TITLE: The Art of Watching Hockey
AUTHOR: Allison West
SPOILERS: None.
SEQUEL: This story is the sequel to The Art of Shooting Pool. It is essential that you have read it first.
RATING: NC-17, S/J Romance, Graphic Sex.
SUMMARY: : After Sam loses a bet to Jack, she returns to his house to fulfil the terms...
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Here's the eagerly awaited sequel to "The Art of Shooting Pool". I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this story, but with Uni starting I've had less and less time to write. I just wanted to say thankyou to everyone who sent feedback. It was your encouragement that inspired me to write this. I didn't originally intend for this to be an NC17 story (I wanted to keep it simple), but I got talked into it by certain individuals. You know who you are. I hope it will live up to its expectations.


Jack's jeep pulled into the driveway of his house about twenty minutes after he and Sam had left O'Malley's. The drive had been relatively quiet, neither saying much as Jack concentrated on the road. It had been a long evening. Several games of pool coupled with behaviour that both of them should have been ashamed of had left them feeling rather tired and now a little bit uncomfortable in each others presence. Earlier that night Sam had seemed to have all the confidence in the world, strutting around the table in tight jeans and a spaghetti strap tank top that left nothing to the imagination. The way she played with Jack's mind to distract him from shots had been truly skilful. She remembered the shock she felt when she found out that he had played her from the beginning, pretending to be a hopeless pool player and then showing his true skill only at the end when the stakes were so high.

The bet, of course, had been somewhat lopsided. If she won he would have to take on her responsibility of taking a group of Tok'Ra who were visiting next week on a tour of the Base. If he won, she would have to go back to his place to watch the hockey game with him. The bet just seemed like there was more in it for her then there was for him. He didn't need to use a bet to get her to come over and watch hockey with him. They were friends and really all he had to do was invite her. She wondered why he hadn't bet something more worthwhile.

Aside from the fact that she hated watching sports of any kind, particularly hockey, the idea of spending the remainder of the evening at Jack's house wasn't an altogether unpleasant experience. Maybe, subconsciously, it was what she wanted all along. She should have sunk that last shot and won the game. Jack had distracted her prior to her shot by taking her in his arms and kissing her like she had never been kissed before, but the kiss alone should not have been enough to throw her off her game so much. It was still a relatively easy shot and one she knew she should have sunk.

Sam was pulled out of her internal musings by the sound of his voice. "We're here," Jack informed her as he turned the engine off.

They both got out of the car and walked up the stoop to his front door. Jack paused at the keyhole and turned to look at her as she stood beside him. The silence between them was eerie. He sensed that maybe she was feeling a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't often that she came to his house, and only ever in the company of Daniel and Teal'c. This was a bad idea he realised, especially after their behaviour this evening. If she came in he didn't know where things might lead. He found that thought exciting but also a little scary.

"You know Sam, you don't have to come in and watch if you really don't want to. I know how much you don't like watching sport and you must be tired. I can just take you home if you like", he said quietly but with was an air of tenderness and sincerity in his voice, and perhaps a little bit of self-reproach.

He was feeling guilty for making her go on with the bet after he'd stooped so low in an attempt to win. As much as he would like her to spend the rest of the night with him watching the hockey game, he had to admit it was late and even though they were on downtime he thought that maybe she would rather go home and go to bed. He was giving her a way out, to leave if she wanted to. They could just forget all that had happened tonight and how far they had taken things.

He had to admit that his motives for kissing her hadn't been totally innocent. He had wanted to kiss her all night. The way she had walked around the table and teased him with her body and her mind had driven him crazy. Kissing her had been the perfect way to throw her off her game and the perfect way to ease his yearning for her by feeling her lips against his, helpless to do anything about it. Even though he did feel a certain amount of guilt about kissing her he also remembered what she had said afterwards, that it hadn't been an 'altogether unpleasant experience'. That thought alone gave him a kind of hope. He didn't know what for, but it was there, no matter how small it seemed to be.

"No, I'm fine," she smiled. "Besides, I lost, so I owe it to you." Her smile put him at ease, as he put the key into the slot and opened the door, letting them into the house. Jack led her through into the living room, turning on some lights as he made his way through.

"Take a seat," he said as he went back into the foyer and removed his leather jacket, hanging it on the coat hook on the wall.

"Thanks," she said as she made herself comfortable on the couch.

"Can I get you something to drink?" he called from the hall.

"Ah, yeah that would be great," she replied.

He poked his head around the corner into the living room. "What would you like? Beer, wine, water, juice?" he asked her, smiling down at her.

