Child Of The Gods 1

Child Of The Gods

by Sistine

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ass/sistine/child01.php
Summary: Things don't go quite as planned when SG-1 goes to rescue Sha'uri and Skaara

Part 1

Daniel lunged forward as the elaborately dressed man drew near. The movement was sudden but the actions of his teammates were very quick as well. Unfortunately, they hadn't been as quick as the guards, who brought their weapons to bear as Jack called out, "Daniel, don't!"

Two servants held Daniel in place, kneeling before the man. In that strange distorted voice, he pronounced, "This one is passionate."

Unfortunately, Jack had to agree. That passion had brought him out of the suicidal mood he'd been in and given him a reason for living. He could not let Daniel throw his life away like this.

"How much would I remember if you chose me?" Daniel asked, his voice thick with emotion, which stood to reason considering his wife was up on the platform with that snakehead.

"Daniel, what're you doing?" Jack asked casually even though he knew the answer. And he didn't like it at all.

"Something of the host must survive." Daniel sounded like tears were not far away.

Jack looked across at the dark-skinned guard who was slowly shaking his head. Which meant that if Daniel were chosen, he would no longer exist. And that was just not acceptable.

The Goa'uld in the fancy dress took his time thinking about it. Then he slowly said, "We choose... him."

No, not Daniel! But it was, and the archaeologist was dragged away by the servants, barely putting up a struggle...

That had all happened thirty minutes ago, and now the refugees, guided by SG-1 and 2, were nearly back at the gate. They all stopped at the top of the slope to take in the sight.

The new Goa'uld were being taken through the gate. Each one was escorted by a servant, and two Jaffa were standing guard nearby. But Jack didn't see any of those because he was focused on the sandy-haired young man who was now dressed in very ornate robes. He had one last chance to save Daniel - he had just got the young man back; he was not going to let him go again. Without thinking, he started down the slope, not listening to the cries from behind him.

"What's he doing?" Samantha Carter said in disgust.

Kawalsky, who prided himself on his observational skills, stated, "He's going to get Doctor Jackson back." True, Charlie had a soft spot for Daniel but it was nothing like the one Jack had. There was just something about Daniel that had got under the colonel's skin.

By now, Jack was closing in on the Stargate. "Daniel!" he shouted, slowing down a little. He didn't want to get close to the men with the staff weapons.

Daniel turned around and walked down the steps towards Jack. There was little compassion in those eyes now, filled only with arrogance.

"Daniel..." Jack said more softly, hoping to appeal to the host. Teal'c couldn't be right about this.

Blue eyes flashed gold and Daniel's left hand, encased in a hand device, came up to point at Jack...

****

Pain! There had been so much pain! Daniel hadn't been able to believe that it hurt so much when the symbiote had penetrated his neck. It must have been awful for Sha'uri to have experienced the same thing. Then his mind had been shunted off to one side as the Goa'uld, Klorel, connected itself to Daniel's brainstem. And he had known very little after that...

Until now. Jack stood in front of him, pleading with his eyes. Daniel tried to reach out to him but found Klorel firmly in control and about to send Jack flying.

'No, you don't,' Daniel projected at Klorel.

'You cannot stop me, human,' the reply came, closely followed by a burst of pain.

And in that moment, Daniel was able to speak. "Jack, help me!" He didn't want to remain like this, not even for Sha'uri. He had been so stupid...

****

The strike never came. Jack saw a change come over Daniel's face and then heard the plea.

"Jack, help me!"

The eyes flashed again but Jack knew that Daniel had broken through. His friend had survive; he still existed. And in that moment, Jack knew what he had to do.

Reaching out, he caught the snake off-guard, turning Daniel around and placing an arm across his upper body, immobilising the arms. Jack also put his gun to Daniel's head, hoping that the Jaffa wouldn't shoot through Daniel.

"Ha'taaka!" the Goa'uld hissed as it found itself unable to move.

"Right back atchya," Jack responded as he eyed the two Jaffa. They had their weapons up and ready but hadn't fired them yet, which was a good sign. It meant that they weren't game to shoot the host for risk of hurting the Goa'uld. Good. "Now, I'm sure none of you want me to kill whatisname here so I suggest you put down your weapons."

The two Jaffa looked at each other and as they did so, Jack fired at them. At the same time, a staff weapon's blast from behind him sent one of the Jaffa flying. The other Jaffa fell from Jack's bullets. Then, surprisingly, one of the servants grabbed something from the side of one of the Jaffa and fired at Jack, enveloping him and Daniel in blue lightning. Jack fell backwards, convulsing with shock but still managing to keep hold of Daniel.

There was the sound of machine gun fire, and two more bodies hitting the stone platform. But Jack didn't care about that right then. He was too busy concentrating on the pain that was spasming through his body.

"Jack?" came the weak call from beside him.

Groggily, Jack tried to get up and look at his hostage. "Daniel?"

"What... was that?" The words were uneven as Daniel's muscles kept twitching. He had caught the main part of the lightning.

"Colonel, are you alright?" Sam, closely followed by everybody else, was rapidly reaching their position.

"I think so." Jack got to his feet and pulled a shaky Daniel up with him. "Daniel, do you want us to help you?" Please say yes, he prayed.

Daniel nodded. "I was wrong. Please get it out of me, Jack." He looked at Jack with pleading eyes. He had made such a mistake. But Jack would fix it.

"We will," Jack said softly. But it wasn't going to be easy. "Carter, dial us up. Kawalsky, help me remove this hand thingy." His strength was gradually returning so he stepped behind Daniel to hold him still just in case the snake returned. "Sorry, Danny."

"It's okay," Daniel replied, feeling Jack's strong arms across his chest. He hadn't realised just how strong Jack was until now.

"Sir," Carter interrupted, "Daniel had the addresses."

Just great. Luckily for them, there was an alternative. "Skaara! Can you work out the symbols for Abydos?"

Skaara raced over to the symbols and looked at them for a moment. Then he shook his head and yelled back, "I cannot, O'Neill!"

"I know the symbols for your world," Teal'c spoke up. He had been silently observing the humans, trying to decide whether he had made the right decision. Seeing O'Neill's compassion towards his friend made Teal'c believe that the choice was correct.

"Good. Dial it..."

"Shol'va!" Daniel's eyes flashed as he struggled to free himself. Kawalsky had just managed to take the ribbon device off so the Goa'uld had nothing to strike with.

Teal'c stiffened but resolutely headed for the pedestal. The Goa'uld continued to call after him in Goa'uld but Teal'c ignored it all.

Jack struggled to hold onto Daniel, then figured the easiest way would probably be to shut him up. So he placed one hand over Daniel's mouth and tilted the head back just enough to hurt, which meant that Daniel's head was basically resting on Jack's shoulder. "Would you kindly shut up? We're trying to escape here." He watched the gate whoosh into life, then as Carter sent the GDO code. A few more minutes and they would be home. "Captain, go through and tell the general what to expect."

"Yes, sir!" Carter disappeared into the event horizon, and then SG-2 started sending the refugees through.

Jack wanted to stay and fight but since he was holding Daniel, he would be useless in a fight. So as the C4 was detonated on top of the hill, Jack stepped into the wormhole.

Exiting on the other side, he quickly moved down the ramp, stopping in front of the general.

Hammond looked at the colonel in total surprise. "Colonel, what's going on?" he asked, looking at Dr Jackson, who was still being held firmly by the older man. Why was the doctor wearing those clothes?

"General, we've got a problem." He didn't have to say any more as Daniel's eyes glowed...

****

Klorel continued to struggle against his captor. How could the slave do this to him! He was a god!

'No, you're not,' came his host's voice from deep inside his mind. 'You're just a parasite that needs a host to stay alive.'

Klorel didn't bother to reply. There was no sense in talking with the host.

"Are you telling me that Doctor Jackson is a host?" the bald human asked incredulously.

"Yes, sir," the human behind Klorel replied.

Klorel smiled to himself. It was obvious that they were concerned about his host. That could provide him with an advantage.

"Permission to lock him up, sir?"

"Permission granted."

No, they couldn't do this to him! Klorel struggled even more, trying to break free. In response, two big humans came and took him by the arms. The human released his mouth, feeling Klorel to deliver a steady stream of insults. "Shol'va!" and "Shak'ti'qua Hassac!" were among the mildest. In vain Klorel continued to struggle, defiled by the touch of the lowly humans. If only he still had his hand device...

Half an hour later...

"General..."

"Colonel, do you mean to tell me that not only did you allow Doctor Jackson to become a host but you've brought back a bunch of refugees plus one of the enemy?" Hammond was beyond incredulous now - he was downright mad.

"I wouldn't exactly put it that way, General."

"Then how would you put it?"

Jack wished he knew Hammond well enough to know what he was really thinking. "I couldn't stop Daniel, sir. He volunteered and the Goa'uld agreed. The others were going to get slaughtered so we rescued them with the help of a man who believes that what the Goa'uld are doing is wrong." Speaking of which, Teal'c was currently under guard because everyone bar him thought that he was a threat. Some welcome. "He's not going to get a very good impression of us if we keep him locked up."

"We'll just have to take that chance." The general looked at the object in his hand. "And just what is this?"

"I don't know, sir." But man, did it hurt! "One of the Goa'uld shot Daniel and I with it. It felt like electricity running through my body. It appears to paralyse the muscles. I suspect Teal'c would be able to tell you more about it, sir."

The general didn't appreciate the tone that the colonel was using. "Then we'll ask him about it when we go to see him."

"And what about Daniel, sir?" Jack was very worried about his young friend. Daniel had sounded terrified when Jack had been able to speak to him. What was that Goa'uld doing to him?

"For the moment, he'll remain here under guard. He may be able to provide us with some insights into the Goa'uld."

That did not sound good. "Uh, respectfully, sir, I don't think that snake in his head is gonna want to help us."

"Have you got any better ideas, colonel?" Hammond asked while he speculated on the concern shown by the colonel for the doctor. From what he had seen, the two men were complete opposites yet the colonel had been willing to lie to allow Doctor Jackson to remain on Abydos. And now there was the concern about what happened to the civilian. It didn't fit with what he had read about the man.

"We have to get the snake out of him, general. Can't we remove it or something?" It seemed too logical to him - if it could go in, then it could come out.

"You'll have to talk to Doctor Warner about that. For now though, I want you to stay away from Doctor Jackson, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Jack agreed reluctantly.

"Good. Dismissed."

Jack saluted then left the general's office. That conversation went well, he thought to himself sarcastically as he headed towards the camera room. The general had told him to stay away from the cell but he hadn't said anything about watching Daniel.

Dismissing the guard in that room, Jack brought up the picture of Daniel's cell. Behind the bars, Daniel - or whoever the snake in his head was - was pacing the length of the cell. Jack sat there for a while, his gaze fixated on the young man. It wasn't really the ideal time to work out that he more than just cared about Daniel, given that Daniel was currently a Goa'uld. He, who was career military, had just figured out that he was attracted to the gorgeous civilian, maybe even loved him if the gut-wrenching sensation was anything to go by. And the bad part was that he couldn't let any of this show. If he let it slip in front of the snake, who knows how it would use that against both of them.

On screen, Daniel tested his strength against the bars of the cell. They had to get the snake out of Daniel, Jack thought. Otherwise he would lose Daniel forever, one way or another, and that was just not acceptable. There had to be a way...

The next day

After talking to Teal'c, Doctor Warner, and numerous other people, Jack knew that there was one very slim chance of getting the snake out of Daniel. It didn't come with a high survival rate though. So Jack had to give Daniel the choice.

Armed with a zat - Teal'c had explained its function the previous day - Jack walked into the base's jail. He had watched Daniel for a little while in order to gauge its' mood, and had decided that Goa'uld's simply didn't have good moods. Therefore, now was a good as time as any.

Daniel glanced at him then resumed staring at nothing. This was not going to be easy.

"Who are you?" Jack demanded, only to be met with silence - he had expected that lack of response. "Fine," he said, priming the zat. "I'll just talk to Daniel then."

"I am Klorel, son of Apophis," the Goa'uld announced in a resonant voice.

Progress. Jack lowered the zat for a moment. "Klorel, huh? Listen, Klorel, you're in my friend and we'd both like you to leave."

Klorel sat up then and gave an evil smile. "That is not possible. The blending process is irreversible," he stated with confidence.

Jack shook his head, a chill going down his spine at hearing the cold words coming out of Daniel's mouth. "Now, you see, already we've got a problem because I think it is."

"Whatever your method, you will not be successful."

"Well, we won't know until we try." The Goa'uld was too smug for Jack's liking. "Now, let me talk to Daniel."

Klorel gave another evil smile. "Nothing of the host survives."

"Now, you see, I know that's a lie because I talked to him yesterday. So are you going to let me talk to him or do I have to do it the hard way?" Jack raised the zat.

"Wait, Jack, don't shoot!" Daniel's hands came up to stop Jack from shooting, his voice sounding normal. "It's me."

Jack lowered his arm slightly. "Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack."

The colonel was slightly suspicious. The change of heart - and voice - had been too sudden. "How're you doin'?"

"Good," Daniel replied. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"Doctor Warner thinks he has a way to get the Goa'uld out of you." Jack looked carefully at the young man's eyes. There was no warmth in there, nothing Daniel-like.

"It won't work," Daniel stated. "You won't be able to get it out."

Jack pressed the button on the zat, enveloping Daniel in the blue lightning. As Daniel lay on the floor, his muscles spasming painfully, Jack fought the urge to go in there and hold him. Daniel went still for a minute, and Jack watched him anxiously. Then Daniel's eyes slowly opened again.

"Jack?"

"Sorry," Jack apologised. He knew the difference between his Daniel and the Goa'uld. He would have to warn the others that this Klorel could sound like Daniel, otherwise they could be fooled. "Had to make sure it was you."

Daniel looked at his surroundings with his own eyes, not the Goa'uld's. His home until they got rid of the snake. "I understand. You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah. Warner thinks he can remove the snake in surgery but there's a big risk attached." He talked quickly before the snake came back. "You could end up with spinal cord damage or worst case, Teal'c says the Goa'uld could kill you when they operate. Do you want us to try it?"

****

Daniel looked at Jack, concern written all over the colonel's face. This was the first time he had seen the older man since they had come back from Chulak. By the sound of it, he had been busy trying to find a way to help Daniel, which was nice of him. "But it might work."

"It might."

"Do it then. Just get it out of me, Jack." Klorel had been showing him horrible scenes from Goa'uld history and Daniel knew he wouldn't be able to cope with a lifetime of that.

"You sure?"

"Positive. Anything's better than this," Daniel replied, fighting Klorel as he re-emerged. "Please," he managed to get out before his mind was shunted off to the side again.

'It will not work,' Klorel sent to his host as he made his eyes flash again.

'Then we'll both die,' Daniel promised the Goa'uld.

****

Jack watched as the eyes flashed again. Daniel wanted to try the surgery, even given the risks involved - that was a good thing. He couldn't resist taunting the snake. "You're not going to win, Klorel. One way or another, you will die."

"I am a god. I cannot die," Klorel responded in his metallic voice.

"That's what you think."

****

"O'Neill!" Skaara saw the military man - his hero really - walking ahead, and wanted to talk to him. He had hardly seen O'Neill since they had come back from Chulak, and he wanted to know what was happening with Daniel.

"Skaara." O'Neill turned around to face the young Abydonian. His face was drawn, tiredness evident in his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"You do not look so good," Skaara observed as he drew closer. "How is Dan-yel?"

The tiredness was replaced by concern. "Not good," O'Neill admitted. He stuck his hands in his pockets, looked down at the ground and then back up again. "The snake inside his head is not a good person... being, whatever. It doesn't like letting me talk to Daniel."

"You will... take... it out?" the young man asked, worried about his brother. He had already lost his sister; he could not lose Daniel too.

"We're gonna try." O'Neill reached out and placed a hand on Skaara's shoulder. "Skaara... I know this will be hard but - I don't want you to visit Daniel. He - the snake - might say things that will hurt you."

"Dan-yel will not hurt me," Skaara said with conviction.

"That's not Daniel in there. It looks like him but the Goa'uld has got control of him," O'Neill said somewhat urgently. "Promise me, Skaara."

With understanding eyes, Skaara looked at O'Neill. "I promise." If O'Neill wanted him to stay away, he would. "I need to return home soon." If the gate had not been buried on Abydos...

"I'll let you know when we... get Daniel back."

"O'Neill." He waited until the older man looked directly at him. "You care much for Dan-yel, yes?"

A silent nod was all the reply he received. O'Neill looked uncomfortable in admitting that he cared.

"Do not let the thing inside him know that or he will hurt you too," Skaara said wisely. He had observed the connection between the two men and understood that it could be used against them.

"I won't," O'Neill promised. He drew Skaara into a hug. "Let Kasuf know what's happening and that we're going to do our best to get both Daniel and Sha'uri back, okay?"

"Okay."

Skaara watched O'Neill walk away. If anyone could save his sister and brother, it would be O'Neill, he had no doubt about that. But at what cost?

****

As Jack waited for Hammond to arrive at the briefing, his thoughts drifted to the number of Jaffa that Apophis was obviously sending through to try and get Klorel back. This Goa'uld was obviously important - what had Daniel said? 'Children of the Gods'? To be one of Apophis's children? He shuddered at the thought; no way was he leaving Daniel to be Apophis's son!

"As you were, people," Hammond said as he strode into the room and sat down. "In light of events, Colonel Kennedy has chosen to make certain recommendations to my superiors that I want to share with all of you. Colonel Kennedy?"

Jack took his time turning to look at the officer from the Pentagon who so far hadn't endeared himself to the people at the SGC. He couldn't wait to hear what the guy was going to say.

"I know some of you are friends with Doctor Jackson, so please forgive me if what I'm about to say appears callous."

Jack shared a look with Kawalsky, who was sitting across the table. Neither of them liked the sound of that.

"But I believe that surgical removal of the parasite may be a mistake."

"General," Jack immediately protested, "this is a waste of time that Daniel does not have." Every second they wasted was another where the snake was preying on the linguist's soul.

"Doctor Warner," Kennedy turned to the doctor. "What are Doctor Jackson's chances of surviving the procedure?"

"Ten, twelve percent at most," the surgeon replied. He was still hopeful, though, that it would work.

"And the parasite?" Kennedy didn't wait for an answer. "It is an intelligent being after all, isn't it, Colonel? I believe I first read that in your report."

Jack didn't say anything, just glared at Kennedy. Oh yeah, he didn't like this one little bit.

"The parasite itself would not survive the procedure," Warner eventually replied.

"So we're faced with destroying one life in the futile attempt to save another. You see the ethical dilemma?"

"No. I don't," Jack replied. The procedure would work and they would get that snake out of Danny's head.

"My team and I are completely prepared to perform the procedure, sir. We'll do our best," Warner said to Hammond. He didn't like what Kennedy was suggesting.

"Doctor, don't misunderstand me, please," Kennedy tried to placate. "We all wish that the invading parasite in Doctor Jackson's body could be safely removed. But the facts are the facts." They would have a golden opportunity.

Carter spoke up then, obviously not liking the conversation either. "I'm sorry, what was your point?"

"If we proceed with this operation, Doctor Jackson will die in vain."

"And if we don't?"

Yes, colonel, let's hear how much you want Daniel to suffer while you try to turn this to Earth's advantage, Jack thought, controlling his anger into an impassive mask.

"Well, let's consider that for a moment. This is a young Goa'uld, one only just released from it's... what? Incubation... in a... I'm sorry, what do you call yourself?" he questioned Teal'c.

"A Jaffa."

"Thank-you. How is that it's already this intelligent?"

"A Goa'uld is born with the knowledge of all the Goa'uld's that came before it," Teal'c provided the information.

"Genetic memory," Carter mused. "That's amazing."

"Yes, it is," Kennedy agreed. "All the knowledge of the Goa'uld's. I want you all to think about that before we just throw it away."

"I've thought about it," Jack chimed in. "You thought about it?" he asked Kawalsky, who nodded. Then he looked at Carter, who also nodded. "I think we've all thought about it... any more thinking to be done?" What was there to think about - Daniel had to be saved.

"Colonel," Hammond warned. He was well aware of the feelings of his people.

"Imagine if we could convince this Goa'uld to share this knowledge!" Kennedy persisted anxiously.

Teal'c disagreed. "A Goa'uld would not willingly share. They view humans as slaves; you are nothing to them."

"All right then, what if we studied it? How much could we learn from that? What if we just faced up to the fact of Doctor Jackson's slim chances of survival and realise that the greatest enemy that mankind may ever face has just been delivered right to our doorstep?" Kennedy was determined to get his way.

'I don't care!' Jack's mind screamed. 'This isn't just anyone you're talking about, it's Daniel! So why don't you face up to the fact that we're not going to hand him over to you and get the hell out of here!'

"Even if we let it return through the Stargate as a gesture of good faith, how much could we...?"

"Just what kind of an officer are you, colonel?!" Hammond interrupted, outraged at the man.

Jack listened with satisfaction as the general put Kennedy in his place. It was good to know that the general was behind him on this. Now they could get around to saving Daniel.

****

Klorel struggled as he was led into the new room and strapped face down to a table. How dare these hassac's treat him like this! He was a god!

'Do we have to have this conversation again?' his host queried.

Klorel ignored him and lifted his eyes to see the bald human and the one who often came to see his host watching from another room. "You will not succeed," he promised them in a metallic voice.

Neither man responded to the words. "You will kill the host," Klorel warned.

The bald man leaned forward and Klorel felt a twinge of victory. They would not risk killing the host.

"Proceed, Doctor."

No! Klorel felt something sharp pierce his neck and a drowsiness came over him. They could not do this to him! As the darkness began to overtake him, Klorel came up with a plan...

****

That Daniel had survived the operation was nothing short of a miracle, Jack mused as he stood watch over the sleeping man. Doctor Warner had appeared to have removed the snake successfully but Jack wasn't doing any victory celebrations just yet. When Daniel woke up and showed no sign of possession or paralysis, then Jack would rejoice. Until then, he was just watchful.

Daniel's lips were slightly parted to help him breathe, which Jack thought made him look perfectly kissable. In fact, if there hadn't been cameras in the room - or Doctor Warner, for that matter - Jack would have felt compelled to act upon that thought. Instead, he just drank in the sight of the beautiful young man before him.

Eyelids slowly fluttered and then opened, allowing the blue eyes to see out. They looked around the room and then focused on one individual. "Jack?"

"Hey, Danny," Jack said softly. There was no trace of the Goa'uld voice. "How're ya feeling?"

"Okay. Did it work?"

Doctor Warner stepped in. "Can you move your fingers, Doctor Jackson?" He smiled when Daniel wriggled his fingers slightly. "And your toes?"

Daniel's face was set in concentration as he tried to wiggle his toes. They moved slightly and Warner was happy. "Congratulations, doctor. You've already exceeded my expectations."

This was good news to Jack. Danny was going to be alright. "How's the head?"

"No voices," Daniel replied, giving Jack a tentative smile. "Thank-you."

"No problem. Actually, you ought to thank Teal'c. Without him, we wouldn't have been able to put the Goa'uld under," Jack informed him.

"I'd like to do that."

Jack reached out and ruffled Daniel's long hair. "Good to have you back, Dannyboy." He let some of the affection that he felt show through but by no means all of it.

****

"It's good to be back," Daniel heard Klorel reply, and saw Jack's answering smile.

'It's not me, Jack!' he tried to say past the snake's influence but he couldn't. 'They'll figure out it's not me,' he warned Klorel.

'Not until it's too late,' Klorel replied. 'All of them will not see past their relief.'

'Jack will.' Daniel didn't know how he knew that; he just did. 'And he'll make sure you can't escape.'

'We'll see.'

****

Teal'c was sceptical when the Tau'ri told him that the symbiote had been removed and the host was back to normal. He had never before heard of such a thing occurring. The Goa'uld, once in their hosts, possessed them for life. Still, he accompanied O'Neill to the room where the young man was recovering so that he could judge for himself. The Tau'ri seemed very confident in their abilities yet they were nowhere near as advanced as the Goa'uld. If it were not for O'Neill, he would not remain on their world.

He followed O'Neill into the room, for the first time paying much attention to the host. DanielJackson was indeed a beautiful man, young and innocent. He could see why O'Neill was very protective of the host.

"I don't believe you two have officially met," O'Neill stated. "Daniel, this is Teal'c. Teal'c, this is Doctor Daniel Jackson."

Teal'c bowed his head in greeting but he didn't miss the flash of anger in the clear blue eyes. Was it the host or the symbiote controlling the body?

"Thank-you, Teal'c," the young man said, appearing to be sincere. "Jack, could I have a minute alone with Teal'c? I want to talk to him about something."

"Sure." O'Neill turned and left the room.

As soon as the door closed behind him, the host's eyes flashed gold. "Shol'va!" the metallic tones of Klorel sounded. "You dare defy your god?"

"Neither you or Apophis are gods," Teal'c returned, unsurprised that Klorel had survived.

A hand shot out and wrapped itself around the Jaffa's neck. "You will die for your insolence!"

Teal'c tried to free himself but the stranglehold was too strong, and the world began to fade to black...

****

Klorel kept squeezing until the Shol'va was unconscious, then he headed towards the door. Once he got home, he would tell his father all about the traitor, not to mention all the presumptuous slaves.

Outside the door, he quickly overpowered the guards and then started along the corridor. Fortunately, due to his host's knowledge, he knew exactly how to get to the gateroom and what to do once there.

"Klorel!"

The Goa'uld turned to see the human 'Jack' standing there with zat'n'ktel in hand. "Hassac!"

"Whatever," the human replied. "Stand down."

'I told you,' his host said smugly.

"You are a fool, human," Klorel sneered, ignoring his host. He would escape.

"No. You are." The human casually fired the weapon and Klorel's world went black.

****

Jack knew he had been right to be suspicious when Daniel ran out of the room and overpowered the guards. His Daniel wouldn't do such a thing therefore the snake was still inside him. The procedure hadn't worked, and the snake had tried to fool them all. So he had no hesitation in firing the zat.

He felt a few twinges of guilt as Daniel's body was wracked with pain but he steeled himself to the sight and summoned a couple of airmen to take Klorel into custody while he was still unconscious.

Just as they got him to the cell, Daniel woke up. His eyes focused on Jack immediately. "Sorry, Jack," he apologised. "I couldn't tell you."

"It's okay, Danny," Jack assured him. "We'll find a way that works."

Daniel nodded, his trust in Jack evident. "Is Teal'c okay?"

"He'll be fine." Jack succumbed to temptation and briefly slid his fingers through the young man's hair, brushing it back from his face. "And so will you," he promised. He wouldn't stop trying until that snake was out of Daniel.

****

Later, Charlie Kawalsky found Jack sitting in an empty room, staring at nothing. He had heard what had happened earlier and figured that his friend might need some company. "Jack, can I come in? Jack?" he repeated when there was no answer.

The colonel looked at him with dull eyes. "Sure, why not?" He then went back to staring.

Kawalsky was reminded of the Jack O'Neill that went on the first mission to Abydos - lifeless, just an empty shell. Doctor Jackson had changed that. "You okay?"

"No. The operation didn't work."

"So I hear." He suspected he knew half the reason that Jack was upset but the other half... that might be a little trickier. "You care about Jackson, don't you?"

Jack looked at Kawalsky. He knew his friend wouldn't say anything. "A lot more than I should," he admitted. He looked away again. Way more than he should. "What is it about him that makes me feel like this?"

"Don't know," Charlie replied, taking the response in his stride. He had never been judgmental about where people's affections lay. "He's passionate, really smart, brave, naively optimistic, and if you like that sort of thing, beautiful. What's there not to like?" He could see what Jack saw in the linguist, especially the similarities between the young man and Charlie O'Neill. The childlike innocence of the former was reminiscent of Jack's dead son, and Kawalsky had to wonder whether it was part of what drew O'Neill to the civilian.

"I can't, Charlie," Jack said in a strained voice. "I can't afford to care about him." He would just lose him anyway. "He's a Goa'uld now."

"Hey, we're gonna get that thing out of him," Kawalsky stated firmly. "Don't give up yet."

Jack said nothing, just stared at the floor. Don't give up. Easier said than done. "You know what they're likely to do with him now?"

"Yeah." Lock him up where he couldn't harm anyone or escape.

"It could be years before we find a way. How can I let that thing possess him all that time?" How could he watch Daniel, knowing that the snake was inside him?

"I don't know."

The men sat in silence, one of them worried about his good friend, the other afraid of what he was feeling, and of what would happen if the linguist remained lost to him.

****

"I have an idea," Doctor Janet Fraiser - a new recruit to the SGC - stated three days later. She had been briefed on Doctor Jackson's case almost as soon as she had arrived. "We can keep him sedated. That way the... Goa'uld... won't be able to inflict his memories on Doctor Jackson." She had also been briefed on what the symbiote could do to its host.

Jack stared at the new doctor. She wanted to put Daniel to sleep indefinitely? That was just not acceptable! Although... it had been hard to watch Daniel - Klorel - pacing in the cell, calling out what were undoubtedly insults and curses. And the longer Klorel remained in control, the less like himself Danny would be when he was free. Jack hadn't even gone to see the linguist since the Teal'c incident, not wanting to see him up close, which he felt guilty about because he didn't want Danny to feel abandoned. But if he showed he cared - the damage had probably already been done on that score - the snake might find new and inventive ways to use it against both of them.

"Is that possible?" the general asked.

"We think so," Warner responded. The two doctors had discussed it at length. "We know the anaesthetic used during the operation worked, and we believe it could be used to keep Doctor Jackson asleep as long as necessary."

"What would the long-term effects be?" Jack asked, surprising everyone with his question.

Fraiser and Warner shared a look before the former replied, "We don't know. It would depend on the length of time."

In other words, whether it takes a few weeks, a few months, or a few years, Jack thought, terrified of the last figure. To lose Daniel for that long...

"Colonel, are you alright?" The general was a little concerned about Jack at the moment; the man looked very tired.

"Yes, sir," Jack answered automatically. He turned to the doctors. "Daniel won't feel a thing?"

"No, sir. He and the Goa'uld will be completely unconscious the whole time," Janet answered. She hoped.

Jack thought it over. He still didn't like the idea but it would be better than letting him sit in a cell with a snake for company. Looking at the general, who was looking at him, Jack stated, "I say we try it, sir."

Across the table Carter, who had remained silent up till then, spoke up. "I agree, sir."

General Hammond nodded, accepting the opinions. He turned to the two doctors. "You have a go." He waited until everyone had stood up and then said, "Colonel, can I see you in my office?"

"Yes, sir." Jack followed the general into the nearby room and shut the door behind him when told to do so.

