Disclaimer: Not mine, wouldn't mind doing some of these experiments on
Jack or Daniel, though (when you read you'll find out why hehehehe).
Characters, etc, belong to Showtime (for the time being anyway!), Gekko,
MGM, huh, suppose I should add Sci-fi network in here now, the actors, the
directors, the writers, the set designers, the caterers... um, did I get
enough people??
Author: Traci
Rating: R - strong sexual innuendos - though innocently done, adult situations.
Category: S/Jack and D/Janet romance, UST, humor
Status: Complete
Spoilers: Divide and Conquer... I think and only then minor.
Summary: On a girl's night out, Sam and Janet make a friendly bet - and one will pay dearly!
Author's note: Thanks to Tracy for sorta indirectly co-writing this with me. This actually was only supposed to be a very short story inspired by a day at the mall people watching. So remember, when you hang out at the mall - beware, you may become the inspiration for a fanfic!! :)
Feedback welcomed with open arms at traci_ann@yahoo.com
And now.... to the story. I cannot be held responsible for any food cravings that may occur by the way.
Bets, Cabins, and Other Things
"Okay, if you lose, you have to do it to Jack." Dr. Janet Fraiser grinned evilly.
Major Samantha Carter felt her cheeks warm with a blush. "I can't do that!"
"A bet's a bet, Sam." Janet took another bite of her pizza.
With Janet's adopted daughter, Cassandra, gone for the evening to a friend's house, Janet had invited Sam over for a long-overdue 'girls night.' At the moment, she was enjoying every moment of it... until...
"If you lose, you have to do it for Daniel." Sam smiled triumphantly. There was no way her friend would go for that.
Thinking for a moment and believing there was no way she could lose, she nodded. "Okay."
Sam nearly dropped her diet Coke. "What?"
"I said okay."
"You can't. I mean... you're not supposed..."
Janet shrugged and put the slice of pizza down. "I don't think there's a snowball's chance I can lose this one, so if I do I'll do it."
"Janet, this is Jack we're talking about. He's my CO. We're teammates. It's against..."
"Regulations, yeah, I know. Heard it all before... from both of you. You two are at the crossroads. You have to decide what to do or it's going to kill both of you."
Sam opened her mouth to protest but thought more of it and said nothing.
"Besides, nothing's going to happen. We will agree to that right now. Whichever one of us loses, the other agrees to be responsible for the other. Just in case."
"Just in case?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "Exactly what are you planning?"
"Nothing," Janet laughed. "But somehow I'm not thinking either one of us will be able to go through this sober. And let's face it... if you lose, you and Jack are drawn to each other like magnets... it could be a very dangerous thing."
Sam blushed again. "Well, I've certainly spotted a certain archaeologist passing more than the occasional glance at a certain doctor."
Now it was Janet's turn to blush. "Somehow I'm not thinking it's anything significant."
"Oh, please. I've worked with him for four years now. He's as close as a brother to me. I think I know him well enough to know when he's very attracted to someone."
Sipping at her drink, Janet looked up at Sam. "You think? Really? I mean... I..."
A big grin grew on Sam's lips. "Oh yeah. He's got it bad."
"Well, then, I'd say we have ourselves a bet." Janet reached her hand across the table and the two women shook on it.
**********************
"I told you to go right. Which part of 'right' did you not understand?" Colonel Jack O'Neill took his hat off, stopping at the bottom of the metal ramp. He turned back to see the wormhole of the Stargate disengage while Doctor Daniel Jackson shook off dirt from his shoes.
"I was facing the opposite way of you, Jack," Daniel argued. "It was an honest mistake."
"He is correct, O'Neill," former Jaffa, Teal'c, interjected.
"Stay out of this, Teal'c" Jack warned before turning back to Daniel. "You could have gotten us killed. Or at the very least lost for a few days."
Daniel walked down the ramp and stood face to face with him. "But I didn't."
Just then General George Hammond walked in. "Welcome back, gentlemen. Did I miss anything?"
"No, Sir," Jack started. "Daniel almost got us killed. Nothing out of the usual."
Hammond looked between the two men, then to Teal'c for an explanation.
"DanielJackson..."
"I told Daniel to take a right and he took a left... into deep woods I might add. Deep, dark woods."
"It wasn't my fault, General..."
Hammond put up his hands, biting back a grin. "You're all back safe. Go see Dr. Fraiser then report for debriefing in an hour."
"Yes, Sir." Jack put his hat back on his head. "Um, General, could we never be sent on missions without Carter again, please? She at least knows the difference between right and left."
"Jack, that's not fair!" Daniel pouted.
"I know it gives me less of a headache when she's with you," Hammond muttered as SG-1 left the gateroom.
***********************
"Doc, I'm telling you..."
Janet smiled. "And I'm telling you, Colonel. The sooner you are quiet and let me do my job, the sooner you can get out of here."
"But..."
"It's not true, whatever he's telling you," came Daniel's voice from the other side of the room.
"One simple direction. If Carter had been there..."
Janet's smile grew. "If Sam had been there what, Sir?"
He flustered for a moment. "Nothing. It just wasn't the same without the whole team there," he said softly.
Removing the needle from his arm, she said, "Okay, you're done."
He hopped off the bed. "Um, have you seen Carter anywhere today?"
Janet shrugged. "No. Sorry."
"Okay, thanks." He glanced in Daniel's direction and spoke loudly. "Be sure to give Daniel every shot you can."
The curtain quickly slid open. Daniel stood there, also ready to go. "I swear, I go on no more missions with you unless Sam's there!"
Janet held in her laughter until both men were gone then lost it. Her staff looked at her as if she'd finally gone insane.
****************************
"Okay." General Hammond closed his file on the report from SG-1. "I'm giving SG-1 a week downtime." After having to spend the last hour and a half listening to Jack and Daniel argue like eight year olds, he had a rather large headache. "And do yourselves and everyone else a favor," he began, looking specifically at Jack and Daniel, "Stay away from each other."
"Yes, Sir," they said in unison.
He then looked to Teal'c. "I don't know how you put up with them."
"It was not difficult. I practiced Kel'noreem much while there."
**************************
Janet found Sam in her lab as usual. She strolled in humming "Manhunt' - one of their all-time favorite songs from the 'Flashdance' soundtrack.
Sam stopped what she was doing and looked up at her.
Stretching across the table, and leaning on her arms, Janet smiled smugly.
"Don't tell me."
"Oh yeah. Sam, you soooo lost."
"Oh come on! You can't be serious. They would never make a deal about me not being on a simple mission."
"They would and they did. I'm amazed Jack let Daniel come back alive quite frankly." She chuckled. "But it did make for some great entertainment in the infirmary."
Sam's head fell to the table. "I can't believe this," she muttered.
"What can't you believe, Carter?"
Sam's head shot up and her sapphire eyes met those chocolate ones of her commanding officer.
"Colonel!" She felt her cheeks growing warm and cursed herself for blushing.
Thoroughly enjoying the moment, Janet turned to Jack. "She can't believe how much the team missed her." She glanced at Sam and inwardly laughed at the look of death she received.
"Geez, Carter, I can't begin to tell you how much we missed you," O'Neill began, completely oblivious to what was going on. "We need you to keep Daniel and I from killing each other."
Forcing a smile, she nodded. "Was that all you came to see me about, Sir?"
He looked at Janet, who got the hint and left.
"Actually, the General gave us a week downtime and I was thinking maybe, in spite of him ordering Daniel and I to stay away from each other..."
"He actually ordered that?" Sam asked.
"Um, well, yeah. It wasn't a pretty sight when we got back."
All embarrassment was suddenly pushed aside. "Is everyone alright?"
"Yeah, Carter, everyone's fine. Daniel and I just had a misunderstanding about directions and ended up surrounded by trees. Lots and lots of trees."
She laughed, knowing the mental image she conjured up was probably nowhere as amusing as what really happened.
"Anyway, I was wondering if maybe you'd be interested in that fishing trip."
She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted.
"And before you say no, I'm talking the whole team, not just you and me."
Looking around the mess in her lab, she said, "I don't know, Sir. I still have a lot of stuff to catch up on here and..." Then she remembered her bet with Janet. Going away for a week would get her out of it. "You know what. It might do me good to get away."
"Sam, you need to get away once in... What?"
"I said I'll go." She smiled.
"Really? You'll go?"
She nodded.
"Great! I mean, this will be a lot of fun. Guess now I just have to track down the Doc."
Panic struck at Sam's heart. "What? Why?"
"He gave Dr. Fraiser downtime too. She doesn't know it yet. Figured maybe we could take her and Cassie too."
"Um, I don't know, she might be really busy..."
He stared at her.
"What?"
"I thought you two were friends."
"We were. I mean, we are, I'm just trying to save you the time..."
"If you don't want her to go, just tell me."
She sighed. "No, it would be nice if she could go." Janet couldn't make her go through with the bet with Cassie there - could she?
He studied her reaction for a moment, assuring himself that Sam and Janet were still getting along. "Okay, as long as your sure..."
Knowing there was no way to avoid the bet forever, she gave him a sincere smile. "I'm sure. Go ahead and ask her. It would be nice to have everyone together."
*********************
Jack found Janet in her lab finishing up some paperwork.
"Hey, Doc, how's it going?"
She turned around to face him. "Um, Colonel, I just saw you about twenty minutes ago. What could have possibly happened in that time?"
"Oh. Yeah. Huh. Have you talked with General Hammond at all?"
"No." She shook her head. "Should I have?" She proceeded to unstrap the blood pressure cuff from his arm - the one he had decided was a new toy.
"He gave us all a week off so I was wondering if you and Cassie and, of course, the dog would like to go with the rest of us to my cabin in Minnesota for a few days?" He picked up a couple of tongue depressors and began trying to make them stand on the table.
Janet rolled her eyes. "I don't know..."
"Aw, come on. Sam's going. Teal'c and Daniel are going..."
"Daniel's going?" Her shock was quite evident after the day's earlier events.
"Yeah. Figure there's no way we'll kill each other if everyone else is there." He gave her a half smile.
"What can I say to an offer like that? I know Cassie's wanted to spend time with you guys so sure."
He jumped off the exam table, knocking down his house of depressors. "Sweet." Mission accomplished, he left her alone to clean up his mess.
***********************
Bright and early the following morning found everyone gathered at Jack's where it was decided Daniel and Teal'c would ride with Jack while Sam, Janet, Cassandra, and, of course, the dog followed in Sam's jeep.
The seventeen-hour drive went uneventfully, though at some points it was threatened to make Jack, Cassie, and the dog drive in a separate car since they wanted to stop at every possible tourist trap there was.
"You know, you're going to have to make good on that bet sometime this week," Janet said as Sam followed Jack's jeep up the winding road to his cabin.
