"Open it already, Jack," Daniel grumbled in frustration. Jack turned to him, eyes wide and somewhat innocent,

"What? I'm just trying to guess." Jack shook the gaily wrapped package again, tilting his head as if to hear it better. "It's a sweater."

"I don't think a sweater would make a clunking noise, sir."

"Good point." Jack shrugged and ripped the wrapping paper off the gift, the scraps joining countless others on the floor.

A knock sounded at the doorway, "Am I too late?" Janet asked, peering in from the corridor.

"Not at all," Daniel said welcoming her. "Pull up a, um. . ." he glanced about the room and noticed that all available chairs were occupied by SG-1, various other members of the SGC, and a few members of his research staff. ". . . piece of desk?" he finished, relocating a stack of folders from the desk into a voluminous drawer.

"Thanks," Janet replied, smoothing her skirt before sliding gracefully onto the corner of the desk. "I've brought some holiday cheer," she announced beginning to remove packages from a large shopping bag she'd brought with her. She surveyed the carnage in the room, "It looks like we've had some very good boys and girls this year."

Jack shrug and beamed his most angelic smile, "Apparently saving the world a few times counts heavily with Santa."Jack finished unwrapping his present to reveal Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. "I don't suppose that this is a comment on my driving technique." There were a few snickers from the crowd.

"Well, it was that or, The Simpson's Hit the Road. Since your clone seemed to enjoy it. . ."

"Perhaps when you have completed the requisite missions, O'Neill, you would care to trade." Teal'c held up his copy of The Knights of the Old Republic.

"Sweet." Jack glanced at the back of the game box . "Of course, this will have to wait until after our fishing trip."

"Why is that, O'Neill?" Jack's reply was lost as another knock at Daniel's door sounded.

"General Hammond, Sir!" The assorted military SGC members stood up as the General entered the room, a broad smile on his face.

"As you were." He smiled as he looked around the room, "Looks like I found where most of my personnel have wandered off to. It makes my mission a lot easier." Hammond also had a bag full of gifts to distribute. He made the rounds around the room shaking hands and thanking his personnel for their contributions this past year.

"Next year I'll have to get a Christmas Tree," Daniel observed.

"I'm not sure where it would fit, Danny," a new voice called for the hallway, "Santa might need to bring you a bigger office."

"Dad!" Sam called from the other side of the room, her whole face lighting up, like– well Christmas. Carefully dodging the debris, packages, presents, and persons, Sam made her way over to the door and hugged him tightly. "I was afraid you weren't going to make it."

"Sorry, kiddo, flight was delayed." He wink roguishly at her. "I wouldn't miss it, though." She glanced over her father's shoulder into the hallway to see yet two more familiar faces.

"Bra'tac, Rya'c, come in." The master Jaffa glanced dubiously into the severely overcrowded office.

"I believe this room has reached its maximum occupancy." He observed dryly. Teal'c moved from his perch upon one of the stacks of crates to greet the new arrivals.

Sam glanced at her watch, "Actually, we need to get going if we're going to get to the airport on time." She glanced meaningfully at Daniel, and then turned back to her father. "I brought your things. They're in our locker room."

"I guess it's time to go native."

"Speaking of going native," Jack said pulling out two large apparel shaped boxes, "Consider them early Christmas presents," he passed the gaily wrapped packages to the two Jaffa visitors. Bra'tac and Rya'c looked a somewhat at a loss as to what to do with the festive gifts.

"It is a Taur'i tradition in which they exchange gifts to honor their friends and family. I believe your packages contain Taur'i clothing."

"Yeah, the world isn't ready for our particular fashion statements," Jacob gestured absently at the Jaffa's robes and his own Tok'ra tunic. "Come on, I'll show you how everything goes on." He headed towards the door, he paused in the doorway, "Meet you topside in twenty?" Sam nodded her head glancing again at her watch.

"I suppose this is our signal to break it up then," Jack said rising to his feet. "Merry Christmas , Sir," he said sketching a sloppy salute in the General's direction, "Carter, Daniel."

"Merry Christmas, Jack." Daniel said and submitted to some manly back slapping.

"Merry Christmas, sir." Sam said catching Jack in an impulsive hug. Jack smiled and strolled out of the room, "Somewhere out there is a fish with my name on it."

"Maybe we should have had his pond stocked for Christmas," Daniel observed.

"I have a feeling Teal'c's figured out a way to smuggle his X-Box up there."

"Either that or they'll do a lot of meditating."

Janet slid down from the desk, commenting that she should be getting home to Cassie and one by one the occupants made their farewells. Daniel surveyed the damage done to his office, the tattered shreds of wrapping papers, stray cups, and napkins and just sighed. "Just let me get the worst of it up," he said digging in his pocket for his car keys. "You go ahead and grab the car and I'll meet you top side." Sam paused for a second and then took the keys as she headed out the door.

"Go ahead, Dr. Jackson, I'll clean up for you," Nyan offered. He was still puttering around in the far end of the room, reshelving some displaced artifacts "Never keep a lady waiting. That's a fact, no matter what planet you're from." He smiled enigmatically at him.

"Thanks, Nyan, I don't know what I'd do with out you." He replaced a few items that had fallen on to the floor.

"We all know what it's like to do with out you, Dr. Jackson. And I think I speak for all of us when I say it's an experience we don't care to repeat. It's good to have you back." Daniel stared at him for a moment, obviously surprised and touched by his assistant's words.

"It's good to be back, and call me Daniel." He took a final look around and saw that things were in good hands, "Merry Christmas, Nyan and don't stay too late."

"Merry Christmas, Daniel."

