Part 2
When I wake up, sunlight is streaming in through the window of the tent, and I can hear low voices outside. Jack is noticeably absent. Did I sleep right through him getting up? And did he notice the position we were in?
Maybe I should have worked this out more last night, instead of succumbing to how comfortable I was and falling asleep. Now I'm stuck with going out there blind, not knowing how Jack is going to behave. Usually, if he opens himself up even a little bit, he gets defensive and distant afterwards, feeling exposed. After last night... I have no idea. He's never done anything like that before.
I poke my head out to see the three of them gathered around, munching on MREs and eyeing the battery-operated coffee pot.
"Hey, sleepyhead," Jack calls, grinning at me. He doesn't look the slightest bit uncomfortable. Well, that makes one of us.
"Hi," I say tentatively. "Breakfast?"
Come and get it," Sam says. "We've got tuna casserole, or beef with noodles."
"Ugh... think I'll stick with coffee and powerbars, thank you."
I stretch and rub at my face, wiping my glasses on my shirt before putting them on. Jack pats the ground beside him invitingly, still beaming at me. I sit down slowly, watching him the way one watches unstable chemicals. I'm leaning toward pod person as my explanation now.
Sam is chattering brightly about breakfast. Something about why don't they have an MRE that's just for breakfast. Bacon and eggs, or something. I have to agree with her on that one—who eats macaroni and cheese for breakfast? Jack is nodding along with her, but I'm aware of his eyes on me. It's pretty obvious he's pretending last night didn't happen, and I think I'll follow his lead. It seems like the easiest solution.
"Here," he says, handing me a cup of coffee. When I reach over, he deliberately brushes his fingers over mine. I jump, startled, and he gives me a gentle smile before looking back at Sam.
I stare blankly at my coffee, and then swallow it rapidly. Maybe once I've got some caffeine in me, Jack will be making more sense.
"Are you unwell, Daniel Jackson?"
Everyone turns to stare at me. I frown at Teal'c, and then shrug. "No... uh, that is, yes, I'm fine."
"You do seem a bit tense," Sam says helpfully. Gee, thanks Sam, I hadn't noticed.
"Probably sore from squatting next to that rock all day yesterday," Jack suggests. "You really should learn the concept of 'taking a break,' Danny."
Again, with the Danny. Even Sam and Teal'c are picking up on the frequent use of the nickname now. They both give Jack somewhat puzzled looks, which he ignores in favor of smiling at me.
"I'll, uh... I'll take more breaks today," I mumble quickly. "So, I should probably get started. See you guys later bye." And I'm out of there. Jack is just too weird to handle right now. Give me an ancient stele any day.
I'm aware of their concerned gazes following me, but I hunch my shoulders and keep moving. I need some room to think, and I can't handle Jack looking at me like that. It's too... too nice. I can't let myself get used to it, because I'll only miss it more when he takes it away again.
~~~
"Hey."
I look up quickly, and then wince, my shoulders reminding me that I'm not a teenage student anymore and crouching for hours doing delicate work is not a good idea.
"Jack. Hello," I say guardedly. I'm just not sure what to expect from him today.
"Sore?"
"Yeah..."
"Come here," he says, sitting in the sand with his back to the stele. He stretches his legs flat out on the ground and makes a space between them, gesturing me forward. I stare at him blankly. He can't possibly mean what I think he means.
"Uh..."
He's smiling. "Come on, Daniel. I just want to rub your shoulders a little."
I quickly look around for Sam or Teal'c. They're nowhere in sight, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. Jack is being weird again, but then, this is the kind of weirdness that shouldn't be witnessed. Military rules and all that.
Oh, stop. It's just a back rub. And not the kind in hokey porn movies, either, but a regular, friendly massage.
Right. Friendly.
I sit cautiously between his ankles, my back a good three feet from his chest. I feel even tighter than before, because any minute he's going to spring the joke. I just know it.
Jack laughs a little and I duck. Here it is. Now he's going to say, 'What, you thought I was serious? Get real, Daniel.'
