“Settling in?” Jack asked from just inside the doorway.
“Jack?” Daniel called out as he raised his head at the sound of the voice.
Jack nodded slightly, his eyes focused on the box as his curiosity abounded about what kind of toys, er, artifacts would be inside.
“Um, yeah. I still can't believe the storage company kept all of this stuff for so long.”
Jack smiled unassumingly, and walked over to see what the books were on the shelves. At that moment, Daniel discovered a packing slip invoice on one of the boxes. It was stamped, “Paid in Full” and underneath in handwriting “by J. O'Neill.”
“Jack, you paid the storage bill?”
The older man shrugged as he responded, “I had a weak moment.”
Daniel stared at the invoice, then looked back at his friend.
“How'd you even know about this?”
“You mentioned it on Abydos,” Jack nonchalantly answered as he pulled out a book by someone named ... “Budge? What kind of name is that?”
“One to be avoided,” Daniel said as he walked a few steps towards Jack. “And I never mentioned this on Abydos.”
“Yes, you did.”
“No, I didn't.”
“You must have.”
“No, I don't think so.”
“See, you don't think so, but I know so.”
“When?”
“When what?”
“When did I mention it on Abydos?”
“So you admit you mentioned it and only want to know when you said it?”
“NO!” Daniel grimaced in frustration, briefly turning away from Jack. He tried again. “Jack, when did I mention having a storage locker?”
“I don't remember.”
“But you remember I mentioned it?”
“Yes,” Jack said, putting the book back on the shelf.
“Jack ...”
“Daniel, do you want this collection of ... junk, or not?”
“It's not junk, Jack, they're artifacts.”
“Trinkets,” Jack teased.
“Artifacts, and stop playing with that urn. It came from Egypt.”
Jack had left the books behind and moved to another shelf with some of Daniel's mementos on them.
“This old thing?” Jack asked as he turned the urn in various directions.
“Exactly ... Jack!”
~Don't like that, do ya, Dannyboy? You look very nervous. Don't you recognize good old-fashioned slight-of-hand when you see it?~
Daniel grabbed the urn and carefully returned it to its place on the shelf. As he did that, Jack picked up a small clay vase, turning it over, and examining it from all angles.
“Jack! That was a gift from my professor.”
~Look at you. Oh yeah, we're gonna have some fun, Danny.~ “Danny ...”
“Daniel!” the younger man said as he again took the item from Jack's hands and put it on the shelf. Breathing a sigh of relief, Daniel returned to his unpacking. When he looked up, Jack had picked up a very delicate plate that Daniel had unearthed on that same Egyptian dig. “Jack!”
~Watch this.~ Jack pretended to be frazzled, as if the sound of Daniel's voice had jolted him. He squirmed, his hands shaking in mock nervousness. The plate bounced slightly, at least, that's how it looked to Daniel who couldn't see from his position that Jack's other hand had a secure grip on the treasure. “Don't *do* that!” he exclaimed.
Daniel ran over and tried to get the plate. He reached out, his hands rubbing against Jack's fingers. The two stared at each other, Daniel breathing a bit more rapidly than normal. Jack smiled.
“No trust in the older generation, Jackson?”
He held the plate up, handing it to Daniel.
“No, I ... I mean ... gawd.” He placed the plate back in its place. “Jack, go annoy someone else,” Daniel requested, his voice a desperate plea for peace.
“Annoy? Who ... me?” Jack asked innocently, a daring grin on his face.
Daniel rolled his eyes.
“Have you always been like this?”
Jack stared at his friend, but the frolicking fun expression of seconds earlier slowly gave way to one of serious reflection. He shook his head as he answered, “No, and you know something, Doctor Jackson? It's all because of you. Thank you, by the way.”
Daniel stood, stunned to silence at how their playfulness had turned to a touching moment of friendship, a relationship he still couldn't believe existed, even with the proof standing just six-feet away. Jack moved for the exit. His hands again in his pockets, he twisted towards the archaeologist and said, “See you at home ... Danny.”
The young man sighed, a soft smile on his face. He picked up the next artifact, and smiled even brighter.
“See you ... there ... Jack,” he whispered as he continued to unpack his past that was really his future; he just didn't know it yet.
And neither did Jack O'Neill.
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