Fanfiction: Different Dimensions

[rachel500]

Fandom: Stargate SG1
Series: Aftershocks
TAG to Episode: S3 Crystal Skull
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Daniel/Team friendship.  Sam/Jack UST. 
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.  Written for entertainment purposes only.

 

Different Dimensions

‘Do you think it was a Furling?’ Nyan’s excited question brought a smile to Daniel Jackson’s face. The Bedrosian archaeologist sat at the central workbench in Daniel’s office, his dark eyes agog at Daniel’s description of the giant alien they had encountered on SG1’s last mission.

Daniel reached for his coffee mug. ‘I don’t know. Maybe.’ His brow furrowed as he gave Nyan’s question serious consideration. ‘They’re obviously very advanced; at war with Goa’uld…’ he tilted his head. ‘I guess they could be but the language notes don’t seem right.’

Nyan nodded. ‘You said they spoke an old language native to your world?’

‘Mayan.’ Daniel murmured. ‘The Furling’s written language isn’t similar to Mayan writing.’

‘Perhaps your grandfather will discover the identity of the aliens.’ Nyan suggested.

‘Perhaps.’ Daniel looked down at the coffee.

‘It must have been strange to have left him there.’ Nyan murmured.

Daniel looked up at Nyan’s sad tone and regarded the Bedrosian with sympathetic curiosity. ‘Did you leave family behind on Bedrosia?’

Nyan nodded. ‘A sister.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Daniel said, unsure what else to say. ‘Were you, uh, close?’

‘We were close as children.’ Nyan said softly, looking away from Daniel. ‘But Syala was bonded last year. We have not spoken since.’

‘Bonded?’ Daniel queried, his interest roused at the formal wording.

‘I believe it is similar to your Earth concept of marriage.’ Nyan said. He glanced at the picture of Sha’re. ‘She was your wife?’

‘Yes.’ Daniel nodded, feeling the familiar ache of sadness tighten his chest again.

‘She was very beautiful.’ Nyan murmured, a little envy seeping into his voice that brought another sad smile to Daniel’s face.

‘Yes. She was.’ Daniel waved at him, changing the subject. ‘What about you? Were you not…bonded?’

‘Oh no, I was not bonded.’ Nyan shook his head sheepishly. ‘I thought at one time Malin and I but…’ he gave a heavy sigh, ‘it wasn’t to be.’

‘Maybe you’ll meet someone here.’ Daniel suggested. ‘I met Sha’re on Abydos.’

‘Maybe.’ Nyan said.

Daniel frowned and rubbed at his side.

‘Is something the matter?’ Nyan asked concerned.

‘Just a stitch.’ Daniel muttered. He caught Nyan’s look of incomprehension. ‘A cramp. It’s nothing.’

‘Knock, knock.’ Jack O’Neill’s voice preceded his entry with Samantha Carter into the office.

‘Hi, Nyan.’ Sam smiled at the Bedrosian who blushed furiously in response.

Jack and Daniel exchanged an amused look.

‘I, er, I have to go and…catalogue some…things.’ Nyan said, stumbling over his words as he slid off the stool.

‘OK.’ Sam said a little bemused.

‘I’ll talk to you later.’ Daniel promised as the Bedrosian archaeologist made his way out of the office.

‘So, what were you guys talking about?’ Jack asked idly as he picked up a statue from Daniel’s desk.

‘Whether the giant aliens could be the Furlings.’ Daniel responded, plucking the statue out of Jack’s hands.

‘Really?’ Sam’s blue eyes shone brightly as she thought about the idea. ‘Technology wise it could be possible.’

‘Language is all wrong.’ Daniel countered.

‘They are an enemy of the Goa’uld though.’ Jack pointed out. ‘That fits.’

‘I thought you thought the Furlings were…furry.’ Daniel retorted.

‘That’s because they sound furry.’ Jack shot back. He nudged Sam stood next to him. ‘Don’t you think, Carter?’

‘Yes, sir.’ She smiled at him indulgently and Daniel’s eyebrows rose a little at the flirtatious way the two of them looked at each other. He cleared his throat self-consciously.

