Hehe Terelou, it IS a very strange story, I agree. It's much better told in retrospective than me starting from the beginning though – would get a bit much I think. I realised when I was writing it that it wouldn't necessarily be popular but I'm glad a few people do like it a bit. I couldn't stop myself writing it – and I really like it – so I suppose that's what matters most. Thanks for reviewing!

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Finishing up some monumentally tedious paperwork, Janet sighed. She felt her heart sink as she saw Angel in her doorway. Her face was pale and drawn. She moved as if in shock. Janet knew something had happened. Perhaps something potentially devastating.

Nothing Janet had done had made the slightest bit of difference to Angel's condition. Even the data from the Ancient medical scanners that the Atlantis team had sent her hadn't really been much help. The Ancient scans showed her psyche or aura or something with so many tears and cracks it was frightening. How could a medical doctor hope to repair that? The most she could do was try to keep her stable. Together. Hope that time would heal all wounds and all that crap.

It had killed Janet to see her friend suffering so much, for so long – so Daniel's return had been like there was a small flickering light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel. The potential for relief. There was hope. And yet so many things could still go wrong. If that light went out the darkness left in its place would be so much deeper than it had ever been.

Angel sat down at Janet's desk. Still moving slowly and carefully. Janet was familiar with these periods of weakness. Angel would have to rest. She'd call Jack and get him to take her back to her quarters if she wouldn't stay here in the infirmary, but first she had to find out what was wrong.

Angel was silent a long time, not looking at Janet at all. Finally, she spoke, her pale face flushing suddenly in misery. "I need the morning after pill."

Janet could not have been more surprised but she didn't show it. "Daniel?"

"Of course."

"What happened?"

"The thing that usually happens before you need a morning after pill." Angel rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean."

"We were just talking in his office. I'd made him those chocolate walnut things he likes so much because I felt bad for all the crap I'd put him through. It was just so… nice… to just be with him, you know? To talk to him, hear his voice… just be with him. And he was so nice… and I could feel him wanting me but trying not to show it. And we were talking about all sorts of stuff and it was all good and I was okay."

"Then what happened?"

"He remembered about us." Angel's shoulders started shaking. "Then for some stupid reason, he thought Jonas and I were together now. I mean maybe that'd be an easy way out for him – means he wouldn't have to feel obligated but I can't change how I feel so I started yelling at him. And I grabbed him and he was so close and he smelled so good. I was so cold and he was so warm. He wanted me… and I… I just missed him so much." She put her head down on Janet's desk and sobbed.

Janet quietly got the tablet she needed and a glass of water. She then took Angel's hand and waited patiently. When she'd calmed, Angel picked up the pill and considered it. "Ironic, isn't it?" She asked Janet bitterly. "All those months after he died… I would have given anything to be carrying his child. And now… now it seems like the absolutely worse thing that could happen."

"Right now maybe… but given time who knows how you'll feel about that." Janet told her. "How you both might feel."

Angel gave her baleful look. "You're as bad as Jonas. Look on the bright side and whatever. I'm not going to be holding my breath for a happy ending, Janet. Made that mistake once already."

"Don't be like that." Janet admonished. "You know it pisses me off when you go all bitter and fatalistic."

Angel shrugged. "I am bitter and fatalistic. Deal with it."

"No. You deal with that." Janet pointed to where she could see Daniel waiting in the next room. "Deal with it. Be with him."

"Like it's that easy."

"Maybe it is. He's here. You said he wanted you. Daniel Jackson doesn't – barring alien influences of course – get involved with women he doesn't have feelings for… Just keep spending time with him. See what happens."

"Maybe." Angel threw the pill back and took a sip of water. She wiped her face and got up carefully. "Thanks for that, Janet."

Angel allowed Janet to hug her briefly. They walked out of Janet's office together to where Daniel was waiting. "Everything okay?" He asked. Janet thought he looked both anxious and as miserable as Angel. Her heart went out to him.

