What Fate Decrees - Part Twenty-four
Saturday afternoon came quickly. Daniel and Jack had done what they could to prepare for the BBQ and were now waiting for the others to arrive. They were quietly basking with a beer in the warm sunshine. Daniel found himself relaxing as he listened to the sounds bird song with the soft background noise of classical music. He looked over at his friend to find Jack's eyes were almost closing.
'I hope we've not overdone it,' thought Daniel, watching Jack. 'Still can't get over him liking classical music,' he mused.
The side gate swung open to admit Sam and Teal'c, both carrying bags. "I need the freezer, brought dessert," Sam called as soon as she entered.
"Knock yourself out," grinned Jack, sitting up.
Daniel stood as he heard the gate bang a second time. This time Janet and her adopted daughter entered.
"Jack!" squealed Cassie, launching at him, a mass of hair, lanky legs and freckles. Jack had just managed to put his beer down and stand when Cassie careered into him, leaping up for her usual bear hug. Jack didn't give anything away to her when her legs contracted on his ribs, but Daniel saw the pain flash across Jack's face before he could stop it.
"Cassie!" shouted Janet quickly, alarmed at how Cassie had flung herself on Jack.
Frowning Cassie let herself slide down. "Gosh I'm sorry Jack - really I forgot. Did I hurt you?"
"No, honey," Jack answered "You're barely half grown." He backed up, and Daniel saw a look of pain cross his face, quickly disguised as the girl turned to face him again. Jack held her hand and sat down, inviting her to sit on his knee. She sedately climbed up and twisted towards his chest, hugging his neck lovingly.
Daniel grinned at the sight of the lanky gray haired Colonel happily sitting the 'not so little' girl on his knee. 'If only those recruits he terrified could see him now,' he mused. Jack never had a problem with kids, just grown-ups. Then he remembered his duty as co-host and stood.
"I'll get drinks.".
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Janet sat down in the chair Daniel vacated, soaking up the sun. "Oh this is nice," she sighed.
"Mom's tired," complained Cassie.
"She works too hard," said Jack.
"Mom's always tired."
"Then I guess she always works too much. She can't take her own prescriptions."
Janet opened one eye and glared at him. "I didn't prescribe myself anything."
"You should, you're always telling us for to not work too hard. You should take your own advice."
"Well, if SG1 behaved themselves more I might have more time," snorted Janet.
"Touché." Jack laughed lightly, "But you've no excuse at the moment. SG1 are on stand down."
"Might I remind you that you still need me, Colonel," she pouted jokingly at him.
"I can get my checks done by you, but I don't need to see you every day. You could still take leave," Jack informed her, choosing to ignore her pout.
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Sam pushed the door open, carefully balancing the drinks as she did so. The Colonel was sitting with Cassie on his knee, looking relaxed and happy and smiling at Janet, who was smiling back at him.
'Whoa, happy families? Surely Janet wasn't making a play for Jack? Was she? Was she?'
She cast her mind back to Janet's teasing words about how good looking the Colonel was and a fleeting thought crossed her mind at how often in the past the doctor had commented on what a good catch he was.
'Huh! Am I jealous? Damn right I am! Janet has no right making eyes at my …him.'
Janet had confessed once she'd love to get married again, to the right man of course. Was Colonel O'Neill the right man? Sam had to agree - he certainly was a good catch.
Sam's eyes narrowed slightly as the thoughts continued to churn in her head. She moved forward to the table, putting down the tray of drinks she'd helped Daniel to prepare.
"You okay Sam?"
"Yes, fine Janet." She helped herself to her drink and sat down.
'Jack isn't mine and he never will be. Why shouldn't Janet be happy?' She felt ashamed of her earlier uncharitable thoughts. 'If Jack doesn't want me, then he should find happiness with someone else.'
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Jack leaned over to take a drink from the tray Carter had carried out, but sat back as Daniel and Teal'c both appeared, carrying various utensils and plates. He took the hint and managed to pry Cassie away for long enough to light the grill.
"I hope you're all hungry. Daniel shops like a woman." he commented dryly, waiting for the grill to heat and the bait to be taken.
He grinned as his plan succeeded and the bait thrown to the women started the expected argument. Daniel looked so indignant that Jack had to laugh.
Cassie looked from one female adult to the other, obvious puzzled. "Why are you arguing? You do shop like women – you are women."
Jack laughed again at Cassie's comment. "I'm not disputing that," he said dryly "It's just that Daniel shops like one as well."
"Jack's idea of shopping," interjected an indignant Daniel, "is to throw in the meat and the beer."
Jack grinned. "Well, what else do you need?"
Checking the temperature, he announced the grill ready to cook and went in to fetch the steaks he'd had marinating. Daniel and Sam followed him in, bringing out the salad and various other side dishes. Cassie began to get the table ready with the plates and cutlery, but she soon tired of helping and dragged Teal'c off to shoot hoops at the side of the house.
Jack was soon back at the grill, pushing the steaks around idly while half listening to his team mates conversation. He had noticed Janet watching him and wasn't surprised when she stood up and came over to join him.
"I hope Cassie didn't do any more damage to those ribs," she commented
He shook his head. "Nah, they're just sore, that's all." He looked over at the girl, watching as she ran to retrieve the ball. "She's certainly growing up quickly."
"Tell me about it," Janet laughed. "She's learned to be a typical Earth girl way too fast."
"It won't be long before she'll be fighting off the boys. She's going to break some hearts." He broke off to concentrate on turning the steaks.
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'Just like the heart you're breaking, Colonel.' thought Janet 'Only you don't even know it.'
