A CHRISTMAS NIGHTMARE.

By Lingren.

Previously:-

Teal'c picked up Jack's bag which had Jack's eyebrow raised, but as Teal'c refused to comment he shrugged and followed Sam who led them all along the hallway.

Chapter 2 – Surprises

As soon as Jack entered the commissary, chairs were scraped back and the conversation died as everyone in the military that was present, scrambled to attention.

Jack looked taken aback, and waved a hand at them all with a scowl.

"As you were!" he growled, trying to hide how uncomfortable the attention to his higher status always made him. He was nothing special despite the stars on his shoulder. He was just one of the guys, though he knew that wasn't the case any longer. It was just one of those things he'd regretted about being promoted.

They found an empty table and sat down. Cook appeared at his elbow with a loaded plate and a cup of coffee almost instantly.

Jack eyed the generous sized slice of delicious looking chocolate cake and felt his mouth water.

"For me?"

Master chef Lieutenant Brubaker nodded with a grin.

"That's right General. Colonel Carter said you were coming today, so I made this especially for you sir."

"Thanks. I'm touched. It looks really great Marty," Jack said sitting back in his chair so the cook could place it in front of him.

All eyes around the table were fixed on him as he stabbed his fork into the soft sponge and scooped up a generous helping topped with chocolate cream and stuffed it in his mouth. His eyes rolled heavenwards and he gave a long deep hum of ecstasy as it melted in his mouth.

"They don't make 'em like this in Washington Marty! Can I get you a transfer?" Jack asked swallowing the mouthful and diving in for more.

Marty beamed in sheer pleasure and made his excuses that the SGC would grind to a halt and go on strike if he was moved on, then happy to see the General tucking in, he hurried back to his kitchen.

Another forkful hovered above his plate as his eyes lighted on the rest of his former team-mates; their eyes still glued to his loaded fork.

"What?" he asked, putting the fork down again.

Daniel and Sam snapped out of their trance and looked down shyly.

"Ah nothing Jack. It's good then?"

"Oh yeah!" he sighed enthusiastically.

"He's been practicing. He wanted to surprise you," Sam added with a little blush which Jack thought was sweet.

"He has," Jack agreed. Before he left the SGC, cook's cake was always great, but this was superb. Heavenly. The thought of heaven turned his thoughts to the angel sitting opposite him, and his mouth twitched with a half smile before he filled it with more cake.

Sam could see something had sparked his mind into action. He had obviously thought of something judging by the look he was giving her. She frown in puzzlement wondering what he was thinking, but his smile for her only deepened.

They chatted about all and nothing as they ate their fill, catching up on all the base gossip, until reluctantly they left the commissary for Sam's lab. Teal'c had already dropped Jack's bag in there out of the way before joining them in the cafeteria.

Now they entered the domain of Dr. Sam Carter, scientist as opposed to Lt. Colonel Carter, soldier. Jack grabbed a chair and rolled it to the table, surveying the artefacts that Sam had been studying. He picked one of the strange looking objects up and began turning it over and over in his hands, trying to puzzle out what it was meant to be and what it did.

Sam couldn't help the smirk as she retrieved it and moved it out of Jack's reach. He frowned at her but sighed in resignation.

Some things never change, they both thought.

"So what are you guys planning for tonight?" Jack asked

All three looked at each other and a silent communication passed between them, but Jack hadn't noticed, he was too busy picking up another artefact from the desk, looking up at her and daring Sam to take it away from him this time.

Sam smiled but didn't attempt to take it from him, instead concentrating on what Daniel was saying.

"Oh, you know, not much," Daniel prevaricated.

"That interesting huh?" Jack grimaced. He could think of something really great to do, but it wasn't time to go...home?

No, not home; that wasn't here any longer. Washington was now home. He was going to spend the next few nights with Sam, it had all been arranged. Daniel had tried to get him to stay at his place, except Jack just told him that he'd made other arrangements with which he was fine. Thanks for the offer, but he preferred the other plans.

Jack's fingers felt strange, the artefact felt weird in his hands. It wasn't metal, it wasn't wood, it wasn't plastic or Naquadah. It wasn't hard yet it wasn't soft...just peculiar. He frowned as he spun it in his hands. Looking up at Sam, he asked mutely if she's noticed it too.

Sam smiled and shook her head.

