The steaks were perfect. Not because Daniel was all that great at bar-b-
queing, but because Jack had taken over the cooking. He was an expert, he
said, and it was his house. Although he did acknowledge that Teal'c and
Daniel could help, since they brought the food. Fair was fair. He cooked
the steaks, and then brought them up to the deck where Sam, Frasier and
Hammond had set up a table and chairs, and had brought out the rest of the
meal.
It was a far more boisterous affair than it might have been, given the situation. Jack was at his outrageous best, doing everything he could to keep Sam's mind away from her loss, and Teal'c was the straight man for most of it. Teal'c was always the straight man. They talked about Daniel and Jack getting their braces off, and that naturally led to how they'd managed to get the breaks in the first place, which led to stories from camp. Only the stories of Jack, Daniel and Teal'c getting battered, though. And of course the stories of how the girls found Daniel so fascinating.
"They still write me," he admitted, shaking his head. "All sorts of pink and purple envelopes, and poems. Oh, God, the poems!"
"What does Sally think of them?" Sam asked, smiling.
"She reads them with me, sometimes. Who wants cake?"
Sam laughed, knowing that Daniel was changing the subject on purpose. He hated discussing his love life with Jack in the vicinity. O'Neill was far too adept at making fun of Daniel to give him any ammunition.
"Cake sounds good. I'll get it." Jack said, standing up.
"I'll help you," Sam offered.
She followed him into the kitchen and Jack looked around.
"Where is it?"
"I had to hide it from Hammond." Sam opened the microwave, and pulled it out.
"Clever."
"Well, I am a genius."
Jack waited for her to set it down on the counter, then pulled her into his arms. She went willingly, resting her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes.
"How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine, Jack. It was a good idea."
"You're not feeling overwhelmed?"
"Only a little. It's not so bad." She turned her head and pressed a kiss against his neck.
"If you need me to kick them all out, let me know and I will."
"I'll tell you."
He held her for another long moment, and it was Sam who pulled away from him. She reached for the cake and gestured to the cupboard with her chin.
"Get some plates, okay? And a knife."
"Yes, ma'am."
They munched on the defenseless cake, demolishing most of it before Jack and Teal'c finally gave up on their 'who can eat the most' contest. Teal'c was easily a bigger eater than O'Neill, but when it came to cake Jack gave him a run for his money. Of course, when they both felt like they wouldn't be able to hold another piece down, and when even Cassie was staring at them in disbelief, they decided enough was enough. They pushed their plates away, and leaned back in their chairs, soaking in the sun and trying to figure out how to make it up to their stomachs while the others talked about some off the wall project that Daniel was working on.
All in all, it was a fine way to pass the day, and it was a reaffirmation to Sam that she was with the people she loved.
~*~
Their company left in the late evening. It might have been sooner, except Sam brought out a deck of cards, and Teal'c spent a while teaching Cassie how to play Rummy. Jack joined in the game, with Sam playing his advisor, and Daniel joined in as well, even though he rarely came out the victor when it came to Rummy. He was too bad at discarding. Thought too much, Jack always told him. Hammond excused himself sometime around then, saying he had to get back home, and he gave Sam another hug before he left, and murmured something in her ear that only she could hear. She smiled, and nodded, and returned his hug, then walked him to the door.
It was a school night, so Cassie and Janet left next. Cassie promised to call Sam the next day, and told Sam if she wanted company to give her a call.
"She has company," Jack told the girl as he hugged her good-bye.
"You're a guy, Jack." Cassie said. "You don't count."
With that cryptic statement, she ran out the door, followed by Fraiser, who'd left Sam with instructions to call if she needed anything. She gave Jack a look that plainly said the same thing, and Jack nodded as well.
Teal'c and Daniel were around a little later. They helped Jack and Sam clean up the kitchen, doing the dishes and taking care of all the leftover food. Teal'c looked especially out of place with his powerful arms elbow deep in soapy water, but the Jaffa didn't mind helping, and no one was about to ask him about dishpan hands.
When the two of them left – taking loads of leftovers with them – Jack wrapped his arms around Carter and hugged her tight.
"How do you feel?"
"A little tired." She admitted, leaning against him.
"Bedtime, then," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Do you want some tea?"
She shook her head, "I don't think so. I'd just fall asleep before it got cool enough to drink."
