Author: Jackie W.
Email: jackiesficaol.com
Summary: He loves it when she talks technobabble
He wasn't sure who was more surprised when their lips parted, but the one small part of his brain that was still functioning knew he needed to say something.
"God bless you," he whispered.
She blinked several times in rapid succession. He couldn't tell what she was thinking but at least she had stopped shaking, and she was still in his arms and not fighting him off. Then slowly he saw her features start to relax into an embarrassed smile.
"Ready to move out of here?" he asked.
She nodded, looking around the dark space with a grimace. A series of grunts on his part accompanied their less than graceful rise from the floor, and they stepped out into the hall to be met by three sets of concerned eyes.
"Is she ok?" Daniel voiced for all three.
"She's fine. Nothing a good cold medicine won't take care of," Jack said by way of explanation, thoroughly confusing the men.
Sam rolled her eyes at him and then signed, "I have a cold and I sneezed. I know it's really stupid but I panicked," Daniel automatically translated aloud.
"Not stupid at all, Major. As a matter of fact it's fantastic," Dr. McKenzie smiled. Since Daniel and Hammond still didn't get the significance he continued. "It's a first step to breaking the silence. She's made a sound, even if it was involuntary, and there was no pain to associate with it."
Jack noticed Sam blush slightly. Nope, pain wasn't what either of them was associating with her sneezing. A few minutes later Dr. McKenzie and General Hammond took their leave, after ensuring that Daniel and Jack would be staying with Sam for the night.
"So, we were going to order take-out. Jack have you eaten?" Daniel said once the others had left.
"No. How about you go pick up something and get Sam some cold medicine while you're at it," he suggested.
Daniel was going to protest but then realized that Jack wanted some time alone with Sam, so he took off with a nod to his friend. Jack really had no desire to talk about what had happened but had a feeling that Sam did. The door had barely shut behind Daniel when she started in.
"You can relax. I'm not going to hold you to that kiss. Although I am curious as to what possessed you," she signed after settling herself on the couch.
He blinked at her in surprise. "You mean besides wanting to kiss you senseless for the better part of the last seven years?" he mocked.
He saw surprise and joy flit across her face before sadness descended once more. "That was the old Sam, Major Carter. I'm not that person anymore," she pointed out.
"No, not exactly the same, but not so different either. You are still brilliant except for when it comes to your personal life, and loyal and brave. You still can take my breath away one moment and annoy me to the point where I want to strangle you in the next. Pretty much the same as when you were my 2IC but without any of the damn regs in the way," he declared.
Twice he saw her hands flutter as if she was trying reply, and both times they fell to her lap again. Huh, she really was speechless.
"I don't want to rush you into anything that you're not sure about or ready for, and you know I suck at this, so before Daniel returns and I loose my nerve, I just want to make sure you know where I stand. Then I promise to back off and let you decide what you want," he told her.
With that he sat down next to her and pulled her into a kiss that, had she not been sitting down, would have left her in a melted heap on the floor. When he finally released her she sucked in a huge breath trying to get oxygen to her spinning head.
"So there you go," he whispered hoarsely. "You ever start doubting how I feel about any version of Sam Carter you just remember that."
When Daniel returned he was surprised to find Jack puttering in the kitchen setting out dishes for their meal, and Sam sitting staring into the fireplace deep in thought. There wasn't even a fire burning he thought with a shake of his head. He was even more surprised when Jack left after dinner, telling him that Sam was in good hands and they should call him if they needed him.
"So do you want to tell me what's going on between the two of you?" Daniel asked her once they were alone.
Maybe because she didn't actually have to voice the doubts and longings, or maybe just because it was Daniel and she trusted him almost as much as she trusted the man that had just walked out the door, but she found herself telling it all to him. She's was hesitant at first, but hands and fingers gained momentum as she went.
