*SAM'S POV*
I'm standing in front of the Colonel's office right now. I'm taking a deep breath and psychologically preparing myself for whatever the Colonel's going to say, and slowly I compose myself. And then I knock his door.
"Come in." he calls from the inside.
I open the door, step inside and then close it. He's sitting in his chair, writing something on a piece of paper. Is it his paperwork? Nah, I doubt it. Remember, this is the Colonel that we're talking about here. I make a move towards the empty chair in front of his desk. He's still writing, sometimes he glances to his computer screen.
"Sir, can I sit down?" I gesture to the empty chair.
He startles, and then he looks up to see me, "Oh yeah, sorry. Take a seat. I'm just going to finish this and I'll be with you in a sec OK?"
Weird, but I sit in the chair anyway. What's he doing anyway? I lean forward a bit to see what's on the computer screen, but he quickly covers it with his body.
"No peeking."
"Fine." I sulk but concede anyway, I lean back into the chair and cross my arms in front of my chest just to make my point clear.
But he completely ignores me and goes back to whatever he's doing and I just ... wait. He scratches his head ... writes some more ... glances at the screen ... writes again ... tears the paper, takes a new one ... writes some more ... scratches his head again ... writes again ...
Wow, I have never seen him so serious while facing a piece of paper before. Not even his comic books get this much attention. I'm so tempted to take another peek, but considering he is so self-aware, I guess I just have to stretch my patience as far as it can go.
This is so ... boring. I take a look around his office, nothing really interesting, ahhh, there's the security camera. Why is the red light still blinking? I thought for sure he would disable the camera. It's still active. I never ever understand how his mind works, he always surprises me in a way I can't imagine. My eyes travel again, mmm, there are medals hanging on the wall, a calendar, file cabinets, desk, the Colonel ... the last one catches my attention the most.
He is interesting just to watch, it's kinda cute actually. Concentrating on something, it's nice to see him like that. Unguarded, a bit nervous, his forehead crinckled in a frown indicating that he is thinking, now ... you don't see that often. I smile at the sight before my eyes.
Finally, he finishes whatever he's doing. Smiling proudly at his work, he folds the paper in two and switches his computer screen off. And then he looks at me.
"Are you ... mad at me?" he asks carefully.
Oh my God, this is why I avoided his eyes earlier, his expression is just priceless. My defence is crumbled and I burst into a fit of laughter. He looks at me strangely, there's concern in his eyes, "Are you okay?"
I wave my hand and manage to say a few words between my giggling, "I'm ... fine ... really ... fine."
"Then why are you laughing?" he asks suspiciously.
"Because ... because ... " I think I have tears in my eyes.
"Jeez Carter, take your time to calm down." He's confused, and he doesn't like that.
After a while my laughter finally dies down, but I bet I still have a silly grin on my face.
"What are you smiling at?"
"You." I answer honestly.
"Why?"
I want to laugh again, but he looks really concerned about me, so I take pity on him, "Daniel told me about how Freya was hitting on you during the Zatarc incident."
"He DID?" he almost jumps from his seat.
"Yeah."
"Oh ... so you know everything then?"
Not really, "I pretty much get the whole picture."
"So ... why were you avoiding my eyes when you ..."
"So that I didn't crack up right there and laugh at you. I figured that laughing at you in front of Jonas wouldn't be good for your 'overwhelming coolness'."
He smiles because of the relief, "So, I spent the last 3 and ½ hours thinking for nothing?"
"It's not my fault that you wanted to meet me at 16.00 hours." I give him my best innocent smile.
He shakes his head, and then looks at the folded paper.
"I was going to give you this. But since we're okay, I think I'll just have to throw it away."
"What is it?"
"Well ... you know that I don't say much ..."
"Right ..." my tone is slightly rising at the end there.
He glares at me, " ... so I wrote you a letter. Besides I forgot to disable the security camera in my office. But now that you don't need it ..."
He wrote a letter for me? Is that why he concentrated so much on the paper? I want to see it. I really do.
"I want to see it."
"But you don't need it." Damn, he knows very well that I want it. Let's try a diversion.
"You asked me whether I was mad at you. At some point I am."
"You are?"
"Yes." Well, no actually. I am mad, but not at him.
