Hey People! As promised… here we go with next chapter :3 … more awkward moments of unwelcomed attraction in the way. Thanks for the reviews… and I'm sorry for the ending of this chapter! *evil grin*
Anyways! And as usual, I have talked enough!
Enjoy!
M.
Chapter 6 – Day 1
The alarm went off in one room and in two rooms their occupants groaned and rubbed tiredly their faces. Colonel O'Neill, tapped around the bed trying to find out his darn cellphone to turn off the annoying sound currently drilling his head off.
"Ha!" he said once he found it and with one open eye he turned off the alarm, his clock marked 5:03 AM. He rolled in the bed and fought a battle with the side table to turn the lamp on, then with the orangey glow enlightening the room, he sat. "Time to roll," he muttered to himself and slid out of the bed, padding through the room and towards the bathroom. After his morning routine he looked outside, noticing he had completely forgotten about closing drapes, the skies were still darkish but the sun was soon going to start its way up. He dragged his duffel bag towards the walk in closet and pulled everything out to allow him to see everything he had at his disposal. He opted for sweatpants, t-shirt, socks and running shoes and after a quick stretch, he went out of the room.
A floor up, not even bothering to turning the lights on, Doctor Carter slid out of bed and into her dressing room and bathroom later, completing her morning routine and clad in a form fitting running attire, she opened her drapes and looked at the darkish sky with a smile and headed out.
The moment his shoes made contact with the marble floor, they squeaked and it drove him mad. He checked around and saw the carpet continuing towards the elevator while the marble started and continued to grow to become the stairs, and if he remembered right, the (also) marble stairs became the ground floor tiles. He sighed and opted for the less squeaking way out and pushed the down button.
The doors opened startling her, it was a real rarity to have someone in the elevator at such early hours. She was an early riser by custom, her dad's custom… but the rest of her family not so much. Rodney could sleep through the morning without any issues, Jess had taken the same liking for sleep than her father had, although she had an earliest schedule to complete. She raised her eyes and saw the Colonel looking at her surprised.
"Good morning," she smiled politely at him, and blushed when she heard the hint of sleep in her own voice.
"Good morning," he answered back, his voice still somewhat raspy. "I didn't know you were such an early riser,"
"My dad was military. I normally leave the house around 7:30- 8, but if I don't do some sort of waking process then I might as well not work that day at all," she explained, he raised an eyebrow. "I go for runs in the early mornings and swim at nights," and he couldn't help but look at her up and down and notice that her routine surely had paid off. She cleared her throat and he blushed. Before he could do anything to apologize for staring, the doors opened and she was out of the elevator and out through the main door. He followed her. "Do you prefer to run a trail or a treadmill?" she asked over her shoulders using the wide and high rails of the stair to stretch.
"Trails are better, but sometimes treadmills are necessity," he answered looking at everywhere but her.
"I prefer trails myself. We have two decent ones, one through the so called woods, which is good when is too hot. My personal favorite, is the second one which includes two miles at the edge of the sea. Although running in the sand can be quite challenging, the sea sounds and smell make it quite refreshing. May I interest you in one of those?" she said finally standing straight and still, her arms finding her middle in a protective stance.
"Whichever you want, Doctor." She frowned, but started to walk anyways, and he followed.
"Why?" she asked between breaths, an eyebrow raised and her pace starting to get faster.
"Why what?" he asked falling into the same step she was currently setting.
"This?" she pointed the two of them, "Why come running with me? Isn't the prospect of being around me the rest of the day, enough?"
"If you run every day, there's a schedule. If someone is studying you to know your movements, this is going to appear on their list"
"But the house is safe, the walls are high and there are cameras everywhere"
"But you have an ocean entrance"
"Yes, but if they don't go through the walls, they will need either a helicopter or a boat and both are going to call some attention."
"If it bothers you to having me running with you, then I will suggest to change it for the treadmill, Doctor"
"I never said it bothered me, Colonel. I was just pointing facts"
He understood the fact she was pointing when they got to the beach, the two miles of beach were in fact part of the back of her property, most of the place was pure rocks and boulders leaving a sandy path of about 4 feet between the back wall and the rocks, in which they were currently running. At some point the path grew wider and it gave space for an actual beach, hidden mostly behind huge boulders and with no real open water.
