ROUGHING IT
By Lea O'Neill
Rating: R
Category: Drama/Action/ Adventure/ Romance
Pairing: Jack/Other
Season: any
Spoilers: none
Summary: Jack and Nicki are stranded off world. Third in the Jack/Nicole series
Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement intended. The original characters, situations and story are property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without author consent.
ROUGHING IT
The team moved through the sweltering heat of the jungle. The smells were overpowering, decaying foliage, stagnant water, and foreign animal excrement. The sky was not visible through the high canopy of trees. The air, almost 100 percent humidity, was heavy and hard to breath in.
Carrying a heavy pack, ammo and P-90's made it all the more difficult to maneuver in the uncomfortable conditions.
Team Leader Major Brad Hart motioned for his team to drop low. The trained soldiers reacted to his subtle indication and dropped to a crouch.
Major Nicole Walker was amongst his team, her third off world venture with SG-9. She was comfortable with Hart's leadership and familiar with his gestures and commands.
They were on P7A-427. And they were on high alert. The MALP that had been on the planet for routine scanning had come across something very unusual. The pictures sent back from the device startled and astonished General Hammond. There, in the middle of what was supposed to be a jungle-like atmosphere, sat the White House.
From the MALP's advanced tracking system, the 'building' was an exact scale duplicate of the Washington DC monument where the President of The United States resided. Smaller outbuildings, more like what would be expected in the dense terrain, surrounded the 'Capitol'.
But the MALP, only a half-mile away from the Gate, had detected no life forms in this strange village with the football field sized clearing that housed the great white building.
SG-6 had been sent to investigate. Since Major Nicole Walker was the Pentagon's designated instructor on the new Homeland Security Program, she was asked to go with the team to check out this 'White House'.
There was much speculation as to why this particular building might be located on a distant planet in a dense jungle, most of which originated back to the Ga'ould. But some speculation too led the SGC to believe rogue NID agents too might be responsible for this.
Nicole quietly made her way beside Major Hart. She looked through the dense brush and though the pictures had given her an idea what she would see, she was unprepared for the unholy awe seeing the White House in the middle of the jungle caused her.
"Holy shit," Hart murmured.
Nicole agreed.
"So what's your take?" Hart asked Nicole in hushed tones.
"Well, if it were some kind of plot, to either assassinate the President or too destroy the White house, from this angle, with the dummy here, someone could do a lot of practicing on what they needed to do. When the President's at his desk in the Oval office, he sits with his back to that window." She pointed the window out to Hart. "With some of the high technology available out here, it'd be nothing to get a weapon that could penetrate the bulletproof glass."
Hart nodded. "Makes sense. I guess if you wanted to blow up the place, you'd just get blueprints, research weak structural points, study security. With someone going to this much detail, it's something they'd want to practice as many times as it took."
Nicole had to agree.
"We'd better inform General Hammond."
It was obvious that no matter what the purpose of the mock up, it had to be destroyed. After the team made a thorough search of the area, and found nothing on the premises, Hart's Captain, a demolitions expert, began setting up the charges that would level the clapboard building and it's life-sized façade.
"Completed sir. We have forty five minutes on the timer before 75 pounds of C-4 turns this place into a pile of toothpicks."
And it would all have worked out beautifully. Until the Jaffa warriors came through the gate, and then the gate itself started making sparks that rivaled America's Fourth of July fireworks.
SG-1 traveled through the wormhole to P7A-427 after no word from SG-9 and many attempts to contact them. Jack had more apprehension knowing Nicki was with them. But that did not keep him from focusing. SG-9 last radio contact informed the general about the mock up of the White House, Nicole Walker's theory on why it was there, and Hart's plan to destroy it.
"If the true reason the Ga'ould have built this monument based on plans given to them by the NID, is for the purpose of assassinating the President, why hasn't it already been done?" Teal'c asked. This was the foremost question after intel from SG-9 proved to be leading in that direction.
Never mind the fact that once someone was trained, they would have to get to Earth.
No one had an answer for the question yet.
SG-9 was supposed to report back after they'd completed setting explosives to destroy the jungle camp, but had not. Hammond had tried radio contact several times. He'd had no luck.
So he sent the next available team after them. Which happened to be SG-1, just back from their own mission.
Almost as soon as Sg-1 disembarked on 427, they knew there was a problem. Jaffa warriors were advancing on the SG team, but were successfully getting put back as well, by powerful gunfire from the team.
Jack O'Neill motioned for his team to fan out, and help team 9 regain their footing.
Jaffa were surprised by the reinforcements, but in no time were fighting with the newcomers as well.
