"This isn't exactly what I thought you had planned," Sam murmured to Jack about ten minutes later.
She was propped up in the bed with a few pillows behind her back, naked. But instead of taking advantage of that fact, Jack had produced a wet washcloth and had proceeded to give her a sponge bath. Yes, the towel felt good, and yes, it was nice to be clean, but she had hoped for something a bit more... physical.
He smiled, wiping the towel gently across her bruised side.
"You didn't think I'd really take advantage of you in your condition, did you Sam? I am an officer and a gentleman, after all."
Not to mention he loved the hell out of her and wouldn't have done anything to hurt her. Even if it meant ignoring just how tempting she was just then, bruises and all.
"Well... I wouldn't have minded..."
He smiled, and Sam was glad to see that his good humor seemed completely restored. She loved him, no matter what his mood, but she much preferred him smiling. And loved it when he was teasing.
"There's plenty of time for other things when you're feeling a little less tender," Jack told her. Even though he was being careful, he didn't miss the few times she'd winced when he'd touched a particularly sensitive spot, and he'd carefully avoided touching those spots again. "Just relax, okay, and try to ignore my natural animal magnetism."
Sam snorted, but decided to ignore that, and closed her eyes as she leaned completely into the pillows behind her, giving herself up to his ministrations. He, of course, watched her carefully. She'd just taken her medication, so he knew she was going to be falling asleep soon, but he didn't want her to fall asleep until he was done and had her covered back up. And in his arms.
It didn't happen. Sam was far too relaxed to stay awake, and Jack's hands were gentle enough that he didn't hurt her enough to keep her awake. She dozed off before he'd finished, and was deeply asleep by the time he rewrapped her ribs – which he did so carefully that Sam wasn't jostled at all.
He was just covering her with a blanket when Jaffer came into the room. His black face was smeared with whipped cream – a sure sign that Jack wasn't going to find any pie waiting for him when he went out into the living room. Ah well. The lab jumped up onto the bed and flopped down next to Jack, his head resting on Jack's chest, which was a sure sign that he wanted some cuddling. If he wanted to sleep, he would have rested his head on Jack's thigh.
Jack reached down with the wet towel and wiped the whipped cream off his dog's face. Jaffer put up with it with good humor, his eyes grinning at Jack and his tail thumping against the bed.
"You did good today, little man," O'Neill murmured softly, although as deeply as Sam was sleeping, there was little chance of waking her up. Jaffer licked Jack's hand as he started stroking the glossy hide, being careful to avoid the stitched areas. "If you hadn't been here, I'm not sure what would have happened..."
He trailed off, unwilling to think about that. Of course, there was a good chance he never would have left Sam alone, without Jaffer being there. But you never knew. Of course, now he knew just how much he could trust the lab to watch over those he loved – mainly Sam – and it was a lesson Jack would remember.
Jaffer's nose nudged O'Neill, and he realized he'd stopped stroking the lab as he'd been thinking. He smiled and resumed what he was doing; petting Jaffer with one hand while the other went under the blanket to find Sam's hand. His stomach rumbled, but Jack was comfortable, now, and he wasn't going to get up to eat. Especially since the pie he'd planned on having was undoubtedly demolished. He relaxed, watching Sam sleep as his gentle touch put Jaffer to sleep as well.
......................
He was still awake when Sam woke up much later. The room was dark, since he hadn't wanted to turn on the light or the TV and disturb her before she was ready to wake up. He knew she was awake before she even moved. He'd been listening to her breathing in the darkness, which was a different noise to listen to than Jaffer's soft snoring, which continued even after Sam's breathing changed.
"Jack?"
Her voice was sleepy, and he smiled in the dark, even though she couldn't see it.
"Hmmm?"
"Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine, Sam." He squeezed the hand he was holding, reassuringly.
"What time is it?"
"It's after midnight."
"I need to get up." Meaning her bladder was going to burst if he didn't help her up.
