Chapter 14: Training
The race had been a tight one, considering the speed restrictions imposed. She had to ride the brakes going downhill, in order not to go too fast. She lost even more speed on the uphill due to the child's bike being much smaller than an adult's bike and not being equipped with gears, and had been unable to recover much of a lead on the flat stretches. It also didn't help that she had decided that it would be best to stay within sight of the rest of her team, which allowed the group, often running flat out, to catch up with her.
Still, she had just managed to pull into the lot ahead of the others, much to her satisfaction. Obviously, the Colonel had thought that with the bike, she'd be able to "keep up" at the very least, and Sam had just showed him that she'd been able to do more than just keep up. Of course, there had been a good bit more ribbing by all three men as they all caught their breath, the Colonel especially, about being caught speeding.
On a bicycle.
Sam decided it best not to enlighten them about some of her childhood escapades, starting at an even younger age. Of course, her father had likely already told the Colonel most of the good ones. There had also been a good deal of griping about the fact that the MP had stopped a speeding five-year-old in the first place, but eventually they came to the conclusion that the officer, having spied a small child careening down a steep hill with no parent in sight, had best stop the child and wait for an adult to explain things. Again, it reminded Sam of her complete lack of freedom. She couldn't even be out of visual range of an adult without raising the protective nature and curiosity of any adult in the near area.
Still, she had trouble keeping a smile off her face as she took a quick shower, and changed into another t-shirt and shorts, preparing to meet Teal'c in the gym. The exercise had been good, the ride more fun than she'd anticipated despite its ups and downs. Now afterwards, she felt energized and ready to take on anything, including a Jaffa that was probably at least ten times her size and current body weight, if not more.
That resolve lasted all of ten minutes on the mat. In that short span of time, Teal'c had pinned her down three times, and completely immobilized her a fourth time.
"Major Carter," Teal'c addressed her as he set her down. "You are reacting like you would in your normal state. You must concentrate on the strengths of this body, and use them to their full extent," he said.
Sam sighed, collapsing on the mat, shoulders slumped, elbows resting on crossed knees. "It's Sam, Teal'c, and that's the thing. What strength? Like this, I'm a ten-pound weakling."
Teal'c studied her a moment. "There is nothing weak about you, Samantha," he answered, pausing thoughtfully before sitting down on the mat across from her, adopting a similar pose. "Do you not recall the lessons you have learned in that of a smaller combatant against a larger, much stronger opponent?"
Brows creased, Sam pondered Teal'c's words. "Don't let them get a hold on you?" she asked, just to make sure she and Teal'c were on the same page.
"Indeed," Teal'c replied, inclining his head. "You lack strength, and size, but as a female, that has usually been the case when fighting a male opponent. The concept is not much different. You must also realize that in this body, you are smaller, more agile, more flexible. You have skills that will surprise your opponents. Samantha, you must use all your skills, for they are your strengths." Sam nodded, not the least offended by the frank and honest evaluation Teal'c had given her. He was right, as a female, she was usually smaller, lighter, and not as strong than most of those she fought, especially if they were male. But that didn't mean she hadn't won her share of hand to hand, one on one fights over the years.
"If you are ready," continued Teal'c, "We shall begin again."
Sam nodded, signaling her readiness by standing up and dropping into the familiar position of readiness. Body turned to present as little target as possible, up on the balls of her feet, fists and arms at the ready. Teal'c rose in one smooth movement, mirroring her position. They began to circle, sizing each other up, until Teal'c made a lunge. This time, instead of engaging him as Major Carter would have done, Sam ducked into a roll, narrowly missing his grasp and coming up behind him. She grinned in triumph, but her triumph was short lived as Teal'c turned quickly, coming after her again.
And so it went. Teal'c doing all he could to get a hold on her, and she dodging, twisting, ducking, and rolling to get out of the way. There were limits to her body, as well as advantages like Teal'c had said, and Sam was still learning. This time, she lasted a little over five minutes before Teal'c had her pinned again; face down on the mat with a knee in the middle of her back. He rose gracefully, giving her a hand up.
