Title: PERSTA ET OBDURA

Author: Imagine

Feedback: on list or imagine647@msn.com

Rating: NC17

Pairing: J/D

Category: Slash. ER. Angst. Drama. Hurt/Comfort. Adventure.

Date: 7 May 2005

Status: Complete

Season/Spoilers: Late Season 4.

Reference to Deadman's Switch, A Hundred Days

Archive: AlphaGate; Area 52; The Cartouche. Anyone else please ask.

Synopsis: An injured Daniel goes missing through the Gate during an abortive mission and could literally be anywhere. As time passes Jack doggedly perseveres with his search, knowing Daniel would never give up. Then Jack receives help from an expected source.

Notes: The title is a Latin phrase meaning persevere and do not yield - colloquially 'never give up!" - a phrase which I think suits the guys, and this story, to a T.

Thanks to my Beta, Gateroller, for her ideas and encouragement.

Warnings: Violence, Attempted non-con

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PERSTA ET OBDURA

by Imagine

Jack was on his way to the control room when the Gate activation siren sounded and as the only team still off-world at that moment was SG13, he quickened his step. The team wasn't due to return from P3N-877 for another twenty-four hours and Jack's heart was beating faster and faster as he dashed into the control room, and his quickened pulse wasn't caused by his haste. Daniel was with SG13 and knowing his lover's penchant for getting into trouble, even on nice peaceful little missions like this one was supposed to be, Jack was damned worried.

Hammond was already there, standing directly behind Master Sergeant Davis who was just confirming that it was indeed SG13's GDO code that was being received.

"Open the iris," the general ordered.

Jack was already on his way to the Gateroom before Davis slammed his hand down against the palm reader. As he ran down the metal steps, Jack could hear Hammond ordering a medical team to report to the Gateroom and for the SFs to be on high alert. Jack knew only too well just how many things could have gone wrong and none of them made him feel secure as he stared at the now open wormhole.

Come on Daniel, where are you? He was almost bouncing on the spot he was so nervous, he wanted to pace but that wouldn't do either. He needed to be ready in case....

Suddenly a figure half-ran, half-fell through the wormhole and panting for breath landed on his hands and knees on the ramp.

All that registered with Jack was that it wasn't Daniel and he looked behind the airman, searching, searching for the one man he wanted to see walking through the shimmering horizon. Its sudden closure struck him like a physical blow.

It was Teal'c who rushed forward, Hammond close on his heels. Jack seemed frozen for a second and by the time he reached the man and leaned over the lieutenant to see what was happening, Chiltern was already making a breathless report to the general.

"...nothing else we could do, sir. It was terrible. God knows where they came from. The Hrashi warriors were no match for them and there were so many of them that even our superior firepower wasn't enough. Major Ordman sent me to try and get help."

Hammond put a hand on Chiltern's shoulder and looked up at the control room window yelling, "Get SG3 and 5 here stat!"

"Sir?" Doctor Fraiser interjected, glancing at Chiltern.

"I'm not hurt, sir," Chiltern said, sounding much calmer as he glanced between the doctor and the general. "I had to dodge the enemy warriors to get to the Gate and the two Hrashi who came with me died keeping them off me while I dialled."

"You may be needed shortly, doctor," the general said and nodding at him, she withdrew to get everything ready in the infirmary.

Staring at Chiltern as if he could somehow see the answer, Jack demanded, "What about Doctor Jackson?"

"I'm not sure, sir. Last time I saw him he was talking with the Headman and that was just before the attack. There was so much confusion..." he shrugged and shook his head.

"Colonel," Hammond said, turning to O'Neill, "Take SG1 and the other teams through and see what you can do."

"Yes, sir," Jack answered automatically, looking up to stare at the closed iris.

"O'Neill," Teal'c prompted, "we should prepare."

Mentally shaking himself, Jack stepped back, nodded at the general and then left the Gateroom at a run to collect his gear.

Less than ten minutes later Jack was leading SG1, together with Chiltern who convinced the general to let him return with the rescue team. Jack was glad to have him; he knew the terrain and the locals. SG3 and SG5, both marine units expert in search and rescue, were to accompany them.

A MALP had already gone through and they knew the area surrounding the Gate had been a battlefield but there was no sign of fighting there now.

To anyone watching him, Jack was the consummate soldier as he led the teams up the ramp. He stood back to let Teal'c and Chiltern go through with SG3, he raised a hand to the waiting general giving his commander a silent message that he would do everything he could to make this a successful mission and then, his P90 at the ready, he walked through with Carter and SG5. Yet, inside the soldier where the man lived, he was a writhing mass of nerves, his panic only held at bay by years of training and practice. The person he loved most in the world, the person who made his life worth living was on the other side of the Gate, hopefully alive if fighting for his live. Jack couldn't help the fear eating at him that he was too late, that Daniel was already dead.

When Jack emerged on the planet it was to find SG3 fanned out and guarding the immediate area around the Gate. SG5 moved out and between them they made careful progress towards the Hrashi village, avoiding the bodies littering their way. Jack glanced at the corpses, feeling guilty but unable to stop the odd relief washing through him as he recognised only native clothing from the presentation he had seen a week earlier when Daniel had been given permission to join the mission. Jack could still see the excitement in Daniel's eyes and as it was all too infrequent now that he got the opportunity to indulge his passion for archaeology, so it wasn't in Jack to begrudge him a chance to dig merrily in a safe environment.

Safe environment, god! Look at this place. The bodies were all in native garb but even to Jack, who had never been here before, it was clear that there two different tribes involved here. The Hrashi clothing was more subdued than the garish colours of the enemy and it was also obvious that sadly most of the dead belonged to that particular group.

"Look, sir," Chiltern said, "they were carrying some kind of percussion weapon, they weren't supposed to have anything like that."

Jack followed the lieutenant's pointing finger and saw the body of one of the attackers, in his hand a crude device that looked like some kind of early musket or maybe even a rifle. If the barrel was rifled it would make for a much more accurate weapon. As he looked closer he saw that the mechanism allowed for a repeating action. He knew without doubt that Daniel would have mentioned a leap of technology such as that from tribes who were still carrying bows, arrows and spears. Something way off the mark had happened here.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called, indicating the rising black smoke.

"That's the village, sir," Chiltern said in a rough voice.

"Full alert!" Jack ordered, knowing it wasn't necessary but wanting all three teams centred on his command. He indicated with hand movements, which teams he wanted to go where and they all set off swiftly and silently.

It soon became clear that the attackers had left the village environs; it was eerily quiet and still. As the SG teams spread through the damaged huts all they found were the dead -- mostly men, though there were a few elderly women and horrifyingly young children among them.

The only young woman they found was Captain Ferguson who had clearly died fighting; she had her knife in her hand and there was blood on the blade. She had been killed by the short sword still embedded in her chest. Jack knelt by her side unable to avoid looking into her staring eyes. He hadn't known her that well but to see her like this, it hurt.

One by one the other two members of SG13 were found, both dead. Only Daniel was still unaccounted for but there were still huts to search. Jack prayed Daniel hadn't been inside the large central one, which was still ablaze. Chiltern told him in a pain-filled voice that was where he had last seen Daniel talking with Sroail, the Headman.

"You didn't see Daniel during the attack?" Carter asked, "Surely he came out to help fight them off?"

The attackers had fared much worse in the village where many of the dead were enemy warriors. Obviously the firepower of SG13 had made a difference, if unfortunately not enough to save them in the end.

"He could have done, Major but I didn't see him. I was at the edge of the village by then, with Major Ordman. I'm sorry, sir," the lieutenant said looking at Jack again, "I have no idea where he was. He could still be here, somewhere," Chiltern added, looking at the bodies scattered everywhere.

"No, he's not," interrupted Major Warren of SG3. "We have checked everyone out for SG uniforms and there is definitely no-one else in the compound other than Ordman, Ferguson and Probert. Unless Doctor Jackson was inside that with the Headman..." Warren's gaze drifted towards the burning hut.

"Sir, sir!" Chiltern called from about four metres away, "here's Sroail!" On the floor at his feet was the body of an elderly man with long white hair. In his hand he held a bloody spear.

Relief washed through Jack at the sight, because if the chief was outside fighting then Daniel would have been right alongside him. Daniel hated violence but that didn't mean he wasn't prepared to use it in defence of those he saw in need. His body wasn't here so he must have been taken, presumably with the young woman and older children who were missing from the village.

Teal'c approached, "I have found their tracks, O'Neill. They left moving north not too long ago."

"We can find no trace of our people's weapons either, sir," Major Anderson of SG5 added.

"Okay. At this stage I don't care why they've taken these people or even where they have got these new guns from," Jack stated, looking at everyone making sure they were listening carefully. "Our priority is to get Doctor Jackson back and retrieve our weapons. If in the process we can release the captive Hrashi, then that's a bonus. Understood?"

A chorus of 'yes, sir' answered him and Teal'c was already leading the way to follow the route that the attackers had taken.

They hadn't travelled far from the village compound before the trail was very clearly delineated by people passing along the only path through a heavily forested area in front of them.

Jack sent Teal'c ahead to scout, trying to discover how far in front the group were. They hadn't had time to get too far. Glancing at his watch Jack was relieved to see that no more than forty minutes had passed since Chiltern stumbled back through the Gate to the SGC.

Almost as if he was answering Jack's concern, Teal'c reappeared. He was moving swiftly and remarkably silently for such a big man, his tracking skills never failed to awe Jack, who was no slouch himself.

"They are just ahead," the Jaffa reported. "They have prisoners roped in the centre and a lose line of guards alongside. There are a couple of rearguards and they are behaving very confidently."

"They probably think they have nothing to fear," Anderson interjected.

"Did you see Daniel?" Jack asked.

"No," Teal'c replied, "Though some prisoners towards the front were bunched together."

"How many are we facing?" Carter asked, checking her P90 as she spoke.

"Twenty-five, maybe thirty," Teal'c estimated.

"Against twelve of us, they don't stand a chance," Jack said confidently and his words were met with smiles and nods. No way was he going to lose Daniel now, not if he had to kill the whole lot of them himself. He knew Daniel would never approve of his thinking, but just then he didn't give a damn about Daniel's scruples. He just needed the man he loved back where he belonged.

Teal'c led SG1, including Chiltern, towards the head of the straggling line, while SG3 and SG5 divided to track either side. They moved up very quickly and quietly on the slow moving train of prisoners and their captors.

Trusting that SG3 and SG5 would be in position, Jack shot off a round into a tree directly in front of the leading native and SG1 stepped out to block their path. Teal'c made a production of opening the flaring head of his staff weapon and then fired into the ground in front of them. SG3 and SG5 made their presence known along either side of the group, weapons aimed.

Chiltern knew a few words of the language, enough to tell the natives to stand still and drop their weapons.

One of the band raised his version of a rifle, and he spoke one word harshly as he waved it in Chiltern's direction.

"What?" Jack asked quickly.

"Death," Chiltern translated.

"Shoot him." Jack ordered coolly.

"What?" Chiltern stared at him.

Not deigning to explain any further Jack aimed his P90 high into the air and fired off a rapid burst and then he turned his weapon on the lead native, who was now aiming his rifle at them threateningly. Giving the man a second to lower his weapon, Jack then took careful aim and he calmly shot the man. There was distinct shock and what appeared to be fearful murmuring among the very restless natives.

"Tell them that is death," Jack said harshly, slowly moving his P90 in an arc to cover the enemy.

He looked at Chiltern who haltingly said a few words.

"No one else has to die if they put their weapons down," Jack said.

"Sir, I don't have the words to translate that."

"Do the best you can," Jack instructed. "Daniel would use hand gestures, mime actions, drawings, anything that would get the point across."

Chiltern swallowed and then nodded. Jack left him to it as he walked the perimeter looking among the prisoners for one wearing SGC green but he couldn't see him. He had expected Daniel to make himself known as soon as he could but to Jack his silence was deafening. Could he be hurt? Jack's relief was slowly turning to panic.

Suddenly he heard more of the native language and it seemed that someone had taken over for the presumed fallen leader and the native attackers were dropping all of their weapons. SG3 and SG5 were herding those from the rear forward and as Jack turned back to look, he saw Carter and Chiltern going amongst the captives with knives to cut them free.

"I see no sign of DanielJackson, O'Neill," Teal'c said coming up behind him and confirming his own worst fears.

"What about over there?" he asked, looking at the last group. He knew deep in his heart that they were all women but he couldn't let go of his hope.

"We will go and check," Teal'c said kindly, obviously recognising his friend's despair.

They searched and searched again but Daniel was definitely not with this group. Chiltern did his best to question the native attackers and from what he could understand, which he admitted was not that much as only Doctor Jackson was fluent in the language, they had only taken the women and older children from the village. They hadn't wanted men. It seemed obvious this raiding party wanted slaves or perhaps servants, either to keep or sell.

Jack walked back to the village with Chiltern while Teal'c, Carter and the others brought the prisoners back. As they approached the village compound the captive Hrashi women and older children ran back to see what, if anything, they could do to help.

When they arrived, Jack was surprised to find some older women and even a few men moving amongst the dead littering the area.

Chiltern called out, "Maimnel!" and hurried towards one of the older men who was kneeling beside the Headman. The lieutenant touched the Sroail's body gently and said one word to the native who touched the body too.

"Chiltern?" Jack called.

"Oh sorry, sir. This is Maimnel, he is ...was brother to Sroail and a kind of Shaman to the tribe. Maimnel, this is Colonel," Chiltern introduced Jack. "Just say his name, sir, they only understand one name."

"What did they call Doctor Jackson?"

Chiltern smiled, "He always called himself Daniel, never Doctor Jackson, sir."

Jack managed a half-smile. He nodded at the native, "Maimnel." Then he raised his arm and made a sweep of the surrounding area, asking "Daniel?"

He spoke a few words to Chiltern who got him to repeat them and then he turned to Jack and said, "Sorry sir, I think he said he saw Daniel fighting outside the village but that's all he knows. Damn I wish Daniel were here, he can speak to them so easily."

"If Daniel were here we wouldn't be having this problem," Jack snapped at him.

Chiltern dropped his eyes, "Sorry, sir, wasn't thinking."

"We can't afford to make mistakes, Daniel's life is at stake here."

"I know, sir, I'm just frustrated that I can't do more."

Sighing, Jack said, "I'm sorry too, lieutenant, I'm just ...irritated." Sighing, he added, "Do what you can."

Jack walked among the villagers, watching as they pulled the dead towards the edge of the hamlet. The enemy dead were just tossed in a pile beyond the compound; their own dead were laid out in neat lines just inside. They didn't cover them over though and he assumed they had some other kind of burial ritual. Daniel would have...oh god, where are you?

"Sir," Chiltern interrupted his disturbing thoughts.

"Yes?"

"I think Maimnel and some of the older men took those they could to hide in the forest, more and more are coming out of hiding," the lieutenant explained.

"Daniel, was he with them?" Jack asked, hope rising again.

"No, sir," Chiltern said softly, "but I think I have found someone who saw him." The lieutenant signalled a man who Jack guessed was pretty near to his own age. "Abni was working with Daniel and he knows a few words of English and between us we can make some sense out of things." Chiltern shrugged a little, knowing it was better than nothing.

"Abni," Jack held out his hand and after a slight delay the man grasped it.

"Friend," Abni said with a smile. "Daniel -- friend."

"Daniel is my good friend too," Jack smiled. "Do you know what happened to him?" Jack spoke slowly and looked to Chiltern to help with any native words that would make his question clearer.

"Daniel went Circle," Abni said, also looking at Chiltern.

"From what I can tell, sir, Daniel was helping get some of them away and I think he decided to go for help. He mustn't have known that I had gone through."

"When, when was this? Is he back at the SGC then?" Jack's heart was full of hope; he was strenuously denying the little voice at the back of his mind telling him that was impossible. Wasn't it?

"Major Carter has gone to the MALP to double check but I think this must have happened during the attack and before we came through, though it is hard to be sure from our limited communication."

Just then his radio squawked and Jack answered, "O'Neill."

"Sir, I have spoken to the General and Daniel has definitely not gone back to Earth."

"Thank you, major." Jack was proud of how calm he sounded because he felt anything but.

He turned to Chiltern again and the man was sitting on the ground and he and Abni were scratching in the dirt. Jack moved closer and looked at what they were doing and it soon became clear that Chiltern was getting Abni to draw what had happened to Daniel at the Gate.

~~

Jack sprawled on his sofa, trying not to think of the last time Daniel had been there but he couldn't stop remembering the scent of his hair, or the heat from his skin as they lay entwined, sated from the mind-numbing sex. It was their way of saying goodbye for a while, as Daniel was due to go out the next morning with SG13 for the fourteen day mission.

Jack wasn't happy about it but he knew he couldn't keep Daniel tied to his side no matter how much he wanted to. Daniel was a strong man and didn't appreciate Jack's efforts to cushion him in cotton wool, so the colonel fought down his natural inclination to protect his friend, his team-mate, his lover -- and now he was paying the price.

