Daniel by Candlelight - Coda
(part 2)
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. So, on to the story…
Daniel slammed his hand on the desk in his cluttered office at the SGC. The last three months had to have been the worst of his life. And he wryly recalled that Confucian curse - "Beware of what you wish for, for you may get it."
How many times had he wished for work to keep him busy, so that he had no time to think or be lonely for Sha're? How often had he taken on extra assignments to fill in empty hours, volunteered for additional duties to keep from having time to dwell on the past and grieve?
Well, now he had all the work he could possibly wish for - and he didn't want it! Now, more than ever before, he wanted free time, because he wanted to have the chance to spend it with Theodora and he was swamped. He ground his teeth in frustration. Having been so amenable to all that work earlier had set a dangerous precedent - now everyone just assumed he still wanted it.
How on earth was he going to get away from here and be with Theodora?
Theodora was similarly frustrated. She knew that Daniel was away a lot, but for months they had managed to find some time to hang out together as friends. Now, when they wanted to do a little more than just hang out, the fates seemed to be conspiring to keep them apart.
Daniel was working a lot, and the couple of times he had managed to be in town, she hadn't been. The commission to write her series of books had meant some trips to sort out publishing contracts and timeframes, and she hadn't pleased the publishers by changing her mind on the timeframe. Like Daniel, she had spent a lot of time working at a furious pace to keep ahead of loneliness, and had originally suggested a fairly short timeframe for the first of the books.
But now, she wanted to take things a bit more slowly. It wasn't just wanting to be with Daniel, although that was a big part of it. She also found that the teaching she was doing engaged her thoroughly, and she enjoyed working with her students on a one-on-one basis. That took more time than just delivering lectures, so she didn't have as much time to devote to the writing.
Fortunately, the head of department had sided with her against the publisher, pointing out that Theodora's research and reputation fully justified their decision to have her write these books, and that they would be well worth the wait. They did compromise, hiring a teaching assistant for her, and a secretary to help with the books.
But she was still busy. A good thing, as it meant she wasn't sitting around waiting for Daniel - but too busy to realistically be able to drop everything to be able to be with him when he did get home.
So, as the days lengthened into winter, she worked and waited - and wondered what would be.
Daniel couldn't believe his luck - he was free! He headed for the elevators, head down and moving fast. He didn't want to chance someone catching his eye and asking one more question, requesting his help, anything. He had the next three days to himself, and he wanted to spend it with Theodora.
He hadn't been game to pause long enough even to call her and let her know he was on his way - he was afraid if he spent another second in his office on the base, someone would find him there and he'd get pulled into more work. So he just grabbed his duffle and car keys and lit on out of there.
Behind him, as he stood waiting for the elevator, he heard Jack call out his name. Civilian or not, Jack was his commanding officer, and the habit of obeying had actually taken with him. But he couldn't - not when this was the first chance to see Theodora in almost six weeks. The elevator door opened and he plunged inside and jabbed for the button that would take him up to the ground. He didn't dare turn around to see what Jack wanted - not when he was so close!
When the elevator doors opened, he took off at a dead run. All those gym workouts and missions had given him more than an improved physique, he was in the best athletic condition of his life, and he took advantage of it. Out of the base, past a startled security guard and across the carpark, he fell into a steady stride, his duffle bouncing against his back. The exercise felt good, and he felt more alive than he had in a long time.
He slowed as he reached his car, hardly breathing hard, feeling the exhileration of exertion and the coming reunion with Theodora. He threw his duffle in and dived behind the wheel, startling the gate guard with the uncharacteristic squeal of tires as he shot through the gate and down the mountain.
He knew they had agreed to take it slow, but this was not what he had had in mind. He wanted to see her - to look into her eyes, to smell her fragrance, to hold her. He missed her - as a friend, and as more. He realised that he needed her - her calm presence was something that he treasured, and spending time with her was so much a part of his life that he felt lost without her. He wanted to know how that might change as their relationship deepened, and hoped that it would improve. Regardless, he wanted to be with her.
Pulling up at his apartment, he grabbed the duffle and locked the car. Resisting the urge to run up the stairs, he stopped in the lobby to collect his mail, and was dismayed to find on the top of the pile a creamy sheet of paper with a familiar scent. His happy mood evaporated as he opened the note, and as he read, he found himself laughing - but completely without humour.
She wasn't here!! Theodora had been called to New York for a meeting over the first proofs for the illustrations for her book. She had left, he checked his watch, about an hour earlier. And would likely not be home for at least three days.
Daniel dropped his head in dejection. He was beginning to think this was a conspiracy! He looked at the note again, stupidly hoping that this time it would say something different, but the message stayed the same. Suddenly having nothing to look forward to, he trudged slowly up the stairs, all the light having gone out of the day for him.
He kicked open the door to his apartment with uncharacteristic fury. Throwing the duffle across the room, he headed for the bedroom, missing the blinking light on his answering machine.
Theodora hung up the phone in the airport gate lounge. She had called Daniel's office, only to be told that he had left the base, so she tried him at home. And he wasn't there!
This was getting ridiculous, they hadn't even spoken in over three weeks. And this trip to New York was inconvenient. She had finals coming up and her students were looking for her time. But the publisher insisted that they go over the illustrations - something about getting the colours right. She hoped to be home in a few days, but the last time she had met with her publisher the meetings had gone on for almost a week.
Her flight was being called, she realised, so she grabbed her briefcase and headed for the gate. She'd just have to try calling Daniel from the hotel later.
When Daniel returned after his shower, he saw the blinking light on his answering machine and listlessly pressed the play button. Probably Jack, with some new assignment, he thought sourly.
When he heard Theodora's voice, he groaned. This was getting ridiculous. He heard the ache in her voice, as she told him how she missed him and wanted to speak to him. He heard the gate announcements in the background and realised she was calling from the airport. A faint glimmer of a plan formed in his mind.
He called her office and spoke with her secretary, who had relayed messages between them for weeks as their schedules refused to mesh. She was only too happy to tell Daniel what time Theodora's plane was due to arrive in New York, where she was staying and what her schedule of appointments with the publishers looked like.
