Bound Reflections
by Carlyn
Part 11

Back to Part 10

- 31 -

"Ow," Daniel whined grumpily, gingerly pivoting his upper body first one way, then the other, trying vainly to ease the pain in his back.

"I could get you something to help you relax," Janet offered sympathetically, experiencing a momentary pang of guilt. Fleetingly, she wondered if she had pushed Daniel too fast. Ironic considering that just a few days ago she had practically threatened to restrain him to the bed to keep him from leaving it.

"I don't want any more drugs," Daniel protested, almost succeeding in keeping the remonstrative tone from his voice.

"You might need it if you want to sleep tonight," Janet stressed, ignoring the censorious bite to his words. She kept her own tone professional, though inwardly she celebrated the fact that Daniel was assertively declining their offers of medicated relief. With each veto, he seemed more like the aggravatingly stubborn, uncooperative patient they'd all adored almost from the moment he'd wandered into the infirmary in his Abydonian robes.

"As tired as I am, I don't think sleep is going to be a problem." Daniel yawned exaggeratedly, pulling his fisted hands to his chest. As he extended his arms to complete the stretch, he yelped in surprise and carefully brought his arms back in to rest against his breastbone. He exhaled slowly, breathing out a string of multi-lingual curses.

Sucking his bottom lip into his mouth, Daniel closed his eyes. His eyelids pressed together by slow degrees, until his lashes quivered, his brows crowding in a mound at the bridge of his nose.

"Hey."

Daniel's eyes shot open at the familiar greeting and he shifted, hurriedly seeking a more natural repose. Grunting softly as his arms slid from his chest to his sides, he pushed an annoyed hiss through gritted teeth. He gently wriggled into the pillows, attempting to unclench the great muscles lining his back.

His genial expression swiftly degrading to concern, Jack loped quickly to the side of Daniel's bed. Reaching out to assist his lover's apparent need to scratch an inaccessible itch, he yanked his hand back when Daniel barked a curt "Don't!" His fingers twitching weakly over his lover's suddenly stock still form, Jack cut his eyes to Fraiser, who watched her patient with a mixture of mirth and commiseration.

"Daniel overdid it this morning," Janet advised. "He's a little sore."

Daniel shot her a murderous look and Janet flashed an unrepentant smile.  She knew it was a gross understatement to characterize his pain as little, but in order to refute her, Daniel would have to abandon his stiff upper lip pretense, and admit how much he was hurting. She sighed softly, when, instead of fessing up, Daniel squeezed his eyes shut against their concerned glances.

"Overdid it?" Jack inquired, swinging his gaze between doctor and patient, patently ignoring Daniel's attempt to withdraw from the conversation.

"I suggested Daniel take a short walk this morning, using his crutches. He decided to turn it into a marathon." Janet's lips drew taut with disapproval then softened with empathy. "His back and shoulder muscles have gone into spasms. Considering that barely more than a week ago he was suspended by his arms on that Goa'uld ship, this really isn't all that surprising. Other than his quick jaunt through the interview room and his trips to the bathroom, he hasn't been using those muscles much."

"If you knew something like this could happen, why didn't you stop him before he got carried away?"

Janet leveled such a menacing glare that Jack's eyes widened reflexively, no doubt in fearful anticipation of the next time one of her needles would be poised over his ass.

"I tried to get him to turn around long before he made it to the elevators," Janet stated vehemently. "I tried to get him to take the wheelchair back when he finally made it to the elevators. Sam tried. He just got that stubborn set to his features, lowered his head and plowed on, heedless of his friend's or his doctor's advice."

Daniel's palm struck the mattress with an agitated plop, his now wide-opened eyes flashing angrily. "Hello, conscious patient here," he snarked testily, looking daggers at them from the corners of his eyes.

His mouth executing a curious twitch, Jack waved an index finger over Daniel's bed. "Uh, you look a little rigid there, buddy," he observed.

Narrowed blue eyes zeroed in on Jack, who was smacked with a scathing stare that made Fraiser's look like a timid glance.

Jack drew in his traitorous lips, compressing them so tightly, it seemed he was punishing them for spouting out words that hadn't been properly processed through the self-preservation filter in his brain.

Skirting her eyes from Jack's chagrined squinch to Daniel's dark scowl, Janet determined that this was the perfect time to beat a hasty retreat. Uttering a quick, "Let me know if you want that muscle relaxant," she swiftly scooted towards the exit, leaving the colonel to face the increasingly bad-tempered archaeologist on his own.

"Hey, you started this," Jack called after her, laying the blame for Daniel's ill humor firmly on the doctor's shoulders. "Coward," he muttered when her pace didn't slow.

Jack turned to face Daniel, who again shifted against the pillows before emitting a deep sigh of frustration. The younger man's face pulled into a pain-filled wince — a gesture mirrored by Jack.

"When did I get to be so old?" Daniel grumbled on the exhalation.

"Hey, that's my line," Jack objected with a light-hearted grin, hoping to lift Daniel's mood.

"Yeah?" Daniel responded waspishly, "Well, until I see your name next to it in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, I'm not going to worry about making sure you get credit."

Jack's grin fled, replaced by a less-than-patient line pulled tight across the bottom of his face. "Come on, Daniel, cut yourself some slack here," he said, laying a cautious hand on Daniel's arm. "In the past week you've been worked over three ways from Sunday and have been pretty much bed-ridden since you've been back. It takes time after something like that for the body to respond to normal stuff like walking. Or in your case, hobbling."

Cutting his eyes at Jack's feeble attempt at humor, Daniel huffed discontentedly. "I need to get out of here," he announced abruptly. "I think this bed is part of the problem." He beat at the mattress with the heel of his hand. "And do you know how long it's been since I've seen daylight?"

"You never worry about missing daylight when you're holed up down here for days on some translation problem," Jack remarked sarcastically, clearing his throat of the sentiment when Daniel's blue glare was again cast in his direction. "What's Fraiser say?"

Daniel heaved a long, put upon sigh. "Medically, she has no reason to keep me. My various cuts and bruises are healing nicely. I'm eating regularly... well, sort of. I've even lost the IV." He gingerly raised his left hand to show Jack the small bandage that had replaced the IV needle. "But, she wants to make sure I can get around okay on the crutches before she lets me loose on my own."

'Thus the determined hop to the elevator and back,' Jack thought with an accompanying mental shake of his head. To Daniel he asked, "On your own?"

"Well, not completely, obviously." Daniel gestured at the cast that still decorated his right ankle. Biting his lip against the discomfort, he cautiously adjusted his position, expelling a harsh grunt. "I'm sure she'll insist that I stay with someone for a week or so."

"Carter never takes any time off," Jack said obligingly. "She's probably got enough leave accumulated." He waited a beat for Daniel to catch on to what he'd said. When his lover raised a curious brow at him, he added, "Of course, she'll kick your miserable ass to the curb on the first day if you go in there with that attitude."

Daniel's brow dropped low over his eyes for a second before his entire countenance relaxed visibly. "Is that your oh so subtle way of telling me I'm taking you for granted?" he chortled.

Jack beamed. "Subtle's what I do best."

Daniel flashed a genuine smile which instantly slipped into a strained grimace when he attempted to twist towards Jack.

"Ah!" Daniel followed the involuntary vocalization with soft pants. Closing his eyes, he waited for the pain to subside.

"Sit up," Jack suggested, swooping a hand under Daniel's shoulder to assist him.

Daniel cracked an eye, his squint alarm-ridden. "What?"

Jack eased his hold on Daniel's shoulder, raising an earnest brow. "Trust me," he said quietly.

Pulling a bit more insistently, Jack slid his hand to the middle of Daniel's back when the younger man began struggling upward. He pointedly ignored Daniel's muttered expletives, many of which he couldn't understand anyway.

"Scooch over here." Jack patted the mattress in front of him. Exerting gentle pressure on Daniel's left shoulder, he turned him slightly and helped him slide backwards to the side of the bed.

Almost as soon as he was positioned, Daniel leaned into Jack's comforting bulk.  When his lover's head slid into its customary place in the crook between his neck and shoulder, Jack automatically turned and kissed Daniel's temple, pulling quickly away when he realized what he'd done.

Grinning crookedly into the eye cocked inquiringly in his direction, Jack gently gripped Daniel's shoulders, assuring himself he could support the younger man's weight with just his arms, before he took a step back.

Firmly setting his feet, Jack tightened his hold a bit, squeezing and pulling outward slowly, in long languid strokes of his fingertips, his thumbs pressing into the tight, corded muscle of Daniel's shoulders.

At first, the tissue beneath his fingers tensed, and Jack breathed soothing hushing noises to accompany the massage. Before long, Daniel was the one uttering soft, contented mewls, shuddering occasionally when Jack hooked his thumbs into an especially knotted group of muscles.

He made his way down one side of Daniel's neck, his thumb pressing into the skin near the spine. Working a hand down to Daniel's shoulder blade, he snatched it away when his lover produced a low throaty moan.

Jack softly cleared his throat. "Okay. I think we should reserve that sound for bedroom use only," he whispered against Daniel's ear, immediately regretting the blatant reference to their sex life. Leaning back, he bit his tongue, wishing he could sever the offender, and held his breath in anticipation of Daniel's reaction.

Daniel pivoted haltingly to face Jack, his lips twitching in tandem with a lazy wink. "Oh?" He said pluckily, seemingly unbothered by the comment. Awkwardly grabbing for Jack's hand, he pulled it back around his neck. "Well, get over it, because I really need this."

Chuckling, Jack blew out a thankful breath and resumed his massage. "I live to serve," he snorted, rolling his fingers firmly over the area he'd just vacated.

After a few moments, Daniel began rotating his neck, purring contentedly.

"Have I worked out all the kinks?" Jack inquired, adjusting the pressure his hands exerted to a gentle rub.

"My neck and shoulders are much better, thanks," Daniel hummed appreciatively. "Now if you could just do the same for my back?" His eyelids fluttered imploringly.

'As if there was the slightest chance I might refuse.' Jack grinned at the playful glint in Daniel's eyes. 'Still, can't appear to give in too quickly.'

"Slave driver," he bitched good-naturedly. Splaying his hands against Daniel's back, he applied gentle pressure, bending his lover closer to the mattress.

Noting that the posture looked singularly uncomfortable, Jack cupped a broad shoulder and guided Daniel's upper body towards the head of the bed. "Why don't you lie down on your stomach," he urged helpfully.

Without prompt, Daniel hiked up his scrubs top until the hem resided in his armpits, exposing the long muscles of his back, and toppled sideways.

Jack futzed with the bed control until the surface beneath his lover flattened. Daniel waited, resting on his side, his palm pressed into the mattress. Once the bed was fully horizontal, he jammed his heel into the bed and pushed off. With a strained groan, he twisted his hips, but didn't quite manage to turn himself onto his chest.

Spurred into action by his lover's strangled cry, Jack wrapped his hands around Daniel's hips and lifted, twisting the younger man's body so that he could lay flat on the bed. He realized his mistake the second he tightened his grip.

With a sharp intake of breath, Daniel lurched out of his hold. Screaming a loud "No!" he effortlessly rolled over, kicking at Jack with his unencumbered foot.

Catching the foot as it impacted his ribs, Jack pushed it aside and fought his way through Daniel's flailing arms and legs. Barely ducking a hastily thrown fist, he grasped the front of the younger man's shirt.

Daniel surged upward and Jack gasped involuntarily. The eyes that had been laughing just two minutes ago now flashed wildly, the blue almost totally eclipsed by panic-dilated pupils.

Utilizing the leverage of his hold on the scrubs shirt, Jack tipped Daniel onto the bed. Capturing his agitated lover's hip between his elbow and his side, he leaned his weight into the squirming form, pressing him into the mattress.

"Daniel!" he barked, shaking the archaeologist with quick snaps of his wrists. "Daniel, it's me. It's Jack."

Daniel stabbed the heel of his hand into the body draped over his, shoving mightily against the weight. "Son of a bitch! Get off me!" He swung a closed hand, bludgeoning Jack squarely in the temple.

"Colonel!"

Shaking off the clubbing, Jack spared just a second of his attention for Fraiser and Lou Ferretti, who had been stationed outside Daniel's door.

"Back off! That's an order!" Jack snarled, as doctor and friend moved towards them.

Some remote part of him registering that the duo had frozen in place, Jack snagged the hand that slapped at him and yanked Daniel into a sitting position.

"That's enough!" he roared, his temper fueled by fear and anger.

With a quick, contracted breath, the fury fled from Daniel's eyes, and, all tension gone, he slumped inelegantly against the mattress. Blinking furiously, he centered his confused gaze on the intense dark eyes of the face hovering above him. His gaze drifted down to take in hands, one wrapped in his scrubs shirt, the other encircling his wrist.

"Ja... Jack?" he gasped, his eyes darting back up to his lover's, the collision of his tightly drawn brows creating twin furrows at the bridge of his nose. His respirations accelerated, his short, sharp inhalations followed by harsh puffs of expelled air.

Releasing his grip on Daniel's wrist, Jack unwound Daniel's shirt from his fist. He cupped the side of the younger man's face, anxious eyes burrowing deep into his partner's.

"Hey. You back with me?"

"Yeah." Daniel coughed, tearing his gaze away from Jack's too-knowing scrutiny. "Just give me a minute." Letting his eyelids droop, Daniel purposefully concentrated on evening out his breathing, the one thing he could control at that moment.

Now that the crisis had passed, Janet motioned Lou back out of the room. She followed him as far as doorway, waiting there, far enough removed that the men could override their normal discretion if they so chose.

Finally able to pull a long calming breath, Daniel shuddered, the tremors evidence of the flashback's lingering hold. "Damn it," he grumbled. Offering Jack a small smile, he flicked a hand in the air. "Help me sit up," he petitioned, his hand hovering expectantly.

Gently gripping his lover's elbow, Jack waited until Daniel had a good hold on his forearm before tugging the younger man up. Seemingly unable to help himself, once Daniel was upright, Jack pulled him in, enfolding him in a gentle embrace. He sighed contentedly when Daniel offered no resistance but fell willingly against him, his head settled against Jack's chest, his arm wrapping around Jack's waist.

