So this has been an ongoing project for who knows how long, something that's been worked on on and off since I started it. It was only something that was meant to be small, something that I hadn't planned on posting but then it sort of spiraled out of control and I ended up with this, which I have decided to post. I know that chances are this isn't going to be read as much as some of my other stories because of the shows involved but if you do read it I hope that you enjoy it and please review.
They had closed the case and Alex was more than a little annoyed with Gene bloody Hunt right now.
"Bolls," the man himself called, "Drink?"
Alex silently followed him into Luigi's, along with the rest of the team, but they stopped when they saw that someone was sitting at their normal table.
"Dumb bird," Ray complained, "Taking the best seats in the house."
The woman obviously heard him because she looked up from whatever she was doing on the table and shook her head before looking back at the table.
Alex looked at the woman more closely and couldn't help but frown. The woman had short blonde hair and Alex could see that she was very pretty but she was wearing a dark green shapeless jacket that looked out of place.
Gene obviously saw her studying the woman because he boomed, "If you decide to go and ask her out Bolly then invite me up so I can watch."
"You're disgusting," Alex hissed in return, as they took the table beside the woman, who thankfully hadn't looked up at Gene's words.
Alex ended up sat nearest her and could see that she was working on something in a notebook and that something looked well beyond anything she had ever seen. As she thought about it something didn't quite sit right with her.
She had almost worked out what was wrong when she saw as the woman looked up and towards the door, a small smile on her face. Alex quickly followed her gaze and saw that three men had just walked in. The one in the lead was older looking and had a head of silver hair while behind him came a man wearing glasses who looked incredibly small in his current company. The final man was tall and dark skinned and had a bandanna covering his forehead.
The three men headed towards the table although the older one split off and headed to the bar to order some drinks. The other two went and sat at the table the blonde had obviously been saving. Alex took a drink, trying to make it seem like she wasn't listening to what they were saying.
"Any luck?" the blonde asked in a low voice and Alex could clearly hear her American accent.
"A little yeah," the man with glasses answered and he also had an American accent, "But Jack wanted to make sure you were all right."
She heard the woman snort and mutter, "Liar," before asking, "How is he?"
"Hurting," Daniel answered, "But he hasn't said anything and I think he's feeling guilty about what happened."
"Indeed," the other man said, Alex could tell his accent wasn't American but it was foreign, although she wasn't a hundred per cent sure where it was from.
The woman sighed, "He does know that it wasn't his fault right Daniel? We didn't have much of a choice."
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the man with glasses, Daniel, shrug, "You know him, until we're back he's going to blame himself."
The woman nodded but then they all fell silent as the man approached the table, carrying three beers and what looked like a glass of water. He placed them on the table then took a seat next to the woman.
"How's it going Carter?" he asked in a low voice, pulling two of the beers towards the two of them.
"Alright sir," Sam replied.
Alex frowned into her glass, why would she be calling him sir?
"I do have a question though," she continued, "Where did you get the clothes?" She was smiling as she spoke.
The three men looked down at themselves before the older man answered, "Laugh it up Carter, we got you some too."
Alex heard as a bag was passed over and Sam muttered, "You have got to be kidding."
"Told you Jack," Daniel sang in a low voice before taking a drink.
She turned her head slightly and saw as Jack rolled his eyes. "You said to blend in Carter, so go and blend."
"I am not wearing that," Sam complained, "And don't you dare say one word about anthropology Daniel or I will take your allergy meds and flush them."
Alex smiled a little at the woman's serious tone; she was obviously very comfortable with this group of people even if she was the only woman.
"Suck it up Carter," the man she now knew was called Jack replied, "They didn't have much of a variety and this was the best we could find."
She heard the woman sigh. "Fine then, move so I can go and change."
She heard as they all moved and then saw as Sam walked over to Luigi and spoke to him quietly for a moment. Her trousers were the same colour as her jacket and were tucked into unlaced combat boots and Alex suddenly realised why she had been calling Jack sir, although she had no idea what the American military were doing in England, let alone in Luigi's talking about blending in.
Sam walked over to the toilets in the corner of the restaurant and Alex could see that Ray's eyes were following her every move. The man, Jack, had obviously seen it too because he said, "Oi mate, keep your eyes to yourself."
"Oh and are you going to make me?" Ray replied sarcastically.
