Author's Note: Okay, this story is purely for fun. I want to have a chance to play a bit with the relationship I've developed between Harry and the members of SG-1 (mainly Jack) before I go into anything serious in the next story. I doubt this one will be too long, and I intend for it to be just for fun with nothing too serious, so hopefully it will be!
Disclaimer: I'm not making any money from this story, and none of the characters belong to me.
That said, here we go!
OOOOOOOOOOO
"How much are the red ones?"
Jack scowled, looking over his cards at Daniel, who was staring down at his pile of M&Ms blankly.
"For the last time… red ones are 20, green ones are 10, and brown ones are 5. All the other colors are 1."
The archeologist looked at his cards again, and shrugged.
"I bet three reds."
"You're supposed to say sixty, Daniel," Sam said, smiling.
"Then sixty."
He pushed three red M&Ms into the growing pile on the table, and smiled.
Sam shook her head, and looked down at her own cards mournfully.
"Too rich for my blood… I'm out."
The others looked at Teal'c, who was scowling at his cards as if he thought that could make them change. After almost a full minute of staring at him, Jack grew bored.
"Teal'c?"
"I am considering, O'Neill," the big Jaffa replied. "Do not rush me."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I just want to finish the game before Carter makes Colonel…"
Sam smiled.
"I will call," Teal'c announced, pushing three red M&Ms from his own pile into the pot.
"Finally."
Jack called as well, putting three red M&Ms into the pile.
"What do you have?"
"Three aces," Daniel announced proudly, laying his cards on the table.
Jack muttered a curse, and threw down his own.
"Beats my three Jacks."
Daniel grinned and looked over at Teal'c.
"What do you have, Teal'c?"
"A pair of twos," the Jaffa said, displaying his cards.
Sam frowned.
"You stayed in with a pair of twos?"
"I do not enjoy the idea of surrendering, no matter how bad my cards are."
"Folding isn't the same as surrendering, Teal'c," Jack said.
"I am giving up, correct?"
"Well, yeah… but it's only cards. It's not like real life or anything."
"It is not a habit I would become used to," Teal'c said stubbornly.
Jack sighed. It was going to be a long night, then.
They'd gathered at his house for a little quiet time. A chance to just enjoy each other's company without the weight of the world on their shoulders. Sam had suggested Poker, and Jack had enthusiastically agreed. Surprisingly, Daniel had been just as agreeable, and had been the one to suggest they make it less competitive by using something besides money. Which was fine with all of them.
Now they were sitting around Jack's dining room table, drinking beers and eating chips (and the occasional M&M) and teaching Teal'c various kinds of Poker, rather than just straight five card draw.
And so far, it was going pretty well – except for the whole folding thing.
"It's okay to fold," Sam said, trying again. "That way you don't use all your M&Ms."
"They are inexpensive," Teal'c said. "I can purchase more."
"Teal'c…"
A tapping on the window drew Jack's attention from the discussion, and he frowned. Barely visible even against the darkness outside, was a bird. A large white bird.
"Is that an owl?" Daniel asked, his own attention drawn that direction as well.
Sam stood up, and walked over to get a closer look.
"I think it's Hedwig," she announced, opening the window.
The bird calmly flew in, her large wings scattering cards and M&Ms everywhere when she landed on the table, and her sharp talons scoring gouges in the surface of Jack's table.
"There is a note on her leg," Teal'c said, unnecessarily. Everyone could see the small piece of paper attached to her left leg.
"Get it, Daniel…" Jack said, unwilling to risk the beak and claws of the owl.
The archeologist shook his head.
"It's probably for you. You get it."
"I don't-"
"I'll get it," Sam said, reaching over and carefully removing the string that tied the note to Hedwig's leg. The owl hooted softly, but didn't do anything else as Sam looked at the paper.
"It's for you, sir."
She handed the paper to Jack, who could see his name across the outside.
"What does it say, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, curiously.
Jack opened the letter and read the short note.
"It from Sirius," he announced, rereading the note. "He and Harry want to come for a visit and he wants to know when would be a good time."
"A visit?" Sam repeated, frowning. "Is everything okay?"
"It doesn't say," Jack replied. "It just says they want to come, because Sirius needs a favor."
Sam frowned.
"I hope it's nothing serious…"
"If it was, they'd have just shown up."
"They can't," she reminded him. "Not without an invitation. Because of the Secret Keeper thing."
"Dumbledore could," Daniel said.
"But not the others…"
"Well, we'll find out when they get here," Jack said, taking an ink pen from the stand by his phone and scribbling a quick reply on the same piece of paper. "Tie that on her leg, will you, Carter?"
"What would you have done if you were alone?" Sam asked, tying the note carefully to the owl's leg while she watched.
"I'd have called you."
Her chuckle was drowned out by the sound of rushing wings as the owl leapt off the table and headed out the window.
Jack looked down at the cards, which were strewn everywhere – along with the M&Ms.
"Anyone up for checkers?"