Day Four: Do Sleighs Have the Right of Way?
"I almost wish our assignment wasn't over tomorrow," Sam said as she stood on the observation deck of the Daedalus and looked out into the emptiness of space.
"Why?" Jack asked as he sat at the nearest table, half-reading the mission report. "I thought you wanted to be home from the holidays."
She sighed and sat down across from him. "I do.. It's just who gets to be in outer space at Christmas?"
"Are you… hoping to catch a glimpse of nine reindeer pulling a sleigh past Jupiter or something?" He held up his hands when she made a face at him, one he always found adorable because she'd never been very good at hiding that she thought his dumb jokes were actually funny. "No, no. I know what you mean."
Sam narrowed her eyes. "Do you?"
He scrunched up one eye. "Sort of. Enough to know it's important to you, in any case, so… it occurs to me that I don't think any of the fleet has done anything holiday related while traveling so, since we've got a day and a half before we get home, why not do something to mark the occasion?"
She drummed her fingers on the table. "I could use the leftover supplies and maybe a little of the Asgard tech that still works to make some food and maybe a few decorations."
Jack waved his hand. "There you go. A holiday party in space, good idea."
"And this would be allowed?"
"Check the databases, see if I'm still in charge of everything. If I am, and you insist on having official permission, you do." He shut the report he wasn't really interested in, since he'd been on the mission anyway, and stretched a kink out of his shoulder. "It's fine, Carter. People don't really question what happens on the ships as long as the job gets done. If they do, we'll call it a morale booster."
The beaming smile she gave him made the decision worthwhile, and he found himself offering to help.
Sam only just resisted the urge to hug him because Lieutenant Marks came through the room to give her the end of shift report. "Thank you, Lieutenant," she said when he finished, stuttering and stammering a little because Jack was still in the room. "Go get something to eat but spread the word that everybody who can should come here starting in… three hours."
"Can I ask why, ma'am?"
She shook her head. "No. Sorry. And the observation deck is off limits until then."
Jack snickered as Marks left the area. "You're devious, Colonel Carter, and over Christmas. I'm shocked."
Shaking her head, Sam couldn't help but smile. "You've known I can be devious for a long time. Now are you going to help me or just watch me do all the work?"
"Checked the databases and found out that I'm not in charge anymore and decided you can boss me around?" he said, feigning surprise as he got up to do whatever she said. "Now that's some truly good news. What's up first, boss?"
Hours later, Sam stood in a corner of the observation deck watching with undisguised happiness as the Daedalus crew ate replicated Christmas cookies, sang carols, and pulled Harry Potter/British style Christmas crackers. They'd already taken a group photo, commemorating the first Earth-born humans to officially celebrate Christmas in space.
"You did good, kid," Jack whispered, coming up behind her. "There's a lot to not forget up here but this will stand out for them."
