Stargate SG1 and its characters are property of Stargate (II) productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money was exchanged. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are property of the author. This story may not be posted anywhere else without the consent of the author.

Notes: Unbeta'd yet again, so mistakes are mine!

This is unashamed schmaltz brought on by a Christmas candy-related sugar high and an overindulgence of Season 9-watching, and I realized just how much I miss Jack. And yes, I took liberties with which Simpsons' DVDs are on sale as of this year. Consider this fic semi-AU, if it bothers you!! lol! So here we go!

"Hey!"

Daniel looked up from his report, squinting against the glare in the dark office to see Sam leaning against the frame of his door. "Hey; what's up?"

"'What's up'?" she echoed with a grin, sliding her shoulder along the wall as she entered, finding the light as she did so.

Daniel blinked against the sudden brightness of the room, and eyed Sam warily. "Yeah...what's up; how's it going...? It's a standard greeting."

"You do know what day it is?" his friend pressed, leaning forward against the opposite side of Daniel's desk, eyeing her younger friend more closely.

"Friday?" Daniel squeaked, leaning back slightly as his self-preservation instinct kicked in.

"Frid...Daniel, it's the 23rd," Sam reminded him incredulously. "Of December. Christmas Eve Eve?"

Daniel broke into a small grin. "And I thought I had been spending too much time around Jack."

Sam returned the smile, but both reflected on the sad fact that this would be the first time in nearly a decade that Jack O'Neill wouldn't be the ringleader of their Christmas spiriting. There was something profoundly unsettling about that.

"So what are the plans for the weekend?" Daniel asked, pressing past the maudlin and engaging the excitement that inherently sprung up when Christmas rolled around, an excitement that had been instilled thanks, in part, to the woman standing in front of him.

"I'm taking Cassie down to meet Mark and the girls on Sunday," Sam said with a soft smile, "but tomorrow--my boy, it's you, Teal'c, Cassie and Cam at my place."

"Mitchell?" Daniel asked in surprise.

Sam's face mirrored his surprise. "Yeah--that's okay, right? I mean, Cam's part of SG-1 now; part of the family...I thought he'd enjoy an SG-1 Christmas. Do you mind?"

"No--I mean, yeah, yeah, that's fine. Mitchell should be invited; I was just surprised that he'd want to spend Christmas Eve with us rather than his family."

"He's flying out to see his parents early Christmas morning," Sam said, "but Christmas Eve he was just going to hang out on his own."

Daniel shrugged. "Well then, we'll just have to scar him for life early on in his SGC career." He grinned. "What time do you want me there?"

Sam nearly bounced in place. "Show up around 4 or 5," she said. "Cassie will be roasting the bird and you'll want to get there early--I'm fasting all day and I'll be ravenous."

Daniel laughed. "Okay then; I'll make sure to bring my extra-long fork so I don't lose a hand."

=====

"Jackson! Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Mitchell," Daniel returned with a preoccupied smile as he juggled the small load of wrapped gifts in his arms. Mitchell held Sam's door wide open so Daniel could pass, and Daniel found himself nose to nose with the evening's hostess.

"Can you two be a little less formal on Christmas?" Sam demanded.

Daniel blinked as he was relieved of his burden, and received a shrug from Mitchell as he let the door close behind him.

"Daniel?" he ventured with a mock-shy grin.

"Cameron?" Daniel returned in the same tone.

"We have a truce!" Sam bellowed from the vicinity of the living room.

"Indeed."

Daniel grinned. "Teal'c; Merry Christmas, my friend." He let himself sink into the plush couch in the living room, eyeing Sam who was bustling around near the impressive tree, arranging gifts in color-coded order. "Has she started already?" he asked the Jaffa in a stage-whisper.

"She has," Teal'c responded dryly, eyes glittering with amusement as Sam took a swig of the Smirnoff that magically appeared in her hand, humming to herself.

"Daniel!!"

