The Date
The Date
by havocthecat
Summary: Janet and Daniel are going out on a date. All it took was at least seven deaths (six of them his), an ascension (and subsequent descension), and being cloned by alien technology. So the date part should be easy, right?
Category: Alternate Universe
Season: any Season
Pairing: Daniel/Janet
Rating: FAM
Warnings: none
Author's Notes: This is an AU that diverges after "Fragile Balance" and resolves one of the events of the Heroes two-parter.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 09/05/06
***
"So?" asked Janet. She raised her hands in the air and twirled around. "How do I look?"
"Daniel's going to die," said Sam, grinning widely.
"What, again?" asked Janet.
"You know, dating rituals are very different here on Earth," said Jonas, putting a can of soda down on Janet's night table. "On Kelowna, a girl's brothers would accompany her on her first outing with a boy to make sure his intentions were honorable."
Janet froze. "The thought of you, Teal'c, and--God help us all--Colonel O'Neill coming along to make sure Daniel's not going to take advantage of me is horrifying."
"So I guess that means you think of me as a brother?" asked Jack.
"Jack," said Janet, turning around. "When did you get here?"
"Long enough ago to learn that apparently I'm your honorary brother," he said. "When did that happen?"
"I'm really not sure," said Janet. "Let's not examine it too closely, at least not tonight, okay? Because then I'd have to give you the 'if you hurt Sam I'll make you suffer' speech, and the whole night will just go downhill from there."
Jack snickered. "I just came up to tell you guys to get a move on," he said. "Daniel's been watching an Egyptology program on the discovery channel. Ten more minutes of that and it's going to be the all-Egyptology date from hell."
"Well, we don't want that, now, do we?" asked Janet. She and Sam glanced at each other. "So, I'm good?"
"You're good," said Sam. She waved at Janet. "Bye. Go knock his socks off."
Janet snickered. "I don't know. Do you think I can compete with the Great Pyramids for his attention?"
Sam gave a pointed look at the low-cut shirt Janet was wearing. "I think you've got some great pyramids of your own to distract him with."
Jack snorted. Jonas nearly spit out the soda he was drinking. "Whoa," said Jack. "Just get down there, okay? He's getting antsy."
"He's getting antsy?" asked Janet. "I had to die to finally get a date and Daniel Jackson--playboy of the SGC--is getting antsy?"
Jonas grinned at her. "Have fun, Janet," he said.
She grabbed her purse and blew Jonas a kiss. "Thanks for the help, Sam," she said. "Colonel, see you around. Jonas, could you make sure these two don't make out all night long?"
"I've got to get her to stop calling me that," said Jack, shaking his head.
Janet ran down the stairs before Sam could come up with a retort for the make-out joke. "Why am I doing this again?" she muttered.
"Janet Fraiser," said Teal'c. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"Teal'c!" exclaimed Janet. "Hi!"
"I have been too busy to speak with you much of late, but I wish to offer you felicitations and best wishes for your date with Daniel Jackson." He bowed his head, looking as solemn and grave as he had as an adult.
"Thank you," said Janet. She was smiling. She couldn't help it, she was too damn happy. If that got out, her reputation at school would be ruined. "You do realize that if you tell anyone you saw me smiling like this, I'd have to kill you. And I could do it untraceably."
"I understand, Janet Fraiser," said Teal'c. "Your secret is safe with me."
He was smiling back at her, and she couldn't help herself. She gave him a hug. "I really will, you know. And I'd make sure Jack went to prison for it."
"Daniel Jackson awaits you," Teal'c said, returning her hug. "I have already explained to him what we on Chulak did to those who kept the women of their family out beyond a reasonable hour."
"I'm sure he's suitably terrified," said Janet, letting Teal'c go and walking into the living room.
"Indeed he is," she heard Teal'c murmur.
"Hi!" exclaimed Daniel, standing up. "Um, wow, Janet." He grinned at her. "You look great."
"Thanks," said Janet. "I've got to say, dress blues do nothing to flatter a woman's figure." She was wearing an emerald green long-sleeved top with a rounded neckline along with a black miniskirt and a pair of strappy heels that were at least an inch higher than her everyday shoes. "You look good too." Daniel had on a pair of dark blue dress pants and a button-up shirt that was open at the collar. His shirtsleeves were rolled up, which showed off his forearms like nobody's business. If she'd been watching TV and he came on the screen, she'd probably start fanning herself.
"Are you, uh, ready?" asked Daniel. Aw. He got points for looking at her eyes instead of her chest. Thank God she had mentally older men--and Sam--around. If she'd had to fall back on the old dates-nothing-but-college-boys stereotype to get even a semi-adult conversation, she might have had to kill herself.
"Absolutely," said Janet. Daniel offered her his arm, and she went over and took it. Mmmm. She could get used to touching him entirely too easily. "So where are we going?"
"You don't want it to be a surprise?" asked Daniel.
"I hate surprises," said Janet. "After so many years in the SGC, wouldn't you?"
He laughed. "Good point."
"So, dinner and a movie?" asked Janet when they were in the car.
"Dinner?" said Daniel. "Uh, yeah, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to go to a movie, so I figured we could leave the after-dinner entertainment to be optional.
"Good idea," said Janet. After-dinner entertainment? She could probably figure something out, lectures from her housemates notwithstanding.
"You're smirking," said Daniel.
"I was not!" exclaimed Janet.
"Oh, you definitely were." Daniel nodded. "I know that expression. You had the same expression before you locked the cheerleaders in the locker room. It means you're not thinking nice thoughts."
"That's what you think," said Janet. "I might be thinking very nice thoughts."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" asked Daniel.
