A/N: I didn't expect to have the time to write anything new for the next little while, so imagine my surprise today when I found myself at work in the longest, most boring meeting of all time, surrounded by people poorly positioned to see what I was writing. Under the pretense of furious note taking (aren't I devious?) I wrote this little number. At various points throughout the story (you'll know which ones I'm talking about), picture lil ol' me trying not to snicker and give myself away – I should get bonus points for even trying to be funny when writing under such circumstances! Once again, this hasn't been beta-ed, so any and all mistakes are mine and mine alone. Enjoy!
Finally closing the door to her new quarters, Sam moved over to the bed and dropped to her knees. Reaching underneath, she felt around for a minute before her hand made contact with the object she was looking for. Grasping it by its edges, Sam pulled it out from under the bed and picked it up. Getting back to her feet, she toed off her boots before finally settling herself in the middle of the bed.
Her teammates – former teammates, Sam reminded herself forcefully, trying and failing to quash the wave of loneliness that washed over her – had presented her with the box just before she'd boarded the Dedalus. She'd received strict instructions not to open the gift until she'd safely arrived at Atlantis. Daniel had reminded her several times that she wouldn't be able to open it if she didn't have a safe trip, as though this incentive would somehow prevent all of the potential problems associated with intergalactic travel from arising on the journey. Smiling fondly at the memory, Sam finally allowed herself to satisfy the curiosity that had been gnawing at her since leaving Earth. Carefully removing the lid, Sam was surprised to see four small boxes nestled inside the larger one.
Pulling out a box at random, Sam's smile grew when Teal'c's familiar handwriting became visible on its underside. The bold, uniform letters proclaiming "Colonel Carter" left no question whom the contents of the box were intended for.
Opening the box with care, Sam first found a framed photograph of Teal'c, Daniel, Jack and herself, taken at the housewarming party they had thrown for the Jaffa three years ago. Studying the photo closely, she marveled at how relaxed and happy they all looked, especially for a group of people who'd known that the apocalypse seemed to be growing ever closer at the time the photo had been taken. Deciding that the photo belonged in her quarters rather than her office, Sam set it beside her on the bed and moved on to the second item in the box.
Removing a large pillar candle, Sam raised it to her face and breathed in the comforting scent of sandalwood that she'd always smelt in Teal'c's quarters. Laying the little piece of home beside the photo, Sam resolved to burn the candle slowly, saving it for the times when her homesickness became unbearable.
Reaching into the box for the final item it contained, Sam pulled out another candle, sniffing it as she had the first before breaking out in a wide grin. Lemon-scented! This one she'd burn when Rodney got on her nerves, she decided, placing it on her bedside table for easy access later on.
Lifting the second of the smaller boxes out, Cameron's familiar scrawl greeted her, the name "Sammie" mocking her. Rolling her eyes, Sam eased the lid off the box, musing that Cam wasn't nearly so brave about using the hated nickname from their Academy days when they were in the same galaxy.
As with the package from Teal'c, the first item Sam discovered was a framed photo. Easing it out of the box, she saw it was one taken on a weekend of leave many years ago. Much younger versions of Cameron and herself grinned at her from behind the glass, both lounging on a grassy hill in jeans and t-shirts. This one would stay in her quarters too, Sam decided, wanting the memories of her more carefree days nearby when the burdens of command made sleep difficult.
Setting the photo beside the one from Teal'c, Sam reached back into the box and pulled out a round plastic holder containing several dozen CDs. Upon closer inspection, Sam realized that the discs actually contained movies – namely those that she got a kick out of ripping apart for their flawed plots and inaccurate science. Setting these aside, she figured she could use the new entertainment to make in-roads with the people under her command, many of whom currently resented her for taking over from Elizabeth Wier, Sam knew.
Lifting the final item out of the box, Sam had to stare at the air freshener bottle for a few moments before understanding why Cameron had considered this a suitable going away present. Lemon-scented again, Sam chuckled quietly; an inconspicuous spray or two and Rodney would run screaming from the room. This, Sam decided, would stay in her office, just in case.
