I finally got season seven on DVD!

/evil snicker/ Oh yeah!

I used a couple of my sick days to stay home and watch it straight through . . . eyes burning . . . need sleep . . . but first . . .

Thanks to my lovely beta (who I swear isn't going to survive to her twenty-third birthday) who SPOILED Evolution for me, I was anticipating it and I must say I was pretty pleased with the results. Except for one GLARING problem. WHERE THE HELL WAS JANET?

So I'm writing this in response. And for all of you who've read my bio (Blatant self promotion warning! If you haven't read it I suggest you do.): Be warned. This is what I was talking about.

RATED R FOR THEMATIC ELEMENTS AND LANGUAGE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Without further ado:

Evolutionary Branches
By Keaira
Prologue

A light knock on Janet's door caught her attention and she looked up to see Daniel standing in her doorway.

"Hey," she greeted him. "What can I do for you?"

"I came to pick up some supplies."

"Supplies?" she asked as she tucked a few folders into a drawer in her filing cabinet.

"Yeah. Dr. Lee and I are going to Honduras to check out what might be a temple containing the Ancient device that led to Anubis' new supersoldiers."

"Just the two of you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

She failed apparently because he frowned.

"I've been out on a lot of digs in my time, Janet. I think I can handle one little trip to Honduras without getting in trouble."

She arched an eyebrow. "I have two words for you: Osiris and Egypt."

He sighed and leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, one ankle crossed over the other that held his weight. She quickly focused her attention on the papers on her desk she was shuffling lest her thoughts wander. He really needed to give a girl some warning before he pulled a pose like that!

"I'm not chasing after Goa'uld this time. I just need some basic first aid stuff, a booster for my allergies, and maybe some calamine lotion for the bugs."

"As long as you promise to be careful . . ."

"I will. It's a simple mission. We go. We find the device. We bring it home. We're not even going to turn it on until we get it safely back inside Sam's lab and she's scanned it six ways from Sunday."

She leveled one of her patented Looks at him.

"Daniel, if there's one thing I've learned in my seven years here it's that no mission that is supposed to be simple ever is when a member of SG-1 is involved. And that's not just a comment on you, it applies to all four of you." She dropped the papers in her hand in the drawer and slid it shut, then straightened. "Although you alone have a larger medical file than the rest of the personnel on any one SG team combined."

He gave her a low level glare and she smiled.

"I know it's not always your fault, but you can't deny the pattern."

"You know, I can buy the stuff I need at a Rite-aid without all the hassle and turn in my receipts when I get back."

She laughed and made a dismissive motion to get him to clear her doorway. She could have sneaked past but her brain was already a little scrambled by his presence. She didn't need to make it worse by risking bumping him.

It says something about me that I can remain as cool as the other side of the pillow when I'm trying to save his life or patch him up, but when he's completely healthy and he gets within five feet of me I can't hardly think straight, she mused as she gathered the supplies he needed.

She shook her head to clear it and then set aside the supplies.

"Have a seat and I'll be right back with the booster."

He hopped up on the bed and pulled his jacket off, rolling up his short sleeve a little more in preparation.

She returned moments later and had to consciously direct her steps to keep from faltering or tripping.

It appeared his new workout routine with Teal'c and the Colonel was going well, if his upper arms were any indication.

She managed to keep breathing and give him the injection without giving herself away, then hurried to toss the used hypo in the sharps container.

"Thanks, Janet. I'll be back in a few days."

"I'll have your bed prepped and ready to go," she teased and got one more mock glare before he left.

Taking another deep breath she turned and went back to her office. She had a few more things she wanted to tidy up before she went home.

OOOO

She was just on her way out when General Hammond found her.

"Dr. Fraiser, I'm glad I caught you. I know you've had a stressful time recently. How would you like an easy assignment?"

"I'm flattered sir, but I like working here at the SGC."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not going to transfer you, Doctor."

"That's nice to know, sir."

"I'd like you to accompany Drs. Jackson and Lee to Honduras."

"Did I do something wrong, sir?"

"No, why?"

"Well sir, I appreciate your faith in my abilities and I mean no offense towards either Dr. Lee or Daniel . . . but it's a gross misrepresentation of the truth to call any mission with Daniel easy, sir."

He chuckled again. "It's just a simple-"

"With all due respect, sir, I know. Daniel already told me when he came by for medical supplies. And as I told him, any mission involving a member of SG-1 is never simple."

He conceded the point with a nod. "Then I'll be honest with you. I'd feel better if you were there. Just to keep an eye on him. And afterwards I'll even see if we can't find you some time for some leave."

She sighed. "I suppose it'll probably make my job easier in the end if I'm there to patch him up right away instead of having to deal with old wounds that weren't properly treated the first time."

"I won't make it an order."

"You don't have to," she said with a resigned smile. "When do we leave?"

"Your flight leaves at 0800 hours. You'll need to be ready for a briefing at 0630."

"I'll be ready to go by then. But if I'm going to spend a week hiking through the Honduran jungles I want to get a good night's sleep and a hot shower while I still can. Good night, sir."

"Good night, Dr. Fraiser."

She started to turn back towards the elevator but stopped and turned back. "And sir?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Can you tell Daniel it was your idea, not mine?"

He smiled. "I'll make sure he knows."

"Thank you, sir."

Sooooooo . . . Howdja like it? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Reviwes keep the Muse happy and that is good for all of us, trust me.

Thanks for reading!

"The splendor of the rose and the whitness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its lovliness." -Therese of Lisieux

Keaira