At the same time Jack and Mitchell were having their conversation, the two
majors who were on point were also chatting. Talking made the time go by
faster, and made the walk a bit less boring, after all. It was even more
interesting when there was someone new to talk to, since even though all
the members of the SGC knew who everyone else was for the most part, it was
very rare that they had time to actually talk to someone who wasn't on the
same team. Unless you counted briefings, which weren't the same thing at
all.
Usually all the times they were together with other teams involved shooting and running and chasing or being chased, which left very little time for getting to know each other. Which was why Sam was so curious as to how O'Neill and Mitchell seemed to know each other so well. Jack was far more comfortable with the younger Colonel than he was with the other Commanding Officers of the other SG units, and she just knew there had to be a story in there somewhere. Short of asking Mitchell herself, which might have made Carter come off looking jealous – or worse, nosy – Sam decided that she would see if she could find out in another, more roundabout manner.
Carter had initiated this conversation, since Anderson was trying to figure out exactly where the last landmark was that SG-2 had used to mark their path from the pyramid, and didn't say anything until he actually was positive he knew where he was going. Then, once he seemed to straighten the course out, she started asking questions. Obviously she wanted to know about Melony, but she didn't really want to seem like she was interrogating Mitchell's Second in Command about her, so she started by interrogating him about himself.
He was in his mid thirties, had graduated from the University of Florida before joining the Air Force, and had been with SG-2 for nearly two years – all of that time spent with Colonel Mitchell at the controls – which was fine with Anderson. He had 6 brothers, no sisters, and his grandparents owned a farm in Oklahoma where Brad and his brothers had been raised since their parents were killed in a plane crash when he was younger. In exchange for his life story – more or less – Carter shared her own, telling the other Major about her childhood, her mother's death, her father's career, and all about her brother and his family.
By then, she was far more comfortable with him, and she truly found Anderson to be a pleasant guy. He was well educated and interesting to talk to. And, she had to admit; he was a big ole shiny piece of eye candy. Black hair, blue eyes, and a charming smile, and Sam had to school her expression when she asked him if he had a girlfriend and he'd said no. Of course, the Military made relationships harder, but still, she was surprised no one had snatched him up. If not for her own interest in another person, Sam might well have been interested in the beginning stages of a relationship of some sort with him. Except that by this time, it was obvious to her that he had his mind – and most likely his heart – set on someone else.
He didn't say it, of course, and he probably thought he hid it pretty well, but whenever he told Carter a story, he interjected another story into the mix, and this one usually included his Commanding officer. It was obvious to Sam that he was impressed with her, and respected her a great deal, but there was also a lightness in his voice and a certain expression in his open face when he mentioned her, or one of their exploits. He was smitten. Who better to know the symptoms than herself, after all?
"What about her family?" Carter asked, when Anderson had told Sam about a trip they'd taken to visit his grandparents for Christmas the year before. "Didn't they want her to come visit them?"
Anderson had looked back over his shoulder at Mitchell, who was deep in some kind of conversation with Jack, and had shaken his head.
"She doesn't have much for family," He'd said, a serious expression on his face now, and a clouded look in his blue eyes. Obviously this was something he didn't want to discuss, and Carter backed off, respecting that.
"She knows Colonel O'Neill fairly well..." She'd said, seemingly to change the subject.
"They go way back." Anderson had told her, grinning. "I've seen pictures of him from way back. Colonel Mitchell keeps one in her locker. Her, Michael and Jack O'Neill. It's a classic picture."
"Who's Michael?"
Again the clouded expression, and Sam realized that she'd once again hit a sensitive subject. Obviously, there was something about Mitchell that Anderson didn't feel it was his place to tell, and Sam backed off again. She was enjoying the conversation with Anderson much more than she'd expected, and she didn't want him to clam up on her if she could avoid it.
"Did Colonel O'Neill have long hair? Was he wearing a tie-dye shirt? Bellbottoms?" She asked these before he could answer – or refuse to answer – the first question, and Anderson smiled and shook his head.
"Nah, he was already in the Military, so he had short hair, and no weird clothing, but it was taken during his piloting days, I think. You'll have to make him show it to you. I know he has a copy. Melony – Colonel Mitchell told me he did, anyways." He grinned, "Or you can see if she'll show you her copy. It's really funny."
"I'll have to ask him." Sam said, more to herself than to him, because she loved seeing pictures of him that were taken far in his past. Back before the sorrow of losing his son, and the burden of Command responsibility had given him a far more serious expression. Sam changed the tone of their talk to happier times, and turned the conversation over to the holidays, deciding that if she wanted to know where Mitchell and O'Neill knew each other from, she was going to find out from Mitchell or O'Neill. She wasn't all that great at interrogating, anyways.