"Better," Teal'c granted, dropping back into the fighter's crouch. Sam swallowed a smile over the rare praise for he never gave it lightly, and followed suit, already moving in the ebb and flow of the dancer like motions of two combatants. Out of the periphery of her vision, she noticed they'd gained a small audience consisting of airmen and soldiers using the gym, or off duty personnel passing by. They shouted advice, encouragement to her, and friendly taunts to the big Jaffa, to watch his six against the "little girl." Sam tuned them out.
She didn't quite make it five minutes the second time, before Teal'c caught her. This time, he had her pulled up against him, his arm tight around her upper torso pinning her against his body. Sam went limp, and felt the big man's grip loosen. Surprised the tactic had worked she wasted no time in scraping his shin with her tennis shoe and driving one small elbow back into his midriff at the same time. Teal'c grunted, air escaping with a little oomph as he let her go. She hadn't pulled her punches, knowing Teal'c would be able to take whatever she could dish out in her diminished state. Obviously he hadn't expected that, and had been surprised enough to let her go.
Scrambling quickly on her hands and knees, Sam scurried to get away and to her feet, but felt a brief disturbance of air behind her as Teal'c moved. Too late, she tried to roll to the side to avoid him, but he was too fast. She hit the mat with force, Teal'c's large frame forcing the air out of her lungs with a little whoosh past lips compressed by her face partially squashed into the mat. Teal'c quickly removed his weight from her, kneeling at her side.
"Are you unharmed?" he asked, the concern in his voice the only concession he'd thus far made for her small size. Otherwise, he'd not held back as far as she could tell except with his blows, which he tended to do with her most of the time anyway, only letting in enough force to teach her, but not to injure. He believed that bruises and sore limbs helped remind the student of their mistakes, so that they were less likely to make them again the next time. Sam usually agreed in principal, but at her current size, Teal'c felt a lot heavier than she was used to.
Sam flopped onto her back gracelessly, with a little groan. "Teal'c, you gotta lay off that late night snacking. Umph," she grunted. "Yeah, I'm fine. You ok? I didn't pull my punches."
"I am well," Teal'c answered, looking far too smug for just having mashed a five year old into the mat. Jeers from the growing audience seemed to agree, a few offering to take on the Jaffa if he wanted to fight someone "his own size."
The two ignored the catcalls. "I'm willing to go again, if you are," Sam told him with a grin, offering a hand to him from her prone position.
"Indeed," Teal'c returned, a small answering smile of his own as he pulled her up easily, his large hand neatly encircling her small wrist.
"What about two against one?" a voice suggested, and Sam looked up to find the Colonel studying the two of them.
She frowned slightly. "And who's side would you be on, sir?" she asked warily, somehow knowing the answer.
Jack grinned, obviously anticipating the question. "His. Of course. I mean after all, if someone is trying to grab you, they probably won't be alone," he explained, and then shrugged. "That is, if you're up to it."
Sam narrowed her eyes slightly. Those were fighting words, and the Colonel obviously knew it. She had no idea how long he'd been watching the two of them, but she was sure it had been long enough to see how ill-matched they were. But still, he'd issued a challenge, and he was right. Chances were, there might be more than one attacker. "Fine, let's try it," she said. She'd learned how to fight multiple attackers, she just had to adapt is all.
Teal'c exchanged a look with the other man as he loosened up a bit, joining them on the mat. More jeers came from the bystanders. Obviously they seemed to think the two adult sized members of SG-1 were holding an unfair advantage, but Sam wasn't so sure. She was starting to realize things about this new, smaller body that she doubted either man knew, and intended to use them to her advantage.
The three engaged, moving in a bit of a circle, Sam dodging, having to move her feet more to keep her balance and literally dancing from one man's attempt to grab her to the other. And while both were trained fighters, Sam was beginning to get the sense that the two were also out of their element, fighting a much, much smaller opponent than they were used to. As a result, they weren't coordinating well with each other, which Sam picked up on right away. They should have been, but they weren't. They'd obviously not planned this little exercise ahead of time. The thing was, how to turn that to her advantage.
