FIC: Allies Alphabet Soup: H is for Harry's Hat

[delphia2ohohoh]

H is for Harry’s Hat
By delphia2000
Gen
Season 6, right before 'Paradise Lost'

Harry stepped out into the bright DC sunlight and paused at the top of the stairs to adjust the brim of his hat against the glare. God, he missed being in uniform. He missed his hat.

Of course, this wasn’t his uniform. He probably could have found one of his own in one of his many safe houses, but he needed a non-com’s uniform. Nobody ever looked at a non-com’s face, just the uniform and the salute. It was very important no one should recognize him today. He’d added some glasses and adopted a slack-jawed, vacant look just to help the disguise along. That, and turning his head whenever he neared a location he knew was covered by video cameras.

It was entirely possible his face would show up in any camera recordings he didn’t know about, but by the time the corrupted Trust saw the tapes, he’d be off-world. Or at least he hoped so. He had a scroll and a device that would let him into a protected place, a planet sanctuary, free of the Goa’uld. It would take a little doing to get himself through the Gate, but he was certain he could manage that.

Especially since he’d just ensured the Stargate program would continue.

There was no telling how far the infestation had spread, but there had been at least one Goa’uld-ed congressman on the Finance Committee and it was undoubtedly trying to shut down the program, to make Earth vulnerable to attack in spite of the Asgard treaty. There had been a Goa’uld; there wasn’t now.

The NID had stolen some of the parasite suppression drugs used by the Tollan and Harry had stashed some he’d stolen from the NID. It had taken some doing to get an appointment with the congressman and to slip him the drugs, but they worked and would continue to work long enough to ensure the program’s funding. Eventually, the congressman would have run out of the drugs and the Goa’uld would have taken over again, but Harry had added another ingredient to the drugs and it was killing the symbiote. When it died, it would take the host with it.

Harry had told the congressman what was going to happen and the man agreed it was for the best. He would do anything to keep the Goa’uld from Earth now that he’d experienced them firsthand. Harry hadn’t bothered to mention the possibility of extraction. He might have if he hadn’t found out how corrupt the bastard was, taking bribes and abusing interns long before the Goa’uld took over.

Once, Harry had offered to make Colonel O’Neill’s problems go away. The smug and superior O’Neill had made some counter-suggestions that weren’t very nice. So now, Harry wasn’t doing this for Jack. He was doing it to keep Earth safe long enough to get himself away. Then they could all rot, including Jack O’Neill.

Or, if he could get a message back to them after he reached Sanctuary, maybe he’d warn them about the Goa’uld-ed Trust members.

Some days he hated Earth and some days he wanted to go back to before the Stargate had been opened. Back when he’d been a Colonel and respected and proud to wear the uniform.

Some days, he just missed his hat.

Right on time, a small group of military men and business-suited hangers-on climbed the stairs and strode past him. Harry saluted and several of them, O’Neill included, off-handedly saluted back, without even looking in his direction.

Harry smirked. They’d testify to a closed committee and the funding was likely to be not only continued, but increased.

You’re welcome, Jack, he thought to himself. Now, you owe me.

Then he straightened his hat again and, with a jaunty step, descended the long flight of stairs.

Maybe he’d keep the hat.

The end