"God, babe, I am so sorry," Jack groaned miserably. He couldn't at that moment say which of them was trembling more furiously.

"Colonel?" Janet moved tentatively towards the bed.

Jack cut alarmed eyes to Janet's. "In a minute, Doc," Jack muttered pleadingly, absently tightening his hold in response to the threat of having Daniel taken from him.

Smiling sympathetically, Janet retreated a few paces, offering the couple additional private time, casting intermittent glances their way to monitor Daniel's recovery.

Daniel squirmed a bit. "Jack," he moaned softly, "as nice as this is, it's getting a little hard to breath."

Snorting a relieved gust at the normalcy of the complaint, Jack raised his head and loosened his grip. Leaning back, he stroked Daniel's cheek, his gaze drawn to the vague smile still painted on Daniel's lips.

"I'm okay, Jack," Daniel said, managing to infuse his voice with conviction, in spite of its shaky quality. Insinuating his fingers between the ones resting on his cheek, he squeezed affectionately.

Sliding his hand free, Jack gripped a strong shoulder, the hold intended to caress as well as to keep his archaeologist from slipping off the edge of the bed. His thumb skimmed the flesh at Daniel's neck and the younger man's eyelids fluttered placidly.

Janet took the distance between her and her patient in a few large paces, instantly wrapping her fingers around his wrist to check his pulse. At the same time she eyed him critically, a deep frown telegraphing her displeasure at finding him pale and damp from sweat.

"It was just a flashback, Janet," Daniel carped, undoubtedly anticipating the extra attention from the medical staff the episode was sure to garner.

Sticking a shoulder into the colonel's chest, Janet forced her way between the men. Nodding approval at Jack, who reluctantly sidestepped to give her room, she pulled out her penlight. As she swung the instrument towards Daniel's face, he captured it in his palm.

"It was just a flashback," Daniel reiterated, his causal tone underlain by just a hint of annoyance. "They're going to happen from time to time. There's no need to get all panicky about it."

Janet's lips tightened, but she calmly removed her penlight from Daniel's grip and dropped it into her pocket. "What set this one off?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at the colonel.

"It was my fault..." Jack began.

"No. It was not your fault," Daniel defended insistently.

"Yes, Daniel, it was. I..."

"No, it wasn't."

"Was." Jack stated with what he thought was finality.

"Wasn't." Daniel refuted anyway.

"Daniel," Jack snarled with that commanding tone that brooked no argument.

"Jack?" Daniel inquired in that tone that suggested he had no idea why Jack thought he had to be so assertive with him.

"Gentlemen!" Janet interjected, holding her hands up like a traffic cop attempting to stop two cars from colliding head on. She grinned smugly when both men snapped their mouths shut.

Whirling on O'Neill, she raised an exasperated brow. "You were about to say?" she prompted.

Shooting Daniel an apologetic look, Jack cleared his throat. "I forgot. Things have been almost... normal these past few days..." He shook himself, afraid he was veering too close to making excuses, instead of accepting responsibility. "I was giving Daniel a massage for his sore back. I... like I said, I forgot. And I grabbed him around his hips to help him turn over..."

"It wasn't your fault, Jack," Daniel reaffirmed quietly.

His eyes widening faintly at the soft acquittal, Jack studied his archaeologist, sighing inwardly at the open, forgiving expression on Daniel's face. The corners of his mouth lifted in gratified acceptance of the younger man's offer of absolution.

Janet shifted uneasily, apparently just realizing that she stood in the gap between their passionate gazes. She stepped away and wheeled on her patient.

"You need to get back into bed." She flung her hand in a gesture that most patients easily read as meaning, 'Lay down.'

Wrenching his eyes away from Jack's, Daniel smiled sweetly and rolled backward into the bed. Twisting so that his hip hit the mattress, he squirmed awkwardly with the momentum until he lay on his stomach. He stifled a groan in the pillow while he worked his arm from beneath his body, then turned his head and waggled his brows at the dual stunned looks aimed his way.

"You still owe me a massage," he cajoled, singling out his lover's surprised gape.

Jack's jaw dropped a little more, and he turned nervous eyes on Janet.

Daniel raised himself on his elbows, grunting a bit with the effort. Leveling the older man with the most sincere gaze in his arsenal of blue-eyed persuasive tools, he said assuredly, "It's okay, Jack. I trust you." He rested his head back on the mattress, wearing an expression of patient expectation.

Shrugging vaguely at the still apprehensive brown eyes that swung back to hers, Janet whispered, "Just be careful," and headed towards the exit, waving Ferretti further away from the door.

Watching their backs until they disappeared from sight, Jack turned slowly to the prone figure on the bed.

"Daniel." Jack flashed a nervous grin, and took a step closer to the bed.

"Jack," Daniel returned, his own smile faltering briefly. Closing his eyes, he swallowed audibly, an agonizingly slow, difficult process.

Standing next to his love, Jack frowned grimly. 'You've got a great game face there, Dannyboy, but the lump you just had to force down your throat tells me you're not quite as all right with this as you want me to believe.' Jack shook his head, and rearranged his features to match his determined intent to help Daniel get to 'okay.'

Lightly settling his fingertips on Daniel's back, he resisted the urge to lift them when the younger man flinched.

"Daniel, I know you want to be all right with this," Jack said, his words as soft as his touch. "So we're gonna take it nice and slow." Exerting gentle pressure, Jack moved his fingers upward following the line of Daniel's spine. "I'll, ah, try to stay away from any places that might, ah..."

Opening his eyes, Daniel angled his face towards his lover's, the fragile smile he offered sliding away to an unrelentingly confident line. "You'll do fine, Jack," he encouraged resolutely, his tone accepting of no other outcome. "We'll figure it out together." 

Moored by the faith shining out through the bright blue orbs, and uplifted by the single-minded set to Daniel's jaw, Jack exhaled a controlled breath and resumed his ministrations.

"Right, slow and steady then. Let me know if this hurts."

"You're sure you can handle this?"

As they exited the elevator, headed for the infirmary, Jack stopped abruptly and pivoted, halting the movement of his companion with a slightly upraised hand.

Rolling large blue eyes in his direction, Sam fought back the grin that had begun to blossom, fearing the colonel might interpret too broad a smile as insubordination. It would not do to have the man think she was laughing at him.

Offering a theatrical sigh instead, she nodded once. "I have spent the day with Daniel before, you know."

"Yeah, I know, shopping or... something." His hand flitted in the air, an indication that whatever scientific endeavors she and Daniel might have engaged in together was equally as uninteresting to him as their shopping trips had been. His face turned grave. "You heard he had another flashback, right?"

"Yes, sir," she confirmed "but you don't need to worry about that either. Teal'c has insisted on spending the day with us." The corner of her mouth twitched minutely, and Sam silently berated herself when the colonel's eyes narrowed. She had been careful to keep her objection out her tone, and except for the fact that the colonel had been looking right at her when she smirked, she might have succeeded in masking her dissent.

"Yeah, okay, I talked to Teal'c." Jack sneered guiltily and tapped her forearm in an appeasing gesture. "Look, Carter, it's not that I doubt your ability to take care of yourself. Hell, on a really good day you could probably kick my ass." He paused a second, giving her a chance to savor the bone he'd just tossed her. "But when Daniel's in the throes of one of these things..." He sighed, his shoulders drooping wearily.

Sam redirected her uneasy gaze to the hand he thrust into his pocket. "Janet told me you had to lie across Daniel to keep him in the bed the other day."

"Yes, I did," Jack admitted softy. "And as tough as you are, you just don't have the bulk necessary to manage the vision-crazed version of our mild-mannered archaeologist."

Frowning involuntary, Sam bowed up at what she couldn't help but perceive as a slight against her gender, declining to back off the defensive stance even when the colonel raised his voice.

"You know what. To hell with your pride," Jack growled, leveling a flinty glare intended to keep her from arguing. "Let's face it, Carter; Daniel's not that skinny kid fresh off the turnip truck from Abydos anymore. He's a well-muscled, physically strong warrior... as much as that pains me to say. If he has a flashback while you're with him, he's not going to see a concerned friend trying to help him regain control. He will think you are a six foot plus male Goa'uld looking to assault him again. And he will respond accordingly."

Spinning away a quarter turn, he forced out a gushing breath before facing her again, the dour scowl once again in place. "The fact is, if Daniel has a flashback that lasts any length of time, you couldn't handle him by yourself, not without resorting to blows — something you probably would avoid at all costs." His glare softened significantly. "And if, God forbid, Daniel hurts you while he's out of his mind..."

Sam gasped softly, visibly deflating. Despite the colonel's no-nonsense tone, she had thought about arguing — up to the point where their team leader had pointed out that she was also risking Daniel's well-being by resisting this precaution. Feeling slightly ashamed, she lowered her head and nodded. "You're right, sir. It would be best if Teal'c was there."

"That's a wise decision, Major," Jack said, placing an approving hand on her shoulder. Exerting slight pressure, he used the gesture to give her a small push in the direction of the infirmary. "Believe me, you don't want to wrestle with an earnestly battling Daniel Jackson," he added, gingerly rubbing the fading bruise on his temple.

Realizing she was pushing her luck, Sam canted her head and grinned slyly. "I hear Janet had a thing or two to say about your methods of bringing Daniel back around."

Jack lifted the corner of his mouth in a chagrined wince. "I admit shaking Daniel and shouting at him wasn't the best way to handle things. But I was angry."

"And scared," Sam added, knowing he wouldn't.

"Right," Jack conceded with a tilt of his scarred brow. "He smacked me and I got mad. And, I was afraid I couldn't control him," Jack stated significantly.

"Thus your decision to ask Teal'c to baby sit both Daniel and me. I get it, sir."

Flashing a less than satisfied smile, the colonel carped, "If there was any way to get out of this training demonstration tomorrow... but General Vidrine scheduled this thing weeks ago and you don't just tell a four star general you'd rather be spending the day with a teammate who's just been released from the infirmary."

"Daniel understands, sir," Sam soothed, cognizant that the mini tirade was really the colonel's way of assuaging his guilt over leaving Daniel the day after taking him home.

Pulling her lips into her mouth to prevent them from actually voicing that sentiment, Sam quickly schooled her features. Though they carefully concealed the fact, Sam knew the colonel's house was Daniel's real home. Given military regulations, she surmised that the reason the colonel hadn't revealed his relationship with Daniel to her was because of the danger such foreknowledge posed to her career if the relationship was exposed. Her lips stretched in a fleeting smile. No doubt Daniel had argued against keeping her in the dark; but, she knew, once reminded that she could face reprimand, or worse, for keeping their secret, Daniel would have reluctantly gone along.

There were days, when she was feeling less than attractive, that Sam admitted to herself that, were such a thing possible, she might like to be more to the colonel — Jack — than an admired, and yes, much loved, colleague. But Sam realized that, though the two of them played at flirting, Jack's passion was directed elsewhere. She had seen it erupt in a heartfelt, joyous "Space Monkey!" and a too harshly snarled, "Shut up, Daniel."

The year Daniel had been gone from them, though the colonel did his job, as always, to the best of his ability, his motions were automated and lifeless. The passion returned to his work — to his life — at Vis Uban with the broken-voiced utterance of a single word: "Daniel."

Sam had been too caught up in her own amazement at finding their lost friend to give the colonel's emotional reaction much thought. But she'd gained a new perspective in the intervening months.

Both men were very careful to not let anything of their feelings for each other show on base or on missions. But Sam was privileged to know them on a personal level as well, and a few unguarded glances at a team pizza night were all it took for the brilliant scientist to figure it out. Jack had finally let his passion guide him into Daniel's arms — where, she acknowledged, he belonged.

Wishing she could openly share in their felicity, still Sam was content to remain distant from the epicenter, periodically engaging in the flirtatious banter she and the colonel had developed, aiding her friends in the maintenance of the illusion — as much for the benefit of their co-workers as for Jack and Daniel.

"Carter, are you listening to me?"

Yanked violently back from her musings, Sam glanced at Jack's annoyed scowl, a reaction, no doubt, to the sappy grin she felt sliding from her face. Clearing her throat, she made a show of straightening her posture.

"Sorry, sir. I, ah, I zoned out a bit there."

Stopping just outside the main entrance to the infirmary, Jack pulled a tolerant smirk. "Well, I do it often enough to you. I supposed I can let it slip this once."

Sam nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Jerking his head towards the infirmary proper, Jack suggested, "Come on. Let's go see if Fraiser's got Daniel ready to go."

As they crossed the threshold, Janet emerged from Daniel's room, her hands tucked neatly in the pockets of her lab coat.

"Right on time," she chirped approvingly. "I've just given Daniel a little something to take the edge off. He'll be ready to go by the time the wheelchair gets here."

"What do you mean you gave him something? I thought he was refusing meds."

"I gave him the choice between accepting the muscle relaxant and taking the trip down the mountain lying prone in the back of an ambulance. Even though your massage apparently worked wonders, sitting in your truck for the forty-five minute ride to your house will undoubtedly be very uncomfortable."

The line between Jack's brows grew deeper as they pulled together in confusion. "It only takes about twenty minutes to get to my place."

"That may be true at your usual breakneck speed, but if you are going to transport my patient, you are going to drive slowly to ensure he arrives safely at his destination."

His lips pursed in offense at the insinuation that he wasn't capable of getting Daniel home in one piece, Jack nevertheless muttered agreement.

"Good. I'm sending him home with some pain meds, muscle relaxants and sleeping pills." Her hand jerked up to forestall the colonel's anticipated question. "Just in case he needs them."

His lips twisting in disapproval, ultimately Jack concede with a terse nod.

"I'll just go get his prescriptions and your care instructions. You can go in and wait with Daniel." Janet spun on the ball of her high-heeled shoe and tapped her way towards the pharmacy.

Rounding the doorway that led to Daniel's private room, Jack's steps faltered with his first glance at his archaeologist.

Daniel lay bonelessly on the bed, his head tilted back slightly. As Jack took in the motionless blue eyes staring at the ceiling, and Daniel's slack jawed countenance, he had to swallow against the lurching rhythm his heart set up at the sight.

