Daniel by Candlelight - Coda
(Once more, special thanks to Major Gee for her beautiful artwork for this story)
a "Gutter Press" fan fiction
by Nephthys
Disclaimer: STARGATE is a registered trademark of MGM/UA and SHOWTIME-Online. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement to those rights and is written solely for entertainment. No copyright infringement intended. I'm only borrowing the characters and will give them back when I'm done writing. I derive no profit from this story other than the satisfaction of letting my imagination roam around in someone else's universe.
One more thing - this story was started quite some time ago, and pretty much in isolation of a lot of the Stargate episodes. Some climactic events have been incoporated, such as Sha're's death and Skaara's resuce, but in many respects this should be seen as a bit of an AU fic. But hopefully you'll enjoy it! So, on to the story…
Wednesday afternoon.
Daniel Jackson parked his car near his apartment building and got out.
An older, wiser Daniel Jackson - the last three years had seen many changes in him, not all of them physical. His shorter hair and more muscled physique were only outward manifestations of the real changes in Daniel.
He was wiser, sadder. He had known the pain of being reunited with his beloved Sha're during the later stages of her pregnancy, only to lose her again after her son's birth. And then the grief of losing her forever when she had returned to Abydos to find her child, the Harsesis, and Teal'C had been forced to kill her to save Daniel's life.
His joy at finding Skaara and seeing him freed from his slavery to Klorel had been tempered by the fact that, for Sha're, that freedom was no longer an option - although he acknowledged that, in death, she was free from Ammonet.
This Daniel Jackson had seen much, and experienced more, but at the core he was still the same man.
He reached into the back seat of his car and picked up a bag of groceries and his duffel bag. SG-1 were on stand down for a week, and he had plans. Pages and disks of notes that he was itching to work on translating, accompanied by a fresh blend of his favourite coffee and a quart of Cherries Jubilee from Baskin Robbins. Whatever else had happened to him, right now life was good.
Daniel woke early on Thursday morning to the sound of a large truck pulling up outside the building. Yawning and stretching, he made his way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.
Sunlight streamed through the windows and onto the books and notes strewn over the table where he had been working. He couldn't wait to get back to what he'd been translating, but resisted the urge to re-read as he walked past the table. Time enough for that once he had a cup of coffee in his hand. For now, some fresh air would be just the touch this perfect morning needed.
As he opened the windows overlooking the street, he spotted the truck that had awakened him. A removalist's van, bristling with men as they prepared for unloading. He noticed one of them fitting a detachable ramp to the entrance to his building, and deduced that he was about to get new neighbours.
As he watched, his hand stole up to his cheek, and the bristles he felt there decided him. A shave and a hot shower first. Then his coffee would be ready and he could get back to work.
Daniel emerged from his bedroom half an hour later, wearing Levis and a white T-shirt, his hair still damp. He felt amazingly good, and the smell of coffee coming from the kitchen was delicious. He poured a cup and headed for the table, already halfway immersed in his work, turning things over his mind from the night before.
He was about to sit down when there was a peal of laughter from the street. A woman's laugh, so utterly joyous and engaging it completely derailed him. Before he even knew what he was doing, he found himself at the window, looking down to see what was so funny, and who it was who found it so.
He caught a glimpse of a woman's back, moving into the lobby, as male laughter began. One of the removalists had hold of a huge plant, and from certain angles it looked like the plant was moving and dancing on its own. Daniel chuckled himself, fully intending to go back to the table and start work.
Thirty minutes later, he was still at the window.
Daniel was not a voyeur by nature, nor was he in the habit of spying on his neighbours. But he found himself fascinated by the objects being carried out of the truck and being ferried up to his new neighbour's apartment.
It was an odd form of archaeology, he supposed as he poured another cup of coffee and took a seat on the wide windowsill to watch the "excavation" of the truck. Except that, unlike most digs, he usually didn't have to guess at the purpose of the objects as they were revealed.
And what a treasure trove it was! Carton upon carton of books, a library to rival his own, it seemed. Two extremely fine Etruscan urns, carried with great care as befitted their worth. Statuary pieces - some small enough to be carried in one hand, one so large it needed two men to shift it - from various civilizations both ancient and more modern.
A low musical bonging from the truck preceded the wind chimes - probably Asian, Indonesian most likely.
More boxes of books and some that looked intriguingly full of artifacts. Then some very fine book cases, a great many of them - but needed to contain the library of books already unloaded.
A huge coffee table, seemingly carved in one piece from the bole of some giant tree, and two chairs which Daniel eyed covetously, as they looked so invitingly comfortable. A sofa, unremarkable except in terms of its size and length - Daniel was mildly amused to find himself calculating that it would be long enough for him stretch out full length, and plenty roomy enough for someone to do likewise beside him - so long as that someone was friendly!
A bazaar of floor cushions and throw rugs followed, accompanied by some gauzy drapes in bright jewel-like shades. He imagined his living room graced by these things and the image that he had was that of a Turkish seraglio, which caused a wry smile.
A monastery table, accompanied by a priory bench and half a dozen chairs was next, causing the movers to grunt with effort - it certainly looked heavy from Daniel's lofty viewpoint.
Ah, now we are unpacking things for the kitchen, Daniel thought. As he watched cartons of wine and foodstuffs being carried in, his stomach goinged, reminding him that he had had nothing but coffee this morning. He headed for the kitchen, deciding that since he was being so slothful, he may as well be totally indulgent. It took only a minute to grab the cherry ice cream and a spoon, and he was back at the window.
He hadn't missed much, he decided, as cartons probably containing kitchenware made their way in.
Piece by piece, Daniel found himself forming a mental picture of his new but as yet unseen neighbour. Certainly scholarly, given the books. They looked well read, but still in good condition - so this was someone who took care of the tools of the trade.
The urns and statuary spoke of a historical bent, as did the artifacts.
