Author's Note: Yup, Sally has two degrees (which I actually mentioned in the first Campers! story. I just had to go back and reread it so I knew what the degrees were in)
Epilogue
"Guys! Dinner's ready."
Jack and Daniel looked over at the sound of Sally's voice coming from her kitchen. They were both dressed once again in slacks, button down shirts and ties, but this time they weren't the ones doing the cooking. Sam and Sally had decided they'd celebrate Daniel's release from the infirmary with a nice relaxing dinner at Sally's house, and had proceeded to make the plans. It had escalated, though, and soon it wasn't such a relaxing dinner, it was a more formal affair, with the women wearing dresses and the guys told to 'dress nice' when they were given the final time and location of the meal.
No biggie. Even Jack didn't mind dressing up occasionally, especially for Sam. He was wearing dark slacks this time and a white shirt, and Daniel was wearing khaki slacks and a white shirt, and both had been in the living room, watching Jaffer pin Binky down on the couch so he could do some serious cleaning. By the time Sally called them, Binky's fuzzy black hide was slobbered thoroughly and was plastered to her sides, making her look like a little rat with huge pointed ears.
"That kitten is going to need therapy," Daniel complained as they stood up and Jack rescued her from Jaffer.
"Yeah, like she wasn't going to the minute Sally named her 'Binky'?"
"Actually, Jack," Daniel said, reaching over and taking the kitten from him. "I named her Binky."
"It's a great name, Daniel..." Jack rolled his eyes, and no one would have believed him. Not with the sarcasm oozing like it was.
"What's wrong with it?"
"Binky?" That said it all. Jack grinned and shook his head, and like any good commander, led the way into the kitchen.
Sally's house didn't have a dining room. It had a big nook, though, and that nook held a fairly large oak table that was set for their dinner. Her and Sam had placed a white tablecloth over the fine wood to protect it, and then had set the table with Sally's best china – which was real china and not just matching plates like Jack had at his house. It looked great, which only accentuated the fact that the kitchen smelled delicious.
Sam smiled when Jack walked in and slid an arm around his waist, careful not to rub the half-healed burn on the small of his back, and Jack leaned over and kissed the top of her head gently.
"Smells good," he whispered, watching as Daniel hugged Sally and she led him over to the table.
"Come eat, you guys," Sally told Sam and Jack, gesturing for Jack to sit down in the chair next to the wall, and smiling fondly at him while she watched Sam settle next to him. Sally had a special love for Jack that she wouldn't admit to him – even under torture. Jack was the one who'd come to her when Daniel was hurt, after all. Of course, Sam would have, if she hadn't been hurt, too, but it'd been Jack. Jack was the one that spent the day with her, trying to explain what she knew now he didn't really understand all that well – although she suspected he understood more than he let on. She also knew now just how busy he really was, and for him to have spent so much time with her that day was just another reason Sally loved him. Not the same way she loved Daniel, of course. But there wasn't another word she could think of to describe it.
Add to that the fact that she was pretty sure he was the one who'd decided to let her in on the secret of the SGC – which had managed to keep her from going crazy and killing Daniel, and Sally figured she owed Jack a lot. And dinner would be a small way to start repaying that debt, whether he knew she was repaying it or not.
"Smells great," Daniel said, sitting down and looking at the food that was spread out in front of him. Roast beef, potatoes, corn, hot rolls and all the trimmings. His mouth was watering.
"You two have outdone yourselves," Jack agreed, reaching under the table to put his hand on Sam's thigh. Not to make a move on her, he just wanted to touch her. Sam smiled, and rested her hand over his.
"Thanks. As long as we're not interrupted..."
Jack shrugged, watching as Sally made a plate for Jaffer so he wouldn't feel left out. "There's no one off-world, so we should be okay. Don't give him any corn, Sally, he won't eat it."
"I thought he ate anything?"
"He will. Except corn."
Well, of course that was like a gauntlet being thrown. Sally had to find out for herself that Jaffer wouldn't eat corn. She couldn't believe it. How would he know the difference if she covered the corn in gravy? Jack smiled and shook his head as he watched her put some corn on the plate anyways, and then cover it with potatoes and gravy, then mix that up with some slices of beef.
"He won't eat the corn."
"He'll eat it for me, won't you, Jaffer?"
Jaffer wagged his tail, looking at the plate as Sally sat it down on the floor. He'd eat for Sally, sure! He'd eat for anyone. He started eating, contentedly, and then realized somewhere in that doggie genius mind of his that, hey! She put that one stuff he didn't like under the potatoes! The potatoes were good, though. And the gravy was good! And the meat... yummy. But Jaffer wasn't going to eat that other stuff. As Jack watched in amusement, and Sally watched in amazement, Jaffer picked his way through all the corn, leaving it on the plate while still managing to clean the potatoes and gravy.