He nodded, and the two of them went into the bedroom. True to her word, Sam was asleep almost before she got comfortable against Jack's side. He didn't mind. She'd had a long day, and needed a chance to catch up. Jack did, too, he knew. He cradled her in his arms as she slept, her cheek resting against his chest, and his hand caressing her bare skin idly as he allowed himself to relax and drift off as well.
It was a far more boisterous affair than it might have been, given the situation. Jack was at his outrageous best, doing everything he could to keep Sam's mind away from her loss, and Teal'c was the straight man for most of it. Teal'c was always the straight man. They talked about Daniel and Jack getting their braces off, and that naturally led to how they'd managed to get the breaks in the first place, which led to stories from camp. Only the stories of Jack, Daniel and Teal'c getting battered, though. And of course the stories of how the girls found Daniel so fascinating.
"They still write me," he admitted, shaking his head. "All sorts of pink and purple envelopes, and poems. Oh, God, the poems!"
"What does Sally think of them?" Sam asked, smiling.
"She reads them with me, sometimes. Who wants cake?"
Sam laughed, knowing that Daniel was changing the subject on purpose. He hated discussing his love life with Jack in the vicinity. O'Neill was far too adept at making fun of Daniel to give him any ammunition.
"Cake sounds good. I'll get it." Jack said, standing up.
"I'll help you," Sam offered.
She followed him into the kitchen and Jack looked around.
"Where is it?"
"I had to hide it from Hammond." Sam opened the microwave, and pulled it out.
"Clever."
"Well, I am a genius."
Jack waited for her to set it down on the counter, then pulled her into his arms. She went willingly, resting her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes.
"How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine, Jack. It was a good idea."
"You're not feeling overwhelmed?"
"Only a little. It's not so bad." She turned her head and pressed a kiss against his neck.
"If you need me to kick them all out, let me know and I will."
"I'll tell you."
He held her for another long moment, and it was Sam who pulled away from him. She reached for the cake and gestured to the cupboard with her chin.
"Get some plates, okay? And a knife."
"Yes, ma'am."
They munched on the defenseless cake, demolishing most of it before Jack and Teal'c finally gave up on their 'who can eat the most' contest. Teal'c was easily a bigger eater than O'Neill, but when it came to cake Jack gave him a run for his money. Of course, when they both felt like they wouldn't be able to hold another piece down, and when even Cassie was staring at them in disbelief, they decided enough was enough. They pushed their plates away, and leaned back in their chairs, soaking in the sun and trying to figure out how to make it up to their stomachs while the others talked about some off the wall project that Daniel was working on.
All in all, it was a fine way to pass the day, and it was a reaffirmation to Sam that she was with the people she loved.
~*~
Their company left in the late evening. It might have been sooner, except Sam brought out a deck of cards, and Teal'c spent a while teaching Cassie how to play Rummy. Jack joined in the game, with Sam playing his advisor, and Daniel joined in as well, even though he rarely came out the victor when it came to Rummy. He was too bad at discarding. Thought too much, Jack always told him. Hammond excused himself sometime around then, saying he had to get back home, and he gave Sam another hug before he left, and murmured something in her ear that only she could hear. She smiled, and nodded, and returned his hug, then walked him to the door.
It was a school night, so Cassie and Janet left next. Cassie promised to call Sam the next day, and told Sam if she wanted company to give her a call.
"She has company," Jack told the girl as he hugged her good-bye.
"You're a guy, Jack." Cassie said. "You don't count."
With that cryptic statement, she ran out the door, followed by Fraiser, who'd left Sam with instructions to call if she needed anything. She gave Jack a look that plainly said the same thing, and Jack nodded as well.
Teal'c and Daniel were around a little later. They helped Jack and Sam clean up the kitchen, doing the dishes and taking care of all the leftover food. Teal'c looked especially out of place with his powerful arms elbow deep in soapy water, but the Jaffa didn't mind helping, and no one was about to ask him about dishpan hands.
When the two of them left – taking loads of leftovers with them – Jack wrapped his arms around Carter and hugged her tight.
"How do you feel?"
"A little tired." She admitted, leaning against him.
"Bedtime, then," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Do you want some tea?"
She shook her head, "I don't think so. I'd just fall asleep before it got cool enough to drink."
He nodded, and the two of them went into the bedroom. True to her word, Sam was asleep almost before she got comfortable against Jack's side. He didn't mind. She'd had a long day, and needed a chance to catch up. Jack did, too, he knew. He cradled her in his arms as she slept, her cheek resting against his chest, and his hand caressing her bare skin idly as he allowed himself to relax and drift off as well.