"Come on already, would ya?"
"I just need to pack these samples, sir," responded the major without looking up from her pack.
Colonel Jack O'Neill tilted his head and looked down at his 2IC. Carter was kneeling on the ground, bent over her pack. With her cap pulled low over her eyes and all of her attention focused on safely stowing away the soil and mineral samples they had collected in the last few hours, he couldn't see her expression.
But he could make an educated guess.
Just give her dirt and rocks and she's happy, he thought. Distracted as hell, but happy.
"Have you taken a look overhead lately?"
Major Samantha Carter tucked two more samples in the depths of the pack and pulled out a small notebook and pen. She thumbed through a few pages and unhurriedly began writing, pausing only to pick up one of the many samples still unpacked to make a note of the neatly written number on the vial's label.
"If these samples are as pure as I think they are then this planet might be a candidate for that mining operation we've been talking about. I've already recommended a few other places to the General but all of those addresses were part of the Abydos cartouche. This one came from the information we got from the Ancient's database."
O'Neill's hand shot up as if to block the flow of words. "Carter!"
She looked up. "Sir?"
"That's all wonderful news. Really. But don't you think we should be getting down off this mountain?" he asked. He pointed overhead. Carter lifted her head; her gaze moved upwards until she was studying the cloud choked sky.
The gray sky had darkened considerably over the past few hours. The greenish-gray tint directly overhead gave way to a darker, more menacing black on the far side of the mountain's peak. Tiny patches of late afternoon sunlight struggled to shine through the heavy cloud cover. The thin weak rays of light did little to hold back the deepening gloom.
Carter shifted her gaze back to her commanding officer. "You should have said something sooner."
Jack's eyes widened; his mouth opened and then snapped shut firmly in tight frown. He closed his eyes and gave shook his head briefly before snatching his ball cap off his head and scrubbing a hand across his face and through his hair.
Carter heard him sigh as he opened his eyes again and replaced his cap on his head.
"Are you ready now?" he asked.
"Yes, sir." Carter dropped the notebook and pen back into her pack and quickly gathered up the remaining samples.
O'Neill waited silently until the samples were tucked away, the pack flaps were secured, and Carter was on her feet. Reaching down, he snatched up the pack and held it out so Carter could slip the straps over her shoulders.
"Good?" he asked.
Carter nodded.
"Then we can go, right?" O'Neill stepped to the face of the rock wall to retrieve P-90 that was leaning against it.
"Actually there are a few more samples I'd like to get," she answered.
O'Neill stopped in mid-stride and whipped his head around to glare at Carter only to find her grinning at him. She laughed and shook her head. "I'm kidding, sir. I've got plenty of samples." She walked past him and picked up her P-90. Jack still stood rooted to his spot. "Well?" she asked. "Are you gonna stand there all afternoon or are we gonna get off this mountain?"
O'Neill stared at her retreating back for a long moment before his face broke into a lop-sided grin.
* * * * *
Carter and O'Neill walked side-by-side, picking their way across the loose shale and rocks strewn across the mountain path. At this height, only a few spindly trees were hearty enough to poke their way out of the rubble-strewn ground. The thin branches whipped back and forth in a sudden gust of wind.
The radios crackled. "O'Neill, it is Teal'c."
Jack reached for the radio clipped to his shoulder and tilted his head to speak. "Yeah, Teal'c. O'Neill here," he responded, slowing his stride slightly.
"Jonas Quinn is concerned for your safety. We wish to know if you and Major Carter are returning to the camp."
"We're on our way now," Jack explained. "Carter fell in love with a pile of rocks up here and I had to drag her away."
"Colonel, that storm is moving in quickly," Jonas cut in. "How long before you'll make it back?"
"We're about 90 minutes out. We should reach the timber line in about a half hour."
"Those clouds are building, Colonel. You might not have that much time. High towering cloud formations with such a dark base indicate a severe storm and they're heading straight down the mountain. If you start to see any lightning strikes you and Sam need to take cover immediately."
"Thank you for the weather report, Jonas," snapped Jack, rolling his eyes. Carter just laughed. "We can see the clouds and I think we know when to come in out of the rain."