He took another swig from the bottle of whisky, draining it this time. He wanted to get drunk, to forget his fears but it wasn't working, all the alcohol seemed to do was make him feel more desperate, more aware of how empty his house was, how empty he was.

Somewhere out there, in the vastness of the universe, Daniel Jackson was lost. Having heard the explanation twice now, once on the planet and once during the de-briefing, Jack felt as if the words were engraved on his heart. Chiltern had described in great detail what he had learned from Abni and it had eventually been backed up by others as they returned from hiding, adding their own little bits to the overall story once they understood what Abni was explaining. Between them all, Chiltern had put together the picture of what had happened to Daniel in the midst of the attack.

As they already knew, Daniel had been in the central hut with the Headman when the attack began and they ran outside together. Whether he was asked by the Sroail, or it was his own decision no one knew, but Daniel ran to help some of the villagers escape to the wood as it bordered the village on the north side, while the enemy attacked from the three open sides. They were almost safe when a group of enemy warriors appeared from the northwest, the open field that led to the Stargate. The Hrashi, Daniel amongst them, did their best to defend the group and Daniel was firing his Beretta when he was struck by one of the enemy firesticks -- how the tribe described the enemy's weapon. It hit with enough force to send Daniel's handgun flying and spinning the archaeologist around, he had fallen to his knees.

Now, there was some confusion as to exactly how badly Daniel had been injured by the weapon, but it seemed clear there was blood coming from a wound either in his shoulder or in his side. At that time he must have decided he needed to get through the Gate to get help because he staggered to his feet, grabbing one of the machete-like knives the warriors carried and he made for the Gate at a stumbling run.

Jack could see it in his mind's-eye as Daniel, injured and unsteady but determined, fought his way to the DHD. Abni said he killed at least one attacker and realising he was going for assistance, they tried to help him as much as they could by keeping the other enemy warriors off him as he pressed the glyphs to spin the Gate, finally leaning heavily on the central crystal. The Gate burst into life and with a last look at the fighting still going on around the platform, Daniel struggled up the steps and walked into the event horizon.

That was nine hours ago now and Daniel had never appeared back at the SGC.

Jack had visions of his lover lying dead on some unknown planet, alone. Or maybe worse, lying in agony on a deserted world unable to dial out again, calling for help, calling for him, not understanding in his pained delirium why Jack had abandoned him. He had another terrible thought, that Daniel had mistakenly dialled a Goa'uld stronghold and now one of his worst enemy was holding him, taking pleasure in torturing a hated adversary.

Jack's own imagination was tearing him apart.

When they had finally accepted that Daniel was not on P3N-877 they returned through the Gate, and as soon as he saw the general, Jack demanded a search and rescue mission. Hammond, obviously recognising that Jack was not in control of his emotions, ordered an immediate briefing. Jack fought his inclinations all through the interminable explanations and when he judged the time was right he again requested a search and rescue.

Hammond had looked at him and then at the others seated around the table, before returning his gaze to a tightly-wound Jack.

"And where, colonel, do you suggest we start the search?"

Jack opened his mouth to speak but there was nothing he could say. He looked desperately at Carter.

She met his gaze squarely, her own expression pained as she replied, "I'm sorry, sir but there is no way to determine where Daniel went. He could literally have gone anywhere that there is a Gate."

"And there are thousands of Gates," Teal'c spoke up. His words sounded cold but as Jack glanced at him he recognised the distress in the tightness of his mouth.

"So, what do we do? Sit and twiddle our thumbs?" Jack asked harshly.

"We do the only thing we can do. Wait, and hope that Daniel finds his own way home," Hammond began.

"What?" Jack interrupted, his face pale.

The general continued as if he hadn't spoken, "And we send out requests for help to our allies. The more people looking the more chance he has."

"Our allies," Jack spoke with derision, "oh, yeah, like they're gonna jump up to help us."

"Colonel," Hammond's voice was sharp, he'd had enough. "I know exactly how you feel, I feel the same but there is nothing else we can do. Doctor Jackson unfortunately misdialled while under great stress and we can only hope he can get himself home from wherever he is."

Jack opened his mouth to speak again but the general cut him off. "You are all dismissed. Report to the infirmary and then go home and get some rest. I will send out all the necessary feelers and perhaps by the morning things will have begun to develop."

"I would prefer to stay on base..." Jack began.

"Not this time, colonel. I want you off the mountain as soon as Doctor Fraiser has finished with you." The general's expression made it clear it was an order that was not to be disobeyed. "If there is any news at all I will ensure you are contacted, otherwise don't report back here until oh-nine-hundred hours, any of you. Dismissed."

He had wanted to argue, he wanted to be as near to the Gate as he could but Jack knew he'd pushed the general as far as he dare and he couldn't risk being sent home for a longer period, so he did as ordered and an hour later he walked into his house and headed straight for his whisky stash. It was the only way he could get through the long night.

~~

Jack had almost fallen into a trap after that first night. Needing the whisky to get him through one night had seemed a reasonable idea, but he needed it again the next night and the next. Before he was even aware of what he was doing two weeks of drinking himself into a stupor had passed as Jack tried to struggle with the fact that Daniel was still missing.

As he'd expected, their allies while making all the right noises about helping as much as possible, hadn't produced any result and with nothing promising on any horizon, Jack was slowly going out of his mind. He knew the drinking was the first step on the slippery slope but he didn't seem to be able to stop. He couldn't sleep without nightmares unless he was so far gone he practically passed out, but he knew that either Fraiser or Hammond were going to realise and then he would be in for it.

It was almost three weeks now since that fateful day and when they had heard from the Tok'ra that afternoon Jack couldn't help his hope soaring. He should have known better. The only news they had was that a promising opportunity was a bust, just a case of mistaken identity. He wanted to throttle the smug bastard who calmly told them they were doing their best but it was a big universe. God, didn't the stupid sonofabitch know they knew that!

Jack couldn't wait to get away from the man, snake, thing! He marched down the corridor and wasn't at all surprised when he found himself outside Daniel's office. What did surprise him was that he was suddenly afraid to go inside. He wanted his lover to be inside but he wasn't and it hit him like a ton of bricks that he was afraid Daniel would never grace his office again.

Jack leaned his head against the door and after a moment he very slowly opened it and stepped inside. It looked just as it had the last time Daniel had been here but it felt so wrong. It felt empty and he didn't mean physically empty, he meant the energy, the excitement that normally filled the room was gone. He knew he was being over-emotional and that Daniel would laugh at him... Oh god, he could laugh to his heart's content, nothing that I'd like more than to hear him laugh. Now, please!

It wasn't until the deep tones filled the room that Jack realised he wasn't alone. He hadn't heard Teal'c enter yet he somehow wasn't surprised to find the Jaffa there.

"You must have faith, O'Neill."

"Faith in what?" Jack replied sadly.

"In DanielJackson. That he will return."

"If he could've returned on his own he would have, T. I... It's having to rely on others that I find hard to take."

"Imbibing alcohol instead of sleeping will not help. One day the news will be real and you will need to be at your best for DanielJackson."

Jack looked at his friend. "I was hoping it wasn't that obvious?"

"It is not ...yet."

He nodded, accepting his friend at his word. "I know you're right but I can't sleep anyway. I keep seeing these images," he shrugged, too embarrassed to tell even Teal'c how he really felt.

"I too have had difficulty achieving kel'no'reem in my concern for my friend but it is better to face those fears and plan to overcome them than to let them make me helpless and of no use when my friend needs me."

"I sometimes forget how old you really are and how much you've experienced, Teal'c. None of this is really new to you is it?"

"I have faced the loss of friends before but in those times my own right to act was severely limited. Here, now, we must be ready to act when the time is right. You must be at your best, O'Neill."

"I will be, Teal'c. For Daniel I'll do anything." It wasn't mere speech; it was more in the way of a vow.

That evening Jack went through his house and threw out anything that even remotely contained alcohol. No way would he risk not being in tiptop condition when Daniel needed him. And Daniel would need him -- Jack had to believe that, it was all he had.

~~

Three months. Three long, difficult months and Jack didn't know how much longer he could keep going on nothing more than hope. The thread was stretched so thin by this time that he didn't understand why it -- and he -- hadn't broken by now.

It made it harder that he couldn't share his fears with anyone. Of course, he could talk with Carter and Teal'c and others about his friend, his team-mate but he couldn't talk about his personal pain-in-the-ass and pleasure-in-the-ass, he couldn't share his personal grief and anguish at possibly losing the love of his life. He could share his deep regret over his missing friend but he wasn't allowed to show that his heart was breaking little by little each day as his hope faded that he would ever see his lover again.

It was the night that was most difficult when he was alone with nothing to keep his thoughts from the man he missed so much. He found himself wondering around his house, picking up and absently caressing inanimate objects just because they belonged to Daniel. Fondling Daniel's favourite pen, stroking the bathrobe his lover kept behind the bedroom door, running his hands over his partner's personal journal.

He also kept seeing how empty everything was and not just his bed which left him feeling bereft without the warmth he craved. When he looked in the bathroom mirror he kept expecting to see Daniel behind him trying to push him to one side so he could see better to shave; they had a running gag about who should get to use the mirror first and Daniel always lost because he couldn't get motivated enough until Jack brought him his coffee. The breakfast table was too quiet because there was no Daniel there talking nineteen to the dozen about whatever he was working on at the time. And the sofa, suddenly it seemed too big.

Nothing was right without the other half of his being.

Tomorrow would be the hundredth day since Daniel had disappeared and the irony of that didn't escape Jack. It had been the one hundred days Jack had been missing on Edora that had finally made both of them realise just what their feelings for each other really were. That was nearly a year ago now and he couldn't stand the idea of the approaching anniversary; it was like a clock ticking down in his mind and the fear was growing that if he hadn't found Daniel by then…he never would. There was no logic to his thinking but that didn't stop the idea rolling around in his mind and as if he didn't have enough on his plate, Hammond was again trying to push him to accept a new fourth. The general wasn't insisting on a permanent replacement for Daniel, oh no just temporary cover. Oh yeah sure. Over my dead body! That would be like accepting that Daniel was lost and he couldn't do that, he wouldn't.

Carter and Teal'c supported him and the general had backed off, for now. Jack knew that one day soon he wouldn't. The general had been generous for the first couple of weeks keeping SG1 off the duty roster but he hadn't been able to do it for any longer than that. It had been very difficult for them to go and do their jobs knowing their team-mate, their conscience, as Jack had once publicly called him, wasn't with them. They performed their duties to the best of their abilities but for Jack at least, his heart wasn't in it. He was going through the Gate now for one reason only; hope that the next time he might perhaps hear news of Daniel, or that he would walk back through to the SGC and Hammond would be waiting with information.

That hope accompanied him again this time on his return journey through the wormhole after a three-day mission that hadn't produced much of anything except frustration. So, when he stepped on the ramp to see Hammond waiting for him with an unknown Tok'ra standing at his side, he fought desperately against his own rising hope. He had been burned too many times to believe without some kind of proof.

"SG1, this is Tar'ek. He brings you a message, Colonel O'Neill."

"Me? A message from who?" asked Jack frowning, he'd learned it paid to be suspicious of the Tok'ra.

"Let's take this to the briefing room," the general said.

"I bet that once again our friendly snakes have a price tag attached," Jack said, supposedly sotto voice but he made damned sure the Tok'ra could hear him.

"If you are suggesting that I will not deliver the message without eliciting something from you in return then you are mistaken...and insulting," Tar'ek stated, turning to look at O'Neill.

"Well it'd be a first!" the colonel bit back not at all fazed.

"Colonel," Hammond chided but his eyes understood.

They settled around the briefing table, Daniel's usual seat beside Jack left empty, which Jack sometimes appreciated, but at other times it seemed only to emphasise how empty his life had become.

Tar'ek chose to sit at the opposite end of the table from the general and as soon as he sat down, he asked, "May I begin?"

"Is this about Daniel, Doctor Jackson?" Jack couldn't help but ask.

"I am only aware of the content of the message, nothing more."

"Well tell us what it is then," Sam said, looking decidedly impatient.

Tar'ek looked at her, his expression making it clear he didn't consider the delay his responsibility.

"An operative of ours was approached a little over a week ago and was asked to pass a message on. The bearer had orders to give it directly to Colonel O'Neill as soon as he possibly could. I believe you are acquainted with this personage though why he would consider you would trust him, I don't understand."

"Who is it from, and what is the message?" Jack spoke very slowly enunciating every word.

"It is from Aris Boch and he asks that you meet him alone. He has some information you will want to have."

Jack just stared at the Tok'ra, his head buzzing. Boch. Boch!

"Aris Boch?" the general frowned, "that name is familiar but I can't place it."

"He was the bounty hunter who captured us and then released us and the Tok'ra he was attempting to capture on behalf of one of the system lords," Teal'c explained.

"Yeah, it must be about eighteen months ago now," Sam added.

The general glanced around the table at his people. "You believe such a message might concern Doctor Jackson?"

"I see no other reason that Boch would risk himself by contacting us in this manner."

"Yeah," Sam agreed. She smiled, "He...liked Daniel and I think..."

"Wait," Jack interrupted, "you said this message was passed to your operative over a week ago? A week ago! What the hell took so long getting it to me? If it’s about Danny..." He rose to his feet, his expression menacing.

"Colonel," Hammond didn't raise his voice but the command was enough to bring Jack back into line and he slowly took his seat again. "Tar'ek, why the delay?" Hammond asked.

"The operative was in deep cover and had to wait for his regular contact. The bounty hunter knew that and asked that you meet him two days from now on a world called Arhia. This world has no Stargate....

"What? Well how in the hell can I...?" Jack interrupted.

"There is a planet about twelve hours away in a Tel'tac. It has a Stargate," Tar'ek continued, pinning Jack with a glare. "I have already arranged for the vessel to be waiting there for you if you wish to go. If you will show me your list of co-ordinates I will show you the address to this world."

"And why just the colonel? Did the message explain that?" the general pushed for more information.

"Yes a little, though if you know his situation it is rather obvious. He said that it was the only way he would share."

"Obvious?" Sam queried and even as she asked her face cleared. "Ah, the Roshna."

"Yes, he cannot afford to offend his masters."

"He must by necessity keep a low profile," Teal'c added.

"Do you have anything to add, colonel?"

"Only, what are we waiting for?" Jack sounded nonchalant but his body language was tense.

"Very well," Hammond commented. "Major, if you would accompany Tar'ek to the control room and find the address? I'll think on this and we'll meet back here in an hour to consider options."

Options?

"Yes, sir," Carter replied and Jack allowed her comment to stand for both of them. He didn't think he should say anything else at the moment, he recognised he was too wound up.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?" Teal'c enquired and the general nodded.

Jack sat quietly in his seat, not even seeming to realise that the others had left.

Hammond glanced at him for a moment and then decided to leave him. The colonel had taken Jackson's disappearance very hard and if this was finally a chance to at least find out what happened to him, even if it wasn't the good news the colonel hoped for, perhaps he would at least be able to move on with his life. Hammond had given him all the leeway he could and if O'Neill couldn't get his life -- and his team -- back on track, then the general might have to think about alternatives. That was the last thing he wanted, Jack O'Neill was the best team leader he had ever worked with but he hadn't been the same since the good doctor had gone missing.

Jack's mind had slipped back to the mission when they’d met the annoyingly frustrating Aris Boch. He had played his own little game with them but Jack had to admit that in the end he’d done the right thing. He also had to admit that Boch was between a rock and a hard place because of the way the Goa'uld had addicted what remained of his race to Roshna, a drug without which he would die. He was irrevocably tied to the race that he hated, his only chance of getting the drug was to stay on their good side by trading their price for his own.

With a touch of asperity and not a little jealousy, Jack also remembered that Boch had found Daniel fascinating. He had often noticed the man's gaze alighting on the archaeologist and the gleam in his eyes left Jack in no doubt that he knew exactly how the man had felt. It would be some six months before Jack himself had the courage to admit his feelings for the younger man but he easily recognised the attraction that was pulling at the bounty hunter.

Neither was Boch above teasing the archaeologist, confusing him because Daniel found it hard to believe how appealing a personality he really was and so he never understood that Boch was enamoured. Jack did though, and he did his best to get between the two men whenever he could. With a smile he still remembered Daniel's bewildered disappointment when Boch told him he was only worth a day's rations. It was kinda cute that Daniel was angry he wasn't worth more and baffled that he would even want to be!

Thinking about it now he realised that he didn't think Boch would do anything to hurt Daniel. In fact, when they had parted Jack thought that the bounty hunter had developed a grudging admiration for all of them. He knew that deep inside Boch would wish he too could carry the battle to the Goa'uld instead of sitting on the side-lines or, even worse, being forced to do the bidding of his enemy.

Recalling Tar'ek's comment about not understanding why Boch thought he would be trusted, Jack recognised that he did in fact do just that. He would go to meet the man not doubting that he was sincere. He shook his head, reluctantly appalled at his ability to trust. Something he believed he could lay at Daniel's door.

