Title: 'Anyone for Dessert?'
Author: Chezza
Summary: Third part of the 'Making Amends' series. Follow up to 'Out to Dinner'. Jack wants dessert...but something gets in the way.
E-mail: cyberchezza@tiscali.co.uk
Spoilers: Hundred Days (Yeah, yeah, I know….) and Foothold
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 still pure Fluff with mebbe a bit of Romance. But there is some nastiness towards a certain short AirForce Colonel...does that make up for it? S/J UST/Friendship.
Rating: PG-13 (just to be safe)
Warnings: Language. Surprise
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 go to dragonlady for the beta-read - I nearly got her to spit her drink over the screen this time - you'll know the bit(s) I mean when ya read it! g Thanks also to Sarah L Smith for suggesting one of the plot bunnies.
This story is the third part of the 'Making Amends' series. The others being 'Paperless Office' and 'Out to Dinner' so if you haven't read those ones, this won't make much sense. Apologies for taking so long to post, but annoyingly RL decided to get in the way! If you're wondering, yes I did promise Jello, but that'll be in Part 4.
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~~~
All things considered, dinner had gone well. Neither of them had talked overly much once the
food arrived. There were too many years of ingrained military training for that. You didn't waste
time chatting when you were offered food. As the old axiom they'd both learnt in basic training
went, 'you eat what you're given, when you're given it. You never know when your next meal is
going to be'.
They'd about finished and were talking amicably, waiting for their drinks to arrive. They'd both
switched to sodas. Jack because he was driving and Sam because with the current state of
physical condition, she wasn't sure what the effects of too much alcohol would be. Whilst the idea
of jumping her CO at the table was a *very* nice fantasy, she wasn't sure if it was something she
wanted to do for real. Embarrassment aside, it probably wouldn't be good for her
reputation…never mind her career.
She was pleasantly surprised that she'd managed to finish her meal. She hadn't expected to, but
she'd polished it off like she hadn't eaten for days. Which wasn't really that far from the truth.
Guess she'd been hungrier than she thought. Maybe Janet was right after all. But she'd been so
preoccupied, she honestly hadn't noticed the effect it was having on her.
The waitress brought their drinks and took away their plates.
"*That*" Jack said. "Was the best meal I've had in *way* too long."
Sam grinned. "Know exactly what you mean, sir."
"Glad you didn't turn me down then?"
"Yeah," she admitted. She really had enjoyed the evening. It wasn't often they saw each other out
of a work situation and she liked it. It was nice to see a little bit of 'Jack' rather than 'the Colonel'.
She found the more she saw, the more she wanted to see. Careful there, Sam….
"This was a good idea of yours, sir."
Jack shrugged. "Hey, it happens. Occasionally."
They shared a smile. Jack sat back in his chair and took a swallow of his drink.
"So…Hammond was telling me earlier what a good job you did as SG-1's acting CO whilst I was
gone, Carter."
Sam looked down at her drink. "It was nothing, sir."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Nothing?"
Sam shifted in her seat under his scrutiny. "Yeah, I mean it wasn't like we were going offworld on
missions or anything. Daniel and Teal'c were assigned to other units for some of the time and I
was working in my lab, so we weren't really functioning as a team."
Jack put his drink down and leaned forward. He looked her in the eyes.
"Carter," He started seriously. "There is a lot more to command than simply issuing orders in the
field. A lot more."
She sighed. "I'm beginning to realise that, sir."
She was utterly convinced that she would have brought him home earlier if she hadn't had to
keep stopping to deal with team business. As SG-1's acting CO, she had been responsible for the
other members of her team and had had to take over some of the Colonel's duties as team
leader. She'd had no *idea* the amount of time that went into it. There were requisition requests
for her to deal with, resource requests for her colleagues time, team meetings, team *leader*
meetings, quarterly and monthly reports, performance reviews, equipment and personnel
checks….there was so much more than there was as a 2IC. By the end of it she had a much
clearer understanding of the Colonel's loathing for admin work. Although she had begun to
wonder how he ever found the time to stop by her lab and chat nearly every day.
Jack grinned. He recognised *that* sigh when he heard it. It had come out of his own mouth often
enough.
