Title: THE PHAISTOS DISC

Author: Imagine

Feedback: imagine647@msn.com

Rating: NC17

Pairing: J/D

Category: Slash. First Time. Angst. Adventure. Hurt/Comfort

Date: 7^th February 2006

Status: Complete

Season/Spoilers: Any season between 4 and 7

Synopsis: As Jack hopes Daniel will try and understand so they can still work together, Daniel wonders how Jack can be so stubborn!

Notes: Thanks to a great Beta for her ideas and encouragement, couldn’t do it without you Gateroller.

Warnings: Violence, slavery, attempted non-con, language.

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The Phaistos Disc

by Imagine

He felt the heat everywhere, not just on his skin where the fire of Jack's touch scorched him as his lover slid over his back, but also flooding his body, igniting his nerve endings, gathering deep inside him to pour forth even as Jack's essence filled him. He knew that Jack was saying something but the words just didn't register and ever so slowly Daniel looked up, too spent to do more than breathe the name of the man he loved..."Jack."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Uh, what, what?" Daniel asked lifting his head from his folded arms on the briefing room table. He felt fuzzy, tired and totally confused to see the man whom moments before he had seemingly been making love with, now sitting comfortably on the table almost directly in front of him, staring at him with a puzzled expression.

Jack grimaced, "You mumbled my name." The grimace turned into a smile. "Guess you were dreaming?" Jack's smile faded at the look of pain that flickered in Daniel's eyes before he dropped his gaze.

Daniel couldn't look at Jack, all he felt now was a cold emptiness inside where the fire had raged only seconds before. The erection that had left him quivering as he came back to reality from his dreamworld had wilted with the realisation that a dream was all it was ever likely to be. An echo of the third erotic dream he'd had in the last three nights and Daniel was really afraid that Jack would haunt his dreams for a long time to come. He didn't know how he would cope with seeing Jack every day if he had such dreams every night. Yet, how would he cope if he didn't have Jack in his life. Fuck, what a mess! Fate seemed to enjoy torturing him.

He gathered himself knowing Jack was expecting some sort of response. He didn't have the heart to confirm Jack's suspicion so instead he lied, "Err, no, I was...ah, I...I was wondering where Hammond is, he's never late."

Giving Daniel a knowing look, Jack explained. "He's been delayed by a call from the Pentagon," and as he moved closer, his long legs brushed against Daniel's. There was no one else around and Jack leaned forward, close enough for his words not to be overheard even if Teal'c had been sitting in his usual seat.

"You look as if you've been up all night, Daniel. I'm sorry for what happened, I didn't mean... Damn, I did mean what I said, I just don't know how to..."

"It's okay, I understand," Daniel said just as quietly, one eye on Hammond's office.

"No, you don't. It should've been special and I managed to spoil it..." Jack stopped at the first sound of approaching footsteps. With a last quick look at Daniel, Jack got off the table and slipped into his seat alongside him.

"Sorry for the delay, gentlemen," the general said as he approached. "Now, what exactly is it you want, Doctor?"

Daniel figuratively shook his head to clear both the image of his dream and the words circling through his thoughts from the evening spent with Jack on Friday. One night that should have changed his life, and yet nothing was really different. Jack had finally admitted he loved Daniel and that he knew Daniel loved him, but he said there was nothing they could do about it. Not now, Daniel berated himself, he didn't have time for this now as Hammond settled in his seat. He had spent Saturday and Sunday desperately trying to work on the translation only to be continually plagued with thoughts of Jack. He had to push his personal life aside and concentrate on why he had asked Hammond for this meeting.

"I need to return to P7X 996," he said brusquely.

"What? The planet we returned from last week?" Jack questioned frowning. Abruptly his brow cleared, "It's that disc thingy, isn't it? I knew you were hung up on that, particularly as you found it almost on the steps of the gate."

"Where I found it has nothing to do with it," Daniel replied testily, more so than Jack's query warranted but he couldn't help his irritation with the other man.

Hammond glared at Jack and then turning to Daniel, he said calmly, "If you could be a bit more precise than the colonel." The tension in the room was palpable and Hammond couldn't help but wonder if they'd had one of their infamous disagreements. As he glanced from one to the other, he thought once again what a miracle it was that these two such disparate characters got along at all, let alone considered themselves friends. A miracle the general appreciated more than he would ever admit to either man.

"As I said in my report, sir, there was something familiar about the few markings on the artefact. I couldn't place them at first, now I know where I've seen them before. The Phaistos disc."

"The what?" Jack queried, even as the general asked, "What disc?"

Opening the file in front of him, Daniel passed out photographs, two each to the general and Jack. "This is it. It's unique, found on the island of Crete and dated at about 1700BC." Daniel pointed to the two photographs, showing either side of a clay disc covered in pictographs in a spiral pattern. "The markings on that disc have never been found anywhere else. Even though it was found on Crete, it is not Minoan, Mycenean or similar to any other Greek dialect. No one knows for sure where it is from but it is assumed it was brought to Crete from another country. The one I found is metallic, considerably smaller and has only a few of the marks in a circle around the centre, but it is remarkably similar."

"So, what's this feisty disc say?" Jack wondered out loud.

Ignoring Jack's purposeful mispronunciation, Daniel answered, "No one knows. Oh, there have been claims to have deciphered the disc but none of them have ever been upheld. Besides the strange pictographs themselves, there is the fact that they are repeated exactly, without deviation at all, several times on both sides of the disc. It is believed they could've been stamped onto the disc," he smiled, "a popular explanation for this is that it is some kind of ancient printing system." It was pretty clear that Daniel had his own doubts about that possibility.

"This is all very interesting, Doctor Jackson, but I fail to see why this is of particular concern," the general commented, a little frustrated with Daniel's rambling presentation. The doctor was very good at his job, though he often presented more information than the Hammond necessarily required.

"It would be of immense interest to know what this disc means, where it came from. It’s strange that after all these centuries no other examples of the markings on this disc, this language if that's what it is, has ever been found." Daniel hesitated for effect, before quietly asking, "What if it is alien in origin, maybe even from a potential ally? What might it tell us about alien visitors other than the ones we already know about?”

"What another race visited us in the ancient past?" Jack looked askance at the archaeologist. "What are we, a turnpike?"

"Colonel!" Hammond chided before turning to Daniel. "So you wish to return to P7X for further research into its origin? You think perhaps the original disc found on Crete might have come from there?"

"But those people were pre-industrial. They couldn't have visited us in 1700BC," Jack interjected, leaning forward and frowning.

"No, Jack, but they might know who did."

"Half of your team is off-world, Doctor," Hammond reminded him.

"I know," Daniel nodded. Teal'c was offworld visiting Ry'ac and Sam was at the Alpha site conducting some specialist research. "I only need a few days, and Jack could accompany me," he turned to Jack, eyes beseeching agreement.

Jack met his eyes and shrugged, "I guess I can spare a coupla days, general."

"You mean you would rather keep an eye on your archaeologist than do paper work," the general said sagely.

"Well, if you put it like that," Jack cocked his head on one side, a slight smile on his lips.

"One of these days, colonel," Hammond shook his head but couldn't keep the amusement from his eyes. "Very well Doctor, you have forty-eight hours. If I remember correctly it will be about dawn soon on the planet, yes?" Daniel nodded agreement. "Very well, prepare to leave at eleven hundred hours."

"Thank you, sir." Daniel would've liked more than forty-eight hours but he'd learned when to push and when to be grateful for what he could get.

Hammond left as Daniel gathered his papers and the photographs together and placed them back in his folder. Jack hadn't moved from his seat when Daniel turned to him. "Thank you, too, Jack. I know you could have argued against this."

"If I thought the planet wasn't safe I would've done. This is what I was talking about, I won't compromise my position."

Even as he said the words, Jack couldn't help but wonder if it was already too late. He was the leader of the team yet how many times did he end up doing exactly what his civilian team-mate wanted? No, he had to believe he did the best for the mission and if that meant following Daniel's lead then so be it. No one could deny that Daniel was so often right, his ideas were often off the wall but he rarely steered them wrong. Jack didn't allow his feelings for Daniel to interfere with his duty and he knew Daniel would never expect him to. Daniel would argue tooth and nail for what he thought was right, no matter who his team leader was. The fact that Daniel had feelings for him had nothing to do with it; okay it made things harder because they both felt the fact of their feelings but both of them were professional enough not to allow it to affect their decisions.

"I wasn't asking you too." Daniel's voice rose a little and he quickly reined himself back in. Quietly he continued, "I was thanking you as my team leader. Colonel O'Neill has been known to block a mission before if he considered the objective of no strategic value," he added with a wry smile.

Jack nodded. "Okay, okay, sorry. But second-guessing myself isn't much better."

Daniel sighed. "Jack, just be yourself, that's all we have to do. Let's be honest here, this isn't new for either of us, we've been repressing it for some time. Let's just be who we are, let's be SG1."

Jack smiled, "That I can do. You've got sixty-five minutes to gather whatever you need. See you in the gateroom."

"Yes, colonel," Daniel grinned.

"Daniel..."

~~

Standing and watching as Daniel worked, Jack couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a mistake agreeing so readily to go off world alone with him. He still didn't know what had possessed him to admit the truth to Daniel the previous Friday evening; it hadn't done either of them any good.

Daniel had just seemed so down, slouching on his sofa like that, though it was doubtful the quantity of alcohol he’d drunk had helped his mood. When he'd begun to talk of Sha're with such sadness, Jack had first thought he was simply missing his dead wife. Jack understood only too well but that didn't stop his jealousy or his own loneliness rising. He had loved Daniel for a long time but it still hurt that the man only had room in his heart for his lost love.

So, it was with some surprise that he heard Daniel admit that he was sorry he hadn't loved Sha're enough, and that for a time he wondered if he was really capable of loving another person. Jack stared at him, Daniel had seemed to worship the ground she walked on, he had been frantic when she was taken and for three long years he had desperately tried to find and free her.

"I cared for her, Jack," he said, as if he knew precisely what the other man was thinking, "but I was never able to give her the love that I now know I can feel."

It was only as those words wound their way through Jack's own befuddled mind that he realised Daniel was saying he loved someone. Loved someone more than he had loved Sha're? That thought sent shivers through him at the knowledge of the emotional commitment that Daniel was capable of feeling, together with a despair born of sadness that someone else would experience such a level of commitment for he knew that with Daniel, love would be all or nothing.

"Daniel?" He couldn't stop the question escaping his lips.

The younger man got unsteadily to his feet and moved the short distance to where Jack was sitting. "Never meant to but I can't help it." He leaned forward, putting a hand on one of the arms of Jack's chair and the other on his shoulder, a touch of which the older man was acutely aware. "You're the best friend I ever had, is it any wonder you have come to mean so much more to me?"

Jack stared at him, open mouthed with shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing; Daniel was talking about him! Jack's heart was pounding in his chest at just the idea that Daniel felt like that about him, so he was totally unprepared when Daniel closed the last few inches between them and brushed his mouth over Jack's. The tingling sensation that stole over his lips sent any caution to the winds and Jack gripped Daniel's biceps holding the man tightly as he returned the kiss. When they finally broke for air, gasping as they stared at each other, it was difficult to tell who was the more shocked.

Jack recovered first, gently pushing Daniel back so he could rise and then he guided Daniel back to sit on the sofa.

That had been the moment when Jack could have nipped the situation in the bud, joked with the inebriated Daniel, suggesting that he had reacted as he had, kissing him back, because he'd been surprised, caught unawares as he was. It would probably have worked, Daniel would've been embarrassed, even feeling guilty knowing his penchant for accepting responsibility for just about everything, but most likely it'd have covered Jack's ass; made everything slide back into place. Daniel would've buried it deep once more, almost certainly never mentioning it to Jack again. But something, some desire to keep the painful humiliation from Daniel's eyes -- and the sorrow he knew he would see there too -- had prompted Jack to be honest.

Softly he’d said, "I shouldn't have done that, kissed you back like that, but it was too hard to refuse such a long-held fantasy."

"What?" Daniel asked wide-eyed. "You've thought about…" Daniel stopped staring at his friend and Jack saw the light come on in those telling eyes. "You've wanted to kiss me?"

Jack sighed, "Yeah, for too long. I never would've guessed you felt the same about me though."

"Felt? Felt the same? Jack, are you saying...you have feelings for me, you love me too?" Daniel's face lit up, mouth wide and smiling. He tried to rise but Jack stopped him with a hand.

"Only I can't. You know that," Jack said swiftly.

His smile faltering, changing to confusion, Daniel stuttered, "Can't? What? But... You mean shouldn't! Damn it, Jack. You can't just switch off feelings." Suddenly Daniel sounded perfectly sober.

"No, I can't, but I can control them. I had been doing just that for...well, for a while."

"Control them? A while?" Daniel shook his head, sad eyes staring at Jack. "Repress them, you mean! Why should you have to, why is it wrong to care for me? And don't quote those stupid rules and regulations at me, you can't possibly believe in them?"

Jack sighed, "No, of course not. Personally, I don't give a toss about that crap! But damnit, Daniel, I am a serving officer." Unable to sit so close to Daniel, unable to see the look of disappointment on his expressive face, Jack stood up and began to pace. "But there's more, this isn't just about us, it can't be. I can't risk the programme, going through the gate is too important for the protection of this world; you know that as well as I do. And everything damn thing we do is under the microscope. The NID would have a field day if we had a relationship and they found out. I can't risk it, I can't risk you and I won't," Jack said forcefully.

Daniel's face fell and he slumped on the sofa, looking lost and defeated and for an instant Jack felt angry that he didn't seem about to argue the point with him but the words when they came, cut more because Daniel spoke quietly.

"It's not wrong to love me, Jack, or for me to want to be with you, don't you know that? If you really wanted there to be something between us, you would find a way, somehow. I have never felt like this before and you are rejecting me, not because you don't care but because I don't mean enough to you to fight for me, for us."

"That's not fair, Daniel, you mean more to me than I dare say. I never meant for you to know, if you hadn't..." Jack stopped, took a deep breath. "Daniel, please trust me, I'm doing what is the best for both of us for now. A way we can at least be friends, you still want that don't you?"

"Yes, of course. Whatever happens I'll never stop being your friend...but I also want more...now. God, I wish I had never discovered the truth, at least before I had..." his voice faded. After an uncomfortable few moments, he added, "I need to leave, Jack."

Jack knew what Daniel hadn't said, that he had destroyed his dreams; he'd hurt him. Jack wanted to say more, wanted to say he had hope for the future, but he didn't think now was the time for vague possible promises.

Daniel usually stayed over in the guest room when he had too much to drink and though he sounded far too sober now, Jack knew the alcohol was still in his system. Sadly however, knowing Daniel was correct in his desire to leave, Jack said, "You can't drive. I'll order you a cab."

It took fifteen minutes for the taxi to arrive but each man sat quietly, the first uncomfortable silence between them that either man could remember. When the car finally arrived, it was with a strange feeling of awkwardness that Jack saw his friend to the door.

"See you at work...on Monday," he said, unable to meet Daniel's eyes and that only made him feel worse.

Daniel merely nodded, not saying a word as he walked to the waiting cab. At the curb he suddenly turned and looked back at Jack, his expression showing the loss he felt more clearly than any words even he could express. Jack felt the chill of that look deep in his soul. He wondered how much he had destroyed by his reaction, by what he had allowed to take place this night, but he knew that the instant Daniel touched his lips he was lost, it was impossible for him not to react when the man he'd loved for what seemed like forever suddenly admitted he shared his feelings. What followed the kiss had been inevitable.

Saturday and Sunday had been very difficult for Jack. He wanted to go to Daniel and admit how much he really cared, how much he wanted to have a relationship with the man, but he wouldn't allow himself to give in to his feelings, telling himself he needed to be strong enough to stand against his own desires. More than once he had to stop himself from reaching for the phone.

Instead, Jack tried to keep busy. He tidied up the yard, weeding the flower beds and mowing the over-long grass, something he expected his neighbours would appreciate. He cleaned the barbecue and scrubbed his deck clean. He did laundry, even changing the bedding in the guest room, bedding that Daniel had never even used. Angry at himself for bringing to mind the one thing he was trying to avoid he washed and polished his truck till it shone and his back ached. He had a long soak in his tub, trying desperately not to think of a naked young archaeologist sharing it with him. In the end he threw himself exhausted into his cold and lonely bed and saw only a cold and a lonely life ahead of him.

Sunday was no better and Jack desperately reminded himself why he had refused Daniel in the first place; and it certainly wasn't because he didn't love the man. Jack truly believed it was more important that he and Daniel stay on SG1 and continue to help in the fight against the Goa'uld and that the risk of their being discovered in a relationship was just too great.

Besides the personal cost of Daniel possibly losing his job, at least maybe being thrown off SG1, Jack was risking not only his career but even possible prison time if someone of sufficient power insisted that General Hammond took action. The Chiefs of Staff would have no choice in the matter, 'don't ask don't tell' was a joke but one with a nasty sting in the tail. Of course, there was nothing that Kinsey and the NID would like better than such an outcome, using him and Daniel to force Hammond out too, and take over the SGC. That, Jack would never allow. The idea turned his stomach.

Instead, he turned his thoughts to ensuring he didn't lose Daniel's friendship, so that maybe one day, sometime in the future, if they had a future, they could be together then. Providing, of course, that Daniel would be prepared to wait for him. He knew he would wait forever for Daniel but didn't know for certain if Daniel felt that strongly about him; he hoped but he didn't know. The only choice he had was to hope for the future and work for the present.

He pulled his mind back to the present when he heard Daniel grumbling loudly.

"What?" Jack asked, trying to keep the irritability out of his voice. He wasn't upset with Daniel and it wasn't fair for the younger man to think he was.

"Mmm?" Daniel queried, looking up. "Oh, I suppose it was too much to expect that I could find another of these discs here."

"But you hoped anyway?"

Daniel shrugged, "Yeah."

"What do you want to do now? Don't forget time here is limited. Talk to the villagers?"

They had already been on the planet for over two hours, Jack keeping a look out while Daniel meticulously searched the area around the stone ring of the gate. The days on P7X were a little longer than on Earth, about twenty-eight hours duration. They had arrived a little after dawn planet time and Hammond had given them forty-eight hours, which meant they would have to leave about four in the afternoon the day after tomorrow. He expected when the time came to leave Daniel would complain but Jack knew he would also comply eventually.

~~

"Don't remember the village being this far," Jack groused much to Daniel's amusement.

"Like you don't know to the inch how far it is! You might like to act dumb, Jack but not with me, please."

Jack didn't reply but a grin spread across his face.

They'd been walking for almost an hour through the rather repetitive countryside. As far as the eye could see the land was a drab grey-green colour, everything covered in scrub or low brush, the odd stunted tree jutted up here and there. Jack had commented the first time they visited this world that their uniform blended in rather too well.

Apparently it was spring on P7X and Daniel was glad, he was already warm enough and didn't want to think how hot it must get in high summer. He heard a buzzing noise and glanced over to his left where he saw one of the small stunted trees that had a large yellow growth on the trunk. They were just about the only break in the monotonous colour of the landscape, resembling a small cabbage and Daniel watched idly as a cloud of tiny insects settled all over the yellow globe. The sound increased, and Daniel couldn't help but think of a buzz saw.

"Crap those things give me the willies," Jack commented as the swarm rose from the tree and disappeared. The tree bark was smooth now with no trace that there had ever been anything growing on its surface.

"Certainly efficient," Daniel said.

They could hear the sound of rushing water which they knew was from the river just out of sight in the valley floor off to their left.

They hadn't travelled much further when Jack commented wryly, "Now, I definitely don't remember the road being in this state."

"There's been some kind of storm, I'd guess," Daniel said, looking at the damage. Most of the roadway they were traversing disappeared a little way ahead, as if it had been sliced off and pushed away. The other side of the road butted up against the side of a steep hill which would be very difficult to climb.

"Looks like there might have been a flash flood," Jack concluded. He stepped nearer, studying the site. "There's just about enough pathway left by the hillside to make our way past. I wonder if that bridge is still intact further up the valley." The doubt in his voice was evident.

"Before you ask, Jack, yes it is worth continuing," Daniel insisted. "We need to find out if they know anything about the disc, where it comes from, who might've created it."

"Okay, Daniel but if that bridge has gone it's gonna be a long climb down and back up the other side, if it’s even possible to cross the valley floor so soon after a flash flood."

"We don't even know for sure if that's what it was. One problem at a time, huh, Jack? Let's just get past this first."

Nodding, Jack moved carefully towards the side of hill, away from the loose shale and hard-packed dirt of the destroyed roadway. Daniel was walking just behind him, watching carefully where the colonel stepped. As they rounded the curve of the hill they were dismayed to discover that the section of the roadway that had been out of sight was even narrower than that which they had already traversed. Jack glanced back at Daniel, and with a sigh he kept going, hefting his pack more securely on his back first.

Daniel watched him, worried that he was pushing Jack to do something dangerous when it wasn't really necessary. Okay, as a linguist he felt it was important to try and learn the secret of the Phaistos disc. As a member of the SGC, searching for much needed allies, it was an excellent indicator of another alien race who might prove useful, but at the risk of Jack's safety? Never. He was just about to suggest that they ought to turn back when suddenly about half of the roadway Jack was walking on crumbled away beneath his feet. Shocked, he yelled, his eyes automatically searching out Daniel.

Almost before Daniel realised it, Jack was sliding away from him, down the rough terrain towards the valley below. Without thinking Daniel just grabbed for him, making contact with his arm and holding on tight. Unfortunately, his own footing was too insecure and instead of stopping Jack's fall, he was only pulled along with him as he refused to let go. They both went down heavily, landing on their backsides to slide side by side down the uneven ground, finally coming to a halt in a confused tangle of arms and legs.

As Jack became aware of the sudden close proximity of his thigh to the groin of the man he loved, his body reacted automatically, his cock thickening and lengthening. He was sure that Daniel would be able to feel his arousal and as much as he wanted to feel the other man's reaction to him, he knew it would be a major mistake and he swiftly began to pull his right leg from between Daniel's thighs.

Daniel was relieved to find that other than some tender spots and a few aches he was unhurt. As he was pushed slightly to one side, he quickly looked at Jack to find him unhooking one of his legs from under Daniel's ass. Realising that Jack couldn't wait to get away from him, Daniel was momentarily angry until he felt Jack's erection brush his inner thigh and he understood that Jack was really only trying to get away from his own needs. Daniel's frustration turned to sadness and Jack must have sensed Daniel's glance for he looked up then to meet Daniel's gaze. For a moment Jack stared back, his own expression frozen then he flicked his eyes away as he rolled to his knees.

Smiling a little ruefully, Jack said, "Thanks for trying to stop my tumble but really you shouldn't have taken the risk." When Daniel didn't comment, Jack continued, "The damned surface up there looked okay. Hell, I'm surprised we didn't break something, lucky it wasn't a sharper incline." Abruptly he frowned, "You're not hurt?" he suddenly added, leaning over to run his hands up and down Daniel's arms only stopping himself from touching his legs at the last moment.

Daniel sighed but just said, "No, I'm fine, probably a few bruises that's all." Abruptly he laughed, "Fell for you again, huh? Can't seem to stop."

"Daniel," Jack said but there was no recrimination in the softly spoken name. The colonel watched silently as his archaeologist climbed to his feet, shook out his right leg as if it was stiff, before turning to offer a hand to help Jack up.

"What's up with the leg?" Jack asked as he allowed Daniel to pull him to his feet.

"Bit achy, must have bruised it on the way down," Daniel replied but his eyes were fixed on the ground at their feet. It was a mixture of rough shale that was almost brown in colour along with black soil, churned up with thick grey clay. Scattered here and there were boulders of varying sizes, tree branches and twigs, torn up bushes and scrub and some clumps of sod. Daniel came to the conclusion that Jack had been right in that water had almost certainly carried the debris from further up the valley, a flash flood the likely method of depositing the detritus along the valley floor. "Think we were probably lucky falling just here and not further up, nearer the village."

"Yeah," Jack agreed, "If we'd taken a tumble from up there we might have been killed." The village was set at the head of the valley, where it rose towards the mountains in the distance, much higher above the valley floor. "The bridge has probably gone," he added thoughtfully.

For a moment Daniel didn't answer, his eyes were still studying the ground. Swiftly he strode a few paces and knelt down to scrabble in the earth.

"Daniel?" Jack walked up behind his friend, frowning as he looked over the archaeologist's shoulder. "You gotta do that now?" he frowned.

Daniel sat back on his heels, grinning as he looked up at his friend. "Look," he said brandishing something up at Jack.

"What?" the older man said, trying to see what Daniel was waving at him. Suddenly the sunlight caught it and whatever it was sparkled in Daniel's hand. It wasn't very big, roughly an inch in diameter and it was the colour of a dusky bronze but Jack recognised it right away. Another smaller version of the Phaistos disc. Daniel had found another one. Jack couldn't help but react to the infectious smile of his friend.

"I don't believe it!" Jack declared, shaking his head at his friend's fortune.

Daniel took a handful of Kleenex from his pocket, spat on it and rubbed the disc as clean as he could without better facilities. He stared at, turning it over and peering closely at its two faces. "Wow, Jack," he said excitedly, "this one is even more special than the first one. Each side is just filled with markings, just like the Phaistos disc from Crete."

"Except for size," Jack commented, “ours is bigger!”

"Well, yeah," Daniel frowned, "But still, this is very important."

"Why? Can you read it?"

Daniel glared at him, "Of course not!" Not giving Jack a chance to make any more remarks, Daniel marched off along the valley floor looking for a way back up to the road. With a sigh and a wry smile, Jack followed.

Wondering whether to consider the fall down the hillside as good or bad luck seeing as how it had occasioned Daniel finding the disc he wanted so much, Jack hoped things wouldn't take a turn for the worse as they carried on towards the village. He hadn't even suggested turning back as he knew Daniel would expect them at least to try and speak to the villagers now he had found the second disc. And looking at the determined man marching ahead of him he expected Daniel would insist they climb down and up again at the head of the valley if indeed the bridge was out. Jack might just have to refuse if the passage promised to be too dangerous.