‘So,’ said Jack as though his attention hadn’t been caught up in Sam, ‘we thought we’d get something to eat. You want to come with?’

Daniel’s lips twisted as his hand went to his stomach. ‘Actually, I’m feeling a little nauseous.’

‘That’s probably the effects from the radiation.’ Sam said, her blue eyes shining at the archaeologist in concern.

‘You should eat something.’ Jack advised. ‘Build up your strength.’ He jerked his grey head at the door. ‘Come on.’

Daniel let himself be dragged to the commissary. The three of them joined their fourth team-mate, Teal’c, at their usual table. The Jaffa was already half-way through a stacked tray of sandwiches and fruit. Daniel sat down beside him; Jack and Sam took the seats across the table.

‘Afternoon snack, Teal’c?’ Jack asked delicately as he began to fork up his peach pie.

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c responded seriously.

Daniel looked at the cake he had chosen and pushed it around the plate. He really wasn’t hungry. He reached for the mug of coffee that he had gotten with the dessert and took an appreciative swallow of the bitter liquid.

‘You know what I don’t get?’ Jack asked briskly.

‘The meaning of life?’ teased Daniel, earning himself a sharp look from the Colonel.

‘Why you didn’t just disappear through the floor?’ Jack commented. ‘I mean, you said Teal’c walked right through you, right?’

‘Right,’ agreed Daniel hesitantly.

‘And you walked through doors?’ Jack checked as he stuffed another mouthful of pie into his mouth.

‘Yeah.’

Jack swallowed hastily. ‘So why didn’t you fall through the floor?’

Daniel blinked at him.

They all slowly turned to look at Sam.

The Air Force Major paused, her mouth full of blue jello. It was her turn to quickly swallow and try to answer. ‘That’s a really good question, sir.’

Jack smirked at Daniel who rolled his eyes at the Colonel.

‘And the answer is?’ Jack prompted, turning back to Sam.

‘Well, I don’t know, sir.’ Sam admitted a little crestfallen. ‘This whole area is very theoretical. Until yesterday, we didn’t even think people could travel between dimensions.’ Her eyes suddenly went distant as her brain started to turn the problem over in her head unaware the three men looked at her knowingly. ‘You know I don’t think the device really transported us into a different dimension.’ She theorised out loud.

‘What do you mean?’ Daniel ignored the ache in his belly and leaned forward eagerly over the table.

‘I think the radiation produced by the skull changed our cellular structure in some way that allowed us to see and hear the aliens.’ Sam continued. ‘That would also explain why Nick was able to see you when nobody else could.’

‘OK,’ Daniel agreed, ‘but it doesn’t explain why Teal’c could walk right through me but I could sit on a chair.’

Teal’c raised an eyebrow.

‘Maybe because the process was interrupted?’ Sam proposed. ‘Your cellular structure must have been in a state of flux, able to interact physically in this dimension but able to allow you to pass through solid objects when necessary. That might explain why you didn’t experience any hunger or thirst while you were…out of phase.’

‘So you think we weren’t in the other dimension, we were just able to interact with it?’ Daniel murmured thoughtfully.

Sam nodded. ‘The aliens may have found a way to physically exist within another dimension.’ She said excitedly. ‘That may be why their physical structure was so…’

‘Misty?’ Jack interjected.

She flashed a bright smile at him. ‘Exactly, sir. It might have been their way of hiding from the Goa’uld.’ She gestured across the table at Teal’c with a spoonful of jello. ‘The Goa’uld may have some inbuilt resistance to the cellular change which may be why Teal’c was unaffected.’

‘Perhaps your grandfather will discover the truth from the aliens.’ Teal’c commented.

‘Nyan was thinking they might be the Furlings.’ Daniel told him, rubbing the pain in his side absent-mindedly.

‘You know we should have got Nyan to look at that skull instead of Rothman.’ Jack waved his hand at Daniel.

‘Robert’s a good archaeologist, Jack.’ Daniel protested.

