In need of a vacation
AUTHOR: Wilma
CATEGORY: Smarmy, angst.
SPOILERS: No
SEASON: Season 3 or 4…
CONTENT WARNINGS: Look out for falling coconuts.
SUMMARY: SG-1 are on vacation on Green Island, Australia.
STATUS: Finished.
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks to Carrie for Beta reading and still helping me getting the POV's right. I'm getting there Care. Thanks to Liz for her Beta as well. This story started out as a joke, because some fans wanted to see the guys in swimmers. All mistakes still in here are of course totally my own fault.
"I don't like tropical islands," Daniel murmured, sitting on his huge towel with a bored face. He was drawing lines in the warm sand and staring at the ocean.
Jack, who was lying on his stomach next to him on an army green coloured towel lifted his head, growling, "Ah no, you would prefer a sandy, hot desert with huge pyramids, huh?"
The colonel was trying to relax, feeling lazy, and he wanted his team to relax as well. General Hammond had agreed with O'Neill's plea that they needed a vacation. A team vacation had not been a real option in Jack's mind, but Hammond had only agreed to let them go as a team.
A team that got into trouble together off-world definitely needed a vacation together in Hammond's book. He had bought the four of them a ticket to Green Island, Australia, near the Great Barrier Reef. Jack had finally agree to it, as he wanted to do some diving. He had promised Teal'c to teach him this great sport, but Teal'c hadn't really looked all that enthusiastic.
Now they were just lying on the white, sandy beach, under some palm trees, and Jack was getting pretty much upset by Daniel. They should have dropped the young archaeologist off somewhere in Egypt.
Jack turned around eying his team members. Major Carter looked great in her dark blue bathing suit. Realizing that thought would only get him into trouble, he quickly looked at Teal'c. The dark Jaffa wore a green Bermuda that covered his symbiotic pouch. To add to the strangeness of the sight, Teal'c was also sporting a straw hat rimmed with floppy fringes. He appeared to be incredibly uncomfortable, a puzzled quirk of his eyebrows never quite leaving his face. Jack had explained the concept of sun-bathing a couple of times but Teal'c didn't seem to understand it at all. Apparently this was not an ideal form of fun for Jaffa warriors.
Jack let out a sigh, switching his gaze to Daniel who wore a blue boxer short and a light blue t-shirt to prevent his pale skin from getting burned. Typical, he thought. Decent man, decent clothes and decent swimmers. Jack preferred his tighter and grinned at the fact that some young ladies had stared at him earlier that day when he got the team some ice-cream. Oh yeah, he could still pull off a Speedo. His chest puffed out at the memory.
He loved having vacation, even if he was still saddled with the team.
Daniel, who didn't really know how to handle down-time, looked bored, and a bored archaeologist was somehow hard to ignore. The young man sighed in a way they all could hear him. "Pyramids would be fine, old things, old cultures, none of that around here."
Sam opened one eye peering to see where she left her sun-block. "What about the Aboriginals?"
"Sure." Daniel started to dig a hole. "On this island? Sam, you know they're all on the mainland."
Jack suddenly jumped up, startling the younger man. He needed to keep his team positive, as they really needed this break, all of them. "Why don't we go for a swim?"
"You know I don't like swimming very much," Daniel predictably answered, continuing to sulkily dig his hole.
"You are wearing swimmers, you know," Jack teased and smiled at Sam who was frowning when she saw the look on his face. What was he up to now? He could practically read the question in her expression. She was always getting over-protective of their friend, constantly on the lookout to guard Daniel from being bullied. Older sister syndrome.
"So." Daniel didn't look up. "It's warm."
Jack was now openly grinning. "Maybe it's a good idea for you to cool down!"
Before Daniel could figure out what he meant, O'Neill pulled him up with one strong move, throwing him over his shoulders.
Teal'c looked at the scene in surprise and Carter giggled.
"Jack!" Daniel yelled, trying to get loose. "Put me down… No, Jack!"
O'Neill reached the water in a few seconds, trying to keep his balance. He didn't want to fall while the younger man was yelling in his ear. Daniel was heavier than he looked. People on the beach stared at them. He ignored them, grumbling under his breath that a certain archaeologist should really consider going on a diet.
