A/N : I'm blushing...seriously blushing. So many awesome reviews! I'm just giddy!
Out of curiousity, is it Selmac with a 'c' or a 'k'? I'm going to continue using 'c' until told otherwise or gently slapped on the back of head (hey!...I said gently).
ProudAthena - Goddess, what an amazing idea you have! I'll see what can do to work that in. If successful, hilarity is bound to happen!
MEPutney - The song is totally appropriate and I've tried to work it into a chapter (no...not this one...you'll just have to keep reading...yes, I'm cruel).
Day 5 – am (really, really early…like just past midnight)
"If the Asgards received the message, it could take them a few hours to reach Earth." Jacob explained to his 'daughter' as they enjoyed a late cup of coffee in the commissary.
"That's okay, Dad. You tried and that's what means the most to us. Besides, there's no guarantee that they can help."
"How are you doing, Sam?" Jacob leaned forward, concern visibly etched on his face even in the late night lighting of the common room.
"Surprisingly well. I feel frustrated and like everything is out of my control, which it is, but I'm just rolling with the punches."
"Daniel?"
"Other than the constant fear that he's going to start menstruating, he's doing okay."
Jacob grimaced at the thought, but opted not to comment on that particular topic. It still made him queasy to think about it.
"And Jack?"
"The Colonel is dealing with his change the best way he can." Sam said simply.
"You arrived together and out of uniform, Sam…" Selmac spoke.
Sam grinned softly.
"Yeah, we did."
"Anything you wish to tell us?" The symbiot asked.
"No. We're just trying to deal with this as best as we can."
"He's not taking advantage of you, is he?" Selmac asked, concerned.
Sam's grinned widened.
"Isn't it usually the guy who does that?" She joked.
The host body shook his head in disbelief at the whole situation.
Jacob resumed control of the body.
"So, what happened again? Jack touched the wall and you all were changed?" He asked, trying to figure out the puzzle.
Sam nodded.
"For all we know, his touch triggered some biological function within the cavern. Hopefully, Teal'c will return with more answers."
"Hey, kids!" Jack entered the room. Jacob blinked. Green BDU pants and…uh…wow...Jacob felt something stir within him...something he hadn't felt since...
"Sweet little tank top number, sir." Sam grinned.
"Yeah, thought you'd like it." Jack smiled back and looked down. "Although, I don't know what your military-issue bra is doing, but it certainly isn't doing the same thing as blue one you picked out!"
Sam eyed Jack's chest carefully.
Easy there, fella!...woah...down boy!...I said down!...crap...does it always have a mind of its own!
Jacob cleared his throat.
"Looks good, Jack." He said in a tight voice. Sam stared at her father in shock.
"I was thinking more like 'impressive', but I'll take 'good'." The Colonel fluttered his eyelashes at Jacob and poured himself a cup of coffee. He joined the pair. "Soooo…whatcha kids talking about?"
"Just catching up, sir." Sam replied, almost wishing her C.O. wasn't here.
"Yeah, guess there is a fair amount to do." He remarked absently, holding his mug between his two delicate hands. He held his hands up in front of his face. "You know, it's strange. I have a hard time seeing these hands fighting the goa'uld…I know how, it's all in my head…but these hands look so damned delicate."
"Are you sure that you will remain with the SGC, Jack?" Selmac asked bluntly.
"Huh?" Jack blinked.
"While it is true that you have the knowledge and the memories of Jack O'Neill, that body may not be capable of handling the…situations…that the Colonel finds himself in."
Jack's eyes narrowed.
"While I have no doubt that you're capable mentally, I doubt that the female body could handle the extreme situations that the male body did."
"Hey, I did just fine!" Sam protested on Jack's defense.
"You are a trained female soldier…" Selmac replied.
"As I am." Jack glared.
"No, Jack…you are a trained male soldier who is now a female."
"Just because my bra size is a lot larger doesn't mean I can't kill you." Jack snarled.
