Useful Allies

by Remma (morennab@yahoo.co.uk)

PART 1

The early morning sun slanted through the open windows, highlighting Daniel's hair, and turning it to spun gold. Jack reached out to run a reverent finger down one glowing cheek. Mine, he is finally mine, he thought gloatingly. Damn, he's beautiful...how did I ever get so lucky.

"Mmnn, Jack?"

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Yes. You were stroking again."

"I was. I have to, you're skin is so perfect."

"Ja-ack."

"No, it is. Smooth, like silk...like..."

"Will you stop? It's too early to be this mushy. What time is it anyway?"

"Early, just before five."

"Good lord, it's the middle of the night. Quit looking at me and go back to sleep."

"Okay."

"You're still looking, Jack."

"No, I'm not."

"You are, I can tell. Stop it."

Jack laughed, dropping a kiss on the allegedly silky skin, before sliding back down to lie beside Daniel. "Okay, okay...stopping now, go back to sleep."

"'Kay. You can bring me coffee in the morning."

"Your wish is my command." And your skin is flawless.

"Daniel, will you please get a move on, we're late already."

"I need my notes, where are my notes, Jack?"

"I have no idea, and if you don't speed things up, we're going to miss the briefing altogether." Jack watched as hurricane Daniel swept through the room, scattering cushions far and wide until the errant notes were located.

"Oh, come on, don't exaggerate. And looking at your watch again is not helping any." Daniel knelt to peer anxiously under the couch, muttering under his breath when his search came up empty. "Damn, why is it always the left one. Jack, my shoe's gone astray again."

"And this is my fault, how?"

"I never said it was your fault."

"No, but you gave me the look."

"That's rubbish...what look?"

"The look that says 'all the sins of the World are on your head.'"

"I don't do that, you're making it up."

"Daniel, I'm not about to start an argument with you now. What's wrong, why are you doing this?"

"It's today."

"What is?"

"It's today they're bringing Quinn in, to send him back to Kalona."

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry, I should have remembered. Daniel, this is a good thing, he'll pay for what he did. His government was pretty mad when they heard his confession, so I'd say he's in for a rough ride when he gets home. His friends won't be too happy with him either, since he sold them out to save his own skin. Most of them have already been arrested, and those that haven't are more likely to kill him than save him. It's good for us too. The Kalonians were so grateful to us for exposing the conspiracy that we now have a very advantageous treaty with them. Carter's practically purring at getting access to so much naquadria. This is a win - win situation."

"I know that, I just..." Daniel sighed, head drooping. "I just don't want to see him again...ever. I hated him so much, Jack, more even than Apophis, or Anubis. Now, all I want is for him to be gone, and for this to be over."

"Ah, Daniel, you're not designed for hate, are you?"

"I guess not. I've always thought it was better to try to understand; to forgive...hate destroys the soul. But I don't want to forgive Quinn, his actions set off the chain of events that ended my world."

"But if he hadn't..."

"I wouldn't be here, with you. I know."

Jack went cold at the thought of a life without Daniel. Losing him once had been almost more than he could stand, but to lose him again, now, after all that they had shared would be unbearable. Jealousy surged through him at the idea that he was only a substitute for that other Jack...Daniel's first love. He was desperate for reassurance, but too scared to ask. He looked up to see Daniel watching him with a smile.

"Yes, Jack, I still love him, but now it's all mixed up with loving you. I don't even try to separate my feelings any more. This is my life now, and I wouldn't change it."

"Looks like you can add mind reading to your list of accomplishments. How did you know what I needed to hear?"

"I know you."

"That you do, Daniel, that you do. It scares me how well, sometimes."

"Good, I like to keep you on your toes. Sorry to be so maudlin."

"No problem. Now come on, the General's going to think we've gone AWOL." Jack reached out to haul his lover up and into a warm hug. Finally pulling away with a smile and a sniff, Daniel headed for the door. "Uh, Daniel, haven't you forgotten something?"

"What? I have my notes."

"Shoes, Daniel, shoes."

"Oh, right. Now where could the little sucker be?"

"Oh my god, we are never going to get out of here."

"General, do you have a minute?"

"As long as it is just a minute, Colonel, the meeting's about to start."

"I know, Sir. It's about Daniel."

"Does he have a problem?"

"No, well, he's a little...uhm...off, what with Quinn being here today. I was hoping..."

"Of course. Leave it to me."

Jack sneaked a surreptitious glance at Daniel, who had barely said more than two words in the last half hour. Still spooked, he thought. Crap. At least after today the whole mess with Quinn would be over, and they could get on with their lives. With a sigh, he wrenched his mind back and tried to concentrate, sighing again as he realised that they were talking about budgets...oh joy. "General, didn't we go through all this the last time, not to mention the time before?"

"Back with us, Colonel?"

"Sorry, Sir, but really, is this necessary? Considering how much this facility costs to run, isn't it a little petty to whine about how many paper clips we use per calendar month?"

"Bear in mind we're dealing with beaurocrats. Now if no-one else has anything to contribute..."

"Well..."

"Anything useful, Colonel."

"Ah, then no, nothing."

"Moving on. Doctor Jackson, how are you coming on with the translation from Anubis' planet? Doctor Jackson?"

"Hmn? Oh, right...sorry...uhm...right, the translations." Daniel's almost inaudible mumblings continued as he shuffled through his numerous notes, scanning and then discarding each one.

"Dammit, Daniel, you have practically an entire encyclopaedia there, couldn't you be a bit more selective?"

Daniel looked up with the apologetic smile Jack loved, but then, Jack loved pretty much all of Daniel's smiles...the frowns too, come to that, also the puzzled look, the surprised look and the pouty look. Especially the pouty look. He was drawn from his reverie by Daniel's muttered, "I like to be prepared, Jack...ah, here it is." He pounced on a sheet of paper, waving it triumphantly.

