OWING SILENCE PART THREE BY BIBLIO

Slash:	Jack and Daniel involved in a loving and committed relationship, which usually involves sex.
Rating:	NC-17.
Category:	Action/Adventure.  Drama.  First Time.  Romance.
Season/Spoilers:	Season 5.
Synopsis:	Daniel has kept his silence for so long, he's not prepared for Jack to finally see him clearly.
Warnings:	Minor Character Death.  Violence.  Language.
Length:	615 Kb.  Download a printer-friendly PDF version of the story

“Flick your wrist, Jackson, flick it,” Jack crooned, coaxing Daniel’s hand into position.

“Why?” Daniel asked reasonably, trying to squirm away from inquisitive tongue probing behind his ear for the exact spot Jack found earlier during the not noticeably quick quickie, the one that made him go…“Oo-ooh.  You bastard, O’Neill!”

“Fishing is about technique, Jackson,” Jack insisted, “Not about fish.  Per se.”

“Oh, I see.  So my just sticking the rod out over the water and having the fish in a holding pattern to get on my line doesn’t count, whereas your impeccably flicked wrist and catch of one fish that makes the average goldfish look like Rambo does?  Because of ‘technique’?”

“Yep,” Jack agreed placidly, nuzzling complacently into Daniel’s hair, then kissing a trail down his neck and across his bare shoulder.

“And you ate my fish,” Daniel complained, arching his neck to give Jack room to work.  Their day hadn’t gone entirely according to plan.  They’d made love when they should have been sleeping, then Anwyl had called and taken them fishing, then Deoch had cooked the fish that Daniel caught and Jack and Anwyl had eaten them, and only after Anwyl had staggered off full of fish and beer had they gone to bed, and slept.  Sam had been back to the house an hour ago, leaving a note to say her lessons had sparked an impromptu competition she’d only just gotten back from and was on her way out to see Hueil.  She was expecting to be back a couple of hours later than expected, and by the way she’d come fourteenth, out of what she didn’t specify.

Now he and Jack were awake, naked, and making love again.

Admittedly, being spooned back against Jack in a tangle of legs and clasped arms wasn’t the traditional position for foreplay, but they were in bed with each other, a tube of Air Force issue Sunblock and one of the local equivalent of towels to save the sheets.  No point denying it.  The issue wasn’t so much fucking, that was a given, but which of them wanted to fuck the other the most.

Jack followed Daniel’s gaze down to the Sunblock and sighed.  He vaguely understood the concept of tops and bottoms, but he hadn’t expected that both he and Daniel were tops on the evidence in so far.  The problem was neither of them had done it before, so while they could both see logistically it was hot as hell for the guy on top, they couldn’t imagine what the guy on the bottom got out of it except a pain in the ass.

“How about we just go with the flow?” Jack suggested.  “You know?  With that fingers thing you were reading about?” Jack hoped Daniel at least was in for a pleasant surprise.  He was now aware that research and attitude aside, Daniel wasn’t the most experienced guy in the world, though he’d never embarrass him by saying so.  During the quickie this morning, Jack had discovered his tongue was the first and only thing to breach Daniel’s derriere, so no way was he going to admit he and Sara had been a lot more adventurous in sex than Daniel had ever been.  It didn’t seem fair to admit he’d had Sara’s fingers in his ass many times when they’d had oral sex and she could pretty much make him howl at the moon.  He knew what he was doing, that was the important thing, so he was sure he could make that part good for Daniel.

In the privacy of his own head he was also willing to admit he wanted to get the being fucked part over with sooner rather than later.  Jack had gotten a lot of pleasure out of the trust the wilder stuff had expressed between Sara and he, but he’d never even equated what they’d done with what he and Daniel could do until Daniel’s tongue had been stroking in his behind.  Between his wife’s fingers and his lover’s dick there was all the difference in the world, but Jack wasn’t about to let his identity keel over and get maudlin on him.  Daniel was ready to give Jack anything he wanted without a frigging idea what he was letting himself in for, so how could Jack repay Daniel’s trust with anything less?  He figured if he liked the fingers and kept his fucking macho man ego under control, he’d like the dick more.  He’d loved Sara and he loved Daniel.  Nice, simple equation.

As for Daniel, he might be in for a shock, because Jack didn’t consider intercourse even got near good until you’d learned the rhythm of your lover’s body, and he’d bet his pension Daniel didn’t suspect what forty-five years on the clock, stamina and absolute gentleness could accomplish.  Especially as Jack had been Baaaad each time they’d made love.

He did some wriggling and tipped Daniel over into a slightly indignant heap on his side.  Jack took in the drowsy eyes.  “You shit!  Were you falling asleep?” he demanded.  Daniel shot him an impish look and closed his eyes, snuggling into the pillows.  Jack nodded to himself, slid down the bed and scooped up one long, slender foot to draw his tongue from heel to toe in deliberately sloppy swipes.  Daniel jerked and shivered, wide-awake now, if the way he flexed his foot encouragingly was anything to go by, eyes still screwed shut. Jack decided that he liked sucking toes about as much as he liked sucking dick.  He lavished individual attention on each toe of both feet and swiped his way back down again, satisfied that Daniel wasn’t just quivering from sleep deprivation.  He hit a spot on the arch of Daniel’s foot that made him flinch and hastily suppress a giggle.

“You make a lousy Meg,” Jack said chattily.  “Your ‘leave me alone I’m sleeeeeping’ act would be way more convincing if you’d refrain from shoving your foot in my mouth every time I stop to catch my breath.”

“Knee jerk response,” Daniel murmured demurely.  “Well known medical fact.”

Jack scooted up Daniel’s body and sucked a hot, velvety ball into his mouth, kind of rolled it around with his tongue.  Daniel whimpered and curled up.  Jack gently kissed the inside of one of the thighs now hooked around his shoulders and propped himself up on Daniel’s belly.  “No,” he observed clinically, swirling his tongue around Daniel’s navel, prompting a low moan.  “That’s a knee-jerk response.”  He scooted rapidly up again and settled over Daniel’s nipples, tenderly suckling each in turn.  He noticed that once again, Daniel’s reaction to getting this excited was to try to writhe away from the stimulation.

“Oh, Jack, Jack,” Daniel sighed as they rolled into a warm tangle, side by side, Jack’s mouth nuzzling at his throat.  He reached over, snagged Jack’s face and pulled him up into a long, dreamy kiss, hands tightly cupped against Jack’s hair.  He pushed into Jack’s mouth, smiling when Jack bit down and held him possessively.  With Jack, it always came down to control.  He arched into the hands stroking intently down his back, so firm, so knowing, pushing his hips lingeringly into Jack’s.  Jack pushed back and Daniel’s breath hitched.

He was vaguely aware of Jack’s caress being one-handed for a moment, but not enough to stop straining against Jack.  He lifted his leg when urged to do so, leaning in to lick and nip at Jack’s throat and shoulder, felt cool slickness coasting down between his cheeks and brushing lightly over his anus.  Jack winked and a moment later the Sunblock was on Daniel’s hand and Jack was lifting his leg a little as Daniel eagerly pushed against his entrance.  Jack’s anus flexed around his probing finger, his body opening to Daniel, letting him get lost in the hot surge of lust as he slid into stunning heat and tightness, in time, in perfect time for Jack’s brushing of him to become emphatic, persistent pressure pushing…dear God, pushing in.

Daniel shivered, once, all over, and went absolutely still, making no sense of Jack’s soothing voice as he bore down, hard, wanting this pain to…“Oo-ooh!” he moaned as Jack slipped in, deeper, all the way.  “Oh.”

“That’s it, that’s the way,” Jack soothed.  “Just relax into me, Danny, go with me, I won’t hurt you, trust me.”

“Did,” Daniel corrected giddily.  “Did but do.”

“Not now, though,” Jack murmured, easing in for a kiss, feeling like a bastard.  For a gut-wrenching moment there Daniel’s whole body had clenched rejection, and his instinctive defence had only allowed Jack to go deeper.  If Daniel didn’t relax as in right now, Jack was pulling out.  He wasn’t putting Daniel through anything he wasn’t ready for, and a rapidly wilting erection was fairly conclusive.  He suckled gently on Daniel’s tongue, felt every tremor shock from Daniel into him, reproaching him for effectively using Daniel’s innocence against him.

Then, typical of Daniel, Daniel’s finger stroked inquisitively and agonisingly carefully inside Jack.  It wasn’t a stretch at all to moan encouragingly, even if he was a shit of the first magnitude.  An utter, utter total shit.  His approach to their lovemaking had been playfully expressed molecular level possessiveness, whereas Daniel’s was endearingly protective.  Jack could see Daniel process his enthusiastic response, add two and two together and make stoic.  If Jack wasn’t going to pieces, if Jack in fact loved the hell out of this…

Daniel flexed himself carefully around that hard, alien presence and consciously unclenched.  He took a deep breath, as deep as Jack’s tongue tickling his tonsils allowed, and wriggled minutely.  A somewhat uncertain smile was all the encouragement Jack needed to stroke into him, slow, but…sure.  Very sure.  Absolutely certain, in fact.  Daniel caved and went with the flow, moving his own finger in unison with Jack’s.  After a few minutes of painful, relentless gentleness moving inside him, Daniel was only aware of the gentleness and decided this wasn’t so bad after all.

Jack grinned and turned his attention to that little hot spot on Daniel’s jaw just below his ear when Daniel’s dick bloomed demandingly against his belly.  Sunblock time.  Jack eased free, noting Daniel’s faint frown, as if he didn’t know whether to be glad it was over or not.  Jack hoped not, because he was just getting Daniel warmed up.  He was being careful, staying away from the prostate.  His happy button could take a beating and keep him coming, but Sara of the sex manuals had been full of terrifying facts about the prostate.  Some guys came if you waved a finger at it, others didn’t get off at all.  Jack had to peel Daniel away from him, obviously sulky, which made him laugh.  Daniel cheered up when he got more Sunblock slathered on two fingers, and rocked sweetly back in.  He was taking to it like a duck to water.

Jack in turn pushed into Daniel, pleased this time Daniel consciously bore down, knowing Jack would be able to ease past the tight ring of muscle when he did so.  Daniel groaned, but it was faintly puzzled.  Jack suspected Daniel was wondering how what had been godawful to start with was now feeling pretty damn good.  He decided to go for it and show Daniel how it got better.  He thrust easily, scissoring his fingers, playing fair, knowing Daniel would mirror his movements, still hoping one of them would just want it and go for it.  They both wanted it enough to go for three fingers.