"Nope," the man said smiling, "But she might." As he spoke he nodded towards the toilet and they all saw as Sam came out, having changed very quickly thanks to years of practice all thanks to the Air Force and training exercises. She didn't look comfortable but she did look good. She had on a black skirt with a wide red belt and a black top with a fairly low neck line; she was also completely bare foot. The clothes however showed off that she was strong and that her muscles were well toned and defined.
Ray gave a wolf whistle and Sam levelled a glare at him and then flipped him off, much to the amusement of Hunt, Shaz, Chris and Alex.
"Told you," Jack beamed with a smug smile.
"Did you at least get me shoes to go with this ridiculous ensemble," she asked, dropping the bag on the floor before she sat back down again, "I don't think combat boots will quite cut it."
"Well Daniel wanted to get you this pair of red heels," Jack joked, "But I though these would be more your speed, especially with what's going on." He pulled out a pair of black pumps and handed them to her. She gave him a smile before she slipped them onto her feet and finished the rest of her beer in one go.
"You American bastards," Ray then muttered, looking right at them, and Alex could tell he'd had a little bit to drink given the slight slur of his words, "Thinking you're better than everyone else."
Sam rolled her eyes but didn't answer and a hand on Jack's shoulder obviously kept him quiet. "Low profile sir," she murmured in a low voice.
"Oh sir is it," Ray teased, "Now how did you get her to do that?"
At that Jack finally snapped, "Because Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are a bit long winded for everyday use."
That shut Ray up while Daniel and Sam both rolled their eyes and Sam shook her head. "Sir, they're cops; be nice."
"And how do you know that Carter?" Jack asked looking at the table and not understanding how she knew that, they didn't look like cops to him.
"I saw their warrant cards when they walked in, while your new friend was having a little hissy fit about me taking their table," Sam replied before standing and going over to the bar, ordering another drink.
Alex smiled while Ray looked about ready to blow. Chris and Shaz however looked fairly impressed while the Gov just looked bored.
Sam came back with another beer and set it on the table before she pulled the notebook back in front of her and continued to write. Jack looked over her shoulder and asked, "So can you do it?"
Sam nodded, "Yeah, I think so. I just need a few things and we should be able to get home without too much trouble."
"Nice one," Jack murmured, "See I knew there was a reason I kept you around."
"Other than the fact it was an order sir?" Sam teased, "And the fact I have a doctorate and you don't."
"Funny," Jack said, "You're hilarious Carter, a real comic genius."
"I try sir," Sam answered with a smile, "Now if it's all the same to you guys I need food."
Jack smiled and made to stand but Sam stopped him. "Not you sir," she said, "I still need to check your leg."
Jack didn't look happy with that but Sam stared him down until he sighed and said, "Daniel, go and order us all something will you."
Daniel was obviously trying to hide a smirk as he left the table, the dark man moving out of the way to let him past.
As he headed up to where Luigi was standing Sam looked back at Jack. "Leg please sir," she requested softly.
Jack scowled but raised his left leg to rest on seat beside Sam. Sam rolled her eyes at his attitude and Alex couldn't help but turn her head slightly and watch out of the corner of her eye as she pulled off his shoe and rolled up his trouser leg a little. Alex could see a bandage wrapped around his lower calf and ankle and could also see that blood had soaked through from his calf. "I told you you should have stayed here and let Daniel and Murray go," Sam commented in a low voice, "You've opened up the cut again, I'm not surprised you're in pain."
"I'm going to kill Daniel," Jack muttered before hissing as Sam unwrapped the bandage. Alex turned a little more and saw that what she thought had been one bandage was in fact two, his ankle was still wrapped tightly.
"You leave Daniel be," Sam mumbled, "Either he would have told me or I would have seen it the next time you were walking." Jack rolled his eyes but didn't say anything in disagreement. "Take these," she continued, handing him some pills. Jack grunted and swallowed them all down before taking a mouthful of beer to wash them down.
Sam shook her head again before she unwrapped the bandage completely, giving Alex a view of the nasty looking cut on Jack's leg. The hair on his leg around it was matted with blood and the cut looked deep and was being held together by stitches. "I should be able to do something with the stiches sir," Sam muttered, "But it's not going to be comfortable."
Jack nodded and took a good grip on the chair and table, readying himself to not move as Sam worked. Alex looked back to her table and realised that everyone was watching the goings on with interest, although Ray still wasn't looking massively happy. "Are you really going to do that here?" Gene asked gruffly.
Jack and Sam both looked at him, turning together in sync. "Yes," Sam answered, "We haven't got anywhere else clean enough to risk it."
