|
Suggested
Rating: for teen and older
readers
Setting:
Season 7, during the events of Avenger 2.0
Synopsis:
Janet wonders if she’ll have opportunity to explain herself.
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 4: REALITY CHECK
- by
Michelle Lunsford
Doctor
Janet Frasier signed her name to the last document in the current stack,
closed the file and dropped it into the out basket. She
glanced at the demandingly large stack of files and reports waiting in her in basket. 'So much for a lunch break,' she
thought with a weary sigh.
Since her
arrival at the SGC around oh-seven hundred, Janet had been going
non-stop. The infirmary had been
grand central station all morning.
Thankfully there had been no serious injuries. But the standard post-mission check-up
of two returning SG teams, along with the occasional bump and bruise, had
kept her and the nursing staff busy.
Then there had been test results from the previous day to analyze, and
reports on said results to be written.
All this, combined with the usual day-to-day paperwork of a medical
center, had Janet wondering just where the past five and a half hours had
gone.
A noisy
rumbling in her stomach reminded her that lunch would have to be procured,
even if the desired leisurely twenty or so minutes to eat it could not. Stretching taut muscles as she stood,
Janet moved to the infirmary's small refrigerator reserved for food. A slight smile played across her lips
– Cassie's thoughtfulness that morning in making her a sandwich would
save her the bother of having to go to the cafeteria. Squatting at the mini-fridge, Janet
rummaged through the various bags until she found her lunch. She pulled out the last bottled water
with her name on it, and made a mental note to restock her supply. Closing the refrigerator door, she was
suddenly face to face with a pair of military fatigue-clad legs and combat
boots. Seconds later she saw a
hand, obviously being offered to help her up, and Janet knew, even before she
looked, who it would be. Steeling
herself against the inevitable, she took the hand and stood.
"Hey!" Daniel's voice was clearly more warm
and friendly than usual.
Instead
of meeting his gaze, Janet quickly glanced around the infirmary. There were a few other staff milling
about, but it didn't seem anyone was paying them any attention. She pulled her hand from his, and
although she attempted to make it a casual move, she knew it had been done a
little too quickly.
"Hi
Daniel. What can I do for
you?" Janet grimaced
inwardly at the sound of her own voice.
She really hadn't intended to sound so curt.
Daniel
leaned towards her, half-whispering as he said, "Well, actually it's
more what I can do for you."
Daniel
appeared as if he were in a playful, almost flirtatious mood, but when Janet
finally met his eyes she detected a hint of uncertainty there.
"I've
not seen you all day, and I figured you must be pretty busy.” He paused, waving a hand to take in
the whole infirmary as he continued, “So I thought I'd take you away
from this madhouse for a few minutes – I know it’s not very
romantic, but what do you say to lunch at the cafeteria?"
'Well,'
Janet thought, 'I may not have known specifically how or when, but I
certainly saw this coming. And it
was the last thing I wanted to deal with – at least before I got a
chance to actually talk to him.'
She glanced around the room again, wondering if anyone else had
overheard his comment.
‘Haven't seen me all day?
Well, of course not – I’ve been busy,’ she reasoned
to herself. Besides, it wasn't
anything remarkable for them not to see each other around the base for hours
at a time.
But that
wasn't the point and she knew it.
She’d been purposefully avoiding him since coming into work this
morning. Upon arriving in her office,
Janet had found the jacket loaned to him Friday night carefully draped across
her chair, and there was also a small gift on the desk. It was only a chocolate donut from a
local bakery – albeit one that Daniel had recently learned was her
favorite. But it was the
scribbled words on her notepad that had put her on edge.
Was thinking of you – hope
you enjoy – Daniel.
Janet
knew Daniel had been scheduled for an early briefing that morning –
something about a possible relocation project on P3L-997 – but he would
have had to arrive much earlier than was necessary in order to drop off the
treat, not to mention stop and pick it up at the bakery. Janet hadn't even bothered to call his
office and say thank you.
"Janet?"
Daniel’s
concerned voice yanked her attention back to the present and as Janet caught
his eye again she saw the hint of uncertainty had deepened.
"Sorry,”
she muttered. “Yeah,
I’ve had a busy morning. As
for lunch,” she held up the brown paper bag for evidence. “I brought something today."
Daniel
smiled. "Then you'll no
doubt eat better than I will.