Sam's eyes widened. "Um, in case you're forgetting that is not going to be possible." She nodded her head towards a very sleeping Cassie in the back seat.
"I'm sure we can arrange something."
"Come on, Janet, there's got to be something else," she pleaded.
"Nope. Nothing else I can thing of."
She growled deep in her throat, putting the car in park next to Jack's in the driveway.
******************************
Everyone sat on the porch in the cool spring evening air watching Cassie and Jack play with the dog.
"I'd say this is exactly what we needed," Sam commented as she stretched her arms above her head.
"Easy for you to say." Daniel took a sip of his hot tea. "You weren't nearly killed by Jack a day ago."
"I do not believe O'Neill would have injured you, DanielJackson," Teal'c said, looking more relaxed than any of his friends thought possible.
"All I know is, Sam, don't ever let us go on a mission without you!"
Janet and Sam passed a glance, one that confused Teal'c and Daniel.
Finally a breathless Jack came walking up on the deck. "Does she ever run out of energy?" he asked to no one in particular.
"Nope, welcome to the teenage years," Janet laughed.
"Hey, Jack!" Cassie yelled from the yard. "Where are you going?"
"I've had enough. Sorry, kiddo." He sat down beside Sam and gratefully took the bottle of beer from her hand. "Thanks."
She smiled.
"So what's there to do in this place?" Daniel asked.
"Fishing..."
"There are no fish in this particular lake, O'Neill," Teal'c interjected.
Giving him a brief look, he continued, "Hiking, relaxing... Come on, Danny, you have to admit this is a nice change."
When no one responded, Jack added. "Well, there is a little bar in town but..." He nodded out towards Cassie. "I can certainly give directions if anyone wants to go though."
"This is fine," Sam said.
A moment later, Teal'c spoke. "If you would like to go to this bar, I would be able to stay with Cassandra. She has told me of a game where people use various weapons in many rooms to commit crimes..."
Smiling, Janet said, "That would be 'Clue'." Looking around at her friends, she added, "It's her new obsession."
Teal'c nodded and continued. "She has said she would very much like to teach me this game of... 'Clue' so I will stay with her."
"Nah, we'll all stay," Jack offered.
"O'Neill, I do believe you have already shown me this particular bar upon our last trip here. I also recall you stated you would like to bring everyone else at some time... Go."
"If you're sure, Teal'c."
"I am sure, O'Neill."
Jack looked to Sam, Janet, and Daniel. "Well?"
All three shrugged.
"Sure, why not," Daniel said.
Sam glanced at Janet and, upon seeing the evil smirk, her heart sank. This was the night to pay-up. Finishing off her beer, she agreed with a silent nod.
************************************
Jack walked up to the bar to get the first round of drinks.
"Hey, Jack. The usual?" The bartender reached for a long neck bottle.
"Yeah, Mike. Um, I also need three more for my friends."
Mike looked up from the bar. "Is she with them?"
"Uh." Jack reached for the bottles but another hand reached over and grabbed two of them.
"Figured you could use some help," Sam said, smiling.
He smiled back. "Thanks. I'll be right over."
She nodded and went back to the table.
"That her?" Mike asked.
Jack nodded.
"No wonder you never stop talking about her." Mike gave Jack his money back. "This one's on me," he grinned.
"Thanks. Just don't get any ideas."
Returning to his friends, Jack handed Daniel his drink and sat between Sam and Janet at the round table. Given it was a weekday night, they were the only patrons aside from three regulars pouring their hearts out to Mike at the bar.
Sipping her drink, Sam smiled and said, "I like it here."
"Hope so," Janet muttered.
Sam shot her a look.
Daniel and Jack looked at each other before Jack asked, "What's going on with you two? You've been um, I don't know, hesitant around each other all day."
"Nothing, Sir." Sam suddenly found the label of her beer bottle very interesting.
Jack sighed. "I thought we agreed no titles during this vacation."
"Sorry, Si... Jack." She was in for a long night and she knew it. Hopefully after her fifth beer she wouldn't remember much of it.
"There's nothing wrong," Janet added. "Just an inside...um...joke."
He looked between the women. "So you two aren't on the outs?"
Both looked at him shocked.
"No, is that what you thought?" Sam asked.
He shrugged.
"It did sort of seem like it at times," Daniel admitted.
"No, Sam and I are still as good of friends as ever," Janet assured them, also suddenly finding the beer label interesting.
"Okay, just making sure." Noticing his bottle was almost empty, Jack stood up. "Anyone want another?"
Daniel nodded as did Sam. Janet, however, shook her head. "Designated driver, remember?"
The time had passed quickly. Before any of them knew it, three hours had passed, Sam was on her fifth beer and quite bordering on drunk, Jack was on his fourth and still functional, Daniel had stopped at two, and Janet was reconsidering their bet.
Sam excused herself to the restroom and Janet quickly followed. She found Sam leaning over the sink staring into the streaked mirror.
"I can't do it, Janet," Sam whispered. "I can't go through with it. My hearts racing, I just wanna throw up."
"It was a stupid bet," she admitted. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."
Sam's eyes met Janet's in the mirror. Hesitating, Sam shook her head. "I can't let this sexual tension go on forever though. And what better excuse than 'I was drunk.'"
"Sam, come on, you really don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do." She turned to Janet. "You know which song to use."
"Are you really sure about this?" Janet was seriously considering dragging her friend out of there and into the car.
"Yes." She smiled. "Besides, you'll be there to save me from myself right?"
"You'd better believe it." Resting her hand on the doorknob, she turned back to Sam. "Good luck."
Sam merely smiled and waited for Janet to leave before changing her clothes.
Jack and Daniel looked at Janet, who returned to the table alone.
"Um, did you lose someone?" Jack asked.
Before she could respond a song from the jukebox blasted.
I hate the world today
You're so good to me
I know but I can't change
Tried to tell you
Janet held her breath waiting for Sam, but the song continued and there was no sign of her. She released her breath, believing either Sam had come to her senses or was passed out drunk in the bathroom.
But you look at me like maybe
I'm an angel underneath
Next thing Jack knew, Sam was seductively walking towards him.
Innocent and sweet
His heart leapt to his throat. She was wearing a very slinky, black satin top with spaghetti straps and a short skirt to match. Black, high heels finished the ensemble.
Yesterday I cried
Must have been relieved to see
The softer side
Swallowing hard, he pried his eyes away from her long enough to see the fear and panic in Janet's eyes and Daniel's jaw dropped to the table.
Sam stood before Jack, swaying drunkenly to the music, eyes focused only on him.
I can understand how you'd be so confused
I don't envy you
I'm a little bit of everything
All rolled into one
The next thing he knew, fingers were caressing his cheek, encouraging him to look back at Sam. Their eyes met. He froze as she sang along with the song.
Before he, or anyone else, could stop her, Sam straddled Jack lap, leaning down close then arching back, holding onto his thighs as the chorus began.
I'm a bitch
She leaned in again, close to his face
I'm a lover
Slowly she got up from his lap and continued dancing for him.
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
By this time, Jack was quite incapable of standing up. In all actuality he would have liked to have slid his chair under the table, but Sam's private dance wouldn't let him.
I'm your hell
Sam, meanwhile, had danced her way behind his chair and began running her hands down his chest from behind, blowing gently against his ear.
I'm your dream, she whispered into his ear with the music.
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way
Janet, meanwhile, was burying her face in her hands while Daniel was having a difficult time looking at Sam as just a friend at the moment.
Once again, Sam returned to dance in front of him as the song played on.
So take me as I am
This may mean
You'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that
When I start to make you nervous
And I'm going to extremes
The song continued and Sam continued to seduce Jack.
Jack realized he probably wouldn't be able to stand up for at least a few hours if this continued on much longer. Then, just when he thought it couldn't and would get worse... it did.
I'm a bitch
I'm a tease
Sam slowly ran her fingers down Jack's chest as she sank down to kneel before him settling herself between his legs.
Deciding enough was enough, Janet jumped up to pull Sam away.
I'm a goddess on my knees
Sam leaned in close while resting her hands on his knees.
When you hurt, when you suffer
I'm your angel undercover
Jack hadn't even realized he had stopped breathing. Any comprehension he may have had left since the beginning of the dance had slipped away.
Before Janet had a chance to reach her, Sam passed out, her head resting in Jack's lap.
He thought he would die.
"Daniel," Janet called. When he didn't respond, she looked at him, trying to pull Sam up. She tried to suppress a laugh at the shocked look on his face. However, given the situation, she really needed his help, cause there was no way Jack was in any condition at the moment. "Daniel!"
He shook his head to clear his mind and looked at her.
"Um..." She nodded at a very passed out Sam. "Can you help me get her to the car?"
"I...uh... I..."
She sighed. "Don't tell me you can't stand up either."
He face turned three shades of red. "No, that's not it. I, uh... what was that all about?"
"Yeah, I'd like to know too," Jack added.
"I can't explain now, but please do not hold Sam responsible for this. We made a stupid bet, she lost...and it's a lot longer than that but right now is not the time or place to explain. Daniel, please."
He got up and picked Sam up in his arms.
By this time a very drunk man had made his way over to the group. "I'll take her," he slurred out.
"She's in very capable hands," Daniel stated, turning to take Sam to the car.
The man placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I said I would take her."
"And he said she's in very capable hands," Jack added from his chair, though his 'condition' was improving with the new threat. "Get her out of here," he told Daniel who, along with Janet, made his way to the door.
Mike, meanwhile, had joined his friend. "Lou, it's late, you're drunk. I already called a cab and it should be here in a few minutes. Leave them alone."
Lou turned to Mike, ready to throw a punch, when Jack finally stood up and stopped him. "He said a ride was on its way. I advise you to take it."
Looking between Mike and Jack, Lou let out a huff and walked towards the bathroom.
"Well, that was quite the performance," Mike grinned.
"I have no idea what that was all about," Jack shrugged. "She's not usually like that at all."
"She had had at least seven beers. She took two into the bathroom with her."
Jack closed his eyes for a second.
"If getting drunk is the only way she can let you know how she feels, I'd say you two really need to learn to talk instead," he added.
"Thanks for the advice." He smiled at Mike. "I'd better get out there. Thanks and um, sorry about..." He nodded towards the direction Lou had gone.
"Oh please, he does this all the time. Um, just let me know what happens, okay?"
With a nod, he headed out the door.
The cool air hit him hard. He saw Janet and Daniel waiting in the car and was halfway there when he was jumped from the side and fell to the ground.
"I said I wanted her," Lou hissed as his fist connected with Jack's eye. That was the only hit he got in. Before Daniel had a chance to make his way over to the men, Jack had him unconscious next to him.
"Are you alright?" Daniel asked, reaching down a hand to help Jack up.
"Yeah."
