Disclaimer: Stargate SG1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, UA/MGM, Double Secret Productions and Gekko Productions. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, stories and situations are the property of the author.
Christmas in Atlantis
Major General Jack O'Neill looked sharp, wearing his full dress uniform as he entered the private party room that was reserved for the Pentagon holiday party at the Washington Hilton. It was twenty hundred hours on Saturday, December 23rd and the last place in the universe Jack O'Neill wanted to be, was attending a mandatory party with a bunch of Pentagon bigwigs, politicos and the power mongers those types attracted.
As Jack entered the huge party room he immediately noticed the small jazz combo playing "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow" while a young male singer with a velvet voice crooned "When we finally kiss goodnight, how I'll hate going out in the snow..."
Jack headed straight for the open bar and ordered a whiskey seven. He power slammed the drink and ordered a second one. As he was waiting for his drink to arrive an Army General came up beside him and clapped him on the shoulder. "Jack! Glad to see you made it!"
"Bradshaw. Army intelligence." Jack said with a bit of sarcasm in his voice that seemed to escape the Army man.
"I love these things, Jack. You can always get lucky with some hot, young babe at these soirees."
"Right. Good luck with that." Jack said as he walked away from the Army General.
"You need to lighten up, Jack!" Bradshaw called after him.
With drink in hand, Jack headed to the hors d'oeuvres table. As he stood there for a moment trying to decide if he really wanted the cheese and crackers, a 20 something woman in a slinky red dress sidled up to him. "Good evening, General." She purred as her arm brushed against his. "I was hoping you would be here tonight."
"Why?" He asked bluntly.
"I was hoping we could get together later this evening. Just the two of us?"
Jack rubbed his forehead with the hand that was not holding his whisky and seven. The band began playing "Merry Christmas, Darling" and Jack mused that the female singer sounded just like Karen Carpenter.
"I think General Bradshaw was looking for you just a minute ago. You know him, Army Intelligence? Now if you will excuse me for a moment?" Jack said as he slipped away from the viper in the red dress. O'Neill downed the rest of his drink and quickly made his way back to the bar. He ordered another drink and while he was waiting for the cocktail he let the words of the song wash over his mind. "Merry Christmas, Darling. We're apart, that's true. But I can dream and in my dreams, I'm Christmasing with you."
The bartender turned around to hand Jack his drink, but he was gone. Jack headed directly for the taxi stand in front of the hotel, climbed into the first waiting cab and told the driver to take him to the Pentagon. Jack settled in the back seat, looked out the window of the cab at the snow that had begun to fall and tried to stop his mind from dwelling on all the loss he had experienced in his life.
Upon arriving at the Pentagon, General O'Neill went straight to his office and picked up the red phone on his desk that was a direct line to Stargate Command. It was Saturday, December 22nd and Jack was afraid that General Landry would not be there to answer the call, so he was pleasantly surprised when Hank picked up on the second ring.
"Hank, this is Jack. Listen, I need to have you contact the Odyssey and have them beam me to the SGC immediately."
"What's wrong, Jack?" Landry asked with great concern.
"I'll explain when I get there." Jack hung up the phone and waited. In less than two minutes he was standing in Hank Landry's office deep in Cheyenne Mountain.
"What's this all about, Jack?"
"I need to go to Atlantis immediately."
"Immediately? You know that with the stargate network that Dr. Lee and Colonel Carter set up and your own 24 hour layover rule at the halfway point, it will be December 24th before you arrive in Atlantis." Landry prompted.
"What's your point?"
"Well, what's so important that you need to go to Atlantis on Christmas Eve?"
"Just dial the damn gate!"
It was December 24th and Colonel Samantha Carter had given everyone in Atlantis, except for duty personnel, 24 hours off to celebrate the holidays. Time off in Atlantis was rare and everyone was in a festive mood. A holiday party had been planned complete with decorations, favorite holiday foods and a gift exchange.
Colonel Carter sat alone in her dimly lit office typing an e-mail as the last minute preparations for the party were being made. She had been struggling with the right words for the letter when Lieutenant Colonel John Shepherd came into her office. "Hey, Sam, we're ready to begin the party, but nobody wants to start without you."
Sam looked up at John and sighed. "Just let me send off this e-mail and I'll join you." She said.
Sam deleted everything she had written and typed:
Dear Jack,
I miss you. I love you, and I need you.
Love always.
Sam.
She hit the send button and closed the lid of her laptop. "Let's go." She said to Shepherd.