He just hoped that Hammond would be as trusting and let him go. Very little of what had just gone through Jack's mind had ended up in the reports for that mission, neither his nor Daniel's. Hammond would only have the bare bones of the mission report and its conclusion where Boch had basically, at least for the second half of the encounter, changed sides. Hopefully with the help of his team-mates Jack could convince the general that Boch was forced to act against his real character by the hold the Goa'uld had over him.

~~

In the end it hadn't taken much to convince the general that Jack should go and meet Boch. Hammond's only real problem was in Jack going alone.

"What if the whole thing is merely a trap to capture you? For all we know the Goa'uld have Doctor Jackson and have paid -- or even forced Aris Boch if you still insist he wouldn't act against you from choice -- to get you too."

Jack was all ready to say he would risk it; he didn't give a damn if that was true, he would take the slightest chance to get Daniel back but Carter saved him the trouble.

"Sir, why can't we go too?" Carter spoke up. "I know we can't go to the actual meeting, but we could go with the colonel in the Tel'tac. And," she added excitedly, "this would be the perfect opportunity to use that imbedded communication device we reverse engineered. The colonel could contact us whenever he wanted and no one would know."

"Yes, and then if necessary we could ring down to come to O'Neill's assistance," Teal'c agreed.

Jack nodded, thinking to himself that it also meant that he would have backup if there were any way to go after Daniel immediately. He wouldn't even consider the possibility that this whole thing didn't involve Daniel; it had to. It just had to!

"Very well, I will sanction this with that proviso. Will you be piloting the Tel'tac, Tar'ek? Would you be prepared to help if things went sour?" the general asked.

"I have to leave on another mission shortly. The vessel is being piloted to the rendezvous point by another Tok'ra. It will be his decision to help -- or not."

So, now twenty-four hours later and they were on a Tel'tac being piloted of all people by Jacob Carter. It couldn't have worked out better if Jack had planned it. Jacob was the one Tok'ra who would never refuse to help Daniel and as it turned out he had arranged it so that he would pilot the vessel. Carter had been happy to see her father again, it had been some time since they’d been together and they had spent the last few hours comfortably chatting.

They were roughly half-way through the twelve hour flight. The Goa'uld cargo ship was not overly large and Jack, wanting to be alone, had retreated to the rear compartment a couple of hours earlier. After six hours of doing absolutely nothing but worry he didn't consider he was fit company but about an hour later Teal'c had joined him; luckily for both of them, the Jaffa settled in the opposite corner and proceeded to perform kel'no'reem.

Sensing that Teal'c was about to come out of his deep state of meditation, Jack closed his eyes hoping that his friend would assume he was asleep. After a while when Teal'c hadn't spoken Jack was sure he had succeeded and he imperceptibly relaxed that last fraction. It was then that Teal'c spoke and he was no longer across the room, he was directly in front of Jack and he kept his voice low.

"I understand that you find it difficult to speak at this time but understand that we will get DanielJackson back for you, or we will die trying."

Sighing, Jack kept his eyes closed; he was in no mood for a pep talk from Teal'c and was grateful that he said nothing else. Then slowly his friend's actual words seeped in -- back for you...YOU -- and his eyes flew open.

It seemed that Teal'c was waiting for just such a reaction for he gave Jack his ubiquitous dip of the head, but there was just the touch of a curve to his lips.

Jack stared at him, his heart thumping in his chest. "You knew?"

"How could I not?"

"What?" Jack didn't know whether to be relieved or shocked.

With another slight smile, Teal'c replied, "You both stopped clawing at each other -- either you would have stepped away completely or stepped closer, you stepped closer."

Unable to take his gaze from the dark eyes staring back at him, Jack asked, "All this time and you never said a word. Why?"

"Because you found it impossible to share your thoughts, your feelings. I understood why."

"And now?" Jack frowned.

"Now, I think perhaps your concern allows too much to show if you wish it to remain a secret."

Jack flushed, "Oh."

"I thought if maybe you had a release, someone you knew you could confide in."

"Thanks, T, but it's not something I'm comfortable talking about, though the fact that you know does make me feel better. Not sure why, but it does."

~~

"Jack, Teal'c," Jacob called from the pel'tak, "we're almost there. Are you ready to ring down, Jack?"

The two men looked at each other, and Jack nodded at Teal'c as a way of thanks for his support.

"Yeah, like to get this show on the road," Jack said as they entered the cockpit.

Carter jumped up from the co-pilot's seat and moved over to her C.O. "If I could just check the implant?" she asked, reaching for his wrist.

"Carter, if you check the damned thing any more it will dig its way out of my wrist in protest. It works. You know it does! You checked it after Fraiser put it in. You checked before we gated out," Jack whined, protectively putting his left hand over his right wrist.

Jacob laughed, "It might be easier just to give in."

"No way, it pays to keep them on their toes. Daniel always..." Jack stopped, shocked that he could for even one second have forgotten that Daniel wasn't with them. He dropped his eyes, not wanting to see either shock or sympathy on the faces of the others.

"We're over the co-ordinates now," Jacob stated calmly.

"Teal'c," Jack said as he moved into the centre of the ring platform behind the pel'tak, picking up the gear that he had stowed near the rings.

As soon as he was ready, Teal'c glanced back at Jacob who nodded and then he pressed the correct combination to operate the rings and amidst a grating sound and flash of light Jack was sent down to the surface of the planet far below.

~~

When the rings cleared Jack found himself in a small clearing, surrounded by trees. Of course, there just had to be trees! He turned three-hundred-and-sixty degrees, his P-90 leading the way. He hadn't bothered to bring a zat knowing that weapon was useless against the bounty hunter.

Aris Boch stepped quietly into view. His arms were kept wide from his body though he was still carrying a weapon.

"You don't need that," Boch said nodding towards Jack's weapon that was presently aimed directly at him. "I only want to tell you what I have learned about Doc Jackson."

God, he does know something! He knew he had to keep calm, he trusted Boch but only so far and never with Daniel's life. Jack stared, sizing him up, seeing the same mischievous arrogant grin. Slowly he lowered his weapon but kept it easily available should he need to bring it into play.

"Okay," Jack asked, "Why the cloak and dagger act?"

Boch frowned for a moment, obviously confused by the phrase, then his face cleared and he smiled. "Colourful expression, I must remember that. As to why the secrecy? I wouldn't wish my Goa'uld clients to know I was in contact with the Tau'ri. Nor would I like it known that I was selling information so cheaply. That would damage my reputation."

Jack frowned at that. "How cheaply? What d'ya want?" Jack would pay anything, do anything but he couldn't admit that to his contact.

Boch smiled that disarming smile that Jack found so damned annoying. "Just that you owe me a favour when I need one."

"That's it?" It was too easy and that made Jack very nervous.

Aris cocked his head to one side and was very purposely studying Jack.

The colonel stood very still and met the bounty hunter's gaze and he couldn't help the feeling that Boch was seeing more than he was comfortable with, almost as if he could see inside his head to what he was thinking, even what he was feeling.

Aris suddenly smiled roguishly and said, "Yeah, well it always pays to have someone owe you a favour, never know when you might need a friend. Not much else I need that I can't get from ...other sources," he shrugged. "Anyhow, I like the Doc but then you already know that. I don't like to see him hurting, so you should go and take care of him."

Those casual words cut to Jack's heart. "Hurting, how? Where is he?" Jack couldn't keep the urgency out of his tone.

"I have the Stargate address but you'd be best going in by ship though, the gate is guarded. That's one reason he couldn't leave when he misdialled."

Jack was puzzled how Boch could possibly know so much but he couldn't afford to waste any more time asking what were really unimportant questions. All he needed to know was where Daniel was now and any information that might help to get him back home.

"These people don't like uninvited guests," Boch warned. "It probably helped that the Doc was injured when he arrived, though what happened later probably didn't go down too well."

"Boch, what the fuck are you talking about?" Jack growled, losing what little patience he had.

"Well, he wouldn't answer any of their questions after they finally got him better. Told them he couldn't, they didn't believe him."

Jack's gut clenched at the possibilities surrounding that explanation. Was it that Daniel couldn't tell them what they wanted to know because something was wrong with him, or was it simply that he refused because they required sensitive information? Neither explanation boded well for Daniel's well-being. Were they torturing him?

"What have they done to him?" Jack asked quietly.

"Thrown him in prison," Boch answered bluntly. "Want to loosen his tongue, I guess. Not pleasant in Amandi prisons."

Jack's mind went to bad places at that news and he involuntarily closed his eyes. True, Daniel was nowhere near as innocent as he had been when they found themselves incarcerated on Hadante, but Jack still didn't consider he was anything like prepared for imprisonment, at least not the kind of prison that Jack couldn't get out of his mind. He opened his eyes to find the bounty hunter staring at him.

Narrowing his eyes, Boch said, "What would you do, if when you find him, Daniel was ...damaged?"

"You talking about torture?"

"Not exactly, their kind of torture doesn't damage the body. I was thinking along other lines. There are other kinds of damage than torture. Prison has all kinds of inmates."

Tension making him unknowingly clench his jaw, Jack ground out, "Take him home, of course, we'll look after him."

"No, what about you?" Boch asked, not backing down, "What would you do if he was...damaged?"

Jack glared angrily at him. How dare the bastard... Snarling, Jack replied, "Take him home, I will look after him, I will be whatever he needs. Don't give a shit what has happened to him!"

Boch grinned; seemingly he had the answer he wanted. "I knew it! I just wondered if you did yet."

"What?"

"I...was interested in the Doc when we first met," Boch grinned.

"Yeah, I noticed." Jack certainly wasn't smiling.

Boch laughed again, he seemed to be enjoying himself. "Yeah I know you did. I also noticed Daniel didn't 'cause he was so wrapped up in you. And you, you were so busy protecting him that you didn't notice him noticing you! Damn, but I almost said something then I decided what the hell! I thought, maybe I'd have a chance next time if you were still so blind."

That was it! Jack growled and advanced, his P-90 forgotten and hanging by its strap. Jack was so mad his hands were tightly clenched as he fought to keep them from the neck of the man who was still laughing at him. He'd spent months going out of his mind and this sick bastard just wanted to... "He's mine, you bastard!"

"Whoa there! Back off," Boch was still laughing though he back-pedalled. Putting his hands out, palms flat facing Jack in mute surrender, he quickly went on, "Look, I'm here to help."

His temper momentarily defused, Jack frowned asking, "You offering more than the Intel?"

"Yeah," Boch shrugged.

Sighing, Jack asked, "What's the price this time?"

"A favour, from you this time."

"You've already got that," Jack frowned.

"No," Boch said with exaggerated patience, "the price for the Intel was a favour from your people, the price for help is a favour from YOU."

"You help me get him out and you can have anything," Jack replied quickly without giving it a second thought.

"Anything?" Boch's grin was really starting to piss Jack off.

"You don't get Daniel," Jack snarled.

"Didn't know he was yours to give or yours to keep," Boch quipped back, his head cocked to one side.

Jack deflated sighed, "No, he isn't. One stubborn sonofabitch my Daniel, but he IS mine because he chooses to be. Not always sure why he does, hell he could do a lot better than me." Jack seemed to be talking to himself, having forgotten who was listening.

In a serious tone, Boch commented, "Stubborn, intelligent and intuitive, add those looks and that body and what a package. Don't question it; just be grateful he does see something in you that he wants."

Jack lifted his eyes, looking at the other man in a different light. The man was so blatantly in his face, showing Jack just what he wanted him to see. What ...who was the real man beneath the created facade?

Frowning a little, Jack admitted, "I know I'm a lucky bastard and I have no idea why I'm telling any this to you of all people."

"Probably because I am the only one you can tell. I know about your world's view of what is considered morality," he muttered screwing up his face in disgust. Then he laughed, "Just wait till they learn what goes on out here!"

~~

"Come on," Aris said, turning to head back the way he had come and Jack frowned.

"Where?"

"We need some supplies." Boch stopped and turned back, "You came on a Tok'ra ship, right?"

Jack reluctantly confirmed that he had and Boch smiled, "It should work."

"What should work?" Jack asked irritably.

"My plan to get the Doc out of course," Boch answered easily. "Who else is with you?"

Cocking his head on one side, Jack just stared at the man.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you came alone with just the Tok'ra 'cause I don't believe you. Tell me you brought the rest of your team." Boch was grinning again.

"Fer cryin' out loud! Yes, dammit."

"Good, let's go and meet with them."

"What, just like that?"

"Why not? You've played fair with me and I've told you what I know. I have a plan, and it's easier for me to explain it once. You don't want to waste any more time I assume?"

Surprised, Jack asked, "Your plan includes the others? You were so sure I would bring them?"

Now it was Boch's turn to stare at him. "You'd have brought Hammond or your President too if you could've gotten away with it. Send your signal."

Muttering, "Yeah and Mike Tyson or Ben and Jerry, anybody who'd help," Jack brushed his fingers against his wrist surreptitiously opening the communication link to the ship, Boch watched him knowingly but for once he didn't comment.

"Who is the Tok'ra?" Boch asked, again moving on.

Still frowning but following the bounty hunter, Jack replied, "Jacob Carter, err, Selmac."

Boch grinned, "Perfect, he will love the role."

"That's it! I'm not going another step until you tell me what you're talking about."

With an exaggerated sigh, Boch said, "I have a plan to get us through the Gate. For it to work I need a Tok'ra. I need a Jaffa, which as I suspected you kindly brought along. I have a part for you to play too. We get the supplies. We go to your ship. We go get the Doc. Is that enough for you?"

Jack stared at him and then reluctantly agreed, "Yes, Boch that’s enough ...for now. How far is your ship?"

"Close, five minutes." He was true to his word and in less than fifteen minutes they were on their way back to the clearing where they'd first met, each man carrying a large bag. "Now, colonel," Boch said, smiling as he stared straight at the wrist where Jack's implant was hidden.

This time Jack smiled as he said conversationally, "Okay, Jacob, now." Right on cue the rings dropped around them both and literally in a flash they were on the cargo ship.

When the rings cleared they found themselves facing Teal'c's staff weapon.

"It's okay, Teal'c, he's here to help us get Daniel back," Jack said and slowly Teal'c lowered his weapon, his expression as much a warning as his weapon had been.

"You think it's alright to trust him, sir?" Carter asked, watching from the doorway.

Jack looked at Boch and shrugged, "Yeah," then he grinned at the bounty hunter, "as long as I can see him."

"He mentioned a plan," Jacob said entering the cargo area, nodding at Boch. "Care to explain?"

~~

Jack looked down at himself wondering if his appearance was as bad as he felt. He was sure Daniel would look good in these leggings ... he sucked in his breath at the offhand thought about his lover. How could he do that? He shook his head, he couldn't do this now. He had to get his head around what he was going to do. Aris Boch had a good plan to get through the Stargate and rescue Daniel. It was a risk but they all had a role to play and they could make it work. He knew they could.

The world of Amandi was trapped into living up to the legend of a long dead Goa'uld, a snake taking on the role of an ancient Roman god. The Goa'uld kept the impression that Vulcan still controlled the planet and its resources. Now that god was coming home for a visit.

Jack grabbed his cloak and went to meet the others. Only Sam was not in costume, she was going to stay on board the ship and monitor the proceedings on the planet. She was their back-up.

"Everybody ready?" Jack asked briskly, shaking off his concern and taking on the mantle of the colonel.

The huge inner ring began to turn and the men guarding the platform were stunned into action when the Roundel of Vulcan burst into life. They swiftly came to attention, aiming their weapons at the swirling blue light as it settled back into the Roundel. Guarding the path of the god, Vulcan, was considered an easy detail as it was very rare that it activated outside of the set timetable. Only twice in the last ten cycles had it opened unexpectedly and they had both been recent. The first time was when the injured stranger had stumbled through, which had been a tremendous shock as the people believed only Vulcan and his servants could travel the path of the god.

The mystery of the stranger's appearance deepened as he claimed it was only an accident that he had come through the Roundel; the man clearly didn't expect to end up on Amandi and, even though he was clearly suffering, he just wanted to be able to travel on to his hoped-for destination. Of course, that was impossible and he had been taken to the city hospital for treatment before he was to be questioned. The consensus seemed to be that he must have angered the god somehow.

The second time the Roundel had opened unexpectedly; it had been to allow the passage of a representative of Vulcan. It had been many cycles since he had last come through but he had the correct amulet and knew the words of access. The guards may not have recognised him but the Primat did.

Orchern had ruled as Primat of Amandi for fifty cycles and he knew this Representative well. He was a big man, gone a little soft around the middle due to his easy life and taste for sweet delights, but he was a fair man and his long rule proved his people's trust.

Orchern didn't like the man, considering the behaviour of Aris Boch to be far too arrogant for a messenger, which was all he really was. Delivering the word of Vulcan gave him no special consideration in Orchern’s eyes but the old politician was wily and kept his opinion to himself. He had no wish to risk his position, or his very existence, by angering Vulcan and it would only take a bad report from this despicable man to create the wrong impression. Unfortunately, Boch as the Representative was their direct link to Lord Vulcan and they had enough difficulty meeting the quota as it was, an inaccurate report would be disastrous. It was the Primat's duty to act in the best interests of his people, he couldn't allow his personal dislikes to threaten his people's security.

