OBSIDIAN

 

"I wanna take it long and slow tonight, Daniel. Do you mind?"

 

Daniel's piercingly blue eyes held his commanding officer's gaze as they crinkled at the outer edges in a smile.

 

"Jack?"

 

"I don't wanna fuck ya, I just wanna love ya, all soft and gentle like."

 

Daniel raised himself up on one elbow and traced the lines on Jack's face with his fingertips.

 

"Are you saying you like soft and gentle?" His full lips parted slightly in surprise.

 

"Hey, I'm not a beat 'em up, shoot 'em up guy all the time y’know. I do have a soft side," Jack said indignantly.

 

"I know you do, it's just that you don't show it very often, that's all." Daniel felt a frisson of guilt, was he stereotyping Jack? It was so early in their physical relationship and they'd only made love twice before. Daniel wanted to kick himself for being so stupid.

 

"Yeah well, I've got a reputation to maintain, Daniel, hard nosed and hard assed. Imagine what reaction I'd get from the SGC jarheads if they knew."

 

Though Daniel smiled, his expression was clouded by the memory of being savagely beaten by Jack when he was infected with that virus from P3X 797, the Land of Light, and his baser violent instincts had come to the fore. The younger man knew it wasn't Jack's fault, all rational thought had fled his mind but nevertheless, it had taken a while to get over the physical effects of that event. and even longer to clear the emotional detritus from his head. Daniel had always known Jack had a dark recess in his psyche and he kept it well under control except for that one time. Would this violent streak ever surface between them? They were two alpha males together after all, although Jack probably didn't realise that just yet.

Shaking off these thoughts, Daniel leaned into his lover and kissed his eyelids. After years of suppressing deep and unrequited feelings for each other, the men had finally overcome their reticence to begin a lustful and enthusiastic sexual relationship and now after only a few weeks, it was turning into a full blown passionate love affair.

 

As they lay together, naked in his bed, Daniel wondered what he had ever done to deserve the love and very personal attention of one Jack O'Neill while Jack gathered him up in his arms and embarked on a long slow exploration of his body.

 

-o-

 

"Good morning, SG1," General Hammond stated as he took his seat at the head of the large briefing room table.

 

"General," replied Jack in acknowledgement as he and the other members of his team settled themselves in their usual places, briefing papers in front of them.

 

"Your mission to PX7 283 has an unusual dimension to it. Major, if you please."

 

Major Sam Carter, SG1's 2IC stood and walked briskly around the table, picking up the remote control to the display projector as she went.

 

"Last month we received a report about the discovery of obsidian with no known accredited source."

 

"Carter?" interrupted Jack, his irritation showing relatively early on in the briefing. He liked things simple and straightforward and Carter always got so technical.

 

Daniel dropped his head to stare at his buff-coloured file on the table. He was trying very hard to suppress a grin. Jack and Sam went through this ritual every time and their banter was an effective way of making sure everyone understood the content of the discussion. It was a necessary part of the special relationship the four team members had with each other.

 

"Sir," Carter went on, "obsidian is the result of volcanic lava coming into contact with water. When the lava pours into a lake or ocean it cools quickly. This process produces a glassy texture in the resulting rock. Iron and magnesium give the obsidian a dark green to black colour." Sam glanced from the obsidian samples being shown on the screen by way of illustration, to check that her C.O. was still following her.

 

"Obsidian comes in several varieties. It can contain small bubbles of air that are aligned along layers created as the molten rock was flowing just before it was cooled. These bubbles can produce interesting effects such as a golden sheen, known as Sheen Obsidian or a rainbow sheen called Rainbow Obsidian."

 

By now, Jack was beginning to shift in his chair. He was getting bored already. Not to be put off, Carter continued, knowing that her talk had so far piqued Daniel's interest.

 

"Inclusions of small, white, radially clustered crystals or cristobalite in the black glass produce a blotchy or snowflake pattern, Snowflake Obsidian. Small nuggets of obsidian that have been naturally rounded and smoothed by wind and water are called Apache Tears."

 

"So, we're talking lumps of quartz then?" Jack offered hopefully. He knew a little bit about quartz.

 

"Well, actually no, sir."

 

Jack rolled his eyes and guessed he would by wrong. So much for demonstrating his very limited knowledge of rocks.

