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Chapter 16: Down time

For three days, Sam was confined to the infirmary and for a week after that, to the base. During that time, she received frequent visits from Teal'c and Daniel, occasionally Hammond or Janet as well as random members of the SGC, and was scheduled to receive a visit from Cassie that day.

Yet, there was still no sign of O'Neill. If she happened to be roaming down the same hallway as him, he would either duck his head and walk by without a word or a wave (but if she looked back over her shoulder, most times she would catch him doing the same thing, a sad…yet sly…smile perched on his face), or he would enter a random office or corridor until she passed.

Then, if, on one of those occasions where she walked past him, if she tried to stop him to talk she would get a "not now Carter, maybe later" or a "I'm busy now, sorry," from him before he walked away. However, the times when this occured, she couldn't help but notice a simple touch he would give her shoulder, lingering longer than usual, or the hidden emotion in his eyes. Perhaps she was thinking too deeply…perhaps…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She felt her heart race in hope, but looked up to see only Cassandra. Still, a smile crept across her face. She hadn't seen the girl in what felt like ages. "Come on in, kiddo," she said.

Cassie walked in happily, placing the box she was carrying under her arm down on the desk in front of Sam. "Hey," she said happily, sitting down across from Sam and clearing away some of the space on her desk as she began pulling out the board and the pieces.

Sam smiled and cleared off the rest of her paperwork and then helped Cassie unload the pieces. "Hey, yourself. How's school?"

Cassie shrugged, pushing a stray hand of her long hair behind her ear. "It's okay," she said. Smiling slyly, she asked, "How's Jack?"

Sam, who had just taken a drink of coffee, threw her hand to her mouth to keep the dark liquid from flying onto the chess set and her research. Swallowing hard, she looked at Cassandra, who was setting up the row of white pawns. "What do you mean?" she asked, eyeing the girl oddly as she grabbed the black pawns and began lining them up on the other side of the board.

Keeping her nonchalant attitude, Cassandra tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She smiled down at the chess set as she added her last two pieces; the king and queen. "I heard you two got hitched," she said. "About time too, I say."

Rolling her eyes, Sam sighed. "Cassie," she said slowly. "We aren't married."

Cassie looked up at her and cocked her head. "But you got married on that planet, right? Doesn't it count?"

Sam shook her head and finished placing her pieces, motioning for Cassandra to make her move. "I don't think Colonel O'Neill wants to be married," she said. "He's made a point of…avoiding me, lately." Why was she telling this to a teenage girl, again? She sighed. Because she needed to tell someone.

Cassie moved her knight out onto the board with a chuckle (Jack always called them horses.), and looked up at Sam, curiously. "But would you marry him…again, that is…if he asked you?"

Sam placed her pawn down a little harder then she meant to. She looked up at Cassie with sad, tired eyes and little patience. "I don't think that's going to happen," she said forcefully hoping to get the "I don't want to talk about this right now," point across. No such luck.

"But…say it did," the girl asked, moving one of her pawns out on the board.

Sam stopped and sighed. "I don't know," she said exasperated. She shrugged her shoulders, rolled her eyes and looked away. "I guess." When she looked back up, Cassie was considering a grin. Sam smiled at her and pointed a finger. "But don't think it's ever going to happen."

Shrugging, Cassandra moved her pawn to capture one of Sam's. While the older woman studied the board, Cassie glanced up at the window, where she saw Jack flash a smile and thumbs at her before he sauntered down the hallways. Grinning widely, the young girl concentrated on the game.

xxx

((yawn)) dont you just love me? Now THAT must have you all squeeling and squirming!