Previously on Forks in the Road….

Silence reigned for a second. Cassie looked past Sam and grinned. Then she leant forward over the rail and looked back at her slyly, with a wicked glint in her eye.

“I’ve just realised something.” She said.

“What?”

“Well…with you wearing that jacket – “ she waved her hand at Sam’s ‘Jack in a Pack’.

“ – and that T-shirt…” she pointed at Sam’s O’Neill T-shirt.

“Ye-es….” Sam said slowly, suspicious of where this was going.

Cassie giggled. “…you really *are* wearing Jack O’Neill!”

For the second time that day, Sam’s mouth engaged before consulting her brain.

“Oh I *wish*!”

This time, it popped straight out before Sam could stop it.

There was a strangled noise from behind her as someone choked on their drink. Cassie’s eyes went wide.

Sam closed her eyes in frustration. ‘Open mouth, insert foot…’

“He’s stood right behind me isn’t he?”

….and now, the continuation:

*******

“You okay, Jack?”

“Sir? Are you alright?”

Cassie and Sam jumped up while Jack stood choking on his drink, seemingly unable to catch his breath. He put the drinks on the table and waved his hand in their direction.

‘I’m fine. No, really.’

“I’m fine.” He finally croaked.

“Just went down the wrong way s’all.”

He gave a small smile. Cassie ducked her head to try and disguise the enormous grin that was threatening to split her face in two. As they all went to sit down again, Cassie propped her legs up on the bench. Jack paused, he’d been going to sit next to her. Sam shot Cassie a filthy look which she returned with an innocent expression.

‘What?’ It asked.

‘Oh, you know exactly what…’

Sam bit her lip. She couldn’t say anything, not without making the situation any more awkward.

‘Why not? You’ve made it bad enough already, what’s one more thing gonna matter…’

Ruthlessly ignoring her inner voice, Sam glanced up at her CO. He looked uncomfortable and was hovering at the end of the table, his eyes downcast, as if he wasn’t sure what to do. She felt a pang of guilt that she’d done that to him, especially when things had been going so well. It had been a long time since they’d been able to enjoy each others company, without it becoming…complicated.

It wasn’t fair to do it to him now, just because he’d heard what she’d said. It wasn’t like he’d been *deliberately* stood behind her when her mouth had bypassed her brain. Catching his eye, she scooted over across the bench to make room for him and gave him a small smile. As he sat, he finally looked at her properly.

“So…you really like that brand then, huh?”

The tension broke.

Sam’s blushes - which hadn’t really gone away - deepened once more and Cassie went into fits of silent, hysterical giggles, barely concealed behind her hot chocolate. Sam also concealed the lower half of her face behind her rapidly cooling drink, but only because she didn’t trust her mouth to communicate with her brain, before opening again. Jack merely sat grinning, then winked at Cassie and took a big gulp of his own drink.

Cassie downed the rest of hers and standing up, announced that she was going to get back out on the ice for a while. Sam was torn between: a) calling her back so that she wouldn’t be sitting alone with her CO, but…no - her mouth had recently embarrassed her *more* than enough in front of her CO and was almost certain to do so again, if she dared to opened it - and b) letting Cassie go back on the ice. Sam was certain if Cassie *didn’t* go, her mouth teamed with Cassie would likely embarrass her even further.

‘Hmmm, great choice there Sam… ‘Course you could just open your mouth and get it over and done with. Make a fool of yourself *now* rather than later.’

“Carter? Wotcha doin’ in there?”

‘Uh oh, he’s asking you something… What did he say? Give reply number two.’

“Yes Sir.”

‘Uh oh, he’s looking puzzled with that - really cute - No, stop it, he’s not cute…’

“Carter? You ok?” Jack looked at Sam with concern clearly written over his features.

‘Okay, I think I meant to give reply number three...’

“Sorry sir, I was just thinking.”

Jack shook his head and raised his eyebrow in a fairly passable imitation of Teal’c.

“You know, I’ve said it before - but I’ll say it again. I’d be surprised if you ever stopped.”

