When his parents were still alive, Daniel heard the name 'Indiana Jones' more times than he could count. An archaeologist friend of his grandfather, Indy had become his Mom's idol growing up and she passed the hero worship of him on to her son. Daniel lived and breathed by the tales of the good Dr. Jones' discoveries, his exploits, and through him, archaeology took on a whole new life. Despite living the reality of the archaeological existence with his parents, Daniel's fantasies resembled the world Indiana supposedly inhabited. He dreamt of dodging Nazis with priceless artifacts in one hand, a bullwhip in the other, and a fedora lodged firmly on his head. When an enterprising young film maker in Hollywood had turned his hero's life into a movie series, Daniel stayed up all night for tickets. He'd vowed never to breathe a word of it to anyone that it had been those dreams which had sent him into the family business.

And save for one argument with Nick, he hadn't. He hadn't even told Carolina when he met her. Carolina Jones was considered, by some, to be her grandfather all over again. With a knack for recovering lost relics, she'd made her name in the archaeology community the same way her grandfather had. Finding famous relics lost for millennia, she was as popular with her students as her grandfather had been. Daniel had been no exception.

It'd taken all of five minutes for Daniel Jackson to become completely enamored of the willowy archaeologist. The shock of a lifetime had been the fact she returned the affections.

He'd already had his doctorates by the time he got the chance to sit in on one of her lectures, Carolina's classes - as well as her brother's - were almost always blocked full, but he'd enjoyed the hell out of it nonetheless. After the lecture, he'd walked up, introduced himself and asked her out for coffee. One coffee date had become two and two had become three...

It'd been a relationship before he'd known it. A good relationship. They hadn't been in love but...he was on his way. She was an easy woman to love. When she was in town, that was. The problem with dating a woman who had a bad habit of disappearing off to the ends of the earth at a moment's notice was exactly that. She tended to disappear off to the ends of the world at a moment's notice. Irritating but...she was worth it. They'd fallen into a routine and as routines went, it wasn't a bad one. Until, that was, everything went to hell.

He'd proposed his theory about the pyramids and ancient Egypt, watched his career blow up in his face in the space of one speech, got offered the job translating the Stargate's cover stone and headed off to Cheyenne Mountain. It'd been a whirlwind that he couldn't break free of. He'd tried to contact her from the Mountain before he'd left but...Murphy's law kicked in and Carolina's TA informed him the good professor still hadn't returned from a trip she'd taken to China. Pressed for time, Daniel had left a message.

In retrospect, a message might not have been enough.

As the students filed past him out of the classroom, Daniel leaned against the doorframe and watched Carolina gather up her papers. Her hair was lighter, she'd been spending more time in the field from what his contacts had been able to tell him, and she had more laugh lines. She was as beautiful as she'd ever been.

"Dr. Jones," He called out with a faint grin, "I was wondering if you could help me..."

She turned, not immediately recognizing his voice, "I'm sorry but I'm booked..." Her words faded away as she saw him. "Daniel?"

He nodded, moving into the room. "This is where I say something like, long time no see..."

"While I make some joke you going out for ice cream..." Carolina closed her bag and leaned against the lecturn. "I have half a mind to hit you, Daniel Jackson."

"And I wouldn't stop you." Daniel stopped before her, shoving his hands into his pockets and sighing, "Somehow, sorry doesn't quite cover disappearing for four years, does it?"

"Nope." She folded her arms across her midsection. "Not that I don't understand, with everything that happened, I'd've disappeared too."

"It's not quite that simple." He responded. "But, we can't really talk here." He looked around then smiled at her. "Feel like a cup of coffee? For old time's sake?"

*****

"I know how you feel about government work..." Daniel watched Carolina freeze, mid-motion, and look at him, "I know how you feel about government work but, right after my speech, I met a woman named Catherine Langford and she offered me a translation job. For the Air Force."

"Daniel..."

