Summary:

"With all the extraordinary things she's witnessed during her years in the Stargate program, it's become far too easy to lose sight of the beauty of ordinary life on Earth. It's part of the reason she enjoys spending time with Jonas. His enthusiasm for the simplest things is nothing short of infectious. Seeing the world through his eyes is like turning back time and reclaiming a piece of wonder that for most people withered at the onset of adolescence.

'You were wrong,' Jonas continues, drawing Sam out of her reverie. 'This is nothing like Charlotte's Web.'"

OR

A present-day AU where Sam takes Jonas on his first outing to the county fair. Tooth-rotting fluff and adorable "Jonas discovering Earth things" shenanigans ensue.

A/N: I was not expecting to write Stargate fic in the year of our Lord 2024 but life often leads us down unpredictable paths. On a whim I started a re-watch of the Jonas episodes and got hit with an unexpected tidal wave of nostalgia for our adorable snack-obsessed babygirl nerd and his (underappreciated) friendship with Sam. Thus, thanks to the power of revived childhood hyper-fixations, this fic was born. As the synopsis states, this is a present-day AU hence all of the modern pop culture references. I love the concept of Jonas discovering new things and getting really excited/fixated on them, so I thought it would be entertaining to explore how he'd react to current day media.

Since this is an AU setting, I've also taken liberties with the main timeline and basically just invented my own back story for this universe where nobody (so far) is dead and not everyone is where they're supposed to be location-wise. It's fanfic, so in the words of Thanos, reality can be whatever I want.

This is mostly just Sam and Jonas being besties (because I love their dynamic and we didn't get enough of it) but it is marginally shippy in some places since I liked the idea of them together as a kid. If nothing else, I wrote this for the wide-eyed little girl who fell in love with them before knowing what shipping even was.

Anyway, to the two people and a banana who will end up reading this, thanks for being here and I hope you enjoy :)

we found wonderland (you and i got lost in it)

"So, we still on for tomorrow?"

Jonas looks up from the mass of papers strewn across his desk. "Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I got us tickets to the fair, remember?"

Recognition sparks in his eyes. "Oh, yeah. The fair. Yep, sounds good."

Sam squints at him from her spot in the doorway. "You don't sound too enthused."

Jonas shrugs. "Oh no, I am." She watches him fiddle with the ring on his finger. "I just…don't really know what to expect, that's all."

Sam crosses the room, choosing to lean against the desk beside him. "Well, you've seen Charlotte's Web a million times now. It'll be a lot like that."

He grimaces. "You mean like the saddest animal death in movie history? Yeah, I think I'll pass on that."

She bites back a laugh, knowing that the titular spider is a sore spot for him. He spent the whole evening battling tears the first time she showed him the animated film, and his reaction was even worse during the live action version. Still, the story managed to captivate him enough to warrant repeat viewings, although he sobbed his way through every time.

"No, not like that," she says, grinning. "Rides, games, petting zoo. That sort of thing."

"Dr. Frasier said something about funnel…cake?"

Sam chuckles at the bewildered expression on his face. "Yeah, it's a dessert."

"Funnel as in tornado? Like…a tornado cake? How does that work?"

"You could just Google it."

Jonas shakes his head. "Nah. I'd rather be surprised."

Sam laughs again. "Then stop asking questions," she scolds, nudging his shoulder. "Trust me, it'll be fun."

He smiles and throws up his hands. "Okay, okay, fine. I'll leave it in your capable hands."

She pushes herself away from the edge of the desk. "Great. See you at 6, then?"

"I guess so."

Sam offers him a playful salute before retreating back through the doorway.

The Hamilton soundtrack is blaring in his apartment when she shows up the next evening.

"Alexa, lower the volume!" he yells over his shoulder as he lets her inside. "Sorry, I was tidying up the kitchen and I needed background music, you know? Makes it less boring. You want anything to drink before we go? A snack for the road?"

