Christmas time ...
Christmas Time ...
by Slida
TITLE: Christmas Time ...
AUTHOR:Slida
EMAIL: slida_sg1@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: A bit of Christmas Fluff
SPOILERS: Tok'Ra Parts 1 and 2
SEASON / SEQUEL:
RATING: Hmm I sincerely don't know. NC-13 perhaps???
STATUS: New, Complete
DATE: 10/12/98
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack archive & Heliopolis
CONTENT WARNINGS:
SUMMARY:
DISCLAIMER: I do not own or have the rights to use and abuse the characters like this (big grin) I do so purely for entertainment value while holding a deep and utter respect for those that DO own the rights to use and abuse the characters like this :) I make no money from this.. *sigh* More's the pity!!
Thanks to MGM and Gekko..
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure which list started the Christmas theme now.. but I had a spare day to kill.. so I thought I'd just see where this took me. I hope you like it. It's Sam and Jack.. but really.. I foucus on ALL the characters..
"Incoming Traveler," the voice boomed through the speakers. The uniformed soldiers in the gate room readied their weapons, but no one was expecting trouble, it was merely precaution.
Colonel Jack O'Neill stood in the Briefing room alongside of Captain Samantha Carter. He looked down at Sam's hands, held in front of her. She was wringing them together tightly. Flicking his eyes to her face, he saw the desperate look of expectation in her eyes, then he turned his gaze to the newly formed event horizon within the ring in the Gate room below.
A man, tall, almost bald, with a face showing years of wear and tear, laughter and heartache, stepped through the ring and onto the ramp. For a brief moment, his eyes glowed.
"Dad," Sam ran from the room now. Jack turned to see her disappear out of the room then he waited and within moments, she was running up the ramp, throwing her arms around her father joyfully.
"Hey there Sam," General Jacob Carter greeted his daughter with a big smile. His Goa'uld - Selmak - lay dormant, respecting that this visit was for 'his kid'. After all. It *was* Christmas.
"Oh Dad," she cried happily, "It's so good to see you!" She gripped him tighter. For years she couldn't tell him how she felt, but since the blending, he was a changed man, literally and figuratively. As Jake had said to Sam at the time, "she might sand of some of the rough edges ... it might be a good thing." Sam noticed the changes on the very first visit. He was more open, more approachable. More willing to let her be his daughter and not a soldier when she was with him.
Jake released the tight grip on his daughter's waist now and she stepped back from his arms, wiping tears of happiness from her cheek. He cupped her face in his large hand and smiled warmly at her, before diverting his eyes over her shoulder.
"Jack," he held his hand out now and Sam turned to see her laconic Colonel standing behind her; hands, as usual, in his fatigue pockets.
"Jake," he stretched his hand forth and shook the older man's firmly.
"Been looking after my little girl?" Jake quipped as he stood, arm around Sam's shoulders, looking down at his daughter. Sam rolled her eyes. Jack noticed that then looked at Jake.
"Sam pretty much takes care of herself really," he smiled. Sam tilted her head. That was a compliment, she realised.
Jake looked at his pretty daughter then rubbed her shoulder.
"Well cant blame a father for trying, now can you?" he clipped her under the chin with his other hand. Jack and Sam both frowned slightly at that comment but neither said anything.
Hammond stepped up to the threesome on the ramp.
"George!" Jake released his daughter and greeted his old friend.
"Jacob, good to see you! How's it been going?" Hammond asked. Jake looked over his shoulder at Sam, who now had stepped inline with Jack next to her, and the small group left the gate room.
"Sorry about that," Sam whispered under her breath as they walked behind the animated couple infront of them. Jake was retelling a story and if there was one impression Sam was left with from her childhood, that was - Jake liked to tell stories. Lived them, in fact.
"That's okay, Carter, no harm done," Jack shrugged.
Sam still blushed a slight pink colour though as they walked the rest of the way in silence to the mess hall, where they were celebrating Christmas Eve on the base. Jake had gained special permission to stay with his daughter for the next 2 days. It was going to be their best Christmas ever.