"Umm, I think I'll just have a glass of water, if that's alright," she said. She had consumed more than her fair share of alcohol this evening, having had several beers at the restaurant. Maybe that was what had made her so confident earlier and now when it was wearing off she was feeling rather nervous and shy.

"Sure. I'll be right back," he said walking into the kitchen.

Sam was left alone in the living room. Her eyes drifted over the walls. She realised that this was the first time that she'd ever really looked around Jack's house. Sure she'd been in this room many times, but she'd never really looked at any of the belongings that filled the room. At closer examination much of the stuff told her a lot about Jack and what kind of person he was. There was the typical photos of military aircraft that covered the walls and the miniature models on one of the side tables, but there were other things too. Like the chess set that she had never noticed before, all packed away in an antique wooden box sitting under the coffee table, or the hockey trophies that sat on the mantle under a wall adorned with military commendations and medals. She'd also never noticed the pile of National Geographics that sat neatly in a box in the corner.

A large oak bookcase sat against the wall on the opposite side of the room, and she got up to take a closer look. She was surprised to find that it was filled with a large selection of both fiction and non-fiction books. She'd never really picked Jack for the reading type. Obviously she was wrong. She ran her smooth fingers over the titles. Most of them were action novels, authors like Matthew Reilly and Michael Crichton, but on the higher shelves she found a large collection of astronomy and fishing books. The astronomy books weren't a surprise, she knew he had a passion for the stars, she'd even had the pleasure of looking through the telescope he had up on the roof. Jack had invited them all around last year to watch the lunar eclipse. It was one of the single most beautiful things she'd ever seen in her life. The fishing books were also not much of a surprise, the way he always went on and on about his cabin in Minnesota and the Bass that grew 'this big'. The last book on the shelf however was a surprise. She recognised it immediately. It was a book on astrophysics, "Collected writings in Astrophysics: Exploring a New Universe". She was very familiar with the book. Taking it down from the shelf she noticed a page marker stuck to the top of one page. She opened the book at the marked page and looked at the title of the essay. "A Shortcut Across Space: Inter-dimensional Wormholes by S. Carter". It was an essay she had written several years ago before her research at the Pentagon had began. A time before she even knew that the Stargate existed. It was a speculative piece that she had written about her belief that the formation of wormholes through space was possible. She was surprised that Jack had a copy.

"It's an interesting read," Jack's voice penetrated her thoughts as she turned around to see him standing in the living room doorway.

"Yes, it certainly is," she smiled. "You never told me you had this."

"Yeah, well, I don't understand much of it," he laughed as he motioned for her to sit down. He placed her glass of water on the coffee table.

"I gave you ice but you have to promise to keep it in the glass this time." he joked. She laughed as she sat down on the couch, and placed the book gently in her lap.

"Yeah," she said, blushing slightly. "Sorry about that. I don't know where that idea came from."

"Yeah, well wherever it came from it worked," he admitted. Sam blushed again. She placed the book down on the coffee table and picked up her glass, taking a sip of the cool water.

"So when does the game start, sir?" she asked, placing her glass back on the table and looking over at him.

"Well firstly, it's Jack, as per stated rules of the bet, and secondly, the game should be on in, oh, about ten minutes," he said glancing at his watch. "You know Sam you're not going to regret this. It's going to be great. You really need to learn the art of watching hockey. It's such a great game," he said excitedly.

"I see you were also quite good at playing it," she said as she motioned to the trophies that stood on the mantle.

"Yeah, I was, until I did my knee in. It's a lot of fun too, Sam. Maybe I should teach you how to play it one day."

"Ah...I don't know how to skate," she told him shyly.

"What? Get out of town. You've never skated before?" he asked astounded. He thought there was nothing that the great Samantha Carter couldn't do.

"No," she said shyly, turning her eyes to the floor, an embarrassed smile gracing her lips.

"Well, we're gonna have to do something to change that. Even Teal'c knows how to skate."

"Teal'c knows how to skate?" she asked astonished.

"Yeah. Danny boy and I taught him last year. It was great." Sam laughed at the thought of Teal'c ice skating.

They were both becoming more relaxed. Their laughter made them both loosen up at bit. They were both feeling a lot more confident in each other's company than they had been earlier in the car ride home. Jack picked up the thin black remote and switched on the television. "So who's playing?" she asked him.

"Chicago and Washington," he said.

"I was born in Washington," she smiled, sitting up and suddenly becoming more interested in the game.

