Opening Scene of a New Story

[emgeetrek]

Hokay, campers, this one has been sitting on my hard drive for quite some time.  The first and final lines of the snippet under the cut are what arrived first in my strange little brain, and try as I might to scrub them away, it appears they are indelible.  At first it all came to me in 1st person, Daniel POV, but it's in 3rd person now.  I do have a couple of scenes following this one written as well, but this story is such an early WIP that I'm not sure it deserves that title yet. 

You would think I have some clue as to why Jack says the final line in this scene, but no . . . I have thought and thought, and have a few ideas, but I encourage you to speculate.  Feel free to send your other SG-1 friends by to speculate as well.  Hell, if anyone's interested in turning this into a round robin, I'm game.  Just help me get this thing out of my brain!

Stargate SG-1, Jack/Daniel
Working Title:  A Prayer for Healing

 

"My father died," Jack said.   

He might have been announcing the latest weather report, his voice flat and cold. 

I'm so sorry, Daniel wanted to say, but he didn't. 

Jack laid the fistful of papers he'd pulled out of the FedEx envelope carefully on the table.  "The lawyer tried to reach me a few days ago, when we were offworld." 

Daniel said, "I didn't know he was alive.  Had been alive.  I mean . . ."  His voice trailed off, and he grew still and watchful.  Jack never talked about his family, and Daniel always had assumed that both of Jack's parents were long gone. 

"There were phone messages when we got back but I didn't return them." 

Why not, Daniel wanted to ask, but he didn't.   

"I have to go to Chicago.  Put his affairs in order, sell the house." 

Daniel wanted to move closer, but he didn't.  His hand lifted a fraction of an inch, and dropped.  "Arrange a funeral," he said. 

"That too."  Jack's voice matched his face.  Not quite expressionless.  Underneath, a trace of . . . annoyance? 

"I'll go with you," Daniel said. 

"No need."  Jack pushed away from the table and stood, and took a step towards the door. 

"Jack, it's your father."  Let me be there for you, he wanted to say.  But he didn't, because at that moment Jack turned back to Daniel, and the look in his eyes stopped him cold.   

"The son of a bitch was already dead to me."

 

Comments

[sid]

Hmm. Dad could've abandoned them when Jack was young, been abusive, cheated on Mom.

Or possibly said or done something when Charlie died that killed any feelings Jack ever had for him.

Or, since this is J/D, been a raging homophobe.

*turns bucket upside down and shakes it* Okay, that's all I've got! :-)

[emgeetrek.livejournal.com]

Good ones. I've been leaning toward your first scenarios. Interesting that I never considered the homophobe possibility--but now I'll be weighing that as an option as well.