Amandi had managed to keep its autonomy for over a thousand cycles by obeying the wishes of the absent Vulcan and continuing to create the parts for the magical weapons of the gods as laid down in the ancient directive. It was frustrating when Boch, on behalf of his master, instructed Orchern to increase the production rate. The Primat knew how difficult that would be but he didn't have the power, or the nerve, to refuse.

So, that bright morning, it was something of a surprise to the guards to find four strangers standing in front of the now quiescent Roundel; one of them yet again the representative, Aris Boch, who moved forward holding his hands out wide as if in supplication.

"Stand back and make way. You are honoured by a visit from your god, Vulcan. "

There was a gasp from one of the guards and all of them quickly dropped their weapons, lowered their heads and steepled their fingers together, pointing them at Vulcan. It was the acknowledged gesture of respect toward the marvellous figure of their long-absent god, standing resplendent on the steps of the Roundel.

Posing as the Goa'uld version of the ancient Roman god, Jacob didn't resemble an ancient Roman at all. Boch had informed them that the ambient temperature of Amandi was only ten degrees Celsius and he had come to meet Jack well prepared with clothing to suit all of them. Jacob was dressed in pants and a long tunic style jacket of a heavy dark blue material shot through with gold thread, the ensemble topped off with a dark blue fur lined cloak.

Playing to the small audience for all he was worth, Jacob stepped forward looking totally regal and totally bored. Luckily for him, the inhabitants of this world had not seen the real Vulcan for many centuries, and to do so now would be impossible as the Roman god of fire and the craftsman of the arms and armour of the gods was long dead, or at least the Goa'uld impostor was.

Teal'c, once again wearing the uniform of a First Prime, moved to the front of his 'god'. The gold tattoo that identified him as a servant of Apophis had been swiftly altered with the addition of a fake gold hammer bisecting the snake motif.

"You!" Teal'c said indicating the nearest guard. "Go and tell your Primat of his good fortune." The man glanced at his comrades before turning and running off as fast as he could for the nearby city.

Aris Boch took the lead showing Jacob and Teal'c the way, the Jaffa marching along with his head held high and his weapon at the ready. The guards were unsure at first whether to accompany them or not but Teal'c made it clear they were not needed, nor welcome.

Everyone ignored the figure dressed in the simple leggings and tunic of a human slave, his plain cloak billowing out as he struggled with two heavy bags as he walked behind his master, keeping his eyes down. It was a particularly difficult role for Jack to adopt, being so unobtrusive just wasn't his style, nor was walking into enemy territory without carrying his P-90. Aris convinced him that being a slave would be the easiest and safest disguise to assume, as nothing would be expected of a lowly slave other than to serve his master as necessary. He would be dismissed as unimportant and could perhaps glean intelligence. Jack was convinced it also gave Boch a kick to be able to give him orders.

However it was also true that no one would dare question what he was carrying in his master's luggage and he had managed to stow away his P-90, two zats and a Berretta for Daniel among the change of clothes for each of them. Boch had warned him that it was unlikely Daniel would be able to wield it when they found him but Jack refused to accept that and brought it anyway.

"Jarak! Keep up," Jacob ordered in Selmac's double-voice.

Jack didn't answer but hurried forward. It was fortunate that in his new role it was customary to keep his eyes lowered for that also meant that his expression was hidden, as the one Jack was presently expressing wouldn't have been prudent on a human slave to a Goa'uld. Jack was also well aware that he would have to curb his tongue; it wouldn't do for said slave to insult his master either -- particularly as, according to Boch, slaves didn't speak without prior permission of their master. Jack was of the firm opinion that Jacob was enjoying his role far too much.

Boch led them to the city and the people were already lining the streets, the passage of the guard on his way to see Primat Orchern had alerted the populace to the miraculous visit of their god. A god who some had stated was not real, while others claimed he was long dead. Most still feared and believed in the powerful being, who served and protected others even more powerful than he. It was not wise to doubt such might.

As they moved through the streets the people bowed their heads while many genuflected. Jacob was beginning to feel extremely uncomfortable at this proof of the duplicity of the Goa'uld to so easily twist a people's natural inclination to look beyond themselves for something greater. He was quite relieved when they reached the long low building that dominated the central square of the city. It was part private residence and part official court of the Primat, from where he conducted the duties of his post.

On the steps of the building, Orchern was waiting for his illustrious visitor and as Jacob -- presently known as Vulcan -- approached, the Primat stepped quickly forward and bowed his head.

"We are honoured by your presence here, my Lord. How may we serve you?"

Teal'c stepped forward, "My Lord has questions for you, not these others," he said indicating the small crowd gathered on the steps and around the square.

"Of course, I understand. If you would be kind enough to follow me?" Orchern invited them, dismissing his retinue and showing his guests the way to his private quarters. He led Jacob and the others into a large circular hall under an arched painted ceiling depicting the labours of the god, Vulcan, as he worked the metal to make the shield of Hercules.

In the centre of the hall there was a fountain surrounded by stone planters filled with a myriad of plants, large and small and set among them were stone benches overflowing with plump cushions. Jacob and Aris moved into the room, while Teal'c took up a guard position nearby. Jack dropped the bags just inside the door; watching for a moment, quickly threat assessing, before he followed Jacob at a respectful distance.

"Would you be content to rest here, my Lord? I will have refreshments brought immediately." Orchern didn't wait for Jacob to answer his question just clapped his hands together and a servant came running in, bowing very low before his master. "Bring food and wine, quickly!" The servant couldn't help the quick glance he threw at Vulcan before he quickly lowered his eyes and scuttled away.

Meanwhile, Jacob had settled himself comfortably on one of the benches doing his best to look relaxed when really he was on edge. He was never comfortable adopting the persona of the Goa'uld, especially as he found it settled over him too easily and he hated that. Jack took up position behind Jacob, standing with his head bowed.

"Boch," Jacob said softly and Aris gave him a bow before turning to the Primat.

"My Lord Vulcan has graced your world with his presence because of a report I made following my last visit," Boch said in a particularly smarmy voice, a wide smile splitting his features. Listening, Jack thought he just might throw up but at the same time he admired Boch's ability to adapt. "While I was touring one of your factories I saw a prisoner whom I recognised. At first I thought I must be mistaken because there was no way this man should have been able to find this world. I asked some questions of the guards and the answers convinced me that he could be this man."

"A prisoner?" Orchern questioned. "I do not understand. Which prisoner? If I may ask, my Lord, why is any prisoner of interest to you?"

"You may not ask, my reasons are my own," Jacob said haughtily.

"My Lord wishes that I confirm my ...opinion of this prisoner," Boch explained. Jack had insisted that they get to see Daniel immediately and Aris had explained that they would still have to act their parts, follow protocol.

"Yes, I understand but which prisoner?"

"The one who came through the Roundel," Boch stated.

"The one I did not send," Jacob added coldly.

"Ah, now I understand, Lord Vulcan," Orchern said backing away quickly. "You wish me to send for this man?"

They had discussed this very idea as Boch had suggested that Orchern would want to appease his god, but Jack had worried how Daniel might react at being dragged before the virtual ruler of this world. From what Boch had told them, Daniel had already suffered days of questioning following his recovery from injury and his refusal to answer had led to his present stay in prison. It was decided it would be better if they went to Daniel and once he saw who had come for him he would understand and behave.

"That will not be necessary. I want his identity confirmed. Jarak!" Jacob waved a hand and Jack immediately stepped forward and went down on his knees. "This slave was responsible for the one who ...disappeared. I may reduce his further punishment if the slave is recovered."

"You are too generous, my Lord," Orchern said obsequiously. "You should be grateful for such a charitable master," he added speaking to Jack.

Jack raised his head looking at Jacob who said, "You have my permission to answer."

"Thank you, my Lord," Jack said, keeping his voice low and respectful. Teal'c had been very detailed in how he should behave as the slave of a Goa'uld. "I know of my good fortune in Lord Vulcan, my lord."

"Now you will prove it," Jacob said. "Go with Aris Boch and if it is my ...slave you will bring him back to me, Jarak."

Jack rose to his feet, bowed low to Jacob and allowed Aris to lead him out, leaving Teal'c to guard Lord Vulcan. Jack heard the last comments between Jacob and Orchern as they left.

"If I may ask, my lord? Why will this prove Jarak's loyalty?"

"Because he has a strong attachment to the other slave and he knows that to bring him back to me will only mean severe punishment for the man. I haven't decided yet if I will allow him to live, but then perhaps that will be the worst kind of punishment; to keep him forever wondering if the day has finally come..."

Jack couldn't hear the end of the sentence as he walked away but he was grateful Jacob was on their side and only acting at being the Goa'uld Vulcan. He played the role too convincingly; the tone of his voice as he spoke of punishing the retrieved slave was full of venom.

~~

Jack and Aris attracted a lot of attention as they moved along the thoroughfare towards what Aris told him was one of the largest factories producing the power cells for both the staff weapons and their larger vessel mounted versions. People halted and watched as they passed, some making comments to their companions, others giving a small nod to Boch, occasionally stopping him to ask questions about Lord Vulcan and why he was visiting. Boch just smiled and deflected the questions. A few looked oddly at Jack who they seemed to know was of little account in the entourage of their god. The whole thing frustrated Jack, who just wanted to get where they were going as quickly as possible and the attention was slowing down their progress.

As yet again the bounty hunter was stopped by a young woman who plucked at his sleeve and said something to him. Jack hissed, "Aris, we don't have time for this."

Aris turned to him and answered softly, "It will seem strange if we totally ignore them."

Jack scowled and said harshly, "I don't give a damn about them!" His voice rising he added, "All I care about is Daniel!"

"Jarak!" Boch rebuked him sharply, reminding Jack of the part he was playing and Jack quickly dropped his eyes.

"I apologise," he said softly and Boch lifted a hand to his shoulder, Jack raising his eyes to meet those of the other man. In doing so he also noticed the looks of the small crowd surrounding them and it was obvious they had been shocked by his outburst, that a slave would speak so to his betters.

Jack was angry at himself for being so stupid as to allow his emotions to control him at this important juncture. He was finally going to where Daniel was but in truth he was afraid of what he might find. He had been totally honest with Aris in that he didn't care what state Daniel might be in, he just wanted him back, but that didn't mean it wouldn't tear him apart to see his lover hurting. He realised he had to get a grip on himself, he needed to concentrate on Daniel, how he was, how he felt, his own feelings would have to wait. He had to bury them to help Daniel cope with whatever had happened to him.

Boch though seemed to take pity on him and increased his pace, refusing to stop to answer any further questions. Jack had ignored the buildings they bypassed, his attention solely on his lover hopefully waiting for him, safe and sound. The problem was he doubted that was true; for instance Boch had explained that part of the punishment of the prisoners was that they were given inadequate clothing for this cold world. Jack worried that for Daniel, used to the heat of the desert, it would be an even worse torture.

"We're here," Boch said dragging Jack's attention back to the here and now.

Jack stared at the huge building facing them. It was even larger, more than twice as tall as Orchem's official residence, and it was much less aesthetically pleasing. A dark stone block of a building only relieved by the many small windows dotting its surface and the myriad of towering chimneys belching out smoke to dissipate into the atmosphere far above. Surrounding the ugly place was a high metal fence tipped with sharp points and there was a large iron gate in the centre.

"You said he was in prison, what is this place?" Jack asked.

"This is one of the factories where prisoners are sent to work out their sentence and I guess the only time they feel remotely warm. They only spend their nights in the prisons."

Jack followed Aris towards the two men guarding the large entrance gate and he couldn't help but notice the thick woollen uniforms they wore. The guards obviously recognised Aris Boch but he still produced the Goa'uld amulet. One of the guards looked at Jack with disdain and wanted to know what a slave was doing here.

"This is Jarak, personal slave to the Lord Vulcan. He is here at the behest of your god."

The guards immediately moved aside and let them enter the courtyard beyond.

"Where did you see him when you were here before?" Jack asked softly looking up at the huge building. There must be hundreds of people inside there.

"When I saw him he was working outside in the yard at the rear sorting the ore but most of the time they work inside."

"Outside, in this cold? Are they given more clothing then?"

"No," Boch shrugged.

Jack couldn't suppress his sympathetic shiver. "Damn! So how will we find him?"

"I will ask the Supervisor, they keep records because if a prisoner doesn't meet his quota he is punished. When I discover which sector he is in, you must be the one to find him. That is what Orchern will expect and I'm pretty sure the Supervisor will report back to him."

"Crap! I hate all this play-acting. I just wanna grab him and get him out of here."

"This play-acting as you call it is the only way. It's just the four of us, five with Daniel, against the whole planet."

"Yeah, and even the back-up plan needs us all to be together," Jack grumbled. Sam was waiting in the orbiting Tel'tac, which she had flown from the nearby planet from where they had gated to Amandi. She was monitoring the frequency of Jack's implant ready to pull them out by ring transporter if he signalled.

"The supervisor is coming," Boch suddenly said and Jack immediately lowered his eyes.

"Welcome again, Aris Boch," the supervisor said, opening his arms in welcome.

"Supervisor Baroch, thank you. I am here with a different mission today. This is Jarak, slave to my Lord Vulcan."

"It is true then, he is here?" Baroch asked excitedly. "How may I be of assistance?"

"The prisoner who came through the Roundel and was sent here by Primat Orchern, where might I find him today?"

Snapping his fingers at one of his subordinates, Baroch kept looking at Jack obviously wondering what a slave was doing in his factory. His assistant was flipping through the pages of a large ledger he was carrying and when he reached a particular page he stepped forward and showed the open page to Baroch.

"Ah, yes, he calls himself Dani'el, strange name. He is the north sector today, assembling the large cells," he explained.

Boch frowned, "I thought only the recalcitrant prisoners were set to that duty."

Jack didn't like the sound of this. If Boch was concerned then he was really worried.

"Yes and Dani'el earned it. He injured two others in his cell last night."

"It must have been in self-defence, he would never..." Jack began.

"How dare..."

"Jarak!" Boch interrupted the supervisor. "You go too far. My Lord gave you permission to speak so you may identify his slave. That is all!"

Jack had dropped his eyes again as soon as he realised his mistake in front of Baroch, and when Boch reprimanded him he sank to his knees, which he was finding was the worst part of this slave persona. It was his own fault of course, but that didn't make it any easier.

"Rise," Boch instructed him, "but don't make that mistake again or I will be forced to report you to my Lord and he doesn't take kindly to disobedience, as you know only too well."

Jack got to his feet but he didn't say a word, not even to apologise.

"I would have had him whipped," Baroch declared.

Those words didn't make Jack feel any easier about Daniel's time in this place. Though, as he thought over Baroch's earlier words that Daniel had injured two cellmates, he realised that Daniel must be holding his own and for the first time in weeks he felt a real hope. Even after Boch had brought him the news about Daniel, he hadn't really felt anything but doubt and fear, now he had relief and hope. If Daniel were still stubborn enough to fight then everything would be okay, eventually.

Soon, Danny, soon!

The supervisor led them inside the depressing building and immediately Jack noticed the change in temperature. The supervisor took off his coat and hung it on a hook just inside. Boch removed his cloak and did the same and Jack followed suit. Eventually they turned down a long narrow corridor, which had wide double doors at equal distances on either side of the hallway. Each set of doors was closed but from the noise filling the corridor there were many men and much activity taking place within. Finally at the far end of the long corridor was yet another pair of double doors. This time the supervisor opened them and the noise level rose perceptibly and it was also markedly warmer again. Jack registered the guards scattered around the large room were only wearing shirtsleeves, the heavy jackets not in evidence.

Jack then let his attention settle over the prisoners and the first thing he noticed was the thin grey one-piece outfits they were wearing, so thin as to be almost transparent. At the moment they were obviously sweat stained but he had no trouble imagining how cold the prisoners would be once outside of this building. Jack's attention was drawn to the supervisor who passed what looked like a small piece of plastic card to both of them. The supervisor had one in his own hand and slapped it against his shirt and the thing stuck there as if glued. Boch did the same so Jack did too, raising his eyes in question at the bounty hunter.

"They indicate any rise in the radiation level," Boch explained.

Jack quickly scanned the room and realised that only the guards were wearing these early warning devices.

Boch saw his glance and said quietly, "The prisoners are considered expendable as in case of an accident, it would take too long to get them out."

Jack stared at him and quickly turned back, trying to find Daniel again in the mass of people. His eyes skimmed over the prisoners as they worked at long benches, or as they moved between them carrying boxes or baskets loaded with a variety of items. At one end of the huge room pairs of prisoners were carrying long thick lengths of what looked like tubing. Jack was becoming desperate, terrified that Daniel wasn't here after all and then suddenly one of the men at one of the long benches stood up straight, stretching his back muscles, rolling his shoulders and Jack sucked in a breath. He would have recognised that movement anywhere, watching Daniel do just that after sitting too long studying chicken scratches on the walls of ruins on worlds across the galaxy, or even just stretching from working too long at his computer in his lab at the SGC.

