Fanfiction: Continuing Admissions - Part I

[rachel500]

Fandom: Stargate SG1
Series: Aftershocks
TAG to Episode: S6 Disclosure
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Sam/Jack UST. Jonas & Team friendship. Jack & Cassie friendship.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Written for entertainment purposes only.

 

Continuing Admissions

Jack O’Neill opened his front door with a flourish and grinned at the two women standing on his doorstep.

‘Major.’ His eyes always went to his team-mate, Samantha Carter, first, and today was no exception; he let his gaze briefly travel over her giving nothing away of his appreciation for the way her jeans hugged her long legs or how the blue in the sweater complimented her eyes.

Sam smiled back at him and juggled the brown bag of groceries she held. ‘Sir.’

‘Geez, it’s the weekend and we’re going to barbeque. Can’t you guys call each other by your names like normal people?’ Cassie Fraiser exclaimed, even as she stepped forward to hug him. She was dressed in a similar fashion to Carter with a green sweater instead of the blue. She looked like a kid though and not a woman despite her bright purple nail varnish and the make-up she’d used.

Jack squeezed Cassie lightly before he dropped a kiss on her forehead. ‘That would assume that Carter and I are normal people.’ He said lightly. Not to mention that being on a first name basis would just create too much intimacy between them given their working relationship and military ranks, and the less than professional feelings they had. He’d given Carter permission a long time ago to call him ‘Jack’ off-duty but she rarely, if ever, did and he understood why – he called her Carter and not ‘Sam’ for the same reason; maintaining an appropriate distance.

‘I guess you’re right.’ Cassie said with a cheeky grin. ‘You’re definitely not normal.’

Jack pretended outrage. ‘Hey.’

Carter rolled her eyes at them and made her way inside the house. Jack reluctantly let go of Cassie as she made to follow her and closed the front door. He ambled back towards the kitchen where they were unpacking groceries; Carter passing out items that Cassie stacked neatly on the counter.

‘Salad?’ He asked, injecting a note of horror into his voice. Usually he didn’t bother with salad when he barbequed; usually he didn’t have salad stuff stocked in his refrigerator to bother with.

‘Mom says salad’s good for you.’ Cassie said primly, shooting him a look over her shoulder.

‘Oh, well if the Doc says so.’ Jack teased.

‘You can’t have a barbeque without salad.’ Cassie argued good-naturedly, waving a carrot at him.

‘I beg to differ.’ Jack said. He’d had plenty of barbeques without green – or orange – stuff on the side of his burger or dog.

‘Janet’s orders, sir.’ Sam said briskly and he sighed in grudging acquiescence. ‘But we also got cake.’ She brandished the cake box.

‘Carter, you’re my hero.’ Jack exclaimed, not completely oblivious to the blush that brightened her cheeks at his words as he reached over to take it from her and lifting the lid. ‘Vanilla cream?’

‘I wanted chocolate.’ Cassie said, taking the box off him.

‘No way!’ Jack snagged it back. ‘Vanilla over chocolate any day.’

‘Sam said you’d prefer the vanilla.’ Cassie took the cake back and Carter intercepted it before Jack could make another grab at it.

‘Why don’t I put this somewhere safe?’ Sam suggested dryly.

‘I guess that’s OK.’ Jack winked at her and she ducked her head to hide her smile. The cell phone rang in the den and he waved at them as he made to leave. ‘By all means, knock yourselves out making salad.’

He practically skipped the distance from the kitchen to the den. He should probably thank Jonas Quinn when he arrived, Jack thought with amusement. If it hadn’t been for the Kelownan’s confusion on what to do for a first date on Earth, Jack might have been facing a Sunday afternoon of doing nothing more than watching TV and drinking beer. Instead he had two of his favourite people in his kitchen and they’d brought cake. He picked up the cell and flipped it open.

‘O’Neill.’

‘Colonel.’ George Hammond greeted him formally.

‘Sir.’ Jack hoped that it wasn’t an emergency. ‘Everything OK in Washington?’

‘Thor’s visit did the trick.’ Hammond said bluntly. ‘I thought you’d want to know.’

