Title: Bottled Blond
Author: Elidih17
Summary: A downsized Daniel discovers Sam's hair secret!
Sam took a long look at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Years of Stargate travel had treated her kindly and she preened at her still fresh complexion. Taking up her brush, Sam teased it through her short locks, sweeping it away from her face.
"What!" Setting the brush down, Sam leaned into the mirror and parted her hair with her hands. "Grey? Damn, I only colored it a few weeks ago." Shaking her head in disgust, she fumbled through her bathroom cupboard for the bottles of hair dye she kept tucked away. Murmuring, "Because you're worth it, honey," she set out the bottles, snapping on plastic gloves. Humming merrily, she set about dividing her hair and coloring the roots. "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair!" she sang as she worked.
-0-
Daniel was feeling very pleased with himself, the Lego set Jack had bought him for Christmas was strewn all over Sam's well-kept living room. Various parts of the room served as areas of Egypt, and sitting cross-legged, he carefully studied the multi-colored plastic Sphinx. "Whoa," he said, turning it around lovingly, "this has to be my best ever effort!"
"Sam!" Daniel called out cheerfully, wanting to share his latest creation. "Quick! Come and see what I made!" Craning his neck, and wanting to create the Great Pyramid next, he added, "Sam? Where are you?"
"Coming, sweetie." Sam wandered into the living room, gloves still on her hands, and a towel draped around her shoulders. Her hair was covered in a beige-colored solution that dripped down onto the towel.
Daniel furrowed his eyebrows suspiciously, and cocking his head to the side, asked, "What are you doing, Sam?"
"Uh,' Sam reached up to wipe an errant drip away from her eyes, "I'm just conditioning my hair, Daniel," she said over-brightly, "it was looking a bit dry."
Daniel stared at her flushed face, and quizzed her a little deeper. "Why is it a funny color?" Abandoning his Lego, he wandered up and peered into her face.
"Oh, that. It's a special conditioner."
"For special people?" he asked innocently.
"Yes, Daniel, that's it," she smiled sweetly, "for special people."
Daniel looked at Sam's hair for a few moments longer then sat back down next to his blocks. "I finished my Sphinx and wanted you to look at it." He gestured to the well-organized pile of blocks next to him. "See! Great, huh?"
"I promise to look in a moment, I swear! I just need to rinse the special conditioner off first." With a watery smile, she looked longingly at the bathroom door, and said, "Will you be okay on your own for a little longer?"
Playing with the blocks, Danny nodded his head and said, "Uh huh."
-0-
Sam turned the hair dryer off and shook her newly colored hair, running her hand through it at the same time. "Better," she mused, taking time to part it again, making sure the coverage was just right. "Let's hope it lasts a bit longer this time."
Clearing up her mess, and putting the unused dye solution away, she made her way back into the living room, only to find Daniel curled up around his Sphinx, sound asleep, unused blocks pressing into his cheek.
"Oh, Daniel, I think you need a better cushion than that." Sam reached down and picked up the slumbering child, laying his small body on the sofa. "I'm sorry, honey, not much of a babysitter, am I?" she whispered, picking up a blanket and laying it over him.
Brushing his long bangs away from his eyes, she smiled to herself, as she ran a finger over the imprint on his cheek left over from one of the Lego blocks. "Cute," she murmured then made her way over to the nearby recliner and curled up for a nap.
-0-
Yawning and stretching her cramped legs, Sam uncurled herself from the chair and looked at the clock on the wall. "Three hours?" she mumbled. "Holy Hannah, I must have been tired." Rubbing a hand over her aching neck, she shuffled her way over to the sofa and found it empty. "Daniel?" Sam called out, making her way into the kitchen. "Are you in here? Danny?"
The sound of running water drew her attention towards the bathroom at the end of the hallway. "Daniel? Are you okay?" she asked, tapping lightly on the door. "Honey?"
"Ah, yes," came a small, muffled reply from within.
"Yes?"
"I'm rinsing, Sam."
"Rinsing?" Sam muttered under her breath before realization clicked in. "Oh my—" she flung the bathroom door open and rushed in to find Daniel kneeling over the side of the bath with his head under the faucet. "What have you done?" she cried, grabbing the closest towel and draping it around his shoulders.
"Nothing!" He pushed himself up from the tiled floor and looked into her shocked face. "I just wanted to be special like you."
-0-
"Jack! Jack!" Daniel yelled at the top of his lungs when he heard the doorbell ring. "Sam, its Jack! Can I open the door please?" He begged, his little arms waving in the air.
"Hang on, honey." Sam wiped her hands on the dish-cloth and walked towards the hallway. "How about we open it together, huh?"
Sam slid the bolts on the door hesitantly back, watching nervously, as the now white-blond Daniel ran in a small circle, unable to contain his excitement. When Sam finally opened the door a fraction, Daniel bolted through, straight into Jack's arms.
"Whoa, buddy." Jack scooped up the wriggling child. "Missed me, did ya?" He ruffled Daniel's hair playfully, throwing Sam a pointed look as she held the door open for them to enter.
"Missed you, Jack. Did you miss me? Where's Teal? Did you bring me a present? I have to show you my Sphinx!"
"Slow down there, buddy, I can't keep up." Jack put Daniel on the floor and followed him into the spacious living room, taking in both Daniel and the Lego display as he went. "You've been busy," he commented, a slight frown gracing his face. "Why don't you pick up some of your blocks while Sam and I have a chat?"
"Uh huh." Daniel ran off and promptly started to scoop his Lego pieces into their box.
-0-
Jack watched Daniel for a few moments, from his spot at Sam's kitchen counter.
"Uh, Carter?"
"Yes, sir?" Sam stammered, avoiding any significant eye contact.
"Anything I need to know?"
"I don't think so, sir." Sam's cringing expression was unmistakable, and the rolling of her shoulders and sudden interest in her fingernails told of her discomfort. "Nothing springs to mind."
"Oh, how about the fact that Danny's gone from dark blond to beach babe in a few hours?" Folding his arms over his chest, Jack added smoothly, "Hair today, Major, better be gone tomorrow!"
End