Decade, by Nomad (PG)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Show: SG-1

Rec Category: Jack O'Neill
Characters: Jack O'Neill, Sara O'Neill
Categories: gen, angst
Warnings: reference to Jack's backstory, including Jack/Sara
Author on LJ: nomadicwriter
Author's Website: Nomad at AO3
Link: Decade

Why This Must Be Read: This is aching, poignant closure for Jack and Sara, when they accidentally meet in Washington after Jack's transfer to Homeworld Security. Sara O'Neill is a truly classic lady who deserves more fic love, and this -- despite the painful undercurrents -- delivers that in spades.


She hadn't even known that it was him at first. She'd thought that he looked like Jack from the back, but then every man in a uniform looked like Jack, even the short, fat, bald ones, and near-white hair and a General's stars had been enough to shake the stray thought.

Until she'd crossed the floor to visit the restroom, and on her way out looked up and just seen him there. A ghost made flesh, so much unchanged and yet so different, long eyelashes slanted down as he stared into his coffee cup.

He looked old.

He looked good.

He looked... melancholy.

It was that last that swayed her, killed the first impulse to hurry away before he glanced up and saw that she was there. He looked sad, and it struck her with a strange and terrible truth that she'd never seen Jack O'Neill sad. She'd seen him angry, and hurting, and devastated beyond the point where there was room for human emotion, but never honestly, nakedly sad. It was nothing he would show where there was any possibility that somebody he loved might chance to see it.

It carried the connotation of such loneliness that Sara had sat down in the seat across from him before she had time to consider.