The
evening meal was served at - what else - a library table. It had
a large gold urn more or less in the centre of it, containing a
cheerfully sloppy floral arrangement. There was a lot of gold at
the table, including the goblets they were to drink from, the plates,
the large serving platters Lokhail was placing strategically where
people could reach them, and the cutlery.
The
food itself was plain and plentiful, steaming hot and smelling very
good indeed. Looking at each of his friends, Daniel couldn't
remember the last time he'd seen them this relaxed. Sam's grin
was dangerously close to soppy, Teal'c was hanging avidly -
comparatively speaking - on Tuyett's every word, and Jack's hand was
warm at the small of Daniel's back.
"How
was your day?" Sam asked brightly, probably as a precursor to telling
them about her own.
"I
read a really great book."
Everyone
looked at Jack.
He
smiled, a fat, smug smile. "Less of the attitude, kids. I
had my own tickets at the public library when I was three - my Nana
used to take me every Friday afternoon. I still remember the
first book I borrowed. It was about a plucky little lost lion
cub."
Daniel
was enchanted.
"This
book was even better." After some cautious prodding, Jack decided
the blue root vegetables weren't actively hostile and ladled a heaped
spoonful onto his golden plate. Then he added some savoury
smelling meat stew and fluffy, golden dumplings, some creamy mashed
whatever, and thick gravy. "It was about a general called
Tacticus."
"Not
Tacitus," Daniel interjected for Sam's sake. "I checked."
He'd checked because he hadn't believed what he was hearing.
"The
guy was well named," Jack commented lightly.
"Thank
you," Tuyett beamed. "I am of his house and I was named for his
greatest victory, Colonel Jack."
"This
I learned," Jack said approvingly. "What can I say? Gotta
love a general who loves an enemy willing to die for his cause."
"Why?"
Sam asked cautiously.
"It
means you both have the exact same aim in mind," Jack observed blandly,
taking a big mouthful of stew and blue tuber. He chewed
thoughtfully and was pleased to approve.
Sam
chuckled.
"There's
more," Daniel warned her.
"Much,"
Jack agreed pleasantly.
Seeing
that Jack was engaged with another heroic portion of stew and mashed
something, Daniel tried to give a flavour of how Tacticus' mind had
worked. "There is a sure way to avoid defeat in a situation in
which you are out-manned, out-gunned and out-manoeuvred," Daniel
recited.
"Which
is?" Sam asked before she could stop herself.
"Don't
have a battle." Daniel nibbled some dumpling and had a
think. "I liked this anecdote in particular: 'When
your enemy is in an impregnable fortress, see that he stays there'."
Jack
looked up brightly. "Does the Genizah do take-out?"
"Genizah
gives freely," Ghenn answered easily, rolling her goblet between her
small, capable hands. "The choice to take or to learn is yours."
"That’s
what you all did!" Daniel realised, looking at each of the
Sisters. "You all chose to learn."
"Knowledge
attained without effort is dangerous," Ghenn agreed seriously.
"Though I think you know this. For those unburdened by the
responsibility and effort of earning knowledge, there is no greater
weapon. They fail to give of themselves, instead taking from
others. Do not the Goa'uld tell this tale?"
"They
are parasitic," Teal'c answered coldly. "They take everything
from those whom they conquer and enslave, even their souls." He
glanced compassionately at Daniel for a moment. "They use the
fear and ignorance of men to rule them, twisting faith and noble
purpose to serve evil ends. It is a tale told by too many, a tale
I would end to see my people live - or die - free."
"There
is much cost in the earning of such a goal," Eiliana observed.
"Much responsibility."
Teal'c
bowed.
"It
is a worthy aim, Teal'c of Chulak," Tuyett judged, Scollen murmuring
agreement.
"I
guess that means the answer is no," Jack commented.
"You
take what you learn," Ghenn reminded him, grinning.
"I
agree with you," Daniel said slowly. "We're guilty of taking
short-cuts ourselves and they never work out."
"Our
standing orders are to seek new allies and procure technologies to aid
in the defence against the Goa'uld!" Sam argued hotly.
"I
know! I don't need to be reminded!" Daniel snapped. "It
doesn't change the fact it’s ultimately self-defeating. Look at
the Death Glider the Air Force tinkered with or the use your naquadah
generator has been put to."
Sam
frowned at him, taking a few sharp bites of her blue tuber.
"Have
you seen it providing clean energy anywhere on Earth?" Daniel
asked. And answered. "No. Providing any kind of
tangible benefit to the quality of life among the poorest peoples in
the world?"
Sam
was looking uncomfortable, but she didn't have a riposte for that.
"No."
Daniel answered his own question, making a strenuous effort to calm his
voice. "With our current geo-political climate, you never
will. We cut our own electricity bill, Sam."
Sam
flinched, scowling at him.
"I
failed to blow you up with one," Jack interjected helpfully.
"Exactly!
Thank you!"
"My
pleasure," Jack snorted.
Daniel
looked seriously at Sam. "Our government is only interested in
weapons technology, in the national advantages they can wring from what
we bring back without arousing suspicion about our advances. If
they were looking to use the Stargate to benefit mankind, it wouldn't
be a secret."
"You're
lecturing us on naïveté?" Jack asked.
"Realism,
I guess," Daniel said, sitting back. "I try not to sugar-coat
what we do and why. All I'm saying is that in the rush to fulfil
those standing orders and keep the Stargate program viable, Sam and I
cut corners on scholarly responsibility and ethics."
Sam
nodded, reluctantly conceding the point. "I try," she said
slowly, shrugging helplessly.
"I
know," Daniel agreed gently. "Me too."
"There
are many dilemmas," Ghenn agree sadly. "It is ever a struggle to
choose whether to look within or to ask an answer of others. On
Quarter Day, the Mandir is filled with supplicants to the Goddess."
"In
times of great need, also," Eiliana reminded her.
"There
are two men who farm side by side," Ghenn confided. "Each a good
man and just, yet they battle for ownership of a river valley that runs
between their lands. Each has water aplenty, yet they fight for
the day the river runs dry. Must one farm die that the other may
live? Each farmer came to the Goddess begging her intercession on
his behalf, their pleas so powerful they turned an old friend to an
enemy between one breath and the next."
"The
goddess is never going to win that one," Jack said crisply. "If
she's open to advice, try this on for size. She gets to keep the
valley - dedicated to her or whatever - but allows both farms to use
the water."
"Gives
of her bounty?" Ghenn asked, clearly much struck by this idea.
"Whatever,"
Jack agreed generously. "And if tempers are fraying, I'd suggest
making that valley sacred too. Smite mightily any pissy farmer
dumb enough to stray onto it without permission. Both the farmers
will be so ticked off at the goddess for stiffing them both, they'll
forget the feud in no time." He beamed at his rapt, and in some
cases confused, audience.
"Jack
is from Minnesota," Daniel felt compelled to explain.
"O'Neill
is used to the resolution of petty disputes with angry neighbours, many
of which begin with the fatal phrase, 'I caught a crappie this big',"
Teal'c said dryly, holding his hands an improbable distance
apart. "The crappie is a fish," he explained. He noted that
his hosts each held the polite silence of the uncomprehending.
"It may help to know that among the Tau'ri, Minnesota is known as the
land of ten thousand lakes and no fish."
