Travis
Author: LauraJo
Email: laura@laurajo.net
Rating: PG
Archive: S/J archive, others please ask
Summary: A Christmas party, and a bizarre gift.
Disclaimer: The characters and setting belong to MGM/Gekko/Double Secret, and no
harm is intended by this little piece of fiction.
Spoilers: None
Status: Complete
Author's Notes: Set in season six, and for my own purposes I'm placing Christmas
after "Sight Unseen". I don't think anything here could really
be classified as a spoiler though. This is my answer to the 2002
Sam&Jack Christmas Challenge, for which the story must:
Merry Christmas everyone, and feedback would be a lovely present! <g> {December 2002}
~~~
"What do you mean that's not allowed?"
"Jonas, I know you're disappointed, but General Hammond was very clear. He said you could hold it in the commissary instead," Sam explained.
"I know, it's just... my plans were for the gateroom."
"I did warn you he probably wouldn't go for it. We may have no teams off-world but we can never guarantee not to have any visits from the Tok'ra, or one of our other allies. Or even someone more hostile."
"I know, I guess I'd just hoped that for a few hours we could work around that. I still have a lot of work to do though, more now as I'll have to alter things a little. You are going to be there, right?"
"Of course. The general said he would too, though possibly only for an hour or so. I think he has plans with his grandchildren."
"And Colonel O'Neill?"
"I don't know. I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks, Sam. I do appreciate your help." Jonas was almost out of the lab before he turned back and added, "Remember, it starts at 1800 hours, and there'll be plenty of food so you don't need to worry about eating first!"
Sam refrained from commenting on the fact that no one would be able to eat beforehand no matter how hard they tried, as the commissary was likely to be out of bounds to everyone except Jonas - and no doubt Teal'c as well - for the next few hours. She didn't want to put a dampener on Jonas' enthusiasm, in the unlikely event that that was actually possible. Instead she turned her attention back to her work, and her attempt to finish the experiment she was running before the Christmas break began in earnest.
It was already 1800 hours by the time Sam finished her work and headed to the locker room to change for the party. Thanking her years in the military for her ability to be ready in under five minutes, she then hurried through the corridors towards the colonel's office. As she had suspected, despite their earlier conversation during which he had assured her he would be at the party, he was still sitting behind his desk. She didn't ask what he was actually doing, feeling sure that he wasn't actually working, and being more concerned with actually getting him out of the door. She was thankful that he had at least taken the time to change out of his BDUs.
"Sir?"
"Carter?"
"Are you coming, sir?"
"Oh, the party."
"Yes, the party. You said you'd come. It'll mean a lot to Jonas."
"Yes, it will. And I'm sure that's supposed to make me want to go more."
Sam sighed. "Sir, if you really don't want to go I can't force you. But I won't explain to Jonas why you didn't make it."
"Carter, I never said I wasn't going. I just haven't actually gotten around to leaving yet."
"Then why don't you come with me? I'm heading there now. You are ready, sir, aren't you? I can give you time to finish whatever you're doing if you want."
"No, I'm done." He got up and walked out from behind the desk. "Let's get this show on the road."
Sam was pleased to find they weren't the last to arrive, as a small group went in just ahead of them, and she could hear another group making a lot of noise somewhere just down the corridor and around the corner. She and the colonel got inside the door and then both stopped still, completely unprepared for the sight before them. Sam tried not to think about how she should have been prepared for it. They had, after all, left the decorating to a couple of aliens.
Though one of them, in her opinion, should have known better.
They were brought out of their unanimated state by the voice of Sergeant Davis from across the room, who sounded like he had found something to drink that hadn't been on the plans Jonas had submitted to General Hammond.
"Colonel, Major, look! You're under the mistletoe!"
They both looked up, then all around them, and sure enough they had managed to stop under what was apparently the only piece of mistletoe in the room. As she surveyed the room Sam tried not to let her gaze fall on the general, but her case wasn't helped when he added his own voice to the sergeant's.
"Well go on then, it is tradition after all."
Sam turned back towards the colonel and, well aware that General Hammond was looking straight at them, tried not to look too uncomfortable. If she was having anywhere near the same level of success as her CO, she may as well not have bothered.
"Carter?" he quietly questioned, as he slowly drew nearer to her.
"It's okay," she answered.
Then he kissed her.
It was over before she'd had much chance to really register it was happening. Sam was instantly thankful that they seemed to have satisfied everyone enough that, after a brief cheer and a clap from some of them, they all turned their attention back to whatever they had been doing before Davis had shouted his announcement across the commissary. Even General Hammond had returned to his previous conversation.
