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ace-in-a-shopping-cart · 3 months ago

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Like the Sun Came Out

Summary: Reader is a botanist on a Stargate team. When they encounter a plant that forces them to confront their deepest held secret or die, they're forced to have a hard conversation with Daniel, whom they've had a crush on since they got there.

Word Count: 21262

With a flash of light and a loud noise that Y/N was still not entirely used to, the Gate activated. Even with the noise that came with it, they had always been in awe of the event horizon, or ‘puddle’ as they’d once heard SG-1 and SG-Atlantis call it. It was a wonderful blue like that of a clear seashore, rippling like a rock had just been tossed into a pond. The puddle was an apt name for it, despite what it was and what it did.

Still, there was no time to ponder the nature of the Stargate, only to go through it and do their job. P3X-326 had already been cleared by SG-10 almost a month ago. SG-13 was just being sent there to do scientific recon, nothing more serious than that.

Even though it was a mainly scientific team, Y/N couldn’t help but admire Major Laurel Thomas, the leader and sole protector of SG-13, as she went in first. She was the only military member of the unit and the one in charge of the most tasks and held that badge with pride. As she was the most mischievous one of the group during down time and the most serious while on missions, Y/N couldn’t ask for a better leader than Laurel.

They considered the other members of their team in the split second it took for them to step through the Gate. Kenneth Sardoni was next, the team’s archeologist and anthropologist. He wasn’t the best linguist on the base or in the facility, if he was he’d be on a higher SG team. Still, he was someone Y/N looked up to and admired for being able to speak so many languages as it was, especially the ones thought to be dead before the other planets were met.

Charles DeSoto crossed third. He was someone that Y/N interacted with a bit more than the other two as their fields intersected a bit more. Charles was the team’s geologist and was always down in the dirt, collecting samples. He also tended to be called over to check out any ground around Kenneth’s digs to make sure they were safe. It meant he was good at finding hidden traps or things on the ground as that’s where his eyes were almost always focused. The few times he wasn’t looking at the dirt were when he was looking at the rock layers and trying to find manmade structures or natural wonders.

Y/N brought up the rear, feeling small in the presence of, and in comparison to, their team. They were the botanist and zoologist, tasked with looking out for all things alien life that wasn’t humanoid. Even then, sometimes they’d be called upon to help see if something was human, humanoid, or a hybrid of an animal and human or alien. Compared with keeping everyone safe, discovering and speaking with ancient civilizations, or even predicting a natural disaster, cataloging the natural flora and fauna didn’t seem like that big of a job to them.

Once through the Gate, the group moved in formation as a unit through the jungle to the small clearing that held the base camp set up by SG-10. Laurel set down the majority of her gear, leaving herself with only a Zat gun and a P90. “Okay, guys, this is home for the next month- or cycle, whatever this planet uses. Either way, get comfy. We’re gonna be here for a while.”

Kenneth laughed, setting down his two large tubs full of tools that were all tenderly packed and labeled, ready for usage. “I think we’re supposed to measure our stay by Earth time and work by our natural cycles, boss man. That way, we won’t be out of sync when we go back to Earth in a month or so.”

Y/N quietly set down their own gear and tubs, setting themself up in a corner of the base camp. Charles set up near them, already scanning the surrounding area for any rock formations that seemed promising or stood out to him in some way. He was the first one to break from the group, taking a small pack of tools and test tubes without saying a word.

Laurel swore and bellowed, “Charlie! We’re supposed to stay together, dammit!” before taking off after him, one hand resting comfortably on the P90 hand pistol strapped to her hip.

Y/N chuckled, used to their antics and fully expecting it to happen. Kenneth started contentedly setting his gear up, getting a few of the more delicate things situated better and a few other things moved to different pockets. “You runnin’ off on me, too?” Y/N joked to him.

Kenneth turned and smiled. “It’s not like I can get in any more trouble than he’s gonna be in,” he responded, gesturing with a thumb over his shoulder in the direction the other two went.

“Well, you know the team’s protocol, off you go. Have fun, find lots of stuff!” Y/N smiled back at him and finished setting up their own equipment. They pulled a few more of the important things out, storing them in their vest and BDU pockets.

By the time they were ready to start their own work, Kenneth was already long gone, a piece of paper stuck under one of his smaller boxes. Y/N pulled out a notepad and prepared to do the same.

Boss Man,

Headed North of the Stargate and Base Camp, looking for cool plants or animal tracks. I’ve brought food, water, and protection with me. Should be back by sundown, if not before. See you then!

Your Favorite Teammate.

On a whim, Y/N crossed out the signature line and wrote, “Your Best Behaved Child,” instead. Smiling at the message, they placed theirs with Kenneth’s, absently noting that he said he went to the West of the same marker. Satisfied, Y/N set off in their desired direction and started looking at the local vegetation

Laurel always joked that getting SG-13 to do anything was like trying to corral toddlers, but she also said she wouldn’t change it for the world. The Major loved the chaotic life that was SG-13 and the entire team knew it and that she was the most chaotic of them all when on Earth. Still, they couldn’t help but tease her for the toddler comments, eventually deciding on a ranking of the ‘children’ that changed randomly. Some days, it would be whoever was the best behaved, those last to leave base camp without Laurel. Some days, it was ranked by an imaginary age system based on how old Laurel said they were acting those days. Y/N more often than not got called a five year old.

Still, the team loved their beleaguered caretaker and protector and did their best to show that appreciation during their off hours. On missions, though, it was a whole other story. Laurel couldn’t supervise all of them as they often tended to wander in separate directions. Charles and Kenneth naturally ended up next to each other, one looking at the dirt and the other looking at things in the dirt, while Y/N ended up away from the group looking at things that grew in the dirt or walked on it. So, Laurel ended up going with the men nine times of ten. The tenth time, it was when Charles and Y/N decided to team up, Y/N needing to know the soil to know the plants for some planets.

With Kenneth meandering his way toward where Charles and Laurel had headed off to, it only made sense that she’d stay over there with the majority of the group unless she thought she could coax Y/N over to join them. Y/N didn’t really care if they stayed with the group or not, they were content to just do their job. They put in their headphones, played some music to keep them focused, and worked on their own things. The planet had already been cleared of threats before the team even came and had been deemed safe so Y/N didn’t feel they were in any serious danger.

There was a native population, but the SGC hadn’t really made contact with them yet as they were considered a primitive civilization. SG-10 had claimed they were similar to an ancient Central American culture but they hadn’t specified which one. That was what Kenneth was there to do, figure out exactly what culture this planet had and where the people might have been taken from.

It didn’t matter how many worlds they visited, for each one truly does feel like a different world and not just a different planet, Y/N was always amazed at how similar to Earth it could be. Maybe Earth is just that diverse, but each world always held some resemblance to their home planet while also holding something deeply alien. Each one had its own little quirks, some way of existing that was completely foreign and different. They just had to find it.

Y/N shivered as the wind passed through the jungle. The trees were tall but Y/N’d grown up in a forest, already knowing their way back and how to wander without getting lost. Putting away the music, they pulled out a voice recorder, finding it easier to speak their notes than write them down, especially while examining something.

“Botanist and Zoologist’s log of P3X-326. Doctor Y/N L/N of SG-13. The weather on this planet resembles that of Earth’s Autumn, seeming to be right after the wet season, good thing we missed that,” they chuckled, making a mental note to edit the comment from the log. “The plant life is incredibly vibrant, with the leaves looking lush and flowers being abundant. That may be due to the wet season just ending as SG-10 reported a less lush environment on their pass through a few months ago, indicating a cycle of seasons similar to Earth’s. So far, P3X-326 is similar to every other planet settled by the Ancients and colonized by the Goa’uld, almost a carbon copy of a biome found on Earth.”

They paused their steps and words, turning in a small circle to observe their new surroundings, before continuing the log. “The plants in a clearing approximately,” they glanced at their watch, “a half hour’s walk North of Base Camp look stranger than those observed on any other planet. Not necessarily what most would consider to be alien, but truly unlike anything I’ve seen yet. Some trees, for example, seem to be conglomerations of others with the bark of one species, the leaves of another, and the flowers of a third species. Many other plants seem to be like this as well, combinations of different plants in the same genus or family. Is this Goa’uld manipulation? Natural combinations done over time to adjust to this environment? Grafting done by the local population that became typical to find here? Or, is this just the way they naturally exist? I’m going to grab samples to examine for later.”

Y/N turned off the recording and let their music play again, putting the volume low enough to be background noise. Humming to the tune, they set about grabbing samples of the strangest plants around them. Trees with the bark of Oak, leaves of Birch, and flowers of Dogwood had already caught their attention and were the first to be sampled. The next was a tall tree with soft, light brown wood and razor sharp copper colored leaves. Running a hand over the bark, Y/N sighed for just a moment and wondered if any furniture could be made of the lovely wood.

Coiling around a nearby tree was a climbing plant with bright red branches, dark green stems, and silver leaves. Y/N made sure they had gloves on when grabbing samples, the bright colors telling them it was likely a poisonous plant. Along the forest floor, they found small red flowers with five pointed petals darkening to a spot of purple toward the base of the petal. Growing from a normal-looking bush were large circular flowers that had yellow centers and white petals. What made that one interesting aside from its size were the bright purple stamens surrounding the yellow centers.

Delicate blue flowers growing vertically greeted Y/N on a nearby bush, almost waving cheerily at them. For some reason, they made the botanist/zoologist feel calm, as if everything was going to be alright. They noted that emotion on the container they packaged the sample in, feeling it was important to remember that.

For another half hour, they wandered the clearing, gathering samples and recording their findings. Tucked behind a small bush, they found something that made them pull up in confusion. Pulling out the recorder and checking their compass, Y/N stepped back for a moment to collect their thoughts.

“Botanist’s log, continued. Humanoid skull found on the East end of the clearing. It’s clean, no other bones around. It must have been here for a while, I’ll have Kenneth confirm later the exact age. Tooth marks suggest the body was eaten by a wild animal. There is a strange fern growing from the mouth of the skull, stranger than any other plant in this clearing. The leaves are a pure white, almost translucent, with serrated edges and curling at the tips. There is a faint streak of purple running down the center of each leaf. The closest I can identify it is the Athyrium genus but none of those species are as translucent as this. It may be a new species of Athyrium but it may be an entirely alien plant. The stems are green, clearly pulling their nutrients through there, but the leaves have a nearly mesmerizing quality to them. This sample will have priority study.”

They turned off the recorder and knelt to gather samples of the plant. As they did so, they faintly heard footsteps behind them. Y/N turned to see the rest of their team walking up the path. They smiled and waved. “Hey, guys! It’s only been about an hour, I expected y’all to be gone longer.”

Laurel scoffed, eyes scanning the surroundings. “I can’t corral you toddlers if I don’t have all three of you in the same place and in sight. Besides, Kenenth claims to have finished his work for the day so Charlie wanted to check in on you.”

Y/N smiled at that, feeling reassured to have their team with them once more. “Okay, I’m almost done with this clearing. One more plant, maybe two, then we can head to the camp for the night! Oh, and, Kenneth, can I get your opinion on something real quick?”

Laurel nodded, standing with her back to Y/N. Kenneth came over and looked over Y/N’s shoulder. “What’d ya need?”

Y/N pointed at the skull. “Can you figure out how long it’s been there? Just for the sake of the record, of course.”

He nodded and examined it. “Uh, I’d say maybe fifty years? With the weather conditions and the state of other bones I’ve found, mostly animals that I’ll need you to identify later, fifty years with error bars of five years sounds right.”

“Cool, thanks!” Y/N smiled at him.

He nodded and started wandering the area, looking at the different plants but keeping his hands behind his back. Ever since he’d accidentally gotten poison ivy, he was cautious to touch anything without Y/N telling him it was okay. Charles wandered behind Kenneth, mimicking his posture and generally being the class clown. Y/N chuckled at his antics before turning back to the fern.