"Colonel, is there something going on between you and Doctor Jackson?" the general got straight to the point, bypassing the 'don't ask, don't tell' rule.

"No, sir," Jack replied, thankful that he could reply truthfully.

"Then why all this concern?"

"He saved my life twice, sir. I have to save his." And he was sticking to that story. If he admitted to anything more, he would probably either occupy a cell next to Daniel or be kicked out of the SGC.

Hammond tried to see if there was anything hidden in those words but he didn't know the man well enough to know. "Very well." His tone implied that it had better be all. "You'd better go and tell Doctor Jackson what's going to happen."

"Yes, sir." Jack left the office suitably chastened. It had just begun to sink in that even when they got Daniel back to normal, nothing could happen between them while Jack was in the military. And Daniel was married, lest he forget that not so minor point. He couldn't ask Daniel to cheat on Sha'uri. And so it was with a heavy heart that he went to see Daniel, stopping only to arm himself with a zat.

Jack didn't bother with any preliminary talk, he just zatted Klorel upon entering the cell. As Daniel lay writhing on the floor, Jack went over and held him tight, unconsciously rubbing the young man's back with comforting strokes.

****

"Jack?" Daniel eventually was able to say. He liked the feel of the older man holding him, the strong arms enfolding him.

"Are you, you?" Jack asked, moving back to look into Daniel's eyes.

"Only on the weekends apparently," he replied, managing a slight smile. He was pleased to see an answering smile on Jack's face, briefly lightening the moment. Then the older man's face turned serious again.

"Danny, the doctors have come up with something. They think they can keep you asleep until we find a way to take the snake out."

Asleep? Unconscious for an indefinite amount of time? The thought was not appealing in the slightest except for the fact that it would silence Klorel. He saw Doctor Warner step into the cell behind Jack, syringe in hand. "Do I have a choice?"

"Yes." Jack tucked a long piece of hair behind the linguist's ear, and Daniel felt a tug of attraction towards the older man at the tender gesture. "But I think this would be the best thing to do."

Daniel stared at Jack for a long moment, then nodded. "Then do it. Just promise me one thing, Jack."

"Sure."

"Find Sha'uri. I promised I'd take her home."

He didn't miss the pain in Jack's eyes at the mention of Sha'uri, or the strain in his voice when the older man promised he would find her. Was it possible that Jack had felt the same things he had? "I'm scared, Jack," he admitted as Warner drew closer with the needle. He was going to miss a whole chunk of his life, not knowing what was going on.

"I know." Jack held him tighter. "So am I."

"Not the thing to be telling me right now," Daniel said as the doctor stuck the needle in his arm. What if he never woke up from this?

"Sorry, I forgot." Jack stroked the long hair, holding Daniel's head to his shoulder. "It'll be alright."

"Don't let go, Jack." Daniel held on tightly, wanting his last conscious thought to be of how safe he felt in Jack's arms. "Please don't let go."

****

"I won't." Jack felt tears come to his eyes as Daniel relaxed into an unconscious sleep. "I won't," he repeated in a whisper. He forced the memory of cradling Charlie's lifeless body like this out of his mind. Daniel wasn't going to die. They were going to find a way to save him.

"Colonel," Warner interrupted his thoughts.

"What?"

"We need to take Doctor Jackson to the infirmary now."

Jack focused his eyes on the gurney outside the cell. "Right." No! his heart screamed, don't let him out of your sight! But his head knew that it wasn't possible. Picking Daniel up - a bit of a strain on the knees but it was worth it - he put the linguist on the trolley and then gazed down at the beautiful face, unguarded in sleep. He had to save Daniel; he loved him. He would have to try and find Sha'uri too, but that wasn't going to be his main priority. Saving Daniel, even if he had to give him back to the Abydonians, was. "Take good care of him, doc."

"We will." And then Warner left, taking Daniel with him, leaving Jack alone with his feelings.

Part 2: Two Months Later...

Jack sat at Daniel's beside telling him all about the mission they had just been on to Argos. He had been lucky to return from that one, having caught something from Kynthia that had prematurely aged him. If it hadn't been for Carter and Fraiser, he would be dead by now. But he skipped those details, concentrating on the aspects of the mission that would interest the archaeologist such as the culture and architecture.

It had become a habit of Jack's to come in after every mission and tell Daniel about it. He knew the young man wouldn't be able to hear anything but it was helping him cope with the whole situation. And he had gained an appreciation of different cultures which he otherwise would have ignored, simply because he knew that Daniel would want to know.

Boy, he had it bad.

The first couple of times, the nursing staff had looked strangely at him but now they simply accepted him as part of the furniture. In fact, everyone had accepted that Colonel O'Neill was a softie when it came to Doctor Jackson. And the two soldiers who had tried to imply it was more than that had painfully regretted it.

The love that Jack felt for Daniel hadn't faded any; in fact, it had become stronger. Jack didn't know what he would do about that when Daniel was himself again but for now, he allowed it. Only Kawalsky knew the truth about his feelings, and often made time to help Jack get through it. He was a good friend.

Jack ran his fingers through Daniel's hair. Someone had given the linguist a haircut recently so that the hair didn't grow too long but it was still quite long. Jack loved the silky feel of it - the nurses occasionally washed it too - and he often thought about how Daniel would react if Jack did it while they were making love. But until they found a way to take the snake out of Daniel's head, he would never know.

Leaning over, he kissed Daniel's forehead, feeling the smooth skin under his lips. "I miss you, Danny," he said softly, then left the room, unable to stay there any longer.

****

A week later, Ferretti quickly dialled up Earth and went through the Stargate. General Hammond was waiting at the bottom of the ramp, curious as to why SG-1 was returning. "Major?"

"Sir, we've found a way to help Doctor Jackson."

****

Twenty minutes later, Hammond had the full story. Upon going through to Cimmeria, Teal'c and O'Neill had been transported into a labyrinth designed by Thor to prevent against Goa'uld invasion. And there was apparently a device in the labyrinth that could kill a Goa'uld but leave the host alive. And that was why Ferretti had been sent back to Earth - they had finally found a way to free Daniel.

"And this really works?" Hammond queried.

"Yes, sir. Kendra has been through Thor's Hammer and now she's Goa'uld-free," Lou replied, watching as Daniel was wheeled into the gateroom, stirring on the edge of consciousness. He would have to get the linguist in there pretty quickly before the snake woke up.

"Bring him home safely, Major."

"Yes, sir." If he didn't, Jack would have his hide. Lou helped Daniel to his feet, holding the young man upright, and then took him through the gate, hoping that this was going to work.

****

Sam watched the creature writhe in the brilliant red energy field, then fall out of it to die. She assumed that there had been a Goa'uld inside it and that was why it had been trapped. She then watched Teal'c go over and check the creature, pronouncing it dead. "It works," she muttered.

The words drew Jack's attention to her. "Carter!" He paused, taking in the presence of the stranger.

"This is Kendra," Sam introduced the woman beside her. "She used to be a host."

'Used to be.' The words echoed through Jack's mind. 'Used to be.' The implications quickly sped through his brain. They could save Daniel! Then he registered something else. "Ferretti?"

"He went back to collect Daniel," Sam explained, seeing the concern in her CO's eyes at the mention of the linguist. "They should be in there by now."

Jack was pleased that Carter or Ferretti or both had the presence of mind to realise this was their opportunity to get the snake out of Daniel. "In that case, we'd better make ourselves comfortable and wait for them to put in an appearance."

"Sir?"

The nod the colonel sent towards Teal'c made Sam understand. Of course - Teal'c had a Goa'uld so he couldn't get out without destroying the Hammer. But they couldn't do that until Daniel had been through it. So therefore they would wait.

****

"Stay away from me, slave!" Klorel's metallic voice echoed through the passageway.

Lou Ferretti shrugged impassively. "What will you do if I don't?" he asked, lifting his rifle and aiming at the Goa'uld. He forced himself not to see Daniel standing there.

"You will not harm this host," Klorel sneered.

"How sure are you about that?" Ferretti replied, pleased when Klorel hesitated. "Now, I'm sure you want to get out of here just as much as I do, so let's get moving."

****

If Daniel had been in control of his body, his heart would have sped up at the sight of Jack waiting in the final cavern. As it was, he could only settle for a triumphant shout within the confines of his own mind. For Jack to have had him brought here, it meant that there was a chance to free him.

'You will never be free,' Klorel taunted him.

'Yes, I will,' Daniel replied, although he knew deep down that getting rid of the memories would be very difficult. But Jack would help him.

"Shol'va!" Daniel heard Klorel say as he laid eyes on Teal'c. Then his attention was taken by the Unas lying on the floor. "What happened?"

****

"He tried to kill me and you see, I really don't like it when that happens," Jack said laconically, fighting down his feelings at seeing Daniel up and around again.

"You could not kill him," Klorel stated with less confidence than before.

"You've seen what these can do," Jack said, holding up his rifle. "You tell me if I couldn't." All he needed to do was somehow get Klorel into the archway and then let the Hammer do its job. Then he would have Danny back.

Klorel remained silent, assessing the situation. "Then why do you remain unless this is some sort of trap to free the host? Yes, O'Neill," he said after seeing the colonel's face, "I know about your plan to free the host, and your feelings for him. He does not return those feelings."

"And you'd know all about feelings, wouldn't you?" Jack countered, worried about what the snake had got from Daniel's mind. He ignored the look Carter sent his way; he would fob her off with some story later.

"He does not wish me to leave," Klorel persisted.

"Well, neither of you has any say anymore," Jack returned smugly. "One way or another, you're dead."

"Then the host will die with me." Klorel's eyes closed and Jack knew that the snake was preparing to kill them both. And he was not going to let that happen.

Moving forward quickly, he wrestled Klorel into the archway. Burning pain shot through his body as he held on, making sure Klorel was going to stay there, and then suddenly, he was pulled away. Jack turned to see Teal'c standing behind him, the Jaffa returning the favour from earlier when Jack had pulled him out of the Hammer. Jack then turned his eyes back to the man currently in the Hammer, wincing at the pain Daniel would be experiencing. But there was no other way, he told himself.

Jack was there to catch Daniel when he fell, Carter only seconds behind. Carefully, the older man laid the linguist out on his back so that Carter could check him out. Please be alive, he prayed.

Sam did a quick inspection and found that although his heartbeat was a little fast, Daniel was okay, and she relayed this news to her CO. She really hadn't had time to get to know the young man but she had missed him nonetheless; he had made quite an impact on her when they had first met.

"Daniel, wake up!" Jack said urgently, wanting to talk to his linguist immediately. "This is no time to be napping."

"Go 'way, J'ck," came the murmured words, eyes refusing to open.

Jack's heart leapt with joy and he barely refrained from kissing the object of his love. Daniel was free! He allowed himself a huge grin though. "If you wake up now, you can have all the coffee you want when we get back," he promised.

****

Daniel's eyes flew open at the mention of coffee. How long had it been since he'd had any? Too long, judging from the trembling he was doing. No, wait - that was residual pain running through his body, not coffee withdrawal. He tried moving his hand, and although it shook, it still moved. He was in control. Klorel was gone... well, dead at least. "Jack?"

"Yeah, Danny?" The archaeologist had never seen Jack's face so lit up. Jack's arms slid under his back and helped him to a sitting position.

"Where are we?" The memory of what happened was coming back to him. They had finally found a way to kill Klorel. And it had hurt.

"Cimmeria," Captain-Doctor Carter spoke up. Daniel focused his eyes on her, remembering the brief conversations they'd had. "The people here are descended from the Norse people of Earth."

"Really?" Daniel's interest was caught.

"Now you've done it, Captain," Jack said, helping Daniel to stand up.

Daniel's eyes focused back on Jack, seeing the exasperated look on his face but also the relief in his eyes. Jack looked a lot thinner than he remembered. It was then that the linguist realised how much Jack might have suffered in the past few months. It had only been a few months, hadn't it? "It can wait," he said. He needed to get his priorities straight.

Jack snorted. "Yeah, for about five minutes. What's say we get outta here and then we can fill Daniel in on everything. Captain?" He threw the staff weapon over to the blonde woman, who caught it deftly and then went to stand outside the Hammer.

"Wait, Jack, what are you doing?" It wasn't hard to figure out what was happening. "What about Sha'uri?" They couldn't condemn her to a life of being a Goa'uld!

"Daniel," Jack started to say as he prevented the linguist from going towards the Hammer. "Teal'c's here now." He held Daniel's arms, standing in front of the linguist.

The term 'shol'va' resonated through Daniel's mind but he pushed it away. Jack obviously trusted the Jaffa and that was good enough for him. But he couldn't watch the captain destroy the Hammer so he moved into Jack's arms and buried his face into the older man's shoulder. He felt Jack's hand come up and cup the back of his head, holding him gently. When the staff weapon fired, he winced, tears coming to his eyes. He was free but Sha'uri would never be. Suddenly, being free again wasn't so appealing.

****

Jack felt Daniel's face scrunch up, presumably to stop the tears from falling. He knew as well as the linguist about this being Sha'uri's last hope, and he regretted that they had to destroy the Hammer. But Teal'c was here now - that had to take precedence. "I'm sorry, Danny," he whispered into the young man's ear.

"I understand," the whispered response came as hands snaked around Jack's waist, briefly holding him tight. Then Daniel tried to move away. It was an instinctive act on Jack's part to tighten his own hold, holding Daniel close to him; he didn't want to let go ever, especially now that he had the archaeologist back.

"Jack."

The older man pulled back reluctantly at the protest, remembering that he was supposed to be professional. "Sorry." He looked at Teal'c and gestured towards the Hammer. "After you."

Teal'c bowed his acknowledgement and strode purposefully over to, and then through, the Hammer.

Jack looked at Daniel, who was sadly watching Teal'c, arms hugging his body. He held out his hand to the young man, hoping the gesture wouldn't be rejected. "Let's go home."

Daniel switched his gaze back to Jack, his eyes filled with sadness. But he didn't say anything as he silently followed Teal'c out of the labyrinth.

****

The trip back to the gate had been quiet, Daniel hardly speaking at all. The reality of being a former Goa'uld host and having a wife out there who still was, had just hit and he realised that he wasn't just going to be able to continue his life as if nothing had happened. He had to live with Klorel's memories, with the atrocities he had been shown. And the pain of knowing his wife was trapped forever.

The others had watched him carefully - Jack especially - unsure of what to say to him. So after a few attempts at conversation, they said nothing.

On the ramp back at the SGC, Daniel had not responded to General Hammond's, "It's good to have you back, doctor," - he had just walked straight out the door. Jack had followed after giving the general an apologetic shrug, catching up with the linguist and taking him down to the infirmary where they were now awaiting Janet's prognosis.

"You're in fine health, Doctor Jackson," she said as she returned to the two men. "Even your eyesight has improved." It was interesting that the Goa'uld had chosen to correct that.

Daniel said nothing, still lost in his thoughts. Jack noted the faraway look and said to Janet, "Listen, doc, when can I take him home?"

Janet paused before replying, "I'd like to keep him overnight for observation."

"No offence, but I think the infirmary's the last place he'd want to be. I think he'd be better off outside the base." Where Jack could keep an eye on him.

Janet weighed up the pros and cons of the situation. She had observed the colonel's affection towards the young man over the past couple of months, and knew he could be trusted to look after him. Still... "On one condition - that you call me immediately if there's any change."

"Done." Jack got a hold of Daniel's arm and dragged him up. "Come on, Danny, we're going to my place." He received a puzzled look - which was an improvement on the blankness - but no protest, so he led Daniel up to the surface, put him into the truck, and drove him home.

By the time the archaeologist was deposited on the couch, Jack was well and truly worried. It appeared that Daniel had withdrawn from everyone. He was still wearing the hospital scrubs that he had been put in two months ago because the nursing staff hadn't had any luck encouraging Daniel to change.

Jack went and got some food for the young man, worrying the whole time. Daniel had lost some weight - not having actually eaten in over two months - so Jack was going to make sure that he ate something now. Carrying plenty of food, he went back into the living room where his guest was waiting silently.

Placing the food on the coffee table, he sat down next to Daniel, close enough to feel the fine tremors ghosting through the linguist. Jack immediately put his hand on Daniel's forehead, feeling for a temperature. When he felt no extra heat, he realised that the young man was just a little cold. "I'll be back in a minute," Jack said as he got up to get a blanket.

Daniel continued to stare blankly at the wall. He had been vaguely aware of arriving back at the SGC, of being poked and prodded by the doctor, and finally of Jack taking him home. But it was if it were a dream, with sounds flowing around him but not penetrating his brain. It was almost like being a host, having no clear awareness of the world around him. Even Jack was only a buzzing sound, albeit a comforting one. It was his anchor, the only thing that was keeping him from retreating all together. It would be so easy to let the grief totally overwhelm him, to let the thought of never seeing Sha'uri again suck him into a spiral of despair. But something was stopping that from happening. And that something was Jack. Daniel couldn't explain why - he just knew it was true.

He felt something warm being wrapped around his upper body and he looked up, curious. Jack had placed a blanket over his shoulders and was now trying to direct him into holding it tight. Daniel's fingers automatically followed the instructions and held onto the blanket, his eyes tracking Jack as the older man came back to sit on the couch.

Jack felt the stare but didn't know whether Daniel was comprehending what he was seeing. He had to find a way to pull Daniel back from wherever he had gone. There was no way Jack was going to lose him a third time. "Daniel, I'm not going to pretend that I know what you're going through. I don't. I do, however, know about grief and shutting yourself off from everyone. It feels like your only option at the time but in hindsight, you realise that you can still have a life, even without the person you love most in the world."

Without thinking about it, Daniel leaned over and lay his head on Jack's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. He knew who Jack was referring to.

"Please don't become like me, Danny. There's still a chance that we can save Sha'uri even without the Hammer." Jack put his arm around Daniel and hugged him close. "You're one of the strongest people I know. Don't let this destroy you."

'You will never be free.' Klorel's words echoed through Daniel's mind. If he gave in to the Goa'uld's memories, and the despair at his wife's fate, he would not live to see her freed. And he had to do that; he had promised Kasuf.

Looking into Jack's warm brown eyes, Daniel found the strength to pull himself out of the haze. "Help me?"

"You bet." Jack couldn't help the grin at hearing Daniel speak again. He had to pull his gaze away from the young man, though, before he did something stupid like kiss him. So Jack gently pushed Daniel's head back down onto his shoulder, cradling the head as he did so. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Daniel closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of Jack holding him close. "I-I don't think I can. Not - not yet." He didn't know if he could find the words to describe his experiences just yet. "It's like a bad dream."

Jack kept up the stroking of the silky hair, letting Daniel know he was listening.

"Thank-you."

"For what?"

"For saving me," Daniel replied, snuggling in ever closer to Jack, remembering how safe Jack had made him feel before being sedated.

"You're welcome." Jack couldn't think of a better response to that. He had saved Daniel for selfish reasons - he wanted to have Daniel back.

Daniel reached an arm across Jack's stomach, realising from the tone of voice that the older man hadn't found the last few months easy, and he wanted to give some comfort back.

Jack swallowed hard as his body reacted to having a willing Daniel so close to him. Here he was, sitting with Daniel, and he couldn't do anything because the young man was so vulnerable right now. So he pushed those thoughts out of his mind and tried to concentrate on being there for Daniel.

"I do, you know," Daniel said suddenly, remembering something Klorel had said to Jack on Cimmeria.

"You do what?" Jack was confused at the change of topic.

"Have feelings for you," the linguist replied quietly, not looking up at the older man.

"What kind of feelings?" There had to be no misunderstandings between them if Daniel was talking about what Jack thought he was talking about.

"Confused ones." That was an understatement. "I love my wife but... I'm attracted to you. I think." He was so confused, this probably wasn't the time to talk about it. But if he didn't talk about it now, he might never get around to doing so. His hand absently fiddled with one of Jack's shirt buttons.

"Maybe it's a reaction," Jack said, hoping that he was wrong. "You know, after everything..."

"That's sort of why I'm confused. I don't know what's real. Klorel, he... he..." Daniel lifted his eyes to Jack. "I can't get him out of my head. He took over my mind and made me think, feel and do things I didn't want to. He tried to make me forget... me."

"He's gone." Jack smoothed the long hair back from the young man's face. "He won't make you do those things any more. And to help you remember, you are the most intelligent, passionate person I have ever met. You're brave, kind, loyal and beautiful, and you saved my life twice. And Klorel will never be able to take that away from you as long as I'm here."

Daniel was speechless for a few moments at the recitation. He swallowed hard as he realised just how much Jack must care about him to say all that. "Really?"

"Really," Jack promised him.

The linguist put his head back down. "Do you love me?"

How could he answer that? With the truth? It wasn't as though Daniel was on his team or in the military, so theoretically it wasn't against any rules to admit it. But he couldn't take it any further. "Yes, I do." He kept moving his fingers through Daniel's hair, the touch reassuring to both of them.

Daniel accepted the statement calmly, which might have had something to do with how content he was feeling. "Do you want a relationship with me?"

"Daniel, you're married," the colonel pointed out.

"Technically. And without the Hammer, there's not much chance of saving her, is there?" He had to face facts; he was lucky they had been able to free him in the first place. Finding another Hammer to free Sha'uri would be a long shot.

Jack didn't reply. There was nothing he could say to that.

"Do you?" Daniel asked again, uncertain as to why he was pushing this. He sat up now, watching the older man's reactions. There was a sense of loss as the movement dislodged Jack's hand but Daniel remained upright. "Jack?"

"Yes." There, it was out in the open. He loved Daniel and wanted a relationship with him. It was impossible though. "But we can't."

"Why not?"

"Because if we started something now, I'd feel like I was taking advantage of you." Daniel wasn't in any shape to be making decisions like this. "Secondly, you're in love with your wife, not me. And thirdly, we wouldn't be able to work together."

Daniel had to admit they were very good points. And since he was still confused, he couldn't refute them. But he did have to clarify one thing. "Jack, I didn't say I was in love with Sha'uri. I just said that I loved her." There was a difference.

"Semantics, Daniel. The point is, you're not in love with me." It hurt to say that out loud but it was true nonetheless.

"Give me a chance?" Daniel moved closer to Jack again, his mouth only inches away from the other man's. "Please?"

It took all of Jack's willpower to gently push the linguist away. "I'm not going to take advantage, Daniel. You need time to recover, to think about what you really want."

"Fine." Daniel's heart stung with rejection. He stood up angrily and stormed from the room.

Jack watched him leave, annoyed with himself. Part of him said that he had done the right thing, and the other part was berating him for being so stupid. It belatedly crossed his mind that Daniel might think it was because he had been a host, and Jack groaned at the thought. How was he going to convince Daniel otherwise, and where should they go from here?

He got up and followed Daniel to the spare bedroom. The door had been pointedly shut but Jack ignored that. He knocked. "Daniel?"

Silence. Jack put his ear to the door and heard faint sound of movement in the room so he opened the door.

Daniel was prowling around the room, throwing pillows and bedclothes everywhere, and cursing in a variety of languages. He stopped as soon as he saw Jack, and just stood there, his body vibrating with anger.

Jack didn't say anything, unsure now of what to do. Any attempt at placation probably wouldn't go down too well. He watched as Daniel's face fell, anger giving way to grief, and he quickly went across and gathered the linguist in his arms as the tears started to fall. "I'm sorry," Jack murmured into the linguist's ear as he held him tight. "I'm sorry."

"Don't push me away, Jack," Daniel pleaded, his words muffled by the older man's shoulder. He hadn't been able to hold onto his anger, reality crashing down on him again. "Please."

"I won't," he promised. "I'll always be here for you."

They stood there for what seemed like hours, Daniel releasing all the grief he had been trying to ignore earlier. Jack could do nothing but hold on until the storm had passed.

When the crying finally stopped, Daniel was reluctant to move away. True, he was embarrassed at crying like that but the main reason was that it felt good to be in Jack's arms. He didn't want to surface and let reality intrude again. He shifted his face to the other shoulder - his tears had soaked Jack's shirt - and held on tightly around Jack's waist. Now that he was calmer, he could see the older man's point about waiting until the memories had faded a little. He was in no condition to be making such life-changing decisions right now. But that didn't stop him from enjoying the embrace.

"You've no idea how long I've wanted to do this," Jack quietly confessed. All those hours spent by Daniel's bedside imagining what their life might have been like if the linguist hadn't been Goa'ulded. "How much I want to take you to bed and love you until we're both exhausted. But it's not the right time."

"Will there ever be a right time?" Daniel asked, Jack's confession not quite sinking in.

"I hope so." He would make sure there was. He kissed the top of Daniel's head and then pulled back. "Now, come and eat something."

"Okay."

****

Jack fussed over Daniel for the rest of the evening and the linguist let him, even to the point of being tucked into bed - the spare bed, not Jack's. Once he was sure Daniel was asleep, Jack went up onto the roof to his observatory. He looked up at the stars, wondering which one was Cimmeria. It was now officially the best planet that he had been to. He couldn't believe he finally had Daniel back or that the young man was currently downstairs sleeping in the spare room. It had happened so fast that Jack hadn't taken it all in yet. Daniel was back. Daniel was confused. Jack had to help him through that confusion and through the rebuilding of his life before anything could happen between them. He prayed to whoever was listening to give him the strength to do that.

****

[How is he?]

Jack looked over at Daniel, who was quietly eating some breakfast, then answered the general's question. "He's okay. Not his usual self but... okay."

[Has he told you anything?]

"About what, sir?"

[The Goa'uld.] Jack could hear the interest in Hammond's tone.

"Not yet." In fact, Daniel had hardly said two words to him since coming out five minutes ago.

[I'd like you to bring him into the Mountain today, Colonel.]

"Why?"

[Colonel Kennedy would like to talk to him.]

That idiot? "Ah, begging your pardon, sir, but wouldn't it be better to let Daniel readjust before anyone starts messing with his mind?" He saw a flicker of interest from the linguist, which showed that Daniel wasn't as oblivious to his surroundings as he had been pretending.

[Normally I'd agree with you, Colonel, but the Pentagon wants information with which to fight the Goa'uld. And since we wouldn't let them have Doctor Jackson two months ago...] Hammond trailed off, the rest of the sentence obvious.

Jack rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. "Just a couple of days, sir," he pleaded.

[I'm sorry, Jack. Bring him in.]

"Yes, sir." Jack hung up, annoyed at the bureaucrats at the Pentagon. Didn't they realise that Daniel needed some time to himself before being interrogated?

Daniel had listened in to the conversation and drawn his own conclusions. It had crossed his mind earlier that he was now a very valuable asset to the military because of the Goa'uld knowledge he possessed. "So, no day off?"

"Apparently not," Jack replied testily as he sat down opposite Daniel. "How are you?"

"Fine." As well as could be expected, Daniel mentally added. "My brain is a lot clearer this morning," he added. The fog he had been in the previous day seemed to have dissipated overnight. The memories hadn't though, waking him several times in the night with their horror.

"That's good." There were circles under the linguist's eyes, indicating a lack of sleep - something that wasn't unexpected. "Listen..."

"They want Klorel's knowledge, don't they?" Daniel interrupted.

"Yeah," Jack admitted softly. "They do." He got up and started fixing a cup of coffee for his friend. The mug was banged down hard onto the benchtop as anger rose in him. Why couldn't they at least give Daniel a day where he didn't have to think about the damn Goa'uld?

"Jack." Daniel got up and put his hand over the older man's, trying to calm him. His fingers slipped naturally between Jack's, and he rubbed his thumb over the rough skin. His other hand came up to rest on Jack's shoulder. "I understand."

Staring out the window, Jack had to bite back the automatic response that he didn't. The truth was, he did understand; he was just mad that his superiors were so insensitive to what Daniel must be going through. Instead, he said, "You shouldn't have to do this."

"I know." He didn't want to go in and talk to strangers about what he had been through. "But they could have taken me away and studied me or interrogated me when Klorel was alive. At least they didn't do that." He was sure that wouldn't have gone well.

Jack had to concede that point. "Are you okay to do this?"

"I have to be." There was nothing either of them could do to prevent the 'debriefing' from happening. Daniel felt Jack release the mug and then squeeze his fingers. "I want you to be there, Jack, with me." He squeezed back, comforted by the tactile reassurance.

"If they let me." Jack released Daniel's hand and turned away to continue making the coffee.

"They will because I won't talk otherwise," Daniel threatened. His eyes followed the older man around the kitchen, recognising that Jack had been uncomfortable with his proximity.

"Daniel!" Jack turned back to the linguist, exasperated. "That is not going to do down well, and it won't help matters. If you refuse, they'll just think that you're on the snake's side, and lock you up while they think of ways to make you talk."

The linguist just stared calmly at Jack - too calmly for the older man's liking. "Then I'll just have to be careful what I say, won't I?" He brushed past Jack and finished making the instant coffee - after two months, his tastebuds weren't all that fussy. Sipping the coffee carefully, he leaned back against the counter and gazed innocently at Jack. "Trust me."

****

Two hours later, Jack was worried. Daniel had related various Goa'uld histories and atrocities with apparent calm, although the death grip he had on the chair arms told a different story. But every time someone from the NID asked a question about technology, Daniel claimed not to know how anything worked. Jack didn't know whether the linguist was telling the truth or not but the interrogators obviously believed that Daniel was hiding something. They kept pushing for answers, and Daniel was becoming increasingly frustrated. Sooner or later, Jack figured, things were going to get nasty.

It turned out to be sooner.

"I don't know!" Daniel finally erupted. He flipped the table out of the way and got in Kennedy's face. "Don't you understand, I don't know!"

Two guns were immediately trained on him, the guards near the door - there as a precaution only, apparently - reacting immediately.

"Stand down, Doctor Jackson," Colonel Kennedy, the man who had wanted the linguist to remain a Goa'uld, said. "That's an order."

"He's not in the military," Jack interrupted, walking over to the angry young man and drawing him away from the NID man. "Calm down," he said softly. "This isn't helping."

"Well, neither are they," Daniel shot back. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, missing the feel of his glasses sitting there. "How many times do I have to say 'I don't know' before they believe me?"

"They'll never believe you - it's their job to be suspicious," Jack said dryly. "Are you sure you don't know?" he asked carefully.

"Don't start with me, Jack," Daniel warned. He couldn't take too much more of this, and if even Jack didn't believe him... "As far as I know, Klorel never shared any of that knowledge with me. He seemed pretty content just to torture me."

"Maybe it's in there somewhere and you just don't know it's..." Jack trailed off at Daniel's angry look, and looked down, shuffling his feet apologetically. "Sorry." He lifted his head to look at Daniel. "Reflex question."

