The Commander's Discretion 4

Rehabilitation

by Euphrosyne

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ase/euphrosyne/discretion04.php
Summary: There are some Goa'uld even the System Lords shun. Daniel needs to know; Jack pays the price. Daniel navigates Jack's road to recovery

"I've put padding there to protect you; but you need to let me know if I hurt you."

"Just get on with it."

"Have you thought about what you are going to do with them yet?"

"Haven't given it too much thought, but I do have a couple of ideas. Aren't you done yet?"

"Colonel, I only just started on this one. You have to be a little patient, sir."

"Sorry, Siler, I just want these damn things off."

Janet watched Siler working on removing the platinum bracelets from O'Neill's wrists; he'd already removed the ones from the colonel's ankles. Jack was grousing about how long it was taking as if he actually had someplace else to go or something else to do. Unlike her; she was going to go get Cassie and go home. It had been almost three weeks since she had seen either. She wanted a shower, a hot meal, and her own bed, and just as soon as she finished her written report and turned it over to Hammond, she'd be working on that little list. Checking her own and Selva's hand-written notes, she looked back at the computer screen to see if she had missed anything, and began to make another entry.

****

"DANIEL! What happened?" Jack was still weak but he was alert and when Jackson came stumbling into the infirmary clutching a bloody towel to the side of his head, Jack sat straight up in bed, almost knocking Siler over. Two nurses rushed to Daniel and escorted him to a bed then began pulling on gloves and opening packs of compresses in an effort to locate and staunch the bleeding wound.

Janet had the presence of mind to save her report before she stood and approached the archeologist. Looking at O'Neill who had fallen back into the pillows, too weak to sit up for very long, she said, "You just rest, Colonel. Let me find out what's going on first."

She closed the curtain as she stepped behind it. For the next ten minutes nurses rushed in and out of the curtained cubicle.

Siler was grateful because it reduced the Colonel's comments on the bracelet removal operation. Siler, finally finished, gathered his hacksaws and left.

O'Neill lay in his bed watching the movement and hearing soft voices behind the curtain, clutching the four removed platinum bracelets in his fist. Janet finally came out and went immediately to Jack's bedside.

"He says he fell in the shower. Slipped on shower gel. He has a nasty laceration on his head that I'll need to suture and I want him to have a scan just to be sure he doesn't have a concussion. He says he's not hurt anywhere else, but he's moving pretty stiffly, so I'm not so sure. He'll have to stay here overnight in any case, just for observation."

"Can I see him?" Jack asked somewhat timidly.

"No, you cannot see him. I'm going to suture him and send him for a scan. After he comes back and is settled into bed, THEN you can see him. I'll even open the curtain. You make one move to get out of that bed I'll have Siler back in here welding those things back on so fast it'll make your head spin. Do you understand, Colonel?"

Janet's face was so serious; Jack had no trouble at all believing her threat. "Yes, Ma'am." Jack laid back and waited for the curtains to open, sliding the bracelets under his pillow. He fell asleep.

Sometime later, a chill awoke O'Neill as one of the nurses began the gastrostomy tube feeding, apologizing for waking him. Jack refused to watch, turning his head as far to the right as he could without moving the remainder of his body. Daniel was asleep in the next bed, a patch covering the sutured laceration on the left side of his head and a large scrape with bruising on his left cheek. His glasses were off and lying on the large closed book next to him. Jack watched him sleeping and dozed off.

The next time he awoke, another nurse was trying to get him to eat by telling him the sooner he did, the sooner the gastrostomy tube would come out. He was all for that and turned his attention to the tray in front of him; chicken broth, Kool-Aid, and green jello.

"Looks really appetizing, Jack"

O'Neill turned his face to see Daniel sitting up and eating what looked like a cheeseburger and fries and sipping from a large Starbuck's cup. "Where the hell did you get that, Jackson?"

"Sam got it for me. Oh, don't worry. She just went to get something for you after seeing what you have on your tray. She should be back any minute, Just relax." Daniel took another bite of burger and washed it down with a large swig of coffee. A few beats later, Carter walked into the infirmary and sat down between the two beds, smiling.

"Major."

"Colonel. How are you feeling?"

"Daniel tells me you went to get me something to eat. Where is it?"

"Oh, Teal'c has it; he'll be along in a second. How are you feeling, sir?"

"Hungry."

"Besides that?"

"A little tired, but mostly hungry." Teal'c came through the door carrying a covered tray. Sam pulled up another table and Teal'c carefully placed the tray on the table and lifted the cover. Jello of every color stood in tall sundae glasses, reflecting the infirmary fluorescents like jewels.

"I thought you were getting me something to eat?" O'Neill said sourly.

"Well, I know how you despise green jello, sir, so I got them to make every kind so you can find one you like. Janet said no solids until your tests are finished."

"Is that red strawberry or cherry?" O'Neill asked

"That one is, ah, let's see, that one is cranberry. This one..." Sam pointed to different glass, "is cherry."

"Got any raspberry?" Daniel asked

"Yes, Daniel. But the Colonel gets first choices, except for the blue one, that's mine." She said smiling.

"I want the cherry, the cranberry AND the raspberry." O'Neill demanded.

"Ah, come on Jack. You'll never eat all that. Let me have the raspberry, please?" Daniel batted his eyes at Jack who just shook his head from side to side.

"I'm the sick one, you're just clumsy." Jack responded as Carter parked the three glasses of jello in front of him. O'Neill looked up at the nurse and asked, "If I eat all three of these, can we take the tube out?"

"Sorry, Colonel. No deals. Now eat."

Jack managed two of the dishes of jello, falling asleep after two spoons from the third dish, the raspberry, the remainder of which was quickly passed to and inhaled by Daniel. Sam moved her chair closer to Daniel's bed so that being overheard by O'Neill was less risky. "All right, Daniel, what really happened?"

"I slipped on shower gel." Daniel had a serious look on his face, but Sam didn't really believe that story. That was the story he had told Janet and, ultimately, the General, but she wanted the truth. She feared that someone else had found out about Daniel and Kevin's little liaison onboard the Tokra ship and had taken the matter into their own hands. Teal'c also moved closer keeping one eye on the sleeping O'Neill.

"Daniel, that's a pretty lame story." Sam advised him

"It's the only story I have, Sam."

"Fine, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay. Just please, watch yourself."

****

The klaxons sounded an off-world activation, which made Daniel jump and O'Neill's eyelids flutter briefly. All eyes in the infirmary turned to O'Neill's bed, expecting the usually light-sleeping Colonel to awaken startled. When it failed to happen, they looked at each other instead, amazed at the lack of response.

Kevin Gorak came though the door and was surprised to find Daniel occupying the bed next to O'Neill; he walked up to the nurse at the desk and informed her that SG Three would be along for their post mission physicals after showering. She mumbled appropriate gratitude and moved off. Kevin moved towards O'Neill's bed, not taking his eyes off Daniel.

"Sam, how's the Colonel?" He walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder as he nodded to Teal'c.

"Hi, Kevin. He's doing okay. Siler got the bracelets off and he's had some jello. Other than that he's been sleeping."

"Probably best thing for him." Kevin mumbled, nodding and looking towards Daniel,

"Doctor Jackson, what happened to you?" His face was serious.

"I, uh, slipped on shower gel." Daniel looked nervous.

"Uh... okay, right. Are you gonna be all right?"

"Yeah, just a bump on the head. The Doc wants me to stay overnight."

"Not to mention the big gash she had to stitch up and the bruised up face," Sam added.

"But other than that, he's just fine. Except he won't tell me who did this." Sam stood up pushing the chair away and motioning for Kevin to sit. "I've got a couple of things in the lab that I need to check on." She looked over to reassure herself that O'Neill was indeed asleep ands didn't overhear their conversation. She leaned closer to Kevin's ear and whispered, "Kevin, find out what really happened, who did this to him, and take care of it. He's not going to spill to me."

"No problem, Sam." Kevin nodded and Carter leaned over to check if O'Neill was still asleep. Satisfied, she left.

Kevin sat down next to Daniel's bed, elbows on knees,leaning forward. "So, Daniel, we need to talk if you have a few minutes now..."

"Kevin, I'm not sure that this is the right place for that talk."

"This will do just fine; I'm not a drama queen, Daniel." Daniel turned to look Kevin in the eyes "I'm sorry, Kevin. I didn't mean to lead you on and I certainly never intended for what happened to happen. I don't honestly think either of us was thinking with our brains at the time. I can't have a relationship with you; I just can't, and believe me it's not because I don't like you. It's just...I can't. That's all."

"Does he know how you feel about him?" Kevin looked at his hands watching his fingers move in between each other.

"Who? What?" Daniel did a double take.

"I said, 'Does he know how you feel about him?'" Kevin looked up at Daniel again, watching his eyes dart between Kevin's face and the book in his own lap as if looking for a portal to open and allow him escape.

"Does who know?"

"O'Neill."

Daniel took a deep breath "Ahh, that would be no, actually."

"You ARE going to tell him, aren't you?" Kevin held Daniel's gaze now.

"Not till this stuff is all over. Besides, I don't know that he'll still be interested after everything that's happened to him."

"So, he's been interested in the past?" Kevin lifted an eyebrow.

"Yesss, ah no, why? Is it important to you?" Daniel was flustered at his own answer, appalled that he'd give that much information away.

"Why is it important to you, Kevin?"

"Because I want to know if I stand a chance with you." Kevin scrubbed his face with his hands, a motion so familiar to Daniel that his eyes automatically looked to the man in the bed next to his.

Jack's eyes were open and he was watching Daniel and Kevin's conversation, although how much, if any, he could hear was questionable.

"Jack!" Daniel said brightly, forcing a smile, "how are you feeling?"

"Colonel." Kevin said as he turned in his chair. Jack looked him up and down as if trying to place him, then rasped "Major, Daniel" Jack closed his eyes and rolled over with a groan to face away from the little tableau that he had wakened to.

"Maybe you should leave now, Kevin. I'm kinda tired."

"Daniel, please. At least tell me who hurt you." Kevin's voice was soft but urgent now.

Daniel sighed, "I told you, Kevin. I fell in the shower. Please."

Kevin stood and glanced back to where O'Neill lay quietly facing away from them, then towards Daniel sitting with his eyes lowered.

"Fine. I'll find out myself. Please be careful Daniel." He turned and left.

Jack didn't wake any more that evening, at least not to Daniel's knowledge. He kept watching for any indication that the soldier was awake so they could talk about what Jack had seen. When the nurses checked his vital signs and did his tube-feeding Daniel was certain he was awake, but he didn't speak when spoken to and didn't open his eyes. All the nurses answered Daniel's questions in the same manner, a shrug of the shoulders.

It was early morning, Daniel was certain because they hadn't turned up the lights in the infirmary yet, they were still low, trying to impose some sense of diurnal sequence in the unfortunate occupants of the subterranean medical facility. He looked in the direction of Jack's bed, and grabbed for his glasses, wincing as the stem of the frame brushed the bruises and lumps on the side of his head. He sat up immediately and beckoned a nurse.

"Where's Colonel O'Neill?" He asked urgently.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," she said "Colonel O'Neill died during the night. They think it was because of the drug they gave him on Lanka." She patted his arm.

"WHAT?"

"I'm sorry Doctor Jackson. We did all we could."

"NO" Daniel shook his head, trembling now. "NO!"

"NOOOO! Aw, god, NO!" Daniel just shook; the only word escaping his lips was a litany of sorrowful 'no's.

"Doctor, are you all right?"

"Doctor Jackson, are you all right? You're okay, Doctor. You're safe, it's just a dream."

"Wha-aat?" Daniel opened his eyes to a different nurse's face, one with great concern in her eyes, too. Daniel looked over to...

Where Jack's bed had been and screamed, "NOOOO!"

"Shh, Daniel. What's wrong?" Sam came running to his bedside from the doorway.

"Jack. Where's Jack?" Daniel choked on the words.

"He's gone for the colonoscopy, Doctor." The nurse looked down at her watch. "As a matter of fact, he's been gone a while, too. Should be back anytime. Unless they ran into problems. Why don't you relax and drink this lovely cup of what smells like hazelnut cappuccino that Major Carter brought you and I'll just call around to recovery to find out, okay?"

Daniel swallowed hard and nodded. Sam sat down at his bedside. "Are you sure you're all right, Daniel? You were pretty upset there. What happened?"

"God! It was a dream! I- I woke up and Jack's bed was gone, and I asked the nurse and she said..." Daniel choked on the mere thought "she said that Jack had died during the night and then when the nurse woke me and Jack's bed was gone... I panicked."

"It's okay, Daniel. We've all been through a lot; I had a few doosies last night, too. Got me shaking for a while." Sam smiled and put the cardboard carrier with the four large coffees on Daniel's bedside table. She took one out and handed it over. "Lieutenant Amaral's got a good nose on her. It's chocolate hazelnut cappuccino."