With his fingers figuratively crossed, Jack used his knowledgeable eyes and studied the rough terrain on their right side for a way back up to the road. They had been walking for about thirty minutes and just as Jack was wondering if they would be able to find a way back up, he saw a promising location just up ahead and a moment later, Daniel pointed to the same place calling to Jack, "Up there!"

Jack nodded agreement and they angled their approach to climb back up to the road. They still needed to be careful as the ground underfoot would probably still try to shift underneath them.

It took longer than they expected to reach the safety of the roadway again as trying to climb a hillside that was continually slipping beneath their feet meant it was like going one step forward and two back. They tried to support each other, stopping their backward slide as much as possible but it was a losing battle as too many times they both slid back a few metres. Eventually though they made it to the top, exhausted and with aching leg muscles. By mutual silent consent they collapsed on a nearby tree that had presumably fallen when the ground had slipped loosening it roots.

Daniel took the opportunity to study the disc he discovered, comparing it to the original one he had found that was safely locked away in his office back at the SGC. He dug into his pack, which luckily Jack had found not long after they began their trek along the valley floor. As it contained not only his reference books but their first aid kit, he was glad they had recovered it. Finding one of his small stiff brushes, Daniel carefully removed the last remnants of the ingrained earth.

"Look at this, Jack," he said eagerly, almost shoving the small disc under his friend's nose. "The markings are so precise, just look!"

Jack couldn't help but smile at the excited enthusiasm, something he'd missed seeing from Daniel for a while now, the archaeologist being too often the soldier recently. He leaned over and showed interest in the small circle of metal, but while Daniel's attention was wholly on the disc in his hand, Jack's was wholly on Daniel. He was in love with the man no matter how hard he tried to hide from it and it was times like this that he allowed the feeling to wash over him; but only when Daniel wasn't watching his expression, his eyes. Jack knew that Daniel would know immediately what he was thinking and that it would hurt the younger man that Jack refused to act on it. It was also at times like this that Jack wondered what the hell was wrong with him, why he was being so stubborn, refusing the one thing he wanted more than anything, the one good thing in his life. With a silent sigh, he knew it was because it was the one good thing in his life that he couldn't ruin it. He would protect it the only way he knew how -- and hope that one day he could act on his feelings, if Daniel would wait that long.

He sighed at what he might be risking and Daniel looked up, a frown of puzzlement on his face. Trying to distract the astute man, Jack swiftly said, "That's all very interesting, Daniel but if we're going to get some answers in the limited time we have here we'd better get moving."

Daniel stared at him and Jack met his look steadily, he didn't want a repeat of their disagreement, especially while on a mission. After a long moment, Daniel turned away and slipped the disc into his shirt pocket for safekeeping and getting up, began to walk toward the village again.

The roadway beyond that point was in good order and rose gradually from the valley up towards the village on the high point. The bridge crossed the river just before the last steep switchback in the road before the path began to climb again up the steepest portion on the way to the village. When they had been here last the river was fast running but the bridge was strong; Jack couldn't help wondering what condition it would be in now. Hopefully, the pilings set into the sides of the valley were high enough above the river that the flash flood wouldn't have damaged them too seriously.

"Look, there it is!" Daniel said excitedly pointing ahead and Jack was relieved to see that from this distance it looked in good order.

"Come on," Jack said, "let's see if we can cross. If not, Daniel, that's it, we head back to the gate."

Daniel didn't say anything, but just walked on determinedly and Jack kept pace with him, suddenly feeling uncomfortable without knowing exactly why. It wasn't concern over the bridge; Jack's decision was made about that. It was some vague, ethereal feeling and it was more disturbing because of that. Jack glanced at his team-mate but it didn't alleviate the odd feeling, if anything it only exacerbated it. He shook his head to clear the worrying sensation, instead concentrating on the bridge just ahead.

When they reached the bridge they peered down from the edge of the divide to see the fast flowing river below quite clearly, it didn't look much different from the last time they had stood there; presumably any temporary increase in flow had settled down again.

Daniel shifted his gaze from the river to give Jack a challenging look that his team leader read perfectly.

"Okay, Daniel, the bridge looks fine, we carry on." Jack couldn't explain the disquiet he felt at agreeing to that, which probably had a lot to do with his insistence on crossing the bridge first.

After they negotiated the bridge they made good time and when still a little way short of the village they were met by a few of the warriors and one of the three village elders, Aruon.

~~

As they approached the welcoming committee, Daniel paused and adopted the ritual greeting posture, dropping his chin to his chest and keeping his eyes down, holding out his empty hands, palms up to show he carried nothing of a threatening nature.

Jack had already dropped his P90 so it hung by its strap from his jacket and copied Daniel's pose exactly. He never felt as comfortable as Daniel assuming such a submissive attitude, but he accepted it was necessary and prided himself on doing it to the best of his ability. It also helped that he knew Daniel was pleased when he did so; he still remembered with embarrassment that time he'd almost caused the loss of the treaty because he refused to prostrate himself before a strutting headman. If it hadn't been for Daniel's quick talking he might have lost more than the treaty!

Jack had spent most of his time during the last visit with Aruon and the warriors of his tribe and was impressed by both their loyalty to their people and by their expertise with their weapons. They regularly held contests amongst themselves and their place within their warrior brotherhood was decreed by their competence with their equipment. He thought perhaps such a method would prove useful back home; some of the officers he'd known would never have gained promotion if they had to prove their ability like that.

The warriors stood back as Aruon approached; he was a tall man, having maybe an inch on Jack, though he looked even taller because of the long straight robes in a variety of colours his people wore. Aruon's robe was black and they had learned on their last visit that only the elders wore black. Aruon had dark brown eyes, with hair to match though it was greying now. Stopping about five paces apart from Jack and Daniel, he gave his own ritual welcome, together with the words, "As friends you return to our village, enter and be welcomed." At their elder's words the warriors relaxed their watchful stance and smiled at their visitors.

Jack's hand automatically went back to his P90 and he expected Daniel would be disappointed with him, but taking up a protective position was as natural to him as breathing. Daniel natural inclination was to trust people until proven he couldn't, Jack's was to distrust people until proved he could. Jack shrugged, each to his own.

The warriors dressed differently from the elders and others of the tribe in that they wore short tunics with a narrow leather belt from which hung their knives of two lengths; one short stabbing blade and the other somewhat longer, almost sword length. The two blades were worn together in a scabbard that looped over the belt so one knife fell on the inside lying next to the body while the other, the longer one, lay on the outside and therefore was more swiftly available. Hooked on the opposite side of the belt they carried a small club, about two feet long and they also carried a pouch in which they kept a length of stout chain. Over this garb they wore a long open sleeveless coat.

They surrounded their two visitors, curiosity obviously uppermost in their minds. It had only been a short time since they and their two companions had left. Aruon looked around at the warriors and they stepped back giving Jack and Daniel room to walk comfortably into the village environs with the elder.

The village was large and prosperous; the houses were well constructed of wattle and daub over a sturdy wooden frame and each having at least four rooms, more if they had a large family. As they passed the children playing in the streets, most stopped and stared at them for a moment before resuming their fun. The women, their long robes stitched and decorated with beads, sitting in their doorways as they carried out simple household tasks while watching their children play, also looked at the newcomers wearing the strange drab green clothing. A few of the women who had served them food or drink last week nodding a silent greeting. Other women peaked out of the large thick glass windows that took up half of one side of their homes, curious or concerned, ease showing on their faces when they saw the strangers were familiar and welcome.

In the centre of the village was the meeting hall, which was little more than one huge room with a raised centre area, not unlike a stage. The elders would gather together there to investigate any problems, settle disputes and administer the day to day running of the village. There had always been three elders and in this society the word wasn't used to designate age as much as aptitude for the role of village headman, though more often than not the men filling the role were aged too, it seemed rationality was often a learned virtue.

On their previous visit, Jack's military expertise had made quite an impression on Aruon whose main duty was the protection of the tribe. The second elder, Brunol hadn't had much contact with SG1, he had not been very well at the time; nothing serious Aruon had told them, just the aches and pain of his age. He had attended one of the meetings, carried there in his bed, and he had listened carefully to what Teal'c in particular had to say about the Goa'uld but he'd little to contribute. Aruon had commented that he rarely had little to say but when he did speak it was always worth listening to. He also commented that having nothing to say against them was tantamount to approval on Brunol's part.

Daniel had made more of an impact on Freudl, the third elder, who was responsible for the health and spiritual wellbeing of the people, which included the perpetuation of the history of the people so he and Daniel had spent a lot of time together swapping information. Daniel had noted he was like a combination of witchdoctor and shaman with a hint of teacher thrown in, and if anyone had any knowledge of the discs it was likely to be him.

When they reached the meeting hall, Aruon asked why they had returned and it didn't take long for them to explain what they wanted to discuss. However, Aruon wasn't the kind of man to be hurried, insisting they share the half-day meal with them, which was being prepared as they spoke. Brunol was still unwell and Aruon said he would report to his friend after their discussions and he could be brought to the next meeting if that was necessary. The elder went on to explain that Freudl was in the fields with some of the young ones and he would be back for the meal shortly when they could have a better talk then. Daniel glanced at Jack and when the colonel held his gaze without comment, the linguist nodded his agreement to Aruon's plan. Though for once it was Daniel who was impatient and it was Jack trying to keep him calm and occupied as they waited for Freudl.

Luckily for Daniel's peace of mind and Jack's temper, Aruon was true to his word and it was only a short time later they sat down to share a meal with Freudl, who was very interested in what brought the strangers back so soon.

Freudl, who was a little younger than Aruon and smaller with a slighter build, smiled briefly and commented, "It hadn't been expected that you would return for half a year."

Jack glanced at Daniel; they hadn't specified a time when they would return. In fact, whether or not they would have visited the planet again depended on if the samples they had sent to Area 51 for inspection proved to be of any interest. Carter hadn't found anything particular, though there was one ore she hadn't been able to identify and it had been sent for further investigation, but she hadn't thought it would prove to be anything of interest. So, why Freudl thought they might return at some specific time was a mystery. The man's serenity did nothing to assuage Jack's growing unease though Daniel didn't seem at all phased by Freudl's statement.

"Well that's as may be," Daniel said, taking the disc from his pocket, "But we came back now because I found a disc, a coin perhaps, like this near the Stargate, the standing ring. This one we found on our journey here," he said holding out the disc for the two elders to see.

Aruon gave the artefact a quick glance, sitting back and letting Freudl have a better look at it, and letting him speak for them.

Freudl turned the disc over and over studying it, his green eyes glowing with obvious fascination. "You say you found two of these? You are twice blessed. These are very rare, only appearing occasionally through the history of my people. I have only seen one before in my lifetime and that was when I was but a child. I have seen depictions many times but to actually hold one." He looked up then, his eyes alight with excitement. "Where is the other one? May I see that too?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Daniel said with a quick glance at Jack, sitting quietly beside him. "I found the other one as I was leaving last week and I took it back home with me. It seemed vaguely familiar and when I studied the writings of my people I understood why. It is even more of a rarity on my world and I came back to see if your people knew of its history. I never expected to find another one."

"Where did you find this one?" Aruon asked.

"We slid down into the valley when the roadway gave way beneath us," Jack explained with a small shrug. He smiled at Daniel as he said, "He found it almost where we landed. Never even had to dig for it."

"We have not attempted to travel the path since the wall of water came from the mountains shortly after you left last week. It came early this year. I am pleased you are uninjured," Aruon commented, adding a brief nod of his head.

"It's a regular occurrence then? This wall of water?" Daniel queried.

"Yes, about this time every year the mountains cannot contain any more water and it floods the valley on the way toward the great inland sea."

Inland sea? Jack mouthed at Daniel who only shrugged. Obviously the UAV still left a lot to be desired in the exploration stakes.

"Explains why you built the bridge so strong and so high above the river," Jack commented.

"Yes, we lost many bridges over the years until we found the best way to set it into the valley sides."

Freudl seemed impatient with this talk of the flooding and the bridge and edged nearer to Daniel. "This other one you found, did it look just like this one?"

"No, it had fewer markings. Unlike the one on my world which has many more, like this one," he said taking the small disc back from Freudl's open hand. "See this one is almost covered on both sides? The one found on my home world is completely covered but it is much larger and not made from metal."

"Larger? How much larger?"

"Well in the way we describe dimensions, this one is about one inch across and the one at home is roughly five inches across and that one is made from fired clay not metal," Daniel explained carefully, trying to indicate with his fingers, screwing up his eyes as if it would help gauge the distance.

"Five times as large," Freudl said amazed. He got to his feet looking down at Daniel and Jack. "Could I see this?"

Jack got to his feet too. "I am sorry Freudl, but it would be impossible to take you through the standing ring without us getting to know you and your people much better. Our leaders would have to…"

Freudl interrupted, "Yes, yes, I understand. I didn't mean to travel through the standing ring." He stared at Daniel, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "I thought I made it clear that my people do not understand the ring, we do not think it is meant for us. Could you not bring the larger disc for me to see?"

Jack frowned, turning to let Daniel field that question, he was the diplomat of the two of them anyway. Daniel had risen by this time as had Aruon and the linguist spoke carefully, not wishing to cause offence. "I'm afraid that is impossible, Freudl. The disc is a precious item to all my people. It is unique; we have nothing else quite like it and it is kept in a special room, in a special building. The people of my world can see the disc but it cannot be removed. I cannot bring it for you to see."

Freudl nodded slowly, "I understand. It is valuable. You seek to protect it." He lifted his head and there was a strange smile on his lips. "You do not know from where it comes and hope to learn from us, from me?"

Daniel glanced at Jack and the older man met his gaze squarely, letting him know that he trusted Daniel however he wanted to play this out. Daniel looked less at ease now, Freudl's unexplained knowledge finally unsettling him. "Yes, Freudl I hoped you could provide us with some help. My people are unable to read the markings on the disc and we have tried for many, many centuries. When I realised what I had found on your world I hoped that perhaps at last the mystery could be solved. Can you read these markings?"

"No, my friend. They are as much a mystery to us as they are to your people. I have seen a few drawings of discs like this one, but no two have been alike. There have been similar markings on each one, in different places, in different groupings. Sometimes an unusual mark will appear among others, sometimes they will all seem familiar but I have never seen two with the markings in exactly the same place -- and I have never seen one like this before with markings virtually covering both sides completely."

"Do you believe another people could have left them here?"

"Oh yes, we believe the old ones, who according to our legends, came at the dawn of time and left through the other ring, may have left them."

"Old ones?" Daniel queried.

"Other ring?" Jack asked. Jack and Daniel exchanged puzzled looks and both turned back to look at Freudl. Jack continued, "Have I got this right, there is another ...standing ring out there somewhere?" His voice was incredulous and then he frowned. "Why the hell didn't you tell us?" he asked in a hard tone.

Daniel nudged his arm; the message clear, this was not the time to antagonise their hosts. However, Freudl didn't seem to take offence, he merely shrugged and said, "You did not ask."

"Oh fercryin'outloud!"

"Jack," Daniel said quietly, a hand on his arm as he spoke calmly to the Shaman. "Freudl, could you please tell us of this second ring. It isn’t normal for there to be two of them on one world. This is confusing for us."

"Ah, I see. Of this I was unaware. It is just the way it is here. We have no knowledge of where the standing rings came from. Our history suggests that the old ones, those we believe left the shiny discs, used the northern ring, while those who came later and claimed to be gods used the ring you came through."

Each world should only need one gate, the only reason Earth had two was because the first one had been buried in ice. The addresses on the gate would be identical, and incoming travellers would be drawn to the first gate, unless both had a DHD and then one would have to override the other. This whole subject always gave Jack a headache, always had, always would! It made no sense, however, to try and question Freudl or Aruon about this quandary, it was clear that they knew little, more likely nothing of how the gates operated. In fact, the people of this world had no use or interest in the gate whatsoever.

Deciding that more questions about the gates were useless, Daniel asked, "Is it far? I mean could we go there?"

"Daniel," Jack said, trying to convey with just his name that there was no way they could travel half way across this world to visit the second gate.

Talking quickly for both Jack's and Freudl's benefit, Daniel added, "It might have writing like the discs there, it might explain why there are two gates -- rings -- on this world, maybe the destinations are different or something."

Jack sighed audibly. "You're fishing, Daniel," he said sharply.

"Maybe, but maybe I'm right. What if this northern ring is an entirely different kind of gate?" Daniel was becoming more intrigued at the idea. Could another race have developed gates of its own? He shook his head; there was thinking outside of the box and there was letting his imagination run riot. Still...

"It is only half a day's travel away," Freudl spoke up. "I would be happy to show you the way."

"Half a day?" Jack queried, "But that's crazy! That means the two gates are less than a day apart! I was expecting it to be on the other side of the planet."

"Why?" Aruon asked and for the life of him, Jack didn't know the answer. Why did he assume it was a requisite that the gates be so far apart? e haH

He had simply assumed that it needed to be that way because that was how it was on Earth, but the second gate had been sited in a vastly different location as the original had been covered because of an ice age; there had been a physical reason for the distance, even if the second location seemed totally arbitrary. But otherwise, why would it matter? He needed Carter to answer that one!

"Half a day, Jack," Daniel pressed, talking fast, his eyes fixed on Jack's. "If we were to leave now we could camp there tonight and then tomorrow we could study the place. Really find out if the gate is different, if there really is any of the disc writing there. Jack?"

Jack looked at Daniel, inwardly stunned by the image he presented. His face slightly flushed with excitement, eyes sparkling, and mouth slightly agape as he waited anxiously for an answer from his friend. Jack was entranced and in that moment all he wanted was to make Daniel happy, to see that all too rare, bright smile break out over his handsome face. He'd last seen that smile on Friday night and he had wiped it away when he pulled the rug from under his friend's feet. He knew he couldn't put the rug back, but he could give Daniel this one moment of joy.

"Alright, Daniel, you can have tomorrow to study this northern ring but we have to leave in time to get back to the other gate so we can get back to the SGC on schedule."

Jack got his wish as a wide, breath-taking smile appeared on Daniel's face. But ever prepared to push for just that little iota extra, Daniel added, "Or maybe report back if…"

"Only if something really, really important gives ME cause for thought, gives ME cause to consider requesting more time," Jack said with very definite emphasis. "Got it, Daniel?"

Daniel grinned anyway as he said, "Yes, sir, colonel, sir."

"Bastard," Jack muttered under his breath, but every man in the room heard him and each of them recognised the underlying affection.

~~

Less than an hour later Jack and Daniel set out for the second standing ring with Freudl leading the way. Two of the warriors were also accompanying them to act as protection. Jack tried to convince the elders that they didn't need any protection and that in fact it was his duty to protect Daniel and he would look after Freudl as well. He tried to explain about his superior weapon but they didn't appear to understand and Daniel quietly told him to let it go. It didn't matter and it wouldn't do to offend them, they were being very generous. Jack couldn't argue with that, if it made Daniel happy and his threat assessment told him there was no threat, then that was good enough for him.

Even though Freudl was ostensibly showing them the way, one of the warriors actually took point with the second man taking their six, which left Jack happily walking alongside Daniel as he chatted with the Shaman. Jack tuned most of it out, they were discussing the 'old ones' and he knew that Daniel would fill him in on anything he needed to know, but as far as he was concerned, he would hear enough about it at the briefing when they returned through the gate. He decided to simply enjoy the trek in the company of his friend.

It was a pleasant enough walk; the countryside north of the village was a little less grey and featureless than it had been on the way from the Stargate. They were gradually climbing higher and it became warmer as they travelled. The trees grew a little taller, a little straighter and the leaves were thicker and clearly green. The ground between was covered with what appeared to be a thick moss, still a little on the grey side but with tiny yellow and white flowers growing in patches. There were insects here too but individual ones not in a pack which Jack noted with relief, some pretty large not unlike huge butterflies and just as pretty. Jack was pleased not to see any sign of those voracious tiny insects that had stripped the growth from the stunted tree down in the valley.

The higher they climbed the more colour appeared as if the vegetation was celebrating the warmth of the sun. It made Jack's mood lighten and he turned to smile at his companions to find Daniel watching him as Freudl moved ahead to talk to the leading warrior.

"What?" Jack asked puzzled by Daniel's intense gaze.

Daniel smiled gently and said, "Just nice to see you look so relaxed." Jack frowned and, his smile fading, Daniel went on, "You have seemed too tense recently and I guess I'm sorry for that."

"No, Daniel, it's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault that we...." Jack paused, not willing to put into words what he refused to allow himself to think about. Wanting to change the subject, Jack smiled easily and said, "Come on, let's catch up." It never occurred to Jack to wonder how it just happened to be at the right moment that Freudl had left them alone.

Shortly after that they reached the summit of their climb and found themselves looking down into another valley, but the side of this one as it descended seemed to be formed by a series of wide terraces rather than a gradual slope. And there, in clear view, on the first terrace from the top was the northern standing ring.

Daniel glanced at Jack and didn't need to say that from this distance it looked remarkably like just any other Stargate. The size, the shape, the colour of the stone, all was perfectly recognisable. So, either it was no longer working and the one they had come through was the replacement, or for some reason they didn't yet know it was another gate.

Freudl turned to them and said simply, "See."

"Yep," Jack said, "we see only too clearly. And it still doesn't make any sense."

"Let's get a closer look, maybe it will make some sense then," Daniel added, turning to move down into the valley following the lead warrior who had already started down the rough hewn path.

They hadn't reached the gate when it became clear one thing was different; there was no DHD visible.

"That could be it then," Daniel said quietly to Jack as they moved closer. "Perhaps the DHD was moved from here to the new site. This one probably doesn't work any more." He sounded disappointed.

"Don't jump to any conclusions, Daniel. Your original theory about the language could still be right. They did say the old ones were a different people, maybe they didn't even use a DHD," Jack said thoughtfully remembering how Lya, and indeed the older Cassie, hadn’t used one.

Daniel glanced at him and smiled his thanks. He got a warm glow thinking that Jack cared enough for his feelings to be thinking like that. Usually Jack was happy to be just the colonel, leaving such things as thinking about languages and anthropology to his expert, and as for thinking about anything vaguely scientific... Of course, Daniel knew very well Jack was much more knowledgeable than he ever let on but it was particularly heartening that he didn't put on his 'dumb-Jack’ mask just now.

As he reached the terrace on which the standing ring was set, the lead warrior waited until Freudl reached him and then they waited until the second warrior arrived too. Jack and Daniel stood aside to allow the natives to approach the standing ring first but they showed no signs of moving any nearer and after a few seconds, Daniel asked why they were waiting.

"We have no desire to approach any nearer than this," Freudl said calmly.

"ave

Have you, or any of your people, seen this ring up close?" Daniel asked carefully.

"No. There was no need."

"You weren't curious?" Jack asked frowning.

"No. As I said before, my people have no interest in the standing ring, either of them."

This puzzled Jack. Even if they didn't know how the damned thing operated, or even that it did actually do something, he couldn't understand that over the centuries the people hadn't at least investigated it. Or them! Crap, for all they knew they could have vastly different markings on them. On the other hand, Jack thought, maybe there was a force field or trip device that would blow up in their faces if they got any closer.

"Daniel?" Jack began but Daniel interrupted him with a raised hand.

"No one has ever been any closer than this?" Daniel asked Freudl.

"Not as long as the memories have been told."

"It is not taboo -- forbidden? I mean we can approach?"

"If it is your wish," Freudl replied. "It is not forbidden, it is just not desired." He glanced at the valley laid out below, a far away look on his face and then he turned back to his visitors. "We will set up camp for the night. I advise you not to stay too long this evening, the sun will be going down shortly and it is wise to be ready for the coming dark." As he spoke Freudl sank gracefully to the grassy ground beneath his feet, and the two accompanying warriors began to undo the packs they had been carrying in preparation for settling down for the night.

"We will not linger long tonight, Freudl but I must just take a quick look," Daniel commented.

"You do not wish us to delay our twilight meal for you?" Freudl asked.

Jack just looked at Daniel who didn't bother to answer and Jack just shrugged his denial as the two men moved cautiously towards the second gate.

It wasn't set on a platform above a few steps, as were most of the exterior Stargates they had seen. There was a thick plinth in which the ring was set at a slight angle; as if it were leaning backwards and on closer inspection the stone ring seemed a little thinner than they were used to. But everything else looked the same, the inner and outer ring, and the red chevrons. But the markings, the symbols indicating gate addresses were definitely different.

"It is naquada?" Jack asked as he gingerly reached out to touch the material. "It doesn't feel any different," he frowned.

"It certainly looks like it," Daniel sounded distracted.

Jack turned to look at Daniel who, much to the colonel's surprise wasn't looking at the markings on the ring any longer, but was kneeling down staring at the plinth the gate stood upon. "Daniel, correct me if I'm wrong but there aren't as many symbols on the gate, each one looks larger."

"Hmmm," Daniel murmured. "I know."

"Daniel!" Frowning Daniel looked up at his commanding officer, though he only saw his confused friend, who added with a frustrated sigh, "The markings are different."

"I know, Jack. So are these," he said indicating the marks running the length of the plinth that Jack hadn't even noticed.

Kneeling down beside him, Jack grumbling as his knees complained after having walked for hours to get to this place. He studied the markings that Daniel showed him and even he could recognise the similarity to the discs that Daniel had found. "It's the same isn't it? As the Phaistos disc?"

Daniel was pleased that Jack pronounced the word correctly this time and glanced at him. "Yes, it is. Jack, I'm not sure, but look," he turned back to the fascinating writing he still couldn't decipher. "These markings here and here," he pointed. "They look to be in groupings. There is a...a wavy line between this section and here again. I wonder," his voice faded as he concentrated and his finger hovered over the different lines and curves as if tracing each symbol. "Hmm…Jack, they are in groups of seven, and look…" he reached out.

