Squee!
by Suz suzvoy@tesco.net

Disclaimer - MGM/Gekko/Double Secret own them.

Set season seven. Spoilers for 'Unnatural Selection' and basic knowledge of season seven. Sam/Jack UST, suitable for all.

The title should give you a pretty good indicator of what kind of fic this is... ;) Silly and sappy. Feedback would be loved.

For the squee girls (and boy). You know who you are.

*

It was about thirty seconds after Cassie had said the 'word' that Sam's brain finally caught up with what she'd actually said.

"Wait, wait a minute," She said, interrupting what were probably a very long list of Dominic's many and various advantages. Truth be told, she'd start tuning them out after the first minute. Whether or not that made her a bad friend she wasn't sure, but the fact remained that even though Cassie was now a woman of eighteen, she could still be *incredibly* girly.

Case in point: this newfound word.

Cassie waited, not so patiently, obviously eager to continue praising The Wonder That Was Dominic, so Sam pressed right ahead.

"'Squee-worthy?'"

She arched an eyebrow as she spoke, amused. Right now the two of them were sitting in the living room of Janet's house, waiting for the others to arrive. Janet had decided she needed some decorating done, and had also decided that every member of SG-1 would be assisting her - even if they were foolish enough to believe they already had other plans.

"Sure," Cassie replied, frowning. "You've never heard that before?"

"Nooo." She was pretty sure she'd remember it. "What does it mean?"

"Well, it indicates that something cute, adorable, or really sweet has happened."

"Okay," Sam blinked, thinking that it was not actually in the least bit okay - mostly because she didn't understand it. Yet. "And how does the word 'squee' signify this? I mean, where did it come from?"

Cassie shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's the sound you make when that said cute, adorable or really sweet thing has happened."

Ahhhh. As enlightenment dawned, Sam grinned, teasing. "No, it's the sound *you* make when something cute, adorable or really sweet happens."

Rolling her eyes, Cassie flopped back further against the sofa. "Semantics!" Huh. It was like talking to a younger, female version of Colonel O'Neill.

She'd have to tell him that, someday.

"So what was it Dominic did that was so squee-?"

The doorbell rang.

Sam and Cassie both jumped to their feet, but were prevented from going any further when the very familiar voice of Janet 'I'm A Doctor And I *Will* Use That Against You' Fraiser echoed through the house.

"I'll get it!"

For someone who was so challenged by height, she had unbelievably powerful lungs.

Looking at each other, Sam and Cassie shrugged, smiled, and fell back onto their seats.

They listened closely as Janet's loud footsteps neared the front door (again, how were they loud? It was one of the many mysteries of her best friend that Sam suspected she was never going to solve); then heard the sounds of the door being unlocked, opened, and eventually Janet's voice at a normal volume.

"Colonel! Thanks for coming, sir. I appreciate it."

"Oh please," His voice retorted, getting closer as he no doubt stepped into the house. "You say that as if you didn't threaten me with that new super deluxe needle you have locked up in the infirmary marked 'Fraiser's Hands Only'."

She was utter sweetness and light as she responded, closing the door. "Please, make yourself at home."

He stepped into the living room a moment later, obviously ready to get working - wearing an old shirt, and a worn pair of jeans that had already had a run in with a paintbrush more than once.

But that wasn't what really drew her attention. No, it was that other thing he was wearing.

The Jacket.

The leather jacket.

His Leather Jacket.

The one that she hadn't seen for several years now.

Unbidden, some of Cassie's 'interesting' vocabulary jumped into her mind - only this wasn't really 'squee', so much as it was 'thud!'

She swore he wore that thing on purpose because he knew precisely what it did to her.

Still, she wasn't about to let some dead cow skin stop her. Sitting up straight, smiling (and completely ignoring the look Cassie was giving her), she welcomed him. "Hi sir."

He nodded at her, and then Cassie. "Carter. Cass."

Cassie was already up by the time he'd started saying her name, and in his arms a moment later. The girl...woman...had definitely grown up to be a hugger - and, admittedly, that was probably partly his doing. He was a pretty tactile guy.

And as Sam watched the hug, she couldn't help but feel an internal sigh, a feeling that was almost...

No. *Not* a squee. She refused to squee.

She was a theoretical astrophysicist, who'd saved Earth on more than one occasion, and taken down more System Lords than she could count.

She didn't squee.

It was only quick thinking on Sam's part that stopped an almost completely over the top reaction. Janet had offered to take the Colonel's jacket. Sam...hadn't reacted well.

Clearing her throat, she explained her reaction with "Janet, you were about to get drinks anyway, weren't you? I can handle the Colonel's jacket."

