|
DANIEL
The
world swims slowly in and out of focus, a kaleidoscope of freeze-frame
images and darkness that fades to grey and slowly merges to
motion. I lift a shaking hand to my head, not sure…"SAM!"
"Hel-lo,"
Jack calls softly. "You back with us? Carter is fine. You
were the only one hurt and YOU'RE fine. Been out for a
while." He makes a show of looking at his watch. "QUITE a
while. Gave us all a scare," he says ironically.
I
stare blearily around. I'm in one of the small side rooms in the
Infirmary, and Jack is with me, and he's fine, Sam is fine…"Teal'c?"
Jack
shrugs lightly.
I
nod carefully. No headache, just this weird feeling like my head
is going to fall off if I move it too much. I feel light.
Light-headed. Floaty. "Jack?" I beckon him to
me. He's wavering in and out of focus. It's
disturbing. My hand is still shaking. God, I was so scared
for Sam. So scared. I was calling but they weren't
hearing…she didn't even see the beam as it tracked her across the
room. Never moved so fast in my life. And Jack is…he must
have been so worried.
"Hey,"
Jack murmurs softly as he reaches my side. "You ready to hear
this? It’s a kicker."
"Sorry,"
I apologise distractedly. "I should have put it together
quicker. Once the Goa'uld were in, so long as they didn't take
weapons into the labs, they were perfectly safe." Hindsight is a
wonderful thing.
"That
makes sense," Jack approves. "No apology necessary, Daniel.
It wasn't me who…look, just let me…"
Oh!
Oh, let ME! I…I know what Jack needs. I reach up and skim
my trembling fingers across his cheek. Jack flinches back from
me, eyes widening. We're alone, and I thought…well, honestly, I
thought that was it for me too. Thought the Comeback Kid was a goner
this time. I want to…I NEED to…"It's okay," I whisper, tightly
clasping my hands around his neck and drawing him down to me.
Jack
flinches again as my lips brush his, his hands settling urgently over
mine. "Daniel!"
"I
know," I assure him, then I kiss him again, content to just be close,
let him know I'm alive, I'm with him. Jack is stiff, resistant,
maybe afraid someone will barrel in and catch us. Or maybe he's
just scared we came so close…Me too, God, me too. We just found
this and oh boy, THIS is wonderful. He IS wonderful. He's
so…I never suspected I could want him this much. I want him right
NOW. All my rationalisations just melt away in the solid reality
of his warm, vital presence.
"Da-mmmph."
I
slip between Jack's parted lips, slowly stroking my tongue over his,
then urgently as Jack thrusts aggressively against me, his breath
catching, his hands closing painfully over my wrists. I bite down
on his tongue the way he likes me to, smile against his mouth as he
groans, and thrust deeper into him, my probing tongue clipping the back
of his throat. I fall into this kiss, this man, and never want to
surface.
I
want him. I need him. I HAVE him.
Jack
groans again when I suck voraciously on his tongue, eating his
mouth…eating him alive. Our lips and teeth clash hungrily as he
wars with me, his tongue harsh against mine, rasping aggressively then
retreating, luring me deeper and…"Oh, Jack, Jaa-aack," I sigh as his
arms snake around my shoulders and he hauls me up to him, driving deep
into my mouth, shaking, snarling with need.
He's
burning as he pours himself into me, flaunting his possession of my
mouth in greedy swipes over my palate, restless probing of my teeth and
desperate suckling of my tongue. I cling to Jack, riding out the
storm as he devours me. Can't get enough, can't…can't breathe.
JACK?
His
arms are braced to catch me as I fall boneless, breath catching in my
throat as he lowers me gently to the bed, his grave face twisted and
conflicted, eyes wild and bridling. A clumsy, tender hand strokes
my cheek caressingly for a moment then snatches away as he calls for
Sam.
Jack
calls for Sam, and…and for me. ME? What the HELL?
Bewildered, I turn as the door opens and Sam steps through, and I…oh my
GOD I just kissed JACK and he's not my Jack because I'm right behind
Sam. I'm not me! I'm not him! He's not me. I
know I'm me. I'm LOSING it so I MUST be me. What's going on
here? What the HELL is going on here? We…we came THROUGH
the mirror?
"Dr
Jackson? Meet Major Samantha Carter," Jack says coolly.
"And I guess you need no introduction," he tells my alternate sourly.
Jack
just…he KISSED me! WHY did he…He didn't try all THAT hard to stop
me and he…he kissed me BACK. If Jack is with Daniel why did he
kiss ME? I don't understand any of this. I drop flat and
shade my eyes for a moment.
"Are
you okay? Should I call Janet?" I…Daniel asks anxiously.
"No.
I'm fine," I insist.
Jack
snorts. "Where've I heard that one before?" he asks the room at
large.
He
sounds normal. Almost. I glance at him edgily, concerned at
the tension I see tightening his face and straightening his spine to
full attention. Daniel is also staring, while Sam is staring
avidly at me. Have to…I have to pull myself together.
"Where are my Jack and Sam? Teal'c?" I ask Daniel.
Daniel
glances at Jack for a moment. "Under guard in the VIP
quarters. They were a tad concerned about your welfare,
particularly Colonel O'Neill. He's…um…in a cell."
Oh,
dear. I smile tentatively. "Bad?" I wince.
"Bad,"
Daniel smiles tentatively back. He glances at Jack again, eyes
narrowed with sly amusement.
"You're
the first Daniel I've met," I blurt as I struggle to sit up. Jack
and Daniel are at my side in an instant, easing me up.
"You
must be starved," Sam says sympathetically. "You were out for
hours. I'll get Janet, see if we can feed you." She smiles
warmly as she heads out the door. "We're happy to have you with
us, Daniel, even if it's only for a short while. We have so many
questions."
I
smile back. Me too, oh, me too. The first being…"Jack, can
you spring Jack? Please?"
"Please,
Jack," Daniel asks hopefully.
Jack
opens his mouth, seems to run the ensuing argument through his mind,
accepts he'll lose and closes it with a snap. "Two peas in
goddamn podsville," he grumbles unconvincingly, grinning at us both as
he makes his way over to the phone to call the general.
These
people…this reality is so like ours. What was the trigger for
this one to branch? "Your Teal'c?" I probe.
"He's
with your Sam and Teal'c, dissing false gods," Daniel says
cheerfully. "Dead false gods." He coughs slightly.
"They're got a lot of ground to cover, what with…"
"Apophis
being dead," we finish together.
“Ninety-nine
percent sure,” I add.
"Hammond
is on his way," Jack announces, slipping his hands into his pockets as
he slouches over to stand at Daniel's shoulder at my bedside, his eyes
flickering restlessly from my face to Daniel's and back.
I
just don't get this. Jack wouldn't have kissed ME if he was with
Daniel, but he did kiss me, so why ISN'T he with Daniel? The WAY
he kissed me…Jack was DESPERATE… I just…oh, God, God, what have I
DONE? What a MESS. Maybe Jack didn't know. Maybe he
didn't WANT to know. I feel so guilty. There's an odd shock
of recognition between Jack and I, but his eyes when he looks at
Daniel…that ACHE of regret and longing. I don't know how I didn't
see that light in Jack's eyes when he looked at me and I don't know how
Daniel doesn't see it now. It's…it's always been there. We
didn't know what it meant. It was always just Jack. Jack
l-loves me. He…he loves me. I didn't know, oh, God, I…I
didn't know. I'm sorry, Jack, I am SO sorry. Jack has loved
me…us…for a very long time. I sigh and look away for a moment,
biting my lip. My Jack was hiding in plain sight, but Daniel’s
Jack was hiding from himself.
