SG1: Last of a Dying Breed
Jun. 6th, 2009 09:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
waldos_writingsTitle: Last of a Dying Breed
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1345
Summary: Jack faces loss once again.
Posted: 8.07.02 (I think)
Jack was leaning against the Jeep when Daniel finally came out to meet him. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn’t even hear Daniel open the back door and dump his books and laptop onto the back seat.
Daniel straightened and turned to Jack, his flip comment dying in his throat as he took a good look at the other man. Instead he said, “I don’t think I’ve seen you do that since the original Abydos mission.”
Jack jumped guiltily and threw the remainder of his cigarette on the floor, crushing it with his heel. “Sorry.”
Daniel just shrugged as they both got in the car. When both doors were shut he said, “Not my place to judge. Just do me a favor,” he waited for Jack to look at him before continuing, “brush your teeth before you kiss me.”
Jack gave him half a smile as he stuck the key in the ignition and turned it.
“Jack?” Daniel said when Jack made no move to put the car in gear. He waited but got no reaction. “Do you want me to drive?”
Jack leaned back in his seat taking a deep breath and blowing it out. “Might be a good idea,” he conceded, sliding out of his seat.
Daniel raised his eyebrows but made no comment as they switched places. Jack hated riding with Daniel. Said Daniel was a road hazard and that riding in the passenger’s seat made him car sick.
Once they were buckled in and Daniel had pulled out of the base garage he finally asked. “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”
Jack wished he had bummed another cigarette. “Give me a few minutes, okay?”
Daniel nodded. “Are we heading for your place or mine?”
“I don’t care.” Jack stared out the window, his voice flat.
Daniel just nodded again and made the turn that would take them to Jack’s house.
The rest of the ride was conducted in silence. Daniel resisted the urge to turn on the radio, sensing that Jack wanted it quiet. When they pulled up, Jack got out of the car and headed for the door, not waiting to see if Daniel was following. He knew he would be. It wasn’t until he got to the porch that he realized that Daniel had the keys.
He leaned against the wall and waited for Daniel to lock the car, leaving his books and things in the back seat, and let them in. Tossing his jacket on the nearest chair, Jack headed straight for the kitchen and grabbed a beer.
Daniel stood near the door, waiting for Jack to land somewhere. When Jack finally sat on the couch, Daniel moved to sit near him on the fireplace hearth. He didn’t ask again, just waited.
Jack set his beer down near Daniel and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, head bowed. “I got word today that Jason Agros died.”
Daniel leaned forward, matching Jack’s intensity, resting a hand on Jack’s leg. “Who was Jason Agros?”
Jack took a deep breath and leaned back, head dropping against the back of the couch. He took Daniel’s hand in his. “My first command in special ops was also a four man team. Me, Jason, Kyle Mission and Ronnie Carpenter. Carpenter was our point man and he was taken out by a sniper on our first mission. Two years after that I found out Kyle was killed by a drunk driver when he was on leave. And now Jason’s gone too. My whole team.”
Daniel moved to sit next to Jack sqeezing Jack’s hand tightly between his. “I’m sorry.”
Jack dropped his chin to his chest again, and for the first time Daniel could see tears gathering. “There’s more,” Jack whispered.
Daniel waited, only a little surprised when Jack turned and gathered him in close. Jack had always been the sort who preferred to hold more than be held when he was upset. “Tell me.”
Jack squeezed Daniel tight. “He was the first, Danny.”
Daniel nodded, accepting the news. He’d known he wasn’t Jack’s first male lover and that never bothered him. But he’d always gotten the impression that it bothered Jack. “That makes it even harder doesn’t it?”
Jack buried his face in Daniel’s shoulder, trying to stem the tears.
After a few seconds battle he was able to take a deep breath and explain. “We were assigned to the same base for a long time. We were good friends and it just... grew.”
Daniel smiled as he stroked Jack’s graying hair. “That sounds familiar.”
“When I made Major and then got command of the black ops team... It was one thing to buck regs when we were on leave and on our own time... but to screw with the chain of command... Neither of us thought that was a good idea.”
Daniel decided not to ask what made their situation different. This wasn’t the time for that. “It ended well, then?” he asked instead.
“Actually, yeah. We worked well together even after...” Jack shrugged, still hiding his face. “I’m sorry, Danny, I shouldn’t be dumping this on you.”
“Why not? I thought that’s what friends were for.” Daniel pulled Jack’s head up to see his face.
Jack sighed, “It just doesn’t seem right that I’m crying on your shoulder over an ex-lover.”