‘So, the programme?’ Jack lowered his voice.

‘Safe. For the time being.’ Hammond sighed heavily. ‘Although I believe if it hadn’t been for Thor’s intervention, Senator Kinsey could have been successful in his attempt to secure the Stargate for his own purposes.’

Jack grimaced. ‘I’ll let Thor know.’

‘Thank you, Colonel.’ Hammond said his goodbyes and Jack ended the call. He hurried over to the mantel and picked up the Asgard communication stone. He’d figured it was decorative enough that anyone would assume it was just an ornament. He tapped it gently and it glowed.

‘Hello?’

There was a flash of bright white light and when Jack’s vision cleared, Thor stood in the middle of the room.

Carter hurried into the living area. ‘Sir, are you...’ she stopped abruptly at the sight of their Asgard visitor. A smile brightened her face. ‘Thor!’

‘It is good to see you again, Major Carter.’ Thor said warmly. He turned to Jack. ‘O’Neill. You wished to speak to me?’

‘Just to say thank you.’ Jack said, gesturing at him. ‘General Hammond just called me. Your intervention worked.’

‘I am most pleased to hear that.’ Thor said.

‘Woah!’ Cassie said loudly. ‘Is that...?’

‘Thor, Cassie; Cassie, Thor.’ Jack introduced them succinctly. Maybe contacting Thor in the living area hadn’t been such a good idea. Maybe he should have sneaked away to the bathroom.

‘Are you here for the barbeque?’ Cassie asked excitedly as she walked to stand beside Sam.

‘Oh, hey,’ Jack gestured at Thor, ‘you’re more than welcome to join us.’

‘Another time perhaps.’ Thor said politely. ‘I have much preparation to do before the installation of the shields and weapons.’ He turned to look at Sam. ‘I am looking forward to working with you again, Major Carter.’

‘I’m looking forward to it too.’ Sam said brightly.

‘She’s like a kid the night before Christmas.’ Jack agreed.

Thor looked at him blankly. Jack shot Sam a look and she bit her lip as though to prevent herself from smiling.

‘She’s, uh, excited.’ Jack explained.

‘As am I.’ Thor said calmly. ‘It will be fascinating to examine your technology.’

‘Fascinating.’ Jack said dryly. He looked at Sam again and she smiled back at him. He turned back to Thor. ‘Are you OK beaming Carter to Nevada as arranged?’

‘I will.’ Thor inclined his head. ‘Major Carter can communicate when she is ready for transport with the stone.’ He beamed out before Jack could reply.

Jack tossed the communication stone to Carter and wasn’t surprised when she caught it one-handed. ‘All yours, Carter.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ She looked at the stone with a frown.

‘Look at this way, Carter, at least you won’t end up in front of McKay half-naked.’ Jack said.

Sam’s eyebrows shot up as Cassie’s mouth dropped open.

Jack looked at them both. ‘What?’

‘Been having shower beam-out nightmares by any chance, sir?’ Sam asked, smirking at him. She caught Cassie’s look of incomprehension. ‘Thor has a habit of beaming us up without any notice.’

Cassie wrinkled her nose. ‘That has to be annoying.’

‘Oh yeah.’ Jack agreed wryly.

She spun back around and made for the kitchen again.

Jack was left with Carter who was continuing to smirk at him. If only she knew his nightmare was actually a fantasy wish that Thor would deposit her half-naked in front of him one day. As if she knew what he was thinking, she blushed and dropped the smirk.

‘Shouldn’t you be lighting the barbeque, sir?’ Sam asked pointedly.

‘Barbeque. Right.’ Jack wagged a finger at her. ‘I knew there was something.’ He turned on his heel and headed out to the grill. It didn’t take more than a few moments to get the fire burning fiercely. He wafted a hand over the metal grid to clear the smoke. It would need to cool down before they cooked the meat.

He made his way back inside and stopped in the middle of the den when he glanced through the open hole in the internal wall. He had a clear view through the dining room and into the kitchen where he could see Carter passing Cassie some tomatoes to chop and the way the young woman’s eyes rolled in response. It was making salad; a mundane domestic chore, something that shouldn’t have caught his attention, and yet it had.

