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Take a Hint
by Adelie King

Chapter Twelve: Truth Exposed

They both got dressed and left in the space of an hour. When they arrived at the base Daniel Jackson came up to them, "Jack, I'd better warn you. Hammond is livid as hell right now."

"I figured that out already." Jack remarked cynically his heart racing and pounding in his chest walking fast to the elevator. Sam was too freaked to say anything and was trying to come up with what to say to the General.

When they got on the elevator, Daniel then informed them, "When they had Pete Shanahan in custody. He insinuated that you two were having an affair to Hammond and Teal'c."

"Oh my God." Sam said calmly starting too really panic internally now.

"Well if he's the one saying it that doesn't mean it's true." Jack pointed out, "Pete was jealous because Carter didn't want him."

"He's got photos Jack." Daniel told them, "Pete gave them to Hammond…Teal'c saw them too."

"Oh…crap…" Jack now rubbed his hand through his hair. He asked, "What exactly does he have?"

Daniel answered, "The worst one Teal'c told me was of you and Sam kissing on her porch."

"That's all…" Jack began to relax a little, "Well that's easily explainable…" He paused and grinned, "The whole thing is explainable."

Daniel adds, "He claims you had sex too in her front entryway."

Jack reacts emotionally remarking, "This guy will make up anything…"

"Ya think." Sam commented and nodded nervously at first. But then figured out their strategy could still work. "Sir, we're just going to tell him that we pretended to get rid of Pete which is true." She shrugged her shoulders, "That's all…Janet could testify to it since me and her discussed it."

"So let me get this straight…" Daniel inquired, "You two didn't have an affair and we're just pretending to get rid of Pete?"

"Yes Daniel, that's exactly it." O'Neill swore, "We just kissed to convince Pete I was Carter's boyfriend so he'd back off…"

"Well I hope you two can explain that to Hammond which as irate as he is…is going to be difficult." Daniel explained.

"Don't worry Daniel, me and Carter already prepared for this." Jack assured him as the elevator reached the floor of General Hammond's office. The doors open, he and Carter got off.

Daniel told them, "Good luck Jack…" He then commented to himself, "You're going to need it."

General Hammond was waiting eagerly in his office for O'Neill and Carter. When they finally arrived he glared at them so intensely his eyes were burning right through them. "Close the door and sit down Colonel, Major." He ordered calmly.

"Yes Sir…" Jack obeyed and shut the door while Sam took her seat. He joined her in the seat next to her. "What's this about General?" He asked looking innocent.

Hammond just glared at them and asked them, "Is what Pete Shanahan telling me is true? Are you two having an affair?"

"No, is that what he told you?" Jack defended himself and started laughing. Sam smiled and laughed convincingly with him. "I guess our act worked Carter…"

"I don't see what's so funny about this Colonel…" Hammond silenced them both.

Sam then started to explain, "It's really simple and innocent Sir…Pete and I went on one date. He became more interested than I was…" She paused and the General was still glaring his face unchanged. Sam continued anyway, "He kept pursuing me and following me around…I told him I was in love with another man and that I already had a boyfriend…He didn't believe me…So I asked Colonel O'Neill pose as my boyfriend to get rid of him…"

"And I agreed to it." Jack had this funny smirk and expression on his face, "Funny huh…" He laughed silently again.

Hammond still glared at him and responded, "No it was not funny Colonel." He put the photos in front of them, "Do you know what these photos could do to you even if it was an act?" He asked his tone deadly serious.

Sam then affirmed, "Sir, originally Colonel O'Neill was supposed to just meet me at the Café and pretend to be my boyfriend once to get rid of Pete…It didn't work." She informed him, "He just kept following us around. So me and Colonel O'Neill were forced to cuddle and kiss when we knew he was there hoping Pete would get it and go away. He didn't…" Sam sighed in frustration her face falling into her hand.

Jack then interjected, "That's when we faked having sex in her hallway because he was spying on us. It was Oscar winning Sir because he believed it a little too well."

