They were excused about a half hour later to go to their cabins and get
ready for lunch. Jack sent his boys up with Teal'c and took a few minutes
longer to get out of the water himself. Once he sent Sam away, as well. She
was the whole cause of his problem, and having her standing there
practically giggling at him from the shore was a whole lot easier to handle
than having her pressed tightly against his stomach. The lifeguards simply
assumed he wanted a few more minutes to cool off in the water, since he
wasn't able to actually dunk his head. He let them think what they wanted.
Which was far better than them knowing what was really going on.
"You're evil," O'Neill told Sam as he finally made it out of the water and to her side on the shore. She grinned; giving him the most innocent look she could manage at that particular moment. It wasn't a very convincing one. Jack put his arm around her waist and the two of them turned to go up the hill, waving on Shawn on Danin, who had waited for their counselors.
"Shawn! Tell Murray and Daniel that Simon has the watch!" Jack called to the boy, who waved his understanding and sprinted up the hill with his important mission. Danin sprinted after him, asking him what that meant.
"You're still doing the watch thing?" Sam asked, amazed.
"It still works," Jack said, smiling. "None of our boys have been late for a meal yet. And we never have any arguing over who the runner is."
"You're really enjoying this camp counselor thing, aren't you?"
Jack nodded, "Like Teal'c said; it isn't something I would have thought of doing myself, but it's beginning to grow on me."
"You're good at it."
"Maybe short-term," Jack said. "I don't know if I could do it more than a week or so. I'd miss the action."
Sam touched one of the bruises on Jack's chest, and he shied away from the touch.
"That's not what I meant. I don't miss having aliens shooting at me."
"What, then?"
"Oh, I don't know, Carter. I guess I just miss having it be life or death. Eating a banana as fast as I can so my team doesn't lose a relay race is nice and all, but it's hardly something to keep the blood pumping."
"I think it's a pleasant break from the routine." Sam said.
"It's pleasant, Sam, but it'd be awfully lonely if you weren't here with me. I'd be as homesick as Andrew."
She blushed slightly at the compliment, knowing that he was completely serious, and Jack smiled, knowing it had pleased her. He found he was enjoying the chance to tell her things like that, just because he knew she would like it. Of course, he was serious, but that was beside the point. It was more for Sam that he expressed himself so openly to her. It was completely out of his nature to say something like that, but she made him want to make her happy. Which was fine with him.
They parted at the Camp Horn. Sam went to France, and Jack went to China. There were a couple girls at China's door, and Jack shooed them away, figuring they were annoying Daniel.
"Jack? What does it mean to have the watch?" Danin asked as Jack waved her away from the door so he could get in.
"Don't tell her, Jack!"
"Yeah, she doesn't need to know."
He grinned at the girl and shrugged his shoulders, which hurt. "I can't tell you, Danin. The boys have sworn me to secrecy."
The boys whooped with glee that Jack had kept the secret that wasn't really a secret, and Jack shook his head. Kids. Danin looked so disappointed, though, that Jack made a big show of wrapping his towel around her to aid him in pulling her away from the cabin, and once he was out of earshot of his boys, he leaned over.
"Ask Sam, she knows." He whispered.
Her eyes lit up, and she grinned, then turned and sprinted off towards China.
"You didn't tell her, didja, Jack?" Tyler asked when Jack came through the door.
"Nope."
"Good."
"Simon? All the boys about ready?"
"You guys about ready?"
"Almost!"
"I can't find my shoe!"
"Jack, we're out of toilet paper."
"Use Andrew's sock."
"Gross!"
"Hey!"
Jack grinned, and shook his head. "Run down and use the bathroom by the dining room, William. I'll make sure they know we need some."
The boy took off down the hill with Tyler in tow, and Jack looked over to Simon to make sure he took note of the two that left so he wouldn't be looking for them later. Simon nodded, knowing what Jack was telling him, and pointed at his watch.
Jack gave the boy a thumbs up and dried ff and changed into jeans and a long sleeved shirt, then slid his feet into loafers.
"I'm going to head on down," he told Daniel and Teal'c, who were playing rummy with a few of the boys who were already changed and ready. They were just using the time to get Teal'c a bit more skilled at the game.
"We'll be there as soon as the horn sounds."
"Good enough."
