Rating: R/NC-17 for implied sexual situations. Jack/Daniel, Daniel/OMC. AU, drama, angst, romance, first time

Chapter Seven: Locks and Keys

Jack handed the keys of his car to the young, fresh-faced valet who barely looked old enough to drive, and made his way up the stone walkway. He tugged once more at the stiff collar of his shirt. The fabric felt scratchy, irritating his skin. Jack wondered idly if he was allergic to the laundry soap, or if he was allergic to tuxedos in general and to any event that required their wear.

Jack knew the basic layout of the house from surveillance photos and of course from Daniel's own descriptions of the place, but once he was past the front door, it was pretty damned impressive. He scanned his surroundings and took in all the trappings of wealth: the polished wood, the sparkling chandelier, the massive bouquets of freshly cut flowers spilling out of their vases in a riot of color and heavy perfume.

Jack moved through the gathering of finery-clad men and women. He was, as always, looking for Daniel. It hadn't escaped his notice that he spent an inordinate amount of time doing precisely that as he forged his way through crowds and unfamiliar territory alike to locate his elusive, but now familiar quarry. He was beginning to feel more like a golden retriever than an officer in the USAF.

Jack caught sight of Daniel at last. He stood at the far end of the foyer at the center of a knot of people, none of whom he recognized. Daniel spied him in return and flashed him a brief smile; he said something--excusing himself, probably-- to those around him and made his way across the foyer to Jack's side.

"Jack," Daniel exclaimed warmly. He took Jack's hand in a firm grip. "I'm so pleased you could come."

Jack smiled in return as he shook Daniel's hand. "Wouldn't have missed it for the world. He cast a glance about the room. "Nice digs you've got here," he complimented.

Daniel's smile turned brittle. "Yes, yes they are."

Jack continued his casual perusal. "The floor looks like marble. Italian?"

"Yes, imported from Carrara, in fact."

"Sweet." Jack leaned in closer, lowering his voice until it was barely a whisper. "Samuels and Kinsey?"

Daniel shook his head almost imperceptibly. "No. They're not on the guest list."

Jack nodded. Well, that was no more than he'd expected, though it might have made things easier. He looked up, past Daniel's head, and saw a familiar figure moving towards them with a distinctly stormy expression.

"Don't look now, but here comes Big Daddy."

Daniel gave him a look of annoyance, but turned at the sound of his name and smiled brightly at Stephanopoulus. "Ari, you remember my friend Jack, don't you?"

"Of course," came Stephanopoulus' cool reply as he extended his hand towards Jack. Stephanopoulus' grip was bruising. Jack smiled back, giving no hint of his discomfort, and kept his gaze riveted on Stephanopoulus the entire time. His own grip tightened considerably. Stephanopoulus' scowl deepened before it was replaced with a more neutral expression, and he dropped Jack's hand.

"I'm glad Daniel invited me tonight," Jack said, holding Stephanopoulus' gaze steadily.

"We both invited you, Mr. O'Neill," Stephanopoulus replied.

"Of course," Jack graciously conceded with a faint nod of his head.

The three men stood there for a long frozen moment. Discomfiture and resentment resonated between them until Daniel finally broke the stalemate.

"Jack was just admiring the marble floor. I told him you had had it imported from Carrara."

"Are you an admirer of imported marble, Mr. O'Neill?"

"Well, admirer might be too strong a term. I do like to think I can appreciate the finer things and can recognize real quality when I see it."

Jack's words were bland but he kept his gaze locked with Stephanopoulus' the entire time. Not surprisingly, Stephanopoulus cast a furtive glance at Daniel at that last remark and his frown returned in full force.

Stephanopoulus opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it again as he caught sight of someone behind Jack. "If you'll excuse me, there is someone I must speak with. Daniel, Mr. O'Neill," he concluded with a quick nod before hurrying off to converse with his unnamed guest, leaving Daniel and Jack alone once more.

"How 'bout a drink?" Daniel asked.

"Sounds like a swell idea," he replied and gestured for Daniel to lead the way.

Jack fell into step beside him. "This is going to be harder than I thought," Jack observed, his voice low. Daniel flicked a questioning glance in his direction. "He really is possessive of you."

"I warned you," Daniel reminded him.

There were more people milling about the closer they got to the bar and Jack found that he had to move a little closer to Daniel as they walked. Their arms brushed against one another's and once his hand strayed across Daniel's, his skin warm and soft beneath Jack's fingertips. The touch had been accidental, but there was no mistaking the electricity of the contact, nor the charged gaze Daniel gave him in return. Emboldened, Jack placed his hand lightly in the small of Daniel's back as he steered him to the bar. Daniel was clearly startled by the touch, but he smiled nonetheless and let Jack guide him without a word of protest.

Jack snuck a quick glance in Stephanopoulus' direction, not at all surprised to see the other man's gaze fixed upon them. "He's not going to let you out of his sight. This is going to make things a bit challenging."

"Ari is very jealous, Jack, and he doesn't trust you at all."

"Well, I'm hurt," Jack replied, but he hoped his tone was clear, and he was rewarded with a small grin from Daniel.

When they reached the bar, they ordered drinks, but before they could continue their discussion they were interrupted by the sound of a woman's voice.

"Daniel, darling!"

Jack turned to see an attractive older woman walking towards them. There was a suspicious smoothness about her eyes and mouth that suggested the intervention of a skillful plastic surgeon rather than youth or good genes.

