Above images captured and edited by the author. No infringement intended

Dog Tags
by Nessessitee

Rating: NC-17.

Pairings: Probably not who you think it is <|8^D

Category: Angst.

Warning: Character death!!

Date: 12th April, 1999

Disclaimer: This story is written for entertainment value only. I do not own the characters, nor will I derive money from this story. The characters portrayed within this story belong to the guys that own the Rights to StarGate... I am merely 'borrowing' them... Many thanks to Gekko and MGM for this. Many thanks to RDA and MS for being such great actors who inspire me to write for their characters.

BETA READERS: (in no particular order - you were ALL wonderful !!) Many, many thanks to the four fantastic people who beta'd this piece for me!!! Brak, Cyn, Maria, Mum

Notes: Because (when he is hurt in The Nox episode in the actual series) we don't see Dog tags around Daniel's neck, nor have we ever seen that little silver ball chain around that delicious neck of his like we have with Jack and Sam from time to time, I'm going to take POETIC LICENCE here and say that Daniel does NOT wearing Dog tags in the actual series. Now what *that* has to do with this story.. you'll have to read it to see!!!! ;-D

Summary: While away on a mission with SG-11, Daniel is lost when a volcano erupts. Jack and the others wait nervously for any news of their much loved companion...

Captain Samantha Carter raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time, pulling heavily on the hand rail to hoist herself up more quickly. Lt. Graham Simmons glanced over in her direction as she rounded the top of the stairs and hurried into the Gate Control Room.

"Where's the Colonel?" she snapped. Her voice came out harsher than she it expected to, as she was gasping for breath due to the fact that she'd ran, without stopping, from her office on the next level as soon as she received the call to come.

"O'Neill is on his way in," her fellow Stargater, Teal'c, said in a soft, deep voice.

"In? From where?" Again she'd snapped as her blue eyes stared ahead at the opened gate shimmering within the coal-black ring infront of them.

"Colonel O'Neill was at home. He's been 'paged' and he's on his way in, Captain," General Hammond said, with all the strength that it took not to be harsher with his insubordinate Subordinate, but he knew these were extenuating circumstances and that the Captain wasn't normally so rude. Regardless, Sam had felt the sting in his voice and dropped her face in a small nod.

"Any news?" she asked as she sat next to Simmons. He shook his head, wishing he had something to settle her worried expression. "So, we don't know for sure... who...?" she frowned then looked up at Hammond.

The General pursed his lips and shook his head. It didn't matter. Men were lost out there and that was all that mattered to him! He understood her concerns were narrowed down to one particular archaeologist who was out on an assignment with SG-11, so he refrained from pointing out the sad fact that some good men, some *very* good men, had perished on the other side of that shimmering circle.

Hammond closed his eyes, only to open them again with a start as the sound of an audio/visual transmission crackled the speakers, unexpected as the wormhole had been established a while now.

"Sir? Sir, the scene here is... it's haunting," Captain Mack said, his face screwed up as ash rained down on him from above. Soft, grey flecks passed the screen, sitting on his eyebrows, clinging to his hair and face, anywhere it might have wanted to settle. The Captain coughed then looked back down the camera as his report continued, "according to Philpot, there's a good likelihood that the other one will blow anytime now, so we're trying to locate all of SG's 11 and 12 before that happens, but, Sir..." he paused to cough then looked straight down the lens, "I'm not sure that we can. The ground's covered in ash, and visibility is very low.."

Hammond nodded then spoke, in a strained but soft voice, "okay, son. Do your best, but make sure you and the others get out before that other one goes, no matter what!"

Sam sighed softly and Simmons glanced over at her, watching as she covered her face in her hands once more then he turned back to concentrate on his work again.

Mack tilted his head as someone spoke to him then he looked at the camera. "They've found some bodies, Sir," he said.

Sam lent forward as she stared at the screen, her hands coming up to absently cover her mouth as her blue eyes fixed onto the murky image before her. She jumped a little when she felt the touch on her back. She turned and saw Teal'c reaching out to her, in some unsaid show of comfort. She smiled sadly and reached back, patting his forearm, in her show of thanks.

