Friday Night II
Friday Night II
by Grace
Title: Friday Night II
Author: Grace
Email: levity12001@yahoo.com
Category: Romance
Season: Season 6
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: another Friday
Sequel to: Friday night
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).
Major Sam Carter glanced around the briefing room filled. Across the conference table sat a line of crisply dressed officers. She was the only woman in the room once again, not that it bothered her. It was something she was accustomed to after years in the military. What really bothered her was that not one face in the crowd seemed friendly, no bad jokes or smiles cracked in hours. All stone faced brass here for the quarterly review of `threats to the human race'. As far as she knew there was no direct threat at the moment, Goa'uld and otherwise but this meeting was a necessary evil to keep Washington happy.
General Hammond stood at the front of the room presenting the carefully constructed report she and Jonas spent a week assembling. Besides Hammond, Jonas was the only other familiar face in the crowd. He sat attentively next to Sam, not having moved a muscle in twenty minutes. She supposed he had a lot of practice at these types of meetings from his position on his home planet. She was somewhat envious of his ability to hold such intense interest in the boring proceedings. The meeting was dragging on as trivial worries were brought up, most of which SG1 had dismissed months before. By her cool exterior no one in the room would know how badly she wanted to get up and walk the stiffness out of her back. The last five years of seeing action in the field had ruined her for these types of meetings.
Three days before Colonel O'Neill eagerly volunteered in the Jaffa relocation when he realized it would get him out of this meeting. She was surprised he had volunteered so readily. It was a particularly dirty moving job, the planet involved was in the midst of it's rainy season. Carter got some pleasure in picturing O'Neill mired in mud but soon started to envy him as the third hour of the meeting began. She drifted back a week to the night she took a chance with him. The memory of his kiss played on her lips leaving an almost palpable tingling sensation. She could still remember how he felt in her arms, warm and strong. Her face began to redden but thankfully no one seemed to notice. She had to force herself back to the discussion at hand, only to find the meeting was breaking for lunch.
The cafeteria pulled out all the stops, catering a lunch rarely seen in the mess hall. Fresh rolls piled high on platters next to fresh fruit plates and steaming trays of meat. No Jell-O in sight, she mused grabbing some Caesar salad off of a silver serving tray.
"Well we don't see this very often" she smiled politely at Jonas as he inspected one of the dishes.
"Isn't the meeting fascinating?" he asked enthusiastically. She thought he was joking but soon realized he was serious. She nodded non-committaly.
"What is this?" he asked equally fascinated by the fish.
"Swordfish' she replied but noticed the explanation wasn't enough for Jonas. "It's an ocean fish. It's good, try it". She found a spot next to one of the visiting officials and commenced with small talk. For an hour she endured talk of appropriations, budgets and the difficulty of finding affordable housing inside or outside the beltway. After returning to another hour of the meeting it occurred to her the dull ache she felt was the lack of Colonel O'Neill. Granted, his presence lightened things up considerably and the meeting might have been a tad less dull, but there was something more. They left things hanging neither finished nor started.
At 15:10 hours the shriek of the warning siren indicating an incoming traveler interrupted the meeting. An air of excitement passed through the group of visitors at the chance to see the Stargate in action. Most had only read the confidential reports. There was a rush to the observation window of the conference room. Jonas, Hammond and Carter took the opportunity to escape down to the level below.
"It's SG1's code' the technician announced and after seeing General Hammond's nod, `opening the iris". A few moments later two figures emerged from the bright shimmering pool of light, covered in mud and not looking too happy about it. It wasn't difficult to identify the two figures. The larger figure calmly walked down the ramp carrying a staff weapon while the second traveler peevishly walked a few feet behind. Sam smiled at the two of them as they descended the ramp. She met O'Neill's eyes with amusement, maybe the day long meeting was the better end of the deal.
"Welcome back Colonel, Teal'c. You are just in time to catch the tail end of our meeting". General Hammond's voice boomed through the speakers. "Catch a shower, I want you in the meeting in twenty". Sam could see irritation pass over Jack's face as he and Teal'c exchanged glances, Jack said something the microphones couldn't catch. Sam could only imagine what smart ass remark he made under his breath. "What's that Colonel?" Hammond asked with an almost imperceptible smile. He knew the Colonel as well as Carter. "Be right there". Jack finally said making an attempt to hide the irritation he felt.
