"Jack?   JACK!"

"Easy, buddy easy, I'm right here.  Hey, welcome back.  How ya doing?"

"Uhhhh…not – not so good."

"It's okay, it's okay, take it easy.  Don't try to talk.  Here, come on, sit up a bit.  That's the way.  I want you to drink some of this for me, Daniel.  Can you do that?"

"What?  What is – um - "

"No talking.  Drink. That's it.  There ya go."

"No – I – that's…  No more please, Jack – I – I can't - "

"Yeah, you can.  Just a few more sips, Daniel. Come on. You can do it.  You need something inside you."

 "Tastes funny."

"Yeah, but it's good for what ails you, Dannyboy.   It'll put hair on your feet."

"Why – why would I want…?"

"Never mind.  Forget about it.  How are you feeling now, big guy?"

"Cold.  It's cold. Dark."

"Yeah, I know.  Not much I can do about it, I'm afraid. This planet sucks swamp water.  As well as seeming to be largely covered with it.  It doesn't get much brighter here, even during the day.  Rains all the goddamned time too.  Apparently.  And as to our current accommodations; we're not exactly staying in the Ritz, here, but be it ever so crumbly, it's all we've got for home and it sure beats the shit out of squatting in the swamp."

"Where?"

"Same place we were the last time you dropped off.  Holed up in what's left of the temple you were so pumped about.  You remember, don'tcha?  Gitchee Whomee's joint -   "

"Gizi W'mon."

"Yeah, whatever.  We're still on P7X -  7X…"

"…812."

"Yeah, that's it.  Thanks."

"Still on 812?  In the temple?"

"Afraid so, buddy."

"How – how long?"

"Don't worry about that right now, it doesn't matter, you just – "

"How long, Jack?"

"Okay, okay, chill already.  Don't get yourself all worked up. We're heading into night number three.  Happy now?"

"Three?  Three days and nights!"

"Yeah."

"I don't understand.  Why are we – Jack, where's Sam?  Teal'c!"

"Easy, buddy, easy!  Calm down; lie back.  No point in yelling for them, they're not here."

"Teal'c? Teal'c and…and Sam? Not - not here?"

"Nope.  They gated out, but we didn't make it.  It's just you and me, kid.  Remember?"

"Gate.  They went through the gate.  So they're safe, right?  They're…home."

"I dunno, Daniel.  I'm assuming and sure as hell hoping they got back okay before the DHD – hell of a thing, the way it went ka-blewy like that, wasn't it?"

"It – it did?  It did?  Not a dream, then, it…  It did."

"No, Daniel, not a dream. I wish.  We dialled up the SGC and Carter and Teal'c went through first.  Remember?"

"I'm  – trying, but I'm not…not sure.   Okay, they went home, but how did we – "

"I was hanging back, waiting for you and you were just walking away from the DHD and – ka-blam – the damned demented toadstool went up higher than a kite.  I think pieces of it are orbiting the planet.  As we speak."

"It blew up.  Behind me.  Didn't see… but it…   Sorry, head…everything is a bit…fuzzy…"

"Don't worry about it. You're not exactly top of your game at the moment.  Fact is Daniel, you're damned lucky to be alive."

"Oh? That's funny.  Don't feel lucky."

"Trust me, Daniel, you've still got your mojo.  If you'd been standing over the DHD, dialling, when it went…"

"Ka-blam."

"Yeah.  That.   We wouldn't be having this conversation right now.  Your vest and pack took the worst of it but you got clocked - big honking chunk o' junk – back of the head.  Thank God for the helmet, Daniel or I don't think you'd still have one.  A head, that is."

"I'll thank the Quartermaster later."

"You do that, bucko.  You scared the crap out of me, yanno.  You were out for hours, the first time.  You've been drifting in and out ever since."

"Sorry."

"Don't be.  Not your fault.  I'm just thankful you've got such a damned hard head."

"Thought you said it was the helmet."

"I lied." 

"Ya think?"

"Stop stealing my lines."

"Sorry.  Ow!"

"What is it, what's wrong?  Geez, Danny, are you okay?  Are you in pain, do you need something? "

"I'm okay, I'm okay.  It only hurts when I – I…   Head, kinda…ow…"

"Okay, okay, I've got what you need. Here.  I want you to take some more of these and then…there ya go, down the hatch.  Drink now.  Take it easy, not too fast.  That's it… that's a good boy."

"Jaaaack, stop fussing.  I'm fine."

