S/J Squared: Christmas Style
I keep forgetting to do this... An oldie, but it consolidates all my SG-1 stuff to be on my journal, as well. Woot.
Title: S/J Squared: Christmas Style
Author: patriot_jackie
Rating: PG
Word Count: 5,417 Words
Spoilers/Season: None/Whenever you’d like
Genre: Humor/Romance
Summary: When Jack has no plans for the holidays, Sam invites him to join her and Dad for a quiet Christmas at the Tok'ra base. Not much of a plot here, but lots of fun with the characters. Written for Shipmas 2007.
AN: Written for Shipmas 2007 at GW. I'd only posted it on ff.net, though, so I've just put it on my journal for the Christmas-ish season. If you don't get the totally wrong meaning (that is the correct meaning) behind this title by the end, I don't know how much blunter I can get. *grins mischievously*
-/\-
Jacob Carter, hands clasped behind his back, rocked back and forth on the balls and heels of his feet, impatiently waiting patiently for his daughter to appear through the now flowering wormhole connecting the Tok’ra base with the SGC. Christmas had arrived, and this year, after all his efforts to share at least one piece of Tauri culture with the Tok’ra, he was excited that he’d get to show off what he’d accomplished to Sam.
That’s sweet, Selmak said in his mind.
Don’t even start. I’ve already admitted that I still want to impress her as her dear old dad that can do more than play man in the middle or get captured by Goa’uld
He felt her warmth of affection for him. That is a lot to impress on its own. She is already proud of you.
He smiled outwardly. I know that.
He turned his attention back to the Stargate, expecting her to walk through at any moment. He supposed, then, that he was also waiting for Jack O’Neill. He sighed, not really irritated. Sam had invited the Colonel upon finding out that he had no plans for Christmas, and though he knew that she’d have extended the offer to Daniel and Teal’c should they have not had plans, the fact still remained that it was O’Neill who she’d asked and O’Neill who had agreed. Jacob didn’t want her to get too close to her CO, and spending the holidays with him wasn’t the best way to avoid that.
You worry too much.
No, I’m perfectly founded-
Sam stepped out of the ‘gate, followed immediately by O’Neill. Both were looking behind them as they appeared, having been watching something on the other side before they’d come through. The wormhole shut down with a blip, and the two officers looked from it to each other and then started laughing.
Curiosity picked at Jacob, but he was more interested in seeing his daughter’s smile directed at him, so he stepped forward. “What’s so funny?”
Sam turned immediately to see her father at the base of the stairs, and grinning, she hurried down them to greet him with a hug. “Hi, Dad,” she greeted simply.
“Hi Sam,” he said, returning her embrace with a large smile of his own.
“Oh... You know George,” O’Neill drawled as he descended the steps leisurely. He caught Sam’s eye as she stepped back from Jacob. “And Siler...” He grinned, and Sam chuckled again.
Jacob didn’t follow his meaning, but he expected that he wasn’t meant to. See what I mean?
No.
He held back a sigh, instead focusing his attention on the fact that his daughter was here for Christmas. It was enough to buoy him past his protective parental worries so he could greet the other visitor. Extending his hand, he took O’Neill’s in a welcoming handshake. “Good to see you, Jack.”
His eyebrows hopped with a good natured smile as he replied, “Jake. Thanks for having me.”
“I had nothing to do with it; it was Sam’s idea,” he said smiling, but to his chagrin, her cheeks tinged pink at his words. He continued, deciding to change the subject, “Besides, you might not be thanking either of us after I tell you that we won’t be having Christmas ham.”
“Well, I always did prefer turkey...” he said wistfully.
“None of that, either, I’m afraid.”
“D---.”
Jacob held back a chuckle at the man’s exaggerated disappointment, and turned back to Sam.
“So what do you have planned for us to do, Dad?” she wanted to know. “You made it sound like you had something big in store.”
He raised his eyebrows, surprised she hadn’t seen it yet, but he let it slide; Jack hadn’t said anything, so he would keep quiet. “Well, first I thought I’d show you both to your quarters, and then we could go from there.”
“I’m up for that,” Jack said. “I think I might take a nap, even. - If that’s okay.”
Sam seemed confused at first, but then she understood as did Jacob: he was giving them their space to spend some time together. Jacob felt a surge of gratitude to him as he replied, “Sure thing. - But not too long. You’re here to enjoy the company, not avoid it.”
Jack nodded and then sent a small smile Sam’s way. She returned his expression tentatively, but it touched her eyes.
“So!” Jacob said, interrupting the innocent moment, earning him a reprimanding shove from Selmak.
“Shall we?” And he turned, leading the way away from the Stargate.
“Dad,” Sam said freezing in place to take in the decor, and he was glad she finally noticed. The room was decorated seasonally with garland and lights not unlike Earth’s Christmas strands and even had a decorated tree in the corner that resembled real Christmas trees. She grinned slowly, the expression lighting her entire face as she looked back to him. “Did you do this?”
He smiled, feeling an unnecessary burst of self confidence and pride at her pleased surprise; Selmak gave him a comforting mental nudge as if to pat him on the back. “In a manner of speaking,” he said informatively. “I’ve been working on the Tok’ra to adapt to holidays - they don’t have any, and I don’t know how they manage!”
Sam chuckled. “So that’s your surprise, is it? You finally convinced them?”
“For one holiday, yes. - But it’s better than none.” He grinned and winked at her.
“The Tok’ra?” Jack said, his eyebrows reaching a height Jacob thought almost unnatural. “Celebrating Christmas?”
“In their own way,” he explained, stepping forward and leading the way through the tunnels. “They liked the idea of a holiday that celebrates the simple act of giving, and being that we all live in a symbiotic relationship that is almost entirely based around selflessly giving, they thought this holiday was something they could adapt for their own purposes.” He smiled. “As well as possibly strengthen the ties between the Tauri and ourselves.”
“So they jumped on board with the decorations and everything, huh?” Jack said, swinging his head around obviously, taking in the green garland and wreathes that had been strung up at all the tunnel turn offs and entrances.
“Not quite everything...”
“Oh no,” Jack said dramatically, and Jacob sensed that behind him, Sam was sharing a glance with O’Neill. “They deep-sixed Santa, didn’t they?”
“Afraid so,” Jacob replied with an amused grin.
“Well, theoretically, it wouldn’t be possible for him to make it this far without the aid of the Stargate, anyway,” Sam said neutrally. As if interplanetary travel was a natural excuse to think of as a reason for the elimination of Santa Claus from the Tok’ra’s adaption of the holiday.
He bit back widening his grin. He loved his daughter.
“Carter,” O’Neill was drawling sarcastically. “Do you ever not think about physics?”
She hesitated for a moment before giving her answer. “There are some things...” She said it suggestively, despite her mild tone, and Jacob suddenly felt himself give a hard cough before clearing his throat.
