Come Away With Me..
24 Hours
Takes part a few months after Daniel's back, after Jonas has left, after "30 Mins" Disclaimer - Don't own anything just had a bit of a jolly with the characters. Spoilers - nothing really Started off as a funny, then serious inspired by Norah Jones and "Come Away With Me", then kinda went away from that as well.
The rain tapped with monotonous regularity off the tent onto the sun-baked soil. The first rainstorm in 50 solar years and it had to be when they arrived. Seen as auspicious by the locals it bode well for the very damp negotiations that were to follow the next day. Pity they could not put SG1 up though. There was a bit of a trek to the main "town" from the Stargate. For "house" read "hut": for "town" read "4 huts".
The team had drawn straws to see who would get Daniels damp books and sneezes, and Carter's snoring. Jack had drawn to bunk with Carter.
It had never really been a problem before although sometimes Jack would lie awake nervously expecting something to happen.
That's why this time he had brought earplugs.
Daniel's memory was swiss cheesed on some things like how much money he owed Jack, or how many times he had lost at cards, but crystal clear on Sam's snoring. He had even joked it was the first thing he had remembered. Sam's nocturnal noises, yes, Jack's name, no.
The tents set up, there was just enough room to stand up and get changed - with the rain pouring down Jack had still let Sam in first to change out of her damp kit. He was not too bad. He could cope with wet clothes but could not stand damp socks. These were now smoking quietly to themselves on top of his boots after he had changed his T-shirt, and was settling onto his bedroll. Sam had already rolled over and murmured a snuffley "'Night Sir" from under the drawn up sleeping bag. He put his hands behind his head, laid down and listened to the rain for a while. Then put the ear plugs in. The worst bit was always when he thought she had stopped, there was a long moment of silence then it started again, so he thought he would avoid the suspense altogether and block out all sound from the start.
The rain continued and he dozed. To be woken with a start by an arm being thrown across his middle by a very warm 2IC.
" Carter!" He whispered/shouted. She didn't stir but she was making various whimpers in her meanderings. Jack felt her forehead. She was building a bit of a temperature, so he thought she had better go back to the SGC in the morning. He had scored tonight. She was just getting a cold as well so it was going to be a noisy evening, and it had put paid to the talks going ahead - they all had a bug now and had to get checked out by the Doc before they proceeded.
Jack did his best to tuck Sam's arm back into her sleeping bag without waking her - it was four hours before dawn so he thought they might as well finish the evening before heading back. Besides, it was still raining.
The drip off the end of the tent was beginning to annoy him. The pain in his lower back was also annoying him. The woman in his personal space was annoying him even more for the fact that she was affecting him rather than what she was doing.
Sam had decided to have a bad dream. Jack had figured that she had "decided", when she had eaten that macaroni cheese that tasted like chicken earlier. Daniel had forgotten what rations tasted like, and made the wrong selection. Again.
He was about to wake her up. An hour had passed, and he was getting grouchy with lack of sleep so thought she may as well suffer as well, and propped himself on one elbow to shout in her ear. Something about her expression stopped him.
Sam was facing him with a frown. Her eyes crinkled a little, and her hair was still plastered to her forehead with the humidity and her low-grade fever. For once Jack didn't think about anything else but who she was and what she meant to him. Gently he brushed some of the hair away from her eyes, and in response she moaned a little in her sleep. The effect on him was instantaneous: he was now very awake and aware of his surroundings and what was going out of control in his trousers.
" Crap," he murmured to himself, covered himself up (although no-one was around to see him) and proceeded to blush. He looked inside his sleeping bag at his errant thought as if to check to make sure it was still there. And it was. This could not be happening - seven years and God knows how many opportunities of close encounters and something had to occur to him on a damp godforsaken planet when the object of his affections was his comrade, second in command with the 'flu, and he was away from the prying eyes of responsibility. He had come close to it before, but thinking about the future always stopped him.
He lay on his side and contemplated what he was thinking about. Obviously facing her. He could be affectionate - they had done that before without disapproval. They were a team and they were expected to feel something for each other. Okay he hadn't wanted to kiss Daniel much in the past, let alone get inside his trousers, but they were close in an unspoken way, which was why after Daniel had ascended he couldn't talk about it with anyone. Carter had almost attacked him when he refused to speak about it. He was offended that she hadn't seen how upset he was. At the end of the day it was their job, their job was their lives otherwise they wouldn't be doing it and that was that.
