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

Chapter Ten: Resolutions

Jack stood perfectly still as he watched the scene being played out on the other side of the two-way mirror. Albert Samuels, pale and sweating, his clothes rumpled and his tie askew sat hunched over a table. The stony faced officer seated across from him asked another question and Samuels, after a brief pause to take a drink of water from the glass he held in shaking hands, responded at length and in great detail. A stenographer sat in a corner and recorded the entire session.

Once Kinsey and Stephanopoulus were firmly in custody, Simmons had gone out again to arrest their co-conspirator Samuels and had deposited him in this interrogation room. That had been four hours ago. Unlike the other two men who had adamantly refused to cooperate, Samuels had caved almost immediately. He talked, frantically, desperately, hysterically, falling all over himself to deflect blame and save his own neck. Samuels provided all the rope they needed to hang both himself and his collaborators: names, dates, the location of records of various transactions. Samuels was a fucking goldmine.

Jack turned away from the scene, secure in the knowledge that all three men, especially Kinsey and Stephanopoulus were going down, hard. That should have been enough, but some darker and far baser impulse drove him to the floor beneath where the holding cells were located. He needed to see the other men with his own eyes, to reassure himself that they were in custody and hadn't managed to magically weasel their way out of their due punishment. And, if he were being perfectly honest, to gloat.

He visited Kinsey's cell first. Not surprisingly, Kinsey was all bravura. He sneered and snarled at anyone in range and promising retribution from his highly placed friends for his 'unjust' incarceration. Jack simply walked by. He ignored the senator's epithets and dire warning, recognizing them for the empty threats that they were. Jack knew perfectly well that once word of his crimes was leaked, all those so-called 'friends' would rush to publicly distance themselves from their dishonored colleague. Kinsey would soon find that his powerful friends were suddenly far too busy to take his calls. Political self-preservation was a wonderful thing and Kinsey was in for one hell of a wake-up call.

Jack moved on to Stephanopoulus' cell. The good doctor was less overtly hostile than Kinsey, but no more cooperative. He remained sullen and disdainful. Jack stood outside Stephanopoulus' cell for a long time to soak up the image of the arrogant archeologist seated uncomfortably on a hard metal bunk, his large frame covered in an ugly orange jumpsuit. Jack found himself enjoying the impotent fury he saw burning in the other man's eyes. The fury and the underlying fear. Oh yes, Stephanopoulus knew he was going down and that no amount of railing, pleading or bribery would save him. Seeing that bastard behind bars was sweet indeed.

Jack knew there was going to be serious fallout from Daniel's unsanctioned rescue and he knew it was going to be ugly. Still, Jack had no regrets. He had followed his conscience and if he had it to do all over again, he'd proceed in exactly the same manner. Daniel was the living, breathing proof that he'd done the right thing. Jack took one last look at Stephanopoulus and fixed the image firmly in his mind's eye along with another image; Daniel lying unconscious and pallid on a hospital bed. Squaring his shoulder and turning sharply on his heel, Jack went to face his own reckoning.

***

"Sit down, Colonel," General Bauer instructed.

Jack did as instructed, sitting towards the edge of the seat, his back stiff and his hat resting on his lap.

Bauer leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk. He studied Jack, his displeasure apparent in his expression and in every line of his body. He shook his head. "Colonel O'Neill, I must say, I am very disappointed in your performance of late. Your recent actions, most notably your unauthorized extraction of Dr. Jackson from Dr. Stephanopoulus' residence constitute a severe breach of protocol. You should have informed me of your concerns and brought me any evidence you had supporting your suspicion that Dr. Jackson had been compromised."

Bauer paused and fixed Jack with a stern gaze. "Instead, you acted on your own, jeopardizing an important counter-espionage operation at its most delicate stage. Months of painstaking planning went into this operation, and you nearly ruined everything with your recklessness. What do you have to say for yourself, Colonel?"

"Sir," Jack replied, the single syllable clipped and precise. "I believed that Dr. Stephanopoulus posed a clear and present danger to Dr. Jackson's safety. It was obvious that Dr. Jackson was suffering from a serious illness for a period of nearly two weeks. It was equally apparent that Dr. Stephanopoulus had denied Dr. Jackson medical assistance during that time and that his health was deteriorating rapidly. I felt I had not choice but to take immediate action to prevent Dr. Jackson's death. Sir," he added decisively.

"And you believe that was the correct course of action?"

"Yes, sir, I do. Dr. Jackson's doctor confirmed that in a few days he would have been dead. I believed it was necessary to act immediately." Before Bauer could interject, Jack continued on quickly. "Sir, I was the one who recruited Dr. Jackson for this operation. He agreed to participate not only because it was the right thing to do but also because he trusted me. I promised to provide back up and keep him safe. He was my responsibility and I did was I believed was necessary to safeguard him. As an officer, it was my duty to do so," he explained candidly.

Bauer's eyes softened and his expression became thoughtful. "I don't approve of an officer willfully bypassing the clear chain of command, even if I understand your reasons for doing so. If this was the first such breach of protocol, I might be inclined to disregard it. However, this is far from an isolated incident. There have been a number of infractions and acts of insubordination over the years, as your record attests." He gestured to a thick manila folder, stuffed with paper that Jack assumed was his record of service.

"On this occasion, not only did you circumvent proper chain of command and take actions that you knew were unlikely to be sanctioned, thereby engaging in further insubordination at least in spirit if not in action, you also recruited two additional civilians to aid you in carrying out your plan, directing one of them to obtain key evidence and keep it in his personal possession.