"Yes, but more people are injured or killed by lightning either before or after a storm than during the heaviest rainfall."
"We'll be fine," Jack interrupted. "Why don't you make sure the base camp is secured? We don't want everything to blow away tonight, do we?"
"No, sir. Everything is stowed away and secured already."
"That's just great, Jonas. Can you put Teal'c back on now, please?"
"What do you require of me, O'Neill?"
A dozen possible responses involving duct tape or a zat gun flitted through Jack's brain but he settled for the diplomatic reply. "We're supposed to check in with Hammond in about forty minutes," he reminded. "Tell him we've got the samples and that he needs to prepare himself for one of Carter's enthusiastic mission reports tomorrow." Picking on Jonas wasn't as much fun as picking on Carter. At least he could see Carter's expression. "Apparently," looking to the right to catch her reaction, he continued, "the rocks around here are extremely interesting."
Carter just shook her head, refusing to rise to the bait.
"I will inform General Hammond that Major Carter believes this planet to be a valuable resource that is worthy of further exploration and study."
Carter grinned triumphantly.
"O'Neill out," Jack added, giving up the attempt to goad Carter. He released the radio and picked up his pace again. "You know, Teal'c was a lot more fun when he didn't get my jokes."
"And what jokes would those be, sir?"
Jack decided not to respond to that comment and they walked on in silence.
With no real trail down the mountain, Jack followed the path of least resistance, picking his way around the rocks, boulders, and wind-whipped trees. Dust and sand swirled around them, kicked up by the wind gusts. He squinted, trying to keep the grit out of his eyes. He considered slipping on his sunglasses for the protection they offered but the growing darkness made that option impractical. Instead, he kept his head down and concentrated on finding the easiest route down.
He pushed the pace in the easy spots, wanting to put as much distance as possible between them and the approaching storm, but the rising wind and steep grade in some places was slowing their progress. As much as Jack hated to admit it, Jonas might have a reason to worry. All hell is gonna break loose when that storm hits.
"Wow! Did you see that?"
O'Neill's head snapped up and he looked at Carter. "See what?"
"A lightning strike," she told him, pointing toward the right. "Over there. It was huge."
Jack stopped walking and turned to scan the sky behind them. The mountain peak was lost in the inky blackness of the storm front. The towering wall of clouds was nearly black at its base and it stretched completely across the visible horizon, obscuring most of the craggy chain of rock spires that topped the mountain range.
A jagged streak of light flashed to the ground, illuminating the clouds briefly. Almost on its tail, another bolt burst out of the clouds. Jack heard the low rumble of a distant thunderclap.
"Crap."
"Maybe we can beat it down the mountain," Carter suggested.
"I thought we would," Jack admitted. Another gust of wind sent dust and debris swirling around his ankles. "Once that front comes over the peak, it's gonna move fast."
Lightning lit the sky yet again and was followed quickly by the boom of thunder. Jack bit back a curse even as he made the decision that was inevitable. "We're too exposed out here," he said. "We need to take cover."
"Take cover where?" Carter asked.
"Back up," he explained. "That rock slide we had to cross. Up near the top I noticed there was a place that looked like it might provide some cover. It might not be much," he shrugged, "but it's all we have at the moment."
"That's at least 40 minutes back!"
"Carter, I know. But we do not want to be hanging off the side of this mountain when that storm hits. We're going back up."
He reached for the radio and hoped Jonas wasn't in the mood for an 'I told you so' speech.
* * * * *
CRACK!
Jack's ears rang as the sound reverberated off the rock face. He hunched his shoulders, trying to keep the rain from sneaking its way past his collar and down his back, but it was a lost cause. The few spots left on his body that were still dry wouldn't remain that way for much longer. The driving rain battered him. It was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.
The storm had swept over the mountain top, bearing down on them with a speed and intensity he hadn't expected. At least we're heading to some shelter, he thought. However minimal, it has to be better than this. He took some small comfort in the knowledge that they would have never have outraced the storm to the camp. They might have made it to the tree line but the wind had been picking up strength with every passing second. Broken branches and falling tree limbs would turn into deadly missiles when tossed around in the storm.
