4/?
General George Hammond watched the crowd as he and Teal'c stood in line for a beer. There were women who wore huge, ugly hats, and men who looked as if they hadn't changed in days. George saw women, barely of legal age to vote, let alone drink, being bought drinks from men double their age. But he also saw young couples who seemed to be very much in love. They seemed to just enjoy each other's company. George sighed slightly as memories of long ago flooded his mind. "What can I get for you?" A pretty girl with red hair asked him. "A bud lite, and a water for my friend." George paid the lady and handed Teal'c his water. "We can't take this out, so let's find a table and enjoy it."
Teal'c followed him because he had nothing else to do. "What is that I smell?" He asked as the walked past the roasted corn.
George smiled. "Corn-on-the-cob. Let's get one." He said, stepping into yet another line.
The lady in front of them had a small child who was becoming fidgety. "Nathan, stop pulling me. I will get you some cotton candy in a minute." She scolded him.
The boy pouted and turned around, his arms folded. When he looked up he saw the towering figure of Teal'c peering down at him. The boy turned around sharply and reached for his mother's hand. She seemed surprised, but pleased at this show of affection. George looked up at Teal'c who just raised his eyebrow.
- - -
Janet stirred and opened her eyes. "Oh, I really did go to sleep." She said, blushing.
Daniel jumped when he realized she'd caught him staring at her. "I was just daydreaming." He informed her. About you.
She sat up and looked around. "Where is everyone?"
"Gen. Hammond and Teal'c went to get drunk and Jack wanted to show Sam something. We've been ordered to stay here and watch our stuff."
"Hmm." Janet said, reaching into the backpack she'd brought along. "Want to help me with some crossword puzzles?"
Daniel grimaced inside. He hated crossword puzzles. They were all too easy for him. He knew that sounded egotistical, but it was true. "I'd love to help." He smiled at her. She produced a pencil and he scooted closer to her so he could read the clues. He had all of across, in his mind, and was working on four down when he heard a fight breaking out behind him. He and Janet both looked up at the same time to see two men throwing punches and pushing each other in their direction. Before either could react, one of them had fallen into their laps.
"OH!" Janet exclaimed.
"Get up you punk!" The one still standing yelled at the fallen one.
"Uh, don't you think an apology is in order?" Daniel asked them.
The fallen one mumbled a quick 'sorry', then stood up. "I did not touch her!" He yelled at the other one.
They began to fight again and Daniel was relieved when he saw the local police show up. Both men were handcuffed and taken away. "Sorry you had to see that. Some of us get a bit worked up sometimes." The bald guy with the dog said. "Mostly we're not bad people."
Janet smiled at him. "You could tell that we're not from here?"
The guy smiled back. "You have 'this-is-my-first-Thunder-and-I-barely-know- where-I-am' written all over you."
Janet smiled at him again, then went back to the crossword puzzle. "I can't get fourteen across." She almost whined. Daniel gave her a clue and she practically squealed when she figured it out. He'd do crosswords with her for the rest of his life she always became that excited over getting a clue.
- - -
Sam was quiet as Jack led her through the crowd. She had gotten separated from him earlier, so they were now holding hands, and Sam grew quiet at the contact. Jack wondered about what thoughts were going through her mind. Where they anything like his? Perhaps she was disgusted that she had to touch him. Or perhaps it scared her like it did him. Would he be able to let her go? Was this inappropriate? What if they ran in the general? What would he say? Did holding his hand excite her to no end like it did him? Could she feel every inch of his skin? Was she relishing this moment like him? Had it already been burned into her memory?
Jack looked back at her as the stopped a moment to let a golf cart pass. She smiled at him. "This was a great idea sir."
He smiled back. "It's ok, you can say it."
"Say what?"
"That I'm brilliant." She gave him one of her shining smiles and he hated to turn his face from her, but there were people behind him who wanted to continue their walk.
After a ten-minute walk of heavenly bliss, they finally approached where Jack wanted to take her. "These are the 'Dancing Fountains'." Jack told her.
The fountains were jumping up out of multiple holes from the ground. There were children playing in them, giggling and screaming when the hole they were standing on burst with water. Parents stood about, smiling at their children and taking pictures. The site reminded Jack of the camera Daniel had tossed him. He took it out and began to take a few shots of the children. "Jack, this is great." Sam said quietly.
She turned to him and examined his face. He was leaning against the railing, watching the children. The look on his face was very solemn and Sam knew he was thinking about Charlie. She stood quietly and watched the children, trying to figure out the pattern of the fountains. After giving up on the pattern Sam looked back at Jack, who was staring at her. "Why don't you have kids Sam?"
She blushed, then looked back at the children. "Who would I have them with sir?"
Jack became quiet again, watching the children shriek with joy. Never mind that it was chilly. Never mind that they didn't know the other children playing. They were just having a good time.
"I don't think I'll ever have kids again." Jack said quietly.
Sam, not knowing what to say, placed her hand back in his. Her stomach did a flip when he squeezed it. "Come on, Daniel's probably bored to death."
On the way back Jack bought Sam a corndog, and she bought him a hat with the Derby logo on it. They walked quietly back to their blankets, only stopping to buy Daniel a souvenir book. Neither of them realized that they were still holding hands when they got back to their spot until Daniel looked up from the puzzle he was doing with Janet and raised his eyebrows. They quickly let go of each other's hands and Jack tossed Daniel the camera. Daniel wisely said nothing, but instead thanked Sam for the book.