Daniel looked dead. The illusion lasted only a moment before Daniel raised an ungainly hand to awkwardly swipe at his nose, but in that instant, Jack realized that, so many times in the past week, the misapprehension could easily have been reality.

Quickening his pace, he reached for the hand that flapped in his direction.

"Jack," Daniel whispered tipsily. He lurched unexpectedly to life as Sam, who had lagged behind the older man, came into view.

"Sam!" Daniel tightened his grip on Jack's hand and attempted to pull himself upright, his other hand slapping the mattress for a supporting hold. A wide, crooked smile stretched his face. "Sam, I'm so glad to see you," he gushed.

"You just saw her yesterday," Jack reminded him peevishly, a little put out that Daniel had reserved his ebullient greeting for Carter. Pushing Daniel back onto the mattress, he snapped, "Lay still before you roll off the bed."

Daniel swung his uncoordinated gaze back to Jack and his eyes widened in surprise. "You're wearing clothes," he said, his tone infused with genuine amazement at the black jeans and leather jacket.

Jack cleared his throat, his mouth twitching slightly, and snatched a glance at Carter who was moving to the other side of Daniel's bed.

"They're called civvies. And you're wearing them, too."

Daniel raised his head and focused, open mouthed, on the dark blue sweats adorning his body, the slipper covering his left foot. Shifting his gaze to Sam, he lowered his brows, confusion evident in his slack gape.

"You're still in uniform," he complained then thunked his head back on the pillow, apparently finding it too much of an effort to keep it aloft.

Making a valiant attempt to beat back the smile that wanted to break out at his adorably dopey expression, Sam clasped the hand that lay twitching nervously on the mattress. "How are you doing, Daniel?"

"I feel pretty good." Daniel pulled his hand away from Jack and rubbed at his nose again, knocking his glasses askew.

"Yeah? Doc give you some of her happy pills?" Jack reached over and plucked the glasses from their precarious perch. Folding them, he tucked them in the inner pocket of his coat for safekeeping.

Daniel scowled briefly. "No, I got a shot."

"Ouch," Jack commiserated with a slight flinch.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed on his exhaled breath. Immediately after the corresponding inhalation, Daniel announced with a self-important grin, "Gen'ral Hammond and Teal'c came to see me." His smile wavered, shifting swiftly from smug to sentimental. "I reeeally like George," he slurred sincerely. "He's sush a nice guy."

Jack gave in briefly to the smile the sentiment engendered, quickly rearranging his features to reflect the solemnity with which Daniel expressed it. "He's pretty fond of you, too, buddy." 

Appearing introspective for a moment, Daniel sighed. "I'm goin' home, Jack," he said happily, though the effect was marred by the tears that had accumulated in the corners of his eyes.

"Yeah, buddy, you are," Jack confirmed.

"I'm really glad to be goin' home." Daniel's voice trembled slightly. He drew a huge breath, letting it out with an exaggerated sigh.

"Daniel?"

Daniel turned his face towards Sam and a few of the tears escaped their confines, spilling over his right cheek.

Sam lifted her alarm-filled gaze to Jack. Glancing back down, she gaped slightly at Daniel's suddenly half-masted eyes, his long lashes flickering on the ends of heavy, quivering lids. She watched him for a moment, frowning thoughtfully, until her attention was drawn away by a softly spoken, "Carter."

Jack motioned her away from the bed with a tip of his head. Turning, he spied Janet as she came through the door with a wheelchair, and marched briskly towards her.

"I thought you just gave him enough to take the edge off." Jack jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the totally relaxed archaeologist. "He got all sappy and maudlin on us then fell asleep."

Janet shrugged. "Daniel has a low tolerance to muscle relaxants." Skirting around him, she headed to the bed with the wheelchair. Sam spun neatly and followed close on her heels.

"Ah, Danny, still a cheap date," Jack muttered affectionately, flashing his own sappy smile.

Jack snapped out of his reverie, the appearance of an unfamiliar figure, clad in white, stirring his hackles. He quickly followed the man back to Daniel's bed.

"Okay, Daniel, let's get you into the wheelchair." Janet cooed, gently nudging her patient's shoulder.

Daniel's eyelids fluttered lazily, offering brief glimpses of dulled blue eyes. His head pitched jarringly towards the voice.

"Daniel," Janet called softly, waiting for his eyes to train on her face. "This is Brian. He's one of the male nurses. I want you to let him do all the work."

Daniel's eyes drifted to the dark-haired man on her left. Widening, they swung wildly, darting urgently, as though searching for something. His eyes stilled when they found Jack.

Watching over the doctor's shoulder, Jack bristled, roughly tapping his fingertips against the nurse's shoulder. "Why don't you let me get him out of the bed, huh?"

Without waiting for a response, he placed himself neatly between the other man and his archaeologist.

"Sir?" Janet arched an elegantly sculpted eyebrow at him.

"I just... he'll come easier with me." Jack stared meaningfully into her curious face, wholly unaware of the double entendre he'd just uttered, and quickly cut his gaze to Brian.

Janet's eyes followed his, twitching in comprehension when they fell on the nurse's white uniform — very similar to the one Jeffries had worn. Her lips parted in a quiet gasp. "Yes, sir. You might be right."

Nodding once, curtly, Jack peeped over his shoulder at Brian, who backed far enough away to give Jack room to work, but stayed close enough to assist if necessary.

"Okay, Danny, let's get you up." Jack reached across Daniel and patted the knee furthest from him. Hooking the leg with his fingers he pulled, encouraging Daniel to slide towards him.

"Up," Daniel parroted, the apprehension he'd just displayed quickly forgotten. Groaning with the effort, Daniel twisted his hips, managing only to slither towards the top of the mattress.

"Come on, Daniel," Jack panted, struggling to get the man moving in the right direction. "Dig your heel in there and push."

Head bouncing in some semblance of an assenting nod, Daniel bent his left knee and planted his heel into the mattress. Apparently unable in his impaired condition to accurately judge the placement, he set the foot too close to the edge of the bed and it slid over the side.

Daniel puffed out his cheeks, blowing an exasperated breath. A soft giggle tagged onto the air.

"Oh, you think this is funny, huh?" Jack grumbled, shaking his head, but his doting smile took all the bite out his complaint.

Cupping Daniel's right knee, Jack pulled the other leg over the side of the bed. Slipping his hand behind Daniel's shoulder to assist the ascent, he allowed the weight of Daniel's legs to counterbalance his upper body, and guided the younger man to a sitting position.

Daniel swayed slightly and Jack tightened his hold. "You okay? You're not gonna puke or anything?"

Daniel's head bobbed drunkenly and Jack bent to get a good look at his lover's face.

Daniel's eyes were closed again, the edges of his mouth tipped up in an oddly contented grin.

Jack gently shook the shoulder. "Hey, don't go to sleep just yet."

Daniel's head snapped up and only Jack's quick reflexes kept him from toppling over backward on the bed. Peeping around his lashes, he ran his tongue lazily over his bottom lip then smacked his lips together with what could only be described as a kiss.

A snorted twitter issued behind him and Jack glanced over his shoulder to find the unrepentantly amused countenance of the base CMO aimed at him. "You'd better do it quickly, colonel, or you might have to pick him up off the floor."

Grunting objectionably, Jack turned his attention back to his archaeologist and quickly encircled the relaxed form with his arms. With a muttered reminder to Daniel to keep his weight off his injured leg, Jack tightened his grip and stepped back.

Confirming that Brian had maneuvered the wheelchair into position, Jack pivoted, roughly shrugged off the head that had fallen sluggishly against his shoulder, and lowered Daniel safely, if somewhat awkwardly, into the wheelchair. Huffing a satisfied breath, he snagged the hems of Daniel's pants legs and attentively guided the younger man's feet into position on the footrests.

Jack straightened with a groan, placing his hands in his lower back and twisting until his back cracked with an audible pop. Content to let Brian earn his paycheck, he gestured for the younger man to take charge of the wheelchair.

Wending their way to the elevators, Jack nodded thanks on Daniel's behalf for the well wishes extended by the unusually large number of personnel they encountered in the hallways. Once secure in the cab, the ride to the surface was almost uncomfortably quiet as no one wanted to disturb the softly snoring archaeologist.

When the elevator finally reached the surface, Jack sidestepped around the wheelchair and headed quickly to the curb just outside the final check-in point. His truck was there, brought to the approach by one of the airman on duty. Taking his keys with a quiet word of thanks, Jack opened the front passenger side door and stood waiting for the remaining members of Daniel's farewell party to arrive.

Brian pulled the chair up next to the truck and set the brake. Daniel's head, hanging limply between his shoulders, wobbled gently with the abrupt halt.

"Colonel, here are his meds." Janet extended a small clear baggie containing three pill bottles and a folded up sheet of paper. "The suggested dosage for each is included in the after care instructions."

"Thanks, doc." Taking the baggie from her, Jack leaned into the truck and tossed it on the back seat. The pill bottles clinked hollowly against Daniel's crutches which Jack had sent to the surface, along with his truck keys.

Turning back, he gazed at his lover's bowed head, careful to keep his expression from revealing the true emotions the sight triggered. With a soft smile, he stooped next to the wheelchair and laid a hand on Daniel's forearm.

"Hey, buddy, you ready to go?"

Daniel snorted and raised his head, but his eyes remained closed.

Jack shook the arm gently until two circles of muted blue showed beneath gently fluttering eyelids.

"You need to wake up just a bit, Daniel, so I can get you into the truck." Jack's mouth twisted with a nostalgic thought. "Seven years ago I could have tossed your skinny ass in there with one hand, but you're a big guy now so I'll need you to help."

Momentarily confused by the recitation, Daniel blinked then nodded dopily, "'Kay."

Jack slid Daniel's feet off the footrests, reminding his lover again to keep the right one elevated.

Hoisting himself up, Jack swung around in front of his listless archaeologist. Bending down, he tucked his hands into Daniel's armpits and eased him forward. When Daniel fell against him, Jack bent his knees and, wrapping his arms securely around his lover, he straightened until they stood, embracing, beside the truck.

Feeling Daniel's chin hook over his shoulder, Jack angled his head, watching his archaeologist's features for any sign of discomfort that might have come from the change in position.

Forcing his eyes open again, Daniel focused myopically on the scene around him. Catching sight of the airman who had delivered Jack's truck, he uttered a strangled gasp. "Jack," he hissed in the ear next to his mouth, "you're hugging me in front of the SFs and everyone."

Jack grinned indulgently into Daniel's vaguely alarmed face. "It's okay, Danny. They just think I'm trying to keep you from falling on your ass."

"Oh," Daniel whispered back a few seconds later, noticing that Jack was indeed holding him up. "Good plan."

Once he realized that Jack was supporting the bulk of his weight, Daniel straightened.

"Careful, don't put any weight on your right foot," Janet warned.

Daniel swiveled his head in her direction, the quick movement throwing them off balance. He flinched away from Jack's alarmed cry, expelled directly into his ear, and cringed against the anticipated pain when the sidewalk would inevitably stop their fall.

After a moment, when he apparently determined that hitting the pavement was taking a lot longer than he'd expected, Daniel peeled his eyes open. He panted faintly, surprised to find himself still vertical.

"Nice save, Carter. Thanks."

Blinking at Jack, his face contorted with the effort of processing his lover's words, Daniel carefully glanced over his shoulder at the additional pair of hands high on his back. Shifting his lazy gaze upward, he smiled into Sam's warm blue eyes.

Sam patted his back and sidestepped, giving Daniel a view of the gaping doorway of Jack's truck. Daniel nodded his readiness to the man holding him up.

"You better hurry," he slurred, "'fore the 'drenaline rush wears off."

"Yeah," Jack snorted, "you never could stand up to muscle relaxants for long."

Daniel smirked matter-of-factly, the truth of Jack's statement undeniable. Extending an arm behind him, he awkwardly gripped the seatback, hopped backward one step, and rested his backside against the seat. Taking a second to catch his breath, Daniel reached up to the handle above the door and, aided by Jack, swung his legs properly into the vehicle.

Once he had Daniel settled, Jack stepped back, giving his lover a chance to adjust to the new position. Catching a glimpse of Daniel's doctor in his peripheral vision, he turned his head and raised a brow at the sad cast to her gaze as she watched her patient from several feet away. He moved aside, ostensibly to let Carter say goodbye to Daniel, and casually closed the distance between them.

Janet's eyes left Daniel for just a second to acknowledge the colonel's presence.

"I'm sorry about bringing Brian in," she said quietly, smiling fondly at the care with which Sam helped Daniel fasten his seatbelt. "I should have realized. Do you think Daniel was upset by the white uniform?"

"I don't know," Jack replied, backing up the opinion with a shrug. "If he had been one hundred percent there at the time, I don't think it would have been a problem. But with the drugs fogging his thinking... I just didn't want to put him through any more stress than was absolutely necessary."

Both sets of brown eyes shined adoringly at Daniel, whose head nodded tipsily at something Sam said to him. Jack sighed heavily.

"Sir?"

Twitching his mouth self-consciously at allowing himself such an unguarded moment, Jack turned slightly to face Janet. "I was just thinking how incredibly grateful I am that Daniel managed to keep Jeffries from injecting him with that full dose of sedatives. If the bastard had gotten him incapacitated..."

She cut her eyes to Jack's, offering an encouraging gaze. "I think it was more Daniel's determination not to let Jeffries win that was the deciding factor," Janet opined softly, affectionate awe for the young man evident in the statement. Returning her attention to her patient, her mouth dropped open in consternation. "Uh oh," she exclaimed.

Whirling, Jack frowned slightly at the sight of his 2IC gently fingering tears from Daniel's face. "Guess we'd better get going."

Janet nodded. "You'll call me if he needs anything?"

Raising a hand, he gave her shoulder a filial squeeze. "You know I will," he said, a mischievous grin playing along his lips, "even if it's 0400."

"Hmm," Janet replied with mock ill-humor, and made her way over to the side of the truck.

Fully aware that if Daniel did need her, Janet would move heaven and earth itself to be there for him, no matter how inconvenient the hour, Jack smiled fondly after their little Napoleonic power monger.

