FICLET: The Walls of Jericho, Jack/Daniel. Fight.

[icarus]

The Walls Of Jericho
by Icarus




"Daniel..." Jack threw down a t-shirt in frustration and paced the disaster area of his office. It joined a number of wads of paper that had missed the basket. He'd been balling it up in his hands for most of their conversation -- Daniel somehow knew exactly which nerves to hit. "Don't ask, don't tell is a hell of a step forward!"

"I don't see how. It's just another example of the way the military lags behind modern societal norms."

Jack made a cutting gesture, "No." He spun around and pointed at Daniel, who lounged on the corner of Jack's desk as if perfectly, infuriatingly relaxed, crinkling a pile of unsigned forms under his ass. Though his shoulders were as tense as a bow. "You're just mad at me because I wouldn't approve your precious plan -"

"Jack, that's beside the point..."

"You are, and you're trying to piss me off and taking it out on the military deliberately, because you know --!"

"Jack..."

"Ah-Ack!" Jack's finger was up, cutting him off. "Because you know I hate that pointy-headed, eyeglass-wearing, pseudo-intellectual snooty-assed crap!"

"I also happen to be right." Daniel folded his arms around himself, and looked far too smug for someone scoring a mere intellectual point. This was personal. "It's a step backward as a matter of fact. A lot of soldiers have lost their careers over --"

"No!" Jack fist swung out in denial. "No, it's huge step forward because the military admits that we're here, admits that they want the soldiers they've got, who they've trained, who are valued AS IS. And they've promised to keep their damned noses out of the bedroom where they don't belong in the first..." Jack suddenly realized that Daniel was staring, mouth slightly open, the smug look gone. "...place. What're you looking at?"

Jack didn't feel quite ready to abandon the argument just yet, but all the fight seemed to have gone out of Daniel.

Daniel licked his lips, blinked a little. He said quietly, "You said 'we.'"

"No I didn't."

"Yes. You did."

"Did not."

"Did..."

"Didn't!"

"Did, too!"

Jack shook his head and changed tactics. "Now why would I say 'we'?"

"Jack... are you... are you gay?" Daniel asked, determined, with utter disbelief written across his face.

"You're changing the subject just because you were losing," Jack pointed out, placing a whole desk between the two of them.

"I was not los-- ooo that was good, nice try, but you, you're... you are?" Daniel's hand dropped to his side.

Forced into a lie, Jack growled, "Of course not!"

"You are." That look of dumbfounded shock still hadn't left Daniel's face. He stepped forward and Jack retreated a six inches. "Look, Jack, I'm on your side."

"What side? There isn't any sides! The military doesn't want the rep of being a bunch of candy-assed fruit flies and I don't blame them!" Jack exploded. "Reputation counts. Battles are won - and lost! - on reputation alone. The walls of Jericho didn't drop because of trumpets -- that's stupid. Those guys were scared of what they faced. Those Jews were total bad-asses." He leveled a glare to beat the point home. "No soldier would willingly give up that advantage."

He grabbed his jacket and stalked out of his office, forcing Daniel to shut up, out in the open. Of course he heard the footsteps skip a little as Daniel trailed behind him.

"Jack..."

He didn't look back but kept walking, shoulders set. He made for the most public place he could think of, anything to forestall the rest of this conversation. The commissary would do nicely. "The subject's closed, Daniel," he said in a flat voice, pulling on his jacket.

Not for the first time Jack was grateful their security cameras were visual only. Just what part of Don't Ask, Don't Tell didn't Daniel get? Oh yeah - the asking part.

Part II here.

Comments

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

That gets him into bed. But why?

I was brewing a post (and lost it) about how the mono-focus on Don't Ask, Don't Tell in this fandom tends to obscure the reason why the heck the two hop into bed. All other emotional undercurrents are abandoned in favor of this logistical problem.

It is a problem. But if the story is built around this idea, it is, well, rather superficial.

Having been in a highly proscribed society, I can tell you that this kind of injunction isn't what drives people. And just being surprised wouldn't drive Jack to break the rules either.

Letting the Don't Ask, Don't Tell issue drive the plot is what dumps us into the same ten Jack/Daniel tracks, which are all about solving this Don't Ask, Don't Tell problem:

"Aliens Made Us Do It"
"Stranded On An Alien World"
"Jack and Daniel Sneak Around"
"Jack Angsting Over Being Attracted To Daniel"
"[fill in name here] Reacts To Finding Out About Jack/Daniel"
Etc.

I'm thinking that people are viewing the Don't Ask, Don't Tell as a rule imposed by an outside force, and they don't see what it is that makes that rule so powerful. It's Jack's own committment to the military and what the military means to him that drives it. The good reasons he feels are behind that policy make it a force in his life. His reasoning will be different from the military's, because he will have owned that policy.

That means that his feelings about Don't Ask, Don't Tell (and how he'd deal with being surprised) will be in accordance with his feelings about the military as a whole. Thus, he's far more likely to go for it when things are getting ugly and corrupt than when he's on a hero upswing.

Then, Daniel. There's this assumption that just being attracted to Jack is enough. But Daniel is one hell of a complicated man, driven as much by his ethical beliefs as by his gonads. So why would he risk a friendship he obviously values for something potentially short-term? More than that, would he believe that it's the right thing to do? For Jack?