"Jack, stop!" Daniel quickly grabbed hold of his glasses, which had started slipping off of his face. Arms flailing against Jack's back, he gave up the struggle.
Then with one move Jack threw Daniel over his shoulder, and the young man did a flip, landing head first in the warm blue water with a big splash. Jack grinned with satisfaction as Sam and Teal'c came running towards him, their faces reflecting a combination of shock and amusement.
"That will definitely cool him down."
"Sir?"
"What?" O'Neill stared into Sam's eyes and saw every trace of amusement vanish. Concern was now written all over her face. She wasn't looking at him but at a point over his shoulder, eyes darting around as if she was searching for something.
Smug humour dissipating, he quickly turned to the ocean but saw no sign of Daniel. He should have come up to the surface by now. Maybe he was playing a trick on him. Jack waited for another second, sharp eyes scanning for any sign of his young friend.
Jack felt his heart race in the seconds that seemed minutes. When it became obvious something horrible had happened, he jumped into the water trying to reach Daniel. He floundered around, panic building. He turned to face the beach, to scream for Carter and Teal'c to help him. Why were they just standing there?
The instant his gaze lit upon his 2IC, he knew it was some kind of trick.
He didn't have time to react as Daniel suddenly jumped up and pulled him under. The sand disappeared beneath Jack's feet and he struggled to stay above water. Daniel had the distinct advantage of surprise and was quick and strong. In any other instance, Jack might have been proud of the manoeuvres but now he was only irritated at his gullibility. He couldn't even shut his gaping mouth before he was pulled down.
Jack felt weightless and was floating in the clear, warm water for only a few seconds, rising to the surface at the same moment as Daniel. He sputtered and coughed the water out of his lungs, staring at the archaeologist's huge, wet grin.
"That…that was not funny," Jack muttered, his hair dripping as he stumbled away from the young man. Now that he had the chance to think, he found himself growing angry at the stunt. Didn't Daniel realize how terrifying it would be for Jack to lose him, both as a teammate, and more importantly, as a friend? To even joke about it was SO not amusing.
Daniel pulled his wet T-shirt away from his body, releasing it to slap on his stomach. The self-satisfied smirk on his face faltered and disappeared when he saw Jack's scowl. Pulling the soaked shirt over his head, the younger man started looking uncomfortable.
"Well, I thought it was."
"I'm serious, Daniel."
O'Neill was still upset, and didn't bother to hide it. They were on vacation, for crying out loud! Even light-years away from danger, Daniel managed to strike that protective chord in him. While the danger had been counterfeit, it still made his blood race and his palms sweat. He really had been concerned and Daniel didn't seem to realize it.
Carter was staring at him with a disbelieving look on her face, as though she thought he was merely acting out for being bested by his civilian team member. Jack wanted to yell at her for her involvement in the supposedly light-hearted prank, and to snap at Teal'c for his part as well.
Daniel passed him, not even looking his way. He was squeezing water out of his shirt and looked as upset as Jack.
Jack felt a stab of remorse and took a mental step back. Perhaps he had overreacted a smidge, though he still believed his words and anger were merited. He thought it was a well-known fact to each of his friends that their loss would kill him, but apparently he was mistaken. And that hurt more than he wanted to admit.
Carter looked at Teal'c and heaved a huge sigh. The good mood had been effectively murdered, and for that Jack was truly sorry. He studied her for a second, frowning at the worried countenance she now bore as she darted her eyes between him and Daniel. It was going to be a hell of a long day.
"Maybe we could go on a walk and check out the island?"
Trust Carter to try and help dig them out of the black hole, which seemed to have sucked them in.
"That seems like a very enjoyable idea, Major Carter." Teal'c was already standing up.
"Yeah, okay." Daniel agreed readily, nervously jumping to his feet.
"Really?" Jack was opening his eyes slowly. "With this heat?"
"Oh come on Sir, it will do you good." Sam smiled at him.
"Thank you Carter, but I think I'll stay here."
