"So…Teal'c!" Jack stalked after the tall alien as each member of SG-1 filed out of the debriefing room. Teal'c turned to face his commanding officer. Upon viewing the chipper expression on O'Neill's face, the Jaffa merely raised his eyebrow and stopped his trek towards his current destination. When Jack caught the bigger man's sombre expression, a smile spread across his face and he gave Teal'c a hard pat on the back. "Hey, you look a little uptight…how about we hit the gym? Just you…me… a mat…and a little one on one combat What'da ya say, big guy?"
Teal'c lowered his eyes and shook his head solemnly. "I apologize, O'Neill, but I must refuse this offer. It is time for me to perform my daily duty of Kal Noreem." And with that, Teal'c trudged off, leaving a very high-strung and restless colonel in his wake. Sighing, Jack scratched his head and sauntered away in the other direction.
***************
Sam Carter was tired to the bone. Although SG-1 had been on downtime for the past two weeks, she had concentrated all of her waking efforts on updating her dialling program with new possible software. Glancing at her watch, she smiled sweetly to herself. She finally had a few hours of freedom. No more calculations, no more processing, no more problem solving and best of all…no more intellectual stimulation for the next three hours. Not only would she use the prized time to soak in a steaming hot bath, but she would also catch up on some much needed sleep..
Just as Sam was about to push open the locker room door, she jumped suddenly when she heard someone calling her name.
"SAM!" Turning around, Sam found her CO jogging towards her. Upon seeing the jump in his step, Sam knew that it was one of those days. Jack stopped in front of her, his flaming energy only further exposing his child-like behaviour.
"Carter…I know exactly what you need right now."
Sam stared at him with a blank look.
"You need to come with me to the gym and blow off a little steam. You know… a little one on one. We don't want to get rusty on our moves, now do we?" A snaky grin was making its way across Jack's face as he reached out and poked her in the biceps. His facial cast dissolved into a look of pure disappointment when he noticed her unwillingness to answer him. "If you tell me one more time that you have some other project up your sleeve then I'll really have to shoot you this time."
"Actually, sir, I was just about to freshen up and take a little down time…catch up on some sleep."
"Oh come on, Carter. A little one on one couldn't hurt anybody!"
Sam simply shook her head in refusal. "Sorry, sir, but I'll have to pass."
"Okay, Major…but you don't know what you're missing. These babies can really be quite impressive if you give them a chance," Jack remarked as he raised his arms up in an obvious attempt at making a muscle. Nevertheless, their large bulge didn't have the effect he had originally hoped for.
"Have fun, sir," Sam said as she disappeared into the locker room.
Jack stood alone in the hallway completely perplexed. His arms still raised, Jack stole a quick sniff at his underarms. "Is it my B.O or something?" Jack uttered under his breath as he headed off in yet another direction, a look of confusion still plastered on his face.
His ego was really taking a beating today, he dually noted as he turned the corner and headed for his last and final victim.
********************
Daniel turned on the coffee machine and calmly settled into his chair. He let out a long sigh as he let his head fall back onto the headrest behind him. Every muscle in his body was completely relaxed and he allowed himself to soak in that comfort. His presentation had gone well despite the fact that Jack had interrupted him twice, excusing himself to the washroom on both occasions. Sometimes Daniel wondered if the man had developed Attention Deficit Disorder over the past few years.
Daniel sat up abruptly when he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!" he called out. Without further warning, Daniel felt something soft hit him in the face. Raising his hands, he peeled the piece of material from his eyes.
"Track pants?" Daniel voiced his question out loud.
"Come on…get dressed." Daniel heard a familiar voice but had no time to inspect its owner before another object struck his face.
"JACK!!! Will you stop it?!?!?" Daniel cringed in frustration as he was forced to clear his vision for the second time. Looking down, he saw a familiar black tank top. "Jack…what are you doing?"
Jack didn't answer him. Instead, he closed in on the linguist and grabbed his arm tightly. Before Daniel could voice a protest, he was already on his feet being propelled forward by a not so gentle hand. "Jack…JACK! My translations-" Daniel tried pointing at his artifact but Jack wouldn't have it.
"You can leave all that mumbo jumbo for later."
"But Jack!"
