Setting: Immediately after the events of Window of Opportunity.
Pairings: Jack/Sam
Disclaimer: I must admit, no matter how much it breaks my heart, that I do not own any of the characters in the following story. Except of course for the Original characters I've made up. The ones you all know and love are owned by MGM and Showtime and SciFi and blah blah blah. One day I wish to... *sigh*
While this isn't my FIRST FF, its my first in a while. I used to write all the time but then this whole damn RL thing started to interfere and I stopped... The hubby got me to get back into it though after I introduced him to the show about 6 months ago. Can you believe that? Hes 27 years old and had never seen the greatest show ever?! But hes great, hes actually my Beta as well. Oh, and yes, this is 1000% J/S Ship and fluff!
So please, leave pleanty of reviews and messages! Thanks guys!
A/N: I'm writing this one with a specific type of POV writing. Its going to bounce from person to person as easily as a touch. I'll specify when the POV changes so hopefully that'll be easy enough to follow. Although, I will say, writing first person POV for Teal'c is excruciatingly difficult. No really, my fingers actually hurt from it.
Stargate Command Briefing Room.
0800 Hours.
Tuesday (Because Tuesdays Suck)
Jack's POV:
Never, in the history of history, has anyone ever been as bored as I am now. Danny-boy is losing his mind over another planet again. Even Sam is bored. Wait- Sam? I mean Carter. Phew! That was close Jackie… Cant go thinking of her as Sam. Stupid Groundhog Day… got my frond all wonky. I look over at Sa-CARTER again and study her. She's got that glazed over look again. Does she KNOW how cute she looks when she daydreams? Does she make a conscious effort to look that adorable? She can't know. Well, actually she might. I mean, she did respond to my kiss pretty heartily during that loop. I mean, you don't just kiss somebody back like that when you're not interested right? Seriously, I wish I could just-
"Jack!"
I freeze, look at Daniel who is looking at me like I've grown a second head and realize that I'm leaning forward on the desk towards Carter.
"Uhhh," Oh shit, um, THINK JACK THINK! "Carter has something in her hair."
I hold my breath, praying to whatever God could possibly be laughing their asses off at me and hope they bought it. Carter reaches up and brushes her fingers through her hair getting rid of the offensive imaginary object and I slouch back in my seat acting 'normal'.
"Okay Jack, whatever…" Daniel goes back to his presentation and I see Carter look over to me with her eyebrow raised in a perfect imitation of Teal'c and a smirk on her face. OH GOD! MAYDAY MAYDAY SHE KNOWS! Play it cool, O'Neill. I grin and turn back to Daniel's droning. Did she buy it? I sneak a look back and see she's turned back to the presentation. PHEW! Hang on, did he just say something about Ancient Technology?
"Um, Spacemonkey" Don't give me that look Danny "Ancient Technology? You mean like, another one of those head grabby thingamawhatsits?"
"No Jack, not one of those 'head grabby thingamawhatsits'. If you'd have been paying attention, you would have heard me say that the UAV identified a couple of structures of similar design to what we've seen from the Ancients before. So far we haven't seen any people, but it does look like that planet may actually be currently inhabited. Quite possibly by present day ancients."
"oh, well, that sounds cool..."
"Yes Jack. Cool was the exact word I was going to use."
Oh boy, Dr Jones here looks irritated. "General, Permission to go through to P3R-928."
"Sir, you actually remembered the name of the planet?" Carter asked me.
No, the name is on the top of the folder, I just looked a second ago. "Yes Carter. I actually did. See, I do actually listen from time to time. To the important stuff." I slouch a little further in the chair and do my best to look smug. Oh, she is SO not buying it.
"Colonel, you and your team have a go. You leave at 1000 hours."
"Really, that's it? No need to describe all the perks and potential opportunities?"
"No Jack. if you actually had been listening instead of doodling and daydreaming, you would know that Daniel and Major Carter already convinced me of it." Oh crap, now he's the smug one.
"Sorry Sir."
We all stand as Hammond does and we head to the door. Carter approaches me and I turn to her.
