Disclaimer: Just having fun with the characters for a little bit. Promise to give them back. Don't own them, never will. Sigh...

Daniel And Denial

Daniel Jackson watched with some amusement in the doorway.

There were several reasons for his amusement.

Firstly, that Colonel Jack O'Neill was in his office.

Secondly, that Colonel Jack O'Neill even knew the location of said office.

Thirdly, Colonel Jack O'Neill's current state of obvious distraction. Mr Black Ops himself had not even noticed that Daniel had been standing here for the last five minutes, watching him as he repeatedly picked up the top file from the ludicrously, gloriously, magnificently large pile of paperwork that had long since overwhelmed his in tray, flipping open the cover, attempting to read it for a few moments and then placing it back again. So far, Daniel had counted seven genuine attempts at the reading of one report.

Really.

He decided to put the poor man out of his misery. Or maybe into it. He knocked on the open door.

Colonel Jack O'Neill looked up, his eyes narrowing.

"Daniel?"

"Jack?"

"Daniel. How did you find me here?"

He shrugged. "This is your office, Jack."

"Yes, Daniel. I know this. And I repeat, how did you find me here?"

As he walked in and slumped into a chair, all uninvited, Daniel adopted a casual tone. "Well, Jack, it's a great place for you to hide."

The eyebrows that Colonel Jack O'Neill had raised in response to his unwelcome intrusion into his office shot up yet further. He started to tap out a fast, possibly irritated, rhythm on the surface of his desk as he asked, "Hide, Daniel? Do tell. Why, exactly, would I be hiding?"

Daniel smiled mildly. "Something in your eyes, Jack?"

If looks could kill, he would be stone dead.

"Don't go there, Daniel."

"You're the one who said it, Jack."

He watched as Colonel Jack O'Neill reined in his not inconsiderable temper, with no small effort.

When he finally spoke, it was with his all too familiar sarcasm. "I'm not hiding, Daniel. When I said that there was something in my eyes, I didn't mean whatever you are thinking. I meant that there was something in my eyes! Did you come here for any other reason than to annoy me, by the way?"

Time for his plan.

"I just wanted to play a word game, Jack. You know, I say a word, you say the first one that comes to mind?"

That got him a suspicious look, but then he replied, "Daniel, will it get you out of my office any sooner if I say yes?"

He plastered on his purest, most innocent face. "As soon as it's done, I'll go, Jack. I promise."

Colonel Jack O'Neill thought about it for a couple of seconds. Then he sighed. "OK, Daniel. Shoot."

"Simpson"

"Homer"

"Ice"

"Hockey"

"Seven"

"Sisters"

"Pizza"

"Pepperoni"

"Fish"

"...ing"

"Cow"

"Farm"

"Texas"

"Hammond"

"Sam"

"Hot...damn you, Daniel!"

Oh, but Mr Black Ops could move fast. He barely got out of the office alive before he heard a yell of , "Stay out of my way for a while!" and the door slammed shut loudly behind him.

But as he scooted along the corridors of the SGC towards his own office, Daniel Jackson couldn't help but grin with renewed amusement.

Colonel Jack O'Neill was soooo in denial.