Daniel
jumped two feet in the air when the knock on his door sounded. He
rushed over to let Jack in before he panicked completely, flung the
door open, stumbled and found himself practically nose to symbiote with
a fraternally concerned Jaffa.
"Are
you not alright, DanielJackson?" Teal'c asked gently, inexorably
inserting himself into Daniel's rather nice bedchamber.
"Um
- "
Teal'c
took both of Daniel's shoulders in a kind, supportive clasp. "I
have noticed your unease when in proximity to Colonel O'Neill," he
informed Daniel gently. "If you are at odds, then I am unsure as
to the cause or the justness of your dispute. I am however
brother to you both and cannot stand idly by while you are in need."
Daniel
took a moment to digest this. He wasn't sure why he'd impulsively
invited Jack to his room. He wasn't sure if Jack was interpreting
this to mean they would have sex. Daniel wasn't sure if he was
interpreting this to mean they would have sex. He was sure he
couldn't talk about them having sex, certainly not with Teal'c, and
possibly not with Jack, who really wanted to have sex.
"I'm
fine," he said at last.
"You
do not wish to talk about it."
"Am
I interrupting?" Sam called from where she was hovering in the
doorway. "I can come back," she offered reluctantly, looking
keenly at Daniel.
"Sam!"
Daniel called, hoping that whatever she wanted, she was willing to talk
about it and he could shake off both his friends before he had to open
up and confide anything that could get Jack court-martialled.
"Come in!"
Sam
smiled and wandered in, looking around Daniel's room. "Doesn't
this remind you of all those Elizabethan swashbuckling movies with
Errol Flynn?" she asked, admiring the gorgeous canopied bed, its exotic
cloth of gold draperies and the substantial, exquisitely carved
furniture. The black and white tiles on the floor, large leaded
windows and wooden shutters all added to the effect.
"Tudor
architecture didn't come with under-floor heating and perfect humidity
control," Daniel said dryly, glad of the distraction.
Sam
put her palm against the stone wall. "This grey stone is nice,"
she sighed. "It's like limestone, warmer, not so bleak and
perfect as the obsidian on the exterior walls."
Teal'c
looked quizzically at Daniel.
"Are
you okay, Sam?" Daniel asked.
"Yes,"
Sam answered, looking slightly surprised. "Yes, I think I
am. I've spent a lot of time with Eiliana and Scollen."
"It's
got you thinking?"
"You
have decided to allow General Kerrigan to pay court to you," Teal'c
observed with warm satisfaction, revealing a more than passing
familiarity with Elizabethan swashbucklers himself.
Sam
blushed and nodded, her eyes sparkling. "Something like
that. I mean - it's just a guest lecture at the university - and
dinner."
"Wear
that copper coloured dress," Daniel ordered. "The silk one."
"It
is most becoming," Teal'c agreed.
"Really?"
Sam beamed at them.
"Indeed.
Your butt does not look big in that."
Jack
tapped quietly on Daniel's door.
"Sam?"
a cautious voice called.
"No."
"Thank
god!" Daniel announced with heartfelt sincerity, opening the door and
peeking out nervously. "I was scared she'd come back."
"Should
I ask why?"
Daniel
shuddered.
Jack
decided to get straight to the point. If he was breaking every
rule in the book, he was damned if he wasn't going to break them good
and hard. He slid an arm around Daniel's waist, shoved the door
shut behind him then steered them both towards the bed.
"Are
- are we going to have sex?" Daniel asked nervously.
"That
isn't up to me," Jack answered, surprised. He sat Daniel down on
the edge of the bed and knelt in front of him, easing Daniel's thighs
apart to move between them, resting his hands at Daniel's hips.
Daniel looked at him gravely for a moment, then held his face between
gentle hands.
Jack
let Daniel come to him and kiss him with more confidence than he was
expecting. He opened to a flickering, probing tongue, responding
enthusiastically as Daniel plunged into his mouth with something like
eagerness. He pushed back aggressively against each limber rasp
of Daniel's tongue over his, smiling when Daniel's arms wrapped tight
around his shoulders and hugged him close.
Jack
let his fingers trail slowly down from Daniel's hip to stroke lightly
over his crotch. Daniel's breath caught. Jack began to rub
Daniel rhythmically through the roughness of his BDUs. As Daniel
deepened the kiss, he began to get hard from Jack's confident
stroking. Jack unbuttoned Daniel's fly and pushed the BDUs down,
allowing his swelling erection to spring free. As he felt Jack's
skin against his for the first time, Daniel gasped, breaking off the
kiss, his head falling forward onto Jack's shoulder.
"Can
I?" Jack asked huskily.
"Please,"
Daniel invited him honestly, not even attempting to deny he wanted this.
Daniel
was blushing furiously when Jack surged up to pull off his T-shirt,
finally baring the smooth creamy skin he'd coveted so long, but
Daniel's eyes were heavy and slumberous, his lips parted on quick,
panting breaths, his face tight and achy.
"Jack."
He
yanked off Daniel's pants without finesse, sent him sprawling back
naked on the bed while he stripped with shaking, clumsy fingers,
staring at Daniel's fine, strong body, the elegant cock jutting
aggressively towards the flat slope of his belly, then he fell on
Daniel like a starving man on a banquet.
Daniel
cried out in shock as Jack's mouth closed avidly over his cock, his
hips arching helplessly. Pinning Daniel's hips securely, Jack
licked lightly over the sensitive head of his cock, making Daniel
squirm. His skin tasted of mint, the tang of that weird stuff he
showered with zinging Jack's tongue as he licked voluptuously over the
still swelling cock. Daniel was making incredible little noises,
muffled, breathy and greedy, moaned into his stifling hands.
When
Jack suckled a heavy ball velvet in his mouth, hot against his
squeezing tongue, Daniel hooked a leg convulsively tight over Jack's
back. Jack took Daniel's cock into his mouth, sucking
luxuriously. Daniel writhed, his sensitive fingers clenching
suddenly in Jack's hair.
Jack
sucked Daniel deeper into his mouth, rubbing his tongue over the
throbbing flesh. Daniel moaned desperately, his whole body
quivering. Jack opened his mouth wider and took Daniel in deeper,
sucking him slowly, savouring the taste and touch of him, the smell…
"Ohgod,"
Daniel moaned, another of those delicious quivers shaking his
body. "Jaa-aack, do me. Please. Just do me."
Jack
pursed his mouth tight, sliding slowly down Daniel's cock as far as he
could take him in his throat, then eased back, sucking steadily.
"OhgodJackohgod,"
Daniel whimpered, drunk with sensation, his head tossing restlessly on
the pillows, narrow hips straining up into Jack's pinning hands.
Jack
opened wide and swallowed Daniel deeper, rubbing him with his tongue,
sucking powerfully on his cock, shocks of pleasure seeming to shake
continually through Daniel's now sweat-sleek body as Jack watched him
intently, memorising every curve and contour.
With
the breath sobbing in Daniel's throat, Jack felt he had to end it
quickly, reaching up to massage Daniel's sensitive balls with careful
fingers. Daniel hoarsely yelled out his name and came
convulsively, shooting his load over Jack's tongue, spilling down his
throat.
Sucking
sleekly, swallowing pulse after pulse of come, Jack rubbed Daniel's
belly soothingly, bringing him down easy. When he lifted his head
at last, Daniel grabbed his face and hauled him up into an ecstatic,
grateful kiss, tears glistening on his cheeks.
