Title: Perish the Thought
Author: Brenda
Author Page: Brenda
Category: Slash (Established Relationship)
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Set during Season Three after FIAD and Past and Present. A visit to a deserted planet gives Daniel a chance to try to solve the mystery of a lost civilization. But it also changes his life in a way he neither expects or wants.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. This story may not be posted anywhere without the consent of the authors.

Colonel Jack O'Neill strolled through the luxuriant, emerald grass of PCX-445 as he walked the perimeter around the ruins where Daniel Jackson was spending all his time. Today he'd been relegated to the role of babysitter (although he'd better not let Daniel hear him say that) while Teal'c had been assigned to Carter as the guy-who-helps-with-collecting-scientific-samples. All in all, he figured he probably got the better deal.

He took a deep breath of the clean air and caught the scent of something like honeysuckle in the breeze. There was something incredibly peaceful about this place, and Jack didn't think that was only due to the fact they were apparently the sole inhabitants on the planet. It was nearly noon now, and the skies were clear and blue, but in the mornings there was a low mist that gave the place a mysterious feel. Their first morning on the planet they had all watched the wispy fog curling around the trees, and Daniel had broken the silence by remarking he wouldn't have been entirely surprised to hear a tin whistle in the distance or catch a glimpse of fairies at play. That was it exactly. It evoked the same feelings in Jack as the wonderful and seemingly magical stories his grandmother used to tell him when he was a boy about the Ireland of her childhood. There were even peat bogs here, which set Daniel off in some kind of ecstasy at the possibility of finding bodies buried there. Accordingly, Sam and Teal'c had been given strict and explicit instructions about exploring said bogs, as unfortunately Daniel couldn't be two places at once, and the writings on the walls of the ruins proved to be the stronger siren song.

Speaking of his linguist, as a half hour had gone by since their last contact, Jack pressed the button on his radio. "Daniel?"

After a long pause there was a buzz of static, and then he heard Daniel's voice, "Jack."

O'Neill shook his head at the distracted tone. It was his 'don't bother me now, I'm working' voice, the one he so often used when Jack was trying his best to pry him away from a troublesome translation and spend some quality time with him doing much more interesting things that almost always involved getting naked...and sometimes even involved things like chocolate syrup. "What'cha doin'?"

"Same thing I was doing the last time you checked, Jack," came the painfully patient reply.

Jack grinned to himself as he looked over at the ruins where Daniel was happily playing. PCX-445 was supposed to be a cake walk for SG-1, and after a week it had proved to be just that. A boring cakewalk where he and Teal'c pretty much got to be superfluous, and the two scientists got to sit around the campfire at night and babble on excitedly about their discoveries. It was after they had 'gated into the middle of a civil war and managed to escape after being captured as spies and tortured for information they didn't have that Jack decided SG-1 needed a serious break. Over the last several missions Jack noticed some of the light of discovery fading from Daniel's eyes as time and time again he was called on to be a soldier more than an archaeologist. He didn't want to see that light fade, and above all he didn't want Daniel to wake up one day and decide he'd had enough. He wanted Daniel on SG-1, and he wanted him to be happy he was on the team. So when PCX-445 came up for exploration it seemed like the perfect mission for them: an apparently abandoned planet with a Stargate and mysterious ruins. A perfect - and safe - mystery for Daniel to sink his teeth into and give the rest of them some down time on what appeared to be a beautiful, verdant planet with no strikes against it as far as Jack could tell. The biggest mystery was why the planet had been abandoned in the first place. So far nothing had been discovered indicating plague or disaster or war. The inhabitants just seemed to have vanished. That was one of the mysteries Daniel was hoping to solve by poking around in the ruins of what looked like some kind of temple complex.

"Having fun, are you?" he teased.

"Actually I am." Jack could hear the smile in his voice. Daniel had been relaxed and happy on this mission, the light of discovery once again sparking in his eyes, and Jack gave himself a pat on the back for suggesting this mission to Hammond. "And, Jack, I've discovered a new chamber." His voice echoed weirdly as he seemed to be moving deeper into the ruins. "There was a hidden door. The passageway goes down, so it seems to be --"

Jack began running. "Daniel! Where are you?"

"It's okay, Jack. I'm just heading down to check out --"

"Don't you move," he barked. "You stay right where you are until I get there." He crossed the distance to the ruins at a run and skidded to a halt as he passed under the enormous arch of the entrance, looking around sharply. "Where are you? Exactly."

The sigh came through loud and clear over his earphone. "To the west. The last chamber. But Jack --"

"On my way," he replied crisply. "We'll talk about it when I get there." That little announcement was met with pointed silence, but he didn't much care. He'd rather have Daniel a little pissy with him than have him gou'lded or dead because he stumbled onto a sarcophagus with a snakehead inside. And it would be just like Daniel to do that, he thought crossly, if somewhat unfairly. If it turned out the hidden chamber was safely unoccupied and free of booby traps, then Jack would pat him on the arm and gladly let him to it, but he wasn't going to apologize for doing his damnedest to keep him alive and safe.

As he rounded a particularly imposing pillar covered with carvings of fantastic beasts, he saw a light up ahead, jiggling a little as Daniel no doubt tapped his foot impatiently. Deliberately Jack slowed his gait, a little payback for the way Daniel had so casually ignored the rules of protocol that had supposedly been drummed into him since their first mission. 'Oh by the way, Jack, I've found a secret room, and I'm just going to go down there all alone and see what was so important or dangerous it had to be hidden away. No, if you hadn't called I probably wouldn't have bothered mentioning where I was going. Is that a problem?'

"Daniel." He nodded to the man leaning against a wall, who was regarding him with a neutral expression, arms crossed.

"Jack." Daniel nodded toward the entrance. "Mother may I?" he asked pointedly.

"You know the rules." Jack stepped through the doorway, MP-5 held ready while a gust of breath behind him signaled the other man's annoyance. Tough. If there was something life-threatening in here, he got to play with it first. He wrinkled his nose at the staleness of the air but processed the fact that it wasn't as stale as it should be, so there must be some fresh air getting in somewhere. The floor sloped gently downward, and the passageway continued on for some fifty yards or so until it opened up into a proper room. Jack was aware of Daniel moving up to stand beside him as he stopped just inside the chamber, and the two of them played the beams of their lights around the walls. The room was awash in a faint glow from something like recessed lighting; Carter would want to check that out. There were more pictures of beasts and strange birds carved into walls, enough writing to keep Daniel happy for a good long time, and some little alcoves built into the walls, but nothing else that Jack could see. No sarcophagus, no Goa'uld weaponry, nothing that warranted him pointing his gun at it. He lowered his weapon, bracing himself for the scathing commentary he was expecting, but instead Daniel headed for a wall the way a bee made for pollen.

"More of this writing." He brushed his fingers over the surface, clearing away some of the dust. He sneezed once, twice, then absently fished in his pants pocket for a handkerchief. When he continued to search in vain, Jack pulled out his own handkerchief and wordlessly handed it over. Daniel accepted it with a nod, his attention still fixed on the wall.

"Can you read it yet?" After they'd first discovered the ruins and writing, Daniel had told them it seemed to have its roots in old Gaelic but with a mixture of something that resembled the Ancients' language. Jack had just taken it for granted that Daniel would be able to work it out eventually.

"Not really. I mean, I can pick out some words that look like Gaelic, but I haven't been able to even go through an entire passage yet. I'm filming everything so I can work on it back at the SGC when we leave." He walked over to an adjacent wall filled with carved birds and animals and gently traced one of them. "What does this remind you of?"

Cradling his MP-5, Jack walked over to join him, standing close enough behind him to feel his body heat and take in the faint scent of his aftershave mixed with sweat. The one downside to being off-world for an entire week was the pesky 'No Sex on Missions' Rule they'd both agreed to back at the beginning of their new (and vastly improved to Jack's way of thinking) relationship. That rule had quickly been followed by the 'No Sex on Base' and the 'No Sex While in Uniform' Rules. That last one had died a spectacular and unlamented death the night Jack came home from a top brass meeting at the mountain still in his dress blues. Daniel had barely let him get both feet inside the door before he was backed up against a wall and soundly ravished. But there were no rules about looking or sniffing, so he drew in the scent of his lover, realizing Daniel knew exactly what he was doing when the other man shifted slightly so they were now touching. It would have been so easy and seem so natural for him to wrap his arms around Daniel and pull him back tight against his chest, but he fought down the urge with regret. Not a good idea even here in this hidden chamber a good couple of miles from Teal'c and Carter. And then he realized they'd never have a better opportunity, and they were miles away from their team mates, so... He pulled Daniel back against him, reveling in the feel of that lean, strong body against his, and buried his nose in the short, thick hair on the back of his head.

"Jack," Daniel protested, "you shouldn't..." But even as he spoke he was twisting around in Jack's arms, his mouth unerringly finding Jack's. Warm, soft lips, a clever tongue filling his mouth, and gently nipping teeth. That was all Jack was aware of for a long time until all were reluctantly removed. "And I definitely shouldn't have done that," Daniel said ruefully.

"No, but I'm glad you did," Jack told him, missing the taste and feel of him already. He pulled Daniel in for one last hug before releasing him and taking a step back so they were no longer touching. "That's going to have to last us a while," he observed dryly.

His arms wrapped around his chest as if he didn't trust them to behave if left to their own devices, Daniel agreed with a little regretful sigh, then squared his shoulders and turned back to face the wall. "Those drawings, Jack?"

Reminded of the question, Jack returned his attention to the carvings with an effort. He tilted his head, eyes tracing the lines of one extraordinary beast. Something tickled at the back of his mind... "That big bible," he said slowly. "The one the monks did."

Daniel nodded and shot him a pleased look. "The Book of Kells. Or the Lindisfarne Gospels. Exactly. These have much the same style." He took a step closer to the wall and aimed the flashlight at one spot, his nose right up against it for a long moment. Finally he nodded to himself and stepped back.

"What?"

Daniel tapped a fingernail against the wall. "I saw indications of this in the other chambers too. It's faint, but there are still traces of some kind of paint. These walls were all painted." He turned in a circle, his face reflecting his awe. "It must have been an incredible sight."

Daniel was a pretty incredible sight himself, the elegant line of his neck emphasized as he tilted his head to study the markings on the wall, his mouth parted slightly. Jack's gaze trailed down the back of his field jacket, and he remembered licking a hot trail down the hidden spine, the feel of that silky skin and Daniel squirming under him. His eyes came to rest on the rounded mound of ass under the BDU pants. He had a lot of really good memories of that perfect ass. In fact, his hands itched...

"Ja-ack. What are you doing?"

"Feeling you up," he replied, nuzzling a lobeless ear. "And if I have to explain it to you then I'm obviously not doing it right."

"Oh, you're doing it right all right." Daniel stretched back into him like a cat asking to be petted. "But you shouldn't be doing it at all."

