Meetings
Chapter IV: La Conner
Disclaimer: See previous chapters
In the morning, it was clear the storm from the night before had passed. The sky to the east was a pale orange-pink that promised a beautiful day ahead. As Jack O'Neill started his stretching, he heard the front door slam.
"Mind if I join you on your run today?" Jack looked up to see Samantha Carter dressed in shorts and a tank, obviously ready for a run.
"What would you do if I said 'no'?"
"Follow at your heels until you got so fed up with a shadow that you changed your mind." She smirked a little.
"I figured as much." Jack motioned to the patch of grass beside him. "Better stretch. We don't want anything to stop you from getting into the Air Force Academy." Sam dropped to the ground next to him and started her own stretches.
Soon enough the two were making their way down the street at a comfortable pace. They ran in companionable silence, neither one feeling the need to say anything. As the sun continued to rise, a plan formed in Jack's head. It would need refining, and Jacob's advice, but Jack was sure it was a good plan.
When they again reached the house, Jack dashed upstairs before Sam could even remove her shoes. She sent a confused look at her father, who could only shrug his shoulders in response. She grabbed a cup of tea and joined Jake at the table, accepting a section of the newspaper as she sat down.
"How was your run?" Jacob asked, turning to the next page in the paper.
"Good. It looks like it's going to be a gorgeous day." Jake grunted in agreement.
Moments later, Jack came down the stairs rubbing his hair with a towel. "Shower's free." Sam rolled her eyes and headed upstairs. Jack waited until he heard the shower start before turning to Jacob. "Do you know if Sam has any plans for today?"
Jake shook his head, "None that I know of. Why?"
"I was thinking today would be perfect to take a trip somewhere." Jack grabbed the older man's mug and refilled both their coffees.
"The weather is supposed to be nice today. Is there any place in particular you thinking about going?"
"Well," Jack started as he sat down again, "although I've been stationed at McChord for a while, I don't know much about the area other than Seattle and Tacoma. So I was hoping you would be able to recommend a place."
Jacob thought for a moment. "I'd say you have three main options for a day trip. First, there's Leavenworth, a Bavarian tourist-trap up in the mountains. There are some cutesy restaurants and shops, over priced for the most part, but all-in-all not too bad. There are also some really nice hiking trails around that area, if that's something you wanted to do. Leavenworth is about a three hour drive from here, without traffic.
"The second choice is to head to La Conner. It's about two hours up I-5. More small shops and restaurants, but it's not as pricey as Leavenworth, and if you're in the mood for seafood, La Conner is near Skagit Bay and on the Swinomish Channel, so it's fresh.
"Option three is to take the ferry over to Bainbridge and spend the day in Winslow. Again, it's more of the same small shops, but you have to deal with the ferries. There will also probably be more people in Winslow as it is the most accessible to out-of-town tourists."
Jack pondered his options. "La Conner, I think. There's a reason I joined the Air Force and not the Navy, and it's closer than Leavenworth." He gathered up his dishes and took them into the kitchen. "Has Sam ever been to La Conner?"
"I don't think so. But even if she has, La Conner is one of those places that will never really get old." Jake stood and went to the bookshelf. "I think I have a – yes," he pulled an atlas from the shelf and put it on the table. "Here it is." Flipping to the right page, Jacob showed the younger man which exit he wanted to take on I-5. "It's not that hard to get there. And once you leave the freeway, there are signs telling you which way to go."
"This is great, just what I needed. Thanks."
Just then, Sam came into the living room. On seeing her father and Jack huddled over something, she immediately started to worry. "What are you guys up to?"
Both men had 'who-me' expressions on their faces when they turned toward her. "We're not up to anything, Sammy."
"I'm not stupid, Dad. What are you planning?"
Jack stepped forward, "Let me ask you—what are your plans for today?"
Sam shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. I have some studying to do, and some reading to catch up on. Why?"
The young Captain shuffled closer. "Well, I was thinking that despite how long I have been stationed here, I haven't seen as much of the area as I would like to," Sam gave him a doleful glance. "So, because today is supposed to be nice," he inched a little closer, "what would you say about taking a day trip to La Conner with me?" As he finished his question, Jack hit her with his most beseeching look.