Daniel turned on his laptop and searched for a florist in Manhattan, and ordered an extravagant bouquet of roses to be delivered to Theodora's room. For a premium, they promised to make the delivery before her plane touched down, so they would be waiting there for her on arrival. It took him a while to decide what to have them put on the card. Declarations of undying love seemed - wrong. He did love Theodora, but as a friend. He wasn't sure yet if there was another kind of love for them. After a number of abortive efforts to tell her how he felt about that, he gave up and sent the kind of message he had always sent to her - one of friendship.
Then he called the hotel and turned on the charm with the concierge. He hung up the phone with Theodora's direct number jotted on the desk blotter in front of him.
Theodora crossed the lobby of the hotel, dragging her suitcase behind her. The tiredness she felt had little to do with her physical state, but more her emotional state. She had spent the flight musing on this, and had realised that the problem wasn't the fact that she and Daniel had not had the opportunity to explore their relationship further, it was the fact that they hadn't been able to be together as friends for so long.
She flat-out missed Daniel. She missed their conversation, the long afternoons and nights they would talk away, drinking wine, or coffee, hopscotching their way around various subjects, discovering common ground and areas of dissimilarity. The debates they had over cultural anthropology and the development of various societies, and the stories of digs and explorations.
For the first time, she had found someone as a friend who had the same broad-ranging interests as she did, who understood her passion for history and antiquity. Together, they formed their own little world that Daniel's friend Jack referred to as a "Geekdom", where the conversation was always interesting but usually only to them. Right now, she felt very alone in that world, and in the wider one around it.
Having lived a nomadic life, Theodora didn't have a wide circle of friends. She had colleagues, but someone who cared about her as a person as well? Those people were few and far between, until she had met Daniel.
No matter what happened, she thought as she approached the check-in desk, Daniel was her friend. That alone was beyond price. Anything else was a bonus.
She registered without thinking, filling in the card on auto-pilot, accepting her cardkey and thinking no further than getting up to her room and relaxing. As she walked down the corridor to her room, she felt more cheerful than she had in days - in weeks, if she was honest with herself. Somehow, having reached a point where she put aside any potential romantic feelings for Daniel, she felt less angst-ridden about the whole situation. She missed him as a friend, and still longed for the days they enjoyed together months before, but her frustration no longer seemed to have the keen edges that had been gnawing at her in recent weeks.
That wasn't to say that when they did manage to get together again, she wouldn't be intensely interested in finding out what their relationship might develop into. She opened the door to her room, and was surprised to find a large bouquet of roses in a vase on the coffee table. Sore feet and weariness forgotten, she abandoned her suitcase just inside the door as it closed behind her and rushed forward to bury her face in the sweet smelling blooms.
The envelope nestled amongst the stems was addressed to "The Queen of Geekdom" and she opened it eagerly. Her smile threatened to split her face wide open as she read:
Theodora,
Hope you enjoy New York - it's pretty spectacular at this time of year. Make sure you check out the lights at the Rockefeller Centre - they are not to be missed! Come home soon though - I'm pining for your cooking! I miss your conversation too - so I'll call your room around 8.00pm so we can catch up.
Daniel
Clown Prince of Geekdom
Theodora laughed - this was the Daniel she missed!! Checking her watch, she decided that she had time for a leisurely soak in the tub, or room service dinner. Grinning impishly, she ducked her head into the bathroom and discovered that there was a phone on the wall, which decided her. She picked up the room service menu and placed an order.
Right on 8.00pm, the phone rang. Theodora reached a bubble-coated arm out of the tub to grab it.
"Hello?"
"Hi Theodora, it's Daniel," came a familiar voice.
"Daniel - right on time!"
"Um, Theodora, your voice sounds odd, sort of echoey. Is this a bad line?" Daniel asked. She could hear the frown in his voice.
"Nope, the line is fine. The echo is because I'm in the bathroom," she replied.
"Good lord! Did I catch you in the middle of something? Want me to call back?" he stumbled over the words and was relieved to hear her laughter.
"Daniel, I'm in the tub! That is the only possible use for a phone in the bathroom as far as I am concerned!" she said with cheerful indignation, an effect totally spoiled by her giggle.
"Thank heavens for that - I thought I had just discovered something truly bizarre and kinky about your bathroom habits. Not sure if I'd be comfortable with that," he laughed.
"Nope, just soaking away my cares. It's a big tub though - I may drown if I nod off."
"Then I shall just have to make sure I keep you entertained enough that you don't fall asleep," Daniel joked, momentarily distracted by the thought of Theodora naked in the tub. "So, how's New York?"
"Cold. Other than that, I can't tell yet. I came straight from the airport to the hotel, which is beautiful, thanks to your flowers. It was lovely to find them here when I arrived."
"Well, since we missed each other by about an hour this afternoon, I thought it was the least I could do to make you feel better. Your note and your phone message sounded pretty down."
"Well, I was pretty down. But I've had an epiphany," she smiled.
"You can get vaccinations for that now, you know," Daniel quipped, lying back against the pillows on his bed. The tension seemed to be flowing out of his body as they spoke.
"Pipe down, you clown. It's just that I realised while I was tying myself up in knots over what might be, I was losing sight of what is - our friendship. I miss you because you're my friend Daniel, not because you might be something more. We have plenty of time to find out about that. But I am glad you called to talk - I've missed that," Theodora said. Daniel heard a puffing sound.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Sure, just blowing on my bubbles," she retorted lazily.
"Oh, so it's a bubble bath," he said with a smile, once more distracted by mental images.
"Well, this is a first class hotel, and all the movies I've ever seen where the girl is staying in the first class hotel in New York, she gets to have a bubble bath and chat on the phone. I feel very decadent and movie-star-ish," she chuckled.
"Don't forget the champagne," Daniel said. "In those movies, the starlet is up to her chin in thick bubbles and sipping champagne to boot."
There was a decidedly unladylike slurp on the other end of the phone, and he laughed. "I see you've already called room service!"
"Absolutely! What's the movie star fantasy without the champagne? But to make it complete, you should be lounging on your bed in silk pajamas and a silk robe. Probably smoking a pipe."
