"Sam?"
Carter opened her eyes, surprised to see Daniel kneeling down next to her bed. She sat up quickly, worried that something had happened.
"What's wrong?"
Daniel shook his head, holding his finger up to his lips to shush her. The last thing he wanted was for all the girls to wake up and find him in their territory.
"Come with me," he whispered.
Since Sam's bunk was the one right next to the door – like Jack's was – it was fairly easy for her to escape unseen. She reached beneath her bed and pulled out a pair of shoes, slid them on and walked out the door.
"What's going on?" She asked him once they were clear of France.
"I want you to see something. Just be quiet, okay?"
Daniel was smiling, so Sam relaxed. Whatever it was, it wasn't bad. He led her to China, and opened the door quietly, pointing first down at Jack's bunk, and then over at Teal'c's. Jack was asleep in his, and firmly tucked against him was Shawn, who looked about as peaceful as Sam had ever seen a kid look. When she looked over at Teal'c's bunk, Sam was shocked to see that Teal'c was asleep as well, and firmly cuddled in his arms was Andrew, who was dwarfed by the Jaffa, but looked – if possible – even more comfortable than Shawn.
Daniel gave her a few moments to take in what she was seeing, then gestured for her to follow him out the door. She did so, grinning.
"I woke up and found them like that, and just had to have someone else see it."
"Didn't those two bring teddy bears?" Sam asked, laughing. She was relieved to see that Shawn and O'Neill had obviously had a heart to heart, and even more awed to see that Andrew had made himself so comfortable with Teal'c. "Who do you cuddle up with at night?"
"I brought books."
"They don't seem to be quite so soft."
"Yeah, well... at least my books aren't drooling all over my pillow."
"Good point." She wished she'd brought a camera. "So, Shawn and Jack got things worked out?"
"Looks that way." Daniel shrugged, "I didn't see it, though, so you'll have to ask them."
"I won't need to ask. I'll wait and see how they act when they come to breakfast. What are you doing up so early?"
"Some damn bird was singing right outside my window. I normally ignore that sort of thing, but I swear it must have been using a microphone or something."
Sam looked at her watch and saw that there was at least half an hour before the rest of the camp woke up. "Well, how about I buy you a cup of coffee?"
"Sounds good."
~*~*~
The Camp horn woke Jack. He wasn't ready to wake up just yet, but the horn didn't care. It seemed like he'd only fallen asleep minutes before, although the early morning sunlight streaming through the windows told him it had been longer than that. A few hours, at least. He looked at his watch to see what time it was, and found his hand pinned to his bed by Shawn. Along with his wrist, his arm and most of his shoulder. Jack slid his arm out from under the boy carefully, not wanting to wake him up. He needed sleep. Come to think of it, Jack needed sleep, too. But the horn had sounded, and that was that.
He crawled over Shawn's sleeping form, not disturbing the boy, and got out of bed, stretching muscles that positively ached. He needed coffee. A lot of coffee. Looking around, Jack saw that Daniel's bed was empty, but everyone else was still asleep. On his way into the bathroom, he nudged Teal'c to wake him, and then woke himself up a little further by splashing water on his face.
He debated showering, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Nor did he feel like shaving. He just wanted coffee. Once he was awake, he could always come back and do the other stuff. Teal'c joined him in the bathroom, looking far more refreshed than Jack felt.
"Good morning, O'Neill."
"Morning, Murray. How'd you sleep?"
"On my side, as I normally do."
Jack stared at him for a moment, wondering if he'd misunderstood that on purpose or not, and then just nodded.
"Good. Daniel's already up and about, and I'm going to go find some coffee. You mind making sure the boys wake up?"
"Not at all."
Jack took off his watch and handed it to Teal'c.
"Give that to Shawn when he wakes up and tell him he's the watch guy this morning."
"He will be most pleased."
"Yeah. He could use a little cheering up, I think."
"And yourself, O'Neill?" This was as close as Teal'c would come to prying, and it was a sign of just how concerned he was for his friend that he'd even asked.
"I'm okay, Murray," Jack told him, slapping his shoulder in a gesture of appreciation. "Thanks for caring."
"You are welcome."
"See you at breakfast, okay?"
"Indeed."
Jack knelt next to his bed, grabbing up a pair of shoes and making sure his keys were in his pocket. Then he tucked the blankets around Shawn, and silently left the cabin.
He found Daniel in the cafeteria with Sam. More importantly, they'd made coffee. He walked into the room, nodding at both of them, but focused only on one thing for the moment.
"Morning, Jack."
"Daniel."
"Jack."
"Sam."
It was the most they'd get until he'd had some coffee, and Daniel and Sam grinned at each other. He poured a cup of sweet nectar of the gods, and then took a long, loving sip.
"Oh, yeah. That's good."
"How'd you sleep, sir?" Sam asked, smiling a welcome as he came and sat down next to her.
"On my side," Jack told her, straight-faced, but with a glint of good humor in his dark eyes. Sam smiled, as did Daniel, and they sat and chatted about the morning, and the weather, and the coffee, but not much else. None of them brought up the events of the night before, knowing that if Jack wanted to talk about it, he would.
