Part 84
Graham knocked on the door of Daniel’s office. It was slightly ajar and he could hear scuffling from inside.
“Come in,” the anthropologist called and when Graham stepped in he saw that Daniel was in the corner with his back to the door. “Just put it on the table, thanks.”
“Maybe you should tell me what I’m meant to have first,” he said then laughed as Daniel swung around quickly.
“Oh!” Daniel adjusted his glasses then checked his watch. “Surely, it’s not lunch time already?”
Graham pulled back the black sleeve and held his arm up. “Sure is. Come on. Down tools, I’m hungry!”
A stricken look filled Daniel’s face. “I can’t..”
“Why can’t you?” Graham asked as he finally reached his lover’s side. He looked at the mess on the desk. It was covered with dozens of small shards of pottery – and Graham suspected that it was once the Vase Daniel had been so diligently working on for the past few days. He touched his index finger to one of the pieces as he asked, “Is this meant to look like this?”
The archaeologist sighed and threw his hands in the air. “No. Not really!” He walked away and paced the cramped office. “I was having a bit of a tug of war with.. it-” He said as he rolled his eyes.
“With *it*?” Graham picked up a shard then put it down again.
“Okay, well, with someone…” Daniel muttered then lifted his face and met Graham’s eyes. The way Daniel had delivered that news left Graham in no two minds as to whom he was referring to.
“Teal’c.” The technician sighed and flicked a piece of the pottery over with his finger. Daniel frowned then his head darted down. Graham rolled his eyes and looked at the broken vase again. There was something definitely not right about this ‘argument’ Daniel had had with Teal’c. “Why were you fighting?”
“We weren’t. Not really. He said something, I threw my hands in the air..”
“As you do..”
“As.. I..” Daniel rolled his eyes then sighed. “And I knocked it over. I caught it though but then Teal’c reached for it and insisted he take it and work on it alone, but I kept telling him we should stay together on this so I was pulling it back from him and..”
“And you dropped it.”
“Almost,” Daniel said as he wagged his finger and stepped back to the desk. He picked up a sharp-edged slice then studied it as he said, “It exploded in our hands.”
“Well, at least you can put Fragile on your report,” Graham muttered then gave his partner a hopeful smile.
“Now, as you can see, I really have my work cut out for me with it. It was hard enough to decipher before, but now..” He threw his hands out to indicate to the mess on his desk then sighed and put his hand back on his hip.
Graham turned and said, “You can still stop for lunch!”
“No,” Daniel said firmly then reached for a piece of vase.
“You should have called me then,” Graham said, checking his watch. He’d actually been looking forward to this lunch with Daniel, even if it had to be on base, and even if it had to be in somewhere like the commissary – in full view of others. On his ride over he realized how much he was looking forward to seeing Daniel again, even though it had just been a few hours.
“Sorry, I didn’t think..” Daniel rubbed his forehead then pursed his lips together. Graham looked at him. “I’m sorry!” Daniel said again, as he realized Graham was really disappointed with him.
“It doesn’t matter,” the lieutenant muttered and left the office. He pulled the door ajar behind him again.
*
Just as Graham was leaving the General’s office, after having his talk with Hammond, he bumped into Jack in the corridor.
“Hey!” Jack said with a friendly smile. The glum expression on Graham’s face brought him up quick. “What’s up? Something to do with the transfer?”
“No-” The younger man shook his head.
“For a minute there I thought you were going to tell me Hammond couldn’t stop the paperwork.”
“No, he’s managed that fine.” Graham sounded like he’d almost wondered why he’d stopped the paperwork. Jack frowned and folded his arms over his chest.
“And so, what’s with the face?”
Graham shook his head. “It’s nothing..”
Jack rolled his eyes. “You are so much like your damn brother!”
That brought a smile to the younger man’s face. “Really, Jack, it’s nothing.”
Jack watched him carefully and didn’t believe that, but he nodded then shrugged. “Sure. Well, I’d better not keep the old guy waiting. Did you warm him up well for me?”
”He’s so warm he’ll put a twenty in your G-string..” Graham smiled.
Jack grinned. “Gee, and I left my G-string at home today!”
“I’d lend you mine, but I’m wearing it,” Graham muttered as he walked off.
“HEY!” Jack called and laughed. “Too much information!”
Graham laughed and waved before he disappeared around the corner.
Jack inhaled a deep breath, tugged the front of his shirt and knocked on the door.
“Come,” the familiar deep voice beckoned from behind the barrier. Jack went inside.
*
Graham pressed against the door of Daniel’s office. He peered inside and found his lover bent over the desk, hastily jotting down notes as he mumbled under his breath.
He silently closed the door then walked without a sound towards the other end of the office. It wasn’t hard to reach him undetected, Daniel was so immersed in his work but he quickly jumped and cried out as soon as Graham grabbed him.
“Surprise!” The lieutenant laughed.
“Christ!” Daniel gripped his chest and puffed hard. “You scared the..”
“I noticed! Here!” He pushed a brown paper bag into Daniel’s hands.
