Perfect Partners
by Wendy Parkinson
Title: Perfect Partners
Author: Wendy Parkinson
Email: wendyparkinson@hotmail.com
Category: Romance
Season: any Season
Pairing: Daniel/Janet
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Daniel and Janet are lonely.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Title: Perfect Partners
Author: Wendy Parkinson
Email: wendyparkinson@hotmail.com
Category: D/J
Spoilers: none
Rating: PG
Content Warnings: none
Summary: Daniel and Janet realise they are lonely Archive: "Heliopolis" and "Sam and Jack" Date: August 2002
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters belong to MGM, Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Author's Notes: A version of this story appeared in the zine "Against Regulations" published July 2001
All feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated. No flames please.
Copyright Wendy Parkinson August 2002
PERFECT PARTNERS
Daniel wearily unlocked his front door and let himself into his apartment. He switched on the light and dropped his keys on the dresser, then shrugged off his coat and made his way into the kitchen in search of coffee. Glancing round the apartment, he couldn't shake the feeling that there had to be more than this. Saving the world was all well and good but his private life sucked. There had to be more than coming home to an empty apartment.
Making the coffee, he came to the realisation that although he still missed Sha're, grief wasn't his dominant emotion any more. He was, quite simply, lonely. Perhaps it was finally time to move on. He picked up his mug, walked back into the living room and slumped on the sofa. Okay, so he wanted to `move on', find someone to spend some time with. Not necessarily a lifetime commitment, but someone who was fun to be with and who'd talk about something other than Gate travel and archaeology. But who? And more importantly... how?
He never went anywhere except Cheyenne Mountain, never saw anyone except his colleagues. Staring at the steaming surface of the coffee, he let out a deep breath. How did you get to meet someone? Daniel weighed the possibilities.
He could just wait for that special someone to turn up out of the blue, suddenly appearing like a rabbit out of a hat. Though realistically, he'd guessed he'd been doing that since he'd lost Sha're and there was no sign of anyone yet. Of course, he could go to a bar or night-club and see if he could meet someone there. Daniel shook his head. No, that wasn't him at all. He took a swig of his coffee and had an idea. He could start taking an evening class. Now that was more his kind of thing! But what subject? And how many classes would he miss when he was off world? He frowned. That idea wasn't really practical.
Daniel finished his coffee and decided to check his e-mail. That was depressing too. Didn't anyone want to say anything interesting to him? There were only a couple of tasteless jokes from Jack and a web link from Sam to an archaeology site she'd found. For want of anything better to do, he clicked on it and waited as the site came up. His attention was immediately caught by a banner at the top of the page. "Find you perfect partner!!!" it screamed. "Totally free service!!!" "Click here now!!!"
Before he had time to think rationally about what he was doing, Daniel had clicked on the banner. A pale pink background flashed into view. "Register now!!!" he was urged. "Find your soul mate!!!"
After a few minutes reading the small print, Daniel decided that all he needed was a web based e-mail address and he could register with total anonymity. What harm could it do? He reasoned to himself. No-one would ever know and at the very least, he might get some e-mail more interesting than Jack's dubious jokes.
The house was quiet, too quiet. No blaring music, no incessant phone conversations. No Cassie. At a loss for something to do, Janet wandered from room to room, pausing at her daughter's bedroom. She smiled at the unaccustomed tidiness, then sighed deeply as she shut the door. She'd only been gone a day, but already Janet wanted her to come home. Pull yourself together woman, she admonished herself, she's only gone on a school trip, she'll be back in less than a week. Goodness knows what you're going to be like when she goes to college!
With that sobering thought, Janet went back downstairs and made herself a sandwich. She decided to take it through to the study and check her e-mail. Nothing very interesting. A mail from her sister and a couple of truly awful forwards from Colonel O'Neill. Briefly wondering where the Colonel found his jokes, she replied to her sister, then finished her sandwich.
Taking her plate back through to the kitchen, she glanced at the clock. Eight thirty. Was that all? Now what was she going to do? She considered calling Sam but the way Colonel O'Neill and the Major had been talking when they were together earlier, Janet suspected her friend probably had other plans.