"Good intentions or not, you jeopardized a crucial operation by your actions, Colonel. You allowed your personal feelings to cloud your judgment and as a consequence you acted precipitously and in a manner that ran counter to mission objectives. I would be well within my rights to bring you up on charges and begin court martial proceedings," Bauer commented ominously. "But..." he began then paused to look Jack in the eye, "despite these lapses, you have proven to be a dedicated and courageous officer throughout your years of service and it would be most unfortunate if the Air Force were to lose an officer of your caliber. You have two options, Colonel O'Neill. One, you take early retirement." Bauer paused again, this time to allow his words to sink in.

"And the second option?" Jack queried.

"A transfer. Clearly, you are no longer suited to this post. There are, however, other commands that could benefit from your experience."

"Sir, with all due respect, I would like to remain in active service."

Bauer nodded. "I thought that would be your answer. To that end, I am recommending your immediate transfer to a posting at a top-secret facility out in Colorado. The new commander will be in need of a vice-commander, and you seem to meet all of his criteria. I strongly recommend that you accept it."

Jack studied his CO, wondering what he wasn't saying. "New commander?" he asked cautiously.

"The facility program is currently headed up by Lieutenant General Walter West," Bauer explained. "Do you know him?"

Jack shrugged. "Not really. He has a reputation for being a bit of a hard ass. Sir." [LG4]Jack amended.

Bauer quirked an eyebrow at Jack's remark. "Yes, yes he is. He also appears to have exhibited some rather poor judgment when it comes to choosing his friends. General West, it turns out, is on very close terms with Senator Kinsey."

That got Jack's attention. "Kinsey?" His mind was racing again. Kinsey, the Republican senator from Colorado...Jack looked at Bauer, stunned. "Are you saying that West is somehow involved in this mess as well?"

"We can't be entirely sure until we finish going through all of the documents that Samuels turned over to us, but his name has been mentioned and he has been implicated."

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. A general in the USAF selling military secrets? It seemed outrageous, and yet given what he now knew about Kinsey, and even the things he knew about Bauer and Simmons and their own less than pristine methods, he knew he shouldn't be surprised.

"Sonuvabitch," he swore under his breath.

Bauer ignored the epithet and continued. "In any case, General West is being offered early retirement and his position will be taken over by a General George Hammond. Hammond will be installed as the new CO of the facility and a number of senior officers brought in by West will be reassigned pending an investigation. Hammond doesn't want to set up shop with a nest of vipers in place so he's cleaning house. This means that he'll need some fresh blood. We think you'd be perfectly suited to the job."

Jack frowned. It could be worse, he knew. Far worse. He could have been offered a posting at McMurdo where he could freeze his nuts off in the service of his country. Either this was a convenient means to get rid of a troublesome senior officer on the QT, or they were desperate out in Colorado. Jack studied his CO--technically his former CO now, he supposed-looking for signs of deceit. He found none. He felt marginally more at ease. Bauer was many things, but he'd never been much of a liar. He was telling the truth. "I'd like some time to think it over."

Bauer nodded. "You have twenty-four hours."

"Thank you, sir," Jack replied with a short nod. There was something else he wanted to ask, something he needed to know, but he wasn't sure if he dared to broach the topic. He hesitated, uncharacteristically so, then pushed on.

"If I may ask, sir, what's going to happen to Dr. Jackson now that this is all over?" Jack knew that he should probably steer clear of this topic, that this line of inquiry was borderline inappropriate, but frankly, he didn't give a damn. He couldn't just abandon Daniel. He owed him, maybe even owed himself. He couldn't just walk away, not now.

"What do you suggest, Colonel?"

"I'm not really sure. I just think we should do right by him, is all."

Bauer frowned, the corners of his thin lips, drooping slightly, whether in thought or displeasure, Jack had no idea. Before he could continue, however, Bauer spoke. "Actually, as it turns out, one of the things that General Hammond has requested is a linguist, specifically someone with a background in Egyptology and a solid foundation in ancient languages as well as a proven ability to work on a top-secret project. Colonel Simmons recommended Dr. Jackson for the position."

"What do they need a linguist for?" Jack asked, surprised and more than a little suspicious about this strange turn of events. It all seemed just a bit too convenient.

Bauer shook his head. "I have no idea whatsoever. It's all very hush-hush. The program is directly under the control of the Joint Chiefs and the President himself."

Jack wasn't sure whether he actually believed the general's denial, particularly in light of Simmons' involvement in the matter. "But, sir...Daniel isn't military."

"No, he's not," Bauer readily agreed. "But apparently they've already gone through the best linguists in every branch of the military with no luck. They need someone with a knack for deciphering obscure languages and they have no other option but to recruit from the civilian ranks. Based upon Dr. Jackson's résumé, he would appear to be exactly what they are looking for."

"Although I personally have reservations about involving civilians in military projects, especially a civilian with, well let's just say a somewhat checkered past," the general commented obliquely, "I am forced to concede that Colonel Simmons is once again correct in his assessment."

Jack didn't want to trust Bauer, certain that Simmons was once again playing puppet master and pulling his CO's strings, but his gut told him Bauer was telling the truth. Bauer might be a patsy and Simmons might be a slime ball with a track record for being situationally flexible, but all of Jack's instincts were telling him that at least this once both men were on the up and up.

"Obviously I can't speak for Dr. Jackson. He has to make his own choice."

"Of course. Make the offer to Dr. Jackson, by all means. If you accept, you'll need to leave for Colorado in seventy-two hours."

Jack blinked in surprise. "That's fast. What's the rush?"

"It's an important project and apparently it's been more or less languishing under West's direction," Bauer explained. "The Joint Chiefs want to get it up and running ASAP and they can't do that until Hammond has a full complement."

"I don't suppose you can tell me anything about why some mystery project out in Colorado has such a desperate need for Air Force colonels and unemployed linguists?"