“You lost a friend, Jack. And believe it or not, I’m okay with the fact that you loved other people before me. I don’t like thinking that you were alone for the first... forty years of your life or whatever. It’s okay.” He pulled Jack in and hugged him tight.
Jack hugged him back. They were silent for a while before Jack got to the heart of the matter. “I’ve lost a whole team. I don’t think I could bear to lose another.”
Daniel squeezed him tight. “I can’t make promises, Jack. We’ve been doing this for long enough to know that there are no guarantees, but I can promise that we’re going to do everything in our power to stay with you. Maybe me more than Sam or Teal’c.” He clarified that point by placing a light kiss on Jack’s head.
“I’ve lost you more than once,” Jack mumbled.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“God, I’m sick of losing people I love.” Jack let Daniel gather him up and stroke his back and hair while he let some of the tears flow.
When Jack seemed to have calmed, Daniel asked quietly, “When is the funeral?”
“Last week,” Jack answered softly.
“Oh. At Arlington?”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I doubt it. I think his family would have wanted him close to home.”
“Hammond owes us some down time. If you want to go visit...I’ll go with you.” Daniel resumed his gentle stroking of Jack’s spine.
Jack thought about it for a while. “You hate to fly,” Jack argued.
Daniel shrugged. “You’ll be there to hold my hand,” he said gently.
“All the way to New York?”
“Just through the take off and landing?” Daniel compromised.
“You’re sure you don’t mind?”
“Nope. Not at all. Besides...” Daniel trailed off, debating whether or not to finish his thought aloud.
“Besides what?” Jack asked.
“Nothing, never mind.”
Jack gave him a look that clearly said he wasn’t in the mood for this stuff.
“I was just thinking that if we’re going to New York, maybe I could... visit my parents.” He shrugged little. “I haven’t been there since I was eight.”
Jack sat up quickly, looking shocked. “Since the funeral?”
It was Daniel’s turn to hang his head. “I asked my foster mom to take me when I was ten. She said hanging out in cemeteries was ‘ghoulish’ and that I needed to leave my past behind. I never asked again.”
Jack had no idea what to say to that and before he could come up with something Daniel was dismissing it, “Nevermind Jack, this isn’t about me.”
Jack hugged Daniel in close. “Guess we’re going to New York.”
Daniel hugged him back. “Guess we are.”
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1345
Summary: Jack faces loss once again.
Posted: 8.07.02 (I think)
Jack was leaning against the Jeep when Daniel finally came out to meet him. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn’t even hear Daniel open the back door and dump his books and laptop onto the back seat.
Daniel straightened and turned to Jack, his flip comment dying in his throat as he took a good look at the other man. Instead he said, “I don’t think I’ve seen you do that since the original Abydos mission.”
Jack jumped guiltily and threw the remainder of his cigarette on the floor, crushing it with his heel. “Sorry.”
Daniel just shrugged as they both got in the car. When both doors were shut he said, “Not my place to judge. Just do me a favor,” he waited for Jack to look at him before continuing, “brush your teeth before you kiss me.”
Jack gave him half a smile as he stuck the key in the ignition and turned it.
“Jack?” Daniel said when Jack made no move to put the car in gear. He waited but got no reaction. “Do you want me to drive?”
Jack leaned back in his seat taking a deep breath and blowing it out. “Might be a good idea,” he conceded, sliding out of his seat.
Daniel raised his eyebrows but made no comment as they switched places. Jack hated riding with Daniel. Said Daniel was a road hazard and that riding in the passenger’s seat made him car sick.
Once they were buckled in and Daniel had pulled out of the base garage he finally asked. “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”
Jack wished he had bummed another cigarette. “Give me a few minutes, okay?”
Daniel nodded. “Are we heading for your place or mine?”
“I don’t care.” Jack stared out the window, his voice flat.
Daniel just nodded again and made the turn that would take them to Jack’s house.
The rest of the ride was conducted in silence. Daniel resisted the urge to turn on the radio, sensing that Jack wanted it quiet. When they pulled up, Jack got out of the car and headed for the door, not waiting to see if Daniel was following. He knew he would be. It wasn’t until he got to the porch that he realized that Daniel had the keys.
He leaned against the wall and waited for Daniel to lock the car, leaving his books and things in the back seat, and let them in. Tossing his jacket on the nearest chair, Jack headed straight for the kitchen and grabbed a beer.
Daniel stood near the door, waiting for Jack to land somewhere. When Jack finally sat on the couch, Daniel moved to sit near him on the fireplace hearth. He didn’t ask again, just waited.
