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Answer to reviews: Of course a cake is coming up! This story takes place years after Jacob's death.

He was glad to see Carter enjoying herself. It was nice being able to watch her, sitting there all smiley while talking to Laura and Teal'c. Every now and again she tucked a rogue lock of hair behind her ear or shifted on the chair to a more comfortable position and that movement provided him with another angle from which he could see her. He realized how much time he had spent next to her, only inches away, unable to gaze too much in her direction in case someone took notice. He didn't have to worry about that now. In fact not even Carter was able to see that he was watching her.

Although sometimes he wondered if she could feel him looking at her, because a frown appeared on her forehead and her smile turned awkward. At those times he averted his gaze for a while before his eyes were drawn to her again. He was permitted to look at her now and he was determined to get his fill, making sure she was alright, and burn the image of her enjoying life into his mind.

She refused another glass of champagne - which was probably wise - and was drinking only juice diluted with water. Laura stayed on champagne while he and Teal'c tried some beer.

"General, I wouldn't have thought you'd turn to beer so quickly. At least not before I brought you cake." Laura said to him, interrupting his staring.

"There's cake?" He exclaimed, surprised. Finally he turned away from the Colonel to his daughter.

"Well, of course there is cake. What do you have me for?" Laura threw her arms up in the air in disbelief, laughing. "But if you don't want it…"

"Hey, hey! I never said that!" O'Neill frowned, shocked at the mere suggestion.

"Teal'c, will you help me open that box?" Laura pointed to a blue and white box, looking differently than the rest, from which Teal'c and O'Neill unpacked the food. From the touch it was obvious it was refrigerated for the purpose of keeping the cake nice and fresh. While the Jaffa opened the box and held the lid, Laura carefully took out a paper container. Bringing it to the table, she put it right in front of O'Neill, who wasted no time opening it.

When he did, a large cake looking exactly like a stargate was revealed. It displayed chevrons and everything, or at least what the general thought looked like chevrons, who knew, that kind of stuff was Daniel's cup of tea anyway… And in the middle of the blue surface that simulated the activate gate was a symbol for Earth.

"Laura, this cake is magnificent. Thank you."

"What?" Sam wanted to know what was happening.

Only then did the birthday boy, Teal'c and Laura realized that Sam was not able to join in the fun. She was merely sitting in her chair, listening as closely as she could, utterly confused.

"Oh, sorry, Sam." Laura quickly replied. "The cake is a cute little stargate. I thought it was appropriate."

"Oh." Sam swallowed with difficulty.

She reacted similarly every time she was reminded of her blindness and Laura noticed that some time ago. She tried to be especially sensitive and kind to Sam in those moments, but it didn't do much to alleviate Sam's pain. Sam was suffering, not knowing when or if she'd be alright.

"Alright, let's dig in then. Carter, want a piece of the stargate?" The general said, his voice either flirty or just generally happy.

"Of course, sir." Sam said, smiling.

The smile she gave him was not one of her big beaming smiles, the ones that had a tendency to make his heart race uncontrollably, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Ok, cut up the cake and Teal'c and I will get the gifts." Laura proposed and got up with the Jaffa getting up moments afterwards.

"Oh, that's a good idea, right, Carter?" O'Neill said, grabbing the little plates Laura had put before him. Looking at the cake before him, he was thinking about how to cut it. "Any favorite chevrons you would prefer?" He asked Carter, not really expecting her to name one. But he underestimated her.

"A-ah, you really caught me by surprise. I don't… I'm not sure which one that is."

"I'm joking." Sam giggled, her lips slightly apart and tantalizingly beautiful. "It doesn't matter, sir. I'm just looking forward to the cake."

"As you should. Here." He laid the plate right in front of her along with a dessert fork. Laura had really thought of everything they might need, he said to himself as he studied the ridiculously nice, smaller forks.

"Kids, cake is being served." The general declared loudly to be heard across the room. "Also where are my gifts?"

"Don't worry, we haven't run off with them." Laura smirked, sitting down on the other side of Sam. "Bon apetit!"

"So what did you get me?" O'Neill asked, raising an eyebrow in Laura's direction with an amused look on his face.

"Ok, let's start with my gift. I think it is actually appropriate." She handed him the present wrapped in light blue paper with a dark blue ribbon around it.

O'Neill ripped the wrapping paper, revealing the t-shirt inside. He unfolded it and saw the picture of Bart from Simpsons saying I want CAKE! He smiled, running his hand over the soft fabric. "It's a Simpson shirt." He commented for Carter's sake.

"I know, but thank you." Sam answered, appreciative that he didn't forget about her. Laura told her about all the gifts she produced for the general, but it was nice to be remembered.

"I do have an idea for another gift, but we'll discuss that some other time." Laura added, bringing her cake closer and picking up the dessert fork.

"Thank you, Laura." O'Neill said and for the first time in recent days they locked eyes and neither of them looked away immediately.

"Here is my present, O'Neill." Teal'c said, laying a weirdly long thin box on the table.

"So, what do we have here?"

It took O'Neill some time to successfully open the box, because apparently Teal'c had wrapped it pretty tightly and tied it with a cord. His coworkers thought it was hilarious to see (and hear) him struggle with it.

"Teal'c, this is great." O'Neill took out the fishing rod with Homer painted on the handle. There was a little tin box, probably with some baits. "We need to have a team night and go fishing. What do you say, Carter?"

"Sounds good, sir."

"You'll see how great fishing is, Laura." O'Neill smiled, sitting back down. It was time to take a bite from the stargate on his plate.

"Not anytime soon." Carter said, her hands looking for her plate.