That may be true, but Jack noticed his lover wasn't making any effort to move away. He molded his hands to Daniel's ass cheeks and squeezed gently, eliciting a gratifying moan.

"Jack, I'm sure we have a rule against this."

Jack was sure they had a lot of rules about this, but that didn't stop him from sliding his hands around until he was tracing the outline of Daniel's growing erection. There was an inarticulate sound from Daniel, then he had turned in Jack's arms, pushing Jack back against the wall. Pleasantly trapped there, Jack found his face framed by two strong but gentle hands while Daniel ravished his mouth and pressed their bodies together.

Christ, how he loved this man. Yes, Daniel could ignite his libido like no one else and make him go from zero to flashpoint like he was a teenager, but it was so much more than that, and he had gone to great lengths to make sure Daniel knew that. It wasn't just the lean, incredible body and the attractive face with the lush, pouting lips and blue eyes that could turn him into a puddle of goo. It was also the extraordinary mind, the astonishing well of knowledge within the man, the razor sharp wit, the dry and sometimes searing sense of humor, the innocence he still possessed, his staunch courage, his sense of honor and dedication to the truth. These weren't things Jack thought about consciously, but they were things he recognized and things he loved. Simply put, he knew he was happier when he was with Daniel than when he wasn't, and he knew without a single doubt that he wanted to spend each and every remaining day he had with this man. He wanted to go to bed with him, and he wanted to wake up with him for the rest of his life. Damned if he hadn't gone and handed over his heart to Daniel, trusting him to keep it safe.

Right now Daniel seemed to be doing his best to climb inside his skin. Ah, this had so much potential. Rules be damned. He was making an executive decision to ignore the rules. Twisting his body, he turned so Daniel was backed up against the wall. Not that Daniel seemed to notice the change; he was too busy plundering Jack's mouth and working his busy hands inside Jack's shirt to get at his skin. With difficulty Jack managed to pull away when Daniel paused for breath, resisting when the other man immediately tried to pull him back.

"Jack," Daniel panted, grabbing a fistful of Jack's jacket.

Jack forestalled him to planting quick kisses around his face but avoiding those lethal lips. "Got a plan," he whispered huskily.

"So do I," Daniel growled, yanking him forward once again.

"Ah ah," he chastised, nipping an ear. "Let me do this, Danny," he murmured, moving back to nuzzle the side of his lover's face.

He felt some of Daniel's resistance melt away at the use of the nickname. "Whatever you're going to do," Daniel said breathlessly and a little desperately, "you'd better get on with it."

"Getting on with it, Doctor Jackson." Jack succumbed to the lure of those lips and indulged himself one last deep kiss, then reluctantly pulled away and eased down onto his knees.   With the efficiency of long practice, he soon had Daniel's pants unbuttoned and his straining shaft in his hands.

"Oh god, Jack." The back of Daniel's head made contact with the wall none too gently as Jack lovingly and lightly stroked a finger up the length of his penis.   "Please..."

"Well since you said 'please'," He didn't waste any time. Teal'c and Carter may very well be miles away, but this was still taking a stupid risk, and he couldn't linger and tease the way he would have if they were home in bed on a lazy Sunday morning. So without preamble he leaned in and did something he never tired of doing. God, he loved bringing Daniel off like this. He loved hearing the moans and whimpers, loved Daniel squirming under his touch, loved the feel of Daniel's hands in his hair, urging him on. Loved the taste and smell of him.  He felt his lover tense suddenly, fingers tightening painfully in his hair, and then orgasm tore through Daniel. He couldn't help thinking how very gratifying it was to hear his name echoing off the walls like that.

He let the softened cock slip from his mouth and carefully tucked it back inside Daniel's pants just in time as the other man slid slowly down the wall to land with a soft thump. He had that sweet dopey look he always got on his face after lovemaking, and he was reaching for Jack. Jack readily allowed himself to be pulled in close and nuzzled and kissed, smiling at the endearments whispered into his ear. Sex with Daniel was totally mindblowing and something he could never get enough of; but he had to admit he treasured this. Daniel wasn't a man given to touching others, and neither of them were given to vocalizing their innermost feelings. That's what made this so damned special. In Daniel's arms he was petted and cuddled and cherished as if he were the most important thing in the universe; words were whispered in his ear that made him swell with pride and want to tap dance on the roof. He was wanted, he was needed, and he was loved. There had been a time in his life when he thought he would never be any of those things again.

"Your turn, soldier boy."

The hot, husky whisper in his ear sent a chill down his spine and a lightning bolt straight to his cock. Those same clever fingers that found and explored precious artifacts now exposed his eager cock and was doing some gentle exploration of a different kind.

"Slow and easy or fast and hard, Jack?"

That purred question was followed by a wet tongue delving quickly in and out of his ear. His cock jumped. "Fast," he panted. "Fast, fast, fast."

An impossibly dirty chuckle sounded in his ear. "Fast it is, flyboy. Fasten your seatbelt."

If anyone had told Jack a quick hand job could compare to the white hot suction of a blow job he would have told them they were nuts - or dead. But 'quick hand job' didn't come close to describing what Daniel had raised to an art form. To be honest, just the thought of those elegant, talented fingers wrapped around his cock was enough to bring him off. But combined with the energetic pumping of Daniel's determined hand were the words being whispered in his ear. Jack never knew what they would be: sweet and sensuous or wicked and demanding; in English or Abydonian or one of a dozen other languages; soft or raucous. This time the words were hot and demanding and a little teasing while the rhythm he set up was fast, fast, fast .

As orgasm ripped through him, a hot, insistent mouth covered his, muffling and swallowing his scream. Long moments later he was aware of the same mouth bestowing gentle kisses, and he managed to raise a hand, clamping Daniel's head in place as he did his own share of bestowing. "Love you," he whispered and rewarded with a look of such tenderness he had to pull the other man into a hard hug before reluctantly releasing him.

"So, how many rules did we break?" Daniel asked as Jack began the task of making himself presentable.

Jack waved that off airily. "Rules were meant to be broken."

"Remember that the next time I don't jump instantly to obey one of yours," Daniel muttered, getting gracefully to his feet.

Jack followed a bit slower, his knees creaking in protest. "We're not talking about my rules, Daniel." Turning to face the other man, he held up an index finger to stave off the argument he saw forming, then in a deliberate gesture, traced that finger lightly down the side of Daniel's face. "My rules are made to keep you alive."

Any dispute Daniel would have made died a silent death. But the look he gave Jack from under his lashes told him he knew exactly how he'd been played and that Jack would pay for it later. Jack was still trying to hide his grin of anticipation when Teal'c's voice crackled from the radio in his pocket. "O'Neill."

"Teal'c," Jack answered warily, looking around quickly as if he expected the Jaffa to appear in the doorway. "Where are you, buddy?"

"Major Carter and I beginning our return journey. We should arrive in approximately two hours."

"Good to know. We'll see you in two." He flicked off the radio and looked up at Daniel, eyebrows waggling suggestively. "Two hours."

Instead of jumping him, pinning him to the ground and ravishing him as Jack had hoped, Daniel flicked a look of pure yearning at the wall in front of him, then a look of pure guilt at Jack. Jack got the distinct feeling he'd just been held up to comparison with a wall of old pictures and squiggly lines and had come in second.

"Or of course you could spend some quality time with...your cartoons." He waved a hand at the wall.

Daniel winced and if possible looked even more guilty. "We've only got one more day here, Jack, and it's going to take me all that time to just film all the writing in these ruins."

"Fine, fine, be that way," Jack said haughtily. The truth was, he was only too aware of how much of a stupid risk they'd taken the first time, and he wasn't about the take that risk again, but it was always a good thing to have a little leverage on a guy as smart as Daniel. He jabbed a finger at the other man. "But you remember this the next time I want to watch a game on TV and you're feelin' horny."

Daniel quickly averted his face but not before Jack saw the flash of a grin. "Okay, Jack, I'll remember." He sounded like he was choking down a chuckle. "But I don't recall you ever being that interested in a game on TV."

Jack felt a stab of indignation. "Hey! Are you saying I'm easy?"

Then Daniel did turn back to him, his face alight with laughter and affection. "No, Jack, the one thing I have never said about you is that you're easy."

Jack contented himself with one final grope of that delectable ass as he left, throwing over his shoulder, "Try not to get into any trouble in here."

Daniel turned to admire the view as Jack left, enjoying as always the hint of arrogant swagger that characterized Jack's gait...especially after sex. Shaking his head, he dropped down to rummage in his bag for the camera. But instead of getting back to his task of filming the room, he sank back against the wall and closed his eyes with a smile, still feeling the afterglow buzz of sex with Jack. There was no disputing his life had taken a lot of odd and wonderful twists and turns in his thirtysomething years, and one might think visiting other planets would be the oddest and most wonderful. But Daniel thought falling in love with a silver-haired, often irascible, definitely impossible Air Force colonel ranked right up there in the 'oddest and most wonderful' category. Having been in love before, Daniel recognized what he felt for Jack was love of the most complex, complicated and dizzying kind. It had started as a bit of awe and hero worship for the man who had fought to have him on his team, gave him a place to stay and clothes to wear when he came back from Abydos a refugee, and seemed to be able to do pretty much anything he set his mind to. That graduated to friendship, then deepened, changed, and grew stronger until Jack pretty much encompassed his whole life and became the most important thing in it. Daniel wasn't even sure when it was he realized he didn't just love Jack, he was in love with him. Thankfully it seemed to be about the time Jack realized he had fallen in love with Daniel as well.

They must be the ultimate odd couple, he mused, but there was no denying their happiness. They still argued, bickered, fought and occasionally went toe to toe and nose to nose, but that was work and pretty much par for the course where they were concerned. They'd had fundamental disagreements since the day they met, and Daniel didn't see that changing as long as they were still breathing. But when Daniel looked at Jack he saw the same happiness in him he felt within himself, and even more warming, he saw contentment in Jack's eyes, something that had been missing since he'd met him.

But as nice as it was to sit and revel in his happy state, he had work to do, and their time on this planet was running out unless he could convince Jack and General Hammond to extend it. Who was he kidding? This was an abandoned planet with absolutely no sign of any kind of technology to help them fight the Goa'uld. In fact, there was no sign of the Goa'uld at all. His odds on extending their visit here to indulge his curiosity were zero, the same as his odds of convincing the general to send back an archaeological team to work this place. No, this was one of those planets they'd never visit again, which meant the extent of his research was limited to any artifacts he could stuff into his backpack. He'd take them back to the SGC where they would languish on a shelf in his office while other more important research took precedence. With a sigh, he climbed to his feet, put the camera to his eye and began moving around the room.