"Very good, Doctor Jackson, now perhaps you wouldn't mind sharing?"

"Oh, right, sorry. So...the translations. I hate to say it, but Anubis' notes were invaluable. Using them, I've managed to make sense of the writings in the Stargate dome. As far as I can make out, the symbols on the ceiling are mostly decoration. They're separated from the rest by a band of repeated symbols, which basically say...ah, 'welcome to our world'."

"Sweet."

"They seem to be most polite, DanielJackson."

"Yes, well considering the position of the dome, I'm guessing the Stargate was used pretty frequently, maybe for trade, or even recreation. It was obviously readily available to the general population."

"I wish we knew where they'd gone. I would just love to spend some time with some decent friendly, technologically advanced aliens. The composition of those buildings defies analysis, but it has to be pretty incredible to have survived intact for so long."

"I agree, Sam. There just doesn't appear to be any reason for them to have left. There's no sign of a war, or any other catastrophic event. Everything points to them simply packing up and moving on."

"I'm sure if there's anything there to find, SG-6 and 8 will find it. Were you able to translate anything else, Doctor Jackson?"

"Oh, yes, General. There's a lot more. There's a section over by the door which would appear to be directions...turn left at the obelisk for the library, straight ahead to the shopping mall...that kind of thing."

"Helpful, as well as polite."

"It gets better Jack. All the rest of the walls are covered in sequences of seven symbols...you can see where I'm going with this, right?"

"Why don't you enlighten us anyway, Daniel." Why do people always assume I know where they're going with things?

"Holy Hannah, Sir, don't you see...seven symbols...stargate addresses."

"Right. So far I've translated a dozen or so. Most correspond to the Abydos cartouche, but four were from the ones downloaded into Jack's brain by the Ancients, and another one we didn't have at all."

"How many addresses are there in all, Doctor Jackson?"

"Hundreds, at least as many as we already have. Of course, some of those will be doubles of ours, but still..."

"We should end up with a considerably increased database. Wow, that's so great. Will it take long to finish the translations?"

"I've already fed a glossary of symbols into the translation program we developed, Sam. I have Nyan, Doctors Freed, and Giles working on this full time, so, no, it shouldn't take too long."

"Good work, Doctor Jackson. Any progress on the tape recovered from the murdered aliens?"

"Yes, Sir. They belong to a race called the Veraci, and are almost certainly connected to the Ancients. The first part of the tape is a mission log...you were right, Sam, they do have a portable DHD. Anyway, their mission started off pretty much like ours, until they got to the labs."

"Did they encounter Anubis, DanielJackson?"

"Unfortunately, yes. The tape stops at this point, but later...well, I guess they expected their own people to find them, and wanted them to know what happened. They'd split up, and the two who entered the lab were shot by Anubis, then..." Daniel paused for a moment, casting a quick, sad look at his team. "Then, he used those two as bait to trap the rest of the team behind the energy barrier. Then he just left them there to die."

I should be shocked thought Jack; this is shocking, why am I not even surprised? Maybe it's time to consider retiring again...a nice quiet life with Daniel, a nice pond to fish, and a dog. No megalomaniac Goa'uld god wannabe's, no jaffa chasing us across the universe, no more suicide missions, and absolutely no more budget meetings.

"I suppose it's too much to hope that they mention the address to their planet?"

"Afraid so Sam. The rest of the tape is...uh...personal. Messages to their families, mostly."

God, their families. At least if anything like that happened to Daniel, I'd know, because it would happen to me too. Maybe retiring isn't such a good idea, unless he quits too.

"Hopefully we'll be able to deliver those messages, along with their remains...someday. Are our allies able to assist with the search, now that we know the name of the race?"

"We're hoping so, General. We've contacted the Asguard and the remains of the Tok'ra...god knows, they both owe us a favour or two by now."

"They've owed us before Daniel, doesn't necessarily mean they'll deliver."

"Why wouldn't they help us, Jack? It's not like we're asking for technology or anything, just an address. Surely they trust us by now."

"You'd think. But hey, they're aliens, who knows."

"Thor named a ship after you, I'd call that friendly."

"Yeah, that is kinda cool. Carter, did you really have to..."

"Sir, blowing it up truly was the only way to defeat the replicators...sorry."

"Damn. I don't suppose Thor mentioned rebuilding it, huh?"

"It was pretty much annihilated, Sir."

"Crap."

"A great loss, Colonel. Now, unless anyone has anything to add, I think we can move on. Last on the agenda for today, Jonas Quinn."

Jack felt Daniel tense up beside him, and delivered a reassuring pat as the General continued.

"As I'm sure you are aware, the Kalonian delegation is arriving shortly to retrieve the traitor, Quinn. Under the circumstances, it might be better if they don't encounter SG-1, particularly you, Doctor Jackson."

"Sir, that doesn't seem fair, Daniel has a right to confront..."

"No, really, Sam...It's fine. I'd honestly rather not meet them anyway. Besides, it could be a little difficult explaining how I'm here, since, as far as they know, I was fatally injured."

"Quite. No one likes to be reminded of their mistakes. They know that they were wrong, and have apologised. I see no reason to embarrass them further. So, Doctor Jackson, if you have no objection..."

"It's fine, General, I'm quite happy to stay in my office until they're gone."

"Well, in that case people, you're dismissed."

Jack watched as Jonas Quinn stumbled through the Stargate in chains. Perfect. Orange is really not his colour...and those leg manacles...nice touch.

"O'Neill."

"Hey, what's up, doc?"

"I am not a doctor."

"I know."

"I am aware that you know."

"I know that you're aware that I know."

"Indeed."

"So, come to say goodbye to our friend?"

"JonasQuinn is not my friend, nor, I believe, is he yours."

"Nope, I'd say he was pretty much friendless about now."

"That is to be expected. He is an unworthy individual."

"Completely worthless."