"We need four coffees, Sam?"

"Well, I figured between you, me, and Teal'c we'd make short work of these. The fourth can be for Janet or whoever gets there first." Sam smirked. Teal'c came in just as Lieutenant Amaral returned with her report.

"Well, the Colonel's out and they're just doing a couple of scans and he'll be back here in about an hour. He's fine, Doctor, really."

"Thanks, Lieutenant." Sam replied for all three while Daniel gulped greedily at his coffee and Teal'c looked like he was waiting for that clue bus that Daniel frequently missed.

"Was there a problem with O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.

"No, Teal'c Daniel just had a bad dream and panicked when he woke up and the Colonel's bed was gone."

"All will be well, DanielJackson."

"Uh, Thanks, Teal'c"

****

Janet sat in one of the two chairs in the front of Hammond's desk. Hammond was standing, his back towards her as he poured them each a cup of coffee from the machine in the corner of his office. He turned and came back towards the desk, placing a cup in front of each of the doctors.

"So, Doctor Warner, what's Colonel O'Neill's condition?" Warner glanced up from the report he was still writing and looked first at Janet and then at Hammond. "Well, sir, I'm actually kind of surprised at the amount of recent damage. There were three large rectal lacerations that we were able to repair because of the incredible job of that Asgaard antibiotic. From what Janet tells me, the kind and amount of drainage the Colonel had prior to his arrival at the SGC was indicative of a nearly gangrenous bowel. I think we are heavily indebted to the Asgaard, because, frankly, I'm not sure even O'Neill would have been able to withstand the extent of surgery he would have required just to save his life."

Warner shook his head in disbelief; Hammond just sat hands folded in front of him listening intently. "I only wish we had some more to analyze." Warner added.

Janet suddenly sat taller, "Uh, as a matter of fact, Howard, Lieutenant Selva had the presence of mind to dispose of the syringes and vial that had held the medicine in a separate container from our other biohazard stuff so that we could analyze any residue."

"Excellent, Doctor." Hammond was pleased. "That was very smart of her," he added and Warner nodded in agreement.

"She might have been green when she left, but she's a force to be reckoned with now, I'll tell you. As a matter of fact, General, I would like written commendations put on the records of all three of them, Lieutenant Selva, as well as Corpsmen Chaney and Cimino. They really went above and beyond. The Colonel would be long dead if not for their caring and devotion."

Hammond nodded and looked to Warner who nodded in agreement. "You write it up Doctor, I'm sure we can probably do better than just written commendations, though."

Janet smiled broadly, "That would mean a lot, sir. You'll have them by end of day tomorrow."

"Doctor."

"Yes, sir?"

"Make it the end of the week. You all need some rest and with your agreement, I think Doctor Warner can take over the Colonel's care for a few days till you all get some rest."

"Yes, sir. The end of the week will be fine, sir."

Janet then looked at Warner "I'll have the container with the syringes and bottle brought to your office as soon as we're done here. Maybe there's enough left that we can make a start on duplicating it. I still want to pinch myself, thinking it was too good to be true."

"It would certainly be a boost to the crusade for new antibiotics, we're getting too close." Janet nodded in agreement and Hammond looked from one face to the other, hoping one of his physicians would let him in without a secret handshake.

"Doctors?"

"Well, sir..." Janet started, "the world has pretty much run out of new antibiotics and the organisms are becoming resistant to the ones we have, so this has the potential to be the big weapon we've been looking for."

Hammond grinned "So you're saying that some good may have actually come out of all this and O'Neill may have finally gotten his hands on a huge honkin space gun, of sorts." They all laughed now

"Sort of Colonel O'Neill's magic bullet." Hammond added.

"He'll want it named after him you know." Janet added still laughing.

"It would have to be..." Warner said, "There's already a drug called THOR- azine." Hammond and Frasier both groaned at the line.

"Don't you two have patients to take care of or something?" Hammond asked, effectively ending the meeting.

"Yes, sir." Both physicians said as they stood.

"Then you'd better get to it." The two doctors headed for the door.

"Doctor Frasier, one more moment please."

Janet closed the door after Warner and sat back down. "Yes, sir" There was no question in her voice, just acceptance that this was 'the' question she didn't want to try to answer.

"You were a little vague in your report, deliberately so, I think. What is Jack's mental state?"

Janet's hand went to the back of her neck and rubbed a moment as she thought of how to give the morsel of information she had to her Commander without condemning her friend to the hands of what would no doubt be a long procession of therapists and treatment modalities that would remove every brick of O'Neill's long and painfully constructed foundation. "Honestly, General, I really haven't had that much time with him coherent to make that judgment. But, I would like to be the one to find out. If he remembers, then just maybe he'll open up to me knowing I saw the extent of the physical damage. If he doesn't then, I think, forcing him into any kind of therapy could be detrimental to his emotional health. Some things are better left buried, General."

She looked up at the man who she just knew was much more attached to his second-in-command then he should be, in the fine tradition of the SGC. Hammond just nodded, "See if you can find out just how much and what kind of help he does need, Doctor. Trust me, this command, as well as me personally, owe him too much to see him fed to the wolves over this. Get back to me when you have a better idea."

"Yes, sir." Janet stood and left, hoping that she could give the general the kind of answer he wanted to hear, the kind they all wanted to hear.

****

Heat, searing heat, filled him. Mehta moved against his back, strong arms wrapped around him, two fingers rolled a hard nipple tugging at the ring. He moaned and pushed back in time with the thrusts that filled him seeking more. "Please." He whispered.

"Jack? Can you hear me?"

"Please, finish me."

Daniel sat up straight from where he had been leaning over O'Neill's bed trying to soothe the tossing and turning man.

"Jack?"

The searing heat still filled him and the hands caressed, the hands were large with thick long fingers, familiar; Mehta. The voice was not Mehta. Mehta always called him Vasu or my love never by the old name.

"Ahh, ple-ase."

"Jack wake up now, please?" Daniel laid his hand along the side of the face stroking; hoping touch would achieve what voice had not. Jack leaned into the touch, lips opening in a soundless sigh.

"My lord, please"

Daniel blanched; Jack was dreaming of that place, that man. He didn't sound tortured and abused. Daniel's mind spun, for him the thought that Jack could have enjoyed any of that time was beyond belief.

"Daniel, are you alright?" Janet Fraiser walked up and looked at the monitors displaying various vital signs for easy reading, then laid her small fingers across O'Neill's wrist anyway as if to reassure herself that the monitors weren't lying. Daniel looked up at her with a small smile. "I'm fine, Janet. How's Jack?"

"Well his vitals are strong; Doctor Warner managed to repair the internal damage, thanks to the Asgaard medicine. Oh, here..." She fished a large platinum ring out of her lab coat pocket. "Doctor Warner removed it while Jack was asleep. Since we don't know how much he'll remember, we don't want to have to explain its presence. I noticed you took the others."

Daniel accepted the ring and put it in his pocket. "I got the ones Siler cut off, too. I'll wait to see what he wants to do with them, if he wants them at all." Daniel said. Janet nodded and continued, "His scans look pretty good. I think we'll be giving him the second Asgaard medicine later today. I'd like him a little more awake first in order to be able to check any reaction, though. Has he been awake yet?"

"Uh, well. He was muttering a few moments ago, but he didn't respond when I called his name so, no. I guess not."

"Well that's alright, Daniel. Don't worry. He's been through a lot and is still very weak, so I would expect him to be a little slower in coming round than usual. Just give it a little longer and if he still hasn't shown signs of waking up, we'll give him some medicine to reverse the effects of the drugs we used. He's gonna be just fine, Daniel. You'll see." Janet walked up behind Daniel and put her hands on his shoulders, beginning a massaging motion. "Just hang in there, Daniel. Hang in there."

****

A few hours later Jack awoke, turned his head and found himself looking directly into the sleeping face of his heart's desire.

"Daniel" He rasped reaching for the bristly face. Jack ran a fingertip down the line of the jaw, something he craved doing on a regular basis. The eyes opened and looked directly into his, a sleepy smile formed.

"Hi. How are you feeling, Jack?"

"Sleepy. And you?"

"Me, too. We need to talk, if you feel up to it." Daniel started to lift his head.

"No, please don't" Jack pleaded.

"I've got to Jack, my neck is stiff."

"That's not what I meant, Daniel." Jack said putting his hand down.

"Then, no, what?" Daniel felt he had missed something.

"Not here. I don't want to talk here. Please?" Jack turned his head away from Daniel.

"S'okay, Jack. It'll keep." Daniel laid a hand on the Jack's shoulder, and patted gently. Then he sat up and stretched his arms out, rotating his head to restore the full range of motion into his cramped muscles.

"Thirsty, I'm thirsty." Jack's husky voice was just barely audible.

"Here..." Daniel fumbled briefly then steadied the cup and pushed the straw to Jack's lips, allowing him to drink the cold water

"Oh good, Colonel, you're awake." Janet walked up to Jack's bedside with the ever-present chart in her hands. "Daniel, could you excuse us for a few minutes? Why don't you go get something to eat, check back in about an hour."

Janet's tone left no room for argument. Jack and Daniel looked at each other. Then, Jack nodded and closed his eyes. Daniel handed the cup to Janet and, turning to look at Jack again briefly, nodded and left.

"So, Doc?" Jack looked into Janet's face for some kind of clue as to what it was she wanted to talk about, but found none. Her face was a complete blank. That worried him. He knew the petite Doctor had one of the best poker faces he had ever seen from years of medical practice and having to remain detached while delivering bad news, but usually there was the tiniest of sparks in her eyes that gave away how she really felt.

O'Neill saw none of that now. Her expression was as blank as that of any of the slaves in service on Lanka. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly for a moment, refusing to allow the memories to come back, knowing if he permitted those memories to surface, they would drag him so deep they'd turn him right over to Mackenzie and he'd be forever lost.

Janet moved around the bed, checking the intravenous drip and slightly adjusting its rate, smoothing a wrinkled sheet, leaning down to check the level in the Foley drainage bag. Jack saw an opening there. "Think I'll be able to get rid of that thing soon, Doc?"

Janet smiled up at him and said, "We'll see how it goes over night, Colonel. Maybe tomorrow. I'd like to have you on something a little closer to a regular diet before we start discontinuing things, willy-nilly."

Jack raised an eyebrow and smirked at her, "Willy-nilly, Doc?" Jack smiled, "That's a new one for you, isn't it?"

"Well, you know me, Colonel. Always like to keep current with the latest expressions." She smiled back and sat down in the chair that was just vacated by Daniel. "So, Colonel, how are you feeling? Really?" She asked. He knew it was coming, that there was no way to avoid it, and he had steeled himself for it, prepared.

"Tired, a little tired, but otherwise okay. Why? And more importantly, when can I go home?"

She knew it was coming, that he would ask at some point during their conversation she just didn't think it would be so soon. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Colonel, I can't believe you just..."

"Hey, Doc, just wanted all the formalities out of the way. Now what did we need to talk about?" Jack grinned broadly.

Janet opened her eyes and saw the sparkle back in those root beer colored eyes and laughed. "One day, O'Neill. One day." Janet leaned forward and placed a small hand on Jack's forearm. "Exactly how much do you remember, Colonel?"

"Not much, Doc"

"Well, tell me what the first thing was you DO remember?" She sat back and crossed her legs, folding her hands in her lap.

Jack sighed, then closed his eyes briefly and relaxed his features. "I remember waking up and you lecturing me about being manipulative. Daniel was there and Lieutenant Selva and you telling me that the medicine was from Thor and it was gonna make me better."

"What's the last thing you remember before that?"

"The ambush in the temple on P-whatever."

"Is that all?" Janet asked.

"You mean there was more?"

"Colonel? You don't remember what happened to you on Lanka?"

"Where's that?"

"That's the planet they took you to after the ambush, Lanka. You don't remember anything that happened while you were on Lanka?" Janet was hopeful now.

"I'm sorry, Doc. I don't even remember Lanka; let alone what happened on it. Is it important?"

"No, Colonel, it's not important at all. Don't worry about it. But we do need to discuss one more issue" She got up and closed the curtain. "I need to show you something and I don't want you to panic. She pulled the sheet down and the hospital gown up, until the lotus tattoo was exposed. Jack knew he needed to temper his response, too little or too much and the ploy would be lost.

"What the hell...?" Jack remarked, apparently startled. "Is that what I think it is?"

"I'm afraid so, Colonel. While you were on Lanka, you were the property of Ravana's First Prime Mehta. The tattoo is in platinum, like the bracelets and anklets you wore. It must have been very painful when it was done?"

"Can't tell you, Doc, but you'd think I'd remember something like that? Don'tcha?"

