AN: Just a small moment in time on an everyday mission gone ever so slightly awry. Jack/Sam humour. Non-ship. Enjoy!

CHAIN REACTION.

It was a moment that made her laugh out loud and for a long time. It was insubordinate, it was inappropriate and it was the funniest thing she had seen in, well ever! She tried so hard to regain her composure but every time she did the image would reappear in her mind and the insane laughter would start all over again. "I'm sorry, I-I-I'm so sorry." she forced out as she finally gave in and doubled over her arms wrapped around her sides. The bulk of what she was wearing seemed to vastly diminish the support that holding her ribs would usually provide and as a result even more tears streamed down her face making it completely impossible to actually see anything.

"Cut it out. That's an order!" Jack eventually groused. He was sorely nursing his dented pride. "Car-ter!" he wailed as she disappeared onto the floor on the other side of the table still laughing her head off. Patiently he closed his eyes and took a stabilising breath. "It's not that funny." he reasoned.

"I'm sorry but it is. I've never, I've never..." and she was gone again, this time it really did hurt and she called out as she clutched herself even tighter.

"Yeah that better hurt!" Jack snapped, not meaning a single word. "This so easily could have happened to you. How dare you laugh at me." Jack felt himself smiling, his resolve was slipping. The sound of Sam Carter's laughter becoming more infectious by the moment. He tilted his head to one side and stared through the goop that was impeding his view of his highly amused 2IC. "It's not like I'm the first guy this has ever happened to."

Everything he said just made things worse. "Stop, stop please, just stop talking Sir, I can't breathe, especially not in this thing."

"Well too bad, it's your own fault for being so juvenile. I thought you were supposed to be a big shot brainiac? How come something so simple has you so debilitated?" Jack stood over Sam with his gloved hands on his hips. All she was to him was a bright red blob on the floor with what appeared to be a fogged up visor.

Sam finally regained control of her senses and tried to clear her throat. Blocking the image from her mind she tried to find complete sobriety. He was right, her behaviour was childish but she just couldn't help it. "I'm sorry Sir. I shouldn't have laughed at you." she stated, suddenly back well within the realms of protocol. Still she thought it best to avoid looking directly at him as she attempted to sit up in her suit.

"Here let me help you." Jack offered Sam his hand and hauled her awkwardly to her feet. When she was upright and unsupported he turned more fully to face her. "So do you think you are finished Major?" Sam merely nodded into the silence, resolutely avoiding his eye. "Because laughing at a superior officer is quite a serious offence you know."

"Yes Sir, I know." She was in for it now, he was playing her.

"And I would hate to write you up for something like this." Jack paraded himself back and forward in front of his subordinate. Briefly he wondered how much it would take to make her crack again. Inwardly he smiled, it was fascinating to watch the gleam in her eyes, even if he couldn't quite get a clear view. "I don't take well to being mocked as well you know."

Sam's eye flicked in his direction, there was just a little air of seriousness in his tone now that worried her. Sure they were friends but out here in the field he was her CO and nothing more, their very lives quite often depended on that clear distinction. "I am aware of that Sir and it was not my intention to-"

Seeing that she had misinterpreted his tone he cut her off. "I believe it was." He flashed her a brief mischievous grin and watched as she visibly relaxed with yet another small smile hidden just below the surface of her features. "Do you think this is funny soldier?" He indicated his headgear with his hand.

"No Sir." Sam responded, determined to win the game now that she was sure it was one.

"Do you think I enjoyed having this happen to me?"

"No Sir." Her voice was ranging high again, she cleared her throat.

"How about if I dance around? Like this – is it funny now?" Jack did his best to throw himself around inside his ridiculous suit. It was working, she was beginning to fray around the edges.

"No Sir." Sam barked, her insides beginning to spasm again, her shoulders involuntarily rising.

Jack stopped dancing, she wasn't going to give in. He tried another tack. "Well here, why don't you have a closer look?" He brought his head closer to Sam and she closed her eyes, finally breaking rank.

"No thank you Sir, that's disgusting."

Before Jack had the chance to say anything more the machine that had been set up on the desk beeped. He nodded at her to go take a look.

Carter flicked her eye over the paper readout as it appeared. "We're all good Sir, the air is clean. There is no contamination after Daniel triggered the intruder alert."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Thank god!" Jack popped the seal, removed the hood and shook his head in the dusty air. "Because to be honest Carter I don't think I could have took much longer inside that suit."

Sam handed him a tissue. "I'd say not Sir."

"Excuse me." Jack turned away and viciously blew his nose. "That's better." he said turning back to look at his bright eyed 2IC. "And Sam next time you decide to laugh at me when I sneeze inside my hazmat suit I'm going to zat you. Is that understood?"

"Loud and clear, Colonel." There was a small silence as they both smiled. "But you've got to admit it was pretty funny?"

Jack took a moment to ponder the event. "Yes I suppose it was, but still the laughing, not cool." and with that Jack pushed the button on the dial and the security lock down lifted itself and the temple doors revealing a very relieved Daniel and Teal'c.

END

AN: Gesundheit! R&R welcome :)