The Sprite

by Clancy Thomas

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asc/clancy/sprite.php
Summary: SG-1 gate to a world which is eternally winter and unknowingly enter an agreement to bring a bit of sunshine into the inhabitant's life

The SG-1 team burst through the gate and into the wintry landscape. The MALP had shown this to be a snow-covered world with an air temperature of exactly freezing point, knowing the conditions hadn't really prepared the team for this world however. Carter looked around her in wonder, everything was completely still, as if they'd entered a world in deep slumber. There was no rustling in the trees or bushes to indicate wildlife; even the air was completely still. A world frozen in time, thought Carter, apart from the occasional creak or groan from the ice making miniscule shifts on the surface of the nearby frozen stream. Carter breathed in the crisp clean air and exhaled a puff of cloudy breath, she felt invigorated and energized in a way she hadn't felt for a long time. Turning, Sam noted her teammates reactions with a smile.

Teal'c was standing stock still with his head to one side, enjoying the scene but also scanning the horizon for threats and waiting for the Colonel to give the order to strike out.

Colonel O'Neill was trying desperately to hide his eagerness to go down to the edge of the lake that lay close to the east and test the thickness of the ice. How he wished he'd brought his skates and hockey stick with him, if this world proved to be hospitable he was already planning to round up the boys from SG 7 and 8 and have a game.

Daniel was standing knee deep in snow, having plunged down the steps from the Stargate and into a drift. Not that he was complaining. Daniel was staring up at the trees, awestruck at the beauty of the scenery, and Sam had to admit, it was something. Although not a soul, bird or beast was moving, the whole landscape rippled with the winking of millions of icicles, frozen like teardrops on every branch and leaf on the trees and shrubs, reflecting the weak sunlight. Sam shivered with the glory of it, even Colorado didn't look this beautiful in the snow and Sam had to admit she was pretty addicted to those mountains.

Sam turned and looked at Colonel O'Neill for instructions. Jack almost felt ashamed at destroying the peace and silence of the scene.

'Alright people, everyone got their snowshoes on? Then let's go and Daniel don't forget to put your snow goggles on if the sun gets any brighter, we don't need you anymore blind than you are already.' Daniel decided to ignore that jibe and fell in behind Carter.

The team circled round the western side of the lake and entered the forest on the far side. So far there were no signs of life, of any kind, not even bugs, and oddly, thought Sam, no smells. Not even the scent of pine sap from the trees. She nudged O'Neill to let him know she was pausing to examine a tree more closely.

Daniel was not paying attention and ran straight into the back of Sam. 'Ooof!' He said. 'Sorry!'

'Just keep your wits about you Jackson,' reprimanded O'Neill. Jack noticed Daniel kept looking over his shoulder nervously. 'What's up Daniel? Looking a little jumpy today.'

Daniel gave an embarrassed little laugh. 'I know it's stupid, but I keep expecting to hear sleigh bells, or at least run into a man in a waistcoat with legs like a fawn.' He turned to Teal'c because Jack was looking at him like he was slightly mad. 'And Teal'c, I know you don't understand but if a woman in white offers you Turkish delight, don't accept.'

Teal'c bowed his head slightly, 'I will not DanielJackson. In any case, I had the misfortune of sampling this Turkish delight three weeks ago and it did not agree with me.'

Jack was now looking at them like they were both crazy. 'Oo - kay, Daniel you just keep taking whatever it is you're taking and Teal'c, don't sweat it, Turkish delight is an acquired taste.'

'Carter, how you going with that tree exam?'

'Sir, these trees appear to be frozen right through, look, there.' Sam had chipped into the trunk of the tree with her knife. Where sap would ordinarily ooze out of the wound, there were ice crystals layered between the bark and the trunk.

'How odd,' mused Sam, 'you don't think they'd be able to keep growing. Maybe this season is incredibly short... or something. I'm going to need to take some samples back to the lab to get some better answers.' Sam reached into her backpack and pulled out a flask. She started to shave some clippings of the tree into the container.

Jack noticed that Daniel was still looking around nervously. He laid a gloved hand on Daniel's shoulder. 'Don't worry Daniel, I'll protect you from any big bad deer-men.' Dripping with sarcasm.

Daniel was not in the mood for teasing. He'd recovered from being overwhelmed by the beauty of the land and now found it slightly chilling that there was not a single living thing moving. Daniel was not usually perceptive about danger (that's an understatement) but right now he just couldn't shake the feeling that they were being observed.

'Jack, Teal'c, don't you think it's strange that there are no birds or other animals? And,' he gestured to the trees, 'everything else that's living seems to be frozen to the core, like the whole world is in a some enormous cryogenic chamber. Frozen in time. Living but not living...' he faltered, not quite sure how to put into words the eerieness he was feeling.

Jack gave him a slightly pitying look. 'You really think too much Daniel. Just accept that it's winter here. I know you're used to desert and sand and hot places but this is my kind of world. Get used to it.'

Jack ended his sentence on an upbeat note and sauntered off through the trees. Carter put her flask in her backpack. She gave Daniel a sympathetic smile. 'I'm with you Daniel. There's something not quite right here but I'm not sure what it is. I've never known trees to be frozen through to the core before.'

Daniel suddenly sucked in his breath and pointed to the snow ahead of them. 'Look! Footprints!'

Sam chuckled. 'Daniel, Jack just walked on ahead that way, they're his footprints.'

'No,' said Daniel through clenched teeth- were these people really soldiers trained in tracking?, 'next to Jack's footprints.' He hissed. Sam and Teal'c leant down and sure enough, alongside Jack's footprints was a second set, tiny footprints only about half the length of Jack's feet.

Teal'c looked confused. 'But how can this be. We have been standing right here. I did not take my eyes off Colonel O'Neill. Even now we can still see him up there through the trees. There is no one following him.'

Daniel and Sam were both startled by this long outburst from Teal'c. He sounded truly stumped.

'Retu?' Suggested Sam under her breath so that only Daniel and Teal'c could hear.

'No,' said Teal'c firmly. 'It is not Retu. Something else is making those footprints.

Just then they heard Colonel O'Neill's shout and looked up to see him stopped in a small clearing near the top of the hill. 'I really think you guys should come up here now. Carter, Teal'c, we've got company.'

The funny thing was Jack didn't sound afraid or worried for that matter. Weapons drawn however, the three team members quickly strode up the hill through the trees to the clearing where Jack stood.

Jack had his gun drawn and pointed at eye level. Daniel, Sam and Teal'c looked in the direction he was aiming. Perched on a lower branch of a tree was a creature formed basically like a human only smaller, about the size of a ten year old child. Its skin was a silvery blue which turned to black or transparent crystal in parts as the creature shifted slightly on its branch. Its face, hands and feet were as white as the snow. Daniel took a step towards it to get a closer look at this fascinating creature.

'Stay back Daniel,' warned Jack nudging him with his foot. 'We don't know if it bites yet.'