Daniel stood to receive Cassandra Fraiser in a tight hug as the young woman barrelled out of the kitchen still in her cooking apparel.

"Hey Cass," he greeted warmly, kissing the top of her head. "How are you?"

The twenty year old shrugged against his chest before pulling back slightly to plant a kiss on his cheek. "It's all good," she said lightly. "School's a bitch, but I'll survive."

Daniel smiled and tossed a lock of her hair; shorter now than it had ever been. "That's my girl."

"Cass, what's the ETA on dinner?" Sam asked from the armchair.

Cassie's eyes went wide. "The stuffing!" she yelped, fleeing back into the kitchen. Clanging and rattling could be heard, followed by a sigh of relief and a calm and collected "Five minutes!" called out to them as the noise settled.

=====

"This is great, Cassandra," Cameron said appreciatively, inhaling the warm aromas of the turkey and all the fixings. Cassie blushed and mumbled a thanks.

"Yeah, Cassie--thank God you got some time off to cook, or there may not have been an SG-1 tomorrow," Daniel said with a smirk and a tilt of his head in Sam's direction.

"Shut up," Sam said with mock indignation, punching Daniel hard on the shoulder, making his eyes water. Someone chose that moment to knock on the front door, and Daniel pushed away from the table, rubbing his arm and coming dangerously close to pouting.

"I'll get it--I'm not safe in here."

"I'll take your stuffing!" Sam called cheerfully after him.

"'I'll take your stuffing!'" Daniel mocked as he opened the door.

"Carter, if you already ate everything, so help me...Christ Daniel, I know you missed me, but you don't have to cry over me."

Daniel gaped, shocked, as he was herded backwards into the hall briskly by a pair of hands on his shoulders. "Come on, Daniel--it's damn cold out there!"

"Jack?" Daniel managed as the visitor shut the door and shivered.

"Honey, I'm home," Jack O'Neill singsonged with a grin. He clapped Daniel on the shoulder and slung an arm around his friend's shoulders, guiding him back to the kitchen where the other guests had clamored in the doorway, and surprised (or smug, in Jack's case) greetings were exchanged all around.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" Sam asked. "We thought you'd..."

Jack shrugged, eyeing the meal stretched across the table over her shoulder. "Despite the wild rumors, Christmas alone in Washington is dull," he said, and with a put-upon sigh, sat himself between Daniel and Teal'c, the former squawking as Jack grabbed his fork and the last of his stuffing disappeared. "So I thought I'd have to help you folks polish off some grub!"

"How lucky for us," Daniel grumbled, but he was grinning. SG-1 was together again!

=====

"Ooh! Hold on a minute!" Jack stood abruptly in the middle of Sam's rendition of 'Marshmallow World' and headed for the front door. "Be right back!"

"Where're you going?" Daniel called as he heard the door open.

"Be patient!" was the muffled response.

"I believe you have scared him away, MajorCarter," Teal'c said dryly.

Sam stopped mid-phrase and blinked. "No," she mused. "Presents." She nodded thoughtfully, and opened her mouth to continue the song, but Cameron held up a pleading hand.

"Uh...Sam, please. Can we possibly take a raincheck on that? Give all our sensitive tympanic membranes a rest?"

Daniel and Teal'c hid smiles--something Cassie didn't succeed at and guffawed--as Sam turned disbelieving eyes on Cameron, who fidgeted uncomfortably from the loveseat. She snorted, muttered something about 'fine art', and flopped into the armchair.

Daniel cleared his throat. "So...presents, huh?" he put out there in an attempt to change the subject. Sam grinned.

Teal'c lifted one eyebrow. "Indeed," he said curiously and with a bit of...well, Daniel wouldn't call it excitement...but for Teal'c, it came pretty close.

"Did you guys get him anything?" Daniel asked in a hushed voice.

Sam nodded. "Sure, but I sent it to Washington."

"As did I."

"Same here," Cassie piped up.