‘He is not as good as you, Daniel Jackson.’ Teal’c commented bluntly.

‘What he said.’ Jack muttered. ‘You were the one who figured it out.’

Daniel flushed with a warm rush of pleasure. He had overheard Jack and Teal’c talking in private in the infirmary saying the same thing when he had been out of phase and knew it was something they truly believed. It was strange, Daniel thought ruefully, he’d spent the past few weeks wondering whether Jack trusted him only to have the other man reveal just how much he did when he hadn’t even known Daniel was listening to him. It meant a great deal to him, Daniel acknowledged, just as General Hammond’s comment that he was looking for a close friend had meant a lot to him.

‘I’d love to know more about how the process works.’ Sam admitted, as she scraped the last of her jello from the dish. ‘It certainly generated a great deal of energy.’

‘And wind.’ Jack remarked, running a hand through the grey strands of his hair as though remembering the way his hair had been disturbed.

‘Maybe you should get your hair cut.’ Daniel suggested. His blue eyes twinkled at Jack as the Colonel shot him a look. ‘I thought you military guys liked to keep it short anyway.’

‘It’s short.’ Jack shot back.

‘You do usually keep it shorter, sir.’ Sam commented absently. She shifted in her chair as Jack looked at her surprised.

‘Are you telling me I need a haircut, Carter?’ Jack asked light-heartedly.

‘Is there a right answer to that question, sir?’ Sam replied. Her eyes briefly darted to his silver hair before they returned back to meet his warm brown eyes.

‘I don’t know, Carter, that depends.’ Jack teased.

‘On what, sir?’ Sam responded suspiciously.

Jack smiled. ‘On whether you think I look better with short hair?’

Her smile widened. ‘As a matter of fact, I do, sir.’

Daniel glanced at Teal’c who nodded slightly. Daniel sighed inwardly; it wasn’t just him then. Teal’c had also noticed the relaxed flirting between their two team-mates. He frowned. The two Air Force officers had always been attracted to each other, and Daniel had seen them slowly shift from attraction into something deeper over the past couple of years the team had been together. But Sam had seemed oblivious to Jack’s feelings for her and Jack had seemed equally oblivious to how Sam felt.

Before Jack had been stuck on Edora, the Colonel had claimed he was going to move on and start dating; Sam hadn’t been mentioned explicitly but Daniel had determined that Jack had decided that the situation, given the regulations that governed the couple’s interactions on a professional level and Jack’s belief that Sam didn’t return his feelings, was hopeless.

Daniel took a sip of his coffee. Of course, when Jack had got stuck on Edora, Sam had worked herself to exhaustion to rescue him and he knew the revelation that the Colonel had been involved with an Edoran woman during his time there had hurt her. Jack had seemed just as oblivious as ever to the fact that Sam’s efforts to bring him home were motivated by something more than that of not wanting to leave someone behind. Then there had been Jack’s undercover op…Daniel tapped his fingers on his mug, restlessly. He didn’t know what Jack had done to push Sam away; if it had been anything like what Jack had done to him…he knew Sam had been formal around the Colonel since. Until this last mission. He wondered at that. The couple had obviously begun to reconnect.

‘Daniel?’

Daniel’s head jerked up and he stared across the table to find Jack and Sam looking back at him with concern.

‘You OK?’ Jack asked. ‘You kinda spaced out there?’

‘I’m fine.’ Daniel said, squirming in his chair. The nagging pain seemed to be getting worse, he realised.

‘Well,’ Sam said, getting to her feet, ‘I have to check on the diagnostic we’re running on the dialling computer. I’ll catch you guys later.’

‘Have fun.’ Jack quipped. He watched her as she left the commissary. He turned round and straight into the knowing looks of his two male team-mates. It was Jack’s turn to shift awkwardly in his chair. ‘What?’ He gestured at Daniel’s cake. ‘You going to eat that?’