"Colonel, next time, try to come up with a better excuse than me having something in my hair."
Oh I swear, one of these day this woman will be the death of me. I place my hand on her lower back and guide her through the doorway.
Sam's POV
Oh god damn, does this man know what these little touches do?! All he has to do is touch me lightly, even through my BDU's and its like im getting electrocuted by one of Felger's mistakes, only when Jack does it, I kind of enjoy it. And lately, its like he's making even more of an effort to do it. One of these days I have to ask him just what happened during those day loops. I watch him as he walks down the corridor towards the gym (that's where he's been heading a lot more lately actually) and I slump against the wall before composing myself and head to my lab. I have GOT to get my head right. This is just ridiculous.
Once I've reached my lab I start to gather all of the things I need for today's mission:
Laptop - Check.
Notebooks - Check.
Camera - Check.
Cables - Check.
Oh! Backup batteries, that's right, where did you get to you pesky batteries? Oh! That's right, the drawer. What the heck? Why are there 2 Ghirardelli bars in my drawer? Again. Who keeps putting these here? I finish packing my backpack and decide to throw them in for good measure. Who knows, sometimes I need them after being stuck off world with these boys. I grab my pack and head down the hall to Daniel's lab to see if he needs help. He never does, but it's become our routine.
"Hey Daniel."
"Oh, hey Sam! All packed already?"
"Yeah, most of my stuff was still packed from the last mission. Hey listen, did you put chocolate bars in my desk?"
"Um, no? There were chocolate bars?"
Oh this boy knows something.
"Yeah, two dark chocolate Ghirardelli bars. My favorite. Somebody put them there, and it's not the first time. They've actually been spawning in my desk before every mission since, well, after the whole thing with Jolinar."
Oh, now he's squirming. BREAK, ARTIFACT BOY! BREAK!
"Nope, don't know anything about it."
Now he won't even make eye contact with me! GAH!
"Oh look, all packed. Lets go get Jack and Teal'c and get to the gate room!" He goes to run past me and I grab his elbow, spinning him around. NOT SO FAST!
"I will find out this little secret Daniel. You do know that right?"
"Yep!" He replies and I reluctantly let him go.
Daniels POV:
As Sam lets me go, I scramble to keep my face from turning into a ridiculously stupid smile. Damn you Jack. I really wish I could just tell her that they're his non-regs breaking version of love notes! Stupid man has sworn me to secrecy. This whole frat-reg thing is stupid. I cant help but start to stomp down the hall as the whole thing has me frustrated me to hell and back. Everyone sees it too. Even Hammond. I swear, He and I have even talked about it. We have an idea of how it could work, but we'd have to (very) temporarily (seriously, we suspect it would only take a week) break up SG-1, and with the replicators AND the Goa'uld breathing down our necks it just seems like an all-around bad time to even try it. Sam breaks off from me to the armory and Teal'c falls into step with me.
"Hey Teal'c."
"Hello DanielJackson." He tips his head to me in the distinct Jaffa fashion.
"So, Sam is asking questions."
"She is usually the one who provides the answers."
"Uh yeah, but in this case, she definitely doesn't have them." He raises his eyebrow. "Shes asking about the chocolate bars." He and I exchange a look. Oh yeah, he definitely agrees with me on this.
"I do recall what you and General Hammond were discussing at the last barbeque regarding the relationship between O'Neill and Major Carter. I also do recall the wager General Hammond, yourself and Sergeant Siler placed regarding their relationship."
Aw crap.
"Yeah… About that…" We've reached the gate room Teal'c hands me my sidearm. I start to shuffle my feet, feeling that same antsy feeling I always get when this comes up.
"I am well versed in the details regarding your military's fraternization regulations, but I do not agree with them DanielJackson."
"I know Teal'c. Neither do I." I sigh, and place a hand on his arm. He nods to me in a show of support.
"I swear, it these two don't resolve their sexual tension I'm liable to start screaming" I whisper to him, as I hear them coming into the room.
