Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate and I definitely don't own X-Men. If you're reading this and don't know who owns either series, I seriously feel for you….no, really, I do.
Selene is mine so if you want to use her….DON'T!
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Selene looks around the table. From what she could sense, everyone was curious about Mutants; even Dr. Frasier, though she knew the basics of Genetics and the general gist of things.
"Well," Selene takes a sip of her drink. "each person—Mutant or non—has a certain gene within their genetic makeup."
Teal'c nods, listening intently. Daniel, Sam, and Janet leaned closer to hear; their intrigue and curiosity evident to even the most inept.
"Yeah, and?" Selene glanced sideways at O'Neill, frowning.
"If you'd be quiet and let me continue, you might learn something." Jack glares at Daniel as the archeologist turns a snort of humor into a coughing fit.
Selene clears her throat. "In most humans, this gene—dubbed the "X" gene by some—lies dormant. In Mutants, however, this gene is active."
"How do you know when it's active?" Sam asked.
"You don't know. Well, at least not during childhood." Selene takes a bite of her salad. "Mutants don't show any attributes of the active gene until puberty. By then, the gene begins a mutation of sorts within their genetic and cellular structure—"
Selene pauses for a moment, thinking over what she was trying to explain.
"The changes don't occur immediately when a person reaches puberty. It takes a period—or periods—of heightened emotional stress to trigger the mutation, enabling them to manifest."
After a few minutes of silence—during which everyone took the opportunity to let the information seep in—Jack decided to break the silence.
"So, these triggers……exactly what are they?"
Selene rolled her eyes. "I told you that they are periods of heightened emotional stress. Usually they are from being bullied, or the usual high school dramas like a first date or kiss, or parents divorcing."
Jack leans back in his chair, watching Selene. "So what was your trigger?"
As soon as the question left his lips, Selene stood, her face and eyes devoid of all emotion, and wordlessly left the commissary.
"JACK!" The Air Force Colonel stared at Daniel, eyes questioning. Before Jack could ask what he did, the archeologist was already up and sprinting after Selene.
With equal sighs, Sam and Janet shared a look before they, too, left the commissary. Jack looked over at Teal'c.
"What did I say?" Jack asked the Jaffa.
"I believe that you asked her a very personal question, O'Neill." Teal'c replied in his usual, calm manner.
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"Selene, wait!" Daniel stood next to the geneticist as she turned to face him. Though she didn't show it, Daniel could tell she was upset—perhaps even angry.
The two stood there, in the middle of the hallway, for a good five minutes. Daniel, still upset over what Jack said, cleared his throat before talking.
"Look, uh, I'm sorry for what happened back there."
Selene turned and headed down the hall. Sighing, Daniel followed her, coming up and walking alongside the geneticist.
She didn't acknowledge his presence right away. Against her better judgment, she let her mind slowly drift and enter the archeologist's own.
The flood of images and emotions that she received from him almost brought her to her knees. She knew that Daniel had suffered—both as a child and while he was on Abydos—but that facts did not prepare her for the memories she saw.
"Are you alright?" Selene looked over at the concerned archeologist in surprise. They had stopped once again in the middle of the hallway. However, this time, several Airmen were looking at them.
"I'm fine," she said before turning the corner, leaving a perplexed Daniel alone, watching her.
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Daniel sat hunched over several artifacts that SG-5 brought back the day before. He was so engrossed with the images on a vase that he failed to notice Jack's arrival.
"Hey, Daniel." The younger man barely caught the overturned vase as he jumped in surprise at Jack's welcome.
"Jack! These are fragile artifacts!"
O'Neill shrugged as he picked up a smaller vase. "You can use glue or something to put it back together." He set the vase down, looking at Daniel. "Besides, don't they sell these at those fancy furniture stores?"
Daniel sighed, setting his notes aside before facing Jack. He was still upset over what transpired in the commissary two hours earlier.
"What can I do for you Jack?"
The Colonel sat down on the corner of Daniel's desk, arms crossed. He was silent for a while, frowning down at the floor. For a second, Daniel thought his friend was pouting.
Jack signed. "She upset?"
"Who? Dr. Douvre?"
"Yeah." Jack looks at Daniel. He didn't show it, but the elder man was mentally kicking himself in the ass for what he said earlier. "So…was she?"
Daniel nodded. "Yes, she was." He frowned. "I tried to talk to her—apologize more likely—but she ignored me…at least until she almost fell."
"She fell?" Jack did a poor job of hiding his concern, which Daniel was kind enough not to point out.
"Almost fell. When I asked her what was wrong, she told me she was fine, then stormed off."
"And you believed her?" Jack signed, rubbing the back of his neck. "How do you know she wasn't lying to you?"
Daniel blinked. "I just…thought she might have stumbled—Jack, where are you going?"
Jack didn't answer as he walked out of Daniel's office and towards the infirmary…and Selene's lab.
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Selene was sitting at her desk, going over Teal'c's medical records when she had the feeling that she was being watched. Turning around, she frowned.
"What do you want?"
Jack walked in and sat down across from her. Selene's eyes narrowed as she watched him. He, however, ignored the mild death glare and picked up the stapler from her desk.
Selene watched as the Colonel turned the stapler in his hands. He frowns, concentrating on opening the object.
SNAP! Jack swears as staples fly all over the office, some sticking in his hair. Selene watched as he shook his hair, staples falling to the floor and desk. He bites back a curse as a staple impales itself on his finger and scratches his cheek.
"Sorry." Jack mutters, picking the offending item out of his finger.
"For what?"
Jacks looked up at her, his eyes soft. "For, you know, the stuff earlier…in the commissary."
"Oh." Selene goes back to the file, brushing off a few staples. Jack leaned forward, propping his elbows atop the desk's surface; chin resting on his hands.
After a few minutes of this, Selene sighed, closing the folder. Reaching for a tissue, she leaned forward and dabs away at the small cut on Jack's cheek.
"Thanks." Jack said, taking the tissue from her and holding it against the cut.
Selene shrugged, leaning back in her chair. "Normally, I don't mind blood. But, you are injured because of my staples."
Jack grinned, leaning back. "So, does this classify as a truce?"
Selene smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Maybe."