The rest of the weekend SG-1 spent together as they made sure that Jack wasn't having too many problems with his incapacitated knee. Through out it all Jack and Sam had stolen glances of one another, let their hands settle a second longer on the other, and shared moments of pleasant silence between themselves. Jack however hadn't built up the nerve to ask her any more questions about her failed relationship with Pete, even though he was dying to know if it had anything to do with him. Not that he would yet admit that he hoped it was because of him, besides there were the regs, right? On Monday they all returned to work on base for some on-base duties, Teal'c was training new recruits on Jaffa tactics, Daniel was performing more translations from another SG team's finds, Carter was back in her lab, and Jack was forced to work in his office and complete the paperwork he had been allowing to build up.
Wednesday afternoon rolled around and Jack was leaving the infirmary. He had been getting the results of the MRI on his knee from the day before. As he walked and considered his options of how to proceed considering what Janet had told him, he found himself heading to Carter's lab.
"Hey!" he called out to her as he rounded the corner and headed to her lab bench.
Sam looked up startled by the sound of his voice, "Hey yourself, sir," she replied with a wide grin on her face. Sam waited for him to continue, however he seemed to be lost in his thoughts as he absently picked up a piece of paper from her lab bench and began scanning it. Sam held back the laugh as she watched him look at the page of the calculations he now held in his hand, "Is there anything I can do for you sir?"
Jack looked up and put down the piece of paper, "Yeah, what time you leaving tonight?" He grabbed his cane and then made his way to an empty stool and half leaned against and sat on it.
"I'm not sure, there are a few simulations I wanted to run tonight," she told him confused by his question. "Why?"
Jack looked at her, "Ah, Daniel's pretty engrossed in one of his rocks, I don't think I'd be able to pull him away from it…"
Sam raised her head as understanding set in, "Are you fishing for a ride home?" She and Daniel had taken it upon themselves to get Jack to and from work since he couldn't drive without his right leg. Sam had been taking him to work while Daniel drove him home.
"Actually, I'd rather be fishing up at my cabin right now…" he laughed. He then turned serious and sincere, "But never mind, you're busy…" he told her with a hint of dejection in his voice.
Sam looked down at her papers and then at his sad face, "What time did you want to leave sir?"
Jack could hardly contain his hope, "Really? I mean if you have to run your sims and stuff…"
She smiled back at him, "They can wait until tomorrow sir. How about we leave around six? Or did you want to leave earlier?"
Jack jumped off the chair, or at least as much as he could in his current condition. "Perfect Carter, thanks."
"No problem sir," Sam stared at him as he continued to just stand there looking around her office. After a few moments she spoke, "Was there something else sir?"
Jack considered her question as the debate continued in his mind, 'You've got some big decisions to make these next few days… And they would be easier if you knew where she stood… Tonight would be the perfect chance to ask her about Pete… So just go ahead and ask her why don't you? … Because you're her damn CO, that's why! … No, she's your friend and you just want to say thanks… Then why don't you just tell her "Thanks"? …' "Uh… you want to go out and grab some dinner tonight?" he asked her as he looked everywhere around her lab except her.
'Is he asking me out on a date? … Of course not! He's your CO! … He knows that! So it's not a date… Besides, when was the last time you were able to just hang out with him? … Easy, never! You're too damn scared to be around him alone! … Not today I'm not. I know what I want and I'm okay with the situation and relationship we have to have. Someday…' she hopefully thought. "That'd be nice sir," she told him as she let a shy smile appear.
Jack looked up as he heard her confidence in her reply, "Great! Good… I'll see you at six then?" he said as he finally started to head out.
'Why's he so excited?' "Yes sir. I'll meet you in your office then…"
A few hours later they were making their way to Jack's truck. In lieu of his injury, Jack had loaned Sam his truck as long as she was taking him to work since he couldn't fit in her small Volvo with his leg in a full brace. Sam was already in her seat as she watched him hoist himself into the car. "So, did you have any place in mind for dinner sir?"
Jack let out a sigh as he situated his leg in the cab of the truck. He paused before looking over at her and answering, "First of all… I am not your commanding officer. The-"
Carter interrupted him, "Sir, you are my commanding officer," she told him with a slight smile. 'What's he doing?' she asked herself.
"Not tonight I'm not. Tonight I'm Jack, and you're Sam. We are two friends going out to dinner tonight so I can thank you for all you've done," he told her confidently. 'She's gotta understand… There's no way she's going to open up to me if I'm Sir or Colonel…'
"But sir-"
Jack raised his hand and covered her mouth, "Dah! No sirs! You hear that Carter! Don't make me make it an order!" he told her threateningly.