"I'm afraid not, Colonel. It's classified."

Jack nodded. That was pretty much the answer he'd been expecting. Bauer hadn't been very forthcoming; then again, if this assignment really was that classified, then Bauer wouldn't be privy to further details. Jack had never liked going in blind, but he knew that this time-like so many other times in the past-he had no choice. He was a soldier and it was his duty to follow orders, even if he was somewhat creative in how he went about it.

Colorado, huh?

Well, at least the skiing would be good. Now all he had to do was convince Daniel to come with. Piece of cake.

Or not.

"I'll speak with Dr. Jackson, sir. You'll have my answer tomorrow."

"Very well, Colonel. Dismissed."

Jack stood and offered the general a salute then turned to leave.

"Colonel?"

Jack paused, his hand poised on the doorknob. He looked back.

"Good luck," Bauer said.

"Thank you, sir." Jack gave the other man a curt nod, then exited. Jack walked down the corridor, leaving the office, the CIA and his old life behind.

***

Three hours later, Jack found himself walking down yet another corridor, this time at Georgetown University Hospital. Jack recognized the bitter irony that Daniel was a patient at this hospital when it was a faculty member of the titular university who had landed him here in the first place. Perhaps he would share that observation with Daniel later. Or perhaps not.

Jack glanced at his watch and quickened his pace.

Eyes scanning the doorplates, he finally came to room 1155. Daniel had been assigned a private corner room facing Reservoir Road with a nice view of the French Embassy. Sweet. Of course, all things considered, Daniel would probably have preferred to skip the experience altogether.

Jack rapped softly awaited a reply before he tentatively opened the door and peeked inside. He saw Daniel standing near the bed, his head and arms obscured by the sweater he was currently pulling on. Jack saw a flash of warm golden skin and one pink nipple before the sweater slipped down to cover Daniel's torso from view once more. Jack's mouth suddenly went dry at the sight. He cleared his throat to ease his discomfort.

"Hey," Jack said.

Daniel looked up, still in the process of smoothing his sweater down over his chest. A soft smile touched his lips before it vanished. "Hey," he echoed.

Jack stuffed his hands in his trouser pockets. "I hear they're springing you."

Daniel nodded, slipping his glasses into place. "Yeah. I have to come back for follow up shots for the next three days, but otherwise I'm a free man."

"So, are you ready to go?"

Daniel frowned, studying him. "Go where, exactly? I moved out of the apartment you guys had set up for me when I..."

"Not a problem. You're coming home with me."

"Oh?" Daniel asked, his expression guarded.

Jack shrugged. "Well, you've got to go somewhere, right? And it seems silly to send you to a hotel when I've got a perfectly good guest room you can use."

"It's not like I have anywhere else to go, right?"

"Right," Jack echoed awkwardly. "So. You ready to blow this Popsicle stand?"

"Yeah," Daniel said.

It was a relatively short trip from the hospital to Jack's home in Arlington just across the Potomac and it was carried out in complete silence; Daniel stared resolutely out the window while Jack cast speculative glances his way. After all that had transpired, a little awkwardness was inevitable, he reminded himself, and it was hardly surprising that they both felt uncomfortable in one another's company.

They made good time and in less than a half an hour, they were parked in front of Jack's small two-story house. Jack got out of the car, ushered Daniel inside and closed the door behind them.

"Do you want a beer?" Jack asked courteously, and perhaps a bit more stiffly than intended.

"Um..." Daniel began with a small frown. "I probably shouldn't drink alcohol, not while I'm on the medication."

"Right, right, good point," Jack acknowledged.

"But I could go for some coffee, if you're offering."

Jack cocked a brow at that. "Should you be having caffeine while you're on medication?"

"Dunno, but for coffee, I'll take the risk."

Jack chuckled at that. "Java junkie," he muttered with a hint of affection, which earned him a flicker of a smile. "Make yourself at home while I put the coffee on," he directed as he headed into the kitchen.

He returned a few minutes later to find Daniel wandering about the room. Daniel would pause to look more closely at one of Jack's possessions or to run inquisitive fingertips along the shelves of his bookcase and then move on. Jack watched for several long moments before he called out to Daniel.

"Hey."

Daniel turned and gave him a smile.

"Black, right?"

Daniel nodded then stepped forward to take the proffered cup. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply of the rich aroma before he sighed deeply.

Jack chuckled. "Definitely a java junkie."

"To each man his own poison," Daniel retorted as he lifted his mug in salute. Daniel's off the cuff response suddenly registered and he blanched and swore under his breath.

"Sorry."

"S'alright, Daniel." Jack reassured and reached out to rest his hand on Daniel's shoulder. Daniel tensed suddenly at the touch and he twitched; coffee sloshed against the rim of his mug. Jack's hand froze outstretched between them as Daniel turned his face away, his cheeks coloring slightly, obviously embarrassed, though whether from Jack's touch or his own reaction to it Jack didn't know.

Jack let his hand drop. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Daniel replied, echoing his words, their positions now reversed. If nothing else, this remained the same. Jack always felt slightly off balance with Daniel. Previously neatly defined roles had a tendency to morph or vanish altogether.

The two men sat down, Daniel on the corner of the sofa, Jack in the chair next to him, their bodies perpendicular, their knees almost touching. They drank their coffee, an uneasy silence between them. After a time, Jack rose and switched on the stereo. The sweet lilting strains of a soprano's voice floated softly through the room. Jack returned to his perch on the chair and they continued to sit in silence.

Finally Jack broke the stalemate. "So...how are you feeling?"

Daniel gazed at him over the rim of his mug, eyes hooded. "Okay, I guess. Actually, all things considered I'm feeling pretty damned good. At least I'm still alive, right?"