Daniel smiled warmly at the woman. "Mrs. Hoving," he greeted with a warm, genuine smile He extended both hands in her direction; she took them without hesitation.

"Daniel," she said, disapproval apparent in her tone and in the downturn of her red lips. "How many times have I told you that you must call me Anna?"

Daniel dipped his head in apology. "I'm sorry, Anna. Please forgive my oversight." Jack smiled as he watched the exchange. This was Daniel at his most charming. He certainly knew how to work a room, Jack reflected.

"Well," she began and released Daniel's hands to pat his cheek, "I could never stay mad with you, darling. I'll forgive you, if you introduce me to your dashing friend." She cast a flirtatious glance in Jack's direction.

Jack and Daniel exchanged amused glances, but Jack didn't miss a beat. He took one of Anna's hands in his, raised it to his lips and kissed it. "Jack O'Neill, ma'am, at your service," he murmured across her knuckles, then gave her his most rakish grin.

Anna laughed, obviously taken with Jack's gracious manner. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. O'Neill."

"Please, call me Jack."

She batted her eyelashes at him. "Only if you call me Anna. I confess, Jack I don't recall meeting you before. Where has Ari been hiding you?"

"Actually, I'm a friend of Daniel's."

"Ah," she said and glanced from Daniel to Jack. She'd been around the block a few times, Jack could see, and there was more to that inspection than shallow curiosity. His caution increased several notches.

"So, Anna, are you enjoying your party?" Daniel asked.

She sighed rather theatrically. "I suppose. Reginald is off talking business somewhere so he's not boring me to death. And there are so many delightful men here. My darling Daniel is here and now we have charming Jack as well. Tell me, charming Jack, would you care to dance with me?"

Jack caught Daniel's amused expression. "Well, I could hardly say no. This is, after all your party." Jack offered her his arm and led her in the direction of the other dancers.

When the song the band was playing ended. Jack twirled Anna into a graceful dip eliciting a fresh wave of giggles from the woman. Daniel walked over to them.

"Anna, do you mind if I steal Jack away for a bit?"

"Of course not, darling. You brought him here, after all. It's only fair I should share him with you. Besides, I see Michael has managed to liberate himself from Elizabeth's clutches. I think I should keep him company, don't you? It wouldn't do for the dear boy to be lonely."

"Of course not," Daniel sagely agreed.

Anna leaned over and kissed Daniel on the cheek before giving Jack a smoldering gaze. "Thank you for the dance, Jack."

"It was my pleasure, Anna."

Both men waited until she was several feet away before speaking. "He's watching us again," Jack observed.

"Yes."

"All right, we'll need to split up," Jack directed. "You keep Stephanopoulus distracted for a bit while I slip upstairs. Then you follow as soon as you can."

"All right," Daniel agreed.

"Where is your...the bedroom?" Jack found it difficult to say, and even more difficult to see the look on Daniel's face as he answered.

"Top of the stairs. Turn right. It's the third door on the left."

"Gotcha," Jack replied. He cast another glance in Stephanopoulus' direction. "You better go soothe the savage beast. He looks about ready to pop a blood vessel or two."

"Okay," Daniel agreed. "Be careful," he added earnestly.

"I'm always careful, Daniel. Just make sure you do the same."

* * *

 "Jack?"

"Here," Jack replied softly.

"Any luck?" Daniel asked when he reached Jack's side.

"No. Nothing in the safe but his passport, some stocks and bonds. Oh, and a rather substantial wad of bills. Obviously the good doctor likes having a bit of cash on hand."

"Well, like you said, he probably has precautions in place just in case things go bad and he needs to make a quick getaway."

"Yeah," Jack reflected. He looked at Daniel in the gloom. "So, any problems getting away from lover boy?"

"No," Daniel assured him. "I cozied up to him, let him paw me a bit in public. That usually calms him down."

At that moment, Jack cursed the relative darkness of the room. There was an edge to Daniel's voice when he spoke those words and Jack really needed to see the expression that went with it. Of course, that cut both ways, since the gloom also kept Daniel from seeing Jack's expression and that was most assuredly a good thing at the moment. Jack let the comment pass and changed to subject to more pressing matters.

"So, where is the library?"

"The end of the hall, on the right."

"Lead on," Jack offered and Daniel did just that. They peeked out into the deserted hallway then slipped through the darkness and toward the library. Jack followed closely enough behind Daniel to feel the heat of his body, but he pushed the thought away. Now was not the time for such distractions. In fact, there was no good time for such thoughts, period. Not for the two of them.

Daniel ushered Jack into the room and closed the door softly behind them. Moonlight streamed through the tall windows to cast a silvery pall across the room and its furnishings. Ari's library looked like something out of a gothic novel in the moonlight, both grand and ominous and even Jack was affected.

"Wow. Okay, this is impressive."

"It's good to be rich?" Daniel asked, with a small smile.

"Well, it beats the hell out of being poor, that's for sure. Okay, so where is this desk?" Jack asked as he surveyed the shadowy interior of the room.

Daniel touched Jack's arm and pointed. "Over there," he said.

Once they were standing in front of the desk, Jack reached into his jacket pocket. "Here," he directed. "Hold this."

Daniel twisted the head of the mag light Jack had given him until a beam of light shot forth which he then trained on the keyhole and the polished brass fitting surrounding it. Jack extracted the lock picks from his pocket as well.