The Mess hall was rowdy and full of people. A sea of green bodies moving and swaying to the music that boomed from the speakers. Jack cringed as he entered the room.
Covering his ears he turned to Sam.
"Who chose this awful music?" he yelled.
Sam laughed, "Not too sure, Sir, but it sounds like something that Daniel would listen to."
Jack rolled his eyes. He should have known.
"Where's the traditional Christmas carols?" he muttered.
Almost on cue, Daniel appeared before them, foam cups in hand and a big grin across his face.
"Hey there! Did your Dad arrive yet Sam?" he handed them each a cup.
Sam nodded and pointed over to her father in the corner, still talking with Hammond. Daniel turned and gave her a warm smile. Of all the people, Sam knew Daniel understood how important this visit - this Christmas - was going to be for her.
Jack frowned as he looked down into the cup in his hand then eyed Daniel skeptically, who laughed as he watched the Colonel sniff his drink.
"What? Jack, it's just punch!" he shrugged.
Jack looked at Sam who gave a little shrug before taking a sip.
"OH, it's yummy," she nodded.
On her recommendation, Jack re-sniffed the drink then took a sip. As she had described, it was yummy.
"See!" Daniel said with a little jut of his chin towards Jack, "I made it myself," he bounced on the spot as his blue eyes darted back and forth between his two friends. He looked very proud of his achievement.
Sam finished her cup full and nodded as she reached behind her to discard the cup onto the table. "It's very nice Daniel. Remind me to get the recipe."
He gave a deep, throaty laugh now as he shook his head. "Ummm, I don't think I could reproduce it," he managed to say before a pretty blond female officer came by and, grabbing his right hand, dragged him into the conga-line. Daniel protested all the way, making Jack and Sam both laugh now.
"Remind me Sam, how did Daniel get to be head of preparations for this thing?" Jack asked, shaking his head as he watched his young friend trying to talk his way out of the conga-line shuffle.
"I think he needed something to do," she shrugged.
Jack raised a brow. "What like going to different worlds, discovering new and interesting people, places and things, just wasn't *enough* for him?" he finished with his typical shrug.
Sam scratched her brow with her thumb nail then looked at Jack.
"Actually, I think he's pretty lonely over Christmas usually. Without Sha're.." she watched their sandy haired friend talking with a group of people now. Obviously what ever he'd said to get himself off that conga-line had worked. Sometimes it must be handy to be a linguist.. she mused.
Jack's head bowed as he watched himself swirl the contents of his cup now.
Sam looked at him then bit her lips together. "I'm sorry, Jack," she shook her head, annoyed at her own insensitivity. He shrugged without a word then drained the cup of it's contents. His eyes caught hers as he hand went around her back to drop the cup onto the table behind her. He saw it in her eyes. She really was sorry.
"Forget it Sam," he shrugged, getting back to being his flippant self again. Sam was sorry she missed the moment of reaching out to the serious side of Jack.
Suddenly Jack's head tilted as he stared up at something over her shoulder. Sam didn't have time to even turn to follow his gaze before Daniel came running up to them frantically.
"Quick Jack, help me!"
Jack took off even before Daniel had finished the sentence. Sam swiveled on the spot to see Teal'c, hanging upside down by his knees, off one of the pipes that ran suspended off the ceiling across the mess hall,. Her eyes widened. What was he doing?
Daniel and Jack stood beneath him now, trying to talk him down. Sam quickly ran over to them.
"Teal'c!" Daniel held his hands up to the now swinging alien, who was laughing hysterically.
"Daniel? What the hell happened?" Jack grabbed a chair and dragged it under the large alien now.
Daniel, flustered and unable to speak, waved his hands then shrugged.
"I have no idea!" he blurted out finally.
Jack rolled his eyes as he stepped up onto the chair.
"Teal'c, now look, you cannot go around swinging on anything that takes your fancy!" he said, trying to stop the rhythm of the swinging.
Sam stood looking up as Daniel climbed onto another chair on the other side of Teal'c.
