The Christmas Gift -  Part 5

The old door creaked loudly as Jack shoved it open forcefully. Snow dropped from the roof as the whole shed shuddered from the force. Daniel jumped to the side a little to avoid the fall then he peered into the darkness. Jack stepped inside then pulled a lighter from his pocket and reached for an oil lamp. He lit the wick and set it aside before shutting the door behind Daniel, who'd followed him inside.

"Wow," Daniel said, looking around the wooden room. It was a typical boat shed, with the small rowboat bobbing in the water in the center of the room, and able to be launched straight out onto the river through a large open archway. Boat oars were threaded into the rafters above their head, along with an assortment of fishing rods and other paraphernalia. On the other side of the shed were a workbench and a fridge. On the whole, the place was not big, but functional and large enough to house the four man rowboat and to provide some solace from the family when needed.

Jack went over to the fridge and found it was off. He extracted two bottles of beer, holding one up to his friend. "It's not Egyptian.." He said, a little teasingly. Daniel smiled then shrugged.

"It will do.." He nodded, surprised when Jack threw the bottle across the room to him. The frantic young man caught it; the gloves on his hands making him fumble it slightly. Jack smiled at him then tugged a glove off his hand to pries open the lid of his bottle.

"Jesus Jack!" Daniel muttered, circling the boat and going over to him.

"Not like you'd have ruined the décor if you'd dropped it, Danny boy," Jack said, taking the bottle and opening it for him. "You know, they are surprisingly cold, for bottles that have been in a switched off fridge for a few months.

"Oh," Daniel said, pausing the bottle on his bottom lip. "Beer doesn't go off, does it?"

Jack looked at him then shrugged so Daniel took a sip. Watching him take the first tentative gulp Jack quipped, "You tell me."

"Jack!" Daniel blustered as he pulled the bottle from his mouth. Jack laughed then took a long drink from his own bottle.

"Relax, Daniel!"

The two men moved over to the front of the boat shed, looking out through the opening at the river and its snow-crusted banks. Daniel was standing in front, with Jack behind him, peering over his shoulder as he braced himself against the top of the wall with one hand. Lifting the hand that held his bottle, Jack pointed to the middle of the river and said, "That's where Teal'c took his swim.."

Daniel looked back over his shoulder at the laughing man. "From what he tells me, you tipped the boat deliberately!"

Jack's brown eyes shone in the brightness. "Like I'd do something like that!" He quipped cheekily. Daniel narrowed his eyes; clearly indicating that he believed Jack would do something like that - especially to Teal'c. Part of him wondered now if it was to see Teal'c in wet clothes, or to give him a reason to get him out of them... He realized he was staring at his friend and he diverted his eyes as he lowered his face. Jack, seeing Daniel's discomfort, sighed then stepped back from him.

"So what do you think of the O'Neill cabin?" He asked, throwing his arms wide flamboyantly.

Daniel's eyes flittered towards the now closed door, in the direction of the house, and then he looked at Jack. "It's considerably bigger than it looks on the outside."

Jack grinned as he eased himself into a chair, then he told him, "it used to be a lot smaller, like a real cabin, but since Dad's retirement he's been coming up here, adding bits on here and there, sprucing it up a little."

"A 'little'," Daniel commented flatly as he nodded, clearly indicating that he thought that was quite an understatement.

"I think - once it was ready - he and Mom..." Jack's voice softened on the last word, and he bowed his head considerably. Daniel frowned and watched him carefully. Jack's hand came up to his bowed face then he seemed to wipe his cheeks before sniffing back harshly. This surprised Daniel. Jack had seemed alright since their arrival yesterday, but now, it seemed, now that they were alone, he could let his feelings show. At least, Daniel thought as he watched his friend scrub a hand across his face roughly, it would be nice to think that's what was happening.

With a cough to clear his throat, Jack sat back. Daniel met the misty gaze and tilted his head a little. Jack's face instantly dropped again, and he placed his beer onto the ground by his foot before lacing his fingers behind his head and squeezing as he made a soft growling noise.

Daniel frowned. He'd never seen Jack mourn before - this was all so new to him. With a certain amount of caution, he stepped away from the opening and came over to where his friend was sitting, all hunched over and toying with the beer bottle within his long fingers once more. Jack's head lifted a little, like he was almost going to look up again, but instead all he did was bring the bottle to his lips, at a strange angle, and swallowed a large mouthful of the bitter liquid.

