Title: 'Twelve Days of Christmas'

Author: kachina@ecis.com

Type: Jack and Sam Romance

Spoilers: Small hints of: The Curse, Upgrades, Divide and Conquer, Window of Opportunity, 1969

Summary: Sam is on the receiving end of the 12 days of Christmas.

Archive: Sam and Jack, Helipolis

Disclaimer: Not mine! (Pout) I’m just playing with them for a while. Excerpts taking without permission from 101 Romantic Nights, and Nora Roberts “Macgregor Brides. (sorry)

Feedback: Please. It makes my day.
 

Sam walked into her office, checking on her experiments, and picking up old files to put away. Making her way around to her desk where her computer was, she noticed a small package sitting next to her keyboard. It was wrapped in Christmas paper. Picking it up, she noticed that her name was on it, and it was signed 'Secret Admirer'. Giving a quick glance around her office, wondering who might have given her this gift. It wasn't even Christmas time. It wasn't even thanksgiving yet-- that was in a couple of days. Shrugging her shoulders, she ripped into the packaging, finding a Christmas ornament. Opening the box, she pulled out a festive Santa Claus toting the infamous sack of toys and he was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Sam wondered, who would give this to me, and why Santa on a motorcycle. How many people knew that she like rebuilding old motorcycles? Siler helped her last month with her 'project', but he was married.... why would he be a secret admirer?’

Head down, Sam walking out into the hall, running right into Daniel and Janet. "Hey Sam" Daniel says, "Where are you going?"

“Huh?” she said absently. ‘Who else knew? Well, it had to be someone from the SGC.’  Being that was where she found the gift - high security and all.’ She continued to muse.

“Are you alright," Janet says getting Sam’s attention. Being the Chief Medical Officer of the SGC, she was ever concerned for all SG members, but particularly her girlfriend.

“Oh--I'm all right.” She says answering Janet's question. She looked over to Daniel, after giving him the once over, wondering if he was her secret admirer. She dismissed him being that they always thought of each other as siblings. "I'm going to level 16, I need to check out the security system?”

“Why? Is there a problem?” Daniel demanded.

“Well... Let's just say I'm concerned.” Sam replied.

“Why?” Janet asked.

“Well,--someone broke into my... no, not really broke into my office... but..." Sighing, she showed the ornament to them.

Janet looked at the ornament, stating the obvious, “It's a Christmas ornament.”

“Yes. And this was the note that was with it...”

Daniel took it and read, "From a Secret Admirer. Sam, you have a Secret Admirer!"

‘Duh’ she grumbled, sometimes her friends were so … stupid!

Sam saw General Hammond starting to approach their position in the hallway. She waved Janet and Daniel back into her office to continue their conversation.

“You were going to go view the security tapes to see who left it for you, is that right Sam?” Janet challenged her.

“Yes...” she said, moving back in the direction of the elevator.

“Sam!” Janet stopped her.

“What?”

“How could you?”

“What?”

“How could you spoil the whole surprise as to who gave you that gift by tracking them down?” Janet asked.

Sam looked at Janet like she just sprouted wings, and she started wondering if Janet might be the culprit. 'No.. But she might have some idea who did this.'  "Janet, do you know who did this?" Sam said towering over her best friend.

“No. I don't. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell. That's what surprises and secret admirers are all about.”

“Why a motorcycle Santa?” Daniel asked not participating in their conversation.

//In the security control room, a high-ranking officer, watched and listened to the conversation. Grinned ear-to-ear at his complete success. ‘I have to remember to thank old Doc Frazier for dissuading Carter to come in here.’ He told himself.//

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sam did as Janet and Daniel suggested and attempted to be patient with who ever gave her the very early Christmas gift. She didn't ask any questions, just took the ornament home and stashed it with her Christmas things to be pulled out in a few weeks.

She soon forgot about it...

Just after the first of the month, Sam was walking into the locker room and noticed white roses stuck in the lockers. She examined them, and noticed that the pretty white flowers were stuck in the female’s lockers. She reached her locker and noticed that there was no flower. Not understanding, she looked around, feeling sad and left out. She opened her locker and put her jacket in. Hearing Lieutenants Virden and Harris coming in for their duty, she quickly hide a couple of rows over.

She over heard them, "Hey, look at all the flowers" Sam groaned to her self – ‘None for me.’