"Hold the light steady, Daniel," Jack ordered in a low voice and Daniel obeyed.

Jack's hands moved with a speed and dexterity born of practice. Next to him, Daniel looked over his shoulder repeatedly, as though he expected Ari to come bursting into the room at any moment.

"Got it," Jack exclaimed in triumph. Tucking the picks into their leather case once more, Jack carefully opened the slanted front of the desk. It was only as he exhaled loudly that he realized he'd been holding his breath the entire time. "So, what do we have here?" Jack murmured, mostly to himself.

Daniel leaned closer to view the contents of the desk. He pointed to one item in particular. "This is it, Jack," Daniel explained as his fingers caressed work leather. "This is the book I saw Samuels give to Ari that night."

Jack gave him a dry smile. "So much for the broken lock, eh Daniel? Good call," he praised, and Daniel smiled at the recognition.

Jack took the light from Daniel as the younger man carefully opened the book. It appeared to be a normal book, an archeological tome written in German. Jack frowned as Daniel told him what it was. "That's it?"

"No," Daniel replied with absolute certainty. "When Anna asked about it, Ari specifically said it was a book about economics, which this isn't. If he didn't want her reading it, why not simply tell her it was written in German? That would have scared just about anyone off."

"But not you," Jack replied softly.

"What?"

"Think about it, Daniel. You were standing there throughout the conversation. If Stephanopoulus had mentioned that this was an archeological tome, what are the chances that you would have simply let it pass?"

Daniel considered Jack's comment for a moment. "You're right. This book has to be the key."

"But the key to what? We're running out of time here, Daniel. There is no way I can photograph this entire book and it's only a matter of time before Stephanopoulus comes looking for you. I may have to take it with me."

"No!" Daniel exclaimed, his voice too loud in the hushed chamber. He glanced about nervously then lowered his voice once more. "If you take that book, Ari will be on to us. And we don't know how important it is yet."

"Well, give me another option then." Jack looked at him expectantly. He was tempted to shove the book into the back of his pants, drag Daniel out of there and never look back. But he waited for Daniel's answer.

Daniel frowned and took the book from Jack's hands once more, examining the cover, the binding, the end papers, looking for a clue. He flipped the pages randomly, it seemed to Jack, as if inspiration would suddenly flutter out from between the leaves of the book, like a pressed flower, left behind long ago and awaiting discovery. Just as Jack was about to hurry Daniel up, Daniel paused and flipped back a few pages, trailing his finger pads across another page. He then flipped forward once again.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, leaning close. "What is it?"

"The paper," he murmured, as he rubbed a sheet between his fingers.

"What about it?"

"Some of the pages feel different. They're smoother to the touch. Here, give me the light."

Jack complied, leaning closer as Daniel trained the light on one of the pages and then another. He glanced up at Jack again, excitement in his eyes. "See, here?" he asked, pointing the light at one page. This paper is woven. It's a high quality paper, slightly heavier than normal. But this page," he said, flipping the page and shining the light on another sheet, "this is pressed paper. It's thinner and over time becomes more brittle."

"Okay..." Jack said and prompted Daniel to continue.

"Jack, there is only one reason I know of to use both pressed and woven paper in the same tome and that is for reproductions. It's not uncommon to have illustrations incorporated into a book using a better quality paper for the images. Etchings, photo-engravings, maps, whatever. But beyond that, there is no reason for this. Unless..."

"Unless, someone inserted those pages at a later date." Jack concluded.

"Exactly!"

"Sonuvabitch," Jack murmured in grudging admiration.

Daniel was fairly thrumming with excitement. "This is it, Jack!" This is how Ari is transporting the Intel to Egypt. It's perfect! I mean, c'mon, who would ever think twice about an archeologist carrying around a musty old book on archeology? The information is imbedded within the text. Unless you knew precisely where to look, and unless you can read German fluently, you'd never even see it."

"Sweet," Jack replied. "Okay, Daniel, find me the first page, where this new section begins," Jack instructed, as he pulled a small camera from his jacket pocket.

Using his fingertips to guide him, Daniel located the first page of the inserted text. "Here," he pronounced with absolute certainty.

Working in concert, they managed to photograph the contents of the thirty some pages of text in the space of a few minutes.

"Now what?" Daniel asked as Jack slipped his miniature camera back into his pocket.

"Now we hope that lightning strikes twice. Daniel, rummage through those compartments on the left, I'll take the ones over here. Maybe we'll get lucky and find something else, maybe even something that links Kinsey to Stephanopoulus."

For a few quiet minutes, they turned their full attention to the task, but nothing Jack picked up seemed to have any importance. Daniel didn't seem to be faring much better. Jack discarded several items on the floor, then - "Hey," he said.

"What is it?" Daniel asked, leaning close.

"Looks like a notebook of some kind," Jack explained as he turned the small leather bound notebook over in his hands. He frowned, puzzled by the writing inside, as he scanned the contents. "Okay, I think I need a little linguistic help, Daniel. I have no idea what I'm looking at here."

Daniel moved closer at Jack's summons. Daniel pressed himself directly against his back so that he could look over Jack's shoulder. The feel of Daniel's body against his own was tantalizing as was the warm moist breath that gusted against his nape as Daniel leaned in closer. Jack took a deep breath and released it, forcing his mind to focus on the task at hand. And then Daniel's voice sounded in his ear.

