Younger than a Dinosaur
Chapter Ten: Night on the Town
by Leanne Scott
Summary: What does mini Jack do over summer vacation?
Disclaimer: I don't own him or the other Stargate characters, yada, yada. But all the rest of the characters were given to me by the writing muse fairy.
Despite having written the first half of this back in May, Real Life has conspired against me in finishing, but finally, and with robust thanks for those encouraging reviews to do so…I humbly post again.
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Jack stretched out his long legs and basked in the setting sun filling his back patio with golden light. It had been a pleasant afternoon drinking lemonade and listening to his old team mates retell stories of their adventures in the past year. It wasn't that he didn't know what had happened. He read certain field reports with great enthusiasm. It was all the little details that didn't make it into the formal reports that he wanted to know about. The errors in judgment, the stupid moves, the sheer dumb luck and the snarky comments that really happened when you were on a mission. God, he missed it. He missed them. He missed the way that he used to be too.
"So, what do you want for dinner Jack?" asked Daniel interrupting the moment of comfortable silence.
"Hmm? Oh, I guess we can rustle up something," Jack opened his eyes and waved aimlessly behind him at his kitchen.
"Please. You make Mother Hubbard look like a food hoarder," teased Daniel.
"I could really go for some steak, sir," suggested Sam.
Jack looked over at the beautiful, blond scientist and knew he could deny her nothing. "Actually, that sounds pretty good to me. I have some serious protein cravings," his eyes twinkled at hers in memory of a similar conversation years ago when they had tested the Tok'ra arm bands.
Sam smiled back surprised that he was bringing up that memory.
"And no billiards this time, you pool shark. The results were just a bit messy," Jack teased.
Sam laughed at the memory of the fight they had all gotten into, and felt a warmth of feeling that she had denied for so long creep into her cheeks. "You're right," she agreed. Looking at his relaxed face she suddenly felt brave, "I think we should go dancing instead," she openly flirted. Teal'c and Daniel both turned wondering eyes on her but she ignored them. Her attention was fixed on the handsome man stretched out in the chair across from her.
Jack's eyebrows shot up, but he maintained his casual pose in the chair. "Only if you have a twirly skirt," he flirted back.
Ever since he had been promoted to General, he had maintained a carefully proper relationship with her. She was so relieved that the fun side of him had only been hidden, not lost. "I think that can be arranged," and she gave him one of her brilliant, 100 watt grins.
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Keiko scowled at herself in the mirror as she combed out her hair after her shower. This was probably the worst day of her life. Not only had she totally lost her temper, but she felt so betrayed that she was heart sick. The girls had tried to talk to her during the drive from camp to town, but she had begged off saying she needed to focus on driving and to sort out her thoughts. The problem was her thoughts were not getting sorted like they were supposed to. If anything they were braiding into tangled webs where she both congratulated and berated herself for the morning's events. It was all that kid Jon's fault. Everything had been fine until Gil had met him. Oh, Gil! She couldn't believe what a scumbag he had turned out to be. All this time playing the mild mannered professor. She should have known. No one could be so gentlemanly for so long. And considerate, and respectful, and witty, and intelligent, and…argh! She slammed her hand on the porcelain counter. She would not fall for him again.
She pawed through her back and pulled out a sweat shirt and some fleece pants. She had brought them in case they had any cold weather, and at this point they were the only clean things left. She hated to admit that Gil had been right to suggest going into town and getting cleaned up. Ordinarily she would have been encouraging everyone to wash things out in the river until the middle of the seven week expedition when they usually went to town. Although last year that was after they'd made the big find. She would have never predicted they'd find something the first day.
She moved listlessly into the small room and eyed the bed. She was so tired. Not only physically from all the hiking and hauling water up hill, but also from the emotional roller coaster she was on. It had been a crazy week.
She lay down for a few minutes but couldn't get comfortable as her mind just went around in circles. Finally, she turned the TV on and mindlessly switched the channels just to hear something other than her own thoughts. Finding a sports channel, she scooted back into the pillows and lay down again. She remembered her childhood and how her dad and brother would take over the set every weekend to watch football, or basketball, or baseball. It didn't matter which sport just so long as they could eat chips and cheer together. She'd always gone to her room and read books. She just didn't find sports that interesting. And that was one of the things she had liked about Gil too. He wasn't a sports fanatic either. He had explained once that it wasn't that he hated sports, it was that there were so many other things he wanted to do with his time. She closed her eyes and listened to the droning of the announcers, remembering simpler days.