Daniel saw that the creature's eyes flashed between black, blue and gray depending on who or what it turned its gaze towards. The creature appeared to be naked but had no defining characteristics, much like the alien race of plant people they'd nearly wiped out last year. Unlike that race, this creature had no adornments or self-made markings. It turned its gaze to Daniel as he considered this point and suddenly the thought came to him. It did not need markings, it simply was. Daniel broke the gaze and told himself that that wasn't a very scientific conclusion to draw.

The almost perfect camouflage for this winter landscape was completely destroyed by the creature's hair. The creature only had hair on its head and what there was of it, was short. It was bright pink, turning to purple in patches in the dappled sunlight, thus the perfect camouflage potential of the rest of its body was ruined. You could spot its hair a mile off. The creature blinked and shifted slightly on its perch again, still gazing calmly at the travelers as if conducting an assessment of it's own.

Jack said in a low voice to Carter, 'Do ya think we should offer it some advice on hairdressers?' In slightly louder voice he gave Daniel the order. 'Go on Daniel, don't be shy now, earn your wages.'

Daniel stepped forward and opened his arms, palms up to demonstrate that he was empty-handed. A slightly pointless act since Jack, Sam and Teal'c all had their weapons trained on this creature but he would go through the motions anyway.

'We are travelers. We came through the Stargate, the chaapa'ai. We come in peace.' The creature simply turned its calm gaze from Jack to him. Daniel put a hand to his own chest. 'I am Daniel. Daniel.' He thumped his chest.

The creature made no noise in reply but as it locked its gaze on him, Daniel fancied it was listening to him and understood him. With a slow and languid movement, the creature casually reached up to a branch over its head and plucked a sprig of leaves. Carefully and deliberately the creature opened its mouth, and draped the sprig over its blue tongue, never once breaking eye contact. A few of the ice droplets, loosened, Daniel presumed by the heat of the creature's breath, transferred from the sprig to its tongue and the creature swallowed. It smiled serenely at Daniel and offered him the sprig. Daniel was too transfixed to move.

Jack leaned over to Carter. 'Don't know what you think but in my humble opinion that looked like a come on.'

Daniel shook himself and stepped closer to the creature. Remaining at arms length he accepted the sprig and started to detach one of the drops of ice to swallow. As he fumbled with it in his fingers the creature rolled its eyes and made a clicking noise with its tongue. Daniel hesitated wondering what he was doing wrong.

The creature reached out and took the sprig from Daniel's fingers, then stretched up and held the sprig over his face opening its own mouth and gesturing that Daniel should also make this motion. Daniel closed his eyes and tilted his head back, mouth slightly open, the creature held the sprig in position and Daniel felt a couple of drops of ice fall into his mouth. As they slid down the back of his throat Daniel was aware that he no longer felt the cold, whereas before he had been slightly shivering in the chill, now he felt absolutely comfortable. He opened his eyes and lowered his head closing his mouth.

'Thank you.' Daniel said, not sure what he had just been given, or whether it was just a form of

greeting, this ice sharing.

The creature grinned and reached for another sprig. Daniel turned to look at the others. Jack was smiling. 'Congratulations Daniel, you managed to make contact without creating an interplanetary crisis. Now tell the little critter you've had enough ice and we'll be getting on our way.'

The creature ignored Jack and handed another sprig to Daniel. Daniel held the sprig, not wanting to offend. The creature looked over the three other members of SG-1 and settled its gaze on Jack. Daniel looked from the creature to Jack. 'Um Jack,' he said.

'Um Jack what?' said Jack suspiciously.

'I think it wants me to do the ice thing with you. Maybe as a way of passing on the goodwill.' Daniel shrugged.

'Oh, goodwill is it? What makes you think that thing wills us... goodness? It could have just poisoned you Jackson.'

'Well, I don't feel the cold anymore, I'd count that as a positive sign, and apart from that, it kinda looks a bit sad that you're not partaking of the ceremony Jack.'

Jack, Teal'c and Carter surveyed the creature. It did indeed look sad now and a little forlorn that Jack had not moved towards Daniel. A single tear ran down its cheek and froze halfway down the creature's face.

'Oh for cryin' out loud.' Jack snorted.

'Actually sir I'd say that was the opposite of what it's doing,' Sam corrected him smiling.

'Alright, I'll do it, don't get all upset,' grumbled Jack as he shuffled through the snow to Daniel. Daniel held up the sprig above Jack's head and Jack opened his mouth. Daniel felt Jack's breath warm his hand as the droplets of ice melted and slipped into Jack's waiting mouth.

'Oh, that's good. I don't feel cold anymore. Good boy Daniel.' Jack slapped Daniel on the back. Daniel handed the sprig back to the creature who tossed it on the ground, leaned back on its perch and grinned. Then very carefully and very deliberately, the creature plucked the frozen teardrop from its cheek and lay it on a nearby leaf. The drop immediately fused to the leaf. The group stared in wonder. Daniel was suddenly struck by a terrible, horrible question.

'Sam,' he whispered, 'do you think it's possible that this creature, that she cried all this?' he swept his arm out indicating the shimmering trees. 'Is there enough sadness in the universe to create this?'

Sam dismissed him immediately. 'Daniel, that's physically impossible.' She said firmly.

'She?' said Colonel O'Neill.

Daniel blushed. 'I just get the feeling it's a she,' he muttered lamely.

'There may be more of these creatures Colonel O'Neill,' spoke Teal'c, 'I suggest we ask it to take us to its elders or settlement.' Teal'c still looked wary of the creature and curled his lip at it distastefully.

As if it understood what was being suggested, the creature dropped out of the tree and took hold of Jack's hand- the one which wasn't clutching a weapon. It tugged at his hand to indicate that they should walk with it further into the woods.

'Well kids, I guess it's time to follow the leader,' Jack quipped whilst carefully extracting his hand from the creature's grip. The creature grinned up) at him impishly, not offended in the least that Jack didn't want to hold its hand, and scampered off through the trees. 'Fall out Carter, Teal'c.'

Jack and Daniel stayed close, following the creature whilst Teal'c and Sam fanned out one on either side walking through the forest.

'An airy sprite,' mused Daniel as the pink head bobbed up and down ahead of them guiding the way in the fading afternoon light.

'A what?' grunted Jack. He swore someone put something in Daniel's coffee this morning to make him just a little more spacemonkey-ish than usual.

'It's almost exactly how I imagined the airy sprite would look when I read The Tempest.'

Jack gave him a blank look.

'You know, Ariel, The Tempest. It's a play. By Shakespeare.'

Jack still stared at him.

'Shakespeare was a playwright Colonel,' called out Sam cheerfully through the trees, 'one was made into a film with Mel Gibson in it, if that helps.'

'Thank you Major I do know who Shakespeare was.' Jack turned to Daniel and said in a conversational tone, 'So you imagined this kind of creature when you read the, um, The Tempest. Hmm, interesting because I subscribe to the theory that if you take a post-colonial analysis of the play then the island becomes the New World, as it was referred to in Shakespeare's age and Ariel could possibly represent the feminine form of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean who were portrayed as a threat to the masculinity and power of the invading European explorers. Thus the airy sprite would look quite different from this creature.'