Sam shakes her head, unable to help the amused smile spreading across her face. It warms her heart to see Jonas so comfortable in his own home, now that he's been cleared to live outside the base. "I'm good," she says, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her sundress. "There'll be a ton of food when we get there."

"Like funnel cake."

"Yep, like funnel cake."

"Well, I'm starving," he says, his eyes twinkling with eager anticipation. "Lemme just grab my keys and we can head out."

They shuffle into her car a few minutes later, Jonas humming the melody line to "Helpless" under his breath. Sam stares at him for a second, nursing a strange desire to commit the moment to memory. "I can't believe you're still listening to Hamilton," she says finally.

Jonas shoots her an offended look. "What? It's good."

She grins as she starts the engine. "I'm not saying it isn't, but you've been obsessed with it for awhile now."

"So?"

"So, you don't want to discover anything new? Expand your musical horizons?"

He smirks. "I could always revert back to my Frozen phase."

"Oh god, no," Sam pleads in feigned horror. "Please don't."

"Aw come on, I know you like those movies."

Sam rolls her eyes. "Yes, but it's one thing to like them and another to hear the soundtrack blasting out of your office on a constant loop every day."

"It wasn't on a constant loop."

"Yes, it was. For both movies. I still remember the time I caught you screaming the chorus to 'Into the Unknown' while you were cleaning out your file cabinet."

"I wasn't screaming - "

"It sure sounded like it."

"Well, I'm not Idina Menzel, okay?" Jonas huffs in mock annoyance. "You've got to give a guy credit for trying."

She snorts. "You're not a soprano."

His lips curl into a sly smile. "Okay, fine," he concedes. "How about this, then? We don't talk about Bru-"

"No!" she cries, laughing. "Don't you dare get that stuck in my head again!"

"Well, what do you suggest, then?"

Sam glances over at him. "You ever heard of Six?"

"What, like the number?"

A giggle bubbles up from her throat. "No, it's another musical."

"What's it about?" he asks.

"The wives of King Henry VIII," she replies.

Jonas' brow furrows. "That's an odd subject for a musical."

Sam grins. "Trust me, you'll love it. I've got it queued up if you want to listen."

He shrugs. "Sure, why not?"

She presses a button on the steering wheel and the first few notes of "Ex-Wives" emerge from the speakers.

They're both singing along by the time they pull into the fairground parking lot. Sam knows the words by heart, but she's still amazed at Jonas' ability to memorize details at the drop of a hat. It's as if the melodies run through his veins, the songs already a part of him although it's barely been an hour since he first heard them.

"I told you you'd love it," she says when they exit the car, their throats raw from belting at the windshield.

"Yeah, it's great!" Jonas flashes her a brilliant smile. "Can we listen to it again on the way back?"

She laughs. "Somehow I knew you'd ask that."

True to form, Jonas is enthralled from the moment they step past the gates. He spins around, eyes wide and drinking in the vibrant chaos surrounding them. "Whoa," he breathes with the awe of a child on Christmas morning. "This is incredible."

A soft smile graces Sam's lips. With all the extraordinary things she's witnessed during her years in the Stargate program, it's become far too easy to lose sight of the beauty of ordinary life on Earth. It's part of the reason she enjoys spending time with Jonas. His enthusiasm for the simplest things is nothing short of infectious. Seeing the world through his eyes is like turning back time and reclaiming a piece of wonder that for most people withered at the onset of adolescence.

"You were wrong," Jonas continues, drawing Sam out of her reverie. "This is nothing like Charlotte's Web."

She frowns at him. "Oh?"

"It's way more like Stranger Things. Season three, you know?"

Sam lets out a small laugh and grabs his arm. "Well, let's hope nobody dies, then."

"Ugh, don't remind me. But, speaking of - they got cherry slushies here?"

Her grin widens. "Oh, they've got everything. But we should check out some rides before eating. Don't want to get sick on the Tilt-A-Whirl."

"The what?"

"You'll see. Come on."

