FOUR DAYS
OF CELESTINO – I. Day One
by Betty Bokor
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's
weekend.
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.
Disclaimer:
The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double
Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly
for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright
infringement has been made.
Day One
Chapter 2
"I can't believe we couldn't get out of there until now," Sam said as they merged onto I-25. "It's 10:20 already. We'll be lucky if we get there by midnight."
"It's all right, Sam," Daniel said as he checked the truck behind them in the rear view mirror. "Jack will be there already and he'll have everything under control. We just need to check in the hotel and go to sleep. Tomorrow we'll have time to talk and have fun together. I'm pretty much dead by now."
"Yeah, I'm tired, too. There's always something going on. There's no respite." She looked at him and asked, "Would you like me to drive?"
"No, don't worry. I'll be fine, but don't talk to me after we pass the hotel doors. I'll be already sleepwalking," he smiled.
Sam smiled, too. "Did Jack tell you if the Conor O'Neill from the pub in Boulder was from his family?"
"No, he didn't. I don't think so. I think he just chose it because he liked the name. You know him."
"Yeah, I know. Did he tell you anything else?"
"He just said that there's this one-block Saint Patrick's parade and that it has been happening for more than twenty years. It must be a long block because the parade crosses the Downtown Mall. They even have bleachers for the spectators. Last year it snowed all the way and they still did it. I checked on the Internet and it said that there would be some Irish dancers and bagpipe bands in it and then during the day in the pub. "
"Sounds good."
"Yep."
By the time they drove by Denver, Sam was already sleeping by Daniel's side. She had tried hard to stay awake and keep up a conversation with him, but she was too tired. Daniel smiled softly as he saw her peacefully resting against the side door. Probably nobody could ever imagine the things she had seen or what she had gone through in the last years. And it was not getting better.
When he finally got onto Walnut Avenue in downtown Boulder, he decided to wake her up. He was sure she would like to have the chance to fix her make-up or straighten her clothes before they saw Jack. When he stopped at the next traffic light, he gently patted her arm and woke her up. A few minutes later they were parking in front of the hotel Jack had chosen. Daniel was astonished. The impressive four-story building in front of them in no way resembled the usual inns Jack had picked to stay in during their few trips together. The large structure, inspired by the Arts and Crafts era, was imposing.
"Are you sure this is the right address?" Sam asked as she got out of the car.
Daniel double-checked because he was starting to have doubts, too. "Yes, it's the right one," he said after he looked at the small card he had taken out of his pocket. "Saint Julien, that's what it says here."
"Spa?" Sam asked as she read the sign at the entrance of the hotel.
They both looked at each other in amusement and went into the foyer. They approached the counter and Daniel introduced himself to the employee behind it.
"Good evening. My name is Daniel Jackson," he began.
"Oh, Doctor Jackson, we've been waiting for you. General O'Neill left us precise instructions to take care of you and your wife," the employee interjected.
"He did?" Daniel asked. He looked at the nameplate on the other man's jacket and said. "Excuse me, Mr. Righel. You mean he's already left or he hasn't arrived yet?"
Righel smiled. "I'm afraid General O'Neill will be unable to accompany you on this occasion, but he left a message for both of you in your room."
Daniel looked at Sam bewildered and suddenly remembered what the gentleman had said. "My wife?" he asked.
Righel turned slightly and looked at Sam. "Mr. Jones will take care of your luggage, Colonel Jackson."
Sam allowed an older gentleman who had approached her to take her luggage away. She was far too dumbfounded to protest.
"Follow me, please," he said as he turned around with the few bags Sam and Daniel had brought.
"Anything you need, you can call me," Righel said as they followed the old man.
They took the elevator and stopped on the fourth floor. "I believe your friend chose this floor because the views are more impressive from here. Completely unobstructed view of the Flatiron Mountains." The old man opened the door of the last room in the hallway and Sam went in. He followed her with the luggage and then he realized that Daniel was still in the hallway. "Is anything wrong, Dr. Jackson?"
"I'll wait here until we go to the other room," he replied.
"Other room? Are you expecting more company? I'm afraid General O'Neill only made reservations for the two of you. He specifically requested this room, but he made no arrangements for any other guests."
Daniel thought about explaining the situation, but soon reconsidered. He was too tired and he was willing to sleep on the floor if it was necessary. He smiled and went into the room. He gave a tip to the old man and closed the door.
"Daniel?" Sam asked from behind him.
"I don't know what Jack was thinking or why he's not here… yet, I hope, but it's too late and we can't even call him to find out. Let's figure out a way to share this room for tonight and tomorrow we'll get better arrangements. I'm dying, Sam."
"Okay, you're right. Why don't you get the bathroom first? I already took a nap in the car."
"All right," he answered and opened his bag to get his toiletries. "See if you can find Jack's message."
After Daniel went to take his shower, Sam searched around for any signs of a message from Jack, but she could not find any. She was as astonished as Daniel. Jack had organized the whole trip, he had made the reservations, and he had pestered them until he was certain the two were coming, and, now, he was not there.
She lay on top of the bed while she thought about it. She closed her eyes and let her body accommodate to the soft feeling of the sumptuous duvet comforter that covered the bed. It was a big four-poster bed, king size for certain. Its dark wood perfectly fit in the room decorated in soft earth tones. It was a very spacious and soothing room. She could have a very relaxing weekend there, without even getting out of the room, but first they had to fix the problem of Daniel's accommodations. She decided she would share the bed with him for the night. She was sure that he would offer to sleep on the chaise by the side of the bed or even on the floor, but that would be unfair. This was his vacation, too, and besides, they had slept side by side on hundreds of occasions during missions.
A few minutes later, Daniel was back from his shower. Sam explained her idea and Daniel protested for a short while. When Sam came back from her shower, he was already sleeping deeply on his side of the bed. Sam did not give it a second thought and went to sleep.
