Out of Context

General Jack O'Neill sat at his desk, deep within Cheyenne Mountain, rubbed his weary eyes and glanced at his watch. "2200 hours on December 23rd and I'm still stuck here at the SGC. How did George do it?" He mused out loud.

Jack shut down his computer, left his office and trekked down the passage way to Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter's lab. "Carter!" he called, poking his head in the door, "did you forget you have to give me a ride home?"

"No, sir." Sam looked up from her work and smiled at him.

Jack pointed to his wrist and said "It's almost 10:30."

"Oh, gee, I'm sorry. I guess I lost track of time."

"Carter, just shut down your stuff and let's get out of here."

"Ok." she readily agreed. "You know, sir, all of a sudden I realized that I'm starving!"

"Imagine that!" Jack said with a hint of sarcasm. "I'm so hungry I'm shaking. Let's stop and get something to eat on the way home."

"Sounds great." Sam said as she turned off the lights to the lab and the two fell in step down the corridor and began walkind toward the elevator.

"What sounds good to you, Carter?" Jack asked as they stepped into the elevator.

"How about that Thai place?"

"They close at 10."

"Oh." She paused a moment "Well, what sounds good to you, sir?"

"I wish there was someplace you could get a big juicy hamburger this time of night." He bumped Carter's arm as he made a gesture with his hands showing her an imaginary hamburger that would actually be two feet in diameter.

"Butch's has the best burgers around but..."

"They close at 11:00. I guess we'll just have to settle for Burger King. I hope you have some cash Carter, because I loaned my money to Teal'c . All I've got is three bucks."

"No problem."

As the two officers exited the mountain complex they were immediately hit with a brisk north wind blowing a heavy, wet snow.

"Great! This is all we need!" Jack griped.

"Well, at least we'll have a white Christmas." Sam quipped. "When will your truck be out of the shop?"

"They promised me they would have it ready by 11:00 AM tomorrow."

Sam and Jack climbed into her car, kicking the snow from their feet.

As the two officers entered the nearly empty Burger King, neither of them took notice of the young couple in civilian clothes eating Whoppers and sharing an order of fries. The two were airmen who both worked in the commissary at the SGC.

"Hey, Travis, look!" whispered the female "It's Colonel Carter and General O'Neill."

"Shh! The last thing we need is for them to recognize us," Travis said.

"Neither one of them would know us if we went right up to them and said 'Hey! Great to see you again!'"

"Amber, do you think all those rumors about those two having a secret affair are true?" Travis asked.

Amber glanced back at Carter and O'Neill just in time to see Carter pay for both of their meals. "Well, it's almost 11:00 PM, they're in Burger King together, the Colonel just paid for the General's meal, and oh, yeah, tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Most people are with family or boyfriends or girlfriends this time of year." She looked meaningfully at Travis and snatched another french fry as the airmen continued their clandestine surveillance of the two SGC officers.

Carter took the tray with the food and O'Neill said "I got straws and napkins. Do you want catsup?"

"Yes." Sam replied

Jack filled 3 paper medicine cups with catsup, put them on the tray and said "If you want more I'll come back and get you some more."

Jack led Sam to a booth toward the back of the restaurant that was far enough away from Travis and Amber that the airmen could not hear the officer's conversation.

"You know, Amber, General O'Neill and Colonel Carter have worked together for a long time. They were on SG1 together for six years. That's probably why they seem so relaxed around each other."

"Oh, come on Travis! Look at the way she looks at him! She's got love written all over her face."

"Damn! I should have never taken you to see a chick flick tonight!"

"What does that have to do with any of this?"

"That stupid chick flick put all kinds of crazy ideas in your head."

Amber rolled her eyes and took another sip of her Coke.

"I've got a question for you," Travis said. "What does a hot chick like Carter see in an old guy like O'Neill anyway?"

"You think Carter's hot?" Amber asked incredulously. "She's old!"

"Not as old as O'Neill!" he shot back.

"O'Neill is sexy."

"What? You're kidding right?"

Amber was just about to say that yes, she did find her commanding officer attractive, when she turned her head to look at Travis, her boyfriend. She immediately recognized a caldron of emotions in his eyes and realized that it was time to check fantasy at the door. "Travis, just because I think the guy is cute doesn't mean I have anything in common with him. And you're right, he's old enough to be my dad!"

"When you put it like that it sounds creepy."

"It is creepy." Amber replied.

"Shh!" Travis quieted his girlfriend again. "They're coming this way!"

Amber quickly picked up her drink and turned her face away from the officers walking in her direction.

O'Neill was carrying the tray with the trash and Carter was following behind him. Carter held open the swinging trash door as Jack dumped the trash into the can. He set the tray down and said to Carter "Let's go home and go to bed."

"Ok." She replied and they quickly exited the Burger King.

Amber nearly choked on her Coke. "Did you hear that?!"

"I can't believe it!" Travis' voice was filled with excitement. "Of all the people who work at the SGC we're the ones that have proof positive that those two are in a relationship!"

As Sam dropped Jack off at his house she said "Do you need me to pick you up tomorrow and take you to the car repair place to get your truck?"

"No, thanks, Carter. Daniel is coming by to pick me up. Have a merry Christmas."

"Thanks, sir. You too."

Jack shut the car door and patted the roof of the vehicle. Sam drove off to her own house to get some much needed rest as Jack wearily climbed the steps to his front door.

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