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“How could I have still been serving Apophis?”
SG1 were in Jack’s living room, contemplating the close call they had all had after the events of the past day. Another alternate universe and this time Jack was married to an alternate Sam. He’d found that very difficult to get his head around.
“Teal’c, that wasn’t you. You are the one that says the only reality of consequence is our own!” Jack was finding Teal’c pity party a little tough to handle. Sam had finished very quietly munching on pizza and Teal’c and Jack himself were constantly trying and failing to put the whole shenanigans of events behind them; in fact, this time, it was Daniel who had suffered the least in terms of blows to the psyche and well-being although he was still berating himself for allowing the Jaffa to capture him whilst guarding the mirror. It was time the morose feelings were dissipated!
Jack stood up from where he had been lounging with Daniel on the couch.
“Right you three, on the couch!” Sam complied immediately, programmed to follow the colonel’s orders. Teal’c looked quizzically at Jack then slowly moved to seat himself between Sam and Daniel. The resultant tableau made Jack smile, Sam and Daniel lounged at each end of the couch with an upright, slightly irate Jaffa poised on the edge of his seat, back upright, hands in his lap.
“OK, kids, time to stop with the self-flagellation. Yes, it wasn’t the most successful of missions but it was a success. We rid an alternative earth of that scum Apophis and his lousy Jaffa and that earth got its Carter, Kawalsky AND Hammond back, gotta love those Asgard. There are three very strong and capable people on that world now and they will help to rebuild it. We are back here. Nothing else is of consequence to us and we need to get past this or it’s gonna affect our own performance in the field.” Jack paused and looked at his team, his friends.
“As pep talks go Jack, you’re improving!”
“Thank you, Daniel. Now, whose fault was it that you got caught by the Jaffa?”
“Mine?”
“Aaaahhhhttt.” Jack raised his finger. “No, Daniel. If it’s anyone’s fault it’s mine; I shouldn’t have left you there alone. But I did and I made a conscious necessary decision so it is not your fault, just unfortunate but it worked out OK so stop blaming yourself.”
“Yes, Jack.” Daniel’s reply was hesitant.
“Daniel? You could at least try to sound convincing!”
“Yes, sir, Jack, sir.”
“OK, enough with the theatrics. Carter?”
“Yes sir?”
“You did a tremendous job with alternate you with that power thingy.” Jack held up his finger again as she went to reply. “You have nothing to be concerned about. Your behaviour and actions were exemplary so we will have no more pity partying from you. OK?”
“Yes sir.” Sam, who had sat upright as the colonel addressed her, fell back into the sofa.
“And you Teal’c, once again, I say to you, ‘ours is the only reality of consequence’. Your words. Circumstances were different for the alternative Teal’c. He hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting us. He might still have rebelled, had he lived, at a later date but, in this case, he didn’t. He is nothing to do with you. You are here and you are a valued member of my team. Are you back with us and on top form?”
Teal’c sat up even straighter, if that was possible. “Yes, O’Neill. Ours is the only reality of consequence.”
“OK. As you were.” Sam and Teal’c moved off the sofa and made to head out, Sam dropping Teal’c off at Cheyenne Mountain on her way home. After seeing them both out, Jack and Daniel sank back into opposite ends of the sofa.
“That was a good evening, Jack, despite the morose atmosphere at times.”
“Yeah. I’m worried about Teal’c though. Carter’ll come through but she didn’t have to kill herself like Teal’c did.”
“True, but as pep talks go, it was one of your better ones. Just hope you take it on board too” Daniel ducked as Jack threw a cushion at him.
“I thought it was my best so far?” Daniel looked at him over his glasses.
“Nor peppy enough?”
“Yes, Jack, it was just right. Don’t let it go to your head!”