Title: 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:
a.. start with the dialogue, "What do you mean that's not allowed?"
b.. contain NO MENTION of "regulations"
c.. contain LOTS of tinsel
d.. have Jonas as a member of SG1 (though Daniel can certainly make an
appearance)
e.. have a Sam/Jack kiss.
Merry Christmas everyone, and feedback would be a lovely present! ~~~
"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 hear 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