Monkey Say

[maevebran]

Title: Monkey Say

Author: Maeve Bran

Rating: FR18

Summary: Daniel and Jack have a conversation about why exactly Daniel
was in the cemetery last night with a young blond.

Disclaimer: I own neither Stargate SG-1 nor Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I
am just having a little fun with the characters.

Notes: Part of the New Job series. Set after "Ethon" 9.15. Also written
for the Ninja Daniel challenge that Michael Shanks has issued at
several conventions.

Wordcount: 772 words



Daniel had gotten a fresh cup of coffee and settled down to resume his
work when Jack walked into his office. It was midmorning, and Daniel
knew at the first sight of his friend that he wasn't going to get any
more work done before lunch. He carefully marked his place with a clean
bookmark in the text he was reading and saved his document on the
computer, then closed it so he wouldn't accidentally delete it while rescuing
artifacts from the hands of Jack.

"So tell me Daniel, just how long have you been banging Blondie?" Jack
asked as soon as he finished settling on one of the stools by the
central counter in Daniel's lab.

"Wha-- What ?!" Daniel exclaimed, not really surprised by the question,
just the rudeness of the phrasing.

"You heard me. How long have you been sleeping with Buffy?" Jack
restated the question. "Yes, I know her name, I was in charge around here
when she got here."

"I've been dating Buffy for about a month, not that it is any of your
business," Daniel answered disgruntledly.

"I talked to Carter and she said you haven't exactly taken Buffy on any
dates," Jack responded. "Carter also said that you haven't told anyone
about your relationship, but that rumors have been flying that you
have been seen leaving Buffy's quarters really early in the morning and
she yours. So are you dating, or...?" Jack threw his hands up in a
questioning gesture.

Daniel stopped and stared at Jack. For the first time since Ke'ra, Jack
had a valid point about Daniel's love life. It was true. He wasn't
really dating Buffy, just sleeping with her, though they were still really
good friends. He vowed to himself, then and there, that at the next
opportunity he'd take her on a proper date.

"It started with Ninja lessons...." Daniel started, but Jack
interrupted.

"I knew it! You were playing Ninja last night," his friend crowed.

"Do you want to hear this or not?" Daniel snapped.

"Oh, I want to hear it. Carry on," Jack responded.

"Buffy came in here and saw the swords and asked if I knew how to use
them, and I said no," Daniel explained. "So she started teaching me how
to use them. This was after the business with Khalek-- I assume you got
a report on that mess?"

"Yes. I read that report."

Daniel made a face of surprise.

“Don’t be so surprised. My job consists largely of reports, and I pay
close attention to the ones coming out of the Mountain, especially the
ones involving SG1. Anyway-- I was saddened to read how that ended."
Jack got up and placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"Thanks Jack. Anyway, I think Buffy knew how I was feeling and knew I
needed to work some stuff out, so she taught me how to sword fight.
After several weeks, it sort of spiraled out of control. Next thing I knew,
I was waking up beside her almost every morning," Daniel finished.

"Do you love her?" Jack asked quietly as he resumed his seat.

"I honestly don't know. I care about her. I like her as a friend. She
makes me feel things I thought I was no longer capable of feeling, but I
don't think I love her. At least not like Sha're. At least not yet. Is
that wrong of me?" Daniel asked as he met Jack's eyes.

"Does she make you happy?" Jack replied in a rare serious moment. "I
think that if you are, and if you make her happy, that's all that
matters. For now at least. Daniel, there is such a thing as ruining a good
thing by over thinking it. If you're both happy, don't foul it up. God
knows after all you've been through in the last eight years, you deserve
some happiness. So, what was going on last night?"

"Well, apparently, Buffy thought I needed to blow off some steam over
the whole Tegalus mess," Daniel said. "She had heard of some Vampires
that were due to rise and saw a perfect opportunity for a field trip for
my Ninja lessons. Last night was the first time I got to use live
steel. It felt good to actually stop a bad guy up close and personal after
all the fighting and making no headway in the war against the Ori."

"Well, I guess I don't have to worry too much about you," Jack said as
he stood up. "Want to go get some cake?"

"Sure," Daniel said, as he too stood and followed Jack out of the lab.

-~-