Sam stared into his eyes, 'Why now? He's never insisted I not call him sir…' She then brought up her own hand and clasped it over Jack's and removed it from over her mouth as she flashed him a smile, 'Okay Jack, we'll play this your way…' "I thought I was Sam tonight?" she asked him innocently.
Jack's face broke out into a wide grin as he heard the playfulness in her voice and realized that she was still holding onto his hand. He didn't dare look at their hands to draw attention to them, 'Maybe she doesn't know she's still holding on? … She can keep on doing that for all I care…' "You are! And I'm Jack!"
"Yes you are Jack," she told him as she turned to put the key into the ignition, 'Okay that's a little weird saying that out loud…' She started to pull away when she remembered her initial question, "So… Jack…"
He smiled even wider as he heard her repeat his name again, "Yes," he replied as he looked over at her with a smug grin.
"…So, does this mean you're paying?"
Jack's eyebrows came together, "huh?"
Sam smiled as she continued to look at the road, "You said you wanted to thank me for everything I've done… And you did suggest dinner… So it kind of sounds like a date, and customarily the one who asks the other person out pays for dinner…" she told him seriously as she focused on the winding road leading from the base. Internally she was fighting with herself, 'Okay where did that come from? What the hell am I suggesting? … Not that I don't wish this was a date… But NO! We can't, he's my CO. Whoa!' she exclaimed as she watched his reaction out of the corner of her eye. 'Hmm… let's see where this goes?' she mischievously thought.
Jack's eyes went wide as his mouth opened, he needed the extra access to air. 'Shit!…' "Uh… uh… Look Carter…"
Sam internally smiled, 'hmmm… Interesting response… he seems almost as nervous as I am to hear his answer… Uh oh, I think he needs to breathe… I can do this, we're okay…' "It's Sam remember," she reminded him as she stole a glance at him and gave him a gentle and warm smile.
Jack took a breath as he visibly released the tension and unease he had been building up. 'God, she's an amazing woman… How does she do that? She always knows how to put me at ease…' "You're right, as you so often are," he told her in response as he returned the smile and the accompanying silent and sincere 'Thanks' for putting him at ease and letting him know that she was okay with whatever this was.
As Sam looked into his eyes she wondered what he was thinking. She knew what she hoped he was thinking about, 'But I mustn't go there Sam…' she chastised herself. She then made a conscious decision to move the conversation forward, "Thanks… So what do you feel like eating?"
"Whatever you want?" he blurted out before thinking, 'This is sounding like a date…' Before she could respond he spoke again, "Have you tried that new German pub on Aurora, Prost?"
Sam snuck a shocked look at her CO after his first comment before smiling as she saw the horror in his face again as he realized that it was starting to sound more and more like a date. "No, I haven't."
"You want to try it?"
TBC
Wednesday afternoon rolled around and Jack was leaving the infirmary. He had been getting the results of the MRI on his knee from the day before. As he walked and considered his options of how to proceed considering what Janet had told him, he found himself heading to Carter's lab.
"Hey!" he called out to her as he rounded the corner and headed to her lab bench.
Sam looked up startled by the sound of his voice, "Hey yourself, sir," she replied with a wide grin on her face. Sam waited for him to continue, however he seemed to be lost in his thoughts as he absently picked up a piece of paper from her lab bench and began scanning it. Sam held back the laugh as she watched him look at the page of the calculations he now held in his hand, "Is there anything I can do for you sir?"
Jack looked up and put down the piece of paper, "Yeah, what time you leaving tonight?" He grabbed his cane and then made his way to an empty stool and half leaned against and sat on it.
"I'm not sure, there are a few simulations I wanted to run tonight," she told him confused by his question. "Why?"
Jack looked at her, "Ah, Daniel's pretty engrossed in one of his rocks, I don't think I'd be able to pull him away from it…"
Sam raised her head as understanding set in, "Are you fishing for a ride home?" She and Daniel had taken it upon themselves to get Jack to and from work since he couldn't drive without his right leg. Sam had been taking him to work while Daniel drove him home.
"Actually, I'd rather be fishing up at my cabin right now…" he laughed. He then turned serious and sincere, "But never mind, you're busy…" he told her with a hint of dejection in his voice.
Sam looked down at her papers and then at his sad face, "What time did you want to leave sir?"
Jack could hardly contain his hope, "Really? I mean if you have to run your sims and stuff…"
She smiled back at him, "They can wait until tomorrow sir. How about we leave around six? Or did you want to leave earlier?"
Jack jumped off the chair, or at least as much as he could in his current condition. "Perfect Carter, thanks."
"No problem sir," Sam stared at him as he continued to just stand there looking around her office. After a few moments she spoke, "Was there something else sir?"