"And there you were thinking I didn't do anything, Carter."
She looked up at him, all wide-eyed innocence.
"I never thought you didn't do anything, sir. I just wasn't exactly sure what it was that you *did*
actually do."
Yeah, I know that one myself, Jack thought. Every time he walked in to her lab, usually.
"Well now ya know."
"Yes sir. And I'm beginning to wish I didn't."
He laughed. "The perils of command Carter, the perils of command…seriously though it's not
*too* bad once you get used it." He paused. "Just don't tell anyone I said that."
"You're asking me to keep a lot of secrets for you today, sir."
Where had *that* come from?
"I trust you." He said simply.
Oh. Well. There wasn't much she could say to that.
"Thank you." She said quietly.
He shrugged. "No problem."
Sam hesitated, then asked the question. She had to know.
"How do you do it?"
Jack frowned. "Do what?"
"Command."
Jack paused. He wasn't sure how to answer. It was just one of those things. It was something
that you could either do, or you couldn't. Like…patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the
same time.
There were people who could give orders and have people listen. And there were those who
couldn't. There were people who were quite happy to spend their life being told what to do. Which
Jack had never been able to understand. And there were those – like Jack – who weren't happy
with that. It was simply 'the way things were'. He could command and he knew without a doubt
that Carter could as well. He'd known it since that first mission to Abydos, even if she wasn't sure
of it herself yet.
He shrugged again. "You just *do*. I know that's not much help but…you've been covering for me
the past few months – did you think about that, or did you simply do it?"
"I – just did it, I guess." She admitted.
"Well there ya go then."
"I think too much?"
He grinned. "Sometimes. But, in this case it's a good thing. It means you're taking the idea of
command seriously. Any commander has doubts Carter, even me. Frankly, I'd be worried if you
didn't. But that doesn't mean it isn't something you're capable of doing."
"You really think I'm capable of command?" Sam asked quietly. She knew it sounded pathetic to
ask, but he was one of the best CO's she'd worked under and she really wanted his approval.
Heh – worked under. She hid a grin. If only….
"Without a doubt." He said firmly. She obviously needed to hear this.
"One of these days Carter, you're gonna make a damn fine CO." Of SG-1 if I have any say in the
matter.
"If I didn't think that, you *wouldn't* be my 2IC. And – I probably don't say this as often as I should
– you're one of the best 2ICs I've had the pleasure of working with…and I've worked with a few."
Sam swallowed, trying desperately not to lose her composure. Praise indeed…. Of all the
compliments he'd given her over the years, *this* one meant the most to her.
Jack was puzzled at her silence. "You *do* want your own command one day, don't ya Carter?"
He couldn't have read her *that* wrongly, could he?
She was quick to reassure him. "Yes sir! I do. And…thank you, sir. I just want to say you're one of
the best COs I've ever had, as well."
Not that she'd actually *had* him as such…. Jeez, what was *with* all the smutty thoughts today?
The comment 'But you haven't had me yet, Carter', sprung to the forefront of Jack's mind. For
cryin out loud O'Neill, get your mind out the gutter….
"You're welcome. I just love this mutual appreciation society stuff", he quipped.
She grinned. "Good for the ego is it, sir?"
"Oh yeah. Needs it after the battering you gave it earlier on."
"Wasn't intentional sir."
"Of course it wasn't. I'll believe you." Thousands wouldn't.
"Really, it wasn't."
They shared a smile, their eyes meeting over the table. That had been happening a lot tonight
and it was becoming harder and harder for either of them to end it.
Jack cleared his throat and wrenched his eyes away. What the hell was going on with him
tonight? May be this hadn't been the best idea he'd ever had after all. But he didn't want it to be
over just yet.
"So, that answer a few of your questions, Carter?"
"Yes sir, but…." Sam hesitated, wondering how to say what she wanted to next.
Jack noticed. "Spit it out, Major."
"I'm not sure if I'm ready for it yet, sir."
Jack gave her an appraising look. She'd just gone up even further in his estimation. It took a lot of
guts to know your own shortcomings, let alone admit to them. She deserved a truthful answer
here. He considered his words carefully.
