A/N
This is the sequel to 'All Grown Up', which was the sequel to 'Heartbreaker'
If you haven't read those ones yet you really probably should before you read this as the relationship between Jack and Sam here won't make sense.
Sorry it took a little longer to get this out than I had thought. Hope you enjoy :-)
As usual - don't own em.
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Unidentified temporary USAF base somewhere in Saudi Arabia.
1991
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Major Charles Kawalsky sat at the small table in the temporary quarters his unit had been assigned. He sighed as his King toppled thinking that even in this god forsaken desert he still couldn't manage to beat his best friend at chess. Hearing the door to the latrine bang closed, he smelled the Captain before he saw him.
"Where the hell are you going Hanson?"
At the sound of Kawalsky's voice Major Jack O'Neill looked up from resetting the chess board to see Captain Jonas Hanson straightening his tie in the mirror.
"Hot date tonight boys," he replied cheerfully turning to face the two men.
Jack raised an eyebrow at the informal response from their subordinate officer. Normally it didn't bother him. Being in a black-ops unit some rules were a little less strictly adhered to mainly due to the close bonds the small four man units formed. Hanson wasn't in Jacks unit however. Add to that the fact that he didn't really like the guy and he tended to be less forgiving than he was with others. He saw the glance Charlie cut him and so decided to let it go. This time.
"So, hot date huh?" Charlie asked.
"That's right," Hanson replied grinning.
"What's his name?"
Jack snorted as he looked back down to his task.
"Jealousy is a terrible thing Major," Jonas replied shaking his head as he snagged his cap from his bed. "And if you must know," he said before he stepped out the door. "It's with a hot little blonde Lieutenant who'll be piloting one of our drop choppers. And her name is Sam Carter."
Jacks head snapped up at the other mans words. It can't be...It can't be...
Shaking his head at the man's retreating back Charlie turned back to his friend. "Hey, are you okay Jack?" he asked seeing the look on O'Neill's face.
It took Jack a moment to find his voice. "Ah, yeah," he replied, though even he could imagine how he must look. "I think I'll take a walk...get some fresh air ya know?"
"Sure," Kawalsky replied doubtfully. "You want me to come with?"
"No," Jack replied as he hurriedly stood from the table, rushing out the door.
"Well that was just friggin weird!" Charlie mumbled as he finished resetting the chess board.
It can't be my Carter, Jack tried to convince himself as he followed after Hanson at a distance. Surely her old man wouldn't let her get posted to this hell hole. It's only been five years since I last saw her. God, at twenty-two she wouldn't be long out of the Academy...
He stopped at the corner of the familiar building and looked down at his very casual attire, deciding not to follow the Captain into the Officers Club. He'd just hang out here for a while and if Hanson didn't reappear in short order he'd head back, get changed and convince Charlie to come back with him.
Then his mind settled on imagining what a twenty-two year old Samantha Carter would be like.
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Sam ran her fingers through her wet hair deciding not to bother drying it. It was hot enough outside that it would dry quickly enough on the short walk over to the Officers Club where she was supposed to meet Captain Jonas Hanson. She sighed as she applied a little makeup and wondered what had possessed her to accept the Captains invitation in the first place.
She laughed humourlessly at her reflection in the mirror. "How about because you need to actually get a life and stop pining for someone that you'll never have..." Sam mumbled to herself. God could I be anymore pathetic? Still hung up on a guy I've had a crush on since I was ten years old...
Sam sighed heavily as she took one last look at herself in the mirror. "Well wherever you are right now Jack O'Neill...Samantha Carter is officially over you..." she told her reflection firmly. And then she grimaced slightly thinking that neither her nor her reflection believed that for a second.
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Jack flipped the coin. "Heads I stay," he mumbled as the coin flew end over end in the air. "Tails I go." He caught the coin and slapped it down firmly on the back of his other hand. "Tails..." He considered the result for a moment before tossing the coin in the air again. "Best two outta three..."
Sam entered the narrow alleyway between the two makeshift buildings, annoyed at seeing the scruffy looking guy at the other end blocking her path. Is he actually tossing a coin? she wondered as she came closer to him.
"Damn it!" Jack exclaimed as the coin came down tails again. "Dumbass coin is probably rigged," he reasoned as he held it up to the light to examine it more closely.
Sam stopped in her tracks on hearing the man's voice.
It wasn't that Jack hadn't noticed the crunch of gravel underfoot as the person had entered the other end of the alley. The mere fact that someone was walking through the alley was nothing to cause him alarm. However, the fact that person had stopped so abruptly was. In one swift movement he turned towards the interloper, a hard look on his face, ready for combat.
"Jack..."
He stood stunned, staring at her. "Carter..." he breathed.
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A/N
Well there's the first instalment of our next era for these two. I hope you've enjoyed it so far :-
As usual - reviews make for faster writing :-D
And to those who said they would like to read the alternate ending for 'All Grown Up' don't worry I haven't forgotten about it. It's actually taking me longer to finish than expected. But I'll get there.