He was well aware that his daughter felt something more than overtly appropriate for her CO, and that said CO possibly, ambiguously, returned those sentiments. He also knew that they, from time-to-time, flirted with each other, having been present on a very few occasions. However, an implication coming from his daughterwith such...
Sexual undertones? Selmak supplied at his hesitance.
Jacob coughed again.
“Dad, are you all right?” Sam asked behind to his left suddenly concerned.
“Yeah, sweetheart,” he answered tightly with a grimace she couldn’t see. “Just swallowed down the wrong pipe, is all.” So help me, Selmak, if you say something like that again-
You were thinking it. I just put it into words.
Yes, well... don’t. Ever. When it concerns Sam. There are some things a father should never have to know.
She was silent for a moment, processing what he meant. Even blended with you, there are some Tauri customs that I am sure I will never understand...
The feeling is mutual, he replied, and then paused, realizing they were coming up to a dangerous intersection. (Selmak snorted.)
Sam and O’Neill, however, continued walking, too distracted by Sam’s analysis of how the Tok’ra had managed to create their own version of Christmas lights.
“No, wait! Sam-no!” Jacob called out rather abruptly, causing both Jack and Sam to stop and turn to face him curiously.
Selmak laughed harder than she had in a long time, her chuckles mirthfully echoing in Jacob’s mind.
Instead of alerting Sam to stop, Jacob had inadvertently alerted everyone in the area to the two visiting Tauri from whose culture they’d taken the holiday they were at this moment celebrating. The two Tauri who were standing underneath a well-placed mistletoe.
-/\-
Holy Hannah, she was underneath the mistletoe with Jack O’Neill. On Christmas Eve. At the Tok’ra base. Okay, so maybe the last one made it a little strange, but who would have thought? It was exciting, setting her heart a flutter and causing her organs to shimmy and shake with utter glee. Yet she was filled with dread.
They stared at each other hopelessly; how could they get out of this one? Several Tok’ra were present in the room, their eyes on the two Tauri. If Daniel were here, he’d insist that they couldn’t possibly do anything less than... follow the tradition after the Tok’ra had decided to accept it into their culture. Not that Sam was at all opposed to this - or she wouldn’t be if Jack wasn’t her commanding officer, if there wasn’t anyone around to watch the show, and most importantly, if her father wasn’t right behind her.
No. She couldn’t kiss Colonel O’Neill, no matter what tradition stated nor how strong her inappropriate impulses goaded her to do so. Perhaps they could if they weren’t Colonel Jack O’Neill and Major Samantha Carter, who already... felt feelings... for each other. More than being inappropriate given their ranks, it would be telling. Oh-so very telling. She could just imagine grasping at his shirt, threading her fingers through his short silver hair as she pulled him down to her...
D---. How the h--- did they get out of this one?
“Carter?” The Colonel pulled her out of her reverie. “Are we gonna do this thing or what?”
“I don’t think it’s necessarily appropriate, Sir.” Do you have any idea how much I wish I could just say YES?
He sighed. “Well, we can’t just stand here all day, and we can’t do nothing. They did,” he gestured loosely around them, “Go to all this length.”
He was right; there had to be a compromise. - And then one hit her.
“On the cheek, Sir? If that’s okay with you?”
Something flashed in his expression, but it went by too quickly for her to recognize it. “Sounds like a plan, Carter,” he said with a slow smile.
She tried not to grin too widely. Now that she’d come up with a fair way out, the last thing she needed was to show how excited she was at the prospect of kissing her CO’s cheek and him kissing hers.
Which thought excited her more, she couldn’t tell.
-/\-
They were moving again, away from the main lobby and towards their sleeping quarters.
Separate sleeping quarters, he felt the need to qualify.
“So... Jake...” Jack said, obviously on the precipice of asking a question.
Jacob arched a curious eyebrow, still fighting his irritation with the man for kissing his daughter. Even if it was just her cheek, he’d done so with a sizeable amount of affection. He was her commanding officer-
He cares for her deeply, Jacob Selmak said gently. Can’t you see that? You should be grateful to him and happy for Samantha.
It’s not that simple, he retorted before returning his attention to Jack.
“The mistletoe thing...” he elaborated slowly, putting his words together deliberately. Sam’s curious gaze was now upon the Colonel, as well, and Jacob was half expecting an apology from the man - but Jack O’Neill was never to be predictable. “You and Selmak are technically two people, right? Like all the Tok’ra?”
“Sir!” Sam exclaimed catching his implication.
Jacob closed his eyes. He was not going this direction.
But Jack had the nerve to look innocent! “Well, I was just wondering what you and Selmak do when you’re underneath the- HEY!!” He dodged Jacob lunging for him. And then again. “Carter-?”
Through her laughter at her father’s antics, she said, “I suggest you run, Sir!” And Jack did just that.
Jacob followed, but it was not Jacob who spoke: “That is none of your business, Colonel O’Neill!”
Selmak said severely as “she” chased him down the tunnel leaving behind one very disturbed Sam.
-/\-
It was after midnight, and Sam sat propped on a low wall that rose to encompass a small garden in the main common room. It was empty at this time of night, or rather morning. The lights strung across the walls were her only company as she contemplated the day’s events. She wasn’t sure why she couldn’t sleep. She hadn’t had this problem since she was a little girl, too excited to go to sleep the night before Christmas. There wasn’t much to anticipate more than the previous day, though she was curious to see how the Tok’ra were going to adjust the gift-giving part of the holiday.
Daniel would have been ecstatic. She smiled at the thought. She’d just pay close enough attention for him to give him some good details when they got back, knowing he would ask a million and one questions.
She sighed, thinking back to the conversation she’d had with her dad earlier while Colonel O’Neill “slept.” He’d voiced regrets to her over Christmases past, confiding that he felt like he needed to make it up to her and to Mark. Her brother had chosen to spend his holidays with his in-laws, though; that was what had prompted her to join her father at the Tok’ra base for Christmas instead of him coming to Earth.
She hadn’t denied that previous Christmases hadn’t been as merry as they should have been, but she wondered if she’d done enough to impress upon him that she didn’t care about that anymore so long as he was with her now to share new experiences and be there for her like he’d never been before. Nearly losing him as she had so many times since he had joined the Tok’ra had taught her to forgive past offenses and never take for granted what was offered at the present.
“Trouble sleeping?” a voice interrupted her thoughts, nearly causing her to jump. - The Colonel.
“Sir?” she asked, wondering why he was up.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked as he settled across from her, leaning against the table in the center of the room. She tried to ignore the way his hair stuck tufted out at odd angles, how his shirt clung to his chest and shoulders just enough to give a good idea of what was beneath, the appealing angle of his body as he leant back...
“Yeah, sure,” she found her voice long enough to respond.
They lapsed back into silence for a moment as she floundered for something to talk about. Not that they couldn’t manage with nothing to say; it wasn’t as if they didn’t do it all the time. This silence, however, spoke to something. He’d joined her for a reason... hadn’t he?
