Sam Carter awoke to a gentle tapping sound and for a few moments, couldn't remember where she was. She blinked away the blurry image of the glass window only a few inches from her face, and her tired eyes began to make out the streaming paths of water cascading across the glass. Further out, hundreds of tall, thick pine trees stood, siloetted against the dark morning sky and sailed by as if on a treadmil. She remembered now.
SG1 had been placed on two weeks downtime after General Hammond had said their performances were suffering from being overworked. Colonel Jack O'Neill had quickly planned a group getaway, and they all found themselves on the road with a destination for a weekend camping trip, deep in the heart of the Colorado Nation Forest. Teal'c had been the smart one, requesting to go to Chulak for some time to visit with his son.
Sam stretched, trying not to disturb the young girl, who sat curled up sleeping against her side. Janet and Cassandra Fraiser had also been looped into this little field trip, as it was Spring break from school for Cassandra, and Janet herself could always use a little time away. Now the two women and young girl found themselves in the backseat of Janet's SUV, at an insanely early hour, with Colonel O'Neill driving them to some surprise location, for a weekend of "fun".
Sam looked around the car and had to admit, that even the car ride was comfortable and relaxing. The gentle sound of the morning rain pattering against the windshield, and the steady rythm of the windshield wipers keeping the glass clear was enough to lull everyone into a peaceful sleep. Everyone except Jack, who now sat leaning against the steering wheel, attempting to stretch out the muscles in his back. The same muscles that Sam, at this moment, could see flexing and stretching under the fabric of his T-shirt. It was a rare occasion that Sam would allow herself the small appreciation for the physical appearance of her commanding officer. But after all, she was a woman, and she did enjoy looking from time to time.
Jack sat back in his seat and slowed the vehicle before making a smooth turn, with a not so smooth ending. The SUV bounced roughly into a large pothole, resulting in two simultaneous thumps of skulls against windows and Daniel and Janet to wake instantly. Jack's surprised eyes looked up into the rearview mirror and the grin in them made Sam smirk.
"Where are we?" Daniel asked, rubbing his head.
"I have no idea."
"What?" Janet and Daniel both exclaimed.
"Relax, I'm kidding. We're almost there. There should be a little bait shop up here a few miles. Last chance to get anything you may have forgot to bring."
"I could use a pitstop." Janet said through a yawn.
"Agreed."
They had been crammed in the vehicle for nearly four hours and could all use a leg stretch and a bathroom break. The SUV bounced again from another deep rut, and jerked the young girl from her nap.
"Geez Jack, do we have to hit every single bump?" she whined
"Its a dirt road. There's bumps. I can't help it."
"Have you tried slowing down?" Janet added.
"First rule, no telling the driver how to drive."
Cassie rolled her eyes and slouched down in the seat, lifting her feet up onto the center counsel and against Jack's elbow. He looked at the girl in the rearview and then down at the small hiking boot that had invaded his space. He non-discretely reached down and pulled her shoelace, causing them to unknot and fall loose around her ankle. Janet looked at her daughter, to gauge the reaction, but was met with only tired eyes and a yawn.
"Someone's cranky this morning." she teased.
"I am not. I'm just tired of being in the car."
"I agree." Daniel added from the front seat.
"Relax whiners, It's only about another twenty miles or so."
"So, whats the first plan of action when we get there, oh great leader?" Daniel asked while wiping his glasses on his shirt.
"Ther is no plan Daniel. Thats the point of a getaway trip. Its supposed to get you away from plans and rules."
"Then why did you set rules?" Cassie asked.
"What?"
"You said rule one, no telling the driver how to drive. If the point was to get away from rules, wouldn't we all start telling you how to drive now?"
"Oh for cryin out loud. Since when did you start analyzing every thing I say huh?"
Janet grinned at her daughter. Though the girl was only eleven, she was extrememly smart and quick whitted for her age. Having influences in her life like the members of SG1 had helped mold the girl into a the bright young woman she was becoming. When the girl was around Jack O'Neill, Janet sometimes found herself rolling with laughter at the constant squabbling. They were very much alike.
