Circles - Chapter 4
Circles - Chapter 4
by Explosion_Of_Colour
Summary: Sometimes life just keeps going round in circles. until something breaks the pattern.
Category: Action/Adventure, Romance
Season: any Season
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Rating: G
Warnings: minor language
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 03/09/04
Circles
Chapter Four - Tainted Love
Jack was about to call Thompson in the guards' station to get help when she came round, groaning and clutching a hand to her head.
"You okay?" Jack asked with concern.
"I ...think so." Sam replied weakly. "Big headache."
"Come on, I'll get you to the infirmary." He helped her to her feet, but she shook her head at his suggestion.
"No, sir, can you take me home? I'm just tired and cold, that's all." Sam claimed with a shiver.
"You blacked out, Carter. You should go see Janet."
"I just need some sleep, that's it. Honestly, sir."
He didn't believe her, but as he was taking her home he would be able to keep an eye on her. Jack shrugged off his jacket and placed it around her still-shivering shoulders, leading her to his truck.
"Sam, what's happened? Where's your coat?"
"Lost it." Jack got her into the passenger seat a split second before she set her head back on the headrest, with a mumbled "Sleepy..." She cried out, instantly awake, a hand going to the back of her head.
"You hit your head on something?" Jack asked, his suspicions confirmed that something had happened to her. He stood at the passenger side door, waiting for her answer and wondering what could have transpired in the twenty minutes they'd been apart to cause all this.
"Yeah." She replied simply.
Jack looked at her for a second then leant across her to snap her seatbelt in place.
"I can do it." Sam protested, stopping him. He was thankful she at least seemed more lucid, even if she wouldn't tell him what was going on.
Jack shut the door and got in the other side, glancing at her again before starting the engine.
"You sure you don't wanna go see the doc? 'Cause your life won't be worth living if you throw up in my truck." He warned her, glad when she grinned back.
Silence ensued for most of the journey; Sam sleepily watched the passing scenery, wary of saying or doing anything until she could think through everything with a clear head.
"What happened?" Jack asked her again.
"I just hit my head, sir."
"And lost your coat?" He asked dubiously.
"Yeah."
'Okay,' Jack thought, 'this isn't good.' It was one thing for her to lie, but to lie to him, as part of SG-1, was very unusual, even for Sam. What the hell had happened in those twenty minutes?
**
Jack had invited himself into her house when he'd helped her out of his truck. Once inside, he sat her down on the sofa, noticing how pale she was and told her not to go to sleep. He was already regretting not taking her back into the base to see Janet.
"Just wait there a sec, I'll get you something to drink." He added on his way into the kitchen. She smiled through her headache, picturing a domesticated Jack O'Neill in an apron - she must've hit her head harder than she thought.
"Paracetamol, sir. Top drawer on the left." She called back, resting her throbbing head on the cushion by the chair arm and pulling her legs up on the sofa. Within seconds she fell into an exhausted sleep.
**
Sam vaguely remembered Jack waking her to make her take some tablets but nothing after that. When she woke it was still dark, and the clock read 02:25. She felt warm and comfortable, and was surprised how much better she felt. There was a blanket over her and a slight pressure on her right leg as she lay on her side. Twisting round slightly, her heart soared at the sight of Jack sitting with her, his head tilted back against the back of the sofa in sleep. He must've placed a blanket over her and then set her legs over his thighs, looking as though he'd kept watch over her until he fell asleep as well, a protective hand resting just above her knee. His tall frame didn't work with the sofa, making it impossible to get any real sleep in that position, Sam decided.
"Sir." She whispered, to no response.
"Sir!" She whispered a little louder.
"Sam?" Jack murmured, still half asleep.
"Sorry, sir. You didn't look very comfortable." Sam explained, suddenly aware of how intimate this seemed. "I was going upstairs to bed."
"That an offer, Carter?" He teased, pulling himself upright.
"The guestroom is made up, sir." She replied, with a strained smile. She would never understand how he was able to make comments like that after everything they'd been through lately.
"Thanks."
**
Sam woke the next morning feeling much more refreshed, although it had taken her a while to get back to sleep knowing the Colonel was only in the next room. She glanced at the clock - 10:15! That made her four hours late for work. Leaping out of bed, Sam grabbed her lilac dressing gown and practically flew down the stairs to the phone.