A knock startled her awake and she glanced at her watch surprised to see that two hours had gone past. Still a little groggy from her nap, she stumbled to the door and opened it half way. Gil stood there with a tight smile on his face. He'd definitely come to see her right off the road as he was still sweaty and dusty from the dig site. She couldn't help thinking that he looked cute in an Indiana Jones kind of way, and instinctively smiled.
"Brown," he said hesitantly.
"Moore," she narrowed her eyes at him remembering now that she was awake that she was supposed to be mad at him.
"I came to apologize. Can I come in?" he asked.
She sighed. They would have to have this conversation sooner or later. She opened the door wider and stepped back to let him in, watching him warily as he closed the door. He stepped closer to her and she took several steps backward until her knees hit the mattress.
Leaving her some personal space, Gil swallowed and looked back at her nervously. "Look, I know I've been ignoring you this week. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." He looked at her hopefully, "You know how I am. I just got so excited about finding the cave and the fossils and couldn't wait to get them out of the ground. And I'm sorry about making the decision to come to town without consulting you. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. I promise to consult with you from now on. Will you forgive me?"
"You think I'm mad about that?" she demanded in astonishment. "I'm not mad about THAT!" Her eyes flashed and her nostrils flared as she prepared to let him have it.
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Jon had had a surprisingly good afternoon. The three girls had pounded on the door just as Robert had finished his shower, and demanded that they all drive to a Laundromat. They had collected Dr. Brown's and Dr. Moore's back packs already, and the jocks had bribed them with snack money to do their laundry so that they could stay in their room and watch a football game. Nobody even wanted to talk to Neal, and they collectively decided to get away as soon as possible. So the six of them had spent the afternoon in a Laundromat eating chips, drinking sodas and waiting on the machines. The conversation had ranged from music to movies to an inane conversation comparing the characters from the two old TV shows Seinfeld and Friends. Jon hadn't laughed so hard in he didn't know how long. Finally, the dryers were done and the clothes had all been folded. It was time to get back to the motel and meet the others for dinner.
"Oh, look, Jonny," Ashley leaned forward from the back seat and brushed her hand down his shoulder, "They have Karaoke tonight." He shrugged her hand off lightly and she pointed past him through the windshield at a sign for a Sizzler Restaurant along the city's commercial strip.
"Oh, no," groaned both Stan and Robert from the far back seat.
"Come on, it'll be fun!" exclaimed Ashley turning animatedly back towards them giving both young men a full dose of her most charming smile.
"Doesn't look like there are a lot of other choices beside Burger Death," remarked Mindy dryly from the front passenger seat.
"Susan?" pleaded Ashley looking for some support from her friend sitting next to her.
"A steak would be tasty," conceded Susan.
"Not really our call," Jon remarked trying to forestall any decision. "Let's see what our fearless leaders have to say." Fortunately, the motel was at the next light and he turned into the parking lot with a sigh of relief.
They all trooped into the lobby and split up to head to the opposite wings. Stan and Robert carried both theirs and Derrick and Dwain's backpacks off to the left. While Jon trailed behind the girls carrying both Dr. Moore's and his own back pack. The girls pointed to the professor's door and then continued down the hall to their own room.
Jon knocked sharply on the door, hoping that Gil had taken his advice and had spoken to Keiko that afternoon. He was so sure he was right about why she was mad.
"Jon," Gil said as he opened the door, "Come in. Here, I'll take that," and he relieved Jon of the extra back pack. "Thanks for doing my clothes too."
"Sure. So, umm, did you get a chance," Jon began awkwardly.
Gil smiled sheepishly and looked rather embarrassed. "Yes, well, about that," he dithered as he closed the door.
"Gil," Jon scolded like a parent disappointed in his child.
"No, no, I talked to her. Umm, here, have a seat," Gil pulled out the desk chair for Jon while he perched on the side of the bed.
"So did you apologize?" demanded Jon.