"Those things give you cancer."
"What? Silk pajamas?" came the giggled response.
"No, pipes. And I don't own any silk pajamas, unless you count my achkan and trousers."
"Well, that wouldn't do - silk pajamas are supposed to be all shiny and soft, and in masculine dark shades. You'd look very good in a pair of dark burgundy silk pajamas, Daniel," came the langorous reply.
"Well, you'll just have to imagine me in dark burgundy silk pajamas," Daniel replied softly, and the soft indrawn breath on the other end of the phone said that she was doing just that. "But other than that, I'm happy to report that I am indeed fulfilling part of the movie star fantasy - I am lounging on my bed."
"Mmmmm. But no silk pajamas? What do you wear to bed then? Remember this is my movie star fantasy. If you tell me it's Scooby Doo pajamas or long johns, I think I'll open a vein and die very beautifully in a Greta Garbo Camille-like scene," she laughed.
"Dear Theodora, if you open a vein, you won't be dying nice and antiseptically like Greta Garbo - it will be shower scene from Psycho time. Or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre," he grinned, and there was a snort of laughter from the other end.
"Thanks Daniel, you made me snort champagne out my nose just then!" she complained.
"Oh gross, I never saw that in a movie! That's spoiled the fantasy for me," Daniel laughed.
"Poor baby. Would it help get you back in the mood if I told you I was lifting my leg out of the bubbles to show off my painted toenails?" she said softly.
"Perhaps," he replied in a similar tone. "When did you start painting your toenails?"
"How do you know I don't paint my toenails?"
"The first day I met you," he said simply. "The only things I knew about you for sure were that you were a little shorter than me, you had beautiful green eyes, and very pretty feet with unpainted toenails."
"oh," came the very quiet reply.
"I've seen your bare feet a lot, and I always admire them. Very pretty feet, and never once painted toenails."
"You telling me you have a foot fetish, Dr Jackson?" she teased, blushing furiously at his compliments.
"No, I don't normally find feet very enticing at all, but with yours I make an exception."
"May I ask why?"
"Because they are yours."
There was silence then. This conversation wasn't going exactly how Daniel had planned. He had intended to have a normal conversation with Theodora, but they had gotten very quickly into flirtatious territory. He wasn't sure how precisely, but perhaps it was because they were on the phone. There wasn't the awkwardness he knew might characterise their first "date", that first time they were together to move their relationship forward. He couldn't imagine flirting with Theodora like this in her apartment, or his for that matter. He couldn't imagine this kind of conversation at all, but here it was, happening without an effort.
"So, you never answered my question," Theodora's voice sounded breathily in his ear.
"What question was that?"
"What do you wear to bed?"
Theodora blushed furiously at herself, thanking the heavens that he couldn't see how embarrassed this made her. But at the same time, she couldn't stop herself. She had been so worried about how she and Daniel might go from being friends to being more, not being able to imagine how two people went from being friends to being, hopefully, lovers, without being a bit cut-and-dried about it. She didn't want that! She wanted this lovely flirtation, the anticipation of knowing that eventually they would be together. She wanted to be giddy-schoolgirl excited, to be breathless with desire, to be all the silly things that love and loving deserved. But somehow she couldn't see Daniel like that, because he was her friend first. She realised that this was a way they could start to see one another in a new light, so, despite the crimsoning of her cheeks, she pressed on.
"Oh, so we're back to that, are we?" Daniel was relieved and also a little excited. This was fun.
"Uh-huh. I want to know, if you don't have silk pajamas, what you wear to bed."
"I think there has to be a quid pro quo here," he smiled, as he stretched out more comfortably on the bed.
"What kind of quid pro quo, Dr Jackson?" she countered, pouring a little more champagne.
"Well, if I tell you what I wear to bed, you have to tell me what you wear to bed."
"I do?"
"Yes, you need to tell me what you wear when you get into that great big romantic bed at night," Daniel said slowly. "That big bed with the drapes and the silk coverlet."
"Mmm, well let me just think about this for a moment," she teased. "Are we at a point where we want to know what the other wears to bed?"
"I don't know about you, but I am," Daniel said. "I am, in fact, aching to find out." There was a part of him that was certainly starting to ache, but it was a good feeling.
"You know, if we just waited, then sometime, hopefully very soon, we'd know," Theodora said, still blushing, but also aware of welcome sensations flooding through her body.
"Ah, but you see, there's the . . . rub," Daniel's tone was suggestive. "I think I need something to get me through that sometime. I need to be able to think of you in that big bed, all alone, and be able to see what you wear."
"Oh yes, I can see how that might help." Her sigh trickled into his ear like honey.
"So, quid pro quo?" Daniel's voice was low. "You tell me what you wear in bed, and I'll tell you."
"Oh no," she purred, "I asked you first. Come on, Daniel, tell."
"Well, actually there isn't anything to tell. I usually don't wear anything to bed," Daniel chuckled.
"So, no Scooby Doo pajamas? No long johns?" she laughed.
"Nope, no sleepwear of any kind."
"Oh my. Oh, that is going to make my daydreams about you interesting," she teased.
Daniel blushed.
"But it's your turn now Theodora. Quid pro quo, what do you wear to bed?"
"I wear what I'm wearing now," she said defiantly.
"You wear your nightgown in the tub? Theodora, that's a little repressed for me!" he chuckled.
"You boob! I'm not wearing a nightgown in the tub, I'm not wearing anything but bubbles!"
"You wear bubbles to bed? Doesn't that mess up the sheets?" he couldn't resist teasing.
"Daniel, I don't wear anything to bed!"
"Oh my. Nothing?"
"Nothing," she said softly.
"Nothing at all?"
"Well, not always," she conceded.
"I knew it," he mock-pouted. "I'll bet it's a long flannel nightgown."
"Sometimes, I wear a little perfume," she chuckled.
"Now that's what I like to hear," he laughed softly.
"Well, one more thing we can say we have in common," she said softly.
"True."
There was another silence. Theodora sipped her champagne, and then said, "Penny for your thoughts Daniel."
"Oh, they're worth way more than a penny," he responded.
"Do tell."
