Contrary to Popular Belief, by Pewter (PG)

[figs_sg1_rec]

Rec Category: Daniel Jackson

Pairing: none
Category:  Daniel Jackson, gen, character study, hurt/comfort
Warnings:  Jack-whumping
Author on LJ: unknown
Author's Website: unknown
Link to Story: Contrary to Popular Belief 

Why This Must Be Read:  This intriguing little character study offers a new twist to Daniel's character. Is he really so oblivious as he sometimes appears to be? Does he really have no sense of danger, no instincts to duck? Or are his motives more deliberate than others might imagine?

I enjoyed this fic for its observations on Daniel and what really matters to him, and his unique definition of self-preservation. Pewter does a great job of defining what makes Daniel uniquely… well, Daniel. 

(And yeah, it's probably set in S3 or S4, but I put it here anyway.)

Contrary to popular belief, I am not nearly the innocent that everyone thinks I am.

As I walk quietly down the hall, I realize just how much the others' attitudes toward me confuse me. Since when has compassion been equated with naivete? After all, I've lived in some pretty hard places, both before and after I was orphaned. Just because I try not to let the things that I've seen and done burn out my humanity, doesn't mean that I haven't been witness to some pretty nasty stuff.

Maybe I should tell them about the 'children's market' for slavers that I stumbled into once when I wandered away from my parents on a trip to Asia... Um -- on second thought, never mind. It's not a story that I particularly want to tell, and they definitely wouldn't want to hear it.

Jesus, this place is quite. The only noise is the shuffle of my footsteps, and even that stops when I reach my destination. Damnit. The door to Janet's office is locked. The lock is not really a problem... though I was hoping that I wouldn't have to do this.

With a mental apology to Janet, I reach for my credit cards and my pocketknife. Then I hesitate; if the nurses hear me moving around in here they will throw me out. And I don't want to leave Jack.

Of course my mind spits out Jack's voice to assuage my lingering nervousness -- "so don't make a lot of noise and you won't get caught." Typical O'Neill response, number 116. Jeez, Jack, you're always so helpful. I don't know what I'd do without you.

Whoops. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you. God, does it always have to sneak up and slap you this way?

Focus Daniel.

It takes me less than a minute to pop the lock on Janet's door -- the traditional Orphan's talent. I grin as I remember the look on Sam's face the first time Jack had me break and enter while she was watching. Jack had forgotten his keys, and Sam was saying something about a locksmith, but Jack simply gestured at me, and, with a sarcastic bow, led me to the door. I opened the door, and as we were going in Jack made some sarcastic comment to a very shocked Carter about how I had broken into his office two weeks after he got assigned here. Okay, true, but you wouldn't give me the information that I needed. And besides, the look on your face when we were in that meeting, and you realized that the charts were copies of the ones in your office... well, it was priceless.

I take one look around Janet's office, and make some quick decisions. I quickly move a small table that is covered by unfiled files -- jeez, Janet, you're almost as bad as I am -- and shove one of the 'guest' chairs against the wall. Then I quietly roll Janet's very soft, very comfortable office chair from behind her desk, and out of the office.

Oops, I almost forgot to leave a note.

I find paper and a pen and scribble an apology to the good doctor. There, that should make it almost painless the next time I need stitches.