A rickety old building cam into view as the vehicle bounced roughly down the rocky dirt road. Covered with an old tin roof, colored from years of shaded rust, that failed to reflect the and light. Jack pulled the SUV into the rough uneven parking lot and came to a stop in from of the splittery old wooden porch that ran along the front of the building. The rain made small metalic pinging sounds as it landed against the tin roof and rolled down, collecting some rust, before falling and exploding on impact with the warped wooden porch.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather use a bush Janet?" Daniel asked, peeking out the window.
"Oh come on, its not that bad. Its just old and localized." Jack argued, pulling on his hat.
"I don't know sir. Haven't you ever seen Deliverance?" Sam added.
"Oh for cryin out loud. You can all stay in the car if you want, but I want a pepsi."
Jack quickly opened the door and ducked out, before slamming it shut and covering the distance to the covered porch in a few steps. Janet sighed and followed, with Sam at her heels.
"Just me and you huh?" Daniel said, turning in his seat to look at Cassandra.
"There's nothing in there worth getting all wet for."
A small jingle from a brass bell sounded as Jack pushed open the door to the small shop and was slightly surprised by what he saw. Aside from the shops shabby exterior, inside is was very clean, cozy, and organized. A few short shelved aisles sat parrallel to each other in the center of the room, covered with miscelaneous items and snack foods. The front checkout counter was made of a thick dark wood with handcarved designs decorating it. In the far back corner, a large stone fireplace roared in front of two large worn sofas, and a square coffee table, littered with carved in intials of dozens of shop visitors.
"Mornin!"
An elderly man peeked up from behind the woodwork counter and smiled happily at Jack.
"You're out and about mighty early."
"Yeah. I'm surprised you're even open."
"Oh shoot mister," he smiled, "I'm the only supply store for an easy thirty miles. No such thing as nine to five when there's huntin to be done."
The little bell jingled, and a wet Sam and Janet stood in the little doorway, staring in.
"Well come on in ladies. Have a sit by the fire" the man grinned a cheerful smile and pointed.
"Oh, actually, do you have a restroom?"
"Sure! Straight back, first door on the left."
Sam and Janet disappeared in to the small room and the man turned back to Jack.
"So what bring you all the way out here son?" Elk? Moose? Bear?"
"Oh, no, we're not hunting. Just here for a little camping. Maybe do some fishing."
"Wonderful. Where abouts are you aiming to camp?"
"Well, we were thinkin of following the Windsong trail up away from the road and setting up camp somewhere off the trail."
"Hmm, there ain't much water up in those parts, and its pretty populated this time a year."
"Oh yeah? Where would you suggest?"
"I'll tell ya what, have a look around the shop awhile, I'll make a phone call to my son. He's a ranger up here. I'm sure he'll know of a good spot for ya."
"Hey thanks."
Jakc nodded and began walking through the narrow aisles, looking for anything that caught his eye. He grabbed a few small bags of beef jerky in a couple different flavors, along with a pack of gum, a handful of candybars, and of course, his cold pepsi. He walked around and studied a few photographs hanging on the wall. Photos of hunters holding up their claimed record breaking kill. Jack stopped and studied the mounted head of a large elk and just couldn't really find the thrill in killing the animal. He had always been a fan of fishing, but couldn't ever really get interested in hunting.
"Beauty aint she?" the store clerk said from behind him. "My son got him just a few miles from here when he was fifteen years old. All of these are family trophies."
"Nice."
"Well, I got a couple of locations that might be good for you."
The man walked over to the small sofa by the fireplace and spread out a map over the coffee table.
"For a fit young man like yourself, I'd recommend the Arrowhead trail. Its a good hike off the road, but an easy skip over to a short easy path back down, should you need down in a hurry. Your women friends looked sturdy enough to make the hike, and it leads straight up to the best trout fishin lake around."
"Sounds great, but maybe something with a little easier of a hike. I need something an eleven year old girl would have fun with."