"Like hell you are!  You've got a big freaking gash in your head, almost had your head caved in, I'm betting you're concussed and if that's not fun enough for you, Junior Chipmunks, you're burning up.  You need help Daniel; you need way more than I can do for you here, and you should be getting it!  Instead, you’re stuck on this stupid, wet, stinky, slimy, scum-sucking planet!  Dammit!  You should be back at the SGC where it's warm and dry and ole Doc Frasier could fix you right up and if I was good for anything at all, you'd already be there! "

"Jack – don't.  Not – not your fault."

"No? Whose fault is it then?"

"No one’s.  You couldn’t have known what happened – this – everything.  No one’s fault. Just...bad day."

"Crap, you can say that again.  We've hit the bad day jackpot.  This is the freaking mother-lode of bad days.  The absolute brass ring of bad-day-dom.  This day is so damned bad - "

"Jack…"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be…going nutso all over the place isn't going to help you either."

"You'll figure it out.  Get us…  I trust you."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't.  Not doing such a hot job so far."

"DHD gone. That's bad, right?"

"It ain't good, Danny."

"So I guess fixing it – not an option.  Even if we knew how."

"There isn't enough left of that fucker to kick the shit out of.  Believe me, even Carter couldn't put it together again.  Assuming she were here.  Which she's not.  Which is great for her, I hope, but not so good for us."

"They went through, though? Sam and Teal'c?  They got back?  They must...must have."

"No way to know, Daniel.  The DHD went ballistic.  The wormhole went poof. The gate shut down.  All she wrote. That was three days ago and since then, nothing.  The explosion must have screwed up the gate here too, because we're way overdue, whether Carter and Teal'c made it or not, and Hammond hasn't dialled us up to check on us."  

"They made it.  They're okay.  They have to be.   Siler told me once…wormhole wouldn't just…disappear.  Dis…discharge…somewhere.  They made it.  I know they did."

"Well, I hope you're right.  Be that as it may, wherever they are, we're stuck here. We're not going home, or anywhere else anytime soon.  Even if there is nothing wrong with the gate, which I sincerely doubt, the DHD is toast.  There's nothing to dial out with and as for our manual dial options, well I didn't happen to pack a generator just in case and I'm fresh out of batteries.  You?"

"…so, stuck here…how long?  I know, I know you've told me already, but I can't….can’t seem to remember.

"That's okay, buddy, I don't mind telling you again.  You know me, I love the sound of my own voice."

"I wasn't going to – wasn't going to say…."

"The hell you weren't."

"Okay.  Maybe just a little bit.  Sorry."

"No you're not."

"Okay, I'm not.  

“It's cold, Jack."

"Yeah, I know.  It's gonna get worse, too.  Sorry, buddy, I can't do much about that either.  There's nothing dry enough to burn and I'm trying to conserve our cooking sterno.  We don't know how much longer we're gonna be on Wetworld, here.  Sunshine capital of the galaxy it ain't."

"Coming?  They're coming?"

"Of course they are.  They know we're in trouble.  We just have to hang in – you – you have to hang in. 'Til they get here.  You hear me, Daniel?"

"Okay, Okay.  I'll – I'll hang… 

Jack?"

"Yeah, Daniel?"

"This place…sucks.  Home.  Let's go home."

 "Can't, Daniel.  Believe me, nothing would make me happier, but I can't get you there from here.  Gate no go.  DHD go boom."

"Sorry.  Sorry.  I keep – I can't keep it in my head.  Everything's all…"

"God, you're shaking.  C'mere.  It's okay, it's okay, just…get in close here. Yeah, that's right.  Snuggle. Don't worry, I won't bite.  Gotta get you warmed up and if we're talking available heat sources I'm pretty much it.  Don't say it."

"What?"

"You know damned well what."

"Do – do not."

"Do too."

"Not."

"You are such a liar, Jackson."

"Nice.  I so was not going to say a word about hot air and - and you…full of it."

"I appreciate it.  Don't believe a word of it, but I still appreciate it."

"Of course, in this particular context hot air, it's a lot more…more… useful…"

"Then what I'm usually filled with, yeah, I get that, why don't you take a break from the talking and rest up?  Hey?  I'll crack the jokes you just…  Just rest, okay?"

"Kay."

"Better?"

"Yeah. Not so cold now."

"That's good."

"Warm.  Nice.  Make a great…pillow….Jack."

"And I'm good looking too."

"Functional and decorative."

"Takes a licking and keeps on bitching?"

"Ow - OW – stop making me laugh!"

