SG-1 Fic: Friday Night at Eight (1/1)
Title: Friday Night at Eight
Author: evilmissbecky
Disclaimer: Stargate and its characters belong to MGM.
Rating: PG
Words: 1300
Characters: the whole team, and because I seem unable to write anything else, eventual Sam/Cam
Summary: The first time Sam is invited to movie night, she says no. The last time she is invited to movie night, she says yes.
The first time Sam is invited to movie night, she says no.
They've never done anything like this before. It's unheard of. It's not the way SG-1 does things.
Then she remembers. This isn't the old SG-1. In point of fact, there hasn't really been an "old SG-1" in years. People have come and gone - some further away than others - and everything has changed.
So why shouldn't this change, too?
"Come on," Cameron says. "You know you're just dying to get off this base for a night out."
She laughs and gestures around her at the lab where she is still unpacking. "I just got back! Why would I be dying to get out again?"
"Humor me, Sam," Cameron says. "Movies, popcorn, beer, the company of your friends... Whaddaya say?"
She never could resist him when he gets like this, all charm and persistence. "Okay, okay," she capitulates. "But I doubt you'll get Teal'c and Daniel to agree."
"Just you watch," Cameron says, a gleam in his eye.
She knows how determined he can be, but she still has her doubts. Nonetheless, she smiles and says, "Friday night at eight?"
Cameron grins. "You got it."
****
The first time Teal'c is invited to movie night, he says no.
"Now, don't say no so fast," Colonel Mitchell says quickly. "Just think about it first."
Teal'c dutifully thinks about it. He has consented to be a member of SG-1 again, but he does not consider Colonel Mitchell to be his commanding officer, the way he once felt about O'Neill. He does not feel compelled to follow the orders this man gives him.
But this is not an order. It is a request. An invitation.
"It'll be fun! And you can choose the movie," Colonel Mitchell offers. "Anything you want."
He is so young, Teal'c thinks. Still so full of hope, despite the fact that already many of his illusions about SG-1 have died violent deaths. It would be a shame to crush out another one of those hopes. He inclines his head. "Very well," he says. "I will come."
Colonel Mitchell claps his hands together. His eyes light up. "All right! There you go. Now, what do you want to watch?"
That question is easy to answer. "Star Wars."
A slightly guarded look enters Colonel Mitchell's eyes. "Original or prequel?"
Teal'c is offended he would even ask. "Original," he rumbles.
Colonel Mitchell's smile returns. "My man."
****
The first time Daniel is invited to movie night, he says no.
"Thanks, but uh, I'm busy," he says.
"What, you got a date?" Mitchell says, and he makes no effort to hide his disbelief. "With what? A book or your laptop?"
Annoyed, Daniel purses his lips. "Does it matter? I'm busy."
"Okay," Mitchell says, too casually, "but you should know, you're missing out. Sam and Teal'c are coming."
This gives Daniel pause. He figured Sam would say yes, since she's known Mitchell for - well, he's not sure exactly how long, but long enough for them to have developed an easy camaraderie within her first few days back - but Teal'c's participation is surprising.
Mitchell sees his hesitation and dives in for the kill. "Teal'c already decided we're going to watch Star Wars, but you can choose next time."
Suddenly Teal'c's involvement becomes less surprising. "Look--"
"Friday at eight," Mitchell says. He straightens up from where he was leaning against the doorframe. "My place."
Daniel sighs. He thinks he knows now why Jack wanted to kill him so often during those first few years. Idealism can be a real bitch sometimes.
Mitchell is already halfway down the hall. He calls out, "Oh, and be thinking about what you want on your pizza!"
****
The last time Sam is invited to movie night, she says yes.
She sets a fresh bowl of potato chips on the coffee table, then settles herself cross-legged on the floor in front of the armchair. Behind her, Cam obediently puts his beer down and scoots forward until his knees bracket her upper body. He pushes her hair out of the way, fingers gently brushing the back of her neck, then he begins rubbing her shoulders, soothing the knots of tension that never really seem to go away.
She sighs contentedly.
Daniel and Vala squabble on the couch, arguing about the realism of the battle currently taking place on the screen. Sooner or later - but later than it used to be - Daniel will tire of their bickering and exclaim, "Why am I even bothering?" and the debate will end, but for now they tease and mock and poke holes in each other's argument with spirited delight. In the other chair, Teal'c makes a rumbling noise of disapproval, but no one pays him any attention.
