Jack sat at his desk head in hands and let out a sigh of relief. Finally,
he could go home. This was a first, it was a downtime and he'd be the last
of his team to get off base. The general had ordered him to catch up with
his paperwork, which he had reluctantly obeyed. Now off home for a well
earned rest. He scanned his desk for any sinister looking hidden reports
ready to leap out at him before he exited. He gladly pushed his chair from
the desk and as he did, so his eyes caught a fallen envelope on the ground
with a memo attached. He leant down and picked it up, scanning the memo he
recognised Jacob Carters writing:
'Jack, Please give this to Sam for me on the 17th. I would have asked you in person but she was with us the whole time during my brief visit so I asked an airman to put it on your desk. Wish her a happy birthday from me and to have a great day, thanks. Jacob'
Jack paused for a moment and frowned his mind reeling. He thought Sam had been quiet the last few days, keeping herself too herself, which she only did when something, was on her mind. Had she let subtle hints drop about her birthday and had they being total idiots that they could often be forgotten to wish her a happy one? No he could not remember being forewarned Daniel was pretty good with remembering such things. He had never really known Carters birthday. Sure it was in her personnel file but he wasn't one to think about things like that. Jack glanced at his desk calendar. The 17th was tomorrow. He exited his office, Jacobs envelope in hand. He would go home, freshen up and pay his 2IC a little visit. It wouldn't do for her to spend her birthday alone; maybe she wanted some company. As he entered the elevator and made the slow ascent to the surface, he considered letting Daniel and tealc know he was going over but decided against it. Sam had kept quiet and wasn't one to enjoy a fuss made of her. Jack agreed to himself to go it alone. It would be nice to have some 'alone' time with the good major.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sam emptied the dregs of the wine bottle into her glass and frowned. This would not do, she looked at the screen and raised her glass in mock salute as the image of her younger self did with her younger former friends. After which she replaced her glass on the table and joined in with the revelries. Sam groaned. How could she of ever worn her hair that way. She looked like a dork. Embarrassed at the sight of herself she snorted and stood up again. She needed more to drink if she was too see to the end of the 'movie'. She remembered now why she'd part hidden the box of home videos in her closet. Still, she thought to herself, it's my birthday I'll drink myself to piss heaven if I want too.
"Not like I've anything better to do anyways"
Sam muttered to herself as she leaned over the fridge door. She had another bottle of wine and two beers left. That would have to do. Kicking the fridge door closed she stopped for a moment frowning and shaking her head.
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself woman and stop talking to yourself too"
With that she went back to the living room and settled back in front of the screen as her younger self started opening gifts. She tried to wrack her brains as to what she had received that year, nope way to long ago. Ah yeah that cute little cat cuddly toy from Mark. Mr snuffles, she wondered what had happened to him.
"Ooh it's so cute Mark, thanks bro"
Jacob's voice came over the screen teasingly.
"Go on Sammie give your brother a kiss"
Sam grinned a lopsided grin as she caught the glare her younger self aimed in her father's direction. Mark did not look impressed either and made a quick exit from the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack glanced at his reflection one more time and headed to the front door a bottle of wine and Jacobs letter in one hand, his keys in the other. As he got into his van, he checked his watch. Ten thirty, it was not that late, it wasn't as if they had work the next morning. He pulled away from the curb his fingers drumming on the wheel to the same beat as the music on the radio. He pondered if she would still be up and wondered if she had anything planned the next day. He figured she surely would be doing something with Janet and Cass. He pulled into her street ten minutes later and parked in her drive noting lights were still on in the house. After checking his reflection yet again in the car mirror he grabbed the bottle and envelope, made his way up to her front porch, and rang the bell twice.
Sam sat up in her chair and frowned, glancing at her clock. Twenty to eleven, who the hell was calling at this time of night. She propelled herself from her chair and had to pause, dizziness threatening to overtake her sense for a moment.
"Shouldn't have had that last glass of wine"
She shook her head and headed out into the passage leading to the door. She stopped at the hall mirror and glanced at her dishevelled state, noting the flushed cheeks and slightly blurry eyes. She frowned and hoped whoever was at the door didn't know her too well and wasn't planing on staying long. She turned back to the door as the visitor impatiently rang the bell again. She flicked the porch light and fiddled with the locks before opening. She turned a shade paler as the door revealed her CO standing at her doorstep.
"Sir?"
She stammered slightly embarrassed. She wished she'd grabbed her sweater before answering all she was wearing was a slightly tight tank top she slummed around in the house and an old pair of jeans with rips at the knees. Jack was smiling like a Cheshire cat eyeing her dishevelled state. Was she a little drunk?
"Evening Major. Didn't wake you did I?"
"No Sir, um, what are you doing here?"
She made no move to invite him in although he did look inviting in that shirt, his leather jacket, get over it Major, never gonna happen. Jack however had other ideas and as she languidly leaned on the open door he side stepped right by her and headed down the hall to her kitchen.
"I've been sent here on an errand by Jacob Carter"
"Come right in"
Sam mumbled under her breath closing the door behind him. Her dad had sent him? What was he talking about? She slowly followed him down the hall and entered the kitchen as Jack was looking through her cupboards for wine glasses.
"Sir what."
"Your dad asked me to give this to you"
He slid the envelope along the counter, picked up the wine bottle once more, and with two glasses in the other hand looked at her pointedly.
"Why didn't you say it was your birthday we could have all arranged to do something"
Sam picked up the envelope and mused, inwardly groaning as he asked the question.