Daniel shoved the plate across the table and decided not to broach the subject. If Sam and Jack were getting closer, didn’t the couple deserve that little bit of happiness? Daniel knew the regulations existed for a reason but he didn’t see how they really applied to SG1. The team was already close and it wasn’t like there wasn’t already talk about Jack and Sam anyway…

‘Are you certain you are well, Daniel Jackson?’ Teal’c asked with a frown.

‘You do keep zoning out.’ Jack commented around a mouthful of food.

‘I was just thinking about Nick.’ Daniel covered quickly.

‘I’m sure he’ll be OK.’ Jack assured him.

‘He’s fulfilling his life’s dream.’ Daniel noted with a nod. ‘All he wanted after Belize was to make the skull work again and return to his giant aliens.’ He sighed and looked down at the contents of his mug. ‘Now he’s got what he wanted.’

‘Is that why he didn’t adopt you?’ Jack asked bluntly. ‘When your parents died?’

‘I guess.’ Daniel shrugged. ‘He was travelling all over, trying to prove his story. He could barely take care of himself, never mind an eight year old boy.’

‘Was it not his duty to care of you?’ Teal’c asked solemnly.

Daniel shrugged, unable to answer. The bone-deep resentment and confusion of his eight year old self, who had simply felt abandoned, competed with his adult understanding.

‘What about you guys?’ Daniel asked, trying to divert the conversation. ‘Any living grandparents?’

Teal’c tilted his head. ‘I have no living family except for Rya’c.’

‘What about you, Jack?’ Daniel asked, turning to look at his friend curiously. ‘You never talk about your family.’

‘Nothing to talk about,’ Jack replied easily. ‘My folks died a while back.’

‘No brothers and sisters?’ Daniel questioned. He pointed his mug at the Colonel. ‘Nyan left a sister on Bedrosia.’

‘No sister.’ Jack replied, throwing his fork down on the empty plate. ‘I had an older brother.’ He shrugged. ‘He died in ‘Nam.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Daniel said contritely.

‘It was a long time ago.’ Jack said, dismissing the other man’s apology.

‘I know Sam has family but she doesn’t really see them a lot, does she?’ Daniel remarked quietly. ‘It’s kind of like all of us don’t really have a family.’

‘We have a family.’ Jack contradicted. His brown eyes caught Daniel’s blue eyes firmly and the younger man smiled in understanding. SG1 was a family; they had each other.

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c said in soft agreement. He rose gracefully. ‘It is time for my kel no reem. I must retire to my quarters.’

‘Catch you later.’ Jack said, picking up his juice. He regarded Daniel thoughtfully. ‘So, Nyan seems to be working out great.’

‘Yeah.’ Daniel nodded. ‘He’s a good archaeologist.’ His lips twisted a little in amusement. ‘He definitely has a crush on Sam.’

Jack took a large gulp of juice. ‘He wouldn’t be the first.’ He looked down at the contents of his glass as though there was something interesting hiding in the orange depths.

Daniel gave into the urge to say something. ‘You know, Jack, life’s too short.’

The military man looked at him confused. ‘Excuse me?’

‘I’m just saying,’ Daniel said awkwardly, ‘that if someone loves…someone else…they shouldn’t let anything get in the way of that. Don’t you think?’

Jack stared at him, frowning. ‘Daniel, what are you talking about?’

Daniel shifted in his chair uncertainly. There was an unspoken rule never to talk about the way Jack and Sam felt about each other; to bring it into the open would bring the regulations into play which would mean it would have to be addressed and as much as Daniel didn’t really see that as being a problem, he knew his military team-mates did. He sighed and held up his mug. ‘Nothing.’

He held Jack’s bemused gaze for a long moment. ‘I should…’ Daniel gestured at the door. He slid out of his chair and got up.

‘Ah!’ The sharp pain that arrowed through his abdomen had Daniel doubled up. He dropped his mug which clattered to the floor, the remains of his coffee splattering onto the linoleum.

‘Daniel!’

Jack’s voice sounded worried, Daniel mused absently as he breathed in deeply, trying to get through the pain. He felt Jack’s hand on his back and he heard the older man yelling for someone to call for a med team.