"Jack, can we get out of here?" The archaeologist could feel his control slipping; he needed to stop being Klorel and start remembering himself again. "Please?" he added when he saw Jack's hesitation.

Nodding, Jack turned to Kennedy and the other man, Major Smith. "Okay, everyone, let's break for lunch."

"I'm afraid we can't allow Doctor Jackson to leave this room," Kennedy stated, having briefly talked with his colleague.

"What?!" both men exclaimed together.

"He is obviously still dangerous," Kennedy continued, standing his ground. "Given his actions, we believe that the Goa'uld may still be influencing him."

"Well, if I had someone stupid continually asking me questions I didn't know the answers to, I might be a tad upset too," the colonel commented, moving to stand in front of Kennedy. "So why don't you give him a break?"

"Until proven otherwise, Doctor Jackson is a threat to this facility," Smith stated.

"You seriously think Daniel is a threat?" Jack said incredulously. That was ridiculous.

Kennedy stared back at O'Neill, his silence confirming that thought.

"He's not a threat," Jack continued to defend his friend. "He's just sick of being treated as the enemy."

"And how do you know this, colonel? As far as I'm aware, you are not a mind reader," Kennedy challenged the man. There was something about the way O'Neill was defending Jackson that was suspicious. "Tell me, colonel, what is your relationship with Doctor Jackson?"

"We're friends," Jack replied cautiously but firmly. He had an idea where that line of questioning was headed.

"Really?" the officer said, the word dripping with scepticism.

"Yes, really," Daniel stated, coming up beside Jack. Arms across his chest in self-hugging mode, he faced Kennedy with dislike. "Why is that so impossible to believe? Is it because if you were in Jack's place, you would have been f-"

"Daniel!" Jack warned the linguist, cutting him off in mid-sentence.

The young man didn't finish the sentence but everyone knew what the rest would have been. He glared at Kennedy, angry at the implications and just generally frustrated with the whole thing. "I've told you that I don't know about the technology. Klorel never had the opportunity to use any of it so he didn't bother telling me anything! And why would he? I was only a vessel to him, not an equal. And why would I still be acting like a Goa'uld? He was going to steal my life! I'm glad he's gone and the sooner I can forget about him, the better." Daniel was shaking by the time he finished his speech.

Jack wanted to hold Daniel to him and comfort him but because of where they were, he couldn't. Instead, he moved slightly closer to the linguist so that their upper arms touched, offering support that way. He caught the sideways glance that Daniel sent him but continued staring at Kennedy, just as a friend would. "Now, we're going to go get some lunch, and I promise that Doctor Jackson will not 'be a threat', okay?"

"Half an hour, Colonel," Kennedy gave in, finally realising that the doctor needed a break if he was to become co-operative again.

"Fine. Danny, let's go." Jack headed for the door, closely followed by the young man. Outside, Jack breathed a sigh of relief at getting out of the room. He hated Intelligence men almost more than the Goa'uld.

"Thank-you." Daniel was also relieved about the reprieve. "I just... I needed to get out of there."

"I know." As Jack pressed the button for the elevator, he added, "So, no talk of Klorel over lunch. You can listen to my stories instead." He grinned at the archaeologist.

Daniel grinned back, his frustration already beginning to ease. "Air Force stories?"

"No, fishing stories." They stepped into the elevator together. "Have I ever told you about my cabin in Minnesota..."

****

Daniel was thoroughly amazed at how much in the way of culture and mythology Jack had learnt about on his missions, as related to him over lunch in lieu of fishing stories. The colonel had just shrugged it off, saying that he just thought Daniel would want to know about it. Even so, the linguist was extremely flattered that Jack had done that for him, and he found it hard to take in just how long the older man had loved him for.

As they neared the interrogation room again, Daniel took a deep breath to help fortify himself. He really didn't want to go back in there.

Jack noticed this and stopped, turning towards his friend. "Are you okay to go back in there?"

"No," Daniel replied candidly. "But the sooner I do this, the sooner they'll leave me alone, right?"

"Right," the older man agreed, not entirely believing it himself. He followed Daniel back into the room where two NID men were waiting. "See, no harm done," he said sarcastically to them, his annoyance coming back.

Kennedy ignored him. "Doctor Jackson, may we continue?" He gestured to the chair across the table from him.

"Yes." Daniel sat in the chair, bracing himself for the questions to come. He calmly answered everything he could and detached himself from the emotions that the memories tried to provoke; he would deal with them later, or maybe not at all.

Several times, Jack was tempted to call a halt to the questions but as soon as he opened his mouth, Daniel would send him a quelling look, almost as if the linguist knew what Jack was going to say. So he kept quiet, listening to what Daniel had to say.

After four hours, Colonel Kennedy finally called a halt to the interrogation. He now knew a lot about the Goa'uld society but little in the way of weapons and technology, and he still believed that the doctor was holding back on that subject. Therefore a trip to Area 51 was going to be necessary to extract the information. He would need to talk to his superiors before mentioning it to the doctor or the colonel, and especially the general. "We shall continue this tomorrow, Doctor Jackson. I would appreciate it if you stayed on the base until then."

Daniel shot Jack a slightly panicked look. He didn't want to stay on base - he had spent too much time there as Klorel to be comfortable about it.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Colonel," Jack spoke up, understanding the look. "He needs to spend some time away from here. I'll keep an eye on him."

Kennedy was about to argue but decided acquiescence would be better for the moment. "Very well, Colonel. We shall continue this at 0900." He stood up, gathering his notes.

"Looking forward to it already."

****

After getting permission from Hammond, Jack took Daniel straight home. He then took Daniel down to the basement and showed him the boxes he'd had shifted from storage when Daniel had stayed on Abydos.

"You kept these for me?" Daniel was surprised. "How did you know I would need them again?"

Jack shrugged. "Instinct. Somehow I knew that you were going to come back, one way or another. Besides, some of these books are valuable. They'd fetch a good price if I ever got desperate for cash," Jack joked.

Daniel opened one of the boxes and ran his fingers over the books reverently; it had been so long since he had read them. Then he turned to look gratefully at the older man. "It seems I'm always saying thank-you," he commented.

"It was no problem."

"How come you didn't show me these before?" Jack hadn't said a word last night or when he had originally come back two months ago.

"I don't know. I suppose I had other things on my mind." The older man watched Daniel, drinking in the beautiful features. He had been too happy then to think about the boxes.

Daniel absorbed that and added it to the list of things that Jack had done for him. "You really love me, don't you?" Only now was he really beginning to take that in. He stood and faced the older man, trying to work out what Jack was thinking.

"Oh yeah," Jack agreed, his voice husky with desire. Just watching Daniel had him thinking about how much he loved the linguist. He wished he could take Daniel to bed and show him how much.

The younger man saw the desire in the warm, brown eyes. "And you want to sleep with me too," he stated, more to himself than to Jack. He hadn't made that connection the previous evening, his brain being too foggy for it to register.

"Does that make you uncomfortable?" Jack asked, hoping that it didn't.

"No." He was fine with that fact. "But I don't know whether I do," Daniel admitted. His feelings were still confused, and he didn't know if what he felt was love or gratitude.

Jack was disappointed but he understood. He kept that emotion off his face, trying to project support and understanding.

Daniel caught a hint of disappointment and he felt guilty that he couldn't give Jack what he wanted. He bit his bottom lip anxiously as he stared at the floor. If only he hadn't volunteered to become a Goa'uld, then he would have been able to make the decision with a clear head. It was just typical of him to stuff this up.

"Hey, it's okay." Jack went over and hugged Daniel to him but didn't hold him too close.

"I'm sorry, Jack." Daniel held himself stiffly within the embrace.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything yesterday." Jack pulled back so that he could see the linguist's face. "You shouldn't have to cope with this as well.

"I can cope just fine," Daniel said, suddenly annoyed. He moved out of the hug and stared at Jack. "Are you implying that I can't deal with this and with being an ex-host at the same time?" His eyes glittered dangerously. He hated being patronised.

"No, I just... That wasn't what I meant, Daniel."

"Then what did you mean?" the younger man demanded.

Jack stared at him helplessly. "I don't know." He stuck his hands in his pockets so that he couldn't reach out to the linguist.

Daniel's anger subsided a little. "We don't really know each other at all, do we?" he said somewhat sadly. They hadn't really spent all that much time together.

"I guess not," Jack agreed. "But I'm willing to find out if you are." He held Daniel's gaze, hoping he would agree.

Was he? Daniel thought about the idea of dating Jack. Would it work out or was he destined for more heartbreak? "I'm married."

"I know."

The acceptance of that fact helped. If Jack had told him to forget about Sha'uri, then he would know that dating the older man was a bad idea. "Have you ever dated a man before?"

"Technically? No, I haven't." Sex, yes, dating, no. "You would be the first." And the last.

Daniel was flattered; he hadn't liked the thought of Jack dating lots of other men. "What if it doesn't work out?"

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it," Jack replied. He wasn't going to enter the relationship thinking about the end. "Maybe a better question to ask would be, what if it does?" That would be perfectly fine with him. He took one step towards Daniel.

The linguist automatically took a step backwards. "I'm not going to stop looking for Sha'uri." He owed it to her and to Kasuf, as well as to himself, to bring her home.

"I'm not asking you to. I'm not exactly going to stop looking, either." After all, he was the one currently going through the gate, not Daniel. But Jack was already hoping that they wouldn't be able to get her back because he didn't want to lose Daniel to her again. "I just want to give us a chance."

Daniel was quiet for a long moment, thinking it over. What he felt for Jack was different to the feelings he had for Sha'uri but they definitely fell under the heading of attraction. Maybe there wouldn't be any harm in dating Jack and seeing where it led. "Okay."

"Really?" Did Daniel just say it was okay?

The younger man nodded. "Yes."

Jack took another step towards Daniel, pleased when the linguist didn't move away. "You're sure?"

Daniel licked his lips nervously. No, he wasn't sure. He had never kissed a man in his life and now he was contemplating doing so with Jack. It helped that he trusted the older man but still... He lifted his eyes to the warm brown ones in front of him. If it wasn't any good, he could just tell Jack that it wasn't going to work. "Please."

That was good enough for the colonel. He slid one hand through the thick blonde hair just above the ear to hold the back of Daniel's head. "You've no idea how long I've wanted to do this," he said softly.

"You told me last night," Daniel replied, a strange feeling coming over him at the gentle touch. He recognised part of it as attraction towards the older man, and when he put his hand on Jack's arm, it intensified. He swallowed hard as Jack drew even closer. "Remember?"

"So I did." Jack leaned in and pressed his lips against Daniel's. He heard the linguist inhale sharply at the kiss, and felt the fingers on his arm tighten reflexively. He kept it simple, no biting or anything, knowing that Daniel needed that. After a few seconds, he drew back and looked into the dazed blue eyes.

Daniel flicked his tongue over his lips, a nervous gesture that the colonel didn't miss. The linguist's heart was racing; he had enjoyed the kiss, brief though it had been, and the attraction he felt was even stronger now. This wasn't like what he felt for Sha'uri - this was stronger, more potent, somehow. How was that possible?

Jack ran his other hand down the young man's arm then let it settle on Daniel's hip. He drew the bodies closer together. "This okay?" he asked, not missing the surprise on Daniel's face.

Feeling just how much Jack wanted him had surprised the linguist. Being with a woman had never been this scary, he decided as he rested his hand tentatively at Jack's waist. Or this potentially exhilarating. Daniel nodded, not trusting himself to verbally answer Jack's question.

"Sweet." Jack leaned in again and Daniel closed his eyes in anticipation...

The sound of the doorbell startled them both. Cursing under his breath, Jack reluctantly released the man he loved. "I'd better answer that."

"Do you have to?" was Daniel's immediate response, then he ducked his head, embarrassed at sounding so eager.

Jack chuckled, then quickly kissed Daniel again. "Hold that thought." It was a heady feeling to know that although the linguist might not be on the same emotional page as him, at least he was enjoying himself.

The colonel went upstairs, willing his erection to fade, and then finally opened the door. Two of his team-mates, Ferretti and Carter, stood on the doorstep. "What are you guys doing here?"

The two officers exchanged glances. Then Ferretti looked back at the colonel and said, "We've come to see Daniel." They hadn't had a chance to see the archaeologist earlier that day.

"Right." Of course they would want to see him. "Come on in." Jack shut the door behind them, then yelled, "Daniel, you've got visitors!" He knew the linguist would still be down in the basement.

"How is he?" Lou asked Jack in a low voice while they waited for the young man to make an appearance.

"Coping," Jack replied. "But don't mention the snake." He kept up the casual attitude as Daniel walked into the room. His heart thumped loudly as he looked at the luscious lips he had just been kissing. Silently, Jack cursed the interruption. How soon could he get rid of his team-mates so he could get back to kissing Daniel?

Daniel took in the visitors, managing not to look at Jack, and then stepped down into the living room area, smiling. "Ferretti," he greeted the man who had been on that first mission to Abydos with him. "Captain."

"Doctor," Sam replied, taking in the circles under the linguist's eyes. She remembered the passion he had shown when they had first met, and how happy he had been. How different would he be now?

Lou didn't remain stand-offish but went forward and briefly hugged Daniel to him. "Jackson." He patted Daniel on the back and then drew back. "You look terrible."

"Thanks," Daniel said dryly, a small smile escaping. He liked Ferretti's quiet sense of humour.

"I'll get the beer," Jack stated and headed into the kitchen. He could tell it was going to be a long night.

****

At one o'clock the next morning, Jack assisted Daniel to the spare room, the linguist having had a little too much to drink. Charlie Kawalsky had arrived at eight, and the memories from the first two missions had become the main topic of conversation. Daniel, wanting to suppress his emotions, had drunk too much, and Jack had eventually decided to call an end to the evening. He had seen his guests off and was now making sure that Daniel made it to bed.

"Don't wanna sleep," Daniel protested as Jack helped him along, an arm around his waist. He was feeling nice and mellow, and not at all tired.

"You've got a busy day ahead of you," Jack stated as he steered the linguist into the spare bedroom, trying to compensate for all the weaving Daniel was doing. He led Daniel over to the bed and helped him to lie down.

Daniel lay back bonelessly and looked adoringly at Jack as the older man took the linguist's socks and shoes off. "I love you, Jack," he said, feeling quite content.

Jack's heart wrenched at hearing those words, knowing that Daniel wasn't in his right mind. His hands stilled on the bare left foot. He had been waiting for two months to hear those words but this wasn't how he had imagined it. He looked up to say something but the words died on his lips when he saw that Daniel was asleep. The soft lips were slightly parted to help him breathe, and with his face relaxed, he looked so young. With great tenderness, Jack picked up the long legs and swung them gently onto the bed.

From the cupboard, he retrieved a blanket and spread it over the linguist's body. Then Jack leaned down and softly kissed the parted lips. "I love you too, Danny," he whispered, smoothing the long hair away from the young man's forehead. He felt Daniel subconsciously lean into the caress and smiled ruefully, uncertain as to whether Daniel would ever do that while awake or sober. "Sweet dreams."

With a heavy heart, he went to his own bedroom - alone as usual. As he lay fully-clothed on the bed, he thought back to the earlier kiss. Maybe sometime soon, he wouldn't be spending his nights alone...

Part 3

Daniel emitted a long groan as he returned to consciousness. His head throbbed, and when he tried to open his eyes, they refused. Maybe he could just lie there until his head felt like it wasn't going to explode.

What was he lying on? It didn't feel like the couch, and that was the last place he could remember being. He also remembered drinking a lot more than he should have, especially after Kawalsky arrived and everyone started reminiscing. He really should have known better but he hadn't wanted to cope with the emotions the memories evoked. That would explain why he was missing the last part of the evening.

So if he wasn't on the couch, where was he? In a bed? In Jack's bed?

Daniel's eyes flew open and he turned his head to look beside him. There was no-one there and no indication that anyone but himself had been in the bed. Closing his eyes in relief, he relaxed again. Now that he thought about it, he should have known that Jack wouldn't have taken advantage of him. Instead, Jack appeared to have put him to bed like one would a child, and then gone to sleep elsewhere. Had he said or done anything to the older man though? Daniel hoped not but given the blank in his memory, he couldn't be sure.

"Wakey, wakey, Dannyboy." Jack waltzed into the room without knocking and opened the curtains. Sunlight streamed into the room, making the linguist groan once again as the light leaked under his closed eyelids. "Time to get up."

"Go 'way, Jack," Daniel muttered, hating him for being so cheerful. How could Jack not have a hangover?

"No can do. We have to be at the Mountain in an hour."

"Can't we postpone it - like till next year or something?" Daniel put a pillow over his head to block out the sunlight. The pillow was tugged out of his hands so he rolled over and buried his face in the other pillow.

Jack shook his head affectionately. Daniel was such a cheap date - one beer and he was drunk. Although to be fair, on that first occasion, Daniel was emotional already, so that wasn't surprising. It was ironic thought that the linguist who taught the Abydonian boys to make moonshine could get drunk from so few beers. "No, we can't. And if I don't take you in, then the NID will come to us and you don't want that, do you?"

Daniel paused for a few seconds then said, "No," into the pillow.

"Good. So get up." Jack waited patiently for Daniel to roll over again, then sat on the bed next to him. "Want anything to eat?"

"Coffee," the younger man replied without opening his eyes. He was trying to summon the will to open them when a hand touched his cheek. Surprised, his eyes flew open so that he could stare at Jack, who was gently caressing his cheek. "Jack?"

"Good morning." The older man leaned down to capture the dry lips, wetting them by running his tongue over them. He felt Daniel gasp into his mouth, and continued to move his lips gently against the other man's, waiting for him to respond.

After the initial surprise at the feather-light touch on his lips, Daniel started kissing Jack back. He caught Jack's lower lip and gently tugged on it, pleased when Jack mimicked the action a few seconds later. A slow heat started to rise in him, and his right hand came up to hold the back of Jack's neck, pulling him closer.

Jack braced his hands on either side of Daniel's body for balance and lowered his upper body until their chests were touching. He felt the rise and fall of Daniel's chest against his own, and his body responded predictably to the situation. He increased the pressure of the kiss, hungrily devouring Daniel's lips. The linguist responded, causing the older man to harden even more. So focused was he on his pleasure that it took a few seconds for Jack to realise that Daniel was pushing at his shoulder, his chest heaving quickly. Jack drew back and guiltily met Daniel's eyes, worried that he had pushed it too far.

"Too fast, Jack," Daniel gasped, breathing heavily through his mouth. There was no doubt in his mind now that he was attracted to Jack; he had definitely enjoyed that kiss. "Sor-sorry."

"Don't be." Jack moved one of his hands to Daniel's chest, fingers splayed wide, to feel the heat through the shirt.

The younger man put his hand over Jack's as his breathing began to even out. "Jack, did I..."

"Shhh," Jack said as he moved their joined hands to place a finger over the kiss-swollen lips. Once there, he couldn't resist tracing over them with that finger. "No talking."

Daniel hadn't had any idea that a touch could be so erotic, especially with him lying there fully dressed and Jack gazing at him so reverently. His breath hitched in his throat as Jack - their hands stilled joined - trailed his finger over Daniel's chin and then down his neck to the little hollow at the base. The finger swirled around the hollow before continuing down to the base of the ribs, right over his heart.

Jack placed his palm over Daniel's heart, needing to feel the steady heartbeat to remind him that the young man was indeed there in his house, back where he belonged. He guiltily realised though, that he was taking advantage of Daniel; he shouldn't be doing this while the linguist was still confused. "I'm sorry," he apologised.

"What for?" Daniel couldn't think of anything he had to be sorry for.

"I said I wasn't going to take advantage of you," Jack stated, looking deep into those beautiful blue eyes. He brought his other hand up to push the long fringe back, enjoying its silky feel while he berated himself for needing to do it.

"You're not," Daniel reassured him. "I want this." He squeezed Jack's hand in confirmation. He still wasn't sure if he was in love with Jack but he definitely wanted to find out.

Jack's heart leapt for joy. "You weren't sure yesterday."

"That was yesterday. This is today." He smiled shyly up at Jack. "I'm ready to be wooed."

A laugh escaped the older man at the image that presented. "I'm not the chocolates and flowers type of guy, Daniel," he warned. But he could definitely do romantic.

"Coffee will be fine," Daniel assured him. He really wasn't into flowers anyway, what with his allergies... That thought brought him up short. Did he still have allergies or did Klorel fix them? He really needed to speak with Doctor Fraiser about that, not to mention the possibility of getting the scar on his neck removed. He didn't want any physical reminder of being a host.

"Hey." Jack noticed the change of mood. "What's up?"

Daniel decided on a partial truth. "I just remembered I have a hangover."

"One strong coffee coming up," Jack stated sympathetically as he caressed Daniel's cheek again. He then got up and headed to the kitchen.

Daniel remained where he was for a few more minutes, savouring the conversation and the touches. Jack would make him so happy, and Daniel desperately wanted that, even though he knew he shouldn't because effectively, he would be cheating on Sha'uri. There was only the slightest hope of getting her back; in effect, she was dead so he should move on with his life and accept Jack's love. But he would never stop trying to free her, knowing what she must be going through. And if the time came, he would have to choose whom he wanted to be with.

Someone was going to get hurt.

****

After two cups of coffee, the two men hurried into the Mountain, just getting there in time. Daniel was dressed in some of his pre-Abydos clothes that Jack had stored for him. When he had seen them, he had been reminded of how desperate he had been before taking the job that had changed his life. He also remembered the kind of man Jack had been back then - remote, short-tempered and suicidal. The soldier hadn't even liked him back then, or so it had seemed. So much had changed since then.

"How's the head?" Jack asked as they walked into the locker room to get changed.

"Better." The aspirin, followed by coffee, had helped a lot. Daniel got out the uniform he had worn yesterday then put it back again. He wasn't part of the military so why should he wear it?

Jack noticed the action. "Daniel?"

"I'm not part of the SGC, Jack. Not until they determine I'm not a threat," the archaeologist explained.

"But if you wear it, you'll look less like an outsider," Jack argued.

"I am an outsider," Daniel pointed out. In the short time he had been at the SGC, he hadn't fitted in.

The colonel couldn't disagree with that. "Just trust me on this, Daniel. Please?"

"Okay." Daniel gave in and got changed, feeling strange in the military uniform.

Arriving in the 'conference' room a little while later, Daniel noted that Kennedy was already there waiting for him, as was his sidekick Major Smith, and two additional guards. Jack noticed this too and immediately asked, "What's going on?"

Kennedy ignored him, focusing on the younger man. "Doctor Jackson, I would like you to accompany me to Area 51 for further questioning."

"Are you asking or ordering?" Jack wanted to know, immediately going on the defensive. "Because you do know that Doctor Jackson is a civilian, so you can't order him to do anything."

"No, I can't," Kennedy agreed. "But I can take him into custody if I believe he is a threat to this country. It would be better if he came voluntarily."

"Excuse me," Daniel interrupted, annoyed at being talked about as if he wasn't there. "But why can't you ask me the questions here? Aside from the fact that it would be harder to do lots of tests on me or to beat the information out of me?" He wasn't totally naive.

"Doctor Jackson..."

"No. You can ask me your questions here. I am not an alien so there's no need to run tests on me, and I am not a threat to the SGC or to the planet, so you don't need to lock me up." Daniel crossed his arms defiantly. He wasn't going anywhere.

"I have my orders, Doctor Jackson," Kennedy stated, motioning to the guards.

"And I'm giving you new ones," Jack stated. "No-one's going anywhere. If you want to talk to Daniel, you can do it here."

Kennedy pursed his lips. This wasn't going to be easy. He turned and left the room, needing to get his superiors to send an order through that would supersede any given by O'Neill or General Hammond. The NID wanted Jackson at Area 51 and they would get him... one way or another.

Daniel and Jack shared a glance once Kennedy had left the room. They knew they hadn't won yet, so the linguist would have to do his best to convince the NID men that there was no other information to be gained.

****

"You can't take him," General Hammond stated firmly to Colonel Kennedy some time later. "I don't care what your superiors think, Doctor Jackson is not a threat to this facility. And if he says that he doesn't know anything about weapons, then I'm sure he doesn't know." George was relying on O'Neill's word for this. Over the past few months he had come to know his second-in-command, and he knew Jack was essentially an honest man.

"But General..." Kennedy couldn't believe this! What was so special about this archaeologist that both the general and Colonel O'Neill were so adamant about him staying?

"That's final, Colonel. You have today to question Doctor Jackson further, and then you will leave him alone," Hammond ordered. "If we retrieve any Goa'uld technology that he can use, we'll let you know."

Kennedy's lips thinned at the dismissal. "You haven't heard the last of this."

"I think I have," Hammond said, knowing that he would be able to get the President's support on this. "Dismissed, Colonel."

Extremely annoyed, Kennedy went back to where the two men were waiting for him. Quietly, he dismissed the extra guards before walking further into the room.

Jack quickly assessed the situation. Kennedy was not a happy camper, so he had obviously been thwarted in his plan to take Danny. Well done, George, Jack thought. "Can we get on with this?"

Kennedy nodded at Major Smith, who retrieved his briefcase and placed it on the table. After opening it, he pulled out a hand device and put it in front of the linguist.

Daniel's eyes widened as he looked at the object; he knew what it was and what it could do, thanks to Ra. The device must have been Klorel's - he remembered Kawalsky taking it off his hand on Chulak. Why did they still have it?

"I see you remember this," Kennedy commented. Now they might get somewhere.

"Yes," Daniel replied hoarsely, staring at it as if transfixed.

"Show us how it works."

The linguist lifted his eyes to meet Kennedy's. How was he supposed to do that? "I can't. Only the Goa'uld can use them." Kennedy just stared back at him so Daniel turned to Jack. "It won't work."

"Just give it a try," Jack said. He didn't believe it would work either but it seemed that Kennedy needed to have actual proof of that.

Daniel crossed his arms as he thought about it. The hand device shouldn't work when he put it on so there shouldn't be any harm in it. So reluctantly, he reached out for the device and slid it onto his left hand. The metal felt cold against his skin, although the jewel in the middle was warm. Disjointed memories flashed through his mind as he stretched his hand out towards Kennedy but he cleared his mind, concentrating on the device. Nothing happened. "See, I told you," he said, dropping his arm.

"Concentrate," Kennedy told him.

Sighing, Daniel lifted his hand again and focused all his attention on the jewel. He felt a burst of energy run through his body and down his arm. Horrified, he watched as the jewel lit up and then a burst of energy threw Kennedy across the room. It had happened so quickly that he hadn't been able to stop it.

"Cool," Jack commented as Kennedy slid down the wall, figuring it was what the guy deserved. Then he turned his attention to Daniel, who was frantically trying to get the hand device off, a fearful expression on his face. "Daniel?"

Daniel got the device off and threw it across the room. He didn't want to be able to work the damn thing! He wasn't a Goa'uld, it shouldn't have worked! He stared at the unconscious Colonel Kennedy. "What have I done, Jack?" he asked his friend without looking at him. He sank to the floor, shocked. "I'm - I'm still a Goa'uld."

"No, you're not," Jack denied, going over to kneel beside the young man. "I don't know what just happened but you're not a Goa'uld." Daniel couldn't be.

"Then how did I make it work?" There was no other explanation. Daniel wrapped his arms around himself; Klorel had been right - he would never be free.

"Fraiser will know." Jack put his arm around the linguist's shoulders. He couldn't bear to see the distress in Daniel's eyes.

"How can you still touch me?" Daniel whispered, feeling tainted by the snake. He would have thought that Jack would be disgusted by him.

Jack didn't reply, just hugged Daniel closer. "Come on, let's go see Fraiser." He helped the younger man to stand, only to be confronted by the aide. "What?"

"Doctor Jackson has just proven himself to be a threat to this facility," Smith said. "He must be placed under arrest."

"For cryin' out loud, it was an accident," Jack protested, keeping his arm around Daniel. "You can't arrest him for that. Now get out of my way, Major," he continued, a threat in his voice.

Smith stepped aside to let them pass but ordered the two guards to keep an eye on the doctor. Then he watched a medical team collect Colonel Kennedy and whisk him off to the infirmary. This development would have to be reported.

****

Janet took some blood samples from the shaky linguist, trying to keep a professional mask. She didn't really know the young man but she recognised that he was in shock, not to mention very upset, and it was hard not to be affected by it. She was glad that Colonel O'Neill was there to comfort Doctor Jackson because that made it easier to focus on her job.

After analysing the blood, she gathered the two men, General Hammond, Captain Carter and Teal'c into the infirmary to discuss the results.

"I've analysed Doctor Jackson's blood-work," she stated, "and I've found traces of the Stargate element in it."

"Naqadah?" Carter said in surprise. She looked at Daniel then back at Fraiser. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know," Janet admitted. "I was hoping Teal'c would be able to shed some light on that."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow at the strange statement but understood the general meaning. "All Goa'uld symbiotes contain naqadah in their blood. It is what enables them to use the hand device."

"So when the symbiote dies, the naqadah remains in the host," Janet concluded.

"That would explain how Kendra could still use Goa'uld technology," Sam reasoned. At the quizzical looks she received, she explained, "Kendra was the one on Cimmeria who told us about Thor's Hammer. Her symbiote was destroyed but she could still use the healing device."

"So because the same thing happened to Daniel, he's got the same ability," Jack stated, looking sideways at the young man. Daniel appeared to be following the conversation but Jack wasn't sure that he was actually listening to it. He had the feeling there was a lot going on in the linguist's head and none of it good.

"I believe so, sir," Carter replied.

"Can you get rid of it?" Daniel suddenly asked, proving that he had in fact been listening to some of the conversation.

"It's a part of you, Doctor Jackson; it wouldn't be possible to remove it." Janet didn't miss the distress her words caused before it was hidden behind a blank mask.

Daniel shut down his emotions; he couldn't deal with this right now. He needed to go and do something to take his mind off the fact that he was still a Goa'uld.

"That's very interesting," Colonel Kennedy noted, coming up to the group. He had regained consciousness a few minutes ago and despite having a slight headache, wanted to get back to work. First thing on his agenda was getting Doctor Jackson either arrested or transferred. "It's also very dangerous."

"No more dangerous than a gun," Jack shot back, defending his archaeologist. "Less dangerous actually because it doesn't kill you."

"Not that setting, no," Kennedy agreed. "But didn't I read in your report that a hand device can be used to kill slowly and painfully?"

Daniel spoke up then, hugging his arms tightly across his chest. "Well, having been on the other end, I can safely say there's no way I would do that to anyone else."

"And there's no saying that Doctor Jackson would be able to control it that way," Sam added.

"Unless you're volunteering to be the one he experiments on," Jack commented, his anger at Kennedy rising again.

