Number 21 – Conversations

"Daniel?"

"Jack."

"Whatcha doing here?"

"Oh, just stopped by, caught a ride out of Peterson."

Jack folded his hands on his desk, pen trapped between his fingers. "Really?"

"Yep." Daniel settled into the cushy seat across from Jack.

"Didn't call?"

"Well I did, about the fifth time I was stopped for ID. It's easier to get in here than the Mountain, though."

"Yeah, but much harder to get out of. So, you called about five minutes ago?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Something on your mind? Problems at SGC I should know about? Carter?"

"Oh, no. Nothing wrong with Sam."

"Good." Jack laid the pen down and stared quietly, waiting for Daniel to speak.

Daniel started fiddling with his BDU jacket.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"So?"

Daniel took his glasses off. "I, ah, I… I think I'm in love."

"With HER?"

"Yup."

"That's good."

"Is it?"

"Isn't it?"

"I don't know."

They stared silently again, Jack stone faced and Daniel squinting.

"Doing anything for lunch?" Daniel put his glasses back on and inspected the weave of his BDU pants.

Jack shrugged and hit an intercom button. "What am I doing for lunch?"

Daniel looked up as some garbled reply emanated from the machine. Jack smiled at Daniel and shrugged again, hands gesturing 'what?'… "Okay, well cancel that, I'm having lunch with Daniel."

"What'd he say?"

"I have no idea. Let's go."

"What if it's the President you were supposed to have lunch with?"

"He won't mind. Every time we go to lunch I have a beer and some idiot snaps a picture and it turns up on the front page of some paper right next to a picture that looks remarkably like Thor - with the caption: President Drinks Beer as Aliens Land on Whitehouse Lawn."

"Yeah, I think I saw that one."

……

"You know where he is don't you?" Vala twirled round and round on Sam's chair.

Sam picked up the green marker and continued her equation. "No."

"Washington."

Sam stopped writing in mid stride. "What?"

"Washington as in DC which I always forget what that stands for…"

"District of Columbia…why is he in Washington?" Sam snapped the cap on the marker and set it down.

"I thought Columbia was in South America… near the Equator. I have no idea, I only know because Walter mentioned it."

"It's just called DC, not related to South America and it is near the Equator. What else did Walter say?"

"I read about the festivals in Rio De Janeiro, we should go sometime. He didn't say anything but "He's gone to Washington, be back tonight." Do you think he misses me? Daniel not Walter."

"I'd get in way too much trouble going to Rio with you. But Rio is in Brazil, not Columbia. Wonder why he went to Washington?"

"I'm so in love with him I could just die!" Vala spun the chair around again. "He probably went to see Jack, who else? I just wish he loved me. Daniel not Jack."

Sam came to the desk, placed her elbows on it and her chin in her hands. "That's odd. I'm sure he loves you. He's way too befuddled around you not to be in love. Let's call him. Jack not Daniel."

"Really? You think? Jack would know, right?"

……

"I think you should tell her." Jack's beer was half empty.

"Are you kidding me?" Daniel's beer was nearly full.

"Do I look like I'm kidding? Don't answer that. I'm not kidding."

"She'd rip my heart out and feed it to Jonas' fish."

"You still have his fish? Wow, weird. I don't think so; I think she's got it bad for you."

"She's just messing with me. I'd lose my mind once she got wind of my feelings. Why's it weird? I mean they just swim around and eat. What should I do? Flush them?"

"Hell no! Don't flush them and she's staying around, Daniel. I think at first it was only because of you, but she found a real home here, real friends and possibly more if you'd get your head out of your six. She's nice. I like her. Have you got any Beta's in there, they're fighters."

"Yeah. One's got a chunk out of its side. Just like I'd have if I told Vala how much I love her."

"Crap, you're hooked, may as well buy the ring. Drink up. I do have a job. And you gotta get home at some point." Jack's cell phone beeped, he pulled it out and looked at the screen. "It's 'The Man', I'll be right back." Jack walked away. "Carter?"

"Hi, Jack."

"Hey."