Sure enough, he was the first to speak: “Who would have thought the Tok’ra would like mistletoe?”
She felt herself flush thinking back to their shared... moment under the sprig earlier. She had tried to stay as detached as possible on her part for her kiss to his cheek - which she admitted was probably too much considering that they were supposed to be friends and therefore probably still spoke to something - but the Colonel... His kiss had been a sweet caress. Either he wasn’t good at hiding his feelings in such an action or he hadn’t tried at all.
That thought persuaded her that maybe, since no one else was around, she didn’t need to try at this moment. Maybe she could speak what was on her mind exactly. Looking across to him, she realized that was why he had come.
“I can’t say that I have any objections, Sir,” she said honestly with an amused smile. Her heart pounded at the openness of the statement, wondering what his reaction would be.
It took a moment, but he smiled slowly and huffed a gentle chuckle.
-/\-
Here it was, an open but not so open conversation about their feelings for each other. He was excited about this, getting her to loosen up a bit. He was usually the one who didn’t show what he felt, and she who wasn’t so afraid to be human every now and then. But when it came to what was between them, she seemed almost petrified to let anything show openly. She always thought she was being secretive, and he thought that maybe she was - to anyone but him.
“Ya’ know, Carter,” Jack said shoving his hands into his pockets, “We’re a modern day Romeo and Juliet.”
Sam’s blue eyes slid over slowly to settle on his brown ones in sedated surprise. He was anxious with boyish curiosity to hear her reply to that one, but she considered him for a moment before responding. Amusement warred with something else in her cerulean depths which captivated him until amusement won out and she finally spoke, “Wow. That’s... really-”
“Romantic, I know,” he deadpanned with a faux grimace.
“Actually, I was going to say morbid.”
Unexpected. Carter never did cease to amaze, and his dark eyebrows shot upward in accordance.
“Morbid? Carter, do you know the story of Romeo and Juliet?”
“Yes, Sir,” she stated plainly, mischief sparkling in her bright eyes.
He didn’t want to play into her hands; he wanted to find a way to squirm around her little trap, whatever it was, but he was too curious, d---it! He had to ask, “Well, how the h--- is that morbid?!”
“They die, Sir. At the end.” She said this as if to imply that it was news to him. Well, two could play at that game.
“Because they loved each other that much!” he stipulated quickly. In the back of his mind, he acknowledged that he’d found yet another way to tell her just how much he cared for her, but instead of feeling embarrassed like a teen on his first date as was usual when he stumbled upon these things, he felt strangely proud. Anyone passing by would think they were discussing literature, but for the pretty blush on his 2IC’s face.
“Considering my recent love life, Sir, and those... intimately involved-” he gave her a sour look for her terrible word choice. “It’s like bringing a whole new meaning to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet,” she finished.
He frowned. “But I thought I was Romeo?”
“Exactly my point.”
“Ah. Well... We can rewrite the ending,” he said with a smug grin. “It’s not like things are exactly parallel, either. I mean, it’s not our families holding us back; it’s-”
“Regulations and the Goa’uld,” she finished ruefully for him. “Though Dad...” she trailed off with a nervous giggle, looking away momentarily. Then she was back to watching him, whatever reverie that had caught her attention passed. “Which do you think is which? In the story, I mean.”
“No idea, Carter; you’re putting too much thought into this.”
She chuckled. “Force of habit, Sir.”
“Well, for a change... You could be the Capulet.”
“Isn’t that how the story goes? Romeo’s the Montague.”
“Oh. Well, I just thought Capulet sounded more technical,” he offered, lifting his brows quickly, suggestively.
She laughed again. “I see. Capulet sounds so scientific, does it?”
He shrugged. “More than Montague. And it begins with a C!”
“Making decisions based on alliteration: very wise, Sir.”
A juvenile urge to spit his tongue out at her crossed his mind, but he quelled it. “Anyway, I’m sure you could think of something.”
Her mouth opened slightly, as if on the verge of saying something. “Didn’t you just say I was putting too much thought into this?”
“That’s never stopped you before.”
“So you’re encouraging me?”
He was immediately struck with the devious idea of honesty. Maybe it was the eggnog. Maybe it was the Christmas season. Maybe it was because the Tok’ra were celebrating their own mangled version of Christmas, and he was here with Carter and with her father a tunnel away at 0100 on Christmas morning. Whatever it was, he was excited to get at least this one secret off his chest.
“Well, I never understand a word of it, but that’s what makes it so hot.”
Her eyes widened at his admission, and he was pleased that she really hadn’t had a clue. “Are you kidding?”
“No,” he said seriously.
She blinked and tried again. “You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
“All this time, you... I...” She frowned in disbelief. “It turns you on?!”
He grinned, removing his hands from his pockets and crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re brilliant, Carter. Hasn’t anyone told you that?”
She was now scarlet, and he momentarily wondered if there was a defined point at which she would demand they cease and desist the topic of this conversation. “Once or twice, Sir.” She looked away.
He bent his head slightly, trying to gain her attention, but she didn’t look his way. “There’s more than one reason I cut you off all the time. Plus you always find a way to explain it just so I can understand; that’s hot, too.”
She turned abruptly, a shy smile starting to form. She shook her head, bemused. “You really are one of a kind, Sir.”
Try as he might, he couldn’t fool himself away from how much that actually meant to him coming from her, and unbidden, he smiled softly. But humor was the best shield to prevent things from becoming too serious between them in this already dangerous conversation, so he said, “This doesn’t change anything, Carter. I still expect plenty of techno-babble in the future, and you should expect me to interrupt you, as usual.”
She grinned, amused. “Duly noted, Sir. I’ll look forward to it.”
And silence.
They looked across the way at each other, the visible invisible barrier between them, drawn by both out of duty and mutual respect for the other. Their eyes locked, and he felt a pang at their inability to be together. It was selfish, and he looked away first, unsure if he’d be able to stay, leaning against the table where he was.
It was probably very stupid for them to have had this conversation; yet again, she had officially confirmed her feelings for him, and not that he didn’t see it almost every time he caught her looking at him or when they casually flirted, but there was a difference between reading someone’s features, wondering if they were really thinking that and having that verbally acknowledged. He wouldn’t soon forget this conversation... And with what he’d just revealed, he knew she wouldn’t, either.
Carter interrupted his thoughts with a sigh, drawing his attention. “I can’t believe we’re discussing this so flippantly,” she said, dropping her head to rest in her hand, elbow supported by her knee. “It’s so...”
“Easy?”
“Forbidden.”
“D---it. I was... nowhere near being close this time,” he very nearly pouted.
She lifted her head, a hint of a smile playing across her lips. “I was thinking that, too. I just meant to expound upon the other one.”
“Huh.” Inside, he secretly gloated.
“I mean, technically,” she continued back on her previous line of thought, sitting up straight again, “We’re breaking the regulations by talking about this right now.”
“We break regulations just by standing next to each other, Carter,” he said flatly and was rewarded with a brilliant hundred-watt Carter smile as she fought back a loud laugh.
