Sins Of The Flesh

by Sistine

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ass/sistine/sinsofth.php
Summary: Soon after Sha're's death, the men of SG-1 find themselves in a potentially fatal situation, and in the aftermath, two of them reassess their friendship.
Info: Timed out from 'Pretense 8' zine, and one of my longest POV stories to date.

DANIEL

Wordlessly, Jack hands me a bottle of beer and then sits down in the chair opposite me. He had brought me home with him, probably figuring that I shouldn't be alone with my grief tonight. He's probably right; even if I don't want the company, it will be nice to have someone nearby who understands. Jack hasn't once asked me how I am - okay, once back at the base but that doesn't count - because he knows it's pointless to keep asking. I look down at the beer he has given me and remember when he brought me home after Sha're was kidnapped. He gave me a beer then too and tried to encourage me to talk about her before getting me drunk enough to sleep through the night. I wonder if he's going to try it again? Might as well give him a hand. I take several long mouthfuls and then wait for the alcohol to start taking away the numbness inside.

"I'm sorry, Danny."

Jack's words startle me and I look at him for the first time since we had arrived at his house. I can see the guilt in his eyes and I know he's blaming himself for this. "It wasn't your fault."

"I promised you we would get her back," he continues.

I shake my head; I had known from the start that it wasn't a promise easily kept. "I promised Kasuf the same thing," I remind him. Neither of us could keep our promises.

Jack doesn't argue with that. Instead, he changes the subject slightly. "Did you mean what you said to Teal'c about doing the right thing?"

Not now, Jack! I don't want to talk about this now! After taking a couple more mouthfuls of beer, I lean back against the back of the couch and look away. "Yes." That doesn't even sound convincing to my ears.

Jack, thank goodness, doesn't push it. This is why he was the best one to bring me home tonight. Sam would have just kept on and on about it whereas Teal'c... well, there's no way I can face being alone with him just yet. My head has forgiven him but my heart hasn't yet.

"Do you want to get drunk?" Jack asks.

"Yes." Normally I hate being drunk but if it stops me thinking for just a little while... And it's not like I have to go in for work tomorrow. Oh, wait - Kasuf will be taking Sha're's body back to Abydos tomorrow for the funeral. I have to go to that, which means I can't get too drunk tonight. Oh well - I'll have to save that for tomorrow night then.

Jack and I spend the next couple of hours just drinking silently. At one point, he comes over to sit next to me on the couch. He puts the TV on - hockey, of course - and stares at the screen, the sound muted. Grateful to have him here with me, I lean against him, taking comfort in his presence. An arm goes around my shoulders and he just holds me like that for a long time, saying with that action that he's here for me. It's times like this I truly appreciate our friendship.

After a while, he squeezes my shoulders. "Come on, time for bed."

Don't want to go to bed. Not drunk enough to sleep yet. I reach for another beer.

"Uh-uh, Dannyboy, that's enough for tonight." Jack hauls me away from the beer and out of the living room.

"Ja-ack!" I make a lunge to get away but Jack is less drunk and more co-ordinated that I am, and he keeps me moving away from the beer.

"No more alcohol for you, Dannyboy," he tells me as he leads me into the bathroom. He hands me the spare toothbrush and then puts some toothpaste on it. "Brush," Jack instructs.

"Don't want to," I reply automatically. If Jack orders then I refuse. If he asks me, well, that's a different matter.

"Danny, will you please clean your teeth?"

He asked - that's a first. Since he asked so nicely, I think I'll clean my teeth. Don't have to do it too thoroughly - will just have to do it again in the morning anyway. There you are, Jack, all done. What? Oh, rinse. Right. I spit the water out then look up at Jack. He's shaking his head. What did I do wrong? "What?"

"You're such a cheap date, Dannyboy." The words are said with such affection that I don't take offence.

"Not your date, Jack," I feel compelled to point out. "I haven't had a date it... in..." I frown; my maths skills have deserted me. "A long time."

"I know. Me too," Jack commiserates and pats me on the arm. "I'm just going to step outside for a minute. You okay to finish up here?"

"Yeah, sure, you betcha." I'm drunk, not a child.

"Okay." He gives me an amused smile then leaves, shutting the door behind him.

Finish up in here... what was Jack talking about? I look around the bathroom, trying to figure out what he meant. Oh. My eyes fall upon the toilet seat. That 'finish up'.

A minute later, I open the door and see Jack leaning against the wall opposite. "All done."

"Good." His arm goes around my waist and he guides me into the spare bedroom.

"Jack, I'm not a child," I complain. If I was sober, I'd be embarrassed by the way he's treating me.

"No, but you are drunk." He removes my glasses and places them carefully on the bedside table.

When he starts to undress me, I bat his hands away. "I can do it myself." Although the buttons may be a bit of a problem. My fingers don't seem to want to co-operate; I didn't think I was that drunk.

Jack pushes me down to sit on the bed and then he crouches in front of me. His right thumb brushes over my left cheek and comes away wet. Why would it be wet? I put my hand up and it also comes away wet. Wait... am I crying?

"Danny." Jack sits down beside me and enfolds me in his arms as a wave of grief bursts out of me. I thought I had drowned my grief but apparently it knows how to swim.

I don't know how long we sit there as I cry into Jack's shoulder. Once the tears start, they don't want to stop. But eventually they do, the flood of grief gradually easing off. Embarrassed, I lift my head and see a large wet patch on Jack's shirt. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Feel better?"

"Not really. Can't breathe." Crying always stuffs my nose up. Jack hands me a bunch of tissues. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He waits until I blow my nose before speaking again. "You want me to stay for a while?" His hand rubs gently over my back as I sit up straight.

"I think I'll be right now." At least I hope I will. My smile is very shaky. "Thanks though."

"No problem." The hand moves to ruffle my hair. "My door will be open if you need me."

I nod, although I don't expect that I will be visiting him. But it's nice to know that the offer is there.

Three hours, I'm reconsidering Jack's offer. I just can't get to sleep. It's too quiet. There's no sound, not even from outside. I need to hear something, anything, so that I can concentrate on it rather than on Sha're. I don't want to talk - that will come later - I just don't want to be in the cocoon of silence.

After pulling on the boxers and t-shirt I keep in the spare room, I pad softly down the hall to Jack's room. As he said earlier, his door is open, and I stand there in the doorway for a couple of minutes just listening to him breathe. The sound is comforting. Jack has always been my rock these past few years, a friend like I've never had before. We seem like opposites but he understands me better than anyone else, and I him. It's good to have such a friend to rely on, especially now. He gives me the space that I need but knows when to be there for me, just like tonight.

"You gonna stand there all night or are you coming in?" he calls from the darkness, surprising me.

My feet automatically take a couple of steps into the room then stop. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Jack doesn't say anything to that, just turns on the bedside light. "You want to talk?"

He sounds wide awake but considering Jack can go from sleep to full consciousness in a matter of seconds, I don't know whether he has been asleep or not. "I just wanted some company."

"Ah." Jack nods as if he understands. Which he probably does. "Hop in then."

I hesitate; this is a new level in our friendship and I'm not entirely comfortable with it. Straight men don't share beds. "Um..."

"Look, there's plenty of room. You can't just stand in the doorway all night," he says with a hint of impatience. "Come on. If it makes you feel more comfortable, pretend we're on a mission."

When he puts it like that, it doesn't sound too bad. I've grown used to sharing a tent with Jack over the years so it really wouldn't be too different to that. "Okay." My side of the bed is cold as I slide in; it hasn't been warmed by Jack's body heat. I tuck the covers around me to trap the heat.

"Cold?"

"I'm fine."

There is an amused silence. Jack has been around me for long enough to be aware that 'I'm fine' doesn't always mean that. "By the way," he says as he turns off the light, "don't take it personally if you wake up with me wrapped around you. It's an automatic thing if someone else is in the same bed."

"I won't." Even if I had thought that Jack is secretly lusting after me - as if! - I know he would never be so tactless as to make a move on me right after my wife has died. "Same here."

"Danny, you've been known to snuggle when we've been on missions."

"I have not!" I'm positive I would have realised something like that - I'm not that clueless... am I? A thought intrudes, a vague memory of being half-awake on a cold morning and having someone's arm around me. Suddenly I'm not so confident. "Have I really?"

I don't have to see Jack to know that he's smiling. "Once or twice. But only on the really cold mornings."

"Oh." That's embarrassing. Even more embarrassing to realise that it was most likely Jack I had snuggled up to since we share a tent most of the time.

