The Planet and the Stars
By DekotaSkye
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, the Jim Henson Company does, and.whoever else. I'm just using the characters for a moment in fun and entertainment. Special thanks to Andromeda for her hard work in keeping me straight. Spoilers: Parts of the discussion was taken from Terra Firma. It takes around a month after Bad Timing earth time. Rated: G
Part 1: Reflections
Olivia brought out a tray with coffee and cups onto the deck just outside the kitchen. Jack leaned his rear against the rail and watched the sunset. His thoughts were never far from thinking of John. The feeling he had, that he would never see John again, nagged at him again. When John phoned home with the message he had to destroy the wormhole in order to save earth, the old feeling came back with a vengeance. Jack always had pride in his sixth sense, now he wished it had been wrong.
He gaze swept over Olivia as she filled the cups. She looked up and smiled, as she crossed the deck bringing him a cup. Leaning on the rail next to him she took a sip of her own coffee. Sharing a moment of silence they watched the sun make its last flare of color before disappearing.
"You're thinking of John aren't you," Olivia stated.
Studying his coffee Jack finally nodded his head.
"You know he wants us to continue."
"I know, Livvy, and we are," he muttered into his coffee. "Sometimes it." Sighing, he glanced over at his daughter with a haunted smile. "It's just." Shaking his head he lifted his cup to his lips again. "Don't mind the ramblings of an old man."
Sitting her cup down, Olivia faced her father with a look of understanding. "It's what they had been saying about him. What he did?" Olivia was working herself up. "They just don't have a clue about the real dangers that could have occurred. They're self important arrogant."
Chuckling, Jack finished off his coffee. Olivia broke off, joining in the laughter. "Sorry."
"Don't be. I totally agree with you, and I convey that to them." Jack sat his cup down and faced out into the darkened yard. "I'll be glad when John comes back and the cynics will have to..."
Jack let the words trail off as his gaze turned up to the night sky. "All though I am planet bound, my heart will soar through the stars as my soul takes flight."
"That's pretty. Who said it?" Livvy asked.
"My father."
"Really? I didn't know he wanted to be an astronaut?"
"He didn't." Jack reflected. "He loved to fly. I think he was the happiest when he was in the air."
"Father like son."
"I guess."
"Dad, did you and John really get to talk about what happened to him while out there?" She asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"No. Why? Did he say something to you?" He asked, focusing his attention on her.
She leaned against the railing again. "Not exactly."
"Meaning."
Pushing away from the rail she walked over to the table, setting both cups back on the tray. A hand settled on her shoulder as she continued staring at the table.
"Livvy, if you don't want to talk about it I'll understand. Looking back I think he wanted to tell me something but I put him off." His voice dropped to a mumble. "I just never dreamed there wouldn't be time."
Turning, Olivia tried to smile as her gaze moved over his face with concern. "Dad, it's not your fault. Remember what you told me after he'd called you the last time?"
Frowning Jack shrugged his shoulders. Patting him on the chest Olivia smiled sadly.
"I asked you why he had to be the one to be lost in space."
"And I told you that it must have been his destiny, " Jack finished. Hugging his daughter close he sigh.
Pulling back Olivia said, "John was sitting at the dinning room table looking through the picture album. I asked him where he wanted to live?"
"And?"
"He said he didn't know, and asked me to tell him where he belonged."
Jack sat down heavily; a despairing expression came over his face. He whispered, "Belong."
Pulling another chair closer she took one of her father's large hands. She needed to have contact with him. Either to give or gain strength she wasn't sure. She said, "He pointed at our childhood pictures and said that he recognized the faces and some of the places, but it wasn't his life. "
Olivia bit her bottom lip before she continued. "John pointed at Mom's picture with the saddest expression. He said he missed her and."
Jack gazed was locked on the tabletop. He cleared his throat but his voice was still raspy with emotion. "I wish she was here now.she always knew what to say."
"John pointed at your picture. Dad, he said he missed you, but you had changed so much he didn't feel he could talk to you."
Jack looked up sharply. "Couldn't talk to me?"
"Yeah, because you were the Director of Extraterrestrial Studies, and what you heard would go to the government. "
"That's not true. Livvy, why would he believe such a thing?" Jack's voice grew in volume, clearly upset that his own son didn't trust him enough.
Patting her father's hand she tried to reassure him. "Dad, please. I asked him if he really believed you couldn't keep a confidence. He only replied that coming back to earth had been a mistake. It was an accident, and it shouldn't have happened. There were things the government couldn't hear. I asked him if the it was bad." She paused.
Tears shined in Jack's eyes. "Did he tell you?"
"No, he just laughed and told me not to worry," Olivia finished shaking her head.
"Gawd," Jack swore softly as he dropped his eyes to the tabletop again. "A mistake? He believed it was all a mistake." Jack raised his eyes. "When we first learned he was still alive, it was hard to believe. Then when I stood on Moya and saw him walk through those doors.my world came back to life.all the pain just dropped away."
Olivia fell to her knees beside her father and wrapped her arms around him. Jack silently cried for a moment. She whispered in his ear. "He loves you, Dad. He was so happy.you have to believe that. When he comes back to us."
Jack looked up and spoke with the Crichton determination. "You're right. Earth needs to be ready, and we will work toward the goal he wanted. There will be another time for John and I. I believe that. "
He kissed Olivia on the cheek before he helped her to stand. "I am hungry what do you want?"
"Pizza."
Laughing John hugged his daughter close. Taking one last look toward the stars he remembered the last of the line of his father's saying. My heart will soar through the stars as my soul takes flight. My heart and soul is with you son.
