Title: 'Out to Dinner'

Author: Chezza

E-mail: cyberchezza@tiscali.co.uk

Status: Complete

Series/Sequel Info: Second part of the 'Making Amends' series. Sequel to 'The Paperless Office'.

Summary: Jack takes Sam out for that dinner date

to talk over a few issues. Um, that's it.

Spoilers: Hundred Days (Yeah, yeah, I know....)

Season: Three. Obviously. Set literally - as in 'the very next day' literally - after Jack

returns from Edora.

Characters: Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter

Pairings: Duh. See above....

Category: Ummm, pretty much pure Fluff, mebbe a bit of Romance. And not a helluva lot

of anything else in this one I'm afraid, not even Humour! S/J UST/Friendship.

Rating: PG (how embarassing)

Warnings: V. mild angst. No language warning this time. Which is shocking for one of my

stories I'll admit....

File Size: 25kb

Archive: Archive: Helio, ff.net, Gateworld, SJD, Jackfic, Carterfic… Anyone else - hey, ya want it you can

have it. Just ask me first okay? I wanna know where it's going so I can visit!

Disclaimer: Ain't mine. Gee *that's* a shocker....

Author's Notes: Thanks - as always - go to dragonlady for the beta-read. Even if she

did forget she was supposed to be beta-ing it, not just reading!

This story is a sequel to my 'Paperless Office' fic, so if you haven't read that one, this

won't make much sense. Many, many thanks to everyone who sent me feedback on that. I

think I got more feedback for that one story alone, than I've had for the rest of my

work combined! Thank you. You all asked, pleaded, got down on your knees and begged

for the restaurant scene. So here it is. Be warned tho', it's probably not what most of

you will be expecting. I've read too many post-Edora fics to count and they mainly seem

to concentrate on Sam's POV. I've always been interested to know what Jack thought

about it all and this is the result.

As always, flames will be used to light Tealc's candles....not like that! Get your mind out

the gutter, f'cryin' out loud....

