"What are we doing today, Jack?" Shawn asked as a few more counselors and
campers started to trickle in, yawning and chattering.
"Free day," Jack said.
"Great!"
"We can go sailing!"
"And riding!"
"And on a nature walk!"
Jack was already tired. He and Daniel sat quietly as the boys started discussing what they were going to do, and were both grateful that they had an excuse not to do it, as well. While the boys told Sam what they were going to do, the rest of the campers and counselors entered and Teal'c came and joined the table, looking far more refreshed than Daniel or Jack. And far healthier. Jack noticed this as well, and muttered something about wanting a snake, too, but he didn't say it loudly, and Sam and Shawn were the only ones that heard him over the din in the cafeteria. Carter smiled, and Shawn wasn't really paying attention.
"Good morning, Campers!" Gary came to stand by the kitchen door, grinning hugely, and looking as cheerful as ever. Jack and Daniel both scowled. Then Daniel winced, and Jack smirked. Which made Daniel scowl again.
"Today is the last full day of camp," Gary was saying, and the two men turned their attention back to the Camp Director. "Today is a free day. The horses will be available, the sailboats will be free to anyone who wants to use them, and of course, there'll be arts and crafts for any of you who might have come up with something else you want to make. There'll be a nature hike, as well, if one of the counselors would be willing to take charge of that?" He looked over at Teal'c, who nodded his acceptance. Teal'c liked Nature walks, and didn't mind having the children out with him. It was refreshing.
Gary wasn't through, though.
"Tonight, as is the custom, we'll be having Talent Night." He waited for the few cheers and murmuring to die down before continuing. "Talent night is a chance for individuals and groups to show the rest of us what you can do. Singing, dancing, juggling... whatever you do, if you want to do it, tonight's the night!"
He held up a piece of paper. "I'm going to tape this to the wall of the gym. If you want to sign up to do something, just put your name and cabin, and what you're going to do. Any questions?"
There were none, but the campers were already talking among each other, deciding what they could do, or bragging about some ability or the other. Gary read off a couple of other announcements, then told them to pick their Runners and enjoy their breakfast.
"Talent night!"
"That should be fun, right Jack?"
"Oh, yeah."
"I can tap dance," one of the girls said from France's table. "Maybe I'll sign up."
"I can play the trumpet, but I didn't bring it."
"I can play the piano. My mom made me learn."
They went on in that vein for a few minutes, until Jack asked who had been the watch guy that morning, and sent the boy up to be Runner. He was hungry. And needed more coffee.
~*~
The morning was bright and sunny, and Jack, Daniel and Sam were all walking slowly down to the waterfront. Sally had pulled Daniel aside and told him that she'd get the girls to go on the hike with Teal'c or go riding, and he smiled his thanks and invited her to join him and the others down at the water. She'd accepted, and told him she'd meet them down there, she just wanted to make sure the girls were on their way.
Carter walked between the two men. She said it was to make sure that if one of them tripped, she'd be there to catch them, but really it was just because it was pleasant for her to walk with them like that. She was as fond of Daniel as she was of Jack, although in a different fashion, and it was nice to be able to just be with them, and not have the fate of countless lives hanging in the balance. Her left hand slipped around Jack's waist, gently, and held him lightly, but her right hand was around Daniel's as well, and he'd slipped his left hand over her shoulder, just as content to be with his friends as she was.
"Sally's going to meet us?" Jack asked.
"Yup. She said she was."
"She's nice, Daniel. I like her."
"Yeah. She is."
"She's smart, too," Sam added, nonchalantly. "She told me she has a couple degrees."
"She does," Daniel said. "In Theoretical Mathematics, and in Engineering."
"Really?" Jack asked, impressed. "Wow."
"Yup."
"So..."
"Yes?"
"You going to see her after this week is over?"
"If she wants to, I think so." Daniel had known this was going to come. Sam and Jack were far too close to him to allow him to show an interest in a woman and not want to know how things were going every step of the way. He didn't mind sharing, but he wasn't going to let them only talk about him.
"What about you two?" He asked.
"What about us?"
Daniel smiled, which hurt. "Come on... spill it."
"Yeah, well..."
"Well...?"
"We're going to try and figure something out. It'd be best if you didn't say anything, though, okay? Not until we figure out how to make it work."
"Your secret is safe with me. You know that."
Sam and Jack both nodded. They did know that. Otherwise, they wouldn't have said a word.
"Hey Jack," The young man at the water equipment shack greeted O'Neill when he and the others arrived there a moment later.
"Hey. Can we have a couple fishing poles?"
"Sure."
They were handed three poles and a box of tackle, but Jack handed one back.
"Sam doesn't get one. She's dangerous with one of these."
"Whatever you say." The young man grinned, and winked at Sam, who was just shaking her head and smiling.
"What happened with you and a fishing pole, Sam?" Daniel asked as the three of them walked over to the swimming dock where they were going to meet Sally.
"It's nothing, Daniel," Sam said, blushing.
"Oh, yeah it is," Jack corrected her. "Let me tell you all about Carter and her amazing fishing abilities." It'd give them something to talk about while they waited for Sally, and Jack knew that Daniel would sympathize.