His eyes dropped on a wave of longing as a fragment of a memory shot through him.

‘Why don’t you tear up the lettuce, Charlie?’ Sara handed their son the bright crisp green oval as Jack entered the kitchen.

‘I don’t like salad.’ Charlie complained.

‘Charlie...’ she started to protest.

‘And neither does Dad.’ He said triumphantly.

Sara looked at Jack exasperated.

‘He’s right.’ Jack said, grinning. He ruffled Charlie’s hair as he leaned over to kiss his wife’s cheek softly. ‘I don’t.’ He picked up the cigarette packet and the lighter he’d discarded on the counter earlier. ‘I’m going to light the grill.’ And sneak a smoke; Sara wouldn’t let him smoke in the house anymore since she’d given up.

Sara sighed but there was amusement in her eyes not irritation. ‘You could try and be a good example.’ She complained with mock sternness.

‘That’s what Moms are for.’ Jack said easily, winking at Charlie who grinned back at him.

‘Jack?’ Cassie waved a hand in front of his face.

Jack started. ‘Sorry.’ He gestured at her as she motioned for him to follow her through to the kitchen. ‘What?’

‘I can’t find bowls.’ Cassie complained, glancing at him over her shoulder as though she was concerned. ‘Are you OK? You zoned out.’

‘Yeah. Just thinking.’ Jack said dismissively, hoping she’d drop it. There was no way he was admitting that seeing her and Carter making salad in his kitchen had reminded him of the days before he’d lost his son and pushed his wife away in the aftermath; had him wishing that he, Carter and Cassie were a unit.

Cassie and Carter were family, Jack reminded himself; just not the way he’d been wishing they were – as his. Maybe in an alternate universe somewhere Sam stood in his kitchen as his wife and Cassie as his daughter but not in his reality – he just wasn’t that lucky or deserving apparently. He was lucky to have them at all, Jack thought sternly as he pushed past Carter and opened a cupboard, pulling out a set of mismatched bowls. ‘These do?’

‘That’s great, sir.’ Sam plucked the uppermost one off the top and handed it to Cassie.

Cassie gathered up a handful of salad leaves and dropped them into the bowl.

‘What time’s Teal’c getting here?’ Sam asked.

‘He was borrowing a base car. He should be arriving any minute.’ Jack said, glancing at his watch.

Sam nodded. ‘What about Lieutenant Rush and Jonas?’

‘Jonas?’ Cassie slowed in dumping salad into its container. ‘As in Jonas Quinn, the guy who got Daniel killed?’

Sam darted an anxious look towards Jack before she turned to the young woman beside her. ‘Cassie, that’s not true, and you know he’s a member of the team now and...’

‘Yeah.’ Cassie snorted. ‘And how did that happen?’ She shoved the bowl aside. ‘Just don’t expect me to talk to him.’ She marched out of the room. The door to the deck banged loudly as she slammed it.

Sam sighed and made to go after her.

Jack caught hold of her hand, stopping her exit. ‘I’ve got this.’

‘I’ve never spoken to her about Jonas. I didn’t think,’ Sam admitted, her eyes meeting his with a strange mix of hurt and remorse that made him want to hug her, ‘I mean, she hasn’t even met Jonas yet and...’

‘My fault, Carter.’ Jack’s hand squeezed hers gently. ‘I didn’t think anything of it either and it was my idea to invite her, remember?’ He’d made the suggestion when Carter had called him in the middle of the night worried about how Cassie had taken the news that Nirrti was dead. The call had made him happy in a way he didn’t want to examine too closely. He and Carter couldn’t be more than friends and so he valued every moment their friendship got just that bit closer.

Her cheeks went pink but she nodded.

‘I’ll take care of it.’ Jack promised her. He gave her hand another light squeeze and let go. He left before he did something more foolish like kissing her.

He followed Cassie out onto the deck. She sat on the bench beside the house, arms folded tightly over her chest, a mutinous expression on her teenage face.

He dropped to sit next to her. They sat together for a while in silence.

