Title: Bad Hair Day
Author: Wendy Parkinson
Email: wendyparkinson@hotmail.com
Category: Humour, S/J, D/J
Spoilers: Small Victories, Urgo
Season/Sequel info: Set after Small Victories, season four.
Twelfth in the Danny Lurks series, sequel to Twisted.
Rating: PG
Content Warnings: none
Summary: Janet has a plan and Sam isn't happy with the list.
Date: 4th July 2000
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters belong to MGM, Gekko
Corp and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created
solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no
copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity
to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Author's notes: Please bear in mind that I haven't seen Small
Victories, so yet again I'm basing a story on spoilers...
<g>
Huge thanks go to Sue Corkill for providing an American point of
view. Cheers, Sue!
And, as always, thanks to the samandjack list for their
'inspirational' discussions. <g>
All feedback and constructive criticism will be greatly
appreciated. No flames please.
copyright Wendy Parkinson July 2000
BAD HAIR DAY
"I'm telling you, Sam, he may be almost a genius with
languages and archaeology but when it comes to women he's as dim
as a fifteen watt bulb."
"Janet! Has it occurred to you that he's just not
interested?" The two women sat in Janet's living room
sharing a bottle of Chardonnay. Another empty bottle sat on the
table with the remains of a Chinese take-out.
The doctor frowned, then shook her head very deliberately. Sam
noticed her friend's speech was slightly slurred. "No. He
might *think* he's not interested but I don't think he's thought
about thinking about it."
Sam burst out laughing. "How many have you had, Janet?"
"How many... um... good question, Major. Good
question."
Sam grinned. They'd decided they needed to relax after the trauma
of the last few weeks and Janet had suggested a girl's night in.
Sam was thoroughly enjoying herself. She'd only had a couple of
drinks because she was driving so Janet had had the lion's share
of the wine. It was after they'd emptied the first bottle that
the doctor had admitted her feelings for Daniel. Sam had been a
little surprised but reflected ruefully that she probably wasn't
half as surprised as Daniel would be if he knew.
"And another good question, *Major*. I hear you kissed the
colonel at Christmas. What was it like?"
Sam felt her face colouring up. "I... er... well..."
"Come on, Sam." Janet leant forward conspiratorially.
"Is he a good kisser? In my professional opinion, it must
have been good or you wouldn't be so red in the face."
"I'm just a bit warm," countered Sam defensively. She
decided a change of subject would be in order, before Janet
started asking pointed questions about what had happened between
her and the colonel while they were stranded after destroying
Thor's ship. "So how are you going to get Daniel to notice
you?"
"Oh I've already done it. The only obvious thing under the
circumstances."
Sam's mind began to race with visions of what her friend might
consider to be 'obvious', particularly in her current state of
inebriation. Had she sent their shy archaeologist a confession of
undying love? Grabbed him and kissed him when he was least
expecting it? Bought him embarrassing presents? She shook herself
and gave up speculating. "So what did you do?"
"I mailed Ness."
Janet seemed to think this explained everything. Sam shrugged.
Ness could be really helpful; she'd been great when the colonel
had got back from Adora. "Impartial advice is always good,
Jan. So what did she suggest you do?"
"Nothing. I asked her to do something for me."
Sam was dying of curiosity. "Which is?"
"She's started the danandjan list!" Janet announced
triumphantly.
Sam's mouth dropped open in amazement. "Er... what good will
that do? He's subscribed to samandjack."
"Ness mailed samandjack announcing the new list. He'll know
about it. He always reads *all* his mails."
"I still don't see what good it'll do."
Janet gazed dreamily into space. "He'll start thinking about
us, he'll come and find me in the infirmary, his blue eyes
shining with desire, he'll ask me out for a romantic dinner,
we'll talk and get to know each other better, then I'll ask him
back to my place for coffee, he'll gaze into my eyes and tell me
how he's worshipped the ground I walk on for the past three
years, that he's eternally grateful to me for saving his life
more than once. Then he'll take me in his strong, muscular arms
and kiss me, lighting a fire inside that can never be
extinguished, then he'll pick me up and carry me to the bedroom
and make tender, passionate, exquisite love to me all
night...."
