Title:  How Far
Author: Green Eyed Monster (GEM)
Email: very_punny_gem@yahoo.com
Status: Complete
Category:
Pairings: None
Spoilers: None
Season: Not specific
Sequel/Series Info: None
CONTENT LEVEL: 13+?
Content Warnings:  Implied mature themes.  Read it all or don't read it at all -- it's short
Summary: How far will Jack go to protect his team? 
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1, its characters and all related entities are property of Stargate SG-1 Productions (II) Inc., MGM Worldwide Television Productions Inc., Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp and Showtime Networks Inc / The SciFi Channel. No copyright infringement is intended.
File Size (kb): 43
Archive: Jackfic. All others please ask if you want to use it somewhere
Author's Note:  Someone actually remembered this little fic and asked me to post it!  <GEM does Snoopy dance that someone remembered her fic and even asked for it>  It made a cameo appearance at a chat long ago.

How Far

Jack paced about the cell again. Standard issue cage; four barred walls, low ceiling, one securely locked door. They had already tried everything they could think of to get out, but it seemed impossible for the moment. He kept pacing, kept looking, kept thinking. There's always a way out. Sooner or later, their captors would make a mistake and they'd have their chance.

He heard them outside, laughing and talking casually. He didn't understand the language, but he understood the scenario. A military camp. Military men, probably lower ranks, charged with guard duty, others killing time sitting outside the prison tent. More men arrived at the camp as the evening wore on. A few left; heading for the un-enviable duty of night sentries, no doubt.

Two men came in, their uniforms vaguely different than the other soldiers they had seen. Something about the pattern on their chests… were they the next rank up? The Jaffa equivalent of a sergeant or lieutenant? He watched them come closer, noted their appraising looks and the tone of their voices. He knew what they were after, as surely as Daniel did. One look at the archaeologist's face confirmed it.

The boys were here for a little nighttime entertainment.

Others peeked curiously into the tent from the opening; so there'd be no rescue from a by-the-book type guard. Or maybe molesting the inmates was in the Jaffa rulebook. Either way, one or more of his team was in for trouble.

He had to try to protect the others. Carter and Daniel were still basically innocent despite themselves. And Teal'c; he didn't even want to think about what they might do to the man they called traitor. As for himself, well, what - short of death or, worse yet, goulding - could they do to him that the Iraqis hadn't done before? He was a survivor. He'd survive again. It had to be him. He just had to convince the soldiers.

Jack took a deep breath. Walked to the door. Returned their appraising stares, ducked his head just a bit and looked up at them to catch their eyes. His lip curled, half enticing smile and half challenging smirk as they regarded him.

"Uh, Jack. I don't think they're here to talk to us." Daniel warned.

"I know, Daniel," he said quietly.

"No, you don't. They want to -"

"I know," he repeated more firmly, still looking at the guards. "Look outside. There's no help out there."

Daniel and the others looked at the audience peering in the doorway.

"Indeed," Tealc agreed. "It is not unusual in a camp such as this."

"Well, then, we should fight. All of us." Daniel said.

"There's twenty or more guys out there," Jack pointed out. He took a step closer to the door. Ran his eyes deliberately up and down the men on the other side. "What do you think will happen if we start a free-for-all with them?"

"I agree with DanielJackson. We should fight despite the inevitable outcome. They will not be permitted to kill us," Tealc said.

"Sir, there's only these two right now. Maybe if I.."

"No way, Carter. That's a direct order," he didn't look at her, didn't raise his voice. These Jaffa didn't speak English any more than he spoke Goa'uld, all they heard was the tone of his voice. "And use a lower tone. I don't think they realize there's a woman under all that dirt. No sense pointing it out." His own voice was soft, his eyes on the men outside the cell.

It was enough. They opened the door and gestured him out. He went with them out of the tent to a little cleared area near the fire.

What the hell..? They do this with an audience? He had been assuming they'd take him somewhere private. Where he might have a chance of taking them out. Or at least where there'd be no witnesses to the indignity.

Unless they planned to pass him around for everyone to share….

Think, O'Neill, think fast.

The two officers flanked him and spoke to the other men forming a circle surrounding them all. The enlisted men laughed and made rude gestures.

