Michael had hardly slept when he finally got home, eager to get the new computer and read as much as he could. He started with the reports turned in by a General Hammond but followed up with the individual team member reports of particularly impressive or startling incidents. He read as much as he could from the whole base but found himself reading each SG-1 report.
Daniel's he sometimes skimmed as they tended to drag into detail. Not that Carter's were much better but Michael was far more interested in the scientific discoveries than the etymology of various languages. He figured Teal'c's short and blunt accounts would be as close to an objective report as he could expect; except for regarding someone called 'Tanith'.
Unsurprisingly Michael found himself engaged by Jack's reports. Some went on for pages regarding strategic maneuvering of the enemy, suggestions for training programs or very unmilitary kvetching of the idiocy of local cultures or civilian team members. Others were barely a paragraph, "Arrived Px367 0822. No engagement. Carter set up monitor device. Gated out 1456." Some others were short for other reasons, "Gated into expected ambush. Numbers exceeded expectations. Covered gate as medical team moved to extract airman Wells. Poor tactile decision took me out. Lost Major Dr. Janet Fraiser, MD. Anticipate review."
The more he read the more he struggled with the enormity of who his brother was and what he had fallen into. He found himself waiting for Friday with more nerves than he had when anticipating meeting Jack for the first time. In fact, he froze when Jack showed up at his door in full uniform. With a jacket heavy with decorations and his cap worn low over his sunglasses he cut an impressive figure and Michael almost didn't recognize him. Jack seemed not to notice his brother's stammering, offering a quick smile and glib comment about being off to see the wizard which quickly put Michael back at ease.
The meeting that day was fast paced but shoulder to shoulder with Jack, Michael managed to keep his head. The director happily appointed him to be the official liaison between the CIA and Homeworld Security, eager to have a middle man between himself and the infamously mercurial General.
Jack was happy too; as he began in his new role Michael noticed most of the HWS staff scurried around their CO and although Michael understood their reverence and respect he had also seen the informality and casual relationship Jack had enjoyed with the personnel in Colorado. Michael did his best to keep that in mind and always be a friendly face, even when he felt overwhelmed.
On occasion General O'Neill could be a thundering and intimidating presence. At those moments Michael pulled up the memories of Jack promising to get him home to his daughters, cowering to an angry Sam or whining about the lack of pizza and he was able to see the human behind the uniform and the genuine concern for his people that fuelled his ire.
What did make him uncomfortable was the way that the HWS staff skirted around him the same way they did Jack. Even the CIA director was quick to grant his requests and would offer unsolicited assistance or resources. Having familiarized himself with the mission history of the SGC Michael knew of the accomplishments and sacrifices of Jack, SG1 and other members of the Stargate teams and wholly understood the respect they commanded. He felt ashamed and fraudulent that the fact that some of that respect was vicariously applied to himself simply because of he happened to be Jack's brother.
He mentioned his discomfort to Jack one night about 6 months after they returned to DC. Jack listened patiently, one of his infuriating smirks on his lips.
"What are you smirking at Jack? It's not funny!" Michael griped, "You've literally saved the world while I've been sitting on my ass. I don't deserve the way they treat me."
Jack picked at a sliver in the deck rail he was leaning upon, "You don't get it." He leveled Michael with an amused glance, "Most people don't leave the SGC. It's too sweet of a post; I've seen people actually offer to turn down promotion in order to try and stay there."
"You mean you?" Michael arched a knowing eyebrow.
"Not just me." Jack sneered.
"So what's your point?"
"Most of the HWS Pentagon staff were never SGC personnel." Jack shrugged, "they were read in from the Academy or from some other Department of Defense office. Most of them have never even been through the gate."
Michael looked down to the bottle in his hand as he reflected on what he knew about the people in Jack's office and the CIA staff he now worked with.
Jack smirked, "Whereas you, you've been through the gate. You've met the Jaffa on Da'Karra. You've flown a Tel'tek. You've engaged in hand to hand with a bad guy, fought a platoon of jaffa, fired a zat, escaped against impossible odds." He drank from his beer, "Saved my ass." His eyes flicked over to Michael before returning to straight ahead. "It's not some reflective respect; it's respect that was hard won and justly deserved."
Michael stared at him, blinking, slowly processing the truth of his words. He released a slow breath, "Well, okay. That may be so. It's still uncomfortable."