 

"Obsidian is often confused with smoky quartz and it has similar properties because of a similar chemistry. However, many properties dependant on a crystal structure are altered or absent in obsidian because it lacks any crystal structure of its own. The piezoelectric and optical properties in quartz are thus absent in obsidian. Smoky quartz usually has a splotchy or zoned distribution to its colour while obsidian's colour is more uniformly distributed."

 

"Well see, I wasn't talking about smoky quartz," Jack offered, trying to save face.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"And what's with splotchy? What kind of word is that?"

 

"Obsidian has been used by ancient people as a cutting tool, for weapons and for ceremonial purposes. I've found obsidian artefacts at digs before now," Daniel added looking at Jack, who was mouthing the word splotchy at Teal'c in terms of a question.

 

Refusing to be sidetracked, Carter chose to ignore her team leader's question and ploughed on. "The point is, sir, that although a variety of physical, optical, petrographic and chemical attributes are used to characterise volcanic glasses, the use of trace element abundances to "fingerprint" obsidian sources and artefacts means that we can identify the source of any individual piece obsidian to a specific location in the world."

 

"Huh?"

 

"I think what Sam is trying to say is that obsidian has its own trade marks so wherever it is found in the world, it's possible to identify where it came from."

 

"Yes, thank you, Daniel. These are the collection of obsidian artefacts that were recently found in Texas."

 

"There aren't any volcanoes in Texas are there, sir?" Jack asked.

 

"Not to my knowledge, colonel. Go on, major."

 

"Well, sirs, the obsidian here," Carter went on, opening a small box and revealing several smooth spherical objects, "is not from this planet."

 

"You mean, not from Texas?"

 

"No, colonel, I mean not from this planet. This obsidian has traces of naquada in it, hence the silvery grey sheen."

 

"Naquada Sheen Obsidian then?" Jack asked, peering at the small shiny items each nestling in their own little foam containers.

 

"So, how did they get here, Sam?" asked Daniel as he picked up one of the small objects between his thumb and forefinger and held it up to the light.

 

"We don't know for sure. We think that a Goa’uld might have brought it through the gate at some time and left these."

 

"So, a Goa’uld who's lost his marbles then?" Jack commented eyeing the obsidian that Daniel was holding.

 

"Can you ascertain from which Goa’uld or which planet this might have come, Major Carter?" inquired Teal'c.

 

"With every off world mission, various geological samples are brought back and analysed. We think we know the likely origin, Teal'c. What we do know is that the source world has naquada there."

 

"And that would be PX7 283," Jack confirmed, grimacing at the possibility of standing around while Cater went in search of bits of glass rock. "What does the M.A.L.P. tell us?"

"It's a volcanic region, sir and the U.A.V. has picked up a large inhabited village near the gate."

 

"Hope the natives are friendly," muttered Jack.

 

"That's it, Colonel O'Neill. You ship out at eleven hundred hours. Dismissed." With that the general gathered up his papers and left the briefing room.

 

As his team members made their way to the locker room to change, Jack and Teal'c walked together along the maze of hallways.

 

"Know how to play marbles, T?"

 

-o-

 

As SG1 breached yet another new world through the wormhole, unknown to them, an alarm sounded in the town near the gate. A council of elders gathered to debate this possible crisis and the townspeople scattered, running through the narrow streets to take shelter in their homes.

 

"We do not have enough of the metal glass. If it's them, the glowing eyed ones, our lives will be forfeit!"

 

"Stop it, Craygeon. They won't be interested in those little trinkets of yours; they just want naquada!" a tall, thin man retorted as he thumped his fist on the table, the string of obsidian beads around his neck clinking together.

 

Not to be intimidated by the tall man, his challenger continued undaunted. "If they come for naquada, Drestal, we will all die. We do not have the kind of supply they want. I've told you before, we should have made an alliance with the Vasta. At least they would be able to protect the town and the metal glass."

 

"We don't need the Vasta, a trade agreement is plenty good enough and we haven't been visited by the glowing eyed ones for many generations. What makes you think they are here now?"

 

Craygeon didn't speak; he couldn't answer Drestal.

 

"We'll just have to wait and see who they are and what they want," Drestal said emphatically, ending the debate.

