By Any Other, by Tallulah Rasa (PG)

[figs_sg1_rec]

Rec Category: Episode related

Pairing: none
Categories: episode related, gen, Daniel Jackson, mini!Jack, Jack and Daniel friendship, character study
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: unknown
Author's Website: To Explore the Universe and Eat Pie
Link: By Any Other

Why This Must Be Read: In this lovely friendship fic, Jack and Daniel sit and talk over a game of chess sometime in Season Seven. There's one little twist, though: this isn't Colonel Jack O'Neill, but his clone from Fragile Balance.

Over the course of their conversation, we recognize that Daniel's close friendship with Jack hasn't changed, despite the huge differences in their lives. There's great Jack and Daniel banter and humor, of course. But there's also insight and understanding, and the quiet undercurrent of pain from two people who aren't quite what they were and never can be again.

Any Tallulah Rasa fic is sure to be a pleasure, and this one is no exception.

"I don't want to hear it," Jack said.  "You know that. You know how I feel about this kind of crap." 

"Do I?" Daniel asked.  

"I can hurt you," Jack said.  "Black ops training, you know."

"It's just—" Daniel repeated.

"You'd feel pretty stupid explaining to Fraiser how you got a rook shoved up your nose," Jack said.

Daniel couldn't help smiling then.  "Jack would kill me if he knew I was coming to see you."

"Me, too," Jack said.  "Not that he needs an excuse."

"No, he wouldn't."  Daniel said.

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"No," Daniel insisted.  "It's…Nobody could … That's too difficult.   Psychologically, I mean.  Symbolically, maybe, but even in mythology, cultures rarely postula—"

"Daniel!"

"He doesn't want to kill you," Daniel said firmly.  "Maroon you on another planet, maybe, but not kill you."

Jack nodded at that. "Of course, he doesn't need to get rid of me.  He can just ignore me.  He's good at avoidance."

Daniel sighed.  "He is."

"Don't I know it."

Daniel looked up.  "You don't do that.  You don't…"

"Avoid stuff?  Pretend stuff hasn't happened?" Jack asked.  He slouched back on the couch, shoving aside a Sports Illustrated and a pile of probably dirty socks.  "Well, I can hardly get away with that now, can I?"

"Jack…" Daniel started.

"John."

"What?"

"I keep telling you: call me John.  Not Jack."