"Probably not just yet Major, but not too far in the future I think. You have the training and rank,
which is two-thirds of command. The rest just comes with experience. Everyone has their own
way of commanding, you simply need to find your style. If you feel that's an area which needs a
little development, we can work on it if you like."
Something akin to relief flashed across her face. "Yes sir. That would be great."
"Alright then…" He paused, thinking furiously. "Come by my office tomorrow, say 09:30 and we'll
sit down and sort something out."
"Yes sir."
Jack sat back again and took a drink. "Well that's sorted then."
Sam copied his actions. "I still don't understand how you find the time though."
Jack grinned. "Time management, Carter."
Sam choked on her drink, the bubbles going up her nose. "Time Management?!!"
Colonel O'Neill was talking about Time Management?!! Oh yeah, they had *definitely* brought the
wrong man back from Edora.
"Yeah. You have to prioritise. A lot of what crosses your desk is dross. You have to work out what
requires your attention and what doesn't."
Sam sat staring at him in shock. Jack couldn't help but grin wider. It was nice to get one over on
the scientists occasionally.
"And," he continued, staring at her pointedly. "You have to make sure you don't concentrate on
any one thing to the exclusion of everything else."
Ah. So *that* was where she had been going wrong….
"But don't worry about it. They give ya training on that too."
Oh. That explained it then….
Jack took another swallow of his drink. "So…feel up to some of that dessert you were mentioning
earlier?"
"Depends on what you had in mind, sir."
"Well, I thought about hot monkey sex on the table but I figured the staff might complain."
Jack froze. Oh shit. Had he just said that out loud?
Carter choked on her drink for the second time in five minutes.
Jack closed his eyes. Yes he had. Dammit. And he'd been doing so well too….
"Uuh, Carter – " He stammered.
"S'okay, sir." She said hastily. "You just caught me by surprise, that's all." And I *didn't* expect
you to come out and say what I'd been thinking 10 minutes ago….
Jack opened his mouth to reply when a voice from the side cut him off.
"Well, well. Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter. What a – pleasant – surprise."
Jack looked up. What the bloody hell was *he* doing here?
"I was soo hoping someone had shot you whilst I was away, Maybourne."
~~~o0o~~~
Author: Chezza
Summary: Third part of the 'Making Amends' series. Follow up to 'Out to Dinner'. Jack wants dessert...but something gets in the way.
E-mail: cyberchezza@tiscali.co.uk
Spoilers: Hundred Days (Yeah, yeah, I know….) and Foothold
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 still pure Fluff with mebbe a bit of Romance. But there is some nastiness towards a certain short AirForce Colonel...does that make up for it? S/J UST/Friendship.
Rating: PG-13 (just to be safe)
Warnings: Language. Surprise
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 go to dragonlady for the beta-read - I nearly got her to spit her drink over the screen this time - you'll know the bit(s) I mean when ya read it! g Thanks also to Sarah L Smith for suggesting one of the plot bunnies.
This story is the third part of the 'Making Amends' series. The others being 'Paperless Office' and 'Out to Dinner' so if you haven't read those ones, this won't make much sense. Apologies for taking so long to post, but annoyingly RL decided to get in the way! If you're wondering, yes I did promise Jello, but that'll be in Part 4.
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~~~
All things considered, dinner had gone well. Neither of them had talked overly much once the
food arrived. There were too many years of ingrained military training for that. You didn't waste
time chatting when you were offered food. As the old axiom they'd both learnt in basic training
went, 'you eat what you're given, when you're given it. You never know when your next meal is
going to be'.
They'd about finished and were talking amicably, waiting for their drinks to arrive. They'd both
switched to sodas. Jack because he was driving and Sam because with the current state of
physical condition, she wasn't sure what the effects of too much alcohol would be. Whilst the idea
of jumping her CO at the table was a *very* nice fantasy, she wasn't sure if it was something she
wanted to do for real. Embarrassment aside, it probably wouldn't be good for her
reputation…never mind her career.
She was pleasantly surprised that she'd managed to finish her meal. She hadn't expected to, but
she'd polished it off like she hadn't eaten for days. Which wasn't really that far from the truth.
Guess she'd been hungrier than she thought. Maybe Janet was right after all. But she'd been so
preoccupied, she honestly hadn't noticed the effect it was having on her.
