Trick or Treat

Author: Jess

Rating: PG

Pairing: S/D (naturally)

Subjects: S/D friendship, smarm, holiday

Archive: Anywhere, just let me know where it’s going and keep my name on it.

Summary: Sam spends Halloween night with Daniel. How’s that for a summary?

Spoilers/Season: Cold Lazarus, Singularity, very brief one for Enigma. Takes place in late season one, after Singularity and before Enigma

Disclaimer: I am making no money off of this. The characters do not belong to me; they belong to MGM/Showtime, Gekko Film Corporation and Double Secret Productions. This fic is copyrighted October, 2004 and may not be used or altered without the express permission of the author.

A/N: Okay, this was supposed to be a short Halloween fic, but I felt that with the subject matter at hand (especially about Cassandra), I knew there was no way I could make it very short. “Castle Ghosts of Scotland” is an interesting documentary that pops up on the Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, and the Travel Channel every now and then (I think you can also find it on video). If you’re interested in Scottish history, stuff about ghosts and hauntings, or just something scary to watch once in a while, I would highly recommend it.

*********************************************************

Sam sat lazily on her couch, her head propped up by her hand. SG-1 had been on stand down for a week, as they weren’t due for any exciting missions until the following Monday. It was now Friday, and she fretted that their down time was coming to an end. Instead of immersing herself in some fascinating project, she actually decided to take it easy and relax. She spent most of the week just lazing around, and now she was sitting back, contemplating on how good it felt.

Her daydreams were interrupted as she felt a slight impact on the couch, and heard a faint “meow.”

She turned and smiled faintly as she realized that her cat, Schrödinger, had jumped up on the couch and curled up against a throw pillow. She didn’t know what she would have done without that cat. She didn’t have much of a social life, outside of fraternizing with her friends at the SGC, and she lived alone. Schrödinger kept her from becoming devastatingly lonely.

Her eyes suddenly drifted from the cat down to a bowl of candy that sat on her coffee table. It reminded her that this was not just any old Friday, but it was Halloween. She immediately began reminiscing about the Halloweens she had spent as a young girl, before her mother died. Her father would take her trick-or-treating, and she would help her mother make cookies in the shape of ghosts and jack o’ lanterns. Sam loved dressing up, and always had fun choosing her costume.

The wistful look on her face subsided and was replaced by one of regret. The day before, Jack had informed her that he, Daniel, Janet and even Teal’c, would be taking Cassandra trick-or-treating. Earth had been her new home for only a few weeks now, but they had each spent a great deal of time explaining lots of customs to her, especially those enjoyed by children. As they explained the concept of costumes and trick-or-treating to Cassie, she became excited and told them of how there had been a similar ritual on her home planet.

Sam sighed bitterly as she recalled the ordeal Cassie had gone through when they first brought her back to Earth. She remembered how relieved they all were when the object in her chest started shrinking and was being absorbed into her system, averting disaster. She had really grown attached to the girl, and couldn’t imagine what she would do if anything happened to her.

Again, she remembered the phone call Jack had made to her, cheerfully inviting her along to take Cassandra trick-or-treating. As he prattled on about how much fun it would be, she remembered what had transpired in the park that day several weeks ago. She had told Daniel and Teal’c that Doctor Fraiser was going to take Cassie until they find someone with the right security clearance to adopt her. It didn’t seem to bother her one bit, and she actually said that it didn’t matter, as long as Cassandra was happy.

Sure, she’s happy, but what about me? she had thought to herself some time later. She had gone through a brief period where she had some pretty selfish thoughts. She would scold herself and remind herself that Cassie was the only one who counted, and she should stop feeling sorry for herself. Even though Janet had taken her in, Sam could still play the role of a loving aunt and spend a lot of quality time with her. For some reason, though, she still thought that she had a right to adopt the girl, as she revealed in her actions that she was willing to die with her.

These thoughts penetrated her mind during Jack’s phone call, and prompted her to tell him that she wasn’t sure if she could join them. She made up an excuse that she had to straighten up the house, and that she to stock up on Halloween candy. Jack had seemed surprised, as he’d thought she would want to take Cassie trick-or-treating more than anyone. He resignedly told her to call him back if she was able to make it. Sam hung up the phone, and her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears.

Now, it was Halloween, and instead of joining her friends and the little girl whom she loved with all her heart for trick-or-treating, she was moping on her couch. A part of her was ashamed at the way she was acting. When Jack had spoken to her, he’d even suggested that they might even dress up along with Cassandra. Normally, that would have made Sam giggle, or at the very least crack a smile, as pictures of Jack and Teal’c dressed in silly costumes entered her mind. Somewhere, deep down inside, she wanted to join them, but the overwhelming feeling of bitterness won out.