"Hey, sleeping beauty."
She jumped in surprise and whirled to face him. "Sir, we are both very late."
Jack smiled, seemingly enjoying her panic. "Relax Carter. I called hours ago to tell them you were sick."
"But sir, I'm not -"
"No arguments. You got the day off and good ol' George says even tomorrow if you're still not well." He was looking decidedly pleased with himself, whether it was because he now had the day off, or because she was staring at him incredulously, Sam couldn't make out.
"It wasn't necessary, sir."
"You slept for over twelve hours, and you still haven't told me what happened, so that counts as being ill." Jack looked at her questioningly, waiting for an explanation.
"I was just careless, fell and hit my head."
He didn't say anything, waiting for her to add to her story.
"It was nothing!" Sam insisted, turning her back to him to go and sit on the sofa.
"Carter, you saying it's nothing means it has got to be something."
She looked at him with a half smile. "Did that make sense to you, sir?"
"Don't mock me, Major." Jack replied, smiling in spite of himself, sitting himself on the chair opposite her. "And don't change the subject."
"I need coffee." Sam stated, getting up again to head to the kitchen.
Jack rolled his eyes; she and Daniel were getting far too much alike. He watched her pad around the kitchen, still clad in a silky lilac dressing gown, making coffee and slipping two slices of bread in the toaster.
"Do you want any breakfast, sir?" She asked him as he appeared in the open doorway.
"I kinda' raided your cereal cupboard a few hours ago." He replied with a grin. "Fruit loops, Carter? I didn't think you were the type."
"Just in case you happened to pop by, of course, sir." She responded with a smile.
"Really?" he chirped enthusiastically. Sam gave him a sarcastic look. "Someone definitely needs coffee." Jack said to himself, walking through to the lounge with a grin.
Sam sighed, wondering what to do with her 'sick' day, and how exactly she would go about telling the Colonel to leave - politely of course. Jack was great to have around unless he wanted something, which in this case was to find out what she was keeping from him. She'd decided it might be better to deal with the kiss that had happened after the party the same way they usually did - ignoring it. But this time was different; they hadn't danced close to the line, they'd crossed it.
The coffee machine beeped to announce it was ready. She happily poured two cups, guessing Jack would drink some. Coffee was a reliable source of contentment in her hectic life - as sad as it was to admit.
"You not eating anything?" Jack asked her with a concerned frown, taking the mug she offered him from her. Although touched at his caring remark, she rolled her eyes - her whole team seemed to think she forgot to eat and drink on a regular basis.
"Not right now." She replied.
"So what do you fancy doing today then?" He raised the question, obviously including himself in her day. He blew in to his mug to cool the scolding liquid, not an air of tension about him.
Sam looked up at him in surprise. "I was just thinking, I should really go to the base anyway. I'm not sick." She really didn't want to for fear of running into a certain Max Karrington, but she'd have to face him sooner or later.
"Carter, just for once, don't think about work." Jack admonished immediately, sounding slightly irritated.
"If I don't go in, then I will have nothing to do. Besides, if I get behind- "
Jack held up one hand, "Ah!" He interrupted her, the same way he always did when she was explaining something in too much detail for him to understand, much less pay attention too. "You still haven't told me what happened yesterday."
She looked up at him, missing a beat at the sudden change in subject. Although she was surprised she hadn't seen it coming, after seven years working with Jack O'Neill she was usually much more attuned to his questioning tactics.
"Is there a reason you won't tell me?" He continued, his voice bordering on suspicion.
"What's that supposed to mean, sir?" Sam shot back, aware that her defensive tone had a lot to do with hating not being honest with him. She guessed it was more than likely he was taking this personally rather than professionally; when the main reason she didn't want to say anything was to protect them both from Karrington.
"Exactly what I said. Was it really nothing or has something happened you don't want me to know about?" Jack accused her harshly.
"Sir, that's not fair!" She snapped, standing up to leave the room, to get away from the discussion before it got worse.
"Why not?" He stood, grasping her arm to stop her walking away.
"Because I don't have to tell you!"
"I could order you to tell me, Major!" Sam could tell he was angry now, she'd very rarely seen him like this, and never directed at her.
"You wouldn't do that, sir." Her voice softened, her blue eyes locking with his brown ones.
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