"Yes," replied Gil firmly. "You were partially right. She was upset about being left out of the decision making, and she did admit to feeling lonely as well."
"Partially?" questioned Jon.
"Well, she was jealous too."
"Jealous?" Jon was beginning to feel like a parrot. "Of what?"
"Of you," Gil answered looking extremely uncomfortable as he swept his hand back in forth in the space between them. "She was mad because she thought we were having a relationship."
Jon turned pink with embarrassment, "Us?" he squeaked.
"I know," agreed Gil looking away for a minute at the wall. "It wasn't until she started yelling at me for taking advantage of a student that I finally figured it out. I don't know what gave her that idea."
Jon just stared back with his mouth hanging open. He'd been accused of many things in his life, but being gay wasn't one of them.
"I guess you and I have been working a lot together the last few days on the crane and all," continued Gil. "She thought there was something more than friendship because she couldn't imagine what a 38 year old man and an 18 year old boy would have in common."
Jon still couldn't speak. 'That's because I think like a 48 year old,' he thought to himself.
"You just don't talk or think like an 18 year old."
Jon started at Gil's words almost mirroring his own thoughts.
Gil looked worried now. "You don't talk about yourself much, but I know you've experienced a tragedy. I guess what you've had to overcome in your life has just given you maturity beyond your age," Gil looked like he was walking on egg shells. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything, but could you say something here?"
Jon grinned wryly. 'If you only knew,' he thought to himself. and shook his head, "And I was so sure I knew why she was mad."
Gil laughed nervously. "So we'll all keep this to ourselves, okay?"
"Absolutely," Jon reached a hand out to shake on it. "Never leaves the room." In the big picture of things he'd buried in the past, this one barely rated a pixel.
"So I hope you don't get offended if I start spending more time with Dr. Brown. I guess I was beginning to take her for granted and I really don't want her to stay mad at me," admitted Gil.
"So, big guy, she was jealous, huh?" teased Jon.
"What?" Gil looked positively petrified at the turn in the conversation.
"Do I have to draw a diagram? It's pretty obvious now, isn't it?"
"Dr. Brown and I have a perfectly professional relationship," protested Gil.
"I've seen you two talking together," taunted Jon.
"What?" Gil protested again.
"She practically glows when she's talking to you, Gil. Come on. Make a move. What are you waiting for?" Jon tried to cheer him on.
"But we're in the same profession. She's in one city and I'm in another. We could never both get jobs at the same school," he replied logically. "My science is my life and I could never ask her to give up her career either."
Jon sighed. Those arguments used to make sense to him too. Once upon a time. He squinted his eyes and clenched his jaw against the raw emotion that thinking about a certain astrophysicist brought out of him. He stared at his clenched fists until he felt it ebb away. Not raising his eyes from the floor, he said, "You don't know if you don't try. Don't waste time. Life is too short and precious. Don't wait until you wake up someday and find all your chances are gone. Lost forever." He finally looked up at Gil and let the man see the anguish he was feeling. "Don't become me."
Gil stared back. Shaken at the depths in Jon's eyes. He could see the pain, the sorrow, the loneliness, and watched as they hardened to steely resolve.
"Do you love her?" Jon demanded.
Gil heard himself say, "Yes," before he really had a chance to think it.
"Then you owe it to her and yourself to tell her that. Take a chance," Jon advised.
"You're a wise man, Jon O'Neill," Gil nodded once. "Thanks."
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"You're acting like a foolish child," hissed Daniel in exasperation.
Jack looked at him over the spoon hanging off his nose and grinned. Looking past Daniel he caught Sam's eye out on the dance floor with Teal'c. Her silvery laugh was his reward as she twirled away. His sole aim the whole evening was to see how many times he could evoke that smile or better yet this laugh, and he was storing away every memory like a squirrel its nuts for winter. And he knew that winter. The months he'd endured without that sunshine of her smile. And he refused to even contemplate his life when they had returned to the SGC without him. He was living in the here and now, and basking in it.
"Ja-ack," whined Daniel.
"Okay, okay," Jack set the spoon down and took another sip of beer.
"I'm not so sure we should have let you have any alcohol," worried Daniel.
"I'm fine. You're being an old mother hen again," asserted Jack.