"Daniel, wait, don't…!"

~~

He seemed to ache everywhere and Daniel couldn't remember what had happened to make him feel so bad, though with the cotton wool filling his head he wasn't surprised he couldn't think clearly. Just then he heard a faint moan and for a moment he thought it was coming from him until he felt something brush his leg and with a rush of panic he knew he wasn't alone. Then he calmed as, without understanding why, he simply knew it was Jack and the idea that his friend was hurt pushed away his fears for himself, his concerns only for the man he loved. The memory came crashing back on him that Jack now knew how he felt and that he returned the feelings, but that he refused to act on them, refused to enter into a relationship with him. The pain of that rejection washed over him anew and he roughly pushed it aside as he had tried to push those feelings away ever since that fateful night at Jack's. Instead he concentrated on the here and now, which considering the hammer pounding inside his head, was not easy.

Daniel forced himself to roll towards the hand that lay on his thigh though he still didn't feel he could open his eyes. The brightness already seeping through his closed lids didn't make him feel confident at what would happen to his pupils when he did. Once his face was turned towards Jack he would be in some kind of shade and he would try then, see how hurt Jack actually was.

His name was suddenly croaked out and it was with utter relief that Daniel heard Jack's voice.

"Jack!" he answered, surprised at how hoarse he sounded. Finally he opened his eyes to find a pair of worried brown ones staring at him. Jack reached for him, his hand flopping down before he made contact but a slight smile touched his lips.

All that mattered to Jack was that they were together. Daniel had done it again, allowed his curiosity to get the better of his common sense. He had been so taken with the idea that he’d seen something in the markings on the plinth that he had to reach out and touch, somehow for Daniel touch helped his ideas coalesce and all too often it came with a price. Jack had always been willing to accept the cost with Daniel when he was also being forced to pay it.

"You had to touch, didn't ya, Danny?" he murmured. He had no idea how they had been yanked through the gate but clearly they had been. Jack could see the gate rising above and behind Daniel and he knew immediately it wasn't the one they had been studying, its location hadn't been in the middle of a bunch of damn trees. He couldn't make out any of the markings from where he lay, not least because his head felt as though it belonged to someone else, but he would bet his pay cheque that it was the same as the Phaistos disc.

It was only then that Daniel really remembered what he’d done though what registered first was the affectionate diminutive Jack had called him, and that whatever came of his error, Jack wasn't too mad. Jack's shouted warning hadn't come soon enough and his fingers had already brushed against a passage of writing on the plinth. With a twist of lips he realised that he had been correct and sections on the plinth had in fact been gate addresses. The plinth had been the DHD and they’d inadvertently travelled through the strange ring, though how he had no idea. His last memory was of kneeling by the plinth with Jack at his side; he had no memory of their trip through the gate or their arrival here, wherever here was. As if he needed it, Daniel had confirmation because as he glanced at their surroundings all he could see was a forest of deep green fir trees; they were definitely no longer on P7X 996.

"I'm sorry, Jack," he said softly, putting a hand to his aching head and rubbing his temple. "We must have come through the gate at quite a lick, I feel terrible." He tried to smile but only managed a pained grimace.

Jack knew exactly how he felt, he ached everywhere! "With you there, Daniel, I feel..." He never got chance to tell Daniel how he felt because a harsh voice spoke across him.

"Get to your feet!"

Jack's head swung round so fast a flash of pain went through his neck but he dismissed it when he saw the group of men coming out of the nearby forest, led by a beefy man who was pointing some kind of weapon at them. Jack automatically reached for his P90 but his hand only met his jacket and shocked he looked down at himself and then swiftly up at Daniel.

"Now!" the strange voice roared and something hard and unforgiving connected with Jack's lower back.

Daniel had seen Jack's abortive move for his weapon and he realised with equal shock that neither of them was armed any more. He too had been wearing a gun strapped to his thigh but it was gone. They both stared at each other, seeing their radios were missing too, as was Jack's knife. It then struck Daniel that besides their missing weapons neither of them had been wearing their packs, they had both been dropped near them as they worked.

"You waste time looking for weaponry, the circle disposes of it," the harsh voice said.

So, they literally had only the clothes they were being ordered to stand up in.

When they were both struck in the back as an incentive to get up, Jack snarled in reply but they each instinctively helped the other up, swaying a little against each other as they finally stood. And they finally faced the stranger who was demanding their obedience.

"We mean no harm, we are no threat," Daniel began but he was silenced by a shout and by the strange weapon being thrust into his face.

They didn't recognise the device the man was carrying, though it bore an overall resemblance to a staff weapon, except it was much slighter and shorter with a less bulbous head. However, the casual confident way the man pointed it at them left them in no doubt as to its efficacy. The man had about half a dozen others with him, two of whom were carrying short clubs, the other four seemed unarmed but two of them were carrying lengths of cord.

Without another word the four strangers split up and a pair each approached Jack and Daniel, pulling them apart.

"Hey!" Jack yelled and began to struggle but the leader's weapon charged and the meaning was clear. Jack's arms were roughly pulled behind his back and his hands tied with the cord, not tight enough to cut off circulation but certainly tight enough to prevent any movement that might loosen the bonds. Daniel was similarly treated and then one man from each pair left the secured captives in control of their partners and ran off towards the forest from which they had come.

The man in charge strode up to the bound men and stared at their faces for a moment before he took first Jack's and then Daniel's face in his hand and brusquely twisted them from side to side, staring closely at them like he was inspecting an animal…or worse. He seemed particularly interested in the area around their eyes. Then as swiftly as he had grabbed them he let go and stood back, seemingly dismissing them from his interest as he turned and walked away, standing behind his men.

Jack glanced at Daniel, obviously puzzled by this behaviour but Daniel gave a slight shake of his head, he had no answer either.

Daniel took the time to study these men who were surrounding them. Their skin colour was slightly olive but they did not have a middle eastern appearance, it was possible they were of Greek extraction but that would suggest they had been brought to this planet by the Goa'uld and that didn't seem to fit in with what Freudl's legends suggested. If they were an entirely alien race they certainly looked human. Of course if this was the origin of the Phaistos disc then it would fit in with his theory that the disc had been left by another alien race, perhaps ancestors of these people, in the distant past. The fact it had been found in Crete seemed pure chance. It was widely believed it had been left there from a foreign state anyway.

Daniel also gained the impression that there was hierarchy among these people. Besides the obvious fact that one of them gave the orders, the others were differently dressed. The leader was dressed in a dark blue long tunic falling to thigh length, edged with a silver thread and worn over thick straight ankle-length black pants. Over this he wore a long open cloak with a silver clasp at the neck. The two men carrying the clubs seem to be wearing something akin to a uniform; a tan undershirt and pants, topped by a sleeveless tunic in a darker shade of brown. They also wore a belt of brown leather from which hung a sling in which the club would fit. Daniel also noticed then that they also both wore a small knife attached to the belt. Apparently only the leader carried the more advanced weapon.

The other four men wore much poorer clothing in a neutral colour. Their arms were bare and though their tunics did fall to mid thigh, the pants were tight fitting and ended shortly below the knee. They wore sandals on their feet with criss-cross strapping to just below the hem of the pants. As it wasn't particularly warm Daniel assumed they must be cold though they gave no sign of it. Even as he thought about the position of the four men in whatever hierarchy was at work here, the two who had run to the forest returned with a cart pulled by two small horses.

It was pretty obvious now that they were being taken somewhere and once again Daniel tried to speak to them, "Please, we are peaceful travellers. Can we not talk and..."

"You will be silent!" the man ordered, his eyes flashing anger. "You will obey without question or you will learn the price of disobedience."

The cart had reached them by now and it was larger than Jack had first thought. There was a narrow driver's seat and behind a wide padded bench with a back support. The bed of the cart behind the seats was filled with straw and on each long side there was a narrow bench.

Without warning they were grabbed and thrown into the bed of the cart and as they struggled against the superior numbers, the leader spoke harshly, "Your first lesson, you belong to me now."

Shocked at the inference, Jack stopped struggling and stared at the man, who turned to one of the uniformed men and nodded. Suddenly Jack's ankles were grabbed and he renewed his struggles but he was quickly subdued by the superior numbers and his ankles were tied together too. He turned and saw Daniel was also tied the same way.

One of the four poorly dressed men bowed before the leader and asked, "Is there anything else, master?"

Master. A shudder went through Jack at the use of the word and all it implied. He looked again at Daniel and saw the same horror in his eyes. Master equated to slave, was that what the man meant, that they belonged to him as slaves?

Daniel saw the same shock he felt in Jack's eyes and he was filled with shame at what he had brought to his friend. It was his fault they were here on this world; whatever befell them now was laid at his door and no one else's.

The master dismissed the slave’s enquiry and was then helped to mount the cart by the two men in uniform who Daniel now realised were some kind of guards. At the same time the four men quickly climbed into the rear of the cart with Jack and Daniel, dividing so that two sat either side of them on the benches lining the rear section.

All sorts of thoughts were running through Daniel's mind but all he could think of was that something in the rules, the accepted behaviour of this world allowed this man to take them as his property. Until he or someone else explained what gave him that right he was operating in the dark. It didn't help, of course, that they were being taken away from their only means of escape. Daniel watched as the gate was hidden from view as the cart trundled into the forest.

"I'm sorry, Jack," Daniel said in a low voice, his eyes unable to meet those of his friend.

"Don't, Daniel," Jack said gruffly, wanting to reach out and touch his friend and offer comfort but he couldn't even see his eyes. Daniel was in full guilt mode.

"Daniel," Jack said softly, trying to get him to raise his eyes. "Look at me."

"I did not give you permission to speak," the man, their new master, said coldly.

Daniel did raise his eyes then, first at the man who was looking down at them with disdain from his comfortable seat and then he lowered his eyes to find himself looking at Jack. Jack smiled a little and nodded and Daniel's guilt lifted a notch. He felt even better when Jack mouthed the word together at him.

"If you disobey me again, I will punish you."

Jack, who couldn't even always control his mouth before senior officers or politicians, certainly couldn't keep his mouth shut in front of idiots, blurted, "How do we know if we are disobeying, you've given us no rules to follow!"

By way of an answer the man thrust his weapon against Jack's arm, saying as he did so, "The only rule you need to know is you do and say only what I allow you to do and say, otherwise do and say nothing." He only kept the implement pressed against Jack as he spoke but the colonel was rigid from the moment it touched him and until it was removed. The pain flowing through his arm from finger tip to shoulder and skittering across his back was agonising and he couldn't have cried out if he wanted to; he didn't even think he was breathing. When the contact was broken he collapsed back into the bed of the cart gasping for breath to fill his starved lungs, falling against Daniel who'd looked on in anguish as Jack had been punished.

Daniel could feel the shudders still running through Jack's form as he got his body back under control. He longed to wrap his arms around the man and give what comfort he could, but all he could do was support him with his own body as he recovered. Jack's head was lolling against his chest and without conscious thought he leaned down and brushed a kiss against his hair.

One of the men seated along the side of the cart behind him suddenly touched Daniel on the nape of his neck, his fingers brushing against him gently. Daniel turned and the man stared at Jack and surreptitiously shook his head. Daniel frowned and the man pursed his lips and abruptly Daniel understood, the man was warning him off from such affectionate contact. Daniel swiftly looked up at the man who now claimed to be his master, his back turned towards them. He assumed the other slave had only taken the chance to give him this small warning because they were not being watched. Daniel appreciated that the man, a stranger to them had taken a risk to give them this warning, and he smiled briefly and nodded his thanks. His co-conspirator accepted Daniel’s acknowledgement with his eyes before turning away to stare at the passing countryside.

Jack had felt the tender kiss and had regretted it when Daniel had pulled away then felt guilty knowing it was wrong to let his feelings control him like this, especially on a mission. Didn't that prove that he was right, that it was not safe to feel this way about his team-mate? Purposely he tried to push himself away from Daniel, doing his best to roll to the side which wasn't easy with his arms and legs tied as they were.

Daniel felt Jack rearranging himself and he glanced down to see that he was struggling to pull himself from Daniel's body and support himself. Daniel wished he would stay where he was, he would love to feel the weight and warmth of Jack’s body but he knew it was a dream only he shared. He sighed a little and Jack looked up at him, his eyes widening a little.

Daniel mouthed at him, "Okay?" and Jack just nodded his agreement. Jack closed his eyes as if intending to rest and Daniel thought he was probably being sensible as they had no idea what might happen when they arrived at their destination or even how long it would take to reach it, wherever it was. However, Daniel didn't feel relaxed enough to rest, he envied Jack the training that allowed the soldier to sleep at the drop of a hat and in the most inhospitable place imaginable.

Sighing internally, Jack did his best to stop his mind from creating all those situations when he had needed to lie close to Daniel over their years serving together; hold him when he was hurt, hug him because he needed comfort, keep him warm when he'd fallen into a river. Jack still remembered with sadness holding him in a darkened storeroom, or with joy in a crowded gateroom.

Meantime, Daniel allowed his attention to wander. He looked at the men sitting either side of them, they all seemed cowed and sad, physically thin and yet they looked strong, the muscles of their arms and legs noticeable, corded. He assumed whatever they were fed it was sufficient to keep them strong without putting any fat on their bodies. Obviously whatever work they were going to be expected to do was particularly physical. It was that thought that made Daniel realise he hadn't been thinking clearly at all.

They had come through the Stargate, accident it may have been, but the world he would have expected to find through that particular gate, the northern standing ring, would have been a world of advanced aliens who had been using the gate for millennia, possibly at the same time as the Ancients. These people certainly didn't seem very advanced. Okay, the weapon the master was carrying was something special, not only akin to a staff weapon but also to the Goa'uld pain-stick if Jack's reaction was any indication. But other than that? Horses and carts, slaves and masters in tunics and pants, sandals and cloaks? Something was amiss.

It was shortly after that the forest began to thin out and they were soon travelling through meadows and green fields which were laid out in large neat squares with hedges or occasionally fences delineating them and, even though they didn't recognise the various plants growing, it was obvious they were in farm land. The farm must be huge because the whole low lying valley was covered by crops in a variety of colours and types. Daniel strained his eyes to try and see what the group of people were doing in the distance and after a moment he realised they were manually turning over a fallow field. Now he understood the work they were going to be expected to perform. Daniel surreptitiously nudged Jack who turned towards him and from the look in his eye it was clear that Jack had reached the same conclusion. They were to join the many men needed as farm labourers to keep this venture going. Jack sighed; he’d thought he’d escaped the farmland of Minnesota, now it looked like he would be knee deep in animal crap and muddy fields after all.

They had almost reached the other side of the valley by the time the buildings came into view. The first thing they saw was the long low wall that seemed to go on forever and Jack wondered if it actually enclosed the whole valley. The narrow roadway the cart was moving along slowed and twisting round in the cart the two men could see a large pair of sturdy wooden gates. One of the two guards leapt down from the driver's seat and ran to open them while the other guard drove the cart through. He shut the gates behind them but he didn't mount the cart again, instead he hurried ahead towards the long low building that was now visible across the wide expanse of a yard in front of it. The gravel path curved and widened as it led to the building sandwiched between two differing sizes of lush grassed areas, the larger one on the left hand side had a small tree at the edge of a long narrow flowerbed.

It seemed pretty clear that the man who owned all this and the extensive farmland beyond these walls saw a difference between the status of those who served him, those he considered he owned, and himself. He was surrounded by the niceties of life and Daniel doubted the same could be said for his property.

The cart continued towards the building, turning so that when it stopped it was directly in front of the entrance. The master was helped down by the first guard while the second one climbed down and tied off the horses to a ring fastened to one of the posts supporting the roof over the wide veranda that ran the length of the front of the building. There were stone troughs placed at regular intervals along the veranda that were filled with colourful flowering plants.

On one side of the main entrance was a long bench whose seat and back was lined with soft cushions, while on the other side there was a table with two comfortable looking rocking chairs.

The master walked towards the steps leading to the entrance, turning back to face them when he stood on the lowest step. He nodded to the men in the rear of the cart and they swiftly jumped out and ran to one side of the building, around the corner and out of sight. The two guards then marched over to the trussed men still lying on the bed of the cart and using the small knives they wore they cut the bonds holding their feet together. Then one each grabbed hold of Jack and Daniel by the arm and dragged them out of the cart. Their legs were stiff and they staggered somewhat, but they were just about getting themselves steady when the guards shoved them to their knees in front of their supposed master. The guards positioned themselves one behind each captive.

Daniel was caught unawares and cried out as he landed awkwardly on a stone, hurting his knee and falling against Jack, who tried to support him so he didn't fall any further, knowing it would be difficult to get to his feet with his hands tied if he fell onto his side.

"Grovelling in the dirt seems the best position for my slaves," an amused voice announced and it took will power for Jack to keep his mouth shut this time. Instead he supported Daniel until he could get himself steady again and only then did he look up at the man above them on the steps.

"I don't know where you came from, your clothing is very unusual and you seem to know nothing of our ways here. You are not imprinted," he said with a little smile. "I know you came through the circle and as it is on my property that makes you mine."

Imprinted? Daniel wondered what the hell that meant and hoped the man would explain more. If not, they would have to hope the other slaves would be forthcoming, but not knowing how things worked in such a situation they would have to wait and see. Though if the attitude of the slave in the cart with them had been any indication.... As he felt Jack tense beside him Daniel's attention was drawn back to the man lecturing them.

"...and you will find I am a hard taskmaster, work hard and obey my instructions without fail and you will be treated well, the slightest infraction and you will be punished." He stepped down and stood directly over Jack, "You have already experienced one form of punishment, I hope you don't discover the other ones. That was painful but it has no lasting effects, yes? There are more…persuasive methods of treating recalcitrant slaves and I promise you don't want to experience those."

He stared steadily at the two men watching him on their knees but he didn't see the fear he wanted. He saw concern but he also saw determined resistance and he needed to break that. It may take a little time but he had no doubt he would break them, he'd broken better men than these. He turned on his heels and moved back to the lowest step, keeping his back to them for a few seconds, knowing they would feel nervous as they waited for his next command.

He turned again and nodded at his guards and they each stepped forward and cut the rope fastening the men's wrists together. Awkwardly the captives moved their painful arms forward and began rubbing at their wrists and then their upper arms. Just as they began to relax a little, he ordered sharply. "Strip!"

"What!" Surprise made Jack speak without meaning to.

"I will allow you that one indiscretion. Don't task me again. Remove all of your clothing. You may stand," he added as an afterthought.

Jack had been through this kind of humiliation before, after all it was standard procedure for subduing prisoners. Inwardly he shrugged, this so-called master was pretty predicable after all, he thought. One more item to store away to add to the overall picture he was creating of this man and the way he thought; he would need all the Intel he could gather if he was going to form an escape plan.

Without looking at each other Jack and Daniel got to their feet. To strip off was the last thing that either of that wanted to do; it was bad enough in front of these men who had little regard for them, but in front of each other? After what had happened between them everything seemed different for two men who for years had showered and changed together regardless.

Daniel had long dreamed of seeing Jack in all his glory. Not the colonel who prowled the locker rooms at the SGC as if walking around naked was perfectly normal; that man still somehow placed a barrier between Daniel and himself. But the man who had admitted to Daniel that he loved him, he had been open and sincere with nothing but his honesty cloaking him. Now knowing how Jack felt about Daniel even though he wouldn't act on it; god, knowing how Daniel felt about him.... Daniel still wanted to see Jack naked, but now he was afraid that if he couldn't control his body's responses he could place another weapon in the hands of the monster who considered he owned them.

Jack was so attuned to Daniel that he knew the man was afraid of revealing his lust for his friend. Jack knew of course it was so much more than the mere need for his body, Daniel was the kind of person who loved with his whole heart and soul, he knew no other way and, as unbelievable as it was, he loved Jack's heart and soul and desired his body. Jack didn't think he would ever understand how Daniel could love him, knowing the worst of him as Daniel did, but he would be forever grateful that he cared so much. That thought came as something as a shock to Jack as he was doing his level best to push away the knowledge that he wanted and needed Daniel. As ever, Daniel was too strong for him, Jack might deny the man to his face but he couldn't deny the need in his own heart…

As it came time to remove his pants and his boxers Daniel prayed that he wouldn't endanger either of them as he willed his cock to stay flaccid, glad at that moment that it was indeed a little chilly. It was at that moment that Daniel remembered the disc sequestered in the little snap lock inner lining of the right hand pocket of his pants. He'd specifically had those added to his BDU's to securely keep any small items he might pick up after almost losing stuff a few times just stowing them in his pack. As he gathered all his clothes together, he surreptitiously slipped the coin out and palmed it before settling his bundled clothes to cover his groin.

Jack removed the last of his clothing, keeping his eyes firmly forward, afraid of what looking at Daniel now on top of his personal revelation might do him. Even as the thought coalesced he felt his cock twitch and he concentrated with everything he had to try and stop his erection. He thought of Hammond, Siler and then suddenly he had a vision of Kinsey in Marge Simpson's dress and all he wanted to do was laugh.

"My name is Prianal Labast but to you I am Master. What is your name?" he asked staring at Jack, who answered resentfully, "O'Neill, Jack O'Neill."

"Odd name," he commented frowning.

He turned to Daniel who answered without being asked, "Daniel Jackson."

Prianal stared at Daniel for a moment, before saying almost pleasantly, "You answered without waiting for my question. While that could be considered initiative, it is not something I suggest you repeat unless you are one hundred percent certain of what answer I require. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?" he asked, the complacent tone gone.

"Yes... master," Daniel replied reluctantly.

"And don't forget it, either of you." He waited until both men had answered 'yes, master'. They were obviously not used to being subservient, a challenge but one he would enjoy. "Your previous names have no meaning here. All you are to me is property and I catalogue everything I own. You," he pointed to Jack, "will be Circle 53, and you," nodding to Daniel, "Circle 54."

Jack and Daniel stared at each other, more confused than ever.

"Miacah!" Prianal called out and one of the other slaves from the cart came from the side of the house where they hadn't noticed he had been waiting. He hurried forward carrying a bundle of nondescript cloth and looking first at Prianal for permission he handed one parcel to Jack and the other to Daniel, taking their clothing in exchange, before he scurried off to one side to wait. "Now you can wear suitable clothing for your position. Put those on," he ordered.

Jack and Daniel quickly donned the inadequate leggings and tunics and did their best to lace up the unfamiliar sandals. As he dressed Daniel slipped the coin into the waistband of the tight pants, knowing it would be covered by the tunic. Before they were finished, Prianal called Miacah back and ordered him to show them where they were to sleep and eat and to bring them back in the morning for instructions for their work placements. The slave bowed replying obsequiously, "Yes, master." Then he waved them to follow him and in the company of the two guards he led them around the side of the house.

Behind and to the left side of the house there was a stand of very tall and willowy trees with large pale green, almost yellow leaves. The trees moved gracefully with the slight breeze, the leaves lifting and dropping almost like huge scales, falling back against each other creating an almost impenetrable partition. It was impossible to see what was beyond this natural barrier. Miacah led them to one side of the trees where they met with the surrounding wall where a narrow gate was unlocked by one of the guards through which the men passed. Beyond the trees was another long low building but this one was much less salubrious than the master's house.

This was the slave quarters.

And Daniel was proven right; there were no status symbols here. There was no lush grass, no variety of brightly coloured flowering plants, no comfortable seating and no inviting living space. Here, there was only the hard-packed grey earth, stark stone walls with bars at the doors and windows. The facilities for bathing were obvious if a little confusing to the newcomers; an open fronted square block of a building with pipes lining the ceiling and the three walls at shoulder level and then at waist level. There was nothing they recognised as taps or shower heads but obviously it served to wash the slaves somehow and Daniel thought it would prove interesting when it came time to make use of it.

Nearby was a third building, half the size of what Jack already thought of as the barracks where they were to sleep. It too was open fronted but this last blockhouse was lined with long tables, and benches placed either side, while near the back wall there was another run of tables placed at a ninety-degree angle; obviously this was their version of a mess hall.

Beyond these buildings, and a little too far to make out clearly, were other large buildings, storehouses or barns, or perhaps stables. They would find out soon enough, Jack guessed.

After all, this was their home now, albeit temporary because Jack had no intention of getting comfortable.

~~

They learned a lot from Miacah over the next couple of days. Daniel had recognised him as the slave from the cart who had tried to hint that he shouldn't show too much affection for his friend in front of the master. Daniel understood the reasoning perfectly, it was exactly the same as Jack had taught him if ever they were captured, not to give their captor any more power over them than he already had.

Miacah had taken them into the centre, as the slaves called their barracks. It only had one entrance, directly in the middle of the building, which led to a long corridor with doors off it at regular intervals. Miacah explained that the main door was locked at night and all the windows were barred making escape impossible.

Miacah then led them to one of the doors, which he opened to show a rather bare room with eight narrow cots, set so low to the floor that for a second Daniel thought they were expected to actually sleep on the floor on pallets.

Miacah indicated that there were three empty beds in this room, pointing out the last three on the right and Jack immediately walked to the other side of the room to sit on the bed nearest the small barred window. He patted his hand on the mattress next to it with a raised eyebrow and smiled at Daniel, who plopped down onto it grimacing at its hardness. Not going to have a comfortable night's sleep on that!

The friendly slave hunkered down between the two beds and just took a few minutes to explain the basis of living as a slave in this place, the most interesting part being that once the evening meal was over at the day's end and they were locked inside the centre, they were as free as slaves ever were.

This information raised the hackles on the back of Jack's neck. As promising as it sounded initially, the opportunity for certain types of characters to impose their own kind of control could be a recipe for disaster. Jack knew he would have to be on the alert until he knew for certain what happened in this place after dark. He knew what happened in jails like this.

"I'll leave you for a while," Miacah said pulling himself upright. "It won't be long before the others return from the fields." He began to move towards the door.