The next hour is a dizzying blur - quite literally. It doesn't take long before Jonas gets the hang of things, taking the lead and dragging Sam onto every spinning ride instead of the other way around. They've ridden the Gravitron three times by the time Sam finally insists on taking a break.

"But we haven't ridden that yet," Jonas protests, pointing up at another revolving monstrosity shaped like an oversized spider.

"We'll get to it," she promises, rubbing her throbbing temples. "But we should eat something. And we haven't seen the animals yet, either."

His eyes light up. "Pigs?"

She chuckles at the knowledge that Charlotte's Web still hasn't lost his hold on him. "Yeah, yeah, there's pigs."

"Awesome. So…funnel cake?"

"Maybe dinner first?"

"Okay."

Ten minutes later she's watching him balance a corn dog in one hand while wiping a mustard stain off his t-shirt with the other. The words "Part of Your World" are printed in bright blue ink across the black fabric. In any other context, the sight of a grown man wearing a Little Mermaid t-shirt would seem odd, but for Jonas it makes perfect sense. The story of an outsider with a fascination for a different world, longing to become a part of it, mirrors his own experience far too well. It's no wonder that it's his favorite film - both iterations of it. It's another tale that reduces him to a blubbering mess by the end, but Sam finds his affinity for it equal parts amusing and endearing.

"So, what's the latest from Atlantis?"

Sam swallows a gulp of their shared cherry slushie before answering. "Not much," she says, wincing as the brain freeze hits her palate. "Which is good, honestly. They had a pretty bad run-in with the Wraith a few months back."

"Yeah, I heard," Jonas says through a mouthful of corn dog. "Vala settling in okay, though?"

Sam nods, bracing herself for the familiar pang in her gut. After Daniel made the decision to join the Atlantis expedition, it didn't take long for Vala to follow suit. Sam knew why, although it wasn't a reason either of them voiced out loud. She was happy for both of her friends, but the goodbyes stung regardless. Loss was still loss, and distance could hurt almost as much as death if you dwelt on it long enough.

"Hey, cheer up," Jonas interrupts, having noticed the shift in her mood. "I'm still here, right?"

She takes in the sight of him, arms outstretched, half-eaten corn dog in hand. There's another mustard stain dotting the corner of his mouth. She smiles in spite of herself.

"You've got a - " She waves her finger at him, indicating the stain.

"Oh? Where?" He grabs a napkin and begins wiping his chin.

"It's - no, to your left. A little more - "

"Got it?"

"No."

"How 'bout now?"

"No - " She giggles. "Here."

Sam picks up another napkin and leans forward, dabbing at the spot with gentle precision. "There."

"Man, what would I do without you?" he muses, his fingers brushing against hers as he takes the napkin from her hand.

Sam draws back. "You'd still be in your office, watching the weather forecast."

"Hey, that stuff's important. What if it had rained today?"

"We would've rescheduled?"

Jonas wiggles his eyebrows at her. "Exactly."

Sam rolls her eyes. "You'd better finish up or we'll miss the pig race."

He nearly chokes on his food. "There's a race?"

She bursts out laughing at the expression on his face. "Yes, there's a race.

Jonas scarfs down the remainder of his corn dog. "Well, where is it? Let's go!"

She's never heard him shout so loud. Sing loud enough at SGC Karaoke Night to break glass? Absolutely. But shouting really isn't Jonas' style. Unless, she's realized, racing pigs are involved.

Despite the hollers of encouragement, their chosen contestant - a spotted hog by the name of Mr. Pigglesworth - trails behind the others. He comes in last after getting distracted in the middle of the track and flopping down on a clump of hay.

"Aw, come on, Pigglesworth," Jonas whines as the crowd erupts around them. "I believed in you."

"Go easy on him. He just wanted a nap."

"In the middle of a race?"

Sam shrugs. "I've seen Cam doze off in weirder places."

He raises an eyebrow. "Let me guess, it's better not to ask?"

