A New Beginning

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=120 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="01078642egerdp.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=428 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f64643.jpg"> <div> <B>A New Beginning</B></div> <div>  <A NAME="a_new_beginning"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bauhaus Std Light" >From the heights of ecstasy to the blahs of watching corporate America at work in its heartless, cold way.  Today, August 21, 2006, is the day they announced the cancellation of the series Stargate SG-1.  Think it's the end?  Heh - think again.  In football they call it a "lateral."  In fic, we just call it a plot bunny</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bauhaus Std Light" >.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Daniel looked at the paper in his hands and blinked.  The words didn't make sense.  He couldn't quite get his head around the idea.  None of it was gelling in his mind.  The script was incomprehensible to him.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Medical discharge.  Medically unfit for active service.  Limited duty not an option.</I></div> <bR> <div> "Just like that."</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah," Jack nodded.  "Just like that."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel looked out over the dignitaries congregating in the embarkation room.  "It's a fucking cold way to do it."</div> <bR> <div> "I'm not exactly feeling the love."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel turned to the man, looked at him in sudden understanding.</div> <bR> <div> "Malibu," he said, his lips curving into one of those famous, soft smiles.  "That's what you were doing down there, wasn't it?"</div> <bR> <div> Jack shrugged with one shoulder.  "I had a feeling."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel looked at the paper once again.  "They can just . . . like this?  They can do it like this?"</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah.  There will be months' worth of dinners and parties, but yeah.  It's all over but the shouting."</div> <bR> <div> "This sucks," Daniel said, his eyes suddenly clouding.  He blinked, let the paper fall to General Landry's desk and then walked to stand in front of the  window.  "I knew it would come one day, but not like this."</div> <bR> <div> "I expected a little more . . . consideration."  Jack unbuttoned his jacked, shoved his hands in his pants pockets and went to stand beside Daniel.  "The new house is nice, though.  Right on the beach.  Easy commute."</div> <bR> <div> "Commute?  To where?"</div> <bR> <div> "Anywhere," Jack answered quietly.  "USC.  UCLA."  He shrugged again.</div> <bR> <div> "You going back to school?" Daniel asked, puzzled.</div> <bR> <div> Jack shook his head and laughed quietly.  "No."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel thought he saw a small blush.  His eyes widened slightly.  "Oh."</div> <bR> <div> "I know we've never really talked about anything . . ."  Jack let the sentence trail off.</div> <bR> <div> "We didn't need to," Daniel said after a moment.  "We always knew it was there."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel looked down and found Sam.  As if she sensed his gaze, she turned and looked up at the observation deck but her eyes weren't on him.  They were on Jack.</div> <bR> <div> "Isn't there another option you're not considering?"</div> <bR> <div> Jack sighed and turned his back.  Slowly.  Purposefully.  "No."</div> <bR> <div> "Right on the beach, huh?"</div> <bR> <div> "Just up on a little cliff overlooking the ocean.  Got a nice little Mexican restaurant down the road.  Bookstore's a couple blocks over."  Jack winced.  He was trying too hard to seem casual.  "Lots of room for books in the den."</div> <bR> <div> "When do you close?"</div> <bR> <div> "Already did."</div> <bR> <div> "When do we leave?"</div> <bR> <div> Jack turned slightly surprised, but very pleased eyes to look at Daniel and saw nothing but an infinite future behind eyes as blue as the ocean he was about to live near.  "How about now?"</div> <bR> <div> Daniel nodded and followed where Jack lead.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ~finis~</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:claforce@plotexpo.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:claforce@plotexpo.com"><U>Give the author's ego a marshmallow . . . please feed the bear.</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3_sg1_slash.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stargate SG1 Slash Fiction"><U>Back to Fic List</U></A>     <A HREF="id2_directory.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Directory Listing"><U>Back to Directory</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=120 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="01178643.jpg"> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=52 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f64643.jpg"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="161" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 45 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="29"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Plotexpo.com"><U><IMG SRC="0181d270.jpg" border=0 width="29" height="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="15"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="45" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="15" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id199.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Now You See Him...."><U><IMG SRC="017271d0.jpg" border=0 width="39" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id205.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wedding Day"><U><IMG SRC="016271d0.jpg" border=0 width="39" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>