Author's note: I'm not an expert on The Sentinel since I started watching near the end of season two and season three's only just started. If I make any mistakes, you'll have to forgive me. I've no such excuse if I make mistakes with the Stargate side of the story.
This may be a slash story, but there's nothing graphic in it. I don't go into that sort of thing.
***
Daniel had stared at the tablet he was translating for so long that his eyes were beginning to ache, and still he'd only translated fragments. Amazonian tribes weren't his speciality.
The tablet was talking about Sentinels. He'd managed to translate a section reading "seeing before others see" which suggested they had good senses, and another that talked about "blessed protectors." Unfortunately that didn't give them much to work with.
He wondered if the Goa'uld had done some experiments to enhance human senses, Nirti had been into that sort of thing after all, to make a good host. But that didn't fit with the whole protector thing. Maybe some other alien race had done it. The Asgard had told Jack they'd been to Earth and studied humans. Would they manipulate their genetics? Probably not, but there were a load of other races they'd never met out there. The Furlings? They probably had the technology.
He doubted they were just a myth since everything else mythological seemed to be real and in some way connected to outer space.
"Recommend any good rocks I should read?"
Daniel looked up to see Jack leaning nonchalantly against the door frame. He was almost glad for the interruption.
"Your paperwork looking too menacing for you to loiter in your own office?" Daniel asked, getting up to pour Jack some coffee.
"It's like the north face of the Eiger."
"If you want you can translate the texts SG-16 brought back," Daniel suggested, "They're Latin."
"If they're anything more complicated than 'Cornelia sub abore sedet' I doubt I'll be much help." Daniel laughed, and held out the coffee. Suddenly it was as though his legs gave way beneath him.
The coffee cup shattered on the floor as he grabbed the edge of his desk to hold himself upright. Jack was at his side in an instant, supporting him and easing him into his chair.
"I'm OK," Daniel said, feeling normal again. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but it had passed.
"I'm calling Doc Fraiser anyway."
"No, Jack, I'm just tired, that's all."
"Tired doesn't make people collapse." Daniel knew that Jack would call her no matter how he protested, so he didn't say anything. He looked down at the tablet again. As he looked it seemed he could see every marking of the rock. Every indentation was clear and obvious.
"Danny?" Jack asked. Only he yelled it. Daniel almost covered his ears.
"No need to yell," he protested.
"I didn't," Jack said at normal volume. He was looking at Daniel with a very concerned and confused look on his face. Daniel knew and feared that look. It meant Jack would insist on mothering him even though there was nothing wrong with him. He was just tired.
It seemed Janet agreed with his assessment. Unfortunately she had to jab a load of needles in him before she would let him in on that.
"I'll have to wait for the test results to be sure," she said, "but I think you're probably just tired. A few days rest would do you good. And when was the last time you had a proper meal?" Daniel had to admit that he couldn't actually remember. He normally lived off coffee and cookies in his office.
"You are going home and you are not to come in for at least three days unless the world's in danger," Janet said, slipping into what Jack called her Napoleonic power monger mode. "You are to relax. And you are to eat properly."
"Janet, I'm fine. . ." he started to protest.
"Doctor's orders!"
"But the translation I'm working on is very important."
"I'm sure there are other linguists who can work on it for you."
Daniel opened his mouth to protest again, but Jack interrupted. "It's obvious there's nothing seriously wrong with him, doc," he said, "he's acting like the cantankerous Daniel we all know and love."
"Cantankerous?" Daniel asked, "Four syllables, is this a new personal best?"
"I'd strangle you but the paperwork would probably kill me."
"Take your argument outside," Janet said, "I'll talk to the general about your leave, Daniel." Daniel stood and was half-way to the door when she stopped him. "Oh, and I don't want you driving."
"I'll give you a lift home," Jack offered as they walked towards the elevators.
"Thanks, just let me pick up some stuff from my office."
"No. I dread to think what Doc Fraiser would do to me if I let you work when you're supposed to be relaxing."
"But the tablet. . ."
"Can wait. Why did you bother pestering Hammond into getting you all these archeogeeks when you never let them do any work?" Daniel managed not to laugh at the archeogeek comment. It would do Jack no good at all if he let him know his jokes were sometimes funny.
He didn't know why, but somehow he felt he needed to translate the rest of that tablet. It wasn't just the usual curiosity. This was something else. He had to know what that tablet said.
Unfortunately, Jack wasn't convinced.
***
A short while later they were getting out of Jack's truck outside Daniel's apartment. Daniel didn't bother inviting Jack up, since he tagged along anyway. Some things didn't need saying between them.
"Coffee?" he asked as soon as they were inside.
"Since my last cup is now a nice puddle on your office floor, I wouldn't mind," Jack replied, dumping his leather jacket over the arm of one of the chairs on the way to the kitchen.
"Sorry about that."