"I
can’t believe you did that," Daniel whispered shakily. "I can't
believe you did that!"
"It
was good," Jack promised, accepting another thank you kiss. He
soothed away the tears, licking the salt-taste from his fingers.
Daniel
ate his mouth, thrusting hungrily into him, moaning when Jack captured
his tongue, sucking on it as he'd sucked on Daniel's cock.
He
loved the feel of Daniel under him, warm and vital, slender and
surprisingly strong, his skin slick with sweat, flushed with
pleasure. He loved the feel of Daniel on him, his hands quick and
curious, touching everything, everywhere, at once. He loved
Daniel wanting to kiss. Jack happily obliged with a deep, tender
kiss that had Daniel clinging to him, his arms wrapped around Jack's
neck and head in something close to a chokehold.
Daniel
was as sweet and generous as Jack had dreamed, more passionate than
he'd imagined and very guy about getting what he wanted. He
wanted to kiss, he wanted to stroke Jack's hair and touch his face,
trace the shape of his lips and the scar in his eyebrow. He was
rosy, sweaty and sated, wide-eyed and wondering, so open, so vulnerable
it hurt.
He
was also infuriatingly stubborn and downright naughty, groping Jack's
ass with abandon, looking up at Jack with melting blue eyes, his hands
everywhere but where they were supposed to be, which was on Jack's
begging cock.
Jack
nudged Daniel's thighs apart, pushing his hips unsubtly into Daniel's.
"Again?"
Daniel asked, blushing and brilliant eyed as Jack's cock stroked
sleekly over his.
"Whaddya
mean, again?" Jack demanded indignantly, fighting a losing battle
against a sloppy smile. He rocked his hips into Daniel's again,
hissing as Daniel's still hot, throbbing cock rubbed his just right.
"Mmm."
Daniel liked that, he liked that just fine.
His
hand came up to cup Jack's cheek and Jack kissed the palm, smiling to
himself as Daniel went all breathless and shy. Jack's heart
thudded painfully. "God, I love you," he breathed, rocking his
hips slowly, none of which helped Daniel recover his composure.
He
hugged Jack tightly to him, helpfully pushing generously up into each
of Jack's powerful thrusts, nibbling nervously on Jack's shoulder,
which was decidedly erotic. When Jack pulled roughly at Daniel's thigh,
wanting the weight of his leg across his back again, Daniel wrapped
both legs around him. Jack hissed his pleasure, hooked his arms
over Daniel's shoulders, holding him right where he needed him.
He
lost it a little then, driving into Daniel's supple, generous warmth,
jolting the perfect, fine boned body on the bed like he'd dreamed so
often, his skin sliding over and over Daniel's quivering belly, the
force of their grinding cocks slowly arousing Daniel. The whole
time Daniel was kissing him, his lips brushing softly over Jack's cheek
and temple, grazing his throat and jaw.
Jack
kissed Daniel, stroking sweetly into him, his mouth finding the
gentleness Daniel deserved instead of this pounding…but it was so good,
so right moving Daniel this way, feeling him shake and pant beneath
Jack. Good hearing Daniel's refined voice harshly gasping Jack's
name over and over again as he got excited, got hard, his heart
hammering against Jack's as he drove into Daniel, using the whole of
his body, powering into each thrust with his knees.
Daniel's
legs slipped down to the bed, his feet planted to shove him up to grind
into Jack, his fingers clawing at Jack's ass, slipping on the sweat,
trying to haul him closer as they strained together.
Jack
groaned over the hot, silk skin slippery against his own, the warm,
firm muscles quivering as Daniel lost it, their hips stuttering.
He opened his eyes wide to drink in Daniel's astonished gratitude as he
convulsed silently beneath Jack, sudden heat splashing over Jack's
belly.
Then
Jack let go, let it all go, roaring out in triumph as he came
explosively, his cock spasming, orgasm pulsing long and luxurious.
Daniel
was whispering insistently into Jack's throat. When he finally
made sense of it, Jack laughed exuberantly, feeling like a total stud,
tumbling onto his side, pulling Daniel into a greedy, gloating bearhug
of tangled arms and legs, his semen warm and slick on Daniel's belly
and groin.
"Honestly,
Jack," Daniel complained, sounding as dazed and shaky as he looked.
Jack
affectionately kissed his nose.
"I
really had decided we should just talk."
With
an armful of affectionate linguist sprawled all over him, hugging every
part he could reach, Jack wasn't disposed to move. He wanted to
just idle here and gloat over Daniel for a while. He found the
silky hair tickling his throat irresistible, stroking it gently.
Daniel stirred sleepily, nuzzled into him and settled again.
Admitting
that a forty-seven year old Special Ops colonel shouldn't squeal with
excitement was far easier than stopping himself from doing it.
Jack couldn't even remember the last time he felt this relaxed.
Dammit, this hopeful. Daniel had appeared to enjoy making love
with him, very much. He'd enjoyed the cuddling and kissing
afterwards as much as he'd enjoyed the sex, although he was more than a
little tongue-tied. He also hadn't been able to tear his eyes off
Jack until he tumbled into the profound sleep of the thoroughly
satisfied.
This
morning, Daniel was comfortable. No panic attacks, no falling out
of bed in complete shock. No sex either, but Jack was years
beyond pride. He'd take Daniel any way he could get him.
"Um…"
Daniel diffidently greeted the dawn of a new day and a face full of
Jack's chest hair.
Jack
cupped Daniel's chin and pulled him into a soft kiss, moulding their
mouths together and making like crazy glue. Nothing pornographic,
just some pleasurable tactile reassurance. Daniel allowed himself
to be persuaded, tried out a little erotic lip nibbling and emerged
from the embrace ruffled, breathless and smiling.
"Let's
have sex, " Daniel asked decidedly. "Please," he added politely.
"Isn't
that my line?" Jack snorted.
"I'd
like…would you touch me, Jack?" Daniel asked.
"Worried
last night was just about you being horny?" Jack asked shrewdly.
With Daniel, honesty was always the best policy.
"No-oo,"
Daniel said slowly, looking troubled. "I - I wasn't thinking
clearly, and we - er - we moved too fast. I want to know…I want
your hands on me, Jack."
"Lie
on your back," Jack ordered, deciding he could get with this program.
Daniel
did so, tucking his left arm behind his head. As Jack laid his
hand on Daniel's belly, Daniel's right hand came down to rest over his.
"You
think too much, Daniel." Jack knelt up, moving to sit between Daniel's
legs, which he nudged apart to hook loosely round his hips.
Daniel
was staring up at Jack, the shy, wondering look very much in evidence
again.
When
Jack took Daniel's cock in his hand, Daniel gasped out loud, scrunching
his eyes shut in embarrassment as he got aroused painfully fast, just
from the warmth of Jack's cupping palm around him.
"Lie
still," Jack asked him. Maybe this wasn't what Daniel had in
mind, but Jack reached up to hold Daniel's hand, entwining their
fingers as he began to touch Daniel's cock gently. He watched
Daniel, stroking him softly, seeing what felt good for him, seeking out
and learning each sweet spot. Daniel liked when Jack brushed his
thumb over the head, pressing in just a little. He shook when
Jack began to rub gentle circles, his fingers clenching hard in Jack's
hand. "Daniel?"
