As it turned out, Carter did end up fishing. She started out watching as
O'Neill went to the shack and mooched a rod and tackle from the teenager
that was in charge of the water equipment. And was still watching when he
walked down to the lake and around the shore until he found what he was
looking for. It was a small dock, fairly isolated and out of the range of
the swimmers, canoes and sailboats, so he knew nothing would scare his fish
away. The wood was warm from the sun and smooth from countless people
sitting on it, and Jack was quick to bait up a hook, put a bobber on it,
and cast his line.
Of course, since he was only bobber fishing, he didn't need to constantly reel the line in and out, which gave him a chance to sit down. Once he'd settled himself, and his line, Carter sat down next to him and Jack stretched out on the dock, his head resting on her thigh, his eyes on the bobber in the water. They were away from their kids, and responsibility, and with her fingers running through his hair, or alternating between caressing his cheek and rubbing his aching muscles, it was incredibly relaxing. Too relaxing for Jack, as it turned out. He was wiped out from his sleepless night, and the quiet and calm caught up to him.
She noticed he was asleep fairly quickly. She was a rocket scientist, after all. Well, among other things. Carter's feelings weren't hurt by having him fall asleep on her (literally). She knew he was tired, and the morning was peaceful. It was just as nice for her to sit on the dock with him asleep, as it was to sit on the dock with him awake. Except that the amount of stolen kisses and caresses dropped noticeably.
Of course, then a fish had bitten his line, and Carter had barely saved the pole from going into the lake. She grabbed it, trying to keep as still as possible to avoid waking O'Neill, and started reeling, for lack of any better idea.
Carter didn't want to fish. She didn't want to catch a fish. She only wanted to spend a nice quiet morning with Jack. And sure enough, here she was reeling in a fish with no knowledge of playing the line or fighting the fish to tire him. She just kept reeling it in, watching as the antics of the fish at the other end of the line caused the fishing wire to go from one side to the other.
And then she realized that she was enjoying this far more than she could have imagined. There was something struggling against her on the other end, and it was a battle between woman and fish to see who was the craftier. She would have lost due to her own inexperience, but luckily Jack had managed to catch a dumb fish that fought like a champion but didn't use any moves to rid itself of the hook. It was the perfect sort of fish for Carter to reel in.
When she had it close enough to the dock, she panicked a little, fearing that she might lose it at the very last second, and gave a mighty tug back on the rod. The fish came sailing out of the water, and Sam had time to see it glistening silver in the morning sunlight as it arced gracefully towards her. And landed right in Jack's face.
He came awake sputtering, and Sam tried jerking the rod again, hoping to move the fish before he realized what had happened. There was too much loose line, however, and the fish didn't move, except to wriggle around, flopping furiously and slapping Jack repeatedly with its tail.
"Carter!"
"Sorry, Sir!" She reached for the fish at the same time Jack sat up, and poked him in the eye.
"Ouch! Stop! What are you doing?"
His eye watering, Jack sat up, holding his palm against his face while he tried to figure out what was going on with only one eye to see out of. And found himself hopelessly tangled in fishing line with a wriggling trout in his lap.
"Carter!"
"I'm sorry!" She was still panicked, and was trying to hold the pole out of the way, and get the fish out of his lap without actually touching it, and unwrap the fishing wire from his head, neck and shoulders.
"Don't be sorry, just sit still."
The fish was his first priority. It wasn't fun to have a fish in your lap, and his groin was taking a pounding that wasn't at all appreciated. Carter stilled, instantly obeying his order, and Jack grabbed the fish with one hand, holding it firmly to keep it from whacking him again. He looked at the fish, which was a beauty, and back at her.
"Where did you get this?"
"From the end of your line. It bit while you were asleep."
"No." Oh the sarcasm was deep.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't know what to do."
Jack sighed and took the hook out of the fish's lip, then tossed it back into the water. "Throwing it in my face was the best you came up with?"
"Reeling it in was the first thing I came up with. The rest just happened."
He scowled, and rubbed his eye as he tried to untangle the fishing line, keeping the hook firmly between his fingers to keep from poking himself with it.
"I was having such a lovely dream, Carter," he told her, and Sam could tell from his voice that he was at least starting to get over the mad and finding the humor in the situation. She relaxed marginally.
"I'm sorry, Sir."
He sighed, and pulled the last loop of fishing wire over his head, then reached and took the pole from her.
"I know you are. I'm sorry I yelled."
He had fish slime all over his face, but Carter wasn't sure if she should point that out or not.
"It's okay. I probably would have yelled, too."
He didn't point out that she wouldn't have had to yell. He would never have had the problem landing the fish that she had. He also didn't point out that it would have been far easier to just wake him, since he was sure she'd been glad to let him sleep.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked. Jack was rubbing his eye as if it were bothering him.
"Yeah, it's okay. Just poked me." He lowered his hand and scowled. "Do you know how much it hurts a guy to have fish tails thumping in his lap?"
