Serpentine
Title: Serpentine
Author: ardvari
Rating: PG
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Spoilers: Small ones for Stargate: Atlantis season 4.
A/N: Sequel to Lions make you brave.
Serpentine
The Ori threat, having hung over their heads for so long, is no longer a threat. It’s another war won, another notch in the wood. Earth takes a collective sigh of relief, and Sam ends up on Jack’s couch in Washington, eating ice cream and watching a football game with him.
The sun shines through the large windows, throwing rectangles of warmth onto the hardwood floor. They’re both relaxed, at ease now because it’s another disaster avoided and Earth is safe again. The galaxy’s safe again. For now.
Her schedule’s filled with scientific things, research, and she can do some of it from Washington and this is why she’s here, on his couch in her underwear and one of his shirts, her bare feet resting on the edge of the coffee table. Her laptop is beeping occasionally at her feet and line after line of mathematical equations roll by. Every once in a while she bends down, scrutinizes the screen, then settles back against his chest.
He has no idea what she’s doing, and when she explained it to him earlier, all he heard was “zero point energy” and “exotic particles” and then his brain wandered to what he considers “exotic” and that’s the reason why she’s only half dressed now. He’s never going to understand her techno babble, will forever just marvel at the things she can do, like blowing up a sun or building an intergalactic gate bridge from the Milky Way to the Pegasus galaxy.
Her computer beeps loudly all of a sudden, the screen blinking in that kind of way that used to mean very bad things were about to happen. On TV, the team he isn’t cheering for gets a touchdown.
“Damn!” she says, picking up her laptop.
“Shit,” he says, taking a sip of his beer.
She mumbles to herself, her fingers flying over the keyboard, her brow furrowed.
“I might actually have to run a few simulations at the SGC,” she says and bites her lip thoughtfully.
“What?” he asks, momentarily unsure if he’s heard her correctly.
“I don’t know. I thought I had this figured out. Apparently not. I’ll need my lab,” she says, still typing furiously.
“But you said you’d stay the week. The entire week,” he says.
She shrugs, still thinking, the laptop balanced on her knees. The AC hums to life, reminding them both how warm it is outside today, that they haven’t left the apartment all weekend, not since she arrived late Friday night.
“Yeah, I will. It’s just… I thought I had it. I really did. I just… there must be a mistake somewhere in there and I can’t seem to…” she trails off, staring at the screen again.
A few strands of hair fall into her face and he reaches over, brushes them back behind her ear. Her hair has grown a lot and he likes it, likes running his fingers through it and playing with it.
“If anyone can figure this out, it’s you,” he says, because she’s always figured everything out.
“Well… not today,” she sighs, closing her laptop.
She puts it down on the coffee table, leaning back again and resting her head on his shoulder.
“I’m staying until Thursday, by the way. Friday I’m gating to the Midway Station,” she informs him.
He should know this, of course, but he still sucks at reading memos that don’t concern the imminent demise of the galaxy. Trips to Midway are routine by now, and since she built it, she occasionally gets to go, too. Especially when there’s an issue, or an upgrade needs to be done.
“Who’s going with you?”
“Bill,” she answers, pulling the tub of ice cream back into her lap, spooning some of the half-melted stuff into her mouth.
He nods, watching her spoon up more ice cream. He nudges her gently and she holds it up to his mouth, giggling when he sucks the ice cream off the spoon.
This is great, this peace, just hanging out with her and not worrying about Earth being destroyed, about the galaxy. For now they can just hang out, enjoy each other’s company. It’s the kind of calm before the storm situation that usually makes him edgy, waiting for disaster to strike again. No doubt if it does, she’ll be ordered into the middle of it.
They both end up working from home for a few days, and then he heads back to Homeworld Security on Wednesday and she has to meet with a team of scientists. When he drops her off at the airport on Thursday, he holds on to her a moment longer, lets his lips rest against hers for just a fraction too long.
“When will you be back in Washington?” he asks.
“Two weeks tops. Depending on how things go on Midway and back at the SGC,” she answers, kissing him soundly before she leaves.
She’s on the Midway Station when disaster does strike on Atlantis, and then she’s at the SGC for a few days packing her stuff, and then she’s off to Atlantis. He talks to her on the phone for an hour before she gates out, listens to her excitement at being chosen as the new base commander. He’s excited for her, too, wishes he could see her off at the ‘gate. He can hear her rustling around, throwing the last bits and pieces into boxes. She’s probably already in her dress blues, and towards the end of their conversation she gets a little teary.
“You’ll do great,” he reassures her, listening to her sigh heavily.
“I know. I know, it’s just… it’s a big step,” she says softly.
“And you deserve it,” he answers.
“I’ll have big shoes to fill,” she says.
“You’ll do fine. And I’ll have your back here on Earth.”
“Thanks,” she almost whispers.
“And Sam?”
“Yeah?” she asks, curiously.
“I love you.”
He always thought he’d say this to her in person, that he’d be able to watch the emotions play across her face when he told her for the first time. The universe foiled his plans again, and this way he just gets to listen to her breath catch on the fuzzy phone line.
“I love you, too, Jack,” she says, her voice soft and happy.
He leans back in his chair when they finally hang up, knowing that he won’t see her for a while, won’t be able to hear her voice. He sends her an e-mail instead, one she’ll get once she’s on Atlantis, just to make sure she knows that he’s here when she needs to talk.
