Day 76 of 100.
10 days. They hadn't said one word to one another in over a week. Frosty, stony silence Sam could handle. It was just blank. Jack was just B-L-A-N-K with her he looked through her acted as though she didn't exist. Which was awkward. Sam didn't have many people to talk to here on Edora. Paynan would talk to her about the everyday things needed. Garan would be curious about Earth, clarifying things Jack had mentioned and letting her explain other things.
She had never felt so alone though. Almost four months past and now she felt completely isolated. She had filled three more notebooks in those ten days. Leaving her to sit alone in the dining hall and furiously trying not to be completely despondent. Hard to do when Laira and Jack sitting closely together in the furthest corner from her. At a complete diagonal to her position. She sat with her head down, continuing to writings not calculations or theories, her thoughts. There were a great many building up. A memoir that would never go anywhere. Perhaps she could started that book on wormhole physics she had been itching to do. Paynan patted her on the shoulder briefly on his way out of the hall. Sam pulled her cardigan closer and inhaling her tea. She sat back in her seat and pulled out another notebook flicking through it for her schematics. Breezing past the farming or basic work related creations to her continuation of her own work. She turned the large book to its side to examine her designs. Twirling her pen in one hand and eating the Edoran equivalent of potato chips with the other. Sam frowned trying to balance the notebook on her slightly elevated knee and not spilling tea all over the book.
"Good night Major"' Laira's voice directly behind her caused Sam to jolt violently. She smiled weakly at her wishing her a good night. Ruffling her hair, she turned back to her work trying to distract herself. Narrowing her eyes she added a few alterations to the particle generator. Eventually Sam gave up, gathering up her bits and pieces. Leaving her dishes and cutlery at the waste area and leaving. All the while she was trying desperately to ignore the man in the corner. Who was resolutely staring at the ceiling ignoring her. Sam wasn't tired yet so she just dropped off her notes and pulled on her boots, and her flashlight and sidearm, just in case. Tucking the flashlight deep in her pocket and her gun into the back of her trousers she headed out. She took a minute to stare up at the different stars above her she decided where to walk to. The gate site. She knew that no one would bother her there, especially not in the darkening hour. Sam at this point could navigate the path to and from there in her sleep, blindfolded. It had become a refuge for her. A place all her own on this planet so far away from everything she'd known. It was probably the fact that there was a tangible piece of hope laying there that brought her back. The fact that it was just lying on the ground as though taunting her, was just frustrating. So close and yet hopelessly so far away. She smirked at the thought. Jack would hate the use of the cliché and be even more peeved at the alteration of it. Then she scowled at the thought of the man.
The more she thought about the more annoyed she became about it. It wasn't like she was bothering him all the time about it. It was a simple wish after all it wasn't like he was her commanding officer here. A truly childish response. Not speaking a word to her? Was it so difficult for the man to act like an adult and deal with the problem? Clearly it was. And spending all of his time with Laira now. Why? An attempt to prove he didn't need her? Make her jealous? She kicked at a stone sending it flying high into the air. For crying out loud, he was acting like a pathetic immature teenage boy who hadn't gotten what he wanted. Raising the gate wasn't that preposterous a suggestion. If Sam had come up with the idea of a sub-atomic generator as a means of melting the naqudah layer, by now someone on earth should have. And the Tok'ra might have a way of getting the technology. Dad would certainly try his damndest for them. If Jack had simply decided to confront her, they could have dealt with the problem but nooooo. Instead he just disappeared off. Acting for all the world that she didn't exist. After the stunt he pulled only a few months before? What was it he said? Oh that he hadn't been acting like himself since she had been around.
What a hypocritical motherfuck-
"CARTER!"
Oh had she said that out loud?
She turned to see the Colonel storming up to her, all pomp and bravado. Back to full on Air Force CO. Well that was something.
"What!?" She snapped, not letting him bark her way into a meek Second's response.
"Excuse me?" His head retracted, pulse jumping in his neck, muscles contracting rapidly along his jaw. Oh he was pissed. Finally an emotion. A reaction.
"You heard me." She threw her jaw out, squaring up to him, arms folded. There was a moment in which something flashed in his eyes. The flash too quick for her to make out properly but it sent a flash of unexpected heat throughout her body.
"And what exactly has crawled up your ass?"
"My ass? You're the one who has been acting like I'm not even here? I'm surprised you've acknowledged my presence." She sarcastically spat out at him, even as he tried to loom over her. Fortunately Sam had been around Alpha males her entire life to get pushed around by such tactics.