"Do they not retain the death penalty on Kalona?"

"Pretty sure the General said they do."

"Good."

The single word was chilling, matched as it was by a look of cold delight, as he contemplated the probable fate of the man he despised. Quinn was a traitor and a coward; he deserved no pity. Teal'c turned a speculative gaze on his friend.

"The General was wise to deny the Kalonian delegation access to DanielJackson."

"Well, we wouldn't want to go freaking them out by trotting out a dead guy."

"I do not believe that the Kalonians peace of mind was his motivation, O'Neill."

"Motivation, huh? Been watching the acting masterclass again, have we?"

"I have observed that you frequently utilise humour as a protective shield."

"Damn. Busted. So, what do you think his intentions were?"

"He wished to spare DanielJackson pain. As did you."

"Me?"

"Did you not, then, suggest this course of action to GeneralHammond?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Your concern for DanielJackson is apparent. I would expect that you would do all within your power to assist him at this difficult time. Am I in error?"

"Are you ever? Is it really so obvious that I care for Daniel?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Why would you wish to conceal your love for DanielJackson, O'Neill?"

"Hey, wait up, when did we get from concern to love?"

"The word used is irrelevant. They do not affect the truth of your feelings for one another."

"So, let's be clear here, when you say love, you mean, what, exactly?"

"I mean that you're involvement with DanielJackson is of the most intimate nature, both on an emotional and physical level."

"That's pretty clear. Teal'c, you are aware of the military regulations we have here regarding...uh..."

"Indeed. They are unjust, and should therefore be ignored. DanielJackson is a rare individual. You are most fortunate, O'Neill. To be the object of his affection is indeed an honour, and should not be denied."

"I'm not denying squat, and trust me, I'm well aware of how lucky I am. I'm just saying...we need to be discreet. Dammit, I thought we were being discreet...does everyone know?"

"No. The Tau'ri are surprisingly unobservant."

"Well, thank god for that." Then again, would it really be so bad if people knew? Apart from the obvious downside of being kicked out of the air force, and possibly court marshalled. Other than that, would it be so bad? Daniel is generous, caring, frighteningly smart, and to top it all off, hot as hell. Man, I so do not deserve him. "I don't deserve him."

"In life, one rarely gets what one deserves."

"Don't think I'm good enough for him, huh, big guy?"

"No."

Jack tilted his head, studying the impassive countenance before him, trying to decide whether or not to be insulted. Nah, he was probably just kidding. Probably. Maybe. Possibly. "You're just kidding, right? Teal'c?" Oh god, not the eyebrow. "What the hell is that eyebrow thing supposed to mean anyway?"

"It means that you have my support. It means that I will abide by your decision to conceal your relationship. It means that I will personally put a period to your existence should you harm DanielJackson in any way. It means that I am your friend."

"That's one expressive eyebrow. What does the other one say?"

"You do not wish to know."

The sound of knocking finally broke through Daniel's distraction. Rising, he hurried to open his door, revealing a concerned looking Sam.

"Hey, Daniel. Not like you to keep the door locked, what's the problem."

"I'm hiding."

"Hiding? Daniel, this isn't anything to do with the Kalonians coming for Quinn is it? You know you have no reason to..."

"No, no, nothing like that. I'm just trying to avoid Doctor Fry."

"Melanie, why?"

"She's in a seriously pissy mood, keeps backing me into corners then forcibly explaining particle physics to me. Scary."

"I think she likes you."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nu-huh."

"Oh, lovely. Now I'm totally terrified."

"What's she so pissed about?"

"You know how she lost all that weight? Well, turns out she didn't have a pretty face after all."

"That would do it."

"I saw her bearing down on me again, so I ducked in here, pretended to be busy. She pounced on some marines instead. Never thought I'd feel sorry for jarheads."

"Poor guys, they don't stand a chance. Maybe we should sic her on the Goa'uld."

"Now there's a thought."

"Daniel..."

"Sam?"

"Are you really okay with the Kalonians being here? I didn't mean to push you into seeing them, I just thought..."

"Sam, it's fine. I'm fine. I was a little freaked at first, but I'm dealing. All I want is for this to be over, so I can get on with my life."

"I'm sorry, I should have realised that..."

"Hey, cut out the guilt trip. You were only looking out for me, how could I not appreciate that?"

"You're very important to me, Daniel, and I know what it's like to be without you." Reaching out, Sam caught one restless hand, holding it between both of hers. She was rewarded with a rare, sweet Daniel smile. Surprisingly, Daniel didn't immediately pull away, losing himself in his memories, reflecting on the events that had brought him to this time and place. It was Sam who finally ended their easy silence, starting as she remembered her reason for seeking out Daniel. "Oh, Daniel, I nearly forgot, there's a house for sale on my street."

"And?"

"Well, I just thought, you haven't found anywhere yet, so maybe you might be interested."

"Oh. Sam..."

"I know you're used to having an apartment, and not a house, but it's worth taking a look, isn't it? And it would be so nice to have you living so close, think how easy it would be to visit, or borrow stuff."

"Sam..."

"Does that sound too intrusive? It does, doesn't it...sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like I'd be camped out in your living room, I know how you like your privacy."

"Sam, much as I would love visiting and borrowing stuff at any time of the day or night, I'm not really looking for anywhere just now."

"Your not? Why? Daniel, you wouldn't leave would you...I mean...you are happy here, right?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, and yes, I'm very happy here. I'm just not looking to move at the moment."

"Oh. But...you're going to have to find your own place sometime, you can't live with the Colonel forever. Actually, I'm surprised you've both lasted as long as you have."

"Really? I always thought we got along pretty well...in our own weird, warped way."

