It had been 10 days since the incident and O'Neill was finally home. It was one of those
languid late summer weeks, the days warm and sunny, the evening cooling just enough to
sleep comfortably. Daniel drove him home but he found Sam in his kitchen when he got
there.
"You're not going to cook are you?"
She raised her index finger and made to poke at his still bandaged shoulder. O'Neill immediately cried uncle. She told him he had better get some rest cause they would all be there for a barbecue the next day and he was cooking, thank you very much. He smiled and was delighted but somewhat taken aback when she touched his cheek and pressed her cheek against his other cheek and whispered welcome home. She told him she would be back tomorrow to help and not to worry they would take care of everything. He was dead on his feet but didn't want to lie down while she was still there. She filled a glass with water gave it to him with his meds and told him again she would see him tomorrow and was gone, leaving him in Daniel's capable hands.
The next day she arrived around eleven with a few bags of groceries and a long list for Daniel. With Daniel off to the market to purchase an assortment of salads, snacks and beverages, she unpacked the ingredients to make kebobs. This way O'Neill could barbecue without too much fuss and eat without someone helping him.
O'Neill was fresh from the shower and the incredibly difficult challenge of dressing himself. And there in his kitchen in a sun dress was his Major. Well not right now, he was on medical leave of an indeterminate time. They were all on down time but the rest of the team would be reassigned or form a new SG-1 while he was gone. He had talked to Hammond about retirement or reassignment to a myriad of options, from selecting new trainees from the academy to lecturing on off world situations to ambassador to the Asgard. Ah but back to the sun dress. Yes, back was the operant word, there was no back. She gave him some skewers and they made the kebobs from the chunks of marinated lamb and chicken and assorted vegetables. He felt damned good. One of the local eleven year olds could probably knock him over with out too much effort but he was feeling good. Maybe it was the drugs but he thought it was the sun dress. Sam got up to put the food in the fridge until the fire was good and hot and the rest of the gang showed up. She washed her hands in the sink. Her hand still stung; the cut in her palm had reopen so many times and was her constant reminder. He followed her lead washing his hands, not realizing how tiring the first day back could be. He drank a glass of water then turned around at the sink sensing her closeness. She leaned into him and he engulfed her with his good arm. He almost drew back but there was no where to go and her arms were tight around him. So he let himself enjoy the moment, the velvety softness of her bare back and the intoxicating feeling of her in his arms, ah, arm. Naturally the door bell rang and the door opened with accompanying voices of Daniel and the rest of the guests. Jack was surprised she didn't jump away from him but casually turned to greeted everyone with one arm still wrapped around his back.
Later when Hammond arrived, after the usual pleasantries, he had a private chat with Jack. He handed him a manila folder and wished him luck.
God, he was whipped and all he did was watch his team barbecue in his own back yard and eat a little supper with them.. He had come inside to take his meds and have a sit down in the cool quiet of his living room. It was, what, not two weeks ago or so that they were on that tropical planet. If he closed his eyes he could see it and feel it all again.
He felt the arrow pierce his leg, then his shoulder and thigh. All the pin pricks in his back, he didn't know if he would make to safety. Then he was on the ramp; home free when the last arrow nailed him, sent him flying into the abyss of pain and then darkness. All he could remember was her face – terrified, her reaching out for him then nothing until the medics flung him on the gurney. The pain radiated through his body, trying not to breathe as each jostling movement of the gurney sent wave after wave of nauseating torture through him.
He looked up to see her standing there. It was already getting dark. He must have fallen asleep in the chair and felt a little foolish.
"Daniel is putting out the trash. Do you want him to stay? I offered to relieve him tonight. He's got an early morning"
"Do you think I need a keeper." She just stared at him. "Do you want to?" He continued. She confused him even when he had his wits about him.
"If you want…"
"Hey Jack."
"Daniel, thanks for…"
"Thanks for dinner and I guess I'll see you in a few days."
"What's up? Oh yeah, rock collecting with SG-11. Want to hang around have a beer?"
"Thanks but to coincide with the morning of their day we have to leave here around 4:30."
"Ouch."
"See you all in a few days." With all the good nights said Daniel drove home leaving Sam and Jack in the living room.
"Want to go to bed."
'Thought you'd never ask' was on the tip of his tongue but his just smiled instead.
She flushed slightly "You are a dirty old man."
"Thanks, Carter, you know how to hurt a guy when he's down – who are you calling old."
She reappeared with a glass of water and meds.
"Didn't I just swallow these?" He took the offered pills and stood up just a little shaky.
"Come on I'll give you a hand with your ahh…"
"I can take care of myself. Take a look at this." He handed her the folder that the general had given him and trudged off to his bed room.
A few moments and many curses later she knocked on his bedroom door and came in. She finished unbuttoning his shirt, slipped it off his shoulders and then knelt to untie his boot laces and remove boots and socks.
"This makes me feel like a little kid."
"You liked dirty old man better?" She made him smile in spite of himself. When she rose he stood too. She went too unbutton his jeans.
"I can do that." But somehow he found his good hand at to nape of her neck untying the top of her sundress. She was standing so close to him that it did not fall to her waist. She slid her arm around his waist. He wondered what the hell he was doing. It must be the drugs. He was so tired and knew that there was no way in hell he could begin to please her, exhausted, drugged to the gills and his shoulder throbbing.
"Stay" was all he said.
