The Intergalactic Social Event of the Decade

Part 10

"Jack, you ready?" Daniel asked as he and Jonas walked into the general's office.

"Yeah, just a sec." Jack shrugged into a shoulder holster and made sure the gun was secure before putting on his jacket.

"Uh…ah…Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Who are you planning on shooting at Sam's wedding?"

"One never knows." Jack said with a feral grin.

"Actually I think the general's got the right idea, Daniel," Jonas told him. "In Tauri literature a hero's wedding is often interrupted by villains attacking, such as when Reed Richards married Sue Storm and Bruce Banner married Betty Ross."

It took Daniel to determine who those characters were in literature. He glared at Jonas. "You're using comic books to defend Jack carrying a fire arm to a wedding?"

"Yeah."

Daniel considered Jonas's argument for a moment. "That's actually a really good point. The Goa'uld do have a certain comic book villain quality to them." He turned to Jack. "Can I have one too?"

---

Jack with Daniel and Jonas trailing behind him strode out of the elevator and onto the garage level where a black government Excursion was waiting to take them with Teal'c and his family to the Air Force Academy Chapel. Jack stopped in his tracks when he saw the group standing out in front of the vehicle. "Did I get the wrong memo or something, because I was under the impression that we were going to Carter's wedding not a summer stock production of Guys and Dolls?"

"Be grateful, Jack. It was either this or Pimp Mater Bra'tac."

" I don't know, Danny." Jack smiled slightly at the image. "It has a certain ring to it."

"Are we not dressed appropriately, General O'Neill?" Rya'c asked.

"If you going to the oldest established permanent floating crap game, sure."

"Jack, don't be an ass," Daniel elbowed him in the ribs.

"Why not? I'm so good at it."

"Indeed, you are, O'Neill," Teal'c confirmed.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Get in the damn car, Jack!" Daniel told him irritably and Jonas grinned. He'd missed Tauri antics.

---

The entire ride to the Air Force Academy Chapel, Jack hummed and sometimes sang to himself various selections from the Guys and Dolls songbook, including but not limited to 'Luck be a Lady', 'Oldest Permanent Established Floating Crap Game,' 'Guys and Dolls', and 'A Woman in Love'.

There were times when Daniel was quite amazed at the depth and breadth of Jack's knowledge. He played stupid a whole lot and may even on occasion done something stupid, but he wasn't stupid. It was always a mask of some kind or another when you were dealing with Jack. Daniel had often times wondered if Jack had always closed himself off from the world or was this something that happened from years of Black Ops. He pretended not to feel anything, but he did. Intensely. And Daniel knew his friend was hurting intensely now. The woman he loved, his soul mate, was about to marry another man and Jack was forced to witness it. This had to be worse than any torture Baal could design. The casual observer couldn't tell, of course. He was in top insolent Jack O'Neill form today. Daniel couldn't help but be reminded of that old Smokey Robinson song 'Tears of A Clown'. He was using humor as a coping mechanism. Number 2 on the list of 'Ways to Deal by General Jonathan O'Neill' only surpassed by Number 1 'clamming up'. 'Clamming up' wouldn't work here today because he knew people would think it was strange that he was upset by his former 2IC marriage.

When they arrived at the Chapel, Jack went into full Brigadier General O'Neill mode. He conferred with Colonel Dixon to make sure the area had in fact been secured and would remain secure. He greeted the off world guests and military brass as they began to arrive in the fleet of black government SUVs.

The only chink in his façade was when the Tok'ra delegation had arrived. As Garshaw and Anise/Freya stepped gracefully out of their vehicle, Daniel saw Jack's shoulders tense slightly. "Here comes trouble," he muttered to Jonas who was eyeing the blonde Tok'ra's scantily clad form.

Garshaw greeted Jack briefly before moving onto to greet Daniel, Jonas, and Teal'c beside him. Then Anise/Freya came to stand in front of the general. She smiled up at him but he didn't return it if any thing his jaw clenched tighter. "General O'Neill, it is a pleasure to see you again after so long," Freya told him. "I was most pleased to hear of Colonel Carter's marriage."

"I'll just bet you were," Jack growled at her, before turning to Daniel. "Have someone to escort these ladies to their seats." He turned away quickly only to nearly run into Pete and a man who could only be Carter's brother.

"General O'Neill?" Mark Carter questioned.

"That's what the nametag says, doesn't it?"

"My father and sister speak very highly of you. I'm glad to finally meet you," he said politely but not very convincingly. Daniel could tell the two men had taken an instant dislike to each other.

Apparently Pete picked up on the instant animosity as well and decided to intervene, "General O'Neill, Sam and I can't thank you enough for all you've done to help make this wedding possible."

"Yeah," Mark Cater broke in before Jack could reply. "It seems strange that a scientist-type geek like you could organize all this security and people so efficiently."

Jack's eyebrows shot up, "Scientist type-geek?"

"Aren't you? I mean you work with Sam with- what is it…deep space radar telemetry. Though I am shocked that Sam could meet all these strange people stuck under that mountain."

"You'd be surprised."

---

Finally after all the guests were seated and security was checked for the final time, they made their way to their seats in the chapel. Jack sat down on the front row next to a tall Nordic looking man. "That's a good look for you, Thor."

"My thanks, O'Neill. Dr. Jackson helped me to chose an appropriate image."

"He must be losing his touch. You don't look like something out of Wagner."

Daniel sighed as he sat down in between Jack and Jonas. Daniel had allowed Jonas to have the aisle seat and he knew if it had been any other person's wedding he'd be grinning maniacally at the thought of his first Tauri wedding. He glanced back at Teal'c who was sitting on the pew behind them with Ishta, Rya'c, Kar'yn, and Bra'tac. Teal'c didn't look happy either.

The wedding march started and everyone stood and turned to the aisle to see the procession. All except Jack. He stared straight forward, his face completely impassive. There was no way he could bear to watch this. In fact, Daniel couldn't bear to watch it. One way or another he knew this was day would result in the death of the Jack O'Neill that they knew and loved and the return of the haunted soulless creature that Daniel had first met. He'd seen the signs already. The way Jack had started pushing away his friends and closing down with in himself.

Daniel vaguely remembered seeing a blur of royal blue as Cassie glided by and took her position in front and a blur of white and dark blue as Sam and Jacob came to theirs. He remembered Jonas tugging on his jacket after the chaplain told them they could sit. He didn't remember hearing anything of the wedding ceremony until the chaplain uttered those fateful words: "If anyone has just cause why these two should not be joined in lawful matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." Daniel wanted to jump up and yell "Just cause! Just cause!" But he didn't. He glanced over at Jack. The man may have well been carved of stone. Then suddenly there was a voice from the back of the chapel.

"Yeah, that'd me. I kinda got a problem with his whole deal."

---

TBC

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That was kinda evil, huh? Just leaving you hanging there without knowing who was objecting and whether it will matter.