This elicited a small smile from Sam.

Jack grinned back and raised his drink to take another swallow.

“So…” He began, placing his drink back on the table.

“Wotcha thinkin’?”

‘Quick, think of something, think of something…’

“Ah…did you know that something like 90% of people’s conversations is inconsequential small talk?”

‘Oh well, that’s a *brilliant* cover isn’t it? Could you *possibly* have come up with *anything* more ridiculous? Geez….’

He gave her an odd look and then moved his gaze to stare at his drink. He prodded the holder a few times.

“Ninety percent, huh?”

She blinked. “Uh, apparently. So they say.”

‘Okay, you’ve said something. So now you can just take a long sip of that hot – actually make that cold – chocolate and wait for him to say something back.’

Oh God, now she was babbling to herself….

Sam risked a glance at the man sitting next to her. He was watching Cassie back out on the ice. Another uncomfortable silence reared its head. He wasn’t going to say anything. Darn it.

‘Quick, say something *else*.’

“Yeah. I mean, when people could be sitting around having an intellectually stimulating conversation about - I don’t know – *literature*, they sit and talk nonsense in order to pass the time instead. In fact I'm doing it right now…”

‘Right. So why don’t you just close your mouth? Save yourself the embarrassment…’

And what did he think he was doing anyway? Why hadn’t he stopped her yet?!

He shot her a glance out of the corner of his eye.

‘Uh-oh, that looked serious…’

“So…what you said earlier…was…inconsequential small talk?”

‘Oh thank you God!’ He was giving her a way out!

She nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly!”

If she hadn’t been looking straight at him in relief when she said it, she wouldn’t have seen the brief expression of hurt that flickered across his face, before it was schooled into his usual mask of indifference.

“Oh.” He said quietly and raised his drink once more.

‘Huh? Wha-?’

A sudden thought occurred to Sam at his quickly masked reaction. He couldn’t *actually* be looking for reassurance…could he?

‘Even a man likes to hear he’s wanted occasionally, Carter.’

Great. Now she was channelling him as well! As if she didn’t have enough problems already….

He was staring back out over the ice again, not-looking at her from time to time. To someone who didn’t know him, he would have looked impassive. But she’d been with him long enough to recognise the wounded expression he was trying desperately to hide.

‘Say something! Quick! And f’cryin’ out loud, *please* think before you open your mouth this time, will ya?’

“Um well…that is to say…it may have *sounded* like inconsequential small talk, but um…things aren’t always meant how they sound, right?”

He was staring at her now, with a frown on his face. Which was good. A frown was better than ‘hurt and wounded’, right?

‘Don’t overanalyse it, dammit! Just keep talking…’

She took a deep breath. “It’s just…you know…how people say one thing and mean another? It’s kinda like that. It was meant to *sound* like it didn’t mean anything, but it really *did*. Really.”

God she was sinking fast here…

She risked a look over at him.

He had that confused expression on his face again. The cute one that made her want to pat him on the head and tell him not to worry about it – no! It didn’t! He wasn’t cute. Was NOT. Even with the puppy dog eyes. She did *not* want to run her fingers through his hair and ruffle it, just *so*….

Godammit! He was her CO! Not a six year old. Or the family pet. No matter how cu – nope done that. Already established that he was *not* cute. At all. In. Any. Way. Whatsoever. Geez, if things went on like this, she’d asking him if he wanted to go for ‘walkies’ next. Gah! She was not even gonna consider the connotations of *that* phrase. No really, she wasn’t.

She hastily carried on.

“I mean it’s sort of like reading between the lines…say one thing, mean another – like if I was to … you still with me?”

‘Oh yeah, she was *definitely* babbling now…’

He repeated his Teal’c impression.

“…I was *saying* how much I like the O’Neill brand – “

The raised eyebrow waved hello to his hairline as it passed.

“I mean it’s comfortable you know?”

Forget babbling. She was *drowning*. Definitely.

His lips twitched.

“It feels good to wear – “

He smirked.