"How many? Captain? How many!" Hammond asked, his patience very thin due to his deep concern.

"Sir, there's little here, I'm not sure what to say, some of these bodies are beyond recognition.." he stumbled on his words. Sam covered her face in her hands now, feeling her cheek burn as she fought her emotions to stay in control.

Suddenly the screen fuzzed up and went blank.

"They've lost transmission," Simmons stated, looking up at the general with wide brown eyes.

Hammond bit his lip as he tried to think quickly. Do they establish a wormhole from this end, reducing the chances of the others getting off in a hurry if they needed to, or do they wait and see if they can re-establish the connection? He blinked quickly, aware of Simmons waiting on his order.

"Give them a few minutes more, and if they haven't established contact, dial her up," he said. Simmons nodded sharply and returned to his screen.

Sam sighed and looked at the general and he saw the question in her eyes. He nodded for her and Teal'c to join him in the corner of the room and so she got up, biting her lips together as she headed over to him.

The general cleared his throat in a quiet cough. "It seems that the group were woken by the sound of the rupture and may have tried to make it to the body of water nearby, but it hit too quickly, and they weren't far enough away in the water..."

Sam sighed, dropping her head back, staring at the ceiling with her mouth opened. She tried to draw breath as an image assaulted her mind of Daniel fleeing for his life, terrified beyond words, only to be boiled to death as the lava hit the small body of water on the planet.

The large Jaffa sensed her deep distress and pulled her into a gentle embrace, then Sam suddenly returned it fiercely, burying her face in his broad, firm chest, feeling it expand as he sighed deeply.

"I cannot forget what DanielJackson once told me," his voice was a soft, deep whisper, meant for her ears only, "that in a place called Pompeii, many, many people died when a volcano erupted much like this. DanielJackson has told me that some people simply sleep through such things, unaware of their fate, as they suffocate silently in their sleep. It would seem this volcano gave them no warning and it has erupted late in the night. Chances are, DanielJackson did not even wake up to make it into that body of water.." he stared off into space, speaking as if in a dream and he was unaware the impact his words were making on Sam. She pulled back and looked up at him, wondering if he was trying to help her with this story, or make her feel worse. He smiled gently at her. "Perhaps he too slept through it."

She screwed her eyes shut, refusing the tears that wanted to fall from even *thinking* of invading her eyes at that moment. Perhaps he was right. She could only hope Daniel hadn't woken up, and therefore neverknew the fate of SG-11 and SG- 12. Hammond looked at the two friends then headed back to Simmons, hoping for some news on the state of communication.

"They've re-established the wormhole," he said hesitantly, as it was their third attempt since it had gone down. Hammond looked up and waited for the communications to kick back in.

"Sir?" Captain Mack was frowning down the lens, "we've got some dogtags, Sir, but that's about it for identifying the bodies in the water..." he shook his head, not needing to say anymore.

"Send them through," Hammond said, then asked more gently, "do you have enough bags for the bodies?"

Mack stared down the screen then nodded sadly. "Yes, we do," he said, then looked off camera a moment before turning back. "I'm sending Trosky through with the tags now, Sir, and the ... first... body .. will.. <cough> follow.."

Hammond nodded then looked down in time to see Trotsky step from the shimmering wall, followed closely by officers in mask's bearing stretchers covered in body bags. He bit his lip as he turned from the chaotic scene below and saw Sam shake her head as she saw the seven blackened tags hanging from Trotsky's hand. Caught on the metal ramp, the officer was assisted in the Gate room with a small, portable oxygen pack, then a medical officer escorted him up to Hammond.

The trembling hand held out the charred metal tags and Hammond took them slowly.

"How are you, son?" he asked, his face full of worry for the smeared young man before him. The officer, Lt. Trotsky, nodded then pulled the oxygen unit from his face. His voice was husky, he'd inhaled a lot of ash on the world before they had a chance to use their masks.

"Sir, the scene was.. well.. it was.." as he tried to shake the images of his dead work companions from his mind tears welled along his bottom lashes. He coughed, embarrassed but unable to control his emotions.