Pulling himself out of his sentimental daze, he strolled to the truck and opened the back door, motioning for Brian to load up the wheelchair. He nodded his thanks to the nurse and again to the airman still standing off to the side in case he was needed, dismissing them both with the gesture.

Pushing his way through the female members of the 'I adore Daniel fan club,' with a muttered, "You'll see him tomorrow," Jack tilted Daniel's seat back a bit and shut his archaeologist securely into the truck.

"You're sure you'll be able to get him into the house on your own?" Janet queried as Jack turned around.

"No problem. All I have to do is pick him up off the driveway, wrestle him into the wheelchair and push him into the house. Piece of cake." Jack flashed an exaggerated grin, which did nothing to soften the 'I'm not amused' glare Janet leveled on him.

Toning the grin down to an affectionate smile, Jack said confidently, "Don't worry Doc. I've got a coupla big airmen meeting me at the house."

Returning her approving nod, Jack quickly skipped around to the driver's side, brought his hand up in a brisk wave, and climbed into the truck.

He gazed at his passenger as he started the engine. Daniel relaxed fully into the reclining bucket seat, his face turned in Jack's direction. Smiling tenderly into the serene blue eyes, made glassy from drugs and sentimental tears, Jack put the truck into gear and asked rhetorically, "You ready to go home?"

Daniel pulled a contented breath. "'M ready," he replied on a sigh, his eyelids drifting downward.

They hadn't even made it to the intersection leading to the main exit, when gentle snores wafted from the passenger side of the truck.

-32-

"Carter, I did make sure we'd have something in the house to eat before I brought Daniel here." Jack smirked ill-humoredly at the major and Jaffa standing on his front porch, arms loaded with grocery bags.

Inviting them in with a sweep of his arm, he motioned them into the dining room across the way. "Daniel's still sleeping. I put him in my bedroom." Glancing back down the hallway, instinctively masking the feelings of longing that surfaced every time he thought about leaving Daniel for the day, Jack skirted his way around Teal'c and motioned for them to deposit their burdens on the table. "Figured he'd need the extra room with the cast and all."

"Good thinking, sir," Sam commended, her head bobbing in approval.

Jack shrugged distractedly. "It happens."

Sam and Teal'c began unloading the contents of the bags onto the table, and Jack took in the stacks of packaged-to-order comestibles with barely disguised irritation. "You two buy out the specialty foods store?" He rubbed the back of his neck, a bemused grin pulling at his lips. "What is all this?"

Sam set the empty bags on the floor at her feet and pulled out a chair, seating herself. "Just a few of Daniel's favorite comfort foods. We figured now that he's finally eating —"

"Okay, the chocolate walnut cookies I recognize," Jack cut in, lifting the bag from Daniel's preferred bakery. "What's in the tub?" He gestured to a large plastic container to Sam's right.

"Kalamata olives."

"Olives? There's an unopened jar of olives in my pantry."

"These are Greek olives, sir," Sam advised, smiling apologetically when the colonel cut his eyes at her superior tone.

Jack reached over and sorted through some of the containers. "Empanadas, smoked salmon, couscous salad, mango chicken, Thai noodles ..."

"Daniel Jackson has spoken very highly of each of these menu items," Teal'c explained.

Spying something that reminded him of nothing so much as a dish of giant cockroaches, Jack pushed a few packages out of his way to get at it. "What are these things? Dates?"

"Dates are one of Daniel Jackson's treasured foods from the time he was a boy in Egypt," Teal'c rumbled, a censorious frown taking over his features. "Were you unaware of this fact, O'Neill?"

"I'm aware," Jack returned sharply, backing off his looming stance when he realized how defensive he sounded. "I just..." He swept his hand over the offerings. "He doesn't usually eat this kind of stuff when he's over here."

"Precisely why we have procured these items. It is, as MajorCarter has said, to provide comfort to Daniel Jackson in his recovery."

Jack stared at Teal'c a second, the look pained. "Why can't he eat ice cream and potato chips like everyone else?" he finally muttered, and turned to the coffeemaker.

"Did DanielJackson have a restful night, O'Neill?"

Jack paused, his hand on the coffeepot. "Yeah, actually, he seems to have slept pretty well." He refilled his cup, holding the pot up towards Carter, his brow raised in question. She declined with a wave of her hand and he turned off the machine, bringing his cup to the table.

"I had to help him up once in the night," he continued, slipping into one of the chairs, "but other than that... there were no nightmares, no flashbacks."

"That's good to hear, sir," Sam replied around a genuine smile.

Jack glanced at his watch, took another gulp of coffee and got up. "Okay, I gotta go. I hope you can find somewhere to put all this stuff."

"We'll manage, sir."

"Daniel's prescriptions are there on the counter. Fraiser's instructions are there, too. Remember, no coffee. No matter how much he whines."

"Yes, sir. No coffee."

"I'll be in the field, but the base will be able to get in touch with me if you need me here."

"We'll be fine, sir," Sam said evenly, purposefully keeping any impatience from her voice.

Shuffling to the front door, Sam and Teal'c close on his heels, Jack glanced again at his watch. He gazed sidelong down the hallway, furiously resisting the urge to check on Daniel one last time. Reaching for the door knob, he turned, so crisply that Sam stepped back half a pace.

"Help yourself to anything you want. Remember, Daniel can't have coffee yet," he reiterated. "I'm trusting you to be strong here."

"Daniel Jackson will be well cared for in your absence, O'Neill."

Taken aback by the soft avowal, Jack's mouth dropped open. Looking from one of Daniel's teammates to the other, he grinned shame-facedly. "I know that, big guy. And, really, I appreciate it."

They stood awkwardly, smiling at each other for a few seconds, before Jack turned and pulled the door open. "I'll see ya later, then."

"Yes, sir, we'll be here," Sam assured, closing the door firmly behind him after he'd stepped out.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Sam leaned against the door. "Teal'c, can you put away the groceries? I'm going to check on Daniel."

Teal'c inclined his head, giving no indication that he was offended by the more domestic task, and returned to the kitchen.

Grinning her thanks at his broad back, Sam spun and made her way to the end of the hall. She cursed under her breath, her words only slightly softer than the squeak of the door as it opened, and peeked around the barrier into the bedroom.

The sun was just starting to assert itself over the early morning hush, inspiring the songbirds poised outside the bedroom window to cheerful serenade, a charming accompaniment to the slanted glints of light slipping around the heavy curtain covering the sliding glass door.

The man in the bed was oblivious.

There was just enough light to illuminate Daniel's inert form. At some point, most probably after the colonel had last looked in on him, Daniel had kicked the covers so that they draped only his legs from mid-thigh down. Sam breathed her relief at finding that Daniel was wearing pajama bottoms.

The corners of Sam's lips lifted in a fond smile as she gazed upon her teammate. The archaeologist lay on his stomach, one hand tucked, palm upward, against his neck, the other buried somewhere beneath him. His face was turned towards her; and, listening intently, Sam just detected his quiet, even breathing, muffled slightly by the mound of pillow near his barely-opened mouth.

The tee shirt Daniel had worn to bed rode up, exposing the fading bruises of his attack by Jeffries, still visible even in the scant light creeping in from outside.

The door creaked again and Daniel's breathing faltered. He shifted his leg, raising a hip from the mattress.

"Jack?" Daniel's hand flipped over to rest against his cheek, a few fingers poking into the corner of his eye as his head lifted from the pillow.

"No, Daniel, it's me," Sam said softly. Quickly pushing the door completely open, she walked briskly to the side of the bed. "Sorry I woke you. The colonel had to leave."

"That's okay," he groaned, flopping gracelessly onto his back. "I should probably get up anyway. What time is it?" he asked around a yawn.

Sam glanced at the bedside table. "0720," she announced.

Mentally doing the math, no easy task for him upon just waking, Daniel rolled his eyes closed. "Ugh! I can't believe I slept fifteen hours."

"Well, if it's any consolation," Sam sympathized lightheartedly, "I don't think that's anywhere near your record."

Daniel cracked a snarky eye at her but ultimately flashed an acknowledging smirk. Sighing heavily, he discreetly pulled on the hem of his tee shirt, covering the glimpse of belly button he'd had on offer.

"God, I hate how those drugs make me feel." He swept his tongue ineffectually along his bottom lip.

Sam's lips tightened in an empathetic grimace. "Janet only medicated you for your own comfort..." she began, stalling when he smiled tiredly, "but you already know that."

Daniel nodded, his mouth falling open in another wide yawn. He stretched slowly, covering an involuntary groan with a quickly sputtered, "Is there coffee?"

Shifting suddenly to her 'tough as nails' military officer persona, Sam shook her head emphatically. "Uh uh. Don't even try it, mister."

Daniel blinked widened eyes, his lips parted in an astonished gape. He frowned when the innocent look provoked a disbelieving snort from his teammate.

"The puppy dog eyes won't work, Daniel," Sam scolded, pulling against a finger on her upraised hand. "Neither will whining, huffing indignantly or threats." She tightly grasped all four fingers, having hauled one in each time she listed one of his wily methods for getting her to give in. "None of it is going to work this time. So save us both the embarrassment and aggravation and don't even start with the coffee petitions."

Daniel pursed his lips, stung more by the fact that his means of gently manipulating Sam into giving him coffee had failed than by her acerbic enumeration of them. He dropped his eyes from her unwavering stare and, with exaggerated effort, pushed himself up in the bed. Tugging the blanket over his lap, he cleared his throat.

"Can you ask Teal'c to come in here please?" he requested, his attention riveted on the fingers that agitatedly fiddled with the edge of his blanket.

"Teal'c won't get you coffee either, Daniel. Both Janet and Colonel O'Neill have forbidden it."

Daniel's mouth tightened and, drawing a slow breath, he raised his head, staring pointedly at her.

"I wasn't actually thinking of using Teal'c to acquire more fluids, if you get my drift."

Momentarily perplexed by the statement, Sam stared blankly at him until one impressive brow arched meaningfully.

"Oh," she coughed as understanding dawned. "Right. I'll, uh, I'll go get him."

"Thank you," Daniel muttered as she backed out the door.

As Teal'c supported him while he emptied his bladder, Daniel could not keep his eyes from wandering to the bathtub. His task completed, he turned to the Jaffa, pleading eyes flashing strobe-like behind fluttering lashes.

"Teal'c, it's been a couple days since my last bath... half an hour," he proposed, when his friend raised a wary brow. The Jaffa relented with a self-reproachful groan, and Daniel smiled shamelessly, suppressing a grunt as his friend lowered him to the toilet seat.

While Teal'c filled the bathtub, Daniel eased out of his clothing. Finally settling into the blessedly hot water, his casted leg carefully draped over the side of the tub, he settled back, closed his eyes and breathed a contented sigh.

"Do you require anything additional, DanielJackson?"

Controlling his actions with a tight grip on the side of the tub, Daniel slid further into the warmth. "No, Teal'c, I'm good. Thank you."

"Then I shall return in thirty minutes," Teal'c promised, an obvious reminder that he had agreed only to that limited amount of time. He pulled the door open just enough to slip through, leaving Daniel to his privacy.

Sighing again, Daniel couldn't help a grateful chuckle at his friend's concern. No doubt Teal'c would stand just on the other side of the bathroom door, ears trained for any hint of mishap or distress, eyes peeled to the clock on the bedside table.

Far too soon, Teal'c lightly tapped on the bathroom door, entering upon Daniel's invitation, to help his friend out of the tub. While Daniel dried himself, Teal'c retreated to the bedroom, returning a few minutes later with clean boxers, a pair of flannel lounge pants in a camo print and a tee shirt.

Feeling marginally better for his soak, Daniel hobbled his clumsy way to the kitchen for a simple breakfast before retiring to the living room couch. Unearthing a novel from the mound of magazines and books Jack had placed within easy reach, he readily reclined into the pillows his Jaffa teammate had retrieved from the bedroom.

About midmorning, Teal'c brought out the dates and presented them with a flourish. Taking great pleasure in Daniel's effusive delight at the offering, he quirked an amused brow at the appreciative moans that issued from his young friend upon his first taste of the fruit.

Later in the day, after an international feast consisting of Jamaican jerk pork, sushi and Thai noodles, Daniel again settled contentedly on the couch, grinning at Sam's doting insistence on helping him raise his legs to the cushions.

Handing him the historical mystery novel he'd started earlier, Sam pressed a small foil-wrapped package into his hand. "I have no idea where you got these," she said with a conspiratorial wink before turning smartly and heading back to the kitchen.

Daniel opened his hand and felt his face break into a smile that rivaled the one brought on by Teal'c's gift. Gazing with undisguised affection after her retreating form, he waited just until she'd disappeared into the upper hallway before breaking open her present.

Following a short nap, Daniel resumed his reading and a few hours later was midway through the second book in the mystery series when the front door opened.

"Sir," Sam called, fumbling to put away her knitting while pushing herself from the thickly padded leather chair by the window. "You're back earlier than we thought."

"Earlier than I thought, too, Carter," Jack groaned, bouncing down the stairs. "Apparently General Vedrine had a dinner engagement so we cut the demonstration short." He nodded to his archaeologist, flashing a pleased smile. "Hey, Daniel. Well, you're looking much more alive than the last time I saw you."

"I'm fine, Jack," Daniel groaned impatiently, pulling a face that ended up in a half-amused grin. "Thank you for asking."

"Did I not say that Daniel Jackson would be well cared for, O'Neill?" Teal'c loomed even larger than usual from the top of the steps.

"That you did, Teal'c. Looks like you guys did a great job, too."

Easily recognizing dismissal in Jack's tone, Daniel glanced at Sam, confirming that she had heard it too.

"So, you'll be on leave for the next few weeks, sir?" Sam asked, making her way to the couch, stepping gingerly around the magazines and one discarded pillow in her path.

"Yes, I will, Carter. And, unlike some members of SG-1 I could mention..." he allowed his accusatory gaze to fall on each of his teammates in turn, "I don't intend to spend it constructing doodads on base or finding trouble on alien turf."

Giving him an 'I don't know what you're talking about, sir,' look, Sam bent over to give Daniel a hug. "We'll stop by occasionally, if that's alright."

