"To be honest, I've had more successful conversations with dogs…"
Daniel Jackson, 'One False Step'
"Hello, girl. C'm'ere," Daniel called across to the mongrel wandering aimlessly past the library steps upon which he was sitting.
The dog sauntered up to him and gave itself up for a playful stroking.
"What's your name then?" Daniel looked round the scruffy thing's neck and sadly noted the lack of collar and nametag. He gave it a gentle hug. "Hey, you lost too?" he asked.
The dog licked his cheek. "Argh, Cut that out," Daniel jokingly warned, rubbing his face dry on the shoulder of his shirt.
"Woof."
"That bad, huh?" the young man questioned. "Me too… well, I'm not lost in the true sense of the word… I know *where* I am. I just don't know where I'm going. Why am I even telling you this? It's not like you're gonna understand a word I say…"
"Arf, woof," the dog seemed to object to his criticism.
"Oh, you do?" He looked heavenward. "God, I'm even conversing with dogs, now… Everyone says I'm crazy. Guess they're right."
"Woooof."
"Thank you. I'm glad you think so. I must be a better linguist than I thought. I wish it were this easy to get the people that matter to understand what I'm saying. Even Professor Jordan eventually got tired of my constant challenges on long accepted theories. Stephen never had any time for my ideas, and Sarah… well I wouldn't want to bore you with what Sarah said before I left."
"Grrr," the dog snarled.
Daniel laughed. "Yeah, you got that right. Say, are you hungry, girl?"
"Woof!" the dog exclaimed, wagging its tail in fevered anticipation as Daniel pulled a Fifth Avenue bar from the back pocket of his jeans.
"You like these, girl?" he asked, quickly flinching back as the mongrel suddenly jumped forward and rested its paws on his lap. "Whoa! I'll take that as a yes." He peered into the dog's expectant eyes. "You're the easiest pick up I ever had. Now, is it the looks or the brains?" He chuckled, when the dog merely sniffed at the candy bar, clearly intent on the contents. "Oh, a material girl, eh? Can't say I ever had one of those… my scholarships only just stretched far enough to cover tuition."
Uninterested, the dog tapped an impatient paw on Daniel's leg. "Okay, okay. Why should you be bothered with my problems…" He broke the bar and slipped one half from the wrapper, holding it out to the eager animal. "Ugh," he grimaced, as the dog managed to drool over his fingers while it snaffled the offering from his hand.
Daniel took one bite from the piece he'd been left with. Chewing slowly, he watched the dog greedily crunching its portion then licking up all the crumbs from the sidewalk. When it spotted the remaining chocolate in Daniel's hand, it looked up imploringly at the young man. Sadly he wondered how long it had been since the dog had eaten a decent meal.
"Go on," Daniel told it, as he tossed the rest of the candy bar toward it. "Sarah was always telling me I eat way too many of those things anyway."
After it had finished the dog licked its lips, savoring every last morsel of the treat. "Woof."
"You're welcome," Daniel said. "Us strays have got to stick together."
And with that the dog ran off. "Huh," Daniel groused, and rolled his eyes. With a deep breath he stood, draped his raincoat over his arm, and picked up the old holdall and battered suitcase from behind him.
"Woof, woof!" The excited bark caught his attention and he turned to look across the wide expanse of grass and trees leading down to the road. There was the dog, chasing it's tail, pausing every now and then to scratch frantically at the ground. It yapped to him again.
Daniel carried his luggage down to where the dog was busily trying to unearth something. "Hey, you like digging too?" he asked it as he got near, only to be answered by more hectic scrabbling of claws. "Want some help?"
He set down his bags and laid his coat on top, then sat and tugged at the grass, freeing the soil around the long thin object the animal was intent on unburying. "Is this it?" Daniel scornfully remarked as the stick finally popped up. "I was hoping for something a little more interesting. I am an archaeologist you know. You'll be getting me a bad reputation." It only took a second for the young man to correct himself. "Worse than I've already got."
