Chapter 4
Jack sat in the mess munching happily on a piece of blueberry pie and a slice of angel food cake. Sam laughed lightly as he alternated bites between his two desserts. "If I'd known you were that incapable of making a decision I would have told you which dessert to get."
"Ah, but you should know by now that when it comes to desserts, my
heart is always torn. Besides, I did ask you. It's your fault for
not answering. My tummy thanks you."
"Is it in my debt?"
"In your debt?!"
The look on his face said that he wasn't entirely sure he liked the thought of being in anyone's debt, especially his XO's. Unfortunately, his stomach chose that moment to rumble contentedly.
Sam grinned. "I'll take what I can get. I need your help picking out a present for my niece."
"What?!"
She sighed. "I know it's a bizarre request. She may be my niece, but let's face it; I don't know her that well. And you've always had a knack for..."
"For finding the perfect gift?"
Sam nodded, relieved that he understood. "Remember that hat you got Teal'c last year?"
"Yeah. He said he's gonna wear it every time we go fishing."
She looked down quickly, trying to stifle a laugh at the thought of Teal'c in that silly hat. It was probably a good thing that it would be a while before Teal'c went fishing again.
"So, uh, will you go shopping with me?"
Shopping with Sam? That sounded like it could be interesting. Fun even. But also dangerous.
"I don't know..."
"Please? This is really important to me. Besides, you owe me."
He scoffed slightly.
"What, for dessert?!"
Jack was about to protest further when Sam give him that look. The one he could never say no to. The one that would always haunt him. He sighed weakly. After all, it was just a quick shopping expedition, what could happen?
"Fine. When do we leave?"
Half an hour later they pulled into the parking lot of the Gateway Mall. Jack, slightly embarrassed that he was actually going to a mall (something he felt that no man should ever have to do) looked around hastily to make sure he didn't spot anyone he knew. Sam snickered at his guarded behavior.
"This isn't a stakeout. It's not a standard recon mission. There is
no foreseeable danger, and no you won't die if anybody sees you."
He nodded absently, still checking the area.
"Yeah, right. Can we just get this over with?"
"Follow me."
Six stores later, they still hadn't found the 'perfect gift' and Jack was about ready to give up.
"Major, how long are we going to go on like this?"
"Until we find something. Besides we've only been at it an hour."
"Yeah well, we should have found something by now."
Sam sighed at his ignorance.
"Finding a present is a slow and delicate process that should not be rushed."
"We can always come back tomorrow..."
"The party is in three days."
"And tomorrow will still leave you two."
"I can't believe..."
"Excuse me."
They turned to look at the petite sales clerk who stood trembling before them. "Um, my manager says that if you're not going to buy something, you'll have to leave. You're disturbing the other customers. And if I may offer a word of advice? I couldn't help hearing your um, discussion and if you're looking for a gift I would suggest Cony's on the east side of the mall."
Sam smiled.
"Thanks for the suggestion; we'll check it out. I'm really sorry we were such a bother."
"Oh, it's ok. I didn't mind at all. In fact, it's the probably the
most interesting thing that's happened all week."
Jack cleared his throat.
"Yes well, I'm sure you need to get back to work, and we really do need to get going..."
"Yeah, you're probably right. Well you guys have a great day!!"
"You too."
With that Jack dragged Sam out of the store and quickly headed towards there new destination. She stared at him in wonder.
"What's your problem?"
"That girl was freaking me out."
"I thought she was sweet. You don't get out much do you?"
"Well...Sam..."
"What? What's wrong?"
His eyes were fixated on the food court, and at first she thought he was just acting silly and wanted to get something to eat. But then she saw his eyes grow wide with terror and he turned to answer her question.
"Is that...Is that who I think it is?"
He pointed to a man sitting at one of the tables. Sam stared, bewildered.
"It looks like it. But, how is that possible?"
