The Shipper's Anthology of Penguin Literature: Volume II
Prompt # 10: Obsession
By Nolamom
"Just one more Jack, I promise!"
"You've had three."
"One more isn't going to change much then, is it?"
"You're obsessed. That's what it is."
"But . . ."
"It won't matter what I say, will it?"
"Afraid not."
"I thought you'd gotten over this."
"I did too. Apparently not."
"Alright, ONE more. But that's the limit!"
"There's always room for Jello" Sam giggled as she helped herself to another serving of the bluey goodness.
o-O-o
By Ikorni
She locks the steering wheel, slams down on the clutch and yanks up the handbrake, feeling the alarming lurch of the car to the right as it spins a hundred and eighty degrees, throwing her into a slight skid that she easily corrects with hard counter-steering and throttle control. With her heart still pounding in her ears, Sam barks a laugh, inordinately pleased with herself for shaking that damned stalker of a cop that she calls her brother's bad judgement.
Ten minutes later, she screeches to a stop in front of a familiar house, seeing the door conveniently open as a dishevelled silver-haired man steps out to get the morning paper.
Perfect timing.
Grinning slyly, Sam runs up the porch to him just as she catches a glimpse of the cop coming to a stop just behind her car.
The confusion is evident in his face. "Carter? You in troub-?"
Her lips eat up the last of his words.
From a distance, she hears a car quietly put in reverse, the sound suspiciously resembling the whine of a guilty puppy.
Mission accomplished.
It's the last she'll ever hear of someone called Shanahan.
o-O-o
By trinity3
It was the sound of it that he was obsessed with. The way it breathed out of her so freely had Jack completely turned out; helpless.
He'd do anything necessary to make Sam do it. Embarrassed with himself at times, he was a General in the US Air Force after all. Yet every decoration he'd won, every honor he'd earned, fell noisily to reality's floor whenever she said it.
The sound of his name in Sam's mouth was more powerful than any star on his uniform. Lying in bed, hearing Sam call him "Jack," was this General's greatest obsession.
o-O-o
By Lt. Colonel John Sheppard
To Samantha Carter-O'Neill nothing was more precious these days then spending time with her family, especially spending time with her grumpy retired and former US Air Force general/husband, Jack O'Neill, and her apple of her eye, Jacob George O'Neill.
"D'oh!" came the reply as Sam looked and saw Jack rubbing his head after banging it on the inside of the Entertainment Center.
"You okay, Jack?"
"Just peachy, Carter." He gruffly replied as he finally found what he was looking for.
"Except what I wanna know is who put the recent season of The Simpson way in the back of the bottom shelf. Was it you Sport?" He looks over to his son who was more interested in his feet than he was in listening to his dad.
"Yeah I didn't think so. Well, Carter?"
"Yes, because your obsession with that show is corrupting our son. I don't want his first word to be something that came from a cartoon with yellow characters."
"Oh come on, Carter. I think it would be kinda cool."
"No, Jack."
Jack was about to retort when he heard a soft "D'oh" come behind him and the two parents looked and saw their son just smiling and giggling. When he looked back at his wife, he knew he was in trouble by the way she gave him "the look."
"Alright, fine, you win. It's an obsession. But it has never beaten my obsession for you."
o-O-o
By XFchemist
"Jack come to bed. If I didn't know you I would think you're obsessed with her." Sam tried to joke but knowing it was a delicate topic for his husband.
"I . . . just need . . . to check she's okay, that she is still breathing. I can't help it!"
Sam wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I understand. During my first night with her I didn't sleep, I just cuddled her all the time. I couldn't take my eyes off her. I love her so much and I love you too."
"I love you too, Sam."
o-O-o
By roque872002
"Come one Carter! Just pick one already!" Jack whined as he motioned towards the panel in front of him.
"I can't just pick one! It has to be perfect!" she argued as she gestured towards one section of the panel.
"It doesn't matter which one you pick!" he sighed. "What about this one?" he pointed to a particular tab.
"That's far too dark."
"Then this one," he suggested.
"No, that's too light," she answered as she narrowed her gaze.
"Why are you so obsessed about a shade of pink?"
"This is for Grace's room, Jack! Which we are painting, remember?"
o-O-o
By Cairistiona
"You are obsessed with something," stated Jack.
"Don't you think you could hide it from me."
