Disclaimer: See Default Chapter
Chapter One: Jell-0 and whipped Cream
Major Sam Carter was just digging into the bowl of blue jell-o on her tray when Colonel Jack O'Neill sat down in the chair across from her. She glanced up, and tried to ignore the flutter that shifted through her stomach.
"Afternoon, Carter." He picked up a spoon from the table and stole a cube of gelatin from her bowl, smiling just before slurping it off the utensil.
She did her best to look perturbed, but by his slow grin, she knew she was failing miserably. "Sir," she said, tapping his spoon out of the way before he could get another bit.
"Whatcha doin?"
"Trying to eat my lunch."
"I mean, after this. Something scientific and complicated in your lab?"
She managed to get a second bite of the dessert before giving up and pushing the bowl across the table to him. "Actually, I'm working on a three-level power converter for the Naquida generator so we have more accurate control of the power output. I've theorized that by using graduated crystals we can—"
Jack lifted his hand, and she stopped as he pressed one finger to his lips. "A 'yes,sir' would have been sufficient."
Sam shook her head and leaned back in her chair. After seven years, she still couldn't resist the urge to explain to her scientifically-inept commanding officer every detail of her experiments, even though she knew he would eventually cut her off. Any opportunity to talk with him was one she didn't intend to waste.
"Yes, sir," she said with a sigh.
"Well, it's gonna have to wait. SG-7 just came back from P3-whatever-"
"P3X-453."
"Yeah. They found some abandoned ruins or something and Daniel is all revved-up to go investigate. Our good Dr. Weir gave the go ahead."
She had to suppress the grin Jack's tone instigated. His 'admiration' for Dr. Weir, their new base commander, came through in his voice like a beacon in the dark. Take one long-term military man, who has seen the darkest side of many worlds, and make his commanding officer an – for all intents and purposes – anti-military scientist – things a bound to get interesting. Sam remembered well one of the first things Jack ever said to her – one of the first times his sexy grin and dark eyes warmed her blood.
*Oh, I don't have a problem with women. I *like* women. I just have a problem with scientists.*
Sam gathered her napkin and plates from the remainders of her lunch and stacked them on her tray. "When do we leave?"
"Fifteen-thirty."
They stood together, but before Sam could grab her tray, Jack had it and disposed of it on the way out. They walked side by side to the elevator, and Jack used his card to clear the security lock. Sam stole a glance at him as they waited for the doors to open. Not every man could look as good as Jack O'Neill did in basic fatigues. His hair was much grayer now than when they met, almost silver, and cut short against his scalp. But other than that, he wore his age – which no one quite knew for sure – somewhere between forty-five and dead – very well. He was handsome, and stirred her blood ever time they were near each other.
So close, yet so against regulations.
The doors opened and they stepped in. Inside the closed car, she could smell the scent of his aftershave and the woodsy, clean scent that seemed so natural to Jack. As if the very air at his cabin clung to him all the time, reminding her that there was sunlight and cool breezes twenty-some- odd stories up from their underground base.
"Um, Carter..."
Sam jumped, started from her musings by his baritone voice. "Yes, sir?"
"You've got some... a little..." He pointed at his own cheek, then motioned towards her face.
Heat rushed to her cheeks, and Sam ran her fingers over her skin, blindly searching for whatever it was he saw. "Where?"
He pointed again, his brow furrowing as he reached for her cheek, but stopped short, pulling his hand back. "Right...there... it's just..."
Sam tried again, but apparently failed once more to clean off whatever it was. "Am I getting it?"
"No."
"Sir, will you just wipe it off before the doors open and I walk through the halls of the SGC with schmutz on my face?"
He made a pained face, as if what he was about to do was somehow more revolting than a snakehead, and a queasy tumble moved through Sam's stomach. Was touching her so bad? When did *that* happen? She dropped her gaze and turned partially away from him.
"I'll get it."
"No, hang on, Carter. I've got it."
The rough pad of his thumb brushed her cheek, at the corner of her lips. Her heart skipped and her cheeks flared. She didn't dare look up into his face. His finger curled under her chin for just a moment, and his thumb pulled at her lower lip, parting them, before he withdrew his hand.
"Got it," he said, his voice deeper and rougher than moments before. "Whipped cream."
Sam glanced up just as Jack sucked the confection from his thumb and the elevator doors opened. A myriad of heated thoughts rushed her mind, and she closed her eyes against them for the brief second it took before Daniel's voice pulled her back.
"Oh, good. Jack I need to talk to you before we leave."
Jack exited the elevator and walked away, Daniel talking a mile a minute at him. Sam smiled as she watched the two men leave. Just like she knew Jack didn't care about her experiments, he only heard about 25% of anything Daniel said. It wasn't for true lack of interest, but Jack was... well... Jack.
And that was probably why she loved him so much.
Just before she turned away, Jack glanced back at her over his shoulder and smiled. One of his slow, small but melt-her-socks smiles. Sam smiled back and headed towards the women's locker room to change into mission- appropriate clothes.
