"This seat taken?" Jonas asked, setting his tray down on the table beside Sam in the empty commissary. It was late at night, and few personnel were still on the base when Sg1 had returned from the mission. The Ceberus complete with prisoners and new found allies had taken off, the team had returned and changed, and Sam couldn't stop thinking of the uncomfortable day that it had been, the feelings that the Aden's flirting had brought to the foreground of her mind. "No, of course, Jonas, sit," she answered, starting out of her reverie and digging into her bowl of blue jello with determined concentration. "I wanted to talk to you anyway, you know," she grinned, "about you and Reynard. First date, hmmm," she smiled crookedly as Jonas blushed and became very interested in filling his mouth with his banana cream pie.
"No, I had her figured pretty quick," he said sheepishly as soon as he could speak clearly. "But what about you and Aden, huh? I mean the guy was like, looking at you in a pretty non-professional way, if you ask me. I'm just surprised the Colonel didn't tie him up and leave him in the forest after all that."
Sam glanced at him quickly, flustered all of a sudden. "um, what d'you mean, Jonas? I mean, the Colonel knew he was not on the level from the start, but whether Aden hit on me or not shouldn't matter. He's my CO. That's it."
"Right," Jonas drawled, giving her an understanding smile, and gulping the rest of his pie. "Well, I better go. I gotta return all that fake gold stuff I got from Area 51. And the General wants us in the briefing room in an hour, remember."
She nodded and eyed her bowl again, stirring the jello into little pieces thoughtfully. She had enjoyed Aden's company for a few minutes, she realized, but he couldn't hold a candle to the Colonel. Being called beautiful, funny and charming was great, but only if it was sincere and meant something. She knew that Aden had been just using her to escape, flattering her in order to gain her confidence and trust like any con man. I almost fell for it, she thought angrily to herself. I guess it's just been so long that I received any compliments that I almost fell for his lines like a naive schoolgirl. Almost, she thought thankfully. The Colonel didn't trust them, so that put me on guard. I just wish that it could be the person I want telling me these things. I'm sick of just teasing back and forth,she thought. Never even trying to break through that invisible wall that we have erected for ourselves. Backing off in fear of what might come out. Never knowing for sure how things really are with us.
Underneath.
Aden did have some value, she thought to herself. This all made me realize what I've hidden for too long.
From myself.
From him.
Forsaking these feelings.
I want things to be different...
She stood up suddenly, almost crashing headlong into the object of her thoughts, who was just behind her, about to sit down with his tray.
"Sorry, sir," she said. "I was just coming to find you."
She sat down again with him, covering her hand on top of his, and gazing earnestly into his startled brown eyes.
"Jack," she said, watching how his eyes widened at her unaccustomed use of his first name.
"We have to talk."