"We don't know what it is sir. SG-14 brought it home from their mission to PZ5 892. Daniel thinks it might be an Ancient device of some sort but we haven't figured out exactly what it's for or what it does," she confirmed.

It was round, similar to a tennis ball but slightly bigger, with tiny writing over some of it. There was a small indentation on one side and Jack's finger fitted into it neatly. He turned it in his hands and tried again to see what would happen if he just fitted his finger into it again.

He almost dropped it as it lit up. He held onto it though as if he couldn't put it down. He vaguely heard the others yelling his name as they leapt to his rescue, but it wasn't hurting him. If anything it felt pretty good.

Sam and Daniel were out of their seats in an instant when a beam of light shot out of the artefact and covered Jack from head to toe. They were terrified of what it was doing to the General but when they reached out to him, their efforts were thwarted by what felt like a force field around him blocking their moves.

Teal'c tried to take the device from Jack's hand, but he was also repelled by a strong electric jolt. He shook his hand as it tingled from the shock. After a few moments, the light show ceased and Jack was able to place it back onto the desk.

He grabbed the edge to steady himself when he stood and could feel hands holding him up, helping to sit him down in his seat and hold him there so he didn't fall off the chair while he was feeling disoriented.

"Whoa!" he cried, "What a ride!"

"Jack? You okay?" Daniel asked, looking down at his friend with worried eyes.

"Sir. Perhaps we should take you to the infirmary and get Dr. Lam to check you out!" Sam stated, worried sick.

"Hey! I'm fine. It was nothing. I'm okay!" Jack said, trying to deflect their concern.

He grumbled that he was fine all the time Daniel dialled up the infirmary and spoke to the CMO, despite knowing full well the correct procedure for any strange and unknown event when dealing with alien technology.

With a nod from Daniel, Teal'c helped Jack to his feet and then Daniel took his other arm and between them they led a complaining Jack down the hallway towards the infirmary.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack sat quietly on one of the beds in the unusually silent infirmary. They all seemed to be waiting on him for some reason.

"What?" he grouched.

Daniel rolled his eyes. This was just like old times. Jack hadn't changed, he was no different with or without the stars on his uniform.

"How are you feeling General?" Dr. Lam enquired, looking at him closely.

Jack blew out a protracted breath with a twist of his lips; his shoulders sagging.

"I'm fine, I tell you!" he grumbled for the umpteenth time. "Nothing happened!"

"You were dizzy Jack!" Daniel tattled on him.

Jack shot him a murderous look, that threatened to get his own back on the archaeologist any time soon.

"For a moment, that's all! I feel okay! In fact I feel better than okay!"

"That might be so General, but I have to make sure. Something could show up later..." Carolyn Lam stated.

Jack pulled his wrist away from her hands with a deep frown.

"There is nothing wrong with me Doctor!" he complained, jumping off the bed.

Teal'c's massive bulk stood in his way, preventing him from going anywhere.

"Dr. Lam is following standard operating procedures O'Neill, something that as a high ranking officer in control of the SGC, you should undoubtedly be well aware of," Teal'c stated.

Jack sighed and sat back on the bed, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. He held up his hands in defeat.

"Okay fine. Run your damn tests, but I tell you there is nothing wrong with me!" he said pointedly.

Carolyn Lam ran her tests, took several blood samples and disappeared to study the results.

Once the tests were over, his old team gathered round his bed while they waited.

"So..." Jack started, "who's off-world right now?" he asked, just for something to say. They all looked nervous if anything. It was the day before Christmas, why aren't they happy? Probably because they're worried about you, came the answer in his head! Doh! Why did these things always happen to him?

"SG-4, SG-9 and SG-13," Daniel informed him in a monotonous voice. He glanced at his watch.

"Is there something wrong Daniel. Am I keeping you from something?" Jack sighed.

While his eyes were pinning Daniel to the wall, Sam looked at her watch too, and her eyes met with Daniel's. She gave a small shrug. Their guest was late, but given their reputation that was nothing new.

Jack wished they would all go away and he could get back to the lab so he could throw his arms round Sam and kiss her senseless giving her a proper greeting; she looked like she was sort of expecting it too.

Just then Dr, Lam came back, her smile tentative and disbelieving.

"Everything checks out General. You're free to go, but please report back to me if you begin to feel unwell, or if anything unusual happens."

Jack leapt off the bed with a smug smile that said...I told you so! He pulled on his jacket, thanking the Doctor for...whatever!

TBC