Daniel ducked his head and smiled at the comment. He felt Kennedy's eyes on him but he didn't look up, pretending to be absorbed in his shoes.

Kennedy focused on the civilian, ignoring O'Neill's comment. "You might not, doctor, but what about the Goa'uld you carried? Isn't it possible that his memories might cloud your judgement?"

"No," Daniel replied firmly, although that was the very thing he was worried about. But he was determined that it would not happen because he did not want to become Klorel.

"How can you be so sure?" the colonel persisted.

"Is there a point to this?" General Hammond interrupted upon seeing Jack's expression tighten.

The NID man turned to face the general. "Yes, sir. Doctor Jackson should be placed under arrest until it can be determined just how much of the Goa'uld personality remains."

"Are you kidding us?" Jack exclaimed. "How many times do we have to say he's not a threat?" He really wished he had a zat to zap some sense into Kennedy.

The colonel wasn't fazed. "And how many of you actually know him well enough to guarantee that?"

There was silence. Even Jack couldn't say that he did.

"I trust I've made my point," Kennedy continued smugly.

"I don't think so," Jack argued. "You didn't see him after the hand device worked..."

"Yes, because I was unconscious. Something which was caused by the device," Kennedy pointed out.

"Well, if you weren't so insistent in the first place..."

"Excuse me," Daniel interrupted coldly, annoyed that he was being discussed as if he wasn't there again. "I am in the room. Talk to me not about me." He included his potential partner in that demand, and was pleased to see that Jack looked guilty.

Hammond had been contemplating the situation and had decided on a course of action. Turning to Kennedy, he said, "I'm afraid I have not seen any evidence that Doctor Jackson is a threat to anyone or to this facility, therefore I see no reason why he should be confined."

"Thank-you, sir," Daniel said quietly. He did not want to go back into a cell.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief as well; if Daniel had been arrested, it would have only been a short step to being transported to Area 51.

"You'll regret this," Kennedy warned.

"I don't think so," Hammond disagreed. "In fact, if you've no further tests or questions for Doctor Jackson, I'd like to offer him a job here at the SGC."

Several pairs of eyes turned to him in surprise, Daniel among them. He hadn't really thought about working at the SGC; he had just assumed that he would be allowed to help search for Sha'uri. "A job?"

"Your background in archaeology and linguistics is sorely needed," the general explained. He had been observing the department for some time now, and although there were some talented people in there, none of them had Jackson's gifts.

"Would I be allowed to go through the gate?" Daniel asked anxiously. He didn't want to be stuck in a lab all the time; he needed to be out there looking.

"We'll see," Hammond said before Kennedy could say anything. "You would need some firearms training before I would allow it. I don't want to risk any of my teams looking after someone who can't defend himself. Colonel O'Neill can arrange that."

"Yes, sir," Jack stated, quite happy to carry out that order.

"Yes, sir," Daniel echoed. He would be able to go through the gate again! Part of him was ecstatic because of all those cultures out there - and of course, Sha'uri - but another part of him was scared because he didn't want to run the risk of being a host again.

"You can't be serious!" Kennedy exclaimed.

"Perfectly. Now, if you've recovered, colonel, we need to talk in my office." The general didn't wait for a response before heading out of the infirmary. A few seconds later, after glaring at the two men who had been arguing with him, Kennedy followed Hammond out the door.

Jack refrained from grinning until Kennedy had left. He was happy to get one up on Kennedy, not to mention that the general had just given him an excuse to send lots of time with Daniel on the base. He clapped his hands together once then rubbed them together in glee. "That went well." He received several sceptical looks in response. Turning to Fraiser, he asked, "Is Daniel okay to leave?"

Janet nodded. "There's nothing physically wrong with him."

If you don't count being a Goa'uld, Daniel thought darkly, his spirits deflating again. He followed Jack out of the room, head down and arms crossed. When he felt a light nudge, he looked at Jack to see the concerned brown eyes focused on him.

"You okay?" Jack asked, worried by the bleak look.

"I'm fine," the linguist responded automatically, his gaze shifting away from his companion's.

"Ri-ight." Jack took a good look at the archaeologist. Although he didn't actually know Daniel all that well, he could read the body language well enough. "So you're not depressed over any of this?"

"No, I'm not," Daniel denied, completely contradicting his behaviour from earlier.

"And you're not thinking that you're still a Goa'uld because of the naqadah in your blood?" he continued conversationally.

Daniel winced. How did Jack guess that? "No." Without warning, Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him into a nearby storage room. "Jack! What are you doing?" He was slightly alarmed - what was Jack going to do to him? He broke free of the grip on his arm and moved away from the older man.

"We need to talk," Jack stated, blocking the doorway. Daniel was hurting and they weren't going to leave the room until Jack knew exactly why.

"I'm fine," Daniel repeated, crossing his arms again. So Jack didn't want to hit him - or kiss him - he just wanted to talk? That was strange. The only problem with that was that Daniel didn't want to talk.

"No, you're not. Don't think I wasn't watching in the infirmary. Talk to me, Daniel."

"About what?" the linguist tried to stall.

Jack gave him a patient look.

"Talking isn't going to help," Daniel warned. "Nothing we say will change the fact that I'm still a Goa'uld."

"No," Jack responded firmly, leaving his post at the door to go over to the man he loved. "You are not a Goa'uld."

Daniel neatly side-stepped Jack and put his hands up to warn the other man away. He didn't want to be touched right now. "Don't, just... don't."

Jack stepped forward and watched the linguist take a step back to avoid him. He sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets. "You haven't done anything wrong, Daniel. It's not as if Klorel made you kill anyone! You were here nearly the entire time."

"So? I have all his memories, Jack! I've seen hundreds of atrocities committed by Apophis and the other Goa'uld!" Daniel's voice was unsteady as some of those memories flashed through his mind. "Sometimes they were so vivid it was almost as if I was committing them!"

Jack knew what it was like to have those kind of memories floating around in one's head, although his were from personal experience. He had killed people - assassinated them - when he was in Special Ops. And he had the memory of Charlie lying there covered in blood. He knew what Daniel would be going through. So it was in a softer tone that he replied, "I know. But that does not make you him."

"What about using the hand device? Only the Goa'uld can do that!" He should know.

"Alright, so you've got some naqadah in your blood. That does not make you a Goa'uld." This was getting repetitive, Jack thought. "You've got a little something extra." He shrugged. "You're still you."

"Am I?" Daniel wasn't so sure. "How can you be so sure that I won't become like one?"

"Because you're the most stubborn person I've ever met and you won't let it! And if Kendra - who seems to be a very nice woman, by the way - can live with it, so can you!" He'd had a brief talk with Kendra on the way back from the Hammer so that he would know what to expect from Daniel. "And I'll help you."

"And what if you decide that you don't want me anymore?" Daniel pressed. Everyone who had ever loved him had left him one way or another.

"Not going to happen." Jack was very firm on that point.

"How can you be so sure?"

Jack took another step forward and this time got close enough to cup Daniel's face with both hands. "Because a certain civilian made me see that there was something worth living for when even my wife failed." Jack smiled softly at Daniel, acknowledging the influence that the linguist had on him. "It took someone very special to do that."

Daniel felt his anger start to fade away at the extravagant statement. "You're exaggerating..." he started to protest but stopped when a thumb was placed over his lips.

"Danny, you were there. I was suicidal. Yet I'm still here. Because of you." Jack wanted to do more than just stroke Daniel's lips but knew that he couldn't, not while they were at work. He shouldn't even be touching the linguist. "So I am absolutely sure that I'm not going to stop wanting or needing you."

"What about the scar?"

"What scar?"

Daniel pointed to the back of his neck. Jack shifted the long hair away from the younger man's neck and saw a long, red scar there. He traced a finger lightly over it, making Daniel shiver. "That's where Klorel..." He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Entered me, yes," Daniel finished for him.

"It'll fade," Jack said, although he wasn't sure, and immediately knew that he had said the wrong thing. He tried to fix his mistake by adding, "It's hardly noticeable anyway."

The linguist shrugged Jack's hands away and moved out of reach again, his face bleak. He knew Jack was lying because he had seen the scar in the mirror that morning.

"Daniel..."

"Don't!" The young man held up a finger to silence him. He didn't want to hear it.

Jack swallowed what he had been about to say and decided on a different tack. "Would you hold Sha'uri's scar against her? Or love her any less because of it?"

"Of course I wouldn't! It wasn't her fault!" How dare Jack suggest that! Daniel glared at the colonel for bringing Sha'uri into this.

"Then why would I stop loving you because of it?" Jack questioned. "It wasn't your fault either."

"Yes, it was!" Daniel ignored the logic because deep down, he knew Jack had a point. "I wanted to be chosen! I practically begged them to choose me!"

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," Jack muttered. Louder, he said, "You wanted to be with your wife, that's understandable. You didn't know what it would be like. And I am not going to hold that against you, and neither would Sha'uri. If she were here, what would she be telling you?"

"I don't know," Daniel mumbled, not looking at the other man.

"Yes, you do," Jack said gently. Sha'uri was a sensible woman; she would be saying all the same things as him. "Listen to her if you're not going to listen to me."

Daniel looked up then and saw a hint of hurt cross Jack's face. He realised guiltily that he was causing Jack pain by not listening to him when he was only trying to help. "I'm sorry, I just... you're right. I'm not a Goa'uld, I just have... something extra."

"Exactly." Jack didn't think Daniel was convinced though. It was good that the linguist was staying with him so that they could discuss this - loudly if necessary - later when they got home. "Now, we should really get out of here before someone comes in."

"Right." For a few seconds, Daniel had forgotten where they were. It wouldn't do Jack's career any good to be found in a storage room with him. He stayed put while Jack checked if the coast was clear, then followed him out when beckoned. There was no-one in sight. He then accompanied Jack to the elevators, his mind busy the whole time.

After a couple of minutes of walking in silence, Daniel asked what had happened to Skaara; he felt guilty that he hadn't asked earlier.

"He's on Abydos," Jack replied. "The boys didn't bury the gate like you asked." Hammond had sent a MALP through to make sure. "He'll be happy to see you again."

Daniel nodded. He would be happy to see Skaara again too. "And what about Teal'c's family?"

"What?" Jack stopped and turned to face the archaeologist.

"Teal'c has a wife and son," Daniel said slowly, stopping also. "Didn't you know that?"

"No," Jack admitted, wondering why Teal'c had never mentioned it. "How do you know?"

"Klorel knew. Jack, you have to go to Chulak and bring them back." The knowledge of what might happen to them popped into his mind.

"Why?" There was a faint hint of suspicion in the colonel's tone.

"Teal'c's a traitor in their society, a Shol'va. His family would become outcasts, maybe even be put to death considering his was Apophis's First Prime." Daniel gave a sharp laugh. "To set an example for anyone else who dares to defy their 'god'."

That made sense to Jack, and although he knew little about the Goa'uld and Jaffa societies, he could see how the 'gods' wouldn't want people to stop believing in them. But given how much time had passed, Teal'c's family was probably already dead. "Do you think they'd still be alive?"

"I don't know. It depends on a number of factors, not least of which would be whether Drey'auc - that's his wife - believes the same as Teal'c."

"Well, assuming that they're alive, do you have any idea how we would get them out?" It wasn't like they were going to be able to waltz in there and get them without any trouble.

Daniel thought about that. A number of ideas came to mind but nothing definite. "Give me some time to work on it. You'd better talk to Teal'c." With that, he continued down the corridor, leaving Jack just standing there wondering what the linguist had in mind.

***

After talking with Teal'c about his family, the colonel accompanied the Jaffa to see General Hammond. Jack wasn't sure how the general was going to react when he heard the news. He would probably be suspicious - as Jack had initially been - about why Teal'c had kept the information quiet. How hard must it have been for Teal'c to leave his family behind, Jack wondered, knowing a little himself about the pain of going away with the knowledge that he might never see his family again. But would the general understand that in terms of Teal'c showing his complete loyalty to the Tau'ri by severing all ties with his family, or in terms of someone whose loyalties might be divided? Jack was hoping the former but expecting the latter. Still, maybe the general would let them retrieve Teal'c family, and then there would be nothing to tie the Jaffa to Chulak.

When they went into Hammond's office, Jack was pleased to see that the general looked to be in a good mood. That might make things go more easily.

"How's Doctor Jackson settling in?" Hammond asked the colonel.

"Oh, he's fine, sir," Jack replied, neglecting to mention that Daniel wasn't exactly translating anything at the moment. "Actually, I need to talk to you about something else."

Hammond looked at Teal'c, guessing that the talk would have something to do with him. "And what would that be, colonel?"

Quickly, Jack informed the general about Teal'c's family, omitting Daniel's knowledge of it. He noted that Hammond didn't exactly look thrilled with the news - which he had kind of expected. When he finished talking, he waited anxiously to hear what Hammond would say.

The general leaned forward in his chair and addressed the silent Jaffa. "Why didn't you mention this before, Teal'c?"

"Had I done so, you would have questioned my loyalty and not allowed me to serve you as part of SG-1," Teal'c replied.

"Fighting the Goa'uld is that important to you?"

"It is." Teal'c's visage was solemn, underscoring his words. In his time with the Tau'ri, that belief that they were the ones to challenge the Goa'uld had only strengthened.

Hammond turned back to O'Neill. "And you're proposing a mission into enemy territory to rescue people you're not even sure are still alive?"

"Yes, sir. After what Teal'c's given up for us, I figure it's the least we can do for him," Jack answered.

"And just how do you propose we do that?"

"Uh, we're still working on that, sir," Jack admitted.

"Well, unless you can tell me of a way to rescue them without getting you all killed, I'm afraid I can't..."

"Jack!" Daniel ran into the office, coming to an abrupt stop when he saw the general. "Oh, excuse me, sir. I didn't meant to interrupt." He looked sideways at Teal'c, a strange feeling coming over him at the sight of the Jaffa. No, it wasn't at the sight of him because that was usually accompanied by a flash of anger. It was the Jaffa's actual presence that was making him feel weird. Why would that be?

"That's alright, Doctor Jackson," Hammond said, wondering why the young man was even in his office. "I'm sure it's important."

"Yes, general." Daniel turned to his friend. "Jack, I think I've figured out a way to safely rescue Teal'c's family."

"Excuse me?" The general was incredulous. "Colonel, you told him about this?"

Jack shifted uncomfortably. He was so hoping that he wouldn't have to mention the linguist's part in this. "Actually, sir, it was Daniel who told me."

Hammond looked at the three men in front of him in turn, then back at the colonel. "So your original information came from someone who, up until two days ago, was host to a Goa'uld and may have his own reasons for wanting to go back to Chulak?"

Jack saw the words hit Daniel hard, the linguist going pale and wrapping his arms around himself. That kind of accusation was just what Daniel didn't need. "Don't tell me you're believing Kennedy now, sir! Daniel never suggested that he go to Chulak, just that Teal'c had family there and that he might be able to work out a way to pull the rescue off."

Daniel had ducked his head when the general had accused him. There hadn't been any ulterior motive in wanting to rescue Teal'c's family but it seemed that his every action was going to be suspect from now on because of what he had been. "I can understand if you don't trust me, general," he said softly. "I just wanted to help." He might as well put his new knowledge to some good use.

The general felt bad at the hurt in the soft voice. It wasn't that he believed the doctor was still influenced by the Goa'uld because he didn't... well, maybe some part of him did. The truth was that no-one knew just how much Doctor Jackson had been changed so Hammond was merely being cautious, if somewhat tactless. "I'm sorry, son, I know you were," he apologised. "What plan did you come up with?"

Daniel outlined his idea about SG-1 going in as priests of Apophis with Teal'c guarding them in his Serpent Guard Uniform. The Jaffa agreed that it could work, knowing Chulak as he did.

Hammond considered the plan. It was risky but it might just work. And if they brought back Teal'c's family, then there would be no more reasons to go back to the planet. "You have a go."

"Thank-you, general," Jack said.

Outside the office, Jack discussed the items and costumes they would need with Teal'c while Daniel lagged behind. The linguist was still smarting over the general's comment, as well being curious as to why being near Teal'c made him feel weird.

"Daniel?" Jack noticed the younger man was falling behind and stopped so that he could catch up. When there was no response, he tried again. "Daniel?"

The archaeologist looked up, snapped out of his thoughts. "What?" His eyes flicked to Teal'c then back to Jack.

"What's up?" The body language of the linguist indicated that something was wrong.

Daniel looked at Teal'c again and shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't sure he should bring this up in front of the Jaffa. "I'm fine."

"Sure you are." Jack was sceptical.

"My presence is making you uncomfortable," Teal'c said to the young man. "I will leave." After all, he was the one who had chosen the man's wife to become Apophis's queen. He could not blame the young man for hating him.

"Wait a minute, Teal'c." Jack held up a hand to stop him from leaving. He looked at the linguist. "Daniel?"

Giving in, Daniel replied, "I don't know how to explain it. When I'm near Teal'c, I feel... weird."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Weird, as in 'weird', or weird as in...something else." He was hoping that it wasn't the kind of 'weird' that he felt around Daniel.

"'Weird' weird," Daniel replied.

"Don't we all?" Jack said lightly.

"Jack!" This was serious!

Teal'c thought about this for a moment while the men were talking. "I believe DanielJackson can sense the presence of my symbiote."

"What?" came the simultaneous exclamation.

"The symbiote that I carry contains naqadah," Teal'c continued. "DanielJackson retains the naqadah from his symbiote in his blood. Therefore I believe that this allows him to sense the presence of naqadah in others."

That would make sense, Jack thought as he turned to the linguist. But Daniel didn't look the least bit happy with this news, and Jack could guess why. It would be another reminder of what he had been.

"Great," Daniel muttered. Another change to remind him of his rash decision. "So I'm going to feel like this all the time."

"Only in the presence of someone who carries a symbiote," Teal'c corrected.

"Well, at least it will come in handy off-world," Jack tried to look at the positive side.

Daniel glared at him. He didn't want to become a Goa'uld-detector. He just wanted to be himself again.

Seeing the glare, Jack quickly apologised with a look of his own. Then he drew Daniel aside so they could talk out of earshot. "Are you going to be okay while I'm gone?" He didn't really want to leave Daniel alone at the moment. "I mean, Kennedy's still on the base."

"I'll be fine, Jack." He'd had plenty of years looking after himself; he would be able to handle Kennedy. "Besides, the general won't let Kennedy take me anywhere."

"I hope not," Jack muttered. "It'll only be for a few hours anyway..."

"Jack, just go!" Daniel felt his temper rise at being treated like an insecure child. He crossed his arms. "It's part of your job, remember?"

The older man sighed. He didn't want to leave with Daniel mad at him, and he knew that the linguist was reading his concern the wrong way. And he didn't know how to fix it. In a very low voice, he said, "I love you, Daniel. I can't help worrying."

Daniel's eyes widened when he heard the declaration. Why was Jack saying that here? It was too risky. His anger softened a little though, realising that Jack was genuinely worried about him. "I'll be fine," he promised more calmly, giving Jack a small smile.

"Okay." Jack accepted the reassurance but it didn't ease his concerns. It wasn't like he could not go on the mission anyway. "Do you want to help us get ready?"

Daniel shook his head. "I think I'd better not." He didn't want to give Kennedy any more reasons to transfer him. "Good luck." With that, he turned and walked away.

Jack watched him for a few seconds, not happy about leaving when Daniel was still upset over everything that had happened to him. But he had no choice. He just had to hope that Kennedy didn't try to take advantage of his absence.

Part 4

Daniel looked at his watch again. SG-1 had only been gone an hour but time had dragged. He had watched Jack and the others leave through the Stargate and then had come back to the archaeological lab to work but his concentration kept wandering. It didn't help that the other scientist in the room kept staring at him curiously, obviously wondering how much of the Goa'uld personality had been left in him. That meant that he didn't even fit in with the geeks any more. He would always be treated with suspicion.

He stared at the stone tablet in front of him, trying to make sense of the language written on it, but he couldn't focus. Everything that had happened kept going around in his mind. He had the ability to use Goa'uld technology, something that separated him from everyone else, including Jack. He also had a lot of extra memories and knowledge, and the ability to sense Goa'uld symbiotes. How long would it take Jack to decide that he didn't really love him, he just thought he did because Daniel had saved his life or something? Oh, he knew Jack had said that it was real love but Daniel wasn't convinced. How could Jack love someone who had been controlled by a murderous parasite? Not to mention the fact that the two of them had nothing in common anyway. But at the same time, he didn't want to lose Jack, not after losing Sha'uri. He had lost too many people that he cared about already.

His hand went to the back of his neck and he felt the scar that remained there. That was where Klorel had entered him, causing so much pain. He knew it had been a mistake to volunteer as soon as he had seen the symbiote but it had been too late. He had become a host while Sha'uri had watched. She had been there, he remembered that now, and she hadn't done a thing to stop him from being turned into a Goa'uld. He knew now how hard it was to fight against the snake but he had still hoped for something. Sha'uri was strong but her symbiote was apparently stronger.

How much of her would still remain if - when - they freed her? She hadn't had the advantage of being surrounded by friends who would help her. How much would she have changed?

How much had he changed?

That was the main problem, how everything had affected the man he was... had been. He was no longer as naive and innocent as he had been pre-Abydos, and there was some extra anger that wasn't normal for him. And the memories... he didn't want them. Bad as his own were, these were worse, filled with violence and domination. The Goa'uld were only interested in power, and that went against everything that he was. He couldn't let that become a part of him. He might have to live with still carrying something of the Goa'uld inside him but that didn't mean he had to become him. He had to remain himself. Jack would help him. He would try to be worthy of Jack's love. And perhaps, in time, he could forget that he was ever a host.

****

"Hard at work, I see, Doctor Jackson."

Daniel looked up from his work to see Kennedy standing nearby. Two guards accompanied the NID man. It crossed the linguist's mind that Kennedy might be afraid of him; maybe he could use that to his advantage.

"You would be able to translate Goa'uld artifacts easily now, wouldn't you?" Kennedy asked as he came a little further into the room.

"It doesn't work like that," Daniel replied, wishing that Kennedy would go away. "Just because Klorel was in me, doesn't mean that I know everything that he did. I only know what he wanted to share."

"Yes, so you've said." Kennedy didn't believe that. He believed there had to be more information in the subconscious mind. "But Klorel knew things that you didn't share with him, isn't that correct?" He took Jackson's silence as confirmation. "Then what's to say that you can't access his knowledge from your subconscious?"

Daniel hated that Kennedy had a point but he wasn't going to admit it out loud. "And how exactly are you proposing that I 'access' this supposed information?"

"Hypnosis," Kennedy replied.

"And if I don't want to do that?"

"It would be in your best interests to co-operate."

Daniel heard the threat behind the words. "Hammond won't let you." Neither would Jack.

"The general won't have a choice." He had already spoken to his superiors about getting someone higher than Hammond to issue an order. "So would you prefer to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Daniel stated firmly. He didn't want to spend any more time being a curiosity, something to be studied.

"You will not have a choice," Kennedy promised him. It would only be a matter of time. "I suggest that you come with me now instead of prolonging this whole situation."

"I suggest you get out and leave me alone!" Daniel retorted. "I can't tell you any more than I already have!"

Kennedy decided a little more provocation was in order; the doctor was close to losing his temper. "The hypnosis will prove otherwise."

"I am not letting you hypnotise me!" No way did he want to find out what else was in his brain, nor did he want to give Kennedy the opportunitiy to plant suggestions in his mind.

"Doctor Jackson, your lack of co-operation is not helping your case any."

"And your stupidity isn't helping yours! Don't you understand? I don't want to be continually reminded that I was a host! I just want to be normal again!" He couldn't stop the anger rising within him.

"You will never be normal again, Doctor," Kennedy pointed out.

"God, don't you think I know that!" As if he wasn't constantly reminded of that fact! "But I can still try, can't I?"

"Doctor Jackson..."

"No!" Daniel abruptly stood up and slammed his hands down onto the desk. "Get out!" When Kennedy made no move to leave, Daniel angrily headed towards him, only to be restrained by the two guards. He tried to pull free but the guards held on tight. "Let go of me!"

"Lock him up," Kennedy ordered, pleased that the doctor had given him a reason to do so. Now he might get somewhere with the general.

"You can't do this!" Daniel protested as he was forced out of the room. His anger was starting to be replaced by fear; he didn't want to go back in that cell. He also realised that he had made a mistake in allowing his temper to get the better of him because now Kennedy had an excuse to say that he was a danger.

Kennedy didn't say anything, just smiled. Now all he had to do was receive the order and he could take Jackson with him to Area 51. He just hoped it would be before O'Neill returned.

****

The guards pushed Daniel into the cell, causing the young man to stumble. The door slammed shut behind him, and then a few seconds later, the outer door was closed. One guard remained behind to look after the prisoner.

Daniel wrapped his arms around himself as he surveyed his new surroundings. He hadn't liked being in the cell the first time, and he was sure this wouldn't be any different. He mentally cursed himself for reacting to Kennedy; he usually had better control of his temper. But he suspected that the NID man had planned the whole thing knowing that Daniel was easily provoked at the moment, and timed it so that Jack wasn't around. And speaking of Jack, the older man was not going to be happy with him for getting himself locked up. Daniel had assured him that he would be able to handle Kennedy, and look what happened.

Sitting on the narrow cot, Daniel drew his knees up to his chin and hugged them tightly. Just when he thought life couldn't get any worse, it did. The only bright spot in his life at the moment was his budding relationship with Jack, and even that was on shaky ground with everything that was happening. But as bad as things were, he didn't regret going through the Stargate. He would probably be living on the street, with no food, no money and no job; even a cell was better than the street. And he never would have met Sha'uri or Skaara or Jack... so this was definitely better even if it didn't seem like it at the moment.

Daniel glanced at his watch. SG-1 had been gone for ninety minutes. He wondered whether they had found Teal'c's family yet. And he wondered whether they would get back in time to prevent him from being taken away...

****

"I'm sorry, Teal'c. They died when the house was destroyed."

Bra'tac's words had a devastating effect on Teal'c, the younger Jaffa falling to his knees in grief. Jack stepped closer to the old man and quietly asked, "Are you positive?"

"Absolutely," the Jaffa replied. He had heard their cries himself but had been unable to save them. "There was nothing I could do," he continued in a louder voice.

Jack felt guilty over the deaths. If he hadn't encouraged Teal'c to help free the prisoners, then this wouldn't have happened. Teal'c had been forced to choose between his family and his life as Apophis's First Prime, and a bunch of strangers. And in choosing to help them, he had lost everything, all because Jack had asked him to help save those people.

"They died quickly?" Teal'c asked, his voice hoarse with grief.

"Yes," Bra'tac lied. It would do Teal'c no good to know otherwise. "Now, you must go. It is not safe for you to remain here."

Teal'c remained kneeling for a few seconds more and then slowly stood. He would continue in the service of the Tau'ri and avenge his family through them. And if the opportunity again arose to kill Apophis, he would not hesitate. "They are free." They were no longer slaves to the Goa'uld.

Bra'tac clasped Teal'c's forearm, holding tight. "As are you, my friend." He then turned to the others. "May you have a safe journey back to the Chaapa-ai."

Jack nodded in response. "Teal'c? Let's go."

****

After the general was informed of the doctor's arrest, he immediately went down to the cells. As he walked into the room, two miserable blue eyes focused on him. Hammond couldn't help but be affected by the emotion there. "What happened, son?" he asked gently.

"I lost my temper," Daniel stated sadly. He'd had too much time to think just sitting there, and was currently feeling quite sorry for himself. "I know I shouldn't have but I couldn't help it."

"Colonel Kennedy believes that you were about to attack him," Hammond reported. Somehow, though, he couldn't believe that Jackson was capable of doing so. "Were you?"

"No, sir," Daniel denied, not expecting the general to believe him. Violence hadn't even crossed his mind at the time.

The lack of hope in the linguist's voice convinced Hammond that he was telling the truth. That made him suspicious about Kennedy's own actions. "Did the colonel threaten you?"

"Yes, sir." Encouraged by the look on the general's face, Daniel elaborated. "He said it was in my best interests to co-operate with him, and that he could do things the easy way or the hard way."

Not explicit threats, Hammond thought, but he knew that the NID preferred more subtle threats. "Anything else?"

"No, sir."

Hammond nodded. He had the feeling that Kennedy was trying everything he could to take Doctor Jackson away. "I'm sorry about all this, son."

"I understand. You have to be careful," Daniel said resignedly.

"You'll be out of here soon," Hammond promised. "Just... hang in there."

Daniel remained silent as the general left the cellblock. Just hang in there. Like he had any other choice.

****

Jack strolled back through the Stargate expecting Daniel to be there waiting for him. When the linguist wasn't in the gateroom, Jack's eyes went straight to the control room but the young man wasn't there either. Where was he?

Hammond quickly surveyed the group and knew that the mission had failed. Still, he had to ask. "Colonel?"

"They're dead, sir," Jack replied quietly, glancing back at Teal'c. The Jaffa had hardly said anything on the way back.

The general also looked at Teal'c but couldn't read his expression well enough to know what he was feeling. "We'll debrief at 1400 hours. Colonel, a word."

"Yes, sir." Jack followed the general out of the gateroom, all the time wondering why Daniel hadn't come down to meet him.

Several minutes later he knew why, and his anger at Kennedy was instantaneous. He had just known that the idiot would try something like this the minute he went off-world. "Permission to shoot the colonel?" he requested through gritted teeth.

"That's a bit drastic," Hammond replied, although he liked the idea. "However, you can go down and release Doctor Jackson. I've just spoken to the President and he agreed with me that the doctor is more valuable here than in Area 51." The conversation had taken place just before SG-1 had arrived back.

"Thank-you, sir." Jack left the office quickly, wanting to get Daniel out of there as soon as possible.

Hammond stared thoughtfully after Jack. He would have to keep a close eye on both men and make sure that neither of them did anything stupid, such as getting involved with each other.

****

"It's time to go, Doctor Jackson," Kennedy said, smiling inwardly at the panicked look on the civilian's face. A few hours from now and the doctor would be in more suitable surroundings at Area 51.

"No," Daniel refused, crossing his arms defiantly. He wasn't going anywhere.

At a nod from the colonel, the two guards entered the cell, grabbed Daniel by the upper arms, and started pulling him towards the door. Daniel dug his heels in - as best he could on a concrete floor - and resisted. He was not going to make this easy for them. His resistance was futile though, and he soon found himself face to face with Kennedy. Defiance radiating from him, Daniel stated, "You can't do this."

"Watch me." Once Jackson was at Area 51, O'Neill wouldn't be able to get him back. Unprotected, the doctor would have no option but to do everything he was told to do.