Fraiser was surprised and relieved, and hoping that the second Asgaard medicine would not restore the missing memories.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Colonel. Like I said, we CAN remove it. I would just prefer to wait for a little while to let you get your strength back, then we'll worry about it. I'm sorry we couldn't remove it while you were asleep, but your infection was so bad, I was having a hard enough time just keeping you alive., and even THAT was a lot tougher than I had planned.."

"S'okay, Doc. I'll live with it for a while." Jack reached down with a forefinger and poked at the metal lotus sign just above his shaved pubis, "Looks like they didn't have much use for pubic hair either ...HEY!" Jack knew he was headed over the top with this next ploy, "They shaved my chest! Dammit, that's REALLY gonna itch!"

Janet laughed "You think the chest is gonna itch, you haven't seen anything yet!" She laughed "You're gonna be twitching like you've got ants in your pants while that pubic hair grows back."

"Peachy, just peachy."

"I'm gonna go get the second Asgaard medicine and we'll give you that. Thor said it would remove any residual effects of the drugs, but you need to let me know if causes any changes that you can feel. Okay?"

"Yeah, Doc, sure." Jack sighed.

Janet stood and went to the bedside. Laying a small hand to Jack's cheek, she tilted his face up slightly. "Jack, what's bothering you?"

O'Neill closed his eyes briefly and then opened them. "What's bothering me is that I can't remember a damn thing about any of it, but you guys are going to turn me over to Mackenzie anyway and he's gonna dig around in my head and dredge up shit I've worked hard to get past. Then he's gonna mess me up just enough to make me no good to anybody. That's what's bothering me, Doc."

"Don't worry, Colonel. Doctor Warner and I have already discussed things with General Hammond, and I don't think you're gonna have to worry."

"Yeah, that's just what we said to Daniel before they locked him up in the rubber room, too. I have faith in you, Warner, and Hammond. I also know that faith is frequently the roadkill of military regulations, so you'll pardon me if I don't get up and do a little poofda dance here just yet." O'Neill was grim faced.

"Roadkill? Poofda dance? Maybe I better get that medicine now, Colonel. You obviously have some underlying residual effects from the other drugs. I'll be right back." Janet walked away shaking her head at O'Neill's unique choice of words. But she agreed with the sentiment

Janet injected the full dose of the second Asgaard medicine directly into Jack's intravenous line, watching him carefully for any obvious reactions. For Jack's part, he felt suddenly cold and dizzy but nothing spectacular. Then he became sleepy and his eyes began to droop.

****

"Colonel. Colonel O'Neill. Can you open your eyes for me, sir?" Janet kept her fingers on the pulse she had assessed much more frequently of late than she ever wanted to. Jack's eyes popped open and focused straight ahead. "Colonel?" she said, softer now.

Jack's eyes tracked the voice and he looked at the concern on her face. "Doc?"

"Colonel, you've been asleep for nearly twenty-four hours it's time to wake up now."

"Wha?"

"I said, you've been asleep for almost twenty-four hours, wouldn't you like to wake up now?"

"'Kay, M' awake" His eyes drifted shut again.

"Right, colonel. That's what you said the last four times we tried to wake you, too."

Janet walked away from the bed, shaking her head in disbelief. They had put out an urgent call for Thor after the first twelve hours of death-like sleep had past. The nursing staff had gone back to turning him every two hours, like they had done on the trip home, to avoid any pressure sores on his still too thin body. Once again, he was subsisting on tube feedings and intravenous solutions, too little nutrition to prevent muscle loss in an already malnourished body.

Uncharacteristically, he hadn't even responded to painful stimuli. In short, Janet was worried. She regretted ever giving him the second Asgaard medication. 'He had been doing fairly well before that,' she thought. She turned back towards the nurse's station, glancing up to see the remainder of SG1 standing in the doorway. She didn't need to check her watch, they had appeared every two hours around the clock since she had given Jack the second alien drug; she couldn't get rid of them. They looked up at her hopefully. She shook her head and continued walking.

Well, things had gotten a little better; at least now he did respond for tiny periods of time and seemed lucid in his responses. She was more and more tempted to try giving him a stimulant, but was afraid to counteract the alien drug in any way. For all she knew, this was the normal response, since Thor had manufactured these drugs with knowledge of the specific problems O'Neill faced. She would just have to wait it out in hopes that the Asgaard commander would answer their call.

Faces, young and old but mostly male, came to him. Names went with some, others just moved through his mind, on a continuing loop. Hands on him. He lay face down across the high bench with someone leaning on him. Rough hands, all over him, parting his buttocks, making him ready. Ready for what? His arms were tied down, he pulled against the restraints. They were thrusting into him, he moaned, at the pain.

"Shh, Jack. You're all right. It's okay, you've just been asleep."

Fingers, moving in him. They were opening him for who? For what? It's name... he knew the name..

"Jack, you're gonna be okay. Janet just has to remove some packing that Doctor Warner had to use. She'll be done soon."

"Dann, Dan-ny" he moaned.

Daniel looked up into Janet Fraiser's face as she worked to remove the rectal packing that had been inserted in the Operating Room after the damage had been repaired.

"Augh, please, no more." Jack moaned and Daniel looked up into Janet's eyes in a panic.

"Daniel, it has to be done. It's going to be uncomfortable no matter when I do it. Just hang in there I'm almost done." Janet was working as gently and as quickly as she could. Daniel understood that, he just didn't like to see the usually strong and stoic O'Neill reduced to pleading... for anything or in pain and he was doing both now. Daniel looked down at the sleeping face of his friend, tears now squeezing from between tightly closed lids.

"There, he should be a lot more comfortable now. I just wish he'd wake up" Janet gathered the remainder of her supplies and equipment and, pulling the sheet and blanket back across Jack's back, she left the curtained off area, allowing Daniel and Jack to be alone in the cubicle.

Daniel leaned in and brushed Jack's face with a knuckle as he whispered, "S'Okay, Jack. She's done. It's all over, you can relax now. Shh" Daniel leaned forward and brushed back a swatch of gray hair from Jack's forehead briefly toying with the idea of following the touches with kisses. He combed through the longer than usual silver strands with his fingers, reveling in being allowed this much touch, trying to memorize every silken strand to fuel his fantasies later, while he lay in the dark. He glanced down and saw deep brown eyes gazing at him, his hand dropped to the bed, guilty.

"Dan'l" The sleep thickened voice immediately brought a wide smile to his face.

"How ya' doin' now Jack? Better?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm okay... now." Daniel responded "You had us worried there for a while, then we figured out you were just going for the Guinness Record for unassisted sleep. Save your strength . Three days, you've been asleep for three days. And I don't mind telling you, it's been a frantic three days around here, Sleeping Beauty. We didn't know if you were supposed to be sleeping that long, so we had to try to get in touch with Thor, which we finally did yesterday. After he assured Janet and Warner that the sleep was a normal response and not to worry, things have been a little quieter."

O'Neill smiled a small half smile, "Wha-at?" Daniel grinned down, trying to decipher the inside joke of a smile now playing across Jack's features.

"Could'a tried a kiss." was the whispered answer.

Daniel's face lit up. "Now why didn't I think of that!"

Jack's eyes closed in a long blink.

"Still feelin' sleepy." He muttered and closed them again. Then he lifted one lid, barely, and smiled, then closed his eyes and blanked his expression. Daniel knew when he was being bated, and he looked around and at the base of the curtains surrounding the bed to see if any one was near enough to barge in, then leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the forehead like he'd wanted to do earlier. Then leaned immediately back and looked down into the deep brown eyes, wider and browner than he'd ever seen them before.

"You called?" Jack rasped with a smile. The tap, tap of approaching heels signaled their privacy was about to end and Daniel sat back, moving his hands into more appropriate positions. Janet peeked first, then seeing O'Neill awake, grinned and entered.

"Welcome home, Colonel. I'm so glad to see you finally awake. How are you feeling, and before you say anything, I would like to state, for the record, that 'tired' will NOT be an accepted response." She wagged a finger in a mock scolding.

"Thirsty." Jack smiled back.

"Now, THAT'S better. I can deal with that. I'll get you some water..."

"DOC!..." the volume was approaching normal, but the voice still lacked its normal power that would incite fear in the corpsman and nurses of the SGC. Fraiser spun on her heel and turned to face her personal paw thorn.

"Wha-at?" She responded in kind and Jack was so stunned that it took a moment for him to gather his thoughts, a moment during which he began to shake, sending Daniel into a panic until he figured out that Jack was laughing, silently, but laughing none the less.

"Could I get juice instead?" Jack's raspy voice was broken with laughter.

"I'll see what I can do, Colonel."

****

Three days later, the rasp was gone and the voice was at nearly full power. The Foley was out and the gastrostomy tube and platinum tattoo were the only indicators that there had ever been a problem. Everyone's favorite worst patient had returned and was once again entertaining the troops and making a general nuisance of himself.

O'Neill's recovery was more a group effort than anything. Almost everyone in the facility had attempted to contribute to his gaining his weight and strength back in some way. When his diet went from bland to normal, it was celebrated in the infirmary by a large portion of homemade chicken with dumplings, courtesy of Lieutenant Selva who seemed to believe that returning the Colonel to health and duty was her personal grail. Between her and Corpsman Cimino's mother, it was decided that O'Neill would not suffer the pains of infirmary food if it could be helped. The infirmary saw a steady stream of casseroles and family specialties, baked goods and fast food. And for once, Jack O'Neill could not complain about the cuisine he was subject to.

He did tire easily, as Thor said he would during his last conversation with Fraiser. After her panics over the effects of the second medicine, the alien had begun to do frequent status checks on his human friend's condition, to the gratitude of the earth physician. Doctor Warner was ready to remove the gastrostomy tube and then O'Neill would be ready to go home.

Janet saw no evidence that O'Neill had any memories of his treatment while a prisoner of the Demon Ravana, but knew she would have to give General Hammond certain assurances before he would allow the Colonel to leave the Mountain. She wasn't looking forward to it, but agreed it had to be done and knew, if it was her, she would prefer it to be done by a friend in familiar surroundings rather than a shrink in a clinical setting.

Janet bribed O'Neill into her office with a small plate of his most favorite brownies, made especially for him by Cassie. She held the door open as he went to the foil wrapped plate on the desk and picked it up, then closed and locked the door. When she turned she expected to see the brown eyes boring into her, what she saw instead was Jack O'Neill sitting in the chair in front of her desk plate in one hand and half eaten brownie in the other, looking all over the ceiling as if searching for something. She, of course, fell for it and looked up at the ceiling to see what was so interesting.

"Colonel, what are you looking for?"

"The snare..." he said through a mouthful of brownie.

"The what?" Now Janet was confused.

"The snare. This was SO obviously a trap." He continued to munch, taking another brownie and putting the plate back on the corner of Fraiser's desk.

"I'm sorry, Colonel. I just didn't think you'd be very cooperative. But we need to have a little talk about a few things."

"You told Daniel, didn't you?" he looked straight in her face, becoming suddenly still.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it was necessary."

"Not good enough, Doc."

"Because he was killing himself with guilt. I don't think he would have survived the mission otherwise. He wasn't thinking clearly, he needed a focus, you were it, and that part was easy."

"You had no right."

"I know. But like I said, it was necessary."

"Not your call." Jack shook his head. "You betrayed a confidence, you're always spouting patient physician confidentiality, yet the first time things get a little rough, you spill your guts."

"That's not fair, Jack." Fraiser could feel the tears burning to be released, but held on tight. She deserved this; he had trusted her with his greatest secret.

"What's not fair, Janet? Who else did you tell?"

"No one, I swear."

"You swear? I'm sorry, but that doesn't mean very much in this context. See, I trusted you and you blew it. I know you saved my life, again, and I'm grateful, I just don't think we can ever get back what was lost." Jack was finished the brownie and was now examining the thread count in his blue hospital pajamas.

"I'm sorry to have betrayed your trust Jack. And I admit it was for purely selfish reasons. But I would do it again, in that situation..."

"Are we done here?" Jack interrupted. Janet looked up, surprised that he would assume their conversation over.

"NO, no, ah, we are most certainly NOT done" Janet scrambled.

"I don't think there's a lot more to say." Jack started to stand.

"If you leave this room now, I can't guarantee who you'll be talking with tomorrow, Colonel. If you want to go home, I'd advise you to take a seat." Janet stood and was pointing to the chair where he'd been sitting.

"Is that a threat, Doc? Are you threatening a senior officer?" Jack turned and glared at the petite woman.

"Yes, Colonel. It was and I am. Now SIT DOWN!"

Jack sat down unhappily and stared at her.

"We need to talk so I can finish my medical report. Very simply, I finish my medical report, you get to go home. Don't give me grief on this, Jack. I'm protecting you."

