Part 15
Bombshell #3 Part 15
As most of Colorado Springs was waking up and preparing itself for the working day ahead Daniel, Sam and Teal'c were already at work. They waited in the Briefing room, quietly talking amongst themselves as they looked over reports laid before them on the table.
Sam was going through her findings on the sample of the florescent sap that they'd retrieved from P3x9090 three days ago with her attentive teammates. It seemed that the gum-like substance would, if correctly synthesize, provide a good sample of long-term emergency lighting for underwater activity like scuba diving or rescue and retrieval. She was just about to explain how it was the pressure of water at varying depths that created the reaction within the sap to make it glow when Jack stomped into the room.
He had been away from work since that mission and apart from one phone call with Daniel two nights ago, no one had heard from him. Daniel and Sam both looked up the minute he entered the room and the first thing they noted was that he looked heavy with the cold still. The second thing was that he was, quite obviously, not in a good mood. As he slammed the cup and pot around the two friends at the table exchanged glances then Daniel raised his hand to his head and scratched at the back of his ear with his thumb as he asked, tentatively, "Ah, Jack?" When the colonel turned to look at them, Daniel continued, "Anything wrong?"
"No!" He snarled as he crossed to his seat, yanked it from under the table and threw himself into it. Daniel's eyebrows rose as he turned to look at the major beside him.
"Sir?" She asked now. "You, uh, sure about that?"
Jack sighed and shot her a look that would have terrified a lesser person. With a voice thick with cold, he retorted, "I'm fine, Major! Now, can we drop this?"
Daniel and Sam exchanged another quick glance then Daniel pulled a face as he shrugged and flipped open the folder in front of him.
Teal'c turned to the man sitting beside him. "It would appear you are still not well, O'Neill."
Jack sighed. "Teal'c, what part of 'can we drop this' didn't you understand?"
Sam frowned at the rudeness of their friend. Teal'c merely arched his brow and turned to meet Daniel's concerned eyes. The anthropologist shook his head as he mouthed the words, "don't push him." The Jaffa nodded and laced his fingers together, laying his hands on the table before him - intent on not speaking to Jack again iin a hurry.
The door to Hammond's office swung open and both the general and Lieutenant Simmons entered the room. The young officer went to the desk in the corner and sat down, ready to minute the debriefing.
Daniel frowned. He thought Graham was on night duty, but clearly he'd changed his schedule. He tried not to look over to the corner but whenever he did, the lieutenant was intent on his work and not looking back at him.
"Colonel O'Neill," Hammond said jovially as he took his place at the head of the table. "It's good to have you back again."
"Good to be back, Sir," Jack said, shifting to lounge back in his chair as he cast a quick glance at Daniel's direction before picking up his pen and toying with it.
"Feeling better, Colonel?" Hammond asked, clearly unsure whether the watery eyed, snuffling man beside him was fit for duty.
Waving a piece of paper, Jack said, "Got the doc's okay, Sir." After an abrupt sneeze he muttered, "reporting for duty, and all that!" Despite his cold, it was clear to everyone around the table that the colonel was not a happy camper.
Hammond frowned and looked at the others who each indicated that they didn't know what was wrong with him either. Without any more question Hammond decided to run through the briefing for their designated mission later that day to P3x4561. Whatever was eating at the Colonel was not going to be discussed at this meeting, obviously.
*
"Sg-1, you are clear to leave for P3x4561 at fourteen-hundred hours." Hammond stood and left the room. Jack sneezed and bowed his head to blow his nose, unaware of the concerned looks he was getting from all in the room now.
During the mission briefing Jack had been unresponsive, barely adding a comment on any of the reports Sam or Daniel were making as to the benefit of visiting this world for a three hour recon.
Now the colonel flicked his folder closed, then stood quickly. He caught the tight-lipped look Sam was giving him but he merely tucked his manila folder - with his mission briefing in it - under his arm and then left the room without a word.
"Well, that was interesting," Daniel muttered as he looked from Sam to Teal'c. Sam nudged him in the arm as Graham rose from behind the table in the corner of the room. With the briefing over he was due to return to his usual position in the Control room. While Graham left no one spoke. Daniel watched him go, as did Teal'c however the lieutenant never once looked towards the table.
