Her call finds him studying garbage disposals at Sears. His finally crapped out last fall, but he never cared when he was spending most of his time on base or offworld. It seems more important now, especially since Carter, when preoccupied, rinses food down there anyway.
Plus, he's bored, which seems to be his baseline state when she's not around. And then he figures it's better to be away from home should a certain Tok'ra come looking for his head.
Does he really need the super-heavy-duty model with the soundproofing? Can he live with 3/4 horsepower? Is batch feed asking for trouble with Carter around? Or -- oh. Phone.
He checks the caller ID, presses talk, and says, "Tell me you didn't let him leave the mountain armed."
Carter laughs a little. That's a good sign. "I didn't let him leave the mountain armed."
"Oh, thank God."
"But listen. We need to have dinner with him tonight."
"Oh, we so do not." He says this to amuse her; he assumed dinner was a given, anyway.
She ignores him. "I was thinking the East Side Grill at six? You can meet us there."
Jack is suddenly very eager to get back to his comparison shopping. He slips on his glasses, to read the product specs on the most expensive model. Might as well splurge, right? He'll buy the thing now, install it this afternoon, clean out the goop in his pipes for the last damn time, and then he'll think about what to say to Jacob. "See you at six, then," he says. "Early dinner means less time you have to entertain him by yourself, huh?"
"Something like that."
"Chicken."
The loudspeaker pages somebody named Joe to customer service. Whoops.
"You're hiding out at Home Depot, aren't you?"
"I might be," he says.
"You need a life. You do know that?" She's teasing, laughing even, but there's truth behind it. "I'm not your cruise director, Jack."
He tries to keep it light, too. "Oh, can we discuss my career prospects after your dad's gone, please? And how's he doing, anyway?"
She pauses -- Jack can tell she's deciding whether to pursue it -- and lets it drop. "About what you'd expect," she says. "He's moved on to the stage where he thinks it's all your fault."
"Oh, fantastic." Jack wonders whether he can grab the box off the lower shelf without dropping his phone. No, probably not. Maybe if he shoves it with his foot ... "How's Daniel?"
"Better. Still on the IV. He was awake for about an hour earlier."
The box tilts precariously on the edge of the shelf. "Well, good."
The line goes silent for a few seconds. Jack crouches down, wedges the phone between his shoulder and his ear, ignores the protest from his neck, and pulls the box out onto the floor. He should have gotten a cart. Why didn't he get a cart? "Sam? You still there?"
"I'm here." More silence. "Dad wants us to go on a mission with him. Tomorrow."
He straightens up and immediately forgets about his new toy. "Us as in you and me? On a what?"
"I know. It's unofficial. He doesn't want --" She stops; this is not a secure line. "-- his friends back home to hear about it."
"Wow. That doesn't sound ominous at all." But a trip through the gate -- do they really get to go through the gate?
"I can't say no, Jack."
Yeah. This he understands. And he'd never pass it up, either.
So, tomorrow. Tomorrow is the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and next week is ... "Aw, crap," he says.
"'Aw, crap' what?"
"We're gonna miss the Cup final, Carter."
Jack hears a snort. He loves that; it means he's caught her off guard. "I'll make it up to you."
"Damn right you will."
"But not tonight," she says. "Company."
"Yeah, I figured I wouldn't be getting lucky." He pictures her rolling her eyes, and grins. "So, six o'clock? And no weapons, remember."
"No weapons," she says. "Got it."
*
Jack is early. Jack is often early, though he likes to pretend otherwise. Carter is usually early, too, but he knows getting out of the mountain today must be more of a hassle than she's used to. Probably a lot more.
He hates waiting, but he refuses to let it get to him. He drums his fingers on the tablecloth and watches the door for her blond hair.
It occurred to him halfway through his home improvement project that this restaurant was a mistake. He'd brought her here once (though she insisted on paying; she does that a lot) and later that night they had sex. Really had sex, not the screwing around they'd done after losing their jobs. There'd been talking, finally, after the screwing around, and there'd been a few weeks of dating like somewhat normal people, and then there'd been Carter's hand slipping quietly under the tablecloth, over in that corner. And this is a bad thing to be remembering at this precise moment. Earlier, when they were on the phone and she suggested the place, that would have been a good time.