"Really? Cool. I was born in Chicago. Looks like our teams are gonna be going head to head then."

"Come on Washington," she cheered.

"I don't think so, Major. They haven't won a game in the last three months."

"Yeah, well, that's because they never had me barracking for them," she joked.

"Care to make a wager, Miss Carter?" Jack asked confidently . He saw it as another opportunity to get the upper hand on her.

"You're on, sir...I mean Jack," she corrected herself.

"So what's the bet?" Jack asked.

"Hmmm, how about the loser buys the winner dinner?" Sam suggested.

"Deal," Jack smiled.

Both of them knew deep down that it was a win-win situation . No matter who lost the bet, they still got to spend another evening in each other's company. Sam thought for a second about what that meant to her. If they continued to spend more time together, would things get harder to deal with? She decided to put the thought out of her mind for one day and just enjoy his company for a change. She was tired of worrying about the things she did and the way they interacted. Recently it had gotten to the point where it was becoming harder and harder to interact with each other without worrying about what someone else was thinking or how everybody else saw their relationship. The frustration of that pressure had gotten to her tonight, she knew that's why she had acted the way she did earlier. She'd been so carefree and it was fun. She had enjoyed herself. She realised that maybe their flirting had gone a bit too far occasionally, but she was really past the point of caring. She was just sick of being so careful all the time, and she had a feeling Jack was too.

They turned their attention back to the television where the replay of the game was starting. Sam curled her legs up underneath her and leaned back into the couch, getting comfortable. The teams came out onto the ice and the action began.

Jack's eyes kept turning towards Sam every now and then to make sure she wasn't getting too bored. As much as she professed that she hated hockey, she seemed to be enjoying the game, even clapping her hands and cheering when her team scored a goal. It was a very intense first half with both teams playing to their full potential. By the end of the first half Washington was only down by one point. As half time was signalled and the TV went to a commercial break Jack noticed that Sam shivered a little. She was still only wearing her blue tank top and hadn't brought a jacket with her.

"Hey, you want an sweater or something?" he asked her.

"Ah, yeah, if it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all," he said getting up and leaving the room. "I'll be right back." He went into his bedroom and opened the bottom drawer of the dresser. He searched through his sweaters pulling out a grey sloppy-joe. It was one of his favourites, a little old, but still nice and comfy. He took it back out to the lounge and threw it to her.

"Thanks," she said catching it and slipping it over her head.

As she adjusted the sweater and snuggled back into the couch, she paused. It hit her like a wave, she was suddenly bombarded with the scent of him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. His scent was emblazoned in the material. It was so strong and intoxicating. It made her insides melt and her body yearn for him. It was a smell that she knew well, a smell that was uniquely him. It was clean, rugged, strong and sexual. For a second she contemplated taking the sweater off, the smell was too distracting, but then decided against it. It was a small pleasure that she could enjoy and he didn't have to know about it. She smiled to herself and returned her attention back to the television. Jack looked at her sitting there in his old sweater, she looked so cute. The sweater was miles to too big for her.

"Better?" he asked her.

"Much. Thankyou," she said nervously, trying to sound calm. The effect his scent was having on her scenes made her voice a little shaky.

The second half was just as intense of as the first, with both teams putting up a hard game. The scores were even and there was a minute to go. Both Jack and Sam were on the edge of their seats with anticipation as to what would happen next. It happened quickly, the captain of the Washington team skated down the outside of the ring at a tremendous pace, side-skating past the opposition and hitting the puck straight down the middle of the ring and into the goal. A few seconds later, a little after 2AM, the buzzer sounded, giving Washington the game.

"Yes. Woo-Hoo. I won, I won...I won, I won, I won!" Sam giggled as she jumped around the room doing her 'victory dance'.

"God, and I thought I was one to gloat," Jack smiled as he watched her prance around the room.

"Hah, you owe me dinner," she said poking her tongue out at him.

"Right that's it," he said getting up. "I think you need to be taught a lesson."

He got up and started to chase her around the room. She ran away around the other side of the couch, blocking him. Jack made a move to climb over the couch to grab her but Sam anticipated the move and quickly scooted around the couch to the other side of the room. Jack ran after her. There really wasn't much space in the small living room and he soon closed in on her, trapping her in one the far corners of the room near the window. Any attempt she was planning to make to get away was effectively blocked and when he finally caught hold of her he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She wriggled trying to release herself from his grasp, but he had her firmly around the waist. He walked over to the couch and threw her down on her back. She was giggling as he sat on top of her, straddling her waist and began tickling her stomach. She was very ticklish and he knew it. He was extracting revenge for not only losing the bet on the game, but for all her antics at the pool table earlier in the evening.

