Tittle: Torn
Author: KaraMeL
Email: Kristine_sci@hotmail.com
Summary: The Beer Scene in 'Children of the Gods' continued...
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This story belongs to MGM and all the other companies/cooperations that own Stargate. So, initially the characters don't belong to me. Darn.
 

The car ride had been silent and unnatural. For Jack, the young scientist had become only a memory... fragmented and forgotten so that at least he could live his life in peace. It didn’t happen that way though. It never happened the way you wanted it to. Daniel stared silently at the windshield. He didn’t want to be here. Personally, nor did Jack. Jack could see the look in Daniel’s eyes as he leant on the metal wall, staring into the cold hard level of his new home. He had been brought back, much against his will, to come for a reason even unknown to the Colonel himself. Dutiful to his orders, Jack insisted that Daniel come, the whole hoard of Abydonians swarming around Daniel, whispering their good wills and touching his hair in a show of their never-ending friendship with him had almost made Jack’s heart break. After Charlie... he hadn’t even had the emotion to cry when he cut the onions. Jack shifted his gaze to where Daniel was sitting. The glazed expression had never flinched. Jack turned his attention to the road, looking farther than the darkened wilderness and the beautiful greens and blues that dominated the landscape. This must have looked totally alien to Jackson, yet he showed no compassion or feelings towards his reunion... then again, what did he had to look foreword around here? Apparently he didn’t have any family and his life was falling apart. The Stargate program was the only thing that had kept the fire inside lit and strong. Sha’re did better than that. She made it grow. Jack blinked. He wondered where she was. If they didn’t find here, Daniel would be one heartbroken man. Jack looked towards Daniel again... a million miles away from earth, looking at the stars, probably wondering which one his wife orbited. The car rolled to a stop, and Jack flipped off the headlights, plunging them into the wide-open darkness. Crickets and night animals hooted and chirped in the summer night. Jack pulled the keys from the engine and tapped Daniel on the jacket. Jack frowned slightly. They were going shopping. Something told him, Army fatigues weren’t in style. For tomorrow, he could lend Daniel some older clothes. But after the briefing they were going shopping, no ifs, buts or excuses. Daniel jerked up, startled. Jack smiled slightly.
“Come on Jackson. Let’s get some decent food.” Daniel nodded, but in the faint light. Jack could see the tracings of tears on Daniel’s cheek. Choosing to ignore it, Jack jangled his keys and approached his house, making sure that he could hear the crunch of gravel behind him.

