Author's Website: None Category: Smarm, Warnings: None Summary: Team bonding after a descended Daniel is found. Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing with them, if they were mine I’m not sure that I’d let them go.
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Dr Daniel Jackson was sitting at his desk, hunched over and totally oblivious to the world around him. In his hand he held a piece of history, someone else’s history. Someone else’s possession that looked like it had been lovingly looked after. Daniel was hooked.
The small, bowl shaped piece of sandstone pottery, perfect in its simplicity, certainly didn’t look much but that didn’t matter to Daniel. His insatiable curiosity was getting the better of him and he had to find out about this civilisation that maybe died out so many years ago. Or maybe they were still around on the planet just that they hadn’t searched enough. This could hold a clue. A small piece of text was just visible and this is what held Daniel’s attention. His glasses were almost at half mast and he was muttering to himself. An empty coffee cup and half eaten bar of chocolate lay amongst the numerous reference books.
Daniel didn’t see or hear the two members of his team smiling at him in the doorway. Colonel Jack O’Neill leaned against the door watching his newly descended archaeologist at work, waiting for Daniel to surface
“How long’s he been at this?” came a whispered voice.
“Too long Carter.” Jack waved towards the half full coffee pot. “He won’t notice anything until that thing’s empty.”
“We ought to do something Sir.”
“I know, I know.” came a grumpy reply.
“All knowing and seeing Oma from glowy land did nothing to re-educate his eating habits. He still thinks that coffee and chocolate are what all good archaeologists live on.”
Carter smiled knowing that the Colonel was just concerned and wasn’t really as grumpy as he sounded.
“I ‘m just on my way to pick up Tealc for lunch Sir. Join us?”
Jack nodded towards the still muttering Daniel. “Nah, not just yet Carter.”
“Are we still at your place tonight.?”
“Yep. 7.00pm on the dot, bring some takeout. Your choice. We’ve got a lot of boxes to sort.”
“I know, Sir I have some of Daniel’s stuff also. See you then. I’ll bring Tealc.”
Jack waved her off. “Don’t eat all the pie.”
He didn’t take his eyes off Daniel. Jack noticed how tired he looked. Daniel was settling back into his old habits just a little bit too much. Those squinty eyes and furrowed brow gave it away. He’d been there too long. Oh yeah, Jack thought now the headache is kicking in. Daniel took his glasses off rubbed his eyes and put his head in his hands.
“For,” came the muffled voice. “For what?” On went the glasses and out went an outstretched hand searching for another book.
“We got to do something Danny boy.” Jack thought.
Colonel O’Neill straightened himself up and stepped inside the overcrowded office. He smiled thoughtfully. How he’d missed this. So many times during Daniel’s missing year he’d come into this very room only to find ….nothing- emptiness. An empty space. Oh, it was still littered with ‘old stuff’ but there was no real life there. Certainly not his best friend, certainly not Daniel. He still hadn’t got over it, not yet. It was too soon. Daniel had only just come home to them and he was beginning to trust them again. Things were nearly back to the way they used to be. In fact at times they were even better, and Jack needed to make sure that wouldn’t change, ever.
“Daniel, are you….? Wow hang on there.”
The man in question looked up and ooops the book on his lap fell to the floor. Jack was there in an instant.
Turning the book over in his hands he said. “Come on Daniel we’re joining Carter and Tealc for lunch.”
“Oh! Gee. Thanks Jack.” Daniel quickly snatched the book, remembering how idle fingers could fiddle with anything, and he began to search intently. “Didn’t see you there.”
“Daniel?”
No response except for the soft rustling of turning pages.
“Daniel?”
Still nothing.
“DANIEL, LUNCH NOW”
“Wow, Jack you OK?”
“Daniel its way past your lunchtime and this doesn’t count.” Jack said in his best Colonel voice picking up the half melted, discarded snack.
“No, no, no, you go on, that’s fine. I’m fine. I’ll just ah…..” Daniel’s finger pointed up for emphasis. His hand automatically went for the coffee cup. Jack had to smile at the turned up nose and face when Daniel realised he was out of his favourite brew.
“Come on Daniel, Carter promised to save some pie.” He pointed to the coffee maker. “And some hot coffee.” He added. “That’ll get him,” he thought.
Now he had Daniel’s attention. Daniel’s stomach began to make all sorts of rumbling noises and Jack came closer.
He smiled, “well you do sound hungry.” He tried again.
“Come on” and put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder in a sort of nudge. “We don’t want to keep them waiting.”
“Well, Ok, Jack but I have to get back to this I feel there’s an important message here.”
He showed Jack the finely decorated pottery bowl.
“No luck with what it says yet then.” Jack did not look impressed.
“Nope, not really just a feeling.”
“And it’s important to do now… why?”
Daniel shrugged. “Jack someone carefully made this so long ago.”