Opening their lockers they pull the flowers out and one of them reads the attached note, "From a secret admirer - Merry Christmas."  Sam could hear the Lieutenant quiet laughter; it just increased her hurt of being left out.

"Mine says the same thing."

‘Secret Admirer?’ The words sink in, Sam starts to think... and comes out from her hiding place. Moving quickly pass the two lieutenants, they call a greeting to her, but she ignores them, and hurries out of the locker room back to her office. ‘Couldn't it be? Why did they get flowers and not me?’ Heading straight for her lab she gets stopped just outside by Janet. "Hey Sam, did you hear, someone gave all the women of the base flowers for Christmas. Isn't that sweet? White is so rare. I never see them at the store. I wonder why white...?”

“What?” Sam said not hearing anything that Janet had been saying to her.

“Sam is there something wrong?”

“No--I just have to get to my office...” Sam said as she maneuvered her way around Janet and into her office.

“Oh, okay... white roses.” Janet continued, following Sam. “My mom used to be into flowers and their color meanings. If I recall white meant purity, secrecy and innocence.” She looked at Sam’s retreating back. ‘Secrecy and Innocence--Hmm’. Janet thought, following Sam to her office. She almost ran right into her because Sam had stopped right in the doorway. "Sam?"

Sam didn't move, and Janet being smaller than her, moved around her. Seeing what stopped Sam in her tracks. There on Sam’s desk was a very large bouquet of cheerful red roses.

Glancing back to Sam, Janet said, “Breath Sam.”

“Huh?”  Sam tried, stunned.

“Breath.”

“Oh--right.“ Sam did as she was instructed and took a deep breath. From across the room, she could smell the fragrance of the roses from where she stood.

“I guess your secret admirer strikes again.” Janet smiled.

“Can't be. He gave everyone flowers...” Sam said still in shock.

“Yes. But we all got one single white flower.” She reminded her.  “You got...”

“Red...” Sam said trying to understand.

“And, from the looks of it, at least a dozen.” Janet commented, trying to hide her jealously.

“Looks like more to me...” Sam said while Janet started to count. Sam picked up the card. "From Your Secret Admirer, Merry Twelve Days of Christmas Samantha."

“24” Janet said when she finished.

“What? 24 what?”

“Red roses, two dozen.”

“How’d he get them in here with out anyone seeing?”

“And not only these, there is a total of 24 women on this base, and each got one white rose... so he had to smuggle in 24 of those too.”

“23—“

“23?”

“I didn't get a white one.”

“Oh... are we greedy for roses?” Janet teased.

“What' with all the flowers all of the base?” Daniel said as he strode in.

“Sam's secret admirer strikes again," Janet said, as Sam waved the card.

//He was back in the control room, with the best advantage. A camera had caught the whole thing on tape. ‘I loved it – this was the best yet.’//

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*

A gloomy Sam wandered into Janet's office. She was with a patient at the time, so Sam took a seat down on one of the beds and waited for her friend to be finished. Janet looked over to her, noting that nothing was physically wrong with her, she continued with Sgt Parker's bleeding gash. Finishing, she dismissed Parker with care instructions, and made her way to Sam.

“Something wrong?” Janet inquired of her obviously depressed friend.

“Today is the 16th,” Sam said hoping that would explain everything.

Looking over to the calendar on her desk, “Yep, so it is.” Janet agreed.

Sam's sad eyes look to Janet's, seeing that Janet wasn't grasping what she was saying Sam explained. “Twelve days of Christmas started on the 13th. Today is the 16th. There’s been nothing.”

“Oh,” was all Janet could manage.  What else was she to say?  “Well, maybe something came up.” She offered.

Still dejected Sam said, “Maybe he forgot.”

“I doubt it.”

“Well, have you been in your office today?”

“Yes--Almost all day.” That’s where all the other presents had been, so she thought she’d stay there.

“Well, there you go. You probably didn't give him a chance to drop it off.”

‘How stupid of me’, Sam sighed. Realizing that Janet just hinted at something, ‘Does she know who and what?’ She asked, “It?”

“Yes. Your first gift.” Janet said innocently.

It was clear that Janet was in the dark as much as Sam, maybe even more. Sam asked the question that concerned her the most, “But what about today being the 16th?”

