Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG1 and the only right I have is to use my imagination to create a story where things turn out the way I think they should. lol
Picking at Threads
The General saluted the sentries and passed through the tunnel she whimsically referred to as the Gate leading to her real life. The life where she was a mom, and not an Air Force officer, with a husband and kids who were waiting for her to come home and celebrate Thanksgiving with them. Fall was one of her favorite seasons. The trees turning the mountains into an ever changing kaleidoscope of red, orange, gold and green...raking and jumping into falling leaves, the crisp air, the feeling of thankfulness for each blessing in life. Turning into her neighborhood that only now was finally losing that 'new subdivision' look of short trees and patchy lawns, Sam waved at one of her neighbors. The man gave her a sour look and stomped into his house. Pulling into her drive, the blonde knew better than to try and park in the garage. The boys had decided to form a garage band, so of course they had to play in the garage. Maybe she should have the space sound-proofed for Christmas. Perhaps then the self-appointed neighborhood committee for noise pollution control wouldn't call the cops again. Not that the irate phone calls ever did any good. Her boys had 'connections' on the police force that ensured they never got in trouble for anything they did- and they did a lot.
Opening her car door and lifting out her briefcase and jacket, the tall woman stood a moment on the three-car driveway and gazed at the two-story house. The large modern house was spacious and comfortable, and lacking in all the little details that made her former house a home. Cheering herself up with the thought that the mortgage was affordable, her blue-grey gaze narrowed as she walked toward the front door. Had the boys used her door wreath as a Frisbee again? She and Chloe had attended a craft fair last month where the wreath had caught her eye. Unfortunately, it regularly caught the boys' eyes too. Staring at the circle of smashed pinecones and half-attached leaves currently giving her home Adams Family charm, the woman sighed and opened the door.
Breathing deeply and resisting the urge to step back outside, get in the car and drive to Daniel's house, where people lived like humans instead of pigs, Sam ignored the mess to the right, where a partially built- or was it partially demolished- Lego whatever currently lay with zillions of other tiny scattered blocks in the living room. She also overlooked the disturbing disaster to the left in the dining room where the numerous battalions of army men who had apparently captured a Barbie from one of their friend's sisters were currently waging war to see who would win the 'woman' hanging from the chandelier by her feet. Not that she had any sympathy for a doll whose measurements made growing up without breast implants hard on self-esteem, but really- did the plastic bimbo have to be naked?
Shaking her head, the long-suffering blonde kicked a row of inline skates out of her way to make a path she could navigate. Noticing a few new chips in the tiled floor, she made a mental note to ask Teal'c if he thought Command would let her use the indestructible material they'd just discovered on that new planet...
"Mom, Mom, save me, save me!"
It sounded like a herd of elephants was barreling downstairs, but it was only her two oldest boys. Parker was escaping his twin Peter's wrath. Her husband had insisted his favorite comic book hero's name be given to their first set of twins, and loopy with medication, she'd agreed. How she'd regretted it since. The nine and a half year olds were blonde-haired, brown-eyed disturbances of the peace, but she loved them. She did. Even when one of her 'darlings' tried to kick his brother who dodged behind her and hit her shin instead of his intended target's.
"Ow! Cease and desist this moment Airmen!" The two froze, knowing that when mom called them by lowly, KP duty designation, they were in for it. Immediately, Peter flashed the charming grin inherited from his father.
"Geez, I'm sorry mom, did I kick you? I didn't mean to. It's Parker's fault, really...he called me 'P... Breath' again!"
Closing her eyes briefly at the use of a word she would've had a bar of soap placed in her mouth for using when she was a child, Samantha gritted, "Parker?" Big brown eyes looked as innocent as a fawn. Too bad for him she knew he was more like a Furling.
"But mom, Dad laughed really hard when I said it earlier, while we were watching E.T. together. He said it was funny."
Not for the first time, the General wondered if her husband was the poster boy for arrested development. Bending down, she looked into Parker's eyes and said seriously, "It's not funny and name-calling is against regulations in this household, mister. You get KP for the next week, and your brother gets to take out the trash three nights in a row for resorting to violence to resolve conflict." The front door banged open, and along with a cold gust of air, two more boys burst into the house.
"Mom, mom, we didn't do it, nobody saw us, they can't prove it!"
Sending Peter and Parker upstairs to clean their rooms, Sam ignored the 'Yeah, right' and 'Like that'll happen' her sullen sons muttered on the way and focused on the boys removing their coats and gloves and casually throwing them onto the floor. When people in stores, or emergency rooms commented on her two sets of twins, all she said in return was 'fertility drugs'. The pair watching her like hawks for signs that she knew what they'd been up to gave each other a lightning glance, communicated non-verbally in a way that was almost frightening, and then Patrick, the spokesman said,
"I guess nobody called, huh. Wow." Smiling widely at his brother, the sandy-blonde headed eight year old gloated, "I told you the science teacher wouldn't be able to trace our explosion through DNA. Dad says CSI is bull-malarkey, and the crime guys he works with can't tell their ass from...yeah, it's all good."
