“Where are we going tonight, DanielJackson?” Teal’c asked the archaeologist as they walked down a corridor toward the infirmary.
“Not sure,” he answered, “maybe O’Malley’s?”
“Will they allow you entrance?”
“They should do…” Daniel looked over at the Jaffa and saw a smirk on the alien’s normally stoic face. Daniel knew when he was being teased he just was not used to it from Teal’c, unfortunately he was not sure if Teal’c was referring to the super powered incident of a few years previously, or the supreme level of inebriation he had achieved at Jonas’ leaving party. Nervously, Daniel pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and posed a question that he had wanted to ask for quite a while. “Has Nicola been invited tonight?”
“I am unsure.”
Sometimes Daniel believed that Teal’c annoyed him with his inability to explain further on purpose. “It just seems to me,” Daniel explained, “that Janet and Nicola don’t spend much time together.”
“I have never considered the situation,” Teal’c admitted.
“Do you think that Nicola is one of the team?” Daniel asked. “I mean, do people accept her as a member of SG-1?” Daniel and Nicola had grown close over the past year and a half and he hoped that the others liked her as much as he did. No one could replace Sam, not to any of them, but Nicola was different and a necessity. He knew that whilst they were on a mission, Nicola seemed as much a member of SG-1 as the rest of them, but she rarely socialised with them and to Daniel that was very odd. SG-1 was a greatly bonded team who were unique within the SGC. Their lives often depended on each other and only the other members of the team could understand everything they went through. There was no one else in the world who understood and therefore no one else in the world with whom they could talk.
“Colonel O’Neill has respect for her and she is a capable officer who performs well in battle. She has saved your life on more than one occasion, DanielJackson.” Teal’c paused briefly. “I believe that MajorCarter may have issues with the lieutenant, but she hides it well and it is to be expected. During our team briefings and our combined missions, there have been no problems with MajorCarter and LieutenantCarpenter working together. They are able to work within a team together.”
“What about you?” Daniel asked his friend.
“I, too, have respect for her as a warrior, but I do not know her socially. I consider MajorCarter, ColonelO’Neill and you as friends, but I do not consider her in this way.”
“Do you think that Janet gets on with her?” Daniel asked. He already knew that it was Janet who had the most problems with Nicola, but he had no idea why. A few months ago he had tried to bring it up with her, but Janet had blanked him and refused to answer, just as she tried her hardest to not discuss Sam and Jack. Conversely, Nicola never seemed to mind that she was only invited out on certain occasions because even when she was invited she tended to reject their offer. It had been incredibly odd to see her at Jonas’ leaving party, which was possibly why Daniel had got so drunk.
“I do not believe so.” Normally, Teal’c would stop there with his answer, but this time he continued because he knew that Daniel would keep asking. “Doctor Fraiser once told me why she does not like Lieutenant Carpenter.”
“What?” Daniel stopped walking and Teal’c stopped two steps later. “Well, why doesn’t she?”
“I am unsure. Doctor Fraiser was inebriated and her speech incoherent.”
Daniel shook his head. He did not like it when there were rifts between his friends. Sam and Jack had only just sorted out all of their many problems and he did not want Janet and Nicola to disrupt the group’s cohesion any further than it already was. Daniel was fully aware that even if Janet and Nicola’s lack of friendship did not affect the group, Sam and Jack would once again try and destroy the group; they just needed to be given the time and space in which to do it. Daniel knew that Sam and Jack had both been through a lot, but one thing still remained unchanged – their feelings for each other. Jack had broken Sam’s heart at least twice – once when he had left Earth for Laira and then when he had refused a relationship with her for the sake of Daniella. Sam had not been innocent in their problems, however, destroying Jack when she had slept with a complete stranger.
Despite everything they had done to each other, whether on purpose or completely without premeditation, they still loved each other, however neither was willing to risk a broken heart again or their daughter’s happiness. Daniel knew that it was just a ticking time bomb waiting for the counter to hit zero and that it would blow up in their faces. It was simply a matter of time and he was quite surprised that it had not yet.
As Daniel and Teal’c started walking once more, they were halted by Nicola shouting from behind them, “Daniel! Wait up!”
Both men turned to see Nicola rushing toward them, trying to restrain herself from running at them. Daniel shared a knowing smile with Teal’c; they had often discussed the fact that Nicola’s enthusiasm exceeded Daniel’s. “Nicola, what’s up?”
“You are never gonna believe what I discovered earlier.”
“Hang on,” Daniel grinned. “Weren’t you on personal leave?”
“Yeah,” she admitted, but then relented as he stared at her knowing the truth. “I got back earlier than I thought and I felt the need to throw myself into my work. Without Jonas helping as a lab assistant, I have more work to do.”
He nodded, unable to hide any humour in his eyes. “So what is so exciting?”
“SG-12 came back from P4R-336 with,” she shook her head in amazement. As her hair moved with her head, Daniel realised that her jet-black hair was an inch shorter than it had been and was now just below her ears. She took a deep breath, teasing him with the delay. “A whole bunch of artefacts believed to be of Ancient origin.”
Daniel’s jaw dropped and he found that he could not exhale. Anything linked to the Ancients was amazing to him. “Are you serious?”
Nicola nodded her head up and down furiously in excitement. “Preliminary inscriptions indicate Ancient and are very similar to writings on Ancient technology we’ve encountered before. You’ve got to come see it, Daniel. Who knows, maybe it could help with the search for the Lost City.”
“Uh,” he paused. “Teal’c and I were on our way out for the evening.” He waited for a disappointed look to cover her face, but it did not come.
“Daniel, come on: Ancient.” She did not even seem to register that he had other plans; her excitement levels were simply too high.
“Nicola,” he tried to protest. It was no good though, her enthusiasm had spread to him and he turned to Teal’c. “Teal’c, can you tell Janet that I can’t make it?”
Teal’c bowed his head slightly as an affirmation before walking off toward the infirmary.
Daniel turned to Nicola. “Lead me to the lab, Lieutenant.”
“I knew you’d cave,” she smiled triumphantly.
SG – SG – SG
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