This story is a SG-1 one, done for the 2021 calendar.

" Here, Colonel. "

O'Neill raised an eyebrow questioningly as he picked up the metal mug.

"Your special grog, Captain?"

Sam blushed a little, pursing her lips.

With a thankful smile and vaguely raising the container in a silent toast, Jack tasted it.

"It's a bit lacking in rum. But it's drinkable. It's drinkable… " he noted, clicking his tongue.

She smiled, clutching her own mug in her freezing palms.

With a wave, he ordered her to come and sit next to him on the kind of packed-snow bench he had made.

She obeyed.

He held out his cup to her, and after a moment of bewilderment, she gently knocked hers against it. "Merry Christmas, Carter. "

"Merry Christmas, Colonel. "

They drank in silence.

Jack was right. It lacked rum. She did what she could with what they had in their packages. In other words, not much.

Silence fell again. It was dark. A clear and luminous night, thanks to the six moons in the sky and the snow reflecting their light.

Their little fire was there only to guard them from hypothermia. Which was reason enough to have it, though.

" Oh. Carter, look!" the colonel exclaimed, pointing his finger at the sky.

Looking up, she tried to see what he was showing her.

"I don't see anything, Colonel. "

"Wait, it's gone. Ah, there! You saw it ? "

"No, I didn't see anything. "

"But yes, there! Just there ! The pink thingy! "

Squinting, she tried to make out something. For a moment, she caught a glimpse of a pink glow at the edge of her field of vision.

Then another. And yet another.

"It's an aurora borealis, my colonel." She noted. "The charged solar winds collide with the planet's magnetospheres and…"

A gloved finger rested on her lips.

"Quiet, Carter. I want none of your technobabble on Christmas Eve. Shut up and enjoy the view. " She nodded and with a final warning "Ssshht!" Jack withdrew his hand, before settling more comfortably to gaze at the sky, now ablaze with pink, purple, but also blue, green and gold.

After a moment of hesitation, she imitated him. They were alone on this frozen world, and it was certainly not him who would hold it against her for this little sprain in military etiquette.

After a good twenty minutes of eternity, the colonel broke the silence.

"Hey, Carter, are you sure you can't fix the DHD?"

"Absolutely. Sorry, Colonel. We're gonna have to wait for SGC to get in touch with us for the report in, er ... (She pulled up her sleeve to look at her watch) Six hours thirty minutes. "

"Damn. I wish I could go back home to find ourselves a good blanket and some real grog to watch the show. Guess in six hours, it will be over? "

Nodding diagonally, she gave him a sorry little smile.

" Heck. In the meantime, let's try not to catch a cold. Dr Fraiser is going to be mad at us if we spoil her holidays with a bad cold" he noted, spreading his arm in a silent invitation.

Sam snuggled up in there with joy. Even with the fire, it was a little chilly, and yet she couldn't manage to be too sorry about the failure of the Gate.

The grog was a bit bland, but the views were great and the company at it's the best. As if to acquiesce to her thoughts, Jack hugged her briefly.