"Free day," Jack said.
"Great!"
"We can go sailing!"
"And riding!"
"And on a nature walk!"
Jack was already tired. He and Daniel sat quietly as the boys started discussing what they were going to do, and were both grateful that they had an excuse not to do it, as well. While the boys told Sam what they were going to do, the rest of the campers and counselors entered and Teal'c came and joined the table, looking far more refreshed than Daniel or Jack. And far healthier. Jack noticed this as well, and muttered something about wanting a snake, too, but he didn't say it loudly, and Sam and Shawn were the only ones that heard him over the din in the cafeteria. Carter smiled, and Shawn wasn't really paying attention.
"Good morning, Campers!" Gary came to stand by the kitchen door, grinning hugely, and looking as cheerful as ever. Jack and Daniel both scowled. Then Daniel winced, and Jack smirked. Which made Daniel scowl again.
"Today is the last full day of camp," Gary was saying, and the two men turned their attention back to the Camp Director. "Today is a free day. The horses will be available, the sailboats will be free to anyone who wants to use them, and of course, there'll be arts and crafts for any of you who might have come up with something else you want to make. There'll be a nature hike, as well, if one of the counselors would be willing to take charge of that?" He looked over at Teal'c, who nodded his acceptance. Teal'c liked Nature walks, and didn't mind having the children out with him. It was refreshing.
Gary wasn't through, though.
"Tonight, as is the custom, we'll be having Talent Night." He waited for the few cheers and murmuring to die down before continuing. "Talent night is a chance for individuals and groups to show the rest of us what you can do. Singing, dancing, juggling... whatever you do, if you want to do it, tonight's the night!"
He held up a piece of paper. "I'm going to tape this to the wall of the gym. If you want to sign up to do something, just put your name and cabin, and what you're going to do. Any questions?"
There were none, but the campers were already talking among each other, deciding what they could do, or bragging about some ability or the other. Gary read off a couple of other announcements, then told them to pick their Runners and enjoy their breakfast.
"Talent night!"
"That should be fun, right Jack?"
"Oh, yeah."
"I can tap dance," one of the girls said from France's table. "Maybe I'll sign up."
"I can play the trumpet, but I didn't bring it."
"I can play the piano. My mom made me learn."
They went on in that vein for a few minutes, until Jack asked who had been the watch guy that morning, and sent the boy up to be Runner. He was hungry. And needed more coffee.
~*~
The morning was bright and sunny, and Jack, Daniel and Sam were all walking slowly down to the waterfront. Sally had pulled Daniel aside and told him that she'd get the girls to go on the hike with Teal'c or go riding, and he smiled his thanks and invited her to join him and the others down at the water. She'd accepted, and told him she'd meet them down there, she just wanted to make sure the girls were on their way.
Carter walked between the two men. She said it was to make sure that if one of them tripped, she'd be there to catch them, but really it was just because it was pleasant for her to walk with them like that. She was as fond of Daniel as she was of Jack, although in a different fashion, and it was nice to be able to just be with them, and not have the fate of countless lives hanging in the balance. Her left hand slipped around Jack's waist, gently, and held him lightly, but her right hand was around Daniel's as well, and he'd slipped his left hand over her shoulder, just as content to be with his friends as she was.
"Sally's going to meet us?" Jack asked.
"Yup. She said she was."
"She's nice, Daniel. I like her."
"Yeah. She is."
"She's smart, too," Sam added, nonchalantly. "She told me she has a couple degrees."
"She does," Daniel said. "In Theoretical Mathematics, and in Engineering."
"Really?" Jack asked, impressed. "Wow."
"Yup."
"So..."
"Yes?"
"You going to see her after this week is over?"
"If she wants to, I think so." Daniel had known this was going to come. Sam and Jack were far too close to him to allow him to show an interest in a woman and not want to know how things were going every step of the way. He didn't mind sharing, but he wasn't going to let them only talk about him.
"What about you two?" He asked.
"What about us?"
Daniel smiled, which hurt. "Come on... spill it."
"Yeah, well..."
"Well...?"
"We're going to try and figure something out. It'd be best if you didn't say anything, though, okay? Not until we figure out how to make it work."
"Your secret is safe with me. You know that."
Sam and Jack both nodded. They did know that. Otherwise, they wouldn't have said a word.
"Hey Jack," The young man at the water equipment shack greeted O'Neill when he and the others arrived there a moment later.
"Hey. Can we have a couple fishing poles?"
"Sure."
They were handed three poles and a box of tackle, but Jack handed one back.
"Sam doesn't get one. She's dangerous with one of these."
"Whatever you say." The young man grinned, and winked at Sam, who was just shaking her head and smiling.
"What happened with you and a fishing pole, Sam?" Daniel asked as the three of them walked over to the swimming dock where they were going to meet Sally.
"It's nothing, Daniel," Sam said, blushing.
"Oh, yeah it is," Jack corrected her. "Let me tell you all about Carter and her amazing fishing abilities." It'd give them something to talk about while they waited for Sally, and Jack knew that Daniel would sympathize.