"I thought Graham worked night duty," Sam commented once he'd left the room. Daniel shrugged.
"So did I. Must have gotten sick of it," he said as he gathered his papers and placed them into his folder.
"Do you think one of us should go and see if the colonel's alright?" Sam asked as she picked up her folder and tucked it against her chest. Daniel looked at Teal'c then back at Sam.
"Not me!" He shook his head.
"Aw, come on Daniel. You're his friend!" She pestered him as they went out of the room.
"Yeah, I'm his friend because I know when to leave him alone. This is one of those moments!" He said, and with that, the conversation was dropped.
*
The team made the recon to P3x4561 at the stated time. As soon as they cleared the gate Daniel took off towards an old ruin in the distance.
"Sam, stay on his six," Jack said to her as he watched his friend head off alone.
"Yes, Sir," she said before trotting off after the archaeologist.
Jack watched her catch up to him, then observed their brief exchange before they reached the old building. He now turned to the stoic man beside him.
"I'm sorry," he started to mutter then looked at his friend. "About earlier."
"You had requested that we did not discuss it. It is I that should apologize."
"No," Jack sighed as he lifted his baseball cap and scratched at his head. "I'm not feeling well, and I'm annoyed and I took it out on you." He looked up into Teal'c's eyes. "I shouldn't have."
"If you are not well, you should be home in bed."
Jack made a derisive snort at that comment then mumbled something inaudible.
"Do you wish to tell me what has angered you so much then, O'Neill?"
As he jammed the hat back onto his head, Jack sighed then said, "I'm just getting too old.."
"Too old for what?"
"For a hot and cold running partner," Jack muttered, and then watched as Teal'c arched his brow slightly.
"You are having domestic problems with PhilipSimmons?"
Jack started a leisurely stroll towards the others as he said, "Problems - yes. Domestic? Well, that would imply a 'sharing' of life or property.. Two things that Philip and I seem to be at loggerheads over at the moment."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning he's .." Jack stopped then hung his head, pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve the pressure in his sinuses. "Actually, you know Teal'c. If you don't mind, I'd like to drop this again?"
"As you wish, O'Neill."
"Thanks," Jack said as he picked up the pace and headed over to the other two. As he approached the others the archaeologist raced up to him, holding up in one hand what looked to be an utensil for food.
"See this Jack?" he said hurriedly as he pointed a grubby finger to the faint markings on the side of the dish.
"Looks Goa'uld?" The colonel answered, not really sure.
"No, it's not, but it is.. interesting!' Daniel said, brushing more dried mud away to reveal the hand carved inscription.
"What's it say?"
"Looks almost ancient Egyptian... Ple'cktu."
"Ple'cktu?" The older man frowned. "What the hell is that?"
"Who.." Daniel said, then quickly fluttered his lashes as he looked from Jack to the bowl. "I think this says, 'Ple'cktu's bowl' on it."
"Ple'cktu's bowl?" Jack frowned in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"
"No, I'm not."
"Daniel!" Sam called him over to where she was squatting in the dried mud. "Look." She pointed to some more utensils that she'd discovered just under the surface.
"Okay, so we know that this Ple'cktu lived here.."
"And I think he was from Earth originally," Daniel surmised.
"Because you found his breakfast bowl?" Jack asked testily. The golden brows knitted.
"No, Jack. Because the writing is a form of ancient Egyptian."
"Oh!" The colonel nodded then looked around. "Nice pad," he commented dryly about the ram-shackled remains of the hut.
"I wonder if he lived here alone?" Daniel said, carefully sweeping away more ground from the site and discovering a glint of something under the surface.
"Now, that's interesting!" Jack said as he squatted beside Daniel, who was frantically digging a goblet from the ground. The younger man pulled his t-shirt from his BDUs and started to clean off the gold with the hem.
"Jack, I think this is gold.." He said breathlessly.
"Gold?" Sam came and stood next to him, looking down at the two heads bent over the artifact. Quickly Daniel leapt to his feet and passed the glistening cup over to her. Jack was left with a face full of Daniel's bare abdomen, as he remained crouched at the young man's feet. The archaeologist was too engrossed to notice that he was flashing his body to the colonel.