“I wouldn't worry about it.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not on the receiving end.” Sam swung herself off the bed, and started to pace the floor.  “This anticipation is killing me.” Turning, Sam looked at Janet, glaring, “And you made me not go looking at the security tapes.”

Smiling back at Sam, “You do know who is doing this, don't you Sam?”

“I'm pretty sure who.”

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

That night back at her apartment, a depressed Sam picked up her mail. Opening her mailbox, she pulled out her bills, along with the growing number of Christmas cards. She noticed a small box stuck in the back. It was wrapped in Christmas paper. 'He strikes again... finally!' she said with a giddy heart. Glancing at the card for confirmation, ‘Secret Admirer... confirmed’. She ripped open the paper, and opened the box, and pulled out her new Christmas ornament. ‘Another one.’ But this one was special; it was of a partridge in a pear tree. Janet was right. He didn't forget. Hurrying into the house, skating and almost falling on the icy ground, she had to call Janet and tell her.

Sam tried calling, and calling, but there was no answer. ‘She must be out Christmas shopping. Why doesn't she have an answering machine! I'll have to get her one for Christmas,’ she thought absently.

The next morning, Sam went out to her car. After scrapping the ice off the windshield, she got in and noticed another package. Grabbing it quickly, she ripped it open. It was a book, Random Acts of Romance. She noticed that there were some post-it tabs sticking out the top. Knowing that she was going to be late to work, she sat in her cold car and started reading and savoring each quote that was highlighted by him.

‘ Truly great romance is about creating moments. Whether it’s a gigantic, flashy production number or a tiny sweet gesture, all romantic events have at their core a special moment that captures the feeling of love and caring that is shared.’

‘Cuddling is nurturing of the body and the spirit and we all profoundly need it. To be touched and held, to have our skin – that miraculous fine thin silken wrapper of our being – caressed, addressed, remembered, and cherished. Is one of the greatest human requirement.’

Sam found two quotes underline, on the same page. She read them in order, like she figured she was supposed to.

‘Prepare to be swept off your feet… and thank the powers that be for bringing this remarkable woman into your life, and ask for a little extra help in your efforts to be a worthy match for her.’

Sam leaned back against her seat, and felt the wonderful sensations those passages created in her. ‘Dear God -- How wonderful. He is wonderful.’

Carrying the book with her into the base, she passes Janet's office and ducked in.

“Janet, He struck again.”

“Really?”

“Twice.” Sam was giddy.  “Once last night, and another this morning.”

“What did he give you this time?” Janet inquired.

“Another ornament.  A partridge in the pear tree.”

“Oh, how cute. That must have been hard to find, being that it’s from a traditional Christmas song.”

She thought that for a moment, Sam agreed. “You wouldn’t think so.”

“And this morning’s?”

“This book.” She pulled it out.

After reading the title, Janet said, “Oh. Romantic, isn't he?”

“I never would have guessed.” Sam said. ‘He’s always so sarcastic,’ Sam thought to herself. “He's marked some passages.”

Janet listened to Sam read the marked pages. “Wow Sam, that's wonderful. I wish I had someone that was doing the twelve days of Christmas for me.” They looked each other and Sam knew Janet was thinking about Daniel.

“I know. It’s frustrating, but it's great. And being that I have a secret admirer - no regulations are being broke.” Sam said laughing at her ‘admirer ’s’ ingenious plan. “As long as he can keep it a secret.” Sam added.

“He's doing a great job so far.”

“Yes he has.” Sam grinned agreed.  “But he's not admitting it. Poker face all the way.”

//‘Poker face, eh? She doesn’t know the half of it.’ He said to himself as he patted the security screen. Standing up, he walked out the door and to the elevators.  ‘I had the hardest time when we came down in the elevator this morning.//

“You’ll have to keep me apprised. I want to know, when, where, how, etc!” Janet called as Sam left the infirmary.

Turning around, Sam told her, “I found this one on the front seat of my car.” Waving to each other, Sam continued to her office.  ‘Wait a minute. I locked my car... and it was still locked this morning. How'd he...’

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Late the next day, Sam returned from a meeting with the General, and the rest of her science team. They had been working on a naquada generator and were giving the General a progress report. Sam's anticipation about where and when the next gift would show up had her senses turned up full blast. ‘This was fun. But the waiting got to be exhausting,’ she thought as she
made her way back to her lab. Since two gifts had shown up by her computer, she was constantly checking around it first. ‘Nothing. Damn. What’s he going to do next... and where?’

