Disclaimer: I own neither the Highlander universe nor the Stargate universe.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

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A Square Peg in a Round Hole:
Junior Year of High School, Revised, A Clone's Tale

By marbleglove

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Chapter 12
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And then they were in the eye of the storm and everything was quiet.

The blast doors between the gate room and the hallways swarming with marines had slammed shut, trapping Jake, Garvin and Matthews in with the Goa'uld and Jaffa, separate from any backup. Despite that, Jake found himself temporarily… safe.

The surrounding Jaffa had shifted, not in stance, but in presence. Their faces were no longer intent and aggressive but now carefully blank. Jake figured Mathews had rather neatly trapped the Goa'uld into a fight. The Jaffa looked like they were waiting for the challenge to be answered before they obeyed either one's orders. Jake smirked. There was a reason why actual Goa'uld system lords preferred to not interact with each other face-to-face.

Ptah had locked eyes with Matthews, with Methos, and they were both ignoring everything else around them.

Everything around them was very calm, waiting. The only sound was Garvin's struggling breath. Jake felt a horrible mixture of very young and very old. He was trailing behind Matthews, expecting all of his troubles to be solved for him, making him feel all of about five years old. At the same time, he was holding up a kid, who probably wasn't more than twenty-five, as he died, which made him feel older than dirt.

Deciding that his best course of action was to take the time he was being given, Jake half-carried, half-dragged Garvin over to the wall. He could feel the boy's stomach swelling from an internal injury. Getting the blast doors open without a fight just wasn't going to happen, and Jake had seen enough death to doubt that Garvin could survive even with immediate attention. He settled the boy down and tried to make him as comfortable as possible leaning back against the wall. If he was at all conscious, he could at least watch the fight that would come.

Settling into parade rest, guarding Garvin, Jake watched Matthews—Methos—and Ptah and tried not to wince at his own thoughts.

Methos.

The silly, stupid thing was, he recognized the name. It had taken a bit to remember from where, but Daniel had briefed SG-1 some years ago about the minor Asian deity. When a French scholar with a known interest in ancient deities had been tortured to death, the crime had popped up as possible Goa'uld activity on Earth. They got around four or five such hits every year and it was almost never true, but they still had to look in case another Seth was out there. Daniel had been quite excited when he realized that the man had made a hobby of tracking the Methos myth. It was apparently a really obscure myth that frustrated the few scholars who cared by popping up in strange places.

If Jake recalled correctly, Methos had gone from being a god of death back around 1500 BC to a spirit of scholarship and secret knowledge to some weird combination of flying Dutchman and holy grail in modern times. There remained some mystery around the death of the Frenchman but since there was no evidence of Goa'uld involvement, they had filed it under random human evil and not their jurisdiction.

It was a stupid name to pretend to have because it was thousand of years too late for Ptah to have ever heard of it. Matthews was not stupid, however.

And Jake knew that to fight the way Methos had been fighting took a level of non-thought that in any other person he would have said precluded lies. With Matthews, Jake couldn't be sure, but he thought the same would be true. The thought that Methos might not be just another bit of historical trivia was unnerving. The thought that Matthews might actually be Methos was close to terrifying.

"God to god, I challenge you. Winner takes all," the man had said. And Methos--Jake went ahead and accepted that he thought Methos was Matthew's real name--Methos had been happy. He was excited. He was smiling even now.

Ptah and Methos had been slowly circling each other, Methos with his swords, Ptah with his staff.

Methos was smiling even now, his eyes gleaming like gems. He didn't look human. One side of his face was red with blood only just starting to dry. The other side was pale as ivory. His cheekbones and nose were as sharp as any carven idol.

He looked like a pagan god.

What he did not look like was someone who followed any commands of the SGC's.

Silhouetted against the Stargate, Methos and Ptah both froze. For a moment Jake thought the wait was over. Instead they both settled into ready positions and waited motionlessly, eyes still locked.