Now it was Daniel's turn to stare. 'Say that again?' he spluttered.

'Just messing with your mind Spacemonkey.' Jack grinned.

Daniel shuddered, an intellectual, eloquent Jack. Ugh, it didn't bear thinking about.

Soon they came to another clearing in the woods.

In the middle of the clearing was a small domed hut which was covered in snow and ice. The creature, which had increased its speed over the last few hundred meters, was nowhere to be seen.

Teal'c and Sam drew in to stand with Daniel and Jack on the edge of the clearing.

'Daniel, I believe it's your job to knock and say yoo-hoo.' Jack gave the reluctant Daniel a little grin and a jab in the small of his back. 'Go on, it's not like I'm sending you into the den of the big bad deer-men.'

'A fawn Jack! Mr Tumnis was a fawn!' Daniel growled in exasperation. 'Oh why do I bother.' He grumbled some more then stalked towards the hut. This creature offered far better conversation than O'Neill did any day.

Just as he reached the opening which he supposed was the door, the creature's head popped out and it grinned up at him before grabbing hold of his hand and yanking him inside. Jack, Sam and Teal'c exchanged glances then hurried to follow Daniel inside the hut.

Sam mused that the hut had a certain Tardis quality about it, being slightly roomier inside than it seemed from the exterior. She also noted that, like an igloo, the walls were completely made from snow and ice.

Daniel was also making mental notes about the dwelling. The thing he found most fascinating was that aside from them, it was completely empty. He could not believe that this was the creature's only home, there was no furniture, no bed, no food stores, nothing except the snow packed hard on the floor. Can there be a living being which exists without some sort of nest, however rudimentary? Daniel wondered. The thought suddenly occurred to him that they might have been led to some sort of sacrificial ground and the creature, which had scampered out the door after Teal'c, Jack and Sam had entered, might have gone off to summon the rest of its clan for the ceremony.

The feeling of unease returned and Daniel was about to rush out into the fresh air to clear his head when the creature burst back into the hut dragging a bundle of branches and fallen shrubbery. She pushed him out of the way and darted about the hut, arranging the greenery into four separate piles, then she grabbed Teal'c's hand and gestured for him to sit on one of the piles. The other three also awkwardly took their seats, for herself, the creature had prepared no seat but simply squatted on the snowy floor. She gazed around the group expectantly.

Daniel figured it was time he tried to communicate again since it looked like they weren't about to be sacrificed. He rubbed a hand over his forehead as he tried to think of something appropriate to say. There was so much he wanted to ask, such as whether there were any other creatures like her, what did they eat in this kind of climate, where were the animals, the wildlife, did they know about the Goa'uld? But these were fairly complicated questions to phrase in a way communicable to this creature whom Daniel wasn't even sure had a language.

Just as he was about to speak, the creature suddenly leapt up and pulled Daniel up on his feet, scampering about him in an agitated fashion. The creature kept trying to get behind him and Daniel, in an effort not to take his eyes off the creature kept turning around as it moved around him, after a short scuffle the creature hooked a hand into the belt of his trousers and twisted him round so sharply that Daniel had to put a hand on Carter's shoulder to stop himself slipping over. The creature ran its hand over the seat of Daniel's pants, made the clicking sound again and then released him and Daniel sat down abruptly. It was either that or fall down.

Sam stifled a giggle, Teal'c reached for his weapon and Jack got up on his knees and grabbed the creature by both shoulders.

'Hey pinkie, we made a rule after the last mission - aliens are no longer allowed to feel Daniel up without the express permission of the Major or myself. Comprende?'

The creature merely gazed mildly at Jack until he let go of its shoulders.

Daniel had that 'I get it now' look on his face. 'Jack, it's alright, it was just making sure I wasn't getting a wet ass from sitting on the floor.'

'Okay, am I the only particularly dense one here or is that not the most obvious interpretation?' Jack looked around.

'Actually sir I think Daniel's right.' Carter said carefully.

'Oh my mistake Major, I'll get my mind out of the gutter. Care to elaborate?'

'Well I was wondering what I found familiar about the behavior of the creature. Then it just came to me that it reminded me of my mother, Sir,' Sam saw the incredulous look on the Colonel's face and she hastened to get to the point. 'It's invited us into its home Sir, and it wanted to make us comfortable so it went out and got the branches because it realized that sitting on a floor lined with snow would not be the most comfortable for us. I think it was checking that the branches were protecting Daniel from getting a wet backside... Sir.' Sam finished hurriedly. 'Look where it's been sitting Sir, the snow hasn't melted at all, it must have realized our body temperature was a lot higher than its own. Pretty smart really. Maybe that's what that greeting was designed to discern.'

Jack seemed to accept this hypothesis. 'Interesting, an alien who cares to ensure that we hardy

interplanetary travelers don't get piles. Carter, I'm starting to worry about your mother.'

'It's fussing about, like a mother or the lady of the house, making sure we're comfortable.'

'Oh I see,' said Jack in a tone of voice which suggested he didn't think much of being fussed over.

Whilst this exchange was taking place, the creature had sat back down on the floor and was gazing at each one in turn, again seemingly expectant of something.

Daniel looked confused. Sam's hypothesis seemed sound but the incident in the clearing contradicted this, it had been Daniel and Jack's warm breath that had melted the ice drops enough for them to fall into their mouths. But the creature had done this too - so obviously it had warm breath. This meant it was warm blooded surely? Yet when the creature had dragged him into the hut the grip of its hands had been ice cold, and the hand it brushed over his backside had also sent shivers up his spine.

'Sam, if it has a low body temperature, low enough not to melt the snow it is sitting on, how did it, she, how did she melt the ice drops?' Daniel stumbled over what to call the creature, it seemed rude and ignorant to keep calling it, it.

Sam looked stumped. Teal'c spoke up in a low voice. 'I believe the creature can tell you the answers you seek Daniel Jackson.'

Daniel turned back towards the creature. She cocked her head to one side then broke into a huge grin as if finally he was asking the right questions.

The creature slid over to Daniel and promptly seated itself in his lap. Jack frowned and reached for his rifle but Daniel held up a hand to indicate that he was comfortable with the intimacy.

Jack wasn't sure he was though.

She took one of Daniel's hands between her own and held it for a few moments, enough for Daniel to feel the chill coursing through his veins, any longer and he thought he might get frostbite. Abruptly she let go and gripped his wrist. The creature raised his hand and brushed it over its pink hair, immediately Daniel felt a surge of heat, his fingers tingled with the extreme and sudden change in temperature.

Next, the creature lifted its face to Daniel's and licked his cheek with its blue tongue. Daniel felt as if he had been caressed by the snow queen herself.

'Hey!' said Jack leaning forward again but this time Sam put a restraining hand on his arm. She had already anticipated what the creature would do next and wanted to see if she was right.