Jack afforded himself a moment of imagination. Yes, he had an imagination; otherwise he wouldn't have taken the leap of faith that was the Stargate when he came back to the job 7 years ago.
Cold crisp air, the mountains, seeing her breath, then they shared it with a kiss. Long grass, walking hand in hand, looking at each other, and smiling. The warmth of the log fire in his cabin, making love and holding her face in his hands.
Then he was back in the present with the cold, and the wet and the reality that was their lives. If he went for the dream, he could not have reality, which after all made him who he was.
Her eyes opened, and in their lucidity he knew she could see through him and all about him.
" Sam," then her hand reached out to cup his face, and he mirrored her, running his fingers along her brow, then cheekbone, noticing the scar by her nose, then the laugh lines down past her mouth.
Sam put her finger on to his lips to stop him saying the obvious, and then she reached out as he did and they spent the rest of the night in each other's arms. Just in case it got cold.
The next morning, A.M., so very A.M., ..
"Mmff" his nose was warm, his toes were cold but his nose was warm. Jack opened his eyes in a start, and looked at Carter's chest. This was not a bad thing to wake up to but given the impending "waking up" situation it could be difficult. There was this moment, then there would be all the moments after it, but this was the one that mattered right now.
Without opening his eyes again, he reached up to put his arm around Sam's middle and pull her as close as he could without actually occupying the same space, and felt her breath quicken as she woke. She then proceeded to cough violently over the top of his head.
Jack spoke into Sam's chest. "If I have to die of the 'flu please let me have caught it right now."
"Sir, please, I think I'm going to .."
Partially digested macaroni cheese was not easy to get out of one's socks.
Jack and Sam had unravelled themselves after her mishap, with surprisingly few curses from O'Neill. In retrospect he thought that he must have mellowed over the years as if this had happened a few years ago he would have made Carter clean his socks, boots, and then spend the rest of the morning outside.
Instead he cleaned her up - the rain had subsided making the air fresher, (although strangely not around his boots.); he held her hair away from her face as she threw up again, then hiked alone to the Stargate to radio the SGC that they would be coming home.
When he approached the camp, he noticed that Teal'c was up and attempting to pack away his own tent with Daniel still in it.
"T, how many times have I gotta tell you to wake him up first! You know what he's like on those antihist-a-things"
Teal'c paused as a disgruntled Jackson crawled out of his sleeping bag.
" Yes, I agree O'Neill. I had forgotten about Daniel Jackson's inability to rise in the morning". His half smile showed otherwise.
"Fortunately for you Daniel, I enjoy early mornings, and rising with them," Jack paused to look at a half asleep Carter, propped up against her kit, and smiled. "Otherwise you have had to endure breakfast around Typhoid Sammie over there."
"What's up Sam?"
Daniel had just done a jaw- cracking yawn and was fumbling with his glasses, whilst trying to find his boots.
" I'm the reason we're going home."
Jack proceeded to explain in technicolor the events of the evening before, with certain omissions and concluded by saying, ".. And that, Daniel is how I ended up with your boots on - which are annoyingly too small."
"Where are yours then.?" Realisation dawned on Daniel when he saw Jack's discarded boots and socks. "Jack, you are a selfish son of a bitch sometimes.". Then continued to rant whilst he tried to find something to put on his feet.
O'Neill looked back towards Carter smiling broadly; as he realised he had confirmed that the universe may change and turn upside down, but Daniel was still a peach in the mornings.
" Carter, you look a mess".
"Thanks, would you like to meet my breakfast, as it's going to say hi anytime soon".
"Nooo thanks," Jack put his hands up in defence; " I've seen the matinee and nearly wore the T shirt".
O'Neill hunkered down beside her, and looked up to make sure that Daniel was still gesticulating noisily to a bemused Teal'c.
" Err, Sam, about last night, " he began rather uncomfortably, "Sir it's OK, I was ill, you were checking my temperature to make sure I wasn't going to slip into a coma,.." Sam continued to ramble making it quite clear that she was trying to make him feel better. "Hey, Major, we don't need to explain anything - you're right; we had a moment when we were both delirious. I seem to remember a damn good dream though."