He watched as she turned away, attempting to control herself as she shook with amusement. He loved that he could do that to her. But she didn’t want to wake the others, he knew. He didn’t want her to wake the others - specifically her father.
His eyes stayed watching her profile, taking in the brightness of her eyes, the way her hair stuck out oddly in places from tossing and turning earlier, the curve of her neck...
“I wish I could kiss you.”
Her eyes flitted to his immediately, laughter dying away, but there was no hint of surprise. Only the exact desire he felt for her was mirrored there, and he stood, rooted to the floor, to the table, to whatever the h--- he could imagine was physically holding him back from her. He noticed her clench her hands, gripping onto the edge of her seat; her eyes fell imperceptibly to his mouth, her lips parting slightly.
“We should end this conversation,” he said abruptly looking away.
He imagined that she closed her eyes as she sighed. “Yes. We should.”
D---. He felt like an a--. Leading her on like that, getting both their hopes up for something that couldn’t happen.
Looking back to her, he gave a pinched half smile and jerked his head in the direction of their rooms, pointing with his thumb, “I’m gonna head back to bed. You with?”
She returned his expression with a half-hearted nod. “Yeah. I’m not getting any sleepier sitting out here, anyway.”
With an acknowledging nod of his own, he turned and headed towards his awaiting bed. Where he would lie back and stare at the ceiling until morning. Sam would probably do the same thing...
The need to apologize swept over him; he felt as if her impending lack of sleep was all his fault, which, was, in a way, true. He paused and spun around - directly into Carter. D---, she moved fast.
“Sir!” she exclaimed as she attempted to back away from him without falling.
He grasped onto her shoulders, steadying her for a moment before dropping his arms to his side. “I was just going to... apologize,” he said slowing as he noticed: they were in the archway of the tunnel. That meant...
Both Sam and Jack looked up at the same time to discover the sprig.
Underneath the mistletoe again. What were the odds?
Then again, it seemed like the Tok’ra really liked the mistletoe tradition; Jack could get that, faced with the woman before him, though he really did have to wonder...
“Well, the Tok’ra did ask for a demonstration earlier...” he put forth experimentally.
“They expected us to follow the Tauri tradition, Sir.”
“Same thing. Shouldn’t we, for their sake?”
“There aren’t any Tok’ra around.”
“They say it’s the thought that counts.”
Her mouth twitched and she moved closer to him. “Are you digging for an excuse to kiss me? Sir.”
“I d--- well am.”
“We’ll be breaking the regulations,” she said in a low, sultry tone that sent the hairs on the back of his neck to stand at attention.
“I thought we already established that we do on a daily basis,” he replied, somewhat surprised to hear that his voice mirrored her low tone. “Just once,” he amended more appropriately. - If appropriate could even find a way into what they were doing.
She smiled, he felt more than saw, so close was she. “In that case, I don’t think you need an excuse.”
He closed the distance between them, the need to feel her lips against his own overwhelming.
Soft was the first and last thing that he thought.
Mouths opening and closing, exploring. His lips and tongue slid against hers, sparking an electric current through his body that left him feeling completely, wholly alive. Her arms snaked over his shoulders, around his neck, fingers threaded through the short strands of hair at the base of his neck. He gave up the battle not to hold her and looped his arms behind her shoulders and waist, crushing her to him. She sighed into his mouth, and he hummed in reply.
They parted abruptly, as if realizing what they were doing. Then he thought better of it.
“Okay, maybe twice,” he said before quickly covering her mouth with his again.
“Or three times,” she whispered, barely audible between kisses.
-/\-
Christmas day had been a day to remember. The Tok’ra had taken to exchanging gifts with each other; as to how the hosts and symbiotes celebrated together, that was still a mystery for those who weren’t expressly Tok’ra. And the modest exchange of presents between the Carters and Jack had been more about reactions than the gifts themselves, as it should have been.
Jacob smiled sadly as he stood at the bottom of the steps to the Stargate, seeing off the two fine officers back to their home world. It was times like these that he regretted his new life role, but he was always quick to remind himself that his relationship with his daughter wouldn’t be as it was if not for the Tok’ra or, most especially, Selmak. And that was what today was all about, after all.
“Safe trip,” he needlessly said, never being good about goodbyes after creating such lasting memories.
“Ah, I’m sure it will be fraught with perils, but we’ll survive,” O’Neill said sarcastically, taking Jacob’s hand in a strong handshake. “Thank you,” he said honestly. “Best Christmas I’ve had in years.” His eyes flickered to Sam for a moment, his smile deepening in a way, before turning and trotting up the stairs to wait for her.
Something had happened. Jacob knew something had. But from the light he saw in his daughter’s eyes, he couldn’t begrudge himself to care as much as he had before. After all, so long as she was happy... Jack was a good man.
Commanding officer, he reminded himself. Did that really matter so much?
“Well, Dad,” Sam said, her smile bright but a bit sad like his own, “I guess I’ll see you in...?”
“A few weeks, at least,” he answered for her. “We’ve got some missions to attend to, and I’m sure you’ll be busy.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. A mischievous sparkle entered her eyes, “But maybe we’ll have an emergency between now and then. You know, need your help.”
He couldn’t help grinning. “Maybe. So long as you’re not the cause. - Or anyone in SG-1 for that matter,” he added, deciding to include her family.
There it was. That smile. He could see her mother in that smile, but it was also uniquely Sam’s. He embraced her then, before becoming too emotional. Christmas had a habit of doing that to him now. All those regrets...
As they parted, he remembered something that needed clarification. “And Sam?” he said in a low voice.
“Selmak and I... Underneath the-We really don’t-”
“Dad?” Sam asked entirely too cheerfully interrupting him. “I really don’t want to know.”
“But Sam, I-”
“I was a host before, and I know that every Tok’ra is different just like every human, but...” her jaw jutted out in a forced smile, “Dad, the Tok’ra are only that expressive for so many occasions.”
His mouth hung partly agape.
“I don’t want to know, Dad,” she reaffirmed and kissed his cheek quickly before joining O’Neill at the ‘gate. With a wave, they disappeared through the shimmering wormhole until next time.
Next time. Great. Just great.
Do you SEE what you’ve done, now? Jacob demanded as he stalked away from the Stargate. She thinks you and I have a relationship!
Don’t we?
Selmak.
We share everything-
Selmak.
Including your body-
Selmak!
And that means that we’re intimately connected. ... As one.
Oh my... WHY did I ever agree to this?
You know why you did, she said softly. And you don’t regret it.
He came to a halt, thinking. She was right. Despite what implications she’d given his daughter, he didn’t regret any of it. - Well, maybe he regretted not refusing her control before when she’d chased O’Neill...
At least he knew she was one person he’d never have to say goodbye to. She was the only one.
Jacob?
Hmm?
Look up.
Oh... d---. He hated lying to his daughter.