So that was why she found herself, just a short while later, alone in the hallway quite free to touch, feel and smell the jacket.

Hell, maybe she was more in love with *it* than she was with him. If only her life were that easy...

Standing just in front of the coat hooks, she lifted the jacket up to her nose and inhaled. Her toes almost curled. Ohhhh...

"Carter?"

She didn't freeze; didn't yell and turn around in surprise (though she'd very nearly done either one of those). Instead, under the pretence that she'd been lifting it up all along, she calmly hooked in onto the wall and turned back to face him. "Colonel?"

Yes. She had to stick to 'colonels' and 'sirs'. Very good idea. And concentrate on how really, that wasn't the most flattering outfit he'd ever worn (not that he had much fashion sense anyway. It was one of the things she found so cute-Must. Not. Squee).

"You okay?" He asked, looking concerned. "You seem a little...out of it."

He was worried. That was...nice, nothing but nice. Nothing at all. "I'm fine, sir. Maybe a little tired..."

"Ah, well *that's* understandable." He claimed, sticking both hands into his jean pockets. "Given the amount of time you work, I don't know how you get anything done off base."

The depressing answer to that was, she didn't. Not really. "That's where the Asgard and their time-dilation devices come in handy." She mocked whispered.

Damn. So much for 'colonels' and 'sirs'.

He grinned, but that faltered before long. "I mean it, though. And I know I tease you about it a lot but...you do work too hard."

"Sir, I really-"

"I worry about you."

Oh, that wasn't fair! He couldn't say things like that! Standing there in Janet's hallway, his hands shoved into his pockets, his head bowed down slightly, those dark eyes occasionally flicking up to make sure she was okay...

Oh...she was gonna...she was definitely gonna...

SQUE-

"Sam?"

Oh thank God!

Stepping around and away from him, she all but charged towards her friend. "Sure Janet, I'll give you a hand with those drinks!" It didn't matter than Janet had said nothing at all, and was quite capable of dealing with the drinks herself - all Sam knew was the relief (and maybe, the vague regret?) when she reached the kitchen.

Ah, sanctuary. The kitchen was her friend. Especially this kitchen, with freshly made coffee on the counter top.

Coffee. Sam decided that, right then, caffeine was a very good idea (logically it wasn't, but she was too busy trying not to squee to care much about logic).

Janet and the Colonel followed her into the kitchen, but that was okay. She could live with that. Any chance of squeeage would be considerably less with Janet around.

"Well!" Sam announced brightly (maybe too brightly. He wasn't wearing his trademark sunglasses for once, but judging by his expression it seemed evident that he wished he was) "Let's get these-"

The bell rang again.

"I'll get it!"

Sam winced even as a post-bellow Janet stampeded out of the room. She really had to stop doing that...

"Probably the guys." He said.

No doubt. As they were both still living on base, Teal'c and Daniel would be arriving together (though she'd wondered earlier who'd be driving - did your license get revoked when you ascended?).

Of course with Janet gone that meant it was just them...she looked down at what she was holding...and two mugs of coffee.

Suddenly inspired, she shoved one hand out towards him. "Drink?"

He frowned at her for a long, long time. "You *sure* you're all right?"

Damn, there was that tone of voice. That 'I'm worried but I'm trying not to be *too* worried just in case someone thinks we're at it like-'

"Fine." She eventually responded, having managed to sever *that* particular thought process. "Just in a strange mood." That was putting it mildly.

Seeming to accept that (finally), he smiled. "The world needs more strange moods."

"Sam? Jack? You in there?"

Daniel. So they definitely *had* arrived.

"Be right out!" The Colonel yelled back, before raising his eyebrows at her. "You know, you guys *could* have started covering the furniture before we got here."

She shrugged. "Hey, if you have any complaints take them up with the management. I'm just here to help."

"Ha!" He said, reaching out a hand to finally take that coffee cup from her...and he did something.

Sam wasn't entirely sure quite how he accomplished it - spontaneously grew an extra finger or two, maybe? - but as he took the mug his fingers brushed against hers.

Slowly.

Repeatedly.

Deliberately.

This was Cassie's fault. All of it.

He stared at her, really stared at her...and then his entire face transformed with a gorgeous, heart-melting, lop-sided grin.

Oh...

He was gone. His fingers, his hand pulled away, he'd turned towards the hallway...

Ohhh...

And she still stood there, gaping, and she wasn't going to, she was NOT going to and then she looked down at where her hand was still outstretched, imagined the grin still on his face and-

SQUEE!

Ah, dammit.

~FINIS

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