Fanfiction - Stargate SG-1 - Help, 1/1
Summary: Jack and Daniel wind down after a tough one.
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mention of badness, pre-story.
Author's Notes: Written for Schmoop_Bingo, prompt bad day. Less schmoop in this than planned.
Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1, nor any other stargate, nor schmoop bingo. I just play.
Help
"Jack?"
"Yeah, Danny?"
"We really, really suck."
Colonel Jack O'Neill looked across his living room at the scientiest morosely staring into a cold beer. As missions go, the last one had been fucked from the get-go; a stargate in a room full of half-destroyed inscriptions, a population so scared of them the only people willing to talk were the local whores, and a ritual sacrifice intended to call down the gods to drive them away.
"Speak for yourself," he said. "I only suck a bit."
Daniel snorted.
"On the scale of people who suck, we are so not in competition. Our suckiness is mutual. I'm even extending it to all of earth."
"You know who sucks? That witch-doctor guy."
"The high priest." Daniel corrected absently. "And yes, he did. He also stabbed that girl."
"I know."
"And we couldn't stop them! We could talk to them, but we couldn't communicate."
"Yeah, Danny. I was there too," he interrupted, not liking his friend's rising tone. "I noticed that around the time they started throwing incense and holy symbols at us."
"And I just kept trying. If we'd just stopped -- if we'd just come home when they tried to banish us the first time, that girl would still be alive!"
"Danny!" Damnit, nobody did drunken wallowing like a two-beers-to-pissed linguist, and Jackson was ready to go on all night if he let him. Of course, the big, guilt-ridden eyes that jumped to his when he yelled just made him feel worse about the whole thing. "Mister knife-happy was going to kill her sooner or later. You said so yourself."
"But we gave him the opportunity, Jack."
"We were doing our jobs, Doctor. We went, we met, we tried to establish friendly relations, and we failed."
"Abysmally."
"It happens. If it had been any other team, what would you be telling their geek?"
Finally, he got the rolled eyes that signalled capitulation.
"The same thing you're telling me."
"Because what would have happened?"
"The same thing," Danny admitted, scowling. "Probably."
Jack sighed.
"Danny..."
"That it wasn't their fault. That sometimes all you can do is write up your report, acknowledge that you gave it your best shot, and move on to other projects."
"So?"
Daniel shot him a pissy expression, but relaxed a hair.
"I do have that translation Dr. Sandburg brought back to work on," he admitted.
"That's the spirit."
They lapsed back into silence again. Jack was wondering whether there was another sip in his bottle, or if he needed a new one, when his scientist cleared his throat.
"Colonel. You know none of this was our fault, don't you?"
His eyes shot back up. Daniel was sitting forward in his chair with an understanding expression.
"Yeah, Jackson. I know."
The younger man smiled a little. They both knew they'd keep on blaming themselves, at least a little. Jack kind of figured that was how they remembered that they were supposed to be the good guys, despite the people they couldn't save. But the beer helped. So did the company.
"Want another?" he asked with a wave of his bottle.
"Yeah; my turn to get them."
He closed his eyes once he was alone in the room. One of these days he really was going to be too old for this job. For a long time he'd hoped something would take him out before he got there, but nowadays... Hammond was good -- one of the best COs he'd ever had -- but SG-1 was his team, and he wanted to be the one making sure they were safe. Teal'c, and Carter, and...
"Jack?"
He grabbed the beer Daniel was offering, twisting his lip in thanks. For a long moment their fingers entwined around the bottle's neck. Daniel's eyes were warm with shared experience, and he didn't wonder what his own eyes were showing. Daniel would tell him if it was important.
"You mind me sleeping here tonight? If I drink this, I really shouldn't drive."
He snorted.
"You passed that point half a beer ago. I haven't made the spare bed since the last time you stayed over."
"No problem." The linguist grinned. "I'll just steal yours."
"Very funny."
"Thanks."
Probably it was the beer, but he found himself wanting to tell his friend that that'd be just fine. He didn't bother; Danny already knew.
He suddenly realized they were pretty much holding hands around the beer. Still. From the soft smile aimed at him, he was the last to notice, and Danny's grin widened as he let go.
Oh yeah. His geek knew he could stay over any time, no questions asked. Either bed. Jack hid his smirk in a long sip while his companion finally made it back to his chair.
Good day or bad, some things stayed the same. It helped.