The End
AN: Okay. So maybe some parts were closer to crack than simple humor looking over it again. ;D
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Title: S/J Squared: Christmas Style
Author: patriot_jackie
Rating: PG
Word Count: 5,417 Words
Spoilers/Season: None/Whenever you’d like
Genre: Humor/Romance
Summary: When Jack has no plans for the holidays, Sam invites him to join her and Dad for a quiet Christmas at the Tok'ra base. Not much of a plot here, but lots of fun with the characters. Written for Shipmas 2007.
AN: Written for Shipmas 2007 at GW. I'd only posted it on ff.net, though, so I've just put it on my journal for the Christmas-ish season. If you don't get the totally wrong meaning (that is the correct meaning) behind this title by the end, I don't know how much blunter I can get. *grins mischievously*
-/\-
Jacob Carter, hands clasped behind his back, rocked back and forth on the balls and heels of his feet, impatiently waiting patiently for his daughter to appear through the now flowering wormhole connecting the Tok’ra base with the SGC. Christmas had arrived, and this year, after all his efforts to share at least one piece of Tauri culture with the Tok’ra, he was excited that he’d get to show off what he’d accomplished to Sam.
That’s sweet, Selmak said in his mind.
Don’t even start. I’ve already admitted that I still want to impress her as her dear old dad that can do more than play man in the middle or get captured by Goa’uld
He felt her warmth of affection for him. That is a lot to impress on its own. She is already proud of you.
He smiled outwardly. I know that.
He turned his attention back to the Stargate, expecting her to walk through at any moment. He supposed, then, that he was also waiting for Jack O’Neill. He sighed, not really irritated. Sam had invited the Colonel upon finding out that he had no plans for Christmas, and though he knew that she’d have extended the offer to Daniel and Teal’c should they have not had plans, the fact still remained that it was O’Neill who she’d asked and O’Neill who had agreed. Jacob didn’t want her to get too close to her CO, and spending the holidays with him wasn’t the best way to avoid that.
You worry too much.
No, I’m perfectly founded-
Sam stepped out of the ‘gate, followed immediately by O’Neill. Both were looking behind them as they appeared, having been watching something on the other side before they’d come through. The wormhole shut down with a blip, and the two officers looked from it to each other and then started laughing.
Curiosity picked at Jacob, but he was more interested in seeing his daughter’s smile directed at him, so he stepped forward. “What’s so funny?”
Sam turned immediately to see her father at the base of the stairs, and grinning, she hurried down them to greet him with a hug. “Hi, Dad,” she greeted simply.
“Hi Sam,” he said, returning her embrace with a large smile of his own.
“Oh... You know George,” O’Neill drawled as he descended the steps leisurely. He caught Sam’s eye as she stepped back from Jacob. “And Siler...” He grinned, and Sam chuckled again.
Jacob didn’t follow his meaning, but he expected that he wasn’t meant to. See what I mean?
No.
He held back a sigh, instead focusing his attention on the fact that his daughter was here for Christmas. It was enough to buoy him past his protective parental worries so he could greet the other visitor. Extending his hand, he took O’Neill’s in a welcoming handshake. “Good to see you, Jack.”
His eyebrows hopped with a good natured smile as he replied, “Jake. Thanks for having me.”
“I had nothing to do with it; it was Sam’s idea,” he said smiling, but to his chagrin, her cheeks tinged pink at his words. He continued, deciding to change the subject, “Besides, you might not be thanking either of us after I tell you that we won’t be having Christmas ham.”
“Well, I always did prefer turkey...” he said wistfully.
“None of that, either, I’m afraid.”
“D---.”
Jacob held back a chuckle at the man’s exaggerated disappointment, and turned back to Sam.
“So what do you have planned for us to do, Dad?” she wanted to know. “You made it sound like you had something big in store.”
He raised his eyebrows, surprised she hadn’t seen it yet, but he let it slide; Jack hadn’t said anything, so he would keep quiet. “Well, first I thought I’d show you both to your quarters, and then we could go from there.”
“I’m up for that,” Jack said. “I think I might take a nap, even. - If that’s okay.”
Sam seemed confused at first, but then she understood as did Jacob: he was giving them their space to spend some time together. Jacob felt a surge of gratitude to him as he replied, “Sure thing. - But not too long. You’re here to enjoy the company, not avoid it.”
Jack nodded and then sent a small smile Sam’s way. She returned his expression tentatively, but it touched her eyes.
“So!” Jacob said, interrupting the innocent moment, earning him a reprimanding shove from Selmak.
“Shall we?” And he turned, leading the way away from the Stargate.
“Dad,” Sam said freezing in place to take in the decor, and he was glad she finally noticed. The room was decorated seasonally with garland and lights not unlike Earth’s Christmas strands and even had a decorated tree in the corner that resembled real Christmas trees. She grinned slowly, the expression lighting her entire face as she looked back to him. “Did you do this?”
He smiled, feeling an unnecessary burst of self confidence and pride at her pleased surprise; Selmak gave him a comforting mental nudge as if to pat him on the back. “In a manner of speaking,” he said informatively. “I’ve been working on the Tok’ra to adapt to holidays - they don’t have any, and I don’t know how they manage!”
Sam chuckled. “So that’s your surprise, is it? You finally convinced them?”
“For one holiday, yes. - But it’s better than none.” He grinned and winked at her.
“The Tok’ra?” Jack said, his eyebrows reaching a height Jacob thought almost unnatural. “Celebrating Christmas?”
“In their own way,” he explained, stepping forward and leading the way through the tunnels. “They liked the idea of a holiday that celebrates the simple act of giving, and being that we all live in a symbiotic relationship that is almost entirely based around selflessly giving, they thought this holiday was something they could adapt for their own purposes.” He smiled. “As well as possibly strengthen the ties between the Tauri and ourselves.”
“So they jumped on board with the decorations and everything, huh?” Jack said, swinging his head around obviously, taking in the green garland and wreathes that had been strung up at all the tunnel turn offs and entrances.
“Not quite everything...”
“Oh no,” Jack said dramatically, and Jacob sensed that behind him, Sam was sharing a glance with O’Neill. “They deep-sixed Santa, didn’t they?”
“Afraid so,” Jacob replied with an amused grin.
“Well, theoretically, it wouldn’t be possible for him to make it this far without the aid of the Stargate, anyway,” Sam said neutrally. As if interplanetary travel was a natural excuse to think of as a reason for the elimination of Santa Claus from the Tok’ra’s adaption of the holiday.
He bit back widening his grin. He loved his daughter.
“Carter,” O’Neill was drawling sarcastically. “Do you ever not think about physics?”
She hesitated for a moment before giving her answer. “There are some things...” She said it suggestively, despite her mild tone, and Jacob suddenly felt himself give a hard cough before clearing his throat.
He was well aware that his daughter felt something more than overtly appropriate for her CO, and that said CO possibly, ambiguously, returned those sentiments. He also knew that they, from time-to-time, flirted with each other, having been present on a very few occasions. However, an implication coming from his daughterwith such...