Daniel groaned as Jack moved inside him, finding his hips were moving subtly into the pressure.  They were pushing urgently into one another, hips humping hungrily, but Daniel went with the flow, went with Jack and rocked himself cautiously onto Jack’s fingers.  A shock of sharp tingling sensations jolted through him, and when he came back to himself he found he was plastered to Jack, who was shaking with laughter.

“That’s why they call it the happy button,” Jack choked.  “Can you not be so goddamn pushy?  You’ll be coming before we’ve gotten going.”

Daniel stuck out his tongue, which Jack bit, pushing back into those maddening thrusts again, lust surging through him, lifting him, lightening him, loosening every limb, rocking urgently, more, more, more.  “Oh, God, more,” he gasped into Jack’s mouth.  “Please Jack.  Feels soooo good.”

Jack’s hand cupped his face.  “You know what more is, Jackson.  You sure?  Let’s just say I’m up for it.” Jack wriggled his ass invitingly.

Daniel sniggered and writhed luxuriously against Jack’s slippery, eager erection.  He slid his hand between them, brushed over the head of Jack’s penis, suckling the bitter liquid from his fingers.  Jack’s face flamed, then Jack was on him, over him, Daniel shoving him hard, laughing, rolling and tumbling until they came up with Jack’s feet braced against the headboard and Daniel straddling his hips, a little surprised but willing.

He licked his lips slowly, knowing it drove Jack wild, fumbled for the Sunblock, squirted it into a shaking hand, lifting himself as Jack lavished the Sunblock over and into him, cursing his name as he in turn slicked the cream lasciviously over Jack’s penis.  Daniel’s ears buzzed, white noise, something about control, but they’d lost that, then Jack’s hands were at his hips, lifting him, Jack’s eyes hard and soft, taking and loving all at once.  Mine, those eyes said.  Yours.

“Oo-oo-h Go-o-o-o-d,” Daniel groaned as harsh, hurting strength thrust implacably into him, scalding him with need and taking, taking him intently, focused and deliberate.  C-control.  Control in every tiny, tender nudge inside, heavy hands gripping, helping him down as far as he was willing to go, holding him then as he flinched, and clenched, and shook.  Firm mouth soft against his, hurting with him, but still needing, still taking.

Daniel clung desperately, his fingers clawed bruising into Jack’s shoulders, sweat-soaked brow rubbing restlessly over Jack’s, thinking fucking was easier than loving.  His loving Jack was easier than Jack loving him and being so fucking controlled because he wanted this…this taking so fucking much he’d do anything, anything to have him.  Daniel could stop it, stop it with a word or a look or his pain, because as much as Jack wanted, needed, burned for this, he wanted Daniel more.

“You love me,” he murmured brokenly against Jack’s mouth.  “You love me.”

It hurt because he loved Jack so much, and Jack was giving him so much, too much, giving Daniel power, surrendering up control in this taking.  In this…this giving.  What Daniel knew about himself, about Jack, wrenched deep inside, focused, boiled up through him and erupted in a twisted, shaking mouth and a few hot, hard tears.  Equals, they were equals.  He would never tell Jack different, never control, never take; he’d never leave Jack wanting.  He owed Jack sharing, he owed Jack his silence for knowing the heart of him.  He owed Jack everything.  “I love you, I love you, I love…“ Jack’s mouth swallowed the words and his mind in a swoon of a kiss making his senses swim, coaxing him to surface in love and Jack and subtle stroking pleasure deep inside.

Jack urged Daniel’s legs to stretch out and hook loosely around his back, to allow him to take all of Daniel’s weight.  He wanted to kiss, but Daniel’s arms were hooked beneath his, fingers curving up over Jack’s shoulders, his face buried in Jack’s throat.  Daniel was still shaking, but now he was beginning to touch the edge of pleasure-stirred and shaken, and still, Jack was just tasting, teasing out his rhythm.  Jack was drowning.  He’d never imagined how fucking perfect this…Daniel would be, never imagined the hot, silky strength gripping him so tight, soo tight he wanted to howl.  Gripping all of him as Daniel had opened, flowing down over him as he pinned Daniel’s hips and drove deep in one severe, implacable slow glide.

Now Jack had all of Daniel’s weight on him, relaxing, trusting, Daniel easing back to stare at him from pain-and-pleasure hazed eyes, Daniel’s mouth shaking as he braced himself and pushed tentatively down with muscles already stretched taut and shivering around Jack, and then again to prove to Jack – and maybe himself - this was fine, this was good.  It would be better than Daniel could imagine right now, and it would get better again when Daniel trusted, and wanted.

“Let me,” Jack asked, knowing Daniel couldn’t refuse him.  “Just let me do this for you.  Trust me.”  He tightened his arms around Daniel’s back; spread his legs for balance, rocking his hips subtly, fluidly; a tiny rolling thrust up, stroking deep.  He loved Daniel satisfyingly sleek and slow, eating him alive.

Daniel strove for words to fit Jack inside him; for half a lifetime spent studying the written word he still couldn’t adequately describe the sensation.  Voluptuous was the closest he could come, though that addressed only the richness of his yielding pleasure, rippling around Jack’s lingering, luxurious glides over the sweet, sullen spot deep inside.  Jack himself was maddeningly deliberate, formidable, throbbing hard and hot against still-burning muscles.

Daniel felt sweet and heavy as Jack cradled and rocked, the minutes gratifyingly falling away.  He moaned, low in his throat, echoed in Jack’s softly stifling mouth, feathering idling kisses over Jack’s flushed, fretted face.  Jack was working so hard to be so gooood.

“Mmm.”  Ecstasy sighed through his body with every shiver of luscious sensation from stroking, stroking, stroking, perfectly sure and slow.  “Mmm,” he moaned again, writhing wantonly on Jack’s lap.  “So gooood.  Loooove the Air Force.”

“Nothing comes close,” Jack growled.

“Coming now,” Daniel groaned, leaning in for another kiss as he reached between them and closed his hand hard over the base of his penis, let the orgasm flow through him as Jack’s hands clenched on the buttocks he’d been kneading.

Jack groaned as Daniel’s muscles contracted, losing control as sensation intensified beyond bearing, rolled Daniel beneath him, bucking and heaving his hips, grunting with effort as he twisted and jabbed into those ass-clenching contractions, needing more, peeling Daniel’s hand free of himself as he drove into Daniel’s prostate and Daniel arched, coming soundlessly, clenching convulsively, ripping Jack’s orgasm from him.

Daniel whimpered as Jack came explosively inside him, Jack’s face scalding Daniel’s throat as he sobbed harsh, panted breaths.  Daniel felt every sensuous deep throb of Jack’s penis as he came in long, powerful pulses of flooding heat, Daniel’s own pleasure-contractions milking him until he softened, and came back to himself, moving up to rest a jealous hand hard against Daniel’s cheek.

“Fuck, fuck, fuuuuck,” Jack grated fiercely, “I love you, love you, Jackson.  Always fucking did, you know.”

“I know, I know,” Daniel said gently, holding Jack close and soothing away the tremors, his own hand shaking.  He knew.  None better.  Jack stilled suddenly and looked up, intent, listening.  “What?  What is it?” Daniel whispered.

Jack shrugged.  “Nothing.  Thought I heard…nothing.  It was nothing.”  He gently eased free and curled himself around Daniel, exhausted, pulling him into a comprehensive full body hug.  A Special.  Daniel’s hand curved over his chest and Jack set his own on top of it.  He liked being close, this kind of close with Daniel, who brought him to the edge, and kept him there, and maybe always had if he’d only let himself see it.  He lifted Daniel’s hand and kissed the palm lingeringly.

“I love you too, O’Neill,” Daniel whispered.

They were close, so close there was no understanding it; they were falling deeper with every moment that passed.  It scared him shitless, Daniel giving all he was, but Jack trusted, Daniel trusted.  Letting go was the easiest thing Jack had ever done, the rush of connection like no other he’d ever known.  So good between them, so right it was beyond his control.

Sam stood at the colonel’s side, fingers nervously stroking over the smooth wine coloured cloth of the long, divided skirt she was wearing, the one the colonel and Daniel had admired.  They were all in Barre clothing, a gift, so kindly meant they hadn’t the heart to refuse.  Sam’s wasn’t the only one to catch her breath when she looked at Daniel, spectacular in navy breeches and waistcoat that fit like a second skin.  Daniel had been shy, it had taken her a lot of coaxing to persuade him to part with his BDUs and in favour of the breeches and the shirt, cream, open at the throat, sleeves loosely rolled to his elbows, the waistcoat laced tight to follow the curves of his body.

Sam smiled involuntarily.  Daniel was still shy.  Ove had him at bay, climbing all over him like the little monkey she was, showering him with kisses, affectionate little pats and playful tugs at his hair.  Daniel was finding it very difficult to hold a rational conversation with Ove’s mother Grania, a small, vital woman with auburn hair and snapping hazel eyes.

Every time Sam glanced up at the colonel, she had to look away, her gaze skittering involuntarily whenever he spoke to her.  She was trying hard to see the man as he was now, in breeches that matched her dress and the softest mood she’d ever seen in him.  Not…not see him as…Not.

“Women are fickle creatures,” Jack teased, eyeing Ove’s shenanigans in mild disbelief.

“Ay,” Anwyl agreed gloomily.

“Still not talking to you?” Jack asked sympathetically.

Sam let the conversation wash over her.  Her mind was turning in circles bringing her back to ‘Howl’ again and again.  Hard to believe a line in a poem which had always baffled her had suddenly come clear.  ‘Burning for the ancient heavenly connection’.  Angel-headed hipsters was too trite for her, but that, that had caught her and never let go until this afternoon, when she’d seen with her own eyes what Ginsberg meant, and God, he was so right.

She’d had a reasonable excuse to go up those stairs to fetch Daniel, Hueil’s lack of tools she recognised frustrating her to the point she’d thought Daniel could help her figure out how to get from the stone age to the space age.

What she'd seen up there, the possibility it could occur - that maybe she SHOULDN'T have gone up there - It…it hadn’t crossed her mind, not at all.

The two men always slept together off-world, always, they never varied the routine, not from the first time they’d pitched a tent.  Sam herself shared the team locker room with them, without a second thought now, they were so comfortable together, so easy with one another.

The two men had missed out on sleep am, were catching up pm.  She hadn’t wanted to wake the colonel, who’d have raised the roof over being disturbed for crappy sciencey stuff, and…

And she knew full well once she'd seen what they were…up to… she had no excuse for staying where she was, watching the two men she cared most about in the world, men she loved, so blindingly connected, so lost in one another they hadn’t known she was there.  For the colonel to get that lost…Ginsberg understated the case, obviously.