"New car?" Jacob asked as Sam pulled up in a brand new SUV. "Air Force must pay more then it did then in my day." He settled himself in the passenger seat and put on his seatbelt.

"Actually it's Daniel's," she busied herself finding her sunglasses. She hadn't had an opportunity yet to let her father know Daniel would be joining them. Not that it would be a problem. After all they were all adults and well-- why couldn't she bring her best friend with her for the holidays. "We thought it would be more comfortable to take his to the airport, considering the luggage and all." Jacob stared out the window for a moment to ponder 'we thought'.

Was there a 'we' that he was unaware of. He'd like to think that Sam would have told her if there was someone in her life. Even if their relationship was limited to snatched time between missions, they'd grown closer since Selmak came on the scene. In her defense, of course, their last mission was to Anubis' super soldier factor. Not exactly conducive to a heart to heart about one's personal life. However, as a father it would be nice to know that Sam was 'settled', even if that did seem an old fashioned notion. And Daniel? Well, he'd have to say. . .

The back door opened and a blast of cold air shot in disrupting his thoughts. Daniel folded his frame into the backseat none to gracefully and shut the door with a bang. "Cold out there," he commented rubbing his hands together to warm them.

"You'd think you'd remember to buy gloves, Daniel. You do live in Colorado," she admonished him, but turned the heat up in the car.

"Hey, I'm lucky I remember who I am," he grinned impishly from the backseat and then leaned forward and folded his arms along the back of the front seat.

Sam just shot him a look and put the car in drive shaking her head. "If we don't hit too much traffic we should be there in plenty of time." Daniel reached over and played with the radio, "Cassie was in here last, she had me listening to some god awful noise." After fiddling for a few moments he sat back as Jingle Bell Rock began to play.

Jacob listened to their banter silently. Were they a couple? Hard to tell. They had a familiarity with each other, that's for certain. But he knew they were good friends. He'd often suspected Sam's feelings ran deeper than friendship, but for whatever reason she had never acted on them. Shame really. Then again Sam had never been real lucky in the dating department. Of course it could be. . .

'Just ask, already,' Selmak said. 'You're going to drive me crazy at this rate'.

'If they want to tell me, they'll tell me. Maybe I just need to fish a little.' Jacob ran his hand across the dashboard of the vehicle.

"Nice car, Danny. Air Force must be treating you well."

"Thanks. My old one got sold while I was um, gone. Sam said I should get something reliable this time."

"I think my exact words were, 'spend more time with you than your mechanic.'" She grinned somewhat evilly at him in the rear view mirror.

He half smiled back at her, "My old car was a classic!"

Sam rolled her eyes and sighed. Clearly they had had this discussion before. "So, Dad. I've your suitcase in the back with all your things. Your gifts for the kids are in there as well."

"Thank, Sam. I just couldn't find the time to shop this year," he gave her a broad wink.

"As it was we ended up at the mall three days before Christmas." There was that we again. Time for a new tactic.

"So, have you ever been to San Diego before, Daniel?"

"No, I haven't, actually. I spent most of my time stateside east of the Mississippi before getting involved in the project."

"Yes, he's seen the Seven Wonders on the World, but never seen Shamu."

"Or been to Disney World, don't forget that."

"How could I. We'll have to fix that some other time. At least this time we can take the kids to Sea World and correct that oversight." Another trip together. Sounds promising.

Daniel made a face that was trying to imply that he was annoyed but the half smile ruined the effect. "Thanks, Sam."

"Hey, what are friends for," she answered grinning at him in the rearview mirror as she paused to take her ticket at the parking garage.

'Friends,' Jacob thought. 'I guess that answers that.'

'Shame really,' Selmak thought in response. 'I rather think I'd like him for a son-in-law.'

Jacob involuntarily sighed, 'So would I, Sel.'

Sam glanced over at her father. He had that far away look in his eyes that indicated he was in discussion with Selmak. The long sigh that had just escaped his lips concerned her. She pulled into a parking space and turned to him, "Hey, you okay, Dad, she asked with concern. Jacob blinked and then met her gaze, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Unconsciously, Jacob glanced over his shoulder at Daniel. Sensing a father/daughter moment, Daniel got out of the car and busied himself with the luggage. Jacob watched after him for a moment lost in thought. Sam followed the direction of her father's gaze and stared for a moment, too. A small smile spread across her lips and she vocalized her internal thoughts, "It's good to have him back."

"You really missed him, when he was gone. Didn't you." It was a statement, not a question. Jacob touched her shoulder with fatherly affection.

"It's been six months, and sometimes I still wake up and think he's gone," she shook her head ruefully, "Of course that's usually when he walks in with a cup of coffee for me. It's almost like he knows."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Jacob said quietly squeezing her shoulder.

Sam looked at him, startled, her blue eyes wide, "What?"

Jacob chuckled to himself, "Or not," He glanced out the window and saw Daniel directing one of the porters to load up their luggage. "I think he's preparing to leave without us."

Sam gathered her things and locked up the car, noting the parking location on her ticket. Jacob strolled ahead to chat amiably with the porter. Daniel lagged behind until he was side by side with Sam. "Everything okay? He's not upset that you invited me, is he?", he asked uncertainly.

"No, no. Nothing like that," she smiled reassuringly at him. Amazing how even after all this time he still was self-conscious about being welcome. She brushed her hand against his arm as if to reassure herself that he was really there. "Quite the opposite in fact." They walked along in companionable silence. Softly, so soft in fact that Daniel almost didn't hear her, she said to herself, "I'm glad you came home." Daniel reached his arm around her shoulders pulling her close for a moment in a half hug. Gently he placed a kiss on the top of her head, "So am I, Sam. So am I."