Target Practice
Title: Target Practice
Author: aurora_novarum
Word count: ~6700
Rating/Warning: All ages
Spoilers: set early/mid Season One
Prompt: Sam and Teal'c. Target practice; non-traditional paths.
Summary: Sam unexpectedly meets up with Teal'c and starts to get to know her enigmatic new teammate on a small road trip.
Author's Notes: Written for the sg1friendathon. Thanks to betas kalquessa and abyssinia4077.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters and settings are the property of MGM, Gekko, Double Secret Productions, and a host of other entities who are NOT me. (Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, Looney Tunes, etc. are the property of Warner Brothers.) No copyright infringement implied nor monetary gain sought. Merely an "homage" by a fan.
"Hey, Captain Carter. Didn't expect to see you here today."
"Didn't expect to be here today, Sergeant." Sam gave the man a rueful smile as she signed into the small firing range/weapons testing facility the SGC had set up.
Sergeant Tyler nodded as he set out ammunition for her checked out weapons. "Oh yeah. I heard about that spill on Level 19. Anyone hurt?"
"Doctor Tanner has a small burn, but it's not supposed to be anything serious. Still, the hazmat guys are not letting anyone back there for hours. They want to do a thorough check." Which meant she couldn't stay in her lab working on one of the other half-dozen projects she had in progress. And since she was still on duty, she couldn't follow her whim to drive her motorcycle as far as the road could take her. Her choices were either to use another computer on base to do some of her backed up paperwork, or get in some target practice. Shooting won out, hands down.
The sergeant responded as if he read her thoughts. "Yeah, I hear ya. Any idea what happened?"
Sam shrugged and gave a noncommittal smile as she gathered her equipment.
The sergeant nodded. "Gotcha. Area Five is available if you'd like, Captain."
"Thank you."
Although she couldn't share it with Sergeant Tyler, Sam knew exactly what the "toxic spill" was. It was the cherry on top of the terrible, frustrating day she'd been having. SG-5's artifact turned out to have an unknown chemical leaking inside it. The foul smelling liquid had spilled into the lab and ran everyone out.
Setting up her target, Sam lifted the rifle butt to her shoulder and fired repeatedly. She cursed again as she realized her frustration was throwing her aim off. At least she was still "killing" the paper target at the other end of the firing range, even if a few shots went wide.
Any other research on the artifact would have to be handled by the fledgling linguistics team. The four people, including Daniel, were knee deep in photos of the device. Daniel said he had some ideas on how to translate the language, but not to expect anything on that front for a few days.
Her thoughts turned to Daniel as she loaded another magazine. She'd instantly connected with him from their first meeting. In some ways she felt more in tune with his academic mindset than with the other military personnel. Between her PhD, then working at the sedate theoretical pace on Project Giza back at the Pentagon, she was now on a learning curve getting the rhythm and immediacy of being geek-under-fire. Daniel was going through the same, and, as a civilian to begin with, he had a steeper climb.
She set another target and sent it back to the far side of the room. The area was mostly quiet this time of day. She only heard a couple other shooters, but her attention stayed focused on her own target. This time her shots stayed centered. By the time she was done, it looked like one large hole in the center of the paper. Colonel O'Neill would be proud of her marksmanship, she thought.
She was still trying to figure the colonel out. After her disastrous entrance at their first meeting, she'd worked hard to try and disprove any predispositions he may have had about women, or scientists. As she'd worked with him more, she wondered if perhaps it was she who'd had the misconceptions. He would shut down her explanations sometimes, but he was fair, and he protected his people. Jack O'Neill turned out to be nothing like the man she'd expected from reading the first Abydos mission report. And he was definitely the finest commander she'd had since Major Ross back in Saudi Arabia.
She switched from the rifle to the 9mm she'd also checked out of the armory. She steadied her arm as she aimed for the center mass and shot out the whole magazine.
Her mind eventually wandered to thinking about Teal'c. The most mysterious of them all--understandable, considering he was an alien and former enemy warrior. Off-duty, he kept to himself. And onworld or off, he seemed to keep his own counsel behind that stern face. She trusted him with her life; he'd already saved it half a dozen times. And yet, she still didn't know the slightest thing about the fourth member of her team.
"You have impressive aim, Captain Carter."
She jumped and made a concerted effort not to raise her pistol. "Teal'c! I didn't know you were there!" She tried to control her breaths, but it shocked her to see her teammate right behind her, almost as if he had risen out of her thoughts. She took out her earplugs, although the heavy timber of Teal'c's voice was audible through the protection.
"O'Neill was conducting an orientation for me to use your projectile weapons. He also wished to practice with my staff weapon."
She spotted the familiar device leaning comfortably against him. "Oh."
"He instructed me to wait for him here while he met with General Hammond."
"Oh, um, okay. So...you've just been hanging out?"
"We were able to fire several rounds with a nine millimeter pistol and were about to practice with different rifles before General Hammond paged O'Neill. I have been observing the shooting by several personnel in his absence. You show great prowess, Captain Carter."
"Um, thanks. But it's really not my best." She hit the button to recall the target back to her station. "I guess my mind's a bit distracted today."
"Would you care to try with my weapon?"
"Oh, um..." she thought of the blast a staff weapon could cause and remembered the last time they shot it off...although the Gate Room had probably not been the best location for them to set up the ad hoc firing experiment.
Teal'c's lips curved upward slightly. Perhaps he remembered that experiment with the crystal as well. "Sergeant Tyler is aware of our testing, and we have received permission."
"Oh, okay then." Teal'c presented his weapon in much the same manner as he had presented it to her upon first arriving in the SGC,. She took the staff from him now with no less reverence than before.
It was as heavy as she remembered, but well balanced overall. She hadn't really looked at the mechanism too closely before. It was set back from the center point, the switch almost hidden. She flinched instinctively when she heard the click priming it and smelt the ozone.
She spread her legs, tried to center her body, and aimed. She fired the unwieldy weapon and was surprised at the kickback it delivered. It rocked her off balance, and she stumbled backward, only to find herself steadied by the solid force of Teal'c at her back.
"Your height is not conducive to the proper center point of the weapon, Captain Carter. Aiming at more of an upward angle would be more effective."
Sam had already come to that conclusion herself, and winced at how her first shot had gone wide of the target and nicked the concrete slab of the wall. Reorienting herself and gauging the angles, she balanced with more of the weapon behind her. Her second shot scalped the figure and knocked the backdrop loose, but at least it didn't seem to damage the wall.
Teal'c nodded his approval.
"Not bad," Sam shrugged. "Your turn."
Teal'c waited while she replaced the target, then steadied the weapon in a familiar grip and fired. Sam was surprised that even with Teal'c's prowess the shot flew a bit wide, striking the shoulder rather than the center mass.
"Hmm. For all its power, it's not the most accurate, is it?" Sam held out her arms, and Teal'c placed the weapon in her hands once again.
"O'Neill noted the same. The weapon is used to cow the human populace or do battle against other Jaffa in formation."
"But wouldn't the Goa'uld want an accurate weapon? One to hit the other Jaffa before the enemy could kill their own?" It seemed like standard combat tactics to her.
"Ground combat is determined by numbers, not by accuracy. The Goa'uld care not for how many Jaffa die in battle, only so long as the territory is theirs." Teal'c frowned. "Many were sent to their deaths in unwinnable battles merely to satisfy a false god's whim."
Sam glowered, biting off what she was about to say on the needless waste. She may not know many of Teal'c's facial expressions, but she could tell this subject was a sensitive one for him. She turned her attention to the practical, where she felt more comfortable. "Even if the Goa'uld didn't tinker with the weapon design much, there may be a way to tweak the blast stream and allow more control. I wonder what its power source is?" She felt along the firing mechanism to see if she could release the controls by hand.
Teal'c grabbed at the staff weapon."You cannot!"
"Okay," Sam stepped back, hands outstretched in an unthreatening manner. "I'm sorry. I overreached."
To her surprise, Teal'c appeared just as shocked at his reaction as she was. His eyes were wide, and he was trembling slightly before he took a deep breath and composed himself once again. "It is I who should apologize, Captain Carter. You did nothing wrong. Studying the magic...the technology of the false gods was forbidden."
