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crack_van2009-03-31 03:34 pm
malabud.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2009-03-31 03:34 pm
Entry tags:
A Square Peg in a Round Hole by MarbleGlove (PG)
Fandom: Highlander/Stargate SG-1
Pairing: Gen
Length: 44,000 words
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
marbleglove
Author Website: MarbleGlove's FFN Profile
Why this must be read:
This fic is the reason I decided to sign up to rec Highlander on the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
crack_van. It's just that good. Now, I know what you are thinking. You think this is yet another Highlander/Stargate crossover in which Methos is recruited to be a linguist for the SGC. While I've read several fics of that subgenre (and a few of them quite good, too), this is not that fic.
Methos is introduced to the characters of Stargate through the young clone of Jack O'Neill. Jake O'Neil (one L, not two) attends high school and is trying to lay low until he can rejoin the Air Force. That is, until his far too canny pre-calculus teacher notices something he shouldn't. Events soon spiral out of control and end up where no one could have predicted.
It is the character of Methos that really shines in this story--Methos at his most plotting, most conniving, most shrewd, most open, and most caring, all at once. Do not think, however, that the other characters are neglected in any way. Jake O'Neil becomes a fully fleshed out individual, not just a clone or a "mini-Jack." Daniel Jackson and Teal'c are treated with surprising insight into their characters. Even General Hammond's characterization is spot on.
The plot of the tale twists and turns, and I found myself constantly and pleasantly surprised by the direction of the story. Not once did the author fall back on the tried and true. Always she went in a different direction than I expected, and always to the benefit of the story. Looking back, the end of the story was a natural outgrowth of the events of the tale, but yet completely unpredictable.
Needless to say, I highly recommend this fanfiction. You won't be disappointed.
* * *
"Sir?"
"Wait a moment." Mr. Matthews dug some papers out of his desk and seemed utterly absorbed in reviewing them.
Although, as Matthews still didn't say anything or even look at him as everyone else packed up and left the classroom, Jake got a bad feeling about the situation.
At least there was no way the man was NID. The SGC had done background checks on all of his teachers and made sure that none of them had connections that could get him in trouble. Being the science experiment of an evil alien did not make you a particularly trusting sort and there were plenty of people in the world who would demonstrate that distrust was a great habit to have. But if the situation wasn't going to be bad in a kidnapping and dissection sort of way, well, there were plenty of other ways for it to be bad.
The one that immediately popped into his head was that while a lot of girls had crushes on the young teacher, he flatly ignored their sighs, and Jake's own disinterest in any of the girls in his apparent age group had started a few rumors of his being gay. But if this guy tried anything, Jake would show him a few moves he remembered from his black ops days.
He didn't even notice that he was balanced on his toes and tensed for response when the last student finally left and Matthews looked at him with no little amusement. And raised an eyebrow.
Jake blushed as he settled back down. Damn hormones. Everything seemed to be about sex. "Um..."
"Don't say anything. I'm probably better off not knowing."
"Uh, yeah. Sorry, sir."
Matthews waved the apology away. "I wanted to give you these." He handed Jake the pages he had been looking at.
It was a list and at a glance a few key phrases, "Supreme Court", "Gen. Alexander Haig" and "Yugoslavia," caught his attention. However, reading just those lines, it didn't actually make much sense unless it was seriously revisionist history:
4. There has always been a woman on the Supreme Court, and women have always been traveling into space.
6. They never realized that for one brief moment, Gen. Alexander Haig was "in charge."
16. Yugoslavia has never existed.
Mr. Matthews was still speaking. "Every year Beloit College compiles a list of facts describing incoming college freshmen and their perspective on the world. So this year's one describes kids a couple of years older than you. Kids born in 1981. It's not definitive by any means but it's a good starting summary of a generation. I thought you might want to read and think about it."
And there went the pit of Jake's stomach.
"Sir? How did, what do..." Jake trailed off. What did Matthews know? How did he find out? This wasn't his social science teacher telling him he should learn to have fun and play with kids his own age. This was a smart observant man telling him that his cover had holes in it. And there wasn't any way to ask about it without compromising security even more.
After a moment, Matthews asked, "Was there something you wanted to ask?"
And that question asked in that tone had only one answer and Jake was more than happy to give it. "No, sir!"
"Then both of our next classes are calling."