“Carter." Sam answered the phone.

“Uh, Sam, it's Janet. “ Sam recognized her voice, but in her distracted mood, she was glad that Janet had told her.

“Yes.”

“I think you need to come to my office.”

“Why. I haven’t been off world lately. There is no need for tests.”

Janet grinned into the phone, ‘These people were always worried about her tests and her needles.’

“No, not that. ... Umm... just come. I think he's getting creative."

“Who?” Stupid question Sam, “Oh... I'll be right there.” She said with anticipation and excitement.

Entering Janet's office, she points out another ornament size box on her desk. "—Card says it’s for you' Janet says smiling.

Sam walked over to behind Janet's desk and sat down. ‘Another ornament,’ Sam as she rolls her eyes and disappointment. ‘Is this some message or was it just easy to get a whole lot of ornaments and give them to her.’ Sam confirms the card, and started to open the package. Janet came in to watch Sam open her newest gift. A glowing smile spreads across Sam's face.

“What is it?” Janet demands.

“Chocolate!” Sam shows the large chocolate candy kiss to Janet.

"No, it's more than that, I'd say. I'd say it’s also a message."

“Huh?”

“It's a kiss -- from him.”

“Oh...your right!” Sam grinned and blushed.

//‘Ahhh, I love it when she blushes. It’s so rare.’ He stood up and left the control room. One more thing to do for today’s gift.//

Leaving for the day, Sam packed up her things and retrieved her jacket. Looking for her keys to her car on the way up to the surface, Sam put her hand in the pocket of her jacket, along with her keys she pulls out a hand full of small chocolate kisses wrapped in silver, green and red foil. Smiling, Sam checked the rest of her pockets. ‘Yep, there was two or three in each pocket. Popping one into her mouth, she thought about having little kissing all over her body. Damn...  that’s too delicious of a thought.’

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“So? Anything today?” Janet asked with Daniel and Teal'c in tow.

“Nope. Not yet.” Sam smiled at her friends. She knew Janet was telling Daniel, and Daniel was telling Teal’c.

“It's 4pm, almost time to go home. When does he usually give you these gifts?” Daniel asked keeping up the secret pretense.

“It can be any time in the 24-hour period, I'm realizing. I still have 8 hours to wait.” She groaned, that was the hardest part.

“Well, we're going out to dinner to discuss the party plans. Want to join us?” Daniel asked.

“Sure. What time?”

“We’re taking off at 6 pm, and going to O’Malley’s.”

She laughed. “You’re taking an awfully large risk, showing up there again. But, sure, I'll join you.”

“Oh, by the way, the party is at your house this year. Just thought I'd let you know.” Daniel smiled.

“My house!”

“Sure -- that's okay, isn't it?” Daniel asked.

“Yeah, not a problem. I just wished someone had asked.”

“MajorCarter, would it be okay to have a party at your house on December 24?” Teal'c asked with his eyebrow raised.

Sighing, “Yes, Teal'c. And thank you for asking.” Sam smiled at her large Jaffa friend.

A couple of hours later, Sam followed Daniel, Janet and Teal'c up to the surface and off to O’Malley’s. O’Malley’s normally was a quick 5 minute drive, but with Christmas traffic bustling everywhere, it turned into about a 15 minute drive. After a few minutes some music started to wafted around her. It was slow and seductive, and growing in volume. Sam looked at the cars next to her to see if someone was rudely playing their music too loud, but it seemed it was coming from inside her car. ‘I haven’t turned my stereo on,’ She thought. Sam rolled down both her driver's side window and her passenger window just to test the theory. Getting a blast of cold mountain air, and confirmation that it wasn't coming from outside, she pressed the buttons to roll them back up. Looking down at her stereo, she noticed that her CD player was operating. Punching the button to eject the CD, pulling it out. She read the label, "Merry Christmas Sam, From Your Secret Admirer.” Across the top, it was professionally labeled Favorite Slow Dance Music. 'Oh my' Sam thought, ‘I hope this means you like to dance. I love to dance... or maybe you knew that, just like you knew about the motorcycle.’ In a slight panic, ‘what else do you know about me??’