"This is fun, O'Neill!" Teal'c laughed loudly as he rocked.
Daniel tried to turn upside down so that he could talk with Teal'c.
"Hey there!" he smiled.
"Daniel Jackson. You throw a great party!" Teal'c's deep laughter filled the room. Daniel's eyes flicked up to see Jack's slightly amused expression and then the two men laughed loudly as well.
"Yeah, well, it might look better if you were on the ground," Daniel muttered, sure that the blood would have rushed to Teal'c's head by now.
"Come on, big guy," Jack patted the Jaffa's thigh now. "You've gotto get down.."
".. or all the guest will want to come up here, and then it would be *just* bedlam!" Daniel said so dryly that Jack caught the laugh in the back of his throat.
Sam felt someone step in next to her.
"This is my fault."
She shifted her eyes to see Tom, the grey headed technician from the Gate room.
"Why?' she asked, leveling her eyes on him now.
"I was in the designated smoking area having a cigarette and he.. well.. he asked to try some.."
Sam rolled her eyes.
"Guys," she called up to them. Both Daniel and Jack looked at her.
"He's had a cigarette ... " she shrugged, then quickly looked at the Technician. "It *was* only a cigarette, wasn't it?" she frowned.
His eyes grew large. "OH, God! yes!" he nodded. She gave a quick nod then looked back at her friends.
"Okay," Jack nodded. "Now that we know that ... " he looked over at Daniel.
"Come on," Daniel patted his dark friend's shoulder now. "Get down now."
"But I do not wish to get down," Teal'c said stubbornly. Daniel rolled his eyes.
"What if we let you have another one?" Jack asked.
Daniel did his familiar stammer-growl, "Whoa ... ?" as his blue eyes grew wide in question, "Jack?!"
Jack crinkled his face as he nodded, letting Daniel know he knew what he was doing.
"There are more?" Teal'c asked, suddenly interested.
"Well, yeah," Daniel mumbled, then couldn't resist adding, "unfortunately!"
Jack rolled his eyes at him. This was no time for his moralizing.
"Anyone here got a smoke?" Jack called to the sea of faces now watching them.
Suddenly the room was full of hands in the air, holding up little white sticks.
Teal'c's eyes widened. Quickly he gripped the pipe, and then flicked himself over, landing onto his feet with a thunderous thump, then standing up straight.
As he had kicked his feet over, he'd accidentally hit Jack, knocking him off balance. Jack lost his footing on the chair and suddenly fell sideways.
"Jack!" Sam reached out and grabbed him, both of them falling to the floor in a heap.
Daniel looked down.
"Jack, you okay?" he asked, getting off the chair the more traditional way, by stepping down.
Jack looked over his shoulder to Sam pinned beneath him.
"Yeah, Sam broke my fall ... " he muttered, thumbing over his shoulder at her.
"You okay, Sam?" Daniel stood over them and tilted his head to look at her.
"I'm fine. Jack get off me!" she pushed the man off her.
"I was getting off!" he said, in feigned indignity, then as he stood he looked directly into the smiling eyes of Jake.
"You two having fun yet?" the older man asked, as he held his hand out to help his daughter up. Sam rolled her eyes. Of all the things for her father to witness!
"Drop it Dad," she muttered under her breath.
Jack straightened the neck of his top now. "I've always considered myself quite a catch, actually," he said, ignoring the audible groans from both Sam and Daniel behind him.
The General laughed. He liked Jack. He thought Jack was probably a good person for his daughter to get to know better. And somehow, Jack had sensed this too.
Jake patted Sam's back lightly then headed back to the table where he was sitting with Hammond and a few other high Ranked Officers.
Suddenly the music started up again and the party resumed.
Jack reached out and patted Daniel's shoulder as he sighed sarcastically, "Great party!'
"Well, who'd know Teal'c would react to plain smokes like we do to alcohol..?" Daniel shrugged, pouting ever so slightly as he crossed his arms over his body.
"They were plain cigarettes, weren't they?" Jack adjusted his shoulder. Sam nodded.