But then add in the floor cushions and drapes, and the stuffy image of a dry scholar evaporated. This was someone who enjoyed fine things and prized comfort.
The cartons of wine and the monastery table hinted at a gourmand, a belief borne out by the appearance of boxes filled with herb pots. Only someone who loved to cook would bring along such an extravagant herb garden.
Daniel spooned up more of his ice cream, losing himself in speculation about his neighbour, and waiting to see what next came out of the Aladdin's cave that was the truck.
A series of stereo components, handled gently, and a vast CD rack - so, a music lover as well. Daniel hoped she wouldn't play her music at night though. Years spent on archaeological digs in remote locations, the year he had spent on Abydos and various encounters with tribes on expeditions through the Stargate, had accustomed him to silence at night. There was a profound peace in the silence that fell at night in those communities - a silence that came from a simple lifestyle where while there was light there was activity and work, and when it was dark everything ceased and the only sounds were those of sleeping people and animals.
Many was the night since his return from Abydos, particularly after a like encounter on a mission, where Daniel had been unable to sleep because the hum of the refrigerator or the sound of a car on the street far away seemed loud or intrusive.
He just hoped that his new neighbour had experienced that same night silence and treasured it as he did.
Daniel shifted position slightly and glanced out the window, watching now as out came more boxes, but relatively light ones. Linens, perhaps, or clothes.
Then movement stopped, and the men who had been upstairs came back down and gathered at the back of the truck. There was some kind of conference going on, with looks and gestures into the truck.
Daniel's interest was at fever pitch - what on earth could be next? Suddenly, the men headed into the truck together.
He waited patiently to see what was being unloaded.
Two men came backing out of the truck, moving very slowly and carefully. They were carrying a bed - a huge> bed. It was made of some glorious dark wood, but looked oddly shaped. As they cleared the truck, two more men appeared, carrying a structure made of the same dark wood.
When he saw both pieces, Daniel realised that it was a mammoth 4-poster canopy bed. The canopy had been detached to allow them to move it to the apartment.
Now he knew one more thing about his neighbour - she was an out and out sensualist. No one but an unashamed hedonist owned a bed like that.
Well, perhaps an out and out romantic would, he amended. Somehow that fitted too, but he leaned towards the hedonism more - the combination of the Turkish seraglio in the living room, the Michelin 5 star restaurant in the kitchen and that huge bed looked hedonistic to him. If he could only see what she might have in the bathroom - that was the clincher,
A bathroom filled with flowers and lace, with pretty towels and decorative soaps - that would mean a romantic. But, as he more suspected, a bathroom designed for comfort, with soft thick towels, candles, oil for long soaking baths - that was hedonistic.
Two of the men returned to the truck, one leaving with armfuls of billowy, gauzy white fabric - the drapes for the bed, Daniel surmised.
The second man carried a thick silk comforter, and for a moment Daniel was transported to another place. A place of magic and mystery, where a woman's voice breathed softly, "Yes, my best beloved".
Daniel remembered his encounter with the goddess Gaia, but he saw it "through a glass darkly". The intervening years had softened the memory - he remembered all of the history she had left with him. Indeed, he had been able to cross-reference it with things they had discovered later in their travels.
But of Gaia, he remembered little. He wondered, as his memory of that began to fade soon after his return, if that had been by the goddess' design. Certainly, it would be unfair to ask any woman to compete with the memory of the lovemaking of a goddess!
There were but hazy fragments of recollection, and the satin coverlet on the bed was one, triggered just now by the sight of his new neighbour's bed linen. The memory was gone before it took root in his mind, leaving him with a sense of almost deja vu.
Suddenly Daniel decided he had seen enough. His "archaeological dig" from the window had turned into something that felt more like being a peeping tom. He was faintly disgusted with himself. The happiness of his earlier speculations was tarnished with the notion that he had invaded this person's privacy quite deliberately.
Daniel stood up from the windowsill and turned away. His eyes lit on the clutter of papers and books he had been working on. That was a far better way to spend his time, he thought, heading for the kitchen to get a fresh cup of coffee and salvage something of his day.
In moments he was back at his table, coffee in hand. For a long moment he sat, lost in thought. Then, as if awakening from a dream, he picked up the papers he had been working on. He looked blankly at them, and then his synapses began firing. Soon he was hard at work, lost in the translations. He thought no more about his new neighbour that day.
The following morning, he was back at work at his table when he heard music. Haunting strings and a piano, and a voice filled with sadness and longing. He couldn't recognise the piece, but was transported by it, for while there was sadness, there was also somehow joy. It touched him deeply.
Theodora Markham sat in a chair in her new living room, surrounded at last by all her treasured possessions. It had been hard work, but at last she felt she had accomplished enough to take a break.
So she poured a cup of coffee and selected some music to play while she relaxed. She didn't realise what CD she'd chosen until the song started.
It has always captured her, this song, from the moment she had first heard it, and then, as she did now, she had turned up the volume until she felt herself immersed in the melody, in the sadness.
The ineffable longing of this song mystified her. She had never loved anyone so deeply that she could miss them so much - miss them to a point where the only releaase was to pour out her heart the way the singer did.
But for some reason, this song got to her. She wondered what it would be like to feel so deeply and wondered if it would happen to her.
There was a strange beauty in the notion of loving so much that it could be so sad when it was over. But for her, for now, it was an abstract notion.
She did wonder, as the notes faded and she lowered the volume without thinking, if it were truly possible to go on after such a loss. She guessed so, but it still haunted her thoughts as she finished her coffee and harnessed her energy to start again.
As the last notes faded, he wondered what he would hear next, with the slightest hint of annoyance that it would make it difficult to work.
But his neighbour had lowered the volume, and he heard no more.
Later that night, listening to his own music playing softly, he wondered just why that particular piece meant so much to the mystery woman. He recognised the behaviour - had done it himself. One particular track or piece which, when played, had to be played loud - to immerse oneself in the music.