Sam tentatively put a hand out and patted him on the arm. "It's okay, Teal'c. I imagine a lifetime of indoctrination is hard to get over. I shouldn't be trying to take it apart in the firing range anyway. Maybe in my lab..."
She broke off a curse when she remembered the quarantine. "Maybe another day. In the meantime, did you want to shoot some more with this?"
Teal'c eyed the rifle she held up and nodded. She left him at her cubicle to sign out more ammunition, and they took turns at her station. It amused Sam how Teal'c tended to hold the rifle straight out to fire, like it was a full extension of his arm. It took a massive amount of strength to hold the weapon like that, and he did it several times without tiring. She noted a few of the marines even glancing in wonder as they passed by her station.
A young airman approached. "Uh...Mister Teal'c? There's a phone call for you at the sarge's desk."
Teal'c thanked him and stepped away. Sam stifled a giggle at how the airman boggled at her teammate as he left. To her surprise, the airman stayed and turned to her. "The guy on the phone said to look for the big, bald, muscley guy with gold on his forehead. He said I couldn't miss him. Wow."
Sam suppressed a smile at what had to be Colonel O'Neill's description of Teal'c. She forced herself to adopt a stern expression and adopted her best superior officer tone. "Don't you have duties, airman?"
"Yes, sir! I mean, ma'am! I mean-"
"Carry on, airman." She turned away, so he couldn't see her smile.
Teal'c soon returned. "O'Neill expressed his disappointment he could not rejoin me, but General Hammond has called a meeting for the leaders of SG-1, 2, 4, and 7. He was pleased to hear you were here and that I had passed the time sufficiently." He tilted his head. "He also expressed a hope General Hammond would include pizza with his briefing."
Sam looked up at the clock hanging on the back wall of the firing range. The late hour was echoed by the rumbling of her stomach. Inspired, she turned back to Teal'c. "General Hammond allows you off base now right?"
Teal'c tilted his head before nodding. "So long as I am escorted by appropriate personnel."
Sam quirked a small grin. "Would I qualify as appropriate personnel?"
Teal'c blinked at her. "I would assume so, Captain Carter. Do you require my presence outside of the mountain?"
"No, not 'require'," she shrugged. "I'm off-duty now and would like to get topside for a while, clear my head. Wondered if you'd like to come. Do you like steak?"
"I have ingested the salisbury steak at the commissary." He frowned. "I did not care for the taste."
"Yeah, well I wouldn't consider what they serve here steak...or even necessarily food." She stifled a laugh at Teal'c's dour expression. "C'mon. There's this place called O'Malley's I've been dying to try out since I moved here."
Teal'c inclined his head in a manner Sam interpreted as agreement. "We'll both change and meet on Eleven then," she said.
Sam had second thoughts about her idea as she stood at her locker. She'd forgotten she had her motorcycle here when she made the invitation. And coming up with dinner conversation with the taciturn alien could prove a challenge. They'd had such easy camaraderie on the firing range, but outside, where they couldn't discuss anything sensitive, would prove more difficult.
She knew inviting the colonel was out, since this meeting with all the SG leaders on base would tie him up for a while. But perhaps she could persuade Daniel to come. He never seemed to be at a loss for words. Plus, he had just bought a car.
The quarantine was still in place at her office, so she didn't bother heading to the lab floors. She called Daniel's office from the phone outside the locker rooms, where he sounded distracted as he answered on the third ring.
"Hey, it's Sam. Teal'c and I are planning to go out to get some steak. Wondered if you'd like to come along?"
"Hmm? Oh, um, no thanks. Baxter just hauled up some sandwiches, so we could work through...did you say steak?"
"Yeah, we're going to try O'Malley's."
"Mmm, tempting but better n--" His voice trailed off as a computer began beeping and the new linguist Baxter could be heard in the background as Daniel questioned. "The algorithm worked? That's great...! Oh! Um, sorry I think we've finally cracked this language on the artifact. I'd better pass on O'Malley's."
Her disappointment warred with her own excitement of progress on the translation. "Can I help?"
"Thanks. It's more a matter of comparing our makeshift Rosetta stone and doing some linguist grunt work at this point. Baxter's database comparison program should help out, but I don't know there's much for you to do yet. There's still a lot to translate. Hopefully, I should have a good core for you to work on from your end in the morning."
"If you're sure..."
"Definitely. I'll have something for you first thing, Capt-Doctor." His voice was already sounding distant, distracted by the pull of his work that Sam recognized all too well from her own breakthroughs.
"It's just Sam, Daniel," she admonished, trying to stop the smile.
"Right...Sam." Daniel's voice grew stronger as he directed his attention back to the phone conversation. "Raincheck?"
"Definitely."
She hung up, pleased there was definite progress on the artifact, at least for someone. So now, it was just her and Teal'c. With that being the case, she figured she should stop by the quartermaster on her way to sign out.
Teal'c was waiting for her at the security desk on Level Eleven. He was still dressed in his BDU pants, combat boots, and black t-shirt. Sam blinked at him in surprise.
"Don't you have any civilian clothes?"
Teal'c pulled out his Chicago baseball cap.
"Ah. Well, don't put that on yet." She patted the large green helmet she had requisitioned.
Teal'c looked from her to the helmet with a frown that didn't quite go all the way to his chin. "Are we to be encountering artillery on our way to O'Malley's, Captain Carter?"
She heard the guard behind Teal'c chuckle, which quickly turned into a cough as Teal'c turned to him. She smiled, hopefully in a reassuring manner. "No, Teal'c. But we'll have to ride on my motorcycle and it's a safety regulation to wear a helmet. My spare one won't...well, it probably won't fit." She decided not to mention the quartermaster had to requisition that helmet special for Teal'c's head. Very few men had Teal'c's hat size.
"I see." Teal'c's frown deepened even more, but he followed her into the elevator.
When they reached her motorcycle, Sam unlatched her helmet and tried to be as nonchalant in putting it on as possible. "See? The vehicle's not as protected as cars, so they want us to wear something to keep our heads safe in case of an accident. It's a law for all motorcycle riders to wear one. This one's makeshift, but I'm hoping it'll stop any question from the cops, right?"
"It would be unwise to attract the attention of local law enforcement," Teal'c said slowly.
"Exactly," Sam held out Teal'c's green camo helmet. He took it regally, if not happily, and placed it on his own head.
Sam got on first, then patted the seat behind. "Just hop on behind, and hold on to my waist."
Her boot kicked the stand up, and she balanced the bike as Teal'c tentatively stepped over the machine. She felt his hands barely touching her leather jacket. "You're going to have to hold on harder than that, Teal'c."
When he squeezed, she coughed in surprise. "Well, leaving me room to breathe, of course."
He adjusted his grip to a comfortable level, and she started the ignition. "Keep your feet up here," she kicked at the footrest.
She drove very carefully at first, keeping a slow, steady speed. It crossed her mind that it wouldn't be good to have an accident while responsible for Teal'c. How would she explain an injured alien with an evil snake living in his stomach to paramedics? These apprehensions subsided, however, as she felt the freedom of the wind brushing past, only the road and the machine holding her to the ground. Teal'c was a great passenger. She expected his added bulk would throw off her balance, but instead, he seemed to intuitively get the motions of riding the two wheeled vehicle. After the first few curves, he anticipated the leans at almost the same second she moved. Before she knew it, she was throttling up to her usual not-exactly legal speeds as they drove down the mostly deserted highway.
By the time she slowed down in the commercial area where O'Malley's was located, Sam felt as if the cobwebs and clouds that had been dragging around her all day lifted. As she expected, escaping the Mountain helped clear her mind. She parked in the restaurant's lot and waited for Teal'c to dismount before dropping the stand and climbing off herself. She turned to Teal'c as she pulled off her helmet, running her fingers through her hair to revive it some and smiled. "Some ride, huh? You were a natural, Teal'c."
Teal'c also took off his helmet and held it before him like a strange offering. He continued to stare at the motorcycle with an inscrutable expression. Finally he responded, "It was similar to the kra'tech'ni. I have not ridden one since I was young. It was not seen as a proper activity for warriors apprenticing for Apophis's high guards."
"Oh." Sam tried to hide her disappointment at the comparison to a child's toy as she took Teal'c's helmet and secured both of them to the machine.
Teal'c stepped forward and touched the controls of the motorcycle's dash before turning back to Sam. "I had forgotten how much I missed it."
