A/N: Thanks for this really little bit of fiction go to gothangelgirl, who made a comment in a review in my other story, Nine Lives, which got this idea stuck in my head. If anyone asks though, my muse made me do it!

And no, I still don't own Stargate, but it's on my Christmas list this year.

Summary: The water is rising, and Daniel has a very difficult choice to make! Action/Adventure/Humor

Water Rising by iamdragonrider

In the dimness of the emergency lighting, Dr. Daniel Jackson stared in dismay at the rising water level in his office, now up to mid calf. Who would have thought that the water main, just down the hall, would burst today, flooding the entire level? Blast doors had contained part of the flood, but unfortunately made the waters fill that much faster in the area closer to the main break. They'd been ordered to evacuate the level, and crews were rushing in to get the water shut off, but not before the rising levels were threatening his precious artifacts.

He'd moved as much as he could to every available height, and had proceeded to stuff his arms and pockets with every priceless object and notebook he could squeeze into them, and was about to leave his office heading for higher ground when he spied something else on the desk, something he couldn't leave behind.

There was just no way he could squeeze even one more object into his hands. Bemoaning the lack of assistance, since all available personal had been sent to Major Carter's lab down the hall to move expensive, irreplaceable, and potentially explosive electronic equipment, Daniel considered the items he carried, and debated which thing he could leave behind. After all, most of the objects had been laying exposed to the elements for how many thousands of years? A little bit of water shouldn't hurt them, right?

Water lapped at his thighs now, and Daniel cursed, he was wasting time, and he knew it. With a streak of sudden inspiration, Daniel clutched his arms around the items in them tighter, and stooped, grabbing a protrusion on the side of the object with his teeth, almost losing a few sheets of paper.

Sloshing slowly down the hall, he'd nearly made it to safer ground, when some of the things in his arms started to shift. Desperately, he tried to hold on to everything but watched as irreplaceable notes slid inexorably towards the water, taking a one of a kind artifact with them. Unable to do anything but watch, Daniel nearly dropped everything else when hands appeared, neatly catching the sliding mass before anything could fall.

Startled, Daniel looked up into the concerned face of Colonel Jack O'Neill.

"Ank yew," Daniel mumbled around the object still clutched in his teeth.

The Colonel only gave the archeologist a strange look, before tucking the items he'd rescued under one of his arms and used the other to propel the younger man towards the waiting stairwell, airmen with flashlights directing the way since the power had been cut to prevent an electrical short due to all the water.

On the next level, Jack helped relieve Daniel of the multitude of items he's somehow stowed about his person. With his arms finally free, Daniel was able to remove the item he still clutched between his teeth; relieved to see it had suffered no harm from its impromptu rescue. It may not be ancient, but it was priceless, at least to him, ever since he'd acquired the object in college.

Feeling Jack's penetrating gaze, Daniel looked up to see the other man staring at him strangely again. Daniel blinked under Jack's scrutiny, and tried to look innocent.

"Daniel," Jack said very slowly, "Should I even ask you why you had your coffee mug in your teeth?"