Jack just sat and looked at all of them in turn, clearly not happy with their scrutiny. Chris and Shaz both looked away but Ray and Gene didn't while she watched on out of the corner of her eye.
Sam just rolled her eyes and turned back to Jack. "T," she requested, pulling a few things out of the first aid kit, "Can you go and get me some vodka please."
The dark giant inclined his head and stood and headed over to the bar, to where Daniel was still standing, talking to Luigi. "Isn't he going to mind?" Jack asked, his head jerking in the direction of the bar.
Sam shook her head. "I spoke to him earlier and explained that I'd have to do it. He told me that so long as we were in the corner and didn't cause a fuss it was fine. May have helped that I know a little Italian."
"Among other things," Ray muttered under his breath.
Alex shot him a look and saw that Sam had done the same thing. Murray came back with the vodka that Sam had asked for and she smiled her thanks as she took it from him. She poured a little into the glass that Murray had also handed her before threading a needle and dropping it into the glass. She then pulled a piece of fabric out of the first aid kit and soaked it in vodka before she held it above Jack's leg. "Ready?" she asked softly.
Jack nodded and Sam put the fabric on to the cut. Jack hissed a little as the alcohol hit the open skin and caused a burning sensation around the cut. "Can't you go to a hospital or something?" Ray grumbled.
"No," Sam answered, "I'm the team medic so doing it this way is easier."
She didn't look up as she spoke and Alex had to admire her for that. Sam handed Jack the bottle of vodka and he gulped down a few mouthfuls as she got the thread and needle out of the liquid. He winced a little at the burn from the alcohol as it went down his throat before he put the bottle back down and retook his grip.
"Count of three," Sam muttered, positioning the needle above Jack's leg. Jack nodded. "One, two," Sam continued but before she got to three she stuck the needle into Jack's leg and sewed up where the stiches had split as quickly as she could.
Jack hissed loudly as the needle went in but remained motionless; knowing that if he moved it would only hurt more. Each time Sam put the needle in he would tighten his grip on the table and chair in response, but never once did he cry out and Alex couldn't help but be impressed, because she knew that that had to hurt. Ray even looked mildly impressed as he watched the goings on over the edge of his glass of beer, although Alex knew that he was actually a lot more impressed than his expression let on. Chris and Shaz both looked a little sick but where managing to keep their eyes away from the sight by talking to, and distracting each other. The Gov was busy smoking his way through his cigarette and drinking his beer but Alex could see him watching what was happening out of the corner of his eye.
When Sam finished she quickly cut the thread and pulled a fresh bandage from the first aid pack and quickly rewrapped the wound, dropping the needle back into the glass of vodka as she did so. As she wrapped she said to Jack, "I know you're just going to ignore me but as your treating medic I'd recommend staying off that leg for at least a day."
Jack ungritted his teeth and replied, "I can manage a few hours."
Sam gave him a soft smile, "Then that will have to do."
She pinned the end of the bandage in place and then carefully rolled down Jack's pant leg before she sat back in her chair, absently readjusting her shirt as she went.
"If you don't mind me asking," Alex asked, "What do you have a doctorate in?" She was looking at Sam as she spoke, who was in the process of peeling off the rubber gloves she had donned before re-stitching Jack's leg.
"Don't be so damn polite Bolly," Gene complained, "You're a cop, she's not."
Alex was about to say something but Sam started to answer her question, clearly not bothered by what Gene had said. "My doctorate is in theoretical astrophysics," she replied, knowing full well that everyone at the other table would have no clue what that was.
Alex just nodded while the Gov asked, "Since you've just sowed his leg up in the middle of a restaurant do you mind telling me what the hell happened and why the hell you're not in the hospital." He may have phrased it as a request but it was clear to everyone present that it was anything but.
"We're here because we crashed and we didn't go to the hospital because I hate them and I know that Carter can sort me out," Jack answered.
Ray scoffed at his words but didn't say anything as Daniel came back and sat down. "Food will be here in a few minutes, I ordered pasta for everyone," he mentioned.
Jack nodded and sat back, his head resting on the wall, and shut his eyes. "How's the pain sir?" Sam enquired in a low voice.
"Been better," Jack answered honestly, knowing that Sam would know if he was lying, "But not as bad as the time you set my leg."
Sam rolled her eyes but nodded as she gently raised Jack's leg and placed it on top of her legs, to keep it elevated Alex presumed. Daniel watched him for a moment before he shook his head and started back on his notebook.