Nodding in satisfaction, the other brother replied, "Tight"
Paul was the quieter twin, and his mother remembered how relieved she'd been when he'd finally stopped telling people who asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, 'I can't decide. I'll either be an evil scientist or a criminal mastermind.' Thankfully, strangers had always thought the little cutie was joking. Now, she frowned repressively and demanded, "What have you two been up to?"
Patrick gave her a wide-eyed, 'What do you mean?' look before realizing his mother wasn't buying it and asked concernedly,
"Did Mr. Wilson from down the street call?"
She shook her head. His face brightened,
"How about Mrs. Cravitz the next block over?"
Feeling old and tired, Sam said tonelessly, "No"
"Ms. Crabapple from school? The Principle? The Fire Chief? The F.B.I.?"
Incredulously, she asked after shaking her head to every query, "Should I be expecting a call from all those people?"
Another quick glance was exchanged between the twins. As one, they shook their heads and replied,
"No. We were just joking with you mom."
Patrick looked meaningfully at Paul and said,
"Let's go clean our room, and let our tired mother have some time to rest after a hard day's work."
Somehow, the hugs and kisses the twins gave her before heading upstairs didn't give her a warm, fuzzy feeling. Neither did the shouts of hysterical laughter heard from Parker's room where the twins had obviously headed to share their misadventures. Sadly grateful that the F.B.I wasn't pounding on her door, Sam's slumped into the kitchen and stopped in her tracks. On the center island was a Butterball Turkey. She'd asked her husband to get her a fresh one. Walking over, she tapped the bird- it was frozen solid. Next to the turkey was an array of cans. Green beans, Yams, corn, jellied cranberry sauce, and turkey gravy. Finally, a ten pound bag of Idaho potatoes slumped over a can of beets.
Resignedly trudging over to the refrigerator, she looked into the freezer. Sure enough, three frozen pies were inside. She looked closer. They weren't even Mrs. Smith's. Shutting the freezer door, Sam reached into the refrigerator for a Guinness. There weren't any. Settling for a can of Diet Coke, the woman reached into a cabinet for acetaminophen. The bottle was empty. Holding her cold can in a grip that bent the aluminum, the blonde stepped into the den. The lights were off; she supposed to make the big screen TV showing a college football game more...something.
Flipping on light, she almost turned it back off. The boys had made quite a disaster area out of the room, and she included the man lounging in the recliner drinking the last of her beer as one of the boys- the biggest and the messiest. Two half-eaten bags of chips and an empty jar of nacho cheese littered the table beside him. Beer cans were stacked into a column. Noticing that his wife was staring at him, Pete smiled happily and saluted her with the Guinness bottle,
"Hey General, you're home! Ready to cook Thanksgiving Dinner? Mark, his little woman and the kids are coming tomorrow- I told him don't think about inconvenience, he's family for crying out loud, drive over and stay a few days. He said sure thing, even though he knows you cook on weekends and holidays. That's brotherly love, huh?"
The Shanahan smile hadn't changed in ten years...neither had the puppy-dog eyes. His hair was thinner, and he'd gained weight, especially in the gut, but overall, her husband was exactly the same guy he'd been when he'd promised to love her as long as they both shall live. For better or for worse. How many times had she asked Pete to help, until she realized that he wanted her to be superwoman and gave in to trying to do it all?
She had an industrial maid service come in twice a week to maintain sanitary conditions. A lawn service took care of the yard. A catering company froze nutritious entrees for them weekly. When the boys were little, she had a never-ending series of Nannies and day-care providers help with childcare. All so her husband could be a traditional guy who went to work and came home knowing he could lie on the sofa or sit in his chair with a beer in one hand and a remote in the other. Made uneasy by her continued silence, Pete said sheepishly,
"You noticed I forgot your shopping list, didn't you? I think I did pretty good, considering the boys had a fight in the produce aisle and knocked over a stand of oranges- and a couple of senior citizens. We'll have to cross that store off our list too- the kids are banned for life. The little hooligans."
Numbly, she nodded. Speaking almost rhetorically, she said dully, "If you order pizza, I can run over to the grocery store, fight the shoppers for the last fresh vegetables and pray there's still a bag of cranberries, not to mention the other things on the list I left taped to the refrigerator and then come home and start cooking, in between cleaning the house. I'll have to stay up all night, but I can do it."
Immersed in the game once more, Pete mumbled,
"Yeah, sounds great honey...What? Are you blind ref? That's the dumbest call I ever saw!"