Bring it with you, and you can keep me company while I make do with
Air Force fare."
He moved
as if he might take her hand again, and Janet took an involuntary step
backwards.
"Actually,
I was going to eat in my office," she stammered.
"Okay,"
Daniel replied, slowly dragging out the word. The hesitation that had been in his
expression was definitely creeping into his tone now. "Then how about if I pick up
something at the cafeteria, and come keep you
company?"
Janet
could feel the eyes of people in the infirmary staring at them, but another
hasty look around confirmed it was only her imagination. She knew she was sending every
imaginable negative vibe toward Daniel, but was unsure how to fight against
it. She did not want to get into
this now, and especially not here.
In her rising panic, she simply wanted to escape.
"That's
considerate of you, Daniel," she replied, forcing a smile in an attempt
to placate his increasing apprehension.
"But I really am swamped.
I was planning to just work through lunch. In fact, I have to be in on a meeting
at 13:30, and there are still a few last minute details I need to add to my
report before then. So, I really
could use the time to work."
Daniel
nodded in understanding, but his expression was still troubled. He opened his mouth, as if to say
something, then seemed to think better of it. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he
sighed and nodded once more.
"Okay. I'll see you around then."
The
disappointment in his voice was unmistakable, and Janet felt her stomach
drop. She didn't want him to
leave like this. No, she couldn't
explain everything right now, but maybe she could say something to let him
know the past couple of minutes weren't as horrible as he must imagine them
to be.
He was
already halfway down the hall, his long legs making quick work of the
distance, and Janet had to move quickly to catch up. She reached out and tugged on his
sleeve.
"I'm
sorry, Daniel. It's just--"
she faltered, suddenly aware of people as they brushed past them in the
hallway.
"Is
something wrong?"
Janet
noticed he was making an effort to maintain physical distance, and that he'd
purposely kept his voice low. His
expression was clearly communicating that he primarily wanted to understand;
yet there was no denying the hurt in his eyes.
She shook
her head firmly. “No,
nothing’s wrong.”
At his raised eyebrow response she added, “I promise. But I do need to talk to you about
something.”
“Okay,”
he replied, some relief reflected in his tone. He glanced at his watch. “You have a meeting after lunch,
right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m
not supposed to leave on the P3L-997 relocation project until morning. I’m planning to stay on base
tonight, and I should be in my lab all afternoon. Just… just drop by whenever you
can.”
Janet
offered a smile and nodded reassuringly.
“I will.”
“Okay,”
Daniel replied.
He seemed
hesitant to go, as if he wanted to say more, but eventually turned and headed
down the corridor. Janet watched
him walk away. His gait was
irregular, head slightly lowered, hands dug deep in his pockets. She recognized the look all too well
– Daniel had retreated to the inner sanctum of his deepest
thoughts. She sighed
heavily. No, this was not how she’d
wanted it to play. But, at least
she should be able to talk to him before the day was over, and once
she’d had opportunity to explain herself, everything should be okay.
* ~ *
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~* ~ * ~*
~ * ~ *
Janet
dropped wearily into her chair, crossed her arms across her desk, and buried
her face. “No, no,
no,” she breathed, slightly rocking her head from side to side on her
forearm. “This isn’t
fair.”
The
afternoon meeting had dragged on much longer than she ever expected. Immediately afterwards a small
emergency had demanded her presence in the infirmary. She’d barely taken the time to
clean up before seeking out Daniel.
But he wasn’t to be found in either his lab or his on-base
quarters. Before conducting a
full-blown search, Janet had returned to her office for a few seconds of
peace and quiet to collect her thoughts.
She’d found the note taped to her computer monitor.
Janet,
situation on P3L-997 has become unexpectedly critical – had to gate out
immediately. Will talk when I get
back.
Sitting
up, Janet opened the note and read it again. It wasn’t signed. But then again, it didn’t have
to be. She would have recognized
his distinctive script anywhere – the neat, precise strokes that
somehow managed to express his strength and intelligence, even when hastily
written. A small smile played
across her lips as she heard Daniel’s voice rapidly rattle off the
words in her head. She could
almost imagine the mixture of hope and uncertainty in his tone as he uttered
the last line.
She
sighed, and whispered again, “it’s not fair.”
Sure,
they would talk – but who knew how long it would be before Daniel got
back? These types of relocation
missions had a sketchy timetable, even when everything went according to
plan. And she hated the idea of
him being off world, worried about whatever it was hanging unspoken between
them.