Jack took it out of Daniel’s hand and placed it back on the desk, firmly but gently.
“Someone made pie, hopefully not so long ago, and it’s just for us sitting in the commissary now, waiting. And I’m having ice cream on mine, lots of gooey, white stuff.”
Jack’s hands placed themselves squarely on Daniel’s shoulders prepared to steer his stubborn friend in the right direction.
Daniel immediately started batting Jack’s hands away as he tried to wriggle from the determined grip.
“I’m not a child Jack. I can find my own way by myself now.” But Daniel was smiling even though his voice sounded very childlike.
Jack led Daniel away from his artefacts and through the corridor to the eating house. There they joined their other team members in coffee and hot chocolate pecan pie with vanilla ice cream.
The whole team were deep in conversation regarding their latest mission.
“I remember this,” he thought, and Daniel was happy to join in the companionship.
………………………………………………………………………………
“Carter it’s 7.30 already.”
“DanielJackson will be here O’Neill. He said so and he always does as he says.”
Jack looked at the Chinese spare ribs; egg fried rice and battered chicken on the table.
“It’s getting cold,” he moaned.
“Sir, I’m sure he’ll be here soon, but perhaps I should’ve picked him up.”
“He said he had to finish off a translation before he came O’Neill. I’m sure with DanielJackson’s expertise it would not take him long.”
“Ah, the sandstone bowl, he was having problems with that one. I bet he’s still holed up in that mountain.”
Carter and Tealc looked at their commanding officer and friend.
“Oh boy,” thought Sam, “he’s going to get really mad, very soon.”
“That’s it. I’m going to….” Just as Jack was about to pick up his cell phone the front door opened.
“Hi guys am I in time? Have I missed anything?”
“Yes!” Jack punched the air. “At last!”
“You are indeed in time and have missed nothing,” informed Tealc while purposely shutting the door.
“Daniel have you been working?”
Not waiting for a reply Jack continued to raise his voice. “Not working? I thought so! Tell me you haven’t spent all this time on that bowl.”
Daniel ignored Jack’s ranting with a look at Sam. ‘Sorry’ he mouthed and shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.
“Let’s eat.” Sam took the tops off the containers and set out the plates as they gathered around the table.
All Jack’s noise quickly forgotten. “It’s ok Daniel, you’re here now and that’s what counts.”
Sam smiled lovingly at her friend. “Boy have I missed you,” she thought, "and this.”‘
“So we do this a lot, hey?” “Yes, I remember this also.” Daniel thought. “It must be an eating thing.”
“Oh yeah,” grinned Jack failing to contain the happiness he felt. “We do now.”
“When ever we can DanielJackson.”
“Good. Hey, this is good,” mumbled Daniel as he shuffled in some beef in sauce dripping off his spoon.
Suddenly, all was quiet and Daniel looked up. He began to blush as he realised that all other members were staring at him like he was an exquisite artefact.
“What! What is it?” He wiped his chin with his hand and poured some more wine. “What now!” Daniel looked down at his shirt but he was clean. “You’re staring.”
As he looked up again he saw that all of his team were smiling, even Tealc.
“Yep, this is real good,” said Jack.
It was Tealc who voiced what everyone was thinking. “You were surely missed DanielJackson. Our weekly takeouts were not the same without you. In fact they soon ceased to be. It was most upsetting.”
“Nothing was the same without you Daniel.” Sam went over and placed her hand on his arm. She looked into those expressive blue eyes and felt a warmth so full that it couldn’t be explained. Daniel was home.
Daniel still looked a bit embarrassed. “Thanks guys.”
He turned and looked into the soft brown eyes of his friend. His best friend who he was getting to know all over again.
“Not many people have this second change,” he thought. “I’m a very lucky guy.”
“We are the ones who are indeed fortunate to have you back here with us.”
Daniel looked away and smiled a shy, quiet, smile. “Did I say that out loud,” he thought.
Jack got up, pushed his plate away and tapped Daniel on the back. “We got work to do.”
“What, what you doing?”
“Carter you bring the boxes?”
“Yes Sir.” and she pointed to several cardboard boxes down the hall.
“They’re yours Daniel.”
Sam stood up and wrapped her arms around her friend, snuggling her face into his chest, revelling the long missed scent.
“All yours.”
Daniel returned the hug relishing in its warmth, almost at lost for words.
“You kept all my stuff.”
“Welcome home Daniel.” Sam’s eyes were glistening blue ready to shed the tears of shear joy she now felt at seeing her adopted brother back again.
“I don’t know what to say. You’ve done so much already. Jack ?” Daniel questioned.
“You don’t have to say a word DanielJackson. Your presence here with your family is enough.” And Tealc bowed his most gracious.