It reached up and plucked a single pink hair, which it then placed solemnly in its mouth. After a moment the creature licked Daniel's cheek again. The sensation was incredible, hot and moist, the tongue slipped over his cheek sending heat shooting right to the tips of his extremities. He felt an incredible warm glow all over his body and unerringly it seemed to zero in on his groin and ass. Suddenly it became perfectly clear to him why the creature had made sure his seat was well padded, he felt as if it were possible for him to melt the entire house such was the heat radiating from his body after that single touch.

Giving what could be interpreted as a satisfied sigh, the creature clambered off Daniel's lap and settled back down on the floor. Daniel swayed a little with the continuing glow of warmth washing through his body like an internal shower.

He opened his eyes again when he heard Jack give a warning cough. Jack gestured to Daniel's lap. 'A little bit more than we needed to know Dr Jackson.'

Daniel looked down and to his extreme embarrassment realized he had become extremely aroused, blushing furiously he tugged his jacket around into his lap. Sam was grinning at him and Teal'c seemed to be looking at him with an expression akin to, well, pride on his usually impassive face.

'Affectionate little critter isn't she,' mused Colonel O'Neill just to rub it in. 'you've gotta wonder why there aren't more of them if that's the way they treat visitors.'

'I think I can explain a little, Colonel O'Neill,' Teal'c addressed the group. 'I am not certain but I think we are on the mythical planet of Aoife'ta. I remember the story from my childhood.'

'Jaffa were big on stories and mythical lands weren't they? Well, as you've seen, it's not a myth so let's hear what goodies Eefettah has in store for us.' Sometimes Jack wished Teal'c would just sit down one day and tell Daniel all the stories he'd ever heard about different planets and Daniel could write it all down in one of his books and then when they arrived on a planet Daniel could just blurt out all the information like he does. Getting information out of Teal'c was like pulling teeth.

Teal'c raised one eyebrow. 'I will be succinct O'Neill. In the story told to me as a child, Aoife'ta was a planet of eternal winter. There was but one inhabitant - a nameless creature with a body of ice and mane of fire. The creature cried out its sorrow and loneliness at being the only one of its kind. After many years the creature realized it could use its tears to create a world which travelers might be enticed to explore. Any travelers caught by the creature would not be allowed home until they ingested a single hair of the creature's head. That hair would generate enough heat and energy in a warm-blooded male to create a temporary thaw on Aoife'ta. The creature is grateful for the thaw and permits the travelers to return through the Stargate.'

'Thank you Teal'c. Concise and to the point as usual,' said Jack with a meaningful glance in Daniel's direction. 'Well it all seems pretty simple - let's swallow that hair and we can all go home whilst pinkie here partakes in a spot of sunbathing.'

'I have not finished O'Neill. The storyteller finished with a warning: never go through the Stargate alone, for if you and only you arrive on Aoife'ta, it is you who must mate with the creature and you may never return home as the heat of one warm-blooded male is not enough to thaw the DHD.'

Daniel began to feel a little sick. 'Did you just say mate Teal'c?'

'Yes Daniel Jackson. I used the term warm-blooded in the translation given to me by Colonel O'Neill and Captain Ferretti last week when we were discussing the merits of ...'

'Okay, thank you Teal'c, they don't need to know what we were discussing.'

'It may help Daniel Jackson and Major Carter to understand that I meant warm-blooded in the sense of a sexually active male.'

'Sir?' Sam raised her eyebrows at that one. 'I'm not sure I understand, in what context did you use the term?'

'As in 'no warm-blooded man would knock back a sit-down dinner and chat with Rene Russo if

given the opportunity' is it all clear now Carter?' Jack snapped.

'Oh I see, a sit-down dinner and chat huh.'

'So Teal'c are you saying that only you and me and Jack need to swallow the hair?' Daniel asked nervously.

Teal'c raised both his eyebrows. 'On Chu'lak only two are required for this act, I thought it was the same for the Tauri. I see I am mistaken.'

The penny finally droped with Jack. 'If there is only one then he must mate with the creature, but if there are two then...and only two are required...then.. Oh for cryin out loud Teal'c! Are you saying that two of us have to mate?!'

'I believe O'Neill that the creature has already made its choice. Both you and Daniel Jackson partook of its offering of tears. You no longer feel the cold. Now it is time to return the favor, let the creature too feel warmth for a short while.'

'Oh well thanks for warning us before we par-took, Teal'c! Now, I really must compliment you on your sense of timing.' There was no way Colonel Jack O'Neill was going to mate with Daniel Jackson just so some creature could get a bit of sunshine! And there was Jackson still sitting there with his coat in his lap like that was going to hide the fact he still had a hard on. Oh no sirree! He was not going there, not in a million years.

Jack stood up to leave. 'Right people, this is where we move on out.' He leant over to eyeball the little creature. 'Thanks for the hospitality but we really must be going now. Say goodbye Daniel!'

Daniel remained sitting and protested, 'Jack, we're its only chance to feel a bit of warmth, to see some sunshine...'

Jack cut him off. 'Daniel, think about it, you don't want to do this, okay? Now we are going. So get up.'

With an apologetic glance at the creature, Daniel arose and followed the rest of SG-1 out of the hut.

The creature followed with a concerned look on its face.

With Jack in the lead, SG-1 retraced their steps back to the Stargate. The creature walked with them, occasionally walking alongside Colonel O'Neill like a dogged little shadow and at other times skipping away through the trees, but always returning to escort SG-1.

When they arrived at the lake the creature suddenly ran up to Daniel who had been walking for once, beside Jack, and grabbed his hand and started tugging. Daniel was forced to stop walking or fall over the top of the creature. Jack called a halt to the marching party.

The creature was running its hands all over Daniel's chest and stomach but keeping eye contact with Jack as if to say - 'here, this is how you're supposed to do it.' Daniel had to admit, it felt pretty good too.

All too soon Jack dragged the creature away from Daniel again. 'Look you, hands off. We all know how adorable you find him but Dr Daniel Jackson belongs to us and you can't have him!'

Carter was struck by the unexpected vehemence of Jack's words and body language. He held the creature by the scruff of the neck, or what would have been the scruff if it was clothed, lifted it off the ground and shook it.

Teal'c too felt that Colonel O'Neill was over-reacting and was stepping up to remove the creature from his grasp when the creature freed itself and squirmed away to Daniel's side. The creature was grinning fit to burst and grabbed Daniel's hand again. It dragged Daniel up to Jack and positioned him in front of Jack, then stepped back, as if to say, 'you're entirely correct, here take him and do what you're supposed to with him.'

Jack threw up his hands in exasperation. 'Daniel, tell it to go away!'

Daniel looked plaintively at Jack. 'It's not doing any harm Jack.' Daniel looked down at the creature standing to the side of the two men. A single tear fell down the creature's cheek. Daniel put his hands on his hips and glared at Jack. Jack felt a twinge of guilt although he'd be damned if he let Daniel see that he cared. 'Oh for cryin out loud, I didn't make it cry okay. You've seen it, it does that a lot.'

'I expect you'd cry a lot too Jack if you were stuck alone on a planet in perpetual winter for all of

eternity!' Daniel was getting fired up now. He could understand that Jack did not want to do what the creature was asking, hell, the idea didn't trip Daniel's trigger right at this moment either although if you'd asked him back in the hut his answer might have been different, but that was no excuse for bullying the poor creature.