Carter and Jacob are eight minutes late. Jack stands when he sees them, tugs at his shirt cuffs. She makes a face as she approaches and Jack can tell exactly how her day went, as if he didn't already know. Then she gives him a quick kiss, trying, he thinks, to prove a point. And then there's Jacob, trailing behind his daughter.
"Jack."
"Jacob."
Carter lays a hand on Jack's back and he reaches out to Jacob, who squeezes tightly. Too tightly. Afterwards, Jack flexes his fingers to make sure all the parts still work.
"So," Jacob says once they're all seated, "how're you keeping yourself busy these days, Jack?"
Jack glances at Carter before answering, but finds no help there. "Oh, you know," he says. Waiting for his girlfriend to get home ... "Did some plumbing today. I'm at the mountain every now and then. Thor still likes me best." He shrugs. It does sound lame when he says it aloud.
"I always wondered about that guy," Jacob says.
Jack clears his throat.
"I think we should order dinner before we start insulting each other, don't you?" Carter says, in a sickly-sweet voice that scares the shit out of Jack.
"Yes," Jack says, "dinner is good. Dinner is very good."
"Where the hell is our waitress, anyway?" Jacob opens his menu and stares down at it.
"I'm sure she's coming, Dad."
Jack angles his head toward Carter. "Maybe we should ask to talk to Selmak," he says.
"Not funny, Jack." She opens her menu, too, and joins her father in ignoring Jack. Oh, this is going to be a fun evening.
Jacob speaks without looking up. "You can't talk to Selmak."
"Why the hell not?" Jack asks.
"Because we're in public?" It's the most sarcastic tone Carter has.
"Because he's on your side," Jacob says.
Jack feels his eyes bug out, and sees hers do something similar. "Seriously?" he asks. But it only earns him a silent glare from Jacob. Jack decides reading the menu would be a wise move.
A waiter appears by their table with water glasses and a basket of bread. The kid looks about twelve, though he's probably a student at the university, and Jack feels sorry for him already. He introduces himself as Sean and asks if he can start them off with drinks.
"No," Jacob says.
Carter groans and the kid makes his escape. Jack surreptitiously squeezes her thigh.
Jacob sets his menu aside.
"Have you made up your mind, Dad?" She puts on a big smile. "What are you having?"
"I just can't believe you let this happen, Sam."
Her shoulders slump. "Dad," she says, exasperated. Jack surveys the restaurant and decides nobody's listening.
"And you." Jacob's forehead twitches as he focuses on Jack. "What the hell were you thinking, getting involved with a subordinate? I thought you were smarter than that."
"Hey! I did not get involved with a subordinate! We didn't start dating until --"
Jacob looms closer to Jack. "No, you just had, what, a one-night stand with her?"
"Oh, God." Carter sinks back in the chair, staring at the ceiling.
Enough already. They're both too old to be lectured about their personal lives. "I suppose that's a fair assessment, Jacob."
"Jack!"
Jack shrugs, semi-apologetically. Carter drills him with a glare and then turns back to her father, whose jaw is actually open in surprise. "He also resigned his commission to help protect my career at the SGC, Dad."
"Is that supposed to impress me?"
"I did?"
She kicks him under the table. Damn, she has good aim -- which must be Jacob's fault. "Jack, help me out here, will you?"
Young Sean reappears, and none of the three of them says a word. The kid looks between their faces. "Should I give you a minute to decide?" he asks.
"No, we're ready," Jacob says tightly.
Jack's about to contradict when he feels Carter's shoe pressing on his shin. Right. Silence. Right.
When the waiter's gone, walking pretty fast, Jack thinks, Jacob targets a frigid stare at Jack. "I just want to know if it's worth it," he says.
"What?" Carter asks. Jack has a feeling neither of them is going to like the answer to this.
Jacob waves a hand at Carter and Jack. "Well, you're obviously not getting along very well -- "
"Dad!"
"Hey!"
"-- so it's got to be the sex, right?"
Carter recoils as if she's been shot. "Oh, my God. I cannot believe you just said that."
"Jacob, I don't think this is --"
"Come on, Jack." He sets his elbows on the table. The gesture appears casual, but Jack knows better. "My daughter's career, your demotion from colonel to, what, houseboy? Is sleeping with my daughter worth all that?"
Jack sort of loses it. "You know, Jake, it really is."
"Okay, that's it." Carter leans in, and Jack swears he can see steam gushing from her ears. Well, at least it isn't all his fault this time. "Look, Dad, we know we screwed up, okay? But we do love each other and we're trying to make this work and you are not helping."
