A/N This is just a little something that I wrote a little while ago and had forgotten I had saved it on my hard drive. Hope you like it!
P.S. I haven't forgotten Pariah, I'm in the middle of writing the next chapter and hope to have it posted shortly.
A Minnesota Wedding
"I'm still not sure about this?" Jack O'Neill tugged at the cravat with all the enthusiasm of a man trying to loosen a noose from around his neck.
"You look fine."
Daniel Jackson stepped up to the full length mirror and proceeded to adjust his own neckwear, tweaking it here and there until he seemed satisfied with the end result. He took a moment to glance at their joint reflections, noting how well the burgundy waistcoats and cravats complimented the light grey morning suits that they wore.
"Just so that you know..." Jack studied his reflection, a sour expression breaking out across his features, " there is no way on this planet, or any other, that I'm going to wear the hat," his soft brown eyes sought out those of the younger man, earnest and resolute, then they skirted away to rest uneasily upon the grey top hat that completed their ensemble, "you know that...right?"
Daniel sighed softly so that Jack wouldn't hear.
Ever since the date of the wedding had been set, this particular topic had been a bone of contention between Jack and his bride to be. At first Daniel had watched the tussle between them with amusement, watching the argument go back and forth as though the two of them were playing some kind of pre marital tennis match.
"Look, I'm sure she won't mind if you use the hat as an accessory." Jack's eyes narrowed somewhat at the remark, a hint of protest becoming visible with the quirking of his lips, but Daniel decided to try and override what was coming. "Just think of it as a prop, think of it as being no different to the Air Force cover that you wear."
"That's not a prop, Daniel, I'd be out of uniform without it."
"Okay, so think of the morning suit the same way, without the top hat you'd be out of uniform."
Jack seemed to take a moment to think about what Daniel had propositioned, his eyes narrowing as he tried to find a catch in Daniel's argument, when he obviously couldn't find one he nodded his head in reluctant agreement.
"Okay, I'll go with it for now, but if she won't buy it, if she insists on me wearing the damn thing I'll end up looking stupid," Jack glanced down at his attire and the sour expression of earlier returned once more to his face, "not that I don't already feel pretty stupid dressed up in this monkey suit as it is."
"Trust me, when you look back on this, you'll be thankful that you decided to wear formal attire." Daniel turned to face his friend, noticing the soft frown lines that had appeared around his eyes and mouth, a sure indicator that Jack wasn't easily buying his reassurance. "Jack, you look great and let's be fair, the morning suits are the only stipulation that she's made. Everything else has pretty much gone your way."
Much to Daniel's amazement, Jack conceded that point with a brief nod of his head.
"Yeah, well the last time I did this, I wore dress blues." The older man flattened his hand against his midriff and sighed. "Not to mention that I was quite a few pounds lighter, and my hair didn't look like someone had emptied a salt and pepper shaker all over it."
Daniel had to hide a smile at the unaccustomed note of insecurity that he heard in Jack's voice.
"What time is it?" Jack asked.
"Time that you stopped worrying and tried to enjoy the occasion."
"Oh that's cute, Daniel." Jack sent a glare in his direction. "You're asking me to relax, to chill out when you know as well as I do that if we're even a fraction of a nanosecond late, that enforcer of a head bridesmaid will have our guts for..," Jack's voice trailed off, and a well defined frown creased the skin between his eyebrows, "actually, I don't know what she would have them for, but it wouldn't be pretty."
Daniel smiled and shook his head.
Jack's eyes narrowed further in reaction to Daniel's headshake.
"Daniel, if we're late I intend to blame it all on you and you'll have to explain it to the bridal mafia."
O'Neill cast a knowing look in Daniel's direction. It was enough for the archaeologist's hand to unconsciously make its way toward the front pocket of his waistcoat. He pulled out an ornate looking pocket watch, a gift from Jack that he had given him earlier in the day, and took a moment to examine it.