‘I think I’m just going to lie down here.’ Daniel said, lowering himself awkwardly to the ground and curling up. ‘Just for a little while.’ The last thing he saw was Jack’s anxious face hovering above him.

o-O-o

Jack pushed off the wall he had leaned on to wait as Janet Fraiser emerged from the examination room. Sam rose from her seat to stand beside him; she had come straight to the infirmary as soon as she had heard the news of Daniel’s collapse. Teal’c was still in the depths of his kel no reem.

‘It’s appendicitis.’ Janet Fraiser clasped the clipboard she held to her chest. ‘We’re prepping him for surgery now.’

‘Will he be OK?’ Sam asked before Jack could get the words out.

‘It’s a routine procedure.’ Janet reassured her, patting Sam’s arm gently. ‘He should be fine but he’s going to be out of action for a while.’

‘Can we see him?’ Sam asked eagerly.

Janet shook her head. ‘He’s sedated.’

Jack gestured at Janet, gaining her attention. ‘How long will he be in surgery?’

‘A couple of hours and he’ll probably not be out of the anaesthetic until the morning.’ Janet cautioned him. ‘He’s really not going to be with it for the next twenty-four hours. You’re best going home and getting some sleep.’ She looked pointedly at both of them. ‘It’s the end of your duty shifts, isn’t it?’

Jack watched as Sam’s face dropped with disappointment at the news they couldn’t see Daniel. ‘You’ll call us when he’s out of surgery?’ He asked evenly.

Janet nodded in agreement. ‘Try not to worry.’ She gave them a sympathetic smile and headed back into the examination room, leaving Jack and Sam alone in the corridor.

Jack nudged her and they headed for the elevator. They stepped into the cramped compartment together.

‘Poor Daniel.’ Sam commented as she chose a floor. ‘He just can’t seem to catch a break lately.’

‘Yeah.’ Jack said, pushing his hands into his pockets. ‘I should have realised he wasn’t feeling right.’

‘You can’t blame yourself, sir.’ Sam pointed out. ‘Daniel said he was fine.’

‘He left his cake.’ Jack said, as though the act was itself an obvious symptom of appendicitis. ‘I mean, who leaves cake?’

Sam’s lips quirked with amusement. ‘Right, sir.’

Her eyes caught his. She had such beautiful eyes, Jack mused idly. The elevator doors suddenly opened and he turned to look at them surprised.

‘This is me.’ Jack realised. He stepped out but turned back suddenly and caught the doors before they closed. ‘Hey. You mind telling Teal’c about Daniel? It’s the end of the shift and I’m going to head off base as soon as I’ve let Hammond know about Daniel.’

‘Sure. Where are you going?’ Sam asked, frowning. It was rare for him to leave with one of them in the infirmary.

He winked at her. ‘Haircut.’ He let go of the doors but not before he’d seen her smile brightly.

He headed to Hammond’s office with a spring in his step. He knocked briefly on the door and entered at the General’s brisk command.

‘Sir.’ Jack came to a halt in front of Hammond’s desk and placed his hands behind his back as he assumed a semi-formal position.

Hammond looked up from the reports he was reading and the artificial lights caught the bald dome of his head. ‘How is Doctor Jackson?’

‘Appendicitis, sir. He’s in surgery. Doctor Fraiser says he’s going to be out for a while.’ Jack noted.

‘I see.’ Hammond frowned and clasped his hands atop the open folder. ‘Then this maybe a perfect opportunity.’

‘Opportunity, sir?’ Jack asked lightly.

‘For SG1 to take some accumulated leave. Doctor Fraiser reminded me this morning.’ Hammond stated. ‘As soon as your shift ends today you can have a week’s leave.’ He glanced at the clock. ‘So I would guess you’re on leave as of now.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Jack smiled. ‘Thank you, sir.’

‘I’ll have the Sergeant inform your team, Colonel. Have a good vacation.’ Hammond waved him out of the office and Jack left before the General could change his mind.

