| Jack and Daniel wake
up in bed together on another planet and what happens after that makes
for a fascinating and interesting look at two of our favourite members
of SG-1 as they try to remember how they got there. As a result
of
what they uncover they find themselves forced to tackle a significant
change in their relationship that neither could have predicted or
expected. The Lady of Shalott's plotline hits one of my major
kinks and I enjoyed this story very much. I was only sorry
it wasn't quite a bit longer and I wished it could have explored the
complexities and ambiguities of this situation in much greater detail.
As it is, I think it fails to do adequate justice to its thematic
concerns: the writing is a little too spare and there is so much left
unsaid that I wanted to know.
The story is told
from Jack's point of view and as the two struggle against accepting the
the situation they find themselves in, Jack has the most trouble
accepting the truth. Much of the angst in the story comes from
Jack's refusal to face the reality of their situation and the truth of
his own feelings for Daniel. Daniel is seen very much through
Jack's eyes but, as usual, the Lady of Shalott can be relied upon to
produce accurate characterisations and to avoid dealing even with canon
cliché situations in anything less than an original and
entertaining manner. I especially loved the appearance in this
story of a strong, independent Daniel figure, both as a character in
general and as a lover. A strong Daniel is not a common
characterisation in fan fiction so I tend to enjoy it all the more when
I come across an example.
I have to warn any
potential reader that this is one of those stories that has an ending
that won't please everybody because it offers no concrete conclusion to
the major dilemma Jack and Daniel face. One is left with the
inference that the two have made their decision and are at peace with
that but what that decision might be is not told within the framework
of
the story. It is up to each reader to decide for herself which
solution she prefers and some people will find that incredibly
frustrating, even though, in my opinion, there is really only one
solution most readers will want to come to. The final two
paragraphs were my favourite in the whole story and, without giving too
much of the plot away, I decided that Daniel and Jack refused.
The
tranquillity of that final scene was for me an indication that they had
finally made their peace with the situation.
I would definitely
recommend the Lady of Shalott's Reveille as a thoroughly enjoyable
story. She handles what could have been a cliché fanon
situation - Jack and Daniel waking up in bed together - in an original
and thoughtful manner.
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