A Dinner Date for Four

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh wow! Jack…look at this. Oh my God…!”

 

Jack O’Neill looked at his friend, amazed at how much excitement a small, brown, extremely battered notebook could generate. But then Daniel always did get excited over the strangest things. Jack had dropped by Daniel’s office with a package that had arrived in the mail addressed to “Dr. D. Jackson, care of USAF”. He’d stuck around to see what might have been in the package, and had been extremely unimpressed to see that all it had contained was this notebook and a few papers. To his amazement Daniel had now hit that pre-orgasmic state of excitement he normally only reserved for ruins of immense size.

 

“Jack! Do you have any idea what this is…?” Yep, Danny-boy was talking way too fast. It was obviously BIG in the Jackson sense of order in the universe.

 

“Noooo, but….” Yep, you’re gonna tell me anyway, whether I want to know or not.

 

“It’s my Grandmother’s recipe book.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“The…ah… institute where Nick was were having a clear-out and they found some old papers of Nick’s that had been overlooked when they sent me the rest of his stuff. I thought this was lost forever when it didn’t come back with the rest of it.” Daniel turned the pages of the battered old book, a rapt expression on his face.

 

‘Well,’ thought Jack. ‘That is fairly big in the grand scheme of things. When you’re Daniel Jackson, with no family alive on Earth, anyway.’

“Anything good in there?”

 

“Huh?” Daniel didn’t look up, engrossed in the pages. “Oh my God Jack! It’s the recipe my Mom used to make on birthdays. I’ve been trying to create this from memory for years…I couldn’t get it quite right…Her Mom used to do this recipe too… see here? They’ve made notes about who’s birthday, who was there for dinner? Oh….” He tailed off, his expression too revealing, tears blinked back furiously.

 

“What? What is it Daniel?”

 

“Mom…wrote something…”

 

“Can I see?” Daniel held the book out to his friend, scrubbing at his face with his free hand as he did so. Jack took it and read the notes at the bottom of the page in the margin ‘July 8th 66 Gave Danny this for his first birthday. He loved it. Wish Mama could have seen him’

 

“Ah.” Jack shut the book and put it back on the desk. “Anything else in there?” He gestured at the other papers. Daniel shook his head.

 

“Not really, just old documents. My grandparents’ marriage licence, Mom’s birth certificate. Not much.” 

 

“Sounds like quite a lot to me.”

 

Daniel gave one of his sad, half-smiles in response. He jerked his head at the paper-strewn desk.

“I’d better get on with this translation. Major Robson is counting on me to tell him whether P9K-789 is dangerous or not.”  He picked up one of the rubbings that he had been working on, and began to study it intently.

 

“Okay. You gonna be okay?”

 

 Daniel half-lifted his head, but it was obvious he was lost in thought.

“Yeah. I’ll be…fine…I…uh…”

 

“See ya later, Daniel.” Jack stuck his hands firmly in his pockets, and sauntered off in search of someone else to annoy.

 

*

 

Two weeks later, Jack had pretty much forgotten all about Daniel’s little package when the archaeologist appeared at Jack’s front door one evening looking slightly embarrassed.

 

“Daniel…?”

 

“Jack. I was wondering…er…. what…um…” He blushed and stared at his feet, then looked away across the street.

 

“Beer?”

 

“Uh? Um…okay…” Closing the door behind him, Daniel followed Jack into the kitchen, his whole posture registering discomfort.

 

“So. What were you going to ask me?” Jack handed Daniel a bottle of the imported beer that he kept hidden at the back of the fridge purely for his young friend.

 

“Oh…it doesn’t matter…it was just a stupid idea…” Daniel swigged the beer, as he followed Jack into the lounge, where the two of them flopped down onto the couch.

 

“Daniel, if it was important enough for you to drive half-way across town to tell me, I’d hardly call it stupid…so – what were you going to ask me?”

 

“I was wondering if you’d be free for dinner next Monday. I’ve…I’ve got a new recipe I want to try out.”

 

“Monday? Wouldn’t Saturday be better?”

 

“No Jack. It has to be Monday. I’ll ask Sam and Teal’c as well.”

 

Jack swigged his beer as he scrutinised Daniel’s face. The younger man’s features were set in an expression of grim determination. No matter how much Jack pleaded with him, he wasn’t going to budge on the date.

“Okay, Danny-boy, Monday it is.”

 

*

 

About five o’clock on Monday evening, Jack was sauntering through the corridors of the SGC when Sam burst out of her lab.