Sam jumped in again, "That's when Pete called the FBI and started all his covert stalking activities." She explained.

Hammond's face goes in his hand with frustration and disbelief no longer as irate as he was. When he finally looked at them he asked, "What the hell were you two thinking?" His tone was more parental. He looked at Carter disappointed like a father, "Especially you Major Carter, I expect more from you than to do something as ridiculous as this."

She looked down at her lap ashamed, "I'm sorry Sir. He wouldn't go away. I was desperate." She looked at him pleadingly. "He was making me nervous and I didn't want to hurt him."

"So you asked Colonel O'Neill to pose as your boyfriend and lover." Hammond concluded and asked Carter, "Why didn't you come to me about this earlier Major?" He paused and assured her, "I would've called his superior in Denver and dealt with it."

"I'm sorry Sir…" Sam apologized and justified, "I felt I could deal with it myself."

"That's your problem Major. You think you can handle everything yourself." Hammond lectured her. "Once in a while you need to learn to ask for help because no one can handle every single problem." He then looked at O'Neill, "And you Colonel should've handled this differently. You could've spoken with him alone not pretended to be Major Carter's boyfriend getting the two of you into the heap of trouble that you got into."

"I'm sorry Sir." Jack admitted loudly, "I screwed up, Okay!" He then assured him, "I swear nothing like this will ever happen again."

"It'd better not." Hammond stressed pointing at him, "Or I will be forced to reprimand you severely." He then informed him, "We dragged a man who was obsessively in love onto our base and interrogated him because you said you thought he was NID when you knew he wasn't."

"Well he put cameras, mics and wired our homes…How'd you expect us to react?" Jack justified, "He used his detective sources to spy on us and invade our privacy." Then he stated, "We had to get rid of him somehow."

Hammond understood why Jack said what he did. He then informed them, "Well guess what son…it worked. After Teal'c and my interrogation. When my men took him back to his truck, He couldn't get out of Colorado Springs fast enough." He couldn't help starting to chuckle at that point. "He even applied for a transfer out of Denver."

Jack and Sam laughed with him. The General showed them the other photos and told them, "Shanahan had photos taken at the restaurant and going into a hotel…"

"Which you ordered us to go eat at and stay at Sir..." Jack reminded him and chuckled, "He took photos of us following your orders."

"I can assume what Pete thought." Sam was laughing at them. They were now all laughing at how stupid this whole situation was.

"So is everything okay now Sir?" Jack asked, stopped laughing and smirked.

Hammond told them chuckling, "Yes, you can leave now." Then he stressed seriously, "Don't do it again."

They both left his office laughing down the hallway. Daniel and Teal'c came up to them. "I take it everything is okay…" Daniel observed.

"Yeah, once General Hammond heard what happened." Jack informed them, "He couldn't laugh fast enough." He looked at Carter and gloated, "See I told you he'd laugh when he knew what happened."

Teal'c then inquired, "So tell me O'Neill, what exactly happened in that situation?" He was smirking with his hands behind his back.

"Yes, I'm dying to hear this one." Daniel was all ears.

Jack , Sam, Daniel and Teal'c went to lunch. Jack and Sam explained everything and the whole table died laughing at it. Janet showed up after speaking with Hammond and joined them. She assured them, "Don't worry…I collaborated your story with General Hammond…I even took the blame since it was my suggestion."

Sam asked, "So what did he do to you Janet?" She was worried a second.

Frasier answered, "He treated me like a bad little girl and told me not to do it again." They all laughed at her phrasing.

"I think I'll go to my lab now." Sam got up both her and Jack's eyes locking sharing a type of exchange Janet recognized which made her suspicious. She smiled and he grinned at her.

Daniel completely impressed told Jack, "I can't believe you and Sam got away with that."

"I can't either." Jack commented and smirked to himself. If only he knew everything we got away with… He thought and wagged his brows once.

Janet also noticed the Colonel's expression as well and she knew then more happened then they let on but Sam and Jack were going to leave her wondering for a long time….

THE END