O'Neill was still in the shower when the pizza guy showed up, his arrival
heralded by a loud knock on the door. Jaffer had been sitting on the couch
with Carter, but at the first knock the little lab had leaped off the sofa,
tripped over his feet, then scurried to the door, watching it eagerly to
see who was coming to see him now.
"Come here, you," Sam said, picking up Jack's wallet in one hand and then reaching down to pick him up with the other once she reached the door. The last thing she needed – or wanted – was Jaffer to get out the front door and maybe get hurt.
She opened the door once she was sure she had a good grip on the lab, and the smell of pizza hot her before she even saw the young man who was delivering it. Jaffer smelled it, too, and started squirming eagerly. Food!
"Come in," Sam said, smiling. She couldn't get the money out of Jack's wallet while holding Jaffer, and her own purse was across the room. The pizza guy did what she told him – he was an old hand at dealing with people who had pets, after all – and he closed the door carefully behind him so Carter could set the puppy down.
"Cute dog."
"Thanks."
She opened Jack's wallet, fished out a twenty, and handed it to him. "Keep the change."
"Thanks." He handed her the pizza, and waited for her to put it down on the table and pick up Jaffer once more before he opened the door to let himself out. "Have a good night."
"You too."
Sam had Jaffer in one hand and Jack's wallet in the other, but she put the puppy down, ignoring the way his eyes looked at the pizza box with an obvious hint that Jack wouldn't mind if they started eating without him. Something else in O'Neill's wallet had caught her attention.
She carried the wallet over to the sofa and sat down, pulling out the small picture of herself that he'd obviously cut out of some pamphlet somewhere. It was a terrible picture, she thought, but it made her smile when she saw how worn out it was. She wondered how long it'd been there. He carried a picture of her! She smiled, and felt a stinging of tears, which she brushed away.
Jaffer came over and looked up at her, sensing the change in her emotions even though he didn't understand them. She smiled again, and heard the bathroom door opening. Carter stuck the picture back into his wallet and put it on the coffee table, and reached down and picked up Jaffer.
"Who ever would have thought he was such a softy?" She asked the puppy, kissing the top of his head, but avoiding his tongue, which was probably still bird flavored. Of course, she knew Jack was far more sensitive than he let on – and anyone who ever saw him with Jaffer for any period of time would see it, as well – but the picture really meant something to her. She didn't have one of him in her purse. She hadn't even thought of it. She saw him pretty much every day, after all. Obviously, Jack had different ideas.
"Pizza's here?"
She jumped, startled when she heard his voice so close by, and turned to see him walking down the hall, still wet and wearing only a towel that was firmly held together with his hand. The reason for this became obvious when Jaffer jumped down off the sofa and headed straight for him, then grabbed the edge of the towel in his sharp little teeth, playing tug of war with the fabric. This was a game they played often, and apparently Jaffer didn't care if they had company or not.
"He just came." Sam confirmed.
"You okay?" She was looking a little weepy-eyed, he thought.
Carter smiled, and nodded. "I think I have something in my eye." She lied. He was as good at catching changes in her emotions as Jaffer was.
He came over, dragging Jaffer with him since the little black lab was still clutching the towel firmly in his teeth, growling softly in his high- pitched puppy voice. Sam looked up at him as he leaned over, but he didn't see anything in her eye. Until a drop of water off his hair fell in one, and she flinched and moved her head to the side.
"Sorry about that."
"It's okay." She smiled to show him she was really all right, and shooed him away with one hand while she rubbed her eye with the other. "Go get dressed so we can eat. I'm starving." And that would give her a chance to get her equilibrium back.
"Okay. We'll be right back." He did steal a quick kiss before he walked away, though, and Sam watched him go, still dragging his puppy who was bound and determined that he was going to mangle the towel that dared wrap itself around his Jack's waist.
~*~
"That can't be good for him."
"What? Pepperoni?"
"And onions, and sausage, and green peppers, and all that sauce and cheese..."
Jack looked at Jaffer, who was happily gobbling down the slice of pizza O'Neill had cut up for him and put on a plate on the living room floor.
"It hasn't hurt him yet."
"You've done this before?"
"A few times."
"Does his vet know?"
"Well... no." Jack shrugged. "He's a growing boy. He needs all the nutrition he can get."
"So you've said."
"It's true."
"I think he might be just a bit... spoiled."
