Plasticine Daniel

by Clancy Thomas

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asc/clancy/plasticine.php
Summary: Jack receives a gift that promises to do anything to make him happy.

'Incoming Traveller Sir!'

The Stargate lit up and began to engage. General Hammond was surprised, SG-1 weren't due back for four hours and there were no other teams off world at the present.

'Iris Activated General. It's Dr Jackson's signal. Iris open.'

General Hammond looked down into the embarkation room as the event horizon appeared and Dr Daniel Jackson stepped through and stood on the ramp looking around himself. Hammond smiled to himself. O'Neill must have been giving Jackson lessons - that was the first time he'd returned through the gate without stumbling.

Hammond frowned when the Stargate closed with no other members of SG-1 coming through. He leaned in to the microphone. 'Afternoon Dr Jackson. Is everything alright? Where are the rest of SG-1?'

Dr Jackson looked around as if unsure of where the voice was coming from. Then he looked up and saw Hammond in the observation room. He waved and called out cheerfully, 'Everything's fine General Hammond. SG-1 will be returning shortly.'

With that, Dr Jackson turned and walked out of the embarkation room.

General Hammond frowned. Something was not right. Dr Jackson would normally give more of a reason for returning early from a mission. That's if he ever did return early and to be honest, according to Colonel O'Neill it was usually Dr Jackson who had to be convinced it was time to go home. Hammond picked up the internal phone and dialed Dr Fraiser's number.

'Dr Fraiser, Dr Jackson has returned from the mission to P3X981 four hours early and seems a little disorientated. He should be on his way to you now for his exam but if he doesn't show up I'd like you to make sure you find him and examine him thoroughly. Something just doesn't seem right here.'

Janet Fraiser put the phone down and turned around to find Dr Jackson standing at the doorway of her office.

'Hi Dr Fraiser. I know I'm supposed to come here for my post-mission examination but it really isn't necessary. I'm fine.'

Janet stood up from her desk and walked over to Daniel. 'I'm the medical doctor here Dr Jackson. I'll be the judge of that.' She took his arm and turned him to face the light, well he certainly looked healthy. His skin was a normal healthy colour and he was breathing and standing easily.

She guided him over to the examination bed and motioned for him to sit down.

'Okay Dr Jackson, you know the drill. Undress and put this on.' She held out the gown which Daniel took and then she left the room calling out over her shoulder, 'back in two.'

When she returned Dr Jackson was dressed in the gown and sitting on the bed calmly. This was the first unusual behaviour Dr Fraiser had noticed. Dr Jackson hated physical exams almost as much as Colonel O'Neill and was usually fidgeting around nervously by this stage.

Dr Jackson's eyes followed her as she donned her gloves and pulled her instrument tray closer.

'Really, you don't have to do this. I'm fine,' Daniel emphasised.

Janet narrowed her eyes. 'Dr Jackson why don't you want me to examine you? The truth please.'

Daniel sighed heavily. 'I'm a gift for a member of SG-1.'

Janet raised her eyebrows. 'Excuse me?'

Daniel leaned in intently. He lowered his voice. 'But you mustn't tell anyone but the General. It's supposed to be a surprise for when they return.'

Dr Fraiser had started to edge towards the instrument tray, reaching for a tranquiliser syringe, but Dr Jackson followed her hand and smiled faintly.

'That won't do any good. I told you- I'm a gift. I'm not the real Dr Jackson', and with that Daniel leaned down and bit a chunk out of his own forearm.

Janet's eyes grew very large and round as the wound did not fill with blood, rather, it stayed skin-coloured. Daniel pressed his fingers to the wound and massaged the arm. Pretty soon the wound had disappeared and Dr Jackson's arm looked like new.

Daniel smiled as he spat the piece of flesh out into the palm of his hand and rolled it between his fingers. The substance formed into a ball like plasticine. He tossed it up in the air once, caught it and pressed it into Dr Fraiser's hand.

Dr Fraiser was dumbfounded. She rolled the substance between her fingers. It actually felt like plasticine, only silkier and with an innate warmth radiating from it. She couldn't really believe what Daniel was saying even considering what she'd just witnessed. He seemed so real, so life-like. So like Daniel.

Dr Fraiser tried to reconcile this with her scientific common sense and decided to ask some more questions.

'Who are you a gift for?'

'I can't answer that. I must present myself to the one who is to receive me and cannot reveal it beforehand.'

'Are you programmed, like a computer? Inside your head,' she gestured to his head but hesitated to touch it, 'or in your body, is there a mainframe or hard drive of sorts, like a robot?'

The gift shook his head. 'No, the ganni-ma...' he pointed to the substance in Dr Fraiser's hand, 'is all that is needed to create a replica of an entity. I know almost all of what Dr Jackson knows and look almost exactly how he looks.'

Janet frowned. 'Almost? You look like a complete match to my eyes and I know Daniel better than most, physically speaking.'

'The only differences are those that Dr Jackson may have acquired since the ganni-ma was imbued with his essence three hours ago. If Dr Jackson were to arrive here this afternoon with a severed limb, or, for example something less obvious such as a scratch or even a virus or cold, we would cease to be exactly the same, because I do not continue to acquire any more of Dr Jackson's attributes.'

'And is it the same with his mind? You know everything he knows up until three hours ago.'

'Yes,' said the gift simply.

Dr Fraiser's head was spinning. 'I've got to say, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I'd find this very hard to believe. Why a replica of Daniel, instead of another member of SG-1?'

'Only the one for whom I am intended can answer that.' The gift shrugged his shoulders and squirmed in the loose gown. 'May I dress now? This robe is really not warm enough. The ganni-ma must be kept above a certain temperature or it will begin to harden.'

'Oh yes, of course,' answered Janet and then stood open-mouthed as the gift threw off the gown unabashedly and started to dress in the fatigues again. Well that was one difference between it and Daniel. Daniel was usually very shy about his body and would always wait until Janet had left the room before dressing, but from the looks of him, whoever created him had got it right down to the last detail, including the size of his... Janet averted her gaze.

The gift noticed her stare and grinned. 'The process is usually pretty accurate. Is it a good likeness then?'

