Captain Samantha Carter was not happy.
Carter eyed herself in the mirror and groaned. The bruises from the fight she took on with the clan chieftain were not going to go away soon. 'Oh well', she thought, 'I just look like every other soldier here. Wouldn't be the first time a soldier came home from a mission with painful souvenirs.' However, Carter wondered if Colonel Jack O'Neill would treat it as such.
When the team had finally returned home from the planet, Jack brusquely told her to go change and take a break. Eyeing her bruises, he then added that she should go see Doctor Fraiser.
"They're just bruises, sir. I'm fine." Carter had told him. Behind her, Daniel and Teal'c were already making their reports to the waiting general.
"I would rather have the Doc check on those, Carter."
Was it because she was a woman? Carter was about to snap at the colonel, but then she stopped herself. Carter had stopped trying to prove to people a long time ago that she was cut out to be a soldier. Her father saw no problem with it; but then again, he was a general himself. Carter just nodded and walked out the embarkation room fuming. She didn't even hear Daniel calling her name in puzzlement.
"Sam Carter," Carter said out loud to her mirror image, "you have nothing to prove." She winced, glancing around the bunkroom to double check that no one was here. Carter rolled her eyes and sat down on her bed in a huff. She eyed her backpack with distaste. The sequined beads of the blue dress she was forced to wear, was peeking through like as if it was trying to escape.
'God, why didn't I just leave it back on that planet?' Carter refused to take it out. She wondered if she could get away with burning it. The dress was a cumbersome to wear, an annoyance to carry, and now it was irritating to look at.
"Next time we return to this planet, I think we should make it an all male team. No offense, Carter."
None was taken at the time. But when Carter returned, it struck to her that thanks to this mission, the colonel was probably going to have misgivings about her in every mission from now on. It didn't matter that she proved she could take the chieftain with no problem. Her presence had thrown off a culture's way of life, although she felt it was probably for the better anyway. Getting kidnapped wasn't her idea. Apu selling her off wasn't her idea, either. But it showed to the colonel that she was vulnerable. 'So much for handling anything they can handle', Carter thought glumly, remembering back to what she had told the colonel the first time they had met.
The peek of blue out of her bag was really starting to bug her. Carter yanked it out of the backpack and shook the dress straight. She remembered the expressions on their faces when she first wore it.
"Daniel, find me an anthropologist who dresses like this and I'll eat this headdress." Carter flung her hands out in frustration. She could barely move in this thing. The dress was heavy, weighting her down so much that her knees were threatening to fold. So she kept straightening her back to prevent the chance of dropping into an undignified position in front of her colonel. Now it has only been ten minutes and she's already tired.
Carter realized that amidst of her thinking, the rest of the team was not saying a word.
"What?" Carter demanded.
The chief's son approached her with a slightly opened mouth. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."
"Guess the kid doesn't get out much." Carter quipped, darting her eyes to each of the team's faces. She was beginning to feel uneasy. "Hey guys, say something. I can barely move in this thing. It's so hot in this headdress, too." Carter was really beginning to worry now. 'Why aren't they saying anything? This is not good', Carter had thought.
"I don't know." The colonel said slowly, "It kinda works for me."
"It's definitely you." Daniel nodded his face a bit red.
That did it. Carter knew that trying to make this less of a big deal was no good now. She was feeling a bit of an invalid before. Now she felt like an outsider to the team. To make things worst, she had to stay in the tent like all the other women. 'I'm a soldier, too.' Carter fumed inside.
"All things considered..Samantha, if we were to come back here, we better make it an all male team. No offense."
Even the hesitant compliment Jack gave her before he left didn't cool down her frustration.
"Um. Sam?" a timid knock on her door snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Come in." Carter called out as she tossed the dress down onto her bunk.
Daniel Jackson peeked in shyly, as if he was afraid that he caught her changing. It didn't matter that Carter had already told him it was okay to come in. Carter contained her smile at the thought. She wasn't angry with Daniel. Remembering back how she just rushed by him when they had returned, Carter smiled at him reassuringly.
"Did everything check out okay, Sam?"
"Huh?" Carter blinked at him.
"At the infirmary. Jack said you were going to get checked out. You know, for the, um, bruises." Daniel paused as he noticed Carter's smile had faded. He wondered if he had said something wrong. "Everything's okay? Sam?"
