Carter felt like a drowned rat. Despite her best efforts, and despite having her jacket zipped up to her chin and her hat pulled down as far as she could, she was soaked to the skin and was rather chilled. Thanks to the piece of waterproof canvas that she was holding over her lap, her paper wasn't too wet, and she supposed that was the most important thing, but she was about ready to head back to camp and get dried off. Then Jaffer came up to her, cheerful brown eyes looking so adoringly at her that it warmed her heart – which was good, because the cold nose he stuck into her hand was chilling.
"How's it going, kids?"
She smiled. She'd known that where Jaffer was, Jack couldn't be far behind. Looking up at him, she reached for the canteen he handed down to her.
"Please tell me it's not water?" She said, certain that she looked as miserable as she felt.
"It's coffee."
He stood close to where she was crouched next to the wall, taking the brunt of the rain that was falling on her while she opened the canteen and took a grateful sip.
"Good coffee, even." She held it away from Jaffer, who was always willing to investigate when someone was eating or drinking something.
"Yeah. I do have my little talents." He frowned, though, despite the banter, and she knew he was about to go into mother hen mode. It was obvious by the look on his face.
"Maybe it's time to head back and get warmed up?"
Sam nodded. She'd been thinking the same thing, so she definitely wasn't going to argue.
"I think I've got enough to keep Daniel occupied for a little while, anyways."
"Good. You head back, I'll round up Daniel and Teal'c." If Sam was this wet and chilled-looking, then it was certain the others were, too.
She stood up and handed him the canteen back with a smile.
"Is there more at camp?"
"Of course." Jack looked down at Jaffer. "Why don't you take him with you, Sam?" That would get both of them out of the driving rain. "You know, for protection."
Yeah. She wasn't fooled for a moment. Jack wasn't carrying a gun, so obviously he wasn't worried about protection at that moment.
"I'll get him dried off for you."
"Only after you get dry," Jack told her, seriously.
"C'mon handsome," Sam said to Jaffer, tucking her paper into her Jacket to keep it as dry as she could. Which wasn't very dry, either. Jaffer wagged his tail, and looked at Jack to make sure he wasn't needed, and Jack shooed him off.
"Off with you, little man. Keep her out of trouble for me."
With an indelicate snort, Sam headed back for camp, with Jaffer trotting happily by her, and Jack turned to the next form that was crouched near the wall a bit further down.
"Daniel."
There was no reply, and Jack sighed and thumped Daniel in the shoulder with the canteen. The archeologist looked up, surprised.
"Hey, Jack. Is that coffee?"
"Yeah."
Daniel took it and took a drink eagerly. It was, after all, his first taste of coffee all day.
"Time to go back to camp, Daniel."
"What? Why?"
"Because I just saw a guy walk past gathering up animals two by two to put them on his little boat."
Despite his irritation at the interruption, Daniel had to smile at that one.
'It's not quite that bad, Jack."
"It's bad enough. I've already sent Sam back to get warmed up."
O'Neill looked over as he and Daniel were joined by Teal'c.
"Time to go back, Teal'c."
"I agree, O'Neill. I am ready to get warmed up."
"See?"
Daniel scowled, but nodded. He was cold and wet, too, and ready to get warm for a while. Besides, he had enough copied symbols to give himself a good start. Hopefully they weren't washed out with all the rain that had fallen on them, despite his efforts to keep them dry. He stood up, taking another drink of coffee (Daniel didn't sip coffee, he drank it), and tucking his paper into his jacket like Sam had earlier.
The three of them headed across the ruins, towards the forested area the camp was settled in. The moment they left the stone ruined area, and entered the trees, however, they were brought up short. Standing in front of them, blocking their way by mere Presence alone, was a... Being.
.................
Sam and Jaffer had just reached the canopy when she realized that the big lab had stopped and was looking back over his shoulder. She assumed that Jack was coming, since that would definitely draw his attention, but Jaffer's tail wasn't wagging like it would have been if it had been Jack that was drawing Jaffer's attention. Sam didn't know Jaffer's moods as well as Jack did – no one did, of course – but she'd known him since he was a puppy, and she knew him as well as anyone besides Jack ever would. Something definitely had his attention, and it was something – or someone – he didn't know. She was about to say something to get his attention when he suddenly bolted back the way they'd come, his hackles raising, but no challenging growl.
Sam followed, stopping only long enough to grab up a P-90, since she knew that none of the others were armed.