“What’s this?” Daniel asked, as he adjusted his glasses.
“Lunch,” Graham said as he looked over the desk. There seemed to be less shards of vase than before. “You’re getting somewhere with it then?”
Daniel munched on the sandwich as he nodded. Pointing to the pile beside his desk he said, “I’ve done those, or I think I’ve done them.” He held his breath and shrugged. Graham put his piece down then rubbed his hands together to clean them while Daniel went on to explain about the pieces he’d already worked on while he practically inhaled the sandwich Graham had brought him.
When Daniel finally stopped eating and talking Graham turned around and leaned back against the desk and smiled at his partner.
Daniel smiled and held up the empty bag. “Thanks,” he said then screwed up the bag and threw it into the bin.
“If Mohammad wouldn’t come to the Luncheon..”
“Well, Mohammad was famished, so thank you!” He went back to his notebook and picked up his pen.
Graham watched him work for a while then said, “I know you’re busy..”
“What was your first clue?” The distracted man mumbled absently past the pen between his teeth as he lifted a piece of the vase to the light.
Graham coughed softly and bowed his head, and then he straightened up and pushed his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. He watched his busy partner a moment more then moved over towards the door. “You’ll still be coming to dinner, right?”
Daniel lifted his eyes to the ceiling as he realized he’d forgotten he had plans. “I’m sorry,” he groaned as he turned around to look at Graham.
The lieutenant nodded. “Busy, I can see that..”
“I’m really sorry,” Daniel said, regretfully. Graham shrugged.
“Do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“When you’re finally done for the night, come by?”
The anthropologist frowned then put his piece of vase down. He moved over to where Graham was standing by the door and put his hand on his shoulder.
“I’m really sorry, Grae.”
“Look, I understand, I really do. Your work is important. To you and to the SGC.”
Daniel smiled then moved slowly to place his lips against Graham’s. The kiss was tender and languid then they pulled back and looked at each other. “You’re important to me as well,” he said. Graham smiled then shrugged.
“Yeah, but I’m not hard to decipher..”
“Wanna bet!” Daniel teased then ran his hand down Graham’s jaw and onto his chin.
Graham gave a strange smile at that comment then nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“You’re a mystery to me, Lieutenant Simmons.” Daniel smiled. “And you intrigue me like nothing else ever has.”
Graham lowered his eyes as he smiled bashfully. Daniel cupped his cheek and whispered, “And I’d give anything to be with you right now-” They kissed tenderly then Daniel pressed his forehead against Graham’s. “But.. I can’t..” The genuine regret was evident in the older man’s voice.
Graham’s hands rubbed the fatigue-covered rump. “I’ll cope. I just want you to know that when you’re through, I want to see you.. Doesn’t matter about the time.”
Daniel smiled. “Well, I still have your key..”
“So use it.”
The anthropologist nodded. “I promise you I will.”
Graham cupped the back of Daniel’s head and then pulled him close. They kissed deeply for a few moments then he sighed and pulled back. His breath mingled with his lover’s on their wet lips as he breathed heavily. “I’ve got to go. I promised Phil I’d go to the gym again with him this afternoon.”
“How is he?” Daniel whispered; their closeness didn’t require loud voices.
Graham rubbed their noses together languidly as he said, “He’s good. The General came to see him this morning..”
“Oh?”
“He told him that he loved Jack..” He pulled back and looked deeply into the blue eyes. “Can you believe that?”
Daniel frowned. “Hammond told Philip he loved Jack?”
Graham’s brow knitted then he shook his head. “No, Philip told the General that he loved Jack. He actually said that to him!”
Daniel’s gaze shifted between the two dark eyes. “He does love Jack. What’s so surprising that he’d say that?”
“To the General?” Graham exclaimed, as he pulled back a little further.
“Grae, it might come as some surprise to you that Philip isn’t tied by the same restraints as you are.” He looked at the sad brown eyes and wanted to say ‘emotionally or work-wise’ but he didn’t want to insult his lover either. Graham looked like he knew that anyway, if the pinched look on his face was anything to gauge his thoughts by.
“But Jack is,” Graham said after a few moments. Daniel nodded.
“I guess you’re right,” he sighed out and his eyes flicked down to his wrist.
Graham rolled his eyes then said, “I should let you get back to your work. I’m thinking of eating around seven, so if you’re done by then…”
“I’ll come by the minute I’m finished. It might be earlier than that.”
A smile trembled over Graham’s lips. He hadn’t quite worked out why the thought of ‘not’ spending every moment with Daniel bothered him so much suddenly. “That would be great.”
Daniel cupped his lover’s cheek once more. “We have some unfinished business..”
He kissed the slightly parted lips softly then pulled back. “I haven’t forgotten.”
Graham frowned and put his hand on Daniel’s chest to push him back slightly. “Is that why you think I’m trying to get you to come over?”
The older man was surprised. “I .. I just thought..”
“Jesus Dan!” He sighed then shook his head.
“What?’