Jake had once seen a demonstration of Japanese sword fighting. The competitors had been like this: waiting for that moment when they could take out their opponent with a single perfect strike.

Jake tried not to blink. It could happen that quickly and it would be over.

He suddenly felt a pang of loss as he realized what was already over. He'd been living an idyll for the last few months, living and learning with a man who treated him as an adult, pushed him to his limits, and gave him the companionship he'd so dearly missed. And now it was over.

As they'd pressed the man to learn more of his abilities, they'd all unknowingly watched as Matthews reverted to Methos. Jake doubted Methos was the type to play babysitter to a clone or even advisor to a military base. He had, after all, declared himself a god, winner take all.

In this instance, "all" was probably made up of half a dozen planets, armies and warships.

The silence was deepening. Jake had thought it was silent before but it was only with the absence of those faint muffled thumps that Jake realized that the marine outside the blast doors had stopped moving around.

His ears started to ring with the silence when he could no longer heard Garvin's breathing. He tensed to prevent the shudder the realization produced.

Then it happened.

Jake didn't know what the signal was, but suddenly there was movement and sound in a sudden burst.

And Ptah was dead, not just the host but the snake itself. Methos had decapitated them both with a single blow.

Jake found himself staring with sick fascination at the truncated neck which exposed half a Goa'uld. It reminded him of the old joke, what's worse than biting into an apple and finding a worm? Biting into an apple and finding half a worm.

It had been funny back in grade school. The first time through at least.

"Kneel."

The command brooked no disobedience. Even though Jake, no, Jack had refused to kneel to gods before, and Jake had been struggling for months to break his own military habits, it still took serious effort to lock his knees and stay standing.

He would not kneel.

All the Jaffa kneeled. They went down with a resounding thud of knees hitting concrete. Jake could almost sympathize: that was painful.

Methos scanned the Jaffa dispassionately. "Kneeling with one knee is a sign of respect and preparedness to act upon my command. Kneeling on both knees is a sign of a pilgrim requesting a boon." He paused, then continued, "A god is a protector, a commander, and a miracle worker. You will obey me. You may pray to me. I may or may not answer your prayers, but you may always ask." And he turned away from them.

It was, Jake realized, not unlike any other orientation to a new program or introduction to a new commander. Methos had made a demonstration, then laid out the ground rules, and finally left the new recruits to themselves to consider it all. It was also all the confirmation Jake really needed to know that Methos was not staying on Earth with him.

His junior year of high school, revised, over when his pre-cal teacher left to became a god-king. It was almost funny. Almost.

Said pre-cal teacher was now approaching and Jake watched him warily. Methos nodded in acknowledgement to Jake, but crouched down in front of Garvin. A hand at to the throat checked for a pulse and confirmed death.

"If you're really a god, then can't you do something about Garvin?" Jake spoke somewhat wryly. It was an old standby reaction from being Jack, one that he had kept: when in doubt, or in pain, or scared, joke. Humor could be just as important in tense situations as in relaxed ones, and as long as it was intentional, it wouldn't be so obvious that he didn't know what else to do.

He had expected Methos to respond with some excuse about why he wouldn't do it. That was actually a lesson he had learned way back in the Academy and which had been relearned in Matthew's lessons on strategy and tactics: never say you can't do something, only that you didn't or won't. Let your opponent think you can do it, whatever it is, if you wished to.

What he didn't expect was Methos' glare. "There is a reason people stay dead. Would you sentence him to a life beyond his time?"

Jake jerked back. There had been more venom in that voice than Jake had heard from him before. "Ah, no. Sorry."

He felt like he'd missed some important cue. What was he supposed to say? The apology had been automatic even though he realized even as he said it that he wasn't actually sorry. The answer was really, yes, he would give the boy another chance at life he could. Look at Jake himself, after all, he was living a reasonably happy life despite it being other than his own. Well, better than not living it. Sort of. Now that he was living it, he wasn't interested in giving it back, at least.

He didn't say anything since now he realized that he had given Methos the perfect excuse for not bringing Garvin back from the dead.

