Janet couldn't believe the ironic cruelty of her situation. Her beloved father had died on Christmas Eve when she was eighteen. Now, twenty years later to the day, her fiancé - arguably the only man she had ever really loved - was likely to do the same. It just wasn't fair.
She had only been on this planet for a little under an hour, yet it felt like it had been ten times longer. Daniel was burning up, yet he kept shivering with cold despite the blanket Colonel O'Neill had given him. His condition was deteriorating rapidly, and there was little Janet could do to slow it down.
The colonel, Sam, and Teal'c kept shooting anxious glances her way, but all she could do was shrug and shake her head in answer to their unspoken questions. She didn't know how much longer he could hang on. She didn't know of any way they could help. She just didn't know.
She brushed her cheek against his hair as she sat there waiting for whatever was going to happen first to happen - Daniel's death or their escape. She held him as tightly as she dared, as though she could somehow keep death at bay.
Suddenly, Daniel tensed and sucked in a sharp breath. "Janet?"
She pressed her finger against his neck to check his pulse while whispering soothing words into his ear. His pulse rate was not encouraging, but she tried not to let him know how frightened she was. When she looked over at Colonel O'Neill, however, she could tell right away that there was no hiding it from him.
"Janet?"
"I'm right here, Daniel," she said, kissing his hair and stroking his face. "Just relax."
"I... I can't."
Janet sighed. She didn't want to risk giving him more drugs just yet, but she had to get him to relax somehow if he was going to last the night.
On a whim, she took a deep breath and started to sing softly into his ear.
"I'll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow
And mistletoe
And presents 'round the tree..."
She didn't really care if anyone else could hear her. The song worked for Daniel as a lullaby, helping to soothe and relax him. Not to mention the fact that it was making Janet feel better, too. She had always loved to sing, and Daniel had told her many times that he loved listening to her voice.
"Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light beams..."
At these words, she felt Daniel's hand move to her leg, which was stretched out beside him. Other than that, he didn't move or make a sound.
"I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams."
She didn't feel up to singing any more once the song came to an end. She didn't trust her voice to hold steady for much longer anyway. Silence fell over the small group then, as no one seemed to know what to do or say.
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..."
Janet looked up in surprise as she heard Sam start singing the familiar song. To her even greater surprise, one of the members of SG-3 joined in with her.
"Just like the ones I used to know..."
One by one, each of the men began to sing, until it was just Daniel, Janet, and Teal'c who hadn't joined in. Their voices were soft and wistful, and it gave Janet a clear understanding of just what those soldiers of long ago must have been going through, homesick and stranded out on the battlefield on Christmas Eve.
Daniel shivered and shifted position slightly as the song continued.
Janet adjusted his blanket a little. "Daniel, just try to relax, okay?"
"I am, but all this singing about snow is making me feel colder," he replied.
For some reason, the hint of a teasing tone in his voice just made Janet feel even worse. She tightened her arms around his shoulders, kissed his hair, and leaned her cheek on the top of his head.
Daniel suddenly gasped and reached his hand up to grip her arm. "I'm so tired," he said breathlessly, "but I'm afraid to fall asleep."
"It's okay, Daniel," she said almost automatically.
He tilted his head back to look up at her, his eyes full of pleading. "Would I wake up again?"
This innocent question broke Janet's heart, but she managed to force a tearful smile. "I'll make sure of it," she said. "Just rest."
"Janet... for the first time in my life... I'm afraid to die," he said, his eyes wide with near panic. "I don't want to die..."
"You're not going to."
"I don't want to leave you alone," he said, almost choking on the words.
"Shhh..." She stroked his face again, resting her cheek against his forehead. "That's not going to happen, okay? Rest."
Daniel took a shaky breath that made him wince, and she could almost feel him fighting back his panic and fear as he nodded and leaned heavily against her again.
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer..." Jack droned in a bland tone.
He sounded so bored that it was comical, and Daniel and Janet both smiled and laughed simultaneously. Unfortunately, Daniel's laughter only caused him more pain. He winced and shivered again as Jack continued to sing.
"I love you."
Janet smiled and tilted Daniel's head back again in order to give him a soft kiss. "I love you, too. Go to sleep, Daniel."
Daniel didn't protest further. He let his head fall limp against her shoulder and closed his eyes.
Janet would never have admitted it to anyone, but part of her believed that they had just said goodbye.
Jack was in agony. He hated just sitting by while the enemy waited right outside the door. It was in his nature to run out there and kill as many as he could with no regard to the consequences, but the leader in him saw how unwise that tactic would be. So, wait it out he must.
Worse than the waiting was the scene he was witnessing between Daniel and Fraiser. It hadn't really hit him until Fraiser had marched into the dugout without a trace of hesitation just how much the two of them cared about each other. Now to see them sitting there like that, Fraiser holding him and singing to him like they were the only two people on the planet... it was enough to break even his tough soldier's heart.
When White Christmas ended, the silence was too much for him to handle. He started singing the first song that entered his head. "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose..."
He heard one or two of the others join in, which was good. Nobody wanted to listen to him sing an entire song on his own.
"Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say..."
Jack just about jumped out of his skin as another staff weapon blast was fired through the door of their little hideaway just then. He leapt to his feet and fired a few shots just to show them that he was still on his toes. The laughter he heard from the warriors outside made his blood boil. "Oh, what?" he yelled. "You guys got something against Rudolph?! Give us a break, would ya? It's Christmas, for cryin' out loud!"
More laughter was all he heard in reply.
He turned back to his teammates just in time to hear Fraiser's panicked voice cry, "No, Daniel, don't do this now!"
He watched in shock as Fraiser scooted out from under Daniel, laying him down on the ground and whipping off his blankets. "What's going on?" he asked. He knew exactly what was going on, but they were the only words that he could think to say.
"He's going into arrest," she replied. "I need some help here!"
The two medics pushed past him to take up positions at Fraiser's side. Jack just stood frozen to the spot as he watched Fraiser start giving Daniel CPR.
"Come on, breathe!" she commanded as she pumped his chest frantically.
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion until Fraiser said those magical words - "Okay... he's breathing. Steady pulse."
"Oh, thank God," Carter whispered from where she stood at Jack's side.
Jack shuffled over once the coast seemed to be clear and crouched down beside Fraiser and Daniel. "Is he..."
"He's alive for now, Colonel," Fraiser answered, "but if we don't get him out of here soon..."
"Yeah. That's what I thought." Screw waiting. They had to get out of here now.
He was just about to follow his instincts and run out of the dugout shooting when Carter's voice broke through the fog that had settled over his mind.
"Sir, I think I have an idea."
He turned to look over at her, and furrowed his brow in confusion when he saw she was standing in the middle of what he believed to be the fire pit looking down at the ancient ashes at her feet.
"What is it?" he asked as he ducked under the door to get to her.
"There's a draft here, Sir. This place is fully ventilated," she said, as though it was something he hadn't yet realized.
"Yeah, and...?"
She pointed up at the small opening in the ceiling.
"I've already thought about that, Carter," he said. "There's no way anyone's fitting through that hole."
"Santa does it all the time, Colonel," Major Warren spoke up.
Jack was about to call him on being a smart ass, but Carter's next words distracted him before he got the chance.
"Give me a leg-up, Teal'c."
Jack watched as Teal'c held out his linked hands and hefted Carter up by one foot when she stepped into them. Then he watched as Carter's head and shoulders disappeared inside the hole.
Seconds later, she pulled herself out of it again and hopped down to the ground. "No, I think you're right, Sir," she said regretfully. "It's a tight squeeze. I don't think I'd make it."
"What about me?"
Everyone turned to look at Fraiser, who was standing over by Daniel's side with a look of determination on her face.
Jack exchanged a nervous look with Carter. "What about Daniel?" he asked.
"Henderson and Manning can take care of him," she said. "I'm the smallest one here, so it makes sense for me to go. Please, Colonel. I want to do this."
Jack shook his head in his one and only sign of disapproval. He knew there was no stopping the doc once she decided she was going to do something, so he didn't bother wasting any time trying to talk her out of it. "Okay," he said with a sigh. "We'll need you to arrange a diversion and possibly take out a few of the Jaffa. Are you okay with that?"
"Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."
The corners of Jack's mouth turned up slightly at her declaration. He had to admire her guts.
Then he glanced over at Daniel who was still lying there struggling for every breath he was taking, and he remembered the reasons behind her courage. They didn't have a second to lose.
Janet was glad the tiny tunnel had a slope to it, or she would have slipped right back down to the dugout in seconds. As it was, she had to move slowly and carefully as she climbed, holding onto any rock or root she could in order to keep herself moving forward.
The sack tied to her ankle wasn't any help. The tunnel was such a tight squeeze that she couldn't even wear her vest - everything she needed was in that sack. Her gun, C-4, grenades, and all manner of explosive materials were inside it. A far cry from the medical kit she usually carried.
She found out soon after entering this "chimney" that the dugout must have been used quite frequently in its day. It was coated in a thick layer of soot and ash. Her arms and hands were black within the first few feet, and she was sure the rest of her looked no better. 'I wonder how Santa keeps his suit so pristine?' she thought.
Thinking of ol' Saint Nick made her realize just how ironic her current circumstances were considering what day it was. Climbing a chimney with a sack full of explosives tied to her foot... she was sure there was a joke in there somewhere, but she was too worried about Daniel to think any more about it.
Finally, she came to the mouth of the tunnel. After taking a tentative peek outside, she hauled herself out of the hole and found herself perched rather precariously on a narrow ledge on the side of the cliff. There appeared to be no way up or sideways, so after taking the sack off of her ankle and tying it around her waist to rest against her stomach, she carefully slid down to the slightly more substantial ledge about ten feet below her.
This ledge seemed to stretch a fair distance either way along the cliff face. She started to edge along it to her right, her back to the wall and her eyes looking anywhere but down.
Soon enough, she came within sight of the Jaffa that were lying in wait outside the dugout. She was thankful then for the soot that covered her, as it meant she was invisible to them even in the moonlight. Taking a deep breath, she reached into her sack and pulled out the C-4. It didn't take long to activate it, setting the timer for five seconds. Then she threw it with all of her might in the opposite direction from the dugout.