"They're hieroglyphics," Daniel announced with surprise.

Jack looked again at the precisely inscribed signs arranged in neat groups to form three columns. "I guess that makes sense, seeing as Stephanopoulus is an Egyptologist and all. So what do they say?" Jack asked.

"Well, they don't say anything, per se. This isn't a narrative text. It's more a ledger." Daniel pointed at the page and dragged a finger down the middle column. "See these? They're numbers. If I had to hazard a guess I'd say they were dates."

"Dates," Jack echoed. "What about the other columns?"

Daniel frowned. "Those are kind of odd. They're words, but they don't make much sense without a context." He paused for a moment and bit his lip. "See this group of pictograms?" Daniel asked as he pointing to one set of hieroglyphics. "This is 'imyr' which translates as 'steward.' And see how it is repeated here, here, and here?" Daniel asked and pointed at three other representations of the same group of symbols.

Jack nodded. "What about this one?" he asked in reference to another group of symbols.

Daniel peered closer. "That's the hieroglyph 'ses.' It means 'scribe'."

"It appears in both columns," Jack remarked, gesturing at the collection of symbols.

Daniel looked at the other man in surprise "Yes, yes it does," he agreed. "In fact, it appears an awful lot, though I'm not sure why."

"What about this one?" Jack singled out another string of symbols.

"Imyr-per."

Jack frowned. "Didn't we already see that one?"

Daniel shook his head. "No. That was 'imyr,' meaning 'steward.' This is 'imyr-per.' It means 'overseer.' Same root, of course, but a different word."

"Okay. What about this one?" He pointed to yet another symbol.

Daniel looked at the symbols and frowned. "Well that's odd," he murmured.

"What?"

"It's 'neni.' It means 'lazy' or 'weak.'"

"Ninny?"

Daniel snorted. "Actually, that's not far off. Still, it's strange. All the other words are nouns but this is an adjective that is clearly serving as a noun in this context."

"It's code," Jack supplied.

"What?"

"This," Jack said as he tapped his finger on the pages in front of him. "Dates of transactions, parties delivering and receiving. If we can attach an identity to the words representing those parties..." Jack's voice trailed off. "Daniel, what was the date of the party, the one where Samuels gave Stephanopoulus this book?"

"May tenth."

"Do you see that date in here anywhere?"

Daniel scanned the page. "Yes. It's the last one."

"And what do the columns flanking it say?"

"'Neni' and 'ses'."

"So, ninny and scribe."

"Samuels and Stephanopoulus," Daniel supplied.

Jack was already pulling out his camera. "Daniel, hold the book and the light steady."
A minute later, he was done.

"All right, I think we've already pushed our luck about as far as we dare." Jack remarked. "Let's pack it up and get the hell out of here before Stephanopoulus really does come looking for you."

No more words were spoken as they returned the items to their rightful compartments. Jack closed the desk front. He slid his picks into the keyhole and effortlessly shifted the tumblers to lock the desk once more. He pocketed his tools and the mag light and led the way out the door and down the hall.

Voices.

They stopped; Daniel tapped Jack's arm urgently, silently. The voices were moving closer, coming towards them from the staircase. They could hear the faint thud of footfalls and even see the shadows cast by bodies as they climbed up. And then the voices were close enough to be identified.

Daniel turned panicked eyes on Jack and pointed to the closest doorway. The doorway, Jack suddenly remembered, which lead to Stephanopoulus' bedroom. And suddenly an insane idea sprang to mind. They had been gone too long, he knew. Stephanopoulus surely must have noticed Daniel's absence by now, had probably even noticed Jack's as well. Right now, Stephanopoulus was probably putting two and two together. Well then, Jack thought, let's give him exactly what he's expecting.

Jack grabbed Daniel's arm and spun him back around.

"Jack!" Daniel hissed in alarm. "What are you doing? Ari will see us."

"Exactly."

Jack pinned Daniel to the wall and closed his mouth over Daniel's before the other man could utter another protest. And even as a part of Jack's mind stayed focused on the approaching figures, on being discovered, all other coherent thought fled.

Heat. That was the only word that seemed to form in Jack's mind. He was burning, his blood rushing through his veins like wildfire, his bones melting into slag as Daniel kissed him back with a fierce urgency that seared the air in his lungs and set his nerve endings alight. In some dark recess of his mind where he allowed himself such forbidden thoughts, Jack had wondered what it would be like to kiss Daniel. The fantasy, however, paled before the reality.

Daniel was like a force of nature; ferocious and inexorable, and not about to simply surrender to Jack. His arms slipped around Jack's back, pulling him closer still as Daniel opened himself fully to the kiss. He reveled in the sensation of Daniel's body pressed against his own.

Jack broke the kiss and nipped softly at Daniel's lower lip as he pulled away, only to hover mere centimeters above Daniel's mouth. He could feel Daniel's hard breathing, hear his sigh of pleasure, and one soft word: "Jack."

Jack lingered there for a moment more, on the edge of a decision, before he descended once more to kiss Daniel deeply - a kiss he didn't need to give, but what the hell; he wanted it. Wanted Daniel.

Daniel responded with equal fervor until Jack pulled away once more. He nuzzled Daniel's jaw and then whispered into his ear. "Push me away."