Angel's tone was cold. "Yes. I took the pill. You can relax."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." Daniel told her firmly. He turned to Janet. "Are there any side-effects?"

"Maybe a little nausea in some cases. She should be fine – although she does need to rest any way."

"Because of her current physical weakness?" Daniel asked. Janet was glad he added the 'physical' because if he hadn't she was fairly sure Angel might think he was pointing out her psychological weaknesses and not take that well.

"Yes. Angel occasionally experiences episodes of muscle weakness and low energy."

"Thanks for talking about me like I'm not here." Angel rolled her eyes. She put on a Janet-style voice. "And yes… it's usually brought on by periods of emotional upheaval."

"Watch it, you." Janet smacked her friend lightly on the arm. She suddenly realised that Angel was wearing Daniel's jacket. That was a familiar sight that made her heart feel so much lighter. Daniel often used to give Angel the jacket he was wearing before he suited up for a mission. It was kind of like a comfort thing for her while he was gone.

"I'll take her back to her quarters and stay with her to make sure she's okay." Daniel told Janet.

"Yes, you do that, Daniel. Do whatever the hell you want and don't even bother asking me." Angel grumbled but she didn't resist when he gathered her up into his arms to carry her.

Janet suppressed a smile. She had a feeling that just maybe Daniel was going to be more than a match for Angel.

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Daniel held Angel close to him as he carried her back to her quarters. He could feel the neck of his t-shirt getting wet. He tried not to think about that. He hated that she was crying but he would do everything in his power to take care of her and to help her.

They reached her quarters – and Daniel had no idea how he knew where they even were but Angel was waving the door open for him and he went in. He lowered her to her feet carefully and looked around. The walls here were purple as well – a different shade to her office. They were surrounded by deep cool colours – purples, greens, blues. She waved her hand again and various lamps and candles came on.

"One of the best things about my abilities." She told him. "I'd never be bothered going around turning on and lighting all this crap without them but I love the ambient glow."

"Your place is really nice." Daniel told her.

"Thanks." She wiped uselessly at her tears. "I'm gonna go take a quick shower. I won't be long."

"Angel?" Daniel grabbed her wrist. "I really want to stay but if you'd rather I call Jack… I'd understand."

"No, I want you to stay." She replied quietly, not looking at him. "I'll be back shortly. Just gotta pull myself together."

Her quarters consisted of a lounge with a mini-kitchen and a bedroom with an ensuite. Cosy. Daniel felt comfortable here. He decided not to get busted looking through any of her stuff so he just waited on the couch.

She only took about ten minutes and she emerged wearing only a black tank top and black shorts in what looked like some sort of soft stretch cotton. He found himself staring at her legs for a while before she managed to get his attention. She was more composed now.

"Daniel?" She gave him a small up-nod indicating he should follow her. She down on the side of the bed and held out a towel to him. "Could you please dry my hair for me a bit?"

"Absolutely." He sat down next to her and started gently rubbing her hair with the towel. "How long were we together? You know, before…"

"About six months. Best friends for another six before that I guess. We were close pretty much from the moment I started working here."

"Was I a good boyfriend? I mean… did I miss anniversaries and stuff like that?" Daniel remembered being too caught up in his work to remember his two month dinner with Sarah Gardner. He hoped he'd learned from that.

"We didn't really do the anniversary thing. I mean I would mention something like 'hey, we've been together however many months today' and we'd have a moment – but it's not like we made big plans or anything silly. Besides I have present buying anxiety." She sighed. "You did miss our one year though. That was hard."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, you were dead. You couldn't help it." She closed her eyes. "Of course, it would have been nice if you'd dropped in. Being Ascended and all you could have."

Daniel didn't miss the sudden tension in her tone. "But I didn't."

"No." She turned to him. "Look, I didn't like Ascended You very much. I might have even hated the Ascended You. Somehow though I don't even remotely feel like taking it out on you. It's like I consider him a totally different person. Does that make me crazy?"

