Title: Mind if I Ask you a Question?

Author: DJ Boyd

E-mail: calmpony@hotmail.com

Status: complete

Sequel: none

Rating: PG

Season: 4

Pairings: Jack/Sam

Category: Banter

Spoilers: TBFTGOG, Point of View

Content Warnings: none

Summary: The Colonel and his 2IC chat by the fire.

File Size: 12KB

Mind if I ask you a Question?

By DJ Boyd

Pensive. That would be the one word description of the mood, Col. Jack O'Neill found himself in. Sitting by the campfire, cradling a cup of steaming coffee, to ward off the chill night air, he appeared to be in deep thought. As always, he took the opportunity while on watch, to study the stars, trying to find any constellations he might recognize. However...as always when on a distant planet, or moon in this case...they were all new.

To the casual observer, he almost seemed to be oblivious to the goings on around him, yet nothing could be farther from the truth. In actuality, he was very much aware of every sound, movement, and shift in the breeze. Not a crackle or a chirp took place without his not only knowing about it, but also being able to pinpoint the exact direction and distance from the camp it came from. He knew, without looking, who was about to join him by the fire.

"You're a little early for your watch aren't you Carter?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why?"

"Umm...when nature calls..."

"Ahh."

Major Carter sat down on the log that rested perpendicular to the one her CO occupied. She rubbed her hands briskly up and down her jacketed arms. Feeling his gaze turn in her direction, she paused in her efforts to warm herself.

"Why don't you crawl back in your bag...I'm sure it's warmer there. Catch a few more Z's."

"I'm fine, besides I start watch in thirty minutes. Takes me ten to fall asleep and then five to wake up...fifteen minutes of sleep will only make me grouchy."

"Well then...by all means...stay awake." Jack raised his tin cup in the Major's direction. "I'm not sure I want to deal with...grouchy."

Sam Carter smiled and shook her head, turning toward the soft flames of the fire. "No, sir."

"What?" The Colonel's cup paused on the way to his lips.

"What, what, sir?" She sat up taller and met his questioning stare.

"You just said 'No sir'...meaning you aren't staying awake? Am I going to have to deal with grouchy?" His original friendly gaze in her direction had rapidly been replaced by a command glare.

Carter barely refrained from giggling...she had come to know when to laugh with her CO, and avoided the appearance of laughing at him. With a straight, obedient, demeanor she quickly replied. "No sir...as in 'no grouchy'...sir." She decided a topic change was in order. Waving her own tin cup in the direction of the pot snuggled in the coals she asked. "Is there any coffee left?"

"Oh...yeah...sorry." O'Neill tested the handle of the pot before lifting it up to pour Carter a cup of 'wake up juice'. "Actually, Daniel was nice enough to put on a fresh pot before he tucked himself in for the night."

"You mean you wouldn't let him off watch until he refilled the pot he'd finished on his own."

Jack paused in his task long enough to share a conspiratorial glance with his second. "Yep...you got it."

"In that case...thank you...sir."

"You're welcome, Carter...anytime."

They sat quietly together, enjoying the warmth of the fire, hearing an occasional bird sound from the forest around them. At least it sounded like a bird. Who knew what type of plant or animal made those weird whooping noises? Since arriving on M2J-559, SG-1 had not encountered anyone or, anything living...but they had heard plenty.

Carter finished collecting her soil samples too late in the day to make it back to the Stargate before nightfall. Which was why she was about to start her turn at watch, while the rest of the team slept.

After a few more moments of silence, Colonel O'Neill turned his gaze once more to his second. He studied her profile as she watched the mesmerizing gyrations of the fire.

"Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure, sir."

"Now see...there you go again...making things confusing...and you wonder why I tune out your techno babble." He gave her a chance to realize what he was referring too. It didn't take her long.

"Sorry. ' No sir I don't mind, sure sir, go ahead and ask.'"

He hesitated for a moment, wondering now if he should voice the thoughts that had been his companions since...he couldn't remember how long. Turning his own gaze to the multicolored embers, he decided he had nothing to lose.

"Ever wonder how those other 'Jack's and Sam's...you know...the alternate reality ones...ever wonder how or when they got together?"

Carter drew in a sharp breath, surprised by the question posed. Unfortunately, she had also just taken a sip of her coffee, which she now found herself choking on. Her eyes went wide and began to tear from the efforts to normalize her breathing.

"Jeez, Carter...I wasn't expecting you to get so choked up about this." Jack leaned across the space between them and rested his hand on her spasming shoulder. "You alright?"

She nodded as the last of the coughs quieted in her throat. "Yes, sir I'm fine...just swallowed wrong...that's all." Sam sat silently, carefully taking another sip of the warm, bitter tasting liquid.

Having resumed his position on his own log, Jack waited for her response. After watching her take a few more sips of coffee, he got the idea she was avoiding the question. "Well...have you?"

Keeping her gaze fixed on her cup, she quietly answered. "That's a hard question to answer, sir."

"How so?"

"I can't answer without appearing to have been spending time thinking about...that scenario...sir." She raised her head slightly and turned to look at him, only to find a pair of dark brown eyes fixed on her.

"Have you?"

She couldn't look away this time; his eyes had always fascinated her. She swallowed again.

"Yes, sir."

A slow, warm smile began to grow on the rugged, handsome face...causing those dark eyes to catch the fires reflection.

"Me too." In the back of his mind Jack felt all the alarm bells and whistles begin to buzz and blare. *'Watch it O'Neill, you are entering the no fly zone, and you know it.' *

Then again, always being one to push the envelope... "So, when do you think they first realized they were...uhh...more than...umm...professionally interested in each other?" Suddenly Jack had the feeling he had opened a can of worms...a big honkin', super deluxe can of worms.

"Well, sir" Carter sounded cool and calm. "The...couple...Daniel met had been engaged for a few months before their reality was over run by the Goa'uld, where as the Dr. Carter who came through the mirror with Major Kowalski, had been married to her...Colonel O'Neill...for a while, before the same thing happened to them." Carter paused in any further analysis of the chosen topic. This Colonel O'Neill had become very quiet, taking on the glazed over look he normally did when she was explaining anything science related. "Sir?"

"A year...they had been married a year."

"Oh."

Silence fell over the two officers as they listened to what could have passed as an owl on Earth. Neither was able to pick up a visual though.

"Well, Major...I think we can sum this up by saying a good guess-timate would be...the first day they met."

"Yes, sir...probably so."

"Yep...probably." Colonel Jack O'Neill rose to his feet and stretched his full six-foot plus frame, releasing the kinks that the cool night air had set in.

"It's all yours Major."

Sam Carter watched as her CO tossed the dregs of his coffee into the fire, causing a small spit of steam to rise. He then turned and headed toward his sleeping bag.

"Uhh, Sir?"

"Yeah Carter." He stopped and turned toward his second in command.

"Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure...but nature's..."

"Oh...never mind...sir."

"Sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure...night sir."

"Night Major."

Pensive. That would be the one word description of the mood, Major Samantha Carter suddenly found herself in.

Finis