That Which Binds

by Jedi Nic

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asj/jedinic/binds.php
Summary: Jack and Daniel find themselves bound together.

They stumbled from the Stargate, their faces grey, their bodies shaking. Sam's joy quickly turned into horror as she took in the sight before her: the colonel and Daniel finally free, but at what cost? They were so thin they were almost emaciated, their ragged clothes hanging from their bodies. She watched as they leaned together for mutual support, barely able to stand, and realized that she wasn't doing much good from the back of the Gate room.

She took a step forward as Daniel and Jack began to shuffle down the ramp with the air of the old and exhausted. Sam could see their eyes - God, their eyes! - so empty, so haunted. Daniel reached out his right hand to grasp Jack's left in a grip so tight; it was a hold that Jack returned with equal intensity.

"Sir," Sam breathed, finally reaching the pair. The guards around the room stood down and Sam could hear someone ordering a medical team. She reached out to touch Jack, to support him, but with the first gentle brush of her fingers he flinched and leaned more heavily on Daniel. Concerned, Sam withdrew and allowed them to reach the bottom of the ramp under their own power.

"Daniel?" There was a question in Sam's voice as she looked to the archaeologist, seeing the same emptiness that was in Jack's eyes. But surely he would answer her, even when Jack was so closed off Daniel was usually ready to talk, to offer some explanation. And that was what she needed to hear right now - an explanation of how they'd escaped, reassurance that it hadn't been as bad as it could have been, because they'd gotten away, hadn't they? and they were alive.

Daniel didn't say a word, he just shook his head and held up his free hand in a warding off gesture when she reached out to offer her support to him.

"Colonel O'Neill, DanielJackson, I am glad to see you are alive." Teal'c had arrived and was expressing his delight in the only way he could. Sam knew how much regret the Jaffa had felt, it was the same overwhelming guilt she herself had endured after being sent home from P3X-872 by an alien power they couldn't even begin to understand. Sam and Teal'c, freed, while Jack and Daniel had been kept behind and from all appearances, endured a torture almost unimaginable.

"We tried to return," Sam said, wanting her friends to know that she'd tried to rescue them over and over, "but we couldn't establish a stable wormhole, there must have been something about the aliens' technology which prevented that." And still Jack and Daniel stood there, not saying a word. "I am so sorry..."

The pair looked at each other, a brief glance, and Sam was suddenly reminded of how unwell they looked. "You need to get to the infirmary." A glance around showed that Dr. Fraiser had arrived but she was keeping well back, apparently having been warned by General Hammond. "Can I, can we, do anything?"

There was no response and Jack and Daniel continued to almost cling to each other as they shuffled forward, each step, each breath, an immense effort. Sam slowly trailed behind them, wanting desperately to know what was wrong, but not sure if she was ready to face the horror of the truth.

*

"How are they?" Sam kept her voice low as she asked Janet the question, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. She could see them sitting shoulder to shoulder on the bed, slumped in matching positions but at the same time still leaning against each other.

Janet sighed. "They won't tell me what happened, in fact, I can barely get them to speak. The only time I got a response was when I tried to separate them, and that was to tell me 'No'." She tugged on Sam's arm, pulling the major around the corner so that they were clearly out of earshot, should Jack and Daniel have even been listening.

"I'm breaking patient confidentiality by telling you this," Janet continued, her tone soft, "but as their friend, you, along with Teal'c, are the best chance they have for any kind of recovery."

"Their best chance?" Sam couldn't keep the fear out of her voice. "What's wrong?"

Sighing, Janet said, "I'm still waiting for some test results, but as far as I can tell, nothing physical aside from exhaustion and malnutrition - I get the impression that they haven't eaten for days."

"Teal'c and I were sent back here five days ago," Sam said softly. "How could they waste away so fast?"

"I don't know. I do know that there's a lot they're not telling me. They show all the signs of having experienced a major trauma and it's affecting them psychologically. If they don't tell someone about it, or if they don't admit it to themselves, then there's a chance they'll never get past it.

"The only positive sign I've had is that they seem to be depending on each other, almost to the point of hysteria. Now it's good that they've supported each other so far but this kind of dependency, shared trauma if you will, can go one of two ways. The first being that their friendship bond becomes deeper than ever, the second that they shun every other friend and retreat into a world where only the two of them exist."

Sam didn't know what to say. "What can I do?" she offered, lamely, knowing she had no kind of experience in these matters. She'd had enough trouble relating to Daniel alone the time they'd thought he was insane.

"Talk to them. Let them know you're there for them. See if you can get them to open up, if even a little, and make sure you tell me absolutely everything they say."

Giving the doctor a half-smile, Sam said, "I'll try." She then took a deep breath and entered the room.

Two heads lifted in unison to look at her. "Hi," Sam offered, giving a half-wave. She'd never felt more unsure of herself in the presence of her team-mates. They just stared at her in response.

"How are you?" Sam began, then immediately wanted to kick herself. It was a stupid question, it would only remind Jack and Daniel what they'd been through. "Um, I thought I'd come by and, you know, say hi. See if you wanted to talk or anything, maybe you need something that I can get for you?"

Again, it was the eerie double motion of two perfectly timed heads shaking.

"Well, then. Ah...maybe you're wondering what's been going on while you were away?" It was the only topic she could think of and desperately, she launched into a description of everything that had happened in the local and world news lately. She'd spent an awful lot of time watching television during the time Jack and Daniel were trapped: her days had been spent desperately working on re-establishing the gate connection, and during the nights she'd been ordered to get some rest. But rest had not come and Sam had numbly watched television instead, hoping for something to take her mind off of the fact that Jack and Daniel were gone.

Time passed, Sam still babbling and the pair still watching her. She found their movements occurring with well-timed precision and it was unnerving eerie. More than once, Sam found herself wondering if these really were the people she knew, or were they robotic replacements? But Janet had scanned them and said they were normal. Sam had to trust that.