"Wait!" Jack called and the slave turned back, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Could you tell us...?" Jack took a breath, glancing at Daniel. He had so many questions but didn't know where to start, and he certainly didn't want to spook this man, the only friendly face they had seen so far.

Daniel got the message loud and clear and smiling gently at the man, he said, "Miacah, we don't really know what is going on here, not even why we were taken in the first place. We never meant to come here and it is not right that we should have been taken. Perhaps if you could explain some things to us?"

Miacah frowned a little, looking from one man to the other, remembering the strange clothing they had been wearing and their brazen attitude to the master until the silver haired one had been taught a lesson. He nodded, moving back to sit on one of the nearby cots on the opposite side of the small room. "What do you want to know?"

"First of all, how did he -- the master -- know we would be arriving through the ring, circle I think he called it? It was an accident."

"The master never knows for certain when the men are going to come through, just that they do from time to time. He always keeps one of the guards posted at the far end of the southern field and then if the circle is activated he can hear it. He sends a signal to the master who comes to collect his new slaves. By the time he arrives they are beginning to recover."

"So everyone who arrives here is as...confused as we were?" Daniel queried.

At the same time, Jack asked, "You mean that anyone who comes through the circle is automatically his property?"

"Err, yes," the slave replied, glimpsed swiftly at Daniel and then Jack. "Of course, the circle belongs to him and the men who come through do not have the imprint here," he touched his temple. "Only the master and those in the city have the imprint and can never be slaves. People like me, born into slavery and people like you who are sent through from the far place because of your failure, can be taken as slaves."

Jack was getting more and more confused. "Failure, what failure? And what far place?"

Now it was Miacah's turn to frown, "You do not know?"

"Erm, I think we have come from a different far place, Miacah," Daniel responded. This was not exactly going as he had expected, it seemed for each question answered, two more were necessary. Giving a small sigh, he continued, "We have not failed at anything and we were not sent here. It really was an accident that we were drawn through the circle. We do not have this...this imprint because none of our people do. We do not even know what it is."

"Of course I do not have one, but I have seen the master's," Miacah said thoughtfully, "It is quite beautiful, a tiny golden disc with the circle markings all over it. You did not notice?" he added with a frown.

"The circle markings?" Daniel's eyes were wide and Jack just knew the archaeologist’s mind was skipping over every possibility he could think of. "Do all the imprints look like that, with the circle markings?" he asked breathlessly.

Miacah laughed bitterly, "And how would I know? I have never been anywhere to ever see another one!"

Miacah seemed to be getting agitated and Daniel thought perhaps it was time to change tack a little and he glanced at Jack. The colonel quickly caught on.

"What's with the name thing?" Jack asked. "He calls you by your name, what's going on?"

Miacah shrugged slightly. "The master gave me my name when I was born. He knows not those he gains through the circle and never bothers with their names. He gives them a number; I will bring you a small patch later with your number on that you must wear on your tunic."

"Fuck!" Jack was disgusted.

"It has a specific backing that will adhere to the material of the tunic," Miacah was explaining. "It has been specially treated to make it very hard wearing."

Daniel just sighed, saying to Jack, "Does it really matter what he calls us?" To Miacah, he said, "Will you call us by name?"

"Yes, Daniel Jackson," he replied with a smile.

"You can just call me Daniel, Jackson is my family name. And my friend is Jack."

"Jack. That is good. Thank you. I have no family name." There was no emotion in the tone just a statement of fact.

Daniel never got a chance to ask any more questions just then as the sound of many men returning to the compound drifted in from outside.

"They will clean up first and then gather to eat," Miacah referred to the rising hubbub of voices. "Come to the food block for your meal and you can meet some of the others."

The other slaves were wary of the newcomers, which Miacah told them quietly was the way they always behaved when someone new arrived, it tended to upset the natural hierarchy the men had set for themselves, so until the new men settled in and found their own spot within the group things tended to be unsettled. Jack in particular understood that only too well.

The meal was bland looking but proved to be quite tasty and actually rather filling and Daniel surmised the food had probably been carefully developed to supply the best nutritional value for the slaves to provide the services required.

Jack and Daniel saw the first women on the farm then, serving the stew-like meal from three huge vats set at equidistant locations on the long bench at the back of the food hall. Daniel had wondered at one point if the slaves were all male due to the heavy work involved, but when he saw the women he remembered Miacah's comments about being born into slavery.

Miacah came back later that evening to give them their patches and Jack handled his with distaste.

"Is this someone's idea of a joke?" he said, looking at the circular piece of fabric containing his number. Circle 53 indeed!

"Joke?" Miacah asked puzzled but Jack was in no mood to explain the irony he saw in the scrap of material, choosing instead to prowl the corridors of the barracks.

Daniel didn't say anything about the patch but he hated the idea of being known as just a number.

Instead he took the opportunity to ask Miacah about the women and sadness came into the man's eyes as he explained that there weren't many women allowed on the farm, only those few considered necessary to provide meals and produce the clothes the slaves wore. However, the master used them to breed more slaves though only at his discretion. He picked out the males he thought would produce the most useful offspring and paired them with women of his choice. However, if after a certain period the woman had not been impregnated then the master would eventually choose another mate for her. The feelings of the couple involved had no interest at all for their master.

Daniel felt there was a personal story mixed up in Miacah's dry telling of this sexual abuse. He couldn't imagine what it must be like if a slave had feelings for one of these poor woman who, to all intents and purposes, was being raped at their master's whim. He was sure some of the men would treat the women with respect but he was also sure others would not. What must it be like knowing the woman you loved was being repeatedly forced to have sex with strangers and there was nothing you could do about it, except endure this torture of the most callous kind?

Later, Daniel had just finished explaining to Jack what he'd learned about the treatment of the female slaves, when something else suddenly occurred to him and he shook his head at his lapse in not thinking of it earlier. He had been so caught up in discovering exactly what sort of future they were facing here that he hadn't given enough thought to how they had arrived in the first place.

"Jack," Daniel said softly, his eyes telling Jack that what he wanted to say was private so Jack moved closer. "I've been thinking about the gate, the symbols I studied on P7X 996. I'm pretty sure I can remember the address to get us back there." He didn't say 'I hope' but Jack saw it in his eyes anyway, "I just need to find the point of origin for this planet."

"And how exactly will you do that?" Jack suddenly had a vision of a very much younger, more naive Daniel, pushing the hair from his eyes as he searched for that elusive seventh symbol back on Abydos. He couldn't help the smile that spread over his face.

Daniel gave a puzzled frown at Jack's expression and shrugged, "I don't know but I didn't think it was funny."

"Just some good memories," Jack murmured, flashes of memory sliding through his mind of those first days with this remarkable man.

Daniel cocked his head on one side as he regarded his friend, wondering what exactly Jack was thinking of, seeing the moment when Jack dragged his attention back to the question at hand.

"I'm pretty sure the gate here stood on that same kind of plinth," Jack explained. "My vision was blurry I admit but..."

"If this imprint is so important here then the discs obviously mean something special. There must be other representations." Daniel was speaking more to himself that to Jack.

"You find the symbol and meanwhile I'll try and find a way outta this place." Jack sounded confident but in reality he knew it wouldn't be easy, and there wasn't much point him finding a way out of the compound if Daniel couldn't get them back through the gate.

~~

When they retired to the centre after the meal, Jack stood by the entrance and listened as the main door was securely locked. Miacah had already told them that there was no security patrol around the slave compounds because it was impossible for the slaves to get out of the centres. That was the first time they realised they were in one of three such compounds, and the nearest to the master’s home. Watching from the only window facing front, Jack observed as the guard pointed to a small device at the entrance and for just a split second a flash of light spread over the door before disappearing. Now he understood why they didn't consider patrolling the compound necessary, there was some kind of shielding protecting the centre.

"Come on," Daniel said quietly from just behind Jack, "Let's get some rest; I expect we'll be busy tomorrow." He tried to smile but he wasn't very successful.

They walked to the room where they were to sleep and saw their companions for the night. Five other men, two of whom were already lying on their bunks under their one blanket each, backs turned away from the door. One man was leaning against the window wall watching as they came in. The other two were playing some kind of game with different coloured bits of stone on the floor between their two cots; they looked up casually as Jack and Daniel entered but soon returned their attention to their game.

Jack eyed up the remaining man who had not moved and who had continued to watch them carefully. Daniel moved ahead of him, walking towards their cots and it was then that Jack realised the man's eyes were on his friend and on following the stranger's eyes he saw why. He had been too busy threat assessing everything and everyone to really study the outfits he and Daniel had been given and as he watched Daniel now he recognised he had been remiss.

The slave attire left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Daniel's broad shoulders and narrow waist were shown off to perfection and even the slight fanning out of the tunic over his hips only accentuated the grace of his movements. The leggings showed every ripple of his thigh muscles as he walked, his sex was outlined clearly. Jack's heart began to beat a little faster and he felt his skin prickle as sweat broke out along his spine. No wonder the other man was enjoying watching Daniel! Fuck!

Jack marched over and pulled his cot closer to Daniel's, much to the surprise of his puzzled friend. Daniel was no longer the innocent Jack had first thought when they had met but he was still oblivious, he had no idea how attractive he was. As Jack looked up, he caught the smile on the face of the man by the window and Jack met his glance with a hard stare. The man's smile faded and he moved to his own bed, opposite Jack's.

Daniel followed Jack's glance and saw the odd expression pass over the face of the stranger by the window. Giving himself an imaginary shake of the head at Jack's antics -- Jack always seemed to think that everyone had designs on him -- Daniel wished the one person he wanted really did have designs on his virtue!

With an inaudible sigh, Daniel pulled off his tunic and considered removing the pants but he wasn't comfortable enough in these new surroundings to go to bed naked, though it was his preference at home. So he lay down pulling the blanket over him and realised he really was glad that Jack had pulled his cot nearer; it wasn't as near as he would really like him to be but it would do for now. As ever, Jack's presence made him feel safe. He'd had cause on more occasions than he could remember to snap at Jack that he could take care of himself and he knew that Jack believed it; after all, it had been Jack who had taught Daniel much of his self-defence skills. However, both of them also knew that it wasn't in Jack's nature to give up his protective stance when it came to Daniel, and though Daniel would never admit to the man, he would never want him to.

That night Jack used his Special Ops skills to keep an eye on Daniel, or more accurately an eye and an ear on the other men in the room while Daniel slept; he had developed the skill to rest while still being aware of his surroundings. He also tried to listen for what was happening in the surrounding rooms, listening for trouble, trying to hear any noises that could be considered threatening. He did hear the sounds of men talking, he heard an argument in the room next door but it quietened as soon as one of the others in the room yelled at those arguing to shut up.

He also heard the sounds of sex -- in their own room. Jack easily pinned it down as coming from the two men who had been playing the game with the coloured stones and as he slowly moved his eyes in their direction, he saw the two entwined together on one bed moving slowly against each other, almost in total silence. If Jack hadn't been awake and listening so very carefully he probably wouldn't have heard a thing. He flicked his gaze to the other slave in the cot opposite his, the man who had been eyeing up Daniel earlier and he wasn't surprised to see that he too was watching the other two as they writhed against each other. Perhaps it was a little easier now for Jack to understand why the man had been watching Daniel; hell he might have even propositioned Jack if Daniel hadn't been here too!

Jack allowed himself to ease off somewhat after that, but he didn't relax his vigil.

~~

Jack and Daniel experienced the ritual of the washing block for the first time the next morning, and they discovered that the water was jetted out from tiny holes peppering the pipes all around them. That itself was no surprise of course, but the hot cleansing mist that formed certainly was. Daniel found the combination of apparent rustic life with the sudden touches of technology mystifying.

After washing they gathered at the food block for the early meal and were served a thick porridge which was not only warming but very filling.

It seemed that Miacah was something like a trustee similar to those in the prison systems back on Earth. He was trusted enough by the master that he had some control over the other slaves. He still had to obey the guards but even they did little more than remind him when it was time to set out for the fields in the morning, or to retreat into the centre for the night. Miacah and another slave named Poeter gave out the instructions for which fields the groups of slaves were to work in before they left in the morning after the first meal.

The group of twelve men of which Jack and Daniel were a part, was led off to work in a field about fifteen minutes walk from their centre. It was a large field of something that looked remarkably like corn, though the pink colour was rather disturbing. They were all given long-handled hoes and were expected to remove the weeds from between the tall plants. Jack was used to looking after his garden at home, but that was no comparison to this and when he joked that digging was more in Daniel's line than his, Daniel just gave him a poisonous look.

The next few days were spent in exactly the same way. They worked in the fields during the day, being allowed a stop of about half an hour for the mid-day meal which was brought out by two women in a cart. It consisted of a thick chunk of dark bread which had some kind of chopped nuts baked into it and a cup of something akin to thin milk but not from any cow they knew of. The men were allowed to use the large barn at the end of the field to eat the food and take their short break and Jack and Daniel sat apart to eat, though they listened carefully to the conversations going on around them for any Intel they could gather, but the one subject that was never mentioned was escape. It seemed the slaves didn't even think it was worth considering. They truly believed it was impossible.

Jack discovered that the big man, who still glanced at Daniel from time to time, was called Bhoan, while the couple who'd been having sex the night before, and never seemed far apart during their working day either, were called Pakka and Reishel. The other two men Oddom and Diaka kept very much to themselves and didn't mingle with the others at all.

The work was back-breaking and they weren't allowed to stop until the light began to fade. It was an exhausted pair of men who trudged back to the slave centre that first evening and all they wanted to do was collapse into bed, but Miacah insisted they wash and eat and, of course, he was right. After the wash, which they found surprisingly invigorating, they realised they were hungry and they cleared their plates. They slept well, both of them, though Jack took the extra precaution of pushing his bed even closer to Daniel's so the cots were actually touching. Daniel didn't comment just giving Jack a long look but when he lay down facing his friend he gave him a knowing smile before closing his eyes.

On the second day, Jack commented that the SGC would know now that they were missing as they should have returned by then. Not that the fact did them any good, Hammond would have no idea where they had gone. He could send a search party to P7X but the people there could only report that they had unexpectedly gone through the northern ring. No one could read the symbols on the ring and Jack even doubted if anyone would take the leap that Daniel had and realise that plinth was actually a DHD. Still with people like Carter involved in the search and the science and archaeological geeks working flat out, they wouldn't give up hope.

They had become more used to the manual labour and though each day was hard work, they hadn't been abused and the food, though always the same three meals, provided enough nutrition for the men to do the labour.

Daniel had made friends with some of the other slaves, originally as a way to gather information but his natural charm had won many over and Jack seemed to spend a lot of his time just keeping an eye out that it never became more than friendship. He wasn't too proud to realise that most of the others were afraid of him anyway. He had never had to do more than glower or stand close to anyone but it seemed enough to prove he was an alpha male and not to be messed with. What was more important to him though, was that no one messed with Daniel. He wondered if Daniel was aware of what he was doing and decided that he probably was. Jack might think of him as oblivious but he also knew the man was an anthropologist and he probably knew more about the status of alphas in society than Jack would ever know.

The nights had become difficult for Jack though. He no longer worried about Daniel in their room though he kept their cots touching. But most nights he heard the two men opposite having sex and it had begun to wear on him. He turned his back and tried to tune them out but that only meant that he was facing Daniel. He tried to keep his eyes closed but he found himself staring at Daniel as he slept. Sometimes it would be his face he watched, his friend's eyes dancing behind closed lids, his expression a faint smile or occasionally a frown. Other times Daniel's back would be turned and Jack found his eyes raking the line of his body, all too often settling on the curve of a hip, the swell of a buttock. But, eyes open or not, Jack couldn't shut out the faint sounds of the other cot moving, or the breathy sounds of the two men.

Then the dreams started. Dreams in which Daniel would open his eyes and smile, lift a hand in invitation and Jack would close the narrow gap between them and climb onto his cot with him. Their clothes would suddenly be gone and Jack would be moving languorously over him, kissing the warm skin and watching as Daniel's nipples hardened, as his cock lifted and filled. Jack would taste him, his mouth, his belly, his balls, before finally swallowing him deeply, taking his lover's essence deep inside. Then he would look into the eyes he could fall into and never come out and tell Daniel how much he loved him.

Then Daniel would smile, saying, "I know." He would hold Jack's face in his hands and kiss his lips tenderly before breaking off to say, "Take me, Jack," and then damnit, Jack would wake up to find himself staring at the still sleeping Daniel, sweating, panting and hurting because it wasn't real.

He'd known, of course, before they ever left on this mission that he loved Daniel but he thought he could control it, thought he could wait until he was free and able to let go, to really be himself, though if he had to stay in this place much longer he would break.

Would it be so wrong? He knew what Daniel would say. Daniel wanted him and Jack knew that he was well aware of what happened across the room every night. He had never mentioned it to Jack but he'd heard him talking to the two men about their...affair, asking in the most diplomatic way possible if the master knew, if he allowed such couplings. One of the men shrugged and simply said that they could do what they liked in the centre after the door was locked.

If Jack as much as looked at him as if he wanted him, Daniel would be in his bed before he took his next breath. What the hell was wrong with him? Daniel was offering himself on a plate and Jack was saying no! But then Jack knew if ever he let himself get that close to Daniel there would no going back, if once, just once, he had the man in his arms, in his bed, in his body, he would never be able to let him go. He would want to spend the rest of his life loving and being loved by him.

How could he do that and still be his commanding officer? How could he place him in a position that could cost his life?

"Stop those wheels turning, Jack," a soft voice said, the breath warm against his ear and he involuntarily shuddered. With a soft sigh, Daniel continued, "It's alright, just go to sleep."

"Daniel," Jack said softly, knowing Daniel would understand the words he still couldn't say.

Turning on his back, Daniel pulled his blanket up again and closed his eyes. He let his body settle, his breathing steady and pretended to sleep.

Each night he woke around the same time as if his body was in sympathy with the couple across the room. It was torture of the worst kind, and the best kind, to lie in his bed and listen to them making love, for he knew that was what it was. He'd thought it was only need at first but when he had spoken to them it had become clear it was so much more, the emotion in their eyes told him more than their words did. So, it wasn't hard to imagine that it was Jack murmuring to him, Jack touching him the way he fantasised. He had touched Jack's face, kissed those lips only once weeks ago now but the sense memory stayed with him and he played it over and over each night. It was all he had but he still carried the hope that one day it would be more than just a memory.

He knew Jack was well aware of what was going on, had heard his friend's erratic breathing on more than one occasion, felt the slight movement of the cot when Jack had needed to resort to relief; needing to tuck his hands underneath himself to stop from reaching out to offer help. Daniel would never touch Jack unless the other man invited him to. They had restored their friendship, in fact it was deeper now than it had ever been and Daniel believed that Jack needed him just as much as he needed Jack. Daniel had called him repressed on that Friday night and it was still true. Jack had to free himself of his shackles.

~~

As the days slowly turned into weeks with Daniel being none the wiser in finding the answer he so desperately needed, Jack began to be concerned for his friend's frame of mind. Daniel blamed himself more and more for their predicament and nothing Jack could say would lift his guilt or his need to get them home.

That morning, for the first time since their arrival they saw the master again. There was excitement among the men and Jack and Daniel wondered what was going on, it seemed the slaves knew what his appearance might mean but before they could find out for sure they were ordered to be silent. The guards had the men line up with Miacah and Poeter in front and then the master moved closer.

"I have been studying the reports of your work from my guards and have decided some of you have earned the chance of a reward." Prianal waited as the ripple of conversation went through the slaves.

Daniel saw Miacah lower his head and Poeter leaned in and said something to him but Miacah didn't respond.

Prianal was speaking again, "I have decided it is breeding time with three of my young women." He waited a beat. "Three of you will have a chance to impregnate a woman."

Daniel was angry, impregnate, a very polite word for rape! He glanced over at Jack and found the older man staring at Prianal. It seemed as if the premise had finally got through to Jack, when Daniel had told him a few weeks ago, he had just said something about it being the usual way masters often got new slaves.

The master began to walk along the lines of men, stopping every now and then to look at one, or another of them and then moving on again. It was a tried and tested method for instilling hope but tinged with a little uncertainty, for which ones would be fortunate enough to be chosen. There were around fifty men in the compound and only three of them were going to receive the 'reward'. Some, like the couple in their room probably wouldn't care if they were selected or not, they were quite happy with their personal arrangements, to others it probably would seem like a dream come true to be with a woman.

Daniel found the whole thing appalling, though as someone who had considered himself bisexual at one time, he should at least be able to appreciate how the men felt. He supposed in truth he did, if he had been captive here as long as some of these men, and had no interest at all in sex with a man, then after so long using only their own hand, the chance of actually having sex with a woman would truly seem like a reward -- provided the woman was willing.

Prianal made the trek along the line twice and after the second time he spoke to Miacah, who kept his eyes down and just nodded. Then the slave moved forward and called out three names, Robal, Cristib and Circle 54.

Daniel's head shot up in shock and Jack went rigid alongside him.

Robal and Cristib hurried out of the line and moved up to Miacah, who turned to look along the line of men looking for Daniel. "54?" he called again when he met Daniel's eyes.

"But I don't... I...," Daniel said haltingly.

One of the guards pushed into the second row where Jack and Daniel were standing and grabbed for him. Daniel saw Jack's sudden movement and shifted even faster to get between him and the guard, saying sharply, "No, Jack!" just as the guard's club was raised.

"What is amiss?" Prianal said, sounding annoyed.

"Nothing, master, a misunderstanding," Miacah quickly said. "As one of the newcomers, 54 didn't understand. He is coming now, master."

"Ah, I see. New blood, that would be good. Good," Prianal smiled at the thought.

The guard proceeded to shove Daniel forward and he risked a glance over his shoulder at Jack whose face was thunderous. Looking at him beseechingly, Daniel hoped he could keep himself under control. He didn't want to do this and he knew that Jack would realise it too, but it wasn't worth risking the safety of either of them, at least he wasn't being punished or facing any kind of danger. Belatedly, Daniel realised it could only be jealousy that was prompting Jack's rage, not that that made him happy in the current circumstances.

Jack met his eyes and Daniel saw him struggling to control his anger. The archaeologist mouthed at him, "Please," as he was prodded to follow the other two chosen men as they moved swiftly after Prianal.

Jack just nodded, knowing what the unspoken word really meant. Daniel was asking him to believe that whatever happened it wouldn't matter, it wouldn't change anything but he didn't know if that was true. Jack's head was aching and his ears were filled with the sound of his blood thundering through his veins. He knew it was irrational but the idea of his Daniel, his Daniel, being forced to sleep -- to have sex, damn it -- with someone else was anathema to him.

He hadn't claimed the right, but Daniel was his. The man had told him so, offered himself with look, word and deed, and no-one had the right to take what wasn't offered.

It was in that instant, more than any other over the past few weeks, that Jack realised they were slaves. Their treatment had been less traumatic than he might have expected when he first heard the word come out of Prianal's mouth. They had been well fed, and had not really been brutalised. They were forced to work long and hard and were sometimes threatened, but since that first day neither he nor Daniel had been hurt. It could have been so much worse and he had been lulled by that. He had been content to simply be at Daniel's side, simply surviving while he searched for an answer, spending all their time together, becoming even closer, relying on each other more and more. Now the truth had come back to haunt him. They had no rights, no freedoms, no choice!

He knew he should be grateful that Daniel had only been taken away for a short time -- he needed to ask Miacah about that -- and that he was supposedly being rewarded. He had to concentrate on that and not on his own jealousy. Daniel was safe and he would be coming back.

"Miacah!" he called as he saw the man returning to the compound.

~~

Daniel followed the others hoping that Jack would behave himself. For a while he had forgotten Prianal's threat the day they had been captured; luckily they had never experienced the other methods of punishment the master had mentioned and he had no desire that Jack should be the first to do so. Daniel's attention was brought back to the here and now when he walked into the back of Robal who had stopped just ahead of him, and he realised they had halted outside a building he had never seen before. He glanced around and realised this building must be around the other side of the master's house where they had not been allowed to go.

It was of a similar design to their own slave centre, though of a smaller size, and he guessed it must be the women's house, where they prepared the food, did all the laundry and sewed the new garments the slaves would need.

Prianal had turned to face them, looking them up and down like they were prize specimens in a zoo.

"This is the women's house. You will work in the fields as usual during the day, but you will be brought here at the end of your labour." Prianal paused looking at the men watching him, knowing they would be grateful for this gift and would be better slaves afterwards. Smiling magnanimously, he continued, "Enjoy your reward. You can thank me by providing fine lusty sons for your master." He pushed open the door and stepped inside.

All Daniel really cared about was that he would still be spending his days with Jack, that fact would certainly calm the older man.

As the guards took up their posts, one either side of the door, Miacah led the slaves inside, into a large central hall. There was a long table on one side of the room together with benches, where Daniel guessed the women ate, and in the other half of the room there were chairs scattered about and large cushions on the floor. Daniel's first thought was that it vaguely reminded him of a common room.

Prianal was standing at the far side of the room and behind him, with their eyes down were three women. From what Daniel could see he guessed they were somewhere around twenty-five years old. Miacah indicated that Daniel and the other two chosen men form a line directly in front of Prianal, who then walked to stand at the far end of the two rows of men and women. Miacah moved to wait beside and slightly behind his master.

Prianal stared at first one row then the other and after a moment he spoke quietly to Miacah who called out one of the women and then indicated Robal. The couple stood together. Next, another woman was called to be with Cristib, which left the last woman to be paired with Daniel.

She looked up and met Daniel's eyes for a second before dropping them again. Her name was Tiatha and Daniel was taken aback at her resemblance to Sha're. Not her face, no thank goodness her face was nothing like his dead wife, but the long dark curly hair and the bright dark eyes were.

Prianal left then without another word. Miacah told them he would back to take the men to the fields in the morning.