"It's alright," Hammond patted him gently on the shoulder and the officer nodded.

"Sir," he pulled his shoulders back, regaining his composure as he looked up at the General once more.

Sam was moved by his desolation. She knew Trotsky and knew that he was not easily moved to tears. This filled her with more fear. She heard the tinkering of the tags in Hammond's hand and tilted her face to look at him.

"Sir, he.. he doesn't wear tags. Daniel's a civilian. How are we going to know...?"

He held his hand up to stop her. "No. I actually had some made up last month for him and all the civilians. For just such an occasion," he said quietly, wishing it hadn't been needed quite so quickly.

She shut her eyes and nodded and heard the soft, Texan voice say, "let's do this upstairs, son."

She took a step but then looked up and saw the look in Hammond's eyes. She was not invited to join them. She gave a sharp nod then bowed her head and turned and sank down onto the chair next to Simmons, her face buried deeply into her hands as her frustration and fears overcame her and tears fell down her cheeks finally.

As Hammond disappeared up the stairs to the next level, Jack appeared in the Gate Control room, his face flushed and his breath ragged from running from the parking lot, jumping impatiently in the slow moving elevators, then running down the corridors, avoiding all other personnel in his way.

"What the hell happened?" he puffed.

Sam bit her top lip and shrugged.

Teal'c stepped forward. "A volcano on P3x5990 erupted without warning. Units SG-11 and SG-12 did not have time to dial home before the lava started flowing. We believe they tried to make it to a body of water but many were boiled to death in the water.."

He stopped as he watched Jack spin on the spot, covering his face at the fate of many of his good friends, and, most importantly, Daniel Jackson. The colonel sunk onto the empty chair next to him.

"How many dead?" came the muffled question behind his hands.

"7 so far," Teal'c informed him.

"When did this happen?" Jack asked, finally pulling his hands away from his face.

Sam shrugged. "There's no way of knowing until the tests are completed," she said, "the General got suspicious when they didn't deliver their usual report a few hours ago. He sent a probe through and .." she shook her head then shrugged. "It's awful Jack."

Jack's first reaction was, if this happened hours ago, why the hell had he *just* been paged? But as he looked at her, his brown eyes softened with concern and worry at her distress as he saw her fighting bravely to control her emotions.

"He'll be okay, believe me,." his hand reached out and captured Sam's.

She nodded, knowing how empty that promise really was.

"Aren't there usually some kind of warning about these sorts of things...?" he asked, needing to know why they didn't evacuate at the first signs of trouble. It wasn't like Major McPhillips to risk his mens' lives.

"According to Philpot.." she stopped when Jack screwed his face up a little, then clarified it with, "he's the Volcanologist..."

Jack nodded and waited for her to go on. She sighed. "he said that because it's an alien planet, there may well have been no warning signs like we get here. He's actually a little reluctant to really label it a volcano, but until he has a better name for it, that's what we're calling it."

"But it has lava?" Jack asked.

Sam nodded. "Lots of it, Sir, and it hit the camp site before anyone knew it, by the looks of it.." she shook her head, wishing she knew more herself at this stage. Jack patted her hand gently.

"He'll be okay.."

"GeneralHammond has some dog tags and is upstairs now, looking at them," Teal'c said. Jack looked up then sprung to his feet and ran up the stairs. Sam quickly glanced at Teal'c and they followed him up.

Hammond spun around from the small group at the table. He was flanked by Trotsky, Trotsky's medical aid, and Holland, the officer noting the names off the tags. The General just said, "colonel," but made no attempt to tell him to leave. He knew it was futile anyway. He turned to the last tag in his hand and said, aloud, " Captain Peter A. Lovell."

The three by the stairs released their breath, but only partially. Holland, Trotsky and his medical attendant left the briefing room and Jack sidled nervously over to Hammond, who was staring at the list of names before him. Jack's brown eyes flitted from the list to Hammond. The General shook his head as he laid his hands over the list and Jack let out the rest of his breath, spinning on the spot to rub his hands through his short hair in building frustration.

"Where the hell is he?" he muttered harshly as he headed over to the window.

