"Maaaaajor Carter," Jack sing-songs as he glides into the laboratory of his Second in Command, tapping a pen against the folded cardstock and envelope in his hand. He watches as she startles and jumps up from her laptop, eyes at first wide then relaxed with her sigh as she lifts a hand to rest over her heart.
"Sir! You scared the shit out of me."
"Little old me?" he asks, innocently.
"What can I do for you, Sir?"
He drops the birthday card in his hands down to the counter in front of her and sets the pen against it, smiling. "It's Walter's birthday," he says. "We're all signing it."
Sam smiles but stares at him with some confusion. "Walter's birthday," she says.
"Yes, it is."
"Walter Harriman the Control Room Technician?"
"Yes, Carter. Is there a problem?"
"Of course not, Sir!" Sam yelps as she snatches the pen and opens the card. "I just, I don't remember you being the birthday card guy, Sir. You being, you know, second in command and all? Of the whole base?"
"Yes, well," Jack flourishes his hands and shrugs. "It's Walter. I like Walter."
She smiles. "Me too, Sir." Sam looks down at the card and can't help noticing the well-wishes already signed in. Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, Siler… General Hammond?! And a couple dozen or so more. It looks like he's been making the rounds for a while. She notes that Jack's own signature includes a crude drawing of the Stargate with a wormhole puddle and stick Walter nearby. She signs her name near that, laughing as she looks at the little face on the stick figure.
She hands it back with the pen on top, smiling brightly. "Will there be cake, Sir?"
"Oh, Carter," he says. "Wait till you see this cake." Jack's face lights up in a way she's never seen, brown eyes warming to hot and grin spreading further across his face than it's ever even threatened. He winks at her as he shoves the card into its envelope and passes his tongue over the adhesive to seal it. "Party is at 1400 in the Commissary. Don't be late?"
"I'll be there with bells on, Sir."
He winks at her as he finishes scrawling Walter's name across the front of the envelope, then taps the card against her counter. "I know you will, Carter."
