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Story Notes: SEASON: Six

SPOILERS: Small spoilers for the season six ep Sight Unseen.

FEEDBACK: Please. It's a long time since I’ve written anything.


Fish, Fish Some More


"I could stay," Jack suggested, as he and Carter rounded the corridor.

"We've all been cleared, sir. The base is clean. Jonas is probably suffering from stress. This is all still pretty new to him."

"You could come with?" Jack asked casually as they approached the elevator and he slid his security pass through the slot.

"Sir?"

He turned to face her. "Fishing, Carter. I’m going fishing."

"You know I'm planning on studying the artefact," she reminded him.

"Yes, there's always something, isn't there?" he answered, before stepping inside the elevator.

"Oh, come on, sir," Sam began, exasperated. "We both know the only reason you asked is because you knew I had something else to do."

"No, really. I think you should come. Fish, fish some more," he managed, before the doors closed and blocked him from view.

Before she realised what she was doing, Sam reached out and tried to re-call the elevator. Part of her hoped her request would be ignored; that the doors would remain closed and her CO would be carried towards the surface. But another part of her wanted the doors to re-open so she could finally ask him one of the many questions on her mind.

Just as she thought nothing was going to happen and began to turn around to head back to her lab, the doors slid open.

Sam watched as the Colonel raised his eyebrows in question, and she seriously contemplated feigning ignorance as to why the elevator wasn’t carrying him upwards through Cheyenne Mountain.

"Carter?" he questioned.

"Uh." Sam's eyes darted towards the back of the elevator, and the officers who were presently staring ahead and ignoring their commanding officers, before landing back on her CO.

"Do you have a moment, sir?"

He hesitated only a second before taking an exaggerated step out of the elevator and allowing the doors to close behind him.

"So, change your mind?"

She couldn't tell whether the expression on his face was hope or nerves. Maybe it was a mixture of both.

"No, sir. I have a question." Aware of some SGC personnel passing along the corridor behind them, Sam waited a moment before continuing. "Why do you always ask me to go fishing when you know I have work to do?"

She couldn't really blame him for the stunned expression she saw cross his face. She couldn't quite believe she'd actually said it.

"Carter?"

Obviously neither could he.

"Why do you always ask me to go fishing with you when you know I can't?" she asked again, waiting, watching as the stunned expression gave way to awkwardness.

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

He opened his mouth to retort, but stopped short. Two airmen were approaching both them and the elevator. Carter stepped to one side of the corridor while Jack went to the opposite, standing in silence as the airmen chatted away quietly, unaware of the tension between the two senior members of SG-1.

Finally, it arrived, and the airmen stepped inside.

"Sir, Mam, are you coming?"

Sam looked over at O'Neill. She'd almost feel relieved if he took the opportunity to end the conversation by getting back into the elevator.

"No," he shook his head. "I'll catch the next one."

For the third time, Sam watched the doors close, then turned to see Jack, hands shoved in his pockets, looking over at her.

He was speaking before she could say anything.

"You know, you don't have to study that artefact now. It would still be here when you got back."

Of all the comebacks she thought he'd have, she hadn't expected that one.

She watched him, she watched him watch her, neither of them quite sure what to say next. Instead, she allowed a sigh to escape, surprised but relieved to feel much of the tension leave her. How could she blame him for using her work as a block, when she was guilty of doing exactly the same thing?

"I guess we're both as bad as each other, sir," she smiled.

This time she reached over to the wall, slipping her own card down through the slot.

He returned her smile with a, "Yeah, I guess we are."

They both turned as the doors opened to an empty elevator.

Sam caught his sideways look as he stepped over the threshold, the hopeful grin as he turned to face her.

"Carter?"

"Sir?"

"You know, you don't have to wait for an invite." He reached over and pressed the button for his level.

"Oh?" Sam moved closer, just stopping short of entering the elevator herself.

"All you have to do is give me the word and we'll……fish."

Sam couldn't help but match the Colonel's grin with one of her own.

"And fish some more," he called, as the doors finally closed between them.

Grinning from ear to ear, Sam turned and headed for her lab. She had work to do.



The End

Copyright © Diane 2003




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