Carefully, they pulled a smaller leaf off and carved off a portion of the stem, putting both in a cylinder container partially filled with sterile water and into their bag. As they closed the lid of the bag, they accidentally brushed against a leaf. The sori on the underside of the leaf exploded, releasing spores into the air. Y/N sneezed but, in a stroke of luck, the wind was pointing away from the clearing and quickly got rid of the spores.

Y/N stood and picked up their bag, careful not to disturb the plant again in case more sori would explode. Once certain their items were secure, they walked over to Laurel. “Okay, boss man, all done here. Is it dinner time yet? I’m starving!”

Laurel chuckled. “We’ve still got a half hour hike back to camp due to you being an overachiever but after that, we’ll get right on dinner. I promise.”

Y/N cheered, pumping a fist into the air, and set off running down the path they’d taken to get there. Once back at the camp, Y/N stored most of the samples but took the ones from the Silver Leafed Creeper, as they’d decided to call it, and put them in an analysis program. By the time dinner was made and eaten, the sample had been fully analyzed and they were able to see what it was.

“Amazing,” they muttered, looking at the sample through a microscope before looking at the analysis results.

“What’s so cool?” Laurel wandered over, sitting near Y/N as they worked. She sounded more relaxed now that the entire team was in a central location and under the protection of base camp. Mother hen and her chicks all in the coop for the night.

Y/N looked up from their equipment to smile at their friend. “I grabbed this specific plant thinking it was going to be poisonous. After all, the bright colors practically scream ‘danger’. Instead, it actually seems to have chemicals that could be used in medicine. I’d love it if Kenneth could figure out the language and talk to the locals about this, I really wanna know if they use it for medicine or not. If they do, what do they use it for? Are there any side effects to it? How powerful is it? All I can tell right now is that it seems to maybe work as a pain reliever.”

“Sounds like you’re really enjoying learning about this planet,” Laurel laughed.

Y/N nodded, stepping back and rubbing their eyes. “Yeah, I could study this planet for another few months and still not be satisfied. I know you don’t really care about this kind of thing, more of a military person yourself, but I do appreciate you listening to me ramble for a bit. It feels nice to be heard.”

Laurel reached out, putting a hand on her friend’s arm. “Darlin’, I don’t mind. I love hearing my team be in their elements, I love hearing you specifically ramble about your work and passions. You’re my friend, y’know, and most people just like to talk to their friends.”

Y/N laughed. “I know. Still, it can’t be easy to only be surrounded by scientists who mostly ramble about things you couldn’t care less about or understand.”

Laurel nodded, chuckling a bit. “I’ll concede that point, y’all can get a bit boring sometimes or your talk will go over my head. Other times, I just wanna be out in the field instead of sitting in the tent and listening to Charlie talk about the dirt he found that day. I’d rather be running around on it than listening to him study it, some days. “

Y/N threw their head back in a deep laugh, affectionately pointing at Laurel. “Your Georgia Girl is coming out, Laur!”

Laurel lightly pushed them, shook her head, and walked off, laughing with her friend.

The team stayed on the planet for another few weeks. By the end of the month, Y/N found themself back at the clearing they’d found on the first day. For some reason, that skull and fern almost called to them and they needed another look at it. Laurel was with them while the other packed up base camp, getting ready to go home. “Come on, Sugar Pie, let’s make this quick. I’d rather be home in time for dinner.“

“Relax, boss man, I’m just getting one more sample of a plant.” Y/N carefully found a leaf with sori on it and cut off a portion. Mindful of the sori, they put the sample into a container, which got put into their bag. “See? That easy! Already done!”

Laurel nodded, readjusting her grip on her service weapon. “Good, let’s get out of here. I’m looking forward to time on Earth.” She waited until Y/N had the bag over their shoulder before she set off, the scientist right on her heels.

When they got back, Y/N and Laurel helped pack up the last few things of base camp. With it all torn down and ready to go, the team made the trek back to the DHD. “Alright, Kenneth, do the honors,” Laurel ordered as her eyes scanned the surroundings for the final time.

Y/N also took the moment to look around. Despite only being on the planet for a few weeks, they were going to miss it. There were still secrets hiding in the jungle that they could spend the rest of their life discovering. Still, like Laurel, they were eager to be back home for a while and looking forward to all the amenities that Earth possessed.

Kenneth dialed home and SG-13 stepped through the Stargate, the entire team looking forward to a month or so on their home planet before their next mission. As soon as they were back at Stargate Command, they were being marched to the infirmary for the mandatory health check and screening. Their gear was piled in the usual corner of the room and each person assigned a bed. Y/N didn’t mind, they’d kept a book out to read as they waited for their examination.

Soon enough, Doctor Janet Fraiser walked around the corner. She and a few orderlies soon got to examining them, letting the team go a half hour later with a clean bill of health. Y/N thanked the doctor and picked up their gear, making their way over to their lab.

Before they’d left, their lab had begun to be shared with the famed Doctor Daniel Jackson. As Y/N set their bags down, they scanned the room. Most of their things had been left untouched, the only sign of the archaeologist was the table in the corner that housed a bunch of books and a computer. They smiled and, as they began to unpack, reminisced on how that situation had come to be.

A knock sounded at the door to the lab. Y/N turned, finding Daniel standing there, hands in his pockets with his pinkies sticking out as he typically had them. Y/N nodded to him, face turning back to the sample in their hands. “Is there anything I can help you with, Doctor Jackson?”

He chuckled, footsteps indicating his movement closer. His voice being louder confirmed it. “I’m hoping so. See, my office is currently being taken over by a team of ten anthropologists looking at a document brought back by SG-15. It seems my space is the only one large enough to contain both the team and their large document and I can’t seem to do any work while they’re there.”

Y/N raised their head, finally having the sample positioned properly under the microscope. “And, if I may ask, where do I come in?”

He smiled, eyes blue as lakes behind those round wire frames. “I was hoping you would allow me to cohabitate in your lab for the time being.”

Y/N tilted their head. “Are you certain my lab is the best choice? Surely, there are closer and drier labs that would be more suitable? I know it’s just down the hall from yours but if you use this botany lab, there’s a chance your books could be damaged, especially any ancient or antique ones. Last I checked, paper and humidity don’t go very well together.”

He nodded, a small smile gracing his face. “Um, well, that’s just the thing. I’m actually working on a stone that only seems to reveal its inscription when in a fairly humid environment; I think it was picked up on a jungle planet or something similar. It’s . . . the main reason I wanted to use your lab. It’s close enough to my own that I can grab research or other materials if needed and it’s just the right humidity the stone needs. So, what do you say? You willing to let me invade for a month or two?” He rubbed the back of his neck.

Y/N thought about it for a moment, heart going crazy. “Okay. I’m going off world in a week or so and could use someone to water these plants while I’m gone. If I leave a watering schedule with you, do you think you can do that for me? As payment for usage of the lab?”

He straightened his back and mock-saluted. “Of course! Leave it to me!” His eyes shone with mischief and excitement, something so enticing Y/N could almost feel that same energy.

It made them feel giddy and his antics caused them to grin back at him. “Then, you’re more than welcome to the use of my lab for as long as you need, so long as you keep it in good condition, Doctor Jackson.”

His smile mirrored theirs before softening. “Thank you. Oh, and, you can just call me Daniel, please. ‘Doctor’ feels a bit too formal.”

Y/N nodded. “Then, just call me Y/N, Daniel.” They savored the way his name felt on their tongue, letting it roll off and slip past their lips.

A knock at the door pulled Y/N from their reverie. Turning, they saw that very same doctor of archaeology standing in the doorway, just as he had been that day. Y/N smiled, feeling their breathing quicken in excitement but their heartbeat slowing inexplicably. “Hey, you don’t need to know, come on in.”

He stepped inside and rounded the lab to his table where many books and a large stone rested. “Sorry, I don’t mean to invade. I only just learned you got back. If I’d known sooner, I wouldn’t have still been working this late as I wanted to give you the space to yourself after getting back from a long mission. I know how draining those can be.”

Y/N shook their head, putting away the last of the samples from that bag. “It’s not a problem. I’ve got a day or so before I’m officially back in this lab anyways. Besides, I said you could use the lab as long as you like and I don’t say things I don’t mean.” They patted the last bag to unpack, the samples they’d taken from the strange clearing. “Once I’m officially back, I’m diving headfirst into these babies.”

Daniel chuckled, leaning against his table rather than getting straight to work. “Seems like you’re excited to work on those. Is there anything special about them?”

Y/N shrugged. “Uh, I just found them in a weird spot. Most of them don’t even look like anything we have on Earth and I haven’t encountered them anywhere else. It’s why I thought they warranted a look.” They yawned, covering their mouth and turning away.

He laughed. “Seems like you should probably get out of here. Sounds like you could use some sleep.”

Y/N shook their head, waking themself up a bit. “I still need to at least unpack these and put them in the proper areas before I go.”

Daniel stepped forward, putting a hand on the top of the bag. Y/N couldn’t help but notice just how close his hand was to theirs, also on top of the bag. “I can do that for you, if you’d like.”

They blinked, their jet lag catching up with them. “Wait, really?”

“Yeah, really. I got into the habit of wandering around the lab when I couldn’t figure something out or reading the labels as I watered the plants. So, I’ve been in this lab long enough to know how the categorization system seems to work.” he waved a hand around, indicating all the plants thriving around them. “I’ve taken care of all these for the month or so you were gone, I’m sure I can take care of them for one more day before they’re officially returned to you.”

Y/N smiled and closed their eyes for a moment before looking into Daniel’s. “Thank you. I-I honestly was just going to push through but I really am nearly dead on my feet and running purely on the need to finish a few tasks at this point.”

He moved the hand from the bag to rest on their shoulder. “Go. Get something to eat, a shower, and some sleep, in any order you’d like. This lab will still be here when you get back.”

Y/N smiled, tiredness invading every cell of their body. “Y’know what, I think I’ll do just that.”

Daniel smiled back before his brows furrowed slightly. “Hey, not to cause you more stress but, when’s your debrief? I’d feel bad if I made you miss it.”

Y/N chuckled. “It’s 0800 tomorrow morning. After the debrief, the rest of the day is mine. Then, it’s back to work the day after.”

He nodded. “Ah, that makes sense. Hopefully, it won’t last too long and you can get started on the R and R soon enough.”

“I hope so too.” Y/N left the lab to the sound of Daniel’s footsteps and a spray bottle misting over the plant specimens.

A day later, Y/N was back in the lab and hard at work. Soft music was humming through their headphones, head bobbing slightly to the sound as they moved around the lab. As they worked, they kept up a steady stream of calm muttering to the plants. The first thing they had to do was catalogue all the new plant specimens, see what had survived the gathering process and what hadn’t, and make sure all of them were set up properly in their own containers. Y/N also checked on their existing specimens and plants, seeing how well Daniel had taken care of them during Y/N’s absence.

Halfway through the process of checking the plants, softly telling them of their conditions, footsteps alerted Y/N to the presence of another person in the room. They looked up to find Daniel walking through the door, a steaming mug in his hands. He paused when he saw them and Y/N smiled at him, turning their music off and straightening from their slightly bent position.

“Good morning,” they greeted amicably, cheeks heating slightly at the realization he found them talking to their plants.

Daniel nodded back at them. “Morning to you, too. I, uh, I didn’t expect there to be anyone else here this early.”

Y/N shrugged. “Couldn’t really sleep last night so I thought I’d get a head start on the work here.”

He hummed in understanding then took an awkward step, pointing to his mug. “Uh, do you want one of these?”

Y/N chuckled. “No, thank you. I brought my drink of choice from home.” they pointed to a dark green thermos sitting off to the side on a table covered in papers.

“God, I probably should have asked if open containers were even allowed in here,” Daniel chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck.

Y/N smiled, glancing down for a moment. “No, they’re allowed. Just, um, try not to feed it to the plant in the far corner,” they gestured at the plant in question, “as it tends to grow a bit too much with the addition of caffeine. I learned that the hard way.” They laughed again.