Sweat covered them both, when they finished their 10 miles run and hour and some later. She sat at bench at the back door, took her shoes off and walked towards the door with both shoes in her hand. Opening the door, she turned around and watched him.
"Are you coming?" she asked and he quickly followed her lead. "There wasn't a need for you to take your shoes off, I do it because I hate the squeaking sound they do when on marble. If marble wasn't so darn resistant I would have taken it out no matter how much Rodney believes is what is expected from wealthy people"
"I don't like squeaking either," he added with a shrug, "and the second floor has carpets all the way"
"Yes, and as Anita mentioned yesterday, there are a horde of people who work hard cleaning them, and they will be thankful you didn't fill it with mud. That way to the dining room, breakfast should be ready, but I… need a shower," He followed her to the elevator and she smiled.
"Does anyone ever uses the stairs?" he asked, and she snorted
"I do, whenever my husband is around," the doors opened and he went out, she pressed the button to keep the door open, "dressing shoes don't squeak Colonel" were her amused parting words.
Half an hour later he was down, he had a somewhat decent pant and a shirt and a pair of dressing shoes, he was feeling extremely self-conscious, but he knew he couldn't go following her around on his dress blues or his bdus. He walked to the direction she pointed and from there he followed her voice,
"Could you believe that, Anita? I was running in what appeared to be another planet with 3 other man, one of which was an alien!" she added with a huge smile and he frowned at her words. Anita excused herself out of the room the moment she saw him.
"I don't believe she has enough clearance…" Jack told her lowly.
"To what? To know whatever, fantasy my mind provides me during my dreaming hours?" she snorted, "Dear God, Colonel, relax I was telling what I dreamt and I found it hilarious. Can you actually see me running around a desert on bdu's and shooting at people and being called Captain? Because I'll seriously doubt of your sanity if you can"
"I don't think you would survive being ordered around, kid." Anita added, placing a tray on the table. "Colonel, good morning. Just pick a seat," and she proceeded to explain what was were. After Anita auto dismissed herself again, he looked around half expecting someone else to join them. But no, it was just the two of them and beside the Doctor, the backpack he saw her carrying around the previous day was placed on a seat, while she was quite immersed on a book.
"Where's everyone else?" he asked not quite comfortable in the silence.
"Huh?" she raised her eyes from the book and shook her head. She looked at him looking around, "Oh, as I told you yesterday, Rodney isn't in town."
"And you daughter?" she raised her eyebrow
"I'm going to assume Daniel told you about her, and you told your wife. Because, I distinctly remember only mentioning her when telling you both I talked with the principal of her school, and neither of you even batted an eye." She smiled, "whenever we both are out of town or when she's pissed off at me, she simply chooses to stay as an intern at school, instead of coming to an empty house," she shrugged, he felt more than heard the pain behind her words, although her proper mask didn't give any feeling away. He was an expert on avoiding touchy subjects of his own and considering he didn't know the woman long, he didn't push. With a grateful sigh she went back to her book.
"I never would have pegged you for a for book reader, at least not one which didn't fall in one of your many working areas," he added a bit later. She turned the book around and saw the cover, well, it didn't need a genius to know it wasn't tech related.
"Well, I'm bound to make small talk, Colonel. If I don't read about other things I would make a very boring guest," she commented with an eyebrow raised.
"I sure hope it isn't Harry Potter," he smiled. "Charlie went through it and we are bracing ourselves for the price of next one"
"Believe me or not, it was on my options," she mock shuddered, "however, it doesn't matter how much Jess love it, I can't find myself wanting to know the history of a child wizard going through school. I Just don't know how much I will be able to keep postponing its reading. It is part of many conversations and often, to escape them I need to move to an even more boring group."
"I can imagine; I did manage to escape the pressure." he whispered conspiratorially
"Do tell how," she asked leaning forward.
"I told them I would wait for the movies!" he grinned boyishly and she laughed.
"I should have told them that about this one," she sighed pushing the book away, "I really don't understand how anyone can find this interesting"
"What's about?"