"Please," Daniel gasped with mock gravity, "Otherwise the only company I'll have for the next two weeks will be... him." Indicating Jack with a stab of his chin, Daniel emphasized the last word with a particular tone of dread.

"That's gratitude for you," Jack sneered at Teal'c, who came down the stairs and likewise headed for their injured teammate.

Flashing Sam a warm smile as she stepped back to make room for Teal'c, Daniel firmly gripped the larger man's proffered forearm in a traditional Jaffa parting embrace.

"Thank you for the dates, Teal'c. That was a nice surprise."

"It has been my honor to tend to your needs this day, Daniel Jackson. I trust that O'Neill will work diligently to ensure your continued recovery." Teal'c threw a meaningful glare over his shoulder.

"Oh, for crying out loud, you'd think I'd never taken care of him before," Jack growled, trumping the Jaffa's glare with his most unyielding commanding officer glower. "Does anyone remember where he ended up in the aftermath of having those multiple personalities downloaded into his head? Or who it was that returned him to health and happiness after he got himself shot in Central America? Anyone?" Jack widened his eyes quizzically, raising his brows in dramatic accompaniment. "And who was it who took him in after his latest encounter with a ribbon device? Huh? Anyone remember that little episode?

"And that's just since he came back from Omaland. I've got plenty more where those came from."

"I think we all get the point, Jack," Daniel jumped in, hoping to keep his lover from launching into examples of his pre-ascension caretaking. "You do an admirable job of getting me back up to speed."

"Damn straight," Jack stressed with a self-satisfied smirk.

Grinning vaguely, Sam leaned over and kissed Daniel's temple. "Take care. We'll be in touch."

Daniel breathed a contented sigh. "Thanks, Sam. Teal'c."

Inclining his head in a fraternal bow, Teal'c gestured Major Carter to precede him and followed her to the door.

"Bye, guys," Daniel called after them, nodding at Jack's mouthed 'Be right back.'

As Jack showed their teammates out, Daniel pushed his stack of books and other items, including a half consumed bottle of water, to the side of the coffee table.

His lover returned to find him fully relaxed against the cushions, his legs resting on the table, his jaw working slowly.

Dropping on the couch next to Daniel, Jack grunted and drew a deep, weary breath. His nose spontaneously twitched and he leaning closer to the younger man. Sniffing exaggeratedly, he cocked a brow when Daniel pulled in his lips, tightly sealing his mouth.

"What are you eating?"

"Nothing," Daniel mumbled, his barely parted lips skewed away from Jack. The hand that had been resting in his lap lightly plopped to the couch and slid backward, following the line of his leg, until it disappeared behind him. Daniel pointedly ignored the faint crinkle that accompanied the move.

Jack, too, gave no indication that he had heard anything untoward. Gazing out the large picture window for a few seconds, he suddenly flung himself over his lover's lap, eliciting a startled cry. Reaching for the gold foil pouch poking from between the cushions just to the right of Daniel's backside, Jack gingerly snagged the item, carefully avoiding contact that his lover might find threatening. Sitting upright, he glared at the words 'Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans.'

His glare instantly morphing into an unbelieving gape, Jack growled, "You're chewing coffee beans? God, Daniel, why not just bypass your digestive system altogether and ask Fraiser to set up a caffeine IV?"

Jack narrowed his eyes at the unrepentant bent to Daniel's pursed lips. "By the way, you do remember she's gonna stop by here this afternoon, don't you?" His brow lifted significantly when the doorbell rang.

"You son of a bitch," Daniel sputtered, pulling Jack down to the couch when the older man moved to stand. "You knew she was here."

Jack's lips flattened into a smug grin. "Yep. Saw her stop to talk to Carter on her way in."

The bell sounded again and Daniel stiffened. "Aw, shit." Turning awkwardly he managed to get his hand on one of the crutches resting against the wall next to him but the other crashed to the floor with a resounding clatter. "Jack, stall her. Let me get to the bathroom and brush my teeth."

Shaking his head in mock sadness, Jack stood and moved slowly towards the door. "Give it up, buddy. I could feed her a five course dinner, and you still wouldn't have enough time to gimp back to the bathroom and make yourself presentable. Besides, you're not exactly up to traveling covertly now, are you?"

Daniel let the crutch fall from his grasp and slumped back against the cushions, defeated.

Jack winced, conscience-stricken by the wretched picture Daniel presented. He walked back to the couch and, reaching into his jacket pocket, extracted a tin box of breath mints. "Here," he said, shaking the container next to Daniel's ear.

Daniel snatched the mints from Jack, who made a show of checking that all his digits were intact. As the younger man struggled to get the container open, Jack shook his head at the bumbling desperation with which his lover pulled on the lid. He reached in to help when a third intoning of the doorbell reminded them both why Daniel was so eager to get at the mints.

The bell ratcheted Daniel's motivation enough that he popped the top off the box.

"I gotta get the door, Daniel." Taking a step backward, Jack turned and marched toward his front entryway. Placing his foot on the first step, he glanced in Daniel's direction. And stopped dead in his tracks.

Too late to warn his lover against shoving a handful of the small lozenges into his mouth, Jack cringed when Daniel did just that. Shaking his head, he took the remaining steps in a single stride, put on what he hoped was a convincingly pleasant smile, and opened the door.

"Colonel. Everything alright?" Janet queried the moment the way was opened. She crossed the threshold without waiting for an invitation, the sharp tap of her heels on the entryway floor warning Daniel of her imminent appearance.

"Everything's fine, Doc. Daniel's in the living room. How about a cup of coffee?"

Cutting his eyes in their direction, Daniel sneered at the irony of Jack's offering Janet coffee to give him time to get rid of the evidence of his own caffeine binge. Chewing rapidly and fighting the urge to gag on the strongly flavored saliva the mints generated, he swallowed convulsively at Janet's response.

"No, thank you, sir. Cassie's waiting for me to go out to dinner." Her heels clunked loudly on the steps. "I'd prefer just to give Daniel a quick exam and be on my way."

"He was just napping..." Jack boomed.

"He looks awake to me," Janet smirked ill-humoredly from the bottom of the stairs. She shifted her suspicious gaze from the man on the couch to the one peering into the room from the top of the steps.

Focusing on Daniel a second, she tilted her head to one side, a brow lowering over questioning eyes. "What's going on here?" she asked with undisguised pique. She turned her glare on Jack as he descended the stairs. "Colonel, why is Daniel writhing on your couch with tears streaming down his face?"

Daniel lifted a hand and spat the contents of his mouth into it, retching dryly once the matter was expelled.

Tripping over to the couch, Jack snagged the bottle of water from the table and, leaning solicitously over his lover, pressed it into Daniel's hands. "God, Daniel those things are strong," he muttered sotto voce. "You can't just shove them in like you do with the coffee beans." He gently pushed aside the damp bangs clinging to Daniel's forehead and captured a tear with one thumb.

The distinctive rapping of feet powered by irritation reached him through his absorption with his lover's comfort, and Jack grinned over his shoulder at Janet, knowing there was no way he could deny that he had conspired with Daniel to conceal something from her.

"It was Carter's fault," he blurted, obviously hoping to take some of the heat off Daniel and himself. "She gave him the coffee beans."

"Jack," Daniel reprimanded hoarsely. He reached up to snag his lover's jacket with the three fingers that weren't needed to hold the water bottle, and, with a jerking tug, pulled Jack down beside him. "Sam didn't force me to eat them."

Scowling disapprovingly, Janet rolled her eyes, following the expression with an affable shake of her head. "Colonel, you want to grab some of those tissues and get rid of that... mess in Daniel's hand?"

She set her medical bag on the table and extracted the instruments she needed for her exam while Jack helped Daniel clean up.

Taking a final swipe at the younger man's hand with his fistful of tissues dampened from the water bottle, Jack gave Daniel's shoulder an empathetic squeeze and left him to Janet's tender mercies.

Filling the just vacated spot next to Daniel, Janet gently gripped her patient's wrist. She smiled softly when he tensed.

"Don't worry," she said, an impish glint accompanying her lilting tone. "I'm not going to lecture you on the evils of caffeine while you're still recovering." She paused for half a beat. "Mostly because I know you won't listen to me this time either."

Daniel relaxed with a forced ejection of air and a penitent smile. Dutifully removing his tee shirt on her command, he used it to wipe the remaining sweat and tears from his face. Turning his back on her, he managed not to flinch when she palpated the still sensitive area near his spine.

Janet ended her exam by checking the color of the toes on his casted foot and nodded, offering a well-pleased smile. "I'm glad to see you looking so rested. I was afraid once I let out of my sight you'd push yourself a little too hard."

Daniel draped his naked torso with his soiled tee shirt and flashed an irritated smirk. "Honestly, if I hadn't been so sore and, quite frankly, exhausted, I might have."

"It'll get better, I promise."

"Yeah, I know. Just give it time," he returned with another of her stock phrases, his tone tinged with impatience.

Daniel's shoulders lifted in an apologetic shrug, feeling even as he uttered them, like he'd tossed her words back at her. He wasn't ungrateful for Janet's supportive sentiments, but he'd heard them all so often they'd lost their significance. He sighed inwardly. 'And none of that is Janet's fault,' he reminded himself. Consciously brightening his countenance to display enthusiasm he wasn't really feeling, Daniel observed, "Well, at least I have the PT to look forward to."

"Not for a while yet." Janet's eyes briefly swung away from his face to the window on his right. "Before that you have your first appointment with Dr. Meck. He'll see you on Monday. Ten a.m."

Instantly the pretense of Daniel's good mood lapsed. "Hell of a way to start the week."

"I know," she commiserated. "But the sooner you get started, the sooner you'll be back to work."

"You're not gonna let me work?"

"No, not for six weeks, at least. I could make an exception for crisis situations, but, Daniel, you're looking at weeks of physical therapy and counseling. I think you've got enough on your plate."

Daniel's brow puckered in dismay and Janet offered an understanding smile. "I'll leave you to enjoy your weekend," she said, patting his arm soothingly. "Just keep doing what you did today. And call me if you need anything."

The corners of Daniel's mouth swung upward briefly. "Thanks, Janet," he said absently, his attention irresistibly drawn to the hands folded in his lap.

"I'll stop in the kitchen and say goodbye to the colonel on my way out," she said, getting to her feet. She looked down on him, her expression an incongruous harmony of strictness and caring. "Please, try not to spend the next three days worrying about your visit with the therapist."

Daniel glanced up and upon seeing the concern in her dark eyes, guiltily released the lip he had begun to chew. Visibly relaxing his rigid posture, he exhaled slowly. "I'll try," he vowed, sincerely hoping he could make good on the promise.

Jack swiped the counter one final time, rinsed out the dishcloth then turned on the dishwasher. Glancing around, he nodded, satisfied, turned out the light, and headed for his archaeologist. Taking one step down into the living room, he paused and stood perfectly still, watching Daniel from across the room.

Jack guessed, though, from Daniel's discernibly brooding pose that he could have jumped over the rest of the steps, screaming like a maniac, and the younger man would not have noticed. Daniel sat, arms wound tightly around his midsection, staring out the big picture window — at nothing since the sun had set some time ago and there was only pitch blackness — obviously lost in thought.

Carefully pushing back up onto the upper landing, Jack casually cleared his throat in case Daniel was listening for his return, and jaunted down the steps. He frowned when he reached the bottom and found that Daniel hadn't moved.

Clearing his throat again, Jack walked over to the couch and dropped heavily beside his lover, uttering an involuntary groan as he hit the cushions. Finally, the younger man responded to his presence, turning slowly away from the window to glance into Jack's eyes. Daniel smiled but quickly dropped his gaze into Jack's lap, no doubt, Jack thought, to hide the fact that the smile came nowhere near his eyes.

Tentatively easing his hand onto Daniel's thigh Jack waited for his lover's consenting nod before squeezing the leg gently, supportively.

Easily comprehending his lover's non-verbal cue, Daniel fell softly against Jack's side, drinking in the silent comfort the older man offered. Resting his head on Jack's shoulder, Daniel basked in the security of Jack's nearness, sighing softly.

Jack leaned in and rubbed his cheek against the softness of Daniel's hair, quietly breathing the younger man's scent. He continued stroking his partner's leg and waited patiently, hoping Daniel would give him some clue as to why he was suddenly so preoccupied. Jack suspected it had something to do with Janet's visit since Daniel had seemed in such good spirits beforehand.

'But, surely, if some problem had presented itself during Daniel's exam, Janet would have said something when she stopped by the kitchen on her way out.' Discontent with remaining in the dark, Jack absently tightened his jaw, running through his mind the things that normally absorbed Daniel's attention this completely.

'It can't be work, since no one's talked to him about foreign cultures or squiggles in at least a week. But then, maybe Janet's told him she won't allow him back, even part time, until he's completely healed.

'He's got weeks of physical therapy to look forward to. That'd put anyone in a funk.'

Jack's brows drew together and downward as another source for Daniel's discomfiture occurred. 'Or, more likely, he's concerned about his appointment with the shrink — what's his name?'

"Jack, give the poor guy a rest, will you?" Daniel groaned.

Startling slightly, Jack lifted his head and blinked dumbly into irritated blue eyes. "Excuse me?"

Daniel circled his own temple with an outstretched finger. "Whatever little critter is running its legs off in the wheel that's powering all that heavy thinking you're doing. Enough already."

"Oh." Jack opened his mouth, thinking to add a sarcastic comment then snapped its shut. Unable to convincingly argue against Daniel's assessment of his mental ramblings, he settled for defending them.

"You know, if you'd just tell me what's bothering you, you'd spare the poor little guy a lot of effort."

Huffing amusedly, Daniel affectionately bumped his shoulder against Jack's. Pulling a long breath, he unwrapped himself from his own arms and, shifting to his hip, slithered one between Jack's lower back and the couch and draped the other across Jack's waist. Adjusting his position so that Jack could get an arm behind him, Daniel settled uneasily into the older man's embrace, and let his breath out in a slow, steady stream.

When after a minute he still said nothing, Jack prompted with a gentle nudge of his shoulder against Daniel's temple. "So, you gonna tell me what's goin' on in that noggin of yours?"

