Do the Math

Spacegypsy1

A little S/J ficlet. Established. Season 9 or 10 ish.

A/N: Started as a prompt for "Sparring", and it went way wrong.

~i0i~~i0i~~i0i~~i0i~

"Sir, if you don't want to hold it you don't have to." Sam looked across the workbench to Jack. "You're the one that offered."

Jack frowned and looked up, his fingers mere inches from the spark spitting object. Carter was giving him 'The Look', head slightly tilted, eyes round and mouth twitching. Fingers lifting out in a gesture clearly stating – 'fine', Jack once again took the base. "What is it?"

Briefly she lifted her eyes. "It's my ignition."

"Well for cryin' out loud, why've you got the damned thing hooked up to all those doohickey things? Turn it off!"

"It has a short, and I need it on to find it. It's safe. Really. I've taken all the precautions. You're safe."

"Why the hell do I have to hold the damned thing?"

"Because, I can't bolt it to the SGC worktable! That's ludicrous. You don't have to hold it, it'll be fine."

"No, no. I'll hold it. Ach!" Jack pulled his finger to his mouth. "The damned thing shocked me!"

"I told you to keep your fingers on the base!"

"Carter, how long is this gonna take?"

"I have no idea, Sir, why?" Head still down, she grinned.

Vala dashed into the room, "Oh, hi Jack. Sam, can you build Lightsabers?"

Turning her head slightly, Sam answered, "No, why?"

"I'm trying to think of something to get Muscles for his birthday."

"T has a birthday! Ah, crap, it shocked me again." Jack grimaced but held the ignition base tightly.

"Well, Jack, it shouldn't be so shocking. Everyone has a birthday. We just don't really know when his is. So I made one up for him. It's next Tuesday; we're having a party. Toodles." Vala disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.

"Look, Carter, I'm leaving. You going home anytime soon?"

"Well, considering this thing is going to slide all over the table it could take me…hey, stop that!"

Jack snatched the extension cord out of the wall, wrapped all the wires around the piece of machinery and tucked it under his arm. "I've got to be back for a meeting in the morning. I need to leave at 0400 to get there in time. It's now 2100; do the math."

"Oh, right, sorry. Let's go." Sam grabbed her coat off the back of the chair. "Jack?"

"What?"

"Leave it; I don't think I'm gonna have the time to work on it."

"Right."

~END