"Heh, yeah."

"Okay then." He lets out a chuckle. "Where to next?"

Sam beams at him. "You'll like it better than the pigs."

"I doubt that."

"Trust me."

She is, of course, correct in her assumption. The rabbit pen captivates him more than anything else at the fair so far. First he takes an obscene amount of selfies with the fluffy distractions, yanking Sam into frame for a few of them. Then he insists on trying to pet every one. Most of them wriggle beneath his touch and hop away, but he finally manages to secure a hold on a caramel-colored one with floppy ears. It nuzzles the crook of his arm, content to stay put while Jonas strokes the back of its head.

"Hey, buddy," he croons, smiling softly down at his new companion.

"I think it likes you," Sam says quietly, a matching smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Can you get a picture?" Jonas asks, nodding at Sam's phone. "You know, since I can't take her home with me."

"Her?"

"I think it's a she," he explains.

Sam's smile widens. "Whatever you say, Mr. Rabbit Whisperer." She lifts her phone up and snaps a few photos.

She texts them to him a moment later, choosing to not to admit that she'll keep the originals saved on her camera roll.

He at last relinquishes his hold on the bunny when Sam reminds him about funnel cake. "You have to try it before we leave," she remarks.

They wade through the throng of rowdy patrons back to the midway. After another round of rides (she promised him a ride on that spider thing after all), they fall in line at the funnel cake trailer. "This had better be worth it," Jonas says as he fiddles with his phone.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"Posting photos."

Sam groans. She forgot about Jonas' newfound love of documenting every moment of his life (aside from the classified ones) on his Instagram account. He's somehow amassed hundreds of followers at this point, although she figures she shouldn't be surprised given how charismatic he is. "You'd better not post any of the ones with me in them," she warns.

His brow creases in confusion. "Why not?"

Sam huffs. "I look terrible - oh my god."

"What?"

"You took a photo of me on the swing ride? Look at my hair."

"What? You look fine."

"I look like I just rolled out of bed. Don't post that one."

Jonas sighs. "Fine, fine. But I happen to think you're naturally photogenic."

The comment takes her off guard, and it must show on her face because he immediately backtracks. "I just mean…you know…that you don't look bad in photographs," he splutters.

Heat prickles at the base of her neck. "Right. Thanks."

"I mean it."

His eyes meet hers, and for a fraction of a second it feels as if the world is spinning off its axis.

"Next?" the vendor calls.

Sam shakes off the remnant of whatever-that-was and orders a strawberry funnel cake. "It's big enough for two," she explains, purposely avoiding eye contact until their order is ready and they've situated themselves at a picnic table nearby.

"Oh my god," Jonas exclaims, his mouth full. "This is amazing."

Her awkwardness gives way to a genuine smile. "I knew you'd like it."

"Like it? This is the best thing I've ever eaten." He breaks off another piece of fried dough. "I could eat this every day."

Sam snorts. "I wouldn't do that unless you want - "

"Hardened arteries?" he finishes, licking powdered sugar off his fingers.

She laughs. "Yeah, that."

He grins through a mouthful of strawberry topping. "I'll risk it."

Fifteen minutes, ten photos, and one impassioned text to the SG-1 group chat (singing the praises of Best Damn Funnel Cake Ever) later, they find themselves in another line, this time for a carnival game. A pair of teenagers stands in front of them, the boy doing his best to sink a basketball into a hoop several feet away. His girlfriend, presumably, is gazing at him starry-eyed, silently willing him to make the next shot.

"Why doesn't she help him out?" Jonas whispers, his breath tickling Sam's ear.

Sam turns to him. "That's not the point," she murmurs.

"I thought the point was to score a basket."

She smirks. "It is and isn't. He's trying to win a prize for her."

"Ah," Jonas says, understanding dawning on his face. "They're on a d-a-t-e?"

"You don't need to spell it out. But yeah, probably."