Standing right before him now, Daniel reached for the other chair and sat himself down into it as he continued to watch Jack rub his face roughly, seemingly trying to scour his mind of thoughts of his lost mother.

"You miss her a lot, don't you?"

The bowed head nodded but Jack didn't say anything. Daniel placed his bottle on the workbench and laced his fingers together, hanging his hands in the space between his parted knees. He leaned forward and said, "She must have been someone pretty special.."

Jack smiled sadly, lifting his face now to look at his friend. "She was," he said with a nod. Daniel smiled too.

Holding his finger up he made a small circle in the air as Daniel asked, "was this something you all did regularly? Getting together like this?"

The older man swallowed then lifted his chin slightly, parting his lips to inhale a slow breath. "No, not really. Which is a shame, now when you think of it."

Daniel bit his lips together and nodded as he kept a watchful gaze on his friend.

"Mom loved these sorts of things though. We managed it maybe once or twice a year, you know, but for the past few years I've been scheduled to be off world whenever something's been organized, so I'd have to pull out at the last minute. She always seemed to understand," he concluded with a shrug then took a long swig of his drink.

Daniel blinked quickly as he looked down at his hands.

"She'd have liked you.."

The blue eyes lifted and focused on Jack once more. "Huh?"

With a smile, Jack told him, "Mom would have liked you. She always liked the intelligent ones," then he mumbled as he brought the drink back to his lips, "always liked me having intelligent friends."

Daniel wasn't sure how to answer that so he remained silent.

"Dad liked me having strong friends, and Mom liked the clever ones." Jack fell quiet a moment, then after a while, with his voice now strained with suppressed emotion, he continued, "Dad hated me having any geeky friends. He couldn't stand them. He could be so cruel about them sometimes..." He paused long enough to take a sip of beer then he returned to his reflections; "It was as though I was going to be judged by the company I kept or something."

Daniel lowered his face. How hard would it have been for Jack to grow up with a father who so hated any show of weakness? It must have been even harder for him then, as a homosexual growing up in the shadow of such a bigoted man. Daniel was lucky. For him, when the realization came that he preferred men to women, his foster parents accepted the news without question. Daniel had often wondered if they readily accepted it because he wasn't really 'their' son - so it was no reflection upon them as people to have a gay child.

"Unfortunately," Daniel said, rubbing his hands together and commenting on Jack's last statement, "we generally are. Even as adults we are judged in society not by what we know, to many extents, but by who know, and with whom we keep company. It's human nature.." He stopped when he saw Jack's wry smile then lowered his chin to his chest.

"Thanks, Professor.." Jack said drolly.

Daniel chuckled softly. "Don't mention it," he said, lifting his face once more.

Jack held the stare a long time before shifting his eyes and muttering, "Thanks for being here with me, Danny. It means a lot."

The anthropologist shrugged as he sat back in his chair. "It's a pity Sam and Teal'c couldn't make it," he commented, reaching for his drink again.

"Yeah," Jack said but something in his tone belied the word. Daniel looked at him. "I just had a thought.."

"What's that?" Daniel asked, sipping his beer then giving a silent shudder as the bitter liquid washed down his throat.

"I wonder what my father thinks we're up to in here. When I was a kid he stormed down here one time and discovered me having a smoke, then the next year I was stealing a beer from his fridge.."

"So he probably thinks you're stealing beer again.. which would be right," Daniel said, holding the bottle up before taking another sip, again shivering at the bitterness. "He'll probably storm in any moment to catch us.."

Jack quirked his brow then looked at the bottle in his hand. "Ooh, I doubt that, very much!" Daniel laughed, not immediately sensing the seriousness in Jack's tone. "I think he's too scared to come down here this time."

The anthropologist frowned, suddenly sensing Jack's mood. "Why?"

Rolling his head back slightly, Jack's dark eyes narrowed as he looked at Daniel. "You're a smart man, Danny.. think about it."

The golden brows knitted then Daniel's face lit with realization. He looked at Jack and the older man nodded as he tossed the lid of his beer bottle onto the ground while saying, casually, "he probably thinks we've come here to be alone.."

"Oh!" Daniel said, looking at his feet. Jack scrubbed his hands down his face and sighed loudly as he leaned back in his seat, suddenly embarrassed again. Daniel turned and put the beer on the bench beside him again then he clasped his hands together and sat forward.