Here's a story that avoids the trap of being driven by the logistical concerns - how do we get around this policy - and you can feel the power of it. What a difference that makes.

One Bare Hour (http://www.area52hkh.net/asd/dmarley/1barehour.php) by Dorothy Marley

It's NC-17, and she idealizes first time sex more than I would (though I've had first time encounters like that, this could only happen like this if Jack had done this before). But, assuming that, there's an emotional undercurrent driving this story that's a lot deeper than most SG-1 fanfic.

Icarus

[setissma.livejournal.com]

I think you're completely right about the way the timing would have to be, because two things dull the rules: distance from the rules, and a lack of faith in those rules. The rules control Jack because Jack believes that the rules are the right thing, and that they're there for a reason, and he adheres to them because he has confidence that they keep things running smoothly.

But sometimes, there are situations where the rules just don't work - hence the "Stranded on an Alien World" thing. I think, as much as Jack values the rules, he values his people more, and if it comes between choosing between one of his people getting hurt and Following The Rules, he'd choose the person, because he's probably smart enough to realize that you have to adapt to the situation, and that the rules aren't the be all and end all. I think, for the corruption side of it, he's not a 'might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb' sort of guy. I think the downfall would come from, "This rule is bullshit. By extension, it makes this rule bullshit." So on, so forth, a bit like unraveling a chain link fence.

So I think, from one standpoint, for both of them, there would have to be a damn good reason. Which is why I'm not entirely certain this pairing would ever be good for something quick in a supply closet, if there wasn't anything else behind it. Because, as someone once put it, you don't risk long-term friendships for meaningless sex. There has to be motivation, and something more, especially if careers and Jack's Stable Grip On The World And The Rules are at risk.

I'll go check that out promptly.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

he's not a 'might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb' sort of guy. I think the downfall would come from, "This is bullshit. By extension, it makes this rule bullshit." So on, so forth, a bit like unraveling a chain link fence.

Yes, exactly.

I think, as much as Jack values the rules, he values his people more, and if it comes between choosing between one of his people getting hurt and Following The Rules, he'd choose the person, because he's probably smart enough to realize that you have to adapt to the situation, and that the rules aren't the be all and end all.

Damned straight. But the 'stranded off world' scenario is inherently depressing, so I hate reading those (let alone writing them). Because in that scenario, they have to give up who they are - military, scholar - and fight the elements. It's such a difficult, wearying thing that it negates any joy from getting them together.

So when would it be in Jack's best interests (according to Daniel Jackson) to give in to a sexual relationship?

Icarus

[setissma.livejournal.com]

And that, you see, is a question I think canon is required to answer.

But I can think of a couple reasons. From one viewpoint, Jack? Is a complete workaholic. He is the military. And really, that's not terribly good for you, in any sense. So I think Daniel could argue that he needs to loosen up. I don't, however, think Daniel would necessarily advocate loosening up with him. But you could get there.

Secondly, I could imagine - well, Jack seems to have this utter sense of moral duty that ties in quite well with the military thing. But I can imagine that at times, that moral duty gets in the way of having a sense of self-preservation, and he probably does some incredibly (from Daniel's perspective) stupid stuff, solely for not seeing any other way to go about it. And I think that might lead to Daniel just hitting his head against the wall. Repeatedly. And it's not a suicidal urge, I don't think, Jack just can't get it through his head that sometimes, it doesn't take risking life and limb to get a job done. Which, if you put into perspective, has to be incredibly scary for someone who cares about you. Watching people almost die, or, well, dying (as Daniel has apparently done, here) seems to bring out the desire to not keep things to yourself forever.

And maybe, you know, there's canon romance somewhere, but it seems to me like Jack is awfully unwilling to tie himself down to anything at all, because being unattached makes it a whole hell of a lot easier to risk yourself. If you're in a relationship, you have to think "well what would happen to so and so if I died," morbid as that is. And you worry about it. Essentially, the 'life insurance policy' clause. But if you're unattached, and you get hurt, no one gets hurt but you. I think Jack maybe just doesn't realize that people begin to care whether or not you want them to, or not. So that's another issue to address, really. Jack's kinda married to the military, so to speak - would he be able to give up that utter carelessness for Daniel? It's habit, so I bet he'd have a hell of a time learning not to go dashing headlong where angels fear to tread.

I think what it boils down to is that, in order for it to work, Daniel probably can't be doing it for selfish reasons, he has to be (somehow) doing it because he thinks it's in Jack's best interests. I'm just not quite sure what would trigger that "best interests" button.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

It is a canon issue, although character insight counts for a lot.

Hmmm. For Jack's own good... the next part's for you.

Damn. I'm scattered around a dozen fics. I didn't need another plot bunny grabbing me.

Icarus

[setissma.livejournal.com]

I should feel guilty, but really, I like your writing way too much to do so.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Okay, here you go: next piece (http://www.livejournal.com/users/icarusancalion/309893.html).

There's another one coming in a minute.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Okay, next tidbit. This one's taking time to get out (and I don't feel like using cut-tags so I'm keeping it short): next (http://www.livejournal.com/users/icarusancalion/310089.html?mode=reply).

Icarus

[setissma.livejournal.com]

Well, that's certainly a lovely thing to get up to. *goes to read them!*