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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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2020-11-05
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Blah Blah Blah

Summary:

After a rather bland recon mission, Jack finds the night a bit frosty, and it's not due to the winter weather.

Work Text:

Blah Blah Blah
by Orrymain

"Carter, let's get this show on the road!" Colonel Jack O'Neill bellowed in full gear as he stood at the base of the ramp that lead up to the Stargate.

From the control room, Captain Samantha Carter leaned forward and replied over the intercom, "Sorry, Sir.  There's been a little glitch in ..."

"Glitch?" Daniel Jackson, the team's civilian archaeologist, echoed with wide eyes that showed his concern.

The archaeologist was standing next to Jack, facing him, though he was now looking up at the blonde captain.  To Jack's left was Teal'c, the Jaffa who was tall, strong, and often silent as he was now, calmly waiting, his staff weapon secure in his right hand.

"Carter?"

"It's nothing to worry about, Sir," Sam assured.  "I just need a minute to recalibrate the ..."

"Carter!" Jack interrupted.  "I still don't even understand what you said about the apple and the worm.  Just fix it."

"Yes, Sir."

"Apple?  Worm?" Daniel questioned the team leader of SG-1 who also happened to be his best friend and lover.

"I asked her how the wormhole worked."

Daniel thought for a brief moment and responded, "Oh, so she used an apple to explain that a wormhole is the distance between two Stargates.  Did she use the core?  I mean, uh, like a worm burrowing through the apple's core to get to the other side.  That would be a simplified way of explaining a wormhole."

Jack stared at his lover, incredulity written all over his facial expression.  In response, Daniel simply looked innocent, his mouth curved upward in a small smile.

Still looking at Daniel, Jack shouted demandingly, "Carter!"

"Almost done, Sir."

The colonel impatiently tapped on his weapon, a Heckler & Koch MP-5 assault weapon that was specially modified for use by Stargate Command.  Meanwhile, Daniel fiddled his glasses, taking them off momentarily and then putting them right back on.  As for Teal'c, he simply stood erect, his focus on the inactive Stargate.

A couple minutes later, Sam hurried into the embarkation room, advising, "Okay, Sir, we're ready to go."

"Then why isn't someone dialing the Gate?"  Seeing Sam's guiltless expression, Jack looked up at the control room and barked, "We're not going to get there by thinking about it.  Dial!"

"Jack ..." Daniel began, only to be interrupted.

"What?"

"Nothing," the archaeologist replied, deciding just to let his grumpy lover be for the moment.

After all, it had been a trying time for the colonel.  Roughly two weeks ago Jack had nearly been killed by a bomb blast.  In the process, a former Air Force associate that Jack had an adversarial relationship with was killed.  After time at home to recuperate, he'd returned to duty the day before and been faced with a stack of paperwork that General Hammond insisted he do before SG-1 would be allowed to go on their next mission.  As a result, eager to return to full active duty, Jack had buried himself inside his office for a full day doing nothing but reports and evaluations. It left him feeling a bit on the sour side, especially since Daniel had stayed late to catch up on some of his own responsibilities the night before.

~He'll be okay once we get off-world,~ Daniel thought as the first chevron locked into place.

With the Stargate open, SG-1 finally stepped through the event horizon.

====

"Okay, kids,  here we ..."

Jack was the first to emerge from the wormhole.  He had begun to speak on automatic, excited to see what the world designated as P48-914 had to offer.  Unfortunately, he was immediately disappointed by what he saw.

"Where are the trees?" the colonel questioned.  "There should be trees."

What the team saw upon their first glimpse was a rather monotone scene.  The sky had a grayish hue with just the slightest hint of white clouds scattered throughout.  There was no grass or dirt, but neither were there buildings.  What they did see was a cement-like surface that extended all around them.  It went as far as the eye could see.  There weren't even stairs for the team to walk down since the Stargate rested on the flat ground.

"It's very ... gray," Daniel observed, matching the cement to the odd looking sky.