It was beautiful, the outer casing depicting the three great pyramids of Egypt, each carved with exquisite craftsmanship into the soft gold, creating a three dimensional effect that made them stand out in relief. He depressed the small button that was situated on the side of the casing and it flipped open, revealing an even more intricately patterned watch face. It began to play a soft melody and Daniel furrowed his brow as he tried to place the piece of music, a moment later his lips turned up in a smile.
When you wish upon a star.
It was so typically Jack.
"You know... if you don't like it," The soft, almost hesitate voice caused Daniel to look up and he found himself looking into a pair of scrutinizing brown eyes, "I could always..."
"I love it, Jack."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
His friend's eyes seemed to study him even more intently, looking for any sign that he might be hiding his true feelings about the gift. A moment later he seemed to give up his efforts at trying to catch him out in a lie and shrugged his shoulders.
"So, what does your new shiny watch say?"
Daniel glance down at the time piece nestled in the palm of his hand, marvelling once more at its aesthetic beauty.
"Ah... that you have about fifteen minutes of freedom left." Daniel softly closed the pocket watch and slipped it back inside his waistcoat pocket, taking care not to kink the delicate looking golden chain that it was attached to.
"Fifteen minutes?" Jack's eyebrows rose sharply toward his hairline, "Time's moving way too slowly," Jack paced a couple of steps around the room, "if Carter were here, she'd be checking for time dilation fields or something..."
"Jack, you know that you're gonna have to stop calling her that."
Jack stopped his pacing and looked at him.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," he pulled a hand through his greying hair, smoothing it down, "but it's going to feel weird for a while... know what I mean?"
"It'll take time, but you're get used to it."
"Do I have a choice?"
Daniel stuck his hands in the pockets of his morning suit and rocked back and forth upon the balls of his feet.
"Nope."
"That's what I thought."
After a moment, Jack resumed his pacing and Daniel noticed that there was a nervous energy in his gait, which he found hard to quantify considering that the coming event was something that Jack had been fervently looking forward to.
Daniel crossed to a vacant seat and lowered himself into it, using his hands to flip the tails of his morning suit to one side so that he didn't inadvertently crease them.
As the moments passed, Jack became more and more quiet, his face sombre and thoughtful. Daniel guessed that a part of him still didn't quite believe that this day had finally arrived. It was also apparent that something was definitely causing him some anxiety, but he knew from past experience that given time Jack would slowly work up the nerve to voice his concerns.
All Daniel had to do was wait him out.
"What if she changes her mind?" Jack's frantic pacing slowed almost to a stop, his apprehensive eyes rising to meet Daniel's. "What if she comes to her senses and realizes that she is making a huge honking mistake?"
Ah…there it was…the cause of Jack's anxiety.
"Don't worry, she'll be here." Daniel tried to reassure him with an encouraging smile. "She's been waiting for this almost as long as you have."
Jack's pacing stilled, but his eyes were still full of insecurity, an insecurity that Daniel knew to be unfounded.
"Come on, Daniel, she's got to be out of her freaking mind," Jack sighed, a grim smile creasing his lips, "I'm not exactly getting any younger, and I'm pretty much set in my ways, which doesn't make me an easy man to live with," a haunted look skittered across his eyes, "add to that the fact that I practically need a U-Haul to carry around my emotional baggage and..." he shook his head sadly, "...you can understand why I keep thinking that any minute now she is going to wake up and come to her senses."
"Jack, she knows what she's getting into. She wouldn't have made such an important decision as this without thinking it all through. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about."
Sadly, the recommencement of Jack's nervous pacing denoted that he still needed a little more convincing on that score.
"It's just that it's taken me a long time to reach this point, a point where I feel comfortable taking this kind of a chance again. A part of me knows I should have done it years ago, when I first realised just how much I needed her in my life, but I guess it was the fear of losing her to someone else that finally motivated me to move my sorry ass."