Daniel laughed with them, glancing at the plant before returning his eyes to Y/N. Those eyes were such a deep blue and always held such warmth, Y/N always felt safe when they saw them, feeling like they were sinking into a familiar lake that they could stay in for hours.

They managed to shake themself out of their thoughts before the staring got awkward, moving instead to pick up their thermos. “So, you’ve got any big plans for today?”

Daniel shrugged. “Eh, I’m still trying to crack this damn stone. Figuratively, of course. I’ve got an off-world mission with my team scheduled for later today. Other than that, no, nothing big.” He smiled, eyes flicking between the new plant specimens. “Though it seems like you’re excited to work on your own big projects today.”

Y/N laughed awkwardly, looking at the plant cuttings they’d already started setting up in pots. “Yeah, I am, actually. I took my day of rest, got all the other paperwork out of the way, and was probably a bit too excited for this. The reason I couldn’t sleep last night, I guess.”

Daniel’s smile grew and he chuckled. “Well then, I think I’ll leave you alone. I’ll just be over in my corner of this wonderful room. Please, ignore the curing that might come from there, it’s just part of the process.”

Y/N laughed. “I understand, it’s part of my own process too, at times.” They wondered if his cursing would be entirely in English or if he would switch to different languages as he did it. Strangely, they were excited to find out.

They took a deep breath and blinked back into the reason they were there as Daniel walked away. Putting the thermos down, Y/N turned back to looking over their plant specimens. All too aware of Daniel now in the room with them, Y/N kept their music low and stopped muttering to the plants, just quietly went through their process.

A few minutes later, Daniel cleared his throat. On instinct, Y/N turned their head to look at him. He was standing a bit closer now, leaning against the edge of his table, and gestured for their headphones to come off once he had their attention. Y/N turned off the music and pulled the headphones down to dangle around their neck as requested. “Yeah? Did you need something else, Daniel?” It still felt weird to say his name aloud to him, the way it rolled off the tongue so nicely feeling like a piece of candy they wanted to keep rolling around.

He smiled and chuckled. “No, not really. I just wanted to say that I’d noticed you were talking to the plants when I came in and wondered why you weren’t doing it anymore.”

Y/N’s cheeks heated up again. “Oh. Uh, studies show that some noises help plants grow better, which is why I play nature sounds when no one else is here. I didn’t have that set up when you were in here and I was off-world, of course. I was afraid it might distract or annoy you. It’s also been shown in a few studies that complimenting plants or talking to them in general can have a positive impact on them. It might just be the CO2 in our breath that causes them to grow better but I like to think that the positive words help them grow. So,” they rubbed the back of their neck, “I talk to my plants. It’s kinda stupid, but it makes me feel better to know they’re being talked nicely to.”

Daniel nodded, eyes attentive to every word being said. It felt good, in a way, to have the person they had only ever admired from afar looking at them and truly listening to what Y/N had to say. It was almost intoxicating to have him seem to hang on every word said. He smiled when they finished. “Alright, that’s actually really interesting. And, it’s not stupid at all. Actually, it’s kind of sweet. Well, don’t feel like you have to change the way you work just ‘cause I’m here. Play the nature sounds, talk to the plants, just do whatever you usually do. I don’t want to inconvenience you at all and I know changing the way someone works can be frustrating.”

Y/N genuinely thanked him and they both went back to work. They finished with the routine checks and pulled out the newer plants to look at. Going through the flowers first, Y/N got to the calming blue ones relatively quickly. Up to then, the plants had more or less just been normal ones, if a bit exotic looking and adapted to the foreign soil of the other planet. This one, however, actually made Y/N feel different as soon as it was pulled out of its sample bag.

“What do you want to tell me?” Y/N muttered as they prepared it for inspection. They cut off a thin section of the stem and put it under the microscope. Finding nothing abnormal with it, they next sampled the stamen. “Wait, what the fuck?” they said louder than they had meant to.

Daniel looked up from his work, eyes slightly unfocused and expression tired. “Huh? What? Found something interesting?”

They lifted their head to look at him. “Uh, that would depend on your definition of ‘interesting’, Daniel.”

He shook his head, already standing. “No, Y/N, if you say it’s interesting, I’ll listen. Besides, I could use a break anyways.” He walked over and leaned against the table, facing Y/N. They got a small shiver run down their spine at the way he said their name, almost cradling it on his tongue. It was gentle and familiar, yet not too intimate. It made it hard for them to think for a moment before they snapped out of it.

“Uh, well, back on 326, I found this specific flower that, for some reason, made me feel calmer just looking at it. I thought it was interesting as I’d yet to find any other plant that did that, on that planet or others. Unsure if it was just my imagination, I grabbed a sample of it. I put it under the spectrometer and the microscope. I’m still waiting on the spectrometer but, if I’m right, this might have a major impact on a lot of things.”

Daniel placed his palms on the table behind him. “You really know how to keep someone interested. So, tell me, what could this plant impact?”

Just as he finished speaking, the spectrometer beeped. Y/N went over and picked up the paper it spit out. They cheered, jumping and spinning around. “Yes, yes yes!!”

Daniel caught them, placing his hands on their shoulders. “Hey, come on, botanist, tell me what’s going on.” His voice was lighthearted and teasing, seeming to enjoy the way Y/N was acting right now and wanting to be let in on the secret so he could celebrate with them.

Y/N took a deep breath. “This plant has unusually high levels of gamma aminobutyric acid, abbreviated as GABA, a chemical in the brain that not only calms but can also literally help break bad habits. Not only could this help with disorders like Anxiety, PTSD, or others, it could also probably be greatly helpful to places like rehab or AA. It’s pretty much revolutionary, the things this plant could do, not to mention,” their words started to come out faster as they started to get more excited again. “It’s only in the pollen and stamens, making it relatively easy to administer. One only has to just grow it in their house to get nonstop hits of GABA!”

Daniel smiled, squeezing their shoulders. “That’s great!”

Y/n took another deep breath to steady themself and glanced at the clock. “Oh, shit, is that the time?! I promised Laurel I’d eat lunch with her. Major boss man is gonna kill me if I’m late, I gotta go!” They reached up to squeeze Daniel’s hands before running out of the room, the sound of his laughter following the swoop of their lab coat.

A few hours later, Y/N came back from lunch to see a note from Daniel.

Y/N,

I’m off to my mission with SG-1. It shouldn’t take long but missions are unpredictable. Even if it didn’t, I’ve got an archaeology conference I promised a colleague I’d try to attend. So, don’t expect to see me for the rest of the day.

I hope you have more success with your continued research and can’t wait to hear more about it when I see you tomorrow.

Daniel

Y/N smiled giddily and pocketed the note, swaying on their feet in an attempt to keep from dancing around the room. There was something special about seeing their name written out so nicely in his handwriting, a jolt of electricity that felt just like how it did to finally make a breakthrough or to get to the best part of a book shot through them. It was like finishing a puzzle or getting through a hard problem, the elation of triumph and the satisfaction of completion all wrapped up in the joy of his deep blue eyes and elegant swooping letters.

In their giddy haste to get back to work, Y/N was careless and forgot their usual protocol. They pulled out the fern leaf with the sori on it but didn’t handle it carefully enough, accidentally breaking a sorus. The spores went everywhere and Y/N could almost feel them entering their lungs. Quickly, they cleaned everything up into a biological waste bag and headed out, making sure to seal the lab door on their way out.

They brought the bag with them to the infirmary, where an orderly approached them. “Hello, Doctor L/N. Is there something I can help you with?”

Y/N automatically smiled. “Hi, I seem to have made a small mistake. Uh, I’m not too concerned just yet but I would really appreciate being able to see a doctor as soon as possible, please.”

“Of course. Doctor Fraiser is almost done with a patient, I’ll let her know you’re next up on the list. In the meantime, just stay here and she’ll guide you to an exam bed when she’s ready.”

“Thanks so much!” Y/N already felt deflated, never being that much of a people person. People they knew were fine, but others were hard to deal with without a set ‘script’ they could follow. Even then, that ‘script’ left them exhausted. So, Y/N just leant against the wall and waited for the Chief Medical Officer to be ready for them. The entire wait, they tried to calm their anxiety and heart rate by telling themself it was all in their head, the spores weren’t dangerous and even if they were, Y/N surely hadn’t breathed in enough to do any damage, if they’d breathed in any at all, which was unlikely.

Soon enough, Janet came over. “What seems to be the problem, Doctor?” she asked, already having a penlight in hand.

Y/N smiled sheepishly and held up the biowaste bag. “I got a bit too excited about a research project while pulling out a sample for it and, uh, broke open a spore pocket. I think I breathed some of the spores in and just really need to know if they’re toxic or not. At the very least, am I gonna die in the next few hours, Doc?” Y/N joked to relieve some of their own tension.

Janet nodded seriously and took the bag, pulling aside a passing orderly. She spoke in a stern tone that left no room for argument or prior tasks. “I need this examined for possible toxins, highest priority.”

“Right away, Ma’am.” The orderly grabbed the bag and instantly altered course to a different section of the infirmary.

Y/N was led over to an examination bed and told to sit on it as Janet listened to their breathing and looked down their throat with the penlight. Y/N nervously told her their heart rate was elevated due to anxiety, they were unsure if it had anything to do with the spores. After a few more tests were run, they were cleared to go back to work. The toxicology reports wouldn’t be in until the next day so Y/N wasn’t allowed to do anything too strenuous and wasn’t allowed to leave the facility until the reports were in.

They thanked Janet and headed off back to their lab. Carefully, and keeping all protocol in mind now, Y/N sanitized the entire area that may have been infected by the spilled spores. Once that was done, they headed to their quarters to rest and get their anxiety under control. A few hours later, they got a call from Janet saying the toxicology reports had come back clean. She also scolded Y/N for being so careless and told them they needed to be more careful with the spores but they didn’t seem to be showing any symptoms of anything. Still, they were to return instantly if any problems or symptoms did arise.

The next week was normal. Y/N worked in their lab as they usually did; Daniel said the team still needed his larger space for their document for another week or so, so he was still sharing the space. In the meantime, Y/N got used to having him around. Their heart settled down around him until his presence was a calming one for them. He talked through things with them, always willing to listen to their work or tell them about his own. They did the same for him when they could, doing their best to be a sounding board for ideas or thoughts or even just be a distraction when his research wasn’t turning out the way he thought it would.

They also got used to each other in other ways. Bringing each other food or drinks, reminding about meals or to just pull their heads out of research for a moment. When one got stuck, they seemed to unanimously decide to stop and just talk for a moment before going back to work with clearer heads. Their humor was already in line with each other, both having a sharp wit that led to quick banter and sassing each other across the lab. Y/N had a habit of sitting on the tables when it came to eating or doing certain tasks, something Daniel would always laugh at when he walked in on it or looked up when they made room on the tables. Sometimes, they’d even wander over to his designated tables to sit on them while chatting with him, getting lost in conversation and distracting both of them from work.

Daniel would always make sure they both got plenty of sleep and rest, more often than not being the one to pull them out of their work to make sure Y/n ate or did anything else that was needed. He almost memorized their schedule and managed to blend into it seamlessly. Y/N attributed that to him being an excellent communicator and it being his job to learn how someone else thinks and behaves. In return, Y/N would try to scatter silly and stupid notes throughout his books, things he would find in the middle of his research to laugh or comment on. They left plant puns, fun animal facts, and small tidbits about their team.

Almost two weeks after the spore incident, Daniel found another note. He laughed, startling Y/N out of their thought process. “Huh?! Wha?” they sputtered, head jerking up from their paper.

He laughed again when he saw them casually sitting cross-legged on the table, hunched over a clipboard and paper, in the middle of a scrawling observation. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just really need to know the story behind this one.”

Y/N smiled at that laugh, finally coming back to the room instead of the alien plant before them they’d been considering. “Okay, which is it?”

“‘Did I ever tell you about the time Kenneth made Charles lick a bunch of rocks?’” Daniel read off the small notecard Y/N had placed in a book a day or so ago.