"... and flat," Sam chimed in, noticing that there wasn't even an incline in sight.

"Well," Jack stated a bit dejectedly and then walking forward, the rest of the team following.

====

Thirty minutes passed without the team noticing anything different than a gray surface.

"Carter, what did the MALP say?" Jack questioned, feeling a tick annoyed by the lack of anything but gray surface all around him.

"Not much, Sir.  It confirmed an oxygen atmosphere and the presence of the DHD, but that's it," Sam answered.

"Should have sent it on a recon."

"Jack, the function of the MALP ..." Daniel began.

"Daniel, I know the function of the MALP," Jack interrupted, letting out a disgusted groan afterward.  "Let's go," he barked at the entire team.

====

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called out from his position several yards behind and to the right of the colonel.

Stopping, Jack turned around and then looked in the direction that the Jaffa was facing.  He smiled at the sight of people, humans from what he could make out at this distance.

"Let's go say hello," Jack instructed, his tone lighter than it had been thus far on the recon.

The colonel's good vibes began to flee, however, as SG-1 closed in on the locals who were walking towards them.

~Isn't anything on this planet a different color than gray?~ Jack pondered in frustration.

As the inhabitants grew closer to SG-1, their features and dress became more apparent.  The group of seven all looked to be between a few inches either way of six-feet tall.  All had black or gray hair and were pale in complexion.  There were no unique features on any of them, no moles, scars, birthmarks, warts, or even freckles.  They all wore very basic clothing, all plain grayish white or brown shirts and pants which were the same cut and style.  Their feet were adorned with gray sandals, the same hue as the surface.  There was no jewelry or anything decorative on the people.

"New day," the man at the center of the group greeted when they stood opposite SG-1.

The speaker's voice, however, wasn't light or overly friendly, nor was it aggressive and harsh.  It was simply monotone, bereft of emotion or apparent feeling.

"Ah, new day," Daniel returned, walking forward to stand next to Jack.  "I'm Daniel Jackson, this is ... Jack ... O'Neill, and," he pointed back and over to his right, "That's Captain Carter, and this," he looked to his left and back a couple of feet as he pointed, "is Teal'c.  We're from Earth."  Getting nothing but stares in reply to his statement, he continued, "We came through the Stargate."

Seeing Daniel pointing behind him, the speaker surmised, "The Disk."

"The disk?" the linguist echoed.  "Ah, yes, the disk.  We're peaceful travelers, and we'd like to get to know you."

The speaker looked at the others in his group and then back at Daniel as he answered, "Agreement is made.  Follow."

The seven turned around and began walking in the direction from which they had come.

"I guess that's an invitation," Jack remarked.

"Sounds like it," Daniel agreed and then began walking.

"Sir, are you worried about something?" Sam queried as she walked over to her commanding officer.

"Yes, that I'll be bored stiff for the next five hours."

Leaving Sam where she stood, Jack took his first step forward and then swiftly moved to catch up with his archaeologist.

====

A mile's walk later, SG-1 arrived at the town where the group dwelled.

"Our place," the leader of the group stated blandly.

"What do you call it?" Daniel inquired.

"Our place," the man repeated.

"Oh," Daniel responded.  "Um, well, where we're from, towns like this all have a name, like I'm from New York City, Jack's from Chicago ..."  He paused, hoping for a sign of understanding that would prompt a more specific name for the alien city. Getting no such indication, he asked, "Do you have a name for your place?"

"Yes," was the answer.  "It is our place."

"Oh," Daniel acknowledged.

"Give it up, Daniel," Jack suggested quietly.  To the group leader, he asked, "Mind if we look around?"

"Walk," the man answered, his arm extended toward the main section of the town.

"Thanks.  I love to walk.  Walking's my life."

Still smirking, Jack held his weapon close and began down the still gray road.

====

Two very long hours passed as SG-1 walked around the town, talked with its people, and observed both the town's architecture and lifestyle.

"Pack it up.  Time to go home," Jack announced.

