Had it been another world, or a Jaffa or worse, Carter would have been a
bit more forceful in her attempt at escape. Life and death will do that to
you, sometimes. As it was, though, it was camp, and a kid's game, and it
was O'Neill's cocky voice that came out of the dark of the night. And
probably, she thought, that was his finger digging into the small of her
back. However, even though it wasn't life or death, and it was O'Neill, she
still wasn't going to go down too easily. No need to fuel his ego any more
than it already was.
Sam ducked and rolled to the right, out of his reach, and leaped to her feet to start running. If she could get back over the Red Team's lines then she could turn on him and capture him as the scout instead of the other way around. The problem with that strategy was that O'Neill knew the same things she did, and he was expecting her to bolt. She hadn't run more than a few yards when she felt his strong arms around her waist, and he used his momentum and weight to drag her down to the ground. He was being careful, though, and Sam realized it instantly. She was pulled down on top of him as her CO made sure to cushion her fall with his own body, although she did hear him grunt when her elbow dug into his solar plexus as they landed.
Sam lay still, conceding the capture and giving him a chance to get the breath back that had been knocked out of him.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." His arms were still wrapped around her, though, as though he expected her to try and run again. "Just got me in the gut."
"Sorry about that." She wriggled a little, moving off him to lie next to him, rather enjoying the way he was holding her. "Did I make it over the line?"
"Not even close. But it was a good try." Jack grinned and turned towards her, barely able to make out her face in the scant light from the stars and the distant camp buildings. "You're caught."
Carter nodded, and felt him relax his grip a little, although he still didn't let her go.
"You know, Hammond would have a conniption if he saw us like this."
"Think so?" She smiled, because she knew so.
"Oh yeah."
Jack looked down at her, his eyes suddenly very intent, and Sam smiled, wondering what he was thinking. He didn't make her wonder long.
"You've been really good about helping me keep Jean away, Sam. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate that. And you."
"It's mutual, I assure you," Carter told him, smiling. "The cook is a very nice guy, I'm sure, but I don't think he's interested in my brain."
"I am." Jack leaned down and kissed Sam's cheek very gently, almost as if he was afraid she'd pull away. When she didn't, he kissed her again, in the same place, and then held her close for a long moment, his cheek against hers.
Carter didn't mind a bit. Her arms came around him, and she held him. Something she'd wanted to do for so long. There were a lot of things she wanted to do and couldn't. So she did what they could, and she held him, knowing that he felt the same way.
"Oh, yeah, Hammond wouldn't like this a bit," she murmured softly into the darkness.
"Do you like it?" He asked her just as quietly.
"Mmm-hmmm..."
She could feel his silent chuckle, but she knew he wasn't laughing at her, just at their situation. Sometimes she couldn't help but laugh, too. Other times it was so frustrating she wanted to cry.
"You know the best thing about camp, Sam?" Jack asked as pulled his cheek away from hers and looked down at her once more.
"What's that, Jack?"
"Hammond isn't here."
He kissed her again, but this time he claimed her lips with his, and Sam didn't have a chance to reply for a long moment as she felt herself swept up in the desire he was bringing out in her.
"This isn't a good spot, Jack," Sam whispered raggedly a moment later. She held him tightly to make sure he didn't misunderstand her. She wanted to continue their present conversation, but... "Some kid could trip over us any minute."
Jack groaned, but had to admit she was absolutely correct. It was a bit out of the way, but there was a chance that they'd be found where they were. He stood up and pulled her to her feet, looking around. Silently, he took her hand, and the two of them snuck off, deeper into the woods and well out of range of where the kids were allowed to go. Here they wouldn't be interrupted, Sam knew. She smiled when he kissed her again, even though he couldn't see it, and as they sank back down onto the soft grass, she couldn't help but giggle.
"That's not my brain, Jack."
"I know."
The game progressed into the night. No one seemed to realize that the capture ratio for the Red Team and the Blue Team had dropped noticeably, and no one would have cared anyways. The kids were having too much fun running in the night, chasing each other and yelling to notice that the best scout on each team had vanished.
When the camp horn sounded, telling all the campers that a flag had been caught and the game was over, no one even noticed when Jack and Sam came walking out of the dark, hand in hand. Until they walked by Daniel and Sally, who'd been talking as Daniel guarded the prisoners the Blue Team had captured. Sally saw them, and started chuckling. Daniel looked to see what was so funny, but wasn't sure what it was. Jack and Sam were holding hands, which was unusual maybe – except that Jean had been seen in the area only a few moments before, so it was most likely part of the ruse.
"What's so funny?" He finally asked Sally.
"Sam's face is smeared with that face makeup."
"So?" Daniel was used to seeing her like that. They used it constantly.
Sally reached out and ran a finger through the paint on Daniel's face, then scored a line of it along her cheek. "Daniel. None of the cabins but China started the game with their faces painted."
"Oh." He still didn't understand, but as he looked at the line Sally had drawn on her own cheek, he suddenly did. "OH!"
