Now …. silliness abounds ….
"I wish Sam were here," Daniel said sadly. He lay sprawled out on his couch, his feet up on the coffee table and an almost empty beer bottle in hand. In front of him were two empty pizza boxes and a collection of empty bottles.
Seated on the floor, his back against the same couch, was Teal'c. He was in stocking feet and looked uncharacteristically relaxed. He too held a bottle of beer.
The third person was Jack, who sat in the big armchair, one leg draped over the arm and the other stretched out on the floor in front. Unlike the others, he wasn't holding a beer bottle, but that was only because he had just set his down on the floor.
"It's just not the same without her," bemoaned Daniel. "We're a team," he hiccupped, "and she's the brains."
"And the heart," Teal'c said, almost slurring his words.
"Definitely the heart," Jack nodded.
"She should be here," Daniel repeated.
Teal'c nodded. "It is truly not the same without her."
"She makes us better," Jack opined. "Without her we're just -"
"Men," Teal'c completed.
"Yeah, that too," Jack agreed. "And we're not good at fixing things, not like Carter! She can fix anything."
"She's brilliant," Daniel nodded. "Maybe if we ask she'll come over."
"From Nevada?" Jack wanted to know. "That's askin' a bit much!"
"But we need her," Daniel whined. "Why did she go there anyway?"
"She told us the reason, Daniel Jackson. She indicated she needed a change."
"There's been too much change," the archaeologist and studier of ancient civilizations muttered. "I preferred things the way they were. Right Jack?"
"Mmm? I don't know, sometimes change is good."
"You think it's good that Sam is in Nevada?"
Jack shrugged. "If it's what she wanted, then yeah," he sat for a moment, thinking of how her decision had changed the course of his life. "We all miss her, but don't we want what's best for her?"
"I think it's better for her to be here!" Daniel argued. "Don't you agree Teal'c?"
"I do not know," Teal'c replied. "If she is happy in Nevada then I believe that is where she should remain. And did you not indicate today that you have never heard her sounding happier."
"Yeah, that's true," Daniel frowned. "It's probably her boyfriend."
"What boyfriend?" Jack asked, sounding confused.
"The one who's makin' her happy," Daniel explained patiently.
"I do not believe we established the existence of a boyfriend, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c reminded him. "She may have been happy for another reason."
"Maybe, but I still think she has a boyfriend," he insisted obstinately. "I wonder what he's like."
"He is most likely very intelligent," Teal'c said with a smirk.
"Yeah, he'd have to be intelligent. And active – he'd have to be active. I can't see her with a paper pusher."
"No indeed," Teal'c agreed. "He may own a motorcycle. She likes to ride them."
"You think?" Daniel thought about that for a few seconds. "I guess he could have a motorcycle. Do you think he's military?"
"It is possible. However Peter Shanahan was not, and she almost married him," Teal'c reminded him.
"That's true. But then she broke up with him. She might prefer someone from the military. I mean, she does have a strong military streak in her, even though sometimes she knows better."
"Knows better?" Jack glared at Daniel. "Watch yourself Jackson! And she's a great officer."
"Of course she is." Daniel agreed. "So he could be military, but he doesn't have to be. Do you agree Teal'c?"
"Yes, that sounds logical."
"What are the two of you talkin' about?" Jack asked, exasperated. He went to pick up his beer, and almost fell out of his seat. After he had righted himself he peered at his friends. "Like Teal'c said, you don't even know if she has a boyfriend."
Teal'c nodded sagely. "That is true, O'Neill. He is correct, Daniel Jackson. You do not know that about her."
"Yeah," Daniel sighed. "I guess." There was a pause for a few minutes, while no one spoke. Jack began to rip off the label on his beer bottle. Daniel stared at his feet, alternately flexing and pointing his toes, and Teal'c opened one of the pizza boxes and grabbed a lone olive – the only remaining bit of the pizza – and popped it into his mouth.
"I miss Sam," Daniel sighed. "I wish she was here."
"So do I Danny Boy, so do I."
"Hey, I have an idea!" Daniel tried to leap up, but instead landed on the coffee table, knocking over the empty beer bottles and sending one of the pizza boxes into Teal'c's lap. "Oops, sorry!" he muttered as he pushed himself, unsteadily, to his feet.
"What is your idea?" Teal'c asked him as he opened the pizza box to double check there were no remaining crumbs.
"Let's call Sam!" Daniel wandered around, looking for his cell while Jack and Teal'c continued to relax and drink beer. He finally found the phone, and then stared at it, looking perplexed as to why he was holding it.
