I'm SO sorry about the false chapter alert... I was trying to change the content of one the chapters and messed up.
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Daniel was released the next day, much to his delight. Jacob left the following evening and Cassie returned home.
It was the 28th and Carter was gleeful. 3 days 'til New Years Eve and then she was free to go.
Jack had complained so much to the General; he was allowed to leave the 4th, instead of 7th.
Both were growing extremely weary of the infirmary and Janet was growing extremely weary of hearing complaints every time she walked into the room. She racked her brain for things for them, even suggesting crafts. The withering looks she received quickly put an end to that idea.
So this is how they spent their Wednesday. Jack honestly thought this was the longest day EVER, the exception being tortured by Ba'al, other then that...
"Sir!" Carter finally sighed. "Can I please have my dog back?"
Jack looked at Toto who was peacefully nestled at the end of his bed. "No... She's happy."
She frowned. "It's my dog."
"So?"
"So... she-"
Daniel practically ran in. "Sam!" he cried. "Listen to this..."
He quickly babbled something while waving a piece of paper frantically.
Sam gave him a small smile. "Can I see the paper?" she asked holding out her hand.
He handed it to her and she scanned it. "Interesting."
"What is?" Jack demanded.
"That planetary history I made work; it mentions the Goa'uld visiting there."
Jack perked up. "That planet looked fine, not like they had been there."
Daniel grinned. "Exactly."
Jack pulled himself up. "Big hunkin' space guns?"
He nodded.
"Let's go!"
Daniel shook his head. "Oh, the history clearly says that they took everything with them so I assume that they took-"
Jack interrupted. "So why are you telling me this?"
He thought for a second. "Because it's fascinating?"
Jack made an indistinct noise in the back of his throat. "Maybe I do prefer infinite boredom," he replied thoughtfully.
Carter giggled as Daniel frowned.
"Jack..."
"Jack..." Jack mimicked.
"Stop it."
"Stop it."
"Jack!"
"Jack!"
Daniel glowered at his friend for a moment, who smiled unrepentantly at him. "Sam," he complained.
Carter buried her nose back in her book. "Can't help you Daniel."
Jack grinned. "So Daniel... tell me once more again about how you sprained your ankle?"
Å Three days later Å
"Oh, come on Janet!"
Janet frowned at her patients. "I don't think you-"
"DOOOOOOOOOOC!" Jack complained. "C'mon! We've got it all planned and everything!"
The petite doctor bit her lips. "Colonel," she began, "I understand-"
"Janet," Carter interrupted sitting up and giving her a bright smile. "It's New Year's eve!"
"Sam-"
Daniel calmly ignored the chaos and flipped through a magazine. Jack and Sam were trying to talk Janet into letting them go to O'Malley's- an annual tradition for them. The years they weren't dead, missing, or injured. He grinned. He knew the doctor would say no.
And "No" she said. Sam resigned herself to staying in the infirmary with grace. Jack 'accidentally' managed to knock over a tray of food, was 'cold' and 'hot' at various times, hungry- but not for anything the SGC said- and in general being a pain in the ass. Janet bore it until his fifteenth rendition of 'Doc Fraiser got run over by a reindeer'. She promptly pushed Jack's bed to the opposite side of the room and closed the curtains.
Å
"I COULD DIE IN HERE!"
Carter looked at the clock. "It's only 12:34 sir... I'm sure someone will remember to feed you."
Jack yanked the curtain open. "I'm starving," he whined.
"You'll be fine sir."
"No, I won't."
"Yes sir. You'll be fine. Promise."
He scowled. "Unlike some of us, I missed breakfast."
"That's because you refused to wake up sir."
"So?"
She sighed. "So... it means that it is your own fault that-"
"Shh!" He hissed. She obediently went silent. A clanking noise could be heard. A moment later, Bert appeared around the corner with a well-filled tray.
He grinned. "Lunch!"
Å
Daniel adjusted the channel on the small television. "Ok, let's-"
"Go over the schedule again," Jack finished smoothly. Daniel glared.
"I believe we already know the 'schedule' Daniel Jackson. We are to begin eating at 7:00. After that, we will play games until the time is almost right. We shall then depart and come back with the sparkling beverage and 'toast' to the New Year and-"
Daniel laughed at himself. "Yeah... so... what do you want to play?"
Carter shrugged. "The Colonel only has a few games..." She trailed off as Daniel held up a board game. "Monopoly?"
He nodded. "Teal'c and I were at the store and we thought we'd get something... oh, and there's a card game in there... Phase Ten or something like that."