Jack wet his lips. ‘We’ve never talked about what happened with Daniel, have we?’ They hadn’t. He’d pretty much left everyone to cope with their grief without him; just like after Charlie had died. Hell, he’d only pushed past his own pain to help Carter because he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her too.

‘Mom told me.’

‘What did she tell you?’ Jack asked.

‘How Daniel saved everyone on Kelowna; about the radiation poisoning.’ Cassie said shortly. ‘How Jonas didn’t do anything to stop him.’

‘Do you think he could have done something to stop Daniel from helping?’ Jack asked bluntly. ‘And do you really think Jonas would be on the team if I thought for one moment he had anything to do with Daniel...leaving?’

‘No.’ Cassie admitted grudgingly.

Jack leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He clasped his hands together lightly. ‘It wasn’t Jonas’s fault. Even if Jonas had acted instead of Daniel...’ he sighed, ‘Daniel would probably have gone into the lab with him; probably have still taken a lethal dose of radiation,’ he waved one hand in the air, ‘and he still would have gone glowy.’ If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that.

Cassie sighed beside him; her heel kicked the ground.

Jack made a face. ‘Jonas cleared Daniel’s name, and he gave up his home, everything he knows to help us.’

‘Is that why you let him join SG1?’ Cassie asked bluntly.

Jack grimaced. He still quite hadn’t worked that one out yet; because Jonas reminded him of Daniel, or because he’d helped save Earth from Anubis, or because he really hadn’t wanted a Russian on the team; it was all muddled in his head. ‘Honestly; I don’t know.’ He looked over at her. ‘Now, ask me why I let him stay on SG1?’

‘Why do you let him stay on SG1?’ Cassie replied dutifully.

‘Because he saved my life; he saved Carter’s life; he saved Teal’c’s.’ Jack said softly. ‘He’s earned it.’

Cassie bit her lip.

‘Look at it another way, Cass,’ Jack said briskly, ‘if it had been me or Sam who’d gone glowy and Daniel was around, how do you think he would be treating Jonas?’

Cassie heaved another sigh. ‘That’s so not fair.’ She scowled. ‘I like being mad at Jonas.’ She kicked at the ground. ‘It means I don’t have to be mad at Daniel.’

Jack sighed himself. He knew that feeling all too well. He’d pretty much taken the same approach in the immediacy of Jonas’s arrival.

‘You’re going to ask me to be nice to him, aren’t you?’ Her eyes narrowed on him.

Jack raised a scarred eyebrow. ‘What do you think?’

Cassie glared back at him.

‘Today’s a big deal for him.’ Jack explained. ‘It’s his first date on Earth, first date with Lieutenant Rush...’

‘His first date?’ Cassie interrupted. ‘And he’s bringing her to a team barbeque?’ Her voice got higher with every word.

‘Ah. Well. That might have been my idea. Kind of.’ Jack winced at her appalled expression.

‘When was the last time you dated, Jack?’ Cassie asked. ‘I mean; a team barbeque for a first date?’

‘It’s a Kelownan thing for a first date.’ Jack said defensively. He so wasn’t admitting to Cassie exactly when his last date had been. ‘You take your date to meet your family so they can check her out so I thought; team barbeque – same difference.’

‘Right.’ Cassie snorted. She got to her feet and rubbed her arms to warm up again. ‘Well, this should be fun.’

Jack straightened. ‘Cass...’ he said warningly.

‘I’ll be nice.’ She promised. She smiled at him with an innocence he didn’t quite believe as she disappeared into the house.

‘Yep.’ Jack muttered as he followed her. ‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’

o-O-o

Jonas turned to look at Stacey Rush. She was focused on driving and he used the opportunity to admire her again. Her curly strawberry blonde hair was down and it brushed the top of her denim jacket at the shoulders. Underneath, he could see the flash of a pink blouse. Her legs were encased in the jeans everyone seemed to wear.

She caught him looking at her and smiled. ‘What?’

‘Have I told you how beautiful you look?’

Stacey laughed lightly. ‘You’re good for my ego, Jonas.’ She shot him a pleased look. ‘You don’t scrub up too badly yourself.’

