YES ROLLIE, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS

Rating: Young Children

Warnings: None

Summary: Rollie is stuck in Chicago on Christmas Eve.

Takes place in 2005

Crossover--can't tell, just read.

Rollie sighed and sipped his beer.

Please God let this storm clear up. I wanna be with my family for Christmas.

"My flight's delayed. I don't know how long, it's a blizzard outside. Jack, use the brain I know you have, if a commercial flight can't get out what makes you think a transport can fly in?"

Rollie smiled as the man chuckled, said good-bye to 'Jack' and hung up as he sat down beside the Aussie in the crowded bar.

"Get you somethin'?"

"Coffee."

The man behind the bar nodded and poured the newcomer a cup of steaming java.

"Thanks."

"Where ya headed to?"

"Australian?"

"Got a long way to go." Rollie grinned.

"Huh? Oh! No, I meant, you're Australian?"

"That I am mate."

"Daniel, and I live in Colorado."

"Rollie, New York."

"Nice to meet you."

They shook hands.

"Likewise mate."  Rollie was just getting ready to take a sip of his beer when his cell rang.

"Excuse me." He nodded to Daniel then answered it. "Hey love, still no change. Okay. How are my ankle biters? Being good for mum? Make sure there's some cookies left for me and Santa.

Nah, reindeer like carrots. Love you too. Hey Ange, sure you're okay? Mira's there? Good.

I don't know, it's still snowing." He sighed. "I love you to sweetie, give them kisses from me.

Me too. Bye." He hung up with a deep sigh.

"Wife and kids?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Was married . . . she died several years ago."

"No kids?"

"No."

"Family to spend Christmas with?"

"Friends."

"We have some good friends. One of them is staying with Ange, she's gonna pop any day now."

"Pop? She's pregnant?"

"Our third." Rollie answered proudly. "We have twin boys, Natty and Manny."

"Congratulations." Daniel smiled.

"Hey, looks like we're gonna be here a while, wanna grab a table and eat?" Rollie asked espying a vacant one.

"Wow, yeah. I haven't eaten since I left D.C. at ten." Daniel checked his watch.

The men picked up their carry-on luggage and relocated.

A waitress came over and they ordered coffee and sandwiches.

"So what do you do Rollie?" 

"I own an FX company."

"FX?"

"Special effects for the movies. That's why I was out in L.A., a meeting ran longer than I expected. How 'bout you?"

"Translator for the Air Force."

"For the Air Force or for the Air Force?" Rollie joked.

"That's good." Daniel pointed and chuckled. 

Their meals came and they dug in.

Just as they were finishing Daniel's phone rang.

"Excuse me." He apologized and answered. "Hey Sam. Jack suggested that didn't he? And just how would he explain his 'friend' picking me up? Uh-huh. Hopefully it will clear up soon and we can get out of here. Me too. Bye Sam" He rolled his eyes as he hung up.

"Another idea to get you home?"

"Yeah." Daniel sighed.

"He misses ya."

"He's my best friend." Daniel smiled.

"What'd you get him for Christmas?"

"A new fishing rod. He's had his eye on a very specific one, kind of pricey, even on a General's salary."

"A General. Impressive."

"Yeah, I knew him when he was just a mere Colonel."

Rollie laughed and finished his coffee.

"Got pictures of the kids?"

Rollie pulled his wallet out and showed him.

"This is Nathan Leo, his middle name is in honor of a good friend who was killed in the line of duty several years ago."

"You miss him."

"He was my mate."

"This is Manny?"

"Yep. Manuel Ramirez was Ange's dad, he's passed too." Rollie sighed.

"No grandparents?"

"My dad's still around . . . somewhere."

"My grandfather is alive but lives . . . out of the country. My parents died when I was a kid. Jack is like . . . a father, big brother, best friend, all rolled into one. Sam is like a big sister and T . . . Murray . . . is my wise . . . older . . . . uncle."

"Family."

"Yeah." Daniel smiled.

"Angie's dad was my mentor. He took me from stunt work to special effects."

Rollie was surprised he was telling this stranger all about his life, he was normally far more cautious, especially about his family.

