A/N: It's a holiday for me, so you all get a new chapter today! Yea, for a day off work!
Daniel awoke the next morning, highly conscious that he held a woman for whom he felt a strong physical attraction. He really, really hoped she was still sound asleep. There was absolutely no room for him to back away from her and he needed some time to will away the physical evidence of his attraction.
Rori knew he was waking up when his breathing changed. She was keenly aware of his interest in her and, if circumstances were different, she would be more than happy to encourage that interest. Grinning to herself, she consciously moaned and snuggled closer to Daniel.
"Oh, shit!" Daniel knew he had to out of that bed. Now. He propped himself up on his elbow and began untangling himself from the blankets. He was just ready to climb over her and off the bed, when she shivered and threw a leg over his hip, trapping him. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." Closing his eyes and concentrating on a mental image of Jack and Teal'c in glittery pink tutus and combat boots, twirling and leaping around in the gate room, Daniel tried to reduce his embarrassing situation.
Rori opened her eyes and peered up at Daniel, grinning like a loon in her head. "Morning."
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Swallowing hard, Daniel closed his eyes. OK, funny didn't work. Fear! He pictured being shot at by waves of death gliders coming at him from all directions. Hordes of Jaffa shooting him with zats. Running like hell from all the system lords. Not working. She's so soft, and she smells so good, and, oh, god, she's moving again!
Jack cracked open the door to the guest room, took one look at Daniel's face and knew exactly what was going on in his mind, and body. Snickering softly to himself, he considered letting Daniel get himself out of this. Deciding that he really couldn't abandon a teammate in trouble, he pushed the door open all the way. "Good morning, campers! Time to rise and shine!"
Daniel and Rori turned faces with identical guilty looks toward Jack. Completely enjoying himself, Jack continued, "We leave in an hour. That'll give you both enough time to shower, get dressed and out the door." Closing the door with a sharp click, Jack sauntered down the hallway to the kitchen to start the coffee. He was pretty sure Daniel was wide awake without the coffee. A few minutes later, he heard the shower running and he'd have put a hundred dollars in one of Walter's betting pools that if it was Daniel in the shower, it would be very, very cold water.
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"Shit! You little bastard!" Jason snatched the soda from the toddler's hand and dabbed at his pants with a hand full of paper napkins. "Damn clumsy brat."
Connor stood next to Jason in the outdoor eating area of McDonald's. He didn't understand Jason's reaction. His mother never yelled like that when he spilled. She'd just have him help her clean it up. He didn't like this man. He wasn't nice.
"Go play in the ball pit and leave me alone." Jason turned his back on Connor, wishing he'd never seen Rori. This was entirely her fault. If she hadn't struggled so damn much, he'd have had time to use a condom and the little snot never would have existed.
Connor ran over to the ball pit and gleefully jumped in, squealing in pleasure. He just missed landing on a little girl, who tossed a ball at him in retaliation. Her mother reprimanded her daughter gently and noticed how adorable the little boy was, with his huge blue-green eyes and curly, strawberry-blond hair. She also noticed how dirty he looked. His face was smudged with dirt that looked as if it had been there long enough to plant grass seeds in it. His clothes were stained with the remains of several meals.
Looking around, she noticed only one other adult in the playground area. A man sat slouched, his back to the play area. From the back, he didn't look as if he were related to the child, with his dark, wavy hair. She approached him, while keeping an eye on the two children play together in the ball pit.
"Excuse me? Is that little boy with you?" Amy was startled by the good-looking man who turned to her.
"Why? Has he done something wrong?" Jason immediately took in the attractive woman standing next to him. She was young, probably in her very early twenties, well built, with long light brown hair pulled into a pony tail.
"No. I just didn't see an adult with him and wondered if he might be lost." Amy was attracted to this guy. His muscles flexed under the black t-shirt as he gestured toward the plastic seat next to his.
"Junior's with me." Jason began to think that having a cute little kid might be a good way to pick up chicks. "I'm his dad. His mom died when he was born." That ought to be good for some sympathy points.
Her face flushed lightly in embarrassment and sympathy. She placed her hand over his, "That must have been hard. I know how hard it is to raise a kid alone." She nodded toward her daughter. "You live around here?"
"No, the kid and I are just passing through. We're going to visit friend in Mexico for a while."
A flash of disappointment passed through her eyes. "Oh, well, I guess I'd better get my kid. It's almost time for me to get to work. See ya."
Jason watched with appreciation and as she walked away from him. He could really work this dead wife scam on women. Maybe he wouldn't dump the kid so fast after all.
"Come on, kid. It's time to hit the road." Jason left his trash on the table and grabbed Connor's wrist to haul him through the parking lot to the latest stolen car.
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By 0800 that morning, Jack, Rori and Daniel sat in the borrowed LearJet while Jack completed the preflight check. Daniel and Rori settled themselves comfortably in the passenger cabin's deep, leather seats. Daniel reached across the narrow aisle between them and squeezed Rori's hand in a gesture of support.
Rori raised her eyes to meet Daniel's. He returned her gaze and began rubbing his thumb soothingly over the knuckles of her hand. "We'll find him."
"I know you and Jack are doing everything you can. The bastard couldn't just have dropped off the face of the earth. He has to have made a mistake some place that will lead us to him." Rori tightened her grip on Daniel's hand in fear and hope.
Rori watched out the porthole window as the ground sped up beneath the wheels of the plane. She closed her eyes briefly, sending up a prayer for Connor's safety and speedy recovery. She prayed that he would be returned to her by the end of this day. She remembered his birth and how tiny and helpless he was. Only two years ago. And now he was an amazing little boy who was the center of her life.
She thought about the people in her life; Jack and Daniel and how they had immediately moved in to help her search for her son. Jack had quickly organized a search, acquired the plane, knew people who would help and been there for her. He didn't express his feelings as easily as Daniel did, but she felt that he understood her fear and would do what he could to find Connor.
Daniel had gotten her through last night. She thought she might have sunk completely into despair if it weren't for him. He knew exactly what she felt, because he'd experienced it himself. She remembered what she had done to him that morning and began to feel ashamed for teasing him. She hated women who teased men.
"Daniel. About this morning." Rori pulled her hand out of Daniel's and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I was awake and very aware of your, um, predicament. I just wanted to let you know that if the situation was different, well…I'll just say that the interest is returned."
Daniel blinked at her several times, taking in what she had just said. He was mildly annoyed that she had teased him like that, but at the same time he was pleased that she might be interested in him. "That's OK. Just remember that next time, I may not be such a gentleman. In fact, I can promise you I won't."