowing his body time to adjust to being upright, then stretched again, feeling a few tired muscles pop into place.
Jack stood up and walked slowly over to the tent flap and opened it. He glanced back at Sam and sighed. He still wanted to make love to her. The touch of her lips and the feel of her skin under his fingers would haunt him forever.
He heard a rustling noise and then footsteps approached him. "Good morning, sir," Sam said, quietly, her breath brushing his neck. He thought he could feel her body heat burning into his back. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. No, he was not going to give in.
Firmly, he took a couple of steps forward and turned round. "Good morning, Carter." His heart ached at her gloriously disheveled appearance. Her hair was all over the place and she was still rubbing sleep from her eyes. He restrained the impulse to wrap his arms around her and kiss her until they couldn't breathe.
"I've been thinking, sir."
He nodded in acknowledgement. Usually Carter thinking preceded something worth listening to.
"What if we got the Volari to destroy the crops?"
"So there's nothing for the Goa'uld to collect?"
"Yeah. Or tell the Volari to go so far away, the Goa'uld will never find them."
"Another good idea. We need to ask Teal'c if either has a chance of working."
Sam ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to straighten it out. She pulled a face. "Ugh. I'd kill for a hot shower right now."
"Me too," agreed Jack. "Do you reckon the Volari have a sense of smell? I can't help noticing we're not the only ones with a personal freshness problem round here."
Sam grinned. "Well, it would explain why they aren't affected by the flowers."
======
They had another long, boring day in the fields. Jack tried hard not to watch Sam as she bent over to pick the flowers but the more he tried not to, the more he found his eyes wandering over to where she was. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take this. She was so lovely.even with dirty hair and a grubby face.
Jack wasn't surprised when Teal'c was waiting for them back at the tent. "How come we never see you in the fields?" Jack asked grumpily. "We could use the help."
Teal'c blinked and looked at Jack as if he was mad. "I am the prophet and as such I do not demean myself with manual labor."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right."
The Jaffa drew himself up to his full height and clasped his hands behind his back. He cleared his throat. "They refuse to let you have your weapons."
"What?" Jack exclaimed. "Do they want liberating or not?" The Volari were rapidly beginning to annoy him in a big way.
Teal'c had the good grace to look a little uncomfortable. "They are happy for me to have my staff weapon."
"Wow," muttered Jack sarcastically.
"Well, they have spears. Perhaps we could use the element of surprise. The Goa'uld won't be expecting the Volari to resist them. Do you know how many Jaffa are likely to show up?" Sam said.
"They tell me there are usually four. We could ambush them at the approach to the village."
"They could kill quite a few villagers before we managed to overwhelm them," said Sam.
Teal'c nodded. "I think the Volari would consider that an acceptable risk."
"Do we get to join in with this little plan?" Jack asked.
"No, O'Neill." An unreadable expression passed over Teal'c's face. "I do not believe they trust you."
"Teal'c," said Sam. "I've been thinking."
"Yes, Major Carter."
"You said Bastet was keeping a low profile."
"Yes, Major Carter."
"Would Bastet's Jaffa know you were no longer in the service of Apophis?"
Teal'c frowned. "I believe that to be unlikely."
"Why don't you tell them that Apophis has claimed this planet?"
A faint smile twitched at Teal'c's lips and Jack found himself beaming with pride at Sam's suggestion. God, she was clever. And beautiful. And.no, he was not going down that road again. He shook himself.
"I think that plan could be successful, Major Carter. I must consult with the elders." And before either Jack or Sam had chance to answer, he'd turned on his heel and left.
Jack watched him disappear into another tent. "Do you think he's behaving a little strangely?"
Sam grinned. "More so than usual?"
"Yeah." Jack frowned, trying to put his thoughts into words as he followed Sam into the tent. "I think he's on a power trip, you know."
