For Each Other
by Bethany
URL: http://www.stargateslash.com/asb/bethany6/foreacho.php
Summary: Jack and Daniel are drinking beers at Jack's place, and, it being that time of year, they talk of Christmas plans
"Sha're was a bit overwhelmed by the idea of Christmas;" Daniel admitted. "She listened to my stories of what it's meant to be like, what it's all about... She would hold on to me... And, she didn't know what to make of the Nativity... I could see some hope there, in her eyes, but who can blame her for mistrusting the idea of more gods, of another God, out there..?" Daniel asked. "I don't know what she thought, not really, or what I was thinking about... A family. Happily ever after... My family... Her and me. Myself... I guess I had selfish dreams. I think Sha're could see what I could see when I talked all about this thing called Christmas, but, like I said, the Nativity side of things; she wasn't sure, and who could blame her?"
"Not me..." Jack commented.
"Me either..." Daniel mused. "I haven't had a proper Christmas in ages..." He confessed.
"Me either..." Jack echoed.
"Sam's going to her brother's this year..." Daniel said. "And Teal'c's taking the chance to go home and see Rya'c."
"That's what Christmas is for..." Jack quietly stated.
Daniel nodded. "The General is on duty, but he'll be spending some time with Kayla & Tess, and Janet's taking Cassie on a cabin holiday... Skiing, and sledging, that kind of thing... "
"That just leaves you and me..." Jack raised his beer bottle, in a 'cheers' fashion.
"Yeah..." Daniel mused. "It's been a while since I went on a Christmas holiday, even longer since I last did anything at Christmas-time..."
"Come over, Daniel. You shouldn't be alone..." Jack pondered.
"Neither should you!" Daniel stated.
Jack nodded, but didn't say anything about it. "Maybe, we could even go to my cabin. Haven't done that since Sara and Charlie were around..." Blinking back tears that couldn't even form, he thought of snow scenes, and his child, and the sheer joy of having someone around, Sara, back then, with whom he was truly in love...
"I don't know what to do..." Daniel told Jack. "If I should make a bit of an effort this year, or..." He trailed off...
"Whether it will always be wrong to try..." Jack finished for him.
Daniel looked to Jack. "What should we do?"
"Be together, maybe..." Jack replied.
Daniel looked up at Jack again. He knew they always pulled each other through, and he knew Jack knew that, too... "Thanks..." He said.
"Thank you..." Jack smiled, and sipped more beer. "So," he said, as the beer finished running down his throat. "you and me... We'll try and make some effort... Make the place a bit Christmassy, wherever the weather lets us end up..!"
"And we'll try to find some happiness again..?" Daniel wondered, aloud.
"Yeah..." Jack said. "Yeah, we will... I don't think it's so wrong... I hope not."
"Just being together, that should help a little..." Daniel mused, again, out-loud... "You're my family anyway..." He said, shyly.
Jack smiled, his heart melting some more, and his throat constricting painfully. "Ditto, space monkey..."
Daniel smiled at the use of the nickname, then sipped some of his beer, and tried to ignore how his eyes stung so much...
Jack watched Daniel's eyes, and said "Let's find a reason to get hold of some of that Christmas cheer everybody goes crazy about..!"
"Just by being together..." Daniel repeated, and raised his beer in a toasting sign of agreement...
Daniel and Jack both now smiled... They had plans for Christmas..! After so long, it felt truly odd to try and lay a claim to some hope, some kind of happiness, and belonging... Neither man was sure they deserved it. But the need of the other, spurred each of them on to dare, to try, to hope, to love... After all, apart from the families they'd loved and lost, wasn't that, somehow, before it all went down, what they had once learnt Christmas was supposed to be about..??
For each other, and in an effort to heal, because the pain was enough to drive each man mad, they would do something about Christmas this year... It would be a Blessing just to be rid of the pain, or at least, be able to put it on the back-burner for a change...
The End
Author's Note: I make no money, and mean to step on no one's toes at all,by writing my stories... Feedback welcome as long as it is always polite.
