|
Suggested
Rating: for young adult and older
readers
Setting:
Season 7, between the events of Death
Knell and Heroes
Synopsis:
Something special happens.
Notes: lyubeemaya
means, roughly, “my true love” in Russian
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters and places
are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created
for entertainment only and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was
intended.
Part 9: RESOLUTIONS
- by
Michelle Lunsford
Doctor
Janet Frasier was heading out of her office toward the commissary when, on
impulse, she decided to alter her course toward Daniel’s office
instead. She knew he’d been
busy with a translation project the past few days, but she hoped to convince
him to take a break and have lunch with her.
Rounding
the corner and slipping into the cluttered office, Janet spied a familiar
sight. Daniel was at his desk,
back to the door, thoroughly engrossed in his work. Although she wasn’t attempting
to be particularly stealthy she managed to step up behind him without his
notice. Amused at his typical
preoccupation she stood silently, waiting to see if he would become aware of
her presence. After several
seconds of Daniel remaining oblivious Janet surreptitiously glanced over her
shoulder. Seeing the hallway
outside was indeed clear, she leaned forward imperceptibly and blew a light
puff of air across the back of his neck.
She was
rewarded by seeing Daniel start, his head snapping up and his shoulders
shifting reflexively as if fighting off a sudden shiver. He glanced around, blinking several
times in surprise.
“Oh. Hi Janet,” he said simply.
Janet
planted her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. “Hello yourself,” she
replied, her tone indicating that she’d expected him to express a
little more enthusiasm at seeing her.
“Sorry,”
he mumbled, running a hand through hair that looked as if it had experienced
the action several times already.
“Guess I was a little overly-focused.”
Her
expression softened with the beginnings of a smile as she teased,
“Really – Doctor Daniel Jackson overly-focused? Whoever would have thought it?”
“Right,”
Daniel replied, slowly revealing his own smile as he gazed up at her. “But, now that I’ve been
pulled back to the regular world, to what do I owe the pleasure of this
visit?”
“I
was going to grab some lunch and wondered if you’d like to join
me,” she answered, her stance relaxing as she glanced at the
hodge-podge of paper scraps, notebooks, and language resources strewn across
his desk. “That is, if you
can find a place to stop and take a break.”
A light
sigh escaped his lips, followed by a decidedly hesitant,
“Well…”
Stretching
on tip-toes Janet peered over his shoulder to get a better look at his
work. “What is it? Translation got you stumped?”
Daniel
shook his head. “No,
translation’s going fine.”
Despite
his answer something in the tenor of his voice hinted at a brooding
aggravation. Janet pointedly met
his gaze. She considered asking outright
what was bothering him, but he anticipated her.
“I’ve
just been thinking,” he said.
‘That
much is obvious,’ she thought silently, ‘but the real question is
about what?’ Janet continued to study him. She was struck by a hunch and decided
to follow it. “You’re
not still stewing over the whole breakdown of the Tauri-Tok’ra-Jaffa
alliance, are you?”
The
expression that flickered across his face was ample confirmation of her
suspicion.
“Daniel,”
she sighed, affection coloring her tone.
“You really shouldn’t take these things so
personally.”
“I
know,” he agreed. He
shrugged in a gesture of helplessness.
“But that’s difficult for me to do when the people I care
about are obviously taking it personally too.”
That
caught her a little off guard. It
had been several days since the catastrophe at the new Alpha Site, and
although Janet knew the resulting fall-out had been a harsh blow to morale,
she was under the impression that folks were beginning to work their way
through it.
Crossing
her arms, Janet leaned against his desk.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Daniel
hesitated briefly before replying.
“Maybe I’m just imagining things.”
Janet
shook her head. If she’d
learned anything about Daniel over the years it was that he was pretty good
at reading people, especially people he knew well. “I doubt that,” she
said. Offering a smile as means
of encouragement she added, “Come on – tell me what’s on
your mind.”
Daniel
sighed, still seemingly reluctant.
Janet reached out, gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. The action must have been enough to
break through his uncertainty, because as Daniel met her gaze his words began
tumbling out in a mad rush.
“Well,
for starters Hammond
has been in a foul mood for days,” he began. “Oh, he’s not been blatant
about it, but I can tell he’s really taken the collapse of the alliance
as a major setback. I think
he’s worried about how it’s going to affect us in the future,
both immediate and long-term – which I know we all are, but the General
understands it on so many more levels.”