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, those glasses don't hide his blue eyes. My gut tells me he's a good bloke.

"So how will you spend tomorrow if we get out of here?" He asked.

"Normally Jack drags me to his place to spend the night, we make all the dinner then watch 'It's A Wonderful Life'. Jack swears he doesn't cry over it but I've seen him wipe his eyes."

Rollie chuckled.

"In the morning Jack makes a big breakfast and we listen to Christmas songs on the radio. Sam and . . . Murray.. .come over around eleven and we open gifts. In years past our old boss George would come by, so would another friend, Janet and her daughter Cassie. Janet was killed last year. We still miss her."

Rollie nodded, he missed Leo, even eight years on.

"Anyway, we always have a good time together. Jack was away last year and the year before, I was . . . gone."

"So being together this year is important to both of you." Rollie nodded.

"Hence the attempts to get me home." Daniel nodded fondly.

They were silent for a long moment.

"So tell me about your movies."

"Our last one is in post, it's called 'City That Doesn't Sleep', it's about vampires. We got a good cast, bigger budget.

He was still amazed when he learned Cameron Diaz had joined the project which in turn brought Christian Bale on board, no one looked back after that.

Now I just finished meeting with Reni Harlan about a project to start shooting in March.

Life is truly grand.

"How does your holiday go?"

"Hmm? Oh, the anklebiters get up early of course. The last time Ange and I slept in on Christmas was six years ago, when she was pregnant with them." He smiled.

"You wouldn't have it any other way." Daniel nodded.

"Reckon!"

"What was an Australian Christmas like?"

"A day at the beach. Literally. It's summer in Oz."

"Like Egypt."

"You spent Christmas there?" Rollie asked interested.

"My parents were archaeologists so I spent most of my time on dig sites there. It was . . . different. They tried to make Christmas special for me."

"Do you speak Egyptian?"

"Among others, yeah."

"Don't suppose you know hieroglyphics?"

"Whhhy?"

Rollie could hear the suspicion in his voice and wondered why it was there.

"Our next project is set in Egypt, it'd be nice to have the hieroglyphics accurate."

"I totally dissed 'The Mummy' series for that very thing." Daniel chuckled and pulled some paper from his carry on, he wrote on it and passed it to Rollie. "My e-mail."

"Spacemonkey?"

"Courtesy of Jack. It's unique enough no one has ever forgotten it." Daniel shrugged.

"Thanks mate, much appreciated." Rollie put it in his pocket.

They heard a group of people talking in another language and Daniel looked toward them shaking his head.

"Gotta feel for them, they're trying to get eight kids to Disney World."

"You speak . . . that?"

"Turkish." Daniel nodded.

"How many languages do you know?"

"Current or dead? Read, write or speak?"

Rollie gaped but nodded.

"Somewhere around thirty."

Rollie realized it wasn't a boast, just a statement of fact.

"No wonder the Air Force snapped you up!"

"An offer I couldn't refuse."

Rollie chuckled.

They looked up as the p.a. blared to life.

A number of cancellations were announced and both men heard theirs.

"Better call Ange."

"I need to call Jack."

"Hey love, they cancelled my flight, I doubt I'll be able to get anything til tomorrow. Me too. Never again this close to a holiday. Yeah. Hey boys, I won't be home tonight, save some prezzies to open 'kay? I think Santa's probably already left Natty. You can try but he'll be so busy tonight Manny. I love you guys. Put mom on. Hey sweetie I'm gonna miss you and the boys rippin' into your prezzies. Okay, get them off to bed love. I'll call in the morning. I love you." Rollie hung up with a sigh.

"Hey uh, I got us a voucher for a room, double beds, figured we could share and give someone else a room."

Rollie nodded and they headed for the exit where a bus would take them to the hotel, it took a bit of time  but they were finally ensconced in a room.

"You mind if I take a shower mate?"

"No, go ahead."

Rollie took his carry on into the bathroom, turned on the shower and stripped.

The water ran over him warm and clean, he soaped his hair then body, rinsed and repeated before turning the faucet off.

He stepped out, toweled off hair and body then dressed in sweats and ran a brush through his wavy hair  before exiting the bathroom.