~*~
True to his word, O'Neill stopped them frequently that day to rest. Teal'c showed no signs of needing a break, but Daniel was always just as glad as SG-2 was when it came time to stop. He didn't mind walking, and he was in great shape, but this wasn't just a Sunday stroll. It was becoming quite the hike. Suddenly he wasn't in quite so much of a hurry to get to the pyramids, and didn't seem to fidget whenever Jack told them to take five and rest for a bit like he had the first day.
Lunch was the longest break of the day; they took a good hour and rested their feet. O'Neill took the opportunity to nag Mitchell about her ankle, but she told him over and over again that it was feeling fine, and yes, so was her wrist. No she didn't need to ice it, and no, she didn't need to wrap it up. Yes, she was eating plenty, and why didn't he go bother someone else?
Of course, he didn't. No one else needed to be nagged. She was doing a fine job continually checking on Anderson, and it was Jack's job to check on her. That was the privilege of Command, after all. Melony had just scowled, and wandered over to stand near Teal'c, who was looking at yet another of the apple-ish fruits that Daniel had picked on the morning walk. Teal'c didn't nag. He didn't ask her about pyramids. He just loomed. And she rather liked that about him.
"I don't think we're all that far from the pyramid, Sir." Anderson said as they were gathering up their things and getting ready to start walking again after lunch. "Maybe a couple hours."
Jack looked at Mitchell for confirmation, and she nodded from where she was still standing near Teal'c. It was obvious who she wanted to walk with this leg of the trip. No more watching Daniel eat apples, no more listening to Jack try and get information from her one minute and then asking her how she felt the next, and she certainly wasn't going to walk with Anderson and give Jack any reason to ask her even more questions later. That left Teal'c and Carter, and Anderson was already standing by Sam, anticipating that he'd be put on point once more.
"Yeah, he's probably right, Jack. We might get there before nightfall."
"That'd be nice."
"Good things come to those who wait, Jack," Daniel said, wisely, from where he was sitting, munching on one of the apple fruit things.
"The people who wait are probably just getting the leftovers from the people who have already been there and left," Mitchell said, shouldering her pack and turning away from watching Daniel eat. He'd get tired of them eventually, she was sure.
"Teal, you and Mitchell take rear. Anderson, you lead the way, unless you don't think you can find the place, then we'll have –"
"I can find it, Sir." He told Jack, confidently.
Jack nodded. "All right, Major." He gestured to Sam, "And Major. Lead the way."
Usually all the times they were together with other teams involved shooting and running and chasing or being chased, which left very little time for getting to know each other. Which was why Sam was so curious as to how O'Neill and Mitchell seemed to know each other so well. Jack was far more comfortable with the younger Colonel than he was with the other Commanding Officers of the other SG units, and she just knew there had to be a story in there somewhere. Short of asking Mitchell herself, which might have made Carter come off looking jealous – or worse, nosy – Sam decided that she would see if she could find out in another, more roundabout manner.
Carter had initiated this conversation, since Anderson was trying to figure out exactly where the last landmark was that SG-2 had used to mark their path from the pyramid, and didn't say anything until he actually was positive he knew where he was going. Then, once he seemed to straighten the course out, she started asking questions. Obviously she wanted to know about Melony, but she didn't really want to seem like she was interrogating Mitchell's Second in Command about her, so she started by interrogating him about himself.
He was in his mid thirties, had graduated from the University of Florida before joining the Air Force, and had been with SG-2 for nearly two years – all of that time spent with Colonel Mitchell at the controls – which was fine with Anderson. He had 6 brothers, no sisters, and his grandparents owned a farm in Oklahoma where Brad and his brothers had been raised since their parents were killed in a plane crash when he was younger. In exchange for his life story – more or less – Carter shared her own, telling the other Major about her childhood, her mother's death, her father's career, and all about her brother and his family.
By then, she was far more comfortable with him, and she truly found Anderson to be a pleasant guy. He was well educated and interesting to talk to. And, she had to admit; he was a big ole shiny piece of eye candy. Black hair, blue eyes, and a charming smile, and Sam had to school her expression when she asked him if he had a girlfriend and he'd said no. Of course, the Military made relationships harder, but still, she was surprised no one had snatched him up. If not for her own interest in another person, Sam might well have been interested in the beginning stages of a relationship of some sort with him. Except that by this time, it was obvious to her that he had his mind – and most likely his heart – set on someone else.
