After Chulak, by Random (PG)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Daniel Jackson

Pairing: None, although there are memories of Sha're
Category:  Daniel Jackson, Daniel/Jack friendship, gen, episode related, angst, character study
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: RandomFreshInk.blogger.com
Author's Website:  http://www.myspace.com/randomfreshink; Stargate fanfics listed here.
Link to Story: currently offline

Why This Must Be Read: Well, it's a Random story. Which means it will feature Daniel, and his friendship with Jack, and be scarily good at hitting all the right notes. So yes, this certainly must be read. :)

Many authors make the mistake of instantly making Daniel and Jack best friends at the beginning of S1. While there certainly is an intense bond, forged in their first mission to Abydos, they aren't quite friends yet, although the journey is certainly beginning. In this powerful story, Random gives us the two of them at 3 a.m. the night after Chulak, sitting in Jack's living room and simply... talking. For a fic that's technically simply conversation, it's amazing how riveting this story can be.

With Daniel in a haze of grief over his losses and Jack at a loss how to breach that grief, Jack and Daniel spar verbally as they try to figure each other out. Daniel is frustrated by Jack's apparent need to pigeonhole him based solely on his lack of military skills, without taking anything else into account; Jack is baffled at the mere attempt of trying to pigeonhole the ultimate outside-the-box guy into anything at all. Most of all, Daniel is frightened and angry at the risk of losing his chance to look for Sha're and Skarra, and Jack is alarmed and confused about how he's supposed to take a guy like Daniel Jackson and make him part of a working team.

Great insights into both characters, snappy dialogue that fits each of them perfectly, and a cautious forging of the next link of the chain in their friendship. This thoughtful story is an amazing glimpse at early Daniel Jackson that you'll want to savor.

Voice hollow, low, he said, "Jack, let's just make it easy. If you think I'm a liability to your team, I should not be in the field with you."

"Don't hear you saying you think you're a liability?"

The head came up, eyes hot again. "I speak twenty-three languages, which means I have a natural ability to learn even more. I've multiple degrees, meaning knowledge you can use, and a wide experience of different cultures. I've been through the Stargate as much as anyone, and lived off-world longer. I don't see a liability in any of that, but if you're going to make this about an ability to shoot and kill, none of that applies. I'm not military, don't want to join up, and my priority is to find Sha're and Skarra, but I am not going to jeopardize other lives for that."

"Except maybe your own."

"It's my life!"

"Not anymore. My team. My responsibility."

Daniel let out a sigh, leaned back. "Well, we've got a difference of opinion there, because I believe in self-determination."

"Got no problem with that. Except, on a mission, part of my job is to get everyone back. Alive. I have a hard time doing that if some self determines to do something that is going to end up bad."

"How about if we make a deal--I'll obey orders, but only if they're reasonable, or we can at least discuss them to make sure they're the right choices?"

"How about I just tell you no way?"

"You could do that, but I only have to listen if I'm still on your team."

Jack's mouth quirked. He fought down the smile, knew himself ambushed, figured he might as well admit it. Figured they'd have this discussion again, anyway, and he really was wanting his bed, and Daniel's eyes were getting a heavy look to them and the guy needed some rest some how.

"Anyone tell you you're a sneaky bastard?" he said, pushing up from the chair, picking up his gun and double-checking the safety, even though he knew he'd put it back on.

Daniel didn't get up, just stared up at him, light winking off his glasses. "It hasn't come up in recent conversations, but I'd think you'd at least consider that an asset."

"Oh, yeah. But you're going to have to get sneakier, because this isn't cutting it." And it wasn't. Daniel hadn't realized his ambush was actually an ambush in return. But that was okay. The guy no longer looked raw from the outside in. Had a few other things to think about now other than to beat himself up for the things he hadn't been able to change. The glazing in the eyes said he had enough whiskey in him, too, that it'd trip up his brain long enough that his body could find some sleep.

This wasn't a routine Jack wanted to get used to, but it had to get better from here on out. He knew he could get Daniel distracted now. Knew how to push a few of the guy's buttons. No way was he getting Skarra back only to have to tell the guy, 'Oh, sorry, we let your brother-in-law worry himself to death.' That scenario did not fly. So Daniel would have to be carefully ambushed into learning more than just some shoot and duck skills. He had to learn where responsibility lay on a team, how to work well with others, and how to look after himself. Somehow Jack doubted that shoving a kid through grades taught much except complete independence and how to push himself way too hard.

Which is why Daniel was trying to tackle this on his own.

The damn thing was, that independence and drive had made him able to open the Stargate. He'd done it on his own. The guy sure as hell could do a lot of stuff. But he'd be able to do even more if he ever figured out how to let folks help.