On with the show....

~~~o0o~~~

Colonel Jack O'Neill knocked on his 2IC's door at 1900 hours sharp. He'd just been back

to his house for the first time in three months. And boy, had it felt good. Up until two

days ago, he thought he would never see it again. Never again sit on his roof watching

the stars through his telescope. Or drive his truck. Or take his early morning run

through the woods behind his house. All the little things that he'd missed more than he

thought possible. All the little things that, when added up together, made this place

*home*. Now here he was, about to thank the person who'd made it possible for him to

do it all once more.

The sound of a key turning in a lock came from the other side of the door. It opened

inward to reveal the house's owner - Major Samantha Carter. The Colonel's 2IC and one

of the few people that Jack O'Neill classed as a true friend nowadays.

"Sir, hi!"

"Hey Carter." He replied, letting his eyes roam her body. She was dressed in a little red

top that he was sure would show some midriff if she stretched and a pair of plain black

trousers that fitted her long legs *very* well. Seeing her in fatigues all the time, made

him forget what a fine figure she actually had.

He couldn't resist a low whistle.

"You look a million dollars, Carter."

She grinned and deliberately looked him up and down in return. Plain grey t-shirt that

clung in all the right places, tucked into a snug fitting pair of black jeans. Topped off

with his obligatory black leather jacket. *Very* nice. Very nice indeed. It was such a

shame his regular fatigues were so baggy. The man really did have a great body....

"You don't clean up so bad yourself, sir."

"Yeah well, it's amazing the difference a proper shower makes."

She laughed. "Not too many of them in recent month's then?"

He pulled a face. "Ah no. As relaxing a vacation spot as Edora is, it doesn't have much in

the way of mod cons, if ya know what I mean."

"Back to basics then huh? Outside toilets, tin baths...." Sam was actually quite curious.

They hadn't really had chance to see the everyday life of the Edorans before everything

had gone to Hell in a handbasket. As on most missions they'd set up their own camp and

only ventured into the village when necessary. Which granted had been often, as the

Edorans were a very welcoming people, but she'd never seen more of their homes than

the main living area.

"Try wooden shacks with a hole in the ground and a tub in front of the fire. Or the

river."

"Very...rustic."

"Oh yes. I don't think I've enjoyed a shower so much in my life. I tell ya Carter, if I

hadn't been taking you out to dinner tonight, I may just have spent the entire evening in

there."

Sam swallowed hard as an image of her CO naked, soapy and wet in the shower popped

into her head. She ruthlessly stamped on the little voice in her head that was suggesting

they just blow the whole dinner thing off and spend the evening in her shower.

"Don't let me stop you, sir." *Damn* she hadn't meant to say that!

"Oh no." He laughed, either completely missing or ignoring the possible double meaning of

her words.

"You don't get out of it that easily."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Sir."

He waggeld his eyebrows suggestively. "Shame. And here I was hoping you were offering

the use of your shower for the evening instead...."

Sam blushed bright red. He hadn't missed it. Oh well, she could give as good as she got.....

"Well, if that's what you'd prefer sir, I'm sure there's enough room for two - "

His jaw dropped open as he stared at her. She swallowed as she stared back, *This* was

new. Normally they'd never have let the innuendo get this far....

The moment was broken by a loud gurgling noise. Jack snapped his mouth shut and shot a

chagrined look down at his stomach. He looked back up when hers made a similar noise.

They burst out laughing.

"As nice as that sounds Major, I think our stomachs might object..don't you?"

She shook her head in amusement. "I'll just go get my jacket, sir."

Jack sighed and leaned against the doorframe, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Carter, you've been spending *way* to much time with Daniel."

Sam frowned. Huh?

"I'm sorry?"

Jack grinned and launched into a pretty good imitation of their team mate.

"I'll *just* be a second - I *just* need to get a few things - *just* five more minutes

Jack...."

They shared a smile at the expense of their friend. "Is there a technical term for that,

Colonel?" Sam joked.

"Yeah, it's called 'justing'. And I'd rather it didn't spread...."

Sam smiled as she lifted her jacket off the hook and pulled it on. "Bit late for that, sir."

"Obviously." He grinned wryly. "Does beg the question of exactly how *much* time you've

been spending with him tho'...."

"He took over your 'sitting in the astrophysicist's lab and bugging the hell out of her

until she takes a break' role, sir. So quite a bit."

Jack sighed and shook his head in dismay, stepping back out of the doorway. "I'm *that*

easy to replace? Ya really know how ta knock a guy's ego, Carter."

Sam chuckled as she locked the door behind her. "Well, if you *will* go off on these

unscheduled vacations, sir...."

"Yeah, yeah...." Jack stopped suddenly in the middle of the path and grabbed her arm.

"Hey Carter," He asked, concerned. "Ya didn't let him use my chair did ya? It took me

*ages* to get that set up right - "

"Actually sir...."

"Carter! Ya didn't. *Tell* me ya didn't?"

She laughed. "No sir. I didn't."

She hadn't. His chair - the one he always sat in when he visited her lab, the one he span

round and round on like a little kid - had been left exactly the way it was the last time

he'd visited her lab before becoming trapped on Edora. Complete with the shirt casually

slung over the back. She'd been running an experiment at the time and he had

complained it was too hot. Seeing it there every day had provided an added incentive, as

if she needed one.

Jack sighed in relief. "Good...that's good. What would I do without you Carter?"

"Spend the rest of your life stuck on an alien planet?" She asked innocently.

"Well yeah, there's that...and I'm more grateful than you know, that you managed to find

a way round *that* one."

"Whatever you say, sir." She still wasn't entirely convinced that he wasn't just saying it

simply to make her feel better.

The hand on her arm moved to tilt her chin up so she was looking him in the eye. She

suddenly found it hard to breathe.

"Seriously, Carter. I am." And she found she could believe him.

"I know, sir." She said quietly.

He smiled slowly. His thumb smoothed across her cheek in an unconscious gesture. She

closed her eyes at the sensation. Too close Sam, *way* too close....

His hand fell away. She opened her eyes to find him studying his boots.

"I missed you Carter." He said softly.

Oh God. She was gonna *have* to tell him now. Sam drew a shaky breath and forced the

words past the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat.

"I missed you too, sir."

He shot a glance up at her.

"Really?"

She bit her lip and looked down at the floor herself.

"Yeah," She admitted.

There was a pause, both of them unsure what to say next.

"Ah Hell," Jack muttered as if coming to a decision.

Sam looked up at him in surprise.

"C'mere." He said and pulled her into a hug.

Sam froze for a second in shock and then relaxed into it, wrapping her arms around his

back. She shivered slightly, trying to ignore how good it felt to be pressed up against

him.

After a few moments he let her go. They stepped apart, Sam blinking rapidly to try and

disperse the tears that had suddenly appeared in the corners of her eyes.

"Okay, it's official." He said jokingly, his own eyes suspiciously bright. "We're both a

couple of the biggest saps going."

"Looks that way, sir." She replied.

"Well I don't know about you Major, but Sap 1 would like to take Sap 2 for that meal he's

been promising her. There's the biggest steak you've ever *seen* out there somewhere

with my name on it...."

"Sap 2 thinks that would be a very good idea sir. My stomach thinks my throat's been

cut."

"In that case -" Jack hit the remote central locking button on his keys and unlocked the

doors to his truck. He waved his hand in it's direction. " - your carriage awaits ma'am."

Sam shook her head and walked to the truck. She wasn't even going to dignify that

comment with a reply.

~~~o0o~~~