"Once Upon A Time" by DustDevil

TITLE: Once upon a time

AUTHOR: DustDevil

RATING: PG

CATEGORY: S&J UST

WARNINGS: None

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

ARCHIVE: S&J Archive and Heliopolis, Yes. Others...please ask.

SUMMARY: A little girl and her birthday wish.

FEEDBACK: Yes please! Feeeeeeeeeeedbaaaaaaaaack...drool...

SPOILERS: None. Set season 3.

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'Once upon a time there was a very pretty lady called Sam, and a handsome man called Jack.

Sam and Jack worked in a secret base in the mountains, and their job was to explore the universe and to save the world. They were very good at their jobs, and they did them with the help of their two best friends Daniel and Teal'c. Daniel knew everything about peoples and cultures, and Teal'c was very huge and very strong. Sam was a very clever woman, who knew everything about science and Jack was a very smart soldier who was always able to get them out of trouble. They were also helped by Janet, who was a doctor and whose job it was to help them and make them better when they got sick or hurt. Their jobs were very dangerous and Janet often had to look after them in the infirmary when they came back from a mission. Luckily they were all very smart and sometimes lucky. But Sam and Jack were not smart all the time. They were not smart enough to see they loved each other.

Jack had been married years before and had a son who died, and so Jack was afraid to marry again, though he loved Sam very much. He would look at her all the time and say the dumbest jokes just to make her laugh. He would also pretend to be stupid just so she would talk to him and try to explain her experiments. Sam's work was very important to her, and if she and Jack were in love then they might have to give up their jobs or move to a base somewhere else, and no-one wanted this. Still she loved Jack very much, as much as he loved her.

But they were too shy and afraid to admit their feelings.'

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I held my pen in my teeth and reread the last few words scrawled in my note pad, then satisfied I put the pen down and closed my book. Smiling I got up and checked my hair in the mirror. The sound of music from downstairs made me grin, and I quickly tidied my coloured pens away and collected my new fancy notebook, holding it against my chest as I made my way to the door.

"Cassie! Time to cut the cake!"

Smiling I throw open the door and charge down the stairs, still clutching my birthday gift writing book and smart fountain pen in my arms. I run into the living room and smile at everyone that's there, and Mom is standing by my cake. I work my way slowly over to her and everyone gathers round and sings happy birthday. I'm so embarrassed, I don't like being centre of attention at all but Mom wouldn't have it any other way. I blow out the candle and concentrate hard as I make my birthday wish. Then the cake is cut, and while slices are being passed around and the crowd thin out and form small groups again, I think of my wish. Maybe it was a silly wish, and maybe I've wasted it when I should have wished for a pony, or for Mark to ask me out, but I'd still like it to come true.

Mom calls me over and I spend the next few minutes showing her all my new presents. I got lots of stuff this year and I'm so glad I have so many friends and that so many people care about me. Lots of people from the base are here, Sam and Jack and Daniel and Teal'c of course, and even some of the nurses from the infirmary are chatting in the corner and Mom said the General might even make it later. I had another party this afternoon which all my friends came to, and we had fun in the garden and Mom even did a barbecue and we had a clown. Tonight though all the adults came round, and though this is my birthday its also a chance for everyone from the base to relax and have a good time. I wonder where Sam is? I wanted her to see my new dress, the one I'm going to wear to my friend Lisa's birthday next week.

I look around the room and don't see Sam, so I take my empty plate and glass back to the kitchen, and as I stand at the sink I can see Sam and Jack standing at the far door. Jack is leaning with his arm against the wall, drink in one hand, grinning, and Sam is leaning against the door frame and smiling up at him, laughing at one of his terrible jokes. She shakes her head at him and makes to go, but he puts his hand on her shoulder to stop her and she looks up at him and smiles. He smiles back, and his thumb reaches up and ever so gently moves across her cheek, making her flush slightly. He says something else then, something quiet, and she laughs, and pushes his hand away, then his face becomes straight and he takes a hold of both of her shoulders and turns her to face him, and for the first time I can hear some of their words.

"I'm serious" He says, looking straight into her eyes, and she gulps, and gazes up at him.

"You are?" She asks, her voice ever so quiet.

"You think I'd joke about something like that?" She twists her mouth and folds her arms and he drops his arms from her shoulders and looks at the ground with a snort.

"Yeah well, I guess I do joke about everything huh?"

"Yeah..." She adds, her face still a little flushed, and he looks back up and tries again.

"Just a meal, maybe a few drinks, its no big deal"

"It isn't?" She asks, looking back up at him and failing to hide her disappointment. He smiles at her reaction, and digs his hands down into the pockets of his baggy trousers. Sometimes I wonder if Jack has any other clothes other than those trousers. Maybe he has a whole closet full of them. Them and those black tops.