Jack and Teal'c managed to skirt around the party, advising Major Hart by radio they were coming in from the rear.
Hart's team was still intact, fanned out on the jungle floor, holding their position. Jack glanced around until he spotted Nicole, holding her own with her P-90.
"Major, looks like you guys stirred up a bit of trouble," O'Neill said, getting down next to the Major.
"Yeah, guess they didn't like it when we blew up their masterpiece," the younger soldier said flatly. "So can we get outta here now?"
"Carter thinks the gate is malfunctioning with its 'connection' here. She says we need to move fast."
"That, we can do," Hart surmised.
"We have to shut the Gate down, sir," Sergeant Davis was advising General Hammond.
"How much longer can we wait?" the General wanted to know. He
couldn't leave his people stranded out there.
"Not long sir. The electronic impulses could case a complete failure if we don't shut down immediately."
And then Carter and Daniel ran though.
"Thank God! Major, where's the rest of the teams?"
"Coming sir!" she yelled, running for the comp center.
Davis apprised her of the situation. The yellow-red flashing sparks continued inside the ring.
"He's right sir. There's a serious influx of electro magnetic impulse. We've got to shut it down until it can be repaired," Carter surmised, looking at the readings on the computer screens.
Teal'c and Major Hart, followed by his three crew members now came through the gate.
There was a small implosion inside the wormhole and more red and yellow sparks.
"We have to shut down now, or risk losing the whole thing!" Carter cried.
"Do it," the General gave the order and Davis closed the wormhole and
shut the iris.
Carter worked frantically on the computers, looking for the problem.
Teal'c and Hart advanced to the General.
"Sir, Colonel O'Neill and Major Walker are still on 427," Major Hart pointed out.
"I'm aware of that Major. If we hadn't shut the gate down, it might have become impossible to get them back. Major Carter, how long are the repairs going to take?"
"I'm not sure sir," Carter said. "These readings don't make sense. It's like the gate was trying to self-destruct. I can't make anything of this."
"Well try Major."
"Yes sir." Carter knew as well as everyone else what depended on her getting the gate back in working order.
O'Neill and Walker had seen the gate close from their hidden position in the foliage. There had been no way to get to it without a fight, and right now the two SG operatives were way outnumbered by weapon toting Jaffa.
"I guess we're on our own for now," Jack said in a low tone. "Let's get out of here."
They crept backward through the underbrush until they were far out of the line of sight of the Jaffa, patrolling the area around the gate.
When Jack felt it was safe, he raised up off the jungle floor. Nicole followed suit.
"Well, what's the plan now?" she asked, still keeping her voice low.
"We're gonna have to keep on the move. If what I think happened, we're gonna be here until Carter gets the Gate back online."
"That's why it closed? Is there some kind of short or something?"
"Basically, I guess. So we're just going to have to stick around here close enough, but not too close, until she gets it going again."
Nicole had spent enough time in jungles to know she didn't relish spending any more.
"Great," she said with a sigh.
"Lets get moving. We'll put some distance between us an the Jaffa patrol."
After an hour of fast travels though the dense foliage, both Jack and Nicki were sweating and tired. Jack's knee was throbbing and Nicki's back was wrenching. Jack finally stopped moving.
"Well, we ought to be alright for awhile." He took a careful seat under a tall banana tree, or something that resembled one. Nicki too glanced around her before sitting on the jungle floor. They were scanning the terrain for snakes or other creatures that they might not want to encounter.
Jack took out his canteen and took a long drink. Nicki did the same.
"Damn, I'm too old for this shit," he said, using the time honored line after quenching his thirst.
"You an me both buddy," Nicki agreed. "I'm kinda spoiled to an office lately."
Jack grinned. "Yeah, but your field training was fun," he reminded her of recent re-certification with the NORAD/SGC program.
She rolled her eyes. "Three days of mud, rain and crawling around mines was not my idea of fun."
Jack just remembered the 'good parts' apparently, like getting to watch Nicki and Janet Fraiser basically mud wrestle during hand-to-hand combat re-certification. And Nicki consistently amazed him. She could go from a skirt to fatigues; no non sense full dress uniform to combat cammies; pretty French manicured nails to crawling in muck; batting her eyelashes for the press and the Pentagon hot shots to soldier and remain the same woman he was rapidly falling in love with.
Jack took stock of their supplies. "Looks like we've got enough water and food for today and maybe half of tomorrow. If we can't get back by then, we're gonna have to rough it."
Nicki sighed. She had hoped her days of 'roughing it' were long over.
"This is as good a spot as any to make camp," Jack said. He knew they only had about an hour until dark.
