Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold. Another adage Jack held with. And revenge he would have.
One day.
With a little help from a friend.
"Hey Carter. Busy?"
Sam smothered a sigh and out down the detailed schematic of the hyperdrive on the Prometheus. She knew that tone of voice of old. The Colonel was after something and there would be no peace until he got it.
"Not particularly sir," she lied.
"Good. Excellent."
Carter didn't like the sound of that. Good and excellent spelt trouble.
Jack drifted into the lab, picking up and putting down items of such geekness he just knew he'd never understand their use. "I'd like your help."
"Sir?"
Several weeks had passed since the 'glitter' episode. There had been laughter, too much laughter for Jack's liking. There had been the sudden unexpected showers of glitter from boots, pockets, report folders. He worked with such jokers. Oh yes, too much hilarity. So many priceless wits all stationed on one base. Remarkable.
Eventually the amusement had died down; someone else became the butt of the jokes and glitter faded from everyone's mind. Everyone save Jack.
And now it was time for payback.
"Actually, Carter, I need a favour."
"Sir?" A favour? From her? For what?
"I've been thinking about Cassandra."
"Sir?" Carter was none the wiser.
"Glitter," he said through gritted teeth.
"Oh. Right. Sir?"
"I think it's time for me to get my own back."
Sam frowned. "Are you sure that's such a good idea?" defending the girl. "I mean, well, Cass, she's just a kid."
"Meaning what?" Jack wanted to know.
"Meaning that sometimes you… well your idea of payback may not be suitable for Cass."
"Don't worry Major."
Carter worried. "What exactly have you got in mind?" she could see the Colonel laws not to be deflected.
"All I need from you, Major, is a little basic chemistry…"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Cassandra glanced at her watch. Eleven o'clock. Felt more like three am. The term paper had been a total bitch. Okay so maybe she shouldn't have left it quite so close to the deadline before making a start but hey, it's what teenagers do, right. The folder closed with a satisfying thud under her hand, the computer screen flickered it's last before sleep and the printer had fallen blissfully silent. All of which meant she was done.
Now for some serious relaxation, a wind down of mammoth proportions was most certainly the next item on her personal agenda. A long, stress reducing bath, into her favourite pyjamas and hello bed. Cass wearily dragged herself up the stairs climbing out of her clothes as she went, leaving them where they fell in that shameless confidence only teenagers possess, that there'll always be someone around to pick up the pieces after them. Taps running, pumping steaming hot water into her beloved tub, a CD chosen and inserted in her walkman and Cass was set.
She sank into the water's welcoming embrace. All that was left was to reach for a Bath Bomb; it was a celebratory bath after all. Mm, a purple one. Purple meant lavender and lavender was supposed to aid restful sleep. Perfect. Cass slid it out of its protective bag, dropped the ball into the water, lay back and lost herself in the music coursing through her head.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Cass woke with a start. Bright sunshine was filtering through her sheer bedroom drapes. She squinted blearily at her clock. Great, overslept, the lavender in her bath bomb had certainly lived up to its reputation. She hadn't even managed to climb into her pyjamas; her body was still wrapped in a towel.
Janet, enjoying a refreshing cup of coffee in the kitchen heard the blood curdling wail from Cassie's bedroom. She put the cup down and waited for her whirlwind daughter to erupt into the kitchen with her latest tale of woe, something completely trivial and blown out of all proportion no doubt.
"Look at me!" Cass howled, standing in the doorway, still wrapped in the towel.
Janet looked. Her lips twitched upward, she couldn't help it.
"It's not funny," cried Cassie. "Look at me. I'm… I'm PURPLE!" she bellowed.
"You sure are honey. Yup, that's certainly purple all right."
"What's happened to me? Am I sick?"
"I don't think so."
"But I'm PURPLE!" Cass repeated, voice reaching new heights, making Janet flinch at the assault on her ears.
"Calm down hon, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. What did you do last night?"
Cass thought. "Finished my paper, took a bath, went to bed."
"Stay right there," Janet instructed, going upstairs and rescuing the Bath Bomb wrapper from the trash. Yes, just as she thought. "Here you go, I suggest you read the small print," she handed the wrapper to her. Cass took it with shaking fingers.
On closer inspection the wrapper was quite different to that which normally came with a Bath Bomb, but last night she'd been too tired to notice. And the Bomb's name, 'Retribution', she was positive the company didn't make one by that name. She read on. 'A Bomb with a difference, designed to pay back those who most deserve it.' Cass looked, bemused, at her mother.
"Jack," said Janet.
"Jack?"
He'd got his own back for the glitter," Janet patted her daughter reassuringly. "Don't worry hon, it'll wash off. He did it to me with my shampoo, turned my hair purple for a couple of days."
"I am going to kill him," she said through gritted teeth. "I am so going to kill him."
"I suggest you go shower first, and find something with a high neck and long sleeves to wear for a couple of days."
"The man is history," Cass said with complete certainty. "I can't believe he turned me purple. Purple! Jeez, couldn't he have at least picked a colour I liked… I will never live this down, never."
Janet watched her daughter stomp back upstairs and once she heard the bathroom door slam closed she reached for the phone. No way could Jack have created something like a Bath Bomb or bottle of shampoo filled with purple die on his own, and she had a sneaking feeling she knew where he'd found his accomplice. Time for a talk with Sam.