 

-o-

 

"The immediate area is secured, sir," Carter reported, having completed her sweep of the terrain around the Stargate.

 

"The path from the 'Gate is hardly discernable, Jack. I'd say it hasn't been used for a long, long time."

 

Nodding, Jack turned to Teal'c for his appraisal of their location.

 

"O'Neill, there is only one feasible route to access the Stargate. Volcanic rocks on three sides surround us. This path is the only way to and from it."

 

"Thanks, Teal'c."

 

"Sir? I'd like to start taking soil samples."

 

"Go ahead, Carter, knock yourself out. Anything interesting, Daniel?"

 

"I'm not sure," the younger man replied vaguely. His attention was drawn to a collection of three large solid spheres, grouped near the DHD. They came mid-way up to Daniel's thigh. "Look, Jack, obsidian balls."

 

"If we weren't in mixed company, Daniel, I'd have something to say about that!"

 

Snorting, Daniel ran his hands over the smooth surface of the object, caressing its hard mass and staring into its inaccessible interior.

 

"Jack? There's something odd about this. The surface is completely clean."

 

"Your point being?"

 

"If the path is unused and people don't come here, who has cleaned these balls? There isn't a speck of dust or dirt anywhere on it."

 

Just as Jack studied Daniel's frowning expression and was processing the words in his brain, he heard Teal'c take a defensive stance with his staff weapon.

 

"Major Carter!" the Jaffa yelled and Sam dropped what she was doing and straightened up, her P90 at the ready.

 

All four members of SG1 backed up until they stood together, weapons drawn. They were facing a slowly advancing crowd of people, the stragglers still running up the slope to catch the main group. As they came to a halt in front of the interlopers, Jack turned to his team-mate. "Daniel, you're on."

 

"Hello, we're peaceful explorers from a planet called Earth. I'm Daniel and this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Sam Carter and Teal'c."

 

It didn't matter how often he said that, he still felt a thrill of anticipation and his little speech signified what he always hoped would be the beginning of a beautiful new friendship.

 

A tall thin man stepped forward, the sunshine glinting on his obsidian necklace. "My name is Drestal and my people are called the Cavitzeel."

 

"Greetings from Earth," Jack said jovially as he moved to acknowledge Drestal.

 

"You are of the glowing eyed ones?" Drestal asked carefully.

 

"Us? Ooooh noooo," Jack replied. "No, we're from Earth. We're known as the Tau'ri."

 

A ripple of voices ran through the crowd and there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief, something that Daniel could not fail to miss. "Were you expecting the glowing eyed ones?" he asked.

 

"They have not visited our world in many generations. We were not sure who to expect," Drestal smiled and Jack had a sudden feeling that this man couldn't be trusted. He had no real reason to think that, it was just a gut feeling and as he prided himself on being a pretty good judge of character most of the time, he would keep that thought in mind until they were safely back in Cheyenne Mountain.

 

"Please, come with us to our town. We can offer you sustenance and shelter and perhaps you would care for an exchange of information about our history and culture. We have learned men who would enjoy your company and hear what you have to tell them."

 

Glancing at his team, Jack swept his arm in a low arc. "Lead on, Drestal," he said as he adjusted his sunglasses.

 

The gaggle of Cavitzeels parted to allow their spokesperson and SG1 to move to the head of the group and they all proceeded down the slope towards the town. Looking over his shoulder, Jack could see Daniel deep in conversation, as was Carter. Teal'c walked just behind him and off his left shoulder. The stoic Jaffa never relaxed in the company of strangers and Jack trusted him to be on his guard the whole time. Between them, Jack would make sure nothing untoward happened to their team and for Jack in particular, he would do everything he could to keep Daniel safe.

 

When they had walked the mile or so to the outskirts of the town, it was obvious even to Jack, that technologically speaking, the Cavitzeel were not that advanced. The streets were narrow, being wide enough to take a horse and cart and they were paved with large slabs of smooth rock. The little houses were either two or three storeys high and were not of any uniform design, shape or colour.

