'It Has Come To My Attention', PG
WIP no longer! \o/
And the wonderful catspaw_sgjd and princessofg tell me that it doesn't suck at all (and helped me fix the parts that sucked a little.)
~1,350 words, PG, 1st person Hammond POV.
IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION
"Close the door, Colonel. Have a seat." I waited as O'Neill sat down, looking at me inquisitively. "I regret having to do this, son."
"Sir?" He looked startled.
"There have been rumors circulating, and I can't simply ignore them forever."
"Rumors?" he asked sharply, eyes narrowing.
"Rumors of impropriety regarding yourself and a member of your team."
'No, no, no, no." He waved his hand back and forth.
"I'm not asking you to deny it," I stressed. "That's not the point of this conversation."
"With all due respect, sir, I think it's a pretty important point!"
I shook my head. "What I want to address here..."
"General, I'm sorry, but we can't just leave it there!"
I sat back to listen.
O'Neill nodded his thanks and continued, "Sir, even if I were that stupid, Captain Carter is far too good an officer...." He broke off as my expression changed. "What?"
"This is not about Captain Carter."
He tilted his head and looked confused.
"The rumors pertain to Dr. Jackson."
"Daniel?"
He looked stunned. This couldn’t be an act; he literally did not see this coming. A knot inside my gut unraveled.
"There is nothing improper going on between Daniel and me!"
"I believe you, Colonel," I said, beginning to smile with the relief. But he wasn’t finished.
"It's crap!" he said tensely.
"Son...."
He shot to his feet and ran his hand distractedly through his hair. "The man is married for Christ's sake! Where the hell do people come up with garbage like this? He's as straight as they come!"
"Calm down."
He leaned across my desk. "Doesn't anybody realize that the only reason he goes through that 'gate is because he'd give his right arm to get his wife back?"
“Colonel, sit down!”
O’Neill straightened up and worked his jaw. “Sorry, sir,” he said, and took his seat.
I folded my hands, projected calm reasonableness and tried to get the conversation back on track. “Here’s the situation as I see it. The amount of time that you spend in Dr. Jackson’s company has given rise to speculation and gossip. That has to stop, as I’m sure you’ll agree.”
O’Neill nodded jerkily. I could tell he was keeping himself in his chair only with a great deal of effort.
“To begin with, I’ve checked the logs, and the two of you frequently sign in to the base at the same time.”
“Sometimes we ride in together. Daniel’s apartment’s less than a mile from my place. It makes perfect sense for the two of us to carpool.” His fists were clenched.
“It may make sense, but it needs to stop.”
“What, because the guards are getting the wrong idea? Is that where this rumor’s coming from?”
“It’s only part of the problem. And anyone who signs in after you do can see your names together in the log.”
“Right. Fine. What’s the rest of the problem?”
I determined to ignore his tone of voice. “It’s a well known fact that you’re far more likely to be found in Dr. Jackson’s office than in your own. You also eat your meals together a good deal of the time.”
“The team eats together when we can, General.”
“It isn’t always the team, though, is it, Colonel?”
O’Neill rocked in his chair. “Not every single time, no sir. It’s lunch, for crying out loud!”
“I’m advising you to stick to the team meals.”
He nodded tightly. “Sir.” Bitterness dripped from his voice.
“It isn’t a bad idea for you to take a few steps back,” I said gently. “I realize that the two of you have become friends, and I haven’t said a word because I pride myself on recognizing the inevitable when I see it.”
O’Neill blinked. “What?”
“After what you both experienced together on the first Abydos mission it would be surprising if you didn’t form a bond. I personally don’t think you’ve stepped over any lines… I believe that SG-1 is stronger due to the connection that the two of you have. That said, given that strength, there’s no necessity to court trouble by blurring the lines of authority. Spending a little less time together socially will do your team no harm and will better fit within normal military parameters.”
“Begging your pardon, sir, but what about our jobs fits normal military parameters?” He made air quotes with his hands.
“That’s beside the point.”
“Maybe what’s really needed here is to find more work for whomever’s got enough time on their hands to spend it talking trash about the one person that this facility would not even exist without.”
“That is also beside the point. And not your concern.” He was building a head of steam, and I injected enough sternness into my voice to hopefully make him aware of how close he was to becoming insubordinate.
O’Neill grimaced. “So basically I’m supposed to just drop Daniel like a hot brick? ‘Hey, it was great getting to know you, but from now on let’s stick strictly to business, what do you say?’”
Enough of this. “Have I failed in some way to make myself clear, Colonel O’Neill?”