One day.
With a little help from a friend.
"Hey Carter. Busy?"
Sam smothered a sigh and out down the detailed schematic of the hyperdrive on the Prometheus. She knew that tone of voice of old. The Colonel was after something and there would be no peace until he got it.
"Not particularly sir," she lied.
"Good. Excellent."
Carter didn't like the sound of that. Good and excellent spelt trouble.
Jack drifted into the lab, picking up and putting down items of such geekness he just knew he'd never understand their use. "I'd like your help."
"Sir?"
Several weeks had passed since the 'glitter' episode. There had been laughter, too much laughter for Jack's liking. There had been the sudden unexpected showers of glitter from boots, pockets, report folders. He worked with such jokers. Oh yes, too much hilarity. So many priceless wits all stationed on one base. Remarkable.
Eventually the amusement had died down; someone else became the butt of the jokes and glitter faded from everyone's mind. Everyone save Jack.
And now it was time for payback.
"Actually, Carter, I need a favour."
"Sir?" A favour? From her? For what?
"I've been thinking about Cassandra."
"Sir?" Carter was none the wiser.
"Glitter," he said through gritted teeth.
"Oh. Right. Sir?"
"I think it's time for me to get my own back."
Sam frowned. "Are you sure that's such a good idea?" defending the girl. "I mean, well, Cass, she's just a kid."
"Meaning what?" Jack wanted to know.
"Meaning that sometimes you… well your idea of payback may not be suitable for Cass."
"Don't worry Major."
Carter worried. "What exactly have you got in mind?" she could see the Colonel laws not to be deflected.
"All I need from you, Major, is a little basic chemistry…"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Cassandra glanced at her watch. Eleven o'clock. Felt more like three am. The term paper had been a total bitch. Okay so maybe she shouldn't have left it quite so close to the deadline before making a start but hey, it's what teenagers do, right. The folder closed with a satisfying thud under her hand, the computer screen flickered it's last before sleep and the printer had fallen blissfully silent. All of which meant she was done.
Now for some serious relaxation, a wind down of mammoth proportions was most certainly the next item on her personal agenda. A long, stress reducing bath, into her favourite pyjamas and hello bed. Cass wearily dragged herself up the stairs climbing out of her clothes as she went, leaving them where they fell in that shameless confidence only teenagers possess, that there'll always be someone around to pick up the pieces after them. Taps running, pumping steaming hot water into her beloved tub, a CD chosen and inserted in her walkman and Cass was set.
She sank into the water's welcoming embrace. All that was left was to reach for a Bath Bomb; it was a celebratory bath after all. Mm, a purple one. Purple meant lavender and lavender was supposed to aid restful sleep. Perfect. Cass slid it out of its protective bag, dropped the ball into the water, lay back and lost herself in the music coursing through her head.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Cass woke with a start. Bright sunshine was filtering through her sheer bedroom drapes. She squinted blearily at her clock. Great, overslept, the lavender in her bath bomb had certainly lived up to its reputation. She hadn't even managed to climb into her pyjamas; her body was still wrapped in a towel.
Janet, enjoying a refreshing cup of coffee in the kitchen heard the blood curdling wail from Cassie's bedroom. She put the cup down and waited for her whirlwind daughter to erupt into the kitchen with her latest tale of woe, something completely trivial and blown out of all proportion no doubt.
"Look at me!" Cass howled, standing in the doorway, still wrapped in the towel.
Janet looked. Her lips twitched upward, she couldn't help it.
"It's not funny," cried Cassie. "Look at me. I'm… I'm PURPLE!" she bellowed.
"You sure are honey. Yup, that's certainly purple all right."
"What's happened to me? Am I sick?"
"I don't think so."
"But I'm PURPLE!" Cass repeated, voice reaching new heights, making Janet flinch at the assault on her ears.
"Calm down hon, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. What did you do last night?"
Cass thought. "Finished my paper, took a bath, went to bed."
"Stay right there," Janet instructed, going upstairs and rescuing the Bath Bomb wrapper from the trash. Yes, just as she thought. "Here you go, I suggest you read the small print," she handed the wrapper to her. Cass took it with shaking fingers.
On closer inspection the wrapper was quite different to that which normally came with a Bath Bomb, but last night she'd been too tired to notice. And the Bomb's name, 'Retribution', she was positive the company didn't make one by that name. She read on. 'A Bomb with a difference, designed to pay back those who most deserve it.' Cass looked, bemused, at her mother.
"Jack," said Janet.
"Jack?"
He'd got his own back for the glitter," Janet patted her daughter reassuringly. "Don't worry hon, it'll wash off. He did it to me with my shampoo, turned my hair purple for a couple of days."
"I am going to kill him," she said through gritted teeth. "I am so going to kill him."
"I suggest you go shower first, and find something with a high neck and long sleeves to wear for a couple of days."
"The man is history," Cass said with complete certainty. "I can't believe he turned me purple. Purple! Jeez, couldn't he have at least picked a colour I liked… I will never live this down, never."
Janet watched her daughter stomp back upstairs and once she heard the bathroom door slam closed she reached for the phone. No way could Jack have created something like a Bath Bomb or bottle of shampoo filled with purple die on his own, and she had a sneaking feeling she knew where he'd found his accomplice. Time for a talk with Sam.