"What do you do, Murray?" Andrew asked, turning his attention back to his
new friend.
"I am in the Air Force as well."
"Wow. With Jack?"
"Indeed."
"Are you a Navy Seal?"
"No, Stupid. He's in the Air Force. They don't have Navy Seals in the Air Force. Only Air Force Seals. Right, Murray?"
Teal'c didn't have a clue, so he remained silent while the boys began telling each other what they'd do if they were in the Air Force with Jack and Murray. Jack smiled again. He'd forgotten how much fun a young boy could be. Charlie had been like that, too. Exuberant and easily excitable. He felt a pang of loss as he watched them, but the boys were too cheerful to allow him to be sad.
"What are we going to do now, Jack?" Asked Shawn, who was sitting on his bed above and slightly to the right of Jack's. Next to Andrew's.
O'Neill pulled the schedule out of his pocket and took a look.
"Well, according to this, we're supposed to be getting acquainted right now – which we are – and then in about a half an hour we're supposed to go down to the main building to play some mixers."
"What are mixers?" Andrew asked.
"They're games, to help us get to know everyone else."
"Can I be on your team, Murray?"
"Indeed you may, Andrew."
"Yeah, I want to be on Murray's team, too! Especially if we're doing tug-of- war."
"Me, too!"
"You can be on my team, Jack." Shawn said, loyally. He looked over at Daniel. "You, too, Daniel."
"Thanks, Shawn." Jack stood up and ruffled the boy's hair, then opened the door. "Okay, Campers! Everyone get down to the main building. Last one there has to make my bed in the morning."
There was a mad rush as the boys all jumped off their bunks and ran out of the building, racing with the natural exuberance of the young and very active. Teal'c headed for the door as well, turning to O'Neill as he passed him.
"What is a tug-of-war, O'Neill?"
Jack grinned, and shook his head, waiting for Daniel to pass him before leaving the room and shutting the door behind them. "You'll just have to wait and see, Murray."
"But if we do have one, I want to be on your team, too." Daniel said.
They were swarmed by their boys when they reached the bottom of the hill, all of them yelling to be heard over the others. Jack caught sight of Carter walking towards them surrounded by a group of young girls, and the major smiled when she saw the boys bouncing around her CO.
"How's it going, Sir?" She asked him, coming up with her group of girls. The boys scowled when they saw the girls coming, but when they looked up to see Jack's reaction, they only saw a smile. Which made them put up with the intrusion. If he wanted to talk to the girls, the boys supposed it could be allowed. They'd run them off if they got really annoying.
"Great, Carter. How about you?"
"We're good."
"Who's this, Sam?" One of the girls asked, obviously curious about them, although she noticed that most of them stayed well back from Teal'c. (Something the boys noticed immediately and with glee, and filed away for further use)
"This is Jack," Sam told them all. "He's a friend of mine. This is Sandy, Patricia, Mary, Shelly, Danin, Angela, Katie, and Gina."
"Is she in the Air Force, Jack?" One of the boys asked, ignoring the girls.
"Yup."
The boys looked at Carter with new interest, torn between their natural aversions to females in particular, and the fact that this one probably had a gun, too.
"Wow."
"Why do you call her Carter and they call her Sam?" Shawn asked.
"It's a habit," Jack said, pulling the boy close and putting his hand over his mouth to avoid any further questions. "Now you guys all get inside and get us the best spot."
Shawn laughed and took off with the rest of the boys, and Sam smiled. "You handle them so well."
"Thanks, Car-Sam." He looked down at her tribe of little girls, and saw that at least half of them were looking at Daniel speculatively. The archeologist was aware of the scrutiny and was trying his best to ignore it.
"We better get inside, before they run amok."
"Yes, yes..." Daniel said, heading for the door. "What would we do if there was a crazy bear in there attacking Andrew without us?"
"I am in the Air Force as well."
"Wow. With Jack?"
"Indeed."
"Are you a Navy Seal?"
"No, Stupid. He's in the Air Force. They don't have Navy Seals in the Air Force. Only Air Force Seals. Right, Murray?"
Teal'c didn't have a clue, so he remained silent while the boys began telling each other what they'd do if they were in the Air Force with Jack and Murray. Jack smiled again. He'd forgotten how much fun a young boy could be. Charlie had been like that, too. Exuberant and easily excitable. He felt a pang of loss as he watched them, but the boys were too cheerful to allow him to be sad.
"What are we going to do now, Jack?" Asked Shawn, who was sitting on his bed above and slightly to the right of Jack's. Next to Andrew's.
O'Neill pulled the schedule out of his pocket and took a look.
"Well, according to this, we're supposed to be getting acquainted right now – which we are – and then in about a half an hour we're supposed to go down to the main building to play some mixers."
"What are mixers?" Andrew asked.
"They're games, to help us get to know everyone else."
"Can I be on your team, Murray?"
"Indeed you may, Andrew."
"Yeah, I want to be on Murray's team, too! Especially if we're doing tug-of- war."
"Me, too!"
"You can be on my team, Jack." Shawn said, loyally. He looked over at Daniel. "You, too, Daniel."
"Thanks, Shawn." Jack stood up and ruffled the boy's hair, then opened the door. "Okay, Campers! Everyone get down to the main building. Last one there has to make my bed in the morning."
There was a mad rush as the boys all jumped off their bunks and ran out of the building, racing with the natural exuberance of the young and very active. Teal'c headed for the door as well, turning to O'Neill as he passed him.
"What is a tug-of-war, O'Neill?"
Jack grinned, and shook his head, waiting for Daniel to pass him before leaving the room and shutting the door behind them. "You'll just have to wait and see, Murray."
"But if we do have one, I want to be on your team, too." Daniel said.
They were swarmed by their boys when they reached the bottom of the hill, all of them yelling to be heard over the others. Jack caught sight of Carter walking towards them surrounded by a group of young girls, and the major smiled when she saw the boys bouncing around her CO.
"How's it going, Sir?" She asked him, coming up with her group of girls. The boys scowled when they saw the girls coming, but when they looked up to see Jack's reaction, they only saw a smile. Which made them put up with the intrusion. If he wanted to talk to the girls, the boys supposed it could be allowed. They'd run them off if they got really annoying.
"Great, Carter. How about you?"
"We're good."
"Who's this, Sam?" One of the girls asked, obviously curious about them, although she noticed that most of them stayed well back from Teal'c. (Something the boys noticed immediately and with glee, and filed away for further use)
"This is Jack," Sam told them all. "He's a friend of mine. This is Sandy, Patricia, Mary, Shelly, Danin, Angela, Katie, and Gina."
"Is she in the Air Force, Jack?" One of the boys asked, ignoring the girls.
"Yup."
The boys looked at Carter with new interest, torn between their natural aversions to females in particular, and the fact that this one probably had a gun, too.
"Wow."
"Why do you call her Carter and they call her Sam?" Shawn asked.
"It's a habit," Jack said, pulling the boy close and putting his hand over his mouth to avoid any further questions. "Now you guys all get inside and get us the best spot."
Shawn laughed and took off with the rest of the boys, and Sam smiled. "You handle them so well."
"Thanks, Car-Sam." He looked down at her tribe of little girls, and saw that at least half of them were looking at Daniel speculatively. The archeologist was aware of the scrutiny and was trying his best to ignore it.
"We better get inside, before they run amok."
"Yes, yes..." Daniel said, heading for the door. "What would we do if there was a crazy bear in there attacking Andrew without us?"