Daniel pulled into the driveway and stopped the engine. His sat perfectly still except for his eyes, which searched the open space in front of Jack's house.
"Uh oh."
Teal'c cocked his head and turned to look at Daniel with a question in his eyes. "Daniel Jackson?"
"Sam's not here. She's always here before we are…."
"Perhaps she has been detained."
Teal'c seemed unconcerned as he exited the car and started up the path to O'Neill's front door. Stepping onto the porch, he waited for Daniel to reach him.
Daniel stepped onto the porch, smiled at the big Jaffa and rang the bell. They waited for a few minutes and when there was no answer, Daniel tried the door. Finding it unlocked he stepped inside calling Jack's name.
"Out here, Daniel!" Jack answered through the open patio door.
"Hey, Jack!"
"Daniel, Teal'c! Thought I'd grill some hamburgers. You guys hungry?"
"Um, sure. Where's Sam?"
"Um, don't know. She's not with you?"
"No, I haven't talked to her today."
Jack froze momentarily as he stared at Daniel, "Well, maybe she had plans and will drop by later."
He smiled but Daniel could see that it was a vacant smile with no happiness behind it.
"Yeah. I'm sure she'll be here, Jack."
But Jack pretended to ignore him and continued to attend to the meat he was grilling.
"Drinks in the kitchen, guys, help yourselves. Oh and veggies in the fridge, Teal'c."
Daniel and Teal'c exchanged glances and headed back into the house to get their drinks.
"Want anything, Jack?"
"A beer."
Daniel returned quickly and handed Jack the beer as he took a slow sip of his own.
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"You haven't talked to Sam today?"
"No. Why?"
"I guess…I was just hoping you two would…."
Jack looked up at Daniel with fire in his eyes. "Daniel, didn't we discuss this already?"
"Yes, but…"
"No buts, Daniel. Just this once, let it go. Ok? I've got good food, good friends, maybe a movie later…don't make me shoot you!"
Daniel smirked slightly and lowered his eyes to the ground, then back up to Jack looking over the rims of his glasses with eyebrows raised and a slight smile spreading across his lips.
"Isn't this a party? I am being promoted after all, let's celebrate!"
Daniel's face now held a full smile. Jack was right, there was no need to push him, and he wasn't going to give in anyway, at least not tonight.
"Right! You're right, Jack!"
Jack stopped short looking into Daniel's eyes and returned his smile, "Well, that's better! Teal'c, you coming?"
"On my way, O'Neill!"
Two hours later Sam pulled into the driveway and parked next to Daniel's car. She reached to her side and gingerly lifted the box that sat on the seat beside her. Smiling slightly she approached the house and then noticed the back yard lights were on and the house was dark. She stopped momentarily then turned to the path that led to the back yard. She could hear their voices as she approached and slowed her pace, savoring the sound of happiness as the three friends…what were they doing? She turned the corner and stopped in the shadows, her mouth slightly open and watched. Teal'c stood stoically on one side of the yard holding a football in one hand; Jack and Daniel stood opposite him, their heads together, obviously conspiring against him.
Suddenly both men stood almost erect, though staggering slightly, and rushed the Jaffa. Sam smiled broadly, some sort of male bonding she supposed, what were they thinking? Daniel ran full tilt at their Jaffa friend who stood silently watching his opponents. As Daniel approached he let out a yell and Teal'c raised one stiff arm. Daniel felt the palm impact his chest and fell backwards, full out on the lawn. Jack was only a few steps behind him and leapt into a flying tackle, aiming for the broad shoulders blocking his path. With very little effort, Teal'c swung his arm to the side and deflected Jack's attack sending him sprawling onto the grass. Sam closed her eyes, cringing at the 'thump' that told her Jack had impacted the ground with quite a bit of force then shook her head and allowed herself to giggle as she watched Jack and Daniel stunned but laughing on the lawn.
Smiling broadly she stepped from her observation point and called out to the group. "Hey, guys! What ya doing?"
"Carter!" Jack looked up at her from the ground, smiling stupidly and blinking his eyes to try and clear his vision. "We're teaching Teal'c football!"
"Oh? Is that what you're doing, Sir?"
"Yeah, but he doesn't play fair!" Daniel chimed in as he grimaced and tried to stand still clutching his chest.
"Teal'c?"
"I was merely following O'Neill's instructions, Colonel Carter."
Sam smiled again wondering how much beer her two friends had consumed before attempting to tackle Teal'c. Sober - it would be a monumental task, tipsy – an impossible one.
Jack was sitting up now and Sam could see that he wasn't nearly as tipsy as she'd suspected, but Daniel was another story. He was still attempting, with little luck, to get to his feet. Jack smiled slightly as he saw Daniel struggling and called out, "Teal'c." Without further instruction, Teal'c reached down and pulled Daniel to his feet, steadying him until he was sure he would remain erect. Then he guided him to the picnic table where he sat him down on the bench.