He didn't say it, of course, and he probably thought he hid it pretty well, but whenever he told Carter a story, he interjected another story into the mix, and this one usually included his Commanding officer. It was obvious to Sam that he was impressed with her, and respected her a great deal, but there was also a lightness in his voice and a certain expression in his open face when he mentioned her, or one of their exploits. He was smitten. Who better to know the symptoms than herself, after all?
"What about her family?" Carter asked, when Anderson had told Sam about a trip they'd taken to visit his grandparents for Christmas the year before. "Didn't they want her to come visit them?"
Anderson had looked back over his shoulder at Mitchell, who was deep in some kind of conversation with Jack, and had shaken his head.
"She doesn't have much for family," He'd said, a serious expression on his face now, and a clouded look in his blue eyes. Obviously this was something he didn't want to discuss, and Carter backed off, respecting that.
"She knows Colonel O'Neill fairly well..." She'd said, seemingly to change the subject.
"They go way back." Anderson had told her, grinning. "I've seen pictures of him from way back. Colonel Mitchell keeps one in her locker. Her, Michael and Jack O'Neill. It's a classic picture."
"Who's Michael?"
Again the clouded expression, and Sam realized that she'd once again hit a sensitive subject. Obviously, there was something about Mitchell that Anderson didn't feel it was his place to tell, and Sam backed off again. She was enjoying the conversation with Anderson much more than she'd expected, and she didn't want him to clam up on her if she could avoid it.
"Did Colonel O'Neill have long hair? Was he wearing a tie-dye shirt? Bellbottoms?" She asked these before he could answer – or refuse to answer – the first question, and Anderson smiled and shook his head.
"Nah, he was already in the Military, so he had short hair, and no weird clothing, but it was taken during his piloting days, I think. You'll have to make him show it to you. I know he has a copy. Melony – Colonel Mitchell told me he did, anyways." He grinned, "Or you can see if she'll show you her copy. It's really funny."
"I'll have to ask him." Sam said, more to herself than to him, because she loved seeing pictures of him that were taken far in his past. Back before the sorrow of losing his son, and the burden of Command responsibility had given him a far more serious expression. Sam changed the tone of their talk to happier times, and turned the conversation over to the holidays, deciding that if she wanted to know where Mitchell and O'Neill knew each other from, she was going to find out from Mitchell or O'Neill. She wasn't all that great at interrogating, anyways.
~*~
True to his word, O'Neill stopped them frequently that day to rest. Teal'c showed no signs of needing a break, but Daniel was always just as glad as SG-2 was when it came time to stop. He didn't mind walking, and he was in great shape, but this wasn't just a Sunday stroll. It was becoming quite the hike. Suddenly he wasn't in quite so much of a hurry to get to the pyramids, and didn't seem to fidget whenever Jack told them to take five and rest for a bit like he had the first day.
Lunch was the longest break of the day; they took a good hour and rested their feet. O'Neill took the opportunity to nag Mitchell about her ankle, but she told him over and over again that it was feeling fine, and yes, so was her wrist. No she didn't need to ice it, and no, she didn't need to wrap it up. Yes, she was eating plenty, and why didn't he go bother someone else?
Of course, he didn't. No one else needed to be nagged. She was doing a fine job continually checking on Anderson, and it was Jack's job to check on her. That was the privilege of Command, after all. Melony had just scowled, and wandered over to stand near Teal'c, who was looking at yet another of the apple-ish fruits that Daniel had picked on the morning walk. Teal'c didn't nag. He didn't ask her about pyramids. He just loomed. And she rather liked that about him.
"I don't think we're all that far from the pyramid, Sir." Anderson said as they were gathering up their things and getting ready to start walking again after lunch. "Maybe a couple hours."
Jack looked at Mitchell for confirmation, and she nodded from where she was still standing near Teal'c. It was obvious who she wanted to walk with this leg of the trip. No more watching Daniel eat apples, no more listening to Jack try and get information from her one minute and then asking her how she felt the next, and she certainly wasn't going to walk with Anderson and give Jack any reason to ask her even more questions later. That left Teal'c and Carter, and Anderson was already standing by Sam, anticipating that he'd be put on point once more.
"Yeah, he's probably right, Jack. We might get there before nightfall."
"That'd be nice."
"Good things come to those who wait, Jack," Daniel said, wisely, from where he was sitting, munching on one of the apple fruit things.
"The people who wait are probably just getting the leftovers from the people who have already been there and left," Mitchell said, shouldering her pack and turning away from watching Daniel eat. He'd get tired of them eventually, she was sure.
"Teal, you and Mitchell take rear. Anderson, you lead the way, unless you don't think you can find the place, then we'll have –"
"I can find it, Sir." He told Jack, confidently.
Jack nodded. "All right, Major." He gestured to Sam, "And Major. Lead the way."