He came to the first little alcove on the second wall he was filming. He carefully pointed the camera and spent a few moments capturing on film what he nestled inside, then put the camera aside and reached in. His fingers closed around the small, round object and he pulled it carefully out, shining the flashlight beam on it, frowning. It was about the size of a marble and was round, but not perfectly round. He rubbed his thumb over the chilled surface and felt an imperfection. Digging one-handed in his bag, he located his little magnifying glass and dropped down on one knee, propping his flashlight against his pack and holding the glass in an attempt to see what was on the stone. But no amount of squinting or moving the glass closer or further away from the stone would reveal clearly what the markings were, and Daniel put the magnifier away with a frustrated sigh. This was worse than some of those clay tablets with their miniscule scratchings of cuneiform he'd worked on during his field days. It was going to take a brighter light and more powerful magnification than he had here to see what was on the stone, so it would have to wait until he got back to the SGC. Slipping the stone into his pocket, he picked up his camera and continued filming.

When he finally finished circling the room he had two more stones in his pocket to join the first. All were the approximate size of marbles, and all had something scratched or etched into their surface. It was a mystery for later, like so many mysteries he brought back from the planets he visited for far too short a time. It was a constant source of frustration for him and a constant internal conflict. On the one hand, he yearned to return to his roots, to dig in the dirt, to be the one who got to spend months on a planet uncovering ruins and unraveling the mysteries of a lost civilization. On the other hand, he wouldn't give up being on SG1, the premiere first contact team, for anything. So he swallowed his disappointment when he was forced to turn over yet another promising dig to another team and archaeologist; but every time he stood in front of the Stargate prepared to go on another mission with his team mates, a rush of excitement filled his veins, and he knew each trip through the Stargate was the adventure of a lifetime. He'd made his choice, but it didn't mean he didn't allow himself to sometimes feel the occasional sharp pang of disappointment or wish that he could have it both ways. Wish. Etymology: Middle English wisshen, from Old English wyscan ; akin to Old High German wunsken to wish.

He smiled faintly to himself, once again finding solace in Etymology . It was important to him to know where words came from, just as it was important to know the origins of a people. Well he could wish all he want, but it wouldn't change anything. He still had the rest of the walls to film and little time to do it in; Teal'c and Sam would probably be back at camp by now, which meant Jack would be summoning him back for the night. He turned around and headed for the doorway, but he only went a few steps before he found himself sprawled lengthwise as his toe caught one of the uneven stones that made up the floor. The breath knocked out of him, he stayed where he was for a few moments until he finally pushed himself up, grimacing at the sting of a scrape on one wrist.

Sitting up, he brushed the dirt off the small abrasion and was about to climb to his feet when he saw what had caused him to trip. Eyes widening, he scrambled over to the floor stone that had become dislodged. There seemed to be nothing underneath it. Or rather, it appeared to be the opening to some sort of underground tunnel. With a heave, he managed to shove the stone all the way aside, the heavy scraping sound echoing in the chamber. Panting from the exertion, he aimed his flashlight into the hole, his straining gaze picking out a rough-hewn ladder leading down. He sat back and chewed his lip for a moment. He should call Jack, of course, but Jack would just make him wait until he got there, or forbid him to go down at all on the grounds it was mostly likely structurally unsound. Well, it probably was structurally unsound, but Daniel had worked plenty of dangerous digs, and he knew what to look for and when it was time to retreat. Besides, he was supposed to be the one who called the shots when it came to archaeology off-planet, and his call was that he was going to just nip into the tunnel, have a quick look around, and be back out before Jack knew anything about it.

He'd just turned around to back down the untested ladder when the sudden sound of a deep voice nearly sent him tumbling over the edge. "Daniel Jackson."

He dropped down onto the floor with a thump, his heart pounding. "Teal'c. Give a guy a heart attack."

Teal'c's face was stern as he gazed down at him. "Were you attempting to enter that tunnel?"

Daniel felt a little bolt of annoyance at Teal'c tone. "Yes, I was attempting to enter the tunnel."

"Has O'Neill approved this?"

"No, Jack has not 'approved' this because I haven't told him." As Teal'c lifted his chin and opened his mouth, Daniel plowed on as his bubbling frustration finally surfaced, "Teal'c, I wish you would remember that I am in charge of the archaeological part of our missions, and I am doing what the SGC is paying me to do. And I wish you would stop hovering over me every time I take a step. I'm quite capable of making a risk assessment when it comes to what I've been trained to do." As soon as the words left his mouth Daniel regretted taking that tone with Teal'c, who after all only ever did his best to keep him safe and away from harm.

But as he was about to offer an apology, Teal'c merely inclined his head. "Of course, Daniel Jackson," he said solemnly, then turned around and walked from the chamber.

Daniel stared after him, mouth agape. "Teal'c?" he called out tentatively, but there was no response. He dropped his head onto his chest and sighed, rubbing his temples. Oh hell. That had been really uncalled for. Teal'c must have been pissed beyond measure to walk off like that. Well, he'd apologize in front of the whole SGC if that's what it took to make amends. But first he was going to take a quick look in that tunnel because once Teal'c reported back to Jack there was no way he'd be going down there.

The wooden ladder creaked ominously under his weight as he carefully descended, and the last rung snapped in two with a loud crack as he placed a foot on it, nearly causing him to lose his balance. With both feet firmly on the ground, he looked up at the hole above, wondering if he could trust it to ascend again. He really didn't want to have to sit down here and wait for Jack to come and toss a rope down to him. He played the beam of the flashlight around the tunnel, his experienced eye recognizing immediately how unsafe this passageway was. If he'd discovered a tunnel like this on a dig on Earth he would have immediately ordered it shorn up before allowing anyone in. He didn't like to think about what it must say about him now that he continued on in spite of that. Had his constant frustration as an archaeologist who wasn't able to finish what he started finally begun to outweigh his common sense? Jack would certainly say so. And if he was truthful, he would probably have to agree.

Be that as it may, he was here now, and he may as well explore this tunnel. He began carefully negotiating the passageway, keeping well away from the crumbling sides. He'd gone quite a distance when an angry shout reverberated through the passageway.

"Daniel!"

Daniel cringed as dirt dislodged from the ceiling, landing on top of his head.

"Where are you?"

"I'm here!" he hissed into his radio. "Jack, don't shout." He heard a scuffling noise that sounded like boots on wood. "Jack, don't come down the --"

There was a crack of wood, a heavy thump, and a bitten off curse.

"Ladder," he finished ruefully. "Are you okay?" He started back in the direction he'd come, quickening his pace into a jog when he didn't hear a reply. "Jack?"

"Damnit, Daniel!"

Daniel slowed to a stop, both relieved and annoyed. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't shout," he said quietly into his radio. "The walls and ceiling down here are pretty unstable."

"Which is why, of course, you just had to come down here." The sarcastic reply fairly crackled out of his radio.

"No, I came down here because I'm doing my job," he retorted through gritted teeth. "And would you please keep your voice down."

"Haul your ass back here, Daniel," Jack snapped. "That's an order."

Daniel bit his tongue to keep his initial reply unspoken. Looking around at the unstable walls and uncertain ceiling he admitted he'd been foolish by coming down here without taking any precautions, and he couldn't blame Jack for being pissed. But he really, really hated it when Jack took that tone with him. "On my way," he said shortly into his radio. It was the only thing he trusted himself to say at the moment.

He started back the way he came, but stopped suddenly at the sound of a menacing rumble from overhead. "Uh oh." He raised his flashlight so the beam hit the dirt ceiling. The earth was shifting in an almost surreal manner, and as he watched large chunks of it began to crash to the floor. He knew instantly he had no chance to get out that way. "Jack, get out of here!" he yelled, quickly backing as the collapsing ceiling began to chase him. He was aware of the sound of Jack's desperate voice through his radio yelling his name, and then he was enveloped in a cloud of dust and knocked to his feet.

The next thing he was aware of was a dull throb above his right eye and all-encompassing darkness. He blinked his eyes rapidly and made out swirls of still settling dust. He wasn't blind he realized with relief; he was laying on his flashlight. Coughing to clear his throat from the dust lodged there he again heard Jack's frantic voice through his radio, but it seemed too far away. It took him a moment of confusion before he realized the radio must have been knocked from his pocket when he fell. Groping in the direction of Jack's voice, his fingers finally closed around the small box, and he pulled it to him gratefully. "Jack?"

"Daniel? Are you all right?"

"Mmm, yeah, think so," he said slowly, not sure at all. "What 'bout you?"

"I'm fine," came the impatient retort. "Daniel, focus . Are you sure you're okay? Come on, talk to me."

The sound of Jack's sharp voice cut through the fuzziness in his mind like a hot knife through butter, and he automatically nodded. "I'm okay," he replied, realizing he really was. He'd had the breath knocked out of him, and it felt like he might have a bump or cut on his head, but he could move his arms and legs, and he didn't seem to be buried under a ton of dirt. All in all, he'd been damned lucky.  "Give me a minute, and let me get a look around." With a grunt, he located the switch to his flashlight and heaved a sigh of relief when the strong beam cut through the darkness. Being left without light down here didn't bear thinking about. "Oh boy," he murmured, getting his first look at the damage.

"How bad is it?"

Daniel was sure Jack knew the answer to that himself, but he answered, "Bad. What about on your side? Can you still get out?" he asked anxiously.

"The ladder is a little worse for wear, but the exit's still clear." There was a pause, then Jack continued carefully, "Daniel, if we try to clear this --"

"You'll bring down the rest of the ceiling," Daniel finished for him.

"I'll send Carter and Teal'c back to the 'gate. We'll have Hammond send through equipment and engineers."

That could take hours, and even more hours to shore up the walls enough for them to try to dig through to him, and he wasn't anxious to spend the night down here. "Before you do that, Jack, let me see what this leads to. There may be another way out."

"Or there may be another cave-in," Jack shot back, "and the next time you might not be so lucky."

"I think my odds are about the same either way, Jack," he said honestly.

There was a long silence, and finally he heard the harsh rasp of Jack's breath. "Okay. But be careful, and keep in touch. And if things look dicey, you get back as fast as you can. Got that?"

"Yeah, Jack, I got it." Slowly, he climbed to his feet, careful not to trip over the chunks of earth and stone surrounding him. He turned his flashlight toward the tunnel that lay before him and chewed his bottom lip for a moment. It was entirely possible this tunnel was nothing more than a passageway leading to another chamber with no outside exit, and he was tempting fate and another cave-in by continuing on. But he figured he tempted fate every time he stepped through the 'gate, and besides he didn't care for sitting here for hours on end waiting for a rescue that may or may not work. "Okay, I'm starting."

Jack's voice came over the radio, strong and determined like the man himself. "I'm right here, Daniel. Just keep talking."

Daniel came to an abrupt halt and growled into his radio, "Damn it, Jack, will you please get out of here. I can talk to you just as well if you're topside."

"Keep your voice down, Daniel," came the calm reprove, "and keep your eyes open. Can you see anything up ahead?"