"Did
you go through the mirror the first time?" Daniel asks, "On the mission
to P3R-233?"
"Yes!"
"Was
I a prick?" Jack asks hopefully. "He won't say," he jerks his
thumb at Daniel.
We
both smile and look away.
"I
was a prick," Jack sighs mournfully. “I was a prick, then I
died. Probably for the best.”
I’m
determined to find out just when it was this reality diverged.
These people are US. There aren’t any marked differences such as
Sam being a civilian, or Jack being a general. Maybe I should
bring us right up to date. "Have you just been on a mission to
P9R-795?" I ask intently.
"Yep,"
Jack grins. "Carter blew it big time."
"It
was an accident, Jack," Daniel corrects him.
And
they didn't…I mean, that wasn't the difference. It must lie
farther back. Jack wants me, I could tell THAT from the way he
kissed me, and not only that, I can see that he loves me. This
reality's Jack hasn't faced his feelings and my Jack has. I need
to know why. Maybe…maybe I can help him. I glance at
Daniel. Help both of them. He's me. I know how much
I…we…need Jack. Just a few days ago I wouldn’t have said this,
but I know it for the truth now. We should be together. It
feels right. It's…it’s us. It’s SO us I’m beginning to
wonder if this wasn’t how we were always meant to be. I felt that
connection to Jack almost as soon as we met, and I know he felt it
too. I’ve always thought Jack allowed me to reach him at a time
when he’d turned away even from himself. Maybe it’s as simple as
my giving my life for him. He let me in, grudgingly, but all the
more honest for the effort it cost him. If not for Sha’uri, and
Sara, and Jack having just lost Charlie and barely beginning to realise
he hadn’t died with his son, maybe…
I
guess the timing has never been right for us. I doubt Jack would
have made a move if I hadn’t forced his hand. I look thoughtfully
from Jack to Daniel. If it worked once…
Jack
catches my eye and winks just as Janet and the general walk in, Janet
heading briskly around to check out pretty much everything
really. My heart is beating, I’m breathing, nothing hurts.
“I just feel a little light-headed. That’s ALL,” I emphasise.
“Doctor?”
the general prompts.
“I’ll
release Dr Jackson from the Infirmary,” Janet. “He needs a hot
meal ASAP, but apart from that I have no concerns for his health.”
“Colonel?”
Hammond prompts.
“I’ll
take care of him,” Jack agrees absently. He winces and mouths
‘it’.
“I’ll
debrief in one hour,” Hammond orders, then he turns to me. “Dr
Jackson? Perhaps you’d BOTH be good enough to accompany Colonel
O’Neill to Colonel O’Neill’s cell? The colonel is being somewhat
‘unreasonable’.”
“Oh,”
I say inadequately. “Um, Jack worries.”
“A
lot,” Daniel murmurs under his breath.
A
LOT.
‘Mother
hen’ we mouth at each other.
“I
HEARD that,” Jack sing songs, glaring at us both.
“Observe
all security precautions, Colonel,” Hammond orders crisply as he turns
away.
“Yes,
Sir.”
Hammond
hesitates in the doorway and looks at me for a moment. “I will
not condone security breaches, but under the circumstances…” He smiles
suddenly. “Good to have you safe, Dr Jackson.”
“Thank
you, Sir,” I say gratefully, relaxing. Hammond IS the George I
know. We couldn’t be in safer hands.
“Jack,”
Daniel nods meaningfully at the doorway when Jack doesn’t make an
immediate move.
I’m
beginning to think the reason my Jack wasn’t beating down my door and
going Alpha Male on me is that I’m clueless. Jack is eyeing me up
with lechery aforethought every time he thinks no one is looking and
Daniel was looking at least once and completely failed to clue
in. COMPLETELY. I’m slightly embarrassed on both our
behalf’s. I didn’t realise I was this naïve.
Jack
looks as if he’d rather stay and help me dress, but he shuffles
reluctantly out the door, looking back at us.
I
still feel horribly guilty. I kind of kick-started Jack’s libido
there and now his mind is there, the rest of him wants to follow.
I can understand why he’s eyeing up me and not HIS Daniel. He
LOVES his Daniel, and I’ll be gone as soon as his Daniel and I work out
a way to get us safely home, so lusting after me is as safe as this
situation can get for Jack. I think it will take my Jack about a
nanosecond to clue in on exactly what it is this Jack has preying on
his mind whenever he looks at me, and then I suspect this reality will
come up short a Jack about a nanosecond after that.
Daniel
follows Jack and pointedly closes the door in his face. I don’t
spend much quality time alone with myself naked, so I’m fairly certain
Daniel has something on his mind. He turns to face me and I know.
“She
died,” I say gently.
Daniel
sighs heavily. “I hoped…”
“Me
too. There must be at least one reality where I didn’t reopen the
gate,” I tell him firmly. Must be.
“You
too?” Daniel grimaces.
Yes.
I do blame myself for that, and so many other failings. I don’t
need to explain. “Teal’c?”
Daniel
nods regretfully, biting his lip. “Shifu?” he asks gravely.
My
turn to look down. He knows. I wish I knew why his
Jack was different, how he could feel so much and know so little.
I want to give Daniel the same chance I’ve been given. He’s never
going to get there on his own, I’m going to have to help him see what’s
been right in front of him the whole damn time. Same damn thing
that was right in front of me.
Daniel
politely turns away as I scramble up, waver and have to lean against
the bed when my head swims sickeningly. It takes me a ridiculous
amount of time to scramble into my uniform. “How long was I out?”
I ask ruefully.
“Eighteen
hours,” Daniel winces. “Your Jack isn’t climbing the walls, he’s…”
“Bouncing
SFs off them?” I ask tartly. I see that flash of sly humour in
Daniel’s eyes again and return his grin. “He’s over-protective.”
“Tell
me about it!” Daniel groans. “Ready?”
“I’ll
trot into the Valley of Death if there’s coffee at the end of it,” I
assure him as we walk out. Jack pushes off the wall he’s leaning
against and insinuates himself between us.
It’s
strange how comfortable I feel with Daniel. With Jack too, of
course, but it’s not the same. Sam and her alternate worked well
together but they disagreed over just about everything. Including
Jack. Daniel and I are…it’s kind of - okay - VERY corny, but we
are on the same wavelength. It’s odd not to have to
EXPLAIN. Daniel just KNOWS.
“What
were you guys doing to fetch you through the mirror anyway?” Jack asks
casually as we stroll along to the elevator.
“A
consolation mission,” I sigh. “Sam was upset over what happened
on P9R-795, I was…” They both look at me expectantly. “You didn’t
drink the Zoya on Yjro?” I demand of Daniel as the elevator doors open.
Daniel
shakes his head, wide-eyed.
“He
has this little drinking problem,” Jack says witheringly. “As in,
he can’t.”
“Did
you?” Daniel pulls a face.
“It’s
nothing,” I say hurriedly as Jack perks up visibly.
“Spill,”
Jack tosses over his shoulder as the doors open and he heads over to
the duty SF, waving his ID.