Sam slumped down on the bed and pulled off her boots. "I don't think we need to worry yet, sir. I don't see him turning into a second Jonas Hanson." She shuddered involuntarily and Jack felt a wave of anger rise up at the memory of the man who'd almost killed them all.and had been engaged to Sam. The anger rose up more sharply at the idea of another man knowing Sam like that. He shut his eyes. No, he had no right to be jealous.it was just the flowers making him think like this.
=======
Night five
Sleeping on the floor hadn't been fun. Sam ached in places that she didn't know she had. She'd woken at the crack of dawn - much earlier than Jack had - presumably because she was so uncomfortable. After a few minutes stretching and shifting around, she sat up against one of the tent supports and watched Jack sleep. Relaxed and peaceful, he looked much younger, though Sam reflected that sleep hid one of his best features - his lovely dark brown eyes. Frustratingly, their acceptance of the situation hadn't made any of the feelings she had for him go away. She'd almost grown accustomed to the constant feeling of slight arousal she had whenever she was near him, which given their present circumstances was all the time.
As she watched his chest steadily rise and fall she had an idea. Would the feelings go away if they gave in? Would it be like scratching an itch? She guessed there was no way to know without actually trying it and somehow she didn't think that was likely to happen anytime soon. She smiled to herself. It was a nice idea, though.
After Jack awoke and they were given breakfast, they were yet again led out to the fields by a Volari, who'd given them a basket each and pointed them at a row of plants.
"Not many flowers left," said Jack, "I think we're nearly done."
Sam glanced round the field and nodded. "Yeah. I think we'll finish up in a couple of hours."
They started work in silence, trying to ignore the soreness in their fingers and their backs. After an hour or two, they heard a shout go up and two Volari ran towards them waving their arms in the air. Sam looked at them in astonishment. They were thoroughly overexcited, their little arms going like windmills and talking ten to the dozen. When they got close enough, they grabbed hold of Sam and Jack's hands and tried to pull them to their feet.
"Sir, do you think the Goa'uld have come for the flowers?"
Jack stood up and dusted himself down. "I think that could be a good guess, Major," he said as the Volari started to drag him towards the village.
Sam drew a huge circle in the air with her hands and made a whooshing noise, then stood up very straight, frowned and stuck out her bottom lip a little. The Volari in front of her jumped up and down nodding enthusiastically.
"Oh good impression, Major. Remind me to get you to do that for General Hammond when we get back!"
Sam grinned and they hurried back to the village.
======
Sam and Jack stood inside their tent, either side of the opening and cautiously peered out. Four Jaffa came to a halt in the middle of the village. Volari, all holding spears surrounded them, though Sam noted they weren't actually threatening the Jaffa with them. She smiled to herself. One step at a time.one step at a time. The Jaffa, as was usual for Jaffa, looked complacently smug and apparently completely unaware that several hundred armed Volari surrounded them. Just because they hadn't run into any trouble before, they assumed it couldn't happen. Well, they were going to get what was coming to them!
It was infuriating to be stuck this far away from the action, but she and Jack had to stay concealed for their plan to work. If the Jaffa saw them, they'd know Teal'c wasn't representing Apophis. Fascinated, she watched the scene unfold.
Teal'c stepped out of one of the other tents and faced the Jaffa. They eyed him suspiciously. Sam leant as far forward as she dare and strained her ears to hear what they were saying. "You will tell your god that Apophis is now ruler of this planet," boomed Teal'c. Sam thought he looked even more imposing than normal.
"Yeah, definitely on a power trip," whispered Jack, grinning at her from the other side of the tent opening. Sam stifled the urge to giggle.
"He will be taking this year's harvest," said Teal'c. "Your god will have to go elsewhere."
The four Jaffa hesitated and looked at each other. Apparently, this wasn't an eventuality they'd prepared for. A few of the braver Volari waved their spears belligerently.
"You may leave. And tell your master if he sends you back, we will not be so merciful."
