StargateFic100: 100 ficlets featuring Sam & Daniel, by Amaranth Traces

Sixth Sense

Genre: Friendship/Romance
Pairing: Sam/Daniel established ‘ship
Spoilers: Cast changes in season nine, plus Fallen, Threads, Beachhead, Ex Deus Machina, Ripple Effect, Memento Mori, Bounty
Season: Ten, shortly after Memento Mori
Rating: T
Word count: 1,839

Summary: SG-1 isn’t the team Cam thought it’d be, and he’s going to find out why.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Cam whistled tunelessly on his way up the walk to Sam’s house. This visit was something he’d been hoping to avoid, or at least deal with casually over coffee. But the time for that had come and gone; he’d put it off for far too long. And he‘d run out of excuses to avoid it any longer.

When he’d signed on as the leader of SG-1, he’d been under the impression that it was the smartest, fastest, most loyal, and most tight-knit group in the SGC. That’d been one of the reasons Cam had worked so hard to get the band back together.

He hadn’t wanted to lead a team that just happened to be called SG-1. He’d wanted – still wanted – the original team. To be part of the dynamic that’d left everyone who had ever worked with them in awe.

Working in such a group would have been a dream come true. Sure, he’d known it wouldn’t be easy to find a place for himself within that group, but Cam was nothing if not determined.

Unfortunately, the reality of SG-1 had been somewhat less than what dreams were made of.

Cam still wasn’t sure what the problem was, but two members of his team were definitely not working well together.

He’d heard story after story about how Sam and Jackson would work side-by-side for hours or even days on end until they solved some alien puzzle. The breakthroughs and near-miracles attributed to them over the years were almost legendary. There were even rumours that they could practically read each other’s minds, though apparently that sixth sense extended somewhat to General O’Neill and Teal’c as well.

While Cam didn’t really believe that last bit, he couldn’t deny the fact that the two scientists who’d worked so well with each other in the past now seemed to hardly be able to stand being in the same room with one another.

It just wouldn’t do.

This was really not a conversation he was looking forward to having. But the situation had been going on for more than a year now, and Cam was starting to get a complex that it was his fault. He had to talk to them both about it. Sam would be the easier of the two, so he was starting with her.

He hopped up the steps and rapped a rhythm on her door.

“Two bits,” he murmured, jamming his hands deep into his pockets and rocking back on his heels.

The sound of children’s laughter made him turn his head. He smiled, watching as two kids down the street played hopscotch on the sidewalk. Sam’s door opened, and Cam turned back with his most pleasant and relaxed smile. Which quickly vanished when he saw the man who was answering the door.

“Jackson?” Cam looked him up and down, barely believing his eyes.

The man seemed to be going for that fresh-out-of-bed look with his hair. He was tugging his sleeveless tank down into place, but not quickly enough to conceal the fact that the top button of his jeans was undone. And he was barefoot.

There was a twenty dollar bill in his hand and a startled expression on his face.

“Mitchell!”

Cam slowly leaned back and to the right, taking another look at the number on the side of the porch. Puzzled, he looked back at Jackson. “Isn’t this Sam’s house?”

“Uh, yeah. We ordered pizza. I thought you—” He cleared his throat and dropped his gaze, stuffing his cash back into his pocket.

After running a hand through his hair, Jackson looked up with that crease between his eyebrows that always made Cam uncomfortable. “What are you doing here?”

“I— What are you doing here?”

The crease disappeared, and Jackson cleared his throat again. “I, uh...”

“Da-niel!” came a woman’s sing-song voice from inside.

Jackson winced and pressed himself against the doorframe, closing the door as much as possible around his body.

“Is that Sam?”

“Look, Mitchell, did you want something?”

“Um, right.” Cam battled his confusion, trying to remember why he had come to Jackson’s—no, Sam’s house. He was pretty sure he almost had it when something impossible happened.

A slender hand slid around Jackson’s waist, smoothing its way up his chest, as a blonde head appeared over his shoulder.

“Just give him his...” The woman’s voice trailed off and her blue eyes widened when she saw him. “Cam!” Sam exclaimed, whipping her hand away from Jackson’s chest. “What are you doing here?”

Cam scratched at his head. “Getting more confused by the minute, actually. What in the world is going on?”

The two scientists exchanged a glance. It was the longest Cam had seen them hold eye contact since SG-1 had been reinstated.

“Maybe you should come inside,” Jackson finally said.

Silently, Cam followed them into the living room. On the way, he couldn’t help but notice how tousled Sam’s hair was and how quickly her fingers were working the top buttons of her blouse.

Whatever movie they had in the DVD player had clearly been on pause for a while, since the screensaver was scrolling over the television screen. The bowl of popcorn on the coffee table had apparently been abandoned, as the table was sitting at a funny angle, creating a large empty space on the floor in front of the TV.

Cam grinned. It was a technique he’d used more than once during his younger days, though unfortunately never with Amy Vanderburg.

Taking everything together was enough to give Cam the distinct impression that he’d interrupted something.