Y/N chuckled. “Oh, that! Yeah,” they shifted to face him more, their writing falling forgotten into their lap. “So, Kenneth was digging around what looked to be a temple of some sort and kept trying to show Charles something he claimed was funny. I only heard snippets of the beginning ‘cause I was actually being an adult and doing my job, but it was something about the different ways one could tell the difference between bone and rocks. My go-to method has always been to scratch it or something, then again, I usually have him help me when it comes to skeletons. Anyways, I finally hear Kenneth egging Charles on to do something. So, curious and tired, I wandered over to see what was going on, only to be greeted by the most ‘boys will be boys’ thing ever.”

Daniel chuckled, leaning forward with his hands clasped on the table. “Sounds like they were getting up to some typical dig shenanigans.”

Y/N nodded, laughing a bit. Yeah, they really were. I think we all were just pretty tired then, ‘cause not even Laurel tried to stop the shenanigans. So, there they were, both crouched over this pile of long, bone-like rocks. Kenneth looked up at me and asked,” Y/N did their best to imitate his Southern drawl, “‘D’ya know the best way to tell a bone from a rock?’ And I, being a normal person, responded, ‘Scratch it?’ He shook his head and said, ‘Lick it’. He then turned to Charles, crouching beside him and repeated himself. ‘Lick it’.”

Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at the next part, remembering the scene playing out before them. “Charles had the most confused look on his face and Kenneth was holding what I later learned to be a fifty dollar bill, a slip of paper, and a pen. Charles was desperately searching in the pile. I didn't hear it, but they’d made some sort of bet. If Charles is so great of a geologist, he should be able to pick out which is a rock and which is a bone. If he could, Kenneth would give him twenty-five dollars and an IOU. If he can’t, Charles gives Kenneth the same.

Daniel smiled softly, eyes glowing with excitement. “Did he? Find the bone, I mean.”

Y/N threw back their head, laughing. “That’s just the thing! There wasn’t a bone in there at all! Apparently, bone sticks to the tongue while rocks just taste like dirt. So, Charles was touching each one to his tongue in the hopes one stuck, getting more and more desperate as he went until finally, he was so desperate as to actually lick the stones. It turned out, Kenneth had set him up. There wasn’t a single bone in that pile, just a bunch of rocks! He’d just wanted to prove a point that none of us even remember now. All I remember is that Charles ended up losing the bet and, in retaliation, ate the last of the chocolate we’d had in camp. It was a full week until any kind of restock and I remember being so pissed at the time.”

Daniel laughed, eyes closed and head tilted back. Y/N’s breath was once again taken away by the view.

At least, they thought so, until they started coughing. The cough rattled their chest and knocked something loose, causing them to scramble to grab a nearby paper towel. Distantly, they heard Daniel’s char shoot back and his footsteps rushing over. His hand gently ran over their back, as if that could help the coughing fit die down, while the other carefully guided them to the edge of the table.

Once the fit stopped, Y/N pulled the paper towel away from their mouth and allowed themself to rest a part of their weight on Daniel. Looking at the paper towel, they saw small pink petals. Dazed, Y/N just stared confusedly at them. “Paeonia lactiflora?”

Daniel looked down at the mass of blood and petals in their hand. “Okay, I think we need to get you to the infirmary.” He helped them off the table, keeping a hand on their back to steady them. Y/N saw him take a glance around the room. “Is there anything time sensitive running right now?”

Y/N shook their head. “No, nothing that can’t wait a few more hours.”

“Okay, good.” Without wasting any more time, Daniel started steering Y/N toward the door.

Y/N tried to brush him off, even though his warm hands felt wonderful against them. “It’s alright, Daniel, I can walk on my own. You can go back to your research if you need to, I can make it to the infirmary just fine by myself.”

He shook his head. “I’d feel a lot better at least escorting you there myself. I don’t know what’s going on but it’s definitely not normal. If nothing else, I need to get checked out too just because I was in the same area when it happened. Protocol, after all.” He chuckled but it sounded weak, like it was just an act.

Y/N sighed and gave up, knowing full well just how stubborn he could be. They’d often seen him arguing with his team members, both in the commissary and when they stopped by the lab. Samantha Carter was most likely to stop by, actually knowing where Y/N’s lab is located, and debate something through with him. Y/N knew enough not to try to convince him he’s wrong when they don’t have any energy and right now, they were feeling a distinct lack of energy.

Besides, it would be nice to walk with Daniel, at least. It kept him within a close distance for just a few minutes more.

Finally, they nodded and reluctantly let him take part of their weight. “Okay, fine. But, you don’t have to stick around if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to do this out of some weird sense of obligation.”

He nodded, pressing the elevator call button. “I know. You’re an adult, not a child. Still, I’m allowed to worry over my friends.”

Friends. The word resonated inside Y/N’s mind, like the buzzing of a bee around a flower. It felt good to hear him say he considered them close enough to be a friend. It made them melt and forget about trying to argue their way into what they wanted. “Alright. So long as I’m not taking up your research time.”

“You’re not, don’t worry. Besides, even if you were, it’d be worth it. A laugh turning into coughing up blood and flower petals isn’t normal.”

Y/N smiled. “I know that much,” they snarked as the pair stepped into the elevator and Daniel hit the infirmary’s floor button.

“Although, you did seem to recognize what type they were.” Daniel glanced at Y/N as they leaned against the back wall.

Y/N nodded, looking at the paper towel in their hands, covered in petals and blood. “Yeah, they’re pink peony petals. Quite mundane, all things considered. I guess I expected something a bit more . . . alien.”

Daniel laughed as they got off. “Yeah, I guess if you’re coughing up flower petals, you wouldn’t expect to be able to identify them. I wonder if that means the spores evolved from a pink peony.”

Y/N shrugged, even as their mind started wandering to the possibilities and logistics of it. “Maybe.” Their thoughts started trying to trace the genetics of it, leaving the rest of the short walk devoid of conversation.

As they reached the infirmary, an orderly approached them. “How can I help?”

Y/N chuckled, rubbing the back of their neck. “Uh, I’m here for a follow up with Doc Fraiser about something I came in for about a week ago or so. Priority, please, it’s a lab accident.”

The orderly nodded and wrote something on a small notepad. Y/N had the weirdest feeling, like they were at a medical restaurant and they’d just given a waiter their order. A laugh bubbled up in their chest but instead of coming forward, another coughing fit took its place. Daniel instantly tightened his arm around their shoulders and took some of their weight as the cough shook their chest.

The orderly looked concerned but still looked at Daniel. “And you, Doctor Jackson?”

He sighed. “I was in the room with them during the- the lab accident.” His voice turned hard and authoritative. “Go find Doctor Fraiser now, it’s urgent!”

Y/N had never heard that tone of voice coming from him before but they didn’t have the energy to ask anything about it, only to wheeze their breaths in and out, keeping their breathing as steady as possible. The old breath training they had done was coming back into play as they took to counting the breaths and timing them.

The orderly’s feet moved out of Y/N’s line of sight and Daniel soon guided them along with a quiet and gentle, “Come on, this way.” Y/N didn’t bother looking where they were being taken, trusting Daniel and the others around them to help as they just kept their head down, soaked paper towel over their mouth, and concentrated on breathing.

“Up, please,” Daniel murmured. Y/N looked up and saw an exam bed in front of them. Dutifully, they got up on it and leaned against the wall, pulling their legs close to their torso for comfort. Daniel’s touch didn’t leave them, shifting to rest his hand on their arm as he pulled a nearby chair close. “How are you feeling?”

Y/N smiled weakly. “More or less fine, all things considered. My chest hurts but that might just be from the coughing.”

“And the mystery flowers, most likely.”

Y/N released a single, tentative chuckle. “Yeah, and those.”

Quick, sharp footsteps reached Y/N and they looked up to see Janet walking toward them. “I was told this has something to do with the last time you were here?”

Y/N nodded. “I think so, anyway. I breathed in spores a week ago and, now, I’m coughing up flower petals.” They held up the soaked and mangled paper towel, piled with flower petals, as evidence.

Janet’s eyes widened. “I’d say that’s pretty serious. How long has this been happening?”

“Not long, Doc. Daniel brought me in pretty much as soon as it started.”

He nodded, standing with one hand in his pocket and the other still on Y/N’s arm in a comforting manner. The warmth of his hand seeped through their lab coat and sleeve, providing a wonderful spot to focus on and forget about everything. Still, Y/N brought their attention back to the task at hand. “Yeah, I don’t know what happened,” Daniel was saying. “One minute, we’re talking as we usually do. The next, they’re coughing up peonies!”

Y/N shook their head. “Not the full flowers, just the petals,” they corrected. “Although, I may have seen a few stamens in that pile. I didn’t have time to grab a contamination bag before leaving the lab, sorry.”

Janet shook her head. “No need to apologize, it’s completely understandable.”

Y/N stated their theory of the coughing and petals being due to the spores they’d accidentally inhaled a week ago. Janet and Daniel quickly agreed, meaning others weren’t in any danger from them and Y/N wasn’t contagious. Once that was done, a litany of tests were started on Y/N keeping them in the infirmary for the majority of the day.

“Can I get you anything to make this easier?” Daniel asked when they had a moment to breathe. A precious moment as it was. “I know from experience these can feel exhausting and boring at the same time.”

Y/N smiled. “I’m actually kinda hungry. Think you could sneak in a sandwich from the commissary?”

Daniel nodded. “I can definitely do that. Do you want anything to entertain you? I imagine with all these tests, it’s going to be a while before you’re out of here.”

Y/N considered for a moment. ‘Um, I’ve got a book I’m reading on my desk if you wouldn’t mind grabbing that. It should be tucked next to my bag and my research book.”

Daniel nodded again. “Yep, I know what you’re talking about. I shouldn’t have too much trouble bringing you food and a book. I’ll be right back.”

While Daniel was gone, Janet came back and brought Y/N to another room for a chest x-ray. Y/N was in the bed, waiting for their results, when Daniel got back with the food and book. They smiled at him. “Thank you so much. I’ll admit, I was getting rather bored without anything to do in here to the point I was resorting to reading pretty much anything in sight or just watching the orderlies and nurses go about their tasks. It was starting to feel a bit creepy.”

Daniel smiled. “I get that. Sitting here for hours on end isn’t fun for anyone. Do you want me to stay with you, keep you company? Or, would you rather be left to your own devices?”

“I actually think I’d like the company, if you wouldn’t mind, Daniel. I’m a bit anxious right now and could use your claiming presence, if you don’t mind and don’t have anything more pressing.” Y/N lifted the book slightly. “I’ll probably just be sitting here reading, I completely understand if you’d rather leave.”

Daniel sat, the smile still on his face. “That’s okay. I can just sit here and read too, or go through a bit of paperwork I may have been avoiding. If anything, sitting here would keep me more productive, not less.”

Y/N laughed lightly at that. “Okay, that’d be great, thanks.”

A chapter into the quiet reading, only interrupted by the occasional coughing fit on Y/N’s part, Janet came back over. “The x-ray results just came back and I’m officially concerned.”

Y/N put their book down to pay full attention to the doctor and saw Daniel do the same thing out of the corner of their eye. “What exactly does that mean, Doc?”

Janet opened a folder she was holding and pulled out an x-ray, silently handing it to Y/N. They held it up to the nearest light and saw plant-like structures jutting from the bottoms and sides of the lungs. Y/N shook their head, chuckling lightly. “This- this can’t be right. Plants growing within lungs are very rare and definitely don’t live long enough to flower!”

Daniel took another of the x-ray images. “What?!”

Janet sighed. “Unfortunately, it would seem those spores you inhaled a week ago took root and started to grow. Currently, they are anchored to your lungs and there doesn’t seem to be a way to get them out without severely damaging your respiratory system. I’ve already informed General Hammond and he’s sent your team back to contact the local people of the planet to see if they know what’s going on. For now, I recommend bed rest and no strenuous activity. Although, based on what I’ve observed today, even laughing too hard can agitate the condition.”

“Wh-what’s going on, Doc?” Y/N asked, voice quiet.