They looked even more doubtful. Sam almost felt sorry for them. They were going to be in big trouble when they got back to Bastet. She just prayed they weren't going to start shooting. As if they'd read her mind, two of the Jaffa pointed their staff weapons at Teal'c. There was a sudden and violent movement of the crowd and the staff weapons were abruptly dropped. Sam hadn't been able to see what had happened but she guessed it had something to do with a lot of spears.
"I guess they've got the point now," said Jack mischievously.
Groaning at the awful pun, Sam glanced across at him and grinned. When their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat. Oh no, not again.. She turned away quickly and tried to drag her attention back to the scene playing out in front of her.
She saw the Jaffa look at each other and a few murmured words were exchanged that she couldn't quite catch. They didn't seem happy though. After a few minutes, their leader spoke. "We will tell our god what you have said. He will be most displeased. He will rain down divine retribution on you, your god and these people."
"Sticks and stones." muttered Jack.
Some of the Volari began prodding the Jaffa in the same way they'd been prodded when they'd first arrived but with one big difference - this time they were using spears and were getting quite enthusiastic about it. They gradually forced them out of the village and along the path to the Stargate.
"Yes!" Jack hissed through his teeth.
Sam turned and smiled at him. "Now we just need to get home!"
======
Night six
What was the reverse of 'time flies when you're having fun'? 'Time drags like hell when you're stuck in a tent all day with a woman you want to make love to until you both see stars'? Jack frowned to himself. Yeah, that worked for him. From his position sitting on the floor of the tent, he could see Sam lying on her back on the bed, staring into space. She looked as thrilled with their circumstances as he was. He tried, and failed, not to notice her womanly form silhouetted against the side of the tent.
There had been no more harvesting flowers because there were no more flowers to harvest. No more Jaffa, for now at least, as they'd run off with their tails between their legs back to Bastet. No wandering about outside because even after all they'd done the Volari still didn't trust them. No showers. And, according to Teal'c, who'd checked the 'gate for the last two days, no going home yet either. Basically, he and Sam had nothing to do and plenty of time to do it in, which meant they had lots of time to think about each other.
Jack drew a pattern in the dirt floor with his finger. It looked a bit like General Hammond.if he squinted. He considered showing his masterpiece to Sam, then stopped himself, realizing how stupid he'd look if he did that. Was he cracking up? At that moment, he felt it was a distinct possibility. It probably had something to do with that extra blood flow going to a certain part of his anatomy and short-changing his brain in the process.
"Do you think we'll get back?" Sam's voice sounded harsh in the quiet of the tent.
"I hope so." He wasn't going to lie to her, but there was always hope, wasn't there?
She let out a heavy sigh and rolled over so she had her back to him. Jack knew how she felt. The SGC had had six days to get the second Stargate out of mothballs but so far there was no sign of it being operative. He was beginning to think that they had failed spectacularly in their mission and the Earth was now overrun by millions of blue Lego spiders. He'd tried not to think of that possibility but the longer they were stuck here, the more it preyed on his mind. All their friends destroyed by the Replicators relentless need to multiply. The General and his cute little granddaughters, Daniel and Janet just starting out on a new relationship, Cassie and her dog.the list was endless. He let out a long breath. No, he had to hope.and think about something else.
Jack doodled another pattern on the ground. A spider? An octopus? God knew.he certainly didn't. Roughly he rubbed his hand across the marks, obliterating them. He glanced up at Sam. Would they eventually give in to the desires haunting their dreams.and every waking hour? Just looking at her, he felt a stirring in his groin. He closed his eyes. This was driving him insane, totally, completely and utterly round the twist and he didn't think he could take much more without just jumping her, regulations be damned.
A thought struck him. Would having sex make the feelings go away? He supposed it might but of course, he could be thinking that because he was searching for the flimsiest excuse imaginable to make love to Sam. Or it might work.or he might end up even nuttier from trying to second guess himself.
Sam sitting up interrupted his tail-chasing thoughts. "I'm going to the ladies' room," she said.
