to fall from the skies

Secret Santa
by elfin

Xmas 2001
Disclaimer: characters are copyright Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright. It's a shame that they DON'T TAKE CARE OF THEM!!!! Really, they shouldn't be allowed to keep them any longer....

Jack poked his head into the canteen and looked around. Target not sighted, he was just about to leave when he heard his name called.

She picked up her tray, stepping to Jack. “Last time I saw him he was wondering aimlessly around his office.”

Jack frowned. “Last time I saw him, he was wondering aimlessly through the corridors.” He shrugged, then nodded. “I’ll check his office.”

He’d turned when Sam touched his shoulder. “Sir… Daniel doesn’t… do Christmas… well.” She hoped she wasn’t breaking her friend’s confidence.

Always trust Carter. Jack smiled to himself as he watched Daniel staring fruitlessly at his computer monitor.

He’d been hassling the General, in his own quiet way, for months about getting hold of a laptop. Jack had okayed it but it was taking some time to come through. They’d hoped it would arrive for Christmas, so that Daniel at least had something to keep him occupied. But it hadn’t, and desperate measures were called for.

Hiding the envelope in his hand behind his back, Jack stepped into the office that Daniel had made his very own.

“Hey, Gorgeous,” he crooned, making sure he got Daniel’s attention. The other man looked up, the expression on his face making Jack smile. He wasn’t sure if his commanding officer had just referred to him as ‘gorgeous’ and now he didn’t know what to say.

Daniel blinked, assuming his own patented ‘Jack’s asking questions and I don’t know why’ expression. “Err… I’m doing this translation for SG11 but it’s… well it’s proving to be more… more….”

“Ah.” Tapping the envelope against his backside, Jack leaned forward against Daniel’s desk. “So… who did you get for Secret Santa?”

For a moment, Daniel had to work out what Jack was talking about. “Oh! The present buying thing for tonight?” Jack nodded with the patience of a parent. “I got Sam.”

Daniel nodded. “I bought her this antique silver bracelet in the place just around the corner from my apartment. It’s got a very simple Celtic pattern engraved into it and I know she can’t wear it on duty, but… but I thought it would make her feel…” he hesitated, “feminine. At least for one evening.”

Simple. He’d found her something that she would never have bought herself, but that she would utterly love. That’s how Daniel was. That’s why Jack had had to buy Sam a very expensive dinner to persuade her to swap with him and let him get Daniel’s gift for the little SG1 Christmas party at his place tonight.

Feigning hurt, Jack leaned back. “Is that a slur on my gift-purchasing abilities?”

Huffing, Jack settled again. “Good. Well, I’ll see you later.” He turned, stopping deliberately a moment later. “Oh! Forgot! I brought your Christmas card.” He handed Daniel the plain, square white envelope, basking for a moment in the smile that was his thanks.

“It’s a card, Danny, no biggie.” He smiled. “Seven at my place, don’t be late.”

Daniel sat for a minute or two, staring after his bemusing friend, before he carefully opened the envelope.

The card was white, with a small white imprint of a simple star in the centre. Opening the card, he read the writing around the printed ‘Happy Christmas’.

Daniel stared at the word. He’d never even heard it before. Jack knew one, possibly two languages. At most. ‘Symolta’ wasn’t a word in either of them, as far as Daniel knew. Clicking his tongue against the back of his teeth for a moment, he jumped up and headed for his shelves of dictionaries.

Daniel was standing on the doorstep, bottle of wine in one hand, a gift-wrapped box balanced on a small stack of white envelopes in the other, looking nervous. When he glanced at Jack, he noticed the red velvet and white fur Santa hat.

“Hey, Danny. We were getting worried.” Jack stepped back and bade Daniel enter.

“Well, actually….” Daniel stopped in mid-sentence as he looked up. The room was beautifully decorated. Tinsel hung from everywhere. A large tree in the corner was lit up tastefully as baubles hung from the branches. Candles stood on the mantelpiece, their flames dancing in the eddies caused by the log fire in the grate.

“What’s up?” Jack asked casually, “never seen a Christmas tree before?” Then he wished he hadn’t asked. Because for a second he thought that if Daniel said no, he hadn’t, then they might get to watch a grown colonel cry.

He turned in time for a Christmas hug from Sam, and for the moment, Jack’s question was forgotten.