She told him to get comfortable in bed. So he struggled out of his jeans and lay on his side throbbing shoulder up. After draping her sundress over a chair she lay behind him, close almost touching. So that if he needed anything, anything at all she was there.
"You're not going to cook are you?"
She raised her index finger and made to poke at his still bandaged shoulder. O'Neill immediately cried uncle. She told him he had better get some rest cause they would all be there for a barbecue the next day and he was cooking, thank you very much. He smiled and was delighted but somewhat taken aback when she touched his cheek and pressed her cheek against his other cheek and whispered welcome home. She told him she would be back tomorrow to help and not to worry they would take care of everything. He was dead on his feet but didn't want to lie down while she was still there. She filled a glass with water gave it to him with his meds and told him again she would see him tomorrow and was gone, leaving him in Daniel's capable hands.
The next day she arrived around eleven with a few bags of groceries and a long list for Daniel. With Daniel off to the market to purchase an assortment of salads, snacks and beverages, she unpacked the ingredients to make kebobs. This way O'Neill could barbecue without too much fuss and eat without someone helping him.
O'Neill was fresh from the shower and the incredibly difficult challenge of dressing himself. And there in his kitchen in a sun dress was his Major. Well not right now, he was on medical leave of an indeterminate time. They were all on down time but the rest of the team would be reassigned or form a new SG-1 while he was gone. He had talked to Hammond about retirement or reassignment to a myriad of options, from selecting new trainees from the academy to lecturing on off world situations to ambassador to the Asgard. Ah but back to the sun dress. Yes, back was the operant word, there was no back. She gave him some skewers and they made the kebobs from the chunks of marinated lamb and chicken and assorted vegetables. He felt damned good. One of the local eleven year olds could probably knock him over with out too much effort but he was feeling good. Maybe it was the drugs but he thought it was the sun dress. Sam got up to put the food in the fridge until the fire was good and hot and the rest of the gang showed up. She washed her hands in the sink. Her hand still stung; the cut in her palm had reopen so many times and was her constant reminder. He followed her lead washing his hands, not realizing how tiring the first day back could be. He drank a glass of water then turned around at the sink sensing her closeness. She leaned into him and he engulfed her with his good arm. He almost drew back but there was no where to go and her arms were tight around him. So he let himself enjoy the moment, the velvety softness of her bare back and the intoxicating feeling of her in his arms, ah, arm. Naturally the door bell rang and the door opened with accompanying voices of Daniel and the rest of the guests. Jack was surprised she didn't jump away from him but casually turned to greeted everyone with one arm still wrapped around his back.
Later when Hammond arrived, after the usual pleasantries, he had a private chat with Jack. He handed him a manila folder and wished him luck.
God, he was whipped and all he did was watch his team barbecue in his own back yard and eat a little supper with them.. He had come inside to take his meds and have a sit down in the cool quiet of his living room. It was, what, not two weeks ago or so that they were on that tropical planet. If he closed his eyes he could see it and feel it all again.
He felt the arrow pierce his leg, then his shoulder and thigh. All the pin pricks in his back, he didn't know if he would make to safety. Then he was on the ramp; home free when the last arrow nailed him, sent him flying into the abyss of pain and then darkness. All he could remember was her face – terrified, her reaching out for him then nothing until the medics flung him on the gurney. The pain radiated through his body, trying not to breathe as each jostling movement of the gurney sent wave after wave of nauseating torture through him.
He looked up to see her standing there. It was already getting dark. He must have fallen asleep in the chair and felt a little foolish.
"Daniel is putting out the trash. Do you want him to stay? I offered to relieve him tonight. He's got an early morning"
"Do you think I need a keeper." She just stared at him. "Do you want to?" He continued. She confused him even when he had his wits about him.
"If you want…"
"Hey Jack."
"Daniel, thanks for…"
"Thanks for dinner and I guess I'll see you in a few days."
"What's up? Oh yeah, rock collecting with SG-11. Want to hang around have a beer?"
"Thanks but to coincide with the morning of their day we have to leave here around 4:30."
"Ouch."
"See you all in a few days." With all the good nights said Daniel drove home leaving Sam and Jack in the living room.
"Want to go to bed."
'Thought you'd never ask' was on the tip of his tongue but his just smiled instead.
She flushed slightly "You are a dirty old man."
"Thanks, Carter, you know how to hurt a guy when he's down – who are you calling old."
She reappeared with a glass of water and meds.
"Didn't I just swallow these?" He took the offered pills and stood up just a little shaky.
"Come on I'll give you a hand with your ahh…"
"I can take care of myself. Take a look at this." He handed her the folder that the general had given him and trudged off to his bed room.
A few moments and many curses later she knocked on his bedroom door and came in. She finished unbuttoning his shirt, slipped it off his shoulders and then knelt to untie his boot laces and remove boots and socks.
"This makes me feel like a little kid."
"You liked dirty old man better?" She made him smile in spite of himself. When she rose he stood too. She went too unbutton his jeans.
"I can do that." But somehow he found his good hand at to nape of her neck untying the top of her sundress. She was standing so close to him that it did not fall to her waist. She slid her arm around his waist. He wondered what the hell he was doing. It must be the drugs. He was so tired and knew that there was no way in hell he could begin to please her, exhausted, drugged to the gills and his shoulder throbbing.
"Stay" was all he said.
She told him to get comfortable in bed. So he struggled out of his jeans and lay on his side throbbing shoulder up. After draping her sundress over a chair she lay behind him, close almost touching. So that if he needed anything, anything at all she was there.