Everyone sat down at the table that was groaning with food. Jay stood, "Let's pray." He closed his eyes and felt Buffy slip her hand into his.
"Dear Heavenly Father, we give thanks for today. For the freedoms we have, for the food that we share with friends and that we can celebrate together. Bless us and keep us safe. Amen."
Jack grinned, "Let's eat!"
There was cheerful conversation and good natured teasing around the table. The men talked about football, debating whether the Denver Broncos or the Pittsburgh Steelers would win today's game. The women talked about Cassie's boyfriend Dominick, people from work and why men liked football. Buffy smiled as she ate, watching the close knit group interact.
Jay glanced at Buffy as she talked to Cassie. After everybody finished their meal they got up to help clean up. The men took the dishes into the kitchen and Daniel loaded the dishwasher. Buffy and the women helped put away the food for snacking on later. Janet loaded the pumpkin pies into the oven and Sam looked over at Buffy.
"So Buffy, what do you do?" Sam asked.
"I'm a high school counselor in Cleveland."
Janet's eyebrow raised, "I have one teenager, I can't imagine a school full."
"Hey!" Cassie protested.
Buffy laughed, "My sister is a senior there too, it can be tough. Luckily with Dawn there, she keeps her ear to the ground and between us we try to help as much as the kids lets us."
"What's Dawn like?" Cassie asked curiously.
A smile curved Buffy's mouth, "Like almost everybody else in the world she's taller than me, which is no fair." Jay laughed at her pout. "She smart and annoying with it. She wants to be a linguist and a history Major."
Janet checked the oven and looked over, "How about your parents?"
Buffy looked down at the floor, "Mom died 5 years ago, an aneurysm. My Dad is a bum, I haven't seen him since before Mom died. I'm raising Dawnie."
Janet put a hand on her arm, "I'm sorry."
Buffy shook her head, "Don't be. Dawnie is the best thing that ever happened to me." She smiled, the love for her sister evident on her face.
"Um, I see you and Cassie, where's Cassie's Dad?" Buffy asked, "If it's not too personal." She added quickly, noticing the quick looks exchanged.
"He died." Cassie said promptly.
"Oh Janet, I'm so sorry. You too Cass." Buffy said sympathetically.
"We weren't close." Janet replied before turning to check on the pies. Cassie tried to contain a smile at this. Close? Her parents had died on that planet and Cassie had been the only survivor, SG-1 and Sam having saved her life.
Sam cocked her head, "Jay says you're very strong." Changing the subject quickly.
Buffy shrugged, "Yep. I teach martial arts and stuff to a small class of girls every evening."
Cassie perked up, "Can you teach me something?"
Eyeing her thoughtfully Buffy smiled, "I can teach you strategy. Let's go outside." Buffy went over to Janet and spoke to her quietly, Janet nodding, a mischievous smile on her face. Buffy and Cassie then put on her gloves and coats and walked out into the backyard, the snow falling more heavily than ever. Out in the middle of the yard Buffy turned and eyed the house thoughtfully.
"Perfect."
Cassie turned, face puzzled as she looked at the house. "What?"
An evil smile crossed Buffy's face, "Strategy."
Buffy began a snowman and started Cassie on making snowballs to hide behind the snowman. The snowman began to take shape, with enormous bazooms that made Cassie laugh until she was breathless. Buffy looked at the snow 'woman' in satisfaction, "Mine will never be that big so I'm living vicariously through her." She grinned at the laughing Cassie.
Every commercial break Jay would go to the back door to smile at the snowman and the pretty girls.
One time Sam came to stand beside him and watch, "I really like her Jay."
He looked over at his friend, "I'm pretty crazy about her myself."
Cassie and Buffy talked cheerfully about high school, the noise of their voices muffled by the falling snow through the enormous pine trees. They could hear the birds at the feeder and the muffled yells of the men watching football.
They kept their eye on the house as they talked and both of them grinned when the doors slid open and the men came out onto the porch.
Cassie was whispering, "Closer, closer!"
Smiling at the men Buffy gestured at the snow woman, "How do you like her?"
Jack snorted and eyed the snow woman's chest in disbelief, "She has mutant ta ta's!" and the men moved closer to check out Buffy's work.
"Ready?" Buffy asked.
"Do it." Cassie said. Buffy reached around the snow woman and picked up a snowball, hefting it thoughtfully, then let it fly.
The men ducked reflexively but the snowball flew over their heads.
"That was a lousy throw." Jay said when suddenly the snow on the porch roof shifted and fell on the shocked men, covering them up with a whoosh of white fluffiness.
Cassie and Buffy whooped in laughter as the snow covered men spluttered in shock. Sam and Janet were whooping with laughter inside the house having been in on the surprise.
"That is strategy." Buffy gestured grandly to the snow covered men.
Jack shook himself and looked at his snow covered companions, "Gentleman, I think that this means war."
Jay's eyes gleamed, "Oh yeah." With rebel yells the men started scooping up snow and firing at the women. They squealed and threw themselves at their stash of already made snowballs and began returning fire. Daniel yelped as his glasses fell into the snow and he dropped to his knees to dig for them.
Jay bounded over and pounced on Buffy, lying on top of her in the snow, their faces inches away from each other, both breathless with laughter. As he looked into her beautiful face his heart jumped and he fell in love.
"I love you Buffy Summers." He whispered, his eyes dark.
All time to slow down, all noise receded as Buffy concentrated on the words. Slowly they penetrated her shock and she smiled slowly, "I love you back Jay Coburn." And their lips met in a passionate kiss.
Janet came out and clapped her hands, "Ok people, come in before you turn into popsicles."
Jack shushed her, bending down to grab Daniel's glasses and hand them to his friend. "Look." Daniel cleaned them off quickly and they watched as their friend fell head over heels in love in the middle of the backyard.
Jack felt Sam move up beside him and he took her hand, sliding their fingers together.
Cassie threw a brilliant smile at her mom and bombarded the lovers with snowballs.
Jay shook his head and laughed, giving Buffy a quick kiss before launching himself at the giggling Cassie.
Later, after a snowball fight that managed to get everyone they all trooped back inside. They had all got soaked and there was a load of wet clothes in the dryer while people sat around in t-shirts and sweats munching on turkey sandwiches, pumpkin and apple pie.
Jay barely left Buffy's side the whole evening, making people smother smiles at the lovebirds.
Janet checked the dryer and woke Cassie to get her dressed. "She has a basketball game tomorrow and I need to get her home."
That started the exodus, everyone headed home and the house was quiet by 2300. Before Major Hayden left he looked seriously at his CO, "I don't know what's going on with Simon but we'll need to figure it out soon."
Jay sighed, "I know." He clapped his 2IC on the back and watched him drive away.