Sam watched Jack for a few moments, making sure that he was ok, before she went back to whatever she had been doing when Alex had arrived earlier. Murray sat and watched over the area, although he did so subtly so that it wasn't all that noticeable to anyone who wasn't actually watching him, or his friends, carefully.
Alex turned back to her table and she and listened to the others as they bitched about their last case, moaning about how the dumb birds that they'd arrested had sent them on a merry chase.
The Gov then turned back to the table of Americans and asked. "What did you crash?"
Jack didn't open his eyes so Alex guessed that he'd somehow managed to fall asleep. Sam waited for a handful of seconds to see if he was going to answer until she obviously came to the same conclusion as Alex had and answer instead.
"We crashed our car," she explained quickly. Something in her voice made it difficult for Alex to believe what she was saying.
The Gov obviously didn't believe her either. "Bull," he exclaimed, "If that was true then you would all be injured."
Sam rolled her eyes again before she answered the Gov. "We are all injured, well at least three of us are. Murray managed to avoid everything that went flying."
Gene narrowed his eyes and Sam sighed. "Daniel," she instructed, "Show him your arm please, maybe then he'll leave us alone and stop treating us like suspects."
Alex hid a smile at her bored tone of the voice. She looked to her side and saw that Gene's face had gotten a little redder, obviously getting a little angry. Daniel nodded in response to Sam's request before he unzipped his jacket and pulled his left arm out. Alex hadn't noticed before but he had a bandage wrapped round his hand and wrist, obviously some form of support. The bandage finished about half way up his forearm and was secured with a shiny safety pin about half way along the bandaged area. "He sprained his wrist," Sam explained as Daniel put his arm back into his jacket.
"And what about you?" Gene asked, "It doesn't look like there's anything wrong with you."
Sam sighed once again. She moved her hand but Daniel quickly muttered, "You don't have to show him Sam, it's really nothing to do with him. We haven't done anything wrong, he has no reason to be asking us anything and we really don't owe him any sort of explanation."
"Indeed," the seemingly silent Murray answered, "Our affairs have nothing to do with him MajorCarter."
Sam froze as she thought over what they had said but something on the Gov's face must have told her that it would just mean less hassle for all of them to show them what had happened to her. Alex watched as she gritted her teeth before her hand continued along its path to her shoulder.
Sam turned so that her back was towards Gene, twisting her torso as much as possible so she didn't disturb Jack, who still hadn't made a move. She pulled her blouse down her arm and Alex winced when she saw what was underneath. Sam's shoulder was a mess of shallow, half scabbed cuts, and black and blue bruises.
Around her she was aware as both Shaz and Chris both flinched visibly. The Gov refused to look away but Alex could tell that he was sorry that he'd asked. "That looks like it hurts," he suggested instead.
Sam covered her shoulder back up before she returned to her original position and replied, "Not really, it's only a few scratches."
"Hypocrite," Jack muttered, moving for the first time since Gene had started asking what had happened.
"Yes sir," Sam agreed, "But I know that nothings broken and that I'm at no risk of infection. It's just a bruise and a few cuts, nothing as deep as yours."
"Still a hypocrite," Jack muttered, his eyes remaining shut as he spoke.
Daniel and Sam shared a look and both smiled at each other, obviously finding his words funny. "Yes sir," Sam agreed again, "Now try and get some rest sir, while we wait for our food."
"Whatever you say Carter," Jack mumbled in agreement.
Sam watched him for a moment, and when his breathing deepened a little she turned to Daniel and began to whisper to him. Alex however could still hear what was being said. "I'm worried about him Daniel. He doesn't realise that his leg is actually quite serious. He really does need to stay off his feet as much as possible until we get home and Janet can have a proper look at it."
Alex saw as Daniel nodded his head. "We'll just have to try and keep him off it while we sort out everything."
"You know he won't go for that," Sam hissed.
"He will if you tell him to," Daniel disagreed.
Sam raised a sceptical eyebrow. "No he won't Daniel, I've already asked him to stay off it and he went off with you and Murray."
"Trust me," Daniel responded, "When we get back to fix it, if you ask him to sit down he will. I'm sure you can come up with a reason that will stop him from moving around, you are a genius after all."
Sam rolled her eyes again. "I'm glad you have so much faith in me," she muttered sarcastically, "But when it comes down to it we might just be better knocking him out."
