Archiving: Sweeter Than Wine by Cowardly Lion
Written for and posted at the 5 Things community in September to the prompt "Five people Jack kisses at his retirement party (after he's had a few)". This is set in the future, obviously, since it is for his retirement. It is entirely narrative, so you'll have to count along if you want to make sure there are five or you can just read it as it is. :)
The retirement party thrown by his colleagues at the Pentagon had been fine. The attendees had been polite and congratulatory and the whole affair was very low key. Jack worked with some good people there. People he respected. People he trusted to run the program as it should be run.
A few years back, after the last remnant of Kinsey's insidious Trust had been hunted down and booted out, Jack had had the privilege of presiding at Major Davis' long-overdue promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. Apparently the Trust, recognizing Major Davis as a man of honor firmly entrenched in the Hammond/O'Neill camp, had been blocking him at every turn. Once the Trust was out of the way, Davis' rise had been steady.
Last week, the day of his first retirement party in fact, as one of his final official duties, Jack had bumped him up yet again to Brigadier General. Davis would oversee all Earth-based activity of the Homeworld Security Department while Major General Samantha Carter would handle all off-world duties. Together, Carter and Davis would make one hell of team letting Jack retire with confidence.
The Pentagon party, as fine as it had been with its banquet hall, five-star food, linen table cloths, crystal stemware, and floral centerpieces for every table, didn't hold a candle to this. Carter's house in Colorado Springs was packed wall to wall with what seemed like every person who had ever worked at the Mountain. Every counter in the kitchen was weighted down with covered dishes of all size, shape, and cuisine. The dining table held the paper plates and napkins, plastic utensils and cups and a huge variety of beverages. The stereo blared out something with a fast beat and a melody that was hard to hear clearly over the raucous crowd.
As the night went on, Jack's beverage changed from soda to rum and cola to neat whiskey. His mood grew more expansive and nostalgic. These folks had been with him for some of the worst and some of the best times of his life. They worked hard, risked their asses, had fought with him and for him and did it all in obscurity. They were a damn fine group of people, damn fine, and he loved, dammit. He loved them all.
He finished the slice of pie he was eating and thought about the woman who had brought it. Marge Jensen still ruled the kitchens in the Mountain with a firm yet kindly grip and her soft spot for SG-1 was legendary. They could always count on her have comfort food when comfort was needed: a piece of pie for Jack, blue Jell-O for Carter, chocolate cake for Daniel, and that weird salad of fruit, whipped cream, and cottage cheese for Teal'c. Spying her by the kitchen door, Jack threaded his way through the other revelers and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Thank you," he said, "for keeping us going."
Laughing, she hugged him and said, "There's Dutch apple pie in there with your name on it."
He winked at her. "I've already had two pieces and wrapped up a third for later."
They reminisced for a bit--she'd never let SG-1 live down the Urgo-incited dessert fest--until her husband came to fetch her for a dance on the back patio.
Turning, Jack nearly ran into Cassie who had managed to pull her drink away from the collision before it spilled. Jack frowned.
"I hope that's not a margarita," he warned. He couldn't look at her without seeing the eleven year old orphan that his team had had helped raise.
Cassie rolled her eyes but grinned at him. "I'm way past legal drinking age."
"Maybe, but you'll always be our little girl." He kissed on the forehead. "Love you, squirt."
"Love you too, Uncle Jack." She kissed him on the cheek then continued going wherever it was she'd been headed.
Jack wandered toward the living room, greeting people along the way. He passed Walter Harriman and Sergeant Siler in a heated conversation about British comedy. Apparently Harriman couldn't believe that Siler had never seen The Benny Hill Show and was trying to spark some recognition from Siler.
"Sketch comedy? Had a little bald guy for a sidekick? Benny used to pat him on the head?" Harriman gestured emphatically, slopping his drink over the edge of the cup, but Siler kept shaking his head no.
Jack tossed back the last of the whiskey and decided to help out. "Like this, Siler!" Jack patted the top of Harriman's bald head rapidly three times then leaned down and gave it a loud smacking kiss.
"Oh, that guy!" said Siler.
"Yes!" With a nod to Jack, Harriman said "Thank you, sir!"