Author: ardvari
Rating: PG
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Spoilers: Small ones for Stargate: Atlantis season 4.
A/N: Sequel to Lions make you brave.
Serpentine
The Ori threat, having hung over their heads for so long, is no longer a threat. It’s another war won, another notch in the wood. Earth takes a collective sigh of relief, and Sam ends up on Jack’s couch in Washington, eating ice cream and watching a football game with him.
The sun shines through the large windows, throwing rectangles of warmth onto the hardwood floor. They’re both relaxed, at ease now because it’s another disaster avoided and Earth is safe again. The galaxy’s safe again. For now.
Her schedule’s filled with scientific things, research, and she can do some of it from Washington and this is why she’s here, on his couch in her underwear and one of his shirts, her bare feet resting on the edge of the coffee table. Her laptop is beeping occasionally at her feet and line after line of mathematical equations roll by. Every once in a while she bends down, scrutinizes the screen, then settles back against his chest.
He has no idea what she’s doing, and when she explained it to him earlier, all he heard was “zero point energy” and “exotic particles” and then his brain wandered to what he considers “exotic” and that’s the reason why she’s only half dressed now. He’s never going to understand her techno babble, will forever just marvel at the things she can do, like blowing up a sun or building an intergalactic gate bridge from the Milky Way to the Pegasus galaxy.
Her computer beeps loudly all of a sudden, the screen blinking in that kind of way that used to mean very bad things were about to happen. On TV, the team he isn’t cheering for gets a touchdown.
“Damn!” she says, picking up her laptop.
“Shit,” he says, taking a sip of his beer.
She mumbles to herself, her fingers flying over the keyboard, her brow furrowed.
“I might actually have to run a few simulations at the SGC,” she says and bites her lip thoughtfully.
“What?” he asks, momentarily unsure if he’s heard her correctly.
“I don’t know. I thought I had this figured out. Apparently not. I’ll need my lab,” she says, still typing furiously.
“But you said you’d stay the week. The entire week,” he says.
She shrugs, still thinking, the laptop balanced on her knees. The AC hums to life, reminding them both how warm it is outside today, that they haven’t left the apartment all weekend, not since she arrived late Friday night.
“Yeah, I will. It’s just… I thought I had it. I really did. I just… there must be a mistake somewhere in there and I can’t seem to…” she trails off, staring at the screen again.
A few strands of hair fall into her face and he reaches over, brushes them back behind her ear. Her hair has grown a lot and he likes it, likes running his fingers through it and playing with it.
“If anyone can figure this out, it’s you,” he says, because she’s always figured everything out.
“Well… not today,” she sighs, closing her laptop.
She puts it down on the coffee table, leaning back again and resting her head on his shoulder.
“I’m staying until Thursday, by the way. Friday I’m gating to the Midway Station,” she informs him.
He should know this, of course, but he still sucks at reading memos that don’t concern the imminent demise of the galaxy. Trips to Midway are routine by now, and since she built it, she occasionally gets to go, too. Especially when there’s an issue, or an upgrade needs to be done.
“Who’s going with you?”
“Bill,” she answers, pulling the tub of ice cream back into her lap, spooning some of the half-melted stuff into her mouth.
He nods, watching her spoon up more ice cream. He nudges her gently and she holds it up to his mouth, giggling when he sucks the ice cream off the spoon.
This is great, this peace, just hanging out with her and not worrying about Earth being destroyed, about the galaxy. For now they can just hang out, enjoy each other’s company. It’s the kind of calm before the storm situation that usually makes him edgy, waiting for disaster to strike again. No doubt if it does, she’ll be ordered into the middle of it.
They both end up working from home for a few days, and then he heads back to Homeworld Security on Wednesday and she has to meet with a team of scientists. When he drops her off at the airport on Thursday, he holds on to her a moment longer, lets his lips rest against hers for just a fraction too long.
“When will you be back in Washington?” he asks.
“Two weeks tops. Depending on how things go on Midway and back at the SGC,” she answers, kissing him soundly before she leaves.
She’s on the Midway Station when disaster does strike on Atlantis, and then she’s at the SGC for a few days packing her stuff, and then she’s off to Atlantis. He talks to her on the phone for an hour before she gates out, listens to her excitement at being chosen as the new base commander. He’s excited for her, too, wishes he could see her off at the ‘gate. He can hear her rustling around, throwing the last bits and pieces into boxes. She’s probably already in her dress blues, and towards the end of their conversation she gets a little teary.
“You’ll do great,” he reassures her, listening to her sigh heavily.
“I know. I know, it’s just… it’s a big step,” she says softly.
“And you deserve it,” he answers.
“I’ll have big shoes to fill,” she says.
“You’ll do fine. And I’ll have your back here on Earth.”
“Thanks,” she almost whispers.
“And Sam?”
“Yeah?” she asks, curiously.
“I love you.”
He always thought he’d say this to her in person, that he’d be able to watch the emotions play across her face when he told her for the first time. The universe foiled his plans again, and this way he just gets to listen to her breath catch on the fuzzy phone line.
“I love you, too, Jack,” she says, her voice soft and happy.
He leans back in his chair when they finally hang up, knowing that he won’t see her for a while, won’t be able to hear her voice. He sends her an e-mail instead, one she’ll get once she’s on Atlantis, just to make sure she knows that he’s here when she needs to talk.