Sam allowed even herself no excuse for having stayed there, hidden, entranced by the rightness of the act she was witnessing as every stillborn half-thought and gut-instinct she’d harboured about these two men came clear for her at last.  She’d barely been able to snatch a breath as her own heart pounded sickeningly in her chest, eaten alive by the way the world went away from Jack and Daniel as they made love so tenderly.  She hadn’t known it could be that way for two men, that everything they felt would pour out of them without words being necessary.

She’d seen the flashes of pain on Daniel’s face, but always stilled beneath the pleasure.  Not missed by Jack though, who’d gentled again and held him closer still.  She’d seen the moment Daniel began to move on Jack, seen the shock on his face, and was herself shocked to realise he’d never been loved like this before.  Yet it had taken him so little to make Jack lose control and tumble him down, the rawness of Jack’s passion so at odds with his gentleness.

It was strange the one trait Daniel faulted her for was lack of empathy.  Sam was hard on herself for her arrogance and insecurity, but she’d never cared about empathy or lack thereof.  Now she’d seen empathy, witnessed perfect connection in two sleek, sweat-soaked bodies moving achingly together, and knew it for love; profound, passionate love.

Sam was vaguely horrified she’d seen the colonel taking Daniel’s…virginity she supposed, that she’d seen them climax in perfect empathy and understanding, so much love and trust her throat had been raw from the pain of exclusion, but it was all tinged with an air of unreality.  She’d had the image of the two of them in her mind, so beautiful, so right together as she tumbled silently down the stairs and out into the street and safety.  She had it still.

Her only coherent thought had been to get the hell out, to not spoil that moment for them.  They hadn’t told and she sure as hell wasn’t going to ask.  No way could the colonel get caught…no way she’d let him, Sam thought fiercely.  She glanced up involuntarily at the man at her side, talking so animatedly with Anwyl.  She’d never known the colonel could look like that, never even known Daniel could.

Sam knew that look.  The same connection, the same empathy had burned between Jolinar and Lantesh, between Rosha and Martouf. ‘We love as one’.  Martouf had told her so, but only as the memory device pillaged her mind during that desperate race to Netu had she truly believed, truly known what they’d shared.  Jack and Daniel.  Sam and…

There had never been anyone for Sam, not that way.  She’d never shared that connection, and now with Martouf dead, perhaps she never would.  Sam realised Daniel was glancing her way more and more, wide-eyed, concerned.  She looked over to the colonel, deep in conversation with Anwyl about the ever-elusive crappie, summoned up a smile and strolled over to join Daniel.

Daniel studied Sam as she slipped onto the stool next to him, thought he could see fine lines of strain around her eyes.  “Things didn’t go well with Hueil?” he asked sympathetically.

“No,” Sam agreed, pouncing on the excuse.  “Not from lack of interest, quite the opposite, but I’m having difficulty sorting my Barre nuts from my wrench.  I can draw up plans that Hueil can use, but I’m loath to just leave him to it without an indication of how to construct the pumping mechanism that would draw water up from the pipes.  I was wondering if you could take a look at the tools in Hueil’s workshop with me?  It’s taking so long when he has to stop to keep explaining things to me.”

“Of course,” Daniel agreed at once.

“I love you,” Ove announced.

Sam chuckled.  “Do you, sweetheart?  That’s nice.”

“Not you,” Ove sniffed, wriggling into a more comfortable spot on Daniel’s lap. “You,” she murmured, gazing up at Daniel with melting eyes.

“Oh, dear,” Daniel said feebly.

“Sweeting?”  Anwyl called.

Ove snuggled into the crook of Daniel’s arm.

“Ove!”

Daniel was pilloried by pleading hazel eyes as Sam introduced herself to Grania.  “I think it’s time to go to bed, Ove.”

“Daaanieel,” Ove whined, clutching his shirt.

Jack loomed up, shook his head at the site of his linguist at bay and plucked Ove from Daniel’s lap.  She stiffened alarmingly, but Jack recognised the signs and kissed her soundly on the cheek, which made her giggle.  “You don’t love me?” he asked pathetically.  She shook her head solemnly.  “Minx.”

“Kiss,” Ove demanded.

Jack tilted her down and she kissed Daniel noisily on the cheek as Grania bid her goodnights briskly and headed around the table.

“Bed for you, little one,” Grania ordered briskly.

“Mootheer.”

“Bed!”

Ove subsided, snarling, allowing her mother to carry her away.  “Sleep safe,” Grania called over her shoulder.  “I’ll see you on the morrow.”

Jack walked around the table, and took a seat next to Daniel.  “Anything to report?”

“I asked about Belenos’ Leth specifically, Jack,” Daniel assured him.

“Shocker,” Jack rolled his eyes.

“Prick,” Daniel mouthed, conscious of Sam right behind him.  In fact…he self-consciously eased back his stool so he could talk to both of them.  “Grania confirmed that the Leth device activates like clockwork on Longest Day.  It has never been known to miss.  The last travellers came through over three hundred years ago.  Grania has gone to dig up some histories for us to go over tomorrow, but she recalls talk of snake-limbed ‘demons’, a classic Celtic myth.”

“As in Goa’uld type snake-limbed?”

Daniel nodded.

“It could explain what happened to the population of P4Y-890,” Sam suggested.  “If the Goa’uld were unable to access the device, whether they’d arrived at Midsummer or not they might have cut their losses and harvested the population.”  She pulled a face.  “Harvested,” she sighed.

“I know,” Daniel agreed sympathetically.  “But it is how the Goa’uld perceive humans.  Like a crop.”

“Basic transportation,” Jack snapped.  He glanced down at himself complacently.  “Some less basic than others, of course,” he added smugly.

“The host with the most,” Daniel sniped gently.

Sam noted the long, eloquent look Daniel and the colonel exchanged and was glad when Ginebra arrived with all due ceremony.  She was touched by the cheer that roared up for Ginebra and Ginebra’s scandalised hissing about some folk not being happy if their little ones were to wake had more than Sam laughing.  Ove’s antics were obviously well known in Barre.  Ginebra made her slow way to their table, accompanied by a little old man with the sweetest face Sam had ever seen.  She noted he was limping, leaning heavily on a beautifully ornate carved walking stick.  She was impressed by the craftsmanship in all the things she saw.

Perhaps the methods the Barre used were old, but they worked and Sam saw no reason to change for change’s sake.  She’d asked some questions about sickness, given Hueil the smith a lecture on typhus and sanitation related health problems.  Hueil had heard enough to know the health of the children and the elderly would be protected by provision of running water and proper sewage, and he was afire with possibility.  They were still talking it through, but she was hopeful they could reach a technological compromise and that Ginebra would support the project.

Sam glanced over, catching the colonel watching Daniel.  There was nothing different in his manner, nothing caressing, but the physical awareness was there.  Perhaps it had always been, but it was so much a part of who Daniel and the colonel were it had passed un-remarked.  The only outward sign Sam could see that they were lovers wasn’t the warmth in the colonel’s eyes, he often had that, it was there whenever his eyes met hers, but the softness, the tenderness was for Daniel alone.  She’d only ever seen that expression once, when they’d rescued the colonel and Teal’c from the death glider, and it had not been directed at her, unless the colonel had a yen for her shins.  Daniel, however, had been right in front of him.

Sam thought about the one moment she’d been sure of what she’d felt, sure of him, when they were trapped on opposite sides of the force field on Apophis’ ship.  Her feelings had shown, and what she thought was mirrored in the colonel’s face was…Sam swallowed, painfully, covering the movement with a sip of mulled wine as Daniel looked at her questioningly.  Sam leaned toward Daniel.  “Throat,” she whispered.

“Okay?” Daniel whispered.

“A little sore,” Sam murmured, touched by the sweet concern.  Daniel mouthed ‘antibiotics’ but she shook her head, dismissing the suggestion easily and he relaxed.  Ginebra was in full flow, welcoming them to Barre.  They watched as Jack answered Ginebra’s welcome, going through happy to be here, anything they could do to help, thanks for the hospitality, etcetera, etcetera.  The same spiel they’d heard and spoken a hundred times before.  At least the colonel wasn’t having to tap dance round mention of little grey butts this time, Sam thought resignedly.  He was always thrown when ‘people’ turned out to be a different shape than him.

Sam drifted away, back to the memory of being trapped behind the force field on Apophis’ ship.  Recognition of what Sam was feeling, that was what she had seen on the colonel’s face.  Not love.  He had been in love, though he hadn’t known it, hadn’t seen the man who was waiting for him so patiently.  Sam hadn’t known either.  Daniel had his pride, he stood alone when he had to, and what had developed between her and the colonel had altered the balance between him and Daniel.  Daniel had pulled away from them and they…the colonel had come so close to letting him go.  Losing him.  Looking at Daniel’s newly found serenity, the muted gladness that filled his eyes and softened his face, Sam realised just how far away they had driven him.

Sam had always had as many doubts as hopes, as many reservations as convictions, and always, always this feeling that she would never know the colonel the way that Daniel did.  Daniel was still the only one who could read him with a glance, read not what he chose to show the world, but what he was truly feeling.  Daniel was the colonel’s confidante; she’d always known that.  Day for day Sam had spent more time at the colonel’s side than Daniel, but she doubted he’d ever felt her absence as keenly as he felt Daniel’s.  He had that defence mechanism that always kicked in.  The man who was unerringly aware of Daniel’s every movement on a mission would have them believe he wasn’t sure which team Daniel was with off-world, let alone which world it was?  Please.  Daniel had told her once Jack had to get to know you before he’d talk to you.  Sam had known him for six months and Daniel was the one to reveal the colonel had a family.  Four years had passed, and the colonel knew her about as well as anyone had ever known her, with the exception of her father and Daniel, and still, they didn’t talk.

She and the colonel had allowed themselves to get personally involved, and the team had suffered.  Daniel and Teal’c had grown closer, and grown away from Sam and the colonel.  The moment the colonel realised how great the distance was between him and Daniel, he’d pursued Daniel, drawn him forcefully back into the fold.  She still remembered their mission to the Tobin System, the ride down in the elevator.  The colonel out in the hall, sarcastically demanding if Daniel had everything and she’d seen the connection, the sense this was an old, shared and private joke.  Then in the elevator Daniel’s glasses had been slipping and the colonel had pushed them back up, teasing, but the way they’d held one another’s eyes, that odd hint of a challenge between them…well, the obvious intimacy had raised her father’s eyebrows.