Sexual undertones? Selmak supplied at his hesitance.
Jacob coughed again.
“Dad, are you all right?” Sam asked behind to his left suddenly concerned.
“Yeah, sweetheart,” he answered tightly with a grimace she couldn’t see. “Just swallowed down the wrong pipe, is all.” So help me, Selmak, if you say something like that again-
You were thinking it. I just put it into words.
Yes, well... don’t. Ever. When it concerns Sam. There are some things a father should never have to know.
She was silent for a moment, processing what he meant. Even blended with you, there are some Tauri customs that I am sure I will never understand...
The feeling is mutual, he replied, and then paused, realizing they were coming up to a dangerous intersection. (Selmak snorted.)
Sam and O’Neill, however, continued walking, too distracted by Sam’s analysis of how the Tok’ra had managed to create their own version of Christmas lights.
“No, wait! Sam-no!” Jacob called out rather abruptly, causing both Jack and Sam to stop and turn to face him curiously.
Selmak laughed harder than she had in a long time, her chuckles mirthfully echoing in Jacob’s mind.
Instead of alerting Sam to stop, Jacob had inadvertently alerted everyone in the area to the two visiting Tauri from whose culture they’d taken the holiday they were at this moment celebrating. The two Tauri who were standing underneath a well-placed mistletoe.
-/\-
Holy Hannah, she was underneath the mistletoe with Jack O’Neill. On Christmas Eve. At the Tok’ra base. Okay, so maybe the last one made it a little strange, but who would have thought? It was exciting, setting her heart a flutter and causing her organs to shimmy and shake with utter glee. Yet she was filled with dread.
They stared at each other hopelessly; how could they get out of this one? Several Tok’ra were present in the room, their eyes on the two Tauri. If Daniel were here, he’d insist that they couldn’t possibly do anything less than... follow the tradition after the Tok’ra had decided to accept it into their culture. Not that Sam was at all opposed to this - or she wouldn’t be if Jack wasn’t her commanding officer, if there wasn’t anyone around to watch the show, and most importantly, if her father wasn’t right behind her.
No. She couldn’t kiss Colonel O’Neill, no matter what tradition stated nor how strong her inappropriate impulses goaded her to do so. Perhaps they could if they weren’t Colonel Jack O’Neill and Major Samantha Carter, who already... felt feelings... for each other. More than being inappropriate given their ranks, it would be telling. Oh-so very telling. She could just imagine grasping at his shirt, threading her fingers through his short silver hair as she pulled him down to her...
D---. How the h--- did they get out of this one?
“Carter?” The Colonel pulled her out of her reverie. “Are we gonna do this thing or what?”
“I don’t think it’s necessarily appropriate, Sir.” Do you have any idea how much I wish I could just say YES?
He sighed. “Well, we can’t just stand here all day, and we can’t do nothing. They did,” he gestured loosely around them, “Go to all this length.”
He was right; there had to be a compromise. - And then one hit her.
“On the cheek, Sir? If that’s okay with you?”
Something flashed in his expression, but it went by too quickly for her to recognize it. “Sounds like a plan, Carter,” he said with a slow smile.
She tried not to grin too widely. Now that she’d come up with a fair way out, the last thing she needed was to show how excited she was at the prospect of kissing her CO’s cheek and him kissing hers.
Which thought excited her more, she couldn’t tell.
-/\-
They were moving again, away from the main lobby and towards their sleeping quarters.
Separate sleeping quarters, he felt the need to qualify.
“So... Jake...” Jack said, obviously on the precipice of asking a question.
Jacob arched a curious eyebrow, still fighting his irritation with the man for kissing his daughter. Even if it was just her cheek, he’d done so with a sizeable amount of affection. He was her commanding officer-
He cares for her deeply, Jacob Selmak said gently. Can’t you see that? You should be grateful to him and happy for Samantha.
It’s not that simple, he retorted before returning his attention to Jack.
“The mistletoe thing...” he elaborated slowly, putting his words together deliberately. Sam’s curious gaze was now upon the Colonel, as well, and Jacob was half expecting an apology from the man - but Jack O’Neill was never to be predictable. “You and Selmak are technically two people, right? Like all the Tok’ra?”
“Sir!” Sam exclaimed catching his implication.
Jacob closed his eyes. He was not going this direction.
But Jack had the nerve to look innocent! “Well, I was just wondering what you and Selmak do when you’re underneath the- HEY!!” He dodged Jacob lunging for him. And then again. “Carter-?”
Through her laughter at her father’s antics, she said, “I suggest you run, Sir!” And Jack did just that.
Jacob followed, but it was not Jacob who spoke: “That is none of your business, Colonel O’Neill!”
Selmak said severely as “she” chased him down the tunnel leaving behind one very disturbed Sam.
-/\-
It was after midnight, and Sam sat propped on a low wall that rose to encompass a small garden in the main common room. It was empty at this time of night, or rather morning. The lights strung across the walls were her only company as she contemplated the day’s events. She wasn’t sure why she couldn’t sleep. She hadn’t had this problem since she was a little girl, too excited to go to sleep the night before Christmas. There wasn’t much to anticipate more than the previous day, though she was curious to see how the Tok’ra were going to adjust the gift-giving part of the holiday.
Daniel would have been ecstatic. She smiled at the thought. She’d just pay close enough attention for him to give him some good details when they got back, knowing he would ask a million and one questions.
She sighed, thinking back to the conversation she’d had with her dad earlier while Colonel O’Neill “slept.” He’d voiced regrets to her over Christmases past, confiding that he felt like he needed to make it up to her and to Mark. Her brother had chosen to spend his holidays with his in-laws, though; that was what had prompted her to join her father at the Tok’ra base for Christmas instead of him coming to Earth.
She hadn’t denied that previous Christmases hadn’t been as merry as they should have been, but she wondered if she’d done enough to impress upon him that she didn’t care about that anymore so long as he was with her now to share new experiences and be there for her like he’d never been before. Nearly losing him as she had so many times since he had joined the Tok’ra had taught her to forgive past offenses and never take for granted what was offered at the present.
“Trouble sleeping?” a voice interrupted her thoughts, nearly causing her to jump. - The Colonel.
“Sir?” she asked, wondering why he was up.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked as he settled across from her, leaning against the table in the center of the room. She tried to ignore the way his hair stuck tufted out at odd angles, how his shirt clung to his chest and shoulders just enough to give a good idea of what was beneath, the appealing angle of his body as he leant back...
“Yeah, sure,” she found her voice long enough to respond.
They lapsed back into silence for a moment as she floundered for something to talk about. Not that they couldn’t manage with nothing to say; it wasn’t as if they didn’t do it all the time. This silence, however, spoke to something. He’d joined her for a reason... hadn’t he?
Sure enough, he was the first to speak: “Who would have thought the Tok’ra would like mistletoe?”