Daniel started struggling again, trying to break free. "You son of a-" He abruptly stilled as a hand impacted with his cheek. Incredulous, he stared at Kennedy, shocked that the officer had just hit him.

"You will co-operate, Doctor Jackson." Kennedy let the tone of voice make the threat for him.

"Or you'll what?" Jack's voice cut in from behind him. He had arrived just in time to see Kennedy strike Daniel, and now he was mad. Really mad. But he wouldn't retaliate physically unless it became necessary. His whole body was tense, and he was sure that Kennedy would be able to see the anger. "You'll hit him again? Go ahead and try." He moved closer, his movements threatening.

Daniel mentally sighed in relief at Jack's appearance, pleased that the older man had arrived to save him. He tried to shrug off his captors but the grip remained firm. Okay, so they weren't going to let him go yet.

"Doctor Jackson has been transferred to Area 51," Kennedy stated, convinced that he was in the right. How could O'Neill be back so soon? The mission was supposed to take hours.

"Yeah, well, he's been un-transferred. New orders from the President - you can check with Hammond if you like. Doctor Jackson stays here." His tone brooked no arguments. Jack looked at the guards. "You can let him go now."

"Just why do you want Doctor Jackson to stay so much?" Kennedy was curious to know.

"'Cos I know what people like you do to people like him, and I don't think he deserves that," Jack replied. It wasn't a lie; he really did think that. "Now, I suggest you get off the base before the general has you thrown off." Something he wouldn't mind seeing.

Kennedy knew when to retreat. However, he would not yet concede the battle; that would be taken up again when O'Neill least expected it. Without another word, he left the cells, giving the colonel a look that promised revenge.

Jack returned the look, silently promising to kill him if he ever tried to take Daniel again. Then he turned away and focused on his linguist. With a tilt of his head, he suggested that Daniel should follow him.

Rubbing his arms, Daniel followed Jack out into the corridor. The guards didn't have to hold him that hard. "Thank-you." Jack had arrived just in the nick of time.

"Don't thank me, thank Hammond. He'd already talked to the President by the time I found out." Jack would have to do something to repay the general for that.

Daniel couldn't quite believe that. "But he... I thought..."

"He's on our side, Daniel," Jack said as he escorted the younger man back up to the labs. "And I thought I told you to be careful with Kennedy."

"I tried." Except that he hadn't been able to stay calm when he had needed to. "How did your mission go?" he changed the subject.

Jack sighed. "They were dead. Apophis had already killed them." He still wasn't sure that Teal'c would forgive him for that.

Daniel dropped his gaze to the floor. He had known that was a possibility. If only he had been able to tell them earlier. If only Teal'c had told them earlier. "I'm sorry."

"Wasn't your fault." Jack stopped at the door of the lab and looked at Daniel, a grin on his face. "Now stay out of trouble."

If only it was that easy, Daniel thought as he watched Jack walk away. But in his life, nothing ever was.

****

The rest of the day was uneventful, and at six o'clock Jack was able to go home with Daniel. The archaeologist had immersed himself in his work, stopping only when Jack dropped in to see how he was going. Jack had the feeling that Daniel wanted to prove that he was useful and therefore would need to be prevented from working himself into exhaustion. It was just as well that Daniel had Jack to look after him.

The older man ushered the linguist into the house, encouraged him to sit on the couch, and then went into the kitchen to start dinner. Daniel followed him after a few seconds, wanting to help.

Jack sighed. "Daniel, go sit down, relax."

"No." Daniel leaned against the bench and crossed his arms. He needed to keep busy; he didn't want to have time to think.

"Dan-iel."

"Ja-ack."

Ruefully, Jack shook his head and gave in. He would tell he was going to have his hands full with the linguist. "Fine. Get over here then."

They prepared dinner quietly, Jack occasionally talking about world events to get Daniel up-to-date on them. But by unspoken agreement, nothing was said about the SGC until dinner had been eaten.

Daniel settled back in his chair, sipping his coffee and staring at the man sitting opposite him. "What's Teal'c like?" He needed to know a little more about the Jaffa from a source that wasn't as biased as Klorel had been.

"Teal'c?" Jack thought about that for a second. "Very quiet; keeps to himself a lot. Determined, loyal, a great tracker... a warrior."

"And you trust him with your life?"

"Shouldn't I?" Teal'c's strength of character had impressed Jack from the very start and he instinctively trusted the Jaffa.

"No, you should, I just..." Daniel broke off and gestured with his hand. "Klorel showed me a little of the man he was. I just needed to know that he wasn't that anymore."

Jack could just imagine what Klorel had shown him. He was a little confused, though, as to why Daniel was talking about this now. "When we wanted to put Klorel under, Teal'c let the doctors experiment on Junior to find the best anaesthetic."

"Junior?"

"The symbiote," Jack explained.

"Oh." Somehow, Daniel knew that Jack had named it. "He did that for you?"

"For you," Jack corrected. "It was his way of showing that we could trust him, and to apologise for your... predicament."

Daniel ducked his head at this reminder.

Jack wisely decided not to mention that Teal'c had been the one to choose Sha'uri; that information would only make things worse. "He's a good man, Daniel. He just did what he needed to do to survive in his world."

"He was First Prime, Jack. I think he did a little more than just survive," Daniel commented dryly.

Jack shrugged, conceding the point. Teal'c was indeed a formidable warrior. "Come over here." He wanted the young man to sit with him.

Daniel eyed him warily. He wasn't particularly in the mood for anything relating to sex, which was no doubt what Jack had in mind. "Why?"

"Why do you think? We're dating, I want to hold you." He hadn't really had a chance to do that properly yet; all the hugs so far had been for comfort.

"Oh." Although Daniel wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea, he couldn't think of any objection to it. Jack wanted to hold him. The idea was strange yet appealing. "Just holding, right?"

"Right." He would be happy with that for now.

Slowly, Daniel got up and made his way over to the couch. Jack turned sideways, one leg against the back of the couch, the other dangling over the front. Daniel looked apprehensively at where he was supposed to sit. "We're not going to fit like that."

"We will," Jack said confidently as he tugged on the linguist's hand.

Uncertain, Daniel sat down cautiously. Contrary to what he had thought, he fit perfectly between Jack's outstretched legs. Strong arms encircled his upper body and drew him back against a solid chest. For lack of anywhere else to put them, Daniel rested his arms over Jack's. Although he was uncomfortable with the intimacy of such an embrace, he felt loved, for which he was grateful. Jack wanted to be close to him.

"Relax," Jack muttered softly into the younger man's ear, feeling just how tense Daniel was. "It's okay, love." He was relieved when some of the tension left Daniel's body and the blonde head rested on his shoulder. Turning his head slightly, Jack planted a kiss in the soft hair. He couldn't believe that Daniel was lying there in his arms. How lucky could he get? His body reacted to Daniel's proximity but he ignored those demands, knowing that the young man was nowhere near ready.

Daniel found himself fully relaxing into Jack's embrace despite the fact that he could feel Jack's erection pressing into his back. It felt good to have someone hold him, to care about him. He felt safe, as though Jack would protect him from everything that was currently wrong with his world. It was nice not to be the protector for once.

"Good?" Jack asked as Daniel totally relaxed.

"Mm-hmm," was all Daniel could muster in reply. He closed his eyes so that he could concentrate on the feel of Jack. It felt like Jack was all around him, the heat from his body seeping through to warm him. It was nice.

"I'll take that as a yes," Jack said, amused at the response. He couldn't help but feel a little smug also that Daniel trusted him enough to do this, given that he didn't like being touched.

Daniel smiled. Jack sounded so pleased with himself. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Oh, yeah." Jack moved one hand to splay possessively over Daniel's stomach. He was loving this. "Are you surprised?"

"No, I guess not." He was surprised at the hand on his stomach though. The only time he thought men did that was... "Jack, I promise you, I'm not pregnant," he stated with an amused smile.

"What?" Startled, Jack automatically shifted his hand. "I know that!" The gesture had been unconscious; he had sat like this with Sara many times when she had been pregnant with Charlie. "I didn't mean..."

"I know." Daniel opened his eyes and looked with amusement at the older man's bewildered expression. "It's hard to get used to the idea that we're both men. I used to sit like this with Sha'uri and look at the stars." His tone grew pensive as he spoke of his wife, and his gaze shifted to stare out the window.

Jack held him tight, not knowing what to say.

"Do you think she'd understand?" A part of him still felt guilty about cheating on his wife even if she was lost to him.

"I don't know," Jack answered truthfully, knowing exactly what Daniel was talking about. "But I think she'd want you to be happy." He knew he would if the circumstances were reversed.

"She liked you," Daniel admitted. Sha'uri had mentioned this once after Jack and the others had gone back to Earth. "I think she would be happy that you were going to be here with me." But maybe not the intimate relationship part.

Sha'uri had liked him? That was news. Jack didn't voice that opinion out loud though, just continued to hold Daniel. He wanted to be with the younger man forever, and somehow he doubted that Sha'uri would approve of that.

Daniel turned his head to the side and looked at Jack. "Thank-you," he said, the words covering a multitude of things, including not rushing him, and being there for him. Shifting one hand, he reached up and pulled Jack's head closer so that they could kiss. The kiss didn't last long but it was long enough to start desire stirring deep within him, and that was when Daniel pulled away. He didn't want to think about sex tonight; he was content with just sitting there in Jack's embrace.

Jack held Daniel closer to him. He didn't know what the 'thank-you' had been for but was pleased that the younger man had followed it up with a kiss. That seemed to indicate that Daniel was getting more comfortable with the physical side of things but Jack knew that it could have simply been an impulse. He knew that he had to proceed very carefully with the relationship because Daniel's emotions were all over the place at the moment. One wrong word or move, and Jack could lose him. So he settled for just holding him close.

They remained sitting like that for a while, not feeling the need to talk. Daniel closed his eyes again and relaxed, eventually drifting off to sleep. Careful not to disturb him, Jack reached for the remote control and turned the TV on, muting the sound. After kissing the soft hair again, he settled back to watch the hockey.

A couple of hours later, he was just contemplating how he was going to shift Daniel into the bedroom when the linguist started to stir. It wasn't a waking stir though; it was that of someone having a bad dream. Daniel's head started to move from side to side as the dream started to increase in intensity. Instinctively, Jack brought one hand up to stroke Daniel's hair. "Daniel, wake up, it's just a dream."

Daniel continued to move restlessly and his breathing quickened; the dream was clearly getting worse. Abandoning the stroking for a moment, Jack moved his hand to a shoulder and shook the young man. "Danny, wake up!"

Pulled abruptly from his sleep, Daniel was a little disorientated. He blinked rapidly a few times, then realised where he was. "Jack?" He turned his head to look at the older man. The vivid images he had just seen were fading rapidly.

"Hey." Jack shifted his hand back to the soft hair. "You okay?"

Instead of answering, Daniel sat up and rubbed the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes at the same time. He just needed a minute to compose himself. The memories that surfaced while he slept always unsettled him. He felt Jack shift, then a hand started rubbing his back. The gesture was soothing but he didn't relax into it.

"Daniel?"

The linguist took a deep breath and opened his eyes to see Jack looking at him with concern. "I'm okay," he said, ignoring the fact that he wasn't. This time he had seen Apophis order the execution of a whole village just because one man had offended him. Apophis had watched as the people died, mowed down by the staff weapons, and he had been pleased by the slaughter. Daniel, on the other hand, was sickened by it.

Jack didn't believe that and kept rubbing Daniel's back. "A memory?"

Daniel nodded.

"How often?" Jack asked.

Looking down at the floor, Daniel replied, "It's nothing to worry about."

"How often?" Jack repeated firmly, wanting an answer.

"Three or four times the first night," Daniel admitted. "None last night though."

"That's because you were drunk," Jack pointed out. He hitched a little closer to the younger man. "Wanna talk about them?"

Daniel wrapped his arms around himself. It was bad enough seeing the memories in the first place, let alone recounting them to someone else. "Not really." He didn't think he could voice what he had just seen without getting emotional.

"Okay." Jack accepted that for the moment, knowing that Daniel just needed time. With his free hand, he turned the TV off with the remote, then turned back to the linguist. "Come to bed."

"What?" Did Jack just say what Daniel thought he said?

"Not in that sense," Jack quickly explained when he saw the younger man's reaction. "I just thought you'd... appreciate some company, that's all." To his credit, he hadn't even been thinking about sex when he had made the offer.

"What am I, a child?" Daniel felt the anger rise in him again. Jack was constantly treating him as if he couldn't cope with any of this. "I'm fine, Jack, I don't need company."

"Daniel..."

"No, Jack." He couldn't sleep with Jack - in any sense of the word - anyway because a part of him still felt guilty about betraying Sha'uri. He wasn't going to rush into anything; he shouldn't have even been lying in Jack's arms on the couch. They had only kissed three times, for heaven's sake! Sharing a bed was moving too fast. "Not yet."

Jack wisely didn't push it any further. "Okay." Naturally, he was disappointed because he wanted to be there for Daniel but he understood the young man's need to be alone. And considering they had only really been dating for a day, it was way too fast. He had to remember that Daniel was still recovering and wasn't sure what his feelings for Jack were. Therefore, he would give Daniel some space. Leaning forward, he kissed Daniel's cheek. "Don't stay up too long."

Daniel watched silently as Jack left the room, feeling guilty at his behaviour. Jack was only trying to help him, he reminded himself, and he was pushing the older man away. If he wasn't careful, he would drive Jack away completely. Why couldn't he just accept the comfort that Jack was offering?

'Because of Sha'uri', a voice inside his mind reminded him. 'You don't want to be unfaithful to her.'

'Accepting comfort isn't being unfaithful,' he argued.

'Then why don't you want to share a bed?'

Daniel couldn't adequately answer that question. He remained on the couch for a long time, trying to find the answer to that and a few other nagging questions.

****

"Ready for some training?" Jack walked into the lab early the next afternoon to find Daniel busy working. The older man was surprised Daniel could concentrate enough to work considering how little sleep the linguist had got the previous night. Jack had been unable to sleep until he had heard Daniel go to bed, and given the sleepy look he had received that morning, the memories must have haunted Daniel's dreams again. If they had, though, Daniel wasn't talking about them.

Daniel looked up, confused. "Excuse me? What training?"

"Hammond said I should give you some firearms training," Jack explained.

"Now?" He hadn't thought that Jack would start that so quickly. "Why?"

Jack shrugged. "It's as good a time as any." He wasn't really sure that he wanted Daniel to learn how to kill but he knew it was necessary. He also knew that Daniel would be able to handle a gun because the linguist had used one on Abydos against Ra's Jaffa. But the thought of him having to use one again was not a happy one.

"I'm busy." Daniel was finally sustaining his concentration long enough to get some translations done. The lack of sleep and the occasional intruding memory had made working difficult but he had persevered. Now his concentration had been interrupted, it would be hard to get it back. He turned his attention to the photograph in front of him; he wasn't in the mood to shoot things, although if Jack kept this up...

"This won't take long," Jack persisted.

"Later,' Daniel suggested. Much later.

"You do want to go through the gate, don't you?" Jack queried, coming to stand across the desk from the linguist.

Daniel threw his pen across the room with a sudden burst of frustration, then glared at his current antagonist. "Don't you dare pull that with me, Jack! Just because I don't want to go around shooting things right now, suddenly you assume that I don't want to go and rescue my wife?"

The words hit Jack hard and reminded him of why Daniel was still at the SGC. Contrite, he dropped his gaze to the floor as he contemplated how to fix this latest stuff-up.

"And it isn't as if General Hammond is going to let me go through any time soon!" Daniel continued. "Not while he still has doubts about me." He didn't know how he was going to prove his worth to the general, which he wasn't looking forward to doing. He always had to prove his worth for anyone to accept him - even with Jack on the first mission. Why couldn't anyone just trust him? His subconscious pointed out that Jack did but he didn't want to listen to that. "So there's no rush, is there?"

"No," Jack admitted, looking at the archaeologist again. He should have realised that Daniel wasn't ready yet. It seemed he was always pushing the younger man into something he wasn't ready for. "No, there's no rush."

"Then can I get back to work?" Daniel asked with exaggerated patience as he stared at Jack. He forced himself to ignore the hurt in the other man's eyes at his attitude. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with Jack - he did - but he also wanted to work.

"Have you eaten?" If one method didn't work, he would try another.

"Eaten?" Daniel echoed, thrown off-balance by the question.

"That would be a no," Jack guessed. "Come on then." He started towards the door.

"Jack, I'm busy," Daniel protested again. He didn't want to stop to eat lunch.

"You have to eat, Daniel," Jack admonished him. He was going to have to watch the archaeologist closely at work to make sure he didn't starve.

"I'm not hungry," Daniel continued to argue, not entirely sure why he was doing so.

"Daniel, what's got into you today?" the older man said in exasperation. He came back to face Daniel across the desk.

"Nothing."

Jack knew by Daniel's avoidance of eye contact that he was lying. The question was, about what? "Right. That's why you wouldn't talk to me this morning, and why you're arguing now."

"You interrupted me! And since when is it a crime not to talk?"

The shrill ringing of the telephone prevented the colonel from replying. Daniel picked up the handset. "Yes?"

[Is this Doctor Jackson?] the male voice on the other end inquired.

"Yes, it is." He couldn't identify the voice.

[My name is Doctor Johanssen. I've found something that you might be interested in.]

****

For lack of anywhere else to put it, the sarcophagus was wheeled into the gateroom. Daniel followed it in, having supervised its arrival at the base. General Hammond and Jack came in through the opposite door. "What is it?" the general asked as soon as he got close to it.

"It's a Goa'uld sarcophagus," Daniel stated, turning away from it. As soon as he had seen it ten minutes earlier, he had identified it as being similar to the ones in his memories. And considering he had actually been inside of one, the memories weren't all that pleasant. "An archaeological team found it in a Mayan temple two days ago."

"I know this thing," Jack commented, looking at it closely. "It's like that thing that was on Ra's ship that..."

"Brought Sha'uri and I back from the dead," Daniel finished for him.

"Yeah." Jack could still remember the events that had led up to Daniel's death as if it had been yesterday. He would never forget how the young man had taken that staff weapon blast for him.

"How did they know to send it here?" Hammond queried.

"Because of these." Daniel gestured to the hieroglyphs. "They recognised the significance of an Egyptian sarcophagus in a Mayan temple. And since I was the only one ever to research cross-pollination of ancient cultures, they tracked me down."

"And what makes you think it belonged to a Goa'uld?"

"The, uh, the fact that it has Egyptian hieroglyphs on it, and its general appearance. The Goa'uld mainly took on the personas of the Egyptian gods, so their sarcophagi were inscribed with these symbols." Daniel moved around to the head of the sarcophagus. "This is the symbol for Hathor, who was a major goddess in Egyptian mythology. She was generally thought to have been a kind and generous deity until Ra corrupted her."

Now there was a name Jack recognised. "Ra? As in, Goa'uld Ra?"

Daniel nodded. "We know that he was definitely a Goa'uld, so Hathor probably is... was, as well." He tried to think of all the mythology he knew about the goddess and as he did so, some of Klorel's knowledge surfaced. "According to mythology, she was the goddess of fertility, inebriety, and music." He left out Klorel's knowledge for the moment.

"Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll?" Jack cut in.

"In a manner of speaking." The linguist shot the colonel a patient look before continuing on. "She was daughter and wife to Ra, and the mother of all pharaohs."

Jack cringed at the imagery. "Wife and daughter? Eeew."

"I'm assuming that she wasn't actually both," Daniel stated, "or at least, the host wasn't. The symbiote might have been though."

Hammond's head was swimming with all the information. "What happened to her?"

"Well, the Egyptians eventually stopped worshipping their 'gods' around the time that the gate was buried at Giza. As far as we know, all the Goa'uld left Earth just before that." He took a deep breath before continuing on; it was time to use his new knowledge. "According to Klorel's memories, Hathor disappeared when the gate was buried. She hasn't been heard of since."

Jack raised one eyebrow at Daniel. The fact that Daniel had used the Goa'uld's knowledge was a sign that the younger man was realising that his new situation wasn't all bad.

Hammond didn't appear to blink an eyelid at the information. "Is it possible that she didn't leave Earth?"

Daniel thought about that, then nodded. "Yes, sir."

The door opened and an airman walked in. "General Hammond, sir."

"What is it, Airman?"

"Sir, a person was just arrested on the mountain's surface for attempting an unauthorised entry."

The general wasn't concerned. "It happens now and then. Let the police handle him."

"It's a her, sir. Major Lowel thought you would want to talk to her yourself."

"Why?" That wasn't part of his job.

"Sir, she knew the Stargate was here."

Part 5

"Do you remember anything else?" Hammond asked the doctor as they walked to the holding room. Colonel O'Neill trailed behind.

Daniel shook his head. Trying to dig out information from Klorel's memories when he needed them wasn't easy. "No, sir. But if Hathor somehow survived and turns up here, we should be very cautious."

"Why?" Hammond queried.

"Doctor Kleinhouse - the man in charge of the dig - and his associates were brutally murdered. Mexican authorities assumed it was by crypt robbers."

"But you're saying it could've been a Goa'uld," Jack asked, not liking the sound of that at all.

"It's possible." He knew better than any of them just how violent the Goa'uld could be. "But I don't know how she would have survived for this long without trying to gain some kind of power."

"You said the people who discovered the sarcophagus were killed," Jack said, thinking the whole thing through and threat-assessing.

"Yes."

"Would it have been possible for a Goa'uld to have been trapped in the sarcophagus for... however long it's been since this Hathor disappeared?" That was the only logical explanation Jack could come up with.

Daniel thought about that but didn't know enough about how the technology worked to know whether it was possible. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "But it would fit with everything, including how she would have been there when the sarcophagus was found." And true to Goa'uld form, she had killed those who had found her.

"Aren't we jumping to conclusions here?" Hammond weighed in again. "There's no indication that there was anyone or anything in the sarcophagus when it was discovered. Maybe it was crypt robbers who murdered the archaeological team."

"Maybe," Daniel conceded. But he didn't think so.

The three of them entered a holding room where a woman with bright reddish-orange hair waited, her back to them. The general made the first move. "Ma'am, I'm General Hammond, US Air Force."

The woman turned around and looked at him as if he were a minor irritation. "Yes."

Jack's instincts were beginning to warn him that this woman was dangerous. He didn't know how - she looked harmless - but he knew looks could be deceiving. And if she was a Goa'uld, then she would definitely be a threat. And what was with the hair?

"And you are?" Hammond pressed.

"We are Hathor. You would be wise to unbind us and kneel before your goddess." Her expression was imperial, haughty.

Not a chance, Jack thought, sneaking a glance at Daniel. The younger man was not looking too happy, probably because they were face-to-face with another Goa'uld so soon after getting him back.

Actually, Daniel wasn't happy because he could sense that the woman was a Goa'uld. Her appearance had been familiar, and her presence - or the symbiote's presence, rather - was disturbing. And there was something niggling at the back of his brain, something he felt he needed to remember, something that was very important. But he didn't know what it was. "You're not a goddess," he stated, unsure why he was saying that.

Hathor focused her full attention onto him for the first time. Her eyes raked over him, making his skin crawl. He fought the urge to leave the room; he would not give a Goa'uld the satisfaction of running away.

"You were once blended," Hathor noted with some amusement. This beautiful young man had once been like her, and she wondered absently why he was no longer blended. She stepped closer to the young man, noticing that he didn't move away. Interesting, she thought.

Daniel didn't reply but he did cross his arms. Her answer had given him confirmation that she was a Goa'uld, and it had also raised a new problem: other Goa'uld would be able to sense the naqadah in him just as he could in them. That could present a problem off-world because he wouldn't be able to hide from them.

George saw the linguist hug himself in response to the woman's words, and decided to intervene. "So Ms Hathor... would you mind telling us why exactly you were trying to get into this facility?"

"We were drawn to the Chaapa-ai."

That rang a bell with Jack and he turned to Daniel. "Chaapa-ai? That's what your monk buddies on Chulak called the Stargate," he said quietly. The fact that he could recall this didn't surprise him; he could remember everything about that day with perfect clarity.

The fact that Jack had remembered the word surprised Daniel, however; he had been guilty of thinking that Jack wouldn't pay attention to things like that. He should have realised, though, that Jack had actually made an effort to learn about cultures on his mission through the gate. "Um, yes. It's also Abydonian and ancient Egyptian," he replied equally as softly. Jack probably didn't need to know that but Daniel couldn't think of anything else to say.

"What I want to know is what makes you think it's here?"

"We were drawn to it," Hathor replied to the general's question.

"We?" Jack was a little confused. Who was 'we'?

"Where is Ra?" Hathor demanded. It seemed that the slaves had progressed since she had been trapped in the sarcophagus, and she doubted her husband would have allowed it if he was still on Earth.

"Ra is..." Daniel started to say that he was dead but was stopped by the general.

"Doctor Jackson! Need to know."

Right. "Ra... Ra is a myth. He doesn't actually exist." Especially after a nuclear warhead blew up in his face.

"Miss... Hathor..." Jack started, hating that he had to be civil with a Goa'uld. "What made you think this Chaapa-ai was here?"

"The Chaapa-ai was what gave power to our father and our husband."

"Ra," Daniel murmured to the general and Jack.

"Well, that's nice," Jack commented in response to Hathor's reply. "But you didn't answer the question."

"We were drawn to it," Hathor repeated impatiently, growing irritated with the slaves.

"How?" Jack persisted. He disliked this woman more and more.

"The naqadah," Daniel muttered, making a connection.

Hathor tired of all the questions and decided that it was time to start making slaves of the humans. "You, with the crown of marble."

Jack almost smiled at that description. "She might mean you, sir," he said to Hammond.

"You are the ruler here?"

"Yes, ma'am." George supposed he could be described as such.

"May we take your hand?"

"Why?"

"We wish to kiss it. To bless you with fertility and joy." And so that she could transmit the nishta to him.

Hammond would have chuckled if he wasn't wary of her offer. He was a grandfather - fertility wasn't something he needed now. "I'll pass, thank-you. Colonel, Doctor?" He wanted to find out what Doctor Jackson thought of this woman.

Jack banged on the door and an airman opened it to let the three men out. Once the door closed behind them, Hammond asked, "Doctor, what's your opinion?"

"She's definitely a Goa'uld," Daniel replied, feeling a little better now that he couldn't feel her presence. "I could sense it. And I think that's how she knew the Stargate was here. Because of the large amount of naqadah in it, she could sense its presence just like I can sense hers." That was his theory anyway.

"And you still think she's dangerous?"

"Yes, sir." There was no doubt in his mind.

"She doesn't look dangerous," Hammond pointed out. "And you said yourself that she was supposed to be a kind and well-loved goddess."

"Until Ra corrupted her," Daniel corrected him. "General, you have to trust me, she is dangerous." He would bet his life on it. He turned to Jack, pleading with his eyes, hoping that his potential lover could make that leap of faith to trust him.

Jack did trust Daniel on this because his instincts were telling him the same thing about the woman. "I think we should be very careful, General."

Hammond nodded. "Any ideas on what we should do with her?"

"Not yet." Jack was figuring on having a little talk with Teal'c and see what he knew about this Goa'uld.

"General, sir..." Daniel paused for a moment, having second thoughts about what he was going to suggest, and then decided that it would be for the best. "I think there's something else about Hathor."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure. But I think Klorel did. I'd like to undergo hypnosis to find out what." Daniel braced himself as he made the suggestion. He didn't really like the idea himself but he felt that he should do this.

Jack was surprised by the suggestion, and also a little proud. Daniel didn't like the Goa'uld memories he had inherited but yet here he was suggesting that certain memories be retrieved so that they could find out just how much of a threat this Hathor was. "Are you sure?" He didn't want Daniel to do this if it was going to hurt him. The look Daniel sent him said 'no, but I'm going to do it anyway.'

Hammond looked from one to the other, trying to work out what wasn't being said. He still wasn't sure that Hathor was a threat but he was curious to know what Doctor Jackson thought he knew. "Very well. Colonel, I want you to keep an eye on our guest..."

"No!" Daniel ignored the surprised looks from the military men. "I don't know why but... don't go in there, Jack."

The older man took in the agitation and wondered why Daniel was so upset. "Why?"

"I just said I don't know!" Frustrated, Daniel started pacing, his arms across his chest. "I can't explain it, I just... General, don't let anyone go in there." He turned his attention to Hammond.

"Alright, son." Hammond was a bit disturbed by the linguist's reaction. "Colonel O'Neill can accompany you to see Doctor McKenzie about the hypnosis."

"Yes, sir." Jack hoped that they would be able to find out why Daniel had been so spooked by the idea of him being in the same room as Hathor.

****

"Now, Doctor Jackson, I want you to relax," Doctor McKenzie said when he was certain the linguist was under. Because of the doctor's anxious state, it had taken a while for him to relax enough for the hypnosis to work, but now they were getting somewhere. "I want you to imagine that all of Klorel's memories are in one big box. Inside there are a lot of little boxes containing memories of certain Goa'uld's. Can you see them?"

"Yes." He could see lots of different coloured boxes with little hieroglyphs on them, indicating which Goa'uld was in those memories.

"Now, I want you to find the box labelled 'Hathor'."

Okay, he could do that. There was her symbol, there, on the red box. He reached towards it...

"Don't open it yet," McKenzie said, anticipating what the doctor was probably doing. "Just pick it up first. Does it feel heavy or light?"

"Light."

McKenzie assumed that there weren't many memories in there. "Okay. Now, gently open the box and tell me what you see."

Daniel lifted the lid and peered inside. "A pink mist."

"Look deeper, underneath the mist."

The mist cleared as Daniel looked deeper into the memory. "I see her. She's surrounded by lots of men." He saw this through the eyes of Apophis.

"What are they doing?"

"Worshipping her." The image zoomed in so he could see her more clearly. "There's one man in front of her. She's kissing... no, she's breathing on him."

Jack, who was listening to all this, was puzzled. Why would Hathor be doing that?

"Why?" McKenzie asked.

Daniel searched the memory for the reason. "For control. Now she's pulling him towards her. They're embracing. He..." Daniel broke off as the man in the memory staggered back. "Oh my god, she turned him into a Jaffa!"

McKenzie shared a look with O'Neill. This did not sound good. "How?"

"A jewel that she wears. She takes ordinary slaves and turns them into Jaffa," he reported with disgust. That meant all the other men around her were waiting to become Jaffa.

"Take a step back from it, Doctor Jackson, don't let it affect you," McKenzie ordered.

"How does she control them, Daniel?" Jack questioned. McKenzie held up a hand to silence him, then repeated the question to Daniel.