"He's right you know. You may not be the confident, spit in the eye of the Goa'uld Major Carter that you were before, but all of the other qualities are still there. You're still smart and brave like Jack said. But you never had any confidence in your personal relationships before and you certainly don't now. Just ask yourself one question Sam. You've been in love with Jack for a long time. If he was the one that had been captured and tortured and he came back slightly bent but not broken, would you love him any less?" Daniel asked. He didn't expect an answer so he was surprised when she gave one.
"I loved him more," she replied thinking back to a time when Jack had indeed been captured and tortured and returned to them suffering from withdrawal and nightmares.
Daniel blinked as he got on the same wavelength as her. 'Well there you go then," he smiled. "I'm going to sack out in the spare room. Wake me if you need anything," he told her, and then left her to her contemplation of the empty fireplace.
She eventually roused herself and went through the motions of getting ready for bed. It was hours before she fell asleep and then only because her earlier panic attack had left her exhausted. When she woke in the morning she once again went through the motions of gathering clothes for the day and heading into the bathroom to take a shower. As the warm water cascaded over her (and she really did appreciate the fact that she could now shower and bathe without having to worry about any casts) a sense of calm and purpose came over her. She'd survived. Now it was time to start living again.
She stood in front of the mirror when she was dried off and once again studied herself. Several of the scars were fading and she had put on enough weight that she was almost able to wear some of her old clothes. She had lost most of her muscle tone though. She needed to start exercising seriously again. Other than that she looked pretty good she decided honestly. She and Cassie had spent plenty of time out in the deck over the summer so she was tan except for her left leg. A good self-tanner would take care of that. And her hair was lighter, although it could use a trim. She smiled to herself. She sure hoped Daniel was up to being her translator today. She had some work to do.
Dr. McKenzie was shocked by the vision that met his eyes Monday morning. Sam Carter was sitting in his office and if he hadn't known better he would swear he had stepped back in time. Her hair was cut in the slightly longer style she had been sporting just before her capture although the figure hugging black slacks and the white shirt open at the neck that she wore were hardly reminiscent of BDU's . Unlike her uniform of old this outfit accentuated her figure rather than hiding it. More than anything though it was the look of determination in her eyes that told him that his patient was once again ready to kick ass. He raised one eyebrow and started the session.
'I'd pay good money to find out just what the hell happened in that closet,' he thought with a shake of his head.
Jack had never rescheduled the dinner with Sara. He'd called and apologized for the interrupted evening, and she'd known instantly from his tone of voice that there would be no further invitations. He had moved on. In a way it made it easier on her. Now maybe she could too. He was never surer of that decision than that Monday when he arrived on base and caught sight of Carter. One look and he knew he was in trouble. And he wasn't the only one who was looking, damn it.
Contrary to most people's opinions of her, Sam was not oblivious to the attention she was getting, especially from her ex-CO. She had spent a lot of time picking just the right outfit for maximum effect without being obvious. After the kiss Jack had given her Friday night she was determined to keep him interested while she put herself back together. Her little sneezing fit and panic attack had gone a long way in moving her along the path to recovery, but it hadn't been a cure all. She knew she had some tough days ahead of her before she was ready to move forward in any type of a relationship. But she wasn't afraid of hard work.
On the plus side, McKenzie had cleared her for part-time lab work, and Hammond had jumped at the opportunity. When she wasn't in therapy of some sort, she was happily back to working on the alien technology she understood better than anyone on the planet. With Jack working almost full time now on the training program and Daniel still busy doing translation work it was almost like old times. Only Teal'c was missing.
For the second time in as many months their lives settled into a new routine. Sam worked out diligently, and slowly was able to progress to using a cane instead of crutches. She also regained much of her former fitness, eating and sleeping better, although still often waking from nightmares. She spent most of her evenings with either Jack, Daniel, or both eating dinner at her place. On the evenings that she and jack were alone nothing major happened between them, although they flirted a bit and were starting to accept the fact that they could share heated looks and light touches without looking over their shoulders.