"Don't sweat it, Danny." I can hear the amusement.

"Easy for you to say," I mutter into the pillow. Then something occurs to me. Jack hasn't called me 'Daniel' once since we came home. I wonder whether it's conscious or not. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"What's with the names tonight?" Lying here in the dark, I feel confident enough to ask that question because Jack won't be able to see my embarrassment at the answer.

"Don't know." He sounds genuinely puzzled but I'm sure that's just an act. "They just slip out."

"Right." More likely he knows how much those names mean to me coming from him. It had been a long time since anyone had liked me enough to use those nicknames until I met Jack. They show he cares. Warmed by this knowledge, I close my eyes. "Night, Jack."

"Night, Danny." There is a light touch on my shoulder and then Jack rolls away from me.

For a while, I listen to him breathe, inexplicably comforted by the soft sounds. Then I just let myself drift off to sleep.

JACK

Daniel looks so fragile, so lost, standing there that I'm afraid a gentle breeze will shatter him into a million pieces. We're standing in the gateroom watching Kera - Linnea, whoever she currently is - walk through the wormhole on her way back to Vyas. There's still enough time to shoot her but unfortunately, I don't have my gun with me. It's only been two weeks since Sha're died, and Daniel was in no way ready for 'Kera' to come along and start flirting with him.

It's been so hard watching Daniel these past two weeks. After that first night - where we did end up doing some mutual snuggling but I'm not going to tell Daniel that - he's been very quiet and subdued. As far as I know, there's been no more tears, not even when we went to Abydos for the funeral. He's hidden this latest hurt deep inside so that he can function like he has many times in the past. Me, Carter and Teal'c have all supported him through this but it's been hard when he won't acknowledge that anything is wrong. He's focusing on the Harsesis child now as a way to not think about Sha're's death - although how that works, I'm not exactly sure. But when he told me about the dream Sha're had given him about the child, and I saw the passion in his eyes, I knew I would give in. I don't think we'll ever find the kid but I'm not so cold-hearted as to say so. Daniel needs something to believe in right now and this is it.

It was hard watching that passion get temporarily redirected towards Kera, knowing he was fighting the wrong battle. His emotions definitely clouded his judgement there because he was ready to take a bullet for her. He shouldn't have put himself in front of my gun but he trusted me not to shoot him. I'll never tell him that had I wanted to, I still could have shot Kera. But I didn't shoot because he asked me not to.

I can't believe Daniel thought that Teal'c was the one I trust the most. When it comes to fighting or tactics, then I suppose that's true. But Daniel's the one I trust with the rest of my life; how can he not see that? Because he doesn't believe he's worthy, and I've helped reinforce that belief occasionally, that's how. He probably wonders why we're friends at all sometimes. I can't even explain why we're friends, only that it's the best friendship I've had in my life. We argue a lot but we never go home angry at each other, and we've learnt to respect each other's differing opinions. That doesn't make it easy but the friendship is worth the effort.

Speaking of friendships, the one between Daniel and Teal'c has been put to the test in recent weeks. Daniel might have been mouthing forgiveness but it took two whole weeks for him not to walk away whenever Teal'c entered the room. Teal'c understood why Daniel was avoiding him but it added to his guilt over Sha're's death. I've often wondered how Daniel would have taken it if it had been me who had killed her. To have had his best friend pull the trigger might have caused a lot more damage because - and I flatter myself with this - there wouldn't have been anyone else he was close enough to whom he could turn to. But he and Teal'c have worked through their mutual grief and guilt and we're back on the mission roster. And what a 'lovely' first mission out it was too.

He's still standing there as the gate shuts down, and I take three steps over to him. I don't bother asking if he's okay because I can see that he's not. He'll just say 'I'm fine' and expect me to believe it. I look over to meet Hammond's eyes, which are filled with compassion and understanding. Knowing I've got permission to take Daniel home, I say to him, "We need to talk."

That earns me a wince despite my sympathetic tone. "I'm sorry, Jack. I know I shouldn't have stepped--"

"Hey," I cut him off. I don't want to talk about this now, not while he's hurting. "How about we blow this joint?"

"Okay." The nod that accompanies the word is tentative, and I know he's expecting to be told off for endangering his life yet again.

"Good." I rest my hand briefly on his shoulder. "Meet you topside in ten." Just enough time for us both to get changed and for me to have a quick chat with Hammond.

Eleven minutes later, we're in my car heading for home. Daniel's arms are hugging his chest and he is currently staring out the window. I don't know what to say to him at the moment so I'll wait until we get home. He looks much like he did two weeks ago and I don't want to be the one to cause him to shatter if I say the wrong thing.

He doesn't move when I pull up at my house so I put my hand on his knee and gently shake it. "Hey."

Those big blue eyes turn towards me, awareness returning to them. Then he looks around and sees my house. "Sorry," he says, giving me a sheepish look.

"'S okay, we just got here." I give him a final pat and then open the car door. "Come on."

He follows me meekly inside and sits on the sofa, burrowing into one corner of it and crossing his arms over his chest. I've seen this trick before - Daniel is trying to make himself invisible. It's something I'd say he learnt moving from one foster family to the next, trying not to be a bother. Well, he may have gotten away with that with those families but not with me. "Feel like something to eat?"

"No, I'm fine." This is said with only a brief glance at me.

"Right." He might not be hungry but he is definitely not fine. Time for some comfort, I think. I sit down next to him, making him look at me. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really." Daniel looks away again. "I'm fine, Jack."

"Sure you are." He is such a terrible liar. "Why did you go to such lengths to protect Linnea... Kera?" I correct myself.

"What's wrong with me?" Daniel asks his own question quietly, avoiding mine.

The question surprises me; I hadn't been expecting that. "There's nothing wrong with you."

"Then why do all the people I care about leave me?"

Oy - talk about a hard question. I wonder how long Daniel has felt like that? Too long, probably. "Not all of us have left. You've still got SG-1."

Daniel gives me a brief smile for that. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah." I do know. I'm annoyed that he seems to be including Linnea/Kera in this category; it couldn't have been more than a rebound thing, could it? "I don't know, Daniel. If you want to get philosophical, I'd say maybe it's because you're meant to be here on SG-1 helping to save the world."

"I'm being serious, Jack." He has a cute little pout going now.

"So am I." I think it's about time Daniel realised just how important he is. "Danny, without you, the SGC would not exist."

Daniel shakes his head, just like I knew he would. "In the alternate realities, Sam eventually figured it out."

"And look where it got those realities! Earth was destroyed in one, and the second almost suffered the same fate except for our intervention." And the missing factor in both those realities had been Daniel. If Jack did a survey of all the realities where Earth was annihilated, he bet he would find that Daniel hadn't joined the SGC in any of them. There was at least one other reality out there where Daniel was part of the program and the timeline seemed to be extremely similar to this one - Daniel had seen it in the quantum mirror apparently. But all the others...

"That doesn't mean anything," Daniel typically downplays his contribution.

"Well, it does to the rest of us." My linguist's not in the mood to accept that right now though. "Daniel--"

"I don't want to be lonely forever, Jack," he interrupts me, his head turning to stare pensively out the window.

The sad expression tugs at my heart. I put my arm around his shoulders and squeeze. "You won't be. Someday the right woman will come along and she won't leave you." Strangely, the idea doesn't comfort me. If Daniel finds someone else to love then he might leave SG-1 to be with her and that would be terrible.

Daniel relaxes against my side. "I hope you're right."

Suddenly, I'm not so sure that I want to be...

DANIEL

"Just as well Sam couldn't come with us," I note as SG-1 strides into the village on P2R-993.

"Why?" Jack asks as he takes a look around, apparently unconcerned. Then again, Jack has a very good poker face so if he is concerned, I can't tell.

"The women are wearing yashmuks, similar to the Moslem women on Earth. That implies that this planet was settled by a group of Moslem or Islamic people." This is the first time we have come across the culture in all our travels and it could be significant. It's been obvious that the Goa'uld infiltrated every other religion but we've never had any indication about this one.

"Great," Jack says sarcastically. I guess after spending time in an Iraqi prison, he wouldn't be overly enamoured of the people as a whole. "So who was the Goa'uld that brought them here? Allah?"

I shake my head. "More likely to be Mohammed." I look around at the village, noting the simple stone houses, and the way the women shrink back from us. All that seems to tie in with the culture back on Earth. And over there was... "Jack?"