Carolina's distrust of the government went back to her grandfather. Indy'd dealt with them on more than one occasion and always come out of it quite dissatisfied. Furious really. Over the years of her own career, she'd refused numerous job offers from them. Stargate Command included. Daniel had convinced them to try but she'd refused it outright. She hadn't even listened long enough to find out he was connected to it. No sooner had they identified themselves, then she'd hung up the phone or thrown them out. They'd tried both routes.

She'd always been a stubborn pain in the ass.

Kind of reminded him of Jack that way.

"Just listen, Carolina." He interjected firmly, cutting off whatever protest she'd been about to make. "They're not like the others." He grinned a little. "Okay, so some of them are but...not the guys I work with. In fact, knowing you, you'd like them."

She snorted indelicately. "Somehow I doubt that, Daniel. Archaeologists and government work do not mix."

"They did in my case." He argued firmly. "Carolina, they gave me a job when nobody else would listen. They're my friends."

Carolina held his gaze for a long moment then nodded once. "Okay, so they're your friends." She smiled and waved a hand at him, "What else?"

He couldn't tell her a lot, of course. Nothing about the Stargate or his work with it but that didn't matter. He told her about the people, his friends, and his life. He told her about Sha're. Some details were stretched, of course. That he'd met her overseas. That they'd married pretty quickly...and that she'd died. Carolina wasn't buying all of it. He could see it in her eyes but to her credit, she said nothing. Whether it was out of respect for Sha're's death or understanding he simply couldn't tell her the truth, he didn't know and he didn't ask. She was hurting because he was hurting and that was something all the 'Need to Know' regs in the world wouldn't get in the way.

"I'm sorry, Daniel." She said when he was done, empathy filled her eyes and she reached out to cover his hand with hers. "I really..." She sighed and shook her head. "With all the languages between us, you'd think we'd be able to come up with something better than 'I'm sorry' but..."

"But when it happens there's still nothing you can say." He nodded. "I know. Truthfully...I didn't come here to talk I..."

"Just wanted to see a friend." Carolina finished, smiling. "I'm glad it was me."

It had been more than just wanting to see a friend but Daniel couldn't say that. He'd seen Jack. Hung out at his place. Talked to Sam. Sat silently with Teal'c. He had plenty of supportive friends...He just needed the support of someone who didn't know. Who had no clue of the soap opera that was his grand romance. He'd loved his wife, adored her, but he needed to put it behind him for a while. To just...to be Daniel again. There was so much drama and angst wrapped up in his marriage and the weight of it...sometimes Daniel thought it might kill him. There were fleeting moments when he wished it would.

He needed to escape that for a while.

Carolina had never been about drama. Even with the life she led, drama was something she had little time for. She was an escape...and she was happy to be it.

"How long are you here for?"

He shrugged. "I've got some time saved up."

"Good." She waved a waitress over. "Let's get something to eat. Dinner's on me, promise." With a wink at him, Carolina fished her wallet out of her bag. "Those government guys probably don't pay you enough."

"Ohhh...you'd be surprised." Daniel commented with a grin. He had to admit, the job? Paid pretty good. What with the hazard pay and all. "But don't let me stop you." He gestured magnanimously. "Really. I'll have the steak sandwich."

Carolina rolled her eyes. "Tell you what, Daniel." She smiled sweetly. "I buy dinner...*you* buy breakfast."

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. "How about, you buy dinner, I'll make you breakfast."

She hesitated, "Daniel..."

This time, he took her hand, running his fingers over the light callouses on her palm. "I, uh..." He frowned. "Losing Sha're....it wasn't a recent thing. I mean, it was but..." He shrugged. "I wish I could tell you more but...I'm okay, Carolina...A lot more than I have a right to be. It's complicated, really complicated, and I think that's why I'm here." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Complications weren't really something we had a lot of and I think I need uncomplicated right now."

Carolina was silent for a long time then, quietly, she said, "Just remember, I like my egg yolks soft. Kinda runny. Don't burn the toast to a crisp either...okay?"

Daniel smiled. "Okay."

 

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