Backing away, Sam absently rubbed her right eye- she should probably see a doctor about that constant tic- and mechanically took down the list from the refrigerator. Not bothering to change...at holidays shoppers were less hateful to military who took the last carton of Cool Whip...maybe because of patriotism or the fact that she knew how to use a firearm... She nudged the jackets out of her way so she could open the front door. Outside, she looked up at the night sky and rubbed her arms. It was cold, but strangely she didn't mind. Climbing into her Volvo and backing out of the drive, Samantha noticed several neighbors gathered on the lawn next door. They seemed to be pointing at her house. Glancing at the upstairs windows, she saw four naked butts pressed against the glass. Charming... Pressing down on the accelerator, the General left her happy family far behind.
Once on the highway, the Volvo sped along, and in the dreaming mind of Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, it seemed natural that the darkness lightened and turned into the soft sunlight of an autumn afternoon. Short blonde hair shook as Sam wondered why that poor woman on the call in radio program put up with four bratty boys and a chauvinistic slob of a husband. Feeling sorry for the poor woman, she turned the radio station and found a song that made her smile. Shania Twain's Always...
Although she wasn't much of a singer, the General sang along, uncaring that teens in a passing V W bug pointed and snickered. Unlike the pitiable creature who'd called Dr. Laura for advice on how to handle her couch-potato husband and two sets of Bart Simpson-esque twins, she actually looked forward to coming home to her family. Her husband was supportive and loving, and just thinking about him made her feel all warm and tingly. Sighing happily, Sam thought about spending tomorrow with their friends and their friends' families. Her husband was like a little boy in his anticipation of the upcoming flag football game. She'd have to remember to tell him not to gloat when his team won, as they did every year. Daniel couldn't help being less athletic, and one holiday he'd refuse to play, and then her husband would wish he'd been a better sport. Signaling, she slowed and turned onto her exit, traveling the familiar roads that led to those she loved. Her neighbors waved and smiled as she passed. Mr. Wilson gestured for her to stop, so she pulled over and rolled down the window. He handed her a tin and said with a smile,
"The boys helped me rake some leaves this afternoon. My wife wanted to thank them with some of her home-made fudge. Tell that husband of yours not to eat it all."
Thanking the man and wishing him a Happy Thanksgiving, Samantha waved and set the tin onto the passenger seat. A bit further down the street, she slowed. The twins were playing street hockey in the driveway, so she parked in front of the brick and log home and stepped out of the Volvo they'd traded her old one for when she and her husband learned they were pregnant. Watching two identical nine and a half year olds pass the puck in Colorado Avalanche jerseys, she grinned. They noticed her and stopped celebrating a goal to skate over.
"Hey mom! Whatcha got...fudge...Sweet!"
Accepting Jeff and Jason's hugs and sweaty kisses, Sam handed over the fudge so they could skate back to their friends and be greeted with an expression she'd needed Daniel to translate,
"Dude! Tight!"
Ruefully smiling over the slang that had replaced 'Awesome' in kid vocabulary, she walked to the front door and halted. Her wreath she'd found with Chloe at the elementary school craft fair looked...different. Some of the pinecones were glued in new places, and leaves that lookedsupiciously like those from their Maple in the backyard were now attached in substitution of the silk ones that had formerly graced the decoration. The sound of a youthful throat being cleared made her swing around. Jason's shaggy blonde head looked down before his brown eyes entreated as he confessed,
"I accidentally knocked that down earlier when we were playing and Dad helped us fix it. Does it look okay?"
She ruffled the hair her husband always wanted to cut and wiped a bit of chocolate off the corner of his mouth before saying, "You've improved it." A wide white grin was her reward.
"Cool"
She mock frowned, "Hey, I thought the word was 'tight'?"
Boyish laughter rang out as he skated back down the walkway,
"Cool will always be cool, mom!"
Opening the front door, the woman said to herself, "Cool". The house smelled so good her stomach rumbled. She hoped the pumpkin scent wasn't from one of those candles Teal'c's wife gave her last time the couples went out for dinner. Following her nose through the house that showed signs of recent tidying, Sam entered the kitchen and gazed in appreciation at the pies lined up on the counter.
"Dad and I made the pumpkin ones, but the others are Mrs. Smith's. He said they were almost as good as homemade and a whole lot less pain in the...butt."
Turning, she met the blue eyes of her daughter Grace. Hugging the girl tightly, Sam tried not to get all misty as she stroked her daughter's long brown hair. They'd been content with their boys, but when she'd started feeling queasy in the mornings eight years ago, her heart had longed for the new baby to be a girl. Grace meant unmerited favor, and that's what her daughter was, a blessing she could never earn, but was so thankful to have been given.
"Geez, Louise mom, are you getting all sappy again? Dad says I'm not allowed to be girly until I'm thirty, and even then, he's gonna have to approve my dates."
Chuckling, Sam stepped back and playfully tugged Grace's ponytail, "Oh really. Well, I predict you'll like boys a lot sooner than age thirty young lady."