"There," Jack sighed, "there he is."

Aris heard the softly spoken words and following Jack's line of sight, he nodded when he saw Daniel. To Baroch he commented, "The slave has just verified my identification of the man. Have him brought here immediately; my Lord Vulcan has plans for that one."

Jack's natural inclination was to rush over and grab Daniel, just to prove to himself that his lover was really here. Over the last three months he had dreamed and fantasised about finding Daniel, about finally taking him in his arms and actually touching him, and then feeling Daniel's arms about him, knowing that his partner was truly back with him. Now all he could do was stand with his arms by his side and wait on someone else to bring Daniel to him. He still hadn't got a look at his face as Daniel bent down again to resume whatever he'd been doing when one of the guards had yelled at him to get back to work.

Baroch called one of his guards over and spoke to him briefly, nodding in Daniel's direction and the guard moved off, motioning another guard to join him and they walked up to Daniel. They each grabbed an arm and pulled Daniel away from the workbench. From Jack's standpoint it didn't look as though the guards bothered to speak to Daniel, just yanked him up. For all Daniel knew he was facing serious trouble but then Jack realised Daniel had to be used to such behaviour now; according to Boch he'd been a prisoner here for at least six weeks of the three months he had been missing.

Jack watched as Daniel approached -- it seemed as if time was suspended and Daniel was moving towards him in slow motion. Daniel's head was dipped, not in his usual shy, deprecating manner that, in their personal relationship, Jack knew really meant either, 'I don't want you to know what I'm actually thinking' or, "oh, just you wait until I get my hands on you!'. Jack liked either option as Daniel's thinking processes were extremely creative. This time, however, it had nothing to do with him as Daniel hadn't the slightest idea that Jack was anywhere near. It was most likely self-defensive because Daniel reacted to what he saw, often too quickly and usually without thought of his own position. Jack hoped that during his time in this place he had controlled his tongue, which, when speaking for others was always thoughtful and judicious, yet when speaking for himself was usually careless and wilful.

Jack couldn't seem to stop his mind meandering down stupid, useless paths. He wanted to talk to Daniel but he couldn't. He wanted so much to touch him but that was impossible. He wanted to hold him, to know he really was there, standing just in front of him and he had to ball his hands into fists to keep them by his side.

The guards stopped directly in front of Baroch and it was only then that Daniel seemed to be aware of where he was and he finally lifted his head. His eyes were staring and his face blank.

For a moment Jack thought he saw a flash of something in his eyes as he saw Jack but then he was sure he must have been mistaken as Daniel's blank expression never altered.

"Dani'el," Baroch said harshly and the prisoner turned to face his jailer.

Before the supervisor could say anything else, Boch spoke up. "Did you really think you could escape your lord and master?" Daniel's eyes moved slowly to Boch and then Jack did see something in their depths. Boch continued in a cold voice, "Perhaps your time here has helped you see that your life as a favourite of Lord Vulcan was not so bad after all. It is a shame you did not realise that before. Jarak here must pay a price too for your flight."

Daniel's eyes slid towards Jack again and this time a confused expression flitted across his face but for all too brief a time before his attention returned to Boch.

A cold hand gripped Jack's heart. Didn't Daniel even recognise him?

~~

Baroch made the offer of a couple of guards to accompany them back to the Primat's residency but Boch declined. Instead he produced a long thin chain that ended in a narrow bracelet which he affixed to Daniel's wrist. The other end he attached to a similar bracelet on Jack's wrist. He gave the archaeologist a long assessing look that he hoped clearly portrayed his confidence in the delicate looking device.

The factory supervisor was also staring at the striking chain, which caught the light as it moved and shone with an odd dull brilliance. "Is that a diaka?" he asked in wonder. "I have seen renderings but I’ve never actually seen one before."

Boch nodded but it was to Daniel he spoke. "You know the power of the diaka. Don't attempt anything or it will cost Jarak."

Daniel stared at his wrist, puzzlement creasing his features, then his gaze shifted to Jack but he wouldn't meet his lover's desperate eyes. Keeping his gaze fixed squarely on Jack's chest, Daniel gave Aris Boch an imperceptible nod.

Jack was reassured to see even that tiny glimmer of connection. His Daniel was inside there somewhere. He dreaded to think what Daniel must have gone through to be so withdrawn and he vowed he would do whatever it took to draw him out again. He sighed, partly with relief and partly with trepidation for what was to come.

When Baroch heard Jack's audible sigh he nodded, taking it for relief that Dani'el wouldn't take any action that would endanger Jarak. He didn't understand why Boch trusted that joining Jarak to Dani'el by the diaka would control the younger man but obviously Lord Vulcan's representative knew exactly what he was doing.

Boch took his leave and they moved swiftly down the long corridor again and it was with relief that they finally exited the depressing building.

Once outside the high fence Jack turned to Boch, "Wait," he demanded quietly and turned to stand very close to Daniel, almost in his personal space. He wanted to touch him but didn't think it would be safe out here in public view. "Daniel?" he asked softly.

Daniel lifted his head slowly and stared at Jack for what, to Jack, seemed an age but really couldn't have been more than a few seconds. Jack felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach at the lost look on Daniel's face, no smile, no look of pleasure at seeing his lover, just...nothing.

Then Daniel turned to Boch and after a long moment a slow smile broke out and he nodded. When he spoke his voice was low and his words were hesitant, slow, as if he had trouble bringing the word he wanted to use to the fore. "Thank you. When I saw you it gave me hope, the one thing I most needed."

Jack was swamped with jealousy and cut to the core by his disillusionment. After months of pain and desperation it was Boch that Daniel turned to, it was Boch who gave him hope. The one thing Daniel needed? Where does that leave me?

Daniel was still talking softly, "I prayed it wasn't a false hope and that you could help get me home where I belong."

Jack wasn't sure if Daniel was equating home with him but he knew that here and now was not the place to question him.

"We’d better move from here, the guards are watching," Boch interjected and to make his point he yanked on the chain dragging both men with him as he walked away.

Eventually, after a protracted journey back through the streets thronged with the curious populace, they arrived back at the residency. As they approached the central hall where they had left Jacob and Teal'c being entertained by the Primat, they heard the sound of raised voices.

"How dare you question me!" Selmac's deep voice cut the air like a blade.

"Forgive me...my Lord, but I...I find it hard to understand how it is that ...that you look so different from the images of ...you," a stranger was stuttering, clearly distressed yet just as clearly determined as he faced his 'god'.

Jacob laughed harshly. "Images over a thousand years old rendered at a time when your people were little more than savages. I gave you what you needed, a god of war and weaponry, looking the way you would expect. It wasn't real, this is real." He rose to his feet, seemingly towering over the others. It was a remarkable performance. "I am Vulcan," the double-voice boomed out, "God of fire and the craftsman of the arms and armour of the gods. You," he continued pointing at the stranger who had backed away hurriedly, "Live to serve me!"

"I serve my god, Vulcan but is that you?" the man's voice shook but he stood his ground.

Jacob face darkened and slowly but relentlessly he raised his hand on which the red jewel of the ribbon device stood out starkly.

"Get out, Stirep!," Orchern ordered hastily taking a step towards the stranger who, with eyes wide with a mixture of anger and fear, backed away and turned, rushing out past the fascinated audience of Jack, Daniel and Aris Boch.

"Please my Lord," said Orchern, his face flushed, "forgive the High Priest. He was so excited at the idea of finally seeing his god, seeing you, as you appear in the images he had worshipped all his life. The reality was too much for him."

Jack watched as Jacob sat down again, looking at his hand as he lowered to the bench beside him. The colonel knew how much the Tok'ra hated the ribbon device but Jack wondered if he would have been prepared to use it if necessary to continue his ruse.

Meanwhile, Jacob dismissed Orchern's apology, his attention suddenly caught by the sight of Daniel, standing very still; much too still for the usually excitable archaeologist that he knew. He glanced at Jack who was standing so very close. To one who knew him, protectively.

"Boch, you were successful," Jacob declared, pasting a smile on his face.

"Yes, my Lord Vulcan." Boch surreptitiously reminded Daniel who Jacob was supposed to be.

He noted that Boch had used what looked like a diaka, a device that Selmac hadn't seen in over a hundred years. It was a naquada-based device though appearing delicate was unbreakable. It could only be released by a specific key, each diaka had its own individual one and nothing else could release it. It was used as a punishment device, which linked two people, people who were linked by more than just the chain. Any unacceptable behaviour by one person and the other party would be made to suffer, by degrees with death as the final punishment. It had proved to be a very effective device, so much so that it had gradually fallen into disuse, mostly because the Goa'uld didn't get as much enjoyment from it as they’d hoped. People who really cared for each other soon learned to behave until just the fitting of the diaka was enough to make them comply. Jacob sought out Boch's eyes, raising his eyebrow faintly in query and Boch gave a little shrug and a quick grin.

Recalling the watching Orchern, Jacob said sharply, "I have you at last Dani'el!" He moved to stand in front of the others, looking regal and forbidding.

Boch put a heavy hand on Jack's shoulder and he fell to his knees, tugging at the chain trying to make Daniel follow suit but he just stood there staring at Jacob.

"So," Jacob said, playing into the role that Daniel was handing him. "Still recalcitrant, I see. Your time here has not taught you obedience? I treated you better than any other slave I own but that wasn't enough for you was it?" He turned to Orchern and complained, "The favourite slave of his god but he doesn't appreciate what that means, he doesn't like to be favoured by me. Look at him! Still standing there when he should be on his knees." Teal'c swiftly strode forward and manhandled Daniel onto his knees beside Jack as Jacob continued, "I shall have to teach you your place Dani'el and this time you will learn it…or do you wish that Jarak should suffer in your stead?"

Lifting his head to glare at Jacob, Daniel looked confused then his expression suddenly shifted and he lowered his eyes again and said in a low voice, "No, please my Lord, I want no one to suffer on my behalf."

"I have not yet punished him for helping you to escape. Your behaviour now will determine what punishment he merits. Understand?"

Daniel frowned again and glanced furtively around him. He stared at Jack ...no, he stared through him before returning to his gaze to Lord Vulcan. "Yes, my lord."

Orchern was staring at the bowed head of the slave and Jacob glanced quickly at Teal'c and theatrically raised his eyes heavenward. Teal'c's steady gaze silently told Jacob that he understood.

Nodding satisfied, Jacob turned to Orchern, who sensing his god's regard, returned the gaze. "I will take my leave now Primat. Your hospitality was appreciated."

Jack and Daniel rose to their feet when Teal’c pulled the chain and Jack staggered closer to Daniel. Out of sight of the Primat, Teal'c brushed a hand over Jack's wrist activating the implant so that Sam on the orbiting Tel'tac would now be able to listen in to what was happening and be prepared if the code word was used.

"Do you have to leave so soon, my Lord? Your presence here has graced our world, please stay a little longer?"

"That cannot be. I must leave immediately and return through the ring," Jacob replied, carefully emphasising the last word. "I will try and arrange a more cordial visit when I have more time. I think your High Priest would benefit from learning about the true passage of time," he smiled benignly, though not showing his pleasure that Orchern had obviously not picked up on the emphasis he had purposely placed on the word 'ring' -- their pre-arranged signal word for Sam.

Orchern bowed obsequiously as Lord Vulcan's attendants and slaves gathered around their master ready to leave. When Jack was certain they were all close enough he pressed his implant again twice in quick succession, the pre-arranged signal for Carter to operate the rings.

The Primat was obviously shocked by the unexpected high-pitched whooshing sound that permeated the area. He jumped back when four huge rings appeared from nowhere to descend and land around Vulcan and his entourage and then his mouth fell open as, in a flash of bright light, they all disappeared before his very eyes.

~~

Jack was uncertain what had prompted Jacob to send the pre-arranged code word to Major Carter but he trusted the Tok'ra not to have chosen this method of escape without good reason. It galled him though that using the Tel'tac would delay Daniel's return to the SGC by a few hours.

However, as soon as he felt the displacement when the transport rings enveloped them, Jack felt that at last he could relax. They had made it; Daniel was safe. He smiled as he remembered that Daniel was chained to him and he couldn't have been happier. If he had his way the chain would never be taken off; it would prove most interesting when they finally got to be alone together. The smile faded as he wondered just how long that might be.

Daniel seemed to have walls built high and strong around his emotions, he had only emerged on a couple of occasions and then only for a very short period and he never acknowledged Jack. He seemed to react to Boch the most and a little to Jacob, but not to Jack. It hurt but he had to believe there was a logical reason for Daniel's behaviour. Daniel had always protected himself, had always kept a distance between him and the rest of world. He only allowed a very few special people past his defences and Jack had got deep inside, deeper than anyone had ever been before and he couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before once again Daniel's walls were truly, completely breached.

Boch approached them and Jack watched as he reached over and pressed a hidden switch on the underside of Daniel's bracelet, opening and falling off. Daniel followed the movement with his eyes but hadn't said a word or even looked at Boch or Jack.

"Daniel! Thank god you're safe," Carter said excitedly as soon as she could get near to him, pushing Boch out of the way to get a closer look at her friend. Her face fell a little as she saw how he was dressed and how empty his expression was. "Daniel?"

He turned slowly as if he wasn't sure he had heard her and, when he finally saw her, he frowned for a moment before a faint almost ghostly replica of his usual smile crossed his lips for an instant.

"I believe DanielJackson would benefit from some respite," Teal'c said from where he was standing quietly, just watching.

Jack looked over at his Jaffa friend and smiled gently, privately acknowledging Teal'c's understanding of the situation. "Yeah, big guy you're right. I'll look after him. You guys just get us back home ASAP, Doc Fraiser will need to take a look at him." As much as Jack wanted Daniel home and safe, he had to admit that a visit to the infirmary was most definitely the next step for Daniel.

The fact that Daniel didn't argue, in fact didn't say a word, should have been enough proof for anyone that he was not okay. He liked Janet Fraiser, she was his friend, but he hated the infirmary having spent far too much time lying in a bed and he was usually quite vocal about his dislike of the time he spent there.

"Sir, what's wrong. Is Daniel all right?" Sam asked the colonel.

"He needs help, Sam," Jacob interjected, as Jack fussed over Daniel. "We couldn't do anything for him on the planet, we need to get him back to the SGC."

"Yeah, Jacob, why the rings?" Jack suddenly looked up at Tok'ra. "It would've been quicker to use the Stargate."

"I know Jack but that High Priest had me worried. Selmac too, she was most disturbed."

"You believed it was possible he still did not believe you were Vulcan. You suspected a trap?" Teal'c asked.

"I had no particular expectations, Teal'c. I just thought discretion was the better part of valour."

"Less of the questions and let's get this ship moving," Boch interrupted. "Let's get him home to this doctor of yours."

With a wistful expression as Sam gave Daniel one last look, she accompanied her father back to the pel'tak and after a moment's hesitation Aris Boch followed them.

Jack unfastened the bracelet still attached to his wrist and let the chain fall away, his eyes following it as it pooled on the floor by his feet. He reluctantly accepted that as much as he might have liked to keep Daniel chained to him, the younger man would be furious if he knew what Jack was thinking. Daniel was not only the strongest person Jack had ever known he was also ruthlessly independent, something he had found it very hard to relinquish when they had finally become lovers. Yet looking at him now Jack was very worried. That strength and independence had helped build his mental walls high and thick.

With a soft sigh Jack put a hand around Daniel's bicep and guided him into the rear compartment of the cargo vessel, the same place he had sequestered himself on the journey to meet Aris Boch. Daniel obediently allowed Jack to steer him to the back wall where they sat side by side. Teal'c brought a blanket and draped it over Daniel, Jack nodding his thanks. The Jaffa moved to the entrance and, turning his back on them, stood silent guard.

Jack tentatively put his arm around Daniel's shoulders and at first he was stiff and unyielding. "It's just me, Daniel. Look at me."

Slowly the younger man turned to look at Jack, his eyes shifting between Jack and the plating beside him, as if he was afraid to hold his gaze.

"Daniel, can't you feel this?" Jack asked as he placed his palm against Daniel's cheek. Jack’s stomach clenched at how cold Daniel's skin was and he pulled the blanket tighter around him. "You're safe, I'm here. Daniel, please, look at me, feel me." He continued to caress Daniel's cheek and then rubbed his hand across the back of his lover’s neck, twisting his fingers in the longer than usual hair at his nape. "You're going home, you understand? You're free now, you're safe and we're going home."

Slowly, so slowly, Daniel turned and stared at Jack, who kept up his caresses. Daniel looked long and deep trying to see into the heart and soul of the man holding him. Finally, he asked, "Real? Not a dream?"

"Oh yeah, very real," Jack sighed. "When you're better I’ll show you just how real."

Squirming against Jack to get comfortable, Daniel sighed and relaxed. In a low and shaky voice he said, "I was afraid it was only a dream. I've imagined you finding me so many times but always, in the morning, I was back in the prison cell. Alone and cold, so cold."