Daniel was still obviously punch drunk from Jack's kiss, and his puzzled expression told Jack he didn't quite understand, but he complied nonetheless. Daniel gave Jack a firm shove, making him stumble backwards. And then there was another voice, cold and cutting, just behind them.

"And what de we have here?"

Although Ari's words seemed casual, there was a palpable hostility in his posture. Jack threw Daniel a hard look, and understanding dawned in Daniel's eyes

"Ari, this isn't what it looks like," Daniel pleaded - convincingly, Jack thought.

Stephanopoulus gave him a disapproving glance. "It looks like you were kissing another man, Daniel. A guest...in my own home, no less."

"Ari," Daniel said again, and Jack prayed that his acting skills were up to the task. "It wasn't like that. Jack initiated it. I didn't want or ask for him to kiss me."

"And yet you just happened to find your way up here?" Ari demanded.

Daniel shook his head. "He's been drinking. He threatened to make a scene if I didn't agree to talk to him in private. Please, Ari, you have to believe me. I never intended for any of this to happen."

Stephanopoulus regarded him with a blank, hard expression that made Jack nervous for Daniel. "We have guests downstairs, Daniel. I suggest you return to them. We will talk about this later."

Daniel nodded in acquiescence and replied meekly, "Yes, Ari." He moved towards the stairs and paused to cast one last backwards glance before heading downstairs once more.

Jack and Stephanopoulus remained where they stood, facing off against one another, until Daniel was downstairs and far away from earshot.

"Mr. O'Neill," Stephanopoulus began. He made no attempt to hide his contempt for Jack now that Daniel was no longer a witness. "You will leave the premises at once. You will never come back here again. Moreover, you will have no further contact with Daniel. Is that understood?"

Jack cocked a brow at the other man. "Doesn't Daniel have some say in the matter?"

"No, he does not," Stephanopoulus shot back without a moment's hesitation. "Daniel is with me now, Mr. O'Neill. I know what is best for him. You are nothing more than an unwelcome distraction that he does not need in his life. Not now, not ever. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

Stephanopoulus nodded. "Then we have nothing further to discuss. Please leave now or I will be forced to have you removed from the premises.

Jack remained where he was, still holding Stephanopoulus' gaze. "For what it's worth, Daniel is telling you the truth. I was the one wouldn't leave it alone. I couldn't." Jack took one step towards the stairs and then another before pausing and turning back to Stephanopoulus once more. "I saw him first, loved him first, but you're the one who won in the end. Congratulations."

And with that Jack walked back down the stairs. He made his way smoothly across the foyer, not daring to look back, until he heard a voice.

"Jack!"

He turned around to see Anna Hoving moving towards him, listing slightly to the side in a way that made it clear that she had been enjoying the benefits of the open bar.

"Are you going so soon, charming Jack?" she slurred

"I'm afraid so, Anna. I have an early day tomorrow."

She pursed her lips. "Who will keep me entertained now?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find someone."

"Is Daniel going with you?"

Jack stilled at that. "What do you mean?"

She smiled at him, her previously unfocused gaze suddenly piercing. "I thought perhaps you had come to steal Daniel away from Ari."

Jack chuckled and shook his head. He'd been right about her, and oddly enough, in some ways she'd been right about him. "I'm afraid you have it all wrong."

"Pity," she said, adding one of her theatrical sighs for emphasis. "You do look lovely together."

He smiled at the woman swaying slightly before him. He took her hand once more and gave it a gentle kiss in farewell. "Goodnight, Anna."

With that parting gesture, Jack turned on his heel and walked out the door without another look back. That was a weakness neither he nor Daniel could afford.

* * *

Ari stepped out of the bathroom, tugging the belt of his terrycloth robe a bit tighter around his waist before scrubbing his damp hair dry with the towel draped across his shoulders. He padded into the bedroom, his slippers making a soft slapping sound on the hard wood floor as he walked.

It was early still, especially for the morning after a long night of socializing, but Ari was nothing if not disciplined. He had long ago established a routine that he adhered to religiously, barring any unforeseen complications. Each morning he rose with the sun and began his day with a swim, the requisite twenty laps in the pool, followed by a nice hot shower. That was followed by breakfast, coffee and juice, cereal and yogurt while he read the morning paper. After that, Ari would either head to the university if he had classes that day, or to his study to write, if he did not.

He retrieved his watch from the dresser and automatically compared the display in the watch face with that of the antique clock resting on the mantle. Assured of its accuracy, Ari slipped the watch onto his wrist and locked it in place with a deft snap of the clasp.

Ari caught sight of his own reflection in the mirror, as well as the reflection of the large mahogany bed that dominated the room behind him. His gaze drifted from the duvet folded back to the end of the bed, to the rumpled sheets and Daniel's nude body nestled within them. He remained there for a long moment to contemplate the pleasant tableau, until a soft rapping on the door broke him out of his reverie.

"Come," Ari barked, the single syllable sharp and clipped.

He turned towards the door "What is it Joseph?" he asked the butler. He made no attempt to mask his impatience.

Joseph hovered at the threshold, unwilling to enter the bedroom without the express permission of his employer. That particular rule had been impressed upon him when he first took up his position. "The university called, sir," Joseph explained in a neutral voice. "Apparently some construction being carried out near the school caused a water main to be damaged. Repairs are underway, but several buildings are affected, including yours, so the university has been forced to cancel all classes today."

Ari nodded curtly. "Thank you, Joseph."