For Daniel, it was an Egyptian piece that was incredibly evocative of Abydos, coming as it did from their common ancient roots. Sometimes he needed to hear it, and he always turned the volume up, so the music surrounded him and blotted out everything else. Then, and only then, could he remember his beloved Sha're so fully and completely it seemed as though she were here in the room with him.
Only once the music ended, the spell was broken, and the next track seemed an intrusion, so he invariably turned the stereo off afterwards and sat in silence, remembering.
If that were the case for his neigbour, then he guessed he understood that part of her life better than most people could.
He stood up, switched off the stereo and headed for bed.
Three weeks later.
Daniel stood in his living room, his shirt sticking to his skin as he opened windows to let the heat out of his apartment.
For the last two weeks, the city had been sweltering in a heat wave. Not that Daniel had been there to suffer through it - SG-1 had been on base or off world for the better part of three weeks.
But tonight on his return home, his apartment, which had been shut up all that time, was like an oven. The only saving grace, Daniel thought as he stood by the window praying for a breeze, was that the forecast was for rain, which should cool things down.
As the temperature in the apartment slowly began to approach something livable, if not exactly comfortable yet, he decided that a shower and a change of clothes would help. At least by the time he was done, it would be more pleasant, he thought, as the first puff of cool air from the approaching storm front touched his perspiring skin.
Thirty minutes later, Daniel sat in his living room, drinking coffee and sifting through his mail. Distant thunder and flashes of lightning foretold of the storm that would break later, but for now that air was still warm and the scent of the coming rain was still but a faint promise.
It had gotten very much darker though, and Daniel had turned on the floor lamps in the living room. He looked down at the envelopes in his hands. In the left, the senders were insisting that he might already be a winner, and in the right, the good people at Diners Club wanted him to know how much they loved him by the limit on his pre-approved credit card.
"Whee!" Daniel thought, somewhat sarcastically.
A sudden wind gust made the drapes billow and the lamps shake. Daniel got up to check the progress of the storm, hoping he wouldn't have to shut the windows yet. The room was only now starting to feel pleasant - to be deprived of the breeze now would change that for the worse.
It was very dark out, and the rain seemed imminent. The wind had shifted, Daniel realised, and he would not need to close the windows - it had been an errant gust, no more.
As he surveyed the street, so unusually dark for this hour, his attention was caught by a lone figure meandering towards him. A woman, he realised, by the flow of her skirt and her long wavy hair, which streamed behind her in the breeze.
Daniel wondered if this could be his mysterious new neighbour, whom he had yet to actually meet.
He had dropped a card in her mailbox, welcoming her to the building and explaining that he was "out of town" a lot, and that he'd catch up with her when he could. When he'd arrived home tonight, among his mail was a return card from her, thanking him for the welcome and saying she looked forward to meeting him soon. It was not signed, but bore the initial "T".
The woman was a mystery wrapped in an enigma to Daniel. He had surmised a lot about her from her belongings, but he had no idea what her name was or what she looked like.
The hell of it was that the approaching figure could well be his neighbour but, as they said, "at night, all cats are gray". The darkness and the streetlights robbed everything of colour, so he saw only a sepia toned image.
Faintly he became aware of a loud drumming sound, and the smell of rain on the air intensified. Well, he thought, whoever it is, unless she is a world-class sprinter, she's about to get drenched, as the heavens opened and the rain poured down.
Theodora was walking slowly back down the street to her apartment. She was in no rush, and it was unbelievably pleasant to be cool and comfortable, since the heat of the last few weeks had been so oppressive.
She looked up the street and noticed that the windows of the front apartment were open. Her neighbour Daniel must be back in town. He had left the sweetest card in her mailbox, and she looked forward to meeting him in person.
The breeze gusted, blowing her long thick hair back from her face and bringing with it the unmistakable scent of rain. She wondered when it would arrive. The first heavy drops coincided with a drumming sound and she realised that "when" was about to be "now".
She did not run, preferring to experience the sensation of being out in the rain. The leading edge of the downpour caught up and overtook her, drenching her to the skin in a matter of moments.
The shock of the cool water was delicious, the perfect antidote to the relentless heat of the last few weeks. It was like the best of all the cool showers she'd taken recently, only a thousand times more powerful.
She lifted her face to the heavens in a silent prayer of thanksgiving for this release.
She continued to walk, but her step was lighter now, and soon she was skipping and dancing. Finally, her exuberant high spirits overflowed, and she spread her arms wide and danced in the rain, just for the joy of it.
As she neared her apartment building, still dancing and swaying, she wished she could strip off her clothes, grab a cake of soap and have that best of all things, an outdoor shower. She chuckled to herself at the image, and wondered if her neighbours would approve.
Well, one thing was for certain - she wasn't going to track water all over the lobby and the stairs from her wet clothes and hair if she could help it. Checking the lobby from the outside, then opening the door and peering up the stairs, she decided the coast was clear inside, as well as outside.
She used her bag to prop the door open as she quickly stripped off her clothes under the overhang of the entrance. She dropped them in a pile at her feet and swung her hair forward over her shoulder to squeeze the water out of it.
She grabbed her clothes and wrung them out too, picked up her bag and pushed the door closed before sprinting up the stairs, naked and grinning.
Daniel saw her getting drenched from his window. She certainly seemed to be enjoying herself, and he almost wished he were outside himself, just to see if it really was that much fun.
As she neared the building, he could see her more clearly. Her clothes were plastered to her body, revealing a classically curvaceous form. Her hair was long and thick, but he could not tell its colour, other than to say that it was dark.
When she danced, he felt oddly touched. This was like seeing a hidden part of her. She was so unselfconscious and free. It was strangely intimate to see her like this and he knew that it was a special moment he was witnessing.