He was getting pretty good at helping her into the bathroom, so this was hardly a challenge. When she was done, she asked him to take her out into the living room, so she could sit on the couch for a while. She had slept all evening and a lot of the afternoon, and she didn't want to sleep anymore.
"Do you want me to help you get dressed?"
"You're not expecting company, are you?"
He grinned, and shook his head, and carried her out into the living room and settled her on the sofa, covering her warmly, and letting Jaffer out since the lab had woken up with the same need Sam had.
"Are you hungry?" He asked her as he filled Jaffer's food dish.
"Starved."
"Good." He was, too.
"Something easy okay with you?"
"Not cereal."
"Okay."
He didn't even have any cereal. But he did have the makings for breakfast burritos, and that was what he made. He scrambled a huge pan of eggs, chopped up some ham to go in them, then added cheese and rolled the whole mess into a number of heated burrito shells. Placing them all on one plate, and bringing out a couple more plates for them to eat off of, he set them down on the end table – already missing his broken coffee table.
"You must be getting tired of taking care of me," Sam mused while he went over and let Jaffer in. The black lab came over to the end table immediately, smelling the delicious odor of eggs and ham.
"Never."
Sam sat up a little, and Jack settled on the couch with one leg on either side of her, and then helped her lean back against his belly and chest.
"I love you," he told her as he reached for the plate of burritos, and handed down a couple to Jaffer. The rest he placed on Sam's lap, his arms coming around her. It was a very intimate position for him, since she wasn't dressed, and if his hand strayed occasionally and brushed her bare skin, well... oops.
Sam smiled; ignoring his touch as well as she could although it wasn't easy! She helped herself to a couple of burritos of her own, ate what she could and handed the leftovers to Jaffer, who was watching them intently.
Then she leaned back against Jack, content, as he finished eating. She was warm, well fed, and comfortable, and as wrapped up in him as she could be. With his strong body enveloping her, and Jaffer's still-growing but already powerful form close at hand as well, she closed her eyes and drifted off once more, knowing that whatever was to come, they'd both always be there for her, and would do anything necessary to protect her. How could she not sleep soundly with such a force to be reckoned with so determined to keep her safe?
She was propped up in the bed with a few pillows behind her back, naked. But instead of taking advantage of that fact, Jack had produced a wet washcloth and had proceeded to give her a sponge bath. Yes, the towel felt good, and yes, it was nice to be clean, but she had hoped for something a bit more... physical.
He smiled, wiping the towel gently across her bruised side.
"You didn't think I'd really take advantage of you in your condition, did you Sam? I am an officer and a gentleman, after all."
Not to mention he loved the hell out of her and wouldn't have done anything to hurt her. Even if it meant ignoring just how tempting she was just then, bruises and all.
"Well... I wouldn't have minded..."
He smiled, and Sam was glad to see that his good humor seemed completely restored. She loved him, no matter what his mood, but she much preferred him smiling. And loved it when he was teasing.
"There's plenty of time for other things when you're feeling a little less tender," Jack told her. Even though he was being careful, he didn't miss the few times she'd winced when he'd touched a particularly sensitive spot, and he'd carefully avoided touching those spots again. "Just relax, okay, and try to ignore my natural animal magnetism."
Sam snorted, but decided to ignore that, and closed her eyes as she leaned completely into the pillows behind her, giving herself up to his ministrations. He, of course, watched her carefully. She'd just taken her medication, so he knew she was going to be falling asleep soon, but he didn't want her to fall asleep until he was done and had her covered back up. And in his arms.
It didn't happen. Sam was far too relaxed to stay awake, and Jack's hands were gentle enough that he didn't hurt her enough to keep her awake. She dozed off before he'd finished, and was deeply asleep by the time he rewrapped her ribs – which he did so carefully that Sam wasn't jostled at all.
He was just covering her with a blanket when Jaffer came into the room. His black face was smeared with whipped cream – a sure sign that Jack wasn't going to find any pie waiting for him when he went out into the living room. Ah well. The lab jumped up onto the bed and flopped down next to Jack, his head resting on Jack's chest, which was a sure sign that he wanted some cuddling. If he wanted to sleep, he would have rested his head on Jack's thigh.
