Disclaimer: I don't own anything. But I have lots of nothing :)
Jack was studying the label on a jar of salsa when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Jack O'Neill?"
He raised his eyebrows in surprise and turned around. "Hey Carter, long time no see."
"It has been a while" Sam agreed. "I thought you were living in Minnesota?"
"I am. I came down for the weekend to visit…someone." he said vaguely.
"That's nice" Sam said, trying to ascertain from the food in the cart whether she really thought it was 'nice' or not.
"How's the family?" Jack asked. Instantly wishing he'd phrased it differently.
"Fine. Mark just got promoted, his kids are growing like weeds."
"That's great. Tell them 'Hi' for me."
"Sure" Sam agreed. Even though 'The Family' didn't know him at all.
"How's Nick?" Jack asked casually.
"I don't know actually." Sam was unemotional. "We split up."
"That's too bad."
"If you say so"
"Ahh" Jack grimaced understandingly. "Like that was it?"
"Yeah" Sam changed the subject. "What about you? How've you been?"
"Oh you know, fishing, alone, alone fishing. Retirement you know. You lose touch."
"Well, we don't exactly all call each other every morning anymore" Sam said regretfully.
"No, we don't. I'm thinking about getting a phone though."
"Really?" Sam knew this would a huge compromise for Jack, having a phone at his cabin.
"Maybe. Something with a big 'off' switch"
Sam laughed.
"So have you heard from Daniel and T? I've been out of the loop for a while"
"Well I used to talk to Daniel a lot, while he was working in Chicago. Then he got this dig in North Africa and I've barely heard from him since. A couple of letters, one phone call, but I haven't seen him for almost a year."
Jack sensed she was hurt by this. "Well, that's Daniel for ya."
Sam nodded. "Teal'c sends word through the Tok'Ra whenever they stop by. Usually the same message, he's fine, his family's fine, the rebellion is struggling but persistent. Then he asks how we are and when the programs going to be reinstated."
"If" Jack said glumly. "If it's reinstated."
"You don't think they'll do it?" Sam was surprised hear Jack changing his tune. He'd always believed the Stargate would be reopened.
"Hey I gave it a month, it's been two years."
"So you've given up hope?" Sam was disappointed.
"I never had much faith in politicians. What faith I did have is rapidly decaying…" Jack trailed off. "But" he shrugged off the hopeless feeling he always got when he thought about the program. "Enough politics right? I'm retired. What have you been up to?"
"Lab work" Sam confessed. "Egghead stuff"
"Well you should be happy then"
"I am" Sam said firmly. "I, I am"
"Now that last part wasn't quite convincing." Jack observed.
"Yeah, I gotta work on that" Sam used one of Jack's old lines.
He grinned.
Sam smiled back "It's not like the old days Jack" She said fondly.
"No" He agreed "It's not. Speaking of which" He tried to break the mood of nostalgia. "How do you tell if something's 'Certified Organic'?" Jack tapped the salsa jar he was holding. "It says 'Organic' on the front but I don't see the 'Certified'"
"Let me see" Sam stood beside him and studied the label.
Jack took the opportunity to look at her while she wasn't watching him. She'd grown her hair out to her shoulders. It looked nice. A little different, he thought, but nice.
"See, right there" Sam pointed to the emblem. Hoping Jack was inexperienced enough at label reading to believe it would actually take her that long to find it.
"Thanks" Jack shifted his grip on the jar and his fingers brushed her hand. Sam looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back, and for a moment they just stood there, hovering over a jar of salsa, in the Chip & Dip aisle.
Their peace was shattered as a group of young women came around the bend. One of them was talking, and Sam figured whatever story she was telling must be pretty juicy the way the other girls hung on her every word.
"Oh hell" Jack swore and turned his back to them. He edged a little behind Sam and
started studying the corn chips as if they held the secrets of the universe, or at least this weeks hockey scores.
"What's wrong?" Sam whispered. Wondering why on earth Jack seemed so disturbed by a bunch of college girls.
"Just act normal and try not to draw any attention." Jack requested.
Sam was dying of curiosity but did as he asked, looking over the ingredients list on a bag of Frito's while trying to shield as much of his body as she could from view. She listened to the girls talking and figured out two of the names that went with the voices. She also caught a bit of gossip about a girl named Linda and the Social Studies professor. Sam listened quietly as the girl's walked by and wondered how Jack could have possibly worried they'd notice him when they were completely wrapped up in themselves.
"Jack!" The voice shouted much louder than necessary. Sam saw Jack cringe. But he turned around with a smile that -if she hadn't known him so well- would have looked completely genuine. "Hi girls, what are you doing here?"