By DekotaSkye
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, the Jim Henson Company does, and.whoever else. I'm just using the characters for a moment in fun and entertainment. Special thanks to Andromeda for her hard work in keeping me straight. Spoilers: Parts of the discussion was taken from Terra Firma. It takes around a month after Bad Timing earth time. Rated: G
Part 1: Reflections
Olivia brought out a tray with coffee and cups onto the deck just outside the kitchen. Jack leaned his rear against the rail and watched the sunset. His thoughts were never far from thinking of John. The feeling he had, that he would never see John again, nagged at him again. When John phoned home with the message he had to destroy the wormhole in order to save earth, the old feeling came back with a vengeance. Jack always had pride in his sixth sense, now he wished it had been wrong.
He gaze swept over Olivia as she filled the cups. She looked up and smiled, as she crossed the deck bringing him a cup. Leaning on the rail next to him she took a sip of her own coffee. Sharing a moment of silence they watched the sun make its last flare of color before disappearing.
"You're thinking of John aren't you," Olivia stated.
Studying his coffee Jack finally nodded his head.
"You know he wants us to continue."
"I know, Livvy, and we are," he muttered into his coffee. "Sometimes it." Sighing, he glanced over at his daughter with a haunted smile. "It's just." Shaking his head he lifted his cup to his lips again. "Don't mind the ramblings of an old man."
Sitting her cup down, Olivia faced her father with a look of understanding. "It's what they had been saying about him. What he did?" Olivia was working herself up. "They just don't have a clue about the real dangers that could have occurred. They're self important arrogant."
Chuckling, Jack finished off his coffee. Olivia broke off, joining in the laughter. "Sorry."
"Don't be. I totally agree with you, and I convey that to them." Jack sat his cup down and faced out into the darkened yard. "I'll be glad when John comes back and the cynics will have to..."
Jack let the words trail off as his gaze turned up to the night sky. "All though I am planet bound, my heart will soar through the stars as my soul takes flight."
"That's pretty. Who said it?" Livvy asked.
"My father."
"Really? I didn't know he wanted to be an astronaut?"
"He didn't." Jack reflected. "He loved to fly. I think he was the happiest when he was in the air."
"Father like son."
"I guess."
"Dad, did you and John really get to talk about what happened to him while out there?" She asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"No. Why? Did he say something to you?" He asked, focusing his attention on her.
She leaned against the railing again. "Not exactly."
"Meaning."
Pushing away from the rail she walked over to the table, setting both cups back on the tray. A hand settled on her shoulder as she continued staring at the table.
"Livvy, if you don't want to talk about it I'll understand. Looking back I think he wanted to tell me something but I put him off." His voice dropped to a mumble. "I just never dreamed there wouldn't be time."
Turning, Olivia tried to smile as her gaze moved over his face with concern. "Dad, it's not your fault. Remember what you told me after he'd called you the last time?"
Frowning Jack shrugged his shoulders. Patting him on the chest Olivia smiled sadly.
"I asked you why he had to be the one to be lost in space."
"And I told you that it must have been his destiny, " Jack finished. Hugging his daughter close he sigh.
Pulling back Olivia said, "John was sitting at the dinning room table looking through the picture album. I asked him where he wanted to live?"
"And?"
"He said he didn't know, and asked me to tell him where he belonged."
Jack sat down heavily; a despairing expression came over his face. He whispered, "Belong."
Pulling another chair closer she took one of her father's large hands. She needed to have contact with him. Either to give or gain strength she wasn't sure. She said, "He pointed at our childhood pictures and said that he recognized the faces and some of the places, but it wasn't his life. "
Olivia bit her bottom lip before she continued. "John pointed at Mom's picture with the saddest expression. He said he missed her and."
Jack gazed was locked on the tabletop. He cleared his throat but his voice was still raspy with emotion. "I wish she was here now.she always knew what to say."
"John pointed at your picture. Dad, he said he missed you, but you had changed so much he didn't feel he could talk to you."
Jack looked up sharply. "Couldn't talk to me?"
"Yeah, because you were the Director of Extraterrestrial Studies, and what you heard would go to the government. "
"That's not true. Livvy, why would he believe such a thing?" Jack's voice grew in volume, clearly upset that his own son didn't trust him enough.
Patting her father's hand she tried to reassure him. "Dad, please. I asked him if he really believed you couldn't keep a confidence. He only replied that coming back to earth had been a mistake. It was an accident, and it shouldn't have happened. There were things the government couldn't hear. I asked him if the it was bad." She paused.
Tears shined in Jack's eyes. "Did he tell you?"
"No, he just laughed and told me not to worry," Olivia finished shaking her head.
"Gawd," Jack swore softly as he dropped his eyes to the tabletop again. "A mistake? He believed it was all a mistake." Jack raised his eyes. "When we first learned he was still alive, it was hard to believe. Then when I stood on Moya and saw him walk through those doors.my world came back to life.all the pain just dropped away."
Olivia fell to her knees beside her father and wrapped her arms around him. Jack silently cried for a moment. She whispered in his ear. "He loves you, Dad. He was so happy.you have to believe that. When he comes back to us."
Jack looked up and spoke with the Crichton determination. "You're right. Earth needs to be ready, and we will work toward the goal he wanted. There will be another time for John and I. I believe that. "
He kissed Olivia on the cheek before he helped her to stand. "I am hungry what do you want?"
"Pizza."
Laughing John hugged his daughter close. Taking one last look toward the stars he remembered the last of the line of his father's saying. My heart will soar through the stars as my soul takes flight. My heart and soul is with you son.