“It’s
nothing.”
“It’s
something,” Daniel says judiciously.
Traitor.
“A
minor faux-pas,” I tell them stiffly. “A misunderstanding,
really.”
“SPILL,”
they say as one.
“Do
you remember Lysander?” I ask Daniel.
Jack
scowls at him. “DO you?”
“Sure,”
Daniel says sunnily. “He was a historian.”
“Eggue,”
I hiss.
“What?”
Daniel asks blankly, stopping dead in his tracks. “EGGUE?”
I
nod reluctantly.
“Oh,
you didn’t!”
“I
did.”
“HE
didn’t!”
“He
did!” I sympathise with his shock. I never even suspected
Lysander had the hots for me.
“Jack?”
We
both look at Jack, who glares at us suspiciously.
“He
did,” we say together. Of course he did. Martin didn’t even
clear out his locker. He booked and never looked back.
“You
betcha,” Jack snaps. “WHAT did you, he, I?”
“It’s
nothing,” Daniel and I insist.
“It’s
SOMETHING,” Jack parrots sarcastically.
“Well,
it’s something you’ll die wondering about,” Daniel says firmly, eyeing
me sympathetically.
A
muted roar greets us as we head along the corridor towards the
cells. My Jack is Not Happy. This Jack is also less than
thrilled. Oh. Oh, boy. He’s got to have realised if I
was kissing him so passionately it was because I thought he was MY
Jack. Oh, dear. This is not going to be pretty.
Jack
opens the door and briskly orders the SFs to take off. I slip
straight past him and head over to the bars of the cell.
“Daniel!
Thank Christ,” Jack sighs gustily as he jumps up and darts over.
“Starting to worry a little, here,”
This
reality’s Jack chokes incredulously. Jack eyes him with palpable
hostility, which warms to a smile when Daniel sidles up next to
me. Jack looks at us both speculatively, the smile widening as he
graciously consents to his release.
“About
frigging time,” he snaps, stalking past the other Jack to hug me
comprehensively.
I
hug him back ecstatically. There’s something incredibly freeing
about doing this in front of an audience we’ll be leaving behind us
forever within the day.
“Don’t
you dare,” I breathe as Jack’s hands tighten and head down.
“Spoilsport,”
Jack breathes back, taking a good, hard look at me. “You look
pale,” he snaps. “What the HELL have you been doing to him?” he
demands angrily.
Apart
from kissing the shit out of me?
“I
just regained consciousness, Jack.”
“WHAT?”
“Daniel
is fine,” Daniel assures him earnestly. “Janet said it would be
best for him to awaken naturally. I’m sorry about the delay,
Jack, but we did TRY to keep you informed. You were too busy
being…um…abusive to pay attention.”
Jack
sniffs.
“Did
you hurt anybody?” I demand coldly.
Jack
drops his eyes. “Just one or two. Around the edges.
Y’know,” he admits defensively. He looks at me.
“O-kaay. You’re not gonna admit you know.”
“No.”
“Are
you going to be a good boy or do I have to zat you?” Jack snidely asks
my Jack, which does wonders for the just about tamped hostility level.
“Yeah?
You and whose…”
“JACK!”
Daniel and I snap. Both Jacks subside sullenly, glaring hatefully
at one another and shooting apologetic looks inclusively at both of us
as they usher us out. There’s some confusion at the door when
they each try to gain sole custody of both of us, something even my
clueless counterpart picks up on as we fall into step.
It’s
slightly worrying. All the Jacks seem to dislike all the other
Jacks on general principle, and actually put two of them together and
all hell breaks loose. They all seem to like us though.
They like us a lot. A LOT. And they DON’T want to
share. Okay, it’s not slightly worrying. It’s downright
unnerving and possibly stalker-obsessive on the Jacks’ parts.
Daniel
and I drop behind where we can keep an eye on our respective Jacks,
each of them blatantly ignoring the regrettable fact of the other’s
existence. Daniel looks unnerved too.
<>Gawd.
Does Jack have twins fantasies? TMI! Especially when there
ARE two of us.
Wow.
Interesting dynamics around this briefing table. Teal’c side by
side with Teal’c; a Sam on either end, as far apart as they can get
without one of them leaving. George at the top of the table,
Janet at the bottom. My Jack to the right of me, sulking, Daniel
to the left of me, looking nervous, and his Jack beyond him, also
sulking. They both wanted to sit in the middle so they got to
have a Daniel either side. I look at my alternate’s fingers,
tense on his pen. Daniel is definitely nervous. I should
know. I futz in the exact same way.
Both
Teal’cs look identical, our Sam has slightly shorter hair than their
Sam, both Jacks look identical but I know which one is mine, and both
Daniel and I look identical, especially as the resuscitation team got
slash happy, and now I’m in a condition to absorb fine detail, it turns
out I’m wearing one of Daniel’s spare uniforms rather than my
own. Neither Jack seems to be able to tell us apart, which might
explain Daniel’s nerves. Going from no Jack to two Jacks somewhat
blatantly lusting after your body when they think no one is looking in
the space of an hour might just come as a shock. A BIG shock.
He…I…we
just CAN’T be so clueless he’d miss this level of subtext. If he
is, I’ll never be able to look Jack in the eye again, because that
means I am. I don’t want to be a sad, naïve bastard. I
want to go home and have some nice sex with my Jack.
I’m
working on the going home part right now. The Sams are arguing
back and forth about how we blow the door and haul ass out of that room.
“Overloading
the power core of the reactor probably would take out the door,” our
Sam snaps. “But it would also take out the floor, the walls AND
the mirror!”
Their
Sam glares at her. “It would work,” she insists.
“Can
we take a rain check on the mass destruction, Carter?” Jack orders
edgily. “Let’s not get too ambitious.”
“Sir,”
our Sam acknowledges pointedly, glaring at Jack.
Oops!
Sam isn't at all happy Jack just ASSUMED his 'Carter' was the one who
wanted to blow shit up.
Jack
looks even more edgy. He's just realised our Sam is defending
here, not attacking. Possibly the mood of both Sams is not
improved by the fact neither Jack can tell THEM apart, even though the
rest of us seem to manage just fine. Perhaps Jack just isn’t good
at feminine detail, like our Sam’s hair being two inches shorter than
her alternate’s, and she's wearing a much prettier shade of
lipstick. Sam got it free with a woman’s magazine she bought on
the strength of the trippiest pop quiz either of us had ever seen, and
she’s still gloating because the female half of the base thinks it’s
Clinique.
And
yes, it is possible for the astrophysicist to be blitzed enough on
Chablis to insist on trying the lipstick out on the archaeologist
because she’s not up to facing a mirror, and it is regrettably all too
possible for the archaeologist to be drunk enough to let her. As
for the trippy quiz, apparently the archaeologist yearns to be swept
off his feet by the strong, silent type and the astrophysicist has
‘Daddy’ issues that weren’t news.
Jack
is not my ideal man. I forgot where I lived. I wish I’d
forgotten Jack’s phone number, because when I called him from the taxi
to ask him where I lived, he came to tell me in person. He was
the opposite of silent all the way home. His home. He also
made me drink a pint of water by holding my nose ‘til I opened up wide,
and I will swear to my dying day I wiped the lipstick off BEFORE he
turned up to fetch me. The last thing I vaguely recall is
complaining to Jack I had ‘Daddy’ issues too. This was not
unreasonable in my opinion. He was tucking me in at the time.