"Oh!" Sam's eyebrows rose. He was looking at her with his usual inscrutable expression, but Sam could almost detect a slight upturn in his lips and a twinkle in his eye. Was he smiling? She hoped this adventure would give her more experience at reading Teal'c's moods. She smiled back at him. "So, um, did the ride work up your appetite?"
Teal'c only tilted his head at her, so she just shook her own. "Never mind. Put your cap on and come on. Let's see what this place is like."
The restaurant was just what Sam had been hoping for. The dining area had white tablecloths, but dress code ranged from business suits to jeans like what she was wearing. Overall, it had a pub atmosphere, complete with bar at the back. Teal'c's etiquette faux pas of wearing a cap at the table would be easily forgiven here.
The waitress came up, wearing a huge smile and listing the drink specials. Teal'c turned in bafflement from the waitress to Sam. "Uh, they're alcoholic, Teal'c. I mean, we're off duty, so you can feel free to have one of them, or a beer, or..."
"I do not ingest alcoholic beverages." He turned back to the waitress. "I have partaken of a drink known as ginger ale. Do you serve this here?"
The waitress's smile looked fixed. "Yeah, sure. Ginger ale. Got it."
Sam decided against a beer, and considered having some wine with her meal. In the meantime, she ordered a Diet Coke.
The waitress nodded. "I'll come back after you've had a chance to look over the menus, unless you want to hear the specials first?"
"Give us a minute."
Sam opened the menu, pleased with the variety. Steak, chicken, a few pasta dishes. Typical American fare. Belatedly, she looked over at Teal'c, who seemed to be going between studying the menu and watching her. Could he even read English? "Oh, um, Teal'c, I didn't think...um, can you read the menu okay?"
"I can." Teal'c quirked an eyebrow and paused for a couple beats. "But that does not mean I know what I am reading. I recognize some of these foods from the commissary or pictures on your television. But some of the expressions are unfamiliar." He specifically pointed at the steak section.
"Right. Well, cuts of meat have different names, depending on where they're from on the animal or how they're prepared. I guess it depends how hungry you are."
"I require sustenance."
"Okay." Sam would interpret that as an understatement meaning he was pretty hungry. She'd seen some of his commissary trays. "The house special looks good to me, I think. It's a lean cut of meat and seems like a decent portion."
Teal'c inclined his head, so when the waitress returned, they both ordered the house specials. Sam suggested medium would be a good way for Teal'c to first try steak and see if rarer or more well done would be to his liking. They followed up with fries for her, a baked potato for Teal'c. They both got house salads, but when the waitress spewed out the list of dressings, Sam felt overwhelmed with how to describe them to Teal'c. Teal'c himself came to the rescue and told the waitress the house dressing would be sufficient for him. Raspberry vinaigrette sounded nice, so she followed suit.
"The house dressing would seem to be one they were most proficient in, would it not?" Teal'c's mouth again had that slight upturn she was reading as a smile.
"It would...indeed," she answered, grinning as she took a sip of her drink.
Sam started to feel uncomfortable under the weight of the ensuing silence as she thought up and dismissed various avenues of conversation. They couldn't discuss work, it was classified. Home life--she didn't know anything about Teal'c's background, and it would be hard to launch into that conversation, considering he was an alien. Even the weather was a touchy subject since he spent most of his time, at least on Earth, under several layers of a mountain. She opened and closed her mouth a half dozen times, and it was only when the salads arrived that she figured out a possible safe topic.
"So, Teal'c, we haven't spent much time off-duty together," Sam started, trying not to wince at her lame opening. "What do you do on your time off?"
Teal'c raised an eyebrow before responding. "I spend many hours in kel'no'reem."
Sam's eyes widened as she worried she had opened a classified door. She glanced furtively around. "Oh, uh..."
Teal'c seemed to realize the source of her distress, since he moved closer and spoke in a lower tone, "it is a type of...meditation. I require it to stay in...good health." He gave a pointed look down towards his abdomen. Sam nodded in understanding.
After a few more bites, Teal'c continued. "I have also been perusing more of your television programming."
"Oh yeah," Sam remembered when Teal'c first got his television and his shock at the strangeness of Earth. Still, tv was relatively safe. "You know, I'd hate for you to judge us by what you see on tv."
"I have discovered many useful and entertaining programs. I have most recently encountered a talking long-haired animated mammal who often gets the better of those who hunt him. I believe he's referred to as a 'wascally wabbit'."
Sam couldn't prevent her loud laugh at hearing Teal'c speak like Elmer Fudd, but her amusement was equalled by her surprise that Teal'c liked cartoons. "You've been watching Bugs Bunny?"
"Indeed."
"I've always been partial to the Road Runner and coyote. I kept wanting to order from the Acme company just like Wile E. Dad and I would watch those every Saturday morning."
Teal'c tilted his head and studied her. "I am certain you would've been more successful than the canine."
She chuckled. "So is Bugs your favorite?"
"His wit is intriguing. Bugs's fowl companion, the little black duck, appears quite envious of his success."
Sam couldn't stop laughing at this point. In looking at Teal'c's face, she could tell this time he was definitely smiling. When she finally collected her breath, she commented, "Sometimes Teal'c, I think you've got more of a handle of our culture than we realize."
"Perhaps...at times," he conceded as he bowed his head. "O'Neill does not appear to have noticed this of yet."
She sipped her drink. "I won't tell if you won't."
He nodded as they shared what she interpreted as a conspiratorial grin. "Thank you, Captain Carter."
Sam put her drink down, absently running a finger over the rim. His address of her rank brought back to mind her earlier conversation with Daniel. It was understandable and proper for the colonel and general to address her by rank, but she tended to think of Teal'c and Daniel as her peers. Biting her lip, she looked at Teal'c, trying to decide whether or not to bring up the subject.
He seemed to sense her change in mood, because he was looking at her with a stoic expression. Although...she read a bit of expectation or thoughtfulness in his demeanor. Was she starting to get a handle on reading him after all? In any event, she took his silence as an invitation.
"Teal'c, you know you don't have to call me 'Captain Carter'. You can just call me Carter if you want, or better yet, Samantha or Sam." She paused for a moment. "My friends call me Sam."
Teal'c stared at her for several moments. Sam wondered if she'd somehow insulted the Jaffa, but she held her ground and did not look away. Teal'c's jaw twitched.
Finally he responded. "You do me a great honor. But I cannot comply, Captain Carter."
"Why not?" Sam tried not to sound offended, but she couldn't help a brief hint of pique coming through in her tone.
"Names have great meaning in Jaffa culture: where you are from, who your family is. I have noted similar traditions amongst the Tau'ri. But amongst the military culture, the honorific of rank is of a higher regard because it is achieved through merit.
"I call you Captain Carter because that name denotes the respect you have achieved and deserved by your work and knowledge in working to defeat...our enemy." He looked around as if suddenly aware of their public surrounding. "I have known few female warriors on the front lines of battle. I have learned that it is rare in your own country. To refer to you without your rank would be an insult to the friend I honor and trust with my life."
"Oh." Sam looked away now, her face feeling a bit warm. Good grief, was she blushing? She hadn't expected such a passionate response from Teal'c. His stoic demeanor covered a great deal of emotion, it seemed. Hearing him express it, and about her, touched her. "I didn't realize it meant so much to you, Teal'c. Thank you. That-that's one of the nicest compliments I've had in a while."
Teal'c bowed his head, and his jaw twitched once again. "This conversation gives me the opportunity to ask your advice. Daniel Jackson informed me that he had no rank, he was merely a civilian consultant. It has only been with further observation I have realized 'Doctor' is a similar title of rank."
He looked at her with a piercing, earnest intensity. "Should I proceed to call him differently?"
"Have you asked Daniel?" Sam countered.
"He has indicated, as you have, that I may merely call him Daniel." He frowned as if in distaste.
"Then I think you'd better stick to Daniel Jackson as a compromise." Sam hoped she was advising him well. "Daniel may think you calling him Doctor Jackson after this time would be too formal, a...distance in the relationship that's, um, inappropriate between teammates."
"I see." Teal'c frowned and seemed to consider her words. "I do not wish to insult Daniel Jackson."
He seemed struck by a sudden thought, "Do I insult you by not calling you by your birth name?"
