Christmas Day
Christmas Day
by Lea ONeill
Summary: It's Christmas at the O'Neill house.
Category: Holiday
Holiday: Christmas
Season: future Season
Pairing: Jack/other
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 01/11/04
Title: Christmas Day Author: Lea O'Neill Rating: G Season: future Spoilers: None Pairing: Jack/ Other; implied Sam/Daniel Summary: It's Christmas day at the O'Neill house. But who will get the gift they've been waiting for? Hint: Read "The Gift" first Notes: Thanks to beta Bonnie for hard work!
Jack watched with a smile as the scene before him unfolded. People he cared deeply about surrounded him. Lights on the Christmas tree sparkled and he had a feeling deep in his chest he thought was long dead, or impossible for him to resurrect.
Nicole sat on the floor, her legs crossed. She wore red and green flannel pajamas. Her hair fell long around her shoulders. She wore no makeup and had a fresh, just out of bed look that Jack loved. On her lap rested their 8-week-old daughter, Charlotte Jacqueline. The baby, weighing in now at a healthy 10 and a half pounds, was wearing a red and white sleeper pajama suit and didn't know or care that it was her first Christmas.
Nicki was sitting near the tree and presents surrounded her. Jack snuck the camera out from behind his back and snapped off a picture.
Nicki looked up with a frown. "Jack!" she chided. She'd been photographed more in the last two months than probably ever in her life. Jack had become quite the shutterbug since the birth of their daughter.
He just grinned back at her. "For the album," he commented, which was about all he ever had to say about his newfound photography habit.
About that time, the doorbell rang.
Jack went to the door. There was a foot of new snow out there and it was cold. Didn't want to leave the guests on the porch.
Daniel and Sam stood outside. Daniel carried a box and Sam carried a large covered bowl.
"Merry Christmas," Daniel greeted as they came inside.
Jack returned the greeting and took the bowl from Sam. He gave her a brief hug.
"Merry Christmas sir," she said warmly.
Almost as soon as Jack had put the food in the kitchen and gotten Daniel and Sam's coats put up, there was another chime of the bell.
The next arrivals were Janet and Cassie Fraiser and Teal'c. The big Jaffa looked festive in a green sweater and fedora hat. He was loaded down with colorfully wrapped packages.
Cassie came in and gave Jack a hug. "Merry Christmas," she told him. "Where's the baby?"
Jack laughed. He knew exactly who the center of attention was going to be this year. He pointed into the living room.
Janet held a covered platter. "You want this in the kitchen?"
"Sure." They went together into the kitchen. Teal'c took the presents to deposit them by the tree.
"Something smells wonderful," Janet commented.
Jack shrugged. "Well, it's my first attempt at a turkey and all. Say, are you supposed to leave that little bag inside?"
Janet looked at Jack eerily.
He grinned. "Just kiddin' doc."
Teal'c had come into the kitchen as well and was peering into the glass oven door. "The bird seems to have given up the fight, O'Neill."
Janet and Jack both looked at Teal'c, who raised an eyebrow.
"I think he made a joke," Jack said with a laugh. "Yup, he definitely made a joke."
In the living room, Cassie held CJ, taking a turn from Sam. Nicki had gone to dress.
Sam sat on the sofa while Daniel perched on the arm. Daniel's hand absently rested on Sam's shoulder.
Nicki returned, dressed in black pants and a red sweater. She saw that CJ was in good hands and went to check on the food.
Jack was basting the turkey, while Janet was putting out the candied yams she'd brought and the potatoes and gravy Sam had provided.
Teal'c was putting Pillsbury rolls on a baking sheet.
It was like a large family celebration, albeit some of the family members were `unusual'. The only member missing was the `patriarch', George Hammond, who had gotten a rare vacation and gone to Texas to visit with family.
They opened gifts then; they had picked names a few weeks ago. Jack got Cassie; Janet got Nicki; Daniel got Jack; Teal'c got Daniel; Nicki got Teal'c; Sam got Janet and Cassie got Sam.