‘That’s
the part that really gripes you,’ her mind taunted. ‘You should have mentioned this
to him sooner.”
Massaging
her temples in an effort to relieve the tension, Janet vowed not to get into
this argument with herself again.
‘You
should have tried to call him just one more time Sunday night,’ the
little voice in her head insisted.
“So
much for not getting into this with myself again,” Janet huffed aloud.
She shook
her head in exasperation. It was
no good. Their conflicting
schedules over the weekend and the fact that the realization simply
didn’t occur to her until it was too late were things she could not go
back and change. Yes, perhaps she
should have attempted to phone just once more on Sunday, but that was also
something she couldn’t change.
Now she was here, Daniel was off world, and their parting words had
resulted in a tension between them – but she couldn’t change any
of that either. All she could do
was wait – wait and be ready, so that when Daniel did get back she
could finally clear the matter.
She felt
tired, more so than she had in a long time. Rubbing her eyes, Janet reached for
the phone.
“Hey
Sweetie,” she said when Cassandra answered. At the girl’s inquiry, she
assured, “No, no, I’m fine.
It’s just been a long day.
But how was your day?”
She listened attentively as her daughter rambled on. Just the sound of Cassie’s voice
was enough to lift her spirit somewhat, and Janet found herself smiling as
she listened.
“Listen,
I think I’m going to stay on base tonight,” she said when
Cassandra had finished. Janet
knew her daughter was accustomed to her schedule changing at the last minute,
but she liked to let Cassie know in advance when possible. “Will you be okay by
yourself…? You
sure…? All right,
I’ll see you tomorrow then… I love you too, Sweetheart. Goodnight.”
Hanging
up the phone, Janet absently fiddled with the note she held. There was still paperwork that needed
to be done, but technically she was off duty. ‘Maybe something to eat, a short
rest, and then I can tackle some reports before going to bed,’ she
thought. Glancing at the note
again, Janet fought against a sigh.
‘Be patient, and be ready,’ she reminded herself. ‘That’s all I can
do.” Dropping the note into
her lab coat pocket, she stood and headed for the cafeteria.
* ~ *
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~* ~ * ~*
~ * ~ *
Klaxons
blared, announcing the arrival of yet another incoming traveler, and Janet started. She wasn’t sure how long it had
been going on like this – her patience had run out a long time ago and
she was functioning on nothing but adrenaline and anticipation now.
When she
had first learned that Daniel was trapped on P3L-997 with floodwaters rising,
her response was – absurdly enough – to conclude that it was all
her fault. Never mind that
Felger’s crazy virus program was what had screwed up the dialing system
of the Gate network, Janet could only think that Daniel was stranded, she
would never see him again, and she was to blame. But once her initial shock subsided,
and she began to think more clearly, Janet realized that was simply her
guilty conscious – egged on by anxiety – talking.
In an
effort to combat her apprehension, Janet had tried to keep informed of the
situation. She’d learned
that Sam was working toward a solution, and Janet had every confidence in her
friend’s abilities. However,
that also meant Sam was constantly tucked away, working on the problem, thus
robbing Janet of the one person she might have been able to talk to. So she had struggled on, silently
bearing her burden. She
didn’t dare seek Sam out, not only for fear of interrupting her work,
but also because – Janet had to admit – she didn’t trust
what she would do if she encountered Felger.
It felt
as if weeks passed, but eventually Janet heard that the crisis had been
resolved. The Gate network was
working again, and all stranded SG teams would be coming home as soon as
possible. Of course this also
meant that the infirmary was going to become one extremely busy place, and
Janet had shoved her feelings aside and focused on her responsibilities. She did manage to ascertain that
Daniel was okay, but he wasn’t going to return until all the
inhabitants of P3L-997 were safely relocated. Despite her fatigue and anxiety, Janet
had felt her heart lighten a bit at that – it was just like him to
think of other people and put the mission ahead of himself.
SG
personnel had been pouring into the infirmary for hours now. Janet was managing to keep on top of
things, making sure her staff had everything under control, but a part of her
kept glancing expectantly toward the entrance. ‘Is he ever going to get
here?’ her mind shouted for the hundredth time.