"No, I'm not."
"What is it then, your work?"
"No, but, hmmmm, sometimes maybe yes."
"Or is it the blue Jello thing? I've never got that at all."
"No, not that. As much as I like it, I could easily eat the red one. Or green. Sometimes."
"But what about . . ."
"Jack," she knew he wouldn't stop for the rest of the evening, "Ok, you're right, I have an obsession, and that is Jack O'Neill!"
And she silenced everything else he might say with a kiss.
o-O-o
By Scofield
"Now, Carter! I don't want to stop at each and every corner just because you want to study in your scientific way all the houses we encounter. I will build one for you just as you imagine if you are that obsessed with having the perfect house when our little Jake is born."
"Jack, it's a girl and you know it."
"What's your point?"
"My point is that we should give HER a girl name, don't you think?"
"But I like Jake. Can't we shave her had and put her in boy clothes and of course name her Jake?"
"I really hope you're kidding."
"Just with the shaving part. Boys can wear long hair too . . ."
"Oook, so you're in that time of the month again, and you thought that I AM obsessed . . ."
o-O-o
By Sparky She-Demon
She was his obsession
From the moment she walked in
And verbally decimated Kawalsky and Feretti
She was his obsession
Even when there were other men sniffing around
And his eyes would turn green
Now that she was his and his alone
They had a new obsession to share
Their little girl
o-O-o
By Amara D'Angeli
"A clutch."
"Yep."
"And a manifold."
"Okay."
"A rebuilt crankshaft."
"Uh-huh."
"Jack. Are you listening?"
"Yep."
"Most likely a head gasket. And new pistons."
"Sure."
"Jack."
"Yep."
"I'm pretty sure I'll need a new merry widow. Maybe some lace panties."
"Okay."
"Jack!"
He looked up from the report in his hands. "What?"
"What did I just say?"
"We were talking about parts for your motorcycle."
"And . . ." she led.
He rolled the conversation back through and his eyes grew big and round. "A merry widow?"
"Yeah." She rolled her eyes. "It's like you're obsessed."
"Sam, it's a planet with yellow people!"
o-O-o
By majorsal
With wine glass in hand and feet propped on the table, Sam contemplated her life. Via a list. Must be organized.
Recession: the act of receding or withdrawing.
She'd withdrawn from him. Check.
Transgression: an act of transgressing; violation of law, command, etc.; sin.
She loved him and it was wrong. Check.
Depression: sadness; gloom; dejection.
Check, check, and check.
Suppression: conscious inhibition of an impulse.
Sam groaned and threw the list on the table.
After a moment of inner eye rolling, Sam leaned down to pick up the list again when her phone chimed. She grabbed the phone and saw it was him. Colonel O'Neill. Jack.
"Hey, Carter, want to grab some lunch with me? I'm at the Subway and Starbucks corner."
She stared at the words.
Say no. Say no. Say no.
"Sure, I'll be there in 10."
Obsession: the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.
Check.
o-O-o
By picardythirds
The party was in full swing in front of the cabin. People were laughing, dancing, drinking and generally having a good time. In retrospect, Sam was glad for the decision to hold the festivities at the cabin. It allowed the . . . unusual guests more freedom to move about and enjoy themselves.
Jack watched Sam as she surveyed the scene. His own gaze travelled down to her left hand, where the cause for the celebration glinted brightly in the sunlight.
Never again would they have to hide their feelings for each other. It was finally in the open for all to see.
o-O-o
By IamDKScully
She pulled the baggie out of her vest examining its contents.
For a moment she just stared at it. She wanted it so badly, needed it, especially after the day they'd had. She was a junkie and it was time for her next fix.
"Carter?" He couldn't keep the whine out of his voice, "Please?"
Jack's begging only made her grin at him evilly. Slowly pulling the wrapper off of the chocolate she watched him drool with anticipation.
She took one bite and then another and another.
"C'mon, Sam. You know you love me."
It was true she did, but this wasn't love, it was obsession.
o-O-o
By fems
Sam's first tour had gone well and Jack had decided her leave should start at the cabin. They had arrived yesterday and today's purpose was to relax, maybe get some fishing in and enjoy the summer.
Jack plopped down on the grass at her side, putting two cold beers next to her discarded bikini top. His gaze was drawn to her bare back and soon his cool fingers followed, tracing patterns on her warm skin.
