Title: A double; away from the nothing
Author: Villemo (villemo112@hotmail.com)
Disclaimer: not mine, hmm – I wonder if there even are any… *checks story*, yeah okay, so there's like 3 Stargate names in this one, and I guess I don't own them, so… Be nice, don't sue.
Summary: The reason why Jack kept 'messing up' his crossword…;) Lost City part 1. [Sam&Jack] -- Missing scene. Please read!:)
Spoilers: Lost City part 1
AN: Well, I finally figured out why Jack kept 'messing up' his crossword... (celestial body --> Uma Thurman?! Hello!) It had of course 'nothing' to do with the fact that he had that ancient knowledge in his head... *pokes tongue at readers* and everything to do with, well, this:
BTW: This is set before they go to P3X-439 (the planet with the Ancients repository of knowledge), but after the briefing.
(Okay, so there wasn't really much 'room' there, but I made some, okay. Consider it a 'writers privilege' ;p)
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Prologue:
(from The Lost City, part 1)
Jack: "I need a seven letter word"
Daniel: "I told Sam I wouldn't help you"
Jack: "Well, then this will be the one thing she doesn't know. - Up down, charmed, blank"
Daniel: "Strange"
Jack: "Yeah... Well, thanks anyway"
Daniel: "No. The word your looking for…-"
Sam: "The fate of the world is hanging in the balance, and you've been sitting in your car finishing 'this'?"
Jack: "I believe it was double or nothing"
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[a double; away from the nothing]
"The bet, is off"
she says,
and cocks her head to the side.
He looks up from the black & white-checkered paper in his hand.
"What?"
"I know you asked Daniel"
"'Scus' me?"
"About the crossword"
she clarifies.
-What happened to this being: "the one thing she doesn't know"…?
He mutters his earlier words,
she doesn't understand.
"What?"
"Never mind…
Anyway,-" he returns his attention to his crossword "-you can't hold me to that one. He never answered."
It's triumphant.
"Yes he did."
calm, certain - very Carter like.
He looks at her, slightly confused,
"No, he didn't"
petulance?
indignation?
"He did."
she repeats.
"-Right before you hung up, - and apparently right 'after' he heard some splashing noises-"
she cuts herself off
"Sir, were you rinsing your phone in the sink again?"
accusation, with amusement
"I don't 'do that'."
indignation.
She looks at him, knowingly; before, slowly:
"No sir.
Of course not sir.
Only... "
she pauses,
"- you really shouldn't do that you know. It's only water resistant, not waterproof..."
"Carter..."
his voice going down,
a warning.
"Yes sir.
Sorry sir."
hiding a smile are we?
"-And anyway - I don't do it *that* often"
grudging admittance, as he fiddles with something on the desk.
Her smile erupts.
"No sir..."
She gazes at him for a while, then
"Sir, about the bet..."
a reminder
"Aw, come on Carter, don't ya think I deserve a second chance here?"
"Sir, you weren't supposed to ask Daniel, or anybody else for that matter, for help"
"But he didn't 'say' anything"
'O'Neill exasperation'; it's almost a whine.
"Ehm, yes he did"
"Yes well, nothing I actually 'got' then…"
Her lips twitch,
as he continues.
"So, whatta' ya say, the bet's still on?
"Well; lets, for arguments sake, say you really didn't...'get'-"
she smiles at that
"-what Daniel said. - You still broke the rules."
"What rules?"
"The rules sir"
"Your rules Carter"
"Yes, well I am the one supplying the prize. - sir."
He pauses,
"Yes; there is that - that you are..."
he taps his fingers, thoughtfully, on the desk.
Her eyes linger on him for a moment.
"I suppose..."
"Yes?"
he returns his attention.
"Well I suppose I could talk to Daniel, again; and if he confirms your story..."
"Yes?"
hopefully expectant now.
"...then I might be inclined to overlook-"
"-thanks Carter"
he jumps down from his chair.
"But sir-"
she stops him.
"What-now?"
he enquires.
"The stakes just changed."
she informs him.
His hands go into his pockets.
"What; it's already double or nothing"
"Yes, well; it just took a double, away from the 'nothing', sir…"
she says; meaningfully...
He looks at her.
"Ehm, 'what'?"
She elaborates.
"You win, you get the before-mentioned prize."
He nods.
"'I' win - you take me out to dinner."
He stares at her.
"Carter..."
"This'll all have to be after we're done with this pesky getting-the-ancient knowledge, so-we-can-save-the-world-'again' stuff, of course..." she adds,
nodding to herself.
"-and, there will, obviously, also have to be a time limit now"
she continues, unbaffled by his stare.
"O-kay..."
So is she saying what he thinks she's saying?
Because if she's saying what he thinks she's saying…
He hesitates,
"Eh, Carter, just..."
Just?
Okay, 'among other things…'
"-What about Pete?"
He has to ask.
She looks at him, all innocence.
"What 'about' Pete?"
He lifts his eyebrows at her (- didn't she just insinuate that the two of them...)
"Well-"
she says, carefully,
grinning,
"I like Pete…;
but…"
he can fill in the blanks himself;
'term used to express warm affection, attraction, and/or devotion, towards another person,'
two words,
seven letters - across...
And it ain't 'strange'...
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Well, I hope you got the puzzle *winks* ;)
And remember: reviews are adored!
(c) Villemo 2004
[oVo]