The gifts were exchanged and many pleased faces thanked the givers. Daniel was somewhat perplexed by his gift from Teal'c. It was a small box with puzzles on each side. The Jaffa explained that you had to solve the puzzles to open the box, getting the true gift. Right up Daniel's alley. Jack was touched by the gift from Daniel. It was a photo album with photos of his friends already inside, and plenty of space for the new baby pictures he'd been clicking away. Plus there were four rolls of film for future endeavors. Daniel just shrugged when Jack thanked him. "I thought you might have some use for those." Janet had bought a beautiful lavender robe for Nicki, while Sam had picked out almost the same robe, only in blue, for Janet. They had some chuckles over that. Cassie had made Samantha's gift, a bracelet fashioned of stones and silver she'd designed in her jewelry making class. "It's absolutely beautiful," Sam told her, putting on the piece.
The gift Cassie received from Jack caused her to squeal with delight: it was an IOU for the next ten driving lessons Cassie required to pass her driver's education class, thus obtaining her driving permit. She ran over and hugged Jack again.
"This is so cool!" she said.
Janet gave Jack a smile. "Thanks. You've created a monster."
Jack shrugged. "Aw, I've been meaning to add on to my insurance policy anyway," he kidded.
Nicki had worried over a gift for Teal'c for weeks. She'd kept coming to Jack with ideas, but never finding just the right thing. She had finally settled on an idea. Teal'c opened the envelope attached to the wrapped gift with exaggerated care. He read the card and nodded his appreciation. She'd gotten him a year's subscription to "Old West", his favorite magazine of late. He then opened the box, being somewhat perplexed, as he'd just gotten what he presumed was the gift. "It goes with the magazine," Nicki just told him.
He opened the box and found inside a wooden box, which inside this was the prize possession from Nicki's gun collection, the authenticated 1877 .41 Double Action Col Thunderer taken off his body by Pat Garrett (if you believed the west lore). "I am greatly honored by this gift Major Walker," Teal'c told her.
LATER........
After the SG crew had eaten and opened presents at the O'Neill house, the festive group broke up, going their separate ways. Janet and Cassie had another friend's dinner to attend. Daniel and Sam had gone as well, Jack suspected to have a little quiet time to themselves. He had noticed a little romantic spark between the two of late, and he was not unhappy about it. He was glad his friends, if indeed they had, found some happiness in each other. Teal'c elected to stay after being invited by Jack to accompany them to the orphanage where he was delivering gifts.
Nicki handed the baby to the big Jaffa while she prepared a diaper bag to take on the trip.
Teal'c held CJ as if she were a porcelain doll he was afraid of dropping or breaking.
Nicki put bottles into the bag. She went to Teal'c and positioned his arms gently so that he was then cradling the baby, rather than holding her like a football in his outstretched arms.
"There, just like that," Nicki said with a smile.
Jack loaded the remainder of the gifts into his truck. He also loaded boxes of food and clothing he'd collected from the base. He had been in charge of delivering the charity gifts to St Augustine's Shelter for the past four years. Mainly because he'd rarely had plans for the holidays. But this year, he had plans. And they included taking his family to see his friends at the home.
************************************************************ Jack went inside St Augustine's large dining hall, where all the children were gathered having their own Christmas dinner prepared by the family who operated the shelter. Carrie Dillon and her husband Mike were the primary reason the place stayed open. The older couple, which like Jack, had lost their only child many years earlier, used the home as a place to channel their love of children. Jack had shared many a holiday with the Dillon's. They welcomed him with smiles as he brought in boxes.
After setting some of his donations down, he introduced his family.
"My fiance Nicole and our daughter Charlotte. And this is a good friend of the family, Murray." Teal'c bowed slightly.
Everyone shook hands and greeted warmly the new additions.
Carried oohed over the baby. "Oh Jack, she is so beautiful," she went on.
Jack and Teal'c went into the dining area to pass out gifts, where some of the children came running to Jack. They knew him from his many stops by the house and some were still living there that remembered him from Christmases before. The children crowded around and each got a wrapped gift. Soon, the hall was filled with the happy sound of tearing wrapping paper and children's laughter. But not everyone had joined in.
Teal'c tapped Jack on the shoulder. "O'Neill, what is wrong with that child?" he asked, about a small dark haired girl, who sat alone on a bench by the window, ignoring the festivities around her.
"I don't know."
Jack went to ask Carrie, who was visiting with Nicki. Teal'c wandered over to the girl.
Carrie looked where Jack gestured.
"Oh, that's Lily. She was just brought in three days ago. Her parents were killed in an accident and authorities couldn't find any other family. We haven't been able to get through to her yet. She doesn't say much. It's difficult, especially this time of year.
