Something To Talk About

Summary: Gossip turns up about a relationship, and Sam Carter asks John Sheppard to take care of it. It leads to guitar playing and a relationship blooming . . . Set in Season Four, includes Jack/Sam romance . . . Well, we're obligated to keep it going, they're the pair that started all this!!!

Genres: Fluff and Slush, General, Humor, Other/Misc, Romance

Warnings: None

Rating: PG

Chapter Title: Chapter 3 -- "Waiting"

Author's Notes: This chapter is more focused on Jack and Sam's relationship, but will have a John and/or Elizabeth moment somewhere. Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 3 -- "Waiting:

Sam got down to the last file and folder when the Stargate started to dial in. "Unscheduled activation!" Chuck called from the control room.

Times like these, she really missed different people at the SGC. She missed Walter. His role wasn't that pivotal, compared to some others, but he was always there.

"No one's gone. Any IDC?"

"Yeah, but it's not Lantean. It's from Earth. We're receiving a visual communication."

And another face, someone who was always there, popped up on the monitors in the control room.

Sam couldn't suppress a smile. "General O'Neill."

Jack O'Neill nodded back at her. "Colonel Carter. Mind if I step through?"

"Just a moment." She turned to a technician. "Lower the shield." Once the technician nodded back at her, she said, "You're clear."

The monitors went back to their various functions while Sam jogged down the steps to meet her friend. As her foot touched the main floor, Jack stepped through the 'Gate, looking around fondly. "Ahh. It's good to be back."

"Especially when you don't have Replicators sticking body parts into your head."

"That too." He and Carter saluted, and then he looked around. "Nice hours you keep."

The sun had already set at the edge of the ocean, and the star constellations of the Pegasus galaxy were beginning to brighten up the black sky. Chuck had volunteered for the night shift, and a few technicians were still hanging around, trying to finish up some projects. "Yeah, well, I had a bunch of stuff to get done, so . . ."

"I do hope that you're finished?"

"Yeah -- I mean, yes sir."

Jack smiled. "That's better. So the food here any good?"

"Yes, I'm hungry too. C'mon."

The two of them started into another corridor, leading deeper into the bowels of Atlantis.

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Chuck and the three techs, a man named Noah and two women named Maura and Yen, watched the pair as they disappeared into the corridor. As soon as the doors shut, Maura flipped her clipboard. "Okay, bets on the first kiss. And make it interesting. Time and place."

"Tomorrow morning, 11 o'clock. Commissary," Chuck said.

"Midnight, south pier," Yen said.

The others glanced at her. "Not likely, means it likely to win."

"Yeah, good point. Okay, Maura, you're next."

"Tomorrow morning, 7 o'clock, outside her door."

"Ooh, good one! Okay, Noah, you're last."

"Tomorrow afternoon, 3:30, in the 'Gate room."

The other three stared at him. "Hey, just as likely as midnight on the south pier."

"What are you guys doing?" John Sheppard asked as he walked up the steps.

Maura flipped her board, but they groaned as he came into view of the controls. They had forgotten to pick up the "money" from the top of the surface. Until they got back to Earth, paper cutouts with pictures of dead presidents and numbers served as gambling chips.

"What's this? A little 'gambling'?"

Each one stared at someone else until Maura shyly confessed. "We were making bets on when General O'Neill and Colonel Carter would kiss."

"Ya know, I'd imagine that in the United States Air Force on Earth, there's some regulation about not placing monetary bets against military officers."

They all frowned.

"But we're on Atlantis, forget the regs. Tomorrow evening, sundown, on the balcony."

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Sam walked in front of Jack as they made their way to the commissary. She hadn't realized just how late it was, and she was startled to find only a select number of food entrees left. "Thank God, Jell-o," Jack said, reaching for a blue dish.

Sam smiled and reached for the red one. She'd get more food later.

They sat down at a table, facing each other. Once they'd each had a bite of it, she quietly asked, "So how's everyone doing?"

"Good. Teal'c still has that gray streak, refuses to dye it."

"Funny."

"And Daniel and Mitchell and Hank and . . . Vala, yeah, they all say hi, miss you."

"Miss being there."

Jack scooted the plate aside, which startled Sam. He'd only had two bites, three at the most. His hands gently inserted themselves into hers. "And I miss you, too."

He squeezed her hands, gently running his thumbs over her soft skin. She sighed. "I miss you too."

"You haven't told anyone, have you?"

"No, but it's getting a little dangerous. I accidentally slipped up talking to Dr. Weir today."

"Elizabeth is kind. I'm sure she'll understand."

"And then I turned around and got on John about their rumors--"

"What rumors?"

"Someone told me that there were rumors going around about the two of them. And that a lot of people were taking them seriously. So I talked to John about it."

"Carter, Carter, Carter," Jack said softly, still holding her hands. "I hate to break it to you, but you've blown it."

"What?"

"Smoke and mirrors. Get that gossip stirred up even more to the point where everyone will be focusing on those two instead of us. And then, after a while, they'll see through it."

"I wasn't trying to do that."

"I know you weren't, but the fact is, it will probably work for now. But I'll lay you odds that Sheppard and Elizabeth can see through this already. And honestly, Sam, they've got more right to a relationship than we do."

She stared in slight disbelief. "After everything that we've been through, how can you say that?"

Jack slightly grimaced. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant that in a standpoint of status. Their working relationship is less complicated than ours. It'll be easier for them, but harder for us. There'll be a lot to work out, and it might take a while. I just wanna know, are you in this for the long run?"

Sam had to smile. "Jack O'Neill, I've been waiting on you for seven years. Of course I'm in this for the long run!"

Jack smiled back at her, leaned over and planted a small kiss on her cheek. "Well, I'm tired now. Save my energy for breakfast. You have guest accommodations in this joint, right?"

"Right this way, sir," she said, scooting her chair back and pointing to the hallway.

They got up, still holding hands as they walked down the hallway. Sam wasn't afraid that someone would see them now.

She almost welcomed it.

TBC