"We always go shopping on Saturday" a blonde girl with glasses explained. "You weren't hiding from us were you?" she teased.
"Now why would I do that?" Jack asked with just enough sarcasm that only Sam noticed it.
Rhonda looked over Jack's groceries. "I don't believe this. She has you doing her shopping."
"You had Jason doing your shopping" A dark haired girl pointed out.
"That was Jason" Rhonda smiled up at Jack. "He didn't have anything better to do."
Sam's jaw went slack. This girl was totally flirting with the general.
The girl in glasses elbowed Rhonda in the ribs. Rhonda ignored her and looked at Sam. "Is she with you?" Rhonda addressed herself to Jack.
"Yeah, actually. Sam, this is Peggy, Amber, Connie, Ashley and…Rhoda"
"Rhonda" Rhonda corrected, sounding annoyed.
Sam fought back a smile at what she knew was an intentional 'mistake'. She had Jack had intentionally mispronounced the name as a subtle hint to back off. Unfortunately Sam doubted anything subtle would work on Rhonda.
"Girls, meet Sam" Jack completed the introduction.
Sam smiled at them. They were all pretty friendly to her, except Rhonda of course, who obviously hated her.
"We should go" Peggy, the dark haired girl, suggested.
"But we just got here" Rhonda apparently didn't want to unglue herself from Jack's presence. But Peggy seemed determined to keep her friend from making an even greater fool of herself.
"Rhon-duh" she whispered loudly. "It's time to go"
Amber, the girl with glasses, joined in. "C'mon Rhon. It was nice seeing you Jack, Sam." She started to walk off. The other girls following one at a time.
"See you later" Rhonda promised/threatened.
"I'll look forward to it" Jack replied insincerely. At which Rhonda beamed.
When they were gone Sam looked at Jack. "You're going to regret saying that."
"Oh I already do" Jack assured her. "You know what I can't believe, is that a kid could grow up in America today and have absolutely no concept of sarcasm."
"Well I don't think Rhonda's your biggest problem." Sam commented.
"Really, what is my biggest problem Samantha?" Jack raised his eyebrows as he emphasized the word.
Sam tried to ignore the teasing glint in his eye. "Amber"
"Amber? What about her?"
"Rhonda thinks you're hot. Amber, on the other hand, is completely overcome by your charm." Sam had to admit she thought it was kind of cute.
"Oh give me a break" Jack wasn't buying it.
"I'm serious" Sam talked while talked while Jack moved on the applesauce. "I think she at least has a very serious crush on you.
"I'm old enough to be her father." Jack commented, wondering how he was going to get the right kind of what looked like 200 different brands and varieties.
"So?"
"So Amber's not some airhead. She's too smart for that."
Sam shook her head. "No wonder she likes you"
"What?"
Jack took a six single serving pack of organic unsweetened apple sauce off the shelf.
"Respect" Sam explained. "Girl's like that."
"What?" Jack asked, looking the apple sauce over for leaks after dropping it on the floor. "I was distracted"
Sam smiled. "Never mind" she gave up. Jack finally put the apple sauce in the cart. "Are you busy tonight?" Sam asked suddenly and without even planning to.
Jack paused for a minute, his eyes wandering around the room as he thought about it. "No, not really"
"If you have plans…"
"No, nothing I can't get out of. What'd you have in mind?"
She hadn't really even considered it. "I don't know. Dinner, maybe?"
"That'd be nice. When?"
"When's good for you?"
"Anytime. I'm retired, so,"
"Well I don't usually work Saturday's"
Jack raised his eyebrows "That's a change."
"Yeah well, I used to spend a lot of time with someone who kept telling me to get a life."
"And you listened to him?" Jack said dissprovingly.
"Not as soon as I should have." Sam admitted.
Jack didn't say anything for moment as he absorbed that statement. "Let's eat early" he suggested.
"Okay, where?"
"I don't know, wherever you want."
"Okay what time?"
"Whatever works for you" Jack said amicably.
"Okay," Sam smiled. "Six o'clock?"
"Five o'clock?" Jack countered.
Sam checked her watch. "It's almost five now."
Jack looked at his cart. "I've got to drop off the groceries…five-thirty?"
"Sounds good. The park?"
"Park's good"
"Okay then"
"See you soon"
"Bye" Sam left Jack to finish his shopping, whoever he was shopping for –and she was resolved not to care- and headed home to change. Damn she'd missed that man.
Jack checked the shopping list. Certified Organic Medium Hot Salsa…check, Organic All Natural Un-sweetened Mixed Berry Apple sauce…check, next on the list, Yogurt. He wondered how many million flavors that came in.