'Oh yes,' gasped Janet, 'very precise.'

~~~

Back on P3X981, SG-1 were hiking back through the forests to the Stargate. They had spent the last three days enjoying the hospitality of the Shim'kai people, a race undisturbed by the Goa'ulds mainly because they numbered only a few thousand and their world, although appearing green and pleasant, contained a number of species somewhat hostile to human habitation.

Despite constructing fairly sophisticated dwellings and settlements and collating and maintaining a large historical library (in which Daniel had buried himself for the last three days barely coming out to eat, sleep or breathe), the Shim'kai were surprisingly underdeveloped, in Colonel O'Neill's opinion, in areas such as their eating habits and hunting techniques.

It was unheard of in Shim'kai culture, to attempt to catch and kill the roly poly pig-like creatures that had free reign over the forests and plains, snarfling through the villages and growing fat on the lush green grasses. To O'Neill and Teal'c it seemed an obvious source of food since just one of the pig-like things could feed a family of Shim'kai's for a month. But the Shim'kai considered them inedible just as the Tauri considered dogs and cats inedible, which O'Neill had to admit was a convincing argument for cultural differences. No wonder the Shim'kai were all so scrawny.

Anyway, O'Neill didn't object to what they didn't eat, rather, it was what they did eat that bothered him. When SG-1 had sat down for that first welcoming feast prepared by the elders of the community, only Daniel had been unable to refuse to eat for fear of offending their hosts. Jack, Sam and Teal'c had flatly refused to eat anything at that table, citing religious reasons as an excuse. In truth there was just no way they were going to sample any of the slugs, snails, spiders or snakes on offer. Daniel had gamely picked at the black hairy spit roasted spider served in front of him and insisted it was an unusual yet intriguing taste sensation. However, Carter and O'Neill had heard him throwing up all night and the next morning he was still looking a little green. O'Neill offered him his mouthwash, and the team spent the rest of the visit on MREs, for religious reasons of course.

In Jack's opinion the mission was totally unremarkable, even mundane. Daniel had lurked in the library as per usual, Carter had snuffled out information on their star mapping system which was remarkable only in its gaping misconceptions (Carter had set them straight, as per usual), Teal'c had taught the local Shim'kai children a clapping song (okay so that was a fib, Teal'c actually spent the days trotting around the perimetre of the settlement just in case there were hostile people out there who had remained unknown to the Shim'kai for thousands of years), and O'Neill had spent his days sitting on the porch of the great house with the Shim'kai elders kicking back, drinking the local equivalent of beer and chewing the fat. The Shim'kai were a pretty laidback race, who took life as it came and O'Neill found himself warming to the elders quite quickly. They found the idea that Daniel wanted to spend all his time in the library studying quite hilarious and were always on at O'Neill to coax him out onto the porch for a brew or two. After his first taste of the beer O'Neill realised how the natives could bear to eat such disgusting food - their tastebuds had been destroyed by the super-strong alcohol-like liquid they all drank constantly. But after a few pots O'Neill was building up an immunity to the effects and finding it pleasantly relaxing. The Shim'kai were a polite race and, having noticed that their food disturbed their guests, had never once eaten in front of SG-1. Jack wished that all aliens were as courteous.

On their final evening amongst the Shim'kai, the SG-1 team had found themselves altogether on the porch of the great house at sunset. Teal'c had relinquished his guard duties for the evening, Daniel had emerged dusty and blinking into the pale evening light and Carter had set the world to rights scientifically. O'Neill thought they all deserved a quiet evening off before returning to Earth in the morning.

'Shall I be Mother?' offered O'Neill archly as he opened a bottle of the beer. Carter smiled as the image of O'Neill in a sensible twin set and court shoes flitted across her mind's eye and accepted the pot of beer he offered. Teal'c also accepted a beer.

'Daniel?' asked Jack, holding out a pot to him. 'Oh, uh, no thanks Jack, I'm still feeling a bit off-colour from Tuesday night.'

'Well, that's what you get for chewing on a piece of hairy black spider,' Jack stated callously. 'The Shim'kai must have cast iron stomachs.'

'Not iron Jack,' said Daniel quietly, 'it's called ganni-ma.'

'What do you mean Daniel?' inquired Sam as she took a swig of beer and immediately regretted it as she felt the ground roll beneath her.

'I've discovered some interesting things in that library over the past few days. Sam, did you notice anything unusual when you were helping them with the star mapping research?'

'Only that they're a bit dense. Every morning they'd forgotten everything I told them the day before. They couldn't seem to think of the universe in any way different from the knowledge their ancestors wrote down thousands of years ago.'

'What about you Teal'c? Anything strike you as odd?' Daniel turned eagerly to Teal'c as if Sam had given him exactly the answer he wanted.

'I concur with Major Carter, Daniel Jackson. The Shim'kai cannot absorb new information. On three separate occasions the village elders asked me to explain about my symbiote, having forgotten all that I told them.'

'And you Jack?' Daniel's voice was firmer now as if his suspicions were being confirmed.

Jack took a swig of beer. 'Not really, except they kept asking me why you wouldn't come out of the library and sit on the porch with us. The first couple of times they asked I tried explaining about what it means to be a geeky anthropologist and how for you books are like eating and sleeping and having a social life is for everyone else, but after a while I just told them you'd forgotten how to have fun. I think that's why they like me better than you Daniel. I know how to have fun.' Jack saluted Daniel with his beer.

Daniel rolled his eyes. 'Okay well, insults aside Colonel I think there's something you all should know.'

Sensing the seriousness in Daniel's tone, Sam and Jack put down their beers and waited to hear the bad news. Jack knew this mission had been going altogether too well.

'The Shim'kai are not real people. They are replicas of the original inhabitants made from a material called ganni-ma. The real Shim'kai left this world hundreds of years ago in search of a new world. They left behind walking, talking replicas of themselves, imbued with an imprint of their 'life essence' in order that the world would appear inhabited to explorers and would remain a safety net in case the Shim'kai ever wished to return.'

'Sort of having their cake and eating it too,' offered Sam to show that she understood.

'Kinda, it seems they knew there must be a better world out there, but they wanted to keep hold of this one in case that was as good as it got.' Daniel paused to let that sink in then continued. 'They made replicas of approximately a quarter of the Shim'kai population before leaving and left them here to maintain the settlements. The replicas hold all the information and knowledge of the Shim'kai at the time they were created, but they cannot increase their knowledge. Ganni-ma is a durable, malleable material which is mined not far from here and the replicas hold the knowledge of how to create new replicas should old ones become damaged beyond repair or go hard.'

'Go hard?' Jack raised an eyebrow.

'Ganni-ma needs to be maintained at a comfortable temperature, otherwise it goes hard and the replica shuts down. That beer you're drinking is one of the best ways to maintain the right body temperature, apparently.' Jack looked down at his beer suddenly feeling a little queasy.

'Oo-kay,' Jack said slowly, 'so why do they eat such crap?''

'The original Shim'kai took the means for the cultivated food supply with them, they were vegetarian. The replicas don't need to eat.'

'So why the feast?'

'As far as I can tell they were acting on the retained knowledge that you must welcome guests with a feast, however, they did not have the ingredients for a feast nor the ability to improvise, so they just collected what they could find and put it on the table.' Daniel still felt sick at the memory, he pressed on though.

'No wonder that spider made me ill. It's actually incredibly venomous and is one of the reasons the Shim'kai left. Apparently at this time of year the spiders are in plague proportions.'

'So let me get this straight, we've been chatting with plasticine people for the past three days.' Jack felt more than a little bit foolish.

'Um, yes. To put it crudely.' Daniel shrugged. 'Not that it really matters. The fascinating thing is how they managed to imbue the replicas with their knowledge and life force, and for that I could find no record .' Carter was not about to let that point slide so quickly.

'Are you absolutely sure there's no record Daniel? Maybe if I had a look I might find something you missed.'

'Be my guest, but I think the Shim'kai didn't write it down for a reason., they didn't want others to work out how the ganni-ma becomes animated. It's their secret. Can you imagine if all worlds had this ability? You'd have armies of invincible replicas used in wars and why employ someone when you could build a replica to do the work for free?'

'Not to mention the blow-up doll market would collapse,' Jack remarked dryly. Daniel, Carter and Teal'c looked at him.

Jack picked up his pot. 'It's the beer talking.'