"You were going to call Samantha Carter," Teal'c reminded him.
"Oh – yeah, that's right."
"Are you sure we should disturb her?" Jack asked, frowning at the little pile of paper now in his lap. "Maybe she's sleeping."
Daniel frowned back. "Uh – I don't think so. It's only -" he lifted his wrist and stared at his wrist – "uh -"
"8:00 o'clock," Jack told him. "It's a 3 hour difference."
"No it is not," Teal'c glared at him, obviously trying to convey a message. "It is only a one hour difference. It is now 10:00 o'clock for Samantha."
"Oops," Jack grinned. He was used to calling her from D.C. and was a little fuddled right now.
"It's only 10:00 for her? Good. Let's call." Daniel squinted at the phone and then hit the screen. A moment later all three men could hear the phone ringing. "Speaker phone," Daniel explained.
"Hi Daniel, what's up?"
"Hi Sam! It's Daniel."
"Yes, I know. What is it?"
"Um – nothing really. It's just we miss you."
"Oh. Well, that's really sweet. Who is "we"?" Jack could tell she was amused. Talking to a drunk Daniel was always funny.
"I'm here with Jeal'c and Tack. I mean – you know – our team. Sam, it's not the same without you."
"Thank you Daniel, that's good to know," she laughed. "Uh, can the others hear me?"
"Mmm hmm. You're on speaker."
"Hi guys!" Sam said clearly. "How's everyone doing."
"Hello Samantha. I am well, although hungry. Daniel Jackson does not have enough to eat. How are you?"
"I'm doin' great Teal'c. And uh – maybe you should order in?"
"Yes, thank you, that is a good idea."
"We already ordered pizza, Teal'c," Daniel told him. "And I do have food. You just have to go get it."
"Heya Carter!" Jack called, interrupting his friends' discussion of food. "Nice to hear your voice!"
"You too Sir," she replied. Again, he could hear the humor in her voice. This time he was pretty sure it was because the last time they'd talked she hadn't called him Sir. He grinned when he thought of the things she had called him.
"What are you guys up to?" she asked.
"Havin' a boy's night in, Carter," he told her.
"So, pizza, beer, sports and tall tales?" she laughed.
"Definitely pizza and beer," he agreed needlessly, with a loud hic at the end. "But Daniel and Teal'c don't know anything about hockey – how they could not know about the sport of kings I don't know. And I don't tell tall tales – only real, honest to goodness spine-tingling adven – hic – tures. Daniel, on the other hand …hic!" He sucked in a deep breath and held it, trying to get rid of his sudden attack of hiccups.
Sam giggled, which caused Jack let out his breath in a whoosh and to break out in a huge, pleased-with-himself grin. This caused Teal'c to actually roll his eyes, and Daniel to eye him closely but blearily.
"What?" he asked his friends. "Carter has a cute giggle. Doesn't she Teal'c? I always thought her giggle was cute."
That caused Daniel's eyebrows to go way up – and Teal'c to sigh. "If you say so, O'Neill."
"That's weird Jack," Daniel muttered. "And hockey is not the king of sports."
"I do, is not and is too," he said, to the total confusion of his friends, and took another drink of beer – at least he tried to. Nothing came out of the bottle, so he peered at it suspiciously. "Somebody drank my beer!"
"I believe you drank it O'Neill," Teal'c told him as he carefully placed the pizza box under the coffee table. He grabbed the 2nd one, hoping he'd find something he'd missed.
"Really? Wow."
"Are you boys alright?" Sam asked into the sudden silence.
"Hey Sam," Daniel called. "You should come back to the - to Colorado." Even drunk all of them knew better than to talk about certain things over an unsecure line. "We miss you."
"Yeah! We can't fix anything," Jack told her. "And it's lonely without you."
"Yes Sir," she answered, although there was a clear warning interlaced with the humor in her voice. She was probably worried he'd give away their secret. "I'm afraid there's not much I can fix for you when I'm here in Nevada," Sam told them. "But I'm sure you'll all be fine by tomorrow."
"No we won't," Daniel shook his head. "I think we're all a little – drunk!"
"Not me," O'Neill said. "I'm just – tipsy – not drunk, hic. But Teal'c is drunk. In fact, he's leaning sideways."
"That is you, O'Neill," Teal'c told him. Unfortunately the pizza box was a bust. He'd have to check out Daniel Jackson's refrigerator. The only problem was that he'd have to stand up and he wasn't quite sure if he could manage that. He remembered fondly back to the days when his symbiote took care of things like alcohol. But then he frowned. Being susceptible to liquor was a small price to pay for getting rid of "Junior".
