This is just a brief tag to Scorched Earth ... Daniel and Jack are mending some bridges

... and the characters are not mine :(

ADJUSTMENT TO THE SELF-PRESERVATION INSTINCT

He had been trying to avoid Jack 's gaze. Actually the colonel didn't look much angry or disappointed or anything else for that matter. He had this very blank expression that made Daniel felt so uneasy sitting here at the conference table opposite the older man. In the past years they had been working together Daniel had learned the very expressions of Colonel Jack O'Neill. Being not able to put a name on the expression right now made him uncertain and uncomfortable. At the end the mission to Euronda had turned out ideal. Both civilizations had been saved. No one had to sacrifice its existence. Great wasn't it?!

Except for the fact that Jack and Daniel had butted heads pretty badly this time. The fact that they weren't always on the same side was nothing new. But Daniel had learned to accept Jacks' command now and then and to be a somewhat team player. Maybe he had played nice for too long that he had needed a spark to burst up his rebellious side or it was simply the mere fact that he just couldn't stand by and witness the extinction of an entire race.

His anger over Jack for being so dense and straightforward when making such an important decision had all but vanished when Daniel had re-appeared on the planet just after having brushed certain death in the hands of his friend Jacks' reasoning was simple enough: Jack had chosen the less dangerous path. He had calculated the odds and decided for the simplest way to go. But Daniel, has the pacifist person he is, had wanted to save both sides, to gain hundred percent. Now he had to face Jack's wraith or whatever it was that lingered in the older mans expression. The post mission briefing took only as long as it needed to. Daniel's actions were neither prised nor reprimanded. In the end they had gotten what they wanted but still there was a tension caused by the fact that nobody wanted to talk about Jack's and his considerable disagreement. To Daniel's surprise, Jack kept his report as curt as even possible and even after the briefing he disappeared so quickly that Daniel hadn' t had the chance to catch up with him. Normally the colonel didn't waste a second to berate the archaeologist on his unselfish and dangerous acts.

Daniel felt uncertain by the minute. He needed to find Jack and clear the air now. This feeling was really terrible and Daniel was rather angry with himself for craving Jack's approval. God, he could be responsible for the extinction of an entire race for all he knew.

Daniel made his way to the locker room. And as if he had foreseen, there he stood, colonel Jack O'Neill. He had already changed in his civvies. Apparently oblivious to the presence of his teammate, Jack sat on one of the banks in the dim room.

-what took you so long?

Daniel jumped at the silent but firm question. Black ops training he thought. Had him fooled all the time and Jack seemed to enjoy that the younger man was surprised every time.

-i couldn't find you after the debriefing

-just thought that we needed to talk in private.

Jack wanted also to vent his anger in the secluded walls of the locker room?! So be it!

-look Jack, why don't you just start with the lecture, so we can put it behind ourselves?

-i will alright but what is the rush?

Jack's voice was ice cold.

-i can't stand this pointless tension. That's why!

Jack really started to annoy him now.

-good

Daniel looked incredulous. Jack had still his back turned but wasn't there a small smile?!

-that's the least you deserve Daniel. After your little stunned i'd love to give you more than a bad feeling!

Jack throw his lengthy legs over the bank and was now facing his archaeologist. So this was a little mission to make him feel bad.

-if you think i am gonna apologize or anything ...

-oh, you're so full of it Dr.Jackson

Jack cut him of mid sentence. For the first time in their conversation he had raised his voice and Daniel felt rather relieved because with a pissed colonel he could deal.

-haven't you learned a thing in the past four years?

Jack looked him straight in the eyes.

-you are part of something Daniel. You are part of a family

-i know that

Daniels voice came out more emotional than he intended.

-then i suggest you start acting like that!

Daniel looked surprised. He was not sure what Jack wanted from him but he relaxed slightly since it appeared that he wasn't nearly as pissed as Daniel had thought. There was a short silence. Then Jack sighed and bowed his head to rest on his nape.

-look at that! İ can't really be mad at you. That's gotta be a first!

Jack stood up and walked to his younger teammate.

-Daniel what is it with you and this 'my life is not as valuable as some remains of an ancient insect race' attitude?!

Jack's voice rose with every word and he held his index finger in front of Daniel to emphasize his words.

-your self preservation instinct really needs some adjustment!

Jack looked right into Daniels eyes.

-you acted irresponsible, regardless to everyone else in your team and regardless to your own safety

-i just kept the big picture in mind, Jack

-right, maybe you should try and see the little things too, like i don't know the people we settled on the planet, or your friend who was about to shred you in pieces?

Daniel was ashamed. He never would have wanted to put Jack through something like that

-i am sorry Jack but you wouldn't listen and i couldn't just stand by and help you set a bomb to destroy an entire civilization

-it's not that i didn't want to listen Daniel but my primary responsibility was to the people we promised to protect.

There it was again the military mind which seemed always to rise like a wall between him and Jack. No matter how hard he tried to see through this wall there were times it seemed just impenetrable. The simple one and one equals two just didn't apply when you dealt with living individuals and alien ones too. Jack sighed again and spoke with compassionate voice.

-you do understand that i had to do what i did, don't you?

The funny thing was Daniel understood.

Exactly that was the dynamic that made SG1 work the way it did. Jack was the voice protector, the reason. Jack had to. This was the only way he could keep the risks at a minimum ad keep everybody in his responsibility alive. Daniel was the one who tried those boundaries. That way they could understand and be explorers. Probably Jack and Daniel would be in each others hairs in many days to come. But he wouldn't have it another way.

-what about we grab some dinner? Your treat. I think you owe it to me after you nearly nearly blow me up today!

Daniel curved up his lips into a small smile.

Jack looked stunned first but his expression became neural immediately. He silently acknowledged that the younger man understood and desperately wanted some normality back in their friendship

-happy i didn't blow you up Daniel. i wouldn't want anyone else to pay for my stake! But don't you ever dare doing something like this again or i swear i am gonna kill you myself!

Everything was back to normal. At least for the time being.

this is my first fanfic ... after reading so many great stories i just needed to write one (at least:)) myself. I did feel a bit insecure about publishing something since English isn't really my native language but i just couldn't bring myself to write a SG-1 story other than in English ... so please everyone who is kind or curios enough to read this go easy on me :)))