Title: Eight Point Four
Author: Chezza
E-mail: cyberchezza@tiscali.co.uk
Status: Complete
Sequel/Series: None
Summary: Jack is hiding from Carter whilst Daniel practises his diving skills
Season: First
Spoilers: None
Category: Humour/Fluff
Characters: Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter, Daniel Jackson.
Pairing: Slightly S/J if you're inclined to see it, but pretty much friendship only. Which is only
fair since it has Jack and Daniel friendship too :)
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Fluff alert! Also light language - no more than you'd see in the show - and
gratuitous Danny whumpage for a change. Because Jack was getting fed up of being picked
on and I needed at least some kind of plot!
File Size: KB
Archive: Fanfiction.net, Helio, Gateworld, SJD, jackfic, my site… If anyone else wants it, just
lemme know where you're taking it, so I can come visit.
Disclaimer: Ain't mine! Surprise…. Stargate and it's characters etc, belong to all those folks
who actually make *money* out of them. I'm just taking them out to play for a while and I
promise faithfully to put them back like I found them once I've finished, mum! Any original
stuff in there *is* mine, tho' sadly, it's unlikely to ever bring me any cash….
Authors Notes: Just a small piece of fluffy goodness to see if I could actually write Daniel in
character. He doesn't show up much in many of my fics - mainly because I have great
trouble writing him - so I thought I'd try a story mainly from his POV (except for a couple of
Sam/Jack scenes in the middle. I couldn't help it, I swear it just writes itself!). Not sure how
well I pulled it off, so I'd love to know what you think.
As always, thanks go to dragonlady for the beta. Flames will be used to light Teal'c's
candles (not like *that*! Get your mind outta the gutter, f'cryin' out loud!). Constructive
feedback and criticism on the other hand, is always gratefully received and appreciated.
© Chezza, 2004
~~~o0o~~~
Daniel wandered down the corridor, glancing up from the paper he was reading every few
seconds, to ensure he wasn't about to be mown down by some scurrying airman. There was
definitely more than a passing resemblance between the stone faces SG-9 found on P4X-
584 and the ones on Easter Island. Looked like they could add yet another ancient culture
where the Goa'uld had represented their pantheon of gods, to their ever-expanding list.
Daniel sighed. The picture beginning to emerge of the extent of their influence was rather
discouraging.
"Psst!"
Daniel looked up, sure that he'd heard something. Nothing. He shrugged and carried on
walking, frowning as something in the picture caught his eye. He brought the paper closer to
his face so he could better study the grainy shot of the statue. Cocking his head on one side,
he twisted it round slightly to look at it from a different angle.
Hmm, it was even possible they were Olmec…he couldn't tell from the quality of these prints.
Damn all-military teams! They just didn't get the significance of these kind of things…if it
didn't have 'Get Your Anti-Goa'uld Weapon Here!' written on the side in big flashing letters,
then they just weren't interested. Still, if they were then this was a fantastic find! Little was
known about their culture on Earth. If he could get the chance to study an off-shoot of their
culture on a different planet, it might go a long way to providing some answers about their
society. Which would be amazing, even if he never could publish his findings. Daniel lowered
the paper, lost in thought. He had to see this for himself.
'Wonder whether I can persuade Jack to send us back for a follow-up mission?'
Probably not, he mused. As far as Jack was concerned, if they'd been there once and found
nothing of interest – to him - then there was no need to go back. Not when there were
thousands more worlds yet to be visited where he might find something. Of interest. To him.
But hey, there was no harm in trying. Maybe if he studied the report more closely he could
find a legitimate reason. Tell Jack there was the possibility of gaining information on the
Goa'uld or something. It was worth a shot….
"Daniel!"
The sharp cry jerked him out of his reverie. Okay, that was definitely his name being called
this time. He turned round and blinked. Jack's head was poking around the corner of the
corridor.
'Speak of the devil…'
He waved his hand frantically in what Daniel assumed was meant to be some sort of 'come
here' gesture, then disappeared back round the corner. Daniel frowned. What was he
*doing*? He walked back along the corridor and rounded the corner. Jack was stood with his
back pressed up to the wall.
"Jack…what are you doing?"
Jack looked at him sharply as if to ask, 'what the hell do you mean, 'what am I doing'?'.
Because hugging a wall was obviously such normal behaviour for an Air Force Colonel.
Actually, maybe it was for this particular Colonel. Daniel was still in two minds whether he
preferred the deadly serious my-mission-is-everything version, or the wise-cracking, flippant
one with some very odd habits, that seemed to be appearing more and more these days. He
was currently leaning towards version number two - if only because he was more easy-going
– but occasionally the irritant factor would make him wish fleetingly to have number one back
once more. But only fleetingly.
"Nuthin…you seen Carter?"
Daniel frowned. He was obviously in one of *those* moods. He was getting better at
recognising them.
"Ah…not recently."
This time he was fixed with what he knew to be the Jack O'Neill piercing glare. He was
becoming well acquainted with that particular expression. Usually off-world, when 'Version
#1' made an appearance.
"You sure?"
Daniel sighed impatiently.
"Yes, Jack. I'm sure. I think I'd remember if I'd seen one of my own team mates. The whole
saying hello thing tends to make it memorable."
'Cue the narrowed eyes as he decides whether to respond to the sarcasm or let it go….'
"Jus' checkin'."
'…and he lets it go.'
Something was definitely up. Jack took a quick look left and right, then poked his head round
the corner again. A light-bulb went on in Daniel's head.
"Jack…are you hiding from Sam?"
The head whipped back in his direction.
"No! What makes you think that?"
Yep, he was hiding alright. Daniel waggled his free hand at him.
"Well…the fact that you're hiding…from Sam."
Jack straightened up and stood away from the wall, tugging his shirt straight.
"Daniel, I'm not – "
"Daniel!"
Jack jumped back against the wall, the smack as his head hit the concrete making Daniel
wince, as Sam's voice echoed down the corridor. Daniel leant backwards so she could see
him better round the corner.
"Hey Sam."
"Have you seen the Colonel anywhere?" She asked, continuing to walk towards him.
Daniel looked at Jack, who had raised his hands and was frantically waving them back and
forth in front of him, in what Daniel assumed was a very definite 'nooo!' gesture, while
shaking his head. Looked like 'Version #2' was currently in control. This had potential.