"I can't reach you if you sit there, Danny," he says easily.
I twist my body to look at him, but he's not giving anything away. His face is calm, relaxed, his hands loose at his sides. He's leaning casually against the stele, smiling that quiet smile, his eyes sparkling.
Okay. Last night I could explain away as a bad dream and pent-up stress, but this is just... I have no idea what's going on here. And I can't pretend this is normal anymore. Something is wrong, because Jack doesn't act like this.
"Jack..."
"You're still too far away."
I frown at him, and then inch my way back until his hands can reach me. Barely. He grins, leans forward, and grabs me around the middle, yanking me back until I'm leaning against his chest. He pins me in place with his hands on my shoulders the moment I try to wiggle away.
"Uh, Jack, you really shouldn't—"
"Quiet. I'm busy." And he is busy—he's got amazing hands. His fingers are working into my shoulder muscles with so much power it's almost painful, and I can't help slumping against him. I am not moaning... well, not quite. I'm breathing in such a way that it can be heard. That's all.
"Jack, listen... oh that's, um... that's nice. No, no, wait. Jack, you can't do this. I think something is influencing you. The, uh... the..." I close my eyes and try to catch my train of thought, but it seems to have oozed away, along with all the tension in my neck and shoulders. It's just not fair that he's so good at this.
"Colonel?"
Oh, god. I jump away from him, struggling to my feet and looking around for Sam. If she saw what we were doing...
"Yes, Major." The radio. He's talking on the radio. And laughing at me, the bastard. I'd be mad if I wasn't so relieved.
"Sir, are you watching this?"
"I'm a little busy at the moment, Carter. What are you talking about?"
"The eclipse."
The what? Again? I automatically look up at the sky, and sure enough, the sun is being eaten away again. Now, planetary science is way out my field, but even I know two eclipses in two days isn't normal.
"Well, I'll be damned," Jack murmurs, rising casually to his feet as if he wasn't just doing indecent things to my shoulders a minute ago. He's watching the sky and smiling softly. He slips on his sunglasses and sidles closer to me, giving me a sleepy, content look.
"Is this even possible?" I ask Sam over the radio.
"It shouldn't be," she sends back, and I can hear the frown in her voice. "Are you two by the stele?"
"Yeah," I reply absently. I'm watching the eclipse in Jack's sunglasses again. It's the kind of thing that really doesn't get old.
"We're on our way."
I nod, forgetting Sam can't see me. I'm watching the reflection of the eclipse, and Jack's face around that reflection, smooth and calm. His eyes are soft, sleepy, half shut. His lips smile faintly, his head tilted to one side.
The eclipse is affecting him somehow. That has to be it. He was the only one who watched it directly yesterday, and considering that it's happening again today, it can't be natural. That's why he's behaving so oddly.
Of course that's the explanation. It's not as if Jack would suddenly decide he wanted to... I don't know. Be... closer, or something. That would never happen. Not that I was hoping it would. Not at all.
I hear running footsteps behind me and turn, watching Sam and Teal'c approach. She's jogging and staring at the sky at the same time, while Teal'c walks steadily beside her with his ground-eating strides.
"This is amazing!" Sam yells, and I nod at her.
"It is indeed a most unusual occurrence," Teal'c adds.
Jack ignores them, staring dreamily up at the eclipse, his arms limp at his sides. I push at his shoulder a little, wanting him to look away from the spectacle above us, and he slowly turns his head toward me. His smile widens, and he cups a hand around the back of my neck, and then ruffles my hair. I'm still trying to process that when he focuses on the eclipse again.
"This should be impossible," Sam says. She's excited, her eyes shining, virtually bouncing with curiosity.
I glance at the sky, where the black disc has almost completely covered the sun again, and then frown at her. "Well, I understand that it's unlikely, but couldn't it happen if the moon was lined up in the right way?"