"Oh. Okay," Jack said as he tried to right himself. After a few seconds he gave up and dropped his head back onto the chair. "hic, hey Carter!
"Yes Sir."
"Uh – it's nice to hear your voice," he said again.
"It's nice to hear you too Sir – and Daniel and Teal'c. I really wish I was there with you guys! Have a beer for me, okay?"
"Okay," he said, looking around for an unopened bottle.
"I believe he has had enough, Samantha," Teal'c told her. "I believe all of us have had enough."
"Drink lots of water and take an aspirin," Sam recommended. "And don't drive anywhere."
"We're havin' a sleep over at Daniel's," Jack told her. "I wish you were here with us. I'd like to have a sleep over with you," he said, although this time his words sounded rather suggestive. Teal'c, once again, glared and Daniel frowned at him.
Sam giggled – again. God, he loved her.
"It was nice talking to you Sam," Daniel was looking very sleepy, practically swaying on his feet. "Let's get together soon."
"That would be great," she answered. "I'll be in touch when you guys are – uh -"
"Sober," Jack finished.
"Yes," she said. "When you're all sober we'll figure out a date to get together.
"Not the last weekend this month Carter," he called to her. "I have very important plans."
Since that was the weekend they were going camping, Sam didn't answer. It was Daniel who picked up on his comment.
"What plans?" his friend asked, blinking slowly.
"Uh – important meeting," he replied. "Top secret. Need to know."
"Oh, okay. But hey – Teal'c and I are still available, Sam. Maybe the three of us can do something?"
"Uh – that would be great Daniel, but I'm afraid I have something on as well."
"Really? Something to do with work?"
"It's um – no – I'm just – I'm – there's a friend I'm getting together with. I haven't seen h – ur – my friend, for a while. Sorry about that."
"Oh – that's okay." Daniel glanced at Teal'c and Jack and mouthed the word boyfriend. "We'll figure out another time."
"That would be great. Look guys, I should go. I have an early morning tomorrow. But thanks for calling. It was great talking to you."
"Yeah – goodnight Sam. We miss you."
"Goodnight Samantha."
"Night Carter."
Daniel disconnected the call and then made his way to the couch, where he again collapsed. "It was good to talk to her."
"It was," Teal'c agreed. He then pushed himself to his feet – finally – and stumbled his way to the kitchen. Daniel winced as he crashed into the doorway, although Teal'c didn't seemed bothered as he moved to the refrigerator.
Jack stared off into space for a bit, and then he too pushed himself to his very wobbly feet. "I'm ready for bed Daniel. See you in the mornin'."
"Yeah, okay Jack," a very sleepy Daniel answered. "Don' forget water."
Jack nodded and stumbled his way to the kitchen. After pouring a large glass of water, and spilling an impressive amount on himself, he headed towards the bathroom. After closing the door he sat down on the side of the tub and pulled out his own cell phone and quickly (or as quickly as he could when things were a bit blurry) called his number one person.
"Hey" she answered.
"Hey yourself," he said softly. "I miss you."
"I got that," she giggled. "So, you want me to come for a sleep over?"
"Yeah – but just me, you hear? Daniel and Teal'c are our friends, but you're mine."
"If you were sober, we'd talk about that," she told him severely, although he could still hear the humor in her voice.
"I mean – we're each other's," he clarified. "You're mine, I'm yours, etc."
"Etc? What's the etc?"
"Sam, I'm drunk. Don't ask me to explain anything. I just wanted to call to say I love you and I miss you and I wish you were here."
"Me too," she said softly. "Now drink water and go to bed. And if you have a hangover in the morning I will not be sorry for you."
"You're a cruel woman, Samantha Carter," he sighed, although the silly grin on his face belied his words. "Goodnight, sleep tight and dream of me!"
"Good night Jack, and don't let the bed bugs bite. I love you."
He was still grinning as he disconnected. He sat thinking about his beautiful Sam, until there was a thunderous knock on the door.
"O'Neill, you have been in there a long time. I need to use the bathroom."
"Sorry Teal'c!" He stood slowly. "I'll just be another minute."
As he stumbled his way to bed – an air mattress thrown on the living room floor – he couldn't help but continue to smile. He was a very, very lucky man.
A while later he was rudely awakened by Teal'c poking him in the ribs.
"What?" he slurred.
"You are snoring O'Neill and I can't sleep! Please turn on your side."
He sighed and turned over. A boy's night in was all well and good – but damn if he didn't miss Sam.