"Nishta. It makes all men compliant. They do whatever she wants. Except for other Goa'uld. It doesn't work on them." Daniel continued to observe the memory detachedly. "Everyone loves her."

"I think we've got a problem," Jack muttered.

McKenzie ignored that. "Is there anything else?"

Daniel fast-forwarded the memory. "She became a threat to the System Lords. They had her sealed in the sarcophagus so she couldn't overthrow them."

"Thank-you." McKenzie then brought the linguist out of the trance.

"You okay?" Jack asked immediately, unsure how much Daniel would remember about what he had just seen.

Daniel blinked a few times as he adjusted to the quick change from past to present. "I'm fine." Then the implications of what he had just seen sank in. "The nishta - that's what made people think she was a kind goddess. She was controlling them. We can't let her do that here."

"So... what? We just stand well away from her so she can't breathe on us?" Jack hadn't come up with any ideas on what to do with her yet - shooting her didn't count.

"Um... maybe a zat if we need to stop her or something," Daniel suggested tentatively. "What's going to happen to her now?"

"That's up to the general." It was too bad that they didn't still have Thor's Hammer to send her though. As it was...

"Sir! Doctor!" Carter rushed into the room, thankful that she had been able to find them. "Hathor has disappeared."

The men were out of their chairs immediately. "Disappeared?" Jack queried. "As in...?"

"Not in the holding cell. General Hammond went to talk to her again. She wasn't there and neither were the guards." And because of the fact that Hathor was a Goa'uld, and Daniel knew the most about her, Sam had been dispatched to retrieve the archaeologist and find out what the woman might do.

"She's probably heading for the Stargate," Jack said as he headed out the door, Daniel close on his heels. He needed to get his gun - maybe the zat too - and stop her.

"Or she's starting to build a following here," Daniel contradicted him darkly, the very nature of the Goa'uld making this a very real possibility. He missed the glance that Carter gave him, the captain not having heard what he had uncovered in his mind.

"In any case, we're gonna have to stop her," Jack concluded, heading for the elevator so that he could get to the armoury. "Daniel, I want you to go to my office and stay there. She knows that you were a host, so she might come after you." Whether to kill him or make him a slave, Jack wasn't sure but he didn't want to take the risk either way. He wanted to protect Daniel.

"Jack..." the linguist started to protest but stopped when the older man looked directly at him. Jack was worried about him. For a moment, Daniel was speechless, then his indignation at needing protection rose again. "Jack, I-"

"Please, Daniel." Jack was not letting the young man go anywhere near Hathor. "No arguments." The elevator door opened. "I need you to be safe." That was as much as he could say in front of Carter.

Daniel watched as Jack and Carter stepped into the elevator, and then the doors closed, blocking them from view. Staring at the closed doors for a few seconds, he tried to get his frustration under control. He didn't need to be protected from Hathor; he was perfectly capable of handling himself. He knew that part of this protectiveness stemmed from Jack's love for him but the order still rankled. Turning on his heel, he headed for the other elevator; he needed to go to the science labs and see if he could get the hand device. Since he wasn't going to be allowed a gun, he would have to resort to the Goa'uld weapon in order to defend himself... if it became necessary.

****

As Jack armed himself, he had some misgivings at having sent Daniel off with nothing to protect himself with. What if Hathor went looking for Daniel and found him while he couldn't fight back? He should have gotten Carter to leave her gun with him, or even brought Daniel here to get one, then sent him somewhere safe. In his rush to protect Daniel, he might have done the wrong thing by leaving the linguist defenceless. And from the look in Daniel's eyes, the young man was going to have something to say about that if - when - they got home.

A thought suddenly hit him - Hathor had sensed that Daniel had been a host. She, if she wanted to, would be able to track him down like she had the Stargate. No matter where Daniel was, he wouldn't be safe from her. Hathor could kill him and Jack wouldn't be able to stop her.

Grabbing a sidearm, he said to Carter, "Captain, take a team and head to the Stargate. Make sure our guest hasn't gone there."

"Yes, sir." She refrained from asking where he was going.

Jack pointed to three of the men nearby. "You're with me."

****

Daniel found the hand device in the second lab that he searched. He slid it onto his left hand, hating the feel of it but knowing that it was his only option. He just hoped he would be able to use it.

****

Hathor strolled through the corridors of the SGC. It had been so easy to talk the guards into opening the door, and after she had them under her control, to get them to protect her from their own people. The humans were just as easy to manipulate as they had been thousands of years ago; perfect for starting to build her own army. First of all, though, she would need to locate the Chaapa-ai. Then she would find the one who had been blended; he was very attractive and would be suitable to become her Beloved.

The Chaapa-ai was unguarded when she arrived, and she was pleased to see the sarcophagus there as well. Perfect. Wait... not so perfect. Where was the pedestal with the symbols? How did the humans activate the Chaapa-ai if there was no device?

Turning to the nearest slave, she demanded, "Human! Show us how you activate the Chaapa-ai!"

"Not a chance," Sam said, coming in the other entrance with Teal'c and several marines.

Hathor's eyes glowed, and she raised her left hand. The impudence of these slaves! "You will tell us how to activate the Chaapa-ai."

"We will not," Teal'c replied from his place behind the sarcophagus, and raised his staff weapon at the false god. Then he ducked as a blast from the hand device headed straight towards him.

A low-pitched hum started up from the sarcophagus, drawing several wary looks. Then, as the humming started to increase in volume, everyone realised what was about to happen: the sarcophagus was going to explode.

Everyone quickly left the room, including Hathor. She would have to change her plans now. Without a sarcophagus, she was vulnerable. She would have to go through the Chaapa-ai to find another one soon. But first she needed to influence the men so that they would do her bidding.

Starting with her Beloved.

****

Daniel moved cautiously through the corridors, continually on the lookout for either Hathor or Jack. He didn't know where he was going as he hadn't explored this level of the base yet, but he wasn't going to just sit in Jack's office and wait like a good little boy. He had decided to try and draw Hathor away from the important parts of the base, such as the gate. That was if she was really going to come after him. He didn't think that she would; after all, he was the least important member of the base so he wouldn't really be of any help to her. She would be far more likely to look for the general or even Jack.

That thought worried him. Jack would not want to be turned into a Jaffa, and Daniel didn't want him to be either. He liked Jack just the way he was, although the protectiveness could be scaled down just a little bit. Just because he didn't use guns didn't mean he couldn't defend himself. In fact, he...

"Beloved."

The sound of the metallic voice caused Daniel to spin around. Hathor was about fifteen feet away from him down the corridor he had just come from. Daniel lifted his left hand and aimed the hand device at the Goa'uld. "I am not your Beloved." The name rang a bell but he couldn't recall why.

Hathor took a couple of steps forward, smiling when the young man backed away. "You do not wish to serve your goddess?"

"You're not a goddess, you're a parasite inside a human host," Daniel retaliated, making sure he kept out of her reach. He focused his mind on the jewel and it started to glow.

"Fool!" Hathor flung out her hand and a burst of energy flew out from her hand device.

Daniel found himself suddenly flying through the air, then impacting against something solid. Dazed, he slid to the floor, unable to stay upright. A few seconds later, he felt something cold touch his face and he looked up to see Hathor crouching over him, caressing his face with her left hand.

"So beautiful," she observed, stroking every part of his face before taking his chin in her hand. Leaning forward, she breathed the nishta towards his lips. "You will serve us as our Beloved."

"No," Daniel protested weakly, still dazed from the impact with the wall. He tried to pull away but he was trapped against the wall, unable to move. "I will never serve you."

"You will," Hathor promised, drawing his face up to hers and claiming his mouth with hers. She held him against the wall so that he could not move away, and gently continued to kiss him.

Daniel might have been pinned against the wall but he still had one hand free - the one with the hand device on it. Slowly, he brought it up to his chest, palm outwards facing Hathor as if he was wanting to caress her. Then he summoned all of his anger and focused it on the jewel.

Hathor broke off the kiss as the jewel started to glow, surprised that he would attempt such a thing. Therefore she did not get out of the way, and the burst of energy flung her away from her Beloved, causing her to land in an undignified heap further down the corridor.

With cold eyes, Daniel watched as she regained her feet. His head was pounding because of its impact with the wall, and the nishta was starting to make him a little muddled - or maybe that was just the concussion. He fought its effects, not wanting to fall under her spell. He managed to get into a sitting position just as Hathor turned to him again. "Don't come any closer," he warned, holding out his hand again.

"You are a foolish child," Hathor commented angrily. "We shall take great pleasure in teaching you how to serve us. Pick him up," she ordered two of her men who were standing nearby.

Daniel was hauled to his feet, and he swayed unsteadily, his head starting to spin. Still, he remained defiant. "I'd rather die."

"Perhaps dying a few times will teach you your place," the Goa'uld mused, thinking that when she had obtained another sarcophagus, she would use it to teach him to serve her.

A chill went down Daniel's spine at what she was implying; dying once had been enough for him. "I doubt it," he lied, trying not to show his fear.

"Still, we do have other ways of... gaining your loyalty," Hathor continued, coming forward to stand in front of the young man. She traced her fingers over his face, then down his neck and chest, coming to rest on his stomach. "Ways that involve great pleasure." Her fingers started to move even lower.

Daniel swallowed hard and averted his eyes as her fingers traced over his groin. He was beginning to get an idea of just how Hathor wanted him to serve her. The thought frightened him; she would take everything he had until she had destroyed him through sexual abuse. He was not going to go down without a fight though. "Somehow I doubt that I would find sleeping with you pleasurable."

"You will," Hathor promised seductively. "You will."

****

Jack moved around the corner stealthily. He had heard Hathor's voice and then, not surprisingly, Daniel's, as well as the content of what they were discussing. No way was she going to do that to his Daniel.

When Jack had checked his office before and hadn't found the linguist there, he had figured that Daniel had gone looking for Hathor himself. Who had found who was a question he could get the answer to later, but right now, Daniel was in big trouble. Putting aside his fear for the young man, Jack carefully took aim - he didn't want to hit Daniel instead - and fired as Hathor lifted her hand to the linguist's face.

The bullet entered the side of her body just under her ribcage. As she turned towards him in surprise, a second bullet ripped through her heart. Her eyes flashed once and then she fell to the floor, dead.

Daniel stared at the dead body, his brain still catching up with what had just happened. One moment she had been feeling him up, the next she was lying on the floor. He blinked slowly and turned his head to see Jack quickly advancing towards him. Jack had shot her, he realised. Jack had shot her to save him. That was nice of him.

He watched as Jack drew closer, concern plainly written all over the colonel's face. "Nice shot," Daniel said, closing his eyes in the hopes that the walls would stop spinning. Then he felt the guards release his arms and he was falling to the floor...

Jack covered the last few feet quickly as Daniel started to drop. He managed to grab hold of the linguist before he hit the floor, and gently lowered him the rest of the way. What had Hathor done to Daniel before he had arrived? There was a lump on the back of his head but nothing else that Jack could find. He removed the hand device from the linguist's hand, surprised that Daniel had it on; he had thought that Daniel wouldn't want to see it ever again.

"Sir?"

Looking up, Jack saw the confused expressions on the two soldiers who had been holding Daniel up.

"What happened?" one of them asked, looking around him in confusion.

"It's a long story, Airman," Jack replied cautiously. He glanced over at Hathor then back at the soldiers; maybe the nishta didn't continue to work when the Goa'uld was dead. Turning to one of the men on his team, he ordered, "Get a medical team down here quick. You two," he pointed to the other two men, "accompany these men to the infirmary." He would wait with Daniel.

"Yes, sir," came the simultaneous responses.

When the corridor cleared, Jack turned his attention back to the unconscious man lying in front of him. He smoothed the long hair away from Daniel's forehead, cursing himself for not keeping the linguist with him. If he had let Daniel come with him, this wouldn't have happened. It was his fault for being so worried about keeping Daniel out of harm's way, and in doing so, he had... wait a second. It wasn't entirely his fault. If Daniel had done what he was told, then this might not have happened either. That was something he would have to talk about with the linguist later. When he was conscious. "Danny?" No response. Given the bump on his head, Daniel probably had a concussion. Jack slid his fingers through the long hair a couple more times, then pulled back when he heard people nearing their location.

"What's the situation?" Janet Fraiser asked as she drew near to the colonel. She crouched down next to the linguist and started examining him.

"He has a lump on the back of his head, possible concussion. She's dead," he said, gesturing over his shoulder to the Goa'uld.

Janet nodded, finding the lump and pressing gently on it. His skull had obviously collided pretty heavily with something. "Help me get him on the trolley," she ordered the colonel as an orderly arrived with one.

Jack did so, remembering the last time Daniel had been on one; that hadn't been one of Jack's best days. As he helped lay Daniel onto the trolley, he felt a stirring under his fingers. "Danny?"

"J'ck?" Daniel partially opened his eyes then closed them again, slipping back into the darkness.

"He'll be fine," Janet promised, seeing the concern on the colonel's face. She knew that he cared a lot for Doctor Jackson in spite of everything, and indeed, she had a soft spot for the young man despite not actually knowing him all that well. It was the innocence, she decided, looking at the doctor's face; one just couldn't help caring.

Jack wanted to follow them to the infirmary but knew he still had a job to do and that had to come first. So reluctantly he drew his eyes away from the trolley and started doing his job.

****

Things were a little fuzzy when Daniel regained consciousness an hour later. However he knew without opening his eyes that Jack was nearby, his presence reassuring. There was a throbbing pain in the back of his skull, reminding him of what had happened. Hathor was dead. She had come after him, had wanted him, and Jack had stopped her dead. Daniel couldn't remember anything after that so he assumed that he had blacked out and had been brought to the infirmary. Slowly, he opened his eyes, confirming where he was and that Jack was by his bedside. Seeing the older man there, he tried to smile. "Hi."

"Hi yourself." Jack moved closer to the bed, relieved that Daniel was alright. He had spent the past half-hour waiting for Daniel to wake up, and quietly enjoying the view. The linguist looked so young while he was sleeping, and so beautiful... such a contrast to Jack himself. That was why he hadn't been surprised that Hathor's interest in Daniel had been sexual - the hand groping the young man had made her intentions pretty clear. It was just as well that Jack had arrived when he did. "How're ya feeling?"

"Fine," Daniel replied reflexively. There was no need to mention his throbbing head just yet; it would spoil the moment.

"Uh-huh." Drawing up a chair, Jack sat down next to the bed. "Fraiser will be by soon to check on you." And hopefully tell him that he could take Daniel home soon.

Not wanting to think about that, Daniel changed the subject. "Is Hathor really dead?"

"Yep." He had made sure of it. "And that reminds me - what were you thinking of, going to find her like that?" Jack tried to keep his voice conversational but didn't quite succeed if the look on Daniel's face was anything to go by.

"I wasn't trying to find her," Daniel stated, averting his eyes and staring at the wall. "I was trying to draw her away from the Stargate.

"Well, that plan didn't work. She went there first." Jack's gut tightened at Daniel's words; the linguist had deliberately made himself a target. "So you should've gone to my office."

"And you should have given me a way to defend myself," Daniel shot back, anger rising in him at the assumption.

"I know," Jack conceded. "That's why I went back to find you but you weren't there. It was pure luck that I found you when I did."

"I should have been with you in the first place!" Daniel turned angry eyes on Jack. "Why do you constantly treat me as if I'm a child? I can use a gun, Jack, you've seen me, so why wouldn't you let me help you?"

Jack could hear the underlying hurt and realised that he had really messed things up this time. He knew why he hadn't let Daniel help but he didn't want to admit it, unsure whether the admission would make things better or worse.

The arrival of Janet had Jack breathing a temporary sigh of relief. Did Daniel really think he was being treated like a child? It was something Jack would have to be careful of in the future. The problem was, though, that he was trying to keep Daniel safe, to protect him. How could he still do that yet not make it appear as if he thought that Daniel needed protecting? There was a fine line between the two things, and Jack was sure that he was going to cross over it on many occasions. Could he make Daniel see that his protectiveness wasn't meant to imply that the linguist couldn't do it himself?

"Colonel?"

With a start, Jack realised that he had missed Fraiser's examination of Daniel. "Yeah?"

"I'm keeping Doctor Jackson in for observation overnight, just as a precaution. You can take him home tomorrow morning."

Daniel glared at her; here was someone else who assumed he was hopeless. He was perfectly fine. But he didn't say anything, knowing from the doctor's expression that he wouldn't win the argument.

Jack also recognised that there would be no arguing about this, and resigned himself to an evening without Daniel. But at least with tomorrow being Sunday, they would have the whole day together. He nodded at Fraiser, and waited for the physician to leave before saying softly to Daniel, "I'll be back in the morning, okay?"

"I'll be fine," Daniel responded somewhat tersely.

"I know you will." Jack's hand fleetingly brushed over the young man's, mouthing 'I love you' at the same time.

Daniel felt a spark of warmth at those words. No-one else in his life had taken such time to show or tell him how much they loved him. Perhaps if they had, he wouldn't be so uncertain about Jack's love. Even when Jack tried to protect him and ended up angering him - like today - Daniel could see the motivations behind the actions, and he was flattered by it.

He smiled at Jack, uncertain of what to say. The older man smiled back and then left the infirmary, Daniel's eyes following him all the way. There was a sense of loss when Jack disappeared from sight, a disappointment of sorts that he was going to be alone tonight. After only three days, he had become used to going home with Jack; a sign that he was becoming dependent on Jack. He couldn't afford to do that because one way or another, Jack would then leave him. Everyone eventually did. And Daniel did not want his heart broken again. Unfortunately though, his heart was already too involved...

****

Daniel was silent on the trip home the next morning. He'd had another restless night but this time his dreams were simply nightmares - of Jack being turned into a Jaffa; of Hathor making Daniel serve her; of Jack leaving Daniel all alone to be hurt by Hathor. He knew that none of those things had happened but the dreams had unsettled him nonetheless. All of those scenarios could have been possible if Hathor hadn't been stopped. And in a weird sort of way, Daniel was glad that he'd had Klorel's memories to call upon, otherwise the Goa'uld would have taken over the base. So maybe, despite the fact that Daniel didn't like any of the memories, maybe it had been a good thing that he'd had them, although going through hypnosis every time he needed them was going to be a problem.

Jack glanced sideways at Daniel, wondering what was keeping him so quiet. It had been lonely last night without him, Jack literally aching to hold the linguist in his arms again. But he was well aware that even touching Daniel might be off-limits now if the younger man was still mad at him over yesterday's actions. Jack knew he was going to have to talk about that with Daniel - much as he disliked talking - and find out just why the linguist felt that Jack was treating him like a child. Then he would be able to do something about it.

After they arrived at Jack's house, Daniel followed Jack into the kitchen and watched him start to make the coffee. He leaned back against the table, unsure of what to do or say. As the silence continued, a small smile escaped Daniel at the fact that Jack didn't know what to say either.

"What are you smiling at?" Jack wanted to know. It was nice to see Daniel smile, especially after the incident with Hathor. He went over to stand next to Daniel and nudged him with his elbow when the linguist didn't reply straight away.

"Nothing. So, did you have any plans for today?" he asked, deflecting Jack's attention away from him.

"That depends on you." Focusing his eyes on his feet, Jack continued, "Do I really treat you like a child?"

Daniel was surprised by the question. "Sometimes," he replied. "Like yesterday, when you assumed I had to be protected. I'm not a child, Jack, I can handle myself." Although if Jack hadn't shown up when he had, Daniel would have been royally screwed - literally and figuratively.

"I know that, and I'm sorry. I didn't think about that - I just wanted you safe."

"I'm safer with you, Jack, than without you. If I'd been with you when Hathor found me, you could have shot her straight away." And then he wouldn't have known what the Goa'uld had been planning for him.

Jack just melted. Daniel thought he was safe when he was with Jack. That was extremely good for his ego, as well as a good indication of just how much Daniel trusted him. "In hindsight, I agree." Then Daniel wouldn't have set himself up as a target. "I don't promise that I'll never do it again though. It's the way I am, Daniel - I have to protect the people I care about."

Daniel looked directly into Jack's eyes for the first time in the conversation, the older man finally making eye contact. He could see the love in them, a fact that warmed him. "So do I. I think I'm just a little... oversensitive at the moment."

Jack was encouraged by that enough to slide his arm around the younger man's waist, and was pleased when Daniel didn't reject it. "We're going to drive each other crazy, aren't we?" he said with a smile. Their differences were going to make for some spectacular 'discussions'.

"Probably." Daniel shifted so that he could see Jack better. "Are you really sure that you want me? I can be very hard to live with."

"So can I. And I'm absolutely sure," Jack stated, pulling Daniel closer. "I'll try not to overprotect you if you can try not to go walking into trouble or setting yourself up as a target."

"You forgot 'try not to give me orders'," Daniel added; he hated being told what to do.

"If you go through the gate with me, you'll have to obey them," Jack pointed out as his fingers lightly caressed Daniel's lower back. The feel of him... Jack couldn't wait until he was given permission touch bare skin.

Daniel closed his eyes as his body traitorously enjoyed Jack's touch. "Only if it's the right thing to do," he compromised; he wasn't going to blindly follow orders, even if they came from Jack. Opening his eyes again, he stared into the warm brown eyes in front of him. "Why can't I stay mad at you?" he complained without any real annoyance.

"Because you like me," Jack replied, happy that Daniel was allowing him this. Pushing the envelope just a little further, he rested his other hand on Daniel's hip and pulled the young man around so that their bodies were pressed together. "And because you know that I love you."

"There is that." Daniel reached up to rest his hands on Jack's solid chest. "I never did thank you for turning up when you did." He felt Jack tighten his grip and thought again of how strong the older man was. It was weird contemplating having a partner who was physically stronger than he was.

"You can thank me now," Jack stated, focusing his eyes on Daniel's full lips.

When Daniel realised what Jack wanted, he blushed and shifted uncomfortably. He still wasn't used to the idea of Jack finding him attractive. With their bodies so close together, he could feel Jack's desire pressing into him, and despite being embarrassed, it felt good that he could inspire such - want - in the older man.

"Danny." Jack put a finger under Daniel's chin and lifted the linguist's face upwards until he could see into the clear blue eyes. "I'm not pushing." He didn't want to push Daniel into anything, a resolve that he had made before Hathor had arrived.

"I know." For that, he was grateful. Sliding his hands up to rest on the broad shoulders, Daniel leaned in and pressed his lips to Jack's. After a few seconds, he pulled back and licked his lips, tasting Jack on them. "Thank-you."

"You're welcome." Watching the pink tongue moisten the lower lip, Jack moved back in to kiss him. It was pure heaven, feeling the soft lips against his own, hesitant at first but slowly gaining in confidence. Daniel's grip on his shoulders tightened and he leaned into Jack. The colonel responded by gently rubbing his hands up and down the linguist's sides and back, letting him get used to the contact.

It was about one minute later when Daniel realised that he was becoming aroused, and he broke off the kiss, both scared and guilty about the reaction. Scared, because he wanted Jack so much, and guilty... well, for obvious reasons. His heart was racing and he felt light-headed with desire; he wasn't used to feeling like this. With Sha'uri it had been sweet and satisfying but this... How could he want Jack more than he wanted his wife?

Jack could feel Daniel's interest against his hip but he could also see the guilt on the expressive face, and knew what it was about. "Daniel, it's alright to feel like this. What you feel for me doesn't take away anything from Sha'uri." He rested his hands on the linguist's hips and used his thumbs to stroke over the prominent hipbones.

Rationally, Daniel knew that but his feelings weren't exactly rational at the moment. "I just don't want to betray Sha'uri," he said softly, hoping that Jack would understand.

"I know, and I shouldn't have asked you to." But he wanted Daniel so much. Jack brought one hand up to caress a smooth cheek. "If you don't want to do this, tell me now."

In other words, make a decision. He could stay away from Jack and wait for Sha'uri to come back - which might be never - in which case he would be lonely, not to mention guilty about hurting Jack. On the other hand, he could pursue a relationship with Jack and be happy with him, but be guilty about his wife. And since he had never had much of an opportunity to be really happy, he should choose the latter option, especially since it was unlikely that he would ever get Sha'uri back. "I do want this."

Jack's heart leapt with joy; Daniel was going to be his. Well, until his wife came back, of course. He drew Daniel into another kiss, shifting his hand to hold the younger man to him. "You won't regret this, I promise." Jack would do his best to make sure of that, and hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, Daniel would fall in love with him.

"I hope not." He wouldn't be able to cope if Jack broke his heart after all this.

PART 6: Two months later

"Something you haven't told me, Daniel?"

The linguist jumped at the sound of Jack's voice. How had Jack managed to get into the apartment without him noticing? Then the comment sank in. "You can read this?!" The journal was written in a coded language that he had devised himself so that no-one else knew what was written there. How did Jack know?

Jack grinned. "Actually, you were talking to yourself. I only heard the last few sentences. For the record, I would not have gone ballistic. I would've just calmly let them know that harassing you is a big no-no." And if they didn't get the message, then he would have gone ballistic. What could he say - the idea of his fellow officers trying to get Daniel into bed made him feel very... annoyed.

Well, at least he hadn't heard the whole thing, Daniel thought with relief. "Why didn't you knock?"

"I don't know." It had been an impulse; he had wanted to surprise Daniel, and when he had entered the apartment and seen him engrossed by something, Jack had wanted to know what it was. Jack sat down next to Daniel and stretched his legs out, relaxing now that he was away from the mountain. He would have to have a talk with Carter tomorrow about the men.

Daniel closed his journal, a little embarrassed at having been caught talking to himself, and put it away in the bookshelf. Then he returned to the couch and sat facing Jack, tucking his legs up underneath him. Butterflies churned in his stomach; now that Jack was here, he was nervous. "Jack, there's something I have to tell you." He had to get this out of the way as soon as possible.

"What?" The older man immediately started to worry; it sounded serious. Was it about being harassed or...

"I love you. I'm in love with you," Daniel said in a rush. There, he had said it. That hadn't been as hard as he had thought.

Jack was speechless. He had almost given up hoping that he would hear those words from Daniel. It had been clear that the linguist had enjoyed being with him but there had been no indication... Finally, he got his mouth back in working order. "You love me?"

"Yes."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

In that case... Jack reached over and drew Daniel into an enthusiastic kiss. Daniel loved him! Finally! "It's about time!" he commented when he came up for air.

Daniel chuckled, a huge grin on his face. "Getting a little impatient, were we?"

Jack refused to dignify that with a response. He had been so good about waiting but even his patience had limits. "So does this mean...?"

"That I want you to take me to bed and show me what I've been missing? Yes." The grin got bigger as Daniel took in Jack's excitement. It felt good to make Jack so happy.

"Sweet." Jack took hold of Daniel's hand and hauled him to his feet, then dragged him into the bedroom and started undoing the linguist's shirt buttons.

"Jack." Daniel put his hands over Jack's, stopping their movements. He could see the urgent desire in the deep brown eyes and knew that he needed to pull Jack back to make this last. "Make love to me."

The gentle words pulled Jack back from the brink, and he remembered that Daniel was essentially a virgin. It was therefore his responsibility to make this as good as possible. "Sorry," he apologised, bringing Daniel's hands to his lips and kissing them. "All the way?" He had to make sure of what Daniel wanted.

"Not... you know... penetration," Daniel stated, fighting the urge to blush. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"Okay." Jack knew it was a big thing to let someone inside you like that, and he could understand Daniel's reluctance. "But everything else is okay?"

"Yes."

Taking Daniel's hand again, he led the young man over to the huge bed. He sat in the middle of the bed and encouraged Daniel to do the same. Stretching his legs out on either side of the linguist, he then got Daniel to put his legs over Jack's thighs. This meant that Daniel was essentially sitting in Jack's lap.

Daniel hooked his ankles behind Jack's back, making himself comfortable. His hands were shaking slightly with nerves so he pressed them against the solid chest in front of him in order to hide that fact. Desire began to build within him as the heat from Jack's body warmed him, and he began to harden in response. "This is going to be good, right?"

"Oh yeah." Jack captured Daniel's hands in his and then planted a kiss on each palm. He loved the little hitch in Daniel's breathing, and the way his eyes widened as he was surprised by new sensations. In fact, he loved everything about Daniel. And he felt very lucky that Daniel loved him back.

"I know you've been waiting for a long time..." Daniel started to say until he was silenced by a kiss. He let Jack lead, and when the pressure on his lips increased, parted them slightly to let Jack in. He slid his hands over Jack's shoulders and down his back as the older man tried to excavate his mouth with his tongue. Shivers ran down his spine as Jack's fingers traced over the scar on his neck, and then the hand shifted to start unbuttoning his shirt. Releasing Jack's mouth, Daniel watched, fascinated, as his lover undressed him.

Jack lingered over the buttons, savouring the moment each one was undone and more skin was revealed. When the final button was undone, he ran his fingers over the smooth chest, revelling in the feel of it. This was the first time he'd had permission to touch and he was going to enjoy every second of it. He ran his fingers over Daniel's nipples and teased them until they were hard. Then he bent over and took one in his mouth.

Daniel was lost for words to describe the sensation. It sent pleasure coursing through him and made him painfully hard. "Jack..."

The man in question switched to the other nipple and lavished it with the same amount of attention. Then he broke off and looked at Daniel's face, extremely satisfied with the pleasure he was creating. He grinned. "Having fun so far?"

"Oh yes." Daniel replied, trying to get his breathing under control. He stared at Jack's still-clothed chest. "Can I?"

"Be my guest."

Biting his lip in concentration, Daniel undid the buttons on Jack's shirt and then pushed the material away. He had seen the older man's bare torso before but it hadn't been at this distance. Up close, he could see several thin scars marring the skin, and he traced over them with one finger, curious as to how they came to be there. Jack's skin felt warm, and the chest hair tickled his fingers. He could feel the quick rise and fall of Jack's chest under his fingertips and was amazed that he could make the older man feel this way. There was a certain thrill in knowing that he inspired such desire and love in someone else.

"Danny," Jack moaned before he captured the enticing lips for another kiss. The way the linguist was touching him was driving him crazy. His head was telling him to go slow but his body was telling him something completely different, and it was getting harder to listen to his head. He had waited so long for this.

Gently, without breaking the kiss, Jack pushed Daniel down so that the younger man was lying flat. Jack then lay down on top of the linguist, taking some of his weight on his arms, which rested on either side of Daniel's shoulders. This felt so good, so right.

Daniel had been unprepared for the feel of Jack's body pressing him down into the bed. He panicked for a couple of seconds, the forced himself to calm down. It was okay, he told himself. It was all part of making love. People do it all the time. In fact, he had done it with his female partners. So despite the fact that this was completely new to him because his partner was a man, it was perfectly alright. Nothing to be nervous about.