He and Nicki used some vines and brush to build a small covering, under, which they could sleep. Shaped like and upside down U, the enclosure was just big enough for two people to squeeze inside and still remain concealed from anyone passing by.
A quick meal of MRE's consisting of some sort of pasta and the weary soldiers were ready to call it a night.
"Should we keep a watch?" Nicki wanted to know. "We could take turns."
Jack shook his head. "Nah. I'm a light sleeper. Especially out here."
He let Nicki crawl into the shelter, and then followed her inside.
They were comfortably pressed together.
"You know, if there weren't angry dudes with big sticks looking to kill us, this wouldn't be half bad," Jack said, as Nicki rearranged her position, folding one of her legs over his.
Nicki had to smile.
Jack made himself as comfortable as possible as well, his hand coming to rest on her breast. "Whoops," he said, having no intention of removing it."
"Yeah, right O'Neill," she retorted.
"Hey, gotta keep our morale up."
That wasn't all that was coming up, Nicki noticed as she felt him pressing against her leg.
"I'm warning you Jack," she cautioned.
"I know, I know," he sighed. "Hell, I'm not even supposed to be off world with you. I'll probably be court marshaled or something."
Nicki knew that was a condition of their involvement back at SGC/NORAD, was that she could not be under O'Neill's command.
"Well, it's not your fault the gate went haywire. If Major Hart had been able to get contact with General Hammond, he wouldn't have sent SG-1 looking for us. You guys wouldn't have come through the gate when you did, alerting the Jaffa to our presence, they'd have gone away, we'd have come back through the gate, after blowing up the mock White House and all would be right with the world."
"Oh, so you're blaming me?" Jack somehow translated.
"Well, I can't very well blame Hammond. He's not here."
"You've got a smart mouth Major. Let me remind you who's in command here."
It sounded ridiculous, coming from their prone positions on the ground, in the fading twilight, in their makeshift hut.
"So submit me for disciplinary," Nicki said, shifting again, this time bringing her thigh up, making direct contact with his growing hardness.
"Maybe I'll just take matters into my own hands," Jack growled, now cupping both her breasts in his hands through the rough material of her fatigue shirt and tee shirt under that.
"Dammit Jack," Nicki said sighing with frustration. "If I didn't have so friggin' many clothes on..."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. You'd give me the proper thrashing I deserve."
"I'd give you something alright," she countered.
They lay quietly for a time, both trying to calm their desire to have each other.
"I guess we should get some sleep," Jack finally said, resignedly.
"You're right." Then, much later, "I feel safe with you here."
Jack slept lightly, although he wasn't sure if it was the threat of attack, or the threat of Nicki's warm body being so close and yet he being unable to act on that, that kept him just out of reach of rest. He was up early, just before dawn, knowing they had to move, and keep on the move.
He moved, and Nicki woke immediately.
"Mornin sunshine," he said humorously.
She didn't find him amusing so early and under the circumstances. Her shoulder throbbed where she'd slept in the same position all night and various old injuries were making her stiff as she crawled out of the shelter.
"Anything moving out there?" she asked Jack, who was trying to get his own muscle kinks out.
"Not so far."
"Good, 'cause I've gotta pee." She moved away further into the brush to take care of business.
By the time she returned, Jack had taken apart any sign that two people had slept in the small clearing.
He handed her a power bar, the cardboard tasting high protein compacted supposed-to-be-like-chocolate breakfast. These they wolfed down while on the move.
"So, how are we going to know when the gate's back up?" Nicki asked, still not sure of Jack's plan.
"We stay close enough that we're in radio range. And close enough to get there quick. But not so close those Jaffa will spot us."
"Ah," Nicki said. She wasn't sure how great of a plan it was, but she had no others.
Sam had worked most of the night, alongside Daniel, on getting the electromagnetic field charges to stop firing every time they opened the iris.
"Any progress?" General Hammond wanted to know first thing in the morning.
"Not much sir," Carter reported wearily.
"Well what can we do? How much longer can the Colonel and the Major be stuck on 427?"
"We're doing what we can General," Daniel told him.
"I know son," Hammond said with a sigh. He was just worried about them.
"I think if we are able to reverse the polarity of the charge, it'll stop the magnetic pulse," Carter theorized.
"Yeah, that or cause a charge so powerful, it will damage or destroy the gate," Daniel added.
"Or that," she sighed.
Jack dropped to the jungle floor, almost in mid step. Nicki, not hearing or seeing what he had, followed immediately. She knew how to lead, but she also knew how to follow.
Jack remained motionless as a group of three Jaffa warriors passed not twenty feet in front of them.
Nicki didn't even dare to breathe until they were past, grumbling to themselves, most likely about the two Tau'ri who had them out so early.