"Trotsky tells me that some might have managed to make it to safety they think."

Jack frowned. "How do they know that?"

Hammond sighed as he pushed himself up to stand. "Some of the equipment was missing.."

"Perhaps some of them weren't there when it hit? They might have been on a field trip," Sam offered, her voice rising hopefully.

"Which means," Jack cut in dryly, "we've got *bodies* on the other side of that volcano, how the hell are we meant to find them then?"

Sam wet her lips and stared at Jack. "They *might* have been somewhere safe..." she argued. Jack's eyes narrowed.

"Where?" his voice rung of a challenge, his head tilted in disbelief. Teal'c stepped between them and looked from one to the other.

"Fighting amongst yourself will not help DanielJackson," he stated. Jack looked quickly at him then at Sam and, finally, nodded.

"Sorry, Sam," he patted her arm. She shrugged and muttered an apology to him as well before heading downstairs with Teal'c in tow.

Jack stared down at the Gate room below. He sensed someone coming to stand next to him and then he sighed heavily.

"Daniel will be alright, Jack," Hammond's hand touched the colonel's shoulder in a silent gesture of compassion. Jack looked at him, seeing the deep concern the general shared for their lost friend.

"Is that a promise?" he asked. Hammond's face softened into a sad but congenial smile.

"Can't do that. You of all people should know that, Jack," he shook his head. Jack nodded then looked back down into the gate room.

"Wish you would.." he mumbled. Hammond squeezed his shoulder gently before turning as Holland headed up the stairs. Jack turned towards the breathless lieutenant as well.

"Sir, there are more tags.." he held out 3 more. Jack blinked quickly as he looked over at the metal tags being passed between the men.

"Thank you, Son," Hammond muttered and headed over to the table with Holland again. Jack stepped in behind Hammond and waited, his breath caught, his heart thumping in his chest.

"Lt. Charles S. Hickson," Hammond read the name stoically, then put the charred tag aside. He knew Hickson's father well. How the hell was he going to tell him?

"Captain Anthony L. Johns," he said, also putting the tag aside. Jack wet his lips nervously as he awaited the next name, dread and hope fighting within him.

Hammond stumbled on the next name then pulled himself up. "Civilian. Daniel A. Jackson...."

Hammond's head dropped to his hand clenched around Daniel's tag. He gave a deep, soft sigh.

"No," was all he managed to mutter breathlessly.

Hearing the General's despondent response didn't help Jack. He refused to grieve and in refusing to grieve, he refused to give into the belief that his much loved friend was dead. Trying all the ways he knew how to, Jack tried to stop himself from feeling this… but it was too late! He lifted a trembling hand up to rub at his mouth absently as his vision started to blur uncontrollably.

//Damn it Jack, get a grip!// he told himself, but he was unable to make himself go cold. Years of always being able to curb any pain or feeling were washed away at this precise moment in time. Daniel was dead.

Sam and Teal'c came sprinting up the stairs together again.

"We heard there were more tags.." she said, her voice trailing off as she surveyed the scene before her. She took one look at Jack's face; flushed, red-rimmed eyes with tears that refused to fall, his lips moving but nothing being said. Her blue eyes filled with tears. The sight of her almost tore his heart in two as well.

"Daniel?" she started to back up into Teal'c. He caught her carefully, also seeing the despair and utter heartbreak in Jack's eyes.

She shook her head wildly. "Oh, God, Jack.. no! Not Daniel.." she sobbed, her knees weakened and Teal'c caught her, holding her against the front of his body for support.

Her eyes squeezed shut as the tears poured from her now. "No.." she whispered through a tear filled mouth. Teal'c gripped her tightly as she collapsed within his arms, sobbing loudly.

Hammond stood, trying to think of a way to comfort the clearly distraught woman, but he failed. How could he hope to comfort her when he felt the loss so deeply himself? Daniel was like a son to him, more than that even. He tried to approach Sam but her eyes opened widely and she pulled herself up and took off down the stairs, sobbing as she went.