The waitress brought their drinks and took away their plates.
"*That*" Jack said. "Was the best meal I've had in *way* too long."
Sam grinned. "Know exactly what you mean, sir."
"Glad you didn't turn me down then?"
"Yeah," she admitted. She really had enjoyed the evening. It wasn't often they saw each other out
of a work situation and she liked it. It was nice to see a little bit of 'Jack' rather than 'the Colonel'.
She found the more she saw, the more she wanted to see. Careful there, Sam….
"This was a good idea of yours, sir."
Jack shrugged. "Hey, it happens. Occasionally."
They shared a smile. Jack sat back in his chair and took a swallow of his drink.
"So…Hammond was telling me earlier what a good job you did as SG-1's acting CO whilst I was
gone, Carter."
Sam looked down at her drink. "It was nothing, sir."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Nothing?"
Sam shifted in her seat under his scrutiny. "Yeah, I mean it wasn't like we were going offworld on
missions or anything. Daniel and Teal'c were assigned to other units for some of the time and I
was working in my lab, so we weren't really functioning as a team."
Jack put his drink down and leaned forward. He looked her in the eyes.
"Carter," He started seriously. "There is a lot more to command than simply issuing orders in the
field. A lot more."
She sighed. "I'm beginning to realise that, sir."
She was utterly convinced that she would have brought him home earlier if she hadn't had to
keep stopping to deal with team business. As SG-1's acting CO, she had been responsible for the
other members of her team and had had to take over some of the Colonel's duties as team
leader. She'd had no *idea* the amount of time that went into it. There were requisition requests
for her to deal with, resource requests for her colleagues time, team meetings, team *leader*
meetings, quarterly and monthly reports, performance reviews, equipment and personnel
checks….there was so much more than there was as a 2IC. By the end of it she had a much
clearer understanding of the Colonel's loathing for admin work. Although she had begun to
wonder how he ever found the time to stop by her lab and chat nearly every day.
Jack grinned. He recognised *that* sigh when he heard it. It had come out of his own mouth often
enough.
"And there you were thinking I didn't do anything, Carter."
She looked up at him, all wide-eyed innocence.
"I never thought you didn't do anything, sir. I just wasn't exactly sure what it was that you *did*
actually do."
Yeah, I know that one myself, Jack thought. Every time he walked in to her lab, usually.
"Well now ya know."
"Yes sir. And I'm beginning to wish I didn't."
He laughed. "The perils of command Carter, the perils of command…seriously though it's not
*too* bad once you get used it." He paused. "Just don't tell anyone I said that."
"You're asking me to keep a lot of secrets for you today, sir."
Where had *that* come from?
"I trust you." He said simply.
Oh. Well. There wasn't much she could say to that.
"Thank you." She said quietly.
He shrugged. "No problem."
Sam hesitated, then asked the question. She had to know.
"How do you do it?"
Jack frowned. "Do what?"
"Command."
Jack paused. He wasn't sure how to answer. It was just one of those things. It was something
that you could either do, or you couldn't. Like…patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the
same time.
There were people who could give orders and have people listen. And there were those who
couldn't. There were people who were quite happy to spend their life being told what to do. Which
Jack had never been able to understand. And there were those – like Jack – who weren't happy
with that. It was simply 'the way things were'. He could command and he knew without a doubt
that Carter could as well. He'd known it since that first mission to Abydos, even if she wasn't sure
of it herself yet.
He shrugged again. "You just *do*. I know that's not much help but…you've been covering for me
the past few months – did you think about that, or did you simply do it?"
"I – just did it, I guess." She admitted.
"Well there ya go then."
"I think too much?"
He grinned. "Sometimes. But, in this case it's a good thing. It means you're taking the idea of
command seriously. Any commander has doubts Carter, even me. Frankly, I'd be worried if you
didn't. But that doesn't mean it isn't something you're capable of doing."
"You really think I'm capable of command?" Sam asked quietly. She knew it sounded pathetic to
ask, but he was one of the best CO's she'd worked under and she really wanted his approval.
Heh – worked under. She hid a grin. If only….
"Without a doubt." He said firmly. She obviously needed to hear this.