"Look, I'm so sorry about all that, by the way," Jack said, watching Daniel lean forward.

The anthropologist shook his head as he muttered, "it's not your fault."

"Yeah well, I know that, but it doesn't stop it from all being just that little bit awkward.." He said, screwing his face up cynically.

"No, no, not at all, it's not awkward..." Daniel tried to make him believe that.

Snorting in disbelief however, Jack mumbled as he brought his bottle to his lips once more, "Sure! You've been mistaken for being my lover, Daniel-"

"Well, that's not a problem, per se.." Daniel cut him off quickly.

Jack, still with his mind focused on his rant, continued to mutter, "Merry Christmas Danny-boy, you've got yourself a 'boyfriend' for Christmas!" He snarled, the embarrassment making him sound nasty.

"Jack..!"

Jack eyed him a moment before quipping, "Least they think I've got good taste.."

Taken aback slightly by the offhand compliment Daniel smiled abruptly. "Well, thank you.."

Jack shook his head as he muttered, "See, I just don't want it changing things between us. Stuff like this.."

"Like what?"

"This!" Jack waved his hand between the two of them. "The rapport we have.."

"We have a rapport?" Daniel raised a brow quizzically.

"Yes, we have a rapport, Daniel, and you know it as well as I do..."

"Oh, well if you say so, Jack.."

"I do!" He nodded sharply.

Sucking back a deep breath, Daniel said, "I hate to say this then Jack, but I think it already has - changed things a little, I mean.."

The older man screwed his eyes shut tightly. He'd noticed how Daniel had kept his distance all day.

"Can't you just.. forget about it .. or something..?" Jack moaned beseechingly.

"Not really, no," Daniel said. Jack growled as he sat forward, his hands falling between his parted knees. Then he dipped his head and laced his fingers behind his head, sighing heavily. Daniel watched him a moment then sat forward as well, coming in closer. When Jack sat up again, he didn't seem to notice how much closer they were now, but he did stare straight into Daniel's eyes.

The younger man gave him a shy smile. "Look, Jack, if it would make you feel any better maybe we could get together one night at my place to discuss this.."

"I don't think discussing this is a good idea.." Jack said with a wary smile as he shook his head, a little forlornly.

"I think we need to discuss this," Daniel said doggedly, but when Jack looked at him in surprise he dipped his face shyly. With his head still lowered, Daniel went on to say, "I could cook you dinner, we could have some wine..."

"You're not hearing me, Danny-" Jack protested weakly. Did he need to spell it out? He didn't want to discuss his homosexuality with him for fear that his attraction to him might be revealed. At least by leaving it all unsaid, nothing would come out to destroy what they had already.

Daniel blithely went on however, "In fact, I know a dish that would go really well with that bottle of beer I gave you.."

"Danny! Please!" Jack yelled abruptly, finally silencing his friend's prattle. He stared at Daniel's wide eyes then got up out of his chair and went to the opening of the boat shed. He reached up and leaned against the frame above his head as he shifted all his weight onto one foot. Daniel watched him a long moment, then he slowly got up out of his chair and went over to him. Standing behind him he saw the worry etched on Jack's face.

"Jack," he called to him softly and felt his heart sink when he watched Jack's eyes screw shut.

"Please, can we just drop this? I don't want to talk about it. Not with you, not with anyone.."

"I need to talk about it ..." Daniel repeated stubbornly.

Turning sharply Jack seemed to loom over him as he said, "For crying out loud, Daniel! I'm a gay man, okay? I'm a *gay* man and you're a good looking.."

He caught his breath on those words then he gave a weak smile when he realized his hidden fears had finally been revealed. Averting his eyes from Daniel's wide-eyed stare he threw his hands into the air and decided that the damage had already been done. Watching the horrible realization creep across his friend's face was not something he could do however, so he leaned on the frame of the boat shed opening and stared at the icy water as he admitted, in a soft, confessional voice, "You're a 'very' good looking man, Danny..."

"Jack..?" Daniel's voice cracked slightly with surprise.

Holding his hand up behind him, Jack silenced him. "May as well admit the truth," he muttered then looked over his shoulder to the dumbfounded man and gave him a weak smile, "You deserve that Daniel, and if losing my mother has taught me anything, it's taught me to let those you love... know that.. you .. love.... them."