She sighed heavily and looked over at Schrödinger, who was purring contentedly. She absentmindedly looked down at her watch. It was about three thirty, which meant that Cassie would be home from school in about fifteen minutes or so, then probably another half-hour or hour until they took her trick-or-treating.

Sam nearly jumped as she heard the doorbell ring. She leapt up off the couch and grabbed the bowl of candy. She hadn’t had many visitors earlier in the day, just a handful of little children too young to be in school. Now that school had adjourned for the day, the larger crowds would start coming. Sam hoped she had enough candy for them all.

She opened the door and her eyes widened in surprise as she noticed Daniel standing in front of her with a shopping bag.

“Trick or treat, Sam,” he smiled.

Sam’s lips slowly lifted into a smile.

“Daniel,” she said softly, still pleasantly surprised to see him.

Daniel craned his neck forward so he could inspect the contents of Sam’s bowl of candy.

“Hmm, Charm’s Blow Pops, Tootsie Rolls, miniature Snickers, but no Fifth Avenues. Boy, you’re stingy,” he teased, wrinkling his nose in mock disgust.

Sam grinned and giggled slightly.

“Sorry, I should have taken you into account when I made my candy selection,” she teased back.

Daniel shrugged.

“It’s just a bit of advice. Now you’ll know for next year,” he smiled.

Sam rolled her eyes and giggled once again.

Daniel suddenly jerked his head around, upon hearing footsteps. A group of four kids dressed in various costumes were standing behind him.

“Oh, ah … you’ve got some company,” he said to Sam as he gestured toward them.

He stood aside and let the kids make their way up to Sam’s door. Before they approached her, though, he leaned over and gave them a bit of advice:

“She’s a little stingy with the candy. If you want better dibs, try next door.”

A couple of the kids smirked as Sam gave Daniel a wary look.

“I don’t even want to know what you told them,” she said sternly, although she was sure she had an idea of what he said.

Daniel shot her a mischievous grin.

Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head before she gave out the candy. The children thanked her and went on their merry way. Daniel made his way up to Sam.

“Come on, what did you tell them?” she said amusedly.

“The truth,” Daniel replied innocently. He looked into the bowl once again and wrinkled his nose, which made Sam giggle.

“Well, I’m sure you didn’t come here for the candy,” she remarked once she had calmed down.

“Wow, what gave you that idea?” Daniel asked with a facetious smile on his face.

“Oh, woman’s intuition, I guess,” she shrugged.

Daniel chuckled softly.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

Sam grinned and nodded, gesturing for him to enter.

***********************************************

Daniel made a beeline for her couch, and turned in surprise as Schrödinger sat up against him and purred.

“I think that cat likes you,” Sam grinned.

Daniel nodded.

“Well, it’s too bad that I’m allergic to that cat,” he started, just before he was cut off by a loud sneeze.

“Gesundheit.”

Daniel nodded and fetched a handkerchief from his jacket pocket. The cat must have sensed that he was causing Daniel’s agony, and he leapt off the couch and darted into Sam’s guest room.

Daniel finished blowing his nose and put the handkerchief back in his pocket. He then straightened up and looked at Sam as she sat on the recliner to his side.

“So … what’s going on?” he finally said.

Sam’s brow wrinkled in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Ah … well … we’re all taking Cassandra trick-or-treating soon.”

Sam nodded awkwardly.

Daniel looked at her curiously.

“You’re coming, aren’t you?”

Sam sighed and looked away from him. How could she say no when confronted by Daniel’s puppy dog eyes? She had to say no, though.

She didn’t answer him.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Daniel continued, smiling. “Doctor Fraiser and Jack are going to wear costumes. I think Jack has even persuaded Teal’c to dress up.”

Sam turned back to him. His sunny, hopeful expression was threatening to eat away at her hardened façade.

“What about you?” she asked.

Daniel’s brow knitted in thought.

“Oh, um … actually I hadn’t even thought about that,” he said sheepishly. “I don’t think I am. I mean, I don’t even have time to think of a costume, and I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“That’s too bad,” Sam replied with the faintest of smirks upon her face. “I think I would have liked to see you as some great historical figure or character from mythology … Aristotle, Caesar …”

“Maybe next year,” Daniel grinned, blushing slightly.