I
have a Drinking Problem. I am to alcohol what Jack’s brain is to
alien languages; it sucks me up and spits me out the other end
humiliated, amnesiac and occasionally engaged.
Um…where
was I? Oh, yes. “Destroying the mirror in a controlled way
is exactly what we need to do,” I interject.
“Daniel
is right,” Daniel agrees. “Especially about the controlled
explosion. There could be rescue teams immediately beyond the
wall.”
“Rescue
teams who speak Goa’uld?” my Jack queries. “If we hadn’t had
Daniel with us we’d have one-eightied and booked, ASAP,” he adds,
slightly accusingly.
“That’s
a fair point,” Daniel supports him.
I
nod too. “If the security device is triggered by the gate
activation, the rescue team would face the same scenario we did.
Pitch darkness, translating the Goa'uld glyphs AND the Ancients runes,
locating the three elements of the door mechanism, and unless they
brought Tok’ra, they’d get no further given the symbols are now
triggered by the presence of naquadah in the blood."
“If
the rescue team had discovered a way to penetrate the door, is it not
likely that they would have entered the lab by now?” our Teal’c asks.
“I
concur. We have kept the other reality under surveillance since
your arrival and have detected no attempts to penetrate the lab,” their
Teal’c agrees.
“Why
destroy the mirror?” both Sams ask.
“Before
we discovered the lab was where the mirrors were either being
constructed or backwards engineered as Sam suggested, I couldn’t see
any logical reason to have two mirrors in any reality,” I suggest.
“The
mirror’s sole purpose is to translate matter between realities,” Daniel
supports me. “A second mirror is redundant.”
"And
like having two Stargates on Earth, they'll both work, but not at the
same time," I explain. It seems fairly obvious to me. “If
we destroy the active mirror we can’t use, THEN dial our reality, we
should default to the original mirror, which in our reality is stored
at Area 51. We step through, they arrest us, we get interrogated,
then they fly us home.” Home, where I fully intend to have lots
of nice sex with my Jack. I glance over. He’s frowning in
concentration, just a little, just enough to make me go WOOF!
Lots of sex. Lots and lots of nice sex. I glance again.
Mmm. Okay. Nasty sex if he wants it.
Daniel
nods approvingly, smiling at me. I smile right back. It’s
weird, but I like him more than I usually like me. He’s
nice. Nice isn’t a personality trait men tend to be socialised
into aspiring to, but I’m going to have to accept that to others my
primary characteristic is ‘nice’ if it’s so obvious even I can see
it. It’s a little depressing, but I’m going to have to suck it up
and move on. Jack likes nice. Jack LOVES nice. He
wants to suck nice up and basically never move on. I can live
with that if he can. I can look forward to it, too. We
haven’t tried sucking anything except tongue yet.
Which
brings me back to Daniel, as soon as I can get him alone. I know
myself. It took possibly the galaxy’s most inconvenient and
embarrassing erection to grab MY attention and I am much more clued in
than Daniel is. He’s nice, but naïve. I was just…I was
busy. I’m going to have to be fairly direct, and then I’m going
to have to prove my theory conclusively. Five minutes alone with
MY Jack should be all the proof Daniel needs. If his hormones
woof and beg like mine do, his Jack will thank me for it. My Jack
may kill me, but seriously, nasty sex. He wants it, he’s got
it. It may be enough for a stay of execution.
“Majors
Carter?” Hammond prompts.
“It
sounds logical to me, Sir,” their Sam admits.
“We’ll
need to run some computer simulations before we risk sending an
explosive device through,” our Sam agrees.
I
think they’ll get along much better now. Sam and Dr Carter
started to get along when they got engrossed in the science too.
Dr Carter was a lot of things, but nice wasn’t the most obvious of her
qualities. She had ball-breaker written all over her and vented
all over everyone else.
“We
are time-delineated on this,” my Jack warns them. “We’ve been in
this reality for almost twenty-four hours already. Don’t worry
about fancy, just work out a way to blow that mother up without
levelling the entire complex.”
“And
as for the rest of you, I’d suggest that an exchange of intelligence
might be beneficial to us all,” Hammond says gravely.
Both
Jacks mutters something about not being able to spare any and glare at
each other for trying to steal the punchline.
“I’m
very willing, but really I don’t know how much that will accomplish,” I
admit. “I checked on the details of the most recent mission with
Jack and Daniel while I was in the Infirmary, and we each went to
P9R-795…”
“And
had the roof fall in on us,” their Jack says sourly.
“What
caused this reality to diverge?” our Sam asks curiously.
“It’s
presumptuous to even think it had anything to do with us,” their Sam
responds coolly.
“This
reality could belong to some housewife in Tacoma who watched her soaps
instead of doing laundry,” my Jack suggests chattily.
Both
the Sams glare at him.
I
have to look down for a moment. People will keep thinking Jack is
dumb. He’s anything but. He plays dumb extremely well, and
every so often annoys the crap out of everyone by throwing out
something like this, which shows he was listening all along and he got
it enough to make fun of you with it. It’s just SO Jack.
“It
was more likely that it was a mission,” their Jack says repressively.
“I
agree, Colonel. If each of you could work with your counterparts,
try to determine what caused this divergence and if there is any
tactical or technological advantage to be gained for either reality,”
Hammond orders.
“I
will,” Teal’c inclines his head gravely.
“As
will I,” our Teal’c agrees.
My
Jack looks unenthusiastically at their Jack. “Do I have to?” he
bitches under his breath.
<>Yes!
I need time alone to brainwash Daniel. He’s NICE. I can
take him.
“So,”
I prompt as I oh-so-casually nudge my…his office door closed.
Daniel looks slightly alarmed. “How are you and Jack getting
along?”
“Fine?”
Daniel‘s voice rises questioningly, as if he’s not sure that’s the
correct answer. He heads over to the desk and sets down the two
mugs of steaming hot coffee, made to my exact and exacting
specifications.
“Fine?”
I know what I mean when I say fine. Usually the opposite.
Daniel seems to sense I don’t believe him and avoids my eyes.
Speaking of which…”Do I do that?” I point vaguely at his face.
“With my eyebrows?”
Daniel
winces. “I was hoping I didn’t.”
“Oh.”
Damn.
“It’s…”
We look at one another. “Cute,” we sigh, quite deflated.
“Cute
and nice,” I grumble.
“SWEET
and nice,” Daniel complains.
“Prick.”
Sweet. Ha! Typical Jackian response to being TOTALLY and
UTTERLY in the wrong. He was LYING when he said it too. I
always assumed that meant ‘sweet’ was a lie too; it was very comforting
in the face of such a swingeing condemnation.
Daniel
sighs heart-rendingly as he sits himself at the desk. “Mine too.”
Ah!
Daniel only thinks he means ‘mine’ in the platonic sense. It’s a
tragedy when he could mean ‘mine’ in the brains puddled out his ears
sense. I determined to make him SEE the sense he means. I
think I’m going to have to be blunt. It took Jack confessing he
wanted to drag me out back of the tomb and fuck me senseless to make me
see the light. And the hard-on, of course.
O-kaay.