Sam closes her eyes and bows her head. She can’t even remember when she started doing this, when she stopped worrying what the others might think and allowed herself these few hours to relax and be happy.
Daniel and Vala fall silent. On the television, the music becomes low and mournful in the aftermath of battle. Cam's fingers comb through her hair, a soothing motion that relaxes her still further. She tries not to think about the fact that in three days she will be leaving for Atlantis, or the thousand logistical nightmares that still have to be resolved before then.
She tries not to think about anything at all.
The movie ends. Daniel and Vala and Teal'c head back to the base, taking the DVD with them. Sam helps Cam clean up, the way she always does. She dumps the leftover salt and crumbs from what used to be a bowl of pretzels into the trash, then slides the bowl into the soapy water Cam filled the sink with.
She takes a deep breath. "Do you really want me to go to Atlantis?"
Cam freezes. He stares down at the plate he was in the middle of washing. "Sam..."
She's never really asked before. She never felt like she needed to. When she was still undecided, he was there to remind her how important this would be for her career, and point out the opportunities that would open up for her now that she would have her own command. And when she decided to go, he supported her unhesitatingly. But tonight when the movie ended and Vala bounded up and turned on the lights, she felt the reluctance in the way his hand lingered on her shoulder, his fingers stroking the side of her neck before he pulled away, and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was.
"This is the last time we'll get to do this," she insists. "I want you to answer me."
He squares his shoulders and looks up at her, meeting her challenge head on, the way she knew he would. "No," he says. "I don't want you to go to Atlantis."
The kitchen suddenly feels too small, too close. She is crowded by too many words unspoken, too many things she's never dared to even imagine before tonight.
"I have to go," she finally says.
Cam says, "I know."
She doesn't know what else to say. She still feels like she is standing in a minefield, where one false step could mean the end of the world.
"When you get back, though," Cam says. He turns on the water and rinses off the plate he's still holding. "I think we'll need to talk."
She has been given a reprieve. She doesn't have to answer right away. She can go on now, the way she has been planning. She can pretend nothing has changed.
She can - but she doesn't want to.
She picks up a dishtowel and takes the clean plate from him. "Yes," she says. "I think we will."
*****
Author: evilmissbecky
Disclaimer: Stargate and its characters belong to MGM.
Rating: PG
Words: 1300
Characters: the whole team, and because I seem unable to write anything else, eventual Sam/Cam
Summary: The first time Sam is invited to movie night, she says no. The last time she is invited to movie night, she says yes.
The first time Sam is invited to movie night, she says no.
They've never done anything like this before. It's unheard of. It's not the way SG-1 does things.
Then she remembers. This isn't the old SG-1. In point of fact, there hasn't really been an "old SG-1" in years. People have come and gone - some further away than others - and everything has changed.
So why shouldn't this change, too?
"Come on," Cameron says. "You know you're just dying to get off this base for a night out."
She laughs and gestures around her at the lab where she is still unpacking. "I just got back! Why would I be dying to get out again?"
"Humor me, Sam," Cameron says. "Movies, popcorn, beer, the company of your friends... Whaddaya say?"
She never could resist him when he gets like this, all charm and persistence. "Okay, okay," she capitulates. "But I doubt you'll get Teal'c and Daniel to agree."
"Just you watch," Cameron says, a gleam in his eye.
She knows how determined he can be, but she still has her doubts. Nonetheless, she smiles and says, "Friday night at eight?"
Cameron grins. "You got it."
****
The first time Teal'c is invited to movie night, he says no.
"Now, don't say no so fast," Colonel Mitchell says quickly. "Just think about it first."
Teal'c dutifully thinks about it. He has consented to be a member of SG-1 again, but he does not consider Colonel Mitchell to be his commanding officer, the way he once felt about O'Neill. He does not feel compelled to follow the orders this man gives him.
But this is not an order. It is a request. An invitation.
"It'll be fun! And you can choose the movie," Colonel Mitchell offers. "Anything you want."
He is so young, Teal'c thinks. Still so full of hope, despite the fact that already many of his illusions about SG-1 have died violent deaths. It would be a shame to crush out another one of those hopes. He inclines his head. "Very well," he says. "I will come."
Colonel Mitchell claps his hands together. His eyes light up. "All right! There you go. Now, what do you want to watch?"
