December 19th - Last-Minute Shopping by Cleo the Muse
All Ages
Gen, Drabble, Holiday (Christmas), Humor
Warnings: None
Episodes: None
Synopsis: The AO Happy Place Advent Calendar challenge, in which each day of December (until Christmas), a new door is opened on the Advent calendar, and a picture prompt revealed.
Word count: 300
Notes: Based on a true story. (Thanks, Cheryl!)
Status: Completed as of December 19, 2007

December 19th - Last-Minute Shopping

Before he went home, Daniel spent a few minutes in the men's room at the mall, trying to calm his nerves enough to drive. While he was in there, he twisted around in front of the mirror, checking to make sure there wasn't a cosmic "kick me" sign on his back.

Sam had warned him about last-minute shopping, how it could be crazier than even the day after Thanksgiving, but since Daniel hadn't been on-world long enough to go shopping any time previously, he was stuck with going to the mall the week of Christmas. To his surprise, he'd had a rather successful trip... until the enormous Christmas tree in the center of the mall fell to the ground.

Santa, his elves, and the photographers ran, hurtling past screaming parents and their confused children. Mall-goers scattered and bolted for nearby stores, some even abandoning their shopping bags in their haste to escape. When the huge tree finally crashed down, it did so with a tremendous racket that sounded like a clap of thunder inside the mall.

The impact also jostled the gigantic gold ornaments that had been hung in the tree, sending those flying through the air and rolling across the floor. Daniel had to run inside the Discovery Store to escape the enormous bouncing ball that was chasing him, and as he stood inside the store panting at his narrow escape, a shelf full of stuffed animals chose that moment to collapse, pelting him with a furry safari.

Finally convinced his hands were no longer shaking, Daniel grabbed his bags and headed for the parking lot, keeping a cautious eye out for runaway carts or distracted drivers. There was no need to risk the chance he really did have a cosmic "kick me" sign on his back.

Author's Notes:
He has one. Heck, even Michael Shanks calls Daniel the intergalactic whipping boy!