"Stop...stop..." she tried to say between giggles, but he wouldn't. She was breathing hard, her stomach muscles tensing under his extreme torture. A broad grin crossed his lips as he continued to tickle her. He was laughing with her at her useless attempts to try and stop him. She was flapping her arms around everywhere, playfully hitting him in the chest trying to make him stop, but it was no use.

"C'mon Carter, you can do better than that. You're an Air Force officer, put a little muscle into it," he teased as he ducked at the hand that came straight at his face. She was laughing so hard that tears were starting well in her eyes. He managed to grab both her hands as she tried to hit him. He secured them above her head with one hand while his other continued to tickle her.

"Please...Jack...I give up, I give up," she pleaded with him through her laughter. "I surrender." Her breathing was erratic as she gulped for air.

"What are the magic words?" he asked her as he continued his torment.

"I don't know, please...just stop," she pleaded as she wiggled around trying to stop his fingers from dancing all across her belly.

"The magic words are 'Jack is a legend', now say that and I'll stop," he said with a grin.

"I am not saying that," she said through gritted teeth.

"Oh well, I guess I can't stop then," he teased as he tickled her even faster. Sam couldn't take anymore. She was longing for oxygen and her abdominal muscles felt like they were burning.

"Alright, Alright..." she said. "Jack is a legend." He released her arms and stopped tickling her, letting her take a long deep breath. Their laughter died down after a few moments as they both became aware of the position they were currently in. Jack was still sitting on top of Sam, straddling her waist. She suddenly became aware of the close proximity of their bodies, his weight bearing down upon her."Jack, I can't breathe," she said in a lame attempt to get him off her. His closeness was starting to make her lose control and who knew what might happen if they didn't get some space between them soon.

"Whoops, sorry," he said giving her a shy smile. He hadn't even realised the position that they were in until this moment. As he moved to get up off her his foot got caught in the pocket of space between the cushions of the couch. He stumbled, grabbing onto Sam for support. Instead he fell to the floor, taking her with him. They landed on the soft rug, Sam's body thrown forcefully on top of Jack. They both broke out in a fit of laughter. It was a miracle that neither of them were hurt. "Are you alright?" Jack asked from underneath her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she giggled. "Did you have to pull me with you though?"

"Sorry, but if I was gonna fall, you were coming with me," he joked. Their laughter slowly died away as they became aware of their position. All Jack could feel was Sam's firm body against his. It was making his thoughts hazy.

Sam looked down at him, his deep brown eyes connecting with her sapphire blue ones. A sudden urge that she seemed to have no control over caused her to bring hand up to cup his face. She caressed his cheek gently, running her fingers over his smooth skin. She could smell the subtle aroma of his aftershave. She brought her face down to his and gently kissed him upon the lips. It was gentle and sweet, slow and sensual. Jack was totally taken aback by her actions, surprised that it was her who had taken the initiative. He wasn't complaining though, the feel of her lips against his was magical, like a dream. When the kiss finally came to an end she looked at him, her eyes searching his. Then, as fast a lightning, he rolled her over onto her back, her body beneath his. Things started to heat up, and what had started out as a simple kiss soon became so much more. His mouth covered hers with a forcefulness that made the breath catch in her throat and she was unable to suppress the shivering sensation that travelled down her spine as his tongue explored the delicate surface of her mouth.

"I've been wanting to do that all night," he said.

"You already did remember," she smiled, as she recalled the power of his kiss from earlier in the evening. They both laughed and he leaned down and kissed her again. His kiss consumed her like a fire.

"God you're beautiful," he whispered against her neck. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips along her neck and along her collarbone. His kiss was a mixture of gentleness and ferocity that excited every fibre in her body. She wanted him, more than anything she'd ever wanted. She was rapidly becoming aware of the hardness of the wooden floor beneath her and thought that they should move the proceedings to somewhere a little more comfortable.

"Jack...bedroom," she whispered in his ear as her hand cradled his head.

"Huh? Oh sorry," Jack said as he became aware of the uncomfortableness of their position. She giggled as he hauled himself up off the floor, pulling her to her feet with him. She clung to him for support and he picked her up in his arms. She wound her arms around his neck as he carried her down the hall to his bedroom.