"Don't worry, you're not quite yourself." Daniel went to switch the coffee machine on, and Jack leaned past him to get the mugs out of the cupboard. He was so close that Daniel could smell him, a mix of sweat and the shampoo he always used.
"You smell," he commented.
"Hey, you're no garden of roses yourself," Jack protested, clearly offended.
"No, you smell sexy."
"Um. . . thanks. . . I think." Daniel decided that he'd never tell Jack he looked cute when he was confused.
He looked at him as though looking at him for the first time. His brown hair, with a little silver beside his forehead making him look distinguished. His brown eyes, sparkling with more intelligence than he ever let on. His firm lips so often smiling.
Daniel had always liked Jack, but suddenly he found himself wanting him. This had happened a couple of times before, but never this strongly. Suddenly, he grabbed Jack and pulled him into a kiss.
For half a second Daniel thought Jack was kissing back, then he made a muffled protest and broke away.
"What are you doing?" he asked, somewhere between panic and confusion.
"Kissing you." He would have thought that was obvious. He tried again, but their lips didn't even make contact this time. Jack gripped Daniel's shoulders and held him off.
"Daniel, you're not acting like yourself. Don't do something we'll both end up regretting."
"I'm not planning on regretting it."
"I should go." Jack was out of there in such a rush he didn't even remember to pick up his jacket. Daniel just leaned back against the work surface and poured out his coffee. Jack had no idea what he was talking about. Sure Daniel had never come on to him before, but that didn't mean wanting him was unusual behaviour. Jack never saw himself in the shower.
Suddenly it occurred to him what he'd just done. He'd made a pass at his best friend. His straight best friend. Now wonder he'd been freaked and run out. Daniel swore.
He cared about Jack, more than he'd ever cared about anyone except maybe Sha're. And now he'd done something so stupid he didn't know if Jack would be able to face him again. He'd decided long ago not to tell Jack how he felt since it would ruin their friendship, and living without Jack was something he couldn't bear. Now he'd not only told Jack, he'd tried to force himself on him.
Hopefully Janet's tests would find some alien disease and he'd be able to claim that as an excuse.
He needed to talk to someone. His first instinct was Jack, but that wasn't right. He needed to talk to someone else. He couldn't think who for a moment, then he knew what he should do. It didn't make sense if he thought about it, so he tried not to think about it. But he knew where he should go.
He was almost out the door when he remembered he wasn't supposed to be driving and came back in to phone for a cab. While he was waiting he phoned up the airport and booked a ticket on the first plane to Cascade.
Now he just needed to figure out why he wanted to go to Cascade.
***
Author's note: So, what do you think? Please review and let me know.
This may be a slash story, but there's nothing graphic in it. I don't go into that sort of thing.
***
Daniel had stared at the tablet he was translating for so long that his eyes were beginning to ache, and still he'd only translated fragments. Amazonian tribes weren't his speciality.
The tablet was talking about Sentinels. He'd managed to translate a section reading "seeing before others see" which suggested they had good senses, and another that talked about "blessed protectors." Unfortunately that didn't give them much to work with.
He wondered if the Goa'uld had done some experiments to enhance human senses, Nirti had been into that sort of thing after all, to make a good host. But that didn't fit with the whole protector thing. Maybe some other alien race had done it. The Asgard had told Jack they'd been to Earth and studied humans. Would they manipulate their genetics? Probably not, but there were a load of other races they'd never met out there. The Furlings? They probably had the technology.
He doubted they were just a myth since everything else mythological seemed to be real and in some way connected to outer space.
"Recommend any good rocks I should read?"
Daniel looked up to see Jack leaning nonchalantly against the door frame. He was almost glad for the interruption.
"Your paperwork looking too menacing for you to loiter in your own office?" Daniel asked, getting up to pour Jack some coffee.
"It's like the north face of the Eiger."
"If you want you can translate the texts SG-16 brought back," Daniel suggested, "They're Latin."
"If they're anything more complicated than 'Cornelia sub abore sedet' I doubt I'll be much help." Daniel laughed, and held out the coffee. Suddenly it was as though his legs gave way beneath him.
The coffee cup shattered on the floor as he grabbed the edge of his desk to hold himself upright. Jack was at his side in an instant, supporting him and easing him into his chair.
"I'm OK," Daniel said, feeling normal again. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but it had passed.
"I'm calling Doc Fraiser anyway."
"No, Jack, I'm just tired, that's all."
"Tired doesn't make people collapse." Daniel knew that Jack would call her no matter how he protested, so he didn't say anything. He looked down at the tablet again. As he looked it seemed he could see every marking of the rock. Every indentation was clear and obvious.
"Danny?" Jack asked. Only he yelled it. Daniel almost covered his ears.
"No need to yell," he protested.
"I didn't," Jack said at normal volume. He was looking at Daniel with a very concerned and confused look on his face. Daniel knew and feared that look. It meant Jack would insist on mothering him even though there was nothing wrong with him. He was just tired.