Maybe not THAT blunt. I was slightly taken-aback when Jack let me
in on it, but Daniel looks as if he’s the sensitive type. MUCH
more so than me. Obviously so.
I
sip my coffee broodingly. I’m a linguist. I’m paid to
communicate when no one else can. There has to be direct and
unequivocal way I can tell myself that Jack wants to fuck me, without
saying Jack wants to fuck me.
“Daniel?”
Daniel asks sympathetically.
Hmm?
Must be a way.
“You
got ENGAGED?”
“Not
to Jack,” I mutter absently.
“Not
to Jack?” Daniel parrots, eyes narrowing as he straightens
abruptly. “That suggests some question…”
“Jack
thinks you’re hot,” I blurt. Um…maybe not THAT way.
“Hot?”
Daniel snaps.
“Hot.
As in not the opposite of cold,” I snap back.
“Don’t
talk to me like I’m twelve years old,” Daniel gets terse. “Or
you.”
I
stiffen. “What’s THAT supposed to mean?”
“You
come off like some Victorian virgin,” Daniel snarls, clashing his mug
down after I move a papyrus to safety for him. He smiles a quick
thanks.
“At
least I’m getting some!” I snarl back, once I’ve assured myself and
reassured Daniel the papyrus is undamaged, no droplets of coffee having
made their way between the protective sheets of the Stabiltex Sling.
“What
makes you think I’m not?” Daniel demands, with a final anxious look at
the fragile scroll.
I
just look at him. His scowl deepens. I…um…I blush?
I…I hadn’t realised. I shift uncomfortably against the
desk. I’m beginning to realise why it was a case of Jack refusing
point blank to rush in where colonels feared to tread when it came to
us. It’s embarrassing. “I’m getting some with Jack,” I
murmur broodingly.
“With
JACK?” Daniel sputters, gaping at me in shock.
Wow.
I really make a big production number of the blushing thing. The
Busby Berkeley of Blushing. We’re talking forest fire on a face
here. Then with the ghostly pallor, which is an equally bad look
for us, I think. And back to the blush. “This is EXACTLY
why I never beat Jack at poker,” I complain.
“STRIP
poker?” Daniel snipes.
We
both freeze and run a desperate mind over Friday nights lost in the
Corona mists…”Bastard!” I snap bolt upright.
“Shit!”
Daniel bleats.
“Yours
too?”
Daniel
gulps.
I
shoot him an embarrassed look. “He’s not a total shit, he’s just…”
“Jack.”
“Horny,”
I correct gloomily. “And I got the deluxe model.” And WE
have a Drinking Problem.
“Excuse
me?” Daniel bridles indignantly.
“Yours
is in denial.”
“He
is N…”
“Repressed.”
“He…”
“Obsessive,
possessive stalker repressed.”
“He…”
“Tell
him you’ve got a DATE and see what happens. The world will come
up short one date, whoever the dumb schmuck is. Jack is the
reason we’re not…we weren’t getting any, all this time. People
even look at you funny they get Psycho Stalker Colonel at their
graveside.” Bastard. I just thought I was…you know.
Unattractive. Daniel thinks it too.
“I
don’t believe you,” Daniel announces grimly. “Not JACK.
He’s about straight as…”
“You?”
I say meanly. “He thinks you’re a classic zero on the Kinsey
scale.”
“He’s
right, and so is he. Maybe…maybe your Jack is…is…interested, hard
though that is to believe, for BOTH of you,” Daniel tells me
quietly. “But mine isn’t. Look, there’s something you
obviously don’t know…I mean, it was a fluke I found out…”
“Oh,
come on,” I interject impatiently, “Jack can’t keep his hands off you,
you know that. Yours can’t be that different to mine.
Remember when we went fishing? He tickled the SHIT out of
me.” I was HOWLING, helpless, and still he didn’t make his
move. That might have had something to do with Thor beaming us up
to the mothership, of course.
Daniel
shoots me an odd look. “Fishing?”
“At
the Pond With No Fish,” I spell it out slowly. “He swears it’s
not about the fish, per se,” I murmur indulgently. “More the
fish-ING. He pulled that line on Teal’c too, but Teal’c didn’t
buy it any more than I did.”
“I’ve
never been fishing with Jack,” Daniel contradicts flatly. “My
appendix burst.”
“Appendix?”
I stare at him. “Is that the difference? Is that where our
realities diverged? Jack and I were sitting out on the dock by
the lake and I was about to throw Jack into the lake after the book
HE’D just thrown in after I’d dissed the ever elusive crappie, when
Thor beamed us up to deal with the Replicators. Jack and I were
stranded off-world for nine days.” Daniel looks dazed. “Sam
and Siler had some problems connecting the gate.”
“You
beamed up the gate too? That was Sam’s idea.”
“That
was my idea. Sam was on base,” I stare at Daniel, biting my
lip. “I guess you didn’t get to do the archaeologist in space
thing either?”
“I
got to do the archaeologist in the Infirmary thing,” Daniel says
flatly, looking down.
“I’m
sorry,” I say inadequately. I can see that he’s bothered by this,
but why on Earth would Jack taking me fishing or not have such a
profound effect? It was just fish-ING. And a year of Neil
Armstrong jokes of course.
“Jack
has feelings for Sam,” Daniel murmurs, still not meeting my eyes.
“SAM?”
I choke. Our Sam? “No, he doesn’t,” I contradict.
“It’s
a matter of record,” Daniel states bleakly. “He and Sam failed
the memory recall test because they didn’t admit their feelings for one
another. Don’t ask how I know,” he tells me awkwardly, wincing,
“but the absolute truth is Jack would rather die than lose Sam, because
he cares far more for her than he’s supposed to.”
“My
Jack failed the test too, but it had nothing to do with Sam,” I say
briskly. Actually…it might have had everything to do with
me. “Sam has or rather had a crush on Jack. She was
humiliated, but with the President’s life and the Alliance with the
Tok’ra at stake, she admitted to it at once. She’d never put her
personal feelings ahead of her duty. Jack admitted he realised
when Sam was trapped behind the shield on Apophis’ ship she felt more
for him than she should, but he hadn’t wanted to embarrass her by
discussing it. He respected Sam’s privacy.”
“You
know that?” Daniel demands.
“Of
course. We’re a team,” I tell him stiffly. “Sam made a
point of telling me about it. I still don’t know why Jack failed,
though I suspect it may have had something to do with me, but he and
Anise were alone in that room and she cleared him
wholeheartedly.” Both she and Freya were very quiet after that,
is all I know. “As for Jack having feelings for Sam, Jack got the
heebie jeebies when we met Dr Carter and Kawalsky. He didn’t miss
from the start how alike physically Sam and Sara were, and they have a
lot of personality traits in common. Jack was sorry for any Jack
who couldn’t see he wasn’t over Sara.”
Daniel
shakes his head, lips tight.
“Jack
kissed me!” Does he have to be so STUBBORN? It’s
aggravating as hell.
Daniel
curls his lip. “I’d gathered that,” he says witheringly.
“YOUR
Jack kissed me.” I glare at him. He pouts. It’s very
disturbing. VERY. I never realised I was walking around
looking so sulky. I’m not COMPLETELY miserable and humourless, no
matter what Jack says about the way I don’t laugh at his jokes.
He refuses to accept his alleged jokes are at fault so he blames me
entirely.
Daniel
sits bolt upright and glares back at me accusingly. “MY Jack
kissed YOU?”
