Chapter Eighty Six

Jack leaned against the back of the couch as he addressed the General.
"Sir, you're supposed to keep Janet off duty until Wednesday, Amber and I are on medical leave as of fifty minutes from now, Daniel and Jolinar have never been to the really good spots in Florida, and Teal'c's necessary as security. It'll give you time to figure out who's doing what, keep your cover and pretend you're playing along, and it'll get us away from the SGC for a few days."
"DisneyWorld?"
"No...we don't have enough time or money for that, Cass, but we do have enough for Universal if you're interested."
"Yes!"
Cassie almost fainted.
"What made you decide on Florida?"
Jack playfully ruffled Daniel's hair, automatically avoiding his ears so as not to mess up his glasses before remembering Daniel didn't wear glasses anymore.
That was definitely going to take some getting used to.
"Amber needs to get away from anything remotely familiar since familiar means memories. I want her to relax without having to worry about being operated on or drugged or experimented on in general and I want the same for myself, to be frank."
"I agree with the Colonel. Besides, we need to learn how we're going to function as a group now. Sam and I need to decide what we want to ask for. What's fair to who and why."
The General sighed.
"When are you leaving?"
"I figured we'd hit the road about five and catch the early flight. I've got a friend around Orlando we can stay with."
Janet shot him a sharp look and he ignored it, hoping no one else caught it.
"Do you want me to arrange anything?"
"No, sir. I think we need to get used to family vacations, sir."
Daniel paused, staring at Janet, but mentally staring through the back of his head at Jack.
"You mean you are getting married?"
Jack kicked him.
"Ouch! Jack...you're the one playing house here, sheesh."
Jack kicked him again.
"Jack!"
Daniel scooted around, kicking Jack's legs a few times for good measure before ending up next to Janet.
Sam took over and smacked his head.
"Aack! What is with you!"
Daniel pushed her hand away, scooting to sit by Teal'c, trying to glare at Sam and Jack while being ready to duck in case Teal'c joined in.
He was supplying Jolinar with as much information on Florida as he had.
Mostly just the tourist stuff.
"Cassie said..."
"Shh!!"
Jack snorted at Daniel's forceful tone and Cassie's desire for nothing to keep her from Florida.
"Gee, I wonder what it was that she was just dying to get out of there to tell everyone."
Sam grinned back.
"I doubt Cassie said we were getting married, Daniel."
Daniel just wrinkled his nose at her as Teal'c's deep voice separated everyone.
"I think this plan will work. It is worth attempting."
"I agree. Colonel, let me know if you need something."
"Will do, General."
"Good. SG-1, Cassandra, Dr. Fraiser, Good night."
Various polite replies met his statement as he headed for the spare bedroom.
Sam looked over at Daniel as she remembered the state of the bedroom.
"Umm...wet bedding?"
Daniel grinned.
"Cassie helped Teal'c and me change the bedding while Janet and Jack were lip-locked in the bathroom."
"How did you dry the mattress?"
"I didn't. We laid down garbage bags across the wet spots and just put the sheets on top."
Jack laughed out loud.
"How's Amber?"
Jack's laughter died swiftly and Daniel winced at the change.
"She's sleeping."
"Oh...shoot."
"What?"
"I put Cassie's pictures in at Snap Photo. They won't be ready to pick up until tenish."
"P.M.?"
"No, morning."
"Then there's no problem."
"Umm...if we're leaving here at five and catching a flight....oh we're not doing that are we?"
"You be ready to go by five, but have a list of anything else we'll need to do before we leave so we don't leave anything behind."
"We're not going to Florida?"
Jack almost crumpled in the face of Cassie's disappointment.
"Yes, we're still going. Just taking a different route, that's all."
"Oh...okay."
"Go to bed, Cass."
"Umm..."
Cassie sighed at the look Jack gave her.
"Okay."
She wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could, kissing him on the cheek before going to his bedroom where her suitcase and bag were.
Carefully, trying not to wake Amber, she opened her overnight bag to get out her pajamas, and found a note.

[ Cassie,

Got ya.
When you want it back, just ask Sam.
Better yet, just ask your mom.

Sincerely,
Daniel ]

Her eyes went wide, knowing what he'd gotten out.
Sure enough, after fifteen minutes of searching frantically, she knew he'd given Sam the little, but full bottle of vodka she'd gotten from the tray Laurie's mother had gotten on the return flight.
No one had seen her take it, but Janet would probably call and tell them.
She was dead.
Completely and totally dead.
Laurie'd probably get searched, too.
That meant Laurie was dead, too.
They were double dead.
Life was so unfair.