Janet wondered who else she could ring and realised that since adopting her daughter, she'd lost touch with a lot of her old friends. Not that she regretted anything, of course not, but she came to the unpleasant conclusion that her entire life revolved around Cassie and work. She really did need to `get a life' as Cassie would say.
Pulling herself together, she decided to think about that tomorrow. It was too serious a topic for tonight. Tonight she was going to take advantage of the fact that she had the house to herself. What could she do? I know, she thought. I'll do some surfing. I never get the chance when Cassie's around. Not serious medical research, something frivolous, something fun!
Janet went back into the study and sat down in front of the computer. She flexed her fingers, then frowned slightly. What should she look up? Chewing her bottom lip she tried to think of something, then brightened when she had an idea. MacGyver! She used to love that show! There must be some fan sites out there.
Half an hour later, Janet was convinced MacGyver reminded her of someone but she couldn't work out who. It was irritating the hell out of her and she was just about to type `MacGyver lookalikes' into a search engine when she noticed a banner at the top of the web page. "Find your perfect partner!!!" flashed and jiggled in front of her, then it changed to "Totally free service!!!", then "Click here now!!!".
As if mesmerised, Janet clicked on the banner and was transported to a pale pink page. After reading for a few minutes, she'd worked out that all she needed was an anonymous e-mail address....
From: Tinkerbell
To: Blue_eyes
Hi,
I found your details on the `Find your perfect partner' site and as we seem to have a few things in common, I thought I'd mail you.
Like you I'm looking to make friends and have some fun outside of work, and also like you, live in Colorado Springs. I'm in my mid thirties and am divorced with a fourteen year old daughter.
I really don't know what else to say, except I look forward to hearing from you.
best wishes
Tinkerbell
From: Blue_eyes
To: Tinkerbell
Hi Tinkerbell,
Thanks for writing!
After I registered on the site, I began to wonder if it was a good idea after all. When I read the other profiles on there I came to the conclusion that I was far too boring to get any replies. Everyone else listed exotic hobbies and unusual likes and dislikes. It made my `want to make friends outside of work' look pretty pathetic in comparison.
So, as we both want friends outside work, shall we agree not to mention the `w' word when we're writing to each other? I'd like that, if you would.
It's difficult to know what to say to get the conversational ball rolling, isn't it? I'll start with something really original.
regards,
Blue_eyes
From: Tinkerbell
To: Blue_eyes
Hi Blue_eyes
And I didn't think your profile sounded pathetic, I thought you sounded normal, someone I could get along with. I can't see me having much in common with a bungee jumping vegan who wants to get in touch with his inner consciousness.
I think not mentioning the `w' word is a great idea! I shall never speak of it again.
My favourite movie? Tough one.... I've always liked Casablanca and Gone with the Wind, but I also like When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle. Real chick flicks, huh? How about you? I bet you're going to say something really macho like Dirty Harry or The Terminator, aren't you?
This is perhaps a bit presumptuous of me, but it was mentioned on your profile, so I thought I'd ask. I wondered how long you'd been a widower. Don't answer if you think I'm being nosy. I've been divorced eight years.
best wishes
Tinkerbell
From: Blue_eyes
To: Tinkerbell
Hi Tinkerbell,
You're the first person to call me normal in a very long time. Thank you. And just to dispel any fears you may have - I have never tried bungee jumping, I enjoy a nice steak and I've had some unpleasant experiences in the past that make me very wary of getting anywhere near my consciousness, inner or otherwise.
I'm afraid you're wrong on the favourite movies - I'm not into violent action stuff, I'm more a fan of comedies and Disney cartoons. My favourite would have to be the Jungle Book. Baloo the Bear just cracks me up.
It's weird but I've never admitted that to an adult before for fear of being thought a complete wuss. It's funny how I feel I can be honest with a stranger like you, when I can't be with people I know. I always say I like the intellectual movies like dramatisations of Shakespeare, which I do like better than Dirty Harry but not as much as 101 Dalmatians (the cartoon version, not the live action one).