"Uhm ..."
"So, to fend my anger, will you please give me the letter?" I sweetly ask.
"Why?"
"Why what?" Now, he's the one who's confusing me.
"Why are you angry?"
"Because I wasn't the one that kissed you." Oops ... did I say that outloud? I guess I did. He looks shocked, but then he smiles. I try my best to keep my face straight, hoping that I'm not blushing furiously. He was going to give me the paper when there's a knock at the door. Talk about timing.
"Come in." he shouts.
The door opens and guess who it is? Of course it has to be Freya. Who else?
"Colonel O'Neill. Can I have a word with you?" when she notices that I am in the room she continues, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Yeah right, you're not. I flash her a vicious glare while the Colonel lets out an exhausted sigh. Well, at least he doesn't like this any more than I do.
"Just wait a minute."
He scribbles something else on the paper, takes another piece of paper from his desk drawer and then he took an envelope and put them inside.
"Here." He gives me the envelope, "Read it on your own. You're dismissed."
"Yes, Sir." I take the envelope from his hand and head out of the room.
As soon as I am out of the room, Freya closes the door. Damn, if she lays a finger on him again, I swear I will make it personal. I've been restraining myself because of our allegiance with the Tok'ra, but if she pulls another stunt on the Colonel, I wouldn't give a damn about it.
I have to do something about this.
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*JACK'S POV*
"Because I wasn't the one that kissed you."
Dear God, did she just say what I think she said? Stupid brain, why did you forget to remind me that the security camera needed a time off, huh? Oh well, at least I still have the letter, I might as well let her read it. I hope it won't freak her out or anything. I was going to give her the paper when there's a knock at the door. Arghhh, I'm so going to hate whoever knocked that door.
"Come in." I shout.
The door opens and then the 'trouble-maker' Tok'ra comes in. Why don't I feel surprised?
"Colonel O'Neill. Can I have a word with you?" when she notices that Carter is in the room she continues, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
For crying out loud, of course she is. I was feeling so good until that damn woman showed up. I was enjoying being alone with Carter, but then she had to ruin it. What is it with the Tok'ra and timing, I bet that they are cursed.
I let out a tired sigh, "Just wait a minute."
I add something on the paper, takes another piece of paper that I've already prepared earlier from my desk drawer and then put them inside an envelope.
"Here." I give Carter the envelope, "Read it on your own. You're dismissed."
"Yes, Sir."
She takes it and then as soon as she is out of the room, Anise/Freya closes the door. Trouble alert here.
"Uhm, could you leave the door open there?"
She blinks, "What I'm about to say is private Colonel. Isn't it customary for the Tauri to have a private conversation in a room with a closed door?"
What is it with her? She's driving me nuts, "... Or we could just leave it closed. Now, what can I do for you?"
She walks towards me and sits in the chair. I cannot tell you how grateful I am that my desk is present between that woman and I.
"I feel the need to apologize again."
"Apology accepted as long as you promise NOT to do it again." I emphasise the word 'not' here.
"I don't understand. After our last encounter, I've learned about the Tauri's courtship techniques in more depth, however the results seemed to prove that the lesson that I received is not effective." She talks about this as if it were a scientific project, I don't know whether I should be thankful about that or not. Wait a minute, she's been taking lessons?
"Anise ... Freya ... whichever you are, if you don't mind that I'm asking, who gave you the lessons anyway?" I could think of a few names.
"It was Teal'c. I asked for Jacob's advice first, but he just laughed at it and told me to 'give up', I must say that I do not understand his course of action."
Teal'c? It can't be. I mean I could picture Jacob doing it, Dad's got a wacky sense of humour, but Teal'c? Nah, there must be something else going on.
"Can you tell me what it was exactly that he said? The exact words, please."
"He said, 'I must say that the most efficient technique is to be honest'."
"And ...?"
"That was it."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"And you kissed me out of the blue based on this. How's that work?" Is it just me or does it not make any sense for you as well?
"Out of the blue?" She raises her eyebrow. Oh yeah, Tok'ra don't use expressions, do they?
I shake my head, "Never mind. Let me rephrase that; how could Teal'c's advice lead you to kiss me?"