"Your little speech there? What was it, "a petulant child"?" She had to give it to the man, he gave as good as he got. Sarcasm dripping off every single word with flamboyant gestures to match.
"Pathetic immature teenager, actually." She cutely responded, flicking her hair back slightly. He bristled visibly, tension and anger radiating outwards.
"I am your commanding officer, I demand-"Ordinarily the cold tone would have stopped her dead, but not now. She was too tired, too pissed and no longer gave two scuttering fucks as to the consequences. If he wanted a knock down drag out, he'd get it. And Jack O'Neill had never seen Samantha Carter in a fight like this.
"Demand? Where the hell do you get off demanding anything of me? You've made it perfectly clear that you think we're stuck here. Moving on with your life and whatever-"
"Jealous?"
That. That stopped her cold. She stared at him, mouth open, jaw tensed. He actually had the audacity to look pleased with himself thinking he had gotten the upper hand. She snorted. The pompous look slid right off his face as he took in her derisive amusement.
"Think that highly of yourself do we?" She commented looking him up and down. Making sure to appear completely unimpressed.
"I'm not the one with the ego problem here Sam. I know jealousy when I see it."
"And I know a play when someone tries to smack me in the face with it. Using her to annoy me? How pathetic are you really? The great Colonel Jack O'Neill, playing the most ridiculous of games to bother me?" She turned away gesturing wildly to an imagined audience and scoffing at him.
Suddenly he had grabbed her arm and pushed her against a nearby tree. Sam attempted to struggle against him, but he deftly caught bother her hands, pinning them above her head. He had leveraged the rest of his weight against her so that escaping would be tricky at best.
"You bitch." His eyes were black.
"You have no idea." She glared up at him, to find him glaring down with the same dark intensity. There was a moment in which the frustrations and anger of the past few months bubbled over and then she found herself in a furious kiss. There was nothing sweet or tender in this moment. Fury and flames coursed through them. He had bitten down on her lip, hard, drawing blood. She returned the favour, biting down on his neck. Only one hand held her hands above her head now. The other was attempting to rip her cardigan and top straight off. He pulled back and stared down at her in confusion. She tilted her head back and took a breath, tonguing the cut on her inner lip. They panted heavily and he rested his forehead against hers.
"Wasn't exactly how I imaging this conversation going." He muttered and Sam laughed.
'Beats the other option. I'm not really dressed for a sparring session.' He pulled back and chuckled but there was something that spoke of wariness and self recrimination. She grabbed his hand looking up at him reassuringly.
"I'm okay with whatever this is."
"Are you giving up?" Jack stilled, wondering what had changed her view point so drastically.
"On home? No, never. Which probably isn't healthy but…" She waggled her head and Jack just quirked an eyebrow then shaking it off.
"So we're..." He gestured vaguely between them now decidedly awkward. 'Okay?'
"We'll figure it out." She reached up and kissed him softy. He looked a bit bamboozled. Sam got a bit nervous thinking she had completely misread the situation then the massive smug bastard smirk bloomed on his face.
"I just made out with Sam Carter. Cool." She rolled her eyes and smacked him on the arm.
"Ass." He waggled his eyes brows and Sam was now rueing the entire situation. Though a part of her was flattered, not that she'd ever tell him that.
Day 80 of 100.
Sam was helping to push the plough through the ground, trying not to slip on the slick mud. The rain had poured down over the past few days. Boots were her only option in order to pick her way through the sludge that the ground had become. Behind her, Jack whistled merrily earning a rather baffled look from Paynan. Sam smiled to herself, trying to stop the plough from getting stuck. She had finally managed a decent design but it was the only one she'd been able to finish. She checked the rope harness and nodded to Jaren, the young man controlling the rig. He smiled back a rosy hue flourishing in his cheeks. She was nudged from behind playfully. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the winking Jack.
Things had shifted between them. Ever since the explosive kiss they were, close. Nothing as dramatic had happened since but they talked, laughed and flirted. The flirting surprising her a great deal for she had never been very good at it. Awkwardness had been her forte for a lot longer than she'd ever admit to. The perils of being a child genius. Jaren trundled past and she scratched the back of her head and looked back out at the field, eyes narrowing at the crash site. The sun was just beginning to sink behind it but she swore she saw something. She took a few steps forward and continued to stare out at the crater. Jack, noticing her sudden distraction came over carefully moving over the deep groves. "What is it?"
