DISCLAIMER: Not mine, no money, just some fluffy fun.....
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Pool Shark
By ncruuk
"I dare ya..."
"Sir..."
"I double dare ya..."
"Colonel, I..."
"You're not going to chicken out, are you Carter?" taunted Jack, taking another swig of his beer.
"Sir, I don't think..." began Sam, chewing her lip and looking to Janet for reassurance and support.
"Hey, O'Neill? Do I hear the mighty SG1 welshing on a bet?" boomed out Ferretti, staggering slightly drunkenly to his feet, so as to better taunt his friend.
"You're hearing SG1 making a bet...we're thinkin'..." taunted Jack, brandishing his own bottle in a drunken attempt at a salute, "...it's what we're good at..." he declared proudly, gesturing to Carter. When it came to brains, he really did beat any other team C.O. hands down....he play his Carter, see their stakes and then raise them a Daniel Jackson...
"Sir..." Once again, Carter tried to be the cool head of reason.
"What are the stakes Jack?" asked Janet, being able to relax into 'off duty' mode more easily than her lover, and actually follow through on Jack's instruction to 'Lose the Sir Carter'.
"Umm...doohickey duty?" he suggested, only to see the look of horror on both ladies' faces when he mentioned his name for Sam's hours of work trying to identify the latest unknown artefact or technological marvel.
"Not doohickey duty..." there was a pause whilst Jack's seventh beer interacted with his sixth in a decidedly ungentlemanly fashion, "...I'll go fishing for a week..." he finally offered, only to be confronted by twin grins from Sam and Janet, much to the confusion of their eavesdropping friends.
"Done Sir..." agreed Carter immediately, her enthusiasm for having her C.O. booking a week's leave to go fishing, giving her the opportunity to book an uninterrupted week's leave with Janet seeming worth any bet he was about to make.
"What's the bet Jack?" asked Daniel, curious....
"I beat Carter at pool..." declared Jack proudly, finishing off his beer.
"Uh, Jack?" questioned Daniel, uncertain if he'd heard his friend correctly. Jack was useless at pool, and Sam was the Base Champion...with her left hand. No one would play her right-handed anymore...
"Is this a wise gamble O'Neill?" rumbled Teal'c, equally confused. Jack O'Neill's attempts to win at the game of pool were invariably unsuccessful.
"She's handicapped..." Jack declared proudly, gesturing to Carter.
"How?" Daniel was intrigued...if nothing else, it would be entertaining to watch, Jack always was when he tried to play pool.
"Only allowed to touch the cue...not the table..." announced Jack, pleased with his unique handicapping system.
"Sir?" Sam was confused. She didn't mind being 'handicapped' - over the years a number of inventive systems had been developed by her friends, from giving away shots, to specifying potting orders, even playing with one eye closed...but not touching the table?
"You're not allowed to touch the table Sam..." explained Jack, as if that answered everything...
"Yes Sir..." Sam's scepticism was the nearest the blonde ever came to insubordination.
"You crafty son of a..." exclaimed Ferretti, suddenly remembering a pool game he'd played with Jack years ago, when they were trying to 'score' with the ladies...
"I prefer to think myself inspired..." corrected Jack happily, now tipping his beer bottle to his friend in acknowledgment of the compliment.
"What's the handicap really Jack?" asked Janet, curious.
"You..." came the simple response.
"Me?" Janet didn't follow.
"Oh god..." Sam did....
"Can't go back on your bet Carter..." taunted Jack, enjoying himself immensely. It really wasn't often he got her squirming...
"No Sir..." agreed Sam, thinking how she'd manage to do this and, for the first time in a very long time, beginning to think she might lose.
"Sam?" asked Janet quietly, waiting for the explanation.
"It's best I show you..." muttered Sam, looking into her lover's eyes and seeing the trust and curiosity there.
"Okay..." agreed Janet easily, letting herself be led to the pool table.
"Umm, can you line up to break?" asked Sam, passing Janet a cue that was far too long for her.
"With that?" asked Janet, eying the over long cue that was, on reflection, exactly the right length for Sam to use.
"Yeah...just grip it lower down..." encouraged Sam, waiting for Janet to line up on the table as if to break the balls. Once her lover was settled, Sam carefully stepped up right behind Janet, glad that the bar was booked out for their private party which was only for Jack's closest friends....if there was anyone who didn't know about their relationship, it was going to become pretty obvious soon....
"Are you going to do what I think you're going to do?" asked Janet, suddenly very conscious of Sam's body wrapping around hers.
"I'm not allowed to touch the table..." muttered Sam, taking the end of the cue in her right hand. "...let go of the cue sweetheart..." prompted Sam, glad when Janet let go.
Thinking carefully, Sam finally played her shot, potting a couple of balls...