"One of these days Carter, you're gonna make a damn fine CO." Of SG-1 if I have any say in the
matter.
"If I didn't think that, you *wouldn't* be my 2IC. And – I probably don't say this as often as I should
– you're one of the best 2ICs I've had the pleasure of working with…and I've worked with a few."
Sam swallowed, trying desperately not to lose her composure. Praise indeed…. Of all the
compliments he'd given her over the years, *this* one meant the most to her.
Jack was puzzled at her silence. "You *do* want your own command one day, don't ya Carter?"
He couldn't have read her *that* wrongly, could he?
She was quick to reassure him. "Yes sir! I do. And…thank you, sir. I just want to say you're one of
the best COs I've ever had, as well."
Not that she'd actually *had* him as such…. Jeez, what was *with* all the smutty thoughts today?
The comment 'But you haven't had me yet, Carter', sprung to the forefront of Jack's mind. For
cryin out loud O'Neill, get your mind out the gutter….
"You're welcome. I just love this mutual appreciation society stuff", he quipped.
She grinned. "Good for the ego is it, sir?"
"Oh yeah. Needs it after the battering you gave it earlier on."
"Wasn't intentional sir."
"Of course it wasn't. I'll believe you." Thousands wouldn't.
"Really, it wasn't."
They shared a smile, their eyes meeting over the table. That had been happening a lot tonight
and it was becoming harder and harder for either of them to end it.
Jack cleared his throat and wrenched his eyes away. What the hell was going on with him
tonight? May be this hadn't been the best idea he'd ever had after all. But he didn't want it to be
over just yet.
"So, that answer a few of your questions, Carter?"
"Yes sir, but…." Sam hesitated, wondering how to say what she wanted to next.
Jack noticed. "Spit it out, Major."
"I'm not sure if I'm ready for it yet, sir."
Jack gave her an appraising look. She'd just gone up even further in his estimation. It took a lot of
guts to know your own shortcomings, let alone admit to them. She deserved a truthful answer
here. He considered his words carefully.
"Probably not just yet Major, but not too far in the future I think. You have the training and rank,
which is two-thirds of command. The rest just comes with experience. Everyone has their own
way of commanding, you simply need to find your style. If you feel that's an area which needs a
little development, we can work on it if you like."
Something akin to relief flashed across her face. "Yes sir. That would be great."
"Alright then…" He paused, thinking furiously. "Come by my office tomorrow, say 09:30 and we'll
sit down and sort something out."
"Yes sir."
Jack sat back again and took a drink. "Well that's sorted then."
Sam copied his actions. "I still don't understand how you find the time though."
Jack grinned. "Time management, Carter."
Sam choked on her drink, the bubbles going up her nose. "Time Management?!!"
Colonel O'Neill was talking about Time Management?!! Oh yeah, they had *definitely* brought the
wrong man back from Edora.
"Yeah. You have to prioritise. A lot of what crosses your desk is dross. You have to work out what
requires your attention and what doesn't."
Sam sat staring at him in shock. Jack couldn't help but grin wider. It was nice to get one over on
the scientists occasionally.
"And," he continued, staring at her pointedly. "You have to make sure you don't concentrate on
any one thing to the exclusion of everything else."
Ah. So *that* was where she had been going wrong….
"But don't worry about it. They give ya training on that too."
Oh. That explained it then….
Jack took another swallow of his drink. "So…feel up to some of that dessert you were mentioning
earlier?"
"Depends on what you had in mind, sir."
"Well, I thought about hot monkey sex on the table but I figured the staff might complain."
Jack froze. Oh shit. Had he just said that out loud?
Carter choked on her drink for the second time in five minutes.
Jack closed his eyes. Yes he had. Dammit. And he'd been doing so well too….
"Uuh, Carter – " He stammered.
"S'okay, sir." She said hastily. "You just caught me by surprise, that's all." And I *didn't* expect
you to come out and say what I'd been thinking 10 minutes ago….
Jack opened his mouth to reply when a voice from the side cut him off.
"Well, well. Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter. What a – pleasant – surprise."
Jack looked up. What the bloody hell was *he* doing here?
"I was soo hoping someone had shot you whilst I was away, Maybourne."
~~~o0o~~~