~~~

So this morning SG-1 had bid goodbye to the Shim'kai (who Jack now insisted on calling the plasticine people, but not to their faces) and were marching though the forest to the Stargate.

Colonel O'Neill kept a close eye on Daniel, who had complained bitterly about being dragged away from one last session in the library that morning. That boy and his books! Jack worried that one day he might have a blinding flash of understanding and know exactly what Daniel found so fascinating about hanging around piles of musty old books, and that that would be the day he'd ask someone to take him out into the yard and shoot him, because Jack O'Neill would clearly have lost all his faculties.

Striding up the grassy hill Colonel O'Neill could hear Daniel whinging about something a little way behind him. Dammit, Daniel was always banging on about his blisters or that his pack was too heavy or he was cold. O'Neill could not be bothered with it today. He wouldn't give Daniel the satisfaction of turning around.

'Hang on guys I've got something in my pants! Just hang on a minute.'

Well, Jack just couldn't let that one go by. 'Congratulations Daniel, and it's taken you how long to figure that out?'

'Ha ha Jack, seriously something just crawled up my leg.' Jack, Sam and Teal'c stopped and turned around to watch Daniel start slapping around his legs trying to hit the insect out of his trousers.

'Ow! It bit me! I'm gonna have to take these off.' Daniel struggled with his belt and hastily took down his trousers. Jack moved in for a closer look under the guise of offering assistance. Just in time to see one of those big black hairy spiders getting its own back for its kinsman Daniel had mistakenly ingested three nights previously. The bite mark was obvious on the inner part of Daniel's right thigh. The spider dropped off his leg and scurried away in the grass. Jack could have sworn it was smiling.

With his trousers around his ankles, Daniel was nervously inspecting the bite. 'It's not that deep, I don't think it really had enough time to sink its fangs right in.'

Carter looked doubtful. 'Daniel, didn't you say last night that those spiders were actually poisonous and that's why you got sick?'

'Yeah, but that was from eating it. Apparently if you get bitten by it the reaction is much worse... oh crap. I think I've got about four hours.'

'On Chulak we would suck out the poison of the bite of the deadly Oraccan spider.'

'That used to be what we would do too, Teal'c, if medical help were too far away, but it's not really recommended anymore.'

Daniel was starting to look faint and swayed in the gentle breeze. 'I think it's just the shock,' he gasped, 'It can't be that fast acting.'

Jack made a decision to take action. 'Okay Carter, it looks as if we don't have enough time to quibble about what's old fashioned. I say go with the tried and true.' and with that Jack knelt down and put his mouth over the bite on Daniel's thigh. Daniel stared wide-eyed as Jack sucked the poison from the wound and spat it out. Then he sucked it again to get out any remnants. On the second suck when the taste of the venom was not so overwhelming, Jack took a moment to savour the unique taste of Daniel's skin, he figured he would never have this kind of opportunity again. Daniel tasted of salt and... clear showers. That was the best way O'Neill could describe it.

Daniel felt O'Neill's lips on his skin a little longer than required. Jack lingered after the sucking motion had stopped and Daniel wondered why, surely Jack didn't feel the same way about him as.... Daniel immediately dismissed that thought because despite the fear induced by the spider bite, with Jack's head that close to him and with his lips on his thigh, Daniel was in grave danger of getting an erection. It was up to Daniel to break the contact even though he so didn't want to.

'Jack? I think you got all of it. I feel fine.' Jack lifted his mouth off Daniel's thigh and turned and spat to the side. Daniel hurriedly pulled up his trousers.

'Okay kids, we're on the move again now that Danny Boy's happy that the only thing in his pants is what should be there.' O'Neill didn't meet Daniel's questioning eye as he started the trek to the gate again.

~~~

The Stargate engaged and with the usual flash and noise the four members of SG-1 stumbled back into the SGC. Unusually for such a routine mission, they had a welcoming party.

Jack nodded to General Hammond, Dr Fraiser and there was someone else standing just behind General Hammond. The person stepped out and held out his hand.

Jack couldn't believe his eyes. He looked at the Daniel Jackson standing next to Hammond and Fraiser, then he looked at the Daniel Jackson standing next to him and Carter. The other Daniel had a hopeful smile on his face, his Daniel's eyes were just about popping out of his head.

'Okay what's going on here?' demanded Jack.

'We were hoping you could help us with that Colonel. We have no idea.' Hammond clearly looked flummoxed.

Jack's Daniel stepped forward and shook the outstretched hand offered by the other Daniel. 'Well, this is strange,' remarked his Daniel. 'Shaking hands with yourself isn't an everyday occurrence.'

The other Daniel smiled enigmatically then broke off the touch and stepped up to Colonel O'Neill. He nodded to him in greeting. 'I am a gift from the Shim'kai. They were pleased with the exchange between our cultures and wanted to show their appreciation. I am here to serve you and make you happy Colonel O'Neill.'

Jack was more than a little bit surprised. A plasticine version of Daniel? This is what the locals thought he might like as a gift? Jack wondered what he might have said to the Shim'kai to give them that impression. Maybe on the second day, before he'd built up an immunity to the beer. He must have given something away.

Daniel nudged O'Neill. 'What do you say?' he teased quietly.

'Thank you I think,' spluttered Jack.

'Debrief in 10 minutes SG-1. I want some explanations. Colonel O'Neill, do not let this... gift... out of your sight. I will not have it roaming around on base.'

'Yes General.'

After Hammond left the room Carter got a mischievous glint in her eye. She'd noticed Jack's eyes light up when the gift had presented itself.

'No Colonel, you can't keep him,' she teased. Jack resisted the urge to deck her.

~~~

The debriefing had not gone overly well. Although Daniel did his best, General Hammond did not really grasp the concept of ganni-ma. Hammond resolved that even at the risk of offending the extremely courteous Shim'kai, the gift would have be returned through the Stargate in the morning. Since the replica had so far proven that it was almost a perfect match for Dr Jackson, it was also decided that the gift was harmless and could be released into the guardianship of Dr Jackson for the night as he was most familiar with the replica. Literally.

Jack offered the Gift Daniel and the Real Daniel a lift to Daniel's apartment which was on Jack's way home.

At the apartment Daniel invited Jack in for a coffee before continuing home.

Whilst the replica was ensconced in Daniel's living room, Daniel asked Jack to help him in the kitchen. He grabbed Jack's arm as soon as he entered.

'Jack, I can't do this. It's too creepy.'