"I have work I need to get done." Jack continued the puppy-eyes and shifted so close that he would be able to nuzzle her arm and cheek should it become necessary.
Jacob cut in, "You really don't need to leave right away. How about working for, say, two hours and leaving at 0930?" Jack nodded enthusiastically at Jake's suggestion.
Sam sighed. "Alright, but that is two hours, uninterrupted. Every time you bother me, I'm going to add five minutes."
Jack did a small victory dance before grabbing Sam in a hug and shuffling her toward the stairs. "Go, go, go get working. Your two hours starts now!"
Although it seemed to take a lifetime to Jack, the two hours passed quickly and before Sam could protest, Jack had her outside and was handing her a helmet. "We're taking the Triumph?" Jack thumped the helmet onto her head in response; Sam sighed.
Jack grinned at her exasperation and tossed her purse into a backpack with a few other items before handing it to Sam. "Are you ready?" Sam indicated that she was, and the two set off.
The traffic was light, not surprising for so early on a Sunday morning, and soon they were north of Seattle and halfway to La Conner. Jack pulled the bike off at one of the next exits to get some coffee and a stretch before continuing on their journey. Around an hour later, O'Neill spotted the exit number Jake had shown him and left the interstate for the country highways. Just as the older man had said, there were signs pointing the way to their destination. With little difficulty—Jack only had to go through that roundabout twice, thank you very much—they were soon cruising through the sleepy streets of La Conner.
Jack found a spot to park on one of the side streets and cut the engine. Digging around in the backpack, he produced Sam's purse and two pairs of sunglasses. Jack then tossed his jacket into the bag and slung it over his shoulders. "Where to first, Carter?"
Sam replied, "Lunch, I think," slipping on her sunglasses. They walked down to the main drag and started scoping out restaurants. "What are you in the mood for, Jack?"
He shrugged. "I don't really care; I'll eat just about anything."
They passed by several places without stopping and then paused to check out the menu at Palmer's At the Lighthouse. While the selection of choices seemed decent, the prices were a little on the high side for lunch. The pair continued their search and stopped again a block or so down from Palmer's outside La Conner Seafood & Prime Rib.
"What about this place?"
Glancing at the menu posted outside the door, Sam answered, "Looks okay to me; what about you?" Jack nodded and guided her into the restaurant.
"Hello. Just the two of you today?" The seating hostess greeted as they entered. At their assent, she grabbed two menus. "Would you care to sit out on the deck?"
Sam looked to Jack, who gave a little half shrug. "That's fine."
The hostess led them out to a table overlooking the channel. "Your server will be out shortly."
As Jack and Sam perused the menus, their conversation fell to sports. "You can talk about it all day, but I'll never understand how sitting on a dock with a stick in your hands is considered a sport." Jack was trying to explain his love of fishing—poorly. "I mean, if you were talking about fly fishing, I might allow it to be called a sport, as it at least forces you to walk around."
"Someday, I'll convince you fishing is a sport." Jack was positive that day would come, eventually. They paused to give the server their drink orders, an iced tea for Jack and a diet Coke for Sam—what? She liked the taste. "So what is Sam Carter's favorite sport?"
"Favorite to play or favorite to watch?"
"To play."
Sam thought for a moment. "Rowing." At Jack's confused glance she continued. "I love it because it's not just about strength. In order to win you also have to be able to use your muscles in the most efficient way; it's physics." Jack didn't look convinced. "Alright, say you have two men of equal height and strength. One of them knows and understands that to get the boat moving he has to put the oar in the water the split second before he changes direction on the slide." Jack nodded. "The other doesn't know this and puts his blade into the water during or just after he has started the drive. If they are rowing at the same stroke-rate, the first man will quickly pull ahead of the other because he has greater leverage with the oar.