"Alright. Then your best bet would be the Blackfoot trail. Its more of a scenic hike that will bring you up to the opposite end of the same lake. Its only about three miles off the main road, but in a four wheel drive you can pull right up to the lake. The only people you'll see up there are occasional fishermen, and the patroling rangers. They have a quarters cabin up there somewhere."
"Thats sounds perfect."
The old man smiled and began mapping out the route on the map for Jack, while directing him how to follow it. Sam and Janet walked out of the ladies room and stopped behind the two men. They listened in on the directions and had to agree, it did sound like a nice place.
"Now, do you all have fishing licenses?"
"No, we'll need two adults and one child."
"Sir, don't we need four adult?"
"I've already got one and Daniel won't fish. Trust me, I've tried. He'll just sit and read one of his history books."
"Colonel, Cassie and I don't have any fishing poles." Janet informed. "I don't even know how to fish."
"Don't worry about that!" the man smiled. "Ive got a great selection of fishing tackle."
"Great, get Cass in here to pick out some stuff."
Janet walked out onto the porch and waved at Cassie to come in. By this time the sun was rising, casting a pink hue the breaking up clouds, and over the trees. Cassandra sighed and tied her shoe before hopping out of the SUV and tiptoeing through the mud until she was on the porch next to her mother.
"Come pick out some fishing stuff. We're gonna be camping by a lake now."
"Seriously?" Cassie's eyes lit up at the prospect of trying something new. Jack had planned to take her a few months previous, but something else came up, as things often did with SG1.
Cassandra hurried into the shop and came up beside Jack, who was skimming through various sorts of colorful jars and fake insects on hooks. Janet came up beside her and pointed to the wall lined with fishing poles of various colors and sizes. Cassie's smile widened like a child opening a Christmas present. A few minutes later, she had picked out a black pole, with bright pink designs on it, and Jack handed her a small jar of orange and yellow putty.
The small group carried their selection of various items to the front of the store and placed them on the hand carved counter. The clerk took his place behind the counter and rang up all of their supplies, along with the jerky, gum, candy, and pepsi that Jack had set aside earlier.
"That'll be thirty-one, eighty two."
Sam arched an eyebrow at the man's ridiculous miscalculations.
"Uh, did you ring up the food and licenses too?"
"Yes sir. Two adult and one child. Thirty-one eighty two. With your military discount."
"How did you know we are military?" Sam asked
"Young lady, I may be old, but I'm not deaf yet. I've heard the words sir and Colonel at least a half dozen times since you walked in here."
"Right."
The simple words slipped so easily off their lips, that they hadn't even noticed they'd been saying them. Cassandra looked up at them smugly. They all looked embarrassed and not really sure what to do about it.
"Don't worry. Most of our regular folks out here have been in the services at one point or another. I know how it slips."
"yeah, well, Thank you sir for the map."
"You bet. Have a great weekend. And say hello to Devin for me."
"Who?"
"You'll know her when you see her." the man laughed.
Daniel was slightly surprised by the amount of stuff that his friends carried out of the shop. It had stopped raining now and everyones spirits seemed to be rising with the sun. Cassie skipped happily with her new fishing pole, and splashed through the puddles that had formed in the bumpy parking lot. Janet grimaced as the muddy water splashed up onto her jeans.
"Stop splashing Cass, we don't have a way to wash and dry clothes here."
"Come on mom, I didn't get you that good."
"I was thinkin more about your socks. I don't want to be stuck camping with a little girl with a cold cause she didn't listen to her mother."
Cassie rolled her eyes, but stopped splashing. Janet knew how to have a good time, but she was first a doctor and protective mother. Cassie had no complaints, she had an amazing family of friends that made her friends from school seem boring. She was proud to tell people that her mother was a doctor in the Air Force.
Once they were all situated into their spots in the SUV, Jack handed the map back to Sam.
"Navigate that for me Carter. Hope you don't mind getting this thing a little dirty Doc."