His face went blank. “No, sir. You were perfectly clear. Am I dismissed?”
“In a minute. As I said at the outset, I regret that this became necessary, and I don’t want you to feel as though you’re being reprimanded in any way.”
“No, sir. But how do you think Daniel’s going to feel? He’s bound to think he’s done something wrong.”
“It will be up to you to make it clear to him that he hasn’t.”
“Actions speak louder than words, sir. And my absence is going to speak volumes.”
“You think he’s not going to understand? Once you’ve explained to him what’s….”
“Explain? Whoa, you think I’m going to tell him about this? Sir. Sir.”
Now he’d lost me. “Why on earth wouldn’t you? Jack, you can’t be planning to actually just drop him like a hot brick?”
My switch to a more informal manner of address threw him for a second. He stared at me, then leaned forward in his chair and put a hand flat on my desktop. “I can’t tell him that people are speculating about his sex life behind his back. I can’t tell him that he’s being watched and judged… misjudged. I don’t want him watching every word he says and every word that’s said to him. I’m not going to do that to him.”
“He’s a grown man. I scarcely think he needs protecting from a few unpleasant facts of life.”
“No, maybe not. Not like you mean, anyway. But he’s got enough crap to deal with; he doesn’t need this on top of everything.”
I shook my head. “I’m not going to tell you how to handle this. Do what you think is best to keep your team operating as it should. That’s all.”
O’Neill stood and went behind his chair, straightening it to line up with my desk. “I’ll just have to be busy with other things for a while. He’ll get used to my not being around so much.”
“That might work,” I agreed, not without a twinge of conscience. “Are you certain you’re prepared to lie to him that way?”
“Has to be done.” O’Neill looked at my carpet for a few moments. “Because here’s the other thing about what would happen if I told him the truth.” He looked up, and his eyes were bleak. “He’d worry about me. He’d worry about what he might have said or done that got people thinking the wrong thing, and he’d worry about any professional fallout for me and he’d worry about how I’m feeling about the whole mess and about him, about working with him, about having him on my team. He’d probably offer to resign in order to protect me. Because that’s who Daniel is, sir. He can’t help it.”
He sounded mystified. Proud.
Infatuated.
I watched him as he turned and left the office.
The poor dope.
He doesn’t even know what’s hit him.
And God help him if he ever figures it out. God help us both.
And the wonderful catspaw_sgjd and princessofg tell me that it doesn't suck at all (and helped me fix the parts that sucked a little.)
~1,350 words, PG, 1st person Hammond POV.
IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION
"Close the door, Colonel. Have a seat." I waited as O'Neill sat down, looking at me inquisitively. "I regret having to do this, son."
"Sir?" He looked startled.
"There have been rumors circulating, and I can't simply ignore them forever."
"Rumors?" he asked sharply, eyes narrowing.
"Rumors of impropriety regarding yourself and a member of your team."
'No, no, no, no." He waved his hand back and forth.
"I'm not asking you to deny it," I stressed. "That's not the point of this conversation."
"With all due respect, sir, I think it's a pretty important point!"
I shook my head. "What I want to address here..."
"General, I'm sorry, but we can't just leave it there!"
I sat back to listen.
O'Neill nodded his thanks and continued, "Sir, even if I were that stupid, Captain Carter is far too good an officer...." He broke off as my expression changed. "What?"
"This is not about Captain Carter."
He tilted his head and looked confused.
"The rumors pertain to Dr. Jackson."
"Daniel?"
He looked stunned. This couldn’t be an act; he literally did not see this coming. A knot inside my gut unraveled.
"There is nothing improper going on between Daniel and me!"
"I believe you, Colonel," I said, beginning to smile with the relief. But he wasn’t finished.
"It's crap!" he said tensely.
"Son...."
He shot to his feet and ran his hand distractedly through his hair. "The man is married for Christ's sake! Where the hell do people come up with garbage like this? He's as straight as they come!"
"Calm down."
He leaned across my desk. "Doesn't anybody realize that the only reason he goes through that 'gate is because he'd give his right arm to get his wife back?"
“Colonel, sit down!”
O’Neill straightened up and worked his jaw. “Sorry, sir,” he said, and took his seat.
I folded my hands, projected calm reasonableness and tried to get the conversation back on track. “Here’s the situation as I see it. The amount of time that you spend in Dr. Jackson’s company has given rise to speculation and gossip. That has to stop, as I’m sure you’ll agree.”
O’Neill nodded jerkily. I could tell he was keeping himself in his chair only with a great deal of effort.
