The Things We Do (Chapters 1-7)
Daniel Jackson sat in his office, looking sadly at a picture of Jack O’Neill, that was taken at a BBQ party held at the colonel’s house. He was at the grill, smiling his cocky smile, metal spatula in the air, wearing an apron that said, ‘Kiss the Cook’s Ass’ with a little devil’s tail coming off the end of the last s on ass.
“Hey Dannyboy! You coming to the meeting or not?” the man he’d been thinking about called from the doorway of his office, “I heard Carter is going to be showing slides of old scientific stuff found on…P3J…whatever! Any way there were some pictures or writing on it that I’m sure you’d like to look at.”
Daniel turned his swivel chair around so that he was facing him, “I’ll…uh…be there in a minute,” he quickly put the picture frame face down on his desk so the older man couldn’t see what he’d been looking at.
Unfortunately Jack had already noticed he was looking at something, and strolled into the room and over to the desk, “What ya looking at?”
The young man knew that Jack would snoop around until he found whatever it was, even if it meant being late to a meeting. He grabbed the photo and stuck it in a desk drawer that was half open, and shut it, “Nothing! Just doing ‘my thing’.”
Jack pulled on the drawer and frowned when it wouldn’t open, “Daniel…”
“It locks when you close it, and wouldn’t you know it,” Daniel said looking around, “the key’s gone missing again.”
The Colonel gave him one of his looks that said, ‘There are other ways of getting in drawers without keys Daniel, so you better open it right now or you’ll never be able to lock it again.’
Of course Daniel pretended like he didn’t know what the other man was ticked about or thinking, “Yes I know, late. We better hurry,” he jumped to his feet and lightly pushed Jack toward the door.
“What were you doing? You’re hiding something and in the past that hasn’t been a good thing!”
Daniel stopped pushing him and turned around, grabbing his office door, shutting it and locked it with his key, “Just some very important…research Jack. Really it’s nothing.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” the blue eyed man said tightly. “Now come on. We’re going to be late.”
1
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Daniel sighed silently as he stared off into space. Sam’s slide show ‘had’ been pretty interesting, and he’d done his job telling them that the language, was a form of Old English with a little Goa’uld mixed in. After telling them what the artifacts said, he drifted off into another study of his that had nothing to do with the slide show, or anything else he was well known for. Colonel O’Neillology.
“-kson? What do you think?”
He blinked stupidly, shaking his head, “Excuse me?”
Across and down the table from him, Jack raised his eyebrows, “They asked if you thought that it would be worth it to go back to the planet and see if any more technology can be found.”
“Well, one never knows what can be found on these-” he noticed everyone was giving him that look that said, ‘Just get to the point.’ “Uh…not really. No, actually. I think anything the Government would be interested in, has already been found.”
Everyone continued to look at him, only now as if he had gone crazy.
“Is something wrong?” he asked looking around the table.
Samantha did her classic frown, smirk at him, “Well usually you’d jump at the chance to visit a planet again, especially ones with walls of writing you didn’t get the chance to record.”
“Well you asked me, and like you’ve always wanted, I told you that there was nothing there that would interest you, or rather the Government. Now that I’ve finally said what you’ve always wanted to hear from me straight out, everyone jumps on me! It’s no better then when I ‘did’ think we should go back! I really don’t understand what you want from me!”
Everyone in the meeting room stayed silent for a while, before the General spoke up, “I have reason to believe that there might be more to be found on that planet. I’m going to send SG-8 there for a revaluation and see if they can find anything.”
There was another silence, and everyone waited for Daniel to say something, but when he didn’t, Sam took her seat and the General stood up.
“Well I guess that’s all for today people. I’ll see you in the morning for your next scheduled gate travel. Dismissed.”
Daniel got to his feet and walked slowly out the door, while everyone else stayed where they were looking after him.
“I believe there is something wrong with DanielJackson,” Teal’c said, turning his head to look at Jack.
General Hammond looked around the room, “Dr. Jackson hasn’t got into anything on the missions, has he? Something you haven’t told me about?”
“No Sir. Daniel’s been unusually passive the last few times SG-1’s been out. He hasn’t gotten into any trouble that ‘I’m’ aware of, at least,” Samantha said looking over at Jack.
The older man raised both his eyebrows, “Don’t look at me!,” half shouted at Carter, before turning to look at the General, “I’ve been watching him like a hawk, Sir. All he’s been doing is safe, translating and looking at ‘pretty stuff’. ‘Normal’ ‘pretty stuff’,” Jack said quickly.
“O’Neill, I have known DanielJackson for a many years. He has never gone this long without becoming in need of our assistance. I believe we should be worried about him.”
Sam looked first at the General and then at the Colonel, “I think Teal’c’s right Sirs. Daniel is…a trouble magnet. He’s always poking around in things he shouldn’t be or trying to help someone that has no hope, and getting us dragged into the mix. This isn’t normal.”
Jack sighed, “Nothing we ever do is normal. Maybe he’s just been having a bad day…for the last few days.”
“No I don’t think that’s it,” Sam said looking at Jack. “I think Daniel’s depressed.”
The Colonel snorted, “Daniel’s been depressed ever since I first met him, and his life hasn’t gotten much better. The kid’s unlucky, we all know that. We’ve been there for him every step of the way since he joined the team.”
“You have Sir. Not us,” she said looking right at him.
“She’s right Colonel. You’ve known him the longest,” George said.
Jack looked around the table, “What? You want me to go find out what’s wrong?”
“Indeed. You are the only one that is close enough to DanielJackson that he would confide in.”
“Oh no! I’m not the right person for this. Carter would be much better at this than I would, and besides you two have spent all that time together. Daniel and I haven’t…really talked in……Oh I see now. You think that he’s upset because I’ve been ignoring him.”
“So it would seem,” Teal’c said looking at him.
Samantha sighed, “Sir, I don’t think Daniel will open up to me this time. You’ve known him the longest. Chances are he’ll trust you.”
Jack looked around the table, “I really don’t think this is a-”
“Jack, you know we need everyone, on all the teams, at 100%. If you like, I’ll make it an order for you to ‘consol’ Dr. Jackson.”
The grey haired man frowned, “No Sir…that won’t be necessary. This might take some time though-”
“As of right now, SG-1 is on stand-down for a well deserved vacation. You will have the next two weeks off, and just to make sure you take them off, all members of SG-1 will be denied access to the mountain. Including Teal’c.”
“GeneralHammond, might I go visit my family?”
“I think that is an excellent idea Teal’c. You may leave as soon as you are ready.”
Teal’c nodded his head, smiling slightly before getting up and leaving the meeting room.
Samantha got to her feet and started picking up her file folders, “I think I’m going to go visit the ocean and get some sun. What are you going to do Sir?”
Jack got to his feet as well and sighed, “Spend some quality time with a friend, Major, at my house I think.”
“No fishing Colonel?” the General asked.
“No Sir,” Jack said smiling his grimacing smile. “I think the best way to talk with Daniel is not in the wilderness. He’d kill me by the time the trip was over, and though that might relieve some of his stress, it wouldn’t be too good for ‘my’ health.”
2
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Daniel was back in his office looking at the photo of Jack again. He let his finger tips brush lightly on the glass, along the older man’s cheek. His blue eyes were distant and sad behind his glasses, “I don’t know what happened, but I wish it wouldn’t have.”
“Yo! Daniel!” Jack said loudly.
The anthropologist quickly turned the photo over, rapidly blinking his eyes so that the half formed tears wouldn’t run down his cheeks, “Yeah Jack?”
“The General decided that we needed some time off and gave us the next two weeks to be mountain free,” Jack noticed his friend’s eyes were red and a little wet but he chose to ignore it. For now.
“What about-”
“He said our missions will be postponed until we get back.”
Daniel frowned, “We don’t have time, to take time off. The Goa’uld-”
“Can wait. We’ve been working none-stop for way too long. Teal’c’s even going to go visit his kid.”
“But-”
“Daniel, don’t look a gift General in the mouth! If we’re fried, then there is no way in hell we’ll be able to fight Goa’ulds.”
Daniel sighed, “I haven’t got anything to do for two weeks.”
“Neither do I… I know! Why don’t you stay over at my place? We’ll drink beer, and watch a few games, order a few pizza’s…”
“Well…” Daniel paused, “Jack I don’t know if-”
“Oh come on! You can stay in the extra bedroom! We’ll go over to your apartment and get your stuff. Stay over the whole two weeks! I’ll get to show you my new telescope too!”
“Jack-”
“We used to do this all the time remember? Come on it’ll be fun! And I promise I won’t drag you out to who knows where to go fishing.”
Daniel looked at him, surpirsed, “Promise?”
“Promise. No O’Neill excursions!”
“Well…alright, if you’re sure you don’t mind,” the younger man said turning off his reading light and shutting down his computer.
“I wouldn’t have asked you if I minded,” Jack smiled warmly before dropping an arm around Daniel’s shoulders.
3
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Three hours later, Daniel was sitting next to Jack as they watched a hockey game on TV. If anyone that didn’t know them, were to come in and see them sitting how they were, Daniel with his head leaned back, rolled toward Jack, and the Colonel with his arm resting on the back of the couch, behind Daniel’s head, they would have thought they were a couple.
Of course, to Daniel at least, that wouldn’t have been so bad. In fact the younger man would have probably smiled at the idea.
“Jack…I think I’m going to go to bed.”
The older man frowned and turned to look at his couch companion, “Why? I thought you wanted to watch that old black and white movie that was on right after the game.”
Daniel stood taking his glasses off, rubbing his face, “I’m…just really tired…Jack.”
The Colonel almost fell for it but then Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose, which meant he was tired, but only of keeping up an act of some kind, “Daniel…actually I wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?” he was squeezing his eyes shut now.
“About why…you’ve been so distant with everyone lately.”
Two very blue eyes looked over at him, wide with shock, “I haven’t been distant. Sam and I went out and saw a movie the other night and I took Teal’c to game a few weeks ago. I was planning on taking him to an art exhibit or something else next week, since no one else seems to have time for him…”
Jack squinted at him, thinking he heard a double meaning in there somewhere, “Ok then, why…we’ve been distant.”
He swallowed hard and looked away, doing his famous self hug, “You’re the one that started that. I asked if you wanted to go to that star watchers exhibit and you said you had other things to do.”
“Well just because I couldn’t go one time-”
“A few days later I asked if you wanted to come over and help me paint my living room and you said that you were…busy.”
Jack looked ashamed, “Well I was. The General was going to have my neck if I didn’t start filling out some of that mountain of paper work.”
“I asked you to do a lot of things and you just brushed me off. I even asked you if you would take me out to your cabin to go fishing and you said you had to do yard work. I offered to come over and help but you said you didn’t need any.”
That one stuck Jack dead. He would usually jump to take anyone fishing, especially out at his cabin, even if over half the base made fun of him because as the legend stated, there weren’t any fish in the pond, to begin with, “I guess I didn’t hear you or-”
“You were ignoring and avoiding me,” Daniel said in a cold accusing voice. “Even when we’re at the SGC, you only talk to me to tell me there’s a meeting. Just like the other day when I was-” he stopped and rolled his eyes around the room. “Sorry. I don’t think this was a good idea.”
“Of course it was. I missed having you around. Come on and sit back down. We’ll watch something you wanna watch.”
Daniel met his eyes, “Really? Then why did it take you two months to notice that we hadn’t been speaking?”
“Stress?” Jack tried.
“I’m going to bed Jack, and in the morning I’m going home.”
“No. You’re staying here until we work this out,” Jack said in a determined voice.
Daniel glared at him, “This isn’t something you…we can just work out! You can’t just fix our…friendship…by inviting me over for a beer!”
“Of course I can’t….You don’t even ‘like’ beer.”
Fed up, the younger man walked out of the living room and down the hall to the spare bedroom.
“Daniel! I’m not done talking to you yet!”
But there was not returning answer from the other man.
Jack quickly got up and went after Daniel, catching him in the extra bedroom with his shirt half-way over his head.
“Get out!” the linguist yelled as soon as he saw Jack.
“It’s ‘my’ extra bedroom!”
“Well I’m changing!”
The Colonel rolled his eyes, “We’re both guys Daniel. It’s not like I’m going to see anything I haven’t seen before in the locker room.”