Eyes shining with desire? Strong, muscular arms? Were they both
talking about the same person? Sam shook her head. She guessed
that as she thought of the guy in question as a brother, she was
bound to have a different perception of him. Taking a large gulp
of wine, she had another think about what Janet had just said.
Wait up! Worshipped the ground she walked on? A fire that can
never be extinguished? Tender, passionate, *exquisite* love? Boy,
Janet had got it bad. Sam swivelled to face her friend.
"Have you been reading Harlequin romances again,
Janet?"
"I don't understand it, Jack. I've never *said* anything...
or *done* anything..."
The colonel looked at his friend sympathetically. When he'd
suggested going out for a drink to celebrate not only saving the
world, but living through the experience, he'd envisaged a fun
night, a few laughs. But it wasn't to be; Daniel seemed in danger
of crying in his beer. "Buddy, it's just a mailing list.
It's not real life."
"But I don't think of her like that... not Janet... not
really...." He stared morosely into his glass.
"How do you know she feels *like that*? She might be just as
horrified about this as you."
"She's not. I had to use her computer in the infirmary this
morning. She'd left it running on the e-mail program." He
glanced up at Jack. "She's subscribed to danandjan."
"Oh." Jack didn't know what to say.
"And she's writing a story...."
"How do you know that? You didn't go digging through her
stuff, did you? Remember how you hated it when I did that?"
"No, she'd been writing on a notebook. It was open, on her
desk, in full view right next to the computer. I saw my name, so
I couldn't help looking." He swallowed hard. "It's
going to be an NC17."
"Really? Do you think she'd let me read it?"
Daniel's eyes flared with anger. "Whose side are you
on?"
"Come on, Daniel, you've read enough stories about Sam and
me doing it. Why can't I read one about you and Janet?"
Daniel glared at Jack and downed the rest of his beer. "Want
another?" he said, as he stood up.
"Yeah, thanks." The colonel watched his friend walk to
the bar. When he came back, he'd try and change the subject.
"I don't read Harlequin Romances but I've been having a shot
at writing," said Janet, waving her glass in the air.
"Writing? A story for the list?"
"Yeah... the danandjan list... what I'd like him to do me...
in graphic detail...."
"Janet, you're incorrigible!"
The doctor giggled. "Why don't you write one about the
colonel?"
"I couldn't..."
"Why not? You're not going to tell me you don't have
fantasies about him?"
"I actually dreamt about him once," Sam admitted shyly.
"Really? What happened?"
"It was after that thing with Urgo. I dreamt I was lying on
a beach in Maui, wearing a string bikini and he was massaging sun
tan oil into my back...."
"Just your back?" asked Janet mischievously.
"At first... then he asked me to turn over... then he kissed
me..." Sam's voice petered out as she relived the memory.
"And then what?"
"He told me I'd get horrible white lines in my suntan if I
kept the bikini on...."
"And you...?"
"Well, shall we say it was definitely NC17 after that!"
"Details, girl! I need details!"
Sam laughed and shook her head. "No way!"
Daniel came back to the table and set the glasses down with a
thump. Jack winced. He was surprised they hadn't broken.
"So, Daniel, what have the list been talking about while
we've been saving the world?"
The archaeologist looked up at him, his eyes slightly unfocussed.
"They've been *really* talkative. I've only read the mails
from when I was in the infirmary so far. I've got hundreds more
to get through."
"So what have they been saying?"
"They were really into the 'Bad Sex Challenge'."
"Bad Sex?" echoed Jack, as his heart sank. That didn't
sound very flattering.
"Mmmm." Daniel took a swig of his beer.
"As in 'bad' meaning 'kind of naughty'?" suggested
Jack, more hopefully than he felt.
"No. 'Bad' meaning 'disastrous', 'awful', 'a huge
mistake'...."
Jack cut him off. "Okay, okay, I get the idea." He
leant on the table and rested his head on his hands. "Any
takers?"
Daniel nodded as he drained his glass.
Overcome with morbid curiosity, Jack asked, "So what
happened in these stories?"
Prodding his friend in the chest, Daniel slurred, "You don't
wanna know."
"My fault, huh?"
"Some of them."
Jack peered into his glass. "I'd never do that to Sam."
"Some of them think you might."
"You know, buddy, getting drunk doesn't seem quite such a
bad idea...."
~ The Next Morning ~
Daniel sat in his office, reading list mails with one eye shut.
