fic- "So They Lied" Stargate SG-1 Part 9
Title: So They Lied
Author: CJ aka WritinginCT
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing: Jack/OFC
Rating: Teen - PG13
Warnings: AU, Angst in later chapters
Comments: AU. Jack often has a look of loss and pain in his eyes. Was it all from losing his son or has he lost more than everyone knows?
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The rest of the two SG-1s had gone to dinner in the commissary but Jack complained of a headache and headed for the VIP quarters that Hammond had assigned him. He took his boots off and lay down on the bed staring at the ceiling. Diana was here. She was alive. They weren’t together. And why would asking her about Peanut make her angry? None of it made any sense.
A soft knock at the door brought him out of his reverie. When he opened the door and saw who was standing there his mouth dropped open. It was Diana.
She had a pizza box in one hand and was holding a brown paper bag in the other. She lifted the pizza and said, “I brought a peace offering. May I come in?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” He stammered and gestured for her to come in. He closed the door behind her and turned towards the table where she was putting down the pizza.
“Colonel…” she started but he interrupted, “Jack. Just Jack.”
She smiled and nodded, “Jack. I, um, just wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. It was inappropriate and I’m sorry. I should have known better than to take anything at face value here at the SGC.”
“It’s okay. Really. You had no way of knowing. I guess you and the other me don’t really like each other much, huh?”
“We like annoying each other. Does that count?”
He chuckled. “Bet you two are good at that too.”
“And then some. But what’s really sad is that I can’t even tell you why. There’s just been a friction between us since my first day here at the SGC.” She shrugged. “Anyway. I, um, spoke with your Daniel earlier and he filled me in a little. Needless to say, much to my surprise he told me that you and I had been married. He wouldn’t tell me much more than that and said I should ask you. So here I am.”
“I’m really hoping there’s beer in that bag, because I could really use one.” He said letting out a deep breath.
She laughed and pulled out a long neck bottle, “As if you can have pizza without beer. They are two of the…”
“…four junk food groups.” He finished for her. It was one of her favorite expressions.
“Wow. I guess you do know me well.” She said softly.
They talked and ate and talked some more. Jack noticed that she seemed to be a little more reserved than his Diana, and less quick to laugh and tease. But the differences were so minute that it was almost like his last two years alone never existed. The attraction was definitely there, both emotionally and physically.
They had moved over to the couch with a fresh beer and Jack finally told her what happened to them in his reality.
She sat there peeling the label off of her beer bottle, contemplating what he had told her. She met his eyes and said in her familiar matter-of-fact way. “So that is why you asked me about Peanut.”
“Yeah. I’m guessing from your earlier reaction though that she’s not here.”
Diana dropped her eyes sadly, “The vet tried to save her but she didn’t make it.”
Jack couldn’t help himself and reached over and took her hand. Giving it a squeeze he said, “I’m sorry, Di.”
A strange look crossed her face and he wondered if his holding her hand was over the line, but she didn’t pull it away. “No one’s called me that since I was kid.”
Jack was surprised. Everyone had called her “Di” in his memories. They talked for hours. Comparing their realities. There were differences certainly, but not a lot. Diana finally looked at her watch and realized it was after eleven.
She stood to go and Jack frowned. He didn’t want her to leave. He wanted to curl up around her in bed and hold her tight and feel her heart beat next to his, where it belonged. She picked up the empty beer bottles and tucked them away back in the bag, hiding the evidence, and cleared up the paper plates and napkins from the pizza.
She noticed that Jack had gotten very quiet and knew why. How much he loved his Diana was evident on his face and here she was someone that was the same only different.
Jack was standing there with his hands shoved deep in his pockets looking at the floor. Diana walked over to him and reached up and gently stroked his cheek, sensing he needed the physical contact. Her being right about that was confirmed when he closed his eyes and just leaned his face into her palm.
Very quietly she said, “Jack, I’m sorry I’m not her.”
His hands in his pockets were the only thing keeping him from latching on to her. He didn’t trust himself to speak.
She continued, “And I’m sorry seeing me caused you so much pain.”
His eyes flashed open at that, and he shook his head, “I’m not.” His hands betrayed him and he reached up and stroked her hair. “I’m not.” He repeated and pulled her into a tight hug burying his face in her hair. “Thank you for tonight. For everything.”
She stiffened for a moment then let herself relax into him. She hadn’t been held in a long, long time and she’d almost forgotten how good it felt. Normally she just didn’t like people touching her, especially men. It was a residual psychological effect from her experience with her ex-husband. She could name the men she felt comfortable hugging on two fingers and up until this moment Colonel Jack O’Neill had not been one of them. But this just felt right. Comfortable.