Mike ran out, assessed the situation and looked at Jack. "Just go. I'll take care of it. He must have passed out drunk and hit a rock or something."
"Thanks." He turned to find Janet standing just outside the car door, waiting for him. When he reached her, she insisted on looking at his face. "I said I'm fine," he mumbled, pushing her hands away. "Can we just get home please?"
Janet cringed inside. This had not gone anything like she or Sam had expected and the person who probably would suffer the most probably wouldn't even remember anything. She slid into the back with Sam and rested Sam's head on her lap, praying she hadn't just lost the best friend she ever had.
**************************
Daniel, having stopped drinking hours before the 'incident', made it back to Jack's cabin in record time. Not a word had been spoken by anyone in the car on the way home.
Despite his physical pain, Jack immediately lifted Sam from the back seat and carried her in to her room, where he gently placed her on the bed. Janet was immediately behind him while Daniel stayed with Teal'c in the living room.
Jack removed Sam's shoes and lifted a blanket over her as Janet finished a quick check over.
"Is she going to be alright?" he asked, worry evident in his tone.
She nodded. "Yeah." Her eyes met his. "At least physically she will be. I'm so sorry, Jack. I should have talked her out of this."
His eyes fell back on Sam. "What was all this about anyway?"
Janet hesitated. "I'll have to fill Daniel and Teal'c in on the Reader's Digest version but... you have a right to know since you'll be the one able to bring charges up on her."
"Janet, I'd never do that and you know it."
She motioned for him to go to another room to talk. With one last look at Sam, he followed her to an empty room down the hall where he sat in a chair while Janet took the edge of the bed.
"We had a girl's night out while you guys were gone on that last mission," she began. "We were just talking and joking around and such and I told her that you guys would come back demanding she be on every mission. She didn't think you needed her that much so we made a bet..."
"Which was..."
Biting her lower lip, she continued. "If she won I would have to..... given my.... I would have to try and seduce Daniel..."
He grinned. "Really?"
"Nothing would have happened. We had both agreed to that. We would look out for each other no matter who won or lost."
"And I take it she lost?"
Janet nodded. "She was only supposed to um... well... basically make you uncomfortable with a little dance, nothing more. She sounded fine when I was in the bathroom back at the bar. I told her we could drop it, it was a stupid bet. She didn't want to go through with it. But she seemed alright. I know she had had five beers at that point..."
"Seven."
"What?"
"Mike, the bartender, told me she had taken two more into the bathroom with her."
Janet covered her face with her hands. "I should have insisted we leave. I should never have let her..."
Jack moved and sat beside her. "Come on, you know Sam. Once she sets her mind to something..."
She glanced over at him. "But now this is going to ruin anything you two have. I know ever since that Zatarc testing you two have been... strained. I just wanted to help break that tension a little. Neither one of us ever thought of this outcome."
He merely nodded in agreement.
"I should go fill in the others," she whispered. She had just reached the door when she heard...
"Sam and I will be fine, Janet. Don't worry."
*****************************************
Everyone had gone to bed, still shaken up from the earlier events and revelations. Janet had left out the part of the bet where she was to seduce Daniel if she had lost. Daniel and Teal'c were sharing a room far down the hall. Janet and Cassie had a room across the hall from Sam's while Jack had taken the couch in the living room.
The clock had just struck 3:00a.m. when Sam wandered into the living room. Not fully awake, she crawled onto the couch and on top of Jack, wrapping her arms around his waist, she snuggled in close to him.
He didn't stir.
***********************************
Jack opened his eyes in the darkness and glanced at the clock against the wall. It read 4:12a.m. It took him a few seconds to realize something was different. Turning his head, he was met with a mop of blonde hair. Smiling, he put an arm around her, debating whether to let Sam stay and act as though he never woke up or return her to her own bed. He kind of liked having her there in his arms but, given earlier events, he didn't want her to suffer any more embarrassment than she already would.
Before he had a chance to move, Sam began moving around as if in pain. He crawled out from beneath her. She began coughing. Not even having to think, he grabbed her in his arms and ran her down the hall to the bathroom, lifting the toilet lid just in time. He gently rubbed her back as she continued to vomit for the next fifteen minutes before Janet ran in.
"Is she alright?" she asked.
Jack looked up. "No, but there's nothing we can do about it. I've got her. Go back to bed. I'll get you if anything changes."
Janet paused before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
"Sam, I'm so sorry you had to go through this," he whispered as she continued to vomit. Running his fingers through her hair to push it out of her face, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her neck as she tried to catch her breath. "Mike's right, we should have just talked instead of playing games." He wasn't really sure why he was telling her all this given she wouldn't remember any of it, but it made him feel better.
Jack sat with Sam in the bathroom for two hours as she continued to dry heave. About the time he was considering getting Janet, she stopped and collapsed asleep in his arms on the floor. Once again, he picked her up and placed her on the bed. This time, however, he stayed with her in case she was to get sick again.
*************************************
Sam awoke to the smell of coffee, the piercing shrills of overly happy birds, and one killer headache. An attempt at sitting made the room spin and she lay as still as she could till it stopped. As she lay there, she tried to recall the events that had led to her present condition and the only last memory she had was of her and Janet in the bathroom with Janet trying to talk her out of their bet.
"Ugh." She pressed her hands on either side of her head. She wasn't really sure she wanted to know what happened after that and was halfway afraid a court martial was in her near future. Sooner or later, though, she'd have to face them all again. Might as well get it over with, she thought, attempting again to get up.
After popping about four aspirin and trying to look somewhat presentable, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen, finding only Janet and Jack sitting there - the two people she had least wanted to see at the moment.
The both smiled tentatively at her and Jack handed her his mug of coffee. "Only two scoops of sugar."
She smiled back and accepted the steaming cup. "Where's everyone else?"
"Cassie wanted Teal'c and Daniel to show her how to fish so they're at the dock," Janet told her.
"Um, Sam..." Jack began.
She put of a hand to stop him. "Whatever happened last night, I am really sorry. If you're planning a court martial just warn me first..." It was then she looked at him and noticed the black eye. "Oh my.... did I do that?"
He grinned. "You're good, Sam, but no, you didn't."
Burying her face in her hands, she mumbled, "Do I even want to know what happened last night?"
When neither one answered her, she looked up. Dread and fear consumed her. Without a word she ran off and up the stairs. Jack and Janet just looked at each other until they heard a loud thud. Knowing the only cause could be Sam, they tore out to the stairs where they found her sitting on the middle step with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Jack was the first one at her side. "Sam, are you alright?"
"No."
Janet was in front of her. "Did you fall? Hit your head?"
She shook her head. "No. I just.... I just remembered a moment from last night..." She looked at Jack. "Did I really straddle your lap?"
His eyes gave him away which only made her cry harder. The crying led to another coughing fit so Jack helped her up and took her back to her room.
Janet decided to let them be alone and, with a heavy heart, returned to the kitchen.
*****************************
Jack tucked her into her bed and held a glass of water for her to sip. "Better?"
She nodded, unable to meet his eyes. "Guess I could always apply for a teaching job or something."
"What are you talking about?"
"Come on, Sir, you know you have to report this."
He lifted her chin with his finger and forced her to look at him. "First of all, it's Jack. Second of all, I don't have to report anything. We are on vacation. Off-base and off-duty. Geez, Sam, don't you think I've had dreams of you and me doing things like that?" He paused. "Well, okay, maybe not quite like *that* but you know what I mean... I hope."
"I've ruined everything."
He smiled at her. "Quite the opposite. I think we are well past the need to talk. And it's not your fault. You know how I am with heart to heart moments."
That got a small giggle out of her followed by a moan as her head reminded her what she had done to it the night before.
"Look, you get some sleep," he said, pulling the blanket up closer around her neck. "When you feel better we'll talk."
She nodded and smiled. "Someday I'd like to know what else I did last night."
"Oh, you will. And someday I hope you'll give a repeat performance in private," he grinned causing her to blush.
*************************************
Janet was sitting at the kitchen table when Jack returned. "How is she?"
Jack shook his head. "Not well. Probably be the worst hangover she's ever had."
"I should give her something." She grabbed a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water.
Reaching out, he took her hand. "Don't be so hard on yourself. This was no ones fault."
She merely gave him a small smile and headed upstairs.
***********************************
"Sam?" Janet called through the door.
"Yeah, come in."
She opened the door and hesitated before stepping in. This was supposed to have been a nice vacation for all of them and here was her friend wrapped in blankets in the middle of the day. "I, uh, brought you some Tylenol," she said, making her way to Sam's bedside. She handed them to her along with the water.
Sam smiled as she took them. "Thanks."
"Um, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Janet." She looked up into Janet's eyes and saw the fear and guilt. "Really." She said nothing more.
With a silent nod, Janet left Sam alone.
**************************************
Two hours had passed since anyone had last seen Janet. She had told Cassie she was going for a walk and would be back soon.
"Jack, please," Cassie pleaded. "I know something's going on here, but I'm worried about Mom. She never disappears like this for long."
Jack looked to Daniel and Teal'c. "Anyone know which direction she went?"
"I think I do," Daniel said. "I'll go look for her." He turned to Cassie. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine."
****************************************
"Janet?" Daniel called as he walked down the path by the lake. He had followed it for at least a mile already and was beginning to think maybe he had been wrong until...
"Down here," came a soft whisper.
His eyes fell on a figure sitting on some rocks by the water. He walked over and sat beside her. "You alright?"
Without looking at him, she shook her head, trying to muffle a sniffle.
"What happened?"
"She hates me."
"Sam? She said that?" Daniel was shocked. Sam was the closest thing to a sister he ever had. Never would he imagine Sam to blame someone for something that just got out of control.
"No. But she didn't have to. I hate myself for what happened." Janet finally looked over at him, tears had stained her cheeks.
Daniel reached over and wiped her tears. "Come on, Janet, you know Sam doesn't hate you. No one could have known what would happen. Jack and I are always making bets on you two..."
She tilted her head. "Really?"
He blushed. "Um, uh... yeah. But that's not the point," he smiled. Sliding his arm around her, he pulled her close.
Janet tensed for only a moment before relaxing into his hold. Their relationship had been slowly changing over the past few months. He had let her know he was there for her when Cassie was dying from an old Goul'd implant and from then on they had been much more attentive to what the other was feeling, but never had any extra physical contact come into play. She was grateful he was here with her now, though.
"What if I've just lost my best friend, Daniel?"
"You haven't. Sam's still hung over. I'm sure she'll regret last night, but she won't lose you. You two have too deep a friendship to just throw away."
They held each other in comfortable silence.
"Out of curiosity what if you had lost?" he asked, resting his chin on the top of her head.
She pulled back and looked at him, grinning. "You'd have been a very happy man."
