Chapter 14 – A Little Help From Our Friends
Jack walked into the house, closely followed by Sam. He didn't check to see that she made it in OK; he just walked right to the refrigerator and took out a beer. Flipping the top into the sink, he wandered to the sliding door and looked out into the back yard, contemplating the day's events. Much as he hated to admit it, he was bothered by Sabrena's parting remark. He knew it wasn't true, but it still stung to hear the words he used to think spoken out loud. Additionally, he hated the way he had let Sabrena take over their day. He knew he ought to apologize to Sam, but he was a bit miffed at her as well. What had she been thinking, taking that little boy off to the playground without letting him know?
Sam looked at him for a few moments, frowned in annoyance at his continual disregard for her, and opened the refrigerator, taking out a beer of her own. When in Rome..., she thought to herself.
Jack turned around when he heard the unmistakable sound of another beer cap hitting the sink. He stared in disbelief as he watched Sam take a huge swig of beer from the bottle clasped in her right hand. She stared at him fixedly as she swiped the foam off her lip with the back of her hand. That sight was enough to spur him into action.
He reached her in 2 long strides and grabbed the bottle from her hands. "What in God's name do you think you're doing Carter? You know you can't have any alcohol! Are you trying to make yourself sick again?" He placed the beer far out of her reach on the back of the counter and turned his glare on her once again.
She glared right back at him. "What do you care? You've ignored me for most of this afternoon..what's the big deal if I have a beer? I've had a long afternoon too. I didn't sign up to be a babysitter this afternoon while you went off to relive the good old days with Sabrena!"
"Look, she was a friend of Sara's. I couldn't just ignore her. You're the one who had to go off to some damned playground with the kid and get yourselves lost!" his voice was beginning to get a bit louder.
"For your information, we weren't lost. I knew exactly where I was at every moment. And if you'd just let me explain about the playground...," she started, intending to tell him that Chris had run off and she had only been trying to keep him safe. Instead she was interrupted by a snort from him.
"Well, Sabrena was right about at least one thing. You are a very smart mouthed kid, you know that Carter?" He turned away at the hurt look in her eyes. "Why don't you go up to your room for a while before either of us says something else that we'll regret later."
She stared in incredulity at his back. "You're sending me to my room?"
He turned around briefly and looked at her, quieting his voice before he said, "I guess I am. I think we both need a little break from each other. Daniel and Teal'c will be here in an hour or so. I'll let you know when they arrive."
Sam spun on her heel and headed up the stairs. Jack winced when he heard her bedroom door slam shut. Moments later, the voice of Pat Benetar belting out Hit Me With Your Best Shot could be heard pounding throughout the house.
Thirty minutes later, Sam heard the phone ringing and turned down her CD player, certain that it was Daniel on the phone. She was desperate to talk to him and get his perspective on things. She opened her door and made her way to the top of the stairs, stopping when she heard Jack's voice on the phone.
"No Daniel, we haven't killed each other yet, but I think we're getting close. In addition to her climbing on things besides bookcases, like my roof, she keeps disappearing on me. I don't think I can take much more of this. I don't know how the hell her parents survived when she was little. Although now I know why Jacob is practically bald!"
He paused as he listened to Daniel for a while. "Well, she's pretty mad about some things that happened this afternoon. I'll tell you more about it when you get here. Just make it soon OK? This little rebellious streak of hers is going to do us both in." Another pause, then, "I know I am not supposed to let her get upset and raise her blood pressure, but she isn't helping much. Yes Danny, I'll be nice. Just get your butts over here. Bye." He hung up and glanced up the stairs, not seeing Sam backed against the wall. Jack sighed and went out to the deck to start the grill. This evening was not going to be quite the relaxing event that he had planned.
Sam bit her lower lip, trying not to let what she had heard get to her. So he was tired of her; I guess that was to be expected, she thought. She wasn't exactly herself and she supposed she had been pushing him more than she ever would have had she been 'normal'. Still, it hurt to know that he didn't want her around.