"What? Jaffer?" The puppy's head came up at the sound of his name, his brown eyes watching Jack to see if he had more food for him. When he didn't see anything offered, his attention went back to his plate. "He's not spoiled, Sam. He's just well taken care of."
"Uh huh."
"Come here, you," Sam said, picking up Jack's wallet in one hand and then reaching down to pick him up with the other once she reached the door. The last thing she needed – or wanted – was Jaffer to get out the front door and maybe get hurt.
She opened the door once she was sure she had a good grip on the lab, and the smell of pizza hot her before she even saw the young man who was delivering it. Jaffer smelled it, too, and started squirming eagerly. Food!
"Come in," Sam said, smiling. She couldn't get the money out of Jack's wallet while holding Jaffer, and her own purse was across the room. The pizza guy did what she told him – he was an old hand at dealing with people who had pets, after all – and he closed the door carefully behind him so Carter could set the puppy down.
"Cute dog."
"Thanks."
She opened Jack's wallet, fished out a twenty, and handed it to him. "Keep the change."
"Thanks." He handed her the pizza, and waited for her to put it down on the table and pick up Jaffer once more before he opened the door to let himself out. "Have a good night."
"You too."
Sam had Jaffer in one hand and Jack's wallet in the other, but she put the puppy down, ignoring the way his eyes looked at the pizza box with an obvious hint that Jack wouldn't mind if they started eating without him. Something else in O'Neill's wallet had caught her attention.
She carried the wallet over to the sofa and sat down, pulling out the small picture of herself that he'd obviously cut out of some pamphlet somewhere. It was a terrible picture, she thought, but it made her smile when she saw how worn out it was. She wondered how long it'd been there. He carried a picture of her! She smiled, and felt a stinging of tears, which she brushed away.
Jaffer came over and looked up at her, sensing the change in her emotions even though he didn't understand them. She smiled again, and heard the bathroom door opening. Carter stuck the picture back into his wallet and put it on the coffee table, and reached down and picked up Jaffer.
"Who ever would have thought he was such a softy?" She asked the puppy, kissing the top of his head, but avoiding his tongue, which was probably still bird flavored. Of course, she knew Jack was far more sensitive than he let on – and anyone who ever saw him with Jaffer for any period of time would see it, as well – but the picture really meant something to her. She didn't have one of him in her purse. She hadn't even thought of it. She saw him pretty much every day, after all. Obviously, Jack had different ideas.
"Pizza's here?"
She jumped, startled when she heard his voice so close by, and turned to see him walking down the hall, still wet and wearing only a towel that was firmly held together with his hand. The reason for this became obvious when Jaffer jumped down off the sofa and headed straight for him, then grabbed the edge of the towel in his sharp little teeth, playing tug of war with the fabric. This was a game they played often, and apparently Jaffer didn't care if they had company or not.
"He just came." Sam confirmed.
"You okay?" She was looking a little weepy-eyed, he thought.
Carter smiled, and nodded. "I think I have something in my eye." She lied. He was as good at catching changes in her emotions as Jaffer was.
He came over, dragging Jaffer with him since the little black lab was still clutching the towel firmly in his teeth, growling softly in his high- pitched puppy voice. Sam looked up at him as he leaned over, but he didn't see anything in her eye. Until a drop of water off his hair fell in one, and she flinched and moved her head to the side.
"Sorry about that."
"It's okay." She smiled to show him she was really all right, and shooed him away with one hand while she rubbed her eye with the other. "Go get dressed so we can eat. I'm starving." And that would give her a chance to get her equilibrium back.
"Okay. We'll be right back." He did steal a quick kiss before he walked away, though, and Sam watched him go, still dragging his puppy who was bound and determined that he was going to mangle the towel that dared wrap itself around his Jack's waist.
~*~
"That can't be good for him."
"What? Pepperoni?"
"And onions, and sausage, and green peppers, and all that sauce and cheese..."
Jack looked at Jaffer, who was happily gobbling down the slice of pizza O'Neill had cut up for him and put on a plate on the living room floor.
"It hasn't hurt him yet."
"You've done this before?"
"A few times."
"Does his vet know?"
"Well... no." Jack shrugged. "He's a growing boy. He needs all the nutrition he can get."
"So you've said."
"It's true."
"I think he might be just a bit... spoiled."
"What? Jaffer?" The puppy's head came up at the sound of his name, his brown eyes watching Jack to see if he had more food for him. When he didn't see anything offered, his attention went back to his plate. "He's not spoiled, Sam. He's just well taken care of."
"Uh huh."