“ – not to mention it looks as sexy as hell – “

‘WHAT?! *What* did you just say?! Oh my *God*! You *so* did not just say that…Kill me *now* why dontcha….’

The smirk turned into a fully-fledged grin.

‘Oh great! This was soo much better.’

Here she was, trying to apologise and he was *laughing* at her.’

She carried on, ignoring the little voice in her head that was screaming for her to stop.

‘STOP RIGHT NOW before you do – ‘

“…and…and…and will you stop laughing at me?! I'm really trying to… I’d like to see *you* do a better job of telling someone how you really feel about them, without actually *telling* them how you really feel!”

‘ – something like that.’

Oh boy. Her conscience was really yelling at her now.

‘I can not believe you just said that! Please tell me you did not just say that!’

The smile vanished off his face like she slapped him, to be replaced with a look of shock. He looked as though he was about to have a pulmonary. Or was it a coronary?

‘Oh shit.’

Sam closed her eyes. Yep, she’d said it alright. Seemed she didn’t need Cassie around in order for her to put her foot in it, after all….

For the second time that day, Sam found herself questioning her CO about his health due to her disobedient mouth.

*******

After *that* little outburst Sam was at a complete loss for what to say next. And Jack – ‘the Colonel’, she scolded herself - didn't seem to have a clue either. The atmosphere round the table had a definite edge of unease to it. She settled for folding her arms and staring at the table. She could see him out of the corner of her eye. He was fiddling with the polystyrene cup that his chocolate had been in and kept sending furtive glances in her direction.

'Way to go, Sam' she thought sourly. 'How to completely embarrass yourself in front of your CO in one easy lesson…hmm, maybe she should write a book…'

Freezing, she looked over at him. He met her eyes and then quickly looked away as if he was embarrassed to be caught watching, but there was no look of panic on his face.

Phew, she at least hadn’t said *that* out loud. Score one for her, finally. It could have been rather distressing, if she had….

She smiled a smug little smile, feeling very pleased that her lips had been firmly closed on that occasion.

‘Hmm, maybe she was starting to get the hang of this…’

God, she really needed to stop thinking to herself. She was only going to get herself into irreversible trouble otherwise.

The silence was still there.

After a small while, he coughed.

"Ah, you know," He began tentatively.

"It's a shame they don't make a Carter brand. I wouldn't mind wearing one of those..."

She couldn't help the slow smile that spread across her face. That was so like him. As much of an apology as she was ever likely to get and said in typical Jack O'Neill fashion.

‘Or admission,’ her conscience suggested. She ignored it. It had got her into enough trouble with it’s suggestions today.

‘Acknowledgement then?’

‘Not listening…’

She turned to face him.

"I think it'd look good on you, sir."

His eyes met hers and a huge grin spread across his face.

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yes sir. It would definitely suit you."

He settled back in his chair.

"Sweet." He said, the grin on his face now slightly smug.

He went back to fiddling with the cup and Sam stared out over the ice once more. But now, it wasn't just him glancing furtively at her every few seconds, she was glancing back. And whilst there was still an edge to the air, it wasn't unease any longer.

She couldn't put her finger on what *it* was exactly, but it was most definitely not unpleasant. Or unwelcome. She looked over at him again. It was suddenly as if she couldn't keep her eyes away and she found him looking back.

‘Geez. How old are you two? You’re acting like a couple of… no don’t think it…teenagers on a date… Argh. I give up.’

Her smile jerked as she tried not to laugh at their behaviour and she saw his own grin twitch, as he noticed it too.

‘Pathetic. Face it, you’re both totally pathetic.’

And yet somehow it was so totally right…

Still smiling, she shook her head slightly and looked down at her hands folded on the table. Yeah, there was nothing like an unspoken declaration of - mutual feelings - to make everything all right with the world again.

Meanwhile, Jack’s consciousness was also trying to get the better of him.

‘Say something you idiot. Before it gets ridiculously quiet. Yet again.’