As she approached the sidewalk beneath his window, the phone rang, and he turned to answer it. It was Lt. Franklin from SG-7, who was reviewing the briefing notes on their next mission and needed clarification on a few points. They spoke in riddles and half-truths, to ensure that if the phones were tapped they were giving nothing away about the SGC.
When Daniel hung up the phone, he decided on the spur of the moment to go and introduce himself to his new neighbour. If nothing else, it would solve the mystery of the woman in the rain - if his neighbour was soaked to the skin, it was most likely her. If not, well it was still the most courteous thing to do, but he'd have to keep an eye out for the crazy lady who danced in the rain.
Daniel knocked on the door of the apartment. He distantly heard a phone ring, and cocked his head to see if it was his. Suddenly, he heard the door unlatch.
Something dark flowed out from behind the door and oiled its way sinuously around his ankles. He looked down in surprise and then heard a vibrant female voice say, "Bathsheba, come back here!"
He looked up and found himself fact-to-face with the greenest eyes he had ever seen.
"Ah . . . hello," was all he managed to say.
"Hello there! Bathsheba, come here this instant!"
This last was addressed to the dark shape winding itself around his legs. Bathsheba turned out to be a cat, black and silky with enormous golden eyes. She arched up against him one last time before sashaying lazily back through the door into the apartment.
"She is such a trollop," the woman chuckled. "I've no doubt she likes you, but she rather likes everyone, especially men. I'm Theodora Markham." She extended her hand to him.
"Daniel Jackson - we're neighbours." He took her hand and shook it.
"Oh! The Daniel with the lovely card! Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you," said Theodora.
Daniel smiled at her in silent thanks, and truly saw her for the first time, now that he wasn't distracted by the bewitching Bathsheba.
Theodora was about six inches shorter than he, and that was about all he could say for certain, apart from the green eyes. She was wearing a thick white bathrobe and her hair was swathed in a towel. Her face was thoroughly camouflaged by a pale green mask of something creamy. But she was smiling broadly at him.
"I'm sorry, I'd invite you in, but," she gestured over her shoulder, "the shower . . ."
"Oh, please, no! I just got home myself and thought I should drop by and introduce myself. I'll be around for a few days, perhaps we could have a cup of coffee sometime?"
"That would be terrific," she smiled.
They stood looking at one another and suddenly her phone rang.
"I'd better get . . ." "I'll let you get that . . ." they spoke at the same time.
She laughed and waved him off, saying, "We'll talk again soon, ok?"
As the door closed, Daniel's senses told him two more things about her. One was that she did not paint her toenails and two, she had very pretty feet.
One other thing they registered subconsciously as he went back to his apartment. Her apartment smelled delicious - a mix of rose and sandalwood which was somehow familiar.
The rain continued through the night, a soft restful sound that inspired Daniel to sleep late and wake thoroughly refreshed.
He found himself humming in the shower, lighter in spirit than he had been in ages.
As he toweled off, he realised he hadn't solved the mystery of the woman in the rain the night before. Theodora had indeed been soaked to the skin, but she said she was just out of the shower. No, wait, she had just said "the shower". Maybe she was about to get into the shower? Maybe it was her, about to take a shower after coming indoors?
He realised he probably would never know unless he asked. He couldn't recognise any particular feature because it had been dark outside, but if Theodora had shown up at her door soaked to the skin and fully dressed, it would have been the smoking gun he needed to be sure.
He decided to drop by and see her after running a few errands, invite her up for coffee. He looked forward to getting to know her, she seemed pleasant and interesting. And maybe a little crazy, if she was the woman he had seen dancing in the rain.
Daniel juggled grocery bags and retrieved his mail. On the way up the stairs, he stopped and knocked on Theodora's door, but there was no answer. He shrugged and continued up to his own apartment, deciding to drop a note in her mailbox inviting her up later.
Once the groceries were stored, he checked his mail. Hidden in among the circulars and bills was a single sheet of creamy paper. Theodora had beaten him to it with the invite.
Daniel - would you like to come down tonight for dinner? Bathsheba and I would love to see you again. Say around 7.00?
It was signed with the now familiar initial, and with it a cleverly drawn pawprint - he guessed that was from Ms Bathsheba.
Dinner sounded wonderful, he thought. That familiar scent came back to him and he raised the note to his nostrils. The paper was scented with the same fragrance he had smelt last night. Delicious.
At 7.00pm, Daniel stood at Theodora's door with a bottle of wine in his had. He was unaccountably nervous. Shaking himself mentally, he raised his hand and knocked.
Moments later the door opened and Theodora's voice called to him over her shoulder as she darted away. "Come in Daniel, I just need to stir the sauce. Close the door, will you?"
Daniel stepped in and Bathsheba chirped a greeting from the living room as he closed the door behind him. He walked in, taking in his surroundings.
The articles he had seen unloaded from the truck had been arranged into a warmly inviting room. The bookcases lined the walls, filled with books, papers and artifacts. The gauzy drapes billowed over the open windows.
The coffee table sat in the centre of the room, with the chairs, sofa and cushions forming an intimate conversation pit around it.
Bathsheba purred at him from her perch on the back of the sofa, and he put the wine on the coffee table as he moved to stroke her.
The room was lit with a forest of candles in the empty fireplace and on endtables. The flickering light was warm and intimate, and Daniel at once felt at home.
Delicious aromas wafted from the kitchen, and he could see through to the monastery table, set with two place settings and a fantastic brass candelabra.
He sighed softly - this place felt like coming home somehow. He was instantly at ease, a sensation he wasn't exactly used to.
"Theodora, this place looks just wonderful. You've really settled in," he called.
"Thanks Daniel. But it's taken three weeks of hard work. I've never actually had a place I can put all of these things in. Some of them have been in storage a very long time. I'm just delighted to have everything in one place."
Daniel resisted the urge to roam the room like a museum, inspecting everything.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.