Backing away, the girl who looked a lot like her mother grinned like her father, "I like a boy now. He's in my class at school. His name's Joe. I like him so much I borrowed the twins' GI Joe and made him marry Barbie."
Disturbed more than she wanted to admit by the thought of her seven year old baby girl liking a boy, the woman asked, "What did your brothers say about that?"
Opening the refrigerator and taking out a juice box- 100 per centjuice of course- Grace replied,
"They said, 'Tight. Now Cobra can kidnap her to force Joe to spill secrets and he can rescue her...but not before they cut off her hair'. " Scowling as if she'd just realized that her brothers were planning on hacking off Perfect Princess Barbie's hair, the girl headed for the back door- probably to demand Jeff and Jason do no such thing.
"Alone at last"
Strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her back against a chest that even after ten years of marriage looked mighty fine. Tilting her head to look into the brown eyes he'd passed on to his boys, she teased, "Isn't this against regulations?"
A boyish grin lit the rugged face that looked so handsome with silver hair. The former General turned Civilian Head of Stargate Command and now part-time Civilian Consultant and full time Mr. Mom turned her gently into his embrace and said with a roguish lifting of eyebrows,
"Not anymore"
Kissing Jack was the best part of coming home. The lips she'd been free to kiss for over a decade still gave her the same thrill they had that time in an elevator. In fact, if she and her husband were ever alone in an elevator, he insisted on reliving the memory- although not the lying on the floor with unbuttoned shirts part...except for that one time... Pressing Jack against the counter as she moved closer and deepened the kiss, Sam wondered if they had time for a 'nap' before dinner. Clever fingers tugged her shirt out of her trousers and started sliding up her back. A massage would feel so good right now- if only she could decide whether to give or receive one. The decision was taken out of their hands by youthful voices saying,
"For crying out loud, will you stop with the kissing stuff?"
"PDA, mom and dad, you told us to say PDA when we wanted you to cut it out."
"Do you think Joe would like me to kiss him?"
Sam tried not to laugh as Jeff, Jason, and Grace made their comments. Ignoring the first two, her husband focused on the third.
"Joe? Who's Joe, princess? Tell your dad that you're talking about a twelve-inch plastic guy and give his old heart a break, please."
Solemnly shaking her head, Grace said, "Joe's my boyfriend at school." Smiling angelically at her open-mouthed father, she consoled, "I still love you best, though, daddy."
The boys reached into the fridge to grab bottles of water before heading back outside. Jack silently watched the three children file out of the kitchen. Turning to his wife, he demanded,
"Did you know about this?"
She held up her hands in a gesture of peace, "Just found out today. Don't worry, it's just a phase."
"Yeah, right. Next thing we know Grace'll have hormone-driven goobers calling her at all hours and trying to get her to go study in the basement. I'm not ready for that."
Deciding not to mention the fact that they'd soon have two hormone-driven 'goobers' of their own luring girls down to the basement to study, Sam asked, "Did you get the shopping done?"
Shooting her a 'I know you're distracting me, but I'll allow it 'cause I'll see you naked later' look, the retired General O'Neill said huffily,
"Of course I did. I've been doing it for ten years, General O'Neill, ma'am. Just 'cause I'm a guy, doesn't mean I can't cook and shop and clean almost as well as you- I even made my own cranberry sauce. It tells you how on the back of the bag. I can follow directions, you know."
She lifted a blonde brow. He qualified with a wicked grin,
"When I feel like it, and I agree with them, otherwise I take matters into my own hands, just like in the old days, when you were a cute little Colonel, and I seduced you into fraternization."
She looked steadily at him. Jack grinned wolfishly,
"Alright, fine. When we seduced each other into fraternization...ya gotta admit Sam...sometimes rules are meant to be broken, 'cause some things are meant to be. " His voice lowered, "We were meant to be, and nothing and no one was gonna keep us apart."
Moving close enough to feel the entire length of his lean body against hers, she smiled invitingly, "How about breaking a house rule against Public Displays of Affection?"
Bending his head to hers, Jack whispered, "There's just something about a woman in uniform. The only thing better is you out of uniform. How about we rest up for dinner? I got some meatballs from the deli, planned on throwing a jar of spaghetti sauce onto them later. I figure we have approximately one point five hours before our kids pound on the door demanding chow."
In answer, Sam backed away unbuttoning her shirt. She spun around and ran for the bedroom. Inside the room, she tossed the shirt aside while Jack locked the door. She turned on the radio and smiled as Shania's voice sang, You're Still the One.
Jack pulled his tee shirt over his head and laughed,
"Are you gonna make me go two-stepping again? I don't think I impressed the guys at the Red Rooster last time."
She giggled in a way only her husband ever heard and sang along as she took off her shoes, socks, and undid her belt,
"You're still the one I love, Sam."
Lying on the bed with Jack's body covering hers and his face looking down at her while he told her he loved her was one thing she'd never get tired of and made every fishing vacation in Minnesota worthwhile. Tenderly, she whispered back, "I love you too, Jack, so much."