Janet was
occupied with a patient when her gaze flicked towards the door and she
finally caught sight of him. He
was thoroughly soaked, his legs caked with mud from mid-thigh to boots. He looked exhausted, his skin pale and
drawn. She watched his eyes
quickly scan the room and when he saw her, his lips tightened in an
expression that didn’t quite stretch into a smile. He sent a barely perceptible nod her
direction before turning his gaze away.
Janet
returned her attention to her patient, trying not to rush through the procedure
in her impatience to get to Daniel.
When she finished, she found that he was already gone. Checked out by one of the other
doctors, he’d simply left.
Klaxons
suddenly sounded again, echoing the turmoil in her own heart and mind. Janet closed her eyes, seeking at
least a couple seconds respite.
‘There’s nothing to be done about it now,’ her
professional self chastised.
‘You’ve got work to do.’ Taking a deep breath, she moved on to
her next patient.
* ~ *
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~* ~ * ~*
~ * ~ *
Things
finally quieted down in the infirmary long enough for Janet to check her
watch. The night had already
passed into the early hours of morning.
It didn’t really surprise her. She’d learned long ago that in
her line of work routine schedules were not necessarily routine. But it was much too late to consider
going to see Daniel.
‘Or
is it?’ the little voice in her mind questioned.
Janet
ignored the voice as she continued checking the infirmary. She wanted to make sure that
everything was in order before she left for the night. Only a handful of patients had
required extended care, and they were all placed in infirmary beds and
resting peacefully. A couple of
nurses were milling about, finishing the last of the cleaning and
restocking. As she scanned
patient charts, Janet realized she was running out of excuses to avoid the
inevitable.
‘He
looked worn out,’ she reasoned.
‘He’s probably sleeping and I don’t need to disturb
him.’ But her inner voice pressed
the argument, reminding her that Daniel didn’t always follow a normal
sleep pattern, especially if he was experiencing gate-lag.
‘Even
so,’ she continued in her mind, ‘I definitely am worn out.
I’m not exactly in the best mood to talk to him right
now.’ But that failed to
quiet the internal dispute because she knew the worry she’d been
feeling for days would only follow her into sleepless tossing and turning if
she attempted to rest. There were
also Daniel’s feelings to consider. If he had been worried half as much as
she suspected, then she owed it to him to resolve this as soon as possible.
Janet
sighed heavily. ‘I suppose
I could at least check and see if he’s awake.’ She placed the chart on the hook at
the patient’s bed, and called to one of the nurses.
“I’m
calling it a night, Susan. Dr.
Warner is officially on duty, and I believe he’s in the lab, if you
need anything.”
“Goodnight,
Dr. Frasier.” The nurse
smiled before turning back to her business at the supply closet.
Shoving
her hands in the pockets of her lab coat, fighting her weariness and a
growing sense of apprehension, Janet strode from the infirmary in search of
Daniel.
* ~ *
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~* ~ * ~*
~ * ~ *
Janet
hesitated outside the door. His
lab had been dark and deserted, as she’d guessed it would be. And there was no sign of any activity
coming from his bunkroom now.
‘You’ve come this far,’ her inner voice
encouraged. Taking a deep breath,
she raised a hand and knocked.
All
remained quiet as the seconds ticked slowly by. She was debating whether to knock
again when she heard the sound of booted feet scuffling across the floor
inside, followed by some mumbled reply that might have been “just a
minute”. A few more seconds
passed and the door opened a fraction.
Janet caught sight of ruffled hair and a drowsy gaze peeking behind
glasses that were partly askew.
Instantly she regretted her decision to come.
Shaking her head in dismay, Janet hastily apologized. “I woke you. Daniel, I’m so sorry.”
“Janet?” Daniel blinked several times before
eventually removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. Repositioning the spectacles, his gaze
focused on her. “No, no
– I wasn’t… well, I guess maybe I was asleep. I was reading. I must have dozed off.”
“I’m
sorry,” she said again, feeling terribly foolish. “I’ll let you get back to
sleep.”
She
turned to go but suddenly felt a hand on her arm.
“No,
wait. It’s
okay.” Daniel said, his
voice still somewhat sluggish.
“You, um… you wanted something?”
Janet’s
hands found her pockets again as she shifted her weight slightly from one
foot to the other. “I
thought we could talk,” she said softly. Glancing down at the floor, she
abruptly added, “but it can wait until--”
“No,
it can’t.”
