My Own Wake
by Charis
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and all associated characters belong to people who are not me. I'm just borrowing.
Notes: For Ilanala, who asked for third-season Daniel. The one use of "Danny" herein may be blamed on tipsy Jack O'Neill. Post "Crystal Skull".
"So how many times is that, Danny?"
They're sitting around at O'Malley's after coming back from P7X-377, trying to unwind. He's been staring off into space, trying to fix into his mind the delight on his grandfather's face at the end, and Jack's question catches him off-balance.
"What?"
"How many times is it you've died now?"
"Um." He takes a drink to cover while he thinks. Teal'c's expression is as inscrutable as ever; if the Jaffa is amused, Daniel can't tell. Sam is much easier to read, considering she's trying not to choke on her beer. "Twice?"
"Is that all?" Sam manages. He gives her a dirty look; she's not helping.
"Once on Abydos." Jack puts one of the cardboard coasters down in the middle of the table. "Once when we found the Nox," another coaster. "We thought you were dead when Apophis' ship blew up -"
"Doesn't count," Daniel retorts indignantly. "There wasn't anyone else to put me in the sarcophagus; I was still alive then."
Jack grumbles something about fatal injuries, but turns the coaster over and over in his fingers. "What about with Shyla?"
He flushes unaccountably at the memory and tries to cover by taking a drink. "Not technically dead."
"Just a little squashed," Sam quips, patting his arm. "Sorry, Daniel; I'm with the Colonel on this one. You were pretty much dead by the time they pulled you out."
Teal'c isn't going to be any help. He tries to look pathetic instead, "Can that count as half?"
A considering silence falls over the table as the waitress draws near. Jack signals her for refills all around before turning back and pronouncing, triumphantly, "You can count that as half if we can count times we thought you were dead as half. Which would make the total - er -"
"Four, sir," offers Sam. Daniel glares at her. Someone's supposed to be on his side.
"I've only had one funeral," he mutters.
"Would you like another?" she deadpans, but only laughs when he tries to make the glare fiercer. As Jack refills their glasses, Sam lifts hers. "To SG-1, and especially to our dear Dr Daniel Jackson - may we continue to cheat death!"
"Amen," Daniel mutters fervently, and clinks his glass against hers.
- finis -