Daniel grinned.
'Hmm, decisions, decisions…'
He looked down at the papers in his hands. Now…did he tell Sam he hadn't seen Jack and
use that to bully him into letting them go to P4X-584, or rat him out to his team-mate? Thus
meaning Jack wouldn't let him do anything he wanted for the next several weeks as
payback, but giving him the satisfaction of getting one over on Jack and seeing his 'whipped'
expression once more.
The latter option clinched it. It was too good a chance to pass up. The perfect opportunity to
get back at Jack for taking Hammond's side and forcing him to go on that blasted six week
basic military training course. Daniel manfully repressed a shudder at the reminder. Even
now, several months later, he still woke up in a cold sweat thanks to that *wonderful*
experience.
Dragged out of bed at half-five in the morning - to do callisthenics of all things – was so not
his idea of fun. Nor was having some frighteningly short Sergeant with a frighteningly large
amount of muscles yelling in his ear. And he wasn't even going to go near the pedantic
insistence for correctly made beds and polished boots. He was sure it bordered on
obsessive-compulsive behaviour.
"Yeah, Sam," he said, "he's right here."
Jack glared at him.
"Thanks a lot."
Daniel gave him the innocent archaeologist expression. It always worked. He was fairly sure
Jack would figure it out eventually, but until then he planned to make the most of it.
"What? You said you weren't hiding from her."
~~~o0o~~~
Jack gave a feeble nod of acknowledgement, as the slender figure of his 2IC rounded the
corner and appeared in front of him. Daniel studied him carefully. He looked terrified at being
found. Which was odd. He'd never seen Jack look terrified of anything before and he
certainly hadn't ever expected that look to be aimed at Sam.
"Captain Carter."
"Sir! I've been looking all over for you."
Jack smiled weakly.
"Have ya now?"
"Yessir. Er…Dr. Frasier asked me to remind you that you were booked in for this session.
She wanted to make sure you didn't forget."
There was a weary sigh.
"Did she now?"
"Yessir. She…also wanted you to know that she has a selection of *several* large needles,
ready and waiting for you in the Infirmary if you don't attend."
The smile dropped into a sickly half-grin. There was a long pause, then…
"I'm not gonna be able get out of this, am I?"
"Probably not, sir."
Daniel hid a grin.
'Face it Jack, whatever it is, you're beat.'
Jack pulled himself upright, standing away from the wall and squaring his shoulders.
"Alright. Let's get this over with then, shall we?"
'Oh yeah. Whipped good and proper.'
Daniel shook his head. Didn't that just take the biscuit? The hard-ass, 'I say jump, you damn
well jump airman!' military Colonel transformed into a sulky little boy at the threat of a large
needle. Boy, if he'd known that on their first trip to Abydos….
At the thought of Abydos, a picture of Sha're's beautiful face, laughing as she smiled that
special smile of hers, popped into his head. He swallowed painfully against the lump in his
throat. God, he missed her so much….
"Daniel, you're with me."
Once again, Jack's voice pulled him out of his internal musings.
'Uh-oh. That doesn't sound good.'
"What?"
Jack threw a companionable arm round his shoulder, steering him firmly towards the
elevator before he could protest.
"We're off to visit the vampires, Daniel."
~~~o0o~~~
"I don't get it, Jack." Daniel said, as he watched his friend lie back on the bed and hold out
his left arm for the nurse to wrap the pressure cuff around. Sam was across the room
somewhere, having been called before Jack.
His index finger on his right hand throbbed quite painfully where the nurse had carried out an
iron test ten minutes earlier, despite his vocal protests that he was only here for moral
support, not to actually participate. The result? A distinct lack of support from his team-
mates, culminating in the rather fetching band aid he was currently sporting around the
aforementioned finger. He was rapidly beginning to understand the concept of being
'volunteered'.
Thankfully, he'd managed to persuade the very intimating senior nurse to let him watch,
before deciding to go through with this himself. Thank heaven for small mercies. She was
now on his list of current favourite people, even if she had called him 'dear'. It was a
battering to his manly pride, but in this case he figured he could live with it.
She'd given him a long look before suggesting he watch the procedure first, forcing him to
use the 'puppy dog eyes' to gain her assistance. It had worked, when did it not? And
eventually, she'd patted his shoulder in kindly manner and agreed to let him sit with one of
his team-mates. He'd chosen Jack. It was his fault he was here in the first place, so watching
them inflict pain on him was some small consolation.
"If you hate needles so much, then why do you do let them stick one in your arm
*voluntarily*?"
Jack shrugged as best as he was able, considering he was currently lying flat on his back.
He'd never really thought about it. He'd been pressured into it for the first time, back when
he was still a 'wet behind the ears' LT and didn't know any better. It had been entered into
his file and he'd been called up ever since, whenever they visited a base where he was
stationed. He might bitch and moan about it, but the thought of backing out had never
crossed his mind.
"Dunno, really. Just always have. Feels like I should, ya know? Give somethin' back…"
He grinned up at Daniel, before placing his other arm over his eyes.
"Amount I've gone through over the years, s'only fair I help replace it. Besides, ya never you
know when you're gonna need some yourself…"
Daniel couldn't help but shake his head. It seemed the more he found out about his friend,
the more he came to realise that Jack was a walking mass of contradictions. All the
complaining he did about Dr Frasier and her needles, the whole hiding episode earlier…yet
here he was – at the moment of truth - volunteering to take an extra one! And from the
sound of the things this was a regular deal…of course Jack would probably say it was only
because he was threatened into it, but Daniel was rapidly learning that was his way of
deflecting attention away from the true reason behind his actions. The nurse pumped up the
pressure cuff and wiped the inside of Jack's arm with an antiseptic wipe.
"Okay Colonel, make a fist for me please…"
Daniel winced at the size of the needle she took out.
'Holy crap!'
She was going to stick that in Jack's arm? And – more importantly - Jack was going to *let*
her?! There was something very wrong with this picture….
The world seemed to fade away around him as he stared at the needle. Jack's voice
intruded, bringing him back. He shook his head.
"What?"
"I said, are you okay? You looked a little spaced out there for a second."
"Uh yeah, I'm fine…it's just…have you seen the *size* of that thing?!"
