Author: Minerva
Date: 11th March 2004
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.geocities.com/jonathan_riley
Series: No- Stand Alone
Rating: PG 13
Pairing: J/D
Category: Humour, Pre-slash
Season/Episode: After Fragile Balance
Spoilers: To Season 7
Feedback: Yes please.
Warnings: None
Summary: The reappearance of the Young Jack from Fragile Balance creates more than a few problems for Jack.
Notes: Although this story shares similar background to some of my other stories, it is not a sequel, nor part of any series.
Tipping The Scales
By Minerva
"Jack, we have to talk!"
"And hello to you too, Daniel!" Colonel Jack O'Neill replied sarcastically before noticing the flushed face and worried expression. He quickly stepped aside and gestured for Daniel Jackson to come in. "Do you want a beer? You look like you could do with one."
Daniel nodded and Jack led the way to the kitchen, a silent Daniel close on his heels. Bad sign, Jack decided. Daniel was usually as talkative as a parrot. His silence only confirmed that something was seriously amiss. Jack resisted the urge to ask, as he dug around in his fridge, worried that he already knew what was coming. Had Daniel finally regained more of his memories, the ones that Jack would rather leave forgotten?
"Look Daniel," Jack handed his friend a beer, hoping to pre-empt any tirade of accusation. "I know I was wrong to try blow up Lotan's ship while you were in there, but damn it Daniel, you disobeyed orders. And that time when I told you to shut up on Euronda, well I apologised for that later�I hope you remember THAT much. And as for the time�"
"Jack, I know all of this. This isn't about my memory." Daniel took a sip of beer, hands visibly shaking. "It's about the other Jack; the young Jack. He came to visit me."
"Oh?" That was a surprise. Jack himself had had no contact with his younger clone since he deposited him at high school several months before. Jack leaned back against the kitchen bench and tried not to sneer. The younger version of himself left him strangely defensive and he didn't know why. He'd tried to rationalise it but all he had come up with was that it was some kind of jealousy; jealousy for the second chance at life that Young Jack had been given, a second chance with the benefit of hindsight. It simply wasn't fair. "So what did he want?" Jack asked. "Is he in trouble? Got some girl pregnant?"
Daniel bit his lip, blushed and picked at the beer label with one fingernail. "Umm, no�," he began softly, his eyes blinking and fluttering nervously.
"He made a pass at me."
"WHAT?" Jack choked, beer spraying everywhere.
"I said, he made a pass at me." Daniel said again, louder this time so there was no mistaking his words.
"Shit!" Jack took a long swallow of beer. "So what did you do?" He looked at Daniel, red faced, clearly uncomfortable. "Oh God�You didn't�..you didn't�.."
"No! Of course I didn't. What do you think I am, Jack?"
"Well what did you DO?"
"I thanked him for the offer but told him he was too young." Daniel put his beer down and started gesturing, his hands taking on a life of their own as they often did when Daniel became tense. "Of course he replied that despite what his ID said, he was technically well over the age of consent and knew exactly what he was undertaking so the age factor shouldn't come into it."
Jack snorted in disgust. "He might have my memories, but his body is still only 15, and that's what he's obviously thinking with. You should have told him to try taking out some girls his own age."
"I did and he said he already had, but that they didn't interest him on an �intellectual level."
"Since when was I �I mean�he�I mean�oh ...US interested in intellect."
Daniel shrugged. "I guess he meant he had little in common with them given his life experience. He also said that he didn't want to make the same mistakes that you made, Jack. He said he'd�you'd� lived with regrets all of your life and that this time around he was going to do all the things he�I mean you had wanted to do but had never had the courage."
Jack blinked. "Uhhh�and that includes seducing you, does it?"
"I guess so." Daniel blushed again. He picked up his discarded beer and took a long sip.
"Shit."
They stood there in silence while Jack tried to think of something to say. All this time he had been worrying about Daniel regaining his memory, while it was Jack's own memories in the hands of a hormone charged fifteen year old clone that he should have feared.
"So Jack, is it true?" Daniel asked.
"Is what true?"
"Is it true that you have regrets about�.never�making a pass at me?"