Worrying his lower lip, Daniel swallowed. "Me too." He felt guilty. They'd all assumed Jack wasn't going to be joining them this year; from the way Jack had been complaining lately, things were as hectic in Washington as they were at the SGC. Daniel had mailed his gift nearly two weeks ago to ensure that it would get to Jack by Christmas.

Sam seemed to read his mind. "We had no way of knowing he'd come, Daniel," she reassured him. "I'm sure he's already opened the presents and just decided at the last minute that he'd come here."

"We could have called him to make sure," Daniel maintained.

"I hate to jump in, but with all due respect, folks, we've been pretty busy ourselves," Cameron offered. "Offworld, trouble on base; you guys didn't exactly have a lot of spare time."

Daniel was chewing his lip now. "I guess so," he murmured uncertainly.

"Ho-ho-OW! Damn it! Carter, why would have put a friggin' rock in your front hall?!"

"It's a decoration sir," she called back as Jack reappeared in the living room with an armload of gifts. "And it keeps the inside door held back against the wall when it's open."

"Well I think it just shoved my toe back to my heel," Jack grumbled, putting down his haul and sitting in beween Daniel and Cassie. His injured foot wound up perched on Daniel's knee as Jack inspected it. "Christ," he muttered. "Does this toe look shorter than normal to you?" he asked Daniel, who grimaced and shoved the foot off. Jack noticed the guilty looks Daniel was shooting all over creation, and he clapped his hands once. "What are you waiting for?" he demanded, motioning at the presents. "Dig in! And hand me mine, would you?"

Everyone in the room froze, and it was Daniel who found his reluctant voice first. "Uh...Jack, our gifts for you were--"

"Yeah, I know; you sent them to me." Jack grinned. "And it was damn hard not to tear them open the minute they arrived, kids. But I managed." He sank back into the couch with a martyred sigh. "They're there. Dig. In."

Teal'c virtually pounced on the pile of gifts, and within moments, each one of them had at least one wrapped package in their lap. "You had planned to attend our seasonal festivities, O'Neill?" he inquired.

"Why wouldn't I? It's only been our little tradition for...oh, eight years. Besides, if I didn't show up, I'm sure certain people would forget it was Christmas at all." Jack slid an accusing glance at Daniel, who was obliviously shaking one of his presents carefully. "But I'm glad I'm still capable of surprising you," Jack added cheerfully.

"You definitely did that, sir," Sam agreed, throwing a pillow at Daniel and catching him in the face, knocking his glasses askew. "You're gonna break something," she said sharply. "Just open it!"

"Yeah," Jack said lazily. "You've obviously entered your 'impatient man-child' phase, so we'll start with you, Danny Boy."

Daniel shot Sam a hurt look while fixing his glasses and gave Jack a half-hearted glare before promptly ripping into the gift, pausing to put the two halves of the tag together. 'Love Sam, etc'. "Etcetera?" He asked, opening the box inside.

Sam beamed. "You'll see."

The first item out of the box was some kind of inverted plastic 'U' with a sprig of mistletoe on it. He blinked at it, confused. "Uh...thanks? What-what is it?"

Sam leaped up and crossed to him, taking the unusual gift and sliding it onto his head so the mistletoe hung over his forehead. Jack immediately burst into peals of laughter, and Sam planted a kiss on Daniel's lips. "The nurses' idea," she chirped smugly. "You have to wear it all through the holiday season!"

"Hey, great idea!" Cassie cheered, and slid around Jack to kiss Daniel on the cheek to the chorus of laughter from the others. Daniel blushed furiously, a little grin appearing on his face, and Jack daintily shook one of his own presents curiously. "I want some of that," he said with a chuckle.

Daniel kept digging into the box from Sam, and came up with a brand-new leather-bound journal and a new set of charcoal pencils for rubbings. "Hey, this is great," he breathed. "Thanks, Sam!"

"You're most welcome," she said with a shit-eating grin.