"Then I'm sorry you won," he whispered, placing a soft, gentle whisper of a kiss on her lips. Taking her hand, he stood up and brought her with him. "We should get back. Cassie's been worried and I think Jack was going to try and burn down the yard by grilling."
Not letting go of his hand, she laughed.
As the cabin came into view, Janet stopped. Daniel turned to her.
Her eyes locked with his.
"Thank you. Thank you for being here."
"Always, Janet, always."
Their hands fell to their sides and they walked up to the cabin.
*************************
The sun was just starting to set and the hamburgers were almost done when Sam wandered out of bed and down to the deck. No matter how much everyone there loved her, they all silently agreed she looked bad.
Without a word, she picked up a burger and sat on a lounge chair off in the corner. Cassie soon joined her.
"Hey, Sam."
She gave her a half smile. "Hey."
"Are you alright?" she asked, taking a big bite of her burger.
Sam closed her eyes and put her plate down as a wave of nausea washed over her. "Um, Cass, please don't take this the wrong way, but food just isn't something I want to be around right now."
She chuckled. "Yeah, I understand. Looks like you had a rough night. I know when I had a hangover..." She stopped short, realizing what she had just admitted.
Sam's eyes flew opened and locked with hers. "When *you* had a hangover?"
"Oh, geez, please don't tell Mom," she begged.
"Don't tell Mom what?" Janet asked, approaching them.
Cassie's panic filled eyes looked to Sam.
"That she forgot to feed her fish before we left," Sam told her, knowing full well Janet wouldn't buy it but wouldn't push it either.
Grabbing her plate as well as Sam's, Cassie got up. "I'm um, going to see if Jack has any marshmallows." She looked at Sam. "Hope you feel better."
"I will, thanks."
"How are you feeling?" Janet asked, sitting beside Sam while the guys played Tim Allen at the grill.
"I don't think I'll ever have another beer," she answered.
Janet hesitated before... "Sam, I..."
But Sam held up her hand. "Don't. You have nothing to apologize for. I screwed up everything all on my own."
"No, you didn't," she argued. "We had promised to look after each other. I should have forced you to leave last night."
Sam checked to see how close the guys were. "Can we *not* talk about this here?"
Nodding, Janet fell silent, suddenly finding a blotch of ketchup on her plate fascinating.
"Mom, can you come here?" Cassie yelled from inside the cabin.
"Guess I'm being paged." She got up and turned back to Sam. "Do you want or need anything?"
"For this nightmare to be over."
Janet opened her mouth to apologize but once again, Sam stopped her. "It was a rhetorical statement. Go." She gave a half smile.
Passing a longing glance at Daniel, Janet disappeared inside.
Sam watched from her chair as Jack purposefully tried to avoid looking over. Her heart ached. Despite the encouragement he had given her earlier, she knew if they were to ever get back at least what they had it would be a lot of hard work and time.
*********************************
"Hey, wake up, Sleepyhead."
Opening her eyes, Sam looked up into the deep brown ones that found her dreams nearly every night. "Sir, I..."
"Geez, Sam, how many times do I have to remind you, Jack." He ran his fingers through her hair to sweep it off her face.
The simple gesture and physical contact seemed to stop time for them. For a brief moment they really were just Sam and Jack, no regulations, no drunken display, nothing, just two people strongly attracted to each other.
"Jack," she whispered and his hand dropped from her face. "I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep." She yawned and sat up. "How long have I..."
He shrugged. "An hour or so. Not too long. And we did take turns coming out to check on you."
Kneeling next to her, he watched her for a moment. "Sam, maybe you should go to the hospital."
"And tell them what? I made a fool of myself so fix it?" she snapped. Her voice then softened. "I'm sorry."
Lifting her chin, he drew her eyes to his. "I don't know why you're being so hard on yourself. I'm not mad at your or disappointed in you or anything. Sam, nothing about what happened changes how I feel about you or how I look at you." He paused as his cheeks became red. "Well, okay, my dreams may change a little after that outfit and dance. But that's not necessarily a bad thing," he grinned, getting a small smile in return. "I just don't want us to become so awkward around each other."
She nodded in agreement.
Jack stood up and reached down to take her hands. Helping her up, he told her, "Cassie had a special request for dessert, so everyone inside." Noticing her face turn a little green at the though of food, he chuckled. "I'm sure if you just make an effort she'll be happy."
******************************
Curling up in a chair hiding in the corner, Sam truly hoped everyone would forget she was there and she would be able to sleep. She wasn't so lucky.
"Sam, here," Cassie said, shoving a bowl at her. "I heard about this being a favorite dessert here so I wanted to try it."
Sam looked into the bowl to find a chocolate covered, frozen banana drowning in additional chocolate syrup. Her stomach gave a slight protest but she smiled and took it. "Thanks, Cassie, it looks great."
She grinned then went off to deliver dessert to everyone else.
Once the bananas had been delivered, Cassie settled herself next to Daniel on the couch, who was sitting beside her mother.
Janet kept glancing over at Cassie, trying to figure out why her daughter wouldn't stop grinning but finally gave up and began nibbling on the frozen treat.
"These are quite appealing," Teal'c said, taking a big bite.
"Thanks." She glanced over at Jack and chuckled softly.
Daniel looked at her, too, but shrugged. He passed a concerned glance at Sam, who was sitting the furthest from everyone and inhaled sharply. Nudging Janet, he gave a nod in Sam's general direction.
She was staring at nothing as she slowly sucked the chocolate off the frozen banana, licking at it occasionally.
Janet's mouth dropped open and both she and Daniel looked at Jack, who was sitting in a chair clear across the room.
However, Jack had already spotted Sam's innocent enjoyment of her dessert and was shifting quite uncomfortably in his chair, having already grabbed a blanket for over his lap.
Leaning over, Daniel whispered, "Janet, you might want to take her um, out of here somehow. Teal'c and I will take care of Cassie." He swallowed hard when he saw Sam begin to slowly nibble the chocolate off the tip.
Janet elbowed him in the ribs and he snapped out of it, feeling very badly for Jack at the moment.
"Hey, Cassie, didn't you want to roast marshmallows?" he asked loudly.
She jumped up, oblivious to what was going on. "Yeah!" She turned to Jack. "Come on, Jack, you told me you'd help."
"Uh... um...." His face was bright red and he was having trouble breathing. "A little later, Kiddo."
"Come on, Jack, you promised," she whined.
"Cass, he said later," Janet intervened.
"What is this roasting of marshmallows?" Teal'c asked.
Daniel got up. "Come on, Teal'c, we'll show you."
"Save me one, guys," Sam called out as they walked out to the deck.
Cassie laughed as she followed the two men outside. 'Looks like my plan worked perfectly,' she thought.
"Sam, I think you need to get some sleep." Janet began to pull at her arm.
"I don't wanna," she cried, yanking her arm away from Janet, which sent her banana flying across the room and landing on the floor almost directly in front of Jack.
"My banana!"
He groaned in pain when she got down and crawled across the floor on all fours.
Grabbing her arm once again, Janet managed to pull her up. "Jack'll get it, you seriously need to get some rest or I'm taking you to the hospital for alcohol poisoning!"
Recognizing that tone, Sam nodded in concession and followed Janet upstairs.
Jack sat on the chair staring at the remnants of Sam's dessert and suddenly finding himself praying for the vacation to end soon!
****************************
The next two days had proved uneventful. Daniel and Janet had been hanging around each other a little more, but nothing too unusual to the casual observer. The tension had eased between Janet, Jack, and Sam, who had finally convinced Janet she was in no way mad at her.
Their last evening there finally arrived. Jack had arranged with Mike to open the bar only to them, including Cassie. When he filled Mike in on all that had happened, he had no problem agreeing.
That night, they arrived at the bar, much to the protest of Sam.
Sam, still embarrassed to be sitting in the same bar where she had given her 'performance', sat facing the wall. Janet and Daniel tried not to laugh at her. Teal'c merely look on with curiosity while Cassie, for reasons beyond anyone's comprehension, looked downright smug.
"Why did we have to come back here?" Sam muttered.
"Jack wanted Teal'c to see his old hangout," Daniel offered.
Sam sighed. "So what, the Colonel ditched us?"
Just then the lights dimmed in the already dim, small bar. Soft music filled the air.
Sam shut her eyes, refusing to turn around, afraid of what she might face.
"I walk the wire every night."
Sam looked up but still didn't turn.
"I can't decide between wrong and right."
The astonished look on her friends' faces told her all she needed to know.
"I've lost control over the things I will do."
Turning slowly in her chair, she came face to face with Jack, who was holding a microphone.
He locked eyes with her and continued.
"Cause I'm hopelessly falling in love with you."
Holding out his hand, she hesitantly slid hers inside his and allowed herself to be pulled up into a dance.
Jack handed the microphone to Janet and led Sam to the dance floor where he held her close, still singing the lyrics into her ear.
Now the one who never took a chance
Becomes a victim of circumstance
I've lost my way now I'm so confused
Cause I'm hopelessly falling in love with you
She rested her head on his shoulder. She *was* so confused. They both were and she knew it. And she had already fallen in love with him, long ago. Hopelessly, helplessly, recklessly.
All my dreams are far behind me
They don't matter anymore
I don't care about the things I could lose
Cause I'm hopelessly falling in love with you
He didn't care anymore. He didn't care about his career. He didn't care about saving the world - not at the moment anyway. He only cared about the woman in his arms. Nothing else did matter.
Now the one who always played it safe
Becomes another who's lost his way
I can't believe it though I know it's true
Cause I'm hopelessly falling in love with you
Both of them had played it safe. Flirting only so far. Pulling away from each other when they got too close. Nearly shutting each other out completely when they had been forced to admit their love in front of an audience. Yet all the playing it safe only worked to make them both miserable. Miserable and lonely.
Janet wiped away her tears and she heard Cassie sniffle next to her. Daniel reached beneath the table and held her hand discretely, giving it a reassuring squeeze. And, to the surprise of all three of them, Teal'c grinned nearly from ear to ear and they all sat at the table watching their friends.
And all my dreams begin to blind me
And I was so confused
And I don't care about the things I could lose
Cause I'm hopelessly falling in love with you
"Sam"
"Jack"
They smiled.
"You first," Sam said.
He gazed deeply into her eyes. "I don't care what I could lose, Sam. Nothing's worth anything if I can't... if we can't be together. I've tried to deny it for long. I've tried to push the feelings aside when they'd surface, but..."
She shut him up with a long, passionate kiss.
I'm not going to fight it
I'm going to choose
To hopelessly fall
You know I hopelessly fall in love with you
They were both breathless when they broke, not even noticing the song had ended and their friends and left them alone.
"I choose you, Jack. I've helplessly, hopelessly, recklessly fallen in love with you." Her eyes sparkled beneath her tears of joy.