Realizing Jack wasn't about to move as long as he was trapped down here, Daniel began cautiously moving forward again, keeping well away from the walls and casting a wary eye at the ceiling. "Not yet," he said quietly into his radio. The fact that he was able to comfortably walk upright in this passageway was giving him some hope that there was literally light at the end of the tunnel. Why go to all the trouble of constructing this type of channel only to come to a dead end? Of course, it could be an unfinished passageway...

"Daniel? You're not talking."

"Still walking, Jack. And still haven't see anything. Wish I knew what this had been used for."

"Escape tunnel?"

"What would they have been escaping from?" Daniel mused, considering the possibility.

"They could've had enemies."

"They could have. Or this could be the way they carried their dead to a tomb."

"Got to be easier ways to bury a body," Jack pointed out skeptically.

"Just thinking out loud."

"How's it looking?"

Daniel glanced up at the ceiling again. He was conscious of trickles of dirt falling on him as he passed but tried not to dwell on it. "So far so good," he replied, considering that truthful enough.

"Can you tell if you're moving up or going down or staying level?"

Daniel blinked. He had been so concerned with checking the walls and ceiling that he hadn't been paying attention, but Jack's question made him realize, "I think I might be going up. It's gradual, but yes, I'm definitely moving up. That's a good sign." A much better sign than moving down, he thought with sudden relief.

"Yes it is," Jack agreed, his voice still steady, still very much the team leader encouraging one of his team. "Anything that brings you nearer the surface is a good thing."

Daniel bit his lip as he heard the tone. He'd really screwed up this time, and although Jack sounded calm and relaxed, Daniel knew every nuance in his tone and recognized both the underlying anger and anxiety. But this wasn't the time or the place for apologies or explanations; both would have to wait for later. As he continued on, he and Jack kept up a light, innocuous conversation, and Daniel thought more than once how comforting the sound of Jack's voice was. Suddenly the beam of his flashlight picked up something ahead, and Daniel picked up his pace. "I think I've found something."

"What?" Jack asked sharply. "What's down there, Daniel?"

"Steps," he breathed, stopping to grin at the sight of the rough hewn logs pounded into the ground to form steps up a slope. There were about a dozen of them leading up, but when Daniel aimed the beam above he couldn't see any sign of light from the outside.

"Daniel, talk to me," Jack ordered.

Daniel nodded. "Okay, there are a dozen steps leading up, but I can't make out a door or opening."

"Stay where you are, and don't touch anything yet. I've been timing you, so I've got a rough idea how far you've walked."

"You have?" Daniel asked, surprised. Of course he realized he shouldn't have been surprised. That was something Jack would have thought to do.

"I'm sending Teal'c and Carter to make a sweep and see if they can find something. Just sit tight for now. We don't want to cause another cave-in."

Daniel felt a shudder run through his body. No, he definitely didn't want another cave-in. As an archaeologist he'd worked in some very tight and claustrophobic places, but he'd always taken the proper safety precautions and trusted in those. There were no safety precautions down here, and if there was another cave-in he knew he might not survive it. "Sitting tight," he murmured into his radio.

Jack's voice came through the radio again, this time lower, his tone more intimate. "We'll get you out, Daniel. You hear me? It's going to be okay."

Daniel felt a rush of affection for this man who was separated from him by a ton of rock and dirt and yet could make him feel like he was standing right beside him. Their relationship had been complex and multi-layered from the beginning, and being lovers hadn't made it any easier, but the one thing Daniel had never doubted was that it was worth it. He had given his heart to a man who was every bit as stubborn, opinionated and complicated as he was, and he didn't regret it for a single second.  "I know you will," he answered in a matching tone.

"Daniel Jackson, can you hear me?"

Daniel jumped at the sound of Teal'c's voice. "Teal'c?"

"I believe Major Carter and I are standing above your location."

"Daniel, there's some sort of trap door in the ground here." Sam picked up the explanation. "Teal'c's going to try to pry it open. You'd better stand back."

Daniel squinted at the top of the stairs, trying to make out the shape of a trap door. "Do you want me to push from in here?"

"No!" Three voices sounded simultaneously through his earpiece, and he yanked it out, rubbing his ear.

"Stay back out of the way, Daniel," Jack ordered.

"Got the message, Jack," he muttered, backing out of the way. For a long time all he heard was a faint scrapping sound, then it became louder, and then finally there was a sliver of light above. "I see light," he called.

"How you doing, big guy?" Jack asked.

Sam answered, "He's almost got it, sir."

Just then the sliver of light turned into a square, and Daniel blinked at the sudden brightness. It would be nearly twilight outside, but compared to the darkness in the tunnel it seemed almost dazzling.

"Got it, sir!" Sam called triumphantly.

"I'm going up, Jack." Daniel began to climb the logs driven into the dirt and had only made it halfway up when a hand grabbed his jacket at the shoulder and hauled him bodily the rest of the way. "Whoa!" The next thing he knew he was standing on firm ground topside with Teal'c's hands grasping his shoulders and holding him steady. "Thank you," he said faintly, patting one muscled arm. Remembering his words from earlier, Daniel winced. "Teal'c, I'm sorry about what I said before."

"You have no reason to apologize for your words, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c answered formally.

As Teal'c finally released him, Daniel took a step back and got a good look at Teal'c's face. His words to Teal'c had been rude and his tone uncalled for, but Daniel didn't think either of those had put the closed look on his friend's face. No, he realized guiltily, that was probably due to what Jack would have said to him when Teal'c told him he'd stood by while Daniel went down into the tunnel. That apology in front of the whole SGC was looking more and more likely. Off to the side he could hear Sam talking to Jack over the radio and knew he had more music to face as soon as Jack got here.

"The colonel's on his way," Sam reported, pulling out a first aid kit from her pack. "Sit down and let me take a look at that head, Daniel."

Daniel approached her warily, sinking down to the ground where she was kneeling. She didn't look up as he sat down and was all brisk efficiency as she cleaned and dressed the cut on his forehead. He and Sam often backed one another up when it came to the scientific part their missions, and he felt as close to Sam as if she were his sister, but he could tell he wasn't going to get any sympathy from her after sneaking off, getting himself trapped and scaring them all half to death. He couldn't deny any of that, but he wasn't used to getting frozen out by the person who had always treated him like a much loved kid brother. Squirming, he tried a hopeful 'Ow' as she dabbed antiseptic cream on his cut.

As he'd hoped, she seemed to thaw a bit and asked, "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No, just..." He waved a hand at his head. "Sorry. I know I shouldn't have..." He trailed off as she nailed him with a look.

"No, Daniel, you shouldn't have." But her hands were gentle as she fixed gauze and tape in place. She sat back on her knees and sighed. "Don't we get into enough trouble without you going out and looking for it?"

"That's hardly fair, Sam," he protested, hurt by her attitude. "I was just doing my job."

Patting his arm, she whispered, "Tell it to the colonel," and quickly got to her feet and moved prudently aside as Jack strode into view.

Daniel shot a sour look up at Sam. "Thanks a lot," he mouthed.

Her only response was to smile sweetly before busying herself with the straps on her pack.

Wearing sunglasses even though there wasn't enough sun to warrant them, Jack came to a halt in front of Daniel, tilting his head to look down at him. "You okay?"

Hating those sunglasses which were hiding Jack's eyes, Daniel nodded, waving a hand vaguely at his forehead. "A bump on the head, that's all. Sam took care of it."

Jack gave a curt nod. "All right, kids, let's get back to camp. We've wasted enough time here." He turned sharply on his heel and began leading the way back to camp, his back ramrod straight.

Sam threw Daniel a look that could be considered mildly sympathetic at that 'wasted enough time' remark, but obediently followed Jack. Without a word, Teal'c strode behind. Daniel sat where he was for a moment and considered feeling sorry for himself, then heaved a sigh, got to his feet, and followed his team mates on the silent hike back to camp, not so much taking their six as bringing up the rear in disgrace.

Dinner was an uncomfortable affair. Jack answered Daniel's attempts at conversation with grunts and monosyllables while Teal'c maintained a dignified silence. Only Sam took pity on him, and the two of them managed a half-hearted conversation about their findings of the day. It was still early when they finished eating, and Jack got to his feet, stretching his back. "I'm going for a walk before turning in," he announced.

Climbing to his feet also, Daniel asked, "Mind if I come along?"

For a moment he was afraid Jack was going to say yes, but after appearing to consider the question for a few moments the other man shrugged. "Sure."

Sam offered Daniel an encouraging smile as Jack strode off, but Teal'c continued to maintain his silence, as still and focused as if he were in the depths of kel'no'reem. Daniel sighed, then followed Jack as he walked briskly toward the trees in the distance. They needed to work this out between them, and Daniel was just as happy they didn't have to do it in front of an audience. Daniel trailed behind Jack as he marched through the thick forest, taking note of the stiffness of his spine and the tight set to his jaw. He knew Jack was angry, and Jack had every right to be, but the silence wasn't solving anything and was possibly making it worse.

"Damn it, Jack, I wish you'd just yell at me and get it over with."

The words had barely left Daniel's mouth before Jack wheeled around and was in his face like the drill sergeant from hell. "Fine. What the hell did you think you were doing back there? Have you lost your mind? Were you trying to get yourself killed?" When Daniel tried to break in, Jack didn't give him a chance, poking him none too gently in the chest with his index finger. "You wouldn't have pulled a stunt like that if you were on Earth running a dig, and you would have kicked anyone's ass who pulled crap like that while you were in charge. Do you know how close you came to getting yourself killed?" Jack finally paused for breath, nostrils flaring as he pulled air into his lungs. For a long moment they simply stared at each other, the sudden silence so fragile Daniel dared not break it. Finally Jack lifted his hand and laid it against the side of Daniel's neck. "Do you know what it would do to me if anything happened do you?" he demanded in a harsh whisper.

Daniel nodded, his gaze never leaving Jack's. "The same thing it would do to me if anything happened to you," he said in a cracked whisper.

"Oh Christ," Jack breathed. Daniel felt himself pulled forward into a crushing kiss. He tasted desperation and fear in Jack's kiss, not anger, and he encouraged the plundering of his mouth, welcoming the deepening of the kiss into something even more urgent and frantic. He knew exactly what Jack was feeling. He knew how he had reacted when they got Jack back safely from PCX-355 after thinking they'd lost him to an avalanche. They had barely set foot inside Jack's house when Daniel had Jack backed up against the door trying to crawl inside his skin, desperate to reassure himself Jack was alive and safe in his arms. He could feel Jack's erection hard against his thigh, and he unlocked his knees, pulling them both down to the moss-covered earth under the canopy of trees.

"Come on, Jack, come on," he whispered hotly, nipping a nearby earlobe. His fingers worked at his pants, clumsily sliding them down before going for Jack's.

"We can't," Jack panted, "not here."

"Here, now," Daniel insisted, moaning as Jack's teeth clamped down on his neck. "I want you to." Before Jack could protest further or come to his senses, Daniel fumbled in his jacket pocket and thrust a small bottle of sunblock into his hand. "Do it, Jack," he urged. "Do it."