"Where is your sense of adventure, Jack?" Daniel asked, impatience inexplicably colouring his tone. The younger man still looked upset at the recent conflict but also ready to move on.
Jack stared at the archaeologist unblinkingly, certain his gaze was cold as ice. Sense of adventure? Is that what Daniel thought pretending to drown right in front of him was?
"You have no idea, do you Daniel?" Jack stood up, not breaking eye-contact.
Daniel raised his eyebrows. "You could be a little more specific, Jack, as I have no clue what you want me to say."
"Just forget it, Daniel." O'Neill walked past him and raised one hand. It looked like he wasn't going to get through to the younger man or get out of romping across the island. "Let's go on this stupid walk."
Daniel waved his arms in the air and sighed, "Oh, great."
A less than comfortable silence enveloped them as the rag-tag group made their way off the beach to explore the island. Jack's resentment was not lessening, and with each step he mentally belaboured the heat and cursed Hammond for insisting on a team vacation. Who the hell sent a group of people who were with each other ninety percent of their time on a vacation together? He was so going to have a discussion with his commanding officer when they got back home.
"It is very quiet out here," Teal'c stated as they were walking down a trail that led into a dense tropical forest.
"Ya think?" Jack had pulled on a t-shirt and tried his best to look like he had a bad time. "Everybody here is either lying on the beach or swimming." He turned to Carter. "So, why exactly did you think this little stroll in the woods was a good idea? You know how I feel about trees."
She blinked at him, "Sir, I…"
"To get you out of your swimmers, Jack," Daniel answered the question with a grim expression on his face.
"I wouldn't mind at all, Sir," she said with a smile towards the Colonel.
"Carter!"
Jack reeled at the inappropriate turn of the conversation. So he wouldn't object to seeing Carter without her swimsuit…that didn't mean it should ever be discussed! And he certainly wasn't about to expose himself to her. They had to be joking, trying to get him out of his funk. Right? Perplexed, he studied his major's face for signs of trickery.
"What?" She blinked innocently at him, a rose hue tinting her cheeks.
"You have a very evil mind." Then he turned to Daniel. "As do you, Dr. Jackson."
"Huh?" Daniel feigned incomprehension, waving his hands in the air. "Why?"
Then Sam lost it and started laughing. Jack couldn't help but smile, his foul attitude altering just a little. This was ridiculous. It was too hot to be walking around. Jack almost forgot what had happened on the beach a while ago.
Daniel's expression kept getting more and more confused. Jack wondered if the younger man somehow thought they were laughing at him. He tried to stop and explain but the archaeologist simply shot him a glare and began walking away.
"Daniel! Where are you going? Come on back," Jack called, receiving only an indistinct hand gesture from the younger man. Did Daniel just flick him off? Holy… Rubbing his forehead with one hand, he wondered how the day had gone to hell so quickly. Now he was fine and Daniel was pissed. The younger man's figure was rapidly getting farther away and would soon be out of eyesight. He sighed and looked at Carter and Teal'c. "Wait here, I'll go get him. Be right back."
"You sure?" Sam stopped laughing, staring after Daniel.
He wasn't explaining himself very well and he knew it. Teal'c just stared at him with an eyebrow quirked, while Carter's eyes were getting bigger and bigger in her face. Well, at least something was getting through. It was still more than he thought he'd have to say.
"Go talk to Daniel, sir," she said softly. She smiled with understanding, resting a fluttering hand on his forearm.
"Yeah."
Jack took off without hesitation, as Daniel was nowhere in sight. He started to walk a bit faster through the dense underbrush, the trail becoming less defined the farther he went into the vegetation. Every step he took, the temperature seemed to increase, oppressive heat giving him a sense of suffocating. When there was no sign of his young friend, that familiar feeling of concern and anxiety filled him. He knew Daniel was perfectly capable of looking after himself, but he was so used to protecting everyone he still had a hard time accepting the changes in the younger man. His brisk walk turned into a slow jog as it became apparent the archaeologist wasn't in the area.
"Daniel?" he called, panic gaining voice. He waited but there was no answer, and images of Daniel lying unconscious and bleeding somewhere notched his tone up higher. "Daniel! Answer me, damnit!"