"We just checked you out of the hospital this morning," Daniel protested.
"Where all they were doing was trying to fatten me up by making me eat and sleep. This is good empty calories," and he mock toasted the glass in the air before taking another slug of beer.
As the song ended, Sam and Teal'c returned to the table and both took large drinks of water. Teal'c surreptitiously mopped his brow with a napkin barely lifting the fedora hat that he wore to cover his tattoo. "I believe it is your turn O'Neill," he announced.
Jack gave a sidelong glance to Sam's glistening shoulders, "I don't want to tire our girl out," he tried to reply airily.
"Come on," she took his hand in hers, "It'll be fun," and she smiled radiantly.
Jack glanced over at the band and swallowed nervously. 'Anything but a slow song,' he prayed.
"Afraid you can't keep up with me, old man?" Sam drawled teasingly. Just then the band broke into "Johnny B Good" and Jack knew he was saved.
"We'll see who can keep up with who," he teased back and twirled her out on the dance floor into a series of swing dance moves that he hadn't used in a long time, but he hadn't forgotten either.
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Gil had insisted on getting the fossils and rock samples sent back to the university as soon as possible and they just managed to finish all the arrangements at the bus station when the evening eastbound to Denver arrived. Jon quickly organized the rest of the students into worker ants, and the boxes of carefully packed specimens were tucked neatly into one of the bus's luggage compartments. They would be forwarded on to Colorado Springs the next morning where Dr. Moore's colleagues would collect them the following afternoon, and hopefully be ready to begin testing by Monday morning.
Rubbing his hands together, Gil beamed happily at the students standing around the van and SUV, "So, dinner?"
Fortunately for the male contingent of the expedition, they did not end up at the Sizzler with its karaoke night. In fact, they found a fun bar and grill just past the bus station. The Cottonwood was clearly a local favorite as the rapidly filling parking lot attested. The group filed into the unpromising looking warehouse like building to find a homey looking restaurant on one side, a large rectangular bar in the center, and a stage with small tables scattered around a dance floor area on the other side of the building. They pulled three tables together and assembled around the edges while a perky waitress took their drink orders.
The menu was a pretty standard assortment of country style favorites, but for its simplicity the steak and mashed potatoes Jon spied on the next table looked pretty appetizing. His stomach growled loudly and he grinned sheepishly, "Excuse me."
Keiko smiled hesitantly at him from the other side of Dr. Moore, "It's been a long day, hasn't it Jon?"
He made eye contact trying to convey both his understanding and apology for his part in her misunderstanding, and then nodded as he saw the answering gleam in her eye. "Yes, Ma'am," he answered like a first year cadet, granting her respect.
Keiko gave him a full smile and nodded back in acceptance.
Mindy watched the exchange from her seat next to Jon realizing something had just gone down between the two, but not quite understanding what that was. Afraid that Dr. Brown was going to get upset again like that morning, she tried to lighten the mood, "I'm so hungry I could eat a dinosaur!" she exclaimed.
"Or at least one of those steaks," agreed Susan jutting her chin towards the other table.
"Speaking of dinosaurs," Keiko began, shaking a finger at Gil, "I'm still mad at you for damaging that specimen this morning," and she pretended to scowl at him. It was lame, she knew, but she felt that she had to explain herself to the girls somehow and hoped they would buy her excuse without too much questioning. "Just what possessed you to do such a thing?" she demanded.
Gil looked startled for a moment, "Oh, that. Yes, well you see," he floundered but quickly caught on when she arched her eyebrows at him, "I'm sorry Brown," he said very sincerely looking deeply into her eyes.
Across the table, Mindy nudged Susan and gave a significant look at the two professors staring at each other, "Classic denial," she whispered and Susan nodded back in agreement.
Jon cleared his throat loudly and gave the girls a Mind-Your-Own-Business glare, which they at least had the grace to look guilty about.
Gil broke eye contact and looked around the table almost surprised to see all the students still there because for a moment it had been only him and Keiko. "Well, students, it is considered poor form to damage one's specimens," he began in his teacher voice, "Most of the time they are in a jumble of pieces already and it's hard enough to assemble them. However, this morning we had just discovered the skull and as I knew we needed to get a sample sent to the lab right away, I went ahead and broke off a piece."