"Okay Carter, open yours," Jack said eagerly, and it was just like old times again, the moment made complete as, while Sam unwrapped her first present, Jack leaned over to Daniel and whispered "I see you're still wearing your mistletoe, Doctor Jackson," in the most flamboyantly seductive voice he could muster. Daniel snorted Smirnoff through his nose, and, coughing and laughing, tore the headband off his head and pretended to throw it as far as he could. "In your dreams, O'Neill," he managed to wheeze. Across the room, Sam gasped as she pulled the first half of her gift out of the little box.

"Daniel, it's beautiful!" she squealed. Cassied bounded over to her for a closer look, and the two women fawned over the 14K yellow gold, X-design link bracelet and its matching necklace that Sam pulled out next. "This is too much," she breathed at Daniel.

He blushed. "Actually, Teal'c, Mit-Cameron and I all went in on them. You always complain about not having enough jewelery."

"And a man took the hint?" Cassie gasped, pretending to pass out. "Sam. Hell has frozen over."

Teal'c tossed a throw pillow at her and Cassie giggled. "Okay Teal'c; you next!"

With nearly as much enthusiasm as Daniel, Teal'c tore into his rectangular-ish gift--and a broad, almost frightening smile spread across his face. He pulled out the box set of the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the individual DVD copies of the more recent prequel trilogy. "My profound thanks," he said, "to whomever gave the gift of the genius of George Lucas."

His friends stared at him. "My, Teal'c," Jack said finally, trying to keep a straight face. "How very...alliterative of you."

Cameron grinned. "Those are from Jac-Daniel and me," he said eagerly. "He went for the original and I grabbed the new ones, so we just put 'em together."

Teal'c smiled. "My thanks, ColonelMitchell. DanielJackson. ColonelMitchell, perhaps you should open your gift now?"

"No argument from me," the new leader of SG-1 said with a broad smile. His gift was the biggest one out of the lot, and his brow furrowed when a whole host of wrapped boxes fell from the first one. The largest to fall out hit him somewhere...unpleasant, and he squeaked, but picked it up and unwrapped it, taking the time to read the tag that was plastered to the top of it--'Essentials for any new SG team leader'.

It was a megaphone.

Cameron blinked, then the smile reappeared and he pulled the white and red instrument from its box. "Oooh, it even has a strap," Jack said admiringly, with a laugh. "Take it for a test drive."

Cameron laughed and hit the button. "TESTING."

Everyone joined in on his laughter, and Jack sighed. "I wish I'd had one of those...hey, can I see it for a minute?" Cameron nodded and handed it to him, and Jack aimed it at Daniel, who was eyeing him warily. "DANIEL! DO NOT TOUCH THE ALIEN ROCKS! I REPEAT--STEP AWAY FROM THE ALIEN ROCKS!"

Daniel knocked the megaphone away from his ear, wresting it from Jack's grasp and handing it back to Cameron. "Funny, Jack." He made a point of wriggling a finger inside his ear as if to clear it. "Hilarious."

Cameron dug into the rest of his gift, coming up with a pair of sunglasses--Sam's contribution--and the 'Idiot's Guide's to both Astronomy and Egyptology--"To keep up with the science twins," Jack cracked. Surprisingly, it had been Teal'c's idea to put those in; the megaphone had been Jack's idea. Daniel, who had known what the motivation behind Jack's contribution had been, had thrown in the 'Dictionary of Clich�s' by James Rogers as his own addition to the gift and grinned smugly at Jack, who looked mildly affronted.

"Daniel, I hate clich�s," he protested.

"And I hate loud, obnoxious voices in my ears when I'm working, but that never stopped them from making their way into the regular rotation on missions," Daniel retorted. Jack ceded the point.

"Okay children, let's let Cassie open hers now," Sam called. "She's been waiting long enough!"

Cassie nodded. "Yes! It's about time." She looked a little bemused at the size of the box Teal'c had handed her--only a little bigger than the box a necklace might come in--but she tore it open eagerly.