"No more, you'll never be cold again because I'm never gonna let you go."

As if Jack hadn't spoken, Daniel continued, his voice drifting a little as if he was falling asleep and then suddenly it would pick up again, sometimes angry, sometimes afraid, talking as if to unburden his soul.

It was very difficult for Jack to listen yet he knew it was what he had; it was what Daniel needed. His hand rubbed slowly and continually up and down Daniel's arm as the archaeologist spoke.

Daniel spoke haltingly of how cold he'd felt, how he hadn't really felt warm since he'd arrived on the strange planet.

It wasn't too bad during the day when he was forced to work in the factory; at least it was always reasonably warm in there, partly because of all the machinery and partly because of the number of people who worked in the place.

He frowned a moment as if trying to remember and then he began again, his voice gaining confidence as he spoke.

"Occasionally I and a few others were made to work outside in a huge yard behind the factory. We sorted out the different kinds of ore. That was even heavier work than in the factory but I enjoyed being outside even though it was colder." He smiled, "I felt free out there, I liked the illusion of freedom it gave me..." he sighed; looking up at Jack sadly as if recognising it really hadn't been anything more than an illusion. He shrugged, "Still I did build up a sweat having to move around the heavy stone."

He turned away slightly but Jack could still see his expression and he felt a chill skitter up his spine at the vacant look that settled over Daniel's face. "The nights though, they were different," Daniel said in a detached voice. He suddenly shivered and Jack was afraid it wasn't just because he was remembering those freezing nights.

His own apprehension growing, Jack listened to the now anxious voice of his lover as he described spending his nights locked in a cell with three other men; a cell which was little more than a stone box with a narrow door and a window too high to reach. It was freezing and he had nothing but a thin blanket with which to cover himself. The clothing provided for the prisoners was next to useless. Daniel could still remember when he was given the uniform to wear; he hadn't been able to believe how thin it was, or the fact that, other than a kind of g-string to hold his genitalia, the loose charcoal grey one-piece jumpsuit was all they gave him. He couldn't help the envy sweeping through him as he looked at the guards who habitually surrounded them, wearing their thick woollen uniforms, the jackets of which were discarded during the day when the prisoners worked in the factory. The long sleeve shirts of the guards were thicker than the prisoners' uniform.

"When I was first given the uniform, I presumed that the inadequate clothing was just another form of punishment, but later I wondered whether it was meant to promote the predatory behaviour among the prisoners that it did," his voice faded as he remembered his personal experience the first night in his cell when he received his first lesson in self-preservation and the protection of his self-esteem.

Jack waited with bated breath for Daniel to explain what he meant but his voice simply ceased and his eyes became unfocused. Jack almost asked him what happened but some sixth sense told him not to push it, not now. Daniel was at the end of his tether. If he wanted to speak Jack would listen but that was all.

After a few minutes Daniel began to speak again, telling Jack about the meagre slop that passed for food for the prisoners. It must have contained more nourishment than it appeared to have, or tasted of, because otherwise he doubted if the prisoners would have been able to perform the arduous duties expected of them. A secondary result of his manual labour was that Daniel began to bulk up a little, putting on more muscle than he'd had for some time.

Daniel's voice took on a neutral tone, almost as if he was lecturing to a group of bored students. He stiffened in Jack's arms, sitting up straight but not pulling away, nor breaking the gentle grip Jack had on him. One of Jack's hands still made its lazy way up and down Daniel's arm.

The younger man spoke flatly about how the days on Amandi were longer than on Earth; he learned that pretty early on just as he had long ago learned to interpret his own body clock.

"Something else I had unknowingly learned during my first few months going through the Gate, thank you Jack," Daniel said, yet Jack wondered if he really knew he was in Jack's arms. If was as if he was speaking to himself. "As time passed I slept better in my cell than I had the first week or two in the prison, though I was still nervous of my cell mates."

Jack hoped he would explain this time but again Daniel stopped his discourse and for a moment Jack thought he might have fallen asleep. Then he wriggled a little in Jack's arms, trying to get more comfortable again and Jack was startled when he began to speak some more.

"I can still remember how confused I was when I stumbled onto this world," he began and Jack realised that he didn't understand they were now on board a ship. "I thought I would be home, that I would see you." He twisted his head to look up at Jack and smiled a little. "I was in a lot of pain I think, my shoulder," he frowned, having difficulty remembering. "I collapsed and someone ...yeah, someone caught me or I would've hit the stone platform. Yes, I remember! I asked them to let me dial home but they didn't seem to understand. I begged them to allow me to go home but they insisted on helping me. Helping me? Damn them! I spent the next couple of weeks in a hospital but their drugs almost killed me. Drugged me worst than Janet ever does, I was confused and so tired, so very tired. Tired now, Jack," he murmured, sliding lower against Jack until his head was lying against the colonel's abdomen.

Jack stroked his hair and softly said, "Sleep then, Danny, you're safe now, rest."

Jack was concerned. Daniel's explanation had been disjointed, confused and had obviously been distressing for him. He'd jumped from subject to subject, time frame to time frame and Jack couldn't help but wonder what Daniel hadn't yet said.

Teal'c, who heard everything that had been said from his guard position by the entrance, turned to look at Jack when it became clear that Daniel had finally succumbed to his exhaustion. When he saw how upset Jack was, he walked over to the colonel. He stared at his friend for a moment before speaking.

"You fear what else he may have suffered." It wasn't a question.

Jack raised his head and looked at Teal'c, the one friend from whom he didn't need to hide his true feelings. Sighing, he nodded.

"Would it trouble you so much if he had ...?"

Not wanting to hear his fears put into words, Jack interrupted him to state, "This isn't about me, Teal'c. This is about Daniel. I want ...I have to be able to help him with whatever he needs, but..." Jack didn't finish the sentence.

"You doubt your ability to meet his requirements?" Teal'c asked and Jack just shrugged, his head dipped. "I think all he will need is you, O'Neill. If he knows you are there for him, no matter what he has suffered, it will give him the courage and strength to endure."

Jack lifted his head again to gaze at his friend and his eyes showed his gratitude for the Jaffa's thoughtful words.

Daniel never stirred again from his position resting against Jack and when the Tel'tac landed near the Stargate where Jacob had picked them up in the first place, Jack and Teal'c carried the sleeping figure of their exhausted team mate from the Tok'ra ship.

~~

Boch stood by and watched as Sam dialled the SGC. She blocked his line of sight to the actual address and he dwelled on the fact that they only trusted him so far.

Jack saw the slight smile that touched the bounty hunter's lips as the major operated the dialling device.

"Teal'c, I gotta say something to Boch. You can hold Daniel for a minute?"

"Of course, O'Neill."

Boch watched him approach with a raised eyebrow. "Well Jack, time to say goodbye -- for now."

Jack looked at the man who was supposed to be unreliable and to all intents and purposes worked for the enemy. Aris liked to play the hard case, the mercenary, only out for himself, but if that were true he would never have helped them to find Daniel, not without a stiff fee.

With a smile, Jack said, "That personal favour I owe you, Aris? For this, there isn't anything I won't do for you -- well, almost anything," he grinned.

"I'll remember -- and I'll remind you when the time comes," he replied. As Jack turned away, Boch called after him, "Look after him and tell him if he wants to do better, he should get in touch."

"Bastard," Jack threw back over his shoulder, his tone of voice belying the insult. When Daniel was better though, Jack would be sure to tell him how much they owed the bounty hunter. It was something he'd never forget and he hoped that one day they would be able to help the man conquer his reliance on the snakes.

Jack joined Teal'c again and carrying Daniel between them they followed Carter as she walked through the now open wormhole.

Jacob was going to take Boch back to Arhia so he could collect his vessel and go his own way. Whether he meant to or not, Aris had made another friend among the Tok'ra.

~~

Jack sat by Daniel's infirmary bed watching him sleep. He should have felt happy and content. He was happy to have Daniel home but he wasn't content. He was...afraid. Ever since they brought Daniel back through the Stargate to the joyous welcome of his friends in the SGC, Daniel had lain in the infirmary. He had awoken for all too brief a spell on his arrival in the Gateroom and he offered a wan smile for both the general and Janet Fraiser but by the time he was placed on a gurney at the doctor's request he was already drifting again.

That was twelve hours ago and Jack couldn't understand why he didn't wake up. He’d seemed wide awake, working hard when Jack had found him in that factory but gradually he’d succumbed to what Jack assumed at the time, was purely exhaustion, but it seemed that now he didn't want to emerge from wherever he had hidden himself away.

A stream of visitors had dropped by to see Daniel but only Jack had stayed the whole time. He didn't know, of course, but the others recognised his need to be alone with his friend as much as he could. Doctor Fraiser suggested about an hour earlier that he should get some rest. He didn't admit to her that he couldn't even remember when he last slept, instead he lied and told her he’d got some rest on the flight from Amandi to Arhia. The only people who knew any different were Daniel, who didn't even know what day it was, and Teal'c, who wouldn't say a word, of that Jack was certain. Jack knew that eventually he would crash and burn but he also knew he would hold out somehow until Daniel was awake, he had to. Daniel would need Jack to be the first person he saw when he opened his eyes. Or was it just that Jack needed to see those blue eyes staring at him?

The clipped sound of Doctor Fraiser's shoes echoed in the otherwise empty infirmary as she came to check on Daniel once again.

Watching now as she quietly checked her patient, Jack remembered how angry she had been after her examination when he first arrived in the infirmary. She’d found evidence of previous injuries, including his original shoulder wound. There was a small scar visible but it was well healed. She also found signs of other injuries, which must have been sustained at varying intervals during the time Daniel was missing. She reported that none of the injuries had been major but she believed they were indicative of continuous abuse, the most recent bruising clearly showing on his shoulders and as well as scratches on his face.

Jack described what he’d seen in the factory and the little that Daniel had told him and she agreed it was possible some of the injuries could have been caused by accidentally, but not all. Some, she declared, were pretty obviously from an attack, or a fight.

"Yeah, there was some mention of Daniel being punished because he had injured two of his cell mates," Jack said thoughtfully. "Something he would never do without a good reason."

Fraiser nodded and continued, "Also he is thinner but more muscular, I presume an indication of the physical labour he was put to."

Jack sat quietly while Janet discussed the situation a little longer with the general and the rest of SG1. Then when they were finally alone by Daniel's bedside, Jack asked her the one question he was afraid to raise but to which he needed to know the answer.

"Doc, Janet, I...I have to ask," he began hesitatingly. "Are there are any signs of...sexual abuse?"

"Are you asking as his C.O., or as his...friend?" she asked gently, allowing the pointed hesitation to indicate the word she couldn't say.

They had never spoken of it but, even as careful as he and Daniel were about sexual relations before a mission because of the medical examinations, it would have been impossible to hide certain things from their doctor. He wasn't at all surprised that she phrased the question as she had, she couldn't ask and he couldn't tell but she sure could surmise.

He shrugged, "Either, both, take your pick." His words may have been casual but his expression, his eyes were not.

Sighing, she said, "I can't give you a definitive answer, Jack," she said, his given name confirming she was speaking off the record. "All I can confirm is that there is no recent sign of any activity. I can add that if he was...assaulted, it wasn't a brutal attack, that would've left indications for sometime afterwards. I'm sorry I can't be more positive, Daniel will have to answer that one himself."

The answer didn't put Jack's mind at rest, he knew only too well of the psychological fallout from such an experience.

"He's still just sleeping, sir," she reported now, bringing Jack back to the present.

"How can he just be sleeping for this length of time? You sure there’s nothing else wrong with him?" Jack knew he was being unreasonable; she was a damned good doctor and they all trusted her judgement.

"I think it's a self defence mechanism, colonel. He has been through a very traumatic experience from what little we’ve learned. Who knows what else happened to him during his time on Amandi?" she commented, glancing at him as she put his own uncomfortable thoughts into words. She dipped her eyes, guessing at his thoughts. "When he is ready he will wake."

He nodded, hoping that when Daniel did finally rouse he would want to talk. Jack needed to know what had happened to Daniel during those three months, though it did occur to him that perhaps Daniel wouldn't want to discuss it. Daniel tended to keep so much locked inside and it was only as they became closer and closer that Daniel had allowed Jack inside. However, Jack firmly believed it would help Daniel in the long run to talk about it, for his own sake. He was pretty sure that Doc Fraiser would suggest referring him for counselling unless he showed clear signs of coping well, and continued silence wouldn't come under that heading.

As if she could read his mind, she said, "Just give him time, colonel."

"I will, Doc, will you? The last thing he'll need is pushing into therapy."

"Colonel, you know very well that the odds are he will need help and counselling is..."

"Doc, give me time with him first," Jack pleaded knowing how much Daniel hated psychotherapy, even more so since Mackenzie had gotten his claws into him. "I'll get him to talk."

"We both assume he won't do so willingly," she smiled.

"Sure, we both know him too well," Jack managed a grin.

She stood with him for a moment just watching Daniel and then softly she said, "You don't fool me, you know."

For a moment he thought she was referring to their relationship and he swivelled to look at her but she was still watching Daniel.

"You need to get some sleep, sir. If I have to, I'll make it an order."

"It does say colonel somewhere on my uniform I think," Jack said ruefully, thinking she really did merit the Napoleon epithet.

He knew she would make good on the threat too and that Hammond would agree with her. "Okay, you win. Give me another hour and then I'll get some sleep."

Jack settled back in his chair hoping that Daniel would come to soon, he was so tired but he wanted to be there when he stirred. He began to speak quietly reminding Daniel again that he was back home, back with his friends. Jack told him about how hard they had worked to try and find him, how everyone had missed him and how quiet and empty the corridors of the SGC had seemed without his presence on the base.

He moved his chair closer and spoke very gently, telling Daniel how much he had missed him, how cold and deserted the house had been, how desolate he had felt without the other half of his soul.

"Please, Danny, wake up," he whispered, his lips brushing Daniel's ear.

After a while he stood and moved around to try and ease his muscles, which was seizing up with sitting too long in one position. He looked at his watch and realised that it was almost time for Doctor Fraiser to throw him out, which he had no doubt she would do if he didn't go of his own volition. He heaved a sigh and almost missed the whisper of sound from Daniel’s lips.

Jack looked closely at him but his eyes were still closed.

"Daniel?"

"Don't wanna ...stay...dream..." the words ended on a sigh.

"Daniel, it's me, Jack. It's not a dream; you're home. Open your eyes," Jack leaned closer, speaking the words almost in Daniel's ear. "Look at me, Danny, please."

Slowly his eyes fluttered open and he looked blearily up at the face above him and Jack pulled back slightly so Daniel could see him better.

"Jack?" he murmured, eyes blinking rapidly.

"Yeah," he smiled. "It's me. D'ya know where you are?"

He glanced around taking in the familiar grey walls, frowned and said, "Infirmary?" and as if to reinforce the fact, a sharp tattoo of heels was heard announcing the arrival of his favourite doctor.

~~

"Daniel," Janet Fraiser smiled at her patient, "It's good to see you awake, that was quite some sleep you enjoyed there."

"Not often I'm glad to be in the infirmary," he murmured. "What've you done to Jack, he looks terrible," Daniel added a little louder.

"Thanks, been waiting for sleeping beauty to wake up," Jack playfully groused. "Took your time. You feel better now, Daniel?"

"I guess. Hungry."

"That's good, except that it's about two in the morning," Doctor Fraiser smiled gently. "I'll get you something," she said and stepped away a moment to talk to one of her staff.

"I bet you've got quite a tale to tell us, Daniel," Jack said rubbing a hand up and down Daniel's arm and he felt its sudden stiffening under his touch. "Daniel?" he asked concerned.

Janet returned in time to hear the unease in the colonel's voice and she looked closely at her friend. She knew as well as Colonel O'Neill how difficult Daniel could be when he wanted to be.

"Jack, I really don't want to have to tell this twice. The general is going to want a debriefing, that will have to be enough," Daniel said quietly. He glanced up at Janet at the end of the bed, "Please?" he asked both of them.

She glanced at the colonel and said, "It’s the early hours of the morning and you haven't slept in I don't know how long." She gave him a wry smile, "Go and get a few hours sleep, colonel." She turned her attention back to Daniel and continued, "I'll speak with General Hammond in the morning, tell how you're feeling. I'm sure he'll agree to hold the debriefing tomorrow morning."

"Just my team, no one else, Janet," Daniel interrupted.

Janet knew what Daniel meant, just those he trusted implicitly. "Of course, Daniel. Just the general, me and SG1."

"I'll see you in a few hours then, Daniel," Jack said hesitantly, squeezing Daniel's arm, about all he could do in public. He didn't really want to leave but knew that Janet was correct; he was exhausted. He also knew he wouldn't be able to keep from asking Daniel questions, so all in all it was best if he left for a while.

Janet accompanied him on his way out, "Don't come back here before nine, sir," she added with a grin as he turned to leave.

~~

At one minute past nine Jack strolled into the infirmary to find Daniel reading a large tome, his breakfast tray shoved to one side to accommodate the book.

