Author's Notes:- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
I know this was a pretty quick update but the next one will probably not be for a while. Enjoy.
"I'm sure this is right," Jonas sighed as he stared at the centre section of the scroll, "I don't understand why it doesn't make sense to them."
Micki shrugged, "Possibly Daniel's got it wrong."
"Do you really believe that?" Jonas asked.
"Okay no," she admitted, "Look, it's possible you've missed something or they've missed something."
Jonas dropped his head onto the desk.
Micki patted him on the shoulder, "Come on, let's get out of this office for a while. I'm beginning to see the scrolls in my sleep."
Jonas laughed and took her offered hand to stand up. As he looked down at her still holding her hand he swallowed slightly and slowly moved closer to her.
"For cryin' out loud," Micki snapped as she wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him, "It took you long enough," she whispered when they parted.
"I wasn't sure you'd kiss me back or kill me," he confessed.
"It was fun finding out though wasn't it?" Micki asked with a grin.
Jonas nodded, "Yeah," before he kissed her again.
"What are you doing here?" Daniel demanded staring at his ex-girlfriend.
"Looking for you," Sarah smiled moving to hug him.
Daniel quickly stepped back from her, "Why?"
"I'd rather talk about this in private," Sarah said nodding at Kate who stood with her arms folded.
Daniel turned to Kate and nodded it was okay. Kate placed her hand on his arm as she passed him, "I'll check on Sha're," she murmured.
"Thanks," Daniel smiled waiting till Kate had left the room before turning to Sarah again, "What do you want?"
"A kiss hello would be nice," Sarah gave him a smile.
"Be grateful I'm talking to you," Daniel told her flatly.
"You are so full of yourself," Sarah snapped, "You have no idea what I did for you."
"You tried to sabotage my research," Daniel replied sharply, "And you cheated on me."
"What I did was for you," Sarah told him, "If you'd went public with your theories you would be a laughing stock, you would have been kicked out of academia and the rest of us would have been tainted by that too."
"Of course," Daniel laughed, "Your own self interest was only a perk."
"As for the other thing," Sarah went on ignoring him.
"You sleeping with my research assistant," Daniel stated, "In my apartment."
"Do you have any idea what I felt like coming second to your work?" Sarah yelled, "I wanted some company, I needed to feel I was wanted. Daniel I wanted you but you were so fixated on proving your ridiculous theories."
"That's a lousy excuse," Daniel told her.
"We're both adults Daniel," Sarah took his hand; "Can't we put this behind us and start again. We were good together."
"No Sarah we weren't," Daniel stated removing his hand from hers.
Sarah sighed, "You always were stubborn."
"You think I'm being stubborn?" Daniel laughed humourlessly, "When I walked in on you two I thought I would never get over that. But I did and I got on with my life. I'm happy without you Sarah and I have met someone who loves me for who I am regardless of what I can do for her."
Sarah looked amazed, "Either you've changed a hell of a lot or you're delusional."
"Well that's your view," Daniel shrugged, "Are you done?"
"No," Sarah snapped, "I am actually here for another reason. Dr Jordan has been looking for you. I said I'd find you."
"I'll call him," Daniel told her, "So you can go now."
With an icy look and a toss of her hair Sarah left.
"Are you alright," Sha're asked.
Daniel turned to find her standing in the doorway; she'd obviously heard every word that had been said.
He sighed, "I think so."
She slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, "I heard what you said about how happy you are."
"I am," Daniel whispered, "You are the most amazing thing ever to happen to me Sha're. I should call Dr Jordan though and see what he wants."
Sha're nodded, "Dan'iel, she isn't worth it. She is the fool for letting you go."
"You know how much I love you, don't you?" Daniel whispered.
Sha're laughed, "I may have trouble convincing you of my feelings for you but I know you love me Dan'iel."
Daniel closed his eyes and smiled as they kissed.
x
Sha're watched Daniel as he dialled his old mentor. He seemed slightly stunned by Sarah's reappearance in his life; it had opened a wound he had tried hard to close. She knew he'd been hurt badly before they'd met but she'd never been able to get him to tell her what had happened. However now she realised why he'd been so quick to think she'd choose Walker over him and it made Sha're hate this woman for daring hurt this gentle soul so badly.
"Sha're," Daniel called snapping her out of her thoughts to see he'd finished his phone conversation, "We may have a problem."
"What is it?" she asked sitting beside him.
"Dr Jordan has found something," Daniel explained, "He said that it may prove my theories. He's trying to keep it a secret from everyone else until I can come and check it out."