Finally, Janet re-appeared. "Hello," she said as warmly as she could although there was something in her expression that demonstrated her uneasiness. "How are you feeling?"

Sam had to answer for the men. "They seem to be okay. Quiet, though." Her forced joke fell flat.

"Well I'm sorry to disturb you, but Daniel, I need you to come with me a moment. There's just something in your bloodwork that I want to check on."

Both Jack and Daniel got to their feet.

"Sir, you can stay here," Sam said, the icy coldness in Jack's eyes keeping her from reaching out to restrain him.

"We'll only be gone for a couple of minutes," Janet smoothly interceded, tugging Daniel forward with her.

"No!" Jack said, the single word echoing violently through the small room.

"Colonel, you can't spend the rest of your life attached to Daniel." Janet had adopted her best no-nonsense tone, her hands on her hips as she exhibited the strength that could convince even the most stubborn of patients to bend to her rational advice.

"You don't understand," Jack said hollowly.

"We have no choice," Daniel continued.

"Then why don't you tell me about it?"

Again, the heads shaking in unison.

"Colonel O'Neill, it is my medical opinion that you will not fall over dead if you let Daniel out of your sight for more than three seconds. Why don't you let me prove it to you? Then maybe we can start working through this." Janet tugged on Daniel's arm, unsurprised to see Jack and Daniel grasp each others' hands in vice-like grips.

"Daniel," Janet continued, "don't be ridiculous. You don't want me to drag you out of here like a child, do you?" She nodded at Sam, who stood up and began making her way to the exit.

"I'll just go get some help," Sam announced, hoping the implied threat would remain that way: implied.

"Sam, don't," said two voices. "Please."

"Then tell us what's wrong!" Knowing she was losing her temper didn't help Sam one bit, she was tired of this, tired of seeing her friends hurting and being able to do nothing.

Identical sighs and they sat back down on the bed, Janet releasing Daniel for the moment.

"We can't be separated," Daniel said slowly, still clinging to Jack's hand, "because we'll die."

"Why?" The question was simple, direct and honest.

Daniel was still speaking for the two of them. "I - we -," and he paused, swallowing hard, it was as if it was the first time he'd spoken in days and for all Sam knew, it probably was.

"They did something to us," Jack finally said. "Something..." He broke off and took a deep breath, the memory obviously disturbing. "I don't know how, but what they did connected us and I'm in him and he's in me and..." He paused, shrugging. "I can't explain it."

"There's something like a tangible connection between us," Daniel said. "I can't see it but we can both feel it and, this is the part that sounds really weird, but I know Jack. I'm inside his head and he's inside mine."

"It's like we're one person now," Jack chimed in. "Kinda."

"Oh my God," Janet said softly, as she glanced at the chart that had been tucked under her arm. "I thought the lab made a mistake...."

"What is it?" Sam asked, still confused.

Janet didn't respond but strode closer to Daniel and Jack. "Show me where," she said.

Daniel tentatively lifted his free hand and pointed to his head, just behind his temple. "Here," he said softly, "and here." The second point was his wrist, a faint white mark visible, and as Daniel pointed it out Jack also upturned his palm to reveal an identical scar. Slowly, the two men lifted their hands to match the scars against each other. Their eyes closed, flashes of pain crossing their features.

"Do you remember?"

"I remember...."

*

An alien chamber, cold, dark, with an aura of "blueness" although the colour wasn't readily identifiable. Jack, naked, spread-eagled upon a glass bench. Daniel, in similar position on the next. And the shadows that hovered around them, aliens that they couldn't even look at.

Jack slowly turned his head - it hurt so much - the last thing he remembered was coming through the Gate into a grey room which had looked so innocent until the walls began to move. Daniel had been delighted, introducing himself to whatever-the-hell those things were, and Sam had been similarly intrigued. The team had been led through various corridors until stopped in a blindingly white room which smelled kind of funny.....

A flash of Daniel falling over, of Sam yelling something, of Teal'c lifting his staff....

Then nothing until this. A table, a cold room, a fear so terrible yet he could not identify why it was so. He ached all over and something told him that he'd been here for a long time already. Jack was suddenly grateful that he couldn't remember that, at least.

He wet his lips with his tongue, his eyes focussing on the man who lay across from him. "Daniel..."

It got a response, the archaeologist turned his head with similar weariness. He looked so young without his glasses; there was a vulnerability about him that was so often hidden. "Jack," he echoed. "Where are we?"

"Don't know." Jack tried to get up, but found that he couldn't even lift his hands despite the lack of obvious restraints. "What did they do to us?"

"Drugged?" The response was a guess at best. "I don't understand this, Jack, there was nothing outwardly hostile about this place or the aliens."

And then a shadow moved to stand above Daniel's head. Jack could only watch in frozen horror as the alien forced Daniel to look skyward before inserting something that looked like a silver drill into his temple. A half-strangled scream escaped from Daniel's lips, a sound which tore at Jack's heart.

"You leave him alone, you bastards!" His words seemed to have no effect as a clear tube was placed into the hole in the side of Daniel's head. Soon, a glistening red trickle began to make its way down the tube and as Jack turned his head a little further, grateful for that small movement at least, he could see that a collection container, positioned between the two benches, awaited Daniel's blood. Another clear tube left the container in the other direction, but Jack couldn't see its destination. It probably led to a lab of some sort where the mad scientist aliens would have all the fun they wanted.

"Daniel!" Jack yelled again as the shadowy aliens finally moved away from the archaeologist's head.

"Jack?" The voice was so distant, so sleepy; Jack could see that Daniel was losing blood at an alarming rate.

"Daniel, I'm here. Hold on, okay? We're going to get out of this, I promise, you just have to stay awake for me."

"Okay," Daniel woozily replied.

And then the aliens' were at Jack's side, their icy fingers (if they even had fingers) pulling his head straight and the drill was driven into the side, the freezing tube inserted at his temple, and then his own blood was pooling in a collection container next to Daniel's. The pain was horrendous but it paled in comparison to the horror of knowing what was happening. "Oh God."

