Hey!
Thanks for reading/reviewing the last chapter... I really appreciate it! (Confectionary to all!)
However, do you people still wants me to continue or end it up with a wedding chapter? Interest seems to be down so I thought I'd check.
This chapter covers two days... just in case it confuses everyone.
THANKS to WarmTea for beta'ing!
I hope you like it!
"Doc!"
The doctor frowned at her patient. He had been fairly good the early morning but as it neared noon, he was getting more restless. "Colonel-"
"Where's Car-Sam?"
She snapped her file closed. 'Major Carter went to the surface for lunch. A well-deserved break in my opinion."
"I'm not that bad," he protested.
Janet just raised an eyebrow and turned around, bumping into Teal'c.
"Oh, sorry Teal'c, I was-"
"It is fine Doctor Fraiser," he assured her. "You did not injure me in the slightest."
She gave him an apologetic smile and hurried off. Teal'c smiled after her and took a seat next to Jack's bed.
"Hey big guy! How's it going?"
"It is going well. I have found Monday's Mystery Meal."
"What is it?" Jack asked eagerly. "Ham?"
"Macaroni and Cheese."
Jack gaped at his friend. "You like that stuff?"
"No."
"Then why-?"
"The commissary has kindly consented to change the menu to pizza. As I left, they were gathering the needed supplies."
"Good going' T!" Jack said appreciatively. "Mac 'n' cheese for the fifth time in two weeks…. Grates on the stomach a bit."
The Jaffa smiled. "May I be of any assistance to you O'Neill?" He asked.
"Nah, I'm good."
He inclined his head. "I have procured the movies you requested several days ago."
Jack looked at the Star Wars DVD's on his bed. "Uh… thanks…. I… asked for them?"
"Indeed. You and Major Carter had watched the sixth one and desired to watch the rest of them."
"Oh."
Teal'c inserted the first one. "I believe you will enjoy it O'Neill."
"Yeah… I'm sure of it."
Å
Carter checked her watch. 3:28. She stopped by her lab and quickly went through the reports on her desk. Picking out the most interesting four, she perused them as she took the elevator to the infirmary.
She bit her lip unconsciously as she read the report by Dr. Lee. "I disagree," she said quietly.
The doors opened and she stepped out. Her feet automatically set off towards one of the most visited rooms by SG-1. As she entered the infirmary, she saw Teal'c staring at the television set. He gave her a nod then looked back at the screen. Jack on the other hand mouthed 'Finally!' and gestured for her to come closer. She smiled and kissed him.
"How are you?" She asked once he had caught his breath.
He looked a little dazed. "Peachy."
She grinned and sat on the corner of his bed. "The second one?" gesturing to the movie.
"Yeah. We got through the first one… finally… Teal'c wants me to watch the third one 'fore I leave this place."
She looked around. "Have you seen my dad?"
"Yeah. Dad and good ol' Hammond swung by to tell me they were going golfing and they were sorry I couldn't come."
The Major covered another grin and patted his hand. "You'll be okay."
"O'Neill, you must watch this part. It is most crucial to-"
Jack nodded, interrupting the Jaffa. "See ya later," he called as she slipped away.
The day seemed like it was getting longer and longer.
Å
"No proper words sir." The Major insisted later that night.
"Oh come on Carter..."
"Rules sir."
"I know but... this once?"
"No."
Jack looking crestfallen sighed. "I coulda won."
"Sir, I beat you by 300 points."
He shoved the Scrabble board away. "Who wanted to play anyways?"
"It was your idea sir."
"Right."
Daniel looked amused handed Sam his letters. "Good game Sam."
"Indeed Major Carter. You are a most skillful player," Teal'c agreed.
"It's just Scrabble," she said modestly.
Janet hurried in to the infirmary. "It is now 2200... I think it's time for my patient to go to bed."
Jack looked sulky but didn't argue. He knew that the doctor would make good of her earlier threat and he had no desire to be stuck here any longer then he had too.
"Want me to stay here?" Sam asked closing the game's box. "I can camp out on the bed again."
"Nah, you go have a decent night's sleep."
Carter hesitated then nodded. "Good night sir."
"Jack," he corrected.
She nodded. "Night Jack..."
He watched her go and then rolled over with a small smile on his face.
Next afternoon.