 

As they progressed, the following crowd diminished in number as people left the convoy to return to their houses. Eventually SG1 and about forty remaining townsfolk reached a large open square, laid out like a market place. Drestal and another man moved away from Jack's team for a moment, not so much in conversation, Daniel thought, as in the middle of a difference of opinion. Both were animated and the other man was waving his arms in frustration. Quickly shooting a look over his shoulder at their audience, Drestal laid a hand on the other man's arm, seemingly to calm him. It didn't work and shrugging off Drestal's approach, he stalked away and out of the square.

 

Drestal returned to SG1 and apologised for the other man's behaviour. "I am sorry. Craygeon is a nervous man and worries about everything. Pay no mind, he will calm down sooner or later."

 

Jack watched as Craygeon's retreating figure cast a long shadow across the empty market place as the evening sun hung low in the sky.

 

-o-

 

SG1 were ushered to a large hall overlooking the square where they found long trestle tables laden with food. The crowd that still accompanied the visitors piled into the chamber, quickly sitting down on the long wooden benches.

 

"We started preparations for this as soon as we knew the stone circle had activated," Drestal grinned proudly, showing Jack and his team to the 'top' table set at right angles to the other two. Sam made a mental note to ask Drestal what kind of 'early warning' system the Cavitzeel had.

 

They were on show and 'goldfish bowl' came to Jack's mind. On the other hand, he could see all the people still settling themselves. To Jack's surprise and Daniel's delight a small group of musicians assembled in the centre space between the two other tables and in front of theirs. As drums, flutes and something resembling a violin struck up a melodic tune, people appeared from a far side door, carrying large trays of carved meat or tureens of vegetables. Others bore jugs of water and filled each small metal cup in turn.

 

Peering at his full platter, Jack's attention was taken with the cutlery. On one side of his plate was the ubiquitous fork and on the other, was a knife with what looked like a bone handle. Set in the handle was a black blade, its smooth surface like polished glass. In fact, it was glass in the form of obsidian.

 

"Watch out for the blade, Jack," Daniel whispered, "it's sharper than the finest steel."

 

Gingerly, Jack picked up the knife and gauged its weight and balance. It was perfect.

 

"Wish Sizzlers had knives like these."

 

"Yeah but it wouldn't make the quality of the steaks any better," grinned Daniel, tucking into his roast beef and a mountain of vegetables.

 

Ever since the episode with Kinthia's people, Jack was never very keen on eating or drinking anything offered to him on a mission and as everyone ate with gusto, he waited to see if anyone keeled over as if they were drunk or tried to have sex with their neighbour. Very soon it was obvious that the food was safe and egged on by the wonderful flavours assaulting his nose, Jack also tucked in, savouring every mouthful.

 

At the end of the meal they were offered fresh fruit and as Jack stared at the offering of several slabs of something layered on a small flat dish. Daniel had already started his.

"It's a cross between a melon and a peach, Jack. It's very nice, you should try it."

 

After his first taste, Jack fell on the fruit and having finished it in record time, looked to see if there were any leftovers. He managed to scoff more of the fruit than the rest of his team put together. He would regret it later.

 

As the banqueters enjoyed their very substantial repast, a shadowy figure made its way stealthily through the streets of the town to the Stargate.

 

-o-

 

"You're late, Craygeon."

 

"I'm sorry. A lot has happened in the town today. It was hard to get away."

 

Seated on one of the obsidian globes whose mysterious cleanliness had intrigued Daniel earlier that day, a short swarthy man with a scarred cheek, eyed Craygeon suspiciously.

"What is it you want?" he demanded.

 

"Winstyn, I want to join the Vasta. Take me back with you."

 

"Why should I do that?" the other man asked, standing up and almost laughing. "Anyway, I wouldn't get my consignments of the metal glass if you left the Cavitzeel." Winstyn added, his voice hardening.

 

"I can still supply it and work it. I have a partner who is willing to stay here. We can easily smuggle it across the border. It would still be worth a great deal to you."

"What's to stop the Vasta just invading and taking what we want?"

 

"If you do that, the value will plummet and what you have will be worthless. You would still control how much and how often the metal glass would reach the market place and the brokers. If you take me with you I can ensure a regular supply that will make you rich and powerful, Winstyn. Let me go with you, please?"

 

"And I ask again, why?"

 

"I'm sick of the small minded people here and I want what you have."