"Ah," Miacah said hesitantly. "The master will decide how long you may ...enjoy your reward, but you will be expected to perform to the best of your...ability. The house matron will keep on eye on ...progress."

Daniel wasn't sure he wanted to know what that meant but, from the corner of his eye, he saw the other two men looking at each other. Neither of them looked too happy.

Miacah reminded them that the women's house would be locked and secured just as the men's centre was. Then he too left.

As soon as he had gone, Robal spoke to the woman who had been gifted to him and she turned and led him out of the hall. Cristib looked his woman up and down, walking around her and then he presented a hand to her, which she slowly took. He gave her a pointed look and she turned and led him out of the same door as Robal had taken.

Slowly Daniel turned to Tiatha, not knowing quite what to say and nervously he asked, "Are there no other women here, besides this matron? It is large for just the four of you."

"The others were ordered to stay in their rooms, 54" she answered softly.

"Oh," he said, scanning the room to somehow delay the inevitable. "Please don't call me that. I have a name, it’s Daniel."

"As you wish," she shrugged, her voice stronger. "Look ...Daniel, I don't want to know your life story, your likes and dislikes. You seem to be a...caring man and I'm grateful, but the truth is I hate this, so let's get it over with. Follow me."

Daniel was rooted to the spot for a moment and he roused himself to follow her. She was already through the door and stalking down a long passage. He hurried to catch up to her. She opened the third door down the corridor and waited for him to go inside. He was grateful to find there was just one bed in the room and it was only then he realised he'd had the underlying fear of having to perform in front of the other two couples.

He stared at the bed, realising it was a double and he also understood in that instant that certain of these rooms were kept for just this occasion. He suddenly felt dirty and turned back to the woman he was expected to have sex with.

"Tiatha, I hate this as much as you. I'm not so desperate for sex with a woman that I'll willingly get you with child just because I am told to!" He took a breath. "Where I come from there is no slavery. What I am expected to do here..." He sighed, wondering if he ought to say it. But, god the woman knew it; it was her life! "Damn it! It's rape!" he declared.

She laughed, a bitter cold sound. "I ought to know to expect nothing else," she said in a soft voice, almost as if she was afraid to hear her own words. "I was born into this life, but I hoped, I dreamed of something better. I was a fool. Better? I probably shouldn't even be here." She looked at him then, sad eyes holding his and he couldn't look away. "I pray you don't give me a girl, they kill most of the girls. The master doesn't need as many girls, it's boys he wants."

Daniel was horrified. He had studied slavery through the ages and he knew that many slave-masters didn't encourage family units; it didn't pay to have to feed so many mouths. If it was hard labour that was needed, like mining or fieldwork, it was often just men they wanted. He knew that one of the most lenient -- if that was the right word to describe such a heinous institution -- was the slavery of the southern states of the United States in the nineteenth century when the slave-masters had allowed families to flourish. But to hear this woman speak so matter-of-factly about the murder of newborn girls, it was simply horrific.

As he stared at her, his emotions clear in his eyes, she angrily demanded, "Just get on with it! I don't want your sympathy; I don't want to be your friend. I don't even want to like you. It just hurts too much when it's time for them to take you away." The anger was gone now, she just sounded lost. Daniel wanted to take her in his arms and hug her pain away but he knew she didn't want that.

Instead he said, "If you say no, I won't touch you."

Staring at him, she shook her head, "It makes no difference to me; if it's not you it will be someone else. The master wants me with child."

Daniel sat on the bed leaving the choice up to her. She was nervous and withdrawn and he tried to think of something else to say, to help relax her, damn relax them both.

"What about this matron? Is she like a mother to you? Does she help with the births?"

Tiatha smiled but it wasn't a pleasant expression. "I wasn't allowed to be with my mother for very long, only until I was five but I like to think she would never have behaved to me the way Ishalla does to us." Daniel frowned at her words, and she went on relentlessly. "She checks the sheets every morning, that's how she keeps an eye on ...progress." Tiatha spat the word with disgust. "She looks for stains. It is expected that you won't take me every night, you are worked too hard in the fields, but she keeps a tally and if she decides we are not...performing satisfactorily the woman is punished. Sometimes it can just be the man is not aroused by that woman and changes are made..."

"Changes?" Daniel interrupted.

"I'll be given to one of the others and you'll get another woman. Sometimes the master makes the men take turns with us, but he didn't say that this time." Daniel went cold at the way this woman spoke so matter-of-factly about her treatment in this...brothel! Tiatha was still talking but Daniel didn't think she was really talking to him any more. "I remember though one time not long after I'd arrived in the women's house when Ishalla told the master than one woman -- Briona -- was refusing the couplings. She was supposedly telling the man that she was ill with something that might make him ill too. Don't know if it was true, any of it. All I do know is that one morning the master came and dragged her out. He threw her on the ground outside and he beat her with his rod, he didn't even turn it on, just hit her with it again and again as if it was a guard's club. Then he ordered each of the men, there were four of them that time, he told each of them to take her there and then, in front of him and all the women. It was the most degrading thing I ever saw...." Her voice faded and for a moment Daniel thought she was crying but no tears fell.

"I am so sorry," he said softly. "I wish there was something I could say, something I could do to help."

For what seemed a long time she was silent, though it was probably only a few seconds, when abruptly she said, "I'd rather it was someone like you, who has thoughts for my feelings. They don't always, you know." She sat down on the bed, near to him.

"How many children have you had?" Daniel asked gently.

"Two, the first was a boy, the second a girl", her eyes fell, "They didn't need to kill her. She came into the world too sick to survive and died within the hour. They just left me to hold her till she died."

"Oh god!" He automatically put his arms around her and she stiffened for a moment then relaxed into his embrace.

"It doesn't matter," she said firmly. "It will be a boy this time."

Daniel didn't know what was worse, to hope it would be a boy and survive, or to hope he didn't make her pregnant at all, but then it would just mean the master would send another man to her. For Tiatha, there was no better option; there were no options at all.

~~

The following morning, from almost the moment the door had been unlocked Jack was looking out for Daniel. He hadn't come when they were ordered to breakfast and as he was waiting in line, Bhoan, the man who had eyed up Daniel when they had first arrived, was standing behind him.

Bhoan leaned forward and whispered in Jack's ear, "All these weeks, old man, you were hoping he was going to turn to you but he never did. Why should he when he could have someone better? And now he has tasted a woman why would he ever want you?" Disdain dripped from his voice.

For a moment Jack was filled with anger, his hands forming fists before he even realised it. Then slowly he released his hands as well as the anger. He knew something that Bhoan didn't know of course. Daniel had always wanted him -- he was the one who had been stupid enough not to turn to Daniel.

Smiling, he turned back to Bhoan, "Your jealousy is showing Bhoan, as is your ignorance. Daniel has always been mine."

Bhoan snarled into his ear, "Yours! If he was yours why did he never lie with you?"

Jack turned again and this time he stared coldly at the other man, "I didn't lie with him." Jack watched as the implication hit Bhoan and the other man's eyes widened. Jack held the man's gaze as he repeated, "Daniel is mine."

Just then the gate to the compound opened and Miacah led the three slaves back inside and they immediately joined the queue for food.

"Daniel," Jack called inviting his friend to join him and Daniel slipped past the others to stand with him. Jack studied him carefully and saw immediately the strain around his eyes and the line of his mouth. "You all right?" he asked softly, not wanting Bhoan to overhear.

"Can we talk later?" asked Daniel, his voice low.

Jack wanted to know what had happened, what was going through Daniel's mind but he knew this was not the place to discuss it, so he nodded his agreement. Hopefully they would be able to talk later, either while working, sometimes they could get a location away from the other workers, or if not they could probably talk at meal break.

It turned out that they laboured virtually alone, except for one of the guards posted at their end of the field, as they worked nearest to the barn that day. At first Daniel was uncomfortable talking about what had happened the night before but Jack told him almost immediately that he had no choice but to obey Prianal.

Daniel told Jack what the woman had told him and how terrible it made him feel, but he stopped then, unable to tell Jack anything else, even unable to meet his eyes.

Jack said, "Look at me," and slowly Daniel raised his eyes. "As I watched them take you away I realised that we really are slaves, that we both have no choice, our lives are not our own while we're stuck on this damned planet." Jack hesitated, taking a cleansing breath before continuing, "But you know what else happened? It made me face the truth about myself."

Daniel frowned and Jack shrugged as he explained. "The anger I felt when they called your name, it was based...it was jealousy, pure and simple." A gentle smile lit his face as he confessed, "I love you, Daniel more than anyone else in my life."

Daniel stared. He could hardly believe that Jack had finally said those three little words to him. He’d known for a while how Jack felt of course, but to actually hear him say it!

"Thank you, Jack. I don't think you'll ever know how much I wanted to hear you say that," Daniel whispered, he hadn't actually known himself until he heard Jack admit it out loud.

"I want to do more than say it, Daniel, if you'll let me? When we can be together again, I want…" he hesitated, then continued, more strongly. "Damn it! Fuck the privacy, I want you so damn much if it means doing it surrounded by five other guys..."

Daniel laughed happily, and then his expression froze only to break out into a grin.

"What?" Jack asked, but Daniel just gave him an enigmatic smile.

A short time later, one of the guards called the mid-day break and everyone traipsed to the barn where the food was being unloaded from the cart. As they were nearest to the barn, Jack and Daniel arrived first and as they entered the building, Daniel drew Jack aside and pulled him towards a ladder at the far end.

"What're you doing, Daniel, I'm hungry," Jack asked, eyeing the food wagon

"Me too," Daniel said, his voice husky. "The food can wait, get your ass up there," he indicated with a lift of a shoulder. Jack's eyebrows shot upward in surprise but he stormed up the ladder as if the fires of hell were at his heels. Daniel grinned as he watched him climb, but the grin became lustful as he stared at the way Jack's strong legs lifted that sculptured butt up the ladder. It suddenly struck him that finally he was going to get his hands on that body he had craved for so long. Anticipation sent a tingle racing up his spine and without even realising it Daniel found himself at the top of the ladder clambering into the loft.

As he topped the ladder Jack made a grab for the younger man and tossed him into a pile of hay, throwing himself down alongside a laughing Daniel. "Oh, if you knew how long I have waited for you to be like this," Daniel said huskily.

"Like what?" asked Jack, his eyes sparkling as he reached for Daniel.

"Hot for me," Daniel grinned, "So you can't keep your hands off me," he added hoarsely as Jack proceeded to push his tunic up and touch his skin for the first time. Daniel reached up putting a hand behind Jack's neck and pulling his face down until they were so close they could feel each other's breath. "Kiss me, Jack," he murmured. "I want to feel those lips again. That one time only made me desperate for more."

Jack sucked in a breath at the passion in his lover's voice. As their lips touched, he suddenly realised that Daniel really was his lover at last and a deep peace settled over him. He was finally being true to himself. Then all thought slipped away as he lost himself in the sensation of kissing and touching.

Daniel's hands were pushing at the back of Jack's tunic, shoving it out of the way so he could feel hot skin under his hands. He rubbed up and down Jack’s spine, finally slipping his hands inside his pants to feel his ass. Jack sighed into his mouth when Daniel brushed awkwardly along his crease. Jack lifted his lips away and Daniel opened his eyes to see what was wrong.

"Not much time," Jack whispered, shoving his pants down as far as he could and Daniel got the message, shoving his down too. Daniel whipped his tunic over his head and Jack smiled, copying him.

When Jack lay down onto Daniel, their hard cocks touching for the first time, each man gasped at the fire that shot along nerve endings.

"Oh god, this is just..."

"Perfect?" Daniel murmured against Jack's neck before he licked from his ear to where his neck joined the shoulder, and he bit gently into the tender skin.

Jack arched his neck at the wonderful sensation and his hand, which had been travelling along Daniel's flank, gripped his flesh tightly, his nails digging into Daniel's golden skin. Daniel sucked in his breath at the momentary pain on his hip, before continuing to lick and kiss the bite better. Moving his stalled hand towards his goal, Jack gripped their cocks together in his large hand. Daniel moaned at the delicious contact and leaned down to nip at Jack's nipple as the older man firmly moved his hand up and down both their cocks, using the few drops of semen already leaking from each of them to lubricate his movements, squeezing gently as he reached the head of their cocks and then gliding down firmly before sliding back to the tips again.

Knowing he couldn't last much longer and not wanting to risk shouting out at the moment of climax, Jack murmured Daniel's name in his ear and when the younger man looked up Jack captured his mouth. Their tongues duelled, dancing together as did their cocks in Jack's hot hand.

Daniel gripped Jack tightly to him, holding him firmly by his biceps as he undulated against him in rhythm to the movements of Jack's hand. Then, Daniel slid a hand around Jack's back, caressing his ass, seeking out his crease again.

When Jack felt the pressure of Daniel's finger playing with his entrance he moaned into his mouth and Daniel continued to stroke him, circling his opening.

Both men were so close now, bodies squirmed as fingers tightened and each inhaled the other's breath. As close as they could be without being inside each other, they each showed how much they wanted and needed one another until almost simultaneously they came, coating each other in hot semen.

Jack collapsed onto Daniel who was gasping for breath. Jack rolled off him just keeping an arm across him, needing the contact.

"Oh, god, Jack...I...oh god!" Daniel gasped, rolling over towards Jack and resting on his shoulder.

"I know, love, I know," Jack whispered, holding him close.

They lay still and quiet, each savouring what they had just shared and all too soon, Jack had to say, "I'm sorry, Daniel, I'd like nothing better than to stay here with you but we'll have to get dressed again, it's almost time."

"Fuck!" Daniel muttered, lifting his head to look down at Jack.

"We will, when the time is right," Jack said looking serious. "Come on, we better go."

~~

A more contented Daniel entered the women's house that evening. He knew he shouldn't feel so happy but he couldn't stop it bubbling inside him. It helped, of course, that Jack didn't see his behaviour with Tiatha as a betrayal of their relationship -- god, he had a relationship with Jack!

After their meal the men were left to their own devices for a few minutes while the women cleared up and made sure everything was ready for the morning. The other two men were laughing and talking together and Daniel had the feeling they were talking about the women and not wanting to get involved in that kind of conversation, he sat in one of the chairs to wait for Tiatha to appear. He had only just taken his seat when two of the women arrived and one of them shyly told him that Tiatha would soon join him, and then they left with Robal and Cristib.

Ever the explorer, Daniel took the opportunity to study the room as he waited, but there was little to see, except for a tapestry over the fireplace. He got up and moved closer to study the subject -- his heart beating faster as he realised what he must be seeing. It was a representation of a disc, a huge detailed version of a Phaistos disc and, while it was definitely familiar, it wasn't the same as the one he had secreted in their room back in the men's centre.

It had to be the disc that was imprinted in the master's temple. He had been considering the idea that perhaps the disc imprint that Prianal wore was exactly what he needed to discover the secret of the seventh symbol but, if that was truly the answer; he had begun to despair that he could ever find it. Daniel had, of course, taken the time to look at it as closely as he could the day the master had chosen him to seed Tiatha. Still, it had been tiny and Prianal had never been close enough to him to see it properly, but this... Now, he could have been given exactly what he needed. Frowning, he realised though that he could never remember it all, it was just too huge. Maybe he could recall one symbol at a time, but there must be thirty or forty of them.

"Daniel," Tiatha said from behind him and, surprised, he swung around. "That," she went on, indicating the tapestry with a nod of her head, "is a reminder that what we do here is to further his power. That each child will belong to him."

There was no doubting the bitterness in her voice and it was with reluctance that Daniel asked, "This is the same as the imprint he wears?"

"Of course, the symbol of his rights and his ambition. I would rather not talk of that," she said turning away towards the corridor and her room.

"Tiatha," Daniel said quickly, "Do you have anything here I could draw with? And paper, parchment, anything like that?"

She frowned but said, "Yes, we have the fine paper we use to make patterns and the black stick to mark them with."

"Could I have some of the paper and a black stick, please? It’s important, I promise."

"What is it that you would wish to draw?" she asked confused.

Daniel licked his suddenly dry lips. The tapestry had diametrically opposed meanings to both of them. To him it was a means of freedom, to her it was an indication of slavery. Softly he confessed, "I need to copy the tapestry."

She stared at him for a long moment, emotions flitting across her suddenly mobile face. Slowly she nodded. "As you wish," she said moving across the hallway, returning shortly with a few sheets of folded paper and a stick of charcoal.

"Thank you very much." Daniel hesitantly smiled his thanks. He had expected more questions and though he was relieved he didn't have to answer any, he didn't like her lack of inquisitiveness.

"I don't understand and I don't believe I wish to," she said coldly, almost as if she understood what he was thinking. "I would be grateful if you didn't mention it to me again."

Without another word she turned and he followed her down the corridor.

~~

Jack lay in his bed, missing the warmth of Daniel. Until today, the man had never done more than lay close by his side, but Jack had always been hyper aware of his presence and now he missed him with the same clarity and the same pain.

He reached out to lay a hand in the centre of Daniel's blanket as if it held his memory and closed his eyes, trying to sleep subconsciously caressing the material under his hand. To his consternation in his mind's eye, Jack saw a vision of a dark haired beauty and, against his will, he saw Daniel lean in to kiss her -- she bore a remarkable resemblance to Sha're. Shaking his head to clear the image, Jack wished he were lying with Daniel, wished...wished he was the one who Daniel was penetrating. Jack licked his lips, not a little shocked at the way his cock had leapt at the idea of Daniel stroking deep inside his body. It was a long time since he'd had sex with a man and he’d never been comfortable with being breeched; but then he had never been in love with a man before. Sex had been more about power and control than about emotional connection. With Daniel it was so different.

Bhoan lay quietly watching the man he had come to dislike with an intensity that scared even him. As he watched the old bastard stroke the blanket on his friend's bed Bhoan knew exactly what the man was thinking; he'd had those same thoughts for weeks. Daniel was wasted on him, the idiotic old fool who had been stupid enough not to take what was on offer. How could he claim Daniel was his when he admitted he didn't have the balls to fuck the man?

Bhoan had the balls and he knew exactly how to make the best use of them, in more than one way in fact.

~~

The next day while working in the fields, Daniel told Jack about the tapestry and his plans to copy as many of the symbols as he could each day, though he doubted he could do more than two or three. Daniel didn't go into detail about how most of his time had to be spent with Tiatha. That morning he had slipped from Tiatha's bed as soon as he was able after dawn broke and gone into the hall and copied a couple of the devices carefully. Some of them were very similar and he needed to precise in his execution of them.

"I did recognise most of the designs I think," Daniel explained to Jack, slowly as he considered the many variations. "But it will help when I compare it with the disc I brought with me. I wish I had it for comparison, it's so hard to remember all of the markings."

"Don't worry, Daniel, it's safe and if you want to give me the papers I’ll keep them safe too." Jack knew the perfect place to stash them; he had already found a loose chunk of wall at the end of his bed. It was almost impossible to see unless you knew where to look and Jack would make sure no one else did.

Daniel nodded. "You're still no nearer finding a way out of here for us are you, Jack?" he asked.

Jack sighed, frustrated with his inability to get them out of the mess they were in. "There’s no way I know of to get past the barrier they key in each night without the activation device and I can't get near enough to a guard to take one. They would know immediately it was missing anyway, so that's a non-starter. The only way I can think of at the moment is to escape during the day, but for that we need to be certain you can dial the gate because that’s our only way to escape the guards. We'd have very little time to get away."

"Damn it, Jack." Daniel struggled to keep the irritation out of his voice. Jack had come to trust him, to always believe he could translate that, decipher this, talk that chieftain around and now he felt guilty but he couldn't. He felt useless. With a sigh, he admitted, "I can't guarantee I’ll find the seventh symbol, even if I think I have it I can't be certain without actually trying it. If we make a run for it and fail, god knows what they’ll do to us."

"You game to try or you wanna stay here for the rest of our lives?" Jack asked dryly.

"I don't want to see you hurt," Daniel said, only to be interrupted by a harsh voice.

"You gonna talk all day or do some work? Don't intend to carry you two just because he's got lucky," Bhoan grumbled as he stared at Daniel.

Jack made a motion towards the man but Daniel just put a hand on his arm and whispered, "He's not worth it."

Bhoan snarled an expletive and backed off. Daniel looked after him, shaking his head. "Don't let him get to you, Jack, that's exactly what he wants."

"Not exactly," Jack muttered.

Daniel knew what Jack referred to; he wasn't stupid. He knew Bhoan wanted him and he also knew Jack would fight him if he tried anything; it was up to Daniel to keep them apart. To try and distract Jack whose eyes still followed the abrasive man, Daniel said, "Do you suppose we'll be able to get a little time to ourselves again today?"

"If I have anything to say about it," Jack said gruffly. "Go, hoe the next row, that guard's got his eye on us. Look busy."

"I am busy," Daniel said, obeying Jack's blunt request. "I'm thinking of how to get us to the barn first. Damn it, we're too far away. I wonder if…"

"Daniel!" Jack growled.

~~

Days passed without any change. Jack saw Daniel during the working day but it's wasn't enough, it was never enough. They'd only managed to have one more fumble at sex in the barn and for Jack, who now dreamed nightly of being as close to Daniel as one man could get to another, it was painfully inadequate.

Jack was desperate to get Daniel back with him in the men's centre, but even Miacah couldn't tell him how long Daniel would be required to...to service Tiatha. The master, it seemed, was unpredictable about such things, deciding on a whim when a man had spent enough time with a woman. Jack was not patient at the best of times and now that he had decided he wanted everything with Daniel, abstinence did not sit well with him.

Daniel never talked about his time at the women's house after that first night. He only mentioned his progress with copying the representation of Prianal's imprint. Of his time with Tiatha, he was silent. He didn't even talk to Jack of the nights that he and Tiatha just lay quietly side by side, not even touching until finally they fell asleep. Those nights were far too infrequent and rare and he knew that she appreciated the respite. He had learned that he could get away with not having sex with her at least once a week, twice if he'd had a particularly gruelling job in the fields that day. Ishalla always knew what each man did during the day so it would only work on such days.

He always got up after the sun rose to give himself a little time each day to copy from the tapestry. Tiatha had never mentioned it to him since that first day; he wasn't even sure if she knew he was still copying it or not, but he didn't speak of it either. Daniel had decided to divide the drawing into quarters, as he felt he needed to keep the symbols in exactly the same layout as they were on the tapestry, believing their groupings had significance. After all, that had certainly been the case when he had pressed the DHD plinth that had brought them here.

He tried his best to keep Jack's spirits up but it seemed to be a losing battle. Of course, he had no idea that Bhoan enjoyed taunting Jack in the evenings when Daniel was absent. He made cutting comments about Jack's manhood, about his age, about the grey in his hair. He made it clear that he didn't think Jack was good enough for Daniel, that he was too old and that all the younger man needed was to lift his eyes from his aging friend and he couldn't fail to see it.

It had been almost three weeks now that Daniel had been spending his nights at the women's house and that morning he gave Jack the third quarter of the disc drawing. Daniel was confident that he would be able to finish soon, he’d already copied the next sequence on the last sheet of paper and he tried to make Jack feel they had a chance. He pressed the colonel to threat assess, to find a way for them to escape once he finally found the seventh symbol.

In fact, Daniel believed he might have already identified it. He’d found one symbol he’d never seen before, not on the Phaistos disc on Earth, nor on either of the two small discs he’d found on P7X, but as yet he had kept the information from Jack. He wanted to be certain that there wasn't another unknown symbol on the portion he‘d yet to copy; he couldn't risk assuming that he had it already until he’d carefully studied the complete disc, comparing it to the one hidden in the men's centre. They’d only have one chance to escape and Daniel couldn't afford to make an error.

The twenty-fifth day of his 'reward' was coming to an end and Jack and Daniel were leaving yet another field after a hard day's work. Daniel turned, about to take his leave of Jack when one of the guards called out to him. "Your services are not required at the women's house tonight."

"What?" Daniel was confused.

"The master has decided you've had enough...reward," the guard said with a distinct leer but Daniel just stared at the man.

"Daniel," Jack said perplexed by Daniel's attitude. "You should be relieved."

Daniel turned to him, and frowning Daniel replied, "I...She said she didn't want to get to know me, to like me, she said it was too hard when they took the men away if she let them in. I thought I understood but I...I at least expected to say goodbye to her."

"I'm sorry, Daniel, I should have known. You can't not feel for her." Jack did understand and he wished he didn't. If Daniel could empathise with a Unas, how the hell would he feel for that poor woman? "Come on, Daniel, let’s get some food and talk. Give it time."

Turning to Jack, Daniel was about to snap at the offhand comment when he realised that all the man wanted was to have him back, the woman had been a hindrance to him, he hadn't known her; he couldn't. He couldn't blame Jack for not sharing his disquiet. Daniel knew he would probably never see her again; maybe even never know if she was carrying his child. Better not to know. Better to believe she wasn't. After all, a year with him and Sha're hadn't become pregnant.

Determined not to spoil his new relationship with Jack over something neither of them could control, Daniel nodded and put his hand on Jack's shoulder, giving him a quick squeeze. Jack smiled and they made their way to the food block.

Bhoan watched as they walked ahead of him. He had heard the guard's words to Daniel and he knew that once Daniel was back in their room that night, the old man wouldn't refuse him…unless Bhoan's idea worked.

~~

Jack and Daniel were standing towards the end of the line waiting for food but they weren't bothered by the delay, each was just glad that they were together again, twenty-four-seven.

Daniel decided he would tell Jack that he had found the seventh symbol; there were only two symbols that Daniel hadn't yet had time to copy from the tapestry and they were both designs he was familiar with. The device he had copied three days previously was the one they needed; if he wanted any more proof it lay in the fact that he recognised the preceding six symbols in the same section. He had seen them on the disc he had brought with him and he had seen them on the plinth. They were the reason he had been drawn to touch what had actually been the DHD; they were the reason they were slaves on this planet.

