Three months had passed since the fateful day they came through the gate. Candice and Daniel had settled into a working routine that kept them both occupied and hopeful.
They moved into one of the small outbuildings near the temple. A day's hard work re-thatching the roof provided them with a snug, dry place to sleep and store their food and they found many useful items left by the previous occupants. At first Daniel was loath to use them given their archeological significance but as time went on their need for things like a cooking pot outweighed the historical value.
Candice had found several fruits and vegetables that sustained them. And she worked diligently to dry and store as much as she could, not knowing how long or severe the winter could be.
Daniel spent his days in the temple trying to decipher its mysteries. He would also hike to the gate twice a day without fail and attempt to dial home.
The lack of animals and wildlife stymied both of them. Candice especially. The botanist in her demanded to know how all of the plant life was thriving without insects. But the answer wasn't forthcoming.
They found themselves returning to the easy companionship that had sparked before they left the SGC. The initial tension they both felt at being trapped on the planet had passed, and although they both longed to go home, they no longer took it out on each other.
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It had taken almost two hours but finally Dr. Fraiser was crouching near Daniel and Candice. Jack had bit the bullet and reached over and touched Daniel to find out if it was safe to do so. And now that they knew it was, Janet was working quickly to try and assess what was happening.
She reported what she found to Jack, "Colonel, I can't explain it exactly. Sam was right in her initial assessment that they are in an REM like state, but it's like nothing I've ever seen before. Their brain patterns are through the roof. And they have no reaction to external stimuli. If I had to guess I would say that their brains are interacting somehow with whatever is emitting the beam. I would not advise trying to remove them from it. I have no idea what the consequences would be, for all we know they could end up in a permanent vegetative state.
The decision was made for Janet to set up shop around them and monitor while the rest of the team looked for a way to shut the beam down.
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Shortly into their fifth month alone Candice made two discoveries that made their lives much more pleasant. The first was the discovery of two varieties of mint plant, nearly identical to peppermint and spearmint plants found on Earth. These made a wonderful addition to their diet and although it didn't contain caffeine the tea they could brew from them was hot and flavorful. They had a good laugh over the two coffee fiends turning into herbal tea drinkers but neither complained.
The second thing she found was a plant similar to hemp. Its fibrous stalk could be used for a multitude of things. Most notably paper.
She and Daniel had often bemoaned the fact that they were two scientists stuck on a planet with unlimited time to study but no paper on which to record anything. Candice worked hard trying to find a way to turn the plentiful plant into paper and she finally succeeded.
In the ruins they had found were large pottery casks that contained rolls of a finely woven homespun fabric. Using the fabric and a simple wooden frame she was able to craft several large sheets of a lumpy, not so white, not so square paper. Holding them behind her back she snuck up on Daniel in the temple, engrossed in a particular panel of etchings.
"I have a present for you Dr. Jackson." She teased.
He stood up and faced her, knowing the last time she had said that she had found the mint, "Is it my birthday?"
She laughed, "Um. I have no idea. I don't know when your birthday is actually. We'll just call this a 'Spoil Daniel' present. Now close your eyes and hold out your hands."
He did as she instructed, "A 'Spoil Daniel' present, huh? Should I be afraid?"
She placed the sheets on his outstretched hands and laughed, "Nope. You can open your eyes."
He looked at the lumpy sheets she had placed in his hands and it took a moment for what they were to sink in. He looked at her not believing, "You made paper?"
She was happily biting her lower lip and nodded. And suddenly found herself in a bear hug being swung around by a very excited Daniel.
The end of their sixth month found them entering cooler weather. They both broke from their studies to stock up on firewood and any remaining foodstuffs that they could find. Both of them hoping that the winters on the planet wouldn't be too severe.
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"They've been unconscious for approximately five hours, Sir. No change in their condition. We are continuing to monitor them. But until we know what affect pulling them away from that beam will have I recommend we wait it out." Janet had gone back to the gate to update General Hammond.
"Understood Doctor. Please keep me informed if there is any change."
Jack sat on the floor near Daniel and Candice, just staring at them. As if he could will them to wake up. "C'mon kids. Anytime you want to come back to us would be good."
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Daniel found Candice sitting in one of her favorite spots by the river, the starry, moonlit sky twinkling off of the gently flowing water.
"Hi." He said sitting next to her.
"Hi." She replied still looking up at the stars. She seemed a little more introverted than normal and it bothered him.
"Penny for your thoughts."
She paused a moment, as if she really didn't want to tell him, but then she said quietly, "One of those is home."
The little catch in her voice spoke volumes, she was terribly homesick. So was he for that matter, but they never talked about it. Come to think of it, they never talked about their feelings or anything else important.
She continued in that same quiet voice, "You know Daniel, I spent my whole life wanting to visit other planets and now that I have, all I want to do is go home." She sniffled and he could see the tears starting to stream down her face.
He reached a tentative hand out and rubbed her back gently, "Me too Candice, me too."
She dropped her head to his shoulder and allowed him to comfort her. The contact was nice, they did not touch often. She had tried to figure out why a couple of months ago but had not been able to boil it down to any one reason. But as she sat nestled under his arm and could feel his warmth and the gentle rhythm of his breathing, she couldn't think of any logical reason why they didn't touch. She just didn't know.
Daniel knew. And the answer was simple really. He wanted her. He had wanted her practically since the time he first saw her in the commissary. He wanted to lose himself inside her, to tangle his hands in her hair and watch her arch and moan as he thrust into her. He wanted to hear her call his name as an orgasm ripped through her. Living with her in such close proximity was hell. He was a normal, healthy man with normal, healthy urges and concealing them was becoming more and more difficult. Like now.
She felt Daniel tense and looked up at his face. She could see his jaw flexing as he grit his teeth.
"Daniel, what's wrong?"
He released her suddenly and stood up. And for a quick second in the moonlight she saw the front of his worn BDU's tented out in front of him. And suddenly she understood. Understood why he never touched her, understood why he looked at her the way he did sometimes, understood why he would sometimes take off for a walk in the middle of a conversation. It was all crystal clear now. And she had to make a decision, act on it or ignore it. Given the fact that she too was a normal, healthy person with urges of her own, and the fact that she found Daniel to be incredibly sexy there was only one thing to do.
She grabbed his hand before he could walk away.
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tbc… feedback appreciated!