Unaware of Jake's thoughts, Methos shook his head. "It's too late. He'll be back." Methos grimaced. "It's a long trek from death to the living, but he's a marine. I'd say less than a day till his next breath."

"What?" And now Jake really felt like he had missed his cues. "Wait, what?"

"Religion does make fools of us all," Methos murmured under his breath and Jake wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear it or not. Speaking louder, Methos continued, "It wasn't your fault, not really. But he's tied to the living now. For as long as he has a body to which to return, he will make his home among the living and only visit death upon occasion."

"Um?"

But Methos turned his face to the observation window and the camera that couldn't be seen but which Jake knew was there. "I will not be taking him with me. When he wakes up, though, tell him to be respectful of holy ground. Religion is not an easy thing but any consecrated ground will be a refuge, as long as he never desecrates it with violence."

"So, you're taking off."

"Yes, I need to consolidate power. Probably for fifteen, twenty years at least, although I imagine it will be a thousand year gig, at least. It was a successful strategy to use a whole Jaffa army as bait to draw the other system lords to us, one by one, but I think it needlessly cruel to so use the same Jaffa so repeatedly."

"We didn't…" Jake was appalled at the idea but then bite off further denials. Even if it hadn't been their intention, it probably was what they had done none the less. And, frankly, it probably would have been their intention if they'd thought of it. The Jaffa had only ever been considered as part of the Goa'uld retinue. Even with Teal'c and Bra'tec and the Jaffa rebellions and the free Jaffa as examples, the SGC military strategists never considered them a separate people worthy of consideration. Finally, he settled with a casual shrug and a flippant, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Methos smiled and it was the smile that Jake recognized from Matthews, the one that laughed silently.

"I notice you're not kneeling, by the way." Methos spoke conversationally.

"No, I'm not." Jake hardened his eyes. He had hoped that Methos would just take his new command and leave Earth behind. "Think I'll worship you any more than I'll worship one of the snakes?"

"I don't believe I mentioned worship. I mentioned kneeling."

"Do I need to remind you that this little fight did not put you in command of Earth." Jake could taste the bitterness that came from having to protect Earth from what he had thought was a friend.

It was made all the harder because Methos' eyes still sparkled with amusement.

"Of course not, that's way too late. I already command Earth."

That was not the response that Jake had expected. He stalled. "You think we're going to obey your orders?"

Jake racked his brains to think of how Methos could think himself already in charge. Did he have some political connections? Had he been playing with the SGC this whole time? He couldn't think of any signs but then none of them knew what all Methos was capable of. All Jake knew was the half-remembered briefing from Daniel about what Salzer had been studying which mostly amounted to secrets.

It took a pained moment to realize that a smart man who knew enough secrets could get some powerful people under his thumb. He could feel his face whiten.

Methos's smirk stretched into a grin as he shook his head. "Haven't you read The Little Prince?" He asked lightly. "I command the sun to rise in the east and set in the west and to do each every day. And lo, the very sun obeys my commands. As will Earth, all of it, as I command that it carry on as before, even in my absence."

The tension broke and Jake had to laugh. "Just like that, you command and we obey."

"Indeed." But then he continued much more seriously, so not even his eyes laughed. "Earth is mine. I have lived on her for five thousand years and have loved her as a mother. She is mine to love, to care for, and to protect. And I will keep her as a preserve, as a historical monument to the origins of humanity for as long as I live, and I will live forever.

"But, there's a power vacuum right now and the SGC is making it worse. They are killing off all the 'evil system lords' but not replacing them with anyone. The end result is that more and more powerful lords are coming in to fill the void until eventually one is going to be too powerful for them. You've been fighting the good fight, but you haven't been playing with an endgame in sight.

"I have just gained the entry." Methos waved to the Jaffa guards who kneeled behind him. "My stay here has given me the knowledge, and I have always had the raw ability to fill that void of power."