"You purposely damaged an intact skull?" demanded Neal sitting next to Keiko. He patted her hand superciliously, "You were quite right to be angry with him."
"Why the rush, Professor?" asked Stan coming into the conversation not wanting Neal to start pontificating. He remembered from last summer what a pain Neal could be.
"It seemed pretty obvious that it was a Lambeosaur," replied Dr. Moore, "and that's not an especially rare dinosaur. There are plenty of complete skeleton's out there," he added dismissively. "Anyway, that's not the mystery."
"Mystery?" Susan echoed curiously.
"I'm pretty sure the first skeleton was that of some kind of ceratopsian, so what would it be doing with a duck bill? But more importantly, how could two Cretaceous age dinosaurs get into Jurassic age rocks?"
"At Dinosaur National Monument there is a whole wall of fossils with many types mixed together. What's so unusual about having two types?" Neal said dismissively.
"It's pretty clear that those fossils formed at the bend of a river and accumulated over time, hence the jumble," Gil replied, "Ours aren't like that. It's almost as if they lay down and died together." He stared off in the distance thinking.
"Are you sure about what kind of animals they were, Moore?" asked Keiko.
He nodded confidently. "We've studied the maps together, Brown. At the level on the mountain that we found the cave, it has to be Jurassic era. Those kind of fossils just shouldn't be there," he insisted.
"Unless you're wrong about the genus," Neal sniped.
"Hence the need for radiometric dating," Moore snapped back. He shifted to look better at Keiko and added in a warmer voice, "that's why I took a sample from the specimen."
She looked back at him, "I'm sorry I got so upset." They both knew she wasn't apologizing over the fossil and she got lost in his eyes again.
Oblivious to them, Stan continued the discussion with his own musings, "Maybe it was already a cave during their era and the dinosaurs got trapped in there somehow."
"That's stupid," Neal protested, "how would the bodies get buried for preservation that way?"
"The dirt around the shoulder bone we worked on this morning did seem a bit ashy," Keiko interrupted thoughtfully, joining in the theorizing. "Perhaps a volcanic eruption occurred and the dust blew in to cover the area."
"I thought the Cretaceous dinosaurs all went extinct because of a meteor hitting the Earth, Professor. Isn't that what you talked about in class?" asked Susan.
"It was the final blow," he acceded, "but there's evidence that there had been a decline for thousands of years before that event. In any case, from the discovery of a crater it is clear that the meteor struck the Yucatan region, which is geographically too far from here. And while a fire storm certainly raced across North America, and the atmosphere was filled with sunlight blocking dust for years, we really can't be certain that killed our two dinosaurs."
"Maybe there were other fragments of the meteor that hit the Colorado region," Jon tried to support Susan's idea.
"Why should there be more?" snorted Neal, "What? An extinction sized meteor isn't enough for you?"
"You know, like Comet Shoemaker-Levy," Jon tried to explain. Everyone looked at him blankly. "The comet that broke up due to gravitational stresses and all the pieces fell into Jupiter one after another? Explosions bigger than the Earth? 1994?"
Susan waved her hands at him like he was a prize on a game show, "Amateur astronomer," she labeled him as explanation.
They all smiled indulgently at him and Jon grimaced. He used to be the one teasing the scientists, how did the tables get turned on him?
Gil at least had the respect to consider his idea thoughtfully. "That's an interesting suggestion, Jon. I wonder if anyone's ever looked for crater evidence in the area?"
Trying to defend himself, Jon added more details, "When it's raining fire in the sky, you don't care who you're with. You just run for the best shelter you can find. I bet that's how those different kinds of dinosaurs ended up together in the cave." He shuddered with his own memories of the bombardment of Edora and surviving the meteor shower on the asteroid the goa'uld had tried to use as another extinction event on the Earth. "Even when you can't hear them, you feel the ground shake with their impact. Never knowing if the fates have one heading right on top of you." Suddenly, he realized he said too much and forced a laugh, "Good imagination, huh?"
Everyone laughed, except Susan who looked at him suspiciously.
"You think dinosaurs were smart enough to seek shelter like that," asked Mindy. "I always thought they were dumb and blundering."