Gently he laid her down on the bed and knelt beside her, hands smoothing her hair as he touched her soft blond locks. The moon outside was a bright one. It bathed the room in a soft blue glow. She looked beautiful in the moonlight, she looked beautiful anywhere. He smiled slightly, before he bent his head and teased her lips apart. It was a kiss she could not end, could only accept as if drugged with the feel and taste of him. How right she felt in his arms when he kissed her like this. They both got swept away in the kiss and after what seemed like forever, he stopped kissing her and looked at her face.

"Sam," he said her name. "I don't want this just to be some one night thing that's just a..." he searched for the right words. "I don't know, just a release of sexual tension. I want this to be special...to mean something."

She loved him for saying that. This could easily turn into some passionate one night love affair; something that they put behind them when they returned to the real world. "It does mean something Jack," she told him earnestly, cradling his face in her palms. "It means everything."

Her words triggered a yearning deep in his heart. They meant so much. Never had he imagined that this would happen, that he would finally have her here in his arms and in his bed, after she had been so long in his heart. "I love you Sam," he smiled, brushing the hair away from her face.

"I love you Jack," she told him with one of her gorgeous smiles.

He kissed her lips, slowly and lovingly, wanting to imprint this moment in his memory forever. Time lost all meaning. She threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him down harder against her mouth, arching into him, her body pleading with his. He trailed kisses down her neck as his hand tugged at the bottom of the sweater she wore. Their lips broke for a second as he pulled the sweater over her head and threw it to the side. He touched her cheek, stroking her soft skin. His hand left her face to encircle her waist then slide up beneath her top. She felt his warm fingers caress her breast. They were hard and yet so gentle, cupping the fullness, his thumb tormenting the aching peak with soft, teasing strokes.

His hips nudged against hers, so obvious and yet so restrained. He began removing her top whilst she removed his tee-shirt. Things became more frantic as they tried to free themselves of the cloth barriers holding them apart. Once they had been fully stripped of their clothing, they enfolded themselves under the crisp white linen sheets and the warm covers of his bed. He held her in his arms as he lay above her. Through their closeness she could feel both their hearts beating simultaneously, fast and strong. They were both nervous, embarking on a new adventure that neither had ever imagined was possible. She could feel the fascinating pressure of his arousal against her thigh. Their hands roamed over each others bodies; tracing, touching, feeling. It felt like a dream. It was something so beautiful. They didn't have to hide their love from one another anymore. Their acknowledgment of their feelings had brought them to this point where they could finally communicate their love without words.

Their lips seeked each others with a fervour, their tongues wrestling and intertwining. Jack became so enthralled by the simple pleasure of kissing her, that it was only when Sam moaned a gentle, "Please Jack," that his mind returned to the present.

His first thrust made her clench her teeth to try and stop herself from grinding them together in frustration, it was so slow and careful. She wanted to urge him to move faster, deeper; she needed him so desperately. She urged him on with a movement of her hips. He started to thrust once more, swiftly, deeply, once, twice and then again. Just as she had started to pick up his rhythm, he slowed down again. She smiled to herself and looked into his eyes as he hovered above her. She knew what he was doing now. He was drawing out their pleasure so that they could enjoy this moment forever. She kissed his lips lovingly as he continued to thrust into her.

She held him, her arms tight around his shoulders as he continued to take them higher and higher. She loved the feel of him. This was Jack, the Jack she had wanted for so long, and now he was here, with her, his hard body moulded with hers. His pace quickened as their need became more insistent. She felt totally consumed by him as they were both pushed over the edge. She pressed her lips to his shoulder . Her nails dug into the flesh of his back as she cried out his name. Jack groaned softly whispering her name in her ear. As they collapsed together he wrapped her in his arms, cradling her against him as he rolled onto his side, holding her close through the night.

The morning sunlight streamed in through the window of Jack's bedroom, waking Sam from her sleep. She was still lying in Jack's arms as they had been the night before when sleep had finally claimed them. The first thing that she noticed was that he was already awake. He had been looking down at her, watching her sleep. "Morning," he said to her warmly.

"Good morning," she smiled, snuggling down into his arms.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked her.

"The best I've slept in a long time," she said placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

They lay there for a while just listening to each other breathe, when suddenly the telephone rang. Jack reached over and picked up the phone from the bedside table. "O'Neill," he said into the receiver.

"Hey, Jack, it's Daniel," the voice at the other end of the line said.

"Ah, hi Daniel," Jack said nervously. "What's up?"

"Oh nothin', I just wanted to know who won the game of pool last night?" Daniel asked.

Jack stopped for a moment and looked down at the woman that was lying in his arms, a beautiful smile on her face.

"We both won Daniel," he said contentedly. "We both won."

The End.