Title? Distractions – Chapter 4
Author? MerlynLover
Summary? Sequel to Distractions 1, 2 & 3; Sam goes to track down some old friends at the Pentagon and she tells them about her life and Jack…
Ship? Sam/Jack
Rating? K
Disclaimer? None of these characters are mine, please don't sue me
A/N? I apologize for the delay… its NaNoWriMo month ( – check it out)… so I'm busy trying to write a novel during midterm season… hehe…
And also… my internet decided to kick the bucket for a little while, so I lost the updating ability… but now, I get to make everyone happy and post Chapters 3 – 6 right away and I am writing Chapter 7 tonight! Hope you like where I'm going… and if you don't, feel free to tell me I suck… :)
Now, on with the story… Enjoy! (and don't forget to review… I shall give you a cookie if you do!)
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As Sam Carter walked along the buzzing hallways of the Pentagon, nodding a quick acknowledgement as those she noticed. Many conversations and voices mingled into a hum bouncing in her ears until she heard two specific female voices she clearly recognized and remembered. "Hey Marie, have you heard the latest rumor for today?" Sam followed the echo of voices, tracing them to two captains standing near the wall of the farther side of the hallway only six or seven feet from her.
The conversation continued, "It depends… to which one are you referring?
"The one that Sam is around here today?"
"Sam… as in Sam Carter?"
"Yup…" Marie's comrade drawled, "you heard it?"
"Heck yes," she replied as if it were obvious, "Those who thought they had spotted her immediately ran about to find some of her friends to see if they knew yet," Marie groaned.
"Seen her yourself?"
"Nope," she said, drawing out the word slowly before adding "which is why I am inclined to disbelieve the rumor… you would think she would at least come and see us if she was here."
"Don't be so rude Mar, maybe she had stuff to do," the other Captain defended, "I mean… just because we haven't even heard anything about her let alone from her since she transferred out of here doesn't mean she would completely ignore us… right?" She had sounded so confident until the last few words and the question as to Marie's thoughts.
"I don't think so…" Marie didn't sound convinced even as she tried to convince her friend.
Sam bit corner of her lip realizing how what she had done looked to them, before deciding to work her way across the hall's lanes of traffic. The two Captains did not notice her approach as they finished their last lines, until Sam spoke once she was nearly upon them, "Well, you know the base grapevine can be unreliable… but I am tempted to believe this particular rumor." Sam had a splitting grin threatening to overtake her face as she delivered her lines that she knew one choice General would call a 'shit eating grin.'
Marie and her companion's heads snapped around to her so fast that Sam's thoughts immediately went to worries of whiplash. "Oh My God!" They shrieked in unison, so high pitched there was almost a pile up in the hall's traffic as many pairs of eyes turned to identify the source and reason of the high pitched squeals. Sam laughed out loud as four long arms were suddenly thrown mercilessly around her neck, two of them pulling her weight downwards as Susan, Marie's friend, was only about five feet, two inches, about seven inches shorter than Sam.
"How long have you been here? Where have you been all day? Why are you here? How come you didn't come see us? How come you didn't talk to us at all the past few years? What have you been doing lately? How's the men scene in Colorado?"
The barrage of questions battered Sam not allowing her to answer any, let alone the asker to finish the question before the next one was fired. But at the last question, Sam burst into a fit of giggles.
"What?" The girls asked in unison once again.
She sometimes forgot that she had friends that did not know about her and Jack. "Uh…" she tried to figure out how to start. Finally she decided on proposing "do you have some time to go somewhere… to catch up and talk?"
"Sure," they answered simultaneously yet again. Sam felt slightly nostalgic as she remembered when she was one of this group and would be one of the people actually talking in unison.
Maria and Susan immediately began leading the way through the halls, merging back into the flow of the traffic towards, if Sam remembered right, was towards the commissary. Having to walk in a more single file style to weave through the other people left them little chance for conversation until they reached the nearly deserted cafeteria. There were still a small handful of people sitting down at the tables and a few officers would wander in, grab a bit of fruit or a sandwich before leaving again to eat on the go or whilst in an upcoming meeting. Sam and the two friends found a table near the far corner, setting down purses and folders before Maria and Susan gestured towards the food, "You ate already Sam?"
"Yeah," she answered, grinning slyly, deciding to tell them once they were sitting.
Sam settled into her chair while the other two officers grabbed an apple each and different sandwiches. Obviously, in the down time, the food options were very limited… some things never changed. As the two sat back down facing Sam across the table, Susan started the interrogation. "So… most important question first… how hot are the men in Colorado?"
"Susan!" The two other women scolded teasingly.
"Alright," Maria began instead, "why are you back at the Pentagon? I didn't think you were so expendable that you could leave this super secret job of yours?" Though she had tried to hide it, the annoyance and jealousy came out from behind her words as she questioned her friend.
Sam sighed, "Hey… look guys… I am so sorry that I haven't contacted you at all since I went to Colorado Springs… I don't really know why I didn't, and I know that you probably shouldn't forgive me for that… but I just want to do the best I can and truthfully and sincerely apologize to you for that…" She trailed off, watching the expressions of her old friends.
Susan and Marie looked at each other, grinned, then turned back to Sam as Marie voiced "That wasn't what she asked you know…" The light, teasing tone was back and Sam grinned realizing that was their way of saying they forgave her and were just glad to have her back. For right now at least Sam realized and silently vowed to keep in better touch with them when she went back to the SGC. Sam opted to answer many of their questions at once as she took a deep breath and began…