"New theories point to them being quite active, perhaps warm blooded and quite birdlike in much of their inferred behavior," explained Dr. Moore. "Of course, trying to piece together their lifestyle from fragments of bones, nests and footprints is like trying to reconstruct a mansion from a brick, a board and a nail, but we do have some evidence."
"Even if most of them were too stupid to work together to survive," Jon couldn't help but think of most of the politicians he had ever met, "surely some of them were smarter than the average bear."
"Average bear?" wondered Susan.
"Yogi," he explained. She just looked blankly at him. "Yogi Bear? Cartoon?" She shook her head in confusion and Jon sighed, his age was showing again. Luckily he was saved further embarrassment as the waitress arrived with drinks and began taking their order for dinner, and the conversation turned to other topics.
Following dinner, they wandered over to the other side of the building to listen to the music that started up about half way into their meal. Luckily there were still some tables free near the stage and they quickly settled around three of them. The rockabilly band was playing a smattering of country and old rock and roll covers. The lead singer launched into a pretty credible rendition of "Blue Eye's Crying in the Rain" Willie Nelson's old hit and Gil held out his hand to Keiko, "Shall we?" he invited. She nodded and they waltzed off onto the dance floor holding each other tighter and tighter as the song wore on.
Mindy scooted her chair closer to Jon's and leaned up to his ear to talk, "What did you say to them?" she demanded pointing in the direction of the two snuggling professors.
"Just pointed out the obvious," he deadpanned.
"Matchmaker," she teased.
He held up his hands innocently, "Not good with the touchy, feely stuff. Not my specialty. Now, blowing things up on the other hand," he laughed trying to cover the truthfulness of his statement.
She laughed back and grabbed his hands as the music picked up the beat, "How good are you at the two step? Come on," and she pulled him out onto the dance floor.
A good half hour later, he dropped breathlessly into one of the open chairs and jealousy eyed one of the older students' beers. Instead, he drained his ice water and leaned back to watch Stan and Robert dancing with Susan and Mindy. They gyrated and shimmied as a group to a rock song and all laughed happily when Robert started doing the twist. Over to the side, Derrick and Ashley danced awkwardly as the football player tried to apply his one dance move, the two step, to the wrong beat. Jon couldn't help wincing in sympathy when the big lug stepped on Ashley's foot and clearly exasperated, she threw up her hands and walked off the dance floor.
"I'm sorry, Ashley. I'm sorry, okay," the poor fellow pleaded following in her wake.
She stood by the middle table, took a long swallow from her drink and then looked coolly over at Derrick standing contritely at her side. "I'm sorry, Derrick. It has become painfully obvious to me that we are definitely NOT compatible," she announced.
"What?" he spluttered, "You're breaking up with me over a little toe mashing?"
"It's just the last straw. I'm sorry, but you're just not my type," she plopped in a chair, folded her arms and looked away from him at the band, clearly giving him the big brush off.
Crestfallen, Derrick dropped into his own chair and ignored looks of sympathy from his friend Dwain. He cast glances at Ashley and as she studiously ignored him, his blood pressure was clearly going up, as his face colored red. "I need a beer," and he grabbed Neal's from across the table draining it in one long chug.
"Hey," protested the grad student delegated to the jock table since so far they had tolerated him.
"Go get some more," Derrick growled as he set the empty glass on the table.
'Yep. Trouble,' Jon thought to himself, remembering his first assessment of Ashley. He studied her profile wondering what circumstances had made her so selfish and mean spirited. He wasn't expecting her to turn suddenly and stare right back at him. Her eyes narrowed like a cat on the hunt and he couldn't help gulping involuntarily. It was like that damn Tokra Anise all over again. How could he get out of this one?
Fortunately, Stan and Susan walked in between them and Stan picked up his beer for a quick drink, "Your turn with the whirling dervishes, Jon," he announced. Susan smiled brightly and Jon jumped up happily with the escape opportunity. They waltzed off together on one of the slower songs.
Out on the dance floor, he felt strangely giddy, almost drunk, although he hadn't had anything to really drink for months. Not since Daniel had sent him his favorite whisky at Christmas. He smiled sadly. The Space Monkey had been the only one of his old team to even half remember him it seemed, but he had still appreciated the gesture. The old music made his memories of high school dances, and officer socials, and dating Sara before they were married all come to the surface.
