Part 32
Sam Carter and Jack O'Neill gazed at each other warily after the Colonel had volunteered to demonstrate hand-to-hand combat techniques opposite his second-in-command.
"Do you want to start, Major?" Jack asked and Sam nodded her agreement.
Sam began with a brief history of where the different combat techniques had originated and then she and Jack began to demonstrate each discipline; one move at a time. As the individual, precise moves flowed together into the dance-like exercises, martial arts experts use for private training, Sam and Jack watched each other covertly.
'Man-oh-man, for an Air Force colonel with bad knees, Jack sure is graceful...and sexy - wow!' Sam thought to herself. 'We've never practiced combat moves together before...that's a real shame, 'cause I've been missing quite a show. Jack isn't muscle-bound like Teal'c, or even quite as buff as Daniel has become, but he still has a well-toned, strong body...from what I can see through his black t-shirt and camouflage pants. Like a proud, mature cougar; seasoned, tough and yet still sleek and in his prime.'
Jack was having much the same thoughts.
'Boy, I've seen Sam...uh...Carter fighting hand-to-hand against our enemies before...And that to-the-death, one-on-one knife fight on Simarka was pretty spectacular to watch...well...in retrospect, After she'd made that old fool of a chieftain submit to her superior fighting skill...But I've never seen her go through these basic exercises before. I've also never thought that a baggy black t-shirt and camouflage pants could be sexy...but on Sam...wha-ho...they are! Or is it that Sam is just plain sexy, all by herself? Yeah that's probably it. Watching her now; seeing her delicate hands and wrists flex and bend through the exercise and the rest of her body twist and turn so gracefully through the movements; it's easy to forget how strong and powerful she is too. How all military she is...although I've always been aware of her as a female...'
Jack saw Beneck out in the crowd and almost stumbled.
'Oh for crying out loud, does Beneck have to stand there, almost drooling over Sam? His eyes following her every move.'
And Sam saw Seria as well.
'Seria's eyes have been following Jack's every move. Man, doesn't she have any more respect for herself than to stand all googlie-eyed, out in the crowd, almost salivating over my colonel?' Sam asked herself.
Sam turned in the exercise movements to see Jack execute a perfect jaw-high kick in precise synchronization with her own and almost went googlie-eyed herself.
'Oh man, he's magnificent!' Sam almost grinned at her own thoughts, but was snapped out of them by Jack's voice.
"Okay, we've demonstrated the moves individually and then how they all flow into each other. Now let us show you how we use these movements to fight another person and/or to defend ourselves...Carter."
Jack and Sam started by showing different types of attacks and how the martial arts movements could be used to react to each attack. They broke each exercise down into slow-motion segments, which they both noticed showed off each other's muscles, balance and grace even further than before. But as they became more and more attracted to each other in this unexpected show of sweaty sexiness, both Sam and Jack also became more aware of Beneck and Seria's respective attraction as well. As the two instructors sped up and lengthened their demonstrations, the two hosts' attentions apparently became more focused, supportive and anxious that a certain someone might be injured as hands and feet flew back and forth at an ever increasing speed.
'I've had it with watching Sam and Beneck getting closer and closer to each other over the last couple of weeks and him drooling over her now.' Jack growled to himself. 'We were getting pretty close ourselves; it's amazing how much you can learn about another person during long, uneventful off-world missions, where it's just you and your three team-mates. I bet Beneck doesn't know that Sam will eat an-y-thing with peanut butter on it. Does he know just the right way to massage her feet after hiking fifteen or twenty miles all day? For crying out loud, pal, she's my second-in-command, My friend, MY Sam!' The words screamed through Jack's mind and echoed back and forth inside his skull, but did not make it out past his clenched teeth.
'Oh man, here comes Seria; up to the front of the group. What; is she afraid that I'll hurt her poor little Jackie? Yikes, did I just refer to my colonel as "Jackie"? I bet he was never called Jackie or Johnny; even when he was a baby. I bet he was a tough little tyke...cute though...' Sam thought as she looked over the man with a possessive yet covert glance as she continued to instinctively match Jack, move for move. But her concentration was not total as she kept note of how many times Jack's eyes glanced towards the crowd...and Seria.