"Daniel with you?"

"Right."

"What's going on?"

"Snooping?"

"You could say that."

"This is man to man talk. I can't reveal government secrets."

"Is it about Vala?"

"For cryin' out loud, they teach clairvoyance in astrophysics school?"

"What'd he say?"

"I can't tell you."

"He's in love with her."

"God damn it, there are laws against spying." Jack was grinning ear to ear.

"Did he say it?"

"Maybe."

"I told you, Vala. He's in love with you. He told Jack." Sam had put her hand over the phone, but Jack heard her anyway, as well as the squeal from Vala. "Now, we have to get him to tell her. How are we going to do that?" She asked Jack.

"Keep me out of this. He's my best friend. Known the guy for over ten years, dead and alive. He'd cut me up and feed me to Jonas' fish."

"He still has Jonas' fish? You could order him to tell her."

"Yeah, weird huh? Oh, here he comes, gotta go. Love you. Bye."

"Did you just tell the President you loved him?" Daniel looked perplexed.

"Nah, my mother called right after him."

"Oh, how is she?"

"She's got arthritis and ah… lumbago."

"Damn. I should send her a nice card or something."

"You can catch a cab from here to the Air Force base and hitch a ride home. Go straight to SGC and fess you. You'll be fine. You have to tell her. That's an order. I have a meeting."

"How do you know?"

"I checked the roster."

"How do you know I'll be fine? Why don't you get the intercom fixed?"

"'Cause usually I don't really want to know what the hell he's saying. I've lived through it…you'll be fine."

"Thanks Jack."

"Sure, Daniel. See ya."

……

Walking through the corridors of SGC, hands deep in his pockets and head down, Daniel missed all the knowing grins turned his way as he headed for his office.

"Samantha Carter! You told Cameron. You may as well have announced it over the intercom. He's the biggest gossip in the Mountain. Now everyone knows." Vala was twirling again.

Before Sam could apologize the phone on the wall rang. "Carter." She answered. "Thanks Andy, I owe you one." She turned to Vala. "Go. He just passed the first checkpoint. He's on his way."

Vala jumped up, shoulders to ears and grinning. "I'm so excited. What if he doesn't say it? Do you think he will? Mitchell is such a girl sometimes! Kiss Muscles for me. I plan on being very busy tonight. He took me shopping. See ya." Vala dashed out and raced towards Daniel's office.

"Teal'c took you shopping?" Sam said to the empty room. She picked up the phone and dialed Cam's office. "Show time!" She hung up, met up with Teal'c outside her door and double timed it towards Daniel's office.

……

She was sitting in the chair beside his desk when he entered. Long legs crossed in patterned stockings and stiletto heeled feet. The black leather skirt was short and tight, the pink sweater, low cut and fitted. Her hair was curled and framed her face, her lips were dark red and she smiled seductively. Well there you go. He was fish food.

"Daniel. I missed you."

"Vala. I love you."

"Daniel, I love you too." She remained seated, swinging one leg and smiling that Vala smile he loved so much.

Okay, this is not what he expected. "Did you hear what I said?" He was standing in the doorway.

"I did. Did you hear what I said?"

"I did." His hands were still buried in his pockets.

She stood slowly, yanking the skirt down. "If you ever leave me, you know I'll feed you to Jonas' fish."

"And if you leave me I'll hunt you down."

"And what will you do to me, darling?" She was mere inches from him now.

His mouth hovered over hers. "Bring you back where you belong."

Her hands pressed against his chest she leaned in for his kiss. "Daniel." She whispered against his mouth.

"Hmmmm?" He tilted his head, sucked at her bottom lip.

"There's a hall full of people behind you."

"Ummmm." His arms pulled her in, his mouth claimed hers. He thought he heard applause but it must have been the explosion in his head and heart.

A/N: The Beta fish were a little nod to Mari and Sam, my Beta's who are real fighters-they keep me sane, and focused, not to mention keep me from torturing the written word. Thanks so much and I know you would never take a chunk out of my side… you are the greatest! xoxo - B.