Disclaimer: Don't own, not making any money.
Rating: Teen
Spoilers: None, set in season 5.
Comments: Blame this on controlfreak80 wondering why Daniel is always the one to dial the gate. Thanks go to controlfreak80 also for betaing it.
"Daniel, dial up the gate."
"No."
Jack turned and looked at Daniel in surprise. There was a stubborn look on the archaeologist's face. "Excuse me?"
"I said, no, Jack." A slight smile graced the corner of Daniel's lips.
Jack moved with deliberation towards him and Daniel retreated slightly in response, before digging in. Jack closed in, stepping into Daniel's personal space. He saw Carter's eyes widen at the look on his face, his best I-am-your-worst-nightmare expression, but it didn't seem to phase Daniel. Admittedly, it never had for some reason. Didn't stop him from trying though. "Daniel."
"Jack."
"Daniel, you dial up the gate. It's part of your job."
Daniel raised a finger, his lips twisting once again into a smile. "No, see, when did this happen? When did I become the guy that dials the gate?"
"Daniel, you opened the gate." Jack let some of his exasperation sink into his voice.
The finger moved again. "Yes, yes I admit, I was the first one to open the gate, but my contract with the SGC does not say that I, and I alone, have gate dialing privileges."
He really shouldn't have used quite so much sarcasm around Daniel.
"But on P3 something you got upset when I dialed Earth!"
"You screwed it up, Jack! You didn't dial Earth!"
"So not the point!" He was starting to think that he was fighting a losing battle. "Daniel, I just want to go home, please dial the gate."
"Jack, we're not finished yet."
He wasn't going to sigh. He wasn't. Damn it. "Daniel, you dial the gate because you're the civilian. The rest of us have been trained in combat situations, it makes sense for us to defend you, while you dial us out."
"I'm not disagreeing with you on that, Jack." It really was quite fascinating how Daniel's finger seemed to move of its own accord. "All I'm asking is that on peaceful planets someone else dials us out every once in a while."
Damn it. Jack knew he'd lost. Daniel was making perfect, logical sense. Jack threw his hands up. "Fine. I'll dial us out."
Jack walked over to the DHD. He could do this. Chevron one encoded, chevron two encoded, chevron three encoded, yada yada yada. Locked.
Nothing happened.
Jack looked back down at the DHD as Daniel appeared behind him. This time it wasn't him sighing.
"Jack, that's not the address for Earth."
Jack gestured to the DHD, the 'you do it then' implicit in the gesture.
"I was actually thinking that we should wait until you get it right."
Jack stared at Daniel in disbelief.
"Okay! I'm doing it."
It was nice to know that he still scared Daniel, even if it was just a little.
"You'd think after five years…" Daniel muttered.
Although obviously not enough.