Daniel blushed trying to cover himself with his arms, “Please just-”
Jack saw the tears whiling up in the younger man’s eyes, “What’s really wrong? It has nothing to do with me ignoring you, does it?”
“ I don’t want to talk about it. Go away…”
Of course the older man ignored him and went closer, reaching out, trying to take him into his arms, “Come on Danny. We’ve done this before.”
Daniel glared at him with teary eyes, before throwing his T-shirt at Jack’s head forcefully, “I. Said. Get. Out.”
“I want to help.”
“If you want to help you’ll leave me alone! I’m going home!”
“I won’t let you,” Jack said coldly.
At first it seemed like Jack had won, but then Daniel chilled his orbs and focused them on Jack with a vengeance, “You fucking son of a bitch… We’re not friends any more Jack! The guy I used to know, the real Jack O’Neill, died a long time ago, fighting the Goa’uld and he left me behind…to fend for myself!”
Jack paled, “Daniel I didn’t-”
“And whoever you are…Please…let me go because even though you look like him. You’re not…”
“Daniel...? I’m sorry. I-”
“NO! You’re NOT! How CAN you be sorry? You can’t even BEGIN to understand what I’ve WENT THROUGH THE LAST TWO MONTHS!” Daniel’s frozen eyes thawed some, “And if you were my Jack…you’d let me go.”
Jack wanted to keep him there, but he’d rather let him go than make him even more miserable, “Fine… Leave.”
Daniel grabbed his bags, unzipping one and taking out a shirt to put on, before he picked them back up and pushed past Jack. He ran down the hall and out the front door before the Colonel had even thought about moving. He watched Daniel hurry off down the sidewalk and almost thought about running after him to at least give him a ride over to his apartment. Instead, he dropped down to sit on the edge of the bed, knowing that Daniel would have his cell phone with him, and that he’d call a cab or the mountain and get a ride home that way.
“Guess I screwed that one up. They’re going to kill me,” he said to the shirt on the floor that Daniel had thrown at him.
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The next morning Jack called Carter and told her what happened. She promptly invited herself over to his house, so they could have lunch and talk some more.
Jack was sitting on the couch looking at the blank TV screen, drinking a beer when Sam knocked on his door, “It’s open!”
The major came inside, glancing around at the mess that had been left from the night before, “Sir?”
“I screwed up. I told you this was a bad idea.”
Carter walked over so she was in front of him and took the beer out of his hand and set it on the coffee table, “ Drinking…isn’t going to help, Sir.”
“Carter! I don’t care, and stop with the ‘Sir’. We’re off base.”
“Habit, S-…Jack.”
The silver haired man covered his face with his hands, “He hates me Carter.”
“You can call me Sam, Jack. We’re off base, and I know. You told me that a number of times when you called. You never really did tell me what happened though.”
Jack sighed and told her every last thing that happened, even his thoughts at the time.
When he was finished Sam sighed, “Well…things could be worse… What were you thinking? You had two weeks to get him to tell you what was wrong.”
“When he got over here I just…It was like we were picking up from where we left off. I just thought…being here would make him think that too and he would tell me everything. Then we could have gone some where he wanted to go and had a bunch of fun.”
“Jack…Why ‘did’ you start ignoring Daniel? A few months ago, you were always with him, even on missions and then it just…stopped.”
“I…don’t want to talk about it,” he mumbled ducking his head down.
“Sir?” Sam said, forgetting to call him Jack, “I think it would help if you told me. What happened?”
“I…had a dream about him…and me…” he grumbled blushing a deep shade of red.
Samantha frowned, “That’s why you started ignoring him?”
“We were having sex Carter!”
“I’d guessed as much, but that’s no reason to start ignoring someone you’ve been friends with for years. Sometimes when you have sex with someone in a dream, it doesn’t mean you have secret feelings for them.”
Jack buried his head in his hands again, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, “I started thinking about how good he looked in his blue BDUs. I started askin’ him out to dinner at fancy places. I was getting pissed at other people because they were making fun of him. When that Major Davis, from the Pentagon, comes to the SGC, he starts talking to Daniel and before I know it, I’m givin’ him the evil eye. And those are only the things that I’m going to tell you about!”
Sam blinked a few times in surprise at such an open confession, “Do you think you started to feel this way because you haven’t been in a steady relationship for a long time?”
“No! It’s just that…I’m supposed to think of…”
“Women like that?”
Jack nodded, reaching over to grab his beer again. He took a drink before setting it back down, “I thought if I avoided him…that everything would go back to normal.”
“And it didn’t,” Sam summarized.
“No, it didn’t. If anything, it got worse.”
Sam smiled softly, “You still like him then?”
“Of course!” Jack half yelled, “I was going to tell him too, but he left before I could. I wanted to go after him, but…”
“You’d already hurt his feelings and he’d already hurt yours enough for one night, am I right?”
He nodded and then gave a weak laugh, “I can’t believe I’m telling you this!”
“Would you like me to go over and talk to him? I’m sure I could get him to-”
“No. ‘I’m’ going to tell him,” Jack said sternly. “You can go over and take him out or something. Tell him that you called me and found out we’d had a fight. Be on his side and tell him I’m a jerk.”
Samantha smiled, “If you say so Jack.”
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Two weeks later Jack was suiting up for his first mission. Teal’c was the only one getting ready besides him. Carter and Daniel had yet to show. He’d tired calling the younger man a few times, after waiting a few days, but he never answered, “God I screwed up.”
“Did things not go well between you and DanielJackson?” Teal’c asked.
Jack sighed, letting his head hit the closed locker in front of him, “Nope. Now he’s pissed as hell at me.”
“Would you like me to-”
“No! No thanks Teal’c. I’ll get this worked out on my own.”
“Very well O’Neill.”
Jack grabbed the last of his gear and left the locker room, headed to the Embarkation room. Once inside he watched as one of the SG teams came back from being off world, nodding to the two men and two women as they passed him.
“Colonel O’Neill?” General Hammond asked, “Did everything go well?”
“No Sir. In fact, I’m almost worried my life maybe on the line.”
“Colonel, you said you could get this taken care of,” he whispered to his 2nd in command.
Jack frowned, “I thought I could, Sir. I think I was just trying too hard.”
“This isn’t going to effect your team is it Colonel?” the General asked.
“No. I won’t let it.”
Just then the man in question came into the Embarkation room. Everyone who saw him knew it was better to stay out of his way. Everyone that is, except the General.
“Dr. Jackson, how was your vacation?” George asked trying for some conversation.
At once he wished he hadn’t said anything at all, “I could have found better ways to spend my time, General.” His voice had a frozen snap to it.
Jack immediately, moved as far away from Daniel as he could get, and still be in the same room.
“I’m sorry to hear that Dr. Jackson,” the General said before retreating back into the control room.
Teal’c came, not 5 minutes after Daniel, with Sam right behind him, “We are ready for departure, O’Neill.”
“You heard the man. Dial us out,” Jack said just loud enough so they could hear him behind the glass.
When the seventh chevron engaged and the event horizon was stable, Jack walked up the ramp and went through the shimmering puddle. On the other side he walked down the steps and sighed deeply as he heard his team mates come through, and then the wormhole disabled.
“Just so you know, I’m not going to mix work with what happened back on Earth,” Daniel said unemotionally to Jack’s back.
“Whatever,” the Colonel muttered back, walking into the trees. He wasn’t 75 ft from the gate, when he saw a large group of people heading their way. They carried no weapons so Jack, just watched them, with mild interest, keeping his weapon at the ready.
Daniel came up beside him, but not right next to him, like he always had before. When the people were in listening range he started his normal spiel, “Hello! We are peaceful explorers from Earth. We mean you no harm.”
A young man leading the group came forward and bowed slightly, “I am Marr, Prince of Magaze.”
“I’m Daniel Jackson. This is our…team leader…Colonel Jack O’Neill,” he turned around and pointed at Carter, “That’s Major Samantha Carter and that’s Teal’c.”
Marr smiled warmly at the mention of Teal’c name, “You have returned. Vegon has missed you, Master Teal’c.”
Teal’c smiled warmly, “And I have missed him.”
“You are not with the gods this time?” the prince asked.
“No. I have left the service of the gods, for they are false, as you told me.”
Marr smiled, before turning back to Daniel, “You came through the circle of the gods, and because of that, you will stay in their houses.” He reached forward and took a hold of Daniel’s hand softly. He then turned to the group of people behind him, “Separate into three groups and escort Danyel’s friends to the houses of the gods.” he turned then and led Daniel away by himself.
Jack frowned as a mob of handsome men crowded around him, touching him, “Uh…no offence but I don’t…Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“O’Neill, MajorCarter. This is a planet where same sex relations are the way of life. The ones who choose opposite sex partners are banished to a settlement far away from here.”
“Why don’t you tell us these things ‘before’ we leave the house?” Jack asked grimacing.
Teal’c raised an eyebrow, “I did not think it was of great importance. They are not a dangerous people O’Neill and their dislike of the Goa’uld is great.”
Jack sighed in defeat, turning to look at Carter. Many pretty women had gathered around her, and she looked amused, “Enjoying that Major?”
She blushed wickedly before smiling, “Actually Sir, I don’t mind this at all.”
“Carter?!” Jack asked shocked.
“What? Don’t ask, Don’t tell.”
The Colonel shook his head, and let himself be pulled along by the group of men around him. He noticed Teal’c hardly had anyone around him, “Teal’c why isn’t your crowd as big as mine?”
“I already have a lover on this planet O’Neill. He most likely is waiting for my return in the Village.”
“What?!”
“I chose him as my mate while visiting here many years ago, before I became First Prime. One mate of a couple must stay in the village at all times, unless traveling together.”
“Teal’c just how many people are you married to out in the universe?”
“It is not uncommon for a Jaffa to have many wives or husbands in total on other planets.”
Jack sighed and kept quiet, knowing that it would keep him out of trouble.
Once everyone reached the village, all but one of the people from Jack’s and Carter’s group, left, “Come Jack O’Neill. I will take you to your rooms,” a man, who couldn’t have been more than six or seven years younger than Jack, said. His eyes were silvery blue and his hair was very light brown with silver streaks.
“See you later Sir!” Carter called putting an arm around a red head’s waist.
“Teal’c!” A man’s voice called from some where. Jack turned toward it and watched as a black haired, tanned man came from a larger house and all but jumped into the Jaffa’s arms. He was thin but muscular and his black hair was short and spiked in clumps, “You have come back to me! I have missed you!”
“And I you. I am fighting the false gods now.”
The man smiled widely, “You will destroy them, but come back to our home with me. I have so much to tell you.”
Teal’c looked at Jack, “I will return later.”
Jack sighed and watched, as his last friend disappeared, “Ok. Led on.”
The man wrapped his arm around Jack’s and led him off to his rooms in a large building, “You will be staying here until the night meal is called. Did you see any of the men that pleased you Jack O’Neill?”
“Uh…Where’s Daniel?”
“Danyel? He is with Marr… He is not your mate is he?!”
Jack’s face tightened, before he sighed, “No, he’s not my…”
The man smiled sadly, “You find him attractive? Your Danyel?”
“No,” Jack lied quickly. A little too quickly.
“I will speak of this to no one, if that is what you worry about. Have you told him?”
“No and I’m not going to,” Jack went over to a large pillow, and carefully sat down on it.
“You are afraid he will not share your feelings?”
The Colonel frowned up at the other man, “Listen. I don’t know who you are but-”
“Forgive me! I am Hacen.”
“Well Heysin…I don’t like other people asking me about my personal life.”
Hacen nodded understanding, “The one who I have chosen does not except my feelings. He says I am too old, even though I am stronger and more caring than anyone else in the Village.”
Jack looked at the other man, at least trying to make it look like he was interested in what the he was talking about, “Well that’s…rude.”
“No…it is his will. He is the son of our leader and he will have whoever he wants. He must have a mate that he feels will protect him or provide him with offspring or both.”
“Offspring? Two guys can have kids?”
Hacen frowned, “They can not in your world? Then you must have to mate with females…how horrible! No wonder you come to us through the circle of the gods.”
