Author's note: Yay! I can read the reviews! Thank you all SO much for the
kind words, and the corrections here and there when warranted. Yes, I speak
from my own camping experiences when I'm writing this, and yes, anything
that has happened to Jack has happened to me, so I know first-hand how it
feels! More coming, I promise you, and thanks again
"Good morning, Campers!"
The kids looked up from their arguing to see that Gary Hines had come into the room wearing a great big grin. There was a chorus of good mornings, and a general rumble of chatter, but it died down quickly as everyone waited to hear whatever announcements he might have for them.
"This morning is free time for all cabins," Gary told them. "There will be arts and crafts down in the gym, sailing and canoeing at the boat dock, horseback riding, or you can just hang out at the water and swim, or play football up at the field. As long as you stay in the boundaries of the camp, it's completely up to you what you do."
There was a cheer, and a roar of conversation as kids started making plans for their morning.
"What are you going to do, Jack?" Shawn asked.
"I'm not sure yet, Buddy. You?"
"I thought I'd go sailing." He grimaced. "You probably don't want to do that, though, do you?"
Jack shook his head, "No, not especially."
"I'll sail with you, Shawn," Andrew offered.
"Great!" He looked at Jack. "You don't mind if I go sailing with Andrew, do you?"
"Of course not," Jack assured him, touched that Shawn was worried he'd feel left out. "I think you two will have a great time."
"I'm going to make a bracelet like Sam's," Shelly said from the other table.
"You can't. Jack made Sam's."
"Mine's going to look like it."
"I'm going to play football."
"Not me, I'm going horseback riding."
"Murray? You want to come riding with us?"
Teal'c had the courtesy to pretend that he was considering the offer, but there was no doubt in Jack's mind what his response was going to be.
"I believe it would be best if I refrain from riding again," the Jaffa said.
"Do you want to do some arts and crafts?" Danin invited.
Jack snorted, and then covered it up by coughing. He was more likely to see Teal'c on a horse than gluing anything with leather ever again.
"Perhaps I will go on a Nature Walk."
"Ooooh, can I come?"
"And me!"
"I want to find a arrowhead like Shawn found!"
"No deer droppings!"
Jack chuckled, and then saw that the cooks were getting ready to start serving breakfast.
"Who wants to be runner?"
"Me!"
"Me!"
"Jack hasn't been runner yet!"
"Neither has Murray!"
"Or Daniel!"
None of the counselors had. They'd saved the chore for the boys, since they enjoyed it so much. Teal'c stood up.
"I will be runner."
That was fine with Jack.
"So what are you going to do with your free morning, Jack?" Sam asked quietly. "Go back to bed? I heard you didn't sleep very well."
"Who told you that?"
"Little birdie."
He let that slide, and shrugged, which hurt.
"I might do a little fishing. Maybe just go watch the kids sail. I'm not sure. You?"
"I'm going to spend some time with you, doing whatever you're doing."
Shawn grinned triumphantly, and Jack's grin was positively naughty. Too bad he couldn't go back to bed, then. She seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, because Sam blushed a little, which made O'Neill chuckle.
"I'm not sure what I'm going to do Sam, but I'd love your company."
~~*
The morning looked a lot brighter when Jack went outside after breakfast. The campers were rushing past him; each eager to get to wherever they were going. A crowd of youngsters surrounded Teal'c, who was assuring them all that they could go on his walk with them, and Jack toyed with the notion of going along, just to help him keep track of kids. Of course, as big as Teal'c was, the kids were going to listen to him. Even the ones that weren't in China.
Sam caught up to him, her arm going around his waist naturally, and he pulled her close with his good arm.
"I wasn't very nice to you this morning, was I?"
"You were a bit short, yes."
"Sorry about that. I slept lousy, although that isn't a good excuse for being rude."
"Don't worry about it, Jack. I'm tough. Besides, I'll find a way to help you make up for it later."
"Jack!"
His reply to Sam was interrupted by Gina rushing towards them. He smiled, wondering if she was going to come fishing with him.
"I'm going to go horseback riding. Can we fish later?" There was no way a fish was going to be more fun for a little girl than a horse, but Gina was aware that she'd promised to go fishing with him, and she didn't want to hurt his feelings.
"No problem," Jack said, shooing her off. "You go ride and have fun, and give Thunderball a pat hello for me."
Sam grinned, and leaned her cheek against Jack's good shoulder as they watched the little girl take off at a full run for the horse corral.
"You're really good with her."
"Yeah, well... don't spread it around, okay?"
