"Blackout" By Wendy Parkinson

Title: Blackout

Author: Wendy Parkinson

Category: Angst, S/J Romance

Spoilers: none

Season/Sequel info: sometime during Season Two

Rating: NC17

Content Warnings: Sex

Summary: The lights go out at SGC.

Archive: "Heliopolis" and "Sam and Jack"

Date: 2/8/99

Author's notes: OK folks, this is my first real attempt at a NC17, so any constructive feedback is especially welcome (Wendy puts tin hat on and hides behind sofa... <g>). I'd like to thank Caroline for beta reading and Lola for preventing me from making an embarrassing mistake. <g>

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters belong to MGM, Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

All feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated. No flames please.

copyright Wendy Parkinson August 1999

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BLACKOUT

Colonel Jack O'Neill quietly whistled to himself as he strolled down the corridor. He was on his way to the science lab to see Captain Sam Carter, his second in command. At their last mission briefing, she'd mentioned something about a corrosive atmosphere on P5X219. He needed to know what this corrosive atmosphere was likely to do to SG1, preferably in words of one syllable. He smiled to himself. Why did she always want to use a hundred long words when ten short ones would do?

Stopping outside the lab, he had just reached out for the door handle when the base was plunged into darkness. The blackness was total. The type of impenetrable gloom only possible deep underground. He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes but there was nothing to see. Why hadn't the emergency system kicked in? This shouldn't happen. He stood and listened. He could hear distant shouts, the sounds of people stumbling around, clattering into things. Then he heard something much closer. A whimper. Was it coming from the lab? There was only one way to find out. He turned the handle and slowly opened the door.

"Hello," he said. "Anyone there?"

"Me, sir," came the hesitant reply.

"Carter, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, sir." Her voice was small and shaky. He thought she could be crying. What could have got her into this state? Whatever the problem was, and he was betting it was something to do with the lights going out, he needed to get to her. But where was she?

"Don't give me that." He heard a sniff. Using the sound to guide him, he tried to fix her position. She was to his right and low down. She had to be sitting on the floor. Jack struggled to remember the position of the furniture in the room. Was there a workbench between them? He had no idea. He would just have to go carefully.

Jack gingerly took a couple of steps forward, his arms outstretched. His hands made contact with something hard and flat at about waist height. It had to be the workbench. Slowly, he felt his way along it. He could hear Carter's breathing, it sounded like she'd been running a marathon. It seemed nearer, she had to be closer now.

"Carter?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm trying to find you. It would be a whole lot easier if you were talking to me."

There was another sniff. "OK. What do you want me to say?"

That was it. To his right. He put out his hand and touched something warm and soft. She instinctively grabbed his hand and guided him the last few feet to her. Before he could say or do anything she was clinging onto his legs as if her life depended on it.

"Steady on, Carter. I'm here now. Let go, will you? I'd kind of like to sit down."

He heard a mumbled "Sorry, sir" from somewhere close to his left knee. She reluctantly released her grip, allowing him to sit down next to her. As soon as he had settled himself down, she enveloped him in another crushing hug. She was trembling like a leaf. He put his arms round her and stroked her back.

"Ssshhhh. It's OK. I'm sure we'll get the lights back soon."

She sniffed into his shirt. "I'm sorry, sir."

"What for, Captain?"

"For losing control like this. When the lights went out I had a flashback, a glimpse of Jolinar's memories."

"Oh, is that it? I'm disappointed. I thought you'd engineered this whole thing to have your evil way with me."

He heard her make a small noise, almost a laugh, then she settled herself more comfortably and rested her head on his shoulder. She didn't seem to be trembling quite as much now. Jack gently kissed the top of her head. Sam shuddered, then continued, "She was trapped in a cave. Frightened. Alone. She could hear the Goa'uld coming for her."

"It's OK, Carter. This 'reliving someone else's memories' thing is enough to freak anyone out. It must be disturbing for you. But I'm with you and we're not trapped. And as far as I know this isn't some devious plot by the Goa'uld. We could climb all the way up to the surface if you want but it's a hell of a long way. I think we'd be safer staying here." He paused and squeezed her gently. "I'm right here beside you and I'm not going anywhere."

She squeezed him back. "Thanks."

Jack paused, not knowing what to say next. He had his arms round Sam, one hand massaging her back, the other stroking her hair. She smelt of flowers and a little of soap. He inhaled deeply. It was a scent he recognised as hers, a scent he loved. She shifted her position slightly and sighed.