"In a different scenario, say both men are placing the oar in the water at the same point in the stroke. The first man is rowing at a stroke-rate of 40, his recovery barely longer than his drive, a ratio of 2:1. The second man is at a 36 and his recovery to drive ratio is 4:1. The first guy is pulling himself to the catch and slamming all of his weight towards the stern, effectively stopping any momentum the boat may have had. However, by rowing at a controlled pace, the second man is allowing the boat to move underneath him. In this instance, the first man might pull ahead at the start, as he is taking more strokes in the same amount of time, but he would eventually be passed because he won't be able to continue to pull with the same force as the other guy, who isn't wasting his energy during the recovery." Jack looked vaguely dazed. "Just trust me, it's physics." By this time, their food had arrived and both were content to switch topics.
When they had finished their meal, Jack paid and they walked back out to the street. "Thank you for lunch, Jack." Sam gave him a small hug.
O'Neill just mumbled something and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Placing an arm around her shoulders, Jack steered them toward the small area that overlooked the channel. When Sam wandered over to the railing to look at a passing boat, Jack pulled a camera from the backpack and took several photos of her. Once she noticed what he was doing, she tried to get the camera. After a brief struggle, she retaliated by taking several pictures of him. An older couple nearby smiled and offered to take a picture of them. Jack grinned and pulled Sam to stand next to the railing. Just as the woman was taking the picture, Jack wrapped his arms around Sam so she looked at him over her shoulder. The photo captured was of the young pair staring into each other's eyes.
As Jack didn't feel a distinct need to visit any shops in particular, he let Sam control their wanderings through town. She pulled him into store after store, it was all a giant blur of clothing and jewelry to the young officer. At one shop, however, he finally found something to do. While Sam was trying on various bracelets and rings, Jack spotted a display case half hidden at the back of the store. Making sure Sam wouldn't notice his absence, he went to check it out. On display were several silver cuff bracelets with varying cuts of lapis stone on them. Jack had noticed that Sam never really wore much jewelry, but what she did wear tended to be silver. Before Sam could notice what he was doing, he picked one of the bracelets and took it to the counter. Putting the small parcel in the backpack, he walked back over to Sam.
The next shop they visited was the Olive Shoppe. Both Jack and Sam had fun trying the samples of their products. Here Jack was able to find something to thank Jacob for his hospitality: a bottle of Cheap Red Wine. Sam laughed when Jack showed her the bottle. Jack was sure the older officer would find it funny.
Having exhausted their desire to look in the town's little shops, Jack and Sam decided it was time to head home. As he had driven up that morning, Jack grabbed the pack from Sam and indicated to the bike. "You want to drive?" Her only response was a nearly maniacal grin. "I'll take that as a yes." Sam kicked the engine over and pulled on her helmet as Jack climbed on behind her. "You do actually know how to ride, right?" Jack asked only half joking and seriously hoping he hadn't signed his own death warrant.
A few minutes after leaving La Conner, Sam pulled the bike into a parking lot just off the highway. Jack pulled off his helmet and shot a confused look at the young woman. "Snow Goose Produce?"
"I overheard a few people in town talking about it. Apparently they have the best ice cream in the area."
Jack's confused look turned to one of pure joy. "Ice cream, you say? Lead the way!" Sam laughed at his childishness and walked over to the small market. They found the ice cream counter by following the scent of fresh waffle cones. When they chose their flavors, blackberry and coconut, each was handed the largest ice cream cone either one had ever seen. One of these cones was the size of a triple scoop from anywhere else. Sam bought Jack's cone, saying that since he had paid for lunch the ice cream was on her. They joined other patrons sitting in chairs provided to enjoy their frozen treat.
The ride home was longer than it had that morning, as people were returning from weekend trips. However, despite the traffic and how exhausted they were from over four hours of drive-time, Jack and Sam both thought it had been a day well spent and wouldn't have changed a thing. When Jake asked them what they wanted for dinner, all they could do was groan. Both had managed to finish their ice cream and were still slightly regretting it even two hours later. Sam was sure she wouldn't need to eat again for several days.
AN- For some reason I don't really understand.. there's almost no dialogue in the second half of this chapter (except for Sam's explanation). Oh well. I guess I was focused on description. I hope you liked this chapter, and I'll try to get the next one out as soon as possible.
Thanks for reading!