Author's Note: Thank you very much for letting me know what ship meant! I'd
heard the phrase before, but wasn't sure what it meant, and didn't think it
mattered until people started asking for it. There'll definitely be some
romance in the future, I promise
~**~~*~~*~~~
Morning found Andrew back in his bed with no recollection of how he got there. When he woke, Teal'c was already out of the cabin, having left Daniel and Jack with the kids while he went off to find a quiet place to meditate. Jack had woken up at the sound of the horn once more – again, he was the only one who actually did – and as much as he dearly wanted a cup of coffee, he wasn't going to leave Daniel alone with the responsibility of getting the kids to breakfast on time.
"Jack, I have a watch," one of the boys called from across the room. "Can I be the person who makes sure we all get to breakfast on time?" Translated, that meant 'can I be the runner? I just borrowed Simon's watch from him for the morning so I could make sure everyone gets to breakfast on time, thus earning the job.'
Jack smiled; problem solved.
"You sure can, Devon. Everyone hear that? Devon's in charge of getting you to breakfast on time. That means if anyone doesn't listen to him and you show up late, I'm going to be forced to take you sailing with me."
There were groans and laughter, and Jack knew none of the boys would be late. However, since Daniel was still lazing about in his bed as he tried to wake up, he could make sure the boys actually did what Devon told them.
O'Neill finished dressing and walked over to Daniel's bunk.
"You're in charge of Devon, Daniel. He's in charge of everyone else. Unless you want to come down early and have a cup of coffee with me?"
"What? And take the risk of being seen any earlier than necessary by Sam's girls?" Daniel shook his head, looking at the assortment of leather friendship bracelets he had looped on the post of his bunk. "Thanks, Jack, I'll pass. Besides, Devon might need backup."
"True enough." Jack gave the boy a smile to show he wasn't nervous about leaving him in command, ruffled Simon's hair and walked out of the cabin.
"Jack! Wait for me, I'll come with you!"
Shawn was still pulling on his shirt, and was stomping his feet into his sneakers as he ran out the door, and the colonel stopped and gave him a chance to catch up. The boy's dark hair was standing up in a few places, and Jack found himself smoothing it down with his hand.
"You didn't comb your hair, boy-o." Jack observed as the hair went back to sticking up as soon as he moved his hand.
"Neither did you."
"Yeah... well..." Jack couldn't think of anything to say to that, since it was true, so he simply put a companionable hand on Shawn's shoulder and the two walked down to the cafeteria in silence.
"Hey! Sam's here!"
So she was. She was sitting at 'her' table when the two walked in the door, and Shawn ran up to her, leaving Jack to walk to the coffee pot and get his coffee alone.
"Hi Sam!"
"Good morning, Shawn," Carter said, smiling at the boy as he plopped in his chair near hers.
"Look, Jack," Shawn called as Jack came over. "Doesn't Sam look nice?"
He smiled, wondering what had gotten into the boy. "She's beautiful, Shawn." He sat down in the chair next to hers, and gave her a look that plainly asked if she knew what was going on. Carter blushed slightly at the compliment, which only made her prettier as far as Jack was concerned, and shrugged to let him know she didn't have a clue.
"Good morning, Sam," Jack said.
"Morning, Jack. How is your head?" It looked worse than it had the day before, now that the bruising was complete. Deep purple – among other colors – lined the area between Jack's eye and nose, and the area on his forehead that had been the most swollen was now an ugly bruise as well.
"It's not as bad as it looks. Thanks."
"Sleep well?"
"Yes. You?"
"Once we got them to sleep, yes."
"Jack snores." Shawn told Sam. "I sleep right above him, I know."
Sam laughed, and the three of them chatted while they watched the tables start filling with kids and counselors who were filtering in slowly. Jean came in with Gina and a handful of the girls in tow, and walked over to the table. The girls were obviously disappointed that Daniel wasn't with Jack and Shawn. They winced collectively when they saw Jack's face, and then asked where Daniel was.
"He's up at the cabin, still." Jack said, ignoring the winces. They were getting old yesterday, but today he thought he'd scream if people kept doing that every time they looked at him.
"Oh."
"You know, if you wait a little ways from the cabin, he'd probably like the company if you want to go wait for him and walk down here with him. He'd-" Jack didn't get any more out, as there was a mad dash to the door as the girls ran to go wait for Daniel.
"That was cruel." Sam noted, grinning despite herself.
"Yeah, well..."