My wife died about eighteen months ago. And I don't mind you asking. It's probably better to have that kind of thing out in the open, then we can't inadvertently upset each other, can we?
regards,
Blue_eyes
From: Tinkerbell
To: Blue_eyes
Hi Blue_eyes,
I love your choice of movies! It's years since I've seen the Jungle Book or 101 Dalmatians. I agree about Baloo the Bear.... `I wanna be like you-oo-oo!' I've always had a soft spot for Lady and the Tramp. Have you seen that one?
I know what you mean about feeling you can be honest. I feel exactly the same way.
best wishes
Tinkerbell
ps I don't think you're a wuss.
From: Blue_eyes
To: Tinkerbell
Hi Tinkerbell,
Yes, I have seen Lady and the Tramp. I love that scene where they're sharing their spaghetti. I've always wanted to try that. Do you like Italian food?
Much as I'm enjoying talking to you, it's getting pretty late - almost 2 am. I'm going to have to call it a night before I fall asleep over my keyboard. Could we perhaps talk again tomorrow?
regards,
Blue_eyes
ps Thank you.
From: Tinkerbell
To: Blue_eyes
Hi Blue_eyes,
I think the idea of sharing spaghetti like that is very romantic and incredibly sexy. The way they suck on both ends at the same time.... it gives me goose bumps thinking about it. But sadly, no, I haven't ever done it, but I do like eating Italian.
I hadn't realised how late it was. Funny how time flies when you're enjoying yourself. I'd love to talk to you tomorrow.
Sweet dreams,
Tinkerbell
From: Blue_eyes
To: Tinkerbell
Hi Tinkerbell,
I'll look forward to it! Goodnight.
Blue_eyes
"Does anyone know where Doctor Jackson is?" The General sounded irritated. Janet glanced round the briefing room table at Sam, Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c who gave what she could best describe as a group shrug. Their errant archaeologist had better turn up soon or he was going to be on the receiving end of the General's `this is a military establishment, which works to military precision' lecture. She wondered how many times Daniel had heard it before when he shot into the room, an untidy bundle of papers tucked under his arm.
"Sorry I'm late," he muttered. "I overslept."
"Hot date, Daniel?" asked the Colonel.
Janet frowned at Colonel O'Neill. She knew he only said things like that to get a rise out of Daniel, and she was secretly pleased when, to the archaeologist's credit, he didn't take the bait and completely ignored the comment. Instead, he sat down, arranged the enormous sheaf of papers in front of him on the table, glanced across at the General, who nodded, cleared his throat and began his briefing. "P3X403 has remnants of a Goa'uld civilisation but shows no signs of having been inhabited for several hundred years at least...."
As Daniel got warmed up and drifted into `full lecture mode' Janet's mind went back to her e-mail conversation with Blue_eyes. She wondered what he looked like. She guessed he had blue eyes, but what else? But was he tall, short or somewhere in between? Did he have blonde or brown hair? Glancing down at her pad, she realised she'd been doodling. A pair of large, hypnotic eyes stared back at her from the page. When she looked up again, she noticed Sam staring at her, eyebrows raised in query.
Janet smiled quickly and turned her pad to a fresh page. She didn't feel like explaining about Blue_eyes to Sam anytime soon. Her friend would think she'd lost the plot, talking to some strange guy she'd met on a singles site. He could be anyone. A psychopath, a murderer... she didn't even have any way of proving he was a guy. Janet shook herself. No, he was a guy and a nice guy at that. She was certain of it. Why? She wasn't sure. She just knew...
Janet tried to pay attention to Daniel, who was now expounding his theory on the planet with the aid of an overhead projector but when she tried to focus on his diagrams, she found it impossible to concentrate. The carvings he was describing looked awfully like spaghetti. No matter how hard she tried, her mind kept drifting back to her new friend. She savoured the thought. A new friend. It made her feel kind of warm and fuzzy inside. Smiling to herself, she resolved that tonight she was going to ask Blue_eyes what he looked like.