"Well, if that was a bottle of wine I saw in your hand, you could open it. There's a corkscrew and glasses on the table. I'll be out in a minute," came the reply from the kitchen.
"Ok," Daniel acknowledged, and took the bottle of wine to the table. Opening it, he poured two glasses. As he placed the bottle on the table, he heard footsteps behind him and he turned.
Theodora was framed in the doorway from the kitchen as she came into the dining room. Her chestnut hair was held back by a velvet band, and then wound into a thick plait that lay over one shoulder.
Her creamy skin glowed in the candlelight, as she smiled broadly at him, with her bright green eyes as well as her mouth.
She was barefoot, wearing a simple silk dress, a sheath of green that matched her eyes.
And she was the most breathtaking woman he had ever seen, all the more so for her utter lack of self-consciousness.
The moment for awkwardness passed, as she stepped forward, her hand extended.
"Welcome Daniel, thank you for coming. May you take from here some of the happiness you bring with you," she said, with the sincerity of long familiarity with ancient custom.
"Thank you for the invitation."
"Would you like to eat straight away? Everything is ready, but it will be fine in thirty minutes if you would prefer to have some wine and talk first."
It was on the tip of his tongue to say they should wait, but at that moment his stomach announced that it was not interested in waiting.
Almost at the same moment, a similar gurgle came from Theodora's midsection.
They looked at one another and burst out laughing.
"I guess that's a unanimous decision by the judges," she laughed.
"Unequivocal! Can I help you serve?"
"Sure, come on."
She had prepared a meal that was simplicity itself. A tossed salad, pasta with a rich tomato and vegetable sauce and crusty homemade bread. Once they placed the food on the table, they served themselves.
The food was delicious and plentiful, and the wine flowed freely. During dinner, they talked non-stop, a conversation ranging far and wide.
Daniel discovered Theodora was a cultural anthropologist, who had spent quite some time investigating histories he himself was familiar with. They had even visited a lot of the same digs, although at different times.
Her theories about cultural development were similar enough to his own to allow them common ground, but divergent enough to encourage spirited debate - Daniel looked forward to getting into many of those.
Her personal history was much the same as his - only child, parents deceased, nomadic academic lifestyle leaving little time for long term relationships.
Theodora was free spirited, used to going where the wind and her studies took her. But she confessed that, of late, she had been longing for a more settled lifestyle, if only to be able to enjoy all her "treasures" gathered together in one place.
She had secured teaching tenure at a nearby university, and had been commissioned to write a series of books on ancient cultures, something she was very proud of. But at the same time, she confided to Daniel, she was afraid that she might not do the subject justice.
By this time, they had finished dinner, cleared the table, stacked the dishwasher and were siting in the living room sipping strong Turkish coffee.
Daniel had looked at the floor cushions and regretfully decided that his jeans wouldn't permit him to sit comfortably there. So he was ensconced in one of the armchairs, which was indeed as comfortable as it had looked when he had seen it unloaded from the truck.
Theodora had brought the tray of coffee in from the kitchen and knelt at the coffee table in a smooth movement to pour and serve. She had then taken the armchair beside him.
"I love the floor cushions, but western clothing doesn't exactly lend it self to sitting on them elegantly," she explained, pinching the fabric of her dress between two fingers.
"I totally agree - I spent 12 months living in an ancient Egyptian society wearing robes," Daniel found himself saying, then stopped, horror-struck. Now she would ask me where that was, and I'll have to lie, he thought wildly.
But she only nodded, sipping her coffee.
Daniel realised that, as an anthropologist, she would have lived with any number of societies, some of which were unchanged from ancient times, so she would have no difficulty believing there was a group somewhere living according to ancient Egyptian customs. But still, he wondered at her lack of curiousity. If she had been the one to mention living in an ancient society he would have had thousands of questions. Perhaps Egypt wasn't an area of interest for her?
However, he realised he would need to be a little more circumspect around her. Breaching security concerning the Stargate was the last thing he wanted to so.
A couple of hours later, Daniel bid Theodora goodnight at the door. They had talked the night away into the wee small hours, and were only parting because they needed sleep, it seemed!
As he walked back to his own apartment, he realised that he had made a good friend in Theodora, someone with whom he shared interests and tastes, and someone he could cheerfully spend the rest of his life talking to about anything and everything.
It would be a nice complement to his life in the SGC, he realised. And there was the rub. He wanted more than anything to discuss all he had seen with Theodora, to get her perspectives, to share them with a fellow historian - but he couldn't. He realised that sacrifice would take some getting used to.
Their friendship deepened as the months passed. Their easy familiarity with one another grew, as they spent more and more time together.
They had keys cut to one another's apartments, although Theodora used her key to Daniel's apartment more than he used hers. Daniel got very used to his friend's solicitous attention.
He shared his schedule with her, so she knew when he was out of town "consulting". He would arrive home at all hours to find his apartment had been aired and some essentials stocked in the refrigerator. It was the kind of attention a man could really start to enjoy, he thought to himself late one night as he relaxed in his freshly aired living room drinking fresh cold milk.
While he was in town, they ate almost every meal together, so they got into the habit of shopping together. As he had suspected when she moved in, she was a true gourmand and a gifted and creative cook. He wasn't exactly a slouch in the kitchen himself, but she enjoyed it so much that she ended up cooking most of their shared meals while Daniel perched on a stool and chatted or played cook's helper.
He had even found a way to share his work with her. She knew of his work only that he was a consultant historian/archaeologist, which was perfectly true. He just left out the part about going through a Stargate to do it!
He would simply ask her what she thought of a particular civilization, or if she had heard of particular customs.
She enjoyed their discussions, as did he, because it was a chance to share knowledge and compare theories. It assisted Daniel immensely, to be able to add even more to the anthropological work they did in relation to identifying the root cultures of various worlds which had been populated by the Goa'uld using slave races.