He pulled her closer to him and kissed her once again. "Good, cause I'm not ever letting you go again."
The End
"Bitch" is by Meredith Brooks
"Hopelessly" is by Rick Astley
Author: Traci
Rating: R - strong sexual innuendos - though innocently done, adult situations.
Category: S/Jack and D/Janet romance, UST, humor
Status: Complete
Spoilers: Divide and Conquer... I think and only then minor.
Summary: On a girl's night out, Sam and Janet make a friendly bet - and one will pay dearly!
Author's note: Thanks to Tracy for sorta indirectly co-writing this with me. This actually was only supposed to be a very short story inspired by a day at the mall people watching. So remember, when you hang out at the mall - beware, you may become the inspiration for a fanfic!! :)
Feedback welcomed with open arms at traci_ann@yahoo.com
And now.... to the story. I cannot be held responsible for any food cravings that may occur by the way.
Bets, Cabins, and Other Things
"Okay, if you lose, you have to do it to Jack." Dr. Janet Fraiser grinned evilly.
Major Samantha Carter felt her cheeks warm with a blush. "I can't do that!"
"A bet's a bet, Sam." Janet took another bite of her pizza.
With Janet's adopted daughter, Cassandra, gone for the evening to a friend's house, Janet had invited Sam over for a long-overdue 'girls night.' At the moment, she was enjoying every moment of it... until...
"If you lose, you have to do it for Daniel." Sam smiled triumphantly. There was no way her friend would go for that.
Thinking for a moment and believing there was no way she could lose, she nodded. "Okay."
Sam nearly dropped her diet Coke. "What?"
"I said okay."
"You can't. I mean... you're not supposed..."
Janet shrugged and put the slice of pizza down. "I don't think there's a snowball's chance I can lose this one, so if I do I'll do it."
"Janet, this is Jack we're talking about. He's my CO. We're teammates. It's against..."
"Regulations, yeah, I know. Heard it all before... from both of you. You two are at the crossroads. You have to decide what to do or it's going to kill both of you."
Sam opened her mouth to protest but thought more of it and said nothing.
"Besides, nothing's going to happen. We will agree to that right now. Whichever one of us loses, the other agrees to be responsible for the other. Just in case."
"Just in case?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "Exactly what are you planning?"
"Nothing," Janet laughed. "But somehow I'm not thinking either one of us will be able to go through this sober. And let's face it... if you lose, you and Jack are drawn to each other like magnets... it could be a very dangerous thing."
Sam blushed again. "Well, I've certainly spotted a certain archaeologist passing more than the occasional glance at a certain doctor."
Now it was Janet's turn to blush. "Somehow I'm not thinking it's anything significant."
"Oh, please. I've worked with him for four years now. He's as close as a brother to me. I think I know him well enough to know when he's very attracted to someone."
Sipping at her drink, Janet looked up at Sam. "You think? Really? I mean... I..."
A big grin grew on Sam's lips. "Oh yeah. He's got it bad."
"Well, then, I'd say we have ourselves a bet." Janet reached her hand across the table and the two women shook on it.
**********************
"I told you to go right. Which part of 'right' did you not understand?" Colonel Jack O'Neill took his hat off, stopping at the bottom of the metal ramp. He turned back to see the wormhole of the Stargate disengage while Doctor Daniel Jackson shook off dirt from his shoes.
"I was facing the opposite way of you, Jack," Daniel argued. "It was an honest mistake."
"He is correct, O'Neill," former Jaffa, Teal'c, interjected.
"Stay out of this, Teal'c" Jack warned before turning back to Daniel. "You could have gotten us killed. Or at the very least lost for a few days."
Daniel walked down the ramp and stood face to face with him. "But I didn't."
Just then General George Hammond walked in. "Welcome back, gentlemen. Did I miss anything?"
"No, Sir," Jack started. "Daniel almost got us killed. Nothing out of the usual."
Hammond looked between the two men, then to Teal'c for an explanation.
"DanielJackson..."
"I told Daniel to take a right and he took a left... into deep woods I might add. Deep, dark woods."
"It wasn't my fault, General..."
Hammond put up his hands, biting back a grin. "You're all back safe. Go see Dr. Fraiser then report for debriefing in an hour."
"Yes, Sir." Jack put his hat back on his head. "Um, General, could we never be sent on missions without Carter again, please? She at least knows the difference between right and left."
"Jack, that's not fair!" Daniel pouted.
"I know it gives me less of a headache when she's with you," Hammond muttered as SG-1 left the gateroom.
***********************
"Doc, I'm telling you..."
Janet smiled. "And I'm telling you, Colonel. The sooner you are quiet and let me do my job, the sooner you can get out of here."
"But..."
"It's not true, whatever he's telling you," came Daniel's voice from the other side of the room.
"One simple direction. If Carter had been there..."
Janet's smile grew. "If Sam had been there what, Sir?"
He flustered for a moment. "Nothing. It just wasn't the same without the whole team there," he said softly.
Removing the needle from his arm, she said, "Okay, you're done."
He hopped off the bed. "Um, have you seen Carter anywhere today?"
Janet shrugged. "No. Sorry."
"Okay, thanks." He glanced in Daniel's direction and spoke loudly. "Be sure to give Daniel every shot you can."
The curtain quickly slid open. Daniel stood there, also ready to go. "I swear, I go on no more missions with you unless Sam's there!"
Janet held in her laughter until both men were gone then lost it. Her staff looked at her as if she'd finally gone insane.
****************************
"Okay." General Hammond closed his file on the report from SG-1. "I'm giving SG-1 a week downtime." After having to spend the last hour and a half listening to Jack and Daniel argue like eight year olds, he had a rather large headache. "And do yourselves and everyone else a favor," he began, looking specifically at Jack and Daniel, "Stay away from each other."
"Yes, Sir," they said in unison.
He then looked to Teal'c. "I don't know how you put up with them."
"It was not difficult. I practiced Kel'noreem much while there."
**************************
Janet found Sam in her lab as usual. She strolled in humming "Manhunt' - one of their all-time favorite songs from the 'Flashdance' soundtrack.
Sam stopped what she was doing and looked up at her.
Stretching across the table, and leaning on her arms, Janet smiled smugly.
"Don't tell me."
"Oh yeah. Sam, you soooo lost."
"Oh come on! You can't be serious. They would never make a deal about me not being on a simple mission."
"They would and they did. I'm amazed Jack let Daniel come back alive quite frankly." She chuckled. "But it did make for some great entertainment in the infirmary."
Sam's head fell to the table. "I can't believe this," she muttered.
"What can't you believe, Carter?"
Sam's head shot up and her sapphire eyes met those chocolate ones of her commanding officer.
"Colonel!" She felt her cheeks growing warm and cursed herself for blushing.
Thoroughly enjoying the moment, Janet turned to Jack. "She can't believe how much the team missed her." She glanced at Sam and inwardly laughed at the look of death she received.
"Geez, Carter, I can't begin to tell you how much we missed you," O'Neill began, completely oblivious to what was going on. "We need you to keep Daniel and I from killing each other."
Forcing a smile, she nodded. "Was that all you came to see me about, Sir?"
He looked at Janet, who got the hint and left.
"Actually, the General gave us a week downtime and I was thinking maybe, in spite of him ordering Daniel and I to stay away from each other..."
"He actually ordered that?" Sam asked.
"Um, well, yeah. It wasn't a pretty sight when we got back."
All embarrassment was suddenly pushed aside. "Is everyone alright?"
"Yeah, Carter, everyone's fine. Daniel and I just had a misunderstanding about directions and ended up surrounded by trees. Lots and lots of trees."
She laughed, knowing the mental image she conjured up was probably nowhere as amusing as what really happened.
"Anyway, I was wondering if maybe you'd be interested in that fishing trip."
She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted.
"And before you say no, I'm talking the whole team, not just you and me."
Looking around the mess in her lab, she said, "I don't know, Sir. I still have a lot of stuff to catch up on here and..." Then she remembered her bet with Janet. Going away for a week would get her out of it. "You know what. It might do me good to get away."
"Sam, you need to get away once in... What?"
"I said I'll go." She smiled.
"Really? You'll go?"
She nodded.
"Great! I mean, this will be a lot of fun. Guess now I just have to track down the Doc."
Panic struck at Sam's heart. "What? Why?"
"He gave Dr. Fraiser downtime too. She doesn't know it yet. Figured maybe we could take her and Cassie too."
"Um, I don't know, she might be really busy..."
He stared at her.
"What?"
"I thought you two were friends."
"We were. I mean, we are, I'm just trying to save you the time..."
"If you don't want her to go, just tell me."
She sighed. "No, it would be nice if she could go." Janet couldn't make her go through with the bet with Cassie there - could she?
He studied her reaction for a moment, assuring himself that Sam and Janet were still getting along. "Okay, as long as your sure..."
Knowing there was no way to avoid the bet forever, she gave him a sincere smile. "I'm sure. Go ahead and ask her. It would be nice to have everyone together."
*********************
Jack found Janet in her lab finishing up some paperwork.
"Hey, Doc, how's it going?"
She turned around to face him. "Um, Colonel, I just saw you about twenty minutes ago. What could have possibly happened in that time?"
"Oh. Yeah. Huh. Have you talked with General Hammond at all?"
"No." She shook her head. "Should I have?" She proceeded to unstrap the blood pressure cuff from his arm - the one he had decided was a new toy.
"He gave us all a week off so I was wondering if you and Cassie and, of course, the dog would like to go with the rest of us to my cabin in Minnesota for a few days?" He picked up a couple of tongue depressors and began trying to make them stand on the table.
Janet rolled her eyes. "I don't know..."
"Aw, come on. Sam's going. Teal'c and Daniel are going..."
"Daniel's going?" Her shock was quite evident after the day's earlier events.
"Yeah. Figure there's no way we'll kill each other if everyone else is there." He gave her a half smile.
"What can I say to an offer like that? I know Cassie's wanted to spend time with you guys so sure."
He jumped off the exam table, knocking down his house of depressors. "Sweet." Mission accomplished, he left her alone to clean up his mess.
***********************
Bright and early the following morning found everyone gathered at Jack's where it was decided Daniel and Teal'c would ride with Jack while Sam, Janet, Cassandra, and, of course, the dog followed in Sam's jeep.
The seventeen-hour drive went uneventfully, though at some points it was threatened to make Jack, Cassie, and the dog drive in a separate car since they wanted to stop at every possible tourist trap there was.
"You know, you're going to have to make good on that bet sometime this week," Janet said as Sam followed Jack's jeep up the winding road to his cabin.
Sam's eyes widened. "Um, in case you're forgetting that is not going to be possible." She nodded her head towards a very sleeping Cassie in the back seat.
"I'm sure we can arrange something."