Like
I’m something that crawled out from under a rock. Charming.
Pissy too, which is hopeful. “He’ll kiss YOU if you let him.”
“I
don’t want…why would you even THINK…” Daniel stammers. “Just
because YOU…We’re not the same.”
“We
are the same! Except for the appendix and a fishing trip.”
“Why
would you…” Daniel waves a vague hand.
“He
makes me come like a freight train,” I say solemnly. And who is
calling whom a Victorian virgin? At least I can SAY it.
Y’know.
“Like
a…a…”
“Freight
train.”
“I
can’t imagine,” Daniel says wistfully, then he straightens up with a
jerk.
“Neither
could I,” I admit ruefully.
“Oh?”
Daniel leans forward inquisitively. “You’ve never…y’know?
With a man?”
“Neither
have you!” I snap indignantly. And we haven’t ‘y’know’. Not
even close. “Just Jack.”
“A
freight train?” Daniel blurts.
“You
have NO idea,” I admit shyly. “But you could,” I tell him firmly.
“Jack
would never…he wouldn’t take a risk like that, not when we have to work
together,” Daniel insists.
“Let’s
just find out, shall we?” Perhaps it’s just the fact we get to
blow this joint within the day and never look back, but I feel like
being baaaad. I care enough to give Daniel my very worst.
And my best. “I have an idea. Why don’t we…”
“Daniel?
That damned know-it-all Nyan is driving me NUTS!” a voice calls
distractedly as the door bangs back. “I ASK you, is this or is
this NOT…Oh. Hey, Daniel,” Robert acknowledges me vaguely.
“Daniels? This is Sarmatian, right?” he waves a small torc
indignantly. “HE says not. This is what you get for hiring
some snot nosed brat who comes from the same place I get my eye-wash.”
<>My
reflexive grimace matches Daniel’s. Looks like Jack will have to
wait for a while. We’re in for the long haul. Robert HATES
it when Nyan is right, and he is this time. It’s NOT Sarmatian.
Jack
leans against the books shelves and glares at us suspiciously.
“You’ve discovered what the difference between the realities is?” he
asks.
Daniel
and I glance at one another and smile. “Yes,” I nod the
affirmative.
“And
you’re not going to tell me?” Jack clarifies.
“No.”
I
moisten my lip. Daniel catches me out the corner of his eye and
does the same. Jack looks a trifle glazed.
“And
you’re not going to tell me which of you is which?” he asks. “I
have to work it out?”
Daniel
and I shrug deprecatingly.
“I
know a trap when I see one,” Jack says bitterly. “How am I
supposed to…”
“You
have to KISS us,” I interrupt.
“Kiss
you? Kiss BOTH of you?” Jack looks a bit wild around the eyes.
“You
have to kiss both of us,” Daniel affirms softly. “Which is only
fair, both you Jacks have already kissed one of us.”
“There’s
no room for negotiation here?” Jack demands.
“Certainly,”
Daniel looks shocked. “You have your initial choice of Daniel.”
“I’m
not doing this,” Jack complains. “I’m only interested in kissing
MY Daniel. No offence.”
Daniel’s
lips tighten. “None taken. Which of us is ‘your’ Daniel?”
“You,”
Jack says positively.
“Me?”
Daniel queries gently.
“Or
me?” I ask sweetly.
“Aw,
for cryin’ out loud,” Jack snarls.
“Jack…”
“Jack…”
“Please,”
we both plead. I glance at Daniel. “It’s important.”
Jack
looks searchingly at us both for a long moment, then nods
reluctantly. “Choice of Daniel, huh?”
Daniel
blushes then tilts his chin defiantly.
Jack’s
eyes go soft as he walks up to Daniel, reaching out to frame his face,
trailing a thumb lingeringly over Daniel’s lips. Daniel stares
back at him wide-eyed and trembling. I'm smugly certain he’s
gonna get it, he's gonna get it but good.
“Cool,”
Jack murmurs lingeringly as he leans in and kisses Daniel. Daniel
emits a tiny, stifled whimper, rocks back on his heels, then clings
desperately to Jack as Jack kisses him about as thoroughly as either of
us has ever been kissed in our lives. It’s one of Jack’s most
engaging qualities. I can’t believe I’ve survived over a year
without having Jack around to kiss me, pretty much just for being me.
I
don’t blame Daniel for whimpering and going weak at the knees.
I’m still at the whimpering stage too. I don’t recall kissing
Jack quite so greedily but it’s allowable under the
circumstances. Kinda. Jack is still MINE but Daniel hasn’t
had any for as long as I hadn’t had any before Jack gave me some, and
Jack is on the passionate side. Very passionate. He has a lot of
stamina too, which is vital, as he and I have discovered together I
want some pretty much all the time.
Looks
like Daniel feels the same. I clear my throat. Then I clear
it again, more emphatically. He IS mine. Daniel has one of
his own. Jack reluctantly eases back from the kiss, steadying
Daniel, who looks like he’s going to drop on the spot. I don’t
think he really believed me until Jack’s lips met his and now…
Gawd,
I hope I’ve done the right thing.
Jack
strokes Daniel’s cheek, still curiously gentle. “It’ll be fine,”
he says softly. “Trust me on that.”
Daniel’s
grimace steadies and curves into the tiniest of smiles and he nods,
obviously grateful for the sentiment but far from convinced.
Jack
closes in on me purposefully. His eyes aren’t soft. Not At
All. Mmm. He’s good and mad. Jack leans in and
nibbles my ear. “I can’t believe you did this to me, you shit,”
he whispers.
Which
rather proves my point. My Jack LOVES me and he…he knows me well
enough to know when I’m me. Or when I'm not me.
I
don’t know what my feelings are, not right now. I’m still playing
catch up. Jack has been willing to wait this long, I guess
because he wants it all. I trust he can wait a while longer, ‘til
I’ve worked out just what it is that had me shoving my way into his bed
the instant I knew it was an option. I care about him deeply, and
for now he seems content with that. I think my being so horny
takes the edge off somewhat. Speaking of which…
“Let’s
show the down home folks how we do it in our reality,” Jack snorts,
then grabs me so fast I yelp as he dips me over his arm and kisses the
shit out of me.
I’m
hanging on for dear life, not so much from dazed passion as
self-preservation. He let’s go of me at this angle, I’ll fall on
my ass. Hard. I can vaguely hear Daniel gasping through the
blood drumming in my ears, but the sheer aggression of the tongue
plunging wildly towards my appendix has me fighting for breath and
spots in front of my eyes. I’m flushed and wheezing pitifully
when Jack sets me back on my feet and steps back a little, looking smug.
I
gape at him. I asked for MY Jack and this…as soon as his lips met
mine I knew…With my Jack and I, I don’t know how it happens. When
we kiss we start out fast and furious, then my spine melts and the two
of us end up fused at the mouth, my fingers tangled in Jack’s hair, his
arms around me, falling into one another like it’s the end of the world
and we know it. Everything but Jack shades to silence. I
know nothing but his kiss, not soft, not hesitant, a sharing of
strength and sweet intensity I never want to surface from.
It
didn’t happen…this…he’s not MY Jack. I wasn't SURE in the
Infirmary, the kiss didn't gentle the way I'm growing to know, but I
had almost died and he was WILD. I mean, I suspected, but I
didn't KNOW, not until Daniel walked in through the door. This
time…I specifically asked for MY Jack. Why would they?
