Chapter Text
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Technically speaking, it was all their fault. So, of course, they had to come up with the solution.
That may have sounded horrible, but it was the truth. And Jack honestly wasn't as bitter about the whole thing as it sounded.
Another SG team had accidentally introduced the flu to a village by a Stargate and it turned out that none of Earth's medicines were effective. That wasn't as bad as it sounded, because the people of P4X-426 knew exactly where to get medicine that would work.
The catch was that they would have to buy it illegally from another planet. And SG-1 had to be the ones to do it, because they weren't sick. They were given money to do with it and put into contact with the people that usually helped the locals get the medicine, and turned loose.
All in all, nothing that SG-1 couldn't handle.
Though a side effect of what they were doing might have been something that the leader of SG-1 couldn't handle.
Jack would have liked to say that he was immune to certain things. Or, at the very least, able to act like he was immune to them.
He was fairly certain he miserably failed both when Carter came downstairs.
P3X-794 was the only planet where they could hope to obtain the medicine, so blending in for an unauthorized, black market purchase was key. This under the table deal still seemed sketchy to Jack, but there wasn't much he could do about it.
So SG-1 had agreed to going undercover. Cato and Kimora , the couple that the people of P4X-426 had told them would arrange the meeting, were more than willing to provide them with clothes for the disguises.
P3X-794 was reminiscent of the roaring twenties of Earth, in both fashion and America's stance on alcohol.
So when Carter came downstairs where they were waiting for her, she was all dolled up for the speakeasy where their meeting was being held.
Jack swallowed hard enough that he was certain everyone could see it.
Carter was wearing a blue dress with black accents and a black fringe that fell just over her knees. Her shoulders and arms were bare and the neckline dipped suggestively while keeping her covered, the chain of her dogtags--of course she was still wearing them--leading the eye down. Her make up was different than Jack had ever seen it, bringing attention to her eyes and lips.
Jack realized his lips were parted and he closed his mouth. Thankfully, Daniel and Teal’c were staring at her too.
Kimora had followed Carter down and shot Jack a knowing look, looking pleased. Jack shot the woman a scowl in return.
Carter apparently thought this was aimed at her.
"I know. It looks--" she started.
"Great." Daniel finished for her, interrupting. "You look great, Sam."
"Indeed you do, Major Carter." Teal'c said.
Carter flushed a little at this, smiling slightly in a shy way. That smile nestled firmly in Jack's mind.
"Right, Jack?" Daniel prompted.
Jack cleared his throat. "They're right, Carter. You do look great."
Jack didn't really trust himself to say more, especially when his eyes met Carter's. They looked at each other for a few long moments, not saying anything.
"We need to get going." Daniels aid, breaking the spell.
"Right." Jack cleared his throat again.
They thanked Cato and Kimora again, and headed out.
The speak easy actually wasn't all that hard to find, supporting the idea that the laws weren't well enforced close to the Stargate. It was also a lot bigger than Jack had anticipated. Dark and smoky, but with plenty of room for tables, chairs, bar, bandspace, and dance floor.
They blended right in, dressed the way they were. That was something, at least.
They claimed a table. They were early, but that had been the plan.
"We need to get drinks." Daniel said.
Jack looked at him, a little sharply.
"We can't drink, Daniel." he said.
"I know. But everyone else has drinks. We stick out."
"All right then."
They did have local currency, to buy medicine with. Jack hoped drinks wouldn't take too much of that.
Daniel and Carter went to get the drinks and Jack watched Carter walk away, the black fringe swaying in sharp contrast to the smooth paleness of her legs. Jack watched until they had disappeared into the crowd.
"Is something wrong, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
Jack looked to see that Teal'c was watching him.
"No. Not at all, Teal'c."
He had a feeling that Teal'c knew he was--sort of--lying, but Teal'c didn't say anything. That was the thing about Teal'c. Even if he knew something, you might not know he did, because he kept so much to himself.
Daniel and Carter came back with drinks fairly quickly and passed them around, sitting back down.
"I think I should do most of the talking." Daniel announced.
"By that, he means no one else should do any of it." Carter chipped in.
Daniel shot her a look. This was clearly part of a larger conversation Jack and Teal'c hadn't been privy to.
"I just...well...."
"Spit out, Daniel. Don't leave us hanging." Jack said, having to stop himself from picking up his drink and sipping it.
"I just think you might scare them off, Jack."
Jack had not been expecting that answer and was--mildly--offended by it.
"What? How?" he said.
"Well..." Daniel pushed his glasses up. "This is our only chance to get the medicine. We need to be tactful about this. I think Teal'c and I would be best at this."