"No fair! You used your right hand!" protested Jack, seeing that Sam played the shot with her right hand rather than the left hand she normally used when playing pool against him.
"Janet can only play with her right hand Sir..." explained Sam, not yet standing up, rather enjoying being draped over Janet in this fashion...she'd always enjoyed the light fruit scent of Janet's shampoo...
"How about this Jack?" offered Janet, slipping her right hand, which had been resting against her thigh, into the snug back pocket of Sam's jeans, surprising Sam, causing the cue to wobble...
"Good call Doc...rack 'em up Space Monkey..."
"Janet?" muttered Sam, standing up and stepping back from the table so that Daniel and Teal'c could re-rack the balls as people began making side bets about who would win...
"Yes?"
"What are you doing with your hand?"
"Keeping it out of the way..."
"In my back pocket?" Sam's voice was nearly a squeak...she'd resigned herself to Jack fighting dirty to win the bet, but Janet? Wasn't she supposed to be on Sam's side?
"The bet's a week's vacation right?"
"Right..." Sam wasn't seeing the significance.
"If JACK wins..." explained Janet, mentally remembering to thank the Colonel one day. It really was inspired....
"Huh?" Sam was confused, having missed the precise nuances of the bet terms.
"If Jack wins, he'll swing us a week's leave together...whilst he gets the glory of being able to claim he beat you when you were playing right handed..." explained Janet, watching her lover process this latest puzzle.
"You want me to throw the game?" asked Sam, surprised. Wasn't Janet on her side?
"No...play as well as you can..." confirmed Janet, her eyes sparkling.
"But you're going to be a tease..." realised Sam, remembering that Janet was the only other person at the SGC who'd beaten her at pool when she was playing right handed...it wasn't a fair fight...
"Ready to play?" asked Janet, taking a final sip of her beer.
"Lead on..." gestured Sam politely, deciding that, if two were already playing dirty, no reason she couldn't join in...
It was an interesting game. Jack broke, leaving Sam plenty of awkward shots which would ordinarily require some flexibility and dexterity to play them well, never mind when you were having to entwine yourself with your lover. Unsurprisingly, Sam didn't quite manage to make the shot, leaving Jack an easy tap in to put him ahead.
"Stripes for you Carter..." announced Jack with glee, only to miss his next shot as, standing right in his cue line, was Sam, who was having her belt removed by Janet....
"Your buckle's gonna bruise my back...." the doctor offered by way of explanation.
"Ah, sorry..." apologised Sam, noticing out of the corner of her eye the messed shot and simple set up she'd been left with to level.
"Your play Sam..." groused Jack only semi-annoyed. The way he saw it, this was a win-win game...the leave really wasn't the prize...
Obediently, Sam trotted to the table and helped Janet repeat their earlier attempts at a set up. With a much more straightforward shot, Sam pocketed the ball cleanly, leaving her with a reasonably make-able shot for her second.
"Way to go Sam..." called out Daniel, wanting his friend to put up a good fight, even if it was in her interests to lose...somehow though, Daniel knew she wouldn't throw the match.
"Thanks..." After taking a long swig of her beer, Sam turned to see Janet already set up waiting for Sam to take the next shot, prompting Sam to hurry to participate...and pot another ball. Unfortunately, whilst Sam still had excellent control of the cue, Janet's fingers weren't as practiced at Sam at producing the solid base for the shot, meaning that she ended up being on nothing but solids.
With nothing playable, Sam gently rearranged Janet's position so she was aligned to some invisible spot on the top rail before once more engulfing her lover in an interesting embrace that included the pool cue. This time, the shot was successful as far as Sam was concerned, leaving Jack with some options but nothing too easy.
"Your play Sir..."
"Thanks Sam..." acknowledged Jack politely, before quickly sinking two balls in a single flukey shot, putting him two ahead.
"Well played Jack..." complimented Janet graciously from her position leaning against Sam, the blonde's arms resting lightly on the doctor's shoulders.
"Thanks..." As Jack straightened to flash a cocky grin at Janet and Sam, Sam's hands drifted down to fiddle with the open neck of Janet's shirt. Seemingly oblivious to Jack's scrutiny, Sam commented,
"You should have worn a different top...you're putting on a show..." all the while fussing with Janet's shirt, which was actually very modest.
Of course, Jack's next shot went hopelessly wild on account of his brain trying to remember if Janet had indeed been putting on a show...
"You're not playing fair Carter..." he protested as he yielded the table.
"And you are Sir?" asked Sam pointedly, inspecting the table before identifying a fairly easy way to level the score. With Janet's assistance, this was quickly achieved, but the fourth ball...
"We need to stretch Jan..." explained Sam, preparing for the shot which, for Sam's long limbs would have been a challenge, but for Janet...