"Jack, c'mon. Pay attention."
The Colonel blinked and stared at the chessboard. "I checkmated you Cass."
The teen didn't seem daunted. "You checked mated me with my piece."
Jack rolled his eyes. "This game sucks."
She laughed. "Checkmate. You just hate to lose."
"That's check, not checkmate. You'd think you'd know the difference after 7 years. Check."
Cassie moved her king to a spot of relative safety. "Don't you get out of here tomorrow?"
He nodded and stared at the board, trying to find a better move then the one he had planned. "Teal'c made me watch Star Wars all day yesterday."
"Poor boy," she said unsympathetically. "At least it wasn't the Disney films."
Jack had to acknowledge the truth in that. Teal'c had been fascinated by all the old stories. He loved Cinderella, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and he loved Donald Duck… He also liked Bugs Bunny. The man was a cartoon freak.
Maybe they could convert the entire race of Jaffa to their side with a cartoon showing them kicking Anubis as-
"Jack!" Cassie called. "Your turn."
Rear.
He finally gave in to the teenager and declared her winner. Having appeased her with leftover candies, she sat on the bed and looked around. "Where's Toto?"
Jack flipped through the channels. "Vet. Carter took him yesterday- I think to get her spayed."
Cassie looked indignant. "Jack, the puppies are worth-"
"I said think. Who knows what she had done? She's more of a cat person."
Cassie nodded. "She used to have a great orange cat with a weird name. What happened to it? She told me she gave it away but she never said to who."
"Whom," Jack corrected. "She gave it to Narim."
The teenager frowned. "The advanced alien who had Sam's voice recorded for his house?"
Jack raised an eyebrow. "He had what?"
"Mom said some alien dude recorded Aunt Sam's voice so whenever he walked in, it said something."
"Narim?"
"Older guy, wears gray clothing?"
'That's the one," Jack muttered.
"Mom said he was nice… didn't have the looks of Martouf though."
Jack scowled. "Can we talk about something else?"
She nodded. "Sure. Did you know that Aileen is pregnant?"
Jack groaned.
Å
After a semi-serious talk about Cassie and her best friend who was pregnant and how that was not okay in which Cassie rolled her eyes the entire time, the girl escaped after dinner time with to go home. Janet gave him a quick check up then followed her daughter home.
Sam ate her dinner with her fiancée and Daniel. The conversation was light, mostly teasing Daniel who ignored them and sipped his coffee.
"You live on that stuff," Jack muttered. "Tell me, do you ever sleep?"
"Yeah, I guess, sometimes. Depends on who you ask."
General Hammond appeared with Jacob Carter. The two men had enjoyed golfing the day before and repeated it the following day. Dressed in golf attire, they looked to be in fine humor.
"How was it General's?"
"I won," each General said simultaneously.
"We both did son," George explained at Jack's quizzical look. "How's the leg?"
"It's fine General. Can I please be discharged... tonight?"
"Dr. Fraiser assured me tomorrow you would discharged. It's one night Jack."
He looked around for an excuse then slumped against his pillows. Sam patted his hand then looked at her father. "When are you leaving?"
"Day after tomorrow. I'll be back the twentieth then I'll be gone for a while."
She nodded. "I called Mark. He says Carolyn has a family reunion in Arkansas. They'll drive over afterwards but they won't make it for the wedding."
Jacob scowled. "Just because he's upset about Pete doesn't mean he should-"
"Dad, it's okay. It would have been almost impossible to get clearance for him anyways," she said, not allowing herself to show the hurt she really felt.
Jacob looked surprised. "You're getting married at the SGC?"
"Yeah Dad."
"And the reception?"
"O'Malley's."
"Why don't you just have the wedding at a church?"
"Dad, it doesn't really matter. Mark doesn't want to see me married."
Jack heard the hurt in her tone this time. He squeezed her hand and she smiled at him.
Jacob sighed. "I'm sorry Sam."
"Why don't we go change?" Hammond suggested. "Jacob, I'm sure we need too."
He nodded and the two men left. Sam sighed and looked down.
"It'll be okay Sam," Jack said quietly.
She nodded. "I know Jack... I know."
