Beyond the Iris: A Stargate Story

Chapter 3

Eleanor
Another month had passed, winter slowly blooming into spring and I felt the promise of warmer weather every morning when I pulled into work and what looked like the permanent ice crusted berms in the parking lot were slowly melting away. Each day I was fitting into place, my program was being utilized and appreciated for quick access to files, and I felt useful. My life felt settled, I had been here for two and half months and I had a routine in place. Every Monday morning I brought Daniel and I a coffee from the shop around the corner. We would chat about projects and upcoming off-world jumps. I had two Saturday evenings where I had joined the Science Department in a rousing group game session of dungeon raids. Everyone around started treating me like I had always been here, everyone except Colonel O'Neill, but I knew like winter in Colorado it would take longer for him to thaw to me.

Daniel was leaving for an off-world mission this afternoon. It made me nervous after their last mission when SG1 came back all with burns on their arms from a sub-particle manipulator they had been strapped to for genetic experimentation. Things like this seemed to always happen to at least one SG team weekly. It made for an exciting conversation, but I was glad I stayed in my humble little office.

He had left his office door cracked open and I snuck in with a purple post it note and a butterscotch cookie from the coffee shop that morning.

Be safe, and come home in one piece this time.
- Eleanor

It was silly, and maybe overstepping, but I wanted him to know I was here waiting for a safe return. I wanted him to know that he had friends here too. The more I learned about Daniel my heart ached, he had to feel so alone outside of work. Everything had been taken from him, his parents, his childhood, his wife and all he felt like he had were here in these walls. I'm surprised he didn't feel more reckless in the field, with nothing at this point to lose. But, I wanted him to know that he did have something here waiting as well. Even if it was just silly morning coffee chats and a butterscotch cookie.

As I closed his door behind me I turned and smacked into a strong body standing there in the hallway.
"Oh! I'm so sorry."

"No," a handsome face with a buzz cut cropping his black hair and olive eyes bit down on his lip and chuckled, "my pleasure."

I felt the reflexive cringe spread across my features before I reeled them back in. "Uh-huh. Well, thanks I guess." I turned to slip back into my office as he followed me and leaned against the door frame.

"How wild, I'm on my way here to see you."

"Really?" My head cocked to the right doubtfully. "How can I help you?"

"You can help me not be so lonely this evening, dinner?" He pursed his lips and winked. I had to admit, he was classically handsome. He had a sharp jawline and the way his uniform was rolled up on his tanned arms he could clearly best most here in physical combat.

But I just looked back at him blankly. "Cute, can't. Thank you though."

"I'm Sgt Carlson, but you can call me Lonnie."

"Hello," I went to grab a pair of rubber gloves on my desk and my cleaning brushes before cracking at a new case of artifacts the science department had finished with.

"What can I call you?" He flashed a wide toothy grin.

"You said you were coming to see me, you should know them right?" I flashed an inquisitive smile in his direction and he walked in presumptively taking a seat in a spare chair. "Eleanor Owens."

"How long have you been here Eleanor?"

"A little over two months," I picked up a golden gauntlet in the box and lightly started to touch the stones embedded in it to see if any were loose.