"So winning a prize for your date is like, an Earth mating custom or something?"

She chokes on air, her laugh coming out more like a wheeze. "If that's how you want to put it."

"I see."

The boy launches another basketball into the air. It teeters on the edge of the rim before plummeting down on the wrong side of the net. His shoulders heave in frustration and he sneaks a furtive glance at the girl, most likely hoping that he hasn't lost her approval.

"Poor guy," Sam mutters quietly.

"Well, in the immortal words of T. Swift," Jonas replies, " 'boys only want love if it's torture.'"

She shoots him an incredulous look. "Did you just call her T. Swift?"

"What? That's her name, isn't it?"

Sam has to bite her lip to keep from cackling out loud.

"What?" Jonas asks again.

She shakes her head. "Nothing."

The boy has one more attempt to land a successful basket, an attempt which he yet again fumbles. Groaning in defeat, he and the girl shuffle away, heading in the direction of a dart game a few booths over.

"Well, I guess it's my turn to win you a prize, huh?" Jonas says, puffing out his chest.

"We're not on a date," Sam counters.

He shrugs. "So? It's still part of the whole fair experience, right?"

She shrugs back, a tiny grin playing on her lips. "I guess so."

"Okay then. I'm gonna win you that." He points at a massive Snoopy plushie hanging from the rack next to the hoop.

"Assuming you do win, how the hell am I supposed to carry that thing around for the rest of the night?"

"They can hold it for us until we leave," he says. He turns to the employee working the booth and hands him a ticket. "You can do that, right?"

The employee, a young man with dark hair and the barest wisp of a goatee, nods in affirmation. "Yeah," he replies. "Just give me a name and I'll set it aside for you."

Jonas catches Sam's eye again and beams. "Put it down for Samantha Carter," he declares.

The first ball bounces off the edge and disappears behind the counter. The second hits the backboard, spins around the rim once, then follows suit. It's down to the third and final ball now, and Jonas isn't taking any chances.

"Just throw it already," Sam urges.

"I gotta get the angle right," he insists.

She watches him with barely-restrained laughter as he adjusts his stance and squints at his target, his tongue sticking out of his mouth in concentration.

"You look like Air Bud," she quips.

"Shh," he hisses, moving back a few paces. "I'm calculating the best spot to shoot from."

"Jonas, this is going to take hours."

"No it isn't. And the dog's name was Buddy, by the way. Air Bud was the name of the movie."

"I know that, it was a joke."

"Shh!"

Sam shuts up, adding an exaggerated eye roll for good measure. She wonders if he's ever going to take the shot when he finally bends his knees, pops back up onto his toes, and releases the ball with a grunt of effort.

Swish!

A squeal escapes her throat before she can stop it. Jonas whoops in triumph as a chorus of bells and flashing lights rings in his victory. Without thinking, Sam bounds towards him and throws her arms around his shoulders in a congratulatory hug. He stiffens, but only for a second before returning the gesture.

"We have a winner!" the employee announces into his microphone.

Jonas is so enamored with the Ferris wheel that he spends nearly ten minutes snapping photos of it from every conceivable angle. Sam crosses her arms in annoyance, but she has to admit that the sight of him kneeling on the ground in a ridiculous photographer pose is somewhat adorable. "Come on, we're going to miss the next turn."

"Wait, wait, just one more of you."

"Look, I don't care how naturally photogenic you think I am, I'm not taking another photo."

"Please?"

She can't say no to his wide-eyed begging. "Oh, all right," she sighs. "Where do you want me?"

"A little left," he answers, waving his hand to direct her. "There, that's good."

She straightens up and smiles into the camera.

"Perfect!" Jonas exclaims. "Okay, I'm done."

"You promise?"

"Yes." He pauses. "For now."

She grants him a playful shove before leading him up the ramp. "Ready?" She asks.

"We won't fall out, right?"

Sam chuckles. "Nope, it's safe."