When the opportunity came, Sam almost missed it. The Colonel had just lunged towards her, his stance wide as he made a grab. Nimbly, she dodged, feinting to the right to make Teal'c think she was moving into his sphere. The big man leapt forward trying to lay hands on her. Expertly, and using this young, lithe body for all it was worth, Sam twisted and dove for the mat, sliding neatly between the Colonel's legs. Briefly, she wished she could see the no doubt surprised look on the man's face just before Teal'c overbalanced, having narrowly missed his quarry. The big man slammed right into O'Neill, taking the surprised Colonel down instead. Sam rolled out of the way just in time. Whoops and applause from the spectators told her that they had heartily approved of her little maneuver.
Sam gained her feet, grinning down at the two men who were still untangling themselves. "You guys ok?" she asked.
Jack waved a hand in the air, lying on his back. "Fine, just fine. I get hit by a freight train almost every day you know," he grumped.
"I am well, Major Carter," Teal'c replied, smoothly gaining his feet and looking less than winded.
"Show off," Jack muttered, struggling to his own feet with far less style.
"Good, now that we know everyone is ok, I think we should switch things up a bit," Sam said, unable to keep a smile from tugging at the corners of her lips. Jack narrowed his eyes slightly at her.
"And what would you have in mind?" he asked warily.
"Oh, nothing, just a kids' game really," she replied innocently.
Jack's eyebrows rose at that. "What game?" he asked.
The grin bloomed in full as she lunged toward the unsuspecting Colonel, slapping his hip with probably a bit more force than strictly necessary. "Tag! You're it!" she shouted, sidestepping him neatly and taking up refuge behind the solid bulk of Teal'c. Shouts and laughter wafted from the gathered observers at this change in events.
"What is this game, 'Tag'?" Teal'c asked, trying to turn and face Sam, but she moved, keeping the large man's body between her and the Colonel, who had dropped into a slight crouch, and was trying to maneuver a clear shot. At the question, Jack's eyes darted to the Jaffa's.
"It means, T-buddy, that whoever is 'it', as Carter, Sam here so elegantly put it, is the one that all must keep away from." Obviously feeling that was all the explanation that the man needed for the game, Jack changed direction and lunged. Teal'c however, thought much faster on his feet, and dodged adroitly out of the way. Expecting something of the nature from her CO, Sam had already put some distance between the pair.
"Run, Teal'c!" she shouted, darting into the small crowd around the edges of the exercise mat as Jack changed directions, coming after her instead. As she'd hoped, the spectators parted for her, and while some parted for her pursuer, others helpfully hindered him. She made her way around the room, using the taller adult bodies around her to shield her. She'd hoped that the Colonel would give up and go after Teal'c, but he seemed determined to pursue her. Briefly, Sam realized that her impromptu game had many elements of reality. If someone were after her, "It," so to speak, they might not give up, even in a crowd. With that in mind, she redoubled her efforts to lose her pursuer, darting around exercise equipment, people, diving under the bleachers, and emerging into the open space in front of the main entrance to the gym. To her dismay, Jack had already intuited her plan to use the hopefully more open area around the entrance to get away. However, neither of them had expected to see a familiar face in the doorway.
"Daniel!" Sam cried with delight, darting around the startled man, moving as he tried to turn and see what she was doing.
"Uh, guys, what are you doing?" he asked, adjusting his glasses with a free hand, the other holding a folder.
Assessing the situation, Jack seemed to realize that he'd not get to Sam. And so, he changed the rules. "We're playing a game, helping Sam with her hand-to hand skills," he explained, and then lunged forward, slapping the younger man on the chest. "Tag! You're it!" He cried gleefully, turning tail and running off to join Teal'c, who was watching the three in open amusement.
Sam backed quickly off, sidling away as Daniel stood in the doorway in confusion. "What?" he said.
"You're it," Sam reiterated, as she ran to join the rest of the team. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched an airman relieve Daniel of his folder, and give him a helpful nudge towards the rest of the team.
"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" Daniel called to them, a slight note of challenge in his voice.
"Yep!" jeered the Colonel, doing a little dance to deliberately egg the other man on.
"Fine!" returned Daniel, and charged them, making the three of them scatter like a flock of birds, much to the amusement of those watching.
