Something tugged at Jack's sweatshirt. Looking down, he was surprised to
see that Gina had somehow walked over and managed to stand in front of him
without him noticing. The little girl was looking up at him sleepily, her
hair still rumpled and an imprint of her pillowcase on her cheek. He looked
around, wondering where her counselors were.
She held her arms up to him, obviously wanting to be picked up. Knowing full well that having her resting against his chest was going to hurt more than he really wanted, Jack set his coffee cup on the windowsill and reached down and picked the little girl up. He rested most of her weight on his hip, and Gina put her arms around his neck and rested her head under his chin, looking out the window they were standing next to.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Jack asked her softly, looking out the window, too.
"Nothing." She played with the leather thong that was holding the arrowhead Shawn had given Jack. "I just wanted to be held."
"Did you just wake up?"
"Uh huh."
He ran his fingers through her hair, smiling slightly despite his foul mood. She was cute, after all, and not even Jack was immune to a little girl.
"What are you looking at?" She asked him sleepily.
"Nothing, really. I'm just looking out the window. You know, thinking."
"About what?"
"Oh, just stuff." He hadn't actually been thinking about anything in particular. Just letting his mind drift wherever it had wanted to go. Of course, she wanted more of an answer than that, and Jack knew it without her even asking. So he made something up. "I was thinking maybe I'd go fishing later."
"Can I come?"
"If you want to."
"Will you put the worm on the hook for me?"
"If you want me to."
"That would be fun."
"I agree."
He was talking, now, and that was a good start to getting out of his bad mood. Carter had known that, and had counted on the one thing that Jack wouldn't be able to brush off, no matter how bad his mood. There weren't any little kids at the SGC to use on him when he was grumpy there, but she had them in abundance here, and set Gina on Jack ruthlessly, just telling her that Jack probably would like some company.
It worked. When Carter, Teal'c and Daniel filed in with their cabins, Jack and Gina were still standing by the window, O'Neill still holding the little girl as they talked about nothing important.
Carter winced, realizing that it had to be killing Jack to be holding her against his chest like that, and she went over to stand next to them.
"Good morning."
Gina turned her head, which was still firmly under Jack's chin, and smiled.
"Hi Sam."
"Good morning, Sam." That was a definite improvement over his earlier greeting, and Sam held her arms out to Gina.
"Want me to take her, Jack?"
"Nah, we're okay."
Gina gave Sam a smile, and hugged Jack tightly, which made him wince, although he didn't say a word. Carter leaned over and kissed the little girl's cheek, but aware of all the people watching them, she didn't kiss Jack like she wanted to.
"Breakfast will be starting soon."
"We'll be there in a second."
She went over and sat in her place near Shawn and the empty chair that Jack would be sitting in, and the boy leaned over.
"Did it work?"
"Looks like it."
They exchanged conspiratal winks, and a quick high five, and then joined in on the chatter that was going on at their separate tables.
"What are we doing today, Sam?" Asked Shelly. The rest of her girls looked up with interest, waiting to hear what their morning would hold. Sam pulled out her copy of the schedule, and perused it for a moment.
"Looks like a free morning for the camp this morning, then rock climbing this afternoon."
"We can't rock climb," Danin said. "Jack broke the mountain."
"Hey!" O'Neill had come over with Gina still in his arms. "I didn't break it," he said, defensively. "It just... broke." He smiled as he set Gina down, and found his own seat, smiling a good morning to Shawn.
"It wasn't broken before you guys went on it," Shelly said.
"Jack wasn't even on it when it broke," Simon said, coming to Jack's defense.
"Yeah. It fell on him, but Nate was the only one on it."
"Yeah."
"It's still broken. Which means we don't get to climb it."
"You wouldn't have made it all the way to the top anyways."
"Would too.
"Would not."
"Would."
Jack shook his head, wondering if it was too late to just go back to bed.
She held her arms up to him, obviously wanting to be picked up. Knowing full well that having her resting against his chest was going to hurt more than he really wanted, Jack set his coffee cup on the windowsill and reached down and picked the little girl up. He rested most of her weight on his hip, and Gina put her arms around his neck and rested her head under his chin, looking out the window they were standing next to.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Jack asked her softly, looking out the window, too.
"Nothing." She played with the leather thong that was holding the arrowhead Shawn had given Jack. "I just wanted to be held."
"Did you just wake up?"
"Uh huh."
He ran his fingers through her hair, smiling slightly despite his foul mood. She was cute, after all, and not even Jack was immune to a little girl.
"What are you looking at?" She asked him sleepily.
"Nothing, really. I'm just looking out the window. You know, thinking."
"About what?"
"Oh, just stuff." He hadn't actually been thinking about anything in particular. Just letting his mind drift wherever it had wanted to go. Of course, she wanted more of an answer than that, and Jack knew it without her even asking. So he made something up. "I was thinking maybe I'd go fishing later."
"Can I come?"
"If you want to."
"Will you put the worm on the hook for me?"
"If you want me to."
"That would be fun."
"I agree."
He was talking, now, and that was a good start to getting out of his bad mood. Carter had known that, and had counted on the one thing that Jack wouldn't be able to brush off, no matter how bad his mood. There weren't any little kids at the SGC to use on him when he was grumpy there, but she had them in abundance here, and set Gina on Jack ruthlessly, just telling her that Jack probably would like some company.
It worked. When Carter, Teal'c and Daniel filed in with their cabins, Jack and Gina were still standing by the window, O'Neill still holding the little girl as they talked about nothing important.
Carter winced, realizing that it had to be killing Jack to be holding her against his chest like that, and she went over to stand next to them.
"Good morning."
Gina turned her head, which was still firmly under Jack's chin, and smiled.
"Hi Sam."
"Good morning, Sam." That was a definite improvement over his earlier greeting, and Sam held her arms out to Gina.
"Want me to take her, Jack?"
"Nah, we're okay."
Gina gave Sam a smile, and hugged Jack tightly, which made him wince, although he didn't say a word. Carter leaned over and kissed the little girl's cheek, but aware of all the people watching them, she didn't kiss Jack like she wanted to.
"Breakfast will be starting soon."
"We'll be there in a second."
She went over and sat in her place near Shawn and the empty chair that Jack would be sitting in, and the boy leaned over.
"Did it work?"
"Looks like it."
They exchanged conspiratal winks, and a quick high five, and then joined in on the chatter that was going on at their separate tables.
"What are we doing today, Sam?" Asked Shelly. The rest of her girls looked up with interest, waiting to hear what their morning would hold. Sam pulled out her copy of the schedule, and perused it for a moment.
"Looks like a free morning for the camp this morning, then rock climbing this afternoon."
"We can't rock climb," Danin said. "Jack broke the mountain."
"Hey!" O'Neill had come over with Gina still in his arms. "I didn't break it," he said, defensively. "It just... broke." He smiled as he set Gina down, and found his own seat, smiling a good morning to Shawn.
"It wasn't broken before you guys went on it," Shelly said.
"Jack wasn't even on it when it broke," Simon said, coming to Jack's defense.
"Yeah. It fell on him, but Nate was the only one on it."
"Yeah."
"It's still broken. Which means we don't get to climb it."
"You wouldn't have made it all the way to the top anyways."
"Would too.
"Would not."
"Would."
Jack shook his head, wondering if it was too late to just go back to bed.