Recognizing the tacit dismissal, the other man left and closed the door softly behind him.

Ari turned back around and frowned at his reflection. This was an unexpected development and unfortunately it was going to throw his syllabus completely off for the remainder of the semester. He mentally calculated what he would need to do to salvage his lecture schedule. If he compressed the Etruscans and the Romans into a single lecture in the 201 class and dropped the Minoans entirely in 302, he could do it, he supposed. He thrummed his fingers in a precise rhythm on the dresser, annoyed at the disruption to his carefully planned schedule.

He released a sigh. Well, at least there was one advantage to the situation; it saved him from a morning spent teaching introductory archeology courses to a mass of disinterested and largely sub-literate undergraduates. There were other possible perks as well, he thought, as he turned and walked quietly over to the bed, a self-satisfied grin spreading slowly across his face.

Ari permitted himself to indulge in a moment of possessive pleasure as he gazed down at Daniel's sleeping form. He admired the contrast of smooth, tanned skin against pale sheets of finely woven Egyptian cotton. Daniel was lying on his stomach, his face turned away, one arm outstretched at his side. Ari smiled as his eyes followed the curve of Daniel's spine from his broad shoulders to the tapered waist, disappearing beneath the tangle of sheets covering the swell of his ass and the legs below. The temptation to touch, to rouse the sleeping man was deeply compelling, but Ari was feeling chivalrous, so he let his lover sleep.
 
It was with some reluctance that Ari left the bedroom. He had always enjoyed the first flush of triumph that accompanied the attainment of some coveted prize, whether it was an obscure tome, a rare and valuable artifact, or a new lover. He had a collector's fierce pride of ownership, though acquisition was only part of the thrill. Ari enjoyed the chase itself immensely and he conducted his love life much in the same manner he carried out his academic pursuits: with patience, care and single minded dedication. The more unattainable the trophy, the longer it was coveted, the more precious its ultimate possession.

Ari basked in pleasant thoughts of warm skin beneath his palms, of breathy, gasping sighs and the delicious promise of dallying in bed the rest of the day with his newest conquest.

In the dining room, everything as it should be: the rosewood chairs polished and gleaming, a crisp white linen table cloth spread across the surface of the massive table. As expected, a copy of The Washington Post rested on the table to the right of his habitual seat, while the silver coffee service and a cup and saucer of bone china was placed to the left.

He slipped into his seat, opened the folded linen napkin with a snap of the wrist and smoothed it across his lap. He poured himself a cup of coffee, then added a single splash of cream and stirred the liquid with three precise strokes before tapping the spoon on the rim of the cup and placing it on the saucer. He took a drink and paused to savor the rich scent of the brew for one long moment, before perusing the morning paper.

The news was the same every day and even at its most sensational, it could not hold a candle to the mysteries of the ancient world, nor the more carnal temptation of the man currently slumbering upstairs. Ari wondered why he even bothered to read the paper. He scanned the contents of the front page, finding further confirmation of that ingrained belief. There was the standard report of unrest in the Middle East, another about a brutal famine in some dusky, drought ridden corner of Africa, and of course, more accusations of misconduct against some prominent political figure. His gaze drifted on down the page to an article in which some analyst was prattling on about the power of the tech market, to a report about the recent decline of the Yen in world markets, then to a discussion regarding a hotly contested potential merger between Lockhead Martin and Boeing....

Boeing.

Ari frowned. O'Neill worked for Boeing, he recalled and suddenly, his good humor vanished completely, replaced by a vivid and most unwanted memory from the previous night: O'Neill, pressed up against Daniel, the two of them engaged in a heated embrace. Ari's hands clenched into fists and he crumpled the paper within his grasp. His lips thinned into a flat line of displeasure as the scene played over in his mind. O'Neill kissing Daniel, touching him intimately, laying his hands upon something, someone who belonged to Ari.

He knew it shouldn't have come as a surprise. He'd seen the way O'Neill looked at Daniel, recognized the hunger in that gaze because it was not unlike his own. O'Neill might have feigned disinterest, he might have played at friendship and sympathy but he couldn't fool Ari. He'd known from the start that he couldn't trust O'Neill, that O'Neill had designs on Daniel. Daniel, of course, didn't understand any of it. He might be a brilliant scholar, but he was far too trusting for his own good.

After their guests had gone, Daniel had tried to apologize, to explain his behavior but Ari had wanted none of it. He needed for Daniel to understand that he belonged to Ari and no one else. Daniel hadn't meant to betray him, of course. O'Neill had manipulated him, led him astray, but still Daniel had been weak. Daniel needed to understand the nature of his transgression. And by the time they had collapsed on the bed in an exhausted heap, spent by their lovemaking, Ari was sure that he did.

A sound shattered his reverie. Ari looked up, startled, into the plump face and concerned brown eyes of his cook, Mrs. Hirschauer.

"What?" he asked hotly.

"I asked if Dr. Jackson would be joining you for breakfast this morning," she repeated in a faintly worried tone.

Ari felt a flash of annoyance at the woman's unwanted solicitude. She doted on Daniel terribly as if he were a child instead of a grown man. Ari presumed it was due to some thwarted maternal instinct, but frankly he didn't care. His earlier embarrassment and his seething resentment towards O'Neill suddenly flared and found a new target.

"Do you see Dr. Jackson?" he snapped.