"That would work," Daniel agreed with a laugh.
The two of them then stiffened slightly in their seats as Jack spoke. "I can hear the two of you. Daniel stop encouraging Carter to knock me out or I will just leave you here and tell Hammond it was an accident. And Carter," he hadn't opened his eyes but he turned his face towards Sam, "All you had to do was ask nicely."
"Of course sir," Sam muttered while Jack smiled softly and readjusted himself on the chair, getting himself more comfortable. Sam shifted his leg a little, to give him more room to move, before she left him to it and turned back to her notebooks.
They all went back to their own conversations, Alex, Gene and the others drinking and joking about old cases, while on the other table, Sam drew something in her notebook while Daniel looked through his, Murray kept a watch over the area and Jack rested himself.
Twenty minutes later Sam and the others at her table stopped what they were doing as Luigi arrived with their food. "Grazie," Daniel thanked him as he placed the plates in front of them.
Luigi beamed at him while Sam reached out and gently shook Jack's shoulder. "Food's here sir," she explained in a low voice as he slowly opened his eyes before blinking a few times as he got adjusted to the light.
"Thanks Carter," Jack responded as he sat up, taking his leg off of Sam's and placing it down on the floor.
The four of them then began to eat. Jack picked at his food but he did eat, which Sam was glad to see, as was Alex as she watched them out of the corner of her eye.
Around the restaurant everyone was in their own little worlds, speaking to the people on their table, many laughing and joking, and eating their food. As Alex watched the rest of the team drink more and more she also kept an eye on the table behind them. Something about them didn't sit quite right with her but she couldn't quite place what.
Because she was watching them she saw when Sam had finished her food and promptly excused herself. Alex watched out of the corner of her eyes as Sam made her way past their table and towards the toilet.
Alex went back to her glass of wine and noticed that she hadn't been the only one who had been watching Sam's progress. Alex smirked at Ray and raised an eyebrow; Ray glared back before he looked away, back into his beer.
Suddenly there was a bang and a scream and the whole restaurant heard a deep voice boom, "Nobody moves and nobody gets hurt."
Alex turned slightly in her chair and saw that there were three masked men stood in the door way, one of whom was holding a shot gun up in the air while the other two had hand guns pointed into the room.
"Everyone away from their tables," the masked man with the shot gun ordered, "And up against the bar."
Alex looked to her side and wondered what Gene and the others were going to do. The Gov did not look best pleased and neither did Ray. Alex was sure they were about to do something when the shot gun suddenly appeared, pressed against the back of the Gov's head.
"I said," the man hissed, "Everyone against the bar."
Slowly the table moved to join everyone else against the bar, the gun never once leaving the Gov's head. Alex noticed that Jack and the rest of his table were also making their way slowly towards the bar, Jack being supported by Murray while he glared daggers at the three men.
"Come along grandpa," one of the other men teased, "We haven't got all day."
Jack made no comment and no effort to move faster, just glared at the man, as did Murray and Daniel, Alex was surprised to see. She would have thought that the two of them would have just tried to move Jack along a little faster, rather than risking antagonising the gun men further.
Once they were all against the bar, their hands on the wood and facing the wall, Alex was sandwiched between Gene and Jack. The men were going along checking people's pockets and taking anything they found. When they reached Chris and Ray they stopped as they found their guns. "Now would you look at this," one of them muttered, holding the guns up to see, "It looks like we've got a couple of tough guys."
The guns went into the bag that they were carrying, and they carried on moving along the line. When they reached the Gov they found his gun too and pulled it out. "Now would you look at this," the shot gun man muttered, "Three guns. Now that is something else."
Gene spun on his feet and grabbed hold of the barrel of the shot gun and pointed it at the floor as he hissed into the masked man's face, "I'm going to enjoy having you in the cells mate, might even be able to find you a nice new friend."
The man with the shot gun pulled the gun away then hit Gene in the head with the butt of it, causing him to slump where he stood. "I don't like cops," he replied.
The men then moved on and stopped at Alex. "Well aren't you something fine," one of them drawled.
Alex rolled her eyes and didn't respond. As they took her necklace and watch she could hear Jack's low voice saying, "Wait for Carter to come back T."
She guessed that Murray, or T, or whatever his name was must have said something.
While the man with the shot gun had been making his way along the line the other two had been going through the tables, picking up anything and everything. They'd just reached the table where Sam and Jack had been sitting and one of them was now holding up the notebook that Sam had been writing in earlier.