He went back to his conversation with Siler and Jack resumed his forward progress. The living room was, if anything, more crowded than the rest of the house. Teal'c, Mitchell and Vala were over in one corner talking energetically. While Sam had opened her house for the party, it had been Vala that had gotten everything organized.
The friendship between the women had surprised Jack at first since the two seemed so very different. But over the years, Vala's effusiveness had encouraged Carter to loosen up and enjoy herself more, while Carter's staid nature had helped rein Vala in. As odd as it looked from the outside, it worked. The same could be said of him and Daniel, though he didn't think Carter and Vala would ever move beyond friendship, especially given the way they both looked at Mitchell.
"Enjoying the party, sir?" Carter brought his attention back to the two people in front of him.
"Very much, Carter."
He handed Daniel his empty cup, took Carter's half-full one out of her grip and gave that to Daniel too, then pulled her in for a big hug.
As she relaxed into his arms, he whispered, "Thank you for my party. Thank you for being one of the best colleagues and friends I ever had. I love you, you know that, right?" He moved his head back to look at her. "I'm a maudlin old fool, but I just want to make sure you know."
She looked a bit misty eyed as she smiled back at him. "I know, sir. Same here."
"Good." Jack kissed her on the cheek and let her go.
Daniel handed back their cups, then kissed Carter on the cheek too.
"Same goes for me, Sam." Daniel squeezed her shoulder affectionately.
Carter glanced at Jack for a moment and he knew exactly what she was thinking. In unison, he and Carter leaned forward. Carter planted a kiss on Daniel's right cheek while Jack did the same on the left. Daniel blushed but looked pleased.
Jack would love kiss Daniel properly, but this was neither the time nor the place since retirement alone was not enough to appease the monster that was Don't Ask Don't Tell. Jack would have had to resign his commission entirely, thereby giving up every bit of his pension, all of his medical benefits, and every other benefit that should have been his by right. Besides, Jack had kissed Daniel very soundly last night. In several places besides his lips. And that had just been for starters. Another year, maybe two at the most, and Daniel would retire as well and join him at the cabin. That's when the best part of his life would begin.
For now, though, Jack was surrounded by family and friends all happily celebrating his new status as gentleman of leisure and really, what more could a man want?
Finis
The retirement party thrown by his colleagues at the Pentagon had been fine. The attendees had been polite and congratulatory and the whole affair was very low key. Jack worked with some good people there. People he respected. People he trusted to run the program as it should be run.
A few years back, after the last remnant of Kinsey's insidious Trust had been hunted down and booted out, Jack had had the privilege of presiding at Major Davis' long-overdue promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. Apparently the Trust, recognizing Major Davis as a man of honor firmly entrenched in the Hammond/O'Neill camp, had been blocking him at every turn. Once the Trust was out of the way, Davis' rise had been steady.
Last week, the day of his first retirement party in fact, as one of his final official duties, Jack had bumped him up yet again to Brigadier General. Davis would oversee all Earth-based activity of the Homeworld Security Department while Major General Samantha Carter would handle all off-world duties. Together, Carter and Davis would make one hell of team letting Jack retire with confidence.
The Pentagon party, as fine as it had been with its banquet hall, five-star food, linen table cloths, crystal stemware, and floral centerpieces for every table, didn't hold a candle to this. Carter's house in Colorado Springs was packed wall to wall with what seemed like every person who had ever worked at the Mountain. Every counter in the kitchen was weighted down with covered dishes of all size, shape, and cuisine. The dining table held the paper plates and napkins, plastic utensils and cups and a huge variety of beverages. The stereo blared out something with a fast beat and a melody that was hard to hear clearly over the raucous crowd.
As the night went on, Jack's beverage changed from soda to rum and cola to neat whiskey. His mood grew more expansive and nostalgic. These folks had been with him for some of the worst and some of the best times of his life. They worked hard, risked their asses, had fought with him and for him and did it all in obscurity. They were a damn fine group of people, damn fine, and he loved, dammit. He loved them all.