“…Adonis,” Sam continued, grinning widely.

She began to giggle as Daniel’s cheeks flamed.

“Well … anyway, Jack said to meet him and Teal’c at Fraiser’s house. We’ve got about ten minutes,” he said as he looked at his watch.

Sam stopped giggling and her grin faded.

“I don’t think it’ll be a big deal if you and I show up without costumes,” he shrugged.

“I … I can’t go, Daniel,” she blurted out, shaking her head slightly.

Daniel’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Why not?” he asked softly.

“I gotta straighten up this place,” she lied as she waved her hand, gesturing to the living room and dining room.

“Looks pretty spotless to me,” Daniel said slowly.

Sam felt her cheeks grow hot. She shut her eyes and sighed deeply.

Daniel looked at her seriously and leaned toward her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said flatly. “I just … I can’t leave the house. Someone has to be here for the trick-or-treaters … that’s all.”

Daniel gave her one of those “how-dumb-do-you-think-I-look” faces.

“Sam, please. Tell me what’s wrong,” he pleaded.

Sam swallowed hard as she felt a lump form in her throat.

“I … I can’t go,” she rasped out. She turned her head away to avoid his penetrating stare.

Daniel walked over to her and knelt down beside her chair.

“Sam, look at me,” he said softly. When she didn’t respond, he cupped his hand over her chin and tilted her head so that she could see his face.

Reluctantly she looked up at him, concern showing in his eyes.

“Now I would have thought that you’d want to be with Cassie more than any of us. Something’s bothering you, and I wish you would tell me what it is. Why don’t you want to take her trick-or-treating with us?”

Sam averted her eyes for a moment as she tried to collect her thoughts.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, Daniel,” she finally replied, shaking her head. “I mean, I love Cassandra with all my heart. I love her like a daughter. I just don’t know if I can do this.”

Daniel looked at her intently before a brief look of understanding shone through his eyes.

“That’s it,” he said.

Sam’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What?” she asked curiously.

“You love her like a daughter. That’s why you don’t know if you can do this,” he replied.

Sam stared at Daniel and then nodded. She was actually surprised by his remark. He really seemed to know her as well as anyone possibly could.

“Damn it, I should have been able to adopt her,” she suddenly exclaimed, rising from the chair. “Why did Janet get to …”

Sam stopped short and covered her mouth with her hand. Daniel remained next to the chair, taking the whole thing in. She was surprised that he didn’t object or try to stop her tirade.

“Oh my God, what am I saying?” she said quietly. “I must sound like an ogre.”

She sighed and sank back down into the chair.

“I can’t believe how selfish I am,” she said, her voice wavering.

“Sam, you’re not selfish,” Daniel said soothingly. “What you feel is completely understandable after what you went through with Cassandra. I mean, you were willing to die with her, for God’s sake. Who said it was fair that Doctor Fraiser would get to take her in?”

Sam’s lip quivered and she shook her head.

“Daniel, do you remember what I said while we were watching Cassandra? When we found out that she was going to die?”

Daniel looked at her curiously.

“That I know I’m supposed to be detached?” she continued, sniffling.

Daniel looked at her sadly.

“Oh, Sam,” he said, his own voice starting to waver a bit. He shut his eyes for a moment and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Sam knew that Daniel only did it when he was really worried or upset about something.

“If I had followed that protocol, I wouldn’t feel like this. It wouldn’t have made such a difference to me. We would all be out right now taking her trick-or treating, and you wouldn’t be here listening to me cry and complain in my stupid, selfish way,” she said bitterly.

“Sam, you know that’s not true. If you hadn’t become attached to her, you wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths to prevent her death. It’s in your instinct; it’s what makes you such a great person. There’s no reason you should have to apologize for that.”

Sam turned her reddened, tear-stained face back to Daniel. His deep blue eyes pierced hers, and she could see the clarity and wisdom in them.

“I guess you’re right,” she conceded, sniffling a bit.

“Believe me, from what I saw of you that whole time, you’d make a great mom,” he finished, his lips edging up into a faint smile.

Sam grinned widely through her tears and giggled a bit. A few tears escaped through the corners of her eyes as a reflex and she dabbed at her cheeks with a tissue before blowing her nose. Daniel pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly.

“Thanks for setting me straight, Daniel,” she sniffled.

“Not at all, Sam. Not at all,” he said soothingly. He rubbed her back in small, circular motions.

Finally he stepped back and allowed her to compose herself some more. She smiled at him and blew her nose again. The doorbell rang again, making Sam jump. Daniel smiled sympathetically at her.