He headed off base to the barbershop he usually used. It was run by an ex-marine called Tommy who greeted Jack fondly. The Colonel found himself installed in the chair with a towel around his neck before he could say a word. He relaxed and let Tommy work on his hair. The man worked without a lot of chit-chat and Jack appreciated that.

He wasn’t getting it cut because Sam had said she preferred it short, Jack assured himself. He was getting it cut because it needed to be cut.

No other reason.

Yeah, right, Jack thought derisively. Who was he trying to kid? His mind slipped back to his conversation with Daniel.

‘If someone loves…someone else…they shouldn’t let anything get in the way of that…’

Jack frowned. He wondered for a long moment whether Daniel had worked out how he felt about Sam before he dismissed the idea. It was probably just Daniel dwelling on his own grief over Sha’re and thoughts of love in general.

He hoped.

If Daniel had noticed that Jack felt something beyond attraction…Jack sighed. He had known he had loved Sam for a long time. A long time. But he’d buried it, tried to move on from it, never believing she would feel the same way about him, not even after encountering an alternative universe version of Sam who apparently had married Jack’s counterpart. That Samantha had been a civilian whereas his Sam was definitely military. Jack figured his Sam, his Carter, would never see him as anything other than her CO, a team-mate. But when he had returned from Edora and realised how hard she had worked to get him home, that she had worked so hard for the express purpose of getting him home, he had started to hope. Hope that she had started to feel the same way about him as he did about her.

He couldn’t understand it. Why she would fall for a beat-up old soldier like him was a mystery to him but he couldn’t deny that just the thought that she liked him, heck, might even love him, made him happy in a scared-down-deep-in-the-gut way that he hadn’t felt for a long time. He had been worried that his behaviour in pushing her away when he had been undercover would make whatever she did feel for him slip away but during the past week they had just connected again, only deeper, better than before. Maybe, mused Jack, because he hoped that she felt the same way this time.

Jack thanked Tommy for the haircut and left the barber’s. He climbed in his truck and drove back to the base. As much as he revelled in the knowledge that Sam might have feelings for him, he hoped that Sam didn’t know he had feelings for her. He’d been incredibly careful to make sure she didn’t given their working relationship and the truth was that while they both served on SG1, any other kind of relationship was out of the question given the regulations, and he knew her career was important to her. He couldn’t see her leaving the team to pursue a relationship with him – maybe in his wildest fantasises – and he would never ask her to…but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy each other’s company or have fun together…

Fishing.

He intended to head up to the cabin for his leave. Maybe he’d invite Sam…God knew she could do with getting out of her lab and there was nothing wrong with two team-mates, friends even, spending time together. He didn’t think either Daniel or Teal’c would mind so there was no issue with any notion of favouritism…heck, maybe he’d invite them too although he couldn’t really see Fraiser allowing Daniel out of bed for a while. His decision made, he practically bounced back into the SGC. He was unsurprised to find Teal’c and Sam waiting in the infirmary. The Jaffa rose from his seat beside Sam and offered it to Jack.

Jack nodded at him and sat down. ‘Any news?’

‘None.’ Teal’c said solemnly. ‘Daniel Jackson is still in surgery.’

‘You guys hear we got leave?’ Jack asked as they settled into wait.

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam nodded and yawned. He looked at her concerned. She was still weak after the radiation sickness. Another reason to get her to the cabin; fresh air, rest…it would do her a world of good.

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c responded as he leaned against the wall beside his team-mates. ‘General Hammond has granted my request to visit Rya’c. I will leave as soon as we have news of Daniel Jackson.’

Jack nodded understandingly. He guessed the conversation about relatives earlier had made Teal’c want to go and see his son. He couldn’t blame him. He ignored the happy feeling that was stealing over him at the idea of it just being him and Sam fishing. He glanced over at her. That was if he could convince her to go…maybe he shouldn’t make too big a deal of it…well, it wasn’t a big deal, really…just a casual invitation from one friend to another…it was only fishing, after all.

Right, Jack tried to reassure himself as he shifted so their arms were touching, savouring the innocent contact as Sam also shifted to lean against him subtly.

It was only fishing.

fin.