The two officers fell silently into step as they walked toward the cafeteria and the happy sounds that filled the air. Neither officer spoke, but they each understood the other's pain. Sam knew that John had feelings for Elizabeth Weir that went beyond that of two co-workers and that he missed her. He didn't know whether to grieve her loss or hold out hope that he could still find her and bring her safely back to Atlantis.
John was the only person on Atlantis that knew Sam Carter was married to General Jack O'Neill. He knew all too well the pain of being so incredibly far away from loved ones. He also knew that, due to the nature of their jobs, Sam and Jack got precious little time together.
Just as they reached the mess decks and the holiday party, a klaxon sounded and the duty gate technician announced "Unscheduled offworld activation!"
John Shepherd and Samantha Carter turned and ran to the gate room as quickly as possible with Teyla, Rodney and Ronan on their heels.
"Report!" Sam commanded the gate technician.
"Receiving IDC. It's General O'Neill!"
"Open the iris!" Sam ordered.
The titanium shield protecting Atlantis from enemies coming through the gate, rotated quickly out of the way, revealing the shimmering blue event horizon. After a few seconds General Jack O'Neill stepped through the gate and into Atlantis.
"Welcome to Atlantis, General." Sam said with a smile that went all the way to her eyes. "What brings you here on Christmas Eve?"
"I had a little time off from my regular duties so I thought this would be a good time to do an inspection tour."
"I knew it!" Rodney exclaimed. "Everyone wants to know more about my groundbreaking work with the Replicators' nano technology! General, if you will follow me to my lab I would be glad to show you what I am currently working on..."
"McKay!" O'Neill interupted, "it's not that kind of an inspection."
"What?! But, my work is brilliant! I have reprogrammed the nanites with a base nine code that..."
"Ah! Carter!" Jack looked at her for help.
"Rodney, General O'Neill wants to get an overview of how everything is working here in Atlantis, not to get into details of any one project."
McKay looked crushed by this information but Sam added "Why don't all of you go back to the party and I will show the General around."
"It is a pleasure to see you again General O'Neill." Teyla said as she stepped forward to lead the group back to the party.
"Uh, yeah." Ronan agreed as he followed Teyla out of the gateroom.
"I just can't believe he doesn't want to see my nano technology research." Rodney complained to John as the Colonel led him back to the party.
Sam sighed and smiled at Jack.
"Should we begin the inspection with your office, Colonel?" Jack said with a wink.
Sam ducked her head to hide the huge smile on her face from the gate technician. "Right this way, General."
The couple fell silently into step as they walked briskly toward Sam's office.
"So, I like what you've done with the place." Jack said as he looked around Sam's office. She grinned at him and he said softly "C'mere."
Sam and Jack melted into each other's arms and Jack placed tender kisses on Sam's neck as she clung to him as if she was afraid he was going to be instantly snatched away from her.
"Thank you." She whispered in his ear.
"For what?"
"For coming to see me."
"Always."
"Hey, Sam! You're missing the party!" Rodney McKay announced loudly just before entering her office.
Fortunately, Sam and Jack had just enough time to disengage from each other before Doctor McKay entered the room.
"I know this is an official visit," McKay began "but it is Christmas Eve. I'm sure you can put in an appearance at the party."
"Do they have cake?" The General asked
"Cake?" McKay asked, clearly confused while Sam struggled to keep herself from laughing out loud.
"Yes, Sir, they do have cake." Sam replied quickly
"Sweet! What about it, Colonel," Jack turned to Sam, "can we take time out from the inspection tour to go to the party?"
"I don't see why not, Sir," Sam replied with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Great!" Rodney said rubbing his hands together. "Well, let's get going!"
Since the personnel stationed in Atlantis came from many different countries, cultures and even different worlds, the variety of foods, beverages, music, and even decorations was astounding. Sam and Jack made the rounds individually, visiting with as many people as possible as well as trying small samples of the various culinary delights, all while surreptitiously sharing glances across the room.
Just as the party hit its full swing and the alcoholic beverages began flowing freely, Sam and Jack quietly, and unseen by the rest of the revelers, made their way back to her quarters.
"Sam, you do have some of my clothes here don't you?" Jack asked as they neared her quarters.
"Of course!" She replied.
"Good. I made my decision to come to Atlantis two nights ago at a stupid Pentagon party and I didn't even go home to pack a bag."
"You mean you haven't had this planned?" Sam asked amazed.
"Nope. I figured what's the use of having a job where you make the rules if you can't break them yourself!"
As the couple entered the private area of Sam's quarters she asked him "Do you want a set of BDU's to change into?"
Jack looked at her with a mischievous grin and replied "Well, you know, I'm really tired from my trip here, so maybe I should just take a nap right now."
Jack sat down on the edge of Sam's bed.