Jack stood up and looked around as if to scan the horizon
"SG4 can continue with this mission, we're off for the next week. Then we'll be goin' up to my cabin. We may have to take Daniel and T along to carry the fishing gear." Jack looked down at her, with a small smile, "it's amazing how easy it is to get lost in those woods. It'll be fun"
"I don't know Jack, do you think that's such a good idea?" Sam's whisper came out between a couple of hacking coughs.
" Don't see why not, the kids seem to be getting along fine."
Jack was watching Teal'c and Daniel arguing over who was going to finish wrapping up the tent.
" I mean us, Sir."
" I know what you mean Carter" he turned, showing just a little frustration and anger that he had to explain himself again, " it's a fine idea. I'm not that dense."
" It's not just about you and me. We're all in this. At the risk of sounding arch, who knows what the future is, doesn't hurt to lay a bit of a foundation does it? We lost Daniel once, and we've got a second chance with him. We may not get that again."
He took his cap off and ran his hand over his hair briskly, then replaced it, taking his usual care to adjust the rim.
" Just some time off to not save the world for a change. Is that too much to ask?"
" No, Jack, I'm sorry." Sam wiped the back of her hand over her forehead, and felt herself getting warm again, "its just.."
"I know Sam, it's me who should be sorry, you're sick," he murmured apologetically as he helped her up. " Save it for when we're both in dry clothes, with a cold one and a 'dog eh?"
Once the gear was stacked away they headed off towards the Stargate taking turns to help Sam.
Teal'c was assisting her when they approached the Gate, leaving Daniel to ask Jack who he would have preferred sharing with given the night's performance.
" Oh I had the better deal, Daniel. You know how much T dreams now, don't you."
"Can't say that I noticed, I slept quite well actually."
"Ah, given his current lack of lady friends, and you know," trying to illustrate something by slightly punching the air, " his drive, shall we say, he has this tendency to" pause for effect, " ..snuggle."
Daniel stopped in his tracks before the DHD, " Now you mention it, I was rather too warm last night, do you really mean ..?"
" Daniel, that is between you and your bed roll. My roomie may have thrown up but at least she smells and looks better in the morning than yours did"
The wormhole formed cutting off further discussion.
24 Hours
Takes part a few months after Daniel's back, after Jonas has left, after "30 Mins" Disclaimer - Don't own anything just had a bit of a jolly with the characters. Spoilers - nothing really Started off as a funny, then serious inspired by Norah Jones and "Come Away With Me", then kinda went away from that as well.
The rain tapped with monotonous regularity off the tent onto the sun-baked soil. The first rainstorm in 50 solar years and it had to be when they arrived. Seen as auspicious by the locals it bode well for the very damp negotiations that were to follow the next day. Pity they could not put SG1 up though. There was a bit of a trek to the main "town" from the Stargate. For "house" read "hut": for "town" read "4 huts".
The team had drawn straws to see who would get Daniels damp books and sneezes, and Carter's snoring. Jack had drawn to bunk with Carter.
It had never really been a problem before although sometimes Jack would lie awake nervously expecting something to happen.
That's why this time he had brought earplugs.
Daniel's memory was swiss cheesed on some things like how much money he owed Jack, or how many times he had lost at cards, but crystal clear on Sam's snoring. He had even joked it was the first thing he had remembered. Sam's nocturnal noises, yes, Jack's name, no.
The tents set up, there was just enough room to stand up and get changed - with the rain pouring down Jack had still let Sam in first to change out of her damp kit. He was not too bad. He could cope with wet clothes but could not stand damp socks. These were now smoking quietly to themselves on top of his boots after he had changed his T-shirt, and was settling onto his bedroll. Sam had already rolled over and murmured a snuffley "'Night Sir" from under the drawn up sleeping bag. He put his hands behind his head, laid down and listened to the rain for a while. Then put the ear plugs in. The worst bit was always when he thought she had stopped, there was a long moment of silence then it started again, so he thought he would avoid the suspense altogether and block out all sound from the start.
The rain continued and he dozed. To be woken with a start by an arm being thrown across his middle by a very warm 2IC.
" Carter!" He whispered/shouted. She didn't stir but she was making various whimpers in her meanderings. Jack felt her forehead. She was building a bit of a temperature, so he thought she had better go back to the SGC in the morning. He had scored tonight. She was just getting a cold as well so it was going to be a noisy evening, and it had put paid to the talks going ahead - they all had a bug now and had to get checked out by the Doc before they proceeded.