Pulling up to a red light, ‘How'd he get it to play? I didn’t push any buttons!  And then increased the volume?’ Sam wonders.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

‘Ahh, Sunday morning, no pressing plans. Just the Sunday paper, in bed. A day off.’ Sam stretched slowly getting up. Slipping on her robe and slippers, she made her way down to pick up the newspaper from her doorstep. Passing chocolate kisses she had piled on her kitchen counter the evening before, she grabs one, unwrapped it and popped into her mouth as she continued to get her morning paper. She never had time to read any of the news, but she coveted the few minutes on Sundays that she could at least read the comics.

Opening her front door, she looked down and saw that the paper was leaning up against the doorstep. ‘Good job, Tommy,’ she usually had to go rummage in the bushes for it. ‘Perfect shot this time.’ Picking up the hefty paper, she saw underneath it another present. This new gift was of two stuffed toy bears kissing under a piece of mistletoe. ‘How cute,’ she thought. ‘I love it.’ And there was two notes attached this time. On one bear it said, “Merry Christmas Sam,” and on the other it said, “From Secret Admirer.” Simple straight-forward message recieved. ‘One bear is me,’ Sam thought, ‘and the other is him. I love it.’

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Monday morning, and Janet waltz in to get Sam's weekend report of the secret admirer's activities. “Well,” she asked, “Any new gifts.”

“Good morning to you too!” Sam said happily.

“Sorry, Morning. “ Janet said apologizing.

“Which one did you know of last?”

“The chocolate kiss in my office.”

“Oh, it didn't stop there. There were kisses in my pockets. I piled them all together once I got home, and there was almost a whole bag full!”

“Oh Sam. That man is definitely romantic. All those chocolate kisses.”

“Yeah.. Too bad they weren't real.” She says softly under her breath.

//‘I wish they all had been real too. What I would give to kiss every potion of her body… from top to bottom, and then start over.’ He mused to himself, watching his favorite two female soldiers on the screen.//

Knowing Sam as she did, and her standards as well as the Air Forces standards, Janet asked, “Would you have accepted them if they were real?”

“Well... no, because—“

“Of the regulations. I know. But at least this way you can fantasize.”

//‘Fantasies.’ He thought. ‘There not all their cracked up to be.’//

Sighing, Sam didn't believe her. Fantasies weren’t enough for her, she wanted more, and that was the hard part.

“Well, some is better than nothing.” Janet said envying Sam’s gifts.

“Yeah. Your right.“ Sam said, not fully convinced, and not realizing that Janet was jealous.

“So, that was Friday.. What happened Saturday?” Janet asked, greedy for more news.

“Oh... He gave me a CD.”

“What?”

“A slow dance music CD. And the funny thing was the way he did it. I'm still trying to figure that one out.”

//‘Chalk one up for me! She hasn’t figure that one out yet.’ He laughed.//

“What did he do?”

“Well, the CD started after I was in the car for a while, and it just slowly grew in volume. I really thought it was coming from someone else's car for a while. But what I can’t understand is how he did it. I mean, my car... it was locked. And even so, how did he rig it to start after I got going.”

“He's not only romantic, but he's clever.”

//‘Ahhh, Doc, I love you too.’ He sighed. ‘But not your needles!’ He thought making himself laugh.//

“Yes he is,” Sam grinned. “But why does his eyes glaze over when I start talking about naquada or something?”

“Sam....,” Janet said interrupting Sam’s train of thought.

“Hmm?”

“I've noticed that it isn't as bad any more. He's really trying to understand what you’re saying.” ‘As we all are,’ Janet added to herself.

“I know, I’ve noticed.”

“So, what did you get yesterday?” Janet asked getting back to the presents.

Sam laughed remembering, “I got two little bears kissing.”

“Two what?” Janet smirked at the idea.

“Yep, one was label me, and the other was label for him.”

“Names?” Janet asked.

“No, well, just mine. I think he still wants it to be a secret.”

Understanding both her friends very well Janet said, “No harm, no foul.”

“Yep, no regs to be broken.” Sam said happily.

“More kissing.” Janet said.

“Yep,” Sam sighed. “It's just so sweet! I love it.”

//‘Your welcome and your worth it, Sam.’ The officer said to himself watching the ladies still.//

“Nothing yet today?”

“Nope, not yet...." Sam sat down at her computer and punched in her security code to get access to the servers. As it was booting up, she opened one of the desk drawers and saw a new gift. "Wait a minute. Here's something." She pulled out the Christmas wrapped gift, showing it to Janet.

