Surface
Jezyk
Spoilers: Anything up to Season 7 is fair game.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Sam/Jack… like always.
Chapter One
The colonel was bored. She could tell, even though he was doing his damnedest to look interested in what she was saying. She wanted to hug him for it. The idea was hardly foreign to her, but she hadn't been expecting it to strike her just then. Her techno babble faltered mid-stream, leaving her smiling stupidly at her CO. Sometimes she couldn't believe she got to work with a man that handsome every day of her life.
As further proof he wasn't listening, he hadn't noticed the abruptness of her silence. He nodded slowly, his forehead wrinkling in deep thought while he tried to figure out what to say. Eventually he smiled at her. "Don't turn it on, Carter." He turned away then, milling about the large alien room and trying to act like her adoring gaze didn't affect him places the adoring gaze of a second-in-command shouldn't affect a CO.
Carter grinned, the thrill of his smile, aimed only at her, outweighing the disappointment that he hadn't gotten anything at all out of her words. She turned back to the devices they'd found, deciding it was good that he trusted her enough that he didn't need to understand her. That way his behavior was complimentary rather than insulting.
Even without Carter and Daniel's assessment, Jack had reached the conclusion they had discovered a lab of some sort. Carter's idea of heaven, but not his. "I'll be back." She didn't look up. He shook his head as he walked away. He wasn't the only one who didn't always listen.
Jack wandered out of the room, which held enough otherworldly gizmos to keep Carter entertained for the rest of her natural life, knowing she'd be too busy playing to keep him company or to even notice his absence. He felt more productive as he poked around the complex, making sure it was a deserted as it appeared. After completing his sweep of the area, he radioed Teal'c, checking in with the other half of his team.
Daniel had found some fascinating something or other and tried to get Jack interested enough to follow. Jack sent Teal'c in his place and chose to keep Carter company for the afternoon. Teal'c was often helpful with Daniel's translations and got less annoyed with the linguist for his occasionally excessive babbling. Plus, for the previous couple of days, Jack and Carter had been getting along particularly well - not that they didn't usually get on well, but recently, Jack felt a rekindling of their flirtatious relationship. He'd caught her staring at him several times and when he smiled, she'd blush and look away. So he couldn't pass up the opportunity to be alone with her, even if she was in her happy little science place with her precious alien whatchamacallits.
He made his way back to the lab. Carter was sitting on a stool, surrounded by wires and disassembled pieces of the toy she'd been examining when he left. She was leaning in close to part of it, biting her lip and squinting as she concentrated fully on it. As he'd suspected, she didn't look up when he returned. She didn't appear to have noticed that he'd left.
Unable to resist, he crept up behind her. He moved quickly, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her and leaning in until his lips almost brushed her ear. "Carter!"
She jumped in shock and, for one glorious minute, she pressed her back against his chest, ready to fight. His hands left the counter, moving to her hips to help steady her, to keep her from falling, and, just a little bit, to enjoy a moment when their physical contact was completely unprofessional.
"Sir, you scared me!" Her adrenaline response was waning, but she remained where she was against him. He grinned when she realized she was still leaning on him. She turned around slightly to glare at him, her eyes going wide when she saw how close he was. And he was laughing. She pulled away, smacking one of his hands on her hip. "Jerk."
He withdrew his hands, knowing he'd pushed it as far as he could. "You should be a little more observant off-world, Carter. It could have been a goa'uld who jumped you."
"I would have sensed a goa'uld, sir." She turned back to the equipment before her. Jack retreated to the other side of the room, telling himself he shouldn't be that excited over such a chaste touch.
"Besides, sir, I thought I was safe with you." She met his eyes and they both knew she wasn't mad at all that he'd taken advantage of the rare opportunity to touch her.
"Carter, I've been gone for a half hour." He'd had time to check out the building and talk to Teal'c and she'd never looked up.