Jack was slumped in a nearby chair, apparently asleep. The only
illumination came from the computer screen.
"Good morning, sir, Daniel," Sam said as she breezed
into the room, followed by Teal'c. She switched on the light.
Jack reluctantly opened his eyes and grimaced. "Keep it down
to a dull roar, will you, Carter?"
Taking in the two men's dishevelled appearance, she smiled to
herself. "Good night out, was it?"
"Great," muttered Daniel, through gritted teeth.
Teal'c, who had his head tipped slightly to one side, said,
"Doctor Fraiser appears to be suffering from the same
affliction. Do you believe it could be contagious, Major
Carter?"
"I very much doubt it," replied Sam, then she noticed
what Daniel was reading. "So what are they saying? Are they
pleased we saved the world... again?"
"Yeah, kinda."
"For crying out loud, Carter! Get real! You and I are
stranded on an alien planet, out of touch with base for over a
week, and you expect them to bother about a minor detail like
saving the world? All they're going to care about is what we
might have got up to."
Daniel interrupted. "Guys, you never said what happened when
you were stranded."
"No, we didn't," said Sam flatly.
"Well observed, Daniel," added Jack.
Deciding this line of questioning was getting him nowhere, Daniel
turned to Teal'c. "You were there. What happened?"
Teal'c frowned, as if concentrating very hard, "I became a
fifth wheel."
Daniel took off his glasses and rubbed his hand across his face.
"I think you mean 'third wheel'."
The jaffa looked puzzled, then said, "I spent much time in
meditation..." He glanced at Sam and Jack.
"...alone."
Frowning, Daniel briefly wondered if it would be worth getting
Jack drunk again to find out what happened, then clutched his
head and decided against the idea. "The list have mentioned
the huge shippiness in this episode, and you saving the world,
but there's one thing they've been talking about more."
"What?" asked Jack.
Daniel squinted at Sam. "Your hair."
Jack sniggered, then tried to pull himself together as the major
shot him a filthy look.
"My hair?" she said incredulously.
Daniel nodded. "Beth's put an opinion poll on the list's
site at egroups."
Jack made a curious strangled noise.
"Are you laughing, sir?"
"Me? No, of course not."
Sam eyed him suspiciously, then asked, "What exactly have
they been saying about my hair?"
Daniel winced. "Well, comments have ranged from 'love it!'
through 'very feminine but hardly military' to 'aarrgghh, pass
her a hairbrush!'."
"And now they're taking votes?"
"Yes," the archaeologist said carefully. "Oh, and
there were a couple of mails wondering how your hair grew so much
in a week."
"It was a very strange planet," snapped Sam.
Jack raised his eyebrows and looked across at the major. "It
could have a weird effect on you."
Sam gestured towards the computer. "I don't understand them.
We save the world again! We send them to shipper heaven and all
they want to talk about is MY HAIR!" All three men flinched
at her outburst. "I'm going to do something about
this!" She span on her heel, ready to leave the room.
"What are you going to do?" asked Daniel.
"Write to Ness! She'll sort them out!"
As she stormed out, Daniel turned to Jack. "I'm glad I
didn't mention the discussion they're having about her clothes
size."
The colonel nodded. "Wise move. But you know, I don't see
what she's so steamed up about. They've discussed *my* hair,
hell, they've even discussed *your* hair and I'm sure if Teal'c
*had* any hair, they'd discuss that too!"
"There have been comments about his..." Daniel pointed
at Teal'c's chin.
"I rest my case!" said Jack, folding his arms across
his chest.
The jaffa frowned, then peered over Daniel's shoulder at the
computer screen. "Are you going to vote, Daniel
Jackson?"
"No, I don't think so. I hadn't even noticed her hair looked
different."
Jack looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked, "Could I
use your vote?"
"I guess so," said Daniel, as he found the web site.
"Here it is." He read out loud, "Did you like
Sam's hair on SG1's last mission? First option is 'Yes, I liked
it a lot' or the second one, 'I thought it was ok', or number
three, 'I thought it was an improvement from hairstyles before'
or finally the fourth one, 'No, I didn't like it'"
"Tick the first one. I like her hair however she does
it."
Daniel smiled as he registered Jack's vote. Perhaps one day he'd
find out what had happened on that planet....