“You okay?” he asked with slight amusement in his voice.

“Yeah,” she giggled nervously. She looked out the window and saw three kids standing in front of the door. She reached down and grabbed a handful of candy out of the bowl.

Just then, the phone rang.

“Oh, God! What, does everyone think I’m Super Woman or something?” she exclaimed as she rolled her eyes.

“I do,” Daniel grinned and winked at her.

Sam smirked at him.

“Would you get that for me?” she asked, gesturing to the phone.

Daniel nodded and went to pick up the phone as Sam headed for the front door.

“Hello?” he said.

“Daniel?” said a very surprised Jack.

“Oh, ah … hi, Jack,” Daniel said nonchalantly.

“What’s going on? Where’s Carter?” Jack asked.

“Not much. Sam’s just answering the door, handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters.”

“You know what I meant, Daniel. You were supposed to go to Carter’s and ask her if she wanted to go with us,” Jack said, sounding a bit impatient.

“What?” Daniel asked curiously.

“I left a message on your answering machine, for crying out loud!” Jack exclaimed.

“Um, Jack, I didn’t get a chance to check my messages today,” Daniel confessed.

“You didn’t,” Jack snorted.

“No. I went over to Sam’s house on my own.”

“Oh,” Jack said after a beat. “So, is she coming or not?”

Daniel glanced over at Sam, who was still at the door handing out candy and complimenting the kids on their costumes.

“Ah … no.”

“What?”

“Look, Jack, Sam and I had a long discussion, and she’s not going to be able to make it,” Daniel blurted out.

“…”

“She doesn’t think she can make it,” he amended his statement.

“Why not?” Jack asked, sounding a bit suspicious.

Daniel nervously raked a hand through his hair and put the phone back up to his ear.

“You’re probably not going to understand this,” he sighed.

“Try me,” Jack answered.

“Okay, um … she … it’s a bit hard for her, after going through that ordeal with Cassandra, after being so close to her.”

“Oh, damn. It’s because Janet has her, isn’t it,” Jack said seriously.

She was willing to die with her, Jack – “

“Damn it, Daniel, I know that,” Jack snapped.

Daniel’s eyes widened, not expecting Jack to react that way.

“Sorry,” Jack sighed. “I guess it’s affecting me a little, too. Cassie’s a great kid, and she’s so excited about this. It’s the first time I’ve taken a kid trick-or-treating since before Charlie …”

“It’s okay, Jack. I understand completely,” Daniel said softly. “I’m sorry I said that.”

“Not your fault,” Jack said quietly.

“You do understand why Sam can’t do this though, right?” Daniel pressed on.

Jack sighed before answering.

“Yeah, I guess. So, what are you guys going to do?”

“Ah … well, I brought over a few videos we can watch …”

“Videos?”

“Yeah. I figured that if Sam and I had gone with you guys, we would have come back here later and watched some horror movies or something.”

“Daniel? Horror movies? You?” Jack asked amusedly.

“Yes, Jack.”

“The guy who was freaked out by the T-Rex in Jurassic Park?” Jack chuckled.

“Yes, Jack,” Daniel sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Well, now this I gotta see,” Jack exclaimed. “Mind if we come over later? Although I guess I should ask Carter since it’s her house.”

Daniel turned back toward the doorway, only to see that Sam was no longer there. He grinned and reached into the candy bowl for a miniature Snickers bar.

“I don’t think Sam will mind,” he answered as he munched on the candy bar.

“Can I talk to her?”

“Ah … no. She’s not here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean she’s not here, Jack,” Daniel replied dryly. “She must have gone outside, or she’s in the bathroom or something.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll wait,” Jack said patiently.

“Jack, I don’t know where she is. I’m sure she won’t mind if you guys drop by, especially Cassandra,” Daniel insisted.

“Okie doke,” Jack said resignedly. “We’ll be out until six, and then we’ll order in pizza or something. Then, depending on whether Cassie is up to more begging for candy, we’ll make the rounds to a few more houses. Okay if we come by around seven-thirty, seven forty-five?”

Daniel threw the Snickers wrapper in the waste basket and grabbed another piece of candy.

“Ah … yeah, that should be fine, Jack.”

“Great. Doc Fraiser might have to work the night shift at the hospital, but Teal’c, Cassie and I will definitely be there,” he said cheekily.

“Okay, see you then, Jack,” Daniel answered, his mouth full of candy.

