A Traditional Stakeout
by Layton Colt
Author's Notes: Thanks to Pettygrew, for helping me brainstorm, and for the very inspiring suggestions! And also to Emry and ionlyliveindreams for their support!
Sorry for the delay on this, but college got in the way.
Part Three: The Dinner Party
Jack rang the door bell on the Carlisle's home, and impatiently twirled the wine bottle in his hands as he waited for them to answer. Beside him, *Samantha*, was wearing a tasteful black dress, and to her utter disgust the pearl necklace.
Meredith opened the door. She smiled brightly. "Welcome, please, come in." She moved aside and Jack and Sam entered. Jack handed her the bottle which she accepted with a thanks.
This home was even more lavish than the one they were staying at. The entrance hall opened up into a large living room, framed by floor to ceiling windows. Behind the windows they could see out into the forested mountains, and even a small lake. It was breathtaking. Sam and Jack tried their best to look suitably unimpressed. They were supposed to be well traveled aristocrats, after all. And when it really came down to it, they were more 'well traveled' than anyone else on Earth.
Meredith's smile beamed unfalteringly. "I'm so glad that you were able to join us. Brentley is upstairs, he'll join us shortly. If you'll follow me, I'll lead you to the dinning room."
Jack nodded and he and Sam followed Meredith as she led them down a wide hallway. The walls were adorned with pieces of art that Jack just knew were worth even more than his house.
The dinning room was equally luxurious. The large table was set with crystal glasses and gold trimmed china. Meredith swung around to face them again, her smile still in place. "If you'll take a seat, I'll go put this on ice," she said holding up the wine bottle.
"Isn't she the gracious host," Sam muttered.
Jack looked at her in amusement but didn't comment. He moved to the wall, and looked at another painting. It was a picture of a lake, and an assortment of winding paths. He discreetly felt along the wooden frame, and placed a small bug out of sight before returning his gaze to the enchanting scenery. He was entranced by its simple beauty, he wasn't usually one to appreciate art, but this piece spoke to him. "How much do you think this is worth?" he asked Sam softly.
"Oh, about twenty dollars," a sugary voice laughed.
Jack swung around to see Meredith setting the iced wine bottle on the center of the table.
"I painted it myself," she elaborated.
"It's beautiful," Jack said honestly.
Meredith smiled at him. Sam rolled her eyes.
"Meredith, darling, have our guests arrived?" The voice held an edge of impatience, and Jack decided instantly he didn't like the man.
The senator entered the room. He was about Jack's height, with a full head of white hair and a carefully trimmed mustache. His eyes were a sharp brown that --in Jack's already biased opinion -- seemed to lack any real intelligence. There was ruthlessness in his gaze, to be sure, but whatever he was up to, Jack could tell at one glance he wasn't the mastermind.
"Yes, dear," Meredith said jovially. "This is Samantha and Jonathan Michaels, our neighbors for the time being."
Carlisle nodded curtly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Sam frowned. His tone implied otherwise.
The foursome seemed to fall into an uncomfortable silence. Meredith shook her head in exasperation at her husband's lack of social skills and smiled again at her guests. "Should we sit down?"
Jack and Sam nodded gratefully, Carlisle simply slid into his chair at the head of the table, barely sparing them a glance.
Jack realized he was right in his first assessment of the senator. He was a fool, pure and simple. He was getting the feeling Carlisle wasn't anything more than a puppet, and as he watched Meredith efficiently pouring the wine and striking up simple neutral conversations, he had no doubt just who was pulling the strings.
"I'll just go get the food, Brentley, dear, you will keep our guests entertained, won't you?" Meredith asked archly.
Carlisle waved her away with a dismissive hand and turned to his guests. "So, Meredith tells me you're staying next door?"
Jack bit down the immediate urge to say, 'Well, that was implied when she introduced us as your neighbors,' but just barely. "Yes," he responded simply. "Samantha likes the fresh air."
Carlisle turned his gaze to Sam, appraising her a little more closely than Jack liked.
Sam gave the senator a devastating smile. "I just love nature, don't you, Mr. Carlisle?"
"Call me Brentley, please," Carlisle insisted.
"Okay, Brent," Jack broke in. "How long have you lived way out here?"
"Oh this is only a vacation house," Brentley said quickly. "We spend most of our time in D.C. I'm a senator, you know."
"Really," Sam asked with carefully feigned innocence. "A senator, can you believe that Jonathan? We're staying next door to a celebrity!"
Carlisle beamed. It was Jack's turn to want to roll his eyes.
Meredith made her way back into the room, holding a casserole dish with a pair of rooster oven mitts. Jack's lips twitched upwards as he caught sight of the oven mitts, but he restrained himself from breaking out into a full out grin.
