Fic: Secret Santa - SGA
For the Sparky Advent Calendar Day 6
Elizabeth tapped her pen on her desk mindlessly, a rapid tinkering filling the room like a clock. She had a problem. Well, not a terrible one. But for all the traps and mental showdowns she had navigated her way through and solutions she had brokered, this was threatening to pull her record below pristine. For once she didn’t have a solution.
Everyone had assumed when she pulled the little slip of paper out of the cup that read ‘John Sheppard’ that she’d be thrilled. After all she probably knew him better than the rest of the expedition. Except for, perhaps, Rodney. OR at least the scientist would believe. But that was part of the problem. Gifts in the Pegasus galaxy had to be selected or crafted with great care. Even still, there were many basic items that people could be grateful for and appreciate. Universal gifts such as scarves and mittens were a given even here. Then there were personal care products, local breweries, and items of symbolism to the various cultures they encountered.
She couldn’t bring herself to approach the generic solutions. John put in everything he had, even if it was hidden behind that boyish smirk of his. He deserved something meaningful. Something important. She was at a complete loss.
She had less than a day to figure it out.
“Still up.” Speak of the devil. John sauntered in and slipped onto her desk beside her as he would any other day. His eyes fell to he empty document on her tablet. “Riveting work. I’m sure you’ll win many awards for it. Invite me as your plus one, yeah?”
Elizabeth smirked. “Oh come on, Lizbeth. I’m not that hard to buy for.” The expedition leader’s head shot up.
“How do you-“
“Please. One guess. Hint. Canada.” Elizabeth sighed heavily. “You should know better. Rodney can’t keep a secret to save his life. Literally. We really gotta work with him on that.”
Elizabeth’s half smirk didn’t surpass her head hanging low. John leaned over to nudge her. She breathed in and leaned back in her chair, looking up at him. “I don’t think you realize just how difficult you can be some times.”
John ignored her double meaning, shrugging with a hint of pride. “Not really. After all, I only asked Santa for one thing this year. That’s pretty reasonable.”
“Oh?” She leaned forward again, resting her elbows on her desk as she waited for him to reply.
John nodded. “But it’s a secret.”
“Is it?”
“MMMmm. I might tell you.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes. He leaned in closer. “If you promise not to tell.”
“Alright, John.” She’d play along tilting her head up towards him. “What is it that you’ve asked for?”
“Well as you know…better than anyone, really… I’ve been a very good boy this year. Yeah, yeah, so I was bad too. But the important thing is that I had to be bad to be good.’
“Sometimes.”
“Most of the time. Why if I hadn’t-“ He straightened up defensively.
“John.”
“Right.” He leaned back down; looking around to make sure no one was listening. “The only thing I want for Christmas…”
“Yes?” she asked as he neared her ear.
“Is…”
Elizabeth waited as he lifted his head to his mouth as if he was trying to shield anyone from reading his lips. She bit her lip to swallow the chuckle in her throat.
“You.”
Elizabeth pulled back as if she had been shocked. Not far away enough to be alarming. Just enough to read his expression, entirely prepared to lecture him on such jokes. Except…
He didn’t look like he was joking. Elizabeth’s pulse raced. She had avoided this, him. But now…now…Her cognitive process slowed as he put his hand on her cheek drawing her back to him.
“There’s…a problem.” She breathed, not recoiling.
“Which is? We’re adults.”
“That wouldn’t be just for you. As a gift, I mean.” She watched as he smirked.
“Not a problem.” He fished in his pocket for small piece of paper and pressed it to her hand. Elizabeth glanced down quickly enough to see her hand written across the crinkles. She didn’t have time to respond before she claimed her own Christmas present.
Elizabeth tapped her pen on her desk mindlessly, a rapid tinkering filling the room like a clock. She had a problem. Well, not a terrible one. But for all the traps and mental showdowns she had navigated her way through and solutions she had brokered, this was threatening to pull her record below pristine. For once she didn’t have a solution.
Everyone had assumed when she pulled the little slip of paper out of the cup that read ‘John Sheppard’ that she’d be thrilled. After all she probably knew him better than the rest of the expedition. Except for, perhaps, Rodney. OR at least the scientist would believe. But that was part of the problem. Gifts in the Pegasus galaxy had to be selected or crafted with great care. Even still, there were many basic items that people could be grateful for and appreciate. Universal gifts such as scarves and mittens were a given even here. Then there were personal care products, local breweries, and items of symbolism to the various cultures they encountered.
She couldn’t bring herself to approach the generic solutions. John put in everything he had, even if it was hidden behind that boyish smirk of his. He deserved something meaningful. Something important. She was at a complete loss.
She had less than a day to figure it out.
“Still up.” Speak of the devil. John sauntered in and slipped onto her desk beside her as he would any other day. His eyes fell to he empty document on her tablet. “Riveting work. I’m sure you’ll win many awards for it. Invite me as your plus one, yeah?”
Elizabeth smirked. “Oh come on, Lizbeth. I’m not that hard to buy for.” The expedition leader’s head shot up.
“How do you-“
“Please. One guess. Hint. Canada.” Elizabeth sighed heavily. “You should know better. Rodney can’t keep a secret to save his life. Literally. We really gotta work with him on that.”
Elizabeth’s half smirk didn’t surpass her head hanging low. John leaned over to nudge her. She breathed in and leaned back in her chair, looking up at him. “I don’t think you realize just how difficult you can be some times.”
John ignored her double meaning, shrugging with a hint of pride. “Not really. After all, I only asked Santa for one thing this year. That’s pretty reasonable.”
“Oh?” She leaned forward again, resting her elbows on her desk as she waited for him to reply.
John nodded. “But it’s a secret.”
“Is it?”
“MMMmm. I might tell you.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes. He leaned in closer. “If you promise not to tell.”
“Alright, John.” She’d play along tilting her head up towards him. “What is it that you’ve asked for?”
“Well as you know…better than anyone, really… I’ve been a very good boy this year. Yeah, yeah, so I was bad too. But the important thing is that I had to be bad to be good.’
“Sometimes.”
“Most of the time. Why if I hadn’t-“ He straightened up defensively.
“John.”
“Right.” He leaned back down; looking around to make sure no one was listening. “The only thing I want for Christmas…”
“Yes?” she asked as he neared her ear.
“Is…”
Elizabeth waited as he lifted his head to his mouth as if he was trying to shield anyone from reading his lips. She bit her lip to swallow the chuckle in her throat.
“You.”
Elizabeth pulled back as if she had been shocked. Not far away enough to be alarming. Just enough to read his expression, entirely prepared to lecture him on such jokes. Except…
He didn’t look like he was joking. Elizabeth’s pulse raced. She had avoided this, him. But now…now…Her cognitive process slowed as he put his hand on her cheek drawing her back to him.
“There’s…a problem.” She breathed, not recoiling.
“Which is? We’re adults.”
“That wouldn’t be just for you. As a gift, I mean.” She watched as he smirked.
“Not a problem.” He fished in his pocket for small piece of paper and pressed it to her hand. Elizabeth glanced down quickly enough to see her hand written across the crinkles. She didn’t have time to respond before she claimed her own Christmas present.