Excerpts from a Weekend
Rated T
Summary – Happy (late) Ship Day 2010. Yet another cabin fic. There was a whole weekend, but these are just… excerpts from a weekend.
Disclaimer – go away.
Chapter 1 – Toasted
"Here you go boys and girl," Jack stepped onto the backyard deck. He handed Teal'c his bottle of non-alcoholic beer and Daniel and Sam their Guinness bottles. He then flopped into an empty chair next to Sam. "I think we deserve a toast."
"To what shall we toast, O'Neill?"
"The end of SG1 as we know it," Daniel made a face, "I mean, Teal'c, you're leaving us."
"You will forever be my brothers, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c bowed his head to Daniel and Jack. "And you, Colonel Carter, will forever be my sister."
"Thanks, Teal'c!" Sam smiled at him.
Daniel lifted his Guinness, "SG1."
Sam raised hers as well, "For beating the Goa'uld."
Teal'c bowed his head as he raised his non-alcoholic beer, "For the freedom of all Jaffa."
Jack lifted his own bottle.
"I submitted my resignation."
Three sets of eyes landed on him.
"What?" Daniel nearly dropped his bottle.
"Yeah, it was time."
"Why?" Sam asked around her bottle of beer.
Jack just shrugged.
"We have beaten the Goa'uld, Colonel Carter," Teal'c answered for him. "O'Neill has completed the mission he has taken on himself eight years ago."
Jack shrugged and nodded, "It's time."
"Wow."
"It was rejected," Jack said, still nodding.
"Oh," Sam tried to hide her disappointment behind her beer.
"They figured giving me another star will keep me in."
Sometimes Daniel really hated that Jack thought the small details didn't matter. Especially when they weren't so small.
"It makes sense," Sam's rational side took over for a moment, "Hammond was a two-star when he was in charge of the SGC." She looked away from the General, biting her lower lip.
"O'Neill, will you be staying at Stargate Command?"
"Naw."
Sam's eyes snapped to meet Jack's.
"Homeworld security," Jack muttered, sipping his beer, his gaze locked with Sam's. "Next week."
"You're going to DC?" Daniel made sure he understood correctly.
"Flying a desk," Jack snorted, his beer spilling over. "My dream come true."
They all leaned back into their chairs, silently contemplating the news.
Finally, Sam broke the silence.
"I asked for a transfer too."
"Me too," Daniel said. "Atlantis."
Jack pointed at Sam, "Approved," then at Daniel, "Still thinking about it."
"You knew?" Sam asked softly.
"Flying a desk," was Jack's only response.
"It would seem SG1 will need new leadership," Teal'c's deep voice had them looking from him back to Jack.
"Colonel Cameron Mitchell."
Jack looked at the faces of his team members, finally settling on Sam's for a whole different reason than before. "Next Tuesday."
"Wha- What?"
"You're starting at R&D next Tuesday. And you," he turned to Daniel, "The Dedalus is leaving for the Pegasus galaxy in two months, once this one over here," he pointed at Sam, "approves the ship is ready."
"The end of SG1 as we know it," Daniel's smile was infectious.
"The end of the SGC as we know it," Sam added, a smile tugging at her lips as well.
"Who will be the leader of Stargate Command, O'Neill?"
Jack always liked how Teal'c was never too emotional about things. It made this so much easier. "General Hank Landry. Good friend. Good man. I have to break the news to him next week."
"So what you're saying," Daniel said, summarizing the conversation, "is that we're all leaving. That everything is up in the air. That the sky is the limit."
"Space, actually," Sam clarified.
The three humans laughed. The Jaffa's lips twisted in what they knew, after eight years together, was a smile.
Daniel raised his bottle again, "To good changes."
The others hailed back with cheers and the four sipped their drinks.
Chapter 2 – Fishing Part 1
"I don't understand what you see in this sport," Daniel reeled back his fishing rod and threw the line back in.
"It's not about the sport, it's about the act of fishing," Sam replied even before Jack could.