"O Alquimista? Uhm, The alchemist… So far, is about a shepherd who travels around looking for the most precious treasure of the world. Supposedly, is about finding your path in life, following your heart and learning to read the signs which appear in our lives to point us to the right way," she finished dramatically.
"Sounds…"
"Pretty much like one of those Harry Potter novels? I think is too fantastic"
"Says the woman who dreamt about running on a desert planet with three man, one of them being an alien and shooting"
"Mocks the man who does it on a regular basis," she countered with a smile. Anita entered at that point, clearing her throat.
"Kid, are you planning on going to the office today?"
"Yes. Colonel, we should be going in 10," she told him and then she stood up and studied him. "Anita, will you come with me?" The women disappeared out of the room, he finished his coffee not much later and went up to grab his leather jacket. Upstairs, Sam was pacing her room.
"Anita, how on Earth can I bring his clothes up without making the man hate me more?" she asked concerned.
"Kid, the man doesn't hate you, but you are right, he might if you bring his clothes up," Sam sighed, "Alas, you must, there are dress codes in the buildings and not matter how handsome he looked, he needs to be in a suit too"
"Please tell me Phillips is taking us today?" Anita smiled brightly, "Good, I think they started with better feet. He might be able to tell him without offending the man"
"Are you really pretending to drop such thing over the poor Michael?"
"Yeah, you are right. Oh well, one must do what one must do"
The old woman chuckled at the dramatic way her boss was talking, and saw her fighting the nervousness the moment they reached to the ground floor and she saw the Colonel waiting for her. She smiled nervously and walked to him.
"Colonel O'Neill, I'm not trying to disrespect you or anything. But, we need to get you clothes first," she said quickly and blushing in embarrassment. He looked at her reaction and then, down at his clothes.
"What's wrong with mine?" he asked confused.
"Nothing! Nothing really, but it's not casual Friday and the offices have a dressing code," she grimaced, "sorry," she pleaded when he didn't say a word. He considered the situation for a while, if everyone wore a darn suit, he should try and look similar no matter how much he hated suits. He pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded.
"Doctor, we must do what we must do to finish this thing. And if buying me clothes will make things go smoother then by all means." He said and she smiled gratefully and walked out, while he mumbled, "I knew I wouldn't like this mission, I knew it"
Sam entered the house again, with an impish smile and Anita frowned, "I forgot my bag at the dinner room"
"Kid, are you alright?" Anita wondered the moment Sam walked back to the front door, this time shouldering her pack. The younger woman nodded and left, "Something is off with that girl," Anita muttered to herself.
Outside the house, Sam slid into the waiting car apologizing with the two men waiting for her, and then, she left out words that made Jack cringe, "Philip, we have to divert our ways today, we need to go shopping"
"It's too early, ma'am. Most of the malls and shopping centers don't open until 9 or 10." She huffed.
"It sounds to me, Colonel, that you will be shopping safe until noon. Will you pick us up at 11?" Phillips nodded, "Then we can go to the one near the office and have a quick lunch there. Not that I'm a fan of their cuisine"
"Are you sure I won't be causing you issues with the dress code, Doctor?"
"Hum, not if it's only for a morning. We will be going straight to my offices and staying there, until 11. However, I feel I must warn you, you will be stared at"
"Nothing that I can't deal with, Doctor"
"Good," she nodded.
They entered the underground levels of a building he assumed was the office building, Phillips parked the car in a designated spot and they left the car towards the elevator. Once inside, Sam pressed the button of the 34th floor. The last one available.
"It will take us straight to the lobby of my office and lab's, but this company is distributed around levels 22th to 34th. It was back 8 years ago, when I was in need of a decent office where all the personnel from this one could fit in just one place, that I came across this company which was starting to develop floors 18 to 20, they agreed on our requirements and bought them. Therefore, the main lobby of this company is at floor 22. Security was highly improved in all the floors and there's an internal elevator to allow the company personnel to move without being dependent of the main elevators." She explained quickly and almost to his ear when the doors opened and a flood of people moved in. She came to stand in front of him, covering half of his body with her own. He inhaled deeply and regretted it almost instantaneously, not only because she smelled heavenly but because she too did the same.
