The call to Joanne had been easier than Michael anticipated. Although he had never confirmed it he knew that she knew he worked for the CIA so when he told her that it turned out that he and Jack had mutual work friends she didn't ask too many questions beyond if he was alright and asking him to let her know when he knew for sure he would be coming home.
He had also called Howard and explained he and Jack were okay and promised he'd arrange a trip to Chicago soon. The other man was understandably confused but promised to be in touch to schedule the visit.
After the phone calls Michael didn't remember falling asleep but next thing he knew the clock on the wall read 0522. He looked around to see the source of the noise that woke him. He raised his eyebrows at Jack who was building an elaborate structure out of tongue depressors on his bedside table.
It didn't take long for Jack to notice Michael staring at him and smile, "Good morning sleepy head."
Michael looked back to the wall to confirm the clock did actually reflect that it was before 5:30 in the morning before glaring at Jack, "Is that clock right?"
Jack nodded, "Yeah. You want to get out of here?"
Michael wasn't quite sure where else Jack meant to go at the crack of dawn, in surgical scrubs in the middle of a concrete bunker but he nodded his assent anyway. He winced as he watched Jack gingerly remove his own IV and silently chastised himself for being remotely surprised that Jack apparently had no intention of waiting to be formerly released from Dr. Lam's care.
Michael breathed a sigh of relief that his own IV had been removed at some point during the night and he just needed to slip his feet into a pair of slippers that Jack held out before following him out the door.
Despite the early hour there were a number of personnel in the halls but if any of them found it odd that a two star general was striding the hall of their base in nothing but white scrubs, slippers, a sling and an impressive case of bed head, no one gave any indication. Many didn't even bother coming to attention with the exception of a few young airmen and a lieutenant but for the most part the only acknowledgement they received were a few silent nods of greeting from a couple of senior officers.
They turned into a locker room and Jack tossed Michael a set of the base's ubiquitous green BDUs before deftly entering the combination into the locker labeled "Jackson" and pulling out a razor, shaving cream, toothbrush and paste. He left the brush on the locker shelf.
Changed and clean shaven Michael definitely felt more like himself as he followed Jack in to and out of an elevator and past several rooms with blinking machines and complicated looking tools. At the end of the hall they turned into one where, despite it still being before 6am, Sam Carter was typing at her computer.
"Gooooood morning Carter." Jack announced their presence jovially.
Sam spun to face them, a wide smile on her face. "Sir." Her smile turned more amused as her eyes flicked between the two men and Michael realized belatedly that it was very likely that his own uncombed hair was in a similar state as Jack's.
Jack seemed not to notice or care as he settled himself on one of the stools across the desk and asked what Sam was working on, only to cut her off when she started to explain. She rolled her eyes but otherwise she showed no indications of her previous frustrations, nor did she apologize for her insubordination and Jack made no mention of it as well. Although Michael did suspect that when Jack asked Sam to help readjust his sling it was some sort of strange peace offering more than the anything actually being out of place.
Jack's smile was small and serious as she stood close, tightening the strap and when she patted him gently on the chest and announced, "Better?" He didn't move for a long moment before he suddenly cleared his throat and turned to look back to Michael without stepping away from Sam's hand.
"So, my engineer of a brother here wants to know how the Gate works. I didn't know what to tell him, figured you'd have an answer for him."
Sam smiled widely and gestured for Michael to take a seat next to her computer. For the next few hours she happily answered Michael's answers about the mechanics of the Stargate until his head spun while Jack made some calls, fended off an angry base doctor and conferred with General Landry.
Eventually Jack announced they both had seats on a flight to Andrew's that night but first they needed to debrief. Michael accompanied Jack and the rest of SG1 to a briefing room where they explained in detail exactly what had transpired. While they chatted the gate had operated several times and Michael watched in amazement as small groups departed and arrived through the glowing circle.
When the debrief was over Michael watched Daniel glance at Sam, eyebrows raised. She nodded and tilted her head at Jack who smiled and bounced his eyebrows before looking to Teal'c. The taller man inclined his head and left the room. The people Michael now knew to be Lt. Colonel Mitchell and Vala looked at each other and then to Sam who gave a single head nod with a smile. Jack nodded again, "Good. Meet you at the elevators."