Jean laughed a she sat down, and Gina gave Jack a shy smile as she took the chair next to Carter's, unsure what everyone thought was so funny, but happy to see O'Neill smiling. Especially with his head looking all icky.
~**~~*~~*~~~
Morning found Andrew back in his bed with no recollection of how he got there. When he woke, Teal'c was already out of the cabin, having left Daniel and Jack with the kids while he went off to find a quiet place to meditate. Jack had woken up at the sound of the horn once more – again, he was the only one who actually did – and as much as he dearly wanted a cup of coffee, he wasn't going to leave Daniel alone with the responsibility of getting the kids to breakfast on time.
"Jack, I have a watch," one of the boys called from across the room. "Can I be the person who makes sure we all get to breakfast on time?" Translated, that meant 'can I be the runner? I just borrowed Simon's watch from him for the morning so I could make sure everyone gets to breakfast on time, thus earning the job.'
Jack smiled; problem solved.
"You sure can, Devon. Everyone hear that? Devon's in charge of getting you to breakfast on time. That means if anyone doesn't listen to him and you show up late, I'm going to be forced to take you sailing with me."
There were groans and laughter, and Jack knew none of the boys would be late. However, since Daniel was still lazing about in his bed as he tried to wake up, he could make sure the boys actually did what Devon told them.
O'Neill finished dressing and walked over to Daniel's bunk.
"You're in charge of Devon, Daniel. He's in charge of everyone else. Unless you want to come down early and have a cup of coffee with me?"
"What? And take the risk of being seen any earlier than necessary by Sam's girls?" Daniel shook his head, looking at the assortment of leather friendship bracelets he had looped on the post of his bunk. "Thanks, Jack, I'll pass. Besides, Devon might need backup."
"True enough." Jack gave the boy a smile to show he wasn't nervous about leaving him in command, ruffled Simon's hair and walked out of the cabin.
"Jack! Wait for me, I'll come with you!"
Shawn was still pulling on his shirt, and was stomping his feet into his sneakers as he ran out the door, and the colonel stopped and gave him a chance to catch up. The boy's dark hair was standing up in a few places, and Jack found himself smoothing it down with his hand.
"You didn't comb your hair, boy-o." Jack observed as the hair went back to sticking up as soon as he moved his hand.
"Neither did you."
"Yeah... well..." Jack couldn't think of anything to say to that, since it was true, so he simply put a companionable hand on Shawn's shoulder and the two walked down to the cafeteria in silence.
"Hey! Sam's here!"
So she was. She was sitting at 'her' table when the two walked in the door, and Shawn ran up to her, leaving Jack to walk to the coffee pot and get his coffee alone.
"Hi Sam!"
"Good morning, Shawn," Carter said, smiling at the boy as he plopped in his chair near hers.
"Look, Jack," Shawn called as Jack came over. "Doesn't Sam look nice?"
He smiled, wondering what had gotten into the boy. "She's beautiful, Shawn." He sat down in the chair next to hers, and gave her a look that plainly asked if she knew what was going on. Carter blushed slightly at the compliment, which only made her prettier as far as Jack was concerned, and shrugged to let him know she didn't have a clue.
"Good morning, Sam," Jack said.
"Morning, Jack. How is your head?" It looked worse than it had the day before, now that the bruising was complete. Deep purple – among other colors – lined the area between Jack's eye and nose, and the area on his forehead that had been the most swollen was now an ugly bruise as well.
"It's not as bad as it looks. Thanks."
"Sleep well?"
"Yes. You?"
"Once we got them to sleep, yes."
"Jack snores." Shawn told Sam. "I sleep right above him, I know."
Sam laughed, and the three of them chatted while they watched the tables start filling with kids and counselors who were filtering in slowly. Jean came in with Gina and a handful of the girls in tow, and walked over to the table. The girls were obviously disappointed that Daniel wasn't with Jack and Shawn. They winced collectively when they saw Jack's face, and then asked where Daniel was.
"He's up at the cabin, still." Jack said, ignoring the winces. They were getting old yesterday, but today he thought he'd scream if people kept doing that every time they looked at him.
"Oh."
"You know, if you wait a little ways from the cabin, he'd probably like the company if you want to go wait for him and walk down here with him. He'd-" Jack didn't get any more out, as there was a mad dash to the door as the girls ran to go wait for Daniel.
"That was cruel." Sam noted, grinning despite herself.
"Yeah, well..."
Jean laughed a she sat down, and Gina gave Jack a shy smile as she took the chair next to Carter's, unsure what everyone thought was so funny, but happy to see O'Neill smiling. Especially with his head looking all icky.