 

“Carter! You’re in a bit of a rush. What’s the hurry?”

 

“Sir!” Sam had an expression a little like that of a deer caught in the headlights. “Sorry Sir. I’m running a little late.”

 

“Late?” Jack was momentarily confused. “Oh…you mean dinner at Daniel’s. We’re not due there till 7:30.”

 

“Yes Sir, I know Sir, but…”

 

“Carter, you don’t need to spend hours making yourself beautiful – it’s only us”

 

Sam blushed despite herself.

“Actually Sir, Teal’c and I haven’t had a chance to go shopping since Daniel asked us, so we’re heading off to the mall before we go…”

 

“Shopping? Teal’c?” Jack frowned. “I’m sorry Carter, you’ve lost me.”

 

“Sir. It’s Daniel’s birthday today. You hadn’t forgotten… had you?” she gave him that look that said ‘I know you’ve forgotten but I’m giving you the opportunity to save face because you’re my CO’.

 

“Of course I haven’t forgotten, Carter! Why else would we be going to Daniel’s for dinner on a Monday night?” Jack managed to convey indignant hurt at the merest suggestion that he might have forgotten, while his brain was thinking double speed along the lines of ‘Dammit – now I’ll have to go shopping too, and I hate shopping and what do you buy a man who likes rocks anyway?’

 

“Okay Sir. If you don’t mind…I’ve got to…” Sam indicated in the general direction of Teal’c’s quarters.

 

“Of course Carter. I’ll see you later, at Daniel’s…” Jack gave a half-wave as Sam disappeared down the corridor at top speed. He checked his watch.  Two and a half hours to get changed, get out of here, go shopping and turn up at Daniel’s complete with appropriate gift in hand.

 

*

 

At 7:45, Jack knocked on Daniel’s door, a sense of achievement giving him a warm glow inside. The smells that were wafting down the corridor outside the apartment were making his mouth water in anticipation. Daniel was an excellent cook, and it seemed that if the smell was anything to go by, he’d excelled himself tonight.

 

Sam opened the door.

“Sir. We were wondering where you’d got to. Here, let me help you with those…” She took the carefully wrapped package and bottle of wine from her CO, leaving him with a large white box.

 

“Sorry, I got caught in traffic,” Jack lied. To avoid being caught out by Sam and Teal’c he’d had to go to the mall the other side of town on his quest for a suitable present. As it was, he’d found something there that he thought would be perfect, which he was fairly sure he wouldn’t have managed to find anywhere else.  “I hope nothing’s been ruined on account of me.”

 

“Nope. I wasn’t planning to eat until eight…” Daniel emerged from the kitchen with a beer in his hand, which he tried to hand to Jack. “What on earth is that?” he indicated the large box in Jack’s hands.

 

“I hope you don’t mind, but I brought dessert.” Jack gave Daniel a sheepish look. “Something appropriate for the occasion.”

 

Daniel lifted one corner of the lid and peeked. He looked up at Jack, a pained smile on his face.

“That wasn’t necessary. Really. Although I admit I’d only got ice-cream planned… so it would go.”

 

“What’s he brought Daniel?” Sam tried to peek in the box.

 

“Careful, Carter! I don’t want to drop this.” Jack carefully placed the box on the counter in the kitchen.

 

Sam lifted the lid.

“Ooh, birthday cake. Chocolate birthday cake. Mmm - my favourite.”

 

“Mine too,” grinned Daniel, finally able to hand Jack his beer. “And it’ll go perfectly with the vanilla ice-cream that I made this afternoon...”

 

“Made? You MADE ice-cream?” Jack stared at Daniel.

 

“Indeed O’Neill – have you never tasted Daniel Jackson’s homemade ice-cream? It is considerably better than anything that you can purchase.” Teal’c had appeared silently behind Jack and was studying the cake over Jack’s shoulder. “This confection looks interesting.”

 

Jack stared up at the big man.

“When has Daniel made ice-cream for you?” He stared accusingly at each of his team-members individually. “Why haven’t I eaten Daniel’s ice-cream? Carter – have you eaten Daniel’s ice-cream?”

 

Sam looked embarrassed.

“Yes, I have.”

 

“So why haven’t I?” Jack was definitely insulted now.

 

“Jack…you were…unconscious in the infirmary at the time. I needed to…. do…something… I made ice cream. We ate it. It helped…” Daniel was blushing as he explained.

 

“Unconscious.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Last time that happened was months ago. Why haven’t you made any since then?” Sam and Teal’c were both edging their way out of the line of fire, leaving Daniel to experience the full force of Jack’s indignant anger alone.