She set the dish down and started to serve. Jack and Sam both noticed the disapproving look Carlisle was giving both his wife and the entrée. Meredith ignored his looks, and gave him a good portion of the casserole.
After sitting down, she eyed her guests expectantly. They all looked at their plates in trepidation. None of them were quite sure what it was.
"Well?" Meredith prompted.
Sam picked up her fork first, and carefully tried the interesting dish. Jack followed her example, reluctantly.
"This--" Sam began softly. "This is very good."
"It's hamburger helper!" Jack cried out incredulously.
Meredith eyed Jack for a moment in disbelief, unsure what to make of his lack of tact. Then she burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," she said. "It was much too short notice to get a proper caterer, and well, this is the only thing I can make. This and macaroni and cheese that is."
"I like hamburger helper," Sam said sweetly. "It really is very good."
"Well, you would say that," Jack said with a smirk. "It's all you can make too."
Sam glared over at him. "I can make cookies. Good cookies. And don't expect to get any of them the next time I do."
Meredith watched the two with a smile. They had seemed a little too proper when they first introduced themselves, and she'd thought they appeared slightly fake, but now . . . now they were acting like a proper married couple.
"Don't down play a good meal of hamburger helper," Meredith broke in. "It got me through college, and it gets Brentley and I through the elections now."
Brentley just gave a disgusted sigh and ate another bite of the casserole. He would just be happy to get the people out of his house. This wasn't the time for hosting dinner parties. There was too much going on in this house for that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel adjusted the telescope, fixing it on the four people sitting down at the dinner table. The floor to ceiling windows were coming in handy for him. He had a perfect view.
He was still slightly irritated at being forced to stay here as they went to a dinner party. He'd had to call in for pizza -- and they were late.
He sighed, and put his frustration aside. He had a job to do, however mundane it might be. Following Sam's instructions, he activated the bug Jack had planted, and hit record.
"Really," he heard Sam's voice. "A senator, can you believe that, Jonathan? We're staying next door to a celebrity!"
~Laying it on a bit thick, don't ya think, Sam?~
Daniel leaned back in the chair and rubbed at his eyes. He hated contacts. Really, really hated them. And where was the pizza?
Daniel looked back in the telescope. He could see Meredith serving the food, and watched enviously.
Just as he heard Meredith and Sam begin to talk the doorbell rang. He jumped up gratefully and headed to the door, pulling a twenty from his wallet as he went.
He opened the door without hesitation, and his eyes went straight to the square box in the man's hands. He quickly handed the pizza guy the money and grabbed for the box. "You can keep the change," he said distractedly.
The man stopped him as he began to close the door. "Thank you, Daniel Jackson, but I have no need for this money."
Daniel moved his eyes slowly upwards. "Teal'c?" he asked -- his expression was pure disbelief. Teal'c was wearing a tight red uniform, with a baseball cap that said 'The Pizza Palace.' And on top of the hat, was a big plastic pizza.
Daniel broke into a smile at the sight, but he tried valiantly not to laugh. He looked around the entrance hall quickly, with all this surveillance equipment, there had to be a camera *somewhere.*
"It is I," Teal'c said calmly. His expression, however, clearly implied laughter would not be tolerated.
"What are you doing here?" Daniel asked, forcing himself to be serious. Which wasn't easy. His eyes kept straying upwards, drawn to the giant pepperoni pizza on his head.
"I have been sent here by General Hammond to ascertain your advancement."
"To check on our progress? We're doing fine. Sam and Jack are off making nice with the senator. I'm here watching them. You don't know what you're missing, this is the assignment of a lifetime."
"Indeed?"
"Ah . . . no."
"I see. You were again using the Tauri habit of stating the opposite of what you mean."
"Yea. There is a real pizza in here isn't there?" Daniel asked quickly, trying to open the box without dropping it.
"No," Teal'c said. "The box contains the complete data collected on one of the items. You requested it from Maybourne before you left."
"Damn."
"Are they not the correct files?" Teal'c asked.
Daniel looked through them. "No, they are the right files."
"Then there is no problem. I must depart. Take care, Daniel Jackson."
Daniel watched as Teal'c walked away. He left with a rather surprising amount of dignity and grace considering his attire, and Daniel was impressed. Even as he got into the small red car with the giant flashing pizza slice on the roof, he did it with poise.
Daniel closed the door and stared at the pizza box with longing. He considered calling for another pizza, a REAL pizza, but dismissed the idea. It would look a little suspicious. He gave another sigh and pulled a 5th avenue bar out of his bag before going back to watch the others eat.
to be continued . . .