"So, Carter! Hungry?" Jack spoke jovially as he rolled to his side and stood in one fluid motion.
'So,' she thought, 'not so tipsy after all.'
"A little I guess."
"How about a burger then?"
"Oh, no, Sir, you guys have already eaten. I don't want to…."
"Not a problem, Carter. One burger coming right up! Unless you want more?" He smiled broadly at her and held her in his gaze for a long moment.
She smiled and shook her head at her friends, "No, Sir, one would be great."
"What's in the box, Carter?"
"Box? Oh! Cake."
"Cake? Excellent! Why don't you make Daniel some coffee?"
"That's a good idea, Sir." And she headed into the house while Jack put her burger on the grill.
The four friends spent the next several hours enjoying each other's company. They were silly and loud; they baited each other and laughed hysterically; they ate, they reminisced, they drank and laughed some more. They were anything but serious.
"Jack, what happened to all your movies?"
"We packed 'em, Daniel. Remember?"
"Oh, right! Well, what do we do then?"
"We could play some more football. We have enough for even teams now."
"Teal'c seemed to be doing all right by himself, Sir."
"Still. Might be fun."
His eyes twinkled with mischief as he stared at her.
"I think I'll pass but we can go to my house for movies if you want."
"No chic flicks, Carter!"
"No, Sir wouldn't think of it! How about "First Blood" that manly enough for you?"
"Great!" Daniel spoke up. "I won't have to think too hard – just random hurting and killing. How is this relaxing?"
"Is this a story of battle, O'Neill?"
"Yeah, sort of. It's Carter's movie anyway, Daniel."
"Hey, no problem. It's your choice, I'm sure it's great."
"Excellent! Bring the cake." A few minutes later they were all headed to Carter's house to extend the party in front of her TV.
They ordered pizza and sprawled about the room to watch the movie. Jack sat angled on one end of the couch, his legs partially supported by the cushions. Daniel and Teal'c took chairs on either side of the couch and Carter settled down next to Jack. She marveled at the amount of food these guys could put away.
"Didn't you guys eat burgers?"
"That was hours ago and before the football!" Jack argued. "Tackling Jaffa takes a lot of energy and besides this is just a snack! Start it up, Carter, let's watch the movie."
"Yeah, I'll bet!"
Sam winked at Teal'c and laughed as she pressed the remote to start the movie and unconsciously moved a bit closer to Jack as Daniel dimmed the lights.
Hours later as the ending credits scrolled across the TV screen Teal'c stood and placed a hand softly on Jack's shoulder. His head snapped up in response then relaxed as he recognized Teal'c. But as he tried to stand, he realized Carter was lying on him, asleep. He looked up at Teal'c in surprise and saw a small smile lighten the man's face.
"You need not attempt to move, O'Neill. I merely wished to inform you that I am taking Daniel Jackson home."
"You guys can stay here, Teal'c, Carter has a guest room."
"I think Daniel Jackson would be more comfortable in his own home and I will stay with him there. Perhaps you should make use of the guest room. Both you and Colonel Carter appear to be very tired." Teal'c smiled down at Jack knowing that he would not want to wake Carter.
"Ah! You may be right, Teal'c."
Teal'c walked across the room and lifted Daniel to his feet.
"Daniel Jackson!"
Teal'c's voice boomed loudly in the room and Jack's hand automatically moved to still Carter as she jumped slightly.
"Hmm? What?"
"It is time for us to return home."
"Yeah, ok, Teal'c. I'll dial the gate.
Jack snorted a laugh and moved slightly trying to find a more comfortable position without waking Carter.
"No need for that Daniel. Just give Teal'c your keys. He'll get you home."
"What?" Daniel squinted in drunken confusion at Jack as his brain started to register where they were. "Oh, yeah, right."
Jack smiled at his still tipsy friend, "Thanks, Teal'c. Night Daniel."
Daniel was staring at Sam, as she lay haphazardly across Jack, her neck bent at an extreme angle against his chest.
"Is Sam okay? It looks like her neck's broken!"
"What? No, Daniel, she's fine. Just sleeping."
"Oh, ok. Night, Jack."
Teal'c was already leading, well actually it was more like…dragging Daniel toward the front door. A few minutes later he unceremoniously dumped him into the passenger seat of his car, secured the seat belt around him and drove away smiling.
Jack listened until the sound of the car disappeared and then reached for the remote and turned off the TV. Sam sighed and shifted slightly as silence filled the room. Jack gently lifted her weight off him and slid down so that his head rested on the arm of the couch and her head was cradled by his shoulder. He stretched his long legs out fully and allowed Sam to wriggle until she had wrapped herself around him and settled back into his shoulder. As she stretched out she had turned to face him, snuggling closer and rousing slightly.
"Sir?"
He couldn't help but smile, 'Sir' even in her sleep.
"It's okay, Carter. Go back to sleep."