Daniel looked down at the creature. She returned his gaze and slowly plucked the frozen tear drop from her face. Taking hold of Daniel's hand she turned it palm up and placed the ice bead in his hand. She then motioned that he should swallow it. 'Daniel don't you dare,' warned Jack letting it be told in his tone what he'd do to Daniel if he swallowed that tear drop and put himself even more in debt to the creature.

Deliberately Daniel raised his hand to his mouth and swallowed the ice drop. Immediately he felt the ice flowing through his veins, freezing his muscles and numbing his fingertips and toes. Oh, that was a bad mistake Daniel. His breath passed raggedly through his lips as the cold penetrated his chest and the chasm of his lungs. The feeling of ice cold flowed over the warm glow he'd been feeling previously, so convincingly and effortlessly that Daniel fancied he actually felt the warmth running down his legs and out through his feet as it was overtaken by the tidal wave of chill. Daniel tried to moved his hands but they were numb already. He felt a ripple of panic circulate in his chest and his breathing turned shallow and rapid.

No one else noticed the effect the ice drop had on Daniel. They were all too busy looking at the creature who was jumping around Jack and becoming increasingly agitated. Jack was swatting at it trying to get it away from him as it was tugging at him all over like a monkey. Then the creature suddenly took flight and scampered off into the woods in the direction of the hut.

Jack sighed with relief. 'Okay kids, let's go home, before it changes its mind.'

'Jack.'

'What is it now Daniel?'

'I can't.' Through pursed lips.

'Yes you can Daniel, just for once pretend to be a hard-hearted bastard like me and live with the guilt.'

'No, really, I can't.'

Sam stepped up to Daniel and tapped him on the arm. 'Sir, he's right, he can't move. Daniel's frozen...' she petered out.

'Stiff.' Finished O'Neill for her. 'Yes, I can see that now Carter. Daniel, can you move at all?'

Whisper. 'No'.

Carter looked alarmed. 'Those trees were frozen to the core. Daniel, can you still breathe?"

'Yes, just, hurts to talk.'

'Alright Daniel, just stay still.'

'Ha.'

'Okay people, let's think about this. Daniel's frozen stiff and can't move. Carter you take Teal'c's staff weapon and see if you can defrost the DHD with a couple of blasts. Teal'c, you can give me a hand transporting Daniel.'

'Um Colonel Sir?'

'What is it Carter?'

'Sir, Daniel doesn't have that much time, listen to his breathing. You can hardly hear it now, and his eyes don't look good.'

O'Neill had to admit Carter was right, Daniel did not look good. His eyes had a kind of unfocussed look about them, as if he were seeing the world through frosted glass. Jack grabbed one of his hands and tried to rub some warmth back into it. It was like ice. Hard ice. Jack was afraid to pull it any further lest Daniel's arm completely snap off like an icicle.

He swallowed hard and the thought flashed through him that Daniel couldn't even do that. He tried not to think of that ever-animated gentle mouth, silenced and frosted over. 'Alright Carter, we'll go back to the hut, see what that creature has to say for itself. Teal'c, gimme a hand here.'

The journey back to the hut seemed to take forever. It was evening now but the white snow and icicles all around them twinkled even in the moonlight. Jack surely would have found it beautiful had it not been for the stiff, cold bundle in his arms that wrapped ice around his heart and provided a blindness more effective even than snow.

A gentle snow began to fall and cover the tracks they were trying to follow through the woods to the hut.

Jack and Teal'c tried to quicken their pace but the unwieldy package of Daniel caused them to slip and slide all over the place and they risked dropping him. Jack didn't want Daniel to get any colder than he was already, if that were possible.

Sam walked on ahead with the torch trying to keep an eye on the trail before the snow obliterated it completely. Every now and again she thought she glimpsed the pink head of the creature bobbing up through the woods in the distance but decided it was her mind playing tricks on her because she wanted to see it so much. Sam had already concluded that the only way to save Daniel was get him to swallow one of the creature's hairs and that was why the creature had done what it did. She only hoped this did not mean Daniel would have to mate with the creature. She didn't know if he'd be able to bring himself to do that. Not that she'd been able to figure out how it was possible for the creature to mate.

After what seemed an impossibly long trek, Carter thought she could see the clearing up ahead. She called to Jack and Teal'c through the gloom hoping to spur them on with the knowledge that they were nearly there. They trudged towards her, lugging their precious bundle. Sam leant down to check Daniel's vital signs. She could no longer feel him breathing. His eyes were open but Sam got the impression he was not seeing anything. She remembered back to long ago one winter when a boy had been pulled out of a frozen lake near her home. He had been under the ice and in the water for eight minutes, enough to kill a person under ordinary circumstances, but Sam remembered that he had been revived and with only minor brain damage. It had been said at the time that what saved him was falling into ice-cold water. The body shuts down in shock at the freezing temperature, the heart slows to less than that of a champion marathon runner, the body acts as if in hibernation, thus blood still flows to the bra

Sam hoped that they would be able to revive Daniel and that he would not have sustained too much damage to his brain, that was the best she would let herself hope for.

Teal'c and Jack hoisted him up as they approached the hut, there was no sign of the creature.

'Terrific,' muttered Jack as they slid Daniel in through the door of the hut. 'It chooses now to go

walkabout.'

'Holy Hannah.' Sam entered the hut and looked around in amazement. The creature had been refurbishing whilst they were gone. The floor was completely covered in fir leaves and had a soft

springy feel underfoot. The walls glittered and glistened with millions of teardrop icicles which gave the hut a sparkly glow as if they were reflecting the winking of the handful of stars visible through the skylight in the middle of the hut's roof.

If it had not still been absolutely freezing, the hut would have seemed quite beautiful and inviting. They laid Daniel down gently onto the fir leaves.

Sam knelt by him to monitor the non-existent life signs.

Jack paced up and down. 'Where the hell is it?' he stormed. As if on cue the creature waltzed into the hut. Jack grabbed it by the arm and yanked it over to where Daniel was lying silent and blue on the floor.

'Bring him back!' Jack ordered. 'Do the hair thing again. Unfreeze him and I might let you go!' But Jack may as well have not spoken.

The creature plucked a single hair from its head ad held it over Daniel's face. It rubbed a finger over his lips to loosen the ice that had gathered there and pushed his mouth open. It looked ready to push the hair into Daniel's mouth and release him from the icy stasis, but at the last moment, the creature suddenly turned and held the hair out to Jack.

Jack frowned. 'You want me to do it? Why can't you?'

The creature narrowed its eyes and thrust the hair at him again. Then it reached up and placed a hand on Jack's mouth.

'Oh no you don't,' said Jack backing away. 'I'm not eating that hair.'

The creature only smiled its mild smile.

'Colonel O'Neill!' Sam's voice was sharp with concern and fear. 'Please, for Daniel's sake, get over it!'