"Well, it could be if you wanted it to be" He says quietly, his eyes darting to hers, his teeth coming down on his bottom lip. She looks away, at the floor, the walls, her drink, anything and anywhere but him. He shuffles on his feet, and glances at the door, looking for a quick way out if he needs it. I freeze where I stand, not wanting them to see me, but in my mind I go over and over that birthday wish I made, and slowly a small smile forms on her face and she looks up. He senses a change and looks back at her, and I can see he's holding his breath as he waits for her to reply.

"I'd like that" She says, and his face breaks into a huge grin.

"What, me paying for a meal or it being a big deal?" He asks, and I guess he must be wanting to make this clear. I try hard to stay still but Jack is asking Sam out! He's asking her out I know he is! Why else would they be so nervous just talking about going out for something to eat? Sam and Jack are going on a date! I have to cover my mouth to stop myself laughing, or yelling, but I manage to keep quiet.

"Well let's start with the meal huh?" She says with a shy look, and he nods, and smiles.

"Tomorrow? Pick you up at eight?"

She looks thoughtful for a moment, then she nods and smiles.

"Okay"

He simply beams at her, and they smile at each other steadily for a few minutes then she places her empty glass on the counter, and he does the same, then takes a step towards her. She looks up, surprised, and he takes another step, and another. He starts to lean forward, and...and...oh he's going to kiss her! Jack's going to kiss Sam! He's just leaning in close, and she still looks a little unsure, then there's a shout from the living room.

"Cassie! Cassie! Come on, there's more presents to open!

Sam and Jack turn at the sound, and they see me standing there with my glass. Jack's mouth falls open and Sam blushes and looks down, and I blush a little too.

"Coming Mom!" I yell, then I flash Sam and Jack a smile and run back out to the party. I greet the late guests with a smile and eagerly open my presents, and when I turn around Sam and Jack have rejoined the party and are mingling with the crowd. Jack gives me a stern look over the top of my Mom's head, and I nod and get back to my presents. Don't worry guys, I won't tell, I promise I won't tell! You can rely on me, honestly!

I open the next present in the line with a huge grin on my face, but it's not at the new shoes I see before me. I'm smiling for another reason, and no-one else knows what it is.

I love having secrets, and this is the best secret ever!

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'But one day, at a party for a young friend of theirs, Jack was very brave and he asked the fair Sam on a date. Jack was very, very nervous as he asked her, as he was afraid she wouldn't say yes, and Sam was afraid to say yes. Sam looked at Jack and Jack looked at Sam and then they both smiled, and she said yes. So Jack took Sam out the next night and they went to a lovely and very expensive restaurant, and Jack wore a very smart black suit, and Sam wore a lovely red dress with little straps, and Jack told her she was beautiful. After the meal they went dancing, and Jack and Sam even had a slow dance together, and when the music stopped he leaned forward and kissed her gently, and when they stopped they were both smiling.

"I love you Jack" said Sam, and Jack grinned and held both her hands tightly in his.

"I love you too Sam" he said.

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"Cassie? Are you in there?"

"Come in Mom!"

I put my pen down and Mom comes in and sits beside me, then pulls me close for a hug.

"Did you have a good birthday?"

"I had a great birthday, thanks Mom"

"I'm glad Cassie, listen, how about we all go out and see a film tomorrow night? You, me, Daniel Jack and Sam?"

She looks at me, waiting for an answer, and I pause and think before speaking.

"Uh, can we make it the night after Mom? I might be at a friends tomorrow night"

She looks at me a little strangely for a minute, then smiles and strokes my hair.

"Okay, the night after next, you think about what you want to see"

"Thanks Mom" She gets up then and crosses to the door, then she looks back and sees my book and pen on my desk.

"How's the homework assignment for next week coming? Have you finished that story you were to write?"

I look down at my book and pen, my favourite birthday presents, the book from Jack and the pen from Sam.

"It's...I just have to work out the ending"

"Okay, night Cassie"

"Night Mom!"

And with that Mom leaves, and I lean back on my chair and think about where Jack will take Sam tomorrow night. Someplace nice, with good food, and wine. Someplace romantic. I hope it ends like my story does. I get up and change into my pyjamas, but once I get into bed I realise I never quite finished my story. I put my light back on and quickly sit at my desk, and once there I open the book and write the last line, taking my time and trying to make the letters neat.And that's it. The story ended I get back into bed, and it's then I realise that the last line in my story is the same as my birthday wish, a wish I made for Sam and Jack.

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'And they both lived happily ever after'

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