'Oh ya think? Try imagining how it is for the rest of us. Two Daniels? We can hardly hope to understand one let alone two. Cos you know what they say - two heads are better than one.'

'Cut it out Jack, I mean it. You're going to have to take him.'

Jack was surprised. This wasn't like Daniel. Shouldn't he be enthralled in trying to understand this phenomena, the plasticine stuff? Surely he would welcome a chance for a close study.

'Me?'

Daniel looked pained. 'As much as I'm dying to have a thorough conversation with him, the thought of him staying here tonight is just too weird.'

'Oookay. So something's finally too weird, even for the Spacemonkey.'

'Jack, I'm serious. 'I've only got one bed and there's no way I'm sharing it with.... myself. That's just too... incestuous. You've got a spare room.'

Jack snorted. 'No way Daniel.'

'Jack please.' Daniel made his puppydog eyes at Jack.

'For cryin' out loud, don't look at me like that' Jack groused. 'Oh all right, I'll do you a deal but I think you're really gonna regret missing this opportunity in the morning. Let's ask whatshisname in the living room whether he wants to stay with you or with me tonight. If he's got your life stuff in him, surely he'll make the decision that you really want to make. Okay?' Jack wasn't sure if he understood himself what he had just proposed but Daniel nodded his head in agreement so it must have made sense to him. They went into the living room.

'Okay, Gift Daniel,' Jack said striding into the room. The Gift sprung up from the couch looking guilty as if he'd done something wrong by just breathing. Oh, he was so like Daniel right down to those kinds of details. 'Where do you want to sleep tonight- here, which Daniel here seems to find a bit unnerving, or my place, where I can introduce you to proper beer and you get your own bed?'

The Real Daniel rolled his eyes. 'You make it sound so appealing Jack.'

The Gift Daniel looked from one man to the other. Jack raised his eyebrows.

'I'll stay at Jack's place. I need to fulfil what makes him happy anyway.'

He says it so casually, thought Jack in amazement. He was really sent to give me pleasure. That thought sent shivers down Jack's spine, just what had he told the Shim'kai?

'You better have some other clothes then, you can't wear the cammos. Jack has Neighbourhood Watch.' Daniel took the Gift Daniel into his bedroom to change.

'Yeah, right,' called out Jack, 'Seeing both of you together I can't tell who's who.'

After a few minutes the Daniels came back into the living room.

'We'll be off then. Gotcha toothbrush? Oh why do I bother, you think like Daniel don't you.' Jack grinned as Gift Daniel held up a toothbrush and nodded.

'See you tomorrow then,' Jack said to Daniel as he walked them to the door.