Jack felt the blood drain from his face. In the early days of their friendship, Jack had wondered if Daniel would somehow pick up that the friendly banter they shared was a thinly disguised cover for flirtation. Although there were countless dangers to face in choosing to pursue a relationship with anyone under his command, Jack had decided that if anyone was worth the trouble then it was Daniel Jackson. There was just something about Daniel that got passed all of Jack's usual guards. But as time passed, Jack realised that Daniel was either oblivious to his attraction or if he had noticed, had chosen to ignore it. That worried Jack; he didn't want to go too far with Daniel, not knowing how Daniel viewed their relationship. Did he see it as a harmless friendship or was he intimidated by Jack's closeness? In the end Jack decided it was best to err on the side of caution. So he took a step back and turned his attentions towards Sam Carter, a safer target and one that was unlikely to blow up in his face, leaving whatever he felt for Daniel to the realms of what ifs and late night fantasy.
And it was those fantasies, played out in technicolour and sensor-round that a younger version of himself was now privy to. Jack opened another beer. Perhaps there was still a way out of this.
"So you believed him?" Jack asked, trying to sound hurt and disappointed.
"Well he put up a pretty good argument, Jack. He said that you were a fool for running from your feelings and that he wasn�t going to go through life a second time without telling me how he felt."
"How he felt�About you?" Jack echoed.
"Yes. Felt...about me" Daniel said softly, but didn't elaborate further other than to add, "He was very sincere."
"Oh for Christ's sakes, Daniel, he'd say anything." Jack shouted. "He was trying to get into your pants!"
"I know that Jack. But I also know there had to be some truth in there. Why would he make the whole thing up?" Daniel pinned him with those blue eyes. "So is it true Jack? I may not have all my memories back, but I'd know if you ever told me anything like that before. And you didn't, although I do remember wondering in those first years�.well, wondering if you �.but I thought I was mistaken, you were military Jack, and married�or had been married�I thought I was reading it all wrong." Daniel paled, looking as if he had said too much. "Perhaps I should go Jack. I can see it was a mistake to come here like this."
"What else did you tell him, Daniel?" Jack asked. Suddenly the answer was all important.
"I told him no, that he was too young and that even if I did feel something for him - I mean you Jack, felt something for you, well - he wasn't really you." Daniel screwed up his face and frowned. "You know what I mean." He put his beer down, suddenly serious again. "But I did tell him that if he still felt the same in a few years time then maybe we could talk about it some more."
Jack's mouth fell open. He shut it quickly. "You�you�.said that. To him?"
"Yes. And that's why I came here. You see, I'd much rather have you, the real you. But if I can't, then perhaps a younger version wouldn�t be so bad." Daniel turned away. "I'm sorry I bothered you, Jack. I'll see myself out."
Shocked, Jack watched as Daniel walked out of the kitchen. Daniel was interested all this time! And now he's walking out of my life and he'll end up with� that�little�.brat! Suddenly all of his jealousy towards the Younger Jack came bubbling to the surface. There was no way that teenaged smart arse deserved Daniel, HIS Daniel. Was he just going to stand there, too afraid to speak out? Young Jack hadn't been, he'd shown more guts and downright determination than Jack had in a long time. Could HE do anything less? Jack sprinted for the kitchen door.
"Daniel�wait." Jack called. Daniel paused by the front door but didn't look back.
"He wasn't wrong, he didn't lie. I'm sorry. Can we talk about this?" The words gushed out as Jack skidded to a stop a few feet away and waited.
Slowly Daniel turned back, a shy smile slipping onto his face.
"Yes, Jack, I'd like that."
Jack held out his hand and Daniel walked towards him, arm outstretched. Their fingers touched, entwined. Jack pulled Daniel into a tight embrace. "Oh Daniel�" he whispered as he buried in face in the crook of Daniel's neck "We've wasted so much time."
The phone rang. And rang again.
"Dammit!" Jack broke away. "O'Neill," he growled as he picked up the phone.
"Sir," came the worried voice on the other end. "I'm afraid there's a problem."
"What is it Carter?" Jack snapped. "This had better be good. Is there trouble at the Mountain?"
"No Sir, I'm at home." There was silence for a moment. "I just had a visit from the Younger Jack and you'll never guess what he wanted, Sir."
The End.