Despite her reassurances, however, Jonas still clings to her arm when the Ferris wheel lurches forward and begins lifting them up into the air. She can't help but wonder why this of all things makes him nervous, what with his countless trips into space. "You okay?" she asks, trying to conceal her amusement.

"Uh, yeah," he answers shakily. "You sure this is safe?"

"I wouldn't have brought you on it if it wasn't."

"Okay." He glances at her, wariness still dancing in his eyes.

Sam offers him a gentle nod. "Take a look at the view."

He turns his head, and she senses his demeanor shift. "Oh wow," he breathes. "You can see the whole fair from up here."

"Yep."

He lets go of her arm to dig his phone out of his pocket. "Don't let me fall out," he says as he begins taking another round of photos.

"Jonas, we're strapped in. Nobody's falling anywhere."

"Can't be too careful."

She laughs softly and places a hand on his arm. "There, how's that?"

"Great," he replies, grinning at her through the front-facing camera. "Say cheese."

She rests her chin on his shoulder and smiles as the shutter clicks.

The Ferris wheel lurches again, and Jonas clutches at her dress sleeve.

"Relax. This isn't any more dangerous than flying, you know."

"This is a lot different from riding in a ship," he argues. "We're literally in a giant basket."

Sam sighs and threads her fingers through his. He lifts an eyebrow in surprise until she raises their joined hands. "I won't let you fall," she reiterates, giving his palm a quick squeeze. "Okay?"

He nods, his lips twitching into a small smile. "Okay. But if I do fall, you'd better let go before I drag you down with me."

Jonas is confident enough to pull out his phone again once their car reaches the top. He snaps several more photos, including a few more over-the-shoulder selfies, which he promptly sends to group chat with the caption, Almost died lol! You're missing out.

"'Almost died'? Really?"

"It's very high up!"

Sam rolls her eyes for the umpteenth time that evening. "Chickenshit," she teases.

"Well forgive me for having safety concerns."

"I told you, it's perfectly safe."

He doesn't reply, his attention having been captured by something else.

"What is it?" Sam asks.

Jonas nods at the car just below them. "Looks like they're not too upset about losing the prize after all."

Sam recognizes the teenage couple from the basketball booth. The girl's head is nestled against her boyfriend's neck, his arm looped around her shoulders.

"Ah," she says in understanding. "Typical."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's just another - what did you call it? 'Earth mating custom'?"

Jonas' brows rise in curiosity. "Really?"

"Canoodling on a Ferris wheel? Oh yeah." She smirks at him.

He grins back and lifts up their hands again. "This count as canoodling?"

Sam snorts. "Sure, why not."

"Great. I can check that off my list of Earth things to try out."

His grin stretches into a full-blown smile, and for a split second Sam understands why Vala dropped everything to follow Daniel to a whole other galaxy. Some people have a magnetic pull about them, she realizes. One that appears unexpectedly and is slow to dissolve, if it ever does. She wonders briefly if she made a mistake in not relocating to Washington when O'Neill was promoted. She didn't want to give up SG-1, not when it was so familiar to her. So she stayed put, choosing yet another goodbye over the promise of a new life. What might that life have been, if she made a different choice?

"Hey." Jonas' voice cuts through her thoughts. "You okay?"

She shakes her head as if that will rid her mind of its regrets. "Yeah. Just thinking."

"About what?"

She shrugs and glances away, unwilling to come clean just yet. "Stuff."

"Stuff?"

Sam turns back to look at him and finds herself struck with an emotion she doesn't have a name for. "Thank you," she says softly.

Jonas frowns at her. "What for?"

"For staying."

"Well, we can't exactly go anywhere right now - "

"I don't mean on the Ferris wheel," she laughs. "I mean here. On Earth."

"Oh."

"What I mean is -" She trails off, scrambling to find the right words. "I'm happy you stayed on the team. Instead of going back home."

His expression eases into another smile. "Well, Earth is my home now."

"You really feel that way?"

"Of course."

