Not a Creature Was Stirring
Not a Creature Was Stirring
by Lady Anne
Summary: Daniel asks his friends to help him provide a Merry Christmas for a local group of foster kids.
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Holiday
Holiday: Christmas
Season: Season 1
Pairing: Team
Rating: FAM
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: 2005-03-26
The street outside Daniel's apartment building was festooned with Christmas decorations. Not only was the building itself outlined in white, but the trees outside sported multi-colored lights. Jack parked his truck and stepped out into the chilly night. He zipped his jacket up tight, snugging it around his neck, turning up the collar in an attempt to keep out the cold air.
There was a dusting of snow and the forecast called for more. It looked like it might be a white Christmas after all. The last couple of years, Jack had stayed home during the week of Christmas. He had too many ghosts that haunted his holidays. He found it too hard to maintain the faade of Christmas cheer when he had nothing to celebrate.
But Daniel had called, inviting his friends and teammates to his apartment, and Jack found he couldn't tell him no. It had been a hard year for Daniel since he'd left Abydos, and he needed a little cheering up. So, if he could swallow his misery and put on a happy face for his friends, then so could Jack O'Neill.
He picked up the box with the pizza and balanced the six-pack of his favorite malt beverage on top. The doorman saw him coming, and opened the door for him.
"Merry Christmas, Colonel," the man greeted him cheerfully.
What the hell, he could do Christmas cheer Jack decided. "And to you, too," he answered.
Okay, maybe he needed to work on the whole festive thing. He was just out of practice. Since he was on his own he'd pretty much avoided the whole season. He sent his parents a box, and sent out a card to Sara, but that was the extent of his holiday rituals these days.
The Musak in the elevator was playing tinny Christmas music, but even so, Jack found himself humming along. For the first time in a long time, Christmas wasn't looking so bleak.
He knocked on Daniel's door, wondering just what was so important that it wouldn't wait until Monday? The door opened then, admitting him to Christmas central. He paused in amazement to regard the winter wonderland that was Daniel's apartment.
In the corner was a real tree that groaned under the weight of ornaments, lights and tinsel wound around it. He could smell its fragrant aroma from where he stood, still in the hallway. Around it were more presents than Jack had ever seen in his life, gaily wrapped packages of every size and shape. Around the ceiling there was small twinkling lights, and greenery was everywhere.
Daniel's head popped around the door startling Jack, "You coming in?"
"I'm afraid I don't know the super-secret password for the entrance into Santa's workshop, Daniel."
"Password?" Daniel's head cocked as he tried to figure out what Jack was talking about. Then he realized Jack was teasing him, a shy smile played across his face as he gestured for his friend to come in, "Don't be an ass, Jack. Come in. We're waiting for you and the pizza."
Jack followed him in, "And I just thought you invited me tonight for my scintillating conversation."
"I did," Daniel assured him earnestly, "and the pizza." He took the box. Opening it, he inhaled the fragrant concoction.
Taking a slice, he placed the rest on the island next to the plates. Jack saw there was also an enormous batch of fudge, and some eggnog already set out.
Jack made a detour into the kitchen to put his beer in the fridge. He snagged a cup and poured himself some eggnog. He'd always loved Sara's eggnog. He tried not to think about it as he sipped at the cup in his hand. It slid down his throat, thick and spicy, filled with memories of Christmas's past.
In the living room he found Teal'c and Sam already there. Jack didn't ask where Teal'c had acquired the Santa hat. He bit his lip to keep from smiling at the big alien who looked like a giant genie with the small red hat perched atop his bald head. Carter was also looking appropriately festive in a red sweatshirt with Christmas trees on it. "Did I miss the memo?" he asked making himself comfortable on the sofa.
"Memo, sir?" Sam asked. She exchanged a perplexed glance with Daniel who shrugged.
"All of this holiday cheer? Was I supposed to wear my reindeer hat?"
"Do you have one?" Daniel asked eagerly.
Jack stared a minute trying to decide if he was serious, then realized he was. Daniel was always serious. "No, Daniel, I don't have a reindeer hat. Forget I mentioned it." He stretched his legs out and surveyed the room.
He really did feel like he was in the middle of a Christmas snow globe. Some mad Christmas elf had gone mad in Daniel's apartment. "So, Daniel, did you do this on purpose?" He waved a lazy hand to indicate the room and all its decorations.