Daniel nodded sagely. 'I know I'll regret this in the morning, but at the moment I just find it too creepy.' Jack nodded to show he understood and he and the Gift Daniel took their leave.

~~~

Jack handed a beer to the Gift Daniel sitting on his couch.

'Here, your people have a lot to learn about good beer. Even if you forget it in the morning, you should at least have one experience of how proper beer should taste. Cheers.'

The Gift Daniel smiled at Jack's toast and raised his own bottle to his lips. Jack marvelled at the artistic precision of the ganni-ma. Jack could see the rippling of Daniel's lovely throat as he swallowed the liquid. He couldn't believe that it wasn't a real live man sitting on his couch in his lounge room. Yet he knew that he'd left his best friend, the Real Daniel, standing at the door of his apartment, waving them goodnight as Jack and his gift drove off in his car.

Jack felt a twinge of guilt. Daniel had looked so forlorn and alone. He wondered if he was depriving Daniel of the chance to cross-examine himself, a chance which few people could have, let's face it. And Daniel was the kinda touchy-feely person to be into that kind of thing. Then again, Daniel had practically forced the guy on him so O'Neill couldn't help it if he had a change of heart.

Jack sat in companionable silence with the gift Daniel, both men savouring the taste of the beverage. Jack took the opportunity to study the replica with more freedom than he'd had at the SGC. As much as the ganni-ma had got the physical replica of Daniel perfect in every respect, there was something different about the Gift Daniel. He was more assured, seemed to be without a lot of Daniel's inhibitions, a more self-confident version of Daniel. With the same shy smile, the same endearing habit of pushing his glasses back when they slipped down his nose, the same long tanned legs and thick light hair.

Jack wondered about the gift's stated purpose that he was here to make Jack happy. All the fantasies Jack had ever had came swirling back to him. Daniel in the SGC shower room. The water caressing his smooth golden body, the long fingers flickering the soap suds over his chest and stomach, collecting in the hair curling up over his cock, slipping down his back and disappearing in between the cheeks of his ass. Jack walking in and coming up behind him, taking Daniel in his arms and pressing him up against the cool tiled wall, the spray of the shower jet the only element trying to part them. The tip of Jack's cock nudging the slick opening between Daniel's cheeks... oooh, nice dream Jack. Nice dream. Dream on Jack.

Jack shifted in his seat, trying to hide the evidence of his erection from the Gift Daniel. Then he wondered about the sanity of him being embarrassed in front of a man made of plasticine.

It occurred to Jack that he could get the gift Daniel to do anything he wanted, and if it was new to him then Jack could teach him and he would forget it by morning, and if it wasn't new to him then Jack would have a lot of questions for Daniel the next time he saw him.

Jack sighed inwardly. There were a lot of things he could imagine getting this Daniel to do to make him happy, but what was ethical about getting somebody who wouldn't say no to do what you wanted? It was the kind of question Jack knew Daniel would have an answer for, or at least some way of explaining the dilemma. Jack wished Daniel was here right now.

But hang on! Didn't he have Daniel right here? Hadn't Daniel said that the replicas were imbued with the essence and knowledge of the person they were modeled on? Imbued. There was something about the idea of being imbued with Daniel that made Jack flood with warmth all over.

He toyed with the idea of speaking his mind to the man in front of him. After all, if it was kinda Daniel, then he would listen to him like Daniel and offer him advice, like Daniel, not that Jack always took that advice.

A chink of glass on glass broke Jack out of his reverie. Daniel had put his empty beer down on the table. He ran the tip of his tongue hesitantly over his lips. 'That was good, much better than the Shim'kai make.'

'I've got news for you kid, you're Shim'kai too.' Jack smirked.

'No I'm not,' shot back Daniel, 'I am the replica of Daniel Jackson, and Daniel Jackson is Tauri. Born in Egypt of American descent if I recall correctly.' He looked more than a bit put out.

'Okay, okay, chill,' said Jack hurriedly. Yep, this guy was certainly as passionate as Daniel, and when he was excited he looked just as sexy as Daniel Jackson too. Forming his lips into that little pout and flushing red high on his cheekbones.

'I've got a question for you,' Daniel did not look at Jack directly but rather he lowered his head and peered at Jack through his lashes. Oh Christ, though Jack, let it not be the one about making me happy again, not until I get done asking my questions.

Jack decided to counter-attack. 'Ah, but first I have a question for you. What are the morals of using someone for your own pleasure if they have been expressly created with your pleasure in mind? Especially if said person is not actually real but just walks and talks and strongly resembles a real person.'

Daniel opened his blue eyes widely. He gave a slight cough and concentrated on tracing patterns on the top of Jack's coffee table. The silence was the least thing Jack expected. Another fault in the replica, Jack thought, Daniel's never silent when you ask him a thorny ethical question. Even if he doesn't have an answer, he'll work through it aloud until he comes up with something resembling some intellectual mumbo-jumbo.

Jack leaned in, anxious to explain himself further in case the question had not been clear to the replica. As he moved to the edge of his seat and leaned his head in close to the lowered head, so close he could smell the scent of Daniel's hair, Daniel lifted his eyes to gaze penetratingly into Jack's and gave him the answer he least expected.

'I think, Jack O'Neill, that you should stop asking questions about that which you don't understand and just go with your instincts.' The voice was low and verging on hoarse, the breath on Jack O'Neill's cheek was warm and moist.

It was the green light Jack didn't even know he was hoping for. 'Daniel Jackson, I am going to teach you things tonight which you will surely not forget in the morning. In fact, tonight will be unforgettable.'

Jack leaned in closer, the small hesitation that this was somehow exploitative still holding him back from surrendering to the kiss. Jack ran his fingers over the firm forearm resting lightly on his knee. He looks like the real thing. Jack took the arm in his hands and turned it palm up, he bent over and brushed the tip of his tongue over Daniel's inner wrist- salt and clear showers, and he tastes like the real thing. Jack felt Daniel's eyes gazing at him. For a brief moment he was pulled back from the brink as he remembered there was still one question to be answered.

When he spoke his voice came out in whisper, he seemed to have lost the capacity to speak at normal volume, as if the atmosphere in the room was rarefied and sacred like in a temple. 'What did you want to ask me Daniel?'

'What can I do to make you happy Jack?' Slowly and deliberately Daniel took hold of Jack's hand and nibbled at the tip of his middle finger. He ran the tip of his hot tongue over the nail and then turned the hand over in his own and gently nudged his tongue against the pad of Jack's finger. Ever so slowly it was almost imperceptible, or would have been if Jack's body had not been on fire with sensation, Daniel closed his lips over the tip of Jack's finger and drew it into his mouth up to the first knuckle. The pressure sucking Jack's finger into that moist, sweet mouth was at first as light as the suck that pulls lace curtains against an open window or a scoop of melting ice cream from a spoon.

Then Daniel released the finger and repeated the action, this time taking in the finger up to the second joint and increasing the pressure ever so slightly so that Jack shivered as he felt the edge of Daniel's teeth graze the top of his knuckle. Just when Jack felt he couldn't bear it, Daniel released the finger. He inspected the wet, warm finger as if it were one of his artifacts, nudging it with his fingertips, playing with the delicate threads of moisture which threatened to bind their fingers as Daniel playfully pulled his away. Jack didn't think he had ever stared at his hand, any hand, with the intensity that Daniel brought to his fondling. Then Daniel seemed to come to a decision. He raised Jack's finger to his mouth once more and sucked it in. First knuckle... second knuckle... all the way to where it joined the back of the hand. Jack had closed his eyes to the intense sensation. Now, as Daniel's hot, slippery tongue darted out and licked and worried at his palm, Jack's eyes shot open and he wondered exactly what it was he was being offered here.

Daniel released the finger and the answer was written all over his face. All that I am capable of giving.

Jack smiled weakly. 'In answer to your question Daniel. I have a list....'

Daniel grinned wickedly, a sparkle in his blue eyes. 'And top of the listwould be...?'

Jack took hold of Daniel with a hand on each shoulder and, all moral questions now having been firmly shoved out the window, gently but firmly pressed Daniel back down into the soft couch, bringing his own body over onto Daniel's. He breathed heavily in Daniel's ear. 'One or the other, or best of all both, of the people in this room being thoroughly and decidedly ravished tonight, here, in this room.'

One more intense gaze into Daniel's eyes and Jack resolved to make full use of this gift. From the first kiss however, all of Jack's assumptions were turned on their heads.

As Jack was savouring the fact that he was just about to swoop down and cover Daniel's sweet red lips with his own, Daniel made his own move simultaneously turning his face up and enveloping Jack's mouth with nubile, hot lips barely holding back his forceful tongue, exploring and searching out every corner of Jack's mouth, and raising the lower half of his body so that his engorged groin pressed up hard against Jack's own hips which were rapidly lowering as he lost all control of the action and his own muscles.