Carter's eyes went to O'Neill's lap, something Jack found immediately erotic, and she saw that he had fish slime there as well.
"It won't happen again. I promise."
"Good." He softened the rebuke by pulling her into his arms and hugging her close. "Don't worry about it, Sam. I'm sure it could have happened to anyone."
Of course, since he was only bobber fishing, he didn't need to constantly reel the line in and out, which gave him a chance to sit down. Once he'd settled himself, and his line, Carter sat down next to him and Jack stretched out on the dock, his head resting on her thigh, his eyes on the bobber in the water. They were away from their kids, and responsibility, and with her fingers running through his hair, or alternating between caressing his cheek and rubbing his aching muscles, it was incredibly relaxing. Too relaxing for Jack, as it turned out. He was wiped out from his sleepless night, and the quiet and calm caught up to him.
She noticed he was asleep fairly quickly. She was a rocket scientist, after all. Well, among other things. Carter's feelings weren't hurt by having him fall asleep on her (literally). She knew he was tired, and the morning was peaceful. It was just as nice for her to sit on the dock with him asleep, as it was to sit on the dock with him awake. Except that the amount of stolen kisses and caresses dropped noticeably.
Of course, then a fish had bitten his line, and Carter had barely saved the pole from going into the lake. She grabbed it, trying to keep as still as possible to avoid waking O'Neill, and started reeling, for lack of any better idea.
Carter didn't want to fish. She didn't want to catch a fish. She only wanted to spend a nice quiet morning with Jack. And sure enough, here she was reeling in a fish with no knowledge of playing the line or fighting the fish to tire him. She just kept reeling it in, watching as the antics of the fish at the other end of the line caused the fishing wire to go from one side to the other.
And then she realized that she was enjoying this far more than she could have imagined. There was something struggling against her on the other end, and it was a battle between woman and fish to see who was the craftier. She would have lost due to her own inexperience, but luckily Jack had managed to catch a dumb fish that fought like a champion but didn't use any moves to rid itself of the hook. It was the perfect sort of fish for Carter to reel in.
When she had it close enough to the dock, she panicked a little, fearing that she might lose it at the very last second, and gave a mighty tug back on the rod. The fish came sailing out of the water, and Sam had time to see it glistening silver in the morning sunlight as it arced gracefully towards her. And landed right in Jack's face.
He came awake sputtering, and Sam tried jerking the rod again, hoping to move the fish before he realized what had happened. There was too much loose line, however, and the fish didn't move, except to wriggle around, flopping furiously and slapping Jack repeatedly with its tail.
"Carter!"
"Sorry, Sir!" She reached for the fish at the same time Jack sat up, and poked him in the eye.
"Ouch! Stop! What are you doing?"
His eye watering, Jack sat up, holding his palm against his face while he tried to figure out what was going on with only one eye to see out of. And found himself hopelessly tangled in fishing line with a wriggling trout in his lap.
"Carter!"
"I'm sorry!" She was still panicked, and was trying to hold the pole out of the way, and get the fish out of his lap without actually touching it, and unwrap the fishing wire from his head, neck and shoulders.
"Don't be sorry, just sit still."
The fish was his first priority. It wasn't fun to have a fish in your lap, and his groin was taking a pounding that wasn't at all appreciated. Carter stilled, instantly obeying his order, and Jack grabbed the fish with one hand, holding it firmly to keep it from whacking him again. He looked at the fish, which was a beauty, and back at her.
"Where did you get this?"
"From the end of your line. It bit while you were asleep."
"No." Oh the sarcasm was deep.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't know what to do."
Jack sighed and took the hook out of the fish's lip, then tossed it back into the water. "Throwing it in my face was the best you came up with?"
"Reeling it in was the first thing I came up with. The rest just happened."
He scowled, and rubbed his eye as he tried to untangle the fishing line, keeping the hook firmly between his fingers to keep from poking himself with it.
"I was having such a lovely dream, Carter," he told her, and Sam could tell from his voice that he was at least starting to get over the mad and finding the humor in the situation. She relaxed marginally.
"I'm sorry, Sir."
He sighed, and pulled the last loop of fishing wire over his head, then reached and took the pole from her.
"I know you are. I'm sorry I yelled."
He had fish slime all over his face, but Carter wasn't sure if she should point that out or not.
"It's okay. I probably would have yelled, too."
He didn't point out that she wouldn't have had to yell. He would never have had the problem landing the fish that she had. He also didn't point out that it would have been far easier to just wake him, since he was sure she'd been glad to let him sleep.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked. Jack was rubbing his eye as if it were bothering him.
"Yeah, it's okay. Just poked me." He lowered his hand and scowled. "Do you know how much it hurts a guy to have fish tails thumping in his lap?"
Carter's eyes went to O'Neill's lap, something Jack found immediately erotic, and she saw that he had fish slime there as well.
"It won't happen again. I promise."
"Good." He softened the rebuke by pulling her into his arms and hugging her close. "Don't worry about it, Sam. I'm sure it could have happened to anyone."