JEALOUS
It was a most unusual sensation and it made her uneasy in her own skin.
She'd promised to meet them at O'Malley's after finishing the last outstanding report. After entering the familiar place, Sam watched her team as she stood in the lobby; they were comfortable, friends, brothers.
There was some debate apparently going on between Jack and Daniel about the drinks they had ordered. Teal'c sat in silence taking it in, like an older brother who tolerated his siblings - quite unimpressed. Daniel seemed to lose this round and offered Jack his hand in surrender, which the senior man took before he playfully slapped Daniel on the shoulder.
It wasn't a tender touch buy any stretch of the imagination, but it reflected the casual respect and understanding that was common in the ranks of SG-1.
Sam, therefore, couldn't explain why this feeling had suddenly come upon her. Jealousy was not something she was used to, and certainly not in respect to her team – these men she trusted with more than her life. But watching their playful exchange reminded Sam that Major Samantha Carter had to put on her defenses every morning, just like her BDUs, in order to keep her emotions in check around Jack O'Neill.
The simple things were the most complex between them – touch.
And Sam longed to touch Jack the way she did in her dreams; where they weren't orchestrated or choreographed, or stolen.
Usually she dealt with the reality of their situation just fine, but for some reason she couldn't explain, even to herself, tonight she couldn't. So as the hostess finally came to lead her to her seat, Sam declined. Instead asking the young woman to extend apologies to the men seated at the far left corner of the room, that she wouldn't be joining them.
Samantha Carter couldn't be one of the boys tonight; tonight she was a woman who wanted more. So Sam stepped out into the night, the woman of SG-1, inexplicably jealous and reluctantly alone.
End.