"Well, not after you've explained the reasoning so sweetly," Sam kept her tone light, but countered it by reaching over and squeezing his hand. "I am very...honored to have you call me Captain Carter, Teal'c."
He nodded, seemingly satisfied.
The main part of the meal arrived at that moment, and with it, the opportunity passed before she thought to ask why he referred to the colonel only as "O'Neill."
Teal'c pronounced the steak much more satisfactory than the commissary's salisbury variety, and they passed the time devouring the excellent food, discussing various television programs, and even exchanging a bit of gossip about their colleagues. It turned out Teal'c observed a lot while living on base.
Sam had no idea Lieutenant Darrens kept trying to ask Colleen Stubbing from diagnostics out for a drink. Nor that Sergeant Siler kept a betting pool going on which kind of alien doodad would be brought back next. Turned out the new CMO, Janet Fraiser, won last time for choosing "music box." Sam was still sore that didn't turn out to be the sound wave distributor she had expected.
Before she knew it, dinner was finished, and the waitress was bringing the dessert tray over. Teal'c's eyes alighted on the fruit tart and requested it immediately. Sam hadn't planned on having dessert after the rich meal, but figured she needed to be in solidarity with her teammate. Although the cheesecake looked tempting, she went with the chocolate mousse. Mousse was mostly air, right?
When the desserts came, Teal'c stared at it for several moments before carefully taking a bite of one of the berries. Sam was almost sorry she hadn't gone with the tart as well as much as he seemed to be savoring it.
"Such fruits were saved only for sacrifice to the gods," he said, almost to himself. "It is rare to see such bounty all in one dish."
He took another bite, this time with a bit of whipped cream. Sam looked again at the tart. It seemed to have three or four different types of berries and something that might have been a kiwi or a kumquat-she wasn't great at identifying fruits.
"I thought at first the fruit salads and fresh fruit display at the commissary were saved for the warriors of the SGC. But here-may anyone partake of this delight?"
"Um, yeah. Well, you have to buy it, but yeah, it's for anyone." Sam wondered what Teal'c would make of the produce aisle in a supermarket.
"I remember when I was kal'ma, my father would bring a piece of fruit home on rare occasion. A reward for his labors." To Sam's surprise, a host of expressions crossed his face. Sam couldn't read them all. Regret? Concern? She recognized grief all too well when she saw it. Teal'c schooled his face back again to his usual stoic mask, but upon looking at Sam, he let a hint of the grief remain exposed. "He...died when I was very young."
"Teal'c, I'm sorry," Sam's heart went out to him. "I know...I mean, I lost my mom when I was thirteen." She dropped her spoon into the half-eaten mousse, appetite now forgotten. Her thoughts went back to that day so clearly. It was years before she could handle the smell of freshly baked cookies again.
She looked at Teal'c. She knew so little about him, but now she realized they shared something too. They'd both lost at least one parent at a young age. All of SG-1 seemed joined in tragedy. She still shuddered to think what the colonel suffered in losing his child. Daniel's wife was now at the mercy of the Goa'uld. "Some bunch of misfits we are, huh?" she asked.
Teal'c looked at her with an expression of complete understanding. "Indeed."
They sat together in a comfortable silence for several minutes.
After the waitress brought the check, Sam won the battle of who would pay. Teal'c conceded defeat when he realized his base credit voucher wouldn't work as payment. Sam wondered if he got an official paycheck, and what the pay grade would be on "alien consultant."
Teal'c was looking across the room behind Sam as she signed out the credit card receipt.
"Captain Carter, what are those men doing with sticks behind you?"
She remained relaxed at Teal'c's odd statement because his tone was one of curiosity, not alarm. And she had thought she wasn't able to read Teal'c. A sound of the balls striking could be heard before Sam turned around. "They're playing pool; it's a game."
"I have observed such a table at the SGC rec room."
"We have a rec room in the Mountain?"
"On Level Fifteen."
"Huh." Sam really needed to get out of her lab more often. "Maybe sometime you should give me the grand tour of our workplace?"
"I would be happy to, Captain Carter."
She grinned and glanced at her watch as she stood up. "Well, we've got a couple hours before you should be back at the base. Do you want to give it a try?"
"You know how to play this game?"
"I've racked a few in my day," her smile turned rueful as she started to count back the years. "It's been a while though."
She set up a free table for eight ball and went through some of the basic rules as Teal'c hefted the weight of the various cue sticks. Deciding on one that suited him, he turned back to Sam just as she placed the cue ball. Grabbing a cue for herself, she demonstrated how to hold and aim at the white ball, helping Teal'c adjust his fingers flat on the felt; his hands were much wider than hers. She let him break.
And promptly found herself trying to catch a couple of the balls as the force of his shot had them bouncing off the table.
"Okay. Um, that was a good beginning shot. Uh, maybe not so hard next time. We try and keep the balls on the felt."
She looked at the table, and noted the rest of the table. She couldn't remember if knocking balls off counted as a scratch or some other kind of penalty. She just rolled them back onto the table from behind the cue line and chalked it up to a practice game. "Looks like you knocked a couple of each kind into the holes, so you can call stripes or solids."
Teal'c stared at the table and appeared to give the matter serious attention. "I will choose solids."
"Okay. Pick out one of the solid colored balls to aim at. Like that two is pretty easily lined up at the corner pocket for you."
Teal'c studied the trajectory much as she had watched him work with the staff weapon earlier today. He slid the cue over his fingers. The two ball went in, with the cue following directly after. Sam winced.
"Scratch. The cue ball can't go in the hole."
"You informed me the purpose of this game is to knock all the balls into the holes, and that the black ball should be last."
"Yeah, but not this ball." She pulled the white ball out of the pocket and held it up. "It needs to stay on the table all the time. If we were playing a regulation game, you'd lose your turn. But this is just practice. Try again."
She placed the ball back on the table. Teal'c did not move. "If I have forfeited my turn, it is your opportunity to move."
"But you're just learning the game, Teal'c, it's no problem."
"I will follow the rules."
Sam could tell he wouldn't budge on the issue, so she shrugged and studied the angles. "Okay. Um, thirteen ball, side pocket."
She started working out the blocked shots, enjoying the challenge of shooting a combo. Before she knew it she was clearing the table. Flushing, she stepped aside. "Sorry, Teal'c. I guess I sorta got into it."
Teal'c appeared to be at ease. "It was enjoyable to watch you, Captain Carter. You are adept at this game. Several patrons were noticing your skill."
Sam glanced around and suspected a couple of the guys near the bar were noticing her ass more than her game, but she wouldn't correct Teal'c. Instead, she set up for a new game. "It's just geometry, math deductions, Teal'c. Figuring out angles." Okay, maybe a bit of physics to calculate the amount of force needed on the cue ball. But still, it wasn't rocket science.
She finished racking the balls and gestured to the table. "Care to break again?"
Teal'c did much better. All the balls stayed on the table. He did scratch twice more, but Sam questioned if she'd have been able to handle one of the shots cleanly herself. He was definitely a quick study and seemed to have picked up some ideas from watching her.
A few hours and four games later, they headed out of O'Malley's smiling. Well, at least Sam was smiling, and she was pretty sure Teal'c's face was wearing a smile. His expressions weren't fooling her as easily now, or maybe it was just that he was letting her see a bit more than he usually expressed.
In any case, she felt more connected to him than she had at any point since he'd saved them all from that prison on Chulak.
He interrupted her thoughts. "Thank you, Captain Carter, for taking me to try steak...and pool."
"You're a regular shark, Teal'c," she tried not to laugh at the puzzled look creasing his brow. She explained, "You're a good player. We could surprise the guys some time by playing a doubles match."
He nodded his head, but Sam caught a mischievous glint in his eye as he exchanged his cap for the makeshift motorcycle helmet. "I would enjoy that."
"But next time," she looked him up and down as she straddled her bike, "you should have some better clothes. We need to take you on a shopping trip, Teal'c. Expand your wardrobe a bit to blend in with the populace better."
Teal'c gazed at her for a long moment, then nodded. "It would be helpful, if we make more such excursions."
"Exactly. And you'll hopefully have a number of 'excursions' with all of us, Teal'c."
He fit himself snugly behind her on the bike as she started it up. "Indeed," she heard him rumble over the roar of the engine. She smiled to herself as she made the turn towards Cheyenne Mountain. It turned out to be a pretty good day after all.
