A
crack in forever by Roo
Part 4
Jack moved his hand from Daniel's shoulder to the back of his neck, in a comforting gesture.
"What do we do now, Jack? It's just not going to be the same."
"We go on. Like always. We have to. Otherwise there's no point in any of it. There is no other way." replied Jack.
"How do you do it, Jack? Picking yourself up after all that you've been through?" asked Daniel taking another drink, before putting the glass back on the floor.
Jack glanced at him for a moment. He removed his hand and dipped a finger in the whisky and then made squeaky circles on the rim of the glass, while he thought what to say.
"I've learned how to lose people, Daniel. A lot of people. But you don't entirely get over it. You cope with it the best you can and move on." He said knowing that it sounded harsh. Just like it had when he had said something similar to Carter after Daniel had 'died' and gone all glowy. But at the time they had to focus on the fight against Anubis.
"You can't sit there and say that to me, of all people. I think I know you Jack. You feel this just as much as we do. I saw today, how you comforted Cassie. And Sam's talked to me as well."
Jack sighed again. He'd never seen Carter looking so lost as when she'd come to see him the last time in the infirmary. It was all true. He had changed a lot over the last seven years.
"Well, don't tell everybody - I have a reputation to maintain! Besides it's all your fault." said Jack quietly.
"My fault? What do you mean Jack" asked Daniel confused.
"You wouldn't let me die on Abydos, the first time. You convinced me to invest my future in the SGC, and now…here we are." explained Jack- for him it was that simple.
Daniel blinked. "Wow." he said, the JD finally mellowing him out.
"Yep."
There was a pause before Daniel spoke, "Still gonna tell everybody you're a big softie!"
"Are not."
"Am too!"
"Not."
"Am."
We could be here all night like this, thought Jack wildly.
"Did your car really break down tonight?" he asked jolting Daniel from his track.
"Uhh, well..."
"Okay who was it? Carter? The General?"
"Umm, actually it was Cassie."
"Oh." said Jack.
That silenced them for a bit, as the legacy of Doctor Fraiser's powermongering washed over them, exquisitely painful.
"And you didn't 'forget' to drop me off at my apartment did you Jack?"
"Nope." Jack admitted.
"Thanks."
"Back atcha Danny."
They both sat and drank some more in the dark. After a while Jack realised that Daniel had fallen asleep. Lulled by Daniel's breathing and the JD, he too felt himself drifting off.