He walked out the door, and started down the hill, looking over at France a he did so, but Carter didn't appear at the door to come walk with him like he'd half hoped she would. Instead, it was Gina who came rushing up to keep him company, and Jack smiled despite himself. Maybe little girls weren't so bad, after all.
"You're evil," O'Neill told Sam as he finally made it out of the water and to her side on the shore. She grinned; giving him the most innocent look she could manage at that particular moment. It wasn't a very convincing one. Jack put his arm around her waist and the two of them turned to go up the hill, waving on Shawn on Danin, who had waited for their counselors.
"Shawn! Tell Murray and Daniel that Simon has the watch!" Jack called to the boy, who waved his understanding and sprinted up the hill with his important mission. Danin sprinted after him, asking him what that meant.
"You're still doing the watch thing?" Sam asked, amazed.
"It still works," Jack said, smiling. "None of our boys have been late for a meal yet. And we never have any arguing over who the runner is."
"You're really enjoying this camp counselor thing, aren't you?"
Jack nodded, "Like Teal'c said; it isn't something I would have thought of doing myself, but it's beginning to grow on me."
"You're good at it."
"Maybe short-term," Jack said. "I don't know if I could do it more than a week or so. I'd miss the action."
Sam touched one of the bruises on Jack's chest, and he shied away from the touch.
"That's not what I meant. I don't miss having aliens shooting at me."
"What, then?"
"Oh, I don't know, Carter. I guess I just miss having it be life or death. Eating a banana as fast as I can so my team doesn't lose a relay race is nice and all, but it's hardly something to keep the blood pumping."
"I think it's a pleasant break from the routine." Sam said.
"It's pleasant, Sam, but it'd be awfully lonely if you weren't here with me. I'd be as homesick as Andrew."
She blushed slightly at the compliment, knowing that he was completely serious, and Jack smiled, knowing it had pleased her. He found he was enjoying the chance to tell her things like that, just because he knew she would like it. Of course, he was serious, but that was beside the point. It was more for Sam that he expressed himself so openly to her. It was completely out of his nature to say something like that, but she made him want to make her happy. Which was fine with him.
They parted at the Camp Horn. Sam went to France, and Jack went to China. There were a couple girls at China's door, and Jack shooed them away, figuring they were annoying Daniel.
"Jack? What does it mean to have the watch?" Danin asked as Jack waved her away from the door so he could get in.
"Don't tell her, Jack!"
"Yeah, she doesn't need to know."
He grinned at the girl and shrugged his shoulders, which hurt. "I can't tell you, Danin. The boys have sworn me to secrecy."
The boys whooped with glee that Jack had kept the secret that wasn't really a secret, and Jack shook his head. Kids. Danin looked so disappointed, though, that Jack made a big show of wrapping his towel around her to aid him in pulling her away from the cabin, and once he was out of earshot of his boys, he leaned over.
"Ask Sam, she knows." He whispered.
Her eyes lit up, and she grinned, then turned and sprinted off towards China.
"You didn't tell her, didja, Jack?" Tyler asked when Jack came through the door.
"Nope."
"Good."
"Simon? All the boys about ready?"
"You guys about ready?"
"Almost!"
"I can't find my shoe!"
"Jack, we're out of toilet paper."
"Use Andrew's sock."
"Gross!"
"Hey!"
Jack grinned, and shook his head. "Run down and use the bathroom by the dining room, William. I'll make sure they know we need some."
The boy took off down the hill with Tyler in tow, and Jack looked over to Simon to make sure he took note of the two that left so he wouldn't be looking for them later. Simon nodded, knowing what Jack was telling him, and pointed at his watch.
Jack gave the boy a thumbs up and dried ff and changed into jeans and a long sleeved shirt, then slid his feet into loafers.
"I'm going to head on down," he told Daniel and Teal'c, who were playing rummy with a few of the boys who were already changed and ready. They were just using the time to get Teal'c a bit more skilled at the game.
"We'll be there as soon as the horn sounds."
"Good enough."
He walked out the door, and started down the hill, looking over at France a he did so, but Carter didn't appear at the door to come walk with him like he'd half hoped she would. Instead, it was Gina who came rushing up to keep him company, and Jack smiled despite himself. Maybe little girls weren't so bad, after all.