"See, again with the Ple'cktu!" He said, pointing to the engraving.
"Are you sure that's someone's name though?" Sam frowned. "Maybe it's a brand name?"
"Brand name?" Daniel screwed his nose up as he snatched back the object from her. "So this is what? A market?" He gave a slight cynical chuckle as he rolled his eyes at her.
"Daniel!" Teal'c called him over and Daniel rushed to his side.
"Did you find something?" He asked, brushing back his hat from his head as he followed Teal'c finger to where it pointed. On the ground, partially hidden and very faint was what appeared to be a sign.
Sam and Jack both came and joined them now. Daniel was frowning so Sam asked, "What's it say?"
"Ple'cktu el moriana eck ni'yect," Teal'c read the sign.
Sam and Jack both exchanged glances then the colonel said, "Could we have that in English now?"
Daniel read the sign out this time and his tone was sad. "Ple'cktu - I die the last of my people."
Sam looked at him and reached out to pat his arm. "Least you know - sort of - what happened to his people."
"No," Daniel said despondently. "I don't know if his name was Ple'cktu or that was the name of the race. This leaves me with more questions than answers now."
He squatted and touched his hand to the sign. It looked as if the message had been scratched in with a sharp rock.
Teal'c squatted beside his friend and slowly looked at him. "At least you now have your mystery, Daniel."
The archaeologist looked at him a moment then smiled. "I guess I do. We archaeologists do love a good mystery," he said, a little brighter.
"I will enjoy helping you discover what remains of this Ple'cktu.." Teal'c's eyes lingered a moment on Daniel's face then they shifted to look at the sign.
Daniel frowned slightly then wet his lips before saying, "I'd like that - Thanks Teal'c."
*
After spending five hours on the planet instead of the designated four, SG-1 were tired but happy when they returned to earth.
"I see the mission was a success," Hammond said as he watched Daniel, Sam and Teal'c load golden artifacts onto the trolley in the Gate room.
Jack shrugged then said, "Well, according to Daniel, there's this whole neat little story that goes with it too!"
"I look forward to hearing it!" The Texan said with a smile at the blond man.
"It's totally fascinating!" Daniel enthused before placing the last goblet onto the trolley.
"I'm sure it is. SG-1 I want you to report to the Infirmary and then meet in the briefing room at Twenty-hundred hours."
*
During the debrief Daniel could barely keep still. He spoke excitedly about how they discovered the body, which they believe to Ple'cktu, inside a damaged spacecraft a few hundred yards from the ruins. Daniel surmised that for some reason the alien, who resembled a human but the gills on his chest implied he was not, crash landed onto the planet and was never able to get off. A crude home and utensils had been crafted from nearby trees and a sharp rock was used to carve his name into the objects.
"But what about the Gold and jewels?" Hammond interrupted the animated anthropologist.
"Ah!" Daniel held his finger in the air and wagged it quickly as he jumped up from his seat. "I think that he had those in his space.. ship.. craft when he crashed onto the planet. Now why he had them I can't tell, and I probably would never be able to give you more than an educated guess at best, but I think that his name was Ple'cktu and that the gold and jewels were his."
"Maybe he was a rich boy running away from home?" Sam suggested, in half-seriousness.
"Perhaps," Daniel said, matching her tone as he paused behind her chair. "Or he might have been making a delivery of some kind and that was the cargo.."
Hammond's face tilted as he looked up at Daniel. "Then wouldn't that make the name engraved onto the objects be more of a.. a.."
"Brand name?" Sam suggested then bowed her head when Daniel glanced at her.
Screwing his nose a little the anthropologist shrugged and said, "Maybe."
Hammond's smile faded slightly as he turned to look at the colonel beside him. Jack was clearly not listening to the debrief. Hammond frowned before returning his attention to Daniel once more.
*
After the General had dismissed them, calling them back to work at 0830 the next day due to the late hour, the four friends got up from their seats and stood around the table until the lieutenant, no longer Graham as he'd gone home for the day, made his way from behind the desk and down the stairs. Once he was gone, Daniel and Sam exchanged glances.