"What do you think you're going to do with them? Play toy soldiers? Be General Methos of the Jaffa branch of the armed forced?"

"No toys here. I intend to be a system lord. A system lord who is and always will be an ally to Earth. But I am an ally, not a minion."

Jake nodded. He wondered if Hammond would seriously consider it his duty to try to keep Methos here. The NID would certainly make the argument but really any attempt would be asking for failure.

Methos stood in front of him for a little longer, as if waiting for a conversation opener. Jake couldn't think of a single thing to say. He straightened his shoulders and remained silent. He noticed the blood on Methos' face starting to dry brown and crackle. It wasn't too long before he broke the silence to ask, "You're a god of death?"

"I was. I'm not anymore. Now I'm a god of the Jaffa."

Jake couldn't think of anything more to say so fell back into silence.

Methos finally turned around and approached one of the Jaffa who still knelt on two knees. Jake watched with interest to see how Methos thought a god should interact with his subjects. It seemed about the same way a commander did.

"What is your name?"

The Jaffa was clearly surprised by that opening. "I am Nel'ta."

"And I am Methos. What would you ask of me, Nel'ta."

"Lord…" the Jaffa, Nel'ta, Jake reminded himself, Nel'ta started and then paused. He looked into Methos' face and Jake dearly wished he could see what Nel'ta was seeing because the Jaffa seemed to take strength from the look. "Lord Methos, I have been under the command of three gods before you. With each conquest I have been elevated in rank as the previous Jaffa commanders were culled. I am tired and k now that I cannot serve you as you deserve. When you leave to inspect your new lands and peoples, I ask that you leave me behind, here on Earth."

"Is this request to avoid death by my hand or do you truly wish to retire here?"

There was silence as Methos waited for a reply and the Jaffa waited to confirm that the question was not rhetorical. Methos seemed still and patient as a stone, waiting to hear the answer.

"I wish to retire here."

"Do you understand that Earth is a wildlife preserve, a monument to the source of humanity? I will not protect you from the society that has developed here."

"I understand."

"Then with my departure through the Stargate, you will be released from my guard, Nel'ta. As my last command, you will hold the gate open for me as I leave. After that you and the child you carry are free to live as best you can within the Earth preserve."

Jake found himself just as surprised as the Jaffa did at the reference to "the child." Nel'ta, after all, was male and pretty clearly not pregnant. But, Jake realized in the very next thought, he did carry an infant in his gut. Urgh.

"Thank you, my lord."

After a moment of uncertainty and, Jake thought, probably a quirked eyebrow from Methos, the Jaffa shifted so that he kneeled on only one knee.

Then Methos moved on to the next Jaffa who knelt on only one knee.

"What is your name?"

"Ni'tam."

"Ni'tam, I am Methos."

"Yes, my lord Methos."

Methos moved on.

And suddenly, it wasn't just similar to an orientation and introduction. Jake felt like he'd taken a punch to the chest when it finally registered exactly what Methos was getting himself into.

What Methos was about to walk into was hideously dangerous.

Probably about a fifth of the population he was claiming would take the opportunity to try revolting. The other System Lords would not be pleased to have a human amongst them, so assassination attempts would abound. And even if Methos couldn't be killed he probably could be trapped in unpleasant places.

It was impossible enough that no one else had even considered doing this. The SGC wanted to explore, make friends, and destroy the Goa'uld. The NID wanted to sneak around, steal technology, and not be attacked by the Goa'uld. The Trust, who knew what the Trust were after? But none of them had thought to try and meet the Goa'uld on equal footing, and force them to negotiate as equals.

It hadn't even occurred to them to try.

Jake wondered whether it was a good or bad sign that it had occurred to Methos. Diplomacy was good but sufficient empathy for the Goa'uld to make diplomacy work? Referring to a goa'uld larva as a child?

That was just disturbing.

But demanding the obedience of an army of Jaffa with nothing more than your own personal abilities was the sort of high wire walking that demanded absolute self-confidence. The first flinch would very likely be the last one.