"Sorry.  I'm sorry, Daniel.  I didn't mean to  – I'm just trying …  Aww, crap! I don't know what to do for you.  I should do something but…  Never mind, you just rest. Let me take care of everything. I can't make it all better, but…wait a minute; maybe I can do something.  Easy now.  Thaaat's it.  There.  How's that?  That helpin' any?"

"Yeah. Yeah it is.  Thanks. That's…mmmmmm…nice.  Good hands..."

"Standard issue.  One on the end of each wrist."

"You're a good friend, Jack."

"I wish I could be more."

"What?  What did you say?"

"Nothing.  It was nothing.  Just thinking out loud."

"Don't hurt yourself."

"Oh now, nice talk. I am wounded to the core. Here I am giving you a nice back rub and what do I get in return?  Abuse!   Listen Jackson, how would you like to bunk on the hard, cold floor instead of the nice, warm, cushy colonel?"

"You're not that cushy."

"I'm better than the floor."

"Yeah.  A lot – a lot better.  Ummmmm…"

"Am I going to be hearing an 'I'm sorry' any time soon?"

"In your dreams, O'Neill.  Anyway, you know I wouldn't…you know…if I didn't…"

"You only diss the ones you love?"

"Yeah. That…"

"Hey, backatcha, bookboy."

"Fuck off."

"You first."

"Maybe...maybe later.  Tired."

"Rest, but stay with me, okay? 

“Daniel?"

"'Kay."

"Daniel?"

"Um?"

"You know, it's funny.  I've always wondered if someone up there hates me, and now I'm sure."

"What?"

"It's just – the way we are, here, now…"

"Stuck?  In a swamp?"

"No, not that.  This.  You and me.  Like this."

"Like what?  Marooned on WetWorld?  Current options, starving, freezing, or drowning… to…to…death.  Pick one?  Yeah, when you put it that way, you could make a case for the cosmic vendetta…thing."

"Okay, now I'm depressed."

"What makes you think it's you the universe is out to get?  Maybe you got caught up in my crumby Karma."

"No, no, you're still not getting it.  I don't mean this this, Daniel, I mean – this."

"Jack, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No reason you should.  No reason you would.  I never gave you one. Plenty of cause to hate my guts but not…   Let's just say, well, while normally I'm a huge fan of irony right now, I'm not laughing."

"What? What are you talking about?"

“Nothing.  Nothing at all.  Shhhhh.  Forget about it.  Don't worry about it."

"No – no.  I want to know.  Jack, what is it?  What's wrong?"

"Yeah.  Ironic. That's what this is, all right. Trust me Daniel, it's a damned hoot.  Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it in a way that'll rip your guts out."

"Hmmm?"

"You know what's even funnier?  All this time I've been treating you like crap; you know what that's really been all about?  This.  Wanting to be with you, like this.  And more.  Hating myself so much for wanting it – wanting…you…and still – all the time I'm trying to drive you away, out of my life, out of my… I'm only really happy when I'm close to you.  How fucked is that?

"Daniel?

“Out of it again, huh?  Well, doesn’t that just figure.  Look at me.  What a joke.  Here I am finally getting up the guts to come clean with you…  But what's the point?  What could I possibly do for you except screw up your life even more?  Maybe it's all for the best you didn't hear any of that.  Lord knows you've got enough problems already without some half-assed, chicken shit confession from a colonel with balls of clay…complicating things.

"Daniel? 

“Maybe you should… Daniel? 

“Daniel, come on, wake up.  Stay with me. 

"No kidding, Daniel, no nodding off.  That hit you took to the head – can't be good.   I think you should stay awake.  Daniel?

"Come on, Daniel, you're freaking me out, now.  Quit fooling around and open those baby blues, buddy!

"Daniel? Daniel, wake up!"

"Ummmm..."

"Daniel?

"Daniel!

"DANIEL!

"Oh God, oh God, this is not happening!  You can't take him from me now – not now!  Daniel, please don't give up on me.  I know what I just said, the stuff about maybe it'd be better if I kept my mouth shut but that's still taking the coward's way out.  Better for me, but what about you?  You deserve – well you deserve way the hell better than me, but I'm all I've got and I really want to – I have to tell you something, Daniel.  I – I want you to know, you need to know, even if you don't – even if you don't feel…  Oh God, I was gonna do it, I swear, I was going to -  please, just give me a little more time!

"Please, Daniel?  Swear to God, if you just – just – just hear me out…  Dammit!  It wasn't you, it was me!  Just give me a chance to explain!

