Files, by Random (PG-13)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Gen

Pairing: none
Categories: gen, episode related, Jack O’Neill, Daniel Jackson, Maybourne, Samantha Carter, team, friendship, angst, drama
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: randomfreshink
Author's Website:
Link: currently offline

Why This Must Be Read: In this intense story, Maybourne attempts some ugly payback for Daniel’s role in saving the Tollan in Enigma. His purpose is two-fold: to drive a wedge between Daniel and the SGC, and to further his own plans for Dr. Daniel Jackson.

What happens next is the kind of superb characterization we can expect from a Random fic: Daniel’s wrestling with the military attitude, and his distress at what he perceives as his standing and status; Jack’s struggle to understand Daniel outside the context of chain-of-command, and to stop Daniel’s withdrawal from the team and their friendship; Sam, caught between scientist and soldier, and trying to show her commanding officer the way to walk the line between them both; and Teal’c, who is marvelous and manages to cut right to the heart of things every time.

With a marvelous cameo from Hammond (go, George!), some nice foreshadowing of Bane and The Curse, and wonderful teamy goodness to tie everything together, Files is a great look at early season SG-1.

[Disclaimer: I had the pleasure of beta-reading this. I urged Random to get this uploaded ASAP so I could rec it before the end of the month!]

"Oh, crap." His heartbeat skipped once and he looked up. "Tell me Daniel hasn't seen this."
She didn't say anything and he let out a groan, but he'd known the answer. Of course Daniel would see this. What bonehead had let this get anywhere near Daniel?

"Sir, were you in that room?"

Eyes narrowing, he looked at Carter. "What do you think?"

Her stare fell to her beer and he was almost sorry he'd been so sharp. Then she looked up, a hard smile tugging at one corner of her mouth. "I think you wouldn't have let Maybourne just about run that meeting."

He shook his head, knew she had no idea. "Carter, I wasn't exactly Chatty-Cathy around then."

His words wiped her expression to blank. Then she wiped the condensation from her beer on her leg. "I tried to talk to Daniel."

"Let me guess. The need to keep a secret's not up there with the need to not crap on people like this?"

She winced. "More like the truth matters. Honestly, I think it's the fact that his work was attacked that--"

She broke off, but he could guess the rest. That set Daniel off like a rocket? That had Daniel on a holy crusade? That was eating into Daniel, poisoning every tie he had to the military.

Letting out a long breath, he tossed the folder onto the coffee table, then scrubbed his face with both hands. Leaning forward, he braced his elbows on his knees. "Who the hell gave this to Daniel?"

"I don't know, sir. Daniel wouldn't say."

"One guess. First name's Harry. This has Maybourne's stink all over it."

"Sir?"

"Come on, Carter. You didn't think he wouldn't try harder for some payback? He couldn't touch you or me--we were both in the control room, playing good soldier. Teal'c--well, I wouldn't put it past Maybourne to have long-term plans there. But Daniel...yeah, I'd say he's been painted as the prime target."