"Sir, do you know where we're at?" Carter shouted from a few steps behind him.
"Almost there," he told her, although the driving rain and growing darkness made complete certainty of their location nothing more than a wistful thought. Still, he knew they had to be close. Jack was certain he recalled clambering up this steep grade earlier. The rock fall that had nearly blocked their chosen path wasn't far ahead if he was remembering correctly. He just hoped he'd be able to spot the rock formation he was looking for before they passed it.
Jack's foot slipped, sending loose rocks skidding down the incline. He heard Carter yelp in surprise. Turning, he saw her struggle to keep her balance on the shifting shale. Lightning arced overhead again. In the split second of illumination from the bolt's glow, Jack saw Carter's eyes widen in fear. He reached out- too late to stop her sudden shift in balance and the subsequent backwards tumble.
"Carter!" The accompanying clap of thunder drowned out his shout.
She landed on her back with an audible 'ooof' and began sliding down the incline. More shale broke loose and Carter's body slipped sideways. As she picked up speed, Jack saw her try to wrap her arms around her head as she went into a sideways roll. He took a step towards her, kicking loose even more loose rock and sending it sliding down the path behind her. He stopped moving, afraid he'd simply send her careening even further down the incline if he sent more shale sliding. She was still sliding, but had managed to stop the rolling. She finally came to a stop about 30 yards away.
She wasn't moving.
"Carter?"
No response.
Shit. No!
Jack rushed forward, feet sliding in the muddy trail Carter and the rocks had left behind. Unsure of his own footing, he dropped to the ground and slid down the incline- controlling his speed by digging his hands into the rocky soil.
He came to a stop at her side. Her cap was gone, her face muddied and scraped, and her pack dangled by a single strap. Heart pounding, Jack reached out and touched her shoulder.
"Carter?"
"Ouch."
In spite of the situation, he smiled. Until the reality of their predicament came crashing back in on him. They were miles from help in the middle of a nightmare storm and Carter might have some serious injuries.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
"I've been better," she told him, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "But I don't think anything's broken. I just need to get my breath back."
"Are you sure?" he demanded. "Nothing's broken?"
"Positive," she answered. Carter rolled over on her side and sat up slowly. "But every last inch of me is gonna hurt like hell tomorrow." She twisted her head to look at her pack dangling crookedly off her shoulder. She pulled it off and placed it in her lap. "My samples-"
Jack's hand closed on hers before she could open the flap.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, although he knew the answer already.
"I want to see if the samples are okay," she told him, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.
"Carter, don't ya think that can wait? You just fell down a mountain and we're in the middle of a thunderstorm that would have scared the robes off of Noah for cryin' out loud!"
Jack watched her expression shift as she considered possible arguments and dismissed them one by one. The rain was quickly washing the mud and blood from her face and hair. At least those abrasions don't look too bad, Jack thought. It could have been worse- a helluva lot worse.
Carter's shoulders slumped and she bent her head down to stare at the mangled pack resting in her lap. Suddenly, Jack was acutely aware that he still had his fingers wrapped around her hand. Carter apparently came to the same realization because her eyes flew back up to his and she quickly pulled her hand out of his grasp.
Jack winced at the sudden rush of pain in his palm and turned his hand over. His frantic slide down the path had left it scraped and bloodied. He knew without having to look that his other hand was in the same condition.
"I'm sorry," Carter began.
"Ah, it's nothing. Ready to try again?" he asked, nodding towards the incline. "We really need to get undercover."
Carter nodded. She slowly gathered her legs under her and with a helping hand from Jack, she got to her feet. She held out her hand for the pack but O'Neill shook his head and slipped the remaining strap over his shoulder. Carter lifted a hand to her check, gingerly feeling the area around the abrasion.
"Bad?" she asked.
"Not as bad as it could have been. Nothing permanent," he reassured her. "We don't have too far to go," he added as he turned to go back up the incline.
"Sir?"
