Title: The Flame

Author: Moonshayde

Season: Six

Category: Gen, Friendship

Spoilers: None really, except the obvious.

Summary:  SG-1 celebrate the birthday of a fallen hero (Challenge at The GenGate)

Rating: PG-13

 

*Sadness factor. Hanky alert possible*

 

 

 

Well, another year here and gone.

 

Jack walked to his kitchen table, playing the balancing act with the cake he'd so kindly named "the monster." Granted, it was a little more difficult to do with a beer in hand, but Jack was a jack-of-all-trades. Hence the name.

 

Feeling it begin to wobble, he quickly slid it onto the table's surface. Pleased, he eyed "the monster" with satisfaction, taking an accomplished swig out of his beer bottle.

 

"Triple Chocolate Fudge," Teal'c intoned, cocking his head as he studied the cake. "A favorite of DanielJackson."

 

Jack nodded. "Yup." Another swig of beer. "Well, it's his day and all."

 

Teal'c dipped his head solemnly. "Indeed it is."

 

Jack didn't reply. Instead, he finished his beer and headed back to the refrigerator, grabbing another. He did a quick search, looking around, but didn't find anything too appealing. Truth was he didn't have much in there save for beer and some green stuff growing in the back.

 

"I know you don't drink beer, T." He grabbed a container from the top shelf. "I got some cherry Kool-Aid from the last visit."

 

"That was three weeks ago, O'Neill."

 

Jack shrugged, stealing a glance behind him. "So?" he asked Teal'c. "Doesn't go bad."

 

"I believe I will refrain."

 

Jack shrugged again. "Whatever floats your boat," he mumbled, shutting the door.

 

Jack guzzled down most of his beer, sliding the near empty bottle onto the counter, before opening the freezer. He grabbed a carton of ice cream, and then a large bowl, making light work of the task. Within minutes, he marveled at his creation—a large heaping bowl of coffee ice cream.

 

Satisfied, he grabbed the bowl, and swiped himself a new beer, joining Teal'c by the table. He placed the bowl down and took a step back to marvel at the tabletop.

 

"Perfect," he announced.

 

"I believe you have forgotten the ritual of fire," Teal'c said, eyeing the cake—or monster—closely.

 

Right. Of course.

 

"I was just waiting for Carter to get here for that, you know?" He paused, his eyes never leaving the table. "You know, make it a team event," he said quietly.

 

Teal'c did not reply. Instead, the two of them stood in silence, staring at the table's contents. The whole surreal cake watching made Jack wonder just how crazy they looked. There they were, studying a bowl of ice cream and a triple chocolate fudge cake as if the objects were two live animals waiting to pounce the stupid men gazing at them.

 

Doorbell.

 

"Sir?" came a call from out front.

 

"In the kitchen!" he answered. "Door's open!"

 

Carter made her way into the kitchen, smiling softly when she saw the cake and ice cream on the table. She breathed out, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder before she held up a small bag.

 

"Presents?" Jack asked.

 

She nodded.

 

Pointing with his bottle, Jack motioned to the empty chair across from him. It already held the gift he'd wrapped earlier that day, and something that Teal'c had managed to find. He had to admit, the big guy could really shop when he put his mind to it. Then, right next to them was a small something, candy maybe, that Fraiser and Hammond had bought together. Shame they couldn't make it.

 

As if on cue, Carter withdrew her hand and opened the bag, taking out two small gifts.  Jack frowned, empting his bottle as he stared at the two small boxes.

 

"Two?" he asked. "You trying to make us look bad?"

 

She smiled weakly, as if she was afraid to laugh. Quickly, she regrouped, gently placing the boxes next to the other gifts. "Just one from me." She paused, glancing to Teal'c before settling on Jack. "Jonas felt like he should do something," she said quietly. "Since he can't leave the base yet, I picked something up in his name."

 

Jack nodded. "Sure." More presents made it all the better, right?

 

Exhaling slowly, Jack pounded the empty beer bottle on the table, staring at the monster cake. He knew his friends were gazing at him, sympathetically, pathetically…it didn't matter.

 

"Might as well get this on, huh?" Standing, he pulled his chair back, nearly stumbling, and made his way back to the counter.  He managed to nab one of his opened bottles he'd left on the counter before swiftly grabbing his lighter and that big fat candle he'd bought from the joke store. He grinned, waving the candle in front of Teal'c and Carter. "Trick candle," he told them.

 

Carter smiled softly, extending her hand to do the honors. He figured she probably just wanted to keep moving, to keep doing something. The woman hadn't stopped all day. Then, of course, there was Teal'c, big silent man that seemed to be quieter than usual.