Jack glanced down at the needle as the nurse brought it towards his arm, then quickly
looked away again.
"I try not to pay attention. Besides it's no bigger than the ones they use in IV lines, Daniel."
Daniel watched in fascination as the nurse poked Jack's arm with a couple of fingers trying
to find a vein. It was like a car wreck, he didn't want to see it, yet he had to watch. The nurse
nodded in satisfaction as she obviously found a vein she liked. No bigger than the one used
in IV lines? He found that hard to believe…of course the few times he'd had an IV line stuck
in – of all which had all been in the six months since he'd started working here, a fact that
didn't bode well for his future he was sure - he hadn't exactly been compus mentus. Looking
at the size of the needle that the nurse was currently pushing into Jack's arm, he was kind of
glad.
Jack was still talking as Daniel watched the precious red liquid begin to run down inside the
clear tube, from his arm to a clear plastic bag attached to a weight scale below the bed.
Jack's voice seemed to be coming from a very long way away and there was a roaring
sound growing louder in his ears. What was happening? He could hear Jack calling his
name urgently and he opened his mouth to tell him he was okay, except suddenly he wasn't
sure if he was okay, because he couldn't actually see Jack any longer.
His vision seemed to be disappearing, he couldn't see past the blackness that was
narrowing his line of sight down to a tiny pinprick. He felt himself sway as the odd noise in
his ears and his vanishing sight disorientated him. It felt like he'd been sapped of all his
energy, his legs didn't feel like they could keep him upright any longer. The thought ran
through his head that this was obviously what people meant when they said their legs were
like rubber. He staggered and dimly heard Jack yell 'Daniel!' again, before the roaring grew
too much to cope with and everything went black.
Daniel pitched forward to lie on a crumpled heap on the floor. He never felt the glancing blow
to his head as he hit his temple on the metal corner of the bed on the way down.
~~~o0o~~~
Jack looked down at the still figure on the bed in concern. His sudden collapse had created a
stir of activity as a gaggle of medical professionals converged on his bed, ignoring Jack's
frantic questions, before loading the hapless man onto a stretcher and bearing him away to a
cot all of his own. How many doctors did take to deal with an unconscious patient anyway?
Half a dozen if that little display was anything to go by.
He was quite surprised they hadn't taken advantage of Danny's lack of awareness and stuck
a needle in his arm. And disappointed. After all, wasn't this the perfect opportunity to drain
him of some of that apparently excess red stuff? The guy was unconscious for cryin out loud!
It wasn't like he could run away. But no, *he* had to go through it all in painful awareness –
the blood service folk were masochists, he was sure of it - while mister happily-asleep-in-la-
la-land, avoided it all by passing out. So unfair.
"Is he gonna be okay?"
The doctor nodded cheerfully.
"Yes, yes. He'll be fine. Slight headache maybe."
He patted the unconscious archaeologist's arm.
"Will come round soon. Quite soon."
Sam – who had come rushing over as soon she was freed from the clutches of her own
personal vampire - frowned.
"Are you sure? It all seemed very…"
She paused, trying to find the right word.
"Concerning?" Jack filled in for her.
She shot him a sceptical look.
'Concerning?'
Jack shrugged.
'Can you think of anything better?'
She couldn't.
"…concerning…when it happened."
The doctor nodded gleefully.
"Yes, yes! Much excitement! We haven't had this much to do for weeks."
Jack exchanged a dubious look with Sam.
"Right…" he said slowly. "Yes…excitement…"
The doctor nodded enthusiastically, then studied the man and woman stood in front of him
thoughtfully for a second.
"But…perhaps he should not attempt to give blood in future, yes?"
With that he wandered off to check on the other donors.
Jack couldn't help but look at Sam in disbelief.
"That's it? He passes out *once* and gets out of ever doing this again?"
Sam smiled.
"Looks that way, sir."
"That's so unfair, Carter!" Jack complained, turning back to look at their friend where he lay
still on the bed.
"And why didn't I ever thinka that?" He muttered quietly.
"Possibly because passing out at the sight of a needle would ruin your macho man image,
sir?"
~~~o0o~~~
Jack shot her a sharp look. Sam held her breath for a second. She was still trying to work
out their boundaries as CO and 2IC. It was difficult. Daniel could get away with so much
because he was a civilian, but she didn't have that excuse. It wasn't easy, especially when
the Colonel was so unlike any of her previous CO's. He was much more…laid back…and
that made it doubly harder to know what she could get away with, before she crossed the
line. It was easy in the field, all yessirs, nosirs and threebagsfullsirs, but out of it…he pretty
much let her get on with things and sometimes she forgot that she wasn't just chatting away
to one of her friends and fellow colleagues like she had back at the Pentagon. Had she
pushed it too far this time? Watching him carefully, his face relaxed and he grinned, to her
immense relief.
"Damn straight, Captain," he said. "Doing something as girlie as passing out at the sight of a
needle would kinda wreck my reputation, don't'cha think?"
Sam narrowed her eyes at his teasing. She knew he was ribbing her for the whole feminism
thing, trying to get a rise out of her. It was probably in response to the macho man comment,
but she wasn't just going to let it go. She couldn't just let it go and even more annoying? He
damn well knew it. She was also one hundred percent certain that he was aware that she
knew, he did it on purpose as well. And that was why he did it.
"Girlie?"
He waved a hand airily.
"Sure, Carter. *Girlie*. You know…fainting at the sight of needles, screaming at spiders,
running away from mice…"
He shot her a sly look and she gritted her teeth. Oh yeah, he was definitely doing it
deliberately. Unfortunately, she couldn't help but respond. And he knew it. Damn him.
"Not every woman has a problem with large pointy objects, insects and rodents, sir. I
certainly don't."
She watched in frustration as he quirked an eyebrow at her.
"I never said they did, Captain. Just that girlie people did. And you're not a girlie person."
Sam frowned.
'He thinks I'm not girlie?'
Was that a good or a bad thing? She weighed it up. Good, because it meant he didn't see
her as weakness…bad, because he was implying she wasn't feminine. Her brain
metaphorically rolled it's eyes at her and politely suggested she was overanalysing an
innocent comment and that she should quit with that kind of anal behaviour, before she
embarrassed herself. She ignored it.