"Are you okay, Jon?" Susan asked as he slowed down.
He forced a big smile and focused on the beat of the music, trying to keep the parade of women in his mind from displacing the lovely dance partner he actually held in his arms. Could he ever catch a break from his past?
Suddenly, a slim hand tapped on his hand resting on Susan's shoulder, "Can I cut in?" asked a falsely sweet voice. They turned a quarter turn to see Ashley standing there expectantly, "Don't go hogging the only good dancer all night long, Susan," she scolded good naturedly, "My turn," and she turned a glowing smile on Jon.
"Sure," Susan stepped away slightly out of breath, "I'm getting tired anyway."
'NO!' screamed Jon in his mind.
"Great," Ashley stepped close to him. The slow song ended and he breathed a sigh of relief as the band broke into "Johnny B Good" and Jon knew he was saved.
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Jack caught Sam as she twirled back and he slipped his hands around her trim waist. She felt so right. He was suddenly sorry the slow song had ended. Maybe they'd stay on the dance floor awhile he smirked to himself.
He twirled her away again with the rhythm of the song and was startled to hear someone scream "NO" loudly from behind . He stumbled and turned awkwardly to look behind him, but the other dancers continued happily oblivious. He shot a glance at Daniel and Teal'c who were talking to each other and not even looking his way. Strange.
"Jack?" Sam whispered worriedly.
He plastered a fake smile on his face and stepped back into the beat of the song, "Sorry, just an old man losing my feet," he lied.
"Want to sit down," she asked.
"No way," he replied heartily and spun her off in a pirouette at the end of his arm, only to pull her back in again like his favorite human yoyo. This was his night off and he was determined to enjoy it fully. He unleashed a full smile on her and she couldn't help but beam radiantly back at him.
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Jon liked the swing dance and found Ashley to be surprisingly agile partner. Mindy and Susan hadn't learned it and he had given up on them earlier, but started throwing more complex moves on Ashley and had to admit pleasure when she kept up with him. He hadn't had this much fun dancing since his days with Sara and somehow a full smile broke out with the memory.
Ashley mistakenly thought it was for her, and beamed happily back.
He spun her off in a pirouette, and as she twirled, her blond hair whipping past her face, she looked just like Sam. His heart panged with regret. He had never been dancing with Sam. Never trusted himself. Stupid. At least he'd have had the memories.
His body moved without thinking as he brought Ashley back in close and then spun her out again. The lights and music and girl all got tangled together in his mind. He would have sworn the world's most brilliant, fearless and beautiful Lieutenant Colonel was dancing in his arms.
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Jack felt an intense pang of regret and bittersweet longing for just one dance with Sam. He shook his head slightly to clear his foggy brain. Funny, two beers never used to be enough to get him tipsy. He focused on Sam's delighted face and felt his emotions soar. Like some kind of roller coaster ride, he sped from depressed to delighted in a heartbeat and actually sang along joyfully with the music.
Sam giggled and joined him in the chorus, "Go, go! Go, Johnny Go! Johnny B Good!"
Jack was intensely aware of every sensation as he lived in the raw moment. The beating of his heart in sync with the pulsing music surrounding him. The swirling colors of other dancers creating a Jackson Pollock background to the single thing in focus. Sam's lovely face. The feel of her silky dress contrasting with the calluses on her hands from years of holding a gun. The smell of her sweat mingling with her pear scented shampoo that had been that distinctive "Carter" smell for so many missions together. Jack hadn't been so giddy since the birth of his son. He had finally gotten past the guilt over Charlie's accidental death and could remember the good times with joy. For a blessed moment in time, life was good. He wanted the song to last forever.
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Jon was so giddy that he gave up even trying to understand it. Dancing with Ashley seemed like the most important moment in his life, even though up until now he had been rather contemptuous of her. It was the strangest feeling of déjà vu and yet not. She had the blond hair, and basic slim build, but more importantly, when he closed his eyes, she smelled like Sam. When he closed his eyes, the room seemed closer and the music echoed less, and the band actually played better. When he closed his eyes, it seemed like the woman in his arms was Sam. And he wanted the song to last forever.