"What the hell is this," he asked the room.
"In simple terms it's science," came Sam's voice from the other side of the room. She had just come out of the toilet and noticing how quiet that it was on the other side of the door had made her way out slowly and silently. "Maybe if you didn't have a brain the size of a pea you might understand some of it."
On both sides Alex heard a small chuckle and shook her head, Jack and Gene were obviously impressed by Sam's nerve.
The man holding the notebook however obviously wasn't because he dropped the notebook and made his way towards Sam, his gun coming up to point straight at her. Alex was aware that she wasn't the only one craning her neck to see what was going on, even the man with the shot gun had stopped his search to see what the hell was happening and who it was that was being to rude to the men with the gun.
"You wanna say that again bitch?" the man asked as he stopped right in front of Sam and pointed the gun straight at her head, right between the eyes.
"You have," Sam muttered slowly in response, "A brain the size of a pea."
Alex winced at her words. There was a line between brave and stupid and it looked like Sam had just crossed it. Beside her however she noticed that Jack, Daniel and Murray didn't seem worried and she wondered why they seemed so calm when a man had a gun all but resting against their team mates head.
She soon had her answer. The man in front of Sam jammed his gun right up against her head. "I have a gun you stupid bitch," he all but screamed, "What the hell makes you think I won't just shoot you?"
"The fact that the way you're holding the gun show me you have limited experience, if any, with a fire arm," Sam responded in a emotionless voice, "And that I can quite easily do this."
Almost too fast to see Sam brought her foot up and kicked out her assailants knee, wrenching the gun from his grip as she did so, before she pistol whipped him across the face, making him go down like a ton of bricks.
Calmly she stepped over his body and made her way towards the other guy, holding the gun confidently and pointing it straight at him. "Drop it," she commanded, gesturing with her gun.
Beside her Alex was aware that Murray was suddenly moving and that the next thing anyone knew the man with the shot gun was suddenly gun less and in a heap on the floor from where Murray's right cross had just knocked him out.
The third and final man looked at his two co-conspirators before he looked back at Sam and the gun in her hand. "Drop it," Sam instructed again.
Instead of doing the clever thing and dropping the gun like he had been asked the man decided that he was going to use it. There were two shots, one from him that went wide and another from Sam as she shot him in the foot, causing him to drop his gun and fall over, clutching at it in pain.
Sam moved past him and picked up the gun he had dropped and headed over to the bar. She then stripped them both down, emptying the bullets into a pile, before she placed them both on the bar. She then took the shot gun from Murray and did the same with that.
Once all the pieces were on the bar she turned to Alex and the others, "All yours," she muttered, gesturing to the pile of gun parts on the bar before she turned her attention to her team mates. "Are you ok?" she asked them all in a low voice, although Alex could see that most of her attention was focused on Jack.
"I am unharmed MajorCarter," Murray answered. Beside him Daniel nodded that he was also ok.
When Jack didn't answer though Sam moved closer to him. He was leaning heavily on the bar, his head down and his bad leg held just above the floor. Sam leant in close to him, tilting her head so that she was looking up at him. "Sir," she muttered, "You ok?"
"Been better," Jack grunted in response, "One of the ass holes knocked my leg when we were walking."
"Jesus sir," Sam responded, "You should have said something."
"You were too busy kicking ass," Jack responded with a weak smile, raising his head a little as he spoke, "Besides, there wasn't really much that anyone could have done with those three nut jobs waving guns around."
Sam just shook her head before she firmly took his arm, placed it around her shoulder, placed her arm around Jack's waist and then turned to the other two. "Pack it up," she instructed, "I think we've about out lived our welcome. Let's get back, get the Colonel somewhere it's going to be difficult for him to do anything, and then sort everything out so we can get home."
Daniel and Murray both nodded and headed over to their table and quickly packed their things. Around the restaurant everyone else was gathering their things and then waiting just off to one side, where Chris and Shaz were instructing them to go so they could collect statements.
"You can't leave," the Gov dictated, giving his head a good shake and walking towards where Sam was leaning Jack against the bar, "You just took out three armed gun men, we can't just let you walk away."
Sam leant Jack against the bar, keeping her arm around him for extra support. She then focused her attention on Gene. "Why not? We don't belong here and we need to go, we've already been here long enough."
Gene narrowed his eyes at her. "You can't go," he stated firmly.
