One Hour 15 Minutes Later.
"Damn...that chili is starting to turn on me."
"I don't want to hear it, Jack..."
Jack O'Neill rubbed his stomach as he entered the metal hanger and approached the area where the Asgard ship still sat...
The young Airman stood...firing stance...zat gun poised in capable hands...aimed directly at the entrance to the back of the ship. Jack wondered fleetingly how long the man had stood in that particular position.
"Good man...eh..." Jack checked the soldier's name patch. "Patterson. That door open?"
"No sir!"
"Stand down, Airman." Jack made mention. Seeing the man's raised arms like that made Jack's ache in empathy.
The zat was lowered and Patterson breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, sir...thank you, sir."
"No problem...return to your post..Hey!" Jack halted the man's intended trek. "Give me the zat."
The weapon was promptly delivered over. "Yes, sir!"
The two Daniels seemed impressed with Jack's handling of the situation. They watched as the man walked around to the front of the craft.
Cromwell sat...in the pilot's chair.
Looking rather deflated...no...Jack revised his assumption as the brown eyes were lifted to his. "...Looking a little pissed there, Frank."
Frank flipped Jack the bird.
Jack compressed his lips and hooked his thumbs into his pocket slits, zat gun dangling in his right hand.
"Had enough?" Jack asked cheerfully.
Frank merely sat..looking at the man.
"I can fly it for you. Not much time though..Hammond stalled as long as he could. Bad guys on the way...just saying."
Frank merely sat...looking at the man.
"Serious here. We'll do it your way. I'll take you back..."
"Jack."
"Daniel." Jack warned.
"You can't do that." Daniel was pretty sure it was a bad idea, at least. "We kinda need you not to."
"If he's determined." Daniel Two pulled something from the inside pouch of his coat. "Evvie can help."
Jack and Daniel looked at...the box that housed Evvie's 'brain'.
Daniel Two kept it hid from the other's sight...but these men...he trusted.
"How did you get that?" Jack demanded.
"I borrowed it...technically..it's our's to begin with."
Jack looked at Daniel. Who instantly...looked elsewhere.
"With a little help from your friends?" Jack's eyes narrowed on Daniel's averted profile.
Daniel scowled guiltily but said nothing.
"Jack?" Daniel Two pointed at the portal of the ship.
Frank had written a message on a pad he kept in his BDU leg pocket, and was holding it against the window.
It read... 'Send Evvie in...dumb fuck.'
"Ahhh.." Jack nodded sagely. "He saw her..." He motioned to the box Daniel had put back in his coat pouch. "He's a trained observer, you know. Proud of that man!"
Jack looked at the window and shook his head in the negative. "Open the door, Frank and I'll bring her in myself."
Frank shook his head in the negative. He could barely hear through the substance of the portal, even when Jack was yelling. "Thought you wanted to help, Jack."
"You're wasting time. Decision is going to be taken out of my hands soon...you better shit or get off the pot." Jack made mention.
Frank closed his eyes and hung his head for a beat.
"That is his contemplative mode." Jack informed no one in particular. "He's 'contemplating' how to shoot me through the portal, there."
Frank jerked his head toward the back of the ship, his expression not exactly a congenial one. The man made his way into the darkened interior of the ship.
Jack smiled benignly at the two Daniels and followed suit. He bent silently as the entrance slid open.
"Lose the zat, Jack." Frank's voice came out of the empty air.
Jack looked at the gun in his hand...then handed it to Daniel. He sauntered up the ramp and into the ship. He had motioned for the two men to stay where they were.
The guards had once again surrounded the ship and had..once again...raised their weapons...each and everyone...trained on the darkness inside the ship.
Jack stood, allowing his eyes to adjust.
"Why would you do it? You belong here."
"Cause we're friends, Frank...aren't we?" Jack shrugged his shoulders. "You'd do it for me...hell, you did."
"The whole point was to get you back. Now, with Evvie...I stand a chance. Let me have her...you can stay. She can fly the damned thing."
"I will fly the damned thing. And she can help..just like last time."
"No." Frank shook his head and Jack could finally make out the shape of the man. He was crouched behind the second control panel. "Ain't gonna happen....just give me Evvie."
"I believe this uniform says Col somewhere on it....Major. That was not a request."
"No, it doesn't, Jack..." Frank sighed heavily. "And your little stars mean shit to me. I want Evvie...."
"You ever have this recurring dream about a red-headed woman, Frank...a rather..." Jack had to ask or die. "Alluring one?"
Frank Cromwell started visibly. "...What??"
"Yeah...ever since your Earth...I've had this kinda of ....dream thing going. Always the same woman...red hair...long, like..flowing and stuff. Get a hard-on every time I have it. Don't get it...I like Carter..." Jack turned quickly to see if anyone had heard that but Frank.
"....White..alabaster complexion...green eyes?" Frank ventured self-consciously.
"Tits to die for..." Jack nodded. "And...a cunt that..."
"Vibrates." Frank finished the sentence for him and both men's mouths fell agape.
"Well, Holy shit." Jack muttered his awe. "Wonder what the hell THAT means."
"You have this dream?"
"....Do you?" Jack wasn't gonna commit until Frank did.
"Hell yes...isn't that why you asked?"
"Oh..yeah." Jack relaxed. "Wonder what it means."
"Means we're both ready for the mental hospital...how the hell should I know." Frank ran his hand through his hair. "It just started after the planet..my..planet? Mine has been going for about a year now. Jack, I gotta tell you. I'm thinking something isn't quite right here. I mean...I want Emmy...I do, but...this woman...this red-head. It's starting to worry me a little..you?"
"Let's see what we can do about getting you home..." Jack dismissed the issue. It wouldn't be solved over-night and they had an 'issue' of their own to handle right now. "I'll get Daniel...your...Daniel."
Jack started for the back of the ship and...both he and Frank Cromwell disappeared in an Asgard beam of light.
Both Daniels had witnessed the phenomenon...it took a second for the men to regroup...then all hell broke lose.