The simplest rules

[dani_the_girl]

Fandom: SG1
Summary: Missing scene from Abyss. Jack is taken away for another session with Ba'al and Daniel talks things over with another ascended.
Notes: I was actually inspired to write this by seeing the Pegasus Project - seeing her, I felt sure that Morgan had known Daniel well when he was ascended and this conversation suddenly occured to me. Approx 500 words.

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"Oh, hi," Daniel said vaguely, turning away from the lower plane as the man he'd been talking to was escorted out of the room. "I'm sorry, have you been waiting long?" He was still not really thinking about her, she noticed, his concentration on the mortal so strong that echoes of the cell were sketched around them even here.

"I wondered if you wanted to continue our conversation from yesterday, but I can see you have other things on your mind," she said smoothly. Daniel's brow was crinkled into a worried frown as he turned to face her.

"Oh yes," he replied. "Perhaps in a couple of days. I have some other things to do first."

"So I see. Who were you visiting?" she asked curiously.

"An old friend," he admitted, then sighed. "Why is it that the simplest rules are the hardest to keep?"

She was about to enter into the discussion when she realised the question was rhetorical, an expression of frustration, not a desire for knowledge. "What is troubling you, Daniel?" she asked instead, concerned. She wished for his sake he could leave behind his ties, but truthfully he was some way from that yet. If only Oma didn't tend to abandon her protegees once they'd moved up to the higher planes, she thought irritably. He was like a child, this one, all passion and action.

"He's going to be tortured to death," Daniel said flatly. "And I can't help him."

"You've been trying to enlighten him," she realised. "Daniel, the path is not for everyone. Some may not be ready to walk it for many years and some never may. And you cannot appoint that date."

"I know," he acknowledged, "but Jack could, I know he could. I wouldn't have been able to without him." He sighed again. "But right now, he won't. He asked me to help him die, but he won't let me help him live."

"Share this Jack with me," she asked suddenly, impulsively. "I wish to understand more of one who could make such a request and yet in whom you clearly believe so strongly."

He looked surprised by her request, but offered up his hands to her readily enough, passing over stories of Jack, memories clearly treasured and well worn, emotions, reactions, the sight and smell of him, all the things that made up Jack O'Neill to Daniel. She thought back to the slumped figure she had seen being lead away and considered. How different we are to others conceptions, she thought.

"If he would just let go a little," Daniel complained, frustration returning. "But he won't trust me."

"Surely you can see that he cannot, Daniel," she pointed out gently. "He has just been granted final victory over an oppressor who stole his body away from him, and that victory not by his own design but purely fortunes of war. He clings too tightly to his return to cede it even for a good cause."

Daniel closed his eyes, shoulders slumping. "Then there's nothing I can do. Just watch. I don't know if I can."

She considered it, turning the problem over and over in her mind. "It is true, you cannot act," she admitted after a moment, "but you can perhaps steer. Come, I will show you."

Comments

[randomfreshink.livejournal.com]

This is is little gem! And I love Morgan bitching about Oma just leaving her protegees... I can very much see Oma being more about the acending, and then you're on your own path, once you're on it.

[dani_the_girl]

Thanks! I starting dithering about this once I'd posted it so it's really great to get such positive feedback on it :)

[princessofg.livejournal.com]

I LOVE THIS. It's a huge different spin on Morgan, as we see her in Ark and in Pegasus Project. Clearly she was willin to bend the rules in her own way, just as Oma was.

I love the complexity in terms of the Ancient factions you show us.

YAY.

[dani_the_girl]

Thank you! I haven't seen Ark yet, so I'm kind of flying blind there, but as a teacher in training, she just gives him this look in Pegasus that says teacher to me :)

[princessofg.livejournal.com]

omg yes. i hadn't thought of the teacher angle but that is SO THERE.

thanks again. so glad you're here in sg1

[dani_the_girl]

See, now I have made the connection with one of the kids in my class! He's lovely and he's smart, but oh boy is he ever stubborn. I might want to teach science but he's gonna tell me his interesting dinosaur fact no matter what :)

[tresa-cho.livejournal.com]

Lovely. Oh Jack. That ep was so hard to watch.

[dani_the_girl]

Totally. I never could figure out how Jack could meet Ba'al and not just go a little nuts after that.

[discodiva76.livejournal.com]

Wonderful companion for Abyss......and the Morgan La Fay twist was genius....thank you for a delightful insight into Daniel's Ascension...


Deeds xx

[dani_the_girl]

Thank you!

[stultiloquentia.livejournal.com]

Ha, brilliant! What a good take on Morgan.

[dani_the_girl]

Thank you! I posted it and then had second thoughts so it's so nice to come home to people having read it and found it interesting!

[jd-junkie.livejournal.com]

This leaves me with much to think about.
Really enjoyed. Thank you. :-)

[dani_the_girl]

Thank you!

[fyere.livejournal.com]

Like this very much! I've always liked the Morgan and Daniel dynamic and this feels very *right*. And I love the little details like Daniel retaining his Daniel-ness even on the higher plane - "Oh, hi". XD

"He clings too tightly to his return to cede it even for a good cause." - I've never really thought of it like that before.

[dani_the_girl]

Morgan and Daniel reminds me of me with one of the 6 year olds in my class - oh is that boy ever stubborn :)

[sid]

Awesome missing scene! I love Morgan's insight into Jack's present state of mind, having finally gotten his body back from Kanan, and the way she takes over where Oma abdicated responsibility, helping Daniel help Jack. V. cool!

[dani_the_girl]

Thank you!