Carter opened her eyes, surprised to see Daniel kneeling down next to her bed. She sat up quickly, worried that something had happened.
"What's wrong?"
Daniel shook his head, holding his finger up to his lips to shush her. The last thing he wanted was for all the girls to wake up and find him in their territory.
"Come with me," he whispered.
Since Sam's bunk was the one right next to the door – like Jack's was – it was fairly easy for her to escape unseen. She reached beneath her bed and pulled out a pair of shoes, slid them on and walked out the door.
"What's going on?" She asked him once they were clear of France.
"I want you to see something. Just be quiet, okay?"
Daniel was smiling, so Sam relaxed. Whatever it was, it wasn't bad. He led her to China, and opened the door quietly, pointing first down at Jack's bunk, and then over at Teal'c's. Jack was asleep in his, and firmly tucked against him was Shawn, who looked about as peaceful as Sam had ever seen a kid look. When she looked over at Teal'c's bunk, Sam was shocked to see that Teal'c was asleep as well, and firmly cuddled in his arms was Andrew, who was dwarfed by the Jaffa, but looked – if possible – even more comfortable than Shawn.
Daniel gave her a few moments to take in what she was seeing, then gestured for her to follow him out the door. She did so, grinning.
"I woke up and found them like that, and just had to have someone else see it."
"Didn't those two bring teddy bears?" Sam asked, laughing. She was relieved to see that Shawn and O'Neill had obviously had a heart to heart, and even more awed to see that Andrew had made himself so comfortable with Teal'c. "Who do you cuddle up with at night?"
"I brought books."
"They don't seem to be quite so soft."
"Yeah, well... at least my books aren't drooling all over my pillow."
"Good point." She wished she'd brought a camera. "So, Shawn and Jack got things worked out?"
"Looks that way." Daniel shrugged, "I didn't see it, though, so you'll have to ask them."
"I won't need to ask. I'll wait and see how they act when they come to breakfast. What are you doing up so early?"
"Some damn bird was singing right outside my window. I normally ignore that sort of thing, but I swear it must have been using a microphone or something."
Sam looked at her watch and saw that there was at least half an hour before the rest of the camp woke up. "Well, how about I buy you a cup of coffee?"
"Sounds good."
~*~*~
The Camp horn woke Jack. He wasn't ready to wake up just yet, but the horn didn't care. It seemed like he'd only fallen asleep minutes before, although the early morning sunlight streaming through the windows told him it had been longer than that. A few hours, at least. He looked at his watch to see what time it was, and found his hand pinned to his bed by Shawn. Along with his wrist, his arm and most of his shoulder. Jack slid his arm out from under the boy carefully, not wanting to wake him up. He needed sleep. Come to think of it, Jack needed sleep, too. But the horn had sounded, and that was that.
He crawled over Shawn's sleeping form, not disturbing the boy, and got out of bed, stretching muscles that positively ached. He needed coffee. A lot of coffee. Looking around, Jack saw that Daniel's bed was empty, but everyone else was still asleep. On his way into the bathroom, he nudged Teal'c to wake him, and then woke himself up a little further by splashing water on his face.
He debated showering, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Nor did he feel like shaving. He just wanted coffee. Once he was awake, he could always come back and do the other stuff. Teal'c joined him in the bathroom, looking far more refreshed than Jack felt.
"Good morning, O'Neill."
"Morning, Murray. How'd you sleep?"
"On my side, as I normally do."
Jack stared at him for a moment, wondering if he'd misunderstood that on purpose or not, and then just nodded.
"Good. Daniel's already up and about, and I'm going to go find some coffee. You mind making sure the boys wake up?"
"Not at all."
Jack took off his watch and handed it to Teal'c.
"Give that to Shawn when he wakes up and tell him he's the watch guy this morning."
"He will be most pleased."
"Yeah. He could use a little cheering up, I think."
"And yourself, O'Neill?" This was as close as Teal'c would come to prying, and it was a sign of just how concerned he was for his friend that he'd even asked.
"I'm okay, Murray," Jack told him, slapping his shoulder in a gesture of appreciation. "Thanks for caring."
"You are welcome."
"See you at breakfast, okay?"
"Indeed."
Jack knelt next to his bed, grabbing up a pair of shoes and making sure his keys were in his pocket. Then he tucked the blankets around Shawn, and silently left the cabin.
He found Daniel in the cafeteria with Sam. More importantly, they'd made coffee. He walked into the room, nodding at both of them, but focused only on one thing for the moment.
"Morning, Jack."
"Daniel."
"Jack."
"Sam."
It was the most they'd get until he'd had some coffee, and Daniel and Sam grinned at each other. He poured a cup of sweet nectar of the gods, and then took a long, loving sip.
"Oh, yeah. That's good."
"How'd you sleep, sir?" Sam asked, smiling a welcome as he came and sat down next to her.
"On my side," Jack told her, straight-faced, but with a glint of good humor in his dark eyes. Sam smiled, as did Daniel, and they sat and chatted about the morning, and the weather, and the coffee, but not much else. None of them brought up the events of the night before, knowing that if Jack wanted to talk about it, he would.