“Will do. Oh, and Daniel … the voices in the television that talk to the little girl … just remember, they’re not real,” he teased.

Daniel rolled his eyes.

“Goodbye, Jack,” he said in a sing-song manner before he hung up the phone.

Suddenly, the front door opened, and Sam entered the house. She noticed Daniel chewing on something, as well as several candy wrappers in the waste basket. He looked up at her innocently.

“Will you cut that out?” she scolded him playfully. “At this rate I won’t have any left for the kids!”

Daniel blushed like mad.

“Sorry, I suddenly had a craving for chocolate.”

Sam looked at him knowingly.

“Oh, so first I’m stingy with my candy, and now you’re sitting there munching away on it?” she smirked.

Daniel shrugged. “Hey, chocolate’s chocolate.”

Sam grinned and shook her head.

“Uh, you got some over here,” she said as she gestured to the corner of her mouth.

Daniel looked at her curiously before his eyes widened in realization. He grabbed a tissue and wiped a bit of chocolate off the corner of his mouth.

“It is okay now?” he asked her, looking up at her like a little boy.

Sam grinned and nodded.

“Um, so … where were you just now?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“Oh, I noticed that the scarecrow I have over my mailbox was a little crooked. I just went out to straighten him up,” she replied.

Daniel nodded.

“Jack just called.”

Sam raised her eyebrows.

“He did? Why?”

Daniel opened his mouth, but Sam cut him off.

“Oh, he was probably asking if I changed my mind and wanted to go.”

Daniel nodded.

“Yeah, but don’t worry. I told him how you felt, and he understood.”

Sam’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“He did?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah. Don’t forget, Jack’s still trying to get over what happened to Charlie.”

“Oh, right … his son,” Sam replied somberly.

Daniel averted his eyes and nodded.

“I guess it makes sense that he understands. I mean, watching as that crystal took the shape of his son, and having to say goodbye to him like that must have been really hard,” she said quietly.

Daniel nodded.

“Uh … so, what did he say?”

“Well, they might drop by around seven thirty, seven forty-five, for a while,” Daniel replied, looking back up at her.

A smile grew on Sam’s face.

“Really?”

“I told him you wouldn’t mind. I hope that’s okay,” Daniel answered, sounding a bit worried.

“Of course it’s okay!” she exclaimed with a big grin. “Seven forty-five? That would be just in time for yet another Earth tradition to introduce to Cassandra.”

Daniel raised her eyebrows.

“’It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’!” Sam continued.

“Oh …”

“What? Don’t tell me you’ve never watched it, Daniel!”

Daniel blushed faintly. “Well, ah … I think I might have seen it once a long time ago, but in all honestly I never had time to watch too much TV,” he said sheepishly.

Sam grinned. “Well, it was always a big tradition for me, ever since I was a little girl. I haven’t gone one year without watching this, and this year it will be extra special since Cassandra will see it.”

Daniel smiled.

“So, you’re okay with her coming over then?”

“Yeah, I think so. I’m anxious to see what costume she has,” she grinned. “Is Janet coming?”

“Actually, Jack said she might have to work the night shift at the hospital, so she might not be able to make it.”

Sam seemed to visibly relax, which earned a bewildered look from Daniel until he realized that seeing Cassie with Dr. Fraiser would just remind Sam that the little girl wasn’t hers.

“Well, it’s about four thirty,” she sighed as she looked down at her watch. “What are we going to do until then?”

A grin slowly spread across Daniel’s face and he picked up the plastic shopping bag he’d brought with him. He reached inside, and took out several videotapes.

She looked down at him and raised an eyebrow.

“You brought movies?” she asked.

Daniel looked back up at her and blushed faintly.

“Ah … yeah. I originally thought that if we went out with them, we’d come back here later and watch a few of these.”

Sam smiled and looked as though she was pleasantly surprised.

“Let’s see,” Daniel began as he looked through the videos. “’The Haunting’ – the original black-and-white version, ‘Nosferatu’, the silent film from 1922 …”

Sam raised her eyebrows. “Impressive collection, Daniel.”

“Thank you,” he smirked. “Oh, and I swiped this one from Jack’s office … ‘An American Werewolf in London.’”

“Oh, I’ve seen that one dozens of times,” she giggled. “It’s a scream.”

Daniel nodded.

“So, take your pick, Sam. What would you like to watch first?”

Sam thoughtfully turned her eyes upward.

“You know, I don’t think I want to watch any of them yet. Watching things horror movies is best when it’s dark,” she grinned.