Looking back at Jack and Sam, Daniel couldn't help but smile, and he gave Sally a hug, thanking her for figuring out what he hadn't. She didn't know what the hug was for, or why he seemed suddenly so pleased, but Sally grinned and hugged him back anyways. Why not?
Sam ducked and rolled to the right, out of his reach, and leaped to her feet to start running. If she could get back over the Red Team's lines then she could turn on him and capture him as the scout instead of the other way around. The problem with that strategy was that O'Neill knew the same things she did, and he was expecting her to bolt. She hadn't run more than a few yards when she felt his strong arms around her waist, and he used his momentum and weight to drag her down to the ground. He was being careful, though, and Sam realized it instantly. She was pulled down on top of him as her CO made sure to cushion her fall with his own body, although she did hear him grunt when her elbow dug into his solar plexus as they landed.
Sam lay still, conceding the capture and giving him a chance to get the breath back that had been knocked out of him.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." His arms were still wrapped around her, though, as though he expected her to try and run again. "Just got me in the gut."
"Sorry about that." She wriggled a little, moving off him to lie next to him, rather enjoying the way he was holding her. "Did I make it over the line?"
"Not even close. But it was a good try." Jack grinned and turned towards her, barely able to make out her face in the scant light from the stars and the distant camp buildings. "You're caught."
Carter nodded, and felt him relax his grip a little, although he still didn't let her go.
"You know, Hammond would have a conniption if he saw us like this."
"Think so?" She smiled, because she knew so.
"Oh yeah."
Jack looked down at her, his eyes suddenly very intent, and Sam smiled, wondering what he was thinking. He didn't make her wonder long.
"You've been really good about helping me keep Jean away, Sam. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate that. And you."
"It's mutual, I assure you," Carter told him, smiling. "The cook is a very nice guy, I'm sure, but I don't think he's interested in my brain."
"I am." Jack leaned down and kissed Sam's cheek very gently, almost as if he was afraid she'd pull away. When she didn't, he kissed her again, in the same place, and then held her close for a long moment, his cheek against hers.
Carter didn't mind a bit. Her arms came around him, and she held him. Something she'd wanted to do for so long. There were a lot of things she wanted to do and couldn't. So she did what they could, and she held him, knowing that he felt the same way.
"Oh, yeah, Hammond wouldn't like this a bit," she murmured softly into the darkness.
"Do you like it?" He asked her just as quietly.
"Mmm-hmmm..."
She could feel his silent chuckle, but she knew he wasn't laughing at her, just at their situation. Sometimes she couldn't help but laugh, too. Other times it was so frustrating she wanted to cry.
"You know the best thing about camp, Sam?" Jack asked as pulled his cheek away from hers and looked down at her once more.
"What's that, Jack?"
"Hammond isn't here."
He kissed her again, but this time he claimed her lips with his, and Sam didn't have a chance to reply for a long moment as she felt herself swept up in the desire he was bringing out in her.
"This isn't a good spot, Jack," Sam whispered raggedly a moment later. She held him tightly to make sure he didn't misunderstand her. She wanted to continue their present conversation, but... "Some kid could trip over us any minute."
Jack groaned, but had to admit she was absolutely correct. It was a bit out of the way, but there was a chance that they'd be found where they were. He stood up and pulled her to her feet, looking around. Silently, he took her hand, and the two of them snuck off, deeper into the woods and well out of range of where the kids were allowed to go. Here they wouldn't be interrupted, Sam knew. She smiled when he kissed her again, even though he couldn't see it, and as they sank back down onto the soft grass, she couldn't help but giggle.
"That's not my brain, Jack."
"I know."
The game progressed into the night. No one seemed to realize that the capture ratio for the Red Team and the Blue Team had dropped noticeably, and no one would have cared anyways. The kids were having too much fun running in the night, chasing each other and yelling to notice that the best scout on each team had vanished.
When the camp horn sounded, telling all the campers that a flag had been caught and the game was over, no one even noticed when Jack and Sam came walking out of the dark, hand in hand. Until they walked by Daniel and Sally, who'd been talking as Daniel guarded the prisoners the Blue Team had captured. Sally saw them, and started chuckling. Daniel looked to see what was so funny, but wasn't sure what it was. Jack and Sam were holding hands, which was unusual maybe – except that Jean had been seen in the area only a few moments before, so it was most likely part of the ruse.
"What's so funny?" He finally asked Sally.
"Sam's face is smeared with that face makeup."
"So?" Daniel was used to seeing her like that. They used it constantly.
Sally reached out and ran a finger through the paint on Daniel's face, then scored a line of it along her cheek. "Daniel. None of the cabins but China started the game with their faces painted."
"Oh." He still didn't understand, but as he looked at the line Sally had drawn on her own cheek, he suddenly did. "OH!"
Looking back at Jack and Sam, Daniel couldn't help but smile, and he gave Sally a hug, thanking her for figuring out what he hadn't. She didn't know what the hug was for, or why he seemed suddenly so pleased, but Sally grinned and hugged him back anyways. Why not?