Fic: A Holly, Jolly Christmas
Title: A Holly, Jolly Christmas
Word Count: 966
Rating: Teen and Up
Original/Fandom:
Characters/Pairings: Sam/Jack, Daniel, Cassie, Cam
Summary: Their first Christmas together and all their plans had fallen through.
Notes: written for sj_everyday dvent Calendar, Day 13. Part of my Always series
Christmas Eve 2005
Laughter filtered into the kitchen, and Sam smiled when she heard Cassie join in the merriment as well. At least this year was turning out to be a better for Christmas for her. That’s one of us, she thought and then frowned at herself for the uncharitable thought. She leaned against the counter, listening to the water starting to boil in the kettle, and took a deep breath.
“Sam?”
She looked up to see Daniel standing in the doorway from the living room. He smiled sympathetically and walked over to lean against the counter next to her, gently bumping her shoulder with his.
“You know he wanted to be here.”
She nodded. “I know, Daniel. But when the President asks you to stay for a last minute meeting...” she shrugged and pushed off to take the whistling kettle off the stove. “Tea?”
Daniel shook his head and winced guiltily. “Actually, we were getting ready to head out.”
Sam inhaled the minty aroma as the water hit the teabag and stayed quiet. She didn’t trust herself to say anything. Their first Christmas together and all their plans had fallen through. Jack was supposed to have flown in this morning and the team would have Christmas Eve lunch before Cam, Daniel, and Cassie flew out, leaving the two of them to celebrate on their own.
Now, it would be just Sam on her own.
“We could stay,” Daniel offered. “I’ll call and reschedule our tickets.”
“No, Daniel. Cassie needs this and I know Janet’s mother is looking forward to both of you visiting. Go. I’ll be fine.”
She turned and gave him a bright smile. “See. This is me, happy.”
“You don’t have to pretend to be happy, Sam. Just... you’ll be okay, right?” She nodded against Daniel’s shoulder as he pulled her in to a tight hug.
“Hey Cassandra, there’s hugging in here and we’re being left out!” Sam laughed at Cameron’s mock outrage and then there were four of them, holding each other and laughing. Then with a bustle of coats and bags and ‘Merry Christmas’s, the three of them piled into Daniel’s car and headed down the street.
Sam smiled and waved until they turned the corner and then walked back into a house that seemed suddenly very, very quiet. She tidied up the last few plates and cups, turned on the Christmas lights that she had actually made time to put up this year, and settled on the couch with her tea, a book, and an afghan. After a while, she put the book down next to her tea cup and stretched out to watch the colorful lights twinkling through the window in the early winter evening.
A noise jolted her awake some time later. She opened her eyes. It was now entirely dark, the only light coming from the tree lights and the outdoor lights, reflecting off a flurry of snowflakes. She stayed still, waiting for the noise to repeat itself. Everything was silent and she wondered if it was just a remnant of her dream.
She cautiously got to her feet and was about to turn on a lamp when a definite noise came from the front porch. She sighed as she headed to the front door; if Daniel and Cassie had come back after all...
She opened the door to find Jack balanced on one foot, about to pull on a pair of heavy red pants over his jeans, a red jacket trimmed in white hanging open to show an old USAFA sweatshirt. He dropped the pants when he saw her and grabbed a hat from the duffel bag next to him. When he jammed the hat on his head, a chorus of Holly Jolly Christmas rang out. Sam burst out laughing as the point of the hat flopped from side to side ringing a bell as it went.
“Jack!”
He shook his head. “I’m not Jack. I’m Santa. See?” He pointed to the hat. “Have you been a good girl, Samantha?”
She grinned and reached out to pull him closer to her. “Come here and find out, Santa.” The kiss that followed made her glad that all the truly good boys and girls were home in bed. She didn’t want to be responsible for destroying their innocent perception of Father Christmas.
After a few minutes, Jack eased back enough to simply hold her. She relaxed in his arms and laid her cheek against his shoulder. “I didn’t think... How’d you manage to get here?”
He gently urged her through the doorway and grabbed his bag on the way in himself as he spoke. “Well, knowing the President does open certain doors.”
She rolled her eyes. “Jack, if you knew he was going to fly you out here afterwards, why didn’t you just say so?” She pulled him down on the couch beside and curled up next to him. The room seemed so much warmer now that he was there.
He rested his cheek against her hair. “It wasn’t planned. The President invited us back to the residence for drinks after the meeting wrapped up. I may have made some comments about how many times we’ve, y’know, saved the world, missing holidays, family events, yadda yadda. Next thing you know, he’s on the phone, and then I’m on a plane.”
Sam smothered her giggle in his shoulder, then looked up at him. “You guilt tripped the President?”
He cupped her chin in his hand, stroking his thumb gently across her cheek. She flushed a bit under the intensity of his gaze. “For you, Sam, for this, I’d do much, much more.” His lips were warm against hers and she reached up to thread her fingers through his hair. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Jack.”