"That's from all of us, Cass," Jack said. "Your mom, too. It was her idea." He smiled gently at her as Cassie froze before opening the box, and she returned it; the pain of losing Janet Fraiser, her adopted mother and a good friend of SG-1 was still a deep ache in the hearts of all of them. Cassie carefully pulled the cover off the box, and pulled a key from beneath the satin linings.

Eyes wide, her mouth dropped open. "Jaaaack?" she ventured, a grin threatening to split her face in half. "Daniel? Sam? Teal'c?"

"Cassie?" Jack echoed back at her, beaming.

"Chevy...Cobalt?" Daniel said thoughtfully, tapping his chin as though the words were unfamiliar to him. Cassie squealed with delight, leaping to her feet and systematically squeezing the life out of every member of her adopted family, even throwing her arms around Cameron's neck as she completed her rotation of the room. The colonel started, returning the hug automatically.

"Whoa!" He laughed as Cassie pulled back, still dancing about. "Wasn't me; I'm just an innocent bystander here."

"I don't care!" Cassie sang, passing by Jack and Daniel again. "I have a car! I think I'd hug a Goa'uld right now!"

"Let's not go nuts," Jack said dryly as Cassie, still wriggling with excitement, pressed herself between him and Daniel, hugging both of them again. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she gushed.

Teal'c's "I believe she likes it" topped off the moment, and the 'adults' laughed, watching Cassie as she studied the key as if it were the one to the entire universe.

"Okay, okay, now open the ones from me," Jack said, tossing around five identical, rectangular packages.

"Ah, I've been waiting for the matching sweatshirts," Cameron joked, while Sam raised both questioning eyebrows at her former CO.

"Sir? How did you know all of us were going to be here?"

Jack shrugged, a smug smile still on his face. "I have my ways. Now open! And for the record, Mitchell," he added solemnly, "you have to be officially initiated before you get the official SG-1 Christmas sweater."

"It's true," Cassie put in, equally as seriously. "I've known them for almost nine years and I still don't have one."

"Oh please," Jack said, sotto voce. "What would a little girl know about Christmas uniforms?" Cassie punched him playfully on the arm, and the banter was cut short by...

"Less yakkin', more unwrappin'!"

Five pairs of disbelieving eyes were turned in Daniel's direction; the archaeologist was toasting something only he could see with his newest bottle of Smirnoff, which Jack pried from his grip and set it aside.

"Happy hour ends now for all archaeologists," he proclaimed, then placated Daniel by giving the gift in his hands a nudge. "Go to it."

A few short moments later, knowing groans of amusement rose from one and all when Jack's gifts were revealed--Seasons 1, 2 and 3 of 'The Simpsons' for Cameron, 4, 5 and 6 for Cassie, 7, 8 and 9 for Teal'c, 10, 11 and 12 for Sam, and 13, 14 and 15 for Daniel. "You can all swap around," he informed them cheerily. "That way you'll get caught up on what I've been worshipping all these years."

"Sir, these must have cost you a fortune!" Sam squeaked.

"Carter, some things are worth more than just money...and 'The Simpsons' is one of those things," Jack added quickly, before anyone could call him on being borderline sappy.

"Thanks General," Cameron said appreciatively. "These are fantastic."

Jack smiled indulgently. "See? Someone appreciates good TV," his remark followed closely by Daniel's grumbled "Suck up."

Sam laughed, then glanced up at the clock on the wall, which read 11:30. "Well," she said regretfully, "Cassie and I have an early start tomorrow, so I guess we'd better turn in."

"Yeah, same here," Cameron agreed, rising and collecting his gifts. "I think I'll head out too."

"I as well," Teal'c chimed in. "I will convey you to your home, ColonelMitchell. I leave for Dakara in only a few hours."

"Well all right then," Jack said. "I'll drive Bump here home; crash at his place."

