Season/spoilers: Right after the movie. Before the series.
He takes a bottle of bourbon up to the roof because he's bored with drinking indoors. And because he's been reminded how much he likes Colorado -- the crisp mountain air, the rustling leaves, the cool breeze. And no sand.
Sara's gone, she left a note, but it doesn't bother him as much as he thinks it ought to. He can't even work up a good mad, he knows she was right to leave. She maybe didn't know he was all set to blow himself to constituent atoms on the other side of the galaxy, but she sure knew he wasn't planning on coming back to her in any meaningful way. She's known him too long not to have seen he'd given up -- on himself, on her, on their marriage, on something, or everything -- and she had to get away before he destroyed her with him.
Their last night out was a few months back when he took her to see Schindler's List, he'd thought it might make him feel a little better to see people whose lives were more miserable than his own. It was a bad idea. He'd seen enough brutal prison camp guards in real life, enough dead children (one in particular). Sara cried all the way home, hunched up against the far door. Jack scowled, and brooded, and went up on the roof as soon as they were parked. They couldn't even comfort each other anymore.
But now he doesn't want to kill himself. The geek was right -- life is full of surprises, and wonderful things might still be in store. For the first time in what feels like forever, he wants to know what happens next. He's seen Jackson's file -- less than a month ago, el dweebo was getting laughed off the stage for spouting nonsense. He had no family, no friends, no career, no place to live, and all his worldly goods fit into an overhead bin. Less than a month ago the kid had no reason to get up in the morning. But he never lost heart; he got up anyway, facing the day with wonder and joy. And now just look at him -- from laughingstock and outcast to beloved husband, adopted son and savior of an entire people. Father of his country, even. Not to mention he's in archeologist heaven, living a culture that his so-called peers can only speculate about through pottery shards. Love at first sight and vindication of his outlandish theories, all in one fell swoop, plus an adventure his grandchildren will write epic poems about. Could anyone have seen that coming?
Jack remembers a line from one of the men Schindler saved. "A half hour of life... is life." At the time he thought that was a pretty damn stupid thing to say, so hopelessly naive he wanted to throw jujube's at the screen. But now... now he thinks he can see the point. He pours the rest of the bourbon over the side of the roof, crumples up his cigarette packet, and turns the telescope toward Abydos.
## end ##
© March 25, 2001 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.