The General twisted in his seat to grin at her. Out of all of them, she was the only one who got it. And he never doubted she would.
"So you just… sit here… and…?"
"That's it," Sam confirmed.
"This is such a waste of time," Daniel sighed, but he didn't get up and leave, choosing instead to dump his rod on the wooden deck, pull his legs underneath him and stay back to hang out with his friends on their last weekend together before SG1 is dismembered.
Jack rolled his eyes at Daniel but turned back towards the water.
There was a lull in conversation then, quiet time they each used to reflect on the situation, the upcoming changes and their meanings.
"So if there are no fish in the pond," Daniel was the one to break the silence again, "What's for dinner?"
To that, Teal'c rose from his seat. "I will begin setting up the grill."
Daniel jumped up right after Teal'c, finding the first opportunity to get off the dock and stop with the damn fishing, leaving Jack and Sam alone.
For a few minutes they listened to Teal'c and Daniel gather the necessary equipment for a barbeque, Daniel explaining how things should be done to the alien who knew better than him how to grill meat.
With clinks and clanks coming from inside the house, Sam figured it was the best time to broach a subject she's been dreading since much earlier that day.
"Sir?" she said softly, "Thank you. For everything."
"Deja-vu," Jack smiled. "And no ranks."
She chuckled and took his hand in hers, squeezing it softly before letting it go. "Thanks, Jack. For approving the transfer."
"Carter, it's been nine years. We all need change."
"We're all still involved with the program," she responded softly, "and I doubt any of us will ever really leave."
"Hey," he looked at her, "I tried to quit. They wouldn't let me."
She grinned. It was true. He tried to quit. "Do you really think you could go back to living your life before the Stargate? Before we really knew what's out there? Could you have gone back to who you were before?"
His eyes never left hers, "I haven't been myself since I met you."
The last time he'd said those words she didn't know what to make of them. This time she understood and a soft smile graced her lip.
Chapter 3 – The Morning After
She looked up from the morning paper and smiled, "it's about time."
"My head hurts," Daniel pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and fell into it, his head nearly hitting the table.
Sam squeezed his shoulder as she stood up to make him a cup of coffee. "You'd think that after nine years with us you'd have learned to hold your alcohol."
"You'd think I'd learn to stop trying to compete with Jack O'Neill," his voice was muffled by the sleeves of his shirt but she understood anyway.
"Here," she pushed the steaming mug into his waiting fingers and he finally lifted his head up.
"Thanks. Where's Jack anyway?"
"He and Teal'c are securing the parameter."
"He forced Teal'c into taking that walk around the pond that he kept going on about last night and none of us cared for?"
"T took one for the team."
"If there was ever a time to take one of the team, its right before we split up, I always say," Daniel waved his coffee mug as a salute and drank away.
"They'll be back any minute now and I promised Teal'c pancakes," she started taking out ingredients out of the refrigerator.
"Sam, I thought you can't cook." The coffee was doing wonders for him just as they both knew it would.
"I never said I can't. I said I don't."
"And I thought I was the off-world chef for eight years because none of you cook."
"Division of labor," she glanced at him over her shoulder with a cheeky grin.
He snorted and she laughed again. He watched her make the pancakes mixture for another few minutes before getting himself another cup of coffee. He then pulled the paper she'd been reading and immersed himself in an article about research being done about the accuracy of historical novels. He suspected Sam left the paper on that page for him.
It was half an hour later, when Daniel was nearly done with the article and Sam was just flipping the 10th pancake over on the pan when Jack and Teal'c walked in.
Jack pulled out a chair and fell into it unceremoniously, putting his feet up on the table. "Now that was a nice walk! Wasn't it nice Teal'c? See even T thinks so."
Daniel pushed Jack's feet off the table and looked up at Teal'c to see him blanch, or as much as the big Jaffa showed blanching.
Sam turned to them, "You are right on time, boys." She held two plates full of pancakes, one with each hand.