"Thank you, Doctor Jackson, that was most... illuminating," said General Hammond as Daniel switched off the overhead projector and sat down. He guessed the General had been listening, but the others? He wasn't sure. Janet was doodling on her pad, Sam was watching her, Jack was fiddling with his watch and Teal'c was staring into space. Daniel sighed to himself as he sat down. Nothing new there.
If he was honest, he'd have to admit it wasn't the best and most interesting lecture he'd ever given, mainly because he'd had trouble concentrating himself, all because of Tinkerbell. The slightest little thing made him think about her. When he yawned, he remembered why he'd had such a late night... when he'd said the temple on P3X403 had fourteen rooms, he'd remembered Tinkerbell had a fourteen year old daughter... when he'd mentioned weapons, he'd thought about Dirty Harry, which reminded him of what Tinkerbell had said about movies. He gave himself a mental shake. This was ridiculous, he'd exchanged a few e-mails with this woman and he was showing every sign of being obsessed with her.
But she had described something he'd mentioned as sexy, which was a new experience for him, even if they were talking about a Disney cartoon. Talking to Tinkerbell, he didn't feel tongue-tied and inadequate like he usually did when he met a woman he liked, not that there'd been many of them, he thought ruefully. Perhaps he ought to try and step back a little and not appear too keen otherwise he might frighten her off?
But his self analysation didn't alter the fact that he couldn't wait to talk to her tonight. He'd already decided to ask her what she looked like. At the moment, his image of her included wings, a wand and a gauzy skirt which he knew had to be more than a little inaccurate, even with his limited knowledge of fashion.
"Doctor Jackson!" The General's voice brought him back to his senses. "Were you listening?"
Daniel glanced round the table at assorted expressions that ranged from Teal'c's studied impassivity, to Sam's amusement, to Jack's smug `you're on your own buddy'. Janet didn't appear to be paying attention at all.
"Sorry, General. My mind wandered," Daniel mumbled with what he hoped was the right degree of contrition.
"I'll say it again then. SG1 will ship out in one hour to P3X403. As the temple is fifteen kilometres from the gate, you'll have to stay overnight and return tomorrow. Find out why the Goa'uld abandoned the place. I look forward to your report Doctor Jackson."
Daniel felt his mouth drop open. No! What about mailing Tinkerbell? He hurriedly shuffled his papers together and stood up. "Permission to leave, General? I've got a few things I need to do in my office before we leave for the planet."
"Dismissed," said the General, as Daniel hurried from the room.
From: Blue_eyes
To: Tinkerbell
Hi Tinkerbell,
I've been called away on business (sorry for mentioning the unmentionable) and won't be able to talk to you tonight. I should only be away one night, but these things sometimes take longer than they're expected to so don't worry if I'm not around tomorrow.
I still want to talk to you very much.
Looking forward to your next mail.
regards,
Blue_eyes
ps Do you mind if I ask what you look like? I don't expect a photo, just a general description. At the moment I keep visualising you as a fairy. :-)
From: Tinkerbell
To: Blue_eyes
Hi Blue_eyes,
Thank you for letting me know you're going to be away. I'll wait impatiently for your return!
I'll tell you what I look like, if you tell me what you look like! I'm about five foot two, with dark shoulder length hair and brown eyes. How about you?
I'll look forward to hearing from you when you get back.
best wishes,
Tinkerbell
ps Please don't call me Short Stuff.
Janet ran her hand through her hair and glanced up at the clock on her office wall. 4.30 pm. Unusually, it looked like she was going to be able to leave on time. She was positively itching to go home and see if Blue_eyes had mailed her. Hopefully, his business trip hadn't got extended and he'd be back tonight. She'd been so disappointed when she'd got his mail the day before saying he was going away. But it was so thoughtful of him to let her know. Idly twirling her pen in her fingers, she acknowledged she was behaving like a lovesick teenager but right at that moment, she honestly didn't care. For once in her life she was having some fun.
"Doctor Fraiser to the Gate Room!"