"You know, General, I 'll have to have someone fix up the VIP quarters for you." Sam teased.
"Carter."
"Sir?"
"Get your ass over here!"
Sam kicked off her shoes and joined Jack on the bed.
Several hours later, after love making and an actual nap, Sam and Jack were awakened by a sound in her outer office.
"Sam? Sam, are you in here?"
"Dammit! It's McKay." Sam whispered to Jack.
"Ignore him, maybe he'll go away." Jack whispered back.
"Sam?" McKay called again. "Humm, I wonder where she is..." He mumbled as he left her office.
"That was close. I guess we better go back to the party, Jack."
"I'll take those BDUs now."
The couple quickly got dressed and returned to the party. As Jack headed to the drink table to get beverages for Sam and himself Colonel Shepherd came up beside Sam and said "You look quite refreshed, I might even say glowing."
"Shh!" She admonished him.
"Hey, you're married!"
"I know, but we're all in Jack's chain of command..."
"Sam, most of these people aren't Air Force. They don't care."
"I know, but we still have to be discreet."
Just then Rodney McKay walked up. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you for the last hour!"
"Atlantis is a big place, Rodney." John replied.
"I know but..."
"Listen, Sam," John cut
McKay off in mid sentence, "I'll see to it that the VIP quarters are set up for General O'Neill."
"Thank you," Sam replied as Shepherd walked away. "Excuse me, Rodney, I'm going to get something to drink." Sam hurried off and met Jack halfway, as he was bringing a drink to her.
"McKay's getting suspicious." She whispered to Jack.
"So?"
"I'm just sayin'..." She replied and he grinned at her use of one of his catch phrases.
"Everyone! May I have your attention!" It was Teyla standing on a chair trying to get the attention of the party goers. "Among my people we have a saying that I would like to share with you." Teyla held up her glass and said "May good fortune precede you, may love walk with you, may good friends follow you."
Her toast was met with a chorus of "Here, Here! Cheers! Chin Chin! Salude!" And many other similar responses.
"General O'Neill, would you like to make a speech?" Teyla asked.
Jack replied "Nope. I got nothing." While trying to hide his discomfort at the thought of making an impromptu speech.
"Oh, come on, General. Don't you have an announcement or something?" John Shepherd prompted.
Jack shook his head no, but the group began chanting "speech, speech!"
Finally Jack held his hands up to quiet the group. "Ok, I've only got one thing to say," he looked at Sam and then back at all the faces looking at him, silently waiting to hear what the General had to say. He cleared his throat and said "Um, Carter and I are married."
There was a stunned silence in the room, Sam visibly paled, then suddenly the group broke out cheering, yelling and whistling.
"Hey! Kiss the bride!" Somebody shouted.
"You're married?!" Rodney shouted at Sam over the cheering crowd. "Does O'Neill know about us?"
"What 'us', Rodney! There has never been an 'us'!"
"Well, you know what I mean. You know that undeniable attraction between us?"
Sam rolled her eyes and was saved from answering by Colonel Shepherd and Jack arriving at her side at the same time.
"Good job, General!" Shepherd said to Jack.
Jack shrugged and looked at Sam. "I suppose you're pretty pissed, huh?"
Sam looked at Jack for what seemed to him to be an eternity. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and put her arm around his waist. "No, it feels really good not to have to hide the most important thing in my life anymore."
"Sweet," Jack said as he put his arm around her shoulder and placed a quick kiss on her temple.
All of a sudden Sam and Jack were the center of attention. Everyone was offering congratulations, asking how long they had been married, and wishing the couple well.
"So, Colonel," John Shepherd began, "I guess you don't need me to get the VIP quarters ready now."
"Nope." Sam and Jack answered in unison.
As Sam and Jack started to leave the party, their arms still around each other, Teyla came up to them and in a soft, sad voice said "I am very happy for you both," then quickly walked away.
As the couple walked down the empty corridor toward Sam's quarters Jack asked "What is wrong with Teyla. She seems very..." He couldn't quite find the word he was looking for. Sad, distraught, grief ridden?
"Teyla is pregnant," Sam began "and the father of her baby is missing. We don't know if he is dead or alive."
Jack stopped walking, turned and faced Sam and held her shoulders in his hands. "That's why I had to come to Atlantis, Sam. We have always put our mission ahead of our own lives and one of these times one of us is not going to come home. I have to tell you now, while I can, how much I love you and how important you are to me."
She didn't want to cry, but Sam felt tears stinging her eyes. She put her arms around Jack and held him as tight as she could. They didn't seem adequate, but the only words she could say were "I love you, Jack."
"I love you too, Sam."