"Yeah?" He shifted to face her again. He frowned as he noticed the already darkening bruise along her left cheek and jaw line, the long rip in the left sleeve of her jacket, and the rent in the right knee of her fatigues. The P-90 and radio were still both clipped to her vest.
"I..." She fell silent again, tilting her head slightly. Her blue eyes stared unblinking into his; she seemed oblivious to the rain. Jack saw her take a breath and straighten her back. She lifted her chin and opened her mouth as if to speak but stopped suddenly.
"What Carter?" Jack felt uneasy. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to hear what she was going to say.
"I just wanted…" Again her voice trailed off. Her eyes slid away from his, focusing on a point somewhere over his right shoulder.
Jack shifted his stance and tugged the single strap of Carter's pack higher.
"Sir, have you seen my cap?" The question came out in a rush. Carter's face flushed.
Relief and regret warred with each other in Jack's mind. Well what did you think she was going to say, O'Neill? He looked around and spotted a swatch of green about half-way up the incline. "Up there," he told her, pointing.
Together, they slowly made their way back up the incline- Carter visibly limping and Jack hanging worriedly at her elbow. Reaching the lost cap, Jack bent and swiped it up. He slapped it on his leg, knocking loose the mud and dirt. It was soaking wet, but then again everything they had was wet- and getting wetter by the second. He held it out to Carter and shrugged.
She smiled slightly, took it from his outstretched hand, and plopped it back on her head. "Thanks," she said. He could barely hear her over the drumming of the rain.
* * * * *
"Give me your hand." Jack reached down and wrapped his fingers around Carter's wrist. "There's a crack you can get your foot in just to the right."
After a couple of tries, Carter finally wedged her foot in the split and Jack pulled. She winced in pain but still managed to scramble up the slippery face of the four foot rock wall. She hauled herself over the edge and lay belly down on the gentle downward slope of the flat topped boulder.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." Carter sighed and rolled over on her back. "Everything hurts already," she admitted.
Jack slipped a hand behind her back, helping her to sit upright. "I'm not surprised." He stood and waited for Carter to pick herself up as well. "We're headed right up there." He pointed to a niche where two huge slabs of rock formed a small arch. "You can rest soon."
They quickly scrambled to the top of the rock slab and the safety of the shallow recess. Jack and Carter both had to duck to avoid the low 'ceiling' of their shelter. The alcove only extended about five or six feet back and wasn't much more than four feet across at the widest point.
"Ah, home sweet home at last," Jack quipped.
"At least it's dry," added Carter. "Or relatively so anyway." Jack realized Carter was right. The rain had blown in and the floor was slick with moisture. But compared to what it was like outside, their temporary shelter was a virtual paradise. It was a relief to be out of the pounding rain. He motioned for Carter to scoot all the way to the back wall. He slipped both packs off and leaned Carter's against the side wall.
Carter looked toward her pack but Jack waggled a finger at her. "Uh uh, Major, they can wait."
Ignoring her eye roll, Jack dug in his own pack and began laying out the items inside: a handful of granola bars, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, a coil of rope, one beef stew MRE, extra ammo clip, and a tightly rolled olive green thermal space blanket.
He picked up the first-aid kit and slid closer to Carter. Opening it up, he pulled out a handful of alcohol swabs. "Okay, Carter. It's time to clean up." Already, her cheek and jaw were a nice shade of purple. The rain had washed most of the blood and dirt away, but some of the deeper scratches looked as if they still had debris embedded in them. Jack tore open the foil packet and pulled out the antiseptic swab. He leaned forward, stretching his hand towards Carter's face.
"What about your hands?"
Jack's arm went still. He stared at the growing red spots on the antiseptic swab.
"Oh." He'd forgotten about them. Lightning flashed, casting shadows on the rock wall behind Carter. The peal of thunder that followed was loud enough to rattle his teeth.
"They're still bleeding, sir. Let's take care of them first."
"I'm not the one who fell down the mountain," he argued.
"Could'a fooled me," Carter snapped back. "Look at them!"