If it wasn't for a couple of 'Good morning ma'am' which were said to Sam, she wouldn't had noticed how she held a breath the moment the Colonel inhaled deeply behind her back. Trying not to look perturbed by her body reaction, she answered with a bright smile to all of her employees avoiding saying anything else for fear of her voice betraying her attempts of keeping herself in check. She saw the curious looks they were giving at the man behind her back and she saw the moment they became glares; and it was accompanied by the weight of the Colonel shifting from one foot to the other.
While the Colonel tried not to flinch at the stares he got all the way up to the 22th floor, he couldn't keep his body from uncomfortable shifting from one leg to the other, and fought all the urges to brace himself on a defensive position. But when they stopped at the 22th and the other people massively walked out of the cart, he sighed.
"I just don't want to hear the grapevine right now," Sam muttered pinching the bridge of her nose and moving to stand at his side.
"It won't be as bad as at the SGC," he whispered back, and judging by the look the Doctor gave him, she wasn't really expecting him to hear her comment, "The grapevine…" he flinched, "One would think that in such a secret place everything would be quiet, but nope, no such luck. If anything is the fastest grapevine I've ever encountered. I mean, one time Daniel brought a girl back and when we reached the infirmary, everyone knew about her and there were already bets in place"
"Well, here there are plenty of scientist working in very delicate projects. But, it doesn't take long for …" the doors opened and they walked out, the quick exchange of words and the blush of the two girls at the front desk were more explanation that he needed. They chuckled and she pointed him the way to her office. "There's something we need to figure out, before I can't start to work," she commented while she took her laptop out.
"And what's that?"
"Well, I work, Colonel, which means I will be most of the time immersed in some documents or experiments or anything that comes to my attention, which leaves you… with nothing to do, and I don't think that … 'Carter-gazing' … is something you would be doing without being bored out after the first 10 seconds," she smiled and observed him as he plopped himself in a chair in front of her desk. "I know you don't actually have a work to do, but being around me. However, I do believe you would like to do something on your own?"
"I could try to find who's behind your first abduction, but that would require a safe access to the files back at Cheyenne, or you can give me a yo-yo"
"Excuse me?" she asked confused, "a yo-yo?" he nodded, "I never thought I would ever meet someone who could find the yo-yo distracting," she mussed, "I can provide you with both, the yo-yo and a computer with secure access to Cheyenne and the Pentagon. I will make sure a computer is set for you on the other offices as well, or maybe I should just get you a laptop. Now that we are clear, you can join me on the lab or you can stay here until 11."
She was wrong, he found out the moment she started to work in her (many) experiments. She moved around her lab in a graceful way and with such precise movements, that he was enthralled to keep watching her. Something he did, trying not to look like he was doing it by hiding himself behind the screen of the laptop someone got him not even half an hour after their conversation. There was something in the way she frowned when confused, and the way she pursed her lips, and in the way the tip or her tongue appeared when she was trying to do something seemingly very delicate. He shook himself, 'what the hell are you doing?' he chastised himself, 'Carter-gazing, she said' his mind also provided.
"Where can I get something to drink?"
"Ah, you can press two on the phone and Stephanie or Tess can bring you whatever you want," she answered without looking at him. Then, when she heard no movement of the phone, she raised her eyes to meet his, "If you want I can show you where the machines are?" She asked and he nodded.
He had options, she told him, showing him the way to the internal elevators. They went two floors down and walked to a room with a set of different machines. Then they went another two floors down and she showed him the 'mess hall' of the company. And finally, they went back to her floor and she showed him a small kitchen where there was an espresso machine and a refrigerator full of healthy and not so healthy items to munch or drink. Surprising him, she prepared two cups of coffee, she outright laughed at his expression when he was about to give it a sip. And her heart skipped a beat the moment he hummed in satisfaction. Then with a blush she excused herself and walked back to the lab.
At 10:45 an alarm went off. Just when he finally had managed to concentrate himself on the task he had given himself, his coffee cup was empty for the second time. He knew she was on well on her fourth one, "no wonder you and Daniel get along so well," he said when the fourth one came to be, she giggled and if he could order her not to do it, he would. That giggle was the cutest and appealing sound he had heard in a long time.