 

The scarred man laughed again and glancing at his two companions, still seated on the obsidian globes, reached out quickly and grabbed Craygeon's coat, shaking him hard.

"I could still take what I want and I wouldn't have to put up with your snivelling little ass!"

 

"But I'm the only one with the skills and knowledge to work the metal glass," Craygeon gasped as he panicked for breath, feeling his collar tightening around his throat. When Winstyn at last released him, the Cavitzeel regained his balanced and yelled at his assailant.

 

"If you don't do as I ask, you will always remain a small bit player in the real world, Winstyn!"

 

Stung by his words, the Vastan's eyes narrowed and for a moment he debated whether he should just kill Craygeon and find another supplier. The trouble was, the Cavitzeel was right, there was no one else who could work the metal glass like him and the magical beauty of the trinkets Craygeon could produce obsessed the Vastans.

 

"So…what has been going on in the town to make you late?" Whatever was going on, Winstyn would learn what he could and use it for his own gain if possible.

 

"Four people came through the stone circle today. They are soldiers and carry strange weapons."

 

At this, Craygeon suddenly had Winstyn's undivided attention.

 

"What kind of weapons?" he asked, his eyes widening.

 

The Cavitzeel man realised that the information he had could be of use and that he might be able to dictate the price.

 

"Will you take me to Vasta?"

 

Winstyn opened his mouth to tell Craygeon to go fuck a pig and then shut it again, thinking. They both had something the other wanted, so why not agree a trade? He could always kill Craygeon another time.

 

"All right, all right. You can come back with me tonight. Now, tell me about these people and their weapons."

 

Craygeon proceeded to describe Jack and Sam's P90s but he didn't say anything about Teal'c's staff weapon because he didn't appreciate its potency. He thought it was some kind of totem brought from the Tau'ri world as a sign of Jack's status as their leader.

 

The only weapon this world had was the obsidian blade. From Craygeon's description, Winstyn figured that SG1's weapons had to be more sophisticated than their own. If he could get possession of even one, he would be more powerful than even the wealth of highly prized metal glass could give him.

 

"How do I know you are telling me the truth, Craygeon?"

 

"I'll bring one of the Tau'ri to you."

 

"And how long will that take?" Winstyn asked as nonchalantly as he could. These new friends of the Cavitzeel might even give him the chance to seize power in his home territory.

"A few hours. I will have to wait for the town to quieten and then take the man quickly. I don't think he will come willingly."

 

Considering Craygeon's plan, Winstyn nodded in agreement. "Just don't be all night."

 

-o-

 

"I hope your accommodations will prove adequate," Drestal said as he and SG1 left the banqueting hall and crossed the square to a small, detached building. The Cavitzeel opened a large door and led them through a short hallway into a square vestibule with a large wooden table at its centre bedecked with a huge container of flowers. Immediately, Daniel started sneezing.

 

"He's allergic to flowers," Jack commented and mortified, Drestal grabbed the bouquet and dumped the offending blooms into the street outside. "I am so sorry, it was not our intention to make you uncomfortable," he continued breathlessly.

 

Waving his arm, Daniel indicated that it didn't matter. He just hoped that any residual pollen wouldn't keep him sneezing all night. The medication that the SGC's doctor, Janet Fraiser, had prescribed usually worked, so he was sure that even if the unexpected flowers stirred up his allergy, the effects would be reduced.

 

Sam looked around and saw four doors, one in each of the four walls of the reception room.

 

"We only have three bedrooms for you, so I've taken the liberty of assuming that two of you will share," Drestal said, seeing Sam's interest.

 

"That's okay, Drestal, thanks, we're used to bunking together. Carter, you and Teal'c take separate rooms. Daniel you can share with me."

 

Even though both men had agreed that they would not sleep together during off world missions, at least they would have the opportunity to 'sleep together' and have a little time alone. Daniel said nothing, trying to give the impression it was business as usual.

 

Up until now, an outside lamp lighted the vestibule, hanging over the front door of the building. Reaching into his pocket, Drestal pulled out a small metal cylinder and using his thumb to depress a lever partway down, a small flame ignited in the top and offered it to a large shallow dish made of obsidian. All at once, the room was illuminated fuelled by a huge number of tiny obsidian shards.

 

"That's not possible," Sam said incredulously. "Obsidian doesn't burn at such a low temperature. How does it work?"

