Title: Danny's Gift (Ness's 2002 Christmas Challenge)
Author: Shannon
Email: Complete
Category: Challenge Fic, D/J, S/J
Rating: M
Season/Sequel Info: I just couldn't let it alone...which is why it's now a lot more risque. Season 6 and future seasons.
Spoilers: Meridian and anything up to and including Season 6.
Summary: Daniel picks up Janet for a Christmas party and gets more than he bargained for.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Author's Notes: This was in response to Ness's 2002 Christmas Challenge and happens to be mfirst fic pretty much ever, before I revised the heck out of it. Of course, this would never have been written but for Pam V., my hero and beta.
Feedback: Yes, please. Okay, that was a little understated...I'll bribe you and feed you chocolate and cookies. Better.
Dedication: This is kind of a Christmas present to Pam V, without whom I would still be a happy little lurker. Sigh. Also, I want to dedicate this to Bryn, Becca, Kat, Lucy, Wendy, Ness (whose challenge started this), Lyn B, Vicky, and all the other writers whose works I have read in utter bliss. Thank you.
Ness's 2002 Christmas Challenge
Your story must:
include the dialogue, "Looks like I've been a VERY good girl this year."; contain two of the following: star, angel, reindeer, snow-man, snow-woman, santa, candy cane, tree, stocking, (and/or) elf; be POST "Meridian" (iow, be set in season six or future); and have a Dan/Jan kiss.
Merry Christmas everyone:-)
Cheers, Ness.
"Danny's Gift" by Shannon Vega
Daniel pulled up in the driveway and took a quick glance in the rearview mirror, sighing at the successful mutiny his hair had staged. He wouldn't even discuss the state of his bow tie. Or, rather, his untied sparkly red bow tie. Maybe, he thought as he climbed out of his SUV, Janet would tie it for him. The thought cheered him as he strode towards Janet's front porch, snow flakes swirling before his glasses.
He rapped on the door, his shoulders hunching against the sudden wind that tried to cut through his topcoat. This Colorado winter was reminding him (none too kindly, mind you) of winters in Chicago. He huffed and rapped his bare knuckles on the wood door, hoping that Janet would let him in soon.
"Come in, Sam! The door's open!" was the hollered answer to his knocking.
Daniel tried the doorknob and pushed open the door, the heat of the foyer quickly steaming his glasses. Knocking the snow off his boots, he stepped into the entry and closed the door behind him. Then Daniel realized that Janet had called for Sam. Apparently, when Sam had asked (i.e. begged) him to pick up Janet so that she could catch a ride with their erstwhile colonel, she hadn't told Janet.
Daniel shrugged off his snow-dusted topcoat and hung it on the coatrack beside the door, his blue eyes taking in the sparkling wonderland that was Janet's family room. The tree, a forest green monstrosity, stood in the corner, a pile of presents beneath its drooping branches. The white lights twinkled, catching the silver and gold paper of the presents. Jackpot.
Somewhere, in that pile, Daniel knew he had presents. One of the advantages to being no longer dead was that he got gifts. Lots of gifts. Blue eyes twinkling mischievously, he slowly advanced on the tree and the pile of gifts. Kneeling on the carpet, he started inspecting the wrapped boxes, paying careful attention in his shaking of gifts to those specifically addressed to himself. Satisfied that his share of the gifts would be sufficient (though not overwhelmingly greedy), he pulled himself upright and, dusting the carpet fibers from the knees of his pants, went back to the hallway. There he noticed a velvet bag of gifts that Janet had set out to take to the party.
Obviously, she was bringing gifts to the SGC Christmas party as well as providing gifts for the Christmas morning gathering. Daniel smiled and hefted the heavy bag onto his shoulder. As he pulled open the front door, he was confronted by the beginnings of a full-on blizzard. His smile faltered a bit, but he shrugged again and started back to his vehicle. Reaching the back of his four-wheel drive, he popped the back door and tucked Janet's bag of gifts beside his own, careful not to disturb his own precarious pile of presents. He shut the SUV door and hurried back into the house, leaning back against the front door as he waited for his body to thaw in the sudden warmth.
"Sam! I need you!"
Daniel glanced up at the ceiling, waiting for further clarification from Janet's disembodied voice. Since she didn't appear to be offering anything more in the way of an explanation, he started up the stairs, wiping his again-fogged glasses on his sweater.
"Now, Sam!"
Daniel started taking the stairs two at a time and quickly reached the landing. Only one room was lit--it had to be Janet's. Idly, he wondered where Cassie was. Then he remembered--Cassie was spending the weekend with her friend Sabrina at Stowe. Smiling as he remembered Janet's good-natured grumblings about some people having all the luck, he knocked on Janet's bedroom door.
"Sam, come in, dammit!" Janet cried.
Daniel obliged, pushing open the door as he slid on his glasses, about to explain that he wasn't Sam.
Janet had been staring at the contents of her closet for over an hour. So far, she had tried on everything twice and still hadn't found that perfect outfit. Which explained why she still wasn't ready for the damned Christmas party. And was why she was standing in front of her closet, instead of facing the door, dressed only in a black silk teddy and silk stockings.
"You have to help me find the perfect dress to knock Daniel's socks off," she announced, flinging yet another dress toward the bed.
"Janet?"
Janet stopped in midthrow, the red silk instead falling on the floor beside the bed. She drew a careful breath and slowly glanced over her shoulder, to see a certain shell-shocked archaeologist standing in her bedroom doorway, blue eyes wide behind his glasses.
"Hi," she squeaked, turning to face Daniel.
Daniel blinked owlishly at her for a moment before stepping through the doorway.
Janet tried to breathe and realized that (a)she couldn't breathe (probably shock, she thought absently) and (b) Daniel must have heard her last brilliant exclamation. "I thought...Sam was supposed to pick me up...she said..." she babbled, then abruptly stopped, covering her mouth with her hands to keep herself from talking anymore.
Daniel shook his head, shaking himself from his stupor as he took in the absolutely breathtaking vision before his eyes. His blue eyes, glazed with shock, darkened with desire. "First, Sam is riding with Jack. And, second," he added as he moved towards her, noting that her brown eyes had dropped to inspect the carpet, "what you're wearing right now is doing a damned fine job of knocking me into next week." Reaching out with his fingers, he caught her chin and tipped up her face so that she was forced to meet his eyes. "Merry Christmas," he whispered just before his lips covered hers.
For a moment time stopped as his lips moved over hers. With a sigh, Janet surrendered and the kiss became The KISS. When they parted breathless, Janet let her cheek fall against Daniel's dress shirt-clad chest. "Well, looks like I've been a VERY good girl this year," she murmured, her hands resting on his hips as she nuzzled her cheek against his heart.
The laughter that rumbled out of Daniel's chest shook Janet's cheek and she leaned back in the circle of Daniel's arms to shoot him a confused look. "Daniel, care to share the joke?"
Daniel cocked his chin at the chaos that had once been Janet's bedroom, noting the piles of crumpled dresses. Turning his blue eyes back on Janet, he shot her a decidedly predatory look as he stroked one hand down her silk-clad side. His answer was whispered as he dipped his head to nibble on her earlobe. "Just wondering when I get to unwrap my gifts..."