Daniel didn't even have the grace to look a little embarrassed at his Christmas excess, "I did, Jack, isn't it great. I just love Christmas."
"I wish to learn more about this Christmas and it's customs. We have nothing like it on Chulak."
"Teal'c I'm really glad to hear you say that, because ah.. I... uhm.. I'd like you guys' help with something. It'll help you get to learn about Christmas and its meaning." Daniel's words tumbled out of his mouth in his enthusiasm.
"Sure, Daniel, anything," Carter said, leaning forward in interest.
Jack was a little more cautious. He'd learned in a long career in the military to never volunteer for anything. "Why don't you tell us what you have in mind, Daniel."
"Well..." Daniel's gaze swept his friend's faces anxiously, his blue eyes earnest. Now that he'd started he seemed at a loss for words. "My mom and dad always loved Christmas. It didn't matter where we were; we always had lights and a Christmas tree. I remember one year we had this crazy palm tree thing with little white lights..." his words trailed off and his gaze seemed to turn inward. "And then one year..." he turned his eyes away as if he couldn't look at them for the next part, "I don't know if you know this about me, but my parents died when I was pretty young...."
For just a second Jack thought he glimpsed some inner pain, but it was gone too quickly for him to be sure.
"It was an accident." Daniel swallowed convulsively and hurried on, "Anyway, for one reason and another I ended up in and out of foster homes growing up."
Sam murmured something too low for Jack to hear, and Daniel shook his head, "No, Sam, it was okay. Mostly they were really nice people. And every year at Christmas, where ever I was, they always did their best to make the holiday better for me and kids like me who really didn't have a place to call home, or any family."
Suddenly Jack understood the overly decorated apartment and the excess of holiday cheer. This was Daniel's first year when he could make the Christmas he wanted. Growing up he always had to accept someone else's idea of what Christmas should be. Then he'd been a poor college student unable to celebrate in the way he wanted. Jack was sure that on Abydos Christmas hadn't even occurred to Daniel.
But now, now, he had the resources to have the Christmas the way his childhood dreams had thought it should be. Jack took another sip of the eggnog to cover swallowing the lump that had appeared in his throat. He couldn't blow his cover of hard-assed Air Force colonel that he'd worked so hard to establish.
"Anyway," Daniel continued, "I found out about this shelter not far from here. It's a home for foster kids that haven't been placed or are between homes, and they don't have the funds for a proper Christmas this year. I just thought..."
His words trailed off, and Jack could practically hear the thoughts running through his head. Daniel was afraid they were going to laugh at him for wanting to provide Christmas for some unwanted kids. He thought they might tell him it was none of their business and it wasn't his business either. Their business was saving the world, not saving Christmas for a bunch of misfit kids.
"Well, Daniel," Jack swallowed the last of his egg-nog, relishing its spicy taste on his tongue, "you know what I think we ought to do?" "Jack?"
"Sir?"
"First of all, I think we need some pizza, cause I'm starving."
"Well, sure, Jack," Daniel started to rise, to retrieve the pizza box and bring it to the living room.
"And while we're eating," Jack stopped him with his voice, "we're going to plan the best damned Christmas party these kids have ever had."
Daniel was still, staring at his friend, eyes wide, "Really, Jack?"
"Really, Daniel."
Daniel's smile was better than all the Christmas lights Jack had ever seen.
~~~~~
In fact the whole SGC got into the Christmas spirit when they heard about the kids. The list of kids, along with their ages and Christmas wishes was circulated through the SGC. The infirmary became the staging area where the presents were brought. The nurses spent the week wrapping gifts with bright paper and decorating them in ribbons and bows.
Privately Jack thought it a good thing there weren't any serious injuries that week. The hapless victims might have found themselves patched up with scotch tape and wrapping paper.
SG-1 did a good deal of the shopping with Teal'c turning out to be extremely handy to have around in the crush of the Christmas crowds. Jack had forgotten how much fun Christmas shopping could be, and Daniel was downright gleeful as they went down the list shopping for each of the kids, making sure that each of them received at least one of the items on their 'wish' list.
At last Christmas Eve arrived, bright and sunny, although the forecast did say that the day should become overcast and there was a chance for snow. The presents were all purchased and wrapped, food had been found aplenty and all was ready for the party that evening, except for one small problem...