Graham sighed heavily through his nose then he shook his head and said, “Nothing. Come by, if you have time. And don’t worry about being tired, I won’t hold you to any unfinished ‘business’…” He opened the door but Daniel gripped his arm and yanked him back into his office and slammed the door closed again.
“Lieutenant Laylor was in the corridor,” Graham hissed quietly as Daniel leaned into him.
“I don’t care! What the hell did you mean by that last comment?”
“Can we just drop this? This is neither the time nor the place for this kind of conversation!” He said, his eyes indicating to the door behind him. Daniel shifted him aside then opened his door and checked the corridor. It was empty. He shut the door again then looked at Graham.
“It’s clear. Now, you’ve been acting strangely since this morning. I want to know what they hell is going on?”
“Strangely how?”
“Well, gee I don’t know,” Daniel started off sarcastically, “How about the incident on the sofa..”
“What about it?”
“Nothing, if you didn’t treat me like I’d done something wrong straight after it.”
“No, I didn’t treat you like that, Daniel! You thought there was a problem, and there wasn’t..”
Daniel lifted his eyes as he recalled the morning’s events. If he thought about it, step-by-step, he realized that there wasn’t anything that odd about it, other than the fact that Graham seemed to be upset after he’d offered to return the favor.
“Well, what about that comment about the ‘business’.”
“You’re the one that started that gem of a conversation!”
“Because I know how we work together, Grae. Since when do you go unfinished?”
“We work together? Business? Shit, Dan, I thought this was a frigging relationship here, not some damn business deal!”
“A relationship?” Daniel scoffed. “I’d love this to be a relationship, Graham, but is it?”
“Oh for christ’s sake. Look, you’re tired and under a lot of shit here. You’ve obviously got something going on with Teal’c that’s upsetting you and you probably need caffeine so I’m not going to take on board a lot of what you’re saying here but I think we really need to talk..”
Daniel growled and pressed the ball of his hand into his eye. The sound of the klaxons going off startled both men. Daniel looked at Graham and then they both scurried from the office and towards the Gate Control room.
The sound of gunfire ricocheted off the walls as they grew nearer. Inside the room an alien had penetrated the iris and now stood on the end of the ramp, firing a never-before-seen weapon at the defenseless soldiers. All the armory available to the soldiers in that room did nothing to prevent the invasion.
As they neared the Gate Room Daniel saw a body of a soldier in the doorway, preventing the doors from closing. The gunfire continued, and so did the sounds and cries of soldiers dying within. The men paused in the corridor outside the room and Graham could see that the blast doors were closed against the windows. He slapped Daniel on the arm and yelled, “Let’s get out of here!” into his ear as he ran up to the Gate Control Room to see if he could give any help. Daniel started to pull the body from the doorway, in the attempt to make the door close but the alien spotted him and, quick as lightening, he had a long tendril out and around Daniel’s throat before the anthropologist knew what had hit him.
“JACK!” He cried out as he struggled to stop the suffocation.
The colonel, who’d witnessed it on the screens inside the control room, raced down the stairs, passing Graham on the way up. Hammond and Graham both turned around and followed Jack, but as they reached the room they saw Jack, with the dead soldier’s gun in his hand, poised to shoot the retreating alien. He couldn’t get a clear shot though as the beast shimmered its way up the ramp then through the event horizon, carrying the limp body within its grasp. Jack mentally kicked himself for not getting a shot in. Then, without thinking, he hurled himself up the ramp and through the gate in pursuit.
Both Hammond and Graham called after him but the gate soon shut off, and their words fell in the eerie silence of the room. The pungent smell of charred flesh finally reached them and Hammond looked around, stunned by the unexpected attack and the abduction of one of his finest men. As he watched Janet and her team fruitlessly search for survivors amongst the bodies that littered the floor Hammond met Graham’s shocked gaze.
“What do we do?” Graham asked hoarsely. Hammond was about to speak when Sam and Teal’c came scurrying into the room.
“General we heard what happened..” Sam said.
“We are prepared to follow O’Neill..”
“Give him some back up..” Sam finished off breathlessly.
Hammond looked at the two worried team members then at the ramp. “There’s only one problem with that,” he said numbly. He looked up at Harriman at the control panels. The gray haired man shook his head glumly. Hammond looked at the three faces watching him. “We’ve no idea where they went to.”
He turned and looked back at the gate, his heart heavy with concern for the two men lost somewhere out beyond the ring.
<End of Part 84>
Stories on this page are the property of Nessessitee and Slida. Please do not copy these without the written permission of the Author. All Rights are acknowledged for MGM, Gekko and Stargate Productions as to the Copyrights of the characters within this story and no infringement on the copyrights are intended. For the Bombshells Series the character of Philip Simmons is entirely the creation and intellectual property of Nessessitee and Slida.
While the performances given by RDA and MS help to fuel the author's desire to write for their characters in a niche that she feels is present on the actual show, the portrayal of their characters in loving relationships in no way reflects the Author's opinion of the men's private life, nor should it be construed in that manner.