General George Hammond watched the crowd as he and Teal'c stood in line for a beer. There were women who wore huge, ugly hats, and men who looked as if they hadn't changed in days. George saw women, barely of legal age to vote, let alone drink, being bought drinks from men double their age. But he also saw young couples who seemed to be very much in love. They seemed to just enjoy each other's company. George sighed slightly as memories of long ago flooded his mind. "What can I get for you?" A pretty girl with red hair asked him. "A bud lite, and a water for my friend." George paid the lady and handed Teal'c his water. "We can't take this out, so let's find a table and enjoy it."
Teal'c followed him because he had nothing else to do. "What is that I smell?" He asked as the walked past the roasted corn.
George smiled. "Corn-on-the-cob. Let's get one." He said, stepping into yet another line.
The lady in front of them had a small child who was becoming fidgety. "Nathan, stop pulling me. I will get you some cotton candy in a minute." She scolded him.
The boy pouted and turned around, his arms folded. When he looked up he saw the towering figure of Teal'c peering down at him. The boy turned around sharply and reached for his mother's hand. She seemed surprised, but pleased at this show of affection. George looked up at Teal'c who just raised his eyebrow.
- - -
Janet stirred and opened her eyes. "Oh, I really did go to sleep." She said, blushing.
Daniel jumped when he realized she'd caught him staring at her. "I was just daydreaming." He informed her. About you.
She sat up and looked around. "Where is everyone?"
"Gen. Hammond and Teal'c went to get drunk and Jack wanted to show Sam something. We've been ordered to stay here and watch our stuff."
"Hmm." Janet said, reaching into the backpack she'd brought along. "Want to help me with some crossword puzzles?"
Daniel grimaced inside. He hated crossword puzzles. They were all too easy for him. He knew that sounded egotistical, but it was true. "I'd love to help." He smiled at her. She produced a pencil and he scooted closer to her so he could read the clues. He had all of across, in his mind, and was working on four down when he heard a fight breaking out behind him. He and Janet both looked up at the same time to see two men throwing punches and pushing each other in their direction. Before either could react, one of them had fallen into their laps.
"OH!" Janet exclaimed.
"Get up you punk!" The one still standing yelled at the fallen one.
"Uh, don't you think an apology is in order?" Daniel asked them.
The fallen one mumbled a quick 'sorry', then stood up. "I did not touch her!" He yelled at the other one.
They began to fight again and Daniel was relieved when he saw the local police show up. Both men were handcuffed and taken away. "Sorry you had to see that. Some of us get a bit worked up sometimes." The bald guy with the dog said. "Mostly we're not bad people."
Janet smiled at him. "You could tell that we're not from here?"
The guy smiled back. "You have 'this-is-my-first-Thunder-and-I-barely-know- where-I-am' written all over you."
Janet smiled at him again, then went back to the crossword puzzle. "I can't get fourteen across." She almost whined. Daniel gave her a clue and she practically squealed when she figured it out. He'd do crosswords with her for the rest of his life she always became that excited over getting a clue.
- - -
Sam was quiet as Jack led her through the crowd. She had gotten separated from him earlier, so they were now holding hands, and Sam grew quiet at the contact. Jack wondered about what thoughts were going through her mind. Where they anything like his? Perhaps she was disgusted that she had to touch him. Or perhaps it scared her like it did him. Would he be able to let her go? Was this inappropriate? What if they ran in the general? What would he say? Did holding his hand excite her to no end like it did him? Could she feel every inch of his skin? Was she relishing this moment like him? Had it already been burned into her memory?
Jack looked back at her as the stopped a moment to let a golf cart pass. She smiled at him. "This was a great idea sir."
He smiled back. "It's ok, you can say it."
"Say what?"
"That I'm brilliant." She gave him one of her shining smiles and he hated to turn his face from her, but there were people behind him who wanted to continue their walk.
After a ten-minute walk of heavenly bliss, they finally approached where Jack wanted to take her. "These are the 'Dancing Fountains'." Jack told her.
The fountains were jumping up out of multiple holes from the ground. There were children playing in them, giggling and screaming when the hole they were standing on burst with water. Parents stood about, smiling at their children and taking pictures. The site reminded Jack of the camera Daniel had tossed him. He took it out and began to take a few shots of the children. "Jack, this is great." Sam said quietly.
She turned to him and examined his face. He was leaning against the railing, watching the children. The look on his face was very solemn and Sam knew he was thinking about Charlie. She stood quietly and watched the children, trying to figure out the pattern of the fountains. After giving up on the pattern Sam looked back at Jack, who was staring at her. "Why don't you have kids Sam?"
She blushed, then looked back at the children. "Who would I have them with sir?"
Jack became quiet again, watching the children shriek with joy. Never mind that it was chilly. Never mind that they didn't know the other children playing. They were just having a good time.
"I don't think I'll ever have kids again." Jack said quietly.
Sam, not knowing what to say, placed her hand back in his. Her stomach did a flip when he squeezed it. "Come on, Daniel's probably bored to death."
On the way back Jack bought Sam a corndog, and she bought him a hat with the Derby logo on it. They walked quietly back to their blankets, only stopping to buy Daniel a souvenir book. Neither of them realized that they were still holding hands when they got back to their spot until Daniel looked up from the puzzle he was doing with Janet and raised his eyebrows. They quickly let go of each other's hands and Jack tossed Daniel the camera. Daniel wisely said nothing, but instead thanked Sam for the book.