"Yeah, right, like you protected my confidence. I'm doomed"

"I know you're angry; you have every right to be. You're hurt and absolutely correct. I spout patient confidentiality in my sleep, but the first time it's inconvenient for me to keep a confidence I forget all about that rule. We need to set that issue aside right now and focus on other things."

"Like?" The sarcastic edge returned quickly to his voice.

"What's the first thing you remember after your abduction?"

"We've been through this before."

"Yeah, well we're going to go through it again. Unless you would prefer to be transferred to the Academy Hospital where you can take it up with someone else?"

"Mackenzie." O'Neill practically spat the name.

"Mackenzie." Janet answered.

****

"Doctor, something I can do for you?" Hammond stood and motioned for Fraiser to take a seat.

"I have that report for you, sir."

"Well, Doctor, what's our next step? Where does he go from here?" Hammond folded his hands on his desk and looked intently at the expressionless Janet Fraiser.

"Well, sir, I think he probably goes home from here. I see no need to subject him to a psychological inquisition. I believe we can wait and see. I don't think he remembers much if anything of the entire abduction. He seems stable, emotionally, as well as physically and aside from gaining back his weight and stamina, which he can do better at home than here, I see no reason to keep him any longer. Doctor Warner removed the gastrostomy tube and the only physical intervention that he still needs is removal of the platinum tattoo. Which is purely HIS choice and he'd rather wait..."

"Why?" Hammond interrupted.

"Basically, sir, I think the Colonel's just tired of being in the mountain and wants to go home. He may choose not to remove it at all, just too much of an annoyance to have it cut out, and may not even be noticeable once his pubic hair grows back."

"So, bottom line, Doctor?"

"Bottom line, General, Doctor Warner and I are planning on discharging the Colonel tomorrow morning. Provided he can have someone stay with him for a week or so."

Hammond smiled and nodded reaching to a paper sitting atop his in- basket.

"That's what I thought THIS might be about." He pushed the paper towards Janet.

She looked puzzled and picked it up, recognizing it as a civilian leave request form.

"Doctor Jackson has requested a month's leave effective with Colonel O'Neill's discharge from the infirmary, I haven't as yet approved it. I wanted to talk to you first."

"I think it's a wonderful idea, sir. The Colonel's going to need a minimum of a month's medical leave to get his strength back, maybe more. Certainly Doctor Jackson has at least that much leave time accrued, and he's been working way too hard himself. He could use the time off. I'm sure he'd make himself available for consultations or come in incase of an emergency, AND this may actually give him time to do some of the more extensive translations he's been putting off..."

Hammond held up a hand.

"I take it Doctor Jackson already consulted you on this?" Hammond smiled.

"Ah, yes, sir. We DID discuss it, sir." Janet was matter of fact.

"I'm sure you did, Doctor, I'm sure you did. You feel confident that Doctor Jackson will be able to handle Colonel O'Neill's care?"

"Well, sir, I don't think the Colonel will actually require all that much CARE per se. I would just prefer someone be there with the Colonel until he regains his strength. Right now, he's still weak and has very limited endurance. AND as we BOTH know the Colonel's gonna do whatever he wants to when he gets home. So, I'd really rather somebody be there to pick him up when he falls over mowing the lawn tomorrow afternoon." Janet smiled broadly.

"Yes, Doctor, I see your point. I agree and think perhaps Doctor Jackson being there will prevent the Colonel from doing anything silly." Hammond laughed.

Now Janet laughed, "Oh, I doubt THAT seriously, General. It will just be easier for Daniel to pick him up and put him to bed when he falls over WHILE doing anything silly."

Hammond nodded in agreement. "Alright, Doctor. The Colonel's discharge to home is set for tomorrow. Will you also advise Doctor Jackson that his leave request is approved. Also please let him know that he's to be sure both his pager and cell are in working order, as we will consider him in an 'on call' status effective immediately. I'm sure he's going to want to go shopping to lay in some supplies. If I know Jack, the only thing in his fridge right now are beer, mayonnaise and butter." Hammond started to laugh again "Of course as well as Jack's been fed here lately he may not WANT to go home."

"Oh, I don't think he'll have any trouble leaving even the haute cuisine he's been getting lately to go home." Fraiser laughed as she stood and headed to the office door.

"Thank you, General. I'll let Daniel know. You're right, he was planning on grocery shopping on the way home tonight. I think he's going over there to clean a little."

"Now that IS funny, Doctor, like Jack O'Neill's house ever needed more than dusting!" Hammond waved her away and scrawled his signature onto the approval line of Daniel's leave request and put it in his 'out' box.

****

Jack came out from behind the curtains wearing a sweatshirt and jeans that had been brought in by Daniel. He knew the jeans were his, they just never fit that loosely before and he practically swam in the sweatshirt. At least his shoes still fit. He walked to the nurse's station and immediately sat down across from Lieutenant Selva, looking tired already.

"Are you okay, sir?"

"I'm fine Lieutenant..." then, looking down at his attire he laughed "I just wish Daniel would have brought me my own clothes to go home in, I don't know where he got these..."

Daniel came up behind him and laid a strong hand on his shoulder, "I got them from YOUR closet, Jack."

O'Neill smiled, "I guess I lost a little weight, huh?"

"More than a little, Colonel," Janet chimed in as she came around the corner. "As a matter of fact, if you don't put at least twenty pounds back on, I can't authorize your return to active duty. You're up ten from when you came in, see that it keeps going up, and if I even hear a whisper that your trying to go for a run you're back here in a heartbeat. Do you understand?" She had THAT look again, the one that allowed no argument.

"Yes, ma'am" Jack knew the only way out was through Fraiser. So he caved.

"Does he have his meds, Anita?" She looked to the Colonel's personal nurse now.

"Yes, ma'am, they're right here and he knows about the dosing on the supplements."

"Good. Then get the hell out of my infirmary, Colonel, and let my staff regain their sanity will you?"

At that, Jack stood and waved his farewells to the infirmary staff. In a completely out of character moment, he leaned over and kissed Selva on the cheek, whispering his thanks for everything. She blushed crimson and looked right back down at her paperwork. "Come on Daniel, you heard the lady. Get me out of here."

In another surprise move, O'Neill sat right down in the wheelchair in front of Janet and allowed himself to be wheeled to the elevators. He managed to stand for the length of the two elevator rides to the surface and walked slowly to Daniel's car, leaning heavily on the car while waiting for Daniel to open the door for him. Daniel pushed the seat all the way back to accommodate Jack's long legs and helped him secure the seat belt. Reclining the seat slightly, Jack put his window all the way down, all but sticking his head out of the window like a dog to get at the fresh air.

****

Daniel didn't say anything, he knew the feeling, the craving for non- recirculated, non-filtered air. He glanced over frequently during the drive and made the mistake of closing the window as his friend slept with the wind in his face and hair. Daniel had a brief flash of a sailboat and a breezy day and shook his head to lose the thought, he closed the window and Jack's eyes opened immediately, breaking Daniel's reverie.

"Oh, sorry, Jack. I thought you were asleep. You want it open?"

"Please." Was O'Neill's only response. The remainder of the ride was silent. Daniel was uncertain if Jack was sleeping and didn't want to disturb him if he was. The chill mountain air brought some sorely needed color into his friend's cheeks and Daniel's thoughts were again returned to sailing. The ride to Jack's house was thankfully shorter than usual, the rush hour being well past. Finally Daniel turned into Jack's driveway, pulling up behind Jack's truck which he and Sam had taken pains to return there the day before.

"Jack..." Daniel started to tell the man that he was home, but saw his eyes already open and a smile on his face.

"Thanks for the lift, Daniel." Jack unbuckled the seat belt.

"OH, GOOD TRY, O'Neill!" Daniel laughed "You know as well as I do what the conditions were for you to go home, so don't even start with me." Daniel shut off the car and got out shaking his head. He thought briefly of going to help Jack get out, but decided against it and went to the front door instead to unlock it. He turned to see where Jack was and saw the man was still in the car sitting with the door open.

Daniel walked back to the car. "Jack? You okay?" He squatted in front of the still seated man, who had managed to swing his long legs out of the car.

"Daniel, I, uh. I can't seem to get up; can you give me a hand?" Jack's face was solemn.

"It's okay, Jack. Janet said it would be awhile before you had any energy, remember?"

"Well it might be okay to her, but it's not okay to me."

Daniel helped Jack from the car and into the house, depositing him immediately on the sofa in the living room and slipping his shoes off. Standing again, Daniel said, "And before you ask, no, you can't have a beer. Give it a couple of days, when I feel sure you aren't going to fall over I'll give you one, okay?"

"Okay." Jack looked exhausted already; Daniel wanted to herd him off to bed, but knew that would not work. So, he settled for putting Jack's legs up on the couch and arranging the pillows around him, putting the TV remote control within easy reach. Jack smiled and leaned back into the cushions and picked up the remote in a shaking hand.

"How about I go make us some lunch and then maybe we can find a game to watch?"

"Not hungry."

"I know you're not hungry, Jack but you have to eat anyway. You don't have a choice."

"Okay, boss. But please, go easy. I'm too tired to fight with you." Daniel could see Jack was so worn out by just coming home that he was practically asleep right now. His hands were shaking and he was having trouble finding anything he wanted to watch. He turned the TV off, then he leaned forward and put the remote on the coffee table and collapsed into the cushions.

"Music would be nice." He said softly.

Daniel turned and walked to the mantle, picking up the sound system remote and returning the small device to its owner. Jack took the control with a smile and thumbed the soft buttons. The bright sound of violins swelled into the room and Jack closed his eyes. Daniel knew it was one of the Four Seasons, but he had no idea which one. He laid his hand on Jack's shoulder and said, "How about I just make you a milkshake for now and we can eat dinner early, you just lay there and listen to Vivaldi..."

"LeClair"

"What?"

"You said Vivaldi, it's Jean Marie LeClair. He was a French composer, late baroque period. Not Vivaldi."

"Oh, I thought it was one of the Vivaldi's Four Seasons," Daniel admitted.

"No, it was LeClair's Violin Concerto in D Number Two, Opus Seven. A very underrated piece. But the violins are bright like Vivaldi, I'll agree." Jack had yet to open his eyes but he would have enjoyed the look on Daniel's face.

"I knew you liked classical music but I never knew you were such a connoisseur."

"Surprised?" Jack asked, "I'm old, I like old music. It's a no brainer, Daniel" Daniel smiled and patted the shoulder and moved towards the kitchen slowly.

"What flavor milkshake, Jack?"

"Wha'?" was the slurred response.

Daniel turned and walked back to the sofa and looked down.

Jack was asleep.

****

Hands rubbed all over him he was warmed by them. They smoothed over his chest avoiding the nipple rings; they moved all the way down his body, down his belly, his legs. Touching everywhere. Solid, no teasing, soft strokes. They moved over his thighs and he gasped.

"Jack?... Wake up Jack. Come on, you need to drink this, then you can go back to sleep."

Daniel laid his hand on Jack's chest to stop the tossing and moving that seemed ready to deposit Jack on the floor. Daniel sat on the edge of the sofa, putting the milkshake on the coffee table. "Wake up Jack, come on, you're okay. Wake up." Daniel watched his hand rise and fall with the motion of the chest, he was sure he could feel every rib. Jack had looked thin when he first saw him in Ravana's court, but had wasted further with the massive infection and the prolonged anesthesia. He looked so fragile. He moved his hand to the sleeping face, cupping a cheek.

Jack stilled and opened his eyes. "Wha? Dan'el?"

"Hi, sorry to wake you, but you need to drink this before it melts away." As Daniel reached for the milkshake on the coffee table Jack reached out and grabbed his wrist stopping him. "What's wrong, Jack?"

"I know she told you" Jack said flatly.

"She told me?..." Daniel had to think for a split second before answering, "...Ahh, yes, she told me." Daniel looked away nervously.

"Well?" Jack asked

"Well, what?"

"Well, are you grossed out or pissed off or terrified?" Jack looked away, ashamed.

"Ahh, flattered, actually."

"Flattered?" Jack looked confused, "Are we talking about the same thing here, Daniel?"

"Well, I'm not sure, Jack. What were you referring to?"

Jack quieted instantly. He'd always wanted to have this conversation, but now that it was imminent, he wasn't so sure.

His hands still on Jack's face, Daniel leaned down and placed the softest kiss he could on Jack's lips. He moved his other hand to Jack's face, holding him in place, his arm still restrained by Jack's grip, then leaned in and kissed him a second time. He licked at Jack's lips and they parted with a groan, admitting Daniel's tongue. Jack's hands grabbed for Daniel, trying to pull him down. Daniel broke the kiss, then, looking down asked, "Does THAT answer your question, Jack?" He smiled broadly.

Jack smiled back, "I guess we are talking about the same thing, after all."