Jack needed no further persuasion. The desperation in his eyes quickly turned to need and desire, and Daniel fed it, fanned it and set it afire as his own lust quickly overrode any lingering concerns he might have had of Teal'c or Sam stumbling across them or making love bare-assed on an alien planet on what could be the this planet's version of poison ivy. Those thoughts melted away as he was overwhelmed and consumed by the touch, the sound and the taste of Jack.

Alive. Safe. It had finally sunk in. Jack placed a final kiss on top of the head currently resting on his chest and felt the last remnants of his anger and fear fade away. Strike that: he was still pissed as hell that Daniel had pulled such a stupid stunt, but it was over, done with, and in the past. The fear had been deeper and sharper, and that emotion had made the transition to relief. He mentally shook his head: he had never known anyone who could inspire such an incredible range of emotions in him - sometimes all within the blink of an eye.

As he lay on the soft moss gazing up at the glimpses of the sky between the umbrella of branches, he wondered if there was something on this planet that short circuited their common sense. Twice in one day on an alien planet. And now here they were, all laid out, half dressed, unmistakably post-coitus for anyone to stumble across. Well, the only people on the planet that would stumble across them would be Carter and Teal'c, but that was definitely two people too many. They really needed to get back to camp, back to their places within the team. O'Neill gave a little sigh of regret at the thought. Lying out here in the forest in each other's arms, with only the sound of the wind sighing through the boughs, wasn't something they were able to do on Earth. Their relationship was kept behind closed - and mostly locked - doors. They could go grocery shopping together, to hockey games together, to a nice dinner and movie, but it was always behind the carefully woven curtain of two buddies sharing a good time. Even at his cabin there were reminders they had to be circumspect: the sound of a small plane overhead, the buzzing of dirt bikes on the next property, the delivery of the mail. They couldn't indulge in something like this even at the relative solitude of his cabin. It was a damned shame they couldn't do it now either.

"Hey." He nudged the tangle of brown hair with his nose. "Don't get too comfortable. We have to get back to camp."

Daniel made the same kind of indecipherable sound he made when Jack tried to roust him from bed on a day off. "Can't we just say here a little longer?" he mumbled into Jack's chest. Slender fingers caressed bare skin hopefully. "It's nice here.

Jack gritted his teeth as those fingers slipped lower. "Yes it is nice, but we have to get back before Carter and Teal'c think they should come looking for us."

A warm sigh gusted across Jack's bare chest. "I wish we could stay here a while longer," Daniel said wistfully.

Jack lightly stroked a bare thigh and wondered why they couldn't. As many times as they'd saved Earth - hell, as many times as Daniel had died for the SGC - surely they deserved a little time to themselves, time they never got properly on Earth. Without further thought, he fumbled until he located his radio and clicked it on. "Carter." His 2IC's voice immediately crackled through with an acknowledgement. "Daniel and I are taking a look around. We'll be back in an hour." Again Carter acknowledged, Jack signed off, and found himself gazing at Daniel's face, the other man's expression of mixture of surprise, delight and downright soppiness. Jack decided it was a good look for him and mentally made a note to try to put it there more often. "What?" he demanded gruffly, secretly warmed right down to his toes.

"That was nice," Daniel murmured and pressed his lips to Jack's in a slow, sweet kiss.

"What, I can't be nice?" he teased once they parted, stretching out on the moss and pulling his lover a little tighter against him.

Daniel chuckled deeply, lazily nuzzling Jack's neck. "Jack, you're nice to me in ways you probably don't even realize."

Jack looked down at him, an eyebrow raised inquiringly.

Daniel ran a hand slowly up and down his chest, pausing to play with chest hair or toy with a nipple as he continued, "You've changed where you do your food shopping, driving to a supermarket eight blocks out of your way just because they stock the kind of coffee I like."

"You tellin' me you can be had for a pot of Columbian roast, Doctor Jackson?"

"Oh you bet'cha, flyboy." Daniel dipped his head to lightly bite a nipple he'd been caressing, then soothed it with a warm tongue. "You spent an entire Saturday installing bookshelves in your spare room so I have some place to put all the books I keep dragging over. You keep a six pack of the only kind of beer I like on hand even though the only place that imports it is on the other side of town, and you think it tastes like --"

"--piss," Jack supplied helpfully.

"Right." Daniel raised his head to look down at him, his gaze showing a depth of love that never ceased to fill Jack's heart to the point of bursting. "And you put up with me through things that would send anyone else screaming into the night."

Reaching up, Jack lightly traced the patch of gauze on Daniel's forehead, then brushed his fingers through the tangle of dark hair, dislodging a leaf and sending it fluttering to the ground. "I wouldn't do that for just anyone you know," he said, keeping his voice light but trusting Daniel to recognize the fundamental truth in that statement and what it meant.

He did. "I know." Trailing a finger lightly down the side of Jack's face, he said softly, "So, you've bought us an hour in paradise, Colonel. Let's make the most of it."

And they did, but not indulging in wild, frenzied sex. Instead by unspoken mutual agreement they lay in each others' arms, exchanging kisses, whispering secrets, talking of inconsequentials, and listening to the embracing silence of the planet. Jack thought it was one of the best hours of his life.

Precisely one hour later by the bright light of 445's two moons they approached their camp. Before getting within earshot, Daniel stop and lightly touched Jack on the arm. "Jack, about Teal'c."

Jack's eyes narrowed. He had a pretty good idea what was coming, and he really hated feeling the warm, soft glow of the last hour dissolving. "What about Teal'c?"

"It wasn't his fault."

"No, Daniel, you're the one who decided to go down into that tunnel. Teal'c's the one who stood by and let you."

Daniel heaved a sigh and waved an agitated hand. "I said a few things to Teal'c...I told him to stop hovering."

"So?"

"Jack, Teal'c doesn’t argue with me."

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"He doesn't argue with me. You know that." Daniel rubbed the side of his nose. "I know that too. Look, the point is..." He looked around him as if for inspiration, then gave his head an impatient shake. "It's not his fault."

"Daniel, I don't care if he doesn’t argue with you. The fact is he should have grabbed you by the scruff of the neck and hauled you out of there, and he knows that."

Daniel looked at him accusingly. "Did you tell him that?"

"Damn straight," he said crisply, then held up a finger to stop the argument he saw forming. "End of discussion. It's a military thing, Daniel. Teal'c screwed up. Hell, if he'd done that as First Prime he'd have probably found himself without Junior in his gut. As it was all I did was yell at him."

"And tell him it was his fault."

"Trust me, Daniel, I didn't have to tell him that." He clapped the other man on the arm. "Come on, let's go."

"Damn it, Jack, listen to me. It wasn't Teal'c's fault. I wish you could understand that."

They stood staring at each other in the gathering twilight, and looking into Daniel's earnest/frustrated/determined face, Jack suddenly did understand, and he had nothing but sympathy for the man who carried so much guilt on his shoulders for the unhappiness Daniel had suffered -- and so much respect for the man of honor Daniel was -- that it came to something like this. Jack took a long breath and held it. Hell, the man was carrying around enough self-imposed guilt regarding Daniel; adding to it over this wouldn't do anyone any good. Letting out his breath in a gust of air, he surrendered. "Okay, I'll talk to him about it. Happy now?"

Daniel smiled, murmuring as he walked by, "Once we get back to Earth, there'll be a little something extra in your bed, Colonel."

***

When we got back to camp tonight I saw Jack asked Teal'c to walk the perimeter with him. After they got back I could see a real difference in Teal'c's demeanor. I don't think Jack realizes how much Teal'c values his opinion of him. Then I got Teal'c off to one side and apologized profusely for what I'd said to him this afternoon and tried to make sure he realized what happened to me wasn't his fault. I think he still feels he should have done something to stop me, but I also think he knows short of knocking me unconscious there wasn't much he could have done.

We all sat around the campfire drinking coffee and talking, and it was a much improved atmosphere from supper.

Daniel closed his journal as Sam came out of her tent to relieve him from his watch. Lowering herself to the ground beside him, she accepted the cup of coffee he handed her. "So things are okay between you and the colonel?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He yelled a little."

"A little?"

"Okay, a lot," Daniel conceded.

"As well he should have." Sam leveled a look at him that held a good deal of disappointment. "You know better than to pull a stunt like that."

He lowered his head, frowning into his empty cup. "Yes, I do know." A touch on his hand brought his head up again.

"Then why'd you do it, Daniel?"

Oh there was the fifty thousand dollar question. "Feeling sorry for myself," he said with a rueful smile, opting for total honesty.

He wasn't expecting Sam to understand that, but after a few moments of staring at him she nodded knowingly. "I pretty much have carte blanch where science is concerned. If I have reason to believe there might be a supply of naquada or something else that might be of value in medicine or science or weaponry, I have a go, and I get to bring it back to the SGC and work on it." She laid a hand on his arm and squeezed gently. "I know it's not the same for you, Daniel. I know how hard it must be for you to find something as an archaeologist and then have to leave it behind or turn it over to someone else or --"

"Or have it dismissed out of hand because it has no value to the military." Daniel couldn't help adding that with some bitterness.

Sam cocked her head and gave him a look that said she wasn't giving him any points on that one. "Daniel, we're a first contact team, and we're fighting a war with the Goa'uld. You know what that means."

Daniel held up a hand to stop her. "And I've known it from the beginning," he agreed. He flashed her a crooked grin. "But aren't I allowed to feel sorry for myself once in a while?"

Sam was apparently in 'tough love' mode tonight. "You're visiting other planets and you're feeling sorry for yourself?"

"Ouch," he murmured, finishing his coffee. "Okay, you're right. I've got the best job in the world, and I don't deny that. It's just..." When he stopped, Sam raised her eyebrows encouragingly. "Okay, but better get the cheese ready because I've brought whine."

She grinned, once again in big sister form. "Bring it on, Doctor Jackson. I can take it."

"We're leaving this planet tomorrow, right? Well, I won't be anywhere near finishing even filming everything, and if you haven't found anything of scientific value to bring us back to this planet...?" She shook her head. "Then we won't be back to PCX-445, and the civilization here, who they were, where they came from, where they went, what they wrote on those walls, will remain a mystery...and no one will care."

"You care."

"Yes, I do," he agreed, "but I can't do anything about it." He tossed the dregs of his coffee into the fire. "I did warn you about the whine," he said dryly. Seeing the troubled expression on her face, he continued quickly, "I'm not unhappy, Sam. I've got the best job in the world, and I know it. It's just that I get frustrated sometimes not be able to finish what I start." He got to his feet and smiled down at her. "Good night, Sam. Have a good watch."

"Night, Daniel. Sweet dreams."