Sam and Daniel tried to explain the meaning of Christmas to Teal’c, who had an in-depth understanding of religion and couldn’t fathom where the big fat man in red velvet became involved.

Jack listened happily to his kids enjoying themselves, getting more laid back with every glass of wine. One of his kids in particular was getting a lion’s share of the attention this evening.

Daniel came alive under the glowing regard of his friends. They so rarely heard him laugh, and so it seemed a very precious sound. Jack noticed once again the way candlelight played in the otherwise unless blond highlights of Daniel’s hair. How his blue eyes sparkled and danced as he spoke.

They retired to the living room for coffee after the three-course meal. Jack had proved beyond all reasonable doubt that he could cook. Sam had even sneaked a look into the kitchen and found the evidence that the meal had indeed been prepared on the premises.

Sam had bought Teal’c the Alien DVD box set, which as far as Jack was concerned said everything about her sense of humour.

Somehow Teal’c had found Jack a life-size chocolate P-90. Only under intense questioning would he reveal the web site URL.

Daniel presented Sam with her gift and she adored it, thanking him with a hug and a kiss.

Jack chose that moment to offer them all top-ups for their drinks. Teal’c offered him assistance, Sam disappeared into the bathroom and Daniel stood because he felt uncomfortable being the only one sitting down.

He managed to keep them standing as they reconvened in the living room. Instead of handing Daniel’s glass back to him, Jack put both their drinks down on the coffee table.

The smooth, expensive wine in Daniel’s system had made him at least a little bolder. “So, Jack, what have you got for me? Or shouldn’t I ask?”

Sam and Teal’c glanced at one another. They might not know for sure, but Jack certainly wasn’t holding a gift in his hand.

Stepping closer to Daniel, Jack caught the man’s darting blue gaze and held it.

Closing the gap, smiling softly, soothingly, Jack reached out, combing the fingers of one hand into the hair at the side of Daniel’s head. Daniel’s eyebrows rose, but he stood absolutely still as Jack’s right arm slid around his back.

Very close now, Jack whispered, “Happy Christmas, Danny,” before kissing him.

Daniel’s reaction was somewhere between a squeak and a hum as Jack dipped him back over his arm.

He wound his arms around Jack’s neck in a desperate bid not to fall, clinging on as if for dear life.

But swift arousal overcame surprise and the contact was deepened, Daniel abandoning himself to the moment, to the kiss, even if he didn’t understand it.

For a time, his whole world was Jack’s tongue exploring his mouth, Jack’s fingers in his hair, Jack’s hand spread on his back. And then Sam’s soft giggle permeated through the web of his mind to his consciousness.

Jack felt the change and lifted Daniel slowly. Taking a single step back, not breaking the tactile contact of his hands on his friend’s body, Jack smiled.

Before either man could speak, they heard Teal’c ask, “Is that what you desired for Christmas, DanielJackson?”

Daniel’s laugh broke the remaining tension in the room. He threw his arms around Jack’s neck, hugging him hard. Jack felt his own joy bubbling up through him, laughing happily into Daniel’s shoulder.

“It’s just what I wanted,” Daniel admitted finally, blushing, standing in the circle of Jack’s arms. Now he was finally home, he never wanted to leave. “I do have one question.” He met Jack’s eyes, the brown gaze that he knew would become more familiar with every passing day. “Well, okay, I have lots. But I have one I need the answer to right now.”

Jack grinned. “Let me guess, ‘what does ‘Symolta’ mean?’?” Daniel nodded. Sam and Teal’c looked at them both, confused.

They were used to Jack and Daniel having shared, private jokes, and the kiss they’d anticipated. But a word that Jack knew and Daniel didn’t, that was unheard of.

Jack collected their drinks and settled himself down into a corner of the couch, pulling Daniel back into his arms as the small group relaxed in the warm glow of the fire.

Daniel turned, staring at his new… lover, he guessed, with his mouth hanging open. “What?! I spent all afternoon looking for that….” He happened to glance over at Sam and Teal’c in the armchairs. They were both smiling in understanding. “What?”

Settling Daniel back against him, Jack drew the neck of his shirt over his shoulder slightly and kissed the smooth skin there. “Love you, Danny. Don’t like seeing you down just because it’s Christmas.”

Daniel smiled indulgently and linked his fingers with Jack’s. He thought that Christmases might just turn out to be bearable in the future.