Jack stayed next to her until he was certain that she was asleep, but he didn't join her on the couch for the same reason Jaffer hadn't. There wasn't any room for him. And he had no intention of waking her up to get her to make room for him. He looked over at the recliner Jaffer was on, but his black lab was almost asleep, too, and Jack wouldn't have moved him, anyways. He stood up, wincing when his knees protested, and went into the kitchen. He was hungry. He was tired, too, since he'd slept lousy the night before, but unlike Sam, he was more hungry than he was tired.
Jaffer heard the fridge open, and joined Jack in the kitchen. He was always more hungry than he was tired. Jack grinned and looked down at the lab, who was looking through the choices in the fridge eagerly, waiting for Jack to decide what he was going to make for them.
"A sandwich?"
He wagged his tail. He would eat a sandwich.
"Sandwich it is."
Jack pulled out the makings and moved over to the counter, tossing Jaffer a piece of sliced turkey to tide him over until the finished product was ready. Then he tossed him another one because the first one vanished so quickly. And another one just because.
"No more, or I won't have any for the sandwiches." Jack said, firmly – right before tossing him another piece, which was caught neatly and gobbled down.
He made three sandwiches. Two for him, one for Jaffer – which he cut into pieces, then they went out into the living room, which was finally starting to warm up again. Jack took the chair Jaffer had claimed, and Jaffer plopped down beside the chair, watching him expectantly. There were two plates in Jack's hand, and the big lab knew from experience that one of them was for him.
O'Neill was wrong. He wasn't more hungry than he was tired. Either that or the tiredness took over once he'd finished the first sandwich and the edge had been taken off of his hunger. He started drooping fairly quickly once he'd finished the first sandwich. No problem, really. He just repositioned himself in the chair a little more comfortably, and rested his head against the tall back, his legs draped over the arm, then he closed his eyes, sighing tiredly.
Jaffer watched as Jack fell asleep, his brown eyes fixed on the sandwich on the plate that was still in O'Neill's lap, and on Jack's face. There was a certain amount of time he'd give Jack to decide to wake up and finish the sandwich, but if O'Neill didn't open his eyes soon, he was going to lose that sandwich to the great black hunter.
The plate dipped slightly, and Jack's head leaned a little more heavily against the chair. With a gentle motion – his eyes now intent on Jack's face – Jaffer cleared O'Neill's plate for him, grabbing the sandwich in his mouth and silently demolishing it. Then he walked over to the couch, looked up once more to see if maybe Sam had moved enough to make room for him – she hadn't. He sniffed the cast on her leg once more, debating how edible it was, and taking a taste, just in case it tasted better than it smelled. Nope. It wasn't really very good.
Jaffer sighed, and jumped up into the other recliner. It wasn't as soft and comfortable as the one Jack had claimed, but it would do. He closed his eyes, but his nose and ears were still active, listening for any noises or scents that didn't belong. After all, he was the guard dog, right? It was his job to keep his people safe.
.................
A noise woke Jaffer much later. The lab opened his eyes and saw that Sam had struggled into a sitting position and was looking around. He raised his head and looked over at her, expectantly, wagging his tail in greeting, and waiting to see if she needed anything from him.
Carter had been slightly out of sorts when she woke up. Her head was aching just a little – probably because she hadn't had anything to eat for a while – and her mouth and throat were dry. She wanted something to drink, but she had absolutely no intention of waking Jack up. She looked over and saw that Jaffer was awake and watching her, and smiled. That dog was so cheerful that it was hard to be grumpy around him.
"I don't suppose you'd go get me some juice?" She asked him, remembering that fetching things from the fridge was one of the first tricks that Jaffer had been taught. The problem was, he normally would only perform them for Jack.
Jaffer sighed, and dragged himself off the chair, and coming over and sniffing Sam's cast once more – just to make sure no one had spilled maple syrup on it while he'd been sleeping. No such luck.
Sam sighed, too. No such luck. He obviously wasn't interested in fetching her anything. Ah well. She reached out and gestured for him to come closer so she could pet him, at least. Jaffer moved away from her and headed out of sight, though. He apparently didn't want to be petted, either. She grumbled silently to herself, wondering if she should just get up and get it herself. She'd just about decided she could make it on her own, when she heard the fridge open, and she turned her head and raised herself up slightly so she could look over the back of the couch and towards the kitchen. A moment later, Jaffer appeared at the kitchen doorway, with a bottle of juice in his mouth, and his tail was wagging idly as ambled over to her.
"You are a doggie genius, aren't you?" Sam murmured, taking the juice from him, and feeling strangely pleased and proud that he'd fetched for her. Jaffer licked her hand, and then put his front feet up on the couch. He wanted up, and now that she was awake, she could move for him, right?