The Colonel smiled weakly, “Well that wasn’t why we really came but that is…interesting. We came to look for allies to fight the Goa’uld. Well allies or weapons, weapons being preferred, but allies are nice too.”
“We have very little in the way of weapons. The Goa’uld leave us alone because of this. We are not a threat to them, nor do we have anything they wish to have.”
Jack sighed, “I figured as much. So who is this guy you’re in love with?”
“Do you not know? He is our prince!”
“You’re in love with the guy that has Daniel?” Jack got to his feet, “That little bastard better not be touching him or-”
Hacen put a hand on Jack to still him, “There is nothing that can be done. I have tried many times to call my lord away from his prospective mates, but he no longer comes to my call.”
“What? Your call? Was he your pet at one time?”
“No. I was his trainer when he was a child. I was 15 seasons at the time but my father was captain of the royal guard. Marr, being the prince and he needed someone to train him in the ways of defense. Someone that knew how to fight yet did not have the duties of an adult. He was only 5 seasons then, but he was strong and against his father’s wishes he learned to use a bow and arrow. By the time I was 25 seasons and he was 15, we were deeply in love, and I told him that when he was 18 seasons I would be honored to be his mate.”
Jack frowned, “Why didn’t you just ask him?”
“It is not my place to ask my prince for his love. Even as a guard I was over stepping my bounds by telling him my feelings. Lords of the court are only able to do that.”
Jack sighed, “So when he turned 18…?”
“His father had seen that we had much love for each other and he thought I was too far below his son, so he stripped me of my title and made one of the sons of the Lords, court him. At first he snuck out to see me every chance he got, until he met Orlan.”
“Let me guess. This Orlan guy was about his age and had the best looks in town.”
“Yes, and very rich. He lives in a township not far from here.”
“So he’s not into Marr any more?”
Hacen shook his head, “No. He is bonded with my brother. They have a daughter and another child on the way. It does not matter though, because Marr has all but forgotten me. Now he watches the circle of gods and throws himself at all who come through. He almost gave himself to a god, but his father said he would have to go live with him, if he were to do that. It is forbidden for our people to leave these lands.”
“So is there any chance that Daniel might…,” Jack waved his hand around looking for the right words, “I don’t know… accidentally promise to marry that prince guy?”
The other man blinked at Jack, confused, “How can you promise yourself to another without knowing it?”
“Daniel’s not the wisest when it comes to ‘noticing the signs’ if you get what I mean.”
“He has done this before?” Hacen asked.
Jack nodded, “Yeah. At least a half a dozen times on some of the other worlds we’ve visited. The first planet we ever got to,” Jack half smiled at the memory, “Daniel got himself married to the chief’s daughter, but she was taken as a host for the…false gods. We had to kill her.”
“How horrible! Did you not try to stop him? You love him.”
“Where we come from, same sex relationships are frowned on, and the first time he got married off world, I was pretty upset with him…myself…I didn’t really care about him then.”
“You do now and you have not told him because of how they feel on your world? He... is not attracted to females…is he?” Hacen grimaced at the thought.
“He’s…I don’t know…” Jack said uncomfortably, “I think he might like…both.”
“What about yourself?”
“I had a wife and a son once, but my son…died. He accidentally killed himself with one of my weapons. My wife left me after that.”
Hacen sat down next to Jack, “You are like Danyel then? You are attracted to both sexes?”
“I guess…” he didn’t want to tell the other man that he’d only had feelings for Daniel when it came to liking people of the same sex.
“You must find a way to know of Danyel’s feelings for you, or you will suffer forever, over him.”
Jack felt himself relaxing in the company of the other man, “How? I don’t even know if he likes me! Even if he did have feelings for me…”
“He must feel something. He glanced over his shoulder at you more times than I could count,” he ducked his head down so his eyes met with Jack’s. “If he saw you with another, do you think he would object and pull you from them?”
“If he thought I was out of my mind. Well, that’s what he ‘would’ have done, but now-”
Hacen smiled widely, “You say your planet is the opposite of mine? Might he think that you were hiding your true self? That, now you are here, you would be free to be who you have always wanted?”
“What if he doesn’t buy it?”
“You will…,” Hacen looked sad for a moment, before smiling, “You will pretend to miss me, when you return home. To keep it up would be…best.”
“What about you?”
“The one whom I love, will never…” Hacen trailed off, before looking at Jack again, “If I can bring happiness to others, at least my life won’t have been in vain.”
“So how do…” Jack coughed, embarrassed, not sure if he could pull this off without making a fool of himself.
“Tonight, at the night meal, I will sit beside and close to you. This is a sign among our people that you have decided to test me, to see if I am worthy to be your mate. After eating, the Lords gather around a fire and talk, or make passion with their tests or their mates. You will listen to them speak, but your attention will be drawn to me, and you will subtlety try to make passion with me as well as talk, but you will not be able to. You shall stand and draw me up to you, excusing yourself.”
“Make passion? You mean sex?” Jack squeaked out.
“What is…sex?” Hacen was confused.
“When two people…well,” Jack made a weird motion with his hand blushing, “I would say make babies here but-”
Hacen laughed, “That is not making passion…That is…crystaling…or stalling…the act of making…children…” Hacen smiled at Jack, “To make passion is to touch…and press…”
“Kissing?” Jack looked down at the pillow he was sitting on.
“Kissing?”
“Pressing your lips to another person’s or…some place…”
“Pressing, is what you call…kissing.”
“I don’t think I can do that,” Jack whispered, looking over at the other man, scared.
Hacen leaned toward Jack and kissed his lips softly, “But you could… to your Danyel?”
Jack’s face heated, “I uh…”
“Danyel must see you treat another…as you would him. He will ignore it otherwise,” Hacen pressed another kiss to Jack’s lips. When the he didn’t respond Hacen sighed, “You must try with me first. To win your Danyel?”
Jack nodded, “Ok…but can I lead?”
“Of course,” Hacen leaned back just out of Jack’s personal space.
Sighing, Jack moved closer to the slightly younger man. He brought a hand up and touched the side of Hacen’s face, and smiled when the other man actually blushed, “That ok?”
At the other man’s quick nervous nod, he smiled again and bent forward putting his lips to the other mans. He was frozen at first, but the other man moved his lips slightly and something clicked. Sara had always told him, that he was a passionate kisser, and if the sounds the other man was making, were anything to go by…
Hacen pulled away, panting slightly, “You are talented-”
“Oh you haven’t seen anything yet,” Jack whispered. He brought his hands up and buried them in Hacen’s medium length hair and pressed his tongue into his mouth. His tongue slid against the others, begging him to join in.
Uncertainly Hacen moved his tongue against Jack’s, quickly melting at the sensation. When they parted for air he laid his head on the colonel’s shoulder, “Where did you learn that?”
“When you’re as old as I am, you forget where you picked up everything you’ve learned.”
“You know more?” Hacen stared up at him and swallowed in eagerness, “Will you teach me more tonight? I fear if we continue, I might…,” the silver-blue eyed man trailed off blushing. “I have never been kissed by someone so skilled.”
Jack decided two things. One, he really was gay, or else he wouldn’t be enjoying Hacen’s reaction as much as he did. And two, if Daniel didn’t fall for him, he’d ask Hacen to be his. He’d always said he might retire off-world, “Alright. You’re not bad yourself. That Marr is an idiot for not wanting you.”
“Your words are kind, Jack.”
Brown eyes softened even more. Yeah, he could defiantly live with this man, “You deserve them.”
Hacen smiled blushing more. After a moment of them sitting together, he got to his feet, “You must be dressed for tonight. Come! I will help you get ready.”
6
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Daniel sighed has he pulled at his Greek style toga. It was a beautiful shade of medium bright blue with copper trim. Daniel knew all it was, was just a long piece of cloth, but he looked stunning in it, even with his glasses still on.
He glanced over at Prince Marr was walking toward him, followed by two older men. He was wearing an emerald green, long loose shirt with an extra sheet of lighter green attached to the shirt at his left shoulder and went down to his waist at the right, and continued to drape down to his ankles. If it were not for the matching emerald pants he wore, Daniel would be able to see everything the prince had to offer and so would everyone else.
“Danyel! This is my father King Sonal and his Mate Rence. My beloved father, this is Danyel Jackson who has come through the circle of gods, with three others. They battle to stop the false gods.”
The King was very old and his husband was as old as he or older. They both were wearing silver and gold clothes about their aged bodies, and the King wore a silver and gold, circular pedant around his neck, that had a diamond in the very center, “You are the first to come through the circle without a god, and only the second to have courage to say they are false with us,” the King said as his golden eyes took in Daniel’s form.
“He truly hates the false gods father, and has been hurt by them greatly, many times. Will you do us the honor of joining him and his companions this night at the meal?”
The King smiled weakly, “I am sorry my son, but I am far too old to stay awake so late in the evening. I am almost asleep on my feet where I stand. Tomorrow at mid-day meal, I will talk with Danyel and his companions.”
Daniel saw that Marr was getting angry, so he quickly jumped in, “Good King Sonal, I look forward to speaking with you at tomorrow’s mid-day meal. I am most grateful that you would find time to speak with my friends and me.”
The king’s mate smirked, his silver eyes glancing over at Marr, “You are a peace keeper, not a fighter. Why do you wish to stop the false gods if it is not your nature?”
“The false gods know nothing of peace, so to keep peace, they must be destroyed, Good Mate of the King.”
Sonal smiled, “You are wise, yet you are young. I will enjoy meeting with you, but now I must rest.” With that the King and his mate went on down the hall.
Marr turned to and watched them go, “You should not try to please him so. He is a fool.”
Daniel was shocked, “Prince Marr, he’s your father.”
“He is controlling, and I do all that I can to ignore what he says I can do, and do what he says I can not. Come Danyel, the others will be waiting for us.”
Once in the meal hall, Daniel took the seat that was right next to Marr, because the younger man had made him. The archeologist looked down the table and saw that Teal’c was seated on the left side with a man that ‘looked’ about his age, who was cuddling fondly with him, and the bigger man didn’t seem to mind. If anything he looked like he was enjoying himself.
Sam was sitting with a bright red haired girl with teal eyes on the right side and looked more than happy. The red head was smiling at her, and whispering things in her ear while dishing different foods onto their plates. Sometimes she would take some food and hold up to Sam’s mouth for her to eat, which the Major did with a smile.
At the very end of the table Jack was setting with a man, who seemed to be glued to his side and was constantly sliding a hand over Jack’s abdomen affectionately. To Daniel’s shock the Colonel seemed to be encouraging the touches, by leaning into the other man and whispering things.
Marr seemed to be notice that too, “Jack O’Neill, you are enjoying yourself so far?”
“Y-” Jack cleared his throat, “Yeah! Place is great. People are ‘very’ friendly. I think I’ve found a new place to retire.”
Daniel felt something twist inside of him. However he saw the anger flashed in the prince’s eyes and pushed his own feelings down, “Hacen! I will have a word with you after the meal, is that understood?”
The man’s head snapped up, “My Lord?”
“Understood?!”
The jealously in Marr’s voice was easily heard. Daniel looked across at Jack again and he felt the same thing.
“Of course my Lord!” The man stilled his hand but did not remove it from Jack’s waist.
The prince continued to glare at the other man and soon the hand was removed, and the man bowed his head shamefully.
Daniel noted that the rest of the meal was awkwardly silent and when Marr had finished eating, he got to his feet and walked angrily into a side room, leaving the door open.
‘Hacen’ whispered something to Jack, before standing and followed the prince into the room, closing the door.
“Teal’c? What just happened?” Jack asked watching the door with vexed eyes.
“It would seem the prince still feels for his Trainer, O’Neill. They were very much in love, until his father forbid them from seeing each other.”
“The whole world seemed like it was covered in shadow when that happened, remember my Teal’c?” the man next to the Jaffa asked sadly.
“I remember,” the woman said next to Major Carter. “We thought that the dark days would never end. Ones who live right next to the castle and next to Hacen’s house say they still haven’t.”
An hour later, the door still hadn’t opened and everyone was starting to worry. Jack moved to get up but the two natives told him he must not interfere.
“What if Hacen’s being hurt?” he asked.
The woman next to Carter shook her head, “The prince will not kill him. I doubt he could even find it in himself to strike him.”