"Well, if you want the truth, I'm just lying here imagining you lying there naked in your bubble bath."
"Oh, no fair," she protested.
"What's not fair about it? Listen girl, you tell me straight off that you're in the bath, and then we get to talking about sleeping in the nude. What else do you expect me to be thinking about?" he protested with a chuckle.
"No, I mean no fair as in I can't fantasise about you being naked. Unless . . . are you naked, Daniel?" she asked hopefully.
He laughed helplessly at the tone of her voice, knowing she was teasing him, but loving it all the same.
"Want the truth? Or want me to lie and help with the mental images?"
"Beast," was the rejoinder.
"Sorry, no naked flesh here, unless you count my feet."
"Pervert," echoed down the phone line.
"What? What's perverted about naked feet? We were discussing them earlier - are your naked feet okay and mine not?" he laughed.
"No, I mean you are a pervert to think about me naked when you won't strip off so I can do the same," came the pouting reply, followed by a slurp from a champagne flute.
That broke them both up, and laughter was the only sound for some time. Finally Daniel wiped the tears from his eyes and spoke.
"So, you think you'll get through your meetings and be home in a few days?"
"Oh, very smooth how you changed the subject there Daniel! I was just starting at your feet and working my way up, making you naked as I went," she laughed.
"It's more interesting if you work from the top down," he said drily.
"I'll note that for future reference," she said archly. "But, to answer your question, I hope to be home tomorrow. I'm more than a little miffed at the necessity for this trip - the publisher is being a jackass about this whole project. On the flight, I called the university. Tomorrow, my new research assistant will be accompanying me to the first meeting. At that time, I will tell the publisher in no uncertain terms that the reason they want me for these books is my writing ability. The more meetings I have to come to to discuss whether the colour plates are true to nature means the less time I have to actually spend writing the damn books! My research assistant is actually a post-doctoral fellow from Stanford. He gets to approve the colour prints in exchange for a small monetary consideration and a publishing credit. He wins, I win," she explained.
Daniel dropped the phone and applauded loudly, then grabbed the receiver again.
"Theodora, you show 'em how it's done! While I'm not published myself, I've certainly heard the stories and you are the first person I've heard of who won't dance to the publisher's tune. I'm impressed!"
"Thanks Daniel. I have to admit, that if it weren't for the fact that this project is messing with my teaching work and our friendship, I probably wouldn't have been spurred to take such a stand. But it feels good to get my own way on this!"
"Dear Theodora, you only have to smile at me and I can guarantee that you'll get your own way every time," he said softly.
"Oh Daniel, you keep talking like that and you'll get your own way too," she sighed.
"Even my wicked way?" he teased.
"From your lips to God's ears," she smiled, making him laugh.
He heard her yawn then, and knew it was time to say goodbye.
"Theodora, it's time to get out of the bath. I think you're in danger of drowning."
"No, I'm fine, really."
"Please, I heard that yawn, and you have an early meeting. So stand up and get out of the tub, and then we'll say goodnight."
"We can just say goodnight now," she protested. "I'm too comfortable to move."
"Theodora, I want our life story to end with ' . . and they lived happily ever after', not . . . 'archaeologist and teacher drowns in hotel tub'. So stand up and get out of the tub now!"
"Beast. Dictator. You've been hanging around Jack O'Neill too long," she grumbled, but he heard the sound ot the water draining from the tub in the background. "I hope you're satisfied, I'm standing naked in a draughty hotel bathroom now. I've got goosebumps bigger than . . ." she trailed off.
"Theodora, I've seen your 'bumps' and there is no way you've got goosebumps bigger than that," he teased. "Now, say goodnight quickly and then you can dry off and get in bed."
Theodora bit back a number of wickedly naughty rejoinders, settling instead for grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her.
"Goodnight Daniel - thanks so much for calling, it was a lot of fun."
"Thanks - for me too. I'm going to be home for the next three days, so call me tomorrow if you want me to come pick you up from the airport, ok?"
"No need for that, my car's at the airport parking garage. But I'll let you know when I'm coming home, perhaps we can spend some time together before you have to go back to work."
"That's the plan - sweet dreams Theodora."
"Goodnight Daniel - sleep well."
A disinterested observer might have found it strange that two people so far apart could go to sleep wearing identical smiles.
Daniel listened to his voicemail, a thoughtful expression on his face. He had just missed Theodora's call, which pained him, but an idea was forming in his mind. Theodora had called to tell him that she would be flying home tomorrow morning.
He decided it was time for him to make her homecoming welcoming. So many times, he had walked in to his apartment to find she had made things comfortable for him, now it was his turn to return the favour.
He had been out on an early morning shopping expedition, and as he parked his car and walked quickly to the building, he shivered in the cold. The warm muffins he had just bought at their favourite bakery would be very welcome when Theodora arrived home in this weather, he thought, as well as the fresh coffee.
He headed up the stairs to her apartment, using his keys to let himself in. First thing, he reminded himself, was to get a nice fire started. While the apartment building was centrally heated, there was nothing like a fire to make a home welcoming.
Daniel stood in the doorway of Theodora's apartment, a little dumbfounded. There was a fire already burning in the fireplace, and the faint scent of coffee brewing. He wondered for a moment if the woman Theodora arranged to take care of Bathsheba while she was away had been in, but he knew she usually came around midday. And it was unlikely Theodora had called her to ask for her to do anything like this.
He put the sack of groceries on the coffee table, and decided to check the rest of the apartment. While it wasn't likely that a burglar would start a fire and make coffee, the apartment was supposed to be empty.
He was about to head down the hallway to the master bedroom, when Theodora wandered out, obviously not quite fully awake.
"Um, Theodora?" he spoke softly, not wanting to startle her.
"Daniel?" she looked up at him, puzzled. "What are you doing here?" and she stifled a yawn.
"Well, I was coming in to light a fire, make some coffee and have things welcoming when you flew in later this morning. But someone beat me to it!" he smiled.
She looked rather comical, in a way that melted his heart. She was barefoot, and wearing pale pink flannel pajamas that were slightly oversized. Her hair was mussed and her face was . . . like a Botticelli angel, he thought. All sweet softness and pale pink tones. A sweet, sleepy angel.