"That was a little too close," Jack mumbled a time after the warriors were gone. He rose up on his heels. Nicki joined him.
She nodded. "It looks like their search hasn't given up."
"Probably means they're still guarding the gate too."
They kept on the move, avoiding any further incidents with Jaffa. After four hours, Nicki was about exhausted, her hair wet with sweat and her clothes clinging uncomfortably. She'd been scratched numerous times by the heavy jungle foliage and vines. She was close to heat stroke, their water having run out about two hours ago.
Jack wasn't much better off. He knew he could go longer without water, having conditioned himself, and though he was in good shape, his knees were killing him.
They finally found a small stream, barely more than a muddy trickle, but it would serve its purposes. Jack lay flat on his belly and drank straight out of the shallow stream.
Nicki caught a canteen full of water and drank from it, rapidly refilling it after she'd drained one. Into the second canteen full, she dropped a purification tablet, hoping the water they'd already consumed wouldn't kill them, right away at least.
The water was murky and warm, but felt like expensive wine as it quenched their thirst.
And then, a heavenly voice cut through the air.
"Colonel O'Neill, do you read me?" the Texas drawl crackled over Jack's radio on his jacket utility strap.
Jack keyed the small radio. "Loud and clear General. Tell me good news."
"Carter's got the gate up, but can only hold it open for intermittent four minute periods. You and the Major are going to have to get over there, then get through on one of its loops."
"Well, there's a little problem with that. Like the Jaffa that are guarding the gate that really want to shoot us."
"I can send them a little present to distract them. How long will it take you to get back to the gate?"
Jack navigated. "About half an hour."
"Check. We'll send through a grenade in 34 minutes from now. Four minutes after that, you and Walker get through."
"We'll give it the old college try."
"Hammond out."
"We've got to hustle," Jack said then. Nicki knew that. It was more than a short jog back to the gate's location.
They didn't jog, they ran. Jack's knees screamed at him with every step, until he flat out stopped listening to them. The stitch in Nicki's side became a full cramp, and then she pushed past it. Their lungs burned with the humid air. Underbrush and vines tore at their legs and scraped any exposed skin.
But they made it to the outskirts of the jungle, around the clearing where the gate was in 32 minutes.
Jack held up two fingers as they kept low, weapons ready. Their heavy breathing was all they could hear, as they watched the four Jaffa surrounding the gate.
Suddenly, with a whoosh! the wormhole opened. The Jaffa trained their weapons on the gate. A small black canister rolled through and down the steps.
A large explosion followed it.
Three Jaffa were blown into the bushes, the third looked for cover. Jack was up and running, Nicki hot on his heels. He fired volleys into the remaining warrior.
The next three minutes were some of the longest Jack and Nicki had ever spent. They crouched behind the gate mechanism, weapons ready, waiting for more Jaffa who would surely be drawn by the explosions and gunfire.
Then, with another whoosh, the wormhole re-opened. Jack pulled Nicki with him as they made it through on the run.
Jack and Nicki both landed back on the gate ramp at the SGC in motion that propelled them into the room.
"Close the iris!" Hammond commanded, seeing his two people safely back.
Sergeant Davis complied. A very tired looking Sam Carter and Daniel Jackson stood by, making sure all went well.
Teal'c stood with the airmen in the bay. Dr Fraiser and her medics were there as well, in case of injury.
O'Neill rolled into a sitting position on the floor and gratefully sighed. "Well, it's about time," he said toward Carter.
She shot him a disgusted look. Daniel shrugged. But they were both very glad to have their CO back and safe.
"Good to have you back Colonel," Hammond said with a smile. "You too Major."
"It's good to be home," Walker said in honesty. "And I'll tell you right now, I'm through roughing it for a long time."
"Aw, now don't tell me you didn't have just a little bit of fun," Jack ribbed.
Nicki spent two hours in the bathtub, covered in lavender scented bubbles. She didn't think a bath had felt so good in a long time.
She might not have gotten out even then, but her doorbell was ringing.
She cussed as she shrugged into her terry cloth robe while the persistent bell ringer leaned on the device.
She walked, leaving wet footprints in the hall, to the front door. She was ready to give someone an ass chewing, until she saw through the glass it was Jack, leaning on her bell. He stood there in jeans, a brown leather bomber jacket, and sunglasses and looked like something out of Top Gun.
She threw open the door, hoping he might at least fall.
He didn't. He swaggered instead.
"Damn you O'Neill," she said playfully.
"Oh, were you busy?" he asked, lowering the glasses just enough to look at her over the top of them. He stared at her from wet feet to dripping hair.
"Cause I brought champagne this time."