The icy blackness lifted his hand. Something sliced open his wrist. "What, one sample's not enough?" Jack spat at them, fighting to keep conscious through the blinding agony. "It's the same blood, guys! We have a little thing called a heart that pushes it around, don't all your fancy machines tell you that?" His rant was the only thing keeping him conscious here, keeping him from being a babbling moron who'd given in to the horror of it all. Another tube was inserted into his wrist. "Stop," Jack moaned, feeling himself grow light-headed from the loss of blood which was creating a substantial pool in the waiting container.

As usual, there was no response, not even the briefest acknowledgement from the aliens. And as much as Jack tried to fight it he couldn't, the heaviness, the dark grey, was pulling him further and further down into blissful oblivion.

*

It was the dripping sound which first awoke him. He didn't know why this sound, so soft out of so many other alien whirrings should attract his attention, nonetheless it did and Jack wearily opened his eyes. Nothing had changed, he was still on the table, the air was still cold, the shadowy aliens still moved around them and Daniel was beside him. So pale, his face was ashen grey as his life was slowly drained away.

Plink. Another drop hit the growing pool and Jack could see that Daniel's container was almost full. "Daniel?" he whispered, feeling so tired, unable to muster the strength that voice required. Yet somehow, Daniel heard him. Vacant eyes met Jack's, only the barest glimmer of spirit remaining. He didn't say a word. He couldn't.

Jack felt so empty. His eyes were drawn to the blood receptacles, his own filling at a slower rate than Daniel's. Maybe he had thicker blood, or maybe his heart was slower. Plink and another droplet joined its brothers. For a moment, Jack wondered how much more there was to lose, how long until he was completely empty. And would he go on living? Anything was possible with the alien technology; they seemed to be emptying out both of the men for some purpose. Probably just to see how long it took them to die before they cut them up into tiny pieces, and it certainly would be a lot less messy this way.

Whatever the reason, there was nothing Jack could do and the fury only increased within him. The rage wasn't for himself, it was for Daniel, Daniel the peaceful explorer who'd done nothing to deserve this kind of torture and death. He met Daniel's eyes again and Daniel's gaze hadn't wavered, it was the same empty stare with the infinitesimal flicker of intensity. The gaze was holding him, trapping him, but Jack discovered that he wanted to be trapped by it.

His eyes were growing heavy again, his entire body feeling so cumbersome and dead. Jack couldn't move even if he wanted to, he could do nothing but lock his gaze with Daniel's, seeing the matching horror and despair yet somehow, if they were together, they might survive this. But his heart was slowing, the beat only once every thirty seconds now and then even longer between, such a long pause that he might as well be dead.

Jack didn't move as the shadowy aliens approached the near-full canisters of blood. This was it. He heard a quiet hiss, suction of air, something as the tubes were opened at the other end and the flow began again, back *into* his body, but it wasn't Jack's own blood. It was Daniel's, Daniel's life force, in essence, the very life of the man whose gaze was so strong it was almost a physical touch.

And as the blood entered Jack's body through the opening in his wrist, an overwhelming dizziness coursed through him like an ocean wave. He was spinning out of control, this was insane, no one could do a complete blood transfusion and hope to live because they weren't even compatible, but this was *Daniel* inside his veins and suddenly Jack's heart began to beat anew.

He could hear Daniel, he could feel Daniel, because Daniel was inside of him and their eyes remained locked and that was when Jack knew that Daniel was receiving Jack's own blood. Between them was a circuit, each feeding the other his own energy until the cycle was complete and they were no longer two people, but one joined entity.

Suddenly the pain was fading and Jack felt his lungs inflate as he took his first breath in what seemed forever. "Daniel." He didn't say it aloud, rather he thought it, but Jack knew that Daniel had heard him.

"Jack." The answer came loud and clear even though to look at Daniel was to think he was dead.

"You okay?"

There was a smile in the thought that answered him. "Yeah. But you already knew that."

Jack thought about it for a hundredth of a second before he realized it was the truth. Not only could he hear Daniel's blood rushing through his own body, giving him new strength, he could hear his own vital fluid in Daniel's body, threading its way through the arteries and now even the heart and mind and maybe, just maybe, he could touch Daniel's soul as well.

"Ya think we'll get out of here?"

A mental shrug. "It hurts."

"I know." And Jack did know, he was feeling pain from two different directions that even the thrill of renewal couldn't suppress.

"I'm so cold."

Experimentally, Jack tried to wriggle his toes but still there was no movement, they were still empty and he had no control. But his hand, his arm, they were alive. The greyness was fading and ever so carefully, Jack twitched his little finger. It worked. His fingers were so cold that they hurt, but they moved, and his entire hand and arm were moving now, reaching out across the distance between the two benches to run into warm flesh suffused alive with his own forced gift. Daniel's fingers clenched around his own and it made the circuit even more complete.

A contented sigh echoed in Jack's mind. "Warmer now." The voice sounded sleepy, but it was a good sleepiness rather than a bad one and the same drowsiness was threatening to overtake Jack. Irrationally, he felt safer as he was physically connected to Daniel. He would not let the aliens break that bond.

Time faded in and out, and more tortuous experiments were performed, but somehow, they persevered. They were connected. And, inexplicably, there came the day when the aliens just let them go.

*

Sam and Janet sat in stunned silence as the men finished their story. "You're saying the aliens performed a complete blood transfusion? That's impossible!"

Jack shrugged. "It happened."

Janet glanced at her charts once again, nodding slowly. "It's true. You now appear to have swapped blood types, but that doesn't explain why you think you have a connection."

"We do have a connection," Daniel said. "I just know it."

"Yeah," was the soft confirmation.

"I believe you," Janet said. She sighed before continuing. "The last thing I want to do is put the two of you through more tests, but this is the first time anything like this has ever happened and it's probably a good idea if we make some kind of record...."

Daniel's eyes dropped to the floor. "We understand," he said heavily.