As his body and senses were assailed by the glorious touch of Daniel, a small voice whispered in Jack's ear that someone had forgotten to tell Daniel he was the student here and Jack was the teacher. After getting over his initial surprise, Jack decided to toss the voice out the window with the rest of his doubts and just enjoy discovering what the life essence of Daniel Jackson and a bit of very pleasant plasticine had to teach him about his senses, his body and what made him happy.

Daniel's hands started running all along the length of Jack's body, his fingers fluttering as they searched for an opening through the cloth to reach in and touch Jack's skin. Jack moaned heavily into Daniel's mouth as Daniel's clever hands tugged the shirt from his trousers and over his head and after tossing it on the floor, fluttered their way up Jack's bare back, all in one swift motion without, it seemed to Jack, ever breaking contact with his body.

Jack reached down to where Daniel's groin connected with his own, feeling the hardness inside Daniel's pants and the moist patch on the fabric which told him exactly the extent of Daniel's arousal. Well, Daniel wasn't the only one with clever fingers, Jack barely registered the thought as he located the fly on Daniel's pants and swiftly unzipped it, releasing a cock which surprisingly sprung straight up, the trousers being the only fabric that contained it. Oh Daniel, I'm learning some secrets tonight, thought Jack, as he started working Daniel's extremely aroused cock with his fingers and the ball of his hand. Nice dream Jack, nice reality.

Daniel started making small whimpering noises as Jack worked on his ecstasy. He broke away from the kiss and gasped for air and mercy.

Jack chuckled as Daniel scrambled at the belt buckle of Jack's own pants. He decided to put Daniel out of his misery and reached for the buckle himself - it could be a bit stiff sometimes. Daniel flopped back down onto the cushions with a satisfied grin on his face and watched Jack as he removed his trousers and threw them on the floor.

Jack opened his arms wide as if to say 'ta-da' like a magician completing his act. Daniel screwed up his nose and raised an eyebrow as if to say 'is that all you're going to remove, 'cause if so I may as well go home now.' Jack made a dumb show of gesturing to his boxers. Daniel moved his gaze from Jack's face to the boxers and back up to Jack's face again. Slowly and mock sadly he nodded. Yes, the boxers had to go too.

Jack slid his boxers down to his ankles and kicked them off with a flourish. Now Daniel welcomed him back to the couch with open arms and Jack went to work on removing Daniel's clothes. This was easier said than done as Daniel squirmed and wriggled all over the couch, hugging Jack close to him and covering his face and chest in passionate kisses such that Jack had an impossible time trying to catch hold of the fiddly buttons on Daniel's shirt.

After a few minutes of this wrestling Jack gave up all pretense and simply ripped the shirt open on Daniel's chest. As Daniel moaned and writhed under his hands, Jack peeled the shirt off Daniel's shoulders and tossed it on the floor with his own clothes. Then he faced the challenge of the black t-shirt. Well, maybe that could stay where it was for the time being Jack thought. Daniel did look kinda good in it, what with the way it clung around the muscles on his chest and showed off his flat stomach. No, on second thoughts, it had to go. Jack wanted to see those particular muscles and that particular flat stomach in the flesh and unaccompanied. As if reading Jack's mind, Daniel dutifully lifted his arms and off came the t-shirt with a flourish.

Well, ta-da was a bit of an understatement in this case, thought Jack. For once he could run his eyes and hands all over Daniel's sturdy, pale torso and tight, silky stomach. Oh this was sooo much better than the showers at the SGC. There the rule was - you can look but don't touch, here it was-you can look but you have to touch as well otherwise I'm going to get just a little offended, and the last thing Jack wanted to do was offend Daniel.

But the best bit, the absolute best bit in Jack's not so humble opinion, was being able to trace his finger tips along and down the ridge of Daniel's lean lower stomach muscle, that muscle that mapped the path to his groin and the delights there awaiting Colonel Jack O'Neill.

As Jack closed his hand once again over Daniel's throbbing cock, Daniel heaved his groin upward, bucking to rid himself of the pants he still wore.

'All in good time Daniel,' breathed Jack.

'Now,' growled Daniel in reply. 'Oh, alright then,' sighed Jack as if Daniel was asking him to do something he really didn't want to do.

At that point in time Jack was lying spread-eagled over Daniel on the couch. To comply with Daniel's request, Jack shuffled around 180 degrees to find himself face to, er, member, with Daniel's cock. Which meant that Daniel was face to face with hisooo-kay, Jack filed that thought away to be finished later as Daniel's lips clamped down around his amply proportioned penis, and sucked. Hard.

Now Jack O'Neill knew what a good head job felt like, he'd had a few in his time, but Daniel had to be the world's expert. The way he closed his lips around Jack's cock taking him in right down the entire shaft and shifted his head around changing the angle so that the sensitive tip of Jack's cock brushed against one side and then the other side of the back of Daniel's throat. Then he suddenly twisted his head around, sucked hard and withdrew, rasping his tongue up the underside of Jack's twitching penis. For a few minutes Jack forgot the task that had brought him into this position and his cock into such glorious company and simply enjoyed the sensation of Daniel's sweet, sweet mouth sliding up and down, up and down.

The thought idly wandered into Jack's head that this was one of the things that he had expected to have to teach the Daniel replica. Now he wondered where Daniel had learnt to give such good head to a man. He knew Daniel believed in multi-skilling, hell the man had three PhDs, as if one wasn't good enough! But this was going a bitextreme. Not that Jack was complaining, but Daniel was going to have some pretty curly questions to answer next time he came over to Jack's place (not the sort of conversation you'd want to have in the locker rooms on base).

Something nudged at Jack's nose reminding him that he was slacking in his duties. Jack gave a return nudge with his nose to the playful cock twitching beneath his face, the tip glistening with pre-cum. Then he preceded to do to it what Daniel had demonstrated earlier on his fingers. Jack licked at the exposed pink tip with the tip of his tongue. The cock danced beneath his lips, bucking and twitching although Daniel's hips were still.

Jack slowly took Daniel's cock into his mouth a little way and sucked so gently it was barely more than breathing in. He felt the body below him shudder with anticipation. He released it abruptly and Daniel moaned forcefully, his throat vibrating against Jack's own penis. Jack caught the bobbing cock in between his lips once again and sucked it in a little further this time, exploring the surface of it with his tongue, making a mental map of all the silky sensations and eagerly devouring the pre-cum which flowed freely from the tip. Then he released it once more to hear a groan again from Daniel then delight in Daniel's renewed frenzied sucking at Jack's aching member.

The third time Jack took in as much of Daniel as was humanly possible, nuzzling his nose into those soft golden pubic hairs and curling his fingers under and around Daniel's ass.

Daniel's ass.

Suddenly Jack knew he had to finish removing Daniel's trousers damn soon because he couldn't just feel that gorgeous tight ass, he had to see it too, to believe it.

Jack pulled away from Daniel's cock, eliciting a whimper from the man at the other end of the couch, and worked on rolling down the fabric under Daniel's hips. Daniel eagerly assisted by lifting his hips (and in doing so pushing his groin into Jack's face much to Jack's delight) so that Jack could free the trousers and push them down to his ankles. Daniel then drew his knees up so that Jack could easily undo his bootlaces and pull off the boots which had prevented the pants from making their final leap to the floor. Now both men were naked.

Jack did the 180 degree shuffle again, missing the kiss of Daniel's sensuous, generous lips. Daniel grinned at him through sly, half closed eyes and Jack wondered what Daniel was planning for him. At the moment he didn't really care however as he was too busy running his tongue along the rough square edge of Daniel's jaw.

Jack moved his tongue across the stubbled cheek and met with the welcoming hot cavern which was Daniel's mouth. They kissed powerfully for a few minutes, the blood coursing through their lips such that when the finally broke away gasping for air, an onlooker might well have mistakenly thought they'd been feasting on summer berries.

Daniel chose this moment to reveal to Jack what he had been planning for him.

With a deft movement remarkable on a small couch, Daniel maneuvered his thighs apart so that Jack's cock fell down between them. Taking his cue from the expressions of anticipation on Daniel's face, Jack slowly shifted up Daniel's body so that the tip of his cock nudged at the dip between Daniel's cheeks. Pre-cum spurted out to moisten the opening of Daniel's ass.

Jack closed his eyes, lifted his head and groaned at the new sensation.

As he lowered his head to kiss Daniel again, the man beneath him grinned devilishly and abruptly twisted onto his front in a half commando roll action so swift and sure it would have impressed even SG-3. It was all Jack could do to resist sliding straight down to have a good look at that ass he had been lusting after for so long.