"I've got my bag in the car so I'll give you a check up today." She kept her voice low and leaned closer to speak, looking up at him.
"Sure, later," he responded.
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Sam hesitated for a moment in the doorway before continuing. The sight of the Colonel and Janet standing so closely together, taken with the Colonel's quietly spoken 'later', caused jealously to rise up inside her.
"Sam," called out Cassie "Come help me beat Teal'c."
"Coming," she called, placing the platter of bread rolls down. She hurried over to join Cassie and Teal'c in their game, glad of the excuse to escape from the uncomfortable situation.
It wasn't too long before the Colonel was calling out that it was time to eat. They looked over to see him putting burgers and dogs on the grill, and a large dish filled with steak already waiting.
Sam caught Cassie's eye and they raced over together, followed by a more sedate Teal'c. Just before the girl reached the others, Sam caught up with her and grabbed her, tickling her under the arms. Cassie pulled forward trying to escape Sam's grip, giggling.
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Jack turned to look as Carter and Cassie tussled with each other, laughing. He stood, almost transfixed as he watched Sam tickling the happy girl. The mock battle ended as suddenly as it had begun with Cassie making a break for the table.
Cassie reached him, staring up into his gaze. "Jack, are you hungry?" she asked, looking puzzled.
Jack was finally pulled from his thoughts by the peels of laughter that erupted from Daniel and Janet at Cassie's remark.
"Yeah, but not for food," smirked Daniel.
Jack shot them both an annoyed look as he carried the plate of cooked steaks to the table for everyone to help themselves.
Daniel and Janet kept bursting into laughter as they caught each other's eyes, earning them odd looks not just from Jack, but from the others as well.
"Mom, you're not drunk are you?" asked Cassie worriedly as her mother giggled again.
Janet coughed, almost choking on her food at the question and Daniel gave her a thump on the back, trying to be helpful. Janet's expression caused Sam to start giggling as well, at which Cassie sighed with disgust.
Jack stretched and leaned back in his chair, food forgotten as he watched Sam laughing, strangely feeling jealous that the laughter wasn't for him. He closed his eyes and tried to think of other things and soon, along with the help of the beer he'd drunk and the warm sun, he drifted off.
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Sam stopped giggling as she saw Jack lean back with his eyes closed, a feeling of longing to touch him rising strongly. His face was relaxed, the lines of stress easing, and his boyish looks gave her a warm tingling inside. She found her breathing getting harder. 'Whoa, stop girl, he's not interested, at least in me,' she chided herself. Frowning she thought about what she was missing. 'I could make him interested – why should Janet get all the fun?'
Call it the devil in her, but she ignored the others. Cassie was teaching Teal'c how to build a huge burger and Sam homed in on the dish of salted nuts on the table. Sure that Jack was asleep, she grabbed a handful and mischievously began to throw them one at a time at the sleeping Colonel.
The first one missed altogether, the second bounced off his shoulder, the third found its target inside the collar of his shirt, and a few more rolled into his shirt down his chest. He stirred restlessly, batting with one arm a little as though to scare off an insect.
Sam stifled a giggle and managed to get several more nuts down the Colonel's shirt before he woke up with a start, rubbing at his chest. Looking puzzled, he stared down at the top of his chest and stood, shaking at his shirt. The rest of the nuts had found their target - they'd rolled down inside to gather at his waist. Frowning now, he pulled his shirt from his trousers and the nuts fell out to scatter on the floor.
Sam couldn't contain herself any longer and burst into laughter. Jack realised what she'd done, and pounced on the dish of nuts, grabbing a large handful. As soon as he did so Sam squealed in mock horror and shot to her feet, running onto the lawn. Undaunted Jack followed her with a speed that belied his injuries and cornered Sam at the bottom of the garden. His speed had taken her by surprise and laughing, she twisted, darting to go around him. Jack followed and dove at her. He came down on her legs with a half roll, shielding his chest as he went, and before she knew what had happened she was flat on her back, held down by the Colonel sitting across her hips. Her hands were pinned at her head with just one of his. He held her gently, but firmly.
Her eyes widened when he showed her the handful of nuts he still held.
"You wouldn't dare," she teased, laughing.
"Never dare me, Sam," he grinned and started to trickle nuts down her shirt, his hand almost touching her. She started to struggle and almost twisted to use her legs, then remembered his injury.
"Not fair," she pouted.
"I don't care," he grinned, making the most of his advantage, knowing full well that if he weren't injured he'd be struggling with a wild cat, giving him a run for his money. Still holding a few nuts he straightened up and flipped one into his mouth while lazily grinning at her, dropping the odd one down on her.
Cassie made a move as if to join them, but Janet drew her onto her knee. "Grownups playtime honey," she laughed.
Sam, if truth were told, was enjoying the experience, the close contact playing havoc with her senses. 'Good job he doesn't know what this is doing to me,' she thought, completely unaware of that Jack was thinking the same thing.
The nuts soon ran out, much to Sam's disappointment.
"You surrender?" Jack drawled and when she didn't respond he let go of her wrists.
Seeing her chance, Sam twisted, throwing him off balance enough for her to wriggle out from under him, but she only managed to get to her knees before she was grabbed and tickled. Giggling and wriggling up against him she tried half-heartedly to get away, but he ended up kneeling behind her, both his arms wrapped around her, holding her close. She could feel his breath on her neck and still giggling, she twisted around.
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Jack had let Sam go, knowing he couldn't keep sitting on her for too long without her noticing what effect it was having on him. Now, finding himself holding her tightly to his chest, her scent and softness stilled him, filling his senses with the desperate urge to kiss her…
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