AN: Alright! On to part two! Hope you guys enjoyed the first part . . . yes? Um, I guess I could start with a summary for this next part, eh? Excellent. On to the summary!

Summary: Daniel is finding it difficult to deal with the mishappenings of his re-entry into the Stargate program. And when a certain ring goes missing, he discovers that his biggest problem is finding the time to pop a certain question to a certain someone.

Disclaimer: I do not own the television show Stargate: SG-1. I do not own the characters of the television show Stargate: SG-1. And there you have it; the reason why my life is so depressing. /sad doe eyes/

Finding Time

Chapter One:

This will be the day. This will definitely be the day. It has to be. He has waited nearly a month, planning the perfect moment, the perfect time, the perfect place.

They have been together nearly a year and a half. It isn't too soon, is it? He had asked almost every person on base who knew about the couple, and they had all given the same answer.

'It's about time!'

All these thoughts and more race through Daniel's mind as he stares at the stunningly beautiful woman sitting across from him in one of the most expensive restaurants in town.

Kaara wears a thin-strapped black dress that clings tightly to her torso and abdomen, flaring slightly at her hips and ending in a gentle curl mid-thigh.

The archaeologist adorns a tuxedo that he has not seen for years but, amazingly, still fits him and looks almost half decent.

"Danny, this place is so expensive," the young woman whispers, leaning towards him over her menu. "Are you sure you can afford this?" Daniel reaches across the white-clothed table and takes her soft hand in his.

"With just enough money left over for an ice cream cone in the park, Love," he whispers gently, causing Kaara to smile and her eyes to alight with laughter. In reality, the young man has enough money put away to buy a chain of these restaurants across the country.

Daniel's heart beats wildly as he stares into her sparkling green orbs.

This is it, he thinks nervously. Here goes nothing.

With a deep, shuddering breath, he opens his mouth and says, "Kaara-"

Suddenly, he jumps, feeling a somewhat violent jolt in his pocket.

"Danny?" Kaara asks in alarm, managing to keep her voice quiet enough to evade attention from nearby people.

"My cell," he explains quickly with a fleeting and apologetic smile. He had set the phone on vibrate before entering the restaurant, as was the request of the sign outside. As he pulls it out, his shoulders slump upon seeing Jack's office number glaring up at him from the small screen.

"It's Jack," he sighs, answering the questioning look on Kaara's face. "I . . . I should probably take this. I'll be right back."

He stands, and, with a quick kiss on Kaara's cheek, walks towards the restrooms. Once near them, he presses the green button on his cell phone.

"This is Daniel," he says curtly.

"Danny? Problem. You're needed at the base. Now."

"Jack, I'm-"

"No, Daniel. We need you asap. SG-2 ran into some trouble. Get your ass over here as quickly as you can."

"Alright. Twenty minutes. I'll be there."

Daniel snaps the phone shut and grimaces at the thought of yet another destroyed evening at the hands of the illustrious Stargate Command.

He weaves his way back to the table, giving Kaara a sheepish smile as he takes his seat once again.

"Kaara-" He starts.

"You have to go," she sighs with a sad smile. "Duty calls. I understand."

Kaara has known about the Stargate program for some time. She had, obviously, not believed that Daniel and Ernest were brothers, although the thought that traveling to other galaxies tied into the complicated mess had never crossed her mind.

"I'll get a cab," she says.

"No," Daniel protests. "I have time to drop you off at home."

Home. Their home. When Daniel had first bought the loft he owns now, he had been skeptical about its large size. All skepticisms had flown out the window when Kaara had moved in with him.

"No, Danny. If Jack is calling you on your down time, then it must be urgent. I'll catch a cab. It's fine," Kaara shrugs with a sweet smile, standing from her chair and placing her napkin on the table.

"Kaara . . ." Daniel rises quickly but is stopped as the woman steps forward and places a soft kiss on his lips, ceasing any and all motor functions that he contains. How does she always manage to do that?

"Drive safe, my Danny," she smiles, turning and walking towards the front doors, where she is helped into her coat.

Daniel clears his throat, attempting to keep himself from turning an embarrassing shade of crimson and starting towards the front doors as well.

0 o 0 o 0

"Hey, Daniel, you almost . . ." Jack trails off as he enters the locker room to find the archaeologist changing out of a rather nice tuxedo. "Ah, shit, Daniel." Jack slumps against the doorframe, a look of apology on his face. "You were gonna ask her, weren't you?"

The colonel's question is met with silence.

"Daniel, I'm sorry . . ."

"Save it, Jack," Daniel sighs, leaning against the lockers. A small, black box rests in his palm, and he stares at it intently.

"Probably wouldn't have happened anyway," he shrugs, placing the box on the top shelf of his locker and continuing to change into his BDUs. Jack winces and looks to the ground.

"I'll, uh, tell the general that you'll just be a minute," he says, backing out of the door. The only response from the solemn archaeologist is a nod.

0 o 0 o 0

"Doctor Jackson," General Hammond greets the young man as he enters the briefing room. Daniel finds that along with the general and his three teammates, Major Davis and Doctor Fraiser sit around the long, dark table.

A lethal combination, he thinks to himself.

"General," he nods in return, taking a seat between Sam and Teal'c.