Two young men, not much older than boys, are tied to posts in what seemed to be the town square. A big pile of rocks stand nearby, hinting at their fate. I wonder what their crime was and whether we can do anything to stop the punishment from being carried out.

As I change direction to head towards the boys, I hear Jack say, "I see it," and then my name is said in exasperation. What did you expect, Jack? They're going to execute these boys, probably for something as simple as talking to a girl. I'm not going to let that happen.

My way, however, is blocked by a group of five men who suddenly appear from behind a nearby building. They are all dressed in traditional Moslem robes, and are clean-shaven. One has a pair of blue eyes, suggesting that somewhere in the planet's history, off-worlders have mixed with the locals. That could be very interesting to learn about, not to mention to know what they thought of the religion.

"Who are you?" the tallest one asks me, his sharp brown eyes already assessing me. Clearly they are not used to visitors.

"We're peaceful travellers," I reply, getting ready to give my usual speech despite the fact it doesn't always go over well. "I'm Daniel Jackson, this is Jack O'Neill and Teal'c. We come in search of friendship."

"Then why do you bring weapons?" another man asks, his gaze falling on the weapons that Jack and Teal'c are displaying prominently.

"In case we need to defend ourselves," I state as I resist the urge to rest my hand on my pistol. Something about the first man's expression troubles me but I can't pinpoint what exactly.

I glance at the boys out of the corner of my eye; one has a head wound. I wonder how he got that injury.

The tall man observes Jack as he comes over to stand next to me, then asks, "Do you follow the ways of Mohammed?"

"Uh, no," Jack replies carefully, obviously sensing something as well. "But many do where we come from."

Glances are exchanged between the five men at this news. Jack immediately goes on alert; the signs are hard to see but I know Jack well. My eyes flick towards Teal'c and I see the signs there too.

"So, has Mohammed visited recently?" Jack asks casually, gazing around and looking for threats.

"Not for several generations." The tall man doesn't look pleased by the question - or maybe it's us he's not pleased with.

"What did those two boys do?" I can't help asking, my mind going through all the things I know about Moslem or Islamic law.

The man didn't even glance at the boys as he says in a disgusted tone, "They were caught committing a sin with each other."

Oh. I look at the boys, who couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen, and feel sorry for them. If they are gay, it can't be easy living in this society. "Surely that doesn't require such drastic action?" They were probably only experimenting and were unfortunate enough to get caught.

The men stiffen and Jack intervenes. "Daniel," he says in warning. "It's really none of our business." Translation: I need to get us all back in one piece so don't rock the boat.

"Where do you come from?" another man asks, his beady eyes scrutinising me and making my skin crawl.

"Through the stone ring," I reply, trying to keep my eyes away from the two boys. I don't want to cause trouble - Jack will not be happy if I do - but I really don't like the idea of anyone suffering a stoning, especially after what we saw on Simarka.

That raises a few eyebrows. The tallest man spoke again. "You came through the ring of Mohammed?"

"Yes," I confirm when neither Jack or Teal'c say anything.

The five men turn to whisper to each other, which allows us some talk-time of our own. Jack beckons Teal'c closer and asks whether he knows of Mohammed.

"He was a minor System Lord serving under Apophis," Teal'c replies, his face betraying his guilt at the mention of his former master. I know he still carries a lot of guilt for his role in Sha're's death, and he is perceptive enough to know that I haven't entirely forgiven him yet. I can work alongside him, and he is still my friend, but there are some things that take a lot of time. If it had been Jack who had shot Sha're... I'm not sure what I would have done.

"However, he disappeared nearly a century ago during a battle with Ra's fleet," Teal'c continues, his face again an impassive mask. "No-one has heard from him since."

"Yeah, well, knowing how hard Goa'uld are to kill, we won't rule out a visit from him just yet," Jack states. Like me, he knows that it's always SG-1's luck for a long-absent Goa'uld to show up while we're around.

Jack glances over his shoulder at the group of men and comments, "Something tells me this might have been a mistake."

"Why?" I want to know even though I partially agree with him. I don't have the same suspicions about the people that Jack does, a fact that he often laments - loudly and at length - but something feels off to me.

"I'm just getting the feeling that we're not welcome," Jack replies, exchanging a glance with Teal'c to see if he felt the same way.

"Well, that's not unusual, Jack," I point out. "Many of the people we meet are initially wary of us." Something to do with the weaponry the rest of the team carries, no doubt. More often that not, those weapons have saved our lives but in how many cases would violence have been necessary if we didn't have them in the first place?

JACK

"And how do those situations usually turn out? Not good," I state. Assessing our surroundings, I figure that this village could be transplanted onto Earth and fit into any Islamic or Moslem culture. And that isn't necessarily good, as my missions to Iran and Iraq have taught me. "So unless there's anything of great importance, I think we should say our goodbyes and get outta here."

"I concur," Teal'c adds his agreement as I knew he would.

"Jack, wait--"

"No, Daniel," I cut him off with an air of finality. "Not this time." I hate doing this to him but I know firsthand how bad it could be if the locals decide to turn on us. And knowing Daniel's luck, he'll be the first one to get hurt.

Subsiding temporarily, Daniel glares at me. Knowing how his mind works, I'm aware of his interest in comparing the religion and culture here with the one on Earth but he knows better than to push me in these matters. Sometimes, of course, that doesn't worry him but today, he thankfully keeps his arguments to himself.

The tall man from before walks over to us, a gleam in his eyes that I don't like. "I am Farid. You are interested in trade?"

"Yes," Daniel states before I can say anything.

"That depends," I add, shooting Daniel a look. My linguist really should know better than to agree like that. "What are you wanting?"

"We will discuss that later," Farid states. "First, we must visit the mosque to pray for the transaction. This way." He heads off between two houses.

"I'm not liking this," I mutter to Teal'c. This goes against my better judgement but so far, the locals can't be classified as a threat despite the fact that a crowd has now formed behind us, blocking our exit. "Keep your eyes peeled."

Teal'c nods but refrains from asking what I mean.

As we start walking, Daniel stands next to me, our arms brushing as we travel. "The UAV picked up a large structure but the picture wasn't clear. If it was the mosque, then it could be a thousand years old or more," he shares with me.

"Really?" I hate to dampen Daniel's enthusiasm, especially since it has been in rare supply these past few weeks, but we won't be staying to study this culture. We'll visit the mosque, talk about trade, and then get out of here as soon as possible.

Daniel must have heard the disinterest because he stops talking and his head goes down, hurt that once again I've shut him down. I hate doing this to him but Daniel generally likes to share his knowledge while I'm trying to concentrate on other things, namely making sure there's no immediate threat. There aren't a lot of places to hide as this is virtually a desert planet with red soil and a few scraggly bits of scrub here and there, but there are a lot of buildings and I don't trust Farid. So I'll do what I have to do to get all of us out of here safely.

TEAL'C

As we near the mosque, both O'Neill and I observe that the crowd of villagers has grown to fifty men, women and children. If we were to try and leave now, many innocents could be killed or injured, which would not be a satisfactory course of action.

DanielJackson is still upset with O'Neill. Having overheard what transpired, I know why it had be done; DanielJackson is not a warrior and does not see the need to maintain a constant vigil. This is not a fault however, rather something that makes the scholar an important part of the team. Because he doesn't always see the danger, DanielJackson can see the potential of the races we encounter, which was why I long ago resolved to be his eyes on such missions. It is the least I can do to atone for taking his wife away from him. I do not expect to be forgiven for that act but after Sha're's death, he again surprised me with his capacity for forgiveness. However, I suspect that all is not yet right between us as DanielJackson currently finds it difficult to be in my presence. The death of one's wife takes time to get over so I will wait patiently. And in the meantime, I will protect him from harm at all costs.

JACK

The mosque is a beautiful white structure, reaching high into the sky in the traditional Moslem style, comparable to the best on Earth. But I barely give Daniel time to memorise it all before I tug him towards it, keeping him close. I know he doesn't like being manhandled but I don't want to lose him in the crowd that's coming up behind us.

Inside, even I can appreciate the intricate mosaics of vibrant colours line the walls and ceiling; it would have taken much skill and hard work to create such beauty. I can see Daniel looking around in amazement, almost tripping over his own two feet. I shake my head in resignation at the behaviour; Daniel is like a kid at a candy store sometimes. Right now my linguist is so lost in wonder that I doubt an earthquake could draw his attention away from the mosaics. On the other hand, though, I would hate to see Daniel lose that sense of wonder because that would mean that we would have lost what Daniel is. He's not a soldier; that's what the rest of us are for.