Damn. Perhaps she wasn't going to get home on time after all. Janet put down her pen, and, abandoning her paperwork, grabbed her medical bag and ran out of her office and through the infirmary. As she hurried along, she tried to remember who was due back. SG1. It had to be SG1. And what were the odds that it would be Doctor Daniel Jackson who was injured?
She ran into the Gate Room, trying to see who needed her attention. A sea of people completely obscured her view. "Out the way, please!" she yelled, and the bodies parted like the Red Sea, revealing all four members of SG1 lying prostrate on the ramp. Teal'c was the only one who appeared to be awake. Quickly checking the others' vital signs, she asked the jaffa, "What happened? Why are they unconscious?" She turned to the orderlies who'd been following her. "Get these people to the infirmary!"
Teal'c struggled to a sitting position as Janet supervised the lifting of Sam, Colonel O'Neill and Daniel onto stretchers. "As we were about to leave the planet, a storm approached, Doctor Fraiser. I believe the Gate may have been struck by lightning. Are my colleagues seriously hurt?"
Janet helped him to his feet. "I don't know at the moment, Teal'c. I need to check them out in the infirmary. I'll need to check you out too."
"Very well." Teal'c inclined his head, then sat down carefully on a nearby chair. "I will come to the infirmary in a few minutes, Doctor Fraiser. I need to let my symbiont aid my recovery."
"Way to go, Junior," muttered Janet, as she left Teal'c and raced back to the infirmary. How did SG1 do it? They seemed to get injured more times than any other team. Daniel was the worst. He spent so much time in the infirmary, it sometimes felt like she saw more of him than Cassandra.
Daniel became aware of the hum of voices and a familiar smell. The infirmary? He tried to force his eyelids open but the pounding in his head persuaded him that was a bad idea. As he struggled to remember what happened he heard Jack's voice.
"Doc! Doc! I'm fine, can I leave now?"
Daniel smiled to himself at Janet's inevitable reply.
"Colonel O'Neill, I'll be the judge of how 'fine' you are and in my opinion, for now, you are staying exactly where you are. You were unconscious for several minutes for reasons I haven't ascertained yet, nor do I know why you came round. Until I know the answers to those questions, you're not going anywhere."
Oh, yes, he could tell the Doctor enjoyed that. He forced his eyes open a crack and made out a fuzzy white shape heading towards him.
"Doctor Jackson? How are you feeling?"
"I've got a headache. What happened?" He felt a cool hand on his wrist as Janet took his pulse.
"Teal'c thinks the Gate was hit by lightning. It's possible you had a rough ride in the wormhole. But we're not really sure why you were unconscious, so I want to keep you in for observation. I'll get you something for the headache."
"Thanks," muttered Daniel as he let his eyes close again. He tried to remember what had happened to SG1 to put them in the infirmary this time. They'd walked back from the temple in a rainstorm that had got progressively rougher and more unpleasant. He could remember water dripping down his back and pouring over his glasses, obscuring his view. Everyone had been miserable and conversation between the team members had dried up. The only way he'd kept going was by planning what he was going to say to Tinkerbell.
Tinkerbell! He was stuck in the infirmary and couldn't e-mail her. He wondered about asking Janet if he could use her computer. She was a doctor, used to being discreet. Yes, he'd ask Janet when she brought his pain meds.
As if on cue, he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Doctor Jackson, your painkillers."
Blinking open his eyes, he took the proffered glass and tablets. "Doctor Fraiser?"
"Yes?"
He looked up at Janet's smiling face. Suddenly his nerve failed him. What could he say? Excuse me, Doc, I need to mail my friend urgently, we've got to discuss Disney cartoons and spaghetti. And I really have to know what she looks like.
Janet would keep him in an extra night at least.
"Are you okay?" she asked, a concerned frown furrowing her brow.
"Yeah. It's the headache, I guess. I'll get some rest."
"Good idea." She patted his hand and left him in peace.
From: Tinkerbell
To: Blue_eyes
Hi Blue_eyes,
In a bizarre way, I'm kind of glad you're not back. I had to work late myself and I'm not sure if I'd make much sense if we had a chat tonight.
