Title: Intimate Hearts: Respect
Date: July 11, 2000
Status: Complete
Author: Jmas
Category: Series, drama, angst, h/c…various other things….
Rating: PG-13 for language
Email: jmasg1@bellsouth.net
Archive: Stargate Fan, Heliopolis, Belle, Place of Our Legacy
Disclaimer: Characters are property of MGM, etc.
Spoilers: Stargate the movie, CotG, Jolinar's Memories<little>,
Seth<really little>
Summary: "The bond that links your true family is not
one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.
Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof." Richard
David Bach (b. 1936)
Author's note: A continuing series…at least ten total…on
the complexity and simplicity of friendship…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Intimate Hearts: Respect
respect: n. a high or special regard
"The bond that links your true family is not one of
blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely
do members of one family grow up under the same roof." Richard
David Bach (b. 1936)
A funny thing, respect…
We give the outer semblance of it every day of our lives…"Yes,
sir"…"No, sir"…to our superiors,
bosses, people on the street. I get it all the time thanks
to the little rank insignia on my shirt…and I'm not naïve
enough to think *all* those airmen and junior officers really
like and respect me. They go through the motions as they were
trained to do…as most kids are raised to do.
“Respect your elders, son…” Can’t
remember how many times I heard that one as a kid…sometimes
at the wrong end of a switch when my mouth would forget that
all important rule. Certain kinds of respect are automatic…reflex,
but for the most part a good thing…
The best kind of respect, though, is the kind you earn. The
kind people give you because they feel something in you is
worthy of that honor. I like to think I’ve known a few
people who’ve fallen on both sides of the equation…earned
and earning.
My team is like that. General Hammond calls us his flagship
team. That means something to me…a hell of a lot in fact.
We are the best at what we do…and yes I am more than
a little biased…
I’ve got one hell of a team…
Three years ago Hammond signed off on my choices for team
members.
Carter was never a question after Chulak. She’s tough….and
way smarter than I am after all.
Daniel was a bit harder to slip under the general’s
radar. Daniel’s tough in ways I never suspected back
at the beginning of the first mission. He works overtime to
keep us all out of trouble while at the same time watching
over our souls, playing conscience even when we’re fighting
him every step of the way….always with an apologetic
core of iron that will not back down when he knows what’s
right.
Teal’c was easier than I expected once Kennedy was diffused
and sent packing. Hammond really surprised me on that one…I
think that was my first…or maybe second or third…indication
that Hammond was going to turn out to be a commander I could
respect.
We’re four very different people with quirks and failings
and bad days and worse moods. The first few missions were more
than a little awkward…between Daniel’s natural
reticence on all things personal as opposed to his inability
not to talk incessantly about all things cultural, linguistic
and archaeological; Carter’s chattiness on all things
astrophysical while maintaining her ‘reproductive organ
locations do not affect my ability as an officer, sir’ attitude;
and Teal’c’s constant bowing, needing every other
word I said explained to him and those lost puppy eyes every
time he looked at Daniel. Then of course there was my naturally
infectious humor and good nature…hell, I know I tend
to speak first and regret it later…but I really did feel
pretty good about our chances.
And I was right. Over three years we’ve all grown up…a
lot…
For one thing, Teal’c's learned how to take a joke…damned
if he doesn’t actually make some, pretty good ones too…except
maybe for those jaffa jokes. He and Daniel have weathered some
pretty tough shit that might have split another team apart.
But not mine. Teal’c looks at Daniel now with the respect
of one friend for another, recognizing the Daniel is a cut
above on the Tau’ri scale.
Carter’s grown out of the need to prove herself. She
knows now she never really had to…all she had to do was
her job and she does that damn well. The Jolinar thing brought
some pretty hard lessons with it, but she handled it. *We*
handled it.
Daniel? Daniel's just plain grow up…though in a lot
of ways he's always been the most grown up of us all. He's
pulled through a lot of storms, but never let them drag him
under. He was always a pretty strong-willed guy, but now I
think it's tempered by the kind of wisdom that can only come
from hard experience. It's a sad kind of wisdom…still
a little tender at times, but healing. The enthusiasm is coming
back...the stubbornness never left, but he's gotten better
at choosing his battles and backing them up…and we've
gotten better at backing him up. I'll say it again, Daniel's
almost always right…sometimes I just forget it.
And me? Well…I like to think I've changed for the better.
I hope I have. My mouth has learned a few hard lessons…and
I really *try* to keep a leash on it. I've learned how to handle
the quirks of my team…and myself. I'm a little better
now at being able to step back and let them do what they do
best. We might falter a little on the details, but all in all
we've gotten pretty damn good at functioning as a team…as
a family even.
We've worked hard at it. We've *earned* each other's respect…not
to mention the respect of General Hammond and the rest of SGC.
Not bad…
Not bad at all.
*fin*