Oh. Oh! Not for ME. For Daniel!
I
turn, still in Jack’s arms, to face Daniel. His arms are wrapped
tight across his chest, like he finds it hard to breathe, and his eyes
are…are wounded.
“I
love him,” he tells us flatly.
I’m
sobered by the intense, greedy flush of need that tides over this
Jack’s face before he bites it down. My Jack isn’t putting any
pressure on me, but he needs me with him. Not just making love
and making dinner, but WITH him. This Jack needs it too and I…I
have a lot to think about.
When
I pull away from Jack he lets me go, but I’m right by his shoulder when
he reaches Daniel’s side.
“I
love you too,” Jack says shakily.
“You
love him,” Daniel corrects, nodding at me.
“Nope.
Told ya. Only interested in my Daniel,” Jack’s voice steadies and
an embryonic grin surfaces. “You’re right here in front of me.”
“He
was there all the time,” I interject.
Jack
scowls at me, then his eyes soften again and he nods reluctantly.
“The
difference was the fishing, Jack. Daniel was sidelined when his
appendix burst and you left him there,” I tell him sadly.
“Because it was easier on you, right?”
“Easy?”
Jack grates.
I
don’t want to say any more. Maybe the only real difference is my
Jack was more honest with himself. He’s never blamed me for his
falling in love with me, he adjusted and…and waited. Maybe this
Jack didn’t realise how he felt for the longest time, but when he did,
he buried it and pushed Daniel away.
“Jack?”
Daniel’s soft sigh wrenches Jack’s attention from me.
This
I know. Jack has this way of focusing on me like he sees nothing
else. For myself, I’m beginning to touch the edges of it,
already. That intensity of feeling, of need scares me
shitless. After Sha’uri, I swore I would never let myself be
dependent again. I can’t, I truly cannot survive another loss and
I know I never get it right; never, ever get what I want and
need. I walked into this with my eyes wide open, though, knowing
that Jack is as much a survivor as I am. It's enough. It
has to be enough.
“Don’t,”
Daniel warns Jack. “Don’t be sorry. It’s over now.”
He gazes hopefully at Jack. “Right?” he asks shyly, dropping his
eyes to peer up through his lashes.
Shiiiit.
Even I can see how cute that is. Alternate universes BITE.
This has just been on kick in the self-image after another.
“Damn
straight!” Jack hisses fiercely as he wrenches Daniel back into his
arms and I sidle tactfully out through the smallest gap in the door I
can manage, to find my Jack slumped against the wall, waiting. He
straightens up and gives me a long, cool look.
“Yeah?”
he asks.
I
nod, biting my lip.
“Daniel,”
Jack sighs.
"I
know," I admit, pulling a face.
I
don’t want to fight about pushing things a little. Maybe Daniel
and Jack would have gotten there on their own, maybe not. They’re
exactly where they want to be now, though, and I’m happy for
them. Jack is happy for them. He’s just not entirely happy
with me. I should be feeling ashamed of myself but I’m not going
to. Life is too damn short.
If
what I've just seen in Daniel's office is anything to go by, apparently
I have wiles and I’m definitely going to use them. I drop my head
and look shyly up at Jack through my lashes. He straightens up
and comes right away from the wall, gaze riveted to mine. In
fact…”Cameras,” I hiss warningly.
Jack
mouths something profane and stops a foot or so short of me.
“You’ll get yours, Jackson, just wait ‘til I get you home.”
I
brighten up. “Oh, yeah?”
The
shrilling of the phone is followed by Daniel’s Jack yanking open the
door. He looks equal parts kissed and pissed as he waves us
impatiently in to take up positions by the book cases. I
prudently interpose myself between the two Jacks. It’s occurred
to me Jack might reasonably have some questions about my own osculatory
activities in the Infirmary.
Daniel
puts down the phone. “The Sams are ready to try live firing,” he
reports.
“Aren’t
they always,” Jack grumbles. He nods at Daniel and
me. “I’ll take both of ‘em,” he tells Daniel’s Jack lightly.
“Ditto.”
Jack
winces. “Speaking of which? Carter talk to you about her
artificial intelligence experiment?”
Daniel’s
Jack looks edgy. “Why?”
“She
wants to base the simulations on the people she knows best, i.e., us,”
Jack explains rapidly. “Bad idea. BAAD. What do you think
will happen if she pits teams of Jacks and Daniels against one another?”
Daniel’s
Jack cringes.
“Exactly.”
“What?”
Daniel and I ask.
Both
Jacks look embarrassed and avoid our eyes.
What?
Seriously? "What will happen?" I ask again.
“Natural
selection,” my Jack suggests cryptically.
“Carnage,”
his alternate agrees.
Daniel
and I look at each of them and get an inkling.
“Are
you suggesting one Jack will…”
“Go
around killing all the other Jacks…”
“So
he can collect their Daniels?”
“Oh,
my…”
“God,”
we finish, horrified.
“I
never claimed to be pretty,” Jack says virtuously.
“Me
either.”
Which
brings me back to a legitimate complaint. “You knew who we were
all along!” I accuse indignantly. “Both of you.”
Both
Jacks grin wolfishly.
“We
were hoping you’d get naked,” Jack says wistfully.
“Both
of you.”
“That’s
scary,” Daniel snaps.
“Spacemonkey,”
his Jack drawls.
“Stalker,”
Daniel accuses.
“Special
Ops trained,” both the Jacks gloat at one another.
“Let’s
go check out the Carters before they get ambitious,” Daniel’s Jack
suggests. “I’ve got a date I’d like to live to make.”
“Ditto,”
Jack ushers us out the door. “How you doing with that knitting
thing?” he asks Daniel’s Jack.
“I
was thinking maybe I’d just BUY her the damn needles,” Jack says
gloomily.
“This
is Carter. She’ll need ALL the needles, the yarn, fully
established knitting protocols to realise the final garment objective,
AKA 'the pattern' to the mere layman, emergency back-up protocols AKA
'the spare pattern’ and a waterproof cover to protect the pattern," my
Jack grumbles as they herd us towards the elevator. He takes a
deep breath. "Then she'll need a laptop so she can re-draft the
protocols so they makes sense when the first garment turns out to be
'theoretical’, i.e. full of holes, a fully illustrated how-to manual,
video and CD-ROM because she'd rather die than admit she can't produce
a garment that meets the defined parameters." He stops and beams
at us as he punches the button. "Then she'll want one of those
machines so the experiment can be repeated under controlled knitting
conditions. Yadda yadda," Jack waves a world-weary hand.
“Be
easier if she just got a life.”
<>“Can
you get one that comes with instructions?”
“The
device will work,” Sam reports confidently.
“We’ve
set it to a timer, of course, for safety, allowing us to deactivate the
mirror at this end,” their Sam agrees.
Sam’s
lab is awfully cramped, what with two of almost everyone and the smug
complacency of both Jacks filling every available space. Daniel
keeps uneasily shifting foot to foot. If his Jack is anything
like mine, he’s taking complete advantage of the close quarters and
Daniel has a covetous hand clamped to his ass right now. I
sympathise. It kind of shocks straight to the groin.
“Is
there any risk to this facility?” Hammond asks intently.