“To begin with, I’ve checked the logs, and the two of you frequently sign in to the base at the same time.”
“Sometimes we ride in together. Daniel’s apartment’s less than a mile from my place. It makes perfect sense for the two of us to carpool.” His fists were clenched.
“It may make sense, but it needs to stop.”
“What, because the guards are getting the wrong idea? Is that where this rumor’s coming from?”
“It’s only part of the problem. And anyone who signs in after you do can see your names together in the log.”
“Right. Fine. What’s the rest of the problem?”
I determined to ignore his tone of voice. “It’s a well known fact that you’re far more likely to be found in Dr. Jackson’s office than in your own. You also eat your meals together a good deal of the time.”
“The team eats together when we can, General.”
“It isn’t always the team, though, is it, Colonel?”
O’Neill rocked in his chair. “Not every single time, no sir. It’s lunch, for crying out loud!”
“I’m advising you to stick to the team meals.”
He nodded tightly. “Sir.” Bitterness dripped from his voice.
“It isn’t a bad idea for you to take a few steps back,” I said gently. “I realize that the two of you have become friends, and I haven’t said a word because I pride myself on recognizing the inevitable when I see it.”
O’Neill blinked. “What?”
“After what you both experienced together on the first Abydos mission it would be surprising if you didn’t form a bond. I personally don’t think you’ve stepped over any lines… I believe that SG-1 is stronger due to the connection that the two of you have. That said, given that strength, there’s no necessity to court trouble by blurring the lines of authority. Spending a little less time together socially will do your team no harm and will better fit within normal military parameters.”
“Begging your pardon, sir, but what about our jobs fits normal military parameters?” He made air quotes with his hands.
“That’s beside the point.”
“Maybe what’s really needed here is to find more work for whomever’s got enough time on their hands to spend it talking trash about the one person that this facility would not even exist without.”
“That is also beside the point. And not your concern.” He was building a head of steam, and I injected enough sternness into my voice to hopefully make him aware of how close he was to becoming insubordinate.
O’Neill grimaced. “So basically I’m supposed to just drop Daniel like a hot brick? ‘Hey, it was great getting to know you, but from now on let’s stick strictly to business, what do you say?’”
Enough of this. “Have I failed in some way to make myself clear, Colonel O’Neill?”
His face went blank. “No, sir. You were perfectly clear. Am I dismissed?”
“In a minute. As I said at the outset, I regret that this became necessary, and I don’t want you to feel as though you’re being reprimanded in any way.”
“No, sir. But how do you think Daniel’s going to feel? He’s bound to think he’s done something wrong.”
“It will be up to you to make it clear to him that he hasn’t.”
“Actions speak louder than words, sir. And my absence is going to speak volumes.”
“You think he’s not going to understand? Once you’ve explained to him what’s….”
“Explain? Whoa, you think I’m going to tell him about this? Sir. Sir.”
Now he’d lost me. “Why on earth wouldn’t you? Jack, you can’t be planning to actually just drop him like a hot brick?”
My switch to a more informal manner of address threw him for a second. He stared at me, then leaned forward in his chair and put a hand flat on my desktop. “I can’t tell him that people are speculating about his sex life behind his back. I can’t tell him that he’s being watched and judged… misjudged. I don’t want him watching every word he says and every word that’s said to him. I’m not going to do that to him.”
“He’s a grown man. I scarcely think he needs protecting from a few unpleasant facts of life.”
“No, maybe not. Not like you mean, anyway. But he’s got enough crap to deal with; he doesn’t need this on top of everything.”
I shook my head. “I’m not going to tell you how to handle this. Do what you think is best to keep your team operating as it should. That’s all.”
O’Neill stood and went behind his chair, straightening it to line up with my desk. “I’ll just have to be busy with other things for a while. He’ll get used to my not being around so much.”
“That might work,” I agreed, not without a twinge of conscience. “Are you certain you’re prepared to lie to him that way?”
“Has to be done.” O’Neill looked at my carpet for a few moments. “Because here’s the other thing about what would happen if I told him the truth.” He looked up, and his eyes were bleak. “He’d worry about me. He’d worry about what he might have said or done that got people thinking the wrong thing, and he’d worry about any professional fallout for me and he’d worry about how I’m feeling about the whole mess and about him, about working with him, about having him on my team. He’d probably offer to resign in order to protect me. Because that’s who Daniel is, sir. He can’t help it.”
He sounded mystified. Proud.
Infatuated.
I watched him as he turned and left the office.
The poor dope.
He doesn’t even know what’s hit him.
And God help him if he ever figures it out. God help us both.