With all of SG-1 participating, and the help, or hindrance, of the bystanders depending on their preferences, (or side bets) the game was off. Daniel somehow managed to corner the Colonel, who in turn finally caught her out. Stalking her prey by hiding her small body behind equipment and adult sized bodies, Sam surprised Teal'c.
At some point, the game degenerated into a free-for-all that ended when Jack tripped over Daniel's feet, which caused the archeologist to stumble, landing on top of the man. Unable to stop her own momentum, Sam fell on top of Daniel. Somehow, Teal'c avoided the whole mess, adroitly sidestepping the pile and looking down at them.
"I no longer recall who is 'it'," he stated.
Jack groaned. "I don't know, and I don't care, but someone needs to get off of me," he complained from his prone position at the bottom of the heap. Daniel grunted, rolling off and taking Sam with him. With a mumbled apology, he sat up, legs bent, and pulled Sam into a sitting position, propping her against his bent legs. Sam dropped her head back against Daniel's knees, small chest still heaving from the recent excitement. Jack flopped over onto his back, with an exaggerated moan, partial pain, partially relief.
"Does this mean we have no winner from this game?" asked Teal'c curiously.
Shaking his head, Jack sat up. "No, we're all winners this time," he said slightly breathlessly, landing a light punch on Daniel's shoulder and a giving Sam's knee a little pat as he levered himself to his feet. Teal'c reached down, holding out his hands, and helped both Sam and Daniel up at the same time.
"I thought you guys were showing Sam some self-defense tactics," Daniel wondered, absently smoothing down the front of his fatigues.
"We were," Jack replied.
"By helping her excel at playing Tag?" Daniel asked, his eyebrows lifted in question.
Sam paused in tucking in her shirt. "Actually, I learned a lot about eluding pursuit, and not letting someone get a hold on me," she admitted, slightly to her own surprise. She'd really just intended to level out the playing field with her change in the program, wanting to get a little more room to maneuver away from her two attackers than just the exercise mat.
"See?" Jack defended. "She learned something," he announced, turning to the now milling crowd, waving a finger at them. "And let that be a lesson to all of you. Tag is an educational game." He turned back to SG-1 as the spectators, realizing the show was over, started to go back about their business. "We should think about adding Tag to the training program," he said. Sam ducked her head to hide a smile, while Daniel rolled his eyes heavenward and Teal'c watched silently in amusement.
Daniel shook his head. "I will never understand you, Jack."
"Ah," the older man answered, slinging one arm around the younger companionably. "But you like me anyway."
"Like?" Daniel objected, ducking to dislodge the arm and at the same time retrieve the folder he'd been carrying when he'd been drawn into their game. "Who said anything about like? I'm only hanging around you because you still owe me five dollars," he returned lightly.
"What five dollars?" Jack demanded, looking offended. "I don't owe anyone five dollars."
Daniel sighed. "From lunch last week," he replied with an air of slightly disaffected patience.
"Oh. Lunch. Hey, I'm hungry, let's go grab dinner," Jack suggested, neatly changing the subject.
"Great idea," Daniel answered. "You can buy mine," he said.
Jack stopped. "Ah, if only I could, but you see…" he started, slinging his arm back around the younger man. Behind them, Sam smothered a giggle, exchanging a look with Teal'c.
A/N: I'm glad you loved the speed demon side of Sam. It was a lot of fun to write, and the getting pulled over a bit hard to resist considering my own recent misadventure. 55 in a 35 mph zone. (Oops?) A warning only, so I suppose my lucky day, if you called being caught speeding lucky. Lol. And given the sheer number of rules and regulations with living on base, (I recently visited my friend, who's husband is stationed at Ft. Drum, and had to enquire about rules for cyclists when on base…) it is completely conceivable to get pulled over for going to fast on any sort of "vehicle." They take the safety of their troops quite seriously, hence the 10 mph restriction if troops are "road marching." And it's quite easy to go much faster on a bicycle, especially downhill! You can also get ticketed for not wearing a helmet, or the right sort of protective equipment, and other such. Even children over the age of twelve can get tickets (under twelve and their parents get the ticket!)
Anyway, hope you enjoy this little chapter just as much, I enjoyed writing some rare Sam/Teal'c interactions.