Sam rolled the dice halfheartedly onto the table, moving Professor Plum a measly three squares so he was hovering outside the study. Sam had always loved playing Clue, and it wasn't often the she had the chance. Today she just couldn't work up her usual enthusiasm. If either of the kids had noticed how withdrawn she was they hadn't said anything. Mark and Izzy were doing their best to get her in the Christmas spirit but with little success.
Her bag had gotten lost on the plane, meaning all her clothes, Christmas presents, toiletries and her cell phone were winging their way somewhere else, probably Bermuda.
"Aunt Sam," Jacqueline interrupted her thoughts. "Professor Plum in the Conservatory with the lead piping."
Sam reluctantly showed the eleven year old the lead piping card and picked up the dice again. It took her a few moments to realize that Prof Plum had been relocated to the opposite side of the board to where Sam wanted him.that had to be a conspiracy.
Ten minutes later thirteen year old Craig announced that the killer was Professor Plum in the Lounge with the rope and the game came to a close.
Go figure that Sam's character had turned out to be the killer, she was already a deserter what was one extra crime?
"Sam," Izzy's voice splintered her self-incrimination. "We're icing the Christmas cakes, you coming?"
Izzy had to be one of the sweetest women that Sam had ever met. She put up with Mark's moaning about whatever his cause of the week was, she conspired with Sam every time Mark and Jacob had a fight and she called without fail on the first of every month to see how Sam was.
Sam climbed to her feet and entered the kitchen, immediately recruited by Jacqueline to work on the biggest cake.
While the rest of the family held a large debate over what to ice onto their cake Sam agreed with Jacqueline's first suggestion without really hearing it, too many thoughts already flying around in her head.
"Aunt Sam why did you make it sad?" Jacqueline demanded as their decorating drew to an end.
Sam looked down at the snowman on their cake and realized that she'd iced its smile upside down.
"Sorry sweetie," Sam forced a smile. "Why don't you fix it while I wash up."
Sam disappeared into the kitchen, glad of the reprieve from holiday spirit.
"Nice try," Mark's voice startled her only moments later. "What's bothering you?"
"Nothing," Sam assured him, plastering a very convincing smile on her face.
"The mom smile," Mark accused. "This must be bad."
"What?" Sam laughed.
"You always used to smile like that when people talked about mom," he explained. "So what's so awful that you've resorted to that?"
"I don't know what you mean," she shrugged.
"Sam, Christmas is a time to spent with family, with the people you love. The kids have been looking forward to this for months," Mark told her. "But ever since you got here you haven't actually been here."
"Colonel O'Neill has flu," Sam finally admitted. "I'm just worried."
"Flu?" Mark marveled. "Flu has you this distracted?"
"The admitted to hospital barely having the energy to breathe type of flu has me worried."
"I'm sorry your friend is sick." Mark placed his hand on her shoulder. "But you flew all the way home for Christmas, you might want to try spending it here."
"This isn't home anymore Mark," Sam reminded him. "Colorado is my home."
"At least spend some time with your family then," he relented. "Don't try to be in two places at once."
"You're right," Sam decided suddenly, moving quickly to the kitchen.
"Where are the kids?" she asked as Mark followed her.
"Izzy took them to her mom's for a couple of hours."
"Tell them I'm sorry and I'll call soon," Sam instructed him, grabbing her bag and taking her rental car to the airport, she had a Christmas to catch.
Arriving at the hospital several hours later Sam's feet took her quickly to Jack's room.
Breathlessly pushing the door open she was dismayed to see the bed freshly made and the room empty.
Heading straight to the nurses station she had to wait several minutes to talk to anyone.
"I'm looking for Jack O'Neill," she explained.
"I'm sorry," the nurse told her sympathetically. "You're too late, he's already gone."
Sam couldn't believe what she was hearing, she left it too late, she should never have left.
"Right, thank you," Sam replied distractedly, going back to her car and wondering what had happened to Christmas.
Sam hesitantly tried Jack's front door, knowing she shouldn't really be there but pushing her way in nonetheless. The lock wasn't on and the sound of people moving about greeted her as she stepped into the warmth of the hall.
A number of boxes were packed up against the wall leading to the living room and their presence only served to add to the sinking feeling in Sam's stomach.
Someone, most likely Daniel and Teal'c, had already started packing up his things, without even calling her.
"Carter?" A voice behind her made Sam jump out of her skin. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"I.you.I." Sam leant heavily against the wall, going deathly pale.
"Maybe you should come and sit down," Jack suggested, supporting most of Sam's weight as he walked her to the living room.
"Daniel," Jack called out. "Get some water."
Daniel only glanced briefly at the two of them before heading to the kitchen with Teal'c in tow.
"Aren't you meant to be living it up in California this week?" Jack asked kindly, crouching down in front of Sam, still trying to figure out what had her so spooked.
"I was worried about you," Sam admitted. "And the hospital said I was too late.I thought."
"Ah," Jack nodded, understanding with a new sympathy the situation she had thought she was arriving at his home under.
"I'm glad you're ok," she sighed at last, standing and walking out onto the deck without another word.
"I'm sorry I wrecked your Christmas," Jack smiled, following her and desperately trying to lighten the mood.
