Title: Desperate Measures
Author: Christina A
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing: None, though Jonas wants Jonas/Sam
Characters: Jonas Quinn and Samantha Carter
Category: UST, Het
Warning: None
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Samantha Carter nor Jonas Quinn. MGM and Cooper and co do!
Summary: Jonas learns that the phrase regarding desperate times and desperate measures is very true.
Desperate Measures
by Christina A
Jonas had heard the Earth saying ‘Desperate times called for desperate measures’ so many times he’d literally lost count. It was, however, one cliché that he could completely understand. Mostly he put it into effect in the field. Diving into that water-filled section of Anubis’s ship to reactivate the shield was desperate, and he’d been far more desperate since. Although all things being even, he hadn’t been quite so desperate as when he had the vision about Sam dying.
He thought he’d done the right thing in telling the general to have her stay behind. In the end, that had been what caused her accident in the first place. His reaction had been on several levels. Mostly there was guilt because of his actions. But he cared about her too… far more than he’d been willing to admit. She was his friend. She was the first of the Tau’ri to open up to him. He wasn’t sure he could ever repay her for that… or even let her know how he felt. Actually, the biggest dilemma for him was figuring out how to go about any of it should he decide to.
That’s why, right now, he was sitting at a power junction box dutifully handing Siler some tools when he asked. “You want to learn how to ride a motorcycle?” Siler questioned, not looking up from his work.
“Yeah. So you’ll teach me, right?” Other than Sam, the only active ‘motorhead’, as Colonel O’Neill put it, was Siler, at least as far as Jonas knew.
“Well why not ask Major Carter to show you?” Siler stopped working and turned curious eyes to the Kelownan.
“Oh… well…” He shrugged. “I just want to surprise her, that’s all.”
Curious eyes narrowed a bit in suspicion. “You want to be a cool rider, huh?” Siler attempted to tease, even though the joke would be completely lost on Jonas. “Okay, sure. Why not?”
Jonas smiled widely and nearly dropped the wrench he was holding. “Great. Thanks.”
“No problem. But you do HAVE a bike, don’t you?”
Jonas felt confusion, fear, stupidity, and panic all in the span of a millisecond. Jumping up, he did drop the wrench this time. How the heck was he going to get a bike? Not that he wasn’t being paid well. He had a driver’s license and all but getting a bike…
He just knew he was going to have to talk to the colonel about buying one. There would be questions and the inevitable teasing. He’d just have to suck it up. What he was doing was important.
*-*-*
He wasn’t sure, but Jonas imagined that the colonel’s laughter could be heard through the corridors. He didn’t care, though. These were desperate times.
When the laughter faded, Jack managed to speak, though the words were broken up because of his breathlessness. “Wait… Jonas… I’m sorry, but did you just say… you want ME to help you buy a… a motorcycle.”
“Honestly, Colonel, I don’t see what’s so funny.”
“You wouldn’t. A motorcycle, huh?”
“That’s what I said, Sir. I want one and figured… well…”
“Why don’t you ask Carter? She’d the motorhead.”
Jonas inhaled deeply. “I… well… I want… to uh…”
Jack lifted his hand and nodded. “Don’t hurt yourself. I get it.” Standing, he moved around the desk and waved for Jonas to follow. “Well, c’mon. I’m done here… and now’s as good a time as any.”
Gratefully following, Jonas realized the colonel had been much easier on him than he figured. The fact scared Jonas somewhat because more than likely that meant the colonel was up to something… the question was… What?
*-*-*
Siler looked over the bike and whistled low. “Nice ride, Jonas.”
“Yeah? Colonel O’Neill helped me pick it out. He negotiated what he called a ‘sweet deal’ for me.” Jonas looked over the Harley with pride. “So, you gonna teach me?”
“Oh yeah. But you owe me a spin on this bike. Very nice.”
Jonas nodded and the two set out to sharing all the knowledge Siler had on riding motorcycles. Jonas was his usual self and learned quickly… at least the mechanical aspect. The art and finesse portion took a few more days to iron out, and Siler learned a new level of patience. More than once he commented that Jonas was either going to dump the bike or take off too fast, pull a wheelie, and fall off the back of the bike.
But Jonas’ determination won out and he mastered the motorcycle. It only took a week and by the end, he had a shiny new motorcycle license and took Siler out to lunch to celebrate.
“So, what do you plan to do now?” Siler asked, taking a big bite of his cheeseburger.
“Got some downtime coming. All of SG-1 does. I talked to General Hammond about leaving base for it, but he said only if Sam or the colonel go.”
“So you chose Major Carter, good choice.”
Jonas nodded. “I thought so too. Maybe I’ll invite her on a bike trip. I hear those are fun.”
“They are. But you sure she doesn’t have any other plans?”
“Um…” Jonas thought about it for a moment, trying to reign in his worry. “You think she may have plans?”
Siler shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”
*-*-*
From the look on her face, Jonas was the last person Sam Carter expected to see at her door. The look of shock changed to pleasant surprise.
“Jonas, come in. How did you get permission…”
“General Hammond agreed only if I rode directly here.” He smiled and stepped inside. He tried to contain his excitement and curiosity at being inside her house. He was in her home and was about to ask her out… at least that was what Siler called it.
Sam led him toward the kitchen but stopped abruptly. “Rode? Jonas, I think you meant drove, but I didn’t see a car.”
“Didn’t drive one.”
“Alright, now I’m confused. How did you get here?”
Jonas beamed and stood a bit straighter. “My Harley.”
“You?” Sam questioned. Her smile grew to match his. “You have a Harley?”
“Oh yeah. See, the colonel took me to a dealer and helped me get a great deal. Siler taught me how to ride.”
“Oh,” she did a lousy job of hiding her disappointment, “I would have taught you.”
“I know. But if you did, then I couldn’t surprise you.”
That comment made her smile. They finally made their way into the kitchen, and Sam served them both a mug of coffee. “Surprise me? Why?”
Jonas shrugged and reminded himself… desperate times… “Because, Sam, you’re my friend. You were the first person to be my friend. You gave me a chance when no one else would. I just thought… well… it might be fun…”
She didn’t interrupt him, though she had to fight the urge. It meant so much that he’d done this just to have something outside of the SGC that they could share.
“How about a bike trip?” Jonas finally spit out.
“I’d love it,” she answered quickly. There were a lot worse things a girl could do besides take a bike trip with a good-looking guy. “Where are we going?”
Jonas shrugged. “Not sure. I figured I’d see if you wanted to go and then we’d decide where.”
Sam gave him a big smile. “I like that.” She grabbed up the maps and spread them on the counter. “Okay, so we have a week…”
As they set out to plan their vacation, Jonas realized that cliché was true. Desperate times called for desperate measures. The feelings he had for Sam may go unrequited, or he could get lucky and they’d be reciprocated one day. One thing was for sure, he was going to enjoy this trip. His surprise had worked, and he could tell that she was impressed that he learned to ride in order to spend time with her. He hadn’t ever thought he’d be a motorhead, but he learned for her and found he enjoyed it. Desperate measures could turn in to the most pleasant of surprises. The smile on Samantha Carter’s face made it all worthwhile.
Tags: character driven, het, jonas quinn, rating: pg, sam carter, ust