Fin.
Author: aurora_novarum
Word count: ~6700
Rating/Warning: All ages
Spoilers: set early/mid Season One
Prompt: Sam and Teal'c. Target practice; non-traditional paths.
Summary: Sam unexpectedly meets up with Teal'c and starts to get to know her enigmatic new teammate on a small road trip.
Author's Notes: Written for the sg1friendathon. Thanks to betas kalquessa and abyssinia4077.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters and settings are the property of MGM, Gekko, Double Secret Productions, and a host of other entities who are NOT me. (Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, Looney Tunes, etc. are the property of Warner Brothers.) No copyright infringement implied nor monetary gain sought. Merely an "homage" by a fan.
"Hey, Captain Carter. Didn't expect to see you here today."
"Didn't expect to be here today, Sergeant." Sam gave the man a rueful smile as she signed into the small firing range/weapons testing facility the SGC had set up.
Sergeant Tyler nodded as he set out ammunition for her checked out weapons. "Oh yeah. I heard about that spill on Level 19. Anyone hurt?"
"Doctor Tanner has a small burn, but it's not supposed to be anything serious. Still, the hazmat guys are not letting anyone back there for hours. They want to do a thorough check." Which meant she couldn't stay in her lab working on one of the other half-dozen projects she had in progress. And since she was still on duty, she couldn't follow her whim to drive her motorcycle as far as the road could take her. Her choices were either to use another computer on base to do some of her backed up paperwork, or get in some target practice. Shooting won out, hands down.
The sergeant responded as if he read her thoughts. "Yeah, I hear ya. Any idea what happened?"
Sam shrugged and gave a noncommittal smile as she gathered her equipment.
The sergeant nodded. "Gotcha. Area Five is available if you'd like, Captain."
"Thank you."
Although she couldn't share it with Sergeant Tyler, Sam knew exactly what the "toxic spill" was. It was the cherry on top of the terrible, frustrating day she'd been having. SG-5's artifact turned out to have an unknown chemical leaking inside it. The foul smelling liquid had spilled into the lab and ran everyone out.
Setting up her target, Sam lifted the rifle butt to her shoulder and fired repeatedly. She cursed again as she realized her frustration was throwing her aim off. At least she was still "killing" the paper target at the other end of the firing range, even if a few shots went wide.
Any other research on the artifact would have to be handled by the fledgling linguistics team. The four people, including Daniel, were knee deep in photos of the device. Daniel said he had some ideas on how to translate the language, but not to expect anything on that front for a few days.
Her thoughts turned to Daniel as she loaded another magazine. She'd instantly connected with him from their first meeting. In some ways she felt more in tune with his academic mindset than with the other military personnel. Between her PhD, then working at the sedate theoretical pace on Project Giza back at the Pentagon, she was now on a learning curve getting the rhythm and immediacy of being geek-under-fire. Daniel was going through the same, and, as a civilian to begin with, he had a steeper climb.
She set another target and sent it back to the far side of the room. The area was mostly quiet this time of day. She only heard a couple other shooters, but her attention stayed focused on her own target. This time her shots stayed centered. By the time she was done, it looked like one large hole in the center of the paper. Colonel O'Neill would be proud of her marksmanship, she thought.
She was still trying to figure the colonel out. After her disastrous entrance at their first meeting, she'd worked hard to try and disprove any predispositions he may have had about women, or scientists. As she'd worked with him more, she wondered if perhaps it was she who'd had the misconceptions. He would shut down her explanations sometimes, but he was fair, and he protected his people. Jack O'Neill turned out to be nothing like the man she'd expected from reading the first Abydos mission report. And he was definitely the finest commander she'd had since Major Ross back in Saudi Arabia.
She switched from the rifle to the 9mm she'd also checked out of the armory. She steadied her arm as she aimed for the center mass and shot out the whole magazine.
Her mind eventually wandered to thinking about Teal'c. The most mysterious of them all--understandable, considering he was an alien and former enemy warrior. Off-duty, he kept to himself. And onworld or off, he seemed to keep his own counsel behind that stern face. She trusted him with her life; he'd already saved it half a dozen times. And yet, she still didn't know the slightest thing about the fourth member of her team.
"You have impressive aim, Captain Carter."
She jumped and made a concerted effort not to raise her pistol. "Teal'c! I didn't know you were there!" She tried to control her breaths, but it shocked her to see her teammate right behind her, almost as if he had risen out of her thoughts. She took out her earplugs, although the heavy timber of Teal'c's voice was audible through the protection.
"O'Neill was conducting an orientation for me to use your projectile weapons. He also wished to practice with my staff weapon."
She spotted the familiar device leaning comfortably against him. "Oh."
"He instructed me to wait for him here while he met with General Hammond."
"Oh, um, okay. So...you've just been hanging out?"
"We were able to fire several rounds with a nine millimeter pistol and were about to practice with different rifles before General Hammond paged O'Neill. I have been observing the shooting by several personnel in his absence. You show great prowess, Captain Carter."
"Um, thanks. But it's really not my best." She hit the button to recall the target back to her station. "I guess my mind's a bit distracted today."
"Would you care to try with my weapon?"
"Oh, um..." she thought of the blast a staff weapon could cause and remembered the last time they shot it off...although the Gate Room had probably not been the best location for them to set up the ad hoc firing experiment.
Teal'c's lips curved upward slightly. Perhaps he remembered that experiment with the crystal as well. "Sergeant Tyler is aware of our testing, and we have received permission."
"Oh, okay then." Teal'c presented his weapon in much the same manner as he had presented it to her upon first arriving in the SGC,. She took the staff from him now with no less reverence than before.
It was as heavy as she remembered, but well balanced overall. She hadn't really looked at the mechanism too closely before. It was set back from the center point, the switch almost hidden. She flinched instinctively when she heard the click priming it and smelt the ozone.
She spread her legs, tried to center her body, and aimed. She fired the unwieldy weapon and was surprised at the kickback it delivered. It rocked her off balance, and she stumbled backward, only to find herself steadied by the solid force of Teal'c at her back.
"Your height is not conducive to the proper center point of the weapon, Captain Carter. Aiming at more of an upward angle would be more effective."
Sam had already come to that conclusion herself, and winced at how her first shot had gone wide of the target and nicked the concrete slab of the wall. Reorienting herself and gauging the angles, she balanced with more of the weapon behind her. Her second shot scalped the figure and knocked the backdrop loose, but at least it didn't seem to damage the wall.
Teal'c nodded his approval.
"Not bad," Sam shrugged. "Your turn."
Teal'c waited while she replaced the target, then steadied the weapon in a familiar grip and fired. Sam was surprised that even with Teal'c's prowess the shot flew a bit wide, striking the shoulder rather than the center mass.
"Hmm. For all its power, it's not the most accurate, is it?" Sam held out her arms, and Teal'c placed the weapon in her hands once again.
"O'Neill noted the same. The weapon is used to cow the human populace or do battle against other Jaffa in formation."
"But wouldn't the Goa'uld want an accurate weapon? One to hit the other Jaffa before the enemy could kill their own?" It seemed like standard combat tactics to her.
"Ground combat is determined by numbers, not by accuracy. The Goa'uld care not for how many Jaffa die in battle, only so long as the territory is theirs." Teal'c frowned. "Many were sent to their deaths in unwinnable battles merely to satisfy a false god's whim."
Sam glowered, biting off what she was about to say on the needless waste. She may not know many of Teal'c's facial expressions, but she could tell this subject was a sensitive one for him. She turned her attention to the practical, where she felt more comfortable. "Even if the Goa'uld didn't tinker with the weapon design much, there may be a way to tweak the blast stream and allow more control. I wonder what its power source is?" She felt along the firing mechanism to see if she could release the controls by hand.
Teal'c grabbed at the staff weapon."You cannot!"
"Okay," Sam stepped back, hands outstretched in an unthreatening manner. "I'm sorry. I overreached."
To her surprise, Teal'c appeared just as shocked at his reaction as she was. His eyes were wide, and he was trembling slightly before he took a deep breath and composed himself once again. "It is I who should apologize, Captain Carter. You did nothing wrong. Studying the magic...the technology of the false gods was forbidden."
Sam tentatively put a hand out and patted him on the arm. "It's okay, Teal'c. I imagine a lifetime of indoctrination is hard to get over. I shouldn't be trying to take it apart in the firing range anyway. Maybe in my lab..."