"'Bump', sir?" Sam inquired curiously.

"As in 'on a log'." Jack nodded at Daniel, who was slumped against the back of the couch, eyes drifting shut. "Glad to know some things don't change," he said with a grin. "Still a cheap date." He paused, studying his friend for a moment before sighing. "I really don't want to have to carry him..."

"WAIT!" Sam yelped. "Don't move him yet!"

Everyone watched her quizzically as she pulled out her digital camera, and, in Jack's opinion, putting the Springfield Cat Burglar to shame, tiptoed over to Daniel, and carefully slid the mistletoe headgear onto his head. A quick whirr of the camera later, and Sam straightened, beaming and carefully tugging the mistletoe off the archaeologist's head. No one was the wiser. Cameron snuffed a laugh down his nose and Cassie groaned in sympathy. "Evil," she muttered.

Jack slung an arm around her shoulders. "Of course it is!" he said enthusiastically. "That's why he loves us." He paused. "But blackmail material doesn't get him out to the car, Carter."

"No problem," Cameron said, digging out his new megaphone and turning it on. "JACKSON! RISE AND SHINE!"

The effect was instantaneous; Daniel jerked awake, head twisting about wildly searching for danger. "Shit!" he muttered. "I thought something was wrong--way to give me a coronary."

"There would have been something wrong if you'd made me carry you out of here," Jack pointed out. "C'mon. We're all heading out."

"Oh..." Daniel looked disappointed, but gained his feet and fond goodbyes and 'happy holidays' wishes being exchanged. Cassie hugged whatever life was left in them, still thanking them profusely for the car, and then Cameron and Teal'c were gone, and Jack was pretty much hauling Daniel out to the rented SUV he'd picked up coming in from Washington.

"What about my car?" Daniel grumbled as Jack situated him in the passenger seat.

"We'll grab it tomorrow. You're in no shape to drive and I'm jetlagged like nobody's business. Just wanna sleep."

"Where're you stayin'?" Daniel asked, obviously having missed that portion of the conversation inside and his voice a little slurred from the wine and vodka he'd indulged in.

"I was thinking your couch," Jack said with a slight grin, "unless you're a lone wolf on Christmas Eve now."

Daniel grunted softly, already half asleep again. "'Sfine," he mumbled. "'Sgreat. You make breakfast."

Jack chuckled, pulling away from Sam's house. "You got it."

=====

Still feeling the effects of his adventures in alcohol the night before, Daniel rolled over to his stomach, burying his head in his pillow with his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Something...he was forgetting something. What...

Christmas morning.

Sighing, Daniel rolled again, this time winding up sitting on the edge of his bed, feet hanging off the side and the blanket puddling itself around his waist and to the floor. Last thing he remembered was Jack hauling him out of the SUV when they got to Daniel's building, then random flashes of getting up to the apartment itself, Jack's irritated mumblings about why in the name of holy Hell Daniel decided to get an apartment again instead of staying in his house like a 'normal' person. Daniel blinked. Jack!

Dragging his blanket with him to combat the cold of his apartment, Daniel padded out of his bedroom to the living room, where Jack's snores were making themselves increasingly audible. Daniel peeked around the corner, and grinned at the sight of his friend sprawled on his stomach, dead to the world with a host of blankets piled over him. Of course Jack would pick the couch closest to the window that was stuck open a crack. Daniel shook his head with amusement. It was so bizarre, but welcome to have Jack at his apartment again. Ever since he'd been promoted, Jack hadn't exactly been a regular fixture in Colorado Springs. He'd pop in for the occasional, short visit whenever he could, but this was the first time he'd spent the night, not worrying about having to get back to Washington for some reason or another.