"It would seem so, although, just to be sure..." Daniel leaned in again, his lips parting as he sized up the smiling target. Jack reached up and pulled Daniel down. These kisses were a combination of long held desire and new found sensation, deep and slow, no urgency. Caresses of lips and tongues, almost reverent in their care. Jack sat up, following Daniel's withdrawing lips. Daniel smiled, "Why don't you drink some of this and then take a nap for a while?"

"Will you stay with me?"

"Where would I go, Jack? No, I'm afraid you're stuck with me for a couple of weeks."

"Not a problem." Jack dove back into the lips.

****

Daniel had gone to turn down the king sized bed, hoping to get Jack to agree to a nap there where he could stretch out more comfortably than on the couch. Daniel had wound up sharing the large chocolate shake he had made for Jack, too full to finish it himself. Jack came out of the bathroom, rubbing his eyes and Daniel guided him to his bedroom.

"No, Daniel, too early.

"You need a nap, Jack and you'll be far more comfortable here than you would on that couch. You know what will happen to your back, better here." Daniel went to the dresser and pulled a pair of well worn sweatpants from the drawer, then he went to where Jack was sitting on the bed and removed his shoes. Jack removed his own sweatshirt with a little more of a struggle than Daniel would have expected. Daniel left the sweatpants on the bed next to Jack and bent and removed the shoes and socks to the closet and hamper respectively. When he turned back, Jack was paused midway in his efforts to pull on the sweatpants. The jeans lay across the foot of the bed; Jack's head hung and shoulders sloped. Daniel knew Jack wasn't asleep; his eyes were open and fixed, staring intently at a spot of nothing on the wood floor, as if in a trance.

"Jack?...you okay?"

"M'm tired again, why am I so tired?" he mumbled.

"You're gonna be fine, Jack. You need to give it some of Janet's favorite stuff." Daniel joked.

Jack looked up with a small smile just starting to open his face up a little. "You mean that tinkly stuff?"

"Yeah, that tinkly stuff ... tincture of time." They both laughed, but even Jack's laugh sounded tired. Daniel moved to the bed as Jack stood to pull up the sweats, catching him as he oozed towards the floor and sat him back on the bed.

"Sorry, dizzy." Jack mumbled.

"Just lay back and rest for a while." Daniel reached down and pulled the drawstring on the pants snugging them a bit, tying and tucking the drawstring inside the waistband. Jack gasped as Daniel's fingers touched the bared flesh of his belly and they both paused briefly as if to recover. Jack lay back into the pillows with a sigh, allowing Daniel to pull up the jersey sheet and comforter.

As he started to move away, Jack grabbed his wrist again, "Can you open the window, please?"

"It's a little chilly today, are you sure?" Daniel looked towards the window still in shade.

"Yeah, just want to smell...air."

"Okay, but if you start looking too cold, I'm gonna close it. Janet will kill me if I let you get sick." Daniel was serious, but smiling.

"Deal." Jack turned to his side, facing the window. Daniel opened the window about a third and pulled the shade up. The curtains moved as a slight breeze came through right on cue, carrying the green scent directly to Jack. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as Daniel started towards the door.

"Danny?" Jack's eyes tracked him as he moved.

"Jack?"

"Thanks." And with another sigh the brown eyes closed and the body relaxed visibly.

"You're welcome, Jack, now get some rest. I'll bring you something to eat in a little while." Daniel pulled the door halfway closed behind him and returned to the living room.

****

When the sun began to angle just enough to provide glare to the laptop's screen, Daniel realized that he hadn't checked on Jack for a while. He saved his work and closed the computer, checked his watch, and then he stood and stretched out the kinks that sitting on the floor for too long had produced. He started quietly towards the bedroom and stopped dead in the hallway. Jack was moaning softly and muttering in his sleep. Daniel padded to the door and peeked around the corner. Jack had kicked the comforter off the bed as he had also done with two of the pillows. The jersey sheet was wrapped around the long legs, impairing their movement and obviously creating the distress that his friend appeared to be in.

Daniel went into the room and picked up the comforter and, folding it, laid it in one of the upholstered chairs in the room. Then he picked up the pillows and put them back on the bed. He started to try to unwrap the sheet from the tangle it had become, tugging gently, trying to avoid waking Jack. He pulled a length of sheet from around Jack's thigh, dragging it in the process across Jack's groin. The response was explosive, Jack gasped loudly and arched into the sensation. Daniel froze in place.

"Augh, please?" Jack moaned.

Daniel was still afraid to move and just stood and watched his friend, hoping he would settle on his own. When Jack began to thrash from side to side, Daniel decided to act and sat on the edge of the bed, placing his hand on Jack's arm and rubbing softly while whispering. "Jack, it's okay. Come on, wake up." He tried not to notice the tenting in the front of the sweatpants that had come untied and drifted down during Jack's thrashing.

"Dan-el, whaa?" Jack's eyes opened and, still unfocused, looked at Daniel.

"You were dreaming, Jack. It's okay. Let's just get you untangled from the sheets." Daniel resumed his tugging at the bedclothes, trying hard to avoid noticing Jack watching him. Finally, when Jack had to lift his hips to allow Daniel to pull the last tangle of sheet from under him, the sweatpants drifted a little further allowing Daniel to get a glimpse of light reflected off the platinum tattoo. Daniel tried to conceal a gasp at the sight. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen it before; he just hadn't seen it since Jack regained consciousness. Daniel's face flushed crimson and he started to move away. Jack took his hand and held it until Daniel looked him in the eye.

"You okay?" Jack asked

"I'm supposed to be asking you that, I think."

Jack continued to hold Daniel's hand in his and rubbed his thumb back and forth over the back of the hand. Daniel finally said "I guess I had forgotten about that tattoo. It kinda surprised me."

"I'm sorry." Jack apologized.

"Why, it wasn't your fault, Jack. It's not like you had a choice."

"Touch it, Daniel." Daniel's eyes had drifted down to the device and now shifted back to Jack's face and grew wide. "What?"

"I said, touch it, Daniel. Touch me."

"Ahh, I don't think that's such a good idea Jack."

"Why?" Jack said softly, "It disgusts you doesn't it?"

"NO, Jack. How could you ever think that? I just don't think you're strong enough yet..."

"To be touched, Daniel. I'm not strong enough to be 'touched' and just when do you presume I WILL be strong enough to be touched?"

"I didn't mean it like that, Jack."

"Well that's how it sounds from down here, Daniel"

"I just think we shouldn't start anything this soon..."

"This soon?" Jack's face reflected his confusion.

"Go away, Daniel. Just leave me alone." Jack turned over on his side.

"Jack? Please don't?"

"Please leave me alone, Daniel. I'd like some privacy." Jack flinched from Daniel's touch.

Daniel hesitated and completely crestfallen, stood and started towards the door. "I'll go start dinner." He left the room without looking back, pulling the door slightly behind himself, reluctant to close it completely.

****

Jack lay on his side, listening for Daniel's exit. When he finally heard movement in the kitchen, he closed his eyes and sighed.

Daniel was repulsed by what had happened to Jack, at what he had done, Jack was sure of it. He ached so bad with need, his hands began to roam automatically over his chest and belly, imagining the hands to be Daniel's. As he moved from his side to his back, his hands continued to move. One. now up under his t-shirt, brushed a nipple. The other lay palm flat on his belly just above the tattoo.

He tried to continue to see Daniel, Daniel's hands on him. But as they moved, they changed to heavier, more familiar hands. He stopped for a moment, trying to refocus on the hands, wanting them desperately to be Daniel's and sobbed once when he realized he didn't really know what Daniel's hands felt like, and gave into the touch he did know.

Jack's hands drifted over his belly and down to the tattoo. He ran a finger around the edge of the oval, shuddering at the rush it gave him. He kept repeating the motion, each time with the same effect, and became more and more aroused. His hand slipped lower and he palmed his engorging cock, wanting more. He pinched his own nipple and lifted into his own grasp. He squeezed the base of his cock to offset the soft pleasure of his own strokes, the sudden pain only serving to arouse him further.

Jack's eyes closed. He saw the steady procession of faces again, one constantly in the forefront, watching him pleasure himself. He was wired now; he moved and pulled, licking his lips at remembered kisses. His face tingled and seemed to swell with tears at memories of caresses and soft words. His hips arched into his own grip and the sweat formed, soaking his pillows and the clothes he wore as he worked toward release.

The shadows in the bedroom had shifted now and the smells of food being cooked in the neighborhood drifted through the window. Jack still moved, now nearly exhausted, pulling urgently and lost in the quest. Frustration had set in and only served to increase the intensity of the pulling that brought no release. Small drops of precum occasionally ran under his hand and burned where they touched the areas of greatest friction.

A flash and he looked up and saw Mehta driving into Jagan, who lay across his lap, felt the edges of Jagan's symbiote's pouch rubbing over his cock. Another flash and Mehta was behind him, teasing his opening with long licks and hard darting tongue. Jack put one of his fingers in his mouth and wet it and then moved his hand under his balls, seeking the opening. He pushed at the ringed muscle and groaned loudly when his finger gained access; he shuddered with sensation and dreamed it was Mehta's tongue and not his own finger that moved in him.

Daniel had come to the bedroom to check when he heard the groan. He had been sitting on the floor in the living room, just watching the shadows change as the day progressed, too caught up in his own self recriminations to work or even read. Now he stood in the doorway watching Jack stroking himself, and with the breezes through the window he caught the occasional smell of sweat and musk. The bed sheets and Jack's clothes were dark with perspiration and Jack's hair was sweat-plastered to his head, the long strands dark instead of silver. Daniel felt himself harden at the sight of Jack stroking himself and his breath hitched with a tiny gasp.

Jack's eyes darted immediately to the shadowed face in the doorway. "Please?" he gasped by way of invitation. Daniel was frozen, afraid to move, unsure if Jack knew he was there and feeling even guiltier for watching, if that were at all possible. Jack pulled and groaned again, still staring intently at the face in shadow. "Daniel, please?"

Daniel took a deep breath and pushed the door open, stepping hesitantly into the room. His stomach was a knot in his throat, every drop of blood that wasn't needed to propel him towards the bed rushed into his groin. Jack was a sight, his sweatpants were bunched with his boxers around his knees and his shirt had ridden up under his armpits. The long expanse of flesh before him stubbly where the hair had begun to grow back and covered in a sheen of perspiration irresistible, Daniel laid one hand in the puddle of sweat that had gathered on the concavity of Jack's belly and leaned in for a kiss.

Jack leapt towards him, hands grabbing and pulling Daniel down practically on top of him. They devoured each other's mouths, biting at lips and tongues stroking long over each other. Jack's hands fairly flew to Daniel's shirt grabbing at the buttons with fingers numb from friction. Daniel pulled it off only losing one button in the process.

Daniel shrugged the shirt from his shoulders and broke the kiss to stand and remove that and unfasten his belt and remove his pants. He leaned back down when Jack reached for him and ran his tongue down the sweat slicked torso and back up again, laying down next to Jack. He pulled the wet t-shirt over Jack's head and tossed it on the floor, then sat up and pulled the sweat pants and shorts off the long legs. As he lay back down, he got a good look at the tattoo that had fixed his gaze before, and he touched it momentarily.

Jack gasped again and trapped Daniel's hand by laying his flat over it on top of the tattoo. Daniel looked at Jack's erection swollen and jutting away from his body, red and hot from friction. Daniel's left hand moved up Jack's thigh and cupped the base of the straining organ; his hand cool against Jack's overheated flesh. He looked up at Jack's face, eyes closed, head tilted to the side and slightly back as if listening for something.

Daniel's head dipped down and he licked slightly at the bottom edge of the tattoo before engulfing the head of Jack's erection in his mouth. Jack lurched upward so suddenly Daniel thought briefly he would choke, and he stretched his right hand up to lay flat on the broad stubbled chest to still Jack. His left hand brushed softly over the swollen scrotum and he noticed from the corner of his eye that Jack had pulled so hard as to cause swelling and some bruising there.

Daniel felt guilty again for denying Jack's earlier request and forcing him into this attempt at self gratification. He ran his tongue up and down the length of Jack's weeping cock, sucking gently on the head and returning to the base following the big vein. He placed small kisses on the tight, hot scrotum and was rewarded by a low throaty moan.

Jack's fingers combed through Daniel's hair, tensing in time with the rhythm that Daniel had set. He lifted a long leg, bending it at the knee when Daniel's fingers ventured down his perineum. Daniel stopped what he was doing and lifted his head, turning so he could see Jack's face.

"Jack?" he said. Then "Jack, look at me." when there was no response to the first call. Jack looked around as if lost, then down where he met Daniel's eyes.

