TITLE: The Perfect Recipe

STORY BY: Rae and Dragonfly

WRITTEN BY: Dragonfly

SUMMARY: Jack, Daniel and Teal'c find themselves in a frightening (for them anyway) situation when they try and help a friend. (Humor, H/C...uh, Adventure? lol) AChristmas Story

DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, quit reminding me.

A/N: This story is actually pretty much finished, so hopefully I'll be able to post a chapter every day or so. Thanks!

He should have stuck with, “Hell no!”

He’s an United States Air Force Colonel, for crying out loud! He knows the tricks people use…

He knows the cards they’ll play to weasel you into doing something you don’t want to.

…mostly because he’s used them himself.

But to be weaseled? I must be getting old. he thought mournfully, making another right towards his destination.

Still, he didn’t go down without a fight.

And more importantly, he didn’t go down alone

This is a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad idea.

Pulling out of the convenient store parking lot, Daniel spoke aloud for the first time.

“This is a bad idea.”

Teal’c regarded his friend. “Are you having second thoughts, DanielJackson?” he asked, looking over from the passenger side window,

“Second thoughts!” Daniel cried incredulously. “Teal’c, there were no, no, no first thoughts or even pre-thoughts that were anywhere near comfortable with this idea!”

“Then why are you here?” the Jaffa simply replied.

Sighing, Daniel threw his head back onto the head rest. “Because….”

Right on time.

Jack shook his head as the little red thing Daniel insisted on calling a car, pulled up to the curb too fast and slid to a halt.

He knew Daniel knew how to drive in the snow. He also knew how much the archaeologist loved scaring the Jaffa. They’ve all been to hell and back with Teal’c…but they’ve never witnessed him sweat as much as he does when he folds himself into that 1986 Ford Escort.

“A transportation device as small, old and as poorly designed as yours, DanielJackson, should not be allowed on the road.”

That was over four years ago and Daniel still had the same car. Guess it wasn’t as poorly designed as Teal’c had thought. …though Daniel did have to get the passenger side’s ‘holy shit bar’ replaced a number of times do to a slightly anxious former first prime.

Walking up to meet the two that would be joining him in the sacrifice, Jack couldn’t help but notice how nervous …and well, scruffy Daniel looked.

What’d he do? Roll straight out of bed and right into the car this morning?

“You got the stuff?” The colonel asked casually, both hands in his pockets.

Holding up the brown paper bag, Daniel murmured. “Yeah”

Something's off. Jack sensed about his friend, but after studying him for a second with critical eyes and not being able to figure out what, Jack merely nodded and turned around. “Well kids, once we walk through that door there will be no turning back.”

Both Jack and Teal’c grabbed a hold of Daniel’s shoulders as he started to ease backwards.

“Once we step into that house, we will no longer be able to hold the titles of 'men'”

“Jaaaack, must you be so dramatic?” Daniel whined.

“Hey, you’re the one sweating.” Jack shot back.

“Am not.” The archaeologist replied petulantly, hugging the paper bag tighter against his chest.

“Well, it’s not like it matters anyway." Jack said, looking down and kicking a stone against the curb. He shoots and scores! "Carter pulled the ‘Cassie’ card and we. are. screwed, my friends.”

“I still don’t know why we have to do it.” Daniel grumbled.

“Because MajorCarter asked us to, DanielJackson.”

“Uh…thanks, Teal’c, but what I meant was…”

“Janet is already busy enough with this whole thing as it is and Carter got held up at the mountain.” Jack supplied matter-of-factly, abandoning the impromptu, one-sided hockey match.

“Just so it’s clear," Daniel re-adjusted the bag he held again. "I think one trip to the store will save us all a whole lot of trouble.”

“I tried that card…" Jack admitted, shaking his head. "No good. They have to be the real thing. And they have to be Carter’s”

Sighing, Daniel closed his eyes, resigned. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with.”

Brave man.

Nodding, Jack puffed up his cheeks and let out a cross between a burp and a sigh. “Alrighty then kids,” he clapped and rubbed his hands together with mocked enthusiasm, “let’s go bake ourselves some cookies.”

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TBC