O'Neill realized he was making the most selfish of choices. With a hole in the pit of his stomach he reached over and took the hair from the creature.

Jack opened his mouth, shut his eyes and swallowed.

Nothing.

And then the wave rolled over him and dumped him on his knees in the springy leaves. The heat was incredibly intense. Not like summer heat or the burning flames of the sun, but like moist, tender tropical heat. The kind of air which makes you feel like you're walking in a bath. Heavy and liquid, his limbs drooped, no longer able to support his weight or inclined to move. The heat swooped over him like oil warmed in loving, gentle hands that were now caressing his body. Jack was sure he had never done anything that could possibly be described as swooning, but right at this very moment that was the most apt word to describe the heady, disorientating waves of thick, moist heat rolling over him again and again, tossing him in the shallows.

Carter looked at him in concern but Jack was beyond reassuring her.

The creature grinned with satisfaction, turned to Daniel and theatrically plucked another hair from its head. It placed the hair in Daniel's mouth and pushed his jaw shut.

Then the creature turned and motioned for Carter and Teal'c to leave the hut. Sam was reluctant to leave Daniel but Teal'c gave her a reassuring look. 'It is done now, we must wait outside while what needs to be done is done.'

They left the hut leaving Colonel O'Neill and Daniel alone in the ice dome, that Sam shuddered to think of as Daniel's tomb.

Jack wanted to call out to them that he knew it was going to be okay, but he was lost to the heat assailing his senses, stealing away his faculties and replacing coherence and reason with instinct. If only Daniel was feeling what Jack was feeling, he knew it was going to be alright.

As the single pink hair began to burn into his tongue, Daniel Jackson was beyond feeling anything, his mind had long since shut down to protect itself. He had neither heard, nor felt, nor seen anything since the lake.

But although his mind was a brilliant repository of knowledge capable of processing information far beyond the abilities of most ordinary people, the source of Daniel Jackson's strength throughout his troubled life, was his heart, and in this instance Daniel had been forced to put his trust in his heart, that it would sustain him whilst the rest of his body, his mind, his senses all closed down. That it would know instinctively the right number of beats to keep what little there was of oxygenated blood flowing to his brain. That it would rock him into a state of peace, so he would not expend the energy which would kill him. That it would pulse reliably through the darkness like a lighthouse to steer him from the rocks of fear, panic and hysteria that would dose him with adrenaline as lethal and seductive as a phial of morphine. That it would beat back the ice creeping through his veins.

Daniel Jackson slept the deep sleep of those who have no choice - the very young, the very weak, the innocent and the dead, and he was not sure he wanted to wake up.

To bring the victim back to the living, that single pink hair began the journey with its own kind.

Thousands of needles prickling over the entirety of Daniel Jackson's body that would have been agonizing had he been awake, were the stimulated hair follicles stretching their roots and seeking out the air, rising up and waving on goosebumps on Daniel's arms, legs and head.

This accomplished, the hair slipped down the back of Daniel's throat and began its journey to his heart.

Jack O'Neill could not know any of this.

After the initial effects of what he had ingested had passed over him, Jack felt like he was wading through a warm bath, a lagoon of water so salty his arms and legs floated up in front of him and he effortlessly sailed across on his back, face to the moist warm breeze. In reality he was closing that gap of two or three steps between him and his best friend, by crawling over the springy leaves.

Jack knelt beside Daniel, the thought forming in his hazy mind that he might be able to speed up the process of thawing Daniel by adding his own heat to the equation.

Awkwardly, Jack stretched his legs out alongside Daniel's and lay beside him. To Jack, he was still moving in liquid slow motion but try as he might he could not speed up. He turned on his side to face Daniel and hooked his leg up over Daniel's, pulling and hugging Daniel towards his own chest, wrapping one arm over the frozen man's torso and burrowing the other arm under his neck to cradle Daniel's head to his own warm cheek.

Even through the steam of his own glow Jack could detect the coldness of Daniel and the ice raced through him seeking out every fear, every sorrow, every pain that had ever chilled Jack to the bone and brought its mercenary army to do battle with the blood red foot soldiers of Jack's love and humor and courage which kept the home-fires burning.

'Daniel, come on, come back.' Jack mumbled to the ice statue in his arms. He ran his hands over and up along Daniel's body, rubbing and patting trying to elicit some reaction.

Jack brought his hand up to Daniel's mouth, suddenly paranoid that maybe the hair had not gone in far enough, that the creature had made a mistake and the hair of fire was not in deep enough to bring Daniel out of his freeze.

Without hesitation, Jack closed his lips over Daniel's frozen, open mouth and breathed. Gently at first, then with the desperate action like one resuscitating a drowned child.

Jack's action was far too late however to affect the course of the messenger, now firmly on its sure path to Daniel's heart.to deliver the package of heat and life.

Slowly, one of Daniel's toes began to twitch, then another, then another. His fingers curled in reflexively and splinters of ice cracked in his palms, melting too quickly to cut the flesh.

Jack didn't notice these small movements but when Daniel's hips suddenly jerked forward jarring against Jack's groin, he allowed himself a small sliver of hope.

He kept breathing into Daniel's mouth which was becoming more moist with every breath. The lips seemed to be regaining their characteristic softness and hue.

As Daniel's body continued to twitch and contract with the thaw, Jack became more and more concerned that Daniel's eyes were not clearing - they were still veiled in the foggy, frosted ice. Neither did Daniel's head move nor anything above his shoulders.

The leaves and branches bent and snapped beneath their body weight but Jack did not hear it. He did not register anything but the slow and steady awakening of Daniel's body, including the pulsing erection gradually building in Daniel's groin. He pushed his hips against that part of Daniel's body in an attempt to stop the precious heat escaping when it was most needed. He wished however, that it was Daniel's mind that was aroused. He would give anything to see the frost melt into tears from those dark blue weary eyes.

What he was least expecting was a response from those icy lips he had been working for what seemed like the past eternity. As Jack moved in for another breath, he pressed his lips to Daniel's and was shocked to feel a hot, moist tongue dart into his own mouth and snatch the breath from his throat.

His mind reeling he pressed into the desperate kiss, trying to force his warmth into Daniel's mouth, reveling in the activity of the younger man's tongue. How quickly it moved after being so still for so long. Jack had to stop himself from rolling on top of Daniel and covering him with his hot mouth. Then again, if this was what was bringing Daniel back to the land of the living, why hold back?

Jack collapsed half on top of Daniel, reluctantly pulling away from his lips and covering Daniel's cheeks and neck with furious kisses. He noticed that Daniel's eyes were now closed, that somewhere along the way the ice over his pupils and brilliant blue irises had melted into tears that traced their path along his temples and cheekbones. He bestowed a kiss on each of the delicate eye lids hoping to see the lashes flutter and open but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Daniel's hands were starting to have a mind of their own and were embarking on a journey of running up under Jack's coat and shirt. Jack gasped at the touch of those hands on his bare skin, hands that had been ice not five minutes ago, now they were on fire.

