Title: Friendly Sparring.

Author: Roque872002

Rating: K+

Pairing: very early Jack/Sam

Season: 1.

Episode tags: Emancipation.

Summary: Jack wants her to be better, even though she's already level three advanced.

Author's Notes: I took up Tae Kwon Do in October. I'm still shockingly bad at putting enough power into my pattern. This fic was thought of during training on Wednesday as I was getting shouted at to try harder.

I've always wondered how those early days of training together would go. I guess this is one way it could have gone.

Friendly Sparring.

"WHAT WAS THAT?! Put some effort in Carter!"

"I am!"

"Coulda fooled me! That was pathetic. Again!"

Sam took a deep breath to centre herself and blew it angrily out of her nose. She was tired and sweaty. All she wanted was a shower.

She balled her fists and held them up in front of her defensively.

In a matter of seconds she was flat on her back with her CO on top of her.

"I never said I was ready!"

"You don't get to make that choice in real life Carter. You need to be ready all the time."

"I thought you said this was gonna be friendly sparring," she breathed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"This is friendly. Now get angry. And fight me. Like you mean it."

"We've been at this for hours!" Sam almost whined. It had been a long day - after an even longer mission.

"What's your point? Do you want to learn or not?" He asked as he slid forwards and punched. He was glad when she blocked his fist and kicked his side in retaliation.

"Of course I do. I just think I'd learn better tomorrow. After some rest," she told him while she blocked another punch, grabbed his wrist and kicked again - aiming for his chest.

"We can do this tomorrow too. We have all day," he replied as he blocked her kick and swiped her foot out from under her.

She landed with a thud on the mats. He could tell that the fall had winded her somewhat.

"Get angry Carter! I can and will make you hate me if I have to. You're a young woman getting beat up by an old man. That should be incentive enough."

"I'm a Captain getting beat up by a black ops Colonel. Who has three pay grades more experience. There's a difference," she huffed as he helped her to her feet again.

"Imagine you're fighting someone you hate. I know you can do it. You're level three advanced. Start showing me that."

"I'm trying!"

"There has to be someone you hate. Who do you hate Carter?"

"I don't really hate anyone," she said as she landed a side kick in his stomach.

"Really? No one?" He asked as he blocked a punch and grabbed her outstretched wrist and wrapped her arm awkwardly behind her back.

"No one," she replied as she winced in discomfort.

"Then I guess I'll have to make you hate me," he whispered before placing a foot on the back of her knee and gently pushed.

He kept a hold of her wrist as she went down, kneeling beside her himself, his chest pressed against her back.

"This is team building in your eyes Jack?" Ferretti laughed as he entered the gym. "Beating the only woman on your team to a pulp?"

"It's called sparring Ferretti," he shot back before turning his head back to his Captain. "We'll call it a day. We can continue this tomorrow."

"Yes Sir," she nodded in response as he let go of her wrist. She shook her arm out and rubbed her wrist tentatively.

A hand appeared by her face and she looked at it quizzically. Her eyes travelled the length of the hand and up to its owners eyes. Her CO stood before her, sweaty and slightly breathless, offering her his hand to help her to her feet once again.

She thought about ignoring it and getting up by herself. Just to prove a point. But as she heaved a sigh she placed her hand in his and let him pull her up.

"Ladies get to shower first," he said once her hand fell away from his.

"Thank you Sir," she smiled brightly before walking around him and out of the room.

Jack put his hands on his knees and took several deep breathes.

"Out of puff?" Ferretti grinned.

"Damn she's good," Jack laughed breathlessly.

"Yeah?" Ferretti raised both of his eyebrows and wrapped a towel around his neck.

"Just don't tell her I said that. She's level three advanced for a reason. But I need her to be better. I need her to be able to take me down if it ever comes to it."

"She got far to go to be able to do that?"

"No. Colour me very impressed. She has a lot of training ahead of her but I'm pretty sure she's gonna sail through it. She's very focussed."

"Never thought I would see the day where Jack O'Neill could be taken down by a scientist in a fight."

"Either did I."

"Colonel?" Sam said as she opened the door to the gym. "Shower's free."

"Thanks Carter," he nodded as he walked towards her. "I'll see you here tomorrow?" He stated more than asked.

"Yes Sir," she smiled.

He groaned inwardly. That damn smile. He knew she was gonna be trouble as soon as she walked in the room.