“Achoo!” Daniel sneezed again. His head felt like someone had either stuffed it with cotton balls, or his Abydonian friends decided to give him half the sand on Abydos as a farewell present. Daniel’s mouth quirked slightly and he wiped his nose again. So many beautiful photographs. Jack with Charlie, Charlie with a woman... probably Sara, Jack’s wife. Daniel made a note to himself to ask later where she was. So many pictures of Charlie. It was a shrine to him. Daniel smiled. He and Sha’re had wanted to start a family. They never had the chance. Daniel touched the frame of the nearest photo to him. Jack, Sara and Charlie. They looked so happy, so innocent. Until life hit them. Daniel felt his nose tickle again. Stupid allergies. Sometimes he wished that he had never had them. But, they were a part of him. He couldn’t change that. He remembered how Sha’re and the rest of the Abydonians always made fun of him. Thankfully, not too many things on Abydos caused an allergic reaction. As soon as he stepped back onto Terra firm they had flared up again.
“Achoo!” Daniel’s eyes watered furiously and Daniel he blew into his Kleenex.
“Nice catch.” A wry sarcastic voice made him blink back the moisture. Daniel stared at him for a second, then at the Kleenex, as if trying to explain something to a preschooler.
“Gate travel seems to make my allergies... sorry.” Jack blinked. He held out a beer instead of acknowledging Daniel’s odd apology.
“So, you were saying?” Jack sagged into an old armchair, very relaxed and calm. Daniel envied his control and eyes the beer thoughtfully, as if trying to remember what he had been saying before his allergies has flared up suddenly.
“Anyway, as soon as you were gone, they realized that they were free... I mean Abydos was their, their world for the taking.” Daniel eyed the beer again, wondering if this was such a good topic to follow at the present moment.
“Have a little party did ya?” Jack gestured slightly with his beer.
“Oh yeah, a big, big party. They treated me like their saviors...” Daniel smiled again his eyes distant and unseeing. “It was embarrassing.”
“It’s amazing you turned out so normal.” Daniel shrugged slightly, not really comprehending if the words were sarcastic or genuinely curious.
“If it wasn’t for Sha’re, I probably...” Daniel stumbled awkwardly. Past tense. He was already giving up hope. His eyes teared involuntarily. Daniel smiled sheepishly and sat precariously on the edge of an armchair. “She was the complete opposite of everyone else. She practically fell on the floor laughing when I tried to do some chore they all took for granted...” Daniel tried to remember a moment and smiled. “Like... um... grinding yaffeta flour... have you ever tried to grind your own flour?” Daniel could hear the slurred sentences and figures he had just about enough of the beer. This was probable wrecking havoc on his circulatory system. Daniel flinched slightly and took another swig of the beer any ways.
“I’m trying to kick the flour thing.” Daniel looked up slightly and smiled. Now that was certainly sarcastic. He looked at the beer and took another drink.
“This is going straight to my head... What time is it any ways? I must have gate lag or something.” Jack sat up a bit and rolled his eyes. Obviously a classic O’Neill response.
“Oh for crying out loud. You’ve had one beer. You’re a cheaper date than my wife was.” Daniel groggily looked up. Pass tense again? Obviously a lot had happened since Jack had left Abydos. Daniel foggily grasped the string of subject and plowed ahead.
“Yes... When an I going to meet your wife?” Questions had gotten him places before and they were going to get him places now. Daniel shifted. Wobbling a bit when he realized that his equilibrium wasn’t quiet the same.
“Oh... ah... probable never. After I came back from Abydos the first time, she already left.” Daniel blinked slightly. At least Jack knew the feeling of loosing his wife. Another mental note.
“I’m sorry.” It seemed slightly odd and inappropriate to say, but the compassion was there.”
“Yeah, so was I. I think in her heart, I know she forgave me for what happened to our kid.” Daniel understood and took his time as he let the Colonel sort out his memories. “She just couldn’t forget.” Daniel nodded slightly. So many things in this world didn’t make sense. Unfortunately this one did.
“And what about you?” Daniel blinked foggily, trying to focus.
“I’m the opposite. I’ll never forgive myself.... But sometimes I can forget.... Sometimes.” Jack stared into the brown glass and took another sip of his bottle, thumping it down on the table. Daniel cast his eyes to his own bottle, staring at the shifting shadows that the fire created.
“Maybe forgetting is a part of forgiving. One which we really can’t understand. Jack looked up and rose t his feet. Gathering another couple beers from his fridge.
“How would you know?” Daniel blinked furiously.
