Smarter Than I Look

Author: ParkerMCarter

Title: Smarter Than I Look

Category: Drama/ Supernatural/ Violence/ Romance, maybe?

Spoilers/ Season: s4 or the latest season as of 6/04/02.

Summary:

Warnings: Violence, supernatural, you know the usual. There is a slight crossover with Charmed.Their characters don't show up, but their powers do. Oh and maybe some romance.

Disclaimer: Neither Stargate SG-1, nor any of the characters affiliated with the show belong to me. They belong to MGM and Double Secret Productions.

Status: *WIP*

Author’s Notes: We all know that this is a possibility in the world of the Stargate.

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Daniel’s POV>

‘ You know after everything we’ve been through together, I thought I knew all there was to know about Colonel Jack O’Neill. Boy, was I wrong.

I wonder if I look as stunned as I feel. Sam looks ready to pass out from shock and the General looks like the only way he’s leaving this room is on a gurney headed for the infirmary. Teal’c, believe it or not looks triumphant. Like I said,

“ Oh my god.”

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Sam’s POV>

‘ It began as a normal, calm day. That should have been the first indication of things to come.

We had an early morning briefing at 0900, where we discussed our next mission scheduled for a few hours later. Today, unfortunately, it was Daniel’s to talk first. When he starts talking, man does he start talking.’

‘ I’m sitting here trying to at least look like I’m paying attention, while trying to stay awake until it was my turn to talk. Daniel was going on and on about things that I have no interest in.

Good lord, now he’s talking about the weather. Do we really need to know that it snows every two years on P3L-2697X? Is that essential information? I don’t think so and apparently neither does the Colonel, because he just cut Daniel off here.

“ Daniel, can we have the absolutely relevant information and only the absolutely relevant information? Please?”

“ Jack,” Daniel started.

“ Dr. Jackson,” the General began. “ The Colonel has a point. We have a schedule to keep. Could you please just give us the vital, bare facts?”

“ Those were it,” he huffed. ‘ Thank god for the Colonel,’ I think to myself.

‘ Seriously, thank god for him. I couldn’t have listened to him much longer and remained sane.’

‘Looks like I’m up.’ I walk over to the TV/VCR and pressed the play button. The screen showed a foggy landscape with trees of all shapes and sizes, but trees none the less.

“ Well, for starters we’ve got trees of all shapes and sizes. Some appear to be partially burnt or glowing.”

" Haven’t we always got trees?" I heard the Colonel mumble. I couldn’t contain a smile. I never can where the Colonel is concerned. He always makes me smile by being sweet or funny, or just being him.

“ Yes, sir, more trees for you to enjoy,” I say to him. A slight smile in my direction is his only response. It’s enough for me though. When he smiles his eyes seem to turn a honey colored brown and they sparkle like stars. He smiles that smile only for me.

“ The fog is a combination of the hydrogen dioxidation from what appears to have been a recent wide range fire and the oxygenation from the water, and the naquaddah from the soil and apparently the trees too. Oh my god, I just realized that if my calculations are correct that the naquaddah in the soil is what made the trees grow, because they can’t grow in conditions this temperamental. The chloroplasts in the leaves of the trees probably died within a year of growth, but the naquaddah must have somehow been triggered by the decomposition of the tree and in turn the naquaddah ignited the chloroplasts, sending charges to the roots, almost like paddles in an emergency room, therefore they were brought back to life. But not just brought back to life, but rejuvenated and strengthened. And with the naquaddah running through the roots and rings of the tree, they start to glow. Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

No one said anything. The Colonel looked tolerant and amused. Daniel looked confused.

“ Huh,” Daniel said. As I was about to explain it again, the Colonel cut in.

“ Danny, she means is the fog is the result of hydro-dioxide from a large fire most likely with trees involved, the oxygen from the water and the naquaddah from the soil. Then, her revelation was that nothing could grow in the conditions of this world. Water doesn’t do anything for the plants there. You with me so far.” Daniel still looked lost.

“ Danny, it’s like when you jump start a dead battery. The naquaddah interacts with chloroplasts, the chloroplasts with the nerve center, and the nerve center with the rest of the tree. With naquaddah being something made purely of energy, it glowed through the bark of the tree and it’s roots. What she just realized was that naquaddah not only can it power machines and the gate, but it can power organic, natural, living things as well. That’s what she meant. If you didn’t get it don’t worry about it. You’re an archaeologist, not a physicist. Oh and it can be a light source as well. In case you didn‘t know that.”

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Jack’s POV>

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, but I was just trying to be helpful. They all look very surprised and even more speechless. Carter looks a little afraid.’

“ Sir, you understood what I said?”

“ Ya think,” I reply. “ Yes, Carter. You’re not the only one who took physics you know. It’s really very simple if you want think about. And apparently Daniel didn’t get it. So I had to explain it to him in laymen’s terms. No offense, Carter, but you suck at laymen’ terms.”

“ Jack, where did you learn that?”

“ Um, school maybe. I did pass science with the school’s highest grade. I like astrology, so astrophysics is right behind it.”

“ You mean you understand all the crap she just said. No offense, Major.” General Hammond was amazed.

“ I should hope so since they gave me a P. h. d. for it.”

Now even Teal'c didn’t know what to say.

“ You mean to tell me, that you’re not just Colonel Jack O’Neill, but Doctor Jack O’Neill,” said an astonished Daniel Jackson.

“ Yep, that’s me.”

“ I thought you hated scientists.”