All three men settled into their seats, straightening in expectation of breakfast.
Chapter 4– Afternoon
Jack closed the door behind him, dumping the fishing gear in the bucket at the entrance. Sidestepping through the kitchen he picked up a beer and headed to the living room. He flopped into the couch and yawned.
"Where is everyone?" he asked Daniel, who had his head buried in a book.
"Huh?" Daniel looked around him, "Oh, Teal'c's meditating outside and Sam's taking a nap."
"A nap?"
"Yeah, I know, when was the last time any of us had time for a nap?"
Jack snorted and let his head drop back against the sofa. Daniel buried his head back in the book.
When a door creaked open, both looked up. Jack's mouth dropped open as the two of them watched Sam saunter into the kitchen. When she saw the two of them stare at her, she rounded the kitchen island and leaned against the kitchen doorframe looking at them, standing on one leg, the other one folded against her knee. She was in her pajamas; blue short shorts and a white low cut tanktop that ended just above the shorts waist line. And no bra.
She smiled at them and shrugged, "Forgot my water bottle."
"Oh, Sam," Daniel said, "We wanna go into town for dinner, okay with you?"
"Sure," she shrugged. "Wake me up whenever."
"Okay." Daniel nodded.
With another wide smile she pushed away from the doorway and sauntered back towards the bedroom – Jack's bedroom, specifically – and closed the door behind her.
Daniel turned his attention to his quiet friend. The expression on his face hadn't changed; the single O that formed on his lips was still there.
"Jack."
"Whoa" was the only response he got.
Marking his spot in the book, Daniel closed it and put it on the coffee table in front of him. "Jack, you're an idiot."
His friend stared at him blankly, as if trying to figure out why he was an idiot this time.
"You think she came out here dressed like that for my sake?" Daniel whispered harshly.
"Didn't she say she forgot her water bottle?" Jack blinked back.
"What the hell does she need a water bottle for when she's napping?"
Yes, Daniel definitely had a point there.
"She's napping in your room. Your room."
"I told her she can use it so that if you need your things…" Jack trailed off, understanding hitting him in the face like a bad train wreck. "Oh."
"Yeah…" Daniel nodded.
Jack continued staring at his friend for another moment before looking at the closed bedroom door and then back at his friend. He then got up and crossed the room in three long steps. He reached his bedroom door and knocked twice before entering without waiting for response. He closed the door behind him.
Shaking his head, Daniel picked up his book again and opened it, diving right back into the translation of the ancient Egyptian.
He looked up again 10 minutes later when the porch's door slid open and Teal'c came into the room.
"Daniel Jackson," the big Jaffa greeted him with the usual bow.
"Hey, Teal'c," Daniel's eyes were back in the book.
The big man sat down on the couch vacated by Jack. "Where is O'Neill?"
"Napping," the archeologist said, still reading.
"And Colonel Carter?"
"Napping."
Just then a very feminine giggle floated towards them from behind Jack's closed bedroom door. The giggle turned into a soft moan.
"Indeed," the Jaffa's eyebrows rose.
They sat silently in the living room, Daniel still reading his book and Teal'c contemplating their position in the situation.
Until another moan, a male one this time, escaped out of their room, followed closely by whispers and Sam's soft laugher.
Daniel's eyes snapped up to meet Teal'c's. "Indeed," he repeated.
A grunt.
Another moan.
A giggle.
Whispers.
More moaning.
Finally, Daniel, happy as he was for his friends, couldn't take it anymore. "Walk around the pond?"
Teal'c's only response was to get up and head towards the front door, closely followed by Daniel.
Chapter 5 – Evening
It was the beeping that woke him up. Something repeatedly beeping at him that it somehow penetrated into his dream. And it was such a nice dream, too.
Beep.
And another one.
And another one.
There was something you were supposed to do when something beeped liked that.
Oh, yeah, turn the damn thing off. That would require moving his arm over to the nightstand and picking up whatever it was that was beeping. Maybe it'll just stop on its own.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Be-
It stopped. He sighed contentedly.
