A Mini-Midlife Crisis

[hi_there_aliens]

Where to start? He had to resist the urge to pick at the little square bandage on his forehead or the stitches. Daniel put his hands on his hips, where they couldn't get anywhere near his head, and surveyed what was going to temporarily be his domain. Until he got kicked out, at least, but until then, he was determined to squat here. As makeshift archaeology labs went, he'd worked with less. It was a lot to take in; there were an impressive amount of artifacts from the dig. They probably didn't even scratch the surface of Taleen, but they'd brought back a lot anyway. The room was crowded. Practically overflowing. An archaeologist's wet dream. Maybe not Meaning of Life Stuff, but this could keep a person occupied for months. Maybe years, depending on how thoroughly you wanted to go into it.

Daniel didn't make any motion to begin on any of them. He sat down and looked at the tables.

What the hell was he even doing here? Once the excitement and rush wore off, Daniel realized how inappropriate this was. Talk about a lack of priorities. The fact that he was still thrilled about the prospect of spending a day studying them angered him at the same time as it excited him. Sha're was out there, still a host. Or maybe not, if his universe really had been destroyed. Daniel had a hard time wrapping his head around the concept. Part of him still didn't believe it was true. He wanted proof. Something besides Stacy and the Daligig's word. At the same time, having actual proof only meant that what felt like a terrible possibility became cold, hard fact. Maybe he didn't want to know. It was easier on his sanity if he could wonder if SG-1 was out there still.

And here he was, about to get arm deep in relics and a dead civilization. Like it had any bearing on what was supposed to be the most important thing. He should be trying to get back home or - or do something to help everything and everyone he ever cared about.

Sure thing, as soon as he found some good options. So far, Daniel didn't see anything better than staying on this ship. Even if he found a Stargate, it wasn't like he could abandon ship. It wasn't a matter of attachment but practicality. Where would he go? No point of origin, or maybe they were different, and even if he went back to this Earth, nothing was quite the same. It wasn't his universe. He was better off sticking with Stacy, Daniel had to admit to himself. Everything seemed to converge on her. If anything was going to come up that would help, it would more likely happen around her. That left him doing missions while he was on board, working. Maybe they'd find something on one planet, something that could helped his universe. Even with the destruction of Thor's Hammer, he had a chance to find something to help Sha're.

Daniel took a breath. He stood up. He could make himself useful until the next mission. He had a few things he wanted to study first. The mummy they brought back lay on the table. He was dying to start on it. Or there were the Goa'uld devices.

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[hi_there_aliens]

An accident that just happened to damage one of the most priceless things in the entire room. And now he had an hour's worth of extra work added onto the massive pile he had to get done already. And here he;d been thinking he could finish on schedule and get some sleep on time. Gee. Thanks.

Vala didn't make it easy on him, but Daniel kept up the pressure and hold, and escorted her through the mass of tables. As soon as they got to the door, Daniel released her. He planted his arm on the door frame, forming a blockade, just in case she got any ideas to edge past him.

"I'll pass, thanks," Daniel grumbled. You've done more than enough for today, Vala. If she was talking about the healing device, Daniel didn't want her near any more artifacts. His sanity could only take so much and healing ribs Even if it brought up some serious questions about how she could do it. He thought only previous hosts could. And now he lost the opportunity to check that theory, her back was away from him. She had him so flustered he couldn't think straight.

Still, she offered to help. She was trying. Daniel closed his eyes and tried to reign in his temper. "Look. I just need some time alone, okay?"

[valaunbound]

Well she'd screwed up royally there, she thought. If Daniel could see her face then her expression was nothing short of a kicked puppy. There was a reason Vala didn't turn around.

"Right. Time alone. I can see that," she conceded reluctantly with a shrug and a head tilt. Vala narrowed her eyes to look up and down the corridor outside the lab, she had no idea where she was actually going to go, but it wouldn't hurt to do some more scouting around, she supposed.

"Oh!" Vala suddenly added brightly. "One more question. How much time... roughly?"

[hi_there_aliens]

Daniel dropped his arm. He was never going to understand her. Why did she care how much time he needed? She couldn't give him a straight answer what their relationship supposedly was. He couldn't even see what she saw him. And she still wanted to come back too.

"I don't know. Until I get further on the workload. Or when I need sleep," Chances were he was going to fall asleep here before he even got to his quarters, but maybe he'd realize he was tired in time. Or finish early. Now he was just indulging in a lot of wishful thinking. The reality was that he probably wouldn't make it to his quarters, he wouldn't realize he was tired in time, and he'd probably forget to eat.

It felt like he was leaving her out in the cold for reason. Daniel stared at her back, wondering what she wanted from him. Maybe she knew him. Maybe she wasn't being entirely truthful. But she was a stranger to him. She seemed to expect something and Daniel didn't think he could give it to her, no more than he could give the same to anyone else who had just popped onto Stacy. Whatever it even was.

Even if she was a stranger, he'd put something inanimate, dead before a living person. And here everyone thought he was the people person. That gnawing sensation in his stomach felt suspiciously like a little guilt. Daniel chewed at his lip. "Did you get assigned quarters yet? Because you should check with the Captain if you haven't. Get somewhere to stay."

[valaunbound]

Oh that wasn't so bad then. She'd briefly regretted asking that incase the answer had been days. Not that she'd have taken much notice, but a few hours or the rest of the day, that was do-able. She really did need to investigate more. And seeing as how Daniel was more concerned with who she was and his artifacts, any information she'd hoped to get about Stacy and these Ohm and Daligag hadn't been very forthcoming, bar a few tidbits that weren't much use.

She didn't really consider not coming back. He was Daniel and she was Vala, and that was enough to cement their connection in her mind. It was that simple. He'd just have to get used to her being around.

Vala had already started up the corridor as he called out to her about quarters. And then there it was, that unmistakable concern for others, regardless of his annoyance. Yep, Daniel was still Daniel, regardless of the year. She smiled to herself.

"I was thinking I'd just bunk down with you for now!" She called back over her shoulder chirpily. And then she bounce-turned a corner and disappeared out of sight.