"I don't know. But it is. Maybourne is back on earth..."
er
Jack sat in the mess munching happily on a piece of blueberry pie and a slice of angel food cake. Sam laughed lightly as he alternated bites between his two desserts. "If I'd known you were that incapable of making a decision I would have told you which dessert to get."
"Ah, but you should know by now that when it comes to desserts, my
heart is always torn. Besides, I did ask you. It's your fault for
not answering. My tummy thanks you."
"Is it in my debt?"
"In your debt?!"
The look on his face said that he wasn't entirely sure he liked the thought of being in anyone's debt, especially his XO's. Unfortunately, his stomach chose that moment to rumble contentedly.
Sam grinned. "I'll take what I can get. I need your help picking out a present for my niece."
"What?!"
She sighed. "I know it's a bizarre request. She may be my niece, but let's face it; I don't know her that well. And you've always had a knack for..."
"For finding the perfect gift?"
Sam nodded, relieved that he understood. "Remember that hat you got Teal'c last year?"
"Yeah. He said he's gonna wear it every time we go fishing."
She looked down quickly, trying to stifle a laugh at the thought of Teal'c in that silly hat. It was probably a good thing that it would be a while before Teal'c went fishing again.
"So, uh, will you go shopping with me?"
Shopping with Sam? That sounded like it could be interesting. Fun even. But also dangerous.
"I don't know..."
"Please? This is really important to me. Besides, you owe me."
He scoffed slightly.
"What, for dessert?!"
Jack was about to protest further when Sam give him that look. The one he could never say no to. The one that would always haunt him. He sighed weakly. After all, it was just a quick shopping expedition, what could happen?
"Fine. When do we leave?"
Half an hour later they pulled into the parking lot of the Gateway Mall. Jack, slightly embarrassed that he was actually going to a mall (something he felt that no man should ever have to do) looked around hastily to make sure he didn't spot anyone he knew. Sam snickered at his guarded behavior.
"This isn't a stakeout. It's not a standard recon mission. There is
no foreseeable danger, and no you won't die if anybody sees you."
He nodded absently, still checking the area.
"Yeah, right. Can we just get this over with?"
"Follow me."
Six stores later, they still hadn't found the 'perfect gift' and Jack was about ready to give up.
"Major, how long are we going to go on like this?"
"Until we find something. Besides we've only been at it an hour."
"Yeah well, we should have found something by now."
Sam sighed at his ignorance.
"Finding a present is a slow and delicate process that should not be rushed."
"We can always come back tomorrow..."
"The party is in three days."
"And tomorrow will still leave you two."
"I can't believe..."
"Excuse me."
They turned to look at the petite sales clerk who stood trembling before them. "Um, my manager says that if you're not going to buy something, you'll have to leave. You're disturbing the other customers. And if I may offer a word of advice? I couldn't help hearing your um, discussion and if you're looking for a gift I would suggest Cony's on the east side of the mall."
Sam smiled.
"Thanks for the suggestion; we'll check it out. I'm really sorry we were such a bother."
"Oh, it's ok. I didn't mind at all. In fact, it's the probably the
most interesting thing that's happened all week."
Jack cleared his throat.
"Yes well, I'm sure you need to get back to work, and we really do need to get going..."
"Yeah, you're probably right. Well you guys have a great day!!"
"You too."
With that Jack dragged Sam out of the store and quickly headed towards there new destination. She stared at him in wonder.
"What's your problem?"
"That girl was freaking me out."
"I thought she was sweet. You don't get out much do you?"
"Well...Sam..."
"What? What's wrong?"
His eyes were fixated on the food court, and at first she thought he was just acting silly and wanted to get something to eat. But then she saw his eyes grow wide with terror and he turned to answer her question.
"Is that...Is that who I think it is?"
He pointed to a man sitting at one of the tables. Sam stared, bewildered.
"It looks like it. But, how is that possible?"
"I don't know. But it is. Maybourne is back on earth..."
er