"If it means you're not angry with me then I'm happy." Daniel admitted. "I'm sorry if Ascended Me hurt you."

"He wasn't there for me. I understand why and all – he thought it best – but just because he was all high and mighty and evolved and together…" Her voice trailed off. "He was so holier than thou, almost condescending but not. It drove me insane because it just made me so much more aware of how pathetic I have become. How lost and trapped in pain. Unable to move on and so completely unevolved emotionally. And he was so wise and understanding, I hated it. I could feel his pity. I wanted to rip his glowy head off."

"Well, now I'm definitely glad that you don't associate me with him." Daniel smiled.

"There were times when I considered doing something drastic – to you know, get his attention or something – but it would have been pointless. Just prove to him how completely useless I was. Am."

"You're not useless." Daniel replied firmly. "I don't think you're pathetic or anything even remotely like that. And I am here for you now. I won't let you down again."

"That's the thing though, Dan. I didn't want you to find out about me and our relationship and feel an obligation. To feel like you had to be with me, you know? I still don't want that."

"I'm not denying that I would have felt an obligation had I known from the start." Daniel admitted. "At the same time, I want you to know that I don't want to be with anyone else but you. I want to be with you and get to know you all over again. There is not a single doubt in my mind about that." He pulled her close and kissed her damp hair. "Everything I've remembered about you has just made all these crazy things I'm feeling start to make sense. It feels right."

She didn't say anything but as he continued to rub her hair with the towel, Daniel at least felt like he might have said the right thing. As her hair dried a little, he was starting to see waves forming and he was almost excited about it. She opened a drawer by the bed and a tube of some kind of hair product drifted to her hand. At least Daniel gathered it was hair product since she squeezed a small amount on her palms and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Will that make your hair straight?" He asked.

"No…" She looked at him quizzically. "This is like an anti-frizz type thing. I use a straightener to do my hair – like an appliance with hot plates. Why?"

"I was just… sort of hoping that you might leave it natural." He blushed.

"I guess I could do that." She said quietly, almost looking like she might cry again. "I'm going to try to get some sleep now."

"You don't want me to try drying your hair some more first?"

She shook her head so he tucked her under the covers and was about to wander into the lounge room when she grabbed his hand.

"Stay with me." Her voice was barely audible.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes."

Daniel nodded, took off his boots and lay down next to her. She arranged the covers over him deliberately. It made him feel good, like she was taking care of him instead of the other way around. She lay fairly close but not touching him.

"I'm cold." She murmured. Her eyes searched his face.

He pulled the covers around her more carefully and dragged up another blanket from the bottom of the bed.

"That's not what I meant." She whispered.

Daniel didn't know what she meant. Not until she tentatively reached out a hand and put it on his chest. Then he knew what she was giving him permission for and he gladly pulled her into his arms.

"You are freezing." He was surprised.

"My internal thermostat goes a bit funky sometimes." She told him. "You'll warm me up in a minute."

"Can't Janet put you on some sort of meds for that?"

"It's not a physiological thing. Just another thing that no-one can fix. I'm broken."

He held her tight, not knowing what to say. She snuggled closer and he felt her legs entwine with his as if it were the most natural thing in the world – and it was. She did indeed seem to warm up fairly quickly and he was relieved. Her breath was hot on his neck and she was slowly running her hands over his back and shoulders in a very nice way.

In return, he started caressing her neck. One of her hands moved to rub his chest gently. Almost shyly, her face began turning upwards away from his neck and towards his face, hesitating at each small progression. He waited until she'd made it very clear that she was willing, before lowering his lips gently onto hers. The kiss was slow and lingering and very deep. Daniel felt like his toes were curling with the absolute goodness of it.

Angel's fingers stroked his face and neck as they kissed which Daniel really loved. They kissed for a very long time and somewhere during that period, Angel must have made the lights go out because it was dark and intimate. Eventually, she curled up in his arms again, face buried in his neck and drifted off to sleep. Daniel smiled in the darkness. In this moment – for now – everything was very right with the world.