 

“Been too busy…” muttered Daniel. “Anyway…I have to check this out…” He moved into the kitchen, grabbed the oven mitts and opened the oven door. An unbelievably delicious aroma filled the air. Daniel stuck a skewer into the meat and checked the juices. He put the meat back into the oven, and then busied himself checking whatever it was cooking on the hob. While he did so, he spoke over his shoulder. “Jack, can you open the wine – let it breathe? Corkscrew’s around somewhere…”

 

Jack did as he was asked, and then picked up his beer and followed Sam and Teal’c into the sitting room. He found them sipping their drinks and picking at a range of dips laid out on the coffee table. Joining them, Jack studied the offerings. Picking up a tortilla chip, he helped himself to a large dollop of guacamole.

“He made these too, didn’t he? No wonder he needed the afternoon off.”

 

Having finished doing whatever it was he had been doing, Daniel joined his guests in the lounge, glass of wine in hand. He flopped down onto the couch next to Sam with a sigh. Holding his glass up to the room in general, he said “Cheers. Thank you all for coming.”

 

“Thank you for inviting us,” said Jack, raising his beer bottle towards his host.

 

“Yes, thank you, and Happy Birthday Daniel,” said Sam, giving him a small peck on the cheek.

 

“I thank you for inviting me and wish you Happy Birthday also, Daniel Jackson,” intoned Teal’c, his face solemn.

 

“Well, I only hope this turns out right. I’ve never managed to make this recipe before, not the way it should be, so we’ll have to see…” Daniel shrugged and sipped his wine. As he leaned forward to put his glass on the table, he noticed the small collection of gifts next to the appetisers. “Are these for me?” The others nodded. “Oh…you didn’t have to… really, it wasn’t necessary…”

 

“Daniel, you can’t have a birthday without presents,” said Sam.

 

“Or cake,” added Jack. He smiled at his young friend’s discomfort. “Go on then, open them.”

 

Daniel reached out and grabbed the first present. He checked the label on the gift.

“Who’s this from…Teal’c.” Opening it, he found an extremely large box of handmade chocolates, imported from Belgium. “Wow! Thanks Teal’c.” The Jaffa inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement.

 

The next present was from Sam – a super soft, baggy sweater in the most amazing deep teal colour.

“It’ll make your eyes really blue…” Sam began, and then stopped speaking, slightly embarrassed.

 

“Thanks Sam, it’s great.” Daniel threw it on over his shirt, and yes, it did make his eyes really blue.

 

“Better than that awful plaid shirt…” grumbled Jack. Daniel glared at him in response.

 

“This one’s from Janet and Cassie,” said Sam. “She didn’t manage to catch you this afternoon before you left.”

 

Daniel carefully undid the wrappings and found the latest book on the Pharaohs. It was a large photographic journal, crammed with pictures of the latest digs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. He started flicking through the pages, a rapt expression on his face.

 

“Looks like we’ve lost him. Confiscate that book Carter, or dinner will burn!” Jack held out the last package left on the table. “This is from me.”

 

“Thank you.” Daniel put the book down and carefully unwrapped the present. It contained a plain white box. Opening it, he found a stone about the size of a child’s fist inside. Bemused, he lifted it out, to find that it was lying on one flat side where it had been sliced open and then both carved and polished. The polishing revealed the natural strata of the rock, in concentric circles of multiple hues ranging from almost black to a light purple.  The centre of the stone was an almost perfect circle of black, onto which someone had carved an image of the Great Pyramid at Giza. The image stood out in stark contrast, white on black. Daniel held it up and studied the detail of it in silence.

 

“Well, what else do you buy for a guy who likes Egypt AND rocks?” said Jack.

 

“Jack, it’s… it’s… perfect, thank you.” Daniel reached forward and placed the stone carefully on the table, then picked up his wine. “Dinner will be ready…. Do you want to go sit at the table?” He disappeared into the kitchen.

 

Sam picked up the stone and studied it.

“This is incredible Sir. And Daniel’s really touched. I swear there were tears in his eyes.”

 

Jack nodded.

“I know Carter. Just leave it though. It’s probably the shock of turning 37…” Jack had realised the other reason why Daniel might be a little tearful, but he wasn’t going to say anything to the others.

 

*

 

The three of them moved to the table, which was laid with fine linen and gleaming glasses and silverware. Long white candles glowed in tall silver candlesticks. Jack studied the dinnerware already on the table, and, knowing one of the reasons behind this dinner, guessed that most of this was stuff that Daniel had inherited from his parents.