Tightening his grip momentarily, Daniel pushed backward, out of the security of his lover's hold. Hanging his head, he sighed deeply, before lifting hesitant eyes to Jack's.

"Well, aside from the fact that I won't be allowed to work for six weeks, Janet made my first appointment with the psychiatrist for Monday morning."

"Ah," Jack said knowingly, his hand skimming Daniel's back in a soothing up and down motion. He inclined his head nonchalantly. "Well, that's alright. I've got the next few weeks off —"

"No," Daniel hastily derailed his lover's statement, his tone emphatic. He steadfastly held Jack's confused brown eyes.

"No?" Jack echoed. "You know something I don't?"

Daniel's eye-lock faltered briefly before he straightened determinedly. Shrugging off the hand that had wandered up to his shoulder, he leveled Jack with a sober stare. "I don't want you to take me to my appointments with Dr. Meck," he said quickly, as though afraid he'd lose the courage to convey the thought if he didn't hurry it along.

"Oh." Jack pulled his hand away from Daniel's shoulder, letting it drop onto his own leg. Too late he schooled his features to disguise the rejection he felt at Daniel's decision not to share this important part of his recovery.

Daniel twisted away and frowned.

Recognizing Daniel's retreat as a reaction to the disappointment he couldn't quite hide, Jack swiftly tagged on an "Okay."  Still he had to know. "Do you mind if I ask why?"

Daniel studied the hands in his lap. Slowly, he poked his tongue out, sweeping it from right to left across his bottom lip, leaving a glistening trail. Drawing a fortifying breath, he brought his eyes up to meet his partner's intense gaze.

"I'm not sure I can make you understand this." Daniel paused, his knotted brow and small pucker evidence of his attempt to gather his thoughts more concretely.

Softening his gaze, Jack turned towards Daniel, pushing his shoulder into the couch cushions, giving the younger man his full attention. "Try me," he said, his earnest eyes transforming the suggestion into a plea.

Fidgeting under Jack's focused stare, Daniel bit uncertainly at his bottom lip for a moment more. Shifting closer, having apparently settled on a starting point, Daniel reached out and gripped the hand that lay against Jack's thigh.

"You know I love you, right? I want to be sure you know that nothing that's happened —"

"I know, Daniel," Jack assured, giving his lover's hand a squeeze. "And, you know I meant what I told you the other day. What Osiris did..." Jack paused, sensing Daniel tense. "It doesn't change how I feel about you one iota."

Daniel ducked his head but Jack still caught the smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah, I do know," the younger man breathed. He canted his head, giving Jack just a glimpse of his eyes. The fact that Daniel's smile was gone registered at the same time Daniel cautiously added, "And that's why I can't have you there when I'm talking to Dr. Meck."

Gazing into the disapproving frown that greeted him, Daniel tipped the corners of his lips upward into the semblance of a weak smile. "I'm sorry, Jack. I know you want to be there for me. You have this need to protect me..."

"I love you, Daniel," Jack stressed, his tone indicating that he believed that fact alone should be enough to end the argument in his favor.

"I know," Daniel reiterated. He slipped his hand from Jack's grip, ghosting his fingers across Jack's cheek, before resting the hand against his lover's neck. "And you have no idea how much I depend on that." His eyelids fluttered closed, a faint shudder running through his body. "When he was raping me... Osiris taunted me, telling me that you'd never want me back."

"Daniel..."

"No, it's okay." Daniel's eyes opened, seeking Jack's sheltering brown depths. "I knew he was full of shit." Daniel snorted a hollow laugh. "Well, my heart knew. My head kept going back to what he'd said, and I wondered..." Daniel pulled a long, deep breath, letting it out in a quavering stream. Lowering his hand from Jack's neck, he laid it over the hand Jack had fisted in his lap, stroking the knuckles with his fingertips until the hand relaxed. "Even with the threat of flashbacks, I'm incredibly grateful that you're still willing to touch me."

Jack's eyes fleetingly reflected the pain he imagined Daniel felt at the uncertainty of their future after his assault. Leveling his lover with an intense, understanding gaze, he clasped Daniel's hand, offering a reassuring squeeze.

"And I'm grateful you trust me enough to let me this close, even now," he said softly.

Daniel disentangled his hand from Jack's, lifting it to again caress his lover's face. He leaned in for a soft, tentative kiss. When he sat back, Daniel's face lit with a shy smile. "I want you closer," he murmured. "but..." The smile swiftly slid into a discontented frown.

"You're nowhere near ready." Jack ran his palm up Daniel's arm, scowling in response to the tiny tremors running through his partner. "Daniel, it's okay. Even if you're never able to..."

Daniel's jaw tightened, determination illuminating his eyes. "No, I won't accept that," he decreed, defiance clear in his tone. "I almost let Sarah ruin our relationship. I'll be damned if some snake hyped up on her twisted memories and desire to control me is going to take what we had away from us."

Daniel drew a deep breath, having expelled his tirade without one. Blowing out his anger with the succeeding exhalation, he closed his eyes and took a few more calming breaths. He slowly raised his eyelids, his steady gaze meeting Jack's supportive regard.

"I want us back to where we were when this whole awful mess started," Daniel declared evenly. "And I'm the only one who can get me there." He paused seemingly unsure of himself for a moment. Pulling a fortifying breath, he straightened. "That's why I have to see Dr. Meck on my own. You said it yourself; I have to concentrate on me." His left eye closed in a rueful squint. "And I don't think I can do that knowing that you're in the waiting room or even in the parking lot worrying about me."

Jack shrugged unapologetically. "Hey, worrying about you is what I do."

"Yes, it is. And I love you for that. But in this case, I'm afraid it will be more of a distraction than a help. I'm going to call the base tomorrow and arrange for an airman to pick me up and take me to my appointments. At least for now."

Jack studied Daniel a moment, his dark gaze never leaving the impassioned blue eyes.

"Yeah, alright," he agreed, a note of apprehension coloring the consent. "If that's what you need, I'll back off."

Daniel sighed, as much in sorrow as in relief. "I'm sorry you're hurt, Jack, but this really is something I have to do on my own."

Jack waved his hand in a 'don't give it another thought' sweep. "I admit it's gonna be hard for me, wondering if you're okay —"

"Which is why you need to rethink taking these two weeks off," Daniel interjected. "Maybe work half days while I'm with Dr. Meck? That way your mind is occupied with other things."

"But you've just come home. I figured you'd need me here."

Daniel smiled at the yearning Jack could not keep from his eyes — the earnest need to be needed by Daniel.

"I do need you," he whispered. Wrapping himself around his lover, he again slid into Jack's arms. "I'll always need you. And you'll still be available to me here at home. Couldn't you ask General Hammond for some sort of floating schedule? I'll be starting PT in a couple of weeks, and I'll likely need your help for a few days while I adjust."

Pressing his lips against the forehead so conveniently placed before them, Jack tightened his hold on his archaeologist. "Yeah, okay. I can do that." He nuzzled the hair at Daniel's temple, smiling contentedly. Even if Daniel was never able to come back fully, he determined, he'd be happy just to have the man back in his embrace.

As the familiar weight of Daniel's form settled comfortably against him, Jack was assailed by an uninvited thought. He'd come so close to losing Daniel again. If not for that rebel Jaffa, Daniel would at this moment be possessed by a Goa'uld or at the mercy of Anubis, likely gone forever from Jack's life.

Jack felt the blood leave his face and a shiver of 'what if' raced up his spine. Unconsciously, he pulled the younger man closer.

"Jack?" Daniel glanced up into his lover's face, wriggling a bit to loosen the ever firming grip. Immediately recognizing the despair in Jack's eyes, he gently cupped his hand against his lover's pale neck, pressing his face into the other side. "It's okay, Jack," he breathed against the chilled skin. "I'm here."

Jack tightened his hold again and Daniel snuggled closer, kneading Jack's shoulder and whispering assurances until his lover relaxed with a heavy sigh. After a few minutes, Daniel's hand wandered up the back of Jack's head and the older man pressed against the massage until the fingertips scrubbed roughly at his crown.

"Poor little critter," Daniel moaned with mock sympathy, smiling peacefully at Jack's soft chuckle.

-33-

Jack cursed. Setting down the carton of milk, he grabbed a towel, and tossed it onto the sloppy mess he'd just made of his kitchen counter. Scowling at the clock, he muttered to himself on the way to the front door, "Who the hell can that be at ten after eight on Sunday morning?"

He yanked the door open, his brows climbing higher to hover over eyes wide opened in curiosity. Before him stood one Sergeant Bauer, according to the man's uniform. At the sergeant's feet sat a securely sealed file box, the words "Eyes Only" emblazoned on the side. A clipboard was tucked under the man's left armpit.

"Colonel O'Neill, sir." Jerking to attention, the sergeant saluted crisply, not at all affected by the fact that the man standing before him was dressed in pajama pants and a tee shirt.

His vigilant gaze wandering over the other man's shoulder to the glaringly obvious Government Issue automobile and a second BDU clad individual standing at the driver's side door, Jack grinned vaguely, his eyes once again on the man in front of him.

"Sergeant," he returned. "What's in the box?"

"These are the files Dr. Jackson requested, sir."

Pursing his lips in barely disguised irritation, Jack motioned the man into the entryway, waiting patiently while the sergeant laid his clipboard atop the box and hefted the thing off the ground. Closing the door behind them, he spun in the direction of the bedrooms. "Oh, Daniel," he sing-songed down the hall, "delivery for you."

A hastily shouted, "Coming," was followed by the now familiar thump-plop of Daniel's plodding, crutch-assisted, single-footed gait. He navigated the corner, head down and face pinched in concentration as he maneuvered in the tight space.

Hopping down the straightaway, the soft grunts of his exertions providing fitting accompaniment to the measured beat of the crutches' rubber tips against the tile floor, Daniel lifted his head as he neared the front door. "Who would deliver on Sunday?" He pulled up short, nearly tumbling forward, when he encountered the sergeant and the box of files. "Oh," he panted, his mouth retaining its little "o" shape after the word was expelled, his startled eyes wide.

"Oh? You weren't expecting him?" Jack's brows rose skyward before they plummeted, suspended threateningly over narrowed eyes. He turned sharply toward the sergeant. "You said Dr. Jackson requested these files."

The sergeant's mouth flapped in a vain attempt to defend himself, and Daniel hobbled forward, coming to the hapless man's rescue. "Jack."

"Daniel?" Once again, Jack's brows raised, his head tilted curiously.

Darting his eyes from Jack's expectant glare, Daniel cleared his throat. "Thank you, Sergeant..."

"Bauer," Jack supplied, with mock helpfulness.

"Sergeant Bauer," Daniel acknowledged. "You can put the box on the dining room table, if you don't mind." He gestured to the sergeant's left. Absently reaching around his crutch, he fingered the waistband of his sweats and tugged upward.

Nodding curtly, the sergeant stepped briskly in the indicated direction, depositing his load on the table as requested. Sliding the clipboard off the top of the box, he pulled a pen from his pocket, spun and pushed them in Daniel's direction.

As Daniel shifted his weight to free up his writing hand, Jack snatched the clipboard and pen, forcefully scrawling his name to the request form, blatantly ignoring the scowl Daniel shot his way just before the younger man moved awkwardly towards the table.

Handing the items back to the sergeant, a tight smile tugging at his features, Jack backed into the hallway and without a word, wrenched the front door open.

"Thank you, again, Sergeant," Daniel called pleasantly as the man practically raced out the door, remembering as he crossed the threshold to turn and salute his superior officer. He seemed more relieved than disconcerted when the door slammed in his face, his salute unacknowledged.

"How the hell did you pull this off?" Jack barked, reaching automatically to hold Daniel steady while the archaeologist broke open the seal on the box using scissors he'd dug out of the china cabinet.

"What?" Daniel pivoted in Jack's direction, straightening as much as his injuries would allow.

"Don't tell me Fraiser okayed you to work. She told me you weren't supposed to do anything but rest and relax this weekend. She didn't say anything about allowing you to have files delivered."

Glancing away guiltily, Daniel turned back to the box. "I spoke to her yesterday when I requested the driver for Monday morning."

A bit of the anger left Jack's face, only to be replaced by suspicion. "She agreed you could have work sent to the house?"

"Not exactly." Daniel shrugged, the move unbalancing him enough that he wavered slightly.

"Not exactly?" Jack echoed testily. Gripping Daniel's elbow with one hand, he pulled out a chair. "Sit down. I don't have the energy this morning to pick you up off the floor."

His lips quirked in an irritated acknowledgment of Jack's evaluation of his enfeebled condition, Daniel handed Jack his crutches, set the scissors on the table and, leaning his flattened palms against it, executed a controlled fall into the chair.

Taking the crutches, Jack stood them against the hutch. Recognizing Daniel's smirk for self-disgust at his weakness Jack said in a militarily 'buck up' manner, "Give yourself a break, Danny. You only just got out of the infirmary."

Daniel rolled his eyes at what probably seemed to him a patronizing tone, but refrained from further comment. Sighing softly, he leaned back in the chair, his eyes closed.

"You okay?"

Daniel cracked an eyelid, blinking his eyes open at Jack's concerned gaze. "I'm fine," he reassured. "Just a little tired."

"You sleep alright?"

Daniel shook his head in the negative, his eyes lowered to the tabletop.

Frowning at the seemingly dejected form, Jack asked, "Something wrong with the bed?"

Daniel's head came up, the sadness in his eyes ruining the effect of his nostalgic smile. "It's lonely," he whispered plaintively. A definite note of longing hung in the air.

Clearly unsure what to say to his lover's confession, Jack settled for his stock response. "Ah."

Daniel nodded almost imperceptibly. "It's the right decision, the only decision, sleeping separately for now. I just don't know how I'd handle it if you grabbed me in your sleep." Again the wistful smile appeared, erased by the shrug of his shoulders. "Sleeping alone's just not conducive to a good night's rest." Daniel's eyes again focused on the table, as though some relief hid there.

Jack's lips tightened into a discontented line. "Yeah." Finding it too difficult to look upon Daniel's misery, Jack cut his eyes away, his peripheral vision taking in the box on the table.