I keep a guiding hand on Daniel as we travel deeper into the mosque. I'm very aware of the glances my linguist is getting from the leaders and so I tell them, "He studies different cultures." However, that doesn't stop the glances and I feel uneasy about them; something's definitely not right. "Daniel!" I hiss, trying to get his attention.

"What?" Daniel replies absently, his gaze turned upwards.

"Focus." When Daniel looks towards me, I indicate that we're being watched, then I let go of Daniel's arm.

"Oh." Daniel's gaze drops to the ground for a moment and I can feel his embarrassment. "Sorry."

I nod in response, then watch the men ahead turn their faces forward, no longer overtly observing us. I have no doubt, though, that we're still under surveillance.

Farid halts near the entrance to the main chamber. "You will leave your weapons here," he instructs us. "No-one may enter Mohammed's presence with weapons."

"I wonder why," I muttered, thinking that if Mohammed was a Goa'uld, he wouldn't want anyone to be armed in case they tried to kill him. Speaking louder, I order, "Teal'c, stay here with our stuff. Daniel and I will... go and pray." I don't want to leave the weapons unattended.

"That will not be necessary," Farid states, his eyes cold. "Your weapons will be safe here."

"Yeah, well, I'd prefer it if Teal'c kept an eye on them all the same," I reply, handing over my MP-5, pistol and knife to Teal'c. Daniel does likewise with his weapons.

"You will also need to remove your footwear," Farid adds, obviously deciding not to kick up a fuss about the weapons.

"What?"

"Jack." Daniel sits on the floor and starts to untie his boots. His one word delivers to me a whole lecture on obeying local customs.

"Daniel." 'Don't you realise the trouble we could be in?'

"Jack." 'Do you want that trouble to start right now?'

Giving in, I kneel down to undo my boots, hoping that there will be enough time later to put them back on. "I hope this is worth it," I mutter just loudly enough for Daniel to hear.

Daniel doesn't say anything, just helps me to stand up again. My knees creak and I think of all the kneeling ahead of us. This is going to be fun - not.

DANIEL

After an hour of intense prayer, Farid finally turns to us and nods, indicating that we can leave. I can tell Jack is relieved; all that kneeling had to have played havoc with his knees and at the risk of insulting everyone, about twenty minutes in he shifted into a cross-legged position. I, on the other hand, had to remain kneeling throughout the whole session so as not to insult our hosts.

"Here, Jack." I stifle a groan as I stand, my knees protesting at the change in position, not to mention my legs are slightly numb as well. Then I hold out a hand to help Jack to his feet.

"I got it," Jack waves off the help.

Taking a step back to give Jack room, I wrap my arms over my chest, a little sting inside me at Jack's rejection of the offer to help. I know that he doesn't like to show weaknesses in front of potential enemies but the rejection still hurts. Jack's face shows that he knows what I'm feeling and that he's sorry; it doesn't help much though. Too many times recently, Jack has brushed me off and I don't like it. I wish I knew why he was doing it.

We both follow Farid back to the room where Teal'c is waiting. "Hey, T. Have fun?" Jack asks as he retrieves his weapons.

"I did not, O'Neill," Teal'c replies, taking the question literally.

I have to smother a laugh at the response, allowing only a small smile to appear on my face to annoy Jack. I'm never quite sure whether Jack asks those kind of questions deliberately or whether Teal'c actually understands them, but it's very entertaining either way.

As we walk back to the village, Jack tries several times to initiate a conversation about trade with Farid but only receives the words 'in time'. I can see Jack is getting frustrated at this but he keeps it in check, which is good because I don't think we would want to get on Farid's bad side.

Back in the village, we are led into a large hut which I would guess is a meeting place. There is a rectangular wooden table at one end, large enough to seat at least five people on each side. We sit on one side of the table - with me in sandwiched safely between Jack and Teal'c - while our hosts line up on the other side.

"So," Jack says, looking at Farid, who is just staring at us; in particular, Jack and I. "Let's talk."

"Yes. You wish to trade?" Farid responds, his gaze still assessing us. "What do you require?"

"What have you got?" Jack shoots back.

A diplomat, Jack is not. I throw a sideways glance at Jack in warning before I continue the negotiations. "We're interested in minerals, medicines, your culture and, uh, your history on this planet."

Ahmed has a disbelieving look on his face. "You wish us to believe you came to trade for stories?"

"Amongst other things," Jack states, his attention shifting briefly to the man. "So have you got any of that stuff?" He turns back to Farid, his expression carefully neutral.

"Histories are not permitted to be read except by the most devout," he replies. The answer doesn't surprise me in the least as many religious leaders past and present on Earth have the same attitude. "As for medicines, I doubt you would be interested in our simple remedies."

I shake my head and lean forward a little. "You never know. Some of our best medicines started off that way."

"In that case, we will allow our medicine man to talk with you," Farid concedes. He then turns his eyes upon the weapons Jack and Teal'c carry. "In exchange for a demonstration of your weapons."

Jack rolls his eyes and I can tell that he had expected this. "I don't think so. Pick something else."

"This is what we wish," Farid persists, his eyes glinting almost fanatically.

I shoot Jack another sidelong glance and then diplomatically state, "We would need approval from our superiors to do so." It's better than saying a flat out 'no', which is what I want to do right now. Any race that wants weapons before anything else is one I'm suspicious of.

"Daniel," Jack puts a hand on my shoulder as he warns me quietly.

Ahmed looks at us with scorn. "And when you leave to get that approval, you will not return." He turns to Farid and sends him a look that I can't interpret.

"Yes, we will," I assure him even though I'm not sure that we'll would return; I certainly won't be recommending it even though I would love to learn more about how their culture has developed on this world. "But we would need to see your medicines first."

"And you expect us to take the word of infidels?" Ahmed spits in anger.

"It would be a start." Jack doesn't seem to hold out much hope of that, judging by his tone of voice. "How about we leave you guys to think about it?" He takes hold of my upper arm and starts to pull me up.

"Halt!" Farid says abruptly. After shooting us a disgusted look, he quickly stands and walks over to the door. He opens it and speaks rapidly to someone outside before closing the door and staring at us.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Jack mutters just as the door reopens and a dozen men walk in, all carrying scimitars. Jack immediately brings his MP-5 up at the sight of the curved blades, and Teal'c does likewise with his staff weapon.

In contrast to my friends, I hold my hands up in a non-threatening manner to assure the locals that we mean them no harm. "Farid, what is the meaning of this?"

"You expect us to ignore your sin?" Ahmed spat, his eyes full of hate.

"What sin?" Jack questions, keeping an eye on as many hostiles as possible.

Farid strides around his men and comes to stand in front of me, out of the way of Jack's weapon. "You saw our punishment for this sin and yet you continue to flaunt it. We cannot trade with men of such inclination."

"Inclination?" Jack echoes, still not getting it. "Daniel?" he says to me, obviously hoping that I know what is going on.

"I think they think we're lovers, Jack," I reply, putting the clues together. We saw the two boys tied to the posts, so that was the punishment we saw, and given the amount of times that Jack has touched me during this mission, I suppose it could be misconstrued. I turn my attention back to Farid, and state, "We're not lovers. We're just friends."

Farid just looks disbelievingly at me for a long moment. Then, before I know what's happening, he suddenly grabs me and pulls me over the bench seat and towards the crowd. A well-built older man catches me and turns me back to face me friends, a scimitar digging into my throat. Oh, this is so not good.

JACK

I watch as Daniel goes still at the feel of the cold blade against his skin, sensibly not endangering himself just yet. His wide-eyed stare begs me not to do anything rash, much and all as I wish to.

"I don't think they believe you, Danny," I state, forcing myself to sound normal. I just knew that something like this was going to happen. I look at Farid, who is watching me with keen eyes. "Let him go."

"You will not be able to kill us all before one of us executes him," Farid replies, standing his ground. "If you wish no harm to come to him, you will put your weapons down."

I hesitate, quickly sorting through all possible courses of action. Unfortunately, I can't find one where Daniel survives. So I slowly lowered my MP-5 and put it on the floor, making sure that the safety is on. With any luck, they won't be able to work out how to use it.

Teal'c does likewise, reluctantly acknowledging that this is the only course of action possible at this time. He doesn't fight as two men come up either side of him and grab his arms; the scimitar is still at Daniel's throat. But he stares menacingly at Farid, promising retribution for his actions.

Daniel, despite his vulnerable position, looks at Farid and futilely tries to reason with him. "There's no need for this." That's my Daniel, the eternal optimist.

