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Language:
English
Series:
Part 2 of Lost and Found
Collections:
Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-05
Words:
1,268
Chapters:
1/1
Kudos:
8
Hits:
1,328

Pieces of Normal

Summary:

Daniel finds a list of names for the new puppy and thinks about what they mean to his other half.

Jonathan O'Neill(clone!Jack)/Daniel Jackson, written for the LJ sg1_five_things prompt: Five names Jack would consider for a dog.

Work Text:

 

Daniel chuckled to himself as he looked at the list on the kitchen table. Written in his lover's scrawling penmanship it was entitled simply: Dog Names. The list was long with most of them crossed out and as he read them Daniel felt like he was being given a little glimpse of the real person he shared his life with. 

"Hubble" was first on the list and wasn't scratched off. He should have seen that one coming; his lover's fascination with the stars and all things astronomy was well known to him. Thinking about it now brought back a pleasant memory of their first real "date". Daniel had been wined and dined at a favorite restaurant and had enjoyed himself. But as they were finishing dessert his date had mentioned having tickets and Daniel had to struggle to keep from wincing. He had wrongly assumed that he was going to be subjected to some sort of sporting event but instead Daniel found himself treated to the new presentation being shown at the local planetarium. As far as first dates go, it had been a perfect evening. He tried out the name in his head a couple of times and decided it just might work for the puppy. 

"C-4" was the next unmarked name. Daniel shook his head at that one. Although he did have to concede that an energetic puppy and a block of C-4 have almost the same destructive capabilities. He really hoped that this particular name wasn't in the running but knowing his lover's twisted sense of humor, it probably was. 

"Einstein" being next sort of threw Daniel a little. But then again so had the physics books with a ton of notes penciled in familiar penmanship in the margins that he had found tucked on the bookshelf. Daniel had recently come to discover that his other half actually spent a goodly amount of time reading and researching all sorts of subjects. Daniel had never made the mistake of thinking he was dumb as he made himself out to be, but to actually witness evidence to the contrary was interesting. And the inclusion of this name on the list made sense in an odd, perverse way. 

"Homer" was on the list, written in big capital letters. Daniel actually groaned at that one. Part of him wanted to believe that maybe the Homer in question was the Greek poet, but he somehow he doubted it. Daniel would never in a thousand years understand the fascination with the Simpsons that resided in his partner. The humor was immature and crass and Daniel found a wide variety of excuses to be out of the house when the new episode aired on television. Daniel had given into the pitiful whining of the resident addict when the full length film premiered at the movie theater and had gone along. By the closing credits Daniel had found that he had enjoyed himself, not because of the film, but rather because that ridiculous movie had put a genuine smile on the face of the man sitting next to him. He tried out the name in his head and because he knew his lover, prepared for that to be the poor pup's new name. 

Daniel's perusal of the list was interrupted by the back door opening. Daniel smiled as he watched a grungy man hold the screen door open and encourage an equally grungy little half basset hound, half sneaky dog puppy to clamber up the last step into the house. "C'mon you can do it, Digger3." 

The pup made it into the kitchen and happily trotted over to Daniel to be petted. Crouching down to do just that, he cringed at the dirt. Daniels eyes traveled up the tall, lean frame encased in filthy blue jean and a t-shirt that was his lover and asked, "Digger3?" 

The brown eyes that were much too old for the twenty year old face in which they resided were twinkling with humor. "Oh, yeah. Definitely Digger3. He uses those big fat feet of his just like shovels. Dirt was flying everywhere." 

Daniel just shook his head at Jon's answer, that had been the last one on the list. Although Daniel couldn't quite fathom why Jon would want to be reminded of mission that had gone so completely wrong, at least it was better than Homer. 

Later that night after Digger3 had been bathed and was chasing squirrels in his dreams as he slept in his little crate in the kitchen, Jon and Daniel were spooned up in bed. They had made love in the shower, and were both in that sleepy, blissed out place where all their walls came down. Jon placed a kiss on Daniel's shoulder blade and asked softly, "So what made you get the puppy?" 

Daniel's brow furrowed and he replied, "The same reason we bought this house. And that land in Minnesota." 

They had purchased the house about six months ago. On the far outskirts of town nestled among the trees it was private and quiet. It was bigger than they really needed, but it gave them plenty of room for all of their hobbies and possessions as well as any guests that might come to stay. They both knew that their lives were inextricably entwined with the Stargate and that they needed to live reasonably close to Cheyenne Mountain. But they had talked about the future and what they both wanted, that being some semblance of a normal life of their own. The house had fit right into that scheme, including the fenced in yard that was perfect for playing puppies. And children. 

Daniel always added children into the equation. He had seen throughout the years just how much Jack had loved children. And he knew that was still a big part of Jon, even if Jon refused to talk about it. Daniel couldn't imagine a future with Jon without children being a part of it at some point. Whether their own through a surrogate or by adopting, there would be children playing in that yard when they both were ready. 

They had bought the piece of land in Minnesota as a commitment gift to themselves. It was the first thing that they had purchased together, long before the house or the dog, but shortly after their rings had been exchanged and the ink was still drying on their Toronto marriage license. A hundred miles away from Jack's Minnesota cabin to avoid the discomfort factor, the acreage was beautifully wild with a pond teeming with fish smack in the middle of it. Jon was planning out his ideal cabin that they would build in the spring. 

The house, the land, and the dog were all pieces of normal in two lives that couldn't be any less normal. 

Jon chuckled near Daniel's ear and teased, "I knew that. What I meant was, why did you get that puppy?" 

"Oh. Well I guess it was because he just looked so sad in that pen all by himself at the animal shelter." 

Jon squeezed Daniel closer and whispered softly as he fell asleep, "You big sap. Love you." 

A little while later Daniel woke up. He was cold as Jon had stolen the blankets when he rolled away and Digger was whining in the kitchen. As he pulled on his robe and went to check on the puppy he smiled to himself as he shuffled out to the kitchen. Life was good in their abnormal little universe. 

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the end.

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