samandjack.net

Story Notes: This is ... Awkward - 04 - Please do not post or distribute this story without the author's permission. Copyright by Blue Topaz, 2002


*SAM'S POV*

The letter was so ... him. It's honest without being over the top and so simple. And that's one of the reasons why I'm here now. Inside an empty closet somewhere on Level 6. Why? Because he dragged me inside. He would be the Colonel of course. I met him in front of the elevator, just like the letter said, 20 minutes earlier than the time he suggested. Can you blame me? I was so exited about the whole thing, he said he could do something about my 'anger', wasn't that sweet? Anyway, much to my surprise, he was already there.

"You're early." He said with a great smile across his face.

"Look who's talking." I pointed out.

"Hey, I don't want to keep a lady waiting. It's rude."

"Okay ... I'm here, so what are we going to do now?"

"Wait." He scanned the corridor with his eyes, "Follow me."

I walked behind him, and then suddenly he grabbed my hand and pulled me inside the empty closet.

"Why are we here?" I really had to ask that.

"Shhh ... lower your voice a bit." It's quite dark inside, I couldn't see a thing. But I can feel that the Colonel is moving around, searching for something. And then suddenly, a bright light showers the 'room', I guess he just switched on the light. The closet is quite spacious actually, around 1x2 m.

"So ... why are we here?" I ask in a lower voice.

He turns around and faces me, "Take a look at this place."

What? I hesitate for a while, but do it anyway. There's a beanbag in the corner of room and a box next to it. That's it, other than that, the room is just barren, not that it has enough space in the first place anyway.

"And then what?"

"What do you think about this place?" he looks expectantly.

"It's ..." I search my brain for the right word, "comfy." Where did that word come from? Being alone with the Colonel is bad for my brain and sanity ... but to be totally honest, it's good for my soul.

He grins, "It's my secret place."

Huh? "Your what?"

"My secret place. My hiding place. No one can find me here ... not even Hammond."

"Oh ..." I honestly don't know what to say.

"I want to share this with you. Make this into our secret place, OUR hiding place." He put his hands on my shoulders, "Where we can be just ourselves here. No Colonel, no Major, no Sir, no Carter. Just you and me." His eyes pierce down into my heart and his words melt my spirit, "Just 'us', what do you say?"

"I'd love that." I say this with all my heart, and my best smile.

"Good. Take a seat." He pushes me gently to the beanbag, I make myself comfortable there, and then he sits on the floor, leg crossed. We just sit there, staring and smiling at each other like mad. It's like being a teenager again.

"So ... how did you find this place anyway?" My curiosity got the better of me.

"Oh, it used to be one of Daniel's storage rooms, but after he ... glowed, I cleared it. In the SGC database, it's still Daniel's though, so no one can use it."

"I see, no one would ever think to look for you here." Realization starts to dawn.

"Yup, although I don't think it would make any difference for the Asgard."

"Can't argue with you on that."

This is nice and refreshing, we just sit there and talk about everything. About Cassie, Dad, my brother, his cabin (make a mental note to say 'yes' someday), his desires to have a dog, Jonas, Teal'c, Janet, Hammond, and even about Daniel. I cherish this, when we are alone and just comfortable in the company of each other.

"Do you think that Daniel misses us?" I ask.

"Sure he does, I bet all his floating friends are not as interesting as us."

I chuckle at that, "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you. They're capable of making a good light show."

"We could do that. I know someone that could mix gunpowder and some chemical, it can produce a memorable firework show, I bet it can beat Oma's light show."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. Charlie used to like it." The Colonel never talked about his son to me before, I quite like the way he's opening up to me.

I touch his arm, "Tell me what Charlie was like?"

He smiles sadly, "He ..."

*Click*

Someone opens the closet door, so much for privacy, my head automatically turns to face whoever it is.

It's Jonas. He's frowning when he sees us inside the closet.

"Is this one of your military things that I'm not supposed to understand?"

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*JACK'S POV*

Where's the damn switch? I know it's here somewhere. I can feel Carter shifting a bit even though it's completely dark here. I've been waiting since 21.30, part of me was so eager to see her, part of me was dreading that she wouldn't come. To my relief, she showed up 10 minutes later.

"You're early." I couldn't hide my smile.

"Look who's talking."

"Hey, I don't want to keep a lady waiting. It's rude."

"Okay ... I'm here, so what are we going to do now?" She's curious, not that I can blame her.

"Wait." I took a look at the corridor, ahh, there's the security camera, "Follow me."

She walks behind me, I looked at the camera again, it was turning and ... one, two, three, GO, I grabbed her hand and pulled her inside the closet. I needed to time everything if I want to keep this closet a secret. Now, where's the switch again.

"Why are we here?" She asks.

"Shhh ... lower your voice a bit." This closet may be empty but the corridor is a well-travelled path by SGC officers. Ah, there's the switch, I turn it on.

"So ... why are we here?" She asks again in a lower voice.

I turn around and face her, "Take a look at this place."

She hesitates for a while, but she does it anyway.

"And then what?"

"What do you think about this place?"

"It's ..." she pauses, "comfy." Comfy? Where did that come from? Well, at least she doesn't hate it.