She shakes her head, watching the eclipse in little glances out of the corner of her eye. "That moon either has to be moving incredibly fast, which should cause major gravitational disturbances, or it's in a geostationary orbit, which should be impossible. Maintaining an orbit like that requires outside control, constant corrections to compensate for minute shifts in gravity."
I nod vaguely, having only absorbed about half of that. The bottom line seems to be that this is not happening naturally, which only helps my theory that Jack is being affected. Great.
"Perhaps it is not a moon, but a man-made satellite," Teal'c suggests. Sam immediately takes this idea and runs with it.
"Yes, that could work! Good idea, Teal'c. If it was man-made, it could have a power source that keeps it in a perfect geostationary orbit. I'm not sure, because the days here seem to be a bit longer than twenty-four hours, but I think this is happening at the exact same time as it happened yesterday. That kind of precision doesn't occur on this scale in nature."
This would be the time to bring up Jack's behavior. Let them know that I'm concerned for him, and that we should probably get him back to Janet. I really should tell them.
But then... he's not hurting anyone, is he? He seems perfectly happy. Actually, he seems happier than I've seen him for a long time. Maybe the moon, or whatever it is, has a calming effect. Jack carries a lot of responsibility for the team, and is under a lot of pressure from the politicians to get results. Doesn't he deserve to relax? Isn't he due for some good luck, for a change?
Don't I deserve to have him treat me so kindly, if only for a little while?
The sun is re-emerging now, a blinding blade of light growing larger by the second. Sam peeks up at it, shielding her eyes with one hand, and then frowns at Jack again. "Sir, you really shouldn't look at it directly like that. You're almost certain to damage your eyes."
"Don't worry, Carter," he says absently. "I watched it yesterday too, and I'm fine."
"But, sir..."
"It's an alien sun, right?"
She blinks at him, and then nods slowly. "Yes, but I don't see what—"
"So maybe it gives off slightly different light waves or something. Maybe it's too far away to cause damage. Maybe your artificial satellite somehow changes the light that reaches us during the eclipse." Jack turns and gives her a level look. "And maybe you should be more open-minded, like Daniel."
What? That's just... what?
"Sir?" She sounds incredulous, and turns to me, her eyebrows raised. I shrug and give her a weak, apologetic smile. Jack may value our abilities differently, but he never comes right out and makes a comparison like that, putting one down in favor of the other. It's unprofessional, and it's bad leadership, two things that Jack simply doesn't do.
But then, he's doing a lot of things he normally doesn't do lately, isn't he? And like the other stuff, this seems to be a deliberate, over-the-top kindness to me. I don't want to see Sam put down or hurt, but at the same time... yeah, I have to admit I feel a tiny, selfish kernel of spiteful triumph. How long has he been giving her his attention instead of me, listening to her and trusting her and telling me to shut up? I know it's not her fault, but still... I'm only human.
Sam seems flustered, but she rallies quickly instead of sulking, which makes me feel like a jerk for enjoying this even a little bit. "Daniel, have you been able to translate that alien writing at all? It may contain some kind of explanation for this."
"No, I'm afraid not. Without some context, some frame of reference, I may never be able to understand it. The symbols are familiar, but what words I can make out don't make any sense. It's almost like it's in code."
She nods and watches the last bit of the eclipse, until the sun is fully revealed again. I check my watch, which is fairly meaningless if the days here are not twenty-four hours, but at least I can time how long before tomorrow's eclipse. It seems only logical to assume there will be one.
"So I guess you want to stay here longer and study this, right, Carter?"
She blinks at Jack and then nods. "Yes, sir, actually I was just going to ask you for more time. We could set up a spectrometer and monitor the light waves during the eclipse for one, to test your theory about the satellite altering them in some way. And I'm sure our geophysics experts would love to see this, and have the opportunity to run some tests."
Jack grins broadly at her, and claps me on the back for no discernible reason. "Then I guess we stay," he says. "Nice enough planet, quiet, great light show. Bit cold at night, but there are ways around that." And then he leers at me. An actual leer. Oy.
