"Well, that was a lot crazier of a day than I expected," Daniel said as they pulled up to Jack's cabin much later.
It was early evening, and they'd spent most of the day – after their hike – in the ranger's station, talking to Hank, the state patrol officers and Kelli's mom, who was a delightful young woman who couldn't stop thanking them for all their help. She'd insisted on taking them to lunch, and rather than decline, Jack agreed, understanding that she needed a little more time with them, to make sure they understood what it was they'd done for her.
They'd understood completely, and had assured her repeatedly that they were glad to help, and no, they weren't angels, just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Jaffer had easily disproved the angel notion when he'd stolen Kelli's lunch right out of her hand when he thought no one had been looking.
"Yeah. But a good day," Jack said, shutting his door and gesturing for the dogs to jump out of the truck.
"Indeed." Teal'c had had a chance to spend time with the little kid, and he liked it, even though he'd never have admitted it to anyone.
"What are you going to do now, Jack?" Daniel asked as they walked in the door, nearly being run over by the dogs, who were eager to get in as well.
"Dishes."
He'd left them in the sink, and now it was time to do them, even though he really thought a nap on the dock sounded far more pleasant. Especially since the heat of the day had given way to a nice, cool evening.
"I'll help you," Sam offered, coming over and sliding her hand along the small of his back, smiling.
"We'll start the barbeque, then," Daniel said, gesturing to himself and Teal'c. "We need to use up those steaks, right?"
O'Neill nodded, wondering if Daniel was eager to use the steaks up because once they were gone, it would be time to go back to Colorado, or if he was just hungry. Really, it didn't matter. Jack figured every day they'd stayed after the first one was all bonus time. His team had been really good about putting up with being out in the woods away from their doohickeys.
"You do that."
Both dogs followed Teal'c and Daniel out the door, assuming that they had a better chance of mooching food off the guys that were going to be doing the cooking than they would the two people who were washing dishes.
Sam's hand had slid underneath the back of his shirt and she was now caressing bare skin, and Jack found it difficult to concentrate on running dishwater into the sink. Luckily, it didn't require a lot of help from him, and he could turn and pull Sam into his arms and steal a quick kiss. Which turned into a lengthy one.
"We could send them back out hiking," Jack suggested, slightly breathlessly, once they'd broken the kiss.
Carter laughed, and rested her cheek against his chest, feeling his heartbeat and listening to it at the same time.
"I think Daniel would throw us in the lake if we even suggested it."
"Probably."
He reached over and turned off the water, and hugged her close for another moment, before reluctantly releasing her. Ah well.
It took them a lot longer to do the dishes than it should have. There were countless interruptions; Jaffer and Jack coming in and asking for treats, Daniel and Teal'c coming in once the barbeque was fired up and asking if they were ready to start grilling, Jack and Jaffer returning for another treat, Daniel coming in looking for a bug killing candle, Teal'c coming in to gather the steaks from the fridge, Jaffer and Jack coming through, soaking wet from having jumped in the lake, Teal'c coming in looking for towels to dry himself off... it went on and on. But eventually the dishes were done, the barbeque was heated, the steaks were cooked, and they pulled out the leftover potato salad, garden salad, potato chips and other picnic foods, and settled down to eat off the newly cleaned dishes.
............
"So, we're going home tomorrow?" Sam asked, leaning back in her chair after she'd finished eating.
Jack shrugged, and handed Jaffer down the last piece of his steak, then wiped his hands. "If you guys are ready to, I suppose we can."
"Are we going to be able to catch a flight back to Cheyenne Mountain?" Daniel asked, trying not to look too enthusiastic about leaving.
"If not Cheyenne, we'll catch one to Fort Carson, Peterson, or Schriever. We can get home from any of them." Jack wasn't worried about getting a flight, and it showed. "If all else fails, we can just commandeer a plane and fly ourselves." That would, of course, be a last resort, and only if an emergency came up. But it was always an option if they were that desperate. Jack, of course, would never be that desperate.
He leaned back as well, his hand under the table and resting on Sam's thigh easily. She smiled over at him and put her hand over his. He could sit like this pretty much the rest of the night, and if given the chance, he would have.
