Summary: Sam and Joe weren't the only ones that had been trying for children. Daniel/Janet Missing Scene for 2010.
Rating: PG13
Janet stared at the computer monitor almost blankly… ninety-one-percent decrease in the global birth rate… they'd trusted the Aschen, their doctors, their medicine, their technology. Antibiotics for every disease imaginable, no more cancer, broken bones, cuts abrasions… no more need for people like her.
The people who cared and saved lives hands on. Who did it because they cared not because they had some new drug, new medicine that mean they could get another sensuous wave of superiority. She remembered the anniversary party, the traditional military gun-salute had been met with tiny sighs of tolerant disgust and impatient looks from the Aschen that had been present.
Silence was short lived, the continual buzz of her computer and the hum of the electric lights. Everything bland, everything the same. Dusty blues, greys, blacks and the rare white were the only colours you ever really saw anyone wear any more. The occasional person that wore something slightly brighter but compared to this; Airforce BDUs were colourful.
"Excuse me ma'am," the secretary knocked and the opened the door to her office "Doctor Jackson is here to see you,"
Janet jumped out of her reverie and minimised the ultrasound images on screen, wiping at tears she had no noticed were falling she nodded her ascent.
"Hey," he said softly as he closed the door behind him, worry etched onto his face "is everything okay?"
Janet looked at him "everything's fine," she gave him a watery smile. "Where's Sam?"
"She's gone to see Jack," he sounded tense at the mention of his once best friend, "she thinks he might help us,"
"Maybe," inadvertently her eyes were drawn back to the screen.
"Janet?" he said slowly, coming to stand behind her "what's wrong?"
He had a right to know, even if the entire world was going to change in a matter of… well however long it took for them to try and fix this, it was as much his business as hers. She pulled up the ultrasound scan back onto the screen "look," she whispered "see here, and here," she pointed at the ovaries with a sad gleam in her eyes and edge to her voice.
He squinted at the screen, seeing the text attached to the image it hit him even harder 'Fraiser, J' "oh," he whispered "Janet I-"
"The whole planet Daniel!" she hissed, fighting back tears she felt she had no right to cry "the whole planet, they did this to us all and we were too stupid to notice!" Her eyes flashed dangerously and even though he could not see her directly, only her reflection in the monitor he could see them practically spitting sparks "not just Sam or me, all of us!"
Daniel paused, he had no idea what to say or to do, the tiny woman was shaking as livid terror ripped through her, all of them, and it was all their fault, his and Sam's. They'd ignored Teal'c's nonchalant advice to 'step wisely' and Jack's more vehement remarks which had led to full on arguments before the Colonel had retired and had barely made contact with any of them since then.
He touched her shoulder gently, a gentle reminder that he was still there, abruptly she got to her feet and turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck she hugged him tightly, automatically he hugged her back, burying his nose in her apple-and-watermelon scented hair.
"Sam and Joe have been trying for three years," she pulled back after a few moments and straightened her shirt to try and ground herself "we never…"
"It was only eight months" he assured her "we never had reason to suspect-"
"I'm a doctor Daniel!" she exclaimed "it's my job to notice things like that, or at least," she trailed off "it used to be,"
"Hey," he touched her chin as she went to duck her head "Sam will find a way too-"
She tore away from him "I'm supposed to notice things like that Daniel! It's what I'm supposed to do, what I was trained to do! Now the Aschen… they've taken away everything Daniel! We could have…" she trailed off, her anger getting the better of her as she started to cry, harsh sobs tearing at her chest.
Leaning down he kissed her chastely, the salt from her tears stained her lips and the bitter taste just made everything that more real. It had taken them so long to notice. Janet was right, they should have seen it long ago, but not just her, it wasn't her fault.
Mankind was such a dominant race it killed itself in order to maintain that power and yet they stepped aside so willingly as soon as they Aschen had come along. The Stargate and everything surrounding it had been accepted so easily it was as if everything had been a dream, and it had all suddenly turned into a nightmare.
It had all been so easy, to just relinquish all control, let someone else take the strain. They could live their lives, do the jobs they had grown up wanting to do instead of going through the 'gate and wondering each and every time who they would loose this time, and how close would it be for themselves? He had loved his job, it was everything and anything he could ever have dreamed of and more but it had been so hard, and sometimes, sometimes he wanted it back.
"I'm sorry," she said, wiping at her eyes, pulling a tissue from the box on her desk and fumbling for a mirror so as to try and clean up the inevitable mess her mascara had made.
He touched her hand and stopped her jerky movements, hugging her again "it's not your fault,"
Realisation dawned and she pushed back slightly "it's not yours either Daniel… don't blame yourself,"
He remained silent.
"Daniel?"
He straightened checking his watch "I need to get back, Sam should be back soon, hopefully with some good news," he smiled weakly at her, moving to leave.
Her hand on his arm stopped him "Daniel… please…"
"We'll fix this," he told her sincerely before leaving completely.
Janet nodded to an empty room. He was right, they would, because right now… they had nothing left to loose.
Author's Notes: Really short I know but I just couldn't get it out of my head and well… (shrugs) review if you liked it, don't if you didn't.