Jonas looked down at his khaki pants and green checked shirt. He shrugged. It wasn’t as though he had an extensive wardrobe. ‘Thank you, and thank you for driving.’

‘No problem.’ Stacey smiled back at him. ‘How are the lessons going?’

‘I haven’t hit anything yet.’ Jonas said dryly, recalling his last driving lesson. ‘That’s a good thing, right?’

She laughed again. ‘A very good thing.’ She agreed. ‘Who’s teaching you?’

‘Teal’c.’ Jonas smiled as she did. ‘What?’

Stacey grinned, her freckled face bright with amusement. ‘Come on, you don’t think one alien teaching another to drive on Earth, isn’t funny?’

Jonas laughed. ‘I guess I hadn’t thought of it that way before.’

‘You know I was beginning to think you were never going to ask me out.’ Stacey commented as she took a turning he recognised.

‘Well, this is the first time I’ve asked anyone out since I got here, I mean, to Earth.’ Jonas explained. ‘I wasn’t sure what the protocol was.’

‘I’m glad you figured it out.’ Her flirtatious hazel eyes met his briefly before she returned her attention to the road.

Jonas smiled contentedly. He pointed at the next turn-off. ‘Here.’

Stacey hit the indicator and made the turning smoothly.

‘Are you sure you’re OK with a team barbeque as a date?’ Jonas asked. Nyan had seemed quite surprised by the idea that morning at breakfast.

‘I’m OK.’ Stacey assured him. ‘I mean, it’s a little scary, what with Colonel O’Neill and all the rest of your team but they’re not that scary once you get to know them, right?’

‘Right.’ Jonas assured her. He paused as he considered his team-mates. ‘Well, yes, they’re still all kind of scary but they’re nice.’ He smiled at her. ‘Even the Colonel.’

Stacey shook her head. ‘You have no idea how jealous everyone else is going to be that I got to go to a barbeque with SG1.’

Jonas wasn’t unaware of the status the team had at the SGC and the glee in her voice had him a little concerned. She had agreed to go out with him before she had known the date was a team barbeque, he reminded himself. Or maybe, whispered the voice in his head, she’d only been interested in him in the first place because of his position on SG1. He dismissed the thought almost immediately.

They pulled up in front of the Colonel’s house and Jonas got out, hurrying around to hold the driver’s door open for Stacey.

‘Thank you.’ Stacey reached into the back of the car for the items they’d picked up before setting off for the Colonel’s house.

Jonas took the beer from her and she grasped the pie box firmly. They walked up to the wooden front door together and knocked. Jonas smiled at her reassuringly.

The door opened widely and Jack stood there with a wide smile that Jonas could not recall seeing before. ‘Hey. Good to see you. Come on in, kids.’

‘We brought beer.’ Jonas lifted his offering and Jack took it from him deftly.

‘And pie, sir.’ Stacey said shyly.

‘Excellent.’ Jack said with genuine appreciation. ‘Carter brought salad.’

‘Salad’s good for you, sir.’ Stacey replied with a laugh at his disgusted expression.

‘That’s what she tells me.’ Jack quipped as he ushered them both inside.

‘I also brought cake, sir.’ Sam pointed out as she walked up to take the pie from Stacey. ‘Hi.’

‘Major Carter.’ Stacey said politely, relinquishing her pie.

‘I’ll take this into the kitchen.’ Sam smiled, shyness mixed with her innate charm, and Jonas slowly let out his breath – he hadn’t realised he’d been holding it.

Stacey smiled back. ‘Thank you, ma’am.’

Jack waved a hand at the Jaffa in front of the fireplace as he led the way into the den. ‘You know Teal’c obviously, and this is Cassie Fraiser.’

Jonas’s eyes widened in pleased surprise as the young woman sitting on the sofa got to her feet. She was also dressed in jeans matched with a green sweater that brought out the red in her hair. He’d heard a lot about Cassie from Sam and he’d read the journal on the mission to Hanka and its aftermath. He’d been looking forward to meeting her. ‘Hi.’ He felt Stacey stiffen beside him and wondered at it as he held out his hand to shake Cassie’s.