She broke off a curse when she remembered the quarantine. "Maybe another day. In the meantime, did you want to shoot some more with this?"
Teal'c eyed the rifle she held up and nodded. She left him at her cubicle to sign out more ammunition, and they took turns at her station. It amused Sam how Teal'c tended to hold the rifle straight out to fire, like it was a full extension of his arm. It took a massive amount of strength to hold the weapon like that, and he did it several times without tiring. She noted a few of the marines even glancing in wonder as they passed by her station.
A young airman approached. "Uh...Mister Teal'c? There's a phone call for you at the sarge's desk."
Teal'c thanked him and stepped away. Sam stifled a giggle at how the airman boggled at her teammate as he left. To her surprise, the airman stayed and turned to her. "The guy on the phone said to look for the big, bald, muscley guy with gold on his forehead. He said I couldn't miss him. Wow."
Sam suppressed a smile at what had to be Colonel O'Neill's description of Teal'c. She forced herself to adopt a stern expression and adopted her best superior officer tone. "Don't you have duties, airman?"
"Yes, sir! I mean, ma'am! I mean-"
"Carry on, airman." She turned away, so he couldn't see her smile.
Teal'c soon returned. "O'Neill expressed his disappointment he could not rejoin me, but General Hammond has called a meeting for the leaders of SG-1, 2, 4, and 7. He was pleased to hear you were here and that I had passed the time sufficiently." He tilted his head. "He also expressed a hope General Hammond would include pizza with his briefing."
Sam looked up at the clock hanging on the back wall of the firing range. The late hour was echoed by the rumbling of her stomach. Inspired, she turned back to Teal'c. "General Hammond allows you off base now right?"
Teal'c tilted his head before nodding. "So long as I am escorted by appropriate personnel."
Sam quirked a small grin. "Would I qualify as appropriate personnel?"
Teal'c blinked at her. "I would assume so, Captain Carter. Do you require my presence outside of the mountain?"
"No, not 'require'," she shrugged. "I'm off-duty now and would like to get topside for a while, clear my head. Wondered if you'd like to come. Do you like steak?"
"I have ingested the salisbury steak at the commissary." He frowned. "I did not care for the taste."
"Yeah, well I wouldn't consider what they serve here steak...or even necessarily food." She stifled a laugh at Teal'c's dour expression. "C'mon. There's this place called O'Malley's I've been dying to try out since I moved here."
Teal'c inclined his head in a manner Sam interpreted as agreement. "We'll both change and meet on Eleven then," she said.
Sam had second thoughts about her idea as she stood at her locker. She'd forgotten she had her motorcycle here when she made the invitation. And coming up with dinner conversation with the taciturn alien could prove a challenge. They'd had such easy camaraderie on the firing range, but outside, where they couldn't discuss anything sensitive, would prove more difficult.
She knew inviting the colonel was out, since this meeting with all the SG leaders on base would tie him up for a while. But perhaps she could persuade Daniel to come. He never seemed to be at a loss for words. Plus, he had just bought a car.
The quarantine was still in place at her office, so she didn't bother heading to the lab floors. She called Daniel's office from the phone outside the locker rooms, where he sounded distracted as he answered on the third ring.
"Hey, it's Sam. Teal'c and I are planning to go out to get some steak. Wondered if you'd like to come along?"
"Hmm? Oh, um, no thanks. Baxter just hauled up some sandwiches, so we could work through...did you say steak?"
"Yeah, we're going to try O'Malley's."
"Mmm, tempting but better n--" His voice trailed off as a computer began beeping and the new linguist Baxter could be heard in the background as Daniel questioned. "The algorithm worked? That's great...! Oh! Um, sorry I think we've finally cracked this language on the artifact. I'd better pass on O'Malley's."
Her disappointment warred with her own excitement of progress on the translation. "Can I help?"
"Thanks. It's more a matter of comparing our makeshift Rosetta stone and doing some linguist grunt work at this point. Baxter's database comparison program should help out, but I don't know there's much for you to do yet. There's still a lot to translate. Hopefully, I should have a good core for you to work on from your end in the morning."
"If you're sure..."
"Definitely. I'll have something for you first thing, Capt-Doctor." His voice was already sounding distant, distracted by the pull of his work that Sam recognized all too well from her own breakthroughs.
"It's just Sam, Daniel," she admonished, trying to stop the smile.
"Right...Sam." Daniel's voice grew stronger as he directed his attention back to the phone conversation. "Raincheck?"
"Definitely."
She hung up, pleased there was definite progress on the artifact, at least for someone. So now, it was just her and Teal'c. With that being the case, she figured she should stop by the quartermaster on her way to sign out.
Teal'c was waiting for her at the security desk on Level Eleven. He was still dressed in his BDU pants, combat boots, and black t-shirt. Sam blinked at him in surprise.
"Don't you have any civilian clothes?"
Teal'c pulled out his Chicago baseball cap.
"Ah. Well, don't put that on yet." She patted the large green helmet she had requisitioned.
Teal'c looked from her to the helmet with a frown that didn't quite go all the way to his chin. "Are we to be encountering artillery on our way to O'Malley's, Captain Carter?"
She heard the guard behind Teal'c chuckle, which quickly turned into a cough as Teal'c turned to him. She smiled, hopefully in a reassuring manner. "No, Teal'c. But we'll have to ride on my motorcycle and it's a safety regulation to wear a helmet. My spare one won't...well, it probably won't fit." She decided not to mention the quartermaster had to requisition that helmet special for Teal'c's head. Very few men had Teal'c's hat size.
"I see." Teal'c's frown deepened even more, but he followed her into the elevator.
When they reached her motorcycle, Sam unlatched her helmet and tried to be as nonchalant in putting it on as possible. "See? The vehicle's not as protected as cars, so they want us to wear something to keep our heads safe in case of an accident. It's a law for all motorcycle riders to wear one. This one's makeshift, but I'm hoping it'll stop any question from the cops, right?"
"It would be unwise to attract the attention of local law enforcement," Teal'c said slowly.
"Exactly," Sam held out Teal'c's green camo helmet. He took it regally, if not happily, and placed it on his own head.
Sam got on first, then patted the seat behind. "Just hop on behind, and hold on to my waist."
Her boot kicked the stand up, and she balanced the bike as Teal'c tentatively stepped over the machine. She felt his hands barely touching her leather jacket. "You're going to have to hold on harder than that, Teal'c."
When he squeezed, she coughed in surprise. "Well, leaving me room to breathe, of course."
He adjusted his grip to a comfortable level, and she started the ignition. "Keep your feet up here," she kicked at the footrest.
She drove very carefully at first, keeping a slow, steady speed. It crossed her mind that it wouldn't be good to have an accident while responsible for Teal'c. How would she explain an injured alien with an evil snake living in his stomach to paramedics? These apprehensions subsided, however, as she felt the freedom of the wind brushing past, only the road and the machine holding her to the ground. Teal'c was a great passenger. She expected his added bulk would throw off her balance, but instead, he seemed to intuitively get the motions of riding the two wheeled vehicle. After the first few curves, he anticipated the leans at almost the same second she moved. Before she knew it, she was throttling up to her usual not-exactly legal speeds as they drove down the mostly deserted highway.
By the time she slowed down in the commercial area where O'Malley's was located, Sam felt as if the cobwebs and clouds that had been dragging around her all day lifted. As she expected, escaping the Mountain helped clear her mind. She parked in the restaurant's lot and waited for Teal'c to dismount before dropping the stand and climbing off herself. She turned to Teal'c as she pulled off her helmet, running her fingers through her hair to revive it some and smiled. "Some ride, huh? You were a natural, Teal'c."
Teal'c also took off his helmet and held it before him like a strange offering. He continued to stare at the motorcycle with an inscrutable expression. Finally he responded, "It was similar to the kra'tech'ni. I have not ridden one since I was young. It was not seen as a proper activity for warriors apprenticing for Apophis's high guards."
"Oh." Sam tried to hide her disappointment at the comparison to a child's toy as she took Teal'c's helmet and secured both of them to the machine.
Teal'c stepped forward and touched the controls of the motorcycle's dash before turning back to Sam. "I had forgotten how much I missed it."