‘One
of the benefits of command,’ Janet thought sarcastically. She nodded in agreement with
Daniel’s observation, even as her mind began searching for something to
say by way of consolation. But
Daniel was off again before she could get a word in.
“And
of course Teal’c’s worried about the Jaffa.
Sure, he understands their reasoning – so do I. And he’s proud of their efforts,
their stab at independence. But
he’s still worried about them.”
Janet
could tell from the way Daniel’s tone and mannerisms were becoming more
animated that he was finally venting some steam now. She didn’t even bother to
interrupt when he paused for breath this time.
“Sam’s
worried about Jacob, and the Tok’ra in general – and who can
blame her? And, naturally,
Teal’c and Sam being worried means that Jack is worried about
Teal’c and Sam.”
Daniel abruptly paused and nodded, as if coming to some kind of
decision. “Actually, I
think Jack’s been a lot more worried about Sam than usual.”
Janet
straightened from her leaning position.
“Daniel…” she began, unable to keep the hint of
warning from creeping into her tone.
Daniel
held up a hand, interrupting.
“Yeah, yeah – I know,” he conceded, although clearly
unhappy about it.
“We’re not supposed to talk about that.” He gave
her a meaningful look. “But
it’s still the truth.”
Janet
sighed. She understood
Daniel’s frustration all too well.
She also shared it. Both
she and Daniel were aware of the mutual feelings between their two friends,
just as they were aware of the myriad complications produced by those
feelings. And Janet knew that her
friends were two grown adults, who had made their decision regarding how to
deal with it. But that
didn’t make the situation any easier, especially considering Sam was
her best friend and, technically, the Colonel was her superior officer as well. While she and Daniel had discussed the
somewhat taboo subject before, such exchanges typically ended in
exasperation. And as they had
grown closer in their relationship, each had also admitted to feeling a
slight bit of guilt in knowing they were so happy while their friends
remained apart. No, it
didn’t make a lot of sense, but it was nevertheless how they sometimes
felt.
Janet
nodded in silent acknowledgement as she sought some way to deflect the
conversation. “Well then,
what are you worried about?”
she finally asked.
“Besides
my friends?” Daniel answered, pausing again as he considered the
question further. His gaze
drifted away to one of the dim corners of the room. “Well, let’s just say
it’s made me think a lot about the future too,” he eventually
finished.
Something
in his tone sent off a warning bell at the back of Janet’s mind,
although she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly it was. But the feeling passed as quickly as
it had begun, and as Daniel turned back to her, openly smiling now, she
pushed the entire notion aside, telling herself she’d probably imagined
it.
“But,
enough about my worries,” Daniel said, reaching for her hand. “You said something about
lunch?”
“Right. Think you could spare thirty minutes
for a trip to the commissary?”
“For
you?” He released her hand,
but offered a quick wink as he enthusiastically added,
“Absolutely.” He
stood and as they exited his office Daniel casually continued, “I was
also thinking it’s about time you and I went out again.”
“Oh
really?” Janet responded, a touch of curiosity in her voice. They went out all the time – in
a manner of speaking. She
wondered what he had in mind.
“Yeah,”
he went on as they walked.
“But not like usual.
Something special. We haven’t done anything special
since that night when we went to see the play.”
“I
don’t mind,” Janet quickly reassured, hoping he wasn’t
feeling guilty about it. “I
know our work and schedules don’t make it easy, but I enjoy the time we
spend together, no matter what the occasion.”
“I
know,” he answered, smiling in affirmation as they waited by the
elevator. “But I still want
to take you out on a real
date. You deserve it.”
Janet felt
a touch of warmth spread across her cheeks. “What did you have in
mind?” she asked, slipping into the empty elevator as it opened.
‘Well,
my schedule’s pretty tight for the next several days,” he
admitted.
“Mine
too.” Janet mentally
reviewed her list of responsibilities for the next few weeks. “Actually, now that I think
about it, the only night I’d have any substantial free time is Saturday
after next.”
Daniel
nodded, considering.
“Isn’t there supposed to be a group of,” he
hesitated slightly, glancing over at her, “visitors on base the Monday
following?”