"It's
good," Daniel gasped.
"Hmm?"
Jack kept right on rubbing, enjoying the sudden flush staining Daniel's
cheeks, the sweat standing proud on his brow.
"Very
good!"
"Relax
and enjoy it." Jack smiled. Daniel was enjoying it enough
his knees were gripping Jack's waist, his ass lifting clean off the bed
as Jack rubbed maddening, methodical circles all over his straining
cock.
Daniel
moaned out when Jack caressed his balls, his ass and thighs clenching
reflexively, pearly fluid beading the head of his erection. Jack
hitched closer, taking his cock and Daniel's between his hands,
stroking them both, rolling and squeezing them together with firm,
massaging pressure.
"That's
- that's - oh!" The SGC's resident linguist and inspirational
diplomat failed to find words to adequately describe what Jack was
doing to him. Instead, Daniel sat up very quickly, hugged Jack to
him like he hadn't been hugged in forever and kissed him passionately.
Jack
had never been with a more grateful or surprised lover. It was
worrying. He was seriously rethinking his position on Daniel's
sexual experience. It was becoming apparent that the two partners
Jack knew of - Sara and Sha'uri - were it. Given Daniel had
apparently not been able to tell the difference between his ex and a
psychotic mass murdering Goa'uld, and Sha'uri hadn't even known how to
kiss, Daniel was possibly in for a few shocks between the sheets.
"You've
experience of oral sex?" Jack asked delicately while Daniel was
nibbling him again. He found this very cute, very distracting and
very erotic in its own very Daniel way.
Daniel
sat back and looked at him. "You want me to - um?" He
lifted his eyebrows enquiringly. "Sarah was - she - er -
Yes. I - I have experience."
The
determination with which Daniel avoided Jack's eyes probably meant
Daniel's ex Sarah was a selfish bitch in the sack. Jack realised
he'd moved WAY too fast. Not that this meant Daniel wasn't
willing to try new things. He was touched when long slender
fingers pushed one of his hands aside, Daniel carefully and somewhat
curiously stroking Jack while he stroked Daniel.
They
found a rhythm quickly, connecting as they'd always done, each with an
arm around the other's waist. They flowed into a passionate,
fluid kiss, mouths moving over one another, tongues flickering out to
lick and taste.
It
was Daniel's gentleness that got to Jack, the slow, satisfying
sensuality as they rubbed and squeezed their cocks together, hands
beginning to grip and glide. Warmth and pleasure were rippling
through him when he felt the tremor in Daniel's thighs, hugging tight
either side of his hips, then Daniel sighed into his mouth, slick heat
pouring into his hand. With a few more urgent strokes Jack came
too.
Daniel
looked at Jack's semen on his hand, then he brought his fingers to his
mouth and licked them, intensely curious. He was apparently okay
with this because he kissed Jack hard on the mouth, then his cheek, and
finally his shoulder, resting his head there.
Jack
had learned a few things, some important. Among them that Daniel
needed to touch and be touched, needed affection as much as he needed
sex. They still had some time before dawn broke, so Jack held
Daniel, stroking his hair.
"You
okay?" he asked after a while.
"I
- I think so."
"Apart
from being in a state of shock?" Jack asked more gently.
"A-apart
from that, yes," Daniel agreed determinedly.
"And
the whole having to rethink your sexuality thing?" Jack prompted.
"Honestly?"
Daniel sat back, his eyes sparkling with mischief as his hand snaked
between them to stroke wonderingly over Jack's cock. "I don't
have the energy to care."
It
was raining again, the sky slate-grey and swollen, darkening the room
so much Genizah had obliged with some nice lighting directed carefully
to illuminate where he was working. Daniel had said thank you and
still felt silly. He was extremely glad that Jack, Sam and Teal'c
had been lured off by Tuyett and Scollen for a demonstration of
superior firepower. He needed some space and quiet time alone to
think.
Breakfast
had been very trying. It had taxed his communication skills to
the utmost to respond coherently to his friends' and the Sisters'
enquiries about how well he'd slept when Jack was taking full advantage
of the two of them being tucked away together at the end of the huge
dining table to fondly cup and stroke Daniel's ass.
Daniel
had wanted to haul Jack straight back to bed and go at it again.
He
was shocked at himself. All his rationalisations, his seemingly
mature decisions had melted away from him the moment he saw the heat
and hunger in Jack's eyes. It hadn't even occurred to Daniel to
prevaricate. He'd just tumbled giddily into bed and let Jack go
wild.
He'd
had sex with Jack. Sex! Good sex - he thought it was good,
anyway - along with the shock of Colonel Jack O'Neill knowing exactly
what he was doing and doing it so darned well. Jack was either
extremely well-read on a wider range of subjects than Daniel had ever
thought possible or - or he'd done this before
Daniel
sat back, nibbling on the end of his pen, frowning in the general
direction of the window, realising abruptly that he felt
decidedly unenthusiastic at the thought of Jack being so very good at
sex with anyone else. It was selfish, but he was quite grateful
Jack was passionately in love with him. It seemed to make Jack
completely uncritical where Daniel's sexual technique or lack thereof
was concerned. It was encouraging that Jack had no immediate
complaints or constructive suggestions for improvement. Daniel
was hopeful he wasn't suffering from any odious comparisons with men
who had a lot more going for them than he did.
As
far as critiquing his own performance was concerned, all Daniel knew
was that he hadn't been uncomfortable with Jack, even if he had been
surprised several times. The sex was good - he did actually think
it was good, at least the part Jack had been in charge of was good -
and so was being with Jack. He'd rather enjoyed lying tangled up
with Jack afterwards, soaked in sweat , his belly liberally coated with
semen from both of them, too breathless from their lovemaking to speak,
just enjoying being so close he could feel Jack's comforting heartbeat
steadying slowly against his chest.
So
many new sensations to process. The hair on Jack's chest and
thighs, chafing his skin as they made love. The powerful muscles
driving Jack's body into his. The unaccustomed weight and
strength pinning him on his back. He couldn't find words to
describe how Jack's cock had felt stroking and grinding over his, not
without wandering into Harlequin romance territory. Throbbing was
probably the best of an embarrassing array of adjectives.
Daniel's
eyes slid again to his radio, sitting virtuously within reach, right
there on the table, as per S.O.P. Unfortunately, the Air Force
lacked the foresight to provide a suitable code for SG-1's civilian
consultant to order SG-1's team leader to return - urgently - so he
could drag him into bed and they could have sex again.
Maybe
lunchtime, Daniel thought optimistically. Could they sneak off
for a quickie? The - frottage, he thought the term was - would
take too long, the way Jack got completely off on rubbing himself
enthusiastically over every inch of skin Daniel possessed…
Daniel
snapped himself out of his reverie, acutely aware of the precious,
severely limited time he was wasting so profligately. He
conscientiously returned to his book and was annoyed to find he had to
re-read his own notes to make sense of the chapter he'd reached.
He knew now that Ra had discovered Heliopolis over fifteen thousand
years ago, plundering its technologies, claiming it as his own along
with the network of Stargates, cementing his position as Supreme System
Lord.
Strangely,
the only technology that had survived Ra's predation was the
communication device bearing the universal language. Perhaps Ra
had left it intending to return at some point to study the device
further?
