Categories: Humor, pre-ship

Sam looked at the man in amazement. Even after a week-long, filthy, miserable, mud-logged mission on a filthy, miserable, mud-logged excuse for a planet, the Colonel practically bounced as he led his bedraggled forlorn team – yes, even Teal'c! – down the ramp.

She nudged Daniel. "Tell me you feel as old as I do right now," she pleaded. This was only their second mission after the planet of tight blue dresses, but she and the young linguist had clicked almost immediately.

Daniel smiled at her. "Oh yeah," he sighed. He indicated Jack, who was presently talking to Teal'c, hands gesturing animatedly. "I sometimes think he's drank from the Fountain of Youth."

"Hit the showers, kids!" the Colonel said chirpily, then stuffed his hands into his pockets and barrelled out of the embarkation room.

Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other, then followed the so-called middle-aged Colonel out.

Sam went along at a slower pace, shaking her head and fighting the exhaustion. Drank from the Fountain of Youth? More like went swimming in it!

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Several hours – and a good nap – later, Sam was beginning to feel human again, and joined her team-mates in the commissary.

The Colonel had an apple pie – not a slice, an apple pie – in front of him, covered with ice cream. He dug into it with evident relish as he attempted to explain to their confused Jaffa friend the joys of hockey.

"Ah … guess ya haveta be there," he concluded.

"Evidently, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed. "I was perusing your periodicals this morning and observed that there is to be a … contest tonight."

"A match, Teal'c," Daniel said.

"A match. I would like to witness this match," Teal'c stated resolutely.

The Colonel appeared nonplused, but only for a second. Despite his dumb act, it took a lot to rattle the man. "Okay! Tonight, we watch hockey!"

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Quite how Sam Carter found herself at a hockey game, she didn't understand.

One minute she'd been yawning into her coffee refusing firmly, the next, the Colonel had done a remarkable impression of a sad puppy and … she'd been suckered.

Damn his brown eyes, anyway.

Teal'c didn't need sleep – relying instead on a form of meditation – and it seemed that her CO could go without too. She knew that part of it was due to his Special Forces days, but she knew some of it was just … him. He was vibrant and energetic, making her forget that he was quite a bit older than her.

His hand shot up, expertly fielding the bag of popcorn the young vendor threw his way and Sam sighed. A full pie with ice cream, and now buttered popcorn. If he'd been forty years younger, this evening would be due to experience an ugly end.

Daniel nudged her. "So, that's where he gets his energy!" he said. "I wonder what he'd do if we hid all the candy on the base?"

Sam giggled at the image of an antsy Colonel O'Neill tearing the SGC apart for his sugar hit, then sobered quickly when chocolate-brown eyes locked onto her.

"You wouldn't dare, Sam," he teased, waggling his eyebrows. "Not if you want that fetching blue dress to stay between the four of us."

Sam blushed at the memory of her team-mates' awed expressions – even Teal'c had lost his usual calm. "You win, sir," she said, patting a tee-shirt-clad shoulder reassuringly.

He beamed at her and something fluttered briefly in the pit of Sam's stomach before settling down. "Of course," he replied lightly, tearing into the popcorn with relish.

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"How the hell d'you eat so much and stay so slim?" Sam asked her CO later as they sat in a small burger joint. She eyed his double bacon cheeseburger enviously and sipped her diet soda.

"I get plenty of exercise, Captain," he replied. "Lots of ways to burn it off."

"I'll bet." Sam chose to blame the beer for the … interesting ways of burning off food that sprang instantly to mind. Yes; he might be her CO, but she wasn't blind. She'd recognized his sex appeal the minute she'd laid eyes on him. Of course, he'd had to ruin the moment by opening his mouth.

"Tsk, tsk, Samantha … you dirty-minded girl," the Colonel fairly purred into her ear.

And that nervous fluttering started again.

Damn; she was in trouble.

THE BEGINNING?