Doctor Daniel Jackson stood under the showers at Cheyenne Mountain Base in Colorado Springs, relishing the feel of the hot water cascading down on him. He reached for the soap and began to lather his body, smiling as he thought back to the post-mission physical he had just endured. The constant probing and needles he weren’t the reason for his happiness. Instead, a certain 5’2 auburn haired medical officer who had performed his exam had put the smile on his face.
SG-1 had spent the previous four days on P4X-792, trying to negotiate a mining treaty with the pre-industrial civilisation there. Normally, it would be a job for SG-9, the diplomatic team, but the town council would only negotiate with SG-1. Daniel had missed Janet greatly, especially at night when the two officers in his team, Colonel Jack O’Neill and Major Samantha Carter, disappeared together to walk the perimeter of the camp, leaving him with only the stoic and silent Teal’c for company. His thoughts had invariably strayed towards the woman he had recently begun to see outside of the SGC as more than just friends. Their relationship hadn’t been intentional; they had planned to go out for drinks one night with Jack and Sam, but the latter had bailed on them. Drinks soon turned into dinner, and he had walked her home, receiving a chaste little kiss for his troubles.
They had taken their relationship slowly for several reasons. Although Daniel was a civilian, and there were no regulations against them being together, they both felt it would be a lot less awkward working together if they avoided jumping into bed together at the first possible opportunity. Another reason was Janet’s adopted daughter Cassandra, who, although she knew and liked Daniel, they had been unsure as to how she would react to them being more than friends. They need not have worried, for Cassie adapted well to having her mother return at all hours of the night, or to seeing Daniel wander around their house dressed only in a robe first thing in the morning. She had made some rather vulgar comments, which left Janet to decide that the teenager was spending far too much time around Jack and Sam. They were yet another reason while Daniel and Janet took it slow, and kept it quiet, for although both Jack and Sam had non-military feelings for each other, the Air Force fraternisation regulations prevented them from acting upon them. Neither Janet nor Daniel had wanted to hurt their friends by flaunting the fact that they could have a relationship. However, the two officers couldn’t be happier for them, although Daniel had noticed that Sam would look at him differently ever since he and Janet had become intimate. Part of him wanted to know just what was discussed over the two women’s numerous cups of coffee and lunches, although there was the part of him that trembled at the thought of his lover and his pseudo-sister chatting together about him.
Shampooing his newly cut hair, he began to plan the evening that he and Janet could perhaps share that night. He would take her to dinner, as he had to break a date from the previous night. They had planned to go to the theatre in Denver to see “Tea at Five,” as originally all of SG-1 were on downtime to allow Jack a chance to catch up with his mountain of paperwork which was beginning to rival Cheyenne Mountain in size. The P4X-792 treaty had prevented that much to Janet and Daniel’s disappointment, so Janet had taken Cassie instead, and spent the drive to Denver explaining who Katherine Hepburn was to the alien teenager. Although Cassie was a good student; especially in the sciences and math, her history still left much to be desired, as did her general knowledge. Daniel helped her often with history so she was able to pass the class, and most of her general knowledge came from random television game shows she would catch while channel surfing.
So, Daniel decided that going out for dinner would be the best idea, as he was too tired to cook and there was no way he was going to let Janet do anything other than relax. Cassie was big enough to look after herself now, as she had so aptly demonstrated a few weeks ago, when SG-10 had brought back a new strain of influenza virus. Janet was one of the first on the base to be infected, and with Daniel and the other two humans on SG-1 soon following, no one had remembered to make arrangements for Cassie. When the good doctor had been allowed to return home, she had been amazed to find the house in one piece, and her daughter in the kitchen, making spaghetti bolognaise.
So Cassie would make her own dinner, and hopefully be fast asleep, or at least in her room when he and Janet returned and Daniel was able to show her just how much he had missed her these past few days. Rinsing the shampoo bubbles from his hair, he smiled to himself again, just thinking about her. Her smile; her hair; her laugh; the way she made him feel...
Daniel stood dead still in the shower; just letting the water run over him, as he tried to come to terms with what he had just realised. He was in love with Janet. “I love Janet Fraiser,” he tried out the words, feeling them roll off his tongue. “I am in love with Doctor Janet Fraiser.”
Turning off the water, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it tightly around his waist as he hurried to his locker. He threw on his BDUs haphazardly, pausing only to run a comb briefly through his wet and unruly hair. He was thankful that he was alone in the locker room; the rest of SG-1 having all finished before him, as he almost ran out minus his boots. Returning to place them on his feet, he also noticed his security pass lying on the bench and snatched it up, realising that he wouldn’t have got very far without it.
Many SGC personnel greeted him as they passed each other in the long grey corridors of the base, and although he acknowledged them all, if asked later, he would have been unable to name any of them. With a huge smile on his face, he waltzed into Sam’s lab and upon seeing that both the scientist and her CO were in there announced “I love Janet Fraiser” before leaving them to do whatever they had been doing before he interrupted them.
Next, still with the same big goofy smile on his face, he made his way to the infirmary, just nodding at the nurses who greeted him with pert “Good afternoon Doctor Jacksons” and batted their eyelashes at him. Leaning in the doorway of his beloved’s office, he just watched her for a few seconds before she turned and smiled at him. Daniel’s heart jumped at the warmth and affection she managed to convey, which just reaffirmed his realisation.
“Janet Fraiser,” he declared. “I love you.”
How sappy can you get?! (I’m blaming the influence of the Chewits!)
By the way, I know “Tea at Five’s” not on in Denver, but it was the first play I thought of. (Probably because I’m dying to see it!)
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