I know this part is short, but I know a couple people have been waiting on it so I wanted to get it up as quick as I could. I don't know when the next part will be done, but I'll get to it as soon as I can.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Pettygrew, for helping me brainstorm, and for the very inspiring suggestions! And also to Emry and ionlyliveindreams for their support!
Sorry for the delay on this, but college got in the way.
Part Three: The Dinner Party
Jack rang the door bell on the Carlisle's home, and impatiently twirled the wine bottle in his hands as he waited for them to answer. Beside him, *Samantha*, was wearing a tasteful black dress, and to her utter disgust the pearl necklace.
Meredith opened the door. She smiled brightly. "Welcome, please, come in." She moved aside and Jack and Sam entered. Jack handed her the bottle which she accepted with a thanks.
This home was even more lavish than the one they were staying at. The entrance hall opened up into a large living room, framed by floor to ceiling windows. Behind the windows they could see out into the forested mountains, and even a small lake. It was breathtaking. Sam and Jack tried their best to look suitably unimpressed. They were supposed to be well traveled aristocrats, after all. And when it really came down to it, they were more 'well traveled' than anyone else on Earth.
Meredith's smile beamed unfalteringly. "I'm so glad that you were able to join us. Brentley is upstairs, he'll join us shortly. If you'll follow me, I'll lead you to the dinning room."
Jack nodded and he and Sam followed Meredith as she led them down a wide hallway. The walls were adorned with pieces of art that Jack just knew were worth even more than his house.
The dinning room was equally luxurious. The large table was set with crystal glasses and gold trimmed china. Meredith swung around to face them again, her smile still in place. "If you'll take a seat, I'll go put this on ice," she said holding up the wine bottle.
"Isn't she the gracious host," Sam muttered.
Jack looked at her in amusement but didn't comment. He moved to the wall, and looked at another painting. It was a picture of a lake, and an assortment of winding paths. He discreetly felt along the wooden frame, and placed a small bug out of sight before returning his gaze to the enchanting scenery. He was entranced by its simple beauty, he wasn't usually one to appreciate art, but this piece spoke to him. "How much do you think this is worth?" he asked Sam softly.
"Oh, about twenty dollars," a sugary voice laughed.
Jack swung around to see Meredith setting the iced wine bottle on the center of the table.
"I painted it myself," she elaborated.
"It's beautiful," Jack said honestly.
Meredith smiled at him. Sam rolled her eyes.
"Meredith, darling, have our guests arrived?" The voice held an edge of impatience, and Jack decided instantly he didn't like the man.
The senator entered the room. He was about Jack's height, with a full head of white hair and a carefully trimmed mustache. His eyes were a sharp brown that --in Jack's already biased opinion -- seemed to lack any real intelligence. There was ruthlessness in his gaze, to be sure, but whatever he was up to, Jack could tell at one glance he wasn't the mastermind.
"Yes, dear," Meredith said jovially. "This is Samantha and Jonathan Michaels, our neighbors for the time being."
Carlisle nodded curtly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Sam frowned. His tone implied otherwise.
The foursome seemed to fall into an uncomfortable silence. Meredith shook her head in exasperation at her husband's lack of social skills and smiled again at her guests. "Should we sit down?"
Jack and Sam nodded gratefully, Carlisle simply slid into his chair at the head of the table, barely sparing them a glance.
Jack realized he was right in his first assessment of the senator. He was a fool, pure and simple. He was getting the feeling Carlisle wasn't anything more than a puppet, and as he watched Meredith efficiently pouring the wine and striking up simple neutral conversations, he had no doubt just who was pulling the strings.
"I'll just go get the food, Brentley, dear, you will keep our guests entertained, won't you?" Meredith asked archly.
Carlisle waved her away with a dismissive hand and turned to his guests. "So, Meredith tells me you're staying next door?"
Jack bit down the immediate urge to say, 'Well, that was implied when she introduced us as your neighbors,' but just barely. "Yes," he responded simply. "Samantha likes the fresh air."
Carlisle turned his gaze to Sam, appraising her a little more closely than Jack liked.
Sam gave the senator a devastating smile. "I just love nature, don't you, Mr. Carlisle?"
"Call me Brentley, please," Carlisle insisted.
"Okay, Brent," Jack broke in. "How long have you lived way out here?"
"Oh this is only a vacation house," Brentley said quickly. "We spend most of our time in D.C. I'm a senator, you know."
"Really," Sam asked with carefully feigned innocence. "A senator, can you believe that Jonathan? We're staying next door to a celebrity!"
Carlisle beamed. It was Jack's turn to want to roll his eyes.
Meredith made her way back into the room, holding a casserole dish with a pair of rooster oven mitts. Jack's lips twitched upwards as he caught sight of the oven mitts, but he restrained himself from breaking out into a full out grin.