"Oh no," Sha're sighed, "We'd better call home and inform the General."
x
"And you're sure this will lead to us?" Jack asked Daniel after he'd finished explaining everything to them.
"Not really," Daniel replied from Vegas with Sha're sitting beside him while Jack paced Hammond's office along with Hammond, Sam, Micki and Jonas.
"But it could have an impact on our work," Micki added in, "Daniel, did he give any clue as to what he's found?"
"No," Daniel sighed, "All he said was I had to see it."
"So a trip to Chicago," Jack clapped his hands together, "Home sweet home."
"I don't think allowing Jack to go barging in is a good idea," Daniel said, "Dr Jordan won't be willing to speak to him about this."
"What do you suggest?" Hammond asked, trying not to laugh at Jack's hurt look.
"I know him and he wants to show me it anyway," Daniel replied, "Sha're can keep me right for the SGC."
"Very well," Hammond agreed, "Keep me posted."
"Thank you," Sha're said before they hung up.
Jack sighed, "This is all we need more bizarre artefacts to take up all our time."
Micki frowned at him, "Jack, that's what our department does remember? We look at what's brought back in the hope we can find weapons."
Jack stared at her in mock amazement, "You guys have a purpose?"
Sha're smiled as they entered their hotel room in Chicago.
"This is wonderful," she smiled as she stepped out onto the balcony.
"I knew you'd like it," Daniel grinned following her in.
"Have you stayed here before?" Sha're asked with a grin.
Daniel laughed, "I could never afford it before now."
"Are you sure you are alright?" Sha're asked concerned, he'd been far too quiet since Vegas.
"I'm fine," he told her.
"Dan'iel, don't lie to me," Sha're frowned at him, "Ever since she appeared you've been…you've been pulling away from me. I know your past is something you don't like to talk about but you have to talk to me about it now."
"Sha're…" Daniel started his eyes drifting to the floor.
"No," she cut him off sternly, "Look at me Dan'iel. Look at me."
Slowly he raised his eyes back up to hers to see the fire in them.
"I'm your wife," she reminded him, "And I love you. I know you better than anyone else does or ever will. Talk to me."
Daniel sighed.
"Dan'iel," she touched his cheek, "Please talk to me."
"I was focussed on my theories," he started making her sit down, "I spent most of my time working, studying trying to find everything I needed. Sarah appeared one day and we seemed to hit it off. I thought she understood how important my work was to me but after a while she started getting more and more agitated every time we saw each other."
"Go on," she encouraged taking his hand.
"I suppose it was mostly my fault," Daniel sighed, "I wasn't the best boyfriend to have. One day I made sure I finished early enough so I could take her for dinner as a surprise. Sarah was staying with me because her apartment block was being renovated or something like that. I got in and it seemed strangely quiet until I heard noise from my room and…"
"She was in there," Sha're said.
"With Russ, my assistant," Daniel finished, "I remember just turning around and going back to the kitchen and making myself some coffee. Russ left pretty quickly but Sarah she came into the kitchen and she asked me what the hell I was doing home so early."
"She what?" Sha're asked incredulously.
"Then she proceeded to let me know if I'd made it home early other times she wouldn't have needed Russ to be there," Daniel sighed.
"And you believed her," Sha're gently stroked her husband's cheek.
"Because she was right," Daniel pulled away and started to pace, "Sha're, I was so focussed on proving I was right I didn't even look to see what I was doing to the people closest to me."
"Then what happened?" Sha're asked watching him.
"I left," Daniel whispered, "I called Robert who had asked me a few months previously to take over the first dig and that's where you found me."
"And I found a man who thought of others first," she stood up and stepped into his path, "Dan'iel, we first met when I was so upset and the first thing you did was look after me not caring what anyone would think. You gave me someone to trust, someone who I knew would always be willing to listen when I was upset, a child I'm going to treasure," she smiled softly, "So you get absorbed in your work? So do I, so do a lot of people. She is not worth this at all."
Daniel nodded, "You're right."
"Of course I am," Sha're leaned up and kissed him, "Now, we have about two hours before we need to be at the University so I'm going to go and have a shower. If you want you can join me."
Before Daniel could answer she left him standing and he grinned. He didn't need Sarah or any part of that past all he needed was the woman who was in that room.
"Daniel," Dr David Jordan smiled as he saw them walk towards, "You got my message then."
Daniel nodded, "Good to see you David."
"And who is this?" Jordan asked smiling at Sha're.
"This is Sha're, my wife," Daniel smiled introducing them.
