Chapter Four
"Jackson," a voice called from the doorway leading to Daniel's office. The archeologist glanced up from an artifact he was trying to decipher into the smiling face of his team leader, Cameron Mitchell. "Got a minute?"
Daniel shrugged and turned back to his work before responding, "Sure, what's on your mind?"
Cameron walked slowly into the room, swinging his arms and banging his fists together softly and silently in an attempt to hide his nervousness. Stopping beside Daniel and leaning on the table next to the object the doctor of archeology was studying, the younger man asked politely, "So what are you working on?"
"It's an artifact that SG8 brought back from P4X-797. It's really quite fascinating. You see the writing here? That looks like ancient, but the writing over here seems to be more similar to. . ." Daniel trailed off when he turned to Cameron and noticed the look of confusion the military man was sending him. "You don't really care, do you?"
"Nope, sorry, Jackson, but this kind of thing really isn't my cup of tea. But you will tell me if it can send us on another adventure, right?"
Daniel smiled and nodded. "Of course. So what can I help you with?"
Cameron looked away, suddenly becoming very interested in another artifact on Daniel's table, picking it up and turning it in his hands. Daniel lost his smile and reached over, gently pulling the object from Cameron's hands. "I don't want to mess with that, do I?" The Air Force colonel asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"No, you don't," Daniel replied as he cautiously set the artifact down on the other side of the table. "Why don't you just tell me what's on your mind?"
Running a hand through his short hair, Cameron took a deep breath and replied, "Okay, so I need to ask you something. And I want you to promise that no matter how upset you get, you won't leave SG1."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because apparently I've been a bad friend."
Curious, Daniel's attention was now completely on Cameron. The older man folded his arms across his chest and said carefully, "Mitchell, I highly doubt there's anything you could have done that would classify you as a bad friend. I mean, we barely know each other. What could you have possibly –"
"I kissed Nicole," Cameron said quickly and took a step back, away from a swing he presumed was coming.
If the young colonel had known the archeologist better, he would have known it wasn't necessary to move away. Daniel turned back to his table and pushed the artifact away from him, sensing this conversation was going to require all of his attention. "That I was not expecting," he told the nervous man who was not standing at the edge of the table. "But you haven't been a bad friend, Mitchell. She and I are no longer together."
"Yeah, but isn't it in the friend rulebook that it's not right to date a buddy's ex unless he says it's okay? And besides, judging from what I saw in the briefing room and what little I've heard from Sam, there are still issues between you and Nicole."
"Issues, maybe. Feelings, not really." Daniel raised his head and locked eyes with his team leader. "And what did Sam say to you?"
"Not much at all," Cameron responded, still feeling as if he should run, but knew he needed to stay here and finish what he had started. "So are you okay with this? Because she and I are just friends. So . . . do I have to apologize to you and forget the whole thing ever happened? Or can I still keep hope that maybe she and I can be something more in the future?"
"You can do what you want, Mitchell, you're a grown man."
Cameron stepped closer, leaning on the table a little, and said in a hushed tone, "But I want to know that you're okay with me pursuing your ex-girlfriend. Because if you're not, I'll back off. Your friendship is more important to me – and so is our team."
Daniel smiled and shook his head. "No, I'm okay with whatever you do. It's been two years, I'm over her."
"So can I ask why you're still mad at her?"
"It's complicated."
"Why do I always get that response? Do all of you think that I'm stupid or something? I mean, I know I'm not as smart as you or Sam, but I don't think I deserve to be treated as if I can't understand things."
Shaking his head and laughing a little, Daniel replied, "No, we don't think you're stupid. When you get that answer, take it as another way of saying we don't want to talk about it."
"Oh. So I guess I'll just go then. Thanks for your time."
Just as Cameron had reached the door frame, Daniel called out to him and asked, "Do you remember I said you could call me Daniel?"
Cameron turned and smiled. "And I told you to call me Cameron. Seems to me like we both have to have our memory or our hearing checked."
Nicole was working on another aircraft when someone slid up beside her using the same kind of wheeled contraption she was using to lay upon. Turning her head slightly, she was greeted by the bright white of Cameron's teeth flashing at her. She smiled without showing her own and shook her head quietly. "Well, good morning to you, too," she greeted him as she once again focused on her work.
"So I just talked to Daniel."
"Oh yeah?" She asked, pulling at a piece of wiring and dodging a spark. "What did he say?"
"He said he's fine with whatever you and I decide to do."
She nodded, grasping the wire and trying to fuse it into the right place. "I suspected as much. It's good that you talked with him, though. Better than him finding out any other way, that's for sure." She turned to Cameron finally, taking a short break from her work. "You told him about Friday night?"
He nodded and replied, "Yeah, he was surprised, but didn't seem upset."
"Well, that's good." She turned back to the plane. "But don't expect it to happen again any time soon, flyboy."
He smiled, trying to feign hurt in the small, darkened space. "You wound me, missy. Was it that bad?"
At this, the woman couldn't help but smile. She shook her head and pushed his wheeled contraption away from her. "Get out," she said, but her voice wasn't harsh at all, more playful than anything else.
"Okay, okay," he replied. "Are we still on for lunch?"