Chapter 13: Feathers and Clouds

"Sir, please tell me what happened. Just… confirm…"

"No, and stop asking me. I never thought I'd say this, but you're becoming *really* annoying." As she pouted, he considered telling her for a moment.

She looks really cute when she pouts.

But then Jack realized that if he told her, then she would stop pouting. That would mean end of cuteness, and that would also mean he would stop being so jelly-brained and be plopped back to reality and realize that he would be playing games non-stop with a bunch of strangers who didn't really seem that… nice.

That was bad. Bad thoughts. Not good.

Sam groaned into her pillow.

"Sir, what time is it?"

"12:45."

"Ugh… damn… INSOMNIA…"

"I have an idea to pass the time. Why don't we tell each other ghost stories?" Sam looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.

"Are you serious, Sir?" Jack shrugged.

"Well, yeah… why not? Do you have any better suggestions?"

"Telling ghost stories seems a little… immature."

"Telling ghost stories is never immature!"

"I was actually thinking about exploring the ship."

"At this time of the night?" Sam sighed and pressed her head into her pillow again.

"Okay, then, Sir. Tell me a story. Amuse me." Jack grinned.

"You sure, Carter? I tell a pretty mean ghost story…"

"Yes. As you said-like we have anything better to do."

"Okay then… but you've got to get down with me on the floor here." Sam's head snapped up to him, her blue eyes wide.

"W-what?!"

"You… have to sit down with me on the floor…" Jack said, slightly puzzled, until he realized how that sounded.

"Oh… oh, I get it now…"

"Uh, yeah…!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Carter," he replied, resisting the urge to laugh insanely. She grinned at him.

"That's okay, Sir. I… I'm… yeah."

"Just get down here, Carter."

"Yes, Sir." She sat down across from him on the floor and he grinned maliciously at her, his dark eyes glittering mischievously.

"Alrighty then…

"It was a dark and stormy night. The wind blew against the trees, howling, like a… a wolf calling into the night."

"At the moment, this is the most clichéd story I have ever heard in my life."

"Don't interrupt my story!" Jack snapped. He cleared his throat and continued, Sam giggling to herself. This was already amusing her… well; it was better than lying on her bed, trying to get to sleep when the man she loved was lying only a meter or so away from her.

Wait a second, did she really just think that?

"As the leaves blew and rustled in the wind, a shadowy figure emerged from the bushes, running onto… the scene."

"Hey, Sir, just wondering, is this by any chance from a movie?"

"That's it. I'm not going to go on. You keep on interrupting me…"

"No, Sir, no I'm sorry. Please, continue," Sam urged, a snigger hidden in her voice. Jack glanced at her before going on.

"Anyway, the figure ran into the moonlight to reveal herself to be a beautiful blue-eyed, blonde tall lady. But why was she running? More to the point-what was she running from?"

A beautiful blue-eyed blonde tall lady…

Stop flattering yourself, Sam, he doesn't mean you. Does he?

"She stopped suddenly, looking around wildly, running her hand through her short hair a million times over, trying to calm herself down.

There was a noise! She spun around, trying to figure out where it came from, her heart beating wildly. 'Who are you?' she shouted. 'Leave me alone!' But the noise repeated itself, closer this time, and she backed herself into a tree, her breathing quickening.

BOO!" This was obviously supposed to scare Sam, but instead she cracked up laughing and fell backwards against her bed, not being able to hold it in any longer.

"What? What is so funny?" Jack asked, highly vexed. She shook her head, trying to stop, but instead she laughed harder and fell backwards, guffawing into the air.

"I'm sorry, Sir…" she said, gasping. "But…" She began to laugh again and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"And what is so funny about my story?"

"'But the noise repeated itself, closer this time, and she backed herself into a tree, her breathing quickening…" Sam snorted and rolled over, still laughing, tears beginning to form in her eyes. This was too much… the saddest thing about this was he wasn't trying to be funny or anything-this was actually supposed to be scary…

"You making fun of my story, Carter?" he asked. He suddenly got that urge to tickle her again, and this time… he couldn't help himself, and nothing was holding him back…

His fingers slipped around her abdomen and he dug his fingers into the sides of her stomach, making her squeal and kick out at him.

"No! Sir, don't!" she laughed, and she attempted to shoo him away.

"What were you saying about my story again Carter?" he asked, moving his waggling fingers further into her stomach, and she squealed again.

"I… I didn't say anything… stop it, you're killing me…!" she said in between giggles.

"Oh, really now? Do you want me to stop?" he asked innocently.

"STOP IT!!!"

"You have to say sorry fir… oh… whoa…!" Jack began to wobble and lost his balance; his hands gripped her around the stomach and he fell on top of her, his mouth landing against her eye and his nose entangling itself into her hair. He breathed in and immediately smelt the scent that was her and felt himself drowning in that deep 'Samantha Carter' pool again… it didn't help she was still laughing into his ear, and that her belly was rubbing against him… his hands gripped tighter around her waist and he closed his eyes, letting all of his other senses take her in…

Sam, on the other hand, was loving every minute of this. He told her a story… he tickled her… and now he was lying on top of her, his hands against her stomach, his mouth against her eye… she buried her head into his neck and they just sort of comfortably lay there like that, him lying atop of her, a cozy silence overtaking them both. Before either knew what was going on, they were both swept into sleep.

Lying on the floor with him on top of her.

~~~

A/N: Wow! Sam giggles and guffaws! And sorry… the shipper in me just sorta came out during this chapter…

Btw the formatting in this turned out totally wrong. There are supposed to be italics, dammit! But I guess this is alright, right? I mean, you get the general idea, right? Right?