Despite Daniel's enthusiasm for the discovery on the planet, he was still concerned for his friend. Jack quietly left the room with a mumbled 'goodbye'. Sam sighed and put her hands on her hips, tilting her head and looking straight into her friend's blue eyes.
"You have to talk to him."
"Sam, you know Jack!" He scoffed. "It's like drawing blood from a stone to get him to open up about his feelings!"
Teal'c tilted his head. "I do not believe it is possible to get blood from a stone."
Daniel and Sam both smiled. "No, Teal'c, it's an expression. It means exactly that. That there's no way I'd get Jack to talk about his feelings with me."
"Oh, come on Daniel!" Sam groused. "You know full well that you and Jack share something..." She stopped and quickly looked over at Teal'c. "Sorry."
Daniel's mouth dropped open slightly as he looked over at his ex-lover. Teal'c's gaze slipped from him to Sam.
"You are correct, MajorCarter," he said, and then looked, pointedly, at the blushing man. "But I do not believe we need to resort to the connection between O'Neill and Daniel on this matter."
"Why's that?" she said, "Jack's not going to tell me anything, and I don't think he's about to open up to you.." She didn't intend any insult and none was taken.
"As a matter of fact," he said straightening up. "O'Neill has already informed me as to the cause of his bad mood."
"He has!" Daniel frowned and leaned towards Teal'c. "What is it?"
Teal'c looked at the eager face a moment then blinked and looked away as he said, "He is having domestic problems."
Daniel screwed his eyes shut and Sam frowned.
"Domestic problems? Jack's never let stuff affect him at work before.." Then she cringed as she remembered the treatment Jack gave Daniel almost a year ago over the discovery of the affair between their friend and Graham. "On second thoughts.."
"No," Daniel said with a heavy sigh. "This is bad. You're right, Sam. Jack doesn't let this kind of thing bother him normally. I'll try to talk to him."
"Maybe he's still feeling a little down from his cold," she suggested hopefully.
Daniel pressed his lips together as he nodded. "Let's hope so."
*
Daniel watched as Jack, dressed in nothing but pants and shoes, leaned over and tied the laces up. Sidling in beside him at the lockers, he tried not to be seen looking his way. Jack dropped his foot to the mat then lifted the next one, seemingly to be concentrating on deftly tying the lace. He dropped his foot to the floor then without turning around he asked his friend, "What do you want to ask me, Daniel?"
"Huh?" The dark golden brows rose high as the anthropologist feigned ignorance.
Jack turned to him now and looked over to where he was standing at his Gear-Up locker. He sighed then lowered his forearm to his thigh as he tilted to look at his friend. "You've been standing there watching me for the better part of ten minutes, and now you're doing your best guppy impersonation."
At that, Daniel closed his mouth and gave his friend a frown-cum-snarl before delving into his locker. "Don't know what you're talking about, Jack!"
With a soft snort, the bare-chested colonel got to his feet and brushed his chinos smooth on his thighs. "Yeah, right!" He, too, rummaged through his gear-up locker then he pulled out his t-shirt, tugging it on over his head. Turning as he tucked the front into his pants, he leaned his shoulder against the wall as he said to Daniel, "I *know* you're not admiring the view, so come on, out with it!" He indicated with his fingers for Daniel to do just that - to come out with it.
The younger man looked a little flustered then he said, in a patient tone, "No, Jack, you're right. I wasn't admiring the view!"
The colonel shrugged then folded his arms across his chest. "So?"
Daniel tried to still look busy then he sighed and leaned his forehead against the sleeve of one of his green jackets that were hanging inside. With his head still touching the sleeve, Daniel tilted his face so that he could see Jack. "How do you feel?"
Jack sucked back a deep breath as he pushed himself up off the wall and returned to his task of getting dressed. "Like I said, I'm fine. Little headachy.."
Daniel nodded then took a small step closer to his friend; his blue eyes trained carefully onto his every move. "Everything alright at home?"
Jack paused in his actions of tugging his sweater from the pile at the bottom of his locker. He looked at Daniel then shrugged. "You've been talking to Teal'c, haven't you?"