 

Guess they all had their own way.

 

Carter placed the candle in the center of the cake, jamming it in there really hard, and lit it silently. Proud, Jack nodded in appreciation, slumping into his chair to sit and watch the candle.  In fact, all three of them fixated on the bright blue ugly wax stick, mesmerized as the flame flickered and danced, bringing a sense of ambience to the room.

 

Jack wasn't sure how long they stayed there. Minutes, hours? Not that it really mattered. The silence, the gentle warmth of the flame, and the aroma of chocolate was enough to soothe even the hardest parts of their hearts.

 

But it didn't seem to loosen that nasty knot in their throats. Or at least Jack's throat.

 

Slowly, Jack brought his beer bottle up, staring at the flame, and nodded, never uttering a single word.

 

Here's to you, Doctor Jackson, he thought, quelling the eddy of pain and grief that churned violently in his stomach.

 

Or could just be the beer, he thought miserably.

 

"Jack…"

 

Carter's voice, and usage of his name, rattled him back from his philosophical musings. He glared at her, but softened, seeing that same gut-wrenching feeling plastered on her face. A side-glance to Teal'c revealed that maybe the big guy wasn't as cool at keeping his emotions hidden as he used to be.

 

"I know you…hoped for something more, but…" Carter's voice trailed off, her face tight as she obviously fought to keep from crying.

 

"DanielJackson is no longer with us," Teal'c said. He glanced down at the lone cake and the melting ice cream. "We have honored his name. There is nothing more we can do."

 

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I know. I know. I guess I just…"

 

He shook his head. He knew Daniel was gone. Hell, he knew how this worked. People die all the time.

 

He sniffed, bringing the bottle to his mouth, only pausing to speak. "You guys can go. I'll clean this up."

 

Teal'c and Carter exchanged a glance—one of those sympathy glances again no doubt—before returning their attention to him.

 

"Are you--?"

 

"Oh, I'm sure," Jack finished for her. "Don't worry. It's no big deal."

 

"O'Neill—"

 

He shook his head. "It's good. Now scram." He smiled weakly at them. "The night's still young." He slumped in his chair, trying to pass the vibe of being content, though knowing he was failing miserably. "I'll catch you all tomorrow. Getting kinda tired myself."

 

Carter cleared her throat—in that oh so subtle way of hers—and nodded. "Yes, Sir," she murmured.

 

"We will see you then, O'Neill."

 

Jack didn't miss the earnestness in Teal'c's voice, that gentle undertone the Jaffa seemed to possess in his most tender moments. Jack wondered sometimes how Teal'c could mange to say so little and yet speak volumes.

 

It was usually Daniel's job to point these things out to him.

 

Daniel…didn't even know if he officially had a birthday anymore.

 

Jack held onto that thought, barely noticing Teal'c and Carter leave. Barely noticing as the sun buried itself into the earth. Barely noticing as the light waned into the dark moonless sky.

 

Instead, Jack found himself sitting there, alone, in his kitchen, legs apart as he slouched and stared at the candle's flame, flickering in and out, gliding softly in the stale air of his home.

 

He didn't really know what he'd expected. Some miracle maybe. Or perhaps just some kind of weird bizarre twilight zone-ish reassurance of sorts. Maybe just some sign. Maybe something to tell him that in the end, it'd be all right.

 

Jack finished his last beer, and tossed the bottle aside, glaring at the flame in anger.

 

Nothing. Nadda.

 

With a heavy sigh, Jack rose out of the chair, his legs heavy with the weight of a sloshy stomach and a wasted mind. Quietly, he walked over to the kitchen light, not caring about leaving a bowl of liquid ice cream and hardened cake monster exposed. He'd clean it up when he damn felt like it.

 

He took a last look at the kitchen, and all it's empty promises, before heaving another sigh.

 

He switched off the light.

 

"What the hell?" he said aloud, playing with the switch, angry that the room still seemed to glow.

 

Oh. He had left the candle lit.

 

Shaking his head, he started to walk back to the table and reached for the candle. Frowning, Jack withdrew sharply, feeling a chill prick at his neck, running down his hand and across the table. Then, without a sound, the breeze caressed the candle, snuffing it gently but firmly.

 

Jack stared at the not so tricky trick candle as he stood in the dark room.

 

A small smile started to creep over Jack's lips, and he knew, just knew, not even bothering to check to see if the windows were closed, or if central air had snapped on.

 

Taking a few steps back, he reached the end of the kitchen, his smug grin never wavering.

 

"Happy Birthday, Daniel," he said softly into the darkness.

 

And there, through the shadows, Jack thought he heard the wind whisper a solemn but sincere "thank you."

 

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