"Ah, no," Daniel refuted.

"Daniel, why?"

"We don't know anything about these people or their history," the archaeologist replied.

"What's to know?" Jack responded a tad flippantly, his shoulders shrugging as he spoke.  "They're boring.  In fact, they may just be the most boring race in the entire universe."

"What race?"

Jack stared at his lover, a question mark in his eyes.

"Excuse me?" the colonel finally responded.

"You said they were the most boring race in the universe," Daniel spoke.  "Exactly what race are they?  If the Goa'uld brought them here, what happened?  What's their history?"

"I don't know, I don't know, and I don't know," Jack answered.  "Even more important, I don't care.  Time to go home."

"Jack!"

Already walking away, the colonel ordered, "Home, Daniel."

Sam shrugged at her friend, knowing what he was feeling.  She was curious, too, though she had to admit that the team's trip had been less than fruitful.

Hurrying after his life partner, Daniel called out, "Jack, we need to stay."

Stopping, Jack turned and challenged, "Daniel, name one thing about these people that is unique?  Tell me something remarkable about them.  Give me a reason beyond your curiosity why our taxes should pay for us to stay here and be bored out of our collective minds?"

Displeased, Daniel's eyes searched his lover's as he answered, "Because we're explorers and that means learning about other cultures."

"Save it for the aliens, Daniel!"

"Jack!"

Still staring at his lover, Jack called out, "Carter, is there any sign of anything advanced about these people?"

"No, Sir."

"Any medicines, weaponry, or technology that would benefit Earth?"

"No, Sir."

"Any reason to believe there is any place where you can even take a soil sample?  Crap, have you even seen soil here anywhere?"

Sam started to reply, but Jack didn't wait to hear her words.

"There's nothing here, Daniel.  It's a wash.  Now let's ... go ... home."

Returning to his previous direction, Jack walked expediently away, wanting to get back to Earth as soon as possible.

"He's wrong," Daniel told Sam.

"He's the colonel," Sam rationalized.

"He's still wrong."

Sam just looked at Daniel for a moment before turning and following her CO away from the town.

The archaeologist watched as Teal'c joined the other two.  Finally, Daniel gave the strangely chrome-like town a last look and walked slowly away, his head bowed as he thought about his failure to convince Jack to remain longer.

====

That evening a chipper Jack whistled his way down the hallway to his lover's apartment.  As he walked, his hands flicked against his shoulders, brushing away some of the snowflakes that had settled on his clothing from the light dusting which was currently falling from the night sky.  Reaching his destination, he tapped on the door and then simply walked in, scowling a bit at the fact that the door was unlocked.  He was worried about Daniel's habit of not locking his door.

"Hey, Danny," the somewhat graying man called out.  He could see his lover was standing outside on the balcony, his arms crossed in the familiar self-hug position.  "Danny?" he spoke again as he neared the area.  Still there was no response.  Jack stepped down onto the balcony and saw Daniel cock his head a bit at the sound of the footstep.  Moving directly behind his Love, Jack slid his arms around Daniel's waist and placed a kiss on his nape.  "Anyone home?"

The response by the archaeologist was non-verbal.  Instead, Daniel simply turned, moved a bit to his left, and then walked into his living room.

"Okay," Jack said to himself, momentarily putting his hands in his pockets and looking down.  He cleared his throat and then returned to the living room as well, stopping a few feet away from the man who owned his heart.  "What's wrong?"

Silence filled the air as Daniel continued to self-hug, his eyes on Jack, but his mouth slammed shut.

"Daniel, are you going stand there and hold your breath, or are you going to tell me what the heck is going on?"

"P48."

"A letter and a number."

With a glare that matched any look of intimidation Jack had ever given a new recruit, Daniel showed his displeasure at his lover's pretense of ignorance.

"Don't be a smart..."

