Prompt 13.01

[starglyph.livejournal.com]

Five stories Jack will never tell, but Daniel might.


Participation is open to all. If this is your own prompt, you're free to write to it (please do!). Post your list as a comment to this post, adding additional comments if you exceed the character limit. It's OK to post as Anonymous, then come out later or not as you choose. Responses will be screened until March 5th to see what people come up with independently. You can still respond to the prompt after the unveiling, but March 5th is the official due date.

General info and a place to ask questions: the comm ‘welcome’ post.

Techniical-support questions: tech help.

Suggestions: the suggestion box.

To supply a new prompt: the open call for prompts.


Responses containing spoilers for episodes that haven't broadcast on Sci Fi yet must include warnings IN CAPS in the subject headers.

Thanks!

Comments

[dhae_knight_1]

5: Night was cold on Abydos; especially away from the fire and the company, but Jack wasn't really in a partying mood. Sure, he was happy the Abydonians were free. Sure, he was shedding no tears about Ra's death. But... a few days on Abydos weren't going to change everything. In fact, he wasn't sure it was going to change anything.

The whisper of moving sand and the flutter of robes alerted him, but the slightly troubled breathing also told him there was no danger.

"Jackson," he acknowledged as the kid sat down next to him.

"I'm getting a little tired of 'Jackson' to tell the truth," Daniel said a little peevishly.

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Then it's a good thing we're going home tomorrow, huh?"

"No, not... it's not... I just... I'm used to being 'Daniel', you know?"

"Yeah," Jack said, more defensively than he'd intended. "Well, work for the military long enough, you'll get used to it."

"Are you used to it?"

Jack didn't answer, and eventually, Daniel spoke again.

"So... what are you going to do when you get home?"

Jack knew what he was being asked, and the truth was he wasn't sure.

"It's not going to hurt anyone, if that's what you're asking." And what do you know, Jack thought; maybe he did know, after all.

"Yes, it will," Daniel disagreed quietly. "It'll hurt people you know; people who admire you."

Jack snorted in disbelief.

"What? Admire a fuck-up who leaves his loaded gun in reach of his son?"

Daniel took a while to think about that, which Jack though was only appropriate.

"Admire the kind of man you've been, Jack. The kind of man you can be again."

Jack shook his head. "I'm done. I'm done with black ops; done with the Air Force. If Sara'll still talk to me when I get back... I'll be lucky."

Jack picked up a fistful of sand and let it slip through his fingers slowly - the metaphor in not way escaping him. "No matter what I do, Charlie's still... still dead."

"I know," Daniel said just as quietly. "I'm sorry. But... you're not. And trust me on this; much though you wanted it to have been you in stead, Charlie wouldn't have wanted that."

They'd talked the rest of that night away, and it had taken years before Jack had told Daniel just how he'd convinced Jack to go back to Earth and live again - and how much he'd needed that when Sara had left him.

Jack will never, ever tell another soul about this. But then again... Daniel probably won't either.

[starglyph.livejournal.com]

These are great!

I love #4, of course, but #5 is just all sorts of good Jack and Daniel. There's not enough fic with Jack talking about Charlie, and his own guilt. Well done. :)

[dhae_knight_1]

Thank you. Jack should talk about Charlie - and I bet Daniel is willing to listen.

[paian]

These are lovely, and one especially cool thing about them as responses to the prompt is the different reasons that it might be Daniel who tells the tale. Love how it's a different inventive kind of 'might' each time, right up to the last one, which is 'might but might really not'. :-)

[sid]

Sloshed karaoke, free-style Twister, angsty lists and angst-free kisses.

Jack finding a reason to go on living. *sigh*

Sweet. :-)