It had taken a while, but finally Daniel and Teal’c stepped out of the store that they had, seemingly, spent half the day in. Teal’c was extremely glad to get out of the store as his symbiote was beginning to become extremely agitated.

“I guess we’d better give Jack a call. Oh damn…” A quick search of Daniel’s pockets revealed no cell phone.

“I have a cell phone, Daniel Jackson.” Teal’c handed his cell over to Daniel and sighed when Daniel began to search for Jack’s number.

“It is number two on the speed dial Daniel Jackson.” Daniel’s eyebrows wiggled.

“Oh…thanks T… uh, Murray.” A crowd of shoppers hurrying past caused Daniel to quickly switch to Teal’c’s public name.

“Indeed.” Came the reply.

Daniel pressed 2 and held the phone to his ear.

“O’Neill.” Came the tinny answer.

“Jack, its Daniel, um, we’re finished…” Teal’c eyebrow shot up.

“…Well I guess I’m finished actually, Um, where are you?”

“I’m in the café having a coffee with Carter and Cassie.”

Daniel’s ears pricked up at the mention of coffee, Cassie and Carter.

Hmm, he hadn’t known they were here…interesting that Jack had though.

‘Wonder what they’ve been up to?’

“Which one Jack, there’s about seven in this area alone.” Daniel heard Jack quickly ask Sam which café they were in.

“Druckers, Daniel. We’re on the second floor.”

*******

A few minutes later, Daniel came bounding into the coffee shop and up to their table, Teal’c following sedately in his wake.

“Hey guys!”

“Hey Danny, got all ya stuff?”

“Yep.” Daniel replied flinging himself down in a chair.

“Didn’t know you were here with Cassie, Sam.”

Sam shrugged, trying not to look awkward or guilty. “I didn’t realise you guys were here either, Daniel. Not until we ran into the Colonel earlier.”

“So, you having a good time?” Daniel asked digging for information. He’d noticed Sam’s new sweater straight away and wanted some answers.

“Yeah, it’s been great!” Cassie answered enthusiastically. “I’ve *finally* got everyone’s prezzies and Sam got a new sweater – “

“I noticed.” Daniel said wryly.

Sam flushed slightly and Jack glared at him.

‘Hmm, that’s interesting…’

“Plus we found this great new store, look what I got from there.”

Cassie pulled a small dark brown teddy bear out of her bag. It was dressed in a dark blue coloured t-shirt with ‘Carter’ written across the front in cream.

“Isn’t it cute?”

Daniel smiled. “Sure is, Cass.”

He turned to Jack. “So did you get anything?”

“Yep.”

He didn’t elaborate.

“Ah.”

There was silence for a moment, then Jack cleared his throat.

“So…what are you drinking, on me and all that?”

“Ooo,” Daniel instantly forgot about bugging Jack to find out what he’d purchased. Which was the idea.

“I’ll have a double shot espresso, hold the milk.”

Jack gave him a dubious look. “Riiiight…T?”

“I would enjoy a low-fat latte with soy milk, O’Neill.”

Jack shook his head went to get the drinks. Didn’t anyone just order a coffee these days?

*******

Jack returned to the table with the drinks and handed them over.

“Here ya go, T. Daniel.”

Teal’c bowed his head. “Thank you, O’Neill.”

Daniel frowned at the tall glass with a straw that Jack placed in front of him.

“Jack? This isn’t what I asked for.”

Jack sat back down in his seat in between Sam and Cassie. “Nope, it’s not. You’ve had waaay too much caffeine today. Any more and you’ll be bouncing off the walls.”

Sam and Cassie burst out laughing and Teal’c indulged in a small smile of acknowledgement. This was true. Daniel Jackson had indeed consumed copious amounts of the caffeinated substance during the day.

Daniel pouted and took a tentative sip of his drink. “Chocolate milk?!!!”

The group sat around the table talking and laughing whilst Teal’c and Daniel drank their low-fat latte and chocolate milk. They had both finished when the opening bars of ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas’ sounded out. Teal’c stood up abruptly. The talking tailed off at his movements.

Jack looked up and frowned.

“T?” He queried.

“O’Neill,” Teal’c said with a note of slight panic in his voice.

“I must insist that we depart this place.”

Jack’s frown turned puzzled. “Alright…why?”

“I fear if I am forced to endure this song once more, I may have to inflict physical injury on the people unfortunate enough to be near to me at the time.”

Jack’s eyes widened. “And we wouldn’t want that…”

He clapped his hands together briskly and stood up. “Okay kids! We’re outta here.”

*******

They left the Mall. Post-haste. The sight greeting them at the entrance to the Mall stopped them all in shock. For a moment nobody spoke. Then Jack took it upon himself to break the stunned silence, as usual.

“Wow,” he murmured. “Let it snow…”

“Yeah,” Daniel agreed. “I didn’t think we’d been *that* long…”

Sam sighed in resignation. “Anyone got a shovel?”

“Anyone got a plough?” Cassie added.

The parking lot – and the cars in it – had been covered in a thick layer of snow in the few hours they had been in the Mall.

“Actually, I have.” Jack said.

They all gave him an odd look.

Jack sighed. “A *shovel*, not a plough…”

He began the trek through the parking lot to his truck. The others shivered in the cold air and started to follow, the snow crunching slightly underfoot.

Cassie ran on ahead to Jack’s truck, giggling and twirling as the snow fluttered down thickly onto the unfortunate shoppers. She stopped suddenly and turned around to face the adults who had yet to catch up with her. She took her camera out of her bag and took a photo of them walking in the snow towards her. All their faces and ears were tinged pink from the cold, but their faces all looked ‘alive’. Cassie knew it would be a great photograph.

Jack was the first to reach his truck and hastily finding the right key, unlocked the trunk. Locating the shovel, he pulled the trunk lid back down and locked the vehicle back up. He had the shovel in hand before Daniel had reached the car.

“Right… To Oz.” Jack strode away from his car as Daniel rolled his eyes.

“You really need to watch more movies, Jack.”

Sam averted her eyes as Jack stopped and cast glares around.

“You all think this? What’s wrong with the Wizard of Oz?”

“Aside from the fact that it’s scary?” Jack merely deadpanned Sam.

“Carter… you’re scared of the Wizard of Oz? … How old *are* you?!” Sam narrowed her eyes.

“A true lady never reveals her age.” Sam was sure she heard a snicker come from someone behind her, but chose to ignore it.

‘Well, its not like I’m a guy or anything. And I have a right to be scared of *something*.’

Teal’c broke the silence that had descended on the group, made more prominent by the heavy falling snow.

“Should we not attempt to free Major Carter’s car O’Neill?” Instead of answering, Jack trudged off. Only to stop a few seconds later.

“Um, Carter? I think it’d be best if you took point, you know where you’ve parked.” Sam grinned.

“Yessir.” She replied out loud. Inwardly she groaned.

‘Damnit. Where the hell is my car? Please don’t tell me I’ve lost my *own* car…How stupid would I look? -

“Sorry sir, but I seem to have misplaced my car…”?

‘I don’t *think* so...Aha! There it is.’

“Um, guys?” She called back to the men and Cassie walking a few yards behind her.

“…I think we’re gonna need a couple more shovels.”

Sam’s car was embedded in snow up to the bottom of its windows, sealing the doors.

“Aw, crap. Teal’c can you take Danny and find a couple more shovels? I think there’s a hardware store near this entrance.”

“I’ll go too. I know where it is.” Cassie started off back in the direction of the Mall, Daniel and Teal’c following her.

TBC

Send feedback to Chezza or G or CeCeSmith

> > > > Go to Part 7 > >

back to top