She yawned again.
"I flew in last night. I was booked for this morning, but a few hours after I called you there were weather reports of a major storm front blowing in. I didn't want to risk getting stuck in New York, so I called the airline to get an earlier flight. They booked me on a late night flight, but by then it was too late to call you. I got in around 3.00am."
She yawned and rubbed at her eyes. Suddenly, she looked up at him, her face more alert.
"Daniel? Daniel!" she cried out happily, and ran towards him, throwing her arms exhuberantly around his neck. "You came here to make my apartment welcoming for me when I got home, that is so sweet!"
He laughed and hugged her to him. "Well, I figured it was time I did - after all the times you've done the same for me."
"And what is that delicious smell?" She hugged him again quickly before turning her head to sniff at the air.
"Blueberry muffins," he said, freeing one hand to point to the sack on the coffee table.
"Fresh blueberry muffins? From the bakery?"
"And freshly ground Italian coffee. But you beat me to that," he responded, tilting his head in the direction of the kitchen.
"Suddenly I am famished! Let's eat - wait, I'll go get the coffee!" she wiggled out of his arms and ran off.
Daniel laughed - it was very good to have Theodora home.
Half an hour later, they were sitting together on the sofa, enjoying their second cups of coffee. The sack of blueberry muffins was demolished, only a few crumbs remaining. As they had eaten, they had talked about Theodora's trip, her meetings with her publisher. Her research assistant had taken the task well in hand, she reported, sipping her coffee, and she was unlikely to be called back for any more useless meetings. In fact, she thought that her strong stand had given them pause, because she had been treated with what she called "cautious deference" during the meetings yesterday.
"In fact," she laughed, "I think they were a little frightened of me. I mean, they really do need me a lot more than I need them, and with all the time and effort they've put in to these books, I think it gave them pause that I might make things difficult for them."
"You would?" asked Daniel.
"In a heartbeat! These books are important to me academically, but I could write them for anyone. And now they know that. I'd hand back my advance in a second, and they'd not be able to do a thing about it. They realised that keeping me happy was the only way to prevent that."
"Theodora, why would you give up writing these books? I thought they were important to you," Daniel looked at her quizically.
"Because I've realised that there are other things more important to me. I love my teaching job, and there's . . ." she trailed off.
"There's what?" Daniel asked.
Theodora put down her coffee cup and turned to face him fully. She smiled.
"There's you, Daniel. There's my wonderful friend, who I've missed so terribly these last few months. No publishing credit is worth missing out on life and friendship."
He looked at her. Looked deep into her green eyes, and then found himself leaning in slowly to kiss her.
Her arms went around him and she responded to his kiss with rising passion. He eased her backwards on the sofa, pulling her legs up gently so that they were lying together, still kissing. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he reminded himself of the first time he had seen this sofa, and congratulated his eye - it was big enough for two people, if they were being friendly.
Neither of them knew - nor cared - how long they lay there, kissing, touching, murmuring soft words of love. But eventually, Theodora pulled away from Daniel and stood up.
He looked up at her, and she held out her hand. As he took it, she pulled him slowly to his feet.
"Daniel, let's go to bed," she said with a smile.
"Theodora, wait," Daniel responded, his face serious. "We need to talk."
Theodora stared into his face, wondering if she had made the wrong move. It felt so right, and she wanted him so much.
"What about, Daniel?"
"About this," and he reached out and gently tugged on the sleeve of her pajamas, grinning as he did so. "You fibbed to me Theodora, you told me never wore anything to bed but perfume! Now you have to pay the penalty!" and he leered towards her comically.
She laughed and turned away, heading for the bedroom. "You'll have to catch me first!"
He ran after her, his heart light.
In her bedroom, Daniel and Theodora undressed one another slowly, kissing and touching. Naked, they stood looking at one another for the first time.
"Daniel," Theodora breathed, "Oh gods, Daniel, you are so beautiful."
She sat on the edge of the bed and scooted back, lying down and holding her arms up to him in invitation.
As he lay down with her, Daniel kissed her slowly. Their passion flared as their bodies touched, their skin alive with nerve endings where it met.
"Theodora," was all Daniel could breathe in her ear, as she arched beneath him.
He kissed her mouth, and then his lips went to her neck, nipping and licking softly. He nuzzled at her ear, feeling her quiver beneath him in response. His lips moved down over her shoulder, grazing on the delicate line of her collarbone, as her hands caressed his hair and her body arched up to meet him.
He moved further down her body, positioning himself over her breasts. He blew on one of her nipples, and felt rather than heard her intake of breath. He bent his head to take it in his mouth, tasting her skin, her scent all around him. He moaned in pleasure, his mouth still around her nipple, and she cried out and arched her hips up sharply.
Daniel looked up at her, her face flushed, her eyes glazed. He kept his eyes locked to hers as he bent to take her other nipple in his mouth, watching her, gauging her reaction. She mewed softly, thrusting her breasts up to his mouth, and he captured the nipple and suckled hard.
"Oh Daniel yes!" she moaned, her hands going into his hair and moving restlessly.
He slid one hand from behind her back, down her side. He raised his body slightly to allow his hand to come between them, and slid it gently, slowly over her belly and down between her thighs. Her legs moved wider apart, allowing him to stroke up closer to her soft folds.
Daniel lifted his head again, looking into Theodora's eyes as his fingers moved to her clitoris. She nudged her hips towards his fingers. They found their target, and her eyes flew wider and her body jerked suddenly.
"Daniel," she moaned, "Daniel, please, now!"
He had been trying to hold back, trying to restrain himself, but she was so warm and wet, so ready. Her hands moved to his back, urging him forward, as her legs wound around him, pulling him closer. He supported himself on one hand as he guided himself in to her, bending down to capture her mouth with his.
He slid into her warm body, and moaned in pleasure at the feel of her. Looking down into her face, he smiled and bent to kiss her. She met his lips hungrily, her tongue delving deep into his mouth, as her arms and legs embraced him tightly. She began to rock her hips against him, urging him on. He thrust deeply into her, harder and harder. She matched his rhythm with her hips, panting softly against his lips, murmuring his name.