It was the sort of dangerous situation that Jack tried to never send anyone else into.

It was the sort of situation that Jack had always done himself.

The thought settled in Jake's mind.

His eyes continued to watch Methos circulate, but his thoughts were everywhere and nowhere.

"What is your name?"

"Lay'c"

"Lay'c, I am Methos."

"Yes, my lord Methos."

Maybe Methos could do it alone. After all, he was already on his way to owning the respect of the Jaffa guard here. But true loyalty was slow to acquire and scarily fragile at the beginning.

Take at a look at himself, after all. He liked Methos and had trusted him for months now, but could still be scared of him after a few words, still have cause to doubt him after discovering a new secret.

So maybe he wasn't loyal yet. But he was becoming loyal, and Methos could use someone loyal to him when everyone else had to be won over. And Earth needed someone of known loyalty to Earth, because they had even less trust in Methos than Jake did.

And for the first time since he was Jake rather than Jack, he would be useful. He would be useful to Earth and to Methos and to the Jaffa people whom he had ignored for so many years.

He wondered if this was at all like what Daniel had gone through when considered staying behind on Abydos. Maybe, maybe not. They had different reasons for leaving Earth. Daniel had wanted to stay with his wife. While Jake wanted to protect the Earth and be useful again.

Then again, they both had nothing to really tie them to the lives they'd lived before and the new ones offered so very much.

Daniel had been in this situation and he had made his choice, his friend would not begrudge Jake his own choice.

And Teal'c, Jake remembered, had already given his approval. "On Earth, an individual is given the opportunity to find his own source of loyalty," the warrior had intoned in that way of his. "Multiple religions are acceptable as long as they do not directly conflict. The NID are dangerous to the Earth; Adam Matthews and yourself are not. You are an acceptable ally."

Sam had given up on him. He didn't even know her well enough anymore to guess what she'd say. She was probably ranting about something right this moment, typing as quickly as she could to find some information or to reprogram some lock. But he didn't know what she'd be saying or what she'd be trying to accomplish.

Hammond still had trouble remembering that he wasn't Jack.

Jake looked down at Garvin.

His final tie to Earth was not to his old teammates or his old commander or his old subordinates. His last tie was to the boy who had died in his arms and who's family deserved to speak to someone who had been there.

It was a fragile tie at best. But still, it was a responsibility that he could not lightly forsake.

Methos had continued circling, stopping at every single Jaffa, getting a name from each.

"What is your name?"

"Tra'am"

"Tra'am, I am Methos."

"Yes, my lord Methos."

Two more Jaffa knelt on two knees, requesting a boon. One of them asked to remain with Nel'ta and that request was granted. The other asked to be granted the same immortality as Garvin had been and that request was denied.

Methos had circled the whole room, speaking individually to each of the Jaffa there and then he was back with Jake.

"Methos?"

"Yes?"

"Will Garvin really come back to life? Truly?" He made his voice serious, needing Methos to answer him honestly. Methos studied him for a moment and seemed to get the message. He was serious when he answered.

"Yes."

Jake struggled with the idea. No machine, no technology, just a man who had been like any other, suddenly gaining immortality. Because he had died in service to a 'god'? But But Methos wasn't being cryptic regarding this. A simple, "yes." There was no room for interpretation, just a matter of believing it or not. It was a matter of trust.

A matter of Faith, so to speak. Jake smirked at the thought, and made his decision.

"I'm going with you." It was a statement. It was not a question. He wasn't giving Methos have a choice on this.

Methos smiled. "Of course you are. You're my First Prime."

Jake snorted laughter. He wanted responsibility, after all. And there it was.

They walked together, side by side and surrounded by an honor guard of Jaffa, through the Stargate.

His last thought before leaving Earth was, Junior year was interesting but Senior year is going to be a bitch and a half.

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The End
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A/N: Okay, so there is an epilogue coming. But this is the conclusion, more or less, of this story. I hope you enjoyed.