Disclaimers: Don't own anything relating to Stargate. Just having fun…
Spoilers: The movie "The Ladykillers"
AN: Wow!! Thank you for all the kind reviews!! It really makes me want to write faster…so that I can see what happens!! BTW, many thanks to GateSeeker2 for the awesome idea!!
And the crowd goes wild…
21:20 hrs.
After leaving the movie theater, they strolled through the nearby shopping center open-air courtyard. There was a large fountain in the center with water that cascaded out of the mouths of several fish suspended over the sparkling pool. Talking and laughing, Jack and Sam ambled aimlessly, occasionally stopping to glance in a storefront window.
"What was your favorite part, Sam?"
"Oh gosh, I guess it would have to be Tom Hanks character is trying to explain to his landlady why the basement is full of money – "We are desperate criminals!", she quoted and laughed. "What was yours?"
Jack grimaced inwardly, realizing that he had spent most of the movie watching her. "Um, I think it was the ending when the cops thought she was crazy – "Why don't ya jus' keep tha money?", he replied with a southern accent, thankful that he'd seen at least that much.
"What?" she said, sitting down on the edge of the fountain. "That's it? Surely someone with a Masters degree in Biology AND Astronomy can come up with something better than that!"
Jack's head whipped around and his mouth opened, but no sounds came out.
"Ah, you wonder how I know that? You look so surprised. Well, I have my ways of finding out all your secrets." Sam laughed at the look of disbelief on his face.
"I, too, have ways of finding out your ways of finding out all my secrets," he said, sitting down next to her. "I don't think you want me to use any of those tactics, do you?" His eyes twinkled as he looked at her. "I mean, I have been trained in many ways of information gathering – some can be pretty brutal – like the tickle?" He grabbed her with one arm and pulled her across his lap, tickling his fingers along her ribs.
Sam squealed and tried to pull away. "No! Anything but the tickler!" she gasped, laughing.
"Then tell me," he said in a calm voice, not letting go, but stopping his tickling. His hand rested on her ribcage. "How did you find out about my degrees?"
Sam pulled away from him and stood up. She backed away a few steps and smiled sweetly. "You can't make me tell!" she said, and ran around to the other side of the fountain.
He reached his hand down into the water. "One last chance…"
"You wouldn't dare," she said, eyeing him thoughtfully and crossing her arms over her chest.
"Ok, you've asked for it!" He swept his hand up out of the water, a gush of water splashing out across the fountain drenching the front of her shirt and face.
"That was so…this was a new shirt!" she sputtered, shaking her head and wiping water from her eyes. "Jack, just you wait…you are so gonna get it."
"Oh yeah, and who's gonna give it to me?" he taunted from across the fountain.
"You'll see," she said walking slowly around the fountain to stand next to him. "And it will happen when you least expect it." She smiled at him, but it was a smile that made him anticipate her revenge. "Want some ice cream? I've got to get some napkins to dry myself off a bit." She started to walk over to the ice cream parlor.
Jack ran to catch up with her.
"Sam, I'm really sorry. I hope I didn't ruin your blouse," he said attempting to make amends.
"That's alright. You'll pay for it in the end." She smiled at him again as she opened the door. "What's your poison? Chocolate? Vanilla? I'll buy since you bought the popcorn."
"That you ate most of," he muttered under his breath. "Um…Vanilla in a waffle cone with…chocolate sprinkles." His voice trailed off as she turned to look at him.
"Ok, can I get two waffle cones – one with a scoop of triple chocolate brownie and one with vanilla and chocolate sprinkles." She smiled at the guy behind the counter.
After paying, they took their cones outside along with a generous amount of paper napkins.
"Here, hold this," Sam asked, handing her cone to Jack as she tried to mop herself up with the napkins. Giving it up as a lost cause, she took the cone back from him. "Thanks," she said, taking a large bite. "Ummm…triple chocolate brownie," she said in her best Homer Simpson voice.
Jack laughed. He took a bite of his vanilla ice cream. They sat down the edge of the fountain and ate their cones while enjoying each other's company.
After finishing her cone and wiping any residue off her face, she turned to Jack. "By the way, what was it you said in the store before - about me eating most of the popcorn?"
Jack finished his cone and wiped his fingers with a napkin. "Well, you did."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Did Not!"
"You SO DID!"
"Jack, I SO did not!"
