Acts of Consequence

Fanfiction
Title:	Acts of Consequence
Author(s):	Apocrypha
Date(s):
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Stargate SG-1
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Acts of Consequence is a Jack/Daniel story by Apocrypha.

Reactions and Reviews

This missing scene story, set within the time-loop of Window Of Opportunity, gives Jack the opportunity to safely explore how he feels about Daniel, how Daniel feels about him, and to gauge both their reactions towards a possible sexual relationship without the fear of permanent consequences. Once all of that has been established, it also gives him time to decide if he is prepared to risk his career and to sound out other members of the SGC on the subject.

Acts Of Consequence is basically a fun romp that gives the author a chance to play with the popular format of the "Groundhog Day" scenario, which is a personal favourite of mine. The underlying theme of Jack's love for Daniel and his very real concerns about the consequences of a relationship with a man on his career adds a serious underpinning to the humourous aspects of the story and balances the overall structure in a way that appeals to me very much. It's fun to watch Jack's trepidation and extreme reluctance as he approaches various members of the SGC to actually talk about his sex life - it's made clear Jack would really rather have his nails pulled out one by one than have to talk about his feelings - and there's a very real humour in some of the conversations he has, especially the one with Janet. However, there's also an underlying pathos as Jack faces the probable consequences that their undeniable feelings might have on both his and Daniel's careers. What I appreciate is the way this is treated in a straightforward and subtle manner within the text. I also enjoy the lack of angst for a change. Jack recognises he has feelings for Daniel, is aware enough to notice that Daniel might feel the same way, understands that doing anything about it might seriously affect his chances of promotion or keeping his job and yet he faces all these problems head on.

Although this is one of my favourite stories to read for sheer entertainment, it does have a number of small technical faults that might bother some readers. It hasn't been betaed, which I think is always a mistake, but the story itself contains no glaring inconsistencies or grammatical problems as a result. There's a tendency to tell the reader how a character is feeling or reacting directly rather than showing her through the character's actions that unfortunately results in a style that is a little more obvious in places than I generally like. I also noticed the odd fannish cliche, such as the ubiquitous "deer in the headlights", when an original phrase or description would have increased the impact of the description but again, this is only a small problem. The prose can also become a little purple in places, as in the following:

"The effect was spellbinding. Daniel's eyes fluttered shut, and his lips parted. There was the slightest exhalation of breath - a prayer of a sound in the space of heartbeat. Jack was mesmerized, drawn into the composition of still passion painted under his fingertips."

However, my tolerance for hyperbole is quite low so this sort of description may not seem as over the top to some readers as it did to me; it's all a matter of personal taste. The characterisation isn't the best I've ever come across - the two guys talk about each other looking "cute" and "pouting", for example, which I think is more typical of teenage girl behaviour - but it's certainly within canon parameters for the most part and the majority of readers won't find it a problem at all. At times the point of view gets wobbly and drifts from its primarily tight third person focus on Jack to that of other characters but again, I didn't find this affected my pure enjoyment of the story.

Despite these small technical faults, I enjoy this story enormously and I reread it often. There is something to enjoy in all the scenes depicted in Acts Of Consequence but my absolute favourite is when Jack is out of the time-loop and the time has come for his "real" attempt to tell Daniel how he feels and to seduce him - and that is romantic and lovely. I would definitely recommend this story as a fun read with unexpected moments of seriousness and a very real sweetness at its core.