"I'm not?" She queried, trying to follow his logic. She was sure that should make sense in
some bizarre sort of way. It probably did to him. She was rapidly beginning to realise that he
had a slightly skewed view of the world. Truth be told, she kind of liked it.
"Nope." He said cheerfully. "Well, at least I assume you don't faint at the sight of large
needles, Carter?"
"No, sir."
"No urge to start screaming at the sight of a spider?"
She couldn't help the grin that began to emerge, absurdly happy as she came to the
decision that he was teasing her, exactly the same way he teased everyone else. It really
was quite pathetic how good that made her feel.
"No, sir."
"And I fail to believe that someone who faced down the slimy snake-head known as Apophis
without flinching, would ever run from a poor defenceless little mouse. Am I right?"
"Yessir. Although if we ever gate to a planet with twelve-foot tall rodents, I reserve the right
to change my mind."
He chuckled.
"Carter, we ever gate to a planet with twelve-foot tall rodents and that cloud of dust you'll find
yourself following, will be all you'll see of my ass as it high-tails it's way back to the gate."
Sam grinned.
"Yessir."
The thought that following his ass was really not such a hardship, ran fleetingly through her
head before she firmly quashed it.
'Down girl! That's no way to be thinking about your CO.'
"Although in that case, I may be giving you a run for your money."
The Colonel shot her a quick look, filled with something she couldn't quite identify.
"I just bet you could, Captain," he murmured softly.
She suppressed the desire to shiver. Okay, maybe not *quite* the same as everyone else
then. But she liked it even so.
Thanks to Jonas, it had been a long time since anyone had dared engage in a little innocent
flirting with her. All her former colleagues had been too scared of making the man jealous to
try – damn him – and her? After their break-up she'd been too wary to bother. But this, now,
this was nice. It wasn't going anywhere and they both knew it meant nothing. No harm, no
foul. It went a long way to easing some of her insecurities. If her CO with twenty odd years of
service and special ops experience could accept her as herself - Captain, Doctor, 2IC,
woman…friend? - then maybe she wasn't the hopeless case that Jonas had always made
her out to be.
The man on the bed shifted slightly, capturing their attention once more, much to Sam's
relief as she couldn't think of a single witty comment with which to reply in kind. She studied
him for a long moment, before turning to her CO.
She looked at the Colonel out of the corner of her eye as he shook his head in a weary
gesture and gave a heavy sigh.
"I swear that man is a walking disaster area. He's a danger to himself. Might as well pin a
sign to his jacket saying 'kick here'."
Sam gave a small grin. She had no reason to worry that the Colonel might think her lacking
in certain abilities, not when Daniel was around. Then she promptly felt guilty.
"I think someone should be here when he wakes up, sir."
Jack gave a resigned nod.
"Yeah…I guess so."
He pulled out the chair from beside of the bed and spun it round before sitting down and
kicking his long legs out under the bed.
"I'll stay."
"If you're sure…"
He waved a hand airily in gesture of dismissal.
"Yeah, go on, scoot. I'm sure all that complicated looking stuff in your office is missing you."
He gave her another sly look.
"I'll bring him by when he wakes up. The way you get absorbed in things, you'll be in need of
a break by then anyway."
She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again as she realised he was right. Again.
*Damn* him.
~~~o0o~~~
Daniel groaned as consciousness reasserted itself. He cracked his eyelids open slightly and
cringed as bright light hit his retinas. He shut them again in a hurry, fighting desperately
against the queasy feeling in his stomach caused by the lancing pain which had just shot
through his head.
'Ow.'
"Ah, sleeping beauty awakes! How ya feelin', Danny-boy?"
Daniel winced at the volume of Jack's voice and moaned softly. His head felt as if it was
twice it's normal size and stuffed full of cotton wool.
"Wha-…wha' hi' m'?"
"That would be the bed, Daniel. Ya cracked your head on it, on your way to the floor."
Daniel blinked, the words still not making any sense.
"Fl'r?"
"Yep. Ya passed out."
Daniel blinked again. Him? Pass out? Never.
"D'no'."
"Yeah, Danny, you did. Ya fainted. Collapsed. Had a dizzy spell. Took a funny turn. Pick the
phrase of your choice, but that's what'cha did."
Daniel frowned, trying to remember what he'd been doing. He'd been talking to Jack…who'd
been hiding from Sam because…because…they were due to give blood. Yeah that was
right…and somehow he'd got dragged into it as well. He'd been stood there watching them
stick that huge needle into Jack's arm…
Daniel shuddered at the memory, breaking into a cold sweat at the thought. Then everything
went all fuzzy…oh dear God. Please say he hadn't passed out at the sight of a damn needle!
Please, God….
He made an effort to enunciate his words.
"No, I din'."
"Daniel…trust me on this. You took a swan dive into unconsciousness and nose dive onto
the floor."
"Din't."
"Yes. You did."
"*Did*n't."
"Did."
"Didn't."
"Daniel! F' cryin' out loud, just face it will ya! I was right *there*. You took one look, turned
green, your eyes rolled back in your head and you hit the deck."
Daniel shot him a look, resigned to his fate.
"Really?"
Jack nodded.
"Yep. Very graceful though. More of a slow topple forwards culminating in you landing on the
floor, than a black out and crumple to the ground. I'd give it an 8.4."
Daniel couldn't help the groan that escaped and began wishing he was still unconscious. He
was never going to hear the end of this.
"Jack…"
"Of course, you lose points for not clearing the bed, but overall – "
"Jack!"
~~~End~~~
More Author's Notes:
Okay, so I know in RL all the drugs/vaccinations etc that undoubtedly go with being a
member of a frontline SG team would probably render them ineligible to ever give blood, but
hey, that's why it's called fiction, folks!
As an aside, did you know that out of all the people in the UK who are eligible to give blood,
less than 6% actually bother to do so? The National Blood Service is always on the verge of
not having enough to meet demand, because of the lack of donors. Blood donor sessions
are held all year round, all around the UK. Being a donor takes up no more than half an hour
of your time, three times a year.
