AN: Part 2 of 4 of 'The Finding Your Feet Series'. Four accounts in first person from each of the team about different elements of the same day. Early season 1. (disclaimer as per profile page)

Each fic is complete in its own right and can stand alone or even better … enjoy them together.

The four fics will be: 1. 'Cruel To Be Kind.' 2. 'Magpie Tendencies.' 3. 'A True Master's Way.'(TBC) 4. 'Trying.'(TBC)

Summary: Daniel was having the best mission EVER! Despite having made a stupid mistake everything was going great. Then he saw an opportunity to make things even better.

MAGPIE TENDENCIES.

Daniel Jackson was happy. This mission was all about him, nothing but ruins and obscure translations for him to enjoy. Everything was going perfectly, he and Jack were back on good terms after their run in before the briefing, sure the man could be an ass sometimes but he had a good heart. Daniel knew that eventually the two of them would become good friends, Teal'c too. Sam, or Captain/Doctor as he liked to call her, was already top of his list of people he trusted, which he supposed didn't really mean anything as he really did not have anyone else to trust, apart from Sha're… He pulled his thoughts away from the painful memories of his missing wife. It had been a long five months.

They were walking along the edge of the ravine on their way back to the Stargate, Jack had told the three of them to go ahead saying that he wanted to do one more sweep of the valley floor for the missing equipment. Daniel grimaced at the thought of his own stupidity. Of all the things to lose, his camcorder with the footage of their last two missions on it and the weird vibrating crystal thing he had found were probably the worst. Now he really wished he'd listened when Jack warned him about not transferring all the data and clearing the tapes straight away.

"Jeez Daniel, I told you not to leave previous mission footage on that thing. It will only lead to compromising base security!"

As if his footage of ruins would be of any interest to another alien race!

Surprisingly Jack had not immediately started yelling when he told him what had happened. He'd just gone kind of quiet and stared off into the distance. Maybe he did believe him when he said it really hadn't been his fault. He set the stuff down to go and take a leak and by the time he got back it was gone. If anyone was upset with him over the head of his mistake it was Sam.

"What do you mean you can't be sure where exactly you left it? Daniel, that crystal could have been an amazing find, something completely out of the ordinary and you just go leaving it lying around. My god, do you have to be so scatter-brained about everything?"

Jack had quickly shut down her impending diatribe and ordered her to begin a search the immediate area. Then much to Daniel's surprise he told him to get on with his research, saying that he only wanted to stay one night on this tree-covered rock.

Daniel had been walking on air for the last thirty-six hours, not only had Jack sided with him, which had to be a first, but he was actually allowing him to take the time he needed to gather all his data. Maybe the man was beginning to understand the importance of his academic work after all.

As they reached the 'gate Daniel shrugged out of his pack, his shoulders ached. He still wasn't used to carrying such an awkward load. Sam used to help him out, adjusting his straps and explaining about load distribution but then Jack had teased her about playing mommy and she had stopped. The woman was still sensitive about proving herself to her superior, not that she needed too. It was obvious that Jack thought of her as someone who he could trust and gave her his full support.

He could hear her now updating the colonel on their current status. It seemed weird to Daniel, he just could not understand why they had to be talking and updating each other all the time, surely if you said you were going to the 'gate, you would be at the 'gate when the other party arrived? But, that was the US military he supposed. He had decided not long after settling into the routine of SG-1 that there were some things he just didn't need to understand. The mechanics of the great machine were one of them.

Teal'c stood close by, ever vigilant. It seemed he was never off the clock. Sure there were native peoples around here, they had spotted them a few times, but mostly they were just curious and had stayed well clear. Only once in the night had a young boy of maybe sixteen encroached on the camp. Daniel had wanted to talk to him, try to learn what he could but Jack had appeared out of his tent and frightened the boy off. So much for him being asleep during Daniel's watch.

The big jaffa was regarding him now, with that look that made Daniel want to prove his worth. He wasn't the innocent child Teal'c seemed to think he was. So he imitated the bigger man's stance and swept his eye in an arc as he'd seen both the other men do. Something glistened out of the corner of his eye and he brought his focus to it. About half a klick away, as Jack and Sam would say, was a ramshackle hut. There was definitely something shiny there.

He moved across and picked up Sam's MP-5 from where she had set aside to talked on the radio. Awkwardly he remembered to check the safety was on before he used the sights to get a closer look. Inside the open door, in a shaft of light from the fallen in roof, something glimmered. His heartbeat picked up a notch. Even at this distance he knew exactly what it was, and with that he dumped the MP-5 with a lot less care than he should have and took off.

"Daniel, where the hell are you going?" he heard Sam shout.

"Daniel Jackson!" Came a deeper tone from further away. He didn't care that they were calling him, he'd seen an opportunity to rectify his mistake and he was damn sure he was going to take it.

Out of breath he skidded to a halt at the door of the hut. His eyes darting everywhere, it was only now that it dawned on him that he may not be alone. Everything seemed all clear and Sam and Teal'c were coming down the rise, Sam first, Teal'c a good fifty yards behind, his eye sweeping the horizon. They would watch out for him. He ducked inside.

"Yes!" He called out. He couldn't believe his luck. It was the camcorder and the weird crystal, he had found them. "I knew it!" He declared holding the items up for the other two to see as they barrelled in the door. "I told you I didn't misplace them, someone must have taken them!"

"Daniel, you can't just run off like that." Sam snapped, her tone all military.

'Yeah right.' Daniel thought, he wasn't a good little soldier. Besides he'd recover the lost property and that was all that mattered. "But Sam look, I found it! I found the crystal thing you wanted."

"Yes and that is all well and good, but this is not where we are supposed to be. If the Colonel catches us here…"

"Relax Sam, he's going to be ages." Something else caught his eye.

"Let's go Daniel, now!"

"Just wait, look there's more of that writing." He opened the camcorder and started shooting, this wouldn't take long.

"Daniel Jackson, we must return."

"In a minute Teal'c." Jeez what was the big rush?

"O'Neill has given us direct orders."

Instantly absorbed in his task, he barely heard the big man.

Sam chided at him a few more times.

"I'm nearly done." He sniped back and she fell silent.

A few minutes later a shadow crossed over the path of his footage. He looked up irritated. The first thing he saw was a completely rigid Sam and Teal'c pulling himself up to full height.

Jack stood in the doorway.

'Oh, oh.' Thought the scientist.

AN: I chose the title 'Magpie Tendencies.' as early Danny sometimes reminds me of a magpie. Strong, independent, not as wise as they like to think he is and attracted to shiny things. Reviews..?