The
Sams look at one another. “With our mirror disconnected, there is
no risk that we can determine,” their Sam reports.
“The
only way we’ll know for sure if it worked is to dial in to our
reality. If we get the lab again…” Sam shrugs.
“Very
well,” Hammond gives permission. He turns to Daniel and me.
“And then you can begin the search for your own reality?”
I
nod. “I hope it doesn’t take too long. We’re looking for a
reality close to this one. The gate is in a secure store at Area
51. The location should be fairly distinctive.” I’m proud I
got through that without a tremor, treading heavily on Jack’s foot at
the same time. The man has no shame. Hammond is looking
right at us and Jack hasn’t backed off an inch. My butt will be
black and blue.
The
Sam’s pick up their little home-made bomb and sidle over to the
activated mirror to send it through. Fortunately the mirror and
the dialling device were kept activated while I was unconscious so they
could monitor the situation. Unfortunately, that means I’m going
to have to re-dial our reality for myself once I’ve shut down the lab
mirror. I'm aware it could take some time. It’s not an
exact science.
“How
long?” Hammond asks.
“We
can begin the dialling sequence in five minutes, Sir,” Sam
reports. “The timer was set to three.” The other Sam nods
supportively.
Anyone
who’s had to stand around listening to two Jacks just hanging and doing
their thing has the fullest appreciation of relativity. Five
minutes can feel like all eternity. The instant the Sams give the
all-clear I activate the device and toggle crisply. Three views
of the SGC scroll past rapidly, followed by a tropical beach.
“I
dialled that,” Jack calls, “On the way here.”
Okay.
I must be getting closer. I get a room full of startled little
aliens and dial rapidly past. There’s a bit of a silence behind
me.
“Were
those?” Sam asks weakly.
“I
believe so,” Teal’c agrees gravely.
“Is
it possible the production crew had access to this technology?” the
other Teal’c asks.
“No,
Teal’c. I’m sure the resemblance to…to Ewoks is coincidental,”
the other Sam says just as weakly.
Resemblance?
They were a tad on the cute and cuddly side, but the only resemblance I
saw was to…Ewoks? I was thinking my Edward Bear. The fur
isn’t as silky looking, they have more in the way of fangs and, after a
regrettable on-site incident, eyes, but those aliens were definitely in
an Edward place.
“Ewoks?
I’m not getting my memos,” Jack grumbles to Daniel’s Jack, who shoots a
triumphant ‘see?’ look at Hammond.
There
is a sharp division in the room, fifty-fifty the sane half thinking the
other half is nuts. I’m not actually sure which half Daniel and I
are in, since we’re both in an Edward place from the looks of things,
and although Jack is just whining about his memos again, the consensus
seems to have him firmly in the nuts half.
“The
Ewoks are Kayla’s favourite,” Hammond says repressively, scowling at
both Jacks.
“The
colonel has never seen ‘Star Wars’, Sir,” Sam pipes up on his behalf.
The
Jacks look hopefully at Daniel and me. We both look away and
shrug deprecatingly at the general. I hear a softly sneered
‘wuss’ from behind me. I hastily dial again and get Jaffa that
end and two Teal’cs with blazing staff weapons this end firing either
side of me. I’m extremely proud I don’t so much as flinch, even
though I think my heart just pounded right out my mouth. I dial
rapidly on and find a store room I don’t recognise, another
alien-looking lab, Sam in her lab…
“I
did it in five moves,” my Jack announces crisply.
“I
guess he’s not shooting for the record,” the other Jack sniffs.
“Would
you care to try?” I snap.
Jack
straightens up and strolls over to take the dialling device. I
scowl at him suspiciously as Daniel sighs. Yep. From the
gleam in Jack’s eye, I deduce he IS shooting for the ‘record’.
“Five
or less?” he queries, quirking an eyebrow at Jack.
“Well
it’s not fifteen or more,” Jack responds snidely.
Arrogant
shit. I look expectantly at Hammond.
“Colonel,”
Hammond warns.
Thank
you! Um, I guess this whole pout thing cuts both ways.
“Dial
in small increments,” I advise and get a withering ‘who’s the PILOT?’
look for my pains. I hold up my hands and back away to a suitably
respectful distance.
Jack
wastes one dial with a red draped room. Daniel and I step
forward. “Can we just…”
“The
text…There…” Daniel points, “Looks familiar…oh.”
“Thanks,”
I say sarcastically. “Back to the beach again, huh?”
Jack
glares at us and dials for the third time.
“Everyone
wave to Carter,” my Jack calls jovially.
Jack
snarls and gives the most minute caress of the toggle he can manage and…
“Crap!”
“Yes!
Nailed it in four!”
Area
51, thank God. We’re only a few minutes away from arrest and
interrogation.
Jack
beams at the general. “Thank you, Sir. It’s been a blast.”
Literally.
Hammond
nods graciously. “I’ll lock P2C-123 out of our dialling
programme.”
“Sir!”
the Sams and Daniel protest.
Hammond
holds up a hand and they subside. “These mirrors are a
significant security risk. We don’t have ANY idea what could come
through them. It’s a miracle the Goa’uld haven’t latched onto
them before now. We’d have no defence against a weapon of mass
destruction. There’s no iris we can graft over the surface of the
mirror to protect us.”
“You’re
going to destroy the mirror,” Daniel sighs.
“I
think it’s wise, son,” Hammond tells him firmly. “And now I think
it’s time for you all to leave us,” he says kindly.
“Carter,”
Jack orders, nodding at the mirror. “Teal’c.”
Sam
turns and hugs Sam, both of them looking distinctly misty-eyed.
Sams who work together, play together. They just don’t want to
stay together.
Teal’c
bows to Teal’c. “Ours is the only reality of consequence.”
“As
is ours,” Teal’c agrees, bowing in return.
Teal’c
and Sam thank the general and step up to touch the mirror. The
surface ripples and then they’re on the other side looking back at us,
careful to avoid triggering the security beam thingies.
Jack
turns to Jack. “Or else,” he says cryptically. Then he
leans in and whispers something that has Daniel’s Jack snorting with
amusement. The long speculative look they both aim at Daniel has
Daniel a little wild around the eyes.
I
turn to General Hammond and proffer a handshake. “Thank you,” I
tell him gratefully. “We’ve learned a lot,” I say sincerely.
“Youbetcha,”
Daniel's Jack agrees cheerfully, stepping in to hug me. “Thanks,”
he whispers.
My
Jack seems unenthusiastic about the hug, but Daniel looks
sympathetic. It’s very sobering. I have a lot of stuff
lurking in my psyche I didn’t even know about. I’m not exactly
the lean, mean translating machine. And now I have to say goodbye
to myself. I don’t hug and fortunately Daniel doesn’t expect me
to. He just smiles a little and scoots back to stand at his
Jack’s side, which is as good a note to exit on as any. I thank
Sam and Teal’c, then Jack and I step up the mirror.
“Soon
as we get back, Fraiser is looking at your appendix,” Jack threatens.
“What?”
I stiffen in alarm, my wave to Daniel and Jack faltering
mid-gesture. Dammit, Jack! I think I just gave them the
finger!
Jack
shoves me through.
Back
to
Part Two / On to Part Four
Feedback makes the difference between writing
and posting; please contact me at biblio@jd-divas.com
|
Download
a printer-friendly PDF version of the story