Work Text:
REAL HEROES…
( The Backroom Boys…)
by Bethany
Simon Combs tidied the work surface. Nijan and Malen had been in here, working with him earlier, but now, Nijan was taking a late lunch, and Malen had been called to assist the SG1 team she was assigned to when matters Archaeological came their way… She was off to some place unknown to him, as most things were in life… Or were they? He had been a Professor at Yale, a divorcee whose wife could stand not one more Star Trek Convention fancy dress party, seeing her husband dress as some bizarre alien apparently known as Dr. Phlox… But he had become Simon Combs, signee on the Official Secrets Act Register, archaeologist extraordinare, and, believe it or not, haled hero, saviour of the SGC’s most precious and prided team, Earth’s final defence… The heralded men (and woman) of Legend, SG1… Now, of course, he was back with his nose to the grindstone, like it had never happened. In some faraway place, it could only be looked back upon as a dream… “A bit like Falgar’s fantasies on the subject of Major Carter!” He said to himself, and hoped that no recording devices were active in here with him. “Good luck, Malen, may you and SG2 have your own glorious adventure today!” He spoke aloud to no one. “Colonel Kawalsky knows how to take care of his people.”
“Hi, Combs…” Daniel Jackson wandered in. A song played on Combs’ radio, a young woman’s haunting tale of someone dear, someone loved and lost.
Hearing Jackson whistle lightly to the melody made Combs think back to how close the SGC had come to truly losing one of the heroes of SG1, it’s most beloved son, the reason they had all been given this fantastical journey in life, even he, Simon Combs… He smiled at Jackson as the man wandered off to another table in the lab with a project in his hands. Simon was thinking how much he owed this man, and how Jackson seemed to have the knack of making everyone’s world a better place… The irony was that the only one for whom Daniel Jackson had not been able to do that, was his dearly departed wife, Sha’re. Combs often felt sorry for him, in this respect. At least Amy’s still out there somewhere… He mused, thinking of his ex-wife.
“I’ll be home soon…” Davis spoke into the receiver. “The telemetry we received at the base today has been infuriating… It overloaded an entire bank of the computers. I’ve been working like a dog all day…” He told his wife tiredly. “Did the girls go off to school ok?… Good. Love you, Tatum, see ya later sweetheart… Look after yourself… Bye.” He put down the phone, put his polystyrene cup, empty of its caffeine booster, into the waste paper basket in the corner of the Mess Hall, and left the ‘public’ telephone way behind him, already hurrying back to the General’s side, into the heart of the control centre and all it’s chaos…
Sergeant Rod Siler concentrated like hell. Sand was in his boots, but he had no time for that. He’d been working with SG2 and their Archaeology Attachettes, Malen, and Dr. Robert Rothman, for seven straight hours now, on a salvaged and rather anciently mangled piece of discarded Goa’uld hyperspace technology… It needed to be back at the SGC by this planet’s nightfall, which would soon wrap its dark cloak around them all…
Doctor Frasier wiped her brow. Cassie’s gonna be in from college soon… She worked furiously. “Hey, Sam,” She called over to her colleague.
“Yeah?” Carter replied brightly, walking into the room with a spring in her step.
“That latest batch of results come back from those science labs of yours yet?” Janet asked, still pouring over her work studiously.
“Looks promising…” Sam walked across the room, and handed her a folder. “Jack just dropped this off for me…”
“What’s he doin in a science lab? He’ll need some of these antibiotics if he’s not careful…!” Frasier grinned.
“He said Brightman snagged him in Corridor 41, asked him to bring this stuff here cos he’d been dumb enough to mention he was gonna drop by and see me…” Carter beamed.
“Aren’t you the lucky one!?!” Frasier looked just in time to see her blush.
“Teal’c not back from visiting the kids yet?” Daniel Jackson walked into the rec-room, seeing Jack in his favourite sofa.
“Nope… He hasn’t seen Shan’Auc in two months…” Jack put down his National Geographic magazine.
Daniel digested this information, and sat down in the comfiest chair he could find opposite Jack. “I saw Jonas earlier…”
“Yeah?” Jack said, rolling over on the side that meant he faced Daniel, seated across from him.
“He’s feelin’ a lot better…” Jackson stated.
“We should all be able to get back on the yella brick road then!” Jack was enthusiastic. “I hate it when the General makes us all sit around just cos there's been a stone in our shoes…”
“I’ve noticed… Weren’t you gonna visit Wenonah today?” Daniel looked earnestly at his friend.
“I did.” Jack said wearily.
“Oh…” Daniel replied cautiously.
“Nah, it was alright actually… She showed me round her new place.” Jack spoke of his daughter.
“That was good then…” Daniel smiled.
“If she wasn’t sharing it with someone called Dylan, yeah…” Jack screwed up his face.
“Ahh, and what’s the matter with this Dylan?” Daniel giggled.
“He’s too much like I was at his age…” Jack answered without pride.
“Which was what?” Daniel furthered, mischievously.
“Just like Dylan…” Jack huffed.
“He didn’t look like that Captain Hunt, by any chance?” Daniel asked interestedly.
“No. I told ya, Danny… He’s just like me. Far better lookin’…” Jack’s eyes sparkled.
“Goodnight, my wife…” Teal’c watched intently as Shan’Auc’s tunic shifted in the cool night air. “I must now return…” He held her tightly.
“To me, my husband, to me…” She looked up at him, besotted.
“Until then, farewell… Tell my children I love them…” Teal’c turned to go, as Shan’Auc gave his hand a final squeeze of affection. He half turned, and smiled gently. Then, he headed back toward the gate. He dialled home, stood back, and then went on through…
Teal’c burst into life at the top of the ramp in the gateroom.
“Welcome home, son… We’ve been keeping a light on for you!” General Hammond spoke from above.
THE END…