Sam should have been the winner.  She was the woman, the wife or fiancée in two realities, the colonel’s opportunity to have a family.  She had all the advantages, and still she’d lost to Daniel.  She wasn’t ready to let this go, not even close, but she figured all she could do for now was to watch and wait to see how the team dynamic was affected.  If the colonel couldn’t be professional, she’d have cause to discuss their relationship, but until then, after all they’d been through together, all they were to one another, she owed them her silence.

Sam took in the blinding smile the colonel flashed at Daniel when he dropped back onto his stool and the food started arriving.  She sighed.  Didn’t stop it hurting.  Didn’t stop her observing either, trying to understand what this relationship between the two men was as the hours fell away, the sun set and torches flickered in sconces set here and there around the village green.  They were handed their own torch to guide their way through between the houses to the Way Place as people began to melt back to their homes.

Sam walked companionably at Daniel’s side, chattering about the pleasant evening.  Ginebra had agreed to her plans for sanitation and irrigation, and promised Sam all the resources of the village to learn as much as they could from her in her short time with them.  Daniel was granted full access to all histories and invited to learn all he could of their culture.  The colonel was deeply involved in fishing plans, which he described as a forum for exchanging battle tactics.  The anticipatory gleam wouldn’t have fooled Ove.  They were under strict orders to have a good time, and Sam fully intended to comply.

The company had been wonderful, the people kind and very community-oriented once they’d gotten over their initial shyness.  Daniel was excited about the co-operative nature of their society, though the colonel had been teasing him about Communists all night.  There was no currency, the villagers bartered in goods and services and seemed to muddle cheerfully through life without major problems.  They’d been entertained with songs and some of the older children had been coaxed out to perform an energetic dance that necessitated a lot of boy-girl snuggling and a fair amount of giggling.  The food had been good, lightly spiced and surprisingly elaborate for the primitive kitchen equipment they had, the ranges built around the fires.  The colonel had tasted everything, from the broth to the roasted chicken-ish meat they’d been served with a compote of stewed fruit that looked suspiciously like prunes.  Even prunes hadn’t slowed the colonel down, much to the delight of Deoch and her cronies, and he was jealously guarding some curd cheese tarts wrapped in a soft cloth to snack on later.

Possibly licked from Daniel’s naked body, was Sam’s reasoned assessment.  The deepest of friendships existed between the two men, something she’d always been aware of.  After hours of quiet observation she was equally certain that the colonel and Daniel didn’t just love each other, they were falling deeply in love.  They weren’t together because they were close, and their schedule was nuts, and they weren’t turned off by the idea.  They were in love.  They were attracted.  In fact, there was – what did the colonel call it? – sparkage all over the place.  The colonel was prowling along ahead of them, torch in hand, and Sam suspected Daniel would be naked and the colonel would be licking the minute they got into their bed.

Not that she could blame the colonel for looking like he could eat Daniel alive.  Sam glanced across at Daniel.  Woof!  She’d never really suspected that he was so beautiful under all those clothes.  She’d been attracted to him from the start, who wouldn’t be?  But Daniel was lovely, just lovely, the kindest, gentlest man she’d ever known, and the only man she’d ever known who never saw her gender.  She was just Sam to him, and he loved her dearly.  Daniel himself was easy to love, and the closer he allowed her to be, the more she loved him.  Sex just didn’t fit into what they meant to each other, Daniel’s place in her life was as close as blood.  Closer in some ways, because she sometimes believed only Daniel truly understood her.

Sam allowed her two gentlemen to escort her in, the colonel checking it was safe, of course, and Daniel holding the door for her.  They’d both die if she told them they were adorable, even though they were.  And old-fashioned.  Sam was pretty sure she got out way more than either of them did, another reason she was certain the colonel was radiating ‘The Big C’ from every pore.  All that sweet, slightly possessive protectiveness he was exhibiting towards Daniel was classic Commitment.  Sam knew Daniel wasn’t casual about sex, had not in fact been with a woman voluntarily or in his right mind since Sha’uri was taken, but she’d assumed…she was a little shocked the colonel was just as exclusive.  He was apparently what her mother had called the marrying kind, and she guessed the colonel’s lover being a man wouldn’t change that.

Sam had no idea how she was supposed to get to sleep tonight, knowing the guys would be making love, supra-aware of every carried sound and movement.  For their sake as well as hers, she had to adjust ASAP.

Sam watched the colonel hovering suggestively at the foot of the stairs.  It was sheer devilment that made her stretch up to kiss Daniel goodnight, just as she always did when they were off-duty, knowing perfectly well Daniel would give her that cute little one handed hug and kiss her cheek soundly back.  Second nature.  A quick peek was enough for Sam to know slow burn when she saw it and she wasn’t in the least surprised by the loud, pointed ‘Goodnight, Major’ that came her way, though Daniel was.  He frowned at the colonel.  Sam bid them a cheerful goodnight and eased over towards her bedroom, not missing any of the interplay in the process. Or was that foreplay?  She had to stifle a giggle as the colonel scowled back at Daniel.  Daniel sniffed and marched past him up the stairs, head held high.  The colonel held out for all of four steps and bolted after him.

Sam shook her head despairingly as she slipped behind her curtain.  God, that was sad!  The colonel had no pride at all.

“What was that?” Daniel hissed when they got into the bedroom and Jack hurled his cakes onto the chest and closed purposefully in on him, hands reaching for his shirt.

“What was what?” Jack asked innocently.

“With Sam!” Daniel accused indignantly.

“I’m not used to kissing on missions,” Jack sneered.  “Hold still!”  He yanked the shirt vigorously over Daniel’s head, ignoring the tight lips and sarcastic eyes, focusing intently on ruffled hair instead.  “Mmm.”

“Sam is in the house,” Daniel protested feebly as Jack’s arms closed tight around his back and Jack nuzzled into the hair behind his ear.

“Tough,” Jack breathed.  “It’s not Sam I want to fuck me.”  He didn’t miss the wildness in Daniel’s eyes or his betraying glance towards the chair.  “Aah.  Spill!” he ordered.  He was surprised to see Daniel blush and drop his head.  “We’re having hot sex every chance we get, Daniel.  Trust me, there’s no such thing as TMI.”

“O-kaay,” Daniel muttered unhappily, shooting Jack a slightly resentful look as he vigorously attacked the lacing on Daniel’s breeches.  “Jeez, Jack, I’m sensing you have an agenda here,” he drawled sarcastically as Jack shoved the breeches down.  Jack winked and took him firmly in hand, sighing with pleasure.

“How the fuck did I get along without this?” Jack asked incredulously, possessively stroking Daniel’s rapidly swelling erection as Daniel blushed rosily and glared at him.  “Without you?  Was I nuts?  So get with the program!” he demanded.  “Kiss me already!” he snapped, pushing aggressively into Daniel, whose eyes went dreamy as he reached up gentle hands to stroke over Jack’s lips.  A teasing tongue flickered out, touched the tip of Jack’s own eagerly reaching one and curled around him caressingly.  Tenderly.  Jack eased back, eyeing Daniel ruefully.  “I love you too,” he muttered gruffly, flushing a little as Daniel’s eyes widened and went defenceless on him.  “Yeah,” Jack sighed, hauling him into a close embrace, like he could soak Daniel into his skin.  Daniel hugged him back, reaching up to kiss him and he was falling, falling into Daniel, not surfacing until they were sprawled on the bed, wrapped around one another skin to skin, kissing fiercely.

“Jack?”  Daniel asked softly, searching Jack’s tight, hungry face and glittering eyes carefully.  “There’s no need…no rush,” he assured.  He could wait.  He’d waited this long, and he’d never assumed anything, never expected Jack would allow him to…

“Speak for yourself,” Jack leered lasciviously.

“It was good,” Daniel admitted seriously.  “I…it felt good, not just the…the physical act…the penetration, but sharing, being so…so close, you know?” he explained haltingly.  “I don’t expect you…I want you but only if you want it too.“

“I do,” Jack said crisply.  Jack didn’t care about mechanics.  He cared about Daniel, seeing Daniel, what he did for him.  Jack grinned ruefully.  What he still couldn’t believe was what he did for Daniel.  This wasn’t I love you, I’m stuck with you, let’s make the best of it.  This – Daniel – his heart was in his eyes, quick, hitching breaths, shaking, reverent hands and trembling body as he spooned close and rocked his fingers sweetly inside.  Daniel’s mouth was eating his, Daniel’s fingers were in his ass, still careful, but knowing, Daniel was plastered to him, quivering with need and passion, and Jack couldn’t remember when life had been this good and didn’t know what he could possibly have done to earn it.  “Chair?” he prompted, shakily.

“My fantasy,” Daniel murmured, tonguing Jack’s nipple, gloating as Jack arched lazily into him, hands gentle, tangling in his hair.  “Right there in your dining room.  You’re inside me, arms around me, kissing my neck and my shoulders as I rock and…and read,” he admitted shyly.

“Read?” Jack choked.  “The thrill has definitely gone if you need something to keep you awake,” he teased.

“No,” Daniel corrected.  “The heat is there alright, but the rush, the urgency is gone.  We’re…“ he strove to find the words that did justice to the peace and permanency the image touched deep inside him.  It spoke to him so clearly of love, acceptance and choosing.  It was ease and comfort.  Home.

Jack stared up at Daniel’s gentle, longing face and got it.  Together.  They were together.  That was all Daniel wanted, a life that wouldn’t be snatched away from him, one person in his life he could rely on, who’d just be there for him, with him.  Such a small thing to want, and it made Jack ache to know it was something Daniel had never had.  He’d never had the chance to get complacent, to take for granted.  He worked at his friendships, gave and gave and didn’t ask or expect anything in return.  Needy was dangerous, needy drove people away.  Daniel’s own grandfather…Jack bit down hard on the thought.

Maybe Jack wasn’t the best thing that had ever happened to Daniel, maybe there was still some woman out there who was the best thing, just waiting to happen, but Daniel had chosen him, and he would be a good thing, and he wouldn’t quit, and Daniel could count on that.  “I hope I got a cushion in this fantasy,” was all he said, prompting a scowl from Daniel.  “Your ass is younger than mine,” he drawled, lasciviously cupping the ass in question.  “We’ll work out the logistics when we get home,” he promised softly.

Jack had made this decision the same way he made decisions in the field, totally focused and oriented on attaining his objective.  His mind was clear as he lavished lube over Daniel’s dick, bleeding urgency hard against his hand, and then he rolled onto his side, allowing Daniel to nestle in behind him.  He thought and didn’t feel as Daniel gently urged him to lift his leg, position himself just so, smiling a little as Daniel murmured wordless reassurance.  He found Daniel’s protectiveness endearing.  You fell apart on your own time; that was it, that was the way.  If you felt, you hesitated, and hesitation now would hurt Daniel, who wasn’t going to be made to think he was the guy on the bottom because Jack was the top, the guy in charge.  In this as in everything they were equals.  Jack’s mind was clear, decided…drowning, as he glanced back to watch Daniel’s face.