Daniel
looked at the glyphs in his book. Then he looked some more, in
case there was a sudden improvement in his flagging
comprehension. Then he sighed, sank lower in his chair and
nibbled his pen again broodingly. He was not happy that Jack had
had sex with men, certainly enough that Jack had gotten very good at
it. Daniel didn't feel judgemental, except about himself.
Faced with irrefutable evidence of Jack's sexuality, Daniel reluctantly
had to admit that he could be a tad naïve about people. Even
his closest friend, it seemed.
He
didn't think it was the end of the world to think the best of people,
to have patience, and being immodest for a moment, resilience.
Getting Jack to talk at all took the relentless patience and resilience
of Chinese Water Torture, and there was no way the topic of Jack's
sexuality was ever going to come up voluntarily from either of them.
It
probably still wouldn't, even though Daniel was now the focus of Jack's
sexuality. It was just completely embarrassing that the only way
Jack could communicate a fundamental truth about himself to his closest
friend and inadequate confidant was to throw Daniel on the bed and go
down on him.
Damn.
Even thinking about it…no matter how Daniel tried to rationalise it, he
was very unhappy with the thought of Jack using his filthy, talented,
wonderful mouth on anyone else. Very.
Even
knowing it was childish, irrational and wholly his problem - it was his
insecurity, not Jack's - didn't stop him wanting to share. He was
going to have to talk to Jack. About sex. Preferably
without getting hysterical over any answers about who, when, where and
what, that may or may not be forthcoming.
He
was not going to ask how he compared.
He
was also not going to allow Jack any basis for further comparison in
the future. If Jack wanted Daniel, he was damned well going to
get him. And only him. He was definitely going to have face
facts. There was no conceivable way this sea-change in his
friendship with Jack was temporary. Going down on your friend -
it - it wasn't the kind of thing a man could take back. Jack was
indubitably thinking long term commitment.
He
felt totally out of his depth. Jack had been prepared for
something to happen between them for three years, while Daniel wandered
blithely along at his side, oblivious to the subtext. Twenty-four
hours after he discovered Jack's feelings for him, Daniel had gone to
bed with him. It seemed pretty obvious why - his own feelings for
Jack went deeper than he'd ever suspected.
No,
not deeper. Not that. It was more that there was a
different texture to his feelings, a need he'd failed to interpret,
that had quietly grown until it exploded out of him, down Jack's
willing throat.
Daniel
sighed, embarrassed all over again. He could hardly believe he
could feel those occasional twinges of awareness, those small tugs of
attraction from time to time and never, ever realise what they
meant. So much for him being the empathic, introspective one.
He
tried to imagine himself doing what he understood to be conventional
relationship type things with Jack - like dating and grocery shopping
and stuff - and failed. The last time he'd allowed Jack to lure
him into an evening of socialising, Daniel had wound up face down in a
mound of green Jell-O, presumably while Jack - er - sublimated.
Had
Jack ever had a relationship with a man? As opposed to mutually
enjoyable, healthy sex? Daniel was surprised by how much he
wanted the answer to be no, that in some way he needed to be the
first. The only. He really needed this to mean as much to
Jack, to be as huge and encompassing a shift in Jack's life as it was
in his own.
He
guessed if he and Jack were together, and Jack was definitely acting as
if they were, then his partner, Significant Other - lover - whatever he
was supposed to call it, needed some ground rules. There were
limits to Daniel's patience, resilience and altruism, which meant
Jack's paternally protective 'Me! Me! Me!' possessiveness
had to be severely curtailed.
Apparently
landing himself a boyfriend was more than enough for Daniel to cope
with. He couldn’t handle a surrogate father with all the brakes
off too.
Actually,
he wasn't sure he could handle the boyfriend. Daniel was
completely unnerved at the thought of spending all the time with Jack
that Jack would presumably want, and wholly deserved if they were
together in some loving, mature, mutually supportive
relationship. Not that Daniel didn't like being around Jack, but
they'd never shared their personal space.
As
close as they were on missions, Daniel had never been past the bathroom
in Jack's house, while Jack rarely if ever came to the loft. And
that was the simplest part of sharing space, making room for another
person in your life, your home. Making it home for them.
Daniel was happy alone, never disconcerted by his own solitude, never
at a loss for occupation or distraction or pleasure. He wasn't
sure how to share his space with Jack when it made Jack so
uncomfortable to be there.
There
were also all those times after missions when they needed lots of space
from one another to generally cool off and see reason, a vital process
which would not be aided in any way by Daniel sulking alone in his bed
because he didn't get to have sex.
As
a shaft of sunlight danced across the polished surface of the table,
Genizah helpfully extinguished the overhead lighting it had provided
while Daniel worked. "Thank you," Daniel muttered absently, still
wrestling with the thorny issue of equality and fairness as it
pertained to whose bed he got to have sex in.
An
unwelcome thought intruded. He looked up sharply, his eyes
widening. "Were you watching us?"
The
lights glowed coyly blue.
"This
is not the Atrium," Daniel complained in the general direction of the
rough stone staircase the travel pod had deposited him at. The
familiar golden 'walk this way' symbol glowed on the archway above his
head. Daniel turned in time to see the travel pod whisk itself
away. "That's not fair!" he called after it.
He
headed cautiously down the stairs, more curious about what Genizah
wanted him to see than alarmed at its wilfulness. He'd been
cloned into a machine that thought and felt like him, believed it was
him. He'd also had a computer chip implanted in his brain that
evolved an annoying personality and resilient self-awareness. It
wasn't much of a stretch for Daniel to accept this level of artificial
intelligence, or a measure of self-determination from a machine.
He reminded himself that humans too could be categorised as machines,
electro-chemical in nature. Genizah seemed altruistic, at least
as far as he and his friends were concerned, and Jack's threat
assessment in his reports to Hammond continued to hover between 'zip'
and 'zilch'.
The
staircase was palpably older than those near the Atrium, which was
presumably the newest part of Genizah. Daniel took the turn and
continued on down another flight, then another. He found himself
at the top of a narrow walkway of steep gradient, without windows, inky
darkness pooling ahead of him. As he stepped hesitantly forward,
muted light flared. As he walked on, the next section ahead would
illuminate and then darkness would close in behind him.
Sensing
that Jack would not approve of him plunging into the depths of Genizah
all alone, Daniel decided to test the library - er - computer's
possibly hostile intentions. He turned abruptly and walked back
the way he came. Genizah helpfully lighted the section of hallway
ahead of him, as before. There were clearly no problems about him
retracing his steps if he needed to.
Aware
that he should have radioed in as soon as he was deposited unexpectedly
here instead of at the Atrium, Daniel opened a channel to Jack.
"SG-Niner,"
Jack hailed him confidently.
"Um…"
"Daniel."
The
warmth in Jack's voice was enough to make Daniel go red and probably
have Sam and Teal'c checking their glorious leader out for concussion
or something. Jack sounded like it was six months since he'd last
seen Daniel, instead of six hours. And he'd missed Daniel.
Badly.
"You
don't have any objections to me checking out more of Genizah, do you?"
Daniel asked hopefully and decidedly disingenuously.
"Alone?"
Jack asked after a short pause.
"Not
- entirely," Daniel admitted, glancing around warily.
"What's
that supposed to mean?" Jack asked sharply.
