The moon on which SG1 found themselves was a temperate, lush environment. It orbited a massive gas giant planet that took up most of the horizon with its swirling orange and purple pattern in a sky that was just a little too wrong a shade of blue to be familiar. Captain Sam Carter had pointed out a few other heavenly dots as additional moons and enthusiastically explained their distance and a bunch of other stuff way over Colonel Jack O'Neill's head. "Cool," he'd said as she finished and looked up at him, smiling brighter than any sun he'd ever seen. "It is, sir," she'd replied, winking at him. He detected a strange but not unfamiliar skip in his heart and flop in his stomach. He puffed his cheeks up and blew air out slowly as they began to scout the area and set up camp.
With camp established within sight of the Gate, but under some cover of trees in a convenient gate-adjacent clearing, Jack issued direct orders to his friend and sometimes extreme nuisance, Dr. Daniel Jackson. "Go to the city and negotiate. And don't give away the store, young man. And be back by curfew," Jack said, tapping his watch and looking at Teal'c now. He knew the Jaffa was the only one listening, anyway. "If it's dark I better see you back here; is that understood?"
"It is understood, O'Neill," Teal'c replied, inclining his head toward Jack and glancing sideways at Daniel, who nodded with a mix of excitement and frustration.
"All right, Cap'n Carter and I will hold down the fort, maybe play some hopscotch or somethin' while you're off doing your thing," Jack said, smiling and rubbing his palms together, then looking to Sam. Her bemused expression only fed his giddy performance. "Whatcha think, Carter, did we bring any cards? Monopoly? Twister?" He waggled his eyebrows at her. She laughed and flashed another super smile at him before turning her attention to the camcorder she brought to capture images of the sky and its alien wonders.
Daniel and Teal'c walked off toward the city, ignoring Jack shouting a continued stream of nonsensical farewells and suggestions about the fun they'd be missing.
As time ticked by, the gas giant loomed larger in the sky; Sam took photos and video, and they walked along the nearby areas exploring the flora and fauna, casually investigating the subtle similarities and differences between M9X-697 and Earth. The temperature went from what had felt like a mild spring morning to an early summer afternoon. By early evening, it was hot enough that it would have been uncomfortable if not for a pleasant, steady breeze.
Given the hurry-up-and-wait nature of their mission and apparent lack of danger, Jack had removed his tactical vest and jacket, finding comfort in the short sleeves of his t-shirt. He'd told Sam it was up to her if she wanted to follow suit and she had gratefully complied. He had not known she was wearing the tank top. 'Well not that tank top,' he'd thought, immediately pushing that memory away, but grinning. They shared a simple MRE dinner and some chit chat. He fiddled with his gun and his watch; she looked through the images she'd collected. The temperature started to drop but only slightly, so they built a campfire more for light and something to do rather than warmth. Jack checked in with Teal'c and was assured that they were on pace for a return by curfew. He suspected otherwise, but didn't address it. Teal'c knew what he was doing, and it was not altogether unwelcome to spend some relatively calm time with his second in command. He suspected the lack of tasks might be less appreciated by her, though. He was correct.
Sam paced back and forth near the fire, bare feet kicking a small stone in front of her as she went. Jack watched her from the beginning of her path to the end and back. Her long legs stretched elegantly across the sandy surface, long, soft grass growing in patches. Her toned, graceful arms ending in small but strong hands fidgeting at her BDU pants pockets. He smiled. "Something on your mind, Carter?"
"This sucks," she said, quickly adding "Sir."
Jack let out a low laugh as he fiddled with his granola bar wrapper. "What 'sucks,' Captain?"
"Just waiting around like this while Daniel and Teal'c are off at diplomacy camp!" Sam raised her voice for this, but immediately regretted it. She walked silently over to her Commanding Officer and sat down cross legged in front of him, looking up to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sir. I know how important it is that we reach a mutually beneficial agreement with these people, but I hate just sitting around doing nothing while they're off talking about… whatever." She punctuated her complaint with a frustrated sigh.
"I know the feeling," Jack said, smiling gently.
"It's just I feel so useless," she said, hands coming to rest on her thighs. She absentmindedly blew a lock of hair away from her face. Jack found this very charming.
"Carter, you've never been useless a day in your life."
She gave him a bright smile and tapped her slender fingers against her knee. "I appreciate that, Sir. But I'm used to having something to do offworld, some kind of task to perform or information I can discover and provide, but honestly, I got nothin'."
Jack nodded, "What if I give you something to do?" He smiled in a way that made Sam's breath catch; he internally noted it. "What if I give you something to discover?"
Sam stared down at the ground and then met his eyes again. His gaze was sweet but heavy, like molasses. "What kind of something?"