Murray and Daniel came to stand back with Sam and Jack, having picked everything up. Daniel had packed everything into the bag they'd brought Sam's clothes in, making sure to pick up all the paper on the table to make sure that nothing was missing in case Sam had scribbled down some notes on it.
Sam stared at him; then looked him up and down before she glanced behind him at Chris and Ray, who had finished cuffing the suspects. "Do you really think you're going to be able to stop us leaving?" Sam asked in a quiet voice that only her team, Gene and Alex could hear.
Gene scowled at her and was about to reply when Alex laid a hand on his shoulder. "You're not going to get them to stay Gov," she muttered, "How about you just get a statement from them and then let them go."
Gene scowled at her before he looked back to Sam. "Give us your statements and then you can go," he decided.
Sam and the others all looked at each other before they all nodded. "Have you got any paper?" Sam inquired.
Gene and Alex both shook their heads. Sam sighed but turned to Daniel and muttered, "Can I have my note book please Daniel."
Daniel nodded and fished it out the bag.
Alex watched as Sam flipped through the notebook and pulled out a couple of blank pages. She handed one each to Jack, Daniel and Murray, as well as handing the notebook back to Daniel to keep it safe, before she turned back to Gene and Alex.
"What do you want us to write?" Sam asked as Daniel took the pens that Luigi was offering him.
Alex looked at the Gov but realised that he wasn't entirely with it. She turned back to Sam and said in a rush, "Just write what you saw." She then turned back to Gene. "You alright Gov?" she asked.
"Fine," Gene insisted, batting away the hand that Alex had tried to place on his shoulder.
"Liar," Sam muttered as she put everything she was holding on the bar and walked towards Gene, "In case you hadn't noticed your head has already come up in a nice lump, it wouldn't surprise me if you had a concussion."
"I don't get concussions," Gene insisted, "So why don't you just write your statements already."
Sam rolled her eyes and moved closer to him. Gene tried to move away, he really didn't want her poking and prodding at his head.
"Oh grow a pair," Sam instructed, "Let me have a look or I'll make you let me have a look."
Gene glared at her while Alex watched on, looking impressed at the balls this woman had. "You've got some balls on you," Gene muttered, voicing what Alex, along with everyone else in ear shot, was thinking.
"Yes I do," Sam agreed, "Except they're not all soft and in the right place for a kicking." Ray and Chris both winced at her words while Shaz and Alex hide smiles.
The Gov narrowed his eyes at her. Sam just raised an eyebrow and glared back.
"What happened to playing nice Carter?" Jack teased from the bar, obviously feeling a little better now.
Sam ignored him and continued to stare at Gene.
"Fine," Gene conceded, "Go for it."
Sam nodded and moved closer. "How many fingers?" she asked, holding up a hand for Gene to see.
"Do I really have to do this?" Gene hissed.
"Yes," Sam snapped in response, "Now how many fingers or shall I just get an ambulance here to take you away?"
"She's serious about the ambulance by the way," Daniel called over to him.
"Four," Gene answered with a sigh.
Sam nodded. "What year were you born?"
"1934."
Sam looked to Alex for conformation. Alex nodded and Sam looked back to Gene. "I just need to check your eyes ok," Sam muttered.
"Want an eye full of the Gene Genie do you dear," Gene sneered.
Sam rolled her eyes. "No, I want to check your pupil reaction to make sure that there's nothing serious."
Gene stood, tapping his foot impatiently, while Sam carefully looked in both his eyes, tilting his head so that they were right under a light on the bar.
"One last question," Sam muttered, taking a step back, "And then you're all clear."
"Go on then," Gene instructed.
"Do you think you can down a pint faster than I can?" Sam asked with a smile.
Behind Sam Alex saw as Daniel groaned and shook his head while Jack began to smile widely.
"Of course I can," Gene answered indignantly.
Sam smiled at him. "We'll have to test that as soon as I've written up my statement," she promised him.
Gene glared at her while Sam quickly wrote down everything that had happened and signed the bottom of the paper.
"Carter," Jack said as the four of them all handed their paper to Alex and the pens back to Luigi. "I know you can handle your alcohol, you've proved that time and again, but are you going to be ok to do what we need done after three beers?"
"Yes sir," Sam assured him, "I know my limit, plus I have time for some of it to wear off before I can do anything, I need to wait for day light."
Jack nodded clearly happy with her response.
"Two beers Luigi," Gene ordered.
Luigi did as asked and soon two beers were on the bar, waiting for the two of them. "Want to make this fun?" Gene asked.
