He stepped away, backing up and keeping an eye on the sleeping man then he ducked behind the tent, turning away from the camp site to relieve himself. He was checking his watch, surprised to see that over an hour had passed since the others had headed off, when he heard the faint cry:

"Jack...."

Cringing at the bad timing Jack finished quickly, shook himself and was still doing up his fly as he rounded the tent in time to see Daniel struggling to sit up against the log.

"Jack!" The injured man cried out, his hands coming up to his head as he gripped at his long hair.

"Ja.."

'Here!" Jack called sharply. Daniel turned to look for him, but it was obvious he wasn't able to see him in the dark. Jack stepped up to the fire and Daniel's face lifted to look up at him, his eyes squinted without the glasses to help him.

"Jesus!" the older man hissed quietly as he fell to his knees beside the half-sitting, half-lying man. There was a trail of blood seeping from the corner of Daniel's mouth.

Without a word, the injured man started coughing again, then he rolled onto his hands and knees - facing away from Jack - and heaved up even more blood.

"Hey, hey!" The colonel reached over, his hand lightly resting on the curved back. Daniel shook, heaving up more blood then he groaned as he rolled back onto his butt, sitting up and swiping the back of his hand across his mouth.

"Oh.. god!" He slurred, lifting his trembling hand to his face again.

"Let me look at you," Jack said, cupping his hand over Daniel's ear and gingerly turning the face to look at it in the light of the fire.

Daniel saw the look in Jack's eyes. "Bad?"

"You're really swollen on this side. Open up," he said, angling Daniel's face to try to catch the firelight.

"Can't see a damn thing!" He muttered, reaching behind for his pack to pull out his torch. He turned and flashed the torch on, making Daniel flinch as the bright light shone in his eyes.

"Oops, sorry!" Jack angled it down to shine inside the swollen mouth. "Oh, ah! For crying out....Well, that accounts for the blood," he said casually.

Daniel made an audible noise that might have been 'what' but with his mouth opened wide it didn't quite sound like that.

Jack lowered the torch and switched it off. "You've ripped up the inside of your mouth pretty badly. You must have been swallowing blood for a while."

"I can't feel it.." Daniel said, touching his hand into his mouth again.

"Probably numb. You're really swollen though," he said, pointing to the rounded cheek. Resting his hand onto his knelt thighs he looked at the swollen face. "I'd still like to check you out..." he said, shifting his eyes down to Daniel's chest.

"What?" The younger man asked as he looked down at his ripped t-shirt, lying his hand over his stomach lightly then looking up at Jack again.

"Can I just check your ribs? Spitting up blood can be an indicator of..." Jack said, ending the sentence in a shrug.

Daniel nodded. He knew the drill. "Broken ribs. Yeah, I know," he said, kneeling and sitting back on his heels as he gripped the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it up to his throat. Jack watched the white chest expand as the arms lifted up and gave him access to the bruised skin. The scientist flinched as he raised his bent arms over his head.

"Hurts?" Jack asked.

"Well, the shoulder does. I'm not so sure about the ribs," he was saying just as Jack's fingertips pressed against the bruised bare skin.

"Ouch!" He flinched.

"That hurts?" Jack queried. Daniel lowered the top slightly so that he could look at his friend and relieve the ache in his shoulder.

"Only when you press on it," he said dryly.

Jack gave a glimmer of a smile as he lowered his face and concentrated on what he was doing. Daniel sighed as the warm palm now pressed against his bare skin, and Jack looked up at him when he heard the expell of air.

"Are you okay?"

With patient restraint, Daniel said, "No, not really. Otherwise you wouldn't be pressing on my body right now!"

Jack half smiled at that comment. Of 'course' he wouldn't be! His hands glided over the firm, muscular chest, pressing on Daniel's bruised skin to check for any broken ribs. The injured man flinched only once, and Jack pressed there again.

"Does that hurt?"

"Will you stop doing that?!" Daniel grumbled through gritted teeth, then looked down at the hands on his body. Jack smiled again at the agitated man, pressing the flat of his hand onto the cool skin, the warmth of his own hand easing some of Daniel's discomfort.

"What about that?"

Daniel inhaled a long, slow breath as he laid his head back against the hard log behind him. He closed his eyes slowly. "That's ... it's okay."

"Okay?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, it feels...." Daniel searched for the word, "nice.. Uh... good." He stammered, his eyes shooting open quickly then he said, "warm. It feels warm and that.. well.. that helps with the ..." he stared deeply into Jack's eyes, "uh... pain."

"It does?" Jack said flatly, returning the deep stare.