"Don't get too comfy in there," he yelled to her departing back, knowing the 'facilities' consisted of a hole in the ground a few yards beyond the village.
"I'll try not to," she yelled back, an obvious smile in her voice.
Jack wondered what Sam would say if he suggested a therapeutic tumble in the bed. The phrase 'level four hand to hand' sprang to mind instantly. Then a little voice pointed out she hadn't exactly beaten him off with a stick that morning Teal'c had interrupted them.but she had stopped him the following day.
Just trying to think about it made him dizzy. He shifted position, trying to get comfortable. It was difficult on the hard floor. The bed beckoned invitingly. He thought for a moment. No, Sam wouldn't mind, she'd had the bed for a few hours: they were supposed to be sharing after all.
Standing carefully, ignoring his protesting muscles, he walked over to the bed. He sat down, then lowered himself full length on the blankets - they were soft and yielding and smelt of Sam. Stretching languidly on his back, he closed his eyes and relaxed.
========
On her way back from what passed as a latrine, Sam wondered how much longer she could carry on bantering with Jack in the way they always did. How long she could hold out before he said something that just tipped her over the edge and she threw herself at him.
Her thoughts of the day before came back to haunt her. Would they cure it by giving in? No, that way lies madness, Sam, she chided herself. She ducked as she walked through the tent flap and her eyes were immediately drawn to Jack lying on the bed. His eyes were closed and his arms flung out above his head. She had never seen him look so inviting.
Hearing her enter, he opened his eyes and gazed at her through half-closed lids. Her stomach lurched and her mouth instantly went dry. The look was the embodiment of sex: lustful, wanting and hot. Dear god, she thought, is he trying to make me cave in? Then he seemed to come to and smiled. The moment was gone but it left Sam shaking.
"Nodded off for a minute there. Do you mind if I have the bed for a while, I was getting kind of stiff?"
Trying not to think about certain parts of Jack being stiff, she nodded. "That's fine. You should have asked earlier." She stood looking down at him. He looked back at her.
"What?" he asked.
"I.you're." she shook her head. "It doesn't matter."
"Okay," said Jack, closing his eyes. "I think I'm going to try and get some sleep." He stretched again. Sam swallowed. Since when was stretching so sexy? She stood watching him for a few more moments then came to a decision.
She had had enough.
And she was going to do something about it.
She licked her lips. It was now or never. Screwing up her courage, she knew she just had to say something but when she tried to speak, all that came out was a weird little cough.
Jack opened his eyes and looked at her curiously. "What is it, Sam? You're twitching."
Vaguely registering the fact that he'd called her Sam, she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry but I can't carry on like this, it's driving me nuts." Her words came tumbling out, almost running together in her nervousness. "I was wondering if we." She glanced up into his eyes and felt her courage disappearing rapidly. No, she thought, don't look at him. You'll never say it if you look at him. She tore her eyes away from his and stared at her boots.
"Get on with it, Sam," he said, a teasing note in his voice, as he sat up.
"Iwaswonderingifwediditifthefeelingwouldgoaway." Sam felt the blush rise to the roots of her hair.
"I think I got that," he said. "But I never knew you could speak that fast." He stood up, took a couple of steps towards her and put his hand gently under her chin. Pushing her head up so she could look into his eyes, he said quietly, "I've been wondering exactly the same thing."
There was something hypnotic about his eyes; chocolate pools that she wanted to drown in. She couldn't possibly look away from him now. Her mouth felt suddenly dry and heart was hammering in her chest. "We can't feel worse than we do already," she whispered.
"I think we'll feel a whole lot better." He smiled and bent his head to hers, brushing her lips with his.
Sam sucked in a sharp breath. The touch was electric, sending tingling fire all over her body. She kissed him back, cradling his head in her hands, and felt his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her body tightly to his. The nagging ache in her belly grew stronger, more insistent, demanding more sensation.more Jack. She could feel his urgency grow as he pressed his body against hers.
"God, Sam. I want you," he whispered, then bit gently on her earlobe.