And Jake O'Neil grabbed his bag and left, pronto, printed list still clutched in one hand.
A Square Peg in a Round Hole
Pairing: Gen
Length: 44,000 words
Author on LJ:
marblegloveAuthor Website: MarbleGlove's FFN Profile
Why this must be read:
This fic is the reason I decided to sign up to rec Highlander on the
crack_van. It's just that good. Now, I know what you are thinking. You think this is yet another Highlander/Stargate crossover in which Methos is recruited to be a linguist for the SGC. While I've read several fics of that subgenre (and a few of them quite good, too), this is not that fic.Methos is introduced to the characters of Stargate through the young clone of Jack O'Neill. Jake O'Neil (one L, not two) attends high school and is trying to lay low until he can rejoin the Air Force. That is, until his far too canny pre-calculus teacher notices something he shouldn't. Events soon spiral out of control and end up where no one could have predicted.
It is the character of Methos that really shines in this story--Methos at his most plotting, most conniving, most shrewd, most open, and most caring, all at once. Do not think, however, that the other characters are neglected in any way. Jake O'Neil becomes a fully fleshed out individual, not just a clone or a "mini-Jack." Daniel Jackson and Teal'c are treated with surprising insight into their characters. Even General Hammond's characterization is spot on.
The plot of the tale twists and turns, and I found myself constantly and pleasantly surprised by the direction of the story. Not once did the author fall back on the tried and true. Always she went in a different direction than I expected, and always to the benefit of the story. Looking back, the end of the story was a natural outgrowth of the events of the tale, but yet completely unpredictable.
Needless to say, I highly recommend this fanfiction. You won't be disappointed.
* * *
"Sir?"
"Wait a moment." Mr. Matthews dug some papers out of his desk and seemed utterly absorbed in reviewing them.
Although, as Matthews still didn't say anything or even look at him as everyone else packed up and left the classroom, Jake got a bad feeling about the situation.
At least there was no way the man was NID. The SGC had done background checks on all of his teachers and made sure that none of them had connections that could get him in trouble. Being the science experiment of an evil alien did not make you a particularly trusting sort and there were plenty of people in the world who would demonstrate that distrust was a great habit to have. But if the situation wasn't going to be bad in a kidnapping and dissection sort of way, well, there were plenty of other ways for it to be bad.
The one that immediately popped into his head was that while a lot of girls had crushes on the young teacher, he flatly ignored their sighs, and Jake's own disinterest in any of the girls in his apparent age group had started a few rumors of his being gay. But if this guy tried anything, Jake would show him a few moves he remembered from his black ops days.
He didn't even notice that he was balanced on his toes and tensed for response when the last student finally left and Matthews looked at him with no little amusement. And raised an eyebrow.
Jake blushed as he settled back down. Damn hormones. Everything seemed to be about sex. "Um..."
"Don't say anything. I'm probably better off not knowing."
"Uh, yeah. Sorry, sir."
Matthews waved the apology away. "I wanted to give you these." He handed Jake the pages he had been looking at.
It was a list and at a glance a few key phrases, "Supreme Court", "Gen. Alexander Haig" and "Yugoslavia," caught his attention. However, reading just those lines, it didn't actually make much sense unless it was seriously revisionist history:
4. There has always been a woman on the Supreme Court, and women have always been traveling into space.
6. They never realized that for one brief moment, Gen. Alexander Haig was "in charge."
16. Yugoslavia has never existed.
Mr. Matthews was still speaking. "Every year Beloit College compiles a list of facts describing incoming college freshmen and their perspective on the world. So this year's one describes kids a couple of years older than you. Kids born in 1981. It's not definitive by any means but it's a good starting summary of a generation. I thought you might want to read and think about it."
And there went the pit of Jake's stomach.
"Sir? How did, what do..." Jake trailed off. What did Matthews know? How did he find out? This wasn't his social science teacher telling him he should learn to have fun and play with kids his own age. This was a smart observant man telling him that his cover had holes in it. And there wasn't any way to ask about it without compromising security even more.
After a moment, Matthews asked, "Was there something you wanted to ask?"
And that question asked in that tone had only one answer and Jake was more than happy to give it. "No, sir!"
"Then both of our next classes are calling."
And Jake O'Neil grabbed his bag and left, pronto, printed list still clutched in one hand.
A Square Peg in a Round Hole
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