O Neill walked in the corridors of SGC, whistling, hands in his pockets. He passed by sergeant Harriman who looked like a trapped mouse (he had showed up late to orchestrate the departure of SG 16, this morning) and who gave him a bungled salute, without rancor. O'Neill did not want to complicate things. He was in an excessive good mood. Twelve teams were out there and they all had made satisfactory reports. SG1 had left the day before for P9W453. Teal' c and Carter had even wished him a happy birthday a day earlier, by the time Daniel had arrived in the departure lounge, a little breathless. Daniel was always late.
He arrived in front of his office and opened, still searching for the rest of his song. The stack of files piled up in front of him cooled him a little and he frowned. He by-passed the table and rolled his armchair before sitting down, which allowed him to discover the box put on the seat.
He collected it with perplexity and dropped in his armchair with a half-smile on his lips. He was beginning to smell an explanation to the embarrassed sight of Harriman. He examined the box and realized that he needed a knife to open it. It was fiercely Scotch-taped. He looked in his drawers then resigned to go ask for a knife at the kitchen. He thought he would take advantage of it to ask the sergeant for explanations. He raised his head and remained stunned.
In front of him danced on the wall a farandole of small colonels helding each other hands, their uniforms wearing each a letter of "happy birthday". O'Neill hesitated between burst in laughter and jump up outside his office demanding the culprit. He eventually got up and went to examine the paper colonels. There was 200 of them, maybe even more. They climbed disrespectfully over the decorations of the general, assaulted the door frame then disappeared before reappearing on the other side. He closed the door to see if the joke had been pushed until stick him paper colonels behind the flap and hiccuped of laughter.
Daniel's face, with his " I spit at established rules" smile, was tacked behind the door with a scrawled message. O Neill, delighted, picked up the paper sheet. He was so going to make his friend pay this back.
I hope you do appreciate your new wallpaper... You can't say I forgot your birthday, this time! Maybe I don't look that way, but I find you manage very well in your new fancy disguise... No hard feelings, Jack. And happy birthday! Daniel
PS: do not kill Walter, I downright had to threaten him...
The general suppressed his laughter and try to resume to a serious look Only Daniel coul be so little respectful. He returned to his office and took the box before running up to the mess. They gave him a knife and several pairs of eyes having breakfast fixed him while he opened the cardboard box – which ended up was rather embarrassing when a puppet jumped at his face and he couldn't suppress an exclamation of surprise. Daniel was the king to cause him troubles! He retreated examining the contents of the box. He found three birthday cards, of Carter, Teal'c and general Hammond, as well as a word from Cassandra.
In the end, this birthday was maybe one of the best of his life. But still, he would have all the same to find a way to annoy...
- Incoming activation of the gate, Incoming activation of the gate!
He propped up the box under his arm and ran to Control Room.
- It's SG14, sir, said sergeant Harriman. We're receiving a communication.
- Put them on speakers, ordered O Neill, his eyes fixed on the gleaming reflections which surrounded the Gate with a bluish light. SG 1 had left with SG14 and they were supposed to get back only two days later...
- We are under enemy's fire, SGC! shouted Carter's voice. "I repeat, we are under fire! Require permission to cross the gate! Teal' c! Watch out! Hurry, Park!"
O Neill grabbed the microphone.
- Permission granted, colonel! He announced, trying hard to calm his voice. "We're waiting for you, kids."
He fixed the Gate with a somber presentiment.
- Open the iris.
The box Daniel had given him was put on the control panel and reflected slowly the bluish fluctuations of the Gate. It was in the way of somebody who collected it and put it ontop of the computers, in a dead angle of the control room.
Flames came to crash just under the big window. Harriman lowered the protection blind. O'Neill left the control room and tumbled down staircases. In the departure lounge, Teal' c and two men of SG 14 drove through the gate, whereas another fire passed over them and crashed on the console. Major Park, supporting colonel Silver, emerged from the big puddle, followed by Carter.
- Close the iris! yelled the young woman.
Two Jaffa managed to cross just at this moment, but Teal' c shot down the first and the second one found itself stuck between the iris and the Gate.
The whirlpool went out.
- Medical team in departure lounge, medical team in departure lounge, repeated the speaker.
Colonel Silver was holding his ankle. Carter's forehead streamed with blood and her hair was burned over her right temple. O'Neill announced the briefing's time, going to each of them to verify no wound was too bad, as he watched the nurses and doctors taking care of his people. He sighed of relief. Everybody was more or less safe and sound.
An faint bad feeling roamed down his back. No, something was rong. Somebody should have made a sarcastic reflection or tapped his shoulder with a smile.
O Neill caught Teal' c by the arm as he was going out of the departure lounge.
- Where's Daniel?
The sadness printed on the Jaffa's face gave shivers to the general.
- Daniel Jackson fell to on field of honor, said slowly Teal' c. "He died like a brave man."
Something broke down.