That's it. A tiny commitment in the grand scheme of things, but by taking the time to do it,
you could be helping to save a person's life. All you have to do is turn up. For more
information on what giving blood involves, who is eligible to give blood and the time and date
of your nearest blood donor session - if you're interested - check out: www.blood.co.uk
Here endeth the sermon ;)
Author: Chezza
E-mail: cyberchezza@tiscali.co.uk
Status: Complete
Sequel/Series: None
Summary: Jack is hiding from Carter whilst Daniel practises his diving skills
Season: First
Spoilers: None
Category: Humour/Fluff
Characters: Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter, Daniel Jackson.
Pairing: Slightly S/J if you're inclined to see it, but pretty much friendship only. Which is only
fair since it has Jack and Daniel friendship too :)
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Fluff alert! Also light language - no more than you'd see in the show - and
gratuitous Danny whumpage for a change. Because Jack was getting fed up of being picked
on and I needed at least some kind of plot!
File Size: KB
Archive: Fanfiction.net, Helio, Gateworld, SJD, jackfic, my site… If anyone else wants it, just
lemme know where you're taking it, so I can come visit.
Disclaimer: Ain't mine! Surprise…. Stargate and it's characters etc, belong to all those folks
who actually make *money* out of them. I'm just taking them out to play for a while and I
promise faithfully to put them back like I found them once I've finished, mum! Any original
stuff in there *is* mine, tho' sadly, it's unlikely to ever bring me any cash….
Authors Notes: Just a small piece of fluffy goodness to see if I could actually write Daniel in
character. He doesn't show up much in many of my fics - mainly because I have great
trouble writing him - so I thought I'd try a story mainly from his POV (except for a couple of
Sam/Jack scenes in the middle. I couldn't help it, I swear it just writes itself!). Not sure how
well I pulled it off, so I'd love to know what you think.
As always, thanks go to dragonlady for the beta. Flames will be used to light Teal'c's
candles (not like *that*! Get your mind outta the gutter, f'cryin' out loud!). Constructive
feedback and criticism on the other hand, is always gratefully received and appreciated.
© Chezza, 2004
~~~o0o~~~
Daniel wandered down the corridor, glancing up from the paper he was reading every few
seconds, to ensure he wasn't about to be mown down by some scurrying airman. There was
definitely more than a passing resemblance between the stone faces SG-9 found on P4X-
584 and the ones on Easter Island. Looked like they could add yet another ancient culture
where the Goa'uld had represented their pantheon of gods, to their ever-expanding list.
Daniel sighed. The picture beginning to emerge of the extent of their influence was rather
discouraging.
"Psst!"
Daniel looked up, sure that he'd heard something. Nothing. He shrugged and carried on
walking, frowning as something in the picture caught his eye. He brought the paper closer to
his face so he could better study the grainy shot of the statue. Cocking his head on one side,
he twisted it round slightly to look at it from a different angle.
Hmm, it was even possible they were Olmec…he couldn't tell from the quality of these prints.
Damn all-military teams! They just didn't get the significance of these kind of things…if it
didn't have 'Get Your Anti-Goa'uld Weapon Here!' written on the side in big flashing letters,
then they just weren't interested. Still, if they were then this was a fantastic find! Little was
known about their culture on Earth. If he could get the chance to study an off-shoot of their
culture on a different planet, it might go a long way to providing some answers about their
society. Which would be amazing, even if he never could publish his findings. Daniel lowered
the paper, lost in thought. He had to see this for himself.
'Wonder whether I can persuade Jack to send us back for a follow-up mission?'
Probably not, he mused. As far as Jack was concerned, if they'd been there once and found
nothing of interest – to him - then there was no need to go back. Not when there were
thousands more worlds yet to be visited where he might find something. Of interest. To him.
But hey, there was no harm in trying. Maybe if he studied the report more closely he could
find a legitimate reason. Tell Jack there was the possibility of gaining information on the
Goa'uld or something. It was worth a shot….
"Daniel!"
The sharp cry jerked him out of his reverie. Okay, that was definitely his name being called
this time. He turned round and blinked. Jack's head was poking around the corner of the
corridor.
'Speak of the devil…'
He waved his hand frantically in what Daniel assumed was meant to be some sort of 'come
here' gesture, then disappeared back round the corner. Daniel frowned. What was he
*doing*? He walked back along the corridor and rounded the corner. Jack was stood with his
back pressed up to the wall.
"Jack…what are you doing?"
Jack looked at him sharply as if to ask, 'what the hell do you mean, 'what am I doing'?'.
Because hugging a wall was obviously such normal behaviour for an Air Force Colonel.
Actually, maybe it was for this particular Colonel. Daniel was still in two minds whether he
preferred the deadly serious my-mission-is-everything version, or the wise-cracking, flippant
one with some very odd habits, that seemed to be appearing more and more these days. He
was currently leaning towards version number two - if only because he was more easy-going
– but occasionally the irritant factor would make him wish fleetingly to have number one back
once more. But only fleetingly.
"Nuthin…you seen Carter?"
Daniel frowned. He was obviously in one of *those* moods. He was getting better at
recognising them.
"Ah…not recently."
This time he was fixed with what he knew to be the Jack O'Neill piercing glare. He was
becoming well acquainted with that particular expression. Usually off-world, when 'Version
#1' made an appearance.
"You sure?"
Daniel sighed impatiently.
"Yes, Jack. I'm sure. I think I'd remember if I'd seen one of my own team mates. The whole
saying hello thing tends to make it memorable."
'Cue the narrowed eyes as he decides whether to respond to the sarcasm or let it go….'
"Jus' checkin'."
'…and he lets it go.'
Something was definitely up. Jack took a quick look left and right, then poked his head round
the corner again. A light-bulb went on in Daniel's head.
"Jack…are you hiding from Sam?"
The head whipped back in his direction.
"No! What makes you think that?"
Yep, he was hiding alright. Daniel waggled his free hand at him.
"Well…the fact that you're hiding…from Sam."
Jack straightened up and stood away from the wall, tugging his shirt straight.
"Daniel, I'm not – "
"Daniel!"
Jack jumped back against the wall, the smack as his head hit the concrete making Daniel
wince, as Sam's voice echoed down the corridor. Daniel leant backwards so she could see
him better round the corner.
"Hey Sam."
"Have you seen the Colonel anywhere?" She asked, continuing to walk towards him.
Daniel looked at Jack, who had raised his hands and was frantically waving them back and
forth in front of him, in what Daniel assumed was a very definite 'nooo!' gesture, while
shaking his head. Looked like 'Version #2' was currently in control. This had potential.