As she finished speaking, the door opened and Hacen ran out of the meal hall and outside, Marr came out soon after calling his name.
“Danyel,” Marr looked over at the man, still sitting at the head of the table where he had been left, “I am sorry but I can not test you any longer. My heart belongs to him. Do you understand?”
“Test me?” Realization dawned on the blue eyed man, “You were going to court me!”
“You did not know?” Marr was confused and shocked.
Daniel glared at him, “You never asked me!”
“I thought-”
“I believe the more time you spend talking to DanielJackson, the farther Hacen gets from you. If you are going to catch him, you must leave immediately,” Teal’c said softly.
Marr nodded and with one last look at Daniel, jogged out of the hall.
The girl next to Carter smiled widely, “There will be a bonding ceremony at the end of this week. I am almost sure of it. Come Samantha. It is time for bed.”
Teal’c’s mate got to his feet and helped Teal’c to his, “You will come also, for it is been long over due for you to be in our bed.”
Daniel frowned and rubbed his face, “Great. I don’t know where I’m supposed to sleep.”
Jack thought, “Uh…you can stay over at my place. Only one bed but I can sleep on the floor, in another room. I won’t say a word to you.”
For a moment Daniel glared at him angrily, but then he noticed how Jack looked upset and regretful and he softened a little, “I guess I have no other choice.”
Jack nodded and led the way to the building where his rooms were. He didn’t dare look at Daniel, because he knew it would set the other man off, and talking was out too, because he doubted the other man even wanted to be on the same planet as him.
Once inside he walked over to one of the closed off sections and pointed to Daniel and then through the doorway.
“You can tell me where everything is,” Daniel mumbled. He just wanted this to be over as soon as possible.
“Bedroom. Bathroom is through there,” he said pointing, still not meeting Daniel’s eyes.
He walked into the bedroom and grabbed three of the pillows off the bed and brought them out into the entrance room, and set up a little place by a potted plant. Jack made sure the cushions were in the right positions before crawling onto them and curling up so he was facing away from Daniel.
Daniel watched him, his heart clinching in his chest, leaving an uneasy cold feeling behind, “Do you love him?”
“I could’ve been happy with him, but I don’t love the guy,” Jack mumbled.
Blue eyes rested on the older man’s back, “I didn’t know you were bisexual.”
“Why? Are you bothered by it? Guess it doesn’t matter though does it? You were bothered by me long before you knew this.”
“Jack…” Daniel started his heart clinched again.
“Don’t Daniel. I’m tired. I’ve already decided to retire…for good when we get back home. It’s better that way. No one has to lie for me then.”
The younger man’s eyes widened, “Jack…you can’t…”
Turning over Jack sighed, “What? ‘Can’t leave?’ I can’t stay either. The SGC isn’t where I need to be anymore.”
“Jack, being bisexual isn’t wrong,” Daniel tried, “You don’t have to go.”
“I need to get out of the program. I can’t stay around where…” Jack sighed, “I need to move on.”
“No you don’t,” he saw Jack flinch and he sighed, “I’m sorry.”
“For what happened at my house? Don’t be. It was my fault. I had dreams for me…and this old friend of mine.”
Daniel crossed his arms over his chest, frowning and acting a little snarky, “Oh yeah?”
Jack nodded, “Yeah…See…I was going to tell him that I loved him…but I screwed that up too.”
Daniel’s mind stopped, trying to wrap itself around what Jack had just admitted.
“So I’m leaving. I can’t stand be around the guy I’m in love with, because…he hates me. I can’t live like that.”
“You love…” Daniel stared at Jack’s back, “Why didn’t you say something?”
“To him? I can’t. He’s out there…I left him behind, because I loved him and I couldn’t admit it to myself, let alone him. So I ran off. Now I’ve lost him for good.”
Daniel was silently giving himself a hug, feeling like a jerk. Jack had been trying his best to say he was sorry, and he’d yelled at him. At the guy he loved.
“I deserve to loose him though. He doesn’t need me around, screwing his life up. He probably would have been disgusted by me liking him any way.”
Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat, “You don’t know that.”
“We were friends. That was it. He wouldn’t wan to know I thought he made a hell of a lot hotter archeologist that Harrison Ford. Or that I actually enjoyed his meaning-of-life stuff sometimes.”
Daniel moved over by Jack “You really mean that?”
Jack looked up into his eyes, “Yeah…And I’m going to miss you…” Jack whispered.
Daniel kneeled down next to the colonel, “Jack, you can’t leave, because…”
“Don’t try to make this any harder for me Daniel. Please? I just want to-”
“No!” the younger man snapped, “You can’t leave, because I…can’t go through the Stargate…without knowing you’re going to be there.”
“Why not? I thought I was ignoring you? Why would it matter if I was there or not?”
“Because, I don’t think I would survive getting captured, by evil aliens, unless you were there to reassure me that we’d get out ok. Sometimes…you were all I had…” shyly Daniel bent down and kissed him on the lips.
Jack inhaled sharply, when Daniel kissed him, despite begin ready for it. He once again felt awkward like he had with Hacen, and didn’t kiss back.
Daniel pulled away, “I shouldn’t have-”
“No!” Jack propped himself up on his elbow as Daniel sat back, “I’m just not…used to kissing…guys…”
Daniel looked into the dark brown eyes of the man on his side, before him, “You want to tr-”
“Yes!” Jack said quickly, blushing at his eagerness, “But can I…start? I think it might help.”
Daniel nods, and licks his lips subconsciously.
Jack smiles at action. Pushing himself up, he carefully reaches out and brushes his fingers along Daniel’s neck, up over his chin and to his lips, giving them a light caress. Daniel presses his lips to the fingers as they pass, and Jack grins, and finally leans in. He started with licking at Daniel’s pouting mouth, but soon stepped up to devouring as much of the man below him as he could before he had to come up for air.
“Daniel?” Jack asked in a quiet voice, “Ok?”
“Oh Gawd, yes Jack,” he said breathily, before leaning in and kissing him again.
When they broke apart again Jack smiled and pressed his forehead against Daniel’s, “I need to tell you something else.”
“What?”
“Do you think you could get one of those hats and a whip like Harrison Ford had?”
Daniel laughed aloud and smacked his arm playfully, “Shut up and kiss me…Jonathan.”
Jack mock glared at him, “Don’t call me that, Spacemonkey.”
“That’s Dr. Spacemonkey to you, Colonel,” Daniel whispered against his lips.
The older man moaned as Daniel started to kiss him again. He buried his hands in the linguist’s short brown hair, “Say it again.”
“Colonel?! Daniel?!” came Carter’s shocked voice from behind them.
Daniel jumped at Carter’s voice and fell into the Jack’s chest, turning his head up to see his friend, “Uh…hi Sam,” Daniel blushed.
“Carter! Why’d you have to go and ruin the moment, huh?”
“I’m sorry Sir, it’s just that I never really expected you and Daniel to get together. I always thought you would go ‘round and ‘round with one another.”
“’Round and ‘Round?” Jack asked glancing at Daniel, “Carter…What have you been keeping from us?”
“Sam, you mean to tell us you’ve known the whole time we’ve liked each other and you never mentioned it?”
She shrugged, “I was just keeping it to myself like you each told me to.”
“But we liked each other Carter!”
Daniel nodded, “There’s a difference Sam. When you know that two people have a crush on one another, and they’re scared to tell the other, you ‘should’ ‘let the cat out of the bag’.”
“I tried Daniel. I didn’t come out and say it but, didn’t you both think it was weird that I would talk to one of you and then the other so much?”
Jack frowned, and thinking back, found that it had been sort of weird that during the time he wasn’t speaking to Daniel that Carter had become really close with the both of them, “Does that mean you really didn’t want to come over and watch the game with me all those times?”
Daniel pulled back from Jack, glaring at him, “You wanted to spend time with her and not me and you liked me?!”
“It’s complicated,” Jack whispered, looking away from Daniel.
“Well since you already know that he likes you, the Colonel had some ‘dreams’ about you starting a few months back and he got scared, thinking that if he ignored you they’d go away.”
“And they didn’t? Did?” the doctor tried.
“Didn’t. Of course he’d also started noticing that you looked good in your blue BDUs, which you do by the way, and started sticking up for you whenever someone on base started making fun of you. By sticking up, I mean he was planning their untimely and painful deaths.”
Jack was playing with the corner of the pillow, “I also kinda realized I’d been taking you out to dinner at some really nice places.”
“I didn’t realize it. I just thought you wanted to go somewhere different,” Daniel smiled softly. “But I was impressed.”
Jack leaned up to kiss Daniel, but paused when he heard a yell.
“GET AWAY FROM ME!” Hacen ran quickly into the room and got behind Jack, pushing Daniel away in the process. “He will not leave me alone! You must protect me!”
Daniel glared at Hacen, “You! Get away from Jack”
“Hacen! Stop running from me!” Marr said coming into the room. His green eyes started to burn a hole in Jack when he noticed the object of his affections was hidden behind the man he’d been making out with earlier, “I want him as my mate and I will have him.”
“You just want him because he finally got over you and you couldn’t accept it!”
Daniel turned on him, “Are you saying that you would rather have him than me? If you are, I swear to any god I can think of Jack, I’m going to-”
“I’m not saying that Daniel! I’m just saying this guy only wants him because he was with me. Hacen’s had the hots for him ever since he was 25 and Marr over there was 15.”
“How old are you guys now?” Carter asked.
Hacen blushed, “I am 40 seasons.”
“Which makes Marr 30…15 years…I mean seasons and you just now…,” Daniel trailed off, glancing at the older man hiding behind Jack.
“I have always loved Hacen! My father has wanted me to mate with him for the last 12 seasons, and because of that I have not!”
“You have ignored me because your father gave his permission?!”
“My father is a controlling fool!”
“And you are a willful ass!” the blue/silver eyed man yelled at the prince.
Marr’s eyes widened, “What did you call me?”
“An ass! I have longed for you for as far as I care to remember. I watched you be with others because your father did not approve of our love. I begged the true gods that your father would realize we were meant for each other and allow you to come choose me.” Hacen glared at him and if Jack thought Daniel’s eye were bad when he was angry, then this man’s gaze could kill a group of people with a glance. “And now you say you would not be with me because…your father wanted it? How can I ever mate with you?! I would rather die alone then wake up every morning next to someone who denied our love just to spite his father!”
Marr’s eyes were brimming in tears, “Please…”
“You only loved me in the first place was because you were going against your father!” Hacen hissed out, getting to his feet, “Rot in hell Prince Marr.”
“No…Hacen…That is not true!” the younger man whispered as his old Trainer walked past him.
Jack snorted, “Oh stop whinin’! It’s your own damn fault!”
“Jack!” Daniel snapped at him.
“What? The little prick deserves it.”
Marr nodded, “He is right Danyel. I deserve it…and much more. I must…ease my his pain…by ending my own.”
Jack’s eyes widened, “Now wait a minute-”
“No you are right Jack O’Neill. Hacen will never forgive me now. My death will be my remove me from his mind. He will no longer have to look upon the face of someone who would do to him such horrible things,” he looked at Jack and Daniel, “I am only glad you were allowed to find your love, by my mistake.” Marr moved slowly out of the room leaving the three alone.
“Well…we can’t let this happen.” Daniel sighed, moving to get up, “If he kills himself we might not ever get off this planet.”
“Why not? I say we grab Teal’c and make a run for it,” Jack voted.
“We could Sir, but these people are friendly, and they would be good allies to help us fight against the Goa’uld, especially if they let us make a base camp here.”
Daniel looked pointedly at Jack, “You’re going to have to go talk to Hacen and get him to forgive Marr.”
“Why me?!”
“Because he trusts you,” Daniel said tightly. “He’ll listen to what you have to say.”
Jack grimaced, knowing it was true, “Can’t we just…leave and send another SG team back? I bet ol’ Marr’ll chicken out any way.”
“Jack King likes me. We’re not going to screw up our ties with this planet if we can help it. Beside for all we know, if he did kill himself one of us would be made to be the prince in his place.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” Jack asked.
“We’d have to stay here forever!”
Jack looked around, “And that’s a bad thing?”
“Sir! We don’t have time for this. Daniel and I will go and try to stop the prince from doing anything drastic. You go and find Hacen.”
