Author's Note- For the GW ficathon. The prompt was 'Sam and Jack + a lot of mud. The word "rocks." Bonus points if someone gets hurt.' UST. A touch of fluff and Angst. Enjoy!
Promise
Colonel Jack O'Neill trudged along in the cold and wet rain.
"Remind me again why we're out here again?" He grumbled.
Major Samantha Carter smiled up at him. "Because Daniel says there's something that we need to see." She said.
"Couldn't he have waited till I don't know, a time when it wasn't raining?"
"Yes sir. But this planet gets storms every few days. This supposedly is a good day." Sam said with a chuckle.
Jack continued his grumbling. Danny boy was going to owe him big time for this one. He could be curled up with a guinness, in Minnesota, watching the hockey play offs, on leave right now. And maybe his lovely 2IC would agree to go fishing with him this time. But oh no we just had to check this out, right now, in what could only be described as a monsoon. It was so like him to be in a bad mood and be stuck on a mud planet. What could possibly make this day worse?
"How much farther?" He wined.
"We're still a few clicks…oh!" Suddenly her words were cut off by a yelp of pain. Her foot had gotten stuck in a sink hole and as she pulled her foot out the momentum caused her to fall backwards.
He caught the front of her vest but it was too late and soon they were rolling down the steep ravine. Jack held her protectively as they rolled and rolled. Finally they came to a stop at the bottom.
And Jack landed right on top of her.
Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. His hands were positioned on either side of her head and his mouth was a hairsbreadth away from her. All he had to do was lean down a fraction of an inch and he would be kissing her.
Her lips parted in anticipation and he felt her warm breath on his lips.
Damn.
He swallowed and Sam blinked at him.
"Sir…" She whispered breathlessly.
That one word was all he needed to remind him. He was her CO, she was his 2IC. And this was a bad situation to get themselves in.
He quickly rolled off of her and got to his feet. Sam sat up and Jack gave her his hand to lift her up. She stood but as soon as she put weight on her ankle her legs gave out.
Jack caught her in his arms before she had a chance to hit the ground.
"What's wrong?" He said concern evident in his voice.
"My ankle sir. I think I sprained it." Sam said pain lacing her voice.
Well this wasn't good.
The stargate was at least a mile away and his 2IC had a sprained ankle. And it really looked like she wasn't going to be able to move very fast.
"Can you walk?" Jack asked.
"I can try sir." She said as she put her arm around his neck. His own arm made its way around her waist to steady her.
After walking together a few feet Jack realized it could work…but it would be pretty slow.
"Daniel?" Jack said into the radio.
No response.
"Daniel are you there? Over."
Again no response.
"Alright Carter why aren't the radios working?"
"I'm not sure sir. The minerals in the ground could be messing with them…we did roll pretty far down the embankment."
Great. An almost broken Astrophysicist-soldier and a broken radio.
Jack sighed. "We better head back to the gate. When we don't show up they'll head back to the gate too."
"Yes sir."
They hobbled along for half an hour. They weren't getting very far.
"Colonel…I need to rest."
Jack realized how much it took her to say that. it took a whole hell of a lot of pain for her to ask to stop.
"Sure thing." He said as he helped her sit against a rock. His arm felt the lose of her warmth.
Pain was evident on her face. And he realized what a complete ass he was to not check it before they started walking. "Off with the boot Carter."
"What?" She squeaked.
"I want to look at it." Jack said exasperated.
Sam glanced at skeptically but did as he bade.
"And the sock."
Sam sighed but again followed orders.
He knelt down to her foot and smirked when he saw her French manicured toe nails.
Very feminine. So unlike his 2IC.
He tenderly cradled her foot in his hands, being careful not to touch the swollen black and blue flesh.
Jack felt a shiver go through her. "Sorry Carter…did I hurt you?" He asked.
"No sir." She said her eyes downcast.
He glanced up, thinking she was lieing to him. Red flooded her cheeks and she wouldn't meet his eye. Okay maybe she wasn't lying but then what could cause her to have that sort of reac…
Oh…OH! He tried to bite back his full blown grin.
His touch was causing her to have that reaction.
"Definitely sprained." He said as he cleared his throat and stood up.
"I know sir." Sam said as she put the sock back on, wincing at the pain. She cried out when she tried to put the boot back on. She loosened the lasses but still it wouldn't go back on without causing her tremendous pain.
"Major…stop. It's not going back on…I'll just have to carry you."
Sam's blue eyes went wide. "Sir…your knees…you can't carry me all the way back to the gate."
She had a point…but that was the only way to get her back to the Stargate.
"You can leave me here sir…and then when Daniel and Teal'c come back…"
Jack quickly interrupted her. "There's not a chance in Hell of that happening."
She should have known that he'd never leave her behind. Not even for a moment. The force field situation last year should have proved that to her. You didn't leave your team mates behind.
You didn't leave the woman you love behind either.
His serious brown eyes collided with hers. With a nodd of her head he knew she understood.
He'd rather die than lose her. And he wasn't going to leave her alone on a planet where with a sprained ankle.
"Up and at it Major." He said as he leaned down to her.
She put her arms around his neck, and one arm went around her knees while the other went around her back.
Jack continued walking with her in his arms, getting closer and closer to the gate.
His heart was in over drive. And it wasn't because of the added weight. He felt her breath on his neck. Could feel in through every part of him.
A while later his knees started bothering him. And she knew it right away.
"Knees Colonel?"
"They're fine Carter. Stop worrying."
She giggled at him.
"Ah! What did I tell you?"
She grinned. "I know…no giggling…sir."
The sir was put on as an afterthought. And he knew what that meant. They were getting too close.
Other than the rain and the mud, this really wouldn't be so bad. Carrying her in his arms like that.
But they had a duty. To their nation, and to their planet. They couldn't let a little thing as love stand in their way.
After a long period of time and many rests they finally made it to the gate.
He set her down against the DHD while he dialed and she put in the GDO code.
He lifted her into his arms once more.
"Oh Carter?" He asked her as he walked to the event horizon.
"Sir?"
He leaned his head down to her ear, her short hair ticking his face.
"You owe me a kiss…soon…when it's all over." He whispered softly.
She grinned at him. "Promise?"
"Oh yeah." He said fervently.
He smiled at her before stepping through the Stargate.
That was one promise that he would always keep, and never forget.
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Author's Note- Thanks for reading and if you liked it let me know!