Jordan's eyes widened in surprise, "Sarah didn't mention anything about this."
"I doubt she knows," Daniel shrugged, "We didn't exactly have a heart to heart talk."
"So married and about to be a father," Jordan smiled, "I never would have guessed. What do you do Sha're?"
"I should have fully introduced you," Daniel laughed, "This is Dr Sha're Littlefield."
"Jackson," Sha're corrected him before turning to Jordan, "I'm a Doctor of Archaeology and Linguistics also."
"So you two have a few things in common then?" Jordan laughed offering Sha're his arm, "Now come and see what I found."
"What did you find?" Daniel asked as they walked through the corridors towards Jordan's office.
"Ah Daniel you'll just have to wait and see," Jordan smiled before turning to Sha're; "He has no patience."
Sha're laughed, "You have to tell me about Dan'iel. I'm sure you have lots and lots of stories."
Daniel winced as Jordan laughed.
"Oh I have plenty," Jordan told her, "We can swap stories at dinner."
"Won't that be a treat," Daniel muttered.
As they walked through the corridors they passed a candy machine and Sha're turned to Daniel hopefully.
"You hungry?" he asked with a fond smile.
"When am I not?" Sha're laughed.
"Sorry David," Daniel told Jordan, "We've got to feed the beast."
Trying to stop her smile Sha're hit his arm, "That is your child you're talking about."
Daniel gently stroked her cheek in reply before getting her some candy.
x
Sha're gratefully took the seat she was offered, the baby was getting heavy and she tired very quickly. Daniel took the seat beside her and they waited for Jordan to retrieve the item.
"I did the carbon dating on it and it came back ten thousand years," Jordan told them.
"That's impossible," Daniel said automatically.
"I thought so at first too," Jordan replied, "But I did the tests three times just to be sure. Daniel, this is the proof you needed."
Daniel stared at him unable to speak grateful when the phone rang. He turned to Sha're as Jordan answered it, Sha're shrugged slightly.
"I'll be right back," Jordan told them, "I've got some work to do."
Daniel sighed relieved as Jordan left the room.
"We have a major problem," Sha're told him.
Daniel nodded as he looked over the artefact, "Sha're, look at this."
"What is it?" she asked.
"I think it's connected to the scrolls," he laughed as he studied it intently laughing suddenly, "This is it."
"What?" Sha're clicked her fingers in front of her husband's face to get him to focus on her, "Dan'iel?"
"The middle section," he said, "The bit we couldn't get, this is why."
"Dan'iel," Sha're said slowly and deliberately, "Please start making sense."
"It's in code," Daniel explained, "That's why it made no sense. This is the code breaker for lack of a better term."
"We have to get this back to the SGC," Sha're told him.
"So you made it then," a sharp voice from behind them made Daniel visibly wince.
"Hi Sarah," Daniel replied as they turned to find her walking through the door, "I didn't think you'd be here."
"I work here remember," Sarah told him before she noticed Sha're, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Sarah this is Sha're," Daniel said, "My wife."
Sarah looked at Sha're taking in her bump and shrugged, "Shotgun wedding I presume."
Before Daniel could reply Sha're placed her hand on his arm stopping him, "Dan'iel, could you get me something to drink."
"Of course," Daniel nodded and gave her a quick kiss before he left the room.
"I see you're slightly jealous," Sha're got straight to the point, "Your relationship with Daniel was ended by him."
"I don't think my relationship with Daniel is any of your concern," Sarah said haughtily.
"Your deliberate attempts to hurt my husband," Sha're replied her voice low and soft, "Are very much my concern."
Sarah laughed, "You know he'll get bored with you in a few months when something new grabs his attention."
"I very much doubt that," Sha're told her.
"Daniel cares about one thing only," Sarah said, "His theories."
"Is that how you justify hurting him the way you did?" Sha're asked.
"What do you know about that?" Sarah snapped.
"I know you hurt him deeply," Sha're replied, "I know you made him doubt his worth."
"And you healed his wounds?" Sarah sneered.
"He healed himself," Sha're laughed before her face became grim, "Now I am only going to tell you this once before I take other steps."
"And what would that be?" Sarah asked slightly unnerved.
"Leave my husband alone," Sha're's voice was filled with menace, "I may be pregnant but I can still wipe the floor with you and if you even think about harming Dan'iel again. I will."
With that said Sha're swept out of the room leaving Sarah staring at her.
"I could have dealt with that," Daniel told Sha're when she stepped out of the room.
"I know," she shrugged, "But I do not get to threaten people very often."
