september 2006
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For Amber: Five things Jack never gave back to his ex-lovers.
1.
Jack keeps the pair of boxers in his sock drawer. The owner's name is written on the inside in black permanent marker—why, Jack doesn't know. Would someone else be wearing them? It's not like he would anticipate losing them at a party (though Jack's done that himself plenty of times).
Jack sometimes contemplating mailing them back to Colorado Springs, if just to see the look on Mitchell's face when Daniel opens the box.
2.
On Edora there hadn't been much time for leisure—save for the drunken parties held about once a month—and Jack was more than surprised when Laira had gifted him with an intricate handmade metal charm. "For luck," she'd said, blushing; Jack had pulled her into a hug and kissed her grimy forehead. He's not quite sure of the charm's authenticity (the little incident in Antarctica comes to mind), but it never leaves his pockets.
3.
It had been just the once, two newly-graduated cadets fooling around in the back of Jack's truck. He doesn't think a lot about Paul Emerson anymore, but when he catches sight of the USAF-issued button under the passenger seat, he can't help but smile.
4.
Jack isn't ashamed to say he eats meat; he even grilled what Carter affectionately referred to as "carbon cakes," but he didn't wear leather. Too many cows up in Minnesota, and besides the occasional tip-and-run, he hates the thought of killing one just to wear it.
"I assure you," Martouf says, holding out the cream-colored jerkin, "no animal was harmed intentionally. That is not our way." He sighs. "If you are to be my mate, O'Neill, then you are bidden by Tok'ra law to wear this to the ceremony."
Martouf must have been hanging around with humans too much, because when Jack makes a face, he sticks out his tongue in reply.
5.
Upon his release from the infirmary, Fraiser hands him a small bottle. "This was with your clothes," she explains. "I don't know what it is, but I had it analyzed, and it's harmless. It's yours."
Jack turns the bottle around in his hands. "It is," he says slowly, "but it isn't." Fraiser shrugs and turns back to the monitor.
Months later, he lets Daniel apply the salve to the open staff blast wound on his chest, and remembers sliding walls and shifting ceilings, the sharp cruel curve of Ba'al's smile.
For Faiza: Five things Elizabeth never said to Will.
1. That there'd been a hole in his britches when he'd visited, because, well, proper English girls aren't supposed to look at boys' britches that way anyway.
2. That her heart had wept, just a little, when Norrington had given them his blessing that warm summer day.
3. That she'd been so afraid the first time they'd fell into his bed—afraid of losing herself for nothing, afraid of leaving a place to which she'd never be able to go back.
4. That she wishes he would hold her hand in public instead of simply standing at her side, eyes distant and faraway.
5. That she doesn't love Jack, not like that, because she knows he won't believe her.
For Lauren: Five six mission reports Elizabeth Weir fed to the Atlantis trash compactor.
1. M3G-284: Elizabeth hadn't understood all the "who's your daddy?" jokes until Rodney handed in the report with an attached expense sheet demanding compensation for "undue yet not completely unenjoyable physical and emotional trauma."
2. M3X-146: Teyla had smiled apologetically upon handing it in and said, "I am saddened that yet again I have had to hear the sound that human necks make when they snap. I am truly sorry."
3. M4G-319: She never got past the words "Ancient mind-control devices," but somehow Elizabeth doubted very much that that bruise on Kavanagh's neck had been caused by an exploding panel.
4. M6G-817: It took three days for them to unhook Carson from the Tekroans' main computer, and when he finally regained consciousness he'd been upset, to say the least, that instead of taking up arms in his defence, Sheppard and Ford had drawn on his face with permanent marker instead.
5. M2R-925: Elizabeth really, really hopes that's ice cream on the cover.
6. M7X-414: Five hours later, Ronon dumps a twisted heap of plastic on Elizabeth's desk. "I think I saved it before I punched it," he says gruffly, a stray plume swaying side-to-side in his unkempt hair. "Get McKay to fix it." But of course she doesn't.
For Susan: Five things House likes most about Wilson.
1. His hands, for one: good for massaging dead muscle after Stacy left; better for late nights locked in a PPTH restroom stall; best over his own, picking out melodies and harmonies and all the notes in between.
2. For all House teases him about it, Wilson's a hell of a good oncologist. House doesn't get all sentimental like Cameron does, but he can't help but celebrate for every little girl he sees walking out of Wilson's office with tears and a smile on her face.
3. Wilson has the worst taste in music, but when he tries to boogie to the Thompson Twins, he's nothing short of adorable.
4. "You're not going to get rid of me that easily," Wilson had said on that cold February morning, breath curling around his face as they stood waist-deep in the snow. In nine years House has tried and failed and tried again, but Wilson's a stubborn bastard when he wants to be, and House was never really that annoyed at having him around in the first place.
5. That he always, always, tells them in the end.
For Ash: Five things Jack kept safe for Daniel while he was ascended.
1. Sam helps him move Daniel's bed into his living room ("I'm sure he'll appreciate this, sir"), and he falls asleep on it night after night after night, trying his hardest to dream of Daniel.
2. Daniel was always picky about his silverware matching; Jack throws them in with his own, even though now there's twice as many spoons for twice as few people.
3. He's been bitched out enough times about leaning on Daniel's precious swords, so when Airman Farber tries some flashy battle move with the sword that Daniel claims dates back "before El Cid Campeador, can you believe it?", Jack grabs the hilt and piles it in the back of his truck with the rest of the boxes (but not before revoking Farber's mess hall privileges for a month).
4. Despite every ounce of common sense telling him to set Daniel's tweed suit on fire, Jack hangs it up in his closet next to the black one he wore to Daniel's memorial, telling himself that in a couple of months he'll get to tease him about it again.
5. He keeps Sha're's picture by Charlie's and Sara's, and sends a prayer to God for her every night.