Disclaimer: See Default chapter
Chapter Two: Storm Front
Thunder cracked outside, and lightening turned the night sky as bright as day. Jack squinted and turned away from the cave entrance to look to the small fire Teal'c had built an hour before. Daniel sat on a rock, the flames of the fire reflecting off the lenses of his glasses, and his lips moved as he worked to decipher the etchings. He had made the parchment rubbings at the ruins before...
Before the freakin' sky had opened up and dumped enough water on them to put Noah's flood to shame.
The sun had disappeared, as if someone had thrown a switch, as black menacing clouds rolled in. The air had become charged with electricity, screwing with their tracking systems and leaving them blind to get back to the gate. Luckily, they had found these caves in the hills above the ruins and planned on holding out there for the night.
Jack ran a hand over his still damp hair. He heard a shuddered sigh and looked to his left. Sam sat facing the fire, but several feet back, with her arms crossed over her chest and her body folded forward against her thighs. A visible tremble moved through her, and Jack stood to move closer.
"You okay, Carter?"
"Yes, sir," she said through quaking lips.
He didn't buy it, and gripped her elbow to make her stand. "Come on, get closer to the fire. You look like you're freezing."
"I got chilled, and can't seem to shake it."
"Scoot over, Daniel," Jack said as he made a spot clear for her to sit.
Daniel mumbled his agreement and moved away, his eyes never leaving the parchment in his hands. Jack kicked some smaller stones out of the way, his hand still on Sam's elbow. She was shaking so badly, the tremors ricocheted through her body. A heavy feeling sank into Jack's gut as he looked at her face. In the dim light of the fire, he saw the darkened circles under her eyes, and the glaring flush of her lips was a testament to the pallor of her cheeks.
"Come on, Carter. Sit down."
She didn't speak, but sank heavily to the ground with a half-decayed log behind her back for support. Jack sat on the log, his hands dangling between his spread knees, as he watched her lean towards the fire. Sam rocked back and forth, her jaw shaking.
"Is Major Carter ill?" Teal'c asked from the mouth of the cave where he stood watch.
"I'm f-f-fine," she tried to answer.
Daniel looked up from his translation, and Jack saw on his face the same concern that ate at his own gut. "Sam?"
She didn't speak again, just closed her eyes and shook her head – continuing to rock.
Jack reached for her, pressing his palm against his forehead. Her skin was clammy, and the heat nearly burned his skin. "For cryin' out loud, Carter. You're burning up. When did you start feeling sick?"
"Not until just a little while ago. After we settled in here," she said through chattering teeth.
Jack squinted his eyes and looked towards the cave entrance. Another lightening bolt lit up the sky, and he could see the rain falling in its flash. Sam needed to get back to the Gate, back to the SGC, but he worried the trip there would be just as bad as keeping her here until the storm passed. She coughed; a thick rumble that made his chest hurt just hearing it. Jack winced.
"I'm so cold," she said in a low, scratchy voice and curled into herself even more.
Jack couldn't just sit there and watch her freeze. He slipped off the log to sit on the ground beside her and circled her shoulders with his arm. "C'mere," he said and pulled her close.
She didn't hesitate, and curled into his side, resting her head on his chest beneath his chin. Jack glanced at Daniel, then Teal'c, to gauge whether either had a comment. Daniel raised his eyebrows and looked away, seeming to engross himself in the parchment again. Teal'c seemed completely unfazed and turned to walk back to the mouth of the cave. Jack rubbed Sam's arms and fought the urge to press his lips against her damp hair.
Most of the time, Samantha Carter was the strongest, most impressive woman Jack had ever met. He often remembered that first day, the way she stood her ground with him. And those first missions, when she didn't back down in a fight. How she managed to be a Major in the United States Air Force, a theoretical astro-whatever genius, and one damn beautiful woman at the same time was beyond him. But beautiful she was. Feminine. Sexy.
But right now, she felt frail in his arms. Small and soft, and it scared the crap out of him.
Her breathing steadied after several minutes, and the shaking slowed. The tension in her body relaxed, Jack glanced in Daniel's direction. When Daniel looked up, Jack dipped his chin towards Sam's blonde head. Daniel looked at her, and folded his hands against his cheek, indicating she had fallen asleep.
"Good," Jack said in a whisper. "Maybe she'll sleep until the storm breaks."
Hours passed and the storm continued. Jack dozed off once or twice, jerking awake with the roll of thunder. But Sam never moved except to drape her arm across his stomach and pull her bent legs partially into his lap. She slept soundly, and despite the ache that settled into the small of his back, Jack wasn't about to make her move.
Why mess up a nice thing?
Regardless of the reason, Jack had to admit to himself that having Samantha Carter's arm over him, and her head over his heart, was about as close as he had come to his fantasies in years.
Daniel had fallen asleep curled in a ball, his back to the fire and his head on his clumped up jacket. Teal'c came towards the fire, appearing from the shadows, and crouched down to pile more dry wood on the flames.
"Thanks, T," Jack said, shifting slightly.
"How is Major Carter?"
"I guess the fact that she's sleeping is good, but I'll feel better getting her back to Doc Frasier – ah – damn." The name was out of his mouth before he realized he had even said it.
"I, too, often forget that Doctor Frasier is no longer with us, O'Neill. It leaves my heart heavy."
Jack just nodded and ran a hand over his face. If this storm didn't break soon, he decided he was going to make it to the Gate anyway.
A sound from behind them, deep in the cave, immediately brought Jack's senses awake and he reached for his weapon. Teal'c stood to his feet in one quick, fluid motion and shifted his staff weapon to aim into the darkness. Before either could move again, the cacophonous sound of yelling echoed around them and a dozen humans dressed in animal skins charged from the depths of the cavern.