~~~~
Sam held up the small red dress trimmed in white fur scornfully, "Daniel, I'm all for helping the kids have a good Christmas. In fact I think I've done a lot to make sure that's going to happen. But I absolutely refuse to wear this... this... this... dress."
Teal'c cocked his head as he looked at her curiously, "I do not understand your reluctance, Captain Carter. Is it not the tradition to dress up in such colorful clothes and play 'Santa' for the children? I have seen many such during our week of shopping. I do not object to the garments that I shall be wearing." He held up the long red coat and held it against his body.
"But Teal'c, you get to play Santa. That's different. I'm an elf!" She snorted in her indignation.
Daniel watched the scene a little flustered. He had no idea that Sam would object so strenuously to the costume. The girl in the shop had looked so cute in the elf outfit; he had felt sure that Sam would be happy to take part in this part of his plan.
Jack decided to come to his friend's rescue. "Now, Carter, it's not that bad, really. It's for the kids."
"Really, sir," she rounded on him, "And are you going to wear your costume?"
All eyes were on him now. He really hadn't thought he would be wearing a costume. He was the colonel after all. He had military decorum to think about.
"Costume?" he inquired tentatively. It might not be so bad if he could wear something like Teal'c's with the big red coat and the black boots.
"Jack, it'll be great," Daniel assured him. "Teal'c's going to be Santa, and you and me and Sam will be his elves."
"Elves? You want me to be an elf? You mean like one of those little guys who lives in the tree and makes cookies."
Daniel turned his confused look to Sam who just shrugged.
"I believe the elves of which you speak, O'Neill, are the Keebler Elves and they make cookies. Do not Santa's elves make toys which they then take to all the good boys and girls?"
There was dead silence in the room as they all three struggled, with varying degrees of success, to not laugh at the Jaffa. His serious gaze shifted from one to the other as studied them.
Finally Jack felt like he had himself under control enough that he could speak, "It doesn't really matter what kind of elf we're talking about, Teal'c. It's not me."
"Is not our goal to provide a merry Christmas for these children?"
"Yes," Jack answered slowly, afraid that if Daniel's pout didn't get him, Teal'c's logic was going to.
"And would it not make it a more memorable occasion for these children if we were to wear these garments?"
"Yes, but Teal'c I'm going to look ridiculous in this outfit," Sam protested.
Daniel took up the attack, his voice soft and earnest, "Sam, is it more important that you maintain your dignity or that these kids have a Merry Christmas? A lot of them don't have anything else in their life. This one memory might be the thing that they carry with them, to help them get through a bleak year."
Now that just wasn't fair. They all knew Daniel was talking about more than just a Christmas party and silly costumes. And Jack knew they had lost, he and Sam would be dressed as Santa's elves for the party and there was nothing they could do about it.
Jack resolved grimly that if he saw any cameras present, he was going to remove the film personally and destroy it.
~~~~~
When they arrived at the home, arms laden with presents, and a car full of food; kids streamed out of the house to help them. Jack's heart ached to see them. He didn't know what he expected. That they'd have some sort of tag on them that labeled them as orphans or homeless. But they looked a lot like the kids he'd known Charlie to hang around with - bright and eager. Somehow wearing the elf outfit didn't seem like such a bad idea after all.
Jack surveyed the area with a keen eye as they hauled the presents in. The home was in a dilapidated part of town. While the house itself was in good repair, the streets around were strewn with trash and the buildings were covered with graffiti: the kids that weren't with the home hung around on the streets watching the proceedings closely.
Daniel, of course, didn't notice the interest they were garnering in the neighborhood. His attention was focused on the kids and the party. He knew all the kids personally, or so it seemed, calling out to each in one in greeting.
Before Jack had a chance to catch his breath, he was in charge of the group of kids, decorating the main hall. Carter was in the kitchen with a group whose task was to get the dinner ready. Teal'c and Daniel were bringing in the huge tree Daniel had chosen for the occasion. The two of them had decided to get the house a tree and were decorating it feverishly. Someone had turned on a radio and Christmas music was blasting through the house.
Outside the clouds were starting to pile up, and the day was becoming dark and gloomy. It was just the kind of day that Santa might come, Jack thought with a smile as he helped to hang garland and string tinsel and lights throughout the room.