“Good point,” he replied, grinning back. “And the horror movies are great for Halloween, but nothing beats those History Channel documentaries.”

Sam gave him a curious look.

“I mean, they usually air things geared toward the holiday, with an emphasis on aspects of folklore … there’s documentaries on vampires, witches, and ghosts.”

Sam raised her eyebrows thoughtfully.

“Huh. Can’t say I’ve ever seen one of those before.”

“Well, now’s your chance,” he grinned. “Got a TV guide?”

Sam nodded and gestured toward the coffee table. Daniel picked up the issue of TV Guide and began thumbing through it as the doorbell rang. Sam picked up the bowl of candy and made her way to the front door.

“Oh, boy, are we in luck,” Daniel smiled.

“What?” Sam asked, as she shut the door and made her way over to the couch.

“Well, at five there’s ‘The Origin of the Vampire.’ Then at six is ‘In Search of History: Witchcraft’, and finally at seven there’s ‘Castle Ghosts of Scotland.’”

“Ghosts of Scotland? Sounds pretty creepy,” Sam shuddered.

Daniel shrugged.

“Well, it is Halloween,” he grinned.

Sam giggled.

******************************************************************

Sam took Daniel’s advice and tuned into the History Channel. They watched each of the documentaries, and while they were interesting, the ones about vampires and ghosts gave Sam chills at times. She looked over at Daniel, though, and once she realized she was with him, she didn’t feel so scared. Every so often, especially during the commercials, he would go into detail about something that he found intriguing, or that he felt they didn’t explain well during the show itself.

After the vampire documentary, Daniel had remarked that he was hungry. Sam wrinkled her nose in disbelief, wondering how he could be hungry after watching something that featured blood and guts, as well as decomposing bodies. Then her stomach growled, so she had to put up or shut up. They ended up ordering a pizza in, and ate as they watched the documentary on witchcraft.

Just as the ‘Castle Ghosts of Scotland’ documentary was about to end, the doorbell rang. Sam rolled her eyes and eased up off the couch.

“I hope there aren’t too many,” she said to Daniel. “I don’t have much candy left.”

She opened the door, and her mouth dropped open.

“Trick or treat, Sam!!”

There, right in front of her, stood Cassandra, Jack and Teal’c. Cassie was dressed as a fairy princess, and her costume consisted of a pink leotard, pink tights, wings that were probably sewn on by her adopted mom, and a small tiara. She looked up at Sam and smiled widely.

“Well, look at you!” Sam grinned widely. “Let me see if I have some candy left over,” she winked as she reached into the bowl.

She pulled out a few Tootsie Rolls and a Snickers Bar and handed them to Cassie, who graciously accepted them and stuffed them into her trick or treat bag.

“Thank you,” she smiled.

“You’re welcome, honey,” Sam smiled back. “I love your costume.”

Cassie beamed. “Thanks.”

Sam turned to put the candy back on the coffee table, when Jack cleared his throat.

“No candy for us, Carter?” he asked, pouting.

Sam took one look at him and Teal’c, raised an eyebrow and snickered. Teal’c was dressed as a farmer, complete with overalls, a straw hat and a pitchfork. Jack was dressed as a Holstein cow, with big, floppy ears, horns, tail and even an udder.

“Sorry, Sir, but I do have to save the candy for the other children,” she said facetiously.

“Damn,” he said softly, looking forlorn. Teal’c looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

Sam giggled. “Come on in.”

“Gee, thanks,” Jack said dryly.

He made his way over to the couch where Daniel was sitting. Daniel looked at him with widened eyes for a moment before he began snickering as well. The snickering turned into peals of laughter as Daniel doubled over and held his stomach.

“Hey!” Jack yelled at him.

For a brief moment, Daniel regained his composure and sat up straight.

“Ah … sorry, Jack,” he said, clearing his throat. “Nice costume, Teal’c,” he said as he gestured toward the Jaffa.

“Thank you, Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c replied as he bowed his head slightly. “It may interest you to know that O’Neill originally intended for me to wear the bovine costume, and he the farmer costume. It was not until I threatened him with physical harm that he decided to reverse this situation.”

He gestured to his pitchfork. “This is an interesting weapon, but it is not as effective as a staff weapon.”

Jack rolled his eyes, but Teal’c’s comments only made Daniel burst into laughter again. Sam joined him, and even Cassandra giggled.

“Just be glad I didn’t get to choose your costume, Daniel,” Jack said in an eerily calm tone.

Daniel abruptly stopped laughing and looked around sheepishly. Sam grinned at him and patted his arm.