"A sin such as yours cannot go unpunished," Farid replies righteously and somewhat predictably. He steps towards me and retrieves my weapon from the floor. After he examines it, he orders, "Bring them," as he leads the way out of the hall.

We're led to a small stone building. Inside are three cells next to each other. Seemingly at random, Farid orders that Daniel be put in the middle cell with me to the left and Teal'c to the right, but he probably has something in mind, something that I'm not going to like. Leg irons connected by a chain are placed around my ankles so that I can't run; they're attached to the wall by another short chain, not allowing me to reach the bars in any direction. Teal'c is likewise restrained. Then we're all stripped of our jackets and black vests so that we have nothing to attempt to escape with.

I allow myself the luxury of a few curses after Farid and the others leave. The chain allows me to reach the middle of the cell but no further, which is frustrating. "I knew we shouldn't have stayed for a chat," I mutter, looking around for a possible way to escape while knowing that I'm not going to find one. We're stuck here and things are likely to get a lot worse.

"We weren't to know they would do this to us," Daniel states, also looking around. He hasn't been chained for some reason, and the negative part of me wonders whether that's because he is the one who is going to bear the brunt of the punishment while I watch, unable to intervene. Things like that are always happening to Daniel and he's the one who doesn't deserve any of it.

"Oh, really?" I can't believe Daniel's naivete sometimes. I'm briefly tempted to tell Daniel what is likely to happen next but I don't want to ruin that innocence. Best that Daniel doesn't have time to dwell on it. "Teal'c, can you get free?"

"I shall try, O'Neill." Of the two of us, Teal'c has the best chance of removing the leg irons. He tests the strength of the metal ring embedded in the wall as Daniel starts to talk to me again.

"Jack, if we assumed every race that we meet is going to be hostile, we might as well not go through the gate!"

"It's my job to assume that, Daniel," I shoot back. We've had this argument before and it has never been resolved. "If I didn't, we'd have spent a lot more time in the infirmary." Or worse, which I really don't want to think about right now.

"Not everyone we meet is hostile," Daniel counters, hands on hips. "They just tend to react that way when we show up with weapons." Which is why he chooses never to carry a rifle.

"I don't want to argue about this now," I state, giving my linguist a hand-chopping motion. "We have more important things to worry about. Teal'c, how's it coming?"

"It is not, O'Neill." Teal'c stands up and turns to face us. "It will take much time."

Time which we might not have. "Keep working on it," I order before going over to where my own chain is stuck into the wall. Where it's attached to the wall looks sturdy but given it is in rock, there is always a possibility of scraping enough away to pull the metal out. I retrieve a slim knife out of my right boot. "Daniel, move."

"What?" Daniel looks at me in confusion as I stand up.

"Move," I repeat with a meaningful raising of my eyebrows and a gesture of my knife.

"Oh." Daniel understands and moves to the side as I throw the knife to Teal'c, who catches it easily. "Have you always carried a knife like that?"

"Yep." It's come in handy more than once, especially in situations such as this.

"Oh," Daniel says again. I can tell by his expression that he has just realised that there are probably a lot of things he doesn't know about me, and he is disappointed by that fact. "Do Sam and Teal'c know?"

"Teal'c does." There is something else in Daniel's expression besides surprise and I can't quite work out what it is. Dismissing it, I offer as an explanation, "It's a warrior thing."

DANIEL

"Right." A warrior thing - Jack couldn't have made the line between the two of us more clear. I try to make it look as though that hasn't hurt me; after all, why should I care? I don't want to be a soldier or a warrior.

Jack's brow wrinkles in puzzlement. "Daniel, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." I go over to the back wall and sit down, leaning back against it. I need some time to think about why Jack's words had hurt so much when they are something I have always known. Maybe it's because Jack is my best friend and I want him to like me - no, that sounds like I'm a teenager with a crush. I look over at Jack, seeing him staring at me and trying to figure out what I'm thinking, and my heart starts beating faster. Maybe I do have a crush of sorts, given how much I look up to him and enjoy his company. But that's all it is, nothing more.

He finally gives up on watching me and turns to watch Teal'c instead. As for me, I rest my head back against the wall and stare at nothing while I try to figure out the best way out of this mess.

***

Half an hour passes and then we hear gunshots outside and a staff weapon blast. There are some screams and then nothing. The three of us exchange glances, all aware that our weapons have been used to kill the young boys outside. I draw my knees to my chest, hugging them for warmth, and hope that the same thing doesn't happen to us.

***

An hour passes before Farid and his men come back. Several of the men are carrying long sticks, and one stick has a forked prong at the end. Even to my untrained eye, that does not look good.

Jack eyes the sticks with anger, obviously knowing what is about to happen. "Hi, guys, back so soon?" he says antagonistically, trying to get the focus on him. That's what he always does to protect his 'kids'. "What, no dinner?"

Farid's tight-lipped smile doesn't reach his eyes. He gestures for one of the men to open Jack's cell door and then the Moslem leader goes inside. The man with the forked stick follows him. Stepping close to Jack, Farid states arrogantly, "If you renounce your heathen ways, you will go free."

"Excuse me?"

"Your sinful relationship," Farid continues, glancing briefly at me. Yeah, I get it - you think we're a couple. Well, guess what? You're totally wrong.

"What relationship--Argh!" Jack falls to his knees as pain speeds through his body. I whip my head around to try and see what is causing the pain.

"Do you deny it?" Farid persists.

"Of course I deny it--Argh!" Another surge of pain rips through Jack and his body arches in agony.

This time I see the electrical current from the stick travel across the chains and the sight angers me. "Stop it!" I yell, coming to stand at the bars so that I can face Farid directly. "He hasn't done anything! None of us have!"

A nod from Farid has a longer burst of electricity travel through the chain to Jack. "Stop it!" I yell again, hating to see Jack in so much pain that he is actually screaming. My heart clenches in fear as Jack continues to writhe in pain, electricity travelling through his body while Farid just stares at him with a calm expression. I thought that I could never hate anyone as much as I hate Apophis but Farid is rapidly reaching the top of my list. How dare he do that to Jack!

After a long moment, the stick is withdrawn and Jack lies silently on the ground, his limbs still twitching from the amount of current that has been in his body. I can't help staring at Jack for a moment longer and then I tear my eyes away to glare at Farid, anger coursing through me. "What did you do that for?"

"We have found it to be an effective method in deterring sinful behaviour," Farid replies smugly, not bothering to even look at me as he surveys the twitching man at his feet.

"He hasn't done anything wrong!" I protest on Jack's behalf. "Did you actually see those two boys out there do anything or were you just making an example out of them too?" I accuse, guessing that this man liked to cause pain.

"Silence!" Farid abruptly strides over to me and punches my jaw, knocking me nearly off my feet.

"I'll take that as a yes," I mutter, gingerly feeling my jaw. Not broken but there's going to be a definite bruise there in a few hours.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Farid turn his head slightly and gesture to his men. Two of them - the biggest ones - enter my cell and forcefully remove my t-shirt and glasses, throwing them on the floor near the door. Then they push me hard against the bars right in front of Farid and hold me there; obviously, it's my turn to be punished.

"The two of you are not innocent," Farid spits out, his disgust evident. "The evidence is plain to see. However, he will not desire you for much longer."

"I have a wife," I point out, and am ignored. My arms are stretched out to the side by the two men, and my wrists are tied securely to the bars with rope so that I can't move. Then the two men leave the cell and another enters, carrying a long thin cane. I fight to control my breathing; I resolve not to show Farid any fear or pain... for as long as I can hold out, anyway.

Jack has recovered enough to take an interest in proceedings, and I can see him struggling to sit up as he realises what is about to happen. "No!" he calls out.

A resounding 'thwack' sounds just before a cry of pain is wrenched from me. That hurt a lot more than I had expected. Four more lashes are administered, and I can hear over the rushing in my ears my friends shouting for the beating to stop. I hope Farid listens because I'm not too sure how much longer I can endure this.

JACK

On shaky legs, I manage to get to my feet, which allows me to clearly see Daniel's pain-lined face. My heart starts to ache for his pain and I wish it was me who was being punished that way. "Leave him alone!" I demand of Farid. "He's innocent!" Daniel couldn't be more innocent of the charge levelled at us.

"The behaviour of both of you says differently," Farid responds, refusing to change his opinion.

There's something not right about that statement but I don't have time to think about it while Daniel is in pain. "You have no right to do this!"

"I disagree." Farid gives a short nod and five more lashes land on Daniel's burning back.