Her knees almost gave way. It was too much and at the same time not enough. "I want you too," she said, pulling his shirt free of his trousers. His breath hitched violently when her hand found his bare skin. Returning his mouth to hers, he kissed her deeply, their tongues dueling passionately as Jack maneuvered her over to the bed.
When the back of her calves hit the bed, Sam overbalanced and they toppled in a tangle of arms and legs onto the pile of blankets. Jack landed on top of her, his weight pressing her down onto the bed. Their faces were only inches apart. He kissed her again, more tenderly this time and ran one of his hands down her body, coming to rest on the hem of her t-shirt. "Are you sure, Sam?" he asked, gazing deep into her eyes.
"Yes, Jack, I'm sure." She'd never been so sure of anything in her life.
====
Night Seven
"O'Neill, Major Carter!" Teal'c burst into their tent, rousing Sam from a deep, peaceful sleep. She felt Jack's arm tense around her as she opened her eyes and stared at the Jaffa. Oh god, he would find them in bed together. But somehow, she felt so contented she couldn't work up the energy to care very much. She'd just had the best night of her life and she wasn't going to let anything spoil it.
"For crying out loud, this had better be good, Teal'c," said Jack. As he spoke, he traced tiny circles on her stomach with his fingers. Sam shuddered and glanced down to check Teal'c couldn't see Jack's hand. With relief, she realized it was obscured from view by the blanket.
"I am told that the prophet will leave today, so I was going to try dialing Earth. I thought you may wish to accompany me."
"You buying into your own publicity now, Teal'c?" asked Jack sarcastically. "Do you think the prophet will be leaving today, Major?"
Sam was aware just how ridiculous it sounded for him to be addressing her by rank when they were lying in bed together naked. She suppressed the urge to giggle. "I guess we could use some exercise, don't you think, sir?" she responded.
Jack made a strange choking noise and pressed his hand firmly against her stomach. Got you! Sam thought. "Teal'c. Give us a few minutes, will you?" he said.
"I will wait outside," said Teal'c as he turned and left.
"He really believes that crap," mused Jack as he nuzzled Sam's neck.
"Well, he has saved the Volari from the Goa'uld. And he has a." She craned her neck so she could look over her shoulder at Jack and rubbed her chin.
"You saved the Volari from the Goa'uld. I recall it was your idea that did the trick. And I don't see what a beard that pays more than a passing resemblance to a caterpillar has to do with anything."
Slipping out of Jack's grasp, Sam got out of bed and started getting dressed. "I think you're just jealous because you didn't get to be their prophet."
=====
The prophecy had come true. They had got home. And as she'd expected, Teal'c was insufferably smug. They were safely back at the SGC and General Hammond had just given them permission to shower. She'd been a little worried about having to explain what had happened on the planet, but Jack had sidestepped Daniel's question about the caterpillar on Teal'c's chin, neatly avoiding the issue for now at least. Feeling like she was walking on air, Sam headed towards the locker room and the much longed for shower.
"Sam?" She turned towards Jack and stopped dead. His expression had completely changed from the loving, playful man she'd known since the night before. He looked deadly serious. "We need to talk." He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby storage room, shutting the door behind them. Sam could feel his touch burning her flesh where he left his hand resting on her arm.
"What's wrong?"
"What happens now?" he said. "Do we carry on with this? Or do we accept it only happened because of the flowers and go back to how we were before?"
Sam felt her heart lurch. She'd been almost carefree a few minutes before and now.. She'd come back to reality with a bump. Of course, Jack was right. They had to address this now, before they got any further and before they returned to their normal, aphrodisiac-free lives. She took a deep breath. "I accept we have been affected by the aphrodisiac. But I know how I feel now. I know I want to be with you."
He nodded. "At the moment I feel the same, but perhaps it would be best if we didn't carry on with this. It's all an illusion. smoke and mirrors. And there are the regulations to consider. and our careers."
