Chapter 14

This happened in the last chapter: Jack and Sam have gone through the fidelis. Their slave-rings have fallen off, but they found themselves glued together by their forearms. Going through the fidelis again, they receive the mark of Hera on their wrists but they are still physically linked.

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Rather than glued now, their arms were linked by a magnetic force which allowed them to move the contact zone around but they soon discovered they couldn't get rid of the force. The harder they struggled against it, the stronger it was. When everyone had calmed down and Sam had been allowed to study the phenomenon, she had determined that the size of the contact zone could vary but it was always at least 1.55 square inches. Jack refrained from commenting. He didn't see how that could be of any help, and he had other things on his mind.

"Er.. Carter... I'm sure you are busy with something very important right now, but I'm a simple man. I have some practical questions"

"Yes Sir?"

"Are you any closer to a solution than you were three hours ago?"

"I'm afraid this will take a while Sir, I really don't find any error with the crystals, the interface is.."

"I need to pee"

"Excuse me?"

"I need to pee"

"The latrines are outside, take the corridor to the left, then right after the big statue at the end" she answered distractedly, returning to the crystal panel she was studying at the base of the fidelis. But the Colonel wasn't leaving, so she looked up at his expecting face.

"What?"

He lifted their joined arms and realization washed over her.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry... hum.. Sir? How do you intend to... oh boy.. I'll have to come with you!"

"Yeah... that's a problem... but I've been thinking about it for a while, there isn't a way around it, is there?"

"I'm afraid not.. Oh boy.."

"I'm sorry... I've waited as long as I could so, you know, maybe you'd find a way to free us before I really had to.. but now I really have to.."

"I understand Sir. Not your fault. Let's do this"

Closing her eyes to try and deal with the embarrassment, she rose to her feet and followed him. Once at destination, she automatically stopped at the door.

"Look, I know this is awkward for both of us.. Could you try and move the contact zone somewhere else, like, you know, put your hand on my back or something? That way you don't have to.. you know..."

"Good idea Sir" she approved, proceeding to slowly slide her hand up his arm and around his shoulder. Boy this was so wrong, to caress her CO like that? Her CO who had just said his virility was perfectly fine.. Horribly embarrassed, she looked away, trying to pretend she was somewhere else while he relieved himself.

"Aaaah! That was great!" he sighed contently. "Look, since we are here, do you need to...?"

"No! No I'm fine!" she blushed. Maybe he could do this with her in the room but there was no way she..

"You know, you said it would take a while. I think you... we... have to accept the fact that our privacy is going to be greatly reduced until this is solved" he carefully said. Sam swallowed with difficulty, looking like a deer in headlights.

"I know" she admitted. "I'm just not ready to.. yet.."

"OK. Let's go back then"

"Yes Sir" Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation and walked out.

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As they came back inside, Sam went straight to the fidelis, almost dragging Jack who was following closely behind.

"Ah! Jason, Atalante!" Hadrian hailed as soon as he saw them. "There is an issue we must discuss"

"Yeah?"

"Well, since your rings are removed -be it the deed of the fidelis or the will of Hera-" he teasingly added at Jack's intention "you are now free citizens of Herapolis. This is a grave situation indeed"

"Is it? Why?"

"Because as long as you were my slaves, I had the obligation to shelter and feed you. Now you are free to establish your own household if this is what you wish, but you have no funding"

"Ah. Is that a problem?"

"It is. With no shelter, you will soon be picked up by the legion, or even worst, another slave hunter, and be sent to the slave-marked again. Whatever you believe in, the citizens of Herapolis will see your release as Hera's will that you are not my slaves anymore and I would not be allowed to buy you with the trump roll again"

"Damn! What can we do? I'd rather be your slave than anyone else's in this town! You've been good to us Hadrian, for that we are very grateful"

"I'm glad you think so. I have been very pleased with your services. So this is what I propose. You will remain in my service, as free servants, which means I will pay you wages. As I understand, you will wish to buy your friend's freedom at some point" Hadrian smiled.

"Thank you Hadrian, looks like a very good idea actually. We have two friends to get back, so the more we earn..."

"You need not worry about your friend Ajax. He is doing very well as a gladiator. He earns high wages for each of his victories in the arena. Linus however, can't receive personal wages for serving the goddess and he would need your help, would he ever wish to leave her service"

"I bet he would!" Jack smiled. "So, what do you want us to do for you? Maybe you haven't noticed, but we are a bit crippled now" he suggested, lifting his and Sam's arms.