Instead, Jack concentrated on the nape of the lovely neck before him. He sucked at the soft, light skin, whiter and more tender than the rest of Daniel from years under long hair.

Slowly but surely he moved southwards, like a cat he licked every inch of Daniel's back on the way down. Getting to know every vertebrae, every muscle.

His journey was rewarded with a close up view of Daniel's ass, pert and rounded, just enough to fit snugly into Jack's cupped hands. At that point Daniel pushed his ass up off the couch and Jack found himself in the enviable position of kneeling on the couch between Daniel's legs with the younger man on his hands and knees also on the couch. Just as Jack was marvelling at the position he found himself in, Daniel bucked backwards into Jack's groin. Jack struggled with his balance and for a few seconds it was touch and go as to whether he would fall off the couch. His hazy, lust-soaked mind consulted his common sense as to whether it was wiser to try to fuck in this position which would undoubtedly be more comfortable for his knees or to move the whole operation to the floor for stability. Daniel made the decision for him by throwing a couple of cushions onto the floor and dropping off the couch and back onto his hands and knees.

He looked up at Jack who was a little slower to believe his eyes these days.

'I haven't got all night Jack,' he said in a low growl. God Jack loved a dominating Daniel, but he was still going to have to put him back in his box.

Jack clambered onto the floor and assumed position.

'Actually, Daniel, you have got all night,' Jack corrected him.

'Alright then,' Daniel said reaching between his own legs and grabbing hold of Jack's weeping cock, 'maybe I have all night, but from the feel of this you certainly haven't got more than two minutes.' He let go and chuckled.

'Oh is that a fact Daniel,' Jack licked his lips and concentrated on smearing his pre-cum over the younger man's tight opening that was being presented to him in a most desirable fashion. 'Lesser men than me would take that as a challenge Daniel Jackson.' Jack carefully slipped one finger into Daniel's expectant hole.

Daniel gasped.

He moved the finger around gently. Daniel groaned. Pleased with the reaction, Jack inserted another finger. Slowly and confidently he stretched Daniel's opening, searching out the gland which he knew would relax Daniel even further. There came another gasp and Jack knew he'd hit the spot.

Just as Jack was preparing to press the tip of his aching cock against Daniel's opening, Daniel leant back and twisted around to grasp Jack's member with both hands. He pulled it forcefully to his lips and took it in to the hilt, giving it one loving, languorous suck. Upon releasing it he grinned up at Jack, licked his moist lips and said, 'just giving it a kiss goodbye,' and with that he was back on his hands and knees.

Jack shuddered and had to steel himself not to come as soon as he pressed the head of his cock into Daniel's ass.

The breaching of that thick, tight hole was for Jack a bigger thrill than stepping into the Stargate. It was hot in there, and oh so tight. Jack had never felt so much sensation during sex before. Daniel's ass moved back into him firmly indicating that Jack should enter further. He did , pushing in all the way now that Daniel was used to him.

Daniel groaned loudly. Jack had not expected Daniel to be a vocally expressive partner in sex but now that he heard the man moaning and sighing with each thrust, almost loud enough to be heard by a sharp-eared neighbour, it actually made sense. Daniel had always been vocally passionate about his work and his emotions, why not his sexual passion too?

As the two men moved back and forth in perfect rhythm, Jack even felt liberated enough to let out a few groans himself, mostly out of lust but some also out of satisfaction that he was lasting far longer than Daniel had suggested. He reached around under the younger man's stomach and grasped hold of his prominent cock. For a while he tried pulling Daniel in time with his own thrusts but that disturbed their rhythm and Jack returned to concentrating solely on thrusting into Daniel's accommodating rear.

Daniel started muttering as Jack increased his speed, first in Egyptian. Soon Jack began to catch phrases in English. His heart and groin flipped in tandem as Daniel started calling out over and over again, 'Fuck me Jack, oh Jack, fuck me harder, harder!' And he did as he was bidden.

When he came, the heat rolled over him like never before. He felt as if he would never stop spurting into Daniel's glorious ass. Finally spent, his cock kept twitching inside Daniel long after Jack finished coming. The two men revelled in the sensation for a few moments, then Jack pulled out and Daniel rolled onto his back.

Jack collapsed on the floor next to Daniel, gasping for breath. 'Okay,' Jack rasped, 'now that was longer than two minutes!'

Daniel just raised one eyebrow mildly and looked pointedly at his own still achingly erect penis.

'Oh alright,' groaned Jack, 'you're king for the day.' With that he dove down to wrap his lips around the enormous cock and sucked like there was no tomorrow. Three strong sucks and Jack felt the familiar surges in the cock filling his mouth and opened his throat wide to drink down Daniel's salty, strong offering.

Physically spent, the two men lay in each others' arms, enjoying the sound of the other's ragged breathing.

'Whew,' said Jack after a while, 'the Shim'kai were right to protect their formula for ganni-ma. That stuff is priceless.' And Jack mused on the fantasy of having his very own Daniel waiting for him at home at the end of every day. His brow creased though as he realised that didn't appeal to him quite as much as the Real Daniel, with or without the sex, though much preferably with the sex, not that that would ever happen in real life. At the very least he could use this experience as a basis for his fantasies about the Real Daniel.

Lying next to him, Daniel was very quiet. Concerned, Jack lent up on one elbow and looked at his face. Then he smiled as he saw that Daniel was very obviously asleep.

Although he was loathe to disturb him (Daniel looked just as sexy asleep as he did awake, just in a different but still uniquely Daniel fashion) Jack poked the slumbering man in the ribs. 'Hey, I've got a bed that's just a little bit more comfortable than this floor,' Jack whispered as Daniel turned his sleepy head and half opened his eyes.

Daniel nodded slowly and heaved himself up from the floor. Then he turned and held a hand out for Jack.

It was a moment before Jack could bring himself to reach up and accept that hand. His head swam with the scene before his eyes. A naked Daniel, standing in the middle of his living room, his movements languid and easy, completely at one with his physical body, standing tall and firm, his balls and cock swaying gently between his legs, his face flushed and post-orgasmic, his soft lips bruised with the crushing desire of Jack, the remnants of Jack's own cum glistening at the top of one of his thighs, reaching out a hand, to help Jack up from the floor and accompany him to bed. It was better than Jack had ever dared let himself hope.

For the most fleeting of moments, a look of fear coursed over Daniel's dark blue eyes. He flicked his gaze to somewhere above Jack's head and dropped his outstretched arm to hang by his side. Jack realised he had been attending to his own needs for moment too long and that Daniel interpreted Jack's hesitation as a reluctance to touch Daniel now that he had been sexually sated.

Jack realised this interpretation would need correcting.

He leapt up and pulled Daniel into a crushing embrace, one hand pushing through the hair on the back of Daniel's head, the other moving down to grip wantonly at Daniel's firm, muscular ass. He felt a slight resistance in Daniel's lips and moved his mouth around to nibble at the silent man's ear.

As Jack gently slipped a curious finger into the dip between Daniel's ass cheeks and massaged at the slick, heated skin, he breathed his reassurance into Daniel's ear. 'Just like I imagined the real thing, Daniel. Shattering.'

Daniel whimpered and turned his lovely mouth to hover around Jack's neck, cool breath on the goosebumps that stood up on Jack's skin as he shivered with delight. When he spoke it was so low and quiet that Jack almost believed he had filled in the words from his own imagination. But could Jack really deny what Daniel muttered into his ear?

'This is the real thing....'

Jack froze in shock for one moment then came to his senses. Of course, the gift Daniel was designed to make him happy. He would say that because it was what Jack desired him to say. That was all. He clutched Daniel to him tight enough to illicit another groan.

Then he broke away, much to his body's distress, and poured his gaze deep into Daniel's questioning eyes. It seemed as if he was waiting for some sort of reaction to the sweet lie he'd whispered into Jack's ear. Jack traced one finger over and around the outline of Daniel's mouth then rested the finger in the middle of his lips.

Jack mumbled one word, 'Bed', and the two men broke the rarefied sanctuary of the living room to stumble out the door and down the hall to Jack's bedroom.

Daniel immediately flopped down on Jack's bed and crawled under the covers. Jack hesitated in the doorway for a moment wishing for a lifetime that he had a room and bed worthy of the sweet man who curled up under the sheets and turned languid eyes toward Jack.

'I'm cold Jack, come and help me keep warm,' Daniel turned back the covers invitingly. Jack discarded his inadequacies and shortcomings and hastily slipped into the bed, curling his body around Daniel.

Daniel tucked his head into the dip between Jack's neck and shoulder and as his eyes slowly sagged shut, Jack's last thought was that he would never sleep so well as he would tonight with his cheek resting against the silky golden brown hair that adorned this man in his arms.

