Flying

By PaBurke

Summary: Continuation to Fishing and Plinking, a year or so later

Fandoms: Eureka Season 1 episode 2, SG1 Season 8, Fragile Balance, SGA show finale

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I made no money. This is all in fun.

Word Count: 1600

Rating: Still PG, there's not even swearing in this.

When Jack Carter walked into Café Diem that morning, it was to a subdued atmosphere. Henry wasn't looking pleased and he was talking with Stark. Jack decided that he wasn't approaching that one. He glanced around the restaurant and noticed that everyone was a little pissed off. He ordered his normal coffee/breakfast and decided to hide in his office until there was an emergency.

Just as he was about to take a sip of his coffee, a young hand blocked him. Jack looked into the teen's smirking eyes. "Hey Jack."

"Hey Jack," Jack Hadden said in response. Their similar senses of humor were just one of the reasons that they got along. They had started this greeting ages ago, much to the annoyance of most of the scientists.

"Can I drink my coffee now that I've acknowledged your presence?" the sheriff asked.

"Not if you want to come fly with me."

It wasn't the first time that Jack had been invited along on the test flights, so experience demanded he ask, "how many times has this bird been up in the air?"

Hadden rolled his eyes. "One near miss and the man's skeptical of my abilities."

Jack merely raised an eyebrow. The nearest of the misses had been because someone had wanted the teen dead. The fact that the main investigator in town happened to be up in the air too had just been a bonus. The incident hadn't helped his fear of flying at all. "I know you can fly, Jack," he said. He was still alive as a testament to Hadden's abilities. "I want to know if the bird is flight worthy."

"Henry and Carter are the only two that mess with my personal plane."

"Where we going?"

"Eureka's big sister city."

The quiet murmur of the café died to nothing. Everyone was listening. "Why would I want to go there?"

"'Cause everyone else in town wants to go and can't."

Jack blinked. He had heard whispers of the mysterious city, but no one spoke of it in his presence. He was curious as to why. "I'd have to be back by dark and make a couple calls."

"Lift off's in twenty."

Jack nodded and turned back to the very attentive Vincent. He handed the chef his coffee. "Can I have this in a thermos?"

"Of course, sheriff." Vincent nearly snatched the coffee cup. His face turned conniving. "If you want, I could have dinner waiting for you when you returned."

"Thanks for the offer, but SARAH would probably pout if I were to do that." He accepted the thermos. "Thanks Vincent."

"You're welcome, Sheriff."

"You coming?" Hadden asked.

"I'm coming." Jack followed the younger Jack and the two climbed into the sheriff's jeep and toward the airstrip. The teen didn't say anything as the adult called Jo (who already knew). His deputy promised to inform Zoe and to keep an eye on her. Then Jack called his house and warned SARAH of the schedule change. That conversation actually lasted longer and Jack had to stay in the jeep even after he parked. Hadden slid out of the vehicle snickering. Finally, Jack convinced his house that he would be home safely and disconnected the call.

The young and commanding teen in charge of Section 5 budget was waiting in his sleek, one-of-a-kind aircraft. It was rumbling so softly that Jack couldn't actually hear the engine, but he could feel it in his chest.

"Ready?" Hadden asked.

Jack buckled in and swallowed his objections and fears. "I'm ready."

The canopy slid closed over the two-man cockpit and the virtual screen started feeding the pilot needed information. Jack was silent as the trip started, not wanting to distract Hadden. A mercifully short time later, they were hovering above San Francisco's bay.

"Now you don't see it," Hadden said, "and now you do."

Jack's jaw dropped as the silver city shimmered in front of them. "Wow. That's prettier than GD. Same hiding technology?"

Hadden laughed. "Not really, from what the geeks tell me, just same effect." He touched his earwig and spoke to the city. "O'Neill Two to AT. Come in AT. Over."

"AT to O'Neill Two. Authorization Code. Over."

"Authorization Code Zulu-November-Oscar-3-5-7-1. Permission to land. Over."

"Permission granted to the North Dock. Over."

"Copy. Over and out." Hadden expertly landed. Jack and Jack climbed out of the plane and onto the city.

"It really is beautiful," Jack repeated.

"Thanks," a man was waiting for them. Jack noticed the BDU's and the name stitched onto the breast pocket.

He offered his hand to the stranger. "Jack Carter."

The man smirked and glanced at Hadden. "Any relation to Carter?"

"Nope," Hadden answered. "He's Eureka's sheriff."

"Ah." The soldier shook Jack's hand. "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. Welcome to Atlantis."