He reached up and drew a blanket from the back of the couch to cover them and for a few minutes he just lay still feeling the beating of her heart against his chest, listening to her easy breathing, relishing the feel of his arms wrapped around her. He was memorizing every sensation, thinking how he would miss these unexpected moments of quiet intimacy when suddenly her leg moved across his thigh and she rubbed lightly against him. He groaned quietly and then moved a bit more on his side, turning his body to fit against hers and allowing their legs to intertwine. He stared silently down at her sleeping form and softly brushed the hair away from her eyes. For a long time he watched her sleeping peacefully in his arms and then without really thinking about it, placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He pulled her a little closer, his cheek against her forehead and decided to let her sleep for a bit longer. He'd just rest for a bit and then start home.
Suddenly he felt a gentle pressure squeezing his chest and attempting to pull him from the blissful void. He decided to ignore it, not ready to awaken, until he heard her calling him in a low whisper. His mind cleared at the sound of her voice and the feel of her close against him, he answered just as softly, "Yeah?"
"Where're Daniel and Teal'c?"
"They went home." He answered sleepily.
"Oh." She paused and snuggled closer into him. "I'm tired. Let's go to bed."
His eyes popped open then, startled that he'd allowed himself to get into this situation. He shouldn't be here like this…she shouldn't be in his arms.
"Uh, sorry, Carter. I just didn't want to wake you – I guess I fell asleep. It's late. I should go."
He mumbled quickly as he started to untangle himself from her and tried to get up. The leg she had thrown carelessly across him, instinctively pressed down, stilling his attempted movement.
"Come with me." She paused and snuggled closer into him.
"What? Where?"
"To bed. Come with me."
"Well, I guess I could stay in your guest room…"
"No, you can't. I meant, my bed…"
"Carter…"
She raised her head to look into his eyes. "It's ok, Sir. We've slept beside each other a thousand times off world, once more won't matter."
"That's different, Carter…we shouldn't be doing this."
"You can pretend you're in a sleeping bag then. Can we just go to bed…please? Or do you need your P-90 to feel safe?"
He studied her intently, doubting that he could crawl into bed beside her and not want more.
"Very funny, Carter. I just don't think it's a good idea. I'll take the guest room."
She sighed heavily and he felt her warm breath against his neck.
"But I already told you, you can't sleep there. Let's just stay here."
She was tired and uncomfortable but she squirmed a little and settled down on his shoulder, her arm draped across his torso. She needed to sleep, but if she had to choose between sleeping alone in her comfortable bed or sleeping on the couch with Jack wrapped around her…well, the couch wasn't so bad.
"You sure you don't want me to leave?"
"I'm sure."
His heart ached in his chest. He had wanted to hold her in his arms for so long, to caress her, to make love to her, but he couldn't let that happen. Not now. She had Pete…he couldn't forget about Pete.
"Sam?"
"Hmmm?"
"What about P…?"
Realizing what he was about to ask, she moved quickly to cut him off. Moving her hand from his neck, she placed it on the couch beside him and shifted her weight so that she was just above him. Without hesitation, she pressed her lips to his before he could finish the sentence. For a moment she stayed there, suspended on one arm above him and then she felt his arm slip around her waist so she slowly relaxed onto him. She released the weight from her arm and allowed her body to rest on top of his, gently pressing into him. Her hand returned to his neck and held his head as she continued to kiss him.
She could feel the tension in his body relaxing as she continued to kiss him deeply. He'd surrendered his mouth to hers and his hands were gently stoking her body, but he was still hesitant and she could feel it. Breaking their connection, she looked down at him with smiling smoldering eyes.
"Um, Carter…"
"Oh, sorry. What were you saying?"
Jack paused, mouth opening and closing until finally he spoke in broken sentences.
"Um…I…don't know. Nothing…I…guess."
Jack's head was spinning. She'd caught him off-guard and he couldn't for the life of him remember what he had been talking about before.
She smiled down at him, totally satisfied with the spaced-out look on his face. That look alone was worth testing the regulations as far as she was concerned. She stared at him for a moment, her mind playing though all the possibilities of what could happen if she kissed him again. Finally all she said was, "Go to sleep, Jack."
Jack thought he felt her giggle as she snuggled closer into his neck, letting her warm breath spill over onto his skin and moving her arm across his chest to caress his neck.
"I'm trying! Now stop that!"
She giggled aloud this time and turned her head into his neck.
"Stop what, Sir?"
She asked mockingly and he could almost see her eyes twinkling at his unease.
She smiled again, broader this time, and pulled him closer to her, slipping her leg between his thighs. She felt safe in his arms and she trusted him more than anyone she'd ever known, so she couldn't help being amused at his obvious discomfort. Then she smiled slightly and placed a tender kiss on his neck.
"Wearing your side-arm, Sir?"
"God, Carter, you're killing me! Now, go to sleep!"
"Night, Jack."
"Night, Sam."