Five times Jack held Daniel's hand.
1. When he lost Sha’re. Not the first time, but the second time, the final time.
Daniel was sitting in his office, a trembling heap inside his BDUs. It was some time after the infirmary, before the debriefing and the typical post-mission crap. While his teammates had escaped to the showers, Daniel had vanished. It looked like he’d collapsed in the chair behind his desk, not bothering to even turn on the light.
“Hey,” Jack said. He didn’t touch the light switch, so he could only see Daniel’s profile, crumpled over the desktop.
Daniel looked up and O’Neill could see his eyes glistening in the darkness. He didn’t say anything, didn’t move at all, just stayed there. Slowly, Jack crossed the room and approached the desk. Closer to Daniel, Jack could see that the stillness was an illusion; in fact, from where Daniel’s hands folded around his shoulders so tightly his filthy uniform wrinkled around his fingers down to where his boots were set on the carpet, his entire body was shaking.
Carefully moving Daniel’s collection of special little rocks to a safer location in the center of the desk, Jack perched lightly on the corner. Silently, he put his hand out and rested it on Daniel’s shoulder. He was surprised by the tension his palm closed around; the archaeologist was vibrating in place like a taut string, even as his posture was one of complete collapse. Under Jack’s hand, he seemed to still just a bit.
It felt good, useful even, to touch Daniel like this.
In a few seconds, as if he’d just noticed Jack’s presence, Daniel stirred in place. He unfolded one arm clutching his own chest, reached back and inserted his hand beneath Jack’s palm. He squeezed, lightly, and Jack squeezed back.
2. When Daniel went to press the gigantic, honking red button that just screamed ‘Danger’ on PX-Carter Turned Blue. He’d already pressed it once and turned Carter blue. Daniel wanted to press it again under the theory that it would turn her back.
Somewhat forcefully, Jack intercepted his fingers and took hold of his hand.
“No, Daniel.”
“Jack-”
“No.”
“Okay.” Daniel looked down at their joined hands. “You can let go now.”
“No,” Jack replied, holding tighter. “I’ll be utilizing the Buddy System for the remainder of the mission to ensure you don’t turn anyone else into a Smurf.”
“What is a Smurf?” inquired Teal’c.
Carter, scrubbing angrily at her aqua skin, turned blazing eyes in Jack’s direction, and he decided not to mention her in his response. “Tell you later, T.”
Un-Blueing Carter turned out to be a waiting game, but the Buddy System method never caught on as Daniel emphatically declined to hold Jack’s hand around complex Alien button-operated machines. Also, after the mission, Jack nearly got Teal’c to call Carter “Smurfette,” but unfortunately even in his pop culture ignorance, Teal’c could still assess dangerous situations.
3. Over Janet Frasier’s grave, a few months after her death. Cassie had requested the trip. Personally, Jack didn’t like cemeteries and he didn’t see the purpose of visiting a cold stone slab. Even so, he and the rest of SG-1 accompanied Cassie to the “Beloved Mother, Faithful Friend, Devoted Doctor” marker.
Cassie started crying before they even entered the gates and Jack saw Carter quietly take her hand. As they walked through the aisles toward Janet, Jack reached out and took Cassie’s other hand. His got wet and sticky, because Cassie kept using the back of hers to wipe at her face.
Pulling free of Carter and Jack, Cassie dropped to the ground before her mother’s grave. Daniel stepped forward, too, and placed the bouquet in the metal vase permanently entrenched in the soil.
When he backed up to give Cassie some space, his hand found Jack’s and slipped inside. On his other side, Sam followed suit, her hand smaller and warmer than Daniel’s.
Looking over to check on the end of the flank, Jack saw Teal’c take Carter’s other hand. Then, in the privacy of the cemetery, the Jaffa took off his Murray hat and clenched it in a fist against his chest.
4. Four hours before Daniel Ascended. Only four hours because after that the flesh on Daniel’s hand became too tender to touch.
5. Right before Ba’al killed him. Every single time. Daniel doesn’t remember it, but Jack does. He remembers Daniel, in his clean pants and sweater, next to him each time, even when the laws of physics meant it was impossible. But then again, Daniel was a glowy white octopus at the time, and physics didn’t apply. And yet, somehow, breaking more than Newton’s laws, Daniel still had hands, and he had held Jack’s