AN: Another little bit of fun :)

Summary: Hey Carter Q11: The Air Force has rules for a reason...Jack, in his preoccupation forgets one of the smaller ones...the consequences leave him more than a little red-faced. T rated Jack/Sam post 'leave it in the room' Humour/Friendship/Awkward...enjoy! - Unedited.

HEY CARTER: QUESTION 11: "OOPS!"

Jack did not even bother to stop and think. He just opened the door and opened his mouth. "Hey Carter." he had said. "Do you..." but that was as far as he got. She didn't quite shriek, she didn't quite react at all...she didn't get time. In fact the whole incident was over so fast that it probably did not even register in the cameras in the corridor.

But it did register in Jack's mind. The image seared itself in deep, ingrained itself...instantly he knew it was in there for life. He closed his eyes and his heartbeat rose rapidly...yeah that view was going to be there for a very, very long time!

He bolted, actually took to his heels, he had to get out of there. By the time he reached the elevator his face was a red as the emergency stop button. He rode up to the top of the mountain and went home, even though it was only three in the afternoon and he had mission reports to do, he went home and drank beer...a lot of beer.

And that had been yesterday...

Today he was back in the mountain and SG-1 had a mission briefing in just under fifteen minutes. All morning he had been resolutely avoiding anywhere where she might be but now he was out of time. Reluctantly he made his way towards the briefing room, his gut clenched tight, guilt eating at him. He should have known better, he should have thought...and he really, really should have...oh, oh!

Unexpectedly she was standing in front of him in corridor C. He had gone that way because no-one ever used corridor C except the maintenance crew. Colour flushed into his face, his hand automatically disappeared into his pockets and he wanted to do nothing more than run away again.

"Hi Sir." Sam said brightly. "Where have you been, I've been looking all over for you, we were supposed to meet yesterday to discuss the...are you alright?" she asked, suddenly noticing his change of demeanour, he looked really freaked out.

"Ah...me?" Jack asked. Relief that she was not mad was now beginning to register and the soul-crushing mortification eased slightly...not much, but slightly.

Sam looked concerned. "Yea-ah...you." she confirmed slowly, pointing her manilla folder at him.

"I'm fine...why wouldn't I be?" The words came out all high and squeaky, he cleared his throat.

"Because you look..." A new thought flickered across her features. "Are you...is this about yesterday?" she asked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and cocking her head slightly.

"Yesterday?" Jack asked, his voice still not under control, his palms starting to sweat slightly. "What ah...what about yesterday?"

Sam chewed on her lip for a bit, clearly wondering whether or not to continue with the conversation or just drop it. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Jack couldn't answer. All he did was mouth a bit and deny her by shaking his head.

"It was you that opened the door to my quarters and then immediately left again? I'm sure I heard your voice."

Everything about O'Neill gave away the answer to that one and she looked kind of amused for a moment but said nothing more.

"Oh...ah...you ah...you..." He forced out an awkward huffing sound and could not quite believe how fascinating his own boots became. "You ah, heard me then?"

"Yeah...but you didn't exactly stay around long enough for me to answer you."

"Yeah well, it was hardly the right um, it wasn't the right time really was it? You were um...um...busy?" he ventured, so not the right word.

"I was getting changed yeah, but so what? I mean it's not like its the first time you've been around when that happened. We share a tent off-world for god sake, Colonel. You're not embarrassed are you?"

Jack raised his head and looked at her. What she had said was true...maybe he was over-reacting? He didn't think so though. There were the rules for a start, he really should have announced himself before entering female quarters and it was not like him to forget about basic stuff like that. "Embarrassed? No! No not at all." he lied. "But still, I at least should have knocked. I'm sorry, Carter."

Sam laughed. "What for? I mean it's not like you seen anything. You couldn't have done I was behind the door." She took a longer, harder look at him, analysing his reaction and Jack felt himself flushing again. "You didn't see anyth...or did you?" she asked cautiously.

Jack rubbed the back of his burning neck. "Not ah, not any...thing per say. But you ah...you..." He blew a hefty breath out between pursed lips. Man this was awkward. "You have a mirror in there...a full length mirror." Jack confessed in a rush. "So I kind of...um...sort of, might have...maybe seen..." he shrugged, unwilling to put the incident in words.

Sam's face fell as she realised the full implication of what that meant. She turned scarlet and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. "I..." she eventually managed. "I've got to go."

With that she pushed past him and was disappearing fast. "What about the briefing?" Jack called after her, surprised that her reaction had been so similar to that of his own.

"Uh, uh...no, no way. I'm not going...tell General Hammond I'm sick or something." She looked down at the briefing folder in her hand. "Here." she said hurrying back over to him. "Give this to Daniel, it's all of the information that he asked for. I'm sorry Sir, but I really got to go!" She could not lift her head to look at him.

"Carter..." Jack tried but it was way too late for that, she was gone. "I'm sorry." he whispered to the empty space where she had just been standing. He tipped his head back, the last thing he ever wanted to do was embarrass her. "Why didn't you just lie, Jack." he reprimanded, talking to the ceiling. Because she would have known he was lying and that would be much, much worse. "Oi vey!" This was going to a while to sort out. But next time he was definitely, definitely going to knock...or better yet he would pick up the phone and call her...yeah definitely call her...much safer.

Briefly he closed his eyes and instantly the image was there again, his pulse raced and the guilt followed, sharp and clear as the reflection had been in the mirror. She had had nothing on...not one dang thing! "Damn it Carter...that is not an image I need in my head!" Especially not now, not since it was only a week ago that they 'left it in the room' and they were both still all...over-thinking and stuff.

Sighing and hanging his head Jack headed off to the briefing room. He would get over it and Carter would come round, she always did when he made bonehead mistakes...but in the meantime she was sick. He had sent her home sick...just like he had been yesterday.

END

AN: Oops...walked into that one Jack! So how long do you think it'll be before they are laughing about that one over a bottle of wine and a pizza? ;)