"I was being honest with myself. I wanted to kiss you and I did it." That's right, where she comes from, people are not afraid to show their 'intentions'.
I run out of things to say here, "Next time ... don't."
She looks confused, "Did I do it the wrong way?"
She's really frustrating. I put my hands on the table and hit my forehead on it. Twice.
"Ohhh God, why is this happening to me?"
*Knock knock*
Salvation. Someone just knocked the door.
"Come in." My head tilts up and I shout eagerly. I'm so going to love whoever knocked that door.
The door opens and Jonas' head pops in, "You're looking for me, Colonel?"
I'm not. But this is my best chance to get rid of Anise/Freya.
"Yes, Jonas. Please come in."
After he is in, I get a really good idea. A really good one.
"Jonas, ..." who's the name of the host again? " ... Freya here wants to know more about Earth's culture. Why don't you fill her in? You've been learning about humans, right?"
He seems confused and I don't blame him at all, "Why me?"
Does he have to question everything that I've ordered him to do? "Just do it Jonas. That's an order."
I think it came out badly, he looks hurt, can you blame me for snapping when I'm in the verge of actually going mental? I soften my voice, "Jonas, the Tok'ra are our allies. Both of you could exchange information and make friends. I know how much you love information."
His face lights up, he's so easy to manipulate, "Of course, Colonel. I'd love to."
Atta boy.
"Freya, Jonas here will help you with any questions you have. And if you two could go somewhere and talk, I have paperwork to do." Actually, no, but I have my faithful GameBoy in my desk drawer begging to be played. The paperwork can wait.
"Very well, Colonel." She gets up and leaves my office, thank God for that. Jonas follows closely right behind her and then closes the door.
I stretch my arms. Ahhhhh, freedom. No snakehead, no annoying alien, no paperwork. Glancing at my watch, I think I have just over 5 hours to spend with my GameBoy. I can't wait until 22.00, hopefully Carter will show up.
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*JONAS'S POV*
I knock Colonel O'Neill's office door. Sam dropped by my lab earlier and told me that he needed to see me in his office immediately.
"Come in."
I open the door and stick my head in there, "You're looking for me, Colonel?"
He looks very happy to see me. Odd, very odd.
"Yes, Jonas. Please come in."
He is so enthusiastic to see me, something is wrong. I come inside his office, the Tok'ra, Anise is there, sitting in the chair right in front of him.
"Jonas, ..." he pauses for a while, " ... Freya here wants to know more about Earth's culture. Why don't you fill her in? You've been learning about humans, right?"
I don't get it. If the Colonel wants someone to teach the Tok'ra about his culture, isn't it better to have the earth-origin human than me? "Why me?"
He snaps at my question. "Just do it Jonas. That's an order."
That was ... uncalled for, why is he so upset about me asking a simple question? I could never understand him.
As if sensing my nervousness, his voice softens as he explains, "Jonas, the Tok'ra are our allies. Both of you could exchange information and make friends, I know how much you love information."
Of course, he wants me to study the Tok'ra in more detail, I can't believe that I hadn't thought of that. He was thinking about my interests, I look at him in a different way now, he is a very generous man in a way. "Of course, Colonel. I'd love to." I give him a sincere smile. I could've sworn that he was smiling back.
"Freya, Jonas here will help you with any questions you have. And if you two could go somewhere and talk, I have paperwork to do." The Colonel? Doing paperwork? I thought he never does that willingly. I guess you can't trust a rumour, this is new. Wonder what Sam would say if I told her this.
"Very well, Colonel." She gets up and leaves his office, I follow closely right behind her and then close the door.
"Where do you want to go and talk?" I ask the Tok'ra representative.
"Anywhere you're comfortable with, Jonas Quinn."
"Please, just call me Jonas."
"Very well."
We're walking side by side down the corridor towards the elevator.
"Hey, what about my office, if that's alright with you."
"It is."
Not a talkative person, I notice.
Suddenly she turns around and faces me, "Can I ask you something?"
I shrug, "Sure."
"What do you think about Colonel O'Neill?"
This is going to be a very long day.
- to be continued -
Story Notes: This is ... Awkward - 02 - Please do not post or distribute this story without the author's permission. Copyright by Blue Topaz, 2002
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 ]