"Indeed."
Teal'c's POV
DanielJackson removes his hand from my arm just as the two subjects of my discussion come into the room. I look in their direction and am aware of the conversation that has transpired between the two. MajorCarter approaches me past O'Neill.
"Teal'c? Do you know who put the chocolate in my desk?"
I look to O'Neill and see him tuck his chin into his chest. He is pretending to adjust his FN P90 Personal Defense Weapon. I also see that this action is a poor attempt to conceal a look of amusement. Although with MajorCarter's focus on me, it goes unnoticed by her.
"No MajorCarter. I am unaware of the identity of the man who seeks your affection by placing confectionary items in your personal belongings."
She gives me a look I can only describe as the Tau'ri emotion of disbelief.
"Sir, do you have any clue as to who put them in my desk?" The look upon her face is one that I can only describe as reminiscent of the false-god Apophis when he has been challenged. I do not wish to be in O'Neill's place at this moment.
"Nope, nada clue Major. Lieutenant Simmons seems to have the hots for you though so maybe him?"
I can hear Simmons in the control room attempt to catch his breath after O'Neill has placed him under the mass transit system.
She then turns on her heels and exhales sharply in the direction of the Stargate.
O'Neill leans back and gestures to receive the attention of both myself and DanielJackson. He then mouths a "thank you" and winks. I have been with the Tau'ri for approximately 4 years and I still do not understand this.
As the Stargate dials and the "Kawoosh" (as they have named the wormholes action) forms, MajorCarter and O'Neill step forward and on to the ramp. O'Neill is continuing to adjust his weapon, and not entirely paying attention, bumps into me.
"Oh, sorry about that T. Alright kids, To Oz!"
Sometimes I do believe this man, while a formidable warrior is more of a child. And I look at him with my eyebrow raised.
Jacks POV
"To Oz!" Hehe, I really do enjoy having the opportunity to say that. I follow Carter up the ramp and as always she waits for me before going through. She and I have always done this little dance. We always take point and we always go through together. I reach the Event Horizon and we step through together. When we emerge we see that the planet isn't actually uninhabited. In fact, it's quite inhabited. We hear Danny and T step through behind us, followed immediately by a gasp from Space-Monkey.
"Um, didn't you say "UN-inhabited" Daniel?"
"I, well, the UAV showed no life signs. Nothing at all. Like the whole place was deserted. I swear."
"Well, this looks quite inhabited." I huffed. I admit it. I'm a little frustrated. Mine and Carters guns are raised and at the ready when one of the people takes a few steps towards us. He's dressed in clothes that are a strange mix. Modern, but I guess, traditional? I dunno, he kinda dresses like Om-
"Jack, his clothes, he's dressed like Oma!" Well, thanks for stealing my thunder there Daniel.
The man smiled at us, "Yes Daniel, you said that the first time we met."
What?
"Im, sorry, the first time we met?" I've got to figure out what's going on here.
"Yes Jack. It is I, Adrius. How did you come through the Stargate? You were just in the city. we were just together. Although, you weren't wearing your uniforms. You actually haven't worn those in quite a while." The man looks seriously confused. And frankly, so am I.
"Ok, hang on, you said we were just in the city? That's not possible. And our uniforms? Huh? Alright, I'm beyond confused. Completely out of my league here. Carter, what are we dealing with here?"
"Actually Sir, I have absolutely NO idea. I think I'm as confused as you are." Well that's not good.
The man took another step forward. "Think you should follow me. I think we can learn more in the city."
I look back around at Daniel, T and Carter and they all shrug. I admit, we're all completely out of ideas here. We walked down the steps and follow the man into what looks like an entirely modern city. Almost futuristic. Things are glowing and responding to touches and I have to admit it all looks pretty damn cool.
He guides us down to what I can only describe as a central point in the city. He walks up to a small group of people standing around in a circle, focusing on something in the middle, being held by a man. Even from the back something seems eerily familiar about these people. The man points to us and the group turns around. "Holy Hannah." Sam breaths.
Theyre, Us.