"It .. helps.." the younger man muttered.

"With the pain?" the colonel reiterated. The long hair flopped a little in Daniel's eyes as he nodded.

"It's soothing.." He tilted his face to look at where Jack was pressing on his skin again. The colonel exchanged hands once more, adding renewed heat to the area while he took the other hand away and rubbed it on his thigh to heat the palm again. He stared at his friend, allowing himself to enjoy the ministrations Daniel was letting him to do, mostly because it meant so much more. It meant he was letting Jack near him again, even if it was only physically near him for the moment. There was a moment more than once over the past few days when Jack thought that Daniel would never let him near him again - physically or emotionally.

Before he gave it much thought, the colonel mumbled, "Tell me it's not broken, Danny." He looked at him and put his warm palm onto the skin again, rubbing his other hand onto his thigh to reheat it. The blue eyes looked up blinking then growing wide as they saw the sadness in Jack's brown eyes.

"My ribs?"

"Our friendship."

The younger man blinked quickly, his mouth moved but no sound came out. Slicking his tongue across his bottom lip, he looked down at the hand on his skin then up at the Jack again.

"I think it's okay now," he said in a quiet voice.

Jack's eyes widened. "It is?"

//It was? Wow! That was easy!!//

Daniel shifted away from the touch slightly as he lowered his top. "I was referring to my chest."

Jack looked at the ragged t-shirt, back in place over the smooth body once more. "Oh. You sure?" He asked. Daniel looked back over his shoulder at him and frowned.

"About?"

"Your chest?"

"Yeah. It's not broken."

"Damn," Jack sighed.

Daniel's brow arched as he tilted his head. "Sorry?"

"I was referring to the fact that Sam and Teal'c would be too far away by now to radio and call off the Med Team."

"Oh." Daniel said with a slight nod, then flinched as his head thudded with a headache. Jack saw the way he gingerly touched his hand to the bandage on his forehead, discovering it for the first time.

"Yeah, that's got me a little worried though. You really should get stitches."

"What is it?"

"Bad gash. I've put suture tape on it, but it really needs a stitch.. or nine."

Daniel lightly fingered the swollen skin. "Well, thanks. For doing that."

"You were bleeding all over me," Jack said, pointing to his thigh and the dark red stain on the inner thigh.

"I did that?" Daniel frowned.

"You were out cold. Sam said you fell over a cliff - what do you remember?"

Daniel shivered then shrugged. Jack picked up the blanket and placed it around his shoulders again before scooping up his own jacket and slipping it on once more. The colonel also got his friend a cup of hot coffee and placed it in Daniel's hands.

"We were walking and she just went. Toppled..."

"Her ankle gave out on her.." Jack said, then saw the regret cross Daniel's face. Without missing a beat, he added, "or she might have tripped on an embedded rock in the path." He gave a little shrug as Daniel looked at him. There was a hint of an appreciative smile on the archaeologist's face then he looked back into the flames. "I tried to grab her but the next thing I knew we were both going over.... That's all I can remember." He titled his face and scratched behind his ear with his thumb. "How was Sam?"

"Okay. Battered but okay. She and Teal'c have started back to the gate for help. We'll walk out first light, probably meet the Med Team halfway back," the colonel said, cupping his hand under his mug of drink and sipping slowly on the hot brew.

Daniel looked at him in the firelight. A small smile of recognition flittered across his face as he grew warm inside. It had been a long time since he felt comfortable sitting and talking to Jack. He'd missed his friend so much.

"Maybe it's just really bruised, not broken," he said out of the blue.

Jack frowned as he looked over at him. "Huh?"

"I was referring to our friendship," Daniel said, lifting his eyes to look at Jack.

"Ah." The colonel nodded.

The younger man took a moment then wet his lips. "I'm sorry Jack. It never occurred to me that you'd feel neglected."

"It never occurred to me that you'd leave the SGC over a spat between us."

Daniel blinked then lowered his eyes as he shook his head. "Is that all you thought it was? Just a fight between us?"

"Wasn't it?"

Daniel snorted as he shook his head. "It meant a whole lot more to me then, I guess."

The older man shrugged. "What was it then?"

Daniel rolled onto his side. Propped up onto one elbow he looked up at his friend.

"A show of disrespect."

"To you?" Jack asked.

Daniel nodded then he inhaled a deep breath. Jack waited, because he knew he had something more to say.

"It hurt. I was happy, for once, and for the first time since losing Sha're . You had to ruin it by being condescending and rude! "

"Daniel.."