"I don't like making a fuss"
"You can't celebrate by yourself Carter. I thought I'd join you. Looks like you've started without me though"
Sam looked up to find Jack had moved surreptitiously from the kitchen to the living room. Sam followed him in frowning. Meanwhile he had settled himself on the couch and was busy pouring out wine into the two glasses.
"Make yourself at home"
'Jack, Please give this to Sam for me on the 17th. I would have asked you in person but she was with us the whole time during my brief visit so I asked an airman to put it on your desk. Wish her a happy birthday from me and to have a great day, thanks. Jacob'
Jack paused for a moment and frowned his mind reeling. He thought Sam had been quiet the last few days, keeping herself too herself, which she only did when something, was on her mind. Had she let subtle hints drop about her birthday and had they being total idiots that they could often be forgotten to wish her a happy one? No he could not remember being forewarned Daniel was pretty good with remembering such things. He had never really known Carters birthday. Sure it was in her personnel file but he wasn't one to think about things like that. Jack glanced at his desk calendar. The 17th was tomorrow. He exited his office, Jacobs envelope in hand. He would go home, freshen up and pay his 2IC a little visit. It wouldn't do for her to spend her birthday alone; maybe she wanted some company. As he entered the elevator and made the slow ascent to the surface, he considered letting Daniel and tealc know he was going over but decided against it. Sam had kept quiet and wasn't one to enjoy a fuss made of her. Jack agreed to himself to go it alone. It would be nice to have some 'alone' time with the good major.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sam emptied the dregs of the wine bottle into her glass and frowned. This would not do, she looked at the screen and raised her glass in mock salute as the image of her younger self did with her younger former friends. After which she replaced her glass on the table and joined in with the revelries. Sam groaned. How could she of ever worn her hair that way. She looked like a dork. Embarrassed at the sight of herself she snorted and stood up again. She needed more to drink if she was too see to the end of the 'movie'. She remembered now why she'd part hidden the box of home videos in her closet. Still, she thought to herself, it's my birthday I'll drink myself to piss heaven if I want too.
"Not like I've anything better to do anyways"
Sam muttered to herself as she leaned over the fridge door. She had another bottle of wine and two beers left. That would have to do. Kicking the fridge door closed she stopped for a moment frowning and shaking her head.
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself woman and stop talking to yourself too"
With that she went back to the living room and settled back in front of the screen as her younger self started opening gifts. She tried to wrack her brains as to what she had received that year, nope way to long ago. Ah yeah that cute little cat cuddly toy from Mark. Mr snuffles, she wondered what had happened to him.
"Ooh it's so cute Mark, thanks bro"
Jacob's voice came over the screen teasingly.
"Go on Sammie give your brother a kiss"
Sam grinned a lopsided grin as she caught the glare her younger self aimed in her father's direction. Mark did not look impressed either and made a quick exit from the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack glanced at his reflection one more time and headed to the front door a bottle of wine and Jacobs letter in one hand, his keys in the other. As he got into his van, he checked his watch. Ten thirty, it was not that late, it wasn't as if they had work the next morning. He pulled away from the curb his fingers drumming on the wheel to the same beat as the music on the radio. He pondered if she would still be up and wondered if she had anything planned the next day. He figured she surely would be doing something with Janet and Cass. He pulled into her street ten minutes later and parked in her drive noting lights were still on in the house. After checking his reflection yet again in the car mirror he grabbed the bottle and envelope, made his way up to her front porch, and rang the bell twice.
Sam sat up in her chair and frowned, glancing at her clock. Twenty to eleven, who the hell was calling at this time of night. She propelled herself from her chair and had to pause, dizziness threatening to overtake her sense for a moment.
"Shouldn't have had that last glass of wine"
She shook her head and headed out into the passage leading to the door. She stopped at the hall mirror and glanced at her dishevelled state, noting the flushed cheeks and slightly blurry eyes. She frowned and hoped whoever was at the door didn't know her too well and wasn't planing on staying long. She turned back to the door as the visitor impatiently rang the bell again. She flicked the porch light and fiddled with the locks before opening. She turned a shade paler as the door revealed her CO standing at her doorstep.
"Sir?"
She stammered slightly embarrassed. She wished she'd grabbed her sweater before answering all she was wearing was a slightly tight tank top she slummed around in the house and an old pair of jeans with rips at the knees. Jack was smiling like a Cheshire cat eyeing her dishevelled state. Was she a little drunk?
"Evening Major. Didn't wake you did I?"
"No Sir, um, what are you doing here?"
She made no move to invite him in although he did look inviting in that shirt, his leather jacket, get over it Major, never gonna happen. Jack however had other ideas and as she languidly leaned on the open door he side stepped right by her and headed down the hall to her kitchen.
"I've been sent here on an errand by Jacob Carter"
"Come right in"
Sam mumbled under her breath closing the door behind him. Her dad had sent him? What was he talking about? She slowly followed him down the hall and entered the kitchen as Jack was looking through her cupboards for wine glasses.
"Sir what."
"Your dad asked me to give this to you"
He slid the envelope along the counter, picked up the wine bottle once more, and with two glasses in the other hand looked at her pointedly.
"Why didn't you say it was your birthday we could have all arranged to do something"
Sam picked up the envelope and mused, inwardly groaning as he asked the question.
"I don't like making a fuss"
"You can't celebrate by yourself Carter. I thought I'd join you. Looks like you've started without me though"
Sam looked up to find Jack had moved surreptitiously from the kitchen to the living room. Sam followed him in frowning. Meanwhile he had settled himself on the couch and was busy pouring out wine into the two glasses.
"Make yourself at home"