The Games People Play Chapter 28--The Rush
Title: The Rush
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU Jack covered his face with his hand. "Daniel. I love you like a brother. But if you hand Vala a pair of socks on Christmas morning, I swear I'll punch you myself."
Rating: G
Length: Around 800 words
Category: Humor
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala, Sam/Jack, team friendship
A/N: Part 28 of The Games People Play. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Takes place a couple of weeks before Christmas. Written for fic101.
The Rush
The rush had begun. In many ways, it was the same insane frenzy that took hold of the SGC every holiday season. Daniel thought that it probably had to do with the kind of work they did and the pressures of the secrets that the men and women of Stargate Command had to keep even from their closest friends and family. The winter holidays were an excuse--a viable reason for everyone to go a little crazy.
So, when he stepped off the elevator that morning, he was not surprised to see Airmen in elf hats toting sacks of gifts through the halls of Cheyenne Mountain. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and ducked his head, smiling to himself as he shuffled through the long gray corridor. When Teal'c and Mitchell fell into step beside him, he took the sight of the Jaffa wearing a similar hat as a matter of course.
"You an' Vala shoulda come shopping with us on Saturday, Jackson. You only got two weeks left, y'know," Mitchell said conversationally.
"Yep," Daniel nodded. "I know."
"DanielJackson typically completes his Christmas shopping in early March," explained Teal'c.
"March?" Mitchell's jaw dropped.
"He dislikes the holiday rush," Teal'c told him.
"Yeah, but March?" Mitchell continued to stare in disbelief.
"Well, actually, I didn't get it done until April this year," said Daniel with a shrug.
"Jackson," Mitchell sighed. "You an' Vala weren't dating in April."
They were reaching his office door, and Daniel stepped up to it, pushing it casually open with his shoulder. "I know," he said.
They followed him inside.
"Jackson," Mitchell repeated. "Don'tcha think maybe you oughta get her something else?"
Daniel frowned ponderously and scratched the back of his neck. "Huh?"
"Somethin' maybe a little more romantic than whatever you got her in April?" prompted Mitchell.
Daniel shrugged again. "Well, I dunno. She really does need new socks."
His teammates exchanged a shocked look. Then both turned and stared at him, obviously trying to determine if he was serious. Daniel walked over to his desk and sat down, picking up a heavy old volume that he'd been working with the previous Friday. Flipping open his notes, he grabbed a pencil and squinted in concentration.
"Did you guys, uh, want something…?" he asked.
"This is gonna be a helluva Christmas," remarked Mitchell, leaning back to pull open the door.
"Indeed," agreed Teal'c, following the CO out of the room.
***
Vala paused in the doorway of Sam's lab and gave the metal door a light rap with her knuckles. The Lt. Colonel was sitting on a stool beside the counter with her cast out in front of her. She had to sit sideways in order to work and so was bent awkwardly over some object that was festooned with multicolored blinking lights. Vala wasn't sure if it was an alien artifact or a Christmas decoration.
At the sound of Vala's knock, Sam jerked her head up. She turned quickly toward the open door and smiled at the sight of her friend. Vala moved inside with a smile of her own, carrying a Styrofoam cup in each hand. She set one down on the counter beside Sam and leaned her hip there as she opened the lid of the second one.
"Can I ask you something?" Vala asked, carefully sipping the steaming coffee.
"Sure," nodded Sam.
"Is it true that Daniel finishes all his Christmas shopping in April?" she asked.
"It's usually March," frowned Sam.
"Oh," Vala sighed.
"Why?" Sam asked.
"Well…" Vala bit her lip. "Never mind. It's silly."
"No, what?" prompted Sam.
Vala shrugged lightly. "We weren't dating in April. He keeps telling that he's giving me socks…"
Sam rolled her eyes. "Vala, I promise. Even Daniel couldn't be that clueless."
***
Daniel left work early that afternoon. To cover himself, he actually had scheduled an appointment with his optometrist. Missing that appointment without giving a day's notice was going to cost him a $35.00 out of pocket fee, but he was willing to put up with the expense if it meant throwing Vala off his trail. He still had to drive in circles for more than half an hour to find a parking space at the mall, and once he spotted one, he nearly smashed his bumper when a kindly looking gray-haired old lady came screeching in from the other side of the parking lot and almost stole it from him.
"See--see, now this is why I hate the Christmas rush," he sighed to himself.