"Sometimes we need an outside push in order to see what has been in front of our eyes all along." Daniel's thoughts drifted back to a moment not so long ago when his own epiphany had struck. Unfortunately for him it hadn't been the prospect of a love rival that had caused him to profess his love, far from it, for him it had been cradling the woman that he loved in his arms as she lay motionless and bleeding.
"I just wish I could be certain."
"Jack, there isn't anyone else she wants to be with."
"She tell you that?"
Daniel smiled at his friend, amazed that he still couldn't see for himself the depth of love and commitment that his intended bride had for him.
"She doesn't have to, one look at you two together tells me everything I'll ever need to know."
Jack looked like he was about to refute that comment, but a soft knock on the door interrupted him. The door opened to reveal Teal'c, dressed in the same light grey morning suit as his two friends.
"It is time for the ceremony to begin."
Jack nodded.
"Okay, be with you in a minute, T."
The Jaffa's eyes glanced briefly at O'Neill, a look of concern crossing his dark features. With just one look he had picked up the other man's uncertainty and Daniel found himself marvelling at the Jaffa's uncanny perceptiveness. Teal'c looked at his friend for a moment longer before turning his gaze toward Daniel, his brow rising in silent enquiry. Daniel shook his head softly, the slight movement indicating that there was no need for concern.
"Then I shall notify the minister of your imminent arrival."
The Jaffa gave a low bow and quietly closed the door behind him.
Jack crossed over to the chair next to Daniel's, picking up his top hat, tucking it under his arm as easily as if it were his Air Force cover.
"I guess it's show time."
"I guess it is."
Daniel rose from his seat, smoothing out his tailcoat and moved to join his friend. Picking up his own top hat, he proceeded to mimic Jack and tucked it under his arm, hoping that it didn't look as unnatural as it felt. As he moved around Jack to open the door, he felt a gentle tug upon his sleeve, the pressure just enough to get his attention.
"I know that things haven't always run smoothly between us, that there have been times when I've been a monumental pain in your ass." Daniel began to protest but Jack stopped him with a shake of his head, his eyes telling him in no uncertain terms not to try and deny his statement. "I just want you to know that even though we don't always see eye to eye, you're the nearest thing to a brother that I have and I wouldn't have gotten here without you, Daniel."
"Sure you would have."
This time Jack's headshake was emphatic.
"You made this happen. You saw what was going on and you made a decision to do something about it. If it wasn't for you, we'd still be second guessing each other, tap dancing around our feelings and I might have lost her to that jerk."
Daniel felt himself being pulled into a one handed bear hug, which almost crushed the air right out of his lungs.
"Thanks, Daniel."
"You're welcome, Jack."
When they broke from the hug, Daniel thought that he saw a sheen of wetness in his friend's eyes. He looked away, feeling a little uncomfortable with Jack's unaccustomed show of emotion. He waited a few moments to let him recover his composure before softly clearing his throat.
"So, are you ready for this?"
Jack straightened to his full height, taking a final glance at himself in the mirror, tugging down his waistcoat so that it sat comfortably. He seemed to be sizing himself up, as though asking himself some unvoiced but pertinent question.
A moment later he turned back to meet Daniel's enquiring stare.
"Yeah, sure, ya betcha."
The archaeologist smiled, happy to see the welcome return of the Jack O'Neill that he was used to dealing with. He stepped through the doorway and headed across the small lounge area of the cabin, dodging around a table heavily laden with wedding gifts. He reached the front door and gently pulled it open, stepping out onto the wooden deck outside.
Daniel had to admit that when he first heard that the wedding was going to be held in Minnesota, at Jack's lakeside cabin, he had thought it a bad idea, but now as he looked across the lawn toward the lake and saw its transformation, he had to agree that it had been an inspired choice.
He didn't think that he had ever seen it look more beautiful than it did in the late spring sunshine. There were brightly coloured flowers everywhere, and tree blossom floated softly in the air giving the whole scene an otherworldly feel to it, making it appear romantic and beguiling.