"Language!" Jack chastised, waggling his finger in Daniel's direction.  He sighed.  "Can't you come up with something better to call me than a donkey?" he asked in a bit of sarcastic manner.  ~Bad move,~ he told himself.  Finally, he gave in.  "P48-914, a rather dull, boring planet where everyone looks and sounds the same.  It's gray, very gray there.  Even the houses were gray.  What's the problem?"

"Why?"

"Why?" Jack repeated in disbelief.

"Why was everything gray?"

"Oh for crying out loud," came the frustrated remark.  "Daniel, who knows?  But it's gray there."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Neither do I," Daniel responded.  "I don't know much of anything about P48.  Why is that?"

Jack gave his head a tiny shake as he put on a knowing expression and let out a small "Ut ut" sound.  He brought up his finger again, pointing it at the other man.

"Jack ..."

"Daniel, there was nothing worthwhile on that planet.  There's no culture."

"Why?" Daniel asked, his voice a bit lighter as if to emphasize the query.

"I'm not very good at word games, Daniel," Jack responded.

"The culture: why isn't there something distinctive there?  What's the meaning of gray to them?  What happened to the trees?  I mean, uh, there have to be trees, soil, grass there somewhere.  Why do they dress so similarly?  Why was every spoken word droned without any hint of ... of ... emotion or excitement or ... or anything?  Jack, there's a reason, and it was our job to find out why."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, Daniel."

"Yes."

"Daniel, I know the President has added the cultural touch to our missions, but there has to be culture to observe and study.  This place was nothing but blah, blah, blah.  Geez, those people would even put Robin Williams to sleep for eternity."

"Who?"

"Robin ..."  Knowing Daniel's blank expression was real, Jack sighed, "Mork from Ork."  Still, all Jack saw on his Love's face was confusion.  "Never mind.  The point is that the inhabitants of P48 are sleeping pills.  The most hyper people in the world would fall to sleep from boredom after ten minutes with them."

"Okay, look.  I'm not saying that the people we met are ... are ... are ..."

"Exciting?  Interesting?  Intriguing?" Jack put forth, still with an edge of frustration in his voice.

"Are you going to listen to me?" Daniel asked.  Then he let out a laugh and looked down while saying, "Why should you?  That would be asking to much, to just listen and hear me out."

Jack sighed, "Danny, I am listening."

"Really?  It sure doesn't sound like it."

Taking a couple of steps forward but stopping when his archaeologist also took two steps back, Jack took a breath, using the moment to consider what he wanted to say.

"Danny, it's been a tough road lately.  Geez, I can't wait for our vacation.  We're gonna finally be able to be ourselves.  Twelve full days in Phoenix, just you and me."

"Maybe."

"Don't do that."

With a sigh, the younger man stated, "I know you've had a bad time lately.  You almost died and your friend ..."

"Not a friend," Jack corrected about Colonel Frank Cromwell, who had been sucked into the black hole that had threatened Earth just weeks before.

"He was a friend."

"Daniel, he left me behind and never looked back."  With force, Jack moved forward a step, his face taut and serious, and insisted, "I lost four months of my life because of him.  I would never did what he did."

"You left me."

The softly spoken statement cut Jack to the quick, his heart quivering and eyes starting to water.

"No, Angel, that was different.  You told me to, remember?"

"Yes, I did," Daniel affirmed quietly.  "But the point is that we all have reasons for what we do.  You did leave me.  You had to in order to save Earth.  I don't fault you, Jack.  You *know* that.  I got lucky, and so did you in Iraq."

"Lucky?"

"You lived and you got home.  Not everyone does."  Daniel licked his lips and then continued, "All I'm saying is that Colonel Cromwell was a friend of yours at one time.  He made a mistake, and he regretted it."

"You know what he can do with his regrets," Jack spat in distaste.

"Nothing," Daniel responded.  "He's dead now."

"Daniel ..."

"Jack, he sacrificed himself for Earth, just like I was willing to do and like you were willing to let me do.  There is a greater good sometimes."  Gently with a little smile, the archaeologist added, "If he had hooked onto you, Jack, you would have died for sure.  He knew that.  He sacrificed himself as much to make amends to you as to save the planet.  You don't have to call him a friend, but you need to admit what he did at the end and give him some credit for that.  I do.  You see, when he saved you, he saved me."