"Colonel Jack," one of the little girls said. Greta, Jack remembered, Greta was her name, "Would you help me?" She held up some of the sticky things you put in windows for his inspection. She had a collection of stars and snowflakes.
"Sure thing," he said. He lifted her so she could press the decorations onto the window frames. She smoothed them carefully with her little hands.
Watching the sidewalk outside Jack could see that there was quite a bit of traffic interested in the house.. He cast a glance at the huge mound of presents they had brought. The SGC had been extremely generous in their gifts and had found a few places to donate things for the home. There were computers and a TV, along with a VCR and a stack of movies that they thought the kids would like. He shook his head trying to dismiss the suspicions that were forming, these were kids: it was Christmas; he was just being hyper sensitive.
"Is that, good, Colonel Jack?" Greta asked, her brown earnest.
"That's perfect," he smiled as he kissed the top of her dark curly head before setting her down.
~~~~~
The day flew by and Jack found that he enjoyed it a lot more than he thought he would. The kids were all so cheerful despite their circumstances. They seemed to latch onto the team from the SGC and included them in their lives almost instantly. Jack found himself responding to them and couldn't believe that there were so many good and wonderful kids that couldn't find a home.
The time came to put on the despised costumes and Jack had to admit that they weren't as bad as thought they would be. Although the shoes with the pointed toe and the bell were just a little over the top. It was for the kids, and he pulled them on with only a little grumbling. Even if he weren't already doing it for the kids, the happy smile on Daniel's face would have been enough to convince him. He didn't remember seeing his friend this happy since they'd returned from Abydos.
~~~~~
With a jingle of his bells, Teal'c shouldered the bag filled to the top with packages and parcels. His 'elves' gathered around him and they made their entrance into the hall where the children were gathered waiting. It was dark outside and the lights were turned down, with only the twinkle lights lining the walls and the Christmas tree lights providing illumination. The children's eyes were huge as they beheld Teal'c dressed as Santa and his bag of gifts. The rest of them might as well not even been in the room for all the attention the children paid them. But that was all right with Jack. He watched as the kids gathered around Teal'c hugging him and patting his coat.
He was amazed how the same kids who had been working beside them all day accepted the big Jaffa as the jolly old elf himself.
And Teal'c just ate it up.
"Who's been good this year?" he asked in his booming voice.
The kids jumped up and down arms raised, "Me, me," they shouted in chorus.
"Well, then, I hope I have presents for all of you." He fixed them with a steely gaze when they didn't immediately disperse to their places, "Only good little boys and girls are going to get presents."
A hush fell over the room and the kids scurried to sit quietly, hands folded and eyes expectant. Jack couldn't help it; he smiled at their instant obedience. The adults in the room exchanged glances and knowing looks.
"Are my elves present?" Santa Teal'c asked in his booming voice. Daniel moved forward eagerly to accept armloads of presents. Jack noticed that Carter was a little slower to move forward; but soon their arms were also loaded with presents and they were passing them out to the eagerly waiting kids.
It felt so good to be part of Christmas again. Jack couldn't believe how much he'd missed this. Christmas had been one of Charlie's favorite holidays. It had been all that he and Sara could do, to get him to go to sleep the night before.
Then he'd be up at the crack of dawn, bouncing on their bed. Even though they'd likely just gotten there after a night of assembling and wrapping gifts, they would rise and go with their gleeful son to see what Santa had brought. Somehow it didn't hurt so much to remember it here with these kids who had also lost so much.
For a while the room was chaos with ripped packages and delighted squeals as the kids opened the packages to discover the treasures provided by the people of the SGC. Jack felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to discover Greta again at his side, there were tears in her eyes. He knelt beside her.
"What's wrong?"
She held a package, still gaily wrapped with its ribbons and bows.
"Colonel Jack, would you help me open it?" she asked him, her voice almost too low for him to hear.
Of course, the ribbons were too much for her little hands. "Sure," he assured her. He pulled out the little knife that he'd tucked into the pocket of his elf get up, just in case. He had the ribbons all cut away in short order. He handed it back to Greta.
She delicately finished the job of removing the paper to find a lovely ceramic doll inside. While he hadn't met Greta yet, Jack had found the doll in a toyshop. Her name had been Greta, too, and he'd decided to purchase it.
