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Jack had been circling the corridors around the chamber for the eleventh time and sighed. Sticking his head through the doorway, he called out,
“Major?”
Carter, crouched on the floor, turned and grimaced.
“Nothing, sir.”
“What do you mean, nothing? You’ve been at this thing for three hours.”
Her tone turned apologetic.
“I know, sir, but this machine looked promising…”
“But?”
“But it’s useless.”
Jack frowned and walked over to her.
“What do you mean, useless? Is it broken?”
“No. It powers up, and as far as I can tell it’s doing what it’s supposed to do.”
Jack ran his hands over his face, the universal sign that he was getting a little impatient.
“And that would be what exactly, Carter?”
She shrugged.
“Lights on the ceiling and mood music.”
“Excuse me?”
With a sigh, she pushed a control. The room lights dimmed as the machine projected what looked like constellations on the ceiling, and soft nature sounds—water lapping, birds chirping—filled the chamber.
“The constellations are wrong,” O’Neill observed.
“Indeed,” Carter said, deliberately echoing Teal’c. “That’s why I’m calling them ceiling lights.”
A sudden doubt hit Jack.
“Carter, you sure we’re not dealing with the same kind of machine as last time on…”
“P4X-347? No, sir. I’m sure. I checked.”
“So we’re not gonna feel like jumping off a balcony when we get back, and we’re not gonna have to spend three weeks on a very wet, very cold planet?” he said dryly.
“No, sir.”
“Good. All right, pack it up, we’re breaking camp. I wanna be back in town before nightfall.”
“Right away, sir.”
He grabbed one of Carter’s packs and slung it over his shoulder as they headed back up the main hallway toward the entrance.
“Two hours hiking through the jungle for nothing. Daniel’s gonna hear about this, mark my words,” Jack groused, grabbing his radio.
He was just about to press the button to contact the rest of SG-1—who’d stayed in town—when he looked outside.
“Oh, for crying out loud!”
***
“Daniel!”
Jack O’Neill’s voice crackled over the radio, and Daniel didn’t need to hear any more to know he was mad. Signaling to Teal’c, he closed the distance in a few long strides, held the radio between them, and took a second to breathe deeply so he wouldn’t start laughing.
“Yeah, Jack? What’s going on?”
Daniel struggled to keep his tone light and neutral. Teal’c turned toward him, one eyebrow lifting.
“You sure your intel is right, Space Monkey?”
“Well, yeah, Jack, why?”
“There’s nothing here!”
Daniel covered his mouth for a moment to hold back a laugh.
“Oh really? No machine?”
“Oh, there’s a machine all right, but it’s not a weapon! Carter says it just projects some kind of mood lighting.”
“Oh? Then I must’ve made a mistake in the translation. I’m sorry, Jack, their records are really ancient and parts of the text are worn away.”
Teal’c’s eyebrow climbed even higher, and Daniel had to turn away so he wouldn’t burst out laughing.
“You’re gonna make us hike four hours for a stupid disco ball, Daniel? Two of those in the rain! It’s raining buckets out here!”
“It’s raining?” Daniel asked, in a voice of exaggerated concern. “If it’s raining, whatever you do, don’t go outside.”
“Why not?” Jack barked.
“The Valians say the rain is very dangerous in the forest.”
“Dangerous how? Kinda vague there, Daniel.”
“They mention landslides, mudslides. You’re not supposed to go out when it’s raining. You’re safe in the temple. You should wait for the storm to pass.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. It’ll be dark in less than three hours, Daniel.”
“You should spend the night there and come back tomorrow.”
“What?”
Jack’s voice rose just a bit higher, and Daniel snorted before keying the radio again.
“You’ve got everything you need anyway, right?”
“Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c began.
Daniel swatted his arm lightly, and the Jaffa raised his other eyebrow.
“Shh, Teal’c.”
“What did Teal’c say?” Jack demanded.
“Nothing,” Daniel lied smoothly. “He says we’re heading to the Gate to let General Hammond know everything’s fine but we won’t be back until tomorrow.”
“We can’t stay the night out here, Daniel,” O’Neill growled. “And you know exactly why.”
“Jack.”
“Daniel.”
Jack’s voice sounded a little farther away now, but both men could clearly hear him asking Sam to go double-check the machine.
“And what about tonight?” Jack finally whispered. “We’re already off-world, and if on top of that you…”
“Do it without us,” Daniel suggested.
“What?”
Daniel sighed and explained,
“You don’t need us, Jack. You’re the one who planned everything, and you’ve got it all in your pack, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“Then do it without us,” Daniel insisted. “Teal’c and I will congratulate her tomorrow.”
“What about your present?”
“Tomorrow,” Daniel repeated clearly.
“We could just do everything tomorrow, then,” Jack tried one last time.