"Genizah
is kind of with me." Daniel looked self-consciously up at the
ceiling. "The computer - the artificial intelligence that runs
this place - um - pays attention. To - er - stuff."
"Stuff?"
"Stuff
that goes on," Daniel hissed meaningfully. "You know!"
"Ah,"
Jack responded evenly after a brief, crowded silence. "Problem?"
"I
don't know," Daniel said, surprised at the question. "I don't
think so." He was pretty sure a building would not have a problem
with a couple of bipedal humanoids going at it with considerable
enjoyment and a certain amount of flattering - to Jack - volume.
"Genizah wants to show me something."
"Keep
in radio contact," Jack ordered with great good humour.
"You
don't think I should wait for you?" Daniel asked, surprised and
slightly put-out Jack didn’t feel like racing to his side for any
particular stuff they couldn't talk about on the radio. After
three years, surely Jack's libido should be a tad more focused?
Um - then again…He looked up at the ceiling. The ceiling appeared
to be looking back at him. "Never mind," he added
hurriedly. "Daniel out."
Figuring
out sex with Jack was going to be difficult enough without an audience,
no matter how benevolent it seemed.
Shaking
off his disappointment, Daniel turned and walked carefully down the
sloping hallway. After five minutes' steady descent, he found
himself at the top of another narrow staircase, this one sweeping round
in a tight curve, the stones worn smooth and slippery beneath his
feet. Picking his way carefully down, Daniel re-evaluated the
section of Genizah he'd just come through. It seemed to be a
bridging section, linking what was perhaps the original building with
an early extension built to house the growing collection. He was
fascinated, speculating wildly about the potential age of the library.
He
emerged in a gallery, a dodecagon, floored with the same stones worn
smooth, each of the sides containing arched double doors of venerable
wood and simple latched construction, and an identical staircase
leading off to other galleries, perhaps. The scale of
Genizah was truly humbling to a child of Earth's culture. Daniel
wasn't thinking about the number of volumes, giddying though that was,
but the scale of the endeavour, the building of a collection from this
and other worlds spanning centuries - millennia. The
determination, the passion for gathering the knowledge and histories of
so many cultures, the welcoming of true scholars to guard the integrity
of the collection, and of the search for truth - it awed him.
Before
he moved away from the staircase to investigate, Daniel fished in his
pack for his chalk, then prudently marked an arrow on the wall.
Symmetry was very hard on his sense of direction, but not as hard as
temptingly tactile bibliographic seduction.
It
felt to him as if Genizah weighed heavy in the silence
here. There was no dust or damp, none of the detritus Daniel
associated with a site, just a familiar hush of age and history in the
cool gloom he didn't want to break. He switched on the digital
camera then slowly walked around the gallery, filming each of the doors
in turn. There were symbols carved into a panel set at head
height on each door, although he had to admit the head in question must
have been closer to the ground than his was. He had to stoop
awkwardly to film each of them in turn. As far as he could tell,
the symbols were similar to what Jack referred to as 'the swirly thing'
Genizah used to guide them around its interior. There was no key
provided to the language, so Daniel made a mental note to show Ghenn
the footage later and ask her what each panel said.
Genizah
wasn't attempting to guide Daniel to any particular door, so he made
his own choice, opening the one next to the staircase that brought him
here, ready to begin a logical survey. He found himself in an
entryway, walking rapidly through to a sharp right turn, where the room
opened out. Genizah lit the room dimly for him as he stood poised
at the top of the few steps leading down from the wide stone walkway
that ran all the way around the walls, which were painted a light
grey. The ceiling arching overhead was covered in a trompe l'œil
of the heavens, stars of gold shimmering against the vivid deep blues
of the background.
He
lost interest in the magnificent ceiling almost immediately.
The
room was filled with tall, plain earthenware jars, which meant only one
thing.
Scrolls!
Eagerly,
Daniel trotted down the steps, dropped his pack beside the nearest jar,
kneeling to slip on a fresh pair of latex gloves. He looked the
jar over carefully, finding an identical pattern of symbols on the side
of the jar repeated on the cover that sealed it. An inventory?
There
appeared to be a substance, some kind of resin coating the seal to make
the jar airtight. Daniel touched one delicate fingertip to it,
finding it gave easily, the shape of his finger indenting the glossy
red surface. Nudging his fingers beneath the seal, he found it
moved, so he stretched it experimentally. The seal gave at once,
peeling neatly away from the jar. Thoroughly approving, Daniel
lifted it clear and set it down on the cover of the jar next to
his. It seemed an excellent, productive use of advanced
technology to him.
Excitement
rising, Daniel looked the contents of the jar over carefully, wanting
to be sure the equivalent of papyrus or paper for this world was
physically up to being handled. He took a deep breath and
carefully eased a scroll free of the jar, looking around for a work
area. It was in the centre of the room, on a level recessed lower
than this one. When he got closer, Daniel could see a stand on the
table that held two transparent sheets, a light source below it.
He relaxed, realising he'd be able to view fragile scrolls without
damaging them. He sat at the table, placing the scroll in front
of him, carefully feeding the edge into the viewer.
Jack
would no doubt find his excitement amusing. It wasn't even as if
he understood the language. Without carbon analysis he couldn't
date the scrolls, but he could hold the history of this place in his
hand. The library - Genizah - was truly an amazing thing.
There was nothing like it on Earth. Biblioteca Apostolica
Vaticana, the oldest library in existence on Earth, was established in
1451 by Pope Nicholas V for what he'd described as the convenience of
the learned. The BVA had over two million printed works, some of
them illuminated manuscripts dating back to the 2nd century AD.
The perfectly preserved book Daniel had held in his hand this morning
was older than that. The scrolls - Wow!
"Why
books? Why not a digital record?" he mused.
"We
have those also," Ghenn replied softly from behind him, making Daniel
jump.
"I
didn't hear you come in," he said, startled.
"When
you did not return to the Atrium for mid-day meal, I came
looking. Genizah brought me here," Ghenn smiled and walked
over to join him. She looked over his careful preparation of the
scroll approvingly, relaxing.
"Could
you read this for me?" Daniel asked hopefully.
Ghenn
stood at his shoulder, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder as she
leaned into him to support her as she peered at the scroll.
"Im'a'Tokin will walk in the light of the Goddess, shelter beneath her
guiding hand and know her in all her aspects."
"Im'a'Tokin?"
Daniel queried, looking around at Ghenn.
"The
people who inhabit this world, Daniel."
"The
faithful?"
Ghenn
nodded.
"Do
the people value education and knowledge?"
"They
grow fat on the land," Ghenn snapped with unwonted sharpness.
Daniel
noted her reaction, deciding to leave what was obviously a thorny issue
until later to probe further. "What are the aspects of the
goddess?" he coaxed.
"The
Maiden, The Mother, The Seeker, The Slayer," Ghenn recited wearily,
rolling her eyes.
"You
don't seem enthused by this Goddess you serve," Daniel observed mildly,
watching Ghenn.
"I
don't serve the Goddess, Daniel," Ghenn corrected, leaning once again
into his shoulder tiredly. "I serve the people."
"Who
grow fat on the land?" Daniel asked, feeling a tad crowded by Ghenn's
proximity and what he felt to be a slightly smug glow from Genizah.
"The
Goddess is bountiful," Ghenn said flatly.
