"How many times has this happened?" Jack wadded up the paper he and Daniel had been playing Tic Tac Toe on and tossed it into the campfire. "Three, four?"
"What," Daniel asked, pulling a fresh sheet from his notebook and marking off new grids. "Getting stuck off-world for New Year's, or Sam getting punched in the face?" He marked an "O" on one of the squares and handed the paper to Jack.
"Gee, Daniel, maybe next time I'll just let the large scary women have their way with you." Sam pulled the cold pack away from her puffy and discolored right eye as she tried to sit up and Jack winced a little. She'd have one hell of a shiner in the morning.
"I had *everything* under control."
Sam flopped back onto her sleeping bag with a groan as Teal'c plucked the cold pack from her hand and replaced it with a fresh one, gently pushing it against her face. "So raising your voice an octave was part of your translation attempt, Daniel Jackson, and not because that woman was trying to reach down the front of your pants?"
Daniel cleared his throat, ignoring Jack's not-very-muffled snickering and Sam's baleful cyclops glare, and pointed at his watch. "Oh look. Five minutes to midnight!" Then he sighed. "Damn. I'll bet they're opening that bottle of champagne I brought back from France right now."
"Hey," Jack slapped him on the shoulder, "at least we don't have to listen to General Hammond serenade us with stupid song this year."
"What do you have against 'Auld Lang Syne'?"
"It's a song about forgetting people! How happy is that?"
"It is my understanding, O'Neill," Teal'c said, "that New Year's Eve is a time for reflection on things past. In that respect, the song is quite appropriate."
"Thank you, Professor Philosophy." Jack clambered to his feet and picked up his P-90. "I'm gonna go make a perimeter check. Nobody have fun while I'm gone."
Crossing the campsite, he crouched next to Sam, pulling the cold pack and her hand away so he could look at her eye. "Looks like the swelling's going down." As he gently probed around the area his watched beeped, and when he glanced at it he surprised to see her pale fingers around his.
He was still holding her hand.
"Happy New Year, Colonel."
And she was smiling.
Reluctantly pulling away, Jack put the cold pack back in her hand and brushed her bangs away from her face as he stood. "Happy New Year, Carter."
As he strode out of camp he glanced back and saw Daniel sit down next to Sam and hand her something. Even from here he could see her bright smile as she pushed herself up and tore away the wrapping from the object, breaking it into pieces before popping one into her mouth. Then she gave one to Daniel, one to Teal'c, and wrapped another in the silver foil he saw glinting in the firelight.
Jack grinned when she crawled over and set it on his pack.
He pushed on through the tangle of vines in his path, and behind him an enthusiastic if somewhat painful melody broke out, led by Teal'c's deep baritone. "Should auld aquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind..."
Jack shook his head, listening to their voices mingle in laughter and song. He could never forget them.
It really was a stupid song.
END
Story Notes: Spoilers: None
Season: Seven
A/N: Happy New Year, everyone.
Season: Seven
A/N: Happy New Year, everyone.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]