So this is what heartbreak feels like, Sam thought. She looked into Jack's eyes and saw her feelings mirrored there. But deep down, she knew what he was proposing was the best course of action. They couldn't jeopardize everything they'd worked for over the last three years for an illusion. "I guess." She knew she sounded unwilling but that was how she felt.
"Don't you agree?" asked Jack softly, his tone of voice reminding her of the previous night.
"Yeah, but I don't have to like it!" she snapped, pulling her arm away and stalking out of the room, leaving him staring after her.
====
And even after the much longed for shower, Sam was as miserable as sin. And then she'd had quite possibly the most embarrassing conversation of her life with Janet when they'd had their post mission physicals.
Janet carefully placed the blue flower Sam had given her into a plastic bag and sealed it. She removed her gloves and looked at Sam intently. "So you're telling me that this aphrodisiac caused you and Colonel O'Neill to have sex while you were on the planet?"
Sam felt the blush rise to the roots of her hair. "Yes."
"You didn't try to resist it?"
"Of course we did! We lasted nearly a week!" Janet's right eyebrow shot up. Sam felt about two inches tall. When you put it like that, it sounded like she was a sex-starved nymphomaniac. And Janet appeared to agree. By the look on her face, the Doctor probably thought that she, and Jack, had no willpower whatsoever and had used the flimsiest and most outlandish excuse imaginable to consummate their relationship. "You weren't there, Janet. You don't know what it was like!"
"No, I don't," agreed the Doctor, studying Sam intently. She pursed her lips, as if unsure of how to phrase her next question. "So what are you going to do about it now that you're back?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"We decided that it was all aphrodisiac induced, so it wasn't real. It's business as usual with SG1, assuming you've allowed Daniel to go back to active duty."
"You're just going to ignore it?"
"Yeah."
"Like it never happened?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure that's.healthy?"
"It's healthy for our careers. and our friendship." Sam tried to sound more certain than she felt. "He's made it clear that it's what he wants."
"How do you feel at the moment?"
Caught off guard, Sam said, "Like I want to rip his clothes off, right here, right now. I'm sure it'll pass.."
Janet's left eyebrow joined her right, heading for her hairline.
=======
"Jack, you're a coward!" Daniel stared at his friend in amazement. They'd gone to O'Malley's after Jack had showered and had been checked over by Janet. It had taken him three beers to get round to mentioning the fact that he'd slept with Sam while they were on the planet. And then another one to explain how they weren't going to continue their relationship.
Jack stared back defiantly over his beer. "Don't mince your words, Daniel."
"But giving up." he waved his hands vaguely in the air.
"I'm not giving up anything," Jack said firmly. "It was all drug induced. Like a particularly good party in the 1970s."
"Why don't I believe you?" Daniel frowned at his friend and wondered if beating him over the head with something heavy might help. Any fool with eyes could see how Sam and Jack felt about each other. Any fool except Jack.
Jack took a long swallow of his beer, and slammed his glass down on the table. A few people at nearby tables looked round at him. "She can't want me," he said, so quietly that Daniel almost didn't hear him.
"Why not?"
"I'm too old.have too much baggage." He glared at Daniel. "She can't want me."
"Repeating it won't make it any more right," said Daniel reasonably. "You've got to tell her how you feel."
Jack shook his head violently and stood up. "I'm going home. I need to get some sleep. See you tomorrow, Daniel."
Before the archaeologist could reply, Jack had turned on his heel and walked out of the bar. Daniel took a sip of his beer as he watched him leave. There had to be something he could do to get Sam and Jack together.there had to be.
=========
The next day
"Has Jack told you what they decided?"
"Sam has."
"What do you think?"
"They're a couple of world class idiots."
"Amen to that."
"So what are we going to do about it?"
"Well, I have an idea.it's not entirely ethical but it just might work. I'll need your help."