"Just thought I saw- Whoa!" Sam made to step forward again but her ankle gave out. Jack, being the ever quick man that he was, caught her and righted her. One hand remained planted on her hip, a lone finger grazing her skin. "Something." She shook her head and blanched as the plough tipped. Jaren was sent flying from it and into an inelegant lump. She rubbed at her temple irritatbly. "If they've cracked the main shaft again…" "Breathe Sam, it just lost balance." She glared up at him jokingly. "Do you know how many times I've been snagged in that thing trying to make sure it was perfect? How many tops I've had to mend? And I suck at sewing!" To be fair, Jack did try not to smile, but fail he did. She slapped him lightly on the arm. She flinched as several men went to lift up the plough. "Stop. They know how to handle it you were very thorough in your lecture." They eventually managed to get it upright but the fall had clearly signalled end of day. Most nodded and waved at the pair calling out good evenings before heading off. Sam bit her lip.
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Jack look at her, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "You want to check it don't you?" She shrugged smiling cutely. "Fine. You are a ridiculous human being." "And yet you like me, how ridiculous are you?" She retorted bouncing over the furrows. She turned back to grin at Jack mischievously. Jack shook his head and followed her, with a lot less enthusiasm. "You are speaking to a man whose best friends are a jaffa with an unusual taste for bright shirts and Daniel." He caught up with her as she headed back to the village. He paused and stared at the horizon. She walked back to him and leaned against his shoulder. "Nearly four months and that sky line has yet to equal homes'." Her head dropped to his shoulder and she watched the sun slowly disappear. The colours that lit up the sky were stunning, but Sam had to agree with him. The just weren't as vibrant.
"If and when we do go home, you are going fishing Sam. Skies like you've never seen." Sam looked up at him, not moving her head. He was smiling softly, eyes peaceful his fingers slowly linking with hers. Then naturally Sam's stomach made itself known. She grinned winningly up at him. He sighed. "Man your stomach is loud. How did I never notice that?" He actually stared bemusedly at her stomach. Even his head tilting. Sam pursed her lips. Thought about it seriously. "Daniel was always chatting, hid it well, or the claxons were going off." "Or something was exploding. Hm." She nodded and tugged Jack into heading back to the village. "We have a very noising life." He commented, allowing himself to be pulled along. They did stop to check the plough on their way. Jack kicking it unnecessarily and Sam once again examining the rig. Eventually Jack grew tired with her obsessive checking and pulled away.
Sam attempted to pull back her hair which was now nearly hitting her shoulders. However the ties she had made clumsily kept snapping. Jack opened the door to the hall. He froze suddenly, so, Sam who was having a difficult moment with her hair, hadn't noticed. Stumbling into his back she peered round to see Laira and Garen staring at them. Sam smiled uncomfortably and went to get a cup of tea and some stew. He appeared at her side a few minutes later, messing up his hair. She handed him a bowl of stew and he grabbed the cutlery. They sat down in the corner. Sam touched her radio briefly. Jack grabbed her hand. They ate in silence just sitting closer together than what was strictly necessary. Sam could feel Laira's eyes on her occasionally. Jack gathered up their stuff and dropped it off. Stopping for a chat with Paynan and Garan as he did so. She curled up with her tea looking out at the darkened sky.
"Samantha." She blinked as Laira sat down opposite her, cradling a cup of tea. "Laira, hi." Laira pulled back a bit of hair and Sam couldn't help but tense waiting for her to speak. "Are you well?" "Well enough, all things considered. You?" Sam was half afraid of the answer, terrified really if she was being honest with herself. "The season has been good so far." She had to bite her tongue from making a quip about the meteors. "Yeah the crops seem to flourishing." They nodded at one another. Sam forced an awkward smile. Sipping her tea slowly she waited. "So you and Jack are close." Sam looked up at Laira surprised by the matter of fact tone. "We've known each other a good while now. A lot of crazy missions. Tough times and good ones, you know…" Laira stared at her in a manner eerily similar to Daniel. Piercing and understanding, but with nothing but good intentions behind it. She smiled softly at Sam, one hand smoothing down her curly hair. Sam wasn't sure what she could see in her eyes. She was unable to drag her eyes away from her shrewd gaze. Eventually Laira looked away, seemingly pleased. She stood up and walked around the table. "Fair Day, Samantha." She nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder and walking away slowly. Jack smiled and spoke to her briefly before sitting back down next to the rather blindsided Sam. "You okay?" "She reminds me a lot of Daniel sometimes; eerily perceptive." Jack took a minute to think about it. "Not seein' it Sam." She shrugged it off. "Walk?" He asked, not that he needed to really. It had become a habit heading out for a walk and stargazing for a few hours. The fact that he asked every time was oddly pleasing to her.