Daniel grinned.
'Hmm, decisions, decisions…'
He looked down at the papers in his hands. Now…did he tell Sam he hadn't seen Jack and
use that to bully him into letting them go to P4X-584, or rat him out to his team-mate? Thus
meaning Jack wouldn't let him do anything he wanted for the next several weeks as
payback, but giving him the satisfaction of getting one over on Jack and seeing his 'whipped'
expression once more.
The latter option clinched it. It was too good a chance to pass up. The perfect opportunity to
get back at Jack for taking Hammond's side and forcing him to go on that blasted six week
basic military training course. Daniel manfully repressed a shudder at the reminder. Even
now, several months later, he still woke up in a cold sweat thanks to that *wonderful*
experience.
Dragged out of bed at half-five in the morning - to do callisthenics of all things – was so not
his idea of fun. Nor was having some frighteningly short Sergeant with a frighteningly large
amount of muscles yelling in his ear. And he wasn't even going to go near the pedantic
insistence for correctly made beds and polished boots. He was sure it bordered on
obsessive-compulsive behaviour.
"Yeah, Sam," he said, "he's right here."
Jack glared at him.
"Thanks a lot."
Daniel gave him the innocent archaeologist expression. It always worked. He was fairly sure
Jack would figure it out eventually, but until then he planned to make the most of it.
"What? You said you weren't hiding from her."
~~~o0o~~~
Jack gave a feeble nod of acknowledgement, as the slender figure of his 2IC rounded the
corner and appeared in front of him. Daniel studied him carefully. He looked terrified at being
found. Which was odd. He'd never seen Jack look terrified of anything before and he
certainly hadn't ever expected that look to be aimed at Sam.
"Captain Carter."
"Sir! I've been looking all over for you."
Jack smiled weakly.
"Have ya now?"
"Yessir. Er…Dr. Frasier asked me to remind you that you were booked in for this session.
She wanted to make sure you didn't forget."
There was a weary sigh.
"Did she now?"
"Yessir. She…also wanted you to know that she has a selection of *several* large needles,
ready and waiting for you in the Infirmary if you don't attend."
The smile dropped into a sickly half-grin. There was a long pause, then…
"I'm not gonna be able get out of this, am I?"
"Probably not, sir."
Daniel hid a grin.
'Face it Jack, whatever it is, you're beat.'
Jack pulled himself upright, standing away from the wall and squaring his shoulders.
"Alright. Let's get this over with then, shall we?"
'Oh yeah. Whipped good and proper.'
Daniel shook his head. Didn't that just take the biscuit? The hard-ass, 'I say jump, you damn
well jump airman!' military Colonel transformed into a sulky little boy at the threat of a large
needle. Boy, if he'd known that on their first trip to Abydos….
At the thought of Abydos, a picture of Sha're's beautiful face, laughing as she smiled that
special smile of hers, popped into his head. He swallowed painfully against the lump in his
throat. God, he missed her so much….
"Daniel, you're with me."
Once again, Jack's voice pulled him out of his internal musings.
'Uh-oh. That doesn't sound good.'
"What?"
Jack threw a companionable arm round his shoulder, steering him firmly towards the
elevator before he could protest.
"We're off to visit the vampires, Daniel."
~~~o0o~~~
"I don't get it, Jack." Daniel said, as he watched his friend lie back on the bed and hold out
his left arm for the nurse to wrap the pressure cuff around. Sam was across the room
somewhere, having been called before Jack.
His index finger on his right hand throbbed quite painfully where the nurse had carried out an
iron test ten minutes earlier, despite his vocal protests that he was only here for moral
support, not to actually participate. The result? A distinct lack of support from his team-
mates, culminating in the rather fetching band aid he was currently sporting around the
aforementioned finger. He was rapidly beginning to understand the concept of being
'volunteered'.
Thankfully, he'd managed to persuade the very intimating senior nurse to let him watch,
before deciding to go through with this himself. Thank heaven for small mercies. She was
now on his list of current favourite people, even if she had called him 'dear'. It was a
battering to his manly pride, but in this case he figured he could live with it.
She'd given him a long look before suggesting he watch the procedure first, forcing him to
use the 'puppy dog eyes' to gain her assistance. It had worked, when did it not? And
eventually, she'd patted his shoulder in kindly manner and agreed to let him sit with one of
his team-mates. He'd chosen Jack. It was his fault he was here in the first place, so watching
them inflict pain on him was some small consolation.
"If you hate needles so much, then why do you do let them stick one in your arm
*voluntarily*?"
Jack shrugged as best as he was able, considering he was currently lying flat on his back.
He'd never really thought about it. He'd been pressured into it for the first time, back when
he was still a 'wet behind the ears' LT and didn't know any better. It had been entered into
his file and he'd been called up ever since, whenever they visited a base where he was
stationed. He might bitch and moan about it, but the thought of backing out had never
crossed his mind.
"Dunno, really. Just always have. Feels like I should, ya know? Give somethin' back…"
He grinned up at Daniel, before placing his other arm over his eyes.
"Amount I've gone through over the years, s'only fair I help replace it. Besides, ya never you
know when you're gonna need some yourself…"
Daniel couldn't help but shake his head. It seemed the more he found out about his friend,
the more he came to realise that Jack was a walking mass of contradictions. All the
complaining he did about Dr Frasier and her needles, the whole hiding episode earlier…yet
here he was – at the moment of truth - volunteering to take an extra one! And from the
sound of the things this was a regular deal…of course Jack would probably say it was only
because he was threatened into it, but Daniel was rapidly learning that was his way of
deflecting attention away from the true reason behind his actions. The nurse pumped up the
pressure cuff and wiped the inside of Jack's arm with an antiseptic wipe.
"Okay Colonel, make a fist for me please…"
Daniel winced at the size of the needle she took out.
'Holy crap!'
She was going to stick that in Jack's arm? And – more importantly - Jack was going to *let*
her?! There was something very wrong with this picture….
The world seemed to fade away around him as he stared at the needle. Jack's voice
intruded, bringing him back. He shook his head.
"What?"
"I said, are you okay? You looked a little spaced out there for a second."
"Uh yeah, I'm fine…it's just…have you seen the *size* of that thing?!"