~~~
When I wake up, sunlight is streaming in through the window of the tent, and I can hear low voices outside. Jack is noticeably absent. Did I sleep right through him getting up? And did he notice the position we were in?
Maybe I should have worked this out more last night, instead of succumbing to how comfortable I was and falling asleep. Now I'm stuck with going out there blind, not knowing how Jack is going to behave. Usually, if he opens himself up even a little bit, he gets defensive and distant afterwards, feeling exposed. After last night... I have no idea. He's never done anything like that before.
I poke my head out to see the three of them gathered around, munching on MREs and eyeing the battery-operated coffee pot.
"Hey, sleepyhead," Jack calls, grinning at me. He doesn't look the slightest bit uncomfortable. Well, that makes one of us.
"Hi," I say tentatively. "Breakfast?"
Come and get it," Sam says. "We've got tuna casserole, or beef with noodles."
"Ugh... think I'll stick with coffee and powerbars, thank you."
I stretch and rub at my face, wiping my glasses on my shirt before putting them on. Jack pats the ground beside him invitingly, still beaming at me. I sit down slowly, watching him the way one watches unstable chemicals. I'm leaning toward pod person as my explanation now.
Sam is chattering brightly about breakfast. Something about why don't they have an MRE that's just for breakfast. Bacon and eggs, or something. I have to agree with her on that one—who eats macaroni and cheese for breakfast? Jack is nodding along with her, but I'm aware of his eyes on me. It's pretty obvious he's pretending last night didn't happen, and I think I'll follow his lead. It seems like the easiest solution.
"Here," he says, handing me a cup of coffee. When I reach over, he deliberately brushes his fingers over mine. I jump, startled, and he gives me a gentle smile before looking back at Sam.
I stare blankly at my coffee, and then swallow it rapidly. Maybe once I've got some caffeine in me, Jack will be making more sense.
"Are you unwell, Daniel Jackson?"
Everyone turns to stare at me. I frown at Teal'c, and then shrug. "No... uh, that is, yes, I'm fine."
"You do seem a bit tense," Sam says helpfully. Gee, thanks Sam, I hadn't noticed.
"Probably sore from squatting next to that rock all day yesterday," Jack suggests. "You really should learn the concept of 'taking a break,' Danny."
Again, with the Danny. Even Sam and Teal'c are picking up on the frequent use of the nickname now. They both give Jack somewhat puzzled looks, which he ignores in favor of smiling at me.
"I'll, uh... I'll take more breaks today," I mumble quickly. "So, I should probably get started. See you guys later bye." And I'm out of there. Jack is just too weird to handle right now. Give me an ancient stele any day.
I'm aware of their concerned gazes following me, but I hunch my shoulders and keep moving. I need some room to think, and I can't handle Jack looking at me like that. It's too... too nice. I can't let myself get used to it, because I'll only miss it more when he takes it away again.
~~~
"Hey."
I look up quickly, and then wince, my shoulders reminding me that I'm not a teenage student anymore and crouching for hours doing delicate work is not a good idea.
"Jack. Hello," I say guardedly. I'm just not sure what to expect from him today.
"Sore?"
"Yeah..."
"Come here," he says, sitting in the sand with his back to the stele. He stretches his legs flat out on the ground and makes a space between them, gesturing me forward. I stare at him blankly. He can't possibly mean what I think he means.
"Uh..."
He's smiling. "Come on, Daniel. I just want to rub your shoulders a little."
I quickly look around for Sam or Teal'c. They're nowhere in sight, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. Jack is being weird again, but then, this is the kind of weirdness that shouldn't be witnessed. Military rules and all that.
Oh, stop. It's just a back rub. And not the kind in hokey porn movies, either, but a regular, friendly massage.
Right. Friendly.
I sit cautiously between his ankles, my back a good three feet from his chest. I feel even tighter than before, because any minute he's going to spring the joke. I just know it.
Jack laughs a little and I duck. Here it is. Now he's going to say, 'What, you thought I was serious? Get real, Daniel.'