"You do, it's just that *your way* tends to be somewhat confrontational. The way you two go at it sometimes...I swear, you sound like an old married couple." Sam finished with a laugh, expecting Daniel to share the humour. Consequently, his stunned mullet look came as something of a shock. Why would he react so dramatically to something so trivial? It's not as if he and Colonel O'Neill were really...HOLLY HANNAH! "Holy Hannah, Daniel, are you and Colonel O'Neill...uhm...uh...involved?"

"I didn't think you were supposed to ask...and I'm not supposed to tell."

"I don't believe this...no, strike that, now that I think about it, I do believe it. Not that I'm not surprised, I am...totally amazed actually. Wow. This explains a lot."

"So, are you okay with this?"

"Yes. I think. Mostly. I'm just...holy Hannah."

"I know that at one time you and Jack were...uhm...so I'd understand if..."

"What? No, Daniel, there was never anything real between us. It was all just make-believe...daydreaming, you know how it is. There was never any chance of it going anywhere. To be honest, I've always related better to the Colonel than to the man, and it's the same for him. I like the relationship I have with him, and there's no way I'd risk that or my career for what could never be more than a few months of fun and games behind the storage lockers. I think we both got a little confused by the alternate Sam and Jacks being together...ooh, Daniel, were you and the alternate Colonel..."

"No, and I'll always regret that, no matter how good things are for me here."

"So, how long have you?...uhm...uh...sorry, I know it's not really any of my business."

"It's okay, were friends, I have no problem with you knowing. If it weren't for the regulations we would have told you before. We only didn't because Jack was worried about compromising your position."

"You know I would never say anything."

"I know, but we didn't want for you to have to lie for us."

"So?"

"So what?"

"How long?"

"Oh, right. Well, I've had feelings for Jack for quite awhile. I think it was always more than friendship, but I didn't realise how much he meant to me until he told me that our friendship had no foundation..."

"What? When did he say that, and why do I know nothing about it?"

"Oh, it was during that whole undercover thing. He apologised after, he explained that they were listening in, so he had to say all that stuff."

"Damn, no wonder you were so pissed."

"Well, all water under the bridge, not that I didn't make him grovel before I forgave him."

"Good for you, but Daniel, that was years ago, how is it you two never got together."

"Cowardice, I guess. Nether of us was willing to risk saying anything, and possibly ruining our friendship. It wasn't until it was too late, and Jack was dying that I dared tell him how I felt, and even then, I only did because I thought he was in a coma."

"I take it he wasn't."

"No. Sneaky son of a bitch was resting, heard every word."

"And he..."

"Felt the same. Yes."

"God, what a time to find out. I'm so sorry."

"Yes, I was pretty...upset."

"I'm sure. No wonder you reacted the way you did when you saw the Colonel."

"Well, yes. It was like I was being given a second chance, especially when I realised how similar our two realities were. Odds were, he felt the same as my Jack, and since I had the advantage of having talked all this through once, it wasn't so hard to do it again."

"So, is that when you...uhm...when you first...uhm..."

"No, we didn't uhm 'till we got back from Anubis' planet, but at least we knew we both wanted to. I just thought we should wait until we were both sure that we knew who we were with. That doesn't make any sense, does it?"

"It makes perfect sense, and it's very sensible. I'm surprised you got the Colonel to agree."

"It wasn't easy. He can be very pushy when he wants something. Still, I think he understood that I needed him to respect me enough to wait for me to be ready."

"And this is what you want, you didn't let the Colonel bulldozer you into a relationship before you were ready, did you? I swear, Daniel, if he did, or if he isn't treating you right..."

"Sam. This is what I want. Jack is who I want. He's been amazing, and I've never been happier than I am now."

"I'm glad, for you both. You know you have my support, along with my best wishes."

"I know, Sam. Losing everyone I loved in my own reality has only made me appreciate you all more. I never really thought of myself as a lucky person, quite the opposite, in fact, but now I think I was wrong. Now I think I'm the luckiest man alive."

"Oh, Daniel." There was a pause of the better sort as the two friends smiled happily at each other, neither wanting to lose the sense of companionship between them.

"Working hard, Daniel?"

"When am I not?"

"True." As always when nervous, Jack attempted a casual demeanour, poking, prodding and juggling various priceless artefacts...an action guaranteed to draw a protest from his favourite archaeologist. But not this time, instead, Daniel calmly removed the treasures from his grasp, smiling gently, then returning to his translation. Jack returned to his fidgeting, whistling tunelessly as he flicked through the pages of the nearest book.

"Woah, that is one miserable looking guy."

"That's Akhenaten, he liked to have himself portrayed sitting in the sun's rays. See, there they are, ending in hands, supposedly to bless him. Actually, he was quite a rebel for his time, he tried to end the worship to multiple gods, instead he..."

"Aaaaah."

"Sorry."

"So what's his problem then?"

"Haemorrhoids."

"Excuse me?"

"Haemorrhoids."

"Haemorrhoids, you're telling me he has haemorrhoids? How can you possibly know the state of his ass from that picture. No, don't tell me, you read it someplace."

"I was just putting forward a possible hypothesis for the glum look, but given that he's been sitting on that throne for over three thousand years, I'd say it was a pretty good guess. At the very least he'd have a numb bum."

"Daniel, you are one strange puppy. Having one of those days, huh? Anything you want to talk about?"

"What would I want to talk about?"

"I don't know, global warming, taxation, the intrinsic superiority of blue M&M's, Jonas Quinn."

"Jack, I'm fine."

"Sure, why wouldn't you be?"

"Apart from the fact that the man who's responsible for the death of my reality Jack, and your reality Daniel was being sent home in chains to his probable execution?"

"Well, yeah, apart from that...and it's ascension, Daniel didn't die."

"Whatever."

"Right. So, you're okay then?"

"Jack, I'm fine, mostly anyway"

"Mostly?"

"I'm just glad it's finally over."

"Good, good. You're not upset that I wanted to see Quinn taken away?"

"Why would I be? I may have wanted nothing more to do with him, but I understand that you needed closure, to see justice done before you could move on. I have no problem with that."