"Come on, Janet, there's got to be something else," she pleaded.
"Nope. Nothing else I can thing of."
She growled deep in her throat, putting the car in park next to Jack's in the driveway.
******************************
Everyone sat on the porch in the cool spring evening air watching Cassie and Jack play with the dog.
"I'd say this is exactly what we needed," Sam commented as she stretched her arms above her head.
"Easy for you to say." Daniel took a sip of his hot tea. "You weren't nearly killed by Jack a day ago."
"I do not believe O'Neill would have injured you, DanielJackson," Teal'c said, looking more relaxed than any of his friends thought possible.
"All I know is, Sam, don't ever let us go on a mission without you!"
Janet and Sam passed a glance, one that confused Teal'c and Daniel.
Finally a breathless Jack came walking up on the deck. "Does she ever run out of energy?" he asked to no one in particular.
"Nope, welcome to the teenage years," Janet laughed.
"Hey, Jack!" Cassie yelled from the yard. "Where are you going?"
"I've had enough. Sorry, kiddo." He sat down beside Sam and gratefully took the bottle of beer from her hand. "Thanks."
She smiled.
"So what's there to do in this place?" Daniel asked.
"Fishing..."
"There are no fish in this particular lake, O'Neill," Teal'c interjected.
Giving him a brief look, he continued, "Hiking, relaxing... Come on, Danny, you have to admit this is a nice change."
When no one responded, Jack added. "Well, there is a little bar in town but..." He nodded out towards Cassie. "I can certainly give directions if anyone wants to go though."
"This is fine," Sam said.
A moment later, Teal'c spoke. "If you would like to go to this bar, I would be able to stay with Cassandra. She has told me of a game where people use various weapons in many rooms to commit crimes..."
Smiling, Janet said, "That would be 'Clue'." Looking around at her friends, she added, "It's her new obsession."
Teal'c nodded and continued. "She has said she would very much like to teach me this game of... 'Clue' so I will stay with her."
"Nah, we'll all stay," Jack offered.
"O'Neill, I do believe you have already shown me this particular bar upon our last trip here. I also recall you stated you would like to bring everyone else at some time... Go."
"If you're sure, Teal'c."
"I am sure, O'Neill."
Jack looked to Sam, Janet, and Daniel. "Well?"
All three shrugged.
"Sure, why not," Daniel said.
Sam glanced at Janet and, upon seeing the evil smirk, her heart sank. This was the night to pay-up. Finishing off her beer, she agreed with a silent nod.
************************************
Jack walked up to the bar to get the first round of drinks.
"Hey, Jack. The usual?" The bartender reached for a long neck bottle.
"Yeah, Mike. Um, I also need three more for my friends."
Mike looked up from the bar. "Is she with them?"
"Uh." Jack reached for the bottles but another hand reached over and grabbed two of them.
"Figured you could use some help," Sam said, smiling.
He smiled back. "Thanks. I'll be right over."
She nodded and went back to the table.
"That her?" Mike asked.
Jack nodded.
"No wonder you never stop talking about her." Mike gave Jack his money back. "This one's on me," he grinned.
"Thanks. Just don't get any ideas."
Returning to his friends, Jack handed Daniel his drink and sat between Sam and Janet at the round table. Given it was a weekday night, they were the only patrons aside from three regulars pouring their hearts out to Mike at the bar.
Sipping her drink, Sam smiled and said, "I like it here."
"Hope so," Janet muttered.
Sam shot her a look.
Daniel and Jack looked at each other before Jack asked, "What's going on with you two? You've been um, I don't know, hesitant around each other all day."
"Nothing, Sir." Sam suddenly found the label of her beer bottle very interesting.
Jack sighed. "I thought we agreed no titles during this vacation."
"Sorry, Si... Jack." She was in for a long night and she knew it. Hopefully after her fifth beer she wouldn't remember much of it.
"There's nothing wrong," Janet added. "Just an inside...um...joke."
He looked between the women. "So you two aren't on the outs?"
Both looked at him shocked.
"No, is that what you thought?" Sam asked.
He shrugged.
"It did sort of seem like it at times," Daniel admitted.
"No, Sam and I are still as good of friends as ever," Janet assured them, also suddenly finding the beer label interesting.
"Okay, just making sure." Noticing his bottle was almost empty, Jack stood up. "Anyone want another?"
Daniel nodded as did Sam. Janet, however, shook her head. "Designated driver, remember?"
The time had passed quickly. Before any of them knew it, three hours had passed, Sam was on her fifth beer and quite bordering on drunk, Jack was on his fourth and still functional, Daniel had stopped at two, and Janet was reconsidering their bet.
Sam excused herself to the restroom and Janet quickly followed. She found Sam leaning over the sink staring into the streaked mirror.
"I can't do it, Janet," Sam whispered. "I can't go through with it. My hearts racing, I just wanna throw up."
"It was a stupid bet," she admitted. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."
Sam's eyes met Janet's in the mirror. Hesitating, Sam shook her head. "I can't let this sexual tension go on forever though. And what better excuse than 'I was drunk.'"
"Sam, come on, you really don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do." She turned to Janet. "You know which song to use."
"Are you really sure about this?" Janet was seriously considering dragging her friend out of there and into the car.
"Yes." She smiled. "Besides, you'll be there to save me from myself right?"
"You'd better believe it." Resting her hand on the doorknob, she turned back to Sam. "Good luck."
Sam merely smiled and waited for Janet to leave before changing her clothes.
Jack and Daniel looked at Janet, who returned to the table alone.
"Um, did you lose someone?" Jack asked.
Before she could respond a song from the jukebox blasted.
I hate the world today
You're so good to me
I know but I can't change
Tried to tell you
Janet held her breath waiting for Sam, but the song continued and there was no sign of her. She released her breath, believing either Sam had come to her senses or was passed out drunk in the bathroom.
But you look at me like maybe
I'm an angel underneath
Next thing Jack knew, Sam was seductively walking towards him.
Innocent and sweet
His heart leapt to his throat. She was wearing a very slinky, black satin top with spaghetti straps and a short skirt to match. Black, high heels finished the ensemble.
Yesterday I cried
Must have been relieved to see
The softer side
Swallowing hard, he pried his eyes away from her long enough to see the fear and panic in Janet's eyes and Daniel's jaw dropped to the table.
Sam stood before Jack, swaying drunkenly to the music, eyes focused only on him.
I can understand how you'd be so confused
I don't envy you
I'm a little bit of everything
All rolled into one
The next thing he knew, fingers were caressing his cheek, encouraging him to look back at Sam. Their eyes met. He froze as she sang along with the song.
Before he, or anyone else, could stop her, Sam straddled Jack lap, leaning down close then arching back, holding onto his thighs as the chorus began.
I'm a bitch
She leaned in again, close to his face
I'm a lover
Slowly she got up from his lap and continued dancing for him.
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
By this time, Jack was quite incapable of standing up. In all actuality he would have liked to have slid his chair under the table, but Sam's private dance wouldn't let him.
I'm your hell
Sam, meanwhile, had danced her way behind his chair and began running her hands down his chest from behind, blowing gently against his ear.
I'm your dream, she whispered into his ear with the music.
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way
Janet, meanwhile, was burying her face in her hands while Daniel was having a difficult time looking at Sam as just a friend at the moment.
Once again, Sam returned to dance in front of him as the song played on.
So take me as I am
This may mean
You'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that
When I start to make you nervous
And I'm going to extremes
The song continued and Sam continued to seduce Jack.
Jack realized he probably wouldn't be able to stand up for at least a few hours if this continued on much longer. Then, just when he thought it couldn't and would get worse... it did.
I'm a bitch
I'm a tease
Sam slowly ran her fingers down Jack's chest as she sank down to kneel before him settling herself between his legs.
Deciding enough was enough, Janet jumped up to pull Sam away.
I'm a goddess on my knees
Sam leaned in close while resting her hands on his knees.
When you hurt, when you suffer
I'm your angel undercover
Jack hadn't even realized he had stopped breathing. Any comprehension he may have had left since the beginning of the dance had slipped away.
Before Janet had a chance to reach her, Sam passed out, her head resting in Jack's lap.
He thought he would die.
"Daniel," Janet called. When he didn't respond, she looked at him, trying to pull Sam up. She tried to suppress a laugh at the shocked look on his face. However, given the situation, she really needed his help, cause there was no way Jack was in any condition at the moment. "Daniel!"
He shook his head to clear his mind and looked at her.
"Um..." She nodded at a very passed out Sam. "Can you help me get her to the car?"
"I...uh... I..."
She sighed. "Don't tell me you can't stand up either."
He face turned three shades of red. "No, that's not it. I, uh... what was that all about?"
"Yeah, I'd like to know too," Jack added.
"I can't explain now, but please do not hold Sam responsible for this. We made a stupid bet, she lost...and it's a lot longer than that but right now is not the time or place to explain. Daniel, please."
He got up and picked Sam up in his arms.
By this time a very drunk man had made his way over to the group. "I'll take her," he slurred out.
"She's in very capable hands," Daniel stated, turning to take Sam to the car.
The man placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I said I would take her."
"And he said she's in very capable hands," Jack added from his chair, though his 'condition' was improving with the new threat. "Get her out of here," he told Daniel who, along with Janet, made his way to the door.
Mike, meanwhile, had joined his friend. "Lou, it's late, you're drunk. I already called a cab and it should be here in a few minutes. Leave them alone."
Lou turned to Mike, ready to throw a punch, when Jack finally stood up and stopped him. "He said a ride was on its way. I advise you to take it."
Looking between Mike and Jack, Lou let out a huff and walked towards the bathroom.
"Well, that was quite the performance," Mike grinned.
"I have no idea what that was all about," Jack shrugged. "She's not usually like that at all."
"She had had at least seven beers. She took two into the bathroom with her."
Jack closed his eyes for a second.
"If getting drunk is the only way she can let you know how she feels, I'd say you two really need to learn to talk instead," he added.
"Thanks for the advice." He smiled at Mike. "I'd better get out there. Thanks and um, sorry about..." He nodded towards the direction Lou had gone.
"Oh please, he does this all the time. Um, just let me know what happens, okay?"
With a nod, he headed out the door.
The cool air hit him hard. He saw Janet and Daniel waiting in the car and was halfway there when he was jumped from the side and fell to the ground.
"I said I wanted her," Lou hissed as his fist connected with Jack's eye. That was the only hit he got in. Before Daniel had a chance to make his way over to the men, Jack had him unconscious next to him.
"Are you alright?" Daniel asked, reaching down a hand to help Jack up.
"Yeah."
Mike ran out, assessed the situation and looked at Jack. "Just go. I'll take care of it. He must have passed out drunk and hit a rock or something."