"I can't reach you if you sit there, Danny," he says easily.
I twist my body to look at him, but he's not giving anything away. His face is calm, relaxed, his hands loose at his sides. He's leaning casually against the stele, smiling that quiet smile, his eyes sparkling.
Okay. Last night I could explain away as a bad dream and pent-up stress, but this is just... I have no idea what's going on here. And I can't pretend this is normal anymore. Something is wrong, because Jack doesn't act like this.
"Jack..."
"You're still too far away."
I frown at him, and then inch my way back until his hands can reach me. Barely. He grins, leans forward, and grabs me around the middle, yanking me back until I'm leaning against his chest. He pins me in place with his hands on my shoulders the moment I try to wiggle away.
"Uh, Jack, you really shouldn't—"
"Quiet. I'm busy." And he is busy—he's got amazing hands. His fingers are working into my shoulder muscles with so much power it's almost painful, and I can't help slumping against him. I am not moaning... well, not quite. I'm breathing in such a way that it can be heard. That's all.
"Jack, listen... oh that's, um... that's nice. No, no, wait. Jack, you can't do this. I think something is influencing you. The, uh... the..." I close my eyes and try to catch my train of thought, but it seems to have oozed away, along with all the tension in my neck and shoulders. It's just not fair that he's so good at this.
"Colonel?"
Oh, god. I jump away from him, struggling to my feet and looking around for Sam. If she saw what we were doing...
"Yes, Major." The radio. He's talking on the radio. And laughing at me, the bastard. I'd be mad if I wasn't so relieved.
"Sir, are you watching this?"
"I'm a little busy at the moment, Carter. What are you talking about?"
"The eclipse."
The what? Again? I automatically look up at the sky, and sure enough, the sun is being eaten away again. Now, planetary science is way out my field, but even I know two eclipses in two days isn't normal.
"Well, I'll be damned," Jack murmurs, rising casually to his feet as if he wasn't just doing indecent things to my shoulders a minute ago. He's watching the sky and smiling softly. He slips on his sunglasses and sidles closer to me, giving me a sleepy, content look.
"Is this even possible?" I ask Sam over the radio.
"It shouldn't be," she sends back, and I can hear the frown in her voice. "Are you two by the stele?"
"Yeah," I reply absently. I'm watching the eclipse in Jack's sunglasses again. It's the kind of thing that really doesn't get old.
"We're on our way."
I nod, forgetting Sam can't see me. I'm watching the reflection of the eclipse, and Jack's face around that reflection, smooth and calm. His eyes are soft, sleepy, half shut. His lips smile faintly, his head tilted to one side.
The eclipse is affecting him somehow. That has to be it. He was the only one who watched it directly yesterday, and considering that it's happening again today, it can't be natural. That's why he's behaving so oddly.
Of course that's the explanation. It's not as if Jack would suddenly decide he wanted to... I don't know. Be... closer, or something. That would never happen. Not that I was hoping it would. Not at all.
I hear running footsteps behind me and turn, watching Sam and Teal'c approach. She's jogging and staring at the sky at the same time, while Teal'c walks steadily beside her with his ground-eating strides.
"This is amazing!" Sam yells, and I nod at her.
"It is indeed a most unusual occurrence," Teal'c adds.
Jack ignores them, staring dreamily up at the eclipse, his arms limp at his sides. I push at his shoulder a little, wanting him to look away from the spectacle above us, and he slowly turns his head toward me. His smile widens, and he cups a hand around the back of my neck, and then ruffles my hair. I'm still trying to process that when he focuses on the eclipse again.
"This should be impossible," Sam says. She's excited, her eyes shining, virtually bouncing with curiosity.
I glance at the sky, where the black disc has almost completely covered the sun again, and then frown at her. "Well, I understand that it's unlikely, but couldn't it happen if the moon was lined up in the right way?"