"Yeah, I asked him that."
Jack looked around them. "So .... where is Teal'c?"
Daniel looked around, then back at Jack as his eyes widened.
"Oh.. no!" he took off. Jack frowned.
"No one would have be stupid enough to actually *give* Teal'c another cigarette," he wondered, "would they?" he looked at Sam, who shrugged.
She headed over to the drinks table. Jack, walking behind her, noticed the dust that clung to the back of pants, running from her thigh to her shoulder. Great, the floor of the mess hall was dusty. He should speak to the head of preparations about that!
"Ahh, Sam," he caught up to her, then nodded to a quiet corner. She frowned as she followed him.
"Yes?"
"You've got dust.." he pointed to the back of her. She looked over her shoulder and then started dusting herself off.
"Here, let me," he brushed her back lightly. "It's the least I could do. Thanks for catching me."
"No problem Jack. Isn't that what being friends is all about? Being there to pick each other up?" she joked, punching him lightly in the arm, before turning away from him.
Jack laughed. "Oh, absolutely!" he said with a lightly wallop to her bottom.
Sam jumped then turned and looked at him, her blue eyes opened wide.
"Dust." He shrugged nonchalantly. Sam eyed him cautiously then turned back around for him to finish the job.
Jack's hand hesitated over her flat rump. Screwing his nose up in a brief smile, he decided to just enjoy the next bit. He rubbed the dust from her bottom then moved down her thighs.
Sam turned to him again.
"What?" he straightened up.
Her mouth opened to say something then snapped closed again.
"Sam?" he had a slight teasing tone to his voice.
She shook her head then turned back around. Another quick flick and she was dustless again.
"There you go!" he announced. She looked at him.
"Thanks, Jack," she smiled.
"Not only there to pick each other up, but to dust each other off again. Eh, Captain?"
Sam's mouth turned down as she shrugged. "Something like that, Colonel," she added his rank pointedly.
Daniel rejoined them.
"And Teal'C is .... where?" Jack's eyes narrowed as he scanned the room.
"Sleeping it off back in his quarters," Daniel looked puffed as he removed his glasses to wipe at his eyes, before replacing them in their proper position. Blinking to adjust to the magnification again, he placed his hands on his hips and swung to look at Jack. "He was out of it in the corner over there," he lifted his hand and pointed to the far side of the room. "So I carried him back to his room."
Daniel gave out a deep sigh then looked around at the party-goers, all still enjoying themselves.
"You carried him back to his room?" Jack sounded more than surprised. Daniel frowned.
"Yeah, why?"
"On your own?" Jack shrugged.
He couldn't tell Daniel that he thought he was too wimpy to lift such a big Jaffa.
"Without any help?" Jack asked after a moment of silence.
Daniel frowned. "Yes, without help. Jack, what are you getting at?'
Jack shrugged again. Sam watched the interaction between her team mates then saw Daniel's brow furrow.
"You think I'm weak!" he snapped
"No, I don't, Danny boy!"
"And," Daniel waved his hand at Jack as he screwed up his face. "Don't call me Danny boy!'
"Oh?" Jack lifted his brow.
"Yeah. Jack, it's Christmas," he said with a hint of a playful whine in his voice now, "You wanna give me a gift? Give me that! Don't call me Danny boy anymore! Okay?"
Jack nodded and understood that through the humour, there was a hint of seriousness. One that he needed to respect - for Daniel's sake.
"Okay," he promised. Daniel nodded and started to move away. "Space Monkey," Jack called after him. Daniel froze in mid-step.
Sam chortled then dipped her head so that Daniel couldn't see her laughing. Daniel pushed his glasses back into place on his nose then licked his lips quickly as he stepped up to Jack, chin to chin now.
"Jack.." he said.
Jack lifted a brow, the humour evident in both men's faces.
"Daniel?" Jack mimicked him as they stared at each other a moment.
"Merry Christmas!" Daniel laughed. Jack laughed and hugged his friend to him.
"Merry Christmas, Danny!"
They patted each other's back and then Daniel rejoined the party again.
