Status: Completed 6/23/3009

Word Count: 502

Author's Notes: Written for my fellow stargatedrabbles and LittleDanny list member, Mary Anne for her birthday. Happy birthday, Mary Anne!! Unbeta'd.

"Dad . . . Dad . . . DAAAAAD!" Charlie called excitedly as he ran down the hall at a frantic pace.

Jack stepped out of his bedroom, towel wrapped around his waist, and smiled as his eight-year-old, pajama-clad son came to a skidding stop in front of him -arms pin wheeling to keep himself from falling. "Whoa there, Buddy. Where's the fire?"

"Huh?" Charlie asked, the question obviously taking him by surprise. Then, giving Jack what Jack recognized as his son's 'Dad, you're nuts' look and a crooked smile, he asked, "Who said anything about a fire?"

Shaking his head and smiling broadly, Jack replied, "No one. What's your rush?"

"We have to hurry up!" Charlie said, looking at Jack as if that explained everything.

Jack knew exactly what had his son so excited, but decided to tease him a little. "Again, I ask you, what's your rush?"

Charlie looked at him with an incredulous, open-mouth glare. Without really thinking, the boy blurted out, "Duh!" Slapping a hand over his mouth instantly, the boy seemed to realize he could be in serious trouble.

Ignoring the slightly disrespectful tone in Charlie's reply, and enjoying the shocked look on the boy's face, Jack bit back the urge to smile and simply waited for his son to continue.

Seemingly sensing that his father's look was not one of impending doom, Charlie lowered his hands and, smiling again, continued, "Tomorrow is Mary Anne's birthday! We have to get her a present today." The boy paused than added with a pleading look, "You said we could."

Finally, unable to keep a straight face any longer, Jack decided to let Charlie off the proverbial hook. "I know, son. You know I go for a run every morning. I just had to take a quick shower before I got dressed. I don't think you or Mom want to go to the mall with a stinky guy. Do you?"

Charlie giggled as Jack made a face. "No way!"

"Well then," Sara said as she came up beside Jack and wrapped her arms around his waist, "you'd better go get dressed!"

Looking down at himself, Charlie seemed to just realize that he hadn't changed yet.

"Oppps!" he exclaimed as he ran down the hallway to his bedroom.

Chuckling at the sound of Charlie's slamming door, Jack turned to Sara, smiling. "We'd better hurry up and get dressed. That kid takes forever to get dressed when we want him too, but when it's to do something he wants, he gets dressed pretty darn quick!"

Sara laughed in response as Jack led her into the bedroom. They dressed quickly and exited their room to find a very impatient Charlie waiting just outside their door.

Grabbing his father's hand in one hand and his mother's in the other and pulling, Charlie said, "Come on, guys. We have to get there early so have all day to pick out the very best present for Mary Anne!"

Laughing at their son's antics, the couple let themselves be led to the car.

THE END