Janet
grimaced. She’d learned
about the documentary film project earlier this morning, and had been hearing
plenty of complaints about it every time it was mentioned. She was planning to reserve judgment
until the film crew actually arrived, but most of the people she’d
spoken with on the matter weren’t too keen about having some over-eager
journalist skulking about the base in an attempt to chronicle a supposedly
unbiased ‘true story’ about what went on at the SGC. Fighting a sigh, she replied, “I
take it you read the memo that went out this morning?”
Daniel
gave her another sideways glance as they exited the elevator. “Yeah. Unfortunately, I was with Jack when he
read it too. He was just a hair
shy of going totally ballistic about the whole thing.”
“Not
many of the people I’ve talked to are very happy about it
either,” Janet replied.
“All
the more reason for us to do something special before having to go through
that particular torture,” Daniel said, holding the door open for her as
they entered the commissary.
“So Saturday after next it is. Now, all you have to do is tell me
what you want to do.”
“What,
you didn’t already have something all planned out?” Janet teased
good-naturedly.
Daniel
shook his head. “No, I want
you to have that privilege. Well, at least the initial part of the
planning. Whatever you want to
do, wherever you want to go, you just say – within reason, of course. I mean, something along the lines of a
one-night trip to the Caribbean might be a
little difficult to pull off on such short notice.” His tone carried a similar hint of
jesting.
“That’s
a lot of leeway,” she said, smiling up at him. “But don’t worry. I have an idea, and I think you should
be able to arrange it in time.”
He met
her gaze, his eyebrows going up in a familiar gesture of inquiry.
“Dinner,”
she said, very matter of fact.
“At your place.”
She waited a couple of heartbeats before adding the final stipulation. “And you have to cook.”
Daniel
blinked. “That’s
it?”
“That’s
it,” she replied.
Janet
waited while he continued to stare at her, his expression indicating he was
still somewhat surprised by the simplicity of her request. Eventually the flicker of a smile
spread across his face.
“Okay,” he conceded.
“If that’s what you want, that’s what it’ll
be.”
~ *
~ * ~
* ~ *
~ * ~
* ~ *
~ * ~
Janet ran
a hand around the neck of her dress, making certain one more time the collar
was lying correctly. The action
directed her thoughts toward her daughter and their last minute shopping
spree that morning.
As
she’d stood before the dressing room window, in the dress Cassie had
picked out, the image she’d seen reflected there had surprised her a
little. The fabric was pretty
enough – a lavender silk with a print of delicate flowers in varying
shades of purple – and it certainly fit nicely. A long row of buttons from hem to
collar gave a lengthening effect to the appearance, and the cut of the bodice
was perfect for her figure. But
the large flowing ruffle around the neck and full length sleeves was
definitely not her typical style.
Janet thought the woman
gazing back from the mirror looked lovely in the dress, but she wasn’t
quite sure. Only her
daughter’s encouragement had convinced her to eventually purchase it.
‘Simple,
yet elegant,’ Cassie had said, before adding wistfully, ‘Mom, you
look like something out of a fairy tale.’
‘I
hope you were right,’ Janet sent the mental wish to her daughter. As she reached up to press the
doorbell she added wryly, ‘And I hope I don’t drag one of these
sleeves through my dinner tonight.’
She was
greeted seconds later by the sight of Daniel as he opened the door. She watched, with some alarm, as his
welcoming smile gave way to a blatant open-mouthed stare.
“What?”
she asked, giving herself a quick once-over. Worst-case scenarios began to flash in
her mind as she pictured herself with buttons fastened askew or some
inexplicable stain plastering her midsection.
“Wow,”
Daniel finally stammered, reaching for her hand to gently pull her
inside. “You look
fantastic.”
Simultaneously
flattered and relieved, her reply came out in something akin to a
squeak. “Really?”
Daniel
nodded enthusiastically, closing the door behind them. “Is that a new dress?”
“Yeah,”
she replied, a little sheepishly.
“Cassie helped me pick it out.”
“Then
remind me to give her my compliments.” He bent and placed a light kiss on her
lips, lingering there for a moment.
His eyes intentionally took in her appearance again and he smiled
before adding, “Honestly, Janet, you look very lovely tonight.”
“Thank
you,” she said, smiling shyly.
It continually amazed her that his open admiration often had the effect
of making her feel like something between an awkward school-girl and Wonder
Woman.