Jack glanced down at the needle as the nurse brought it towards his arm, then quickly
looked away again.
"I try not to pay attention. Besides it's no bigger than the ones they use in IV lines, Daniel."
Daniel watched in fascination as the nurse poked Jack's arm with a couple of fingers trying
to find a vein. It was like a car wreck, he didn't want to see it, yet he had to watch. The nurse
nodded in satisfaction as she obviously found a vein she liked. No bigger than the one used
in IV lines? He found that hard to believe…of course the few times he'd had an IV line stuck
in – of all which had all been in the six months since he'd started working here, a fact that
didn't bode well for his future he was sure - he hadn't exactly been compus mentus. Looking
at the size of the needle that the nurse was currently pushing into Jack's arm, he was kind of
glad.
Jack was still talking as Daniel watched the precious red liquid begin to run down inside the
clear tube, from his arm to a clear plastic bag attached to a weight scale below the bed.
Jack's voice seemed to be coming from a very long way away and there was a roaring
sound growing louder in his ears. What was happening? He could hear Jack calling his
name urgently and he opened his mouth to tell him he was okay, except suddenly he wasn't
sure if he was okay, because he couldn't actually see Jack any longer.
His vision seemed to be disappearing, he couldn't see past the blackness that was
narrowing his line of sight down to a tiny pinprick. He felt himself sway as the odd noise in
his ears and his vanishing sight disorientated him. It felt like he'd been sapped of all his
energy, his legs didn't feel like they could keep him upright any longer. The thought ran
through his head that this was obviously what people meant when they said their legs were
like rubber. He staggered and dimly heard Jack yell 'Daniel!' again, before the roaring grew
too much to cope with and everything went black.
Daniel pitched forward to lie on a crumpled heap on the floor. He never felt the glancing blow
to his head as he hit his temple on the metal corner of the bed on the way down.
~~~o0o~~~
Jack looked down at the still figure on the bed in concern. His sudden collapse had created a
stir of activity as a gaggle of medical professionals converged on his bed, ignoring Jack's
frantic questions, before loading the hapless man onto a stretcher and bearing him away to a
cot all of his own. How many doctors did take to deal with an unconscious patient anyway?
Half a dozen if that little display was anything to go by.
He was quite surprised they hadn't taken advantage of Danny's lack of awareness and stuck
a needle in his arm. And disappointed. After all, wasn't this the perfect opportunity to drain
him of some of that apparently excess red stuff? The guy was unconscious for cryin out loud!
It wasn't like he could run away. But no, *he* had to go through it all in painful awareness –
the blood service folk were masochists, he was sure of it - while mister happily-asleep-in-la-
la-land, avoided it all by passing out. So unfair.
"Is he gonna be okay?"
The doctor nodded cheerfully.
"Yes, yes. He'll be fine. Slight headache maybe."
He patted the unconscious archaeologist's arm.
"Will come round soon. Quite soon."
Sam – who had come rushing over as soon she was freed from the clutches of her own
personal vampire - frowned.
"Are you sure? It all seemed very…"
She paused, trying to find the right word.
"Concerning?" Jack filled in for her.
She shot him a sceptical look.
'Concerning?'
Jack shrugged.
'Can you think of anything better?'
She couldn't.
"…concerning…when it happened."
The doctor nodded gleefully.
"Yes, yes! Much excitement! We haven't had this much to do for weeks."
Jack exchanged a dubious look with Sam.
"Right…" he said slowly. "Yes…excitement…"
The doctor nodded enthusiastically, then studied the man and woman stood in front of him
thoughtfully for a second.
"But…perhaps he should not attempt to give blood in future, yes?"
With that he wandered off to check on the other donors.
Jack couldn't help but look at Sam in disbelief.
"That's it? He passes out *once* and gets out of ever doing this again?"
Sam smiled.
"Looks that way, sir."
"That's so unfair, Carter!" Jack complained, turning back to look at their friend where he lay
still on the bed.
"And why didn't I ever thinka that?" He muttered quietly.
"Possibly because passing out at the sight of a needle would ruin your macho man image,
sir?"
~~~o0o~~~
Jack shot her a sharp look. Sam held her breath for a second. She was still trying to work
out their boundaries as CO and 2IC. It was difficult. Daniel could get away with so much
because he was a civilian, but she didn't have that excuse. It wasn't easy, especially when
the Colonel was so unlike any of her previous CO's. He was much more…laid back…and
that made it doubly harder to know what she could get away with, before she crossed the
line. It was easy in the field, all yessirs, nosirs and threebagsfullsirs, but out of it…he pretty
much let her get on with things and sometimes she forgot that she wasn't just chatting away
to one of her friends and fellow colleagues like she had back at the Pentagon. Had she
pushed it too far this time? Watching him carefully, his face relaxed and he grinned, to her
immense relief.
"Damn straight, Captain," he said. "Doing something as girlie as passing out at the sight of a
needle would kinda wreck my reputation, don't'cha think?"
Sam narrowed her eyes at his teasing. She knew he was ribbing her for the whole feminism
thing, trying to get a rise out of her. It was probably in response to the macho man comment,
but she wasn't just going to let it go. She couldn't just let it go and even more annoying? He
damn well knew it. She was also one hundred percent certain that he was aware that she
knew, he did it on purpose as well. And that was why he did it.
"Girlie?"
He waved a hand airily.
"Sure, Carter. *Girlie*. You know…fainting at the sight of needles, screaming at spiders,
running away from mice…"
He shot her a sly look and she gritted her teeth. Oh yeah, he was definitely doing it
deliberately. Unfortunately, she couldn't help but respond. And he knew it. Damn him.
"Not every woman has a problem with large pointy objects, insects and rodents, sir. I
certainly don't."
She watched in frustration as he quirked an eyebrow at her.
"I never said they did, Captain. Just that girlie people did. And you're not a girlie person."
Sam frowned.
'He thinks I'm not girlie?'
Was that a good or a bad thing? She weighed it up. Good, because it meant he didn't see
her as weakness…bad, because he was implying she wasn't feminine. Her brain
metaphorically rolled it's eyes at her and politely suggested she was overanalysing an
innocent comment and that she should quit with that kind of anal behaviour, before she
embarrassed herself. She ignored it.