“Oh goodie,” Janet giggled.

“Goodie?”

“Yep, I'm here for this one. Well, you know, I'm a romantic at heart too. And if I can't be on the receiving end of a marathon of gifts, then I'll live vicariously through my friend.”

//“I’ll have to get on Daniel’s case for you Janet.” He said to the security screen. “No reason for you two not to be together except for Daniel’s stubbornness.”//

Sam smiled back at Janet as she opened her latest gift. She saw the title of the DVD immediately and started to laugh. "Oh god... Look."

She showed the DVD to Janet, "Ground Hog Day".

“I've never seen it.” Janet admits. “What’s it about?”

“Bill Murray plays a guy that lives the same day over and over and over, just like what happened to the Colonel and Teal'c months ago. He said that I mentioned that they were repeating just like in the movie, and... Well, this is it.”

Sam and Janet just laughed. “Want to watch it tonight? Maybe Cassie could come too?” Sam asked her good friend.

“Sure. I'll bring the pizza.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Hey Sam… General Hammond wanted me to give this file to you.” Sam noticed the file Daniel was handing her. “I was on my way down here anyways.”

“Thanks Daniel.”

“How is the generator coming?”

“It could be better; we are still having problems controlling the fusion rate. It’s way too high, and therefore unstable and volatile.”

“I’m confident you’ll figure it out.” Daniel turned too leave but not before he heard Sam exclaim.

“Oh God, is nothing sacred?”

“Sam—What’s the matter?” Daniel said worried.

“Oh, nothing. He struck again.” ‘And I wasn’t expecting it this time’ Sam thought.

“He?”

‘Earth to Daniel,’ Sam thought. “My Secret Admirer.”

“Oh.” Daniel laughed. “What’s it this time and where?”

Sam picked up the envelope from the file Daniel just handed her, in large unmistakable type written letters it said, “Merry Christmas Samantha, From … You know who.”

“He’s getting sarcastic in his old age…,” Daniel comments

“Really, … Ya think?” She mimics. Opening the envelope, she could feel something small sliding around, so she was careful. Pouring out the contents in to her hand, two gorgeous diamond earrings sparkled.

“Oh, those are beautiful. Do you think they are real?” Daniel examined them.

Stunned, Sam stared at them laying in her hand. ‘Oh I hope not,’ she thinks. ‘That’s too much, even for him.’

“Sam?” Daniel says trying to get Sam’s attention. “Put them on.”

“No, I can’t.. It’s too much Daniel. Tell him to stop.”

//“Too late to stop now, Sam.”//

Daniel smirks, “I can’t. I don’t know who is sending these things to you”

“Yes, you do. Tell him to stop it!”

“No. And you’ll hurt his feelings if you make me… and it will hurt him even more if you don’t put them on.”

//‘Go Daniel! Just for that, you get an extra hour with your rocks on the next planet’//

“How would you know, you said you didn’t know who was sending me these gifts.”

“Well… uh… your right, I don’t know. But all I’m saying is that if it was me, I’d be hurt.”

“Good answer Daniel.”

“Thanks….”

//‘Yes! Thank you, Danny-boy!’//

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Sam planned to leave early to get ready for the Christmas party. She had lots of stops to make, including going Christmas shopping. As she climbed into her car, she started backing out of her parking space, and slams on the breaks. There was an angel ornament hanging from her rearview mirror. “Damn him! I should just give him a key to my car. I hate the thought of someone breaking into my car!”

She pulled back into her space, and purposefully goes back into the mountain. Sam asked one of the SFs where she might find Colonel O’Neill, and he reported that the last time he was seen was in his office, just a moment ago. Storming into the Colonel’s office, Sam slapped her car key on his desk in front of him and stormed out with saying a word. Jack just looked at her back as she left. Looking down at the object on his desk, no mistake about it, it was the key to her car. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his key chain, and attached the token. ‘At least I have something of hers to carry around with me now. And you never know when it might come in handy.’

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 
SG1 had the day off today, but you’d never know it by the way Sam was running around her house, cleaning and decorating. She had more than 20 people coming over this evening for the Christmas festivities, and she still needed to wrap the gifts she had purchased.

