Title: Camping Can Be Fun
Author: spacegypsy1
Rating: Teen +
Category: Action/Adventure/Romance
Season: After Season 10
Featured Character(s): Jack, Sam, Daniel, Vala, Teal'c, Mitchell
Pairings: D/V and J/S
Warnings: None
Synopsis: The ladies take a slip and slide. Jack does the 'damn it Carter' routine repeatedly, Daniel does the heart in the throat routine. Teal'c is Teal'c. Mitchell tries to invent a new word.
Chapter Six: Okay, Here's The Plan
"I think we're about half way." Jack studied the landscape. The view from up here was breathtaking and all five of them stared in awe of their surroundings.
Off to the left, beyond the small stand of trees, the clearing held silvery green grass and a profusion of wild flowers.
They sat on a rock outcropping on the other side of the trail.
"Okay, campers, let's eat, enjoy natures little show," Jack waved an arm towards the clearing, "then head on back." He checked the time, "yeah, there'll be enough daylight left for fishin'" Jack grinned at Vala.
"Oh goody!" She rubbed her hands together, "What kind of fish are we after today?"
He frowned, "trout."
"Hmm, don't you have any Caddy Bopper flies for another variety?"
"Caddis Pupa" Jack corrected, "It's a trout stream."
Sam laughed at Vala's disappointed expression.
"I see. Well." Vala puffed out a discouraged sigh, and perched on a rock, tossing her pack next to Sam's.
They sat quietly eating the fruit and power bars they brought along.
"T?"
"Yes, O'Neill?"
"How far back do you think he is?"
"Less than a click."
"If he's moving slow, we might have to drag him home on the down side."
"I do not believe DanielJackson will allow you to drag him." The eyebrow went up and Jack smiled at the joke.
Finished eating, Sam and Vala wandered off towards the woods, heading for the flowers beyond.
"Where ya going?" Jack looked up from foraging in his pack for more food.
"General, didn't your momma ever tell you not to ask a lady heading off into the woods, where she's going?" Mitchell looked cockeyed Jack.
"Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking." Jack grinned watching the women.
At the edge of the stand of trees, Sam and Vala looked down the six foot drop. Exploring their best route, Sam walked along the edge, Vala right behind her.
Sam turned back to the boys, to get her bearings. Her foot slipped on the muddy slope. She yelped, Vala grabbed her shoulder to steady her, but Sam's momentum was too great. Landing on her back Sam sliced through the mud, feet first, taking Vala with her. Vala went down head first on her belly, following Sam. Mud, twigs and wet leaves did nothing to slow their downward decent.
Jack stood immediately when the two disappeared from view. Hesitating only a second he yelled, "Carter!?" and took off at a dead run. Teal'c and Mitchell right behind him.
All three reached the edge at the same time and gazed down at the two laughing women.
"Damn it Carter, are you okay?"
"Oh, boy…. I think so," she called out. Turning she asked, "You Vala?"
Vala rolled over to her back, arms flung out, spitting mud and leaves from her mouth, "Oh, just marvelous."
The two laughed again.
"We're comin' down to get you." Mitchell looked from one nutty woman to the other.
"Good. I don't think I can move," Laughing still, Vala rolled her head to look at Sam.
Sam echoed her laughter, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Ow!" she rubbed her back.
"Sit still Carter, I'm on my way down."
"Sir. You're knee?" Mitchell reminded the general.
Before they could say anything, Teal'c was on the move.
"Mitchell, wait here, I'm going back for the first aid kit."
"Bring some rope!" Mitchell yelled at Jack's retreating back.
Jack started dumping everything out of the backpacks, looking for anything he could use. "Damn it, Carter, you scared the crap out of me!" He complained to the empty backpack in his hand.
He stood up, looked down the trail and walked a few feet. "Daniel!" he yelled, "Get your ass up here. Now! We need your help!"
Further down the trail Daniel rolled his eyes, barely picking up his pace.
Teal'c struggled with the slippery mud on the steep incline.
"I couldn't fine the rope," Jack told Mitchell as he ran up, out of breath.
The two women were sitting up, watching Teal'c take slow unsteady steps down the mucky grade of the slope.
"This could take forever, I know I brought rope, I'll go look again." Mitchell was half way through the woods, before Jack thought to ask, "Hey! Are they okay?"
Running backwards, Mitchell responded, "They're either in shock or they had a really, really funny ride down, 'cause they can't stop looking at each other and laughing."
Jack turned back to the scene below. "Damn it Carter," he said again to no one.
Mitchell pilfered through his empty pack then sorted through the pile on the ground. Finally he remembered his side zipper pocket where he found the coil of rope. When he stood up to leave he heard something and yelled down the trail, "JACKSON! Get your sorry ass up here." With the rope in hand Mitchell ran through the woods back to the scene of the accident.
Daniel shook his head and picked up the pace a little more.
"How are they?" Mitchell uncoiled the rope as Jack stared down the ravine.
"They're not laughing anymore."
Tying the rope to a tree they tossed it down to Teal'c. Catching it easily, Teal'c used the rope to climb back up, "I believe, O'Neill, I will try another direction."
O'Neill, Mitchell and Teal'c walked the edge.
"It may be a bit further down here, but I believe that the footing will be more solid. Did you not retrieve rope from my pack also, ColonelMitchell?"
Mitchell shook his head, "Couldn't find it."
The three looked down at the women sitting below. Vala had laid back down, Carter, still sat, now one leg up and her head resting on her knee.
"Hold on," Jack told them, "we'll get you out of this mess in a jiffy."
"O'Neill, ColonellMitchell, if you will secure this rope to that tree," Teal'c pointed to a sturdy evergreen, "I will retrieve my rope to add to this one."
Back on the path, Teal'c went right to the internal zippered compartment for the rope. He stood, looked down the trail and bellowed in full Jaffa voice, "DanielJackson, we need your assistance, ValaMalDoran and ColonelCarter are injured."
Down the path, Daniel's heart skipped a beat and he took off.
Like a deer running through the forest, they heard him coming. "Over here." Jack called.
Daniel crashed through the woods coming to a sudden stop in front of Mitchell and Jack.
"It's about time." Mitchell scolded.
"What the hell's going on?" Daniel looked down the ravine as Teal'c descended on the doubled length rope. Vala laid, eyes closed, spread eagle upon the ground. Sam, beside her, sat head to knee.
Erratically beating heart now in his throat, he called frantically, "Vala? Sam?"
Vala popped straight up like a Goa'uld from a sarcophagus, "My Daniel!!" She gave him a reassuring toothy grin.
Sam smiled up at him, "we're okay." She didn't sound okay even to herself. She cleared her throat, adding, "really." She looked at Vala and the two started laughing again.
Daniel, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, looked from Mitchell to Jack.
They both shrugged.
While Jack and Mitchell stood, hands on hips watching Teal'c reach the clearing; Daniel started his descent down the rope.
"Smartass." Jack shook his head.
"Eight years. How'd you do it for eight years?"
"Hey, I only had the one spacemonkey, you got that plus the spacemouseketeer."
"Sir, wouldn't that be spacemonkeyketeer?"
"WHAT!?"
"Nevermind."
Next: Chapter Seven: First Aid and Sleeping Arrangements. The nutty, laughing world of Sam and Vala. Scratches, scrapes, and Nox hair, Teal'c to the rescue, befuddled Jack and Mitchell, Jack and Daniel banter. Musical sleeping arrangements continue.