Down in the crowd, Michael and the others quickly realized that the action between the two instructors could no longer be for teaching purposes; it was moving so quickly that only an expert might be able to break down and see the individual moves.
"Do we dare try to break them up?" Maria asked him, she had noticed the glances back and forth between the opponents and two particular people out in the crowd.
"I don't think we could without getting punched for our efforts." Michael shook his head.
"If it is...um...jealousy which is fueling those two, maybe we should remove the source of contention; Seria and Beneck, as well as the others." Alex suggested, glancing to Isabel.
"I think you're right, Alex." Max agreed before he and the others began to quietly herd the trainees away from their instructors, but Seria and Beneck were reluctant to go.
"We have to stop them, Max!" Beneck exclaimed anxiously. "He's hurting Samantha."
"Hah! I think it's your girlfriend who's laying down the damage, Beneck." Seria retorted.
"Sam...my girlfriend? She's not...you're just worried about Your boyfriend, Jack." Beneck shot back, making the eight friends glance back and forth between each other...Beneck...and Seria? Who would have guessed?
"Okay you two; you need to come away from here so you can discuss...your feelings...or whatever, in private." Max said urgently. "Your arguing is only escalating the situation between Sam and Jack."
"But..." Beneck and Seria protested at the same time.
"Come, now." Max said more firmly and the two followed the six friends, who had herded everyone else away from the practice area. "Make sure everyone stays away." Max ordered Michael. "Liz and I will stay nearby to make sure that Sam and Jack don't kill each other."
"Oh-kay." Michael said reluctantly before following his King's orders.
Back in the practice area, Sam had heard Beneck's angry words, but only the words and not the inflection; "you're just worried about your boyfriend, Jack."
And Jack had heard Seria's words as well; "I think it's your girlfriend who's laying down the damage, Beneck."
Max had been correct, Seria's and Beneck's words would escalate the emotionally combustible situation between Sam and Jack because he had not moved the two Antarians away before they had the chance to open their mouths. Having their beliefs seemingly confirmed for them, both combatants struck out even harder, but physical expressions of their hurt and anger was no longer enough and they...finally...started to speak.
"What does she have that I don't?" Sam cried out, while jumping to miss a leg Jack stuck out to trip her.
"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm the one who should be getting an answer from you to that question." Jack yelled back, blocking a fist aimed at this throat.
"I've been your loyal 2IC, your best friend for nearly two years, why did you turn away from me...to Her?" Sam ignored Jack's questions, but subconsciously stored it away in her mind.
"Why'd you turn to Him?" Jack countered. "We were best friends, but I always wished we could be...more." Jack admitted, but said the last part so softly that Sam almost missed it as she blocked a kick to her kneecap.
"I didn't turn to anyone...SIR! You're the one who went splish-splashy-fishing with Seria." Sam yelled.
"Only after I saw you go to bed with Beneck!" Jacked yelled; exasperated and hurt.
"What? I never...were you Watching me?" Sam asked reproachfully, her anger, which had begun to ease, heating up again.
As if...I'm no Peeping-Tom. I was just gonna drop by and see how you were doing, as I walked home from the Manor." Jack explained but kept his attacks going. "And I got an eye-full from the sidewalk, out front of Beneck's place."
"But, but nothing's ever happened between us..." Sam admitted but then continued. "Unlike you and Seria;...carrying her in your arms and all."
"She sprained her ankle!" Jack retorted finally catching hold of one of Sam's fists before it could plow into his face.
And at the same time, Sam caught hold of his other wrist, but they continued to try kicking and tripping each other.
"I'm not the one who's been spending every waking...and hor-i-zontal moment with Beneck-boy!" Jack accused.
"No, you're 'doing it' with Seria-pee-ah." Sam yelled back.
And finally, what Sam was accusing him of, sunk into Jack's brain.
"NO I AM NOT, Sam!" He yelled and then moderated his voice just a bit. "Nothing at all has been happening between me and Seria. Yes, I enjoy working with her and she has become a friend, but that is all."
Sam's brain was also just now accepting what Jack had said as well.
"Well, neither am I, Jack! It's just like you said; Beneck and I are friends and we work well together." Sam admitted. "And, if what you say is true; that Seria sprained her ankle that day at the river..."
"It is true." Jack shot back, still belligerent.