A glint appeared in chocolate brown eyes,
"Care to prove it?"
She nodded and lifted her mouth to meet his. Sam rolled Jack over and...
"Ouch!"
Rubbing her head that had hit the floor when she'd rolled off the bed, Carter sat up and groggily looked at her bedside clock. Her jaw dropped. It was 10 AM! Inconceivable! Grimacing at herself for sounding like a character out of that Princess Bride movie Cassie had sent with the instructions to 'watch and learn what True Love is', the blonde gradually moved from her spot on the floor to the shower, where she turned the spray as warm as she could stand it and stood letting the water work the stiffness out of her body. She had sat in her chair wrapped in an afghan for hours, until she was too tired to think anymore and went to bed. Being her, she'd of course had dreams that would drive weaker women around the bend trying to figure out what the subconscious was telling them. She knew, after that episode in the elevator what her brain was trying to say, she just didn't know what to do about it.
Lethargically dressing in a sweat suit and slipper socks, she went into the kitchen to try and decide what she felt like forcing herself to eat for breakfast. The phone rang, and she answered, "Carter". Daniel replied,
"Uh...Good morning, Sam...you okay?"
Glancing down at the box of Fruit Loops she'd been about to open, the blonde said dryly, "That's up for debate."
"Well...I'm always good for that, how about I bring you a bagel and talk about...things?"
Realizing that the stubborn scientist would hound her until she gave in, she said ungraciously, "Fine. Come over, I'll start a pot of coffee." He told her,
"No, don't bother, I bought coffee too...in fact...I'm here now...sitting in my car in your driveway."
She heard the sound of a door opening and shutting. Sam sighed heavily, "I'll be right there." and hung up the phone. Daniel's handsome face looked boyishly sheepish this morning. She couldn't be mad at him for wanting to talk to a friend, so she waved him inside and took the coffee he offered. At least it was Starbucks and not some dreck picked up at a convenience store. Taking a fortifying drink of caffeine, she asked as they sat together at her small kitchen table, "So, what exactly brings you here this morning, Daniel?" His blue eyes looked at her earnestly,
"I thought I'd tell you what I've found out about the Power of Suggestion. Remember Felger telling Jack, 'The Power of Suggestion only goes so far'? Well, I wondered about that so I did some research last night and found out some very pertinent information."
Aw, that was sweet. Sad too...he didn't have better things to do on a Friday night than surf the Internet? Not that she'd done anything more exciting. Huddling in an afghan. At least Daniel had been productive. She'd just given herself some crazy dreams. She tuned back into his explanation.
"The most common use of the Power of Suggestion is hypnosis. Perhaps you've seen this, but apparently once hypnotized, athletes told they are stronger lift more weight, or conversely, strong men are unable to lift pencils when told they are weak. The power of the mind is an amazing thing. "
She nodded, although this lecture was something she didn't want to hear. Blue eyes electric with academic enthusiasm gleamed as the man ran a hand through his brown hair and continued,
"Some describe the Power of Suggestion as the Will becoming self actualized in the Subconscious Mind, which leads to a manifestation- sometimes in actions but most commonly in dreams, which are a disguised order from the Objective Mind to the Subconscious. When the Objective Consciousness is at rest, the Subconscious is susceptible to the suggestion of dreams." Leaning forward in excitement, he shared, "The Ancient Greeks called it "sleep healing", when a dreamer enters an altered state of consciousness to increase the intensity of awareness of a goal beyond relaxation."
She tried to smile appreciatively, although he was pretty much telling her in big words what she already knew. His face fell,
"I didn't help you at all, did I?"
Carter smiled for real this time. "You help by being my friend, Daniel. What kind of bagels did you bring me?" He grinned and unpacked the bag. Wow. One of every kind, it seemed. Choosing a cinnamon raisin bagel, she spread cream cheese over it and took a bite. She'd never sneer when Cassie claimed to need food for self-medication again. Blood sugar and mood rising to acceptable levels, Sam asked about Daniel's current prospects, both in the lab and in his romantic life. Work was fine, but romance-wise, he was in a slump. Not that he was complaining. He'd rather have no love-life than one as messed up as... A blonde eyebrow rose and made his unthinking comment halt in its blunt tracks. He tried to backpedal.
"Heh, heh, no offense Sam, but...what are you going to do? I don't want to embarrass you, but what we saw in the elevator yesterday was pretty...intense... What I've been trying to explain is that the Power of Suggestion is only as powerful as you make it. If your will wants something, it finds a way to have it, so to speak."
She lifted a hand to her face, trying not to blush. This was so not what she wanted to talk about. Sam tried to prevaricate, "I'll certainly think about it, Daniel. Thanks for the food and the information. I'm sure by the time I see the General again everything will be back to normal."
"By tonight?"