She set the dish down and started to serve. Jack and Sam both noticed the disapproving look Carlisle was giving both his wife and the entrée. Meredith ignored his looks, and gave him a good portion of the casserole.
After sitting down, she eyed her guests expectantly. They all looked at their plates in trepidation. None of them were quite sure what it was.
"Well?" Meredith prompted.
Sam picked up her fork first, and carefully tried the interesting dish. Jack followed her example, reluctantly.
"This--" Sam began softly. "This is very good."
"It's hamburger helper!" Jack cried out incredulously.
Meredith eyed Jack for a moment in disbelief, unsure what to make of his lack of tact. Then she burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," she said. "It was much too short notice to get a proper caterer, and well, this is the only thing I can make. This and macaroni and cheese that is."
"I like hamburger helper," Sam said sweetly. "It really is very good."
"Well, you would say that," Jack said with a smirk. "It's all you can make too."
Sam glared over at him. "I can make cookies. Good cookies. And don't expect to get any of them the next time I do."
Meredith watched the two with a smile. They had seemed a little too proper when they first introduced themselves, and she'd thought they appeared slightly fake, but now . . . now they were acting like a proper married couple.
"Don't down play a good meal of hamburger helper," Meredith broke in. "It got me through college, and it gets Brentley and I through the elections now."
Brentley just gave a disgusted sigh and ate another bite of the casserole. He would just be happy to get the people out of his house. This wasn't the time for hosting dinner parties. There was too much going on in this house for that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel adjusted the telescope, fixing it on the four people sitting down at the dinner table. The floor to ceiling windows were coming in handy for him. He had a perfect view.
He was still slightly irritated at being forced to stay here as they went to a dinner party. He'd had to call in for pizza -- and they were late.
He sighed, and put his frustration aside. He had a job to do, however mundane it might be. Following Sam's instructions, he activated the bug Jack had planted, and hit record.
"Really," he heard Sam's voice. "A senator, can you believe that, Jonathan? We're staying next door to a celebrity!"
~Laying it on a bit thick, don't ya think, Sam?~
Daniel leaned back in the chair and rubbed at his eyes. He hated contacts. Really, really hated them. And where was the pizza?
Daniel looked back in the telescope. He could see Meredith serving the food, and watched enviously.
Just as he heard Meredith and Sam begin to talk the doorbell rang. He jumped up gratefully and headed to the door, pulling a twenty from his wallet as he went.
He opened the door without hesitation, and his eyes went straight to the square box in the man's hands. He quickly handed the pizza guy the money and grabbed for the box. "You can keep the change," he said distractedly.
The man stopped him as he began to close the door. "Thank you, Daniel Jackson, but I have no need for this money."
Daniel moved his eyes slowly upwards. "Teal'c?" he asked -- his expression was pure disbelief. Teal'c was wearing a tight red uniform, with a baseball cap that said 'The Pizza Palace.' And on top of the hat, was a big plastic pizza.
Daniel broke into a smile at the sight, but he tried valiantly not to laugh. He looked around the entrance hall quickly, with all this surveillance equipment, there had to be a camera *somewhere.*
"It is I," Teal'c said calmly. His expression, however, clearly implied laughter would not be tolerated.
"What are you doing here?" Daniel asked, forcing himself to be serious. Which wasn't easy. His eyes kept straying upwards, drawn to the giant pepperoni pizza on his head.
"I have been sent here by General Hammond to ascertain your advancement."
"To check on our progress? We're doing fine. Sam and Jack are off making nice with the senator. I'm here watching them. You don't know what you're missing, this is the assignment of a lifetime."
"Indeed?"
"Ah . . . no."
"I see. You were again using the Tauri habit of stating the opposite of what you mean."
"Yea. There is a real pizza in here isn't there?" Daniel asked quickly, trying to open the box without dropping it.
"No," Teal'c said. "The box contains the complete data collected on one of the items. You requested it from Maybourne before you left."
"Damn."
"Are they not the correct files?" Teal'c asked.
Daniel looked through them. "No, they are the right files."
"Then there is no problem. I must depart. Take care, Daniel Jackson."
Daniel watched as Teal'c walked away. He left with a rather surprising amount of dignity and grace considering his attire, and Daniel was impressed. Even as he got into the small red car with the giant flashing pizza slice on the roof, he did it with poise.
Daniel closed the door and stared at the pizza box with longing. He considered calling for another pizza, a REAL pizza, but dismissed the idea. It would look a little suspicious. He gave another sigh and pulled a 5th avenue bar out of his bag before going back to watch the others eat.
to be continued . . .
I know this part is short, but I know a couple people have been waiting on it so I wanted to get it up as quick as I could. I don't know when the next part will be done, but I'll get to it as soon as I can.