The 'gate shut down behind them as SG-1 stumbled down the ramp, still dripping water from their ponchos. Jack walked determinedly away from the small group as Sam struggled to remove her sopping poncho. Daniel watched as Teal'c helped the injured major pull off the offending article and puzzled at the sight of the commanding officer disappearing through the door.
"You all right Sam?" Daniel asked, wondering if she would shed any light on the colonel's behaviour.
"Fine Daniel, just can't get this damn... thing... off." With a final tug from Teal'c the plastic came free of her head but not without soaking her already damp hair in the process. "Fantastic, just add bad hair day to my list of things that have gone wrong today."
"Oh yeah, how is the ankle by the way?"
"It's fine Daniel." She took one wobbling step down the ramp before falling into Teal'c's arms. "Okay, maybe fine is a bit of an overestimation. Ouch." She grimaced as the Jaffa helped her hobble to the door of the room.
Daniel silently wondered to himself why Jack wasn't here to help Sam. It was unusual, to say the least, that he'd disappeared so quickly. He shook it off, putting it down to the colonel's bad mood from the morning.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Teal'c watched as Sam made her way rather awkwardly to stand in the elevator between himself and Jack. This was no easy task with her crutches. He noticed that Jack was trying his very hardest to not look at Sam and that she seemed just as uneasy around him. The silence in the small space was palpable. Teal'c guessed that something had passed between the two officers during their mission that day. He decided to test his theory.
"I believe the commissary is serving chocolate cake today. O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter would you care to join me?"
"Erm, sorry Teal'c but I think I'm just going to head home and try to warm up after today. The ankle's not great either." Sam trailed off.
Jack risked a glance at her and Teal'c didn't miss the guilty look that passed across the younger man's face. Jack looked up at Teal'c, not realising that he had been observed looking at the major.
"No can do T, first clear night for weeks, going to spend some time on my roof with a few cold ones." The smile that followed was forced and Teal'c knew for sure that something untoward had passed between the two. It was very unusual for O'Neill to turn down the sugary snack that he appeared to love. Teal'c knew he wasn't going to find any new information from the two humans in his company.
"I shall ask Daniel Jackson instead. I wish you both a good evening." And with a graceful bow and impeccable timing, the big Jaffa left the elevator as the doors opened on the floor where he would find said archaeologist; perhaps he would have more information on what had occurred between the two officers.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Nope. This was definitely not one of his better ideas, thought Jack. And yet, somehow he was climbing out of his truck and heading towards Carter's house. The last half an hour in fact had all seemed to have happened without him really having control over his own body. And there, it was happening again. His hand was raising of its own accord and knocking on her door. What did it think it was doing? His actions in the forest earlier in the day hadn't really had anything to do with the more reasonable part of his mind either. Damn it. He would not and could not blame all of these actions on how much the nightmares of Carter dying had scared him. Although that would be an easy solution. No. He put it down to a lack of sleep. Caused by those damn nightmares. Before he could berate the voices at war within his own head, the door opened and a rather lovely sight greeted him. One Major Samantha Carter wrapped up in a duvet.
"Sir? Not meaning to sound impertinent, but, what are you doing here?" She looked slightly awkward but Jack saw the cogs turning in the amazing Carter brain as she realised the reason behind his visit. How did she always see right through him? The moment of this realisation was clear as her face relaxed into a small smile.
"Well, funny thing actually, I was out driving, in my car, and I ended up here." He offered up a weak smile.
"Huh. Funny." She smirked. "Well you'd better come in. Coffee?" She turned and started hobbling towards the kitchen. The crutches were abandoned to the side of the door.
"Erm, yeah but you'd better sit down Carter, I can sort my own coffee." He followed closely behind her, smiling slightly at the duvet trailing on the ground.
"Ok, well, I'll just be in the living room. The fire's on."
Jack moved around the kitchen making two cups of coffee while silently berating himself for letting the voices get the better of his judgement and putting him in this position. That position being in the home of his (very cute) second in command that he had completely inappropriate feelings for and who was, at this moment, curled up in a duvet by a roaring fire. Oh he was in trouble. You're here for one reason. Just get it over with and leave. It's not that difficult, he told himself.
"So Carter," he said as he stepped from the kitchen into the living room, "how's the ankle doing?"
"Not great sir, Janet says I'll be off it for a week or so. But you already knew that, so why are you really here?" She took the coffee from him and he thought he noticed a slight look of mischief in her eyes. Oh she was going to make him work for this.
He sat on the chair opposite her and stared into the glowing fire. He took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry Carter. For losing control like that. It wasn't fair on either of us."
He looked at her and watched as she tried to school her features.
"Look sir, it's not the first time I've been dressed down by a CO." Jack thought he caught a glimpse of a blush rise in her pale cheeks at the words 'dressed down'. She could be cruel sometimes.
"Err, look Carter, that's not exactly what I was referring to..." He deserved the grief she was giving him. And besides if he went along with it, she might be more inclined to forgive him.
"I know, sir." Her simple response was accompanied by a shy smile and an earnest look. He knew she was done with the game now. That her need at the time had been as great as his. It was all they needed to say to understand one another, their shared look communicating everything they couldn't and probably shouldn't put into words.
The moment ended when Jack noticed that Sam was shivering.
"Carter you're still cold?" He attempted to keep the worry from his voice but failed miserably.
"I'm fine sir, just need to put another log on the fire." She made to get up but Jack was already at her side. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder, passively telling her to stay there. He then moved to the fire, placing another log on it before returning to Sam.
"There, should warm up in no time." He tightened the duvet around her slight form as she yawned widely. "I'll leave you to sleep Carter, ring me if you need anything." She lay down slowly. He turned to leave but before he could take a step, he felt a cold hand on his wrist.
"Will you stay with me sir?" A pause. "For... for just a minute." Sam's voice was small and unsure and something within Jack gave way. He didn't say anything, just bundled her up and pulled her body towards his. Her head rested below his chin as he relaxed back into the sofa. The heat from his body and from the duvet on top of them both soon warmed Sam's cold figure. But she didn't move and neither did he. Jack soon realised that Sam was asleep but he couldn't bear to move her. Something within him felt at peace, more at peace than it had since the kidnapping. He relished how right this felt but at the same time how wrong that was as well. They'd come so close today, so close to stepping over the boundary that they'd spent the last two years setting up between them. How easy it had been for them. And now, again, it had been so easy for them to find their way into each other's arms, even if it was only for comfort. Jack knew that for anybody else, in any other profession that would have been a good sign, but for them and for what they did it was the worst possible thing.
"Carter." He had to put an end to this. No matter how good it felt.
"Mhmm?" Was the mumbled reply.
"Carter, I need to leave. You know things to do, Simpsons to watch, that kind of thing." He gently lifted her away from his side, laying her down on the sofa with a cushion beneath her head.
"Mkay." Her eyes fluttered vaguely before she fell back to sleep.
Jack looked at her sadly. No, this definitely had to stop. No more slip ups, neither of them could afford it. Their job was just too important.
With a final glance from the hall, Jack stepped out of the door into the biting wind, immediately pushing down the urge to return to the warmth of Sam, the memory of her warm skin against his would have to suffice.
A/N: This chapter was written on request as a follow-up to the first, I didn't really think it would come out this angsty, but hey it's me, so it happened.
A/N 2: Unfortunately I got bitten by another plot bunny so there will be a third chapter that will DEFINITELY wrap this story up. Will hopefully post it in the next couple of days.