=====
Jack and Sam almost bumped into each other at the entrance to the infirmary. Sam's eyes flicked up to Jack's quickly and she blushed. God, what this man could do to her! He looked away quickly. Just being in his presence reminded her of what had happened between them on the planet. And why it could never happen again. He was right.what they'd done was wrong but it didn't stop her thinking about it what felt like every waking moment. She wasn't sure if she could cope with working with him.perhaps she needed to ask for a transfer back to the Pentagon.
Gesturing at their surroundings, he asked, "You're not feeling ill, are you?"
"No, Janet asked me to come. You?"
He nodded. "Let's see what that Napoleonic Power Monger wants, shall we?"
They walked into Janet's office. The petite doctor sat at her desk and smiled when they came in. "Please sit down." She gestured to two chairs on the opposite side of the desk to her. "There's something I need to discuss with you both."
Sam didn't like the expression on Janet's face. It looked like bad news. "What is it, Janet?"
The doctor was intently studying a couple of files open in front of her. "You both told me what happened.and this will only be reported to General Hammond.I want you to know that."
Sam and Jack exchanged a glance. This was sounding worse by the minute. "Get on with it, Doc," muttered O'Neill.
"The so-called aphrodisiac was completely inert." She steepled her fingers together on the desk and waited for them to reply.
"You're kidding, right?" Sam was incredulous.
Janet shook her head. "No. Not kidding. There was absolutely nothing in that plant that would have any effect whatsoever on human physiology. Neither of you were drugged in any way, shape or form when you were on the planet."
It took Sam a moment to process this news. They weren't drugged? So, what on earth had happened?
Janet cleared her throat. "Anything that happened between you." she paused as if trying to find a delicate way of putting what she was about to say. ".was totally natural and a result of the feelings you have for each other."
Jack stared at Sam. "I think I might want to change my mind about what I said.."
Sam smiled hesitantly at him. "Me too."
Janet stood up suddenly, clapping her hands loudly on the desk and making them both jump. "Well, that's all I have to tell you, so you can go now."
They numbly got up and walked out of the office and through the infirmary. So it was real? Oh wow. Sam couldn't get her rampaging thoughts under control. He'd meant it all? He wanted her? Her?
Once they were in the corridor, Jack said, "Let's go to my office."
Sam nodded and followed him to the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, he said, "I meant all of it, Sam. Did you?"
"Hell, yes!"
He pulled her to him for a kiss. Only the sound of the elevator doors opening made them break apart. "Come on, Sam," he said, grabbing her hand. "We've got a lot to talk about."
====
Janet looked up at the soft tap on her office door. She smiled at Daniel.
"Did they buy it?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Do you think it worked?"
"Judging by the way they were looking at each other.yes."
"Good idea of mine, wasn't it?" He leant over the desk, invading Janet's personal space. "They'd been dancing around each other far too long."
"Don't ever tell Hammond."
Daniel grinned at her. "Of course not." He kissed her gently on the lips.
"You haven't been at that aphrodisiac, have you?" she asked playfully. "It's strong enough to increase the libido of an elephant."
"Don't need it, I've got you," he whispered, as he captured Janet's mouth in a kiss.
====
~end~
Wendy's Fan Fiction
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/wendy.parkinson/stargate/index.htm
Story Notes: Email: wendyparkinson@hotmail.com
Spoilers: Nemesis, Small Victories
Season/Sequel info: set between Nemesis (season three) and Small Victories (season four)
Archive: SJD. Anyone else ask first please, but I'll almost certainly say yes.
Date: 29/05/2005
Author's Notes: This story originally appeared in the Revelation 2 Zine, published in May 2004.
All feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated. No flames please.
Spoilers: Nemesis, Small Victories
Season/Sequel info: set between Nemesis (season three) and Small Victories (season four)
Archive: SJD. Anyone else ask first please, but I'll almost certainly say yes.
Date: 29/05/2005
Author's Notes: This story originally appeared in the Revelation 2 Zine, published in May 2004.
All feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated. No flames please.
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 ]