The Jaffa jumped to their feet at the sound of the explosion. After a moment of confusion, half of them ran off to find out what the commotion was all about.
Janet did a quick headcount and saw that there were approximately six remaining. Piece of cake.
She reached into her sack again and pulled out a grenade. Once she'd taken the pin out, she took careful aim and threw it at the remaining Jaffa.
'Three down, nine to go,' she thought as the dust from the explosion cleared.
Right on schedule, the men in the dugout came out shooting, and soon the only Jaffa remaining were those that had fallen for the diversion.
Janet started scrambling down the cliff to join her friends as they all filed out of the dugout and started for the gate. As she did so, she saw that the rest of the Jaffa were returning.
"Colonel!" she yelled as loud as she could.
He dropped down on one knee and started firing as soon as he saw the bushes move. From Janet's vantage point, she saw two of the warriors go down immediately. The other four ducked behind trees and avoided the bullets that rained down around them.
Janet left them to the colonel and the others and rushed straight over to Daniel, who was being carried out of the dugout on a stretcher by the time she got there. "How's he doing?" she asked Henderson, the medic who was walking beside it as Manning and Sam carried Daniel along.
"He's still with us," Henderson replied.
"Thank God."
"All clear!" Colonel O'Neill called. "Let's move!"
Janet was only too happy to comply. She ran alongside Daniel's stretcher as they hurried on their way to the Stargate, not even giving their haven of sorrows a backward glance.
"From what I hear, then your mom single-handedly took out a dozen Jaffa."
Janet swatted Daniel playfully on the arm. "I did not!" she protested. "It was more like... three."
"Oh, only three." Daniel beamed at her, pride making his eyes literally shine as he teased her. "Stop being so modest, Janet. You saved every one of us, and you know it."
Janet ducked her head and looked away, more because of the overwhelming feeling of joy that rushed over her at having him there to tease her mercilessly than any kind of embarrassment.
"I wish I could have seen it," Cassie said with a groan. "You seriously blew stuff up? Like... people?"
Daniel laughed, but then he winced and gripped his side. "Ow."
"Poor baby," Janet teased, knowing full well that he was milking the whole injury deal now. She sat down on the edge of the couch he was stretched out on and leaned down to kiss him.
"Oh man," Cassie said in disgust as she stood up from where she'd been sitting on the floor, "if you guys are gonna start with the kissy stuff, I may as well get going. There's a new year's party calling my name."
Janet smiled and accepted the embrace her daughter offered. "Have fun, sweetie."
"I'm sure I will. See you, Daniel," Cassie said as she grabbed her coat and started for the door.
"See you, Cass. Behave yourself."
Cassie turned to shoot him a saucy look before she disappeared out the door.
Daniel grinned and stroked Janet's back. "We're alone."
Janet curled up beside him on the couch, snaking her arm around his waist and laying her head on his chest. "At last."
They lay there in silence for a minute or two, but then Daniel started to squirm. Janet lifted her head from his chest as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it.
"This... is what I should have done a week ago," he said, presenting her with a tiny velvet box.
Janet gasped as she accepted the box and opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring that was nestled inside. "Daniel..."
"Will you still marry me?" he asked.
Janet laughed as she took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. "Of course I will, Daniel," she said. Then she rewarded him with a long, deep kiss that even took her own breath away.
When they finally parted, Janet snuggled back down to her former position, holding her bejewelled hand out in front of her for both of them to see. Daniel stroked her back with one hand and linked the fingers of the other with hers. "Sorry it's a little late," he said.
This comment brought to mind something that she'd been meaning to ask him ever since the initial proposal when he'd said that he'd been planning the circumstances for it for weeks. "About that," she said, propping herself up on her elbow to look down at his face, "why were you so set on proposing on Christmas Eve?"
Daniel just gazed up at her in silence for a moment, reaching up to brush her long hair back behind her ear. Then he quietly answered, "I wanted to redeem the day."
Janet blinked at him in confusion. Redeem the day? What did that mean? "What are you talking about?"
"Your father," he said softly, caressing her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "I wanted that day to hold sweet memories for you again, rather than just being the anniversary of his death."
Janet couldn't have responded to that even if she'd wanted to. No one had ever spoken to her about that before. She had always tried to conceal how much it hurt every time December 24th rolled around, not wanting to spoil the day for anyone else with her pain and sorrow. The fact that Daniel had picked up on her silent pain and had tried to do what little he could to ease it meant more to her than anything anyone could ever do. Tears filled her eyes, and she had to turn her face away from him while she tried to get herself back under control.
"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously, cupping her face in his hand and brushing away a stray tear with his thumb.
She looked back at him and melted at the concern she saw in his eyes. "I love you so much," she said, forcing her voice to comply for just one moment.
Daniel smiled softly. "Merry Christmas, Janet," he said as he pulled her down for another kiss.
Janet had to admit in that moment that despite Daniel's brush with death and her own battlefield adventures, this had been the best Christmas of her life.