They stayed on the dock for quite a while that afternoon. The day was nice, and even Daniel and Sam – overachievers whether they admitted it or not – had to admit it was too nice out to stay inside and work on their laptops.
Instead, they threw sticks for the dogs to chase, both in the water and on land, and spent time with the group. They didn't talk about work. They didn't talk about missions, or their allies, or even any alien except for those aliens they just happened to have family ties with. They talked about little things; instead of how to save the world yet again, and even discussed – of all things – the weather. This was when they were deciding if it was too hot to eat out, or if they should eat inside that evening.
They teased Daniel about his love life, teased Jack and Sam about their love life, and teased Teal'c about his lack of a love life. No feelings were hurt, nothing more intimidating than a scowl was expressed – and even the scowls were more a habit than anything – and by the time night was beginning to fall, Daniel, Teal'c and Sam had become as relaxed as Jack was. Which had been his intentions all along. Somewhere along towards evening, he'd leaned back in his lounge chair, a slightly triumphant smile on his face and watched as Teal'c and Sam tossed Daniel into the water in retaliation for some comment the archeologist had made.
Then Jack's smile grew when Jack and Jaffer jumped in after the younger man, fully intent on saving him before he could drown. Both dogs grabbed Daniel's shirt, hampering his swimming just a little, although they actually did start to pull him towards the shore before Teal'c and Jack called them off so he could swim freely.
Jack stood up and pulled Daniel up onto the dock as the labs went to the shore then came around to run onto the dock and whuffle Daniel to make sure he'd taken no harm.
"Who's hungry?" Jack asked, ignoring Daniel's cries for help as he was buried – literally – in a dog pile.
"I am."
"Me, too," Sam agreed, grinning as Daniel tried to push Jaffer away, only to have him bounce right back on him. Wrestling was good for Daniel, as far as Sam was concerned.
He'd known they were going to barbeque at least once during their trip to the cabin, so Jack had made sure to buy plenty of meat. Not only because they were big eaters when given the opportunity, but also because there were two large labs to feed as well, and Jack would never have had a burger without making at least one for Jaffer and Jack as well. While Daniel was still trying to free himself of the dogs, and Sam was still giggling about it, Jack went into the small shed next to the cabin and pulled out the barbeque and charcoal and other things needed for an outside cookout.
Teal'c walked over and watched.
"Do you require assistance, O'Neill?"
"Nah. Not unless you want to cook?"
"I will."
"Then I'll let you." Jack didn't mind relegating some of the cooking chores, and he'd done it enough that he knew Teal'c was at least as good at it as he, himself, was, so it wasn't going to ruin their dinner, that was for sure. "You and Sam cook the meat, Daniel and I'll make the rest of it."
"We will?"
Jack and Jaffer had decided that Daniel as a chew toy just wasn't quite as interesting as coming over to see what Teal'c and Jack were up to, so they'd allowed the archeologist a chance to regain his feet, and Daniel and Sam had migrated over to see what was going on, too.
"Why not?" Jack shrugged. "You and I can make potato salad, and deviled eggs and all that good stuff. Besides, it'll give you a chance to get dried off."
Daniel echoed Jack's shrug. He didn't really care what he did, and he found that he was actually looking forward to spending time in the kitchen with Jack. What a scary thought! This whole fresh air thing was beginning to get to him, apparently.
"Sounds like a plan," Sam agreed, slapping Teal'c's shoulder, companionably. "We'll have burgers and hot dogs, and save the steak for another time."
"Agreed."
In a very rare show of affection, Teal'c put his arm around Sam's waist and looked over at Jack with a smirk.
Jack snorted, and rested his arm on Daniel's shoulder. "We'll have our potato salad done before you have the hotdogs and burgers done."
"I doubt it," Sam said, a gleam of a challenge in her eyes.
"Oh, there's no doubt Sam," Daniel said, throwing down the gauntlet. "It takes far less time to boil potatoes than it does to get charcoal ready. Everyone knows that."
"Fine. We'll make a contest of it. Losers do dishes."
There were nods all around, and Daniel and Jack disappeared into the cabin, while Sam and Teal'c started piling charcoal into the grill.
.................
"You cheated."
"No, we didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No, we didn't.
"You did, O'Neill."
"How did we cheat?"
"You sent Jaffer out to pester us."
"Hey, is it my fault he finds meat more interesting than potatoes?"
"It is when you tell him to steal the lighter fluid."
"Hey, I didn't tell him to. He just did it. And remember, I brought it back. I could have kept it. That would have been cheating."
Teal'c and Sam didn't look convinced, but Daniel was nodding his agreement as Jack finished off yet another hotdog.
The food was good. Even with Jack and Jaffer helping them eat, there was more than enough of everything that all four people were stuffed to the gills before they pushed their plates back, and Jack leaned back in his chair, his brown eyes gloating.