"No we don't."

"Yes we do."

"Well I don't want to test this out. What if you die?"

"Jack, I already know that you're going to do this." There was more than a hint of teasing in Daniel's voice and Sam and Janet exchanged glances, happy to see a familiar banter between the men. "I can see inside your head, remember?"

"And I thought this was a good thing," Jack mock-moaned. Then he got to his feet. "Okay, Danny-boy here has convinced me. You want tests?"

Janet nodded.

"And afterwards we can go home?"

Another nod.

"Okay." Jack took a deep breath and squeezed Daniel's hand. "Here goes."

They let go of each other, slowly, fingers lingering in the touch for long seconds until they were finally separated. Jack took a step towards the exit while Daniel took a step towards the back of the room. They kept their eyes on each other.

"Still okay?" Jack asked.

"Still okay," confirmed Daniel as he took another step backwards. And another, and even though his hands were shaking and he looked far to ill to even be awake, much less walking. Jack's head began to tingle and he briefly closed his eyes, hoping to block out the pain.

When they were six steps apart, they both collapsed.

Sam's fascinated reverie was instantly broken as she raced to Daniel's side, grasping him under the arms and pulling him back towards Jack. And although there was no scientific basis for it, Janet was doing exactly the same thing with Jack, bringing him back to the side of the man to whom he was irrevocably linked.

*

Jack opened his eyes. "Well, that hurt," he said mildly, lifting one hand to rub at his temples. The bruising around the conduit point caused him to wince again, both through the pain and the reminder of the torture. His head felt as if it had been stomped on by a herd of wild elephants and someone else's pain echoed through him again. Daniel's.

Instinctively, Jack reached out and found Daniel's hand exactly where he knew it would be. The physical connection caused much of the ache to recede and he breathed a sigh of relief. So much for Janet's idea of experiments. If this didn't convince her then nothing would.

As if on cue, Janet spoke. "Welcome back," she said cautiously, maintaining her doctor's persona. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Tell that to my head," Jack said. He slowly sat up, noting that he'd been placed on a bed right next to Daniel who was also waking up. "So what's the prognosis, Doc? Daniel and I have to stay within six feet of each other or our heads will explode?"

Janet smiled in what was supposed to be a reassuring manner. "Hopefully it won't get to that but for the moment, yes, it's a good idea if you stay close."

"O'Neill." While they'd been unconscious, Teal'c had joined the small group. "DanielJackson. I offer my condolences on your situation. I regret that I did not believe the stories of the alien race who did this to you."

"You've heard of this before?" It was Sam who asked the question for all of them as Daniel, too, manoeuvred into a sitting position. Unconsciously, he rested his head on Jack's shoulder.

Teal'c slowly nodded. "Many years ago two were taken by a presence described as nothing more than a shadow. When the two returned, they were unable to be separated more than a short distance and remained that way until the day they died."

"So this is permanent?" Daniel asked, merely confirming what they already knew.

"Well, there go my chances of ever getting remarried." It was meant to be a light comment but it had a deeper impact than Jack had anticipated. Sam swallowed hard and dropped her head, while Daniel gave him a look which was a mixture between reproach and hurt. "Ah...forget I said that," Jack amended, too late.

"It's not necessarily permanent," Janet said. She paused, as if uncertain how to put forward her next proposal. "There are tests I can do, and I suspect that this link between you might be more of a psychological bond rather than a physical bond. Your experiences describe a situation where you both would be very open to hypnosis, and it's entirely possible that your *belief* that you can't be separated has resulted in the physical symptoms."

"Ah...right."

"No, think about it, Jack," Daniel continued, obviously sensing Jack's disbelief. "When they let us go all we knew, the only thing we *believed* was that we had to be together and no one else could touch us. I know that they swapped our blood and things got really intense there," he paused, just for a moment, remembering, and his final words were a whisper. "Jack, you were the only thing keeping me sane, the only thing keeping me alive. I had to hold on to you. You had to hold on to me. And now that need has manifested itself into - this." He gestured widely and Jack was suddenly consciously aware of how close he and Daniel were, practically wrapped around each other. Yet part of him argued that this was the only way it could be.

"I'm going to recommend that you both see a counsellor. *Together*," Janet hastily added as Jack began to protest. "Chances are that once you work through this, you might be able to get back to normal, but it will take time. You've already taken the first step by telling us what happened."

"She's right," Daniel said. "I do feel a lot better now that they actually know." He turned his head, meeting Jack's eyes directly. "It's not just our secret anymore."

"Yeah," Jack said softly, wondering why the knowledge hurt so much and damning the programming that made him feel that way.

*

"Well," Jack said, lifting his eyes to meet Daniel's across the dinner table. Daniel had moved into Jack's place and now they were faced with their first night alone together. It wasn't like they had a lot of choice in the matter of where they'd live; after Janet had finally released them from the infirmary two days later and even after five sessions with a counsellor, Daniel and Jack both suffered intense headaches if they weren't within touching distance.

"Well," Daniel said right back at him. It wasn't a challenge, it was more of an, "Okay, now it's night and we could handle it when we were in the infirmary because we had an excuse for sleeping next to each other but here in your house it's a little different."

Jack scowled, realizing that he'd just read Daniel's mind again. It wasn't such a bad thing, really, but each instance was a reminder that this bond had somehow been forced upon them. They didn't ask for it. It just happened.

Even now they were connected - Jack's foot stretched out underneath the table so that his toes met Daniel's. It was easier than sitting side by side while they tried to eat (they'd figured out that one early on) and it was less obtrusive than holding hands. Still, Jack reflected, it was kinda kinky.

"It's not kinky," Daniel suddenly said, breaking the silence. Jack grimaced again and Daniel looked down, contrite. "Sorry. It takes some getting used to. Staying out of your head, I mean."