She looked around and he knew she'd been so wrapped up in her investigation that she'd had no idea where she was for quite a while. "Oh." She frowned. She didn't like being wrong. "You should have told me you were leaving."
He grinned again, loving the way she got flustered when he teased her. "I did."
She blushed and ducked her chin, realizing he had every right to reprimand her and being grateful that he hadn't. Of course, she knew it wasn't a good idea to comment on the fact that he'd decided to feel her up instead. "Did Daniel find anything of value, sir?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "He found something; however, its value remains to be seen."
She looked guiltily at the pieces before her. She knew he probably hadn't intended it, but his words hit home, reminding her that she was having fun playing with no regard for their objective. She hadn't yet found anything of military or strategic value herself, but rather than admitting it, she was stalling while she analyzed the alien power design.
Jack checked his watch and smiled reassuringly. He didn't care if Carter did the same thing. He found her hopelessly endearing when she was enthralled with things she didn't understand. As long as no one was shooting at them, he could let the kids play. "We've got some time, Carter. Knock yourself out. Just don't turn it on."
She grinned at him and buried her nose in her work. Jack puttered around the lab, gazing at and occasionally playing with the objects on the shelf against the opposite wall. He reached for one, a small, shiny cube, but it was heavier than it looked. It slid from his fingers and landed on the metal shelf with a thud.
"Try not to break anything, sir."
He looked up at the small mirror on the wall, a smirk in place for her if she happened to be looking up. He couldn't even see her at all, so he turned around. She was grinning, pleased with herself for getting him to look at her. "Yes, ma'am."
He turned back to the mirror, running his hands through his hair. It was getting too long already. He sighed; he'd just gotten it cut the week prior. Jack wasn't the vain type, so his reflection held little amusement for him. He shifted to the right slightly, attempting to see Carter, wanting to watch her. She was so beautiful when she got lost in projects. He loved to stare at her when he could get away with it. He couldn't see her, so he adjusted the mirror to catch her reflection. He still couldn't see her. He turned around to check on her.
She had moved to the floor; the pieces she'd been working with were once again assembled into something. And it was glowing. Jack ignored the absolutely adorable baffled look on her face. Jack ignored the unbelievably quick, silent way she'd moved from her stool to the floor. He was too angry to comment on anything pleasant.
"Carter, I just told you not to turn it on."
She looked up at him, obvious annoyance reflected in both her tone and her face. "No, you didn't."
He stared in shock. No sir. No smile. No respect. It had been cute moments earlier when she denied having heard his comment about leaving, but she'd been looking right at him when he'd told her not to turn it on. His forehead creased as her looked at her. "Yes, I did."
She rolled her eyes as she climbed back to her perch at the counter. "Whatever you say, Jack." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
He narrowed his eyes at her. He didn't usually throw his rank in her face, but then she didn't usually disrespect him. "Turn it off, Major."
"Yes, sir." She sighed unhappily, but flipped a switch and the device stopped glowing.
He felt slightly better since glowing things tended to freak him out. Irritated, he turned away. He didn't know what had happened. Everything had been fine a moment earlier. He pretended to fiddle with the things on the counter. But he was glancing up, eyeing her in the mirror. She'd once again spread the pieces out on the counter and was working away with a small smile playing on her lips.
She glanced up at him, her eyes warming when they met his. Her smile widened and she blushed once again. His brow furrowed in confusion. He'd never known Carter to have mood swings; when she was happy or angry, she generally stayed that way. He looked back at his reflection and promptly realized that he looked like an idiot when he was confused. He turned away.
"Come on, Carter, time to go." He expected an argument, but he wasn't going to listen. His mood had turned sour and he wanted to get away from her before she got mad again because he didn't want to start fighting with her. Not when they'd been getting along so well.
"What about this?" She was zipping her pack closed, apparently willing to follow orders once again, nodding toward the counter.
"Bring it, as long as it's turned off." He led the way out of the room, without even noticing that her toy was once again assembled into one piece.