Teal'c sat down on the bench next to the girl. She looked up briefly at the dark man in the fedora hat.
"Hello," he finally said.
She looked at him again, but still didn't speak. She looked at the floor now, rather than out the window.
"My name is...Murray. I am a friend."
Still no response.
"There are gifts. Would you not like a present?"
She shook her head.
Teal'c was intrigued by the sad little girl.
"You are not happy?" he asked.
She shook her head again.
"Are you sad because you have no family here?"
She nodded, lifting her head a little.
"I too am without family here. My family is far, far away. Those who are not gone."
She now looked up. Her big brown eyes looked at him for more.
"My parents are dead," she explained quietly.
Teal'c nodded. "As are mine. And my wife. It is sad to be away from them at times like this, is it not?"
She nodded. "I like the way you talk," she said finally.
They sat quietly on the bench for a while.
"I have found a way to be happy, even without my family," Teal'c said some time later. Lily looked up, expectantly.
"I have found good friends, who act as family to me. They make me feel less alone."
Lily nodded. "I guess that's why I'm here."
"To feel less alone."
Lily softly moved her small hand over the big Jaffa's hand as it rested on his knee.
"I guess we're both alone, but not," she told him.
He nodded. "This is true." He looked at her again. "Would you not like a gift now?"
She shrugged.
"What would you like?" he asked then, knowing there was a variety of dolls and toys still remaining.
"Someone to hold me," she said in a small voice, choked with tears.
Teal'c did not protest then, when she climbed up onto his lap and put her arms around his neck. He wrapped a muscular arm, more accustomed to wielding a staff weapon then a small child, around her tiny body. Jack, Nicki and the Dillon's looked on.
"It looks like Lily found a friend," Mike Dillon said to Jack.
After the rest of the afternoon was spent at the Dillon's, playing football in the yard, playing with Barbie dolls and eating Carrie Dillon's homemade pumpkin pie, Jack, Nicki and Teal'c said their goodbyes. They drove Teal'c back to the quiet Cheyenne Mountain complex.
"Thank you O'Neill, for a pleasant holiday. And thank you Major Walker for the treasured gift."
*************************************************************
On arriving back home, Jack carried in CJ's car seat carrier and Nicole looked around. She sighed. "Well, I guess we've got cleanup duty."
Jack wagged a finger at her. "Not so fast lady," he told her.
He put CJ, who was fast asleep, in her bassinette, giving his Christmas angel a kiss. Then he went back to Nicole, who'd begun putting dishes in the dishwasher.
"Thought I told you to wait." He took her hand and led her back to the tree.
"There was one gift that Santa told me to wait and give you tonight. But it's after dark, it's Christmas, and aw, what the heck." Jack handed her the Christmas stocking from the mantle. They had hung them for decoration, so Nicki had not suspected Jack had really put something there. "What is it?" she asked, feeling something flat inside.
"Open it," Jack told her impatiently.
Nicki took out an envelope. It was fine linen stationary of ivory color. There was the Air Force emblem gold stamped on the back flap. Nicki gave Jack a suspicious look. "Jack?" she asked, her breath growing more rapid with anticipation. She'd seen envelopes like this before. Jack just stood there grinning.
Nicki broke open the seal and took out the card inside. It was printed in dark blue ink on the same linen white card stock with the emblem in the upper corner. Nicki's hand was shaking as she read the words.
We Cordially Invite You To attend The marriage of
Major Nicole Annarose Walker And Colonel Jonathan `Jack' O'Neill
on January first At 00 hundred hours At The Air Force Academy Chapel Colorado Springs
Nicole couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Jack, is this for real?"
He beamed. "I certainly hope so. Or I ordered a whole bunch of those things for no reason. And then there's that pesky rule about making reservations, and you gotta book the Sabre Drill Team and-" Nicki cut him off by putting her arms around his neck and kissing him.
"I can't believe you did this!" she finally said, giving Jack a moment to breathe.
He shrugged. "Well, you know, we've kind of been putting it off. And, I don't want to wait until after CJ graduates college or anything." Nicki was so overcome. No one had ever done anything like this for her. And Jack, of all people, she would never have suspected. A midnight wedding on New Year's Eve? She knew deep down, there was a true romantic living under his brazen Colonel's bars.
"Merry Christmas Jack."
fin
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