Tin Child by Clarity (PG-13)

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Rec Category: Jack/Daniel
Pairing: Jack/Daniel, robotJack/robotDaniel
Categories: Jack/Daniel, angst, denial, drama, hurt/comfort
Warnings: Character death, sad
Author on LJ: clarity_lore
Author's Website: clarity_lore on Live Journal
Link: Tin Child, part one-four

Why This Must Be Read:
Set post-Meridian, this made me cry my eyes out the first time I read it. Aside from ‘Whatever Happened to Dr. Daniel Jackson?’, ‘Tin Child’ probably ranks as the other most revisited fic from Clarity for me, despite the amount of tissues that I know I would have to have on hand whenever I do reread the piece. Clarity has a gift for drawing out the most painfully angst ridden scenes with heart-rending beauty, and for that, I think the SG fandom is all the richer for it.


Snippet of the fic:

Sam was surprised when Colonel showed up to see them arrive. After all, he had been extremely vocal in his protests against letting them come to the Base. In fact, it was the first time Sam had ever heard him swear in a briefing, right in General Hammond’s face no less. Nevertheless, he was there in the Control Room at least. Glowering as usual of course.

She was even more surprised when, as the sixth chevron locked, he kicked a console and stormed out. It made sense though. He was angry and that was understandable in a way. Sam herself wasn’t sure how she was going to react to seeing him again; or at least someone with his face. All emotions had disappeared behind the wall of nervousness in her stomach. What if she broke down in front of everybody? That would be beyond humiliating. Yet the possibility was there and she knew it.

It had barely been a fortnight since Daniel had died. Though she never showed it in front of the Colonel anymore, she still cried sometimes. Places around the base often reminded her of him and the memories hurt. The only thing left of her friend had been the awful blood-stained bandages that were wrapped around his melting body, and they had been burned. There were intellectual things left around, especially as they hadn’t cleared his office out yet, but nothing that could be touched or visited since the Colonel had locked it all up. There wasn’t even a grave to visit. So if just little things like his favourite Jell-O being served in the cafeteria could bring on the waterworks, what would seeing him, in the flesh so to speak, be like?

Okay, no, that wasn’t accurate. Daniel wouldn’t be coming through the Gate. Just a copy. A machine.

But a machine with his face, and his memories up to a certain point.