Jack wants to say, Go, Carter! but he doesn't dare. He waves a tiny mental Go, Carter! flag instead.
"And you," she says, turning on Jack.
He points to his own chest. "What? Me?"
"Stop baiting him. You know how he gets."
Jacob, who's been watching this in stunned silence, squints dangerously at his daughter. "How do I get?"
"You know how you get, too," Carter says. "Both of you just cut it out. I can't believe I agreed to --" She looks around, drops her voice. "-- travel with the pair of you. In one -- whatever -- car. Alone. Jesus."
Jack's not brave enough to squeeze her thigh again. He exchanges a glance with Jacob.
"Yeah," Jack says, "about that, Jacob --"
"We leave Cheyenne at oh-six-hundred. Quick trip to Peterson, quick flight to Nevada. Then the usual. It should take us about five days to get there. No gate."
Get where? Jack knows he shouldn't, but he has to ask anyway. "What, no briefing?"
"I briefed George this afternoon," Jacob says. He sits back; his chair creaks. "I'll tell you what you need to know on the way."
"Jacob. You know how tense that makes me. I don't like being tense."
Carter scrunches her eyes shut, sighing.
Jacob smiles a very thin smile. "If I were you, Jack, I'd try not to piss me off for a very long time."
Huh. The man has a point.
"Right," Carter says. The glare might be for her father, but it might be for both of them. "I'll tell him, then." And to Jack, "You remember that mystery device that SG-11 found a few months ago on P4X-709?"
Jack can't help asking this, either. "You mean the one that's been driving you batty?"
It doesn't get her going, though. Her lips curl the tiniest bit. "The one that's been driving me batty," she says. "Selmak thinks he knows what it is."
"She should have contacted me right away," Jacob says.
"You were on a mission, Dad."
"You could have sent a message."
Carter gives up, turns back to Jack, and says quietly, "It's part of a device that stabilizes naquadria."
Holy crap. Even Jack knows how big that would be. "Are you shitting me?"
"She's not shitting you," Jacob says with a tight smile. "At least, we think that's what it does. But we don't have all of it."
"Oh, of course we don't."
"Selmak thinks the piece I'm missing is the power source," Carter says. Jack can tell she's starting to get her new-technology high. Her eyes are bright, her hands animated. "But he knows where it might be."
"He thinks he knows where it might be," Jacob says. "Anyway, he knows where we left it."
"Of course you do," Jack sighs. It's all sounding a lot less fun now. "Left it when?"
Jacob shrugs. "Few centuries ago," he says.
"Oh, great. That's just great, Jacob."
Carter touches Jack's arm. "Jack, the planet is in heavy Goa'uld territory."
"Oh, of course it is." It would have to be, wouldn't it? Jack sighs, again. "Which one?"
"Anzu, we think," Jacob says.
"Okay, first, there's that 'we think' thing again, and second, who the hell is that?"
"The one who forced us out. He was a minor Goa'uld working for Ra at the time. We've lost track of him since."
Carter looks around once more, to make sure nobody can hear them. It's still early; the two closest tables are empty.
Jack wants to say, How do you lose track of a Goa'uld? and Are you both insane? But he settles for, "So what's with all the sneaking around, Jacob? You guys are supposed to keep secrets from us, not from each other."
Jacob gives Jack a grim smile, but lets the the jab slide. "We think there's a spy on the High Council."
Jack waits for more, but when Jacob doesn't continue, Carter shakes her head and does it for him. "The problem is that they don't know who," she says. "But they think he's working for Anubis."
"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better," Jack says. This mission is going to kill him in so, so many ways.
"But you see why we'd want to get our hands on a naquadria stabilizer before he hears about it," Jacob says.
"Unfortunately, I do see." He also sees that the terms of the Tok'ra-Earth Treaty would require full disclosure about any technology that might be useful in the fight against the Goa'uld, and that sending an official SG team would make that disclosure inevitable, and that none of this can get back to the High Council while anybody's loyalty is in doubt, and, well, crap. "So, top secret it is, then," Jack says. "Nobody but us, huh?"
"We'll have to tell Daniel something," Carter says. "He'll worry."
"Fraiser'll worry, too," Jack adds. Carter and Fraiser haven't had much to say to each other lately, and Jack sort of feels responsible for that. But then, it's been awkward between Jack and Daniel, too, and Jack definitely feels responsible for that.