Jack did his best to tuck Sam's arm back into her sleeping bag without waking her - it was four hours before dawn so he thought they might as well finish the evening before heading back. Besides, it was still raining.
The drip off the end of the tent was beginning to annoy him. The pain in his lower back was also annoying him. The woman in his personal space was annoying him even more for the fact that she was affecting him rather than what she was doing.
Sam had decided to have a bad dream. Jack had figured that she had "decided", when she had eaten that macaroni cheese that tasted like chicken earlier. Daniel had forgotten what rations tasted like, and made the wrong selection. Again.
He was about to wake her up. An hour had passed, and he was getting grouchy with lack of sleep so thought she may as well suffer as well, and propped himself on one elbow to shout in her ear. Something about her expression stopped him.
Sam was facing him with a frown. Her eyes crinkled a little, and her hair was still plastered to her forehead with the humidity and her low-grade fever. For once Jack didn't think about anything else but who she was and what she meant to him. Gently he brushed some of the hair away from her eyes, and in response she moaned a little in her sleep. The effect on him was instantaneous: he was now very awake and aware of his surroundings and what was going out of control in his trousers.
" Crap," he murmured to himself, covered himself up (although no-one was around to see him) and proceeded to blush. He looked inside his sleeping bag at his errant thought as if to check to make sure it was still there. And it was. This could not be happening - seven years and God knows how many opportunities of close encounters and something had to occur to him on a damp godforsaken planet when the object of his affections was his comrade, second in command with the 'flu, and he was away from the prying eyes of responsibility. He had come close to it before, but thinking about the future always stopped him.
He lay on his side and contemplated what he was thinking about. Obviously facing her. He could be affectionate - they had done that before without disapproval. They were a team and they were expected to feel something for each other. Okay he hadn't wanted to kiss Daniel much in the past, let alone get inside his trousers, but they were close in an unspoken way, which was why after Daniel had ascended he couldn't talk about it with anyone. Carter had almost attacked him when he refused to speak about it. He was offended that she hadn't seen how upset he was. At the end of the day it was their job, their job was their lives otherwise they wouldn't be doing it and that was that.
Jack afforded himself a moment of imagination. Yes, he had an imagination; otherwise he wouldn't have taken the leap of faith that was the Stargate when he came back to the job 7 years ago.
Cold crisp air, the mountains, seeing her breath, then they shared it with a kiss. Long grass, walking hand in hand, looking at each other, and smiling. The warmth of the log fire in his cabin, making love and holding her face in his hands.
Then he was back in the present with the cold, and the wet and the reality that was their lives. If he went for the dream, he could not have reality, which after all made him who he was.
Her eyes opened, and in their lucidity he knew she could see through him and all about him.
" Sam," then her hand reached out to cup his face, and he mirrored her, running his fingers along her brow, then cheekbone, noticing the scar by her nose, then the laugh lines down past her mouth.
Sam put her finger on to his lips to stop him saying the obvious, and then she reached out as he did and they spent the rest of the night in each other's arms. Just in case it got cold.
The next morning, A.M., so very A.M., ..
"Mmff" his nose was warm, his toes were cold but his nose was warm. Jack opened his eyes in a start, and looked at Carter's chest. This was not a bad thing to wake up to but given the impending "waking up" situation it could be difficult. There was this moment, then there would be all the moments after it, but this was the one that mattered right now.
Without opening his eyes again, he reached up to put his arm around Sam's middle and pull her as close as he could without actually occupying the same space, and felt her breath quicken as she woke. She then proceeded to cough violently over the top of his head.
Jack spoke into Sam's chest. "If I have to die of the 'flu please let me have caught it right now."
"Sir, please, I think I'm going to .."
Partially digested macaroni cheese was not easy to get out of one's socks.
Jack and Sam had unravelled themselves after her mishap, with surprisingly few curses from O'Neill. In retrospect he thought that he must have mellowed over the years as if this had happened a few years ago he would have made Carter clean his socks, boots, and then spend the rest of the morning outside.
Instead he cleaned her up - the rain had subsided making the air fresher, (although strangely not around his boots.); he held her hair away from her face as she threw up again, then hiked alone to the Stargate to radio the SGC that they would be coming home.
