Minor mention of S1 E7, Cold Lazarus (or so I hope). And a theory as to why Mac and Jack would use different last names in this 'verse, despite being brothers.
-1997-
Jack O'Neill slouches low on the couch in his brother's apartment, long legs propped on the coffee table and crossed at the ankles, lazily flipping through late night TV. Not a hockey game or Simpsons episode in sight. Finally settles on an old black-and-white Western, most likely one of Mac's favorites.
He doesn't know why he's here, not really. Accompanying that blue crystal being who'd turned into Charlie back through the Stargate had been...uncomfortable, to say the least. Bringing up a whole lot of painful memories about his son he'd rather stay buried for a while longer.
Afterwards he'd requested a short family leave to clear his head. Hammond's a decent guy for a general, all things considered.
Originally he'd intended to talk with Sara, set things right between them. But instead of heading east, on impulse he turned the truck west. Towards Los Angeles.
So here he is, visiting his twin brother and their niece, who's been with Mac since the car crash which had taken the lives of his sister, brother-in-law and nephew.
A long time since he last had the opportunity to see the only blood relatives he has now, even more so since Harry died. This leave's way overdue, and not just because he's been busy on off-world missions. Nowhere outside of official records has he ever mentioned the rest of his family, for safety's sake. Jack prefers to keep his private life just that. Private.
"Hey." He looks up to see Becky blinking at him from the bottom of the stairs. In her mid-20s now, but adorable in blue pajamas and rumpled hair.
"Hey yourself. Did I wake you?"
"Nah. Couldn't sleep."
"Me neither. Wanna join me?"
A wry smile. "Is that an order, Uncle Colonel?"
"You bet it is. Been a long time since I last cuddled with my niece, after all. Get over here already."
"Yes, sir." She settles on the couch beside him, resting her head against his chest, cheek rubbing against the soft cotton of his black t-shirt. Her left hand lazily toys with his dog tags. "You don't come visit often enough. I've missed you," she says softly.
"Yeah, I know. Missed you too." His lips brush against the top of her hair.
They cuddle together for a long while, each occasionally making a sarcastic comment about the action on the screen but mostly just enjoying each other's company. He likes being with her, finding her quiet, gentle presence soothing.
"Uncle Jack?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you upset with me?"
"Course not. Why would you think that?"
"I dunno. Guess it's because you seem to tease me a lot, or the odd expression you have sometimes when I see you watching me. I can't help thinking you're upset because I chose to live with Uncle Mac after the car crash, instead of you and Aunt Sara."
"What? No way. You wouldn't have been happy anyway, always having to pull up stakes every time I got reassigned."
"True. But-"
"But what?"
"Sometimes I wonder, is all. If I'd moved in, then maybe I would've been able to keep Charlie from playing with your gun, and..." Her voice wavers and she shrugs, helplessly.
Oh, sweetheart.
He thinks about his son and that fatal mishap, ultimately driving him and Sara apart. Becky had only seen her cousin a few times at family reunions but here she is, sharing Jack's guilt and sorrow for a tragic loss that had nothing to do with her, and everything with his own stupid carelessness.
Becky may share his twisted sense of humor but she's more like Mac than him, in a lot of ways. Same compassion, same curiosity and desire to help. No surprise, considering how closely they've bonded since she was a baby.
For Jack's part he'd been closer to Chris, sharing mutual interests in sports and the military. Too bad he hadn't chosen the Air Force after graduating high school, but he'd been proud of his nephew for wanting to serve his country nonetheless. If it weren't for the car crash he'd probably have a thriving career in the Navy by now.
But for all that Chris had still been just a kid, whereas Becky-
An old soul in a young body, he remembers Allison saying once.
God, sometimes he really misses his older sister.
Their mother Ellen, too. Running her mother's coffee shop in Mission City and raising three kids with help from her dad, Harry Jackson. Her first husband, John O'Neill, died in action as a fighter pilot in the Korean War, when Allison was three and he and Mac were barely a year old. Her second husband, James MacGyver, was a good man by all accounts, doing whatever he could to support his wife and stepchildren before the car crash involving himself and Grandma Celia.
(She never wanted to remarry after that. Allison, in her psychologist mode, once theorized she'd developed abandonment issues as a result, to explain her stubbornness. But their mother had always been a strong-willed woman, and passed that self-determination on to all of her children.)
Naturally Mom looked to Allison for assistance, caring for her little brothers even when they had a tendency to get themselves into trouble without thinking things through. She was always the most sensible of the three of them, growing up.
