Chapter 2 – Fighting!
Daniel directed Teal'c to Jack's house and they unloaded their passenger's. Daniel was amazed that Jack was still out of it – which only proved just how much he had to drink. When they got them inside, Daniel laid Sam on the bed in the guest room and Teal'c put Jack on his bed. When Teal'c walked back out into the kitchen, he heard Daniel Jackson talking on his cell phone. He looked at him in question but Daniel held up a finger telling him to give him just a minute.
"Yes Walter I am sure. General O'Neill needs you to contact Thor right away. Explain to him that the General needs him at his home – Thor can use the area tracking beam to find us. It is very urgent."
Daniel paused for a moment and Teal'c watched as his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"No Walter, General O'Neill cannot come to the phone – if he could then he would not need Thor. You really don't want to make him angry do you Walter – I mean if I have to call the President to get this done – Jack is not going to be a happy person. (LONG PAUSE) Thank you Walter – if you have any problems contacting him – call me back on the General's house phone."
Teal'c looked at Daniel with his eyebrow almost lost he had it raised so high. He was waiting for the explanation of why Daniel had just lied to Walter. He was not used to this side of Daniel Jackson and he just hoped the outcome would not be worse than the predicament they were already in.
"Teal'c man I am tired of seeing them tore apart. They are not going to do anything about the situation so it is up to us as their friends to do something. I won't allow it to happen anymore. They can follow these stupid rules if they want to but not me seeing what it is doing to them."
"I understand Daniel Jackson, but should we interfere?"
"Well I don't know -you tell me! Aren't you tired of seeing them like this?!"
Before Teal'c could answer, there was a groan coming from the hallway that lead to the bedrooms. By the time Teal'c had turned around – Jack was coming into the living room. Daniel cringed, not sure who exactly he would have rather faced first – Jack or Sam.
"Damn! I feel like I was hit by a mac truck!" Just how much did we drink at O'Malley's?"
Before Daniel could stop him, Teal'c was quick to correct Jack – this was one time Daniel wished Teal'c knew what Jack had meant by the comparison of a 'mac truck to a fist"
"O'Neill it was I who hit you, not a mac truck – do you not remember?"
"What the heck did ya go and do that for, T?"
"You do not remember what happened at O'Malley's, O'Neill"
"No…oh, wait a minute! Are you saying you knocked me out, T?"
"Indeed"
Jack looked at Teal'c but Daniel jumped in before he could say anything else. He just hoped they could keep Sam out of it until he could get his plan to Thor.
"Jack – you and Sam were starting to say things that should not be said in public. You two were so angry at each other that you did not even know what you were saying. Teal'c had to do something or we would have been in some hot water."
"Please tell me you didn't knock Carter out also?"
"Seriously Jack! Man, you know it was for your own good. The last thing we needed was for the wrong person to hear you two talking about symbiotes' and Asgard!"
"Okay so where is Carter? You did take her home right? I mean you didn't leave her there did you?"
"God Jack – do you really think we are stupid or are you still drunk? Of course we didn't leave her there."
Daniel looked at Teal'c praying he would not correct the assumption that Sam was taken home but that she was actually here. Thankfully, this was one time, Teal'c understood the ramifications of saying that right now to O'Neill.
"Good – then hopefully after she wakes up and is able to take a long hot shower, she will be in a better mood. I will call her later to make sure she is okay."
"You can't really blame her, Jack. I don't blame either of you for the moods you two are in here lately. I blame you both because you won't get off your asses and change the situation!"
"Oh and just what do you suggest I do? I have been fighting to retire for the past five years but they will not allow me to. Every time I mention retiring – they just throw another button at me! Damn don't you think I want this as much as she does?! And don't even say it – it won't matter where they move me – she would still be under my command. The only way she can get out from under me is to change her career out of the service and they wouldn't let her do that no more than they would me! Hell Carter is a damn diamond for them. They would never let her go and you know it."
"No maybe they wouldn't let her go as far as her leaving completely – but they could let her become Dr. Samantha Carter for them instead of Colonel Carter – I mean couldn't she retire out and become a scientist working for the government but not in the Air Force – wouldn't that work?"
"I don't know Daniel – and why would I even ask her that? I mean – you sound like you know for sure I am what she wants – well if that's the case then why the hell was daffy Pete hanging around for?"
"Come on Jack – you know I don't fall for that "stupid" crap you throw at everyone else. You know as good as we do why Sam went and got herself a boyfriend. I mean it was plain to see from the way you talk that you were at a dead end for your relationship. Besides, all I can hear from you every time you to talked was how you weren't good enough for her, you were too old. Or this one – she didn't want no broken down body for a lover. That one seemed to be your favorite. But you never really came out and asked her what she wanted."
"Indeed"
"Really T-man, is that your input for this crap? Hell Daniel you know I have tried – I have told you of the times I have tried – they have stopped me at every interval. I mean what am I supposed to do – take her and run away? Yeah that would go over really well with her and the Air Force. Do you know what happens to people when they go AWOL? I mean we would be facing court martial not only for that but for fraternization and all kinds of other crap. I flatly refuse to ruin her career!"
"Do you even know what she wants for her future? You keep screaming about not wanting to ruin her career but you don't even know if she wants to stay in the service. Have you thought to ask her if she would be willing to become a scientist out of the service so you two can have a relationship?"