Jack was itching to touch Daniel, they hadn't been able to be together in the barn that mid-day, in fact not once in the previous week and Jack's itch was deep seated. Daniel seemed to sense his restlessness and stepped just out of his reach, smiling back over his shoulder to let Jack know he understood.

Jack grimaced at him, mouthing, "Just wait until later."

Daniel shrugged and turned his back, hiding his broadening grin.

Bhoan watched the byplay recognising it for it was and it was the final irritant for his overstretched nerves. He shouldered his way past the man in front of him, the only one between the old man and himself. He leaned over the shoulder of his nemesis and growled in his ear, "You think this is going to be your lucky night, that you're going to stick that gnarled dick of yours up his ass. You've got nothing he needs. Now me, I have something he really wants, something that'll make him forget you even exist. I'm gonna hold him down and pound into him until he can't remember his own name, and then he's gonna beg..."

Jack cursed and swung round to land a punch on Bhoan's face.

Daniel heard the commotion and turned back just in time to see Jack's fist connect with Bhoan's mouth and chin. The man staggered as blood welled from his lips, but did nothing more than put his hands up in front of his face.

All Jack saw was his tormentor raising his hands to reciprocate and he leapt at the man, swearing harshly and forcing Bhoan to the ground.

Daniel tried to move closer, afraid for his friend and needing to get his hands on Jack to pull him off, but other slaves, excited by something so unusual as a fight, were pushing in between to get a better look and Daniel not only couldn't get any nearer, he was pushed further back. At the same time, the guards were attempting to get through the melee to see what was happening. Daniel knew that Jack would never have attacked Bhoan without cause and he realised now that the crafty and manipulative slave was doing nothing other than trying to protect himself from Jack. It looked to any bystander as if Jack was the instigator, that he was violently attacking another slave who was too afraid to even fight back.

Daniel tried again to squeeze through the crowd but the guards were using their clubs to force the onlookers back and Daniel had no chance to get to him; could do nothing but watch helplessly. The guards grabbed Jack, one putting an arm around his chest while two others took hold of a leg each and between them they dragged him off Bhoan, who cringed on the floor, blood running down his chin and a bruise already beginning to form on his jaw line; the perfect picture of a terrified man.

It took all of Daniel's self-control not to go after the man himself; it was obvious to him that Bhoan had provoked Jack to attack him and then simply let it happen, making no attempt to hit back. He wanted to appear the innocent party so all the blame would fall on Jack and cleverly he'd succeeded. Daniel was very afraid of what would happen to his lover now, what punishment would be considered suitable for such an act.

Jack's common sense came back to him as he struggled in the hands of the guards. The pain in his knuckles registered even as he saw Bhoan still lying on the floor a few feet away, looking hurt, cowed and afraid, but when he saw Jack staring at him a tiny smile twisted the corner of his bloody lips before he bowed his head, hiding his expression from the guards. That was the moment Jack realised he had been tricked.

Desperately, he sought out Daniel and saw him towards the back of the crowd that surrounded the guards who were still holding him tightly. It was obvious to Jack that Daniel realised exactly what had happened; the fear in his lover's expression made that very clear. He had been a fool allowing Bhoan to use his own jealousy, his insecurity against him so he attacked the man -- exactly as the bastard had wanted.

He was afraid of what was going to happen now, not so much for himself, he could take whatever punishment they threw at him. No, he was worried about Daniel. What would happen to him if they kept them apart? God, what that was Bhoan was angling for? Shit!

Jack's thoughts were cut off then as he was yanked out of the crowd and into the centre of the compound where he saw Prianal striding towards them in the company of another of his guards, Miacah running alongside him gasping as he was trying to talk to his master. Jack wondered if Miacah was arguing for or against him and was surprised to realise he really didn't know.

The rest of the slaves were being pressed into lines outside the main entrance to their centre, facing the open space where Jack was still held firm. Daniel had managed to edge himself into the front row where he could get a good view of his lover. Bhoan was now on his feet, standing to one side with a guard watching him.

Prianal stopped a few feet in front of Jack, staring at him, his face set and stony. Behind him Miacah gestured to two slaves at the end of the line to come to him and they ran quickly across the intervening space, their heads dipped as they passed their angry master.

At Miacah's instruction they immediately began pulling away some of the farming implements that were stored against a large wooden frame near the roadway the cart took as it made its way out of the compound towards the fields. There were hoes and spades, picks and large forks and they were all gathered together and moved off to one side to lean against the wall at the side of the wash block.

As Daniel watched the men work quickly a strange heavy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He glanced at Jack and watched the man's face still as the now empty A-frame was revealed. It seemed to Daniel that his lover was more composed than he was. Daniel had never admired the man more.

Prianal addressed the waiting slaves. "You belong to me body and soul, your only purpose in life is to do my bidding. My desire is that you work hard and for that I feed you well and look after your well being. I will not permit one slave to harm another -- such an action harms me!" He looked at Circle 53 now, remembering their first meeting; he'd thought then he'd have to punish this one again. "I warned you that I had more persuasive methods of making you obey me, I will show you."

With a wave of his arm, Jack was taken to the A-frame and his wrists roped together and fastened to the apex above him, stretching his arms to their limit. A guard took out his knife and with difficulty cut the tunic from his back. Jack knew they were going to whip him and he knew he could take that; it wouldn't be the first time. And once it was over he could go back to Daniel. He took a deep breath, relaxing at the knowledge.

Daniel was also taking deep breaths, to calm his nerves which were threatening to make him throw up. Unconsciously, Daniel's arms slowly wrapped around him chest as he watched what was happening. He had seen Jack hurt before, even seen him tortured and every time it took a little something from him; but he knew whatever happened he could never take his eyes from his lover. Perhaps just his presence would give Jack strength; he would face his own nightmares later.

One of the guards was shaking out a whip. It was made of many thin strips of leather, very similar to that which was known as the cat-o-nine tails on Earth. Daniel knew that each strip would cut separately into his lover's back yet he couldn't take his eyes from the thing.

Miacah watched as Jack's ankles were also fastened to the base of each side piece and then he swiftly marched over to Prianal again.

"Please master, may I speak?" Prianal gave a gracious nod, and the slave continued. "He has been a good worker, it would be a shame to damage him. I think it only fair that I should tell you that Bhoan has been provoking him for some time and today 53 could no longer hold back. Please master, give him another chance?"

Daniel heard Miacah's words and felt a flicker of hope, tinged with the doubt that the master would agree. The archaeologist knew that Prianal truly believed he had rights over the lives of those he considered his slaves; it all came down to whether he also wanted to appear magnanimous to them or not. The odd times he had seen the man since their arrival at the farm provided Daniel with little evidence as to how the master would behave.

Prianal looked at the slave's bowed head and then over at the man spread-eagled on the wooden frame. He didn't doubt Miacah's word; he'd proved himself and Prianal was also aware that Bhoan had not. Looking closely at the immobilised slave, he could see the strength of the man, his muscles rippling even now, insistent as he was on making it as difficult as possible to be tied as he was awaiting a whipping. Prianal couldn't simply allow him to escape punishment but neither did he want to ruin a good worker. Nodding to himself, he came to his decision.

"He must be punished for his disobedience but I will not risk permanent damage." He waved away the guard with the whip and instead pulled a small rod from his belt. He depressed a tiny switch on the handle and the rod was suddenly three times the length it had been a second earlier.

Jack struggled to look over his shoulder to see what was happening and, spotting the rod snap out to its full length, he knew what was coming.

Watching, Daniel realised it was the same device which had been used to inflict pain on Jack when they had first been captured. They had never seen it since that first day and they had no inkling that it retracted to be worn on the belt like that.

Prianal walked over towards Jack who was grateful for Miacah's impassioned appeal on his behalf. He knew the rod was going to hurt as much if not more than a whipping but in the long run this punishment would be better for Daniel's well being.

The master lifted the elongated rod high so all his slaves could see it and then he swung it lightly so it struck the centre of 53's back and the captive arched away from it, his mouth open in a silent scream. He left it there for considerably longer than the first time he’d used it on the man.

Daniel's hands curled into fists without him even realising what he was doing as he stared at the vision of his lover being hurt so mercilessly. Jack's eyes were shut tight, his mouth wide open and Daniel wished his partner would scream, wished that he could!

Icy hot fingers of agony spread from where the device pressed into Jack's back, radiating in every direction until he could feel them in his fingers and toes, even twisting around his penis and settling in his balls till he bucked trying to shake off the agony. He wanted to release the pain into the air around him but he didn't know how, he couldn't escape and he didn't understand. Someone should help him, he knew that but he couldn't remember who. Blue eyes, he could see blue eyes, but he couldn't see the face behind them.

Suddenly the pressure in his back was gone but the waves of pain continued to assault him and he sagged, something supported him but he didn't know what. Slowly, so slowly, the pain faded leaving an ache in every cell of his body. He heard a voice, someone speaking and he forced his painful ears to listen. He wanted to open his eyes to see who it was but he couldn't lift the lids.

"You witnessed his agony, let it be a warning to you. His body has suffered no permanent damage but he will always remember the pain." Prianal looked along the lines of faces, most of them with their eyes dipped but then he saw one man staring at him, his bright blue eyes hard and uncompromising. The slave master recognised him as the friend of the man hanging from his arms on the A-frame and decided this man still had a lesson to learn. "He will spend the night where he is, a reminder of his crime against me." The man dropped his eyes then and Prianal was satisfied. He turned and left the compound.

Bhoan had not moved while the punishment took place. When Prianal had decided against the whipping, he had at first been disappointed but as he watched the rod inflicted on his nemesis, he was well satisfied with what he saw. Then when Prianal announced that the old man was to spend the night lashed to the frame he couldn't have been happier, that was what he'd hoped for all along. He hadn't witnessed many punishments but, whenever it had happened, the slave had been left in place all night as a warning.

Now he would have the opportunity he wanted. Daniel would be alone in their quarters, none of the others would interfere. The younger man should be feeling particularly low and vulnerable after this and Bhoan was pretty sure he could persuade him that he could make him feel so much better. He knew Daniel would fight him at first, but he was heavier and stronger and Daniel would soon understand. If the old man was to be believed, Daniel had wanted to have sex with him for some time and once Bhoan showed him how good it could be with him, that bastard would never again be able to tell him that Daniel was his.

~~

Daniel leaned against the wall beside the small window in their room staring out into the compound where his lover was still suspended, alone in the cold night. His naked back shone white in the eerie light from the moon high up in the seemingly starless sky. Jack had collapsed against the frame, the only support he had and Daniel knew he must be in agony, if only from the way his arms were stretched so tightly, pulling at his shoulders and back. Daniel could only hope that the pain inflicted by the rod had long since left him. Just one night, Daniel thought gratefully, he would have Jack back by his side in the morning.

Knowing it was doing neither of them any good to stand there, Daniel decided the sooner he went to bed -- hopefully to sleep, he didn't know if he wanted to dream -- the sooner morning would be here. With a sigh he took one last look at his lover and moved to his bed, staring at Jack's empty one as he did so. Then he realised that Jack had done that for twenty five nights, stared at his empty bed. He pulled off his tunic but left his pants on and slid under his blanket.

He tossed and turned for a while despairing of ever getting to sleep that night, his mind constantly on Jack. Either reliving the punishment or fantasising about the time Jack would finally take him the way they both wanted. However, he must have finally drifted off because he was awakened an indeterminate time later as he felt a hand caress his back. He loved it when Jack ghosted his fingers along his spine like that, it made him feel...wait, no! That didn't feel right. Jack's fingers didn't... The breathing sounded...odd. On top of everything else, the scent of the man was all wrong. He remembered!

Daniel was fully awake now and he stiffened knowing it was a stranger touching him so intimately. He could feel the heat of another body close, too close. Someone was spooned up behind him, a hand now moving over his hip and hot breath brushing his ear as a voice he recognised, said, "Going to show you what a real man can do for you. You'll enjoy having me in your ass so much you'll never look at another man."

Suppressing a shudder, Daniel was grateful that he had left his pants on as Bhoan's fingers slid over his ass towards his crease and he swiftly turned over onto his back shucking off the questing hand in the process. Daniel intended to push the interloper off him but Bhoan was ready for him to try something and promptly pinned Daniel's shoulders to the bed, leaning his weight on him. Daniel was revolted by the feeling of the big slave's hands on his skin, his hot breath wafting over his face as he moved in closer to lick and nibble at his neck, but he was grateful Bhoan didn't try to kiss him.

Bhoan was murmuring things in his ear between licking his neck and shoulder, trying to persuade Daniel that he would enjoy himself. "I can show you things that your Jack could never do for you," he said in what Daniel was sure Bhoan thought was an enticing tone.

Snarling at him, Daniel called him a few choice names, his voice rising in anger and then Bhoan made the mistake of trying to quieten him by placing a hand over his mouth. In doing so, he released the pressure on Daniel's shoulders and immediately the archaeologist heaved and twisted and threw Bhoan off him to land on the floor by the cot. Daniel promptly leapt onto his back holding the man face down on the floor.

By now the other slaves in the barrack room were sitting up and watching; a couple of candles were even being lit. But no one was interfering, though the couple opposite, Pakka and Reishel, were watching particularly closely.

Daniel, his voice almost unrecognisable in his anger, stated, "You think I'd take you instead of Jack? You are not even equal to the flea that Jack brushes off his shoes." Daniel leaned his knee into the back of the man's shoulders and neck more forcefully until Bhoan groaned, his face and arm mashed into the rough floorboards. Daniel went on relentlessly, "If you ever so much as come near me again, I will kill you, and be assured that will be better than what Jack would do to you."

As Bhoan felt the strength and anger of the man holding his life in his hands, he realised he had misjudged him, badly. He had always thought that he needed the old guy to protect him, but quite obviously he didn't. When Daniel finally released him, Bhoan pushed himself up and away, scurrying back to his own bed.

Daniel didn't notice the smiles exchanged between Pakka and Reishel before one of them blew out their candle and they lay down again.

Unable to sleep after the attempted assault, Daniel either sat on the edge of his cot or stared out of the window waiting for dawn to rise. When he could see Jack clearly again he was still leaning on the A-frame for support, though it was with relief that Daniel realised that his lover was standing straighter. He watched impatiently as the guards finally entered the compound, one walking towards the centre to open up and two others went to free Jack.

As his hands were untied and he was freed from the post, Jack staggered slightly but he pushed the guards away attempting to stand on his own. Jack found it hard to move his arms, his shoulders were stiff and very painful. He slowly massaged his upper arms and shoulders then lifting them one at a time, he swung them in wide circles to try and loosen his abused muscles. A guard gave him a shove as encouragement to get moving and he began to make his way across the compound.

Still watching from the window, Daniel smiled at the man's stubbornness. Once the main door was opened, he was one of the first through it and he moved swiftly towards Jack who was walking unsteadily towards him, his face breaking into a wide smile when he saw Daniel.

"Hey," he said hoarsely as Daniel approached.

"Hey," Daniel cocked his head to one side, "Hungry?"

"Thirsty and yeah, hungry too."

"Good." Their mouths spoke different messages than their eyes. It was enough.

Soon after, Jack and Daniel were seated at one of the tables, eating their breakfast, just enjoying being together. Daniel hadn't asked about what had happened yesterday evening and Jack didn't volunteer any information. They both accepted that Daniel knew enough. Then suddenly Jack looked up, he didn't know why. He hadn't heard anything, nor really sensed anything but he did look up. Passing by the next table carrying his breakfast was Bhoan and Jack saw the abrasions on his right cheek and the scrapes on his right arm.

Abruptly, Jack turned to look at Daniel. At first last night, hanging from his bonds he had been so hurt, so confused he didn't even remember who he was. He'd had a vision of a pair of blue eyes and slowly he remembered who they belonged to and why he'd been punished. After his memory returned he spent the next hours worrying about what was happening to Daniel in the barrack room. He felt so helpless, he felt he had failed the one person he should have protected at all costs. So when he’d seen Daniel walking towards him and smiling, looking perfectly normal, Jack had been so relieved. Now his fears came crashing back. What had put those marks on Bhoan's face and arms? Was Daniel hiding something from him?

Staring at the unmarked face of his lover, Jack looked at every inch of uncovered skin on show and just as he thought Daniel was fine, he saw three slight bruises at the top of one arm.

"Daniel?" he asked, surprised that his voice sounded normal because inside he was seething with fear and suppressed anger.

Daniel had seen the looks, seen the dawning realisation and knew the fear roiling through Jack. Calmly he explained. "He tried, Jack, but he didn't get anywhere." Daniel waited a beat, then added, "Unless you count face down on the ground with my knee in his back."

Jack sighed with overwhelming relief. Then he narrowed his eyes and stared at Daniel's shoulder. "Nowhere at all?"

Daniel blew out a breath, letting his irritation show. "Okay he got his hands on me, his mouth too close to my ear, but he was stupid enough to use it to talk to me. He irritated me, even more than you do."

Jack grinned, he loved a snarky Daniel. "So you dumped him on the floor?"

"Something like that," Daniel shrugged. Jack didn't push for any more; it was enough to know that Daniel was alright. Though Bhoan had gotten away too lightly, Jack thought angrily. Jack's eyes narrowed as he thought what could have happened to Daniel in the dark of the night in that room. Jack thought of the many ways he knew to hurt a man, letting his taste for revenge have free reign for a while. If ever he got the opportunity, Jack would teach the man a lesson.

A short time later when they were walking towards the fields with the rest of the slaves to begin the day's work, they hung back as far as they could so Daniel was able to talk privately to Jack. Keeping his voice low, Daniel told Jack that he had found the seventh symbol.

"Ya sure?" Jack was relieved but it was only the beginning of yet one more problem.

"As sure as I can be," Daniel hesitated. "Like I said, without a chance to check it out... Do you trust me?"

"Always."

"You get me to the gate," Daniel said firmly. He frowned, "You worked out a plan to get us out of here yet?"

"There's only one way. We need to get out of the barn while everyone's eating." The mid-day break was best as the guards ate their meal in the barn too and they were less watchful when everyone was sharing a comparatively small space. "I have an idea, but I need a distraction."

Daniel frowned. "Won't we need to be as near to the gate as we can?"

"Yeah and if we can wait for the ideal time then we will. But, we may have to go at the drop of a hat if an opportunity presents itself. Just be prepared, Daniel."

"I am. And Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"I trust you too."

Smiling, Jack nodded, feeling good.

Daniel wondered which field they were being taken to that day; would circumstances present them with a chance this quickly? The idea died when they turned right at the next intersection, heading away from the gate.

~~

That evening, Daniel and Jack found themselves alone with only Pakka and Reishel for company as Bhoan and the other two did not return to their room after they had eaten as they usually did. Jack gave Daniel a quick glance hoping he would get the message that it was the perfect opportunity to put step one of his plan into action. They had a short time before the guards sent the others inside and locked the door for the night. Daniel gave Jack a slight nod and sidled towards the window to see if he could find the others outside in the compound, and he saw Bhoan as part of a larger group playing one of their inventive games. The other two were sitting together, backs against the wall, just watching. Daniel surreptitiously indicated to Jack where they were.

"You been...together a long time?" Jack bluntly asked Pakka who seemed to be the more outgoing of the two quiet men.

Pakka stared at him and then shrugged, "We grew up together, it just is."

"You never wanted a woman?"

"Why you asking these questions?" asked Reishel, piqued.

"Just curious. It just is for us too. We've been friends for a long time and I think it was always inevitable," Jack replied. Daniel turned from the window to smile at him.

Pakka glanced at his partner and then said, "We have both been 'rewarded' in the women's house. We...did our duty but it wasn't the same. We have both been with other men."

"Yeah, that was okay but," Reishel nodded at Pakka, "Not the same. He makes it better."

Jack nodded knowingly. "You ever fucked during the day?"

Eyes wide Pakka asked, "What?"

"Well, you sure enjoy each other in the dark, but you ever do it during the day?"

"No, but we can do what we want at night," Pakka said dismissively.

"Yeah, sure, but why should you only do it under the cover of darkness? Don't you want to really be able to see his face when he comes," Jack asked, nodding his head at Reishel. "Don't you want to know how flushed he gets, if his eyes roll back in his head?"

Turning away, Daniel smiled to himself. Only Jack could ask such blunt questions…bluntly. He made a mental note that when they got back home, he’d get Jack to talk ‘bluntly’ to him, and biting his lip he knew it would be a turn on.

The couple looked at each other, Reishel's face heating as he thought about seeing the look in Pakka's eyes with the sun shining behind him. "How can we? They watch us, make us work... I would..."

"We have, did it again today," Jack said offhandedly and knew he had them when they stared at each other. "It's much more exciting with the guards close by."

Lying in bed later, rolled up against Jack, Daniel whispered, "You sure sold them on doing it near the guards." Daniel smiled knowingly, "Made it sound as if it really excited you."

Jack grinned and murmured, "Okay, so it's not the first time the idea occurred to me, I've had this fantasy about taking you somewhere we risk getting caught."

Something crawled through Daniel's belly and he huffed out a soft laugh. "Didn't know you were an exhibitionist!"

"I'm not, I'm a risk taker! But not with you," he added, kissing Daniel's neck.

"And what if they get seen? Don't want them to get in trouble."

"Trouble? It'd be an education for the guards, they'll love it!"

"Are you sure you're right about tomorrow?"

"Sure? I guess not. But I told you what I overheard and it sure sounded to me that we're all needed to turn over the lower field."

Daniel sighed, "Do you suppose they're still looking for us or would they have assumed we're lost by now?"

A little surprised at the sudden change in the conversation, Jack shrugged. "We'll definitely be MIA; depends if Hammond can convince the Pentagon that we're still alive. If he could keep looking he would, Danny, you know that."

"I want to go home, Jack," Daniel said wistfully.

"I know, I wanna take you home. We've done all we can. It's up to fate now."

"Never did like fate, she's blind."

"Isn't that justice?"

"Her too."

~~

The next morning proved that Jack's supposition had been correct; they were being taken to what was commonly known as the lower field. It was the furthest field from the master's house and the land there dropped off towards the forest, hence the name. It was one of the larger fields with a barn at the halfway mark in one of the long sides of the rectangle. The large field had been fallow for a time and now it needed turning to a fine tilth for the next crop to be sown; it would be hard backbreaking work.

It puzzled Jack that no matter the size of the field the group of slaves was always sent out with four guards. Almost from the beginning Jack had thought the security on the farm wasn't that stringent. Only Prianal had the rod weapon. The guards just carried the clubs and knives. The thing was, of course, their only means of escape to total safety was back through the Stargate. If they could escape the farm, they had no idea where to go, what lay beyond the walls of the farmland. They could be leaping from the proverbial frying pan into the fire. No, their only real hope was through the gate.

Finally they had the opportunity they had been waiting for and the timing couldn't have been better.

Pakka and Reishel had joined them at their table for breakfast that morning and Pakka questioned Jack again about what it was like having sex in the barn with the guards so near. "Is it really worth it?" he asked quietly, eyes wide. "The risk of being overheard, being seen, getting caught. It sounds so dangerous."

Jack just gave a long slow smile before saying huskily, "That's the point."

Pakka was almost salivating at the idea and glanced at his lover who didn't say anything, but then he didn't need too, the look in his eyes said more than enough.

When the two men left to collect the tools needed for their day's labour, Daniel shook his head at Jack. "What?" Jack asked.

"You're such a...a... I'm a linguist and can't think of a suitable word!"

"You're not the only persuasive one," Jack grumbled.

"Persuasive? You had the poor man panting." Daniel frowned. "I just hope they don't get into any sort of trouble."

"Nah, no reason they should. It won't be happening when they should be working."

"Hmmm, guess you're right."

Jack knew that Daniel would worry over this like a dog with a bone; he couldn't help it, it was just his nature and nothing Jack said would stop that. Jack decided the best thing was to change the subject. "You sure you have the correct gate address?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Daniel sounded insulted, his mind no longer dwelling on the other two men, which was Jack's intention.

Daniel stalked ahead of him and Jack smiled as he hurried to catch up. "Well, I know you spent a lot of time copying the tapestry but it wasn't all you did while you were in the women's house." Jack whined a little and Daniel slowed down, turned and stared at him.

"Jack, you know I only...I didn't want..." Then Daniel saw the twinkle in his lover's eye and growled, "You bastard!" He stormed on ahead again ignoring Jack's peel of laughter.

In truth, Daniel was glad that Jack was so easily able to joke and laugh about his weeks in the women's house; despite Jack's assurances otherwise at the time, Daniel had been concerned about Jack's reaction when he was taken there at the end of each day's work. He'd been afraid that the longer he had to service Tiatha the more Jack would allow his jealousy to poison their relationship. Jack's resilience had been heartening and Daniel realised he shouldn't really have been surprised, he knew what a strong man his lover was.

They soon reached the lower field and the guards spread out to watch them work. One guard was placed at the far end of the field; he was the one nearest the Stargate. A second one was placed near the barn in the centre of the field, the third more or less opposite across the field, and the fourth one was at the top of the field.

As soon as they arrived, they were expected to begin their long day's work tilling the large field. The process would take several days to get the soil fine enough for planting. Of course, Jack had no intention that they would spend more than one morning slaving away with a spade or fork. He had plans that involved home, a bed and a warm Daniel.

He still hadn't had penetrative sex with Daniel; he might've told his lover that he wanted him so badly he would make love to him despite an audience but the truth was he didn't want their first time inside each other to be rushed or uncomfortable like that. He wanted to be relaxed enough to take his time, to make it good for both of them. He didn't care if he topped or if Daniel did, all he wanted was for it to be right. He didn't expect it to be perfect, it had been too long for both of them, but he did hope it would be something special. He wanted it to be something neither of them would ever forget; the idea of joining with Daniel in such an intimate way was something he'd dreamed about even before he finally stopped being an asshole and admitted to himself how he really felt.