Daniel’s tone was gentle but firm. His eyes were fixed on her now, and
Janet felt her heart begin to beat a little faster. “I want us to talk,
Janet.” He stepped aside
and opened the door further in unspoken invitation.
Janet
entered and cast a quick look around the room as she heard the door close
behind her. The bed was still
made, but the covers were slightly rumpled. A book, pages open, rested on one
pillow. ‘Well, at least he
wasn’t already in bed,’
she thought, somewhat appeased. A
single lamp on the bedside table projected a pale beam of light across the
walls. The small desk occupying
one corner was covered with a few books and papers, piled in various stacks
in some haphazard method of organization. Janet wondered if the items were some
extension of the collections in his office, or if these books and papers were
perhaps more personal in nature.
Realization that this was actually the first time she’d ever
been in his base quarters suddenly dawned. Aware that she was very much in
foreign territory, she was nevertheless comforted by an inexplicable sense of
familiarity. ‘I suppose
everything in here is somehow a reflection of Daniel,’ she mused.
Daniel
switched on a second lamp and Janet watched as shadows danced in a mad dash
to reposition themselves around the room. He pulled a chair from the desk and
placed it facing the bed. Janet
took the offered seat, and waited as Daniel situated himself on the edge of
his bed.
Janet met
his eyes. He appeared fully awake
now but his expression was guarded.
She swallowed against a lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.
“I’m…
I’m glad you made it home safe,” she said. Her voice trembled slightly, and Janet
bit her lower lip, frustrated at her own weakness.
Daniel
managed a small smile, but said nothing.
“I,
um…” she began again.
“That is…”
Her fists clenched in her lap.
“What I mean is…”
“Just
tell me, Janet,” Daniel’s voice broke the silence. There was no reproof in his tone. “Whatever it is, you can tell
me.”
Suddenly
the fatigue and anxiety she’d been battling caught up with her and
Janet felt tears welling in her eyes.
‘Blast it,’ she thought. ‘I didn’t want to
cry.’ She bounded up from
the chair and began to pace, the unexpected motion providing the impetus she
needed to finally share what was on her mind.
“I
wanted to tell you this sooner.”
The confession came out in a rush, her voice half choked. “It didn’t hit me until I
was at work, on Saturday – and I tried to call you Sunday, but I never
reached you…”
“It’s
okay,” Daniel soothed, his gaze never faltering. “What did you want to tell me,
Janet?”
“I
can’t… I can’t allow things to continue this way,”
she finally sputtered. “I
just can’t.”
Janet
couldn’t be certain, in the dim light, but for the first time since
she’d arrived she saw a flash of genuine dread flicker across
Daniel’s face. When he
quickly glanced away, Janet felt the last of her resolve melt. Slumping back into the chair, she
allowed her tears to finally fall.
“It’s
not that I don’t have feelings for you – I do,” she continued. “But…” Janet huffed in exasperation. Dragging her hands through her hair,
she forced herself to regain composure.
“By nature, I’m a very emotional person. I deduced a long time ago that
it’s actually one of the things that makes me a good doctor. But I also learned that in order to be
an effective doctor, I needed to be able to keep a tight rein on those
emotions.”
She
noticed Daniel was turning to face her again, but Janet pointedly avoided his
gaze for fear she wouldn’t be able to go on.
“It’s
a skill I’ve had to work very hard to master. And it hasn’t been without
negative consequences.” She
angrily swiped at her damp cheeks.
“More times than I care to acknowledge, people have kept me at a
distance because they perceived me to be harsh, or cold, or – worst of
all – simply unfeeling. But
I know I have to remain detached in order to do my job. I don’t always like it, but
sometimes I simply have to lock my feelings away, to keep them in a
manageable place, so they won’t interfere.”
Janet
stared at her hands, and realized she’d been fidgeting, absently
rubbing thumbs against forefingers.
It was her typical nervous reaction – usually the only sign of
emotion she dared reveal in the midst of a crisis. She sniffled, and took a steadying breath,
determined to finish what she’d begun.
“And
that’s why I can’t allow myself to be openly demonstrative
towards you whenever we’re at work, Daniel,” she continued, her
voice barely above a whisper now.
“No, I don’t know for certain that it would ever affect my
ability to do my job, but I can’t allow myself to even take that
chance. I simply
can’t.” Her voice
dropped even further as she went on, “And even if you can’t
understand that, then I hope… I hope you’ll at least be able to
accept it.”