"Justice, yeah, maybe. Although an apology to you from the Kalonians wouldn't have come amiss, not to mention a thank-you for saving their ungrateful lives."

"I won't be holding my breath. So, how'd it go?"

"It went. You know, I never thought that I would want to view an execution, but I could definitely make an exception for that lying, cheating, son of a bitch."

"I know. I feel the same. That's why I didn't want to see him, I hate feeling this way."

"It's natural to hate the man for what he's done, Daniel."

"Not for me, for me, it's natural to understand, and forgive."

"Some things are unforgivable."

"I guess. Do you think I'm a coward, avoiding the issue...hiding out in my office like this?"

"Daniel, you are one of the strongest, bravest people I've ever known, nothing could ever make me think of you as a coward."

"Thanks, Jack, that means a lot, coming from you, even if you are biased."

"Hey, I'm not the only one who thinks you're pretty amazing. You'd be surprised how many people here respect and admire you."

"Yeah, right."

"No, really, Teal'c was just saying how lucky I was to have you."

"He was? That's...WHAT! He knows, Teal'c knows about us?"

"Uh, yeah. Oops."

"But how, did you tell him? I thought we weren't going to tell anyone?"

"I didn't say a word, he guessed, he said it was obvious how much I cared for you."

"Oh. Has anyone else guessed?"

"He says not."

"Oh. So, he's okay with this, with us?"

"Apart from thinking I'm not good enough for you, and threatening to do me an injury if I don't take good care of you, he's fine."

"Oh. That's funny, Sam said almost exactly the same thing when...uhm..."

"Sam? Carter knows about us too? Oh, for crying out loud."

"Ooops."

"Yeah, oops. If both Carter and Teal'c could guess from the way we were with each other we could have a serious problem." Okay, what was with the twitching, and that was one seriously guilty look. "Daniel, care to tell me why you look so guilty? And leave that rock alone."

"Artefact. And...uhm...about Sam guessing, well, I may have hinted a little, accidentally, sort of. Sorry."

"Dammit, Daniel..."

"It wasn't my fault, Jack. She was in here trying to convince me to buy some house on her street, and I was trying to explain why I didn't want to move, without actually telling her why I don't want to move, not to successfully, obviously, since she...uh...guessed. I know I should probably have denied it when she asked, but..."

"No, no, I'm glad you didn't. She wasn't at all...uhm...upset?"

"A little, but that was mostly because we didn't tell her. Once I explained that it was never a question of trust, that we were only worried about her having to lie for us, she was fine. I think, mostly, almost completely...uh...fine."

"So, everyone's fine, good, that's good. Fine is good."

"How about you, are you okay about this? I know you didn't want to tell anyone, but it's not so bad, Teal'c and Sam knowing, is it?"

"Daniel, the only reason I wanted to keep our relationship quiet was because of the regulations. Trust me, if it wasn't for that, I'd be shouting it from the rooftops, or maybe sky writing."
,
"Oh? I always liked the thought of cluing people in by making out in the gateroom...on the ramp...under a forming wormhole."

"Sweet."

"And you know, I'm sure Teal'c was just kidding about you not being good enough for me."

"That's what I thought."

"Right, you know Teal'c, laugh a minute."

"Right." Damn, that's his thinking look; he's thinking again, that's not good. "Daniel, you're thinking again, I can tell."

"Well, one of us has to."

"Now, see, that's where you're wrong, thinking just complicates things, who needs that?"

"Ja-ack."

"Okay, so what gems of inspiration did your thinking come up with?"

"I think I should transfer to another team."

"Woah, where did that come from? And nuh-uh, no way."

"Jack, think about it..."

"Dammit, what did I say about thinking? Not good...bad. And let me just repeat, no way, nuh-uh, no freaking way am I ever letting you go offworld without me on a regular basis."

"Jack..."

"No. Bad stuff happens when you go off with other teams. Like getting kidnapped by a big stinky unas."

"That was one time, and he was fine once he got to know me. You're the one who gets into trouble without me there to watch out for you."

"I am not, name one time, go ahead, just one."

"The black hole."

"How does that have anything to do with you being offworld?"

"I never said it was connected. I was just pointing it out as one instance when you got into trouble when I wasn't there. Oh, and what about those glowy alien killer bees? I was off with another team then, too...not getting into trouble, I might add."

"Okay, I'll give you that one, although I don't see how you could have helped any."

"Who knows, I might have found some way to communicate with them, we could have had brand new little bitty alien allies, instead of yet another planet we can't go to anymore."

"How could you possibly communicate with non-sentient specks of energy?"

"If they were attacking you because you caught and tortured one of them, then they might well have been sentient, and there's always a way to communicate, you just have to find it."

Yeah, Daniel would think that. "You would think that."

"And that's bad?"

"No, just spoils my fun, you know how I love blowing stuff up."

"Careful, Jack, you wouldn't want to turn into a cliché."

"Which is precisely why I need you around to keep me in line."

"That was sneaky."

"Did it work?"

"Possibly."

"Only possibly?"

"Look, why don't we see how it goes first, and as long as Sam and Teal'c aren't unhappy with the situation, I'll drop the idea."

"Works for me, no way will Carter and Teal'c want to break up the team."

"We haven't been on a mission since our relationship changed, the dynamic may be different now."

"I don't see why, the feelings have been there for a long time, the only difference is that now we're acting on them."

"I guess."

"So, great, all settled, we should celebrate."

"Jack, I never said it was all settled, I said wait and see."

"God, you sound like my mother, and if you intend leaving it up to Carter and Teal'c then I guarantee, it's settled...hey, why don't we have them along on our celebration?"

"I'd like that, it's been awhile since we all went out together. Do you think they'll be free?"

"Daniel, Teal'c spends his free time watching way out television shows, and Carter has no life, of course they'll be free."