Sam moved slightly, making room for him, and the big lab climbed up beside her, shuffling carefully until he was snugly pressed up against her, then Sam leaned against him, using his big body as a pillow. She waited to see if he moved – a sure sign he didn't like the position – but he didn't, and she opened her juice and took a couple long drinks before she cuddled against the lab and went back to sleep. He wasn't Jack, but he was furry and warm, and almost as good.
Jaffer heard the fridge open, and joined Jack in the kitchen. He was always more hungry than he was tired. Jack grinned and looked down at the lab, who was looking through the choices in the fridge eagerly, waiting for Jack to decide what he was going to make for them.
"A sandwich?"
He wagged his tail. He would eat a sandwich.
"Sandwich it is."
Jack pulled out the makings and moved over to the counter, tossing Jaffer a piece of sliced turkey to tide him over until the finished product was ready. Then he tossed him another one because the first one vanished so quickly. And another one just because.
"No more, or I won't have any for the sandwiches." Jack said, firmly – right before tossing him another piece, which was caught neatly and gobbled down.
He made three sandwiches. Two for him, one for Jaffer – which he cut into pieces, then they went out into the living room, which was finally starting to warm up again. Jack took the chair Jaffer had claimed, and Jaffer plopped down beside the chair, watching him expectantly. There were two plates in Jack's hand, and the big lab knew from experience that one of them was for him.
O'Neill was wrong. He wasn't more hungry than he was tired. Either that or the tiredness took over once he'd finished the first sandwich and the edge had been taken off of his hunger. He started drooping fairly quickly once he'd finished the first sandwich. No problem, really. He just repositioned himself in the chair a little more comfortably, and rested his head against the tall back, his legs draped over the arm, then he closed his eyes, sighing tiredly.
Jaffer watched as Jack fell asleep, his brown eyes fixed on the sandwich on the plate that was still in O'Neill's lap, and on Jack's face. There was a certain amount of time he'd give Jack to decide to wake up and finish the sandwich, but if O'Neill didn't open his eyes soon, he was going to lose that sandwich to the great black hunter.
The plate dipped slightly, and Jack's head leaned a little more heavily against the chair. With a gentle motion – his eyes now intent on Jack's face – Jaffer cleared O'Neill's plate for him, grabbing the sandwich in his mouth and silently demolishing it. Then he walked over to the couch, looked up once more to see if maybe Sam had moved enough to make room for him – she hadn't. He sniffed the cast on her leg once more, debating how edible it was, and taking a taste, just in case it tasted better than it smelled. Nope. It wasn't really very good.
Jaffer sighed, and jumped up into the other recliner. It wasn't as soft and comfortable as the one Jack had claimed, but it would do. He closed his eyes, but his nose and ears were still active, listening for any noises or scents that didn't belong. After all, he was the guard dog, right? It was his job to keep his people safe.
.................
A noise woke Jaffer much later. The lab opened his eyes and saw that Sam had struggled into a sitting position and was looking around. He raised his head and looked over at her, expectantly, wagging his tail in greeting, and waiting to see if she needed anything from him.
Carter had been slightly out of sorts when she woke up. Her head was aching just a little – probably because she hadn't had anything to eat for a while – and her mouth and throat were dry. She wanted something to drink, but she had absolutely no intention of waking Jack up. She looked over and saw that Jaffer was awake and watching her, and smiled. That dog was so cheerful that it was hard to be grumpy around him.
"I don't suppose you'd go get me some juice?" She asked him, remembering that fetching things from the fridge was one of the first tricks that Jaffer had been taught. The problem was, he normally would only perform them for Jack.
Jaffer sighed, and dragged himself off the chair, and coming over and sniffing Sam's cast once more – just to make sure no one had spilled maple syrup on it while he'd been sleeping. No such luck.
Sam sighed, too. No such luck. He obviously wasn't interested in fetching her anything. Ah well. She reached out and gestured for him to come closer so she could pet him, at least. Jaffer moved away from her and headed out of sight, though. He apparently didn't want to be petted, either. She grumbled silently to herself, wondering if she should just get up and get it herself. She'd just about decided she could make it on her own, when she heard the fridge open, and she turned her head and raised herself up slightly so she could look over the back of the couch and towards the kitchen. A moment later, Jaffer appeared at the kitchen doorway, with a bottle of juice in his mouth, and his tail was wagging idly as ambled over to her.
"You are a doggie genius, aren't you?" Sam murmured, taking the juice from him, and feeling strangely pleased and proud that he'd fetched for her. Jaffer licked her hand, and then put his front feet up on the couch. He wanted up, and now that she was awake, she could move for him, right?
Sam moved slightly, making room for him, and the big lab climbed up beside her, shuffling carefully until he was snugly pressed up against her, then Sam leaned against him, using his big body as a pillow. She waited to see if he moved – a sure sign he didn't like the position – but he didn't, and she opened her juice and took a couple long drinks before she cuddled against the lab and went back to sleep. He wasn't Jack, but he was furry and warm, and almost as good.