Jack lunged for the rail at the stairs. "Sam!" he yelled but she threw her hand over her head as she disappeared onto the next level. Jack turned to Teal'c. The Jaffa's cheeks were tear stained as well, his eyes down cast.

"Go after her, see that she's alright.." Jack whispered softly. Teal'c took a moment, then nodded.

"What about you, O'Neill?" he asked gently, knowing how the colonel secretly felt about their friend. Jack's whole body shuddered with a heart wrenching sigh then he nodded.

"I'll be fine. Go to her.." he nodded down the stairs. Teal'c squeezed Jack's shoulder before heading off after Sam. Suddenly having a thought, Jack leant over the rail as he looked down at Teal'c.

"Check her office, if she's not there.... check.. his..." he said. Teal'c looked up and nodded without a word.

"Failing that, check the sleeping quarters.." Hammond offered. Teal'c nodded at him then headed down.

Jack turned to look at Hammond. The general's eyes were red and watery also.

"Are you alright?" he asked Jack. The colonel thrust his hands into his pants pockets and shook his head. Then he looked down and saw that Hammond still had Daniel's dog tags in his hand. He reached out and gently lifted them from him, bringing them up to study them closely.

He recalled Daniel's dismay at the General's suggestion that he wear them. The young anthropologist had burst into Jack's office one day about a month ago, flashing the shiny silver tags under Jack's nose, complaining that it belittled him to a number and not a name in the Base. He tossed them onto the desk. Jack had rolled his eyes at the hysterics then smiled gently.

"You have to wear them, Danny," he'd said. Daniel had shaken his head then a look of resignation had filled his beautiful face.

"Not all the time though," his nose had screwed up.

Jack nodded, then teased, "even in the shower, but you can take them off during sex..."

Daniel nodded distractedly, "oh, absolutely, otherwise they just get in the way..."

Jack had laughed at that response, thinking it was just Daniel being glib and didn't get a chance to question him about it as the younger man turned and abruptly left the office after that, heading off to god knows where, his hated silver tags left behind on Jack's desk. The colonel had picked them up and fondled them, thinking about them lying against Daniel's chest, how warm they'd be against his skin.....

"I'm sorry, Jack," Hammond said quietly, bringing him from his reverie.

Jack realised he was gently fondling the tags now. He blinked then nodded, unable to speak as his fingers ran over the name on the tag. Civilian, Daniel. A. Jackson. He remember tickling Daniel fiercely one day in the office trying to get the young anthropologist to confess to what the *A* stood for. He smiled briefly at that happy memory. He'd taken a chance that day, hoping the younger man wouldn't think it was anything *but* a friendly game between best friends.

Then he was disappointed when it seemed Daniel had thought that exact thing and nothing more came of the tickle attack. Jack remembered wondering why it couldn't be like in the movies? A tickle led to hot passionate sex, well... didn't it? He scoffed at that thought. Not between men, it didn't O'Neill, he told himself tiredly.

What it had led to was a confession however. Andrew. Daniel Andrew Jackson. He bit his lips together tightly as tears stung the back of his nose again, making his eyes water lightly.

He took a moment then swallowed hard, his voice a study of controlled emotions. "He's really gone this time, huh?"

The General looked at the tag then at Jack. "Looks like it, son.." he said. Jack's eyes clenched shut at those words then, after a few moments, he silently brought Daniel's dog tags to his forehead, sighing softly, hoping his raised hands would hide his trembling lip. Outwardly he knew he still looked okay, but inwardly, he knew he was a mess!

Hammond saw the strength it took for Jack to remain in control of his feelings and, forgoing all regulations, he pulled his long time friend closer for a hug. At first the colonel was stiff in his arms, but he started to give into the show of comfort.

"He died doing something he loved, Jack," Hammond offered shakily as some sort of compensation for the needless death.

Wrapped in the arms of the general and on the very verge of tears Jack suddenly panicked and pushed back. He shouldn't be doing this, especially not infront of the general. He was far too close to tears for his own comfort. What must the guy be thinking? Jack mentally kicked himself for grieving. Not yet, he told himself. This wasn't the time or place for it. He straightened up, nodded then sniffed harshly.