Carter was going to snap at him like she had wanted to do with the colonel, but then realized that Daniel's question was out of general concern. Daniel didn't look like one who would have qualms about a female soldier. He was just genuinely worried.
"Sam?"
"Fine. Just bruises, like I told Colonel O'Neill." Carter lied. Guiltily, she recalled the colonel's orders, but had deliberately veered for her bunk after she had left the embarkation room.
Daniel blinked at the word Colonel O'Neill, but didn't say anything. "I was wondering if I could.. Um-"
"What is it?" Carter smiled again. Sometimes, she found Daniel to be so endearing. She fought the urge to pat him on the head.
"Could I borrow that dress?" Daniel pointed at the monstrosity that Carter was looking at before.
"Huh?" Carter looked surprised. "You want that dress?" She grinned impishly. "It would look good on you, Daniel. Planning a little secret dress up?"
Daniel's face was blank, not getting the joke. Carter was about to continue when his face turned red as he finally got the punchline. "Oh no. No." Daniel empathized on the no part. "I thought maybe I could take some pictures of it. I mean, it is straight from the Shavadai culture. I'll give it back to you real soon, Sam."
"No, please." Carter nearly jumped at the chance, "Here, take it. It's yours."
"You're sure?" Daniel blinked at her again. "It wouldn't take long."
"Please." Carter stressed the words. "Take it."
Puzzled, Daniel thanked her and left with the dress in his hands. Carter breathed a sigh of relief. Plopping down on her bunkbed, she closed her eyes and hoped against hope that all of this was just a bad dream.
The planet was full of interesting things to explore. In fact, enough to convince Colonel O'Neill that they need to spend an extra day here, which meant camping out. The team quickly set up camp and was waiting for their co. to divide up the duties.
"Okay, Daniel. You and Teal'c go check out those ruins we saw earlier. Take your necessary pictures and stuff. I'm giving you three hours and you head back to here. No going off on your own, okay?"
"All right, Jack."
"Understood, O'Neill."
"I'm going to scout around the vicinity to make sure there are no threats to us here." Colonel O'Neill brusquely nodded to tell them to go.
Carter was a bit puzzled. "Sir, what about me?"
"You?" her co. turned around with a grin. "You can stay here and cook, Carter."
"Cook?" Carter repeated with outrage, "Sir, I'm a soldier, not a housewife."
"Doesn't look like that to me." Colonel O'Neill pointed out.
Carter looked down and to her horror, found that she was dressed in that blue dress again, complete with the headdress and veil.
"No." Carter protested helplessly, "I'm not this! I'm a soldier. A sol-" She lifted up her weapon to prove this, only to find in her hands not a rifle, but a frying pan.
"Ah!" Carter jolted out of her sleep with a gasp. She sat there, in that bottom bunk, wondering if her mind was playing sick jokes at her. She glanced at her watch and saw she had slept over three hours and had missed dinner. Groaning, Carter swung her feet down from the bunk and stood up to stretch. Aside from the dream, the sleep did her good. The aches and bruises had faded to an occasional twinge whenever she stretched.
"I guess I better get something to eat." Carter said out loud as she reached for the doorknob.
A folded note that was slipped under the door caught her eye. Picking it up to read, Carter found out it was from Daniel. The neat scrawls said that the rest of the team was at Jack's place. He didn't want to wake her, but wrote that when she did, to come out. The colonel wanted to speak with her. Underneath were instructions to Jack's place and then the neat careful writing of Daniel's name.
Carter grimly folded the note, having a faint idea of what the colonel might want to talk to her about. At first she didn't appreciate the fact that the colonel wanted to talk to her at his place, but then she realized it was better that way. She didn't want word to get around the base that the colonel didn't have faith in his female captain's abilities.
"Okay, sir." Carter muttered as she went and changed. "You want to talk? Well, so do I."
As she stood by the colonel's door, taking a moment to calm herself before knocking, Carter could hear catches of conversation from within.
"I don't know, Jack. Sam might get mad."
"Aw, come on, Daniel. No, she won't. I think she'll completely get it."
"I do not understand, O'Neill."
"Relax guys. I've got everything under control."