“Fine! I’ll see what I can do,” Jack said getting to his feet, and then helping Daniel up, “But you know what happened last time you sent me to consol someone!”
7
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“Hey Dannyboy! You coming to the meeting or not?” the man he’d been thinking about called from the doorway of his office, “I heard Carter is going to be showing slides of old scientific stuff found on…P3J…whatever! Any way there were some pictures or writing on it that I’m sure you’d like to look at.”
Daniel turned his swivel chair around so that he was facing him, “I’ll…uh…be there in a minute,” he quickly put the picture frame face down on his desk so the older man couldn’t see what he’d been looking at.
Unfortunately Jack had already noticed he was looking at something, and strolled into the room and over to the desk, “What ya looking at?”
The young man knew that Jack would snoop around until he found whatever it was, even if it meant being late to a meeting. He grabbed the photo and stuck it in a desk drawer that was half open, and shut it, “Nothing! Just doing ‘my thing’.”
Jack pulled on the drawer and frowned when it wouldn’t open, “Daniel…”
“It locks when you close it, and wouldn’t you know it,” Daniel said looking around, “the key’s gone missing again.”
The Colonel gave him one of his looks that said, ‘There are other ways of getting in drawers without keys Daniel, so you better open it right now or you’ll never be able to lock it again.’
Of course Daniel pretended like he didn’t know what the other man was ticked about or thinking, “Yes I know, late. We better hurry,” he jumped to his feet and lightly pushed Jack toward the door.
“What were you doing? You’re hiding something and in the past that hasn’t been a good thing!”
Daniel stopped pushing him and turned around, grabbing his office door, shutting it and locked it with his key, “Just some very important…research Jack. Really it’s nothing.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” the blue eyed man said tightly. “Now come on. We’re going to be late.”
1
************************************************************************
Daniel sighed silently as he stared off into space. Sam’s slide show ‘had’ been pretty interesting, and he’d done his job telling them that the language, was a form of Old English with a little Goa’uld mixed in. After telling them what the artifacts said, he drifted off into another study of his that had nothing to do with the slide show, or anything else he was well known for. Colonel O’Neillology.
“-kson? What do you think?”
He blinked stupidly, shaking his head, “Excuse me?”
Across and down the table from him, Jack raised his eyebrows, “They asked if you thought that it would be worth it to go back to the planet and see if any more technology can be found.”
“Well, one never knows what can be found on these-” he noticed everyone was giving him that look that said, ‘Just get to the point.’ “Uh…not really. No, actually. I think anything the Government would be interested in, has already been found.”
Everyone continued to look at him, only now as if he had gone crazy.
“Is something wrong?” he asked looking around the table.
Samantha did her classic frown, smirk at him, “Well usually you’d jump at the chance to visit a planet again, especially ones with walls of writing you didn’t get the chance to record.”
“Well you asked me, and like you’ve always wanted, I told you that there was nothing there that would interest you, or rather the Government. Now that I’ve finally said what you’ve always wanted to hear from me straight out, everyone jumps on me! It’s no better then when I ‘did’ think we should go back! I really don’t understand what you want from me!”
Everyone in the meeting room stayed silent for a while, before the General spoke up, “I have reason to believe that there might be more to be found on that planet. I’m going to send SG-8 there for a revaluation and see if they can find anything.”
There was another silence, and everyone waited for Daniel to say something, but when he didn’t, Sam took her seat and the General stood up.
“Well I guess that’s all for today people. I’ll see you in the morning for your next scheduled gate travel. Dismissed.”
Daniel got to his feet and walked slowly out the door, while everyone else stayed where they were looking after him.
“I believe there is something wrong with DanielJackson,” Teal’c said, turning his head to look at Jack.
General Hammond looked around the room, “Dr. Jackson hasn’t got into anything on the missions, has he? Something you haven’t told me about?”
“No Sir. Daniel’s been unusually passive the last few times SG-1’s been out. He hasn’t gotten into any trouble that ‘I’m’ aware of, at least,” Samantha said looking over at Jack.
The older man raised both his eyebrows, “Don’t look at me!,” half shouted at Carter, before turning to look at the General, “I’ve been watching him like a hawk, Sir. All he’s been doing is safe, translating and looking at ‘pretty stuff’. ‘Normal’ ‘pretty stuff’,” Jack said quickly.
“O’Neill, I have known DanielJackson for a many years. He has never gone this long without becoming in need of our assistance. I believe we should be worried about him.”
Sam looked first at the General and then at the Colonel, “I think Teal’c’s right Sirs. Daniel is…a trouble magnet. He’s always poking around in things he shouldn’t be or trying to help someone that has no hope, and getting us dragged into the mix. This isn’t normal.”
Jack sighed, “Nothing we ever do is normal. Maybe he’s just been having a bad day…for the last few days.”
“No I don’t think that’s it,” Sam said looking at Jack. “I think Daniel’s depressed.”
The Colonel snorted, “Daniel’s been depressed ever since I first met him, and his life hasn’t gotten much better. The kid’s unlucky, we all know that. We’ve been there for him every step of the way since he joined the team.”
“You have Sir. Not us,” she said looking right at him.
“She’s right Colonel. You’ve known him the longest,” George said.
Jack looked around the table, “What? You want me to go find out what’s wrong?”
“Indeed. You are the only one that is close enough to DanielJackson that he would confide in.”
“Oh no! I’m not the right person for this. Carter would be much better at this than I would, and besides you two have spent all that time together. Daniel and I haven’t…really talked in……Oh I see now. You think that he’s upset because I’ve been ignoring him.”
“So it would seem,” Teal’c said looking at him.
Samantha sighed, “Sir, I don’t think Daniel will open up to me this time. You’ve known him the longest. Chances are he’ll trust you.”
Jack looked around the table, “I really don’t think this is a-”
“Jack, you know we need everyone, on all the teams, at 100%. If you like, I’ll make it an order for you to ‘consol’ Dr. Jackson.”
The grey haired man frowned, “No Sir…that won’t be necessary. This might take some time though-”
“As of right now, SG-1 is on stand-down for a well deserved vacation. You will have the next two weeks off, and just to make sure you take them off, all members of SG-1 will be denied access to the mountain. Including Teal’c.”
“GeneralHammond, might I go visit my family?”
“I think that is an excellent idea Teal’c. You may leave as soon as you are ready.”
Teal’c nodded his head, smiling slightly before getting up and leaving the meeting room.
Samantha got to her feet and started picking up her file folders, “I think I’m going to go visit the ocean and get some sun. What are you going to do Sir?”
Jack got to his feet as well and sighed, “Spend some quality time with a friend, Major, at my house I think.”
“No fishing Colonel?” the General asked.
“No Sir,” Jack said smiling his grimacing smile. “I think the best way to talk with Daniel is not in the wilderness. He’d kill me by the time the trip was over, and though that might relieve some of his stress, it wouldn’t be too good for ‘my’ health.”
2
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Daniel was back in his office looking at the photo of Jack again. He let his finger tips brush lightly on the glass, along the older man’s cheek. His blue eyes were distant and sad behind his glasses, “I don’t know what happened, but I wish it wouldn’t have.”
“Yo! Daniel!” Jack said loudly.
The anthropologist quickly turned the photo over, rapidly blinking his eyes so that the half formed tears wouldn’t run down his cheeks, “Yeah Jack?”
“The General decided that we needed some time off and gave us the next two weeks to be mountain free,” Jack noticed his friend’s eyes were red and a little wet but he chose to ignore it. For now.
“What about-”
“He said our missions will be postponed until we get back.”
Daniel frowned, “We don’t have time, to take time off. The Goa’uld-”
“Can wait. We’ve been working none-stop for way too long. Teal’c’s even going to go visit his kid.”
“But-”
“Daniel, don’t look a gift General in the mouth! If we’re fried, then there is no way in hell we’ll be able to fight Goa’ulds.”
Daniel sighed, “I haven’t got anything to do for two weeks.”
“Neither do I… I know! Why don’t you stay over at my place? We’ll drink beer, and watch a few games, order a few pizza’s…”
“Well…” Daniel paused, “Jack I don’t know if-”
“Oh come on! You can stay in the extra bedroom! We’ll go over to your apartment and get your stuff. Stay over the whole two weeks! I’ll get to show you my new telescope too!”
“Jack-”
“We used to do this all the time remember? Come on it’ll be fun! And I promise I won’t drag you out to who knows where to go fishing.”
Daniel looked at him, surpirsed, “Promise?”
“Promise. No O’Neill excursions!”
“Well…alright, if you’re sure you don’t mind,” the younger man said turning off his reading light and shutting down his computer.
“I wouldn’t have asked you if I minded,” Jack smiled warmly before dropping an arm around Daniel’s shoulders.
3
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Three hours later, Daniel was sitting next to Jack as they watched a hockey game on TV. If anyone that didn’t know them, were to come in and see them sitting how they were, Daniel with his head leaned back, rolled toward Jack, and the Colonel with his arm resting on the back of the couch, behind Daniel’s head, they would have thought they were a couple.
Of course, to Daniel at least, that wouldn’t have been so bad. In fact the younger man would have probably smiled at the idea.
“Jack…I think I’m going to go to bed.”
The older man frowned and turned to look at his couch companion, “Why? I thought you wanted to watch that old black and white movie that was on right after the game.”
Daniel stood taking his glasses off, rubbing his face, “I’m…just really tired…Jack.”
The Colonel almost fell for it but then Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose, which meant he was tired, but only of keeping up an act of some kind, “Daniel…actually I wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?” he was squeezing his eyes shut now.
“About why…you’ve been so distant with everyone lately.”
Two very blue eyes looked over at him, wide with shock, “I haven’t been distant. Sam and I went out and saw a movie the other night and I took Teal’c to game a few weeks ago. I was planning on taking him to an art exhibit or something else next week, since no one else seems to have time for him…”
Jack squinted at him, thinking he heard a double meaning in there somewhere, “Ok then, why…we’ve been distant.”
He swallowed hard and looked away, doing his famous self hug, “You’re the one that started that. I asked if you wanted to go to that star watchers exhibit and you said you had other things to do.”
“Well just because I couldn’t go one time-”
“A few days later I asked if you wanted to come over and help me paint my living room and you said that you were…busy.”
Jack looked ashamed, “Well I was. The General was going to have my neck if I didn’t start filling out some of that mountain of paper work.”
“I asked you to do a lot of things and you just brushed me off. I even asked you if you would take me out to your cabin to go fishing and you said you had to do yard work. I offered to come over and help but you said you didn’t need any.”
That one stuck Jack dead. He would usually jump to take anyone fishing, especially out at his cabin, even if over half the base made fun of him because as the legend stated, there weren’t any fish in the pond, to begin with, “I guess I didn’t hear you or-”
“You were ignoring and avoiding me,” Daniel said in a cold accusing voice. “Even when we’re at the SGC, you only talk to me to tell me there’s a meeting. Just like the other day when I was-” he stopped and rolled his eyes around the room. “Sorry. I don’t think this was a good idea.”
“Of course it was. I missed having you around. Come on and sit back down. We’ll watch something you wanna watch.”
Daniel met his eyes, “Really? Then why did it take you two months to notice that we hadn’t been speaking?”
“Stress?” Jack tried.
“I’m going to bed Jack, and in the morning I’m going home.”
“No. You’re staying here until we work this out,” Jack said in a determined voice.
Daniel glared at him, “This isn’t something you…we can just work out! You can’t just fix our…friendship…by inviting me over for a beer!”
“Of course I can’t….You don’t even ‘like’ beer.”
Fed up, the younger man walked out of the living room and down the hall to the spare bedroom.
“Daniel! I’m not done talking to you yet!”
But there was not returning answer from the other man.
Jack quickly got up and went after Daniel, catching him in the extra bedroom with his shirt half-way over his head.
“Get out!” the linguist yelled as soon as he saw Jack.
“It’s ‘my’ extra bedroom!”
“Well I’m changing!”
The Colonel rolled his eyes, “We’re both guys Daniel. It’s not like I’m going to see anything I haven’t seen before in the locker room.”
Daniel blushed trying to cover himself with his arms, “Please just-”
Jack saw the tears whiling up in the younger man’s eyes, “What’s really wrong? It has nothing to do with me ignoring you, does it?”