"Ah yes.. Well, we need the fidelis to be functional for the coming festivities. Most couples choose to be wed after the harvest. So Atalante will pursue her work here until we are certain there isn't any dysfunction. I will pay her for this. I propose that you work at the temple during the warmest part of the day, and at the domain the rest of the time"

"We would like that. Thank you Hadrian"

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"Sir can you stop doing that! It's the third time you miss!" Sam exclaimed exasperated. Jack had been throwing soiled straw to the wheelbarrow on her right, but because of their linked arms he had missed, and the manure had splashed once again all over her side.

"Hey! You're kind of in the way you know!" he argued, throwing another pitchfork at the wheelbarrow. This time he managed, but his tool knocked Sam's and the content slipped on her feet.

"This is not working!" She was now really aggravated.

"Ya think?!" he retorted, avoiding for the hundredth time to have his eye poked out by the tip of her fork.

They had been trying and struggling to find a way to work together and clean the stable but it didn't go well and they were both on edge now.

"Let me do this my way will you? You can just hold your hand on my back like we did this afternoon!"

"I'm perfectly capable of cleaning stables!"

"I'm aware of that, MAJOR. But not when you are glued to your CO's arm!"

"You could put your hand on my back and let ME do the work!"

"Don't be ridiculous Carter! I'll go faster and we.."

"That's the most sexist... I can't believe that that just came out of your mouth!" she scolded outraged.

"It's not sexist! It's a fact, I've done this a thousand times and you haven't! Plus, you've worked on your doohickeys the whole day, so now I get to do something! Move your hand!"

They had a glare contest for a while, breathing hard in anger, and he couldn't help but think she was gorgeous when she was furious. He sipped the sweat on his upper lip. Without a word, she complied, still angry but having felt the change in the air, she thought it prudent to take it easy. Her hand slid on the muscles of his arm, along his round shoulder, over the narrow fold of his tunic and settled on the bare skin between his shoulder blades. She felt hopeless and very naughty for enjoying the touch so much. Get a grip girl! she scolded herself.

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As he resumed his work more freely, she could feel the muscles of his back rolling under her hand. He was bending down and up again to lift and throw the manure away with the pitchfork, dragging her forward each time. Finally, she moved her hand down along his tunic, searching for a more stable body part, and ended up with her hand sticking to his hip, before she realized he had frozen and was watching her.

"Watcha doing?" he asked softly. Gulping, she realized what it must have felt like.

"Sorry..! I was just looking for a place that wasn't moving so much..." He watched the contrast of her tanned hand on the white fabric on his hip, then looked at her face again, smirking at the blush spreading deeper toward the cleavage of her own tunic.

He was half-way through the stall, and resumed his work without a word, looking forward to be done and clean himself up. They were both very aware of the contact between them, and of Horatius on his way out, a couple of stalls away. When Jack was finally done in the stall, he pivoted on his feet to fetch a bundle of straw. Sam being unprepared, didn't bulge, her hand staying where is was while Jack's hips rotated under it. She froze, looking incredulous at her hand settled on the middle of his butt.

"Carter!" he jumped around to confront her on her very inappropriate behavior. The hand still immobile while he was turning around, ended up on his front parts. He yelped and jumped back, the hand glued to his crotch, Sam stumbling forward, dragged by her hand. In a fit of panic, she tried to tear it off, grabbing him in the process. He backed away some more, hitting the wall of the stall. Seizing the arm to which the offending hand was attached, he pushed it away, only forcing the hand further down by leverage. He froze, now afraid for his balls. She was paralyzed, her hand full of her CO's privates, beginning to hyperventilate at the horror of the situation. Incapable of moving now, they were both staring at the hand, then at each other, disbelief all over their faces. When she felt something moving and hardening under her fingers, her jaws dropped and she didn't know what to do with herself anymore.

"Er.. Carter... could you move your hand away.. please.." he managed to articulate rather high pitched.

Coming to her senses, she slid her hand up, over his belly, shoulder, and down his arm, settling it safely on his own hand. Neither of them was daring to breath after the commotion, then their eyes met... His were checking her lips too, his tongue sticking out rapidly to hydrate his own. Sam gulped. He straightened up from the wall, suddenly invading her personal space, his breath on her face. He closed his eyes to regain his composure, she closed hers with mortification and took a step back to allow him some room.

"You OK?" he asked softly. How could he? she thought. How could he make this about her, when she was the one who'd molested him? She took a couple of deep breaths before she could answer.

"Yes Sir.. Look I'm really sorry.."

"Ah! Don't!"

"But..!"

"Ah!" his forefinger under her nose. "Don't say it. We'll talk about it later. Let's be done here first.." he said, picking the bundle of straw up again, a turn of his head making her aware of Horatius on his way back, down the stable.

"Yes Sir" she complied obediently.

"Now help me with that, will you?" he said, offering her an armful of straw to spread on the floor.