He pulled on his coat, hat, and gloves, checked his pocket for a final time and pushed open the car door. He ducked his head to shield himself from a frigid wind and trudged through the icy lot toward the mall entrance. Jack was nowhere to be found. Of course.
He gave another sigh and plodded down to the Food Court, certain that his friend would eventually show up there. The lines were naturally five miles long, and he got stuck behind a young mother with three screaming children in tow. Lifting his glasses, he massaged his eyes with the tips of his fingers and was beginning to wonder whether a soft pretzel was even worth this much of a hassle when finally--blessedly--he reached the counter.
Once he had the pretzel, he made his way to an empty table and slid into the closest chair to wait. It didn't take long. No sooner had he raised the pretzel to his lips and opened his mouth than did a familiar figure come jogging up out of the crowd. Jack halted in front of the table and grinned.
"Didja get it?" he asked, holding out his hand.
"Yes, Jack. I got it," replied Daniel, setting his snack down untasted. He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a ring that Sam had let Vala borrow during the ski trip. "And, if she finds out that I paid an Airman to unlock her door…"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, Daniel," Jack wiggled his fingers. "C'mon, the jeweler's gonna close soon."
Daniel smiled and laid the ring in his friend's hand, then pushed back his chair and stood up. The two men left the Food Court in companionable silence, letting the throng push them in the general direction of the jewelry store.
"Hey, Daniel," Jack asked suddenly. "You're not…getting Vala a ring, are you?"
Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Jack, we've only been dating since October. It's--it's a little soon for that, don't you think?"
Jack shrugged. "Yeah. Guess it is."
Daniel smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna steal your thunder."
"So, what are you getting her?" Jack wanted to know.
"Socks," replied Daniel flatly.
"Are you serious?" Jack demanded.
"Yep. I bought them in April," he replied.
Jack covered his face with his hand. "Daniel. I love you like a brother. But if you hand Vala a pair of socks on Christmas morning, I swear I'll punch you myself."
Daniel smiled. In some ways, this year's Christmas rush was no different from any of the past ten. In other ways--two very important ways--it was unlike anything that he or Jack had ever experienced. It was going to be Vala's first Christmas ever--and he was sure that watching Sam get engaged would almost be her favorite gift.
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU Jack covered his face with his hand. "Daniel. I love you like a brother. But if you hand Vala a pair of socks on Christmas morning, I swear I'll punch you myself."
Rating: G
Length: Around 800 words
Category: Humor
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala, Sam/Jack, team friendship
A/N: Part 28 of The Games People Play. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Takes place a couple of weeks before Christmas. Written for fic101.
The Rush
The rush had begun. In many ways, it was the same insane frenzy that took hold of the SGC every holiday season. Daniel thought that it probably had to do with the kind of work they did and the pressures of the secrets that the men and women of Stargate Command had to keep even from their closest friends and family. The winter holidays were an excuse--a viable reason for everyone to go a little crazy.
So, when he stepped off the elevator that morning, he was not surprised to see Airmen in elf hats toting sacks of gifts through the halls of Cheyenne Mountain. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and ducked his head, smiling to himself as he shuffled through the long gray corridor. When Teal'c and Mitchell fell into step beside him, he took the sight of the Jaffa wearing a similar hat as a matter of course.
"You an' Vala shoulda come shopping with us on Saturday, Jackson. You only got two weeks left, y'know," Mitchell said conversationally.
"Yep," Daniel nodded. "I know."
"DanielJackson typically completes his Christmas shopping in early March," explained Teal'c.
"March?" Mitchell's jaw dropped.
"He dislikes the holiday rush," Teal'c told him.
"Yeah, but March?" Mitchell continued to stare in disbelief.
"Well, actually, I didn't get it done until April this year," said Daniel with a shrug.
"Jackson," Mitchell sighed. "You an' Vala weren't dating in April."
They were reaching his office door, and Daniel stepped up to it, pushing it casually open with his shoulder. "I know," he said.
They followed him inside.
"Jackson," Mitchell repeated. "Don'tcha think maybe you oughta get her something else?"
Daniel frowned ponderously and scratched the back of his neck. "Huh?"
"Somethin' maybe a little more romantic than whatever you got her in April?" prompted Mitchell.
Daniel shrugged again. "Well, I dunno. She really does need new socks."
