Author's note: Before I even start, I'd like to apologize for this chapter, but I've got a good excuse. I'm going insane! I'm not kidding either, it's been raining for the past week, so it's been dark and dingy, and half the hallways at my school are flooded (they're outside). I usually like weather like this, but its getting a little out of hand, thus, I'm a little stir crazy and hyper, and it might come through in this chapter. So pretty much, this could make absolutely no sense, or it could be really funny, and I'm too tired to tell at the moment.
Chapter 5- Psst!
Doctor Peterson, a gate technician, was starting thoughtfully down a hallway when Colonel Cunningham came up behind her. He originally intended to remind her to keep the hallways near the gateroom clear then move on, but something about the intensity of her gaze stopped him. He looked at her, then down the hall to where she was staring, then back at her.
"What are you staring at?"
"What?" Peterson asked, she had been almost entirely lost in thought, it was a moment before she processed the question. "Oh! Are you sure we're right about Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?"
"The photographic evidence and eyewitness accounts are enough for me," Cunningham replied, "why?"
"Because I just saw them in the hallway and they didn't look very...together," Peterson explained.
"How do you know you didn't just catch them at an off moment, maybe the General was nearby," Cunningham pointed out.
"I guess I don't," Peterson said with a shrug.
"Where do you think they were going?" Cunningham asked.
"I don't know," Peterson replied, "Briefing room, Hammond's office, maybe."
"I'm gonna go check it out, in the meantime, you can't completely dismiss the whole concept because of one instance," Cunningham reminded her. "For all you know just before then they could have been making out in a closet."
Another airman happened to walk by the pair just as the final statement was spoken. It was all she could do to keep from skipping with happiness as she raced off to tell someone else.
"They made out in a closet!"
"No..." her quarry replied skeptically.
"Yes!" she said excitedly.
"Really? Wow!" the second airman replied, then said to the nearest passer by, "Hey! They made out in a closet!"
Unfortunately, due to the way the message was passed, the recipient didn't quite catch the finer nuances of the sentence, and gleefully passed on the rumor that "they hooked up someplace wet." Within thirty seconds those who started the rumor couldn't recognize it.
Lieutenant Monroe, an airman typically assigned to guard the gateroom, happened to pass by Doctor Lee on his way off shift. Although an uncommon association on base, the two occasionally spoke, so Monroe took the opportunity to call out, "Hey."
"Hey," Doctor Lee replied.
"How goes the research?" Monroe asked.
"Good, good." Lee replied, bobbing his head. "Anything new in the gateroom."
"Usual, nothing too interesting, except...well, you know all about that," Monroe said with a shrug.
"Wait, what?" Lee asked, eyeing the airman warily.
"You know, about Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter..." Monroe prompted.
"What about them?" Lee asked.
"You don't know?" Monroe replied skeptically.
"No, what?" Lee demanded. Monroe started walking away and Lee had to jog a couple steps to catch up with him. "Wait, where are you going?"
"To the armory," Monroe said nonchalantly.
After a pause, Lee asked, "Why?"
"To get some C-4 so we can take care of that rock you've been living under," Monroe replied, cracking a smile.
"Hey guys. You'll never guess what I just saw," Colonel Cunningham said, ambushing them where two hallways intersected.
"Is it about Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?" Monroe asked.
"Yes," Cunningham replied.
"Out with it," Monroe said.
"Alright," Cunningham began. "I saw them coming out of General Hammond's office arm in arm. They must have noticed we were on to them and gone to get permission from the General. Maybe he suspended the regulations for them."
"Wow, that's really...cute," Lee interjected.
Monroe chose to overlook the odd sounding comment from the scientist and said skeptically, "Come on, do you really think General Hammond would do that?"
"Why not?" Lee asked.
"Because there's rules, that's why not!" Monroe exclaimed.
"Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter have been breaking those rules," Cunningham reminded them.
"...True. But are you sure?" Monroe asked.
"Of course I'm sure. Other people saw them too. The betting pool's having a field day, last time I heard there's big money on them getting engaged within the week," Cunningham said.
"I still don't know..." Monroe sighed.
"Care to make a wager, then? You'll be a rich man if you're right," Cunningham suggested.
"Guys," Lee said suddenly.
"I'm not sure I can resist that, put me up for fifty that they don't do anything drastic by next week," Monroe said, ignoring the scientist.
"Hey!" Lee interjected loudly.
"Fifty for nothing funny by next week, you got it," Cunningham replied, still paying Lee no heed.
"Fellas!" Lee demanded, batting weakly at their arms for attention.
"What?" Monroe practically yelled.
"Look!" Lee breathed, pointing out what was so intriguing to him.
Jack and Sam were walking down the hallway, arm in arm as Cunningham had described. None of the men could bring themselves to speak, until Monroe finally managed to squeak out, "We never shook on that bet, did we?"
All his companions could do was shake their heads they were so stunned.