"Daniel..."

"Jack, don't. This wasn't your fault. I made my own decisions, just like I always have. You warned me there would be risks. I went into this with my eyes open."

"No, you didn't, Daniel," Jack countered. "You didn't know the risks. I didn't even know the risks. We were both set up and purposefully kept in the dark." Jack shook his head. "You could've been killed."

"But I wasn't," Daniel replied. "You got me out of there."

Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead. He could feel a headache beginning to form. "Daniel..."

Daniel shook his head. "It doesn't matter. It's over now." He looked at Jack, his gaze suddenly intense. "It is over, isn't it?"

"Yes," Jack confirmed. "Stephanopoulus, Kinsey and Samuels are all behind bars. Samuels has been talking non-stop, giving up everybody he possibly can. He's probably ratting out his father for unpaid parking tickets and his mother for cutting those 'do not remove' tags off of mattresses. We've got enough evidence to put them all away for a long time. Thanks to you."

"Good," Daniel nodded before he sagged back against the sofa cushions as if all of his energy had suddenly drained from his body.

Jack frowned. "You look like hell, Daniel."

"Thanks," he snorted. "I'm fine. Really."

"Bullshit," Jack rejoined a bit more sharply than intended. He sighed. Daniel wasn't the only one who was exhausted. "Daniel," he began again, his voice gentle. "You've been through a hell of a time and you're still recuperating. You need to rest. Why don't you go and get some rest?"

Daniel's eyes narrowed suspiciously. His objection was swallowed by a yawn, which proved Jack's point for him. "You're right. I am tired."

"Okay, let me show you where the guest room is." Jack rose and Daniel followed behind him at a slow pace as the exhaustion he'd been trying to stave off came to the fore.

"Here ya go," Jack said as he opened the door for Daniel.

"Thanks," was all Daniel said, but it was all that needed to be said. Daniel shuffled over to the bed and toed off his shoes before he all but collapsed face down on the bed.

Jack stood in the doorway and watched Daniel sleep. After a time he left. He closed the door behind him.

***

Time stretched. Sometimes that was a blessing, but right now it felt more like a curse to Jack who was suddenly trapped alone with his thoughts within the hushed interior of his own home. At loose ends, he tried to keep busy. He did the laundry, fixed the faulty latch on the kitchen cabinet door that always seemed to drift open of its own accord, and cleaned out the salad crisper, throwing away the detritus that seemed to be mutating into new forms of life within the darkness of his refrigerator. Afternoon slipped into evening, evening shaded into night, while Daniel slept the sleep of the righteous (and the near dead) in Jack's guest bedroom.

Finally he collapsed on his sofa, with a cold beer and "Turandot" playing in the background. He toyed with one of the knights from his chessboard, rolling the polished wooden piece between his fingers. Back and forth, back and forth. He took another pull from his beer as "Nessum Dorma" began to play. Jack thought it most appropriate since he knew sleep would be eluding him tonight.

"Jack?"

He turned to see Daniel standing in the doorway, his hair tousled and his clothes rumpled from sleep,

"Hey."

"Hey," Daniel replied with a bruised little smile, before he rubbed his eyes to remove the last of sleep. "How long was I asleep?"

Jack flicked a glance to his watch. "About six hours."

"Oh."

"Maybe you should go back and sleep a little longer," Jack suggested.

Daniel shook his head. "Not tired."

Although Jack doubted the truth of that statement, he let it pass. "Hey, are you hungry?"

"I could eat something," Daniel admitted.

Jack nodded and headed for the kitchen. Daniel trailed behind him. Jack knew from his earlier inspection that there wasn't much edible in the refrigerator, but there was enough to cobble together a meal. "Pasta okay?"

"Sure."

It was almost like the meals they had shared in Daniel's apartment during those early weeks. Almost. They divided up the labor as they had before, with Jack preparing the pasta while Daniel chopped up the few vegetables that had survived the 'great refrigerator purge' as Jack had called it, which had earned him another brief smile from Daniel. Jack's kitchen wasn't particularly spacious so they kept bumping into one another. But whereas such random collisions had sparked laughter and teasing remarks before, now they simply led to awkwardness and muttered apologies.

They ate their meal in relative silence, broken only by the occasional request for the pepper grinder or some more grated cheese. Afterwards, Jack cleared the table. He shooed Daniel into the living room while he did the dishes, refusing his polite offer to dry. The meal had been uncomfortable in the extreme and Jack needed a little space to prepare him for the next round.

He entered the living room to find Daniel standing in front of the bookcase once more, his fingers caressing the spines of his books with the gentle, reverential touch of a lover. Daniel turned at the sound of his footfalls and he paused at the sight of the bottle of cognac and the pair of snifters Jack had clasped in his hand. He nodded acceptance; Jack poured them each a measure of the liquor.

Saluting Daniel with his snifter, Jack took a sip of the liquid and enjoyed the way it burned against the back of his throat. He cast a furtive glance over at Daniel who was staring into his drink as if it held all the mysteries of the universe.

"I'm being transferred," Jack announced without preamble.

Daniel's head jerked up at that, a look of hurt surprise on his face "But you said-"

"I said I hadn't asked for a transfer," Jack interrupted and he decided to lay it all out for Daniel. In for a penny, in for a pound and all that. "Bauer lied to you. He and Simmons cooked that up. They were worried that I was too personally involved and that my emotions were clouding my judgment." Daniel was watching him intently, his expression now carefully neutral. Jack took another sip of his drink before he continued. "It turns out they were right."

"What?"

"I wasn't authorized to pull you out of there, Daniel. I did it on my own initiative, without receiving clearance from Bauer."