Despite the damper thrown on the little party, they still continued to talk until one of the nurses 'suggested' it was bed time for the Colonel- a suggestion met with a scowl from Jack but an approving nod from Daniel. The men excused themselves leaving Sam and Jack alone for a while. The Major returned to her barracks an hour later, still smiling.
ÅÅÅ
Jack yawned and opened his eyes. Janet Fraiser was sitting across the room, silently reading a chart. He grinned.
"What's up doc?"
She frowned. "Very funny. Go back to sleep."
He caught sight of the clock. "Nope, it's... 6:00. I'm free to go today."
Janet shook her head. "You're not leaving this infirmary before you've had a complete-"
"OH FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!"
"Colonel, I-"
"Doc... I went to bed early like a good little boy. Cut me some slack..."
"Sir-"
"Give me the check up now... let me surprise Sam."
Janet hesitated then smiled. "Okay."
Å
Samantha Carter barely registered in the back of her mind that her door opened and closed but snuggled deeper into the pillows. She was probably just dreaming.
What she was NOT expecting was someone to slide onto her bed, slide his or her arm around her waist and begin nibbling on her ear.
"AAH!"
Carter instantly rolled away from the 'attacker'. Once off the bed, she looked at it and froze. The laughing, surprised face of Colonel Jack O'Neill greeted her.
"Sir!"
"Morning Carter... nice day, eh?"
"You... scared me!"
Jack put on an appropriate apologetic face. "Sorry."
She sank back on to the bed. "No... It's okay. I just thought..."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Never mind," she muttered. "Why are you up? Janet's going to kill you-"
"I'm released."
She looked at the clock dubiously. "It's 0640 sir."
"So?"
"Janet... released... you."
"Yeah... scouts honor."
She smiled. "You said you dropped out of boy scouts."
"I was still one."
"Sir-"
"First of all Sam, I did get permission to leave and for another thing my name is Jack not sir."
Blue eyes surveyed him for a moment before nodding. She pulled her legs up and then tugged the covers up to her chin.
"Cold?"
She nodded. "Freezing."
"I could warm-"
The door flew open. "Sam, Siler set fire to your lab-" he stopped short upon seeing Jack. "Uh... I uh... think I'll... what's going-... um... Sam, your lab is rather charred, Siler-... I think I'll go... yeah."
And Daniel Jackson fled the room.
Jack groaned and awkwardly stood up. "Daniel!"
She sighed slightly. "I suppose I should get dressed and see what Daniel was talking about."
"Need company?"
Sam shook her head. "I'll meet you in the commissary in half an hour."
And the door closed on Jack O'Neill as well.
Å
After dressing quickly, she headed down to her lab. Apparently Siler had somehow started a small blaze in her lab. Several reports lost, and a few 'doohickeys' but she assured him it was okay and left him to finish cleaning up the mess.
Arf!
Sam Carter groaned and looked down. "What now Toto?"
The little puppy wagged its tail violently. After her trip to the vet to get her puppy shots, not to get spayed, she had only wanted to sleep, curled up in her puppy bed, underneath Sam's bed.
She picked up the little Cairn terrier and walked through the halls. As she reached the elevator, Bert and Ernie appeared.
"Morning Major Carter," they called.
A thought flashed through her mind and she smiled sweetly. "Good morning... Bertram, Ernest."
They grinned. She patted Toto.
"Is that the dog Colonel O'Neill gave you?"
She nodded.
"Toto isn't it?" Bert asked patting her on the head gingerly. (The dog, not Carter.)
She nodded again.
"Aww... look how sweet he is!"
"She," Carter corrected. "It's a girl," she sighed. "Poor girl needs to go outside but I have to meet the Colonel in the commissary and-"
"I'll take her," the two SF's volunteered at once.
"Are you sure?"
Bert took the puppy and the leash Carter offered. "Should I bring her to the commissary when I'm done?"
She was about to say yes when yet another thought occurred to her. "Actually... Daniel's going to watch her."
"Dr. Jackson?"
"Yes. Can you bring her to him?"
"Yes ma'am."
The two trotted off.
'That went well.' She thought stepping in to the elevator and hitting the button that would take her to the commissary.
Å
"Fruit loops?"
Jack grinned and pushed a bowl towards her. "My first day out. Go on, try one."
She reluctantly swallowed a mouth full. "You do know what's in here sir, don't you?"
"I suppose."
