I find him outside his house, truck full of bags, for sale sign on the front lawn.
"Jack?"
"Daniel?"
"Where are you going?" I gesture to the bags.
"Away."
"Away where?"
"Somewhere." He shrugs before walking back to the house, picking up another bag and throwing it into the truck.
"Why?"
"Because I can." I drop my head for a moment, General Hammond having told me about the resignation.
"Does this have anything to do with what happened?" He just glares at me before resuming his packing. "It wasn't your fault."
He drops the bag he was holding before tuning to glare at me. "I was the commanding officer!"
"They disobeyed orders."
He sighs, the anger being replaced by pain, "I should have been able to stop them."
"We couldn't have known it was a trap."
"People under my command died." He kicks the bag, the anger returning. "It doesn't matter that they disobeyed orders or that it was a trap. They still died."
"And you think that if you had tried harder you could have saved them."
He packs the last bag and walks over to the driver's door.
"Good bye Daniel."
"Just tell me one thing Jack." He bangs his hands against the door before turning towards me. "Why now? What is so different?"
"Daniel Daniel Daniel." He looks up towards the sky, trying to think how to phrase it. "This wasn't the odd person or two; this was half the SG teams."
"Which is why it is even more important for those who survived not to give up."
"I'm not giving up Daniel. I'm leaving. I've seen too much. I should never have come back."
"Jack this world wouldn't be here if you hadn't."
He gives me the look that means he thinks I have no idea what is going on. "I have done nothing Daniel. You, Carter and Teal'c have saved the world, I was just along for the ride. You will do fine without me. Now if you don't mind I'll be going."
"What happened to you Jack?" I shake my head before walking off in the opposite direction. Hearing the truck reverse out of the driveway and I can't help but wonder if I will ever see him again.
Fin
"Jack?"
"Daniel?"
"Where are you going?" I gesture to the bags.
"Away."
"Away where?"
"Somewhere." He shrugs before walking back to the house, picking up another bag and throwing it into the truck.
"Why?"
"Because I can." I drop my head for a moment, General Hammond having told me about the resignation.
"Does this have anything to do with what happened?" He just glares at me before resuming his packing. "It wasn't your fault."
He drops the bag he was holding before tuning to glare at me. "I was the commanding officer!"
"They disobeyed orders."
He sighs, the anger being replaced by pain, "I should have been able to stop them."
"We couldn't have known it was a trap."
"People under my command died." He kicks the bag, the anger returning. "It doesn't matter that they disobeyed orders or that it was a trap. They still died."
"And you think that if you had tried harder you could have saved them."
He packs the last bag and walks over to the driver's door.
"Good bye Daniel."
"Just tell me one thing Jack." He bangs his hands against the door before turning towards me. "Why now? What is so different?"
"Daniel Daniel Daniel." He looks up towards the sky, trying to think how to phrase it. "This wasn't the odd person or two; this was half the SG teams."
"Which is why it is even more important for those who survived not to give up."
"I'm not giving up Daniel. I'm leaving. I've seen too much. I should never have come back."
"Jack this world wouldn't be here if you hadn't."
He gives me the look that means he thinks I have no idea what is going on. "I have done nothing Daniel. You, Carter and Teal'c have saved the world, I was just along for the ride. You will do fine without me. Now if you don't mind I'll be going."
"What happened to you Jack?" I shake my head before walking off in the opposite direction. Hearing the truck reverse out of the driveway and I can't help but wonder if I will ever see him again.
Fin