Sam looked at Jack now, clearly amused by the two friend's interaction.
"You love to tease him, huh?' she smirked.
Jack gave a shrug with one shoulder. "He's so easy to tease."
Sam laughed louder this time.
"So tell me," Jack indicated with a sweep of his hand that they should leave the room. Sam nodded and stepped out into the corridor with him.
Once in the corridor Jack banged as his ears, as if trying to regain his hearing.
"So tell you ... what?" Sam asked as she walked, hands behind her back, alongside of the Colonel.
"I suppose you've got something pretty special lined up for tomorrow then?" he said.
"I've invited Janet and Cassandra over again this year, and General Hammond and his wife also, for Dad's sake, " she said.
"Oh? So a big party thing happening at the Carter's tomorrow then?" he inquired.
Sam laughed lightly. "Yeah, something like that."
"So, do you guys follow the traditional Christmas?"
"What?" she frowned slightly, "like pudding and turkey and ... ?"
Jack nodded.
"Yeah, we do," she smiled warmly now. "I love Christmas!" her eyes twinkled now like a child's does on Christmas morning. It made Jack smile. "Funny, I really thought that I'd be having a way worse Christmas this year."
He nodded silently and Sam looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
"What about you?"
His eyes flickered a little as he shook his head. "Oh, probably suck back a few beers while watching a game."
Sam stopped, forcing him to as well. She stared at him a while then blinked as she looked down.
"Sorry," she apologized, then continued walking. "I just thought that you and Sara would be ... I mean, you seem a lot cozier now.. since that hospital incident."
Jack inhaled sharply. It always hurt to recall seeing Charlie again like that but he answered Sam's question anyway, "Yeah, we are. Things *are* better between us.."
"But.." Sam offered.
"She wants to live in the past.." he said, his voice strained now with emotion.
Sam's heart went out to him. Losing Charlie the first time would have been hard enough on him, let alone losing him again at the hospital. She nodded. "That cant be easy."
He shook his head. "Not really. I'm having enough trouble living in the present ... "
They fell silent for a few moments. Sam didn't know what to say to him. She knew he needed to open up about his feelings. She'd often thought about him rambling around his large home, all alone ... Hell, she'd often *just* thought about him ...
"You know, Jack. I'd like to be there if you ever need someone to talk to.." she offered, instantly cursing herself for showing him that maybe, just maybe, she cared too much.
Jack heard the sincerity in her voice, but it was all getting a little too emotional for him. He needed to back out or else he was going to lose it and confess everything to his pretty, blond team mate. Not in the hall like this, he thought to himself. There's a time and place for everything, O'Neill!
"You know, You, Teal'c and Daniel have all said the same thing to me. You guys trying to tell me something or what?" he tried to keep his voice light.
Sam dipped her head a little. //Bugger him. He was backing out!//
"I think it's called caring," she looked up at him. He met and held her gaze for a few moments before his brown eyes crinkled at the corners as a warm smile filled his face.
"I know," his voice was barely louder than a whisper now. "Thanks, Sam."
"Hey! You two!"
They turned to see Daniel standing a good distance down the hall, his hands on his hips and his head tilted. He started running towards them and Sam and Jack exchanged quick glances.
Catching his breath once he finally reached them, Daniel stood in the middle of them, flinging his arms over their shoulders.
"The party's this way.." he steered them back towards the mess hall. Jack looked over at Sam who gave him a wistful look.
He pondered that look for the rest of the afternoon, while standing in the mess hall, having his hearing destroyed by Daniel's favourite music, being played way too loudly for Jack's liking.
The party was finally over. The blessed sounds of silence flooded the mess hall now, with only the occasional sound of a chair dragging across the wooden floor or the lifted voice in conversation or the occasional sound of a laugh, usually Sam's, cutting through it.
Jack had been sitting, mulling over his drink for the better part of an hour now as he watched Daniel and Sam and a few other unidentified soldiers gather up the deluge and put it into black plastic rubbish bags.
