DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).
Chapter 19: Changing Winds
Jack sighed at Daniel's words...
'Welcome back? Where have I been?'
It dawned upon Jack that he had been a lot of places...mostly absent from Daniel's life through some of the toughest times the younger man had ever faced. He hadn't been there for Daniel.and even when he had been there...he hadn't. He remembered his musings on the drive here...he had become so used to those old patterns of repression, the self-isolation that by necessity had isolated those around him, that he had forgotten to let his friends in, had almost forgotten how...and he had been too far inside himself to recognize it.
And had almost waited too long to grab the clue waving in front of his face like the proverbial red flag.
'Well, bull is definitely the word here...bull shit. As in me. Full of.'
He and Daniel had faced too many demons...out 'there,' as well as the more earth-bound varieties...in and out of their nightmares...to let it all fall apart without a fight.
Jack could see Daniel was unaware he'd been talking in his fever dreams...words that cut into Jack's soul with a surgical precision worthy of Janet Fraiser at her best. Words of loneliness, pleas to understand...Jack had lied and now Daniel questioned every word they'd ever shared, seeking an elemental truth...something to ground his flailing soul to now that Sha're was gone. A part of Jack had recognized the failure...had tried to make things up to Daniel. The business with the Harseisis had helped, when Jack had seen Daniel floundering quietly under yet another loss...he had tried to lend support, but it had been as if the capacity was somehow damaged...or perhaps it had been the connection between them that always allowed them to help one another which was faulty.
"Damn. It's a wonder you're still speaking to me, Daniel. 'The foundation is solid,' my ass. If it was a boat we'd have hit the bottom weeks ago...'
And yet...Daniel's words told a different story. 'Welcome back...' Maybe it wasn't so hard to understand, after all.
They were back...a little fuzzy around the edges...like an unfinished line drawing....near enough to tell what the picture was supposed to be, but clearly lacking in the finer details...
"Guess we need to do a little detail work..."
Jack had thought Daniel was asleep again so he was surprised to hear the whispered, "Details...work on it..."
Jack laughed a little, knowing Daniel couldn't possibly know what he'd been thinking...but not truly surprised. Reading one another's thoughts was hardly a new concept for them.
Jack tucked the blankets up around Daniel's chin, readjusting the wet napkin on the still-hot forehead. Daniel was in serious need of a doctor...
'Hell, I'm in serious need of a bulldozer...'
They were in trouble.
'Here on Earth, less than five miles from civilization and we might as well be on another planet. Uncle Gil knows we're here, but last I heard he was heading for Oregon. He won't check up on us...probably wouldn't worry too much about the phones being out if he did...it happens a lot around here. Nobody from the base is going to call us...they were pushing us to take all this alone time. Doc...maybe...might try, but we can't count on it.'
It was a pretty sure bet Daniel wouldn't be up for moving more stuff off the pile any time soon.
'Even flat on my back...er...front, I'll be damned if I'll let him.'
Jack sighed and patted Daniel's shoulder, laying his head back down. "We'll figure something out...if Hathor and Apophis couldn't kill us...damned if this is going to."