 

“You’ve gone to a lot of trouble Danny,” he called.

 

“Well, it is a special occasion,” Daniel replied as he came into the room carrying a bowl of mixed salad. “It’s not everyday you become privy to the secret of the Ballard family recipes…”

 

“Secret recipes?” mused Sam as Daniel went back out to the kitchen.

 

“Danny got sent his Grandmother’s recipe book,” replied Jack, as the three of them sat down at the table. He reached across to the breadbasket and grabbed a piece of bread. “It’s got some special family recipes, including what I think we’re gonna be eating tonight. Anyone want wine?”

 

As Jack poured wine into the four glasses, Daniel appeared with another dish, and four dinner plates.

“Couscous,” he said, and disappeared, before reappearing with the final dish.

 

“That smells great Daniel. What is it?” asked Sam.

 

“It’s Moroccan Spiced Lamb, a la famille Ballard. It was something that we used to have on family birthdays, and, well, it’s my birthday…so…” Daniel shrugged and started to put spoonfuls of the couscous and great chunks of the lamb onto plates.

 

“Daniel Jackson. The aroma reminds me greatly of the food that Drey’ac used to cook for me on Chulak.” Teal’c gave a small bow of the head as he took the plateful from Daniel.

 

“Well, it wouldn’t surprise me if there are similarities between this and the Chulakian cuisine, this is essentially a North African dish, and the style of cooking on Abydos was very similar to that in Egypt…” Daniel caught sight of Jack’s face and tailed off. “Oops! Sorry. I guess you don’t really want a lesson in cultural similarities over dinner.”

 

“Got it in one, Danny-boy.” Jack smiled, as he helped himself to salad. “Although I won’t flush your head down the toilet in revenge. It is your birthday after all.”

 

“Flush his head…?” Sam sat open mouthed.

 

“Down the toilet? O’Neill that seems most unhygienic.” Teal’c was actually frowning.

 

Daniel was smirking slightly.

“I did it to Jack a few weeks ago after he indulged in one-too-many locker room pranks. He now takes great delight in pointing out to me at every opportunity that he would NEVER do that to me.”

 

“Daniel got one over on you, Sir?” Sam was smirking too now.

 

“I must admit that was when I realised that all that gym-work with the SGC’s biggest slob was paying off.” Jack winked in Daniel’s direction.

 

“Coupled with the fact that I’m ten years younger than he is!”

 

“Told you Daniel was having a crisis about being 37,” Jack said to Sam. “He needs to remind me every so often that he’s SO much younger than I am.”

 

“I am NOT having an age crisis!” pouted Daniel. Having finished dishing up, he helped himself to salad and bread.

 

“Methinks he doth protest too much…” grinned Jack. He picked up his glass. “Anyway, I would like to propose a toast. To the birthday boy!”

 

“To Daniel.” chorused Sam and Teal’c. They all took a sip.

 

“Thank you all. Really, thank you all for making this a wonderful night already. Please, let’s eat this before it goes cold.”

 

Daniel had really excelled himself. The meal was perfect. The lamb had been slowly cooked in spices and dried fruits, and was so tender it melted in the mouth.

“Daniel, this is delicious, it’s gotta be one of the best meals you’ve ever cooked…” Sam enthused, round a mouthful of lamb.

 

“Indeed Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c agreed. “This is probably one of the nicest meals I have had since my arrival on Earth.”

 

“Mmm,” was about the most articulate thing Jack could manage. He looked up from his plate to look across the table at Daniel.

 

The archaeologist had taken his first mouthful and now sat there, eyes closed, savouring the tastes in that almost sexual manner he had with food he enjoyed. A single tear had escaped from under his lashes and was now running down one cheek.

“Finally,” he whispered.

 

Jack, realising that Daniel was lost in memories from his childhood, tried to divert attention from the younger man.

“So. Has anyone remembered the mission we’re supposed to be going on tomorrow?”

 

“Oh, no! I’d forgotten about that!” Sam threw her fork down on the plate in disgust.

 

“Well, the good news is, I managed to persuade Hammond to put it off by 48 hours!” Jack shovelled another forkful into his mouth and grinned as he chewed. “Not only that, but we’re all on R&R tomorrow.”

 

“Way to go Sir! How did you manage that?” All three of his team members were staring at him open-mouthed – well, Daniel and Sam were open mouthed, Teal’c had merely raised one eyebrow, which was as close as he got to registering amazement.