He was forced to open his eyes to twirl her and the music expanded again to fill a large warehouse. He pulled her back into his arms and closed his eyes again, desperate for the illusion. He stopped dancing and simply held on to her tightly, "Sam," he breathed longingly.
He felt her stiffen in his arms and blinked in confusion as Ashley's irate face came into focus. She wiggled her hips out of his hands and pushed on his chest to separate them as the music came to an end. "Just who do you think I am?" she said with annoyance.
Suddenly, Derrick was standing right there as well. Watching them dance had not reduced his blood pressure at all. In fact, he was working himself well into a jealous rage. "What do you think you're doing? Throwing yourself on the girls again?"
Ashley interrupted, "He thought I was his boyfriend!"
"No, I…" Jon was confused and beginning to worry he was losing it.
"Insult my girl, will you?" Derrick grabbed Jon's shoulder and threw a solid right hook into Jon's jaw that sent him spinning.
Unprepared for a fight, Jon lost his balance and fell heavily to the floor and hit the back of his head with a thud. Sam's concerned face suddenly appeared. He fluttered his eyelids open at the crowd beginning to gather and deliberately closed his eyes seeking the alternative of his visions and then passed out completely.
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Jack grinned as he gave Sam a last twirl and pulled her close to him as the song ended, praying this time for a slow song. Suddenly, his head was ringing like he'd just been socked one in the jaw and he staggered. Sam clutched at him trying to support his weight and he dimly registered her concerned face.
What the hell was happening?
They slowly sagged to the ground, Jack sitting awkwardly on the dance floor and Sam kneeling between his legs. "Jack? Sir?" she demanded with worry.
He reached a hand up to the back of his head as a dull headache blossomed there. He closed his eyes briefly and seemed to be looking up a strange faces leaning over him. Snapping his eyes open again he stared at Sam's concerned face.
His hand moved on its own accord and reached up to pet the side of her head. His long fingers intertwined with the hair behind her ear while his thumb softly stroked her cheek. "Sam, I missed you so much," he whispered huskily.
She looked surprised but didn't pull away. She touched her fingertips to his face, "Jack? What's the matter?"
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Jon stared at Sam's face. She seemed so amazingly real. He reached up to pet the side of her head. His long fingers intertwined with the hair behind her ear while his thumb softly stroked her cheek. She felt so amazingly real. "Sam, I missed you so much," he whispered huskily.
'For crying out loud! Are we connected AGAIN?' a voice demanded.
Jon froze and thought a hesitant, 'Jack?'
'Shit!' his own voice echoed in his head. 'What mess did you get into this time?'
'It's not my fault,' Jon protested. "You've been sending me thoughts of her all night!'
The two looked out of the same pair of eyes at the very concerned face of Sam. She was reaching her fingertips to touch their face lightly, "Jack? What's the matter?"
"I'm here," Jon seized control of what used to be his body, afraid the connection was going to end soon. "I love you Samantha Carter," he declared and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.
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Jack heard himself say, "Sam, I missed you so much." While it was true, there was no way he would have ever admitted it to her. A niggling suspicion formed in the back of his mind. He'd been getting little images all night long. There was only one explanation. Jon. 'For crying out loud! Are we connected AGAIN?' he demanded.
'Jack?'
'Shit!' Jack exclaimed in exasperation. His wonderful evening was taking a big downward spiral. 'What mess did you get into this time?'
'It's not my fault,' Jon protested. "You've been sending me thoughts of her all night!'
The two looked out of the same pair of eyes at the very concerned face of Sam. She was reaching her fingertips to touch their face lightly, "Jack? What's the matter?"
Jack listened in amazement to his own voice declare his love for Sam. He was shocked when he felt his lips connecting to hers. But he was even more amazed when she started kissing him back. He finally exerted his will and gained back control of his body, pulling his head away from hers and gasping for breath. He looked up from her moist, willing lips to her clear, blue eyes. "That was him. This is me," he whispered and kissed her again tenderly and reverently.
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TBC….oh, evil I know, but really, this chapter is getting too long. I sincerely hope to finish soon, only 3 more points on the original outline after all. It's just the pesky characters keep talking so much and the muses make me type it all….LOL! 'Til next time!