"Oh-kay...then I'll accept that if you will accept the fact that the only time Beneck has stepped foot inside my bedroom...and what you probably saw...was when I got sick on something I ate and threw up. Beneck helped me to bed and brought me a pot of tea to soothe my stomach..."
They had stopped fighting some time between Jack and Sam's explanations and now they just stood gazing warily at one another while their heart rates slowed down.
"So...then...what have we been fighting about?" Jack asked, confused and still hurting.
"I - I thought you were falling in love with Seria and it hurt so much because...Iloveyousomuch." Sam said softly; running the last part together.
She was so exhausted from fighting and emotionally hurting that she had no more strength to hold in her emotions or hold the tears back from falling down her cheeks. Jack felt equally tired and emotionally dejected as well, but managed to hold back all but one, lone tear, which dripped its way down his lean cheek.
"I felt the same way about you and Beneck because...I...Iloveyoutoo...way more than I should." Jack admitted.
All of a sudden, two pairs of hands began to softly clap together as Max and Liz walked over to their friends from their safe positions several yards away from the practice area.
"Finally, you both admit to each other...and to yourselves, for that matter...what the rest of us have known for a couple of weeks now!" Max said, grinning.
"You have?" Sam asked, blushing at Liz and Max.
"Hey, where'd everybody go?" Jack asked, only just noticing that they were totally alone, except for Max and Liz.
"We thought that you two needed some privacy to...hash out your problems together." Liz explained gently. "By the way, we believe that Seria and Beneck are finally having much the same discussion with each other as you two just had."
"What? Really?" Sam and Jack asked together.
If it was true, that Beneck and Seria were actually in love with each other; that would put the final kibosh on Sam and Jack's jealousy.
"Yup!" Max grinned.
"You two seem awfully smug about all this." Jack said irritably and then turned to face Sam and take one of her hands in his. "Sam...I may have finally admitted what I feel for you...and you for me...which I can hardly believe, but it...it is still against regulations for us to do anything about it."
"I - I know, Jack." Sam nodded sadly, but giving his hand a light squeeze.
"Uh...not here on Antar it isn't." Max said. "Our culture encourages people to be honest about how they feel towards the people in their lives (so why Seria and Beneck got into the mess they did, I'll never know!). And our four-squares are mostly made up of two men and two women because that combination of male and female is much more powerful than just four people of the same sex, working or fighting together, would be." Max paused and then continued.
"While we were growing up on Earth, I heard news stories about sex-scandals in the military...'don't ask, don't tell', or some cover-up of a female soldier being assaulted by male soldiers. Here on Antar the respectful treatment of all people is simply second-nature to us and if anyone does break that fundamental rule, he or she is swiftly and appropriately punished. Covering up such actions is not tolerated. So I say again, while you two and the rest of your people are here on Antar, you are bound by our laws." Max finished; glancing between Sam and Jack meaningfully.
"Of course we are, but we are also still under General Hammond's command." Sam corrected. "That's why we've been returning to Earth for a few hours every few days; to brief him about our progress...as well as handling our e-mail and paperwork."
"Rats, I was afraid that you'd insist on seeing it that way." Max said, frowning.
"That doesn't change the fact that they now both know how the other one feels; that's a big step." Liz said. "And you two are going to have to find a way to handle your feelings, no matter what happens after this."
"I get what you're saying, Liz." Max said, grinning. "Why don't you two show us...prove to us how well...how professionally you can still work together, no matter what the situation. And in private...or I should say, when you're off duty...because I don't want you to have to sneak around or hide your feelings...as King of Antar, I give you permission to...get to know each other, on a more personal level. Not so much...uh...sex...although that's totally up to and between the two of you...but the process of being a couple, rather than just team-mates...alright?"
Jack and Sam glanced at each other shyly.
'Jack O'Neill shy; will wonders never cease?" Max thought, but was pleased that this new relationship of theirs was important enough to them for Sam and Jack to be a little uncertain about it as they turned back to himself and Liz.
"Okay...we'll try that." Sam said and Jack nodded as he reached out to take her hand and rub his thumb over her soft skin.
"Well, we'll leave you...uh...to it for now then." Max said as he also took Liz's hand in his and drew her away from the older couple.
"Good luck!" Liz called back...