As the sun finally reached high enough to disperse the low-lying mist from the heavy field, Jack lifted his arms into the air, pin-wheeling them slowly and then twisting side to side from the waist, bending as he did so, stretching his aching back muscles. He knew the guard leaning against the side of the barn nearby was observing him, but Jack was watching Daniel who was still digging. Jack smiled at the idea of his archaeologist digging; it was something he'd seen all too rarely.

Daniel must have sensed he was being watched because he twisted his head to look at Jack and smiled. He happened to be looking directly towards the guard at the moment and the man barked at them to get back to work.

"Show them how to dig, Daniel," Jack called to his friend who simply raised one finger at him in an age-old salute before returning to his digging. Jack guffawed as he shoved his spade into the soil.

The morning seemed to drag on much longer than normal but Daniel knew it was because he was subconsciously marking time. He wished he had his wristwatch, but that was something else that had never come through the Stargate with him.

Finally, the wagon arrived with the food and the guard nearest the barn called a halt to the morning's work. Jack and Daniel weren't the only ones who had engineered it so they were working near the building; Pakka and Reishel were digging nearby too. Needing them to be a distraction, Jack was counting on them still wanting to experience the excitement of indulging themselves where there was risk of being discovered.

Everyone was moving across the field, the guards keeping a careful watch on everyone as they did so. The guard near the barn kept on eye on Jack and Daniel as they slipped inside and Jack looked back over his shoulder, smiling to see the man's attention transferred to the other slaves moving closer. Daniel swiftly made his way up the ladder to the hayloft as his partner observed Pakka and Reishel hurry inside, grab some food from the wagon as they passed by, and then make their way behind the half wall of the last stall. Jack quickly climbed up the ladder just as others began to enter the barn.

Daniel lay on the floor of the loft watching Jack come up the ladder and keeping an eye on what was happening below. He couldn't see into the end stall but he could see as the guards moved one by one into the corner behind the wagon as they usually did. The first one to arrive picked up the large bundle, which contained the guards' food while the second one took out the flagon of juice they drank with it. They then settled down using the wall that separated them from the end stall as a backrest. From there they believed they could see everyone and most importantly of all had a direct line of sight to the barn entrance. Of course the only other exit from the barn was the hayloft opening but that was locked except at harvesting time.

At that moment up in the hayloft, while Daniel was keeping watch Jack was at the locked door. He’d scoped out the haylofts in each barn they had been in and of course he had found every one locked, but always with the same kind of lock. He studied it and knew with the correct tool he could open it. Once again some of his more nefarious skills from his days in Special Ops were to prove useful. He had looked for many days; he had the time to spare while Daniel searched for the seventh symbol, and finally found exactly what he was looking for. A thin piece of wire-like metal about six inches long that he could bend to the shape he wanted to insert into the lock mechanism and free it. He had tested the little device in a couple of the other hayloft locks and found that it worked. However, this would be the real test.

As Daniel watched what was happening he was disturbed to see Bhoan move closer to the end stall, looking for all the world as if he was listening. Daniel stared more closely at the guards to see if they gave any indication they'd heard something and indeed, one of them had turned his head in that direction too.

"Jack," Daniel whispered, repeating it when Jack didn't respond.

"I'm nearly there," Jack hissed.

"I think they're going to be seen. Bhoan's nosing around too," Daniel whispered.

"S'okay," Jack replied furtively. "He might even help. Bastard owes us one!"

"What the hell!" blurted a sharp voice. Jack smiled at the timing of that familiar voice as he incrementally turned the wire inside the mechanism. The smile faded a little at the man's next words. "I thought it was the old guy and Daniel!"

Dammit! We need more time, Daniel thought, as he saw the guards scramble to their feet staring into the end stall, exactly as Bhoan has intended. Though, instead of voices raised in query at the two men almost certainly coupling in the stall, Daniel heard laughter and shouts, though in encouragement, not in anger. As Daniel watched one of the guards shoved Bhoan aside to get a better look.

"But I thought... Where are...?"

Bhoan's irate question was interrupted as one of the guards stated, "Who cares who it is...look at that!" Laughter greeted the comment and Bhoan was pushed even further back.

"Go on, get it in there!"

"Fuck him deep!"

The crude comments and rude laughter filled the barn as the slaves also crowded around trying to see what was going on.

"Now, Jack, now!" urged Daniel, pushing back from the edge and looking over his shoulder, just in time to see Jack carefully shove open the loft doors. He took it slow to avoid the risk of creaking wood or screeching hinges.

The sound of laughter and voices raised in encouragement filtered through from below as Jack snagged the rope hanging from the post outside the loft doors and pulled it inside. He indicated that Daniel should climb down first and initially the archaeologist balked at going first, but one look at Jack's face convinced Daniel this was not the time to question his instructions. Daniel quickly gripped the rope and hand over hand he carefully climbed down the slowly swirling rope. As soon as Jack saw Daniel's feet touch ground, the soldier, moving more surely down the bucking line, swiftly followed his lover.

Daniel took one last look at the barn, unable to help but wonder what was going on inside, but if the now raucous laughter was any indication, Pakka and Reishel shouldn't be in too much hot water. It seemed they were putting on a good show!

Tugging at Daniel's arm, Jack indicated that they had to hurry and nodding, Daniel followed as Jack jogged along the short lane where the wagons travelled to load the hay, before moving across some rough land towards the forest where it bordered the southern end of the lower field. Just on the other side of the wood was the clearing where the Stargate stood on its plinth.

Darting into the trees, Jack hesitated to glance backward, allowing Daniel to run in front of him. Jack would've given anything to feel the weight of his P90 in his hands, he felt naked without it when they were running into danger. He didn't know how long it would be before they were missed. Bhoan had been thwarted but that didn't mean he wouldn't keep trying to find them and if he thought about the hay loft and went looking up there... Jack didn't have the slightest doubt that he would raise the alarm. The guards might not have had the advanced weapon that the master carried but they had clubs and knives and....

As if his thoughts had coalesced into reality, the sound of shouting and slamming of doors came clearly from the barn behind them.

"Keep going!" Jack yelled at Daniel who had slowed, turning his head at the sounds of the now obvious pursuit. Jack wondered how many would come after them, all four of the guards? That seemed very unlikely. He hoped they would be forced to leave at least a couple of them to watch the other slaves. It would be up to Jack to protect Daniel while he attempted to dial the gate. They hadn't really discussed what might happen if Daniel should fail, if the gate wouldn't dial. They would have nowhere to go. Travelling the land without either an imprint or a pass signed and stamped by an imprinted person was impossible, so they couldn't even make a run for it on the planet and hope to find solace. But neither of them had even suggested not making the attempt, of accepting their lot as slaves.

Listening to the pursuit now, Jack wondered if it was a mistake. At least as slaves on this world they could be together, working side and side and sleeping in each other's arms at night. Back home all they could do openly was work together. A close relationship would be very difficult to maintain and Jack knew he couldn't go back to just being friends now. It was too late for that.

"Jack!" Daniel called, pointing out the Stargate rising beyond the trees just ahead. Daniel sensed that Jack was stressing over the escape. They had talked very little about the consequences of risking escape from a master who considered they belonged to him body and soul. Daniel understood that Jack hated risking him, wanting always to protect him. He was also pretty sure that Jack had considered not taking the risk at all because when he'd asked what happened to slaves who tried to escape, he'd been greeted but blank looks or frowns. Apparently no one thought escape an idea even worth considering; it was impossible. That was a word that neither of them accepted. And Jack knew Daniel well enough that he would wish to risk it.

Running down the slight slope towards the gate, wending his way in and out of the trees, Daniel glanced back to see how close behind him Jack was. Seeing the man dart behind one of the trees, Daniel realised Jack was setting up an ambush for the trailing guards. Daniel still didn't know how many were chasing them, though he guessed it would be at least two. He wanted to run back and help him but he knew that wasn't what Jack would want. He had to trust Jack would do what was needed just as Jack trusted him to open the gate so they could go home. Resolutely, he turned his back on his lover and rushed towards the plinth supporting the gate, sliding to a halt alongside it. On his knees, he searched the divided sections of seven symbols looking for the sequence he had memorised.

Daniel slithered along the ground, searching, searching, praying that he hadn't been wrong. God, he couldn't be wrong. It had to be here, it had to! He got to the end of the long sides and turned the corner. He was pretty sure there weren't any addresses on the other side of the gate, the wrong side, but he wasn't sure about the two short sides. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw four more groups of symbols there. He checked them out and almost let out a whoop when he finally found what he was looking for.

Jack selected a wide bole tree in a direct line with the gate and waited. All too soon he could see who was following them and it was with relief that he saw only two men. They were running at full tilt through the trees, Jack had no idea if they'd realised the escaped slaves were actually heading for the gate. There was no real reason why they should, after all as far as the master was concerned travel through the gate was one way, so nobody could possibly escape through it.

One of the guards was a little ahead of his colleague and if Jack could time this right he could take him out before the second one arrived. As the man came in line with the tree Jack threw his arm out straight from the shoulder, keeping his elbow locked. Jack's rigid arm connected with the man's throat, lifting him off his feet and, with a choked gurgle; he dropped like a stone. Jack wasn't certain if the man was dead or merely stunned though he suspected his larynx was most likely crushed.

The second guard was on him almost immediately, apparently having caught up over the last few metres. He had obviously seen the other guard go down hard and already had his knife out as he cautiously approached the escaped slave.

Relief flowing through him to have found the address, Daniel turned to look up the incline and sucked in a breath when he saw Jack circling with one of the guards who had a knife in his hand. Daniel became aware of the body of the other guard near the tree and as sorry as he was if the man was dead, he was grateful that he was no longer a threat to Jack. Knowing that Jack was perfectly capable of taking care of himself in hand to hand combat, he swiftly turned back to the plinth and ran his hand over the address he needed.

Jack watched for an opening, assuming the man must be skilled with the knife as it was the most lethal weapon he carried. Abruptly the man lunged at him, the blade aimed directly at his heart and Jack twisted to avoid it moving his right arm at the same time to block the move, while his left hand whipped out to knock the knife from the guard's hand. He partly succeeded, blocking the strike but missed knocking the blade from the man's hand as he leaned away beyond Jack's reach. Jack danced back out of his way, his eyes never leaving the weapon in the man's hand. The man was obviously as wary of Jack as he was of him. He moved briskly on his feet and he held the knife lightly but firmly in an expert grip.

Suddenly, the guard seemed to remember the second escapee and Jack saw his eyes dart about and the man quickly moved his position so he was facing another direction. He must have suspected that Daniel was behind him but just at that moment Jack heard the wonderful sound of the gate opening. The guard started at the sound and Jack lunged for him while he was mentally off balance.

Immediately the gate's chevrons began to light up, behaving in a normal manner for a Stargate, unlike the one they had travelled through to get to this world. That was a mystery that Daniel had never been able to reason through. Why did that particular gate bring them through in such a manner? So fast they were unconscious when they arrived with no memory of their actual trip through the wormhole? And even more peculiar: why and how did it do so, leaving their weapons and other equipment behind?

Finally the gate whooshed open and the wormhole stabilised. Daniel turned back to where Jack was and his heart leapt into his mouth. Jack was pinned against a tree, the guard's knife through his side holding him there.

Jack had never expected the guard's reactions to be as honed as they proved to be. Even as the colonel launched himself at the shocked man, he twisted aside moving in an arc and Jack back-pedalled to avoid the swinging blade. Jack was angry that he had been careless enough to be caught out by an assumption, thinking the man was too surprised to protect himself adequately. Then his backward motion was halted as he slammed against a tree he hadn't realised was behind him and the guard's knife slid along his side, slicing into his flesh and scraping by his ribs on the way. Jack automatically tried to pull away and found himself pinned to the tree.

The pain galvanised Jack as perhaps nothing else could and gritting his teeth he grappled with his opponent, who had swiftly pulled his club from his belt and was trying to raise it. Determined not to fail now, Jack succeeded in viciously slamming the side of his hand down onto the man's wrist, gratified to hear the sound of breaking bone.

The club fell from suddenly nerveless fingers to thud into the ground at Jack's feet but, as he was unable to free himself from the tree, he couldn't retrieve the weapon, so instead he kicked it was far away as he could. The guard's right arm was useless now but he still tried to struggle free using his left arm and levering his body weight against Jack. However, at the same time, in a continuation of his move, Jack spun the man around, his moving centre of gravity actually helping Jack to complete the action.

Even as Daniel was desperately running to help his lover, he saw Jack manage to manoeuvre the guard so his back was to the colonel's chest, with the man's own arm and Jack's around his neck. Jack held his captive firmly against his chest and, using his other arm as leverage, he twisted the man's neck sharply, breaking it. Jack let him slide to the ground at his feet, gasping as pain exploded in his side.

Daniel reached him just as his lover sagged with exhausted relief. "Jack, oh god, Jack, look at you!" He reached towards the bloody knife still sticking through Jack's side, his hand hesitating just above it. He stared into Jack's haggard face, saying, "This is going to hurt and I probably shouldn't even be...."

"Just do it, fercryin'outloud!" Jack grimaced through pinched lips, knowing the knife shouldn't really be removed but that they had no choice.

Daniel took a good look at the way the knife was stuck through Jack and into the tree and frowned. "Jack, there's a lot of blood but the blade seems mostly to have nicked you. It's pressed against your side but ...yeah, it's the tunic, the knife is caught in the tunic and that's what's holding you there." Well, Miacah had said the damn things were hard wearing.

"Daniel, you have to pull it out."

"Of course." Daniel knew he was just wasting time, time they didn't have.

Gritting his teeth against the pain as Daniel swiftly obeyed, Jack couldn't help the curse. "Fuck!"

"Can you make it to the gate? Others might come if they've heard..."

"Yeah, I know. Help me?"

Daniel pulled Jack's arm across his shoulder, taking most of his weight and together they staggered towards the open gate. It seemed to take forever, but it was only a few seconds until they felt the cold of the wormhole surround them.

~~

They stumbled back through the wormhole, Daniel still supporting Jack, panicking a little at the feel of fresh warm blood trickling onto his fingers. It was with a great sense of relief that Daniel could confirm the planet they were standing on was P7X. Besides the fact that he recognised his surroundings, only a short distance away was the camp set up by the natives the day they had been swept through the gate.

Abruptly, Jack collapsed against Daniel, even his remarkable reserves finally depleted and Daniel laid him down on the soft grass. He quickly checked him out and was relieved to find his pulse steady. He pulled off his tunic, quickly folding it into a pad to press against Jack's wound, thinking desperately what he could do next without any supplies.

It was early, just after dawn, Daniel guessed, and even as he was wondering if the camp was long deserted and if they had left anything behind, a familiar head appeared at the opening of the tepee-style tent that the natives used. Daniel couldn't remember the man's name but he recognised him as one of the men who had accompanied Freudl when he had led them to the northern gate months earlier.

"Daniel Jackson," the man said excitedly, walking swiftly towards him. "He said you would return. Freudl would not leave even though your own people could no longer stay."

"Freudl is here?" Daniel asked. "Please, Jack is injured, can you help?"

The warrior called out and his companion exited the tepee and jogged over and before Daniel could do anything they picked Jack up and hurried back to the tent.

"Careful please, he’s losing blood!"

"Do not be concerned, we'll help him."

Daniel ducked inside the tepee and knelt down beside Jack who was now lying on a makeshift bed that presumably one of the warriors used. They were already cutting the tunic from Jack's torso and the second man was wringing out a cloth in clean water. Daniel was pretty sure that they knew precisely how to deal with knife wounds and he relaxed leaving Jack's care to them. If they could just stop the bleeding long enough for Daniel to get him to the other Stargate then Doctor Fraiser could take care of everything.

"I wish I still had my pack. I had supplies, medicines that would have helped," Daniel mused.

"Daniel?" A voice, barely above a whisper, called weakly.

It took a moment in the dim interior for Daniel to see Freudl on the other side of the tent, still lying in his bed.

"We too have medicines," Freudl said softly. Then to the first warrior, he said, "Stail, what kind of wound?"

"Deep slash through soft flesh, much blood, no precious parts involved."

"Good, use Bayeswood to heal and stop the blood loss." He turned back to Daniel, who had been relieved that they agreed with him that no organs were damaged. "Don't worry for him, they know how to look after such a wound."

Daniel nodded his understanding but then frowned. "Freudl? Are you unwell?"

The elder shrugged, "This illness has plagued me for many years, it comes and goes, one of these days it will take me with it. Do not look so upset for me, it is the way of things."

Daniel had no answer for such a philosophical attitude, instead he asked, "Why have you stayed here? You should be home in your village, being looked after."

"How was Jack wounded?" Daniel recognised a distraction when he heard it but he answered the elder just the same.

"A knife cut, as we escaped." Daniel glanced over at his lover to see his wound was now tightly bound and he appeared to be asleep. He looked at Stail questioningly and the warrior smiled. "All is well, now he will rest," the man confirmed.

Daniel sighed with relief and then turned back to the elder. He frowned; there was something not quite right here. It was not like Freudl to be evasive. "What is it? What are you hiding?" he questioned the man.

Freudl gave a slight smile, pushing himself up to rest on his elbows. "Hiding? Nothing, just feeling my responsibility."

"Responsibility?" Daniel moved closer, reaching out to support the older man.

"I brought you here, showed you what you wanted but I didn't warn you."

Puzzled, Daniel asked, "Warn us?"

"Not to touch. I forgot how you like to touch," he patted Daniel's hand. "I heard...the ring...but it was too late." Daniel felt the tremors coursing through his body and helped him lie down again. "I am more relieved than I can say that you returned. I don't believe that any others who have travelled have ever returned."

"But Stail said you prophesied we would come back."

"Yes," Freudl breathed, his eyes sliding closed. Daniel knew he would learn no more now.

"Stail," Daniel said turning to the two warriors, "And Surag isn't it?" The second warrior nodded. "They both need help, we should get them back to the village but..." Daniel's eyes were on his lover.

"Don't be concerned, help is on the way. This is the fifth day, every fifth day supplies come. All will be well. Later. Rest now."

Daniel looked from one smiling face to the other and knew he would have to do as they said. Suddenly he realised how tired he was. The adrenaline rush of the escape had long since left him and he was exhausted. He lay down beside his lover, draping an arm across his waist, not caring if they saw or what they thought. He closed his eyes, and listening to Jack's steady breath, he let sleep take him.

A few hours later, Daniel was awakened by the sound of voices and for a moment he couldn't remember where he was. He felt the heat of a body close by and then realised he was holding someone and he suddenly remembered. He opened his eyes, taking a few seconds to get accustomed to the light level. Jack was still asleep, his colour was better and his breathing was nice and steady.

"He will sleep a little longer," Freudl said from behind him. "The Bayeswood helps with that too." Daniel rolled over and looked at the elder. "He will probably sleep most of the day."

"And how about you? How are you feeling now?"

Freudl smiled, "Do not concern yourself over me. I shall be stronger soon."

Daniel raised an eyebrow but Freudl wasn't any more forthcoming. The tepee flap opened then and Stail looked inside.

"We are ready now to load the wagon," he said to Freudl who simply nodded.

Stail bent down and snagged something from his pack in the corner. "Here, wear this, it is cool out there." Daniel caught the garment and realised it was one of the short tunics the warriors wore. It was not dissimilar to his slave attire except it was of a thicker material and this one had sleeves. It wasn't until he put it on that he realised he had become used to feeling slightly cold a fair proportion of the time, except when he was partaking in physical activity, and the garment now felt rather warm, especially on his arms.

Surag came inside then and, together with Stail, picked up Freudl, bed and all, and took him outside. Daniel followed to see what their plan was. Parked outside was a wagon with the driver holding the heads of two horses. On the ground nearby were some packages, a couple of large baskets and two stone flagons; obviously the supplies that they had been waiting for. The warriors loaded Freudl into the bed of the wagon -- Daniel had a sudden flashback to his last journey in such a wagon. He ducked back inside the tepee and when the two men came back for Jack he insisted on taking one end of his bed. Surag lifted the tent flap for them and they carried Jack to the wagon and laid his bed beside Freudl's. Jack was only disturbed enough to murmur Daniel's name before drifting off again.

It was almost time for the late meal when they finally arrived back at the village and Daniel was feeling so much better. Jack had awoken about an hour after leaving the camp, initially confused till he recognised his surroundings and of course, Freudl, and he calmed, his only concern to see his partner. Daniel had been walking alongside the wagon and he clambered up onto the wheel hub so he could look inside and when Jack saw him the smile that lit up his face warmed Daniel's soul.

Jack was soon feeling better and Daniel climbed into the wagon with them and sat behind Jack supporting him while they talked to Freudl about what had happened when they had disappeared through the northern ring.

A message had been sent back to the village telling the other elders what had happened, and that Freudl refused to leave. Aruon had at first believed it was just his guilt keeping him waiting in futility for them to return as no one else ever had. But then Freudl had announced that he saw their return some time in the future, but he couldn't say how long it might be. Reluctantly, it was agreed that he had the right to remain.

Shortly after that six people came through the standing ring looking for Jack and Daniel, two of them Aruon recognised from Jack and Daniel's first visit to the village, Sam and Teal'c. Jack commented that it sounded as if the others were SG2 and Freudl agreed but also said they didn't stay long after the whole story had been explained. Sam wanted to investigate the northern ring and Teal'c stayed with her.

Freudl smiled at this part of his narrative. "Major Sam was much more focused than I remembered her, she was very...disturbed that the northern ring had somehow taken you without there even being the...the DHD?"

Daniel had smiled too. "Yes, DHD. I can understand how that would have frustrated her."

"Driven her up the wall, you mean," Jack interjected. "T would have just said 'indeed'."

"That is true," Freudl grinned. "Sam insisted on carrying out many tests on the ring but she couldn't find any answers, though she tried for many days to..."

"You never warned her?" Daniel asked frowning.

"Warned?" Jack queried.

"About touching it," Daniel said swiftly to Jack but his attention was on Freudl.

"There was no need, she looked at the base. She said you would've loved translating that but her interest was solely on the ring. I knew she would not touch."

"Touch what!" Jack demanded. It was so frustrating trying to follow a conversation the beginning of which he had obviously missed.

"The plinth, touch what I touched."

"Ah! And then?" Jack wanted to know.

"After many days of fruitless testing, Teal'c suggested it was past time they should report to your general. She was unhappy but agreed he was right. I believe she hoped to come back but they were ordered to return home."

"They've not been back since?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, once about a month later. They went to the village and then came to see us at the camp. We couldn't tell them anything different. Major Sam was clearly unhappy but she seemed to have accepted by then that there was nothing she could do. Teal'c told her all they could do was to wait. He seemed inclined to give credence to my belief that you would return one day."

"Yes, he would be more open to such ideas than Sam. If she can't explain it with hard science she can't understand it." Daniel sounded sad and Freudl regarded him with interest.

"Danny?" Jack drew Daniel's attention back from his inward musing. "She'll be so happy to see us again she won't even give a thought to explaining it."

When the wagon finally entered the village, there was much confusion and general rejoicing, and Aruon came out to greet them. The elder was pleased that they had returned safely but his immediate concern was for his fellow elder and he ordered the warriors to take him to his home and send for the healer.

Next he arranged for Jack and Daniel to be given a house for their use for the night and for the healer to check on Jack as soon as he had finished with Freudl.

Daniel thanked him for that but began to protest about having to stay the night; he wanted to get a message back to the SGC immediately.

"Daniel," Aruon said kindly, "There is no need to stress yourself. You have been missing for months; your people haven't been here for many weeks, another day or so more will not hurt them, but you... You need to rest; you need to take care of your friend. Go, I will send food for you. Tomorrow, early, I will send a messenger to the ring, your people left the machine, the," he frowned, the..."

"MALP," Daniel supplied.

"Yes and we can talk to them through that."

"You know the symbols to my world?" Daniel asked surprised.

"No, but can we not speak to the machine?" Aruon looked puzzled.

"The machine can talk to my people but only when the ring is open to my world, either from their end or from here. I would have to open the ring first and then I could speak to my people."

"Ah, yes I see. I remember now. The symbols on the device must be pressed. Then, you can go in the morning after you are both rested. I will send warriors with you as escort."

Daniel knew that Aruon was right. He was tired and the idea of another long trip was exhausting. He didn't want to leave Jack just now either. Tomorrow would be soon enough. Or even the day after he thought as he met Jack's eyes. He walked into the house where Jack was lying in bed, to see one of the village women making sure he was comfortable, while another was laying a tray of food on a low table nearby.

He thanked them and virtually had to shoo out the second one who seemed intent on serving them the food. All Daniel wanted was to be alone with his lover. He closed the door behind her and turned back to Jack who was grinning.

"What's funny?" Daniel demanded.

"You," Jack replied still grinning, "trying to get her out without actually shoving her through the door."

Daniel walked to the bed, staring down at Jack. "Almost did, shove her, I mean." He looked at the food. "You hungry?"

"Not for food," Jack said softly.

Daniel stroked his cheek and the older man leaned into the caress. "You seem to be feeling better," he smiled.

"Good enough to want to hold you...closer," he murmured and Daniel happily obliged, leaning down to kiss him as Jack slid his arms around Daniel's neck.

As their lips met Jack incrementally pulled Daniel towards him until the younger man broke off laughing, "Okay I get the point." He began to climb up onto the bed.

"Take those off," Jack said indicating the pants as his eyes tracked up Daniel's body. "I've wanted you like this forever." His voice was husky and his eyes sparkled.

"Jack, I didn't intend...I only meant to kiss you and lie with you, to sleep. You were knifed only a few hours ago. You can't expect to..."

"I can. Daniel, I need this, I... I.... Don't you understand? We could've lost each other on that damned planet. And you, you came this close to being raped."

"And you came this close to dying," Daniel empathized.

"Yeah," Jack sighed. "We're finally home safe and I wanna celebrate. Please, Danny, I need you." Deep inside the colonel knew that this driving desire was overwhelming his common sense but the man inside the soldier needed the connection. He couldn't explain it in words, he'd never been good at that, but he doubted even Daniel could find the words to explain the inevitability of the need pulling at him.