'Daniel, Danny,' Jack whispered, more hopeful of getting a reply this time, but there was nothing, no response except the body beneath him arching and stretching as if emerging from deep slumber.

Daniel reached his hands out over his head and stretched out from his toes to his finger tips as if he was enjoying the renewed sensation of straining, aching muscles. Eyes still shut he suddenly rolled onto Jack with a force like he was trying to roll away from the ice which had trapped him for so long. Jack caught him in safe, strong arms. 'It's alright, Daniel, I've got you,' he murmured into that gorgeous hair which was once again silky and light in his fingers and against his cheek. 'I've got you and I'm not letting you go.'

Daniel's face was slowly regaining its usual hue. Jack ran his warm fingers over Daniel's cheeks and was rewarded by a creeping blush high on the cheekbones.

Daniel opened his eyes.

'You have no idea how incredible this feels,' he whispered and a slow smile spread across his face.

'I think I can guess,' Jack's calm demeanor didn't betray the fact that he felt like jumping up and down for joy. He surreptitiously moved his hips closer to Daniel's again, happier now to take advantage of the intimacy of the situation now that Daniel was altogether back, including his mind.

'Not that,' Daniel smiled his sweet smile and suppressed the urge to giggle when a blush crept across Jack's face. 'This.' He wiggled his fingers in demonstration.

'I was frozen. I couldn't move. I was screaming but there was no sound. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk, I couldn't tell you...anything.' He nuzzled his face into Jack's neck. 'I was so scared I was going to die without being able to say goodbye... to anyone.' Daniel broke off, his words sticking in his throat. Jack hugged the man closer to him still trying to impart more body heat and tried to think of soothing things to say to calm Daniel.

But Daniel was not upset. He was overjoyed. 'I was scared, and then I wasn't anymore.' He frowned, trying to put the experience into words. 'I felt so calm and it was like falling asleep, only my sleep has never been that deep or that peaceful.'

'I think I'd choose every day run of the mill sleep even with a few nightmares chucked in, of the Daniel Jackson super-strength variety, over and above being frozen to death any day,' said Jack, trying to free some of the seriousness from Daniel's voice. He should probably give Daniel some time to recover physically before trying to emotionally and mentally deal with what had happened.

'No,' whispered Daniel, then a little stronger, 'no. You don't understand. It was almost worth being frozen, to wake up, to go through the process of coming alive again.' He shivered in delight but Jack pulled him closer again thinking he was still cold.

'I melted Jack. From the outside in, I melted.' He paused, savoring the memory. 'And now I feel so hot!' he declared, running his hands up under Jack's shirt again and over his bare skin. Jack felt a little awkward with this action now that Daniel was fully awake and gazing at him with those penetrating eyes.

Gently he pulled Daniel's hands out from under his shirt and clasped them between his own.

'Daniel,' he spoke softly, 'you don't have to return the favor you know.' Jack meant that Daniel didn't have to touch Jack in return if he didn't want to but Daniel interpreted that statement to refer to the obligation to the creature to temporarily restore warmth to its frozen world.

'Jack, I want to do this. We have the opportunity to let an entire world feel what I am feeling right now and let me tell you, it's a feeling I'm inclined to be generous with.' Daniel stretched again, catlike and wriggled out of Jacks arms. He stood up and tested out his arms and legs like he was limbering up for marathon race, then he started thumping his chest and various bits of his body to make sure he was still solid - that the melting procedure hadn't gone too well.

Jack leaned back on his elbows, smiling at the sight of Daniel checking out his body and making sure it was still in working order, from Jack's point of view Daniel was looking just fine. He shut his eyes for a moment and basked in the sensuous warmth he still felt coursing through his body.

'How long do you think it lasts Daniel?'

'How long what lasts?' asked Daniel running his hands curiously over the walls and coming away with wet hands.

'This feeling of incredible... heat... Daniel, it's amazing, didn't you get that effect from the hair as well?' Jack basked on the bed of leaves as if he was lying on a cabana on a beach in Bali.

'What does your heat feel like Jack?' Daniel grinned, looking at Jack's pants and stalling for time trying to think up something really cutting to say to get Jack back for the remark about his hard on earlier.

'Like the time I had 'deep heat' treatment on my knees, only now it's all over my body and the nurse is a lot better looking.' He paused, 'how is it for you?'

'Like there's something red-hot pulsing deep inside me. I feel like the sun, like I could create life,' Daniel paused to throw off his jacket. 'I feel completely energized, like I'm on an adrenaline rush, but it's more sustained, deep-seated than that. I feel like nothing could ever hurt me again. I feel.... generous, happy... I want to give this feeling to everything.' He finally paused and looked at Jack, somewhat embarrassed by his effusiveness. 'Do you know what I mean?' He looked hopeful.

'I think you got the better hair Daniel.' Jack said ruefully.

Daniel grinned wickedly. 'Or maybe I'm just more warm-blooded than you.' He threw himself back down on the fir bed next to Jack. Ignoring Jack's evil glance he pressed down on the leaves underneath them.

'Gee, this stuff is more comfortable than it looks.' He said thoughtfully.

The two men lay beside each other contemplating the glistening roof above them in silence, both

enjoying the sensations flowing through their bodies. Daniel wondered if this was how it felt to be in those thermal pools that sometimes occur in arctic regions- all warm and steamy inside but with the knowledge that all around you the world is frozen, even the air you breathe.

Drip....Drip....

'Ugh!'

'What is it Jack?'

'The ceiling just dripped on me!'

'I wonder how long we have?' I don't fancy the ceiling falling in on us in the middle of...'

'Daniel,' Jack leaned over to looked him in the eye, 'we really don't have to do this. You're alright now. We can just walk out of here, collect Carter and Teal'c, go back to the Stargate, zap the DHD and go home. We don't have to do what that critter wants us to do.'

Daniel looked at Jack with disgust and disappointment written all over his face.

'I can't believe you just said that. There's no way we're leaving here without doing what we owe that creature.'

'We don't owe it shit!'

'Of course we do Jack. What about the ecstasy you've been feeling for the last 20 minutes? You think you're ever going to feel something that strong ever again in your lifetime? You've got to be kidding!' Daniel thumped the floor vehemently.

'I didn't ask for that!' Jack replied just as strongly, 'in fact, I only did it to save your life!'

A strange look came over Daniel's face, kinda happy, kinda aroused and kinda... feral! That was the last coherent thought Jack O'Neill had before Daniel launched himself onto the older man, pushing his heated groin against Jack's and holding down his chest with a hand on each shoulder. Daniel's mouth clamped down on O'Neill's and now the earlier kiss, where Jack was trying desperately to impart heat into Daniel's frozen mouth, was reversed as Jack melted under the heat and power of Daniel's roving, devouring lips.

Another drip fell from the ceiling and landed on Jack's upturned forehead, but the cooling moisture was welcome as Daniel radiated heat, penetrating all the layers of clothing between his naked skin and Jack's. Daniel, on the other hand, had noticed the ceiling and determined that this should probably be as quick as possible before they lost what privacy was afforded by the snow hut.

