D.C.
Series: Stargate SG-1 / NCIS
Genre / Pairing: Jack & Sam, Tony & Ziva.
Seasons: SG1: end of 8th. / NCIS: 9
Disclaimer: The characters in the series belong to the Stargate franchise and MGM and the Paramount.
General Jack O'Neill came out of a rather tense meeting with politicians. As so often in these cases, he was searching for solace with his colleague and friend, Colonel Samantha Carter.
It was more than a friend, maybe his mate but the regs prevented them from living a love story.
Some days, Jack would give everything he had and more to be with her, hold her in his arms and maybe more.
Jack left his office to go cool off by spending a little water on the face and restore some of his fetish cologne. He knew that his 2IC loved his smell because every time they passed, she sniffed the air. Once fresh and ready, he went to Carter's laboratory.
He would enter hitting the opened door, but he found she was on the phone and didn't want to disturb. Still, he listened, to ensure that everything was fine because she was very secretive and even in Hell, she'd kept her troubles to her.
"Yes, Tony, I'm fine. Don't worry ! Thank you for the flowers at the funeral, it was kind."
She was silent, the time for the caller to speak to her. Jack had never heard of Tony, he frowned.
"Yes, I'll be in Washington, I arrive tomorrow morning" Sam said to his friend. Jack did not hear the caller, but he seemed to be funny, because the young woman burst into a hearty laugh. Jack had a heavy heart, the laughter usually reserved for him.
"General O'Neill will also be there, Tony ! This is my boss, I come to work not for fun, it's strictly business !" She laughed again and turned in her seat to see General O'Neill lean against the door's frame, arms crossed and somber look.
"Tony, I gotta go ! Yes, we'll dined together on Saturday, I'll confirm schedule. See you !" Sam said slowly replacing the handset.
"Hello Carter!"
"Hello sir, I'm sorry to keep you waiting!"
"No worries, you may have a life!"
"Did you want to see me, sir?" She said, rising to approach him.
"Yes, I wanted to talk about the trip to Washington, do you have a minute?"
Jack had pretended to have lost his e-ticket and wanted her to make him a copy of her own. The rest of the day passed at an alarming speed: Jack should wrap all budget meetings before handing over to Reynolds and Sam had experiences to complete before departure.
They flew from Denver that evening for a night flight and Jack had not opened his mouth the whole trip. He took records to finish and Sam tried to sleep.
She suspected him of having caught the whole conversation she had with Tony. She would have been amused if Jack had not been in such a bad mood. Arrived in Washington, they were greeted by a driver. The man lead them to the Navy Yard for presentations. The two soldiers had traveled in uniform, to save time upon arrival.
Special Agent Gibbs was waiting in the lobby but didn't need to introduce as he already knew Jack.
"General O'Neill, you impress me!" Gibbs said, shaking the hand of his old friend.
"Special Agent, you've come a long way too!" Jack said.
Gibbs looked away to Sam.
"Gibbs, let me introduce Colonel Samantha Carter to you" said Jack.
"Sir" Sam said.
"Colonel, call me Gibbs, no sir."
"Yes sir, sorry, Gibbs. Call me Sam." She said smiling at him.
She was examining him since he had approached them. It was made from the same mold as general O'Neill : grey haired, dynamic and in his sexy fifties. Jack had spotted his friend examination under Sam's microscope. "Decidedly, she loves gray hair" he told himself.
"Shall we go?" Asked Gibbs giving badges to his guests. He invited Sam to pass and admired the small of the lady's back.
"Hey, do you want me to leave ?" Jack asked his friend, without being heard by Sam.
"Are you with her?"
"Are you gonna tell me that you know nothing of the regulations ? You, who works with the JAG and who was in the Navy for years !"
"And that's stopping you, now? Regs, really ?"
Gibbs had escorted them to the huge meeting room. Sam moved her laptop on the console, because she had to introduce new weapons the Pentagon wanted to distribute in specific services for homeland security, NCIS was concerned.
Jack watched from afar, Gibbs at his side.
"She's beautiful, if you don't seize your opportunity, you'll lose her!" He advised his friend.
"I know. Every time she speaks with a man, I'm afraid. Or when someone looks at her like you did just now" Jack admitted.
" Sir ?" called Sam.
"On my way, Carter" Jack replied before turning to Gibbs. The agent pushed him in the back before Jack opened his mouth. Gibbs saw the young woman's power on general O'Neill. He smiled and sat down on a seat by his team who had just arrived.
"Do you know them, Gibbs?" Abby asked.
"Yes, I know him, not her" he replied.
"I Know her !" Tony said. He knew she was coming to DC, but he ignored she would lead presentation.
"Are you kidding me Tony ?" Ziva asked.
"He said that to drive you crazy, Ziva, I'm sure he doesn't know her !" McGee said.
"Her name is Samantha Carter and she's Colonel in the USAF. She arrived from Denver this morning. Is it good or I go on?"
The team stared at him. But Gibbs confirmed the identity of the young woman.
"How do you know that, Tony?" McGee asked.
