By Latergatr
Spoilers: Season 5, 8, Meridian, Revelations, Citizen Joe Warnings: A few naughty words.
Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
"...and don't worry, like I said before, I won't say anything about your feelings..."
Jack O'Neil sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair, sitting forward in his chair, hunched over his desk staring at the paperwork scattered across it. What a mess, he thought, and he wasn't thinking of the paperwork. He looked tiredly at the man seated across from him and forced a smile. "I know, I know you won't."
There was a knock at his door, and Daniel and Teal'c appeared.
"Oh, hi Joe," Daniel greeted, a puzzled expression on his face. Then looking at Jack, "Walter said you wanted to see us?"
"Ye-es," Jack drawled out. "Joe, would you please wait outside in the briefing room? Walter!"
Sgt. Harriman appeared, already on his way in before his boss called him. "Yes, sir!"
"Please ask Colonel Carter to come to my office, and have Mr. Spencer wait until she arrives."
"Yes, sir."
Daniel and Teal'c moved in, Daniel seating himself in Joe's recently vacated seat, and Teal'c remained standing behind. "So, what's up, Jack? Why is Joe back?"
Jack sighed again, and sat back in his chair. "I need your help. It seems we have a big, honkin' security violation here, what with Joe having written up every mission report for the past six years as a 'story,' and sent it to God knows how many publishing companies." Jack waived his arm across his desk in emphasis. "The Pentagon wants a security violation report written up, detailing what all has been revealed and who all may have read it."
Daniel's eyes grew large. "You're kidding, right? That could take days, weeks..."
Jack frowned. "Look, this is even a bigger problem." His eyes met Daniel's, then Teal'c's. "Think about it. Joe was in my head, essentially reading my thoughts. Now, I've read a couple of his stories, and there's stuff in there that I'd rather not just anybody read. In fact, I'd write the damned report myself if it weren't so...big...honkin'." He waved his arm again.
Daniel squirmed in his seat and made a face, catching the drift, beginning to understand Jack's dilemma. "So, reading thoughts; pretty personal point of view, maybe?" Oh, this should be good.
"Bingo." Jack looked from Daniel to Teal'c again. "Look, technically I'm assigning this little project to SG-1. But Carter is going to be pretty busy with some critical research that just very conveniently Ihas/I to be done in the same time frame, so it will mostly fall to the two of you."
"And you would prefer that that part which is reviewed by Colonel Carter be rather selective in nature," Teal'c offered.
"Exactly."
Silence fell between the three as they all pondered the situation.
"Look, this doesn't have to be extremely detailed. Just bullet-points: 'this technology was mentioned, this planet, these aliens.' In fact, the more succinct the better. But it has to be detailed enough to satisfy the Pentagon. I'm not suggesting a cover-up of any kind, just, please...I don't want anybody to be hurt over this. I'm not worried about myself, I don't care if I come off as a complete jackass; but there could be repercussions for...others... I don't want my personal life hung out there for public scrutiny, and certainly not anybody else's'. There are some things other people just don't need to know. Please don't say anything to..." And he waved toward the door.
"We will ensure that your privacy is protected, O'Neill."
"Don't worry, Jack."
O'Neill looked up, seeing activity in the briefing room beyond. "Okay, she's here. Let's take this out to the briefing room."
Two weeks later
Joe Spencer found himself once again living his greatest fantasy, sitting in Daniel Jackson's lab, in the company of SG1, reliving another mission.
"So, Joe, how is your family doing with the relocation?" Samantha Carter asked pleasantly.
"Oh, just fine. General O'Neill has been so kind to us, working with the Air Force, arranging the move, and even getting me a job with the barber shop on base."
"Really?"
"Oh, yes. It seems I have a security clearance now, and can work on the SGC levels."
"That's...nice."
Daniel crinkled his nose and tilted his head at Sam. "What did you think Jack would do, Sam? Joe knows all about the Stargate program. He may as well be here, especially when he can be doing something...useful."
"Yes, my family and I appreciate General O'Neill's generosity, and the way the Air Force has treated us."