"Just remember, Sam. There are no losers. There are just those who don't win."
Instead, they threw sticks for the dogs to chase, both in the water and on land, and spent time with the group. They didn't talk about work. They didn't talk about missions, or their allies, or even any alien except for those aliens they just happened to have family ties with. They talked about little things; instead of how to save the world yet again, and even discussed – of all things – the weather. This was when they were deciding if it was too hot to eat out, or if they should eat inside that evening.
They teased Daniel about his love life, teased Jack and Sam about their love life, and teased Teal'c about his lack of a love life. No feelings were hurt, nothing more intimidating than a scowl was expressed – and even the scowls were more a habit than anything – and by the time night was beginning to fall, Daniel, Teal'c and Sam had become as relaxed as Jack was. Which had been his intentions all along. Somewhere along towards evening, he'd leaned back in his lounge chair, a slightly triumphant smile on his face and watched as Teal'c and Sam tossed Daniel into the water in retaliation for some comment the archeologist had made.
Then Jack's smile grew when Jack and Jaffer jumped in after the younger man, fully intent on saving him before he could drown. Both dogs grabbed Daniel's shirt, hampering his swimming just a little, although they actually did start to pull him towards the shore before Teal'c and Jack called them off so he could swim freely.
Jack stood up and pulled Daniel up onto the dock as the labs went to the shore then came around to run onto the dock and whuffle Daniel to make sure he'd taken no harm.
"Who's hungry?" Jack asked, ignoring Daniel's cries for help as he was buried – literally – in a dog pile.
"I am."
"Me, too," Sam agreed, grinning as Daniel tried to push Jaffer away, only to have him bounce right back on him. Wrestling was good for Daniel, as far as Sam was concerned.
He'd known they were going to barbeque at least once during their trip to the cabin, so Jack had made sure to buy plenty of meat. Not only because they were big eaters when given the opportunity, but also because there were two large labs to feed as well, and Jack would never have had a burger without making at least one for Jaffer and Jack as well. While Daniel was still trying to free himself of the dogs, and Sam was still giggling about it, Jack went into the small shed next to the cabin and pulled out the barbeque and charcoal and other things needed for an outside cookout.
Teal'c walked over and watched.
"Do you require assistance, O'Neill?"
"Nah. Not unless you want to cook?"
"I will."
"Then I'll let you." Jack didn't mind relegating some of the cooking chores, and he'd done it enough that he knew Teal'c was at least as good at it as he, himself, was, so it wasn't going to ruin their dinner, that was for sure. "You and Sam cook the meat, Daniel and I'll make the rest of it."
"We will?"
Jack and Jaffer had decided that Daniel as a chew toy just wasn't quite as interesting as coming over to see what Teal'c and Jack were up to, so they'd allowed the archeologist a chance to regain his feet, and Daniel and Sam had migrated over to see what was going on, too.
"Why not?" Jack shrugged. "You and I can make potato salad, and deviled eggs and all that good stuff. Besides, it'll give you a chance to get dried off."
Daniel echoed Jack's shrug. He didn't really care what he did, and he found that he was actually looking forward to spending time in the kitchen with Jack. What a scary thought! This whole fresh air thing was beginning to get to him, apparently.
"Sounds like a plan," Sam agreed, slapping Teal'c's shoulder, companionably. "We'll have burgers and hot dogs, and save the steak for another time."
"Agreed."
In a very rare show of affection, Teal'c put his arm around Sam's waist and looked over at Jack with a smirk.
Jack snorted, and rested his arm on Daniel's shoulder. "We'll have our potato salad done before you have the hotdogs and burgers done."
"I doubt it," Sam said, a gleam of a challenge in her eyes.
"Oh, there's no doubt Sam," Daniel said, throwing down the gauntlet. "It takes far less time to boil potatoes than it does to get charcoal ready. Everyone knows that."
"Fine. We'll make a contest of it. Losers do dishes."
There were nods all around, and Daniel and Jack disappeared into the cabin, while Sam and Teal'c started piling charcoal into the grill.
.................
"You cheated."
"No, we didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No, we didn't.
"You did, O'Neill."
"How did we cheat?"
"You sent Jaffer out to pester us."
"Hey, is it my fault he finds meat more interesting than potatoes?"
"It is when you tell him to steal the lighter fluid."
"Hey, I didn't tell him to. He just did it. And remember, I brought it back. I could have kept it. That would have been cheating."
Teal'c and Sam didn't look convinced, but Daniel was nodding his agreement as Jack finished off yet another hotdog.
The food was good. Even with Jack and Jaffer helping them eat, there was more than enough of everything that all four people were stuffed to the gills before they pushed their plates back, and Jack leaned back in his chair, his brown eyes gloating.
"Just remember, Sam. There are no losers. There are just those who don't win."