They separated and Jack walked her to the door with his arm still around her shoulder. He asked her softly, “Will I see you again before I leave?”
She smiled gently, “I would like that.”
“Me too.” He said and leaned in and kissed her forehead without even thinking, “Now go get some sleep, it’s a school night.”
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Jack woke the next morning and made his way through the familiar motions of showering and getting dressed. His thoughts full of Diana, both past and present. Seeing her had certainly brought a lot of emotions to the surface that he thought he had permanently buried. And he knew that no matter how hard he concentrated on wearing the mask of the tough Colonel that those that knew him best would see right through it. Teal’c and Daniel would understand, but to his horror he realized that he had made a terrible error in judgment two years ago in not telling Sam. An error he needed to correct as soon as possible, before she heard about Diana from someone else.
He knew she would be up, after five years he knew her habits well. He knocked on the door to her VIP room and entered at her acknowledgment.
Sam was surprised to see Jack, she was expecting either Daniel or the other Sam. “Good Morning, Sir.”
“Got a minute, Carter?”
There was a particular tone to his voice that instantly made her pay attention, and with concern she answered, “Sure, Sir. What’s up?”
“I’ve got a story to tell you, something I should have told you a long time ago…”
Jack told her the whole thing, from meeting his Diana to spending hours talking to the other Diana last night. And when he was done he sat there waiting for her reaction.
Sam was processing everything he had told her and was trying to sort out her feelings. She had to admit to being more than a little put out that he hadn’t felt that he could tell her this two years ago, but she understood why he did it. She also now understood that sad, far away look Jack would sometimes get. She had always attributed it to his losing Charlie but now she knew better. She realized too, that the whole situation with Diana had contributed to his resolve that they never act on their feelings for each other and why he was so protective of her. Losing someone else that he loved would destroy Jack.
“Sir, I…well, I wish you had told me two years ago, but I guess I understand why you didn’t. How are you doing with all this?”
“I’m…doing.” He answered honestly.
“You know I’m here for you, sir. If there’s anything I can do, or if you need to talk.” She offered.
“Thanks, Carter.” He stood to leave and paused at the door, not looking back at her, “I’m sorry, Sam. I should have told you.”
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Chapter List for So They Lied
Author: CJ aka WritinginCT
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing: Jack/OFC
Rating: Teen - PG13
Warnings: AU, Angst in later chapters
Comments: AU. Jack often has a look of loss and pain in his eyes. Was it all from losing his son or has he lost more than everyone knows?
---------------
The rest of the two SG-1s had gone to dinner in the commissary but Jack complained of a headache and headed for the VIP quarters that Hammond had assigned him. He took his boots off and lay down on the bed staring at the ceiling. Diana was here. She was alive. They weren’t together. And why would asking her about Peanut make her angry? None of it made any sense.
A soft knock at the door brought him out of his reverie. When he opened the door and saw who was standing there his mouth dropped open. It was Diana.
She had a pizza box in one hand and was holding a brown paper bag in the other. She lifted the pizza and said, “I brought a peace offering. May I come in?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” He stammered and gestured for her to come in. He closed the door behind her and turned towards the table where she was putting down the pizza.
“Colonel…” she started but he interrupted, “Jack. Just Jack.”
She smiled and nodded, “Jack. I, um, just wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. It was inappropriate and I’m sorry. I should have known better than to take anything at face value here at the SGC.”
“It’s okay. Really. You had no way of knowing. I guess you and the other me don’t really like each other much, huh?”
“We like annoying each other. Does that count?”
He chuckled. “Bet you two are good at that too.”
“And then some. But what’s really sad is that I can’t even tell you why. There’s just been a friction between us since my first day here at the SGC.” She shrugged. “Anyway. I, um, spoke with your Daniel earlier and he filled me in a little. Needless to say, much to my surprise he told me that you and I had been married. He wouldn’t tell me much more than that and said I should ask you. So here I am.”
“I’m really hoping there’s beer in that bag, because I could really use one.” He said letting out a deep breath.
She laughed and pulled out a long neck bottle, “As if you can have pizza without beer. They are two of the…”
“…four junk food groups.” He finished for her. It was one of her favorite expressions.
“Wow. I guess you do know me well.” She said softly.
They talked and ate and talked some more. Jack noticed that she seemed to be a little more reserved than his Diana, and less quick to laugh and tease. But the differences were so minute that it was almost like his last two years alone never existed. The attraction was definitely there, both emotionally and physically.