"Well," Jack shrugged the most casual shrug she had ever seen him shrug. He still held his weapon; he was still on guard, but his eyes were only on her, and he knew she was at once safe but also captured. "I'm here," he said softly. "Tell me about me."
"I wouldn't know where to start, Sir."
"There must be some observation in that big beautiful brain," Jack said. His dark eyes flickered with the dancing flames from the campfire, just starting to throw shadows as dusk approached. He smiled at her. "Come on, Captain."
Sam smiled a little as she studied him where he sat on a large rock, narrow hips on the edge and long legs languidly draped over the sleeping packs of their camp; he smiled back and winked at her. "Report, Captain."
"Well… I suppose you're awfully relaxed today, Sir. I mean, considering," she said, flourishing her hand to gesture at their camp. "Usually when Daniel is away you're more tense."
"Why do you think that is, Carter?"
"He's usually what you would describe as reckless, Sir, even when Teal'c is with him."
"Yes," Jack said. "What else?"
"Well… I think you're more casual right now. More casual than usual," Sam said with a hint of nervousness in her voice. "I think it's for me." She felt a gentle blush rising on her skin.
Jack followed the blooming rosy tint from the not wholly immodest neckline of her standard issue tank top and up her throat to meet her eyes. Her expression was curious. He couldn't quite read it, but he was bored, too, and feeling some kind of squirrely he knew should probably be shut down, but ignored that muffled internal alarm. "Is that so, Captain?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Why?"
"I don't know," she said, bright blue eyes narrowing into a look he recognized as complicit, not compliant. The change was so slight he almost missed it as she added "Sir" in a low voice.
Jack smiled, eyes twinkling in the not quite darkness. "I guess there's a first time for everything." He pressed his palms against the rock to lift himself and slide down to the ground across from her, somehow managing to sweep his long legs beneath him to mirror her position. "It's been a while since I sat criss-cross applesauce, Carter," he said. "Probably not great for the ole knees, but since I'm being so casual for you, why not." He shifted his position and bumped their knees together. He wasn't sure if it was on purpose, but she didn't scoot away, so neither did he.
"Sir?" Sam tilted her head, amusement showing clearly on her face. "What are you up to?"
"Me?" he said with mock incredulity. "Up to something? Oh, Captain, my Captain, whatever could you mean?"
Sam's lips twitched into the familiar smile that came with the more playful side of her CO. His often irreverent, jocular nature had taken some getting used to, but she enjoyed watching how other people-especially other military people-reacted to him. She had no doubt that the humor was partially therapeutic, that it was a way for him to exist more freely without the baggage of a black ops history or the death of his only child. It cost her nothing to show her appreciation for his admittedly ridiculous personality; there was also the nagging truth that she enjoyed it. "Of course not, Sir." She gripped the outside edges of her knees and met his twinkling eyes. "You would never."
The heat of the look between them was now much hotter than the weather or the campfire, but it diffused slightly with the interruption of static crackling the radio hanging from Jack's belt to life. "Jack, do you read me?" Daniel's voice cut through the moment, or, Jack thought, 'whatever this is we're having.' Keeping his eyes locked with Sam's, he slowly brought the radio to his lips and clicked it to life. "Yeah-sure-you-betcha," he said, exaggerating his slight Minnesotan accent. Sam shook with a slight, silent laugh. He winked at her again.
"If it's, uh, alright with you, Jack, I think Teal'c and I should stay here tonight. The Council Leader has invited us to observe and participate in their ceremonial governance ceremony-some kind of inauguration I think-and they offered up a place to sleep, soooo…" Jack's lips tugged into a half smile as Daniel's radio clicked off, interrupting the familiar 'soooo' he deployed frequently when he wanted Jack's acquiescence. "Teal'c?" he asked into the radio.
"I do not believe we are in danger here, O'Neill. Daniel Jackson believes this participation to be important to our mission."
Sam watched Jack chew the inside of his left cheek as he mulled it over. Allowing half of SG1 to stay away overnight meant they were on their own to split the watch, which meant much less sleep for each of them. But insulting the Council Leader of a city with sole access to a massive supply of trinium was probably not a great idea. She thought she saw another kind of thought cross his eyes, something familiar but hidden. Something mischievous. He pressed the radio gently and responded, "Yeah, alright. But you check in first thing in the morning; that's an order."
"Jack we don't know what we'll be do-"
"Daniel."
"Fine, first thing."
"Thank you, Daniel. Have fun."
"You too, Jack," Daniel said with an eye roll so strong Sam could hear it in his voice. Jack set the radio down next to him and let out a happy, gentle sigh. His eyes had still not left hers, and the warmth and twinkle of his stare was growing. A familiar smirk jumped to life on his face and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs.
"Whatcha think, Carter? Can we have fun?"