Drowning in what Daniel was feeling for him, the stark honesty of awe in Daniel’s eyes that Jack would trust him this much, open to him.  Give it up?  He was giving nothing.  He was holding it together, guy in charge, controlled.  The bottom and still the top.  Christ, those eyes, those eyes.  All Jack was giving up was a piece of his ass and here Daniel was hoping for a piece of his soul.  Gawd.  Jack sighed.  Faint hearts and all that.  Happened to love the guy!  Just…just let him get this puppy on home and he’d fall apart in good order.

“I love you,” Daniel whispered.  “I won’t…I won’t hurt you, you can trust me,” he promised, hands carefully readying Jack.  “Okay?” he asked, voice shaking as Jack’s hand settled over his, squeezing fiercely as he held Jack’s hip and nudged carefully at the tight ring of muscle.  Jack had taken this part agonisingly slowly, and Daniel understood why.  Jack had to open to him, had to unclench, allow him to rock in.

“I want this,” Jack told him firmly.

Daniel took a deep, steadying breath and rolled his hips forward, both hands firm at Jack’s hips as he breached him.  He couldn’t stop the low cry that escaped him as he rocked into silky, gripping heat, muffling it desperately in Jack’s shoulder as Jack hissed.  Jack’s hand tightened over his a moment then reached behind them to curve possessively over his ass and urge him forward.  Daniel carefully rolled his hips again, thrusting a little deeper as Jack pushed down, rolling and thrusting again and then Jack was flexing around his penis as he had flexed around Daniel’s fingers, grunting with effort, but opening.

God.  Opening.  He was inside Jack, wanted and welcomed.  “Okay?” he asked again, anxiously, letting them both rest a moment, letting Jack adjust.  Jack nodded tightly and Daniel rolled and thrust again, and again, and then he was in, slipping sweetly home as Jack groaned, low and deep in his throat, fingers clenching bruisingly over Daniel’s ass.

Daniel slipped his arm under Jack’s waist and brought his hands together over Jack’s heart, touched when Jack lifted the nearer and tenderly kissed the palm.  Daniel lay there, buried balls-deep in Jack, holding Jack close, kissing his nape, his hair, his shoulders, hand and finally lips, Jack harsh and demanding, straining around for him.  Daniel thought he could come from this alone, that he could overload on Jack alone.  He felt every exquisite muscular contraction rippling around his penis as he stroked and soothed away the fine tremors shooting through Jack, respecting Jack’s need for privacy just now.  This surrender was an unsuspected intimacy, it struck to the heart of masculinity.  Daniel had found it sensuous and arousing, yet he was still a little disturbed by how much his body craved being filled that way, how profoundly satisfying it was to him.   He’d truly never known.

Jack was struggling, here, still willing, but struggling.  Daniel couldn’t help him, words wouldn’t convince Jack that he’d lost nothing, that Daniel respected him no less, that nothing between them as men had changed.  The truth was, they weren’t yet able to separate the lover from the friend, from the teammate.  They hadn’t found balance.  So Daniel waited patiently, allowing himself to grow accustomed to Jack’s smooth heat and the way Jack fit around him, fit him exactly.  Daniel kissed, and licked and nuzzled his face against Jack’s back until Jack’s breathing evened out, until the death grip over his hand loosened and their fingers twined naturally.

“Ready?” Daniel asked tenderly.

“You have a go,” Jack growled.  Still drowning.  Boy, never coming back up at this rate.  The pain was doable, even when it had been bad, and it had, despite Daniel’s agonising care and caution.  He was glad he’d been shot up so often, helped him put the pain of fucking in perspective.  His ass was still stinging, muscles still burning, stretched and straining tight around Daniel’s dick.  The physical he could do, he could definitely do.  The other…Daniel was fucking him.  Fucking him serenely sure and slow, moaning and taking unmistakeably satisfied pleasure as he subtly rolled his supple hips in an easy, unstoppable glide deep inside Jack, the head of his dick massaging over Jack’s prostate in time with the firm grip and glide of his hand on Jack’s own finally getting with the programme dick.

Jack was beyond freaked out.  This felt beyond good.  This was fucking amazing and he wished he was beyond fucking embarrassment, because he was literally squirming into the soft, maddening pleasure, couldn’t believe the greedy noises he couldn’t suppress.  He was too old for this, he’d lived too long and done too much to find out now his body craved fucking like a drug.

Where did that leave him?  How was he supposed to feel, be, when Daniel was murmuring how soft his ass was, how tight, how good he felt, how sweet this was.  How sweet?  Fucking Jack O’Neill was sweet.  He was being rocked rhythmically from pleasure to pleasure, from Daniel’s dick to Daniel’s hand on his dick, and back again.  He was loving it and hating it right now, hating how easy it was to gloat at burying himself inside Daniel, at being the first and only lover Daniel had allowed to touch him that way, hating that he was loving this, because his mind had told him it was something he just had to get through so he could have Daniel’s ass in return.  He’d hoped for enjoyment, hadn’t expected and didn’t want craving.  Didn’t want to admit that equals to him was his dick in Daniel’s ass and the occasional return boner-bout.

For Daniel’s sake.

Shit, he was making deals with himself.  Give it up to get it back but good.  Daniel wanted it, hey, Jack was here for him.  Nothing he wanted more than to fuck Daniel long, slow and deep.  Nothing.  Except maybe having Daniel fuck him long, slow, and deep.  Or fast and furious.  Or…

“I love you, Jack.”

“Love you too,” he rapped out, reaching awkwardly up behind him to cup Daniel’s face caressingly.  It was past time for him to grow the hell up.  He curve his fingers around Daniel’s neck, sliding over the sweat that was beading Daniel’s skin, and his own.  This was fucking weird, nice, close, but weird.  All the sleek skin, firm muscle and heavy bone rocking into him, every roll of Daniel’s hips lifting the muscles of Jack’s ass with it, jolting him forward.  He wasn’t in control.  He’d given it up, given up way more than his ass, but Daniel wasn’t taking.  Maybe this was why Daniel liked having Jack inside him, maybe it wasn’t a case of give or take, top or bottom.  Just sharing.

Jack could live with that.  That was doable.  Hell, that was enjoyable.  It was good to know he was still a sweet piece of ass at forty-five, you’d have to knock best part of thirty years off that for the last time someone had wanted a piece of his ass.  Wanted desperately, and hadn’t got.  Jack pushed back as Daniel rocked forward and gloated as Daniel gasped and shuddered against his back.

Yep.  Control was never an illusion, even when you let go.

Daniel was tiring, his control faltering as Jack moved insistently against him, his own pleasure tightening trembling muscles in a way that told him he wouldn’t last much longer.  He angled his hips and thrust deep, and again, a short, sharp shock of a jab that drove him into Jack’s prostate.  Jack grunted harshly and pushed into Daniel as he thrust again.  His body was thrumming, drunk on waves of pleasure and Jack, the ecstatic shaking at his core spiralling out, through and over him.  He closed his eyes as the world fell away and he fell with it, deeper into Jack.  His hand on Jack quickened as Jack panted harshly, ordering Daniel to do him, to do him now.  He was straining into Jack with rapid, rough strokes that drove him into Jack’s sweet spot over and over.  Jack clenched around him hard as he came, the powerful contractions pulsing around his penis, the incredible sensation pulling the orgasm from him in long, powerful spasms, milking his climax on and on as Jack shook and finally stilled.

Daniel eased free of Jack with as much care as he’d entered him, embarrassed by how badly he was shaking, how obvious it was for Jack to see the effect their lovemaking had on him.  Jack hitched up as Daniel pulled the cloth free, used it in turn to clean himself, immensely relieved there was no blood beading the cloth where he’d wiped Jack so carefully.  He hadn’t hurt Jack, that was all that mattered, though Jack was erring on the side of caution as he rolled carefully onto his back, wincing.  “I know,” Daniel murmured sympathetically as he stretched out and dropped the neatly balled cloth onto the floor.

“Sorry,” Jack grimaced.

“It’ll get easier,” Daniel assured him, stretching himself out at Jack’s side, returning the proffered embrace, his hand sweeping soothingly over Jack’s still heaving stomach and sides.  “Was it…I mean…“ he asked hesitantly.  He’d made it pretty clear he’d welcome Jack’s lovemaking, but Jack had closed down on him for a while there, a long while.  Jack’s mood was soft enough now, lips and fingers idling in Daniel’s hair, feathering over his face.  Daniel thought Jack looked tired, and pale.  Maybe it was too soon, too much.

“Please come again,” Jack invited warmly.

“Yes?” Daniel asked gravely.  Jack dropped his eyes for a moment, then nodded slowly.  Daniel relaxed, reassured it had been good for both of them.  He sprawled over Jack, arm and leg thrown across him in a warm tangle of limbs.  God, he’d missed this.  Not just the sex, but simple shared affection.  Jack’s kindness, his instinctive generosity soaked into Daniel, warmed him through.  He sighed happily and dropped a drowsy, grateful kiss onto Jack’s lips.  “Mmm,” he sighed.

“Backatcha, Danny,” Jack murmured.  “Right backatcha.”  Jack held himself to stillness, lulling Daniel to sleep.  There were worse things than discovering he liked being fucked by the man he loved.  His body would adjust, and he would too.  It was stupid to have expectations and to kick his own ass when he was wrong.  The sky hadn’t fallen just because he’d had a dick in his ass.  It wasn’t going to fall because he’d enjoyed it and wanted it again.  He was still himself and he was pretty goddamn sure everything would get easier if he just lightened the hell up and went with the flow.  He didn’t know what he was doing, neither did Daniel, but at least they were stumbling through it together.

Sam was awake long after silence stilled the soft murmurs of loving from the men, curled around an ache of regretful loneliness and quiet longing.

“Sam?” Daniel asked, not looking up from the scroll he was transcribing as Jack's footsteps sounded on the stone floor behind him.

“Irrigating,” Jack said casually as he strolled into the Scrinium or whatever the hell the Barre called it.  He glanced inquisitively around the long, sunlit room.  Not exactly hi-tech.  One long table, a bunch of shelves heaped with clay tablets, a couple of chairs and his linguist.  “Or is that sanitating?  I can’t keep up.  It’s all pipes, channels and screwing.”  He took in Daniel’s stony look and shrugged.  There might be enough sparkage between Carter and Hueil to fuel the forge in the blacksmith’s shop he’d just come from, but Jack liked to think he was beyond ‘count the condoms’ when they got home.  If the sparkage between Carter and Hueil actually developed into something, Jack would keep his nose out of it.  “How’s it going?” he asked lightly.

