[Stargate: Drabble] "Fifty Years: Part Twenty-Three" [Daniel/Vala, PG]
Series Title: Fifty Years Not Trapped in a Time Dilation Field
Drabble Title: Twenty-Three
Author: Ami Ven
Rating: PG
Word Count: 500
Prompt: daniel_vala Springtime Is for Lovers 2011 challenge (continued)
Pairing(s): Daniel/Vala, Sam/Jack
Warning(s): character death
Summary: "What am I supposed to do without him?"
Previous
Twenty-Three
Daniel finally understood how his friends must have felt, all those years ago, that first time they thought he'd died and held a memorial service for him.
He had moved past shocked, past bereft, to a sort of numb that had gotten him through the service, pretending to listen to the general who hadn't been in high school when they'd opened the Stargate and instead staring at the coffin that held all that was left of his best friend.
Jack had died the way he'd always hoped- in a blaze of glory, saving the world.
Being retired hadn't stopped him from rising to the call when Earth was threatened, and this time had, finally, been his last. Daniel's diplomacy hadn't been able to save them this time, or Sam's genius or Teal'c's strength. What they needed was Jack's piloting skill, reflexes slowed a little but his tactics sharp as ever, and his Ancient gene.
The explosion of his puddle jumper hitting the attacking ship could be seen by the entire northern hemisphere.
Sam stood, straight-backed and straight-faced, through the entire service, her uniform spotless and five stars gleaming on her shoulders. Jack had been so proud of those stars- he had always been the biggest supporter of her military career, and she was the first officer to hold that rank in more than half a century.
Daniel watched her until the service ended, and he took his place as pallbearer opposite Teal'c. He stood behind her at the graveside, but she never faltered. Sam remained calm as she accepted the folded flag from the honor guard, then shook hands with people wearing sympathetic expressions to go with their military uniforms or civilian suits, some of whom even Daniel didn't recognize.
It wasn't until they'd gotten back to the Jacksons' house, away from everyone but family, that she let out a despairing sound and threw herself into Daniel's arms.
"What am I supposed to do without him?" Sam said, voice catching.
Her general's stars dug into his shoulder, but Daniel held on tight. He could feel his own tears starting and let them fall..
"I don't know, Sam," he answered honestly.
Daniel heard sudden movement a split second before Teal'c put his arms around them both, and they wordlessly rearranged themselves into a three-way hug.
"We will endure," Teal'c said, softly. "As we always have."
Dimly, Daniel could hear Vala, Cam and Cassie rounding up children and grandchildren, working out who's going to stay where and what's for dinner, but he couldn't make himself let go.
He felt Vala behind him as she rested her forehead against his shoulder. "Take as long as you need, darling," she breathed in his ear, and left.
They stood that way for a long, long time, until the sky outside grew dark, and Sam finally pulled away.
"If anyone had told me," she said managing a weak smile, "when we met, that I'd love Jack O'Neill, I'd have laughed."
Daniel smiled back. "Yeah, me, too."
Next
Current Mood:
dorky
Drabble Title: Twenty-Three
Author: Ami Ven
Rating: PG
Word Count: 500
Prompt: daniel_vala Springtime Is for Lovers 2011 challenge (continued)
Pairing(s): Daniel/Vala, Sam/Jack
Warning(s): character death
Summary: "What am I supposed to do without him?"
Previous
Twenty-Three
Daniel finally understood how his friends must have felt, all those years ago, that first time they thought he'd died and held a memorial service for him.
He had moved past shocked, past bereft, to a sort of numb that had gotten him through the service, pretending to listen to the general who hadn't been in high school when they'd opened the Stargate and instead staring at the coffin that held all that was left of his best friend.
Jack had died the way he'd always hoped- in a blaze of glory, saving the world.
Being retired hadn't stopped him from rising to the call when Earth was threatened, and this time had, finally, been his last. Daniel's diplomacy hadn't been able to save them this time, or Sam's genius or Teal'c's strength. What they needed was Jack's piloting skill, reflexes slowed a little but his tactics sharp as ever, and his Ancient gene.
The explosion of his puddle jumper hitting the attacking ship could be seen by the entire northern hemisphere.
Sam stood, straight-backed and straight-faced, through the entire service, her uniform spotless and five stars gleaming on her shoulders. Jack had been so proud of those stars- he had always been the biggest supporter of her military career, and she was the first officer to hold that rank in more than half a century.
Daniel watched her until the service ended, and he took his place as pallbearer opposite Teal'c. He stood behind her at the graveside, but she never faltered. Sam remained calm as she accepted the folded flag from the honor guard, then shook hands with people wearing sympathetic expressions to go with their military uniforms or civilian suits, some of whom even Daniel didn't recognize.
It wasn't until they'd gotten back to the Jacksons' house, away from everyone but family, that she let out a despairing sound and threw herself into Daniel's arms.
"What am I supposed to do without him?" Sam said, voice catching.
Her general's stars dug into his shoulder, but Daniel held on tight. He could feel his own tears starting and let them fall..
"I don't know, Sam," he answered honestly.
Daniel heard sudden movement a split second before Teal'c put his arms around them both, and they wordlessly rearranged themselves into a three-way hug.
"We will endure," Teal'c said, softly. "As we always have."
Dimly, Daniel could hear Vala, Cam and Cassie rounding up children and grandchildren, working out who's going to stay where and what's for dinner, but he couldn't make himself let go.
He felt Vala behind him as she rested her forehead against his shoulder. "Take as long as you need, darling," she breathed in his ear, and left.
They stood that way for a long, long time, until the sky outside grew dark, and Sam finally pulled away.
"If anyone had told me," she said managing a weak smile, "when we met, that I'd love Jack O'Neill, I'd have laughed."
Daniel smiled back. "Yeah, me, too."
Next
Current Mood:
dorky