Sam sat on her living room rug, as she cut and taped the different presents. She had gotten Daniel a book on Urban Legends and Myths. She had looked at all the other archeology books, but decided that he probably didn’t need them or already had them. She got Cassie a poster and CD of her favorite boy band, Backstreet Boys, ‘She’s going to love it, but Janet will probably hate me. Cassie will be wearing the CD player out. Oh well.’ She thought as she wrapped the gift up.

She got General Hammond a new pipe and some tobacco to go along with it. ‘Nasty habit’, but her dad had made the recommendation, so she complied. She got Teal’c a box full of scented candles, ‘That man goes thru so many candles during his mediations,’ she thought. ‘It’s no-wonder he hasn’t set anything on fire yet.’ Getting up in the middle of wrapping Teal’c present, she walked over to a storage draw, and grabbed a couple of packs of matches and tossed those into the box too.

She got her girlfriend, Janet some of her favorite perfume. And she got Colonel O’Neill a couple of tickets to a hockey game. She hoped she was right, and that Chicago Blackhawks was his favorite team. ‘Giving him two might be a mistake, but maybe if he asks me to go, I just might accept.’ She thought.

The doorbell startled her out of her musings, getting up and hobbling to the door, she opened it to find a delivery boy with a very large beautiful mixof flowers. It was so large that it actually hid the boy’s face, and upper body. Signing for the flowers, she quickly closed the door and walked back in, hoping that they were from him. Placing them on the coffee table, she
opened the small envelope that came with the bouquet.  She pulled out the note, and a necklace fell out into her hands. Reading the note first, ‘Thank you for trusting me with your key, I just hope it is the key to your heart. Yours truly, Your Secret Admirer.’  She re-read the note before looking at the necklace.  The charm that was hanging from it was silver with Earth’s
stargate symbol. Sam realized that he had to get it specially made, it meant so much to her. “Oh man, this is the best yet!” she said, as her eyes began to fill.

Later that evening, the party was in full swing. Gifts were exchanged amongst team members. General Hammond gave his whole command a yearbook that he put together of all the teams. It contained various pictures, captured from the security cameras Sam figured, with quotes next to them. She figured about half of photos had at least one of SG1 in them. She smiled remembering a lot of the different episodes, both the good ones and the stressful ones.

The General and Dr. Janet Frazier were sitting in the living room across from Sam while she looked thru the book he gave everyone. Colonel O’Neill joined them, sitting down next to Sam on the sofa.

“Sir,” she greeted him.

“Carter. You haven’t opened your present yet.”

“Another?” she asked innocently.

“Yep, my present to my teammates.” He said nodding to General Hammond.

“Oh” she said, looking over at General Hammond, but Janet had him cleverly occupied with how he put the yearbook together, without anyone knowing about. “Sir, you don’t have to get me anything,” she whispered.

“Nonsense,” Jack grinned at her. He motioned for Daniel and Teal’c to come over and open their gifts too.

Standing behind the two officers, they all started to open their gifts. The gifts were all the same Sam noticed. She opened her’s and out-slided a picture frame. It contained a picture of the whole SG1 team, standing in the doorway of the Gateroom. Jack captured a picture of them all dress in their 1969 clothing, and then he framed each one in a very hippy and flowery frame.

Sam looked at the picture, and smiled at Jack, and then over to Daniel. He was laughing. Teal’c was even breaking into a huge smiling, well, at least for him.

“General Hammond and I worked on the book, Janet. And that’s when and how I got the idea to capture this picture. It’s perfect for framing, or at least hanging anywhere I thought.”

Sam looked to the picture again. He was right, there was no evidence of being on a secret time-travel mission. Just four people-hippies-in a picture. It was perfect.

“Thank you, Sir.”
 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was almost 1am before everyone left, and nearly 3am before her friends decide to go to sleep. She was happy her closest friends decided to stay at her place that evening. It was nice to have her adopted family near her on the holidays, especially if it meant having Colonel O’Neill under the same roof. Janet and Cassie took the spare bedroom, which normally was Sam’s
office. Daniel and the Colonel fell asleep downstairs on her two couches, and Teal’c took the floor. He said he didn’t mind; Sam believed him.  Being the hostess, Sam was the last go off to bed. She had lain in bed trying to figure out what the Colonel was planning next. She had gotten nine of the twelve days of Christmas. She wondered if the team picture, the two-dozen
roses and the first ornament were the other 3 days?