"And
the people are ungrateful?" Daniel eyed her, frowning over the seeming
contradictions.
"They
raise their voices to the heavens in praise of the Goddess," Ghenn
announced somewhat resentfully.
"Oh."
Daniel frowned over this. He wanted Ghenn to back off so he could
play with his - her - scrolls but she seemed so miserable, he felt mean
for even thinking it. "If they turn to the Goddess in times of
need and in times of plenty, then they seem to be - " Fixated was the
word that came to mind. "Faithful," he said lamely.
Ghenn
gloomily nodded.
"The
Goddess makes the tough decisions…"
Ghenn
perked up visibly. "Ah! Colonel Jack is a clever man!" she
said enthusiastically.
"I
know!" Daniel agreed firmly.
"Though
he is not as clever or as beautiful as you," Ghenn added softly,
leaning again.
"Oh."
It
was weird, Daniel reflected. He'd gone for years without anyone
sniffing his hair, and within twelve hours it had happened to him twice.
He
sensed that Jack would not understand about Ghenn.
She
patted his cheek gently, laughing a little. "Genizah makes you
most welcome, Daniel," she chuckled, her hand cradling his face.
There
was a definite blue tint to the light.
Daniel
cleared his throat nervously, beginning to wonder if Genizah would
understand about Jack.
Jack
was pleased to see Daniel. He showed Daniel how pleased he was to
see him by enthusiastically pinning him against the bedroom door and
kissing him hard. He was surprised to find Daniel slightly
resistant and very stiff-lipped. He was also looking up at the
ceiling over Jack's shoulder.
"You
weren't kidding," Jack said, stepping back in surprise. He looked
up at the ceiling too. "It's really watching us?"
Daniel
nodded solemnly.
Jack
shrugged and pounced again. Daniel struggled half-heartedly,
abandoning any pretence at reluctance the moment Jack's mouth met his,
when he wrapped his arms round Jack's neck and made like a
limpet. Daniel's enthusiasm was touching. Jack made
encouraging noises and opened wide, sighing greedily as Daniel's tongue
slid sweetly over his and rested there. As he melted into Jack,
Daniel's hands dropped to his ass, pulling him hard against an eager
erection.
Jack
saw blue. Light that was.
They
stopped kissing, eyes rolling up to look suspiciously at the ceiling.
Daniel
seemed quite shocked. "You have no discrimination!" he accused
the room at large.
"Thanks,"
Jack retorted ungratefully, coldly removing Daniel's hands from his ass.
"Not
you!" Daniel said impatiently. He pointed one slender finger up
at the ceiling. "Genizah doesn't seem to care who I …um…" Daniel
trailed off, avoiding Jack's eyes.
"Get
a little action with?" Jack asked softly. He rocked his hips into
Daniel's. Colour flooding his face, Daniel bit his lip.
Then he grabbed Jack's ass again and kissed him fiercely, plunging
greedily into him as he shoved him towards the bed. Jack
obligingly tumbled onto his back, Daniel squirming nicely on top of him.
Daniel
lifted his head abruptly. "Oh."
"Crap!"
Jack bitched reflexively.
"You
don't even know what I was going to say!" Daniel complained, scowling
at him.
"We
can't have sex," Jack snapped promptly.
"That's
- that's not the point!"
"There
are curtains round the bed. Unless you-know-what has X-Ray vision
- "
"It's
not Genizah," Daniel denied, failing to put up any kind of struggle
when Jack gently removed his glasses. He was also stroking Jack's
hair, which suggested the situation wasn't irretrievable.
Jack
made with the supportive face.
"When
did you…um…" Daniel paused. "I mean…How often - how many…"
He looked anxiously down at Jack.
"Could
you be more specific?" Jack asked carefully, doing a little hair
stroking of his own. He felt a distinct constriction in his chest
when Daniel nuzzled shyly into his hand.
"It
doesn't matter," Daniel said unhappily, looking guilty and
apologetic. "Really," he added unconvincingly.
"It's
probably a bad idea if we roll up for chow all sweaty and blushing
anyway," Jack sighed.
Daniel
looked depressed. He stopped squirming and lay still, plucking
nervously at Jack's T-shirt, obviously bursting to say or ask
something, and just as obviously not able to get the words out.
What
exactly would an insecure, inexperienced guy be worrying about this
early in an unexpected homosexual relationship? A sensitive guy
who didn't have a selfish bone in his body? An inkling of the
truth dawned on Jack. "It was thirty years ago," he said without
preamble, wincing at the inconceivable gap between then and now.
"A long, sullen summer." Daniel perked right up, grazing his
mouth over Jack's cheek like the sweet man he was. "It doesn't
matter who."
"No,"
Daniel promised softly, with a small, gentle smile.
Jack
cradled Daniel's head and kissed him tenderly. "It was good, and
he was the only one." He kissed Daniel again. "After - I
went to the Air Force Academy. Never regretted it, you
know? I just never looked back. That was then…"
He
rolled Daniel neatly onto his back. This was now.
Daniel. Worth breaking every rule in the book for.
Absolutely worth it. When it came down to it, Jack was a better
man with Daniel. Maybe he'd do his job differently, opening
himself up like this, but there were days he figured he couldn't do a
lousier job, when his kids couldn't take him any worse than he was or
find him more of a strain to be around. Too many days he seemed
to push trust to the limits.
Daniel
cupped his face, drawing him down, his face warm with expectation and
relief. Jack was surprised it mattered so much to Daniel, but he
seemed to have said the right thing so he let it go. They kissed,
gently exploring one another, mouths moving restlessly together,
Daniel's lips parting invitingly. Jack sank into him, shocked
through with love and want, and fierce gratitude. He'd lucked
out, falling for a man who was so giving.
Their
kiss was easy and generous, both of them wanting it to be good.
Daniel's eyelids fluttered and closed as he sighed, going boneless
beneath Jack, suckling sensuously on his tongue.
The
sudden click of Jack's radio made him start violently, rolling
instinctively off Daniel. He dashed a shaking hand across his
eyes, then answered the hail. "SG-Niner, go," he said curtly.
"Sir?"
"Carter,"
Jack acknowledged wearily. Daniel curled up silently at his side
looking mortified. Jack turned to face him and took Daniel's hand
in his, squeezing reassuringly. It wasn't the end of the world
they were both a little hormonal. He just had to get a grip on
himself.
"Ghenn
wants us to gather for dinner early. She thought Daniel might
like to hear more about the people. We're having a picnic down by
the lake," Carter reported enthusiastically.
Jack
was annoyed to see the treacherous little shit he'd stupidly fallen in
love with light up like Christmas. "Cool."
Daniel
slithered off the bed and made for the door, tossing an impatient look
over his shoulder.
"We'll
be right there," Jack said witheringly. "SG-Niner out." He
got up and stomped out of the room in Daniel's wake, watching his
shapely six and trying not to think about skinny dipping.
"Well,
isn't this nice," Jack commented complacently. "I've never seen a
Jaffa sprawl before."
Teal'c
placidly helped Tuyett to a plate of tiny mouth-watering sweet pastries
that had apparently escaped her attention, although they hadn't escaped
Jack's, who'd already eaten all the best ones.
Ghenn's
version of a picnic involved them all lolling around in the
sweet-smelling grass, which was dotted with so many vibrant flowers,
Jack kept expecting to glimpse the Yellow Brick Road.