“ I did, but my best friends are scientists, so it’s kind of hard to hate them. I just don't like the attention they get. I don't like attention drawn to myself. Besides, I like stars more than anything. Carter's the expert so I just keep my brains to myself. "

"Sir, you mean to say that for all of these years you could have been helping me in my lab and you chose not to?"

"Well, yeah. You're still a little bit smarter than me and I was intimidated."

"You know you have to help me in the lab now, don't you? "

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"Nope."

"Yeah."

" No."

" Yes."

"Yes."

"No."

" Ha, you said I don't."

" But, you said you would first. So ha, ha, ha."

" I refuse."

" You have to."

" No." "Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

" Now children," said General Hammond. " Simmer down. Now Jack, it's only fair. You have to help the Major and that's final." Sam stuck out her tongue and Jack sulked and huffed. " Now, you all have a mission to get ready for. We'll discuss this when you get back. Dismissed." Jack and Sam both snapped to attention and left the room with Daniel and Teal'c.

They all walked to Sam's lab, each lost in their own thoughts. Once there they all went to their respective places. Daniel took a visitor's chair while Teal'c stood guard by the door and Jack just paced. Sam was the first to talk.

"Why didn't you tell us how smart you were, sir"

" You always knew I was smarter than I acted, you just didn't know how smart. The thing is I can't be like you guys."

`" Jack?"

" You don't even see it, do you? People expect things from you, they expect miracles, lots of miracles, just because you're geniuses. And they have the nerve to be disappointed when you can't supply them with an answer. I'm disappointed enough in myself I don't need anyone else to be disappointed in me. It always the same. When have a problem to do with ancient civilizations, who do they call, Daniel, of course. Or when they have a science problem they call Sam or even a Goa'uld issue they call Teal'c. When they give you a problem they expect it to get solved, because you're the experts, you're supposed to know everything. And when you can't solve a problem it weighs heavily on your conscience.

As Commanding Officer, I have enough on my conscience and if I add anything else I'm sure I'll go all looney tunes. I have enough to worry about trying to get you guys out alive and hopefully, but rarely unharmed. Every time you get hurt my conscience gets heavier. I can't be that person, I can't be the one everyone automatically turns to for an answer. Not like you three. People come to me about weapons, exercise, and bombs, not about the history of the Minoans or the theory of relativity or even the great Yu. They don't expect that from me. They think I'm just the dumb one protect that protects the smart ones. And that's all I want to be, because if I have to be more I will lose my sanity for sure.

I learnt the hard way that being smart in the military isn't always the safest way to go. My parents taught me that. My parents were geniuses, literally. My mother was the astrologist, while my father was the methodical strategist. You see where my expertise comes from. My mother had the hardest time in the military, but she never let it slow her down. Like with you Sam, most don't have a problem with you being a woman as much as you being a smart woman. If you were not quite as smart, however impossible that may be to picture, you wouldn't be threat to anyone's authority. But you being as smart as you are, you have the ability to undermine just about anyone's authority.

Let's say you went on a mission with Ferreti's team and you wore Hazmat suits until you were sure the air was safe to breath. Ferreti could say," It hasn't burned through our suits yet, so I'll assume it's safe to breath", and tell everyone to take off their suits, but you checking out your instruments, say it's not. Even if you're right it will most likely cost you later. They won't say anything, but they'll give you a look that says, 'it isn't over yet.' It's situations like that, that are dangerous to your career and/ or health. That's why I kept my intelligence to myself. That's why I worry when you work too hard.

My parents were smart, but that made them no less human, so to speak. My mother was Colonel Samantha O'Neill and my father was Major General Brighton O'Neill.

They were the best people you could know. They loved me and treated me like a prince, but their IQ's cost them so much and it showed as they got older. They always had time to be my parents and they never let me down, like once I had a hockey game and it was after the first time out of the game and they weren't there. Just as the game was about to time back in I saw my parents standing with the Refs cheering my team on. My mom especially was my best friend, she showed me the stars in the day time and was the most classy, articulate woman you'll ever meet. She didn't even look or sound human. She wasn't bizarre in a bad way, but an exotic way. She had unbelievably auburn hair and almost coal black eyes. She says my father evened out my looks with his blond hair and hazel eyes and so I have my chocolate ones and with my once was brown-blonde hair. She wasn't vain, but unbelievably sweet and considerate. She was also a hell of a linguist. The rare arguments in our house played in about seven or more languages, including those we invented along the way, most ended in apologizes from all sides, even the uninvolved ones. She was as you all are now. She was young, smart, good looking, and a bit naïve, but not incompetent by a long shot. She was the one who always needed to have the answer and it cost her, her life. I don't want that to be you guys or me. I'll admit, I'm smarter than I look or act, but I have my reasons."

"What reasons, Jack?"

"Daniel, have you been listening to a thing I've said so far? What I'm saying is that I learned the hard way that hidden intelligence is a better weapon than any gun, Goa'uld or not. The upfront intelligence is good on you guys, but people start to suspect things when they hear me spout out the name of every consolation in the Ancients' solar system in alphabetical order.

I know these things, because they were taught to me as a child, guys. My parents were always different. I've always had this mixed up notion that my parents were from another planet. Now that I work on the Stargate Program the idea doesn't seem so remote. My parents fit in, yeah, but they were just unique, different. You'd have to look closely at them to see the difference. They could speak the language of the Ancients' fluently and it rubbed off on me. That's why I picked it up so easily."