“ I don’t want to talk about it. Go away…”
Of course the older man ignored him and went closer, reaching out, trying to take him into his arms, “Come on Danny. We’ve done this before.”
Daniel glared at him with teary eyes, before throwing his T-shirt at Jack’s head forcefully, “I. Said. Get. Out.”
“I want to help.”
“If you want to help you’ll leave me alone! I’m going home!”
“I won’t let you,” Jack said coldly.
At first it seemed like Jack had won, but then Daniel chilled his orbs and focused them on Jack with a vengeance, “You fucking son of a bitch… We’re not friends any more Jack! The guy I used to know, the real Jack O’Neill, died a long time ago, fighting the Goa’uld and he left me behind…to fend for myself!”
Jack paled, “Daniel I didn’t-”
“And whoever you are…Please…let me go because even though you look like him. You’re not…”
“Daniel...? I’m sorry. I-”
“NO! You’re NOT! How CAN you be sorry? You can’t even BEGIN to understand what I’ve WENT THROUGH THE LAST TWO MONTHS!” Daniel’s frozen eyes thawed some, “And if you were my Jack…you’d let me go.”
Jack wanted to keep him there, but he’d rather let him go than make him even more miserable, “Fine… Leave.”
Daniel grabbed his bags, unzipping one and taking out a shirt to put on, before he picked them back up and pushed past Jack. He ran down the hall and out the front door before the Colonel had even thought about moving. He watched Daniel hurry off down the sidewalk and almost thought about running after him to at least give him a ride over to his apartment. Instead, he dropped down to sit on the edge of the bed, knowing that Daniel would have his cell phone with him, and that he’d call a cab or the mountain and get a ride home that way.
“Guess I screwed that one up. They’re going to kill me,” he said to the shirt on the floor that Daniel had thrown at him.
4
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The next morning Jack called Carter and told her what happened. She promptly invited herself over to his house, so they could have lunch and talk some more.
Jack was sitting on the couch looking at the blank TV screen, drinking a beer when Sam knocked on his door, “It’s open!”
The major came inside, glancing around at the mess that had been left from the night before, “Sir?”
“I screwed up. I told you this was a bad idea.”
Carter walked over so she was in front of him and took the beer out of his hand and set it on the coffee table, “ Drinking…isn’t going to help, Sir.”
“Carter! I don’t care, and stop with the ‘Sir’. We’re off base.”
“Habit, S-…Jack.”
The silver haired man covered his face with his hands, “He hates me Carter.”
“You can call me Sam, Jack. We’re off base, and I know. You told me that a number of times when you called. You never really did tell me what happened though.”
Jack sighed and told her every last thing that happened, even his thoughts at the time.
When he was finished Sam sighed, “Well…things could be worse… What were you thinking? You had two weeks to get him to tell you what was wrong.”
“When he got over here I just…It was like we were picking up from where we left off. I just thought…being here would make him think that too and he would tell me everything. Then we could have gone some where he wanted to go and had a bunch of fun.”
“Jack…Why ‘did’ you start ignoring Daniel? A few months ago, you were always with him, even on missions and then it just…stopped.”
“I…don’t want to talk about it,” he mumbled ducking his head down.
“Sir?” Sam said, forgetting to call him Jack, “I think it would help if you told me. What happened?”
“I…had a dream about him…and me…” he grumbled blushing a deep shade of red.
Samantha frowned, “That’s why you started ignoring him?”
“We were having sex Carter!”
“I’d guessed as much, but that’s no reason to start ignoring someone you’ve been friends with for years. Sometimes when you have sex with someone in a dream, it doesn’t mean you have secret feelings for them.”
Jack buried his head in his hands again, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, “I started thinking about how good he looked in his blue BDUs. I started askin’ him out to dinner at fancy places. I was getting pissed at other people because they were making fun of him. When that Major Davis, from the Pentagon, comes to the SGC, he starts talking to Daniel and before I know it, I’m givin’ him the evil eye. And those are only the things that I’m going to tell you about!”
Sam blinked a few times in surprise at such an open confession, “Do you think you started to feel this way because you haven’t been in a steady relationship for a long time?”
“No! It’s just that…I’m supposed to think of…”
“Women like that?”
Jack nodded, reaching over to grab his beer again. He took a drink before setting it back down, “I thought if I avoided him…that everything would go back to normal.”
“And it didn’t,” Sam summarized.
“No, it didn’t. If anything, it got worse.”
Sam smiled softly, “You still like him then?”
“Of course!” Jack half yelled, “I was going to tell him too, but he left before I could. I wanted to go after him, but…”
“You’d already hurt his feelings and he’d already hurt yours enough for one night, am I right?”
He nodded and then gave a weak laugh, “I can’t believe I’m telling you this!”
“Would you like me to go over and talk to him? I’m sure I could get him to-”
“No. ‘I’m’ going to tell him,” Jack said sternly. “You can go over and take him out or something. Tell him that you called me and found out we’d had a fight. Be on his side and tell him I’m a jerk.”
Samantha smiled, “If you say so Jack.”
5
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Two weeks later Jack was suiting up for his first mission. Teal’c was the only one getting ready besides him. Carter and Daniel had yet to show. He’d tired calling the younger man a few times, after waiting a few days, but he never answered, “God I screwed up.”
“Did things not go well between you and DanielJackson?” Teal’c asked.
Jack sighed, letting his head hit the closed locker in front of him, “Nope. Now he’s pissed as hell at me.”
“Would you like me to-”
“No! No thanks Teal’c. I’ll get this worked out on my own.”
“Very well O’Neill.”
Jack grabbed the last of his gear and left the locker room, headed to the Embarkation room. Once inside he watched as one of the SG teams came back from being off world, nodding to the two men and two women as they passed him.
“Colonel O’Neill?” General Hammond asked, “Did everything go well?”
“No Sir. In fact, I’m almost worried my life maybe on the line.”
“Colonel, you said you could get this taken care of,” he whispered to his 2nd in command.
Jack frowned, “I thought I could, Sir. I think I was just trying too hard.”
“This isn’t going to effect your team is it Colonel?” the General asked.
“No. I won’t let it.”
Just then the man in question came into the Embarkation room. Everyone who saw him knew it was better to stay out of his way. Everyone that is, except the General.
“Dr. Jackson, how was your vacation?” George asked trying for some conversation.
At once he wished he hadn’t said anything at all, “I could have found better ways to spend my time, General.” His voice had a frozen snap to it.
Jack immediately, moved as far away from Daniel as he could get, and still be in the same room.
“I’m sorry to hear that Dr. Jackson,” the General said before retreating back into the control room.
Teal’c came, not 5 minutes after Daniel, with Sam right behind him, “We are ready for departure, O’Neill.”
“You heard the man. Dial us out,” Jack said just loud enough so they could hear him behind the glass.
When the seventh chevron engaged and the event horizon was stable, Jack walked up the ramp and went through the shimmering puddle. On the other side he walked down the steps and sighed deeply as he heard his team mates come through, and then the wormhole disabled.
“Just so you know, I’m not going to mix work with what happened back on Earth,” Daniel said unemotionally to Jack’s back.
“Whatever,” the Colonel muttered back, walking into the trees. He wasn’t 75 ft from the gate, when he saw a large group of people heading their way. They carried no weapons so Jack, just watched them, with mild interest, keeping his weapon at the ready.
Daniel came up beside him, but not right next to him, like he always had before. When the people were in listening range he started his normal spiel, “Hello! We are peaceful explorers from Earth. We mean you no harm.”
A young man leading the group came forward and bowed slightly, “I am Marr, Prince of Magaze.”
“I’m Daniel Jackson. This is our…team leader…Colonel Jack O’Neill,” he turned around and pointed at Carter, “That’s Major Samantha Carter and that’s Teal’c.”
Marr smiled warmly at the mention of Teal’c name, “You have returned. Vegon has missed you, Master Teal’c.”
Teal’c smiled warmly, “And I have missed him.”
“You are not with the gods this time?” the prince asked.
“No. I have left the service of the gods, for they are false, as you told me.”
Marr smiled, before turning back to Daniel, “You came through the circle of the gods, and because of that, you will stay in their houses.” He reached forward and took a hold of Daniel’s hand softly. He then turned to the group of people behind him, “Separate into three groups and escort Danyel’s friends to the houses of the gods.” he turned then and led Daniel away by himself.
Jack frowned as a mob of handsome men crowded around him, touching him, “Uh…no offence but I don’t…Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“O’Neill, MajorCarter. This is a planet where same sex relations are the way of life. The ones who choose opposite sex partners are banished to a settlement far away from here.”
“Why don’t you tell us these things ‘before’ we leave the house?” Jack asked grimacing.
Teal’c raised an eyebrow, “I did not think it was of great importance. They are not a dangerous people O’Neill and their dislike of the Goa’uld is great.”
Jack sighed in defeat, turning to look at Carter. Many pretty women had gathered around her, and she looked amused, “Enjoying that Major?”
She blushed wickedly before smiling, “Actually Sir, I don’t mind this at all.”
“Carter?!” Jack asked shocked.
“What? Don’t ask, Don’t tell.”
The Colonel shook his head, and let himself be pulled along by the group of men around him. He noticed Teal’c hardly had anyone around him, “Teal’c why isn’t your crowd as big as mine?”
“I already have a lover on this planet O’Neill. He most likely is waiting for my return in the Village.”
“What?!”
“I chose him as my mate while visiting here many years ago, before I became First Prime. One mate of a couple must stay in the village at all times, unless traveling together.”
“Teal’c just how many people are you married to out in the universe?”
“It is not uncommon for a Jaffa to have many wives or husbands in total on other planets.”
Jack sighed and kept quiet, knowing that it would keep him out of trouble.
Once everyone reached the village, all but one of the people from Jack’s and Carter’s group, left, “Come Jack O’Neill. I will take you to your rooms,” a man, who couldn’t have been more than six or seven years younger than Jack, said. His eyes were silvery blue and his hair was very light brown with silver streaks.
“See you later Sir!” Carter called putting an arm around a red head’s waist.
“Teal’c!” A man’s voice called from some where. Jack turned toward it and watched as a black haired, tanned man came from a larger house and all but jumped into the Jaffa’s arms. He was thin but muscular and his black hair was short and spiked in clumps, “You have come back to me! I have missed you!”
“And I you. I am fighting the false gods now.”
The man smiled widely, “You will destroy them, but come back to our home with me. I have so much to tell you.”
Teal’c looked at Jack, “I will return later.”
Jack sighed and watched, as his last friend disappeared, “Ok. Led on.”
The man wrapped his arm around Jack’s and led him off to his rooms in a large building, “You will be staying here until the night meal is called. Did you see any of the men that pleased you Jack O’Neill?”
“Uh…Where’s Daniel?”
“Danyel? He is with Marr… He is not your mate is he?!”
Jack’s face tightened, before he sighed, “No, he’s not my…”
The man smiled sadly, “You find him attractive? Your Danyel?”
“No,” Jack lied quickly. A little too quickly.
“I will speak of this to no one, if that is what you worry about. Have you told him?”
“No and I’m not going to,” Jack went over to a large pillow, and carefully sat down on it.
“You are afraid he will not share your feelings?”
The Colonel frowned up at the other man, “Listen. I don’t know who you are but-”
“Forgive me! I am Hacen.”
“Well Heysin…I don’t like other people asking me about my personal life.”
Hacen nodded understanding, “The one who I have chosen does not except my feelings. He says I am too old, even though I am stronger and more caring than anyone else in the Village.”
Jack looked at the other man, at least trying to make it look like he was interested in what the he was talking about, “Well that’s…rude.”
“No…it is his will. He is the son of our leader and he will have whoever he wants. He must have a mate that he feels will protect him or provide him with offspring or both.”
“Offspring? Two guys can have kids?”
Hacen frowned, “They can not in your world? Then you must have to mate with females…how horrible! No wonder you come to us through the circle of the gods.”
The Colonel smiled weakly, “Well that wasn’t why we really came but that is…interesting. We came to look for allies to fight the Goa’uld. Well allies or weapons, weapons being preferred, but allies are nice too.”