I've been trying to imagine what you look like all day. So far, my favourite image is kind of tall, dark and handsome, with a cute smile. Am I close?
Hoping to talk to you tomorrow,
Tinkerbell
"All right, you can all go!"
"About time," mumbled Jack grumpily under his breath.
"I heard that Colonel and I'd like you to know that I can think of a few more tests I haven't tried yet...."
"Thank you very much for allowing me to leave the confines of your marvellous establishment." Jack bowed in front of Janet.
"Much better Colonel, and thank you."
Daniel smiled at their exchange and after saying his own thank you to the Doctor, headed off back to his apartment.
After opening the door and turning on the light, he switched on his computer. Had she written? His fingers drummed impatiently on the desk as he waited for the computer to boot up. A whole flock of butterflies had taken residence in his stomach and his mouth had gone unpleasantly dry. What was the matter with him? He hadn't felt like this since he'd had a crush on Miss Morris, his tenth grade teacher.
He sighed with relief as the mail program registered new e-mail. Yes! She'd written! Twice!
Determined to enjoy this moment to the full, he got himself a cup of coffee and read her mails slowly. She sounded great. Petite and dark. But she thought he was tall, dark and handsome? Oh dear, she was in for a shock when they met.
When they met? Who said anything about meeting?
From: Blue_eyes
To: Tinkerbell
Hi Tinkerbell,
Sorry I didn't mail yesterday but my trip developed complications I really don't want to go into at the moment. But I'm back now and thanks very much for your mails.
Thank you for telling me what you look like - petite and dark - I like that. But I'm afraid you're wrong about me - I am fairly tall (about six feet) but my hair's kind of light brown and I wear glasses all the time, so I don't think the 'dark' and 'handsome' parts apply. Obviously, I have blue eyes.
As for the smile, I'll let you decide if it qualifies as cute or not when we meet.
What kind of vacations do you enjoy? I like going somewhere quiet where I can relax.
regards,
Blue_eyes
ps. I won't call you Short Stuff if you don't call me Four Eyes.
From: Tinkerbell
To: Blue_eyes
Hi Blue_eyes,
I think you sound nice. I'd be really worried if you thought you were handsome, that shows an unattractive amount of vanity, I think. My ex-husband was devastatingly good looking and a complete louse. I've got a kind of 'been there, done that, got the T-shirt' feeling about men who are too into themselves. Not that I think you are, of course.
Like you, I prefer somewhere quiet for vacations though my daughter tends to disagree. A friend of mine keeps inviting us to his cabin to go fishing but that really isn't me at all. Anyway, I think he only asked because everyone else said no, which, when you think about it, isn't very flattering.
Were you suggesting we meet?
best wishes,
Tinkerbell
From: Blue_eyes
To: Tinkerbell
Hi Tinkerbell,
I know someone just like your friend. He's totally obsessed with fishing at his cabin. We all try to avoid going with him. Perhaps we should get them together and they could bore each other silly instead of inflicting their fishing stories on us?
Yes, I was suggesting we meet. I appreciate you'll want to make it somewhere public, I mean I could be a axe-wielding murderer, for all you know. How about the Italian restaurant on Main Street tomorrow night?
Hoping you'll say 'yes',
Blue_eyes
From: Tinkerbell
To: Blue_eyes
YES!
From: Blue_eyes
To: Tinkerbell
Hi Tinkerbell,
You have no idea how happy you've just made me. I'll meet you outside the restaurant at eight tomorrow evening, if that's all right with you.
Do you think we'll recognise each other from our descriptions? Or should I bring my copy of Jungle Book to be on the safe side?
Looking forward to tomorrow,
Yours,
Blue_eyes
From: Tinkerbell
To: Blue_eyes
Hi Blue_eyes,
I'll see you tomorrow at eight. I wouldn't have thought there'll be many guys standing outside the restaurant, so I don't think Jungle Book will be necessary - just sing 'I want to be like you-oo-oo' to every woman who walks past and I'm bound to find you.