Daniel was happy and content in his friendship with Theodora, and with Bathsheba, who was slavishly devoted to both of them but especially fond of Daniel. She would twine around his legs, purring endlessly, and sit or sleep next to him whenever she could. Daniel was at first embarrassed by this - he had done nothing to encourage the furry little princess, and fully expected Theodora to accuse him of suborning feline affection. But Theodora seemed pleased that her cat liked Daniel as much as she did.
He had introduced Theodora to Jack, Sam and a heavily disguised Teal'C (who no longer minded the necessity for constantly wearing a hat in public). Jack had given Daniel a speculative look, and asked him later if this was the source of the "additional research" he had been doing which improved his advice and theories about their work through the Stargate.
But Theodora said nothing to indicate she was at all curious about the nature of Daniel's "consulting", and Jack relaxed as he realised that, for her, the discussions with Daniel were purely academic.
Daniel was very happy, because finally he had found a balance between his working life, where he had long been satisfied, and his private life, which had been somewhat desolate since Sha're's abduction from Abydos.
The day before his birthday, Daniel let himself into his apartment and found, along with the usual sweet swell of fresh air and fresh food in the refrigerator, a note from Theodora:
Daniel
I've been called out of town unexpectedly - a sudden chance to attend a symposium in London - so I'm going to miss your actual birthday. Please give my apologies to everyone.
However, I will be back in 3 days, so to make it up to you I'd like to invite you to a birthday dinner at my place.
You can wear part of your birthday present - which I've left on your bed.
See you in 3 days!
It was signed with the now familiar initial and pawprint.
Curious now as to what his present was, Daniel made his way to his bedroom.
There were two packages, wrapped in intricately folded gold paper, without tape, interestingly, and tied with gauzy ribbons in rainbow hues. They were almost too beautiful to unwrap, he thought, sitting down and looking at them.
He opened the smaller one first, and gasped as the paper parted to reveal a very fine first edition of the privately printed definitive first work on Egypt by Howard Carter. A princely gift! He opened it gently and a piece of paper fell out, which read:
Daniel
I know it's customary to sign the flyleaf of a book when you give it as a gift, but I hope you'll understand why in this case I didn't.
Best wishes for your birthday
love from Theodora and Bathsheba
He opened the book to the fly leaf, and read with disbelieving eyes the salutation already recorded there:
To my friend and patron Lord Carnarvon,
My heartfelt thanks
Howard Carter
1923
Daniel was thunderstruck. This was incredible! He wasn't sure he should accept such an expensive gift from Theodora, but he certainly knew that he would never forget the gesture she had made in presenting it to him.
He laid the book aside carefully and reverently, and turned his attention to the larger parcel, which turned out to contain a plain white box. Inside, folded carefully within tissue paper, was a suit of clothes, cut in the style of Indian achkan and trousers. The simple, comfortable clothes were made of cream silk, and the package also contained a pair of white silk drawers, cut like boxer shorts, and a pair of chappalis - the simple Indian slipper worn by men.
As he looked at the clothes, Daniel realised that Theodora had given him something truly wonderful - clothes that would allow him to sit - even sprawl - comfortably on her floor cushions! He knew he would be wearing these a lot!
At 7.00pm, three days later, Daniel opened the door to Theodora's apartment, calling out to let her know that he had arrived.
Bathsheba greeted him by leaping into his arms and rubbing her little face against his, purring wildly.
"Hello, little one, yes I missed you too," he murmured as the cat smothered him with affection. Not for the first time, he thought to be grateful for his antihistamines.
Walking carefully so as not to upset Bathsheba, who had settled into his arms, still purring at high decibel levels, he headed for the kitchen. But Theodora intercepted him in the dining room.
"No you don't, dinner's a surprise! Daniel, how handsome you look, I guess I got the size just right after all," she said, steering him back to the living room.
Bathsheba leapt from his arms lightly and followed Daniel and Theodora to the living room, where dozens of candles created the usual inviting atmosphere.
"You guessed at the sizes? You have a great eye," Daniel laughed.
"Oh alright, you got me there. I went through your closet to find your shirt and jean size - that gave me the body measurements for the tailor. I checked your shoes to find the size for the chappalis. I consider that I invaded your privacy a little, but for a good cause. Forgive me?" she entreated.
"I'm not sure, let me think about it," Daniel teased. He walked over to the floor cushions and sank gracefully into them. "Oh yeah," he breathed as he relaxed. "Uh huh, for invading my privacy to make me clothes that allow me to sit here in such comfort, yep, you're forgiven."
She laughed. "Then I take it you'll be okay while I put the finishing touches to supper?"
"Don't mind me, I'm perfectly happy where I am," Daniel said. Bathsheba leapt onto the cushion beside him and purred in approval.
"Back soon then," Theodora promised and headed for the kitchen.
Daniel lay back on the cushions, with Bathsheba purring contentedly beside him. Damned if he didn't feel like purring himself!
But something was different. Somthing had changed in this now familiar room. He let his senses wander for a while, and then he pinpointed it.
"Theodora, it smells different in here. Did you change the scented oil you use?" he called.
She walked back into the living room before answering, and the scent intensified. She busied herself placing bowls, napkins and cutlery on the coffee table as she spoke.
"Daniel, your senses are incredible! There was an aromatherapy place at the hotel in London and I went in to have my usual blend made up - the rose and sandlewood one. Only the aromatherapist said she felt I should use a new blend - she was quite insistent about it! Do you like it?"
Daniel inhaled deeply and allowed the full force of the scent to hit him.
"Very much so - what's the new blend?"
"It's the same as the old - she said I'd started out right but just never got finished. She added lavender and ylang ylang."
"I can smell it on you too!"
"I took a sample back to my hotel room to see if I liked it. I went back the next day and ordered oils and perfume. Even pot pourri and incense - that's coming by mail in a few weeks."
"It's lovely," Daniel murmured, the scent enveloping him.