The host body smiled gently.
Klaxons blared and Walter's voice announced the activation of the gate.
The three raced up to the control room.
Janet and Daniel had beat them there, hoping that Teal'c had returned.
"Incoming message from the Asgard." The sergeant announced. "Text only."
Daniel leaned down and read the monitor.
"The Asgard are aware of the situation and will be here shortly." He stood up and sighed. "They don't say if they can help or not."
"Great." Jack pouted. "We don't if they have a cure or if they're coming to see the freak show. We should charge them admission."
"Colonel..." The General warned.
"Come on, sir." Jack pouted. "We need to do something to liven this place up. My team is going insane."
"At least I haven't confined you to your quarters or worse, the infirmary."
"Good point." Jack conceded.
"I suggest your team get some rest, Colonel." Hammond stated gently.
Jack nodded.
Orders masked as a suggestion. How does he do that?
"If you need anything to help you relax…" The General started.
Pills, needles…scented candles…fluffy pillows…satin sheets…silky rose petals...foot rub…
The Texan left the room quickly.
Jacob stared at the fast-departing back of the General.
"Is he okay?" The Tok'ra asked the team.
"He's got the hots for Jack and that whole frat rule thing is getting in the way." Daniel remarked with a silly grin on his face.
"Daniel!" Jack barked.
"The frat rules are there for a reason, sir." Janet explained to Jacob softly, playing along with Daniel's joke. "But the Colonel wouldn't be the first to break them…as long as he didn't get caught."
"Janet!" Sam glared at the doctor and almost now-former-friend. "The Colonel has too much regard for the rules!"
"Besides the two glaringly obvious facts that (a) I'm a guy and (b) I don't play for that team...I have been known to break a rule or two, Carter!" Jack turned on Sam.
"Not that one, sir." Sam said glumly.
"Hey, what about last ni…"
"Sir!" Sam's eyes widened in panic.
Jack's mouth snapped shut. He glared at Sam.
Walter really wanted to jam his fingers into his ears and start humming loudly.
Siler looked up from his collection of wire spools which he was currently sorting by colour and grimaced.
"So…" Jacob cleared his throat.
Daniel grinned.
"Come on, Daniel. I have something I want to show you in the lab." Janet turned to leave.
"Words I've been longing to hear." Daniel happily followed. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."
Jack and Sam stared at each other.
"So…" Jacob cleared his throat again. "I think I'll just go and…uh…umm…just go…"
Neither of the pair noticed him leave.
Walter turned and stared at Siler, his eyes begging the other non-com to help find a way to get the two officers out of the gateroom.
Siler shrugged.
Sam blinked first.
"I'm going." She said.
"That's a good idea." Jack replied.
Hurt blue eyes stared at impassive dark brown eyes.
Jack aimlessly wandered the corridors of SGC.
He rounded a corner and bumped into Jacob.
"Sorry." The Tok'ra said and caught himself noticing Jack's eyes.
Impassive. Cold. Unfeeling.
You're wrong, Jacob. He feels…too much…and is hiding behind the walls which he finds so comfortable.
What is he hiding from?
Are you sure you wish to know, Jacob?
Yes!
Other than his fear that he will remain in this form for the rest of his life, he fears losing something more precious than his masculinity.
His ego?
Amusement within.
No…his ego is part of his masculinity. Something more dear.
Tell me before I zat you!
More amusement within.
He fears losing Sam.
What?
It is obvious to all except you that they hold each other in the highest order.
Of course! They're a team.
These two are more than team-mates on SG-1, Jacob. They are soul-mates. But Sam is right. Jack won't break that rule…not without good reason…and not because of his career. He worries more what it would to Sam's life. He would gladly sacrifice his own if it meant protecting your daughter.
"Jack…" Jacob touched the arm of the woman in front of him.
"Yeah?" A neutral response. Not a good sign…but not a bad one either.