I can see that Daniel is doing his best not to cry out but the pain is clearly immense and he grunts as the stick digs into his skin. Having been in a similar situation before, I know what it's like: your entire back feels like it's on fire and you want nothing more than for it to stop. It's very effective and occasionally, very lethal.

Daniel closes his eyes against the pain, which is a precursor to passing out, so I urge him to look at me. Despite the pain, Daniel opens his eyes to stare into mine a few feet away. 'Jack, make it stop!' Daniel pleads with those beautiful, currently pain-filled, blue eyes.

'I'm trying', I send back. "Just hang in there, Danny," I say aloud, trying to get the him to focus on me rather than the pain. I can get him through this just by being here, I know that; it's part of our relationship with each other, part of our silent support system. Later, when we're home, we'll get drunk together, talk about it a little bit, and then deal with the nightmares that will inevitably come.

Breathing through gritted teeth, Daniel tries to do just that. Knowing him so well, I'm aware that he doesn't want to let me down no matter what happens. Mercifully, the lashing stops after one more stroke, allowing Daniel a respite. "Piece... of cake," he jokes between breaths.

I grin; that's the Daniel I know and love. The grin doesn't even leave my face when Farid comes over and strikes me for it. We'll get through this because it's what we do. "Temper, temper," I provoke Farid a little more.

"You enjoy watching your lover suffer?" Farid inquires, a sneer on his face.

"Not particularly, no," I reply before what he says totally sinks in. "Would you?" I decide to go with the flow; if Farid is going to punish us for being lovers even though we're not, why should we bother denying it? Besides, the idea is starting to grow on me. Not that I've ever thought of Daniel that way before but it isn't repulsive. Hmm, that's something to examine later when we're home and safe.

Daniel's eyes widen as he hears me not deny the accusation, and I'm sure he's wondering why I didn't. But before I can explain with a expression, or before Daniel can figure it out, the cane lands on Daniel's back five more excruciating times. He tries to keep his eyes locked with mine but the pain overwhelms him and he closes them.

That was the reaction Farid was waiting for. The man gives the order for Daniel's wrists to be released, probably expecting him to fall to the floor. Daniel doesn't give Farid the satisfaction, stubbornly remaining upright, his hands gripping the bars tightly. Farid spits out a couple of curses and then storms out, not a happy camper.

As soon as Farid was gone, Daniel sinks to his knees, unable to continue standing upright. I automatically try to go to him but am pulled up short by the chain connecting me to the wall. "Daniel!" I call, my heart in my throat.

"DanielJackson!" Teal'c calls from the other side, standing as close to the bars as he can reach. I see the concern in his face and know that it echoes mine.

"I'm fine," Daniel replies in a hoarse voice. He rests his forehead against the cool bars, needing the contrast to his burning back.

I look over at Teal'c, who shakes his head. Teal'c has a better view of the mess Daniel's back is bound to be, and I accept the message with a nod. It's not good. "Danny, we're gonna get out of here soon, okay?" I promise, wanting to reassure him since I can't go over there and hold him.

"Okay." Daniel's voice is just a whisper.

Alright, this isn't satisfactory. I need to be over there with Daniel, not stuck here. Judging the distance, I lie down and stretch out on the cell floor as far as I can. Doing that, I can just reach the bars with my fingertips. "Hey, Danny," I say as casually as I can.

My linguist opens his eyes when he hears my voice and offers me a weak smile. "Hey, Jack."

"Give me your hand," I instruct, wriggling my fingers. I really need to touch Daniel right now. When Daniel doesn't move, I wriggle my fingers again in invitation.

Moving clearly hurts but Daniel makes the effort anyway. Moving just a little, he is able to put his right arm through the bars and I immediately wrap my fingers around his. This feels good, so good that I never want to let go. I know I'll have to but right now, I want to do this forever.

Daniel squeezes my hand and smiles when I return the gesture. Although that smile is weary, it makes our situation seem a little bit brighter, and suddenly I have more optimism that we're going to get out of here. I think I'll do anything to get Daniel to give me a genuine, pain-free smile. I smile back at him, my eyes locked with his, and we remain there for a long time as we both recover.

TEAL'C

I watch my friends interact and smile to myself; it appears that Farid was not wrong in his assumption. However, I will not to say anything about it, to them or to anyone back on Earth. The relationship between them is not my business, however much I believe it to be right. I turn my back to give them some privacy and go back to my task at the wall. It is my duty to free us and return all of us to Earth so that DanielJackson and O'Neill are able to explore the new level to their relationship together.

DANIEL

We're left along for several hours, during which time Jack and I just stare at each other, taking comfort in each other's presence. I never realised how good it would feel just to hold Jack's hand and know that he cares a lot for me. Sometimes it isn't clear just what Jack feels for me, and occasionally I'm left with the impression that he just considers me a geek. But sitting here with him now, I begin to realise that maybe I'm his geek and that's why he cares for me. The burning in my back dims a little as the blood diverts to my cheeks and I blush at the thought of belonging to Jack. The idea isn't repulsive so long as it's just a figure of speech and not Jack trying to dominate me. I like my relationships to be equal but at the same time, I like the idea that I might belong to someone.

"Hey." Jack's soft tone brings me out of my thoughts. "Whatcha thinking about?"

I go red, embarrassed that Jack saw my original blush. "Nothing," I lie, letting him know with my eyes that I'm not comfortable talking about it in front of Teal'c. Actually, I don't know that I would be comfortable talking about it with Jack.

Jack opens his mouth to comment but is interrupted by Teal'c, who has been working tirelessly to loosen the metal ring. "I am ready, O'Neill," he announces.

Jack struggles to sit up slightly, his left arm not co-operating after remaining in the same position for so long. "Go for it," he orders.

Teal'c nods and then tugs on the metal ring. There is a scraping sound and the ring moves slightly. He continues the action for a few minutes until the ring finally comes free of the rock wall.

Yes! I silently yell as Teal'c moves over to the cell door. We're one step closer to going home.

"Way to go," Jack praises and then he squeezes my hand as he has done periodically over the past couple of hours. There is pride on his face as he looks at me, pride that I'm still conscious. "Just keep hanging in there, Danny."

"No problem," I whisper with the ghost of a smile. My back is still on fire, although slightly less then before, and all I want to do is get home so that Janet can put something soothing on it and so then Jack can kiss it better. The thought warms me. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." I don't know whether I would have had the strength to do this alone, and I let him see that in my eyes.

JACK

"Anytime," I promise, seeing how much Daniel is relying on me to get him through this. We have been very lucky in the past not to have encountered this before, and I hate that it's happened now. Much of the shock Daniel will be feeling at the moment is likely to be the awareness that he has been deliberately injured, and the rest at the act itself. It isn't in Daniel's optimistic view of the world that anyone would want to do such a thing. I wish I still had that view of the world but it's not very practical in a soldier. Still, I wouldn't change Daniel's outlook for anything.

There are footsteps outside the hut, which means we're about to have company again. Teal'c quickly moves to put the ring back in the wall, and I can tell that he is confident that it will easily slide out again. I reluctantly release Daniel's hand and sit up to face the visitor, not wanting to give them another excuse to hurt Daniel. If anyone is to get hurt, then it better be me.

The person who enters isn't Farid but a young man no older than eighteen. He's carefully carrying three bowls of water, two of which he places on the ground in front of the cells. He approaches my cell cautiously and, using the key he has, unlocks the door and quickly places the bowl inside before slamming the door closed and locking it; obviously, my reputation precedes me, although I haven't done anything on this world for the kid to be afraid of. He performs the same procedure with Daniel's cell, except that he also leaves a small wooden jar next to the water bowl. I wonder what that is for.

When he opens Teal'c's cell door, the big guy swiftly moves forward and grabs the young man's arm. Clearly stunned that the prisoner had freed himself, the young man doesn't resist as he is pulled into the cell. Teal'c quickly goes outside the cell and locks it behind him. Then he uses another key from the set he has taken from the boy to unlock his leg-iron.

Once free, Teal'c enters my cell and uses a key to free me before proceeding to the middle cell and Daniel.

I'm up and following Teal'c as soon as possible, making my aching limbs obey the command to walk so that I can go to Daniel's aid. "Can you walk?" I ask as I help him to his feet. He looks just as shaky as me but he nods his head, determined to do his part to leave this planet.

"Alright, first things first," I continue, making sure Daniel is okay before removing my hands. "We need our gear back."