TBC
Sam Carter and Jack O'Neill gazed at each other warily after the Colonel had volunteered to demonstrate hand-to-hand combat techniques opposite his second-in-command.
"Do you want to start, Major?" Jack asked and Sam nodded her agreement.
Sam began with a brief history of where the different combat techniques had originated and then she and Jack began to demonstrate each discipline; one move at a time. As the individual, precise moves flowed together into the dance-like exercises, martial arts experts use for private training, Sam and Jack watched each other covertly.
'Man-oh-man, for an Air Force colonel with bad knees, Jack sure is graceful...and sexy - wow!' Sam thought to herself. 'We've never practiced combat moves together before...that's a real shame, 'cause I've been missing quite a show. Jack isn't muscle-bound like Teal'c, or even quite as buff as Daniel has become, but he still has a well-toned, strong body...from what I can see through his black t-shirt and camouflage pants. Like a proud, mature cougar; seasoned, tough and yet still sleek and in his prime.'
Jack was having much the same thoughts.
'Boy, I've seen Sam...uh...Carter fighting hand-to-hand against our enemies before...And that to-the-death, one-on-one knife fight on Simarka was pretty spectacular to watch...well...in retrospect, After she'd made that old fool of a chieftain submit to her superior fighting skill...But I've never seen her go through these basic exercises before. I've also never thought that a baggy black t-shirt and camouflage pants could be sexy...but on Sam...wha-ho...they are! Or is it that Sam is just plain sexy, all by herself? Yeah that's probably it. Watching her now; seeing her delicate hands and wrists flex and bend through the exercise and the rest of her body twist and turn so gracefully through the movements; it's easy to forget how strong and powerful she is too. How all military she is...although I've always been aware of her as a female...'
Jack saw Beneck out in the crowd and almost stumbled.
'Oh for crying out loud, does Beneck have to stand there, almost drooling over Sam? His eyes following her every move.'
And Sam saw Seria as well.
'Seria's eyes have been following Jack's every move. Man, doesn't she have any more respect for herself than to stand all googlie-eyed, out in the crowd, almost salivating over my colonel?' Sam asked herself.
Sam turned in the exercise movements to see Jack execute a perfect jaw-high kick in precise synchronization with her own and almost went googlie-eyed herself.
'Oh man, he's magnificent!' Sam almost grinned at her own thoughts, but was snapped out of them by Jack's voice.
"Okay, we've demonstrated the moves individually and then how they all flow into each other. Now let us show you how we use these movements to fight another person and/or to defend ourselves...Carter."
Jack and Sam started by showing different types of attacks and how the martial arts movements could be used to react to each attack. They broke each exercise down into slow-motion segments, which they both noticed showed off each other's muscles, balance and grace even further than before. But as they became more and more attracted to each other in this unexpected show of sweaty sexiness, both Sam and Jack also became more aware of Beneck and Seria's respective attraction as well. As the two instructors sped up and lengthened their demonstrations, the two hosts' attentions apparently became more focused, supportive and anxious that a certain someone might be injured as hands and feet flew back and forth at an ever increasing speed.
'I've had it with watching Sam and Beneck getting closer and closer to each other over the last couple of weeks and him drooling over her now.' Jack growled to himself. 'We were getting pretty close ourselves; it's amazing how much you can learn about another person during long, uneventful off-world missions, where it's just you and your three team-mates. I bet Beneck doesn't know that Sam will eat an-y-thing with peanut butter on it. Does he know just the right way to massage her feet after hiking fifteen or twenty miles all day? For crying out loud, pal, she's my second-in-command, My friend, MY Sam!' The words screamed through Jack's mind and echoed back and forth inside his skull, but did not make it out past his clenched teeth.
'Oh man, here comes Seria; up to the front of the group. What; is she afraid that I'll hurt her poor little Jackie? Yikes, did I just refer to my colonel as "Jackie"? I bet he was never called Jackie or Johnny; even when he was a baby. I bet he was a tough little tyke...cute though...' Sam thought as she looked over the man with a possessive yet covert glance as she continued to instinctively match Jack, move for move. But her concentration was not total as she kept note of how many times Jack's eyes glanced towards the crowd...and Seria.