"I don't understand. Why...?" Daniel's voice slid to a halt.

"Why didn't I ask Bauer?" Jack finished for him. "Simple. Because I didn't trust him to do the right thing. He knew, or at least he suspected, that something was wrong but he left you there. I couldn't countenance that, Daniel. So I recruited Anna and Joseph to help me weasel my way in to Stephanopoulus' place and get you out of there." Jack shrugged. "Actually, all things considered, I got off pretty lightly. I could have been brought up of formal charges."

"What would have happened, if...well...you know, they brought you up on charges?"

"Depends," Jack replied as he watched the amber liquid in his snifter swirl gently around the inside of the glass as he angled it slightly back and forth. "Court martial, probably. Then depending on the findings anything from an official reprimand to dishonorable discharge and even prison time. Luckily it never came to that. But my days with the CIA are over."

"Why did you do it then?" Daniel asked in a low, gentle voice. Jack looked up to see Daniel watching him with eyes as soft as his voice.

That question took him by surprise. "I did it because I was worried about you. I knew something was wrong and I was afraid you were in danger. Obviously I was right." Jack looked carefully at the other man. "Would you have preferred it if I'd just abandoned you there?"

Daniel's gaze skittered off to the side, becoming distant. "It would have made your life a lot easier."

Jack snorted. "You could say that about everything in my life, Daniel. If I wanted easy I would never have gone into the military in the first place. I'd've gone into something nice and safe like...accounting or aluminum siding sales. Or maybe shark baiting."

Daniel nodded, but Jack didn't think he was convinced. "So...where are you being transferred to?" Daniel asked.

"Colorado. Some Top Secret project, though that's pretty much all I know."

"Good skiing there."

"So I've heard," Jack confirmed. The conversation stumbled. They sat in silence for a long moment, each man absorbed in his drink

"When do you leave?" Daniel asked, at last, breaking the silence.

"Well, I haven't formally accepted but I was told I'd be shipping out in three days."

"That soon?" Daniel asked. A stunned look crossed his face.

Jack shrugged. "Time and the military wait for no man, or Colonel." He watched Daniel and waited for the other man to ask the inevitable question. He hoped that he hadn't ruined everything by pushing too hard too soon.

"Wait...what did you mean you hadn't formally accepted?"

Bingo. He knew he could count on Daniel to go right to the heart of the matter. "Well, technically I don't have any choice but to accept, or request early retirement, but in this case my answer depends on something else, or more accurately someone else."

"Who?"

"You."

Daniel's eyes narrowed at that, his expression suddenly guarded. "What are you talking about?"

"Apparently this mysterious program in Colorado needs a linguist," Jack explained, "specifically a linguist with a background in Egyptology and ancient languages. Simmons and Bauer thought you'd be perfect and they recommended you for the job."

Daniel's surprised expression gave way at once to anger. "You've got to be joking!" Daniel declared, incredulous, all but slamming his snifter down on the coffee table. "You want to drag me into another top-secret operation? That is just...After everything that's happened...I do not believe this!"

"Daniel..." Jack began, but Daniel wasn't buying.

"No! Why the hell should I trust any of you?"

"You shouldn't. At least not blindly," Jack amended. "But from what I've gathered this is something important, something where you...where we can make a real difference."

Daniel stood up suddenly and put as much distance as he could between Jack and himself, using the sofa as a physical barrier to keep Jack at bay. "Change the record, Jack. I've heard the sales pitch once already, remember? And frankly, I'm finding it even less convincing the second time a round."

Jack stood as well. He turned towards Daniel and took a step towards him before he stopped, but Daniel moved away from him, his expression forbidding. Jack took a step back and raised his hands in a gesture of acquiescence. "Okay, fair enough. And you're right. You've got absolutely no reason to trust either Simmons or Bauer. In fact, you'd be nuts to trust either of them as far as you could throw 'em."

Daniel cocked his head. He studied Jack, his expression still wary. "Well, we agree on that point, at least."

"I'm not asking you to trust them, Daniel. I'm asking you to trust me."

"And why should I, Jack?" Although Daniel's voice was soft and the words were uttered without rancor, they wounded nonetheless.

"I guess I deserved that. I'm sorry, Daniel. I really am. I'm trying, here."

Daniel shook his head, more in resignation than in denial. "I know you are. It's just..."

"Just what?"

Daniel sighed in frustration and twisted his body away from Jack. His profile was backlit by the floor lamp and it threw his features into shadow. "It's just...I don't know what to believe anymore. I trusted you, really trusted you, and then suddenly there was all this deception. I guess I'm having a hard time figuring out what was real and what was just...political expediency."

"It was all true, Daniel, at least on my end. I never lied to you." Jack shrugged. "It might have been easier on us both if I had. But I never lied."

"I want to believe you, Jack, I really do, but..."

"Yeah, I know." Jack paused then looked intently at Daniel. "I want you to come with me, to Colorado."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"After everything that's happened, you're asking me that?"

"Yes."

Daniel's chin dropped to his chest and his arms instinctively wrapped about his middle. "I can't."

"So...what will you do now, then?" Jack asked as he studied the other man. "Go bury your head in the sand in Egypt? Maybe drop in on your buddy Scott and his pals in Mexico?"

Daniel glared at him. His face flushed at the barb. "That was low, Jack."

"Maybe. But I hate the idea of you throwing your life away like that, Daniel. You're too talented to let it all go to waste."

"I can still try to salvage my career..."

Jack shook his head. "We both know that that's not likely to happen. At least not anytime in the near future. You said it yourself; Stephanopoulus was pretty much the only one who would even acknowledge your existence. The world of archeology doesn't want you anymore and the way I see it, that's their loss." Jack took a cautious step towards Daniel. "I'm offering you a chance to put your talents to good use, Daniel. To do something worthwhile with your life. Come with me to Colorado."

