101 Tag to Children of the Gods
When this old world starts getting me down
And people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space
On the roof it's peaceful as can be …
At night the stars put on a show for free
Up On The Roof by Carole King
When Simmons came to get him, when Simmons climbed up to his roof top aerie Jack actually was elated. Wary mind you, very wary. What did they want him for?
Instead of just looking at the stars was there a chance for him to roam among the stars again – to be of use.
After a little song and dance with the new base commander, a General Hammond, he was given an opportunity. At last something meaningful to do, not to be at loose ends and floundering. They needed him, well maybe anyone would do but he had the experience and was crazy enough to do it all again. This time he'd be content enough to live through it. Maybe this time he'd have a wild ride, maybe he'd be of value.
But he'd never let it show, never let anyone know what it meant to him. So many things have been torn out of his hand, torn out of his life.
He had been knocked apart a few times, mostly after disastrous missions. After his son's death he had been shattered. Pieces of himself, broken and bent, never quite fit back together.
He had thought of himself as a strong man, a special ops officer and a good one at that. What arrogance. When the boy died he realized it was all a facade. He didn't have the strength to hold his family together, to hold his marriage, together to hold himself together. With the experience of Daniel and Skaara, the Stargate and with this year off, he rebuilt himself. Strong again but different, not necessarily better. In order to command he knew he'd need the aura of arrogance. He saw through it and didn't delude himself this time.
One thing for sure he won't be vulnerable to loss again. He won't let anyone see what could hurt. He won't let anyone get close enough to hurt him if he lost them. An aloof, arrogant, sarcastic, hard nosed bastard, he could do that easily.
He teamed up with his men, Kawalsky and Ferretti.
Then she strolled in the door and showed her metal.
And he found Skaara and Daniel again.
And he and his team were saved by the Jaffa Teal'c.
And all bets were off.
'Twas in another lifetime one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue, the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness a creature void of form
"Come in," she said,
"I'll give you shelter from the storm."
Shelter From The Storm by Bob Dylan
