Title: A Man's Diary
Author: charlie1902
Fandoms: Stargate SG-1 / Highlander

Genre: Angst, Humour
Rating: K+

Warning: refers to past Noncon, bit of torture and very slight hints of slash (very hidden)

Spoilers: None
Summery: "A mans diary!? Adam I was running around with you naked and got tortured because of someone's diary?", "Not just any mans diary Daniel – my diary from the 1590's."
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters you recognise but do own the ones you don't. This is my way of loving them.

Chapter One – The beginning

"Daniel?"

"Hum?"

"Doctor Jackson?"

"Huh?"

"Yo Danny-boy one of your minions is calling you!"

"Jack?"

"Ah finally!"

"Jack?"

"Daniel?" Doctor Daniel Jackson peered at Colonel Jack O'Neill for a few seconds, weary confusion filling him until the quiet voice spoke again

"Daniel err could I speak with you for a minute?"

"Liam! Hi I'm sorry I didn't see you, yes of course." Jack just grinned

"How about you talk as we walk."

"What?"

"Food Daniel, I came to get you so we could eat. You miss lunch again and I'm going to get a call from doc bugging me."

"Jack I was just . . ."

"Ok, did you want to join us Liam?" the other man looked fairly faint at the thought. Daniel thought he really should spend more time convincing his department Jack wasn't so scary.

"No err no thank you Daniel I ate lunch . . ."

"At lunch time right?"

"Yes." Daniel sighed wishing Jack could go a day without being such a mother hen.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh Daniel you won't believe it, its amazing!"

"What?"

"I was at that auction you said to get that book you wanted – a lot cheaper than I thought but then I saw this other book!"

"What was it?"

"Some kind of journal I think, old probably written about 1600 looks like it was really well kept but Daniel it was, I mean I'm pretty sure it was written in ancient!"

"Really!"

"Daniel you really think the ancients lasted that long – they returned to earth ten thousand years ago surely if they lasted that long they would still be here now and there is no proof of that." Jack hated to dampen Daniel's enthusiasm but what were the chances an ancient was still on Earth from ten thousand years ago?

"Well . . . we don't know for sure an ancient wrote it . . . maybe they passed the knowledge of their language on I mean we know Latin is pretty much based on the ancients language."

"Well see that doesn't add up either – Latin started to be used over 2000 years ago but that diary was written since then – why would some people know it properly but the majority get it all wrong?"

"A few reasons most likely a particular religious order used it and kept it sacred. I'll know when I translate it."

"Um."

"What! What does that mean?"

"Well see I had a limit on how much money I could spend and after getting that book you wanted even if it had been before – Daniel the book went for an insane amount it was really weird."

"Weird?"

"Yea the guy who got it was as calm as anything but he kept looking at this couple and well they looked really shocked to see him – and really mad I thought just after he won the husband was gonna go mental at the guy. His wife calmed him down but if looks could kill they would both be on death row. There was another guy also interested but he was just one of those rich guys – the older it is the more they must have it."

"Did you try phoning here for more money – did you say how important this was?"

"Yes and I even got more for a short time but the cost just went too high!"

"How high?"

"More than the cost of that fancy new library they're building in town."

"That's costing over 5 million dollars!!!!"

"For a book?" Jack sounded shocked

"I've heard of more expensive!"

"What!"

"Yea I heard a book sold for about 12 million dollars at an auction in Germany it was from the twelfth century!"

"Who the hell paid that much for a book?"

"I don't know I was just saying,"

"Who the hell has that much to spend on a book?"

"We are getting off the point. The buyer is not going to how to read it, maybe I could offer my services as a translator, it would get me access – I can feed him a load of rubbish. If he paid that much for it he is not gonna give it to us for the amount we'll be allowed to spend on it." Daniel was really keen to get hold of this book

"That is a good plan. Do you think it will tell us anything about the ancients?"

"No idea Jack. At the very least we should be able to find out if it was written by an ancient and if so whether they might still be on Earth." The excited archaeologist left his office to go talk to the general

"Daniel? Where are you going?"

"To talk to the general?"

"We are having lunch first."

"But . . ."

"Ah! Come on,"

"So do we know who won the journal?"

"Not yet Sam there should be a record of it . . . ah there,"

"Oh dear!"

"Daniel?"

"This complicates things,"

"You know this guy?"

"Yea and where he got that much money from I don't know maybe he has a sponsor if so double oh dear,"

"Daniel?"

"That guy was at uni with me – halfway through the end of the last year he leaves changes his name and moves abroad – hates anything to do with the military especially the US military. He is one of if not the best linguists in the world. The most likely reason he got that book was to translate it himself!"