 

“Well, I told the good General that we had all been working waaay too hard, and that we had a team-building event planned for this evening, and he asked if this event could possibly jeopardise our abilities in the field and I said that yes it might but that it was very important that this team-building event was held, and…” Jack paused for breath, and grinned at the others. “…Well you get the picture. So all I can say is – open another bottle of wine Danny, let’s party!”

 

The four of them lingered over their meal, discussing the latest gossip from the SGC, and laughing and joking about old missions and events.

 

Daniel was mid-way through yet another tale from his student days at Oxford.

“So anyway, the poor guy was so drunk, he didn’t stir when he was carried out in his bed, and placed on the quad in the middle of the college. We then placed all the furniture from his bedroom around him, in exactly the same way it was in his room. It wasn’t till he woke up in the morning and got up to go to the bathroom that he realised that he was outside!”

 

“Daniel! And you were part of this?” Sam was shaking her head in disbelief. This was the third story of horrendous practical jokes that Daniel had told. It was so unlike the serious man she knew.

 

“Part of this? It was my idea!” Daniel raised one eyebrow. “Oh yes, Major Doctor. I am not the sweet and innocent guy you like to think I am! Not by a long way.” He started to clear the plates. “I’ll put coffee on and then we can eat our dessert in the sitting room.”

 

Jack stood up.

“Not tonight Danny-boy. You just go sit down in comfort. We will sort this out. Go and sit on the couch and don’t move.”

 

Having collected dessert plates and coffee cups from the sideboard, Daniel wandered through to sit down. Putting the crockery down on the coffee table, he picked up the carved stone that Jack had given him, and studied it. He still found it hard to believe that these three people really seemed to care about him, especially Jack. He knew that Jack had thought him a total waste of space on that first mission to Abydos, but somehow, things had changed until they’d drifted into a friendship quite unlike any that Daniel had ever had before. He’d even go so far as to say that these three people, and Janet and Cassie, and even General Hammond, had become the family that had been missing from his life since leaving Abydos.

 

He got up and rooted around in the clutter on a bookshelf until he found what he was looking for. Opening the notebook on the appropriate page, he quickly jotted a few notes in the margin – ‘7/8/2002 - SG-1 for dinner. Adoptive family v. appreciative.’ He closed the notebook and buried it back amidst the clutter.

 

A rousing chorus of Happy Birthday to You (sung extremely badly and in one case a half word behind the others, as Teal’c hadn’t really grasped the complex lyrics from the thirty seconds tuition he’d received in the kitchen) roused Daniel from his slightly maudlin contemplation. He looked up to find his team mates entering the room, bearing the coffee pot, his home-made ice cream and the huge chocolate cake that Jack had brought, now lit up with so many candles Daniel feared for Jack’s eyebrows.

 

“How many candles have you got there?” he laughed.

 

“The full 37. And you’ve got to blow them out and make a wish!” Jack placed the cake on the coffee table.

 

Daniel took a deep breath and complied. He just about managed to blow them all out in one go, but he was struggling towards the end. He looked up at Jack and Sam’s smiling faces, and Teal’c’s somewhat confused expression.

“What’s the matter Teal’c?”

 

“This is a strange custom Daniel Jackson. It makes no sense to me whatsoever.”

 

“Well, the candles are representative of the…” Daniel caught Jack’s warning look. “I’ll tell you another time Teal’c.” He reached for the knife and cut four huge slices of the cake. Dropping them unceremoniously onto plates he passed each one to Jack for a dollop of ice cream, while Sam poured the coffee. They sat in silence while they savoured the delicious combination.

 

Daniel put his plate onto the coffee table, and picked up his cup. “I know Jack made a toast earlier, but I’d like to make one of my own.” Raising his cup, he looked at his friends, licked his lips nervously and then spoke. “I really appreciate that you’re all here tonight, and the gifts and the cake and…everything. It really means a lot to me, as until now I haven’t felt like I belonged anywhere… well, with the exception of that year on Abydos…” his voice wavered slightly here, “…basically, I haven’t felt like I belonged anywhere since my parents died…” he took a deep, wobbly breath, but held up one finger to keep the others from saying anything. “So, I would just like to propose a toast to our friends and family who cannot be here tonight, for whatever reason, and to the friends that are family.”

 

Deeply moved by what Daniel had just said, the others raised their own cups in response.

 

“Here here, Danny-boy,” murmured Jack, “Here here.”

 

 

* fin *

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Athene