“Dinner’s
almost ready,” he said.
“You’re welcome to keep me company in the kitchen while I
put on the finishing touches.”
He held up a finger and donned a somewhat authoritative
expression. “Provided you
don’t so much as attempt to
lift a finger and help me.”
She
chuckled lightly under her breath.
“What, and take all the fun out of this? No sir, you promised me a special
evening in, with a home-cooked meal and plenty of doting, and that’s
exactly what I expect.”
Daniel
smiled as he offered his arm to her.
“Then right this way, my Lady.”
Taking
his arm, Janet followed him into the kitchen and was bombarded by a wealth of
delightful scents. “Oh,
something smells delicious,” she exclaimed. Daniel pulled out a chair for her and
she sat, whiffing the air appreciatively. “What’s the menu?”
“Beef
Wellington, pumpkin soup, and a steamed vegetable medley. And for dessert--” he paused,
glancing over his shoulder from where he stood at the stove, “well,
that’s a bit of a surprise.”
“Sounds
wonderful,” she enthused.
She knew Daniel could cook, having suspected that one didn’t
live alone as long as he had without having developed at least some basic
abilities in that area. And
he’d helped her a few times in the kitchen when he’d been
visiting for an evening meal. But
this went far beyond anything she’d anticipated.
They
continued to chat while Daniel worked.
Janet watched in both amusement and fascination, smiling as she
studied him. He moved with an
ease and a confidence that demonstrated he was not only capable in the
kitchen, but that he enjoyed what he was doing. Dressed in khakis and a light blue
shirt, the long sleeves characteristically rolled up at the cuffs, Daniel
appeared the casual bachelor. But
his manner implied something more professional, and Janet was so curious
where he’d picked up his obvious culinary skills that she asked him
outright.
“You’d
be amazed what you learn from other people participating on digs,”
Daniel said in response to her question.
“I once worked with a student who’d done a stint at a Paris cooking school
before he’d gone into archaeology.
And then there was that Australian doctoral candidate who liked to
spend her free time knitting.”
Janet’s eyes widened in surprise. “You learned how to knit?”
“Yes,
although I didn’t keep it up and so don’t remember how
anymore,” Daniel confessed.
“Nancy
knitted as a way to unwind. Said
it gave her hands something to do that also allowed her mind to relax. I found it fascinating at the time,
and so she taught me. I think I
still have an old scarf around here somewhere that I made.”
Janet
watched as he carefully spooned soup into small china bowls, and she tried to
imagine those same hands fastidiously working with yarn and knitting
needles. The thought brought a
smile to her face. Then,
considering the context, her mind unexpectedly ran off on a tangent,
envisioning his hands with just as much care and precision working with
chisel and brush at the earth around some ancient buried artifact. She found herself becoming mesmerized
as she continued to stare at his hands – deftly drawing a hot dish from
the stove, casually reaching for a spoon, meticulously drizzling gravy over a
plate. Without warning her
contemplations took another turn, and as she pictured those hands devoting
their attention to more intimate circumstances Janet felt a flash of warmth
blaze across her cheeks. She
shifted in her chair and self-consciously cleared her throat.
“So,
you learned about cooking and knitting while on digs,” she said,
focusing again on their conversation.
“Anything else I should know about?”
Daniel
glanced over his shoulder again.
“Well, I think my favorite unexpected educational encounter was
from Giselle.”
Janet
blinked and arched an eyebrow at him.
“Giselle?” she repeated the name, her tone a mix of
intrigue and suspicion.
Daniel
smiled, clearly in fond remembrance, before turning back to his
preparations. “She was an
older lady – a widow – who was extremely vivacious and had an
appetite for learning like nothing I’ve ever seen. At fifty-five she’d decided on a
whim that she’d like to learn about archaeology, and so she’d
dived right in. We worked on a
dig in Egypt
for nearly three months, and she loved every minute of it.”
“Sounds
like a remarkable woman,” Janet mused.
“She
was. And, among other things,
she’d been a ballroom dancer in her younger days.” Daniel said, systematically checking
the stove knobs to be certain they were off. “She taught me how to do
everything from waltz to the foxtrot.”