Daniel's eyes locked on Jack's face, watching for any sign he should stop. Daniel placed the first two fingers of his left hand in his open mouth, stroking over them with his tongue, then closing his lips around them and sucking noisily. As he dragged the fingers out of his mouth, Jack took a deep breath and held it. When Daniel's fingers moved back to his perineum, Jack exhaled in a loud moan. One finger sought entry and Jack impaled himself on it so urgently Daniel was concerned he was hurt. Two strokes later the second finger was added and Daniel watched as Jack's eyes unfocused. Daniel knew that with the extent of Jack's internal injuries he shouldn't even be doing this and dared not go any further. He let the rock hard erection fall from his mouth and moved down the bed.

Jack groaned at the loss of contact and he lifted his head to see what Daniel was doing. Daniel got up and removed his boxers and went into the bathroom, returning with the bottle of conditioner and a towel. Then he climbed back onto the bed and, kneeling next to Jack, leaned in and nibbled at the head of his dick. He took Jack's hand and poured a small amount of conditioner onto his fingers. Straddling him, Daniel leaned down and engulfed Jack's dick in his mouth again.

Jack's one functioning brain cell was momentarily confused till Daniel's butt slid up onto his sweat slicked chest then, ignoring the conditioner, Jack leaned in and parted the taut buttocks, his tongue immediately stroking the length of the crack and returning to tease at the opening.

Daniel's heart nearly stopped; he'd never been rimmed before and the sensation was frying his synapses. He forgot what he was doing, groaning and almost collapsing onto Jack. He shuddered and pulled away from Jack's hot tongue. Now his powers of speech were diminishing as his desire grew, "Jack, please?" he hissed.

It took Jack a moment but he determined Daniel's meaning with a start and slid one conditioner slick finger into Daniel, nearly launching the man off the bed. He stroked a few times and added the second slick finger setting up a cadence to match Daniel's. He bent a long finger inside Daniel, angling for the nub of prostate and gaining a rasped "More!" from Daniel then deftly added a third finger.

Daniel turned around and faced Jack now scooting down to Jack's thighs while he slicked Jack's cock with conditioner. The conditioner was cold on Jack's overheated cock and he closed his eyes to the sensation. Moving back up the long legs, Daniel leaned forward and reached behind himself to guide the head of Jack's cock into his body, hissing with the initial breach. As he slid down onto Jack's length Daniel looked up to see Jack's eyes once again squeezed shut and his head thrown back. Daniel stopped when Jack's full length was inside him. After laying panting on Jack's torso, Daniel sat up and back, putting a palm flat on Jack's chest to steady himself. He watched Jack's face, "Jack?" He received no response, "Jack, you okay?"

"Danny, please, I hurt so bad."

Daniel took that as his cue and he started to move up and back, grinding somewhat as he sat fully down again. Leaning far enough forward to start each descent with a deep kiss. He pinched and then rolled the nipples on the broad chest, wishing he'd had the rings right here so he could return them to their proper place, tugging and pulling at them during the heat of the moment.. He ran a finger around the edge of the tattoo and looked at Jack's face. He traced the lotus pattern with one finger again and again with the reverence he normally used for ancient texts and objects.

Jack's hand automatically went to Daniel's dripping cock, his palm closing around it, and then fingered the slit gathering the drop gathering on the tip and brought it to his lips smearing them as if with balm. Daniel leaned forward again and kissed Jack deeply, running his tongue over Jack's lips again and again gathering his taste. Jack reached up and rolled one of Daniel's nipples between his thumb and forefinger and began to arch in counterpoint of Daniel's ride.

Daniel was close now and sat down as hard as he dared on every stroke; Jack pulled and squeezed Daniel now much as he had done to himself earlier. Daniel gasped and stilled, his body doubling over at the waist as he began to pour over Jack's hand and onto Jack's belly to mingle with the sweat puddling there.

Jack milked him for every drop, then lifted his hand to his face and licked his fingers clean. Daniel grabbed at Jack's hand and kissed the palm then licked the fingers himself; he was tired and worn so he just knew Jack was exhausted. He tightened his pelvic muscles clenching around Jack's erection, he was getting dry and sore. Jack knew it too, and put a hand on Daniel's chest to still him. Daniel stopped and looked down at the too pale face before him.

"You're tired, Daniel. Stop, come'ere." Jack tried to pull him down flat on his body.

Daniel was hesitant, not wanting to inflict his full weight on Jack, and tried to keep distance between them. "I'm sorry, Jack. I'm a little sore." Jack pulled him down and the kiss was long and deep, not showing any of the frustration that Jack still held.

"I'm gonna shower. You rest and I'll run a hot bath for you when I'm done. Okay?"

Jack nodded and closed his eyes. Daniel pulled the sheet across Jack's body to protect him from a chill as he got up, then kissed him softly on the forehead.

Daniel disappeared into the bathroom and the shower started. Jack's hands started to return to his erection and stopped; he could not imagine being successful where the object of his affection had failed. Jack turned on his side and looked at Daniels chinos and shirt lying on the floor. In a moment of desperation he pulled the leather belt from its loops and threaded it through itself. He placed the large open loop over his head and moved his right hand down his belly to his straining cock, pulling on the free end of the belt.

****

Daniel stood in the shower, letting the hot water run down his body. He was sore; it had been along time since he'd been penetrated, and his anus felt split. He knew it wasn't, there had been no blood, but the sensation was annoying and pleasant at the same time. It had felt good to be breeched by Jack and he only wished he'd been abler to bring the man off. His heart said Jack was tired, that's all; his brain said otherwise.

Daniel washed his buttocks carefully, still tender, and then decided that maybe a bath would be best for them both. He wondered how many actually knew about Jack's one major concession to luxury and his aching knees, although the inordinate length of time Jack spent in the locker room whirlpool should have been a dead giveaway.

Daniel turned the shower off and stepped out wrapping a towel around his hips. He moved to the large round tub in the corner of the bathroom, closed the drain and turned the taps on at force. He then moved to the cabinet under the sink. Jack relished soaks in the tub and kept a hidden stash of bath oils. Daniel had discovered them during an earlier visit and correctly ascertained that Jack's favorite scents were Rosemary and Sandalwood due to the multiple large bottles of both that were stored there. Daniel chose the sandalwood and moved back to the tub, pouring generous amount of the fragrance into the steaming water. He went to the towel closet and pulled two large bath sheets out and deposited them on the stool next to the tub.

Satisfied with the preparations, he went to the door and padded back into the bedroom. Jack was lying on his side, facing away from the bathroom door and Daniel thought him asleep. He called to him as he moved closer, "Jack? I decided maybe we can share that bath, I started the water. Jack?"

Daniel reached out to touch Jack to wake him and saw the limp hand covered in semen open, with the still dripping flaccid cock in the palm. Feeling at once relived for Jack and disappointed he wasn't the one to produce this result, Daniel blushed at the discovery. Looking up at Jack's face, he gagged.

Jack's face was a purplish blue in color, a belt pulled tight around his neck. Daniel was almost as horrified to see that it was his belt that Jack had used. When he realized that Jack wasn't breathing, couldn't be breathing, he grabbed frantically at the belt, fumbling to release it. "SHIT, JACK! WHAT THE HELL?"

His fingers moved to the long throat looking for a pulse, he located it with some difficulty, it was weaker and slower than he'd ever felt it before, but there. "OH GOD, JACK! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

Daniel's analytical brain went right into autopilot; he rolled Jack onto his back and tilted his head, lifting the chin slightly to open the airway. Then he leaned in, pinching Jack's nose closed, and covered his mouth with his own. Daniel blew a puff of air in and turned his head to watch Jack's chest, which should have been falling with exhalation of the breath. It wasn't. He tried not to panic and readjusted the position of Jack's head, this time feeling better when the chest fell with the escape of air.

Daniel's mind raced trying to determine how long Jack could have possibly been breathless and he gave two more breaths before running his fingertips back to the pulse point. "OH GOD, JACK! WHY?"

He returned to giving regular breaths for what seemed like hours instead of minutes and then several things happened at once. Jack moved and breathed and coughed almost at the same time, the purple-blue color leaving his face. Daniel sat back on his heels at the edge of the bed and placed his fingertips at the pulse point again, relieved when the pulse pounded at his fingertips. He thought, briefly, that he should check his own pulse and tried to get his breathing under control. His hand went to the side of Jack's face within easy reach of the carotid pulse point and he patted lightly, reassured when Jack opened his eyes and looked up at him.

"Jack?" Daniel tried to compose himself and determine if Jack was alright, when what he really wanted to do was either hold him and never let go or punch him out. The emotions playing over Daniel's face must have been obvious to even the usually somewhat unobservant O'Neill. He reached up a come-covered right hand, realizing now what had just happened and why Daniel's handsome face was contorted with horror and dropped the hand back down, lifting his head to see where it landed.

"Oh god, Danny, I..."

The tears spilled down Daniel's cheeks and he stood up. "I've got the water running in the bathroom." He turned and fled into the temporary safety of the master bathroom, unsure what he should do next. His mind raced and he reached out to turn of the taps on the nearly overflowing tub, his hand shaking uncontrollably. He opened the drain to allow some of the water to escape, and heard a large thump from the bedroom. He closed the drain and fairly flew back into the bedroom, dropping to his knees on the floor next to Jack who had attempted to follow him and collapsed.

"Oh god, Danny. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you."

"Jesus, Jack, you could have died..." Daniel gathered Jack into his arms, holding him close and rocking back and forth, "Why?"

"It hurt, Danny. Hurt so bad, needed to come, needed release. Never done that before, by myself, he always helped me." Jack shook his head continuously, eyes brimming with tears. Daniel ran his hand s all over Jack's face and shoulders.

"Jack, promise me, please, you won't ever try that again, please?" Daniel shivered as much with fear as cold. Jack sobbed and buried his face in Daniel's chest, the skin cold against his hot cheeks.

"Come on, Jack, lets get us both into the tub, I'm freezing." Daniel scrambled to his feet and leaned down to help Jack up, pulling his arm across his shoulder. Daniel sat Jack on the stool after moving the bath sheets to the step and checked the water temperature.

Satisfied that they wouldn't be scalded; Daniel dropped his towel and took Jack's hand, pulling him up the two steps to the tub. Jack allowed himself to be led, never meeting Daniel's eyes, which Daniel didn't fail to notice, and sank into the steaming scented water with a groan. Daniel climbed in next to him and pulled him close, lifting his chin to look in his eyes.

"Please, Jack. We need to talk about this. How long..." he started and then his mind replayed the sequence from Ravana's throne room when Mehta squeezed Jack's throat, and Jack came in great spurts before collapsing against the First Prime.

"He did this to you all the time didn't he?" Daniel tilted Jack's chin up to look in his eyes.

"Yes." Was the soft answer.

"I thought you didn't remember anything from there? How much do you remember? Jack?" Daniel tried to hold the gaze that kept shifting away, embarrassed at its secrets.

"All" was said so softly Daniel wasn't sure it had even been said.

"What?"

"I said 'all,' Daniel. I remember everything. What else would you like to know?" Jack now looked defiantly into Daniel's eyes.

"Would you like to hear all about it, Daniel? About the rapes and the piercings? Maybe you'd prefer to hear about exactly how they produce this tattoo?" Jack's hand went under the steaming water, taking Daniel's fingertips to the platinum lotus. "Did you know that one of the drugs makes your dick hard enough to hammer nails and still want more?"

Now Daniel looked away and Jack took his chin and tilted his face back to face him. "Did you know what all the platinum jewelry was about? They would put these clips on the bracelets and attach them to the anklets, keeping you jackknifed in half so they could pretty much have access to everything and do whatever they wanted."

Jack took a deep breath and sobbed, "I would have fucked my own mother if she'd been there. Christ, I was fucked by some kind of ape with a tree for a dick and I wanted more." Jack's hands came out of the water and covered his face in shame, "I got fucked by Apophis, Daniel. I gave him head and got fucked by him and I wanted more."

Jack paused, trying to gauge the level of horror he was inflicting on Daniel, bating a response. "I would do anything for Mehta's touch, OH YES, I remember it all, Daniel. I remember..." His strength gone Jack sagged into the water against Daniel's shoulder, his hands dropping into the water.

Daniel blinked away the tears that had started years ago and looked at Jack, then gathered the man to his chest and held him kissing every part of Jack's face and head he could reach. "Shh, Jack. It's all over. I'm so sorry they hurt you, I wish I could make it go away."

"You can't, Daniel. It's as much a part of me now as everything else in my life." Jack adjusted himself to sit in front of Daniel and lean back against the broad chest. Daniel's arms went under Jack's arms and around his chest, pulling Jack back and kissing the top of his head. Daniel slid them down further into the water.

"We'll get through this, Jack. I swear, we'll get through this"

"You can't tell anyone, Danny. If you do, they'll put me away and never let me out."

"Shh, Jack, I won't let them do that. I would never let them do that."