Daniel stretched until his back popped, sighing with pleasure as Jack’s knowing hands at once curved over his neck and shoulders, massaging away the tension.  “It’s going well.  With Grania’s help in locating the most ancient texts, I’ve been able to establish that the original language written and spoken here was the language of the Ancients.  It suggests to me that the Dwelling Place was in fact a settlement of the Ancients and it was only in the late epoch of their society that they began transplanting humans here, as they themselves were dying out as a race.   I don’t think the two settlements existed side by side; I think the Ancients withdrew, with only the nominal presence of the Ancient Barrecis to smooth the transition.  The timeline I plotted suggests this transition coincides with the Goa’uld overrunning Earth and enslaving the population.”

“You sure these guys didn’t stick around?”  Jack worked the heels of his hands hypnotically over the nape of Daniel’s neck.

“Positive.  Barrecis’ presence among the people seems to have become imbued with the kind of symbolism I’d associate with the spirits of the Native American tribes.  He stood watch over the people, walked but didn’t live among them,” Daniel explained briskly.  “There is also a strong societal rather than tribal or village mythology built up around Belenos.  The level of detail and the consistency suggests he too was known to the earliest human inhabitants, personally known, and have I mentioned I love this?” Daniel asked happily.

“Dial 555-J-A-C-K,” Jack said cheerfully, smoothing his thumbs up into Daniel’s hair.

“No,” Daniel chuckled.  “This.  You.  Trapped helplessly by your own libido.  Listening.”

“I’m whipped and I know it,” Jack agreed.  “I only came in to tell you the other Chieftains are arriving and Ginebra wants us in spit shined shoes, front and centre, ASAP.  Well, I say us.  She means you.”

Daniel pulled a face.

“Hey, I keep trying to tell them I read that mumbo jive too, but do they listen?” Jack complained.  “Noooooo, they just want the blue-eyed boy whispering sweet Ancient nothings.  I swear, Grania’s about ready to bust a gut when she meets up with all the Scribes from the other villagers, and it's what?  PM of our second day?”

“I’ve been teaching her the Ancients alphabet and the base eight numbering system.  She’s a bright woman, and very excited about the prospect of learning the Ancients language so she too can read the oldest histories,” Daniel admitted.  “That’s all I have time to do.  Three more - two and a half more days to evaluate the first concrete evidence I’ve had to suggest the Ancients interacted with mankind and to explore an independently evolved human culture,” he sighed, frustrated.  “Not long enough to even catalogue the contents of the Barre Scrinium.  There’s a year’s work on this table alone,” Daniel gestured at the neat piles of tablets and his notebook.  “I can’t even get digital images, Jack, after leaving the video camera behind.”

“So?  We can come back,” Jack suggested.  “I can recommend the mission to Hammond.”

Daniel tilted his head up to rest comfortably against Jack’s stomach.  He returned Jack’s grin wryly.  “Jack, there’s no way the general will authorise us to return here so you can go fish.”

“Go fish and have hot animal sex which will be even better than the hot animal sex we’re having now because by then we’ll know what we’re doing,” Jack corrected smugly.  “I’m looking forward to it immensely.”  Not that they would be doing anything animalistic for a while.  He wasn’t the only one who was sitting very carefully this fine Barre morning.  Just a precautionary measure.  A little bit of TLC now and they'd both be back in the saddle just that much quicker.

“The four days we’ll have here with the Barre is longer than we get now for missions of no strategic significance,” Daniel reminded him ruefully.

“So we make it significant,” Jack insisted.  “Hell, the place has to be chock full of hot Ancients toys.  Ah!” he called time as Daniel looked up to protest.  “And if it isn’t, well, this isn’t the first time a lead didn’t pan out for us," he suggested blandly.  He grinned fiendishly when Daniel straightened up with a jerk, snorting with outraged amusement.

"Jack!"

"Ah, bite me."

"Not here," Daniel murmured dulcetly, giving him a distinctly flirty look.

Jack sighed heavily.  As interesting as things looked like they both wanted them to get, making love on the Scrinium table was not an option, and Ginebra cutting his balls off with a blunt knife if they were much later very definitely was.  "We'd better book, do the meet 'n' greet," he ordered regretfully.  He didn't miss the longing look Daniel directed at the heap on the table, or the helpless brush of fingers.  "I know," Jack murmured sympathetically, taking Daniel's hand in his to tow him firmly over to the stairs.  "I don't trust you," he informed Daniel blandly.  There was no need to drag Daniel into any discussions of how he really liked to hold Daniel's hand, particularly as he was alone in that particular sentiment.  "I've been quite the anthropologist this morning," Jack announced loudly, neatly thwarting Daniel's sharp tug to free himself.

"You?" Daniel asked blankly, meekly leaving his hand where it was.

"I've been asking stuff," Jack informed him with justifiable pride.  "With Carter irrigating and you transliterating, someone had to be investigating...What?" he asked softly, grinning.

"Transliterating?" Daniel asked, tightening his hold on Jack's fingers.

"I keep telling you, Jackson.  I pay attention.  I speak that mumbo jive."  So jargon got Daniel hot under the collar, hmm?  That was definitely something to keep in mind, particularly with this chair scenario he had to plan for when they got back and neither of them was feeling the physical-type tenderness.

"Soo?  What have you been investigating?" Daniel prompted, gratefully freeing his hand from Jack's as they took the last few steps down and emerged blinking into the blinding noonday sun.  He glanced back at the neat stone building as they turned companionably into the street.  The Barre seemed to have a firm grasp on the concept of lifelong learning.  The children had their schooling in the sunny chamber below, the adults gathered in the Scrinium above.  The schooling was seasonal, of course, dictated by the needs of the land.

"Governance and politics," Jack said grandly.  "Ginebra is guy in charge, but the way it plays here, the Chieftain accepts responsibility, and kinda gets the authority to go along with it.  The villagers choose their Chieftain, no volunteers.  Turns out Ginebra was dragged into the village hall to accept the Shield."  He chuckled.  "Literally, from what some of the old guys tell me."

Daniel stopped in his tracks.  "The old guys?" he queried gently.

"The old guys," Jack affirmed happily.

"And their beer," Daniel commented dryly.

"Would I?" Jack asked innocently.

"Yes," Daniel muttered darkly.  "I will never sufficiently regret instructing you all to eat, drink and be..."

"Hungover?" Jack smirked.

"Effectively," Daniel groused.

"Anyway," Jack loftily ignored the unjustified pissiness.  He'd barely wet his lips.  "The Barre make decisions collectively, except in very specific circumstances like time of war, when what the Chieftain orders, goes.  Basically martial law is imposed.  That includes raiding, by the way.  In happier days, Ginebra would lead the charge herself, bit of a Boudicca there I think," Jack tossed out another one, gratified to get another very flirty look in response.  Cool.  "Now Anwyl is her champion.  As Servitor he's 2IC round these parts.  The word at the village hall is he's in for a shock come Choosing time, and there isn't a soul in the village would bet a nickel against little Ove's chances next time around."  He looked over at Daniel as they swung a left and headed towards the hall.  "Impressed yet?" he asked hopefully, nudging Daniel in the ribs.

"Completely," Daniel assured Jack.  "Have I told you how hot you are when you're conducting ethnological surveys?" he whispered.

"Can I put that in my report?" Jack asked.

"Dr Jackson thinks Colonel O'Neill is hot or Colonel O'Neill conducted a preliminary ethnological survey?"

"Both," Jack decided firmly.  "Hammond won't believe either of those statements so we may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.  That's Barre for pushin' your luck," he added.  "I've been ethnolinguisty too."

"I love you," Daniel hissed as they got within hailing distance - or rather jug-lifting distance of the hall.

"I love you too and it's the custom round these parts to buy a girl a drink," Jack explained rapidly as some kind of embarrassing Pavlovian response had an old stager on every table pouring him a refreshing, foamy beverage.  Like a Mexican wave with beer.

"Uh-huh," Daniel drawled sceptically.  "Seems to work for thirsty colonels too."

"Those are for you," Jack explained rapidly.  "They think you're hot," he added blithely.  "The traders from the other villages are setting up camp at the ass end of the valley where the troop can keep an eye on them.  There are tents being pitched all over the damn place, and one of the reasons the Barre are so prosperous is they got commerce instead of raiding.  The Great Fair is a big deal, a matter of Place pride.  The best and the brightest come out to celebrate Belenos' Leth, the Fair is hotly competitive.”

Jack glanced across to see how Daniel was taking this and got an encouraging nod and a slow burn smile.

“The Barre are putting the bite to the other villages.  As hosts, they get payment in kind, like a tithe, buy nine tin pails, get one free kind of thing, while their own goods are in hot demand, which shaves more off the list price."  Ginebra and Anwyl ran a tight ship.  Jack admired them for it.  These two were just about the only politicians he'd met who got the fact they were in service to their people, not the other way.  "We've got to get in there and make like good little Tau'ri so the old hag looks like a star."

"Hag?" Daniel gasped.

"She likes that!" Jack argued indignantly as Daniel glared at him.  "Laughed her ass off," he added sweetly, regretfully waving away the proffered cups of beer as Carter loped in from the direction of the smithy, Hueil right beside her.

"You were roped in too?" Daniel asked ruefully as Sam and Hueil dropped into step with them.

"'Ware the Weylyn Chieftain," Hueil warned them quietly, nodding to Daniel and Jack.  "It is Anwyl's thought that Airic grows more pissy," he glanced admiringly at Jack, "with each winter that passes."

Jack avoided Daniel's accusing look.  The ethno-whatsit linguisty stuff cut both ways.  When it was done right.  Jack appeared to be doing it very right.  Then he looked at Hueil.  "Ewic?"

"Airic," Hueil agreed.

"Not Ewic," Daniel murmured distractedly, watching the by-play between Sam and Hueil.  The smith was well respected in Barre, providing a service that benefited all the people.  He wasn't as tall as Sam but his physique would definitely give Teal'c a run for his money.  Daniel supposed with the russet brown hair and brown eyes, Hueil was handsome by anyone's standards, which quite definitely included Sam's.  She was looking distinctly bright eyed and bushy tailed.

"How can you take a Chieftain called Ewic seriously?" Jack complained.

"Airic," they all hissed at him as they went in.