It was early evening, and they'd spent most of the day – after their hike – in the ranger's station, talking to Hank, the state patrol officers and Kelli's mom, who was a delightful young woman who couldn't stop thanking them for all their help. She'd insisted on taking them to lunch, and rather than decline, Jack agreed, understanding that she needed a little more time with them, to make sure they understood what it was they'd done for her.
They'd understood completely, and had assured her repeatedly that they were glad to help, and no, they weren't angels, just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Jaffer had easily disproved the angel notion when he'd stolen Kelli's lunch right out of her hand when he thought no one had been looking.
"Yeah. But a good day," Jack said, shutting his door and gesturing for the dogs to jump out of the truck.
"Indeed." Teal'c had had a chance to spend time with the little kid, and he liked it, even though he'd never have admitted it to anyone.
"What are you going to do now, Jack?" Daniel asked as they walked in the door, nearly being run over by the dogs, who were eager to get in as well.
"Dishes."
He'd left them in the sink, and now it was time to do them, even though he really thought a nap on the dock sounded far more pleasant. Especially since the heat of the day had given way to a nice, cool evening.
"I'll help you," Sam offered, coming over and sliding her hand along the small of his back, smiling.
"We'll start the barbeque, then," Daniel said, gesturing to himself and Teal'c. "We need to use up those steaks, right?"
O'Neill nodded, wondering if Daniel was eager to use the steaks up because once they were gone, it would be time to go back to Colorado, or if he was just hungry. Really, it didn't matter. Jack figured every day they'd stayed after the first one was all bonus time. His team had been really good about putting up with being out in the woods away from their doohickeys.
"You do that."
Both dogs followed Teal'c and Daniel out the door, assuming that they had a better chance of mooching food off the guys that were going to be doing the cooking than they would the two people who were washing dishes.
Sam's hand had slid underneath the back of his shirt and she was now caressing bare skin, and Jack found it difficult to concentrate on running dishwater into the sink. Luckily, it didn't require a lot of help from him, and he could turn and pull Sam into his arms and steal a quick kiss. Which turned into a lengthy one.
"We could send them back out hiking," Jack suggested, slightly breathlessly, once they'd broken the kiss.
Carter laughed, and rested her cheek against his chest, feeling his heartbeat and listening to it at the same time.
"I think Daniel would throw us in the lake if we even suggested it."
"Probably."
He reached over and turned off the water, and hugged her close for another moment, before reluctantly releasing her. Ah well.
It took them a lot longer to do the dishes than it should have. There were countless interruptions; Jaffer and Jack coming in and asking for treats, Daniel and Teal'c coming in once the barbeque was fired up and asking if they were ready to start grilling, Jack and Jaffer returning for another treat, Daniel coming in looking for a bug killing candle, Teal'c coming in to gather the steaks from the fridge, Jaffer and Jack coming through, soaking wet from having jumped in the lake, Teal'c coming in looking for towels to dry himself off... it went on and on. But eventually the dishes were done, the barbeque was heated, the steaks were cooked, and they pulled out the leftover potato salad, garden salad, potato chips and other picnic foods, and settled down to eat off the newly cleaned dishes.
............
"So, we're going home tomorrow?" Sam asked, leaning back in her chair after she'd finished eating.
Jack shrugged, and handed Jaffer down the last piece of his steak, then wiped his hands. "If you guys are ready to, I suppose we can."
"Are we going to be able to catch a flight back to Cheyenne Mountain?" Daniel asked, trying not to look too enthusiastic about leaving.
"If not Cheyenne, we'll catch one to Fort Carson, Peterson, or Schriever. We can get home from any of them." Jack wasn't worried about getting a flight, and it showed. "If all else fails, we can just commandeer a plane and fly ourselves." That would, of course, be a last resort, and only if an emergency came up. But it was always an option if they were that desperate. Jack, of course, would never be that desperate.
He leaned back as well, his hand under the table and resting on Sam's thigh easily. She smiled over at him and put her hand over his. He could sit like this pretty much the rest of the night, and if given the chance, he would have.