His teammates exchanged a shocked look. Then both turned and stared at him, obviously trying to determine if he was serious. Daniel walked over to his desk and sat down, picking up a heavy old volume that he'd been working with the previous Friday. Flipping open his notes, he grabbed a pencil and squinted in concentration.
"Did you guys, uh, want something…?" he asked.
"This is gonna be a helluva Christmas," remarked Mitchell, leaning back to pull open the door.
"Indeed," agreed Teal'c, following the CO out of the room.
***
Vala paused in the doorway of Sam's lab and gave the metal door a light rap with her knuckles. The Lt. Colonel was sitting on a stool beside the counter with her cast out in front of her. She had to sit sideways in order to work and so was bent awkwardly over some object that was festooned with multicolored blinking lights. Vala wasn't sure if it was an alien artifact or a Christmas decoration.
At the sound of Vala's knock, Sam jerked her head up. She turned quickly toward the open door and smiled at the sight of her friend. Vala moved inside with a smile of her own, carrying a Styrofoam cup in each hand. She set one down on the counter beside Sam and leaned her hip there as she opened the lid of the second one.
"Can I ask you something?" Vala asked, carefully sipping the steaming coffee.
"Sure," nodded Sam.
"Is it true that Daniel finishes all his Christmas shopping in April?" she asked.
"It's usually March," frowned Sam.
"Oh," Vala sighed.
"Why?" Sam asked.
"Well…" Vala bit her lip. "Never mind. It's silly."
"No, what?" prompted Sam.
Vala shrugged lightly. "We weren't dating in April. He keeps telling that he's giving me socks…"
Sam rolled her eyes. "Vala, I promise. Even Daniel couldn't be that clueless."
***
Daniel left work early that afternoon. To cover himself, he actually had scheduled an appointment with his optometrist. Missing that appointment without giving a day's notice was going to cost him a $35.00 out of pocket fee, but he was willing to put up with the expense if it meant throwing Vala off his trail. He still had to drive in circles for more than half an hour to find a parking space at the mall, and once he spotted one, he nearly smashed his bumper when a kindly looking gray-haired old lady came screeching in from the other side of the parking lot and almost stole it from him.
"See--see, now this is why I hate the Christmas rush," he sighed to himself.
He pulled on his coat, hat, and gloves, checked his pocket for a final time and pushed open the car door. He ducked his head to shield himself from a frigid wind and trudged through the icy lot toward the mall entrance. Jack was nowhere to be found. Of course.
He gave another sigh and plodded down to the Food Court, certain that his friend would eventually show up there. The lines were naturally five miles long, and he got stuck behind a young mother with three screaming children in tow. Lifting his glasses, he massaged his eyes with the tips of his fingers and was beginning to wonder whether a soft pretzel was even worth this much of a hassle when finally--blessedly--he reached the counter.
Once he had the pretzel, he made his way to an empty table and slid into the closest chair to wait. It didn't take long. No sooner had he raised the pretzel to his lips and opened his mouth than did a familiar figure come jogging up out of the crowd. Jack halted in front of the table and grinned.
"Didja get it?" he asked, holding out his hand.
"Yes, Jack. I got it," replied Daniel, setting his snack down untasted. He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a ring that Sam had let Vala borrow during the ski trip. "And, if she finds out that I paid an Airman to unlock her door…"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, Daniel," Jack wiggled his fingers. "C'mon, the jeweler's gonna close soon."
Daniel smiled and laid the ring in his friend's hand, then pushed back his chair and stood up. The two men left the Food Court in companionable silence, letting the throng push them in the general direction of the jewelry store.
"Hey, Daniel," Jack asked suddenly. "You're not…getting Vala a ring, are you?"
Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Jack, we've only been dating since October. It's--it's a little soon for that, don't you think?"
Jack shrugged. "Yeah. Guess it is."
Daniel smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna steal your thunder."
"So, what are you getting her?" Jack wanted to know.
"Socks," replied Daniel flatly.
"Are you serious?" Jack demanded.
"Yep. I bought them in April," he replied.
Jack covered his face with his hand. "Daniel. I love you like a brother. But if you hand Vala a pair of socks on Christmas morning, I swear I'll punch you myself."
Daniel smiled. In some ways, this year's Christmas rush was no different from any of the past ten. In other ways--two very important ways--it was unlike anything that he or Jack had ever experienced. It was going to be Vala's first Christmas ever--and he was sure that watching Sam get engaged would almost be her favorite gift.