"I'm not?" She queried, trying to follow his logic. She was sure that should make sense in
some bizarre sort of way. It probably did to him. She was rapidly beginning to realise that he
had a slightly skewed view of the world. Truth be told, she kind of liked it.
"Nope." He said cheerfully. "Well, at least I assume you don't faint at the sight of large
needles, Carter?"
"No, sir."
"No urge to start screaming at the sight of a spider?"
She couldn't help the grin that began to emerge, absurdly happy as she came to the
decision that he was teasing her, exactly the same way he teased everyone else. It really
was quite pathetic how good that made her feel.
"No, sir."
"And I fail to believe that someone who faced down the slimy snake-head known as Apophis
without flinching, would ever run from a poor defenceless little mouse. Am I right?"
"Yessir. Although if we ever gate to a planet with twelve-foot tall rodents, I reserve the right
to change my mind."
He chuckled.
"Carter, we ever gate to a planet with twelve-foot tall rodents and that cloud of dust you'll find
yourself following, will be all you'll see of my ass as it high-tails it's way back to the gate."
Sam grinned.
"Yessir."
The thought that following his ass was really not such a hardship, ran fleetingly through her
head before she firmly quashed it.
'Down girl! That's no way to be thinking about your CO.'
"Although in that case, I may be giving you a run for your money."
The Colonel shot her a quick look, filled with something she couldn't quite identify.
"I just bet you could, Captain," he murmured softly.
She suppressed the desire to shiver. Okay, maybe not *quite* the same as everyone else
then. But she liked it even so.
Thanks to Jonas, it had been a long time since anyone had dared engage in a little innocent
flirting with her. All her former colleagues had been too scared of making the man jealous to
try – damn him – and her? After their break-up she'd been too wary to bother. But this, now,
this was nice. It wasn't going anywhere and they both knew it meant nothing. No harm, no
foul. It went a long way to easing some of her insecurities. If her CO with twenty odd years of
service and special ops experience could accept her as herself - Captain, Doctor, 2IC,
woman…friend? - then maybe she wasn't the hopeless case that Jonas had always made
her out to be.
The man on the bed shifted slightly, capturing their attention once more, much to Sam's
relief as she couldn't think of a single witty comment with which to reply in kind. She studied
him for a long moment, before turning to her CO.
She looked at the Colonel out of the corner of her eye as he shook his head in a weary
gesture and gave a heavy sigh.
"I swear that man is a walking disaster area. He's a danger to himself. Might as well pin a
sign to his jacket saying 'kick here'."
Sam gave a small grin. She had no reason to worry that the Colonel might think her lacking
in certain abilities, not when Daniel was around. Then she promptly felt guilty.
"I think someone should be here when he wakes up, sir."
Jack gave a resigned nod.
"Yeah…I guess so."
He pulled out the chair from beside of the bed and spun it round before sitting down and
kicking his long legs out under the bed.
"I'll stay."
"If you're sure…"
He waved a hand airily in gesture of dismissal.
"Yeah, go on, scoot. I'm sure all that complicated looking stuff in your office is missing you."
He gave her another sly look.
"I'll bring him by when he wakes up. The way you get absorbed in things, you'll be in need of
a break by then anyway."
She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again as she realised he was right. Again.
*Damn* him.
~~~o0o~~~
Daniel groaned as consciousness reasserted itself. He cracked his eyelids open slightly and
cringed as bright light hit his retinas. He shut them again in a hurry, fighting desperately
against the queasy feeling in his stomach caused by the lancing pain which had just shot
through his head.
'Ow.'
"Ah, sleeping beauty awakes! How ya feelin', Danny-boy?"
Daniel winced at the volume of Jack's voice and moaned softly. His head felt as if it was
twice it's normal size and stuffed full of cotton wool.
"Wha-…wha' hi' m'?"
"That would be the bed, Daniel. Ya cracked your head on it, on your way to the floor."
Daniel blinked, the words still not making any sense.
"Fl'r?"
"Yep. Ya passed out."
Daniel blinked again. Him? Pass out? Never.
"D'no'."
"Yeah, Danny, you did. Ya fainted. Collapsed. Had a dizzy spell. Took a funny turn. Pick the
phrase of your choice, but that's what'cha did."
Daniel frowned, trying to remember what he'd been doing. He'd been talking to Jack…who'd
been hiding from Sam because…because…they were due to give blood. Yeah that was
right…and somehow he'd got dragged into it as well. He'd been stood there watching them
stick that huge needle into Jack's arm…
Daniel shuddered at the memory, breaking into a cold sweat at the thought. Then everything
went all fuzzy…oh dear God. Please say he hadn't passed out at the sight of a damn needle!
Please, God….
He made an effort to enunciate his words.
"No, I din'."
"Daniel…trust me on this. You took a swan dive into unconsciousness and nose dive onto
the floor."
"Din't."
"Yes. You did."
"*Did*n't."
"Did."
"Didn't."
"Daniel! F' cryin' out loud, just face it will ya! I was right *there*. You took one look, turned
green, your eyes rolled back in your head and you hit the deck."
Daniel shot him a look, resigned to his fate.
"Really?"
Jack nodded.
"Yep. Very graceful though. More of a slow topple forwards culminating in you landing on the
floor, than a black out and crumple to the ground. I'd give it an 8.4."
Daniel couldn't help the groan that escaped and began wishing he was still unconscious. He
was never going to hear the end of this.
"Jack…"
"Of course, you lose points for not clearing the bed, but overall – "
"Jack!"
~~~End~~~
More Author's Notes:
Okay, so I know in RL all the drugs/vaccinations etc that undoubtedly go with being a
member of a frontline SG team would probably render them ineligible to ever give blood, but
hey, that's why it's called fiction, folks!
As an aside, did you know that out of all the people in the UK who are eligible to give blood,
less than 6% actually bother to do so? The National Blood Service is always on the verge of
not having enough to meet demand, because of the lack of donors. Blood donor sessions
are held all year round, all around the UK. Being a donor takes up no more than half an hour
of your time, three times a year.
That's it. A tiny commitment in the grand scheme of things, but by taking the time to do it,
you could be helping to save a person's life. All you have to do is turn up. For more
information on what giving blood involves, who is eligible to give blood and the time and date
of your nearest blood donor session - if you're interested - check out: www.blood.co.uk
Here endeth the sermon ;)