She flinched at the unexpected sharpness of his tone, her eyes wide with surprise. "No, sir."

"Well then, I would say you have your answer."

A flush crept up her cheeks. "Y-yes, sir," she stammered awkwardly.

"That will be all, Mrs. Hirschauer," he replied curtly before turning his attention back to the newspaper.

The cook dropped the plate of toast on the table near his elbow, jerking her hand away quickly, and scurried back to the kitchen.

Ari savagely turned the page of the newspaper, tearing an edge in his brusqueness. Foolishness! All of it. The sooner he and Daniel left for the Egypt the better.

That thought calmed him immediately. That's what this was about, he decided. He was bored and frustrated, wasting his time teaching brain dead students. Granted, the graduate seminar on New Kingdom architecture was at least mildly engaging, but in truth, Ari was privately counting down the days until he could escape his teaching obligations and immerse himself fully in his dig. His excitement at the prospect mounted with each passing day. This dig at Deir el Bahari promised to be his crowning achievement. If he did find a complete funerary complex, as his growing evidence suggested, this discovery had the potential to radically alter the face of archeology for decades to come.

And once he and Daniel were there, well, Daniel wouldn't give O'Neill another thought. After all, what could O'Neill possibly have to offer Daniel? He couldn't give him security, or help his to rebuild his tattered reputation. And what did a man like O'Neill know about the passion of the mind, the all-consuming hunger for knowledge, the thrill of its pursuit? No, O'Neill couldn't give Daniel what he truly needed. A stray memory of the previous night flitted through his mind and brought a lazy smile to Ari's lips. Daniel's sweat-slickened body as it arched beneath his, his hands digging and twisting in the bed sheets as Ari moved above him. The sheer beauty of Daniel's face at the moment of orgasm, lashes fluttering against flushed cheeks, swollen lips parted to expel a wordless cry of completion. Exquisite.

Ari's smile broadened. No, there wasn't a single thing O'Neill could give to Daniel that Ari didn't already give him.

Ari sighed at that pleasant reminiscence then shook his head mournfully as his thoughts shifted tenor. Daniel had shown such promise in his younger days, but then he'd thrown it all away by voicing those ridiculous theories. And now here he was, with Ari. A little older, a little wiser, but as beautiful as ever. And clearly in need of the support of someone who could help him to resurrect his career. Of someone who shared his passion for archeology, who understood the lure of the buried past. He would give Daniel a place in the field once more and in return, Ari would put Daniel's not inconsiderable skills to good use. It was an ideal arrangement. Win-win as they say. And as for Jack O'Neill, well, he would be nothing but a distant memory.

Ari leaned back in his chair and let his imagination wander to the future, to the discoveries he would make with Daniel at his side and the accolades and acclaim he would receive. Perhaps he would even retire and take up a position of professor emeritus. Yes, he rather liked that idea. He found the idea of the prestige as well as the liberation from wasting his time in the classroom very appealing.

Of course, he would need to downplay Daniel's involvement initially. It would take time and great care to rehabilitate the younger man's shattered reputation and he didn't want that lingering derision to cast a pall over what was sure to be Ari's greatest triumph. He knew Daniel would not be pleased to be assigned the role of anonymous assistant, but Daniel was an intelligent lad and had obviously learned his lesson. In the end, Daniel would agree to remain in the shadows for the time being, at least until Ari had time to help him rebuild. Yes, everything was shaping up quite nicely. Everything he wanted was now within his grasp.

A cough drew Ari's attention to the doorway leading to the foyer.

"Yes, Joseph?"

"Mrs. Hoving is on the line, sir," Joseph explained. "Do you wish to speak with her?"

Ari smiled. "Of course, I'm always available for dear Anna," he replied expansively. He waved Joseph over and took the phone from him. "Anna, my dear. What are you doing up so early?"

He heard a heavy sigh from the other end of the telephone line before she replied. "Reginald decided that he wanted to repave the driveway. There are some...people out there now, making a terrible racket. Honestly, Ari, how is anyone supposed to rest under these conditions?"

Ari couldn't help but smile at the petulance in Anna's voice. She had never been an early riser even on the best of occasions, and he was sure she must be feeling more than a tad delicate after last night. He suddenly had an image of her stretched out along her divan, a cold mask covering her eyes, and a Bloody Mary within easy reach on the table beside her. After all, Anna had always been a great believer in 'hair of the dog' remedies. He made a sympathetic noise that she accepted with her habitual grace.

"Well, anyway, since I'm already awake, I thought I would call you and thank you for the lovely party."

"You had a good time?" Ari asked.

"Oh yes, darling. I always have a wonderful time. You throw the very best parties and you always have the most interesting people there. And of course, the most handsome men," she added slyly.

Ari laughed. A healthy appreciation for attractive men was one of the things they had in common, and Ari was always happy to indulge Anna's personal preference since it happily coincided with his own.

"I am pleased."

"I especially enjoyed meeting Daniel's friend Jack. He really is quite charming. I do hope you'll invite him more often. I was ever so disappointed that he had to leave so early."

Ari's hands clenched once more at the sound of that hated name, his previous outrage springing to the fore once again. He realized he was gripping the handset so tightly he'd cracked the casing.

"Ari?" Anna's voice sounded in his ear. "Are you still there, darling?"