Daniel frowned when the older man continued to ignore his pathetic pleas. Instead, he unhappily noted that he was passing yet another corner, heading towards what he could only guess were the locker rooms. Upon finally reaching their destination, Jack pulled his card out from his pocket while his other hand busied itself on keeping Daniel firmly immobilised against the wall. Once the door was open, Jack pushed his young friend past the threshold and proceeded in closing the door behind him. Jack crossed his arms with obvious satisfaction and leaned heavily against the outside so as to prevent any sudden escape.
"Jack…where are we going?"
Jack smiled when he heard Daniel's muffled voice from within. "Where do ya think?!" he called back.
"And why are we going to the gym?" Once again, the voice called out, but this time, it carried with it a glaze of displeasure.
"I'm going to evaluate your fighting skills…it's been a while. Actually, it's been about two years!" Jack could almost hear Daniel's sigh through the thick door separating them.
"Okay…Jack…You can get off of the door!" Daniel uttered. He reluctantly emerged from the room, dressed in his given attire.
Jack merely slapped him on the back as he himself entered the locker room.
Part 2
Jack grunted heavily as he felt Daniel's full weight on top of him. A trickle of sweat was beginning to form on his brow. If anything, this spurred his anger even more. With a new rush of adrenaline, Jack pushed the constricting weight off of his stomach only to hear an accompanying grunt next to him. Jack quickly struggled to get to his feet, just barely beating Daniel to it.
"Come on, Daniel…" Jack stated smugly, although he refused to show Daniel just how tired he really was. It had only been five minutes and both men were already panting. At first, Jack was going to lay it easy on Daniel but that tactic had proven to be a grave mistake when he had been knocked down abruptly by a surprising force…that force being a certain archaeologist. Underestimating the other man's strength, Jack didn't allow his opponent the victory of seeing just how shocked he had been by the counter attack. Instead, they had begun rolling around on the ground like a bunch of wild dogs, both salivating for that ultimate taste of victory..
Once again, Jack smirked when he heard Daniel panting next to him. Good, he thought. That would teach him. But just as quickly as that thought had gone from one side of his brain to the other, he felt his feet being knocked out from under him and suddenly, the ground was coming up to greet him. Thankful for his previous training, Jack had enough reflex to lock onto Daniel's feet with his own, taking the younger man down with him. "Won't get away so easily, Daniel!" Jack managed to blurt out between struggling breaths as both men began to battle once again for the upper hand.
********************
Captain Seymour was forced to blink her eyes for the second time in as many seconds. Was that Dr. Jackson and Colonel O'Neill wrestling on the mat? Her first reaction was to turn off the treadmill and investigate. As she approached the fighting pair, her heart began to race. There, in front of her, were two of the most good-looking men on base. Sure, their looks were completely different but there wasn't one woman in the SGC who didn't fantasize about them from time to time. Seymour cringed when she saw Daniel take a hard blow to the waist. Man…if this wasn't her biggest fantasy, then she didn't know what was. Of course, her dream involved a little more skin on both their behalf, but she could live with it.
Checking her watch, she realised that her friend was just about to come off her latest shift. Biting her lip, Seymour contemplated whether she would have enough time to inform her fellow officer. With a barely audible moan, she dashed for the exit praying that she wouldn't miss anything too exciting.
************************
"So…just put a little ice on it and the swelling should go down by tomorrow." Janet smiled sympathetically.
"Thanks, Janet," Major Atwood responded with a grin of her own.
"Okay, Sam…you're next." Janet waved her hand towards the now unoccupied bed. "Remind me again as to how you managed to cut yourself while taking a bath?"
"I-" Sam was cut off by the sound of running footsteps followed by a bunch of frantic `sorry's. Seconds later, Captain Seymour barged into the infirmary completely out of breath, wearing only her gym attire. Upon seeing her friend, she rushed towards her in a sprint.
"Rebecca…I…here you are!…" She paused to catch her breath. " I've been looking all over for you!!!"
"What's wrong?"
"Come on …" Seymour didn't wait for a response before grabbing the other woman's arm. "Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson are in the gym…they're competing in a one on one combat."
The moment the words had escaped her mouth, the infirmary had gone completely silent. All the nurses suddenly stopped what they were doing. When Janet felt the weight of all eight pairs of eyes, she was forced to crumble under the pressure.