He felt Jack's erection rub against his own, sending sparks of pleasure through him. Both of them still had their trousers on but that didn't make it any less intense. His hips automatically moved upwards as Jack rocked against him, deepening the contact. He grabbed the back of Jack's head, holding him while he deepened the kiss. He wanted this so much, he did, and he was enjoying it too. He had never felt so much pleasure...

An image of Sha'uri popped into his head and he froze with guilt. He was lying there making love with Jack while his wife was a prisoner in her own body. Not only that, but being Apophis's queen, the snake was probably raping her every night. How could he do this while she suffered?

Jack noticed when Daniel suddenly went still, and he drew back to see what was wrong. "Danny?" He reached out a hand to caress the linguist's cheek.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel let it out shakily and then opened his eyes. "Sorry, I..." He broke off, a lump in his throat. He hadn't wanted to feel guilty about this but now that he had thought about Sha'uri, he couldn't stop. "I do love you, Jack." He just couldn't do this.

"Danny?" Jack didn't understand what was going on. He was alarmed when he saw moisture appear in the beautiful blue eyes. "What's wrong, love?"

"I thought I could do this. I want to do this. But I can't." Jack was going to be so annoyed with him, and Daniel couldn't blame him. He knew that Jack had been waiting for this for months. But he couldn't help the way he felt about his wife. Even though he was totally in love with Jack, there was still a sense of loyalty to Sha'uri.

"What do you mean, you can't?" There was an edge to his voice now. Daniel had been fine a minute ago. What kind of stunt did he think he was pulling?

Daniel winced when he heard the tone; Jack was annoyed. He tried to wrap his arms around himself, now feeling guilty about ruining this, and turned his head away to stare at the wall. "It wouldn't be right, Jack. I can't do this to Sha'uri."

Jack rolled off Daniel, frustrated. He had been so close, and now Daniel was doing this. Angry, he shot back, "It's not like she cares right now, Daniel. Besides, she's probably too busy with Apophis anyway."

The hurt sliced deep, and Daniel flinched back from the words. He had tried not to think too much about that aspect of his wife's life. "She wouldn't be willing," he retorted in a hoarse voice.

"And you think it's a sin because you are?" Jack looked down at his almost-lover, refusing to notice the defensive body language. "She's not coming back, you know. So you're allowed to move on with your life."

"Really? And how long did it take you to move on after Charlie died?" Daniel hit back, extremely hurt now. He sat up against the bed-head and tucked his knees up to cover his bare chest.

"How dare you bring Charlie into this?" Jack gritted his teeth in anger; the linguist knew how much his son meant to him. "This isn't the same thing! You've had two months to sort all this out!"

"I thought I had!" He really thought he had. But something was stopping him from taking that final step to become lovers.

"I don't particularly like being led on, Daniel. Either you want this or you don't." His patience was at the end of its limits. "Make up your mind."

A couple of tears escaped to roll down Daniel's cheeks. Everything had been so perfect earlier. Why couldn't he have just gone with the flow and enjoyed it? "I love you, Jack," he said quietly, not expecting that he would hear the words back again, not after this. "I just need a little more time."

"I've given you time." Jack got up and put his shirt back on. He couldn't believe that Daniel was doing this to him! "I am not going to wait forever because of a woman who's as good as dead."

"Get out," Daniel ordered softly but firmly. How dare Jack say that to him!

"Fine." Without a backward glance, Jack stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Releasing the tears that he had been holding back, Daniel curled up on his side, sobbing into the pillow. He had really messed things up. In order to be faithful to his wife, he had deeply hurt Jack, whom he actually loved more. That was the crux of the dilemma - it wasn't that he felt guilty over sleeping with Jack; it was because he loved Jack more than his loved his wife. And now, he had lost them both. Jack wouldn't give him a second chance - why would he? Doubts began to rise in Daniel's mind about the truth of Jack's love. Had it all been just to get him into bed? That's what it felt like at the moment. Normally Jack was understanding about Sha'uri, but tonight... The words had hurt more than Daniel had thought they would.

He couldn't believe that Jack had been lying to him all along though. He felt that he knew the older man quite well and thought that they really were good friends. But maybe they weren't. He had been fooled in the past - Sarah Gardiner was the example that sprung to mind - so there was no reason why it couldn't happen again. But for Jack to have behaved in such a manner for two months... it was unthinkable.

He didn't hear the door open again or notice when Jack came back into the bedroom. The older man had got to the front door and realised what he had just said to Daniel about Sha'uri. Being hurt by Daniel's actions did not excuse him saying that Sha'uri was as good as dead. And he supposed that since this was Daniel's first time with a man, he had a right to be nervous. And how had Jack reacted? As if sex had been all he was interested in. Great way to make Daniel feel secure, Jack berated himself. And as he had opened the bedroom door and heard the sobs, he knew that he had hurt Daniel very badly.

Jack went over and sat on the bed next to Daniel. The linguist didn't look up but he started to move away from Jack. The older man put a hand on Daniel's shoulder, hating that the younger man tried to shrug it off. "I'm sorry, Danny. I didn't mean what I said about Sha'uri. I was just... you know."

"We have to find her, Jack." The words were muffled but still audible... and miserable.

"I know."

Daniel turned slightly so that he could see Jack, and he saw the remorse on the other man's face. "I didn't plan to do this."

"I know." Jack looked into the puffy eyes, feeling really bad. "I guess I'm just a little bit jealous of her." After all, he couldn't even make Daniel forget about his wife while they were making love.

Daniel's eyes widened in astonishment. Jack was jealous of Sha'uri? Did this mean that Jack really loved him after all? "There's no need. I'm in love with you." He waited anxiously to see whether Jack would say that back to him.

Jack smiled faintly. It meant a lot to him that Daniel could still say that. He reached out and stroked Daniel's face, the skin damp from tears. "I love you too." He should have remembered that before he let his libido rule his mouth. "We'll take things slow, okay?" He would just have to continue to be patient. It would make the eventual consummation that much sweeter. "Whatever makes you happy."

"You make me happy," Daniel admitted, then couldn't resist adding a little more. "And annoyed, and frustrated, and..." He gave Jack a shaky grin.

"Okay, okay." He got the point. Changing the subject, he asked, "Did you ever argue with Sha'uri?" Jack shifted his arm so that it rested across Daniel's stomach, loosely holding the younger man to him.

"Not really. We only had one big argument and that was when I re-opened the gate." A lot of harsh words had been exchanged, and Daniel had felt terrible afterwards. He sniffed loudly. "She thought it would only bring trouble." And it had. He rolled so that he was lying against Jack's leg, and gestured to the bedside table.

Jack looked in that direction and saw the box of Kleenex there. He retrieved it and put it next to Daniel, who promptly took a tissue and blew his nose. "It brought me you," Jack said softly, holding Daniel close. If the linguist hadn't re-opened the gate, Jack would have turned into a very lonely old man.

Daniel closed his eyes tightly as the tears threatened to fall again at Jack's words. "Yes," he agreed hoarsely. "But it cost me my wife." The universe's idea of a fair deal, no doubt.

Jack rubbed his hand in comforting circles over Daniel's bare stomach. "I'm really sorry, baby." He was. He was sorry that in order to be with Jack, the universe was making Daniel suffer for it. Since Jack was the one who had fallen in love with a married man, shouldn't he be suffering and not Daniel?

The corners of Daniel's mouth twitched. "Baby? Did you just call me 'baby'?" That was so sappy but at the same time special; no-one else had ever called him that.

"It might've...accidentally...slipped out." Jack grinned down at the young man. "Besides, I need something to call you when it's just the two of us." Every couple had their own nicknames.

"Danny is fine." Generally he hadn't liked anyone but his parents calling him that but Jack was different.

"What about Dannyboy?"

"What about Jonathon?"

"Point taken. Danny, it is." Of course, he wasn't going to stick to just one pet name; that wasn't his style. And, of course, he needed to make up for all the love Daniel had missed out on while he was growing up. "How about we kiss and make up?"

"Sounds like a plan." Shifting onto his back, Daniel reached out to pull Jack to him. Everything was alright again - well, temporarily, at least. "Stay the night?" he asked when they drew apart to breathe. "I can't offer you sex but... I'd like you to stay." Maybe if he got used to Jack sleeping in the same bed, then it would make the physical stuff easier.

"I'd like me to stay too." The colonel lay down on the bed and spooned in beside his linguist. He smoothed a stray lock of hair back from Daniel's face. "I love you, Danny."

"Love you too, Jack."

*****

"So, Doctor J - you're going back through the gate," Charlie Kawalsky said in the locker room the next day when he saw the civilian. He slapped Daniel on the back, pleased to see his friend finally on a team, even if he was surprised that it was SG-1. He had never asked Jack whether anything had developed between the two of them and Jack hadn't told, but Charlie could see that they were connected. And he approved. Jack needed someone like Daniel to bring out the best in him. "You know, you coulda joined my team," he teased.

"He wanted to join the best," Jack commented from nearby. He was a little nervous about the mission - probably more so than Daniel at the moment. His linguist was the epitome of calm. Jack liked to think that it was because Daniel knew he would be safe with him but Jack wasn't arrogant enough to believe it was the only reason.

"Isn't that what I just said?"

Daniel had to grin at the banter. He was in a good mood this morning after spending the night with Jack. They hadn't done much more than kiss and a little bit of touching, but it had helped Daniel relax somewhat about their relationship. "We're going to P3X-7763. There's signs of a civilisation there." He fastened the gun-strap around his thigh and then stood up, ready to go.

"Sounds like the perfect first mission," Kawalsky responded. He turned to Jack. "Bring him back safe, Colonel." After Abydos and Chulak, he wasn't so sure about O'Neill's track record in looking after Daniel.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," Jack muttered. Of course he would bring Daniel back safely - there was no way he would let anything happen to the linguist ever again.

"Thanks, Kawalsky." Daniel favoured him with a smile.

"No problem." Kawalsky escorted Daniel out of the locker room, the rest of SG-1 following a little further behind. "If the colonel gives you any grief, come to me and I'll set him straight." He winked at Daniel, letting him know that he wasn't just talking about work.

Daniel was speechless for a couple of seconds as he realised what Kawalsky was implying. How had he figured it out? Daniel managed to stammer out an, "Okay," although he knew that he wouldn't talk about anything personal. Kawalsky was still in the military so Daniel couldn't say anything that would get Jack into trouble.

General Hammond was waiting when they got to the gateroom. He had grown fond of the young archaeologist over the past two months. The determination to become part of SG-1 had been commendable, and the doctor's unique abilities had made him a respected part of the command. George had heard of several derogatory comments about the linguist, mainly about being a civilian but also about being an ex-Goa'uld host. And of course, there was speculation about his sexuality, rumours that weren't helped by the doctor's unique friendship with Colonel O'Neill. The general knew that many of the comments and rumours sprung from jealousy - and occasionally from rejection, George would wager - so he wasn't concerned yet. But he was keeping a close eye on Doctor Jackson's relationship with the colonel, hoping that neither man would cross that invisible line between friends and lovers. He didn't want to begrudge them happiness but rules were rules, no matter who the people involved were.

Jack was surprised by the general's presence in the gateroom. "Slow day, General?" It was unusual for Hammond to see the team off personally.

Hammond ignored him, turning to the civilian portion of the team who was currently staring at the Stargate. "Doctor." He waited until he had the linguist's attention before continuing. "I'm counting on you to keep Colonel O'Neill in line."

Daniel grinned, recognising that the statement was meant to lighten the moment. "I'll do my best, sir. Although Jack does tend to attract trouble."

"Excuse me?" Jack protested, his heart skipping a beat when he looked at Daniel's innocent expression. "You're the trouble magnet, not me."

"How many times have you got into trouble off-world?" Daniel inquired innocently, although he knew the answer; Jack had always discussed his missions with him.

"They weren't my fault," Jack continued to argue as the gate was dialled up. Banter was good, banter was normal - and it kept him from thinking about the last time Daniel had gone through the gate.

"Right." Watching the chevrons light up and then the gate 'whoosh' into life, Daniel felt nervous about stepping into the wormhole; look what had happened the last two times! He crossed his arms over his chest, wondering whether this was the right decision.

"Daniel?" Sam stepped up beside her friend and colleague. His expression indicated anxiety and she wasn't surprised by it. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." He couldn't back out now; everyone on base knew how hard he had worked to join a team, not to mention why he wanted to go back through the gate in the first place. "Let's go." He started walking up the ramp.

Jack took a couple of long strides to catch up to his linguist, and they went through the gate together.

Exiting on the other side, they were surprised to see volcanic activity and grey snowflakes floating down from the sky.

"Whoa! None of this was going on when we sent the probe though," Carter commented.

"What's this stuff in the air?" Daniel asked, looking around him. It looked like the planet was in the midst of a natural disaster.

"Ash," Teal'c pronounced with distaste.

Jack did a quick assessment of the area. "Okay, Carter, dial us up. Get us outta here. No arguments." That last comment was directed towards Daniel.

"Aye, sir."

Daniel followed Sam to the DHD but his attention was caught by something a few metres away. It looked like a body covered in ash but he wasn't sure. "Wait a minute." He went further along the platform, trying to see what it was. "There's something out there." Did it just move?

Stepping off the platform, he discovered a woman lying there, suffocating from the ash. Quickly, he knelt down next to her and felt for a pulse. "It's a woman, she's alive! There's more. Hurry, you guys." They had to do something quickly before they all died.

*****

Daniel got to the end of the ramp and took the protective headgear off. He was glad that they were off that planet but disappointed that his first mission had been so short; he had been looking forward to immersing himself in the history of the planet. He saw Jack bring one of the evacuees in and place him - or her - on a stretcher. "You okay?"

"Yeah." The colonel went to join Daniel at the bottom of the ramp and sat down, exhausted.

"Colonel O'Neill, what happened?" Seeing SG-1 back so soon, Hammond was concerned. What had gone on in that brief time?

"We encountered some...very severe volcanic activity, sir." That was somewhat of an understatement.

"Who are all these people?"

"We don't really know, sir," Carter replied. "They were all dead and dying around the gate. The air was highly toxic."

"And hot," Daniel added, trying to get the ash out of his eyes.

"You'd better have Doctor Fraiser take a look at you," Hammond ordered SG-1. "We'll debrief as soon as you're ready."

"Yes, sir." Getting to his feet, Jack headed out of the gateroom, Daniel following close on his heels. Partway down the corridor, he commented to the younger man, "Great mission, huh?"

"At least I'm still me this time." Daniel had found that he had been able to make jokes about his Gou'alded state recently.

"Well, there is that." Reaching out, Jack briefly patted Daniel's shoulder. "You did good." If it hadn't been for Daniel, they might not have noticed the people nearby.

"We all did," Daniel replied modestly. "Let's just hope the evacuees think so too."

*****

The next twenty-four hours were eventful and, as SG-1 discovered, not all of the survivors were grateful for being rescued by a 'primitive' race. Jack was up in arms about it, disliking the arrogance of the leader, Omoc. Still, he and SG-1 had been trying to find somewhere to send the Tollans, which was proving to be an impossible task because of that arrogance. And then the Tollans had escaped to the mountaintop, bypassing security and every single guard on the base. SG-1 was about to find out how.

"We've managed to augment the surveillance video from the multi-purpose room and corridors with computer enhancement," Sergeant Davis was saying. "You're not going to believe this."

When Jack saw the Tollans walk through the wall, he was impressed in spite of himself. "Whoa. Cool."

"But totally impossible," Daniel commented. How had the Tollan created such technology?

"Only from the perspective of our limited science apparently," Sam stated. Her talks with Narim had given her the impression that the Tollan were extremely advanced with their technology.

"We have similar video of them passing through an elevator door and a wall on ground level," Davis stated as he called up the images.

Teal'c observed the footage impassively but on the inside, he was impressed. "This is knowledge far beyond that of the Goa'uld."

"That's exactly what the President and Joint Chiefs want to hear." The newcomer waited until everyone had turned around to face him before introducing himself. "Colonel Maybourne, sir, NID."

"Intelligence? What happened to Kennedy?" Jack wanted to know. It had been two months since Kennedy had tried to take Daniel, and Jack hoped that the guy had either been dismissed or reassigned somewhere far away.

"Promoted. I took his place."

"Promoted?" For failing to deliver Daniel into NID hands? "Talk about failing upwards," Jack said in a lower voice.

Maybourne nodded in recognition. "Colonel O'Neill. I read about your conflict with Colonel Kennedy in his report." It had made for extremely interesting reading. And if he wasn't mistaken, that was Doctor Jackson standing next to the general. Interesting, very interesting indeed. "I assure you, such an attitude will not prevail with me in either direction."

"I sense that." Jack caught the quick glance in Daniel's direction and was immediately on alert. If the NID were back in town, he would have to make sure that they didn't try to take the linguist again.

"Good." He would succeed where Kennedy failed; unlike his predecessor, Harry Maybourne didn't have very many scruples. Although his top priority was the Tollan, his secondary objective was to bring Doctor Jackson in for testing any way he could. The NID still wanted to gain access to the knowledge in the doctor's mind.

"Would you mind telling me exactly why you're here, Colonel?" Hammond queried impatiently.

"You didn't get my advance? I'm here for the Tollan."

*****

"We have to stop him," Daniel said as SG-1 walked through the corridors after the meeting with Maybourne.

"Got any brilliant ideas?" Jack couldn't help the sarcastic tone; he wasn't happy with the NID being around.

"Not at the moment but I'm sure we'll come up with something." The archaeologist didn't take the tone personally; he too was annoyed with Maybourne.

"Maybe the Tollan will reconsider the idea of relocation," Sam suggested, not really believing it herself.

"Maybe, but where do we send them?" the colonel wanted to know. "We haven't exactly run across any advanced cultures out there."

"What of the Nox, O'Neill?" Teal'c liked and respected the Nox, and they were of a similar level to the Tollan.

"Well, that would work if we could get them there. They sealed their gate, remember?" Which was too bad because Jack really would have liked to introduce Daniel to them; the younger man would have found them fascinating.

"I'll talk to Narim, see if he can get Omoc to change his mind," Carter suggested.

Jack shook his head. "Good luck."

*****

SG-1 went outside the mountain later to discuss ideas to keep the Tollan out of NID hands.

"I still think the Nox would be the ones to ask," Daniel stated. Having re-read the mission reports, and talked to the rest of SG-1 about them, the Nox seemed like the best shot. The Tollan certainly couldn't say that they were primitive.

"But how do we ask them?" Sam wanted to know. She couldn't think of a way to do it.

"Perhaps the Tollan know of a way," Teal'c stated.

"And then we just have to get them to the gateroom without Maybourne knowing," Daniel added.

"Piece of cake," Jack said sarcastically. "Except we're all going to be court-martialled as soon as he finds out."

"Uh, Jack... I can't be court-martialled," Daniel pointed out with a small grin.

Jack looked at his linguist. That was true - Daniel wasn't in the military. In that case, they might just be able to pull it off. "Airman!" he called out to one of the nearby guards. "Ask General Hammond to come up here immediately."

*****

A few hours later, Daniel found himself back in the multi-purpose room and talking to Omoc.

"The one you call Maybourne was here, questioning my people," the Tollan leader was saying partway into the conversation. "Wanted us to take some sort of tests. And you expect me to trust you?"

"Please, Maybourne is from another division of our government." A very bad division if his personal experience was anything to go by. "Our group is trying to protect you from him."

"You're not doing a very good job."

"No, apparently not." But at least they were trying.

"Do you have a new place for us to go?" Omoc asked. If they couldn't come up with anything better than last time...

"Well...no," Daniel was forced to admit.

"Then we have nothing more to say." Omoc started to walk away.

Time to bring up the Nox. "Well, okay, I do know of a perfect place you could go, I just don't know how to get you there."

Narim, who had been listening nearby, spoke up. "Then why do you speak of it?" He believed there had to be a reason why Daniel would mention it.

"Well, I was kinda hoping that maybe you'd have the technology to get there." If the Tollan didn't, then they were screwed.

Omoc was suspicious. Although he did not personally believe that Daniel was after the technology, there were many others on Earth who were. "This is another trick to gain access to our technology."

"No, no it isn't." Daniel stepped forward a few paces to talk to Omoc again. "Listen, there was a planet SG-1 went to where the people were as advanced as you, maybe even more advanced. They were called the Nox."

The Tollan leader noted the use of the team designation; Daniel had obviously not been part of the team at that point, and Omoc was vaguely curious as to why. But that question could wait until later. "If they went there, why can't we?"

"Well, because they felt about us kinda like you do." By 'us', he meant the Tau'ri. "They called us 'very young', which I suppose is a hair more polite than 'primitive' but same idea." The Nox's version was actually more literally accurate too. "Anyway, they sealed their Stargate and I don't know how to communicate with them to get it open."

"Do you know where this planet is?" This sounded promising.

"Yes, I have the co-ordinates right here." Daniel pulled his notebook out of his pocket and flipped it open at the correct page. He could see the interest in Omoc's face, and hope started to rise in him.

"Then we must go back to the mountaintop."

"Really?" Okay, slight problem there, Daniel thought. "Uh, I can't, I can't... I can't get you out of here."

Omoc shook his head slowly. "That's not a problem."

"Right." Of course - they possessed the technology to walk through walls. "Oh, but I have to go with you." Both Jack and the general were adamant about that because they didn't want any of the Tollan to go wandering off on their own. The fact that Daniel would see them use the technology was apparently a bonus. Daniel watched as Omoc walked away, apparently rejecting the idea, and he shared a disappointed look with Narim. They had been so close.

"Give me your hand."

Daniel looked over at Omoc who was waiting with hand outstretched. "What?"

"Do you wish to come or not?"

*****

"It was weird," Daniel later described the experience for Jack. "I could actually see the inside of the wall for a split second, and then I was on the other side."

"Cool." They were in Jack's office and the older man had made sure the security cameras were off - strictly for business reasons, of course. "But you had to hold his hand, right?" Jack wasn't sure he liked the idea of anyone else holding hands with Daniel.

"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to go through the walls with him." Daniel paused, taking in the way Jack had asked the question. "Don't tell me you're jealous?"

"Of course not," Jack denied. He glanced at the door to make sure it was shut and then took Daniel in his arms. "Be careful tomorrow. We don't know what Maybourne's going to do when the Tollans leave."

"I'll be careful," Daniel promised, leaning into the embrace even though he knew they shouldn't be doing this on base.

"Good." Jack kissed Daniel, lingering for longer than he should. "Now go get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, Jack," Daniel replied patiently, a slight grin on his face. He reluctantly pulled away from his colonel. He was going to bunk down in Teal'c's quarters for the night as they both had an early start in the morning.

Jack sank down into his chair as soon as Daniel had gone. The last two days had been quite eventful, starting from when he had almost thrown away his relationship with Daniel. Maybe when this Tollan thing was all over, he could take the linguist home and coax him into bed. With that image firmly in mind, Jack headed off towards the privacy of his own quarters.

*****

Early the next morning, Daniel and Teal'c were in the gateroom with the Tollan, waiting for something to happen. Daniel was betting that they would be discovered before the Nox made an appearance, and when the blast door opened, he was proven correct. He could see Jack and General Hammond standing up in the control room, and Maybourne was nearby. The Nox had better hurry up, he thought as he locked eyes briefly with Jack. Otherwise things could get ugly.

[Doctor Jackson, this is Colonel Maybourne,] the voice came through the speakers. [What you're doing is a court-martiallable offence.]

Up in the control room, Jack fought the urge to grin broadly as the linguist put his hand to his ear as if he couldn't hear what Maybourne had said. "He's not in the military, Colonel," he enjoyed pointing out to the NID man. "And I think it'd be kinda tough to find a civilian law to cover this." And that was the beauty of the plan.

Maybourne pondered that for a moment then changed his strategy. "I'll have you removed from this program forever if you do this!"

Daniel ignored him, watching as the final chevron locked and the wormhole burst into being. He was looking forward to meeting the Nox.

Jack smiled when he saw whom the Nox had sent. He liked Lya, and he had the feeling that she liked them. Of course, the Nox apparently liked everyone but he felt this was different. He saw her look around, meeting his eyes then Carter's, Teal'c's, and then finally resting on Daniel, who she didn't know. He wished he could be down there listening in and talking to Lya again but he just had to settle for watching.

"Hello," Lya greeted the stranger in front of her. He had a gentle aura surrounding him but she could feel something different about him, similar to Teal'c's presence. Could this gentle young man once have been one of those that the humans had wanted to kill?

"Hello." Daniel advanced cautiously up the ramp. "My name is Daniel Jackson. I'm, uh, I'm new to SG-1."

"I am Lya." She looked into his eyes and saw the goodness there, immediately sensing a kindred spirit. There was also conflict reflected in his eyes, something that was hurting him.

[Attention all personnel in the gateroom, this is Colonel Maybourne. I have a presidential order to take the aliens with me! Do not let them pass! Use force if necessary!]

A dozen guns were trained on the Tollan and Daniel viewed the scene with dismay. He wanted to stop them from being taken but was currently at a loss as to what to do next.

"Your race has learned nothing," Lya observed. They still resolved conflicts through violence. However, at least the humans that had come through to her world had learned something from their visit. "But your team has. The Tollan are most welcome to join the Nox," she said to the others. "Please come."

Omoc started to lead the Tollan up the ramp, and stopped when he reached Daniel. "Narim was right about you." His friend had spoken to him about Daniel and Samantha, citing that they were not like the rest of the people on Earth and actually wanted to help them. "Perhaps in time we'll meet again." He patted Daniel's shoulder and then moved away.

[Stop!] Maybourne's voice came through into the gateroom again. [Take one more step and I'll be forced to have them open fire.]

Lya shook her head sadly and raised her arms, activating the Stargate as she did so.

Daniel looked on, amazed at her ability. Jack was right - the Nox were way more advanced than humans were.

"Come." Lya gestured to the Tollan, and as they started walking, she hid them from view. And when the man in the other room started yelling again, she hid the weapons as well. Before stepping through the gate herself, she turned to Daniel and said, "Follow your heart," in the hopes that it would ease his conflict. Then she backed into the wormhole and disappeared from view.

From his position in the control room, Jack smiled fondly as Lya disappeared. "God, I love those people." Abilities aside, Lya had just rescued a dozen people single-handedly from NID clutches, right under Maybourne's nose. Jack imagined that was not going to sit well with the NID colonel. He looked at Daniel, who was still staring at the Stargate; he loved that person as well but in a completely different way.

Maybourne was stunned. Who was that woman and how did she make those people disappear? It was obvious that O'Neill knew her, so he would have to check the mission reports again and find out who she was. He was also disappointed that the Tollan were gone; their knowledge and technology would have been invaluable. But if he could secure his secondary objective, then the trip would not have been a total waste.

Jack returned Maybourne's suspicious look with an innocent one. He saw that the officer didn't buy it, and then a hint of revenge crept into Maybourne's expression. Seeing that, Jack knew that he had made a new enemy. Still, so long as Maybourne stayed away from Daniel, then it didn't worry him.

****

"Do you think that if I had gone with the Nox, they could have got rid of the scar?" Daniel mused out loud in the locker room later that day. The thought had occurred to him a few hours ago, and he was cursing himself that he hadn't thought of it when Lya was there. He absently rubbed over it with his left hand, thinking about how good it would be to get rid of it.

"I don't know," Jack replied. "I know they can heal recent injuries but old ones..." He shrugged. "I thought it didn't bother you anymore?"

"It doesn't but...I still know it's there." That was why he had resisted Jack's recommendations to get his hair cut... well, part of the reason anyway. He liked his hair the way it was. And besides, if it was short then the scar would be visible to everyone. Most of the people on the base had forgotten and he didn't want to remind them again. "Klorel should have just healed it in the first place - after all, the symbiotes possess a great healing ability."

That was a point, Jack thought. "Maybe it's like Teal'c's pouch. Maybe it can't be healed easily."

"That's very reassuring, Jack, thank you," Daniel commented dryly.

"You know what I mean." Jack briefly rested his hand on Daniel's shoulder, connecting for a moment through touch. "My place? Pizza?"

"Sounds good." It had become a ritual for them to spend one night a week at Jack's place, eating pizzas and watching old movies.

"Sweet. I'll go pick up the movie and meet you at home asap."

"Don't get anything with planes in it," Daniel called after Jack. If he had to sit through one more Air Force movie...

*****

When Jack arrived home, he saw Daniel's car parked in the driveway and he grinned. After spending two days at the base, they were finally going to spend some time together again. Now that Daniel had given him permission to touch, he had found it hard to keep his hands off the younger man. So this evening, he was going to see just how much of Daniel he was allowed to touch. To that end, he had hired an old-fashioned romantic comedy - the type of movie Daniel liked - in the hopes that Daniel would then be in the mood.

He called out to Daniel as he entered the house, expecting that the linguist would be waiting in the living room. When there was no reply, he quickly checked the room and then headed back towards the bedrooms, thinking that Daniel might be getting changed. After several minutes of searching through the house, he started to get worried. He returned to the living room and scanned it again, searching for anything he might have missed.

And there, almost underneath the couch, were Daniel's keys.

Jack knew that Daniel always put them down on the coffee table so that he could get them again easily when he went home. For them to be on the floor, almost hidden, implied that something wasn't right. And adding up the facts, Jack realised that it was highly likely that Daniel had been kidnapped.

Part 7

Daniel had gone straight back to Jack's house from the base. His thoughts had been focused on Lya's last comment to him about following his heart. He wasn't sure how she had known what to say but it had struck a chord. So when he had walked into the house, his mind had been preoccupied and he hadn't even seen the person who had injected him with the sedative.

He had regained consciousness a few minutes ago to find himself strapped down on a table in a stainless steel room. Leather straps secured his wrists, ankles and waist to the table, not allowing for much movement. He could move his head though; he had been able to see that he was in a lab of some kind and he was the subject. He had also discovered that he was wearing hospital scrubs so he figured this wasn't going to be a short-term visit. The NID had obviously made good on their word to get him to Area 51, and were now planning - or maybe had already been doing - some tests on him.

This would have to happen to him right now. Only a few days after he had decided he loved Jack, and only minutes after he had decided to follow his heart, this had to happen. It wasn't fair! Of course, there was every possibility that Jack was going to come through that door and rescue him soon but still... It was the timing that was annoying. Just when he had the opportunity for a lot of happiness - or pleasure, in this case - something had to come along and spoil it.

He had no doubt that Jack and the others would find him soon. They all knew that the NID wanted him, so that would make the search much easier. But how easy it was going to be to rescue him was another matter.