"Thank you. I hope you're hungry - supper's almost ready."
Now that she mentioned food, Daniel's lassitude disappeared and his tastebuds awoke.
Theodora returned to the kitchen and there was a break before she reappeared carrying a heavily loaded tray. She knelt and began placing dishes on the coffe table.
The aromas confirmed it - she had cooked him a tradtional Indian banquet. From the spicy smell, he suspectd she had snuck in a Morroccan-inspired dish or two, but who cared?
The smells were mouthwatering. She rose smoothly, taking the tray with her and reappeared moments later with a cooler of beer and pitchers of ice water - the perfect accompaniment to the meal.
As she sank to the pillows opposite him, the candlelight caught her features, and as she smiled he was utterly captivated.
"Happy belated birthday, Daniel," she said. "I hope it's brought you all you desire."
Daniel could not speak, but instead raised his glass to her in silent thanks.
The food, as usual, was wonderful. Theodora was a master with spices, Daniel thought, as he finished the last mouthful of his meal. Cleverly, she had presented an array of dishes, but in small enough portions that they could taste enjoy them all without being sated.
Theodora moved quickly to clear the dishes, so quickly that Daniel had no time to offer to help. Still, he got to his feet and picked up the cooler, still mostly full of beer, and took it to the kitchen with the empty water pitchers.
"Daniel, you didn't need to do that!" she scolded him gently. "It's your birthday dinner. You're supposed to relax and enjoy it."
"But I am," he insisted.
"Out, Daniel," she ordered, mock ferociously. "I'll be in with coffee in a few minutes."
"Yes ma'am," he laughed, saluting her comically and then making his way back to the living room.
Before he sat down, he paused at the stereo. Seeing that there were already CDs loaded in the changer, he simply pressed "Play" and trusted to his luck that Theodora hadn't been listening to something too upbeat or funky.
Warm strings filled the room. Soft, sweet sounds, a perfect counterpoint to an evening of conversation. He sank back into the cusions. Bathsheba watched him from the window sill, her golden eyes unblinking.
Daniel watched as Bathsheba's eyes slowly closed and she settled into her "library lion" pose. The stereo selected a new track at random, and the haunting melody he had heard the first day after Theodora arrived began to play.
As he listened to the lyrics, he noticed someting strange. Bathsheba's eyes had shot open, and were fixed on him with an almost glowing intensity. She had half-risen from her contemplative recline and seemed to be distressed.
Daniel moved quickly out of the cushions and was crossing to the windowsill as Theodora arrived with a tray of coffee cups.
"Daniel, what's the matter?"
"It's Bathsheba, she seems upset for some reason. Is the music too loud?" Daniel responded as he crossed to the shaking cat.
He gathered her gently into his arms, feeling her furry body shaking. He stroked her gently, hoping to calm her. Theodora joined him, and they both stroked Bathsheba as she curled closer to Daniel, mewling in seeming frustration. Finally, Daniel held her up high on his chest and brought his face down close to her. It seemed to calm her, as she rubbed her glossy head against his chin and chest.
Gradually, her shaking stopped and she relaxed in Daniel's arms. Casting a worried look at Theodora, Daniel moved slowly back to the cushions and sat down caefully, not wanting to disturb the cat. She allowed herself to be settled in his lap, having resisted attempts to bed her down on the cushion next to him.
"What was that all about?" Daniel asked Theodora as she sat down beside him.
"I have no idea, Daniel. She's never acted that way before," Theodora responded, stroking the cat's fur as she lay in Daniel's lap.
"Is she ill?" Daniel was worried about his little friend Bathsheba.
"To be honest, Daniel, I don't know. She really has never behaved like this before. I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Theodora said softly. She too was worried - Bathsheba was her companion and loved friend.
"What should we do, Theodora?"
"Well, she's settled now, and I know I could use a cup of coffee. How about you?"
"Can you manage without me? I don't want to disturb her now she's settled," Daniel spoke softly.
"Of course! Besides, this is still your birthday dinner - stay put and I'll be right back," Theodora ordered, smiling.
Daniel stroked Bathsheba gently as he waited for Theodora to come back with the coffee pot. She was relaxing now, and beginning to purr.
"Poor little Bathsheba. What was it that upset you so, sweeting?" he mused, unaware that he spoke out loud. "It's okay, you're fine, we're fine - all of us. It'll be okay."
He continued to speak, gentle and comforting words. This little cat had wormed his way so subtly into his affections, now he didn't see how he could do without her.
The sound of footsteps made him look up as Theodora returned with the coffee tray.
She was simply dressed tonight too, her loose fitting pants and shirt in pale green silk. Her chestnut hair was pulled into a loose twist at the back of her head and secured with a creamy scrimshaw clasp.
She smiled as she knelt opposite him to set the tray down, and fixed him a cup of coffee.
Daniel realised, like a man awakening from a long slep, that Bathsheba wasn't the only one who had wormed her way into his affections. Theodora had become very important to him too, and sometime recently she had crossed the line from friend to potentially something more.
He leaned forward, careful not to jostle Bathsheba, to take the coffee from her. Without even tasting it, he knew it would be just exactly how he liked it.
He watched her pour her own cup and then move to settle next to him on the cushions with a sight of comfort.
He realised that, in all the months he'd know her, he'd never seen her sit on these cushions, except occasionally when he had. Those times were few, because until she had presented him with these clothes, he'd not been dressed to be able to sprawl here comfortably.
But as he thought about it, he realised that she had certainly been dressed to be able to perch in the cushions comfortably countless times. But she hadn't. She had waited until he could be comfortable there and joined him. It spoke of courtesy and consideration beyond measure.
And how about how she had learned what he liked, he thought, sipping the perfect coffee. She had never asked outright, merely observed his reactions closely enough to be able to serve the things he liked best time and again.
Suddenly, he remembered the book she had given him.