"I trust you..." declared Janet, seconds before she felt Sam's hands slip around her waist and lift her up carefully, before trapping her lover against the table, feet a few inches above the floor. The position looked uncomfortable, but actually, it was anything but, with Janet virtually lying on the table, with her weight balanced on Sam's strong thigh which she was now straddling...
"This isn't text book..." she mused, enjoying herself even more when she felt Sam's body press against her back.
"You're telling me..." breathed Sam, before skilfully potting their ball....and the white. They were now in the lead, but Jack had a free shot...
Once again, Jack managed to get one shot in front before his concentration wandered...
"Can you let your hair down Jan? It's tickling my nose..." explained Sam, loosening her embrace enough so that Janet could reach up and release her hair pins, before shaking her hair loose like some Siren...it was all Jack could do to keep the cue ball on the table! Wordlessly, he vacated the table so that Sam could, if this were a normal game, clean up...
With the score at 5 to Jack, Sam considered the table carefully. She could probably pot the red and orange in a single shot but...for reasons that she didn't like to analyse too carefully, Sam favoured the shot for the blue...no need to rush her potting by doing multiples - she was playing Jack after all....
As many expected (although some were surprised she hadn't gone for the red-orange double) Sam and Janet sank the blue, levelling the score and leaving another easy pot which Sam could sink with her eyes closed...not that she did, close her eyes that is, until the moment when the ball dropped in the pocket, but that had less to do with the pot and everything to do with the cheeky pinch Janet had given her butt, reminding the Major about the hand snugly sitting in her back pocket...
...and which was the only reason why she didn't make the final pot of the green, being unable to focus past the end of the cue as Janet's hand reminded Sam quite how snugly it fitted into her pocket, and how snugly Sam herself fitted into her jeans.
With the score at 6 to Jack and 5 to Sam, Jack considered the table. There was very little that was easily on, but judging by the way Janet was kissing Sam whilst they waited for him to play, he had a feeling he'd get a few goes at cleaning up the table. Considering how many beers he'd had, he was seeing the shots remarkably clearly...shame he was also seeing Carter and Fraiser that clearly too...he was going to need those shots...
"Ahem...ladies?" he called loudly, in an attempt to be heard over the good natured cat calls and whistles his friends were getting. Accepting the cue, Sam considered the table.
"Didn't pot anything?" she asked, counting up the balls left and discovering he must have hit his blue, but not potted anything. Unfortunately, he'd only managed to stop her from a clean shot at either of her two remaining balls as well...
"Nah, no need to rush..." he declared, relocating his beer.
The next shot was over quickly, with Sam being able to do little more than avoid conceding a free shot, something which Janet recognised because she also behaved herself and kept her tormenting and teasing of Sam to the absolute minimum, which was fairly high considering the blonde was effectively lying on top of her and breathing down her neck....
"Your play Sir..."
"Thank you Sam..." She'd left him an easy shot...even Teal'c wouldn't be able to miss it, thought Sam resignedly.
"We calling pockets Sir?" asked Sam as the final solid dropped into the pocket with a satisfying 'thunk'.
"Sure...top right..." called Jack, eying the black 8-ball with delight...this had been a good game...
He lined up his shot and with a cool, calm head, carefully rolled the ball into the pocket...he'd...
"I've won!" he exclaimed the moment he saw the black ball drop, focussing solely on the top right pocket....
"You sure about that Jack?" asked Daniel, watching the white as it majestically rolled across the table, heading to only one place....the pocket.
"No.....!"
"Sam's still undefeated..." observed Daniel helpfully, glad that Sam was still the undisputed champion, despite Jack's best efforts.
"Good game..." he declared finally, grinning at Sam and slapping her on the back.
"Thank you Sir..." Sam wasn't sure whether she should be pleased or annoyed about the flukey victory. She was proud of her record, but a week's extra leave...
"I'm still booking the leave Sam..." said Jack knowingly, taking a swig from yet another beer.
"Sir?"
"Way I see it...we all won..." Jack's grin was far too 'shit-eating' for his own good, prompting Sam to groan at the obvious comment. It was Janet that reacted first to the knowing wink and smirk, with a smirk of her own,
"Second week in October would be perfect thank you Jack...." she began, only for Jack to attempt to interrupt,
"..but..."
"I wouldn't Sir..." began Carter, beginning to see the funny side as she wrapped her arms around Janet's waist, enjoying the light-hearted spirit in the bar.
"Indeed O'Neill, have you not often commented about the size of the 'Napoleonic Powermonger's' needles?"
"Teal'c!" Jack's shout was lost amongst the laughter that swelled up amongst his friends...he really couldn't win...still, as he'd already noted, everyone had won, really....
The End