~~~

The morning at Jack's place had been slightly awkward as Jack was not sure how much, if anything, Daniel would remember.

It wasn't like he'd taught Daniel anything new, that much had been wonderfully evident last night as Daniel took charge at every change in position and action. Jack savoured the memory of a demanding, sexual, hungry Daniel that had emerged during the events of last night, as he sipped his coffee at the kitchen table.

But Jack hadn't really understood much when the real Daniel was explaining about the properties of ganni-ma and he was kind of confused as to whether the gift Daniel would remember the new experience of being with Jack and making love to Jack, even if the gift was 'programmed' to understand how to make love to a man. Shit, now he was confusing himself . Oh, yes, and Daniel would have a lot of explaining to do about how he acquired particular skills. So much explaining. Jack shivered in delight at the image this brought to his mind's eye.

'Cold Jack?' Daniel stood at the doorway of the kitchen, shifting his weight nervously from one foot to another but with a knowing glint in his eye which indicated he was more assured than his body language suggested.

Jack shot up from the table, the shudder that the abrupt action sent through the table slopping coffee from his mug onto the tabletop. 'Shit!' He lurched over to the sink and grabbed a cloth.

As Jack hunched over the table scrubbing furiously at the very minor spill, he became aware of Daniel standing next to him, very close. Daniel's breath was coming out in short sharp gasps and as Jack secretly glanced down and sideways he saw the man's hands were being wiped jerkily back and forth over the side of his pants legs, as if they had suddenly become very moist.

The sweeping movement of Jack's hand over the table slowed to a halt and his other hand, the one which gripped the ledge of the table so tightly, fell swinging down by Jack's side. Without looking up, Jack groped for Daniel's hand and caught it on a backwards wipe. He pressed his hand to Daniel's, feeling the rising panic in the shaking fingers. He ran his thumb over the palm and was rewarded with a reduction in the quivers.

They stood like that in silence for a few minutes, Jack still looking at the table and clutching at Daniel's hand. Jack didn't know who let go first, but he was content to believe it was he who broke the lifeline and that the fluttering of Daniel's fingers was not a 'goodbye' but a 'please return'. And now he knew Daniel remembered. He hoped he had demonstrated clearly enough that he did not regret the night they had spent, but the gift was as hard to predict as Daniel. Who could tell what emotions it was feeling? Certainly not Jack.

Jack wondered when he had started to think of this man in his kitchen as 'the 'gift' again and not 'Daniel.' As 'it' and not 'he'.

Maybe it was because he realised it was time to leave home for the base. To return to reality and the knowledge that this man was simply animated plasticine. Very sweet, pliable plasticine.

They drove by Daniel's apartment on the way to Cheyenne Mountain to pick up Daniel and to get a new shirt for the gift. Jack wondered how he was going to explain the fact that the gift had lost all its buttons. Then again, that was the kind of detail Daniel usually didn't question, being absorbed as he was with the greater concepts in life.

They rode in the lift to Daniel's floor. When the lift doors opened the Gift darted out ahead of Jack and hurried up to Daniel's apartment door. He knocked on the door but Jack could see he was getting no answer. Jack took his time to stride up the corridor. By now the Gift was pounding on the door and calling out his own name, which looked slightly bizarre to Jack even though he knew it to make sense.

The gift rattled the door handle. He looked up at Jack with worried eyes and creased brow. 'He's locked it and he's not answering!'

'Allow me,' said Jack shifting the Gift slightly to one side. 'You should remember that Daniel gave me a spare key,' he winked at the Gift and produced a small silver key.

'No he bloody well didn't.' Retorted the Gift.

'Yes he did,' lied Jack smoothly as he jiggled the key in the lock, 'it was yesterday morning that he gave it to me, oh yes, that would have been after you received all his knowledge. You'll have to trust me on this one.'

The Gift frowned as Jack felt the lock give under the never before used key.

'Ahh...' He opened the door and the Gift dashed in.

Jack felt sick as he entered the living room of Daniel's tiny apartment. Lying prone on the cluttered couch in the cold dark room, was Daniel, as still as the dead.

The Gift rushed over to the couch and started poking at the still form of Daniel.

'Hey, hey, stop that! Be gentle!' Jack admonished as he pulled the Gift away and started his own examination of Daniel.

'Hey, Danny boy,' he whispered and laid a hand on Daniel's cheek. 'Wakey wakey rise and shine.' But there was no response. And Daniel's cheek was cold and hard. He'd obviously been dead for a few hours.

Jack felt a squeezing, grasping cold wrap its fingers around his chest. He couldn't even conceive the word no in his mind. He was numb. He had no voice. He had no resources.

He did not register the banging sound behind him. From far away in the horrors of his own consciousness he heard the Gift yelling something. Something about....

The words flowing from the Gift's mouth penetrated his understanding and brought him back from the brink.

'Damn heater! (Thump) Never worked properly! (Kick) Heap of junk!

Aware of the stunned silence behind him, Daniel turned around to sneak a look at Jack.

Jack crouched by the couch, on his knees, staring at Daniel as the penny finally dropped. Daniel's mouth turned dry and he licked his lips.

'Jack, I...'

'Stow it Daniel.' Jack was back in command of his own voice. He had one last question to ask for which he expected to hear the truth.

'The Gift. It wasn't for me was it? It was for you. So you would keep your mouth shut about the method for making the replicas? Am I right?'

'Jack, listen...'

'Am I right?' Quiet and low this time.

Eyes lowered. 'Yes.'

Jack turned back to the body on the couch. He remembered the look on the gift's face as it stood at the door of Daniel's apartment last night, waving goodbye as Jack left with Daniel in his car.

He felt quite sorry for the lump of plasticine on the couch in front of him. But he didn't feel sorry for himself. Although he wasn't angry at Daniel anymore, he wondered how long he could string out the masquerade of being mad, so that the Real Daniel could be anxious to make him 'happy' too.

Oh, making Daniel pay was going to be fun.