"You wouldn't be able to stop it, Daniel. I'm military; they can do what they want and not need anybody's permission. The Air Force isn't a democracy. They'll lock me up behind so many doors, I'll never see the sky again. I won't go back there, Daniel. I can't live through that again."

"Shh, Jack. Nobody has to know. We won't tell them. I promise." He tightened his hold squeezing a little to emphasize his point, "You're gonna be fine. WE'RE gonna be fine."

Daniel sighed and tilted his head to the side trying to look in Jack's face for agreement.

Jack was asleep.

****

The next few days passed slowly, with Jack and Daniel both walking on eggs. They moved as if joined at the hip, one never very far from the other. There were moments of abject terror for Jack like when Janet came to check up on him. He was edgy and fearful that Daniel would tell her what had happened. When Daniel finally closed the front door behind her, Jack collapsed back into the cushions of the couch, too tired to move. Daniel moved to the sofa and sat down, leaning back against the arm and throwing one barefooted leg up along the cushions.

"Daniel?" Jack said softly, looking at the equally weary archeologist.

"Jack?"

"Thank you."

"For what, Jack?"

"For not giving me up to Janet."

"Told you, not gonna happen. Now, come here." Daniel stretched out his hand towards Jack, who responded by sliding up the sofa and into the arms that circled him and held him close. They lay for quite a while just watching the fire that Jack had instructed Daniel in laying earlier. Daniel leaned towards the coffee table and snagged the Bose remote, thumbing the sound system to life. The room swelled with the sound of bright violins.

"Le Clair, huh?" Daniel asked

Jack chuckled, "No, Daniel. This is Vivaldi, Summer from the Four Seasons." Jack shook his head slowly and chuckled again, "But it sounds like LeClair." Jack closed his eyes and relaxed into Daniel's strong arms, asleep in moments.

****

Over the next few days, they became more at ease with each other. Jack stopped his non-stop surveillance of Daniel, becoming finally convinced that Daniel wasn't going to turn him over to the shrinks that he so feared. For his part, Daniel felt more assured that every time he let Jack out of his sight Jack wasn't going to repeat his performance of his first day home. Jack still had little stamina, Janet had reassured Daniel that it was not uncommon in cases of malnutrition as severe as that which Jack had suffered, for the road back to conditioning was a slow and tedious one.

During one of their almost daily telephone conversations, Janet asked how they had been getting along otherwise and advised Daniel that Jack had been most distressed that she had informed Daniel of Jack's feelings for him on the way to Lanka. She asked if they had become 'intimate' yet, using her best clinician's voice. Daniel said that they had agreed to take it slowly, waiting for Jack's body to heal and had only engaged in a little cuddling and oral sex. Janet advised using caution and plenty of lube, suggesting that if there was a choice involved that she would prefer Daniel to bottom, protecting Jack's still healing tissues. They laughed together at the fact that Janet refused to call from her office, preferring to wait until she had gotten home to have the explicit conversation. Janet was pleased that Jack continued to gain weight slowly, meaning that he was eating well-balanced meals and not the pizza and beer that they both knew Jack would have fallen to if not for Daniel's presence.

****

Jack was napping and had been for about an hour when Daniel saw the Explorer pull up in front of the house. It was not a vehicle he recognized, so he watched out the window to see who the driver was. When Kevin got out and walked up the pavement, Daniel went to the door to prevent the knocking that he knew would wake Jack. He opened the door and stepped outside on the small porch, pulling the door to behind him.

"Daniel" Kevin smiled, "How's the Colonel doing?"

"He's doing well, Kevin. How are you?" Daniel was polite.

"I'm good. And you?"

"Fine."

Kevin laughed "Well, now that we have the pleasantries out of the way..."

"Why are you here, Kevin? And don't try to tell me you wanted to know how Jack was doing because there is phone service to this part of town."

"Whoa, Daniel. Easy, I didn't come here to pick a fight."

"Then why did you come, Kevin?"

"Can I come in?"

"No. Jack's asleep and I prefer he stay that way for a little while yet." Daniel looked down at his watch, "He still tires real easily."

"I came to say goodbye, Daniel. I've asked for a transfer out of the SGC."

Daniel's mouth dropped open and he turned now to face Kevin, "Why?"

"I don't think I can bear to see you on a daily basis and know that I will never mean anything to you. I'm not that comfortable. I'm afraid that something will slip and endanger you and the Colonel. I can't and won't be responsible for that."

Kevin sat down on the step, his back to the door. Daniel moved up next to him and sat down. "There has to be another way, Kevin? I though you loved your work." Daniel looked the big Marine in the face.

"Trust me, Daniel; this is better, safer for everyone. If I slip, it wouldn't be just me going down, I would be taking you and the Colonel with me and you guys deserve a chance for some happiness. I don't have that much emotionally invested here, I can walk away."

"Kevin, don't do this. Please. The SGC needs good commanders, ones open to alternatives. God, we see it all the time off world. The hard ass rigid types don't last long, they can't adapt quickly enough to the new situations to make the correct calls; they get people killed. You're just like Jack, you can think on your feet. Look what you did on the trip back, you were the only one that put two and two together why Jack wouldn't look at or respond to anyone. That lotus tattoo was brilliant; I never would have thought of that, just that small thing made a big difference, nobody as rigid as Hahn would have thought to do that."

Jack stood on the step that led from the Master bedroom down to the foyer, listening to the quiet conversation. He silently stepped down and opened the front door, "Daniel's always right, Major. You should listen to him."

Kevin and Daniel both jumped at Jack's voice standing and turning to look at Jack, still sleep tousled, combing his hand through his hair to flatten the locks he could feel standing straight up.

"Colonel, I'm sorry to disturb you, sir. I was just leaving."

"No you weren't Major, you were just about to come in and have a beer, wasn't he Daniel?" Jack opened the door wider and swept his arm in the direction of the living room. Daniel stood and smiled at Jack and then at Kevin.

"You heard the man, Kevin. I don't think you can refuse a direct order." He ushered Kevin into the living room and reached up to comb through Jack's hair with his hand in an attempt to reorder what Jack had missed.

"Sit down, Major. We need to talk." Jack gestured towards the couch, while Daniel moved to the kitchen for the promised beer.

"Daniel, do you think I could have one, too?" Jack called.

"Only on the condition that you promise to eat ALL of your dinner tonight, Jack."

"Yes, mom. I promise." Was Jack's cheerful reply.

"I wanted to thank you, Major." Jack sat in the armchair across from the couch.

"For what, sir?"

"For accepting my offer of a beer so that Daniel would let me have one too." Jack and Kevin both laughed.

"I'm serious, he's so stingy with them, never lets me have any, only a glass of wine with dinner and that's just because he read somewhere that red wine increases your appetite. AHH, Daniel." Jack smiled and looked up as Daniel came back into the room carrying three beers in his fingers, handing one to Kevin, he moved towards Jack,

"Don't think I didn't hear that, Jack. I should SO NOT let you have this." He stood just out of Jack's reach, holding both remaining beers close to his chest.

"Ah, come on, Daniel. Please, I promised to eat all my dinner, what'dya want, blood?"

Daniel frowned and shook his head grudgingly, handing a long necked bottle to Jack and moved past him to sit on the other end of the sofa from Kevin.

"Daniel's right, Major, you can't leave the SGC. You're too good. We need more like you. I don't care what you're afraid you'll give away, you won't"

"I don't think I can stay, sir."

"You can and will and you'll call Hammond right from here to tell him to disregard your transfer request."

"With all due respect, sir. I don't think ..."

"Ah, but you do think, that's why I want you to stay. Look. I remember you from the ship. Do you have any idea how scared I was? I didn't remember anybody, and ...I'm sorry, Daniel...the one person I had felt anything for had just pushed me away and hurt me. I was afraid of my own shadow. You used imagination and your brain to get through to me...I remember that. It must have cost you more than a little dignity to walk around with magic marker on your forehead for, how many days?" They all laughed, Jack tilted his head and took a long drink from the bottle, practically smacking his lips at the familiar taste.

"Bet your grunts didn't even notice, did they?" Jack asked still laughing.

"Well, sir, if they did they didn't mention it to me." Kevin took a drink and laughed.

"No, I guess they wouldn't, would they?" Daniel laughed.

"Not and live anyway." Jack finished.

"No, sir, they wouldn't."

"Call me Jack. We're not at work now."

"Fine, Jack."

"So bottom line, Kevin. You can't leave because we need more people like you who can think on their feet, not less." Jack took a long drink, swallowing carefully, looking almost orgasmic at his first taste of beer in a while.

"I don't think I'll be able to handle it, Jack." Kevin looked down at his hands again, casting a sideways glance through his lashes at Daniel.

"Why? Because of Daniel?"

Kevin and Daniel both looked at Jack suddenly. Daniel almost spouted his mouthful of beer through his nose, then went into a coughing spasm.

"WHAT?" Daniel asked when the crimson in his face faded, looking at Kevin then back to Jack.

"Oh, please, Daniel. Don't tell me you didn't know. Christ, you are sooo clueless, sometimes." Jack shook his head. "Clueless, but beautiful." Jack smiled.

"That's precisely why I can't stay, Jack. If it's that obvious, I'd be putting Daniel and you in danger. I won't do that. People like Hahn are just waiting for a scintilla of evidence..."

"Hahn? Davis Hahn?" Jack asked, laughing.

"Yeah, Davis Hahn. If he were to get even a wind of a non hetero relationship..."

"What?" Jack asked. Daniel and Kevin looked at each other and back at Jack.

"Jack? " Daniel was worried.

Jack just sat in the chair, sipping his beer with what Daniel thought was the ultimate shit-eating grin on his face. "Daniel?"

"Jack, do you have something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?"

"No, Daniel, I do not. Just suffice it to say, Kevin, if you're worried about Davis Hahn, then maybe you do need to get re-assed cause you're not as smart as I thought you were. Unlike some, I keep confidences. Figure it out for yourself." Jack tilted the beer bottle up and drained it, still smiling ear to ear. Kevin looked at Daniel who shrugged, saying, "Don't look at me, when he gets that smug look on his face, there's no living with him. He won't tell me either."

"Can I have another beer, Daniel?" Jack looked hopefully.

"Will it get us any more information?" Daniel asked.

"Nope!" was the smug reply.

"Then forget it." Daniel drained his bottle in self defense.

"You don't have to worry about Davis, Kevin." Jack said and the marine looked relieved.

"You do, however, have to worry about me." Jack's smile dropped. "You touch Daniel and I'll rip your lungs out and feed them to you." Now Jack smiled again.

"Trust me, Kevin. Now I think you need to go back to the Mountain and have a little talk with Hammond and rescind that request."

"Yes, sir." Kevin smiled. Jack put the empty beer bottle down on the floor next to his chair and stood up...for about ten seconds.

Kevin scooped Jack up from the floor and followed Daniel to the master bedroom, laying Jack carefully on the bed, still slightly mussed from Jack's earlier nap.

"Is he alright, Daniel?"

"Yeah, I just think the beer got to him. I'll stay here and keep an eye on him. What do you think, something he's not telling us about Hahn?"

"Sure sounds like it to me."

"Me, too. In my experience, Jack doesn't drop little bits of info like that unless he has black and white evidence. I trust him." Daniel brushed the hair back from Jack's face while talking, another unconscious move.

"Then who the hell, beat you up, Daniel?"

Daniel raised his eyes heavenward and shook his head, "I TOLD you, Kevin. NO ONE beat me up. I slipped on shower gel."

"But Sam said..."

"Sam's protective and very suspicious, and WRONG! She jumped to a conclusion. She saw you and I together, added two and two and got five. But she meant well." Daniel sighed. He looked down at Jack and back up to Kevin, "Well, I believe you have your orders. You'd better get back to General Hammond."

"Will you be okay with the Colonel?"

"He'll be fine, we'll be fine. I'm just gonna sit with him. Can you let yourself out?"

"Absolutely. When he wakes up, tell him I said thanks." Kevin turned and left the room. Moments later Daniel heard the sound of the solid front door closing. He sighed again and sat on the edge of the bed, still combing through the silver locks.

"Danny?"

"I'm here, Jack."

"Wha?"

"You fainted, Jack."

"I did not."

"No, I guess you didn't. You just went to sleep very quickly while standing up."

Daniel leaned down and kissed Jack on the forehead. Jack grabbed the back of Daniel's neck and pulled him down for a long beer-flavored kiss, wrapping his arms around Daniel's back.

Several long deep kisses later, they lay and pressed open mouth kisses on each other's throats, Daniel pushing Jack's sweatshirt up to get to the short furred chest. Jack sucked greedily at Daniel's neck, then leaned back and focused on his handiwork, a large strawberry mark that now graced the juncture of his archeologist's neck and shoulder.