"Jack..."

Jack studied the other man, took in his defensive posture and wary expression. "What are you so afraid of?"

Daniel's eyes hardened at that observation. "What makes you think I'm afraid?"

"C'mon, Daniel. You've been tossing out excuses right and left, but you haven't told me the real reason for refusing." Jack hesitated for a moment, then asked, "It's me, isn't it?"

Daniel blinked in surprise. "Of course not. I told you I didn't blame you for any of this."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Daniel and I think you know it. It's something else."
He walked towards Daniel, his steps slow and measured. The other man stood still as a statue as Jack advanced, his expression cautious. Jack held his eyes the entire time.

"When we were there in Stephanopoulus' bedroom, you kissed me. Why did you kiss me, Daniel?" he asked, his voice soft and low as he took a step closer.

This time Daniel took an equal step backwards in response. "I wanted to thank you. It was a simple gesture of gratitude. That's all."

"Are you sure?" he asked as he took another step closer, forcing the other man to retreat backwards once more.

"Yes."

"I don't believe you, Daniel." Another step forward, another step backwards in response. "I remember what you said. You said you kissed me because you might not get a chance later. What did you mean by that, Daniel? Did you want to kiss me, later?" Jack purred, then took another step forward.

Daniel found that he was trapped, his back pressed against the wall. His breathing was shallow and his eyes were slightly wild as he realized that Jack had backed him into a corner. "What do you want from me?!" Daniel cried.

"The same thing you want from me, Daniel. The truth."

They were close now, close enough that Jack could feel the other man's heart pounding in his chest, could practically feel his breath against his own lips. Daniel's eyes darted furtively from side to side as he glanced anywhere but at Jack. Jack reached up and cupped Daniel's face in his palm. He held his face steady and forced Daniel to make eye contact.

"The truth, Daniel," he pleaded softly.

"Yes," Daniel said, finally. "Yes. I-"

Jack leaned forward to kiss Daniel and silenced him with his lips.

Daniel pushed up against him and tried to break the kiss, but to no avail. Making use of the advantage of height and weight, Jack insinuated a leg between Daniel's thighs and pinned Daniel against the wall to hold him still. Daniel's struggles were in sharp contrast to the kiss itself, which was sweet and lingering, a warm, gentle pressure of one mouth against another. Jack brought up his other hand and cradled Daniel's face between them while he lightly stroked his thumbs along the hollows of the other man's cheeks.

After a long breathless moment, Daniel gave up the uneven struggle and surrendered to Jack's embrace. Daniel pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. Daniel's tongue darted out and traced Jack's lips, demanding entrance and Jack opened without hesitation.

When they parted both men were panting, gasping for breath, their hearts pounding furiously. Daniel's head bent forward to rest on Jack's shoulder as he gulped in air. He gave a long shuddering sigh.

"Bastard," he muttered into Jack's shirt. Jack stroked slowly along Daniel's back in a soothing rhythm. "I can't do this."

His nerves still thrumming from their kiss, it took Jack a moment to realize what Daniel was saying. "Daniel?" he asked, unable to completely disguise the hurt sparked by Daniel's rejection.

Daniel looked up at him then leaned back to rest his head against the wall behind him.
"I can't do this, Jack," he reiterated. "What do you think you're playing at here? What the hell is this? A distraction? A goodbye fling?"

"Daniel..."

"No, I mean it," Daniel replied sharply, his eyes bright and fierce. "You've been blowing hot and cold right from the start, Jack. Don't try to start something with me if you're not prepared to see it through. I've already had a belly full of games and I'll be damned if I'll stand for anymore."

"I am serious, Daniel," Jack assured him. He reached up to stroke Daniel's face once more. Jack's fingertips ghosted down his cheek, across his jaw. "I wouldn't do this on a whim. And this most certainly isn't a goodbye fling. I want you to come to Colorado with me. I meant every word I said about the contributions you could make. But most of all, I want you to be there, with me. We make a good team, you have to admit that, and I think we can be more, but you have to meet me halfway."

He rested his hands on Daniel's shoulders. "Come with me to Colorado, Daniel," Jack asked once more. The words had taken on the quality of mantra, both familiar and exotic and terribly compelling. "Come with me. The rest we can take as it comes.

"Trust me."

Jack held his breath as he watched Daniel closely. The cool mask that had served Daniel so well in the past had vanished and it left the other man utterly exposed. Jack could see each emotion as it chased across Daniel's expressive features, could almost read each thought as it skated through his quicksilver mind. Daniel began to gnaw on his lower lip, a nervous habit with which Jack was familiar, and his eyes bored in to Jack's seeking...something. Jack held his gaze and willed Daniel to read the truth of his words. Daniel bowed his head. Silence stretched between them

"Daniel?" Jack prompted gently. He made no attempt to hide the hope in his voice.

When Daniel raised his head at last, his eyes were clear. Daniel smiled, and it was like the sun breaking through the clouds on a rainy day.

"Yes, Jack. I'll come with you to Colorado."

Jack began to breath once more.

Epilogue: Reset

Daniel exited the plane and blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the sudden shift from the dim interior of the plane to the bright Colorado sunshine. He descended the ramp quickly with Jack following just behind him. A dark sedan was parked on the tarmac, and next to it a young man in uniform who strode forward to meet them. The young man saluted Jack sharply.

"Colonel O'Neill, sir, Dr. Jackson, I'm here to escort you to the Creek Mountain facility."

