Another fun before they were together ficlet

Sorry I REALLY like the friendship ones...

Daniel saw her leaned over the laptop, headphones in her ears, noting today's selection sounded Asian.

He would NEVER understand his assistant's taste in music.

She was staring intently on a side section of the database, hands working the keys feverishly, her cursor much further along than he had anticipated. The woman worked so fast, she was so driven, it was really taking him getting used to to having her around.

And being her friend, because he really liked spending time with her.

He could talk to Adrienne like he really had never been able to talk to another person before, and she would listen, no judgmental looks or comments, just listen and offer a counter point if he wanted one and if he didn't just a hug and a glass of wine.

Right now he really didn't need her to do anything, he just wanted to talk.

Tease first, always worked.

Smiling he reached past her and into the small white bag of snack something that he was eating.

"Those are dried apples..."

Daniel made a face at the squishy food between his fingers. He knew it would be healthy, but why did she eat things that were just disgusting to look at or touch.

"I've learned the grosser it is, the less likely you are to steal it from me," she said, pulling the ear buds from her ears.

"Why is it that we are in a continual competition with one another? Out gross, out smart?" he joked, leaning against her desk.

"You feel threatened by an woman with a higher IQ than yours," she said with a wink, Daniel frowning.

"What's your IQ?"

Adrienne laughed.

"I have no idea, but just the idea nearly sent you over the edge."

"You're so awful to me," he joked because she was, in a way. She teased him like no one had really teased him before, well, except for Jack but with Adrienne it was different in a way that he couldn't explain.

"I know Indy, I need to detach from the desk and eat. I've gotta run five today anyway, so just let me get to a stopping point," she said, a finger at the screen indicating that she was nearly finished with her task.

"Yes, you do need to eat, I have still yet to see you consume real food that is not from a cantina, but that's not what I wanted to ask you about..." he trailed, feeling stupid already for bringing this up, but she has said he could talk to her about anything.

"What's up shug?" and the laptop was shoved away, her pencil down, her full attention on him and him alone.

"I wanted to know if I could ask you for advice, personal advice?"

It's not that personal you idiot, he thought, but Adrienne was deadly serious, standing to walk to the door to shut it.

"Of course Daniel, I told you, you can tell me anything," she answered as it clicked shut, walking back to the center table to take a seat, neutral ground he could tell. As good of an archaeologist and translator as she was, the better he got to know her the more he thought she should have been a counselor.

"It's, well, not that big of a deal..." he began, taking a seat as she frowned.

"If it wasn't you wouldn't be asking me like this."

"No," he clarified, feeling so stupid for even considering bringing it up, "you know how you can sleep anywhere. At any time?"

"Yeah..."

"I just wondered if there was a reason for it, like you have some sleep secret," he spat it out.

Adrienne wrinkled her pale nose in sheer confusion.

"That's it?"

"That's what?"

"That's the serious thing you needed advice about?"

"Yeah. What did you think I was gonna ask you?"

"About Vala..."

Daniel nearly choked on his own saliva.

"God no! That was over well before you set foot on this base, regardless of how she chooses to torment me."

"Ok," she was smiling, looking him up from head to toe, "you really just wanted to ask me about sleep?"

"Yeah, I just, well, don't. I've tried teas, vitamins, pills, everything and I just don't sleep," he explained, noting that she was finally taking him seriously.

"You COULD lay off the caffeine..."

Daniel frowned.

"Or not," she amended quickly, "how about no more after five?"

"Seven."

"Six Daniel," she countered, "this isn't a negotiation. You asked me for advice and I'm giving it."

"Fine," he pouted, "good-bye evening coffee."

"Have you tried a bath?"

"No, I don't like sitting in a tub of my own filth," he replied quickly, Adrienne now rolling her eyes.

"Because you get so dirty sitting on ya fool tchew in 'ere," she let the Cajun slip. Daniel chuckled, she sounded like some bad stereotypical TV character when she did that, his laughter stifled as she smacked his leg briskly.

"Fine," she contained herself, "how about a hot shower."

"I guess I could try," he said, "I tend to shower in the morning."

"Well, unless you sweat in your sleep it really doesn't matter," she was back into caretaker mode, "the hotter the better too, soothing, and then go straight to bed. And if tea is not working, believe it or not, either warm milk or a glass of red wine, either does the trick for me."

"You can't get to sleep?"

"Not always, I have - " she paused as if she was realizing something at the last minute, halting her words.

"What?"

"Nightmares," she choked out and stood, walking over to the mini-fridge.

"About what?" he pried, she was literally fleeing their conversation, yanking a bottle from the appliance and chugging down it's contents.

"Just, nightmares, ok?"

There was a look in her eyes, of sheer terror, and as much as his curiosity was burning inside of him, he knew he couldn't push her further.

"Ok," he agreed, changing the subject back to himself, "so, no more coffee after six, warm milk and hot shower."

"Start there, natural, you need to change your circadian rhythms," she was better in an instant, Daniel just nodding in agreement.

"Thanks Ad, I knew you'd have some all natural hippie organic solution," he joked, standing to return to his desk.

"I'm proud to be your personal health guru," she bowed, winking at him, "now if we can just get you off the sugar addiction.."

"Never," he replied quickly.

"Small battles in the greater war," and she was back at her desk, Daniel taking a seat at his own.

"Indy?" he heard her asking, noting she was looking right at him.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you shower up and head over to my quarters. I'm crashing here tonight and was gonna watch some old monster movies," there were nerves in her voice, or were there, he could have been imagining things.

"They don't give you nightmares?" he ventured carefully, a smile in return.

"Lawd no," she laughed, thankfully, "Wolfman is just kinda ass kickin'"

"Ok, sounds like a plan. I'll even bring red wine."

She smiled, biting her lip and slipping her headphones into her ears, Daniel's stomach fluttering slightly as he returned to his work, his eyes at the clock on the desktop already counting down.