She still fought depression. She missed going through the gate more and more as her strength returned. And now that she was strong enough she was allowing herself to grieve for Janet. She asked Daniel and Jack one night over dinner to tell her the details of what had occurred and was shocked to find the there was a video tape. It took her another two weeks, but she did eventually work up the courage to watch it, along with the documentary that had been made while she was MIA. She cried her heart out as she watched the first footage. She couldn't help but feel that if she had been there maybe things would have been different. The second tape she found touching, but she was mostly amused at the uncomfortable look on her teammate's faces as they were interviewed. She was glad she hadn't had to be on camera like that.
Finally there was Sam's toughest challenge. She knew she was getting close to speaking because she was starting to find it frustrating to not do so. McKenzie had warned her to not push it, and to start small. So in the mornings in her shower she tried making small noises. At first she just cleared her throat. Then one morning she hummed. It wasn't easy. After the first morning when she had made a hoarse little noise she hadn't been able to force herself to try again for another week. But now the silence was starting to become deafening, and she knew that when the time was right she would be ready. Her vocal cords were warmed up and raring to go.
The moment when it came was something that was totally normal; a scene that had probably been repeated dozens of times over the course of the last seven years. She was working in the lab and despite being absorbed in the inner workings of a communications device that had been found on a now deserted planet, she was aware the instant Jack walked in. She always was. As soon as it was safe for her to shift her attention she looked up to give him a smile to see him fiddling with another device that had been sitting on her lab table. Darn it, she thought she had put that away. With an exaggerated sigh she moved to gently take the delicate object out of those dangerous hands.
"You really don't want to be playing with that, Sir," she warned aloud, then stopped as she had surprised even herself.
Jack's eyes widened and for a moment they both just froze. Then that darn sexy little smile of his appeared.
"If you say so, Carter," he commented, handing her the piece of technology with a flourish.
She silently put it away and then turned back to him finding that the second sentence was harder to get out than the first. But she knew the routine. She could do this.
"Did you want something, Sir?" she quipped with a twinkle in her eye.
The look he gave her made her weak in the knees and left her in no doubt as to what it was he wanted. However he knew what his next line was supposed to be, the one that would break the tension of the moment and make her smile.
"Cake, Carter. I came to see if you wanted to come get something to eat. I could go for some cake."
Email: jackiesficaol.com
Summary: He loves it when she talks technobabble
He wasn't sure who was more surprised when their lips parted, but the one small part of his brain that was still functioning knew he needed to say something.
"God bless you," he whispered.
She blinked several times in rapid succession. He couldn't tell what she was thinking but at least she had stopped shaking, and she was still in his arms and not fighting him off. Then slowly he saw her features start to relax into an embarrassed smile.
"Ready to move out of here?" he asked.
She nodded, looking around the dark space with a grimace. A series of grunts on his part accompanied their less than graceful rise from the floor, and they stepped out into the hall to be met by three sets of concerned eyes.
"Is she ok?" Daniel voiced for all three.
"She's fine. Nothing a good cold medicine won't take care of," Jack said by way of explanation, thoroughly confusing the men.
Sam rolled her eyes at him and then signed, "I have a cold and I sneezed. I know it's really stupid but I panicked," Daniel automatically translated aloud.
"Not stupid at all, Major. As a matter of fact it's fantastic," Dr. McKenzie smiled. Since Daniel and Hammond still didn't get the significance he continued. "It's a first step to breaking the silence. She's made a sound, even if it was involuntary, and there was no pain to associate with it."
Jack noticed Sam blush slightly. Nope, pain wasn't what either of them was associating with her sneezing. A few minutes later Dr. McKenzie and General Hammond took their leave, after ensuring that Daniel and Jack would be staying with Sam for the night.
"So, we were going to order take-out. Jack have you eaten?" Daniel said once the others had left.
"No. How about you go pick up something and get Sam some cold medicine while you're at it," he suggested.
Daniel was going to protest but then realized that Jack wanted some time alone with Sam, so he took off with a nod to his friend. Jack really had no desire to talk about what had happened but had a feeling that Sam did. The door had barely shut behind Daniel when she started in.
"You can relax. I'm not going to hold you to that kiss. Although I am curious as to what possessed you," she signed after settling herself on the couch.