She felt herself flush thinking back to their shared... moment under the sprig earlier. She had tried to stay as detached as possible on her part for her kiss to his cheek - which she admitted was probably too much considering that they were supposed to be friends and therefore probably still spoke to something - but the Colonel... His kiss had been a sweet caress. Either he wasn’t good at hiding his feelings in such an action or he hadn’t tried at all.
That thought persuaded her that maybe, since no one else was around, she didn’t need to try at this moment. Maybe she could speak what was on her mind exactly. Looking across to him, she realized that was why he had come.
“I can’t say that I have any objections, Sir,” she said honestly with an amused smile. Her heart pounded at the openness of the statement, wondering what his reaction would be.
It took a moment, but he smiled slowly and huffed a gentle chuckle.
-/\-
Here it was, an open but not so open conversation about their feelings for each other. He was excited about this, getting her to loosen up a bit. He was usually the one who didn’t show what he felt, and she who wasn’t so afraid to be human every now and then. But when it came to what was between them, she seemed almost petrified to let anything show openly. She always thought she was being secretive, and he thought that maybe she was - to anyone but him.
“Ya’ know, Carter,” Jack said shoving his hands into his pockets, “We’re a modern day Romeo and Juliet.”
Sam’s blue eyes slid over slowly to settle on his brown ones in sedated surprise. He was anxious with boyish curiosity to hear her reply to that one, but she considered him for a moment before responding. Amusement warred with something else in her cerulean depths which captivated him until amusement won out and she finally spoke, “Wow. That’s... really-”
“Romantic, I know,” he deadpanned with a faux grimace.
“Actually, I was going to say morbid.”
Unexpected. Carter never did cease to amaze, and his dark eyebrows shot upward in accordance.
“Morbid? Carter, do you know the story of Romeo and Juliet?”
“Yes, Sir,” she stated plainly, mischief sparkling in her bright eyes.
He didn’t want to play into her hands; he wanted to find a way to squirm around her little trap, whatever it was, but he was too curious, d---it! He had to ask, “Well, how the h--- is that morbid?!”
“They die, Sir. At the end.” She said this as if to imply that it was news to him. Well, two could play at that game.
“Because they loved each other that much!” he stipulated quickly. In the back of his mind, he acknowledged that he’d found yet another way to tell her just how much he cared for her, but instead of feeling embarrassed like a teen on his first date as was usual when he stumbled upon these things, he felt strangely proud. Anyone passing by would think they were discussing literature, but for the pretty blush on his 2IC’s face.
“Considering my recent love life, Sir, and those... intimately involved-” he gave her a sour look for her terrible word choice. “It’s like bringing a whole new meaning to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet,” she finished.
He frowned. “But I thought I was Romeo?”
“Exactly my point.”
“Ah. Well... We can rewrite the ending,” he said with a smug grin. “It’s not like things are exactly parallel, either. I mean, it’s not our families holding us back; it’s-”
“Regulations and the Goa’uld,” she finished ruefully for him. “Though Dad...” she trailed off with a nervous giggle, looking away momentarily. Then she was back to watching him, whatever reverie that had caught her attention passed. “Which do you think is which? In the story, I mean.”
“No idea, Carter; you’re putting too much thought into this.”
She chuckled. “Force of habit, Sir.”
“Well, for a change... You could be the Capulet.”
“Isn’t that how the story goes? Romeo’s the Montague.”
“Oh. Well, I just thought Capulet sounded more technical,” he offered, lifting his brows quickly, suggestively.
She laughed again. “I see. Capulet sounds so scientific, does it?”
He shrugged. “More than Montague. And it begins with a C!”
“Making decisions based on alliteration: very wise, Sir.”
A juvenile urge to spit his tongue out at her crossed his mind, but he quelled it. “Anyway, I’m sure you could think of something.”
Her mouth opened slightly, as if on the verge of saying something. “Didn’t you just say I was putting too much thought into this?”
“That’s never stopped you before.”
“So you’re encouraging me?”
He was immediately struck with the devious idea of honesty. Maybe it was the eggnog. Maybe it was the Christmas season. Maybe it was because the Tok’ra were celebrating their own mangled version of Christmas, and he was here with Carter and with her father a tunnel away at 0100 on Christmas morning. Whatever it was, he was excited to get at least this one secret off his chest.
“Well, I never understand a word of it, but that’s what makes it so hot.”
Her eyes widened at his admission, and he was pleased that she really hadn’t had a clue. “Are you kidding?”
“No,” he said seriously.
She blinked and tried again. “You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
“All this time, you... I...” She frowned in disbelief. “It turns you on?!”
He grinned, removing his hands from his pockets and crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re brilliant, Carter. Hasn’t anyone told you that?”
She was now scarlet, and he momentarily wondered if there was a defined point at which she would demand they cease and desist the topic of this conversation. “Once or twice, Sir.” She looked away.
He bent his head slightly, trying to gain her attention, but she didn’t look his way. “There’s more than one reason I cut you off all the time. Plus you always find a way to explain it just so I can understand; that’s hot, too.”
She turned abruptly, a shy smile starting to form. She shook her head, bemused. “You really are one of a kind, Sir.”
Try as he might, he couldn’t fool himself away from how much that actually meant to him coming from her, and unbidden, he smiled softly. But humor was the best shield to prevent things from becoming too serious between them in this already dangerous conversation, so he said, “This doesn’t change anything, Carter. I still expect plenty of techno-babble in the future, and you should expect me to interrupt you, as usual.”
She grinned, amused. “Duly noted, Sir. I’ll look forward to it.”
And silence.
They looked across the way at each other, the visible invisible barrier between them, drawn by both out of duty and mutual respect for the other. Their eyes locked, and he felt a pang at their inability to be together. It was selfish, and he looked away first, unsure if he’d be able to stay, leaning against the table where he was.
It was probably very stupid for them to have had this conversation; yet again, she had officially confirmed her feelings for him, and not that he didn’t see it almost every time he caught her looking at him or when they casually flirted, but there was a difference between reading someone’s features, wondering if they were really thinking that and having that verbally acknowledged. He wouldn’t soon forget this conversation... And with what he’d just revealed, he knew she wouldn’t, either.
Carter interrupted his thoughts with a sigh, drawing his attention. “I can’t believe we’re discussing this so flippantly,” she said, dropping her head to rest in her hand, elbow supported by her knee. “It’s so...”
“Easy?”
“Forbidden.”
“D---it. I was... nowhere near being close this time,” he very nearly pouted.
She lifted her head, a hint of a smile playing across her lips. “I was thinking that, too. I just meant to expound upon the other one.”
“Huh.” Inside, he secretly gloated.
“I mean, technically,” she continued back on her previous line of thought, sitting up straight again, “We’re breaking the regulations by talking about this right now.”
“We break regulations just by standing next to each other, Carter,” he said flatly and was rewarded with a brilliant hundred-watt Carter smile as she fought back a loud laugh.