She didn't bother to wait for his response. Instead, she snatched the swab out of his fingers and grabbed his wrist. She flipped his hand over and dabbed at the abrasions that covered his palm.
"Damn, Carter. That stings!"
"Don't be such a wuss, sir," she retorted, reaching for the tweezers. "Hold still. You have a piece of shale in here pretty deep."
Unwilling to tick Carter off while she was armed with tweezers, he kept quiet and simply watched her work. Carefully, Sam cleaned the blood and grime off of his hands, occasionally stopping to use the tweezers again. Five foil packets and a partial roll of gauze later, she finished with his left hand and reached over and grabbed the right one.
"You shouldn't have taken off your gloves earlier, sir," Sam tutted, pulling a particularly nasty piece out of his finger.
With his bandaged left hand, Jack quickly checked his back pockets, "Ah hell, they're gone."
Carter smiled. "At least you found my cap."
"And lost my gloves," Jack growled, snatching his now bandaged hand back. "Your turn," he added, picking up another foil packet.
Carter silently suffered his ministrations. Mentally, Jack admitted that her face was in a lot better shape than his hands had been. Still, he used a few butterfly bandages to help close the worst of the gashes. He also cleaned the long scratch on her left arm and the abrasions on her right knee.
Injuries taken care of, Jack thumbed the send button on his radio, trying to contact the other half of his team.
He received nothing but static.
"Too much electrical interference," Sam explained needlessly. Jack hadn't really expected it to work but he'd figured it was worth a shot to at least try to reach Teal'c and Jonas.
Shrugging, he began setting up their makeshift camp. Nightfall was approaching quickly and Jack wanted everything settled as soon as possible. He finished repacking his backpack, leaving the food, flashlight, and blanket within easy reach, and looked up to find Carter going through her own pack- checking the condition of her sample cases.
"You and those damn samples," he groused. He slipped off his vest and placed it on top of his pack.
"They are the reason for this mission," Carter reminded him. She opened up the foam lined box and nodded happily. "They're fine."
"Of course they are. They came through it better than you did," he grumbled as he unzipped his field jacket. "You're more worried about a bit of dirt and a few rocks than you are yourself."
Sam watched as he shucked off his wet jacket. Her gaze went to his gauze wrapped hands but she didn't comment.
"I don't suppose you have anything useful in that pack, do you?" He leaned over and snatched the pack out of her grasp. "What do we have?" he muttered. He flipped the pack upside down and shook the contents out on the floor.
"Sir!" Sam protested as a second sample case bounced and rolled.
"Hey, if they survived that headlong tumble they'll survive this." He surveyed the items and frowned. There wasn't much- a few granola bars, her notebook, a flashlight, a second first-aid kit, an assortment of small digging tools, a digital camera, and the samples. "Carter, you have had basic survival training at some point in your career I presume?"
"We do have a base camp."
"Which we are cut off from," Jack said pointedly.
"You don't have much more than that yourself."
Jack's eyebrows rose and he picked up the MRE and waved it in front of her face. "Real food," he teased.
"Ha," Carter snorted. "You just thought you'd be bored silly and brought an extra lunch. If I hadn't put you to work collecting samples for me, that would be long gone and you know it."
"What about this?" He unrolled the thermal blanket and shook it out.
"Okay, you got me on that one. I took mine out of my pack at camp last night. So you remembered your blanket and I didn't."
"Don't forget the rope," he jibed. "That counts too."
"Oh of course not, I can see how having a rope right now could mean the difference between life and death."
Jack froze, his gaze drawn inexorably to the livid bruises on Sam's face. So damn lucky, he thought. The silence stretched out and Sam frowned. She dropped her chin to stare at the sample case she still held in her lap.
"You never know when a rope might come in handy," he said with forced lightness. "Don't leave Earth without it."
Carter closed her sample case and pulled her pack closer. She repacked her equipment, tossing the energy bars into the pile with Jack's. "The only thing I really wish we had is dry clothes. I don't think I'll ever be dry again." She unzipped her vest and shrugged it off. The jacket was next. As she twisted her arm to pull of her jacket, Carter gasped; her face contorted in pain.