Janet’s
mind began to conjure an image of Daniel – most likely in dirty ripped
jeans and a dust-covered tee shirt, with a bandana wrapped around his head
– attempting to mimic dance steps of his accomplished instructor. ‘Oh, to have been a fly on the
wall during that,’ she
thought.
Folding
her arms across her chest, Janet leaned back in her chair and filled her
voice with mock accusation.
“What I want to know is if you learned all that, then why
haven’t you offered to take me dancing before?”
Daniel
matched her impishness with a wink.
“The night is still young,” he replied. Then wiping his hands on a kitchen
towel, he announced. “But
for now dinner is ready. So, if
you’ll allow me to escort you to the dining room…?”
Some part
of her realized she was actually sorry this portion of the evening had come
to an end. Janet had greatly
enjoyed their small-talk while he’d carried on in the kitchen. She’d never expected that simply
watching Daniel in such common domestic activities would be so…
appealing.
Any
disappointment quickly faded, however, when Daniel led her to the dining
room. A small table was elegantly
set with china and flickering candles.
A bottle of wine sat chilling on ice, and a dozen of the most gorgeous
red roses Janet had ever seen were in a crystal vase near one end of the
table.
“Oh
Daniel,” she breathed.
“This is…” she bit at her lower lip, suddenly at a
loss for words. The recognition
that he’d gone to all this trouble on her account filled her with
warmth. She turned towards him,
stretching to throw her arms around his neck in a loving embrace. “It’s absolutely
beautiful. Thank you!”
Daniel
smiled as he gazed down at her.
“You’re welcome,” he replied, dropping a kiss on her
forehead.
Dinner
proved to be delicious, and Janet complimented Daniel often on the meal. But, more importantly in Janet’s
mind, she was pleased to simply be with him. As always, he was being a perfect
gentleman. But Janet sensed that
tonight Daniel was making extra effort to be especially attentive and
gracious. She loved talking with
him – no matter what the topic – enjoying the intellectual
stimulation of their conversations as well as just being entranced by the
sound of his voice. And his
frequent little touches or intentional eye contact continually sparked tiny
flutters in her stomach.
After
dinner Janet offered to help him clear the table, but Daniel would hear
nothing of it. He insisted she
make herself comfortable in the living room while he got dessert
prepared. She’d been to his
house before – Daniel had invited several SGC personnel to an informal
open house shortly after he’d moved in – but Janet hadn’t
really had opportunity then to study the surroundings. She did so now, slowly taking in the
feel of the room with its eclectic collection of ancient artifacts and
contemporary furniture. She
hardly knew what any of the objects were, but they fascinated her
nonetheless. Smiling, she
imagined Daniel rambling on and on about them, sharing the story of each
piece. As she continued to
explore, Janet had to admit that even though some of the items –
particularly the masks – had an almost grim look about them, the
overall feel of the room was unmistakably warm and inviting.
‘Perhaps
it’s because everything about this room is so distinctly Daniel,’ she thought.
‘Or,’
her inner voice added astutely, ‘maybe it’s just the
candles.’
Janet
smiled to herself. She
hadn’t missed the fact that there were myriad sized candles glowing in
practically every room of the house.
Even the bathroom had flickered cheerfully with candlelight. In the few months they’d been
together she’d learned that Daniel definitely had a romantic side. There wasn’t always opportunity
for it to be displayed, but it was there. And she was certainly enjoying her
good fortune to see it in full swing tonight.
She
smiled again as sounds of Daniel puttering about in the kitchen traveled into
the room. ‘Yes, he’s
definitely gone all out,’ she thought wistfully. Suddenly remembering that dessert had
been promised as a surprise, Janet
slipped off her shoes, settled in on the sofa, and reveled in a sense of
growing anticipation.
Soon
Daniel came round the corner, bearing a tray, its contents hidden beneath a
white cloth. He sat the tray on
the small coffee table, and Janet gazed up at him expectantly.
“Dessert?”
she asked.
Daniel
nodded, moving to sit beside her.
“Dessert.”
Janet
attempted some pretense of patience while she watched his every move. When he pulled away the cloth covering
the dessert tray, she observed a single dish, capped by a plain silver
lid. A slight sheen on the
outside indicated it had been chilled.
She was a little puzzled, since there was only the one dish, and
considered asking him about it when her attention was instantly captured by
something else on the tray.
Janet
glanced at him in surprise.