"No, just.. shut up and listen, for once, Jack!" the agitated man bit quickly, shooting a quick glance at the colonel. "Up until the other night I was blaming you for the break up. But, thanks to Teal'c, I can see how wrong that was.."

Jack's brow arched. "Teal'c, eh?"

Daniel nodded. "He came over with Sam and Janet and we ended up sitting up all night, just talking. Well, he listened, I talked... well, ranted and vented and.."

"I get the idea," Jack said. Daniel glanced at him then shrugged.

"He made me see how stupid it was to believe that you were the biggest cause of the break up."

//Thank god for level headed Jaffas!//

"In fact, now I think I should be thanking you. For showing me what a weasel Graham really was..."

Jack was surprised by that frank confession. "As much as I wish I could take credit for that, it's much the same as with the actual break up. I had nothing to do with it. That was all Graham's doing."

Daniel shrugged and nodded at the same time. "Yeah, you're probably right about that."

"So am I still a bastard?" Jack asked after a short silence.

"Yes," Daniel said bluntly then waited for the colonel to look at him. "For the way you treated *me*."

Rolling his eyes, Jack sighed. "Hey! You treated me just as badly!"

Holding one finger up, Daniel shook his head. "No. In the beginning, while I was still with Graham, you said.. well.. you were downright rude, Jack..."

Nodding remorsefully, the colonel looked down. "Okay, I'll agree to that. But I still don't see why my opinion of your relationship with Simmons meant that much."

"Why wouldn't it? You're my friend.."

With a conceding shrug, Jack said, "Still, I'm not sure I'd let your opinion of my partner bother me so much!"

"Well, then I guess you have come to mean more to me than I... realized," Daniel confessed quietly, then took a moment before adding honestly, "Your opinions mean a lot to me Jack, and it really upset me that you were derogative about Grae and me. I guess, I thought you should have supported me - isn't that what friends do?"

Jack thought for a moment then said sincerely, "If they think the relationship's in their friend's best interest."

Daniel was surprised by that response. "And you didn't?"

"No! I didn't think Graham was the best person for you. And before you start jumping all over me again, it has nothing to do with him.. being a man - and I *do* use that term loosely!"

Daniel sighed heavily. Sure, 'he' could think that, but hearing Jack say it too, well it still stung a little.

The colonel lowered his voice slightly as he said, "I realize *now* that I should have handled my opinion a little better..." He looked at his friend. "For your sake."

Daniel blinked then rolled his eyes as he said, "Or maybe I shouldn't let your opinion mean that much to me!" He busied himself with adjusting the blanket draped over his hips and legs as he added, in a mumble, "But it does.. and I don't know why-"

When he finally did look up at Jack again, he saw the dark eyes stare right through him. The older man inhaled deeply, then shifted to rest his elbows onto his thighs, leaning forward and staring into the fire. Daniel diverted his eyes, glad that Jack wasn't looking at him.

"Sorry, if that makes you feel uncomfortable," he said.

Jack bowed his head, picking up a twig off the ground and poking at the fire with it. The remained in silence for a moment, until Jack broke the silence by saying, "I never meant to disrespect you, Daniel. You're one of the few people in this world, or any other world, that I actually *do* respect. I was hurt, and angry when I found out, because.. well, because.. "

The colonel hesitated a moment and Daniel seized the opportunity to say, "I'm sorry I didn't turn out to be the man you thought I was."

Jack turned his head and looked at him.

"That's what you really think, isn't it? That you let me down in some absurd way?"

Daniel shrugged but said nothing.

Jack sighed. "Oh, for crying out loud! I'm not your brother and I'm not your father, Daniel."

// You've got nothing to prove to me!// Jack finished off in his head.

With a soft snort, the anthropologist tilted his face back, looking at him. "You're the closest thing I've got to family, Jack."

The colonel looked at him, then slowly shook his head. "Jesus, Danny..."

Wetting his lips, Daniel moved again, groaning as he shifted his battered body. "Sorry, this obviously makes you uncomfortable," he muttered, reaching for the blanket that slipped off him as he sat up.

Jack scrubbed his hands through his hair as he sighed loudly.

"No, not uncomfortable. It's just, well, it's not the relationship I always pictured with you -" He waved his hand between them.

Daniel dragged his knees to his chest, resting his elbows on them as he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He was just thinking about the new frames he'd admired the other day - now he had reason to buy them - when he felt a touch on his cheek. He opened his eyes to see Jack sitting a little closer, facing him.

"Jealous remember? I said I was - I was jealous."