Jack considered her question as the debate continued in his mind, 'You've got some big decisions to make these next few days… And they would be easier if you knew where she stood… Tonight would be the perfect chance to ask her about Pete… So just go ahead and ask her why don't you? … Because you're her damn CO, that's why! … No, she's your friend and you just want to say thanks… Then why don't you just tell her "Thanks"? …' "Uh… you want to go out and grab some dinner tonight?" he asked her as he looked everywhere around her lab except her.
'Is he asking me out on a date? … Of course not! He's your CO! … He knows that! So it's not a date… Besides, when was the last time you were able to just hang out with him? … Easy, never! You're too damn scared to be around him alone! … Not today I'm not. I know what I want and I'm okay with the situation and relationship we have to have. Someday…' she hopefully thought. "That'd be nice sir," she told him as she let a shy smile appear.
Jack looked up as he heard her confidence in her reply, "Great! Good… I'll see you at six then?" he said as he finally started to head out.
'Why's he so excited?' "Yes sir. I'll meet you in your office then…"
A few hours later they were making their way to Jack's truck. In lieu of his injury, Jack had loaned Sam his truck as long as she was taking him to work since he couldn't fit in her small Volvo with his leg in a full brace. Sam was already in her seat as she watched him hoist himself into the car. "So, did you have any place in mind for dinner sir?"
Jack let out a sigh as he situated his leg in the cab of the truck. He paused before looking over at her and answering, "First of all… I am not your commanding officer. The-"
Carter interrupted him, "Sir, you are my commanding officer," she told him with a slight smile. 'What's he doing?' she asked herself.
"Not tonight I'm not. Tonight I'm Jack, and you're Sam. We are two friends going out to dinner tonight so I can thank you for all you've done," he told her confidently. 'She's gotta understand… There's no way she's going to open up to me if I'm Sir or Colonel…'
"But sir-"
Jack raised his hand and covered her mouth, "Dah! No sirs! You hear that Carter! Don't make me make it an order!" he told her threateningly.
Sam stared into his eyes, 'Why now? He's never insisted I not call him sir…' She then brought up her own hand and clasped it over Jack's and removed it from over her mouth as she flashed him a smile, 'Okay Jack, we'll play this your way…' "I thought I was Sam tonight?" she asked him innocently.
Jack's face broke out into a wide grin as he heard the playfulness in her voice and realized that she was still holding onto his hand. He didn't dare look at their hands to draw attention to them, 'Maybe she doesn't know she's still holding on? … She can keep on doing that for all I care…' "You are! And I'm Jack!"
"Yes you are Jack," she told him as she turned to put the key into the ignition, 'Okay that's a little weird saying that out loud…' She started to pull away when she remembered her initial question, "So… Jack…"
He smiled even wider as he heard her repeat his name again, "Yes," he replied as he looked over at her with a smug grin.
"…So, does this mean you're paying?"
Jack's eyebrows came together, "huh?"
Sam smiled as she continued to look at the road, "You said you wanted to thank me for everything I've done… And you did suggest dinner… So it kind of sounds like a date, and customarily the one who asks the other person out pays for dinner…" she told him seriously as she focused on the winding road leading from the base. Internally she was fighting with herself, 'Okay where did that come from? What the hell am I suggesting? … Not that I don't wish this was a date… But NO! We can't, he's my CO. Whoa!' she exclaimed as she watched his reaction out of the corner of her eye. 'Hmm… let's see where this goes?' she mischievously thought.
Jack's eyes went wide as his mouth opened, he needed the extra access to air. 'Shit!…' "Uh… uh… Look Carter…"
Sam internally smiled, 'hmmm… Interesting response… he seems almost as nervous as I am to hear his answer… Uh oh, I think he needs to breathe… I can do this, we're okay…' "It's Sam remember," she reminded him as she stole a glance at him and gave him a gentle and warm smile.
Jack took a breath as he visibly released the tension and unease he had been building up. 'God, she's an amazing woman… How does she do that? She always knows how to put me at ease…' "You're right, as you so often are," he told her in response as he returned the smile and the accompanying silent and sincere 'Thanks' for putting him at ease and letting him know that she was okay with whatever this was.
As Sam looked into his eyes she wondered what he was thinking. She knew what she hoped he was thinking about, 'But I mustn't go there Sam…' she chastised herself. She then made a conscious decision to move the conversation forward, "Thanks… So what do you feel like eating?"
"Whatever you want?" he blurted out before thinking, 'This is sounding like a date…' Before she could respond he spoke again, "Have you tried that new German pub on Aurora, Prost?"
Sam snuck a shocked look at her CO after his first comment before smiling as she saw the horror in his face again as he realized that it was starting to sound more and more like a date. "No, I haven't."
"You want to try it?"
TBC
