Saying Goodbye
Status: Complete
Category: Vignette (kinda) Romance.
Pairings: Daniel/Janet
Rating: G
Spoilers: There's probably blink-and-you'll-miss-it mentions to season five.
Season/Sequel: During or some time after season five but i'm ignoring Meridian.
Summary: Sometimes goodby can be hard to say.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Author's Notes: These two are probably the worst pairing I can write about. I can never seem to get them in character properly. Oh well, here goes...
Strange, he thought as he studied the newly bloomed white flower in his hand, people always associated roses with love, passion, joy, but to him they’d always been a symbol of death, a sign of leaving. Roses had only ever been present in the darker moments of his life. The first time he could remember seeing a rose had been at his grandmother’s funeral. He’d only been young but he’d been in awe of the strangely sad arrangement of white lilies and roses on his nana’s shiny coffin. Then again, just a few short years later when both his parents had been killed. An influx of roses had arrived from colleagues and friends of the popular archaeologists. Then Shar’ae, his mentor, and now here he was again.
He looked about, taking in the surroundings around him and then focused on a spot where he imagined she would be standing, a warm smile on her face and her eyes shining with love whenever she looked at him. He took a tentative step forward and clearing his throat began.
“Hi. I know I haven’t been here in a while, I’m sorry. Things have been hectic lately, but then again when aren’t they? I just need,” he paused his forehead puckered as he looked down at the rose he was twirling in his hands, “I need to talk to you, tell you something…I love you, I always will, you’ve got to believe that! I, I didn’t think or…expect this to happen to me, not again, but I’ve found someone else.” He stopped and closed his eyes. He knew he had to move on but it was still hard. He could almost feel her comforting touch on his arm, the soft murmur of her voice.
He opened his eyes and looked up, a sad smile on his face, “I wish you could have met her. I know you’d have liked her. You’re both so alike yet so different at the same time. I want to marry her, and this time I’ll do it right, I promise. I wasn’t there for you when you needed me the most. I’m sorry for that, I’m *so* sorry. On the day I married you, I promised to protect you all the days of your life, but I didn’t and you suffered for it. I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself for that,” he faltered, glancing away trying to clear his throat of the lump he suddenly found in it.
“I’m in love with her. I can’t explain it to you. I don’t know how or when it started. I can’t place my finger on the exact moment, look or words. All I know is, I was too far gone before I even realised I’d started. She means the world to me, she is my everything. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her, and that scares me, a lot.
" Am I a fool? That’s a question I’ve asked myself a lot over the years. I keep looking, believing in love when all I’ve ever known of love is the pain and grief that inevitably follows it, but then one look from her, a smile or the way she cocks an eyebrow, and my stomach’s in knots! I could spend the rest of my life just watching her. Everything about her fascinates me, from the way she does her hair to the way her eyes crinkly at the corners when somebody makes her laugh, really laugh.”
He broke off and took another step forward. “I will always love you, and there’s a part of me, I know, that will only ever be yours and yours alone, but I’ve got to move on. It’s time I let you go, let you rest in peace. I’m here to say goodbye. I know you’ll understand, bless us both.” He kissed one of the petals of the flower and crouching down placed it on the ground just before him, “Goodbye my love.” He whispered hoarsely.
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“Welcome back SG-9”, General Hammonds voice boomed over the tannoy and as Daniel walked down the ramp he turned and stilled, watching as the gate flickered before disintegrating completely. Turning around he saw her. Her lab coat ruffled, wrapping around her legs in the breeze from the gate deactivating. He walked towards her noting the concerned and wary look in her eyes.
“How are things on Abydos?” she asked casually, though they both knew it was more then that.
“Fine, fine. I was just,” he glanced back at the inactive gate, “saying goodbye.”
“Are you alright?” she asked and he turned to her a smile of his face.
“Yeah, I’m great. Now that I’m back home with you,” he wrapped an arm around her waist and they both left the gate room together.
“So when do you think we should have the wedding?” he asked smiling innocently.
“What wedding?” The surprised look on her face only made him grin even more.
~Finis~
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