“No, we’ve already got something planned at Janet’s tomorrow. And besides, it’s today. You can’t just pretend you forgot when you’ve got everything in your pack and she already suspects we remember the date.”
Jack gave in with a long sigh, and even Daniel was surprised at how persuasive he’d been.
“Fine.”
“Jack?”
“What now, Daniel?”
“Don’t forget to light a fire. The Valians say it gets cold outside the city at night.”
“Great. And how exactly are we supposed to build a fire in this kind of downpour?”
Daniel rolled his eyes.
“There’s a fireplace in the temple’s main hall. And wood. You’ll want to put more on before you leave, by the way.”
Suspicion crept into O’Neill’s voice.
“And how do you know that, Daniel?”
“Orun told me. He’s in charge of temple maintenance. He always makes sure the fireplace is functional so it can shelter lost travelers. He’s the one who told me about the machine in the first place and thanks to him I got access to the archives.”
“Yeah. I’ll just bet he did.”
“You do know who he is, right?”
“Rah, yes, Daniel, I know who he is. What do you take me for?”
“Good. Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, yeah. Tomorrow.”
Daniel put the radio away and burst out laughing. A young man walked up to them, looking friendly.
“Doctor Jackson?”
“Orun!”
“Are your friends all right? Would you like us to stop the rain so they can come back without getting wet?”
“They’re fine. In fact, Orun, I was wondering if it might be possible to make it rain until tomorrow.”
“Until tomorrow?”
“Yes. I’m sure Major Carter will be very impressed that you can make it rain all night.”
“Oh? You think so?”
“I’m certain of it,” Daniel said.
“In that case, no problem, Doctor Jackson.”
“Thank you, Orun.”
Teal’c wore the inscrutable look that so often characterized him, but waited until Orun had left the room before turning to Daniel.
“Daniel Jackson, are you not concerned that when the treaty is ratified and Major Carter is permitted to study Valian technology, she may discover that tonight’s rain was artificially induced and look upon you with disfavor?”
Daniel shrugged and adjusted his glasses.
“That’s a possibility, yeah.”
Teal’c nodded slowly.
“O’Neill also mentioned a gift. May I inquire what you have purchased for his birthday?”
Daniel grimaced.
“Absolutely nothing.”
“But then?”
“That is the gift,” Daniel chuckled, pointing out the rain now beginning to fall on the city as well.
Teal’c inclined his head. “An intriguing stratagem.”
He paused. “O’Neill will be… displeased.”
Daniel grinned. “Yeah. That’s kind of the point.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow. “Indeed.”
***
When Jack came back into the main hall, he found Carter sitting on the floor, one elbow propped on her knee, her chin resting in her palm, looking doubtful as she stared at the machine.
“Still nothing, Major?”
She sighed.
“No, sir. It’s hopeless.”
The emphasis in her voice made O’Neill smile.
“What is?”
“I just don’t see the point of building a machine like this.”
“Daniel says the temple’s supposed to serve as a shelter for lost travelers. I’m guessing it’s meant to relax them.”
She grimaced, unconvinced.
“If you say so, sir. Are we heading out?” she added, already starting to get up.
O’Neill stopped her with a quick gesture.
“Looks like we’ve hit a little snag.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“A snag?”
“Yeah. Daniel says Orun—you know, the…”
“The guy who took Daniel to the archive room?”
“Yeah, that guy. Apparently Orun told him it’s dangerous to go out in the rain. The forest’s prone to landslides, or something. Does that sound plausible to you, Carter?”
“Yes, sir. The forest is on a slope, the ground looks fairly loose, I wouldn’t rule it out. But…” She checked her watch. “The sun’s already going down, it’ll be dark in about two hours. If we don’t leave now, then…”
“Then we’re spending the night here,” Jack finished for her, giving her a tight, exaggerated smile.
“What about General Hammond?”
“Daniel says he and Teal’c are going to the Gate to tell him we won’t be back until tomorrow.”
“It’s not raining in town?”
“Apparently not.”
She shrugged and stretched a little.
“Well. I guess we’ve slept in worse places.”
She turned toward him and gave him that smile he loved so much, the one that set off feelings he tried very hard to forget. Her head tilted slightly, her eyes sparkled.
“Everything okay, sir?”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine, Carter. No problem,” he added, glancing around the room.
“What are you looking for, sir?”
“Orun supposedly mentioned a fireplace. Daniel says it gets cold outside the city at night.”
Carter stood and began running her hand along the wall as she walked around the room. Jack did the same on the opposite side. They ended up facing each other, their hands brushing, both of them feeling a faint draft from the hidden chimney through the stone.
“There must be some kind of mechanism to open it,” Carter murmured, her face dangerously close to her commanding officer’s as he swallowed hard.
Her fingers slid over the stone where Jack’s hand still rested, briefly covering it as she pressed. Something scraped, and the wall slid back to reveal a hearth already stacked with dry wood.