Again he paused, desperately hoping for a sign from his friend. Nothing but heavy air and an occasional bird squawking. Upping his jog into a full-blown run, Jack didn't even see it coming. One second he was navigating his way through the trail, and the next he was falling.
He landed with a thud and an intense pain shot up from his right ankle.
"Damn, damn, damn!"
He perused his new surroundings, glad to find the hole was not very deep. If he was lucky, he could be up and out in a few minutes. Jack tentatively rose to his feet, putting all of his weight on his left leg. His right was definitely sprained, if not worse. Any attempt to put pressure on it resulted in severely uncomfortable daggers of pain. He swore again, "Damnit to hell."
"Jack?" a voice from above called. Daniel. Relief coursed through him until he realized the younger man must have been nearby the entire time. Anger took over – why hadn't Daniel answered his cries? Perhaps now would be a good time to teach his young friend all about the concern he lived with every day.
He didn't answer.
"Jack?" Daniel shouted again, sounding much more worried. "Jack, where are you?"
Deciding Daniel had had enough of a taste of fear, and wanting to get his ankle looked at, Jack finally answered, "I'm here."
Rushing footsteps immediately headed his direction, and Jack smugly looked up to catch the look on Daniel's face. He had expected to see mild worry and slight fear, and reeled back when the archaeologist appeared above him. His face carried the expression he himself felt every time one of his teammates was hurt. Regret bloomed.
"Jack, thank God. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Daniel," he confirmed, putting his right foot down. "Damn!"
"What? You *are* hurt! Let me go get Sam and Teal'c."
"Daniel, relax. It's just my ankle. Just help me out of here, will ya?" He stretched out his hand.
"I'm so sorry, Jack. I shouldn't have run off like that, especially not after this morning," Daniel apologised as he yanked Jack out of the hole. "It was stupid of me."
Jack sprawled out on the ground, and just looked at the archaeologist for a bit. He ushered Daniel down to his level, waiting for him to squat down. Placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder, he said, "How did that just make you feel?"
"Wha…?" Daniel looked up, confused.
"You were concerned for me?" Jack knew he had to say it all, right now. He wasn't very good at this, but he had to do it. They needed this vacation; they needed a break from all the concern and fears on missions through the Gate. Including the tension that had played out this morning.
Daniel frowned. "Of course I was, Jack, I… I thought you could be…"
"Hurt?"
"Well, yes."
O'Neill swallowed. "I'm sorry I reacted the way I did when you pulled that trick on me in the water, but you should know why by now. I'm the one responsible for you all on missions. On a vacation I have a hard time to relax as I still feel responsible. Lots of things have been happening to you lately, Daniel. I was very concerned for you."
"You mean, you thought I was…" Daniel said in a soft voice.
Jack nodded and then smiled. "I'm getting too old for these games, I guess."
"Jack, I'm so sorry. I didn't think it was anything more than a little practical joke, I swear," Daniel apologised again. "And when you and Sam were laughing, I thought somehow the joke had been turned around on me. I guess I didn't like it very much, but that doesn't mean I should have stormed off like that."
"It's okay, Daniel," Jack stated simply. The younger man's face relaxed as he gruffly grabbed his shoulders. "Just try not to let it happen again."
Daniel nodded, and they stood in silence for a moment. As one, they looked around and remembered they were supposed to be on a holiday island in Australia, with no cares or worries.
Jack slapped Daniel's shoulders, leaning heavily on the younger man for support. "C'mon, let's go find Carter and Teal'c. I could use a ridiculously frilly drink."
"One with a little umbrella?"
"Oh, you betcha."
"What are those umbrellas for, anyway? I've never quite understood that. I mean, is there some cultural connotation that I'm not aware of? I think that could be a great study for…"
Jack grinned, tuning out Daniel's rambling words. They hobbled out of the recesses of the jungle together, on the same page at last. He sighed, now welcoming the heat surrounding him instead of feeling suffocated by it. Eagerly wanting to find his teammates and a nice spot under a palm tree, he realized this vacation had finally gotten underway.
One they all needed very much.
The End.