August 5th entry for the Fic-a-Day Ficathon

"Giles, Meet Sam" – Part 2 (continued from Aug 1st entry!)

I own nothing of Giles (BtVS) or Sam (Stargate: SG1); this is a ficlet from which I will NOT be making any profit. Darn it…

Post-"Chosen", and sometime when Sam is still a major.

At the Savoy

Major Samantha Carter stepped out of the elevator and into the extremely grand lobby of the Savoy Hotel in London. She tugged at her leather jacket, feeling almost naked without her uniform. The only thing that made her feel safe was the small pistol in its holster beneath the jacket. This clandestine meeting with a particular contact of Daniel's had been Jack's idea; without the information this man had, she knew they'd never translate the tablet SG9 had brought back before that planet dissolved into a planetary war.

Sam crossed the lobby of the hotel, heading into the dining room. Daniel's contact had insisted on this hotel for their meeting place; something about it being more suspicious if he were to book into any hotel less "posh" than this one. Apparently he was the head of a rather illustrious organization, but that was all Daniel—and therefore Sam—knew. She didn't even know the man's name.

'So I get to hang out here for a couple of days,' Sam mused, scanning the crowded dining room for alternate exits and suspicious-looking people. 'No team full of boys, a whirlpool bathtub big enough to swim laps, 500-count sheets, and a complimentary bathrobe. Not a bad mission.'

The restaurant's host, wearing a crisp black tuxedo, approached Sam and gave her a slight bow. "Welcome to the Savoy Restaurant, madame. Do you have a reservation?"

Sam nodded. "It's under the name of Fawkes; I'm meeting someone."

The host didn't even look at his reservation list. "Yes, madame. Your party has already arrived. If you would follow me, please."

Sam let the man lead her back further into the restaurant, still checking out the other diners as she passed each table. The only table which caught her attention was in the back of the restaurant, where a man sat by himself drinking tea. Sam frowned; he looked familiar, but she couldn't remember why. To her consternation, the host approached that exact table.

"Your table, madame," the tuxedo-clad man said politely, pulling her chair out for her. "Geoffrey will be your server; he will be with you shortly."

Sam took her seat, nodding her thanks to the host. Her dinner companion finally raised his eyes to hers, and they widened in recognition.

"Major Carter," he murmured, extending his hand across the table.

Sam took it, the frown on her face deepening quickly. "I'm sorry; I understood that you wouldn't know my name, Mr…"

"Giles—Dr. Rupert Giles," the Englishman replied, his lips quirking up into a smile. "And I didn't know you were coming; I assumed it would be Dr. Jackson."

"He was delayed at the last moment, so I was sent in his place," Sam explained. "So how do you know my name?"

Rupert's smile broadened. "We nearly met in another hotel dining room once—in Colorado Springs. You were meeting someone else, and you assumed I was that someone."

Sam's frown cleared. "The Holiday Inn in Colorado Springs. I remember now; that dining room was a little more…unkempt…than this one."

Her companion chuckled. "Just a tad. And I recall you were less than pleased with the man you were actually meeting."

Sam blushed slightly. "That was very unprofessional of me. But he turned out to be quite an asset to our operation, so I guess it was worth the aggravation."

Rupert nodded. "I understand. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you under better circumstances, Major."

"Please, Dr. Giles, call me Sam." Her blue eyes sparkled at him as she began to smile. "Other than meeting with you, I would say I'm on a bit of a vacation. The last time I was in London was nearly ten years ago, and I'm determined to have a wonderful time."

"Perhaps, after we conduct our business, you wouldn't mind some…company…whilst you explore the city," Rupert ventured, returning her smile hesitantly. "Of course, you probably already have plans…"

"I would love some company," Sam replied quickly, surprising herself. Her blush deepened. "Provided it wouldn't be an imposition."

"Not at all, Sam," Rupert replied, thoroughly enchanted. "And please, call me Rupert."