“There we go!” she said happily.
She had already stepped back and pulled her hand away, but Jack could still feel the heat of her touch on the back of his own, as if it had burned him. He shook his head to clear it and started digging through his pack for matches, but Sam was faster. She shrugged out of her tac vest and settled cross-legged in front of the fireplace.
“I hadn’t realized how cold I was until we lit this thing,” she said with a little shiver.
Before he could think about it, Jack had already taken off his jacket and draped it around Carter’s shoulders.
“The humidity from the rain probably doesn’t help,” he muttered.
“Aren’t you going to be cold, sir?”
Jack pretended not to notice how beautiful she looked wrapped in a jacket that was much too big for her, or the absentminded way she inhaled his scent from the collar she’d pulled up around her neck.
“I’ll manage, Carter. For now, just warm up. I’ll get dinner ready.”
“Wait, sir, I can—”
“Ah! No. Stop, Carter. You stay right there. Tonight, you’re off duty. I had something else planned with Daniel and Teal’c, but since things never go the way they’re supposed to, if I can’t take you out for a drink and a pizza after the briefing, the least I can do is heat up your birthday ration.”
She twisted around to look at him, practically bouncing, her smile reaching all the way to her eyes.
“You remembered?”
“Of course I remembered. Honestly, Carter, what do you take us for? And, just so you know, I planned ahead, and I am very pleased to announce that I have your favorite meal.”
“Mac and cheese?”
“Yep. Mac and cheese, even if it tastes more like…”
“Chicken,” she finished.
Jack tried to ignore the thrill that went through him when their voices overlapped. She was radiant. A little voice in his head was insisting that this evening—just the two of them, in an empty temple, in the middle of nowhere, in front of a fireplace—was a very, very bad idea. He ignored it. There was no way this could go wrong or get out of hand. They were just friends. Colleagues. Nothing there that could possibly get out of hand.
He boiled water and let their rations heat up slowly, keeping one eye on Carter. She had loosened her boots. Her knees were pulled up against her chest, curled up in both their jackets, hands stretched toward the flames, her fingers playing in the heat. The firelight painted her face and hair in shades of gold.
She looked like an angel.
“Ow!”
Finger in his mouth, he silently thanked the burn for yanking him back down to Earth. In an instant, she was at his side, taking his hand in both of hers.
“Are you okay, sir? Let me see.”
“It’s nothing, Carter.”
He tried to ignore the worry in her eyes that wrecked him every time.
Stop it, O’Neill. It’s Carter.
Exactly. It’s Carter.
She’s your second-in-command.
That too. He winced.
“Does it hurt, sir?”
He shook his hand and plastered on a big grin.
“Ah, it’s fine. No big deal. Come on, Carter, chow time before it gets cold.”
She went back to her spot. He handed her tray over and dropped down next to her, close enough to brush against her, just barely, but not too much.
O’Neill, what the hell are you doing?
Carter wriggled a bit, settling in. Her knee bumped his lightly before she finally stilled and started eating. Suddenly, Jack wasn’t hungry anymore. He tried not to focus on the way part of her thigh was pressed against his, or how their shoulders rubbed every time she raised her arm. She didn’t seem to mind. Jack wondered if she’d done it on purpose or if it was just coincidence.
It’s a coincidence. It has to be a coincidence.
She turned to him with a brilliant smile, and Jack almost choked.
“Thank you, sir,” she beamed, swallowing her mouthful.
“It’s nothing, Carter. I’d rather have done better than canned mac and cheese for your birthday.”
She laughed softly.
“No worries, sir. This is perfect.”
“Oh, we’re not done yet,” he said mysteriously, trying very hard not to grin like an idiot at her delighted, surprised expression. “There’s dessert.”
He hauled his pack closer by the strap and rummaged inside. He pulled out a spoon, a blue Jell-O cup, and a candle, which he stuck in the foil lid before lighting it in the fire.
“Happy birthday, Carter.”
She burst out laughing, and Jack felt his insides turn to liquid. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard her laugh, but every single time he melted. He’d do almost anything—well, almost—to spend a lifetime listening to that laugh. And even more than that, to be the one who caused it.
She finally stopped, her lagoon-blue eyes locking on his, and he suddenly found it hard to breathe.
“Thank you, sir. This is really great. You didn’t get one for yourself?”
“It’s your birthday, Carter.”
She blew out the candle and he applauded. She laughed even harder, peeled off the lid, and offered,
“Want to share, sir?”
She waved the lone spoon at him, and suddenly Jack didn’t feel like laughing at all. He managed to say,
“I only brought one spoon.”
“That’s okay, sir.”
She took a bite, scooped up another, and held it out to him.
His body moved before his brain could stop it. While his mind was yelling no, his mouth had already closed around the spoon. Carter’s hand trembled faintly. He looked up at her and saw the same flush on her cheeks that he was feeling on his own.