"Does Fraiser know you’ve got that?"

"Jack!" Daniel grinned in welcome. "No, she's having breakfast with Sam. She and Teal'c dropped by earlier and I asked Teal'c to get this for me."

"Ah, the big guy's not afraid of the Doc."

"About the only person on base who isn't," Daniel grinned. "Including you!"

"I take the Fifth," Jack said grabbing a slice of toast left on Daniel's plate. "You're a lot better this morning," he mumbled around the mouthful of food.

"I'm home," Daniel said simply.

They bantered back and forth, neither of them saying anything of import, neither wanting to spoil the mood.

About nine-thirty a nurse brought a clean uniform for Daniel and reluctantly he went to get ready for the debriefing with the general, which was scheduled for ten in the Briefing room.

Just before he returned from getting ready, Doctor Fraiser arrived and raised an eyebrow at the book still lying on Daniel's breakfast tray but made no comment.

"How's our boy?" she asked Jack.

"In his words, fine. What about your words?"

"Physically he is fine, just needs a little more meat on his bones," she replied and Jack couldn't argue with that opinion, he liked the feel of Daniel's smooth skin over sleek muscle, not this harder, thinner version. "What he needs most of all now is the care and attention of his friends," she continued, giving Jack a studied look.

"You betcha," he readily agreed.

Daniel appeared just then and his uniform made it even more obvious how much weight he had lost. The three of them headed together for the Briefing room and found Sam and Teal'c already waiting for them. Jack and Janet sat down on one side of the table with Daniel sandwiched between them, while Sam and Teal'c sat opposite. Daniel looked around for the ever-present coffee but it wasn't there.

"Sorry, Daniel, just water this time."

“But, Janet, I need coffee."

"No, you don't. You've not had any for over three months, you can last a little longer."

"Okay, I want coffee."

"Later," she smiled.

Daniel leaned towards Jack and whispered, "You're right about her being a power-monger." Jack just grinned.

General Hammond chose that moment to enter and was relieved to find Doctor Jackson looking relaxed and smiling.

"It's good to see you sitting here again, Doctor Jackson," the general said, informally calling the meeting to order as everyone settled in their seats. "I appreciate this will be hard for you and I think it will easiest in the long run if I just invite you to tell us in your own words what happened."

Daniel took a deep breath as underneath the table, Jack leaned his leg against Daniel's for a brief moment, a reminder of his support. He began to speak, slowly at first and as much as Jack wanted to know what had happened to Daniel, he was suddenly afraid.

"I don't remember too much of what happened on 877 after the attack began, it's all jumbled and confused," Daniel explained. "All I really remember was trying to get help, to get through the Gate. I...I recall that I felt a sharp pain but I managed to get to the DHD where I must have misdialled," he shot a rueful glance at the general but Hammond just looked concerned, "because the next thing I know I am surrounded by armed men in uniform."

He went on to explain how he’d tried to convince them to let him redial, that he had come through by mistake. It took a few minutes for it to register that they were speaking in Goa'uld.

For once his diplomacy failed and they refused to allow him to travel through the Gate. At that point, Daniel couldn't understand why not but he learned later that the Gate -- to the Amandi, the Roundel -- was also called the Path of the Gods and the ordinary people of the planet had no knowledge of how to use it. His arrival and subsequent behaviour confused them. When it was found he wasn't carrying the requisite amulet of their god, Vulcan, they were torn between wanting to help him as a traveller through the Roundel and wanting to question his motives. Daniel's injury was affecting his thinking and the only thing that was clear to him was that he couldn't admit whom he really was or how he had come to be there until he knew more about what was going on.

Until they were sure exactly who he was, the locals decided they should err on the side of caution and decided to treat his wound. They took him to the nearby city and to what Daniel soon realised was a hospital. The next few weeks were little more than a series of flashes between long periods of confusion when he wasn't either asleep or drifting on the edge of unconsciousness because whatever therapy they instituted had a deleterious effect on his health. Apparently, the doctors were shocked by his reaction to their treatment; it transpired that his body responded badly to whatever drug regimen they had given him. In fact he’d very nearly died and there was a period of great concern in case they caused lasting harm to an envoy of the god.

Then it was pointed out -- Daniel never knew by whom -- that an envoy of the god would never have arrived with an injury in the first place, something else was going on. Something that had them very concerned. As soon as the doctors considered he was well enough, Daniel was removed from the hospital and taken to the Residence of the Primat, the leader of the Amandi.

There he was subjected to questioning, not by the Primat himself, he just sat by and watched, and then he would leave them to it for a time and return hours later to resume his seat. Daniel began to judge the passage of time by the coming and going of the Primat.

Listening to him talking, Jack wondered how much he wasn't saying. Daniel calmly referred to this as questioning and he and Daniel had been questioned by the best of them so it wasn't surprising that Jack wondered exactly what the questioning had actually entailed.

Daniel hesitated to take a drink from his glass of water, taking the opportunity to glance at Jack by his side. Jack suspected that his lover knew precisely what he was thinking. Jack was sure of it when Daniel began to speak again.

"They didn't employ physical torture which I have to admit was what I was expecting. They kept me awake for days; I don't even know how long I was in that room as they rotated the interrogators who hammered at me hour after hour." He hesitated and smiled, glancing at everyone round the table as he continued, a rueful smile breaking across his face, "I guess all the late nights working non-stop came in useful."

Jack barked out a laugh and the others, including the general, smiled back at the linguist.

Smiling gently, Daniel continued, "They wouldn't let me eat either, though they did allow me a little water now and then. Eventually they decided I wasn't going to break...they couldn't understand why I wouldn't answer their questions. There was more discussion then about what to do with me. I was exhausted but I think the High Priest was arguing about the sentence that the Primat decreed."

"Sentence?" The general spoke for the first time since Daniel had begun his tale.

"He believed I had somehow dishonoured the god and had been sent to Amandi to serve the only way I was worthy of. He sentenced me to life in prison, helping to make the weaponry of the gods."

"Without even charging you with anything?" interjected Jack, his disgust evident.

Daniel shrugged, "I think travelling through the wormhole was enough for them. Anyhow, the High Priest allowed me to sleep for a time, just so I'd be able to work, you understand."

He went on to explain about his time in the prison and in the factory and he didn't realise it but the very economical way he described what he had gone through was more telling than if he had embellished his tale with lots of detail and emotive comments.

"You say you were building weapons for the Goa'uld?" Sam asked, doing her best to quash her usual excitement at the prospect of new intelligence on their long-standing enemy. "What kind of weapons?"

"Nothing new, I'm afraid. I mostly worked on the power cells and casings for the staff weapons and the larger versions they used on the ships. Though we were rotated from section to section. The whole process was covered from sorting the ore for smelting until the final ..." his voice faded for a moment before, with a deep breath, he continued, "the final testing."

Jack glanced at his friends around the table and it was obvious that they all sensed what he did. There was more to Daniel's final statement than he had shared.

"Daniel?" Jack asked softly.

Daniel threw back his head and he stared at the dull grey ceiling above him. He dropped his head staring at his hands, which were splayed on the tabletop. Jack knew this was Daniel's way of trying to stop them shaking. Daniel spoke quietly, slowly at first, his words speeding up as he explained.

"I had been working in the factory for a couple of weeks and getting more and more frustrated until I felt I just had to do something. Handling parts of those weapons every day, weapons that could one day kill my friends, I couldn't just ... I had to do something. I tried various ideas but nothing I could think of was any good until finally I thought I'd found the ideal solution when I realised I could disable the weapon with just a little careful sabotage to the power cell seating."

Teal'c sat up straighter in his seat if that was at all possible and that alone revealed to Jack that something serious -- something bad was coming.

"I'd only managed to disable two of the staff weapons when the shift that day ended. The next day I'd not been... The next day I learned that once a month all the weapons were tested before they were packed away in preparation for the next shipment. I...I heard the explosions before I knew what was happening..."

Jack saw that Daniel's hands were twisting and shaking and he put one hand over Daniel's to still them and remind his partner that he wasn't alone. He didn't fear doing it openly either as his support to his team mate was of long standing and well known and no one would give it a second thought.

Daniel finally lifted his head and looked at Jack, seeing the calm understanding in the warm brown eyes, he sighed and said, his voice catching, "Two prisoners died because...because of what I did. The prisoners were used to test the weapons to stop any kind of tampering, it was quite efficient really if you think about it," he added in a strangely flat voice.

"It would have been instituted by the Goa'uld," Teal'c said firmly.

Jack knew only too well what this would have done to his gentle, caring lover. The guilt would have been devastating for him. He longed to hold him, to give him comfort but instead he had to sit quietly by, unable to say anything that might have been of help.

"You weren't to know, Daniel," Sam added, feeling distinctly ashamed for bringing up the subject of the staff weapons in the first place. She had allowed her own interests to over-ride what her friend was going through. She ought to have known that something dark and terrible had happened to him while he had been a prisoner on the planet. She had seen the condition he had been in when Boch and the colonel had brought him on board the Tel'tac. His physical condition hadn't been too bad but he sure had something on his mind and she remembered all too well how he had to be carried back through the Gate. Damn, he’d spent almost twenty-four hours straight sleeping since they brought him home. After all, this was Daniel!

Hammond had heard enough. "Doctor Jackson, if you would let me have a written report on Monday morning?" Daniel nodded and the general glanced around the table, saying, "SG1 is on downtime until Monday, you have all earned it. Dismissed." The general stood and left for his office.

"Four days, perfect. That gives us time to get reacquainted," Jack said with a grin. "You guys got any plans?" he asked Carter and Teal'c, he knew exactly where Daniel would be. "If not, maybe you come over tomorrow night?"

Teal'c rose from his seat and said, "I think it would be better for DanielJackson to ease himself back gently into his life. I would like to spend this time visiting Ry'ac. I will see you again on Monday," he added bowing a little to Daniel. As he straightened up his eyes met Jack's and the colonel nodded his own thanks to the very perceptive Jaffa.

Sam saw the silent byplay between the colonel and Teal'c and while she didn't quite understand what it meant, she knew enough to realise that perhaps Daniel just needed to reconnect with his best friend first. She had never quite understood why the friendship between the two very different men worked so well but she knew that it did. She had already proven that her own selfish desires could overwhelm what was best for Daniel but she knew the seemingly self-centred Jack O'Neill always put Daniel first and just now, that was what he needed most of all. To be welcomed home and showed how much he was valued, and needed.

"Yeah, if you don't mind, sir, I really could use this weekend. I have lots of...stuff to catch up on. We'll get together for a team night after the weekend, okay Daniel?"

"Yeah, Sam, sure that would be great. See you Monday. And guys, thanks, thanks for everything."

Jack was finally left alone with Daniel and he seemed happy at the prospect of finally getting out of the Mountain and going home with Jack. However, Jack knew it wasn't going to be easy, he had to try and get Daniel to talk about what had happened and he was damned sure the last thing Daniel would want to do was answer him. Jack was staring at Daniel who was still turned away, looking towards the stairs by which Sam and Teal'c had left a few minutes earlier, when suddenly the younger man turned towards him.

"Jack, I really want to..." his voice faded as he stared at Jack and the older man realised he hadn't been quick enough to school his expression. Daniel frowned and continued, "What's wrong?"

"Wrong? Nothing, nada, zip," Jack replied quickly, maybe too quickly. He took a deep breath and said, "Just realised I get to take you home, that's all." He smiled but even as he did so he knew he wasn't fooling Daniel. Damn he'd been well and truly caught unawares by the most intelligent man he'd ever met, and the man who knew him better than anyone else. He silently berated himself; it would be even more difficult to get Daniel to talk if he were suspicious.

Giving him a long hard look, Daniel just said, "Yeah, I'm looking forward to going home too." His eyes softened as he gazed at Jack and he murmured, "I've dreamed of being there with you."

Jack thought that was the most heartfelt thing Daniel had said since they brought him home.

~~

Not long afterwards they were sitting side by side on the sofa at Jack's place -- their place. Daniel kept his apartment but spent most of his free time at Jack's house.

"God, you'll never know how much I missed this," Daniel said, "Just sitting here feeling like I belonged."

"It's the alcohol," Jack grinned. He had offered Daniel coffee but to his surprise he'd asked for whiskey instead.

"Ass!" Daniel grinned back at him. "It's the company, the alcohol only makes me forget what an idiot you can be."

Jack laughed, "You bring out the worst in me."

"Thought it was the best."

"That too!"

They sat quietly enjoying just being together, neither of them seemed to need more just yet. It was as if they each knew the other was waiting patiently for the right time.

Jack was almost surprised when suddenly Daniel got to his feet and began pacing the room, eyes darting everywhere except at Jack, who was worried and wanted so much to ask him what was wrong but was smart enough to know he had to allow Daniel to set the pace for whatever would happen next. If anything. He was just as likely to sit down again as if nothing had happened.

Jack poured himself another shot of whiskey but he just nursed the glass in his hands, his attention wholly captured by Daniel who had finally stopped pacing and was now standing at the window staring out into the night beyond. Jack wondered if Daniel was actually seeing the yard or if he was looking back at a different world altogether. He could see Daniel's reflection in the glass and from his expression his thoughts weren't pleasant ones. Jack's hands itched to hold him, to bring comfort to the man he loved but he knew if he moved too soon, did the wrong thing, he could ruin everything.

He gripped the glass tighter, staring into the fiery liquid as if perhaps there was some help in its depths. He smiled grimly; he knew only too well the opposite was true. Alcohol provided no answers, only more questions. He looked up again to find Daniel had turned from the window and was staring at him, eyes haunted but his expression set and ... yes, resigned. Jack felt something gnaw at his gut.

Holding his gaze, Daniel walked over and stood in front of him for a moment before in a firm voice, he said, "Jack, I know I need to talk, to tell you everything." He sat down next to him, gazing directly into his eyes, letting him see the truth for himself. "To be honest I don't want to talk about it any more, I wish it would all just go away but I can't escape myself, can I? And, unfortunately," he smiled wryly at his lover, "you choose not to."

Daniel sat back in his seat again and Jack waited quietly, knowing it would have to be at Daniel's own pace, in his own time.

"I didn't tell you everything about the deaths of those prisoners," Daniel began in a low voice. "A short time afterwards I found out that after those two men died, the guards took ten other prisoners at random for punishment. It was just routine, that was all, just a matter of course to viciously whip ten innocent men into a stupor on the assumption that someone had been careless. Just a way to remind the whole workforce not to do that again." Daniel leaned forward, dropping his arms between his parted knees. "I almost confessed then that it was me, that I did it."

Jack heard the pain in his voice and he had to stop himself taking Daniel in his arms, he knew it wasn't the time; Daniel had to get everything out before it began to eat him up. He could wear guilt like it was a second skin.

"Two things stopped me," Daniel continued. "First, it was already too late for those men, they had been punished already and secondly I had no idea what they would do to me if they discovered that I had purposely sabotaged the weapons," he lifted his head then and stared at Jack again, "Maybe it was cowardly, but the most important thing to me was to stay alive so I could get home...to you."

"Daniel," Jack breathed.

Daniel continued to talk, speaking about the guards, explaining how some of them did little more than watch and keep the prisoners working hard, but some of them had a more hands-on approach. They employed a nifty little device simply known as the 'stick'. It was only about twelve inches long with a bulbous tip, it didn't look like much but it sure had a kick. The guards pressed it against the prisoner's body, the thin clothing he wore no detriment to its effects and on contact it would feel like his skin was on fire. In most cases it was only used for a second and the pain was enough to make anyone toe the line and there wasn't even any evidence of the abuse. Some of the guards though enjoyed the prisoners' reaction to the device and left it in contact for variable times while a prisoner would cry out or scream, or beg for them to stop. In those cases the device would leave burns of varying degrees that would continue to cause pain for hours afterwards.

"That's what those small circles peppering your back are? Janet mentioned them but she wasn't sure what they were. Why didn't you say?"

"Why? It didn't matter."

"Obviously it did," Jack frowned but Daniel just shrugged and Jack suddenly knew that while he may have screamed, Daniel would never have begged them to stop. He wondered now if Daniel might even have unconsciously welcomed the pain, feeling he deserved the punishment for causing the deaths of those two prisoners and the consequent flogging of the others.

Meanwhile, Daniel changed the subject, speaking a little more about the work he did in the factory, describing again how he liked to go outside even though it was so cold.

Jack listened to all of this with growing trepidation because Daniel only seemed willing to talk of his time in the factory, steering clear of mentioning his time in the prison cells, a time that Jack had waking nightmares about.

After a short while, Daniel's voice subsided and he reached out for the whiskey bottle and poured out another shot for each of them.

Jack took his glass and sipped the whiskey allowing the alcohol to warm the parts of him that Daniel's words had left cold with fear and anger.

"Daniel, do you remember what you said to me in the Tel'tac?" Jack asked softly.

"The Tel'tac? No, I didn't know I said anything then. I..I thought... Jack?" he sounded afraid.