"I spoke with her, yesterday before her night flight. We must dine together on Saturday."
"Dinner on Saturday?" Ziva asked, dissatisfied.
"Well yes ! An old friend is coming to town, can't I have dinner with her ?"
Ziva didn't answer but crossed her arms over her chest. Abby rolled her eyes at Tony and McGee sighed. Gibbs smiled, finishing his coffee.
The room was filled and Sam's presentation began. First of all, she presented the General and herself, then she quickly presented her research - those she could tell. She was presenting alien technology, pretending to be accomplished by Earth, as in'tar that looked like a semi-automatic stun gun.
The presentation lasted all morning and Sam was exhausted from so much talk. In the end, Gibbs and his team had joined Jack and Sam to invite them to lunch with them in the city.
Sam hugged Tony when she saw under Ziva's evil eye.
Gibbs took care of his men, and Jack did the same with he and Sam, everyone shook hands. They took the way to a bistro in Georgetown, where Gibbs had his habits.
Once installed, Sam felt Ziva's bad looks and felt uncomfortable. She dared not speak to Tony and as Jack was ignoring her, she talked with Abby and McGee.
"Do you plan to stay for a long time ?" Abby asked.
"We leave early on Sunday afternoon. General O'Neill can't be away too long from the base" Sam replied with a smile.
"As you travel with him, you can't stay ant longer."
"I have to go, I still have ongoing experiments in Colorado."
"Carter's a geek, unable to leave her lab !" Jack said with a laugh. Abby jerked her head towards him but Gibbs shook his head, in order to keep her quiet.
"You'd always hate scientists and your 2IC is - what kind of scientist ?" Gibbs asked.
"Theorical astrophysicist." Gibbs raised an eyebrow at the title, as McGee and Abby.
"Yes, but Carter's also an excellent officer!"
"Thank you, sir" Sam said, trying to hide the grin on her face.
"Don't you never use your names ?" Ziva asked, who had felt something between two soldiers.
"Never" Sam said.
"By the way, we organize a little party on Saturday night for Ziva's birthday" Abby said "Wanna come ?"
"Damned !" Tony said, turning to Ziva.
"I do not want to change your plans" Sam said to Tony.
"Sam, I can't take you to the restaurant on Saturday, sorry!"
"Jack could take care of her !" Gibbs offered.
"Leroy Jethro Gibbs ! Did you lose your mind ?" Jack said, clearly displeased.
"Jack, you might as well enjoy an evening with this delightful young woman ! Tony has reserved her favorite restaurant !"
"Gibbs, can I see you outside?" Jack asked, getting up to leave.
Everyone watched them then turned to Sam, red with shame.
"That means he doesn't want to have dinner with me on Saturday ! Would you excuse me" Sam said, getting up to leave. Abby followed her to the ladies' room.
"Samantha, are you okay?" Abby asked, through the bathroom door, while Sam drove back her tears.
"Yes thank you."
Once outside, Jack yelled at Gibbs. "What have you in mind ?"
"I saw how you looked at her and the murderers looks you throw at Tony !"
"He invited her to dinner in the first place, not me ! I don't want to be a consolation prize!"
"Stop immediately ! Tony told me about her. I know he's a womanizer, but he's a sensitive guy. They're friends, otherwise I would never have heard of her. They met in high school. Tony is madly in love with Ziva, and vice versa but they are in the same situation as you. Neither starts with one another! I was hoping that Sam's presence would release things."
"So, it's not a date ?"
"No silly" Gibbs said, hitting the back of Jack's head "Run and invite her to dinner".
Jack went into the restaurant and Gibbs shook his head from side to side with a thin smile on his lips. He followed his friend but found two empty places at the table. He asked Tony with a gaze and he replied "ladies' room."
When he turned his head toward the bathroom door, it opened on Abby, followed closely by Sam. The two women were holding hands, Abby was a very tactile person and her contact reassured Sam. She looked sad.
Abby took her place between McGee and Ziva, while Sam sat back down between Tony and Jack, turning slightly her back to him.
"Tony, have you heard of the elders of the promo?" Sam asked, trying to take a playful tone. Jack ran his hand through Sam's back and stroked her. It was his way of making peace with her.
"Some. Then, you know, the job and everything !" Tony smiled, seeing Jack's gesture.
"What are you doing on Saturday night then?" Abby asked, who saw the scene as well.
"We are going to dinner to enjoy Tony's reservation" Jack said, smiling at Sam. She had turned her head towards him when she heard his words.
Sam and Jack had a private dinner together, before joining Ziva's birthday party, hand in hand. They spent the rest of the evening dancing slows, entwined.
Gibbs gave advice to Jack for his relationship with Sam, without risking a court martial. It was risky but neither Jack nor Sam wanted to resign. They wanted to continue to work together, they would live their story like that. In the worst case scenario, they would inform the President, to find a solution.
They returned on Sunday and Sam moved next week at Jack's.
Tony learned from Jack and invited his colleague. Abby jumped for joy seeing couples form around her. Tony and Ziva are going more slowly and lived their story at their own pace.
THE END