“I… I thought you were just gonna take the spoon, but…”
“I’m sorry, Major, I…”
“No, it’s fine, sir. It’s funny. Really. It’s okay,” she insisted, as he stared at her, feeling like a complete idiot.
“I, uh, also have marshmallows!” he blurted, grateful to have an excuse to dive headfirst into his pack. “And four skewers,” he added triumphantly as he pulled them out.
“Oh wow, Rocky Mountain Mega Marshmallows? I thought they stopped making those.”
“Took me eight grocery stores to find them.”
Her mouth fell open, she turned her head a little, and the firelight hid some of the color that rushed to her face.
“You really didn’t have to do that, sir.”
“Doesn’t bother me. They’re your favorite, and it’s your birthday.”
“How do you know they’re my favorite? I never told you that.”
“I had help.”
Carter frowned slightly, and he could practically see her brain shift into high gear as she tried to figure out who might have given him that piece of intel. He took pity on her.
“Your dad told me.”
She blushed hard and spun toward him.
“My dad? You asked my dad? And he actually answered you?”
“I can be very persuasive. Even with Dad.”
He flashed a smug smile he hoped was way over the top. It had the desired effect: Carter chuckled and bumped her shoulder into his, and he took the opportunity to lean a little closer.
As they roasted marshmallows, the contrast between the fire in front of them and the cool, damp night at their backs made him shiver. She jumped.
“Oh, I’m sorry, sir, you must be freezing. I should give you your jacket back.”
He tried to stop her, but it was too late. The loss of seeing Sam wrapped in his jacket was quickly compensated by the warmth and scent she’d left in it, surrounding him completely now.
“This’ll be better,” she said, tugging their sleeping bags out of their packs, unzipping them and spreading them over both of them like a blanket.
He took advantage of the excuse of adjusting the makeshift quilts to get just a little closer to her—or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, it wasn’t long before Jack found himself with Carter tucked against his left side, arm stretched out over the fire, roasting marshmallows. He felt better than he had in a long time. Their breathing fell into the same rhythm. He looked at Carter and smiled.
“What?” she asked around a mouthful of sugar.
He chuckled quietly.
“You’ve got a spot of sugar, right there.”
Every alarm in his head went off, but his body ignored them all as his thumb gently brushed her cheek, just beside her mouth. She twitched slightly as if it tickled, his finger grazed her lips, and a shiver ran through both of them. She stared at him, and he couldn’t look away. The moment stretched, suspended.
Move, O’Neill. You’re her commanding officer. You’re the one who has to stop this.
Now, O’Neill.
He almost jumped. She straightened up. He rubbed his hands together and announced, his voice a little rougher than usual,
“Well, it’s getting late. We should probably get some sleep, Carter.”
“You’re right, sir,” she breathed, sounding almost reluctant.
Soon they were settled for the night, facing the fire, now nothing but glowing embers that would keep them warm until morning. Carter drifted off quickly, and Jack lay there listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing in the absolute silence of the temple, a smile on his face.
He had no idea how long he’d been asleep when he woke to the sound of her soft whimpers. He recognized them instantly. She was having a nightmare. It happened a lot these days, especially since Jolinar. He did what he always did: spoke softly to her, murmuring in her ear that everything was going to be all right. Usually that was enough, but not this time. Gently, he brushed a hand through her hair, trying very hard not to notice how soft it was under his fingers, or how much he liked its faint citrus scent. She jerked awake, staring at him with wide, frightened eyes.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay, Carter. You were having a bad dream. I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m sorry.”
“Jack?”
The fear in her voice hit him almost as hard as hearing his first name from her lips. Before he could react, she threw herself into his arms.
“Carter?”
She was crying.
“Hey… Sam?”
He held her close, rocking her gently, until he suddenly felt her whole body tense. He loosened his hold immediately and watched her sit back. The outside light was too faint for him to see her clearly, but he knew her well enough to be sure she was bright red.
“I, I… oh my God. I’m so sorry, sir.”
“It’s okay, Carter. It’s fine.”
She fidgeted so much he finally took her chin in his hand. He couldn’t really see her eyes, but he tried to catch her gaze anyway.
“It’s fine. Really. Okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She hesitated. He was about to let it go when she lay back down beside him, staring up at the ceiling.
“My birthday always makes me think about my mom. How much I miss her. And…” She paused. “How scared I am of losing the people I care about.”
“Come here.”
He opened his arm and she curled up against him. Almost without thinking, he dropped a light kiss on her hair.
“I’ve got a foolproof trick for nightmares.”
“Oh yeah?”
He chuckled.
“Yeah. The useless machine.”
She burst out laughing, burrowing her face into his t-shirt as he reached over and hit the button that turned on the “ceiling lights.”
FADE OUT.