"At ease, airman," Jack replied, his manner crisp and professional. The young man stepped forward and grabbed their bags. He deposited them in the trunk before he opened the back door of the sedan and ushered them inside.

The drive was uneventful, though Daniel could feel Jack's gaze each time it flitted to the side. He knew Jack was watching him, obviously reassuring himself that Daniel wasn't about to keel over in front of him. Daniel found Jack's concern simultaneously exasperating and mildly amusing, though he decided to keep the latter observation to himself. In truth, Daniel discovered that he rather liked the attention. It had been a long time since anyone had looked out for him and worried over him. It was an experience he could get used to.

Eventually they reached their destination. They were met at the security checkpoint by a man in his late thirties or early forties who had offered Jack a neat salute and identified himself as Lieutenant Colonel Kawalsky. They'd shaken hands and then the officer led them inside the facility, his gait brisk and assured. Throughout the entire journey Daniel was keenly aware of Jack's presence behind him, splendid in his dress blues, his posture straight, his face inscrutable Daniel took comfort in the sound of his heels clicking sharply on the concrete floors as they moved deeper into the heart of Creek Mountain.

The trip down in the elevator seemed interminable. It was more than a little daunting and Daniel's overactive imagination provided various parallels drawn from mythology: Orpheus' descent into the underworld in quest of his beloved Eurydice, the Storm-god's banishment to the Dark Earth in Hittite mythology, Quetzalcoatl's journey to the underworld to bring back to earth the bones of past generations, Osiris' rebirth as the judge of the Dead. Such journeys rarely ended well. It was at times like this, Daniel had reflected, that maybe too much knowledge really was a dangerous thing.

A sudden sneeze exploded from him. "Allergies," Daniel explained. "They always act up when I travel."

Kawalsky said nothing, but nodded his understanding and flashed Daniel a sympathetic smile. Daniel cast a look over his shoulder. Jack remained his implacable self, cool and collected and sexy as hell. He caught Daniel's eye and one side of his mouth quirked upwards into a wry smile, before he became the picture perfect officer once more. Daniel turned back, reassured, and watched as numbers on the panel lit and dimmed one after the other until the number twenty-eight flared and the elevator came at last to a halt.

Kawalsky ushered them from the elevator and led them through a strange rabbit warren of gunmetal gray corridors that twisted and seemed to turn back on themselves until Daniel lost all sense of direction, though their escort led them without the slightest hint of confusion or hesitation. Daniel took in as many details as he could, from the fluorescent light above, to the soldiers they encountered along the way who invariably paused and snapped Jack a sharp salute. He saw trails of color lining the floor, crisp stripes of red, yellow, blue, unexpected splashes of brightness in this otherwise colorless domain.

Daniel was already feeling the first twinges of jetlag, though he wasn't sure why. The four-hour flight from DC to Denver was certainly nothing compared to the various flights to and from Egypt or Europe that he'd taken over the years and the two-hour time difference was almost negligible. Jack would no doubt chalk it up his recent illness. He had, in fact, been quite vocal in his belief that Daniel shouldn't travel so soon. It had been a heated argument, and a heated reconciliation, after. The memory of it warmed his face.

At last they came to a stop before a giant metal door, numbers splashed large across it like a massive Edward Ruscha painting. Lieutenant Colonel Kawalsky slid an electronic keycard through the reader that elicited a beep and a vivid green light. The door slid open with a mechanical groan.

Daniel found himself ushered into a cavernous space, more warehouse then room. There were a few knots of people filling the space, but they were nothing compared to the centerpiece, a collection of massive cover stones that hung in the center of the room. Daniel moved closer to look, entranced, as his eyes absorbed the elaborate patterns of hieroglyphs and other, as yet unknown symbols. Cuneiform? Perhaps some form of hieratic? He wasn't sure, but he knew he would find the answer. Here was a mystery and a provocative one at that. Daniel could practically feel the excitement of it prickling along his skin.

"Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel was jerked from his reverie by the sound of his name. He turned and saw an older woman standing before him, her patrician features and proud carriage bespeaking an assurance that came from knowing her place in the world. She introduced herself as Catherine Langford, and although she gave no title, he knew instinctively that she was a scholar, like him. Behind her were a man and a woman, their demeanor less confident and she introduced them as her colleagues, Dr. Barbara Shore and Dr. Gary Evans. Hands were enthusiastically shaken, greetings exchanged, but Daniel's eyes kept drifting over their shoulders to the cover stone that stood there, an enigma silently guarding its secrets, taunting Daniel.

"Where did you find this?" Daniel asked, his voice hushed and reverent.

Catherine moved up the stand beside him. "The Giza plateau. 1928."

"I've never seen anything like it," he replied, his gaze never leaving the cover stones as he absorbed its features, curious and covetous in equal measure.

"Of course you haven't," Catherine said with a soft snort of laughter. "No one has."

Daniel moved closer and pressed the palm of his right hand to the stone, as if it would somehow magically reveal its mysteries through touch. The stone was cool, slightly below the ambient temperature of the room. Its surface was pitted, battered by the elements over the course of millennia until it had been swallowed completely by the Egyptian sands and had taked its secrets with it.

"Now, there's two lines of hieroglyphics," Evans explained from somewhere behind Daniel. "The inner track has the classic figures. The outer track is like the cartouche at the center." He paused and when he began again there was a hint of wonder in his voice. "It's got writing unlike we've ever seen before."

"Those aren't hieroglyphics," Daniel remarked with absolute certainty. "Some form of hieratic..."

His voice trailed off as he walked over to the chalkboard standing nearby. He frowned slightly, his forehead wrinkling as his eyes scanned the symbols and the accompanying translation written there.

"Well, this translation of the inner track is wrong," he observed before he began to cross out whole sections of text.