Chapter One: Jell-0 and whipped Cream
Major Sam Carter was just digging into the bowl of blue jell-o on her tray when Colonel Jack O'Neill sat down in the chair across from her. She glanced up, and tried to ignore the flutter that shifted through her stomach.
"Afternoon, Carter." He picked up a spoon from the table and stole a cube of gelatin from her bowl, smiling just before slurping it off the utensil.
She did her best to look perturbed, but by his slow grin, she knew she was failing miserably. "Sir," she said, tapping his spoon out of the way before he could get another bit.
"Whatcha doin?"
"Trying to eat my lunch."
"I mean, after this. Something scientific and complicated in your lab?"
She managed to get a second bite of the dessert before giving up and pushing the bowl across the table to him. "Actually, I'm working on a three-level power converter for the Naquida generator so we have more accurate control of the power output. I've theorized that by using graduated crystals we can—"
Jack lifted his hand, and she stopped as he pressed one finger to his lips. "A 'yes,sir' would have been sufficient."
Sam shook her head and leaned back in her chair. After seven years, she still couldn't resist the urge to explain to her scientifically-inept commanding officer every detail of her experiments, even though she knew he would eventually cut her off. Any opportunity to talk with him was one she didn't intend to waste.
"Yes, sir," she said with a sigh.
"Well, it's gonna have to wait. SG-7 just came back from P3-whatever-"
"P3X-453."
"Yeah. They found some abandoned ruins or something and Daniel is all revved-up to go investigate. Our good Dr. Weir gave the go ahead."
She had to suppress the grin Jack's tone instigated. His 'admiration' for Dr. Weir, their new base commander, came through in his voice like a beacon in the dark. Take one long-term military man, who has seen the darkest side of many worlds, and make his commanding officer an – for all intents and purposes – anti-military scientist – things a bound to get interesting. Sam remembered well one of the first things Jack ever said to her – one of the first times his sexy grin and dark eyes warmed her blood.
*Oh, I don't have a problem with women. I *like* women. I just have a problem with scientists.*
Sam gathered her napkin and plates from the remainders of her lunch and stacked them on her tray. "When do we leave?"
"Fifteen-thirty."
They stood together, but before Sam could grab her tray, Jack had it and disposed of it on the way out. They walked side by side to the elevator, and Jack used his card to clear the security lock. Sam stole a glance at him as they waited for the doors to open. Not every man could look as good as Jack O'Neill did in basic fatigues. His hair was much grayer now than when they met, almost silver, and cut short against his scalp. But other than that, he wore his age – which no one quite knew for sure – somewhere between forty-five and dead – very well. He was handsome, and stirred her blood ever time they were near each other.
So close, yet so against regulations.
The doors opened and they stepped in. Inside the closed car, she could smell the scent of his aftershave and the woodsy, clean scent that seemed so natural to Jack. As if the very air at his cabin clung to him all the time, reminding her that there was sunlight and cool breezes twenty-some- odd stories up from their underground base.
"Um, Carter..."
Sam jumped, started from her musings by his baritone voice. "Yes, sir?"
"You've got some... a little..." He pointed at his own cheek, then motioned towards her face.
Heat rushed to her cheeks, and Sam ran her fingers over her skin, blindly searching for whatever it was he saw. "Where?"
He pointed again, his brow furrowing as he reached for her cheek, but stopped short, pulling his hand back. "Right...there... it's just..."
Sam tried again, but apparently failed once more to clean off whatever it was. "Am I getting it?"
"No."
"Sir, will you just wipe it off before the doors open and I walk through the halls of the SGC with schmutz on my face?"
He made a pained face, as if what he was about to do was somehow more revolting than a snakehead, and a queasy tumble moved through Sam's stomach. Was touching her so bad? When did *that* happen? She dropped her gaze and turned partially away from him.
"I'll get it."
"No, hang on, Carter. I've got it."
The rough pad of his thumb brushed her cheek, at the corner of her lips. Her heart skipped and her cheeks flared. She didn't dare look up into his face. His finger curled under her chin for just a moment, and his thumb pulled at her lower lip, parting them, before he withdrew his hand.
"Got it," he said, his voice deeper and rougher than moments before. "Whipped cream."
Sam glanced up just as Jack sucked the confection from his thumb and the elevator doors opened. A myriad of heated thoughts rushed her mind, and she closed her eyes against them for the brief second it took before Daniel's voice pulled her back.
"Oh, good. Jack I need to talk to you before we leave."
Jack exited the elevator and walked away, Daniel talking a mile a minute at him. Sam smiled as she watched the two men leave. Just like she knew Jack didn't care about her experiments, he only heard about 25% of anything Daniel said. It wasn't for true lack of interest, but Jack was... well... Jack.
And that was probably why she loved him so much.
Just before she turned away, Jack glanced back at her over his shoulder and smiled. One of his slow, small but melt-her-socks smiles. Sam smiled back and headed towards the women's locker room to change into mission- appropriate clothes.