“We have very little in the way of weapons. The Goa’uld leave us alone because of this. We are not a threat to them, nor do we have anything they wish to have.”
Jack sighed, “I figured as much. So who is this guy you’re in love with?”
“Do you not know? He is our prince!”
“You’re in love with the guy that has Daniel?” Jack got to his feet, “That little bastard better not be touching him or-”
Hacen put a hand on Jack to still him, “There is nothing that can be done. I have tried many times to call my lord away from his prospective mates, but he no longer comes to my call.”
“What? Your call? Was he your pet at one time?”
“No. I was his trainer when he was a child. I was 15 seasons at the time but my father was captain of the royal guard. Marr, being the prince and he needed someone to train him in the ways of defense. Someone that knew how to fight yet did not have the duties of an adult. He was only 5 seasons then, but he was strong and against his father’s wishes he learned to use a bow and arrow. By the time I was 25 seasons and he was 15, we were deeply in love, and I told him that when he was 18 seasons I would be honored to be his mate.”
Jack frowned, “Why didn’t you just ask him?”
“It is not my place to ask my prince for his love. Even as a guard I was over stepping my bounds by telling him my feelings. Lords of the court are only able to do that.”
Jack sighed, “So when he turned 18…?”
“His father had seen that we had much love for each other and he thought I was too far below his son, so he stripped me of my title and made one of the sons of the Lords, court him. At first he snuck out to see me every chance he got, until he met Orlan.”
“Let me guess. This Orlan guy was about his age and had the best looks in town.”
“Yes, and very rich. He lives in a township not far from here.”
“So he’s not into Marr any more?”
Hacen shook his head, “No. He is bonded with my brother. They have a daughter and another child on the way. It does not matter though, because Marr has all but forgotten me. Now he watches the circle of gods and throws himself at all who come through. He almost gave himself to a god, but his father said he would have to go live with him, if he were to do that. It is forbidden for our people to leave these lands.”
“So is there any chance that Daniel might…,” Jack waved his hand around looking for the right words, “I don’t know… accidentally promise to marry that prince guy?”
The other man blinked at Jack, confused, “How can you promise yourself to another without knowing it?”
“Daniel’s not the wisest when it comes to ‘noticing the signs’ if you get what I mean.”
“He has done this before?” Hacen asked.
Jack nodded, “Yeah. At least a half a dozen times on some of the other worlds we’ve visited. The first planet we ever got to,” Jack half smiled at the memory, “Daniel got himself married to the chief’s daughter, but she was taken as a host for the…false gods. We had to kill her.”
“How horrible! Did you not try to stop him? You love him.”
“Where we come from, same sex relationships are frowned on, and the first time he got married off world, I was pretty upset with him…myself…I didn’t really care about him then.”
“You do now and you have not told him because of how they feel on your world? He... is not attracted to females…is he?” Hacen grimaced at the thought.
“He’s…I don’t know…” Jack said uncomfortably, “I think he might like…both.”
“What about yourself?”
“I had a wife and a son once, but my son…died. He accidentally killed himself with one of my weapons. My wife left me after that.”
Hacen sat down next to Jack, “You are like Danyel then? You are attracted to both sexes?”
“I guess…” he didn’t want to tell the other man that he’d only had feelings for Daniel when it came to liking people of the same sex.
“You must find a way to know of Danyel’s feelings for you, or you will suffer forever, over him.”
Jack felt himself relaxing in the company of the other man, “How? I don’t even know if he likes me! Even if he did have feelings for me…”
“He must feel something. He glanced over his shoulder at you more times than I could count,” he ducked his head down so his eyes met with Jack’s. “If he saw you with another, do you think he would object and pull you from them?”
“If he thought I was out of my mind. Well, that’s what he ‘would’ have done, but now-”
Hacen smiled widely, “You say your planet is the opposite of mine? Might he think that you were hiding your true self? That, now you are here, you would be free to be who you have always wanted?”
“What if he doesn’t buy it?”
“You will…,” Hacen looked sad for a moment, before smiling, “You will pretend to miss me, when you return home. To keep it up would be…best.”
“What about you?”
“The one whom I love, will never…” Hacen trailed off, before looking at Jack again, “If I can bring happiness to others, at least my life won’t have been in vain.”
“So how do…” Jack coughed, embarrassed, not sure if he could pull this off without making a fool of himself.
“Tonight, at the night meal, I will sit beside and close to you. This is a sign among our people that you have decided to test me, to see if I am worthy to be your mate. After eating, the Lords gather around a fire and talk, or make passion with their tests or their mates. You will listen to them speak, but your attention will be drawn to me, and you will subtlety try to make passion with me as well as talk, but you will not be able to. You shall stand and draw me up to you, excusing yourself.”
“Make passion? You mean sex?” Jack squeaked out.
“What is…sex?” Hacen was confused.
“When two people…well,” Jack made a weird motion with his hand blushing, “I would say make babies here but-”
Hacen laughed, “That is not making passion…That is…crystaling…or stalling…the act of making…children…” Hacen smiled at Jack, “To make passion is to touch…and press…”
“Kissing?” Jack looked down at the pillow he was sitting on.
“Kissing?”
“Pressing your lips to another person’s or…some place…”
“Pressing, is what you call…kissing.”
“I don’t think I can do that,” Jack whispered, looking over at the other man, scared.
Hacen leaned toward Jack and kissed his lips softly, “But you could… to your Danyel?”
Jack’s face heated, “I uh…”
“Danyel must see you treat another…as you would him. He will ignore it otherwise,” Hacen pressed another kiss to Jack’s lips. When the he didn’t respond Hacen sighed, “You must try with me first. To win your Danyel?”
Jack nodded, “Ok…but can I lead?”
“Of course,” Hacen leaned back just out of Jack’s personal space.
Sighing, Jack moved closer to the slightly younger man. He brought a hand up and touched the side of Hacen’s face, and smiled when the other man actually blushed, “That ok?”
At the other man’s quick nervous nod, he smiled again and bent forward putting his lips to the other mans. He was frozen at first, but the other man moved his lips slightly and something clicked. Sara had always told him, that he was a passionate kisser, and if the sounds the other man was making, were anything to go by…
Hacen pulled away, panting slightly, “You are talented-”
“Oh you haven’t seen anything yet,” Jack whispered. He brought his hands up and buried them in Hacen’s medium length hair and pressed his tongue into his mouth. His tongue slid against the others, begging him to join in.
Uncertainly Hacen moved his tongue against Jack’s, quickly melting at the sensation. When they parted for air he laid his head on the colonel’s shoulder, “Where did you learn that?”
“When you’re as old as I am, you forget where you picked up everything you’ve learned.”
“You know more?” Hacen stared up at him and swallowed in eagerness, “Will you teach me more tonight? I fear if we continue, I might…,” the silver-blue eyed man trailed off blushing. “I have never been kissed by someone so skilled.”
Jack decided two things. One, he really was gay, or else he wouldn’t be enjoying Hacen’s reaction as much as he did. And two, if Daniel didn’t fall for him, he’d ask Hacen to be his. He’d always said he might retire off-world, “Alright. You’re not bad yourself. That Marr is an idiot for not wanting you.”
“Your words are kind, Jack.”
Brown eyes softened even more. Yeah, he could defiantly live with this man, “You deserve them.”
Hacen smiled blushing more. After a moment of them sitting together, he got to his feet, “You must be dressed for tonight. Come! I will help you get ready.”
6
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Daniel sighed has he pulled at his Greek style toga. It was a beautiful shade of medium bright blue with copper trim. Daniel knew all it was, was just a long piece of cloth, but he looked stunning in it, even with his glasses still on.
He glanced over at Prince Marr was walking toward him, followed by two older men. He was wearing an emerald green, long loose shirt with an extra sheet of lighter green attached to the shirt at his left shoulder and went down to his waist at the right, and continued to drape down to his ankles. If it were not for the matching emerald pants he wore, Daniel would be able to see everything the prince had to offer and so would everyone else.
“Danyel! This is my father King Sonal and his Mate Rence. My beloved father, this is Danyel Jackson who has come through the circle of gods, with three others. They battle to stop the false gods.”
The King was very old and his husband was as old as he or older. They both were wearing silver and gold clothes about their aged bodies, and the King wore a silver and gold, circular pedant around his neck, that had a diamond in the very center, “You are the first to come through the circle without a god, and only the second to have courage to say they are false with us,” the King said as his golden eyes took in Daniel’s form.
“He truly hates the false gods father, and has been hurt by them greatly, many times. Will you do us the honor of joining him and his companions this night at the meal?”
The King smiled weakly, “I am sorry my son, but I am far too old to stay awake so late in the evening. I am almost asleep on my feet where I stand. Tomorrow at mid-day meal, I will talk with Danyel and his companions.”
Daniel saw that Marr was getting angry, so he quickly jumped in, “Good King Sonal, I look forward to speaking with you at tomorrow’s mid-day meal. I am most grateful that you would find time to speak with my friends and me.”
The king’s mate smirked, his silver eyes glancing over at Marr, “You are a peace keeper, not a fighter. Why do you wish to stop the false gods if it is not your nature?”
“The false gods know nothing of peace, so to keep peace, they must be destroyed, Good Mate of the King.”
Sonal smiled, “You are wise, yet you are young. I will enjoy meeting with you, but now I must rest.” With that the King and his mate went on down the hall.
Marr turned to and watched them go, “You should not try to please him so. He is a fool.”
Daniel was shocked, “Prince Marr, he’s your father.”
“He is controlling, and I do all that I can to ignore what he says I can do, and do what he says I can not. Come Danyel, the others will be waiting for us.”
Once in the meal hall, Daniel took the seat that was right next to Marr, because the younger man had made him. The archeologist looked down the table and saw that Teal’c was seated on the left side with a man that ‘looked’ about his age, who was cuddling fondly with him, and the bigger man didn’t seem to mind. If anything he looked like he was enjoying himself.
Sam was sitting with a bright red haired girl with teal eyes on the right side and looked more than happy. The red head was smiling at her, and whispering things in her ear while dishing different foods onto their plates. Sometimes she would take some food and hold up to Sam’s mouth for her to eat, which the Major did with a smile.
At the very end of the table Jack was setting with a man, who seemed to be glued to his side and was constantly sliding a hand over Jack’s abdomen affectionately. To Daniel’s shock the Colonel seemed to be encouraging the touches, by leaning into the other man and whispering things.
Marr seemed to be notice that too, “Jack O’Neill, you are enjoying yourself so far?”
“Y-” Jack cleared his throat, “Yeah! Place is great. People are ‘very’ friendly. I think I’ve found a new place to retire.”
Daniel felt something twist inside of him. However he saw the anger flashed in the prince’s eyes and pushed his own feelings down, “Hacen! I will have a word with you after the meal, is that understood?”
The man’s head snapped up, “My Lord?”
“Understood?!”
The jealously in Marr’s voice was easily heard. Daniel looked across at Jack again and he felt the same thing.
“Of course my Lord!” The man stilled his hand but did not remove it from Jack’s waist.
The prince continued to glare at the other man and soon the hand was removed, and the man bowed his head shamefully.
Daniel noted that the rest of the meal was awkwardly silent and when Marr had finished eating, he got to his feet and walked angrily into a side room, leaving the door open.
‘Hacen’ whispered something to Jack, before standing and followed the prince into the room, closing the door.
“Teal’c? What just happened?” Jack asked watching the door with vexed eyes.
“It would seem the prince still feels for his Trainer, O’Neill. They were very much in love, until his father forbid them from seeing each other.”
“The whole world seemed like it was covered in shadow when that happened, remember my Teal’c?” the man next to the Jaffa asked sadly.
“I remember,” the woman said next to Major Carter. “We thought that the dark days would never end. Ones who live right next to the castle and next to Hacen’s house say they still haven’t.”
An hour later, the door still hadn’t opened and everyone was starting to worry. Jack moved to get up but the two natives told him he must not interfere.
“What if Hacen’s being hurt?” he asked.
The woman next to Carter shook her head, “The prince will not kill him. I doubt he could even find it in himself to strike him.”
As she finished speaking, the door opened and Hacen ran out of the meal hall and outside, Marr came out soon after calling his name.