"It's ok, Sam. Just admit that you ate most of the popcorn and we'll call it even. After all, I did sort of drink most of your water."
"Yeah, after you finished your own AND most of the popcorn." She burst out laughing. "Too much salt will do that to you, sir….uh.. Jack."
"Ok, since you won't admit your guilt, how about something else instead." He looked at his watch. "What time do you have to be home?"
"I don't. Cassie is staying at her friend Marie's house tonight, and I don't have to be at the base until the afternoon tomorrow, so whenever I get home is whenever you take me home." She blushed when she realized the implications to what she had just said. "I mean," she said, trying to cover, "Whenever you're ready to go, it's ok with me."
He smiled at her gently. "I'm ready when you're ready."
She looked at him for a second. "Hey, you missed a spot of ice cream."
"Where?" he asked, wiping a napkin across his lips.
"No, it's just there…here, let me do it," she said taking the napkin in her right hand. He was so caught up in the idea of her touching him; he did not notice her left hand stealthily moving towards the water. "It's right here…"she cupped his face with her hand as the other swooped up out of the water, splashing them both. She started to laugh as she jumped up and darted a safe distance away.
Jack sat there, water dripping from his hair and face onto his shirt and shaking his head.
"Carter – it is SO ON!" He stood up, stalking menacingly towards her. Sam was helpless, laughing so hard that she could barely stand.
"Oh, your face…priceless! Where's a camera when you need one!" She tried to back away as he came closer. His hands shot out as he grabbed her arms, pulling her close to him. He shook his head at her, spattering water as she giggled and tried to pull away. "Truce, truce!" she begged, still giggling.
"What have I said about giggling, Major?" he enquired softly, looking into her eyes, his face close to hers.
She stopped giggling, returned his gaze. "It's Sam, remember?" she said breathlessly. "Jack and Sam."
They stood there lost in the moment; somehow their arms found themselves wrapped around each other. Their faces drew nearer to each other, irresistibly drawn together by some inexplicable force. Her lips parted, he licked his lips as…a car horn blasted in the nearby parking lot – a youthful voice called out "Go for it, Dude!"
They jumped apart guiltily, each avoiding the others eyes. "Sorry," they both said at the same time. "I'm sorry, sir. I've just been having a really good time tonight," she said. "I guess I just got caught up in the moment."
Jack looked at her. He stepped nearer to her again and raised her chin with one hand.
"Carter, you don't have anything to be sorry for. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I've been having such a good time with you, I forgot the boundaries."
"I guess this means that the evening is over?" she said, checking her watch. "Wow, it's almost eleven! Where has the time gone?" She smiled at him. He took her hand and pulled it through the crook of his arm. They walked towards the now almost empty parking lot and his truck.
The ride back to Sam's house was quiet, punctuated only by soft music playing from the radio - each lost in their own thoughts and neither wanting to dispel the comfortable mood that permeated the truck cab. As they neared her street, Sam turned and looked at him. The passing streetlights alternately cast his face into shadows and light. Sensing her gaze on him, Jack turned to meet her eyes and smiled slightly. He reached over with one hand and patted her hand resting on the console between them.
"I had a good time tonight. We'll have to do this again sometime." He said, looking back at the street in front of them.
"Me too. Thanks for coming with me. I really didn't want to go alone." She looked back out the window.
Jack turned onto her street and pulled up in front of her house. "Sam, you are never alone," he said looking back at her. "I will always be here for you whenever you need me." He smiled at her before opening his door and coming around to hers. He opened her door and helped her out. As they walked up to her front door, she pulled her keys out of her purse. "Thanks again," she said, unlocking the door and opening it.
"Anytime," Jack said, shoving his hands into his front pockets.
Just then they heard a noise from inside the house. Jack pulled Sam out of the open doorway and removed his gun from his ankle holster. He gestured for her to cover his six as they silently made their way into the house. Sam retrieved her gun from the hall closet. Jack crept slowly down the hallway, bypassing the living room. The noise sounded again, coming from the beyond the closed bedroom door. Jack took up position on one side of the door with Sam on the other. At his nod, she kicked open the door and both entered the room in defensive positions. A figure near the bed spun around, dropping what seemed to be rose petals from his hands.
"Pete? What the hell are you doing here?"
TBC…. Sorry couldn't resist – please don't hate me…