“Again, we don’t have all the answers. For now, I’m treating you as a patient with COPD, even if it’s not entirely an accurate description of your situation.”

“I’m sorry, what’s COPD?” Daniel leaned forward.

“Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Or, a continuous disease that hinders the ability to breath and the functioning of the airways. RIght now, you just need to rest and make sure you’re getting enough oxygen. We don’t know what’s causing the flowers right now and we don’t know how to get rid of them.”

Y/N sighed, sitting back in the bed. “Okay, I get it. Thank you, Doc.”

Daniel looked at Janet. “Does this mean they’re discharged for now? Could they rest in their quarters instead of the infirmary?” Ever the practical one, Daniel was asking the necessary questions.

Janet nodded. “Yes, that would probably be for the best.” She once again stressed not to do anything too strenuous and left to care for another patient.

Daniel helped Y/N gather their things and walked with them to their quarters.

“Thank you, Daniel,” Y/N said once they’d arrived. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me today. Even just sitting with me was actually a big help, I really needed you today.”

Daniel shrugged one shoulder, sticking a hand in his pocket, his expression soft. “I’m always happy to help. I just hope your team can come back with an answer to what’s going on.”

“I do too, Daniel. I do too.”

~~~~

Daniel rushed over to the Gate Room as soon as he heard the Gate alarm. SG-13 was the only team currently offworld and they had been gone for nearly two weeks, searching for a solution on P3X-326. Daniel was hoping they had brought some good news back with them. When the team walked through the gate, however, Doctor Kenneth Sardoni looked particularly dejected.

“How did it go?” Daniel asked, fidgeting with his hands.

Kenneth looked at him. “Not as well as I’d hoped, Sir.” No matter how many times Daniel said he didn’t have a higher rank than any other scientist, Kenneth still insisted on calling him that. “I’d originally speculated they might be Mayan from their ruins and I was able to confirm it when looking at the people and their cities. Unfortunately, I don’t speak Mayan as my focus was mainly on Sub-Saharan Africa and they don’t speak anything I do or anything close to it. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t get anything from them as much as I wanted to.”

Daniel nodded, tongue flicking out to wet his lips. “Okay. Wait a half hour to cool off and for me to get a few things done, then I’ll gear up and go there with you. I’m fluent in Mayan and a few other Central American languages so it shouldn’t be a problem for me.”

Major Laurel Thomas stepped forward. “Don’t you need permission for that, Doctor Jackson?”

He nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, I do. But, the half hour should also be enough. I’m confident I’m the only one in this facility who is fluent in the majority of Mayan dialects, from the extinct to the extant, and I can be useful. Besides,” he bounced on the balls of his feet, “I want to help Y/N.”

Kenneth and Doctor Charles DeSoto shared a glance Daniel couldn’t decipher, smiling between each other. Still, the team agreed.

Just as promised, Daniel was ready to go in half an hour and already given permission by General Hammond. “Are you all ready to go?” He marched into the Gate Room, strapping on the last thing he needed and buckling the last bit of his vest.

Major Thomas stood at attention, looking like she was inches away from saluting him. “Yes, Sir, we are.”

Daniel chuckled. “I like the attitude, Major, but you outrank me in every way. I’m just a civilian with a few PhDs and that doesn’t compare with your military rank. Not to mention, you’ve already been to this planet multiple times while this is my first time. As far as I’m concerned, you’re in charge here and I”m just tagging along as support.”

Major Thomas nodded. “In that case, please, call me Laurel. Everyone else does.” She glared at her teammates, who just chuckled behind her.

“Laurel it is,” Daniel agreed. Laurel looked up at the Gate Control Room and nodded, giving them the go. With that simple signal, the Gate started up. Daniel turned to Kenneth. “Doctor Sardoni, catch me up on the planet, please.”

Kenneth bounced in place as he watched the Gate spin. “Plese, at this point, I think everyone wants to be on a first name basis with you. Besides, we’ve interacted a few times when I stopped by Y/N’s lab and you were there.” Daniel nodded but didn’t say anything, just let the man get to the point when he wanted to.

“So, P3X-326 is mostly a jungle planet from what I’ve gathered. The people there are very reminiscent of Mayan culture from what I’ve studied. I’ve yet to find any burial rituals or sites, not even a single grave. Then again, I’ve yet to look or dig in their occupied territory as we try to leave that alone when working on planets like this. Their sculptures are on par with what would be expected of roughly 300 BC with solar calendars and what seems to be a king in place. They also have intricate and complex murals typical of that time. Either the people were taken at that time or they naturally advanced to it.”

Daniel nodded. “What’s the writing system like, can you tell? I’d assume it’s typical of the Mayans but it may have been influenced by the Goa’uld.”

“Oh, uh, it’s still logo-syllabic. The Mayans and Egyptians had a lot of similarities at that timeframe so, even though I didn’t study a lot of Egyptian it kinda gets picked up in this line of work, I wasn’t able to see if the Goa’uld had changed how they wrote or not. I’m sorry, Daniel.” He bounced again, as if he were giddy just to be talking to him.

Daniel smiled despite himself. “That’s okay, Kenneth, it’s not entirely needed.”

The Stargate locked the final chevron and the group stepped through. Daniel found himself in a dense and humid jungle, breathing through the crushing and cold feeling that came with Gate travel. He stepped to the side, eyes already scanning the area for anything that might help him and feeling grateful for the warmth of the jungle.

Laurel spoke quietly with Kenneth for a moment before calmly calling for the group’s attention. “Alright, I think it’d be best to do this as fast as possible. Kenneth already knows where the nearest city is, but it’s a bit of a hike. It’s obvious that the people rarely come out here.”

Daniel nodded and fell in behind the rest, Laurel setting a smooth and comfortable pace that belied the many times she had led the other two men before. As the group walked, natural pairings sprang up. Charles danced ahead with Laurel chasing after him and Kenneth stayed with Daniel, still talking about the planet’s civilization. “So far, this seems to be one of the smaller city states. I did a bit of research on the Mayans before coming here after hearing about Y/N getting hurt but it’s amazing. It’s always one thing to study something and another to truly see it, living and breathing in front of you.” His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

Despite the worry Daniel felt, and the romantic feelings toward Y/N he had already accepted, he couldn’t help but smile at Kenneth’s excitement. “I agree completely, it really is amazing to see your life’s work come alive in front of you. It’s exactly how I felt when I first stepped foot on Abydos, like my research had come alive before my eyes. Or, more accurately, like I’d been transported back in time to ancient Egypt.”

His chest tightened, as it always did at the thought of Abydos and Sha’re. Still, it was a duller ache than it had once been. It would never go away entirely, but it had faded with time. He’d recently realized he was ready for someone new in his life, just as he already knew who his heart had in mind for it. He would always love Sha’re. Abydos and the people there would always feel like home. But that little lab across the way from his also felt like home now, too. Daniel was okay with that and ready to embrace the next chapter of his life.

They continued to talk about Gate travel and meeting civilizations they’d only ever read about until Daniel heard Charles call Laurel something Y/N would call her too. Daniel chuckled. “Kenneth, quick question.”

“Yeah?”

“Why does your team call Laurel ‘Boss Man’?”

Kenneth laughed. “Oh, that. Well, it started when we first got teamed up together. Laurel was still trying to find her place in the SGC and being a woman commanding a team mainly made of men made her self conscious slightly. She thought she had to act tough and boss us around a lot in order to get our respect. Charles started calling her the ‘boss lady’ at that point, complaining about all the rules and things. Y/N would just laugh and say, ‘She’s the boss, man, deal with it’. So, we started calling her the Boss Man as a joke from that phrase. She liked it, said it gave her confidence and made her feel respected. So, we continued calling her that.”

Daniel thanked him for the explanation and their banter continued until they reached the city Laurel had mentioned. Then, Kenneth took point and led them to a specific house. “Even though I was having a hard time communicating, and there wasn’t a lot of common communication ground we could find, there was still one person more willing to talk to me than others. I think she’s a healer, which might even help us in what we need right now.”

Daniel felt his excitement and desperation building as they neared the healer’s house, a sign of a mortar and pestle hanging above it. Kenneth knocked and a tall woman opened the door soon after, looking like she had just stepped out of a Central American house. She smiled at the group and waved them in. “Come in, come in!”

Daniel nodded and smiled back at her. She was speaking some form of Ixil, most likely an older dialect of it. “Thank you very much,” he responded in Ixil, hoping the dialect he knew wasn’t too far off from hers and she could understand him.

“Oh! You speak Mamean?”

Danile shook his head as the group stepped into the house, waiting to be the last one in so he could continue to converse with her. “No, unfortunately, I speak a slightly different dialect but it seems they’re close enough that we can understand each other.”

She nodded and ushered the group deeper. Kenneth sidled closer to Daniel. “So, you really can understand her?”

Daniel nodded. “Yeah, uh, she’s speaking an older form of Ixil, a dialect still spoken in Guatemala today. She called it ‘Mamean’ which, if I remember my flow charts correctly, is a root of Ixil. I should be able to talk with her just fine and get the info we need.”

“That’s great!” Kenneth cheered, moving to pass the information along to the other two.

Daniel silently agreed as the group entered a larger chamber. The healer insisted the group sit. Laurel kept her gun in her lap but the other members of her team but theirs to the side. Daniel kept a hold of his Zat, he hadn’t brought a larger gun. He turned to look at her host, paying careful attention to the way she sat and adjusting his seat to match. “Thank you for your hospitality. I am Daniel, and my companions are Laurel, Kenneth, and Charles.” Each of them nodded as he said their name.

The healer smiled. “I am Nikte, a healer and guide.”

Daniel tilted his head. “Guide?”

She nodded. “Yes, I guide those who choose to embark on a spiritual journey with the plants Han’haki, Lux’zed, Miranebus, Xyi’an, Loneilla, or Abkid.”

“Is there any specific area that these may be found?”

“Yes, there’s a clearing far away from the city that naturally has all the plants that are used in my craft. It’s a religious site to us Mameans and very few people are allowed to go there unless they are going on a spiritual journey.”

Daniel blinked, almost overwhelmed by his emotions. “I apologize, do you happen to have any of these plants that I may see? Someone close to us stumbled across the clearing and we think something may have happened to them there.”

“Of course!” Nikte stood and left the room, her skirts swishing around her ankles in a kaleidoscope of colors.

“Daniel, can I have a translation?” Laurel drew his attention back to her.

“Yeah, so, uh, I just introduced us. She said she’s Nikte, a healer and guide. With my, admittedly, limited knowledge of Mayan civilization, I remember reading something about herbalism being for both physical healing and connecting to the spiritual realm. So, I asked her to describe her role as a guide. She mentioned using multiple plants to do spiritual journeys, all of which were in the clearing Y/N stumbled on and she’s gone to get a sample of them now. Has anyone else seen the sample Y/N grabbed?”

Laurel nodded. “I was there when they got it and we all perused the clearing.”

“Great! I saw them working on it in the lab but, uh, I wasn't exactly paying attention to the plant at the time.” he resisted the urge to act sheepishly. Still, he caught the other men exchanging that glance again, Charles smiling slightly again and he wondered what it was about.

Nikte came back and handed several leaves to Daniel. He picked out a white fern-like leaf and held it up, raising his brows at Laurel. She nodded, confirming it was the plant Y/N had picked up. Daniel nodded back before turning his attention back to their host and addressing her in Ixil. “I believe this is the plant. Which one is it?”

“This is the Han’haki plant.”

“What exactly does the Han’haki plant do?”

Her face and tone turned serious. “It’s a very dangerous process. The plant must be in the right season, which is now. Those wishing to learn their emotions better must then breathe in the seeds. Within seven suns, the plants will take root. Another three suns, and they will grow. Then, the emotions must be addressed.”

“What emotions, exactly?”

“Whatever is troubling the traveler the most in the moment. DIfferent plants are used for different emotions, the Han’haki should not be used as a cure for everything.”

“Okay. So, say a person accidentally inhaled the seeds of the Han’haki. What would happen?”

“They would start the journey if they are wrestling with emotions of the heart. Particularly: longing, love, or desire. Why? Has this person done so?”

Daniel bit his lip. “Yes, they have. As I said, they accidentally stumbled into that sacred clearing and, not knowing what the plant was or what it could do, breathed in some of the seeds. What would happen if the emotion is not dealt with? Will the plants die on their own?”

NIkte shook her head, the color draining from her face. “Oh, no! The traveler will have a moon, at most, before the plants overcome them and they die from lack of breath. I pray that your traveler does not meet that fate, it is a most unfortunate way to go that only the most stubborn of us succumb to.”

Daniel startled and leaned forward, brow furrowing. “How are the emotions dealt with, exactly?”

“That part is simple. The traveler has to realize they harbor such emotions and declare them to themself. It is not needed to declare them to the person the emotions target, but often people find it helpful for them to be spoken aloud or talked through with someone else.”

Daniel smiled, hope filling his chest. “Thank you, Nikte, you have been a great help.”

“Thank you for the questions, Dan’iel.” She gathered her plants and stood. “I will put these away now.”

Daniel waited for her to leave out of the same door from last time before he quickly relayed all the information he’d gathered to the rest of the group. The color drained from Laurel’s face, leaving her looking ashen. “What?! You mean Y/N only has a month to live, at most?!”

Daniel held his hands up placatingly. “Yes, but the solution is really simple. All they need to do is accept the emotions they have. Essentially, Y/N is harboring some emotions that they’re unwilling to admit to themself, or that they think aren’t acceptable. Once they accept those feelings, Y/N should be fine.”

“Hey,” Charles leaned forward. “When she gets back, could you ask her what happens to the flowers after the feelings are dealt with?”

Daniel nodded. Kenneth also nodded, chewing on the end of a pen he’d pulled from his pocket. There wasn’t any paper in his other hand, just the pen. “I’d assume the flowers would die,” Kenneth speculated, “having served their purpose. However, I don’t know how that would work. Would the ‘traveler’ just cough the flowers up for another month? Is there a way they’d be absorbed into the body?”

Daniel put a hand on his arm, silencing his stream of words. “That’s a bit too far for right now, Kenneth. Right now, we just need to figure out what’s going on with Y/N. We can ask the other questions later. However, I don’t know that Nikte would appreciate the theory of the plants dying. Mayan herbalism believes plants are sacred beings with the power to heal both body and spirit. Every plant, to them, has its own unique energy and purpose and many are needed to restore balance and harmony if something is awry or just to maintain them.”

Nikte came back and sat again. “Is there anything more I can help you with?”

Daniel turned to look at her again. “Uh, yes, just one more question. What happens to the plants within the traveler when the emotions are realized?”

“They have served their purpose and, for the most part, are pulled into the rest of the body to restore balance to the spirit. A few flower petals are left over, but those are coughed up within seven suns or less. Everything else is perfectly harmless.”

Daniel smiled. “Thank you very much, Nikte. You’ve been a great help and have saved the life of my friend.”

She smiled back as they all stood. “It’s my pleasure! I’m always happy to help, especially those who are curious about herbalism. Please, return if you have further questions.”

“We certainly will. Thank you, again,” Daniel said as she ushered the group out her door.

The team discussed what they knew as they walked back to the Stargate. Daniel wanted to run back and instantly report it but he knew it wasn’t practical. Y/N would survive another hour or two of walking if they truly had a month to survive. Still, it didn’t mean he didn’t feel the pressing need to see them again and tell them everything was going to be alright. It was a very similar feeling to what he’d had with Sha’re, but not exactly the same. Nothing would be the exact same as his wife, but things could be different in a good way.

Along the way, Daniel told the team everything they needed to know about the plants, details sufficient for the mission reports Laurel would need to be writing and the others would need for the debrief. When they got back to the SGC, he stopped just long enough to put his Zat back in the weapons lock up and take off the bulkier parts of his BDUs before he was racing down the corridors on his way to the infirmary.