"Woof, wof, wof."
"Yeah, well… it's kind of a family tradition. Like… you're a dog, your parents were dogs, your grandparents… Same here with archaeology." Daniel jabbed a thumb at his own chest.
The shabby mongrel picked the stick up in its mouth and dropped it in front of Daniel. "I suppose you want me to throw that for you now," he chided.
"Arf," the animal replied.
Dutifully complying with its request, Daniel launched the old piece of tree high into the air. The dog chased after it, leaping to catch it before it hit the ground, and returned to the young man, looking very pleased with itself.
"Aren't you clever?" he said, vigorously rubbing its shaggy coat. Relishing the fuss being made of it, the dog nuzzled Daniel's chest. After a short while, Daniel slowed the stroking down and then gave the animal a gentle pat on the head. "Well, it's been fun, but I really have to be going now. I've got a bus to catch."
The dog gave a little whimper and hung its head dejectedly.
"I'm sorry, girl." Daniel gave the apparently miserable animal a few more strokes. I had to spend the last of my research grant on the ticket. I can't afford one for you too. Besides, I'm not sure I'm the right person to look after a dog."
"Wooarf," the dog disagreed.
"Yeah, but I have no idea how things are gonna turn out. If I can't persuade anyone at the lecture I'm giving to fund some further research, I'm sunk. Even Nick doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, after the fight we just had."
Frustrated, Daniel thumped the ground. "If only he could see that our theories aren't that dissimilar… The trouble is he keeps going on about *giant aliens*. I mean, they couldn't have been regular, run-of-the-mill, average height ones, could they? Not that it would have sounded that much better…" he confessed. "Which is why no one believes me either… But how else do you explain how a fully developed writing system almost instantaneously appeared in Egypt thousands of years before anything we've discovered before? Sudden mass migration of indigenous populations at that time is *so* unlikely. And as for who built the pyramids… Well, don't even get me started on that." Daniel snorted in derision. Then his gaze found the dog. It had lain down, its head resting on its front legs, and was blinking at him.
"Thank you for listening. You're the best audience I've ever had… at least you stayed." He climbed to his feet and lifted up his belongings. "I hope you find someone to take care of you."
"Woof, woof," the dog replied, but it started to whine.
"Oh, I'll be okay. It'll be good just to be somewhere that doesn't rain so much… and if L.A. doesn't work out, I'm gonna go back to Egypt… somehow. I miss the desert."
"Woof?" the animal seemed to ask.
"No." Daniel laughed. "You can't come there with me either… and thanks for the vote of confidence by the way."
The dog grumbled deep in its throat.
"Yeah, you're probably right… but I've got to try one more time."
Another growl.
"Yes, I know. I doubt that they'll listen to me either, but… it's important." Daniel's voice raised as his passion ran away with him, and the dog shied away. "Sorry," he apologised. "It's just that I feel… I feel… such a failure." Tilting his head back, he exclaimed, "God, what would Mom and Dad say?"
Slinking back up to him, the dog cautiously licked his hand.
"Ya think?" Daniel smiled down at it. "Yeah, I hope they would," he sighed. Giving the mongrel a final pat he said. "Look, I gotta go. It's been nice to make your acquaintance."
"Woof."
The young man held out his hand. The dog put its paw in his palm, and he shook it. "Good, girl," he praised first and then commanded firmly, "Now, stay." Slowly, the animal withdrew its paw, and sat obediently.
As Daniel walked off toward the bus depot, he called back, "Good bye!"
An answering bark reached his ear, and he was surprised to find his feelings were a mixture of both relief and sadness when there was no sound of four little feet padding along behind him.
"And thank you!" Daniel yelled over his shoulder. Grinning to himself, he added, "That was the most meaningful conversation I've had in ages."
AUTHOR'S NOTE : Hope this captures Daniel's spirit. Thanks to Jmas as always for correcting my errors. And I have already been chastised for the use of the chocolate… so don't copy this story if you want a healthy dog !
© May, 2002 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.