"Ready, Colonel?" she said closing the lid of her laptop and walking towards the door separating the lab from her main office. He did the same on time to see her grabbing a small wallet and pulling it on what should be the inner pocket of the jacket. He frowned curiously.
They walked towards the main elevator, and she pressed the button to the sublevel in which Phillips had dropped them. "So, you do three thousand things at once, make a good coffee and don't use a purse," he affirmed and she snorted.
"Why am I under the impression that the last fact is the one which disturbs you the most?"
"Because…" he said and the elevator stopped, a couple of people joined them and 3 of them were women with purses of different sizes, he pointed them to her, "isn't that a fountain of secrets that no man should ever understand?" he whispered to her ear and she shivered.
"Nope, it's just a purse. One doesn't really need half of the things we put inside, but they are a fountain of comfort," she whispered back, "I was explained once that you are supposed to carry with you everything that could fix anything that could be wrong in a day"
"Huh," she leaned conspiratorially and he did the same
"It's common for the average woman to carry with her make-up, an extra pair of nylons, perfume… and other feminine items you don't want to know about," she smiled wide and he shook his head. Their hushed tones had attracted the curious eyes of the others in the cart with them but as concentrated they were on their conversation, they both failed to notice it.
The way to the shopping center was made in the same half joking half silent mood that had accompanied them the whole morning, Sam could see the not so pleased look of the Colonel when they finally parked at the underground level of the center. They entered the shopping complex and he saw the Doctor frown.
"What'?"
"I just don't know where the male shops are, hell, I don't even know where the female stores are," she smiled and then her eyes brightened when she saw a map of the place. She walked confidently to it and then she turned around, "I know where we are going," and strode away of the sign. She shook her head when she thought she felt something weird but as it didn't continue she didn't paid attention to it. And then, they were entering one store which he saw displayed lots and lots of what he imagined were very expensive suits. A dependent quickly joined them and Sam took over explaining what she needed for him.
"Doctor, I don't think I can afford this ones," he said taking her to a side.
"Who said you would buy them?" she asked and then he couldn't help but cringe when he was half dragged to the changing rooms, clenching his jaw he entered and started to get changed. "Are you sure you want these ones, Doctor?" he asked when he saw the price of the thing.
"Why? Don't the fit?" She asked from the outside where she and the vendor were waiting for him to come out to check the fitting. He came out, the suit was a perfect fit.
"Wow! I've never seen anyone who didn't need a fitting before," the vendor commented and Sam nodded, blushing at the sight. "You should try the other too, sir. Or this one will be it?"
"No, no, we need at least a couple of them," Sam answered, and the vendor went to bring a couple more. "I'm sorry, Colonel, but do you feel okay with them? We can try a different store, but this one is one of the best"
"It's just that Doctor, have you seen the prices? Are you sure you want to spend so much in just a couple suits?"
"Don't be silly, Colonel. Who knows how long you are stuck with me, the least I can do is buy something that will last you enough. Don't look at me like that! you know as well as I do, they aren't as bright as they pretend they are"
The vendor came at that moment with another group of suits, and the Colonel nodded going back to the changing room. Five or six suits later, he was standing slightly annoyed to be still in there. "What about shirts?" the vendor suggested and Jack groaned, "oh! And ties!" To that comment he actually glared at her.
"Why don't you go and start processing the purchase and find us some shirts, he can pick?" Sam suggested and he smiled gratefully at her.
"I just need the jacket of this one to add it to the bill," the vendor explained and the Colonel took the jacket off. While doing so, both Sam and the vendor were regaled with a view of the movement of his chest. The Doctor turned around slightly flushed, and the vendor hurried to grab the jacket and leave the area.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Samantha?" she whispered to herself annoyed with her strange reaction, and the weird feeling coursing through her body.
"You were an Tok'ra host," someone sneered as an answer, while pressing a gun to her back. "Don't try anything dumb, Doctor Carter. We chose to act because there are many civilians who could end up injured if you don't cooperate," the voice added and she recognized then, the thing she felt earlier. The reaction of her body under the presence of someone else with naquadah in their bloodstream. "Walk with us, Doctor Carter and no one else will be injured." Assessing her chances, she did exactly as was told.