Sticks and Stones - Chapter 19 - by Emma Nisbet (grnfield)
Two weeks after Jack moved to the Alpha it was the 100 day anniversary of Daniel's death. 86 days since they had stopped looking for his body and exactly 50 days since Jack's breakdown in Daniel's office.
That evening Jack sat in his quarters within the Alpha site compound with a very expensive bottle of brandy.
He would only allow himself one glass though as he'd be training the next day. He just needed to toast his friend - he needed to tell Daniel that wherever he may be he would never be forgotten.
The sorrowful man wished that for just one moment he could feel a gust of air where one shouldn't be, or an unexplained tickling of his hair. Daniel had done these things when he's been ascended and Jack had watched out for these signals and gained comfort from knowing that his friend was still around.
Since the calamity that had befallen Daniel inside the pyramid on P7X-962 however, nothing of the sort had happened. Jack had picked up no hidden signals of any description and had finally acknowledged that Oma hadn't come to Daniel's aid this time.
The silver haired man raised his brandy glass above him in a toast and simply said, "To Daniel, the best friend anyone could ever have hoped for."
He savoured the heady aroma of the rich, fruity drink and slowly sipped at it until it was gone.
He sat for a while, lost in quiet contemplation, before going about his usual bedtime routine and settling down for the night.
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