Jack reached down with the wet towel and wiped the whipped cream off his dog's face. Jaffer put up with it with good humor, his eyes grinning at Jack and his tail thumping against the bed.
"You did good today, little man," O'Neill murmured softly, although as deeply as Sam was sleeping, there was little chance of waking her up. Jaffer licked Jack's hand as he started stroking the glossy hide, being careful to avoid the stitched areas. "If you hadn't been here, I'm not sure what would have happened..."
He trailed off, unwilling to think about that. Of course, there was a good chance he never would have left Sam alone, without Jaffer being there. But you never knew. Of course, now he knew just how much he could trust the lab to watch over those he loved – mainly Sam – and it was a lesson Jack would remember.
Jaffer's nose nudged O'Neill, and he realized he'd stopped stroking the lab as he'd been thinking. He smiled and resumed what he was doing; petting Jaffer with one hand while the other went under the blanket to find Sam's hand. His stomach rumbled, but Jack was comfortable, now, and he wasn't going to get up to eat. Especially since the pie he'd planned on having was undoubtedly demolished. He relaxed, watching Sam sleep as his gentle touch put Jaffer to sleep as well.
......................
He was still awake when Sam woke up much later. The room was dark, since he hadn't wanted to turn on the light or the TV and disturb her before she was ready to wake up. He knew she was awake before she even moved. He'd been listening to her breathing in the darkness, which was a different noise to listen to than Jaffer's soft snoring, which continued even after Sam's breathing changed.
"Jack?"
Her voice was sleepy, and he smiled in the dark, even though she couldn't see it.
"Hmmm?"
"Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine, Sam." He squeezed the hand he was holding, reassuringly.
"What time is it?"
"It's after midnight."
"I need to get up." Meaning her bladder was going to burst if he didn't help her up.
He was getting pretty good at helping her into the bathroom, so this was hardly a challenge. When she was done, she asked him to take her out into the living room, so she could sit on the couch for a while. She had slept all evening and a lot of the afternoon, and she didn't want to sleep anymore.
"Do you want me to help you get dressed?"
"You're not expecting company, are you?"
He grinned, and shook his head, and carried her out into the living room and settled her on the sofa, covering her warmly, and letting Jaffer out since the lab had woken up with the same need Sam had.
"Are you hungry?" He asked her as he filled Jaffer's food dish.
"Starved."
"Good." He was, too.
"Something easy okay with you?"
"Not cereal."
"Okay."
He didn't even have any cereal. But he did have the makings for breakfast burritos, and that was what he made. He scrambled a huge pan of eggs, chopped up some ham to go in them, then added cheese and rolled the whole mess into a number of heated burrito shells. Placing them all on one plate, and bringing out a couple more plates for them to eat off of, he set them down on the end table – already missing his broken coffee table.
"You must be getting tired of taking care of me," Sam mused while he went over and let Jaffer in. The black lab came over to the end table immediately, smelling the delicious odor of eggs and ham.
"Never."
Sam sat up a little, and Jack settled on the couch with one leg on either side of her, and then helped her lean back against his belly and chest.
"I love you," he told her as he reached for the plate of burritos, and handed down a couple to Jaffer. The rest he placed on Sam's lap, his arms coming around her. It was a very intimate position for him, since she wasn't dressed, and if his hand strayed occasionally and brushed her bare skin, well... oops.
Sam smiled; ignoring his touch as well as she could although it wasn't easy! She helped herself to a couple of burritos of her own, ate what she could and handed the leftovers to Jaffer, who was watching them intently.
Then she leaned back against Jack, content, as he finished eating. She was warm, well fed, and comfortable, and as wrapped up in him as she could be. With his strong body enveloping her, and Jaffer's still-growing but already powerful form close at hand as well, she closed her eyes and drifted off once more, knowing that whatever was to come, they'd both always be there for her, and would do anything necessary to protect her. How could she not sleep soundly with such a force to be reckoned with so determined to keep her safe?