"I need.. I need some time..." his brown eyes squinted as he tried to think past the images of Daniel in his mind. Hammond licked his lips and nodded.

"I'll be notifying the families soon," he said, realising the information wasn't necessary. Jack just nodded again. Hammond coughed softly. "You take all the time you need, Jack."

The colonel finally looked into Hammond's blue eyes and saw the understanding there. A little stunned, he nodded silently then started to turn towards the stairs, absently passing the tags to the older man.

Suddenly Simmons appeared up the stairs.

"Sir," he said excitedly, " they've found some survivors..."

Jack swiveled to look at Hammond and the older man trotted down the stairs eagerly while the colonel remained in the briefing room, his head pressed against the glass window, his thoughts filled with Daniel.

//Why didn't you just tell him how you felt about him? Now it's too late...//

He watched as Hammond entered the gate room below, then Jack blew out a lung full of air.

//What was the point? You know full well you had no chance with Danny...//

Three soldiers exited the gate below him. Jack watched with mild interested as his mind continued to torment him with images of Daniel smiling in sunlight, his hair flecked with blond and chestnut highlights, his blue eyes flashing, his smile breathtakingly beautiful! Jack clenched his eyes shut tightly and rocked his face against the cold glass window.

//If only he'd shown some sign of returning *any* of your love, you could have pounced on him. But you know he didn't and you know he wouldn't. You know that all he would ever be is your *best* friend.... and for a while that seemed enough. But now... now that he's gone.. oh god! Why didn't you just *tell* him Jack?//

Jack shook his head and looked down at the ash covered men on the gate ramp. He frowned and tilted his head. They all looked the same; ash covered fatigues and helmets, but one figure looked familiar, the one on the left. The way he titled his helmet back slightly. Not enough for Jack to see the face from up there but it didn't matter. He knew that movement!! He tore down the stairs, stumbling in his haste then regaining his footing and running into the Gate room.

He ran up to the small group gathered on the ramp now; the original survivors mingled with the medical team. Jack reached out for a shoulder and spun the officer around.

"Danny?" he cried. The unfamiliar officer frowned at Jack then shook his head slowly. Jack gasped and nodded, apologizing for the intrusion.

He stumbled back down the ramp and started to turn.

"Jack?"

The bile rose into his throat as he shook his head and stepped off the bottom of the ramp.

"Jack.." a hand pressed on his shoulder and he turned to the touch. He took a few seconds to recognise the familiar blue eyes, the furrowed ash covered brow, the pink.. full... lips..

"DANNY!" he threw himself into Daniel Jackson's arms, hugging his friend tightly, burying his face into his neck, never going to let him go again.

Daniel closed his eyes and returned the embrace. "Jack," he sighed softly, glad to be home, back amongst those he loved. He started looking over Jack's shoulders for signs of the others but they weren't there.

Jack realised the embrace overstepped the mark of friendship a little and finally, but very reluctantly, pulled back, his hands coming up to cradle Daniel's face instead.

"Oh god.. you have no idea what I.. we ...went through.. no idea.." he was shaking his head, smiling happily as he squeezed Daniel's face in his hands. Daniel gave Jack a sweet smile that set the colonel's heart ablaze. He had so much to tell Daniel - now that he was safely back home. But it could all wait..!! He was going to take Daniel to the Doc, and tell Sam and Teal'c the great news and then.. then he was going to whisk him away for a quiet 'beer', and a well overdue confession....

Jack squeezed his beloved friend again then a frown appeared over his smile as something around Daniel's neck caught his eye. Slowly he reached into Daniel's top and pulled out the Dog Tags that the young man was wearing.

Daniel frowned. "What? What's wrong?" he titled his head, looking at Jack's open mouth gape.

Suddenly Jack realised why Daniel had offered to go with SG-11 on this expedition! He clutched the tags in a tight fist, almost about to rip them angrily from Daniel's neck then he shuddered as his blood boiled with rage.

Daniel was taken aback by the abrupt change in his friend. He put his hands on Jack's shoulders trying to calm him a little.

