Five Careers that Jack or Daniel Never Had by maraceles (PG-13)

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Rec Category: Jack/Daniel
Pairing: Jack/Daniel, Jack/Baal
Category: slash, AU
Warning: character death
Author on LJ: maraceles
Author's Website: LJ fic tag
Link: Five Careers that Jack or Daniel Never Had

Why This Must Be Read: This fic contains such vivid portraits that it's often requested in search comms by readers haunted by the images and wanting to reread it. There is a Jack who never survived the Iraq War, in a heart-breaking twist on his canon life; a Jack who didn't escape Baal, in any sense; a Daniel and team who didn't survive Lifeboat unscathed; a hilariously irreverent ascended!Jack; and a retired Jack, coaching kids hockey. Each fic completely immerses you in angst, humor or romance, and feels completely true to character. A definite classic.

Excerpt:
On May 22, 1999, Jack O’Neill died and ascended.

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On the first day after Jack’s ascension, his friends tried to mourn him. Teal’c decided to hold a week-long vigil in his honor. Daniel spent his time on the phone, convincing the government to place Jack’s memorial stone next to his son’s grave rather than in Arlington cemetery. Carter, for her part, started to pack the things Jack had left in his house. However, none of them got very far in their agendas, as Jack came back the very next day.

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On the second day after Jack’s ascension, SG-1 was back on the field. On their way they met up with some Jaffa, and without a second thought, Jack zapped them.

“Huh,” he said, looking at his hands. “That’s nifty.”