Carter glances Jack's way. "Yeah," she says. "And Janet."
"Well, make something up," Jacob says shortly.
Like they need to be told. "Yes, thank you, Jacob, we'd never have thought of that ourselves."
There's that steam from Carter's ears again. "Jack, stop."
"What? He -- "
She gives him a look she used to use on enemy Jaffa right before she blew them up. Jack stops. And then he retreats to the men's room, ostensibly to wash his hands before the food arrives.
Afterwards, he rests against the wall in the short hallway. He feels bad about leaving Carter to fend for herself, but she's better prepared to deal with her father than he is. She's had thirty-something more years of practice.
That, and he's a coward. Five days to get to this planet? Alone on a cargo ship? With two Carters? Oy.
Sean the waiter walks past, heading for a door marked Employees Only. He stops, wincing sympathetically at Jack. "Your girlfriend's father?" he asks.
"Unfortunately."
"First time you've met him, right?"
"No." Jack sighs. "That'd be less awkward than this."
The kid says, "Whoa." And then he says, "Hey, good luck, man," which Jack translates as better you than me.
*
Dinner, by Jack's estimation, lasts at least five days. Jacob's not happy with his salad, the butter on his bread, or his entrée. Carter doesn't say much, either. Well, they'll all have plenty of time to talk, starting tomorrow. Terrific.
Finally -- not soon enough -- Jack pulls out his AMEX and leaves it on the table. Fuck dessert. Nobody needs dessert.
Jacob drinks the last of his water, shakes the melting ice cubes in his glass. "Sam, can I borrow your car?"
Carter sits up to attention. "Of course you can, but where -- "
"I might as well spend the night on base. I'll have to be back there in --" He checks his watch. "-- nine and a half hours anyway. Plus, it'll give me some time to look at your piece of the stabilizer. Okay if I work in your lab?"
Her forehead crinkles up. "Dad, it's okay. Jack's going home. You can stay with me."
"Go home with your kid, Jacob," Jack says, not liking the game the older man is playing.
"Nah. I'll be fine on base, Sam. Don't worry about it. Jack can drive you home, can't you, Jack?"
Carter opens and shuts her mouth, fishes out her keys, and hands them over. She stares after her father until the front door swings shut behind him. "God, I hate when he does that," she mumbles. Jack's pretty sure he hates it, too. He sits silently, squeezing her thigh again. It's a big part of his revised Calming Carter Down strategy.
Sean slips in and takes the credit card away, not bothering to ask if they want coffee.
"So," Jack says, "your place it is, then."
She looks a little predatory, though. "Jack, why did you say that?"
He's genuinely confused, and withdraws his hand. "That we're going to your house?"
"That sleeping with me is worth it?"
Oh, for God's sake. Because he was sick of Jacob's superiority complex, that's why. "I sense that the answer you're looking for here is, 'Because I'm an idiot.'"
"Don't turn it into a joke, Jack."
"Now hey, if you're going to start complaining about my inappropriate use of humor, then that's a hell of a lot of complaining. I just thought I should point that out."
She makes an exasperated sound, a little too close to a growl. "Just don't do it again, okay? If he ever brings it up, you say nothing."
"Okay, okay."
"I cannot believe the two of you."
That makes Jack feel bad. Not a lot bad. Just a little bad. He gives up on the thigh-squeezing, and squeezes her hand instead. "Worse than you expected?"
She thinks, very seriously. "No, actually."
Well, that's something. She sighs and rolls her head on her shoulders. "I'm exhausted," she says. Jack doesn't blame her. "Can you take me home?"
Wait, there's something missing from that question. "Take you home and ...?"
"Take me home and what?"
"Well, I kind of thought I might go inside."
Carter pinches the bridge of her nose. "Jack, I'm not going to want to ..." She reclaims her hand and waves it in the air.
"Because you're mad at me?"
"No, because we have to be up before dawn."
"So what's the problem?" He tries to make it sound funny, or at last not angry, but really, how can she still think that's all he wants? They're grownups; it's not like they go at it every night. He wasn't even happy with just sex during the brief time when it was just sex.
She doesn't appear to notice the funny or the angry. She just gives him that look again, the one where he thinks she might cry. "All right," she says.