Teal'c understands why; we can't leave our weapons in the hands of these people. Also, we need the GDO to get home - an absolute essential. Teal'c approaches the cell with the young man in it and looms over him. "Where did Farid put the things we came with?" he questions in that deep voice of his.

The young man, who has been watching everything with wide eyes, backs away from the bars and stammers, "I-in the next hut." A wise kid that, not wanting Teal'c to do anything more than loom.

"It's probably guarded," I surmise; that's what I would have done in the same situation. "Teal'c."

He nods at the unspoken order. He eases the door of our hut open a fraction and peers out. It is almost dark outside, indicating that night has fallen quickly. Through the darkness, two shapes can be seen standing in front of the next hut. Turning to me, he gives the appropriate military signals to impart the information.

I nod and then turn to my linguist. "Daniel, I need you to stay here for a minute while Teal'c and I get out stuff back," I say quietly. When Daniel merely nods in reply, I get worried. Daniel not talking or arguing means that he is in a really bad way. I'm a little surprised that Daniel has lasted this long but not completely; he has a strength that I envy at times. I'll have to keep a close eye on him though because the last thing we need is Daniel blacking out when we're halfway to the Stargate. "Just keep hanging in there, Danny." I reach out and squeeze his hand in encouragement.

DANIEL

"'Kay." Now that I'm upright, my energy is fading fast and I feel like lying down and sleeping for hours. Every movement tears at my back - even breathing hurts. But I can get through that pain and get back to the Stargate because Jack will not be happy if I don't. I've been through worse than this so I can survive this as well. Just as long as I can collapse just as soon as I hit the ramp on the other side of the gate.

"The ointment," the boy says suddenly.

I look at him carefully, not wanting to aggravate my back. "What?"

"The ointment," the boy repeats. He nods his head towards the jar he had put in my cell earlier. "It will help your back."

Painfully, I go over and retrieve the wooden jar, putting in my pocket; I'll take it back to the SGC for Janet to study before I use it. Then I go back to the door and watch for the others to return. Apparently it was easy to get into the weapons hut because they're back within minutes with everything except my vest, which I can't wear anyway. They appear to have taken things from it though, leaving nothing but the material for the locals to get their hands on.

"There isn't going to be much light from the moon," Jack comments as he puts a hand on my arm to steady me as we set off. The darkness is going to be good because our pursuers won't be able to see us but also bad because we can't see where we're going. Jack switches on the light on his MP-5 so we have some illumination but he aims it at the ground so it's not easily seen by any of the sleeping villagers.

When we get to the town square, the two boys from earlier are no longer there. Bullet casings litter the ground, and blood has turned the dirt black in the night. I turn away from the sight; from the amount of bullet casings, the boys had no chance.

Jack puts his left arm around my lower back and I briefly lean into him as he leads me away from the scene. Rationally, I know that the boys would have died whether we came here or not but it's hard to actually feel that at the moment. I don't have time to dwell on it though; we still have to get home.

JACK

The three-kilometre trek back to the Gate feels like hours. With only the light on my MP-5 to guide us, there is a lot of stumbling, mainly on Daniel's part. I keep an arm around him while Teal'c watches our six, able to see better in the dark than us. By the time we reach the Gate, Daniel is clearly flagging though, leaning more and more on me despite his efforts not to. There are sounds of pursuit now, spurring us all on. Teal'c slams his hand down onto the seven symbols required on the DHD, causing the Gate to flare into life. Then Teal'c punches in the GDO code as we get a headstart towards the open wormhole.

As soon as we reach the other side, Daniel's eyes roll back in his head and he lapses into unconsciousness, his dead-weight suddenly extremely heavy. I try to gently lay him down while I'm shouting for the iris to be closed and that a medic is needed. My heart remains in my throat as Janet Fraiser and her medical team run into the gateroom and quickly examine Daniel. I don't want to leave his side until I know he's okay but when General Hammond comes into the gateroom, I know that I might not get the chance.

"What happened?" Hammond asks Teal'c, who is keeping out of Janet's way.

"DanielJackson was severely beaten," Teal'c replies, watching as the linguist is loaded onto a gurney.

"The locals wanted a demonstration of our weapons in preparation for trade, we said no, and they took it out on Daniel, sir," I add as I walk over to Hammond while keeping an eye on the rapidly disappearing gurney. I'm not going to let it be known the real reason why Daniel had been beaten, not now, not ever because I'm too afraid that it might happen again but here on Earth. By no means does Daniel give off 'gay vibes' but some people might get the wrong - or the right - idea and blame him for it. I haven't had time to think about what Farid must have seen to call us lovers but I'll be giving it plenty of thought now we're home. Then I'll find out what Daniel thinks and we'll see where we go from there.

Hammond nods, accepting the explanation. "Debriefing in one hour," he dismisses us, knowing we want to get to the infirmary as soon as possible to check on Daniel.

"Yes, sir," I state obediently before hurrying out of the room. To have Daniel collapse like that in my arms... I'm not too sure how many shocks my heart can take. The only thing that will reassure me now will be to see Daniel recovering in the infirmary.

However, neither Teal'c or I are allowed to see Daniel straight away. We have to endure our own post-mission exams first, and then we have to wait another ten minutes before we're allowed to see Daniel. During that time, Carter joins us. Her badly sprained ankle, injured yesterday while training, was what had prevented her from going on the mission. Having heard that Daniel had been injured, she had hurried down to the infirmary on her crutches to wait impatiently with us.

When Janet exits the infirmary, she is swarmed by three anxious mother hens in the form of SG-1. Hammond, hiding his own mother hen attributes well, is also nearby. Taking a deep breath, Janet states calmly, "Daniel will be fine. He was beaten severely but fortunately, most of the damage is on the surface. Some of the cuts have become infected but we've put him on antibiotics so it should clear up quickly."

"Is he awake?" I ask, wanting to get in there and talk to Daniel. There's so much that we need to talk about, so much that has changed between us just knowing about the possibility of a deeper relationship.

"Not yet," Janet replies, turning her attention to me. "We found a jar of ointment in his pocket. Colonel, any idea what that might be?"

I shake my head, unable to remember any jar. Teal'c, however, states, "The boy who gave us water also gave DanielJackson a small jar. He did not explain what its purpose was."

"We'll run some tests on it then," Janet decides, probably hoping it might be some kind of medicine. "In the meantime, I suggest that you two-" she looks at Teal'c and myself, "-get some rest. And before you complain, Colonel, you can do your resting in the infirmary. I want to make sure that electrical current hasn't done any damage."

I open my mouth to argue but close it again, for once not complaining about an infirmary stay as it means that I can keep an eye on Daniel. "Sure thing, Doc," I say too casually.

The line that Daniel would have spoken about it obviously affecting my brain remains unsaid. Teal'c and Hammond walk away silently, both vowing to return soon. Carter follows Janet and I into the infirmary so she can see her 'little brother'.

Daniel is lying on his front on 'his' bed, his body uncovered to the waist to reduce anything irritating his back. His wounds have been cleaned but the sight of them still brings tears to Carter's eyes and anger to my soul. Why is it always Daniel who is hurt the most? He has been through so much recently and now this... How long will it take him to bounce back this time?

My hands clench into fists as the anger fills me. I want to go back and kill Farid with my bare hands - slowly - for inflicting those wounds on an innocent man.

"He's going to be fine," Janet states, seeing the expressions on our faces. "Just let him rest," she orders.

I wait until Carter sits down in the chair next to Daniel's bed before I lie down on the next bed facing him. Daniel is going to be just fine - I won't accept any other outcome.

DANIEL

Hmm, shouldn't I be in pain? And lying on a floor? Did we get home? Who's has coffee?

Only one person has ever dared bring coffee into the infirmary in my presence. "J'ck?"

"Hey." The voice sounds relieved and female, which means it's Sam. "How are you feeling?" She's probably been waiting anxiously for ages.

"'Kay. Where's Jack?" I ask without opening my eyes.

"Right here."

I hear a few muffled sounds and I try opening my eyes to see what is going on. A green blob is in front of my face, and I blink to make it come into focus. It is Jack-shaped and just the sight comforts me. "Hurt?"

"Just a bit tingly." Jack grins, apparently pleased at something. He gently lays a hand on my arm near the wrist and starts stroking with his thumb, regardless of our audience. "Fraiser told me to keep away from electrical appliances for a day or two."

That's a very bad joke but I'm pleased that I'm home and able to hear it. "Very funny, Jack," I reply, still sleepy. The heat from Jack's hand feels nice and the stroking is lulling me back to sleep. "Did you get the jar?"