Though he couldn't be sure that that wasn't because there was a body lying across his back, reaching over to the bedside table to shush the damn beeps off.
"The natives are getting hungry," a still half asleep voice told him.
"Huh?"
"That's what the text message says. 'The natives are getting hungry'." She showed him the phone.
The weight that was on his back was now curled against his side and it was nice and warm and comfortable. He turned on his side and put his arms around said weight.
"You did tell us to wake you up whenever," he mumbled through a yawn.
"I guess," she admitted grudgingly.
"Gimme that," he reached for the phone again.
She dropped the phone in his hand and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "What are you writing?"
He finished typing the message and showed her the message triumphantly. "Go take a walk around the pond!"
She lifted her torso off the bed with one hand, bringing her lips to his and kissing him soundly. Meanwhile, she pushed the send button on the little phone.
The phone fell somewhere on the bed between them as the kiss grew more passionate and they both lost interest in any text messages that were sent from the other side of the wall.
Until…
Beep.
"Let it beep itself to death," Jack whispered against the soft skin of her neck.
Beep.
"Why does it repeat itself like that, anyway?" He kissed the spot behind her ear.
"It's your phone… You chose to let it do that," she moaned.
Beep.
"Damnit." Jack found the phone on the covers and flipped it open. Daniel's reply appeared instantly:
'Already done.'
"I shouldn't have told them about the trail, I shoulda kept my mouth shut," he told her in all seriousness. Then, turning his attention back to the phone, he typed a response. He showed it to Sam, who giggled, before sending.
"I don't wanna go to school today."
He snapped the phone shut again. The mood, affectively ruined by one archeologist with the worst sense of timing, had turned from passion to romance as Jack tucked Sam into his chest.
"Sam –"
"Jack –"
Both smiled.
"Go ahead," he whispered.
"This is better than anything I ever expected," She was blushing, and she knew it, but it didn't matter.
Sam held his gaze, watched the emotions behind his usually guarded eyes. She wondered if that's what Jack O'Neill is like when he just woke up or if it's because it's her and they'd just done what they'd wanted to do for far too long. In all her fantasies she hadn't imagined how easy it would be to wake up next to him. None of the awkwardness she expected. No, just jokes and teasing and flirting. And kissing. God, the kissing.
Beep.
"It's just the beginning," he cupped her cheek, shamelessly trying to ignore the phone.
Beep.
"When I'm in jail for murdering Daniel, will you come visit me?"
"If I'm on Earth? Sure, why not. I'll waste a perfectly good afternoon on visiting you." She grinned at him and flipped the phone open.
'I made reservations for seven. It's 6:15!' The text message yelled at them.
"Ahhh gimme that," he grabbed the phone again, making Sam laugh as he typed another response. Hopefully the last one.
This one read 'Five more minutes, mommy'.
A melodic-like musical tone that sounded suspiciously like Daniel's text message tone came from right outside the door.
Jack rolled his eyes at Sam.
"Daniel! Leave us alone! We'll be out when we're ready!"
There was silence on the other side of the door, except for the tiny sounds a phone makes when you type a text message.
Not a second later: beep.
Sam read the message and started laughing, handing the phone to Jack.
'You don't have to yell…'
Chapter 6 – Dinner
She leaned onto the railing on the deck of the bar-restaurant Daniel reserved a table at for them, at Jack's recommendation. She was looking off into the trees and the stream that ran from somewhere to somewhere under the deck. Her fingers were wrapped around a glass of some frozen girly drink and she lifted it to her lips.
Dinner was nice, best steaks in Minnesota indeed. They had a nice dinner, talked, drank a lot, laughed, exchanged stories. A group of friends, family, not a team. The steak sitting heavy in her stomach, she came out for air, not realizing just how cold it was getting. And the frozen drink wasn't helping much but she drank it anyway.
"You're going to get cold," someone said as a jacket was dropped on her shoulders.