There
– she’d finally said it.
She still couldn’t look him in the eye, but she’d been
able to say it.
“Janet,
please look at me.”
Daniel’s
tender entreaty pulled at her like a physical touch, and Janet slowly raised
her head. She couldn’t
quite read the look on his face, but at least the sense of dismay was gone.
“I
just want to make sure I have this straight,” he said softly. “What you’re saying is
that you and I – at least while we’re at work – can’t
openly display our feelings towards each other?”
Janet
sniffled again, and nodded.
“Then
you’re not saying that you want to stop… I mean
you’re okay with us still seeing each other outside of work? You’re not having regrets about
this past Friday night?”
Janet’s
eyes widened as comprehension broke through. ‘Is that what he thought?’
she wondered in surprise.
‘Is that why he’d looked so upset?’
“No,
definitely not,” she assured, reaching for his hand. “And if that’s the
impression I gave, then I am so, so very sorry, Daniel.” With her free hand, she reached up to
cradle his face. “Please
believe me when I say that I treasured the time I spent with you on
Friday. And I look forward to
many, many more such times in the future.”
Daniel’s
eyes closed as he exhaled heavily in obvious relief. When he met her gaze again, Janet saw
the same depth of feeling she’d witnessed just before he’d kissed
her that night.
“I’m
glad to hear you say that, because I definitely feel the same,” Daniel
said, smiling warmly as he wiped away the last of her tears. “And, actually, I do
understand. And I admire your
strength in knowing this is what you have to do in order to perform your
job. And yes, I can certainly
accept that as a stipulation on our relationship. But there is one more thing I want to
ask you.”
“Okay,”
Janet said, slowly pulling her hand away from his face.
“It’s
one thing for us to not act like we’re pursing a relationship
while we’re on base,” he began. “But word is going to get around
eventually. How do you feel about
that?”
Janet
sighed. “I won’t deny
that thought hasn’t also crossed my mind.” She shrugged. “Let people talk if they
want. I figure unless someone
comes out and asks directly, we don’t have to confirm anything one way
or the other.”
Daniel
nodded as he shifted slightly on the bed. “I can be okay with that.”
Janet
stared at him through the intervening silence then finally raised her
eyebrows questioningly.
“But…”
“I
was just thinking about our closest friends. Jack, Sam and Teal’c –
don’t you think they deserve to be told, before they end up hearing it
through the grapevine?”
“You’re
right,” she conceded.
“We owe them that.”
Daniel
held his hands open in a half-shrug.
“How do you want to go about doing that?”
Janet
crossed her arms, her head tilted as she bit at her lower lip in
thought. “Well, Cassie does
have that art exhibit at school coming up next week. I know she’s invited all of you
to come, and I was thinking of having a little reception at the house
afterwards. Maybe we could sort
of break it to them then?”
“Sounds
like a plan,” Daniel replied.
“Although now that I think about it, we may only have to tell
Jack and Teal’c. I think
Sam’s already wise to what’s going on.”
Janet
suddenly grinned.
“You’re probably right about that.” The room grew quiet again, and Janet
suddenly stifled a yawn.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“Way past my bed-time.”
Daniel
smiled. “Do SGC personnel
even have a standardized bed-time?”
She
almost laughed at that.
“Hardly,” she answered, standing up. “But if I don’t get to my
bed soon, I fear I’ll be in danger of passing out.”
“Well,
we can’t have that,” Daniel said, rising with her.
Janet
paused at the door. She turned
towards him, looking up into the face that was becoming more dear to her day
by day. “I really am glad you
made it home safe,” she said, her voice slightly husky.
Daniel
closed the short distance between them, and gently ran a fingertip along her
face. “Me too.”
She
stretched on tiptoes, and placed a light kiss on his cheek. “And that’s for the
wonderful little gift you left on my desk yesterday morning. That was very sweet of you.”
“You’re
welcome,” Daniel replied.
“But in light of our conversation tonight, you can be assured it
won’t happen again. At
least, not at work.”
Janet
smiled. “Thank you.”
“Goodnight,
Janet,” he said, opening the door for her.
“Goodnight,”
she replied, allowing her gaze to linger on him as she slowly turned to
leave.
As she
headed towards her own base quarters, Janet felt joyous relief, now secure in
the knowledge they would both rest easy the remainder of that night.
~ END ~
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