Daniel vision shifted between the two dark eyes. "I'm not following...." He said, then inhaled his breath as soon as the penny dropped in his mind. *Relationship* *Jealous*.. The gentle stroking on his cheek by Jack also helped. "Oh!"

The colonel just gave a weak smile as he felt the tips of his ears burn with the blush.

"Jack?"

The officer shrugged. "You know those rugby tackles and snow fights..?" He gave a wistful smile and Daniel straightened up, almost backing away a little.

"What are you saying?"

Jack lifted his brow, his mouth opening a little to start to speak but Daniel placed his hand over it instead.

"Second thoughts, I don't want to know.." he said breathlessly. Jack pulled the hand away and smiled, almost apologetically.

"So, it's okay for you to tell me you're gay, but you don't want to hear it from me, huh? Kinda double standards, don't you think?"

Daniel's eyes narrowed as confusion reigned in his mind, making his head thump loudly.

"Jack.." He shook his head slowly in disbelief. Jack nodded then looked down at his hands.

"Kinda knocked you for six, huh?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, kinda.." He breathed out slowly. Jack looked up at him, his brown eyes squinting again.

"How does that make you feel?"

"I'm confused.. terribly confused.. *now*.." Daniel stammered softly. He stared into the fire a long moment then turned to look at Jack again. "Did I hit my head harder than I thought back there?"

Jack shook his head then scratched at his eye. "The thing is, Danny, that I carried something for you for.. like.. forever.."

The younger man's mouth gaped open. "Why the hell didn't you say anything?"

Jack shrugged. "You were in love with Sha're, or so I thought. I didn't want to confuse you more. And I had no idea you were gay... not until I realized you were with Graham."

"And that's why you were so mean to him..?" He said in a slow, thoughtful voice, staring into the orange flames before him. He tilted his face to look at Jack, his bottom lip quivering slightly. "You were - jealous!" He said it in a soft voice, like an epiphany had just hit him. "All those comments about my body - like my butt being my best bit..?"

Jack cringed, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"You were sizing me up!"

With a slight shrug, Jack muttered, "Well, it's a good feature, but I wouldn't say it's your best..." He stopped as he looked at Daniel. Holding his hands up in placation he said, "but.. like I said to Carter - a *lot* has happened to me in the past 72 hours.."

"Sam? Sam.. knows?" Daniel asked, his voice rising with surprise as he tilted his head.

"She's known for a .. long.. time.." Jack nodded.

Daniel's mouth gaped open nearly as wide as his eyes were at that moment. "You're kidding me!" He suddenly recalled all the times she defended Jack, or hinted that there might be more. He hadn't noticed it at the time, but now he could see it! She knew both sides and she never said a damn thing?!

Running his hands through his hair, he pushed his fringe off his face as he said, "Oh.. my God!"

"But I swore I'd push her through an un-GDO'd gate if she so much as hinted at it.."

"Well," Daniel said, rolling his eyes, "She heeded that warning well!"

Jack shrugged. So she should have!

Daniel turned to Jack quickly. "All that crap I took from you! All that.. that SHIT! You let me believe you were homophobic!" He almost yelled now, out of surprise and frustration.

"Hey!" Jack snapped quickly. "*You* thought that! Not me!"

"I put up with so much shit from you..!!" Daniel said, lowering his face and shaking his head. "So .. much..!!"

"Danny, I didn't tell you this to make you angry at me again. I told you this because I think you needed to know, and - well, you are kinda of a captive audience.."

The big blue eyes blinked quickly. "Why the hell didn't you tell me this sooner? What was all that.. that.. we went through last week?" He flung his hand in the air to indicate to the week gone by.

"I tried to tell you, but you were so hostile to me. Daniel, you *hated* me. Why the hell do you think I followed you to the park that night? I *was* trying to tell you, but you were festering with anger.. you were like a damn volcano, and I couldn't get anywhere near you!"

The younger man stared at him a long moment then lowered his face, his chest heaving from anger again.

Jack screwed his eyes shut then said, in a tight voice, "You made your feelings for me pretty plain over the last few days, Daniel. Real plain!"

"I didn't know you were in love with me.."

Clenching his hand into a fist, Jack said, "You hated me! Despised - I think would be a better word.."

"I didn't know were in love with me!" He snapped back loudly.

"Was!" Jack hissed equally as loudly then lightened up slightly as the pain-filled blue eyes looked at him again. "Was!" He said, most definitely.

"Was?" Daniel frowned, lifting his face slightly.

