[Stargate: Drabble] "Colleagues" [G]
Title: Colleagues
Prompt: writerverse challenge 28 December table of doom, prompt 9 ‘just don’t understand’
Word Count: 610
Original/Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Character(s): Daniel Jackson, team
Pairings: implied Daniel Jackson/Vala Mal Doran
Summary: An old colleague runs into Daniel Jackson at the library.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Colleagues
“Daniel Jackson?”
The man seated at a small table in the corner of the university library looked up, and there was no mistaking that quizzical frown.
“Al?” he said. “Al Michaels?”
“One and the same,” Al agreed. He stepped forward to offer his hand, and Daniel shook it. “It’s good to see you, mate.”
“You, too.”
They had never been friends, or ever really direct colleagues, but Al and the geology department had been asked to consult a few times on artifacts for the archaeology department, and he had always gotten along well with Daniel. He’d been sad but not surprised to hear the younger had had some kind of mental breakdown a few years back- there were some days he felt like claiming alien intervention, just to stop some of the academic infighting he usually had to deal with.
“You’re looking well,” Al added, releasing Daniel’s hand. The calluses and current tan suggested he was just back from a dig, so clearly he was back to work. “Some university is looking after you, eh?”
“Actually, I’m working for the government, now. The Air Force.”
“Really?” said Al. “They need an archaeologist?”
Daniel smiled. “I did some sociology work during undergrad, so I’ve mostly been helping in more diplomatic ways.”
“Yes, you speak all those languages, don’t you? I always wish I’d-”
“Daniel, darling,” interrupted a voice. The woman it belonged to was carrying a large stack of very old books, which she eat on the table. “This is the last of the… Oh, hello.”
“Ah,” said Daniel. “Al Michaels, Vala Mal Doran. Al is a geologist who used to work at the same university I did, many years ago. And Vala is my…”
He waved one hand vaguely, and she took it, smiling. “I certainly am, darling,” she said, then turned back to Al. “Did you know my Daniel before or after he became a laughingstock of the academic community?”
“Vala…” protested Daniel, but Al smiled.
“Before, I’m afraid,” he admitted. “And we lost touch afterwards. It was like he’d fallen off the face of the Earth.”
Vala grinned. “Actually…”
She was interrupted by the arrival of three more people, who crowded the small library table with more books. Daniel introduced Al to two Air Force colonels, Carter and Mitchell, and a man who didn’t look at all like a “Murray”.
“Take a few minutes with your friend, Jackson,” said the male colonel, whichever one he was. “But not too many - we’re on a deadline.”
“Right,” said Daniel, as they left. “It really is good to see you, Al.”
The other man nodded. “It’s been long enough, hasn’t it? Since your… well, there are probably more than a few universities that would give you another chance.”
Daniel smiled. “Thanks, Al, really. But I love my job. My team, they’re like family, and I honestly couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
Al nodded. “If you’re sure…?”
“I’m sure, And, maybe, you could remember you’d run into me, in a few years?”
“I will,” said Al, slowly. “I’ll tell my wife I saw you.”
“Yes, please do,” said Daniel. “Take care.”
“You, too.”
Al paused, watching Daniel rejoin his team. He didn’t know how the other man could be happy working for the government - they had always seemed annoying overbearing to the science departments Al had seen them working with, generally closed-minded and unreasonable.
But, clearly, Daniel was happy. The woman, Vala, had taken his hand again, listening as Daniel explained something from one of the books to the strangely-named man, Murray.
Takes all kinds to make the world, Al thought, and headed back to his office in the geology department.
THE END
Current Mood:
clean
Prompt: writerverse challenge 28 December table of doom, prompt 9 ‘just don’t understand’
Word Count: 610
Original/Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Character(s): Daniel Jackson, team
Pairings: implied Daniel Jackson/Vala Mal Doran
Summary: An old colleague runs into Daniel Jackson at the library.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Colleagues
“Daniel Jackson?”
The man seated at a small table in the corner of the university library looked up, and there was no mistaking that quizzical frown.
“Al?” he said. “Al Michaels?”
“One and the same,” Al agreed. He stepped forward to offer his hand, and Daniel shook it. “It’s good to see you, mate.”
“You, too.”
They had never been friends, or ever really direct colleagues, but Al and the geology department had been asked to consult a few times on artifacts for the archaeology department, and he had always gotten along well with Daniel. He’d been sad but not surprised to hear the younger had had some kind of mental breakdown a few years back- there were some days he felt like claiming alien intervention, just to stop some of the academic infighting he usually had to deal with.
“You’re looking well,” Al added, releasing Daniel’s hand. The calluses and current tan suggested he was just back from a dig, so clearly he was back to work. “Some university is looking after you, eh?”
“Actually, I’m working for the government, now. The Air Force.”
“Really?” said Al. “They need an archaeologist?”
Daniel smiled. “I did some sociology work during undergrad, so I’ve mostly been helping in more diplomatic ways.”
“Yes, you speak all those languages, don’t you? I always wish I’d-”
“Daniel, darling,” interrupted a voice. The woman it belonged to was carrying a large stack of very old books, which she eat on the table. “This is the last of the… Oh, hello.”
“Ah,” said Daniel. “Al Michaels, Vala Mal Doran. Al is a geologist who used to work at the same university I did, many years ago. And Vala is my…”
He waved one hand vaguely, and she took it, smiling. “I certainly am, darling,” she said, then turned back to Al. “Did you know my Daniel before or after he became a laughingstock of the academic community?”
“Vala…” protested Daniel, but Al smiled.
“Before, I’m afraid,” he admitted. “And we lost touch afterwards. It was like he’d fallen off the face of the Earth.”
Vala grinned. “Actually…”
She was interrupted by the arrival of three more people, who crowded the small library table with more books. Daniel introduced Al to two Air Force colonels, Carter and Mitchell, and a man who didn’t look at all like a “Murray”.
“Take a few minutes with your friend, Jackson,” said the male colonel, whichever one he was. “But not too many - we’re on a deadline.”
“Right,” said Daniel, as they left. “It really is good to see you, Al.”
The other man nodded. “It’s been long enough, hasn’t it? Since your… well, there are probably more than a few universities that would give you another chance.”
Daniel smiled. “Thanks, Al, really. But I love my job. My team, they’re like family, and I honestly couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
Al nodded. “If you’re sure…?”
“I’m sure, And, maybe, you could remember you’d run into me, in a few years?”
“I will,” said Al, slowly. “I’ll tell my wife I saw you.”
“Yes, please do,” said Daniel. “Take care.”
“You, too.”
Al paused, watching Daniel rejoin his team. He didn’t know how the other man could be happy working for the government - they had always seemed annoying overbearing to the science departments Al had seen them working with, generally closed-minded and unreasonable.
But, clearly, Daniel was happy. The woman, Vala, had taken his hand again, listening as Daniel explained something from one of the books to the strangely-named man, Murray.
Takes all kinds to make the world, Al thought, and headed back to his office in the geology department.
THE END
Current Mood:
clean