Cassandra's eyes lit up. She had ridden in her mother's Tahoe more times then she could count, but she had never seen her use the four wheel drive. Not even during last winter's snow storm when there were reports of cars sliding off the roads and into ditches. Janet had just slowed down and expertly manuvered the vehicle across the icey spots, and hired Michael Callaghan from down the street to shovel the snow from the sidewalk and driveway. Putting the SUV into four wheel drive and splashing the mud up on the shiney black Tahoe was a very exciting idea for the girl. Especially with Jack O'Neill at the wheel.
"The turn should be right up here on the left sir." Sam directed, a good twenty minutes later.
Jack spotted the double tire track path and slowed the vehicle, turning into it. He stopped and looked ahead at the narrow, steep path.
"Are you sure about that Jack?" Daniel asked, eyes glued to the trail. "It looks like a 4 wheeler trail."
"Sure, its not that bad. I've done much worse."
Jack pulled the gear shift into its lowest gear and locked the Tahoe into 4 Low. Slowly they crept up the steep path, tires occasionally spinning before catching traction and continuing to pull the vehicle along. They reached the top of the small hill, and all eyes widened when the road vanished. Jack tapped the brakes, stopping the truck,and stared over the hood at the cast tops of the thick pines that stretched on for miles. A ways below them, he could see the crystal blue lake, snaking through the trees and reflecting the now clear bright sky.
"Look at that." Jack said.
"I don't mean to spoil the mood Jack, but where is the road?"
"Its right under us Daniel. Its just a little steep."
"A little?"
Jack brushed off the comment and slowly crept the vehicle forward, until the whole thing tilded forward like a seasaw, and they could see the road again. Jack expertly worked the brake pedal and steering wheel, slowly coasting around big rocks and low hanging trees. Sam and Janet braced themselves against the bumps and sways, while Cassie squealed in delight as she let herself be bounced around like a rag doll. Finally the path evened out and a sigh of relief flooded at Jack from the back seat.
"See Doc, that wasn't so bad."
Janet realeased her grip on the handle above her head, and let the blood flow back to her hand. Sam smirked at her, and she blushed.
"Sir, make a right and follow that road for about two miles."
Jack nodded and made the hairpin turn onto the small rutted road. The morning rain had run down the sides of the mountain, pooling in the low treads of the road. Jack slowly manuvered up against the side of the slope, where the water wasn't as deep. Cassie watched out the window, waiting for something exciting to happen. Janet looked over at the excited child, then at the Colonel. Jack's jaw clenched, as he fought his urge to romp through the muddy mess. If he had been in his own truck, he would have plowed through it in an instant. Janet sighed.
"Well Colonel, I thought you were gonna get this thing dirty."
Everyone looked shocked at the small doctor. She smiled and winked at her daughter. Jack grinned and gripped the steering wheel tighter. He moved his foot over the accelerator and double checked the rearview. He pressed the pedal slowing, causing the Tahoe to speed up. The wheels spun in the slick mud and splashed slimey mud up over the hood and across the windshield. Jack switched on the windshield wipers to clear his line of vision. Cassie squealed as they slid and turned sideways. Jack turned the wheel quickly against the slide and gave the engine more throttle and straightened them out. He felt the effort in the spinning tires and turned the wheel back and forth, trying to dislodge them. The treads of the tires finally caught and the Tahoe sailed forward and splashed out of the water. The smacking of mud against the tire wells was covered by the sounds of the women and girl laughing in the backseat. Jack hadn't heard the women laugh that hard in a very long time. This trip was going to be good for them all.
Twenty minutes later, the lake finally came into view. Jack grinned and pulled the vehicle into a small clearing off to the side of the trail.
"Wow, that guy was right, this is beautiful." Janet said, shutting her door behind her.
The team piled out of the Tahoe and gathered along the shoreline of the placid lake. Jack took a deep breath of fresh mountain air, while twisting out the knot in his back. he bent down and picked up a smooth stone. He ran his thumb over the smooth surface and wrapped his finger around its edge. Squinting against the warm sun, he flung the stone, with just the right amount of backspin to accomplish a triple skip across the smooth water, sending out circles of ripples before sinking below the surface.
The morning sun was begining to warm the air and the wild birds were singing happily in the trees around them as they unloaded the SUV and began setting up the tents.