A/N: Thank you for the reviews everyone! And I hope you enjoy the conclusion. Deamon Fire, Thank you for the idea, and I hope you don't mind me changing it up a bit. --jinxed
The Trouble With Icecream
Part 3:
Daniel wasn't sure what he was going to do about work, he just knew what he was going to do about Jack. He had a Jaffa-like cell phone tattoo on his forehead, a major hangover and/or concussion, and there was no way around the fact that even his adored cappucino icecream didn't make up for any of it.
He didn't know what he was going to tell Sam, and Teal'c, he just knew he was going to get back at Jack for all the torment. And he was going to enjoy doing it immensely.
- - -
"Here's the deal, Sam," he explained to the astrophysicist, genius babe that Samantha "Sammy" Carter was, "We were drunk, and it's all Jack's fault, anyway."
"It does remind me of a Jaffa symbol, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, and Daniel could almost swear he was joking. So he narrowed his eyes at him for a moment.
Sam took a spoonful of her blue jello. She was smiling as she savored the bite, and Daniel wondered what it was about that particular flavor that she liked so much. Then again... he was into cappucino. "So, all this was over..." She raised a brow. "...icecream?"
"Don't laugh," he warned her, but sighed in defeat right afterward.
She continued to smile but shook her head. "I'm assuming you're going to get him back for this?"
Daniel paused. Why was he surprised that she'd guessed? "You know what they say about assuming," he began, but she gave him a knowing look that had him backtracking. "Okay, yeah... Do you have any ideas? And... more importantly, are you going to snitch?"
Sam feigned an affronted look. "Snitch? Me? I would never--"
It was Daniel's turn to give her an "I can see right through you" stare. She grinned and replied, "It depends on what I get out of it."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow at that. "I would never have expected such dishonorable behavior from the both of you."
Daniel blinked, and Sam burst out laughing.
- - -
Jack was just getting home from work when his cell phone rang. He flipped it open, checking the caller ID and thought about shutting it again. Instead he pushed the SEND button. "Hello, Dan-iel."
"Jack, I'm going to need you to come over to my place right away." He sounded distressed.
"Why, what's wrong?" Jack questioned, switching gears from tired and annoyed to concerned and worried.
"I don't want to tell you on the phone," came Daniel's rapid and nervous reply, "You'll understand when you get here."
"Daniel, just tell me what's going on," Jack said, with some exasperation.
"Just come over," Daniel repeated his urgent request.
"Daniel, wai--" He'd hung up.
Oh, for crying out loud...
- - -
When Jack got to the house, he parked and went in without bothering to lock up his truck. Daniel met him in the doorway, saying hurriedly, "You know how you always tell me not to touch alien objects when I don't know what they are and even when I do know what they are?"
Jack followed him to the living room, nodding. Daniel continued, "Well, I didn't..."
"Why do you say it like that?" Jack wondered, suspiciously, glancing around the living room, his hands tucked safely in his jeans.
"Because Sam did," Daniel explained with chagrine.
Just then, the blond astrophysicist came running, yes, running into the room. "Uncle Dan-i-el!" Throwing her arms around Daniel and squealing with delight, she waved an object in his face, "Look, Uncle Daniel! I found it in d'ere!" She waved her arm toward the other room, exciteably and vaguely.
Daniel cleared his throat uncomfortably and took the object she was proferring to him. "What is it?" he wondered rhetorically, looking at the small statue.
"It's a naked lady," Carter said proudly, poking the wooden native in her bosom.
"Daniel," Jack said warningly, turning bright red starting with his ears. "What did she touch?"
Daniel shook his head, almost sadly. "I don't know... But she came over here about an hour ago, and ten minutes later, she was behaving like a three-year-old... literally." He sighed, "She mentioned something about a device she'd been studying in her lab. It must have been what caused this. Maybe the effects will wear off after awhile."
Jack noticed Carter staring at him with huge blue eyes, and suddenly she yelled, "Uncle Jack!" And then she flung her arms around him in a huge, whole-hearted hug.
"Gah! What is she doing?" Jack exclaimed, trying to peel her off of him.
"She's just being affectionate," came Daniel's dry response over the delighted screaming.
"Well, tell her to stop!" Jack yelled desperately.
Sam backed away from him, suddenly, looking stricken. Uh, oh... She burst into tears, and Jack half-reached out to her and stepped farther away simultaneously. "Oh, for crying out loud, now what?" he demanded.
Daniel's lower lip stuck itself out, and, for a troubling moment, Jack thought he was going to throw a tantrum as well. "You hurt her feelings."
"How?" He was truly clueless.
"She thinks you don't like her because you told her to stop hugging you," Daniel explained, looking tolerant.
Jack tried to defend himself, "I told you, not her!" It didn't come out right.
"Tell her you're sorry, Jack," Daniel instructed him, patiently.
"I will no--" Jack started, but Carter's wailing became louder. "Aw, come on! Carter... Sammy, please don't cry." She sniffled and hiccuped. It was a start. "Hey..." He pleaded, then chucked his tough-guy image and wrapped his arms around her. "Shh... I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it."
"Really?" she wondered, suddenly sounding very adult. "Are you going to apologize to Daniel now, too?" She laughed silently, and he went still and slowly lowered his arms. He had this sudden feeling that he'd been had.
Carter stepped away from him, grinning like the mischievous brat she'd been acting like. "Jokes on you, sir," she told him smugly.
"Daniel," Jack growled, going red in the face all over again. When he turned on Daniel though, the archeologist was setting his statue casually down on a nearby end-table.
Jack glared at him until he looked up, eyebrows going up expressively. He was still giving Jack "the lip", but his eyes were sparkling peculiarly. "Hmmm?"
"I'm gonna--" Jack threatened.
Daniel cut him off, "What, Jack?" He tilted his head, pretending curiousity. "Apologize, maybe?"
Jack tried to ignore the faint, smothered giggle coming from Carter's position off to his left. Humbly, he mumbled, "Sorry..."
Daniel raised his eyebrows again. "What was that? I didn't quite hea--"
"I'm sorry, Daniel!" Jack snapped.
Daniel grinned cheekily, and Jack decided he was never going to come between an archeologist and his icecream ever again.
The End.
