Chapter Six
Walking into one of the training rooms, Dr. Keller nodded in greeting as Teyla finished up her session.
"Hey Teyla, do you have a minute?"
"Of course, Dr. Keller. How may I be of assistance?"
"Well actually I need a favour. Or rather I need you to help me to do a favour." At Teyla's puzzled expression, Jen continued. "General O'Neill has pointed out to me that Colonel Carter hasn't really been given much of a break in the last forty eight hours. And, while that is in part due to the day-to-day routine, it's also got quite a bit to do with Rodney and Zelenka, among probably dozens of other interruptions. I need you to help me keep Rodney and Zelenka occupied, as well as ensuring that no-one in site contacts her via the comms system unless it's a real emergency."
"And this is coming from General O'Neill?" Teyla asked in amusement.
Smirking in understanding, Jen replied in kind.
"Yeah."
Drying her hands with a towel nearby, Teyla turned back to Jen and they made their way out of the training room as she said.
"Well then...................................I suggest we do this as quickly as possible."
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Taking another sip of his coffee, Rodney swallowed with reluctance as it was now stone cold.
"Gah! Radek! Have we got any decent coffee around here?!"
Poking his head into the lab at the sound of his voice, Radek sighed loudly before retorting with unsuppressed annoyance.
"I don't know, Rodney. Maybe you should go and find some."
"Yeah, well I'm kind of busy right now, but you should feel free to go ahead and check."
"I am not the tea and coffee boy, Rodney. If you want it so bad, you get it."
Rolling his eyes as Radek walked off muttering in Czech, Rodney returned his attention to the simulations running on his laptop. Hearing footfalls, Rodney didn't even look up from his work before he started saying.
"Finally, you let common sense take the wheel now have....." upon seeing who was actually coming towards him, Rodney promptly dropped the sentence.
As John walked up to the table with Teyla, he cast a quick glance at her. Receiving a nod of encouragement, John turned back to Rodney, clapping his hands as he said.
"Rodney, you and Radek are coming with us."
Frowning in annoyance, Rodney asked irritably.
"Why?"
"Just because. Come on, let's go."
Taking in the stern look on Teyla's face, Rodney knew there was no room for argument. Standing up from his stool, Rodney walked out of the lab, sharing a confused if not slightly exasperated look with Radek on the way through.
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Knocking on Jen's office door, Teyla entered at the doctor's admittance of "Come on in."
Closing the door behind her, Teyla turned to Jen with a triumphant look as she said.
"I have taken care of Rodney and Radek. They are with Ronan and Colonel Sheppard."
"Good work, Teyla. Now we just have to figure out how to keep the rest of the Atlantis expedition team from contacting her over the comms system."
Coming to stand closer to Jen's desk, Teyla lowered her voice slightly as she retorted.
"Actually, I've already taken care of that as well."
"What? How?"
"It is probably best I do not say."
Raising her eye brows at Teyla's suspected sabotage, Jen found herself grinning as she stated happily.
"Okay then. Problem solved."
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As she tied her bathrobe securely around herself, Sam ran a towel over her hair before deciding to blow dry it instead. As the noise from the hair dryer was quite loud, Sam hear the door chime until the second ring. Turning the dryer off as she was fairly certain it had done its job, Sam cried "Just a minute!" before making her way over to the door after putting the hair dryer away.
Upon opening her door, Sam was greeted by the sight of General O'Neill dressed in dark jeans, a black shirt and wine bottle and glasses in hand.
"Sir. Hi."
"Back at ya, Carter. Nice bathrobe."
Blushing slightly as she remembered she was a little under-dressed for visitors, Sam stepped aside to let him in.
"Come on in, sir. I'll just go put some clothes on."
Smirking as he sat down on her sofa, Jack retorted jokingly.
"Don't get dressed on my account."
Throwing him a look of feign disapproval, Sam smiled at him before disappearing to change. Throwing on a blouse and skirt she had hanging up, Sam came back into the seating area and sat down next to him on the sofa.
At her quizzical look from the bottle to him, Jack injected.
"I thought we could give this whole 'drink thing' another shot........no pun intended."
"Aren't you worried we'll get interrupted?"
Opening the bottle which produced a satisfying 'pop', Jack poured them both a glass as he answered confidently.
"Nope."
Amused at his self-assurance, Sam smiled contently as she raised her glass to his when he said warmly.
"Cheers."
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"They've known each other for eleven years?!" Jen exclaimed.
"That is what Colonel Sheppard has informed me."
"And they had to admit to having more than professional feelings when?"
"A little over six years ago, if my information is correct."
"You're kidding...........seriously?" at Teyla's nod, Jen retorted in amazement. "That's.............................a long to wait to be with someone."
"If it is the right person, you wait an eternity."
"Forever is a long time, Teyla. But for those two, six years was their eternity."
Sharing a knowing smile, Teyla and Jen resumed eating their dinner as they tried to catch up on their latest reports.
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Placing her glass on the table next to the now empty wine bottle, Sam leaned back against the cushion and closed her eyes as she felt the General encircle her shoulders with his arm and pull her gently towards him.
More than happy to let him guide her to him, Sam layed her head on his shoulder and smiled as he began to weave his hand through her hair, massaging her head as he did so.
Placing a soft kiss to her temple, Jack rested his cheek on top of her head as he asked.
"So............relaxed yet?"
Chuckling as she ducked her head into his neck briefly, Sam replied contently.
"I'll say. If I was any more relaxed, I'd be asleep right now."
"Well we wouldn't want that, now would we." deflecting a hit as she attempted to swat at him, he added. "Not that you going to sleep is a bad thing. I mean, if you're tired."
Lifting her head up to look at him, Sam said softly.
"I'm not tired." at his nod, she added suggestively. "Not yet."
Smiling warmly at her, Jack sat up slowly so as to give her time to adjust as he stood and walked away from the sofa, carrying the glasses and bottle as he went.
Leaning back into the cushion, Sam sighed happily as she asked when he walked back into the room.
"So..........................what strings did you have to pull to make this happen?"
Walking back into the seating area, Jack was doing a rather good imitation of a deer caught in headlights. Freezing in mid-stride, Jack uttered the only reply he could think of.
"What?"
Grinning at his trade mark response, Sam retorted with a smirk.
"Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?"
Coming to sit on the arm next to her, Jack sighed as said sadly.
"I hoped you wouldn't. I just........................wanted to do something nice for you."
Hearing the sincerity in his voice, Sam took in his defeated posture as he sat on the arm of the sofa. Realising he thought he'd done something wrong, Sam got up and came to stand in front of him as she said tenderly.
"You do that every day, sir." covering his hand with hers that rested on his knee.
Looking up at her as she brushed her thumb back and forth across his hand, Jack smiled warmly as he stood in front of her, bringing his other hand to caress her cheek as he asked.
"And how did I do that?"
Closing her eyes as she leaned into his touch, Sam replied as tears welled up behind her eyes.
"You were there for me. No matter what."
Hearing the emotion in her words, Jack retorted softly.
"Always."
Opening her eyes to find him looking at het tenderly was too much. As Sam released a shaky breath before walking into her bedroom to retrieve a tissue. As he walked over to her, Sam offered him a watery smile before sniffing loudly and discarding the tissue.
Bringing a hand to her cheek, Jack caught a stray tear as it made its way down her face, swiping it away with his thumb as it reached her mouth. Leaning into her space, Jack whispered.
"I meant it, you know."
Whispering back, Sam retorted "I know." before snaking a hand round the back of his head, coaxing him gently towards her as she added breathlessly. "Thank you." Before closing the gap completely as she brought her mouth to his.
TBC.............