"I'll just run in and get a few things at my place, okay?" He speaks quickly, in case she changes her mind. "It'll take two minutes."
She nods, and knots her fingers with his. Jack's still trying to figure out what he did right for once, but there's no way in hell he's going to ask.
*
The base is virtually unmanned at 5:00 A.M. on a holiday weekend. Jack's been here less than a dozen times since he left. It's weird.
But Daniel's awake, and Teal'c is visiting. Teal'c stops in the middle of a sentence. Carter doesn't notice.
"Teal'c!" She gives him a big hug. "It's so good to see you. When did you get here?"
Jack's not sure what to do with himself. He offers Daniel a small, uncomfortable smile, wishing he didn't feel like such a jerk. So they're not working together anymore -- so what.
"Approximately five hours ago," Teal'c says. "It is good to see you as well, Samantha Carter." He lets Carter go, and grasps Jack's hand and forearm. "And you, O'Neill."
"How ya' doin', Teal'c?"
"I am well, thank you."
"So am I," Daniel says.
Carter beams; the worry begins to float away. "You're up early," she says.
"Thirty-six hours of sleep will do that to you." He looks wide awake now, though, if a little surprised to see them. He's still got the IV, plus a bandage on his forehead and a sling on his arm, but he doesn't look too miserable. Cool. What's not cool is that Jack does the math, and realizes he hasn't spoken with Daniel since Teal'c left, more than three weeks ago.
"Didn't you learn anything from us, Daniel?" Carter asks. "You're supposed to get out of the way before they fire."
"Whoops?"
Even Teal'c grins at that. He's wearing his thick Jaffa robes and looks very, well, Jaffa. But then he tilts his head, observing both Jack and Carter. "I would not have expected to see you here until later in the day."
Guilt creeps up Carter's face. "We're taking off with my dad for a few days. Don't worry about us, okay?"
Daniel looks back and forth between them. "Taking off where?"
"I'll tell you all about it when we get back," Carter says. "I promise."
But Daniel's not buying it, and neither is Teal'c. "Will you be in danger?" Teal'c asks.
"Only me," Jack says. "And only if Carter lets Jacob have a zat."
Daniel takes a breath as if to speak, stops, and tries again. "Didn't go too well last night, then?"
Jack glances at Carter, surprised that Daniel knows so much about their social life when he's been unconscious for the better part of two days.
"Daniel Jackson requested gossip," Teal'c explains. "I procured it."
Smug Jaffa bastard. He's totally laughing at Jack, only not out loud. Jack can tell.
"Dinner was fine," Carter says, daring Jack to contradict her with a sidelong glance. "There was practically no violence."
"Well, that's always good," Daniel says cautiously.
"You kicked me, Carter."
"I didn't say none." Her eyes sparkle. "I said practically none."
It's fun to play with his team again for a few minutes, but Jack groans anyway. "Hey," he says. "Can you guys tell Fraiser not to go into panic mode, either? But nobody's supposed to know otherwise."
"We shall inform her, O'Neill."
The bar at the foot of the bed is cool; Jack wraps his fingers around it. "I'm, uh, I'm glad you're okay, Daniel." Carter slants a look Jack's way.
"Thanks," Daniel says slowly. "It's good to see you, Jack."
"Yeah," Jack says, and it is good, even if it's weird. "You too. 'Fraid we've got a flight to catch, though."
Daniel looks to Carter again. "This flight wouldn't be leaving the solar system, would it?"
"When we get back, Daniel," Carter says. "And seriously, don't worry about us."
"The more you say that, the more they're gonna worry, Carter. Let's go."
Her lips curl down; Jack thinks she's afraid that Daniel will get worse while they're gone. She follows him anyway.
"But there's nothing to worry about, right?" Daniel calls after them. Carter turns to see their friends again, waves just once, and walks backwards out of the infirmary. Jack takes her hand to make sure she doesn't smash into a wall.
Their next stop is ... not the locker room. Jack instinctively presses 25 in the elevator, but Carter reminds him that they don't have lockers anymore.
"I scrounged us up some BDUs yesterday," she says. "They're in my lab."
Jack grunts something noncommittal.
"Sam?" he asks while they change. Her lab is quiet, the usual humming and blinking shut down. "I wasn't lying when I said the only thing to worry about was your dad killing me, right?"
She stands up from tying on her boots. "You were lying," she says. "But it was for a good cause."
***
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