Jaffer didn't know what to make of the Presence he suddenly felt. The lab didn't smell anything. Over the sound of the rain, he didn't hear anything. He just knew that something was different, and he reacted to it, certain that his Jackwas going to need his help.
"How's it going, kids?"
She smiled. She'd known that where Jaffer was, Jack couldn't be far behind. Looking up at him, she reached for the canteen he handed down to her.
"Please tell me it's not water?" She said, certain that she looked as miserable as she felt.
"It's coffee."
He stood close to where she was crouched next to the wall, taking the brunt of the rain that was falling on her while she opened the canteen and took a grateful sip.
"Good coffee, even." She held it away from Jaffer, who was always willing to investigate when someone was eating or drinking something.
"Yeah. I do have my little talents." He frowned, though, despite the banter, and she knew he was about to go into mother hen mode. It was obvious by the look on his face.
"Maybe it's time to head back and get warmed up?"
Sam nodded. She'd been thinking the same thing, so she definitely wasn't going to argue.
"I think I've got enough to keep Daniel occupied for a little while, anyways."
"Good. You head back, I'll round up Daniel and Teal'c." If Sam was this wet and chilled-looking, then it was certain the others were, too.
She stood up and handed him the canteen back with a smile.
"Is there more at camp?"
"Of course." Jack looked down at Jaffer. "Why don't you take him with you, Sam?" That would get both of them out of the driving rain. "You know, for protection."
Yeah. She wasn't fooled for a moment. Jack wasn't carrying a gun, so obviously he wasn't worried about protection at that moment.
"I'll get him dried off for you."
"Only after you get dry," Jack told her, seriously.
"C'mon handsome," Sam said to Jaffer, tucking her paper into her Jacket to keep it as dry as she could. Which wasn't very dry, either. Jaffer wagged his tail, and looked at Jack to make sure he wasn't needed, and Jack shooed him off.
"Off with you, little man. Keep her out of trouble for me."
With an indelicate snort, Sam headed back for camp, with Jaffer trotting happily by her, and Jack turned to the next form that was crouched near the wall a bit further down.
"Daniel."
There was no reply, and Jack sighed and thumped Daniel in the shoulder with the canteen. The archeologist looked up, surprised.
"Hey, Jack. Is that coffee?"
"Yeah."
Daniel took it and took a drink eagerly. It was, after all, his first taste of coffee all day.
"Time to go back to camp, Daniel."
"What? Why?"
"Because I just saw a guy walk past gathering up animals two by two to put them on his little boat."
Despite his irritation at the interruption, Daniel had to smile at that one.
'It's not quite that bad, Jack."
"It's bad enough. I've already sent Sam back to get warmed up."
O'Neill looked over as he and Daniel were joined by Teal'c.
"Time to go back, Teal'c."
"I agree, O'Neill. I am ready to get warmed up."
"See?"
Daniel scowled, but nodded. He was cold and wet, too, and ready to get warm for a while. Besides, he had enough copied symbols to give himself a good start. Hopefully they weren't washed out with all the rain that had fallen on them, despite his efforts to keep them dry. He stood up, taking another drink of coffee (Daniel didn't sip coffee, he drank it), and tucking his paper into his jacket like Sam had earlier.
The three of them headed across the ruins, towards the forested area the camp was settled in. The moment they left the stone ruined area, and entered the trees, however, they were brought up short. Standing in front of them, blocking their way by mere Presence alone, was a... Being.
.................
Sam and Jaffer had just reached the canopy when she realized that the big lab had stopped and was looking back over his shoulder. She assumed that Jack was coming, since that would definitely draw his attention, but Jaffer's tail wasn't wagging like it would have been if it had been Jack that was drawing Jaffer's attention. Sam didn't know Jaffer's moods as well as Jack did – no one did, of course – but she'd known him since he was a puppy, and she knew him as well as anyone besides Jack ever would. Something definitely had his attention, and it was something – or someone – he didn't know. She was about to say something to get his attention when he suddenly bolted back the way they'd come, his hackles raising, but no challenging growl.
Sam followed, stopping only long enough to grab up a P-90, since she knew that none of the others were armed.
Jaffer didn't know what to make of the Presence he suddenly felt. The lab didn't smell anything. Over the sound of the rain, he didn't hear anything. He just knew that something was different, and he reacted to it, certain that his Jackwas going to need his help.