"But he doesn't stand a chance right Danny?"

"Well err,"

"That doesn't sound to promising Daniel."

"Like I said he is one of the best linguists in the world. If it is ancient he could probably learn it in about six months full time!"

"What! But it took you that long to get the basics!"

"He is very smart and I was busy!"

"Well how dangerous could it be I mean it was written a very long time after we have any reference to the ancients what's the chance it could compromise security?"

"I have no idea." Daniel was looking at the picture of his old friend with a strange look on his face,

"Well what's the chance that he is going to believe anything dangerous? And no one would believe it if he did, right?" Sam pointed out logically

"Daniel he's your friend right surely you could take a look see what it's about. If it's bad we can send some one in to steal it."

"Jack!"

"Daniel I know ok but its better that we see it and get it than some people."

"I suppose I'd hate to see him destroy his career like me or have NID after him. I wish I could tell him everything he wouldn't tell a soul I know him."

"Why don't you see about getting him a job here?"

"No way would he agree even if we told him what we did first – he hates the military." Daniel was firm as he repeated that point

"Yea about that why then do you think he would keep our secret, sounds like he would love the chance to know something top secret."

"Jack he's not like that at all."

"And what's this about changing his name?"

"Nothing to do with what we are talking about. I will go and see him this weekend. Alone."

Unfortunately for Daniel the visit did not go so well. His friend was incredibly glad to see him and they had a fun few hours catching up but Pierce refused to let him go anywhere near the diary. Changed the subject any time Daniel brought it up. After a few hours of the two men circling each other verbally Pierce suggested they go to his local pub.

"I wondered when you would need a beer," Daniel said with a laugh once the two of them were seated on bar stools in a nearby blues place.

"I like beer,"

"Yes I remember P…Adam,"

"Hey Joe this is Daniel, Daniel meet Joe he owns the place. I met Daniel when I was a student many, many years ago."

"And yet you've barely changed at all," there was a questioning undertone to Daniels compliment.

"I put it down to lot's of beer and a relaxed outlook."

"Any more relaxed and you'd be asleep my friend." Joe said pleased to meet Daniel he was always keen to find out more about the old man's past

"Now Joe don't insult me in front of my friend he's travelled all the way from … sorry Daniel I didn't catch where you said you were working these days?"

"Colorado actually."

"Really? They have many ancient excavation sites in Colorado? Daniel is an archaeologist."

"No I'm not working on a site at the moment but I didn't come here to talk about work." Methos felt his eyes narrow and had to fight to keep a neutral expression – the Daniel he remembered was a terrible liar and always talked about his work usually until you were losing your mind and begging him to stop – someone had been teaching him naughty (or was that sanity-saving) habits.

"Although I'm interested in what you're doing now you didn't say earlier?" Ooh taught him well Methos could bring him up on his avoidance but that would sour the friendly atmosphere. Joe could feel the tension but he wasn't sure where it was coming from. He decided to leave them to it – he nodded and smiled to them and then went to serve customers seated by the door

"Me? Bye Joe, oh just drinking beer mostly,"

"Like always?" Daniel said with a smirk

"Of course so are you still working on those interesting theories of yours?" Daniel paused Adam hadn't asked with any malice but it was hard not to flinch,

"Ah no turned in into a TV show."

"Really? Daniel that's very inspired of you what was it called?"

"Oh well it was pretty terrible actually," the two men continued to catch up while actually telling each other very much. Questions like 'Learnt any interesting languages lately Daniel?' were answered with responses such as 'you're still ahead I'm sure Adam.' The thrill of the challenge was matched by a need to hide a secret for both men.

Any time Joe wondered over he was left feeling over-whelmed – within an hour the two men were speaking a different language and three hours in when Daniel should have been long drunk they were changing languages with every sentence. Each one trying to speak in a language the other didn't know. Just as the blues bar was closing Methos laughed,

"I've not had as much fun for a while Daniel I rather missed this." Daniel smiled he had enjoyed the night although Jack wouldn't be too happy he was no further in his quest to see the book.

"I have about a week here – you working on anything interesting?" he said asking again. If Adam were doing a simple translation for a rich sponsor surely he would welcome the help?

"No not right now but you're welcome to stay on my couch?"

"Sure." By now Daniel was pretty sure the only way he would get to see the book would be for it to be stolen. Even telling himself that was best for everyone didn't stop the guilt from coiling round his body. He hoped by staying with Adam he could find the book and do a quick translation without his host ever knowing.