“Daniel, you’re not an avid tea drinker. Since when do you own a teapot?”
“Since
I decided to have you over for dinner,” he replied as he courteously
draped the white cloth across her lap.
“Don’t worry, coffee is still my caffeine infusion of
choice, but I’m open to expanding my tastes.” He carefully poured some of the dark
brew into the cups he’d brought.
“Lap
sang,” Janet exclaimed when the distinctive smoky scent hit her
senses. “That’s my
favorite.”
“So
I’ve been told,” Daniel said, his sideways glance an enticing
mixture of frivolity and amorousness.
Janet
took the offered cup and saucer, deeply inhaling the pleasant aroma. She took a tentative sip. “Daniel, it’s
perfect. Hot and strong, just the
way I like it.”
“And
now, for the dessert itself.”
He smiled, a touch of mischief dancing in his eyes. Removing the lid, Daniel held up the
dish for Janet’s inspection.
It contained a single sliver of cake, very dark in color and
unmistakably moist in texture.
“Chocolate dream,” Daniel continued. “More substantial than a mousse,
less heavy than a cheesecake, but guaranteed to satisfy even the most
demanding chocolate craving.”
“Sounds
yummy,” Janet remarked.
“But why is there only one serving?”
“Because,”
Daniel replied, drawing out the word as he slowly sliced a fork across the
tip of the cake. He turned to
Janet, holding the plate over her lap as he temptingly offered her the first
bite. His voice dropped a
fraction, taking on an almost husky tone as he added, “sharing is more
fun.”
Janet
stared into the unabashedly ardent gaze of the man beside her, a little caught
off guard by the slightly provocative turn his demeanor had taken. Her insides were threatening to do
somersaults, but Janet forced herself to maintain that eye contact as she
leaned forward to accept the proffered bite of cake. The flavor of extremely rich, but
utterly delightful chocolate instantly exploded in her mouth.
“Whoa,”
Janet blurted after she swallowed.
“I think that’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever
tasted in my entire life.”
Daniel
grinned flirtatiously. “I
thought you’d like it.”
They
continued to share the dessert – Janet insisting she get her turn to
feed Daniel as well – their alternating bites interrupted by the
occasional sip of tea. When the
cake was finished, Daniel returned everything to the tray and neatly covered
it with the cloth. Janet watched
with curiosity as he carefully pulled the coffee table aside to one corner of
the room. She considered asking
him what he was up to, but then decided to wait and see what would
unfold. Her eyes followed Daniel
as he casually picked up a nearby remote, pressing a sequence of
buttons. The sound of a big band
orchestra soon followed, flowing from speakers she hadn’t even noticed
earlier. It wasn’t long
before Janet recognized the tune as Moonlight
Serenade. The next thing she
knew Daniel was reaching for her, gently pulling her up from the sofa.
Janet
sighed contentedly. Daniel danced
well, she noted, and dancing with him was almost enough to make her feel like
Ginger Rogers. She relished the
feel of his arm, strong and supportive around her waist as he guided her
around the floor. His hand was
warm where it clasped her own, and he would periodically draw her hand to his
face, and tenderly kiss her fingers or palm.
“You
really have thought of everything,” Janet commented, smiling up at him
in open affection.
“You’ve made this a very special evening for me. Thank you.”
“Anything
for the woman I love,” he whispered, reaching down to brush her lips.
It began
as a simple, affectionate kiss, but Janet soon gave in to her feelings and
responded with more passion, pleased to find Daniel willing to follow right
along with her. She lost track of
all sense of time but eventually Daniel was saying something about the music
having ended and would she like to sit down.
Daniel
led her back to the sofa. As they
sat, Janet pulled her bare feet underneath her, settling into a more
comfortable position as Daniel drew her into his arms. She willingly leaned against him and
snuggled into the familiar nook of his shoulder.
They sat
in silence. Daniel moved to cover
her hand where it rested against his chest. He gently traced it with his thumb,
and Janet sighed contentedly.
“I
love you, lyubeemaya,” he
said, his voice low, almost bewitching.
“And I love being with you.”
Janet
titled her head to look up at him and was struck by the level of emotion
revealed in the piercing blue gaze directed back at her. “I love you too, Daniel,”
she answered, the words seeming much too inadequate to express what she was
feeling.
