Title: Juncture
Author: Kate Anderson
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Jack and Samantha still aren't mine.
Spoilers: None
*
The fact that there was something unpleasant on the seat of the bench hardly registered with Samantha. She sat down, crossed her legs and waited. What she was waiting for, she did not know.
A bird, a dirty white gull, flew over head. It was a minor miracle - probably through divine intervention of some sort - that the bird's white shit managed to miss her head. That, Samantha thought, would have been disgusting. Not to mention a real bitch to get out of her suede jacket.
It had happened before, a bird shitting on her. Samantha's mother had figured that Sam was like a magnet for the stuff. On the playground at recess, little Samantha had found herself a victim of a fly-by pooing. The first time, she had cried and tried to wipe it off her braids with her jacket. The next time, she ran inside and informed the hall monitor that "a bird had shit upon" her.
The hall monitor dragged her to the principal who discouraged any further use of the word shit and threatened to call her mother. It was her mother who had taught little Samantha the word in the first place.
Samantha watched the offending bird touchdown onto the grass, where it settled its wings against its body and let out a loud cry. She winced at the noise and touched the bridge of her nose with the tip of her fingers.
"I hear that for today's tough pain, one Advil is often enough," said a gentle voice. Samantha let herself smile and took her eyes off the gull to look at Jack.
"Hey," she said. "I was wondering how long it would take you to find me."
Jack pulled a tissue from his pocket and wiped that something that looked vaguely like spit from the bench before settling down beside Samantha. He tapped the side of his head. "Just put the ol' investigation skills to use. You were upset, I knew that you'd retreat to somewhere comforting."
The gull cocked its head and let out another cry. Samantha unsuccessfully tried to prevent another wince. "I don't want to talk about the case, Jack." she whispered.
"I wasn't going to make you." he replied and shifted uncomfortably in the sticky, humid air. "You couldn't have chosen somewhere else to hide, could you. Maybe some place with air conditioning?"
Samantha gave Jack a wry grin. "Sorry," she said, not sounding apologetic at all. "I'll try to remember that for the next time."
"You should get away, Sam. Take a break."
"Fun in the sun?" Sam asked, having trouble picturing herself actually relaxing. The sandy beach, cool waters, and a bird crapping on her head.
"Fun in the sun or even just a few days sprawled on the couch, in front of your tv."
"I can't," Samantha said, keeping a watchful eye on the gull that had taken flight again. Jack made a small noise of disapproval, so Sam continued. "I don't have a copy of the TV Guide."
Jack touched her arm. "I don't want to make it mandatory, Sam."
"Then don't."
"I'll buy you a copy of the TV Guide."
Samantha watched the flock of gulls circle above her head, suddenly feeling very wary. As though she were a target of some kind. A big red (could gulls see red?) bulls-eye painted on her head. She stood up, taking a few steps away from the bench and hopefully, out of the danger zone.
"Where are you going?" Jack asked.
"We," she said. "Are going to find a newsstand. I need a copy of the TV Guide."
Author: Kate Anderson
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Jack and Samantha still aren't mine.
Spoilers: None
*
The fact that there was something unpleasant on the seat of the bench hardly registered with Samantha. She sat down, crossed her legs and waited. What she was waiting for, she did not know.
A bird, a dirty white gull, flew over head. It was a minor miracle - probably through divine intervention of some sort - that the bird's white shit managed to miss her head. That, Samantha thought, would have been disgusting. Not to mention a real bitch to get out of her suede jacket.
It had happened before, a bird shitting on her. Samantha's mother had figured that Sam was like a magnet for the stuff. On the playground at recess, little Samantha had found herself a victim of a fly-by pooing. The first time, she had cried and tried to wipe it off her braids with her jacket. The next time, she ran inside and informed the hall monitor that "a bird had shit upon" her.
The hall monitor dragged her to the principal who discouraged any further use of the word shit and threatened to call her mother. It was her mother who had taught little Samantha the word in the first place.
Samantha watched the offending bird touchdown onto the grass, where it settled its wings against its body and let out a loud cry. She winced at the noise and touched the bridge of her nose with the tip of her fingers.
"I hear that for today's tough pain, one Advil is often enough," said a gentle voice. Samantha let herself smile and took her eyes off the gull to look at Jack.
"Hey," she said. "I was wondering how long it would take you to find me."
Jack pulled a tissue from his pocket and wiped that something that looked vaguely like spit from the bench before settling down beside Samantha. He tapped the side of his head. "Just put the ol' investigation skills to use. You were upset, I knew that you'd retreat to somewhere comforting."
The gull cocked its head and let out another cry. Samantha unsuccessfully tried to prevent another wince. "I don't want to talk about the case, Jack." she whispered.
"I wasn't going to make you." he replied and shifted uncomfortably in the sticky, humid air. "You couldn't have chosen somewhere else to hide, could you. Maybe some place with air conditioning?"
Samantha gave Jack a wry grin. "Sorry," she said, not sounding apologetic at all. "I'll try to remember that for the next time."
"You should get away, Sam. Take a break."
"Fun in the sun?" Sam asked, having trouble picturing herself actually relaxing. The sandy beach, cool waters, and a bird crapping on her head.
"Fun in the sun or even just a few days sprawled on the couch, in front of your tv."
"I can't," Samantha said, keeping a watchful eye on the gull that had taken flight again. Jack made a small noise of disapproval, so Sam continued. "I don't have a copy of the TV Guide."
Jack touched her arm. "I don't want to make it mandatory, Sam."
"Then don't."
"I'll buy you a copy of the TV Guide."
Samantha watched the flock of gulls circle above her head, suddenly feeling very wary. As though she were a target of some kind. A big red (could gulls see red?) bulls-eye painted on her head. She stood up, taking a few steps away from the bench and hopefully, out of the danger zone.
"Where are you going?" Jack asked.
"We," she said. "Are going to find a newsstand. I need a copy of the TV Guide."