"Now, is that any way to talk about our closest friends?"

"Well, when was the last time either one of them had a date?"

"Jack, Teal'c is still married, and Sam's had a few...uh...setbacks."

"A few? The marines are calling her 'the black widow'. Dating Carter, or even thinking about dating Carter is the kiss of death."

"Ja-ack."

"And as for Teal'c, his wife lives on another planet, not to mention she went off and married another man behind his back. I'd say he was pretty damn separated."

"You know, just because we're now together, it doesn't mean that everyone has to be coupled off."

"I'm not saying they should be, but hell, it can't be healthy to be celibate for this long."

"Is this the new you we're seeing; Jack O'Neill, agony aunt to the SGC?"

"Never let it be said I'm not a 'new man'."

"Perish the thought."

"So, we on for tonight?"

"Sure, why don't you run it by the others and book somewhere nice."

"Not trying to get rid of me, are you?"

"Yes, get lost."

"Ahh, the joys of being loved."

Part 2

"Can't you go a little faster, Jack?"

"Not if we want to get there in one piece, no. Don't worry, they won't start the party without us."

"I still can't believe that Jacob came up with an address for the Veraci, this is so great. We'll actually get to meet them. Jack, please couldn't you..."

"Daniel, I'm already going faster than I should be. Settle down."

Daniel fell silent; the very picture of nervous energy as he sat perched on the edge of his seat, as if urging the car onwards. He jolted as they hit a pothole, his copious notes scattering around him. Swearing loudly, he released his seat belt, bending down to retrieve them.

"Dammit, Jack, you did that deliberately."

"Why would I do that? And strap yourself in."

"I need to get my notes sorted, they're all mixed up now. Damn, where's page five?"

"Hiding behind the handbrake...bad page, go back to Daniel."

"Very funny. This is important, I can't afford to make a mistake."

"You won't."

"I might. This is a complicated language, in a lot of cases one letter can completely alter the meaning of a phrase."

"Seriously, though, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Well, I could declare war on them."

As there was no answer to this, Jack wisely stayed silent. How was it that Daniel always managed to get in the last word?

Jack looked around the control room where once again all the usual suspects were gathered. He smiled at his team mates obvious enthusiasm, Carter bright eyed and bushy tailed, Daniel vibrating with pleasure, and Teal'c...Teal'c not doing much of anything, but Jack could tell that he was exited on the inside. The co-ordinates supplied by Jacob Carter had been fed in, the gate opening without incident. Now they were waiting for the MALP to reach its destination so that they could get their first look at the Veraci home world...or not. Shouldn't there be pictures now? "Shouldn't there be pictures now?"

"I don't know what's happened, we're getting no readings at all. It looks like the MALP's been destroyed."

"But how is that possible, Sam? There wasn't a problem in dialling was there?"

"No, the wormhole formed as it should. The only explanation I can come up with is that they have an iris similar to ours. That would make sense, since we've estimated their level of technological development to be on a par with our own."

"What about radio waves, Sam? The Eurondans were able to contact us through our Iris, couldn't we do the same?"

"I don't see why not, although there's no guarantee that they'll respond."

"Why wouldn't they? We did."

"Yeah, and we all know how well that turned out."

"This is different Jack, we won't be asking them for anything. All we want to do is meet them."

"What message will you be transmitting, son?"

"I think we should keep it simple, General. Tell them who we are, tell them we'd like to be their allies, ask if we can come visit. Nothing controversial."

"You're not going to tell them what happened their people Danny? That'd sure get their attention."

"No doubt, but my grasp of the language is still rudimentary at best. I wouldn't want to say anything that could be misconstrued as threatening."

"Whatever you think best, Doctor Jackson."

Daniel leaned forward, speaking haltingly into the microphone. For a long moment there was no response, then a loud tinny voice issued from the speakers. Once again, the language sounded familiar to Jack. "Hey, I know that word...navo, means new, right?"

"Yes, they just told us..."

"Oh...eiujay, that's good...amicas, friends...and indio is need...aio, yes..."

"Would you like to take over here, Jack, since it's so easy?"

"No, no, go ahead, you need any help, just yell."

"Okay, so, they'd be happy to meet with us, they call us their new friends..."

"See, I got that, I knew that."

Belatedly, Jack realised that Daniel wasn't overjoyed at his constant interruptions, possibly clued in by the scowl directed at him by his beloved. He subsided, suitably chastened.

Daniel turned to resume his conversation with the distant voice, but before long Jack once again heard a word he recognised.

"Monequas, Daniel, what are you warning them about?"

"Running with scissors...the Goa'uld Jack, I'm warning them about the Goa'uld."

"Ideum."

"I'm also letting them know what became of their missing team."

"I thought you weren't going to tell them that."

"Not in our first message, Sam, but now that we've talked a bit, I think they need to know."

"I guess, how's it going?"

"Considering I just told them their people were disintegrated by a parasitic snake, not too bad."

"And they still want to see us?"

"Amazingly, yes. General, I told them we'd return the remains and personal effects of their people."

"Of course son. You can hand them over personally if you wish."

"Thank-you, Sir. When can I tell them to expect us?"

"Colonel, how long before your team can be ready?"

"Thirty minutes, Sir."

"Doctor Jackson, would that be convenient for the Veraci?"

After a few brief words, Daniel nodded, beaming widely.

"Very well, then. I'll expect you all in the gate room and ready to travel in thirty minutes. Dismissed."

Jack sat to pull on his boots, glancing up at Daniel with a smile "Any idea what we can expect here?"

"Oh, well, they're almost certainly connected to the Ancients. I'm guessing their society to be loosely based on the Roman ideal, so..."

"So, what have the Romans ever done for us?"

"Oh, god, Sam, make him stop."

"Did they not provide you with sanitation O'Neill?"

"Okay, I'll give you that."

