AN:  Part of the thing that got me writing this again, was a set of short stories I had written also set in a SG x-over with Farscape.   In this chapter I am going to be tying this and the One-Eyed Jacks stories together a bit.  Not sure where it will lead, but hey, it got the muses going.  Just for reference the mention of the other stories in this actually takes place before them.

The gates to the mountain compound loomed just ahead, Jack Dalton sat in the backseat pouting. Every few minutes he would mumble out some words of protest, never loud enough for the front seat passengers to make out, yet loud enough to give them the general idea of his discomfort.  Pete closed his eyes and sighed heavily, he debated briefly about treating Dalton like a moody child and was beaten to the punch by the youngest member of the trio.

"JACK!  DON'T MAKE PETE STOP THIS CAR!"  Sam yelled out turning half-way around in the seat. 

Pete pursed his lips and somehow kept from laughing while keeping the car on the road.  If possible, Jack slouched further down in the back seat; in full sulk mode.  Finally, he was quiet as they approached the gate.    Rolling down the drivers side window Pete waited for the guard.   He explained briefly that a Dr. Daniel Jackson was expecting them.

Sam kept an eye on Jack, who seemed ready to bolt.  The mustached man's hand already fiddling with the door latch while the guard checked their ID's.  Soon they were directed where to park and wait for Dr. Jackson.

"If anyone leaves the vicinity around the vehicle before your escort arrives, you will be subjected to trespassing charges and arrested by MilPo," the guard admonished giving a pointed look into the back seat. It was obvious who the trouble maker truly was.

Pete followed the directions given to him, and shut down the car in the directed area.   Taking the chance he stepped out into the dry heat and breathed heavily the sent of spruce and cedar.    Sam followed the older man's lead and stretched out his long legs.   Closing the door he stepped around to the hood of the car.   Pete looked around then gave Sam a disappointed look as pounding came from the backseat of the closed car accompanied by a muffled yell for help.

Sam glanced back and smirked in mock innocence, "Oops, forgot I turned the child safety locks on."

Pinching the bridge of his nose and chuckling Pete wondered aloud, "We should probably let him out."

***

The six pack O'Neill had snuck into the room was long since empty as Jack concluded the tail of his birth.  The actual telling went much easier than he originally thought it would, and he mentally patted himself on the back for getting through it all.  "So?" Jack offered to keep the conversation going.

Mac rubbed a hand over his head and let out a sigh, "So," he chuckled softly, "My parents, well the ones who raised me, died when I was still young.  The man I knew as my grandfather raised me so, finding this out, now, when I'm over fifty, is a bit of a surprise."

"Well, mom said, if you want to, she'd like to meet you,"  O'Neill offered a bit hesitantly.   The idea of having a twin brother that looked so similar, and suffered many of the same quirks was startling.   In the back of his mind, he kept wondering when the other shoe was going to drop.  When was someone going to tell him that this was some joke of the Asgard, or a skillful ploy by the Goa'uld to gain knowledge of the base and of earth?  And if by chance this was real, was this man, so familiar, and so unknown going to now blab the secrets they had guarded so carefully for so long…    It was true that Mac didn't seem to know much, or understand what Maybourne had told him.   The heavy weight of the 'what if's' sat squarely on O'Neill's shoulders.

MacGyver nodded slowly, "I'd like that, I mean if you don't mind."

"No, no its all good."  Jack gave a strained smile.

"Alright, what's the deal then?"

"Deal?"

"Aw, for crying out loud!  What's the deal with this place?"  Mac motioned to the room around them, "Why did that guy kidnap me? And what in the hell was he talking about?"

Jack began to respond with the standard 'it's classified' spiel, but knowing that if Mac was anything like himself, the response wouldn't sit well.  Add in the fact that the man sitting across from had a curiosity factor to match Daniel, Jack knew his twin definitely wouldn't accept that.   //Once upon a time, I wouldn't either,// He thought. 

"Hello?" Mac asked sarcastically waving a hand in front of O'Neill's face and snapping his fingers.

Jack broke out of his thoughts, "I'm supposed to tell you it's classified, yada yada yada and all that other horse shit."

"But?"  Mac inquired hopefully.

"But…" mimicked Jack sarcastically, "If you're anything like me, before I became this cynical and apathetic that excuse will only fuel the fire already burning under your ass."

Smiling triumphantly Mac nodded.  He soon sobered though, when he realized O'Neill seemed to drift into his own thoughts again.  "What happened?"

Jack chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before snorting sourly, "Vietnam POW for a month, Iraqi POW for four months during Desert Storm, over thirty years in the military – most of that in Special Forces...  Not including the six months I retired when my son died. Watching my half-sister die from some disease, then her son… well, you know about the joint government space program IASA?"   Mac nodded thoughtfully, "John Crichton was my… our nephew.  That about sum it up for you?" He turned to his brother with a tight mouthed smile.

"Ouch," The civilian twin cringed.  "Sorry 'bout that."

"Eh, what can you do, ya know?" Taking a deep breath Jack decided it was time for a change in subject.  "Well, I'm gonna go talk to Hammond about getting you some clearance.  I think the President owes me a couple favors."

Mac shook his head showing his confusion, "The president?"

"Yeah, you know," O'Neill stood up and began walking toward the door.  "Might have heard of him?  Run's a little government called the United States."

"And he owes you a couple favors?"  The disbelief clear on Mac's face.

Grinning broadly Jack nodded before he left the room, "Kinda helps to save the world… a few times… a month."

MacGyver laughed, not sure whether he should believe his counterpart.

"One thing though," O'Neill added poking his head back through the door. "If I do get you clearance, and you find out what we're doing here, if you tell anyone…"

"You'll kill me?" 

"Nope, I'll sick mom on you, then help put you out of your misery.  IF I decide to be nice." Once again the feral and slightly insane grin sent a shiver down Mac's spine.  He had no doubt his brother would carry through on the threat, but it got him truly wondering what the matriarch of the O'Neill clan was really like.