Clearing the Air
by Pho
Starbucks opened early. The sign turned on before the sun came up. It was but one of many saving graces the coffeehouse had. Visions of hot pastries swirled through his head as Jack O'Neill walked through the door, stifling a yawn as he stood back to study the board. Okay, that would be plan heavily caffeinated Colombian coffee in a standard mug, along with a cheese Danish just out of the oven for him. Now, for Daniel... Jack skimmed the multitude of choices, then started over. The younger man was *very* particular about his coffee, and, while he was less fussy about his foodstuffs, there were definite no-goes in his selections. The colonel frowned, wondering if true French-roast went with chocolate Danish. He needed to *talk* to Daniel, not listen to him complain about breakfast. Playing it safe, he ordered the jumbo French-roast in the double insulated cup and an apple Danish. To go.
Gripping the bags tightly, Jack tried to ignore the aroma wafting in the air as he headed for the exit. The glazed door opened in front of him and Daniel Jackson walked in. Their eyes met, and Daniel's eyes trailed down to the bags in Jack's hands, while Jack saw for the first time the dark circles under the younger man's eyes and the hollow appearance of his cheeks.
"Jack, we need to talk."
"Daniel, we gotta talk."
The twin requests caught each man by surprise, resulting in slightly chagrinned looks from each. Jack recovered first and nodded toward the terrace off the back of the coffee house. "It's not quite the right season for eating out there, but--"
"We'll have our privacy." Daniel quietly finished the older man's thoughts.
Jack nodded and followed his friend onto the terrace. Choosing a table near the wall, where prying eyes would have a tough time, Daniel flopped tiredly into a wrought-iron chair. Jack placed the super-sized coffee in front of him, and Daniel wrapped his hands around it tightly, whether for warmth or comfort or both Jack couldn't tell. Sliding the apple Danish toward Daniel, Jack took his own coffee and Danish out of the bag and sat down quickly. The silence was ... overwhelming.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry." Daniel's eyebrows did a Teal'c imitation as he looked in confusion at the older man. "What?"
Jack was equally confused. "Why are you apologizing?"
"Why are you?"
"I asked first."
"No," Daniel steepled his fingers in thought, "actually, you didn't."
"Oh, for crying out loud. Fine." Jack took a cautious sip of the hot coffee as a delaying tactic, then continued. "About Bedrosia, I'm sorry I let things get out of hand."
"You?" Daniel practically gasped in surprise. "I'm the linguist, the man of many languages. Words are *my* forte, Jack, not yours. I...I, God help me, I should have been able to talk us out of there."
"You did all you could do, Daniel. And you didn't give Teal'c away."
"I knew you didn't want me to."
"That was a good call. Teal'c was our only hope to escape from those goons." Jack took another sip of his coffee, frowning at the way Daniel's hands shook as he lifted his mug to his lips. "I just wish there'd been another way. My heart was in my throat when they took you away."
"Mine too." Daniel confessed, as he added another sugar packet to his coffee. "But I kept hoping he'd listen to reason."
Jack frowned. "You can't reason with a zealot, Daniel, God knows I've tried."
"*I* should have been able to. He asked me the same thing, over and over and over. I couldn't find the right words. Nothing was r..right. I kept telling him that I didn't k..know how that man died. That there were only three of us. That we were not Obtrican spies. Over and over and over, Jack. I even tried other languages."
"Daniel--"
"Then he dragged me back inside and shot Sam. I tried to stop him, but he wasn't listening." Daniel's voice was hoarse with emotion.
"They never do, Daniel. They have their own sick agenda. You did all you could do." Jack struggled to keep his own voice calm and level as he repeated. "You didn't give Teal'c away and *that* saved our collective asses."
"Then he shot you. God, Jack, you were *dying* and I couldn't do anything. I'm sorry. So sorry. It's my fault you got hurt!" Daniel shot a pain-filled glance at Jack. "I--"
"No!" Jack slashed down with a hand, in an instinctive signal for silence. "It was Rygar's fault, and no one else's. *He* was responsible for my injuries. He pulled the trigger, Daniel."
"But if I'd told him about Teal'c..."
"We'd all be dead or held in purgatory in some Bedrosian prison with *no* hope. Hear me now, Daniel, *no* hope of escape."
"Hammond..."
"Would have been able to do nothing. The 'gate would have been buried. All of us, Teal'c included, would have been tortured for the remainder of our days."
The younger man looked puzzled. "Rygar didn't believe that--"
"Rygar was a zealot, Daniel, but he wasn't stupid. He *knew* we came through the 'gate, but couldn't admit it, even to himself. Trust me on this one, he would have reburied the 'gate, if for no other reason than to stop the spread of our 'lies'. Out of sight, out of mind. We would *never* have gone home."
Daniel's eyes widened as he read the truth in Jack's words. "He would have buried the 'gate?"
"In a heartbeat. It was shut when we tried to redial, wasn't it?"
"But he'd seen us go through, he had to know--"
Jack shook his head. "He knows *nothing*, Daniel. His belief system won't allow him to accept it. We were an Optrican trick, nothing more. That's the line he's selling to his people, and it won't take long before he actually believes it himself. Oh, I'm sure deep down he'll be plagued by the truth, and I hope to hell he has lotsa sleepless nights because of it, but he'll eventually forget the 'gate. I'd love to send him to hell personally for hurting you." The older man looked at Daniel's uneaten Danish, then looked up to face Daniel. "You did your job, Daniel. Not only as a linguist but as a team member too. You did a damn fine job."
"I did?" Daniel asked hesitantly.
"You did. You really did. " Jack responded emphatically, then hesitated briefly before asking, "You gonna be okay?"
Relieved blue eyes met brown. "Yes, actually, I think I will."
Jack nodded at the Danish. "Then eat up and let's get out of here."
Daniel took a sip of coffee and gagged. "It's cold."
"Oh, for crying out loud, Daniel." Jack sighed. "Fine. I'll get us both another cup. Is the Danish cold too?"
"No, it's fine, but could I have a chocolate one instead? I love them with French Roast."