"Oh!" Sam's eyebrows rose. He was looking at her with his usual inscrutable expression, but Sam could almost detect a slight upturn in his lips and a twinkle in his eye. Was he smiling? She hoped this adventure would give her more experience at reading Teal'c's moods. She smiled back at him. "So, um, did the ride work up your appetite?"
Teal'c only tilted his head at her, so she just shook her own. "Never mind. Put your cap on and come on. Let's see what this place is like."
The restaurant was just what Sam had been hoping for. The dining area had white tablecloths, but dress code ranged from business suits to jeans like what she was wearing. Overall, it had a pub atmosphere, complete with bar at the back. Teal'c's etiquette faux pas of wearing a cap at the table would be easily forgiven here.
The waitress came up, wearing a huge smile and listing the drink specials. Teal'c turned in bafflement from the waitress to Sam. "Uh, they're alcoholic, Teal'c. I mean, we're off duty, so you can feel free to have one of them, or a beer, or..."
"I do not ingest alcoholic beverages." He turned back to the waitress. "I have partaken of a drink known as ginger ale. Do you serve this here?"
The waitress's smile looked fixed. "Yeah, sure. Ginger ale. Got it."
Sam decided against a beer, and considered having some wine with her meal. In the meantime, she ordered a Diet Coke.
The waitress nodded. "I'll come back after you've had a chance to look over the menus, unless you want to hear the specials first?"
"Give us a minute."
Sam opened the menu, pleased with the variety. Steak, chicken, a few pasta dishes. Typical American fare. Belatedly, she looked over at Teal'c, who seemed to be going between studying the menu and watching her. Could he even read English? "Oh, um, Teal'c, I didn't think...um, can you read the menu okay?"
"I can." Teal'c quirked an eyebrow and paused for a couple beats. "But that does not mean I know what I am reading. I recognize some of these foods from the commissary or pictures on your television. But some of the expressions are unfamiliar." He specifically pointed at the steak section.
"Right. Well, cuts of meat have different names, depending on where they're from on the animal or how they're prepared. I guess it depends how hungry you are."
"I require sustenance."
"Okay." Sam would interpret that as an understatement meaning he was pretty hungry. She'd seen some of his commissary trays. "The house special looks good to me, I think. It's a lean cut of meat and seems like a decent portion."
Teal'c inclined his head, so when the waitress returned, they both ordered the house specials. Sam suggested medium would be a good way for Teal'c to first try steak and see if rarer or more well done would be to his liking. They followed up with fries for her, a baked potato for Teal'c. They both got house salads, but when the waitress spewed out the list of dressings, Sam felt overwhelmed with how to describe them to Teal'c. Teal'c himself came to the rescue and told the waitress the house dressing would be sufficient for him. Raspberry vinaigrette sounded nice, so she followed suit.
"The house dressing would seem to be one they were most proficient in, would it not?" Teal'c's mouth again had that slight upturn she was reading as a smile.
"It would...indeed," she answered, grinning as she took a sip of her drink.
Sam started to feel uncomfortable under the weight of the ensuing silence as she thought up and dismissed various avenues of conversation. They couldn't discuss work, it was classified. Home life--she didn't know anything about Teal'c's background, and it would be hard to launch into that conversation, considering he was an alien. Even the weather was a touchy subject since he spent most of his time, at least on Earth, under several layers of a mountain. She opened and closed her mouth a half dozen times, and it was only when the salads arrived that she figured out a possible safe topic.
"So, Teal'c, we haven't spent much time off-duty together," Sam started, trying not to wince at her lame opening. "What do you do on your time off?"
Teal'c raised an eyebrow before responding. "I spend many hours in kel'no'reem."
Sam's eyes widened as she worried she had opened a classified door. She glanced furtively around. "Oh, uh..."
Teal'c seemed to realize the source of her distress, since he moved closer and spoke in a lower tone, "it is a type of...meditation. I require it to stay in...good health." He gave a pointed look down towards his abdomen. Sam nodded in understanding.
After a few more bites, Teal'c continued. "I have also been perusing more of your television programming."
"Oh yeah," Sam remembered when Teal'c first got his television and his shock at the strangeness of Earth. Still, tv was relatively safe. "You know, I'd hate for you to judge us by what you see on tv."
"I have discovered many useful and entertaining programs. I have most recently encountered a talking long-haired animated mammal who often gets the better of those who hunt him. I believe he's referred to as a 'wascally wabbit'."
Sam couldn't prevent her loud laugh at hearing Teal'c speak like Elmer Fudd, but her amusement was equalled by her surprise that Teal'c liked cartoons. "You've been watching Bugs Bunny?"
"Indeed."
"I've always been partial to the Road Runner and coyote. I kept wanting to order from the Acme company just like Wile E. Dad and I would watch those every Saturday morning."
Teal'c tilted his head and studied her. "I am certain you would've been more successful than the canine."
She chuckled. "So is Bugs your favorite?"
"His wit is intriguing. Bugs's fowl companion, the little black duck, appears quite envious of his success."
Sam couldn't stop laughing at this point. In looking at Teal'c's face, she could tell this time he was definitely smiling. When she finally collected her breath, she commented, "Sometimes Teal'c, I think you've got more of a handle of our culture than we realize."
"Perhaps...at times," he conceded as he bowed his head. "O'Neill does not appear to have noticed this of yet."
She sipped her drink. "I won't tell if you won't."
He nodded as they shared what she interpreted as a conspiratorial grin. "Thank you, Captain Carter."
Sam put her drink down, absently running a finger over the rim. His address of her rank brought back to mind her earlier conversation with Daniel. It was understandable and proper for the colonel and general to address her by rank, but she tended to think of Teal'c and Daniel as her peers. Biting her lip, she looked at Teal'c, trying to decide whether or not to bring up the subject.
He seemed to sense her change in mood, because he was looking at her with a stoic expression. Although...she read a bit of expectation or thoughtfulness in his demeanor. Was she starting to get a handle on reading him after all? In any event, she took his silence as an invitation.
"Teal'c, you know you don't have to call me 'Captain Carter'. You can just call me Carter if you want, or better yet, Samantha or Sam." She paused for a moment. "My friends call me Sam."
Teal'c stared at her for several moments. Sam wondered if she'd somehow insulted the Jaffa, but she held her ground and did not look away. Teal'c's jaw twitched.
Finally he responded. "You do me a great honor. But I cannot comply, Captain Carter."
"Why not?" Sam tried not to sound offended, but she couldn't help a brief hint of pique coming through in her tone.
"Names have great meaning in Jaffa culture: where you are from, who your family is. I have noted similar traditions amongst the Tau'ri. But amongst the military culture, the honorific of rank is of a higher regard because it is achieved through merit.
"I call you Captain Carter because that name denotes the respect you have achieved and deserved by your work and knowledge in working to defeat...our enemy." He looked around as if suddenly aware of their public surrounding. "I have known few female warriors on the front lines of battle. I have learned that it is rare in your own country. To refer to you without your rank would be an insult to the friend I honor and trust with my life."
"Oh." Sam looked away now, her face feeling a bit warm. Good grief, was she blushing? She hadn't expected such a passionate response from Teal'c. His stoic demeanor covered a great deal of emotion, it seemed. Hearing him express it, and about her, touched her. "I didn't realize it meant so much to you, Teal'c. Thank you. That-that's one of the nicest compliments I've had in a while."
Teal'c bowed his head, and his jaw twitched once again. "This conversation gives me the opportunity to ask your advice. Daniel Jackson informed me that he had no rank, he was merely a civilian consultant. It has only been with further observation I have realized 'Doctor' is a similar title of rank."
He looked at her with a piercing, earnest intensity. "Should I proceed to call him differently?"
"Have you asked Daniel?" Sam countered.
"He has indicated, as you have, that I may merely call him Daniel." He frowned as if in distaste.
"Then I think you'd better stick to Daniel Jackson as a compromise." Sam hoped she was advising him well. "Daniel may think you calling him Doctor Jackson after this time would be too formal, a...distance in the relationship that's, um, inappropriate between teammates."
"I see." Teal'c frowned and seemed to consider her words. "I do not wish to insult Daniel Jackson."
He seemed struck by a sudden thought, "Do I insult you by not calling you by your birth name?"