He watched as she turned away, attempting to control herself as she shook with amusement. He loved that he could do that to her. But she didn’t want to wake the others, he knew. He didn’t want her to wake the others - specifically her father.
His eyes stayed watching her profile, taking in the brightness of her eyes, the way her hair stuck out oddly in places from tossing and turning earlier, the curve of her neck...
“I wish I could kiss you.”
Her eyes flitted to his immediately, laughter dying away, but there was no hint of surprise. Only the exact desire he felt for her was mirrored there, and he stood, rooted to the floor, to the table, to whatever the h--- he could imagine was physically holding him back from her. He noticed her clench her hands, gripping onto the edge of her seat; her eyes fell imperceptibly to his mouth, her lips parting slightly.
“We should end this conversation,” he said abruptly looking away.
He imagined that she closed her eyes as she sighed. “Yes. We should.”
D---. He felt like an a--. Leading her on like that, getting both their hopes up for something that couldn’t happen.
Looking back to her, he gave a pinched half smile and jerked his head in the direction of their rooms, pointing with his thumb, “I’m gonna head back to bed. You with?”
She returned his expression with a half-hearted nod. “Yeah. I’m not getting any sleepier sitting out here, anyway.”
With an acknowledging nod of his own, he turned and headed towards his awaiting bed. Where he would lie back and stare at the ceiling until morning. Sam would probably do the same thing...
The need to apologize swept over him; he felt as if her impending lack of sleep was all his fault, which, was, in a way, true. He paused and spun around - directly into Carter. D---, she moved fast.
“Sir!” she exclaimed as she attempted to back away from him without falling.
He grasped onto her shoulders, steadying her for a moment before dropping his arms to his side. “I was just going to... apologize,” he said slowing as he noticed: they were in the archway of the tunnel. That meant...
Both Sam and Jack looked up at the same time to discover the sprig.
Underneath the mistletoe again. What were the odds?
Then again, it seemed like the Tok’ra really liked the mistletoe tradition; Jack could get that, faced with the woman before him, though he really did have to wonder...
“Well, the Tok’ra did ask for a demonstration earlier...” he put forth experimentally.
“They expected us to follow the Tauri tradition, Sir.”
“Same thing. Shouldn’t we, for their sake?”
“There aren’t any Tok’ra around.”
“They say it’s the thought that counts.”
Her mouth twitched and she moved closer to him. “Are you digging for an excuse to kiss me? Sir.”
“I d--- well am.”
“We’ll be breaking the regulations,” she said in a low, sultry tone that sent the hairs on the back of his neck to stand at attention.
“I thought we already established that we do on a daily basis,” he replied, somewhat surprised to hear that his voice mirrored her low tone. “Just once,” he amended more appropriately. - If appropriate could even find a way into what they were doing.
She smiled, he felt more than saw, so close was she. “In that case, I don’t think you need an excuse.”
He closed the distance between them, the need to feel her lips against his own overwhelming.
Soft was the first and last thing that he thought.
Mouths opening and closing, exploring. His lips and tongue slid against hers, sparking an electric current through his body that left him feeling completely, wholly alive. Her arms snaked over his shoulders, around his neck, fingers threaded through the short strands of hair at the base of his neck. He gave up the battle not to hold her and looped his arms behind her shoulders and waist, crushing her to him. She sighed into his mouth, and he hummed in reply.
They parted abruptly, as if realizing what they were doing. Then he thought better of it.
“Okay, maybe twice,” he said before quickly covering her mouth with his again.
“Or three times,” she whispered, barely audible between kisses.
-/\-
Christmas day had been a day to remember. The Tok’ra had taken to exchanging gifts with each other; as to how the hosts and symbiotes celebrated together, that was still a mystery for those who weren’t expressly Tok’ra. And the modest exchange of presents between the Carters and Jack had been more about reactions than the gifts themselves, as it should have been.
Jacob smiled sadly as he stood at the bottom of the steps to the Stargate, seeing off the two fine officers back to their home world. It was times like these that he regretted his new life role, but he was always quick to remind himself that his relationship with his daughter wouldn’t be as it was if not for the Tok’ra or, most especially, Selmak. And that was what today was all about, after all.
“Safe trip,” he needlessly said, never being good about goodbyes after creating such lasting memories.
“Ah, I’m sure it will be fraught with perils, but we’ll survive,” O’Neill said sarcastically, taking Jacob’s hand in a strong handshake. “Thank you,” he said honestly. “Best Christmas I’ve had in years.” His eyes flickered to Sam for a moment, his smile deepening in a way, before turning and trotting up the stairs to wait for her.
Something had happened. Jacob knew something had. But from the light he saw in his daughter’s eyes, he couldn’t begrudge himself to care as much as he had before. After all, so long as she was happy... Jack was a good man.
Commanding officer, he reminded himself. Did that really matter so much?
“Well, Dad,” Sam said, her smile bright but a bit sad like his own, “I guess I’ll see you in...?”
“A few weeks, at least,” he answered for her. “We’ve got some missions to attend to, and I’m sure you’ll be busy.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. A mischievous sparkle entered her eyes, “But maybe we’ll have an emergency between now and then. You know, need your help.”
He couldn’t help grinning. “Maybe. So long as you’re not the cause. - Or anyone in SG-1 for that matter,” he added, deciding to include her family.
There it was. That smile. He could see her mother in that smile, but it was also uniquely Sam’s. He embraced her then, before becoming too emotional. Christmas had a habit of doing that to him now. All those regrets...
As they parted, he remembered something that needed clarification. “And Sam?” he said in a low voice.
“Selmak and I... Underneath the-We really don’t-”
“Dad?” Sam asked entirely too cheerfully interrupting him. “I really don’t want to know.”
“But Sam, I-”
“I was a host before, and I know that every Tok’ra is different just like every human, but...” her jaw jutted out in a forced smile, “Dad, the Tok’ra are only that expressive for so many occasions.”
His mouth hung partly agape.
“I don’t want to know, Dad,” she reaffirmed and kissed his cheek quickly before joining O’Neill at the ‘gate. With a wave, they disappeared through the shimmering wormhole until next time.
Next time. Great. Just great.
Do you SEE what you’ve done, now? Jacob demanded as he stalked away from the Stargate. She thinks you and I have a relationship!
Don’t we?
Selmak.
We share everything-
Selmak.
Including your body-
Selmak!
And that means that we’re intimately connected. ... As one.
Oh my... WHY did I ever agree to this?
You know why you did, she said softly. And you don’t regret it.
He came to a halt, thinking. She was right. Despite what implications she’d given his daughter, he didn’t regret any of it. - Well, maybe he regretted not refusing her control before when she’d chased O’Neill...
At least he knew she was one person he’d never have to say goodbye to. She was the only one.
Jacob?
Hmm?
Look up.
Oh... d---. He hated lying to his daughter.
The End
AN: Okay. So maybe some parts were closer to crack than simple humor looking over it again. ;D
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