"Jesus.. Danny.." Jack almost cried with disappointment and sadness, his heart feeling like it couldn't take anymore shocks.. and now *this*!!

"What?" Daniel tried smiling at his friend again but the confusion was etched on his face. Jack patted his beloved friend's cheek a little roughly as he looked at the tag again. Daniel frowned.

"What's wrong? Is everything alright? Jack, you're scaring me here…" Daniel was saying but Jack wasn't listening.

He was too busy trying to work out the best thing to do. Fighting the jealousy boiling within him, it was enough that Jack didn't throw the tags at Daniel as he screamed the news at him, but, to his credit, he kept his voice controlled and led the man aside, needing to be the one to tell Daniel the news…. before Hammond started asking awkward questions.

"Jack..?"

Jack coughed, swallowed, then announced, in his gentlest voice, "Daniel, I regret to inform you that Captain John Giles of SG-11 is missing, presumed dead on P3x5990" he delivered the usual message in circumstances like this, his voice shaking as he waited for the news to slowly sink into his friend. Afterall, there might have been a very innocent reason why Daniel's dog tags turned up on a boiled body….

But as Daniel's face paled as he shook his head and his lips moving slightly as the words sunk in, Jack knew there could be only *one* reason. He stifled his own tremors, not sure now if it was jealousy, hatred, disappointment or absolutely shock over the events of the past two hours, that was causing his body to shiver violently and his face to flush, but Jack shook his head slowly and screwed his eyes shut to block out the image of his stupefied friend.

"John..?" Daniel's face slowly tilted, the blue eyes confused beyond belief.

Jack couldn't help it as the anger boiled again within him and he hated himself for it as he tugged on Daniel's dog tags a little roughly, causing the stunned man to wince and stumble a littl. But Jack needed to make him understand quickly! *He* needed to understand quickly. Was something going on between Daniel and John?

"You're wearing *his* tags.." he whispered harshly, imagining only too well how *that* might have occurred. The two of them must have taken their tags off during sex.

//Oh boy,// Jack thought shakily, //those tags must *really* get in Daniel's way...//

He shook his head. This was no time to get jealous! But despite his reasoning, his emotions still churned within him...

*ANGER* at Daniel for recklessly swapping his tags with his lover's, causing them to believe that it was Daniel who was dead, sending them all into their own private hells as they dealt with the loss of him - again!...

*REGRET* that he didn't pick up what Daniel meant about the dogtags that day in his office and Jack had missed several opportunities to let Daniel know how he felt...

*JEALOUSY* that Daniel was now with someone else, and that John was such a great guy too!

*RELIEF* that Daniel was still alive.. and

*SORROW* at Daniel's obvious heartache now....

He watched the blood drain from the face before him.. Daniel was still muttering "no.." softly over and over as he shook his head.

Jack's grip tightened on Daniel's arm as he pulled him further aside, trying to curb the jealousy now raging within him.

"Your tags were found on.. on.. a body..." despite talking through clenched teeth he tried to keep his voice gentle, seeing the distraught face, knowing that Daniel was in no fit state of mind to comprehend the kind of terror and grief that that discovery had put Jack and the others through at the time.

"Oh... god.. no.." Daniel moaned softly as he started to double over, Jack's grip the only thing preventing him from falling into a heap on the floor. Jack's other hand helped him stand upright again and as he looked up, Daniel's face was smeared with tracks of tears through the film of ash over the skin, his blue eyes red and watery, his bottom lip trembling.

"And.." Jack jiggled the tags still in his other hand, his voice softening somewhat to resignation now, "you're wearing John's tags....."

Daniel's eyes screwed shut tightly, tears leaking out and over the screwed up skin, his mouth opening in despair as his head shook from side to side slowly.

"John..." he squeaked softly. Judging by the reaction, there was no mistaking how these tags got swapped!!

Jack nodded, his heart breaking at Daniel's despair. "You must have swapped them accidentally .. when you were dressing.... I guess.." he tried to keep all remonstration from his voice. Daniel didn't need that now. He needed support and comfort and, oh god, *something* to take that look of total disconsolation from his beautiful face right now!