He felt her body begin to shake, and the thrusts of her hips faltered as her excitement mounted. He thrust harder now against her, moving his body to change the angle of his thrusts, wanting so much to please her. When she cried out, he bent to whisper, "Faster? Harder? Tell me darling, tell me how to love you!"
"Ahhhhh, like that, faster Daniel, faster!" she panted, her hands clutching at his back as she arched her body up to meet him.
He stared down into her eyes, thrusting faster, watching her expression. He felt her tightening beneath him, and watched in wonder as her eyes squeezed shut and her face flushed. Her cry of passion was heartfelt, as her orgasm washed through her, and Daniel abandoned himself to his own pleasure. Thrusting harder, he felt his own passion mount and he cried out with the force of it, his hips bucking wildly as he came.
He collapsed onto her body, feeling her arms holding him gently. He rolled to his side, still inside her, carrying her with him. His arms held her gently, and he kissed her warm forehead tenderly.
"Daniel," she breathed softly.
"I love you Theodora," he murmured.
"And I love you," she responded, as they both slipped into an exhausted, satiated sleep, neither of them noticing Bathsheba sitting on the windowsill, watching them carefully, and purring contentedly.
Daniel was dreaming. He was walking through a vast field of wildflowers, swaying gently in the breeze. He knew this place, he thought, as the scene shifted around him and he found himself seated on a huge canopied bed in a familiar room.
The gauzy drapes floated on the night breeze, and a soft voice said, "Hello, my best beloved."
Daniel turned his head and watched Gaia walk into the room. The goddess was unchanged, her red-gold hair rippling around her shoulders and her green velvet gown whispering as she walked.
He stood and embraced her, and she sighed softly, "Oh I have missed you, my Daniel."
"Gaia, I have never dreamed of you before. It pains me to admit that I didn't even remember what you looked like until you walked in this room," Daniel was puzzled.
"Of course not, Daniel. I took away your memories of me, so that you would forget everything but the history of my world. I wanted to will myself out of existence, and I could not do so while one person remembered me."
"Will yourself out of existence Gaia? Why?"
"Because I could bear the loneliness no longer, my best beloved. Meeting you only intensified my loneliness, Daniel, and I decided I could bear it no more."
Daniel's heart ached - he thought he knew loneliness before meeting Theodora, but this was beyond his ken. He only knew sorrow that Gaia had not wanted to continue her existence, and he had somehow contributed to her decision.
"Darling Daniel, how like you to feel another's pain!"
"Gaia, this isn't a dream, is it? You are somehow really here, aren't you?"
"Indeed I am, in a special way."
"How?" Daniel asked, his scientific mind racing. "Gaia, if I can now remember you, then you must be in existence. How is that any better, in terms of the loneliness you felt before?"
"Daniel, my time with you was very special, and I wanted to make sure that you were happy. So, I . . ."
For the first time, Daniel realised, Gaia was lost for words. He waited for her to continue, watching her struggle to express herself.
"Daniel, of all the souls I encountered over the endles eons I was a goddess, yours touched me most profoundly. Your love for your friends, for your wife and for me was . . . magical. I decided that I had to make sure that your life was as happy as I could make it. You see, I knew that the tragedies of your life had not finished when you were here."
"How could you know that?" Daniel demanded.
"Daniel, I am a goddess, and as such I am outside time. I can see the future, and the past. I knew that you would not be reunited with Sha're as you wished."
He looked at her, askance. "If you knew, couldn't you have warned me? Couldn't you have helped me to prevent it, to save her life?"
"Daniel, the rules for immortals are very specific. We cannot change the events we see, they must unfold as they are destined to do."
"So, how did you propose to make my life happy then, if you knew I would never find Sha're?"
"At first, Daniel, I had thought to reincarnate myself in your time, and to become your lover. But as I made preparations to do so, I realised that your true soul mate, the one who would become your heart's desire, was already on the path which would lead her to you. And I could not put my desires about the destinies of two other people to be together."
"On the path to me? How, when?"
She sat in the armchair opposite him, as he resumed his seat on the edge of the bed. She continued her story.
"Many years ago, Daniel, in Ancient Egypt. There were those whom Ra took to Abydos, there were those who remained in Egypt under the yoke of another false God, and others who were brave, who fled from Egypt to the other lands of Africa and the Mediterranean. From there, over time, they moved further and further afield, but there was one family whose roots led back to Egypt, whose ties to those ancient people remained strong. Theodora Markham's family."
Daniel stared at her, dumbfounded. "Theodora's family are originally Egyptian? But . . . " he thought of Theodora's colouring, so very obviously more European.
"It took some work," Gaia admitted.
"What?"
"Daniel, once outside of time, I could see where Sha're herself had sprung from, her ancestry. And to my surprise, that was where I found it."
"It?" Daniel knew he wasn't exactly catching on here, baffled completely.
"The . . . spark . . . that had been divided. You see Daniel, Sha're and Theodora both originate from the very same family. Both of them were, in a sense, meant for you. When I knew Sha're was going to die, to be taken from you, I decided I had to trace the other one. The woman who, given the right circumstances, could come into your life and make it complete."
Daniel was stunned. "You mean, you . . . created . . . Theodora for me, to be exactly what I wanted?"
"No, Daniel!" Gaia protested. "No, she was going to be exactly what you wanted without any help from me at all. I'll admit I did help out her family over the generations. Where one family might have been short of food, and might not have had the child who would grow into one of her ancestors, I made sure the harvest was good, or that they found some item of value they could sell to find food. Where another might have decided to settle in a city that would be destroyed in war, I made events conspire to make them choose to settle elsewhere. I guarded the family line most carefully, to ensure its survival and Theodora's eventual birth, but I never interfered in any other way."
Daniel studied her face carefully, knowing she spoke the truth. "But, isn't even that breaking the rules you spoke of?"
"Well, yes it is," she admitted. "But it was an agreement I had with the universe." She spoke as if it were of no moment. "When I explained that what I wished to do was to ensure that your soul mate would be born and be able to replace Sha're, who had died because of the Goa'uld, it was agreed that I could do as I planned. In a sense, the Goa'uld had interfered with your destiny, and I was being allowed to try to right that wrong."