"It's my fault," Sam shrugged, still distracted and forlorn.
They stood side-by-side in silence for a while, watching the light rain darkening the concrete path.
"What happened?" Sam finally asked. "Why didn't you die?"
"Wow, way to be subtle," Jack quipped, once again failing to crack Sam's armor of gloom.
"Well?" she pushed, turning to look at him with pleading eyes.
"It was just flu," Jack shrugged. "Turns out that it was drugs they were giving me that were doing the damage."
"You're kidding?" Sam laughed, the sudden change in her demeanor surprising Jack for a moment.
"Nope," he eventually answered, grinning along with her. "Went into anaphylactic shock before they caught on. They take me off the drugs and within a matter hours I'm right as rain.always have wondered what's meant to be so right about rain, but I guess that's not really the point," Jack prattled, for once not knowing when to stop. "Granted I still feel a bit fluey but I sure as hell wasn't staying in that hospital waiting for those damn doctors to finish me off. I tell you."
"Sir," Sam interrupted. "I get the point."
"It means a lot that you came back," he told her with a small smile.
"Well I wouldn't have if I'd known you were still alive," she teased with a wicked grin.
"Well thank you very much," Jack tried not to laugh as he acted insulted.
The doorbell rang out inside the house and they watched Daniel through the glass patio doors as he moved to answer it.
"Expecting someone?" Sam inquired.
"No one that wouldn't let themselves in," Jack replied, bemused.
Sam and Jack walked together into the house, reaching the hall just as Daniel was pulling the door open.
Before Sam could even register who was there a much too lively eleven-year-old girl knocked her off her feet.
"Aunt Sam," she squealed, leaping up into Sam's arms. Jack reached out and steadied Sam as she almost toppled over from the impact.
"If Aunt Sam can't come to Christmas then Christmas will have to come to Aunt Sam," Mark smiled, walking into the house and hugging the entity that was his sister and daughter fused.
"You must be Jack." Mark held out his hand to the other man. "Good to see you still breathing."
Jack accepted the firm handshake, deciding straight off that he liked this Carter just as much as the others.
"Aunt Sam?" Jacqueline curled up on Sam's lap in the oversized armchair that Jack usually favored.
"Yes niece Jacqueline?" Sam replied in the same drawn out and questioning tone.
"Is Jack your boyfriend now? Is that why you had to rush home when he was sick?"
"No," Sam laughed. "He's just my very good friend."
"I think he should be your boyfriend," Jacqueline yawned. "He has very pretty eyes."
"And that's what you're basing this decision on?" Sam asked with a chuckle. "His very pretty eyes?"
"And he keeps chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen cupboard, behind the mugs," Jacqueline revealed without a thought.
It took only a few more minutes for Jacqueline to fall asleep and Sam sat with her for a while, surveying her friends around the room.
Janet had arrived and was talking intently to Izzy, who was also a doctor, about something that most people wouldn't want to mention with food present.
Cassie was arguing with Craig about whether "The Darkness" really were a Christmas hit.
Mark, Daniel and Teal'c seemed to have found plenty to discuss, despite Sam's initial concerns that they had nothing in common.
Jack was standing in the doorway, watching the scene the same way she was, staying detached from it.
Easing Jacqueline carefully into the chair Sam followed Jack as he vanished into the kitchen.
"Eggnog?" Jack offered, pouring himself a glass and holding up another.
"Thanks," Sam accepted, moving to the other side of the room where the mug cupboard was.
"Were you planning on sharing?" She asked casually, reaching behind the mugs and retrieving the cookie bag.
"Jackie," Jack growled. "The little snitch."
Sam began to leave the room, keeping the cookies in her custody.
"Hey," Jack stopped her as she reached the doorway. "If you take them out there then there won't be any left for either of us."
"Ah true," Sam agreed, remaining still while she picked through the bag for the one with the most chips.
Upon making her decision Sam looked up to find Jack grinning like the cat that got the canary.
"Why are you smiling?" she laughed.
"I'm just glad that you came home for Christmas," he shrugged, offering up a vulnerable side of himself that didn't often get aired.
"Me too," Sam smiled back at him, having never spoke a truer word.
"And cause you're standing under the mistletoe," Jack added as if it were nothing unusual. "And it is tradition after all."
Sam looked up at the green branch hanging over her head.
"Well if it's tradition," she relented, acting as if she were rather hard done by because of the fact.
Stepping closer Jack leant in and placed a gentle kiss just on the edge of her mouth, nothing intrusive, nothing that simple friends wouldn't do, but perfect for the moment.
"I knew it," came an excited voice from the hall, as Jacqueline crept into sight. "When shall I start calling you Uncle Jack?"
"I'll hold her arms, you gag her," Jack set out the game plan.
Jacqueline broke into a run, heading straight out the front door and into the garden, just being sprinkled with the winter's first few flakes of snow, with Sam and Jack hot on her heals and laughter all round.
Story Notes: Author's note- I've been told that i'm turning into a miserable writer, what can i say? naughty Sam ;) As a result tho this had to carry on.
Dedication- For Jackie, as i try to get her head out of that oven!
Dedication- For Jackie, as i try to get her head out of that oven!
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]