Row upon row of chairs filled the area between the cabin and dock, their usual metallic drabness brightened by the highly decorated floral garlands that adorned them. Every seat was occupied, and many of the male guests had opted to wear morning suit, the exceptions were mainly military officers and enlisted men, their dress blues standing out in the crowd.
Daniel had to wonder just how many of the personnel from Cheyenne Mountain had turned up to witness the nuptials, from what he could see, it appeared to be a lot.
If Jack ever needed evidence of just how much he was respected and liked, it was all around him now.
The bridegroom joined him on the deck, taking a few moments to take in the scenery as Daniel had done, then with a brief nod of his head, they descended the steps and walked toward the dock, toward the altar that had been set up there. They moved through the rows of beautifully decorated seating, talking with friends and colleagues, shaking hands with many of the guests. Jack stopped to share a joke with Ferretti, the other man laughing heartily at the punch line, slapping Jack on the shoulder.
They paused for a long moment to talk with General Hammond, their base commander dressed in a similar grey morning suit as their own. The General's round, happy face smiled with unconcealed affection as they spoke, his soft blue eyes twinkling with amusement as Jack relayed to him the details of the bachelor party that Ferretti had organised for him a few days earlier.
"Of course being stranded off world and tied buck naked to a tree wasn't exactly the best way to make first contact with the locals, but Daniel managed to smooth things over with them," Jack's gaze shifted from Hammond's toward the archaeologist, "after all it wasn't as if I was the first member of SG-1 to find themselves naked on an unknown planet."
Daniel rolled his eyes.
"I had a perfectly good excuse, I couldn't remember who I was or where I came from."
"Trust me, Daniel, after a couple of glasses of that concoction that Ferretti brewed, I didn't know who I was or where I came from either. That stuff was more potent than the moonshine that Skaara brewed on Abydos. "
Daniel chuckled softly at the fond memory that Jack's words evoked.
"Well Colonel, I'm just glad that everything was sorted out and that you made it back in one piece." Hammond's eyes narrowed slightly and he leaned further toward Jack. "I intend to have some serious words with Colonel Ferretti about the misappropriate use of my Stargate."
"You mean to say that you knew nothing about it?" Daniel couldn't help his voice sounding sceptical.
"The log book states that it was a routine maintenance test." The General's tone had taken on a serious cadence, but there was a mischievous look in his eyes that made Daniel think that he might have known more than he was letting on. He held the archaeologist's eyes for a moment longer before turning his attention back to the bridegroom.
"Jack, I have to admit that I never thought that I would see this day. There was a time when I thought that you had lost the ability to hope, I'm glad that you were able to find it again, son." He furrowed his brow in thought before continuing. "I wish you both every happiness, you deserve it more than most."
"Thank you, General, that means an awful lot to us."
Hammond's paternal smile returned as he turned his attention toward Daniel.
"It's my understanding that you played a big part in bringing this all to fruition, Doctor Jackson?"
"I think my part in all this has been overhyped, General." Daniel shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. "I just happened to point out something that Jack had seemed reluctant to see."
The General gave him a soft, knowing smile.
"There seemed to be a lot of that going on within SG-1."
The General's rather cryptic aside wasn't lost on Daniel, he knew exactly what he meant and to whom he was referring. He nodded softly and returned the General's soft smile with an acknowledging one of his own.
They continued to talk with Hammond for a few moments longer, then they made their way to the front of the congregation, moving across the lawn to the dock, taking up their places side by side in front of the altar.
A moment later they were joined by Teal'c.
"Once again, O'Neill, I must stress that this is not in keeping with the wedding traditions of the Tauri."
Jack turned to his Jaffa friend, a sceptical look crossing his face.
"Show me where it says that I can only have one best man, T?"
The Jaffa took a moment to ponder the question, his brow furrowing in deep thought.
"I have not read of such a thing, but does not the singular naming of the term denote that there shall be only one?"