‘I’m Jonas.’ He said brightly. ‘This is Stacey Rush.’

Cassie smiled but her attention was on Stacey. ‘We met at my Mom’s Christmas thing last year.’

‘I remember.’ Stacey said awkwardly. ‘Hi.’

‘Speaking of drinks, Cass, why don’t you and I get some sorted?’ Jack said pointedly. ‘Ginger ale for you T?’

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c said solemnly.

‘Stacey?’ Jack asked.

‘I’ll have a juice, sir.’

Jack nodded. ‘Jonas?’

‘I’ll have a ginger ale.’ Jonas said.

‘T, can you check on the grill?’

Teal’c inclined his head. He excused himself and made for the open door out to the deck. Jack jerked his head up the stairs towards the kitchen at Cassie and she followed.

Stacey let out a short breath.

‘You OK?’ Jonas asked in a low voice.

‘Yeah, I just didn’t expect the CMO’s daughter to be on the guest list.’ Stacey whispered.

Jonas looked at her surprised. He hadn’t considered her relationship to Cassie as being problematic but he guessed he could see the awkwardness in being at a barbeque with the close relative of someone of importance in a work situation. ‘I didn’t realise she was going to be here.’ He admitted. ‘She’s supposed to be very nice.’ He looked at her uncertain expression and his heart sank. As much as he’d been looking forward to meeting Cassie given her importance to his team-mates not to mention that they had something in common both being displaced on Earth from their home planets, he didn’t want anything to ruin the date for Stacey. ‘But we could leave, if you want.’

Stacey put her hand on his arm. ‘No. It’s OK.’ She smiled at him. ‘Really.’

Jonas nodded. ‘OK, then.’

‘So,’ Jack bounded back down into the den with drinks for Jonas, Stacey and himself, ‘here you go.’

‘Thank you, Colonel.’ Stacey said. ‘You have a great home.’ She gestured around the room. ‘I love the split level.’

‘Thank you.’ Jack smiled at her. ‘And please, I think we can lose the ranks for an afternoon; call me Jack.’

Jonas could see the surprise on Sam’s face as she overheard the Colonel’s statement as she came down the stairs her hands filled with salad bowls. Cassie followed her with three drinks carefully balanced in her hands. Jonas surmised they were for her.

Jack seemed to realise Sam was there because he darted a look at her. ‘That OK with you, Carter?’

Sam didn’t reply to him directly but motioned at Stacey as she crossed the room. ‘Call me Sam.’

‘And I’m Stacey.’ She gestured at the bowls. ‘Can I help with anything?’

‘No, we’re good.’ Sam said. She disappeared out onto the deck, Cassie following in her wake.

‘Just kick back and relax.’ Jack said, motioning wildly. ‘And now, if you’ll excuse me I have some meat I have to burn.’ He gave them a lopsided smile and made his own retreat.

Stacey smiled at Jonas. ‘He’s actually quite charming, isn’t he, underneath all the gruffness?’

Jonas raised his eyebrows a little. He gestured at the door. ‘You want to go outside and join them.’

‘Sure.’ Stacey fell into step beside him and they made their way outside.

It wasn’t cold outside, the sun was shining and the sky was a brilliant blue. But it wasn’t overly warm either and Jonas felt Stacey move closer to him as they took their places at the table. He enjoyed the way she inched closer until their bodies pressed nicely together hip to shoulder, knee to thigh.

Jonas smiled at her and felt her hand come to rest on his thigh as she winked at him.

The meat was beginning to cook and the scent of the roasting flesh had Jonas’s mouth watering and he turned back to his smirking team leader grateful for a distraction. ‘Smells good.’

‘Now.’ Sam agreed.

‘Was that a comment about my barbequeing skills, Carter?’ Jack teased, wielding the tongs at her.

‘Of course not, sir.’ Sam replied insincerely, smiling at him.

Stacey cleared her throat. ‘So, I noticed The Simpsons tapes in the living room. Are you a fan?’

Jack brightened and nodded. ‘You?’ He pointed with his beer bottle.

‘I love the show.’ Stacey agreed.