"Theodora, about the book you gave me for my birthday . . ." he began.
"Carter's work on Egypt? Did you like it?"
"Like it? I love it! A first edition would have been treasure enough, but the copy he presented to Lord Carnarvon? Theodora, I can't accept it - it's too valuable!"
"Daniel, I've owned that book for a very long time. It actually belonged to my grandfather, who bought it at Lord Carnarvon's estate sale, after his death. It was passed to my father, and then to me. But in a family of historians, I was the first not to be interested overmuch in Egypt. There were times, when I was flat broke, that I thought of selling it, but a little voice inside me told me that it was too important to sell."
"Then it's too important to give away, surely?" Daniel protested.
"I can't explain it, Daniel. I've been hanging on to that book for years, thinking it was because it was a family heirloom, that sort of thing. It wasn't until I was thinking about what I could give you for your birthday that I realised I had been keeping it because I was meant to pass it on to someone. Not to sell it, but to gift it."
"But wouldn't it be better to keep it and pass it on to your children?" Daniel asked.
At that moment, time seemed to stop. As soon as he asked the question, his mind raced on to a future where he was passing the book to a young person who was his and Theodora's child. From the blush that suffused her cheeks, he realised she had thought the same. Not when she had decided to give him the book, but right now, in the same instant that he had seen a glimpse of their future.
In the blinding light of that realisation - the realisation that he loved her - he diidn't even notice Bathsheba slipping quickly from his lap as he leaned over to Theodora.
His hand slid around behind her neck to draw her head closer to his, and as their lips touched a thousand emotions swirled in him. Joy and desire at finding her reaction matching his, sadness over Sha're and what once was, wonder and delight at what might be with Theodora.
The kiss deepened momentarily and then he stopped.
He looked at her face, so dear to him, her skin flushed and her eyes bright. He stroked her cheek softly.
"Theodora, I think we need to go slow," he spoke very gently, unwilling to hurt her.
"It is scary," she admitted. "You're my dearest friend but suddenly you've become more than that. I'm almost afraid to pursue this, just in case I lose you as a friend."
He nodded, wondering why he should be surprised that she understood his reticence, when she understood everything else about him. Well, almost everything.
"Theodora, if this is the way we're going to go, however slowly, there is something I need to tell you."
Daniel hesitated. He had never mentioned Sha're to anyone before, anyone outside the SGC. But Theodora had a right to know his past before she committed to a future with him.
She looked deep into his eyes and nodded. She handed him his coffee before picking up her own and nodding for him to continue.
"Five years ago, I was on an archaeological expedition," he began. It was almost the truth. "I met a group of people living in customs identical to those of ancient Egypt. I was . . . unwary, and before I knew what was happening, the leader of the tribe had given me his daughter as a bride. I couldn't refuse, but I certainly didn't take advantage of the situation."
"There was trouble between the tribe I was living with and another tribe. I got caught up in the middle, and ended up fighting on the side of what I started to feel was 'my' tribe. When it was over, I realised I had started to fall in love with my 'bride'. Her name was Sha're."
Theodora looked at him, reading the pain in his eyes. She wanted to tell him to stop, because she didn't want him to hurt, but she understood that he had to tell her the story.
"I stayed on with the tribe. For over a year. I learned from them and they from me. and I grew to love Sha're more every day. She was my wife in every sense of the word."
Theodora saw the pain darken in his eyes and knew the worst was to come.
"The other tribe, the ones who had caused trouble, they returned. There was fighting, and they kidnapped some people. Sha're was one of the ones they took, along with her brother Skaara."
Daniel felt the pain of losing Sha're anew as he told Theodora of their lives together. He steeled himself for the truth he must now leave out in completing the tale.
"She was given as wife to the chief of the new tribe, who also adopted her brother as his heir. She had no way to escape, nor I to find her in the deserts. She was gone from me for over three years, and when I found her again, she was dead."
For all that he had left out - the pain of being reunited with Sha're briefly on Abydos, and the agony of watching Teal'C kill her - the simple fact that his beloved wife was lost to him forever in death reduced him, not for the first time, to helpless tears.
Theodora moved to embrace him, and felt the wetness of his tears on her neck as she held him, felt his sobs in his shaking shoulders. Bathsheba, who had retreated to the windowsill when they had first embraced, now leapt down and crawled back into Daniel's lap, offering her own furry comfort.
Daniel got hold of himself and sat up, pulling away from Theodora. He smiled first at her and then at Bathsheba.
"Thank you - both! Theodora, I'm sorry, this probably wasn't the greatest timing, but I needed to tell you about Sha're before we went any further. It's been almost two years since she died, but in other ways it was like it happened yesterday. I do care about you, very much, and I want desperately to see if it grows into something more. But I needed you to understand my past first."
Theodora smiled at him with her green eyes, which were a little moist.
"Daniel, I am touched that you wanted to tell me about your wife. You're right, I do need to understand your past if we are to have a future together. So let's just take this one day at a time and see where it leads us. Ok?"
"You have a deal, Theodora," said Daniel, leaning over to kiss her cheek.
Bathsheba defused any awkwardness between them by standing up and placing her forepaws on Daniel's chest as Theodora pulled away. Bathsheba rubbed her little head against his chin as Theodora laughed.
"Well, I believe she's feeling better. She's also saying don't forget about me!"
"As if I would!" Daniel exclaimed, taking the furry little head between his hands and looking down at her.
"But I do think it was time I was leaving," he said, shifting Bathsheba to the cushion beside him and standing up.
Theodora flowed to her feet beside him.
He took her face in his hands, much as he had done the cat's, then leaned down to kiss her gently.
"We've got a lifetime ahead of us, let's not rush this, ok?"
She kissed him back and nodded.
"Goodnight Daniel."
"Goodnight Theodora," Daniel said softly, and at a prompting chirp, added a goodnight to Bathsheba as well.
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