Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time

A/N: Upgrades, Divide and Conquer, Window of Opportunity, and Beneath the Surface have all taken place before Christmas in Season 4. The most recent of these events being Beneath the Surface.

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Major Samantha Carter was sitting alone in her lab, elbows on the workbench and head in her hands when Doctor Fraiser entered the room. Carter didn't notice.

"Sam? Are you ok?"

The Major looked up and instantly put on her military face. "Oh, Janet, hi. Yeah, I guess I'm just tired."

Janet knew better. "You've seemed a bit down ever since you returned from P3R-118"

"I'm fine, Janet, really."

"Sam, you had your memory erased, and you were basically a slave for over a month. That's not something you just get over."

Sam looked up at Doctor Fraiser and then looked surreptitiously around the room before speaking. "Janet, I know this sounds crazy, but I was happy there."

"What?"

"We all had false memories, but they didn't change who we are or our basic beliefs or our feelings."

"What are you saying, Sam?"

"Colonel O'Neill and I were...very close there. He told me he had feelings for me and we didn't know that we weren't allowed to have feelings for each other. We were so relaxed and comfortable around each other...I know it sounds crazy, but I miss him."

"So, you're feeling depressed? Sam, that's not like you. I think you need to look at the events of the past few months from a different perspective."

"What do you mean?"

Janet pulled up a lab stool and sat beside Sam.

"Well, you and the Colonel both refer to that incident with Anise as the 'Zatarc Fiasco', but you found out that Colonel O'Neill loves you! He admitted it in front of Anise, me, you, Teal'c..."

"Janet, he didn't say he loved me, he said he cared about me more than he's suppose..."

"Then you both had your memories erased on that ice planet and he still had feelings for you and he told you so. Under the circumstances, what more could you ask for?"

Sam's eyes got wide. "Wow, Janet, I never looked at it that way."

"I kinda figured that out. Look, it's almost Christmas, the whole team is together, you know that Colonel O'Neill cares about you, I think it's shaping up to be a very happy Christmas! You know, Cassandra is ready to go shopping with you at a moment's notice! Of course, she's also very excited because this year she actually gets to go to the tree farm with the Colonel. They're going on Sunday."

Sam smiled at her. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to going shopping with Cassie too. Maybe this year we could make it really special and go to Denver for the day."

"Oh, Cassandra would love that!"

"How about this Saturday?"

"That will be fine. What time should I tell her to be ready?"

"Well, if we're gonna go to Denver then we better leave about 0800."

"Alright, she'll be ready." Janet started to leave the lab and stopped at the doorway. "Sam, if you need anything..."

"Don't worry, Janet, I'm fine. Thanks."

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Saturday turned out to be a bright, sunny day with highs in the lower 40's. Perfect shopping weather. Cassie jumped in Sam's car and immediately started talking. "My new Christmas CD from Mom has this really cool song on it. You have to hear it, Sam," Cassie said as she popped the disk into the CD player. "It's by this guy called Paul McCartney and Mom said he used to be in a band called The Beatles back in the old days. Anyway, it's really cool."

As the former Beatle began singing Simply having a Wonderful Christmastime Cassie rattled on about what was happening at school, who was dating whom, which couple just broke up and how the cheerleaders were so fake.

"Whoa, slow down, Cassie! What grade are you in?"

"Sam! You know I'm in the 7th grade. Unless that memory erasing thing had some lasting effects."

Cassie looked at Sam, studying her for a moment. "So, if you and Jack didn't remember about the stupid rules that say you can't be in love, did you guys kiss or anything?"

"Cassie!"

"Well?"

"I don't remember."

"That means yes, we did, but I don't want to tell you that."

"No, it means I don't remember. So, what do you want to get everyone for Christmas this year?" Sam asked, quickly changing the subject.

"I don't know. I think I'll know it when I see it."

Sam and Cassie had a fun day shopping in Denver. They had lunch at a trendy gourmet hamburger place in the mall and managed to get something for everyone on their lists.

Sunday afternoon Jack came over to take Cassie to the tree farm. She climbed up into his truck and immediately started talking, just like she had done with Sam. Cassie prattled on about all the gossip at school, hoping to lull Jack into complacency before she asked what she really wanted to know.