"Nothing right now," said Janet. She snickered. "You'll just have to wait to find out."
Daniel shook his head, then turned a corner and pulled into a parking lot. "Never mind, then. We're here. Ready?"
Janet smiled. "I've been ready for a while," she said. "What do think Sam and I were doing upstairs for an hour and a half?"
"That wasn't what I meant," said Daniel. "I mean, for this. This makes it a relationship."
"Normally I'd say one date doesn't make it a relationship," said Janet. "But--" She paused and shook her head. "Never mind. Yes. I am ready for this, Daniel."
He took a deep breath. "Yeah," he said, opening the car door. "So let's go have dinner."
***
"We have really got to get fake IDs," said Janet, frowning at the waitress who'd taken the wine list out of her hands when she had tried to order a glass of Riesling.
"What's with this sudden turn to juvenile delinquency?" asked Daniel. "You were always happy to toe the line at the SGC."
"I wasn't a thirtysomething woman in a teenage body before," said Janet. "I used to be able to have a glass of wine any damn time I wanted. Right now, I want a fake ID. Know anyone at school who can get me one?"
"Not at the moment, no," said Daniel. "I try not to hang out with the criminal element."
"Except for me?" asked Janet. "Because I hate to break it to you, but I think the teachers do consider me to be the criminal element."
"That's just all the backtalk," said Daniel. "And the fact that you average more detentions in one week than Sam gets in a year."
"I know," said Janet. "We can't all be as perfect as Sam. You know, she's my best friend, but sometimes I just can't stand all that blonde perfection."
"Well, uh, that's news," said Daniel, moving his water glass so the waitress could put a basket of bread down. "When did that happen?"
Janet shrugged and reached for a slice. "Remember all that anger I've been carrying around lately?" she asked. "It's got to be expressed somewhere. It's my problem, not hers. Don't worry about it."
"You've been upset a lot lately," said Daniel. "Of course I worry."
"I have a lot to be upset about, Daniel," said Janet. "And it doesn't help that they've been sending Mackenzie out to out for regular counseling sessions. Don't get me started on how much he annoys me." She snorted. "If Loki ever cloned him, he'd be the nerdy kid. You know he would."
"Just remember that I'm the nerdy kid now," said Daniel.
Janet laughed. "Oh, no, the SCA isn't nerdy," she said. "Slightly out of the ordinary, but most teenagers don't know about it, so they don't care. You want to know what's really nerdy? Quiz Bowl. Quiz Bowl is the epitome of nerdiness, and Jonas Quinn has reached its pinnacle. He made captain of the Quiz Bowl team last week."
"But you think Mackenzie would be picked on by the jocks?" asked Daniel.
"Given that two of the jocks are Jack and Teal'c, how can you doubt it?" asked Janet. The waitress came out of the kitchen and headed toward their table with what looked suspiciously like their orders. "Food's here."
***
"Dinner was good," said Janet as they walked out of the restaurant. She and Daniel were walking arm-in-arm, and she was leaning in against him. "Notwithstanding the fact that the waitress was incredibly annoying."
"I didn't really notice that," said Daniel. "Except for when she asked for an ID, of course."
"Oh, such young things like you ordering lobster," mimicked Janet. "Isn't that charming?"
"What's wrong with being charming?" asked Daniel.
"Charming is an adult's code word for cute," said Janet. "They use it when they don't want to upset ki--" She stopped abruptly and smacked her palm against a nearby building. "Damn it. Damn it!"
"What?" asked Daniel.
"I started talking like a teenager." Janet let go of Daniel and leaned against the building. "I was differentiating between myself and adults. I am an adult. Damn it, I am!" She sounded quiet and forceful, and not--she hoped--as anguished as she felt right now. Then Daniel's arms were around her, and hers were around him, and while not everything was right with the world, something was very, very right about this particular moment.
"It's okay," whispered Daniel. "Eventually you'll be an adult again. Eventually we'll even get out of high school. Probably we'll all go to college together, because for one, who else is going to understand us as well as we do, and for another, who better to help you with your homework than someone who already has a doctorate or two?"
Janet smiled and looked up at Daniel, who was smiling back at her. "You have a very unique way of putting the situation in perspective, Daniel." He didn't seem inclined to let her go, and Janet wasn't complaining. She reached up and curled her fingers around the back of his neck and pulled his head gently down so she could kiss him. He made a startled noise, then kissed her back. His lips were soft against hers, and he was warm in the slightly chilly fall air. She felt his hands let go of her, only to reach up and tangle in her hair.
"Janet," he said quietly when they pulled apart and looked at each other. His arms had slipped around her waist again. "You do realize that I got strict lectures from Teal'c and Jonas about having honorable intentions, don't you?"
"Daniel," said Janet firmly. "It was very sweet of them to be so concerned, but I'm sure neither of them stopped to think that maybe I don't want your intentions to be so honorable."
"Oh," said Daniel. "Well, in that case--" He nodded at the car. "Want to go home? I have it on good authority that tonight's hockey game is going to run into overtime, and the Quiz Bowl tournament is out of town."
"So the house is empty?" asked Janet. "How'd you manage to figure all that out?"
"Jack and I worked it out," said Daniel. "Teal'c and Jonas are just jealous because they don't have girlfriends." He grinned at her and Janet almost melted.
"So I'm your girlfriend now, am I?" she asked.
"Well, if you want to be," said Daniel. "I mean, the term doesn't really fit at our ages, but then again, if you're talking about our chronological ages--"
Janet thwacked him lightly on the arm. "Don't get me started, Daniel," she said.
Daniel snickered. "Feeling better?" he asked.
"Much," said Janet. "Let's go home, okay? I'm getting cold."
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