InsaneJournal

Who: Hale and Sam
When: Last week
Where: Local mall
What: Accidental meeting
Rating/Warning: Low/None
Status: Complete



Sam was extremely glad to be back in her own body once more and able to leave the house, which she had refused to do when she had been in Ianto’s body. It had felt strange and left her out of sorts for a couple of days after the switchback. But she had decided to head to the mall and was walking there now having just stopped off for a coffee.

Leaving the coffee shop she almost walked into somebody before noticing at the last minute and pulling up short, “Oh god, sorry about that. Totally my fault, I wasn’t looking at all” she said.

Hale had been too busy lost in his thoughts about his job and the case file that had landed in front of him the day before to pay much attention to what was going on around him and as rude as it was he didn’t even realize he’d almost been bumped into he heard the woman speaking. He came to a stop just past her and turned as he gave her a rather embarrassed smile. “I wasn’t paying attention either. Are you okay?” he asked.

“Fine” Sam said as she smiled at the man in response, “I’m just glad I didn’t actually end up walking into you. I think I may have disturbed your contemplation though”

“No offense but I’ve been hit by worse things ma’am,” Hale told her with a soft chuckle. “Sorry, what I’m trying to say is it wouldn’t have bothered me if you had. I was just thinking about work. I should be thanking you for interrupting those thoughts to be honest.”

"Oh well thank you" she smiled in return, "I'm glad I could save you from those thoughts of work then. I have to admit I've been in that position myself before"

“I can believe that ma’am. I’m sorry, I forgot my manners. I’m Hale Santiago,” he told her, extending his hand to her, the bottom of his army insignia tattoo visible at the hem of his shirt sleeve.

“Pleased to meet you, I’m Samantha Carter. Please call me Sam” she shook his hand and her eyes flicked to the tattoo, “Are you still serving?” she asked, “If you don’t mind me asking”

“Nice to meet you Sam,” he told her a warm smile spreading over his face at her question. “I don’t mind you asking. I got out of the army a few years ago and while I don’t miss it really, I don’t regret my time either. Helped me go to college after I served.”

“You too” Sam replied with an understanding smile, “My father and brother are still serving. My father was always disappointed I didn’t follow in their footsteps” she admitted, “But I followed a different path”

“They sound like brave men,” Hale told her. “And I understand about father’s being disappointed. Mine was when he found out I enlisted,” he told her honestly. He’d never made a secret about the fact that his relationship with his father wasn’t a good one. Not with his friends and he didn’t see any reason to with someone he’d just met. Especially not someone who most likely didn’t know the older man. “There’s nothing wrong with following a different path as far as I’m concerned. I’m still doing that and it’s the right one for me” he said looking her in the eye. “What did you decide to do? If you don’t mind me asking,” he said with a teasing grin.

“They are” she nodded, “As are you. It’s a brave thing to enlist against a parents wish. It seems that following our own paths is working out well for both of us” she smiled, “I currently teach at UC Irvine, physics, astronomy and astrophysics”

“Thank you ma’am. I was lucky to have my mama’s support on the decision. It probably would have changed my mind if she didn’t approve,” he told her. “I thought my degree was impressive,” he added after giving out a low whistle when he heard the courses she taught. “I’d be willing to bet that your dad is real proud of you. I know enough to know those aren’t easy subjects.”

Sam nodded, “It’s nice to have at least one person on your side” she smiled then laughed softly, “I think so. I’ve always been a bit of a numbers geek and I just find the whole area fascinating. There’s so much to be discovered. What degree do you hold?”

Hale grinned at her. “I never did all that well with numbers but people I get. I got a degree in criminal psychology. Comes in real handy with my job.”

“See people I struggle with. I don’t have an overabundance of social skills” she told him, self deprecating maybe but also the truth. “Are you in law enforcement now?”

There was the question that Hale loved to get asked for some reason that he still couldn’t pinpoint. If he was in law enforcement now. “Yeah I am. I went to work for the FBI and they assigned me out here and partnered me up with an old friend of mine so that could contribute to the fact that I love my job so much. I got to come back home and work with my best friend. Win-win I think”

“Definitely a win-win” Sam nodded, “My best friend teaches at the same campus as I do. It’s nice to work with someone you get along with, I imagine that’s especially true in a job like yours”

Hale grinned at her. “I think so. I trust him with my life too. Plus, always somebody to eat lunch with,” he said, the fact he was joking obvious in his tone.

Sam laughed, “Donuts right? Or is that solely reserved for normal cops?” she teased.

Hale laughed with her in response to her teasing. “Oh no Sam, donuts are breakfast. For lunch we get fritters. Unless we decide to be really unhealthy and get burgers or something someplace,” he told her once he stopped laughing. Lunch with Dyson happened on the days he didn’t have plans with Tink, the two of them had pretty much fallen back into their high school rhythm with each other of just hanging out when they could.

“Ah of course, I should have known” she nodded with a grin, she liked Hale he seemed like a pretty easy going and nice guy.

“Just don’t forget in the future,” he told her, teasing her just a little bit more. He liked talking with Sam she seemed friendly and nice. And okay, a little bit intimidating with all of those degrees, but she didn’t seem the sort to hold her intelligence and education over someone. Or at least she hadn’t held it over his head. His cell phone alarm started going off and he pulled it out and looked at the time. “It was nice talking with you Sam but that alarm was to remind me of a meeting I’m supposed to be at right now actually. I hope to see you again only this time without us nearly colliding,” he told her sliding his phone back into his pocket.

“I’ll try to remember” she grinned. Checking her phone when his alarm went off she realised she really should be getting on too, “Then I will hold you up no longer” she told him, “It was nice to meet you and I look forward to our next non-collision encounter”

Hale gave her one last smile before turning to walk away from her, stopping after a few steps to turn around and wave as he called “Later Sam.” It was the same goodbye he’d have thrown at any of his friends, nothing solid or committal but leaving it open for another run-in. He didn’t make a lot of plans in his line of work, preferring to leave things just casual.