"Doctor Jackson."

Oh, the fun was about to begin. Daniel focused his eyes on the speaker - Colonel Maybourne. Well, he certainly hasn't wasted any time, Daniel thought. The linguist remained silent, already knowing that any questions or protests would be ignored.

"Sorry about the accommodations but given your reluctance to assist us previously, it was deemed necessary."

Daniel still didn't say anything as he watched Maybourne circle around the bed. If the NID thought he had been reluctant before, then what made them think that kidnapping him was going to improve that?

"We know there's a lot of things that you didn't tell Colonel Kennedy about, such as the Goa'uld called Hathor."

Well, that was obviously because he didn't know about her existence until her arrival triggered the memory.

"The report stated that you somehow knew she was a danger and underwent hypnosis to find out why, uncovering information vital to thwarting her," Maybourne continued, not in the least bit concerned by Jackson's silence. The civilian would talk soon enough. "One wonders how much more information we could discover using the same technique."

"Keep wondering," Daniel muttered. He couldn't be hypnotised if he wasn't willing, so that technique wasn't going to work.

Maybourne smiled humourlessly. "Now, Doctor Jackson, surely you realise that if you co-operate, you're more likely to return in full working order."

The threats have started already, Daniel thought, not in the least bit inclined to co-operate. Anyone who resorted to threats and kidnapping to get information obviously wanted it for the wrong reasons. He returned Maybourne's stare with an impassive one, letting the officer know that he wasn't going to be intimidated.

"Very well." Maybourne nodded to someone who had previously been out of the archaeologist's sight. "You leave me no other option."

When Daniel saw the man step forward with a needle, he instinctively started to struggle. However, that did no good as the straps bound him tightly to the table. The man inserted the needle into Daniel's upper arm and then slowly depressed the plunger. The linguist watched as the contents disappeared into his arm, wondering what exactly they were giving him. Then he averted his eyes to stare at the ceiling, determined to fight the drug; he was not going to give Maybourne anything.

Soon after the needle was removed, Daniel started to feel light-headed. His vision became a little fuzzier, and he blinked several times to try and make it clearer. When that didn't work, he closed his eyes and tried to fight what was happening. "What did you give me?"

"Just a little something to make you more co-operative," Maybourne's voice sounded in Daniel's ear.

Daniel shifted his head away from the voice, the movement causing his head to spin. He tried to state firmly, "Not going to work," but the words lacked conviction. He could feel his defences slipping away as the drug continued to course though his blood.

"It should take a little while for the drug to completely take control," the linguist heard another voice say, and he opened one eye to see the man with the needle.

"I realise that," Maybourne's voice sounded again. "Doctor Jackson, we'll be back soon." Footsteps indicated that everyone was leaving the room.

Daniel continued his fight against the drug but knew that he was losing the battle. Whatever they had given him was very strong and obviously worked very quickly. His mind started to drift off and he lost track of time...

"Hey, Daniel."

Did someone just whisper his name?

"Daniel!"

Yep, that was definitely his name, this time accompanied by a shake on his shoulder. He turned his head towards the voice and opened his eyes slowly. A blurry figure stood next to him, a figure that was very familiar. "Jack?"

"Yeah, it's me," the figure confirmed. "You okay?"

"No. Gave me something." Daniel could hear the slurring in his speech. "Want me to co-operate."

"About what?"

"Goa'uld's. Jack, help me." Daniel frowned as he realised that Jack hadn't even made a move to untie him. "Jack?" He gestured with his hand, hoping that the older man would get the hint.

"Have you told them anything?" the Jack-figure asked, not making any move to untie Daniel.

"There's nothing to tell, you know that." Why wasn't Jack doing anything? "Jack, hurry!" Daniel struggled against the restraints, confused as to why Jack wasn't helping.

"No, I don't know that, Daniel. You haven't talked to me about it, have you?"

Daniel's eyes widened at the accusation. Of course he had. Okay, so it hadn't been in great depth but he thought that Jack had understood why. "I did," he replied, his voice uncertain. Why was Jack doing this?

The Jack-figure's head turned, listening to something, and then turned back. "They're coming, Daniel. I've got to go." Then he left.

"Jack!" Tears came to Daniel's eyes. Jack had left him. He had left him to have information tortured out of him. How could Jack have done that to him? Jack supposedly loved him. Why hadn't Jack freed him?

"Doctor Jackson."

Great, Maybourne had come back. Daniel turned his head away from the voice, trying to control his emotions. He couldn't let the NID know that Jack was in the building because then his only chance for escape would disappear.

"It's time for our little chat."

****

Jack paced up and down Hammond's office, waiting impatiently for the general to get off the phone. Since he had left his house, his mind had gone through a hundred scenarios of what Daniel might be going through. He should have got Daniel to go home with him; he had known that Maybourne could possibly try something like this. He just hadn't expected it to be so soon.

"Thank you for your time," Hammond said before he hung up. Looking at the colonel, he said, "The NID deny any involvement in Doctor Jackson's disappearance."

Well, duh. "Of course they do, sir. Permission to go to Area 51."

"Colonel, we don't even know that he's being held there," Hammond tried to bring some logic to the situation. He could understand how the colonel was feeling - he wasn't happy himself with the kidnapping of someone from his command - but they needed some facts before rushing in.

"Oh, he's there." Jack had no doubts about that. Who else would want to take Daniel? "You know how much the NID want the information they think Daniel has. They were just waiting for the right opportunity to try again." And he had handed it to them. "It's all my fault, sir. I shouldn't have let him go home by himself."

"You weren't to know, Colonel." They had all become too complacent about it.

Jack didn't reply to that; he felt that he should have known. "We have to go get him, General. God knows what Maybourne will do to him."

"How exactly do you plan on getting him out?" Hammond wanted to know. "Walk up to the front door and ask?"

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a frontal assault and zatting everyone there." Maybe Teal'c and his staff weapon would work equally as well. Jack didn't really care so long as he got to hurt someone and then take Daniel home.

"You won't even get in the front door if you're armed," the general pointed out. They needed to come up with a better plan if they were to do this.

"So we'll do it real quiet-like then." Anything so long as they didn't take too long to get going - they had to move quickly before it was too late.

"Maybe. Just let me call in a couple of markers first."

****

Maybourne sneered down at Jackson, annoyed that the doctor still wasn't giving them any information. It appeared that the subject needed some more persuasion, although Maybourne had never needed to give anyone a second dose before. He nodded to Matthews, the man with the needle.

Daniel saw the needle coming but didn't try to move away, knowing it was pointless. He looked blearily up at Maybourne and said in a slurred voice, "I hope you know what you're doing."

The colonel ignored that; of course he knew what he was doing. But he was also working with limited time because he knew O'Neill would track them down soon. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

Something to looked forward to, Daniel thought, his brain already becoming more foggy. If he had any of the information that Maybourne wanted, he wouldn't be able to hold it back. Hopefully, Jack would come back before Maybourne did. Daniel giggled. "Jack back," he muttered, pleased with the rhyme in his drugged state. "Tack, sack, whack, knack, hack-"

"Daniel?" came the concerned question.

"Hi, Jack." Daniel giggled again. "I think I'm high."

"I'd say so." The Jack-figure's face hovered over Daniel. "How's it going?"

"They gave me more." Squinting hard, Daniel tried to focus on Jack's eyes but couldn't make them out; his vision was still too blurry. "Go home?"

"Are they still on about the Goa'uld?"

"They don't believe me." Daniel arched up against the restraints, wanting to get out. "Think I know more than I do. Jack, take me home!" Jack still wasn't helping him - why?

"In a minute."

The Jack-figure placed his hand on Daniel's arm and the linguist froze, staring wide-eyed at the person above him. Even drugged, Daniel knew it wasn't his Jack. It might sound like Jack and look like Jack but it definitely didn't feel like Jack. Two months of having Jack holding him had made him extremely familiar with the older man's hands. This wasn't his Jack. So in that case, who was it?

"Daniel?"

The linguist looked away from fake-Jack, thoroughly miserable. They were playing on his friendship with Jack to get information out of him and if there had been any to tell, it would have worked.

"Hey!" fake-Jack exclaimed softly and grabbed Daniel's jaw to roughly turn his head back. "Pay attention."

"You're not Jack," Daniel accused, certain now of the truth. The fingers dug into his jaw and he tried to shake them off but fake-Jack held on tight.

"What makes you so sure?" The pressure increased.

"Because he wouldn't leave me here," Daniel managed to get out. The shaking had made his head spin and he closed his eyes briefly to stop it.

Fake-Jack released Daniel's jaw with a push and leaned forward to whisper into his ear, "Don't bet on it." Then he was gone.

Daniel stared at the ceiling, his 'high' from before completely gone. Jack hadn't come to rescue him, it had just been a trick. He was stuck here - wherever here was - until the real Jack rescued him. Whenever that might be. Soon. Hopefully. Before Maybourne resorted to other methods when he didn't receive the information he wanted.

****

Hammond put the phone down. "Maybourne requested yesterday afternoon that a NID safe-house be made available. For today."

Jack was shocked. To have done that straight after arriving at the Mountain indicated that Daniel's abduction had been planned in advance, and the NID had just waited for the right opportunity. "He was planning this."

"Are you surprised?" Hammond rubbed a weary hand over his eyes. It was late, and it had been a long day.

"Where is this safe-house, General?"

"Denver."

That was virtually in the same neighbourhood. "Permission to take a team and go to Denver, sir."

"Granted," Hammond agreed immediately. "But Jack... be careful. These are our people." Even if they were from the NID. "Try not to kill them."

So much for that plan. "I'll try, sir." But he couldn't speak for Teal'c. Jack raced out the door to round up his team. They had to move fast before the NID hurt Daniel too much.

****

"So, Doctor Jackson - feeling any better?" Harry Maybourne came back to stand near his prisoner. He had just received the report that their ruse had fallen apart, with the civilian somehow seeing through it. He also knew from the mole at the SGC that O'Neill had left the base with the rest of his team and a few others. There was no indication of where they were headed but the mole thought it was Area 51. But Maybourne wasn't one to underestimate the former Special Ops officer and so he had started to organise the move to another location.

"Just peachy."

Maybourne stared at him. Every other subject had been spouting the truth after the first dose but with Jackson, even after the second dose he was answering questions with sarcasm and lies. "Fascinating. The naqadah in your blood seems to be trying to counteract the drug. Nurse! Draw another sample of blood," he ordered.

A woman stepped into Daniel's peripheral vision and he turned his head to get a better look - not that he could make out her features with his blurry eyesight. He watched as the syringe turned red with his blood. "Or maybe you're not doing your job right," he stated absently as he focused on the blood.

"I never fail," Maybourne said, annoyed with the implication.

"Really? What do you classify losing the Tollan as?"

"Are you done yet?" Maybourne asked the nurse, ignoring Jackson's question. The nurse nodded. "Good. Now, Doctor Jackson, I am giving you one last chance. Are you going to tell me everything you know about the Goa'uld?"

"I don't know anything else!" Daniel protested.

"Very well. You leave me no other alternative. And since we're running out of time, I'll have to be direct."

Maybourne was running out of time? That was good news because it meant that help was on the way. Something cold touched the sole of one foot and sent an electric shock through him, causing him to cry out. Daniel tried to pull his feet away from whatever device had caused the pain but the straps weren't letting him go anywhere. There was a second shock. "Argh!"

"You see, Doctor, things will get very unpleasant if you don't co-operate," Maybourne pointed out, smiling in satisfaction at the pain being inflicted.

"I wouldn't tell you anything even if I could," Daniel stated through gritted teeth. The drugs he had been given certainly didn't lessen the pain. Two quick shocks to the soles of his feet caused another shout of pain to escape.

Maybourne held the long black stick above Jackson's stomach. "Come on, Doctor. You know you don't want this to continue."

Daniel eyed the stick and then his captor. "Go to hell." It didn't matter what he said; Maybourne wasn't going to believe him. His body tried to arch upwards as the stick touched his stomach but the restraints prevented that. As he recovered from that shock, he told himself that he could get through this. Rescue was close at hand; he just had to hold on until then.

****

Five SGC members exited their plane at a small airstrip, not wanting to alert the NID that they had arrived. They quickly got into the waiting van and headed off to their destination.

****

Daniel was left gasping after the last shock. Indulging what Daniel suspected was a sadistic streak, this time Maybourne had touched the stick to the linguist's genitals, causing extreme pain. Daniel sincerely hoped that no damage had been done, especially given what he would like to do with Jack.

"Well, Doctor?" Maybourne was getting tired of this. It was simply no fun torturing someone who wouldn't give in.

"I can't... tell you anything," Daniel got out between breaths. It was getting harder not to give in and just make something up, anything to stop to the pain. But if he compared it to the pain of Thor's Hammer, then this was only minor; he would be able to get through it. "Argh!" Pain ripped through his groin again. "Do you... mind?"

This was getting him nowhere, Maybourne decided. Summoning two of his men, he ordered, "Prepare him from transport. We'll leave as soon as possible." He had wasted too much time already.

Daniel felt the men undo the restraints and he tried to lash out but his limbs wouldn't co-operate. He was hauled to his feet and forced to stand on the sensitive soles. He was held upright by the two men - the drugs and electric shocks meant that his legs didn't want to hold his weight - and dragged out of the room. Now would be a good time to rescue me, Jack, he thought.

****

Using night-vision goggles, the SGC team - Jack, Carter, Teal'c, Ferretti and Kawalsky - made their way quietly to the NID safe-house. With hand signals, Jack instructed the latter two to head around the back to find other exits. Then he cautiously entered the building through the nearest door, Carter and Teal'c following him in.

As they headed down the corridor, Jack didn't allow himself to think about how close they were to getting Daniel back or what kind of state he might be in. He had done that on the plane ride over - quietly, of course, so the others didn't suspect. Then, as the time grew closer, he had rid himself of those thoughts so that they wouldn't distract him from the job at hand; that was how he had been trained. Personal feelings weren't allowed to get in the way - until he reached Maybourne, and then he was going to beat the officer to within an inch of his life.

A noise up ahead caught Jack's attention and he immediately found the nearest doorway to hide in. Teal'c was opposite him, and Carter was further down. The footsteps were getting closer, and the hallway was getting lighter as the group advanced down the corridor. Jack knew they were only going to have on chance to take them out and if they blew it, then they were all going to be in trouble. Patiently, he waited for the footsteps to draw nearer...

****

Daniel stumbled along between two of his captors, his legs still not willing to obey him. He wasn't able to take in much of his surroundings either as his vision was still blurry. Add to that the pain he was in from the electric shocks, and Daniel decided that he wasn't having a good time. There was no chance of breaking free because he couldn't exactly run away afterwards; not a very good situation to be in.

The discharge of a zat gun took him by surprise, and he jerked his head up to look down the corridor as one of his guards fell to the floor. He didn't have time to see who was firing before a second discharge sent himself and the other guards crashing to the floor. Tiny tremors coursed through him, some of the zat discharge going into him. With some effort, he rolled onto his back to wait for someone to help him up.

Once he was sure the coast was clear, Jack quickly ran over to Daniel's side. The younger man's pupils were dilated and unfocused but at least he was conscious. "Daniel, you okay?"

Squinting, Daniel tried to see if this was another trick. The outline was fuzzy but it looked like Jack. A hand was placed on his cheek; yes, that felt like Jack. Smiling faintly up at the other man, Daniel replied, "I'm fine."

Jack helped Daniel to sit up, noting the grimaces of pain but not commenting on them. It was obvious that his linguist wasn't fine and Jack knew just who to blame. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to go looking for Maybourne so his revenge would have to be put on hold. "Can you walk?"

"Uh, kind of." Daniel looked at his sore feet.

In other words, not really, Jack thought. He put Daniel's right arm across his shoulders, then put his left arm around the linguist's waist and hauled him to his feet. "Let's go," he ordered the others as he started back the way they had come.

"Majors Ferretti and Kawalsky are on their way," Sam reported, having checked in with them while the colonel had been busy with Daniel. She was a little shaken to see her friend so pale with apparent injuries to his legs or feet. The NID had no right to do that to him!

"Good. Take point, make sure the way is clear." Jack watched Carter leave then quickly turned around, his instincts warning him that someone was approaching the group.

Maybourne came into view, a gun in his outstretched hand. "Colonel O'Neill. What a surprise to see you here."

"Pity I can't say the same about you," Jack retorted, mentally cursing the fact that he had no hands free to shoot the officer with.

"You will release Doctor Jackson now."

"Like that's gonna happen," Jack retorted. Besides the fact he wasn't going to let Maybourne get his hands on Daniel again, the linguist probably wouldn't be able to stand up on his own.

"I will fire, Colonel."

"Go ahead then."

"Jack," Daniel quietly protested at Jack's suggestion.

Maybourne started to gently pull back on the trigger then switched his aim towards the civilian. "Release him."

Daniel's eyes widened when he saw the gun trained on him. Surely Maybourne wasn't going to shoot him now after all the effort the NID had gone to in kidnapping him?

At the same time that Jack started to pull Daniel away from the line of fire, a zat gun was fired.

Teal'c had taken the opportunity of being behind his two comrades to stealthily move into position and then he had fired at the NID officer, enveloping the man in blue lightning.

"Way to go, Teal'c." Jack was impressed by the Jaffa's actions. He motioned for Teal'c to hand the zat to him and then he aimed it at Maybourne, prepared to fire a second time.

"No!"

Jack turned his head to look at Daniel. "Excuse me?"

"I said, no." Much as Daniel hated the man for what he had done to him, he didn't want Maybourne to be killed because of him.

"Why?" Jack was itching to pull the trigger and get rid of Maybourne forever.

Daniel looked at Jack, pleading with his eyes. "He's not worth it."

After a few moments indecision, Jack reluctantly lowered his arm. Daniel was such a bad influence on him but he couldn't bear to go against the man he loved. He knew Daniel hated killing, so he wouldn't kill Maybourne today. "Let's get out of here."

They made their way back to the van without encountering any more NID men, for which they counted themselves lucky. Jack got into the back seat with Daniel, and Carter and Teal'c sat just in front of them. Kawalsky jumped in the driver's side, and Ferretti joined him up the front. The van took off at a good speed, putting a lot of distance between them and the safe-house.

Daniel lay on the back seat, his head in Jack's lap. The familiar position helped to relax him a little but since he was still in pain, he couldn't relax totally. And besides which, he wouldn't believe that he was really rescued until he was home with Jack and his eyesight had returned to normal. "Jack?"

"Yes, Daniel?" Jack was totally ignoring the fact that he wasn't supposed to have Daniel's head on his lap. He was just glad he had his love back safely.

"It is you this time, isn't it?"

The question made Jack wonder what they had done to him. "Yes, Danny, it's me."

"Knew it was you. They drugged me, tried to make me think you wouldn't help me. But I knew it wasn't you."

"How?"

"Didn't feel like you. This feels like you." Daniel reached for Jack's hand and held it tightly. This definitely felt like Jack.

Jack's heart just melted. Daniel had been able to tell the difference between him and an impostor just by touch; Jack was so proud. Wait... for Daniel to have known by touch... "Daniel?"

"Mmm?" Daniel stared up at Jack's face, unable to see the anger there. He was very happy to be back with his Jack.

"Did the other guy... touch... you?"

"Mm-hmm. But it hurt. Then they drugged me again and asked me lots of questions, and then Maybourne hurt me too."

Jack realised that he wasn't going to get any detailed answers out of Daniel while he was still drugged. "It's okay, you're safe now. No-one's going to hurt you any more." Jack would personally see to it.

****

On the plane trip back to Colorado Springs, Daniel fell asleep, his head again resting on Jack's thighs. This gave Sam the opportunity to examine his feet. She didn't like what she saw. "Sir, there appear to be small burn marks on the soles of his feet. Quite a few of them, in fact."

Jack's hands clenched into fists. What else had they done to his love? His mind ran through the possibilities of what Maybourne could have used. "Electric shocks?"

"I don't know," Sam admitted. She retrieved a blanket from nearby and laid it over Daniel's body, ignoring the familiar way that the colonel's hand rested on the young man's shoulder. She knew the two men were close but she never allowed herself to speculate on what that might mean. "Why would they do that to him?"

"Probably because he wouldn't tell them what they wanted to know." And had suffered because of it. If only Jack had gone home with him, then none of this would have happened. At least they would be back at the SGC soon where Fraiser could check Daniel out, and Jack would finally be able to get some sleep knowing that his linguist was safe.

"We should have punished them, O'Neill," Teal'c spoke up from his position opposite. "They will strike again."

"Then we'll just have to make sure that they don't," Jack replied, although he had no clear idea on how that would be done.

Teal'c inclined his head in agreement. He had a great fondness for the young scholar, as well as a sense of obligation over Sha'uri becoming a host. He would do everything he could to prevent this from happening again.

Jack looked down at the blonde head in his lap, thankful that Daniel was sleeping after his ordeal. There really had been no need for Maybourne to torture Daniel; that was just pure vindictiveness because Daniel had helped the Tollan to escape. And one day Maybourne was going to pay for that.

With his life.

****

It took a couple of days for the drugs to completely leave Daniel's system, and he remained on the base during that time. Jack had checked in on him often - usually when he was supposed to be doing paperwork - and had been as concerned as he could be without giving their relationship away. And when Daniel had been cleared to go home, the two of them had gone straight to Jack's house.

Jack noticed, as Daniel was walking up the pathway, that the linguist was walking much better than he had been; his feet were apparently still a little tender but they were improving. Jack also knew where else Daniel had been hurt and was determined not to do anything that was going to cause the young man pain - in other words, no sex.

Daniel went straight into the living room and collapsed on the couch. The drugs had left him feeling tired, and Janet had said it might be a couple more days until he felt normal again. "Coffee?" he begged of Jack, who had sat down beside him. He hadn't had a cup of coffee for several days.

"You're not supposed to have any," Jack said, feeling his spine weaken as Daniel turned the blue-eyed charm on him. "And that's not going to work."

"What?" Daniel continued to stare at Jack.

Jack groaned. He was such a sucker for those blue eyes. It only took nanoseconds for those eyes to change him from a tough Air Force colonel into pure mush. "Daniel..." he complained.

"What?" Daniel genuinely didn't know what Jack's problem was. "Please, Jack?" He really wanted some coffee.

"All right, but only half a cup." The older man went into the kitchen and made the coffee. After handing the cup to Daniel, he settled himself down on the couch with the linguist leaning back against his chest. "Don't tell Fraiser."

Daniel gave him a small smile in agreement, then savoured his coffee for as long as he could. It felt good to be home again. After he finished his coffee, he rested his head against Jack's shoulder, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

Jack held on tight, never wanting to let go. The kidnapping had been a reminder of how easy it would be to lose Daniel and it had scared him. He loved Daniel so much that losing him would mean losing himself; he had come close to that a few days ago with his unthinking reaction to Daniel's uncertainty. And every time they went on missions together, Jack would be conscious of the fact that either one of them could die. He didn't want to live with that fear but knew he would rather have Daniel with him than on another SG team; he didn't want Daniel - if it had to happen - to die by himself.

His grip tightened across Daniel's stomach, and the younger man stirred, subconsciously reacting to it. Jack immediately loosened his hold, remembering the burns that had been inflicted there. How could Maybourne have been so cruel? There had been no need for the pain; the drugs had been designed to make the victim tell the truth, therefore it should have been obvious that Daniel didn't know anything else. Maybourne must have done it because he was a sick individual who, in Jack's opinion, deserved to die in great pain.

Jack rested his head against the soft blonde hair and closed his eyes. The important thing was that he had Daniel here with him now and that he should savour every moment. Relaxing, he quickly followed his love into sleep.

****

It was several hours later when Daniel awoke. He panicked briefly, not knowing where he was, but then he felt someone's arms around him and he remembered. He was at Jack's house, in Jack's embrace. Daniel opened his eyes and shifted his head to look at the older man. Jack was sleeping peacefully, the worry lines temporarily gone from his face. On an impulse, Daniel reached up to gently stroke Jack's face, then followed that up with a kiss. He found himself held in place as Jack's hand came up to hold the back of his neck, and Daniel looked at him in surprise.

Jack released Daniel from the kiss and looked into the blue eyes only two inches away from his. What a way to wake up! "Nice."

Daniel blushed, unused to compliments like that. "Sorry about falling asleep."

"You were tired," Jack shrugged it off. "Hungry?"

"Not for food." The stroking that Jack was doing to his neck was creating a familiar ache. He wanted to make love with Jack and this time nothing was going to stop him. Daniel could feel the older man's interest against his back and knew that Jack wanted this too.

"Daniel, you've been hurt," Jack started to argue before his hand was grabbed and placed firmly on the linguist's groin.

"Feel that? I'm fine, Jack, it doesn't hurt." In fact, it felt pretty good. Daniel realised that it was the first time that Jack had touched him there. His fingers slipped away from Jack's as the older man started rubbing gently, and his erection grew harder. It felt very good.

Jack nibbled on Daniel's earlobe, causing the younger man to gasp. "You sure?" Jack murmured, revelling in the pleasure he was giving.

"Positive."

Taking that as permission, Jack deftly undid Daniel's trousers and slid his hand inside to cup heated flesh. At the same time, he captured his lover's mouth for a kiss.

Daniel gasped into Jack's mouth at the sensation of the roughened fingers moving over his sensitive shaft. It was different to a woman's touch - less smooth - and Daniel found that he liked it that way. He groaned as Jack gently squeezed then pulled. "Ja-ack."

"Good?" Jack asked, not moving his lips from Daniel's.

"Mm-hmm." Daniel's toes curled as pleasure continued to roll through him.

"How 'bout we take this to bed?"

"'Kay." Daniel made no effort to move.

Jack peeled the reluctant linguist off him, then escorted him to the bedroom. Shirts were quickly removed and hands explored bare skin. Jack loved the feel of Daniel's skin under his fingertips and he ran them over every inch that he could while he slowly backed Daniel towards the bed.

Daniel felt his legs hit the edge of the bed but he didn't fall onto it; there was something he wanted to do first. He undid Jack's trousers and tentatively slipped his hand inside the briefs to intimately touch the older man. It felt weird to be doing that but it didn't feel wrong. He gave the erection a few cautious strokes before he looked up at Jack.

"Don't stop, Danny," Jack encouraged him. That had definitely been ringing his bells. "That feels good."

More confident, Daniel took Jack firmly in hand. His eyes never left Jack's face as he pulled and stroked, trying to determine how the older man liked it.

"Oh yeah, that's it, baby."

Daniel abruptly stopped and glared at Jack. "'Baby'? Didn't we discuss this?" He was thirty-two years old, for crying out loud!

Jack grinned. "I don't recall promising to stop calling you 'baby'. Alternatives were discussed but you didn't tell me to stop using it."

"I'm telling you - nmph!" His words were cut off as Jack zoomed in for another kiss.

Jack slid his hands inside Daniel's trousers to cup the firm buttocks and pulled the linguist hard against him. He was rewarded when Daniel immediately put his arms around his back, long fingers stroking up and down his spine. Jack moved around so that he was next to the bed, then fell backwards, bringing the younger man down with him. He clamped Daniel firmly to his chest, enjoying the feel of the linguist's weight pressing down on him. Oh yeah, this was what he had been waiting for, had been wanting for months.

Daniel tried to raise himself up on his elbows, aware that he was no featherweight, but Jack wouldn't let him move. "Jack, I'll squash you."

"What a way to go!" Jack grinned up at his lover. He moved one hand to caress Daniel's face, liking the feel of the slight stubble under his fingertips. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"Ja-ack!" Daniel ducked his head briefly in embarrassment.

"You are. And I am so lucky to have you here."

Daniel suddenly smiled, his expression soft with wonder. "I think I'm lucky to be here." Jack had stuck by him through everything and still loved him; that was more than Daniel had come to expect from anyone in his life.

Jack's heart swelled with emotion at those modest words. "I love you," he said hoarsely before kissing the linguist again.

"I love you too, Jack," Daniel replied when they parted for air. He rolled off Jack and moved to the centre of the bed. Then he removed the rest of his clothes, and lay down on his back, waiting for the older man to come to him.

Jack ran his eyes over the beautiful body before him; Daniel was hot! Quickly, Jack got naked then lay on his side next to the younger man. He lightly ran his hand over as much of the body as he could reach, savouring the feel of it. It was even better than he had imagined.

Desire continued to build inside Daniel as he was caressed. He went to turn onto his side to return the caresses but was gently restrained by a hand on his shoulder.

"No. Let me, Danny."

Daniel settled back, arching into the touches. He then gave a shout of surprise when the hand shifted and started to firmly stroke his hardening erection. His hands gripped the bedcover as pleasurable sensations flowed through him.

Jack leaned down and captured Daniel's soft lips, his tongue stroking in counterpoint to his hand. One of Daniel's hands gripped the back of his neck, squeezing as the pleasure rolled through him. The other hand suddenly found Jack's erection, causing the older man to jump in surprise. "Danny..." he moaned before reaching down to remove the hand. He was too close to the edge, and wanted to give Daniel more pleasure before climaxing.

Daniel looked at Jack in confusion. "Jack?"

"Next time," Jack promised. "But if you want this to last now..."

"Oh." The linguist realised just what Jack meant, and was flattered that he could do that to the older man. "How about this then?" He tugged at Jack so that the other man was lying on top of him, their erections next to each other. Daniel's eyes opened wide at the contact, the sensations nothing like he had ever felt before.

"You sure?" Jack managed to ask, his libido going into overdrive at the feel of Daniel beneath him. 'Not now,' he told himself, wanting to take Daniel over the edge with him.

"Yes," was all Daniel managed to say before Jack started to move and no more words were necessary...

****

A little while later, the men lay together with their arms around each other. Both were sticky and sweaty but didn't care. They had taken each other to dizzying heights of pleasure and were now basking in post-coital bliss.

Daniel lazily ran a hand up and down Jack's side. "Thank-you."

"For what?"

"Everything. For never giving up on me. For loving me like you do. Everything."

Jack refrained from making a flippant comment upon hearing the seriousness in Daniel's voice. He stroked the side of Daniel's face. "Thank you for giving me a reason to live again."

There was nothing Daniel could say to that so he lightly brushed his lips over Jack's. He didn't like thinking about a suicidal Jack. Snuggling closer to the older man, he put a hand over Jack's heart, feeling the heartbeat returning to normal. "I love you." He closed his eyes, content.

"Love you too, Danny." Forever and always, Jack vowed as he planted a kiss in the linguist's hair. He had found his soulmate, a man who had once been a 'child of the Gods', and was now Jack's personal angel. They would be together forever. "Love you too."

THE END

Next: Growing Pains