He entered the tent he shared with Jack and as quietly as possible got ready for bed. It was too warm to sleep inside his sleeping bag, so he stretched out on top and rolled over onto his side to look at Jack. It was too dark to make out Jack's features clearly, but he didn't have to see Jack to know what he looked like asleep. His face lost years as he relaxed in sleep, but the only time he really relaxed in sleep was at home; here on a mission some part of him would still be on alert. His silver hair would be sticking up in tufts by now, and if they were home in bed, the sliver of moonlight that always slipped in between Jack's curtains would catch those strands and make them glint. If they were home Daniel would feel Jack's arm around him, anchoring him close, and he would feel Jack's breath tickling his skin and the warmth of his body. Sometimes they'd wake up and make slow, sweet love, wrapped in the silence of the early morning hours. Daniel closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, drawing in the scent of his lover, remembering the feel of Jack's hands on his body. He almost moaned out loud. Oh god...he wanted that now. He wished he could have that again right now, right here in this tent.

He gasped and his eyes flew open as a warm, familiar weight settled on him. "Jack?"

"Shhh." Jack's lips covered his, effectively silencing him by sticking a tongue down his throat. There wasn't much Daniel could do at the moment except go with the flow...and his body was definitely going with this particular flow.

When they finally paused to catch breath, Daniel panted, "Jack, we shouldn't --"

And again he was forestalled by Jack's favorite method of shutting him up. This time he didn't argue. This time he let himself be carried along in a surge of passion. Hands clamped his head still as Jack plundered his mouth. In return he wrapped his legs around Jack, welding them together as they rubbed against each other faster and faster. Jack moaned into his mouth, and Daniel's fingers found purchase in Jack's short hair, his fingers tightening as he struggled to keep quiet. There was a dangerous excitement in the risk of discovery, in knowing Sam was only yards away by the fire and Teal'c in the next tent. He felt Jack stiffen against him, and a sharp bite on his shoulder as Jack came. A moment later he surged up, and Jack's mouth once again covered his, smothering his yell as he came.

In the aftermath as Jack rolled off him, Daniel breathed shakily, "God, Jack. That was..."

"Nice, fun, diverting, spectacular?" Jack suggested, his voice a little hoarse.

"All of the above," Daniel agreed fervently. He felt fingers trail down the side of his face.

"Get some sleep," Jack whispered. "Got a long day tomorrow."

Daniel lay awake a long time after he heard Jack's breathing slow into the even measure of sleep. There was a niggling in the back of his mind, a sense of something...wrong. Could something on this planet be affecting their libidos? Or at least their ability to make rational decisions, he amended wryly. He and Jack had shared a tent on hundreds of occasions on missions and never once did they ever succumb to temptation like they did tonight, even in the first stages of their deepened relationship when their passion was running so high that to look at each other was enough to set them off. Why tonight? First in the ruins, then in the forest, and now here. All in one day. Not that he didn't want Jack at any opportunity and welcome any opportunity that came along, but up to this point they both had had more self-control. Maybe he could ask Sam if she had come across any unusual readings... No, scratch that. He couldn't exactly ask her if she was feeling horny, and he didn't know how to ask her obliquely without engaging her curiosity as to why he was making the inquiry.

Finally he rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes. They'd be off this planet anyhow tomorrow, so if something was affecting them, they'd leave it behind when they went through the Stargate.

***

Jack walked up beside Daniel who was staring at a wall and scribbling madly in his notebook. He hadn't been looking forward to this. "Daniel, time to pack up. We're moving out."

Daniel didn't look up from his notebook. "Not now, Jack," he said absently.

"Yes, now , Daniel. Come on, you knew the schedule."

"Yes, I knew the schedule, but --" Daniel turned a pleading gaze on him. "Jack, I'm almost positive this --" He waved a hand at the wall in front of them --"is a creation myth for these people. There's no way I can film it. You can see how faint it is. It's going to take me hours to copy it all down."

"Daniel, we don't have hours," Jack said evenly. "We're leaving now." His face softened and he gently patted Daniel's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know this means a lot to you." He'd recommended this mission among other reasons to give Daniel a chance to do what he loved so much, but apparently this mission had just added another layer to his frustration.

Daniel gazed longingly at the wall. "Damn it, I wish we had just a couple more days on this planet. To just walk away from all this..."

"I know. But we have our orders."

"Orders." Daniel leaned over and packed the camera and notebook in his pack, then straightened, the disappointment obvious on his face. "Fine," he said shortly. "Let's go."

Jack rolled his eyes as he followed Daniel out of the room. It was going to be a fun trip home.

They walked back to the Stargate pretty much in silence, Daniel's general mood of pissiness setting the tone. Jack let him brood. After all there wasn't much he could do about it, and maybe he'd get it out of his system by the time they got home. When they reached the Stargate, Daniel strode over to the DHD without a word and began punching in the glyphs a little harder than necessary. The rest of them stood off to the side and waited for the splash of the wormhole. It couldn't come too soon for Jack.

But when Daniel placed his hand on the crystal in the middle nothing happened. Jack looked at him. "Daniel? Dial a wrong number?"

"No, I didn't dial a wrong number," Daniel retorted crossly, although he did look a little uncertain. He had been so intent on displaying what he considered his justifiable resentment that Jack thought it was very likely he'd misdialed. The second time Daniel pushed in the glyphs he did it more deliberately and without the anger. But again when he placed his hand on the central crystal the 'gate failed to engage. Daniel looked up with a frown. "That's the right address," he said positively.

Jack believed him. Daniel could dial 'gate addresses in his sleep. "Try another one."

Daniel nodded. "Land of the Light," he decided, and efficiently pressed the glyphs. Nothing happened.

Jack turned to Carter. "Major?"

"On it, sir." Carter trotted over to the DHD and dropped her pack to the ground.

Daniel walked over to join Jack as Teal'c moved over to lend any assistance Carter needed. They watched in silence as she fiddled with the internal crystals, then tried to dial again. Again, the 'gate remained silent.

"Carter?"

"I don't know, sir. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong."

"And yet it doesn’t work," Jack observed.

"No sir." She cast him an apologetic look. "This may take a while."

"Well, we're not going anywhere," he told her.

Daniel began edging away from him. "As long as we're stuck here, I'm going back to keep working -- just until she gets it fixed."

Jack opened his mouth to tell him to stay where he was, and then realized there was no good reason for Daniel not to go back to what he was doing, and maybe he wouldn't be quite so aggrieved when they finally had to leave. "Carter, you and Teal'c keep working at it. Daniel and I are going back to the ruins so he can keep working. Hammond'll open the 'gate from his side if we're six hours late to check in with us. Hopefully it won't come to that."

Carter had her head buried in the workings of the DHD, and he heard her muffled, "Yes sir" before he turned away to follow Daniel.

With Daniel firmly ensconced in front of his precious walls, Jack wandered outside and sank down onto the ground, resting against one of the ancient, gnarled trees as he contemplated their situation. Reasons why the 'gate might not work: something wrong with the DHD on this side, or something wrong back at the SGC. If it was something on this side, it wouldn't be the first time they'd had to manually dial a 'gate to get off a planet. It worked on Ernest's planet and it worked on Hadante. It was just a matter of finding a source of electricity. Since he couldn't see any signs of approaching thunderstorms, that meant Hammond would have to send through something from his end that they could use. If it was a problem back at the SGC, they would have the best minds -- bar Carter's -- working on it, and he was confident it would be fixed in due time. In the meantime, they had supplies for another three days, more if they rationed; although there was no reason for that as the stream nearby had fish and offered a supply of fresh water. So they weren't in any danger...unless you counted being bored to death. Except for Daniel of course. He was as happy as a pig in mud. Jack drew in a breath of clean air and stretched out his legs. At least he wasn't pissy any more.

***

Daniel couldn't believe his luck. Okay, being stuck on a planet where the DHD didn't work wouldn't normally be considered lucky, but so far it had given him two more days to study and record the writings of this planet. They could have gotten home before now by dialing manually, but the SGC was having problems keeping wormholes open. So it had been decided that all off-world teams would stay put until they figured out what the problem was and wormhole travel was deemed to be safe once again. The general had assured Jack that no off-world team was in danger, and they were working on the problem 24/7. Daniel was relieved to know no one was in danger, but he was quite happy to be stranded here for the moment.

The same couldn't be said for the rest of his team. Sam was trying to keep busy taking samples of anything she could think of in between tinkering with the DHD, but she was plainly becoming frustrated not only with the DHD but with running out of things of interest. Teal'c divided his time between assisting Sam, engaging in kel'no'reem, and trying to keep Jack out of Daniel's hair. And Jack was...being a pain. A bored Jack was an annoying Jack, and Jack was bored . Daniel had been working in a particularly difficult room all day; even with the generator lights it was very demanding on his already tired eyes to make out the intricate writing on the walls, and the air was chilly and stale. Not a pleasant place to spend a lot of time, and he was already working on one mother of a headache, but Daniel had decided he was going to work the night through to try to finish copying everything. There was no guarantee they wouldn't be off this planet tomorrow, and he couldn't stand the thought of leaving without finishing what he'd started.

A part of him realized somewhere along the line his work here had taken on a significance for him that far out-weighed its actual importance. It had become a symbol for every archaeological find that Daniel Jackson, Doctor of Archaeology had had to walk away from because it held no military significance, every lost civilization he'd been denied the time to study, every treasure trove of artifacts he'd been forced to abandon. This was one body of work he wasn't going to leave behind.

"Yo, Daniel."

Daniel smothered a sigh as Jack strode into the room radiating boredom and impatience in equal measure. He loved this man more than life itself, but Jack had been testing the limits of that affection today. "Jack," he replied without looking up for his notebook.

"It's gettin' late. Come on, leave this for tomorrow."

"Do we know we're going to be here tomorrow?"

"We're outta here as soon as we get a wormhole, Daniel. You know that. It could be a week from today, it could be in the next hour. Now, come on, let's go."

He carefully copied a line into his notebook, trying not to squint in front of Jack. "I'm staying here tonight."

That earned him a sharp look. "What?"

"You heard me. I'm staying here. I need to get as much of this copied as I can. As you say, we could be out of here at any time. I'm not going to risk losing a whole night I could be working on this simply to get some sleep."

Jack took an abrupt step to stand in front of him so he could stare him right in the face. "That is possibly the most stupid thing I've ever heard you say."

Daniel could feel his headache escalate another notch, but kept his voice cool. "Why? I've worked through the night at the SGC. So has Sam. So have you."

"Sure, when it's important."

His fingers tightened around his pencil. " This is important."

Jack snorted. "It's important to you ."

Daniel thought he heard his pencil crack under the pressure. "That's right, Jack," he replied, his voice as tight as his grip. "It's important to me."

"Not a good enough reason," Jack said crisply. "Unless you can tell me this squiggling --" He waved a hand at a wall -- "are the instructions of how to make a big honkin' space gun, you are not spending the night here. It's too damn cold, the air is bad, and you'll go blind in this light. You haven't been outside for more than an hour today. Now come on." He lightly batted Daniel's arm. "Put your toys away for the night."