"Thanks." He turned to find Janet standing just outside the car door, waiting for him. When he reached her, she insisted on looking at his face. "I said I'm fine," he mumbled, pushing her hands away. "Can we just get home please?"
Janet cringed inside. This had not gone anything like she or Sam had expected and the person who probably would suffer the most probably wouldn't even remember anything. She slid into the back with Sam and rested Sam's head on her lap, praying she hadn't just lost the best friend she ever had.
**************************
Daniel, having stopped drinking hours before the 'incident', made it back to Jack's cabin in record time. Not a word had been spoken by anyone in the car on the way home.
Despite his physical pain, Jack immediately lifted Sam from the back seat and carried her in to her room, where he gently placed her on the bed. Janet was immediately behind him while Daniel stayed with Teal'c in the living room.
Jack removed Sam's shoes and lifted a blanket over her as Janet finished a quick check over.
"Is she going to be alright?" he asked, worry evident in his tone.
She nodded. "Yeah." Her eyes met his. "At least physically she will be. I'm so sorry, Jack. I should have talked her out of this."
His eyes fell back on Sam. "What was all this about anyway?"
Janet hesitated. "I'll have to fill Daniel and Teal'c in on the Reader's Digest version but... you have a right to know since you'll be the one able to bring charges up on her."
"Janet, I'd never do that and you know it."
She motioned for him to go to another room to talk. With one last look at Sam, he followed her to an empty room down the hall where he sat in a chair while Janet took the edge of the bed.
"We had a girl's night out while you guys were gone on that last mission," she began. "We were just talking and joking around and such and I told her that you guys would come back demanding she be on every mission. She didn't think you needed her that much so we made a bet..."
"Which was..."
Biting her lower lip, she continued. "If she won I would have to..... given my.... I would have to try and seduce Daniel..."
He grinned. "Really?"
"Nothing would have happened. We had both agreed to that. We would look out for each other no matter who won or lost."
"And I take it she lost?"
Janet nodded. "She was only supposed to um... well... basically make you uncomfortable with a little dance, nothing more. She sounded fine when I was in the bathroom back at the bar. I told her we could drop it, it was a stupid bet. She didn't want to go through with it. But she seemed alright. I know she had had five beers at that point..."
"Seven."
"What?"
"Mike, the bartender, told me she had taken two more into the bathroom with her."
Janet covered her face with her hands. "I should have insisted we leave. I should never have let her..."
Jack moved and sat beside her. "Come on, you know Sam. Once she sets her mind to something..."
She glanced over at him. "But now this is going to ruin anything you two have. I know ever since that Zatarc testing you two have been... strained. I just wanted to help break that tension a little. Neither one of us ever thought of this outcome."
He merely nodded in agreement.
"I should go fill in the others," she whispered. She had just reached the door when she heard...
"Sam and I will be fine, Janet. Don't worry."
*****************************************
Everyone had gone to bed, still shaken up from the earlier events and revelations. Janet had left out the part of the bet where she was to seduce Daniel if she had lost. Daniel and Teal'c were sharing a room far down the hall. Janet and Cassie had a room across the hall from Sam's while Jack had taken the couch in the living room.
The clock had just struck 3:00a.m. when Sam wandered into the living room. Not fully awake, she crawled onto the couch and on top of Jack, wrapping her arms around his waist, she snuggled in close to him.
He didn't stir.
***********************************
Jack opened his eyes in the darkness and glanced at the clock against the wall. It read 4:12a.m. It took him a few seconds to realize something was different. Turning his head, he was met with a mop of blonde hair. Smiling, he put an arm around her, debating whether to let Sam stay and act as though he never woke up or return her to her own bed. He kind of liked having her there in his arms but, given earlier events, he didn't want her to suffer any more embarrassment than she already would.
Before he had a chance to move, Sam began moving around as if in pain. He crawled out from beneath her. She began coughing. Not even having to think, he grabbed her in his arms and ran her down the hall to the bathroom, lifting the toilet lid just in time. He gently rubbed her back as she continued to vomit for the next fifteen minutes before Janet ran in.
"Is she alright?" she asked.
Jack looked up. "No, but there's nothing we can do about it. I've got her. Go back to bed. I'll get you if anything changes."
Janet paused before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
"Sam, I'm so sorry you had to go through this," he whispered as she continued to vomit. Running his fingers through her hair to push it out of her face, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her neck as she tried to catch her breath. "Mike's right, we should have just talked instead of playing games." He wasn't really sure why he was telling her all this given she wouldn't remember any of it, but it made him feel better.
Jack sat with Sam in the bathroom for two hours as she continued to dry heave. About the time he was considering getting Janet, she stopped and collapsed asleep in his arms on the floor. Once again, he picked her up and placed her on the bed. This time, however, he stayed with her in case she was to get sick again.
*************************************
Sam awoke to the smell of coffee, the piercing shrills of overly happy birds, and one killer headache. An attempt at sitting made the room spin and she lay as still as she could till it stopped. As she lay there, she tried to recall the events that had led to her present condition and the only last memory she had was of her and Janet in the bathroom with Janet trying to talk her out of their bet.
"Ugh." She pressed her hands on either side of her head. She wasn't really sure she wanted to know what happened after that and was halfway afraid a court martial was in her near future. Sooner or later, though, she'd have to face them all again. Might as well get it over with, she thought, attempting again to get up.
After popping about four aspirin and trying to look somewhat presentable, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen, finding only Janet and Jack sitting there - the two people she had least wanted to see at the moment.
The both smiled tentatively at her and Jack handed her his mug of coffee. "Only two scoops of sugar."
She smiled back and accepted the steaming cup. "Where's everyone else?"
"Cassie wanted Teal'c and Daniel to show her how to fish so they're at the dock," Janet told her.
"Um, Sam..." Jack began.
She put of a hand to stop him. "Whatever happened last night, I am really sorry. If you're planning a court martial just warn me first..." It was then she looked at him and noticed the black eye. "Oh my.... did I do that?"
He grinned. "You're good, Sam, but no, you didn't."
Burying her face in her hands, she mumbled, "Do I even want to know what happened last night?"
When neither one answered her, she looked up. Dread and fear consumed her. Without a word she ran off and up the stairs. Jack and Janet just looked at each other until they heard a loud thud. Knowing the only cause could be Sam, they tore out to the stairs where they found her sitting on the middle step with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Jack was the first one at her side. "Sam, are you alright?"
"No."
Janet was in front of her. "Did you fall? Hit your head?"
She shook her head. "No. I just.... I just remembered a moment from last night..." She looked at Jack. "Did I really straddle your lap?"
His eyes gave him away which only made her cry harder. The crying led to another coughing fit so Jack helped her up and took her back to her room.
Janet decided to let them be alone and, with a heavy heart, returned to the kitchen.
*****************************
Jack tucked her into her bed and held a glass of water for her to sip. "Better?"
She nodded, unable to meet his eyes. "Guess I could always apply for a teaching job or something."
"What are you talking about?"
"Come on, Sir, you know you have to report this."
He lifted her chin with his finger and forced her to look at him. "First of all, it's Jack. Second of all, I don't have to report anything. We are on vacation. Off-base and off-duty. Geez, Sam, don't you think I've had dreams of you and me doing things like that?" He paused. "Well, okay, maybe not quite like *that* but you know what I mean... I hope."
"I've ruined everything."
He smiled at her. "Quite the opposite. I think we are well past the need to talk. And it's not your fault. You know how I am with heart to heart moments."
That got a small giggle out of her followed by a moan as her head reminded her what she had done to it the night before.
"Look, you get some sleep," he said, pulling the blanket up closer around her neck. "When you feel better we'll talk."
She nodded and smiled. "Someday I'd like to know what else I did last night."
"Oh, you will. And someday I hope you'll give a repeat performance in private," he grinned causing her to blush.
*************************************
Janet was sitting at the kitchen table when Jack returned. "How is she?"
Jack shook his head. "Not well. Probably be the worst hangover she's ever had."
"I should give her something." She grabbed a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water.
Reaching out, he took her hand. "Don't be so hard on yourself. This was no ones fault."
She merely gave him a small smile and headed upstairs.
***********************************
"Sam?" Janet called through the door.
"Yeah, come in."
She opened the door and hesitated before stepping in. This was supposed to have been a nice vacation for all of them and here was her friend wrapped in blankets in the middle of the day. "I, uh, brought you some Tylenol," she said, making her way to Sam's bedside. She handed them to her along with the water.
Sam smiled as she took them. "Thanks."
"Um, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Janet." She looked up into Janet's eyes and saw the fear and guilt. "Really." She said nothing more.
With a silent nod, Janet left Sam alone.
**************************************
Two hours had passed since anyone had last seen Janet. She had told Cassie she was going for a walk and would be back soon.
"Jack, please," Cassie pleaded. "I know something's going on here, but I'm worried about Mom. She never disappears like this for long."
Jack looked to Daniel and Teal'c. "Anyone know which direction she went?"
"I think I do," Daniel said. "I'll go look for her." He turned to Cassie. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine."
****************************************
"Janet?" Daniel called as he walked down the path by the lake. He had followed it for at least a mile already and was beginning to think maybe he had been wrong until...
"Down here," came a soft whisper.
His eyes fell on a figure sitting on some rocks by the water. He walked over and sat beside her. "You alright?"
Without looking at him, she shook her head, trying to muffle a sniffle.
"What happened?"
"She hates me."
"Sam? She said that?" Daniel was shocked. Sam was the closest thing to a sister he ever had. Never would he imagine Sam to blame someone for something that just got out of control.
"No. But she didn't have to. I hate myself for what happened." Janet finally looked over at him, tears had stained her cheeks.
Daniel reached over and wiped her tears. "Come on, Janet, you know Sam doesn't hate you. No one could have known what would happen. Jack and I are always making bets on you two..."
She tilted her head. "Really?"
He blushed. "Um, uh... yeah. But that's not the point," he smiled. Sliding his arm around her, he pulled her close.
Janet tensed for only a moment before relaxing into his hold. Their relationship had been slowly changing over the past few months. He had let her know he was there for her when Cassie was dying from an old Goul'd implant and from then on they had been much more attentive to what the other was feeling, but never had any extra physical contact come into play. She was grateful he was here with her now, though.
"What if I've just lost my best friend, Daniel?"
"You haven't. Sam's still hung over. I'm sure she'll regret last night, but she won't lose you. You two have too deep a friendship to just throw away."
They held each other in comfortable silence.
"Out of curiosity what if you had lost?" he asked, resting his chin on the top of her head.
She pulled back and looked at him, grinning. "You'd have been a very happy man."
"Then I'm sorry you won," he whispered, placing a soft, gentle whisper of a kiss on her lips. Taking her hand, he stood up and brought her with him. "We should get back. Cassie's been worried and I think Jack was going to try and burn down the yard by grilling."