It's getting late, shall we call it a night for now?
Yours,
Tinkerbell
From: Blue_eyes
To: Tinkerbell
Hi Tinkerbell,
If you'd heard me sing you wouldn't have suggested that! In any case, I think the local police would have me taken away for harassing passers by.
I agree, it's getting late and I need my beauty sleep.
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Yours,
Blue_eyes
From: Tinkerbell
To: Blue_eyes
Night, night.
Janet sat in the commissary and stared into her coffee. Absent-mindedly stirring it, she watched the ripples disturb the surface and gradually dissipate, steam wafting up into her face. What had she done? It had seemed such a good idea when she'd been talking to Blue_eyes last night. She'd agreed to meet a total stranger, who by his own admission, could be an axe-wielding murderer. Thoughtfully, she took a sip of her coffee. But would an axe-wielding murderer admit he was an axe-wielding murderer? That was a tricky one.
Her somewhat convoluted line of thought was disturbed by Major Sam Carter. "Can I join you?"
"Mmmm, yeah, I guess."
Sam hesitated. "If you don't want me to, it doesn't matter."
"No, sorry. Join me. I could do with a second opinion on something." Janet paused and looked across at her friend, who'd sat down and was waiting expectantly. Sam was going to think she was insane for even considering meeting Blue_eyes. Puffing her cheeks out, Janet decided that she needed to tell someone about what she was going to do. "I've been talking to a guy on line," she began.
"Really? Where's he live?"
"Colorado Springs." Janet winced in anticipation of her friend's reaction.
"No! You're not thinking about..." Sam's mouth dropped open in horror.
"Meeting him? Yeah. The Italian on Main Street tonight."
"I'll come with you!"
"Does the phrase 'third wheel' mean anything to you?"
"Does the phrase 'homicidal maniac' mean anything to you?"
They glared at each other, then Janet frowned. "Point taken. I guess that's what's worrying me. But he doesn't know my name or address... and he likes Jungle Book."
Sam raised her eyebrows. "Jungle Book?"
"And Lady and the Tramp." Janet stared into her coffee. Telling Sam about this had definitely been a bad idea.
"And this proves he's normal? How many other guys do you know who like Disney movies?"
Janet thought for a moment, then shrugged. "They probably just keep quiet about it - Blue_eyes said that's what he did."
Sam's eyebrows went up another notch. "Blue_eyes?" she said incredulously.
"That's his e-mail name."
Apparently unable to think of a suitable reply, Sam stared disapprovingly at her friend and sipped her coffee. Janet took a deep breath and decided to try and explain how she felt. Perhaps if Sam knew what Blue_eyes was like.... "He's really sweet, Sam. Considerate. He seems to like me. And God knows there aren't many men around that fit that description." She spread her hands on the table and looked Sam in the eye. "He suggested we met somewhere public because he knew I'd think he could be an axe-wielding murderer."
Sam sighed. "Not the actions of a maniac, I'll admit." She pursed her lips. "And Daniel has every Disney cartoon ever made."
"What?"
"He's a guy who likes Disney movies. I just remembered. I saw them once when I was trying to find the bathroom in his new apartment and went into his spare bedroom by accident. He's got a whole shelf full, not that he ever mentions it." Sam let out a deep breath and smiled at her friend. "If you're determined to go through with this, make sure you've got your cell phone with you and don't give him your address or phone number!"
Janet smiled back. "Thank you for your support, Major Carter. How about I sneak off to the Ladies room part way through the evening and give you a progress report?"
Sam laughed. "That'll do for starters but tomorrow I'm going to want details!"
Daniel stood outside the restaurant, nervously shuffling from one foot to the other. As he adjusted his tie yet again, he tried to calm himself down. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this nervous. Quickly shaking his head, he corrected himself. Yes, he could. The other night when he'd asked Tinkerbell to meet him. She'd said yes, but was that just to shut him up? He hoped not. No, he had to believe she was going to turn up any minute.