"Damn Danny- why all this tonight? My head feels like it has a sledge hammer slamming into it, my chest is killing me and all you want to talk about is why I am not going out of my way to ruin two peoples' futures! Can you just let it go? For once just stay out of it!"
By now they were not just having a casual conversation. Words were heated and getting louder. Teal'c worried that it would come to blows at any minute. He also kept watching the hall, waiting for their voices to wake the other interested party to this conversation.
"No Jack I am not going to do that. Answer me one question and if you can swear that you are answering truthfully, I will shut up and not say anything else ever about it. Do you even know what love is? Have you given up on yourself so much when it comes to love that you don't even know what love is anymore. Did you love Sara when you two were together or was her love what was holding you together?"
"Ok Danny – watch it – you're stepping over the line!"
"Answer me Jack – if Sam was to tell you that she would be willing to walk out of the Air Force to have you – would you even be willing to do that or do you just throw love away because you don't think you could love anymore? Did you bury your willingness to love when you buried Charlie?"
Jack started towards Daniel, hands clenched into a fist. Just as he got close enough to land one square across Daniel's face, he was stopped by another hand. Teal'c stood there between him and Daniel, hand raised holding Jack's fist to keep it from connecting to its target.
"O'Neill – I think it may be best if we walk outside for a minute. You need some air. Come, brother – leave Daniel Jackson here in case Colonel Carter should awaken. Now would not be a good time for you two to see each other."
Teal'c was leading Jack to the patio as he was talking to him, looking back at Daniel with a look that said 'if you open your mouth before I get him outside, I will hit you myself'. Daniel shut his mouth, tightly but the anger was still written all over his face. He did think to himself that he was glad Jack did not catch on that Sam was actually here – he must have thought Teal'c meant in case she called. At least that was what Daniel was hoping.
Teal'c and Jack soon ended up walking around the neighborhood and back again before Jack had calmed down enough that Teal'c felt it was safe for him to see Daniel again. While they walked Teal'c did some talking of his own, surprising Jack that he would even say that much at one time.
"O'Neill, I try not to involve myself in things that are not my personnel business. But this issue between you and Colonel Carter is my business. While I do not agree with all that Daniel Jackson said, he is correct in one thing. You both are killing yourselves while you are trying to save the world you love. By the time you get through saving your world – you will have nothing left to live for."
Jack stopped causing Teal'c to stop and look back at him. He watched Jack as he took his hands and rubbed his face, combing through his hair with his fingers. The look of longing was there in his eyes and Teal'c knew what he was longing for.
"T-man, it's different here then where you are from. You are used to having a woman that can fight beside you in the day time and lay beside you at night. Give you a baby while at the same time, loading her gun and yours with ammo to keep your world safe. But it is not the same here. We cannot bend the rules just because we kept earth safe a couple of times. If I want to lay beside Sam, then the rules forbid that she be under my command. If she is under my command, then I cannot have her as a wife."
"But what you fail to realize O'Neill, is that life has no guarantees – you know this for yourself – I do not need to tell you this. I know that you loved Sara O'Neill – just as much as you love Colonel Carter now – do not look at me like that O'Neill – I am a man – I see the same thing in your eyes that you see in mine when I look at Ishta. But you know as do I and Daniel – the people we love can be gone in an instant. Daniel feels so strongly about this because he has lost the woman he loved twice. First he lost his wife – and then he lost the woman he was hoping to make his wife. It angers him to see you and Colonel Carter throw your love away when he could not have his."
Jack was impressed. He had never heard Teal'c say this much unless he was in a Jaffa council meeting. But Jack was also impressed because he knew that Teal'c had seen right through him as if he were made out of glass. And he was also right about Daniel, he knew that was why Daniel fought so hard for him and Carter. He will never forget holding Daniel the night Teal'c had had to take Sha're's life but the night that haunts him the most was the night he held him after Janet's funeral. He had known that Daniel had feelings for Janet but he had been scared to try to start a relationship with her because of Shar'e. But the feelings had been mutual and Janet too had been to blame because of her relationship with her ex-husband. He had been a very abusive man and it took Janet a long time to finally start standing up for herself.
Jack shook his head. Nobody still did not understand the predicament he and Carter were in. Daniel and Janet could have had a relationship – he was not in the service nor under Janet's command. Teal'c, although he would be the first to fight anyone who said Teal'c was not an American – was not from this planet – they had rules differently where he came from. He and Carter were not that lucky. They would never had met if they had both not been in the Air Force and now the thing that brought them together was the one thing that was keeping them apart.
By now he and Teal'c had made it back to his house. When he walked into the living room, he could not help but glance over at Daniel. He was sitting on the couch with his glasses off and head held down. Jack knew he was upset but he could not really say anything to him. He understood Daniel but why could Daniel not understand him?
Jack walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He did not care if he had just gotten home from a five hour drinking binge – his head hurt, his chest hurt and he was tired of fighting with the people he loved. If he had to stay drunk to stay sane then so be it.
Just as he flicked the top of the bottle across the kitchen, a light shone bright in front of him and when it was gone, Thor stood there. Looking at O'Neill first, he turned and walked into the living room where Teal'c and Daniel were sitting. Jack followed him – looking at him like he was having hallucinations.
"Thor buddy! What brings you to my house? And by the way - not saying it isn't good to see you but– and wait for it - how did you know where my house was?"