“So, how was trick-or-treating, Cassandra? Did you have a good time?” Sam asked the little girl.

“It was a lot of fun!” Cassie exclaimed with a wide grin. “And I got a lot of candy.” She held up her bag to show Sam.

Sam smiled at her.

“I missed you, Sam,” Cassie added, her face suddenly becoming crestfallen. “I wish you had come.”

Sam felt a lump form in her throat.

“I know. I’m sorry, sweetie. I really wanted to go with you, but … I wasn’t feeling very good before.”

“Are you feeling better now?” the little girl asked, sounding a bit concerned.

Sam smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’m feeling better now, especially since you’re here.”

Cassandra’s smile returned, and it made Sam feel warm inside. She looked over at the clock and realized that it was just a few minutes before eight o’clock.

“Oh, it’s just about eight o’clock. Cassandra honey, there’s another fun tradition we have here, on Halloween,” she smiled.

Cassie looked up at her curiously as Sam reached for the remote.

“Have a seat on the couch and you’ll see,” Sam continued.

Cassie took a seat on the couch next to Daniel, who was sitting on the left side. He scooted over to the middle to make room for Cassie. As she sat down, he gave her a small hug and put his arm around her. Sam sat on the other side of Daniel and leaned up against him. Jack sat on the recliner, and Teal’c sat on the floor.

Sam turned on the TV and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” filled the screen.

************************************************************

“Ah. Every year that cartoon gets better and better,” Jack grinned, once the show had ended.

Sam giggled and looked down at Cassandra.

“I really liked that,” Cassie said. There were quite a few times during the cartoon that Cassie giggled, and she commented that she thought Snoopy was adorable.

“We’ll have to get her the DVD for Christmas,” Daniel said, smiling down at Cassie and rubbing her arm. Cassie looked up at him and smiled.

“I don’t care what anyone says,” Jack began. “My absolute favorite part is when Linus says to Sally ‘you’ll be able to see the Great Pumpkin with your OWN EYES!!’”

Jack imitated Linus’ line, complete with his wide-eyed stare as he said the line in the cartoon, which resulted in laughter and giggles from everyone present except Teal’c.

“Oh, I love that!” Sam exclaimed. “When my brother and I were little, we used to tease each other with that line! We loved watching it together.”

Jack grinned. “Sara and I used to watch it with Charlie,” he said softly, a bit of sadness creeping into his voice.

Teal’c looked at him curiously. “Are you all right, O’Neill?” he asked.

Jack looked at him and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He looked down at his watch. “Well, it’s eight thirty. I think it’s close to someone’s bedtime.”

He looked over at Cassie and grinned as she yawned.

“Uh, Sir, if Janet has the night shift, Cassandra can stay here with me,” Sam blurted out.

“Nah, that’s okay, Carter. I told the Doc she would spend the night with me.”

Sam raised her eyebrows. “Oh. Okay,” she nodded.

Jack made his way over to the couch and picked Cassie up.

“Come on, you,” he grinned. “It’s getting close to Uncle Jack’s bedtime, too.”

Cassie smiled sleepily and looked over at Sam.

“Bye, Sam.”

Sam walked up to them and gave Cassie a little hug.

“Bye, Cassandra. One day you can sleep over my house,” she smiled.

The little girl beamed.

“Bye, Teal’c. I love your costume,” Sam smiled at the Jaffa.

Teal’c bowed his head slightly. “Good night, Captain Carter,” he remarked as he made his way out the door.

“’Night, Teal’c,” Daniel called after him as he stifled a yawn.

“Good night, Daniel Jackson.”

“Are you leaving too, Daniel?” Jack asked as he stood in the doorway.

“Huh? Oh, no, not yet. We’re going to watch a movie or two first.”

Jack smirked and snorted amusedly. “So, did you leap into Carter’s arms or anything before we got here?”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “No,” he said tersely. “We watched some Halloween-themed documentaries on the History Channel.”

Now it was Jack’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Sheesh, that does it. You’re both certifiable geeks.”

“Oh, yeah?” Daniel shot back with a smirk on his face. “Who’s the one dressed like a cow?”

Jack looked down at his ridiculous costume and back up at Daniel.

“It’s not geeky. It’s called ‘dressing silly and having a good time.’”

“Moo.”

“Shut up, Daniel.”

Jack took Cassie’s hand and started for his Jeep. Daniel grinned and waved playfully at them.

“Bye, Cassie,” he called out. “Don’t eat too much candy tonight or you’ll get a stomach ache. And don’t let Jack eat it, either.”