"Theodora . . . is my soul mate?" Daniel mused. True, he loved her very much, but he had until now refused comparisons between her and Sha're. It hadn't seemed fair to compare this woman with the great love of his life.
"Daniel, think of Sha're. Think of your life together, and then tell me - is she?"
Daniel cast his mind back to his memories of Sha're. Somehow, in this place, it was not painful, but sweet with solace. How she had wormed her way into his affections unobtrusively, by offering friendship and support, by becoming his link into her community. How she had learned his likes and dislikes by watching him and then making sure she could give him what he wanted always. Rather like the way Theodora had learned how he liked his coffee, what kind of foods he liked best . . .
"Tell me truthfully Gaia - did you create Theodora to be a match for Sha're?"
"No Daniel, Theodora is the person she was intended to be from the moment her spirit, if you will, came into being all those eons ago. She is like Sha're because they share that same spirit. You are fortunate among men Daniel, in that you were found your soulmate - twice,"
The realisation of this truth sank slowly into Daniel's mind. Theodora was his soul mate, and his life was immeasurably richer for having known both her, and Sha're.
"Gaia, did you have something to do with Theodora and I actually meeting? Her moving into my building?"
The goddess actually blushed. "Well, actually, yes. I was granted permission to take on a form to allow me to ensure that you and Theodora did meet, under circumstances which would allow you to become friends and hopefully discover that you were meant to be more to one another."
"Who? Who are you, Gaia? Or have you left existence again?"
Daniel could not have been more surprised when the figure of the goddess sitting opposite him blurred into a very familiar figure - a smally, furry black one with golden eyes. Bathsheba chirped a greeting, and then blurred again into the form of Gaia.
"Bathsheba!?" Daniel exclaimed. "How on earth did you manouever our meeting in Colorado as a cat?"
Gaia winked at him. "You forget how persuasive cats can be Daniel. Theodora took me everywhere when she was looking for her teaching position. I knew where she was supposed to go, and it was a matter of allowing her to see the unsuitability of the places that weren't right. You know, a teaching staff who weren't animal lovers, a Dean who couldn't guarantee that campus housing would allow a pet, a climate unsuitable for a delicate cat."
Daniel shook his head, amazed.
"Colorado was different. After the first few bad experiences, Theodora started being upfront about her personal needs. She told the Dean here that she would be bringing her cat to check out the suitability of the position. He was delighted, said the best guide to a person's character was how they treated animals. He brought his dog and cat to his office regularly, and I let Theodora know that I wouldn't mind being friends with them. I also was very popular with the rest of the teaching staff - animal lovers to a one."
"When it came to looking for apartments, well, I just liked this building the best." Gaia smiled, and Daniel realised how a person's pet really could make decisions for them. Theodora hadn't stood a chance of making the wrong decision with a pet who happened to be a goddess on a mission.
Now that he knew that Bathsheba was really Gaia, he had to admit that, apart from arranging things so that they could meet, she had done nothing to push them into any kind of relationship. Bathsheba had been welcoming of him - if she hadn't liked him at all, then things might not have worked so well, always a possibility when a new partner doesn't care for the resident pet.
"But what if I'd been allergic to you - to Bathsheba, I mean?"
"Daniel, do you remember how, when we first met, I asked the flowers and grasses not to spill their pollen, so you would not be affected? If I have the power to control a whole planet, don't you think making sure a cat doesn't shed allergens is merely child's play?"
He nodded - that certainly made sense. "So, now what happens? I mean, Theodora and I are in love, we want to be together, does this mean that you leave Bathsheba's body and go off into non-existence again?"
"No Daniel. I have taken a physical form, and I am limited by it. I will be Bathsheba until I die."
Daniel was horrorstruck. "You'll die? Permanently?"
"Yes Daniel, But don't you see, I've achieved everything I've ever wanted, both as a goddess and a woman. I nutured my people into a civilization to be proud of, and protected them from the Goa'uld until they could fend for themselves. And as a woman, I've helped a man whose love touched me so deeply to find his true soul mate!"
"How old is Bathsheba now?"
"Daniel, be at ease. Bathsheba is a special case of sorts - she will live a long and happy life."
"But everytime I look at her, I'll know that when she dies, you'll die with her."
"Daniel, you will not remember anything of this dream when you awake. You will go on loving Bathsheba as she loves you, and when she does eventually come to the end of her life, I doubt you will mourn her less than you would mourn me. For animals have a way of stealing our souls as well."
"Then why tell me any of this?"
"Daniel, I know you have wondered if your relationship with Theodora would be successful, particularly as such a large part of your heart belongs still to Sha're. By bringing you here, and telling you of their shared ancestry, your soul will be more at ease, completely unconsciously. You can go forth with your relationship with Theodora wholeheartedly, as it should be, and discover your shared destiny together."
Daniel looked at the goddess. "There's something more, isn't there?"
She blushed. "A selfish reason. You know how much Bathsheba loves you, don't you?"
Daniel remembered only too well how the little black cat adored him.
"Daniel, Bathsheba's affections are my affections. Her demonstrations of love for you are me telling you, in the only way I can, how much I love you, my best beloved."
Daniel was again thunderstruck. All those kitty cuddles and smooches, her love of sleeping on his lap or next to him, pressed close - that was Gaia? And he was struck by a memory - the night of his birthday. Bathsheba had been so upset when that song played - a song about love and loss and missing someone.
"Gaia, that's how you feel about me?"
"Yes Daniel - I love you so, but I have had to let you go from me. I don't regret that, because you have gone to your soulmate, but the longing I have for you lives on. Theodora plays that song because she has never felt that way, and wonders what it would be like. When I heard it that night, in the same room with you, it quite overwhelmed me."
"I remember - my poor love! Can you help me remember not to play it again?"
"Perhaps. But perhaps next time, you will be with Theodora and I always, and I need not think so much about missing you, but love you the best I can as Bathsheba." She blurred back into Bathsheba's form and leapt into his arms.