He
nodded, his eyes drifting to their clasped hands. It was a long time before he spoke
again. “Sha’re is the
only other woman I ever truly loved,” he went on, decidedly serious
now. “And I know
we’ve talked about this before – about how my feelings for you
are somehow different, but no less real.” He looked back to her face, his lips
quirking in a smile that didn’t completely disguise the trace of
sadness in his expression. “A
part of me will always love Sha’re, and I’ll always believe that
what I had with her was special – I can hardly conceive that any one
man could be so fortunate. And
yet, to have such an opportunity not once, but twice… Janet, I’ve
never really told you this, but in truth, you’ve brought forth feelings
in me that I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to experience
again.”
The
confession touched her deeply and Janet reassuringly squeezed his hand. She wanted to tell him that she found
his words hard to accept, that she thought he had so much compassion and love to give, and that she was very
grateful to be the one he’d chosen to share those feelings with. But something warned her to remain
silent. Somehow she knew these
were things Daniel needed to say, and her role right now was merely to
listen.
“These
past few months have been wonderful,” he went on, “discovering
more about you and watching our relationship grow. I know from one standpoint it’s
all happened rather quickly. But
then again… it sounds ludicrous, but it almost feels like this is the
way things have been between us for – well, for much, much longer.”
Janet
nodded encouragingly, letting him know that she was following him.
Daniel’s
smile grew more sincere as the former hint of melancholy finally disappeared
from his features. “Did you
know that I wake up every morning and think about seeing your face? Sometimes I can hardly wait to be with
you, and I get so excited just wondering what new thing I’ll learn
about you that day.”
Janet
smiled. His words were tumbling
out faster now, in his effort to get his feelings across to her, and as Janet
grew increasingly moved by his professions of love she could feel her eyes
beginning to pool with unshed tears.
“That’s
one thing I’ve realized, since my return from being ascended,”
Daniel continued. “I want
to make the most of each and every day.
Time is too precious to waste.
And since growing to love you, that’s become even more
apparent--”
Abruptly,
he broke off. Janet caught a
glimpse of something flicker across his eyes before he glanced away, staring
at their hands again. He remained
quiet, but Janet had the distinct impression there was more he’d wanted
to say.
After
several seconds of silence she squeezed his hand again. “I’m still
listening,” she whispered, her voice full of emotion.
Daniel
nodded in response, but continued to avert his gaze. A handful of heartbeats passed before
he began again.
“I
know this is going to seem sudden…” Daniel said, his voice
betraying his hesitation. He was
still staring at their hands, and Janet could tell that his breathing had
become shallow.
“This
is ridiculous,” he blurted, shaking his head in frustration. A humorless laugh – more like a
snort, Janet thought – slipped from his throat as he added, almost to
himself, “I don’t even have a--”
Janet
watched as his eyes snapped shut and a sudden huff of exasperation escaped
his lips. Something was clearly
troubling him, and she decided it was time to do something about it. But before she could even consider
what to do, Daniel shifted beneath her, purposefully dragging his gaze back
to her.
Janet was
caught by the way he stared unflinchingly into her eyes, a look of
determination now mingled with the deep sense of emotion she’d seen
reflected there earlier. She
remained still, utterly transfixed.
“Marry
me?” he said simply.
Janet
felt her heart begin to race and she swallowed against a lump that had
suddenly formed in her throat.
“I
know it’s sudden,” Daniel repeated, his voice utterly
sincere. “So I’ll
understand if you don’t want to give me an answer right
away.” He paused, taking a
deep breath. “But the truth
is I love you, Janet. I love you
more than I’ll ever be able to adequately express in words or deeds,
but I want to spend the rest of my life trying to do it anyway. Nothing
would make me happier than for you to give me that chance.”
The
strange thing, Janet would later realize, was that she hadn’t even
known she’d been longing to hear those words until Daniel actually
spoke them. She loved him –
of that there was no doubt. And the
depth of her love only assured her what she wanted her answer to be. She was well aware that although the decision was already made in her mind,
they’d have lots of things to discuss and deal with before it actually
came to fruition. But that would
come later. For now, the
assurance of her choice was what mattered most.
Tears of
happiness streaming down her cheeks, Janet smiled up at him. “Yes,” she said, her voice
surprisingly steady. “Yes,
Daniel – I’ll marry you.”
~ END ~
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