"Oh, please god, not you too, Teal'c."

"Also the roads."

"Well, obviously the roads."

"Irrigation, education, medicine, wine, public baths, fresh water system..."

"Please! Look, if I accept that the parrot is dead, will you please stop?"

"Daniel, have you no..." Jack was brought to a halt by a strange sound emanating from the large jaffa by his side, which he finally identified as humming. "There, see, Daniel? Take a leaf out of Teal'c's book...'always look on the bright si-ide of life'." Slinging an arm around his friend, the two exited, still singing enthusiastically and tunelessly.

"Sam, promise me, if Jack tries to buy cheese from the Veraci, shoot him...or shoot me. Still, I guess it could be worse."

"How?"

"He could start channelling Cartman."

"Oh no, he hasn't?"

"'Fraid so. He's dumped the Simpsons and bought the complete box set of South Park...it's his latest obsession."

"You'll be stocked up on the cheesy poufs then."

"God, are we ever. I'm telling you Sam, it's a nightmare. I've spent the entire weekend 'respecting his authoritay'."

As they stepped from the wormhole they were met by a happy, smiling delegation, one of who stepped forward instantly. He was trailed by an odd looking dog bearing a strong resemblance to Marlon Brando in a poodle wig. Daniel too stepped forward, instantly going into his peaceful traveller spiel. Before he was even half way through, he was caught up in a rib-crushing embrace

This acted as a signal to the rest of the Veraci, who surged forward to greet the newcomers, hugging, kissing and patting them enthusiastically. Even the dog joined in, leaping up and down and yipping frantically.

As they finally wound down, a flushed Daniel continued with his introductions. Indicating Jack, Sam and Teal'c, he gave their names, adding a few words of explanation. The Veraci leader nodded, patting Daniel encouragingly...on the butt. Jack bristled, moving closer, but all he got in response were more smiles. Daniel looked a little put out at the ass fondling, but continued gamely, this time pointing to himself.

Surprisingly, his words caused hilarity amongst their hosts.

"Telling jokes already, Daniel?"

"All I said was that I was an archaeologist."

"I do not find that of particular amusement, DanielJackson."

"No, it wasn't supposed to be funny."

"I guess their sense of humour must be very wide, Danny."

Once again squeezing Daniel's butt, much to Jack's disgust, the Veraci leader explained the reason for their laughter.

"Oh, damn, I got a word wrong." Daniel was by now almost puce, whether from the mistake in translation, or from the hand happily cupping his butt was debatable.

"No, really, you got a word wrong. What did you tell 'em?"

"Very funny, Jack, I...um...seems the word I thought meant archaeologist...bastirapeum...actually means...uhm...grave robber, or maybe tomb raider."

"Way to go, Lara."

"Well, it is very similar. Tiresiel, oh this is Tiresiel, by the way, thinks I'm doing an excellent job of translating."

"I'll just bet he does."

Ignoring the jibe, Daniel returned his attention to his new friend, growing suddenly exited, exited to the point of bouncing in fact, at something he had just been told. "Oh...oh, Jack, they have a...a...a translation thingy. That is so amazing."

"A translation thingy?"

"Like a computer. You feed in the basics of a language, and then when you speak into it, it automatically translates it. Pretty amazing huh?"

"Don't they have one of those on Enterprise?"

"Jack, that's a science fiction show, this is reality. Do you think they'll give me one?"

"Considering all the butt cuddling, I wouldn't be at all surprised."

Jack leaned back, finally sated. Once the initial formalities had ended, SG-1 had been escorted to a large hall, set with several low couches on which their hosts indicated they should sit. Once settled, plate after plate of exotic delicacies were passed around, the feast seemingly endless. Those little meat parcels had been incredible, and as for the desserts, well, Jack would never look at jello in the same way again. Not to forget the dips and sauces, in fact, pretty much everything here reached new heights of yum. It had to be said; the Veraci sure knew snacks. "The Veraci sure know snacks."

"You should know, Jack, you ate everything you could get your hands on."

"Didn't you tell me it was considered polite to show your appreciation by accepting whatever was offered?"

"And why is it you're only polite when what's on offer is something you like the look of. When they give us mushy goo, I have to represent the whole team."

"It's my job as leader to delegate."

"Sure it is. So anyway, if you've completely finished stuffing yourself, they suggest that Sam and I go to the labs, check out some of the stuff they've found, and you and Teal'c go look at their defence technology."

"I'm not happy about separating the team, Daniel. We don't know these people."

"Right, they might make us into slip covers."

"Daniel."

"Look, they haven't done anything even remotely threatening, in fact they've gone out of their way to be friendly."

"So I noticed."

"Jack, they have different social mores, that's all...more relaxed sexually. Much more relaxed. It's nothing to worry about, we'll be fine, and I'd hate for you to miss the chance of seeing some really big guns."

Jack thought about that for a minute. Big guns...Daniel...Daniel...big guns. Difficult choice. The arrival of one of the Veraci by his side with the offer of what could only be a doggy bag, decided him. How could you not like people who continually plied you with tasty morsels? Besides, Carter would be with him, and she was always careful. "Carter..."

"Yes, Sir, I'll be careful. I really don't think we have anything to worry about here."

"Okay then, make sure you keep in touch, and..."

"Stay together, don't touch anything, stay alert, trust no-one," Sam and Daniel intoned in unison.

It occurred to Jack that he might, possibly, conceivably, have become a little predictable.

Jack followed Teal'c into the banquet hall, hopeful of a little something before they left, the bag of goodies conferred on him earlier being long gone. Sam and Daniel were huddled in a corner, discussing the inner workings of some magnificent new doohickey, no doubt.

"Hey, kids, how'd it go?"

"Very informative, Sir."

"Good, good. Comparing notes, there, huh? Anything interesting?"

"Not really. We were trying to work out who'd been hit on the most. So far, Sam's winning."