"Actually, the notion of a best man goes back to the time of the Germanic Goths. It was their custom to literally kidnap any woman that they coveted as a wife. They often went abroad in order to find a bride. As you can imagine sojourning into a foreign land wasn't a one man operation, a small army was often employed, but the potential bride groom always took with him someone that he considered to be more trustworthy than the others, usually his best friend or a brother. In fact some scholars believed the practice went back earlier than that, back to Roman times and the kidnapping of the Sabine women who..."
"Daniel?"
"Yeah?"
"Spare us the history lesson or I may have to reconsider T's question."
"But I have the rings."
"That could be easily rectified."
Daniel's reply was curtailed as the organist began to softly play and all around them people started to rise to their feet in anticipation of the bride's arrival.
As if on cue all three men at the altar turned toward the rear of the congregation, toward where the bride was making her entrance. From the corner of his eye, Daniel finally saw Jack begin to relax, saw the happy smile that now graced his lips as his earlier worries and insecurities fled at the sight of his bride making her way down the aisle toward him.
He watched the scene before him with an immense sense of accomplishment. It hadn't been easy, in fact there had been moments when he had feared that his undertaking had been downright impossible. He still had trouble believing that two seemingly intelligent people had been so oblivious to their feelings for one another, especially as it had been so blatantly obvious to everybody else.
Then again, he wasn't exactly the best person to pass judgement, for he had only recently corrected a glaringly obvious omission in his own life.
With that thought in his mind, his eyes strayed away from the bride to seek out another member of the wedding entourage. When he finally caught sight of her, he felt his breath leave his lungs in a gasp so audible that he was certain that Jack must have heard it.
She was wearing a strapless burgundy gown, its shade a perfect match for the waistcoats and cravats worn by the men. She looked elegantly beautiful, the paleness of her skin acting as a contrast to the rich red hue of the dress.
He couldn't seem to stop his eyes from sliding lower, admiring the way in which the gown hugged her body in all the right places, showcasing her femininity in a way that he was only now starting to fully appreciate.
He was pretty certain that he had never seen her look as happy and contented as she looked now, and he couldn't help a small smile of satisfaction from crossing his lips in recognition of the part that he had played in that recent transformation.
He allowed himself a moment longer to unashamedly drink in her beauty, noticing that the deep red of the gown seemed to emphasize the intense blueness of her eyes, eyes that were at that moment staring back at him with an unashamed twinkle in their depths.
It took a lot of willpower on his part to drag his gaze away from her and return it to the couple who should have been the focus of his attention.
The bride reached the base of the altar and Jack stepped away from Daniel and Teal'c to meet her, bending slightly at the waist so that he could plant a soft kiss on her cheek.
"You look a million dollars, Janet."
The bride cast an appreciative eye over her groom's appearance.
"You look pretty suave yourself, Jack."
"Guess the monkey suit worked after all."
They shared a soft smile before Jack took her hand in his and together they walked the few steps toward the awaiting minister.
Janet turned around, handing her bouquet to Cassie who took it with a broad beaming smile before taking her place next to General Hammond in the front row.
The burgundy beauty that Daniel had been watching detached herself from the other members of the of the bride's entourage so that she could take her place between Daniel and Teal'c.
Daniel felt her hand smooth across his, felt her fingers gently entwine themselves amongst them.
He turned to face her, letting his eyes wander appreciatively across her face, his free hand coming up to tenderly caress her cheek. He found himself completely lost in the moment, lost in the sheer beauty of the woman that now stood beside him. It was a feeling that he was slowly becoming accustomed to, but it never failed to amaze him.
"Have I told you today how much I love you?"
"You may have mentioned it once or twice."
Daniel held Sam's gaze for a long moment, his eyes telling her in that unspoken communication that they shared how much he loved her, how much he wanted to be alone with her. He could see the same thoughts and feelings reflected in her own eyes, could feel it in the way that her fingers caressed his hand.
It was Sam that finally broke the eye contact, casting her gaze away from him, letting it fall instead upon the figure of the their commanding officer.
"So, was he nervous?"