“Shut up, Daniel!” Jack’s disembodied voice rang out in nearly pitch black darkness.

Daniel chuckled and closed the door.

“So,” he began, rubbing his hands together. “Which movie do you want to see?”

“Um … ‘American Werewolf in London,’” Sam answered, grinning slightly.

Daniel smiled and handed the tape to Sam, who popped it into the VCR and turned out the lights. She sat back on the couch with Daniel and they munched on some of the leftover candy.

************************************************************

Sam yawned and stretched her arms. They had ended up watching all three movies that Daniel had brought, and it was well after midnight. They both seemed to enjoy “An American Werewolf in London.” Sam had seen the movie many times, and knew it nearly by heart. She still got a bit jumpy during various parts, like the quick scene where the man who turned into a werewolf was lying in bed, opened his eyes and looked like a gruesome fiend. She ended up clinging to Daniel, and he didn’t seem to mind at all, as he’d been a bit jumpy as well. He did get a few laughs at the werewolf’s wisecracking dead friend, though.

Next they watched “Nosferatu.” Sam had seen it, or at least parts of it, a couple of times before. Nevertheless, the Count Orlock character didn’t fail to give her the chills. For its age, the film did a good job of sending chills down the spine. She and Daniel spent most of the time in each other’s arms as they watched that one.

Finally, they watched the original version of “The Haunting.” It was another fairly old movie, but it was creepy in an old-fashioned, suspenseful way. Daniel had actually managed to fall asleep halfway through it, but Sam remained awake and watched it to the very end.

She hit the “Stop” button on the remote and watched as the TV screen turned blue. She then heard what sounded like heavy rain beating against the windows. Sam furrowed her brow in confusion. Was it supposed to rain tonight? She didn’t think so. She nearly had a heart attack as a loud clap of thunder sounded. After watching those movies, the loud noises and nearly complete pitch blackness really seemed to get the best of her.

Another noise began to fill the room, although it wasn’t loud by any means, and it certainly wasn’t scary. Sam looked to her right and saw Daniel, sitting up against her and snoring softly. She smiled as the sound soothed her. She had to go and remove the tape from the player, though. She didn’t want to disturb him, but she felt it was getting late and that he’d probably want to head home.

She started to pick herself up off the couch when Daniel began to stir. He made a little whimpering sound as he adjusted his glasses upon his face.

“Wha … what’s going on?” he asked sleepily.

Sam removed the tape from the player, shut the VCR and TV off, and turned on the light.

“The movie’s over, Daniel,” she said, smiling slightly.

“What? What time is it?” he asked after emitting a loud yawn.

“It’s one forty-five A.M.,” she replied.

Daniel’s eyes widened. “Oh my God,” he said soberly.

Sam giggled. “It’s okay.”

“I guess I’d better be –“

Daniel was cut off by another loud crack of thunder.

“Woah,” he remarked, once the noise had subsided a bit. “Was it supposed to rain?”

“Not that I know of,” Sam replied, shaking her head.

Daniel headed toward the door and peered out.

“Um… Sam, the street appears to be flooded,” he said.

“Maybe it’s not such a good idea for you to drive home,” she said worriedly.

Daniel looked at her and then nodded. “I’d ask if I could stay here for the night, but I’d hate to burden you.”

Sam shook her head. “Daniel, you’re not a burden. You’ve never been a burden.”

“Yeah, tell that to Jack,” he said sardonically.

“Daniel, listen to me,” Sam said as she touched his arm. “You are not a burden … not to me, or anyone else. I’ve got a guest room, so it’s no problem for you to stay the night. In fact, I’d feel better if you did.”

“You would?” Daniel asked as he looked her in the eyes.

“Yeah, not only would it be dangerous for you to drive home in this weather, but after watching all those scary movies I would really appreciate the company,” she grinned.

Daniel grinned back and chuckled.

“I can’t say ‘no’ to that,” he told her.

Sam giggled as he moved in to give her a hug. Once in his embrace, she ran her hands through his hair and patted him on the back. They stepped out of the hug and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks, Sam, I really appreciate it,” he smiled.

“You’re welcome, Daniel,” she smiled back.

With that he headed toward the guest room to turn in for the night. Before he entered the room, he looked back at Sam once more.

“Happy Halloween, Sam,” he said, his lips twitching upward into a smile.

“Happy Halloween, Daniel,” she returned.

He smiled at her one last time before he disappeared into the room.

@~ THE END ~@