Just before dawn, she finally drifted off into dreamland.  She saw him walking down the SGC corridors, smiling that quick and charming smile. Now, she saw him strapped to the Tok’ra machine, when he told her, and those present, that he ‘cared for her, more that he should’.

Then the dream became less memory and more wish. She saw herself smiling back to him, hold out her hands. Accepting, giving and embracing.

Pipes were playing as he swept her up into his arms. Her laugh mixed with his. She stirred, sighing with the dream, the romance, and the rightness of it. And she was murmuring his name as she woke.

The pipes were still playing—bagpipes?

Sam sat up, rubbing her eyes. ‘Bagpipes?’ She thought in confusion. ‘And drums.’ She yawned, laughed and swung her legs off the bed. Maybe her neighbor cooked something special up for his family. Early Christmas morning, she noted with a glanced at the clock.

She stumbled for her robe just as her door burst open. Cassie’s long hair was wildly tossed about her shoulders, her feet bare, and her eyes wide with excitement.  “Sam, look out the window. You won’t believe it until you see it!”

“I hear it,” Sam said as voices sounded from downstairs. “Sounds like everyone else does, too. I wonder what my neighbor’s been up too?”

“I don’t think it’s your neighbor, I think Jack did it.” Cassie said grabbing Sam’s hand and pulling her to the window.

Stunned, Sam stared outside. There on her snow covered lawn were ten burley men in kilts, leaping to a Scottish reel. “Ten lords a leaping!” Cassie grinned.

“Lairds,” Janet corrected from behind them.

Sam motioned to Janet to join them at that the window, “Even better, there are eleven pipers piping, and twelve drummers drumming. I’d say that wraps it up.”

“He didn’t miss a trick, did he?” Janet said.

“He…” She stared down at the ever-handsome Colonel Jack O’Neill, who stood in the midst of the commotion. “He did all this for me?”

“He’s crazy” Sam stated disbelief.

“I’d say.  Crazy in love with you.” Janet said.

“Ya think?” Laughing, Sam pressed a hand to her mouth. ‘True love, my secret admirer,’ she thought, ‘it made no sense at all. And wasn’t that wonderful?’ “It’s all so perfect.”

“Then, what are you doing up here, when he’s down there?” Janet prodded her.

“I’m going.” She slipped on a pair of boots, and with her robe flapping behind her, she raced down the stairs. She raced past Teal’c and Daniel. Daniel was attempting to explain the significance of what was happening. She didn’t hear any of it; she just heard the pipes and the drums. The music beating time with the beating of her heart.

Sam stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs, doubt and reality stopping her in her tracks. She looked back up to Janet and Cassie who had followed her downstairs. Janet made a motion saying ‘go to him’. Cassie was grinning ear to ear, she had always hoped and prayed they would get together, but she never thought it would be as romantic as this. Sam looked over to Teal’c and Daniel asking them silently for their approval, Teal’c nodded his acceptance and Daniel smiled and nodded also. ‘They all know,’ Sam thought. She looked back over to where her Colonel was standing, ‘And they know how he feels too.’

Jack took a step towards Sam, “Merry Christmas Sam.”

“Jack—“

“I…” he started, glancing quickly to each of their friends, they were grinning. He knew that all four of them meant the world to both Sam and him. But he was really hoping that he didn’t have to admit his feelings in front of them. ‘Do it anyways,’ he ordered himself. “Sam, I love you.” He told her, lifting a hand to brush a way a tear from her lashes.  “You are everything I want. I admire your compassion, your logic, your strength and your honesty. I need you and I love you. And I’m here in front of the people  that matter most to us, the ones that we trust with our lives… I love you. That’s all that matters, we’ll work out the rest.”

Sam’s heart brimmed over as she stepped forward, standing between him and their adopted family. She took his hands in hers, “Jack… I love you too.”

“Kiss her!” Cassie demanded. The rest of the adults on the porch laughed at the teenager.

Sam and Jack looked back to their friends, “Cassie, I think we can handle that from here,” Jack said.

Gazing down into Sam’s eyes, Jack reached up both his hands, and grasped her head in his hands. Guiding her lovely lips to his waiting lips. Before they made contact, he mouthed to her, ‘I love you Sam’. She closed her moist eyes, blissfully and joyfully accepting his kiss and his love.

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Merry Christmas everyone! Chris kachina@ecis.com