~~~~

Daniel skidded into the med bay, eyes scanning the area. Y/N could feel his presence, their eyes instantly drawn to the motion and to all that made him what he was. He caught sight of Janet and moved to talk to her, saying something in a low voice. The entire conversation, both were casting furtive glances at Y/N. They felt that now familiar tickle in their lungs but with both doctors looking at them, they pushed it down, refusing to cough.

Eventually, they had to give in and coughed into a provided handkerchief, turning to the side to make less obvious the coughing and just how soaked that scrap of fabric truly was with blood already. Still, when the coughing subsided and their eyes traced back to Daniel, both he and Janet were already nearing YN’s bedside.

“How are you feeling right now, Y/N?” Janet asked, checking their vitals and monitoring systems.

“Oh, just fine! Could run a marathon if I wanted to!” Y/N joked, hoping to get a laugh out of either person. Neither of them so much as twitched.

“Daniel tells me he’s talked to someone on P3X-326 and found the cure for your lung problem,” Janet continued.

Y/N sat up straighter, mind feeling active for the first time in what felt like a while. “Yes? What is it?”

Daniel stepped closer, a hand landing on the end of the bed and the other going to his hip. Y/N took a moment to admire his physique before he spoke. “The resident of P3X-326 that I spoke to says that the clearing you found is some kind of sacred or, uh, religious site to the people. They use it and the plants inside it for spiritual journeys, finding the emotions they’ve buried deep inside and confronting them. Or,” he paused, licking his lip and shifting his footing, “dying in the process.”

Y/N nodded, gears already turning in their head. “Okay, so the plant uses chemosynthesis instead of photosynthesis and feeds on certain chemicals in the body? Are there any chemicals we can use to kill it, then?”

Daniel shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Nikte described it as each plant in that clearing feeding on a different repressed emotion. If you don’t repress that specific emotion, it doesn’t seem like anything happens. If that emotion is being repressed, though, then the plant will eat you from the inside until you stop repressing it and confront it. Without acknowledging you have those emotions, the plant will suffocate you within a month.”

“So, what emotion does this plant feed on?” Y/N thought they already knew it, had maybe known it the whole time, they just needed someone to confirm their suspicions and say it aloud.

Daniel smiled softly, eyes tender and compassionate. “Romantic longing.”

Y/N barked out a laugh. Looking between Daniel and Janet, they saw just how serious the two were, both so certain this was the only solution. Eventually, Y/N just shook their head. “No.”

Daniel tilted his head, shifting his footing again. “What do you mean, ‘no’? I-I-I I just told you the solution, the only known cure to this entire thing. Y/N, you are dying, and there’s a very simple thing you can do to stop that, and you don’t want to do that?!”

Y/N closed their burning eyes, tipping their head back against the wall. “I know, I know it’s stupid. All I have to do is confess my deepest, darkest secret. I just have to bare my soul, and I’m cured of a fatal disease. I just-I can’t do that. I can’t.”

Janet put a hand on Y/N’s shoulder. “I understand how hard this will be and, I hate to ask what Daniel just did but, are you sure you’d rather die?”

Y/N shook their head. “Is there another way? Any other way? I mean, sure, that’s the only known cure, but it can’t be the only one in existence, right? I mean, now that we know this thing feeds on the chemicals tied to longing, Janet or someone else can probably figure out what chemicals those are and synthesize a blocker for them. It won’t even have to be expressed, they can just be stopped, right?”

Y/N didn’t open their eyes, willing away the desperation creeping into their voice and the way their lungs were already seizing from a lack of air and speaking so much at once. They took a slow and deep breath, trying their best to get as much oxygen as possible. Soon enough, they would need to be hooked up to an oxygen tank if they wanted to live past the month marker. They knew the logical choice was to just say it. They didn’t even need to look Daniel in the eye when they said it, but they felt like they’d rather sink through lava than confess those closely held feelings they’d only just acknowledged were there. They’d never consider acting on them, keeping them close and only letting them out in the safety of privacy.

Janet must have shared a look with Daniel as Y/N soon felt the bed dip on the side he’d been standing on. “Y/N, you don’t really mean that. Right now, we’re doing what we can to find another way, but there’s just no guarantee that it’ll be found in time, or at all. You can’t risk this. People need you.”

Y/N shook their head, tears gathering at the corners of their eyes even as they heaved a gasping breath. “I don’t want to say it.” Their voice grew small, fragile. “You’ll never see me the same way again.”

Daniel’s warm and comforting hand rested on their thigh, his thumb stroking soothingly over their clothes. “If I promise that my opinion of you won’t change, would you tell me?” His voice was just as soft as his tough, hesitating as if Y/N were a fragile doll who’d break at the wrong word.

Y/N opened their mouth to answer but, doubled over instead, coughing up more pink peony petals. Leaning back, exhausted, they weighed their options. Finally, they gave a rueful chuckle and shook their head, wearily looking over at Daniel. “You can’t promise that. I know better than anyone, you can’t promise what emotions you’ll have. Even if you could, I wouldn’t want you to change them just because I asked you to.”

Daniel nodded, eyes contemplative but his jaw set. “You’re right, I can’t. I may not be able to control what emotion I have or what reaction I have, but I can control how I’ll react to those emotions. I promise not to make a big deal out of whatever you say, no matter how big of a deal it is to you. What if I let you set the pace, determine what happens after you say it? If you still want to talk to me, or if you need some time away, I’ll respect whatever decision you make. Either way, I’m here for you, and always will be if I can help it.”

Janet smiled and squeezed Y/N’s shoulder. “Even if you wanted to talk right away, that wouldn’t be possible. We’ll have to do some extensive surgery right after the flowers are killed and we’ll have to pull them up through your trachea. You won’t be able to speak for a few weeks afterwards. Does that help ease your mind at all?”

Instead of soothing them, Janet’s words made Y/N’s heart ache all the more. Longing swelled up inside of them. Part of them wondered if it was the right time, to just get it all out at once and be done with it. Part of them knew they couldn’t handle the look in Daniel’s eyes if things didn’t go well. The look in his eyes if things did go well scared them all the more, wondering what it would be like and if his feelings would turn out to be as intense as theirs. This all fed the plants in their lungs and caused them to shift and grow, leading to another coughing fit. Daniel moved closer, handing Y/N a fresh handkerchief before holding their shoulders and rubbing a soothing hand over their back as they did their best to ride it out. He winced, sucking air through his teeth, at the sight of fresh blood and petals on their handkerchief. Janet quickly swept away their old one before either noticed it.

Y/N sighed and leaned back, letting Daniel take some of their weight. “I don’t want to do this,” they said in a low voice for him to hear. They looked up at him, eyes almost pleading.

Daniel nodded, still rubbing their back, and leaned in close to speak softly in their ear. “I know, I know. It’s always difficult to say things that have been shoved deep down, even more so if they’ve been deliberately buried. It hurts to dig it up, but it needs to be done if you want to live.”

Y/N shook their head, still using that low tone. “What if it breaks both our hearts? If the words I have to say do more damage than good, wouldn’t it be better for them to not be said at all?”

Daniel shifted to be in front of them, seeming to fill their entire vision with himself. He looked down and took their hands before looking into their eyes and speaking in a strong and quiet voice. “Hey, I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but this is ridiculous. I’d rather have you say something incredibly hurtful to me and have us work through it together than have you lose your life over words not said and feelings not understood. No matter how bad it is, I’ll do my best to still stay by your side at the end of it all.”

Y/N coughed again, pulling their hand away to fill the handkerchief with more bloody petals. Even with all that reassurance, they didn’t think they could say the words to his face without losing their nerves. “Okay.” They took a slow and deep breath. “But, can I only tell Janet? I don’t think I could actually tell you these things just yet, Daniel. I’m sorry.”

Janet squeezed their shoulder once more, both waiting for Daniel to leave. He patted Y/N’s leg once more before acquiescing and pulling the curtain closed behind him. Beyond it, Y/N could hear him shooing away anyone within earshot. Janet moved to sit facing Y/N on the bed, seeming to also be listening to Daniel get rid of any eavesdroppers. “Okay, we’re alone, it seems.” She didn’t say anything else, just waited for Y/N to speak.