Jack understood. In that place, that dark, dark place, they hadn't really had a choice. It was either read Daniel's mind or go insane, and he'd certainly preferred the former at the time. Although if he'd known it was going to be permanent, perhaps he would have reconsidered his options. Not that he minded that much, after all, this was Daniel, someone he trusted with his life, but still, to suddenly be so attached to someone that you were practically married was a little disconcerting. Not to mention the memories of the torture, but with every day that passed, the memories faded a little more. It was good, because he had Daniel to share that with.

"You tired?" Jack asked.

"A little. I guess." Daniel shuffled in his chair. "We should get some sleep."

"Yeah."

Awkwardly, they ascended the stairs, Daniel careful to keep one hand on Jack's shoulder all the while. They made it to the bedroom intact but were then faced with a new drama, changing and actually getting into the bed. After Daniel had elbowed him for the sixth time, Jack decided to give up. He grasped Daniel's arm and propelled him forwards. "Get in," he grunted.

"But-"

Before Daniel could continue his protest, Jack continued with, "I'm exhausted. And besides, it's not like these clothes are dirty or anything, all we've done today is sit through a hundred stupid tests and then come home."

"True," Daniel conceded. He glanced behind himself at Jack, who was trying to cover up a yawn. That was when they both discovered just how catching yawning was, or perhaps it resonated down their bond, but Jack could suddenly sense that Daniel was just as exhausted as he was. With another gentle push Daniel was on the bed and Jack instantly scooted beside him before the distance, and the strain of being separated, became too much.

There they sat, backs against the headboard, legs stretched in front. This was too weird. Jack was consciously aware of every move he was making and every move Daniel was making. Even their breathing sounded harsh and erratic, *wrong* in what was supposed to be a serene resting place. With a sigh of annoyance Jack reached down and pulled up the sheet. He switched off the lamp and with the ensuing darkness, it was a little easier to slide down so that he was lying flat. "Goodnight, Daniel." He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, feeling a sensation akin to itching throughout him but he wasn't going to reach out, he would give Daniel his privacy during the night at least. Even if the separation did hurt.

Daniel was still sitting up as he said, "Night, Jack." Then Daniel lay down too, in an identical position. Jack knew they were both staring at the roof and he noticed that they were still breathing in unison. Kind of eerie, but he was dealing with it. He had to deal.

"Jack?" Daniel's voice broke the uncomfortable stillness.

"Yeah?"

"I - I need...."

He didn't have to say it and with a profound feeling of relief, Jack reached out and found Daniel's hand waiting for his. Their fingers locked together and it sent a tingling through Jack's body, not a bad thing, more of a soothing balm that calmed the ever-present itch/pain that occurred when they were apart for too long. "It's okay," he whispered in reassurance.

Jack knew that he should have been finding it really weird and more than a little disconcerting to be sharing his bed with a man, but it was Daniel and therefore it was all right. Finally, they slept.

*

They leant early on the beauty of compromise. With such different interests it was difficult for them to find things to do other than talk during the hours between counselling sessions. SG-1 was on permanent down-time until, as General Hammond had put it, "You are fit to return to active duty and that includes complete non-dependence. Understood?"

So Daniel spent time doing Jack-things and Jack spent time watching Daniel do Daniel-things and discovering that a lot of it wasn't so boring after all.

Not that they didn't get on each others nerves. Going to the bathroom was an entirely new experience when you were almost permanently attached to someone, and modesty had become a thing of the past. Jack still blushed with the memory of their first sponge bath in the infirmary. Awkward, yes. Embarrassing, well, with Janet there it only made things worse but somehow they had survived it and now it was normal to take a shower with Daniel and wash Daniel's back and have Daniel wash his own back. It was definitely not a situation Jack had ever imagined himself in but gradually, it was becoming ordinary.

Jack was just so grateful that it was Daniel he'd become attached to. If it was Sam, well, he was pretty sure they both would have been kicked out of the military by now despite the fact that the "aliens did it". There were standards and double standards and no one would even think that Daniel and Jack could become involved because of this whereas if it had been Sam the innuendo would have started from the first moment.

And if it had been Teal'c, to be honest, Jack had no particular desire to learn how Junior bathed and was eminently grateful that he didn't have to find out. Despite their friendship, sometimes it was better to keep a distance on things that were somewhat disturbing.

"True," Daniel said aloud, interrupting Jack's train of thought.

Jack glared. "Will you quit doing that?"

"Doing what?" Daniel's eyes were large and innocent, the kind of blue that just sucked you right in but Jack refused to fall for it this time.

"Reading my mind. You'll just get a big head, not that it's not big enough already...."

Daniel pouted, but with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "If you're not nicer to me I might just leave and make you watch this game by yourself." He lightly drummed his fingers on the edge of the couch. "Come to think of it, I'm in the mood to visit the library." Daniel got to his feet.

"You wouldn't," Jack said.

"Wouldn't I?" It had become a teasing challenge and Daniel had time to take an entire half-step backwards before Jack suddenly lunged up from the couch, tackling Daniel and knocking them both to the floor. As the connection re-established itself, Jack realised he was lying on top of Daniel, their faces barely an inch apart, breathing each others' breath. Their eyes locked once again and it seemed only natural that Jack would close the gap between them with a kiss.

They already knew each other intimately, but not like this. The kiss was probing and deep, as tongues met and tastes were shared. Jack had no idea of how long they lay there, kissing, but he didn't really care because this was bliss, heaven, it made the constant attachment to Daniel worth everything. So soft, so sweet, so right.

The annoying ring of the phone finally penetrated through Jack's bewildered senses and reluctantly, he broke the kiss, then ducked down for one last taste before sitting back and reaching for the receiver. "Ah...hello?" He was breathing heavily and tried to calm it before the person on the other end got suspicious.

"Colonel, good, you're home." It was Janet. "I've spoken with your counsellor and he said he's had a major breakthrough, something about the stimuli you both respond to. It took him a while to see the connection but we can now conclude that your attachment to Daniel is nothing more than a programmed response, something forced upon you during your time under the alien influence."