Looking up and down the empty street, he wondered which direction she'd come from. He glanced at his watch. Was it still only five to eight? Perhaps the watch had stopped and it really was much later. He raised it to his ear, then remembered it was electronic and pulled his arm sharply back down to his side. Ramming his hands in his pockets in an effort to look casual, he decided he had to do something to try and take his mind off the waiting.
Daniel glanced up and down the street again, then behind him at the restaurant window. Curtains obscured his view of the interior, but he knew from a couple of past visits with SG1 that the tables were set in alcoves, covered with gingham tablecloths and each was adorned with a red candle stuck in a wine bottle. On their last visit, Jack had complained that the place was a clich until he'd tasted the food, then he'd been too busy eating and ordering a second helping to say much at all. Daniel smiled to himself at the memory, then noticed the menu on display by the door.
Janet locked her car and, after checking four times that she'd set the alarm properly, headed off for the restaurant. Just before she turned the corner into Main Street, she stopped, pulled a mirror out of her bag and for what had to be the tenth time at least, checked she didn't have lipstick on her teeth. She realised she was shaking slightly and tried to take a few deep breaths to steady herself. Making a mental note to ask Teal'c about kelnoreem sometime, she squared her shoulders and walked out onto Main Street.
She looked down the road towards the restaurant, and her breath caught in her throat when she realised she could see a man standing outside it, apparently reading the menu. He looked about the right height but at this distance she was too far away to tell if he wore glasses. She swallowed hard. That had to be Blue_eyes. Come on, woman, she muttered to herself, pull yourself together. This could be the man of your dreams!
As she got nearer, the noise of her pulse pounding in her ears was so loud, she was convinced that he'd be able to hear it and was vaguely surprised when he didn't turn round. Pausing, she took a moment to admire his rear view. He'd been truthful about his height and hair colour, and from what she could make out from this angle, he seemed in pretty good shape.
She took a deep breath, bridged the last couple of steps between them and put her hand on his shoulder. "Blue_eyes?"
He jumped a mile and instantly began to spin round towards her. "Tinker-"
Their eyes met.
Their mouths dropped open.
They blushed.
Janet carefully removed her hand from Daniel's shoulder.
"I... er... I didn't..." she stammered, as she found herself totally unable to look him in the face.
"Neither did I."
Janet licked her lips. She'd never imagined Blue_eyes would be someone she knew, even in her more inventive moments. This was seriously weird. "Perhaps I ought to go...."
"No!" Daniel said quickly, then gently put his hand under her chin, pushing her head up so she had to look at him. "What's the problem? We're friends at work. We're friends on the net." He smiled encouragingly.
When his blue eyes (and yes, they were incredibly blue; why hadn't she ever noticed?) looked down into hers, her stomach did a little back flip. Perhaps this wasn't so bad after all. "Sam didn't want me to come. She thought you'd be a homicidal maniac."
He laughed. "She's never called me that to my face! And could you believe I wanted Jack to talk to himself about fishing!" Janet laughed with him, then watched as his expression became serious. "I know this has been a bit of a surprise for us both but when you think about it, it's better than what we expected."
Janet frowned. At that moment, although she was beginning to see Daniel in a new light, she couldn't really see how it could be better than them being total strangers. "How?" she asked quietly.
He counted on his fingers. "We already respect and trust each other, I like your daughter and I think she likes me, you know I'm not a homicidal maniac and we can, if by any strange circumstances we should want to, talk to each other about work."
Janet smiled and began to relax. When he put it like that.... "I guess you're right, Daniel."
"Of course I'm right, Janet." Pointing towards the restaurant door, he added, "So, will you do me the honour of joining me for dinner?"
Janet nodded and took his offered hand as he led her into the restaurant. The more she thought about it, the more it felt right being with Daniel. What she couldn't understand was why she'd never seen it before. And when he smiled at her and squeezed her hand, her stomach fluttered in anticipation of what the evening might bring.
She smiled back and wondered if he was the promised 'perfect partner'. Perhaps, perhaps not, but she knew she was going to enjoy finding out. They might even share a plate of spaghetti.
the end
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