"Are you kidding," Daniel chuckled softly, not wanting anybody else in the congregation to hear. "I hadn't seen him that nervous since we unexpectedly ran into that battalion of Jaffa on P9W-713."
Sam raised an unbelieving eyebrow.
"Really, that nervous?"
"That nervous."
"Don't tell me... he thought Janet would have second thoughts, right?"
"That's about the size of it." Daniel grinned mischievously at her. "I think a part of him was glad that you were riding shotgun, Sam."
"I was doing no such thing," her voice was a low whisper, "I was merely carrying out my duties as head bridesmaid," then her own mischievous smile lit up her face, "besides, Daniel, where would I hide a shotgun in this gown?"
His eyes strayed from hers as he swept them across the length of her body, slowly cataloguing all the figure hugging places that the gown revealed, wanting desperately to do more than just look. When his eyes returned to hers, he could detect the faint hint of a blush blooming across her cheekbones.
"I have to admit it is pretty tight, but I also know how inventive you can be," he lent into her space, until they were almost nose to nose, "I may have to frisk you thoroughly later in order to allay my concerns."
Sam snorted.
"It'll be to lay something all right."
He was about to make a rejoinder of some form, but before he could voice it, he was interrupted by the minister.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony."
Daniel immediately turned his attention back to the ceremony that he was supposed to be witnessing, forcing his mind, with some reluctance, away from the inappropriate thoughts that he had been harbouring concerning the woman at his side.
As he listened to the minister his mind went back to another ceremony, one that had taken place just a couple of months earlier. It had been held upon a planet with two moons and a sky the colour of polished amber. Sam had worn a dress made by the local women and she had looked so beautiful that she had literally taken his breath away. To ensure that the marriage was legal, they had taken their vows in front of both the village elder and a chaplain from the SGC.
Their honeymoon would remain one of the most sensual and erotic experiences of his life and one that he would remember for the rest of his days.
Sam's fingers softly squeezed his and he knew that her thoughts had drifted away to the same place. Hands tightly entwined, they listened as their friends began to recite their wedding vows.
At the appropriate moment Daniel moved away from Sam so that he could take up his position next to Jack. At the minister's prompting, Daniel retrieved two gold wedding bands from their pouch in his pocket and placed them upon the minister's open bible.
Taking a couple of discreet steps backward, he rejoined his wife.
Jack picked up one of the rings and placed it on his bride's finger.
"With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship..."
The rest of Jack's words faded away as Daniel focused his attention once more toward the beautiful woman that stood next to him.
"I think it's been too long since I last worshipped you with my body," his fingers caressed her arm suggestively, "I don't want you think that I'm starting to neglect my marital duties."
"As I recollect, you fulfilled your marital duties this morning...twice!"
"Twice! Well that's not nearly enough."
"Daniel.." her voice was a low whisper, "...behave."
He lent in toward her, his lips coming to rest against her left ear. He felt her shiver slightly as his breath bathed her neck.
"Oh, but Sam, you love it so much better when I misbehave."
The blush that bloomed across her face turned from pink to a fiery red. She turned to face him, her intense blue eyes telling him in no uncertain terms that he was playing a dangerous game.
"I'll deal with you later...mister."
"Counting on it."
Daniel pulled back, sending a roguish smile in her direction and she shook her head. As she turned her gaze back toward the ceremony, he thought he heard her mumble something about incorrigible archaeologists.
"With the power invested in me by Almighty God, I now pronounce you man and wife."
Jack and Janet leaned forward to share their first kiss as husband and wife and the whole audience broke out in rapturous applause. Jack grinned boyishly, his face blushing slightly.
The minister softly closed his bible.
"I present to you Colonel and Mrs Jack O'Neill."
Taking his wife's hand, Jack proceeded to lead her down the altar steps and together they made their way back up the aisle, stopping at intervals to chat with friends and relations.
Daniel linked Sam's arm through his and proceeded to follow the bride and groom up the aisle to where the receiving line would be set up.