"Carter?"
Her hand went her lower left back and she closed her eyes.
"Carter?" Jack repeated, his voice rising. "Hey, let me help." He shifted closer and gently eased the jacket off of her shoulders. He tugged at the wrist cuffs until the jacket slid free. Her left arm was also beginning to darken to a deep bluish-purple. Carter took a deep breath and winced again. "Does it hurt to breathe?" he demanded.
"I'll be okay," Sam replied.
"That's not what I asked you. Are you having difficulty breathing?"
"It's just a twinge. It's not that bad really."
"You may have cracked a rib-"
"No, I don't think so," Sam interrupted. "Definitely bruised though."
"Let me see."
"Sir-"
"Carter!"
Sam sighed but nodded. Jack slid the back of her t-shirt up to the middle of her back. "Crap, Carter. Why the hell didn't you say something?"
Deep shades of black and blue mottled most of her back and left side. The discoloration extended farther up- under the area still covered by her t-shirt. Jack rose up on his knees and pulled back the neckline of her shirt at her shoulder. "It goes all the way up," he told her, shaking his head.
Turning her loose, he leaned over and tugged loose his canteen from the side pocket of his pack. He handed it to her and dug in one of his vest pockets for two packets of aspirin. "Take these," he ordered.
Sam took the packet from him and dutifully opened and downed the small white tabs. "You carry aspirin in your vest?"
"I've been stuck without any when I needed them too many times," he told her. "You're gonna wish we had something stronger by morning."
"To be honest, I wouldn't mind something stronger right now," Sam admitted.
"Sorry." Jack sat back down. He stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned against the sloping rock wall. "Hungry?"
"I suppose," Sam replied.
Jack ripped open the MRE packet and pulled out the heater bag. Sam handed him back his canteen and he quickly prepped the pouch of beef stew and leaned it upright against the wall beside him. Jack stared out at the still falling rain. Lucky thing this slab of rock slopes down like it does, he reflected. If it didn't we'd be sitting in a pool of water for sure. He glanced at Carter, her face partially hidden in shadow. They'd be in the dark soon.
"Do you think Jonas and Teal'c are okay?" Sam asked.
"They are warm and cozy in a nice dry tent. They're fine."
"Jonas is probably driving Teal'c crazy. I'm sure they're worried about us."
"Teal'c knows we can handle ourselves," Jack replied. "And he'll just kel-no-reem if Jonas starts to bug him too much," he added with a grin. He could barely make out Sam's matching smile in the gloom.
"I think Teal'c enjoys teasing him," Sam suggested. "But it's hard to tell with Teal'c."
"Poor kid doesn't have a chance against a Jaffa with a sense of humor," laughed Jack. It was subtle, but it was there. Teal'c had shown an amazing penchant for keeping Jonas slightly off-balance in the last few months.
Jack grabbed his flashlight and turned it on. "Stew should be ready," he told Sam, reaching for the meal. He snagged the pouch out of the heating bag and handed it over to her.
"We're sharing it aren't we?" Sam asked, taking it by the corner and shaking it a bit. She tore open the top and Jack inhaled the familiar aroma of cooked beef.
"Nah," he told her, handing her the spoon and crackers as well. "I will take your chocolate bar though." He tore the foil wrapper off the candy, broke off a piece, and popped it in his mouth. "No dessert for you," he teased. "Unless you want granola."
Conversation drifted to a stop. The pat-pattering of the rain, whistling wind, and the occasional thunderclap were the only sounds around them. The bright beam of the flashlight and the sudden flashes of lightning held back the darkness.
Sam raised an eyebrow at him when he reached for one of the energy bars. "Sir, are you sure you don't want some of this?" She held up the pouch of beef stew.
"I'm sure, Carter. Eat."
She finished off the MRE and stowed the trash in her pack. Jack shifted to the right to make room for her and she scooted herself around until she was seated beside him. Jack watched her closely as she leaned back. She sighed slightly as she made contact with the wall.
"Hurts?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Come here," he said softly.
"No, I-"
"It's me or the rock, Carter."
