Sam Carter gritted her teeth, knowing it was going to be agony at first. But she was a highly trained scientist, and the danger was minimal. There was a risk, perhaps... but not one she was willing to share with anyone else at the moment.
Closing her eyes she gingerly stepped into the steaming hot water in her bathtub and winced as she sat down, the fluffy white bubbles threatening to overwhelm her as she stretched out.
Lord, she missed this most of all. A shower might get you clean, but a bath... it was good for the mind and soul.
Lord, she was beginning to sound like Daniel.
Sliding down the cool porcelain she dipped her hair into the water, letting the gentle waves dance around the edges of her face with a subtle threat of trickling into her nose. The smell of antiseptic military life disappeared, replaced with the faintest scent of vanilla as the foam drifted around and over her bare skin.
This... was Paradise...
Except Eden probably didn't have a phone ringing in her ear, the vibrations sending ripples through the water as the thick bubbles parted in annoyance.
Pushing herself back up she reached for the ever-present phone, precariously balanced atop the stack of magazines on the small table. Can't ever be really out of touch with SGC, no matter how much she wished it.
"Hello?"
"Carter?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Are you alone?" O'Neill's voice sounded bemused. "It took you more than five rings to answer..."
"Sir, I'm in the bathtub."
"Oh." She could imagine the eyebrow raise. Pause. "So, are you alone?"
Patented Carter family eyeroll. "Yes, sir - I am. Now what can I do for you?"
"What the heck are you taking a bath for, Carter? We just got back six hours ago."
One hand dipped into a thick floating cloud. "Yes..."
"And I clearly remember you hogging a lot of hot water in the locker room; enough that Teal'c and I ended up playing Rock, Scissors, Paper to see who would get the cold shower."
"I'm sorry about that, sir."
"So..." A virtual shrug of the shoulders. "You're in a bath?"
"Yes."
"May I ask if it's a Bubble Bath?" She could hear the capitialized words.
"I really don't think that's any of your business, sir."
"With all sorts of strange smelling stuff like seaweed plants and mandarin oranges and things floating in the water?"
Carter half snorted, half chuckled into the phone. "Not that bad."
"Well, thank gawd! I'd hate to think of my Second sitting there with fruit floating by her. Doesn't exactly project that air of authority we're trying to keep up, you know."
"Ah..."
"And don't tell me you're going to smell like a fruit basket for the meeting tomorrow, please..."
"Don't worry, sir - it'll probably all wear off overnight."
"Unless you're going to do that sleeping on rose petals thing."
Her eyebrows rose this time as she slid down further into the water. "Colonel... have you been drinking?"
"Maybe." Two words, four syllables.
"And you called me because..."
"I wanted to ask you to send me a second copy of your report on the computer."
"You deleted it by accident again, didn't you." Lifting a hand she gazed at the oily water dripping off her fingers back into the bathtub.
"I thought it was spam."
"And should I bring another paper copy to the meeting tomorrow?"
"Not a bad idea." Pause. "Not strawberry, is it? I hate the smell..."
"No, not strawberry."
"I mean, I'm not trying to tell you what to do, Carter..."
"And I appreciate that, sir."
"... But geez... fruit? I mean, it's just so..."
"And what would you suggest, then?" Stretching out one long leg she nudged the hot water knob, starting a small trickle into the cooling tub.
"Vanilla is good... cinnamon..."
"Your recommendation is noted, Colonel. Now, if you'll excuse me - my hot water is getting cool and I have a long soak way overdue thanks to three nights sleeping on the hard ground of an alien planet. See you tomorrow at the meeting."
"Right. Hot. Soak. Cold water." A slow, deep intake of breath. "'Night, Carter."
"Goodnight, sir."
Dropping the phone back onto the towels she slid back down into the warm water thinking, not for the first time, that Colonel Jack O'Neill wasn't exactly like any other man she had met.
***********
Another week, another planet. Another quiet mission.
Nothing wrong with that; nothing wrong at all. And she was the first out of the infirmary and into the shower room yet again.
Opening her locker she reached for her towel with one hand, already unbuttoning her shirt. Just had to keep an eye on the clock this time...
Her hand brushed across something sitting atop her towel. Frowning, she pulled the small bottle out into the light.
From a Very Expensive Store. One she had only dared to visit on a full paycheck. At Christmas sales.
Shower Gel. Vanilla scented.
Placing it atop her towel on the bench Carter continued to undress, a wide smile on her face. Maybe they might all end up taking cold showers.
***************
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