Under normal circumstances Colonel O'Neill would have protested the request, but the eager faces of the committee from the Pentagon peering down from the conference room above forced him to reconsider. Every bone in his body ached and it felt like he was coming down with something. God only knows what he could have caught on that muck ridden planet. After helping the Tok'ra move last time he swore he wouldn't volunteer again, yet he got suckered again. Why the Jaffa had to choose such a wet and muddy place was beyond O'Neill's understanding. Why couldn't they have taken his advice and gone to the nice tropical planet he recommended?
Twenty minutes later he entered the conference room with Teal'c trailing. He sat down in an empty seat next to Sam, catching her eye and raising his eyebrow as if to ask how everything was going. She gave him a half smile bordering on a smirk that indicated the meeting was going as he suspected. Long and boring. He was thankful that things hadn't become awkward with Sam after doing the worst thing a commanding officer could do, put a subordinate in a compromising position. It had been easier to leave for a few days for things to cool off.
Even with all the time he had to think about it, he still didn't know what to do. Apologize and say it would never happen again? resign? Kiss her again and again. The last option was not a true option but it was the most appealing one of the bunch. The officer in him pulled him back and tried to find a way to approach Hammond. He had already discussed it with Teal'c who didn't seem to understand that there was a problem. Teal'c said something about two warriors making one another stronger blah blah blah. Teal'c wasn't very helpful with developing the proper level of self-loathing Jack felt he deserved. Daniel would have understood and reminded him of the cons. Damn he missed the guy more and more. Jonas wasn't an option. He couldn't trust Jonas with something so personal. Nice enough guy but ....
The last few hours of the meeting passed quickly for Sam with O'Neill there. She observed him from the corner of her eye. He looked exhausted even freshly showered. She could smell the fresh scent of his soap drift the few feet between and she found herself yearning to reach out to touch him. It seemed odd to her to want to do this, it just wasn't part of her personality to yearn. She was going to have to end this nonsense as soon as she had the chance. There just wasn't any room in their lives or careers for a relationship, especially one that could be as possibly as destructive as one between the two of them.
The interminable meeting finally ended and Sam quickly excused herself. Returning to her lab, she turned off the security monitor and changed out of her dress uniform. It was a relief to put on her civilian clothes. She wanted to get off the base as quickly as possible in case she was roped into dinner with some of the visitors. Guiltily she eyed her email inbox, the status of an experiment she had arrived and they were waiting for her approval before proceeding. Sighing she sat at her terminal, five more minutes wouldn't kill her. Jack found her there a half-hour later engrossed in a computer printout.
"Something interesting?" He asked startling her.
"Sir I didn't see you there. Yes the result of the soil test from P3X457".
"Ah". he replied closing the door behind him. There was an uncomfortable silence as both tried to find words. Finally Jack was able to pull some together.
"I'm sorry. I crossed the line. I don't know where it came from or why...". He trailed off sadly, he wasn't sorry but he knew this conversation was necessary, he only hoped it sounded convincing. He stopped a few feet away from Carter waiting for her to reply. She stood up from her seat silently contemplating what he said.
"We both know where it came from" she replied softly looking into his eyes. "but I also think we both know it can't be pursued". Her words didn't ring true even to herself. She felt drawn to him, she wanted to smell the soapy scent of his skin close up and before she knew what she was doing she closed the distance between them and kissed him. He returned the kiss passionately, finally breaking away a few inches to ask her.
"Is this us not pursuing it?" He sighed slightly, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. He sensed how her body reacted when he kissed her, the way she melted into him without reservation. Everything about her electrified him. He always assumed he knew her, working with her for five years you get to know someone inside and out. This was opening up a whole new side, a side of herself she was silently offering to share with him. Before she could reply he was kissing her again and a silent pact was made between the two of them to see where this was going to take them. They both sensed the choice had been made a long time ago, probably on the first day they met. To fight it now seemed absurd. She pulled away smiling from him a few moments later.
"Dinner?" She asked noticing the exhaustion creeping back into his face.
"As long as it's hot and doesn't come out of an MRE pouch". He replied handing her jacket to her.
"Meet me at my place in an hour?" she asked knowing he would show up.
"yeah" he replied opening her door but pausing to watch her shut down her computer. She looked at him with a smile in her eyes. He turned and headed for the elevator.
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