Wriggling his hands up underneath Jack's shirt again, he ran his dexterous fingers over his chest

searching out Jack's nipples. Discovering one Daniel gave it a tweak to let Jack know he was there and then worked at arousing it to a hard nub under his thumb.

He ran his other hand down to Jack's pants and fiddled with the belt, trying to get it undone whilst keeping Jack's attention drawn to the upper parts of his body, namely his mouth and his fingers on Jack's nipple. He had the belt and button undone and was about to unzip the fly when Jack's steely fingers clenched around his wrist, trapping his hand in its quest.

'Whoa, slow down Daniel, I took you to be one of the sensitive types. You know, foreplay is not a four letter word.' Jack was not smiling. 'If we're going to do this, it will be done properly.'

Another round of drips landed on the back of Daniel's neck and dripped down his collar. 'Jack,' he rasped, 'time is of the essence. You've had an erection for over 20 minutes, you must be as near to exploding as I am. Seize the day.'

Jack rolled his eyes. 'Oh, and then he goes throwing Shakespeare at me again. Very smooth Daniel, that gets me right in the mood.'

Daniel sighed with the patience of a saint rapidly turning homicidal. 'That's not Shakespeare Jack. But this is. Get your cock out of your pants and stop procrastinating Hamlet or we'll be doing this in front of an audience of our nearest and dearest.'

As another round of drips rained onto his face, Jack considered that Daniel had a fair point. But where did he get off being the dominant one?

With a burst of strength Jack heaved and rolled the both of them over so that he was now lying on top of Daniel. 'Alright,' he panted with the exertion, 'we'll do it your way.' He unzipped Daniel's trousers then did the same with his own pants, their erections butted and bounced together, mingling their moisture.

Daniel was lost. He had never before in his life felt so much arousal and heat flowing through his body tingling at his extremities, nor been kissed and fondled with the passion and energy that Jack was now bestowing upon his lips and his cock. His body was on fire. Jack was now grasping his cock firmly and tugging it up and down to a steady rhythm. The glorious feeling was only marred by the matting on the floor, which has previously felt quite comfortable but now with Jack's weight on top of him was digging quite painfully into his back.

'Jack,' gasped Daniel as he turned his head to the side to break off the kiss.

'Oh don't tell me you're having second thoughts now.'

'No, I was just wondering if we could do this standing up.'

'Anything Daniel, I'm too far gone now to care.' Jack clamped his lips down over Daniel's again and pulled him up to a sitting position by the front of his shirt. Awkwardly they both stood up and their pants fell down around their ankles.

Jack moved a pliant Daniel around so that Daniel was leaning with his back against Jack, his bare ass rubbing up against Jack's weeping cock. As Jack reached around and recommenced rubbing Daniel's cock, Daniel starting breathing in short sharp gasps and moans and Jack knew he was close to coming. He grabbed a handful of ice off the wall and held it against Daniel's cock, eliciting a low groan from the younger man. 'Not yet Danny,' Jack groaned in his ear. Daniel whimpered as Jack removed his hand from his cock. Daniel occupied himself with the action whilst Jack scrabbled around in the pockets of his jacket. Finally he found the tube of sunscreen and squirted some into his palm.

Daniel was so close to the brink he barely registered that Jack was moving his oiled fingers between his cheeks. Then one slick finger forcefully breached the opening and Daniel threw his hands out to brace himself against the wall in front of him. The ice on his palms went nowhere near enough to cooling the warmth that flooded through him as Jack pressed another finger into him and explored.

Then Jack's fingers were gone and his tip was pressing up against Daniel's opening. Neither man noticed the water running steadily now down the walls of the hut. Jack pressed through into Daniel and both gasped with the intensity of their combined heat. So this is what Daniel was feeling, Jack thought. A totally different kind of heat to the humid, gentle warmth that flooded over Jack, Daniel was on fire, a strong, tight, bright heat that combined furiously with Jack's skin to radiate through his body.

Jack could hold back no longer. He wrapped slick fingers around Daniel's erection and jerked it in time to his thrusts into Daniel's tight ass. Daniel pressed his hands and face up against the wet, icy wall but to no avail. He was going to come any second.

With a final huge thrust Jack orgasmed and came into Daniel, shooting his hot load far into the younger man. A few more jerks and Daniel was coming onto the wet wall in front of them. Jack fancied he heard it sizzling as it hit the ice.

Then the walls crumbled and they were falling. Falling face down into a pile of melted snow and ice, Jack on top of Daniel with their pants around their ankles and Teal'c, Sam and the creature staring down at them amusedly.

Daniel put his flaming face down into the snow. Jack groaned.

'Take a look around sir,' said Carter, 'you've created something beautiful.' And with that she and Teal'c turned and walked off over the green field and into the woods.

The creature smiled down at Jack and reached out and patted him on the shoulder as if to say, 'I knew you could do it, thanks.' And then it scampered off to enjoy the sunshine. Jack realized that the pile of snow around them was rapidly melting into the ground and he was starting to feel just the slightest bit wet. He pulled out of Daniel and rolled off the smaller man.

Daniel lifted his head out of the snow and looked at Jack with a grin, his wet hair sticking to his flushed cheeks, his eyes shining. 'Did the earth move for you too Jack?' he quipped, then ducked as Jack sent a slushy snowball in the direction of his head.

Both men stood up and pulled up their pants. Around them the landscape was completely transformed into a sunny, pleasant green land, alive with birds and insects and flowers. Daniel stared in amazement. Jack nudged his shoulder. 'Come on Daniel, let's get outa here while the going's good.'

They walked down through the woods which were now alive with smells and activity and met up with Carter and Teal'c by the lake.

'Recovered Sir?' inquired Sam mischievously.

'Nearly, Carter, nearly.' Jack wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. Sam pulled Daniel into a big hug.

'I'm glad you're back with us Daniel, I was really worried for a while. But when we saw the snow begin to melt we kinda guessed everything was going to be alright.' She finally let Daniel go.

'Thanks Sam.' He looked around. 'This is beautiful.'

Jack took their packs off Sam and handed Daniel his. 'Yeah, but we're not sticking around to smell the roses. Let's go kids before it wears off.'

They hiked up to the meadow where the Stargate stood. Daniel dialed home on the DHD.

'Sir, look,' whispered Sam to Jack.

He followed her finger and saw the creature lying in the grass under a tree basking in the warm, strong sunlight, enchanted with the butterflies which landed in its hair.

'Sneaky little critter,' said Jack somewhat admiringly.

The wormhole engaged and the four travelers stepped up to the Stargate. Jack sighed and wondered how he was going to write a report on this particular mission. He looked over at Daniel standing beside him. Daniel looked concerned.

'Jack,' he whispered and his voice shook with alarm, 'look, it's over already.' And sure enough when Jack looked he could see snow clouds rolling over the blue sky.

Jack shrugged and took hold of Daniel's hand reassuringly. 'Just because it's over in this world,

doesn't mean squat,' he said enigmatically. Daniel wasn't the only one who could be difficult to

understand.

Daniel stared at Jack curiously.

THE END