"Sweet!" Jack commented. "Can I have a beer?"
"No beer Colonel," Janet said briskly. "Cassie and I have a date with her teacher and then we are going to Dominic's house to celebrate."
"Have fun Janet," Sam called from her bed. Janet waved at her and hurried out of the room.
"Doc's in a hurry," Jack commented to Sam. He had finally been moved back to his 'rightful' place and was behaving angelically... at least until Janet was safely out of the way.
"The appointment is in 30 minutes and you know how long Cassie takes to get ready."
"Don't we ever," Daniel muttered. "Monopoly?"
Å
"You're not playing fair Carter," Jack complained.
Carter had formed an alliance with Teal'c and Daniel. They bought up all the land and Daniel obligingly sold to Carter whatever she wanted. Teal'c, tired after the third hour, traded all his lands to Carter for three thousand dollars, which he gave to Jack with a slight bow. Daniel lasted only minutes longer; he tried hard but was forced to sell off the remaining pieces of land to Jack and then went bankrupt landing on Carter's land. He gracefully bowed himself out and immersed himself in his friend's book, Theories about
Wormholes, part 2.
Carter continued to land on the few properties Jack owned but try as he might, he couldn't win the game. At 6:53, he admitted defeat. Carter, ever the good 2IC, only permitted herself a small smile and triumphant glance. Dinner was steak much to everyone's delight. The President had decided with the skeleton crew they had, steak would be an acceptable, this time.
They tried out Phase Ten, which Daniel, much to his surprise, won. Carter, who was sitting next to Jack who refused to help her out at all, ended up in last place.
As there was still 2 ½ hours left until midnight, they decided to play 'War' a game that Teal'c privately found stupid. They ended it with a tie between Jack and Daniel when it hit 11:00.
Daniel hurried to the kitchens and came back with a bottle of Sparkling Cider and a few goblets.
11:21…
"Dr. Jackson, please, your packages has arrived, Dr. Jackson, please, your packages have arrived."
Daniel grinned and leapt to his feet. "It's Catherine," He explained. "She was going through her collection of artifacts and wanted to know if I wanted the-"
Jack 'shh'ed' him and sent him up to his lab with an injunction to hurry up. When he still hadn't returned at 11:45, Jack sent Teal'c after him with orders to drag him from whatever it was that was keeping him.
11:55…
Carter handed her CO his goblet. "Hard to think that another year has gone by," she commented. "Yet so much has happened."
Jack nodded and looked at her. Toto was nestled in her arms, and she looked happy. The year before, she had forced herself to wear a smiling face for Jonas who was experiencing his first Christmas on Earth but Jack could see through her. Inside she had been struggling. This year she was happy.
He swallowed hard and placed his hand in his pocket. "Carter?"
"Yeah?" she asked looking up and giving him a small smile.
"Wanna go on to Oz with me?"
Her head shot up. "What?"
A boyish look crossed his face. "What do you say Dorothy? You, me, Toto…And Oz?"
Carter's eyes drifted over to the clock. 11:58. Maybe he was just tired…
"I mean it Dorothy. Marry me?"
Å
Daniel looked at the clock. "We won't have time to make it back to the infirmary… mind if we watch the ball drop from here?"
Teal'c smiled. "It does not matter Daniel Jackson."
He switched on the television.
Å
She covered her mouth. "Yes," she whispered.
"Yes... yes, you will-?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"I love you Samantha Carter."
"Yes."
He awkwardly maneuvered himself closer. "So… what do we do now?"
She smiled and pointed to the television. People were yelling. "Three, two, one… HAPPY NEW YEARS!"
"I love you Jack O'Neill."
Å
Daniel grinned at his friend. "Ready to head back?"
Teal'c inclined his head.
"I sure hope Sam and Jack didn't kill each other…"
Å
He didn't have to worry. He stopped short in the doorway.
"Sam?" He squeaked upon seeing his two friend's lip locked. "What's going on?"
"It is most obvious Daniel Jackson. O'Neill has proposed."
"You… what? Huh? Jack?"
Jack fumbled around in his pocket and pulled out a small drawstring bag. "I bought this after you were possessed with that entity…"
Daniel collapsed onto the nearest bed. "You two are engaged?"
"Yes." They both answered.
He stared at them for a second then smiled. "Holy Hannah!"
Sam smiled. She had a feeling this year would be the best one ever.
I'm not sure how many chapters are after this one. Maybe one and an epilouge, maybe just an epilouge...
What does everyone think?
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