This takes place immediately following Shadow Play. There weren't a whole lot of episodes in Season 6 that held my attention, to be honest. A season that offered Jack being brutally tortured, giant invisible bugs and no Daniel wasn't all that appealing to me. The Muse has given me many conversations between Jillian and Jonas, but Sunshine and Shadow isn't their story so I'm not sure they are necessary. Suffice to say that Jillian did become fond of Jonas in a sisterly way and she never blamed him for what happened to Daniel.
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The four of them sat in the grass at the Talon North overlook, chewing granola bars and drinking bottled water.
"This was a good idea, Jill," Sam said.
"Thanks," Jillian answered.
Jillian glanced at Jonas and found him staring out over the vista as Colorado gave up autumn to the inevitable winter. He seemed more relaxed than he had in days. Since the disturbing incident with Dr. Kiernan and the return to his home world, Jonas had been very quiet. Considering his usual heightened sense of curiosity and general good humor, the difference had been obvious.
It had been Jillian who decided to get him out of the basement and into the sunshine and fresh air. Even Hammond had agreed that a hike up Cheyenne Mountain was in order. Jillian had begged Sam and Teal'c to go with them. If nothing else she didn't want it to look like she was hitting on Jonas; but she also didn't want to go to Talon North without a crowd of people. She had never gone there before with anyone but Daniel.
Their support was unspoken but no less cherished.
"You haven't said much," Jillian said, to Jonas.
"It's really incredible," he said, "You'd never know all this was out here when you stare at concrete walls most of the time. It's weird that I can go off world but I can't come out here."
"It is a planet of great diversity," Teal'c observed.
"I'd like to see more of it," Jonas said, wistfully. "It's starting to feel more and more like home."
"I'm glad to hear you say that," Jillian said.
"Col O'Neill quit changing my TV to the fishing channel finally," he said, "and I did think to ask before I tried to requisition the tank like he asked me."
Sam, attempting to drink from her water bottle just as he said that, spit water all over her shirt and started choking. Jillian grinned.
"He did the same thing to me," Teal'c monotoned,
"What gave it away?" Jonas asked.
"His suggestion that I use the words 'big and honkin' on the requisition form," Teal'c said, drily.
Jonas laughed.
"There are a whole lot of things we can't do," Sam said, when she finally stopped coughing.
"Such as?" Jonas asked.
"We are not allowed to intone 'according to the prophecy' at debriefings," Teal'c answered, "or put it at the end of mission reports."
Jonas stared at him, trying to decide if the big man was joking. He looked at Sam for help and she looked back innocently.
"Brass doesn't care why you came back from off world wearing a slave girl outfit," Jillian advised.
Sam nodded in sympathy. "No, they really don't. They don't care what you do with it afterwards either."
"Well they might care if I do," Jonas protested, "I mean, I'd care."
"We're not allowed to threaten anyone off world with black magic," Teal'c went on, "or ask them for pieces of hair and fingernails in order to convince them that black magic exists."
Jonas was starting to chuckle.
"Let me guess," he said, "O'Neill."
"Yes!" Sam laughed. She paused as if savoring a poignant moment, "God, Daniel was so mad at him."
She glanced quickly at Jillian to see if she reacted to the mention of Daniel's name. She got a sad but reassuring smile in return.
Jillian shook it off quickly. Seriously she said, "Don't ask Rusty Davidson if he really made the height requirement for military service."
"Or if he's after your Lucky Charms," Teal'c added.
"Teal'c!" Sam squeaked.
The Jaffa's dark eyes sparkled even if his expression didn't change.
"When you're off world, don't decide to try 'something you saw on TV," Jillian advised.
"Or in a movie," Teal'c put in.
"Or in a cartoon," Sam said, "You really should never try something you saw in a cartoon."
"Didn't Jack once try to…" Jillian began.
"Yes!" Teal'c and Sam both said at the same time. Teal'c sounded annoyed; Sam as if she was still stunned.
Jillian and Jonas both laughed.
"That sounds like a story I would like to hear," Jonas said, hopefully.
"We'll make him tell it," Sam promised. "That's when we found out that asking for forgiveness instead of permission really does seem to only apply to Col O'Neill."
"You should also not argue when they send you to planets you don't have the right security clearance for," Jillian said.
"That's happened?" Sam asked, shocked.
"Happened to me all the time in the beginning. I had no clearance for off world travel in spite of having an official posting with SG8 – and they'd send SG8 to a planet that was mostly Egyptian-style ruins and send me along anyway. Even Hammond was baffled."
"Do I get an automatic clearance if I'm from off world?" Jonas asked.
Jillian, Sam and Teal'c exchanged glances and then shrugged.
"Do not call any US Senator immoral, untrustworthy, lying slime, even if he is," Teal'c went on.
"Did you have anyone in particular in mind?" Sam asked, drily.
Jillian groaned.
"Anyone I've met?" Jonas asked.
"Give it time," Sam answered.
Jonas gave them an alarmed look. Jillian wondered if he was thinking of the dysfunctional leaders of his own government.
"They're not all bad," she said, patting him on the arm comfortingly.
Teal'c tossed them all another round of granola bars.
"There are a couple of things I've learned," Jonas said as he peeled off a wrapper.
"Like?" Jillian asked, gathering the wrappers and stuffing them in a bag.
"I found out that when someone suggests I put kiwi on my boots it has nothing to do with fruit," he grinned.
The other three groaned.
"I hope you didn't find out the hard way!" Sam laughed.
"Teal'c stopped me," Jonas admitted. "I also found out that Gozer the Destructor doesn't really live in anyone's refrigerator. No thanks to Teal'c."
Jillian gave Teal'c a very narrow look.
"He was afraid to open the refrigerator for a week," Teal'c said and there was no mistaking the utter glee in the deep voice.
"Ghost Busters was not a documentary," Sam said.
"Well, yeah, now you tell me," Jonas laughed. "And there aren't really evil clowns living on the Base, in spite of what Col O'Neill says."
"Depends on how you define clowns," Sam said.
"That's true," Jillian agreed.
Teal'c stood.
"We should go, if we're going to get back before dark," he said.
He offered Jillian his hand and helped her to stand. They packed up and started the hike back down the mountain. They had only gone a few yards when Jonas suddenly said,
"I do have a question?"
"Yes?" Sam asked.
"Is there really a Magic Eight Ball that command consults before making decisions?"
Jillian and Sam both laughed and Teal'c growled,
"O'Neill….."
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