With a sigh of understanding, Daniel nodded. He pulled off the tunic Stail had loaned him, removed the sandals and slowly pushed off his slave pants. Jack watched appreciatively until Daniel was standing naked before him. "One condition, Jack."

"Condition?"

"I do all the work, you just lie back and think of...well, whatever works for you."

"I can do that." Jack smiled, knowing damn well what he would be thinking of. The next time they made love, when he took Daniel so hard and fast, his scream would be heard all over Colorado Springs! "I don't care who goes inside who, I just need that connection, you know?"

"Oh, I know," Daniel sighed slipping into bed with him, eyes narrowing at the expression on his lover's face. "That fantasy better involve me," he muttered.

"Who else?" Jack grinned.

Jack was already naked from the waist up, his tunic having been cut off him when his wound was being tended and Daniel carefully removed his pants. "Can you edge forward a little?" he asked and, frowning a little in confusion, Jack did so. Daniel put all the pillows behind him, plumped them up and then leaned Jack back against them so he was nicely supported. "Okay?"

"Yup. You got in mind what I think you do?" Jack's expression was positively indecent.

"I expect so," Daniel said but he seemed distracted. "What are we gonna use for lube?" he suddenly asked.

"Damn! Look around, there's gotta be something," Jack said desperately, he needed this, he couldn't lose it now.

Daniel prowled the small house, looking in drawers, on shelves. Jack couldn't help but watch the way his body moved, the long slim legs, the taut buttocks and flat belly. Jack licked his lips wanting to taste that velvety skin he loved so much.

Abruptly Daniel swung round, a grin splitting his face as he held up a small pottery jar in one hand, rubbing the fingers of his other hand together. A few drops of something slipped between his fingers and fell to the floor. "Remember that purple fruit with the thick juicy substance, they use it in cooking or something. It's perfect."

"Yeah, perfect," Jack breathed, and he wasn't talking about the stuff on Daniel's fingers.

Daniel moved back to the bed, putting the jar within easy reach. Then he slid back onto the bed, kneeling with one leg either side of Jack's. Careful not to put weight on his lover, Daniel angled forward placing his hands beside Jack's head on the pillow and leaning down, he captured his lips. Jack reached up to hold Daniel where he could as he returned the kiss with fervour, their tongues mingling with each other.

Daniel pulled back a little, peppering Jack's face and neck with tiny kisses as he did so. "Easy, keep still," he said. "Lean back. Let me."

Jack sighed and did as he was asked, forcing himself to keep his hands by his side when all he wanted to do was reach out and touch Daniel. He hadn't told his lover how the wound in his side still pained him a little and how it pulled when he moved his arms, but Daniel must have known anyway.

Daniel slid his hands slowly down Jack's arms and then back up again with feather like strokes and Jack felt his skin prickle at the sensation as if he had goose bumps. Daniel repeated the motion over Jack's chest, stopping to caress and squeeze his nipples feeling them under his ministrations, before continuing on down Jack's belly, carefully avoiding the bandages around his abdomen.

Daniel could feel the heat of his lover's body as he caressed him, could feel the tremors under his fingers as Jack reacted to the sensations he was creating. He looked up into Jack's face to see eyes squeezed shut and the tension in his jaw as he held himself steady. "Let go, Jack," he said softly. "Feel it, let it wash over you."

Jack's eyes snapped open and he stared back at his partner, warmed by the love in his eyes, the passion in his expression. Daniel moved his hands again ghosting across Jack's flanks before finally moving towards his goal. Jack gasped as Daniel brushed a finger along his length, teasing his head and then stroking firmly up and down the shaft, twisting his hand a little as he reached the tip before sliding down again to caress his balls, first one then the other. Then he released him and sat back.

Jack opened eyes he hadn't realised he'd closed to see why Daniel had stopped. He'd been in heaven and hadn't wanted it ever to end. "Daniel?"

"Shush, just give me a minute." Daniel reached for the jar, removed the stopper and poured some of the thick contents onto his fingers. Jack watched fascinated as, resting back on one hand, Daniel reached underneath himself with the other and began to open his body for Jack. First one finger slid slowly inside, in and out stretching his opening. It had been a while since Daniel had done this to himself, it was something he enjoyed from time to time when he jerked himself off. It had been a long time since he had done it for a lover and watching Jack's fascinated stare as he did it now was a tremendous turn on.

Daniel pushed a second finger inside and Jack watched it disappear, his breath hitching as he thought about his cock sliding inside that beautiful body. "God, Daniel, do you know what that is doing to me? I wanna feel what it’s like to touch you like that, I wanna know if your skin inside is as smooth as ... God, Danny."

"Soon, Jack, you can do anything you want. As soon as you are strong again, anything, Jack, anything."

Jack could hardly breath, couldn't take his eyes from his lover's face. Daniel's eyes were almost completely black now, perspiration peppered his brow and he was flushed.

"I'm almost ready now, Jack. You want me?"

Jack tried to speak but no words would come. Daniel removed his fingers from inside himself and coated them with fresh liquid, and he took Jack's cock in his hands, swiftly coating it. Jack suddenly moved his legs so his knees were bent behind his lover, creating support if he needed it. Daniel smiled as he pushed himself up onto his feet, trying to get himself settled in a comfortable position, supporting himself with one hand holding the bed railing behind Jack. Holding Jack firmly in his other hand he lined up his lover's cock with his entrance and then, locking gazes with Jack, he very carefully began to lower himself onto his lover.

Jack could hardly believe what he felt as Daniel's body surrounded him. The heat, like tendrils of flame, spread from his groin through his spine to lick up his back. Yet he still wasn't prepared for the feeling that Daniel's movement created as he slid ever so slowly down onto Jack until, their eyes locked, Daniel used his strong thighs to lift again. Gradually he set up a steady rhythm and it was difficult for Jack not to thrust into the welcoming heat, especially when it was obvious when Daniel finally got the angle he wanted to hit his prostate.

Daniel's eyes were no longer open and his head was thrown back with abandon as he powered himself upward to plunge down again forcing Jack's cock deep inside him. He was alternatively panting and moaning and Jack thought he was going to explode just from the sounds his lover was making. Daniel's cock was full and red as it bounced against his stomach with each movement he made as he rode Jack and the older man reached out to caress it, tweaking the leaking tip.

Daniel's eyes flew open, amazed at the feeling of finally being this close, this connected with his lover. "No, please, I want to come just from...this, just because...of...you," he gasped, circling his hips as he spoke. A little reluctantly Jack released him.

Jack groaned at the sensations building in his belly as Daniel continued to ride his cock, thrust after steady thrust. He felt his balls tighten and draw up and knew he couldn't last much longer. "Daniel," he mumbled," I can't...you...ohgod!"

"Come for me, Jack...let go," Daniel breathed.

With a sigh, Jack did just that and his essence shot deep inside Daniel filling his entire being. It was all Daniel needed and with a cry he climaxed, his semen coating Jack's chest and belly.

The younger man curled over his lover, Jack's hand naturally reaching to gather him close and they panted in unison, each trying to draw breath as they came down from the high of their orgasms. As their breathing finally settled, Daniel remembered Jack's injury and tried to slide away from his wounded side, but Jack wouldn't let him and puzzled Daniel looked up. As if it was exactly what he was waiting for, Jack captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

As Daniel lifted his weight off Jack to fully engage in the kiss, Jack slipped out of his body and, both acutely aware of the loss; they broke apart. Neither of them wanting to spoil the mood with words, Daniel simply smiled as he rolled to lie beside Jack and, wrapped in each other's arms, they closed their eyes and let sleep take them.

~~

Morning came early, the sounds of the villagers starting the day humming gently into his consciousness and Jack opened his eyes to see the back of Daniel's head, his hair almost tickling his nose. Jack smiled at the memory of last night, and the promise for their future together.

As if he knew Jack was thinking about him, Daniel stirred and as a consequence his ass rubbed against Jack's groin, awakening his semi-slumbering cock. "Ah, Danny, if only I could," he murmured.

"Mmm, Jack?" Jack kissed the back of his head and Daniel smiled. "Feeling good, huh?" Daniel asked, squirming in Jack's encompassing arms to turn and face him.

"Feeling wonderful, thank you, Doctor Jackson. You can help me recover any time you want," he grinned broadly into Daniel's face, leaning forward for a kiss.

"Seriously," Daniel said, pulling back to look at his lover's body. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Eyebrows rising, Jack said, "Seriously? Good. None of that usual pulling after having stitches. Who did sew me up, anyway?"

Daniel frowned. "Stail, I think. He and Surag were looking after you while I spoke to Freudl. I didn't actually see you until you were all wrapped up. Maybe it was the Bayeswood that Freudl suggested they use; he said it would help you heal as well as help you sleep."

Jack stared down at his still bandaged side wondering if this was something worth mentioning to Doctor Fraiser when they got back. He smiled at the thought of seeing the diminutive powerhouse.

Reluctantly, Daniel rolled over and sat up. "If I stay there, I'll start something we can't finish."

"Sure we can't?" Jack asked huskily.

"Jack..." Daniel smiled. "Hold that thought. They'll be here with breakfast soon, you know they start their day early. As soon as I've eaten," he glanced at the still full tray of food from the night before, smiling ruefully, "I'll head for the gate."

"We'll head for the gate," Jack corrected, also getting out of the bed.

"Jack, you sure you're up to the hike?" Daniel frowned at his lover.

"Yeah," Jack shrugged. "Feel so much better and I just want to get home."

"If you insist on coming, maybe I can borrow those horses from Aruon, or even the wagon."

"No, really I feel so much better. You know they only use the horses as draught animals and I'm not riding in the wagon," Jack groused.

"Okay, okay, you want to walk," Daniel smiled.

Jack glanced around then realising he had no clothes. No way was he putting on those damn slave pants again. Apparently Daniel had come to the same conclusion, he’d already put on the borrowed tunic but pulled a face at the thought of wearing those figure-hugging pants again.

There was a faint knock at the door and Jack only just had time to grab the blanket from the bed and hold it up in front of both of them when one of the women from the night before walked in. She was carrying a tray, this time containing breakfast, and she laughed gently when she saw the two of them hiding behind the blanket, turning to speak to someone behind her. A second woman came in carrying a bundle and with relief they realised she was bringing them a change of clothes.

So later that afternoon, Jack and Daniel were trekking towards the Stargate that would take them back to the SGC. They'd called in to see Freudl, who was clearly unwell, and swiftly but sincerely thanked him for his help. The elder attempted to apologise again but Daniel shushed him, taking responsibility for his own urge to touch. Jack couldn't help but smile at that. They took their leave with a promise to try and return when they hoped to see his health improved. Freudl didn't say anything and just smiled his goodbye.

Next they had a meeting with Aruon and they expressed their concern about Freudl's diminishing health. He thanked them but said philosophically that nature couldn’t be denied. "I'm just happy that you both returned well -- and happy," he gave an odd smile, a knowing look from one man to the other, and suddenly Jack knew. In a flash of insight, he understood that the elder had always known about them.

Jack nodded, put an arm around Daniel's waist which caused the younger man to jerk and stare at him. "Yes," Jack admitted, "I finally am happy." Daniel blushed and smiled.

They bid farewell to Aruon and with Stail and Surag as escorts, they left for home.

The trek was uneventful and it seemed anticlimactic when they finally stood before the DHD again.

As Daniel dialled the address for the SGC, Jack thanked the two warriors for their expert care of his wound. "Our doctor will be very interested in whatever you used on me, it was very effective."

"I trust the sample might prove beneficial for your doctor. Though there is no guarantee the plant will grow on your world, it only grows in very inauspicious places here."

The wormhole settled inside the ring and as Jack turned towards it, he said, "I learned a long time ago there are no guarantees in this life."

~~

When Hammond heard Daniel's voice via the radio signal from P7X 996 coming through the gate, he was at first suspicious and then hopeful. When he finally saw their faces on the MALP camera, he was delighted.

However, he still took the precaution of having armed SF's waiting in the gateroom when they came through. After all, they had been missing for almost four months; who knew what might have happened.

Jack came through the wormhole, Daniel almost glued to his side. Both men looked well and Jack was smiling broadly. "We're home, sir. Miss us?" He seemed to completely ignore the dozen or so loaded weapons aimed at them.

Daniel just nodded and said politely, "Good to see you again, General."

"Welcome home, gentleman. And yes, Colonel, I did miss you, it has been much quieter around here." He looked from one man to the other, "Report to the Infirmary immediately. We can debrief after the doctor has confirmed you are not compromised." His warm expression and kindly eyes told them just how much they'd been missed and how welcome they really were.

When they reached the infirmary, Janet Fraiser was waiting for them. She was obviously pleased to see them if her beaming smile was any indication. Her sharp wit, which made Daniel feel right at home, didn't stop her from being very thorough in her investigations.

Daniel gave her a very succinct version of their adventures over the past few months, ending with their escape and Jack's injury; at which point the colonel interjected to say it was only minor and what an excellent job the native warriors had done. She raised an eyebrow, and without having to say much, made the colonel well aware that would be up to her to decide. With a tiny wave of her hand she indicated two adjacent beds to them.

She examined Jack first, wanting to check the condition of his wound. She was pleased to find it was almost healed and surprised to discover no sign of any stitches, but no more surprised than the two men were. She questioned both of them but Jack knew nothing, having slept through the procedure and all Daniel could tell her was that the natives had used something called Bayeswood. He produced the small package that Stail had given him.

"I didn't question them about it as much as I should, sorry. My main concern being Jack's condition and getting us both home as soon as I could."

"We'd been through a lot. I think my getting hurt was the last straw...."

"I understand, colonel," Janet smiled. "I know Daniel's priorities only too well."

Daniel ducked his head, giving a sidelong glance at Jack.

When she had finished with both their examinations she admitted they were both remarkably well. She had given Daniel a pointed stare during the intimate part of his examination but as he met the look steadily she only asked him if he was okay and when he smiled and said yes, she didn't say another word. If she had asked who he had been with, he would simply have reminded her politely that he was a civilian and it was none of her concern; he was relieved she hadn't questioned him though.

She suggested they take a shower and she would arrange for a nurse to find them both something to wear while she reported their medical condition to the general. She also needed to make arrangements to have tests performed on the Bayeswood sample that hopefully would prove as beneficial as the colonel's condition indicated.

~~

Stail went directly to report to Aruon on his return from escorting the visitors to the standing ring.

"They returned safely?" the elder asked.

"Yes, Aruon. The scholar didn't mention the discs again, his concern seemed mostly for Freudl. The soldier seemed most interested in the medicine with which we dressed his wound He suggested their doctors might be interested in it."

"So they will perhaps return again." Aruon nodded, well satisfied.

"How is he?" Stail asked, his expression sad yet expectant.

"It will not be long now. You are ready?"

"Yes, elder. My master taught me well. I know everything he knows of the sacred discs."

Aruon touched his shoulder, laying his hand there as if in benediction. "When his time passes you will take on the mantle. Choose well your pupil and begin teaching him, the knowledge must never be lost. We have carried this burden for millennia. May Freudl be correct that the time is coming when its purpose may be realised."

"Could he really be the one we have waited for all this time?" Stail asked in wonder.

"Freudl believed it was possible on his first visit. And to find two coins..."

"And to return through the northern ring." The awe was clear in his voice.

"You must be prepared."

"Yes, elder." Stail bowed his head and waited.

~~

The briefing was of necessity long and detailed, though of course, there were certain things that they couldn't reveal to the general. Besides their own relationship, Daniel did not wish to refer to the real reason behind his time in the women's house, so he glossed over that suggesting he was required to undertake a task that was physically difficult for the women. Actually it wasn't that far from the truth, but Hammond didn't ask for any details being more interested in Daniel's explanation relating to the tapestry.

In the end, what came across most clearly from their sojourn as slaves on the mysterious planet, was that they knew no more now about the purpose of the coins, or if the markings really were a language or some kind of code. They didn't even know if they had found the planet from where the discs or the language had originated. If anything, the mystery had deepened and Daniel was clearly disappointed at the failure of his mission.

"Doctor Jackson, any mission in which my personnel return safe and well will never be classed as a failure in my book."

Jack could've kissed Hammond for his understanding; Daniel wasn't used to leaving a mystery unsolved and he needed to look at the bigger picture here. Jack thought it was a good idea to leave Daniel pondering that and to switch the direction of the briefing.

"Sir, can you tell us what happened to Carter and Teal'c? Have they been reassigned?" They had naturally been wondering why their friends hadn't been seen since they'd returned.

Hammond confirmed that after they had been missing for over a month he had no choice but to make better use of the expertise of both of their team-mates. However, they had both requested that he not assign them permanently to other teams, at least not yet. They both refused to believe that the Colonel and Daniel would not return.

Jack smiled, "So I can reform SG1?" He asked the question of the general, but he almost immediately turned his gaze on Daniel. This was not something they had discussed, he had just assumed that the archaeologist would want to take up his old position again, but it suddenly occurred to him that he might not feel that way. Daniel's wide smile and sparkling eyes told a different story.

The general looked from one to the other, pleased that whatever they had gone through -- and he knew more had happened to them than they were admitting -- it had only strengthened their friendship. "Yes, colonel with my blessing. They are both presently with SG11. They're not due back for three more days but I can promise you when the team next reports in I will make sure they know you are back, safe and well. I think you have earned a few days down time, gentleman. It's Tuesday, report back here ready to return to work next Monday."

"Yes, sir!" Jack couldn't have been happier. Five complete days to do exactly what they wanted. Heaven.

"Thank you, general, that's much appreciated," Daniel said, offering the general his hand as he got to his feet. "I don't think you can understand what its like to be home."

"I think I have a good idea, son," he smiled, clasping the archaeologist's hand.

~~

They had walked through the wormhole back into the SGC at approximately two that afternoon and it was almost ten when Jack unlocked the door to his house. During the briefing the general had told him he had been wondering only the week before how long he ought to keep up the utility payments on Jack's house.

The way he felt at that moment he would cheerfully had moved back in even without heat and light. He had lived here ever since he had been with the project and Daniel had spent a fair amount of time inside its walls. Jack had come to realise that the warmth in the house came from the presence of those inside, not the fire burning in the grate or the lights illuminating the darkness. With Daniel there it really had been a home; he hoped he could somehow persuade Daniel to move in with him. He knew emotionally Daniel would want to, but he also knew the man would cite the risks to him, risks Jack couldn't effectively argue against.

Pushing such thoughts aside for another time, Jack turned to Daniel to find the younger man staring at him. Puzzled, Jack asked, "What?"

"I was remembering the last time I was in this house."

Jack winced. "When I told you I couldn't be with you," he recalled sadly. "When I said it, it was true for me then. It no longer is. We have been away for months and nothing much has changed, the war has continued to be fought in our absence. I want to carry on; reform SG1 and that means we'll have to be very circumspect about our relationship. I'm sorry about that. But if it comes to a choice between you and the SGC, I'll choose you. Is that what you wanted to know?"

As Jack was speaking, Daniel's wide-eyed expression softened. "Wow, that was quite the speech, and yes I'm very touched to know that. I understand the problems we'll have to face, I know we'll have to talk." Daniel stepped very close to him, so close Jack could feel the warm breath on his face. "But that wasn't what was on my mind. I was just gonna say that I want to replace that uncomfortable memory with something infinitely better. I want to make love in the living room."

Jack licked his suddenly dry lips. "We can make love in every room in the house if you want."

Daniel laughed, "Eventually. Let's just start in here, shall we?" He took hold of Jack's hand and led him into the living room, coming to a halt on the thick rug in front of the presently unlit fire.

"You want I should light it?" Jack asked, his eyes never leaving Daniel.

"Nah, you can warm me up."

"Sweet," Jack beamed. Then he remembered something. "Hang on," he said and bolted for his bedroom. Daniel frowned wondering what on earth he was up to, smiling when he returned a moment later holding a small bottle. "Don't want to start without this," he grinned, dropping the lube on the soft rug. "Now where were we? Ah, I remember."

Keeping his eyes on his lover, Jack began to undress, slowly letting his fingers linger over his skin. Daniel watched for a few electric seconds before his fingers began to unfasten his own shirt.

When there were both completely naked they stood there staring at each other. "I can just look," Jack said softly. "I don't have to fumble under a blanket in the dark, or rush because we don't have much time. I can savour you. I can look my fill and touch every inch of you."

Daniel's breath hitched at the naked desire in Jack's voice, afraid to speak and spoil his mood. It was so erotic to create such a need in another human being and he instinctively understood that he should let Jack take the lead.

Jack closed the last few inches between them and Daniel expected his lover to kiss him but he didn't. Instead he reached out and laid a hand on his breast, just over his heart and for a few seconds he just felt the sensation of Daniel's heart beating. Then he caressed his chest, drifting across his nipples and Daniel was already so turned on the little nubs were already proud and hard. Jack felt Daniel's erection brushing his thigh and his own cock jumped in appreciation.

For the next few minutes Daniel struggled to stay still as Jack's hands ghosted over him. Feather-like touches over his belly, broad strokes down his flanks, fingers dancing inside his thighs, but Jack stayed clear of his groin and Daniel shivered with need, leaning towards his lover. Jack simply brushed his lips across Daniel's brow and moved aside; Daniel was aching.

"Jack?" Daniel murmured.

"Patience," he whispered back, moving behind Daniel, his hand drifting round his hip to the small of his back.

Daniel took a breath waiting for the touch on his buttocks, but instead Jack's hand travelled up his spine and stroked the nape of his neck, making Daniel arch into the touch, pushing back into him. His need was like a fire raging through him and Jack’s caress was becoming slow torture.

Pressing against his back, Jack's cock slid between Daniel's thighs making the younger man groan. Jack put his arms around Daniel, one arm around his neck to drape over his shoulder, Jack's hand sliding down his chest. Needing to pull him closer, Jack slipped his other arm around Daniel's waist and up over the other breast, his fingers finding a nipple.

Jack was unable to keep his fingers still as they caressed and tweaked Daniel's nipples and pectorals until the younger man was panting, "Please, Jack, please."

Smiling, Jack leaned in, his lips brushing Daniel's ear as he whispered, "I want to be inside you."

"Yes, Jack, yes, I've waited so long."

Triumphant Jack bit down on the curve of Daniel's neck and he cried out, shuddering as Jack licked and kissed the tender skin. Jack turned him around in his arms and captured Daniel's open mouth as he panted for breath. Then he slowly drew his lover down with him until they were lying on the rug.

They kissed long and deep, tasting each other and rolling over until Jack finally broke the kiss, as he reached for the lube. He kissed Daniel again and then gently rolled him over and finally Daniel felt his hands caressing his buttocks, long strokes over his globes and then along his crease. Daniel lifted his hips, he couldn't help it, he needed this so much.

"Easy, Danny," Jack said softly. "Just need to make sure you're ready."

"Been ready for months," Daniel gasped as Jack pushed the first finger inside him and began to carefully open him up. Daniel squirmed at the delicious feeling and wanted Jack's cock inside him, wanted to feel that special connection. Then as a second finger was inserted Jack brushed his prostate and he jerked, whimpering.

"That's it, Danny," Jack murmured, stretching his lover, opening him fully as he inserted the third finger turning and twisting it and finding the prostate again. "Okay, Daniel, ready now?"

"Hmmm," Daniel muttered.

Jack smiled as he rolled his lover onto his side, pulling Daniel's back toward his chest. "Easier this way, love," he whispered, as he spooned up behind him. Daniel got the idea and bent one leg giving Jack better access. "That's it," Jack murmured as he quickly lubed his cock before lining himself up and pushing slowly against Daniel's entrance.

Daniel felt the pressure of Jack's cock pressing against him and he consciously relaxed his muscles, Jack popped in past the ring of muscle.

As Jack felt Daniel relax he pushed forward slowly but steadily, one hand rubbing the small of Daniel's back as murmured encouragement to him until at last he was fully sheathed inside his lover. He relaxed, letting Daniel get used to the feel of him.

Daniel had known it would be something special, it was more than the physical feeling, it was the emotional attachment. Still, that didn't mean he could just lie there!

"Gonna move any time soon?" asked Daniel, as his hand lazily stroked along his penis.

"Don't know, pretty comfortable where I am."

"You won't be there much longer if you don't do something," Daniel growled.

Laughing Jack pulled slowly almost all of the way before he thrust back inside and Daniel moaned at the sliding heat inside him. Then he gasped as Jack reached around to push Daniel's hand away from his cock, grasping it and stroking it in time with his movements in and out of Daniel's body.

Daniel shivered, which seemed odd he thought distractedly as his body felt as if it was on fire. Every nerve was tingling with heat and Jack's hand on his cock was burning with every stroke and, where Jack lay along his back, he could feel the perspiration popping out on his skin to slither between them, he could feel each drop as it moved ever so slowly across his skin.

Constantly murmuring now, Daniel was moving back and forth, sliding into Jack's hand and then back onto his cock. Jack had increased his rhythm, pounding faster and deeper into Daniel until his movement stuttered and he lost his rhythm on the younger man's cock. Though, as Jack struck his prostate time after time, Daniel was too lost in sensation to notice. Then his climax began to gather low in his belly.

Jack knew it wouldn't be long now, he was close, so very close. "Danny, Danny," he murmured, "Gonna come, gonna...fill...you...up!" Jack shot deep inside his lover, his orgasm making his hand involuntarily tighten on Daniel, who jerked and climaxed all over Jack's hand and his own stomach. Jack collapsed against Daniel's side, gulping air into suddenly starved lungs, his head full of images of Daniel's face as he came.

Daniel was flying, it was wonderful and he never wanted to return to earth; then he heard a voice murmuring close by. He couldn't make out the words at first but he knew that voice. It didn't matter what Jack was saying, he knew what he meant because he felt exactly the same way himself.

"I know. I love you too," he breathed, pulling Jack's arms more tightly around him.

FIN