It seemed Janet agreed with his assessment. Unfortunately she had to jab a load of needles in him before she would let him in on that.
"I'll have to wait for the test results to be sure," she said, "but I think you're probably just tired. A few days rest would do you good. And when was the last time you had a proper meal?" Daniel had to admit that he couldn't actually remember. He normally lived off coffee and cookies in his office.
"You are going home and you are not to come in for at least three days unless the world's in danger," Janet said, slipping into what Jack called her Napoleonic power monger mode. "You are to relax. And you are to eat properly."
"Janet, I'm fine. . ." he started to protest.
"Doctor's orders!"
"But the translation I'm working on is very important."
"I'm sure there are other linguists who can work on it for you."
Daniel opened his mouth to protest again, but Jack interrupted. "It's obvious there's nothing seriously wrong with him, doc," he said, "he's acting like the cantankerous Daniel we all know and love."
"Cantankerous?" Daniel asked, "Four syllables, is this a new personal best?"
"I'd strangle you but the paperwork would probably kill me."
"Take your argument outside," Janet said, "I'll talk to the general about your leave, Daniel." Daniel stood and was half-way to the door when she stopped him. "Oh, and I don't want you driving."
"I'll give you a lift home," Jack offered as they walked towards the elevators.
"Thanks, just let me pick up some stuff from my office."
"No. I dread to think what Doc Fraiser would do to me if I let you work when you're supposed to be relaxing."
"But the tablet. . ."
"Can wait. Why did you bother pestering Hammond into getting you all these archeogeeks when you never let them do any work?" Daniel managed not to laugh at the archeogeek comment. It would do Jack no good at all if he let him know his jokes were sometimes funny.
He didn't know why, but somehow he felt he needed to translate the rest of that tablet. It wasn't just the usual curiosity. This was something else. He had to know what that tablet said.
Unfortunately, Jack wasn't convinced.
***
A short while later they were getting out of Jack's truck outside Daniel's apartment. Daniel didn't bother inviting Jack up, since he tagged along anyway. Some things didn't need saying between them.
"Coffee?" he asked as soon as they were inside.
"Since my last cup is now a nice puddle on your office floor, I wouldn't mind," Jack replied, dumping his leather jacket over the arm of one of the chairs on the way to the kitchen.
"Sorry about that."
"Don't worry, you're not quite yourself." Daniel went to switch the coffee machine on, and Jack leaned past him to get the mugs out of the cupboard. He was so close that Daniel could smell him, a mix of sweat and the shampoo he always used.
"You smell," he commented.
"Hey, you're no garden of roses yourself," Jack protested, clearly offended.
"No, you smell sexy."
"Um. . . thanks. . . I think." Daniel decided that he'd never tell Jack he looked cute when he was confused.
He looked at him as though looking at him for the first time. His brown hair, with a little silver beside his forehead making him look distinguished. His brown eyes, sparkling with more intelligence than he ever let on. His firm lips so often smiling.
Daniel had always liked Jack, but suddenly he found himself wanting him. This had happened a couple of times before, but never this strongly. Suddenly, he grabbed Jack and pulled him into a kiss.
For half a second Daniel thought Jack was kissing back, then he made a muffled protest and broke away.
"What are you doing?" he asked, somewhere between panic and confusion.
"Kissing you." He would have thought that was obvious. He tried again, but their lips didn't even make contact this time. Jack gripped Daniel's shoulders and held him off.
"Daniel, you're not acting like yourself. Don't do something we'll both end up regretting."
"I'm not planning on regretting it."
"I should go." Jack was out of there in such a rush he didn't even remember to pick up his jacket. Daniel just leaned back against the work surface and poured out his coffee. Jack had no idea what he was talking about. Sure Daniel had never come on to him before, but that didn't mean wanting him was unusual behaviour. Jack never saw himself in the shower.
Suddenly it occurred to him what he'd just done. He'd made a pass at his best friend. His straight best friend. Now wonder he'd been freaked and run out. Daniel swore.
He cared about Jack, more than he'd ever cared about anyone except maybe Sha're. And now he'd done something so stupid he didn't know if Jack would be able to face him again. He'd decided long ago not to tell Jack how he felt since it would ruin their friendship, and living without Jack was something he couldn't bear. Now he'd not only told Jack, he'd tried to force himself on him.
Hopefully Janet's tests would find some alien disease and he'd be able to claim that as an excuse.
He needed to talk to someone. His first instinct was Jack, but that wasn't right. He needed to talk to someone else. He couldn't think who for a moment, then he knew what he should do. It didn't make sense if he thought about it, so he tried not to think about it. But he knew where he should go.
He was almost out the door when he remembered he wasn't supposed to be driving and came back in to phone for a cab. While he was waiting he phoned up the airport and booked a ticket on the first plane to Cascade.
Now he just needed to figure out why he wanted to go to Cascade.
***
Author's note: So, what do you think? Please review and let me know.