She hesitated. Jack saw the indecision in her eyes. It was a feeling he shared. There'd been so many times, so many moments, when he'd held himself back- had hesitated. It had become routine. A habit formed of long experience that was difficult to break.
A defense against the impossibility of what they couldn't have.
"You're hurting," he told her. "Don't make it worse if you don't have to."
Sam took a deep breath. Slowly, she shifted her position until she was leaning into the crook of his arm.
"Better?" Jack whispered.
He felt her nod against his shoulder. "Thanks," she mumbled.
Lightning flashed again.
"It's going to be a long night," he observed.
The low rolling sound of thunder echoed in his ears.
"Storm's moving away though," Sam said. "Teal'c and Jonas are probably in the middle of it by now." The wind gusted and a spray of rain blew in. Sam shivered slightly.
Jack grabbed the blanket from next to his knee and pulled it over them, turning the reflective side inwards.
Sam tilted her head to look up at him and smiled. "Well, this seems familiar."
Jack nearly jumped in surprise. That was something he'd thought they would never mention to each other. He'd figured she'd chalked it up to circumstances- a situation that had been out of their control. Past that, he'd tried not to think about it at all.
"Yeah," he said slowly. "I guess it does."
"It's kinda nice though," she added.
Jack didn't know what to say to that. They were treading in dangerous territory.
"Carter, did you hit your head or something?"
She laughed. "You know what I mean, sir."
This time he laughed- a brusque explosion of noise that sounded more angry than amused. "Sir."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"Didn't mean what, Carter?" Jack snapped.
"It's just…" Her voice trailed off.
"Just what?" Jack prompted.
"Harder than I thought it would be," she answered, her voice so low Jack had to strain to hear it.
He closed his eyes and silently berated himself for lashing out at her. This is why we have rules, he reminded himself. The rules were supposed to prevent this sort of… complication. But it was already far more complicated than he'd ever imagined it could get. The truth was that his life had been pretty complicated for a long time.
Maybe it was time to simplify matters.
"I want to retire."
Sam sat up and turned to look him in the eye. "What?"
"I want to retire," he repeated. Sam's eyes widened and her mouth hung open in shock. "What? Something wrong with your ears?" he asked.
"No, I heard it. I just don't believe it came from you."
"Why not?"
"Why not?" she repeated.
"Is there an echo in here?" he quipped. "Yeah, why not? Why shouldn't I retire? I think I've earned it, don't you?"
"You can't be serious."
"Yes, I am. It's not just our… situation," he said. "It's a lot of things. I'm tired, Carter. Tired of losing people, tired of bringing down one of those damn Goa'uld only to have another one pop up in its place, tired of second guessing every decision."
"Don't you think what we've been doing is worth all that? I can't believe you're seriously considering leaving."
"Carter, how do you want to die?"
"What? What does that have to do with anything?" she demanded.
"Everything. It has everything to do with it. See, me? I'll be happy to live to a ripe old age in my cabin by the lake. Let me cash my ticket in with a fishing pole in one hand and a beer in the other. I've seen the alternatives. Hell, I've experienced them. Enough is enough."
Sam dropped her eyes from his and stared down at her hands. Jack waited, wondering what she'd make of his speech. He'd realized at some point during his diatribe that the decision to retire didn't hinge on her reaction. He was ready. He'd be a fool to assume it would automatically change anything between them- but he hoped.
Sam lifted her head and regarded him calmly.
"Teal'c says there aren't any fish in the lake."
"There are fish," he told her. "They're just… elusive."
Sam leaned her body into his again, tucking her head under his chin. "I guess I'll be finding that out for myself," she replied, curling her left arm around his chest.
Tightening his arm around her shoulder, Jack slowly smiled.
Far in the distance, thunder boomed and echoed in the night.
**********
End
Story Notes: Happy Birthday, Arnise! Do you know how hard it was to keep ducking you and to come up with excuses for not working on the website while I wrote this? Sorry it's a few days late, but you know how I get when I'm writing. A big thanks goes out to Kelly! You are a master of the 'beta as you go' technique.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]