SquidgeWorld Archive

Chapter Text

You had to give them credit for subtlety.

*not*

The Air Force recruiters had waited a full three days after `Jon O'Neill's' 18th birthday before trying the recruitment bit. Pair of poster board Looies with a table full of flyers. Reminded him of male Carter's on speed.

Unfortunately for them, his inner Jack had not only heard it all before, he vaguely remembered writing the damn thing. Plus he *clearly* remembered the crap of Basic, pure *shit* of a shithead that was Captain Willis, and the utter fucking over that was the first, last, and middle of his happy vacation at the Iraq Hilton.

Plus he remembered the poverty wages of his First Lieutenant years, the miserable base housing of his early years with Sara, and... not to belabor the point or anything... remembered the *substantial* checks that *Colonel* O'Neill had countersigned for not only Daniel Jackson ( hey - the kid deserved it ) but for Rothman and Lee and other latecomers to the civilian `geek squad'.

So - while flying was still a *very good thing* , enlisting was most definitely *NOT*.

Especially as Uncle Sam was already paying for his education, housing, health care - fill in the blanks - and this time he didn't even have to get his ass shot off.

To coin a cliché'?

`Sweet'.

Next guy was a Captain with a briefcase. Jon figured he was moving up in the world. He also figured that this was a little *too* much love, and that a little recon was in order. (Jack Sr. via Carter via Cassie ) Upside of which was learning he'd made General. Downside was learning he had to die to get promoted. (well. sorta. But hey - he'd always said they'd promote him again only over *somebody's* dead body.) *Weird* side was the whole funky-Ancient-gene big-honkin'-space-gun one-guy-in-a-million DNA lottery thing.

Which explained why the Joint Chiefs wanted him back.

And here he's thought it was his charming personality.

*right*

The third guy showed at his apartment with eagles and an attitude.

The Lieutenant Colonel bought up the wonderful career possibilities of the SGC - and the not so wonderful alternative career of a lab rat for the NID. After which Jon mentioned his personal confidence that he could shoot NID bastard who crossed him. Plus his equally strong belief that regular officers might not be exactly exempt. Especially if they went around making stupid threats. (Hey - he was sixty, fer chrissake. He had a right to be grumpy!)

Fourth guy was Paul Davis. With a six-pack. (Proving not everyone from DC was a moron.)

They had a nice little chat over hockey and pizza. Well, mostly Jon had talked and Davis had listened. Except for the little bit at the end. The briefing-memo version of which was:
1) Homeword Security's supply of Ancient operators was down to O'Neill senior, some chopper-jockey who was listed for early separation, and a Scot neurotic who gave a whole new meaning to the term `friendly fire'.
2) Of these, numbers two and three were headed off-word for a mission of
unspecified ( and possibly eternal) duration.
Meaning that
3) Earth's best remaining defense was a sixty-year-old with bad knees, high
cholesterol, and rising blood pressure who tended to vanish on short (read zero) notice
every time that Asgard got twitchy.

Under the circumstances? He was sure Jon would understand why Hammond and company were so... motivated... to see his happy face back in Cheyenne. And why, while everyone would prefer to do this *politely*, there was no absolute proof that a court wouldn't rule that Jack and Jon were not in fact one person. In which case he could simply be reactivated. To McMurdo.

In which case, Jon pointed out, he would also be a Brigadier General. Even in McMurdo. So how bad could it be?

At which time Davis pointed out that even a general officer could be demoted. To airman.

At which point Jon brought up the idea of reasonable cause. Which any JAG would point out they had none. Not to mention the joy of finding an army lawyer ( other than present company ) with the clearance to even hear about the Stargate.

At which point they both got serious.

This could maybe lead to Jack/Daniel or Jack/Sam....

I'm thinking
I'm thinking