Blue-grey eyes widened. Oh holy hanna, she'd forgotten all about the dinner party she'd agreed to host when they'd all been at Perfect Princess Barbie's...Kerry's...house. Her friend said gently,
"You forgot about it, right? You don't have to have everyone over. I can call and say you're sick, and cancel for you."
Sam reached for Daniel's hand and squeezed it. He was the best. She shook her head, "No, I want to get this over with. My cleaning service will be here at noon, and I can run over to the upscale grocer and get a great big fresh salad along with fruit and the ingredients for a soufflé. Ms. Johnson said she'd bring desert, so if you bring the wine, we're all set."
"You don't think the whole thing will be...awkward...?"
Decisively, she answered, "Of course not. We're all mature adults. You and Teal'c aren't going to say anything and neither will the General or I. We'll all just have dinner and some civil conversation and...what?"
Too innocent blue eyes flashed a 'Nothing' look before realizing she wouldn't let him off and admitting,
"It sounds like a recipe for disaster."
Privately agreeing, she waved him out the door with a grumpy, "Why don't you go online and use a matchmaking service to find a date?" Good naturedly, Daniel said, 'Ha, Ha, keep your day job, Colonel...see you later."
Leaning against the closed door, Sam closed her eyes and clutched her head with both hands. Was she insane? Assuring Daniel that the dinner party would be no problem when she didn't know how she was going to handle being in the same room as Jack? Determined to give her Objective Conscious Will Whatever a direct order not to freak out tonight and be in control of her emotions and actions at all times, she marched back to her room to get out of the sweats and get ready for the day.
"Good evening Samantha, how lovely your home is!"
Avoiding Jack's gaze...hard to call the man General when she'd dreamed about being married to him...and returning the other woman's greeting and modestly accepting the praise with a 'Thank You', Carter showed Kerry to the second bedroom where the other woman placed her wool coat and Jack's black leather jacket on the bed and put her purse beside them. The blonde was thankful she'd dressed up in a beaded black cashmere sweater and black trousers. Ms. Johnson wore a winter white pantsuit with a pink blouse that reminded Sam of cotton candy. The kind that made a sticky mess...
Inside her cozy living room, Daniel and Teal'c were sitting on the sofa telling Jack about something that happened at work. The General was leaning against the fireplace mantel wearing the silky designer black tee she'd gotten him last birthday and black trousers...oh heavens, they matched...like an old married couple...maybe no one would notice. The men on the sofa looked from her to the General, and diplomatically said not a single word about how anyone was dressed. Kerry gestured to a couple of items on a side table and said,
"Jack, could you help me bring these into the kitchen?"
Sam could almost smell magnolia blossoms, the woman was so 'little ol' me'. The metal canister and basket didn't look heavy, there was no reason two able-bodied women couldn't tote them a few yards into another room. As she reached for the canister, warm fingers brushed hers, causing hers to shake and pull back. Looking into Jack's eyes as he picked the item up proved to be a mistake. His dark gaze searched her face for something. His lips curved slightly as he said,
"I'm happy to help, in any way."
A knock on the door made her step forward seem not so...impulsive. She hadn't been about to kiss Jack, she'd just wanted to answer the door! Smirking, the General showed Ms. Johnson where the kitchen was while the Colonel took a deep breath and let Pete inside. He was dressed in a long sleeved blue shirt with his favorite Dockers pants and shoes. Taking off his khaki blazer, Pete pressed a kiss to her mouth which was broken by her stepping back quickly to say, "Pete, you remember Teal'c and Daniel..."
Intercepting a speaking glance between her two friends, Sam wondered why Daniel didn't just blurt, 'Did you see her back away like he had bad breath?' and Teal'c reply, 'Indeed'! Thankfully Pete was oblivious to undercurrents and grinned his Shanahan smile as the men rose and extended their hands to be shaken in what Teal'c had once called a 'male greeting ritual peculiar to this planet'. The other couple returned from the kitchen, and Kerry and Pete began an animated conversation about something so trivial the others stared in fascinated amazement. After the two had run out of things to say, and Sam's head started to ache from smiling and nodding, Pete asked,
"Is it time to eat, honey? I'm starving! All I had today was a donut, a hotdog and a gallon of coffee."
Refusing to meet any other man's stare because, yes, she was well aware that her fiancée was a walking cop stereotype, Sam was about to reply when Kerry interjected,
"Whatever you're baking in the oven looked good when I took a peek earlier...!"
Daniel's jaw dropped,
"But, Sam...didn't you tell me you made a cheese soufflé?"
Yes, she had. Ignoring the other woman's apology for her 'accident', Carter strode into the kitchen and opened the oven to contemplate the fallen soufflé. Squaring her shoulders, the blonde took it out and served it without any comment. Rounded out with the salad, a selection of fruit, and rolls Ms. Johnson complimented as 'almost as good as home-made', the meal wasn't the worst she'd ever served.