He finished the slice of pie he was eating and thought about the woman who had brought it. Marge Jensen still ruled the kitchens in the Mountain with a firm yet kindly grip and her soft spot for SG-1 was legendary. They could always count on her have comfort food when comfort was needed: a piece of pie for Jack, blue Jell-O for Carter, chocolate cake for Daniel, and that weird salad of fruit, whipped cream, and cottage cheese for Teal'c. Spying her by the kitchen door, Jack threaded his way through the other revelers and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Thank you," he said, "for keeping us going."
Laughing, she hugged him and said, "There's Dutch apple pie in there with your name on it."
He winked at her. "I've already had two pieces and wrapped up a third for later."
They reminisced for a bit--she'd never let SG-1 live down the Urgo-incited dessert fest--until her husband came to fetch her for a dance on the back patio.
Turning, Jack nearly ran into Cassie who had managed to pull her drink away from the collision before it spilled. Jack frowned.
"I hope that's not a margarita," he warned. He couldn't look at her without seeing the eleven year old orphan that his team had had helped raise.
Cassie rolled her eyes but grinned at him. "I'm way past legal drinking age."
"Maybe, but you'll always be our little girl." He kissed on the forehead. "Love you, squirt."
"Love you too, Uncle Jack." She kissed him on the cheek then continued going wherever it was she'd been headed.
Jack wandered toward the living room, greeting people along the way. He passed Walter Harriman and Sergeant Siler in a heated conversation about British comedy. Apparently Harriman couldn't believe that Siler had never seen The Benny Hill Show and was trying to spark some recognition from Siler.
"Sketch comedy? Had a little bald guy for a sidekick? Benny used to pat him on the head?" Harriman gestured emphatically, slopping his drink over the edge of the cup, but Siler kept shaking his head no.
Jack tossed back the last of the whiskey and decided to help out. "Like this, Siler!" Jack patted the top of Harriman's bald head rapidly three times then leaned down and gave it a loud smacking kiss.
"Oh, that guy!" said Siler.
"Yes!" With a nod to Jack, Harriman said "Thank you, sir!"
He went back to his conversation with Siler and Jack resumed his forward progress. The living room was, if anything, more crowded than the rest of the house. Teal'c, Mitchell and Vala were over in one corner talking energetically. While Sam had opened her house for the party, it had been Vala that had gotten everything organized.
The friendship between the women had surprised Jack at first since the two seemed so very different. But over the years, Vala's effusiveness had encouraged Carter to loosen up and enjoy herself more, while Carter's staid nature had helped rein Vala in. As odd as it looked from the outside, it worked. The same could be said of him and Daniel, though he didn't think Carter and Vala would ever move beyond friendship, especially given the way they both looked at Mitchell.
"Enjoying the party, sir?" Carter brought his attention back to the two people in front of him.
"Very much, Carter."
He handed Daniel his empty cup, took Carter's half-full one out of her grip and gave that to Daniel too, then pulled her in for a big hug.
As she relaxed into his arms, he whispered, "Thank you for my party. Thank you for being one of the best colleagues and friends I ever had. I love you, you know that, right?" He moved his head back to look at her. "I'm a maudlin old fool, but I just want to make sure you know."
She looked a bit misty eyed as she smiled back at him. "I know, sir. Same here."
"Good." Jack kissed her on the cheek and let her go.
Daniel handed back their cups, then kissed Carter on the cheek too.
"Same goes for me, Sam." Daniel squeezed her shoulder affectionately.
Carter glanced at Jack for a moment and he knew exactly what she was thinking. In unison, he and Carter leaned forward. Carter planted a kiss on Daniel's right cheek while Jack did the same on the left. Daniel blushed but looked pleased.
Jack would love kiss Daniel properly, but this was neither the time nor the place since retirement alone was not enough to appease the monster that was Don't Ask Don't Tell. Jack would have had to resign his commission entirely, thereby giving up every bit of his pension, all of his medical benefits, and every other benefit that should have been his by right. Besides, Jack had kissed Daniel very soundly last night. In several places besides his lips. And that had just been for starters. Another year, maybe two at the most, and Daniel would retire as well and join him at the cabin. That's when the best part of his life would begin.
For now, though, Jack was surrounded by family and friends all happily celebrating his new status as gentleman of leisure and really, what more could a man want?
Finis