"I-"
"Carter, eat the cereal. It'll be good for you."
"Jack-"
"Go on!" He urged.
She laughed and obediently ate the cereal. After she was done, Jack handed her a cup of coffee, which she gulped half of it down in a few seconds.
"That bad?"
"Don't expect me to be eating more of it anytime soon."
Jack gave her a cheeky smile. "We'll see."
Carter smiled back and checked her watch. "Oh, I need to go get Toto from Daniel... wanna come?"
"You let Daniel watch Toto?"
"Yeah, why not?"
Jack shrugged. "He doesn't seem to be a dog person."
She allowed a wide grin to spread across her face. "Exactly."
Å
"Whoa!"
The black/brown terrier dashed off. One frustrated archeologist looked after it. "Toto!" He yelled. "Sit!"
The little dog instantly sat. As Daniel got close enough to pick her up she began whimpering piteously.
"What's going on?" Jack demanded from the doorway. Sam sidestepped him and swept the little creature into her arms.
"What did you do to her Daniel?" She demanded in a mock indigant tone.
"What... what did I do? That little... monster... has wrecked havoc in my lab!"
Jack looked around. "It looks the same."
Daniel sputtered. "I did nothing to... that... dog."
"Sure." Jack said nodding. "I believe you."
"She's okay," Carter announced.
"See?" Daniel demanded. "She's fine!"
Jack rolled his eyes. "Calm down Daniel, you're about to have a heart attack."
"I... I..."
"I thought we would find you here," George said good-naturedly followed by Jacob. "Colonel, we have some things to discuss."
"We... do?" Jack asked. "The doc gave me a clean bill of health, I was going-"
"We have some thing to discuss," he repeated.
Jack gave them all an inquiring before falling General Hammond out of the room. Jacob looked after them and then took a seat on Daniel's stool.
"How's it going?" He asked gesturing to the many papers and tablets that littered the archeologist's desk.
"Um, pretty good. I think if I work hard today, I can finish translating this one," he said picking up a tall thin one. "It seems to be called the 'Rosha'. A list of the rules by which the inhabitants lived, similar to the ones left by-"
He stopped as Jacob lifted an eyebrow. "Never mind."
Sam gave him a sympathetic smile. "So dad, what are you doing today?"
"Taking you shopping." Came the surprising answer.
"You… what?"
I thought we could get a head start on the wedding plans. If we're having it here, we might as well figure out where it will be, who's coming, and how many people we can fit in here."
"The embarkation room is where the Colonel and I were talking about," Sam began when Jacob shook his head.
"Why not?" She asked.
"It's not large enough. Everyone would have to stand."
She eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean everyone? There's going to be SGC personnel, you, General Hammond, Daniel, and Teal'c and… maybe Bray'tac."
Jacob shook his head and looked pityingly at his beautiful daughter. "You'll have to do a lot more then that."
"I… will?"
"Yes. Invite representatives from all your allies-"
"Dad," she protested, "That would be-"
"A big wedding," Daniel finished.
Jacob nodded. "Exactly."
She sighed. "I need to talk to Jack."
"He's busy right now," the Tok'ra said hastily. "He'll be here when he's done."
"Done?" Sam questioned.
Jacob's eyes flashed and Selmak spoke. "It is a secret for now Major Carter."
Å
Jack stared at the paper work for a moment before scrawling his name across it.
"I'm sorry to do that to you Jack… but regulations are regulations."
Jack stood up. "Sir, I'd do it over again if I had too."
"Jack… you're our civilian ambassador to the Asgard and to other, unspecified races. You can call me George now."
"So, who's the new leader of SG-1?" Jack asked trying to sound casual. "I was thinking-"
George smiled. "We're having a ceremony tomorrow morning to bring in the new leader. Dismissed."
Jack nodded. "I'll be seeing you later then."
George smiled again. "Go find your fiancé Jack. I have a feeling you two will have a lot of shopping to do."
"Yes, I'm sure," the now retired Colonel said. "Auvior mon General… tomorrow then?"
"Yes."
Jack left the room and the General picked up his red phone. "Is it a sure thing? Security has been tightened around the base…"
He was quiet for a moment then nodded. "Good. I'll see you tomorrow Mr. President."
Well...
What do you think?
I hoped you liked it, please review, yada yada.