Bewildered Michael followed Jack until he stopped, leaning against a desk in front of an elevator. "What the heck is going on?"
Jack glanced down the hall, "We're waiting for everyone to get changed." He looked back to Michael and grinned, "And for Teal'c to decide on a hat."
Michael shook his head, "What? Why?"
"We're going to Sam's for food and then they'll drive us to the air field." Jack explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Michael quickly reflected back over the past few hours and recalled absolutely no mention of leaving the base, food or how they would be getting to their flight. "When was this decided?"
Jack narrowed his eyes, "Just now. In the briefing room, you were there."
Michael opened his mouth and then closed it again, deciding it was best to let some observations slide. Soon enough the balance of SG1, arrived and a long elevator ride later they were standing at the door to a large parking lot.
It was a beautiful, blue skied day and Michael paused, taking in the sun high in the sky and the absence of the two alien moons. It was almost hard to believe that nothing had changed. In a way it seemed almost too peaceful, as if how dare the rest of the world not acknowledge what had happened. How could everything still be so normal?
Daniel put an understanding hand on his arm and guided him to an SUV at the front of the lot. Daniel took shotgun while Teal'c climbed into the driver seat and Sam settled herself in the middle of the back between the O'Neills. Michael raised an eyebrow at an alien driving and the fact that the five of them squeezed into one car as Cam and Vala drove separately with an empty back seat but no one made any comment so he just added it to the quickly growing list of silent observations.
Another one of the things on his list was Jack's seeming multiple personalities. When they had first met Jack had been tight lipped and reserved, when they had been…away…he had been caustic, competent, impertinent, resolute, honest, and deadly. While they had been at the SGC, despite his prior comments to the contrary, he had been every inch a General. He had moved throughout the base with the air of one who commanded respect and attention, knew it and expected it.
But now, as they settled in to the car and Sam announced her plan to make an iron rich meal of salmon and broccoli Jack devolved in to a man child pouting and outright whining for pizza and wheedling for beer. The sudden shift elicited no reactions from the others aside from poorly concealed amusement and half-hearted admonishments from Sam as Teal'c and Daniel ignored them both.
Once they got to the house it was not long before the original members of the team eagerly began to regale Michael with tales of Jack's days in the field. There were many laughs and shouts as the threesome's primary goal seemed to be to try and embarrass Jack as much as possible. Jack fought back with his own arsenal of predicaments and anecdotes. But in between the tales of wisecracks and brazen bravado a different picture painted of the otherwise irreverent man and his former team.
As the stories built up Michael began to understood Colonel Mitchell's awe and discomfort. It was well controlled but noticeable in contrast to the teasing and casual atmosphere of the original SG1. In fact, Michael had to contain his laughter when, after Mitchell and Vala had made their exit, complete with a formal salute from the younger man, Jack had dropped onto the couch and groused to Daniel, "I thought you would have straightened him out by now."
The archaeologist just shrugged, "What can I say? Try as I might he respects you. Don't think that's going to change."
"Oh the burdens of saving the world." Jack complained over dramatically, dragging his hand across his face. "What do I get for it? High strung Colonels and a one way ticket to the Pentagon."
"Need we remind you again, O'Neill? Promotion is an honor." Teal'c intoned.
Jack glared at him, "Don't let them fool you. It's how they get rid of you."
Daniel squinted, "Seeing as you have a meeting with the president tomorrow it doesn't seem to have been too effective if that was the plan."
Jack rolled his eyes "I'm only going because the oval office has the best breakfast pastries in town."
Daniel then turned back to Michael, "Ohhhh! Can't believe we forgot to tell you about the time that Jack ate cake offworld that was only for him..."
About 20 minutes later Michael looked over to Jack and was surprised to see the seemingly unstoppable man having fallen asleep, sitting up, mid conversation. The rest of the group seemed not to notice, continuing to revel in their past exploits. The only attention they paid to Jack was when Sam checked her watch and carefully replaced the ice pack that was on Jack's shoulder with a new one.