"Look, I know that you and Sam are friends…"
Jack shrugged off Jacob's touch.
"Your point, General Carter?"
The symbiot recognized that that definitely was not a good sign.
"Look, everyone knows…"
"Everyone knows what?" An arched eyebrow and a very cold response.
"SGC…we…humanity…can't handle you and Sam like this."
"You think I enjoy being a woman?" Jack spat out.
"I wasn't referring to your sex, Jack." Jacob pointed out. "I was referring to the tension between the two of you. Work it out. Get it out of your systems. I don't care…but get it fixed."
Jack blinked.
"You better care…Dad." He hissed. "Because if we were to 'get it out of our systems', one or both of us would lose our career. Typically, it's the woman…although, in this case, who knows how that would play out."
"I'm not saying to have sex with Sam!" Jacob nearly shouted.
A passing crewman stared. Jack and Jacob shot looks at him that had the young man scurrying down the corridor.
"That's good to know, Jacob…I'd really hate to think that you were throwing your daughter at me." Jack said smoothly. "And I think she'd hate it more."
"Look, Jack…just work it out…find a solution…and that probably means you're going to need to speak with her."
"Why? Can't I think up a solution on my own?" Jack asked, hurt.
Jacob pursed his lips and merely stared at Jack.
"Okay, okay." Jack held his hands up in surrender. "Carter is the guru when it comes to solutions. I just like to shoot things."
"Whatcha want to show me?" Daniel asked in a little girl sing-song voice.
Janet just shook her head.
"I thought we needed to clear out of there and fast." She replied.
Daniel trapped her against a table. His arms effectively trapped the smaller of the two women against the metal frame.
"You little vixen...playing coy...teasing me like that." He pouted. "And here I was thinking I was about to have the best discovery of my archaeological career."
Janet thought about pushing against Daniel's chest, but a quick reminder of his body nipped that idea in the bud...buds...
Ooooh...bad pun, Janet.
"Are you saying I'm old?" She asked playfully.
"Hardly."
"Musty?"
Daniel leaned and ran his nose up and down Janet's neck, inhaling her scent.
"Definitely not."
"So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that we had better find a damn cure and soon." He growled in frustration. "Because I don't know how much longer I can keep my hands off of you. See what happens when I finally admit something to myself?"
"You go after it will all of your pent-up...passion." Janet sighed the last word.
Daniel nodded.
"And while I'm completely game to figure out how to use that passion in this body, there is nothing I want more than to put my hands on your waist, pull you in closer to me, feel you against me and watch your face as you feel my arousal against you."
The petite doctor gulped and closed her eyes at the mental images Daniel's words were painting for her.
Sam pummeled the punching bag.
I hate him!
WHUMP!
I love him!
WHUMP! WHUMP!
He's a pain in the ass!
THUMP! THUD!
He's got a great ass!
WHACK!
"Would it help if I pasted my picture on the bag?" Jack asked softly behind her.
"No. I'm doing a great job on my own imagining it there…sir." Sam replied without turning around. She pummeled the bag a few more times.
"I brought jello…blue." Jack offered.
"Your point, sir?"
"Hey, if I can touch the bowl containing this perverse colour, surely that means something." He protested.
"It means that you don't want to say the words, sir." Sam's right first connected with the leather bag loudly.
Jack sighed.
"You're right." He took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry for crossing the lines. I'm sorry for hiding behind the regs."
Sam turned to look at Jack.
"Are you really sorry that the lines were crossed?" She asked softly, unsure if she wanted to hear the truth.
Jack noticed the lack of the word 'sir'.
He took a step closer.
"No. Are you?"
She took a step closer and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
"No. Should I be?"
He took a step closer.
"No. Can we go somewhere private and talk?"
She took a step closer.
"My quarters are closer."
He took a step closer. The bowl of jello was all that separated them.
Sam took his hand and quickly they made their way to her quarters.