"Oh," Jack said softly. Daniel laid a questioning hand on his chest - God, he was still on top of Daniel! As quietly as he could, Jack moved aside and pushed Daniel's hand away.

"We want you back in here as soon as possible; we think hypnosis might do the trick."

"Okay," replied Jack automatically. "We'll be in as soon as we can." He barely heard Janet say goodbye and then he hung up the phone, his mind whirling. Daniel was still sitting there, looking hurt; of course he knew what Jack was thinking but he had to say it anyway.

"Jack, just now, what was that?"

His heart heavy, Jack met Daniel's eyes. "According to the good doctor, programming. Not our fault. Not our choice."

"Okay." Daniel sat back on his heels. His cheeks were still flushed from their earlier intimacy, his hair dishevelled, and Jack had no idea where Daniel's glasses were, but there was a new distance between them now that hadn't been there before.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," he said softly.

"Yeah. Me too."

*

"On the count of three, you will wake up." The voice was coming from a long way away yet Jack still heard it, and waited for the count. "One, two, three."

Jack opened his eyes. The room was as he remembered it, he was sitting next to Daniel (as usual) and their counsellor turned hypnotist was staring at them with a hopeful smile on his face. "How do you feel?"

"Exactly the same," Daniel answered. Briefly closing his eyes, Jack concentrated. Nothing had changed. He could still hear Daniel's heart beating with his own blood and he could still feel the connection between them.

"Now I want you to try something for me." The voice was soothing and Jack knew exactly what was coming. Prepared to protest, Jack opened his mouth but Daniel stopped him with a thought.

"We might as well try. It can't hurt."

"Oh yes it can," Jack immediately reminded him. He tried to meet Daniel's eyes but the man kept his face stubbornly turned away. "Oh, all right, I'll give it a try." He got to his feet. "One step." The step was taken by both of them, Jack clenching his teeth in anticipation of the pain that was sure to come once they were outside touching distance. Six steps was still the most they'd managed, and that had only been achieved on the first day when the reality of their situation hadn't yet sunk in.

"Two steps," Daniel said, mirroring his words with his actions.

"Three."

"Four."

"Five, six, seven." Daniel did it in a rush and Jack lifted his hands to his temples, ready to fight the pain that came, yet to his surprise, it was dulled. Sure, it hurt like hell, but he wasn't keeling over from the agony and a quick glance at Daniel showed that the other man was also coping.

"Good, good!" said the doctor. "Now try another step."

Jack did so, warily, and the blinding pain hit him. "Oh God," he managed to gasp before he lurched back in Daniel's direction, Daniel doing exactly the same thing.

Yet their doctor was still smiling with satisfaction. "It's a start," he said. "A wonderful start. Now every day, you will manage just one more step until this false dependency is broken."

"Great," Jack said but there was no real joy in his words and he wondered why the proposition scared him so much. Surely he should be rejoicing that they'd be 'cured'? Yet the prospect left him with nothing more than an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

*

"How did it go?" Janet kept her voice down as she conferred with the doctor.

"As well as can be expected. You must realism that I am not in the practice of lying to my patients."

"I know," she replied, softly, "but it was the only thing I could think of doing. There is no medical or psychological reason for their dependence, they weren't hypnotized, this thing between them just *exists*. We have to convince them that it's in their minds and then they might be able to get rid of it."

"Yes, but using hypnosis to implant further suggestions to combat a belief they both hold so strong?"

Sighing, Janet said, "They're the best team this compound has. We *need* them back to normal. I need them back to normal. It might be unethical but we have to do something."

The doctor folded his hands together. "You realize that I'm just following orders?"

"As I follow mine," Janet replied wistfully. "As I follow mine."

*

"Sir, Daniel and I can successfully handle being up to two hundred feet apart and our range is increasing every day." Jack purposely didn't mention the fact that every single foot of those two hundred hurt like hell, but he was going stir crazy stuck on base and he knew Daniel was too. They were almost at the point of driving each other insane and that was the last thing Jack wanted. His friendship with Daniel wasn't worth losing, especially if they were going to be permanently attached, and Jack was determined to do everything within his power to make sure that they led a fulfilling life.

They hadn't spoken of the kiss even once since it happened. Sometimes, Jack caught flashes of it in Daniel's mind and always retreated, not wanting to dredge up the unpleasant memory that really wasn't unpleasant at all, only it had caused an uneasiness between them that hadn't been there before.

"I don't care if you can get a thousand feet apart," Hammond returned, his hands on his hips. "As long as you and Dr. Jackson have a dependency on each other, you are both a liability. If one of you gets injured or captured then what happens to the other?"

"That's just a risk we have to take," Jack argued. "Sir, we're going crazy here. Daniel's analysed every single artifact that's been brought back during the past six months and even he needs a break!"

"I understand," said Hammond, "but that doesn't mean I can let you go."

"I can assure you that the link between us will *not* be a problem. I'll let Carter and Teal'c take the advance scout, they don't even have to be dangerous missions. Send us to the safest planet you've got if you have to, just please, send us somewhere!" The final word was definitely a plea for help and, mercifully, Hammond picked up on it.

"Do you have any idea what Gate travel will do to the two of you?"

"It'll be fine," Jack said nonchalantly, trying not to show how hopefully excited he was getting. "We came back from the planet with no problems. As long as we step through together...."

"You make sure that you do," Hammond said, deadly serious. Jack knew why and he shuddered to think of what would happen if Daniel was one side of the Stargate and he was on the other. Talk about distance.....

"So when do we ship out?"

Hammond shook his head, smiling wryly. "You just don't give up, do you. Let me review the pending missions and I'll let you know this afternoon."

"Thank you, sir!" Jack saluted in what he hoped was a respectful manner and then escaped before the general could change his mind.

*

"You ready?"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I agree, Sir, you haven't tested the full distance of your separation yet, it could be dangerous...."