"I told you."
"That's crazy."
"He won't eat it. I don't know why."
"Not even for you?"
"Not even for Sam. And Jaffer will do anything for Sam."
She shook her head, and sat down next to Daniel, still smiling. Eccentric dog. He fit in perfect at the SGC, as far as Sally was concerned. She was still learning about the place – and hadn't actually decided whether or not to take the position that General Hammond had offered her – but she had to admit that she liked the people that Daniel worked with, and not just the ones that were on SG-1.
She just wasn't all that sure she wanted to know when Daniel was going off- world all the time. It was going to make her worry about him until he returned – although she'd already heard from some of the others that Colonel O'Neill never left anyone behind. If Daniel went through the Gate, Sally knew Jack would make sure he returned. Or die trying. Which was as frightening as it was comforting. She'd already been told that she wasn't going to be put on any teams, and undoubtedly wouldn't be going through the gate for any reason – which was fine, since she wasn't sure she really wanted to – if she worked at the SGC, it would most likely be with theoretical numbers, and probabilities, working out problems brought up by some of the alien technology that the SG teams brought home with them.
It would be a challenge, but one that Sally thought she could enjoy. Like the challenge of dating someone like Daniel, who was so wrapped in his work that he sometimes forgot to eat, and lost a lot of sleep. She smiled and reached under the table and took his hand, watching as Jack started dishing Sam a plate. Daniel squeezed her hand, gently, and she turned to him, falling into his blue eyes contentedly.
Challenges were what made life worth living.
The End
................
Author's note: Yes, Jack doesn't get a kitten. No, I didn't do the scene with Daniel and Sally, mainly because I gave it a lot of thought, and just didn't like the way it was going together in my head, so I knew I couldn't get it written out without making it sound forced and that would never do! I hate it when my writing is forced. Which means everyone will have to use their imaginations to figure out what Daniel and Sally discussed that day in the infirmary. Anyways! I hope you liked the story. I enjoyed writing it (and I put it up as fast as I could, since my vacation ends today, and I didn't want anyone to have to wait any longer than necessary. (Besides, I was being nagged!) hehe. Tell me what you liked and what you didn't. Favorite line if there is one.
Epilogue
"Guys! Dinner's ready."
Jack and Daniel looked over at the sound of Sally's voice coming from her kitchen. They were both dressed once again in slacks, button down shirts and ties, but this time they weren't the ones doing the cooking. Sam and Sally had decided they'd celebrate Daniel's release from the infirmary with a nice relaxing dinner at Sally's house, and had proceeded to make the plans. It had escalated, though, and soon it wasn't such a relaxing dinner, it was a more formal affair, with the women wearing dresses and the guys told to 'dress nice' when they were given the final time and location of the meal.
No biggie. Even Jack didn't mind dressing up occasionally, especially for Sam. He was wearing dark slacks this time and a white shirt, and Daniel was wearing khaki slacks and a white shirt, and both had been in the living room, watching Jaffer pin Binky down on the couch so he could do some serious cleaning. By the time Sally called them, Binky's fuzzy black hide was slobbered thoroughly and was plastered to her sides, making her look like a little rat with huge pointed ears.
"That kitten is going to need therapy," Daniel complained as they stood up and Jack rescued her from Jaffer.
"Yeah, like she wasn't going to the minute Sally named her 'Binky'?"
"Actually, Jack," Daniel said, reaching over and taking the kitten from him. "I named her Binky."
"It's a great name, Daniel..." Jack rolled his eyes, and no one would have believed him. Not with the sarcasm oozing like it was.
"What's wrong with it?"
"Binky?" That said it all. Jack grinned and shook his head, and like any good commander, led the way into the kitchen.
Sally's house didn't have a dining room. It had a big nook, though, and that nook held a fairly large oak table that was set for their dinner. Her and Sam had placed a white tablecloth over the fine wood to protect it, and then had set the table with Sally's best china – which was real china and not just matching plates like Jack had at his house. It looked great, which only accentuated the fact that the kitchen smelled delicious.
Sam smiled when Jack walked in and slid an arm around his waist, careful not to rub the half-healed burn on the small of his back, and Jack leaned over and kissed the top of her head gently.
"Smells good," he whispered, watching as Daniel hugged Sally and she led him over to the table.