"Yes, we did. Do you know what's in it?" Sam asks from her place next to Jack.

"For my back. Helps it." I close my eyes, unable to stay awake for Jack any longer.

***

The next time I drift back into consciousness, I feel two hands on my back, presumably rubbing the ointment in. I can hear Jack snoring beside me, which means he's following Janet's orders to get some rest without leaving my side. Even though I know he sits vigil when any of us are in the infirmary, it's nice to know that Jack won't leave even to sleep. Of course, when he's awake, it's a different story as he can rapidly drive one nuts. But this... this is nice.

Comforted by Jack's presence, I let the soft snores lull me back to sleep.

JACK

You know, Daniel looks very peaceful when he's asleep. I don't really get much of a chance to study him on missions because it's usually dark and I'm asleep too. The long eyelashes are really noticeable without his glasses, and the kissable lips are slightly parted to help him breathe. If we weren't in the infirmary, I'd do something about those lips but as it is, I have to keep my fingers and lips to myself.

I can't say I've ever considered before what it would be like to kiss Daniel but I'm considering it now. I have seen Daniel kiss Sha're - or rather, Sha're kiss him - and I have to say that it doesn't seem all that exciting. However, I'm sure that if Daniel didn't have an audience, and if he had plenty of incentive, it would be spectacular. I wonder how soon we can try it?

It seems like one part of my body wants to try it immediately! Fortunately, years of discipline means that I can discourage it before anyone walks in and before Daniel wakes up. There will hopefully be plenty of time once he gets better.

***

After forty-eight extremely long hours, I get to take Daniel home. Fraiser wanted to keep him in for a while to keep an eye on the cuts on his back and finally gave her all-clear an hour ago. Provided, of course, that I call her at the slightest sign of trouble - as if I wouldn't!! Daniel's health means a lot to me, especially now I know I'm in love with him.

That particular revelation came to me in the early hours of the morning. But it didn't hit me with the impact of a truck like I thought it might. It was just simply... there. I love Daniel. When I realised it, a huge weight lifted off my heart that I hadn't even known was there. I feel much better than I have in ages, and when the time is right, I'm going to share my discovery with Daniel. Of course, I'll have to be pretty sure that Daniel is going to return my feelings before I do that; I don't want to throw away our friendship if he doesn't feel the same way. As for the rules, we'll be able to work around them because we're both too stubborn to accept the alternatives.

I settle him onto the couch, lying on his side in case his back still hurts, and then make dinner for us both. We eat, sharing the occasional conversation but just enjoying each other's company. Then we watch some television - well, I watch, Daniel reads a book - until it's time for Daniel's pain meds. Because they always knock him out for a while, he gets ready for bed and then is surprised when I help him towards my bedroom.

"Jack?" he questions, hesitating.

I clear my throat, a little embarrassed at the suggestion I'm going to make. "I, uh, I figured that my bed's softer than the spare one, and it's bigger so if there's any, uh, bad dreams, you know, you won't fall out as easily."

DANIEL

I raise my eyebrows; Jack's never made that suggestion before when I've been injured. "Would this have anything to do with what Farid said back on the planet?" I know Jack and although he never appears to think about things, sometimes he analyses them more than I do.

"Maybe," is all he admits as he gestures towards the bed.

This is certainly an interesting situation. I haven't had much time to think about Farid's accusation during my recovery as meds make my brain fuzzy. But I notice now that I have no objection, nor feel any repulsion, to sharing a bed with Jack. The connection that we shared on the planet, when we held each other's hand, probably has something to do with it. "Okay," I agree and slowly make my way towards the bed.

It takes Jack a moment to react but he soon follows me and folds back the covers so I can get into bed easily. Dressed in my boxers and a t-shirt, I get in, take my meds, and then lie on my stomach, which is the best way to sleep at the moment. Jack joins me a few minutes later, lying on his side to look at me. He leave his bedside light on so that we can see each other.

"How're you doing?" he asks me, his brown eyes concerned.

"Fine," I give my standard reply.

"Fine," he echoes and then pauses, something else obviously on his mind. "So, have you thought much about what that Fargo guy said?"

"Farid," I automatically correct him even though Jack knows perfectly well what the man's name is. "And no, I haven't really had the chance."

"Okay. Well... I'll let you think about it then," Jack said, chickening out on saying more, or maybe he is just being sensitive. He turns onto his back and reaches to turn off the light, obviously thinking the discussion is closed for the night, in which case he's overestimated the speed at which the painkillers work.

"It's obvious that we've got some kind of... connection," I state, watching him carefully for any kind of reaction. "And that people who don't even know us think we're lovers."

Jack turns back to look at me. When I don't say anything else, he prompts, "And? So? Therefore?"

I reach out carefully and cover his hand with mine. "Therefore we should seriously consider exploring that connection." I try to imagine Jack naked in bed with me and can't quite manage it, although the idea lights a faint spark in my groin. But more important than desire, I like the idea of sharing my life with Jack in a fuller sense than we do now.

"Really? Seriously?" Jack questions, his fingers entwining with mine as he rolls onto his side again. His expression contains hope, love and something I can't define. "This isn't like a rebound thing, is it?"

"I don't know," I admit honestly. The idea of having someone stable in my life since Sha're died has crossed my mind before but I'm not sure whether it applies to what I feel about Jack. "But I'd like to find out." I can't call it love, not yet, but maybe with time...

Jack's grin warms me, and the kiss he places on the back of my hand warms me even more. But I can't reciprocate as the meds choose that moment to kick in and my eyes won't stay open any longer. "Tomorrow," I murmur while I still can.

"Tomorrow," Jack agrees with me, sounding satisfied. Should be something to look forward to.

***

I wake up to the feel of a hand stroking my side. It's nice and I lie there for a few moments, relaxing under the touch. As I wake fully, I remember who it would be and decide to have a little bit of fun. "Mmmm, Teal'c..."

The hand disappears quickly as Jack sits bolt upright. "Teal'c?" he exclaims.

I grin as I open my eyes but when I see the jealousy in his, my expression becomes contrite. I didn't realise just how jealous Jack might be of others. Reaching out, I take his hand in mine and squeeze it. "Don't quite love him the way I do you," I state to allay any fears Jack has.

His jealousy eases although he asks guardedly, "And just how do you love me?"

"With my whole heart," I reply, meaning every word. Waking up with Jack feels right, and I'm positive that if I didn't love him, that this would be a lot more awkward than it is. "Not quite sure about my body yet though."

"I'm very sure about it," Jack comments, moving in close so that our bodies are pressed together full length and I can feel just how sure he is. One of his hands settles on my hip and then moves around to knead my buttocks. "But we don't have to do anything until you're sure."

I'm becoming more sure every second, especially with Jack arousing me just by doing being close... well, that and the kneading thing. I rock my hips forward slightly and feel our erections rub together, sending sparks through my body. Okay, this is definitely good.

Jack seems to take that as a hint because he suddenly claims my mouth. There's no time for thinking as arousal surges through me and I respond, kissing back just as passionately. Our tongues clash and fight with each other as our bodies rock together, sending us spiralling towards climax. And then suddenly, before either of us expect it, I come explosively and Jack isn't far behind in his release.

The silence that follows is only interrupted by our harsh breathing. I realise that I'm gripping Jack's bicep hard enough to bruise and I quickly release him, rubbing the offended area to ease any pain.

After a minute or so, Jack rolls onto his back and takes me with him so that I lie partially on his chest. "And that was only our first time," he murmurs, a satiated yet surprised look on his face.

"Can't wait for the rest," I state, one hand coming up to play with his greying chest hairs. Being naturally smooth, I can tell that differences like that are going to fascinate me for a long time.

Jack moves his head to look at me and I obligingly stare back at him. "You're sure?" he asks.

"Yes. You?"

"Never surer," he replies, wrapping his arms around me.

"Good." Although neither of us can say the words yet, I know that this is love for both of us. Anything less and we wouldn't have risked our hearts again. "You know, we really should thank Farid."

Jack raises his eyebrows at my unusual comment. "Why would we do that?"

"Because he made us see that we could be more," I tell him, getting comfortable in his arms. I feel strangely content just to lie here and let Jack hold me, and not even the thought of Farid's brutality can spoil this moment.

"Well... there is that," Jack grudgingly admits. He plants a brief kiss on my lips and then relaxes. "Rest up. We've still got a day's downtime." His eyes promise that the sex will get even better.

I can't wait.