"Who'd believe me?"
"Good point."
"You're really going to go fishing?"
"Might."
"I'll keep you company, but I'm not fishing."
"Good morning, Campers!"
The kids looked up from their arguing to see that Gary Hines had come into the room wearing a great big grin. There was a chorus of good mornings, and a general rumble of chatter, but it died down quickly as everyone waited to hear whatever announcements he might have for them.
"This morning is free time for all cabins," Gary told them. "There will be arts and crafts down in the gym, sailing and canoeing at the boat dock, horseback riding, or you can just hang out at the water and swim, or play football up at the field. As long as you stay in the boundaries of the camp, it's completely up to you what you do."
There was a cheer, and a roar of conversation as kids started making plans for their morning.
"What are you going to do, Jack?" Shawn asked.
"I'm not sure yet, Buddy. You?"
"I thought I'd go sailing." He grimaced. "You probably don't want to do that, though, do you?"
Jack shook his head, "No, not especially."
"I'll sail with you, Shawn," Andrew offered.
"Great!" He looked at Jack. "You don't mind if I go sailing with Andrew, do you?"
"Of course not," Jack assured him, touched that Shawn was worried he'd feel left out. "I think you two will have a great time."
"I'm going to make a bracelet like Sam's," Shelly said from the other table.
"You can't. Jack made Sam's."
"Mine's going to look like it."
"I'm going to play football."
"Not me, I'm going horseback riding."
"Murray? You want to come riding with us?"
Teal'c had the courtesy to pretend that he was considering the offer, but there was no doubt in Jack's mind what his response was going to be.
"I believe it would be best if I refrain from riding again," the Jaffa said.
"Do you want to do some arts and crafts?" Danin invited.
Jack snorted, and then covered it up by coughing. He was more likely to see Teal'c on a horse than gluing anything with leather ever again.
"Perhaps I will go on a Nature Walk."
"Ooooh, can I come?"
"And me!"
"I want to find a arrowhead like Shawn found!"
"No deer droppings!"
Jack chuckled, and then saw that the cooks were getting ready to start serving breakfast.
"Who wants to be runner?"
"Me!"
"Me!"
"Jack hasn't been runner yet!"
"Neither has Murray!"
"Or Daniel!"
None of the counselors had. They'd saved the chore for the boys, since they enjoyed it so much. Teal'c stood up.
"I will be runner."
That was fine with Jack.
"So what are you going to do with your free morning, Jack?" Sam asked quietly. "Go back to bed? I heard you didn't sleep very well."
"Who told you that?"
"Little birdie."
He let that slide, and shrugged, which hurt.
"I might do a little fishing. Maybe just go watch the kids sail. I'm not sure. You?"
"I'm going to spend some time with you, doing whatever you're doing."
Shawn grinned triumphantly, and Jack's grin was positively naughty. Too bad he couldn't go back to bed, then. She seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, because Sam blushed a little, which made O'Neill chuckle.
"I'm not sure what I'm going to do Sam, but I'd love your company."
~~*
The morning looked a lot brighter when Jack went outside after breakfast. The campers were rushing past him; each eager to get to wherever they were going. A crowd of youngsters surrounded Teal'c, who was assuring them all that they could go on his walk with them, and Jack toyed with the notion of going along, just to help him keep track of kids. Of course, as big as Teal'c was, the kids were going to listen to him. Even the ones that weren't in China.
Sam caught up to him, her arm going around his waist naturally, and he pulled her close with his good arm.
"I wasn't very nice to you this morning, was I?"
"You were a bit short, yes."
"Sorry about that. I slept lousy, although that isn't a good excuse for being rude."
"Don't worry about it, Jack. I'm tough. Besides, I'll find a way to help you make up for it later."
"Jack!"
His reply to Sam was interrupted by Gina rushing towards them. He smiled, wondering if she was going to come fishing with him.
"I'm going to go horseback riding. Can we fish later?" There was no way a fish was going to be more fun for a little girl than a horse, but Gina was aware that she'd promised to go fishing with him, and she didn't want to hurt his feelings.
"No problem," Jack said, shooing her off. "You go ride and have fun, and give Thunderball a pat hello for me."
Sam grinned, and leaned her cheek against Jack's good shoulder as they watched the little girl take off at a full run for the horse corral.
"You're really good with her."
"Yeah, well... don't spread it around, okay?"
"Who'd believe me?"
"Good point."
"You're really going to go fishing?"
"Might."
"I'll keep you company, but I'm not fishing."