"My toys?" Daniel came within a hair's breadth of smacking Jack around the head with his notebook before he got his temper under control. Almost. "Fuck you, Jack."

Jack rubbed his forehead and had the grace to look ashamed. "Look, I think the air -- or lack of it -- is getting to us both. Let's just get out of here and go to bed." He paused, giving Daniel a level look. "I can make it an order if you like."

"Oh really? You're going to make it an order for me to go to bed with you?"

Jack searched his face and obviously saw no humor there because his jaw tightened. "I can make it an order for you to call it a night, Daniel. Last time I checked, I was still the C.O."

"Check again, Jack." Daniel deliberately stepped around him and made a point of writing in his notebook. "This isn't a military mission; we aren't in any danger. This is an archaeological dig, and I'm in charge of those. I'll decide when I want to call it a night, thank you."

"You're pulling civilian rank?" Jack sounded equal parts outraged and incredulous.

"I'm doing my job," Daniel stated flatly. "Something you used to remember."

In the next moment Daniel found himself staring into Jack's irritated features. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you used to let me do my job, Jack. It means, you used to think I could make a decision as to whether I wanted to go to bed or not. It means, you didn't think I was simply amusing myself. I'm an archaeologist -- this is what I do. " Daniel waved a hand at his knapsack. "And those aren't my toys, they're my tools."

"Oh, for cryin' out --"

"I wish you'd --" Daniel bit off what he was about to say, but Jack's eyes glinted dangerously.

"Wish what, Daniel? You think I've changed? You think I don't respect what you do anymore?" Jack's voice softened, but it was the kind of tone that would scare Maybourne. "Wish you could turn the clock back a little, do you? Go back to the way things were between us?"

As they glared at each other, some small part of Daniel's brain screamed this argument had mutated into something else altogether, and he needed to put an end to it now; but the obstinate, mulish and intractable part -- which obviously had the controlling vote -- shot back, "Maybe I do."

Jack stared at him, his face unreadable, then gave a curt nod and brushed by him in much the same way he during their reunion on Abydos. As he strode from the room, Daniel stood rooted to the spot, staring at the wall in front of him without really seeing anything. Had they really stood here and pushed each other to the point where they considered undoing their relationship of the last few months? The months where they finally consummated what they'd been dancing around for months before that? The months that were the happiest of Daniel's life? He wrapped his arms around his chest and dropped his head. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was tired, he had a monster headache, and he was feeling frustrated and anxious about this site. Jack was bored, he was impatient, and he was frustrated in his efforts to get Daniel to take a break. That's all this was, but yet it had rapidly mushroomed into something much more.

He tossed his notebook onto his pack and spun around on his heel. Normally if he and Jack had a serious disagreement he'd give Jack some time to cool down and then try to make amends. But he couldn't let this wait. He needed to fix this.

There was no sign of Jack once he reached camp, and he looked around anxiously. Teal'c was standing by the fire, and he watched silently as Daniel approached. "Teal'c, have you seen Jack?" He was amazed Teal'c could even understand him because the words tumbled out of his mouth in one big jumble.

"O'Neill has gone to the stream to retrieve water," Teal'c replied. He took a closer look at Daniel. "Are you well, Daniel Jackson?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'm good," Daniel threw back over his shoulder, already trotting in the direction of the stream. "I'm just going to give Jack a hand." The strong moonlight from 445's two moons was nearly as good as daylight and allowed him to easily follow the path to the stream. Soon he saw Jack by the edge of the water, filling their water containers.

The other man looked up at his approached. "Your timing is impeccable, Daniel. Care to give me a hand?"

Daniel stopped short, thrown by his unexpected reception. "Sure," he said warily, and walked down to join Jack. They worked in silence for a few moments, then Daniel offered, "Jack, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For what I said."

Jack turned his head to give Daniel a brief look, then continued filling his container with fresh water. "I'm not sure which 'what you said' you're referring to, but as you once said, you and I have a fundamental disagreement about everything. Forget it. I obviously have."

"Gladly," Daniel murmured, relieved Jack had seemingly managed to put things in better perspective than he had. He was obviously more tired than he thought. "There's just one more thing." Leaning forward, he slipped a hand behind Jack's head and brought him forward, pressing his lips to Jack's in a sweet, apologetic kiss. It took him completely by surprise when Jack jumped to his feet so fast he was left sitting with his ass in the mud.

"Daniel?" Jack was staring down at him, eyes a little wild, breath coming a little too quickly. "What was that?"

Daniel slowly got to his feet, making a face as his muddied pants stuck to him in the rear. "That was a kiss," he said sourly. "You having a problem recognizing it?"

"No, I recognized it all right," Jack said slowly. "I just don't know...why."

"Why?" Daniel grinned impishly. "Since when do I need a reason to kiss you?"

"Since when do you..." Jack looked around quickly, his body tensing. "There isn't a mirror on this planet, is there?" he asked suspiciously. "You're not some Daniel Jackson from another dimension, are you?"

"From another -- Jack, what are you talking about?"

"Okay, okay, I had to give it a shot." Jack took a deep breath, then let it out slowly as he ran his hand through his hair. "Look, Daniel," he said in a careful tone, "I know the last few months have been rough for you, what with Sha're and those bugs from Machello and that whole Destroyer of Worlds/Kira thing --"

" What ?"

"But if I gave you any idea...I mean, if I did something that made you think..." Jack scrubbed a hand over his face. "Jesus, Daniel, I'm sorry."

Daniel belatedly realized he was staring at Jack with his mouth hanging open. "Sorry for what?" he asked faintly, although he was starting to get a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Jack grimaced. "Sorry if I did or said anything that made you think I wanted to...you know." He flapped a hand between the two of them. His expression softened, and he laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Like I said, I know you've had a tough year. Anytime you want to talk about it..."

Daniel felt his mouth go dry, and he licked his lips nervously. "I know I acted like an ass, Jack, and I probably deserve it, but please stop this."

Jack looked genuinely confused. "Stop what?"

Daniel searched his face in some desperation, but saw only confusion and concern in the features he knew so well. "Oh god," he breathed.

"Daniel," Jack said gently, giving his shoulder a little shake, "you've been working almost non-stop since we got here. This was supposed to be kind of a vacation for SG1, and you're working harder now than you were when we left the SGC. You're tired, you're maybe a little...confused. You need to get some sleep. So let's forget this ever happened and get back to camp, okay?"

Staring at Jack in stunned misery, feeling the pain of an empty place in his chest, Daniel could only nod and allow Jack to lead him back to the path for camp.

Inside the tent he shared with Jack, Daniel stripped off his muddy fatigue pants and dressed in a fresh pair, moving like an automaton as he tried to deal with the mind-numbing pain of having his life suddenly and inexplicably ripped apart. Dressed in dry pants, he dropped down onto his sleeping bag and pressed his fingers against his throbbing temples. Outside he could hear the sound of Jack's voice and the deeper rumble of Teal'c's. Jack was probably telling him how Daniel Jackson was losing it yet again. Having delusions. Thinking he was in love with Jack. Thinking Jack must be in love with him. Poor Daniel. If it's not one thing it's another with him. He's either seeing dead Goa'uld or falling in love with his team mates.

"Think, damn it," he hissed to himself, pressing on his temples until it hurt. "Think, think, think ." His life up to five minutes ago had not been a dream. His life up to five minutes ago included loving Jack O'Neill, who loved him back. Why -- and how -- had that changed? Make no mistake, it had changed. Jack was straightforward and to the point. When he was angry he was in your face and letting you know he was pissed. When he was hurt he would throw up walls and close himself off. But he did not play mind games. Jack would as likely parade through the SGC naked and dance the Macarena in the 'gate room as he would do something like this to get a little payback. That wasn't Jack's way. The foundation under Daniel's feet had just shifted.

He squeezed his eyes shut and went back over their actions and words in the chamber. He and Jack were having an argument; Jack's words were -- what had he said? " Wish you could turn the clock back a little, do you? Go back to the way things were between us?" And he'd said, " Maybe I do." And presto. Time was turned back. Daniel frowned. Was that it? His relationship with Jack had been wished away? That was nuts. He chewed his lip. As nuts as the fact it had actually happened?

Daniel pulled his legs up and clasped his hands behind his neck, trying to reason this out. He'd wondered earlier if something on this planet wasn't affecting them somehow. Was there some kind of alien influence on this planet -- or maybe just the ruins where he and Jack were -- that caused this? It couldn't be that simple or that weird, could it? He snorted. Did it get much simpler or more weird than touching a mirror and ending up in a completely different universe? Or pressing a few symbols on a stone and traveling to a different planet? He smacked his hand on the sleeping bag. Well if he could wish it away then he could wish it back, damn it. "I wish everything was back the way it was," he whispered fervently.

The words had barely left his lips when the tent flap opened and Jack ducked inside. "Hey."

"Hey," Daniel replied, his voice catching. He watched hopefully as Jack pulled off his jacket and stretched out on his sleeping bag.

After several moments of silence, Jack turned his head to look at him. "You okay?"

He nodded. "Sure. I'm fine," he answered a little too quickly. As a little frown appeared between Jack's brows, Daniel continued in what he hoped was a casual tone, "I was just thinking about the time we went to your cabin." Then he held his breath. He had only been to Jack's cabin once, but that was when it happened. Over the months previous they'd been increasingly tense around each other without really knowing why, and there was a definite sense of anticipation and nervousness between them when they arrived at the cabin. Daniel remembered well the feeling of forced normality. They had spent the first day going through the motions and pretending nothing else was going on while Jack fished and Daniel tried to read. But that evening the build-up of electricity outside during a wild thunderstorm had mirrored what had happened inside Jack's cabin. And afterwards Daniel felt as if a missing part of his life had fallen into place. He had felt that way ever since.

"Don’t tell me you want to go fishing again?"

Encouraged, Daniel smiled. "You never know."

"Daniel, I could barely get you to put a worm on a hook. Now, Teal'c on the other hand...he seemed to really take to fishing."

Daniel started. "Teal'c?"

Jack flexed one leg, wincing when his knee cracked. "Yeah, once he got over the whole mosquito thing I think he enjoyed it. Of course, you can't always tell with him. Yeah, next down time we have, we can go again. I need to check on the cabin anyhow. Maybe Carter can come too this time. I didn't believe that whole 'I promised Dad I'd visit my brother' excuse she came up with the last time."

"Teal'c came too?" Daniel whispered numbly. Their whole past had been changed.

Jack apparently didn't hear him because he put hands behind his head and gave Daniel a sideways look. "Daniel, about what happened earlier..."

Daniel swallowed past the lump in his throat and managed a hoarse, "Yes?"

"Don't worry about it, okay? I'm not. You're stressed out over this place, you're over-tired...you hit an emotional overload. It happens." He moved one long leg and gently nudged Daniel's foot. "Get some sleep. With any luck, we'll be out of here tomorrow." Then he rolled over onto his side, back to Daniel, and settled down to sleep.