Word Count: 966
Rating: Teen and Up
Original/Fandom:
Characters/Pairings: Sam/Jack, Daniel, Cassie, Cam
Summary: Their first Christmas together and all their plans had fallen through.
Notes: written for sj_everyday dvent Calendar, Day 13. Part of my Always series
Christmas Eve 2005
Laughter filtered into the kitchen, and Sam smiled when she heard Cassie join in the merriment as well. At least this year was turning out to be a better for Christmas for her. That’s one of us, she thought and then frowned at herself for the uncharitable thought. She leaned against the counter, listening to the water starting to boil in the kettle, and took a deep breath.
“Sam?”
She looked up to see Daniel standing in the doorway from the living room. He smiled sympathetically and walked over to lean against the counter next to her, gently bumping her shoulder with his.
“You know he wanted to be here.”
She nodded. “I know, Daniel. But when the President asks you to stay for a last minute meeting...” she shrugged and pushed off to take the whistling kettle off the stove. “Tea?”
Daniel shook his head and winced guiltily. “Actually, we were getting ready to head out.”
Sam inhaled the minty aroma as the water hit the teabag and stayed quiet. She didn’t trust herself to say anything. Their first Christmas together and all their plans had fallen through. Jack was supposed to have flown in this morning and the team would have Christmas Eve lunch before Cam, Daniel, and Cassie flew out, leaving the two of them to celebrate on their own.
Now, it would be just Sam on her own.
“We could stay,” Daniel offered. “I’ll call and reschedule our tickets.”
“No, Daniel. Cassie needs this and I know Janet’s mother is looking forward to both of you visiting. Go. I’ll be fine.”
She turned and gave him a bright smile. “See. This is me, happy.”
“You don’t have to pretend to be happy, Sam. Just... you’ll be okay, right?” She nodded against Daniel’s shoulder as he pulled her in to a tight hug.
“Hey Cassandra, there’s hugging in here and we’re being left out!” Sam laughed at Cameron’s mock outrage and then there were four of them, holding each other and laughing. Then with a bustle of coats and bags and ‘Merry Christmas’s, the three of them piled into Daniel’s car and headed down the street.
Sam smiled and waved until they turned the corner and then walked back into a house that seemed suddenly very, very quiet. She tidied up the last few plates and cups, turned on the Christmas lights that she had actually made time to put up this year, and settled on the couch with her tea, a book, and an afghan. After a while, she put the book down next to her tea cup and stretched out to watch the colorful lights twinkling through the window in the early winter evening.
A noise jolted her awake some time later. She opened her eyes. It was now entirely dark, the only light coming from the tree lights and the outdoor lights, reflecting off a flurry of snowflakes. She stayed still, waiting for the noise to repeat itself. Everything was silent and she wondered if it was just a remnant of her dream.
She cautiously got to her feet and was about to turn on a lamp when a definite noise came from the front porch. She sighed as she headed to the front door; if Daniel and Cassie had come back after all...
She opened the door to find Jack balanced on one foot, about to pull on a pair of heavy red pants over his jeans, a red jacket trimmed in white hanging open to show an old USAFA sweatshirt. He dropped the pants when he saw her and grabbed a hat from the duffel bag next to him. When he jammed the hat on his head, a chorus of Holly Jolly Christmas rang out. Sam burst out laughing as the point of the hat flopped from side to side ringing a bell as it went.
“Jack!”
He shook his head. “I’m not Jack. I’m Santa. See?” He pointed to the hat. “Have you been a good girl, Samantha?”
She grinned and reached out to pull him closer to her. “Come here and find out, Santa.” The kiss that followed made her glad that all the truly good boys and girls were home in bed. She didn’t want to be responsible for destroying their innocent perception of Father Christmas.
After a few minutes, Jack eased back enough to simply hold her. She relaxed in his arms and laid her cheek against his shoulder. “I didn’t think... How’d you manage to get here?”
He gently urged her through the doorway and grabbed his bag on the way in himself as he spoke. “Well, knowing the President does open certain doors.”
She rolled her eyes. “Jack, if you knew he was going to fly you out here afterwards, why didn’t you just say so?” She pulled him down on the couch beside and curled up next to him. The room seemed so much warmer now that he was there.
He rested his cheek against her hair. “It wasn’t planned. The President invited us back to the residence for drinks after the meeting wrapped up. I may have made some comments about how many times we’ve, y’know, saved the world, missing holidays, family events, yadda yadda. Next thing you know, he’s on the phone, and then I’m on a plane.”
Sam smothered her giggle in his shoulder, then looked up at him. “You guilt tripped the President?”
He cupped her chin in his hand, stroking his thumb gently across her cheek. She flushed a bit under the intensity of his gaze. “For you, Sam, for this, I’d do much, much more.” His lips were warm against hers and she reached up to thread her fingers through his hair. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Jack.”