"You feeling a little better, Carter?"

"Yeah, now you're here."

Jack felt his face grow warm. Was he blushing? It was probably a good thing the lights were out.

"So... what do you want to do while we wait? How about a game of I-Spy?"

She giggled and he felt her grip on his waist release slightly. Good, she was beginning to relax. He needed to keep her mind occupied.

"OK, as you are obviously amused by my suggestion, I'll go first. I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'B'."

"'B'? But I can't see anything. Everything's black."

"Black is correct, Captain. Your go."

"Er... this is kind of difficult, sir."

"Aw, come on, Carter. You're way smarter than me."

"Let me think. I know. I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'D'."

"'D'? That's got to be Daniel."

"No, we're on our own in here. And even if Daniel was in the room, you wouldn't be able to see him."

"Ah, but we'd hear him, wouldn't we?"

He imagined her face, her beautiful blue eyes shining with amusement. He had a sudden urge to find out if she was smiling. Almost of its own volition, his hand ran gently up her back, over her shoulder and stopped under her chin. He paused momentarily then softly moved his fingertips over her lips.

She wasn't smiling.

"What are you doing?" she asked quietly.

He suddenly felt embarrassed, unable to justify his actions. Taking a deep breath he told her the truth. "I wanted to see if you were smiling."

"I was."

"No, you weren't."

"I was until you..." She left the sentence hanging, unsure of what to say.

Jack had become painfully aware that his hand was still touching her face. Aware of what had stopped her smiling. He felt it too. His fingers explored her silky soft cheek until they brushed across her mouth. Her lips moved and he felt a soft kiss on the tip of his index finger. He shuddered. He found himself closing his eyes, concentrating totally on the feel of her lips and the sound of her breathing. Her tongue gently brushed his finger as she tightened her grip on his waist.

He leant in until his lips were touching the back of his hand. Slowly, he slid his hand away and stroked her cheek. Just knowing how close her mouth was to his was intensely arousing. She exhaled, her breath washing over his face. His mouth was dry, his heart pounding.

"I want..." she began.

He cut her off with a whisper. "I know." As he spoke, he closed the gap between them. His lips searched tentatively for hers. Her hand snaked up and cradled the nape of his neck, her fingers brushing his short hair. Their kiss was gentle, exploratory. Jack wasn't sure if his eyes were open or closed, all he was certain of was the feel of the woman in his arms. Her lips on his, his hands on her face, her back. The feelings she was stirring inside him. Triggered by her touch, waves of desire coursed through him.

Jack had always denied the attraction between them, even to himself. It had surfaced in dreams, each more erotic than the last, that he had tried to forget in the cold light of day. He had denied it because it was forbidden, against regs. It was something he would never have admitted to anyone. Now in this unreal world of darkness his unspoken fantasies were coming true. The blackness made everything seem otherworldly, like a dream.

He kissed his way softly across her face and nuzzled her ear. She sighed and he felt her hands tense slightly. He smiled to himself as he gently bit her earlobe. She sucked in a sharp breath. Yes, she liked that. Her hands caressed their way down his back and tugged at his T-shirt. When she found her way underneath he gasped, as her hands left trails of fire in their wake. He captured her mouth again and lowered her carefully to the floor.

He had no idea where this was leading, he was functioning on the sensation of touch alone. All he knew was that he wanted Sam with every fibre of his being. He was incredibly aroused, shivering with every touch. When her hand slipped out from under his T-shirt he tensed, not knowing where she was going to work her exquisite torture next. A jolt ran through him when she put her hand on his hip and pulled him towards her. He leant over, and, finding her lips, kissed her deeply. When they came apart for air, they both gasped.

"Sam." His voice was full of longing. He didn't think he had ever wanted anyone so much.

"Jack." Her voice was a mirror of his. "I want you to make love to me."

"Oh Sam," he murmured as he pulled her to him. They kissed again, more slowly this time, exploring each other. Jack ran his hand up her side and cupped her breast. She arched up towards him, moaning her approval. He felt her grab the bottom of his T-shirt and pull it up. Briefly, he sat up to help her. The T-shirt discarded, her hands roamed his chest, pausing at his nipples. He hissed a sharp breath through his teeth.

"You like that?" she whispered.

"What do you think?" he replied, as he helped her out of her T-shirt. Their lips met again in a bruising kiss as Jack fought with the fastening on her bra.