Totally flustered, Daniel stammered as he said, "No, I.. err. No..!" He punched the last word out as he pressed his glasses back into place upon his nose. Jack gave a shrug as he yanked his top free.
"Sure seems like it to me."
Daniel's brows knitted firmly. "Well, you were wrong. I was merely asking.."
"You know, Jackson, when you do that thing with your hands.."
"What thing?"
"That scratching at the inside of the tip of your thumb.."
"I don't do that!" He said, then looked down and saw that he was. He stopped immediately then snapped his face back up to look at his friend.
Jack arched one brow then tugged his dark gray sweater on over his head. Peering through the head hole before it was properly on, Jack told him, "It's a dead giveaway.." He tugged the top all the way on now, feeding his arms through the sleeves then pushing the cuffs up his forearm slightly.
"Of?" Daniel asked, tilting his head challengingly.
"Of you lying, or feeling uncomfortable about asking something or having to do something." Jack stared at the hand that was doing it again. With a little shrug and a quick glance up into the large, blue orbs, he said casually, "that's why you're so easy to beat at Poker!"
Daniel shoved his telltale hand into his pocket as he gave a loud sigh. "Anyway, this is not about me, it's about you!"
"No, it's about you wanting to know about me and my lover..."
"My friend!"
With a wave of his finger and a silent, 'ah!', Jack said, "Still my lover!"
"Well, if you put it that way.."
"I think I just did," the older man said dryly. Daniel stared at him sardonically for a moment then looked down at his feet.
"Okay, fine. I just wondered, that's all."
Jack stared at the bowed head then he felt badly so he touched Daniel's shoulder as he said, more benignly, "I'm sorry. I'm going crazy and I'm taking it out on you."
Wetting his lips, the younger man asked, "Do you want to go and grab a beer somewhere?"
Jack watched him a long moment then nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that, thanks Danny!"
*
At Shrivers Jack was at the bar ordering the drinks while Daniel waited at the table. The colonel watched his friend through the crowd - watched as Daniel fobbed off first one, then another, woman who obviously wanted to dance with him.
As he returned to the table Jack couldn't help but notice Daniel's grateful smile.
"Never leave me again, Jack!" he hissed playfully as he reached for his drink.
"Think I can manage that," Jack laughed as he put out two drinks of beer each for them. Daniel eyed his second glass skeptically. He wasn't that confident that he could manage to drink one glass, let alone two.
"So, the old guy seemed happy with the loot we salvaged," Jack commented as he looked around them with mild interest at the other people in the bar.
Daniel rolled his eyes at his friend's choice of words. "I wish you wouldn't put it that way! We collected artifacts, not robbed a grave."
"Isn't that what you archaeologists are? Glorified grave robbers?"
"No!" Daniel took offense to that comment. "If it wasn't for archaeologists, we wouldn't have any idea about our ancestors. We'd have no idea on how they lived, what tools they used.."
"What gold they traded.." Jack quipped. Daniel rolled his eyes again, this time pursing his lips at his crude friend.
"Yes, there are those that do 'rob graves', as you so delicately put it!"
"And they are the ones with the money. Look at you!"
"I don't do it for the 'loot' Jack!"
"You should! You're one of the finest archaeologists I know and yet here you are..." He waved his hand around the bar then picked up his glass and drank some more beer.
Skeptically Daniel asked, "Didn't know you knew that many archaeologists, Jack?"
The dark eyes settled onto the young face. "Only the finest ones.. which narrows the field considerably!" He squinted his eye slightly then shrugged. "To one."
Smirking at the off-hand compliment, Daniel bowed his head and cupped his hand around his glass. "Well, thank you.."
"You're welcomed," Jack said then put his glass down again. "It just doesn't seem fair that you work your butt off for us and you don't get much in return! Today you had so much gold go through your fingers yet here you sit, as poor as you were the minute you woke up this morning!"
Scratching at the back of his ear with his thumb, Daniel said, "The government actually pay me rather well, Jack."
The colonel frowned at that revelation. "They do?"
