Stargate SG1 Fan Fiction ❯ Holiday Shipper Collection ❯ Marking Merriment ( Chapter 4 )

Title: Marking Merriment
Author: A. Karswyll
Rated: K
Words: 1055
Summary: Jack goes to fetch Sam for an evening celebrating a special event.
AN: Written for GateWorld forum’s Ship Day 2012.

Lt. General Jack O’Neill skilfully sidestepped another airman—not giving said airman a chance to realise they’d almost blundered into a three-star general and the hullabaloo that would follow that incident—as he navigated the strange mechanical territory where the next BC series was under development in one of Area 37’s subterranean dry-docks.

The cavernous room was filled. Filled with sound from the reverberations of thudding hammers, the buzz of power tools, the electric crackling of welding, the high pitched screech of metal cutting, and under it all the chattering and shouts of those at work. Filled with airmen in blue overalls and civilians in white lab-coats hustling and bustling back and forth in no pattern whatsoever as they carried out their tasks.

Altogether, Jack was quite out of his element.

That did not deter him in the least as he navigated the obstacles in his path, searching for his target. He was on occasion forced to tap some reasonably-looking-unoccupied workers on the shoulder and ask for directions, reasoning that this was her territory and her minions should generally know where she was.

Following another pointed finger, he skirted another large block of ship-hunk-in-progress and came face to face within something he thought he’d never be forced to encounter again.

Him, standing here.

Carter, standing there.

Between them a force-field that hung in the air like blue frosted window.

Thunk—Jack jolted at the sound and his breath gusted out. As he was once more in the here and now the throat-tightened moment became a scene of exasperated amusement: there was even a man hitting stuff with something that looked like the torch-thingies on Apophis’ ship for cryin’ out loud!

Not him though, an airman was tapping on the force-shield with the odd-shaped doohickey in a line—not smashing away at the control panel like he’d done all those years ago—as Colonel Sam Carter, on the other side of the shield, was making notes on her tablet.

Sam lifted her eyes and they widened upon catching sight of him: “Sir!”

Jack gave her a lopsided grin in return. “Carter.”

“What are you are you doing here?” Sam had a confused look on her face.

“Making sure someone is on time for tonight,” Jack tapped the face of his watch. “Someone who has a long history of getting caught up in work.”

Sam looked half abashed and half indignant as she grumbled something inaudible under her breath. Then taking a breath, she lowered the tablet and addressed the airman: “That should do it for now lieutenant. We’ll resume the tests in the morning.”

“Yes ma’am,” the lieutenant agreed as he stopped tapping at the force-field and the blue dissipated.

“If you’ll wait a minute Sir,” Sam addressed him, “I’ll shut down the shield and we can be on our way.”

Jack nodded and waited patiently for her to complete her task. When she returned and crossed to his side he said: ”You know this area best Carter, lead the way.”

“Yes Sir,” she nodded.

Jack followed close on her heels as she wove through men and machines and much, much sooner than it had taken for him to find her they had left the development dry-dock behind and boarded the elevator for the surface.

“Well, that’s got to be a record,” Sam remarked.

“How so?” he frowned.

“For getting through there without being stopped once by someone with a question.”

“Glad to be of service,” Jack quipped. There was nothing like stars on a uniform to get people out of the way. They stepped out of the elevator into the red-and-white checkered shack on the surface and exiting, Jack’s driver was prompt to open the car doors for them. They made small talk, mainly for the benefit of the driver than to fill the silence between them, on the way to the main base and both were glad when they reached it.

Sam directed him to where her Volo was parked and duffle bag in hand, Jack located it while she disappeared into the building for the locker rooms to change into civvies.

Jack tapped a finger against his leg as he waited, thinking about the evening he had planned. It hadn’t been easy finding anything as special as this date was to them. He had checkout out a lot of locations, museums, nightclubs, and even a chocolate factory, but they weren’t what he was looking for and the events, circus acts and casino shows, weren’t it either. But luckily, theatre always came through for him as Nevada Opera was performing Puccini’s Madam Butterfly.

His thoughts refocused when Sam emerged and strode across the parking lot wearing a curve-hugging red shirt with a v-neckline and a classy knee long black skirt. He let his eyes wander over her provocatively, giving her a cheeky grin when their gazes caught and she flushed adorably.

“What about you? You changing?” her gesture included his uniform from head to toe.

“Soon, gladly,” Jack answered. “I’ve got a suit jacket in my bag. Could you pop the trunk please?”

Jack put his duffle bag in the trunk as soon as it was opened and he shrugged out of his uniform jacket. Tucking it into his bag, he took out the suit jacket that matched his uniform slacks—picked up for that very reason—and put it on. Loosening his tie a bit with one hand, he closed the trunk with his other.

Sam was behind the wheel already so he folded himself into the passenger seat.

“So, what are the plans for tonight? Or are you still not telling me?” Sam asked as she turned the key.

Jack considered it as the engine rumbled to life. It was a two hour drive into Las Vegas, would it be better to tell her now or wait till they were at dinner and tell her as he’d planned? Finally he said, as he’d been saying in the beginning, ”It’s a surprise.”

She gave him a pout that Jack wisely did not tell her he found adorable under the circumstances. Placing his hand over hers on the gear stick to keep her from shifting yet he leaned over the console and lightly kissed her, “Just a little longer wife.”

Sighing softly, she gave him a tender smile and said, “Okay just a little longer. And Jack? Happy anniversary to you too.”

- FINISHED