Daniel's smile faded somewhat as he headed back to his room for a few more hours' sleep. This was what he missed the most--team nights, whether holiday-related or not, where either he or Jack--or both, sometimes--would get shitfaced and the one who was the most sober would deem themselves babysitter for the night while the other slept off the buzz and the subsequent hangover. Often, they'd have to go out and search for at least one of their vehicles; a few times, they'd ended up at some pretty out-there-on-the-outskirts bars. Last night was just like it had been for eight years; everyone within reach for a dinner together, some laughs, some drinks, and overall companionship. Daniel had to admit, it was disappointing to expect but not get Jack showing up out of the blue at the door of his office, pestering Daniel out of self-induced isolation while he studied some artifacts or wrote up one of his endless reports. Jack always seemed to know when Daniel needed a break--often long before Daniel himself knew. He missed his friend's presence dearly--not that he'd ever admit that to Jack, of course. Daniel knew that Jack understood though, because Daniel didn't think for a minute that Jack didn't feel exactly the same way. In retrospect, they never should have just assumed Jack wouldn't join them on Christmas Eve; busy or not, Jack would want to spend time with his friends; his family.

Family. Daniel suddenly remembered what he'd intended to give Jack, and hurried pulled the thing out from the top shelf of his closet. He paused and glanced at the digital clock on his bureau. 10:30. It wasn't too early. Jack would probably be heading back to Washington later on, and Daniel didn't just want to hand it off as he was boarding the plane.

"Jack?" He edged closer to the couch, and kicked it lightly. "Jack!" he hissed, a little louder.

"ferchrissakes," was the muffled curse into the pillow Jack was currently inhaling. "Whaaaat?" As usual, he was immediately alert, and rolled up to a sitting position.

Suddenly embarrassed, Daniel glanced down at the flat, wrapped package in his hands. "I, uh...I didn't give this to you last night; I was going to send it to you later on today, but since you're here...it's embarrassing; probably a little stupid, but I couldn't really think of anything good to get you for Christmas, and I know that the telescope case was kind of dumb since you probably can't even see the stars in Washington..."

"Daniel!" Jack was laughing. "Sit down; you're gonna pass out from oxygen deprivation."

Daniel managed a nervous smile, flopped down on the couch beside Jack, and unceremoniously thrust the package toward the older man, feeling like a little kid who was embarrassed over some handmade card. Jack took the gift carefully, whistling at the weight of it. "Christ," he muttered good-naturedly. "The world's thinnest set of weights?" The laughter in his voice died when he unwrapped it, though, as he found himself staring at a relatively large picture frame that held two images of SG-1; the four of them, a picture that Sam had set up on her camera while they were at Jack's cabin shortly after finding the ZPM--all of them in some form of relaxed pose at the little dock on the lake; fishing, of course. The other was a photo of them in the gateroom, obviously taken few years earlier. They all looked so different; younger. "Less grey," Jack murmured, referring to himself in that image. "Must be long ago."

"That was taken just after you guys got back with Endeavor," Daniel said, eyeing him hopefully. "Remember? Just after you guys blew up Apophis and Klorel's ships?"

"After we blew up the ships," Jack corrected absently, nodding, his attention drawn to what occupied the upper right-hand corner of the frame. A SGC uniform patch--an SG-1 patch, to be precise.

"We, um...we all came up with the idea for this," Daniel said hesitantly. "You know, it's weird--you not being around all the time, and we thought...we thought you might like to know that you're still part of SG-1. That we're, uh...we're family." Daniel blushed furiously--he was a linguist, and couldn't tell his best friend what he meant to him on Christmas, for God's sake!

Jack turned to him, and Daniel was surprised to see that his friend's eyes were damp. "This is great, Danny," he said, voice hoarse. "Thank you." He wrapped an arm around Daniel's shoulders, and Daniel returned the embrace readily. "Merry Christmas, Jack."

Jack chuckled. "Merry Christmas, Spacemonkey."

Daniel groaned inwardly at the return of the old nickname, but savored the taste of what had been missing in the lives of himself and his other teammates for these long months--the knowledge that no matter how far away family was, they were always within reach.

The End!

Merry Christmas!
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