"Yeah, T . . . Murray, don't let Jack open anything tonight! If you have to, lock him in the closet! I'll see you tomorrow." Daniel hung up.

"All yours mate." 

"Thanks." Daniel gathered his things and headed inside.

Rollie repacked his dirty clothes and dropped onto the second bed, he picked up the remote and turned on the t.v., he found the cartoon version of the Grinch so he propped his pillows  behind his head and settled to watch.

Daniel exited the bathroom and dropped his luggage at the end of his bed.

"Jack loves Max."

"Max? Oh, the dog?"

"Yeah, he doesn't like the Grinch doing that stuff to him. He says dogs are his favorite people."

"Next to his friends."

"Yeah." Daniel frowned.

Rollie chuckled and turned back to the cartoon.

Daniel dropped onto his bed and opened his laptop to work.

At around eleven they mutually agreed to turn in for the night and try to get to the airport early to  hopefully get their flights home.

Rollie groaned as music woke him, he glanced at the clock which read 12:45.

"Sorry, my cell." Daniel apologized, retrieved it and headed to the bathroom.

The music stuck in Rollie's head til he finally figured out it was the theme song to Indiana Jones.

With a groan he rolled over, pulled the second pillow over his head to block out the song and drifted off again.

Rollie felt someone shake him and lifted the pillow.

"How would you like to go home tonight?"

"They're flying out?" Rollie tossed the pillow aside and sat up.

"Uh . . . not exactly. I need you to trust me."

"What's going on? How're you gonna get me home mate?"

"All I can tell you is that the Air Force is working on a . . . special form of transportation."

"I think I've seen this on the Twilight Zone." Rollie muttered.

"I'm serious. Go or stay?"

Rollie looked into his eyes a long moment.

"Can I get dressed?"

Daniel nodded and Rollie took his things to the bathroom.

"Leo, keep an eye on me case this guy is shonky." He murmured as he dressed then exited the bathroom.

"I need to blindfold you."

Rollie nervously nodded as Daniel pulled a tie from his luggage, his eyesight was cut off and then he felt a pat on his arm.

"It'll be a minute. Here's your luggage, you have to pick up your checked baggage at home."

Rollie nodded and gripped his carry on.

Daniel's cell rang and he answered.

"We're ready Jack. I blindfolded him with my tie, can we go now?"

A moment later Rollie felt a tingle.

"Welcome aboard sir."

"Thanks for the lift. What's your address Rollie?"

"256 Brewery Lane." Rollie trusted him.

It was several minutes later when Daniel spoke again.

"You and your family have a Merry Christmas Rollie."

"Thanks mate, same to--"

Rollie felt that tingle again.

"--you. Daniel?" He called hearing street sounds, he shivered realizing he was cold.

Taking the chance he eased the necktie off.

"Bloody hell!" He gaped seeing he was at his door.

Making a 360' turn he found himself alone in the alley.

"Bluey," Rollie pressed the intercom,"open the door."

The door unlocked and opened a second later.

"Hey Blue Boy, Merry Christmas." He grinned as Bluey wagged its tail.

Rollie locked up and set the alarm then headed for the stairs.

"Sleep mode Blue." He called softly, grabbing a couple of the cookies and drinking the milk his boys left out  for Santa, the carrots went back into the fridge.

Going upstairs he looked in on his boys, covered Natty again and put Manny's teddy back in his arms he kissed them both then headed to the master bedroom.

The Aussie stood in the doorway and watched his very pregnant wife sleeping with watery eyes.

He changed back into his sweats then slid into bed beside her.

"Rol?" She asked sleepily.

"Merry Christmas sweetie."

"Santa delivered." She smiled, eyes still closed.

Santa Daniel, Rollie mused.

Merry Christmas Daniel from Colorado. Thank you.

Rollie spooned against Angie and let visions of sugarplums usher him to sleep.

THE END

Daniel ,Jack, Sam and T . . . Murray, are all from the series Stargate SG-1.

Rollie got home on their spaceship Prometheus using alien beaming technology . . . no Scotty involved though. 

Merry Christmas to all. :-D