Dream A Little Dream Of Me

by Belladonna

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asb/belladonna/dream.php
Summary: Jack retires, but why?

Jack woke up, stretched mightily until his fist tapped warm flesh beside him, making him freeze. A male moan made his head snap around and the sight of a naked, beautiful Daniel with an erection that made his mouth water, shook him to his very core.

"Danny?" He croaked, his throat dry. He watched as Daniel's eyelids fluttered open, blue eyes warm with love and contentment, "Hey."

"Um, hey." His memories were suddenly fast forwarded through his mind and he let out a surprised, "Whoa!"

Daniel chuckled huskily, watching the emotions cross Jack's face, "So, you gonna kill me for jumping you, or are you gonna kiss me?"

Jack regarded his best friend, and now apparently his lover, with amused eyes, "My heart can't take you dying again, but a kiss is perfectly okee dokee with me."

Obediently Daniel moved forward and brushed his full lips against Jack's, sighing as the older man cupped the back of his head and drew him in, deepening the kiss. They both slowly pulled back and Jack shook his head, "I'm still dreaming aren't I?" and the alarm went off and Jack jerked awake.

"Damn it." He pulled off his semen soaked shorts and fired them into the dirty clothes, then he got into the shower and turned it on full blast. This was it. Four months of having dreams like that and he had reached his limit. He'd retire, go fishing then come back and tell Danny everything, letting the chips fall where they may.

~~~

General Hammond looked up to see his haggard looking second in command walk in, "Jack,, you look like hell, Son." He said, not for the first time.

Jack chuckled, "Not getting enough sleep George." He tossed an envelope onto the desk and the General's eyebrows raised, "What's this?"

"I'm retiring, again."

The General looked at the envelope, then at Jack, "Why now?"

A deep sigh greeted this question. "I know the kids have been worried about me, but I haven't let it get in the way, have I Sir?"

Hammond shook his head, "Even as bad as you look you've been the best you've ever been Jack."

Satisfaction crossed Jack's face, "Good. I've tried, god I've tried so hard to be a good team leader and a good friend." He paused, "But I can't fight anymore."

"Can you tell me?"

Jack shrugged, "Sure. I fell in love with a team member, and it's not Carter or Teal'c. I can't have him and I won't put him in the position to choose."

The older man shook his head, "Oh Jack, that's not fair to either him or you." He chuckled at Jack's surprised face, "I know what I know. I've been doing this job for a long time."

Jack nodded and stood, holding out his hand, "Thank you for everything George. You have been the best CO that this old flyboy could hope for."

The General shook his hand, "What about the Asgard?"

"If they need me they know where to find me. Hey, you should hire mini-me, he'd do great here."

The General shook his head, "Good luck Jack."

"Thank you Sir."

Jack walked out, feeling 10 years younger. He smiled at people as he walked by and they'd turn and stare after him. He walked into Medical and caught Janet up in a bear hug that made her squeal in surprise.

"Colonel!"

With a big smile he shook his head, "Sorry Janet, it's just Jack now. I'm here for my outprocessing physical."

Janet had watched, and worried about him for the past few months. She and SG-1 both, but no one could get an answer out of the closed mouth man. They could only try and wait him out. Apparently time was up.

"You've retired?"

"About 10 minutes ago." The twinkle in his eyes made her smile reluctantly, "Are you sure, Jack?"

Jack nodded, "Never been more sure Janet. I'm taking a week up at the cabin, then I'm going to write a book about my experiences in the Air Force and SG-1 etcetera. Won't be able to publish it of course but it'll be cathartic."

Janet sighed, "I'm going to miss you here in the mountain. You'll stop by to see Cassie and I?"

"Of course."

"Then it won't be a forever thing."

"That's my girl." He said then hopped up onto a gurney, "Let's get crackin' woman! Time's a waistin'!"

In the conference room the General walked in to see three confused members of SG-1, and he sighed.

"Hello SG-1."

"Sir. General Hammond." Came the replies.

"Sir, where's Jack?" Daniel asked.

The General looked at his watch, "As of 0800 Colonel Jack O'Neill retired from the U.S. Air Force."

"What?" Daniel and Sam chorused in shock, while Teal'c merely nodded.

"Why?" Daniel demanded.

The General looked serious, "Jack's reasons are personal but he wanted to make sure that you all understood that he has a good reason, and that he is staying in Colorado Springs and will still see you all. He's outprocessing right now so my guess is you'll see him before he leaves. Dismissed."

Daniel felt like his world had just crashed around him. 'Jack was leaving him!' he looked helplessly at Teal'c, "Why?"

"O'Neill has been unhappy for some time Daniel Jackson. He has not given me his reasons but he has stated that it was to protect us."

Sam shook her head, "Was it me?" she asked in a small voice.

"It was not Major Carter. He has told me that he is most happy for you and Pete. Did he not tell you the same?" Teal'c asked, knowing the answer already.

"Well, yeah." Sam frowned, "This seems so sudden."

Daniel pushed to his feet, "I'm going to go find him." And he walked out.

Jack was packing up a box when his Archeologist stormed in, "What in the hell is going on Jack?"

"Hey Danny." The relaxed, even happy smile on Jack's face stopped Daniel short, "Jack?"

"I guess George told you?"

"Why Jack?"

"Can ask me and I can't tell you." Jack said cheerfully, chuckling at the blank look on Daniel's face.

"Wha...?"

"There's the linguist that I know and love." Jack said with a laugh, placing another file into the box.

Daniel sat down in the chair with a graceless flop, "You're gay?"

"Nope."

"Bi?"

"I guess." Jack nodded and fitted the cover onto the box.

"But..."

"But nothing kid. Don't ask, don't tell."

Daniel's mind had shut down and he couldn't conjure up any arguments, "You met someone?"

"Yes and no."

"That doesn't mean anything! What does that mean?" Daniel threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Listen, I'm going to fish for a week, hopefully get some sleep, then I'll be back on Friday. Come over and I'll explain everything. Deal?"

Daniel nodded dumbly, "Friday."

Jack smiled gently, "Friday Daniel."

