The sharp burn of alcohol tastes much more present in this round, though that could just as easily be Daniel's taste buds reacting with increased awareness of the drink's composition. Either way, it still tastes excellent.

"You'd be the first to say it wasn't," Daniel admits, recalling too well his teammates' good-natured grousing about how little he could put away on movie nights or how in important political functions he often elected to avoid drinking altogether which was, in Jack's words, "incredibly geeky of you and no fun at all". The thought is distantly sobering - with a faint pang he knows that he still misses them - but Daniel quickly steers his mind back to the distracted, once-again comfortable present. He has a place to stay, at least for now, and a friend who doesn't mind getting a bit drunk with him over nothing. That's more than he'd ever ordinarily expect in a situation like this.

He tips head at his glass in a mock toast and takes what is probably far too long a drink. In his defense, it is very good Irish coffee, and tasting better with each progressive sip. Such is the nature of alcohol, he concludes.