They blinked hard, throat and chest already starting to ache again despite all the medicines they were on. “What can I say, Doc? I’m in love with my friend and coworker. Every little thing about him attracts me so much, there are times I physically ache when I see Daniel. I want to be in his arms at the end of a long day, share every little thing with him, to make sure he’s doing okay and that he’s got what he needs. The best parts of my days are when I get to see him in the lab, when we share meals, swap stories, and just generally get closer. The worst part of it all is that I keep thinking of his passed wife and knowing I’ll never compare to her. No matter how much I love him, how much I ache for him, I'd rather literally die than tell that to his face. I don’t want to dishonor her memory and kill any chance of our friendship continuing past this moment, this point in time. I love him too much to destroy him with that.”

As Y/N sat there, heaving air into their lungs, the curtain rolled back and Daniel stepped back into the space. His eyes were wide with shock, mouth hanging open slightly. “Do you really mean that?” he asked breathlessly.

Y/N nodded. Before they could even explain anything, they could feel the roots detach from their lungs. They gasped, clutching their chest. “Doc,” their voice sounded strange to their ears. They reached out for Janet, fingers clutching her lab coat.

Janet instantly started disconnecting Y/N from their machines. “Daniel, I’m going to need you to move. You can wait outside for the surgery, I don’t care, but you can’t be right here.” She raised her voice. “Veronica! Freddy! Susie! Prep for immediate surgery!”

Y/N was wheeled away before they could even say anything else, avoiding Daniel’s eyes as they passed by him. They couldn’t bear to see that look of shock turn into one of pain, couldn't bear to see it turn to disgust and anger. They didn’t want him to be upset with them, didn’t want him to regret ever saying he’d stay by their side through this. Now that their closest held secret was out in the open, Y/N felt a small weight lift from their chest, but an even bigger one settled as the anxiety of it all kicked in and the weight of the flowers took their toll.

Still, there was no time to wallow in the anxiety. Their lungs were filled with flowers, stems, and branches. A veritable bush was growing inside them and they could almost feel it pushing into their windpipe. There wasn’t time for anything, barely any room left in their lungs for air. They were prepped for surgery as fast as Janet could get them to the operating room. Soon enough, they were given the anesthesia and slipped into sweet oblivion, a place their troubles couldn’t follow.

When they woke, the first thing they felt was a burning pain in their throat. Y/N instinctively groaned, only worsening the pain. Footsteps came from close by and Janet came into their view. “Don’t try to speak right now, Y/N. we just had to do major surgery by going down your trachea to extract the plants. Your vocal cords are gonna need some time to heal from that.”

Y/N almost tried to ask, ‘how long’ but settled for making a confused and worried expression, a bit of frustration already mixing in. They pulled Janet’s hand to them, writing out the question on her palm instead.

Janet smiled. “Ah, sorry, I forgot I was going to give you this!” She pulled out a small chalkboard that was just big enough to comfortably carry around and a pouch attached to it. Pulling a piece of chalk out of the pouch, she handed both to Y/N. “And, to answer the question of timeframe, you need to not speak for three to four weeks at the minimum to give the vocal cords a chance to recover. In the meantime, I recommend some soothing teas to help with the inflamed throat. I'm sorry, it was the easiest way to do it that didn’t involve going through other things or taking longer to heal.”

Y/N nodded. “Thanks very much, Dr. Fraiser,” they wrote.

Janet smiled again, reading it. “You’re welcome. For now, just try to get some rest. I want to keep you here for another day or so but after that you can go back to working on base. I won’t clear you for field duty until your voice is back and you pass a standard health check. Other than that, everything is fine for now.”

Y/N underlined their previous message, indicating they were saying it again. Janet reassured them they were welcome and moved to walk away. Before she could, Y/N grabbed her sleeve. Once they had the doctor’s attention again, they quickly wrote out what they wanted to say. “My throat hurts. Is that to be expected? Or should I be on meds for that?”

Janet nodded, looking over Y/N’s chart for a moment. “Ah, okay. You really shouldn’t be in much pain right now. On a one to ten scale, how bad is it?” Y/N thought for a moment before raising seven fingers. Janet nodded, making a note on the chart. “I’ll open the drip of the meds wider so you’ll get more. You should be feeling better soon. For now, just try to get some rest.” She walked away after fixing the drip.

Once again, Y/N was left alone with their thoughts. They were still embarrassed they’d said all that with Daniel in earshot. They’d expected privacy and hadn’t truly gotten it. Still, they couldn’t quite say they regretted it. A small part of them felt good to finally have those words off their chest, feeling freer now that it was in the open.

Y/N laid down as their thoughts wandered to how long they’d known Daniel. They’d first seen him when they first arrived at the facility a few years ago. Since then, they’d interacted with him in small ways in the halls and rooms of the building. Occasionally, they’d pass each other as teams swapped out in the Gate Room. For a long time, that was the closest they’d gotten to him, passing like ships in the night. It was one of those moments when they’d first realized just how bright and captivating his eyes looked and how similar they seemed to the color of the Gate itself.

Y/N was rushing to catch up with the rest of their team, still shuffling through a few pages of research and reports about the planet. Daniel had been just exiting the Gate Room when Y/N bumped into him, sending the papers flying. “Oh, sorry about that!” Daniel said, crouching to help pick them up.

Y/N was already on the floor, scrambling to grab their papers. “No, I”m sorry, it’s completely my fault! I wasn’t watching where I was going.” They could feel their cheeks heating up in mortification. Dropping papers in front of and literally running into the most elite team on the base, how clumsy could they be!

“Daniel, come on!” Colonel O’Neill called from farther down the hall.

Daniel looked up at him, still crouched. “No, Jack, you guys go on ahead! I’ll join you in a bit.” He didn’t wait for his friend’s response and just went right back to picking up the papers.

Once all papers were gathered, Y/N and Daniel stood up. “Thank you so much, Doctor Jackson!” Y/N said, clutching their research pages to their chest .

Daniel smiled, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels. “Oh, it’s not that big of a deal. I’m glad I could help, is all.” It was that moment, standing so close to each other, that Y/N realized just how clear of a color his eyes were, like a deep blue lake on a gorgeous day or a cloudless sky. They also reminded Y/N of the Stargate’s event horizon and how blue it was.

“Thank you, again!” Y/N forced their eyes away from his and rushed past him into the Gate Room, already calling apologies to the rest of their team and trying to ignore the heat in their cheeks that they knew they’d be teased for later.

Y/N’s thoughts drifted away from their first true interaction with him and towards their more mundane and everyday memories of him. There were times when they came into the mess hall at the height of the day, when it seemed like everyone and their family was in there and no table was left unoccupied. Those days, Daniel would tend to wave them over to his table. It didn’t matter if he was sitting alone, with his team, or with other colleagues, he’d let Y/N come and sit near him. They often didn’t talk during those times, just sat next to him and quietly ate their food, typically reading a book or a report on something. Still, those were times they got to see him in his natural habitat and at his most relaxed, bantering with his team.

They saw the way he leaned on Sam for support and scientific discussion, the way he leaned on Teal’c for anthropology talk and the deeper meaning of life. They saw the way he bantered and argued with Jack, talking of anything from the more mundane world things to the existential, how Jack and Daniel would lean on each other for the constants in their lives. Watching those discussions, and occasionally getting dragged into them themself, was when Y/N first started feeling that small seed of something in their heart. It wasn’t when they first started tending to it, though, that came later.

Y/N also sat in on briefings, some facility wide and some contained to very few people. That was when they first started tending to that small seed of longing, nourishing it and letting it grow. It was when they say how smart he truly was, how capable and composed he could be. How concisely he argued his points and stood up not only to his team members but to others and General Hammond. They saw how determined he was and the level of dedication he devoted to everything he did, pouring all his energy into everything.

Not only that, but their labs were close enough that if Y/N left their door open, they’d often hear Daniel talk to his team members as his door was almost always left open. There were times when Y/N would stop what they were doing simply to listen to the cadence of Daniel’s voice. The way he talked of his work was mesmerizing to hear. That was when the seed truly blossomed into something bigger, a tangible feeling of longing emerging from a casing of curiosity.

It was only while sharing a lab with him that Y/N understood what they were feeling. They didn’t acknowledge it or recognize that they were feeling love and longing toward him but looking back at it made it painfully obvious. They’d classified it as a crush, always waiting for the feelings to fade and for their heart to move on, to stop longing for the unattainable. They didn’t let them be out in the open until the Han’haki incident and if it weren’t for that they may never have let them out.

And yet, Y/N was already ready to go back to bottling it up. It was a day or so later that they were let out of the infirmary, still equipped with the chalkboard and chalk. When discharged from bed, Y/N poured themself into their research. They reorganized their entire lab, only leaving alone the small section Daniel still seemed to be working in. They learned to work around his schedule, avoiding him at all costs. They weren’t ready to talk to him about it, not that they could while being forbidden to speak. Soon, his things disappeared from their lab and they reorganized that section too.

Half a week after the surgery, Laurel came into the lab, casually taking a look around it. “Hey, Sugar Pie! How are you feeling?” She leaned over, looking at the floor near a counter.

Y/N smiled at her. “Throat’s still sore but work is keeping my mind off it.”

Laurel nodded after reading it. “That’s understandable. Don’t forget to take time to rest, you’re still recovering from a major surgery and I need you back in top form if you’re to be back in the field anytime soon. Besides,” she chuckled, “You’re the best behaved kid I got, I need you to help me with the Trouble Twins.”

“As expected of our Boss Man.” Y/N smiled.

“Okay, well, I just wanted to come and check in on you, so I guess I’ll leave you to it.”

A few minutes after Laurel left, Charles burst in. “Hey, dude, good to see you! You look great, how you feeling?” His words were rushed, eyes slightly panicked.

Y/N quickly wrote out, “Charlie, what’s going on??” before putting a hand on his shoulder and showing it to him.

He laughed, eyes still panicked. “So, uh, long story. Short of it is, we really need you back as soon as possible. Boss Man is gonna kill me one of these days and it ain’t gonna be pretty.”

Y/N rolled their eyes. “What’d you do now, Troublemaker?”

He laughed again. “Oh, you know, just a small prank. She’s already found it and is on the hunt for me. I saw her just leave here so I’m assuming it’s safe for a few hours, can I stay?”

Y/N sighed. “So long as you don’t mess up anything, yes. Don’t expect me to lie to Boss Man, though. She comes in and asks for you, I’m pointing right at ya.”

Charles gave a mock salute and went to hide in the corner Daniel used to work it. Y/N just rolled their eyes again and went back to work, eventually pointing at him when Laurel burst in and said she knew he was there. They then had to hold back their laughter at their team’s antics, eventually kicking them out before they messed up their throat by using it too soon after the surgery.

Y/N spent two more weeks buried in their lab. Laurel would occasionally stop by to drag them away and Kenneth or Charles would bring them food or water when the men felt they’d been in there too long. Y/N appreciated the distractions their visits and antics created, hearing about their offworld missions and how they weren’t the same without Y/N. Even if their friends were just saying empty words to make them feel better, it worked. Y/N managed to get the majority of their work done during those two weeks, almost working at a fevered pace.

When Janet finally cleared them for field work and allowed them to speak again, she threatened to take them off duty permanently if they didn’t slow down. “I’ve been hearing General Hammond complain about just how many reports have been coming across his desk with your name on it lately and I’m not happy about it either,” she scolded.

Y/N smiled and coughed, getting used to using their voice again. “Sorry, I just wanted to make up for the time I stayed in the infirmary. I know it wasn’t that long, but working also kept me distracted from not being able to talk.” They took a sip of water, voice already feeling and sounding strained from lack of use.

“Even so, you need to take it easy from now on. Just because you can go back into the field doesn’t mean you need to work yourself to death. Take care of yourself. I don’t want to have to see you back here in a week’s time because you were being too stupid for your own good.”