“Danyel,” Marr looked over at the man, still sitting at the head of the table where he had been left, “I am sorry but I can not test you any longer. My heart belongs to him. Do you understand?”
“Test me?” Realization dawned on the blue eyed man, “You were going to court me!”
“You did not know?” Marr was confused and shocked.
Daniel glared at him, “You never asked me!”
“I thought-”
“I believe the more time you spend talking to DanielJackson, the farther Hacen gets from you. If you are going to catch him, you must leave immediately,” Teal’c said softly.
Marr nodded and with one last look at Daniel, jogged out of the hall.
The girl next to Carter smiled widely, “There will be a bonding ceremony at the end of this week. I am almost sure of it. Come Samantha. It is time for bed.”
Teal’c’s mate got to his feet and helped Teal’c to his, “You will come also, for it is been long over due for you to be in our bed.”
Daniel frowned and rubbed his face, “Great. I don’t know where I’m supposed to sleep.”
Jack thought, “Uh…you can stay over at my place. Only one bed but I can sleep on the floor, in another room. I won’t say a word to you.”
For a moment Daniel glared at him angrily, but then he noticed how Jack looked upset and regretful and he softened a little, “I guess I have no other choice.”
Jack nodded and led the way to the building where his rooms were. He didn’t dare look at Daniel, because he knew it would set the other man off, and talking was out too, because he doubted the other man even wanted to be on the same planet as him.
Once inside he walked over to one of the closed off sections and pointed to Daniel and then through the doorway.
“You can tell me where everything is,” Daniel mumbled. He just wanted this to be over as soon as possible.
“Bedroom. Bathroom is through there,” he said pointing, still not meeting Daniel’s eyes.
He walked into the bedroom and grabbed three of the pillows off the bed and brought them out into the entrance room, and set up a little place by a potted plant. Jack made sure the cushions were in the right positions before crawling onto them and curling up so he was facing away from Daniel.
Daniel watched him, his heart clinching in his chest, leaving an uneasy cold feeling behind, “Do you love him?”
“I could’ve been happy with him, but I don’t love the guy,” Jack mumbled.
Blue eyes rested on the older man’s back, “I didn’t know you were bisexual.”
“Why? Are you bothered by it? Guess it doesn’t matter though does it? You were bothered by me long before you knew this.”
“Jack…” Daniel started his heart clinched again.
“Don’t Daniel. I’m tired. I’ve already decided to retire…for good when we get back home. It’s better that way. No one has to lie for me then.”
The younger man’s eyes widened, “Jack…you can’t…”
Turning over Jack sighed, “What? ‘Can’t leave?’ I can’t stay either. The SGC isn’t where I need to be anymore.”
“Jack, being bisexual isn’t wrong,” Daniel tried, “You don’t have to go.”
“I need to get out of the program. I can’t stay around where…” Jack sighed, “I need to move on.”
“No you don’t,” he saw Jack flinch and he sighed, “I’m sorry.”
“For what happened at my house? Don’t be. It was my fault. I had dreams for me…and this old friend of mine.”
Daniel crossed his arms over his chest, frowning and acting a little snarky, “Oh yeah?”
Jack nodded, “Yeah…See…I was going to tell him that I loved him…but I screwed that up too.”
Daniel’s mind stopped, trying to wrap itself around what Jack had just admitted.
“So I’m leaving. I can’t stand be around the guy I’m in love with, because…he hates me. I can’t live like that.”
“You love…” Daniel stared at Jack’s back, “Why didn’t you say something?”
“To him? I can’t. He’s out there…I left him behind, because I loved him and I couldn’t admit it to myself, let alone him. So I ran off. Now I’ve lost him for good.”
Daniel was silently giving himself a hug, feeling like a jerk. Jack had been trying his best to say he was sorry, and he’d yelled at him. At the guy he loved.
“I deserve to loose him though. He doesn’t need me around, screwing his life up. He probably would have been disgusted by me liking him any way.”
Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat, “You don’t know that.”
“We were friends. That was it. He wouldn’t wan to know I thought he made a hell of a lot hotter archeologist that Harrison Ford. Or that I actually enjoyed his meaning-of-life stuff sometimes.”
Daniel moved over by Jack “You really mean that?”
Jack looked up into his eyes, “Yeah…And I’m going to miss you…” Jack whispered.
Daniel kneeled down next to the colonel, “Jack, you can’t leave, because…”
“Don’t try to make this any harder for me Daniel. Please? I just want to-”
“No!” the younger man snapped, “You can’t leave, because I…can’t go through the Stargate…without knowing you’re going to be there.”
“Why not? I thought I was ignoring you? Why would it matter if I was there or not?”
“Because, I don’t think I would survive getting captured, by evil aliens, unless you were there to reassure me that we’d get out ok. Sometimes…you were all I had…” shyly Daniel bent down and kissed him on the lips.
Jack inhaled sharply, when Daniel kissed him, despite begin ready for it. He once again felt awkward like he had with Hacen, and didn’t kiss back.
Daniel pulled away, “I shouldn’t have-”
“No!” Jack propped himself up on his elbow as Daniel sat back, “I’m just not…used to kissing…guys…”
Daniel looked into the dark brown eyes of the man on his side, before him, “You want to tr-”
“Yes!” Jack said quickly, blushing at his eagerness, “But can I…start? I think it might help.”
Daniel nods, and licks his lips subconsciously.
Jack smiles at action. Pushing himself up, he carefully reaches out and brushes his fingers along Daniel’s neck, up over his chin and to his lips, giving them a light caress. Daniel presses his lips to the fingers as they pass, and Jack grins, and finally leans in. He started with licking at Daniel’s pouting mouth, but soon stepped up to devouring as much of the man below him as he could before he had to come up for air.
“Daniel?” Jack asked in a quiet voice, “Ok?”
“Oh Gawd, yes Jack,” he said breathily, before leaning in and kissing him again.
When they broke apart again Jack smiled and pressed his forehead against Daniel’s, “I need to tell you something else.”
“What?”
“Do you think you could get one of those hats and a whip like Harrison Ford had?”
Daniel laughed aloud and smacked his arm playfully, “Shut up and kiss me…Jonathan.”
Jack mock glared at him, “Don’t call me that, Spacemonkey.”
“That’s Dr. Spacemonkey to you, Colonel,” Daniel whispered against his lips.
The older man moaned as Daniel started to kiss him again. He buried his hands in the linguist’s short brown hair, “Say it again.”
“Colonel?! Daniel?!” came Carter’s shocked voice from behind them.
Daniel jumped at Carter’s voice and fell into the Jack’s chest, turning his head up to see his friend, “Uh…hi Sam,” Daniel blushed.
“Carter! Why’d you have to go and ruin the moment, huh?”
“I’m sorry Sir, it’s just that I never really expected you and Daniel to get together. I always thought you would go ‘round and ‘round with one another.”
“’Round and ‘Round?” Jack asked glancing at Daniel, “Carter…What have you been keeping from us?”
“Sam, you mean to tell us you’ve known the whole time we’ve liked each other and you never mentioned it?”
She shrugged, “I was just keeping it to myself like you each told me to.”
“But we liked each other Carter!”
Daniel nodded, “There’s a difference Sam. When you know that two people have a crush on one another, and they’re scared to tell the other, you ‘should’ ‘let the cat out of the bag’.”
“I tried Daniel. I didn’t come out and say it but, didn’t you both think it was weird that I would talk to one of you and then the other so much?”
Jack frowned, and thinking back, found that it had been sort of weird that during the time he wasn’t speaking to Daniel that Carter had become really close with the both of them, “Does that mean you really didn’t want to come over and watch the game with me all those times?”
Daniel pulled back from Jack, glaring at him, “You wanted to spend time with her and not me and you liked me?!”
“It’s complicated,” Jack whispered, looking away from Daniel.
“Well since you already know that he likes you, the Colonel had some ‘dreams’ about you starting a few months back and he got scared, thinking that if he ignored you they’d go away.”
“And they didn’t? Did?” the doctor tried.
“Didn’t. Of course he’d also started noticing that you looked good in your blue BDUs, which you do by the way, and started sticking up for you whenever someone on base started making fun of you. By sticking up, I mean he was planning their untimely and painful deaths.”
Jack was playing with the corner of the pillow, “I also kinda realized I’d been taking you out to dinner at some really nice places.”
“I didn’t realize it. I just thought you wanted to go somewhere different,” Daniel smiled softly. “But I was impressed.”
Jack leaned up to kiss Daniel, but paused when he heard a yell.
“GET AWAY FROM ME!” Hacen ran quickly into the room and got behind Jack, pushing Daniel away in the process. “He will not leave me alone! You must protect me!”
Daniel glared at Hacen, “You! Get away from Jack”
“Hacen! Stop running from me!” Marr said coming into the room. His green eyes started to burn a hole in Jack when he noticed the object of his affections was hidden behind the man he’d been making out with earlier, “I want him as my mate and I will have him.”
“You just want him because he finally got over you and you couldn’t accept it!”
Daniel turned on him, “Are you saying that you would rather have him than me? If you are, I swear to any god I can think of Jack, I’m going to-”
“I’m not saying that Daniel! I’m just saying this guy only wants him because he was with me. Hacen’s had the hots for him ever since he was 25 and Marr over there was 15.”
“How old are you guys now?” Carter asked.
Hacen blushed, “I am 40 seasons.”
“Which makes Marr 30…15 years…I mean seasons and you just now…,” Daniel trailed off, glancing at the older man hiding behind Jack.
“I have always loved Hacen! My father has wanted me to mate with him for the last 12 seasons, and because of that I have not!”
“You have ignored me because your father gave his permission?!”
“My father is a controlling fool!”
“And you are a willful ass!” the blue/silver eyed man yelled at the prince.
Marr’s eyes widened, “What did you call me?”
“An ass! I have longed for you for as far as I care to remember. I watched you be with others because your father did not approve of our love. I begged the true gods that your father would realize we were meant for each other and allow you to come choose me.” Hacen glared at him and if Jack thought Daniel’s eye were bad when he was angry, then this man’s gaze could kill a group of people with a glance. “And now you say you would not be with me because…your father wanted it? How can I ever mate with you?! I would rather die alone then wake up every morning next to someone who denied our love just to spite his father!”
Marr’s eyes were brimming in tears, “Please…”
“You only loved me in the first place was because you were going against your father!” Hacen hissed out, getting to his feet, “Rot in hell Prince Marr.”
“No…Hacen…That is not true!” the younger man whispered as his old Trainer walked past him.
Jack snorted, “Oh stop whinin’! It’s your own damn fault!”
“Jack!” Daniel snapped at him.
“What? The little prick deserves it.”
Marr nodded, “He is right Danyel. I deserve it…and much more. I must…ease my his pain…by ending my own.”
Jack’s eyes widened, “Now wait a minute-”
“No you are right Jack O’Neill. Hacen will never forgive me now. My death will be my remove me from his mind. He will no longer have to look upon the face of someone who would do to him such horrible things,” he looked at Jack and Daniel, “I am only glad you were allowed to find your love, by my mistake.” Marr moved slowly out of the room leaving the three alone.
“Well…we can’t let this happen.” Daniel sighed, moving to get up, “If he kills himself we might not ever get off this planet.”
“Why not? I say we grab Teal’c and make a run for it,” Jack voted.
“We could Sir, but these people are friendly, and they would be good allies to help us fight against the Goa’uld, especially if they let us make a base camp here.”
Daniel looked pointedly at Jack, “You’re going to have to go talk to Hacen and get him to forgive Marr.”
“Why me?!”
“Because he trusts you,” Daniel said tightly. “He’ll listen to what you have to say.”
Jack grimaced, knowing it was true, “Can’t we just…leave and send another SG team back? I bet ol’ Marr’ll chicken out any way.”
“Jack King likes me. We’re not going to screw up our ties with this planet if we can help it. Beside for all we know, if he did kill himself one of us would be made to be the prince in his place.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” Jack asked.
“We’d have to stay here forever!”
Jack looked around, “And that’s a bad thing?”
“Sir! We don’t have time for this. Daniel and I will go and try to stop the prince from doing anything drastic. You go and find Hacen.”
“Fine! I’ll see what I can do,” Jack said getting to his feet, and then helping Daniel up, “But you know what happened last time you sent me to consol someone!”
7
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