"Excuse me," Evans protested, but to no avail

"Who translated this?" Daniel asked, as he moved the chalk over the board, and tagged snippets of the writing.

Both Catherine and the other Egyptologist turned towards Evans with similar expressions of amusement.

"That would be me," Evans mumbled and flushed with embarrassment.

Finally, Daniel paused and half turned towards his curious audience. "Well," Daniel remarked, "This should read 'A million years ago Ra the Sun God, sealed and buried for all time'...not 'door to heaven'..." he muttered as he crossed the words out with a sweep of the chalk, "...'his Stargate'."

Daniel returned the chalk to its resting place, then turned to face the other Egyptologists. "So, why is the military so interested in a five thousand year old Egyptian tablet?"

"My report says ten thousand," a male voice intoned, a southern accent subtly flavoring the words.

The four Egyptologists turned as one, obviously taken by surprise. Only Jack seemed to have been aware of the other man's entrance "General Hammond," Jack said as he offered the older man a crisp salute. "Colonel O'Neill, reporting for duty, sir."

"At ease, Colonel," the other man said before he walked towards Daniel. Jack followed a step behind. "Well, Dr. Jackson, that was some show," Hammond observed amiably, then extended his hand towards Daniel.

"Oh, ah, thank you, sir," Daniel replied, still slightly off balance. He quickly rubbed his palms against his thighs to wipe off any stray chalk dust before accepting the proffered hand."

"Some show, indeed," Hammond reiterated.

"This is...amazing. Is it really ten thousand years old?" Daniel asked, breathless. His gaze shifted from the general to the three scholars. "Egyptian culture didn't exist..."

"I know," Shore agreed. "But the sonar and radio carbon tests are conclusive."

Daniel frowned as he absorbed that startling information. "These are cover stones. Was there a tomb underneath?"

Shore's face suddenly glowed with excitement, though her voice remained carefully neutral. "Oh no. But we found something a lot more interesting."

"What?" Daniel couldn't help but ask. He saw the look that passed between Catherine and the General, as some silent communication took place. Their gazes remained locked until Hammond nodded faintly and Catherine visibly relaxed.

"Well, why don't we show you," Hammond offered a little gruffly then gestured everyone towards the door.

Kawalsky led them back into the maze of corridors, but this trip was a brief one and a few minutes later they entered what appeared to be some kind of control room. The room was cluttered with a variety of high tech equipment, computers and monitors and other pieces Daniel couldn't even begin to identify but which sported more flashing lights than a Christmas tree. Hammond gave a curt nod to a technician who swiveled in his chair and pressed a nearby button.

A metal door began to rise, slowly, to reveal a large window overlooking a spacious room. Daniel moved forward, trying to get a better view, conscious of Jack standing to his right and Catherine just off to his left. And then the door vanished completely and Daniel could see the room beyond. What he saw took his breath away.

An enormous metal ring, fully two stories high, stood in the center of the huge room. It gleamed dully in the fluorescent lights from the ceiling above and its surface was inscribed with unfamiliar symbols. Daniel's earlier wonder at the sight of the cover stones was a mere shadow of the awe that he felt as he gazed upon the object that had hidden beneath it for millennia.

"What is it?" Daniel asked breathlessly as he moved close enough to touch the glass of the viewing window. His fingers itched to feel the artifact itself, while his eyes remained riveted to it all the while. It called to him, like a siren's song that lured the unsuspecting to their doom. No, not a siren, he thought. It was closer to a lighthouse beacon that guided lost souls to safety, bringing them home once more.

"That's your Stargate, Jackson," Catherine explained with a hint of fondness in her voice. "My father discovered it during an excavation in Giza in 1928. It is formed of a metal unlike any known on Earth."

"And that is your assignment, Dr. Jackson," Hammond said. "We want to find out what this artifact is and how to make it work. Dr. Langford and her team believe that the key resides in that cover stone, but so far they have been unable to translate the symbols and unlock the puzzle." Hammond fixed his gaze on him, firm, perhaps a tad daunting but not hostile. "That's where you come in."

Daniel's eyes were drawn irresistibly back to the strange artifact. How did that saying go? 'A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma'? Yes, that was exactly what he was looking at. He'd just been handed the greatest challenge imaginable, and on a silver platter no less. He wasn't about to back down now. "Yes sir, I'll do my best," he promised. He flashed the general a smile before he turned to look at the Stargate once more.

Daniel continued to gaze through the window at the amazing artifact that filled the room beyond, firing Daniel's imagination with infinite possibilities. He could see the reflection of Jack and himself in the glass of the control room window. He could see Jack as he stood directly behind him, almost next to him, shoulder to shoulder, his eyes meeting Daniel's within their reflection. Jack smiled at him, his expression wry and warm and wonderfully comforting. In the image reflected in the glass, however, spatial relations seemed distorted and it was difficult to see where he ended and Jack began, and their bodies overlapped and merged, inextricably bound into a single entity.

Daniel continued to gaze at the Stargate and at the image of Jack and himself reflected together in this imperfect, perceptive mirror before them, encapsulated and bound by the mysterious artifact. With a sudden flash of unexpected clarity, Daniel knew that he was gazing upon his future. Destiny had found Daniel Jackson at last.

Many, many thanks to all the wonderful people who helped with this fic. Thanks to Stacey the uberbeta and Destina for providing the thoughtful and insightful beta and to Alyse and The Wild Mole for help with the proofing of the final version of this fic. I owe them all a debt of gratitude for their hard work and support. The final fic is all the better as a result of their assistance. Any errors, however, are all mine. And thanks to Spring and Anais for the chats that spawned this fic in the first place. I couldn't have done this without you, either. Smooches.