Kerry enthralled Pete with tales of all the dishes she loved to make, from scratch, and the three other men talked about the weather and sports. Teal'c had become interested in hockey and gave the stats for the Vancouver Canucks...all the stats. What a memory he had. Sam spent the time during dinner picking at her food and alternately staring across the table at Jack- remembering the things he'd done to her with those lips and trying not to look at him, to pretend he was just a superior officer, instead of a superior lover. She meant kisser. She refused to think about either, actually, and tried to smile as if interested in Pete's detective story that she'd heard several times before.
Ms. Johnson insisted on helping clear the dishes and insisted the men could 'go talk' while the 'girls' finished cleaning up before dessert. Pete grinned and led the way back to the living room, where he turned on the TV to some ball game or other. Faint sounds of cheering drifted to the dining room. The General lingered to ask if he could help, but when Kerry shooed him out, he went, after smiling wryly at Sam. The two women worked in not-so-companionable silence to place dishes in the dishwasher and wash by hand those that were delicate.
Sam would've been happy to never speak another word to the woman whose steel-magnolia personae really got on her last nerve. Kerry never did anything blatantly, it was all subtle. Subtly putting down the food, the quaint little house, while subtly emphasizing how feminine and accomplished she was and how in comparison Sa-man-tha wasn't. Now Ms. Better-than-you was bringing out brownies and home-made ice cream for dessert. How fabulous. Smiling sweetly, in the way Carter imagined Brutus did before he stuck a knife into Caesar, Kerry said,
"This has been such a wonderful evening. I want to get to know all of Jack's friends and colleagues."
"Really, why?" Had she actually asked that? Seeing Kerry's perfectly plucked brows go up in feigned surprise, Sam admitted that she had. She was stunned at the answer.
"I thought...everyone knew...Jack and I are dating now..."
Sorely tempted to retort, "Gee, Jack didn't mention that when he was playing tonsil hockey with me yesterday in the elevator." Sam instead said, "Oh? Since when?"
The other woman admitted,
"Well, since a few weeks ago. Jack wanted to keep it quiet. I didn't understand why...I mean it's not like there's anyone in the Command who'd care who he dates that I've seen, and even if you weren't engaged..."
Snapping the lid on a Tupperware container of fruit, Sam shoved it into the refrigerator with a little more force than necessary. Shutting the door firmly, she smiled every bit as saccharinely as Kerry and agreed, "Yes, regulations against fraternization really put a damper on romance don't they? Even if I wanted to go have a beer with the General after work, unless it's with a group, it would be frat. If I wanted to go to dinner with him, take a walk in the park; even go fishing, just him and me, its frat."
Leaning down so her steely blue eyes were on the other's woman's level, she stated matter-of-factly, "If all that is against regulations, you can just imagine how much more wanting to kiss him over and over until we find ourselves waking up in tangled sheets and staying there all day would be." Kerry's wide eyes tried to figure out whether the blonde was joking or not. Sam's grim smile must have convinced her she was, because she gave a trill of laughter,
"Oh, you...you were teasing me, weren't you?"
"Were you teasing her Carter?"
Her heart jolted as chills raced down her spine. O'Neill had heard her? Without looking in the direction of the man who'd entered the kitchen, the Colonel forced herself to say heartily, "Of course, Sir, would you help Ms. Johnson serve dessert? I need to...powder my nose." Instead of 'powdering her nose', Sam escaped to the back porch, where her thoughts ran in a continuous loop of 'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!' The back door opened and the General stepped out.
"Hiding, Colonel?"
"No General...just wanted some...fresh air."
Blowing a visible breath and giving her a disbelieving look, O'Neill walked over to lean against the post beside her. After gazing at her pale profile, he said quietly,
"I want to kiss you over and over until we wake in tangled sheets and stay there all day, Sam...what are you going to do about it?"
She crossed her arms tightly to keep them from doing something that would bring new meaning to fraternization. Reeling with the knowledge that she could haveJack if she just reached out for him, Sam wanted to cry. Pete stepped onto the porch,
"Hey babe, you're missing the best brownies in there. What are you two talking about in the freezing cold- top secret alien stuff?"
Jack's eyes met hers and rolled. She gave a semi-hysterical burst of laughter, "Yes, top-secret stuff."
O'Neill shook his head and went inside. She followed, and was halted in the hallway between the kitchen and living room by a fiancée who demanded,
"What's going on with you Sam? You don't answer my calls, you were distant all night...don't shake your head at me...I know something is going on...the guys at work say that when your woman hasn't had sex with you in months, something's up, so tell me...what is wrong with you?"