 

"The whole thing has been soaked in oil, with a little at the bottom of dish," Drestal said, wondering how the Tau'ri woman could have missed something so obvious.

 

"It's an oil lamp, Carter," Jack said disdainfully.

 

"Yes, sir," she replied quietly, feeling very foolish.

 

She blinked at her C.O., embarrassed by her faux pas. Daniel stared at Jack, taken aback by the hard and cutting tone in his voice. The older man quite often made 'dumb' remarks to Carter about technological subjects like this but never with such disrespect. Carter was a brilliant scientist and Jack knew it. He never treated her so dismissively.

"You will find a similar arrangement in each of the rooms as well as in the err...I'm not sure what you call it."

 

"Facilities? So what's behind the fourth door?" Jack inquired, resting his arms on his P90.

 

"Ah, yes," Drestal beamed, showing them a room with a toilet in it. He opened another door beyond it to what could only be described as a luxury shower room. The floor was covered in rough textured flagstones and the walls and ceiling were clad with large black and green tiles of obsidian. Offset from the centre was an enormous showerhead and a pull chain hanging from it. In each of the four corners, high up towards the ceiling, were similar oil lamps to the one they had already seen in the outer room. There was grab rail fixed to the wall nearest the shower.

 

At the sight of such an evocative space, Jack could feel his libido climbing and knew that somehow, someway he would have Daniel by the end of the night. He also knew that his thoughts and feelings could betray his military career and destroy his credibility with his team. He knew this like he knew his name and yet his traitorous body was overwhelming his intellect. There was something about this place that was shifting his balance of judgement.

 

"Okay, kids, we all get to try out the shower, one at a time. Carter, you go first and then Teal'c. Daniel, you're next and I'll be following up the rear."

 

Daniel shot a look at Jack. Were the words that his lover spoke meant to be as suggestive as he thought? Daniel mentally shook himself. Jack couldn't possibly mean anything by them, they'd agreed there would be no fraternisation while they were on duty...anywhere in the galaxy, though inwardly, he smiled. Even if it weren't meant suggestively, this early on in their relationship had still given them enough time to begin to develop a code between them and Daniel felt his body responding.

 

"I will leave you to sleep now," Drestal concluded, "and I will call for you tomorrow morning for breakfast and talks." Clicking his heels together and bowing, the Cavitzeel bade them goodnight.

 

Daniel pushed open the door to his and Jack's room and stuck his head around.

 

"It's not very big," Daniel murmured, staring at the layout where it was obvious that the room was a single and as a result, their beds were pushed together to fit them both in.

 

"Not yet, it isn't," Jack growled and planting his hand on Daniel's buttock, squeezed.

 

"Jack! What are you doing?"

 

"What does it feel like?"

 

"Like you shouldn't be doing it. I thought we had an agreement."

 

"Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

 

"If we were anywhere else I could fix that," Daniel laughed as he dumped his pack on the floor.

 

They flopped onto their respective beds, waiting for their showers. After a while, Jack slowly became aware of an odd feeling as though his body were warming up from the inside. It wasn't unpleasant or painful, just odd.

 

"I have finished my ablutions, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c rumbled from just outside their room.

 

"Thanks, Teal'c," Daniel said, jumping up off the bed and rifling through his pack to find his towel and other washing paraphernalia. As he opened the door he glanced at Jack, who was lying perfectly still and with a slight flush to his skin.

 

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked, frowning.

 

"Sure, I'm fine," replied Jack.

 

"Only you look a little...pink."

 

"Really? I don't feel pink."

 

Snorting, Daniel made his way across the vestibule to the shower. As he stripped off his clothes, laying them over a bar on the back of the door, he walked under the showerhead and pulled down the chain. A deluge of water broke over his head and shoulders and took his breath away. The temperature was perfect and once he got used to the force of the water he found it exhilarating, it was almost like being massaged by tiny points. Planting his hands flat on the glassy wall he dropped his head between his arms and arched his back, allowing the water to pummel his skin.