"So, what mission do we have today?"
"Kelowna, actually."
"Oh." Sam's expression became sad, and she glanced at Daniel, then down at the file laying in front of her. "Daniel, you don't have to be here for this one."
Daniel looked up at her, frowned slightly, "It's okay, Sam, I've already read Joe's story. And although, I must say parts of it seem out-of-character, thinking it's from Jack's point of view, but I'm okay with it." Daniel pushed his own file over a little to make room for his coffee cup.
"Out of character?" Joe asked. "Really? Which parts? I thought I'd written it very well."
"I wasn't meaning to critique your writing, Joe. It's just - Jack doesn't get this emotional."
"Oh, but - he did," Joe insisted, his eyes seeming to mist over remembering. "He was in so much pain - well, it dropped me to my knees."
"What? You're kidding," Sam broke in, shock on her face.
"Oh, no. He kept thinking it was like watching Charlie die all over again," Joe turned to Daniel. "It was a good thing that you appeared to him, talked to him, before you left with Oma. That's what kept him going afterward."
Daniel coughed slightly and cleared his throat. "Maybe this is one of those places we best not go." He raised his mug nervously to sip his coffee.
"He loves you, you know," Joe insisted.
Daniel spluttered his coffee, choking, and sat up abruptly to clear his throat.
"All of you," he continued, looking around the room at Daniel, Sam and Teal'c. "Like his family." A flustered Daniel continued struggling to catch his breath, covering his embarrassment by grabbing a napkin and dabbing at the spilled coffee, and Sam just sat there, her mouth hung open. "What?" Joe asked her.
"I can't believe it! Oh, no. I argued with him, yelled at him that he was ignoring Daniel's death. He acted like he didn't care. He wouldn't talk about it at all."
"Oh, please," Joe interjected. "If he could 'talk about it' (making quotes with his fingers in the air, a very Jack O'Neill mannerism), he'd still be married to Sara."
Joe suddenly went quiet, his eyes widening. "Oh, I shouldn't have said that. Not any of it, I suppose," his voice softening, and his face reddened in embarrassment. He suddenly looked at his watch, and excused himself. "Charlene just hates it when I'm late for dinner. Maybe we can finish this tomorrow?" He left abruptly.
The three sat in silence for a minute, looking at each other. Daniel cleared his throat and spoke first. "Well, um, that was enlightening," he said, raising his eyebrows.
"Holy Hannah! I feel like an idiot. Daniel, I was so angry at him. I yelled at him! I can't believe I thought...he seemed so cold."
Teal'c, who had remained implacable during the whole scene, slowly lowered his copy of the story to the table and, eyebrow raised, stared at his teammates with amazement. "This surprises you? That O'Neill loves us?"
Neither Daniel nor Sam replied, both looking embarrassed, not making eye contact.
"For a warrior like O'Neill, such things do not need to be said. Is not the Tau'ri expression 'Actions speak louder than words?' Has he not demonstrated his love by his actions, placing himself in danger to draw the enemy away from you? Has he not regaled our enemy with insults to deflect attention away from you, and draw it instead upon himself? Indeed, has he not shielded you with his own body to protect you? In no way should his love come as a surprise to you."
Teal'c went back to reading the story. Sam and Daniel just stared at him, and then slowly turned to look at each other.
Sam slowly pushed her chair back from the table. " I, erm, wonder if the General is still in his office? I think I have an apology to make," and she left the room.
Daniel looked back over his shoulder as the door closed. "Whew, that was close. Did she catch on to that Jack - Sara thing?"
"Colonel Carter is engaged to Pete Shanahan. It is of little consequence."
"No, I suppose you're right." Daniel squirmed in his chair. "But maybe, um, Sam doesn't need to attend quite so many of these meetings. I, er, think I may need to go talk to Jack, too..."
"Very well," Teal'c replied. "We shall continue tomorrow."
"Uh, indeed," Daniel stopped at the door and looking back over his shoulder, smiled at his friend. "Thanks, Teal'c."
"I have merely stated the obvious."
"Yeah. Thanks anyway."
The end.