March 24th 1997 - PX3 454, unknown alien planet 10172 lights years from Earth, Milky way.
“Hey, no you don’t.” Jack grabbed Daniel’s collar as he made to dash pass and up the slope.
Daniel just glared at Jack, saying clearly without words what do you think your doing?
“O’Neill, I believe the direction we need to travel is over here, towards the cliff face.” Teal’c spoke from up ahead.
The sun was shining low and the greenery all looked damp as if it had seen a recent shower. Everything smelt fresh. Amongst all this beauty Daniel struggled to get out of Jack’s vice like grip.
“Lead on Teal’c.” Jack instructed, nodding and smiling at Carter as she walked around Daniel and himself. Daniel shifted again, but gave up quickly realising Jack was definitely in control this time.
Jack eyed Daniel sceptically for a moment, a hint of an indulging smile on his face. “Don’t make me use the leash Daniel.” He said giving Daniel a nudge to follow behind Carter, himself taking up the rear.
“What leash?” Daniel asked the question before he could think better of it.
“The leash I’ve made sure to bring on this and every other mission from now on since your disappearing act last time.”
“You are kidding Jack?” Daniel laughed mockingly as he stumbled over the rough terrain looking back at Jack over his shoulder.
The move caused him to miss a step and he tripped over, missing landing in the dirt by mere inches because of the hold Jack had maintained on his back.
Jack didn’t think he needed to answer after that and just offered Daniel a smug, you really think so look.
Daniel widened his eyes at the implication and very real possibility Jack was serious. Last time hadn’t been all that bad; he’d seen something interesting and had gone to check it out. Yeah he forgot to put his radio back on, but he hadn’t been intending to go too far and he hadn’t realised that Jack or anyone hadn’t seen him leave. The yelling Jack had done upon finding him was surely enough humiliation for one act of indiscretion. Daniel thought back and remembered the way Jack had dragged him back to the Stargate cursing his name all the way. It was like a flashback to his foster care days, and the rants he'd be on the receiving end of after being caught playing hooky from school. Daniel couldn’t understand why it was that no matter whom he was with, people were constantly obsessing about his whereabouts.
Trying to focus more on the path ahead of him and less on the motives behind his many babysitters Daniel had one last little revelation. Whenever Jack yelled at him in that manor he almost always looked like he’d been running a marathon, out of breath, tired, signs of headache... and that’s when it clicked. Jack wasn’t just bothered that Daniel would get into trouble and he’d have to take the responsibility and time to sort it out, Jack was worried about him. Jack seemed to constantly worry about him in general. Daniel just couldn’t figure out why