Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
"What's the progress?" Daniel asked, his breath warm across Sam's cheek as he peered over her shoulder. Sam chuckled as she inhaled the sharp bite of peppermint - Daniel'd been helping himself to the candy canes that festooned the garland hung all around the SGC mess hall.
"Still over the Atlantic," Sam told him. She glanced back as Daniel jostled her, steadying himself with a hand against the small of her back when Teal'c and Cameron continued to crowd in behind him. Cameron reached around Daniel to poke her in the shoulder. "Is he here yet? I want my X-Box."
Sam swatted his hand away. "Shh, they're broadcasting live." She flicked her fingers at the local news affiliate's cameras that were set up across the room, trained on the large tracking screen and a gleeful-looking Jack O'Neill. He bounced on the balls of his feet as he waved a laser pointer around the screen, narrating the path of "One Mr. S. Claus, Toy Delivery Expert."
"O'Neill appears pleased," Teal'c said, and Sam nodded. Jack had been ecstatic when she'd told him that she'd heard NORAD had agreed to let some local news anchor come in and do a piece on what was likely to be one of the last Santa Trackings from the Cheyenne Mountain facility. Three days later he was standing in the doorway to her lab, just like old times. "Jeez, Carter, it's Christmas Eve. Go home already. I'm sure you're already on the nice list."
When he'd told her he'd pulled rank to fly in and do the Santa story, it was the most animated she'd seen him in a long time, and she was enjoying the wide smile that had creased his face since he'd arrived.
"But will we not be late for our dinner reservations?" Sam shared a grin with Daniel at the plaintive note in Teal'c's voice.
"I called and pushed the time back," Sam said, only to receive a disgruntled "Hmm," from Teal'c. "Don't worry. Daniel did make him promise that dinner would come before his budding television career. See? Looks like he's done."
Jack was shaking hands with the anchor. He held up a finger and mouthed, "Just a sec." Sam waved in response and started herding the guys out into the hall, where Jack caught up with them a minute later. "So the big guy told me you're all getting lumps of coal this year."
"Man, if I don't get my X-Box, I'm blaming you, General." Sam saw Daniel roll his eyes at Cameron's exaggerated pout, but it made her laugh, and that felt good. Jack caught her eyes and there was that wide smile again, infectious in its delight. Suddenly she wanted to be outside, to breathe in the crisp air and see if Jack would scoop up a handful of the recent snowfall and plaster it across the back of Daniel's head like he'd always done anytime it snowed, on-world or off.
"Come on," Sam said, pushing Cameron down the hall to where Teal'c was impatiently waiting. "Let's go feed him before he decides to leave without us."
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Happy holidays, all.
"Still over the Atlantic," Sam told him. She glanced back as Daniel jostled her, steadying himself with a hand against the small of her back when Teal'c and Cameron continued to crowd in behind him. Cameron reached around Daniel to poke her in the shoulder. "Is he here yet? I want my X-Box."
Sam swatted his hand away. "Shh, they're broadcasting live." She flicked her fingers at the local news affiliate's cameras that were set up across the room, trained on the large tracking screen and a gleeful-looking Jack O'Neill. He bounced on the balls of his feet as he waved a laser pointer around the screen, narrating the path of "One Mr. S. Claus, Toy Delivery Expert."
"O'Neill appears pleased," Teal'c said, and Sam nodded. Jack had been ecstatic when she'd told him that she'd heard NORAD had agreed to let some local news anchor come in and do a piece on what was likely to be one of the last Santa Trackings from the Cheyenne Mountain facility. Three days later he was standing in the doorway to her lab, just like old times. "Jeez, Carter, it's Christmas Eve. Go home already. I'm sure you're already on the nice list."
When he'd told her he'd pulled rank to fly in and do the Santa story, it was the most animated she'd seen him in a long time, and she was enjoying the wide smile that had creased his face since he'd arrived.
"But will we not be late for our dinner reservations?" Sam shared a grin with Daniel at the plaintive note in Teal'c's voice.
"I called and pushed the time back," Sam said, only to receive a disgruntled "Hmm," from Teal'c. "Don't worry. Daniel did make him promise that dinner would come before his budding television career. See? Looks like he's done."
Jack was shaking hands with the anchor. He held up a finger and mouthed, "Just a sec." Sam waved in response and started herding the guys out into the hall, where Jack caught up with them a minute later. "So the big guy told me you're all getting lumps of coal this year."
"Man, if I don't get my X-Box, I'm blaming you, General." Sam saw Daniel roll his eyes at Cameron's exaggerated pout, but it made her laugh, and that felt good. Jack caught her eyes and there was that wide smile again, infectious in its delight. Suddenly she wanted to be outside, to breathe in the crisp air and see if Jack would scoop up a handful of the recent snowfall and plaster it across the back of Daniel's head like he'd always done anytime it snowed, on-world or off.
"Come on," Sam said, pushing Cameron down the hall to where Teal'c was impatiently waiting. "Let's go feed him before he decides to leave without us."
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Happy holidays, all.