Chapter Two: Storm Front
Thunder cracked outside, and lightening turned the night sky as bright as day. Jack squinted and turned away from the cave entrance to look to the small fire Teal'c had built an hour before. Daniel sat on a rock, the flames of the fire reflecting off the lenses of his glasses, and his lips moved as he worked to decipher the etchings. He had made the parchment rubbings at the ruins before...
Before the freakin' sky had opened up and dumped enough water on them to put Noah's flood to shame.
The sun had disappeared, as if someone had thrown a switch, as black menacing clouds rolled in. The air had become charged with electricity, screwing with their tracking systems and leaving them blind to get back to the gate. Luckily, they had found these caves in the hills above the ruins and planned on holding out there for the night.
Jack ran a hand over his still damp hair. He heard a shuddered sigh and looked to his left. Sam sat facing the fire, but several feet back, with her arms crossed over her chest and her body folded forward against her thighs. A visible tremble moved through her, and Jack stood to move closer.
"You okay, Carter?"
"Yes, sir," she said through quaking lips.
He didn't buy it, and gripped her elbow to make her stand. "Come on, get closer to the fire. You look like you're freezing."
"I got chilled, and can't seem to shake it."
"Scoot over, Daniel," Jack said as he made a spot clear for her to sit.
Daniel mumbled his agreement and moved away, his eyes never leaving the parchment in his hands. Jack kicked some smaller stones out of the way, his hand still on Sam's elbow. She was shaking so badly, the tremors ricocheted through her body. A heavy feeling sank into Jack's gut as he looked at her face. In the dim light of the fire, he saw the darkened circles under her eyes, and the glaring flush of her lips was a testament to the pallor of her cheeks.
"Come on, Carter. Sit down."
She didn't speak, but sank heavily to the ground with a half-decayed log behind her back for support. Jack sat on the log, his hands dangling between his spread knees, as he watched her lean towards the fire. Sam rocked back and forth, her jaw shaking.
"Is Major Carter ill?" Teal'c asked from the mouth of the cave where he stood watch.
"I'm f-f-fine," she tried to answer.
Daniel looked up from his translation, and Jack saw on his face the same concern that ate at his own gut. "Sam?"
She didn't speak again, just closed her eyes and shook her head – continuing to rock.
Jack reached for her, pressing his palm against his forehead. Her skin was clammy, and the heat nearly burned his skin. "For cryin' out loud, Carter. You're burning up. When did you start feeling sick?"
"Not until just a little while ago. After we settled in here," she said through chattering teeth.
Jack squinted his eyes and looked towards the cave entrance. Another lightening bolt lit up the sky, and he could see the rain falling in its flash. Sam needed to get back to the Gate, back to the SGC, but he worried the trip there would be just as bad as keeping her here until the storm passed. She coughed; a thick rumble that made his chest hurt just hearing it. Jack winced.
"I'm so cold," she said in a low, scratchy voice and curled into herself even more.
Jack couldn't just sit there and watch her freeze. He slipped off the log to sit on the ground beside her and circled her shoulders with his arm. "C'mere," he said and pulled her close.
She didn't hesitate, and curled into his side, resting her head on his chest beneath his chin. Jack glanced at Daniel, then Teal'c, to gauge whether either had a comment. Daniel raised his eyebrows and looked away, seeming to engross himself in the parchment again. Teal'c seemed completely unfazed and turned to walk back to the mouth of the cave. Jack rubbed Sam's arms and fought the urge to press his lips against her damp hair.
Most of the time, Samantha Carter was the strongest, most impressive woman Jack had ever met. He often remembered that first day, the way she stood her ground with him. And those first missions, when she didn't back down in a fight. How she managed to be a Major in the United States Air Force, a theoretical astro-whatever genius, and one damn beautiful woman at the same time was beyond him. But beautiful she was. Feminine. Sexy.
But right now, she felt frail in his arms. Small and soft, and it scared the crap out of him.
Her breathing steadied after several minutes, and the shaking slowed. The tension in her body relaxed, Jack glanced in Daniel's direction. When Daniel looked up, Jack dipped his chin towards Sam's blonde head. Daniel looked at her, and folded his hands against his cheek, indicating she had fallen asleep.
"Good," Jack said in a whisper. "Maybe she'll sleep until the storm breaks."
Hours passed and the storm continued. Jack dozed off once or twice, jerking awake with the roll of thunder. But Sam never moved except to drape her arm across his stomach and pull her bent legs partially into his lap. She slept soundly, and despite the ache that settled into the small of his back, Jack wasn't about to make her move.
Why mess up a nice thing?
Regardless of the reason, Jack had to admit to himself that having Samantha Carter's arm over him, and her head over his heart, was about as close as he had come to his fantasies in years.
Daniel had fallen asleep curled in a ball, his back to the fire and his head on his clumped up jacket. Teal'c came towards the fire, appearing from the shadows, and crouched down to pile more dry wood on the flames.
"Thanks, T," Jack said, shifting slightly.
"How is Major Carter?"
"I guess the fact that she's sleeping is good, but I'll feel better getting her back to Doc Frasier – ah – damn." The name was out of his mouth before he realized he had even said it.
"I, too, often forget that Doctor Frasier is no longer with us, O'Neill. It leaves my heart heavy."
Jack just nodded and ran a hand over his face. If this storm didn't break soon, he decided he was going to make it to the Gate anyway.
A sound from behind them, deep in the cave, immediately brought Jack's senses awake and he reached for his weapon. Teal'c stood to his feet in one quick, fluid motion and shifted his staff weapon to aim into the darkness. Before either could move again, the cacophonous sound of yelling echoed around them and a dozen humans dressed in animal skins charged from the depths of the cavern.