When he approached the camp, he noticed that Teal'c was up and attempting to pack away his own tent with Daniel still in it.
"T, how many times have I gotta tell you to wake him up first! You know what he's like on those antihist-a-things"
Teal'c paused as a disgruntled Jackson crawled out of his sleeping bag.
" Yes, I agree O'Neill. I had forgotten about Daniel Jackson's inability to rise in the morning". His half smile showed otherwise.
"Fortunately for you Daniel, I enjoy early mornings, and rising with them," Jack paused to look at a half asleep Carter, propped up against her kit, and smiled. "Otherwise you have had to endure breakfast around Typhoid Sammie over there."
"What's up Sam?"
Daniel had just done a jaw- cracking yawn and was fumbling with his glasses, whilst trying to find his boots.
" I'm the reason we're going home."
Jack proceeded to explain in technicolor the events of the evening before, with certain omissions and concluded by saying, ".. And that, Daniel is how I ended up with your boots on - which are annoyingly too small."
"Where are yours then.?" Realisation dawned on Daniel when he saw Jack's discarded boots and socks. "Jack, you are a selfish son of a bitch sometimes.". Then continued to rant whilst he tried to find something to put on his feet.
O'Neill looked back towards Carter smiling broadly; as he realised he had confirmed that the universe may change and turn upside down, but Daniel was still a peach in the mornings.
" Carter, you look a mess".
"Thanks, would you like to meet my breakfast, as it's going to say hi anytime soon".
"Nooo thanks," Jack put his hands up in defence; " I've seen the matinee and nearly wore the T shirt".
O'Neill hunkered down beside her, and looked up to make sure that Daniel was still gesticulating noisily to a bemused Teal'c.
" Err, Sam, about last night, " he began rather uncomfortably, "Sir it's OK, I was ill, you were checking my temperature to make sure I wasn't going to slip into a coma,.." Sam continued to ramble making it quite clear that she was trying to make him feel better. "Hey, Major, we don't need to explain anything - you're right; we had a moment when we were both delirious. I seem to remember a damn good dream though."
Jack stood up and looked around as if to scan the horizon
"SG4 can continue with this mission, we're off for the next week. Then we'll be goin' up to my cabin. We may have to take Daniel and T along to carry the fishing gear." Jack looked down at her, with a small smile, "it's amazing how easy it is to get lost in those woods. It'll be fun"
"I don't know Jack, do you think that's such a good idea?" Sam's whisper came out between a couple of hacking coughs.
" Don't see why not, the kids seem to be getting along fine."
Jack was watching Teal'c and Daniel arguing over who was going to finish wrapping up the tent.
" I mean us, Sir."
" I know what you mean Carter" he turned, showing just a little frustration and anger that he had to explain himself again, " it's a fine idea. I'm not that dense."
" It's not just about you and me. We're all in this. At the risk of sounding arch, who knows what the future is, doesn't hurt to lay a bit of a foundation does it? We lost Daniel once, and we've got a second chance with him. We may not get that again."
He took his cap off and ran his hand over his hair briskly, then replaced it, taking his usual care to adjust the rim.
" Just some time off to not save the world for a change. Is that too much to ask?"
" No, Jack, I'm sorry." Sam wiped the back of her hand over her forehead, and felt herself getting warm again, "its just.."
"I know Sam, it's me who should be sorry, you're sick," he murmured apologetically as he helped her up. " Save it for when we're both in dry clothes, with a cold one and a 'dog eh?"
Once the gear was stacked away they headed off towards the Stargate taking turns to help Sam.
Teal'c was assisting her when they approached the Gate, leaving Daniel to ask Jack who he would have preferred sharing with given the night's performance.
" Oh I had the better deal, Daniel. You know how much T dreams now, don't you."
"Can't say that I noticed, I slept quite well actually."
"Ah, given his current lack of lady friends, and you know," trying to illustrate something by slightly punching the air, " his drive, shall we say, he has this tendency to" pause for effect, " ..snuggle."
Daniel stopped in his tracks before the DHD, " Now you mention it, I was rather too warm last night, do you really mean ..?"
" Daniel, that is between you and your bed roll. My roomie may have thrown up but at least she smells and looks better in the morning than yours did"
The wormhole formed cutting off further discussion.