Daniel's mouth moved but no words came out. Jack gave a sad, desolate laugh as he shook his head, then he turned away towards the river again.

"Are you telling me you *love* me, Jack?" The younger man asked when he found his voice again.

Shaking his head, the colonel muttered, "Not that way, Danny." He looked back at him as he said, "for me, love has to come from being with someone - intimately - for a long, long time. I love and care about you as a friend.." With a nervous shrug, he added, "and there's a spark of something more.. but.." He couldn't finish that sentence. Instead he rolled his eyes and turned away again.

"So? Are you saying you find me attractive?" The voice behind him was quiet with surprise.

Rolling his eyes Jack scoffed at that innocence of that. Finding him attractive didn't half cover it. He desired him. He craved him. He wanted to know what it felt like to hold his sweaty body in his arms as he made love to him....

"Yeah-" He lowered his face and mumbled, "I guess I am. I'm sorry.."

There was a silence for a moment then Daniel stepped up behind him. "Jack," he said in a low, gentle voice. Jack's head jerked at the sound but he didn't look around. Daniel laid his hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly. "Please, look at me.."

Shaking his head Jack said, "No, Danny.." There was a gut-wrenching plea in his voice now and although he regretted it, he knew he was incapable of preventing it.

Daniel tugged on the shoulder harder, spinning him around then he grabbed Jack's face in his hands and stared into the dark brown eyes. "It's okay," he whispered but despite his encouraging smile Jack still lowered his eyes towards the floor. Daniel swallowed quickly then nervously fluttered his eyelashes as he slowly bent his elbows, pulling Jack inches closer.

Quivering inside, he touched his lips to his friend's for the first time. His eyes were still open -he was too nervous to close them - and he was aware of Jack's eyes springing open as soon as their mouths touched. Daniel knew he was trembling notably now, and that his own trepidation prevented him from deepening the kiss, but it was enough and he knew it. It told Jack what he needed to know, surely.

Slowly he pulled back, his tongue quickly wetting his dry lips as he focused onto the bewildered brown eyes.

"Well, that was interesting..." Jack said quietly.

Daniel nibbled his bottom lip as he watched his friend closely. "I can do better," he admitted with a self-conscious laugh as he lowered his chin to his chest.

"So? Was that just a test, to see how you liked it?" Jack asked sincerely.

Daniel elongated the word, "No!" as he arched his brow high yet kept his eyes firmly focused on the floor. "It's.. agh.. it's something I've wanted to do..."

"Oh! Jesus, Danny!" The tone of Jack's voice made Daniel look up, surprised to hear such a growl.

"What?"

"What the hell are you telling me here?"

"That I'm attracted to you..?" Daniel said, almost making it sound like a question as he tilted his head to the side. Jack stared intimately at the face before him. He narrowed his eyes as he took in the shyness of his friend now.

"You're attracted..? Oh, crap!" He sighed and stepped away.

Frowning, Daniel crossed his arms over his chest as he watched his agitated friend. "Okay, not quite the reaction I was.. agh.. hoping for.."

The older man growled as he twirled on the spot to face him, his boots scraping the dirt on the wooden planks. "Don't you see what this means?"

Wetting his lips quickly Daniel said, "In my books, mutual attraction is usually a 'good' thing, Jack.."

Gripping his short, gray hair in his hands Jack shook his head. "No. Not in this case!"

The golden brows rose up higher than the frames Daniel was wearing. "Ugh, wanna explain that to me please?"

Jack's hands slid down his face, dragging slowly across his features. "Danny, you drive me crazy already when we go through that damn gate! And I'm just a friend who's got this huge, honking thing for you! What the hell am I meant to do with you once I .. I.." He indicated towards the archaeologist with a sweep of his hand before sighing and tossing the hand in the air. "Well, you know.."

Unfolding his arms, Daniel ventured closer to him with one step. "Once you've.. what.. Jack?"

Clenching his eyes shut, the older man shook his head and laughed derisively. "You're pushing it, Jackson."

A wry smile filled the young man's face. "You mean, how are you meant to keep your mind off my ass once you've had it?" His smile became a laugh the instance Jack's eyes sprung open and his jaw dropped.

Still serious, Jack said, "More along the lines of keeping your ass *safe* on missions..." He paused, watching Daniel nod. "Once I've had it.."

