fandomhigh | The Library (2/24/2006)

"Can we just say it's been a while and leave it at that?" asked Janet.

"Oh, didn't you?" asked Janet, whipping her head up and narrowing her eyes at Daniel. Her head throbbed even harder with the sudden motion. "Then just what did you mean?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Daniel agreed.

"Well maybe I just want to know what else you've done behind my back," he replied, staring back at her.

"You seem to think it's the entire dorm," said Janet. She held her breath and counted to ten, then exhaled slowly, biting back the urge to say anything else that would make it worse.

"Well at least I'd have been thinking it would have only been the male half," Daniel snapped.

"Okay, Daniel, enough," said Janet flatly. "I understand that you're upset, but now you're just lashing out."

Daniel sighed, slumping down into his chair, deflated.

"What now?" he asked quietly, echoing her earlier words.

"You don't trust me," said Janet dully. She let her head drop forward again. "You didn't in the first place, or you wouldn't have come in here asking about parties and streaking and already half-believing that I'd done all kinds of things." She smiled bitterly. "Not that I'm exactly a model for behavior. So I don't know what to do now."

Daniel hesitated for a moment. "No, I guess I didn't," he sighed. "No, wait," he corrected himself. "I do trust you. With my life. But all this is different. And with these stories cropping up, I didn't stop and think. I freaked out. I did see what people did in college, even if I didn't join in. And I guess I just saw these things happening here."

Janet just lifted her head slowly so her chin was propped on her knees. "And?" she asked.

"And I jumped in head first, and things got really messy." He pushed the palm of his hand against his forehead, and stayed quiet for a moment.

"Okay. I understand that you're attracted to girls as well. It's not uncommon. We could all theoretically be attracted to both sexes.

And you have feelings for Elizabeth. I can deal with that."

For the first time since yesterday he was actually almost acting calm, mature and responsible.

"'Really messy' is putting it mildly," said Janet. "I know some of the theory when it comes to sexuality." She sighed. "You can deal with the fact that I have feelings for you and another woman? I'm aware of exactly how weird this whole situation is, trust me."

"Instantaneously catastrophic better?" Daniel asked lightly. "I have vague memories from undergrad courses. It's not something I ever really looked at in detail later on."

"Yes. Maybe. I don't know," he sighed. "It's another issue of things I'm aware of and have seen. It is possible for you to have feelings for more than one person at a time. The fact that it's a woman is theoretically less alarming because it means that I'm not in a competition with another man, and any potential offspring will carry my genes and not another man's."

Daniel had gone past calm now and into anthropological theory now apparently. And he didn't even realize that he'd bought up children. Again.

Janet's smile was genuinely amused this time. "I think that's a better approximation, yes," she said. "If it involves genetics, I'm interested in it. You know how I get. Genetics are almost as fascinating as virulently contagious diseases."

"Oh, God," said Janet "Daniel, I love you and yes, I think I really do want to have kids with you someday." She dropped her forehead back onto her knees with a groan. "Do you have to bring it up when I have a migraine?"

"I do know how you get," Daniel replied, smiling fondly at her.

He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I really was talking theoretically there."

Daniel sighed. "Do you want to go and lie down?"

"Genetics are safer to study right now," said Janet. "So I tend to stick with them."

"You were?" asked Janet. "After that phone call--" She shook her head, then looked back up at him. "I can't. I have to cover the library until seventh period, and then I have to go to my weekly meeting with Dr. Pierson and--um, Liz, actually. Since we're both TAing for him."

"As long as you're having fun," Daniel replied.

"I know," he winced slightly. "But I'm putting that idea to the back of my head. Really."

Daniel moved out of the chair, and crouched down beside her. "It's okay. I'm not going to fly into a jealous rage because you're going to be seeing her." He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Can I get you anything at least?"

"I'd have more fun if I could study things in more detail," said Janet. "Couldn't we just have one little non-lethal plague that I could cure?" She grinned wryly.

"For now, anyway," said Janet. "But not forever. All right?"