One of the officers reached for him. Jack grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him gently to the ground. He then smiled and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. The fallen man looked angry, but before he could attack, the second man did. Jack rolled that one to the ground and made a suggestive gesture above him before dodging back and away. The crowd roared. Jack watched his two playmates anxiously, relieved to see their anger fade to humor. The risk had paid off -- they'd go along with a little rough-and-tumble foreplay. Hopefully until they were too tired to do anything else.

Hell of a way to entertain the troops.

In the tent, the others stood near the bars and looked out the tent flap, but they could see nothing but a sea of uniforms.

"What are they saying?" Carter demanded for the umpteenth time.

Daniel refused to translate. Teal'c, however, felt no compulsion to protect the colonel's privacy. In any event, the entire team would no doubt learn of the injuries to the man when they returned to the SGC.

"They are encouraging the participants," Teal'c told her. "Apparently, O'Neill has bested one of them in some way. The viewers wish to see that one take revenge."

She looked faintly sick. A few nerve-wracking minutes later, she saw Teal'c and Daniel exchange a look after a crescendo from the crowd. "What now?"

"They have only now removed his jacket," Teal'c said, sounding a bit surprised.

The three listened as the sounds went on. And on.

Outside, Jack managed to snatch a Jaffa's jacket to replace his own. No sense in getting naked one second sooner than absolutely necessary. The Jaffa laughed and put Jack's captured jacket on. The crowd cheered and jeered. Not to be outdone, the other Jaffa rolled Jack to the ground, pawed him, then let him up, taking his cap in the process and putting it on his own head. Jack almost laughed despite himself. Great, just great. Playing strip wrestling with two big alien guys on a strange planet. No one was ever gonna believe this.

He dove for one of them, missed, and landed in a heap at the edge of the circle. He grabbed a cup from the nearest watcher and quaffed it. He needed water if he was going to keep this up.

It wasn't water. It was some kind of alcohol-like beverage. He coughed and dodged just in time to evade an assailant. He took the man's silver skullcap and put it on his own head. One of the watchers gave the man a drink of the Jaffa-juice as the crowd applauded.

Jack was surprised to be holding his own against two Jaffa. Maybe the alcohol-stuff affected them more than him; they did seem to be getting drunk faster than he was. More likely it was a difference in incentive. They just wanted entertainment, which they were getting, while he was quite literally trying to save his own ass.

At one point, when Carter was getting tired of asking what was going on, Daniel turned abruptly to Teal'c, a horrified look on his face as he grabbed the bigger man's arm. The Jaffa regarded him calmly. "Sock," he said. Daniel slumped in relief.

"What? What about a sock?" Carter demanded.

"They have torn his sock off," Teal'c explained.

Carter looked at Daniel. "Don't ask what I thought it was," he said.

*****

Eventually, Jack and the men returned. All of them seemed drunk. Jack was wearing his skivvies, baseball hat, and some sort of mark painted on his chest. And nothing else. One officer wore his uniform skirt and Jack's dogtags. The other sported an odd conglomeration of human and Jaffa clothing.

Carter asked what they had said as they delivered the colonel to the cell. Daniel pursed his lips and didn't answer. But Teal'c did.

"They praised his physical prowess," he said, considering the man lying on the floor before him.

"They'd better!" the co growled from the floor. "That was one hell of a workout."

Daniel looked away, Teal'c inclined his head. Carter just stared at him with huge eyes.

"Oh, relax Carter," he said. "Nothing happened. We just sort of played strip wrestling. Winner gets an item, loser takes a drink."

"Yes, sir," she said doubtfully.

Apparently, the inebriation was still affecting his judgement. He rolled up to his knees. "Seriously. Nothing happened. Wanna see?" He raised his hands to the top of his briefs, prepared to present his posterior for her inspection.

"No, sir!" she squeaked, turning quickly. He laughed and flopped back down.

"We gotta get us some of that Jaffa-juice, Teal'c. Good stuff!" he chuckled. No one laughed along. After a moment, he spoke again. "Seriously, guys, I delayed … things… with a little wrestling match. Had some fun, made everybody laugh. Blew off steam without… ya know."

"So, what you're saying is…" Daniel began.

"I'm saying I got lucky," Jack finished.