‘That’s the one with the yellow cartoon characters, right?’ Jonas asked, joining in the conversation.

‘Yep.’ Jack answered. ‘It’s a classic.’

‘I don’t think I’ve watched it yet.’ Jonas admitted. He’d watched a lot of films mostly following Teal’c’s and Nyan’s suggestions.

Jack pointed the tongs at Teal’c. ‘That’s your fault. Filling his head with Star Wars.’

Teal’c glowered at Jack momentarily before turning to an amused Stacey. ‘Do you not enjoy the Star Wars films, Stacey Rush?’

‘I do.’ Stacey smiled. ‘Who hasn’t wanted to be Princess Leia?’

‘You did?’ Jonas asked.

‘Sure,’ Stacey said, ‘she got to shoot bad guys and save the galaxy. Who wouldn’t want to be her?’

‘I know someone just like her.’ Jack’s eyes landed on Sam who lowered her gaze.

‘So,’ Cassie said suddenly, leaning back in her seat at the table and tapping her glass of juice impatiently, ‘would you choose to date Hans Solo or Luke Skywalker?’

Stacey looked at Cassie as though startled by the question. ‘Well, I...’

‘Isn’t Luke like her brother?’ Jack interrupted, taking a gulp of his beer.

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c nodded sagely. ‘It would have been most unwise for Princess Leia to have chosen Luke Skywalker as her romantic interest.’

‘I didn’t mean Leia,’ Cassie said, ‘I mean, Stacey. Who would Stacey pick?’

They all looked at their guest.

Stacey shrugged, a hint of a blush on her cheeks. ‘I do have a thing for Harrison Ford.’

‘How about you, Sam?’ Cassie smiled sweetly. ‘Who would you pick?’

Sam choked on her drink. She waved away their concern as they moved to assist her. ‘I’m fine.’

‘So?’ prompted Cassie.

‘Yeah,’ Jack grinned, ‘so?’

Sam glared at him before she turned back to Cassie. ‘Hans Solo. He had the Millennium Falcon.’

Cassie raised her half-filled glass and gestured at Jonas. ‘What about you?’

‘Me?’ Jonas looked at her bemused. He would have thought it was obvious he liked girls. ‘I don’t...’

‘I don’t mean who would you choose to date but who would you choose to be?’ Cassie explained hurriedly.

Teal’c raised an eyebrow in response and Jonas saw the smirk that the Colonel couldn’t quite hide as he turned away to fiddle with the burning meat.

‘Luke.’ Jonas said, dragging his attention back to the topic. ‘I kind of understand him better, I think. We both come from planets in the middle of nowhere, wanting an adventure in space.’

Stacey smiled at him, nudging him with her elbow. Jonas enjoyed the brief contact.

‘See that’s why I like him too.’ Cassie said.

He noticed the speculative look in her eyes and wondered at it.

‘I guess you have that in common.’ Stacey said. ‘Both coming from other worlds.’

Cassie nodded although she didn’t look happy at the reminder of her origins. ‘What about you, Jack?’ She asked, another cheeky grin appearing on her face.

It was Jack’s turn to choke. ‘Me?’ He managed to question when he finished coughing.

‘You, sir.’ Sam agreed cheerfully, taking advantage of the opportunity to get her own back. ‘Who would you choose to be?’

Jack shrugged, his eyes twinkling as Sam ducked her head, hiding her smile. ‘Hans Solo.’ Another smirk lifted his lips. ‘Because he had the Millenium Falcon.’

Jonas smiled. ‘Hey, what about you, Teal’c?’

‘Master Yoda is the superior warrior.’ Teal’c said solemnly.

‘He’s small.’ Jack argued.

‘Is size not irrelevant, O’Neill?’ Teal’c said, his dark eyes shining with repressed mirth.

‘And I am so not going to answer that.’ Jack said firmly, flipping the meat.

They all laughed. Sam excused herself, dragging Cassie along with her, to see to the potatoes baking in the oven and Jonas was pleased to see Stacey relax as she fell into a discussion with Jack about The Simpsons.

Maybe everything would work out on their first date after all, he thought happily.

Continued inPart II.