"So," he said a little too jovially, overcompensating for Daniel's glum mood, "If this isn't work... what?"

Seemingly pulled out of deep contemplation, Daniel lifted his glasses from his nose and rubbed distractedly at his eyes. "They're all the files related to my kidnapping by Osiris — team reports, interview transcripts, my medical file..."

Jack stiffened visibly. "Why?"

Daniel dropped his glasses back into place. Starting at the peevish glint in Jack's eye, his mouth fell open slightly. "Because I need to refresh my memory. I want to make sure I don't leave anything out when I talk to Dr. Meck tomorrow."

"Refresh your memory?" Jack repeated, taking obvious pains to keep his temper under control. "I thought the point of talking to the shrink was to help you forget what happened."

Daniel's mouth snapped shut, and he turned away. Taking a moment to compose himself, he drew a deep breath. "I won't ever forget it, Jack," he ground out. Swiveling in the chair to face his lover, he gulped at the horrified look that met him.

Jack's mouth moved silently for a second before he finally managed, "I'm sorry. I wasn't making light of..."

"I know that," Daniel said softly but firmly, leveling a steady, forgiving gaze on the older man.

Apparently finding Jack's repentant frown too painful to deal with just then, Daniel fidgeted restlessly, redirecting his attention to the table. He stared pensively at the box of files.

"I've been thinking," he said, swinging a more light-hearted gaze in Jack's direction. "And you're not going to believe this, but I'm actually looking forward to these sessions with Dr. Meck."

His guilt supplanted by surprise, Jack lifted his scarred brow.

"Okay," Daniel conceded, "'looking forward to' is a little strong. You know my history with mental health professionals." His lips lifting upward in an unreadable smirk, Daniel shrugged. "So many of them saw me only as a fascinating anomaly — a boy genius who witnessed his parents' messy death, shuffled from family to family, never really having anywhere to call home." He shrugged again. "You have to admit I was an interesting case study. Guess I can see why none of them was as interested in me as a person as in what I could contribute to their journal articles."

Daniel's mouth twitched and he shifted uncomfortably on the hard chair, his eyes skittering away from Jack's. "And that whole McKenzie thing... honestly, I think that was a fluke. He was just a little too enamored of his theories.

"This will be different," he stated, a firm nod accompanying the opinion. "I was a child at the mercy of those state employed doctors." He smiled, a decidedly proud expression. "A bright child, but a child nonetheless. And I was never in my right mind when McKenzie had a hold of me."

Daniel lifted his gaze back to his lover, his blue orbs shining with purpose. "I won't have any of those obstacles when I meet with Dr. Meck. I can help guide the sessions, make sure his goals mesh with mine."

"Which are?" Jack prodded, with a small roll of his index finger.

"Helping me deal with what's happened, learn to live with it, so I can get my life back," Daniel said matter-of-factly.

Jack nodded agreeably, the gesture flying in the face of his next statement. "Somehow, I don't think it's going to be as easy as you make it sound."

Daniel's slow blink tracked the time it took for him to register Jack's statement. "No. I don't suppose it will be."

Daniel ducked his head away from Jack's assessing gaze. Focused on the soft swirls in the wooden surface of the table, Daniel almost missed Jack's whispered, "I'm sorry."

Looking up sharply, Daniel scrutinized his lover, brows lifted in wonderment at the older man's penitent stance. "For what?"

Jack winced, but held Daniel's gaze, accepting the younger man's piercing examination as punishment for imagined shortcomings. "I shouldn't have left you that night."

"Jack."

"No, Daniel," Jack took a step forward, that action and his curt words intended to stop Daniel from doing what Daniel always did — and what Jack could not now bear for him to do — offer forgiveness for unforgivable failings.

"If I had stayed with you, I could have —"

"What?" Daniel barked harshly, shooting a heated glare in Jack's direction. "You could have what? Saved me?" For a microsecond, Daniel's resentment of Jack's failure to do just that surfaced — a feeling he visibly wrestled into submission, allowing reason to prevail.

He drew a long breath which did nothing to remove the condemnation from his voice. "Don't forget I sent you away. If anyone's to blame for my being alone that morning it's me. So stop beating yourself up for not being there."

As a finale to his tiff, Daniel blew out a clearly disgusted breath, tearing his eyes from Jack's. Snatching his glasses from his face, he tossed them on the table and lowered his head, his chin nearly meeting his chest.

Standing awkwardly in the silence that followed, Jack finally pulled out the chair next to Daniel's. Sliding it closer to his partner's, he sat himself with an audible sigh.

"That's not such bad advice, you know. Maybe you should stop beating yourself up. All you did was try to be a friend to Sarah."

Daniel flinched at the undisguised compassion in Jack's voice. He looked askance at his lover, who leaned towards him, his aspect totally open and inviting. Gasping out a sob, Daniel fell against Jack's chest, wriggling further into the welcome embrace as remorseful tears stained the older man's tee shirt.

"Why didn't I listen to you? Why couldn't I just walk away from her?"

Jack huffed softly, the gust gently stirring the hair just under his nose. "Because then you wouldn't be Daniel." He ran a hand up and down his lover's back, attempting to soothe the quaking that was no doubt as much a product of Daniel's admitted fatigue as his distress.

"Remember what Teal'c said? You look for the good in people." Jack tightened his hold on his archaeologist, swallowing the sudden lump that threatened to choke him. "And I for one am grateful that you do. Otherwise, you and I would just be so much dust floating around what used to be Abydos."

Jack moved back as Daniel tipped his face upward, another stream of tears shaken loose by the movement.

Squinting into red-rimmed, slightly glazed blue eyes, he continued. "Your knack for not giving up on anyone... it saved a lot of lives the day you talked me out of detonating that nuke." Jack flashed a sincere smile. "And I know I give you a lot of flak for barging in where angels wouldn't dare go in a million years, but I've come to realize that, more often than not, your efforts are gonna do someone some good — even if you end up the worse for wear."

"Didn't help anyone this time," Daniel mumbled, his eyelids fluttering heavily.

"What are you talkin' about? In the last ten days you've helped eliminate a Goa'uld we had no idea was on the loose again and exposed two NID recruits operating covertly within the SGC. That's a pretty good score in my book." His face swiftly morphing from pride to pain, Jack winced and quietly added, "Just, ah, how about next time, see if you can do it without getting yourself kidnapped."

Flashing a bashful grin, Daniel ducked his head, rubbing his face against Jack's tee shirt as he nodded in agreement. Sliding closer to his lover, he rested his ear over the left side of Jack's chest, taking quiet comfort in the strong beating of the older man's heart.

"We'll get through this, Danny. I promise we'll be okay."

Lulled by the soft avowal, Daniel sighed. Letting the stresses of the past few days slip away with his breath, he melted into the solid presence of the one person he loved more than any other.

Enjoying the novelty of a completely relaxed Daniel, Jack basked in their unguarded closeness for all of two minutes, when the unmistakable rumble of clogged sinus heralded Daniel's entry into slumber.

"Hey," Jack barked, lifting his hand to gently shake Daniel's shoulder, "You need to go back to bed?"

Daniel jerked in his embrace, sniffled once then sat up so abruptly Jack had to propel himself backward to keep Daniel's head from impacting his chin.

Knuckling his right eye, Daniel reached for his glasses. Frowning at the wetness glistening on the back of his hand, he settled the lenses securely on the bridge of his nose, and squeezed his eyes shut, almost immediately opening them wide. Turning to Jack, he blinked rapidly, announcing with certainty, "I'm good." He flicked a hand at the box. "Mind helping me unpack this stuff?"

Jack quirked an incredulous brow. "Sure," he muttered, absently snagging the scissors Daniel had earlier abandoned. Dragging the box towards him, he poised the blade over the tape then lowered his hand suddenly, distracted from his task. "That's how you do it, isn't it?" he shot over his shoulder, his sly smile reminiscent of an undercover reporter who's just exposed the mystery behind a magician's most top secret. "Go for days on end seemingly without sleep. Those two minute catnaps."

Daniel's answering smile rivaled Teal'c at his most enigmatic.

Snorting a self-congratulatory, 'Gotcha,' in spite of Daniel's refusal to confirm his theory, Jack cut through the remaining security tape and flipped the lid off the box. He glanced from the box's interior to his archaeologist, shaking off the gape that had taken over his face when he he'd gotten a look at the contents.

"All of this pertains to your kidnapping?" Reaching inside the box, Jack extracted a handful of file folders, each marked 'Top Secret, Security Clearance Required.' Setting that bundle on the table in front of Daniel, he reached in again, pulling out another stack. When the box was finally empty, there were six separate stacks of files arranged in a semi-circle within Daniel's easy reach.

"Did they get reports from the entire staff?" Jack asked caustically.

Daniel fingered the tabs on several of the folders. "No, they're all from personnel directly involved in this incident. In addition to SG-1, there were two other teams on P5B-926, plus Jacob and the other non-SGC personnel. There are reports or interviews for each. There's also my interview with you and the General, copies of the interviews with Sarah, including the ones done while she was in treatment here, the medical staff's notes on my injuries..."

"You'll never be able to read all of that before Monday morning."

"I won't have to read it all. I can skim most of the reports. I'm really only interested in Osiris's actions and perceptions of his motivations."

"We know his motivations," Jack snapped, his voice harsh with mounting displeasure. "He was acting out Sarah's sick Jones for you."

He stepped away from the table a pace, swiping his hand irritably across his mouth and neck. Spinning on the ball of his foot, he rounded on Daniel. "What difference does it make why he did what he did? This counseling session is supposed to be about you and..." Jack flung a hand vaguely in Daniel's direction, "how you feel about all of this."

"And I can't separate the two," Daniel contended. "Osiris's motivations are about me." Daniel struck himself in the chest with his loosely balled hand. "You just said it. Sarah used me." The hand tapped his chest again as he emphasized the personal pronoun. "She singled me out. And, consequently, so did Osiris."

Jack stood rigid, meeting Daniel's equally stubborn gaze for a moment, before his brows gathered and his eyes narrowed, though not in anger. He inhaled deeply, consciously drawing a calming breath. "Are you sure you want to get into this?" he groaned with mild exasperation. "You're probably going to give yourself nightmares, you know."

Daniel's answering smile was strained. "You'll be here, right? If that happens, I'll have you to take care of me. What's there to be afraid of?"

Jack stood taller, his pride at having Daniel's trust evident, though worry still weighed down his brow.

"Yeah, of course I'll be here. Do what you need to do." Flashing a grin that barely lifted the corners of his lips, Jack gestured towards the kitchen. "I'm gonna make breakfast. You still want waffles?"

"Yes, please," Daniel replied, a fleeting grin conveying his thanks.

As Jack moved towards the kitchen, Daniel raised one long finger that froze the older man in place.

"Uh, before you get started, could you, uh, could you give me the phone?"

Jack's chin tipped upward, his head canted to the right, a single raised eyebrow screaming the 'What the hell for?' his lips did not.

"I need Sam to bring something from my house," Daniel muttered in response to the silent question. When the brow rose higher, he added lightly, as though the objects were of no consequence, "Just a few of my journals."

As Jack continued to glare down at him, that expectant 'try again' look on his face, Daniel squirmed and finally blurted, "From when Sarah and I were together. Okay? And when she was taken by Osiris. And from a few months ago when she was messing with my head, you know, screwing with my dreams." Daniel waved a hand near his temple as he said the last then folded both arms securely across his chest, his bottom lip poking out á la petulant child.

Not at all satisfied that he had so easily gotten Daniel to confess his intentions, Jack rearranged his features into a neutral aspect and calmly walked into the kitchen.

Returning with the cordless phone, he approached Daniel from behind and rested the handset against his lover's shoulder. "Breakfast will be ready in thirty minutes," he warned when Daniel grasped the phone then retreated to his waffle making.

"Why didn't you tell me Jeffries planted the knife?" Closing the file he held, Daniel set it aside to make room for the plate of waffles and a half-full cup of coffee that Jack set on the table in front of him.

Idly bemoaning the fact that Daniel had chosen to start with the files on his recent meeting in Hammond's office, Jack shrugged. "It that relevant?" He slid into the chair on Daniel's left. "Does it matter that the bastard helped Sarah try to kill you before he tried it himself?"

Daniel blinked, surprised by the question. "I guess not," he conceded. "But you should have told me anyway." Daniel reached for the coffee.

"Eat something first," Jack reprimanded mildly, tapping his index finger on the table next to Daniel's plate. Without breaking stride, he added, "Okay, you're probably right. Only, when would have been a good time to blurt something like that out?"

Daniel paused, fork hovering over his waffles. Shrugging acknowledgment, he cut into the waffle and popped a bite into his mouth.

"I would have told you everything eventually," Jack reassured softly.

Swallowing quickly, Daniel placed his hand over the one Jack still rested on the table next to his plate. "I know."

In the comfortable silence that followed, Daniel continued eating his breakfast. When he'd swallowed a few more forkfuls, he stared pointedly into the fond aspect of his lover, who watched Daniel with open joy at the return of the younger man's appetite.

"Am I eating alone this morning?"

As though pulled out of a dream, Jack leapt out of his chair and stumbled to the kitchen, returning with his own plate of waffles and a platter of bacon.

"Holding out on me, huh?" Daniel mock accused, snagging two slices.

Jack grinned noncommittally and tucked into his own breakfast.

Once they finished, Daniel resumed his research while Jack took the plates to the kitchen, noting with satisfaction that Daniel had mindlessly polished off three waffles and four pieces of bacon. Placing the dirty dishes in the sink, he snagged the coffee pot and refilled Daniel's cup to halfway.

Laying his pen down, Daniel snaked an arm around Jack's hips, squeezing affectionately.

"Thank you."

"Yeah, well if Fraiser finds out, I'll disavow all knowledge."

"I wasn't talking about the coffee, Jack."

There was such significance in the quiet statement that Jack's eyes instantly lurched to Daniel's face. Rearranging his features to mirror the devotion displayed by his lover, Jack set the coffee pot on the table and hooked Daniel's shoulder, pulling the younger man close. Daniel fell unresisting against him, his head snuggled against Jack's abdomen.