Feeling encouraged, Jack again began to move forward, only Daniel shook his head and walked back towards his kitchen, stopping at the counter and then turning back to face his Love.

"P48-914: a race with a culture that we know nothing about because you were bored, because there weren't any Goa'uld for you to fight, and because you couldn't see any weapons to play with.  But," Daniel took a few steps forward though he was still a few feet away from his colonel, "there is a culture and a history to those people.  There's a reason why their speech is drone-like, why their society is practically stagnate, and why their architecture is like a mirror image of a single model.  Who knows what the answer is, the explanation for how they got to where they are today.  Are they from Earth?  From where?  I couldn't glean a single fact about them, but I didn't really have time to, either, because you had to get home before they put you to sleep."

"Danny, I can't change who I am.  We've talked about that."

"You're wrong," Daniel asserted.  "Jack, you want everyone to think that all you are is a military machine, but you're not.  I was on Abydos, remember?  I watched you go against direct orders to save innocent people, and then you went home and lied so that I could have a life there.  You're not a military machine.  I couldn't ..."

Jack knew what his lover wanted to say and yet because of Daniel's insecurities and past history, the younger man always had a hard time saying "I love you" first.  He could return it with ease, but even referencing it, as  Jack knew Daniel was trying to do at the moment, was difficult for him.

"I love you."

Daniel smiled at other his half, the man who had been somewhat of an adversary early on in their relationship.  The archaeologist hated himself for not being able to speak the three words he felt so strongly in his heart for Jack, but the past was hard to let go of as the hurt was nearly overpowering.  How could he not love Jack, the man who even in the middle of this serious and intense disagreement paused and declared his love just so Daniel could continue his argument?

"I love you, too," Daniel returned.  "That's it, Jack.  I couldn't love a machine.  I know you, better than you know yourself.  You have a big heart and a brain that you keep trying to hide from the world.  I don't want to change you.  I want you to accept who you really are.  That's all."

"Which means being bored out of my skull while you play Twenty Questions with the locals?"

"Maybe, if that's what it takes."

Jack let out a sigh and then decided to brave movement toward the love of his life.  This time, Daniel held his spot, making the older man smile inside as hope grew within him for a happy resolution to the current battle being waged.  Reaching his lover, Jack placed his hands on Daniel's arms, rubbing up and down as he looked into the beautiful blue eyes that always melted his heart.

"Okay," Jack conceded.  "I can't promise we'll always stay in Dullsville.  I do have an obligation and duty to make sure that our time in SG-1 is put to good use.  There's a computer full of places we need to go, places that could have technology of some kind to help us in the war with the Goa'uld.  Those have to take precedence.  But I'll try to listen better and give you more time when you really think you need it."

"That's all I ask," Daniel responded.

"Are we good?"

"We're good."

With a smile, Jack leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his Heart's lips.  It didn't take long for their need to intensify.  Lovemaking after an argument was usually strong and intense for the two men, often resulting in a couple of quick rounds before they settled in together with a slower, more romantic session of unifying their bodies.  This night was no exception as each fervently worked to remove the clothing that kept their skin from feeling the other's.  Their bodies were already reacting, long and hard lengths like swords as they rubbed the other and fought for who would dominate round one.  It was part of the game of love for Jack and Daniel, the winner impaling the other first and calling the shots.  Even so, both men knew the truth.  In their love, they were both winners.

With their passion ignited and their love affair secure, Jack and Daniel's nation of two grew even stronger.  Working together and living in a secret world of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was not always easy, but loving each other was, even when the path to loving was full of obstacles to be defeated.  On this night, another obstacle had been overcome and for the lovers, life together in Colorado Springs was getting better with each passing day.

 

~~Finis - Finished - Done - The End - But is it ever Really?~~