I grin proudly, "It's my secret place."

She looks startled, "Your what?"

"My secret place. My hiding place. No one can find me here ... not even Hammond."

"Oh ..." She's shocked.

I quickly explain, "I want to share this with you. Make this into our secret place, OUR hiding place." I put my hands on her shoulders, "Where we can be just ourselves here. No Colonel, no Major, no Sir, no Carter. Just you and me." I hope she understands what I'm implying here, "Just 'us', what do you say?" I want to share everything with her, but we need to take things slow, this is my first step.

"I'd love that." She says with her rare smile that always makes my heart skip.

"Good. Take a seat." I push her gently to sit on the beanbag, and then right in front of her, I sit on the floor, legs crossed. I could do this for the rest of my life. Just sit here staring at those blue eyes.

"So ... how did you find this place anyway?" She starts a conversation.

"Oh, it used to be one of Daniel's storage rooms, but after he ... ", what's the word? "glowed, I cleared it. In the SGC database, it's still Daniel's though, so no one can use it."

"I see, no one would ever think to look for you here." She's one smart girl.

"Yup, although I don't think it would make any difference for the Asgard." At least it can keep the Tok'ra away from me.

"Can't argue with you on that."

This is great, we talk about a lot of stuff. About Cassie and her boyfriend, her dad, her brother, my cabin (I wish she would say 'yes' someday), my dilemma of having a dog, about the new guy (Jonas), Teal'c and Junior, Janet, Hammond, and even about Daniel. I love this and I hope we can do this everyday.

"Do you think that Daniel misses us?" she asks. I've been thinking about this as well.

"Sure he does, I bet all his floating friends are not as interesting as us." I speculate.

She's giggling, "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you. They're capable of making a good light show."

"We could do that. I know someone that could mix gunpowder and some chemical, it can produce a memorable firework show, I bet it can beat Oma's light show."

"Really?" her eyes roll.

"Oh yeah. Charlie used to like it." Wow, I feel so comfortable that I actually can talk about Charlie willingly, no one has been able to do that since Daniel.

She touches my arm, "Tell me what Charlie was like?"

I look at the woman in front of me, I know I can trust her with everything. So I decide to tell her about one of the most important things in my life, "He ..."

*Click*

Someone opens the closet door, for crying out loud, who is it? Don't they know that I'm trying to be romantic here? My head turns around towards the door, equipted with a deadly glare.

It's Jonas. What is it with this guy? He even has the guts to frown.

"Is this one of your military things that I'm not supposed to understand?"

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*JONAS'S POV*

I've just read Doctor Jackson's reports on SG-1's mission to P9M X39, he wrote that he put the artefact related to that mission in the closet no.3 at Level 6. That's why I'm on the elevator up to Level 6 right now.

"Working late, Mr. Quinn?" I turn around to see that Nurse Jenny is in the elevator as well.

"Yes I am. Say, can I ask you something."

"Sure," she smiles.

"Is there something going on between Colonel O'Neill and Freya?"

"You mean the Tok'ra Freya?" her eyes are widened.

"Yes." Judging from her reaction, there's definitely something going on. While we were having our conversation, Freya seemed very interested in the subject of Colonel O'Neill and Earth's mating rituals, the topic did make me uncomfortable a bit. I'm learning about Earth culture in general, not that specific.

"Ohhh, they do have quite a story."

"Really?"

"Yes, you've read all the SG-1 mission reports, right?"

"Yes, but I don't see how that would help me understand this better."

"Colonel O'Neill left something out from his report." She leans in and whispers while in fact there's no one else inside the elevator, "Freya kissed him. One of the guards saw them."

"She did?" this is strange, "so, this morning is not the first time then." My head is spinning.

"Oh my God, she did it again? Wow, wonder what Major Carter would say about that."

"Actually, she was there." Oops, as soon as the words left my mouth, I realise something. Sam told me not to tell this to anybody, it was the Colonel's order.

"She was? Christ, I have to get back down to the infirmary. The base grapevine needs this information." Uh oh, I'm in big trouble now.

"Listen, you didn't hear it from me okay. The Colonel wouldn't be too happy if he knew."

She winks, "Don't worry Mr. Quinn. Your secret is safe in our hands ... as long as you promise to provide us with more information in the future."

The elevator reaches Level 6, I quickly get out from there, the Colonel once said that gossip is more dangerous than Goa'uld. Now I know why, when the Colonel finds out about this, I'll be ... I shudder at the thought. Don't think about it. I start to walk down the corridor, looking for closet no. 3.

Ah, there it is. I approach the closet and open it. I don't know whether I should be surprised or not. Colonel O'Neill and Sam are in there, both sitting, she has one of her hands on his arm. They both look up at me, Sam with a shocked look while the Colonel has this glare that he usually reserves for the 'snakeheads'. Looks like I'm interrupting something. I've learned something valuable this morning, don't ask for explanations from the Colonel, his answer will always be it's a 'military thing'. But still, I'd like to know what's happening.

"Is this one of your military things that I'm not supposed to understand?"

- Finish -



End Notes: AN: So, what do you think? Please do send reviews and feedbacks as always.

blue-topaz@lycos.com

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