Jack set his beer down near Daniel and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, head bowed. “I got word today that Jason Agros died.”
Daniel leaned forward, matching Jack’s intensity, resting a hand on Jack’s leg. “Who was Jason Agros?”
Jack took a deep breath and leaned back, head dropping against the back of the couch. He took Daniel’s hand in his. “My first command in special ops was also a four man team. Me, Jason, Kyle Mission and Ronnie Carpenter. Carpenter was our point man and he was taken out by a sniper on our first mission. Two years after that I found out Kyle was killed by a drunk driver when he was on leave. And now Jason’s gone too. My whole team.”
Daniel moved to sit next to Jack sqeezing Jack’s hand tightly between his. “I’m sorry.”
Jack dropped his chin to his chest again, and for the first time Daniel could see tears gathering. “There’s more,” Jack whispered.
Daniel waited, only a little surprised when Jack turned and gathered him in close. Jack had always been the sort who preferred to hold more than be held when he was upset. “Tell me.”
Jack squeezed Daniel tight. “He was the first, Danny.”
Daniel nodded, accepting the news. He’d known he wasn’t Jack’s first male lover and that never bothered him. But he’d always gotten the impression that it bothered Jack. “That makes it even harder doesn’t it?”
Jack buried his face in Daniel’s shoulder, trying to stem the tears.
After a few seconds battle he was able to take a deep breath and explain. “We were assigned to the same base for a long time. We were good friends and it just... grew.”
Daniel smiled as he stroked Jack’s graying hair. “That sounds familiar.”
“When I made Major and then got command of the black ops team... It was one thing to buck regs when we were on leave and on our own time... but to screw with the chain of command... Neither of us thought that was a good idea.”
Daniel decided not to ask what made their situation different. This wasn’t the time for that. “It ended well, then?” he asked instead.
“Actually, yeah. We worked well together even after...” Jack shrugged, still hiding his face. “I’m sorry, Danny, I shouldn’t be dumping this on you.”
“Why not? I thought that’s what friends were for.” Daniel pulled Jack’s head up to see his face.
Jack sighed, “It just doesn’t seem right that I’m crying on your shoulder over an ex-lover.”
“You lost a friend, Jack. And believe it or not, I’m okay with the fact that you loved other people before me. I don’t like thinking that you were alone for the first... forty years of your life or whatever. It’s okay.” He pulled Jack in and hugged him tight.
Jack hugged him back. They were silent for a while before Jack got to the heart of the matter. “I’ve lost a whole team. I don’t think I could bear to lose another.”
Daniel squeezed him tight. “I can’t make promises, Jack. We’ve been doing this for long enough to know that there are no guarantees, but I can promise that we’re going to do everything in our power to stay with you. Maybe me more than Sam or Teal’c.” He clarified that point by placing a light kiss on Jack’s head.
“I’ve lost you more than once,” Jack mumbled.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“God, I’m sick of losing people I love.” Jack let Daniel gather him up and stroke his back and hair while he let some of the tears flow.
When Jack seemed to have calmed, Daniel asked quietly, “When is the funeral?”
“Last week,” Jack answered softly.
“Oh. At Arlington?”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I doubt it. I think his family would have wanted him close to home.”
“Hammond owes us some down time. If you want to go visit...I’ll go with you.” Daniel resumed his gentle stroking of Jack’s spine.
Jack thought about it for a while. “You hate to fly,” Jack argued.
Daniel shrugged. “You’ll be there to hold my hand,” he said gently.
“All the way to New York?”
“Just through the take off and landing?” Daniel compromised.
“You’re sure you don’t mind?”
“Nope. Not at all. Besides...” Daniel trailed off, debating whether or not to finish his thought aloud.
“Besides what?” Jack asked.
“Nothing, never mind.”
Jack gave him a look that clearly said he wasn’t in the mood for this stuff.
“I was just thinking that if we’re going to New York, maybe I could... visit my parents.” He shrugged little. “I haven’t been there since I was eight.”
Jack sat up quickly, looking shocked. “Since the funeral?”
It was Daniel’s turn to hang his head. “I asked my foster mom to take me when I was ten. She said hanging out in cemeteries was ‘ghoulish’ and that I needed to leave my past behind. I never asked again.”
Jack had no idea what to say to that and before he could come up with something Daniel was dismissing it, “Nevermind Jack, this isn’t about me.”
Jack hugged Daniel in close. “Guess we’re going to New York.”
Daniel hugged him back. “Guess we are.”