“And there’s more,” said an excited Jack as he ushered a completly flabbergasted Daniel out along the hallway and into the spare room
“Forget staying at the base this is where you’re staying now until you find your feet again.”
“And when you’re ready Daniel we can go looking for flats or houses or whatever you want to live in.” laughed Sam.
Daniel stepped in carefully. His past was laid out in front of him. Photos, books, some he remembered, and some he was sure he’d get help to remember. This was incredible.
“Thank you, guys,” was all he could say, as he fingered a well worn photo of a little blonde haired boy with glasses.
He couldn’t look at the three people waiting for a reaction, who once were strangers and now were quickly becoming friends and family. Putting down the photo he was drawn to the large tank on the shelf.
“Oh my god! I remember this!” he exclaimed. “You kept my fish.” Daniel looked around at the silver-haired man encouraging him with a smile and a nod. “Hey, these are my fish aren’t they?”
“They missed you too Daniel. I could tell they just weren’t the same, and trust me I know about fish.”
Daniel stared back at his fish as they came to the glass and started to blow bubbles swimming to and fro, in and out of the grasses. He put a little feed in the water and watched.
“You do huh?”
“Well I wasn’t doing something right. They kept coming up looking at me with those sad, wide eyes and just staring, wondering where you’d gone. Whether you were happy or not. Who was looking out for you? Who were you able to go to when you were troubled. Who was watching your six? Were you eating and sleeping? Did you need to? Did you miss them? All these things they thought about, worried about. Even though they had each other Daniel they were still lonely, alone without you. I told them that I saw you a couple of times and it seemed to help. But nothing took away that emptiness. See……” Jack pointed to the swirling fish …”only you could do that.”
As Daniel listened he felt his eyes stinging and quickly tried to wipe away the evidence. But it was no good. They were there, the tell, tell tears. Tears of happiness, tiredness, emotion of just knowing he felt perhaps wanted, needed, maybe loved. Jack saw them too. He stepped forward and let his arms softly and quickly envelope around Daniel.
“Come ‘ere,” Daniel folded into Jack’s embraced.
“Do you actually know how long I’ve waited for this?” came Jack’s deep voice wavering with emotion.
And Daniel knew, without a doubt that he had come home.
“Thank you for finding me,” he whispered.
“I think you found me years ago Daniel. Welcome home. Just don’t ever get lost again.”
“I don’t planned too,” came the steady reply.
Still with one arm around his friend Jack tapped the tank full of playful fish, obviously very content and well looked after.
“See, see how happy they are now. Do you hear me Daniel? No more glowy .No more saving any world if it means giving up your life. I don’t care how great a civilisation it is, it’s not worth loosing you again. Hell the whole universe isn’ t even worth one of you. Do you hear me Dr. Jackson?
Oh, Daniel heard him loud and clear. He nodded. “That’s an order is it Jack?”
“If you only keep one order that’s the one understand.” Jack punctuated his words with a squeeze. As Daniel looked up from under Jack chin he saw Sam and Tealc barely waiting to be included. With a watery smile from Daniel, Sam and Tealc came forward to complete the family. Arms and heads fully entwined with each other.
Breaking the spell slightly Daniel remembered something. “Hang on there,” he said as he almost tripped out of the room. “Stay right where you are. Just don’t move.”
The three team members stared at the doorway as a perfect statue. Obeying Daniel’s request neither to move nor wanting to really loose the moment. In came Daniel with a big grin on his face.
“Hey you know that bowl I’ve been translating. Well I’ve done it.”
“And this is important, now?” came Jack’s reply.
Daniel smiled, “well I thought it was appropriate just ….. maybe.”
“Kind of ‘the meaning of life stuff.’”’
“In a manner of speaking. Yes.”
Daniel looked at the translation in front of him. He didn’t really need to find ‘the meaning of life’ anymore he had it right here in the warmth of his family.
The three people in front of him right now meant more to him than anything and they were waiting for his revelation.
“The bowl must’ve have been made for a friend or family member. The inscription read: ‘‘For friendship = brotherhood = family = love.’”
Jack nodded as the team broke up. He looked into those shiny blue eyes that he thought he’d never see again. “Yep Daniel that’s ‘the meaning of life’ stuff, sure enough.” And he sincerely meant it.
As he ushered his friend out of the bedroom, arm in arm, and into the sitting room he called back to an extremely happy Carter.
“Did you bring any pie? You know the sweet and gooey stuff.”
“Yeah sure ya betcha,” came the reply.
“Carter?”
“Oh Yes Sir.”
“And I have the ice cream O’Neill.”
“Yeah,” said the two friends together. “Now you’re talking.”
And as Oma listened in the cold night air she heard the chattering and laughter of true friends well into the early morning and she smiled. She knew that she had made the right decision to let Daniel Jackson re-unite with his earth family where his journey would continue and he was indeed needed and loved.