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Take 86: Descended mistakes

Category for this take: Angst

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"This is great."

"I told ya!"

"I can't believe we didn't do this years ago."

"Yes, well, let's not dwell."

"Didn't that tape say there were no fish in your pond?"

"Close enough."

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The two of them sat there, simply fishing on the short dock. By all outward appearances, they seemed content: two colleagues, two teammates, enjoying a pleasant morning doing nothing important. This break from their normal routines was well-earned. No saving the galaxy was necessary during this reprieve. Earth was as safe as it had been in eight years. For this one moment, the chaos of the world could be ignored, leaving them with only the pond, a couple of fishing rods, and the quiet of their own thoughts.

Of course that was the problem: their own thoughts. Eight years of thoughts and memories. Eight years of feelings they weren't allowed to feel. Eight years of heartache and loneliness. Yes, they had been together, but only as teammates. For them, teammates would never be enough. They deserved more. Through the years, their loneliness was occasionally spelled by others. These others never could find the deep places in their hearts that these two soul mates privately saved for each other.

Sitting on that dock, their thoughts could only drift to the future...to what would happen next. Recent miscues over the past year had only underlined how much they needed each other-not some shadow of a replacement. Somehow, these mistakes had not destroyed their feelings. Instead, they demonstrated just how important it was that now was the time to act. It was finally the time to strengthen that hidden bond between them in ways they had previously dared not dream about.

They both knew it, but yet they just sat there...fishing...neither one certain how to make the next step. They loved each other. There was never a question of that. They both wanted more. They each wanted the best for the other. They both wanted everything together. But how could they get there-

"Daniel, would you just please SHUT UP!"

"Excuse me?"

"Teal'c, please whack Daniel over the head for me."

"Hey! Ow! What was that for?"

"Daniel, you been going on and on about how Carter and I feel about each other."

"Wait, you heard that?"

"Of course we heard that!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I'm having trouble adjusting to being descended again. I don't know when I am thinking great thoughts or speaking out loud."

"Whatever. And Teal'c, why didn't you shut him up sooner?"

"I am sorry, O'Neill. I thought this was some Tau'ri ritual for two warriors who were beginning a life together. After reciting the depth of your feelings, I was expecting Daniel to list your many battles and accomplishments together."

"Will you three just drop it, please? Daniel's been embarrassing us enough as it is. Can't we pretend this didn't happen?"

"I'm sorry, Sam."

"You should be, Daniel. Next time I'm going to let my boyfriend kick your ass."

"And when I'm done, my girlfriend is going to wipe the floor with your leftovers."

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A/N: Revised Category for this take: Humor / Romance

Now re-read the chapter, imagining Daniel doing a deep voice over. Well, as deep as he can get. It's not like Teal'c would be vocal enough to voice the whole soliloquy :)

This was one of my favorite ideas. Hopefully I did it as least some amount of justice.