It dawned on O'Neill, this was not the same man who five years earlier, had stepped through a newly opened gateway through the stars, traveling to a new and unknown world. When Dr. Daniel Jackson, archeologist, anthropologist and linguist, considered a quack by his colleques, had joined Stargate Command at the urging of Katherine Langford, he'd been a shy skinny kid with the self confidence of a shadow. Jack knew at that time he had intimidated the kid. Hell sometimes he still did, however, O'Neill had to respect the fact Daniel may have been shaking like a rosebush in a earthquake but he always stood his ground.
A passing vehicle drew Jack's full attention back to the road. It was a beautiful day for riding. Normally, Jack would revel in the feel of the wind in his hair, the warm sun on his face, the open road stretched before him and the rumble of the Harley's filling his ears. Today, however, he was anxious to get home where their friends from the SGC were gathered for a barbecue. It had been his idea. He couldn't wait to see their expressions when his Space Monkey roared up the drive. Mentally, Jack was rubbing his hands together in glee.
Beer can in hand, Samantha Carter leaned against Jack's deck railing, a small smile playing about her lips. Her blue eyes were focused on the men gathered around the motorcycles in the driveway and instinctively she sought out the two in the center. Had she been surprised when the man, in faded jeans and a battered, well worn but still servicable leather jacket, removed his helmet to reveal the shaggy haired, blue eyed archeologist? Suprised? No. She hadn't been surprised. Stunned...Flabbergasted....Astonished...Dumbfounded....but not surprised.
As she watched the younger man talking and joking with her commanding officer, she couldn't help but think of the countless ways Daniel had changed since they'd met. Most of the change was due in large part, to the silver haired man kneeling beside the bike, wrench in hand, instructing his young friend on the proper way to adjust the carburator. Seperately, the two men were as different as sunshine and rain, yet any child could tell you when those two forces of nature came together they created a wonderous rainbow.
She hadn't been a member of the SGC when Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson had first met, but she'd read the first Abydos mission reports, heard the rumors and had talked about the mission with both Ferretti and Daniel. Remembering her first meeting with O'Neill, well known for his attitude regarding scientists, Carter could well imagine how Daniel must have felt. Even though she was an astrophysist, and an extremely confident and competant, combat experienced Air Force Captain meeting Colonel Jack O'Neill had twisted her stomach in knots. Stubborn in her own right, Sam had flat out refused to let her new commander know just how nervous she really was. Poor Daniel must have been an emotional wreck.
Carter could well imagine the first time Colonel O'Neill had set eyes on the long haired scientist, the hard nosed military officer hadn't been impressed, despite the fact that this young genius had done in a matter of days, what teams of scientists had failed to accomplish in years. And later still when the civilian was his team's only hope of returning to Earth and their families. Carter knew in O'Neill's eyes Daniel was a painfully shy geek who knew nothing of military discipline or protocol. He had probably considered Daniel totally unpredictable which made him a risk to the rest of the colonel's unit.
