[dinosaur expedition]

[gate_expert]

Sam had been pleasantly surprised by the number of people gathered in New Atlantis to go on the dinosaur-studying expedition. It was a group that was big enough to be interesting, but not big enough to be unwieldy and unmanageable, and in some ways it was like going offworld again even if they were just going through the jungle. Her existence for

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[has_2ls]

Jack hadn't actually been in the jungle in years, back when he was Special Ops and the things he saw on a day to day basis were mundane compared to life after the stargate. He'd given his best instructions to the team going out and had his fingers crossed that nobody would be an idiot; the sheer number of experienced military and field guides eased him a little and he knew that Daniel would be someone to rely on as well. He'd gotten capable.

He grinned a little at Carter; it felt good to be back in the field with his team again.

"So Carter, ready to get the party started?"

[gate_expert]

"It's a good day for it, sir," said Sam, who, now that they were actually en route, was practically bouncing with excitement. "Can you believe we're actually going to see creatures that have been extinct on Earth since the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event sixty-five million years ago?"

[has_2ls]

"So you tell me," Jack said, smile still playing at his lips. "After all we've seen out in the field, I'll believe just about anything these days. If we can keep everyone together, I think it'll be a good trip."

Even with the lightheartedness between he and Carter, Jack was still keeping a keen eye out for stragglers and danger; while they were still close to civilization, it didn't pay to be caught unaware.

[gate_expert]

"We've never seen anything actually extinct before, though. I'm pretty excited about this." Sam was fairly confident that this trip would be pretty uneventful, save for actually seeing the dinosaurs, but not so confident that she wasn't paying attention. She and Keller and McKay had thought that their little field trip to M5V-801 was going to be uneventful, and they'd ended up falling through the roof of a Genii mine.

Sam sincerely hoped there were no hidden mines on this island, and if there were she damned sure wasn't going to climb up any rickety crates to try to get out.

[has_2ls]

"There's that," Jack conceded. "What are you planning to do anyway...just take notes?" He'd gotten more and more used to Carter and Daniel's academic bents over the years but it still would never interest him to take notes about anything other than astronomy; Jack would rather be looking to the stars than down at a book.

[gate_expert]

Sam shrugged. "Well, yes sir, that's the plan," she said. "And unfortunately we won't be able to get very close. What I really wish we had was some kind of tranquilizer that could bring one down long enough to study it up close, but hey, it's a dinosaur. I'll settle for looking at it from afar as opposed to never getting to see it at all."

[has_2ls]

Jack rubbed the side of his nose for a moment, thinking a little. "You know, Carter, if I have to rescue you from a dinosaur, you're never going to live it down. I'll tell that story when I'm old and senile and even the Air Force won't let me come around anymore."

[gate_expert]

"I don't plan to need rescuing, sir," Sam told him. "I did just say I'll settle from looking at it from afar. Becoming lunch is not on the agenda for this little trip."

[has_2ls]

"I know you know what to do," Jack said, easily, laughing a little. "I'm just saying, if I did have to save your ass and after I was done being scared to death, I'd laugh about it. Loudly and often."

He nudged her shoulder with his slightly, trying to soften his words.

"Wouldn't you do the same to me?"

[gate_expert]

"Of course I would, sir," Sam replied, much more easily than she felt. "The saving part, not necessarily the laughing part. I've got your six, you know that."

Except, of course, for the one time she hadn't. He wasn't even armed then, for the love of God, and she'd been too slow to keep Ba'al from killing him. And so far, she hadn't found a way to fix it, yet here she was trooping off to see dinosaurs just for the hell of it when she ought to be back at work.

[has_2ls]

"Wouldn't want my six entrusted to anyone else," Jack said breezily, moving ahead of her by a few steps in order to take in the terrain and the lay of the land. They were getting closer and closer to parts of the island he'd not explored yet and Jack had to admit to a little curiosity.

"Always feel better at taking point when I know I've got you back there watching me. Hope I make you feel the same."

Matter of pride in a CO and, besides, it was Carter.

[gate_expert]

Sam was really wishing she had a P90 in her hands right then if only to have something to do with them. "Of course I do, sir," she replied, shifting the pack on her back and trying not to look at him too closely.

[has_2ls]

"You okay, Carter?" Jack tossed it over his shoulder, not turning back to look at her. Her tone seemed a little weird, but he'd never been the best at reading Sam or Daniel unless they were blatantly obvious about something and he didn't want to assume.

He already made an ass of himself enough without adding assumption to it.

[gate_expert]

"I'm good, sir," she replied automatically. She'd gotten very good at lying this last year, since she spent every day of it pretending to be someone she wasn't.

[has_2ls]

"As long as you're sure," Jack said, trailing off a little. "Uh, why don't you go hang back for a while? I think we're good without two of us on point until we reach the actual dino territory. Get a chance to meet some people?"

[gate_expert]

"I'll go bug Jill for a while," Sam decided, relieved that he'd suggested it, since she was thinking of doing it anyway. "Back in a bit, sir."