Down in the crowd, Michael and the others quickly realized that the action between the two instructors could no longer be for teaching purposes; it was moving so quickly that only an expert might be able to break down and see the individual moves.
"Do we dare try to break them up?" Maria asked him, she had noticed the glances back and forth between the opponents and two particular people out in the crowd.
"I don't think we could without getting punched for our efforts." Michael shook his head.
"If it is...um...jealousy which is fueling those two, maybe we should remove the source of contention; Seria and Beneck, as well as the others." Alex suggested, glancing to Isabel.
"I think you're right, Alex." Max agreed before he and the others began to quietly herd the trainees away from their instructors, but Seria and Beneck were reluctant to go.
"We have to stop them, Max!" Beneck exclaimed anxiously. "He's hurting Samantha."
"Hah! I think it's your girlfriend who's laying down the damage, Beneck." Seria retorted.
"Sam...my girlfriend? She's not...you're just worried about Your boyfriend, Jack." Beneck shot back, making the eight friends glance back and forth between each other...Beneck...and Seria? Who would have guessed?
"Okay you two; you need to come away from here so you can discuss...your feelings...or whatever, in private." Max said urgently. "Your arguing is only escalating the situation between Sam and Jack."
"But..." Beneck and Seria protested at the same time.
"Come, now." Max said more firmly and the two followed the six friends, who had herded everyone else away from the practice area. "Make sure everyone stays away." Max ordered Michael. "Liz and I will stay nearby to make sure that Sam and Jack don't kill each other."
"Oh-kay." Michael said reluctantly before following his King's orders.
Back in the practice area, Sam had heard Beneck's angry words, but only the words and not the inflection; "you're just worried about your boyfriend, Jack."
And Jack had heard Seria's words as well; "I think it's your girlfriend who's laying down the damage, Beneck."
Max had been correct, Seria's and Beneck's words would escalate the emotionally combustible situation between Sam and Jack because he had not moved the two Antarians away before they had the chance to open their mouths. Having their beliefs seemingly confirmed for them, both combatants struck out even harder, but physical expressions of their hurt and anger was no longer enough and they...finally...started to speak.
"What does she have that I don't?" Sam cried out, while jumping to miss a leg Jack stuck out to trip her.
"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm the one who should be getting an answer from you to that question." Jack yelled back, blocking a fist aimed at this throat.
"I've been your loyal 2IC, your best friend for nearly two years, why did you turn away from me...to Her?" Sam ignored Jack's questions, but subconsciously stored it away in her mind.
"Why'd you turn to Him?" Jack countered. "We were best friends, but I always wished we could be...more." Jack admitted, but said the last part so softly that Sam almost missed it as she blocked a kick to her kneecap.
"I didn't turn to anyone...SIR! You're the one who went splish-splashy-fishing with Seria." Sam yelled.
"Only after I saw you go to bed with Beneck!" Jacked yelled; exasperated and hurt.
"What? I never...were you Watching me?" Sam asked reproachfully, her anger, which had begun to ease, heating up again.
As if...I'm no Peeping-Tom. I was just gonna drop by and see how you were doing, as I walked home from the Manor." Jack explained but kept his attacks going. "And I got an eye-full from the sidewalk, out front of Beneck's place."
"But, but nothing's ever happened between us..." Sam admitted but then continued. "Unlike you and Seria;...carrying her in your arms and all."
"She sprained her ankle!" Jack retorted finally catching hold of one of Sam's fists before it could plow into his face.
And at the same time, Sam caught hold of his other wrist, but they continued to try kicking and tripping each other.
"I'm not the one who's been spending every waking...and hor-i-zontal moment with Beneck-boy!" Jack accused.
"No, you're 'doing it' with Seria-pee-ah." Sam yelled back.
And finally, what Sam was accusing him of, sunk into Jack's brain.
"NO I AM NOT, Sam!" He yelled and then moderated his voice just a bit. "Nothing at all has been happening between me and Seria. Yes, I enjoy working with her and she has become a friend, but that is all."
Sam's brain was also just now accepting what Jack had said as well.
"Well, neither am I, Jack! It's just like you said; Beneck and I are friends and we work well together." Sam admitted. "And, if what you say is true; that Seria sprained her ankle that day at the river..."
"It is true." Jack shot back, still belligerent.