Sensing his difficulty, Sam pushed his hands away. "Let me."

He felt her wriggle, then heard the bra hit the ground. His hands supporting her back, he lowered her to the floor. Jack kissed his way down her neck as he gently fondled her breasts. She shuddered when he kissed one breast then the other, licking and sucking her nipples. He ran his tongue round the sensitive tip, eliciting moans of pleasure from her. As he felt her hands roam his back, he tried to imagine what she looked like in the throes of passion; her eyes dark, her face flushed. She was breathing hard, she grasped at his back when he turned his attention to her other breast.

Her hands slid down and came to rest on his buttocks. When she began to pull him to her, he whispered, "You're wearing too many clothes."

"I'm not the only one."

He undid her belt and unzipped her trousers. As he began to tug them down, she lifted her hips to help him. She slipped off her panties and waited as Jack stripped off the rest of his clothes. He reached out to feel where she was. When his hand contacted with her stomach she let out a low moan, then her hand moved up his arm and round his neck leading him to her. As he kissed her, he moved his hand to her breasts, gently teasing.

Her hands ran down his chest. He shuddered in anticipation at the thought of where they were heading. When she firmly gripped his straining arousal, he nearly went over the edge. Summoning up every ounce of self control that he possessed, he pushed her hand away. "Not yet, your turn first."

She laid back and sighed deeply. He touched her, caressed her, worshipping her with his hands and mouth. When he found his goal, she arched violently up towards him. He slowed down his ministrations, wanting to prolong her pleasure. Kissing her deeply, she writhed beneath him, moaning into his mouth. He broke off the kiss and nuzzled her ear, she was close now, he could feel it. Aware only of the feel of her beneath his hands and mouth and the sound of her breathing, punctuated by soft moans of pleasure, he brought her to the brink. When she flew over the edge, she screamed his name, her body convulsing as the waves of ecstasy possessed her. Wrapping her in his arms, he softly kissed her forehead and stroked her hair as she came down.

Her hands found his face, her fingertips gently tracing the contours. "Now, Jack," she whispered. He rained tiny kisses on her face and neck, then rolled on top of her, positioning his hips between her legs. "Now," she repeated.

He entered her with agonising slowness. Her hips rose to meet him, urging him on. Her hands clutched at his back as they found a rhythm, their mouths locked in a bruising kiss, their tongues mimicking the movement of their bodies. He found it amazing that he was making love to Sam Carter, the smartest, kindest, most beautiful woman he knew. He wanted to give her everything, anything. His thrusts became more insistent, more erratic, until with a violent shudder he found his release, taking her with him.

They were both still breathing hard when he rolled to her side and gathered her into his arms. They lay together, totally sated, suspended in their world of darkness. Jack couldn't believe what had just happened. He kissed her gently. "Oh, Sam," he breathed.

Then totally without warning, the lights snapped back on. They both threw their arms up in an attempt to shield their eyes from the intense glare. Jack slowly pulled his arm away and blinked furiously, trying to make his eyes adjust. He realised Sam was already sitting up and fumbling for her clothes.

"Sam?"

"I... I..." She hesitated, shaking her head. Her back was towards him as she shrugged on her T-shirt. Refusing to make eye contact, she dressed quickly, stood up and turned to leave, yanking her jacket from the back of a chair. Jack pulled on his trousers and jumped up after her. He grabbed her by the elbow.

"Sam, what's the matter? Do you regret what we just did?"

Her reply made his heart lurch. "Yes. No. I don't know. I think so. I'm not sure. I know it shouldn't have happened." The words tumbled over each other as she glanced desperately round the room, looking everywhere but at Jack, the anguish evident on her face. "It's all weird. With the lights out, nothing seemed real, it was like a dream come true, a fantasy. This is real." She tugged at the insignia on her sleeve. "Our careers, our life at SGC."

"We can work something out."

She finally looked him in the face, her eyes brimming with tears. "No."

It was his turn to look away, there was no denying she meant what she said. "So you're saying it can never happen again?"

"I guess so. I'm sorry, Colonel."

Calling him by his title was like a slap in the face, a denial of what they had shared moments before. He flinched. "Sam?" he pleaded.

She shook her head, whispered "I'm sorry", turned and fled from the room. Jack watched her leave, then slumped into a chair, his head in his hands.

end

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And before anyone asks, yes, I am planning a sequel..... <g>