~~~

Daniel couldn't sleep. Jack had left that day, left for a week of fishing, for god's sake! 'The first day of the rest of my life.' He'd said. 'Whom had Jack met? Why did it piss him off so much?' He flopped back and was suddenly shaken by a thought. 'What if? What if it was someone he knew? Someone at the mountain. Teal'c? Nah. Obviously not Sam. Coburn? Nah, he'd met the Major's girlfriend. Who?.......Me?'

Daniel sat up straight.

"Me?" he said out loud.

"Oh my god!"

~~~

Jack sat in the old wooden lounge chair, fishing hat low over his tired eyes as he watched his fishing rod. The dreams hadn't stopped, if anything they'd even gotten more graphic. If he'd had any questions before about gay sex, he sure had none now! Unfortunately he knew that the one man he wanted would be straight. He'd already resolved to lie to Daniel when he got home. There was no point in losing his best friend over stupid hormone driven dreams. The sound of a car didn't even make him twitch, he was used to the mailman coming at all hours.

"Jack?"

Jack's head whipped around, "Danny?"

"You don't look like you've gotten any rest up here." Daniel eyed his friend's tired and lined face with concern.

"Why are you here?" Jack asked, his forehead wrinkled in confusion.

Daniel smiled fondly, Jack really had no clue why he was here. "I took a leave of absence."

"What? Why?" Jack asked, his eyes checking Daniel out to make sure he was ok.

"Gee Jack, that's exactly the same thing I said to General Hammond when you retired."

"Daanniel." Jack drawled and Daniel laughed.

"What would you say if I told you that I'd had an epiphany?" Daniel asked, his blues warm.

Jack shook his head, "I'd say, 'Get real kid, you're not Catholic!'" he lazily stood up from the lounge chair, automatically checking the fishing pole, cracking a smile at his friend.

"Jaaack." He groaned.

Jack's heart started to pound, his palms getting sweaty as the truth of the look in his best friend's eyes started to hit him. Daniel knew.

Daniel watched as the realization hit Jack, and he stepped into Jack's personal space, "I wanted to tell you something and I couldn't wait until Friday."

Jack smiled and moved closer, "Tell me what Daniel?" he could feel his heart soar at the love in his best friend's eyes.

Daniel moved closer still, his chest resting against Jack's, making the older man suck in a breath.

"I missed you."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Please, I've been gone 3 days Danny."

Daniel rested his hands on Jack's shoulders, "Day one, no sleep, trying to figure out why I was so pissed that you had left me. Trying to figure out who you had met, who you loved enough to give up the SGC for." His knuckles brushed gently against Jack's stubbled cheek. "Day two was trying to figure out why you couldn't just tell the person with out the overdramatic gesture." Daniel's other hand moved up to caress the hair at the back of Jack's neck, making the man's eyes darken. "And day three I spent trying to fucking find this place!"

Jack growled and pulled Daniel into a hot, searching, wet kiss. It was explosive, their arms going around each other as the kiss deepened. Finally they reluctantly pulled back and Jack shook his head, "Holy cow, you should come with a warning!"

"What? Jack, I'm coming! Or something else?" Daniel teased.

"God." Jack breathed, his mind reeling with possibilities.

"Jack?"

"Huh?"

"Your fishing pole is moving down the dock without you."

"What?" Jack looked around and then let Daniel go and dashed after the errant fishing pole, diving for it before it fell in, quickly reeling the large trout in with a whoop of excitement. "Danny! Can you believe it? I caught him!"

A huge smile graced Daniel's' face, "That's not the only thing you've caught."

Jack's face softened, "It's mutual you know."

"I know."

Jack looked thoughtfully at the wriggling fish then at Daniel, then he knelt carefully down on the dock and he let the fish swim away.

His heart so full that he thought he'd burst, Jack stood and headed back to the love of his life.... who held up his hands.

"Wash those hands Fishboy! I want them clean before they're on my body!"

Finis