"Only for quantity. I'd put you ahead on points for variety and originality."

"Excuse me, variety? Originality?"

"Yes, Sir. Only men have propositioned me. Daniel's had men, women and a dog."

"A dog?"

"Yup. That ugly little mutt of Tiresiel's was showing a definite interest in my leg, until he got distracted by a paperweight."

"A fortunate escape, DanielJackson."

"I thought so."

"Getting off track here. Originality, Daniel?"

"Oh, right. The offers I was getting were more...uh...varied than Sam's. In fact, I very much doubt that what Markan was suggesting is even physically possible. Maybe if you were double jointed. Then again, my translation could have been off again."

"Wait up, Markan, he's the one built like Mount Rushmore, right?"

"Yes, that's him. He's a botanist."

"Figures. Okay, that's it, were out of here."

"Sir, really, there's no need."

"I will not have members of my team harassed, Carter."

"We haven't been harassed, Jack, just asked. They seem quite happy to take no for an answer."

"Yes, Sir. They're very polite."

"Actually, that's the strangest part. One minute you're discussing the correct usage of the gerundive, the next you're being asked to do kinky things with light bulbs."

"Peachy. And a gerundive is?"

"A verbal adjective, built by the infect stem."

"That's what I though it was."

"Right, Jack."

"Hey, Teal'c, how come no one was lusting after us?"

"You should converse only with yourself, O'Neill."

"That's speak for...ah crap."

"That's pretty much it, Sir. We talked, they fed us, they showed us their goodies, fed us some more, and then we came home. They love us, especially Daniel and Carter."

"Their society is fascinating, General, they have almost no taboos, very open and receptive. One thing, though, whoever you send to follow up on the first contact needs to be pretty open-minded. They seem to have no concept of bigotry or prejudice. I don't anticipate any problems with arranging trade, they've already given us one of the translation devices to study...I can't wait to try it out."

"I'm looking forward to getting a good look at it too, see how it works."

"As long as you don't take it apart without knowing how to put it back together, Sam."

"Don't worry, Daniel, I'll be careful with your new toy."

"No-one's going to be doing anything for the next few days. You all have two days downtime, and I do not want to see any of you in the mountain during that time, understood?"

"But Sir, I have some experiments..."

"General, I really need to catch up on..."

"Understood?"

His question elicited two reluctant nods, and one pleased grin.

"GeneralHammond, I request permission to visit my family in the Land of Light."

"Granted. You've done a good job, SG-1. It seems we're well on the way to a treaty with the Veraci and the Pentagon is very happy with us all. Well done, people. Time now to turn this one over to the diplomats. Doctor Jackson, They'll need to consult with you on various aspects of the culture and language. I'm going to need all your reports before you leave the base. Now, if no-one has anything to add, enjoy your break."

"God, it's good to be home."

Jack had to agree. Thrilling as it was, junketing around the universe, it was always good to be home...alone...with Daniel. Which reminded him, "Daniel, the mission went pretty well, wouldn't you say?"

"Of course. So?"

"So, there's not going to be any more talk of leaving the team, right?"

"Oh. No, I guess not."

"Good."

"I like the Veraci, don't you, Jack?"

"Sure, what's not to like?"

"And they seem to like us, I can't remember the last time I had so many people pat my butt, and so often."

"Yeah, what was with that? And how come you, Carter and Teal'c got groped all the time, and not me? What's wrong with my butt?"

"Not a thing, it's a wonderful butt. I'm sure the only reason no-one grabbed it was because you're the leader."

"Ya think?"

"Absolutely, I'm sure that was it."

"Well okay then. We should just have time for a snack before bed, I think."

"How can you possibly want to eat more? You've already polished off the doggy bag from the Veraci , and the extra one they gave you before we came home."

"That was hours ago, and the General snagged most of the second bag. A couple of cookies will just fill the gap." Damn, no cookies. "Daniel, there are no cookies."

"Yes there are, cupboard by the sink, top shelf."

"Why did you put them right up there."

"Oh, quit whining, I'll get them. Oh, how odd."

"What's odd?"

"My arms don't match. I can reach it with my right arm, but not the left, see?"

"Fascinating. Daniel, what, in the name of god, are you up to now?"

"Checking my arms."

"Well stop, you look like you're trying to fly."

"Do we have a tape measure? Maybe you could..."

"Daniel, I am not going to measure your arms. Your arms are fine."

"But they don't match. I'm deformed."

"There is nothing deformed about you, in fact, I'd go so far as to say you were perfectly formed. Especially your ass. You have absolutely the best formed butt I have ever seen, or touched, or bitten, or..."

"Okay, Jack, I get the idea. Geez, who knew you could be so sappy."

"It's the Irish in me. And it's not just me, the Veraci were obviously of the same opinion."

"Right. I need some coffee, want some?"

"What you need is some sleep, it's been a long day. Why don't you go up, I'll bring up some hot chocolate."

"Hot chocolate in bed...god, we are so married."

"And that's bad?"

"No, not bad, not bad at all. Good. I did think the honeymoon would last a little longer, though."

"Who says it's over?"

"Hot chocolate in bed says it's over."

"Like I said, it's been a long day. The hot chocolate will help you sleep, thereby gathering your strength for two days downtime we have to catch up on...other things."

"Two days, huh? Think that'll be enough?"

"A lifetime with you wouldn't be enough."

"Jack, you are such a sap."

"And you love it."

"Maybe. Possibly."

"You know I mean every word, right?"

"I guess, and...uh...I love you too."

"Well, Sweet. Why don't you take those malomars and go on up, I'll just finish up here."

"Okay, don't be long."

Jack watched Daniel's retreating form, knowing just how lucky he was to love, and be loved in return. To have someone as amazing as Daniel in his bed every night, and in his life every day. No, there was no doubt in his mind; it didn't get any better than this.

***The End***

Home