Daniel peered around a pile of bushes before creeping out. His breathing was heavy and tense. He had to be on the look out for anything. The enemy could be lurking anywhere.

To his right he heard a branch snap under someone or some things weight. He raised his gun and aimed.

"Whoa Daniel!" came the voice of Jack. "Don't get to trigger happy there. Leave that ammo for someone else."

Daniel lowered the gun. "Sorry Jack," he said sheepishly.

"It's alright. You should be on your guard like that. You don't know what foul and repulsive creatures could be hiding here." Jack raised his own gun and motioned Daniel to his side.

"So far we have gotten two of the enemy down. Sources tell me the other two are about half a mile east of here. We will have to be at the top of our game."

"What about Sam and Teal'c?"

Jack lowered his head in sadness. "They didn't make it Daniel. They were shot down while trying to set a trap. But they told me all the things that we needed to know before they…" He motioned with his hands to try to get across to Daniel what he meant without saying it.

Daniel sighed, "Then this battle will be for them."

Jack nodded, "let's go show them not to mess with SG-1.'

Daniel smiled and nodded. Together they went off to revenge their fallen comrades.

"You know that we just let you win because it was Daniel's birthday. Right?" Major Louis Ferretti asked somewhat hopefully.

"Yeah. Sure, whatever you say Ferretti." Jack said with a smirk.

"No. I mean it. We would have kicked your sorry butts but we wanted Daniel to have a good birthday. Next time you will see we mean business. So…when is the cake going to be served?"

Jack, Daniel, and Sg-2 were sitting in a shaded picnic area waiting for Sam to bring out the cake. The game had ended by Jack and Daniel surprise attacking the rest of SG-2. You could tell that they weren't all that happy about losing no matter what Ferretti was saying.

"Right now," Declared Sam as she came around the corner. In her hands she carried a chocolate icing cake with alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla. Behind her Teal'c was holding a bucket of ice cream, plates, and utensils. .

"'Bout time,' mumbled Jack.

"Sorry Sir but I didn't see anyone else volunteering to help except for Teal'c." Sam growled softly.

"Yeah, will you guys got out early in the game. We were tired."

"Only by 15 minutes!"

"Now guys," said Ferretti. "Let's not place blame here. This will only stall the time when we can bury our faces into that cake." He looked up at the cake almost drooling.

With one last glare at Jack, Sam placed the cake on the table and got out a box of matches. She lit it and placed it on one of the candles. After she was done lighting them she took a step back and smiled.

"Alright guys. Time to sing."

"Awww. Come on Carter we really don't want to make Daniel's ears bleed now do we? It's his birthday. We really don't want him to end up in the hospital do we? Besides I don't think that SG-2 really want Daniel to take their place in Frasier's tests." Jack said with a smile. .

Sam rolled her eyes. "1...2...3..."

This continued in an off key rendition of Happy Birthday which by the end of it had Daniel almost falling off his seat with laughter.

"Now it's time to make a wish and blow out the candles."

Daniel stared at the candles thinking of the perfect wish. A small smile appeared on his face as it came to him. He bent over the cake and blew them out.

"So what did you wish for?" Jack asked.

"Do you really think that Daniel will tell you that?" Ferretti asked.

"But we are best friends. Daniel tells me everything."

"Well not this Jack." Daniel replied while reaching out eagerly for his piece of cake from Sam.

"Come on Daniel, not even a hint?"

"You know it won't come true if he tells you Sir."

"Please, please, please."

"How do you know that it wasn't about you? If I tell then my wish for you won't come true."

"Did you really make a wish for me?" Jack asked with a bit of surprise in his voice.

"Maybe. But I can't tell you or it won't come true"

Jack thought about that and then shrugged it off. Sam and Daniel shared a look between them. Sometimes they couldn't believe how much like a child Jack could be at times.

After they were done eating the cake and telling each other stories about birthdays past they were ready to head home.

As Daniel was about to get into his car, Jack put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Not so fast Danny. You aren't going home."

"What? Why not?"

"I told you that we are going to make the most out of this weekend. The party isn't over yet." Jack started to steer Daniel toward his truck. Before they reached his car however Daniel stopped in his tracks and turned to Jack.

"Where are we going?" Daniel was a bit suspicious on what Jack was being so secretive about. Sometimes he didn't always like the way things turned out when Jack planned things without his knowledge.

'Come on Daniel don't you trust me?"

"Sure I trust you. I trust you with my life. I just don't feel comfortable with secrets that could possibly endanger my life."

"Oh. it won't endanger your life." Jack said with a wave of his hand.

"How do you know? There could be a possibility that you didn't go through all the safety precautions and we could end up getting kidnapped by the mob and thrown into a jail in Italy to be used for information on where there mob leader is that has gone missing."

Jack stared at Daniel. "What in the world are you talking about? Where did you come up with that? From my knowledge we won't be held against our will in any Italian prison. We are just going up to my cabin to spend the night. Sam and Teal'c will meet us up there. It will be a sort of team bonding thing. Did the leader of the mob really go missing?"

Daniel gave Jack his best innocent smile. "No I don't think so. I just wanted to know where we were going." But his smile soon turned to a frown. "But I really don't think that I could go anywhere Jack. I took today off to have fun and relax but I don't think that I could take another two days off as well."

"You can and you will." Jack said forcefully.

"I don't know…"

Jack sighed. "we all know that you have been putting a lot of time in work lately and we all think, the General included, that you should have a nice long break. This is the perfect opportunity. There is not going to be a great emergency at the base that will need our help. Besides do you want to disappoint Teal'c? He has had his heart sent on this trip since we were planning it. He has said that he will tell the best Jaffa ghost stories this side of the universe."

Daniel smiled touched that his friends would go through this much trouble for him.

"But what about my clothes?"

"I already got them while you were still asleep."

Daniel sighed. "Alright I'll go."

A big goofy grin lit up Jack's face. "Yes! I knew you would. Come on we got to get going if we want to beat Carter and Teal'c there."

'Why?"

"Because I bet them that the last one to get there will have to volunteer to Frasier with SG-2."

"Why would you do that?" Daniel wondered with a quizzical look on his face.

"Because Carter made me sing." Jack mumbled manacling under his breath.

Daniel burst out laughing and nodded. "Then we better hurry."

Authors Note: I know this was a long wait and I didn't put much action into the paintball scene and I apologize for that but an action of a different kind is on its way so don't worry. I also apologize for not putting Teal;c into this chapter but he will have a bigger part later. Thanks for the reviews I loved them!

Angel