Daniel looked around the room. It was more than half done and he'd had enough. Turning, he handed his bag to a soldier working beside him.
"Here, hold this a moment, will you?" he asked as he headed out the hall, patting Jack's shoulder as he passed by him.
Sam decided it was time to take a breather too. She headed over to the table where her father was sitting, still talking to Hammond.
"Have you two been talking together all day?" she laughed incredulously.
"No," her father shook his head, "I've met a lot of people that have had very nice things to say about my daughter infact," Jake teased her now. Sam felt the blush sting her cheeks.
"Great," she muttered.
"All of it would be true, too," Jack smiled. Sam's head snapped up. She didn't know that Jack was even standing behind her. Slowly she turned to look at him.
"Captain, may I have a word?" Jack asked, with a little nod of his head.
Sam shrugged and followed him out of the hall.
Daniel poked his head into Teal'c's room and was surprised to see the Jaffa sitting on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands.
"Teal'c?"
"Come in, Daniel Jackson," he muttered softly. Daniel took great care when closing the door behind him, ensuring not to bang it. He dipped his head, trying to see Teal'c's face.
"Everything okay?"
Teal'c's head went back slowly and his glassy eyes fixed onto Daniel's concerned face.
"I feel like my head is full of that white fluffy substance.."
Daniel frowned a moment. "Cotton wool?" he offered as he carefully lifted a chair over and sat infront of Teal'c.
"That is correct."
"Well, you seem to have the traditional hang over then," Daniel nodded, putting his hand on his friend's hot forehead.
"Hang - over?" Teal'c repeated, his voice sticking in the back of his throat. He gave a sharp cough. Daniel got up and poured him a glass of water then sat back down again, handing it to the Jaffa.
He downed the full glass in one gulp. "My throat feels strange."
"Yeah," Daniel's eyes softened as he smiled. "There's a saying, 'if I knew I'd be this thirsty today I would have drank more last night'."
"I do not understand?"
Daniel scratched his cheek lightly. "Here people drink alcohol to get a high, but as we know, that has no affect on you, because of ... " he waved his hand in front of Teal'c's stomach.
"My Goa'uld larvae protects me from that."
Daniel nodded. "Exactly. However," he wagged his finger in the air now, "I think we have just discovered the little guy's poison."
"Poison? I have poisoned it?" Teal'c's voice rose slightly in surprise as his hand went down to his stomach. Daniel shook his head.
"No, no, no," he assured Teal'c. "It's ... just ... another ... saying. Basically, you and cigarettes just don't go together. The Goa'uld you carry gets 'drunk' on them.." he shrugged.
Teal'c nodded. "Then I shall partake of them no further."
Daniel raised his brow then nodded. "That's the only thing you can do, Teal'c," he smiled.
Teal'c closed his eyes in a gesture of a nod before opening them to gaze at his blue eyed friend.
"Thank you, Daniel Jackson, for helping me with this."
Daniel stood now, patting Teal'c's shoulder firmly. "That's what friends are for."
He tucked the chair under the table again then turned back to Teal'c.
"You should probably try to sleep it off. I'm sure your Goa'uld will kick in soon and you'll be fine again."
Teal'c laid back on his bed now, stretching his long body out, his hands lying either side the large body.
"Thank you. Good night, Daniel Jackson," he said, his eyes already closed.
Daniel stood, door in hand, and smiled at the Jaffa.
"Night Teal'c ... oh.. and ... Merry Christmas ... " he heard the soft snore now and bit his bottom lip as he left the room.
He pushed one hand through his hair then down the back of his neck, wrapping it around the side of his neck now as his other hand went his pocket. He headed down the corridor back to the mess hall, his head was bowed and he was deep in thought.
Sam followed Jack into his office, the confusion of why he'd called her aside was written on her face.
"Relax Sam," Jack laughed lightly as he reached across his desk for something.
"I'm fine," she shrugged.
Jack straightened up, looking her straight in the eye. "Oh, really?"
She nodded defiantly. "Yes." She held his stare.
"Good," he nodded then handed her a box. She frowned then looked up at him.