"Um. I still think-"
Carter didn't wait to hear the rest. She rapped her knuckles on the door, ignoring the doorbell. The door opened with Daniel at the door.
"Hi, Sam. You made-" Carter brushed past the scientist, right into the living room. Daniel blinked, still standing there with the door opened. He recovered and closed the door. He went in to the living room to find Carter, with her arms crossed, and facing the colonel as she probably would face an invading enemy.
"You wanted to speak with me, sir?" Carter asked hotly.
If the colonel was offended that she didn't use his first name off base, it didn't show. He waved his hand towards her, telling her to take a seat. "Just wanted to talk to you about that mission, Samantha."
Carter stood there for a moment until Daniel murmured her name and she finally sat down. Teal'c was sitting by the colonel's side, while Daniel had hesitantly left the room to get something for Sam to drink.
"If this is about my performance, Jack, I-"
"No, no. Not about your performance, Sam. I had no problem with that at all. It's not like you asked to be kidnapped and sold." Jack shook his head as if the thought never occurred to him.
Carter blinked. The colonel's words were unexpected. "So what is it, sir?"
"Jack."
"Jack." Carter corrected herself.
"Hey Daniel! Get over here!" Jack yelled out abruptly and waited until he saw Daniel coming back in. He grinned as Daniel plopped something down on to the coffee table before her. ""Just wanted to give this to you, Sam. A, let's say, souvenir to remember your mission by."
Carter's eyes grew wide as she realized that what Daniel placed before her was a pair of combat boots, spray painted blue. The exact blue that was the color of that dress.
"I saw this at the store and I knew I just had to get it for you." Jack drawled as he smugly took a swig of his beer. "It would go so well with your dress, Sam." He tried to suppress a snicker, not quite succeeding, though.
Daniel fidgeted nervously; glancing from Sam's stunned expression to Jack's. "Sam, Jack was just joking around. You know, how he is. Always fooling around with the guys."
The guys. Carter blinked as she realized she wasn't being judged here, actually, she was being pulled in to the group without any reservations.
"Jack, I told you this wasn't a good idea-" Daniel hedged hesitantly.
"Come on, Sam. Can't you take a joke?" Jack leaned forward now, his beer bottle forgotten. Even he wondered if he had taken it too far.
Carter looked at the ugliest boots she had ever seen; feeling oddly elated about them. Suppressing a grin, Carter looked at Daniel with what she hoped was a stern look. "You!" Carter pointed an accusing finger to Daniel who flinched. "That's why you wanted the dress, wasn't it? To get this color for these boots!"
"Um, actually I really wanted to take pictures of the dress, S-Sam. Jack caught up with me and insisted he had a great plan. I didn't-"
"If you need to blame someone, Captain Carter." Teal'c said solemnly, the ever present martyr, "I was the one who painted the boots."
"Yeah, after Jack asked you." Daniel pointed out.
"Thanks a lot, Daniel." Jack said sarcastically. He eyed his captain with a worried look.
The exchange warmed Carter and washed away any doubts she had before. But she kept her face stern as she picked up the boots with two fingers on its still damp laces. "I can't believe you guys did this. How could you?"
The three men exchanged worried looks with each other. Carter was trying very hard not to laugh, but the mirth wanted to bubble over. She waved the boots angrily over Jack. "Sir!" Carter deliberately switched back to the formal, smugly noting Jack's flinch. "I can't believe this! And you suggested this?"
"Well-" Jack started before Carter interrupted him.
"Besides-" Carter came closer to Jack.
Jack's eyebrow lifted at the word.
"This is a size eight. I wear a six!" With that, Carter pounced. She smeared the boots on Jack, who yelped as he realized the paint was not yet dry.
"Damn it, Carter! You had me worried there! Daniel! The goddamn boots are not dried yet!"
"I think blue is more your color, sir!" Carter finally stopped, laughing too hard to continue. She tossed the boots at Daniel, giggling as Daniel tried to dart away only to stumble over Teal'c. The alien picked Daniel up without a word.
"Jack." Jack grumbled, unable to hide the twinkle in his eyes, "Call me Jack, Samantha."
"Sam." Carter corrected the colonel as she accepted the beer
from Daniel with a relaxed grin. "You can call me Sam."
© 1998 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.