"Go."
All eight nurses, one limping officer and another panting Captain made a dash for the door. When the entire infirmary was nearly empty, Sam looked up at her friend.
"Not you too."
"Come on…when's the next time we'll ever see something like this again?"
"Well, Dr.Warner is here…I don't think he'd miss me too much if I took my break just a tad earlier."
Without another word, both Sam and Janet rushed out the door, only allowing their excitement to surface once they passed the oncoming array of male officers
Part 3
"Jack…I don't suppose you could get off my ARM!"
"Daniel, I don't suppose you could get off my FOOT!!!!" Jack yelled back with an equal amount of frustration.
"Okay…I'll get off your foot as long as you don't try anything…stupid."
Both Daniel and Jack were locked in each other's grasp on the floor, none able to move due to the other's position. Although their limbs were tangled together, both men were able to see the other's face.
"Fine…I'll get off YOUR arm as long as YOU don't try anything stupid," Jack challenged back in a strained tone. He was exhausted and in much pain. As Daniel began to back away slowly, his eyes locked on his opponent's, anticipating any sudden movement.
"Jack…you…you have to move your left arm from my thigh…I can't…I can't move." Daniel let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine" Jack began to move his arm back cautiously. If this was Daniel's trick of distracting him, then he wouldn't fall for it so easily. Watching Daniel's every motion, Jack freed Daniel's leg allowing them to both breathe easier. When all their limbs were accounted for, the men began to raise themselves off the floor in a slow motion, cautious of any sudden attack the other might inflict. When they were finally on their feet, both teammates took the time to survey their surroundings. There, encircling the fighting mat and themselves, was a crowd of about twenty five officers. Daniel oddly wondered to himself how he had not noticed their shouts and cries beforehand. Had he been that focussed on Jack's actions? Had his mind been that preoccupied in the fight? But before he could dwell on the thought any longer, Daniel realized that there was something thoroughly wrong with his present condition.
His feet were no longer touching the ground!.
Instead, he was in the air heading for the mat below him. His back and head screamed in protest as he felt their contact with the hard floor. Luckily, the cry never had the chance to escape his lips. Jack's arm was currently blocking his airflow, ensuring that not even the slightest of breaths could get past its forceful length. Jack, unaware that he was choking his friend, concentrated on immobilising Daniel even further by latching onto his legs.
Daniel was struggling to breathe…a task that was proving to be all the more difficult to fulfil. As the air entering into his mouth became more and more scarce, Daniel felt his entire body beginning to panic. With out any alternate option, Daniel resolved to biting his way out of the trying situation. Jack suddenly yelped in response and fell backwards onto his elbows, giving Daniel just enough time to recuperate.
************************
Janet and Sam entered the gym only to be assailed by a large crowd of officers and nurses. Janet stretched her neck out but couldn't see past the shoulders of those in front of her. She swore under her breath and turned to look at Sam.
"What's happening?"
Before she could get a response, a ten dollar bill hit her in the stomach. Not a moment after she had picked it up, the green bill was already swiped away from her grasp.
"I believe that's mine, Doc," a smiling officer told her as he placed it among the package of bills he held in his hand.
"What's that for?" Janet yelled out, her voice easily drowned out by the screams of the ever growing crowd.
"A bet…You want in?"
"Sure…um…put me down for ten," Janet offered.
"For who?"
"WHAT?" Janet struggled to hear him.
"For who?" the man repeated. "Jackson or O'Neill?"
Janet tried to catch a glimpse at the fight but was unsuccessful. If she couldn't tell who was winning …then how the hell could she place a bet?
Janet answered her own question… she'd simply have to rely on judgement.
Jack was an airforce officer already military trained. Surely he had the upper hand? On the other hand, Jack was nearing the big five oh while Daniel was relatively younger. Picturing Daniel in her mind, she couldn't mistake the fact that he had definitely gained some muscle tone. In fact, she herself had caught him training here at the late hours of the night when everyone else in their right mind had already gone to sleep. But, she contemplated further… Jack had the technique AND the reflexes.
"Colonel O'Neill…I bet ten dollars on the Colonel," she finally responded. The man jotted down the wager and turned to Sam.