With a conscious effort, Ari relaxed his hands, taking a deep breath and then another to calm himself. "Of course, Anna. I was pouring myself a cup of coffee and some of it spilled."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, no," he soothed. "It's all right. No harm done."

"Is Daniel there?" she asked, her voice bright.

"No, I'm afraid he is still sleeping."

"Pity. At least one of us is getting his beauty sleep, not that he needs such a thing."

Ari smiled. He couldn't agree more with that assessment.

"Well, could you thank Daniel on my behalf for inviting his friend Jack? They are so lovely together, don't you think, Ari?" she asked, with a soft, breathy sigh.

His lips folded into a grimace at her words. Damn it to hell! Why did she insist on bringing up that blasted man's name again?

"I'm sorry, Anna. But I really must go. I have classes to teach today," he lied smoothly.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Ari. I wasn't thinking. Of course. Have a lovely day, Ari."

"I will Anna. And you do the same."

Another martyr's sigh reached his ears. "I shall try. Kisses, darling."

"Goodbye, Anna."

He expelled a sigh of frustration. He loved Anna dearly, but there were times when he could cheerfully throttle her pale, pretty neck, and now was certainly one of them. 'Lovely together.' Those were not the words he would have used to describe them and now Anna's observation had once again resurrected the unwanted image of O'Neill kissing Daniel. Try as he might to expel it, it lingered, playing again and again in the vaults of his mind.

His good mood shattered, and all thoughts of returning upstairs to ravish Daniel some more fled along with it. At the very least he might as well go to his study and get some work done.

Although Daniel was still asleep, Ari could not afford to take any risks; he closed and locked the study door behind him. He walked over to the oak table at the center of the room, sliding his hand along the bottom until his hand encountered the envelope secured there. Lifting the flap, he slid his hand inside, carefully wrapping his fingers around the contents to remove them. He stood up straight once more and opened his hand to gaze at his prize.

A small metal key.

Ari crossed the room and went to stand in front of his Chippendale desk. He slid the key effortlessly into the lock and gave it a deft twist. He expected to hear the familiar snick of the tumblers unlocking. Instead he heard...nothing.

The key was stuck. Ari frowned, perturbed by this unexpected development. He jiggled the key slightly and then gave it a second twist, this one more forceful and this time the lock gave way before the assault. The desk was now unlocked, but Ari felt a wave of unease rise through him. He had had no problems opening the lock the previous day. He leaned forward to inspect the lock and it was then that he saw it. A very faint scratch mark on the brass fitting along the edge of the keyhole, almost invisible to the naked eye. Now genuinely alarmed, Ari grabbed the magnifying glass from the worktable. He held it over the lock and peered intently through the glass, and received the confirmation he dreaded.

Someone had tampered with the lock.

Fitting his fingers beneath the lip of the desk front, he pulled downwards to reveal the desk's interior. Everything seemed to be precisely where he had left it. Nothing, not so much as a pen or a paper clip was out of place. He began to relax, thinking perhaps he was mistaken, that that scratch had been there all along and he hadn't even noticed it, had no doubt even caused it himself.

Ari reached in and extracted the book that Samuels had given him at their last encounter.

And then he saw it.

The book looked exactly as it had when he had received it except for one small detail: a corner of one page was gone. Fragile from age and handling, the brittle paper had given way. Except...none of the pages were damaged when he'd placed the book inside the desk for safekeeping. He was sure of it. Gingerly, he opened the book further to examine the page in question and his heart began to race, as a terrible suspicion took hold. Even before he looked, he knew the truth: the damaged page was the last one before the inserted pages and Ari knew that that page had been whole when Ari had last seen it.

Someone else had handled the book, of that there was no doubt. Ari frowned and cast his mind back to try to identify a likely candidate. The house had been filled with people the night before, any one of who could have snuck up here and engaged in a bit of snooping.

Without warning, an errant memory rose up before him: Daniel and O'Neill locked in an amorous clinch, pressed up against the wall just outside the door to the bedroom he shared with Daniel, making a mockery of Ari and his authority in his home. They had been upstairs last night, both of them, mere feet from the library and the desk that had been covertly opened and explored. A coincidence? Perhaps. But Ari had never been a great believer in coincidence. He was a scholar and as such he based his conclusions upon evidence; solid, irrefutable evidence. And try though he might to push the thought aside, to deny painful reality of it, he could not. The truth was there, blindingly, glaringly obvious.

Daniel had betrayed him.

It was the depth of his lover's treachery that astounded him and left him fighting for air. A romantic dalliance he could eventually forgive, but this...

This betrayal could get Ari killed.

Some time passed before Ari returned to the bedroom, to Daniel. He stood by the side of the bed once more to gaze down at the sleeping man. Daniel looked so peaceful, his face completely open and exposed in slumber. It was the perfect mask behind which to conceal his duplicity. Whoever had sent him here, whoever had selected Daniel or had corrupted him to their cause had chosen well. Ari would never have imagined such guile, such deceit from someone as lovely and as earnest as Daniel.

Ari lingered a moment longer as fear and anger and a dark, violent lust warred for dominance before he pushed himself away from the bed and made his way to the closet. He grabbed some clothing at random and dressed himself in haste. He needed to act quickly, if he was going to save himself.

It would appear that today his morning routine had come to an end. He only hoped that it wasn't about to become a permanent change in the way he did business. Casting one last glance at his sleeping lover, Ari left the room as quickly and as quietly as he could.