She smiles back at him. "Call me selfish, but I'm glad."

"It's not selfish," he says. "Besides, I highly doubt anyone else in Kelowna would understand my appreciation for Taylor Swift."

"I thought you were calling her 'T. Swift' now?"

"Eh, it was a one-time thing."

Sam laughs again. "Says the man who insisted on memorizing her entire discography."

"Hey, don't judge me. She's an icon."

"You know, there are plenty of people out there who would disagree with that statement."

He makes a face. "Well I know you don't."

She raises an eyebrow. "Oh? How so?"

"Oh, come on. I happen to know 'Cruel Summer' is your go-to karaoke song."

Sam blushes. "Okay, fine, you win," she concedes, nudging his arm. "But that information doesn't leave the SGC, you hear?"

"Pretty sure everyone on Atlantis knows too."

"How?"

Jonas shrugs. "Just an educated guess. Vala probably told them."

Sam heaves a sigh. "Ugh, you're probably right."

He can only laugh in response.

"T. Swift" is playing on the speakers when they finally make their way towards the exit. Jonas's mouth is buried in a pink cotton candy cloud, but Sam can see his head still bobbing to the music. She pokes his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"It's your icon," she teases, eyes twinkling.

"Yeah I know. I have ears." His head continues to bob.

Sam sighs. "Go ahead."

"Go ahead and do what?"

"I know you want to sing along."

"What makes you say that?"

"I can see it on your face."

He gazes at her for a moment before his candy-stained lips curl into a wide grin. "Okay, you asked for it."

She doubles over when he joins in the chorus of "Style," his body swaying to the beat. All of a sudden, she feels his hand in hers. Before she can say anything, he lifts her arm above her head and leads her into a twirl.

"What are you doing?" she laughs as he spins her around.

"Dancing. What does it look like?"

"You'd better not post a video of this."

"Can't," he says, waving the cotton candy in the air. "Hands aren't free."

"Thank god," she utters through a fit of giggles.

He twirls her a few more times before releasing her hand and returning his attention to his snack. Sam snorts when a piece of cotton candy gets stuck to his nose.

"Oops."

She plucks the candy fluff from his face and pops it in her mouth.

"Hey! That was mine."

She smirks. "Too bad."

He shoots her a playful look. "You owe me."

"Fine. You can have this," she says, indicating the enormous Snoopy plushie tucked beneath her arm.

"Nah, you keep it. I won it for you."

"So what you're saying is, we're even?"

Jonas chuckles. "Guess so."

"Great." On a whim, she decides to loop her free arm around his. He smiles at her.

"Thanks for tonight," he says. "I had fun."

She grins back at him. "Don't mention it. I had fun too."

As they walk past the gates, arm in arm, Sam wonders what she ought to call this - them. There doesn't seem to be an appropriate word for it. They're far past being mere colleagues, and they're most definitely friends. More than friends maybe? But maybe not quite. She isn't sure, and she doesn't know whether there will come a time when she is sure. Jonas is just Jonas. And she's just Sam. And together they're just…something.

He pulls another piece of cotton candy free and offers it to her. She smiles.

Yes. Something.

For now, she decides, maybe that's enough.

A/N: Present-day Jonas would absolutely spend way too much time sending memes to the group chat...

I went back and forth trying to decide which "T. Swift" song to use as the basis for the title. I eventually landed on "Wonderland" since I thought the lyrics and music mirrored the atmosphere of the fic best. Also there's a couple of lines that I thought fit Sam's attitude towards Jonas here pretty well: "didn't you flash your green eyes at me?/didn't you calm my fears with a Cheshire cat smile?" (tbh I can't figure out what color his eyes actually are but they look sort of dark greenish/blueish to me).

I am thinking about making this a series. I'm not sure if/when I'll continue but in the process of writing this I warmed to the idea of writing more for these two in this particular AU. Not sure how much interest there will be in that, but I'll consider it if anybody out there cares to see it :)