Sam and Jackson both seemed to be blushing slightly as they pushed the table back into place and took seats next to each other on the sofa. Cam plopped down in a chair opposite them and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees and awaiting some kind of explanation.

“So,” said Jackson. “I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that Sam and I are involved.”

“But there’s really nothing to worry about,” continued Sam.

Jackson grinned. “Because it’s been going on for a while.”

“And since you’re only coming to see us about it now...”

“Then we’ve obviously done a good job of demonstrating a professional distance.”

Cam’s gaze bounced back and forth between them as if he was watching some kind of freakish tennis match. Maybe there was something to those sixth sense rumours after all.

The doorbell rang, and Jackson stood up. “Finally,” he muttered.

“You okay, Cam?” Sam asked after a moment.

“Uh, I think so.” He scrubbed at his face, studying her. “Exactly how long has this been going on?”

Jackson returned, carrying a pizza box. “Since I descended.”

“The second time,” said Sam.

“Right.” Jackson opened the box, offering Cam a slice.

He took one, gesturing first at Sam and then at Jackson with it. “But you were reassigned to Area 51 right after that, and you were supposed to leave for Atlantis.”

Sam smiled, dropping her chin briefly to her chest. “I never intended my transfer to be permanent. Cassie was going through a tough time, and I needed to be there for her.”

“The plan was that Sam would join me in Atlantis once everything was worked out,” continued Jackson.

Cam nodded slowly. Strangely enough, it all fit. “And you’re...”

“Completely head over heels in love.”

Sam grinned giddily. “Never been happier in my life.”

“I thought you two were having trouble getting along.”

“Huh.” She shrugged. “Guess we went a little too far with that.”

“I’ll say.”

“Oh, we get along quite well.” Jackson leaned closer to Sam and kissed behind her ear. “Don’t we?”

She laughed, pushing on his chest. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Is that why you can’t get enough of me?”

“I don’t know. There must be some reason...”

“Oh, it’s like that is it?”

Cam chewed his pizza slowly, watching as they had an impromptu tickle-duel. Were these the same people he’d been working with for the last year and a half?

Then he remembered something. “Wait, what about that date you had with Vala?”

Jackson groaned. “It wasn’t a date!”

“She can flirt with him all she wants.” Sam crossed her arms in front of her and settled against Jackson’s side. “At the end of the day, I know who he’s going home with.”

Jackson grinned and draped his arm over her shoulders, his fingers toying with her thumb.

Everything was starting to make sense now. Cam pointed a finger at the couple. “And the beard...”

Sam shrank away, wrinkling her nose at Jackson. “What beard?”

“I got rid of it before you came back.”

“That’s why you wouldn’t videoconference with me?”

Jackson shrugged sheepishly before he turned to Cam. “Sam has this thing about facial hair.”

“I see.” Cam released a heavy breath, puffing out his cheeks. “So when were you two going to tell me about this?”

“We weren’t,” said Jackson.

Sam nudged his shoulder with hers, giving him a look before smiling at Cam. “We would have told you eventually.”

Jackson rolled his head in her direction, looking at her over the top of his glasses.

She sighed. “Probably, anyway. The point is that it hasn’t interfered with our loyalties to the team. We needed to make sure of that before we went public.” She exchanged another glance with Jackson. “Being on the same team...”

Cam nodded. “Frat regs. Right. Well, what are you going to do now?”

Another silent conversation passed between them within a second of eye contact. Sam nodded.

“Nothing,” said Jackson.

Cam blinked. “Nothing?”

“Nothing,” said Sam.

“Why not? There’s no way Landry would have a problem with this.” Cam stood and started pacing Sam’s living room. “I mean, come on! His own daughter is under his command.”

“It’s not Landry we’re worried about.”

Jackson nodded. “Do you have any idea how many organisations out there would jump at the chance to split up SG-1 or shut down the SGC?”

Cam paused in his pacing. He stared at the bowl of popcorn on Sam’s coffee table as he remembered some of the interviews he’d been subjected to before joining Stargate Command. Sam and Jackson were probably right that SG-1 would be in trouble if this situation ever came into the light.

“Right,” Cam said. “I worked too hard to get this band back together to let it potentially fall apart. Does anyone else know?”

“I’m pretty sure Teal’c’s figured it out,” said Sam.

“Jack too.”

Sam turned to Jackson. “You think so?”

He tilted his head at her.

“Good point,” she said.

“So,” said Cam. “It’ll be our little secret. Business as usual. Right?”

Sam smiled. “Thanks, Cam.

“You’re okay, Mitchell.” Jackson’s arm tightened around Sam’s shoulders, tugging her to him.

Cam shook his head in wonder as Jackson and Sam shared a kiss that pushed the limits of a PG-13 rating. “I have one request, though,” he said when they finally parted.

That crease was back between Jackson’s brows again. “What’s that?”

“Teach me how this whole mind reading thing works.”

THE END

Great thanks to my beta, Thraesja, for braving the storm and whipping this story into shape. Without her, my writing would be absolute crap.

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