"That's what I said!" Jack hissed back.  “Ewic!”

Daniel glanced up towards the dais where Ginebra was surrounded by a throng of women, each of them wearing a blue cloak, caught up at the shoulder with a silver clasp in the shape of a stylised shield.  Daniel peered intently, certain the shields were representations of Belenos' symbolic wheel.  If there were twelve Chieftains in all, it naturally followed there were twelve Places.

Hueil gasped.  "Aw, crap!"

Jack looked at his boots when both Daniel and Carter swung round to glare at him.  He guessed this anthropology-linguisty thing was probably a one shot-deal from the looks on his kids' faces.  "Cultural exchange," he said firmly, turning them forcefully to face the on-dais action.

“More like cultural contamination,” Daniel hissed.

"Is that Grania?" Sam asked, puzzled, looking up at the woman on the dais.  It sure looked like her from back here.  The hair colour was very distinctive.

"It is not," Hueil said grimly.  "That is Keelin, Grania's sister.  They are very alike, are they not?"  He grimaced.  "Airic must have passed on.  Keelin is now Chieftain of Weylyn.  She is not well-liked.  Her arrogance and pride have led her to challenge many a man to battle at the Great Fair.  She has killed more than one man that way, and it is not our custom to fight thusly.  Only our Anwyl has ever bested her and she does not love him for the lesson.”

Jack straightened up, staring from Hueil's tight face to the woman standing straight and proud on the dais.  She turned as their footsteps echoed through the hall and Ginebra rose shakily from her chair to greet them.

"Chieftains all, welcome our friends O'Neill, Daniel and Samantha," Ginebra bowed her head slightly.  "They were carried to us here by Belenos' Leht, the first travellers in many generations to come to us so.  We of the Barre named them friend, and my hand is upon them," she warned her fellows.  "They are of my own household."

"Subtle," Jack murmured to Carter.

"Obvious tension," Sam murmured a warning.  Grania's sister might look a lot like her but she was nothing like her in personality.  Keelin was taller, as tall as any man she'd seen here, but where Grania was warm and vital, Keelin was cool and proud.  Sam didn't miss the tilt of that firm chin.  Both women were beautiful, in a way that reminded her of Janet, and if Keelin had anything approaching Grania's quick, sure intellect, she'd be a formidable opponent indeed.

"Jack is the commander of his team, a military leader of his people, the people of Earth," Ginebra reached out to clasp Jack's elbow as he loped up to the dais.

Jack returned the clasp.  It was the greeting of equals, and he appreciated the gesture.  Ginebra cackled over his discomfiture when she teased the shit out of him, but she knew how to play the game when they were being surveilled.  Ginebra's shrew grey eyes were snapping, and he didn't miss the warning look she shot over to Keelin.

He turned smoothly on the dais to officially greet each of the Chieftains in turn on behalf of the SGC, realising that talk of men leading was probably unique to the Barre.  All the women were openly curious.  As each Chieftain approached for the ritual greeting, Jack took his cues from Ginebra, standing at his side, and Hueil's watchful telegraphing of approval or wariness, and his quiet murmurs to Jack's attentively observing kids.  Good man, there.  Good looking good man there.  Jack was slightly amused at Hueil's obvious protectiveness towards Carter and Daniel.  He had that certain 'you gotta get through me first' look about him.  The job was very much taken, but Jack appreciated the sentiment.

A few of the faces jumped out at Jack, but the most memorable was Mirna, Chieftain of Tuyet, a plump, soft woman old enough to be his mother, who got the warmest welcome from Ginebra and a broad grin from Hueil.  Mirna had a look in her eye that suggested he couldn't take her on his best day.

And then there was Keelin, newly Shielded Chieftain of the Weylyn, whose fingers settled easily on his arm, resting instead of clasping.  She was a hard woman, from the wintry eyes to the tone of her voice, cool and tinged with challenge.

Keelin was literally hard too, she obviously worked out so she could keep right on picking off the local boys.  Jack had taken a good look around the village this morning, watched the sword drills.  Every one of the men and women Jack had seen carried and used a sword with an ease of familiarity he recognised came from being drilled into them.  He hadn't really thought of it before, but all the people of the Dwelling Place must be trained to use weapons, even if they didn't customarily carry them.  Ula and Una, the women in the rescue party…There was a lot about this culture he approved of, even if it did allow a piece of work like Keelin to rise to the top.  The people of Weylyn had Chosen her as their leader, the same laws that bound Ginebra and the others bound her, but she didn't strike Jack as the servant of her people type.  Quite the opposite.

"O'Neill," Keelin inclined her head minutely, letting her fingers trail down and caress over his hand.

Jack realised he was being provoked, Keelin was so controlled the 'accidental' touch was anything but, he just didn't know why.  They were here for a couple of days, no more, not enough to materially affect the balance of power.  He was going to have to watch Keelin closely; she was definitely up to something.  New chieftain, wanting to make her name…he didn't know how he and his kids fed into that, but he'd watch her anyway.

"Keelin," he acknowledged coolly, slipping his hand pointedly into his pocket.

Keelin's lips quirked as she stepped away.

When Jack checked on his kids, Carter's gaze was openly speculative and Jack realised with a jolt Daniel was smouldering.  Neither of them had missed the by-play, and Daniel was majorly Not Happy.  It had never crossed Jack's mind Daniel of all people would be possessive, but Daniel's thinned lips and stormy eyes told Jack plain as day 'I Do Not Share'.  Jack was only human, here, soo...he kinda liked it, and he wanted to see where it would take them if he pushed it.

Ginebra was tense in a way that suggested she wanted to lash out but had to suck it up to save face, and she greeted the eruption of Ove and her parents into the hall with a quick flash of relief Jack didn't miss.  He stepped deliberately closer to her.  The old hag was pretty sharp and from what Jack had seen of her, and heard of her from the old stagers, she was the last person who would panic.  Seeing Ginebra this edgy now meant she was seriously worried about something.  Jack’s mind went back to what Hueil had said about Keelin’s arrogance and pride, the way she had to be the best.  Those weren’t the character traits you wanted to encourage in a rival Chieftain.  If Ginebra was worried about raids starting up again, Jack believed she was right to be concerned.

As Keelin stepped forward to greet her sister, Jack eased away to join Daniel.  “She’s a looker,” Jack observed provocatively  He smirked at Daniel’s scorching look.  “I’ve got a thing for older women,” he added innocently.  “And Ginebra is…” Jack got a vicious elbow to the ribs that made him chuckle, given Daniel’s meet ‘n’ greet smile never slipped.  Jack let Daniel baiting go – for now – because he  wanted to see the touching family reunion up close, try to get a feel for what Keelin was about.  After her coldness towards him and Ginebra, Keelin was brightening now, eyes warming as Grania walked straight into her open arms, hugging as much of her as she could reach.  They were both smiling mistily.

"Sweeting," Grania murmured.

"Moooo-ther," Keelin teased in a passable imitation of Ove at her best, which that young lady seemed to recognise if the giggling was anything to go by.  "Kiss?" Keelin asked Ove, hazel eyes lighting with amusement as Ove danced over to her side, beaming.

"Up!"  Ove demanded.  "Keelin, up!" she called.

Keelin’s face lit up and she stooped to scooped Ove up, laughing as she was peppered with passionate kisses.

"Do you like my dress?" Ove asked Keelin hopefully.

Keelin tweaked the embroidered skirt musingly.  "It's very pretty."

"It's brown," Ove glared at Grania.

"It goes with your eyes," Keelin neatly headed off the incipient war as Grania stiffened.  She hugged Ove in tight, laughing openly over at her sister.

Ove melted.  "Keeeeeelin."  She patted her aunt’s cheek gently and kissed her again, snuggling into her throat.

"She's like you," Keelin observed ruefully to Grania.  Ove giggled again.

"She's like you," Grania corrected her sister while eyeing her daughter forbiddingly.  "I can take no more.  This one is my finish and more trouble than she is worth most days."

Ove peeped naughtily at Keelin.  "Moooo-ther," she parroted, the picture of innocence.

Keelin threw an arm around Grania’s shoulder and kissed her as exuberantly as Ove could have managed, which had all three of them giggling.

It was impossible for Jack and Daniel to miss how the woman who had been putty in her niece’s hands just a moment ago got the poker back up her ass when Anwyl left Ginebra's side to join them.  Keelin put Ove down and turned to face the only man who’d ever bested her with a sword.

"Servitor of Barre," Keelin greeted him formally.

Anwyl bowed.  "Chieftain."  He stepped forward then and kissed Keelin formally on both cheeks.  "Sister," he said more softly.

"Scribe of Barre," Keelin 'officially' greeted Grania, and the same ritual was observed, though Keelin hugged Grania swiftly.

Jack decided Keelin loved her family wholeheartedly, but her family was blood.  She disliked Anwyl; the feeling was if anything mutual, though both hid it reasonably well.  Jack dropped back and a swift jerk of his head brought Carter and Hueil to his side.  “What’s the story here?  There’s way more going on between them than her getting her ass kicked.”

“You see much, Jack.  Grania it was who raised Keelin after their folks were taken by illness,” Hueil explained rapidly,

Jack checked on Daniel, who was hanging discreetly back to let the family touch base.

“Many a Weylyn man asked for Grania’s hand and she’d have none of them, Jack.  Her heart was set on Anwyl.  From all we know, Keelin refused to come to Barre with Grania though at that time Anwyl would have made her most welcome.  She chose instead to challenge him.  There were many who think he should have killed her then, but he stayed his hand for Grania’s love of her sister.  Hueil is twice the man she wishes to be,” Hueil added dryly.

“Ball breaker, huh?”

“A breaker of people, Jack,” Hueil warned solemnly.  “There is no more love in her than this.  If she has been Chosen for Weylyn, I fear we have troubled times ahead of us.”

Jack glanced back again, saw Grania drawing Daniel into the group, nodded his thanks to Hueil and headed back.

Grania smiled up at Daniel.  "Daniel is great scholar, and a most learned man among his people, Keelin," she praised warmly.  "It is my thought he would be foremost among the scholars of any place.  He has taught me much in but a short time.  Already I learn to know and see this 'alphabet' Daniel speaks of, that I may know the Ancient tongue, which once we thought was lost.  I am not sure of even this little I have been taught," she admitted comically, "But I begin to look for patterns.  The words will come, of that I am certain."

"You read the Ancients tongue?" Keelin asked Daniel, startled.

"I do," Daniel responded at once.  "Our people have travelled to many worlds and found settlements of the Ancients among them."

"Belenos' Leht takes you?" Keelin asked intently.

