Disclaimer: If I owned them or made any money off this fic, I would celebrate. As it is, I'll have to find another reason to celebrate. I can think of several, but as Jack is often saying, 'I won't even go there!' Come on, think of the story's title, then use your imagination... Ah, now ya got it!
Janet bustled into the Commissary, clutching a newspaper page in her hand. She hastily scanned the room until her gaze landed on SG-1 seated sedately around a table, talking and laughing together like the old friends they were, but not acting terribly excited at the same time. The doctor dodged personnel and slipped up beside their table.
Sam!
Janet called when she drew closer. Have you
seen this?
All four team members set aside their forks and spoons for a moment, scooting their chairs aside, making room for Janet at the table. Sam glanced back after moving her own chair to one side just in time to note her friend's presence at the table before she found the newspaper page thrust under her nose.
Janet continued to speak. Did you know about this?
she demanded in an excited voice.
On the page were the Denver movie advertisements. It was
hardly something that Sam spent much time gazing at, especially
since she rarely drove all the way to Denver just to see a movie.
Uh... no,
she finally muttered, confused.
What..?
Janet pointed to the upper left hand corner.
Look.
Dutifully, Sam looked. Then her eyes widened. Oh my
God!
she exclaimed.
Yeah, I know,
Janet said, smiling then as Sam made a
grab for the page in Janet's hand. That's exactly how I
reacted.
Then she thought for a moment. Actually, I
grabbed the page out of Cassie's hand when she showed it to me,
then shrieked like a teenager, but I don't recommend the
shrieking part.
At least, not in here,
Colonel O'Neill shrewdly said.
Everyone might get the wrong idea.
Daniel piped up, Especially with Janet here.
Jack added, Yeah, everyone might think you're giving us
shots with those long needles you keep in the Infirmary.
Janet huffed when he said that. For your information, I
don't keep 'extra long needles' just lying around, you
know.
Jack had to protest, You do too, and they all have 'SG-1'
printed on them!
The doctor rolled her eyes. Think what you like,
she
muttered. I know I can't change your minds, so I'm not even
gonna try.
Jack was just about to retort that the doctor had made a
wise decision when he noticed Sam's suddenly crestfallen
expression. Thinking that she had seen something else besides a
movie poster in the newspaper, his hand automatically rose to
touch her, but he stopped the action two centimeters before he
made contact with her arm. He worriedly demanded to know,
Carter, what is it? What's wrong?
Daniel peered at his friend then. Sam... You're white
as a sheet!
he exclaimed.
But before Sam could respond, Teal'c calmly added, Not
all sheets are white, DanielJackson. Perhaps you mean 'white as
a ghost,' or 'white as the snow?'
They all would have laughed at Teal'c's question if the situation wasn't clearly so dire. All eyes turned to Sam without further hesitation as they ignored Teal'c's commentary in favor of finding out what was wrong.
Sam looked up at them all, treating them with a tremulous
smile. Then she blushed. Oh, I'm sorry... I shouldn't react
like this... It's so stupid...
Carter,
the Colonel interrupted with a warning tone
in his voice.
Sam blushed again.
Teal'c made the observation, Now she is red,
DanielJackson, and not white... Do the stores sell red
sheets?
This time, everyone did laugh, if a bit nervously,
and Sam did her best to quickly explain, No, you shouldn't
worry about me, or sheets... white, red, or somewhere in
between... I'm fine,
she insisted.
But that explanation wasn't enough to soothe Colonel
O'Neill. You might as well tell us what's really wrong,
Carter,
he went on. We'll all find out sooner or later
anyway,
he cajoled.
Sam pointed to the add then with a finger. It said 'Showing for one week only... January 7 - 13,' and under the printed words was the poster for the eighties movie Dirty Dancing.
Jack looked, read the entire add, then squinched his eyes
narrower. He sighed in aggravaton, not at her, but because he
couldn't figure the puzzle out. I don't get it, Carter.
What's the big deal?
he finally asked.
Sam gaped at him. You've never seen Dirty
Dancing?
Jack snorted. Well, aside from the fact that all us guys
at the base I was stationed at made fun of it a bit...
He
sniggered as Janet socked him with the rest of the newspaper she
was still holding. Besides, it was a chick flick,
he
stated in his own defense. You wouldn't catch me seeing
something like that at the time.
Janet glared again at him,
and he defended, Hey, so I was young and stupid in the
eighties!
Janet sighed dramatically. At least you see the error of
your ways now,
she intoned.
Yeah,
Daniel added. We all know that you're not
afraid to go now.
Jack glared at him from across the table. I wasn't
afraid then,
he ammended Daniel's comment, then went on,
And I'm not afraid now!
His glare turned into a scowl as
Daniel laughed at him. Oh, like you've seen it yourself!
he pouted. And we were discussing Carter,
he reminded.
he turned back to Sam. So, what's wrong?
he asked in a
much kinder tone.
Sam wiped her eyes with a paper napkin, half laughing and
half crying by now. But she still didn't answer him, saying
only, No, seriously, there's nothing...
Then Jack inherintly understood her problem as if she had
spoken of it aloud. We have a mission scheduled for tomorrow,
don't we?
he asked. And tomorrow's the seventh.
Sam's mute nod confirmed his suspicions. We'll be gone
until Monday at the very least,
she stated.
Then Daniel added, And we leave on Tuesday, or soon after
we get back, to go on another mission that lasts until about
Friday...
Miserably, Sam nodded.