That question is easy to answer. "Star Wars."
A slightly guarded look enters Colonel Mitchell's eyes. "Original or prequel?"
Teal'c is offended he would even ask. "Original," he rumbles.
Colonel Mitchell's smile returns. "My man."
****
The first time Daniel is invited to movie night, he says no.
"Thanks, but uh, I'm busy," he says.
"What, you got a date?" Mitchell says, and he makes no effort to hide his disbelief. "With what? A book or your laptop?"
Annoyed, Daniel purses his lips. "Does it matter? I'm busy."
"Okay," Mitchell says, too casually, "but you should know, you're missing out. Sam and Teal'c are coming."
This gives Daniel pause. He figured Sam would say yes, since she's known Mitchell for - well, he's not sure exactly how long, but long enough for them to have developed an easy camaraderie within her first few days back - but Teal'c's participation is surprising.
Mitchell sees his hesitation and dives in for the kill. "Teal'c already decided we're going to watch Star Wars, but you can choose next time."
Suddenly Teal'c's involvement becomes less surprising. "Look--"
"Friday at eight," Mitchell says. He straightens up from where he was leaning against the doorframe. "My place."
Daniel sighs. He thinks he knows now why Jack wanted to kill him so often during those first few years. Idealism can be a real bitch sometimes.
Mitchell is already halfway down the hall. He calls out, "Oh, and be thinking about what you want on your pizza!"
****
The last time Sam is invited to movie night, she says yes.
She sets a fresh bowl of potato chips on the coffee table, then settles herself cross-legged on the floor in front of the armchair. Behind her, Cam obediently puts his beer down and scoots forward until his knees bracket her upper body. He pushes her hair out of the way, fingers gently brushing the back of her neck, then he begins rubbing her shoulders, soothing the knots of tension that never really seem to go away.
She sighs contentedly.
Daniel and Vala squabble on the couch, arguing about the realism of the battle currently taking place on the screen. Sooner or later - but later than it used to be - Daniel will tire of their bickering and exclaim, "Why am I even bothering?" and the debate will end, but for now they tease and mock and poke holes in each other's argument with spirited delight. In the other chair, Teal'c makes a rumbling noise of disapproval, but no one pays him any attention.
Sam closes her eyes and bows her head. She can’t even remember when she started doing this, when she stopped worrying what the others might think and allowed herself these few hours to relax and be happy.
Daniel and Vala fall silent. On the television, the music becomes low and mournful in the aftermath of battle. Cam's fingers comb through her hair, a soothing motion that relaxes her still further. She tries not to think about the fact that in three days she will be leaving for Atlantis, or the thousand logistical nightmares that still have to be resolved before then.
She tries not to think about anything at all.
The movie ends. Daniel and Vala and Teal'c head back to the base, taking the DVD with them. Sam helps Cam clean up, the way she always does. She dumps the leftover salt and crumbs from what used to be a bowl of pretzels into the trash, then slides the bowl into the soapy water Cam filled the sink with.
She takes a deep breath. "Do you really want me to go to Atlantis?"
Cam freezes. He stares down at the plate he was in the middle of washing. "Sam..."
She's never really asked before. She never felt like she needed to. When she was still undecided, he was there to remind her how important this would be for her career, and point out the opportunities that would open up for her now that she would have her own command. And when she decided to go, he supported her unhesitatingly. But tonight when the movie ended and Vala bounded up and turned on the lights, she felt the reluctance in the way his hand lingered on her shoulder, his fingers stroking the side of her neck before he pulled away, and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was.
"This is the last time we'll get to do this," she insists. "I want you to answer me."
He squares his shoulders and looks up at her, meeting her challenge head on, the way she knew he would. "No," he says. "I don't want you to go to Atlantis."
The kitchen suddenly feels too small, too close. She is crowded by too many words unspoken, too many things she's never dared to even imagine before tonight.
"I have to go," she finally says.
Cam says, "I know."
She doesn't know what else to say. She still feels like she is standing in a minefield, where one false step could mean the end of the world.
"When you get back, though," Cam says. He turns on the water and rinses off the plate he's still holding. "I think we'll need to talk."
She has been given a reprieve. She doesn't have to answer right away. She can go on now, the way she has been planning. She can pretend nothing has changed.
She can - but she doesn't want to.
She picks up a dishtowel and takes the clean plate from him. "Yes," she says. "I think we will."
*****