"I apologize for having to call you away from your down time," Hammond says quietly, hinting that he knows what Daniel's plans had been that evening.

The archaeologist shoots a look at Jack, who sits directly across from him.

Loud mouth, he thinks, gritting his teeth in an attempt to keep from saying the words aloud.

"It's fine, General," he smiles forcibly. "I had nothing . . . important planned for the evening."

Hammond looks at him rather skeptically but decides not to comment on the young man's strange behavior.

"Very well," he sighs. "Major Carter, if you'd be so kind as to brief us on our situation?"

"Yes, Sir," Sam replies, standing and heading towards the front of the room. The lights lower and the projection light displays a photograph of a strange, alien planet behind her.

"Yesterday afternoon," she begins, "SG-2 disembarked at approximately 1400 hours. Their objective was to retrieve soil samples and make contact with any of the locals."

Daniel places the heel of his palm against his temple, already aware of where this is heading.

SG-2's new field archaeologist, Charles Duncan, is a bright boy, just . . . 'a little short on the uptake,' as Jack would put it. He is wonderful when it comes to archaeology. He can spout historical facts and dates like it is nobody's business, but when it comes to linguistics, the kid just cannot seem to make heads from tails.

"Something to add, Doctor Jackson?" The general asks, having seen the young man's movement.

"No, Sir," Daniel says quickly with a shake of his head.

"Well," Sam continues, "they certainly did make contact, and most definitely with the locals . . . Who happen to be a group of Unas."

At this, Daniel straightens in his seat.

"Unas?" He asks with interest.

Well, crap! No wonder Duncan hadn't been able to communicate with them!

Despite numerous lessons and grueling hours of teaching the linguistics team what he knows, no one but Daniel can actually speak their language.

"Yes," Sam nods. "Needless to say, the Unas took their arrival through the Stargate as a threat. We have no way of knowing whether the Unas took them prisoner or . . . had them killed."

"No," Daniel says automatically.

"No?" Jack asks, finally entering the conversation.

"No, they . . . they wouldn't kill SG-2 . . . right away, I mean," Daniel explains. "They're . . . a little rough looking, I admit, but they aren't savages. If anything, they're curious. No, they haven't killed SG-2, and I don't think they plan to."

"You don't think they plan to?" The colonel questions skeptically.

"Jack, no matter what you may think, the Unas are a peaceful race," Daniel points out.

"With sharp teeth and pointy claws," Jack says sarcastically.

"General, I think we should visit the planet," Daniel suggests. "I may be able to convince them to release SG-2."

Hammond sits in quiet contemplation for a moment.

"Very well," he nods. "SG-1, you have a go. You leave at 0800. Dismissed." As the general stands, Jack, Sam, and Major Davis snap a quick salute.

As soon as he enters his office, Jack turns on the archaeologist.

"Daniel-"

Before he can say anything further, Sam and Janet are upon him like two teenage girls trying to gather the latest gossip.

"You were going to ask her, weren't you?" Janet repeats the colonel's earlier question excitedly.

"Well, I was," Daniel mirrors the glare that Jack has trained on him.

"So ask her when you get home," Sam shrugs. "What's the hold up, Daniel? You've got the ring, you've got the girl, and you've got the question. Just pop it, already."

"At home, Sam? Come on! That's hardly romantic!" Daniel complains.

"What restaurant did you take her to?" Janet asks quickly, bouncing on her toes.

"Terra Stella."

"Oh! I'm so jealous!" Janet croons. "Daniel, ask me! I'll say yes!"

"No way! I've got first dibs! I met him before you," Sam argues.

"Is DanielJackson not already taken?" Teal'c inquires of the colonel.

"Alright, that's enough, ladies," Jack says sternly. "Teal'c's right. The man's taken. Don't you think you should be getting home, Danny?"

At the mention of Daniel's proposal fiasco, all anger had drained from the older man, replaced by that familiar guilty feeling.

"Not if we leave at eight," Daniel sighs, glancing at his watch to find it is already 11:30 p.m. "I've got some 'brushing up' to do before we go. Not to mention the packing. God, what'll I tell Kaara?"

The archaeologist's shoulders slump at the thought of having to inform his girlfriend that after she had waited so patiently for him to receive down time that it has to be cut short and post-poned for God-knows how long. And all over the phone.

0 o 0 o 0

"It's fine, Danny," Kaara says into the receiver. She sits in the living room of their apartment, fisting the fabric of her nightgown tightly.

No! It's not fine! her mind screams. You promised!

"Daniel, really, I'll be fine. Don't worry."

I'll be here all alone! As usual!

"Oh, before I forget, tonight at the restaurant, you sounded as if you had something important to say before Jack called. Was there something?"

Ask me! Come on, Danny! Stop being a coward and ask me!

"Nothing? Alright, then."

Dumbass! I would have said . . . Oh, forget it.

"Be safe, Danny. I love you."

Damn it, I love him. You are one lucky man, Doctor Jackson.

"Bye."

AN: Questions? Comments? Vague disregard to any or all words written and established in the mind of one who has no sanity?

Well, that's the first chapter. Any interest? Yes? No? Maybe? Oi vay. I can't wait for summer to get here already. I'm sure I'm not doing so well in most of my classes, and I'd really rather just be at home with my family. Stupid college . . . Why's it got to be so far away?