Stuffed Toy?

By: Dee

Response to Opening Sentence Challenge. Read and Enjoy!

A/N I'm stuck on what to do next for my WIP "For Granted", so therefore, I'm forced to leave it be and write something else. Gotta keep the creative juices flowing.

"I wonder why Calvin is the only one to see Hobbes as more than a stuffed toy?" Sam mused aloud.

Jack turned to look at her. "Carter?"

Sam looked at him and blushed a deep red. She apologized to Gen. Hammond, who looked dumbfounded.

"Uh, did you change bodies with Jack?" Daniel asked.

Sam blushed even deeper. "No, I was just remembering something he'd said to me." When nobody talked Sam realized they were waiting for her to explain. "We were shopping for Cassie's birthday. He had no idea what to get her, so I went with him. He suggested a comic book; I told him she'd like something more along the lines of clothes. Then he asked the question about Calvin, and I blew it off. But its been bugging me ever since."

Jack stared at Sam as if she'd grown another head. "Are you saying that during this briefing your mind wandered?"

Sam connected eyes with Jack again. "I guess it was because Calvin had such an imagination. Other kids have invisible friends, Calvin's was the same, only in the form of a stuffed animal."

"Maj. Carter, are you feeling alright?" Gen. Hammond asked.

"Perhaps she is hallucinating." Teal'c offered.

"I'm not hallucinating. I'm fine." She sighed. "I'm sorry, please go on General."

Jack shook his head. "No way. There's a reason your mind just brought that up from three months ago. You do not wander, especially during briefings. I think we should follow this tangent."

"Colonel, it's a comic book."

"No, I think he's right Gen. Hammond. Sam's mind brought it up for a reason."

Sam, still red from her earlier embarrassment locked eyes with Jack. "I don't think so Sir."

"Why not give it a try?" Jack asked.

Gen. Hammond gave Sam a nod. She sighed again, then went back to her previous thoughts. "What if Bill Watterson was trying to tell us something?"

"Like what? That stuffed animals really do come to life?" Jack shook his head.

"Sounds more like a horror story to me." Daniel added.

"No…maybe he was trying to tell us to open our minds. To see more then what was right in front of us."

"To dig deeper?" Daniel suggested.

Sam nodded. "Exactly. Don't take things as they seem."

"The question then becomes 'What does that have to do with this mission?'" Jack asked.

"Perhaps it is a warning."

"Teal'c might be on to something."

Gen. Hammond sat back in his chair and watched SG-1 figure out a hidden message in a comic book. He was amazed at how well the team worked together. Perhaps any team who had been through what they had gone through would be the same, but the General had a feeling that this team was special in that respect.

"Is there something on the planet that seems natural, only it doesn't quite fit?" Daniel asked.

Sam shook her head. "Nothing seemed odd there Daniel."

"We're going back why?" Jack asked, still unsure of the specialness of the planet.

"To study the ruins more." Daniel quickly answered.

"The ruins. Always the ruins. Can't we find something else?" Jack practically whined.

"That's it!" Sam shouted. "The ruins aren't just ruins! We have to 'dig deeper'."

Gen. Hammond smiled. "Then get to it. You are dismissed." They all stood up and headed to the 'Gate room.

Jack whispered to Sam as he swept past her, "Maybe Calvin and Hobbes wasn't about the kid and his tiger, but about the parents who had to deal with them." Jack caught up to Daniel.

"Hey Jack, when we get there, will you please not whine if it takes me longer then five minutes to find what is beyond the ruins?" Daniel asked when Jack came up to him.

Sam smiled to herself. The question then becomes, who represents the parents, and who represents the kid and his tiger?

That's it folks. I've really no intention to further this. Just a quick one-shot about the team.