"Jack . . ."
"What?"
She looked over her shoulder at his innocent tone. "You're obsessed."
"Am not," he said petulantly. "Just keeping track of your new freckles."
o-O-o
By neverendingimagination
Jack crossed the den to the computer. Jake lay sleeping over his shoulder. If he tried to put him down he woke and complained loudly. It was easier to hold him until he was in a deep sleep.
He flicked the mouse and scrolled through the folder of photos.
Jake in the bath; Jake in the bath with his blue boat, red fish, green octopus, yellow fish, orange shell; Jake smiling in the bath; Jake with bubbles on his head; Jake looking at his boat; Jake holding up his octopus; Jake banging his fish together.
Jack sighed and closed the folder.
o-O-o
By Major Ryan
"She's compact, fully ambidextrous."
"Well HE has the ability to affect animated and inanimate objects."
"So does she!"
"He has been developed over several thousand years."
"Mine got it right first time."
"Multiple settings?"
"Yep."
"Only on how you target."
"Yes, well there is that."
"Both are equally up for the job, if one should falter, the other is quick to respond. Agree? Jack?"
"Sling attachment."
"Jack."
"Chromed lined"
"Jack!"
"Tritium module wi . . ."
Suddenly he is cut of by the stunning blast from Carter's zat.
He slowly comes round on his feet.
"You shot me!"
"Stunned you Sir. What can I say? You're obsessed."
o-O-o
By JodyTAZ
Sam slowly pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. She stopped and looked up into the night sky, spotting Orion, the Big Dipper and other constellations without giving them a second thought. She thought about all of the alien skies and constellations she had gazed upon.
She quietly and efficiently climbed the stairs to the widow's walk on their home. She paused at the top and saw Jack looking through the telescope, gazing upon the starry night.
He looked up, over at Sam and smiled. He motioned her over, swept her into a hug dropping a kiss on her lips.
They both turned toward to telescope to continue their stargazing. It was this obsession of theirs that brought them together all those many years ago.
o-O-o
By Starship Trooper
Daniel knew exactly where to find them.
He made his way down the hall and came to a slow stop just outside the doorway to her lab.
Sam sat hunched over her laptop, brow furrowed in concentration as she tapped away furiously at the keys. No doubt she was on the cusp of some scientific breakthrough . . . again.
Jack was perched on a stool, a similar expression on his face. Except that he was trying to master that yo-yo trick that looked like a swing. Rock the cradle? Was that it?
Daniel took a small step forward, shoved his hands down into his pockets and shifted a bit of his weight against the doorframe. Neither of them seemed to noticed him, or if they had they had no intention of letting him know it. That would spoil their game.
He loved watching his two friends like this, and it had made him forget what he'd wanted to talk to them about. They both seemed so engrossed with their respective activities, but to Daniel they looked . . . whole . . . complete.
There was a pattern to them, like a circle. No. Like a yin yang. Yes, that was it. He could see it. And he could tell by their body language - the way Sam's head was tilted just so, the way Jack's body leaned towards her - that they weren't really obsessed with what they were doing.
Nope, Daniel wasn't going to spoil this little game . . . even if he was being ignored.
o-O-o
By A. Karswyll
Sam was aware throughout the day as she spoke, laughed, and smiled with family and friends of the weight of the wedding band now worn on her finger. She couldn't help obsessively touching it either, whether a rub from her thumb beneath or the fingers of her other hand reading the shape of the stones on top.
It was not an obtrusive weight, like a shackle, but a like warm hug that was as golden as it was. And each touch was an anchor in reality that she almost couldn't believe had finally come true—she and Jack were married.
o-O-o
By hlndncr
The first moment Sam walks into the briefing room and sasses Jack you can see the sparks ignite.
You don't even know them but you adore them already.
Year after year the tension builds, searing looks and glancing touches.
Every moment Sam and Jack are near is electric.
The angst, the unfilled desire, the honor that makes them admirable and miserable pulls at your heart.
Jack kisses Sam in a time loop and you cheer.
Sam kisses Jack in her mind and you watch it over and over and over.
Jack promises Sam "always."
Sam lets you know she's "not exactly" single.
Then there's the dream you'll never let go.
One day we will see and the world will know . . .
They are SO MARRIED!
Sam and Jack are a beautiful obsession.