" I'm betting for Daniel. Put me down for fifteen," Sam said without a second thought. Janet stared at her in astonishment.
"Sam?"
Sam simply smiled at her friend. "Believe me, Janet, you're the one who made the mistake."
"What?" Janet's mouth fell open even further. When she saw her friend wasn't going to elaborate, she instantly matched the challenge. "We'll just see about that."
"Yeah…I wish we could "see"!" Sam added as she once again struggled to observe the fight from above the row of officers in front of her. Both women suddenly jumped when they heard a loud yelp. Janet's heart skipped a beat when she recognized the voice belonging to Jack. Instantly, she grabbed Sam by the arm and began to push her way forward.
"COMING THROUGH!!! OUT OF THE WAY…" Still wearing her lab coat, everyone in the crowd recognised her authority and immediately began to let her pass. When the two women finally reached the front of the crowd, they both got a clear sight of Daniel and Jack who were still wrestling around on the ground. Janet relaxed when her eyes couldn't detect any grave injury.
"Check out the view we've got now…." Sam exclaimed.
Janet smiled in response and shifted her view back to the battle in front of her.
*******************
Jack stared down at his arm and immediately recognized what could only be Daniel's teeth marks imprinted into his skin. With a loud grunt, Jack climbed on top of Daniel and straddled him forcefully. Daniel, arms free, shoved Jack off and fell back down in exhaustion. Both men laid on the ground panting heavily and groaning in pain. Jack was the first to stir and make his way back onto his knees. Daniel soon followed suit.
"Ready to give up yet, Daniel?"
It took a few seconds before the other man could answer. "No…are you?"
"Ha! I haven't even reached my first wind yet!" Jack retorted back. Once again, both men started anew but this time, Daniel had Jack in a painful headlock. Jack's arms began to swing out and caught Daniel square in the nose. Daniel cried out and fell back onto his knees.
"I SO own you!" Jack yelled as he attacked the young linguist with his shoulder. Both men fell down hard yet they both refused to give up. Daniel kicked Jack in the leg only to receive a punch in the chin seconds later. When Daniel finally had the leverage he needed, he grunted out loud as he flipped Jack off of him. Daniel took that opportunity to gain back his breath. Laying on the floor, his chest heaving in and out, Daniel tried not to laugh. This was getting out of control. He swiftly looked to his left only to realize Jack was in no better shape than him. In fact, he really didn't even have the slightest clue as to how Jack was feeling at that very moment. Embarrassed perhaps?
His heart pulsating wildly, Daniel turned over, giving Jack the view of his backside. His arms automatically covered his stomach in response to the movement. Jack had really hit him hard! Come to think of it, his head was really starting to pester him too. At the back of his mind, he knew he needed to get up…but… he just couldn't will his body to co-operate with his brain. The last thing he wanted to do was allow Jack to win but at this point, Daniel had no alternative choice. When his vision began to falter, Daniel knew it was game over for him. With one large intake of breath, Daniel felt his eyes flutter close and all the noise around him seemed to disappear.
*************************
Janet quickly sprang forward at the first realisation that something was wrong. As she knelt down, she quickly began checking vitals. Janet was only vaguely aware of her own nurses joining her side and the sudden silence that had completely filled the gym.
How could she have been so stupid?
How could she have just stood there and watched as two of her friends beat each other into a frenzy?!?!?!
Even when the medics arrived, Janet couldn't let go of the fact that this was all her fault. Sam, who hadn't left her side, watched as the medics swiftly went to work. Ignoring her friend's comforting touch, Janet got up and followed her medic team passed the crowd of people. Finally reaching the hallway, Janet took off in a jog towards the infirmary.
************************
Daniel's senses came rushing back to him when he felt someone touching his wrist.
"Heart rate 90, blood pressure 120 over 60."
Daniel opened his eyes only to shut them once again. Why was he in the infirmary? And why the hell was his back hurting? Cringing, Daniel's mind began to flood with the memories of the last few hours. Bringing a hand up to his head, Daniel groaned.
Not only had he lost the fight, but he had managed to land himself in the infirmary…again.
"Dr. Jackson…how are you feeling?" Daniel turned to face the voice addressing him.