Daniel sat in the darkened tent, too emotionally gutted to move. Finally he dropped his head into his hands. Oh god, he'd lost it. He'd lost the brightest part of his life. He'd wished it away in a moment of childish pique. What if he never got it back?

His head shot up as a thought hit him. Maybe it was the ruins. Maybe he had to be in the ruins to undo this. Maybe he had to be in that specific room. In fact, maybe there was some kind of alien device in that room that caused all this. That's where he had to start. Looking over at Jack he listened for the sound of steady breathing that told him Jack was asleep. As quietly as he could, he made his way out of the tent into the night.

Teal'c was standing by the fire, and he looked over as Daniel stepped outside. Thinking of what Jack must have told him about his state of mind right now, Daniel did his best to look totally compos mentis.

"Daniel Jackson, O'Neill said you were not feeling well."

Daniel waved that away. "No, I'm fine, Teal'c. Just a headache." He looked around until he spotted Sam's stash of equipment piled neatly to one side. "I just need to borrow some of Sam's equipment."

Teal'c followed him over and asked guardedly, "For what purpose?"

Daniel suspected he had never forgiven Sam or himself for assuring him they'd had permission to discharge his staff weapon in the SGC all those years ago when they were testing that crystal. He knelt down and began to rummage through the mostly unfamiliar equipment. "I just need to check something out in one of the chambers."

"Can it not wait until morning?"

"If we get a wormhole we won't be here long enough," he answered absently, picking up a Geiger counter. That might tell him something. The only other gadget he recognized was the one Sam used to detect naquada. Since he didn't know what the functions were for the other pieces of equipment, this was the best he was going to be able to do. He stood up and turned around, and found himself face to chest with Teal'c.

"It does not seem wise for you to return there alone if you suspect something irregular. Should I not wake O'Neill?"

"No!" Daniel took a gulp of breath and repeated more calmly, "No, that's not necessary. I don't really suspect anything irregular," he lied. "I just think I should check out some things in order to make my research as complete as possible, and I may not have time to do it tomorrow, so I need to do it now." For a moment Daniel wasn't sure Teal'c was buying his bullshit, but slowly, the other man nodded and stepped aside.

"You will maintain radio contact."

It wasn't a request, and Daniel nodded immediately. "You bet." As he walked past Teal'c, he stopped suddenly and turned back. Swiping his tongue over his lower lip he asked hesitantly, "Teal'c, do you remember going to Jack's cabin?"

Teal'c stiffened. "I trust O'Neill is not forming plans for another journey of fishing? I found the first experience most...distasteful."

Daniel's shoulders slumped. Teal'c had never been to Jack's cabin -- at least he hadn't been up until a half hour ago when their personal pasts suddenly changed. He gave his head a brief shake, then turned and headed for the ruins at a trot.

***

Sam quickly ducked her head and frowned intently at the inner workings of the DHD as Colonel O'Neill stomped by. He was not happy that Daniel had apparently spent the night in the ruins as reported by Teal'c, but aside from a brusque radio call to check in with him, he apparently had decided to spend his time pacing between the DHD and their camp. It was probably just as well. Daniel had been unusually absorbed in his study of the ruins, and she had learned from experience that an engrossed/fascinated Daniel and an impatient/frustrated colonel did not mix. She could only feel sympathy for a fellow scientist who was working against the clock and with very little equipment to gain all the information he could before being yanked away from a site, so she was just as happy the colonel decided to hang around and annoy her if it kept him away from Daniel. Still, she noticed when Teal'c headed off that morning with a thermos of coffee for Daniel that the colonel called him back and gave him a few protein bars to take along as well.

She aimed her narrow, intense   flashlight beam at a point deep within the DHD and peered intently. She had gone through this process countless times in the last couple of days, but it wasn't within her to give up if there was a puzzle to solve. Besides, as every scientist knew, every failure was another lesson learned, more information gained. Maybe if she could access those tiny crystals at the back... She dug through her tool pack but already knew she didn't have anything near small enough to get in there. What she needed were some long tweezers. She grinned. Like the one she often saw Daniel use on digs.

Pressing the button on her radio she called, "Daniel?"

After a long pause Daniel responded, sounding tired and dispirited. She grimaced in sympathy; things mustn't be going well. But she adopted her perkiest voice in an effort to buck him up, "Hey, I need a pair of tweezers. Do you have any I can borrow?"

"Tweezers? Um, yeah, sure." There was a pause, and she could picture him scrunching up his face as he thought. "They're in my tool kit...which is in my other pants...which are in my bag."

"Got it. Thanks." Standing up, brushed off the knees of her pants. "Sir, I need to go get some other tools."

Still ambling in circles around the Stargate and the picture of boredom, O'Neill raised a hand in acknowledgement as she headed off to camp. 

Sam had time to think on her hike back to their camp, and she spent that time thinking about Colonel O'Neill and Daniel. They certainly did provide quite a lot of entertainment when you put them together. Neither one seemed to know the meaning of the word 'dispassionate' when it came to the other. Put them together, and the best word Sam could think of to describe the result was 'intense'. They seemed to either be in each other's pockets or nose to nose; there wasn't anything in-between for these two. Their casual friendship of the early days of the team had given way to something stronger, deeper and more intimate. She didn't know anyone who could have gotten away with saying some of the things Daniel said to the colonel; yet one of the strongest images in her mind regarding these two men was Daniel's fierce protectiveness of the colonel when he'd had the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into his brain. Likewise while the colonel could be impatient sometimes regarding things Daniel thought important on a mission, she could think of a dozen times when he'd been nothing but kind and supportive to Daniel, and when Kira AKA The Destroyer of Worlds came into the picture, he'd acted downright jealous that she'd stolen Daniel's attentions. Arriving at camp, she headed for Daniel's tent with a shake of her head; it was a complex and complicated relationship, but it was certainly never boring.

Daniel's bag was squashed into a corner of the tent, and Sam moved it to his sleeping bag to search for his other pants. "Yech," she murmured, pulling out a pair of mud-encrusted BDU pants. "Daniel, what on earth have you been into?" As she searched for his small tool kit her mind returned to the Stargate and DHD. She still didn't know if it was their DHD that was the problem or whether the problem stemmed from the Earth 'gate. Locating the tool kit in the first pocket she searched, she stuffed his pants back in the bag and wished Siler and the crew back at the SGC would get their end straightened out so they could at least get the equipment to dial out manually. Vacations were all well and good in little doses, but she thought she was safe in saying everyone here -- bar Daniel, of course -- was more than ready to get back to Earth and back to work.

She had just started on the path back to the Stargate when her radio clicked on.

"Carter."

"Yes, sir?"

"We've got us a wormhole."

"Sir?"

"Hammond just dialed us up. They've been bringing back teams for the last two hours. No problems. And I just dialed Earth, so we're okay on this end. Whatever the problem was, it seems to be fixed. I'm heading back to camp; get Daniel and Teal'c, and get packed up, Major. We're going home."

"Yes, sir."

Daniel wasn't going to be happy, but he'd known all along this was coming. Steeling herself, Sam hiked the short distance to the ruins and found Teal'c standing outside.

"We're going home, Teal'c," she told him. "The SGC has been bringing teams home, and the colonel was able to dial out."

Teal'c glanced back at the ruins. "Daniel Jackson will not be pleased," he observed in what Sam thought must be the understatement of the year.      

"No, he won't." She paused, then asked without much hope, "Do you want me to tell him?"

"Yes," Teal'c replied and immediately left, striding purposefully toward camp.

"Thanks a lot, Teal'c," she murmured, then took a deep breath and stepped into the ruins. She found Daniel in the very last room, sitting with his back against one of the walls, the borrowed equipment by his feet, his head in his hands. "Daniel?" she called softly. When he didn't look up, she walked over and sat down beside him. "Are you okay?" When he finally raised his head Sam caught her breath at the look of utter desolation on his face. She knew he hadn't slept, but this was something more. "Daniel, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

"Sam, please tell me we're not going home yet."

"Sorry, Daniel. The colonel's on his way back now. We're moving out."

"I can't leave yet," he mumbled. "The answer is here somewhere. I know it is."

"What answer, Daniel?" she asked, worried at his distracted tone. "And why did you need this equipment?"

He shook his head, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "Doesn't matter. I didn't find anything. There's nothing here to find."

"I don't understand."

Finally he turned to look at her, his eyes red-rimmed from fatigue. "Neither do I." Turning back to the wall he added in a hoarse whisper, "I wish I did."

"Daniel. Carter." They both looked up at the sound of Jack's voice. He was standing in the doorway, drumming his fingers on his MP-5. "We gotta go."

"Yes, sir." Sam got obediently to her feet and looked down at Daniel, expecting him to follow. Instead he sat seemingly rooted to the spot, and the expression on his face as he stared at Jack was one of complete and utter misery. As much as Daniel must hate to leave this site unfinished, Sam was sure there was something else going on to put that look on his face. All she wanted to do was take him aside and force him to tell her what was wrong. But she didn't have that opportunity. He climbed slowly and stiffly to his feet, looking a decade older than his years and moved to follow Jack. Damn it, Daniel, when we get back to the SGC, you are so going to talk to me.

It was the most uncomfortable debriefing Sam could remember. There was an aura of distraction and nervous energy about Daniel that caught everyone's attention. The whole time  the colonel and she gave their reports, Daniel was fidgeting or tapping his pen or fetching yet another cup of coffee. But when it was finally his turn to speak the report he launched into was so unlike his usual prepared, impeccable work that even the colonel was staring at him. Seemingly unaware of the impression he was making, Daniel forged on, trying to make a case for returning to PCX-445 when there was none to be made. It was one of the most painful things Sam had ever seen because although there was an edge of desperation to Daniel's presentation, everyone there knew what the outcome would be. What Sam didn't understand was why Daniel was so adamant about returning to the planet. She understood his frustration at not being able to complete his study, but he had worked for the SGC long enough to know the priorities. He would bitch about it, he would sulk a little, but intellectually he had always shrugged and moved on. The general let him talk, interrupting only once or twice to ask a question for clarification. When Daniel finally ground to a halt, Sam had to look away from the sight of his pleading face as he gazed at the general. Hammond let him down as gently as possible, but the outcome had never been in doubt. Daniel nodded at the verdict, but Sam saw his fingers tighten around his pen. When the team was dismissed, the general asked Jack to stay behind, and she knew he was going to ask if there was something going on with Daniel he should know about.

There was definitely something going on with Daniel they should all know about. Sam let Daniel leave the briefing room while she briefly returned to her lab because she didn't want it to look like she was giving chase. But now she strode through the hallways of the SGC intent on cornering Daniel in his office and pushing until she got an answer. Just as reached his closed office door, however, the loudspeaker overhead called her to the control room. Glaring first at the closed door and then at the speaker, she turned on her heel and headed for the control room. But she'd be back.

***

Jack's footsteps slowed as he approached Daniel's office. That had b