She smiled wanly at him. "I room with her, you know. We're close. We're friends, and we see each other a lot. Not that I'm trying to get you upset again, but--" Janet shrugged. "You really should know these things. And I don't know what she and I are going to do now?" She leaned her cheek briefly against his hand and closed her eyes. "My backpack is behind the Collections Desk. I've got some painkillers in there if you can get the backpack for me."

"Well, this is Fandom, so I think you better be careful what you wish for," Daniel nodded seriously.

His face lit up. "No, not forever."

"I know room with her," Daniel replied. His eyes suddenly widened. "Okay. Past conversations I've had with you about her are now taking on a whole new level." He nodded. "I'm not going to say anything. I know that all this has been difficult for you, and I don't want to suffocate you. I love you, and if you want or need me to take a step back, then I will do."

Daniel paused and looked momentarily scared. "Although please don't run away with her to Canada."

"Sure." He quickly went to the collections desk, and returned with her backpack. "Here you go."

Janet nodded, then winced. "Good point."

She smiled at him. "I need time. Which isn't necessarily fair to you, I know. But it can't be helped."

"Sorry," said Janet. "It's--" She looked Daniel in the eye. "This is hard too, you know. Feeling this way about two people. But I don't want you to take a step back. And I won't run away with her to Canada, I promise."

"Thanks." Janet started rummaging around until she came up with a bottle of ibuprofen. "I actually have bad news of a totally different kind for you."

"Just remember I'm going to be an old man soon," Daniel grinned teasingly.

He nodded. "Okay, that's good. And I'll always be here for you. I'm sorry for freaking out on you. I can deal with this, whatever you decide. I promise."

"Um." Daniel tried to think what sort of bad news she could have for him. At least he knew that she wasn't going to be breaking up with him. "Okay then?"

"Believe me, Daniel, I have a hard time forgetting the difference in our physical ages." Janet smiled sadly.

"I know you will be." Janet shifted so that she was kneeling, then leaned forward and took his face in her hands so she could kiss him gently on the lips. "Whatever I decide? I don't know what to do. I just--" She shrugged and pulled back. "I don't think it's an either/or kind of thing. But I don't know what's going on. Do you, um-- Do you want to talk to Liz about it?"

"Do you know Marty Blank?" she asked. "One of the students here?"

OOC: Daniel modded w/permission, of course.

"I know. It was a bad joke," Daniel shrugged, looking slightly sheepish.

His eyes widened. "Talk to her about it? I, um. No. Not really. I think that's something that you should do. Not me."

"Only that he's your roommate. One of your roommates."

"At least we're both here to worry about the difference." Janet shrugged. "Right? And to argue and be confused and everything else attendant in a relationship."

"Oh, good," said Janet, sighing with relief, and leaning closer to Danielat the same time. "Because that would have been awkward beyond belief. No, I know I need to talk to Liz too."

"He is," said Janet. "He--" She frowned and resisted the urge to throw her bottle of pills. Instead she wrenched the cap open, spilled out a couple of tablets, and took them with a bottle of water she kept in her backpack. "Remember during Parents Weekend, when Jack registered Teal'c as his brother? Marty got suspicous and had an associate run background checks on Jack, Sam, Charlie, Liz, Vala, and me. He found a lot of the discrepancies, and he's had some experience with black ops." She glanced up at Daniel. "He found my death certificate. I hadn't even seen that."

"Exactly," Daniel nodded firmly.

"Then why did you suggest it?" he asked, his heart still racing. He wasn't sure if he was going to be capable of being in the same room as Elizabeth any time soon.

Daniel frowned. "How much does he know?" he asked, wincing inwardly at the part about her death certificate. If he knew which one Marty was, and if it wasn't for the fact that he was a teacher and couldn't technically touch the students, he would have liked to have paid Mr Blank a visit.

He wondered if he could give him detention. Even though he'd never met him.

Janet just kissed him again.

"I thought I should," said Janet. "Just in case you wanted to. Or if there was something you thought you needed to ask her."

"A whole hell of a lot," said Janet. "The cloning, the death certificates--" She frowned. "He dug up adoption papers and a dorm address for Cassie. He's a retired assassin. He knows black ops work when he sees it."

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