"I wasn't going to keep you out in the cold forever.  I swear, I swear, I'm turning things around.  Maybe it's too soon for you to tell, but trust me; I'm working on it.  Thing are going to be different between us.  Will be different, way better, the best, if you'll give me half a chance to make it right.

"I figured it out, Daniel.  I know what the problem is – what my problem was.  I know.  I've got a handle on it now, even if you don’t want – that doesn’t matter, it’s not gonna be a problem any more.  Daniel, you have to listen to me. I’m trying to tell you I’m sorry.  I’m so fucking sorry for every goddamned stupid, stupid thing I ever did to you, every harsh word, every dumbass, jerkface – "

"Uhhhhhh…."

“Daniel, can you hear me? Daniel, come on!  Wake up!  Speak to me!  Please!  Screw it!  Talking never did me a damned bit of good.  I'll get through to you, one way or the other and if words won't do it, maybe the direct approach…"

"Mmmmmmmmmm….."

"Oh yeah, that works."

"Jack?"

"That's it, Danny.  That's bringing you around.  Once more for luck."

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmm…  That's…that's…ohhhhhh…    Don't stop…."

"Gotta breathe, Danny.  So do you."

"What?  Jack?  Jack?  Were – were you…"

"Well, it wasn't the kiss of life, if that's what you mean."

"No, no – didn't think…that…"

"Good.  Otherwise I was doing it wrong and after all these years I don't think my ego could take it."

"Kissing…  Me?  You?  Me?  Ummm…"

"Yes, Daniel.  I believe I was." 

"Not that I'm complaining, and you're very good…by the way… but…  Why?"

"I wanted to get your attention."

"Oh.  I see.  Did that."

"Good.  That's good."

"Was that all…you wanted?"

"No.  I wanted to tell you…I want  – I want you to stay…with me."

"Stay.  As in… don't go, check out, leave, shuffle off…mortal coil…"

"Yeah, that, sure, but not just that – I mean – there's – I want - more – "

"Why?"

"Let me explain it to you again."

"Oh, okay  – hmmmmmmmm…"

"Coming any clearer yet?"

"I – I'm not sure.  You may have to – to… again…  Later…when I'm – when we're…"

"I'll be happy to Daniel, wherever you want, whenever you want, as often as you want.  When we're home.  And you're better.  But for now, I just wanted you to know...  Crap, I can't say it, it's stupid."

"No, it's not.  I get it.  Not…not stupid.  Neither are – are you…"

"I can't live without you, Daniel.  Please don't make me.  Stay with me, Danny?  For good?"

"This isn't a dream, is it, Jack?  Some sort of bizarre by-product of being bashed in the head by the DHD?  I'm not gonna wake up in the infirmary and find out this never happened – you – you didn't…you…don’t…"

“No, Daniel, no tricks, no foolin'.  Promise.  This is real.  So am I. I do.  So much it scares me.  You – me -  gonna be more.  Gonna be better.  I'm gonna stay right here with you 'til they come for us and I'll be right with you as long as you need me, as long as it takes for you to get up and around.  And then, I won't go back on this or jam out on you, Daniel.  You've got me for good.  If you want me, that is."

"Why?"

" I – "

Colonel O'Neill!  Daniel!  Do you copy?"

"Carter!  Daniel, that's Carter!"

"Sam?"

"Hot damn, Carter, it's about time!  Where the hell you been?"

Sorry about the delay, Sir.  It took some time to negotiate with the Tok'ra for our ride and then we had to get here.

"We'll let it go this time, Carter."

It is good to hear your voice, O'Neill.

"Teal'c!  Backatcha, big guy!  If you weren't so butt ugly I'd kiss you!  Where are you guys?"

About a thousand feet above the temple, making our landing approach.  I presume that is where you are. DanielJackson is with you?

"You got it in one.  He is, and you wanna snap it up?  He took a hit when the DHD decided to go up in his face.  He's gonna live but he's not having a good time right now."

"Well, I wouldn't say that, Jack.  It hasn't been an entirely…negative…experience…."

"Shhh.  Rest.  Talking to Carter."

Copy that, Sir.  We're snapping.  Carter out.

"Coming.  They're…coming."

"Yeah, Daniel, they're on the way.  Won't be long now, and we'll be safe and dry.  And then home."

"Yeah.  Home."

"Daniel, we don't have a lot of time.  I want – I want to say – "

"It's okay, Jack.  You don't have to."

"No, no I want to Daniel, I – "

"Shut up and show me."

"Whatever you say."

FINIS