Legolas0: Of course I still like 'em! Shippy Angel: I'm glad you like it! Payne N. Uranus: Not. Whoops, too late! StargateFan: Thanks. Don't tell anyone though, most people think I'm un-evil. kittn: I suppose not. Since you're so nice! JamSack: (Glares and smoothes hair) IloveSG: Thanks! chocobell: (sob) you're so nice! BookWorm37: (hug) primax, Irish-Bird and Silver Damscus: THANK YOU! (checks list of reviewers) Thanks to everyone else! (CarterMacGyver, Glykera, Candice, Nikki, midnightair, fyre-anjel, Strawberry Shortcake, Jack-Sam4ever, Soccer-Bitch, Ilovesg1, claire svu fan, Nyrocat, Krystal and WarmTea.)TvAddict: 11-12 days.
Wow, I normally don't do that but everyone had such a nice review! (hug)
Apologies to the longer then normal wait. It took me ages to write this. This is unbeta'd but as soon as WarmTea sends me the chapter, I'll replace it.
Umm... well, what to say... hope you'll like this chapter!
"You go," they both insisted.
"No, no, no," Jack said, "Ladies first."
"Age before beauty," she quipped.
"You go."
"You."
"You."
"You infinity."
He stared at her. "This is kind of awkward."
She nodded.
"I umm..." He stopped and cleared his throat. "I..."
Sam screamed as the Christmas tree toppled over, covering her from sight.
"Carter?" He cried, "Carter?"
Silence.
"BERT! ERNIE! GET THE HECK IN HERE!" He yelled.
The two SF's came running. "Sir-" they stopped simultaneously. As one, they hurried over and lifted the heavy tree off of her.
"Ma'am?" Ernie asked gently touching her shoulder as Bert set the tree upright. "Major?"
"CARTER!" Jack barked. "AIRMAN, PUSH MY BED CLOSER!"
"Yes sir," Bert replied quickly moving a nightstand out of the way then pushing his bed closer.
Jack touched her shoulder. "Sam?" he whispered. Her shoulders were shaking. Was she hurt? Crying? "Carter?"
She rolled over, tears running down her face. "How many people do you know get clobbered by..." She burst out laughing.
"She's fine airmen," Jack said, "Dismissed."
Å
Daniel rushed in minutes later. Apparently according to Siler who heard it from Walter who heard it from a passing Captain who had heard it from an SF who heard it (you get the picture) that Sam was bleeding to death because the ceiling had collapsed on her. After being assured she was all right, he refused to leave the room except for a quick trip to the lavatory and another trip for coffee.
Teal'c was less obvious. The man continued to 'drop by' then finally brought in the sixth Star Wars movie and popcorn
Jack tuned out after the first few minutes and spent the remainder of the movie staring at Carter. She was watching the movie intently, occasionally muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'techno-babble'. After a few such comments, Jack threw a handful of popcorn, which she promptly returned. Soon, Daniel could be heard muttered something about 'getting a room'. He refused to repeat the comment after Jack asked him too.
The movie drew to a close much to Sam and Jack's dismay. Jack even suggested watching the next one but received a 'no' from the man. Without asking, Teal'c pushed the beds back to where they belong. As much as he wanted his friends to be happy, he did not feel it prudent to leave the beds adjoining. That would be tempting fate too much.
Sam and Jack settled to sleep with much difficulty, thoughts and emotions swirling around them.
What to do? What do I do?
Å
Teal'c and Daniel departed promptly at 0900 hours. Jack and SAm managed to amuse them through the first day without their friends. Things were still rather awakard between them not helped at all by the sly things Cassie continued to sneak in.
Night came and passed swiftly. Day two began...
Å
Jack thought he had behaved very well the day before. No Simpson's, no beer, he had barely complained... 'sides, it was 8:35... He'd been good for a whole... 2 hours!
Carter mentally sighed as her CO dropped his game boy on the nightstand and half turned to face her.
"Need something sir?"
"Nope."
She focused on the tangled bracelet in her lap. His staring unnerved her.
"What's the date today?" She asked in the hopes it might distract him.
"The 20th."
"Five days till Christmas."
Jack nodded. "Whatcha get me?"
She scowled at him. "Not telling."
"Oh commmmeeee on!"
"No."
"Plleeasseeeeeeeee?"
"No."
"C'mon..."
"Nope."
"CCAARRTTTEEERR!"
She shook her head. "I won't tell sir."
"Fine... tell me what you were like as a kid."
She looked up at that. "As a kid?"
He nodded.
"There's not much to say."
"Carter..."
Her hands stilled. "I... I was a... peculiar child. All my life, all I wanted to be was an astronaut. After my mom died... I-I couldn't think about that. I went from geek to the most popular girl in school in a month. From fourteen to sixteen, I basically partied. I kept up my grades so my dad... well, he knew what I did but I don't think he knew WHY I did it. He was gone a lot."
She stopped and took a deep breath, attacking the silver bracelet with new energy. "It was my physics teacher who made me move on. She-she asked me one day about my goals in life and I... well, I broke down. Sobbed for an hour."
She stopped again and gave a shaky laugh. "After that, I worked harder in school, graduated with honors and then joined the Air Force. I met Jonas and... he was the first guy that... well... said he loved me. Turned out to be a big ass but..."
"Carter," Jack whispered. She ignored him.
"I joined the Stargate program, and you know the rest."
Jack wondered if the look of sadness on her face had anything to do with the multitude of dead 'boyfriends' she had had. He was right.
She kept picturing their faces before they died. Jonas giving her a pleading look, Narim giving her one last lingering look before going back and trying to save his people. MArtouf whispered her name before she killed him, Orlin touching her face before ascending... Pete's face when he left the infirmary...
Jack cleared his throat. "I had an interesting childhood too. My dad died when I was 17, my mom when I was 23. All my life, all I ever wanted to do was fly planes... like my dad. Then I joined the Black Ops and... Was married, had a kid, he died, Sara divorced me and that's the end of my very boring life."
They looked at each other sympathetically.
"Carter..." Jack began, "It's..."
Janet chose that moment to walk in. Jack wondered in the back of his mind if God was playing some sort of sick joke on him. Every single time he tried to talk to Carter about... that... someone walked in.
Janet fussed around them then ordered their lunch brought it. Standing over them while they ate, she then ordered them to TRY to nap... even after their protests that they weren't 'sissies'.
But as he lay on his bed, he suddenly thought of something. With an evil grin spreading over his face, Jack O'Neill fell asleep.
In case you are mad at me for not letting them talk, they just CAN'T talk right now. However, you might like the next chapter...
(hug)
Hope you liked it and...
PLEASE REVIEW!