"Oh-kay...then I'll accept that if you will accept the fact that the only time Beneck has stepped foot inside my bedroom...and what you probably saw...was when I got sick on something I ate and threw up. Beneck helped me to bed and brought me a pot of tea to soothe my stomach..."
They had stopped fighting some time between Jack and Sam's explanations and now they just stood gazing warily at one another while their heart rates slowed down.
"So...then...what have we been fighting about?" Jack asked, confused and still hurting.
"I - I thought you were falling in love with Seria and it hurt so much because...Iloveyousomuch." Sam said softly; running the last part together.
She was so exhausted from fighting and emotionally hurting that she had no more strength to hold in her emotions or hold the tears back from falling down her cheeks. Jack felt equally tired and emotionally dejected as well, but managed to hold back all but one, lone tear, which dripped its way down his lean cheek.
"I felt the same way about you and Beneck because...I...Iloveyoutoo...way more than I should." Jack admitted.
All of a sudden, two pairs of hands began to softly clap together as Max and Liz walked over to their friends from their safe positions several yards away from the practice area.
"Finally, you both admit to each other...and to yourselves, for that matter...what the rest of us have known for a couple of weeks now!" Max said, grinning.
"You have?" Sam asked, blushing at Liz and Max.
"Hey, where'd everybody go?" Jack asked, only just noticing that they were totally alone, except for Max and Liz.
"We thought that you two needed some privacy to...hash out your problems together." Liz explained gently. "By the way, we believe that Seria and Beneck are finally having much the same discussion with each other as you two just had."
"What? Really?" Sam and Jack asked together.
If it was true, that Beneck and Seria were actually in love with each other; that would put the final kibosh on Sam and Jack's jealousy.
"Yup!" Max grinned.
"You two seem awfully smug about all this." Jack said irritably and then turned to face Sam and take one of her hands in his. "Sam...I may have finally admitted what I feel for you...and you for me...which I can hardly believe, but it...it is still against regulations for us to do anything about it."
"I - I know, Jack." Sam nodded sadly, but giving his hand a light squeeze.
"Uh...not here on Antar it isn't." Max said. "Our culture encourages people to be honest about how they feel towards the people in their lives (so why Seria and Beneck got into the mess they did, I'll never know!). And our four-squares are mostly made up of two men and two women because that combination of male and female is much more powerful than just four people of the same sex, working or fighting together, would be." Max paused and then continued.
"While we were growing up on Earth, I heard news stories about sex-scandals in the military...'don't ask, don't tell', or some cover-up of a female soldier being assaulted by male soldiers. Here on Antar the respectful treatment of all people is simply second-nature to us and if anyone does break that fundamental rule, he or she is swiftly and appropriately punished. Covering up such actions is not tolerated. So I say again, while you two and the rest of your people are here on Antar, you are bound by our laws." Max finished; glancing between Sam and Jack meaningfully.
"Of course we are, but we are also still under General Hammond's command." Sam corrected. "That's why we've been returning to Earth for a few hours every few days; to brief him about our progress...as well as handling our e-mail and paperwork."
"Rats, I was afraid that you'd insist on seeing it that way." Max said, frowning.
"That doesn't change the fact that they now both know how the other one feels; that's a big step." Liz said. "And you two are going to have to find a way to handle your feelings, no matter what happens after this."
"I get what you're saying, Liz." Max said, grinning. "Why don't you two show us...prove to us how well...how professionally you can still work together, no matter what the situation. And in private...or I should say, when you're off duty...because I don't want you to have to sneak around or hide your feelings...as King of Antar, I give you permission to...get to know each other, on a more personal level. Not so much...uh...sex...although that's totally up to and between the two of you...but the process of being a couple, rather than just team-mates...alright?"
Jack and Sam glanced at each other shyly.
'Jack O'Neill shy; will wonders never cease?" Max thought, but was pleased that this new relationship of theirs was important enough to them for Sam and Jack to be a little uncertain about it as they turned back to himself and Liz.
"Okay...we'll try that." Sam said and Jack nodded as he reached out to take her hand and rub his thumb over her soft skin.
"Well, we'll leave you...uh...to it for now then." Max said as he also took Liz's hand in his and drew her away from the older couple.
"Good luck!" Liz called back...
TBC