Nodding Daniel said, "With all my degrees - I'm probably on more a month than you are."
"No!" Jack scoffed then did a double take and looked at him again. "You are?"
Daniel shrugged. "Probably. But you just don't get it, do you? It's not about finding things like money!"
"Bet you wish you could keep some though!" Jack continued, with a disheartened mumble, "Not that you seem to need it."
"Jack-" Daniel laughed playfully at his pouting friend. Jack turned away quickly and sneezed while rummaging through his pocket for a handkerchief. He gave a soft growl and Daniel took that to mean he didn't have one, so he grabbed his clean one from his back pocket and passed it over.
"It's clean," he told him when he saw the skeptical look in the brown eyes.
"Thanks."
As Daniel waited for Jack to blow his nose he took a tentative sip of his beer while he looked around the crowded room. Soon Jack resumed their conversation, dragging his attention back to him once more.
"So, if you earn more than me, how come you don't dress better?"
Daniel looked down at what he was wearing then back up at his friend. "What's wrong with what I wear?"
Arching one brow, Jack said simply, "Blue plaid?"
"I happen to like plaid!" The younger man said indignantly. "And blue's my favorite color!"
Jack shrugged. "Whatever!" Then he folded his arms onto the table as he picked up his beer again and mumbled, "Guess it does go with your eyes!"
Daniel frowned, unsure how to take his friend's odd behavior. Seeming to find himself again, Jack slammed his glass onto the tabletop and said, "Well, doesn't the archaeologist in you ever want to just keep some of that stuff that we find out there?"
Truthfully, Daniel said, "I'd love some. To add to my collection at home.."
Jack winked, happy now that he'd found his mark once more before he tossed three gold pieces onto the table between them. "Happy Valentine's Day, Danny!"
"What the!!" Daniel stammered as he picked up the gold and laid it in his palm. "For one, it's August, and second, Jack you know better than to take stuff off base without quarantine!" His soft voice hissed, but his eager eyes checked out the round pieces of gold in his hand.
"I overheard Janet tell Sam after the debrief that there was nothing on the samples they had, so I slipped in - while they were otherwise occupied- and I took one of them!"
"You stole it?" Daniel asked, in disbelief.
"Yup, guess you could say that. They had this little stack of them. She'll never notice! You deserve them! You found them after all!"
"Jack, my whole job's about not accepting the credit for anything I discover!"
With a shrug, the colonel pointed to the gold and said, "Well, that's yours!"
"I should take it back!" Daniel said.
"Ah-" Jack smiled knowingly. "But you won't!"
Daniel hated that Jack knew him that well. He sucked back his beer and was almost contemplating arm wrestling his friend for the other one when the colonel picked it up and downed it in almost one mouthful! While it saved Daniel from consuming a beverage he wasn't overly keen on in the first place it also meant that Jack, while not a slurring drunk, was a little freer with his thoughts and feelings after three glasses of beer.
"You deserve it," Jack repeated, wiping his finger across his lips as he turned and looked around the room. Daniel pocketed the gold and sat forward in his seat as he said, "Well, thanks, Jack."
Finally the two men looked at each other and Jack took a moment before smiling.
Seeing an opportunity to make an in road into the reason they were there in the first place, Daniel commented, as offhandedly as he could manage, "Speaking of deserving things.."
"What?" Jack asked when he paused a moment.
"If you ask me, you deserve to be happy..."
They remained in a locked stare until Jack finally gave a slight shrug.
"So, are you? Happy, Jack?"
There was a long silence, and finally Jack answered honestly, "No. Not at the moment."
The end of part 15.
Stories on this page are the property of Nessessitee and Slida. Please do not copy these without the written permission of the Author. All Rights are acknowledged for MGM, Gekko and Stargate Productions as to the Copyrights of the characters within this story and no infringement on the copyrights are intended. For the Bombshells Series the character of Philip Simmons is entirely the creation and intellectual property of Nessessitee and Slida.
While the performances given by RDA and MS help to fuel the author's desire to write for their characters in a niche that she feels is present on the actual show, the portrayal of their characters in loving relationships in no way reflects the Author's opinion of the men's private life, nor should it be construed in that manner.