"You told me a little about your time in the cells, about how cold you were, how useless the clothing was. And, something about the other prisoners..."

Daniel paled, eyes wide with shock, doubtless upset that he had no idea what he'd already told Jack.

"Please, Daniel, I need to..."

Daniel interrupted him, his voice surprisingly calm. "I know, I know, your imagination is filling in the blanks," he sighed, "probably creating your worst nightmare."

Downing the whiskey in his glass, Daniel refilled it and offered the bottle to Jack who shook his head. Alcohol might help Daniel tell his tale, but it wouldn't help Jack listen to it.

Daniel began to speak again, his voice taking on a flat neutral tone that chilled Jack more than if he had sounded angry or distressed. First of all, he described the cell he was forced to share with three other prisoners, unaware this was one of the things he had already told Jack, but this time he went beyond the simple description of the stone room. He described what it was like when the guards left the prisoners alone, locked together in a cell impossible to escape from. They were left to their own devices, cold and exhausted with only one too-thin blanket between them and freezing as the temperature dropped even lower.

When he arrived at the cells, Daniel expected the prisoners might bond together, help each other survive. Instead when he was shoved inside, exhausted after his first day in the factory, he'd been left with the only free corner in the stone cell, the other three having already been occupied by the other prisoners. Each man kept very much to himself in a clearly defined area, in what Daniel eventually assumed was a way of demonstrating what little individuality they had left. Huddled on the stone floor under his own thin blanket, Daniel noticed that one of the men also had a rough piece of cloth thrown over his blanket and his glare was obviously meant as a warning. The looks he received and the attitude of these men had Daniel's alarm bells blaring, so much so that he didn't feel able to sleep much that night, dozing fitfully.

During the night he remembered the advice Jack had given him on Hadante, which was not to do anything that another prisoner could perceive as being weak. So, the first thing he did the following morning was to try to find a method of keeping his glasses safe. In fact, he thought it was a miracle they had survived this long. However, there was nowhere he could possibly hide anything. He couldn't risk them becoming damaged so, unfortunately, the best place for them was on his face. He thought a lot then about what Jack had taught him over the years, trying to work out how the colonel would think, how he would cope. Daniel hoped he had the strength of character and the strength of body to carry it off.

The second night he was so tired, not having much sleep the night before, he found neither his unnerving concerns, nor even the cold, could stop him from drifting off to sleep very quickly. He soon awoke though when he felt hands on his body and his first reaction was that someone was trying to steal his blanket.

Daniel, angry at this blatant attempt to steal the only protection from the biting cold that he had, was growling and cursing in fluent Goa'uld as he tried to push at the hands touching him.

It didn't take long to realise that it wasn't his blanket the man was after, when the hands slipped under the blanket and began to slide up his leg towards his groin.

As Daniel felt a weight move over him, a rough voice snarled at him. "No use fighting, pretty one. Just enjoy it and it'll keep us both warm."

The prisoner's hand was already fumbling at the self-fastening webbing that sealed Daniel's one-piece jumpsuit and at the first touch of a hand on his skin, fear and revulsion galvanised him into action. Automatically using a move taught to him by Teal'c to throw off a heavier assailant, Daniel tensed his muscles and heaved and twisted, tossing the other man to land heavily on his back beside Daniel, who at the last moment rolled and hoisted himself on top of the other man. Before the gasping, shocked man could move, Daniel used a manoeuvre Jack had shown him and thrust the heel of his hand under the man's jaw forcing his head back at a sharp angle while his knees planted firmly on the man's upped arms held the man's body still.

"Just a little more pressure and you would be very dead," Daniel said in a quiet voice, all the more chilling because there was no overt threat in the words, just a simple statement of fact.

Keeping the pressure on, Daniel quickly looked at the other two occupants of the cell, fearing an attack from them while he was compromised, but the men watched without moving. Daniel decided this must be one of those 'every man for himself' situations and from what little he had been able to glean about this place, so far it seemed to fit. He had seen no signs at all of the factions that tended to form in prisons on Earth, where one group would try and outdo another such group, vying for power. It seemed a natural progression for such groups to form, as if humans needed the control of some kind of hierarchy, even under the grip of the prison system itself. This was what he had been expecting, albeit unconsciously, but it wasn't the case here.

Turning his attention back to his attacker, he stared into the eyes of the man beneath him and fractionally pushed against his jaw. He had no intention of actually carrying through his threat but he needed this man to believe that he was quite capable of it. He had almost a lifetime of practice at keeping his emotions under tight control so it wasn't difficult for him to project the blank expression of a man who had no compunction. He also had a role model; one Colonel Jack O'Neill who’d spent most of his life behind one mask or another. Daniel had a sudden vision of the famous two faces of the theatre mask, one happy and the other sad. He was grateful that with him, Jack wore the happy mask.

When Daniel saw the panicked man's eyes widen even more, he said, "Keep well away from me, you ever touch me again..." He allowed the man's own imagination to fill in the blanks as he pressed one last time under the man's jaw before he slowly let him up.

The man scrambled across the cell back to his own corner, grabbing his blanket that was still pooled nearby.

Daniel wasn't able to get to sleep again that night, not that he really wanted to. He didn't show it but inside he was shaking. Yet again, he wished Jack was there, no dammit, he wished he were home with Jack.

Suddenly Daniel turned and smiled at Jack, "So, you see even across a galaxy you kept me going. I kept you in my mind's eye day after day. Don't think I could've made it without you."

"Oh yes, you could. You're the strongest man I know." He didn't say it aloud but Jack was relieved -- and proud -- that Daniel had demonstrated physical prowess along with his inner strength, a strength that Jack believed was boundless.

"Phfttt! Thought that was Teal'c!"

~~

Jack grinned; happy that Daniel was able to confide in him and so thankful that his own fears had been groundless after all. Then he frowned. Daniel had been talking about his second night in that place and he had been there for at least six weeks.

"Daniel, there's more isn't there? Unless I missed something, that was only your second night and well, you did make a few cryptic remarks in the Tel'tac and I thought..."

"I wish I could remember what I said," Daniel interrupted, exasperated. "Heck, I even wish I could remember that I had spoken at all in the cargo ship."

"Yeah, well you were kinda out of it. Daniel?" Jack cocked his head on one side but knew he had to give him the option of whether to say anything more.

"You hungry?" Daniel asked, "I could eat something."

"Sure, why not?" Jack shrugged. Either Daniel was buying time or he didn't want to talk any further.

"Chinese, pizza?"

"You choose."

"'Kay," Daniel replied, flipping through the drawer where Jack kept his take-out menus.

"You want another drink?"

"I think I've had enough," Daniel smiled. He went to the phone and placed an order for the food. "I ordered Chinese. Be here in about forty-five minutes." He sat back down beside Jack.

"You wanna watch some TV? Not sports, I promise," Jack said with a grin.

"No, I want to get this over with."

"Daniel?"

"I don't want you to have any doubts, any questions."

"But I don't. This has never been about me, Daniel, this is for you."

Daniel stared at him and Jack met his gaze squarely. "So if I said I didn't want to tell you anymore you wouldn't press me, you don't need to hear the rest?" Daniel asked.

If Jack was honest with himself he would have to say that he would like to hear everything but not because he didn't trust Daniel, just because he wanted to know everything that ever affected his lover. Still holding Daniel's gaze, Jack answered, "If you're asking me if I trust you, I do, implicitly. You do as you think best."

Daniel looked deep into Jack's eyes and said, "I've told you almost everything now, might as well tell you the rest." Shifting on the sofa, obviously trying to find a more comfortable position facing Jack, he pulled up his legs, as he leaned back against the arm of the sofa. "The guards just used to shove four prisoners, any four prisoners, into a cell at night so you had no who your cellmates would be. I never knew if they did that on purpose, to keep us off balance but...let's just say it made things difficult. Word had gotten round that I was no pushover -- it was amazing how these prisoners, who kept themselves very much to themselves, could spread rumours like wildfire. Still, others tried to...to force me. I fought back and eventually I developed a reputation."

"A reputation? Oh, I gotta hear more about this," Jack smiled.

But Daniel was most definitely not smiling. "There were those who were used," the word dripped with revulsion, "the users of course, and those, like me, were left alone. Like I said, some tried to take me and all of them failed. After I broke one man's arm no one tried again. He couldn't work, you see, and prisoners who couldn't work were no use." Daniel dipped his eyes and added quietly, "They took him away." He didn't need to explain for what that was a euphemism.

"That didn't bother you?" Jack asked in the heavy silence, even though he already knew the answer to the question.

Daniel shrugged, saying, "Well yeah, but I did warn him, he tried anyway."

"So, it was his own fault?"

"Yeah..." Daniel made the reply sound like a question.

"But it still bothers you," Jack said and it wasn't a question.

"Yeah," Daniel answered softly, eyes lowered.

"I'm so proud of you," Jack said, reaching out at last to touch Daniel, just a gentle squeeze to his shoulder.

Daniel looked up, surprise evident in his eyes, "You are?"

"Oh yeah," Jack said warmly. He looked into Daniel's eyes, a little annoyed that he was surprised by Jack's admission. He wanted to explain how he felt but wasn't sure how to put it into words. He took a breath and just dived in. "It took guts to do what you did, you more than anyone else, Daniel."

Daniel frowned a little at that, swinging his legs to the floor and leaning forward. "If it'd been me," Jack went on, "it wouldn't have bothered me to break that man's arm, I'd probably have broken his neck! I wouldn't have tormented myself over the deaths of those men either, I'd have regretted it, sure, but it would've been collateral damage after a failed attempt at necessary sabotage. You did everything right, Daniel and now you're obsessing over the cost." Jack held up a hand to stop Daniel, who was clearly itching to interrupt. "That's just who you are, I know that. I'm just trying to say ... and not very well, I know... I'm just relieved that you're home safe and whatever you need, well, you know, I'm here."

"Thanks, Jack, I think I needed that," Daniel replied swiftly as if he thought he'd better get it in quickly, in case Jack stopped him again. Then, with a slight frown between his eyes, he sat back. Jack settled comfortably in his seat alongside him.

After a few moments, Daniel's soft voice asked, "Jack, why won't you kiss me?"

"What!" Jack turned to Daniel and found himself staring into startling blue eyes filled with raw need. "Aw, god, Danny, I was giving you time. I was afraid...I didn't know for sure what had happened in that damn cell."

Understanding dawned and Daniel smiled, saying huskily, "I spent most nights fantasising about being back here with you."

"I spent most nights afraid I'd never see you again," Jack murmured.

"I'm here now, Jack and I need you."

"God, Danny." Jack grabbed Daniel to him, holding him tightly, burying his face in his lover's neck and just breathing him in. Daniel's arms wrapped around him, squeezing so hard that Jack thought his ribs might break but he didn't care. This was what he needed, what he'd missed so damned much.

Daniel's hands were scrabbling at Jack's back, pulling up his tee so he could get his hands on his lover's flesh and when he finally touched the hot skin, splaying his hands to feel as much of Jack as he could, he sighed his pleasure.

"You'll never know how much I wanted this, how much I needed this during those cold nights. I remembered every time you ever touched me, every time my fingers caressed you. I relived over and over our last time together before I went on that..." He laughed harshly. "I almost said that fucking mission, but that was one thing it wasn't, thank god. There is only one person I ever, ever want to touch me like that, to get so far inside me that I'm no longer alone, I belong. You're part of me and together we are whole." Daniel sighed, "I'm sorry if that sounds...sappy but it's how I feel."

Jack pulled away a little from where he was gently kissing and nipping at Daniel's neck, to meet his eyes. "If that's sappy then I guess I am too, 'cause I feel the same way when we're like that. Whether it's you in me or me in you, I feel so...alive. No, it's more than that, I feel...real." Jack looked surprised at his own words and then he smiled, finally taking Daniel's mouth in the kiss his lover had been waiting for.

A loud rap at the front door broke them apart.

"Food," Jack said laughing at Daniel's pained expression. "You did say you were hungry."

"And I am. But what crap timing!" said Daniel, getting to his feet to pay for the food.

They ate quickly, not saying much with words but the glances they shared spoke volumes. When they had both had enough to eat and drink, Jack tidied everything away before returning to sit by Daniel's side again.

"Where were we?" Jack said, pulling him close. "Ah, about here," he whispered, leaning in to capture his lover's lips, sighing when Daniel readily opened his mouth to allow him inside and they clung to each other as if they would never let go. Finally coming up for air, Jack nuzzled along Daniel's jaw as the younger man moaned in appreciation and leaned his head against the sofa back, giving Jack easy access.

"Do you wanna?" Jack indicated the stairs with a nod and a noticeably lascivious grin.

"Err, yeah but...do you mind if, just for tonight, we just sleep together?" Daniel asked sheepishly. "It probably sounds crazy but what I really want right now is to lie in your arms, knowing I'm safe and to be able to simply fall asleep."

Jack knew what he meant. Daniel had spent weeks where just sleeping was a risk, even after he had built up his reputation, it would have been difficult for him to sleep soundly. He must have developed a knack for figuratively spending his nights with one eye open. No wonder he had been out so long in the infirmary, it was a miracle he hadn't slept longer.

"Sure," Jack replied easily, "nothing I'd like better."

~~

Slowly coming back to awareness, the first thing Jack realised was that Daniel was already awake beside him. He'd always had this connection with Daniel but since they'd become lovers it went even deeper. He couldn't explain it and didn't even try; he just welcomed it. Like now. He felt his lover's contentment even before he’d opened his eyes to look at him. Daniel was lying on his back staring at the ceiling and Jack followed his line of sight, but all he could see was the early morning light as it flickered across the ceiling from where it crept around his drapes.

"I hadn't even realised I missed this until I woke up and found the light surrounding me, dancing like a live thing," Daniel said quietly, as if too afraid to spoil the image. Jack wasn't surprised that Daniel had sensed that he was awake too.

"Missed what? The light?"

Daniel turned to him, a slight smile curving his lips, "Yeah. Faint and muted as it appears, it's more than we ever got in the cells. It was always so dark there; no light ever seemed to reach us. This, this is so much better." He was looking deep into Jack's eyes.

"You feeling better this morning?" Jack asked, tracing a line from the corner of Daniel's right eye to his mouth.

"Oh yes, I feel...good," he smiled leaning into Jack's caress. "Can I make you feel good?" Daniel asked gruffly.

The sound of his voice, the look in his eyes made Jack shiver. "You wanna be in me?" he asked, quite willing to do whatever made Daniel happy.

"Later," Daniel said huskily. "Right now I want closeness of a different kind." He rolled himself on top of Jack's, squirming against him, both men getting harder as their cocks rubbed against each other. "This is good too," added Daniel, as his body connected with Jack's at every point possible, legs tangling and arms wrapping around their bodies.

Jack loved the feel of the weight of Daniel on him, sensations of ice and fire flickering through him where they touched again and again as Daniel rocked against him. Jack pulled Daniel tightly against him, his hands firmly stroking down his lover's back and onto his ass.

Pressing his hips into Jack's, Daniel’s movements were almost delicate as he undulated against him. It was good but it wasn't enough for Jack and, in a smooth move, he rolled them over until he lay above Daniel, capturing his partner's small cry of protest in his mouth and turning it instead into a moan of pleasure.

Jack lowered his weight completely onto Daniel and the younger man gripped his shoulders tightly as Jack began to move faster and faster against him, rotating his hips as he did so.

Daniel's hands moved down Jack's back, his fingers still tense as he firmly drew them down his partner's body, making Jack hiss between his teeth as Daniel made shallow furrows in his skin. Jack decided he liked Daniel marking him like that. Finally Daniel's hands grasped his buttocks, holding on tightly as he surged up against him and Jack strove to create a rhythm with his lover.

Sweat ran between them as they writhed against one another, moaning and muttering names and imprecations to each other. Daniel's head was thrashing from side to side on the pillow and Jack had dropped his head against Daniel's chest, panting for breath as he felt his orgasm begin in his toes and crawl up his legs, gathering momentum as he rushed towards climax. Lifting his head, Jack cried out Daniel's name in triumph as he came.

Hearing his name roared by his lover summoned Daniel to arch his back as he too reached orgasm, his seed mingling with Jack's, between and across their sated bodies.

Jack collapsed onto him, sighing as he pulled Daniel into his arms, still feeling the tremors as they shook his partner's body. Rolling them both on their sides facing each other, Jack kissed Daniel's forehead and then his eyes, watching as they opened languidly.

Gazing at Jack, Daniel suddenly smiled dazzlingly at him. "That felt...sublime," he sighed.

Jack laughed, saying, "Yeah, it sure was something."

Stretching like a pampered cat, Daniel murmured, "We don't have to go in today."

"Or tomorrow," Jack agreed with a pleased grin.

"So?"

"So, whenever you're ready for more, I'm here."

"Later," Daniel dreamily repeated his earlier promise, snuggling under the covers from where his voice drifted, "In the shower...on the dining table. On the rug in front of the fire..."

Oh yeah, Jack smiled to himself. Grinning cheerfully, he added, "On the sofa, against the wall by the front door...."

FIN!