Fic: Northern Skies
Title: Northern Skies
Words: ~600
Crossover: Stargate SG-1
Spoilers: Vague references to White Collar Season 3, Stargate SG-1 episode 7x03
Time frame: White Collar season 3, Stargate SG-1 after season 7
Characters: Neal Caffrey
Summary: The world you know can vanish in a blink of an eye.
A/N: Fill of my hc_bingo card field planet destruction. Part of Origin of Troubles ‘verse, where Neal Caffrey is a clone of Jack O’Neill. No reading of previous parts necessary. Well I wrote this and then I wrote "Restoring Balance" as it was pointed to me some things required explanation...
Beta: by one and only, amazing mam711. All mistakes are mine.
In a blink of an eye he found himself looking at the most beautiful view of his life.
Earth.
The blue and white globe in the vast space of blackness.
It was a view he never thought he would be able to see again. Not since he stopped being Jon O’Neill and started his life as Neal Caffrey.
He ignored the light chill that ran through his exposed skin; clad only in boxers and with a cup half-full of warm coffee in his hand, he just stood there in awe, observing. Taking in all details, committing it to his artistic memory to recreate later. For later, when whoever had taken him would place him back in his apartment.
There was a sudden pull and he took a small step back to accommodate the movement. Coffee spilling on his hand, he blinked ... and his home planet disappeared-not in the-ship-entered-subspace kind of way-no, there was a giant chunk of a planet receding in space, smaller and bigger pieces surrounding it.
It was there, and a second later it wasn’t.
The cup flew out of his hand, shattering on the hard surface below, pieces exploding around him just like the planet before him. Taking a step forward to rest his hand on the window, he ignored the little hard pieces mixed with warm fluid he stepped on. It didn’t matter.
“No....” His voice was raspy, clenched with emotion. “No, no, no....” His own words mixed with the faster and faster beating of his heart, the beat drowning all other sounds.
He fell on his knees, forehead resting on the cold surface, tears running free on his cheeks. It was impossible, not after all these years. Not after SG-1 saved Earth so many times from destruction in the past, not after he survived losing his first and then second family. Not when he'd finally gotten another chance, with Peter, El, Sara, Mozzie, the FBI. When he made his decision, to stay, to never again run away from problems. To acknowledge that ignoring his connection to Jack didn’t really benefit either of them.
Looking up on the pieces of his home, he couldn’t keep the pain inside anymore. He screamed in anguish, fear and loneliness, in painful realization of helplessness. There was nothing he could do, nothing at all. No smile or con would save his loved ones anymore. No smart words, which had been his weapon of choice since the beginning of his second life.
Sitting on his legs with arms falling freely at his sides, Neal fixed his eyes on the last remaining pieces of home. This time he didn’t observe them in awe; this time the sadness embraced him. He observed it in tribute to those who were gone, to remember in clarity the last moment of humanity, to be able to recreate it.
He shuddered when something cold and wet touched his hand; instinctively he raised his arm to pet Satchmo.
“Satch?” he whispered, astounded.
It was impossible. He took the dog's head in both hands, petting his head, allowing the happy animal to lick his tears away, covering him in slobber. A soft blanket was put over his arms and he suddenly realized he was cold, and he wasn’t alone. The hand resting on his shoulder was vaguely familiar, and he closed his eyes before raising his head, before his hope could be shattered.
“Neal?” He knew that voice. Tears started to flow without control once again. Opening his eyes, he smiled, a brilliant happy smile.
“Peter!” The older man was crouching by his side, with a concerned face. Turning slightly, Neal could see his whole family behind him. The new and old ones, together.
The End