Janet grabbed hold of the back of Sam's chair. You mean
that Dirty Dancing is actually being re-released, and
we're gonna miss it?
Her voice sounded as incredulous as her
expression.
Sam shrugged, the tears once again glistening in the corners
of her eyes. Sorry, Janet, but...
She turnend back to
face her three male friends. And you all should know that I'm
usually not so sentimental over a dumb movie, but...
She
sighed in defeat. It's just that I loved this movie when I
was in college, and...
I can ask Hammond to postpone the mission till Monday if
you want,
Jack suggested. He hated seeing Carter so upset
about something that he could change.
Sam perked up when she heard this news... she couldn't help
herself. You...
She sniffed. You can do
that?
As Jack shrugged, then nodded, Daniel said, At least, he
would do it for you, is what he means.
Jack kicked his friend under the table. I'm only trying
to help!
he exclaimed as Daniel rubbed at his abused shin.
I had that mission moved when you needed to go to your class
reunion, as I recall!
he pointed out.
Janet raised her brow then. And what about that wedding
you went to a few years ago?
she asked. Didn't I go with
you to that one?
Yeah,
Sam added, feeling mischievous then. And
didn't we have to shedule things around it?
Okay, okay!
Daniel testily retorted. I get
it!
Jack told them, So, rescheduling a mission for Carter
isn't such a big deal, right?
he half asked, half demanded of
Daniel.
But before Daniel could reply, General Hammond appeared at
the Commissary door. He peered around the room for a moment,
then approached their table once he had found them. His sudden
apearance in the room, added to their conversation, was so on cue
that it was scary. SG-1,
he said when he drew near them.
Can I have a word with you all, please.
Janet gathered her pages together, getting ready to depart,
as this looked like official military business that he had to
discuss. I'll just go,
she said, and turned towards the
door.
It was Hammond who stopped her. No, you might as well
stay and hear this, too. That way, you'll know what's going
on.
Does it affect the Infirmary?
Janet immediately
wanted to know, concern written all over her face.
No, it concerns Teal'c, actually,
Hammond reported.
At the worried expressions that met him wherever he looked,
Hammond instantly soothed, Nothing to be worried about...
He leaned forward on his hands propped on the blue cloth covering
the table. I just got a call from Washington...
He
glanced at the alien. The Joint Chiefs want to know every bit
of information that anyone can tell them about the Goa'uld for
defense budgetary description purposes, and right away I thought
of having you talk to them...
He looked again at Teal'c,
then at everyone gathered around the table before his eyes
returned to the Jaffa. But it means that the two of us need
to leave for Washington tomorrow, and that means rescheduling
your next mission, unless you think that just the three of you
can handle this one?
He looked at Daniel, Sam, and the
Colonel.
All eyes followed his to regard Colonel O'Neill as the
official leader of SG-1, and he shifted a bit in his chair.
I'd rather reschedule this one, to be honest, Sir,
he told
them all, but spoke to the General. We're going to a Goa'uld
world, aren't we?
At the many nods that greeted his
questioning gaze, he went on to admit, I'd rather we all went
on something like that than only three of us. Not that the three
of us can't handle a Goa'uld world without Teal'c,
he
hastened to add. It's just that Teal'c's knowledge about the
bad guys has proved so helpful in the past that we would surely
miss him all the more if we went on this mission without
him.
Sam grinned at Jack's compliment concealed under all his erstwhile leadership rhetoric, while Teal'c simply nodded his head in thanks of O'Neill's rather round-about homage.
Jack went on, Besides, Carter was thinking about
requesting that we take this weekend off so she can attend
something that's suddenly come up,
he said. He smiled when
Sam smiled as well. Some other time works out best for
everybody involved, it seems.
Hammond smiled. Well, good.
Teal'c interjected with his question, What time do you
wish to leave, GeneralHammond?
Hammond nodded, but said, I still have to make the final
arrangements, Teal'c. First, I needed to see if you all were
going to find this an acceptable compromise. After all, it
affects SG-1 as a team...
Understood,
Teal'c added with a slight Jaffa grin on
his face. Let me know as soon as you 'make the
arrangements,'
he quoted back. I will endeavor to be
available at that time.
Hammond nodded again. Thank you, Teal'c.
Then he
turned so that he could take in the entire team with his gaze.
And thank you everyone.
See you for Tuesday's mission for sure,
O'Neill
quipped, and lifted his fork again as if he were planning to
return to his meal. We'll be there,
he promised.
With that, General Hammond turned and left the Commissary.
Sam sighed as soon as he left. I really appreciate you
not explaining what Janet and I are thinking about doing instead
of going on that mission,
she said to Jack then in a low
voice. I doubt that going to a movie has much priority,
she depracatingly added.
Jack smiled as he widened his gaze to include her.
You're welcome,
he simply stated.
Daniel rolled his eyes. We're all grateful,
he said, then added, We would just get tired of hearing Sam
sing all those songs from that movie, anyway, if she couldn't
go.
Sam appeared shocked at Daniel's prediction. I would not
sing them all the time!
she exclaimed.
Daniel chuckled. Maybe Sam could just serenade the
System Lords to death,
he suggested.
Sam's eyes narrowed. What are you saying, Daniel?
she asked. Are you suggesting that I ca..?
But Daniel interrupted her. I'm not saying anything,
he protested. It's just that I heard you singing to the radio
in your lab one day, and...
Jack laughed at Daniel as he tried to dig himself out of the
hole he had unwittingly talked himself into. If I were you,
Daniel, I'd shut up while I was ahead. Don't bury yourself,
after all.
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