Title: L Is For Loss Of Language

Author: Wonderland

Rating: G

Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em , wish I did, you know who does, yadda, yadda, yadda

Summary: Early season seven. Sam/Daniel friendship

Season/Spoiler info: Meridian, Fallen, Homecoming

Author’s notes: Written for sg fignewton’s Daniel alphabet soup

L Is For Loss Of Language

It’s taken me the best part of two months but I’ve finally learned to give him his space. Leaping to hug him automatically, I’ve discovered, is the worst thing you can do. Colonel O’Neill got a sock in the jaw for hugging a not-expecting-it Daniel. Which led to a magnificent bruise and remorseful, stammering apologies, the like of which I haven’t seen in nearly seven years.

It’s an awful lot like piloting an aircraft you’d grown so familiar with over the years, only to have the manufacturers whip out a new-and allegedly improved-model and expect you to ooh and aah over the changes. But after your initial enthusiasm, you realize that none of the buttons are where they’re supposed to be and suddenly, it’s like flying a completely different ship because the pieces no longer fit.

The expression of disbelief hasn’t changed all that much over the years. You can just see it better now because he hasn’t quite got the veiled look back in his repertoire.

“How many?” He asks, his arms firmly wrapped around himself, as if no one knows how to comfort him but him.

“Twenty-seven at first. Counting off-world languages, you’re over thirty now.”

Fear and frustration emanate in equal waves. “How can I not remember? Any of it?”

I walk over to him slowly, clenched hands at my side, although they are itching to wrap around him. “It’ll come back, Daniel. It will.”

I hope, I add silently.