'You should've brought aspirin' is Jack's main complaint when Sam and company arrive to rescue him and Teal'c in this "Tangent" tag fic. The author uses the premise that Jacob can't push the engines of the tel'tac too hard, so that the guys get to be aboard for a few days instead of the few hours it took in the episode. Jack takes advantage of the time to have a little talk with Sam, who's acting a bit strange. I really did enjoy how this story dealt with the tension that I can imagine existing between these two characters. Shipper or not, I would imagine the confessions of "Divide and Conquer" and the events of "Beneath the Surface" would put a wrinkle in anyone's friendship. The author does a good job of keeping the characters in character: Sam is noticeably reticent about her feelings, while Jack remains the quip-tossing colonel. Jacob is also present, this time more as a father figure than as the Tok'ra liaison. Daniel and Teal'c are not forgotten, and each plays a small part in the story. Grammatically in decent shape, this fic is written in a limited third person point of view that shifts from character to character with no warning. This style can be a bit confusing, especially when the POV changes are abrupt. Several times I felt the need to reread paragraphs to get a clue as to whose thoughts I was reading. While it isn't bad enough to detract from the story, I do think a higher angst level could have been reached had the author chosen one or two points of view and concentrated on those. Although labeled as ship, the relationship between Sam and Jack never really goes too much beyond some UST. To quote Jack: "Well, if I didn't try to ravish you when I couldn't remember our ranks, why are you so worried now?" "You Should've Brought Aspirin" is this author's first fic and I think it's a wonderful indication of things to come. |
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