Not letting go of his hand, she laughed.
As the cabin came into view, Janet stopped. Daniel turned to her.
Her eyes locked with his.
"Thank you. Thank you for being here."
"Always, Janet, always."
Their hands fell to their sides and they walked up to the cabin.
*************************
The sun was just starting to set and the hamburgers were almost done when Sam wandered out of bed and down to the deck. No matter how much everyone there loved her, they all silently agreed she looked bad.
Without a word, she picked up a burger and sat on a lounge chair off in the corner. Cassie soon joined her.
"Hey, Sam."
She gave her a half smile. "Hey."
"Are you alright?" she asked, taking a big bite of her burger.
Sam closed her eyes and put her plate down as a wave of nausea washed over her. "Um, Cass, please don't take this the wrong way, but food just isn't something I want to be around right now."
She chuckled. "Yeah, I understand. Looks like you had a rough night. I know when I had a hangover..." She stopped short, realizing what she had just admitted.
Sam's eyes flew opened and locked with hers. "When *you* had a hangover?"
"Oh, geez, please don't tell Mom," she begged.
"Don't tell Mom what?" Janet asked, approaching them.
Cassie's panic filled eyes looked to Sam.
"That she forgot to feed her fish before we left," Sam told her, knowing full well Janet wouldn't buy it but wouldn't push it either.
Grabbing her plate as well as Sam's, Cassie got up. "I'm um, going to see if Jack has any marshmallows." She looked at Sam. "Hope you feel better."
"I will, thanks."
"How are you feeling?" Janet asked, sitting beside Sam while the guys played Tim Allen at the grill.
"I don't think I'll ever have another beer," she answered.
Janet hesitated before... "Sam, I..."
But Sam held up her hand. "Don't. You have nothing to apologize for. I screwed up everything all on my own."
"No, you didn't," she argued. "We had promised to look after each other. I should have forced you to leave last night."
Sam checked to see how close the guys were. "Can we *not* talk about this here?"
Nodding, Janet fell silent, suddenly finding a blotch of ketchup on her plate fascinating.
"Mom, can you come here?" Cassie yelled from inside the cabin.
"Guess I'm being paged." She got up and turned back to Sam. "Do you want or need anything?"
"For this nightmare to be over."
Janet opened her mouth to apologize but once again, Sam stopped her. "It was a rhetorical statement. Go." She gave a half smile.
Passing a longing glance at Daniel, Janet disappeared inside.
Sam watched from her chair as Jack purposefully tried to avoid looking over. Her heart ached. Despite the encouragement he had given her earlier, she knew if they were to ever get back at least what they had it would be a lot of hard work and time.
*********************************
"Hey, wake up, Sleepyhead."
Opening her eyes, Sam looked up into the deep brown ones that found her dreams nearly every night. "Sir, I..."
"Geez, Sam, how many times do I have to remind you, Jack." He ran his fingers through her hair to sweep it off her face.
The simple gesture and physical contact seemed to stop time for them. For a brief moment they really were just Sam and Jack, no regulations, no drunken display, nothing, just two people strongly attracted to each other.
"Jack," she whispered and his hand dropped from her face. "I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep." She yawned and sat up. "How long have I..."
He shrugged. "An hour or so. Not too long. And we did take turns coming out to check on you."
Kneeling next to her, he watched her for a moment. "Sam, maybe you should go to the hospital."
"And tell them what? I made a fool of myself so fix it?" she snapped. Her voice then softened. "I'm sorry."
Lifting her chin, he drew her eyes to his. "I don't know why you're being so hard on yourself. I'm not mad at your or disappointed in you or anything. Sam, nothing about what happened changes how I feel about you or how I look at you." He paused as his cheeks became red. "Well, okay, my dreams may change a little after that outfit and dance. But that's not necessarily a bad thing," he grinned, getting a small smile in return. "I just don't want us to become so awkward around each other."
She nodded in agreement.
Jack stood up and reached down to take her hands. Helping her up, he told her, "Cassie had a special request for dessert, so everyone inside." Noticing her face turn a little green at the though of food, he chuckled. "I'm sure if you just make an effort she'll be happy."
******************************
Curling up in a chair hiding in the corner, Sam truly hoped everyone would forget she was there and she would be able to sleep. She wasn't so lucky.
"Sam, here," Cassie said, shoving a bowl at her. "I heard about this being a favorite dessert here so I wanted to try it."
Sam looked into the bowl to find a chocolate covered, frozen banana drowning in additional chocolate syrup. Her stomach gave a slight protest but she smiled and took it. "Thanks, Cassie, it looks great."
She grinned then went off to deliver dessert to everyone else.
Once the bananas had been delivered, Cassie settled herself next to Daniel on the couch, who was sitting beside her mother.
Janet kept glancing over at Cassie, trying to figure out why her daughter wouldn't stop grinning but finally gave up and began nibbling on the frozen treat.
"These are quite appealing," Teal'c said, taking a big bite.
"Thanks." She glanced over at Jack and chuckled softly.
Daniel looked at her, too, but shrugged. He passed a concerned glance at Sam, who was sitting the furthest from everyone and inhaled sharply. Nudging Janet, he gave a nod in Sam's general direction.
She was staring at nothing as she slowly sucked the chocolate off the frozen banana, licking at it occasionally.
Janet's mouth dropped open and both she and Daniel looked at Jack, who was sitting in a chair clear across the room.
However, Jack had already spotted Sam's innocent enjoyment of her dessert and was shifting quite uncomfortably in his chair, having already grabbed a blanket for over his lap.
Leaning over, Daniel whispered, "Janet, you might want to take her um, out of here somehow. Teal'c and I will take care of Cassie." He swallowed hard when he saw Sam begin to slowly nibble the chocolate off the tip.
Janet elbowed him in the ribs and he snapped out of it, feeling very badly for Jack at the moment.
"Hey, Cassie, didn't you want to roast marshmallows?" he asked loudly.
She jumped up, oblivious to what was going on. "Yeah!" She turned to Jack. "Come on, Jack, you told me you'd help."
"Uh... um...." His face was bright red and he was having trouble breathing. "A little later, Kiddo."
"Come on, Jack, you promised," she whined.
"Cass, he said later," Janet intervened.
"What is this roasting of marshmallows?" Teal'c asked.
Daniel got up. "Come on, Teal'c, we'll show you."
"Save me one, guys," Sam called out as they walked out to the deck.
Cassie laughed as she followed the two men outside. 'Looks like my plan worked perfectly,' she thought.
"Sam, I think you need to get some sleep." Janet began to pull at her arm.
"I don't wanna," she cried, yanking her arm away from Janet, which sent her banana flying across the room and landing on the floor almost directly in front of Jack.
"My banana!"
He groaned in pain when she got down and crawled across the floor on all fours.
Grabbing her arm once again, Janet managed to pull her up. "Jack'll get it, you seriously need to get some rest or I'm taking you to the hospital for alcohol poisoning!"
Recognizing that tone, Sam nodded in concession and followed Janet upstairs.
Jack sat on the chair staring at the remnants of Sam's dessert and suddenly finding himself praying for the vacation to end soon!
****************************
The next two days had proved uneventful. Daniel and Janet had been hanging around each other a little more, but nothing too unusual to the casual observer. The tension had eased between Janet, Jack, and Sam, who had finally convinced Janet she was in no way mad at her.
Their last evening there finally arrived. Jack had arranged with Mike to open the bar only to them, including Cassie. When he filled Mike in on all that had happened, he had no problem agreeing.
That night, they arrived at the bar, much to the protest of Sam.
Sam, still embarrassed to be sitting in the same bar where she had given her 'performance', sat facing the wall. Janet and Daniel tried not to laugh at her. Teal'c merely look on with curiosity while Cassie, for reasons beyond anyone's comprehension, looked downright smug.
"Why did we have to come back here?" Sam muttered.
"Jack wanted Teal'c to see his old hangout," Daniel offered.
Sam sighed. "So what, the Colonel ditched us?"
Just then the lights dimmed in the already dim, small bar. Soft music filled the air.
Sam shut her eyes, refusing to turn around, afraid of what she might face.
"I walk the wire every night."
Sam looked up but still didn't turn.
"I can't decide between wrong and right."
The astonished look on her friends' faces told her all she needed to know.
"I've lost control over the things I will do."
Turning slowly in her chair, she came face to face with Jack, who was holding a microphone.
He locked eyes with her and continued.
"Cause I'm hopelessly falling in love with you."
Holding out his hand, she hesitantly slid hers inside his and allowed herself to be pulled up into a dance.
Jack handed the microphone to Janet and led Sam to the dance floor where he held her close, still singing the lyrics into her ear.
Now the one who never took a chance
Becomes a victim of circumstance
I've lost my way now I'm so confused
Cause I'm hopelessly falling in love with you
She rested her head on his shoulder. She *was* so confused. They both were and she knew it. And she had already fallen in love with him, long ago. Hopelessly, helplessly, recklessly.
All my dreams are far behind me
They don't matter anymore
I don't care about the things I could lose
Cause I'm hopelessly falling in love with you
He didn't care anymore. He didn't care about his career. He didn't care about saving the world - not at the moment anyway. He only cared about the woman in his arms. Nothing else did matter.
Now the one who always played it safe
Becomes another who's lost his way
I can't believe it though I know it's true
Cause I'm hopelessly falling in love with you
Both of them had played it safe. Flirting only so far. Pulling away from each other when they got too close. Nearly shutting each other out completely when they had been forced to admit their love in front of an audience. Yet all the playing it safe only worked to make them both miserable. Miserable and lonely.
Janet wiped away her tears and she heard Cassie sniffle next to her. Daniel reached beneath the table and held her hand discretely, giving it a reassuring squeeze. And, to the surprise of all three of them, Teal'c grinned nearly from ear to ear and they all sat at the table watching their friends.
And all my dreams begin to blind me
And I was so confused
And I don't care about the things I could lose
Cause I'm hopelessly falling in love with you
"Sam"
"Jack"
They smiled.
"You first," Sam said.
He gazed deeply into her eyes. "I don't care what I could lose, Sam. Nothing's worth anything if I can't... if we can't be together. I've tried to deny it for long. I've tried to push the feelings aside when they'd surface, but..."
She shut him up with a long, passionate kiss.
I'm not going to fight it
I'm going to choose
To hopelessly fall
You know I hopelessly fall in love with you
They were both breathless when they broke, not even noticing the song had ended and their friends and left them alone.
"I choose you, Jack. I've helplessly, hopelessly, recklessly fallen in love with you." Her eyes sparkled beneath her tears of joy.
He pulled her closer to him and kissed her once again. "Good, cause I'm not ever letting you go again."
The End
"Bitch" is by Meredith Brooks
"Hopelessly" is by Rick Astley