He blinked at her in surprise. "You mean besides wanting to kiss you senseless for the better part of the last seven years?" he mocked.
He saw surprise and joy flit across her face before sadness descended once more. "That was the old Sam, Major Carter. I'm not that person anymore," she pointed out.
"No, not exactly the same, but not so different either. You are still brilliant except for when it comes to your personal life, and loyal and brave. You still can take my breath away one moment and annoy me to the point where I want to strangle you in the next. Pretty much the same as when you were my 2IC but without any of the damn regs in the way," he declared.
Twice he saw her hands flutter as if she was trying reply, and both times they fell to her lap again. Huh, she really was speechless.
"I don't want to rush you into anything that you're not sure about or ready for, and you know I suck at this, so before Daniel returns and I loose my nerve, I just want to make sure you know where I stand. Then I promise to back off and let you decide what you want," he told her.
With that he sat down next to her and pulled her into a kiss that, had she not been sitting down, would have left her in a melted heap on the floor. When he finally released her she sucked in a huge breath trying to get oxygen to her spinning head.
"So there you go," he whispered hoarsely. "You ever start doubting how I feel about any version of Sam Carter you just remember that."
When Daniel returned he was surprised to find Jack puttering in the kitchen setting out dishes for their meal, and Sam sitting staring into the fireplace deep in thought. There wasn't even a fire burning he thought with a shake of his head. He was even more surprised when Jack left after dinner, telling him that Sam was in good hands and they should call him if they needed him.
"So do you want to tell me what's going on between the two of you?" Daniel asked her once they were alone.
Maybe because she didn't actually have to voice the doubts and longings, or maybe just because it was Daniel and she trusted him almost as much as she trusted the man that had just walked out the door, but she found herself telling it all to him. She's was hesitant at first, but hands and fingers gained momentum as she went.
"He's right you know. You may not be the confident, spit in the eye of the Goa'uld Major Carter that you were before, but all of the other qualities are still there. You're still smart and brave like Jack said. But you never had any confidence in your personal relationships before and you certainly don't now. Just ask yourself one question Sam. You've been in love with Jack for a long time. If he was the one that had been captured and tortured and he came back slightly bent but not broken, would you love him any less?" Daniel asked. He didn't expect an answer so he was surprised when she gave one.
"I loved him more," she replied thinking back to a time when Jack had indeed been captured and tortured and returned to them suffering from withdrawal and nightmares.
Daniel blinked as he got on the same wavelength as her. 'Well there you go then," he smiled. "I'm going to sack out in the spare room. Wake me if you need anything," he told her, and then left her to her contemplation of the empty fireplace.
She eventually roused herself and went through the motions of getting ready for bed. It was hours before she fell asleep and then only because her earlier panic attack had left her exhausted. When she woke in the morning she once again went through the motions of gathering clothes for the day and heading into the bathroom to take a shower. As the warm water cascaded over her (and she really did appreciate the fact that she could now shower and bathe without having to worry about any casts) a sense of calm and purpose came over her. She'd survived. Now it was time to start living again.
She stood in front of the mirror when she was dried off and once again studied herself. Several of the scars were fading and she had put on enough weight that she was almost able to wear some of her old clothes. She had lost most of her muscle tone though. She needed to start exercising seriously again. Other than that she looked pretty good she decided honestly. She and Cassie had spent plenty of time out in the deck over the summer so she was tan except for her left leg. A good self-tanner would take care of that. And her hair was lighter, although it could use a trim. She smiled to herself. She sure hoped Daniel was up to being her translator today. She had some work to do.
Dr. McKenzie was shocked by the vision that met his eyes Monday morning. Sam Carter was sitting in his office and if he hadn't known better he would swear he had stepped back in time. Her hair was cut in the slightly longer style she had been sporting just before her capture although the figure hugging black slacks and the white shirt open at the neck that she wore were hardly reminiscent of BDU's . Unlike her uniform of old this outfit accentuated her figure rather than hiding it. More than anything though it was the look of determination in her eyes that told him that his patient was once again ready to kick ass. He raised one eyebrow and started the session.