Daniel pulled his shirt off over his head, and helped Jack to do the same with his sweat shirt. Then they laid side by side, legs thrown over each other, hard groins clashing. Jack unzipped Daniel's pants and reached inside his shorts, producing a loud groan from Daniel. Daniel pushed at the hips of Jack's sweat pants, pulling them out in front and down.

"Ahh, Danny." Jack hissed as he moved quickly down Daniel's body to engulf his hard cock in one swallow. Jack licked at the salty slit and nibbled down the front to Daniel's balls and back up again to swallow him whole, Daniel arching with each sensation. Daniel pulled Jack's hips around to give him access to Jack's scrotum and ass, only hesitating briefly before parting the buttocks and licking at the tight muscle ring. Jack nearly shot off the bed, moving so suddenly that Daniel was afraid he had been repulsed by the action.

"OH, god, YESSS!" Jack shivered, and then resumed trying to swallow Daniel's cock.

"Please, Danny, PLEE-SE?" The muscles in Jack's thighs quivered.

Daniel wet a finger and pushed at the opening, Jack freezing and shivering again as it gained admittance. Daniel pushed the first finger in to the palm and pulled it almost entirely out before adding a second, scissoring when they were both in.

"Now, Danny?" Jack begged.

"Shh, not yet. Gotta be sure you're ready, Janet would kill me..."

"Fuck, Janet. NOW, Danny!"

"Well that's certainly an interesting offer, but no, thanks, I prefer you." Daniel chuckled.

"Then fuck me, Daniel. NOW!"

Daniel lay down and kicked his pants and shorts off, pulling Jack's sweats off in one long move. Jack lay on his back and pulled his knees up.

"Are you sure Jack?"

"Dammit, Daniel. I wouldn't be lying like this if I wasn't sure. Please, fuck me."

Daniel leaned over Jack and reached into the night table drawer and snagged the tube of lubricant. He unscrewed the lid and tossed it back in the general direction of the night stand. Then he leaned forward and whispered, "This is gonna be cold, just hold on."

He inserted the small open end of the tube into Jack's anus and squeezed filling Jack with the cold lubricant, then squeezed another large portion all over the outside of the ring.

"Jesus, Daniel. That stuff is freezing. Would you stop fucking around and fuck me already."

"Oh, very eloquent, Colonel mine. You just be patient; you'll get what's coming to you."

"I'm more interested in what's coming IN me, Daniel. Would you just get ON with it!"

Daniel coated himself generously with lubricant, nearly finishing the small tube, and poised the head of his cock ready for entry.

"Try to relax, Jack. If you want me to stop, just say the word, I don't want to hurt you."

Jack pushed down as Daniel pushed in and they both gasped at the rush of sensation. Buried deep in Jack, Daniel stilled trying to read the face that paled so quickly, Jack's eyes hazed with pain, looking for all the world like he would pass out again. His erection instantly faded.

"No, Jack. We shouldn't be doing this, I'm hurting you..." and he started to withdraw. Jack raised his legs higher dropping his calves on Daniel's shoulders and reached down to grab Daniel's hips stilling him.

"Don't. Daniel. Stay."

"Jack, I don't want to..."

"You aren't, Danny. Just give me a minute, okay?" Jack panted like he'd just run a marathon, trying to relax. Daniel leaned forward, planting kisses all over Jack's face and neck, his hands either side of Jack's head. Jack reached up and sought Daniel's mouth, pulling at his lips with his teeth. Daniel hissed and thrust forward, freezing them both in place. They started to move together, slowly, carefully watching each other. Jack's faded erection quickly returned to force as they fell into the primal rhythm. Daniel's long sensuous drives met by Jack's forced counterpoint.

An easy pace set and kept was not, however, what Jack wanted. He began to angle his pelvis as he met the strokes and shivered when Daniel struck home again and again. Jack unfocused, eyes closed and the memories surged up to meet him. Hands danced over him, he could hear the tiny platinum bells as he arched up to meet his master's strokes.

"Ahh, god, please finish me."

Daniel's right hand moved to stroke Jack's dripping cock, pulling in the same rhythm. Jack's head tossed from side to side his body tightly strung, being played to perfection. Daniel's pace fell apart as he neared orgasm. The short urgent stabs making slapping sounds as skin pounded skin. He lost control and stilled, filling Jack now with heat where before he had filled him with cold lube. He gasped and jerked forward with each spasm of his balls, Jack's internal muscles milking him over and over. He fell onto his hands at either side of Jack's head and lay still. Jack's pelvis was still thrusting upwards, seeking release.

"Plee-eese?" Jack hissed unconsciously tilting his head back to expose his long neck.

Realizing the release he sought was not forthcoming he tilted his head down and looked Daniel in the eyes. "Help me, Danny. Please, help me?"

As Daniel's brain returned through the fog, he felt Jack's still hard cock lying wooden, crushed between them. He lifted up and looked down. "Oh, god, Jack. I'm sorry." He started to pull out and was stopped by strong hands at his waist.

"No, please, Danny. Stay. Help me."

"How, Jack? How can I help you?"

"Let me come, please, Danny." The silver hair was once again plastered to his head with sweat. Daniel stared down at Jack, flushed with desire. Jack grabbed Daniel's hands and placed them at his own throat.

"Oh no, Jack. I can't. I won't, you almost died. NO!"

Jack's eyes opened, the pain obvious in them; he didn't want to scare Daniel. "Help me, Daniel."

Daniel's cock began to swell at the sight of Jack's throat so vulnerable. Jack inhaled through clenched teeth, feeling the organ swell within him as Daniel's hands stroked both sides of Jack's neck from ear to collarbone, his thumbs poised along the jaw line, his fingers around the back of Jack's neck.

"I can't, Jack."

"Danny, please, help me. Squeeze," Jack said as he reached up and pulled Daniel's hands around the front of his throat, his own hands holding them in place.

Daniel finally gave in and squeezed a little, the sight of Jack like that so arousing Daniel thought he'd come again without even moving. He thrust forward and squeezed a little harder, Jack's entire body responded to the stimulation. He pushed his pelvis up and clenched his buttocks. Daniel wanted to scream with pleasure. He reflexively squeezed Jack's neck harder, impairing both blood flow and air intake. Daniel thrust again and increased the pressure slightly.

Jack's lips parted and he fixed his stare on Daniel's face. He clenched his buttocks and arched upward again as Daniel thrust in again with another increase in pressure on the long throat. Jack's eyes rolled back and his cock exploded, bringing Daniel a second orgasm nearly as intense as his first. He again filled Jack with liquid heat and his hands dropped away from Jack's neck

Daniel trembled, the shiver running the length of his body. He pushed Jack's legs flat and fell flat on the colonel's chest, panting. He looked down at the calm face and lost it. His vision blurred with tears which dropped unobstructed onto Jack's face and neck washing away the red hand marks. Daniel ran his hands up and down Jack's sides, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Jack, please, wake up Please, Jack. Wake up..." Daniel gathered Jack close, unwilling to let go. He patted the sleeping face, "Jack, come on, please talk to me." Jack's eyelids fluttered briefly and then opened, a smile brightening the brown eyes.

"Danny, you okay?"

"Christ, Jack, I should be asking you that." Daniel was sobbing and laughing at the same time, still running his hands all over every part of Jack he could reach.

"I'm all right, Danny." Jack pulled him down for a long deep kiss. Daniel was still sobbing.

"Jack, please don't ask me to do that ever again. I thought... I can't... Just don't ask, okay?"

"Danny, you didn't hurt me, I swear, I'm fine." Jack held Daniel as close as he could without crawling inside his skin. Daniel slid off and to Jack's side, long legs wrapped around even longer legs and Jack tucked his head under Daniel's chin, kissing every inch he could reach. Daniel kept kissing the top of Jack's head and sobbing trying to catch his breath.

"Jack, we really do need to talk about this. It isn't good. What if I'd held on just a little too long? You would wind up like I found you before. Am I gonna come home and find you laying on the floor dead? Christ, Jack, do you have any idea WHAT that did to me? How scared I was? And you... you..."

"What, Danny?"

"You sonovabitch, you used MY belt. How could you?" Daniel swatted Jack's head to make his point.

"We can't keep this UP, Jack. YOU can't keep this up this is dangerous."

"What do you want me to do Daniel?"

"Let's talk to Janet, maybe she..."

"NO!"

"Jack? You need help."

"Not from her."

"Why not?"

"I won't trust her again; I did once, not any more."

"What? Why? She's our friend, Jack. She'll help..."

"And then break a confidence whenever it suits her needs? No, I won't ask her for help, not her. That's NOT my idea of a friend, Daniel"

"What confidence, Jack? What did Janet do to make you so angry at her?"

It was about then that the infamous clue bus came around the corner and struck Daniel, who looked exactly like he had been hit by a bus as it occurred to him exactly what confidence of Jack's that Fraiser had broken.

"Oh my god, Jack. You mean...when she told me about how you felt?"

"Yes, Daniel. That's exactly what I mean."

"Jack, she was only trying to help. She was worried about BOTH of us, I was ready to walk away, and not stick around and help, even though I got you into that mess..."

"What?" Jack pushed himself up to look in Daniel's eyes. "You?"

"It was my fault, Jack, I got you into that. If I hadn't insisted on going to that temple we would have returned to the SGC and none of that would have ever happened."

"BOY, do you EVER have a misguided sense of guilt, Jackson. Of all the egotistical things to say... well that just... I ... I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU REALLY FUCKING BELIEVE THAT!" Jack was red-faced and sputtering. Daniel would have found it amusing if he hadn't been so busy feeling guilty.

"AND anyway, that still wouldn't have given her the right to say anything to you." Jack was adamant

"YOU are so trying to change the subject, O'Neill. Don't think I hadn't noticed." Daniel tilted Jack's face towards him. "What are we gonna do, Jack. You can't keep this up."

"You're wrong, Daniel, I have absolutely NO trouble getting it up, OR keeping it up. My troubles seem to be with endings. Not her, Danny, not Janet. I won't let my guard down like that again. I bared my soul to her once. Never again."

"Then let me find help somewhere else, Jack."

"Where, Daniel? You just can't walk into a hospital and say, 'excuse me but my male, military sex partner was kidnapped by aliens who used him as a sex toy and now he's into asphyxiation, can you help us?' Exactly HOW long do you think THAT little tidbit would take to get around the mountain? Find me another way, Daniel. One that keeps me out of both the rubber room and the stockade, or at least the rubber room, and I'll take it. The career isn't even important anymore. Hell, I've retired before, I can do it again."

"Let me call my friend in Boston, Jack. He's a psychology professor, maybe he can suggest something, and we wouldn't have to worry about him. He was once booted out of tenure because of his sexual persuasion, so he knows discreet."

"You sure, Daniel?"

"Absolutely. I know Lance can help."

"Wait! You ACTUALLY KNOW someone named Lance? How weird is that?" Jack muttered through sleep thickened lips.

"Go to sleep, Jack. We'll talk about this later. Sleep, now." Daniel's hand stroked Jack's neck and shoulder, his mind whirring.

****

Jack stumbled into the living room like a zombie and dropped on the sofa face first. Daniel saw him and came quickly from the kitchen, "Jack, are you alright?"

"Peachy, just peachy." Was his cushion muffled reply. "Just missed you... was looking for you."

"It's okay, Jack. I was on the phone with Lance. He was recommending a few things we could try BEFORE signing on with Sigmund Freud."

"Oh, GOODY." The level of enthusiasm, if present, was well hidden by O'Neill.

"Why don't you just go ahead and start the shower and I'll be there in a moment. I just need to finish the pasta sauce and set it to simmer." Daniel wiped his hands on the dishtowel and patted Jack's butt with one.

"'Kay, but you won't be long, will you?" Jack accepted Daniel's hand pulling him to his feet.

"I'll be right there. Go." Daniel kissed Jack's forehead and shoved him in the direction of the master bedroom and bath. Daniel watched him go, then turned and walked back into the kitchen, picking up the phone from where he'd left it on the table.

"Yea, that was him. No, he just woke up and was looking for me. I've sent him off to the shower, so he'll be waiting for me." Daniel was scribbling in his journal, entering the information as quickly as the voice at the other end of the phone gave it to him. "And this guy can help. You're positive?... He doesn't mind seeing us?... He understands that he has to be absolutely discreet?... He'll go, he promised me...no, he won't... he knows I won't keep doing that."

Daniel looked up and saw Jack watching from the step to the bedroom and waved him off. "Okay, Lance, Jack's waiting for me right now. Yeah, I promised to wash his back. Hey, I really appreciate your help... Yeah, I'll let you know. Thanks again, Lance. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Jack turned and walked into the master bedroom, Daniel turned to hang up the phone.

"Thanks again for your help, Janet. Bye now." Daniel hung up the phone, smiling.

"Come on, Danny. I'm cold in here!"

"Coming, Jack."

FIN