Sam thought about just taking off and heading to her house on her own, but just as quickly dismissed that thought. They would all come looking for her and Jack would be even angrier and more upset with her than he already was. Instead, she made her way down the stairs and out the front door, closing it softly behind her. She walked down his driveway and over to the next house, sitting down on the curb in the shade of some shrubs to wait for Daniel and Teal'c to arrive.
"Carter! Daniel and Teal'c will be here in a few minutes. You going to come down?" Jack yelled up the stairs. When he didn't receive an answer, he shrugged his shoulders and went into the kitchen to add more marinade to the steaks. It's probably a good idea to leave her alone for a bit longer, he thought to himself.
Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other as they pulled up to Jack's house. They had both seen Sam sitting on the curb, drawing figures in the dirt with a stick. She dropped her stick and rubbed out what she had been drawing when she saw the car. She hurried over to meet them.
"Hi guys," she said with a small smile. She brushed her dirty hands on her equally dirty pants and continued, "It's so good to see you. How are things coming on base? Have you made any progress on translating the Triplexus?" she asked eagerly.
"I believe we are not to discuss work issues with you Major Carter. You are to be resting and relaxing," Teal'c responded.
Sam glanced up toward the house. "Well, there's not a lot of that going on right now." She looked forlornly up at Daniel. "Will you take a walk with me Daniel? I need to talk to you about some things."
Daniel glanced at Teal'c, who nodded his head slightly. They had discussed the little bit Jack had told Daniel and figured maybe they should talk to each of them separately. "Sure Sam. Let's walk over to the park. It's only a few blocks from here." He turned to Teal'c, "We'll be back in a bit Teal'c. You think you can keep Jack company on your own?"
"I will endeavor to do my best Daniel Jackson," and he smiled slightly at the two of them, then turned and walked up the driveway.
When his front door opened, Jack smiled and hollered, "Teal'c! Good to see you buddy! Where's Daniel?" Jack asked as he looked behind the large Jaffa. He sure hoped Teal'c hadn't left Daniel behind on base. That guy needed to get out more than Carter sometimes!
"It is good to see you again O'Neill. Daniel Jackson has taken a walk with Major Carter. They will return in good time."
Jack frowned and looked up the stairs. "Carter? She's up in her room. How is Daniel taking a walk with her?" he asked in a puzzled voice.
"Major Carter was awaiting our arrival on the boulevard out front. She seemed most eager to speak with Daniel Jackson. I do believe she is upset. Was not the idea of taking her off base to keep her from becoming upset O'Neill?" he asked in a slightly admonishing tone.
Jack ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah Teal'c it was, but it seems to be harder than I thought. She keeps up and disappearing on me. Christ, I didn't even know she left the house! This is what I'm dealing with Teal'c!"
The two men made their way to the couch and sat down. Teal'c remained quiet for a moment, then stated, "This must be very difficult for Major Carter. She is a very independent woman. I do not believe she worries you on purpose O'Neill, she just has not been expected to constantly tell anyone her whereabouts for a long time."
"It's not just that T. This afternoon, I met up with an old friend of Sara's and kind of ignored Carter for a bit. Then, she got lost again and when I found her, she was helping out some guy with his computer like nothing had happened. To top it all off, this lady I met said some pretty awful things to both Carter and me. I was too angry at myself to listen much to Sam on the way home and I guess things got out of control from there." Jack sighed and admitted to his friend, " I'm not doing a very good job of this Teal'c."
"I am sure you are doing your best O'Neill. I believe once Major Carter has talked to Daniel Jackson, things will ease between the two of you."
"I hope so Teal'c. We did have some fun together these past few days; I'd like to get those times back."
"You will O'Neill. Major Carter is not a woman who holds a grudge against her friends," Teal'c assured him.
"Thanks T," Jack said and slapped him on the back. "Now, where are those beverages you brought? I don't want to deal with seeing an eight year old Carter swig another beer. Now that was creepy!" Teal'c raised his eyebrow at that statement but didn't comment further. He wasn't all that sure he wanted to know about it!