From what Mac says, her daughter's shaping up to be the same. Good.
Someone in this family should be, all things considered.
He gently turns Becky's chin up. In the TV's faint glow he sees the glimmer of tears in her eyes, full of genuine concern. For him, of all people.
"Hey, it's okay," he says, softly. "I'm not upset with you, Beck. You made the right choice. There's nothing you could've done about Charlie. You don't need to take on my problems."
"I know, but I can't help thinking that way. Unc carries so much guilt within him all the time too, you know that? He tends to blame himself for everything bad that happens- regardless of the actual cause- and never stops wondering what he could've, would've, or should've done differently. He has nightmares as a result. I do what I can to help, but I know it's not enough."
"Aw c'mon. Don't sell yourself short, he's lucky to have you. I'm sure your being here is helping a lot more than you think." Mac would never admit any of this to his face- Jack's an open book, compared to his notoriously reticent twin- but somehow he's not surprised. As the Phoenix Foundation's top agent Mac's seen and done a lot of stuff that must be as tough to deal with as any of Jack's own missions.
Not to mention the issues he's had since losing his best friend Jesse, horsing around with Harry's gun on the one day Jack was away with their grandfather on a camping trip-
Funny how both fatal car crashes and gun accidents have shaped their family, in the past few generations.
Damn straight his brother's had nightmares. Good thing Becky's here to keep him grounded, Jack figures.
(Just like his team does, recent events notwithstanding. A brilliant and beautiful astrophysicist for his second-in-command, a multilingual archaeologist, and a rebel Jaffa warrior. Not to mention himself, with his sarcasm and slightly off-kilter irreverence. It's kinda crazy, but he has to admit they're turning into a pretty effective unit.)
"Speaking of my brother, you taking good care of him?"
She seems relieved at the change in subject. "I try. We keep busy. He has his assignments for Phoenix and I've got my graduate classes at UCLA."
"Anthropology and linguistics, right?"
"Yeah. They're interesting. Math and physical sciences aren't my thing, you know?"
"Nothing wrong with that. You never know when knowing some obscure dead language might save the world someday." Reminds him of Daniel; briefly he wonders what would happen if they ever met. Probably get on like a house on fire.
"Yeah, right. Whatever." She rolls her eyes. "So how about you? Where are you stationed now, Colorado?"
"Yeah. Working at NORAD in Cheyenne Mountain." He refrains from mentioning the "deep-space radar telemetry" cover story. It always sounds ridiculous to him.
Of course, he can't say anything about the Stargate program, either.
"What's it like there?"
"It's fine. Can't complain."
"Been to your cabin lately? How's the fishing?"
"Not bad. Peace and quiet, just the way I like it."
"Mind if I ask a few more questions? Uncle Mac says your current assignment's top secret, so I know you can't tell me anything specific. But can I ask about things in general?"
"Don't see why not. Fire ahead."
"Do you get to travel much?"
"Yeah."
"Work alone or with others?"
"With three others. We're kinda like a team."
"Do you have their backs? You think they have yours?"
"Yeah. No doubt about it."
"Meet any interesting people?"
"You could say that."
"Have any adventures? See anything amazing?"
"A few things, here and there."
"Are you seeing anyone? Got any girlfriends yet?"
"Hey, enough with the interrogation already. You're getting into really top-secret stuff. I'd love to tell you more but then I'd have to tickle you to death like this," as he playfully puts deeds to words, "so watch it."
He loves hearing her giggle. "Okay, okay. I'll stop. But at the very least, are you happy?"
Jack smiles. "Yeah. Guess I am. It's interesting work. Keeps me from getting too bored, anyway."
"Good. That's all I really wanted to know." She yawns.
"Getting sleepy?"
"Yeah. Guess I'll go back to bed."
"Stay with me, instead? Don't get enough of a chance to spend time with you as it is."
"That an order?"
"Nope. Just a request for my favorite niece. Please?"
"Sure."
He turns off the TV, sinks deeper into the couch, settles a blanket around them.
"Night, Uncle Jack. Love you."
"Love you too, Beck. Sweet dreams." He drops a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
As Becky nestles against him Jack finds himself wishing she'd stay with him after all. Someone to come home to after saving the planet every week, instead of an empty house and bitter memories.
Nah. She's better off here, with Mac looking out for her. And her doing the same for him. They take their responsibilities to each other seriously, even though she's no longer a minor.
He'll just have to content himself with these rare, treasured visits.
They're what keeps him going.