"Whatever it takes, Daniel. I'll be here to help you in any way you need me to."

Daniel nodded, the motion pushing up the hem of Jack's tee shirt, and the older man grinned at the sensation of Daniel's hair tickling across his belly.

Neither of them spoke, neither moved, for several minutes, each drawing strength and comfort from the closeness, until finally Jack reluctantly broke the spell of contentment.

"You know, I've got nothing better planned, so I can stay like this all day. But I thought you had some reading to do."

Sighing regretfully, Daniel placed a hand in Jack's solar plexus and gently pushed away, waiting for Jack to loosen his hold before sitting upright.

"Right," he huffed, smirking at the files in disgruntlement.

Jack bent down and placed a soft peck on Daniel's head. "I'll clean up the kitchen then I thought I might work out in the backyard. You wanna move to the deck in a while? You could probably use a little sun."

Daniel's mood improved immeasurably at the invitation. "Sunshine would be great. Thanks, Jack."

"I'll come get you when I've got things situated," Jack promised, suspecting that the trees had dropped quite a few leaves since he had last bothered to check. The day before Daniel disappeared. Essentially a lifetime ago.

"Okay," Daniel agreed, turning back to his studies.

Startled out of his thoughts by the clamorous chimes just over his left shoulder, Daniel scowled at the ugly black line marring his carefully organized notes. He glanced at his watch, genuinely surprised to find that four hours had passed since Jack had retreated to the yard.

Knowing that he didn't have the lung power to compete with Jack's iPod, Daniel shifted his leg on the padded ottoman Jack had insisted on dragging up from the den. He briefly considered struggling to his feet to open the door, but determined quickly that the ceremony really was unnecessary.

"Come on in, Sam!" he bellowed, angling his shout towards the hallway.

As the front door clicked then creaked open, Daniel set about obliterating the unwelcome pencil streak from his handwritten synopsis. "I'm here in the dining room."

"Daniel... oh." Sam's face lit fleetingly as she crossed the threshold, her smile of greeting paling to disconcertment when she came nearer. "Did I do that?" She gestured guiltily to the eraser meticulously scrubbing between lines of script.

Daniel offered a chagrined smirk of absolution. "No, it was my fault. I should know better than to rest my hand on my notepad when I'm daydreaming. You found my journals?" He gestured to the satchel hanging from her shoulder.

"Yep. Right where you said they'd be." Sam set the bag on the table and reverently unloaded his journals. "Where's the colonel?" she asked, glancing first into the kitchen then lifting herself on her toes to peep over the half wall into the living room.

"He's cleaning up the deck so I can move outside." 

Sam's head swiveled in his direction, and Daniel blinked at the oddly sentimental glint that took up residence in her eyes just before she turned her attention to the tabletop.

"Wow," Sam exclaimed, fingering the topmost file in the stack by her left hand.

"Yeah," Daniel sighed, the riddle of her strange look instantly forgotten. "There are quite a few files to go through."

"Is there anything I can do to help? The journals would be too personal, but maybe I could go through some of the reports, help narrow them down to just the parts you're looking for."

Daniel lifted a hand, a gentle refusal of her offer. "It's Sunday, Sam. I feel bad enough asking you to pick up my journals. I know Pete's in for the weeken —" He stopped, the word unfinished, when Sam's chin fell to her chest.

Shrugging resignedly, Sam grinned humorlessly. "You date a cop, you can expect that occasionally he's going to be called back to work for an emergency."

"I'm sorry."

Brightening determinedly, Sam snagged the closest file. "Just leaves me free to give you a hand."

Watching her for a second, not at all fooled by her 'it doesn't bother me in the least' attitude, Daniel finally relented. "It would be nice to have someone weed through this stuff for me beforehand. Thanks."

Waiting just until she had removed her jacket and lowered herself into a chair, Daniel tossed Sam some self-sticking tabs. "I'm really only interested in passages that pertain to Sarah Gardner or my kidnapping and assault..." He balked as the words left his mouth. "Sam... are you sure you want to do this?"

"Daniel, if you're uncomfortable —"

"No." He paused a second, the face he pulled belying the statement. "I was thinking more that you might rather not be so deeply involved."

"I'm already involved," Sam said softly.

Moving closer, she laid her hand on top of his, her sparkling blue eyes capturing his dulled sapphire ones. "Daniel, you're one of my best friends. My life is so tightly intertwined with yours at this point that it sometimes feels as though your life is just an extension of my own." She squeezed his hand gently. "When you hurt, I hurt."

Unaccountably, Sam giggled, and Daniel's face broke into a spontaneous smile.

"God, how cliché was that? 'I feel your pain,'" she droned in a pseudo-self help guru voice. "Good thing the colonel's outside."

His smile fading to a tender grin, Daniel twisted his arm until Sam's hand rested in his. "It might be cliché, but it's also the most beautiful thing I've ever heard you say."

The earnest warmth in Daniel's eyes — a sign of life they'd seen only fleetingly in the past week — produced a lump in Sam's throat. Tears rushed to the corners of her eyes, glistening conspicuously in the small space between them.

"He's obviously good for you," she whispered, barely audibly.

Blinking dumbly, Daniel pulled slightly away from her, his mouth dropping open in astonishment. "What?"

"Uh, I, ah... I meant that it's nice to see you so relaxed. Since the colonel brought you home... uh, that is, to his home, he... crap." Sam ducked her head, her face growing progressively redder, beginning with a pink tinge and building rapidly to crimson.

Overcoming his initial shock, Daniel gently grasped her jaw, lifting her face to his.

"Sam?"

She couldn't or wouldn't respond but Daniel saw everything he needed to know in her gaze. His eyes widened minutely, his brows quivering above them.

"How long have you known?" he inquired straightforwardly, no trace of accusation or suspicion in his tone. Releasing his hold on her chin, he maintained their connection with his eyes.

Sam drew a small breath. "A few months. Though, when I thought about it, I realized the signs have been there for years."

"That long?" Daniel's brows shot up over the rims of his glasses. "You think?"

"Oh, yeah," she smiled sincerely. "The man has it bad."

Considering for just a second that her timeline included his year as an ascended being, Daniel brutally pushed back the implications of that realization and chose to concentrate on the here and now.

By the time he returned from his musings, Sam had sobered again. "He's going to be angry, isn't he?"

Daniel's lips lifted in a sympathetic smirk. "That you're too smart for your own good? Probably. He hates it when I figure out things he thinks I'm better off not knowing."

Watching her squirm at the prospect of revealing her knowledge of their relationship to her superior officer, Daniel ventured, "So, is this okay? I mean, you seem okay with it."

Sam smiled again and, reaching out to Daniel, pulled him in for a firm hug. "This is very okay," she whispered in his ear, the tears burning the back of her throat making her voice a bit husky. She hummed softly, basking in the corresponding hug she received from Daniel.

Briefly squeezing him tighter, Sam released her hold and sat back. She returned his adoring gaze then broke the sentimental mood with a conspiratorial wink. "You just let me know if he doesn't treat you right. I have seven ways to hurt him, and no one will ever suspect."

Snorting a short laugh, Daniel nodded, "I will, Sam. Thanks."

"What's going on?"

Caught unawares, Daniel jerked upright in his chair.

Rocketing to her feet, her training kicking in, Sam automatically whirled, hands raised defensively, to face the perceived intruder.

Coming face to face with her CO, Sam froze. The only things still in motion were her eyes as she took him in. Dirty, sweaty jeans and tee shirt covered a toned body currently tensed in reaction to her challenge. Tightly drawn lips and scarred eyebrow raised in a 'you've got to be kidding me' arc broadcast his aggravated disbelief. The look was so severe not even his comically disheveled hair lessened its impact.

"Sir," she blurted. Relaxing her posture, she swiped at the lone tear that had escaped during her 'moment' with Daniel and sat heavily. "I didn't hear you come in."

"You oughta try living with him," Daniel complained blithely. "He scares the shit out of me all the time, moving around like some stealth-empowered superhuman or something." The corners of his mouth twitched upward. "I've threatened to put a bell on him."

Jack's eyes shot from Carter to Daniel, the brow rising higher at the easy manner with which his lover made that statement.

"She knows, Jack," Daniel confirmed calmly.

His stony expression giving away none of his thoughts on the revelation, Jack nodded stiffly and asked, "You ready to go outside?"

Sending his less than confident gaze over the stacks of files littering the table, Daniel sighed, "Sure."

"You go ahead, Daniel," Sam offered. "I'll pack all this up and be right behind you."

"No, Sam, that's too much," Daniel protested, gathering the uneven piles of paper near him into a neater package.

Stilling his hands with an affectionate pat, Sam said significantly, "Not between friends."

His stomach clenching at the love pouring out of her eyes, Daniel glanced downward to forestall the tears that the look engendered, and nodded obediently.

Sensing that something important had passed between them in his absence, Jack hesitantly stepped forward and lifted Daniel's crutches from the floor near his chair. Daniel rose stiffly and Jack placed a supporting hand under his lover's elbow. Positioning the crutches in Daniel's armpits, he stood back to give the younger man room to get by.

Following Daniel into the hallway, Jack turned as he exited the dining room. Catching the eye of his 2IC, he answered her too familiar smile with a thankful, if unsettled, one of his own and, nodding acknowledgment of her inclusion in their small circle of confidants, marched pensively after his plodding partner.

"You warm enough?" Jack queried from his precarious perch on the edge of Daniel's chaise lounge. He skimmed his hand along Daniel's bare arm. It was a sunny fall day in Colorado Springs, but there was a distinct chill in the air.

"I'm plenty warm now," Daniel puffed, still winded from his trek across the living room. "But once this post-marathon flush diminishes, I might need a jacket."

Nodding, Jack leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Daniel's temple. "I'll bring you a blanket, too," he muttered.

Pushing himself to his feet, Jack spun towards the door and stumbled at the sight of Carter's affable blue eyes and alarmingly adoring grin beaming at him from the other side of the glass.

They stared at one another a second, Sam's expression absently fond, Jack's more approximating a deer caught in the headlights of a semi-truck about to flatten his ass on the pavement, before Sam registered she'd been caught watching them. She started to fidget, juggling the box she held as though it had suddenly grown unmanageably heavy.

Recognizing her predicament, Jack shook himself from his discomfiture with the regal sniff of a practiced senior officer and, snatching the door open, stepped quickly inside.

Sam took a faltering step backward as the door blew in towards her. Her grip on the left side of the box was compromised by the sudden movement and she bent forward, adjusting her grip, attempting to keep the contents from spilling all over the colonel's living room floor.

Jack absently shoved the door closed behind him and shooting out his hand, wrested the box from her grasp. Both straightened quickly, Carter's eyes skimming the colonel's dark, probing gaze, both obviously ill-at-ease.

"Well, that was quick, Carter," Jack said coolly. "I didn't expect you to get that mess packed up so soon."

"Yes, sir," she acknowledged self-consciously.

Searching her features for a clue about what she was thinking, Jack blurted, "Damn, this box is heavy." Spinning gracelessly, he practically dropped it on the floor next to the doorway and, whirling back, used the momentum to bolt towards the hallway.

He hooked her arm as he passed. "Come on; you can give me a hand in here."

"Sir, what about..." Sam gestured towards the deck.

"Daniel will be fine for a minute," he snapped.

Ascending the stairs, he released his grip, fully expecting Carter to be on his heels. He stalked to the bedroom, effortlessly stripped a blanket from the still unmade bed, and tossed it at her when she rounded the doorway.

While Sam fumbled with the fluttering ends of the cover, Jack took two large steps in her direction, stopping just outside the limit of her personal space.

She froze, hugging the blanket close, a decidedly flimsy shield.

"So," he said with a calm that was far from his actual state of mind, "you know."

"Yes, sir," she said noncommittally.

His disconcerted smirk progressed quickly to a full out scowl. "You're gonna have to give me more than that, Carter, you know I'm no good at this stuff."

Sam cleared her throat harshly. "It's not common knowledge, if that's what you're afraid of, sir. I've never witnessed anything that could be construed as more than close friendship between you and Daniel in your behavior on base."

Acknowledging the opinion with a nod, Jack ventured, "And off base?"

Sam shrugged faintly. "You're less guarded, but I guess that's to be expected in your own home. But even at that there were no overt signs. I don't think the casual observer would have picked up on anything, even in your most relaxed moments."

"But you're not a casual observer."

"No, sir. As I explained to Daniel just a while ago, his life... and yours, sir, are intricately tangled with mine. We've known each other too long, been through far too much together, for it to be otherwise."

"Ah," Jack responded smartly.

Sam canted her head, her eyes narrowing just a bit. "Is this a problem, sir?"

"Lose the sir, Carter. Cripes, we're standing in my bedroom talking about my love life."

Screwing his face in semblance of an apologetic smile at the unmistakable pink hue her face acquired, Jack straightened and asked point blank, "You tell me, is this a problem?"

"If you're asking, do I have a problem with the fact that you and Daniel are in a relationship, the answer is no, s... Jack, I have no problem."

Jack's lips slanted upward, seemingly in relief, though his slightly rigid posture revealed that he was not fully comfortable with the notion that she was aware that he and Daniel were a couple.

"Daniel wanted to tell you," he nevertheless confessed.

"I surmised as much," Sam said with a small smile. "And I also know that your only reason for not telling me was to protect me."

Pursing his lips thoughtfully, he nodded.

"You don't have to worry about me, Jack," Sam said meaningfully. "And I don't just mean your concern for my welfare, but also any concern you might have about my protecting your secret."

Drawing a deep breath, he hit her with the piercing gaze that had crumpled raw recruits, examining the deepest parts of her mind and soul. Letting his shoulders drop, he grinned, satisfied at her ability to hold the gaze unflinchingly then nodded again, decisively.

"Daniel's probably wondering what happened to us." Clasping her shoulder amiably, he spun her in the direction of the door, giving the shoulder a tiny shove to send her on her way.

He snagged Daniel's jacket from the coat rack on his way out the room and, suddenly inspired, called after her, "Hey, why don't we call Teal'c? I've got some steaks in the freezer..."

Part 12

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