"So, Jack, did you kiss Sam on that planet when you couldn't remember who you were and about the stupid rules?"

"What? Where did that come from?"

"Jaaaaaaack!" Cassie whined "I really want to know!"

"There's nothing to know. Sam and I can't be anything more than teammates."

"But, Jack, you couldn't remember the rules, so...did ya kiss her?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't know why, maybe it was because we didn't know who we were and what kind of relationship we had before...why am I telling you this?"

"Because you want to talk about it and I'm the safest person in the world to talk about it with. Besides, I'm the one who really wants you two to be together."

"Ok, what about your boyfriend Cassie?"

"Jack!" The girl said, suddenly becoming embarrassed.

"So, now I know how to shut you up! What's his name? Come on, Cassie, out with it. You know I'm going to have to check up on this guy and if he isn't good enough for you I'll have to kick his ass!" Jack teased.

"Jack!" Cassie's face was bright red. She had missed Jack so much last Christmas. It felt really good to be with him. She so wanted Jack and Sam as her parents, but she would accept whatever time they could give her.

-x-x-x-x-x

Christmas Eve was cold and windy, but Janet had a roaring fire going in the fireplace when the members of SG1 arrived for their annual Christmas Eve dinner.

Finally, it was time for the gift exchange. This year, everyone bought gifts for each other and they all enjoyed watching the recipients open each package.

One of the last gifts to be opened was Cassandra's gift from Sam. She tore the paper off the package to reveal two double Beatles CDs, 1962-66 and 1967-70.

"Since you liked that Paul McCartney Christmas song so well, I thought you should get to know the Beatles!" Sam said as Cassie was reading the names of the songs on the back of the box.

"Hey, great gift, Carter! Every kid should know about the Beatles."

"Even I am aware of this musical group," Replied Teal'c "O'Neill insisted that I must listen to them while riding in his truck."

"So, what's the best Beatles song?" Asked Cassandra.

"Well, Cassie, there's so many of them that everyone has their own personal favorite," Janet explained.

"Alright. Jack, what's your favorite Beatles song?"

Jack looked right into Sam's eyes with the same smirk he had after Daniel had asked him what he had done during all those time loops. Never taking his eyes off Carter's he replied, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand."

Sam blushed, smiled, and looked away. Everyone noticed her reaction to Jack's blatant declaration.

"Ok, Sam, what's your favorite Beatles song?" Cassie pressed on with her game.

Sam looked back at Jack, locked her eyes with his, grinned and said "We Can Work it Out."

"Wow! I gotta check those songs out first!" Cassie exclaimed. "Ok, Teal'c?"

"Ticket to Ride, as I was riding in O'Neill's truck at the time."

"Mom?"

Janet looked directly at Daniel and said "All You Need is Love."

Cassie grinned from ear to ear. "Daniel?"

"With a Little Help From my Friends."

"I can't wait to check these songs out! Thanks Sam!"

"Ok, Cassie it's past midnight, so time for you to go to bed."

"Aw, Mom, I'm not a little kid anymore..."

"Well, the rest of us need to get home and get some sleep, Cassie," Sam said as she stood to leave.

"No, wait, I know I'm too old to be tucked in, but after I'm ready for bed will you and Jack come to my room to say goodnight anyway?"

Sam looked at the Colonel and he tilted his head in a manner that she had come to know meant 'yes'.

"We can do that," Sam replied.

Ten minutes later, when Sam and Jack had come to Cassie's room to tell her good night, I wanna Hold Your Hand was playing on the girl's CD player.

"So, great song, huh?" Cassie asked a little too enthusiastically.

Sam looked away, but Jack said "Yeah, it's a great song." He looked at Cassie for a minute then said "C'mere." He gave her a hug and whispered "Listen, don't ever give up on me and Sam, ok?"

Cassie pulled out of the hug to look in his face "Don't worry, Jack I won't."

Sam wished her a Merry Christmas, gave the girl a hug and then the two officers left her room.

Sam stopped Jack in the hallway "What did you say to her, Sir?"

Jack looked down at the floor, puffed out his cheeks then looked back up at Sam. "I told her to never give up on us, Carter."

Sam looked stunned for a moment then she smiled at the Colonel, shook her head and walked down the hallway, back to the rest of their friends humming Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime.

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