'I'd pay good money to find out just what the hell happened in that closet,' he thought with a shake of his head.
Jack had never rescheduled the dinner with Sara. He'd called and apologized for the interrupted evening, and she'd known instantly from his tone of voice that there would be no further invitations. He had moved on. In a way it made it easier on her. Now maybe she could too. He was never surer of that decision than that Monday when he arrived on base and caught sight of Carter. One look and he knew he was in trouble. And he wasn't the only one who was looking, damn it.
Contrary to most people's opinions of her, Sam was not oblivious to the attention she was getting, especially from her ex-CO. She had spent a lot of time picking just the right outfit for maximum effect without being obvious. After the kiss Jack had given her Friday night she was determined to keep him interested while she put herself back together. Her little sneezing fit and panic attack had gone a long way in moving her along the path to recovery, but it hadn't been a cure all. She knew she had some tough days ahead of her before she was ready to move forward in any type of a relationship. But she wasn't afraid of hard work.
On the plus side, McKenzie had cleared her for part-time lab work, and Hammond had jumped at the opportunity. When she wasn't in therapy of some sort, she was happily back to working on the alien technology she understood better than anyone on the planet. With Jack working almost full time now on the training program and Daniel still busy doing translation work it was almost like old times. Only Teal'c was missing.
For the second time in as many months their lives settled into a new routine. Sam worked out diligently, and slowly was able to progress to using a cane instead of crutches. She also regained much of her former fitness, eating and sleeping better, although still often waking from nightmares. She spent most of her evenings with either Jack, Daniel, or both eating dinner at her place. On the evenings that she and jack were alone nothing major happened between them, although they flirted a bit and were starting to accept the fact that they could share heated looks and light touches without looking over their shoulders.
She still fought depression. She missed going through the gate more and more as her strength returned. And now that she was strong enough she was allowing herself to grieve for Janet. She asked Daniel and Jack one night over dinner to tell her the details of what had occurred and was shocked to find the there was a video tape. It took her another two weeks, but she did eventually work up the courage to watch it, along with the documentary that had been made while she was MIA. She cried her heart out as she watched the first footage. She couldn't help but feel that if she had been there maybe things would have been different. The second tape she found touching, but she was mostly amused at the uncomfortable look on her teammate's faces as they were interviewed. She was glad she hadn't had to be on camera like that.
Finally there was Sam's toughest challenge. She knew she was getting close to speaking because she was starting to find it frustrating to not do so. McKenzie had warned her to not push it, and to start small. So in the mornings in her shower she tried making small noises. At first she just cleared her throat. Then one morning she hummed. It wasn't easy. After the first morning when she had made a hoarse little noise she hadn't been able to force herself to try again for another week. But now the silence was starting to become deafening, and she knew that when the time was right she would be ready. Her vocal cords were warmed up and raring to go.
The moment when it came was something that was totally normal; a scene that had probably been repeated dozens of times over the course of the last seven years. She was working in the lab and despite being absorbed in the inner workings of a communications device that had been found on a now deserted planet, she was aware the instant Jack walked in. She always was. As soon as it was safe for her to shift her attention she looked up to give him a smile to see him fiddling with another device that had been sitting on her lab table. Darn it, she thought she had put that away. With an exaggerated sigh she moved to gently take the delicate object out of those dangerous hands.
"You really don't want to be playing with that, Sir," she warned aloud, then stopped as she had surprised even herself.
Jack's eyes widened and for a moment they both just froze. Then that darn sexy little smile of his appeared.
"If you say so, Carter," he commented, handing her the piece of technology with a flourish.
She silently put it away and then turned back to him finding that the second sentence was harder to get out than the first. But she knew the routine. She could do this.
"Did you want something, Sir?" she quipped with a twinkle in her eye.
The look he gave her made her weak in the knees and left her in no doubt as to what it was he wanted. However he knew what his next line was supposed to be, the one that would break the tension of the moment and make her smile.
"Cake, Carter. I came to see if you wanted to come get something to eat. I could go for some cake."