"Not bad…considering the circumstances."
Daniel looked up to see both Sam and Teal'c at his side. He smiled at them momentarily.
"And what circumstances would that be, Daniel?" Janet approached his line of vision.
Daniel closed his eyes once more . "Considering I lost the fight."
"Actually, Daniel…" Sam began but didn't finish.
Daniel raised his eyebrows. "You mean…?"
"Well, not exactly," she continued.
"Then what?" Although Daniel pressed on, he didn't receive a response from his fellow friend. Instead, Sam motioned her head to a spot on his left. When his eyes followed her gaze, Daniel's mouth nearly dropped open at the sight that assailed him. There, in an adjacent bed not two feet away, Jack lay motionless on his side in an obvious state of deep sleep.. Examining his friend carefully, Daniel came to one conclusion… Jack didn't look so good. Not only did he have a line of bruises bordering his forehead, but there was also a large ice pack engulfing the man's swollen knee.
"I did that?"
Sam would have laughed out loud at the question had it not been for Daniel's horrified expression.
"Apparently…" Janet stepped up closer and continued, " Now I want you to rest. Both of you took quite a beating. In fact, you both scared the hell out of me."
Seeing how tired and worn out Daniel was, Sam leaned in and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Go back to sleep," she said softly to him. Just prior to leaving, Sam leaned in again and whispered, "You know…I voted for you back there." Daniel's eyes opened in acknowledgement and a smile briefly appeared on his face. He turned his head weakly. "How about you, Teal'c? Who did you bet on?"
Teal'c's face lowered slowly. "I apologize, Daniel Jackson, but I was not present for the combat" Upon receiving no response from the younger man, Teal'c examined the now sleeping figure.
"Teal'c, I'm gonna stay here and wait until the Colonel wakes up."
Sam informed him as she took a seat next to one of the infirmary beds.
"Regretfully, I cannot stay with you Major Carter. My symbiote is in need of meditation. I must go complete Kal Noreem" Teal'c bowed his head in respect and proceeded to exit the infirmary. Just as his large frame crossed the threshold, a note fell from the back pocket of his BDUs. Sam, her curiosity piqued, waited a few moments before she picked up the piece of paper and inspected its contents. Upon reading it, Sam was shocked to find that the paper contained the list of wagers from the fight. As Sam scanned it more thoroughly, she was easily able to find her name among the dozen or so other signatures.
As she continued down the list of people who had bet in favour of Daniel, she stopped suddenly at a particular name. A large smile quickly surfaced.
There, written as clear as day, was Teal'c's name in black ink.
A laugh emerged from her lips when she finally read the amount Teal'c had wagered.
Fifty dollars on Daniel?!?!?!
Sometimes, Teal'c really amazed her. Although they had both been on the same team together for the last four years, Sam still couldn't shake the feeling that there was far more to Teal'c than people gave him credit for. And who would've thought he could lie so well?
Sam's first instinct was to destroy the evidence before it could get into the wrong hands…those hands belonging to an egotistical, stubborn, overbearing, loud mouthed Colonel. She didn't even want to guess what he would do to her if he would ever find out that she had bet against him.
Her mind made up, Sam proceeded to shred the document into small pieces, letting its data flutter down to the bottom of the garbage bin. Feeling a yawn of her own make its way passed her lips, Sam decided it was time to leave both the men to their slumber. Just as she was about to step out of the infirmary, she heard a soft voice calling her inside.
"Sam!"
"Yeah, Daniel?" she whispered back.
"Just for the record…I woke up before Jack!"
Sam shook her head in absolute amazement. They were still at it! Closing the light and the door behind her, Sam knew she really had to get out of there. The testosterone in the air was really getting too much for her handle!
The Challenge was: Write a humorous scene in which Jack decides to challenge Daniel in a hand to hand combat in the gym as a means of practice. It has to include:
- Humour.
- Both men sweaty...you can choose what they wear...hehehehehe...
- Daniel surprising Jack with his improvement.
- Both Daniel and Jack attract a crowd (Teal'c and Sam included) and a bet begins to spread its wings among the audience. (Teal'c and Sam must join in on the bet.)
- One has to be the winner...you get to pick.
July 7, 2001 © The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.