Eiliana
was asleep and Scollen was working on his tan and watching her
fondly. Looking at the two of them snuggled up, Jack highly
doubted Genizah would be shocked by anything he and Daniel got up to,
certainly not at this point on Daniel's learning curve.
Carter
was stretched out, her chin was resting on her fists, her legs hooked
at the ankle, swinging idly.
Jack
wasn't fooled. Carter was maybe listening with half an ear to
what Ghenn was telling them about the history of her people, but she
was mostly furiously processing everything she'd learned about the big
honkin' space gun Scollen had let them play with. Jack didn't
know what a kiron particle was and he doubted Carter did either, but it
didn't stop her mentally backwards engineering the thing regardless.
Whatever
turns you on, he thought benevolently.
His
mood had a lot to do with how close his linguist was, sleepy and
languid in the heat of early evening, calling out lazy questions now
and again to Ghenn as he basked in the sun, idly trailing his fingers
through the grass. Daniel was extremely sexy in sunglasses, Jack
felt. He was sexy and sprawly, with just a hint of smooth skin
where his T-shirt was riding up to bare the small of his back…So Jack
was thinking about making love with Daniel. There was nothing new
there.
"Where
is this goddess you speak of?" Teal'c asked. "Is she a being of
flesh and bone? Or a figment of men's minds and your own
technology?"
Ghenn
considered this. "I think she is both," she said
thoughtfully. "The people turn to her with every pride and every
woe, and she is with them always."
"There
are no gods," Teal'c said decisively. "There are beings whose
technology is far in advance of our own, giving the appearance of
godlike powers to the superstitious and the poorly educated."
"There
are plenty of educated people on Earth who believe in God," Carter
corrected him, frowning.
"There
are many faiths on Earth, many gods. The Tau'ri once worshipped
the Goa'uld, believing they were Gods," Teal'c reminded her.
"So
did you!" Carter riposted.
Teal'c
bowed his head, acknowledging the fair point. "What proof have
you that the God of the Christians, the Jews, the Muslims is not a
being of power such as Oma Desala or another race we have yet to
encounter?"
"Teal'c's
right to question, Sam," Daniel called out, lifting himself up to rest
on his elbows. His T-shirt rode up another couple of inches,
baring way too much precious skin.
Jack
forgot about religion and fixated on sex. He wanted to lick sweat
from the small of Daniel's back. It was way up there on his 'to
do' list.
"There
is nothing in the bible that is not explicable with the level of
technology races such as the Asgard had two or ten or twenty thousand
years ago," Teal'c said sternly. "Far beyond what the Tau'ri know
even today."
"Teal'c's
a humanist," Daniel said lazily, stealing a melting little look at Jack
over the top of his sunglasses.
"A
humanist?" Tuyett queried, gratefully accepting the cooling drink
Teal'c thoughtfully procured for her.
Sucker!
"Humanism
is a belief system which puts human interests and the mind of man
paramount," Daniel answered, still making with the little melting
looks. "Humanism rejects the supernatural, belief in a
god…essentially, Teal'c puts his faith in other people, Jaffa or human."
"I
see." Tuyett nodded thoughtfully, exchanging a look with Ghenn.
"It
seems to me a good way to live," Ghenn smiled at Teal'c, who inclined
his head graciously.
"A
man should take responsibility for his own actions," Teal'c said
gravely. "He should choose what his own will and conscience
dictate, weighing what is right for him and those he holds dear against
his obligations to his people. He should strive always to serve the
greater good, though it brings harm and dishonour upon himself."
"What
is your greater good?" Tuyett asked him, clearly much struck by the
argument.
"For
my people to live free."
"And
what of you, Daniel?" Ghenn asked, curious. "Are you also a
humanist?"
"Daniel
is an idealist," Jack said promptly. "A romantic."
The
romantic idealist surreptitiously kicked him in the ankle.
"Idealism
is complicated to explain," Daniel began. "It's a doctrine - a
principle of belief - that in external perceptions the objects
immediately known are ideas, in other words that all reality is in its
nature psychical, or pertaining to the soul or to the mind.
Unlike Teal'c's belief system, idealism considers thought or the idea
as the foundation of knowledge and existence. It's also a
tendency towards the highest conceivable perfection."
"I,
on the other hand," Jack interjected proudly, "am a realist."
Carter
snorted in a decidedly unflattering manner. "The colonel is a
cynic, Ghenn," she corrected crisply.
"A
frustrated idealist," Daniel announced, pleasurably rolling each
syllable over his tongue. "Surly, snarling, and taking a
pessimistic view of human motives and actions."
Ghenn
and Tuyett chuckled unkindly while Carter avoided Jack's eyes.
"And
what of you, Sam?" Ghenn asked warmly.
"Carter
is a sceptic," Jack said firmly. "A doubter."
"That's
a little simplistic," Daniel objected. "Scepticism is the
doctrine that no facts can be certainly known and it's a healthy thing
for a scientist like Sam."
"Do
you not have faith, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.
"I
do," Carter said stiffly. "In some things, I do."
"Yet
you have lost your faith in others?" Teal'c persisted.
"If
the Goa'uld weren't evil, would you have lost your faith in them?"
Carter shrewdly riposted.
Teal'c
looked at her for a long time, frowning over her question. "I do
not know, Major Carter," he said at last.
"If
this being you speak of, this being of 'godlike' power is benevolent
and does no harm, is she still evil?" Ghenn asked Teal'c. "If the
people believe her to be a Goddess and nought will sway them?"
"Nothing?"
Jack queried, vaguely interested. "Seriously? You make it
sound like you've tried, which is a damned odd thing for a high
priestess to do."
"Would
it serve the greater good of the people to be made to lose some of
their faith in their goddess?" Daniel asked doubtfully.
Ghenn
sighed, looking miserably uncertain.
"I
dunno," Jack said dubiously, looking at her. "Sounds like they're
getting a little too cosy and dependent to me."
"That
they are," Tuyett agreed emphatically.
"The
goddess must be run ragged if she takes this gig seriously," Jack
added, still looking at Ghenn consideringly.
"The
people serve the goddess?" Daniel asked Ghenn gently. "The
Sisters serve the goddess…" He smiled at her. "And yet - you
serve the people?"
Tuyett
toasted him with her glass, grinning broadly. "He's a clever
one," she admired.
"We've
seen your aspect as Slayer, when we first arrived," Daniel went on
musingly.
Solely
out of consideration for his sensitive lover, Jack refrained from any
obvious Buffy jokes.
"This
is your aspect as Seeker?" Daniel asked inquisitively.
"What
about the Mother?" Carter asked, sitting up.
"That
is the face of the Goddess the people see," Eiliana answered, yawning
and sitting up to take an interest.
"And
the Maiden?" Daniel asked.
The
Blessed Disciples laughed uproariously. "She hasn't been that for
years!" Tuyett chortled.
The
Goddess Ghennehessere's gamine, flirty grin was directed right at
Daniel.
Jack
did not like the way Daniel went red. He didn't like it one
bit. Abruptly he recalled that smug little blue light over their
heads as he kissed Daniel. What was it Daniel had said? No
discrimination? Jack turned to scowl at the library, interfering,
matchmaking heap of bricks that it was.
No
way he was getting beat out by masonry.
Back to Part One / On to Part Three
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