The third box read "Samantha", leaving her sure that it was from Vala. Curious as to what the other woman would have considered to be appropriate parting gifts, Sam opened the box and discovered yet another framed photograph. This one showed the five-member SG-1 on stage at one of the karaoke nights Cameron had dragged them too. The large smiles and clutched sides let anyone seeing the picture know that the five friends were very, very bad but highly amused by their performance. Wracking her brain, Sam tried to remember what they had been singing at the time, but found she couldn't recall; she'd have to ask Vala about it later.
The second item in the box, Sam realized, was actually many items held together by an elastic band. Glancing quickly at the assortment of packages, she discovered that Vala had sent her off with a wide variety of specialty coffees, as well as cappuccino and mochaccino mixes. Instantly, Sam decided to share with the Atlantis crew, if not winning friends then at least proving to them that she wasn't all bad. After living mostly off military-issue coffee, she was sure that the other personnel on Atlantis would appreciate the gesture.
Pulling out the third item, Sam found herself holding a pair of lacy black underwear bearing a sticky note that read "In case McKay isn't as bad as you think" in Vala's careful handwriting. Rolling her eyes, Sam threw the underwear on the floor and resolved to return them to Earth with the note still attached just so she could prove to Vala that her loathing of Rodney was deep-seated and long-lasting.
The final item in the box made Sam laugh out loud: a bottle of lemon-scented body lotion bearing a sticky note with the words "In case he is". This would be her Rodney-repellant, Sam smirked, but she would resist the temptation to wear it all the time. Instead, she'd save it for the occasions when she was really in danger of killing him, purely for his own protection, of course.
Knowing that the last box would be from Daniel didn't diminish the happiness Sam felt upon seeing her name scratched out in his familiar scrawl. Easing the lid off the box, Sam found herself looking down at a framed photograph of the original members of SG-1, plus Janet and Cassandra, taken at a local park many years ago. Again Sam marveled at the changes that time had wrought on the familiar features of her friends, transforming them so slowly that she had hardly noticed. The all too familiar stab of loss at seeing Janet happy and alive never failed to bring tears to her eyes, making it clear to Sam that this would have to be another photo for her quarters. After letting her eyes trace over Cassandra's features for a few moment, Sam's curiosity finally got the best of her and she turned her attention to the other contents of the box.
Removing the second item, Sam found it was an object so familiar to her, yet one that looked extremely out of place in her hands. Running a hand down the spine of the leather bound journal, just like the ones Daniel had so diligently filled with notes from their off-world travels, she didn't bother to open the book, knowing that she would find all the pages blank. Daniel, her closest confidante, couldn't be here with her, but he had sent the next best thing. She could confess all her fears and doubts to the journal without undermining her leadership by being seen to doubt her own decisions.
Placing the book back on the bed, Sam reached for the final item in the box. Easing a canister out, she turned it so she could read the label and found herself grinning yet again. Lemon herbal tea – her favourite flavour and Rodney's worst nightmare. She was going to have fun drinking the tea at briefings, that was for sure.
Setting aside the last of the gifts from her friends, Sam went to out the lid back on the largest of the boxes when a small envelope that she'd overlooked before caught her eye. Removing it from the box, she searched for an indication of who it was from, but it was completely blank.
Puzzled, Sam tore open the envelope, surprised when something shiny fell out along with a folded scrap of paper. Picking up the tiny, glinting object, she carefully studied it. In her hand, she held a ring, the small diamond glittering brilliantly from its place on a simple gold band.
Unfolding the scrap of paper, Sam read the note. Her eyes filled with tears as she took in the two words hastily scribbled down in writing as familiar to her as her own.
Removing her dog tags so she could attach the ring to the chain and always wear it close to her heart, regardless of regulations, Sam was oblivious to the note fluttering off the bed. In the stillness of the room, the paper came to rest right side up, the words "come home" staring up at her.