Sam and Daniel sat on a bench under a tree and talked quietly, Sam gently swinging her legs back and forth. She had told him what had occurred this afternoon and how Jack hadn't let her explain what had happened to cause her to leave the bench with Chris. She also expressed her doubts about the wisdom of her continuing to stay at Jack's house.
"Daniel, I heard him on the phone with you. He's pretty fed up with me. I think it would be better if maybe I went and stayed with you," she looked hopefully into his eyes.
"Sam, you have to work this out with Jack. I'm sure he didn't mean that he didn't want you around. To be honest, I think he's scared to death of something happening to you so he is being extra vigilant."
"Why can't he just tell me that instead of yelling at me? Sometimes we have really good conversations, then he seems to revert to treating me like a child. Do you know that he actually sent me to my room this afternoon?"
Daniel smiled at the thought, then quickly erased his smile when he caught Sam glaring at him. "What did he say when he sent you to your room?"
"He said that we both needed some time away from each other." Sam sighed and leaned her head back against the bench. Her head was starting to hurt again and her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults. "I suppose he was right. I'm not really mad at him anymore. I probably could have been less antagonistic, but I was hurt."
Daniel put his hand on her leg and squeezed lightly. "Sam, you know Jack would do anything for you. All of us would."
"Then why don't you want to take me to your house?" She wondered if they were all fed up with her.
"I would take you in a minute Sam but I can't. There's been a new development in our work on the Triplexus." He held up a hand to stave off her questioning. "I promised Jack that we wouldn't talk about it until after dinner OK? Then we'll update you on everything that's happened."
Sam had turned a bit pale at the mention of dinner, which didn't escape Daniel's notice. "Sam, are you feeling OK? You don't look to good all of a sudden."
"I... I think I'm going to..." Sam jumped off the bench and ran to some bushes where she promptly got sick.
Daniel rushed up beside her and knelt next to her, holding back her hair and rubbing her back. When she was done, he turned her around and gave her a handkerchief. "You're not going to pass out again are you Sam? I'd better get you back to Jack's."
Sam shook her head at him, "I'm OK Daniel. Don't worry. I promise you I am not going to pass out again."
"Well then, it is something about me that makes you have to throw up every time you see me Sam?" he gently teased her.
She smiled slightly in return, then looked at him guiltily. "I think I got sick because of the beer I drank when we got back this afternoon."
"What!! Jack let you have a beer? And he yelled at me for almost giving you coffee!" Daniel couldn't believe this turn in events.
"Take it easy Daniel, Jack didn't let me have a beer. In fact, he was quite angry and took it away from me after I only had a few gulps," Sam admitted. She sat on the ground next to him and took several deep breaths, trying to calm her stomach.
Daniel sat back on his heels and looked at her in shock. She was way too smart to be endangering herself like that. "Do you want to tell me why you did that?"
"I guess I was trying to assert my independence. I know; it was a stupid thing to do. Please Daniel, don't tell Jack I threw up. It was my own stupid fault and I just can't stand to have him upset with me again. I have made sucha mess of things." she pleaded with him, her eyes glistening with tears.
Daniel thought for a few moments, then nodded his head. It wouldn't do either Jack or Sam any good if he mentioned this, but he would keep a close eye on her tonight. "All right Sam. But you have to promise me that you'll tell me the minute you have any other symptoms. Got it?"
"Yes Dad," she smiled at him and wiped at her eyes.
"You are a bit sassy, you know that right?"
"Yeah, but you still love me anyway!" she retorted.
Daniel laughed at her, then stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Come on Sassy Sammy. Let's get you back where you belong and see if we can get that warm fuzzy feeling between you and Jack restored."
They walked off hand in hand out of the park and down the street back to Jack's house. Sam felt secure in the knowledge that Teal'c and Daniel would help her and Jack smooth over this little bump in the road. She smiled to herself as she walked; she had to have the best friends in the world!