"What did you have in mind?" Sam asked as she turned to handle of her glass towards her.
"Carter," Jack warned, "Last time you did this it wasn't pretty if I remember correctly."
"I was fine," Sam disagreed, "It was the other guy who had the problems not me."
Jack rolled his eyes. "And General Hammond thinks you're the sensible one," he muttered.
Sam just gave him a wide smile then turned back to Gene, waiting for him to speak. "I win," he muttered, "You give me a sneaky peak at those tits of yours."
"Gov," Alex snapped, "That's disgusting."
Behind Sam Alex could see that the three men weren't happy with his suggestion either. Sam however didn't look especially bothered. "Sure," Sam agreed, "So long as I win you pay Luigi what you owe him on your tab."
"Now how the hell did you know about that," Gene asked, glaring at Luigi.
"Intelligent guess," Sam assured him, "You're not a difficult man to work out Gene."
Gene looked her up and down and then nodded. "Sure," he agreed, "I can do that."
Sam smiled at him. "Then you better get your wallet ready hadn't you," Sam suggested, picking up the beer.
Gene rolled his eyes and also picked up the beers. "Come on Bolls," Gene muttered, "You can count us in."
Alex rolled her eyes, this wasn't something that she entirely condoned but Sam looked pretty sure of herself so she nodded. "One," she began, "Two, three."
On three the two of them began drinking. Chris, Shaz, Ray, Jack, Daniel, Murray and Sam all watched as the two drained their glasses. Sam's was the first to end up back on the bar, totally empty except for the dregs and some froth. A few seconds later Gene's glass joined hers.
"Now how the hell did you manage that?" Ray wanted to know.
Sam shook her head, wiped her hand across her mouth and then smiled. "Practice," she told him, "I learnt a long time ago that so long as I was in the Air Force it was going to be a good idea to be able to keep up with the other guys, makes life easier."
"I've seen her drink more than one man under the table," Jack chimed in before he limped over to where Sam was standing, "And now that that's done it's time for us to leave I do believe."
"Everything on the house," Luigi told Daniel as he went to pay, seeing as they were about to go, "You save the restaurant and everyone in it, you drink and eat free of charge."
"Thank you," Daniel accepted gladly.
He then moved to stand behind Sam and Jack, Murray close behind. Gene looked them up and down and then nodded. The four of them walked past Chris, Shaz, Ray and Gene and out towards the door. Alex however followed after them.
"Sam," she called after them once they were all outside.
Sam turned back to look at her. "You go ahead sir," Sam offered, "I'll catch up once I see what she wants."
Jack nodded. "T," he ordered, "You stay here and make sure Carter isn't drunker than she thinks she is."
Sam rolled her eyes but otherwise said nothing as Daniel moved to walk beside Jack, ready to support him if he should need it, and Murray moved to stand off to one side, out of the way but close enough to keep an eye on Sam, like Jack had ordered him too.
Jack and Daniel walked away as Sam walked back towards Alex. "I take it your name isn't Bolls," Sam said by way of greeting.
"No," Alex agreed, "It's Alex Drake."
"Nice to meet you Alex Drake," Sam accepted, "Now what can I do for you?"
"There's something different about you," Alex began at a rush, "You and the rest of you team or whatever it is you are. You don't quite fit in here, and it's not because you're Americans. The stuff you were doing in your notebook is way beyond anything that I've ever heard of or seen."
Sam smiled at her, "Trust me; you would never believe me in a million years."
"Oh I probably would," Alex disagreed.
Sam just smiled at her. "You really wouldn't."
Alex looked her up and down and realised that that was all she was going to get. "Thank you," she said instead, "For what you did in there, it was pretty impressive and you managed to put the Gov in his place. I've never seen anyone do that before."
Sam smiled again. "I'm good at deflating egos'," she informed Alex, "It's a skill that has come in useful in the past and I'm sure will be something I use for a long time. As for what I did, I've been trained to deal with situations and if I hadn't then I would have been letting a lot of people down, myself included."
Alex nodded, she could understand that.
When she remained silent Sam turned away and made her was towards where Murray was still standing sentinel. "Good luck," Alex called after her, "With whatever it is you're doing."
"Thanks," Sam called back, "And don't put up with Gene if you don't have to, if he's too annoying just bring up that he was beaten at drinking a beer by a girl, and an American one at that."
Alex laughed; she couldn't help it, then she watched as Sam and Murray disappeared into the night.