"Carter," Jack said, not bothering to hide the frustration in his voice. "Enough. I got it from Hammond, I got it from Fraiser, I certainly don't need it from you. Daniel and I will be *fine*, okay? This planet's supposed to be the safest place we've ever been to and besides," he paused to give her an evil grin, "you're going first."

Sam looked surprised, but then squared her shoulders and said, "Yes, sir!" She then turned and stepped through the Gate.

Teal'c was close behind her, leaving Daniel and Jack facing each other on the ramp.

"We can do this, Daniel. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," Daniel lied.

"Yes you are, I can see it on your face." And hear it in my mind, Jack silently echoed, but by unwritten pact they no longer discussed that particular little advantage. They linked arms before approaching the even horizon - there was no sense in taking chances. And when the familiar rush of Gate-travel surged over them Jack couldn't help but whoop with joy and he was still cheering as they were spat out on the other side, right into the middle of a war zone.

"Sir, get down!" He heard Carter's shout too late and the hated pulse of a zat gun surged through his body, toppling him to the ground.

"Jack!" yelled Daniel who'd been knocked down with him, although the blast hadn't had much impact on his body.

"Daniel, get out of here!" he managed to hiss, surprised at his ability to talk but figuring that it was maybe another advantage of kind of sharing his body with Daniel - the effect of weapons' fire was lessened.

Teal'c appeared by their sides, blasting away with his staff weapon. "DanielJackson," he shouted over the noise, "I suggest you dial home!"

Hating himself for leaving Jack, Daniel scrambled to his feet and ran as best he could being hunched over to duck the persistent blasts. He reached the DHD under the covering fire provided by Sam and quickly dialled Earth, punching each character with a frightened ferocity.

"Duck!" Daniel yelled at Teal'c and the Jaffa did so only moments before the splash of blue vortex would have taken him out. Once the wormhole was stabilized Teal'c picked up Jack's fallen body and began to run towards the Stargate.

"No!" Daniel screamed but his words were drowned out by the roar of a bomb blast practically on top of the Stargate. Teal'c staggered for a moment but then continued pushing forward, readjusting his precious burden on his shoulders.

"JACK!"

"Here, Daniel..." came the soft echo in his mind before Teal'c pushed into the blue and then they were gone.

Pain. Intense, horrific pain and Daniel fell to the ground, the assault roaring in his ears. And then nothing but emptiness, a calming hollow in his mind as his blood - Jack's blood - began to sing. It filled him, flowing through his mind into his heart and as Daniel placed one hand on his heart, he realized the truth, that no matter how far apart he and Jack might be in physical terms, they would never be separated. The truth they'd known since that very first day remained: they were within each other and everything would be okay.

"Daniel, come on!" Sam was screaming his name and he looked up, reflecting that she almost resembled an angel if the sky of heaven was orange like it was here. The weapons' fire had subsided for the moment, perhaps the troops were re-grouping after the last great bomb blast. "Here, lean on me, we'll get back to Jack soon and you'll be all right, okay, Daniel?"

He smiled up at her. "It's fine, Sam," he said softly. "We're fine." For one moment he closed his eyes and *reached* across thousands of light years to the other half of his soul who, Daniel knew, was sitting at the bottom of the ramp with a faint smile on his face as he watched through Daniel's eyes. "Come home, Danny," he said.

Daniel opened his eyes. "Let's go." He let Sam help him to his feet and placed his arm around her, finding the contact strangely foreign but comforting at the same time. He was finally free to touch other people and it didn't hurt one bit. More than that, Jack already knew that he wasn't being betrayed because he was there too.

Sam and Daniel ran through the Stargate just as the enemy resumed their attack and they were safe.

*

The pull on the other side of the Stargate was still there. Daniel stood at the top of the ramp, staring down at Jack. Part of him craved the touch, his body wanted to race down there into Jack's waiting arms to re-assert the connection so that their blood could sing together. But he was stronger than that now. They both were - no longer slaves to the connection, but in control of it. And able to enjoy it to the fullest.

"Welcome back," Jack finally said.

"How are you feeling, Sir?" Sam asked, apparently just remembering that Jack had been shot. Daniel had completely forgotten.

"Like I've been kicked in the-"

"SG One!" interrupted General Hammond. "What the hell was going on on that planet?"

"You told us it was safe!" Jack protested. "You can't blame me for this one, Daniel and I jumped through the gate and suddenly we were being attacked."

Sam picked up the story, explaining about the ambush as she and Daniel slowly made their way down the ramp until at last Jack and Daniel were back by each others' sides.

"Hey," Jack said softly.

"Hey yourself," Daniel replied, and then they just stood there, stupidly grinning at each other and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Of course Janet wanted to perform further tests on them, as did their counsellor, and they proved themselves over and over that they could control this connection now. All it had taken was an enforced separation, or, as Daniel liked to believe, the wonder of the Stargate which had started everything in the first place.

Daniel wandered into the bathroom, still marvelling at the sensation of being alone. He loved Jack, he really did, but people couldn't be together twenty four hours a day, seven days a week without feeling more than a little frustrated. And besides, Jack was only a thought away if he really needed him. Staring into the mirror, Daniel smiled at himself. It was nice to see a single reflection and even better to know that if he tried really hard, he could see Jack's eyes looking through his own.

Or next to him. "Hi," Daniel said softly, needing the words to show that they could be normal.

"Hi," Jack echoed just as softly.

"So...Janet gave you the all clear?" The doctor had insisted Jack stay in the infirmary for a while, just to see that there were no residual effects from the zat gun blast.

"Yeah, I'm fine. She says we'll both be fine from now on. Still with backwards blood types and I don't think they're ever gonna be able to explain that one, but we're okay." Jack smiled at him in the mirror but it was a wry smile, almost tinged with sadness. "We're past it." It being the need for constant contact, not that either of them had need to specify.

"Yeah," Daniel softly agreed. "Guess I should move back to my own apartment again."

"I guess so."

Neither of them moved, they just stood there staring.

"Can I come over tonight? Get my stuff?"