"Well, not after you've explained the reasoning so sweetly," Sam kept her tone light, but countered it by reaching over and squeezing his hand. "I am very...honored to have you call me Captain Carter, Teal'c."
He nodded, seemingly satisfied.
The main part of the meal arrived at that moment, and with it, the opportunity passed before she thought to ask why he referred to the colonel only as "O'Neill."
Teal'c pronounced the steak much more satisfactory than the commissary's salisbury variety, and they passed the time devouring the excellent food, discussing various television programs, and even exchanging a bit of gossip about their colleagues. It turned out Teal'c observed a lot while living on base.
Sam had no idea Lieutenant Darrens kept trying to ask Colleen Stubbing from diagnostics out for a drink. Nor that Sergeant Siler kept a betting pool going on which kind of alien doodad would be brought back next. Turned out the new CMO, Janet Fraiser, won last time for choosing "music box." Sam was still sore that didn't turn out to be the sound wave distributor she had expected.
Before she knew it, dinner was finished, and the waitress was bringing the dessert tray over. Teal'c's eyes alighted on the fruit tart and requested it immediately. Sam hadn't planned on having dessert after the rich meal, but figured she needed to be in solidarity with her teammate. Although the cheesecake looked tempting, she went with the chocolate mousse. Mousse was mostly air, right?
When the desserts came, Teal'c stared at it for several moments before carefully taking a bite of one of the berries. Sam was almost sorry she hadn't gone with the tart as well as much as he seemed to be savoring it.
"Such fruits were saved only for sacrifice to the gods," he said, almost to himself. "It is rare to see such bounty all in one dish."
He took another bite, this time with a bit of whipped cream. Sam looked again at the tart. It seemed to have three or four different types of berries and something that might have been a kiwi or a kumquat-she wasn't great at identifying fruits.
"I thought at first the fruit salads and fresh fruit display at the commissary were saved for the warriors of the SGC. But here-may anyone partake of this delight?"
"Um, yeah. Well, you have to buy it, but yeah, it's for anyone." Sam wondered what Teal'c would make of the produce aisle in a supermarket.
"I remember when I was kal'ma, my father would bring a piece of fruit home on rare occasion. A reward for his labors." To Sam's surprise, a host of expressions crossed his face. Sam couldn't read them all. Regret? Concern? She recognized grief all too well when she saw it. Teal'c schooled his face back again to his usual stoic mask, but upon looking at Sam, he let a hint of the grief remain exposed. "He...died when I was very young."
"Teal'c, I'm sorry," Sam's heart went out to him. "I know...I mean, I lost my mom when I was thirteen." She dropped her spoon into the half-eaten mousse, appetite now forgotten. Her thoughts went back to that day so clearly. It was years before she could handle the smell of freshly baked cookies again.
She looked at Teal'c. She knew so little about him, but now she realized they shared something too. They'd both lost at least one parent at a young age. All of SG-1 seemed joined in tragedy. She still shuddered to think what the colonel suffered in losing his child. Daniel's wife was now at the mercy of the Goa'uld. "Some bunch of misfits we are, huh?" she asked.
Teal'c looked at her with an expression of complete understanding. "Indeed."
They sat together in a comfortable silence for several minutes.
After the waitress brought the check, Sam won the battle of who would pay. Teal'c conceded defeat when he realized his base credit voucher wouldn't work as payment. Sam wondered if he got an official paycheck, and what the pay grade would be on "alien consultant."
Teal'c was looking across the room behind Sam as she signed out the credit card receipt.
"Captain Carter, what are those men doing with sticks behind you?"
She remained relaxed at Teal'c's odd statement because his tone was one of curiosity, not alarm. And she had thought she wasn't able to read Teal'c. A sound of the balls striking could be heard before Sam turned around. "They're playing pool; it's a game."
"I have observed such a table at the SGC rec room."
"We have a rec room in the Mountain?"
"On Level Fifteen."
"Huh." Sam really needed to get out of her lab more often. "Maybe sometime you should give me the grand tour of our workplace?"
"I would be happy to, Captain Carter."
She grinned and glanced at her watch as she stood up. "Well, we've got a couple hours before you should be back at the base. Do you want to give it a try?"
"You know how to play this game?"
"I've racked a few in my day," her smile turned rueful as she started to count back the years. "It's been a while though."
She set up a free table for eight ball and went through some of the basic rules as Teal'c hefted the weight of the various cue sticks. Deciding on one that suited him, he turned back to Sam just as she placed the cue ball. Grabbing a cue for herself, she demonstrated how to hold and aim at the white ball, helping Teal'c adjust his fingers flat on the felt; his hands were much wider than hers. She let him break.
And promptly found herself trying to catch a couple of the balls as the force of his shot had them bouncing off the table.
"Okay. Um, that was a good beginning shot. Uh, maybe not so hard next time. We try and keep the balls on the felt."
She looked at the table, and noted the rest of the table. She couldn't remember if knocking balls off counted as a scratch or some other kind of penalty. She just rolled them back onto the table from behind the cue line and chalked it up to a practice game. "Looks like you knocked a couple of each kind into the holes, so you can call stripes or solids."
Teal'c stared at the table and appeared to give the matter serious attention. "I will choose solids."
"Okay. Pick out one of the solid colored balls to aim at. Like that two is pretty easily lined up at the corner pocket for you."
Teal'c studied the trajectory much as she had watched him work with the staff weapon earlier today. He slid the cue over his fingers. The two ball went in, with the cue following directly after. Sam winced.
"Scratch. The cue ball can't go in the hole."
"You informed me the purpose of this game is to knock all the balls into the holes, and that the black ball should be last."
"Yeah, but not this ball." She pulled the white ball out of the pocket and held it up. "It needs to stay on the table all the time. If we were playing a regulation game, you'd lose your turn. But this is just practice. Try again."
She placed the ball back on the table. Teal'c did not move. "If I have forfeited my turn, it is your opportunity to move."
"But you're just learning the game, Teal'c, it's no problem."
"I will follow the rules."
Sam could tell he wouldn't budge on the issue, so she shrugged and studied the angles. "Okay. Um, thirteen ball, side pocket."
She started working out the blocked shots, enjoying the challenge of shooting a combo. Before she knew it she was clearing the table. Flushing, she stepped aside. "Sorry, Teal'c. I guess I sorta got into it."
Teal'c appeared to be at ease. "It was enjoyable to watch you, Captain Carter. You are adept at this game. Several patrons were noticing your skill."
Sam glanced around and suspected a couple of the guys near the bar were noticing her ass more than her game, but she wouldn't correct Teal'c. Instead, she set up for a new game. "It's just geometry, math deductions, Teal'c. Figuring out angles." Okay, maybe a bit of physics to calculate the amount of force needed on the cue ball. But still, it wasn't rocket science.
She finished racking the balls and gestured to the table. "Care to break again?"
Teal'c did much better. All the balls stayed on the table. He did scratch twice more, but Sam questioned if she'd have been able to handle one of the shots cleanly herself. He was definitely a quick study and seemed to have picked up some ideas from watching her.
A few hours and four games later, they headed out of O'Malley's smiling. Well, at least Sam was smiling, and she was pretty sure Teal'c's face was wearing a smile. His expressions weren't fooling her as easily now, or maybe it was just that he was letting her see a bit more than he usually expressed.
In any case, she felt more connected to him than she had at any point since he'd saved them all from that prison on Chulak.
He interrupted her thoughts. "Thank you, Captain Carter, for taking me to try steak...and pool."
"You're a regular shark, Teal'c," she tried not to laugh at the puzzled look creasing his brow. She explained, "You're a good player. We could surprise the guys some time by playing a doubles match."
He nodded his head, but Sam caught a mischievous glint in his eye as he exchanged his cap for the makeshift motorcycle helmet. "I would enjoy that."
"But next time," she looked him up and down as she straddled her bike, "you should have some better clothes. We need to take you on a shopping trip, Teal'c. Expand your wardrobe a bit to blend in with the populace better."
Teal'c gazed at her for a long moment, then nodded. "It would be helpful, if we make more such excursions."
"Exactly. And you'll hopefully have a number of 'excursions' with all of us, Teal'c."
He fit himself snugly behind her on the bike as she started it up. "Indeed," she heard him rumble over the roar of the engine. She smiled to herself as she made the turn towards Cheyenne Mountain. It turned out to be a pretty good day after all.
Fin.