Jack noted ruefully that primitive didn't equate in any way with stupid.  Keelin could threat-assess with the best of them.

"A device called a Stargate," Hueil interjected as he and Carter joined the group.

Jack and Daniel both looked at Carter, who flushed a little but didn't back down.

"Hueil and Grania are no different than Daniel and myself, Sir," Sam told the colonel.  "Their desire to learn, their curiosity is as great as our own.  We can't fault them for an interest in advanced technology, in protecting and materially improving the lives of their fellows when it's a mission objective we share."

"That's assuming we're right to pursue advanced technology in the first place," Daniel interjected.  “Cultural…”

"Kiiiids," Jack drawled, aware of their propensity for arguing about the meaning of life stuff until he and Teal'c separated them.  "Play nice.  I think we've thrashed this one about as far as it can go."

Carter and Daniel exchanged a long, eloquent look and backed down, conscious of their audience.

“The Barre do need to know that not all visitors are friends, though,” Jack looked over at Hueil.  “We get raided ourselves.  Maybe you and I should get together later and have a little talk about that?”

“Ay,” Anwyl agreed, eyes intent.

Sam glanced ruefully at Hueil.  She saw a man whose intelligence was every bit as quick and logical as her own, who attacked problems aggressively, applying what he knew and understood about the universe.  For all his limited education and the technology at his disposal, Hueil was brilliant.  Sam didn’t see why she should refuse him help she’d look for in his place.

"Canals," Daniel said abruptly.

Everyone stared at him, including Ove, still clamped to Keelin’s side.

"Irrigation," he said, a tad impatiently.  "For millennia, irrigation has meant the difference between a culture thriving or dying out.  The Hohokan Indians dug irrigation canals in pre-historic times in the deserts of Arizona, although I think the experience of the Peruvian Indians is more analogous in this case."

Everyone was still staring at him.

"Sam asked me to think about irrigation methods," Daniel explained.

Sam asked him to explain tools, Sam thought, vainly suppressing a flash of resentment.  It wasn't that she wanted to look good in front of Hueil...she glanced over at his smooth, tanned skin and warm brown eyes, the faint curl in his air…Okay, it was because she wanted to look good.  She also wanted to get laid, and the odds of that happening were about as remote as the looking good thing right now.  Sam was oh-so-very tired of being the picture-perfect model of majorly decorum, the sum of a PhD and an impeccable service record and nothing else.  Right now she wanted, needed something else, something hers and hers alone.  She was tired of being the officer.

She looked over at her teammates.

There were times when Daniel pushed every goddamn button she had and this seemed to be one of them.  It wasn't even rational.  Most times he would just carry her along and she'd finish what he started, but others…Others, she wanted to drop-kick him for being so fucking nice about leaving her for dust.  Sam had spent her whole life getting it quicker and clearer than anyone else, and only when she met Daniel and he'd outthought her in her own field had she even dimly comprehended how her intellect impacted on others, how she could make others feel.

Daniel carried people with him, most particularly the difficult, dangerous man hovering solicitously at his side.  Sam’s passion for physics shut people down on her, they just didn’t get it.  Or her.  The colonel didn’t get Daniel either, but he bought it regardless.  She was at the top of her field, the top of her game, and the colonel still managed to make her feel like a loser when she least expected it.

And right now, she could cheerfully kill the reason.  Daniel was in full flow and Hueil was totally focused on him, another nice guy who was totally task-oriented.  Why couldn't they hate their intellectual rivals, like nice, healthy, normal, competitive people?

Oh!  Of course!  Of course Daniel was smiling shyly now he was the focus of all the attention and the colonel was in a big puddle of goo along with little Ove and Hueil, and...

"The Incas were magnificent engineers," Daniel explained.

Of course they were!

"They terraced their arable land much as you do, and they too had problems with the cold temperatures and dry soil.  They dug irrigation channels from high in the mountains…"

"Like we saw on Cimmeria," Sam interjected.  "The Barre don't possess the level of technology necessary to manufacture that kind of channel."

"They don't need to," Daniel answered, surprised.  "In the 70s, an archaeologist called Ann Kendall discovered the Incas used clay as the foundations for their irrigation channels, to prevent water seepage into the soil, which is classic of soil-based slope irrigation systems.  The clay retains water and encourages roots to decay so the biological activity keeps the soil a few degrees warmer than the air temperature all year round.  The Barre certainly have the technology to extract and process clay.  It's the basis for their writing system as well as most domestic implements.  You have clay pits?" Daniel asked Hueil.

"Ay," Hueil affirmed, "The channels, Daniel?  It is my thought we must begin where the snow lies atop the mountains, yes?"

"Yes," Sam agreed.

"It will be a fiercesome task," Hueil grimaced.

"This will water the crops?" Keelin asked thoughtfully.  She glanced at Grania's fascinated face.  "Weylyn has clay pits aplenty.  It is in me we might trade the clay for…"

"The know-how?" Jack asked smoothly.

"Our crops fail often and often.  If there is ought I can do for my people, it shall be done," Keelin reproved him.

Jack shrugged, not willing to concede her altruism.

"It's possible it's been done already," Daniel suggested.  "Kendall didn't dig new channels, she excavated and repaired existing ones."  He turned to Grania.  "Have the Barre always lived here, in this valley?"

"No, Daniel,” Grania admitted, looking flustered.  “This was Belenos' Place, sacred to him.  We lived over yon in the mountains, hard by what is now Weylyn.  We lived thus for many generations."

Daniel bit his lip, looking ruefully at Jack.  "I told you.  A year's work on that table alone."  He smiled at Grania.  "Orality is often the greatest source of information to the archaeologist.  I hope you never stop telling stories of the past."

"The stories of these channels would have been in the Ancients tongue were they from that time," Grania agreed.  "It is possible I will find the where of them in the histories and we may all benefit from the knowing," she smiled around at them all.

"We have been hard pressed to live, Daniel," Anwyl confessed.  "Disease ravaged through the peoples of the Dwelling Place and over time we moved apart."

"Weylyn is oldest of all the Places," Keelin said proudly.

"The people rose up and warred with the Barre when we came into Belenos' Place," Anwyl admitted.  "None more so than the Weylyn," he added slyly.

Keelin inclined her head.  "That is done.  Our peoples have lived at peace for five cycles."

"Airic learned her lesson well," Ginebra said smoothly, walking slowly into the gap Grania and Anwyl made for her.  "Keelin is well-known to us all and will not need the teaching of it again."

Daniel spoke into the awkward pause.  "So you've raided all that time?"  He sighed.  "If all your resources have been directed into battling raiders, it might explain why the channels seemingly weren't dug concurrently with the terraces."  The battle for survival would have taken precedence.  Toiling throughout the spring and summer to raise subsistence crops, raids in the autumn, and survival of the brutally cold winters.  It was obvious why the people were so connected to one another and to their land.  He suspected the inter-marrying was another survival strategy, a way to blur those clan lines and blunt the conflicts.  It would be harder to attack a rival village if a sister or son or cousin was there.  Daniel turned to Grania.  "If you can establish the terraces were here when the Barre occupied the valley, the chances are good the irrigation channels are here also.  Look for evidence of who built the terraces."

"I understand," Grania agreed.  "If this matter is of importance, might we use this time for all the Scribes to be taught to read the 'alphabet' of the Ancients tongue?  Every Place has its own share of the oldest histories.  If Daniel will teach us all, it is my thought we will find what we seek more quickly.  If Daniel may be allowed to teach us?" she prompted Jack.

"He may," Jack agreed at once.  It was something productive, something both his kids could get their teeth into and feel good about starting when they had to walk away.

"As for the question of bringing fresh water and sanitation into the villages as opposed to using wells and these earth closets, aqueducts would do the job,” Daniel suggested, smiling gratefully at Jack.  “The Romans used pipes in ten foot sections, with blocks of stone creating the joints.  The water supply from the river would be continuous; you'd need a nozzle within each home to contain it.   I’m sure Sam could…"

“Yes," Sam agreed promptly.  The theoretical astrophysicist had blown up one sun and helped repair another.  She felt she could probably muddle her way through nozzles.  “We have ideas on how to make up the pipe using the local tools and materials.  Hueil and I have been experimenting.”

"Ay,” Hueil agreed, smiling warmly at Sam.  “And I see the way of it now, Daniel, but this also will not be done soon," he judged.  "Though that may be well.  It is my thought a man would be the poorer in respect for knowledge he did not earn.  We have the bones, and it is for me to flesh them out.  I thank you for it," Hueil bowed slightly to Daniel before smiling warmly at Sam.  "If Samantha will assist, I too may begin.  Best we go wrong with our friends about us to mend it, ay?"

Sam grinned at him.  More oy than ay, but still…She wished they'd had time to go into the mating rituals round these parts, but this was a pragmatic culture, and rural.  If Hueil was as interested as she was, they'd find some way to communicate the desire.  Sooner, rather than later.

Hell, she was only human.  What was sauce for the colonel was very definitely sauce for the major.  She wasn't going to find her dream life at the SGC, wasn’t likely to ever get to pleasurably juggle the responsibilities of clusters and children, couldn't even find herself a reliable fuck-buddy.  Well, fuck that.  Who needed commitment?  No one would get hurt here, least of all her, and a very good time should be had by all.  "Sir?"

"Knock yourself out, Carter."

Sam fully intended to.  She took graceful leave of Ginebra and the others, dropping into step at Hueil's side.  When she smiled over at him she caught the subtle, predatory interest.  She'd just have to be explicit.  Very explicit.

Ginebra nodded.  "I think all the Chieftains will desire to share this knowledge, Hueil.  We will speak of it in Council."

Keelin flashed her small, knowing smile at Jack.  "It is tradition that we meet privately thus and hold Council.  It is my thought as the 'commander' of your people, your place is at our side, O'Neill."

Bitch, Daniel thought.

"Penarddun is Scribe of Weylyn, Daniel," Keelin informed Daniel sweetly as she eased up to stand at Jack's side.  "Well known to Grania.  I will send her to you and you may report to us on the morrow."  The dismissal was unmistakeable.

Daniel smiled back.  "I'll debrief Jack tonight, immediately after the Council."

Yes, Sir!  Jack grinned, sternly suppressing the urge to salute at the unspoken 'or else'.  Easy, big fella, he thought.  The only bed he would be climbing into tonight would be Daniel's.  A very hot, bothered and horny Daniel from the look of him.  Jack was having a blast.  It wasn't that often he got missions where the biggest things on his mind were plumbing and a pissy, possessive lover.

Feedback makes the difference between writing and posting; please contact me at biblio@jd-divas.com