"Welcome to the club." Jack grinned and reached over to clink bottles with him.
The brothers enjoyed an amicable silence. Perhaps it was genetic or perhaps it was careers filled with secrets but both men were regularly comfortable with extended silences between them. As Michael regarded the peaceful profile of his older brother he was suddenly struck with a memory and a smile began to spread across his face.
"So…" He broke the silence, "I was talking with Kerry Johnson the other day."
Jack's face remained impressively blank, "Oh? How is Agent Johnson?"
Michael smirked, "Good. She's good. She did ask about you though."
"Oh?" Jack raised his eyebrows, but gave no further indication of any interest.
"Yes, apparently," Michael smirked, "It sounded as if she knew you quite well."
Jack finally looked at him with an exasperated roll of his eyes, "A few weeks nearly two years ago."
"Yes. She was quite…complimentary." Michael grinned at the hint of blush creeping up Jack's neck. "She seemed curious as to if you were seeing anyone." he pushed on.
Jack put his head back down, "Well, you know me. All work and no play, blah, blah, blah…" He aimlessly waved a hand in mid-air.
"Really?" Michael pushed "Because she seemed to think that you might be. She didn't say specifically but she inferred she thought there might be someone…perhaps a Lieutenant Colonel…at a former posting of yours…"
Jack shook his head, "Let me guess, Mitchell?" He played up a grimace, "He's just sooo not my type."
Michael laughed and nodded, "Yeah, I guess. You're more into blondes, eh?"
Jack smiled, eyes unfocused and gazing away, "Yeah…HEY!" His head shot up, smile gone, eyes stormy. "No! No, no. No, no. No."
"Okay... Sorry." Michael held up a hand in surrender, "Sore spot? I was just teasing."
Jack sighed and dragged his hand across his face. "Well don't."
"Okay…I won't. Geeze. Sorry." Michael looked away and finished his beer.
Jack watched him and sighed, "No, it's okay, it's just…" he grimaced, "Let's put it this way, a blonde Lt Colonel friend of mine is shortly up for a promotion. And it's already hard enough being a woman in armed forces, especially one who has had such rapid, although well earned¸ promotions, without people thinking she's getting unfair special treatment." Jack rolled his eyes in disgust, "Her private life should never be subject of gossip. She's come too far to be undermined by people's skewed perceptions and I'll come down like hell fury on those who try."
Slowly understanding Michael nodded.
Jack smirked, "Some people just don't get that some special treatment is entirely fair."
Michael chuckled, "Yeah. I'd say blowing up a sun earns you a certain amount of latitude."
"Among other things." Jack agreed with a smile.
"So, promotion?" Michael inquired.
"Yeah. Time for Full Bird Carter." Jack smiled proudly, "Going to put her in charge of the Midway Station completion. Way past time to get her back on the command track."
"Wow. That's big."
Jack nodded, "Yep. Actually, you around next weekend? The three of them are coming out, I'm going to tell her then but I'm sure they'd be happy for you to join us for dinner."
"That would be great. Why don't you bring them by our place instead? I'm sure the girls would like to meet everyone." Michael thumbed over his shoulder to where his wife and daughters were laughing in the living room.
Jack had quickly become a welcome fixture in Michael's household. The first time he had come for a visit a nervous Jack had come in an ill fitting sports coat and misshapen tie, balancing flowers for Joanne and gifts for the girls in his sling. Michael had not expected this off centered and nervous Jack but perceptive Joanne had known right away what was going on and had set about making Jack feel welcome and at ease in their home.
He found the comfortable nature of the household and the relationships therein to be exactly what he had been missing since moving to DC and eagerly reciprocated the kindness he received. He had taken the girls flying and brought the whole family to a party at the White House. It turned out that Kira was an astronomy buff and Kaitlin loved ancient history and they would talk over each other at the dinner table to discuss their subject of choice with their new Uncle.
As for Joanne, not only did she enjoy time with the charming general who had become a common house guest but she noticed something had changed within her husband.
Michael had often spoke of feeling incomplete when discussing his single childhood and often absent mother. But coming from a large family Joanne had difficulty understanding. However, since he found Jack Michael seemed to have greater confidence, it almost seemed as if he had a reinvigorated zest for life. Although he was working longer hours he came home energized and was quick to shower his wife and daughters with his love and affection.
