The Docks, Saturday

[nofishinmypond]

Jack emerged from the Homer's cabin a little groggily, flopped into his chair, and stared up at the sky. Apparently, he'd spent an entire WEEK as a LITTLE TEAPOT. Oh, he bet THAT had played well on the radio. Later, when he found out it hadn't even been mentioned because his mun's retconning like a mad fiend, he'd be disappointed. For right now

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[carter_i_am]

Sam had been taking a stroll around Fandom, reacquainting herself with the sights (sort of - they'd apparently changed while she was gone). Still the docks were new.

She spotted a familiar figure and walked closer to make sure that she was seeing who she thought she was seeing. "Ja - er, General O'Neill? How long have you been here?"

It occurred to her belatedly that he might not be a General.

[nofishinmypond]

Jack blinked at the girl. It took him a few moments to register exactly who it was, and then he blinked some more. "CARTER??? You're looking..." Hot. Very hot. Stop being a dirty old man, Jack. "...young."

[carter_i_am]

"Asgard," she explained, not sure if more would be necessary. "You remember our alternate universe experiences? Well, as near as I can tell, I'm from a alternate universe from yours, since the one from mine already know about me. Not sure where your clone is, but my version of you is a general in Colorado."

"What are you doing here?"

[nofishinmypond]

"I'm here on leave. What are YOU doing here???"

Jack sighed. "Yeah, I'm all up to speed on alternate universes. Mini-Me's going to school here -- not mine, one from a different universe. Calls himself 'Jon'" -- with air quotes -- "now."

He frowned at her thoughtfully. "...Speaking of 'Johns', you didn't happen to bring your universe's Col. Sheppard with you, did you? Every time I turn around there's another damn version of him here."

[carter_i_am]

"I'm here for Homecoming," she shrugged. "Previous student. And teacher, now that I think about it."

She glanced over at Jack and ran a hand down her ponytail. Anyone who knew her might recognize it as a nervous gesture. "There's another cloned version of you here? We had one for a while, but he...left." Right after breaking up with her answering machine, not that she held a grudge. "How're you both dealing with this?"

"Sheppard? I actually haven't met my universe's version yet, although I've known a couple of the others. One miniaturized, one just young."

[nofishinmypond]

Jack sighed and rubbed his temples. "This island is just trying to drive me nuts, isn't it?" He shrugged. "Jon and me, we get along great. He calls me 'Dad' sometimes -- tell me THAT'S not weird. And he's dating." More temple-rubbing.

"So.... you wanna come fishing, for a bit?"

[carter_i_am]

"Don't take it personally," she said with a laugh, "It does that to everybody."

She cracked up at the Dad part. "Uh huh. Very strange. Completely you, but very strange." Then, "Who's he dating? Isn't it odd, for him to be with a teenager?"

Sam knew she had had more than a little problem with it, after all. Not to mention Kawalsky. They'd both gotten over it, but still, it was odd.

"Uh..." she glanced around, "sure. Are there actually fish here?"

[nofishinmypond]

"A girl named Claire. She's sweet, smart, doesn't care that he's old enough to be her grandfather... I've decided to stop thinking about that part of it, in order to save my sanity."

He stood up, grabbed his rod, and offered it to her. "Sure, there are plenty of fish, if you're into that sort of thing," he answered. "It kind of misses the point of the whole exercise, though."

[carter_i_am]

"She really doesn't care? Seriously?" Huh.

Sam accepted the rod and immediately turned it around so she could check out the spool mechanism. "What is the point of the exercise? I always wondered."

[nofishinmypond]

"It's the process, Carter. The experience. It's relaxing, okay? Just... be in the moment."

He picked up his spare rod and baited it with a stale Cheeto.

"If you worry too much about actually catching fish, you'll just end up disappointed, and that sucks."

[carter_i_am]

Sam took a seat near O'Neill and reached for a Cheeto for her hook. "Are you sure we should eat fish that comes out of the water near Fandom? I mean, the contamination levels are probably high, plus there's no telling what the gremlins have done to it..."

She stopped, took a deep breath, released it.

"Right. Relaxing. Moment. No worrying. Yes, sir."

[nofishinmypond]

"Tell you what, Carter," Jack said as he cast his line and slid on his shades. "If we catch anything, I won't make you eat it." He gave her half a grin.

"So, you didn't clarify," he added, gesturing at her nubile young form. "Science gone wrong, or are you another clone?"

[carter_i_am]

"You're not making me clean it either," she informed him. Hey, he wasn't her boss anymore, what did she care?

Sam stretched her legs out in front of her and dropped the line into the water. "Clone. When I first got here, there were a bunch of us. Now I think it's just me and..."

Belatedly, she realized she probably shouldn't mention that there was a cloned version of Charlie Kawalsky running around. "...someone else. And apparently this other version of you, now."

[nofishinmypond]

Yuh, huh. "...aaaaaaand?" If there was a mini-Teal'c running around, or a mini-Daniel, Jack wanted to know.

[carter_i_am]

She fidgeted. Unfortunately, neither being cloned by the Asgard nor dating Jack Harkness had made her a better liar. "And what?"

[nofishinmypond]

Jack gave her a sharp look. "Who's the other clone, Colonel?"

Now his guesses were turning towards Ba'al, or Maybourne, or someone like that. "You're hiding something."