He held her close, accepting the loving rubs and kitty kisses. His best beloved Goddess would always be near.
Daniel half-awoke as Bathsheba poked her wet nose onto his neck.
"Wha'?"
Theodora's voice came sleepily from beside him. "Bathsheba, come here sweetie," as she patted the covers on top of them.
Bathsheba purred quietly as she made her way over their bodies, settling on top of them as they snuggled back into one another's arms and went back to sleep.
It seemed to Daniel that he heard, very faintly, as he fell asleep, someone whisper, "Goodnight my best beloved."
EPILOGUE
Some years after Daniel and Theodora were married, the Stargate program was made public. Daniel had quietly told Theodora everything before they were married, because he felt it only fair she understand the true nature and the risks of his work. She had kept the secret faithfully, and had given a quite convincing demonstration of shock and surprise when the truth was made public. Too convincing, Daniel had complained later in bed, examining the bruise forming on his arm where she had punched him for "not telling her".
Theodora was delighted to accept a position with the SGC as a cultural anthropologist, and thrilled to find the books she had been writing when she met Daniel were considered part of the definitive resources the team used.
Both she and Daniel gave up regular Gate travel when they were expecting their first child, becoming joint heads of the Natural Science Department on the base. But the child care facility that had been added when the program went public frequently held the Jacksons' growing brood as their parents chaired meetings and seminars, and occasionally visited off-world sites. The children didn't lack for company - Cassandra, much to Janet and Sam's initial dismay, had become a mother quite young, and her twin boys were favourites with all the SGC staff.
After the birth of their second child, Daniel and Theodora sold their apartments and went looking for a bigger house. Bathsheba accompanied the family on each inspection tour, and it was obvious when she found the house they should buy. Daniel scooped her up and stroked her glossy black head, declaring that the choice had been made.
General Hammond retired, and General (formerly Colonel) Jack O'Neill took over the program, as it flourished. Sam retired from the military and came back to work as a private consultant for the program, neatly removing any obstacles to marrying her beloved Jack.
Dr Frasier surprised everyone by returning from a briefing trip to Washington engaged to Major Davis. Everyone but Teal'C, who seemed to know all about their relationship.
Years passed. Daniel and Theodora's oldest child, Nicholas, made his Uncles Jack and George, not to mention his parents, very proud by entering the Air Force as an officer after completing his university studies in astrophysics. Their second child, Mark, followed them into archaelogy, prompting Jack to chortle that Geekdom had a new resident.
Their daughter Sha're joined the Stargate program as part of the diplomatic corps, showing real flair for the work. Daniel wasn't surprised, ruefully recalling to Jack how she had taken a 10.00pm curfew and changed it to a 2.00am curfew in a series of masterstroke debates. Their younger daughter Catherine was a medical doctor, and their youngest child Charlie was an electrical engineer.
It was Sha're, home for the weekend with the older boys, who discovered that Bathsheba had breathed her last. Sha're found her curled up in the centre of her parents' bed, and had thought she was sleeping, until a gentle stroking revealed that her little body was already cool to the touch.
The family was heartbroken, as Bathsheba had been with them for so many years. It was Nicholas who pointed out with some amazement, that she had lived over 30 years!
They buried her in the garden, in a spot she had particularly loved, and planted a tree to remember her.
Nicholas asked his devasted parents if they would get another cat. Daniel smiled and placed a gentle arm around Theodora. "We'll see, Nick. Bathsheba was very special to us. Maybe someday we'll find another cat who'll be just as special, but not now."
More years passed, and Daniel and Theodora's children married and had children of their own. On one visit, Mark's children brought along their pet, a hugely pregnant Golden Retriever. Mark explained that she had been abandoned at the local animal shelter where his wife worked, and that they could not bear to leave her there, so had adopted her.
The bitch, named Goldie by the children, surprised them all by giving birth to a fine litter of pups later that night. The six tiny creatures showed ample evidence that this had not been a planned nor sanctioned breeding, as they were all different colours and quite obviously cross breeds. But something in one of them caught Daniel and Theodora's eye - a gorgeous red-gold puppy, who looked quite a bit like her mother. After exchanging a glance, they asked Mark and the children if they could take the pup when she was ready to leave her mother.
Daniel and Theodora had decided to name the puppy Red, and when she arrived, they took her slowly around the house and grounds so that she could explore her new home. To their surprise, when they came to the tree that marked Bathsheba's grave, the puppy sat very quietly looking at it, and then placed one big soft paw against the trunk of the tree. Daniel and Theodora exchanged glances.
Later that night, as they lay in bed together, the pup bedded down in a basket nearby, they spoke of what had happened.
"Do you think somehow she could sense that Bathsheba had been burried there?" Theodora asked.
"I guess it's possible," Daniel answered. "Dogs have very sensitive noses. But she didn't seem distressed, just . . . curious."
"Mmmm," Theodora snuggled closer to him and fell asleep.
"Goodnight my love," Daniel said as he kissed the top of her head. Such very good years they had had together, and hopefully many more to come. What a lucky man he was, he thought as he drifted off beside his wife.
The puppy beside the bed raised her head to look at them, and woofed very gently.
As the couple slept, a bright light glowed around the puppy's basket. A voice spoke gently but firmly from within it.
"Gaia, what are you doing here?"
"Just checking in on my family - surely you wouldn't begrudge me that!"
"You are stretching the rules, Gaia - when we agreed to allow you to come back as a cat, that was to be the only reincarnation."
"This pup would have died without a soul - I didn't want the children to see that. Besides, wasn't it you who taught me that it's better to seek foregiveness than to ask permission?"
"You've got me there. But this will be the last time!"
"Of course it will," Gaia said sadly. "Even with the kind of lifespan I can achieve in this form, they won't live much longer than I will anyway. I just wanted to be near them - they are all alone now, with their children grown."
"Gaia, you are such a sentimentalist. But your heart is in the right place. Enjoy being a puppy!"
The light faded, and the puppy yipped, softly but joyfully.
Daniel woke slightly and comforted her, "Sleep Red, it's okay."
His ears heard her soft answering woof, but only in the depths of his soul did he hear the real message - "Yes my best beloved."
Fini
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