The little girl gazed up at him, her eyes shining. "She's beautiful. Are you sure she's for me?"
He hugged her tight, "I'm sure she's for you. I helped Santa pick her out personally."
The little girl wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight. In that moment, Jack had the best Christmas present he could ever wish as she kissed him on the cheek. He hugged her back before she turned and went back to her pile of presents. She set the doll next to her so she would see all the presents they received.
It was at that moment the lights in the room blinked out and there was a crash as the front door was kicked in. Kids screamed, as the room was flooded with dark looming shapes.
Jack's eyes quickly adjusted and he counted 6 invaders. Their faces were covered; one of them even wore a Santa hat in a parody of the festivities. Even so, Jack was sure he recognized them from seeing their faces watching the house all afternoon.
"Alright," one of them boomed out, "ain't nobody going to get hurt if you just give us the stuff."
Children were crying now, crowding around the adults for safety. Jack could see Teal'c and Sam scanning the room as he was, looking for openings to take out the invaders. Calculating the odds of taking them out without injuring the kids around them. Even Daniel was calm and collected, pushing kids behind him, making himself the one they came to for shelter, leaving his teammates free to act.
It filled Jack with a cold rage that these interlopers would destroy the day for the kids. How dare they break in and try to steal the one good thing these kids might have. He exchanged a quick glance with Teal'c and began to circle slowly around.
As far as he could see they didn't have any weapons, which was a good thing. SG-1 hadn't come armed to a Christmas party. But even without a P-90 in his hands, Jack felt equal to taking out a street gang, especially with the Jaffa on his side.
The interlopers waded in among the kids, picking up presents and thrusting them in sacks. The children were too frightened to do anything more than just sniffle as they saw their Christmas presents disappear.
Nope not gonna happen, Jack promised them silently. He watched as Carter moved into place and then gave a silent signal.
It was over before the invaders even knew what had happened to them. Daniel kept the kids out of harm's way as he and Teal'c and Carter proved just what an effective team they had become.
When it was all over, Jack herded the gang members out to another room to wait for the police while the rest of his team tried to calm the kids and bring back the spirit of Christmas that had been so rudely shattered.
~~~~~
It was an hour before the police took all their statements and hauled the thieves away. Members of a local gang, they had thought the Christmas party would make easy pickings.
Jack watched with satisfaction as they were driven away. He stood in the cold night air, breathing it in. He wondered if they were going to be able to reclaim the magic that they had created for the kids such a short time before: a magic that had been shattered all too easily.
A speck of white floating past his nose caught his attention. He looked up and was amazed to see that the sky was filled with snowflakes swirling down around him. He laughed and held out his hands. Maybe Christmas still had a miracle or two left after all.
He ran into the house, "Hey, campers, come look," he called out.
Kids and adults alike followed him out to gaze skyward in rapture. The snow was thick and heavy, immediately coating whatever it touched. They all stood hugging one another as the ugliness of the last hour was swept away by the pristine whiteness of the falling snow.
"Who wants hot chocolate?" Carter called out.
Amid a chorus of, "Me's," and, "with little marshmallows, please," they made their way back inside.
Too soon the time came to say goodnight. There were hugs all around and Jack felt another little tug on his sleeve. He looked down to find Gretta again, her doll clutched in one hand, a book held out to him. "Colonel Jack, would you read to us before you go?"
Jack's throat filled. It seemed that no matter what happened to these kids they were determined to enjoy the day to its fullest. Mutely he took it, glancing at the title.
He wasn't all that surprised to find that it was Charlie's favorite. He'd had to read it every Christmas just to get his son to settle a little.
"Sure, I'll read it to you, honey."
He sat with Gretta on his knee and the rest of the children gathered around. Daniel, Sam and Teal'c stood back watching.
He noticed Daniel grinning like an idiot at the sight of him in his elf outfit, a dark-haired cherub ensconced on his knee, surrounded by children. Jack decided there were worse things that could happen to him as he opened the book and began to read, "It was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse..."
He continued to read the ageless poem as outside the snow fell steadily, blanketing the world in white. Inside Jack read, remembering the joy of Christmas and the simple pleasure of reading to a child. All in all, it was a Christmas to remember.
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