“So…um…just to check…do you think I’d look better wearing the ‘Carter’ brand, than say… that plant of yours?”

‘Oh f’cryin’ - *what* did you just *say*?’

‘What did he just say?’

Sam scrunched up her forehead in a questioning look. Jack had to use all the restraint he could find in himself, to stop his hand from hitting his forehead and inflicting some serious damage.

‘Where the hell had *that* come from?’

“Uh…yes sir. I think its safe to say that you’d look more attractive wearing um, *me* than my plant would.”

‘You’d look more attractive than my plant wearing *anything*-‘

Although, as they’d already gone over once today, she could go with him wearing her. Easily.

However…an image popped into her head, of him wearing nothing but a strategically placed plant. Hmm…she could go with that as well.

‘...Oh, we did *not* just go back there!’

She shook her head ruthlessly to dispel the vision.

‘Now, is so *not* the time for that, Samantha…General Hammond naked, General Hammond naked…’

“Sweet.” He said, confusing and worrying her for a moment, until she realised he wasn’t talking about her mental imaging.

He lifted his drink and finished it off, grimacing briefly at the cold chocolate.

‘Heh!’ The little voice in the back of Jack’s head crowed.

‘She thinks you’re attractive!’

He couldn’t help the dopey grin that spread across his face as he looked at her.

‘Oh *please*…’

Jack could almost imagine the little voice rolling its eyes. Metaphorically speaking of course.

‘Can you *say* lovesick puppy?’

Then she grinned back and frankly? He couldn’t care less if he *was* a lovesick puppy.

Metaphorically sticking his tongue out at said little voice, he let his grin grow wider.

Then a loud yell made them both jump and tore their gazes apart.

*******

Jack and Sam looked up in unison as Cassie rejoined them. She was tugging a lanky, dark-haired, male teenager behind her and grinning her head off. She gave Sam a knowing look, making her blush, then said:

"Hey guys! There's someone I'd like you to meet. Jack, Sam - this is Dominic."

The boy hovered behind her, until she pulled him forward and gave him a firm shove towards the table. Behind him, Cassie caught Sam’s gaze with her own.

‘I wanna hear *all* about it,’ her look promised.

All Sam could muster up was a panicked expression and another blush. Cassie raised an eyebrow – it was definitely catching. Hmm, Sam had obviously done something embarassing again.

Heh. She couldn’t wait to find out what….

The boy stumbled slightly and stopped in front of them.

"Uh...hi." he said awkwardly, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Sam looked at him and it was her turn to nearly choke, on what was left of her now stone cold chocolate. She cleared her throat.

“Hi.” She said, with a huge smile on her face.

There was a pause, then Sam’s shoulders began to shake with barely repressed giggles.

Jack settled for a loud sigh and closed his eyes.

Dominic looked around at Cassie, his expression clearly asking: 'What did I do?'

Cassie bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud and then mouthed: 'Tell you later'.

He looked back round. The woman - he thought he recognised her from the night of Cassie's birthday when she'd got sick - had put down her cup and was obviously trying not to laugh out loud. The man - Jack? - had an elbow propped on the table with a hand covering his eyes and was now shaking his head back and forth muttering:

"No... no... no ..."

Dominic frowned and decided their behaviour was wigging him out a little.

He pointed over at the drinks bar. "Erm, I'm just gonna go get a Coke..."

Sam nodded, biting her lip. Jack just ignored him. He turned to Cassie.

"Do you - ?"

"Nah, I'm fine". She said, sitting down.

"'Kay..."

With a puzzled shake of his head at the behaviour of adults these days, Dominic wandered off.

Once he was out of earshot Sam burst out laughing. She couldn't help it. Cassie soon followed her. Jack lifted his head from his hands, sighed again loudly, and glared at her.

"Cassie," he began.

She just laughed even harder. Sam was now laughing so hard, she was barely managing to stay sitting on the bench.

"I swear, if you're about to tell me that he's wearing that O'Neill baseball cap because he finds me attractive, then God help me, you are *walking* home tonight..."

TBC/END

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