Not for the first time, O'Neill gave thanks to who ever thought of the concept of a 24-hour sports channel. The mere fact that at 3am on a Wednesday he could watch a hockey game made him sure that he was fighting on the side of the righteous. He wasn't so sure he'd be able to convince Daniel of the logic behind that one but he knew Carter would understand.
Carter. Not for the first time that long night he glanced at the phone and thought about calling. He knew she was at home and he was damn sure she wasn't asleep. Late night conversations at the SGC or in camp off world were one thing, but he hadn't quite worked out what it meant if they started phoning one another at home in the middle of the night. What if he phoned and she wasn't alone? Just the thought made him stick his fingers in his ears and start lalalalalaling. So loudly he almost didn't hear the phone ring.
"O'Neill"
"Sir. I didn't wake you" It was a statement not a question. Carter had been staring at her fireplace for so long she thought the spots would never clear from her vision. It was a huge thing to phone her CO at 3am when they were both on down time. She knew he'd be awake and she was pretty sure he was trying to work out whether he could phone her.
"You should be sleeping. Didn't Frasier give you some pills?" He couldn't keep the concern out of his voice. She'd been in the infirmary for a week after Jolinar's death and Janet had even been talking at one stage about clinical depression. She'd only let Carter out on the condition that an appointment be made with Dr McKenzie. O'Neill had desperately wanted to talk to Sam (Carter! Must call her Carter!) but the Doctor had been over protective, shooing everyone away at night so that her patient could sleep. He'd tried to explain about their routine but had made a mess of it.
"She gave me a whole swag of stuff. I don't want to take any of it – I just need to talk and not to McKenzie, he has no idea of what I'm talking about half the time"
"And you think I do?" He heard the chuckle and mentally pictured the grin, catalogue name "I can't believe I'm laughing when I feel like this". He reached for the remote and turned the sound down on the hockey.
"What are you watching?"
"Hockey – turn it on, and I'll explain what's happening, if you can understand wormhole physics, you may be able to follow a hockey game" She moved over to her couch, wrapped herself in a blanket and turned the television onto the sports channel. Just in time to see the ice turn red as an all in brawl erupted.
"Nice, I can see why you like this so much." It was her turn to be rewarded with a chuckle and she settled deeper into the couch. After a few minutes of idle banter about the IQ's of hockey players and fans she realised that the tone of their conversation was even more relaxed than usual. She hadn't called him sir since he first picked up the phone for a start.
By the time the stars started to fade in the greying sky they were both yawning more than talking. He told her to hang up and go to sleep. He told her he'd be going up to Minnesota to his cabin for the rest of the week and that his cell phone would work up there. He told her that she was going to be all right and that by the time she talked to him that night he wanted to hear from her all the ways she'd be using her experience with Jolinar to help their cause.
He loved the way she accepted without question that he'd talk to her that night.
But wait there's more..