"I gave a gift to Daniel and to Teal'c as well," he shrugged, assuring her it was not big deal.
"You did?"
He wasn't sure if he was offended by her absolute surprise or not. "I did."
She shook her head and handed it back to him. "I cant."
He looked at the box now in his hands.
"Why?" he asked, thrusting it back at her.
She pushed it back. "I didn't get you anything."
"So?"
"Jack.. Colonel ... " she shook her head and pushed the ping-ponging box away.
"Oh, for crying out loud! I cant keep it, it's not even my color!" he sighed and picked up her hand, plonking the box onto her palm finally.
Sam looked at the unopened box. She had to admit, she wanted to accept it. Her eyes darted up to his face now. He raised his brow.
"Well, I don't want to offend you by not accepting it.." she shrugged, eagerly ripping the lid off.
Her eyes widened as her hand came up to lift the silk scarf from the box now.
"It's gorgeous," she sighed breathlessly. Jack smiled. Good. 4 hours later and he *did* get the perfect gift for her after all!
"I wasn't sure what colours you wore off base, but I figured anything that *wasn't* khaki green was a pretty safe bet ... " he shrugged. Sam laughed as she cast her eyes over the rich tones of the scarf.
"And ... and anything that went with your eyes.." he added softly, looking at the scarf too. Sam's view shifted to fall on him.
"My eyes?" she frowned. Jack was obviously avoiding looking at her now as he gave a little nod.
"You know what colour my eyes are?" she sounded surprised again. Jack tilted his head to look at her, there was an air of defiance in his manner now.
"Blue."
She frowned.
"They often flash with the light of fire behind them, they can be grey when they are steely, and sometimes, in the right light, they're rather green.. but," he shrugged as he looked back at the scarf in her hands, "they're most definitely ... blue."
Sam swallowed. Hard.
"I didn't think you'd even noticed ... " she dropped her face, ashamed of the blushing cheeks now.
"Sam, you have blue eyes. Daniel has blue eyes, and Teal'c and I are.."
"Brown," she nodded. He looked at her.
"You've noticed?"
Sam gave a quick laugh. //Oh yeah, she'd noticed alright!//
Jack stuttered a little now. "I mean.. you've *really* noticed?"
Sam wasn't sure what to make of her Colonel. She frowned.
"Of course I've noticed.."
"See. And Teal'c tells me no one ever looks him in the eyes," Jack shrugged.
Sam finally realised he was having her on and dropped her face as she shook her head.
"Seriously, Sam," Jack now touched the scarf in her hand. "You really like it? I kept the docket just in case you didn't."
Sam looked up. "Jack, I love it."
He smiled. "Good."
She stood smiling at him as her hand gently fondled the silk scarf. Jack held her stare as he nervously bit his bottom lip.
There was a silence, but there was nothing awkward about it.
Finally he brought his fist to his mouth, coughed to clear his throat then asked, "Wanna head back and help Daniel now?"
"No," she said before laughing loudly.
"Sam, that's not in the Christmas spirit," Jack laughed. Sam packed the scarf into the box again.
When she looked up Jack had a green leafy twig in his hand.
"Mistletoe?" she frowned.
"You promised me that you kept to traditions," Jack smiled as he shrugged.
"Yes. I do," she nodded. He straightened up and held the twig over their heads.
Sam licked her lips a little nervously then puckered up playfully.
Jack's lips pressed against hers softly, sending a charge throughout her body that she wasn't expecting. She felt disappointed as he pulled back.
Their eyes locked in an intense gaze. Neither able to say a thing but both feeling their hearts pounding in their chests now.
Jack licked his lips, tasting her strawberry lip gloss. It was a taste he could get used to, he thought to himself.
"There," he smiled a little nervously. "In the true tradition of Christmas. Thank you."
"You're welcomed," she stammered softly.
As he stared into her misty eyes now a small smile turned up the corners of his mouth gently.
The words, 'you are so beautiful, Sam,' were on the tip of his tongue but she spoke first, rather hastily and without forethought, as if forming the sentence as she said it.