Hissing at him to be quiet, Carter rushed into the living room and stopped. The appalled look on Kerry's face, uncomfortable ones on Daniel's and Teal'c's, and slightly smug expression on Jack's said it all...they'd heard Pete yelling at her. Not long afterwards, the dinner was over and Ms. Johnson was escorted home by O'Neill while Daniel and Teal'c said goodnight and left in Daniel's car. Placing the last dessert plate into the dishwasher, Sam went rigid when Pete tried to slip his arms around her. He gave her his puppy-dog look and asked,
"What? Why are you upset? Your friends didn't hear me, and if they did, they minded their own business so what's the big deal? C'mon, let's go to bed. We haven't been together in so long I've forgotten what you look like naked."
Stepping away from him, Sam whispered furiously, "You embarrassed me and yourself tonight, Pete, and if you think I feel in the mood right now, you're three fries short of a happy meal, mister."
"What?"
She poked a finger into his chest. He stepped back. She stepped forward and poked again. "Loco, crazy, smokin' wacky tobaccy, bonkers, nutso, a brick short of a full load, a card short of a full deck, insane...got it now?"
Offended, he threw up his hands,
"Yeah, I got it, you're fancy friends are more important than I am. Well, fine, be that way. I'll give you some space to get over your PMS or whatever the hell your problem is. One of the guys is having a bachelor party tonight- I think I'll stop in and tell him congratulations."
If Pete expected her to say 'No, please, stop, don't go', he was disappointed. She didn't. Sam didn't even watch him walk out to his car. She just locked the door behind him and turned the porch light off. He called her from his cell phone a couple of hours later, drunk and miserable, but she didn't answer. The phone rung again...caller ID showed a name that made her pulse race. Taking a deep breath, she answered, "Hello"
"Hey Sam, you alone?"
"Hey Jack...yeah..."
How a silence could be filled with smiles, she didn't know. Maybe because she was smiling, just to hear O'Neill's voice? The sound of a voice clearing echoed, and then his voice said huskily,
"I'm glad I didn't chicken out of coming over there tonight. I heard some things that really made me think, Sam...and one of the things I'm thinkin'...is we need to talk."
"When?"
"How about now...I'm parked outside..."
Heart pounding, she breathed, "I'll be right out." Jumping off the bed, she ripped off her nightgown and dragged on a pair of jeans, a tee shirt and sweater and brushed her teeth while putting on socks and shoving her feet into the cowboy boots Cassie had sent. Firemen couldn't have been faster dressed. Grabbing her purse and keys, Carter opened the front door, locked it and ran to the dark green truck parked in the drive. O'Neill was waiting to open the passenger door. In the moonlight, his silver hair gleamed and his smile made her feel like a kid about to do a high dive. The fear, the rush of adrenaline, taking that step into the unknown in the hope that what you gained would be so much more than what you'd left behind...she took the step up into the cab. Jack held her hand as they drove off into the night.
A/N: Naughty me, making the ending such a cliffie, but I couldn't help it...Sam and Jack made me do it! lol Next chap is 'Hanging by a Thread'- bet you know why! Review and let me know how you liked the chap! Have to shout out to the brilliant people who take time to encourage- it really makes my day to read your review:-)
ChappaEyebrow- Ask and ye shall receive! lol
csl- Wow, you're reading my other stories. Hope you weren't shocked to see Harry Potter fics: )
froggy0319- I do love Felger. It's those eyes of his- very mischievous! Sorry to make you wait to see what Sam does with what he says, but I promise it'll be worth the wait!
galaxy- Don't worry, Pete is a dead man walking- heh. He won't go down nicely, though, which will at least be fun to read about! Thanks for enjoying the humour. Are you British? I write Harry Potter fics and wish I knew more Brit spelling idiosyncrasies to add more 'colour '. lol
GateSeeker2- Remind me never to take you to a deli. The thought of watching you eat a 'Shanahan Special' is...let's not go there! lol! When you gonna post some more, woman? We need all the Sam/Jack fics we can get these days of reruns! heh
Holly Mariano- Agree totally about Jack being sexy. I'd have made the show have way more shippiness if I was writing scripts, too bad I'm not. haha.
Kiwi4624- How'd you like the 'shipper moments' this chap:D Next chap is definitely more S/J, although Pete's true colors will be shown too. Got to kick Shanahan when he's down- lol
mishy-mo- Thanks for saying I made you laugh. I can't write straight angst, even when I try, so I don't anymore. heh. I'm definitely serious about getting Sam & Jack together though: ) Hey, I'm reading your fic, you should've asked me to take a lookey-loo when you reviewed! Or are you Scots too modest? Yeah, right! lol
Sci Fi Fan Gillian- Thanks for reading all my writing. I hope this chap came soon enough!
SG1-Fanfic- Thanks so much for the reviews and the encouragement!
shetlandlace- Shows have to revolve around such trivial things as sci/fi plots and I get to write about the good stuff! hehheh. I'm glad your having fun with the story- makes writing even more fun for me!
Shroedinger- How nice you reviewed all three chaps as you read! I appreciate the thought and the input! Aren't you glad Sam's finally acknowledging the signs? It's about time! lol