A frustrated, ironic laugh escaped the colonel now as he looked over the face before him. "I'd have given anything to have had this conversation a month ago. Anything!" Then he drew in a deep breath as he added, "But I'm glad we didn't now, because, well I think I learned a valuable lesson last week!"

The anthropologist blinked quickly again. "What?"

Jack gave his friend a gentle smile, then touched his hand to the unswollen side of his face. "That as much as I care.. deeply - very, *very* deeply for you.."

Daniel swallowed, then his lips parted slightly as he tried to slow his ragged breathing.

"Things would never work out between us.."

The younger man's breath hitched in the back of his throat. "They wouldn't?"

Jack shook his head then released the touch, letting his hand fall heavily into his own lap. "They wouldn't....I mean, you have to agree? Right?"

Daniel hastily interjecting over Jack's own words as the colonel said, "For crying out loud, we're great friends, I don't want to ruin that.."

"Neither do I.."

"We're just two different people.."

"I agree..."

"And I care a lot about you but I'm not interested in.."

"Neither am I."

Jack stopped suddenly, "What?" Did he hear that correctly? He thought he was breaking Daniel's heart here? Not that he wanted to, but he just thought he was.

Daniel blinked then said, bluntly, "I told you the truth earlier Jack. I might have had a crush on you in the beginning, but.." he shrugged then screwed his nose up. "I hope this means we can still be friends?"

Now Jack was slightly stunned and at a loss for words. "I.. I.."

"I'd really.. and I mean.. REALLY.. like to stay on at the SGC, if you'll have me-"

The colonel's eyes went wide. "On the team, you mean?"

Daniel laughed softly and nodded. "Yeah, and I only mean it that way."

Swallowing, Jack nodded. "That.. well.. that would be great!"

They stared at each other a long while before Daniel ducked his head and looked at the hands clasped in his lap.

"What do you think the General's going to make of us staying out here - together - all night?"

Jack sighed as he scrubbed his hand down his face. "Actually, I don't know. You kinda noticed that comment too, huh?"

Daniel's eyes went wide as he snorted. "It was - well, pretty obvious."

Jack met the blue eyes as they looked up again. "He thought we were.. fighting.."

"Lover's tiffing, actually, I think!" Daniel said.

Jack didn't blink for a long time then he said, "Yeah. I thought.."

Daniel nodded. "But he'd.. be wrong!"

Jack nodded and lowered his face. "Yep. He certainly would."

They were silent again for a long time.

"Should we try to reach that Data capsule before heading out tomorrow?" Daniel asked, changing the subject dramatically.

Jack wet his lips, glad for the change of topic. "Sure."

"Good, well I think I should try to sleep this headache off," the anthropologist muttered then got to his feet. Jack rose to his feet too, a little surprised that the conversation was now over - as far as the Anthropologist was concerned. He decided that it was probably a good thing too. They could take the time now to mull over the confessions, and - in time - work through it all. Sitting by the fire, rehashing feelings and anger, wasn't going to make much of a difference now.

He watched as Daniel looked around then groaned.

"I was carrying the tent.." He muttered, realising it was now at the bottom of the ravine.

Jack looked over at his tent, already erected. He and Teal'c had done it when they first arrived. "Oh."

"It's okay. I can sleep out.."

"Danny, for crying out loud! We've shared a tent before..!"

The anthropologist nodded then shrugged. "I guess."

Both men silently recalled incidents when they'd 'accidentally' touch the other or found themselves slightly draped across the other in the morning. Both gave an embarrassed smile and lowered their heads more, unaware the other was doing the exact same thing.

Neither of the men headed towards the tent though and finally they laughed slightly again.

Daniel moaned as he said, "This.. is.. this is.."

"Nuts?" Jack offered.

The younger man looked at him, pursed his lips and rubbed the side of his thumb with the tip of his index finger nervously.

"You noticed that too?" He said, through lightly gritted teeth.

"Uh, yeah!" The colonel nodded. He jutted his head towards the tent. "Come on!" He took one step closer then stopped Daniel. Holding his finger up at him, he wagged it playfully at him and said, "But no funny business! I've a very jealous lover and he.."

"You have a lover?" Daniel asked quickly. Jack saw the look in the blue eyes and grew serious again.

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

The anthropologist stared at him a long moment, then finally said, "I'm happy for you, Jack."

Jack's eyes narrowed and he felt a flush of guilt across him. That was the way *he* should have reacted with the news about Graham and Daniel, he could see that now. With a little contrite nod, he said, "Thanks."

The two friends exchanged smiles then they both removed their boots before heading into the tent for a well earned sleep.

Go to Next Part