"Jack, would you join us for lunch tomorrow?"
His genuine surprise was evident, and his response was humble and sincere. "I'd love that, thanks, Sam."
Her cheeks puffed as she smiled, tears made her eyes moist then she looked down.
"It could be my gift to you, seeing as I didn't *think* to buy for you."
Jack shook his head. "You don't need to buy gifts, you just need to share a little of what you've got with others..".
She lifted her face. Oh, the irony of it all!
"Really?" she smiled.
He grinned. "Yes, really."
"And you'd know that from ... ?"
"Experience," he shrugged then added, "well, lack of. From seeing too many things I've wanted slip away because I was too careful about what I said or how I said things. Because I realise that this ride isn't going to last forever, and if I want something bad enough, I'm going to have to go on a limb to reach for it .... "
Sam was surprised but the veracity in his voice was unmistakable.
"Is there anything you want to reach for now?" she asked quietly.
//You,// the word sat on the tip of his tongue, unspoken, for too long and she took his lack of response to be his answer.
"So, it's okay that I don't have a gift for you then?" She tried to change the subject and liven the mood, but the intensity within his chocolate brown eyes bore through her. She caught her breath. One of them had to make the move soon, or it would be lost forever!
He nodded. "Some gifts are best if they're from the heart, Sam. You inviting me tomorrow is enough, really it is."
She raised her brow slightly. //Oh, no, it wasn't!//
"There's one other gift my heart wants to give you now," she said, cringing as she heard herself say the words, half expecting Jack to break the spell they seemed entwined in now. But he didn't. He tilted his head and smiled only, his dark eyes reassured her that it was okay for her to be honest with him. That if there was ever going to be a time that they could tell each other how they felt, this might just be it ....
"It's often good to do what your heart wants," he said, a part of him hoping he anticipated the gift correctly. Sam had never heard his voice so soft before. Soft and deep. To hear it sent a shiver down her spine.
She placed the box and scarf onto his desk then looked at him.
Jack caught his breath as he felt her inch closer, his eyes closing as he tried to calm the tremble rising within him now. Opening them again, he saw only her blue eyes.
"Sam, you are so beautiful," the words made it past his lips now only to be engulfed by her as she closed her mouth over his.
The kiss was gentle; tentative and soft as she reached up to him.
Jack, still taken aback a bit by it all, took his time in putting his arms around her, but once he did, he scooped her against himself so tightly that her feet lifted off the ground a little and she was resting on the balls of her feet only. One of his strong arms stayed across her back, holding her in place against him as his other hand went up to ruffle through her short blond hair.
Spreading his fingers wide now, he gently cradled her head, feeling it's every movement as he intensified the kiss by tentatively slipping his tongue into her mouth. He felt her mouth open wider to accept him as her arms tightened across his broad back. A soft moan rumbled from somewhere deep within her.
Jack released her now, and she sunk back to her feet, but it did nothing to interrupt the rising passion between them. He placed his hands on either side of her face, his thumbs stroking her jaw line as he devoured her incessantly.
His head spun now. He held Captain Samantha Carter in his arms! The woman he'd been having indecent fantasies about for the past few weeks was now in his arm, creating magic with her tongue while his hands were caressing her hair and his tongue was exploring her mouth ....
Her head spun now. She could feel the hard body of Jack pressed against her. A body that she'd been thinking about a lot lately. She was in his arm, being caressed by his hands, sucking at his tongue ...
They parted slowly and breathlessly, only the human impulsive need for air separating them as they looked at each other.
"Merry Christmas, Jack," she smiled demurely.
He ran his thumb along her bottom lip then looked into her eyes. "I think it just might be, Sam," he pulled her closer again, and they were swept up into another long, deep, lingering kiss.
= THE END =
Oh and for those worried about dear little Daniel ... don't be.. that blond soldier (who strangely looked a LOT like ME! ) came back to the mess hall ... inviting him to a more private Christmas party.. and a 2 person conga-line - which he didn't talk his way out of !! LOL
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