“Gosh Jack,” The words began to tint with sarcasm. Obviously one bottle of beer was enough to inhibit him. Jack flickered his gaze upwards. “Why don’t you look into my files? Parents dead in a freak accident. Years of foster care and therapy, neglect, abuse, failing career? It’s all there Jack. My life. I was happy. I was so damn happy, but no, you and your stupid Kleenex box...” Daniel stopped for a moment. His eyes lighting briefly. The black lettering on the side of the box still as vivid as his memory upon meeting Sha’re. He smiled and Jack looked up at him, taking a slow sip of the second beer he had confiscated from the fridge.
“I don’t know Daniel.” He said with a sigh. “People are immune to compassion. It makes me wonder why you have so much of it.” Daniel furrowed his brow. Jack’s words were as cryptic as they were odd.
“Well Jack, I have a lot to be mad about. My home, my wife, my brother in law, my life.” Daniel stopped suddenly and looked up at Jack. Daniel’s face was colored slightly and Jack could see his glasses fogging. “Why Jack? Why did you take me away? I was happy, I wanted a life.” Daniel struggled with the right words. “Dammit. I don’t want to be here.” Like a sullen child, Daniel threw a pillow in Jack’s direction. Jack caught it and Daniel hunched over, his arms encircling his knees, trying so hard not to release all of his control. Heaven knows what that would do to his career. Jack silently stared at Daniel, avoiding conversation. Daniel was about as high strung as the guitar that was up in his attic.
“I wanted a home all my life.” Daniel spoke again, his voice muffled against his arms. “I wanted to fit in and become someone. Why did you have to take that away?” Jack could see the tears now. Rolling quietly and quickly down his cheeks. Jack smiled slightly.
“All things happen for a reason Daniel. That’s why people live.” Daniel flicked his gaze in Jack’s direction, to the pillow in Jack’s hand. He blinked.
“So why do they always happen to me?” Daniel unfolded himself and stretched out. The forgotten bottle of beer on the table. Jack shrugged and stood, tending to the dying fire.
“You of all people should know.” Jack smiled slightly, his eyes distancing and focusing on a photo of him and Charlie. “But sometimes you can forget.” Jack took a breath and turned back to Daniel. “So, tell me about your year in Abydos. Don’t spare any juicy details.” Daniel smiled slightly and opened his mouth. Jack settled back into his chair again. He expected to fall asleep very soon.
“Well, after the party, I started going through the village, trying to do what I could. Do you know how much was destroyed? How many were killed? It was...” Daniel stumbled slightly and leant back. “Bad. Pretty bad. Sha’re and I decided to move back to the pyramid. We didn’t know if you were going to come back or not. We organized the watches. Frankly, we didn’t want to be blown up.” Jack winced at that, remembering the bomb, sitting on the ramp waiting to be sent off to destroy a world full of innocent people. “Any ways, The Naquada mine was shut down soon after...”
“The what?” Daniel blinked slightly, as if searching his brain.
“Naquada. That was the mineral that they were mining. The stuff the Stargate is made out of.” Jack shrugged and opened another beer. Obviously it wasn’t having that much affect on him.
“Oh.” Daniel nodded furiously. Jack raised an eyebrow as he almost collapsed off the chair. “Well, as long as you’re here Daniel. We should get you some clothes and a bed. What do you say?” Daniel blushed slightly.
“I would’ve been fine... fine in the base.” Daniel studied his hands for a moment.
“No you wouldn’t have. You underestimate the power of a listening ear.” Daniel smiled.
“Yeah, I suppose I do. It took hell and over to try and teach the Abydonians English. Skaara was a fast learner... is a fast learner. He was real great and all. Loved to flick that stupid lighter. He loved saying all this stuff about you.” Daniel saw Jack’s ears perk in anticipation and he continued. “He thought you were like a father to him. Really great kid. Actually, Sha’re was the first to express any interest in learning English. She wanted to know what I was saying in my dreams.” Daniel focused on Jack, trying to comprehend what he had just said.
“Yeah. I could probably use some language lessons. You should teach me in case we ever get captured by those snake heads.” Jack raised his bottle in a toast. “To the bad luck of all snake charmers!” Jack looked past his beer bottle to Daniel. He was snoring. Jack levered himself to his feet and smiled. Grabbing a blanket off of the ground, Jack tossed it over Daniel, taking off his glasses as well. They were new; the last thing they needed was Daniel to break them when he woke up. Jack carefully folded them and placed them on the table, then walked over to the dying fire. He briefly touched one of the pictures on the mantle and then shut off the lights. Looking at the young man then heading towards his own bedroom. What Daniel needed now was a friend, and a friend Jack would be.
 
 

KaraMeL
 

Yeah, yeah, pretty short, but I FINALLY got the video and I was kinda disappointed, so I just filled in.. ;)