* * * * * *

"I believe the spare bedroom will be silent enough for me to meditate in."
Jack looked over at Teal'c, knowing he was checking up on Hammond.
"Yeah, you're probably right. Night Teal'c."
"Goodnight."
Daniel was wondering whether Cassie had gotten his note, yet, or not.
He hadn't given the vodka to Janet like Jolinar had urged, but he hadn't ruled out that course of action.
He was more curious what Cassie's reaction to him finding it would be.
As Teal'c walked past him, Daniel waved and then turned to Jack, voicing a more pressing question.
"So when are we actually leaving?
"I don't know. Probably whenever we decide to go. I just want us as mobile and as incommunicado as possible."
"Jack, I'm not sure Florida is such a good idea."
"So stay here and get experimented on."
"Well, no, I'm not voting for that option either. It's just that there's so many balls in the air right now, that if we come back and the situation has totally changed...how will we know who to trust?"
"We know who to trust now? I think our sanity is up in the air and I want some time away from all the crap we're being put through for some little office rat's playtime amusement."
"There's also the whole pregnancy thing..."
"Not interested."
"Even if the baby is somehow yours?"
"If the baby's mine, I'll see about getting full, uncontestable custody of the child, but I'm not interested in being anywhere near Demona. I won't believe the baby's mine until Janet runs a paternity test on the baby and oversees the test personally. No in-betweens. Until then, I'm not trusting anything the SGC labs put out."
Daniel yawned, slipping the movie back into its case.
"Yeah, I'm with you there. Okay, I'll get up when you get me up. For now, move. You're on my bed."
"Uh uh, Danny-boy, this is my house and my couch."
"Fine, I'll sleep with the girls."
Jack stopped, grinning at the mental picture before realizing Daniel was actually heading for his bedroom.
Sam jumped up first.
"Oh no, you don't. Janet's sentenced me to sleeping out here and that's my bed you're heading to."
"Well, actually..."
Daniel paused at the bedroom door, just in case either one would make him a better offer.
"Sam, if you want to sleep in here, you either move Jack, or you beat me to the bed. Good luck."
Daniel disappeared into the room before Sam could reply.
Turning to the Colonel, she said.
"With all due respect, sir..."
And pointed to the floor.
"Daniel's not sleeping in there."
"Really? Great. Let me know when you've moved him."
"Carter..."
She just raised her eyebrows and folded her arms.
Jack watched her for a moment, realizing she actually thought he was going to give into her girl power and take the floor.
He snorted and stretched out on the couch.
Sam glared and muttered under her breath.
"Fine, I guess that means I have to sleep with General Hammond."
Jack's guffaws earned him a pile of pillows on his head.
Sputtering when one of the abused pillows spilled its beans on his head, he pushed the pillows on the floor.
Janet had taken over, realizing Sam was right when she called this a perfect time to play.
She used Jack's momentum to pull the Colonel onto the floor, checking to make sure he hadn't broken anything.
Then, she took the couch and put Sam in charge again.
"Carter!"
Sam opened her eyes, yawning and making a show of enjoying the couch cushions.
"Sir?"
Jack smiled the most evil smile he could, watching with satisfaction as Sam shivered.
"Sir?"
Her response wasn't quite as certain even though she was pretty sure he wouldn't actually attack her.
Jack pulled off his button-up shirt, leaving just the navy tee he was wearing underneath.
"Sir?"
This time she was curious and Janet was watching intently, wondering if he'd actually strip.
She was going to take over if anything else came off.
Jack checked to make sure she was watching.
He stretched, flexing his arms, making sure the muscle movement was appreciated.
He unbuttoned his jeans, seeing Sam's eyes widen at the movement.
He hooked a thumb in the waistband and stepped so he was right next to Sam.
She swallowed and then her head ducked.
As soon as he was sure Janet was in charge, he grinned and buttoned his pants.
Her indignation soothed his ego in ways no woman had ever before been able to do.
He leaned down, kissing her before whispering.
"Go to bed."
"Not if you're gonna strip, I'm not."
Her retort made him chuckle.
He sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get into it with her since Cassie would probably choose that moment to show up.
"Fine...I'll sleep on the floor."
She reached up for another kiss.
"Good."
Sam took over and grinned the cheekiest grin she dared before turning her back to him to sleep.
"Sleeping in your clothes, Carter?"
"Yes, sir."
Jack chuckled at her caution.
He couldn't believe Daniel...shy Daniel had gone to bed with the girls.
That was just nuts.

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