The entourage reached the end of the aisle. Jack and his bride were now standing to one side ready to receive their guests, as Daniel, Sam and Teal'c would be part of the receiving line, they went over to congratulate the newly married couple first.
"Congratulations." Daniel shook Jack's hand before leaning forward in order to kiss Janet on the cheek, "Janet you look wonderful."
"Why thank you, Daniel," she looked up at her husband and smiled broadly, "we owe you a debt of gratitude that can never be truly repaid. Without you, I don't think we would be here right now."
Daniel shook his head.
"You both would have gotten there in the end, all I did was nudge you in the right direction."
"Oh yeah," Jack chuckled softly, "we would have been old and grey and pushing Zimmer frames, but we would have got there in the end." Jack's face turned serious as he looked from Daniel to his second in command. "Carter, you just keep on amazing me. Not only are you the best 2IC I've ever served with, but it turns out that you're a pretty good wedding planner to boot."
Sam's face turned three shades of red at the compliment.
"Thank you, sir."
Daniel loudly cleared his throat.
"Jack..."
"Daniel..."
Daniel raised his eyebrows at his friend.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
Jack stared at his friend for a couple of moments before the penny finally dropped.
"Oh yeah, sorry about that."
"Sorry about what?" Sam asked.
"For calling you Carter," Jack nodded toward Daniel, "apparently I'm suppose to call you Sam now that Daniel's made an honest woman out of you."
"Actually, sir, I think that I'd prefer it if you continued to call me Carter." Sam shifted a little uncomfortably, "it'll be kind of weird to have you call me Sam after all this time."
"That's what I said to Daniel, thanks for backing me up on it," Jack looked pointedly toward his friend, "...Carter."
Daniel just rolled his eyes.
"O'Neill, I believe the guests are starting to get restless."
Jack turned his attention to the gathering throng of people.
"Okay everyone... take your places."
Sam, Daniel and Teal'c took up their positions in the receiving line as the guests began to pay their regards to the bride and groom.
"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said after a few moments, "I must congratulate you upon your restraint."
Daniel looked across at the Jaffa.
"Restraint?"
Teal'c looked at him solemnly, his right eyebrow raising slightly.
"Would not this occasion have been worthy of some kind of retribution for the unfortunate incident that occurred during your marriage to Major Carter?"
"I think the least said about that episode, Teal'c, the better." Daniel wasn't sure that he wanted to be reminded of that particular incident.
"Oh come on, Daniel, you have to admit it was pretty cool," Sam's lips had broken into a broad smile, the merriment caused by the memory making the blue hue of her eyes shine even more brightly than usual, " not every bride can lay claim to having been beamed aboard an Asgard vessel during their wedding ceremony."
Daniel's face screwed up in consternation, his lips forming an irritated grimace.
"But did it have to be during the part where the minister asked if there was any just cause why we shouldn't be together. I tell ya, Jack did it deliberately."
"You do not believe O'Neill's explanation that Thor's timing was erroneous?"
Daniel grunted.
"When have you ever known Thor's timing to be that out?"
Teal'c took a moment to consider the question.
"Indeed," the Jaffa's eyes furrowed even more deeply, "be that as it may, I must still congratulate you upon your restraint."
"Oh I don't think that it's my restraint that you should be congratulating."
Both Sam and Teal'c looked at him puzzled.
Daniel's eyes rose heavenward.
"Oh my God, Daniel, what have you done?" Sam's voice sounded worried
"I haven't done anything...but Thor on the other hand..." The rest of Daniel's words were drowned out as a bright beam of light encapsulated the area where Jack and Janet were standing. When the light dissipated Jack was left standing on his own, his bride nowhere to be seen.
Gasps from the guest's rang out around the clearing.
"...may have decided to take matters into his own hands."
"Daniel!" Jack's raised voice carried the short distance between them, "so help me... married to Carter or not... I'm going to..."
Daniel turned a mischievous look toward his friend and waved at him, just as a radiating beam of light encapsulated him and bore him away.
The End