Jack watched helplessly as Daniel shook his head some more in disbelief. Suddenly he seemed to catch his breath and then collapsed into Jack's arms.

"Medic!" Jack yelled as he carefully lowered his friend to the floor.

"MEDIC!" He quickly removed the tags from Daniel's neck before anyone else saw them.

Jack stepped aside and waited until Daniel was lifted up onto the gurney then he took his friend's hand in his and squeezed it tightly. Daniel's lost blue eyes settled on Jack's face and the older man tried to give him a gentle smile.

"Danny, it's okay..." he said watching the tears roll from Daniel's eyes. He squeezed his hand again. "I'll be here.. we'll talk... later.." he nodded as Daniel finally released his hand and was carried from the gate room.

Hammond stood next to Jack.

"Poor kid, probably exhausted from the whole ordeal.." he said, looking pretty drained himself. Jack looked at him.

"Having a volcano erupt on you can kinda do that to ya.." he said glibly, as he turned and placed the tags in the general's hand.

Hammond nodded. "He and the others went out to explore some caves a few miles away on the other side of the volcano. They'd set out a day before, missing the whole thing. They felt the tremors and saw the eruption but were unable to get back to the base until the lava cooled," he sighed as he looked at the two other officers being led away now. "They were very lucky…"

Jack nodded, scratching at his eye as he pointed to the tags in Hammond's hand. He doubted Daniel felt very lucky at the moment! Hammond looked down at them, then caught his breath as he mumbled softly, "oh.. no.."

Jack stared at him, wondering how he was going to explain how he got those tags from Daniel.

"Then again," Hammond sighed and looked up to meet Jack's worried gaze, "Losing your lover can do that to you too, I guess," he said as he gripped the tags in his fist.

Jack sounded a little like he was choking on his words.

"John and I go back a while, Colonel. We're old golfing partners..." Hammond explained with a shrug. Jack nodded numbly. Why was he always the last to know? Hammond continued, "he told me a few months ago..."

//Months ago?// Jack rolled his eyes. //This was no fling then. //

Hammond frowned at Jack's expression. "I take it you knew about Daniel...?"

Jack shook his head slowly. Hammond sighed and rubbed his mouth.

"I'm sorry then to be the one to tell you, knowing how you feel about him."

Jack blinked quickly then stared at the General. He was too tired and too numb to play games. "How long have you known.. about.. about my .. feelings?"

Hammond shrugged. "Not too long. I'll confess, I didn't think you had a chance in Hell with him, until John floored me with his news..."

Hammond patted Jack's shoulder. "To be honest, I felt kind of sad for you when he did..."

Jack nodded, unable to find the words to answer him.

Hammond patted the colonel's shoulder gently. "And I had great reservations about letting the two of them go on this trip together, but as you didn't seem to mind..."

//I didn't know!// Jack corrected him in his mind.

"... and John said it was their six month anniversary on Tuesday and wanted to spend it with Daniel..." the general shrugged.

Jack screwed his eyes shut. //Oh, God! Six months? // He felt his stomach start to churn again.

Hammond sense the despair in Jack again and tried to change the subject.

"How about you go and find the others and tell them the good news about Daniel then? I'm sure Captain Carter will like to see him for herself," he said benevolently.

The colonel nodded towards the tag in Hammond's hands. "How are you going to explain the switched tags?"

Hammond looked around at the confusion in the room then back at Jack.

"I'm going to put John's in the pile with the rest of them," he sighed sadly, "and say that Daniel's must have gotten in there by some accident."

Jack looked at the crafty general then nodded again, before Hammond patted him on the back.

"Off you go," he said, "tell the others the good news."

Jack headed through the doors, still feeling numb. They had Daniel back, but at what costs? What state was the young man going to be in over the next few months? Jack knew he'd be needed to help Daniel over the loss of his lover and he just hoped he had the strength within him to do that. To watch Daniel go through that despair and heart ache and not want to hold him, touch him, cradle him, *comfort* him.....

Sighing heavily, he rubbed his hand under his nose as he straightened his shoulders and headed off to locate Sam and Teal'c with the *good news*.

-THE END-