"Come eat, you guys," Sally told Sam and Jack, gesturing for Jack to sit down in the chair next to the wall, and smiling fondly at him while she watched Sam settle next to him. Sally had a special love for Jack that she wouldn't admit to him – even under torture. Jack was the one who'd come to her when Daniel was hurt, after all. Of course, Sam would have, if she hadn't been hurt, too, but it'd been Jack. Jack was the one that spent the day with her, trying to explain what she knew now he didn't really understand all that well – although she suspected he understood more than he let on. She also knew now just how busy he really was, and for him to have spent so much time with her that day was just another reason Sally loved him. Not the same way she loved Daniel, of course. But there wasn't another word she could think of to describe it.
Add to that the fact that she was pretty sure he was the one who'd decided to let her in on the secret of the SGC – which had managed to keep her from going crazy and killing Daniel, and Sally figured she owed Jack a lot. And dinner would be a small way to start repaying that debt, whether he knew she was repaying it or not.
"Smells great," Daniel said, sitting down and looking at the food that was spread out in front of him. Roast beef, potatoes, corn, hot rolls and all the trimmings. His mouth was watering.
"You two have outdone yourselves," Jack agreed, reaching under the table to put his hand on Sam's thigh. Not to make a move on her, he just wanted to touch her. Sam smiled, and rested her hand over his.
"Thanks. As long as we're not interrupted..."
Jack shrugged, watching as Sally made a plate for Jaffer so he wouldn't feel left out. "There's no one off-world, so we should be okay. Don't give him any corn, Sally, he won't eat it."
"I thought he ate anything?"
"He will. Except corn."
Well, of course that was like a gauntlet being thrown. Sally had to find out for herself that Jaffer wouldn't eat corn. She couldn't believe it. How would he know the difference if she covered the corn in gravy? Jack smiled and shook his head as he watched her put some corn on the plate anyways, and then cover it with potatoes and gravy, then mix that up with some slices of beef.
"He won't eat the corn."
"He'll eat it for me, won't you, Jaffer?"
Jaffer wagged his tail, looking at the plate as Sally sat it down on the floor. He'd eat for Sally, sure! He'd eat for anyone. He started eating, contentedly, and then realized somewhere in that doggie genius mind of his that, hey! She put that one stuff he didn't like under the potatoes! The potatoes were good, though. And the gravy was good! And the meat... yummy. But Jaffer wasn't going to eat that other stuff. As Jack watched in amusement, and Sally watched in amazement, Jaffer picked his way through all the corn, leaving it on the plate while still managing to clean the potatoes and gravy.
"I told you."
"That's crazy."
"He won't eat it. I don't know why."
"Not even for you?"
"Not even for Sam. And Jaffer will do anything for Sam."
She shook her head, and sat down next to Daniel, still smiling. Eccentric dog. He fit in perfect at the SGC, as far as Sally was concerned. She was still learning about the place – and hadn't actually decided whether or not to take the position that General Hammond had offered her – but she had to admit that she liked the people that Daniel worked with, and not just the ones that were on SG-1.
She just wasn't all that sure she wanted to know when Daniel was going off- world all the time. It was going to make her worry about him until he returned – although she'd already heard from some of the others that Colonel O'Neill never left anyone behind. If Daniel went through the Gate, Sally knew Jack would make sure he returned. Or die trying. Which was as frightening as it was comforting. She'd already been told that she wasn't going to be put on any teams, and undoubtedly wouldn't be going through the gate for any reason – which was fine, since she wasn't sure she really wanted to – if she worked at the SGC, it would most likely be with theoretical numbers, and probabilities, working out problems brought up by some of the alien technology that the SG teams brought home with them.
It would be a challenge, but one that Sally thought she could enjoy. Like the challenge of dating someone like Daniel, who was so wrapped in his work that he sometimes forgot to eat, and lost a lot of sleep. She smiled and reached under the table and took his hand, watching as Jack started dishing Sam a plate. Daniel squeezed her hand, gently, and she turned to him, falling into his blue eyes contentedly.
Challenges were what made life worth living.
The End
................
Author's note: Yes, Jack doesn't get a kitten. No, I didn't do the scene with Daniel and Sally, mainly because I gave it a lot of thought, and just didn't like the way it was going together in my head, so I knew I couldn't get it written out without making it sound forced and that would never do! I hate it when my writing is forced. Which means everyone will have to use their imaginations to figure out what Daniel and Sally discussed that day in the infirmary. Anyways! I hope you liked the story. I enjoyed writing it (and I put it up as fast as I could, since my vacation ends today, and I didn't want anyone to have to wait any longer than necessary. (Besides, I was being nagged!) hehe. Tell me what you liked and what you didn't. Favorite line if there is one.