"Once you've had it.." Daniel also finished the sentence at the same time. Realizing the seriousness of it all, he said, "I get your point now.."

"At least with unrequited love I was distanced from you. I could keep you safe because I wasn't *too* emotionally involved. Sure I kept imagining that certain looks or touches from you actually meant anything," Jack said gloomily.

"Usually they did," Daniel muttered miserably. The older man looked at him then rolled his eyes.

"Peachy!"

Daniel gnawed his bottom lip as he said, "If I wasn't on your team, what would happen?"

"I probably wouldn't have known you enough to feel this way about you," Jack said.

Shaking his head and pointing to the floor, Daniel said, "I mean now. If I wasn't on your team now."

Holding his hand up, Jack vehemently denied that thought. "No way! I can't have you *not* on my team. SG-1 is the flagship, Danny. We need the best and that's you!"

"You'd rather work with me than be my partner?" Daniel asked tightly.

"Don't you see? I'd see more of you if we remain on the same team! Christ, could you imagine what our life would be like? I gather you mean you'll be on another SG team. So we'd never see each other!"

Rolling his eyes Daniel sighed heavily. "Well, I can't go back on my feelings for you either, Jack."

"We just can't act on them," the colonel said, hoping to sound more convincing than he felt.

"You're kidding, right?" Daniel scoffed then screwed his face up. "Oh, I get it. This is probably how you're coping with your attraction to Sam too, isn't it?"

"What?"

"God! I'm so damn stupid!" Daniel hissed as he shook his head. He started to walk away and Jack reached out to stop him.

"What?"

"Your attraction to Sam Carter, Jack. Ring any bells? Certainly set off a few where the Tok'ra were concerned, *if* you recall..." He hated that he sounded so bitter but he couldn't help it. “*I care more for her than I should*”

"Oh, Jesus, Danny!"

"Hey, it was you who told me you kissed her in the loop.." He waved his hands above his head.

Jack sighed as he said, "For crying out loud!"

"Go on! Deny that too, Jack!"

"I can't," he said quietly. "I did it." With a visible shiver he added, “And it was like kissing my sister!”

Daniel's head tilted slightly then he realized that that was who Susan had reminded him of – Sam. Though Susan looked like Jack, the way they interacted closely resembled the ‘friendship’ that Jack and Sam seemed to share now. His mouth dropped open slightly and Jack saw this and nodded. “Like kissing my sister. I realized that Sam and I.. I’d confused my feelings for her.. but after that looping thing, I realized that .. she’s my surrogate Susan..”

Covering his face with one hand Daniel murmured, “When you said you’d done something ‘else’ during the loop that you’d wanted to do.. I thought you meant you’d slept with her…”

“With Carter?”

Daniel shrugged. It didn’t seem so incestuous at the time. Blinking rapidly he looked everywhere he could, but at Jack.

“Jesus Danny,” the older man sighed and shook his head. “What I did was kiss you.."

It took a few moments then the archaeologist realized what he heard. He lowered his eyes and focused onto the squinted brown eyes. "You ..what?"

Jack arched his brow as he repeated, "I also kissed you..."

"You kissed me?" Daniel was flabbergasted. "What the hell were you doing?"

"Ah, teaching you to swing a golf club actually.." Jack said, and then grimaced as he anticipated the explosion to follow from that confession.

But no explosion came. Daniel merely asked, quietly, "A golf club?"

"Nine iron to be exact." Jack gave a short, sharp smile then sighed as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

Daniel began to chuckle. "Nine iron?"

"You were such a dweeb! The divots you would have kicked up!" He shook his head.

Daniel was building up slowly to a full on laugh by now. "You - teaching *me* -to play golf?"

Jack was grinning now. He shrugged, a little cockily, as he said, "Hey, you were a little ... ugh.. bad.. but you got better towards the end."

"Was that in the gate room, too?" Daniel asked before biting his lips together and trying to look sincere.

"Yup. It was pretty classic really. I was leaning over you to show you how to grip... the.. ugh.. stick.."

Daniel wet his lips as he lowered his face, his shoulders shaking from his suppressed laughter. "Go on."

Scratching at his brow, Jack said, "Agh, well, you kinda turned to me and asked if you had the grip right and our ugh.. eyes.. kinda met and umm.. you well, you know.."