Jack nearly laughed at the look that was now on Carter's face.
"What did I do?" she asked.
"You heard the bartender. Lysander doesn't like women in positions of power. If you try and help negotiate, he could take offense. He's the only one willing to deal with us."
Jack reached up to adjust a hat that wasn't there. This was all a lot more complicated than they had initially been led to believe. But he would trust Daniel on this. To a point.
When the guy showed up--late, which irritated Jack even more--he introduced himself, shaking their hands.
He didn't seem bothered by Carter's presence, at least, but Jack clenched his hands into firsts at how the man's eyes lingered on her, tracing over her body multiple times, gleaming in a predatory way.
"Well, we'll leave you to it." Jack said, standing.
Daniel's eyebrows rising rivaled Teal'c's, but it wasn't like Jack could explain his motivations right now. "C'mon, Carter."
He took her hand and tugged her to her feet. Carter looked bewildered, but allowed him the grasp on her hand. Even that simple contact made Jack want more.
He led Carter to the dance floor.
"Sir?" she questioned.
"Gotta blend in." Jack said, thinking that this might have been a bad idea, that he could have come up with any other excuse.
But Carter put her hand on his shoulder and Jack put his hand on her waist.
Carter breathed in sharply, but didn't pull away as Jack began to lead. It wasn't a fast song, but it wasn't a slow one either. Which was good, because Jack was pretty sure either would have killed him, in two very different ways.
"Why the quick get away, Colonel?"
"Didn't like the way he was looking at you."
Carter shuddered.
"I know. It reminded me of how Turghan looked at me." she said.
Even now, Jack kicked himself for what had happened to Carter on that mission. Things could have been so much worse for her than they had been and he felt like it was his fault.
"I'm sorry for that, Major." he said, hoping she understood that those words weren't strong enough for what he meant. Hoping she understood what he was apologizing for.
Carter's gaze flickered.
"I never blamed you for what happened, sir. Any of you."
"You should have."
Carter pressed her lips together. She looked a little annoyed, a little exasperated, which was not the reaction that Jack had been expecting.
"I don't want to talk about it. It happened, sir, and we can't change it."
Fair enough.
As they rotated, Jack had a clear view of their table. Judging from the expression on Daniel's face, things hadn't gone bad. Yet. But the bastard's eyes had drifted to Carter again, making Jack's jaw clench. He focused on Carter again, thinking it had been a very smart idea of Daniel's to want to exclude Jack from the proceedings.
Jack cleared his throat yet again.
"You do look good, Major." he said, feeling rather daring for saying it out loud, unprompted.
Jack saw a flush rise in Carter's cheeks and her eyes lowered. Jack had no idea what had filled him with the daring to say such a thing. He could think them, Carter could think similar things, but they weren't supposed to say them out loud.
They stayed on the dance floor for a few more songs. Jack couldn't help feeling a little tense with how long it was, because this was something that he wanted so much. He could only hope Carter was feeling the same way.
He forced himself to glance towards Daniel and Teal’c. Daniel appeared to be in animated conversation, but Teal'c gave him a subtle nod. Clearly, things were going well.
The band switched to a slow song. Both Jack and Carter froze. They stared at each other.
Jack's mouth suddenly went dry, because he wanted to pull her close to him like every other man on the dance floor was doing with his partner.
Carter surprised him by making the first move. She stepped closer and Jack immediately adjusted how he was holding her. Carter rested her head on his shoulder. Jack felt like his heart stuttered in his chest. They didn't say anything to each other. Just held on and slowly danced.
They would both tell themselves that they were doing it for the sake of their cover, but they both knew it was simply because they wanted to and they had the excuse, the cover to do so.
Jack flicked his eyes back to the others one more time, but everything looked fine, so Jack let his attention slip back to Carter.
He closed his eyes, letting his cheek brush the top of her head. He breathed in the scent of her hair. Jack wasn't certain quite what it smelled like, other than Carter. And that was enough. He wondered if she could feel his heartbeat, if she could feel how it had sped up and stilled.
Carter didn't say anything, but he felt the tension drain out of her body, felt it as she allowed herself this moment just like Jack was allowing himself to enjoy it. They wouldn't talk about it, but they would have it.
This was something that he needed. It was more than a want. Jack needed to hold her close. He needed to feel like there was nothing other than the two of them. He needed to feel the things that they didn't let themselves say out loud.
They would get the medicine. They would save the people that they had accidently endangered.
But, for now, they weren't Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter, hampered by regulations and uniforms and their own lines. For now, they were Jack and Sam, dancing in a speak easy, feeling like they were in another era, an era that held a tiny place for them.
This moment was theirs and there was nothing that could take it away.