"Thanks," Jack did a second take. "Atlantis? Isn't that a bit egotistical of the scientists?"

Hadden understood as Sheppard looked affronted. "Jack," Hadden said, "this is the original Atlantis."

"Seriously?" Jack's eyes were once more drawn to the shining towers. "Wow. I mean, wow. No wonder every resident of Eureka wants to get here. Who really built Atlantis?"

"The Ancients. One of the oldest aliens in the universe," Sheppard answered, having forgiven Jack's ignorance. "Come on in."

Waiting inside was a two-star Air Force General. He nodded at Hadden. "Jack," he said.

"Jack," Hadden said back. Jack knew that he would like this general who wasn't nearly the stuffed shirt that Eureka had to deal with.

Then the general nodded at Sheppard and offered his hand to Jack. "Jack O'Neill," he said. "Jack mentioned that he was bringing you by today." The general spoke as if it were merely a jaunt down the street.

"Yeah, he didn't warn me."

Sheppard snorted. "It's a Jack-thing. They don't mention certain things not because it's classified or dangerous –they'll tell you that- but because it's more fun and people might not do what they want if they spill all."

The general looked playfully put out. "I told you everything you needed to know."

Sheppard laughed at that.

"Oh good," a new man joined the conversation. Jack knew by his looks that he was a scientist. "Daniel found yet another secret lab –why didn't you allow Daniel to come to Pegasus years ago-" This was directed at O'Neill. Then the balding man handed Sheppard a small device. "Turn this on," he ordered.

Sheppard looked intently at the device and finally it hummed. Or rather it strummed.

"Good, good," the scientist said. He had his head down and was making notes on his computer.

Sheppard handed it off to O'Neill. The hum changed pitches and it was softer.

"No!" The scientist shrieked. "I'm trying to establish a baseline."

Neither man looked repentant, so the scientist grumbled and put his head down to make more notes on his computer. As soon as he wasn't paying attention, O'Neill passed the device to Hadden. The hum stuttered and then restarted. It was the same volume, but different somehow.

The scientist looked up and glared. "Oh," he said dismissively, "it's the clone."

Nobody looked too surprised and Jack found himself thinking 'that makes sense.' Hadden was O'Neill's clone, but Jack didn't like how this scientist treated Hadden. Just as Jack opened his mouth to defend his friend, Hadden put the device into Jack's hand. The device started playing a melody. Hey, wasn't that Jack's favorite song?

"What!" the scientist's eyes bugged. He glared at Jack. Looking him up and down. "Who are you?"

"I'm Jack Carter."

The scientist looked wary. "And relation to Samantha Carter?"

"Nope," Hadden and O'Neill chorused.

"Why are you dressed as a sheriff?" the scientist demanded.

"He's the sheriff of Eureka," Hadden explained.

The scientist mumbled something insulting half-baked ideas and wanting to make a mess of his city. "You knew that he had the Ancient gene, stronger than even Sheppard," he accused Hadden.

"Yep. But he's not as smart as Sheppard and hates to fly."

"You're working on him?" Sheppard asked.

"Trying, but he's afraid of my planes," Hadden replied. "I figured that the puddlejumpers weren't as intimidating."

"I'm right here," Jack ground out. It was bad enough that the scientists of Eureka talked about him, or down to him, or… whatever. But he understood most of this conversation. The device in his hands changed songs, to something more rocky.

Sheppard took the device –it changed to something by Johnny Cash- and handed it to the scientist. "Sorry Rodney, it's just an Ancient IPOD."

Rodney looked bummed, then he stepped right into Jack's personal space. "How long are you here?"

Jack was tempted to lie. "I gotta get back home tonight."

Rodney waved away his comment. "We've got plenty of room here. I've got experiments to run."

"No," Jack countered. "I've got to get back."

"What's so much more important than Atlantis?"

"My daughter."

Rodney brightened. "She have the gene?"

"Yep," Hadden said, "Not as much but she's smarter than he is."

"You're not getting my daughter," Jack laid down the law.

Rodney hmphed. "I need to get back to my lab before Radek blows something up. You guys change his mind." The man left, the Ancient IPOD in hand.

"Not happening," Hadden said at the same time as Jack. Jack was instantly relieved that his friend was still on his side.

"Too young?" O'Neill asked his clone.

"Too young," Hadden replied. "Though you could send Carter over for some teaching."

O'Neill frowned. "I'll think about it."

"You are not recruiting my daughter," Jack insisted.

"Of course not," the Jacks replied.

That didn't make Jack feel any better.