Daniel hugged himself tightly now and he bowed his head right over then nodded. Jack could see he was laughing and so cocked his head and said, "Okay, so what's so damn funny?"

The blond head lifted and he looked at him as he bit his lips together hard. "I'm sorry Jack, but please tell me I didn't ask you if my grip was *tight* enough?"

Jack head twitched slightly. "Yeah, as a matter of fact.."

Daniel rolled his eyes as he looked away, still chuckling quietly to himself.

"What the hell is so damn funny, Daniel? I expected you to be pissed off - a little - but I'm not sure what to make of this laughing! If you care to know," he said, looking at his friend then shrugging, "It was romantic really.."

Doubtfully, Daniel quirked his brow as he said, "Romantic? On the ramp in front of the gate? Where everyone could see?"

"Agh, yeah. I had no choice. That was where you chose to..."

"Me?" Daniel sounded indignant, like he knew Jack was fudging the truth a little. The older man shrugged.

"You, me.. Who the hell remembers? You'd just sent my five iron through the wormhole.."

"I did WHAT?"

Jack laughed and said; "You should have seen the look on you face when you let go of that club! That's when I stepped up to check your grip.."

Daniel groaned and covered his face as he walked around in a small circle. "I didn't?" He looked at his friend and when he saw his raised brow, he made a strangled noise at the back of his throat then he dipped his face again.

Holding his arms wide, Jack groused, "Okay, so cut me some slack here! You don't think that's romantic?"

Daniel faced him then lifted his eyes towards the ceiling. "Um, no.. no, I agree, that does sound rather.. ugh.. romantic.."

"Beats the kiss I had with Carter hands down too! I just grabbed her, spun her around and planted one on her. When I let her go she unceremoniously dropped to the ground."

Screwing one eye up as he tilted his head to the side, Daniel growled before saying, "Didn't need to know that, actually, thanks Jack."

"I just wanted you to know that with us.. it was.. different. With her it was more of a 'get-it-out-of-my-system' kind of kiss.. but with you.. with you it was different. You just look so damn good in that light, Danny-boy." He shrugged as his only defence as he said, "What can I say? You had the event horizon reflected in those eyes of yours! And the way you were looking at me - like you were almost begging me to kiss you.."

"Begging you?" Daniel questioned dubiously.

Jack flinched with a shrug and said, "Almost."

"So you just - kissed me?"

The gray head bobbed in a nod. "Right there and then! It wasn't a set up - it was slow and gentle and... Well, I've come back to it again, but hey, I'll say it.. it was romantic, Daniel.."

Daniel was quiet now, unable to speak as he listened to Jack's sincerity.

"There was something so wonderfully innocent about it. I wanted it. But I wasn't expecting it. You just kept saying to me, over and over, about how there must be one thing I've always wanted to do that I should do while I could.."

Daniel rolled his eyes and pressed his lips together as he folded his arms over his chest. Jack looked into his bright blue eyes.

"Then when your lips met mine, I kept thinking, 'was this what you were trying to tell me all along?'..."

"You didn't ask me?" Daniel frowned.

"No. Time looped as we kissed. I went from your sweet lips to a bowl of damn froot loops - again! and you were opposite me asking my opinion on a question I still have no idea of what you were talking about.."

Jack rubbed his face and sighed. "I mean, I wanted the kiss to mean something for you. Never got the chance to do it again before we stopped looping, but Danny, I've thought about that kiss.. over and over, believe me!" He said earnestly. "And I came to the conclusion that while I might want more between us, I'd be a nervous wreck every time we stepped through that gate together."

"Jack.."

"No, Danny, please!" He held his hands up. "Believe me.. I've thought about this!"

"It doesn't have to be a bad thing.."

"My job is to look out for you. All of you! But you more than the others.."

"I'm not that innocent!" Daniel told him.

"Don't you see, you are.. to me..?"

"Jesus! Well, get over it then!"

"I can't."

"Jack..!" Daniel gritted his teeth together.

"Daniel, please.."

"No!" The young men reached out and gripped Jack's coat with both his hands. Forcefully, he pulled him towards him and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Jack protested against the mouth but the younger man mumbled back, "Shut up, Jack!"

Giving in, Jack wrapped his arms around the blond head, threading his fingers into the silken hair as he held Daniel to him.

End of part 5