Well, he was certainly full of surprises. Nicki had expected him to fall into bed and sleep for at least two days after their little adventure. And yet, here he was all clean and shaved and carrying a bottle of expensive champagne.
"Well, can I go dry off at least?"
And that was when Jack made his move. In one fell swoop, he looped his free arm around her, pulling her in close to him, capturing her lips with his own.
"Not hardly lady," he finally said. "I wanted you sweaty and dirty. Can you imagine how much more I want you now, all clean and wet?"
She smiled as he continued kissing her neck.
"You're truly a man of poetry," she joked, but all the while feeling a bit weak in the knees herself. Jack didn't have to speak. Just to be near him made her that way.
Sunglasses and jacket stayed in the hallway. Shirt landed in the hall. Bathrobe fell off somewhere near the bedroom door. Jeans and boots, and boxer briefs with smiley faces ended the trail at the foot of the bed. The champagne would have to wait.
Jack had never known a woman who was so completely in tune with him when they made love. Nicole was so in sync with him, it was like she knew what he was going to do before he did it, what he wanted before he did. Her body played against his like concert musicians.
They began in a torrid passion; the way Jack had wanted her in the jungle. Kisses hot on skin; hands clutching, stroking, caressing; lips on lips, on skin; fingers tangled in hair; fingernails pressing into flesh, urging more; legs entangled; breath coming in gasps, culminating in raspy moans and throaty sighs.
Then, needs momentarily sated, they talked in low, lover's voices, while still wrapped up in each other.
"I wanted you so bad out there," Nicki admitted.
"Me too." Which was why Jack knew he couldn't be Nicki's CO, ever, no matter what the situation. He was afraid of the cost of what he was going to say next.
"I don't want you going off world. I can't trust myself to be impartial, to make good judgments, or to give legitimate commands. Not when you're around."
Nicki was a little hurt, admittedly, but she understood his point of view. "I know Jack. It was a mistake. One that won't happen again."
"Because you won't go off world."
"No, because I don't usually go off world, unless someone thinks I might really be of some help, and because the chances of us having to work that closely together aren't that great. But I won't say never Jack. I can't. Just like you can't ask me to never go on another mission. It's not within our scope of control. Even if I wanted it to be that way."
Jack understood what she was saying, even though he wasn't happy about it. He knew she was right and he had to accept that.
"Have I told you that you're probably too smart for me?"
She thought for a moment. "No. Not lately."
Jack poked her in the ribs then, resulting in her giggling. And somehow, while he was tickling her, his mouth found its way back to hers, and the laughter ceased, replaced by another form of fun.
This time Nicki took control, deftly hiking a leg over Jack, and capturing his hands with hers.
"That's payback for your teasing me at the campsite," she told him, effectively pinning him to the bed.
Jack didn't tell her he didn't mind the punishment at all. Or that he could easily unseat her. It was more fun to let her have her way.
She lowered her mouth to his and kissed him deeply; she started there and worked her way down his neck; then she made her way in a wet trail of kisses down his chest, passing over more than a few scars along the journey of her lips; she stayed a few moments drawing circles around his navel with her tongue, and leaving wet lip prints on his skin. Then Jack was forced to inhale sharply as she moved lower.
She drove him maddeningly senseless with her mouth. There was just the right amount of pressure, this amazing pace she set; it was nothing short of spectacular. He had to resort to running down the Denver Bronco's starting line up in order not to lose control.
Over and over, she brought him right to the edge, but sensed his imminent release and ceased her actions for a minute. It was making him delirious.
Finally, he could stand no more. He pulled her up, tossing her back on the bed as if she were a pillow. Nicki just smiled; that seductive, sassy 'I win' smile.
With one smooth thrust, Jack buried himself deeply inside her. He wanted badly to finish what she had started, but had regained just enough control to at least let her surge forward to join him. And Nicki needed very little urging. Just seeing him so pleasured had stirred her close to her own release. And to have him inside her, his exquisite width and length filling her, sent her reeling in waves of pleasure.
Jack felt her let go and watched her face as the erotic sensations hit her. There was no more truth than in those eyes as she fully gave of herself. He could hold on no longer and followed her over the peak and felt himself explode. He was close to trembling above her by the time it was completely over. Never, ever in his life, he was sure had he had an experience like this.
Nicki looked satisfied as he gently left her and she curled her body around his beside her.
"That was...." He began, but could not find words.
Nicki just nodded. Between them no words were needed to express the passion. Words would have done no justice to what they experienced.
Maybe, someday, Jack would have the words to say what he felt. He wanted to, needed to, with this woman. Yes, in time, he knew he would tell her.
FIN