Jack shrugged. "Sure."

*

The ride back to Jack's place was filled with silence, a silence that had somehow become frighteningly awkward. Jack kept glancing at Daniel out of the corner of his eye, wanting to probe his thoughts but not daring to. A new distance had sprung up, despite what they knew there were boundaries which hadn't been discussed, boundaries that Jack was unwilling to push against. It was insane. He knew Daniel even more intimately than he knew anyone else - they'd been in the shower together naked for crying out loud!

He hated this. Hated the idea that Daniel was just going home, pretending like nothing had happened, pretending that the past several weeks never existed but they did, damnit, and Jack remembered every single moment. The horrific torture which had led to their bond. The frightening homecoming, the confusion as they struggled to make sense of what they were feeling. The comforting knowledge of being bound together. The feeling of Daniel in his arms all night. The kiss.

And that was what it came back to - the kiss. Despite the fact that it had been nothing, one tiny moment of weakness giving into a bond they couldn't control, Jack couldn't get it out of his mind. He kept telling himself that he wasn't gay and despite how wonderful it had been, it meant nothing. Nothing! He loved Daniel but not like that. Not in the together-forever sense...but that was exactly what this was, Jack suddenly realized, the knowledge like a physical punch in the gut and he had to suppress the gasp that threatened to fly from his lips. He was upset now because he didn't want Daniel to go. He wanted Daniel to stay with him - they'd already learnt that they made great roommates, not to mention partners. They'd been joined at the hip and Jack hadn't really minded one bit because....

Come on, Jack, he told himself, you can say it. Because you love him as more than a friend. Because you want to spend the rest of your life with him and you do not want him to leave you. So if you're gonna stop that happening then you'd better say something pretty quick because you're practically home and before you know it, Daniel will be gone and you'll be nothing more than friends again.

He pulled into the driveway. In unison, the men opened their doors and exited, the link still did that to them sometimes, made them act like one person. Jack wondered how long it would last.

Once inside, Daniel began to head for the stairs. It made sense, most of his clothes were in Jack's bedroom, and as Jack stared at the retreating back he heard his blood - Daniel's blood - pounding in his ears. He opened his mouth to speak but it was so hard, it meant throwing himself out there with a chance of being shot down, it meant possibly ruining his relationship with Daniel forever, it meant facing a truth about himself he might not be ever ready to face....

And Daniel stopped. "I'm waiting," he said softly.

"Waiting for what?" Jack was surprised that he could get the words out.

"For what you're going to say."

Jack looked at the ground, shuffling his feet. The little rat (whom he loved, mind you, but he was still a rat) was reading his mind again. "What am I going to say?" It was almost, but not quite, a taunt.

Still not facing him, but paused at the bottom of the stairs, Daniel said, "I don't know. I can't tell you what you want to do. I can only hear what's in your heart, but if you can't deal with that then I won't push. I'll just get my stuff and get out of your life."

"I don't think it'll work like that, Danny."

"It will have to."

"What if we don't want it to?"

"I don't know, Jack. I know I don't want it to be like that but I haven't heard anything from you that'll convince me differently."

"I-" and again, he just could not say it, the words flying from his tongue in a fit of irrational panic. "I'm sorry, Daniel," he finally admitted.

"Then I'll go." Daniel began to ascend the stairs.

"No!" Jack protested, feeling suddenly ill at the sight of the retreating back. "Daniel, don't go."

Again, he halted. "You want me to stay?"

The question was loaded with multiple interpretations, but when it came down to it, there was only one answer that could be given. "Yes." Another pause, an empty silence, and Jack knew that Daniel was waiting for more than that. "Yes, I want you to stay, Daniel. I - I like having you around." He took a deep breath. "I need to have you around."

"Why?" and the voice was suddenly empty and cold. "I thought we were past this now. I thought we weren't going to give in to the bond any longer. It might have been forced upon us but it doesn't mean we have to live our lives as slaves to it."

"That's not what I meant!" Jack protested.

"Then what did you mean?" And it was his last chance, Jack knew that, he could hear the final warning in Daniel's voice.

"I meant that I need *you*, not because of what happened to us, but because..." How to explain it? How could he ever explain what love was? Jack decided to give up trying and vaulted up the few stairs to draw level with Daniel. He tentatively reached out, putting his arms around the younger man. "I need you, Daniel."

To his immense relief, the embrace was returned, softly, tentatively, and Daniel laid his head against Jack's shoulder. "I love you too, Jack."

Jack closed his eyes with relief. Daniel understood, Daniel felt it too. "Hey, wait a second," he said, smiling so that Daniel would know he meant this as lightly as possible. "I never said I loved you."

"It's in your heart," Daniel quietly replied. He placed his hand against Jack's heart and they could both feel the pulse of the blood that beat between them. Jack closed his hand over Daniel's and just stared at the man before him. For a moment they were back on the tables in a freezing alien room, forging a connection that could never be broken, and then they were back on the stairs, Jack leaning forwards ever so slowly to gently press his lips against Daniel's. The thrumming of their hearts increased, music to accompany the new desire that was now asserting itself, but this was hardly the place to indulge. After an interminable time of connection, skin against skin but nothing more, they finally broke apart.

"Where do we go from here?" Jack asked. He didn't want to ask, and he suspected he already knew the answer, but part of him wanted to hear the actual words.

"The bedroom, I hope," Daniel answered with an impish glint in his eyes. It was a completely unexpected reaction and Jack loved Daniel all the more for it.

"And after that?"

"After that we move the rest of my stuff over here, get rid of my apartment, and live happily ever after."

It sounded so simple and even though Jack knew it could never be that (after all, they had the rest of the world to deal with and so many people would be against them) but in that moment, Jack wanted to believe every word that Daniel said. "Yeah," he grinned. "Happily ever after. I like that."

Jack took Daniel's hand firmly in his own and they ascended the remainder of the stairs together. Forever connected through the blood running through their veins, and now connected, by choice, through their hearts as well.

End.