When it was just the adults Jack had a quiet and disarming personality but she was certain he had something to do with her husband's new found energy. As such she was happy for the new addition to the family and often doted on him, sensing his thirst for family life. So when he had expressed doubt at Michael's invitationto bring the team by she had insisted, "If they are important to you they are important to us and we would like to meet them!"
Four hours into the barbecue Jack was helping Joanne clean up while Daniel and Carter were off with his nieces and Teal'c and Michael were in the corner of the living room speaking in low tones. The sun was shining and everything was peaceful and perfect.
"Uhh...Jack?" Until, of course, Daniel interrupted.
With a sigh Jack turned around to see Daniel holding a string of beads attached to something familiar.
"Daniel...Is that what I think it is?" Jack put down the paper towel he was holding and tilted his head to get a better look, careful not to touch it.
Daniel nodded excitedly and glanced over his shoulder, "A long range communication stone, yes."
Jack sighed, "And where did it come from?"
"A box in the attic." Daniel shrugged.
Letting out a long breath, Jack squinted to the sky, "Nothing can be simple, can it?"
"Kaitlin was trying to find something to show me and this just fell out of one of the boxes..." Daniel tried to explain but Jack cut him off.
"Michael? Can you come out here for a moment?" he shouted through the open door. "Do you know what this is?" He asked when Michael came out to the porch, followed closely by Teal'c.
"Oh wow! Where was it?" Michael immediately reached out for it only to have his hand swatted away by Jack.
"ACk! Don't." Jack waved a finger in warning.
Michael looked back and forth between Daniel and Jack, completely confused. "What's going on?"
Daniel lifted the stone, "This fell out of a box in the attic. Do you know where it came from?"
Michael nodded, "Yes. It was one of Mum's necklaces. My Aunt sent me a bunch of her things after she died but I never really got around to sorting through it."
Daniel's eyes went wide, "Your mother, your and Jack's mother, used to wear this?"
"Yes," Michael nodded again, "Why? What's going on?"
Daniel ignored his question, "Jack, do you know what this means?"
Jack narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly, "Mmmmmm...No. No I don't."
Daniel turned his attention back to Michael, "Michael, you said your mother was prone to periods when she would have delusions?"
"Yes...on occasion." Michael agreed slowly.
"Do you know about the Alteran communication stones?" Daniel asked.
Michael quickly thought back to all he had read, "Are those the things that you and Vala used? And Joe the Barber?"
Daniel nodded, "Yes, and I don't know if it made it into the written report but until Jack went to meet her and clarify things, Joe's wife and friends thought he was having delusions and suffering from a mental illness."
Michael's eyes went wide and his jaw slacked. Jack still stood there, not saying anything.
"Don't you get it Jack?" Daniel gestured, "Your mother was forced to give you up because people thought she was insane. But she wasn't! She had the ancient gene just like you and Michael. And when she wore this necklace who knows what she had been seeing and experiencing. Only she had no way to make any sense of it and had no one to believe her."
Jack crossed his arms, "So you're telling me that this gene has been a pain in my ass my whole life?"
Daniel shrugged, "I guess so." He paused in reflection, "But in another way it is what brought you to here. I mean, it's impossible to tell what path your life would have taken if your mother wasn't affected by the stone. It's likely you never would have joined the Air Force or gotten involved in the Stargate."
"That would be an unfortunate reality for many." Teal'c offered.
At that moment Kira went running by with Sam not far behind, "Uncle Jack!" She shouted, "I'm going to show Sam the telescope in the garage. You should come!"
Joanne leaned out the kitchen window, "Kira? Maybe the telescope can wait? I was just about to bring out the cake."
Jack looked down to the ground for a moment and then back up, eyes flicking first to the pendant in Daniel's hand and then to Michael.
He let out a long, slow breath, "Yeah..." And a rare, genuine smile slowly spread across his face.
A/N: and there it is. Thank you for sticking along for the ride. The crazy thing is, that last bit about Jack's mom was really the thought that started this whole damn thing. "If Jack has the gene he had to have gotten it from somewhere..." And hence the story of Michael and Jack's past was born. Right now I don't have plans to revisit Michael but you never know - my muse is a fickle beast difficult to wrangle! Thank you again for reading!