"You want a drink, Carter?" Jack asked.
"Ah, no thanks. I thought I might go and find Jonas, tell him he did a good job."
"Ah. Okay. I thought I might do the rounds a bit first. I'll see you later."
"Yes. Have fun, sir."
The colonel didn't reply, instead allowing just a trace of a grimace to show before he moved out across the room. Sam herself headed for Jonas, fairly glad that she had to drive home at the end of all this. If she hadn't, she'd have been tempted to go and ask Davis exactly what he had been drinking, and where she could find some.
The general had long gone by the time Janet finally caught up with her best friend. She had seen Sam sitting by herself near the door twenty minutes ago, but every time she'd tried to make it over there another SG team member accosted her, suddenly feeling the need to thank the base's CMO for the last time she had stitched them up after a mission. It had been happening all night, and Janet was starting to wonder whether someone had put them all up to it to make her feel appreciated.
Now, finally, she had escaped them all and grabbed the chair next to Sam.
"Hey, Janet. You having a good time?"
"Mostly, though I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to hang around."
"Cassie waiting for you at home?"
"No, she's out with her new boyfriend tonight. I just have a few things to do still to get ready for Christmas, and I'm not sure how many more expressions of gratitude I can take for just doing my job. I swear, I've never experienced anything like tonight."
"I think Jonas might have something to do with that."
"I had been wondering if someone... Jonas did it?"
"I might have seen something on his list about-"
"And you didn't stop him?" Janet interrupted.
Sam just smiled, an action that reminded Janet of why she had been making such an effort to get over to her in the first place. It was the first real smile she'd seen from her friend since she'd walked in.
"Sam, are you okay?"
"Have you seen the amount of tinsel in here?"
"Yes, too much, but don't change the subject on me."
"There was a subject?"
"You know what I'm talking about."
"Yes, I do. And no, I'm not, but there's not a lot I can do about it."
"You know, Sergeant Davis may not go off-world, but he still has to come to me for a regular physical. Next time his comes around, I could always-"
"Thanks for the offer, but I don't think that's necessary."
"Well anytime you need to talk, you know that-"
"I know. Thanks."
They both knew she'd never take her up on it. She never did.
"Actually, have you seen the colonel?" Janet asked. "I have a message for him from Cassie and I've not managed to get hold of him yet."
"Sorry, I think he left just after the general. He only stayed just long enough to keep Jonas happy."
"Ah well, no problem. I'll tell her she'll have to tell him herself. In that case, I'll go and see Jonas one more time before I head off myself. You're still on for Christmas Day, right?"
"Wouldn't miss it, and I already bought the pudding."
"Great, just head over any time after eleven. See you in a couple of days!"
Sam sat for a moment after Janet left her, then rose from her own seat and quietly slipped out of the door.
It took far longer than she would have liked to get to her car. She'd collected her bag from the locker room and headed towards the elevator before remembering she'd forgotten to pick some papers up from her lab, forcing her to take a detour before she finally headed for the surface. Now she was there she fumbled in her bag for the car keys, not paying any attention to the vehicle itself until she had them.
That was when she saw it. Sitting on the driver's seat was a large, brightly wrapped package, tied round with a large blue bow and sporting a label that she couldn't quite read from where she stood. She didn't even want to think about how it had got in there, there were certainly no signs of forced entry and, trying the door, it was as she had suspected - still locked.
It wasn't locked for long though as she hurriedly opened the door, threw her bag on the passenger seat, and moved the present so she could sit down, before setting it on her lap so she could read the label:
'You're coming with me this summer. No arguments, no excuses, if I have to retire first then so be it.
Merry Christmas Sam.'
There was no name, but then there didn't need to be. Even without the distinctive handwriting, it could only be from one person. Sam gave a cursory glance in all directions to check that no one was watching her, before tearing into the wrapping and tossing it aside, her curiosity as to what was inside the parcel overcoming her thoughts about saving it for Christmas Day.
Inside was possibly the last thing she would ever have expected. Travis, the singing trout. Complete with Santa hat.
It was one of the weirdest, and would likely prove to be one of the most annoying Christmas gifts she had ever received. The thought of what songs a 'singing trout' could possibly be programmed with, and worse yet the tone in which they would be sung, was something she didn't even want to contemplate. Yet, as Sam placed the gift beside her bag and turned the key in the ignition to start the drive home, she couldn't think of anything she'd have rather received. Suddenly, the events of earlier in the evening didn't bother her so much.
THE END
2264
Remember. Cherish. Honour. Love. Respect.