They had moved over to the couch with a fresh beer and Jack finally told her what happened to them in his reality.
She sat there peeling the label off of her beer bottle, contemplating what he had told her. She met his eyes and said in her familiar matter-of-fact way. “So that is why you asked me about Peanut.”
“Yeah. I’m guessing from your earlier reaction though that she’s not here.”
Diana dropped her eyes sadly, “The vet tried to save her but she didn’t make it.”
Jack couldn’t help himself and reached over and took her hand. Giving it a squeeze he said, “I’m sorry, Di.”
A strange look crossed her face and he wondered if his holding her hand was over the line, but she didn’t pull it away. “No one’s called me that since I was kid.”
Jack was surprised. Everyone had called her “Di” in his memories. They talked for hours. Comparing their realities. There were differences certainly, but not a lot. Diana finally looked at her watch and realized it was after eleven.
She stood to go and Jack frowned. He didn’t want her to leave. He wanted to curl up around her in bed and hold her tight and feel her heart beat next to his, where it belonged. She picked up the empty beer bottles and tucked them away back in the bag, hiding the evidence, and cleared up the paper plates and napkins from the pizza.
She noticed that Jack had gotten very quiet and knew why. How much he loved his Diana was evident on his face and here she was someone that was the same only different.
Jack was standing there with his hands shoved deep in his pockets looking at the floor. Diana walked over to him and reached up and gently stroked his cheek, sensing he needed the physical contact. Her being right about that was confirmed when he closed his eyes and just leaned his face into her palm.
Very quietly she said, “Jack, I’m sorry I’m not her.”
His hands in his pockets were the only thing keeping him from latching on to her. He didn’t trust himself to speak.
She continued, “And I’m sorry seeing me caused you so much pain.”
His eyes flashed open at that, and he shook his head, “I’m not.” His hands betrayed him and he reached up and stroked her hair. “I’m not.” He repeated and pulled her into a tight hug burying his face in her hair. “Thank you for tonight. For everything.”
She stiffened for a moment then let herself relax into him. She hadn’t been held in a long, long time and she’d almost forgotten how good it felt. Normally she just didn’t like people touching her, especially men. It was a residual psychological effect from her experience with her ex-husband. She could name the men she felt comfortable hugging on two fingers and up until this moment Colonel Jack O’Neill had not been one of them. But this just felt right. Comfortable.
They separated and Jack walked her to the door with his arm still around her shoulder. He asked her softly, “Will I see you again before I leave?”
She smiled gently, “I would like that.”
“Me too.” He said and leaned in and kissed her forehead without even thinking, “Now go get some sleep, it’s a school night.”
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Jack woke the next morning and made his way through the familiar motions of showering and getting dressed. His thoughts full of Diana, both past and present. Seeing her had certainly brought a lot of emotions to the surface that he thought he had permanently buried. And he knew that no matter how hard he concentrated on wearing the mask of the tough Colonel that those that knew him best would see right through it. Teal’c and Daniel would understand, but to his horror he realized that he had made a terrible error in judgment two years ago in not telling Sam. An error he needed to correct as soon as possible, before she heard about Diana from someone else.
He knew she would be up, after five years he knew her habits well. He knocked on the door to her VIP room and entered at her acknowledgment.
Sam was surprised to see Jack, she was expecting either Daniel or the other Sam. “Good Morning, Sir.”
“Got a minute, Carter?”
There was a particular tone to his voice that instantly made her pay attention, and with concern she answered, “Sure, Sir. What’s up?”
“I’ve got a story to tell you, something I should have told you a long time ago…”
Jack told her the whole thing, from meeting his Diana to spending hours talking to the other Diana last night. And when he was done he sat there waiting for her reaction.
Sam was processing everything he had told her and was trying to sort out her feelings. She had to admit to being more than a little put out that he hadn’t felt that he could tell her this two years ago, but she understood why he did it. She also now understood that sad, far away look Jack would sometimes get. She had always attributed it to his losing Charlie but now she knew better. She realized too, that the whole situation with Diana had contributed to his resolve that they never act on their feelings for each other and why he was so protective of her. Losing someone else that he loved would destroy Jack.
“Sir, I…well, I wish you had told me two years ago, but I guess I understand why you didn’t. How are you doing with all this?”
“I’m…doing.” He answered honestly.
“You know I’m here for you, sir. If there’s anything I can do, or if you need to talk.” She offered.
“Thanks, Carter.” He stood to leave and paused at the door, not looking back at her, “I’m sorry, Sam. I should have told you.”
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Chapter List for So They Lied