She leaned back into his chest when she felt his hands on her waist.
"You okay?" He whispered.
"Just needed some air," she assured him.
"You sure?"
"I'm fine, Jack," she turned around in his arms, her hands snaking up his forearms to his neck.
His mouth twitched into a faint smile. Like it did every time she had said his name in the last 12 hours. Jack pulled her just a little closer, his gaze sliding from her eyes to her lips and back up. She was the one who closed the distance between them, opening her mouth to him, fingers playing with his short hair.
"Are you two going to be doing that every time we leave you alone for a minute?"
Daniel was referring to an "incident" about an hour earlier when he and Teal'c went to the bar to get drinks for the four of them and came back to find them pretty much in the same position they were in now.
The couple ignored him for another few seconds before Jack pulled away with a content sigh.
Sam looked at Daniel, still in Jack's arms, "Yeah, probably."
"You're disgusting," Daniel observed, handing Jack a glass of whiskey. "Here."
"If I'm not mistaken," Jack the proffered whiskey, "thanks. If I'm not mistaken, a certain someone planted a wet one on his wife the day we came back for you just to show off. That too was disgusting."
Daniel turned red and Sam leaned back into Jack's chest, giving her friend a victorious look.
Nothing will stop her from kissing him senseless now.
Chapter 7 – Fishing Part 2
He threw the line into the murky pond water and sat there, staring into the water with the stupidest little smile he'd ever worn.
It was very early in the morning and later on today they will make their way back to civilization. Sam'll need to start packing up her office and her home, and so will Teal'c and so will he. Daniel, ever the overly organized man that he is, will probably start packing now as well, even though he'll have two months to do so.
A sound from within the house alerted Jack that someone else was also awake. He wasn't surprised when he felt his Jaffa friend's quiet presence beside him.
He looked up when he saw Teal'c shadow fall next to his chair.
"Teal'c."
"I did not expect anyone to be awake at this early hour," the big man said.
Jack just shrugged. "I'm fishing."
He took the silence from his old friend as acceptance of the answer.
"So why are you up?"
"I do not require as much sleep as the Tauri do, O'Neill," the Jaffa replied. "I have come to meditate."
"Meditate," Jack repeated. "I guess that's what I'm doing too."
"You are fishing."
Jack didn't bother to correct the big man. It didn't matter anyway.
Teal'c settled into the chair next to him. Both were so familiar with each other that they were comfortable enough to just be in each other's company without words hindering their time.
Which was why Jack was surprised when it was Teal'c who broke the silence first, and not he.
"O'Neill," he said and for the first time ever Jack saw Teal'c uncertain of what he was about to say. "On Chulak it is customary for the oldest male sibling to protect his younger sister's honor."
Jack stared at the Jaffa wide-eyed. Was Teal'c giving him the Big Brother Talk?
"I have neither brothers nor sisters; however Colonel Carter is like a sister to me."
It was the second time in 24 hours that Teal'c referred to her as his sister. Jack wondered if he needed to worry about anything.
"It would not be wise for you to hurt her."
Apparently he did. He leveled his gaze, meeting Teal'c's steady eyes with his own.
When he answered, it was with all the seriousness. "Teal'c, I have no intention of hurting her. I do, however, have every intention of making her the happiest woman in the galaxy."
He felt like Teal'c was examining him as if they'd just met for the first time and not nearly nine years ago, and have been to hell and back together more times than he'd like to admit. As if Teal'c really was her older brother, and not a colleague and very close friend.
Finally Teal'c bowed his head, accepting his answer. "It pleases me that you have found your mates in each other. You are a well suited mate for a good woman such as Colonel Carter."
Jack clapped Teal'c's back. Coming from Teal'c, that was great praise.
Chapter 8 – Brunch
She woke to the smell of coffee.
It must have had something to do with the steaming mug that was on the nightstand when she opened her eyes.
