Author's note: Think back to early season 7, Daniel just descended and Jack cloned…

Daniel: Jack's account sounds like a number of UFO abduction case files I've read.

Jack: This you remember...my birthday you forget.

Daniel: Looks like you'll have a lot more.

This fic is set between Homecoming and Fragile Balance, Daniel is beginning to remember more and more while still forgetting the most important things (in Jack's eyes).

Happy Birthday Jack

Jack lay back in his favourite chair, a half empty bottle of beer resting on his knee and a blue party hat perched precariously on his head. He looked around the room at the few people who had arrived already; they all wore party hats similar to the Colonel's much to their own displeasure.

Jack smirked, he had let Teal'c arrange this years party to the delight of the normally stoic Jaffa. The room had Happy Birthday banners strewn across the walls and balloons were tied to every available piece of furniture making the room seem small and cluttered. Teal'c had placed himself by the front door to greet party guests in turn and hand them a hat from the enormous pile by his feet. When Teal'c gives you a party hat you wear the hat no questions asked.

The Colonel chuckled to himself as one of the science geeks walked into the room with a petrified look on his face and a purple hat squashed onto his head, it seemed that Teal'c was getting more forceful in applying hats to people's heads.

"Happy Birthday, Sir."

The feminine voice broke his gaze away from the group of scientists in the corner with squashed hats to the blonde beauty sitting herself down next to him. Her pink hat was sat perfectly on top of her head.

"Thanks Carter," he took a swig from his bottle, "you do know that that hat is going to give the marines enough ammo for the next three months at least?"

"Stargate Barbie, sir?" the giant grin gracing her face took Jack back to the first time Sam stepped through the 'gate. She had looked so delighted to be able to go through it, like a kid in a candy store. He hadn't seen her smile like that since before Daniel died. Talking of…

"Where's Daniel?"

There had been a distinct lack of Daniel in the house, normally when Daniel turned up to a party you would know even if you didn't see him enter. The nurses would gather in a group somewhere with a view of the archaeologist-you would think they saw enough of him in the infirmary, lets face it, he practically lived there. There would usually be the odd crash or bang as Daniel stumbled into someone or something, these would gradually increase as Daniel had more and more to drink. After around eleven at night and Daniel had stopped telling Teal'c how deep he was there would usually be singing, bad singing, very bad.

"I don't know," Sam replied, looking around for any signs of him. Jack noticed how close they were, their knees almost touching, and in that second he didn't care where Daniel was. Yes he did, Daniel owed him a present or at least a card, two in fact because he missed Jack's birthday last year as well. Jack made a note to himself to remind Daniel when he turned up.

"He's probably just late, you did remember to invite him didn't you?" Sam asked.

"It's Daniel, he always knows…" Jack paused, Daniel didn't know, Daniel lost his memory. "Oh for crying out loud!"

Jack got up and strode towards where Teal'c was now trying to set up pass the parcel. He explained the situation and said that he would go and get Daniel; Teal'c declined the offer insisting that it was his mistake and he would go and get their friend.

After leaving Sam with strict instructions about how to play pass the parcel and when the music should be stopped to ensure equal opportunities for all to win, Teal'c left to go and find Daniel.

Half an hour, two games of pass the parcel and a few more beers later Daniel was pushed into the room by Teal'c. The effect wouldn't have been half as funny if the whole room hadn't turned to look at the late comer, or if Teal'c had let Daniel put some clothes on; it looked very much like the big Jaffa had literally turned up at Daniel's house and as soon as the door was opened, had thrown the archaeologist over his shoulder and shoved him into the car.

So Daniel stood in the doorway with an orange hat squashed onto his head and nothing else apart from some Dr Nick boxers Jack had bought for him and a t-shirt that said 'Property of the US Air Force'.

"Happy Birthday?" Daniel's face was reddening by the second.

Jack couldn't contain his laughter any longer, clutching his sides and wiping the tears from his eyes.

"You could have let him get ready first Teal'c," Sam said trying to contain her own laughter and failing miserably.

"So Daniel, I take it you forgot about my birthday?" Jack managed to say as he tried to catch his breath.

"If its any consolation I can't remember mine either," Daniel muttered as Jack pulled him into a one armed hug.

"Let's get you a beer."

Jack and Daniel walked to the kitchen to retrieve some drinks.

"I'm sorry I don't have a present or anything, it slipped my mind as Teal'c kidnapped me from my house."

"I think you'll find you owe me two actually," Jack said, a slight smirk on his face.

"Uh, how?" Daniel questioned.

"You missed last years as well," he threw a bottle of beer to Daniel who caught it; being ascended must have helped sharpen Daniel's reflexes.

"Well in that case you owe me one from last year," the younger man replied indignantly opening the bottle and taking a sip.

"Technically you were dead, so technically you are the same age you were before you turned into a jellyfish, so technically you didn't have a birthday," Jack smirked to himself before returning to his party intending to get Daniel as drunk as possible, Daniel had already made his day, with the help from Teal'c, but drunk Daniel was an even better present. Deep down Jack was just thankful that Daniel was alive, but that didn't mean he couldn't take advantage of the fact.

Jack saw Jonas talking with Sam by the buffet and an extremely large chocolate cake, it seemed this year was getting better and better. Yes, he had his old team back together alive and well, Jonas was happy going off to be an ambassador, Sam and he were even more relaxed around each other and he had a giant cake with his name on it, all in all a good birthday.

Finis

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