She shakes her head, watching the eclipse in little glances out of the corner of her eye. "That moon either has to be moving incredibly fast, which should cause major gravitational disturbances, or it's in a geostationary orbit, which should be impossible. Maintaining an orbit like that requires outside control, constant corrections to compensate for minute shifts in gravity."
I nod vaguely, having only absorbed about half of that. The bottom line seems to be that this is not happening naturally, which only helps my theory that Jack is being affected. Great.
"Perhaps it is not a moon, but a man-made satellite," Teal'c suggests. Sam immediately takes this idea and runs with it.
"Yes, that could work! Good idea, Teal'c. If it was man-made, it could have a power source that keeps it in a perfect geostationary orbit. I'm not sure, because the days here seem to be a bit longer than twenty-four hours, but I think this is happening at the exact same time as it happened yesterday. That kind of precision doesn't occur on this scale in nature."
This would be the time to bring up Jack's behavior. Let them know that I'm concerned for him, and that we should probably get him back to Janet. I really should tell them.
But then... he's not hurting anyone, is he? He seems perfectly happy. Actually, he seems happier than I've seen him for a long time. Maybe the moon, or whatever it is, has a calming effect. Jack carries a lot of responsibility for the team, and is under a lot of pressure from the politicians to get results. Doesn't he deserve to relax? Isn't he due for some good luck, for a change?
Don't I deserve to have him treat me so kindly, if only for a little while?
The sun is re-emerging now, a blinding blade of light growing larger by the second. Sam peeks up at it, shielding her eyes with one hand, and then frowns at Jack again. "Sir, you really shouldn't look at it directly like that. You're almost certain to damage your eyes."
"Don't worry, Carter," he says absently. "I watched it yesterday too, and I'm fine."
"But, sir..."
"It's an alien sun, right?"
She blinks at him, and then nods slowly. "Yes, but I don't see what—"
"So maybe it gives off slightly different light waves or something. Maybe it's too far away to cause damage. Maybe your artificial satellite somehow changes the light that reaches us during the eclipse." Jack turns and gives her a level look. "And maybe you should be more open-minded, like Daniel."
What? That's just... what?
"Sir?" She sounds incredulous, and turns to me, her eyebrows raised. I shrug and give her a weak, apologetic smile. Jack may value our abilities differently, but he never comes right out and makes a comparison like that, putting one down in favor of the other. It's unprofessional, and it's bad leadership, two things that Jack simply doesn't do.
But then, he's doing a lot of things he normally doesn't do lately, isn't he? And like the other stuff, this seems to be a deliberate, over-the-top kindness to me. I don't want to see Sam put down or hurt, but at the same time... yeah, I have to admit I feel a tiny, selfish kernel of spiteful triumph. How long has he been giving her his attention instead of me, listening to her and trusting her and telling me to shut up? I know it's not her fault, but still... I'm only human.
Sam seems flustered, but she rallies quickly instead of sulking, which makes me feel like a jerk for enjoying this even a little bit. "Daniel, have you been able to translate that alien writing at all? It may contain some kind of explanation for this."
"No, I'm afraid not. Without some context, some frame of reference, I may never be able to understand it. The symbols are familiar, but what words I can make out don't make any sense. It's almost like it's in code."
She nods and watches the last bit of the eclipse, until the sun is fully revealed again. I check my watch, which is fairly meaningless if the days here are not twenty-four hours, but at least I can time how long before tomorrow's eclipse. It seems only logical to assume there will be one.
"So I guess you want to stay here longer and study this, right, Carter?"
She blinks at Jack and then nods. "Yes, sir, actually I was just going to ask you for more time. We could set up a spectrometer and monitor the light waves during the eclipse for one, to test your theory about the satellite altering them in some way. And I'm sure our geophysics experts would love to see this, and have the opportunity to run some tests."
Jack grins broadly at her, and claps me on the back for no discernible reason. "Then I guess we stay," he says. "Nice enough planet, quiet, great light show. Bit cold at night, but there are ways around that." And then he leers at me. An actual leer. Oy.
~~~