Reaching behind her with her hand, she realized she was alone in the big bed. It must be late, if Jack wasn't next to her, though his sleeping habits were new to her. She groaned as she sat up. Everything hurt just a little – muscles, head, bones. Only her heart soared. Though where the reason for that was, she didn't know. She also didn't know what time it was. But the coffee was a nice touch on his behalf. As she reached for it she was struck by just how much her muscles hurt and she wondered why the hell that was. A combination of bed she wasn't used to and excessive alcohol consumption for two straight days, she assumed. Maybe also the strenuous activities from the day before and then again last night.
She finished the coffee in two gulps and got up, dressed quickly and stepped out of the bedroom.
Reorienting herself, she looked around for the others.
And found Daniel.
Head buried in a book.
She flopped on the couch next to him.
He looked up and smiled. "Sleep well?"
She nodded. "What time is it?"
He looked at his watch. "Eleven thirty."
"Wow," Sam snorted. "Where are Jack and Teal'c?"
Daniel marked his place in the book and closed it. "They were outside fishing before." He dropped the book on the couch. "Actually, Sam, I kinda wanted to talk to you alone."
She pulled her feet under her, tilted her head and looked at him, "Yes?"
Daniel watched her for a moment before he spoke. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she automatically answered.
"Sam, it's me. Talk to me."
She scooted over to his end of the couch, settling next to him, taking his hand in hers. "Danny, I'm fine. Really."
He pulled his hand out of hers and put it around her shoulders, pulling her to him. "You sure? I mean, your dad, who was carrying a 2000 years old Tok'ra, just passed away. You cancelled your wedding. You just saved the world."
"We. We just saved the world. Don't put this one on me."
"Fine. We just saved the world."
"And you were gone and I was worried, and Jack wouldn't let me have a memorial for you." She turned sideways, facing him completely. "All that sucks. A lot. Well, except for the saving the world part, but it all sucks. Losing you, losing dad, breaking another engagement. But, Daniel, when I'm with him, even before today, even when he was just sitting with me in the observation room and we were watching dad, I was fine. Sad and horrible of me to say as it is, Pete could have been anyone. It was never about Pete. Deep down it was always Jack. Since the beginning. Since before I knew any of you. Since forever."
"How very unscientific of you," Daniel smiled warmly at her. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.
Every once in a while Daniel would get all sensitive and ask her how she was doing on a more personal level. He'd started doing it right around the time Jack disappeared for three months, when he realized she was obsessed with getting him back. Janet said something about it too at the time. So he got to talking to her, the girl talk type talking, and she went with it because he isn't military and she could talk freely and he kept her confidence. He was the first she admitted that she loves Jack to. He was the first she told that Pete proposed. He was the first she told that she accepted.
She hugged him right back.
"Are you happy?" he whispered in her ear.
She pulled back enough to look him in the eye. "Happier than I've ever been."
He hugged her again, satisfied that she wasn't doing anything that didn't make her happy.
Chapter 9 – Fishing Part 3
Jack pulled her hand, throwing her off balance and into his lap. She growled at him but made herself comfortable – her back against his chest, her legs in Daniel's lap. All seemed well in the world.
They sat in silence, the four of them, all lost in thought but none too far away from their current position.
Daniel, his fingers tracing lazy circles on Sam's leg, was the first to voice his thoughts.
"We're going to be okay," he said, as if they were in his mind with him, thinking the same exact thing he was.
And maybe they were because no one argued.
"It's time for change," Sam agreed with him.
"Change is the appropriate result of a mission completed successfully," Teal'c added his own two cents.
Daniel twisted in his place to look at Jack. "See I told you Teal'c's profound."
Sam laughed softly as Jack rolled his eyes.
"I like these changes," the General dropped a kiss on his lover's shoulder. "We deserve these changes."
This time when Daniel looked at him it wasn't to laugh at him. His wide smile showed them just how absolutely happy he was.
It was Teal'c who handed them champagne flutes full of the bubbling liquid.
All four raised their glasses and clanged them together.
Happy Ship Day! This was my first Ship Day fic - hope it works for you :)