Their daily trip to the Stargate is a bust. Teal'c lingers for a few minutes as they throw a few ideas around of what's wrong. Frustration is starting to set in and it's only a matter of time before Carter's worry kicks up a notch. She's had a pretty good handle on it so far, but Jack knows her nerves are beginning to fray. The dialling computer is her baby, if anyone messes with it or anything goes wrong, she's the go-to person to fix it. They could be stuck here because she's not there.
After another two failed attempts to dial Earth, Teal'c disappears through the event horizon before Jack and Carter spend the day pottering around their camp. Carter collects berries and more kindling for their fire while Jack shakes out the blankets they've used to sleep on.
As soon as Jack nears the river, he toes off his boots and stuffs his socks into them before dipping his feet into the cool water. It's warm today and the sun flickers between the leaves and branches. He refills the canteens and lets them stay cool in the shallow water beside him.
If they were in Colorado, Jack'd have no problem sneaking into Carter's lab to distract her from whatever quark sat on her bench or cajole her into joining him for lunch. Maybe even cake. She's usually polite, humours him most of the time when she doesn't have a deadline. Daniel and Teal'c tag along, it's easy. Here, there's no one else to distract them.
They work well together, as Teal'c pointed out. Jack's realised he enjoys spending time with Carter when they're not being chased by a horde of Jaffa and dodging staff blasts. They can talk or not say anything at all for hours without becoming uncomfortable. She can handle his jokes and teases him in return. Then, there's her smile, her laugh. He likes those a little too much. Sharing close quarters with no one else to distract them, Jack feels his resolve slipping. His senses are overcome with her presence.
As night approaches, he's once more reminded of Minnesota. Bright blue morphs into a deep purple which turns into dark blue while the planets' moon shines down on them. Free from clouds and pollution, the stars sparkle. Jack wishes he had his telescope. When night finally falls, he and Carter climb up the side of the mountain, above the rock jutting out over their pool to get a better look. Jack spreads one of the blankets on the rock, and they sit side by side. Though the temperature has dropped, it's still balmy.
"Wow," Carter says, lifting her head to appreciate the view. In the distance, they can see the lake reflecting the shimmering light from the moon and the open fields beyond it.
"Yeah," Jack agrees. In daylight, it's an impressive sight. At night, it's spectacular.
Carter leans back, propping herself up on her elbows.
"If we were home, what would you be doing if you had a choice?"
"Probably this," Jack answers.
"At your cabin?" She asks.
"This is pretty much the same." There's a pond with no fish, grass to lie on all day. "Well, there's a cabin. But after the sun's gone down, there's not much to do except look at the sky."
She smiles at that. "Sounds nice."
"I told ya," Jack points out.
"I wanted to say yes," Carter tells him after a moment.
"You did?" He searches her face and finds her staring back cautiously. She studies him briefly before nodding. "Thor's timing sucks," Jack says. He's replayed the conversation in his head, convincing himself she made the right decision, the sensible one. The one the Air Force needs them to make. That doesn't mean it's the one Jack wants to make.
"Yeah," Carter agrees. She blinks, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. He eyes her, watching several emotions play across her features. Hope, wistful, hesitation. "I'd like to go with you one day," she announces. "If that's still okay with you."
"Just say the word, Carter."
She breathes out, nodding again. She turns her head to say something else, only to stop. Her gaze flitters between his eyes and his mouth and Jack holds his breath. Seconds later, she blinks out of her reverie and the moment is lost. "I should go to bed," she tells him, lifting herself up. "Goodnight, Sir."
Sir.
He bobs his head slowly, accepting her reply. They probably shouldn't get into this here and now, not when it's clear she's reluctant to.
She starts climbing down, lowering herself to the ridge before looking back at him. He waves her down, "Night, Carter."