Disclaimer: Don't own any of it. But don't tell me that right now. I'm grumpy.

Author's note: This story is inspired by... me... right now. You'll figure it out. :-P


The Missing Man

Daniel squinted at the inscribed pillar before him, trying to determine its basic meaning before grabbing another piece of paper and charcoal to get a rubbing.

"You done yet?"

The archaeologist tore himself away from the rubbing to scowl briefly at his CO. The man reclined against a very fragile partial wall which, of course, had writings on it that Daniel hadn't looked at yet. With the way Jack fidgeted, they might be rubbed off before he got there.

"No." He went back to his work.

~/~

"You done now?"

"Teal'c, would you do something about him?" Daniel growled.

"I regret I cannot," the Jaffa complained in his usual flat voice.

"I'm bored, Daniel."

The younger man took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "Patience is a virtue, Jack."

~/~

"Daniel, I'm hungry."

"Eat a power bar."

"I don't want a power bar; I want real food. Which requires going home."

"Well, suck it up, Jack."

The colonel lasted about thirty seconds before he asked, "Are you done now?"

Annoyed, Daniel spun on him. "You know, it's not very nice to take advantage of Sam."

"Oh?" Jack asked innocently. "And how's that?"

"If she were here, she'd be keeping you out of my hair."

"Well, she's not here."

"I know. And you're using her misery to get your way."

"And what is it, exactly, that you think she'd say if she were here?" Jack taunted.

"Oh, I don't know, something along the lines of, 'Sir, if Daniel finds the key to the Ancient device we found on P8X-224, it could be a fantastic weapon in our fight against the Goa'uld.'"

Jack considered that for a moment and nodded. It was a pretty good impression.

"And you know she's itching to get that thing working."

"If she's ever allowed back on base again."

"It can't be that bad, Jack."

"Yeah?" the older man challenged. "How do you know? You won't go see her."

Daniel bit his lip. "I'm very sensitive to these things."

"Uh-huh. Finish your drawing."