Thanking her, Y/N nodded in acknowledgment and walked out. Now that the health check was passed, they dove even deeper into work. They tried to get as many off-world missions as possible under the presence of making up for the time they weren’t able to be with SG-13. However, almost anyone who knew them could tell it was a lackluster excuse for what they were really doing: avoiding Daniel.

Laurel found Y/N sitting with their back to a wall in the back of the mess hall, nose in a book. She smiled as she greeted them, pulling out a chair. Y/N put their book down and paid their full attention to their leader. “Hey, Boss Man, when’s the next mission?”

Laurel sighed as she sat down. “That’s actually what I’m here to talk about. You’ve been, I don’t know how to put it.” She contemplated for a moment. “‘Off’ is the best word for it, I guess. You’ve been off, lately.”

Y/N tilted their head, sticking their tongue out slightly to swipe at their bottom lip. “Off? In what way?”

“I’ve seen you avoiding SG-1.” Y/N scoffed at Laurel’s words. The major shook her head. “No, really! I”ve watched the way you duck into hallways, speed through intersections, and generally just avoid them wherever you go. It’s as if you can’t face any of them.”

Y/N hunched in on themself, making themself look as small as they felt. “It’s because I can’t. If I talk to even one of them, it’ll get back to the one I really can’t talk to.”

“What do you mean by that, Sugar Pie? Why can’t you talk to one of them?”

Y/N sighed. “I recently confessed a romantic attraction to Daniel Jackson and I’ve been avoiding his answer. If he rejects me, I don’t think I could take it after burying the feelings for so long. And, if he accepts me, I still don’t know how that would feel or what I’d do with myself. I guess, it really comes down to a fear of change.”

Laurel reached out, patting Y/N’s arm. “Either way, if I were you, I’d rather know. If you don’t want any advice, that’s fine, but I’m still going to give this piece: talk to him. The sooner, the better .Get it off your chest so you can stop wallowing in it. Don’t deny it. I’ve seen the look in your eyes while in the field, your head isn’t entirely in it. My advice will always be to confront your problems head on rather than run from them. It tends to get things done a lot faster.”

Y/N reluctantly nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Laurel shrugged. “I usually am,” she giggled.

Still, it was another two weeks before Y/N stopped avoiding Daniel and his team. Despite the advice from Laurel, and the echoed advice from Kenneth and Charles, they were still afraid Daniel’s perception of them had soured after their confession. It was the main reason they’d wanted him out of the area for it, they hadn’t been able to look him in the eyes while they said it. And yet, they’d still ended up telling him, in a way. It may have been for the better, but Y/N was still coming to terms with it all.

When they did run into Daniel again, it was when they came back from a late night caffeine run to see his door open and hear people talking inside. They knew it was underhanded and rude to eavesdrop but they also felt a need to know. A small part of their mind whispered that it would be payback for Daniel eavesdropping on their confession. So, they quietly crept closer and listened from the doorway of their own lab.

“What’s going on?” Jack asked, metal creaking.

Daniel sighed. “That’s just it, Jack, I don’t know. I keep trying, but nothing seems to happen.”

“Talk to me, Danny boy, What’s going on?”

Something light fell to the table and Daniel’s voice sounded frustrated. “I honestly don't know. I’ve tried talking to them but every time, they run away before I can even get close enough to say, ‘hello’. The avoidance hurts, but what else can I do? I told them I’d give them time and yet, I”m trying to reach out. If they’re still not ready, who am I to say they need to be?”

Jack clicked his tongue and Y/N had the mental image of him shaking his head. “Still, this is affecting your work. I can see it, Daniel. Your head’s not in the missions and any research you’ve done, I haven’t heard a lick of ramblings about it since this whole thing started. When are you just going to tell them?”

“Do I even have to, at this point, Jack? Maybe they wouldn’t want me to.”

“Oh, I don’t believe that for a second! At this point, I’m ready to shove you two in an interrogation room to figure this shit out!”

“Jack, don’t. Just drop it, please? I’ll get my head back on the missions. I’ll focus more on my research. If I focus more on work, maybe I can drown out my failing romantic life. I-I’ll figure it out.” Daniel sighed. “Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it, but please just let me handle this. It’ll only get messier if you get involved.”

Jack took a few steps into the room, closer to Daniel’s desk, and said something Y/N couldn’t hear before leaving the room. Y/N ducked back into their lab, trying to make it seem like they’d just arrived if he happened to walk that way. He didn’t and they were left in the silence of their empty lab, the only noise being the humming of equipment. With most of their research already wrapped up and Daniel moved out, the lab felt even more empty than it usually did.

They put their cup down and puttered around the room for a few minutes, just straightening things up, before a knock brought their focus to the doorway. There was Daniel, looking exhausted and like he’d been up for three days straight, one hand in his pocket and the other raised to knock on the doorpost. Y/N noted the way their heart calmed at the sight of him, as if a puzzle piece had just fallen into place and all was right with the world, their anxiety lessening with just his presence.

“Hi. Uh, you busy?” Daniel asked.

Y/N shook their head, feeling heat flood their cheeks. “Nope, not at the moment. Though, I think I need to say something before you do, if that’s alright.”

He nodded, a hesitant smile gracing his features. “Yeah, that’s fine.” He entered the room and just stood against the wall, as if unsure what to do next.

Y/N bit back a smile, needing to keep the moment serious. “You can sit, if you want,” they gestured to the corner he’d previously claimed. Daniel nodded and took a seat there as Y/N naturally pulled themself onto the counter, letting their legs swing below them. “So,” they began, “I think I owe you an apology.”

Daniel shook his head. “No, you don’t, not really. You don’t owe me anything.”

Y/N held up a hand, silently asking to be allowed to finish. “I do, actually. I’ve been rude in avoiding you. You told me that, no matter what I said, you’d not change how you treated me. I was afraid that that wasn’t actually the case, that it was just something you said in a dire situation. It’s why I’ve avoided you. I was afraid your opinion of me had truly soured due to what I said. That was wrong of me. I should have trusted you. Even though I was running on emotions and preservation instincts, I should have trusted you enough and talked things through with you. I should have, at the very least, told you I needed a bit of time. Instead, I gave you the cold shoulder and avoided you. I apologize for all of that, you didn’t deserve any of it.”

Daniel stood and started pacing, as if he couldn’t sit still for a moment longer. “No, you really don’t owe me anything. I shouldn’t have tried to reach out like I did. To be honest, I’ve been trying to subtly run into you for nearly three weeks now. I know, your voice was still recovering for part of that and it was stupid when you so clearly didn’t want to talk to me. Trust me, I saw the look in your eyes when you avoided me, you didn’t even have to say a word.” he hesitated to say the next thing and Y/N stayed quiet, doing their best to give him the space he’d given them.

“It was like you feared me,” he said quietly after a while. The hurt on his face and in his voice broke Y/N’s heart. “So, I should be the one apologizing to you. It was stupid of me to not wait for you to approach me first and you deserved better than that.”

Y/N laughed, suddenly realizing just how stupid they had both been acting. “How about we call it a truce? Let’s just say we’ve both been idiots and go from there, yeah?”

Daniel laughed and hung his head, putting his hands in his front pockets but leaving his pinkies out in that strange way he often did. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Y/N picked up an empty test tube and played with it in their lap, nervousness building for what was going to come next. “So,” they paused for a moment, letting the silence drag on and their courage build, “wat that what you’d originally come here to say?”

He shook his head. “That was part of it.” He stepped closer, coming to stand in front of them. “I mainly came here to answer what you’d said in the infirmary over a month ago now.” His eyes were so clear, so determined. They drew Y/N in and held them captive.

Y/N had to remind themself to breathe. “And, what would that answer be?”

Daniel smiled and tenderly placed a hand on their cheek. He leaned in, carefully looking at Y/N and waiting for them to pull back. Instead, they put down the test tube and let their hands gravitate to his hips, their fingers sliding into his belt loops and pulling him closer. His smile grew brighter before he closed the distance between them and placed his lips on Y/N’s.

The kiss was like a spark of lightning, like a soft evening rain, like a cool breeze on a summer day. It felt like everything clicked into place, like it was the only place Y/N would ever want to be. It felt like the sun coming out after a long rain. It was perfection incarnate and they never wanted him to stop.

Y/N wasn’t sure how long they kissed, only that when they pulled away, they were both gasping for air. Their foreheads connected and they just breathed together for a moment. When he caught his breath, Daniel smiled. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a few months now.”

Y/N laughed. They let their legs swing out, ankles hooking the back of Daniel’s legs. At the same time, their arms came up to wrap around his neck, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. “So have I. I’ve just been so afraid to do it.”

He hummed, hands sliding around to their back as he stepped impossibly closer to them. “And why have you been so afraid?”

Y/N let their chin rest on his shoulder, eyes slipping closed to enjoy the feeling of having him in their arms and getting to be in his arms. “Because I would never be as good to you as Sha’re was and would have been.” They sighed and, when they felt him try to pull away, held him tighter. “I’m a coward who doesn’t have the courage to say this to your face. Please, let’s just stay like this for a moment.”

He hummed again and started to gently rub their back. “It needs to be let out sometime. Now’s as good a time as any.”

“As far as I know, she was the greatest love of your life,” Y/N continued. “I mean, you left your life and an entire planet behind for her. When I first came here, people told me stories of how you’d rarely ever stop talking about her if you weren’t working on something. To me, Sha’re is legendary. Maybe that’s just how everyone portrayed her to be, maybe it’s true. Either way, part of me built her up to be the ideal woman, the perfect wife, the best partner anyone could ask for. Anyone who’d seen you two together said that it looked like you were destined for each other, no better match for either person on any planet. It built up in my head for a while.

“Finally, we started spending more time together. I saw you when you were just talking to your team, the way you interacted with them.I saw the intellectual side of you and the humorous side all at one. I got to watch you match yourself to everyone you talked to, like water fitting the shape of a container. All the while, I fell deeper for those clear blue eyes and the brilliant mind that lies behind them. Then, we shared a lab. That’s when I fell deeper. I knew I loved you for certain shortly before you brought back the cure for the Han’haki plant.”

Daniel pulled away and Y/N let him, finally looking into each other’s eyes and seeing his reaction as they said it. “I love you, Daniel, but I’m scared that I’m not what you want, that you don’t actually want me and that you’ll never speak to me again.”

His eyes didn’t turn to anger, there was no disgust in them. Only softness and joy. Daniel kissed them again, a short and sweet moment where their mind was able to go completely blank and absorb him. “I'm glad we got that out of the way,” Daniel said. “You’re right, Sha’re was and may always be, the love of my life. However, who said a person can only have one love of their life? I was surely the love of her life and I will love her until the day I die, but that doesn’t mean I”m never going to love again. I can love you just as much as I love her, and you’re allowed to love me. If you need permission, you have it.

“I want to love you. To be honest, I’ve been falling for you since the day we met. Ever since I caught a glimpse of the look in your eyes and the way they shone with the excitement of a mission, it was like I’d stepped off a ledge and was falling into deep waters. That’s why I kept calling you to my table. I wasn’t just being nice, I was being selfish. I wanted you near me, to hear you talk to and about your own team, to watch you interact with mine, to talk to you myself. I wanted to get to know you better. It’s also the main reason why I asked to share your lab specifically, and why I stayed so long.”

Y/N tilted their head. “Wait, what do you mean?”

Daniel laughed, suddenly looking sheepish. “Uh, the large group stopped using my lab a week or two after you got back from your mission. I just kept using yours and didn't tell you because I like you and wanted to spend more time with you.”

Y/N’s laughter joined his and they pulled him close again, arms wrapping around his neck and shoulders. “I thought you were just still working on that stone. I guess we’re both idiots, aren’t we?”

Daniel nodded, tilting his head to kiss their shoulder. “That we are, my darling. That we are.”

#daniel jackson/reader #daniel jackson (stargate)#fanfic #original female character #original male characters #Janet Fraiser #hanahaki disease #hanahaki #no specific season #sha're (shau'ri) mentioned #Threat of Death #they/them reader #Jack O'Neill (stargate)#Ancient Mayan Based Civilization

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