 

Jack shifted on his bed, that 'pinkness' that Daniel had noticed was bothering him. His body was tingling and he felt the need for something he couldn't quite identify. Sitting up, he caught sight of Daniel's pack; it looked like it had gently exploded spilling its contents over the top of the pack and onto the bed. Jack visualised a naked Daniel alone in that shiny black shower room and immediately he felt that pink warmth accelerate through his body like a raging fire. His tiredness after the day's events and the large meal had gone and he felt strong and powerful and with a single thought in his head, to take Daniel hard and fast and without warning.

 

The water pressure was such that Daniel could hear nothing but its cascading sounds echoing against the flagstones and the obsidian tiles. It was almost mesmerising. He didn't hear Jack enter the showroom like a silent stalker. When he felt hands on his body Daniel started and swung round to be faced with Jack bent on fucking him.

 

"Jack? What the hell are you doing? If Sam or Teal'c..."

 

"They won't, not if I'm quick."

 

"This isn't right and you know it. You'd better wait for me to finish and make your shower a cold one."

 

As Daniel studied Jack's face, waiting for a response, he sensed Jack wasn't really listening to him.

 

"Jack?"

 

Roughly gripping Daniel's shoulders, Jack spun him around to face the tiles.

 

"This won't take long," Jack breathed as he rubbed his erection against Daniel's naked buttocks, parting them with trembling fingers.

 

"Jack! I'm not prepped and we don't have any lube, what the hell are you thinking?" Daniel yelled over the noise of the water.

 

"I don't care and it doesn't matter," Jack said, his mouth close to Daniel's ear. He didn't raise his voice; it was clear and steady.

 

All the while, Jack was pushing his cock against Daniel's anus, demanding entry.

 

Daniel managed to half turn his body to look at the other man and to his horror; Jack's expression was one of determination with a single goal. Added to that, his eyes were completely black, the colour of obsidian. They were without humanity or feeling. With considerable effort, Daniel completed the rotation of his body until he was facing Jack again, the water still beating down on them and splashing off their bodies.

 

"Jack? Jack, what's wrong?" Daniel asked panic rising in his mind. There must be something wrong, this isn't the Jack O'Neill I know.

 

"Just shaddup and give me what I want," sneered the older man.

 

"That's it! Stop now, Jack, before you do something we're both going to regret."

 

"I take what I want, when I want it and right now I want your fucking ass, so just turn right around." His voice was harsh and insistent and with strength that even Daniel didn't recognise, Jack turned him again, pinning his body up against the slippery wet tiles. Daniel could hear Jack's ragged breathing and feel him reach down between them to spread his buttocks again. The younger man knew that he was going to have to think fast to get out of this nightmare situation and discover just what was going on with Jack.

 

Shifting, Daniel widened his stance slightly and twisting his shoulders as much as Jack would allow, grasped the older man's cock and pushed it between his thighs. Jack was already rocking his hips to thrust and when he felt the enveloping contact of Daniel's thighs tightly around his dick, he thrust harder and faster.

 

Daniel glanced past his chest to see Jack's cockhead ramming between his legs, the younger man's heavy balls draped over the shaft as Jack moved and the water continued to fall. Knowing he had to let Jack play out whatever was driving his mind to this act, Daniel made encouraging noises hoping this would make Jack climax quickly.

 

"Come for me, Jack, let it go."

 

"I'll fucking come when I'm ready," he grunted as he pressed his forearm across Daniel's shoulder blades and grabbed a handful of hair. Pulling Daniel's head back, Jack bit down on his neck hard. Daniel steeled himself through the pain and stayed silent, praying that whatever possessed Jack would release him very soon.

 

Jack's breath came in short sharp gasps now and Daniel knew he would climax at any moment. Looking down at Jack's cock again, he watched as the white semen spurted onto the wet black smooth obsidian tiles to mix with the water and drain away with it. As Daniel felt Jack's hold on him gradually relax he turned to embrace him and support his weight. Jack was entirely spent and his body sagged against Daniel's.

 

"Jack?"

 

"I...I..."

 

"It's okay, Jack, let's get you dried and dressed and into bed."

 

With that Daniel switched off the flow of water and flung a towel around Jack's limp frame. He did his best to get Jack dried and at least semi-dressed in his boxers and t-shirt. Still naked, Daniel wrapped his towel around his waist and gathering up the rest of their clothes, guided his friend back to their room. Once inside, Daniel sat Jack down on his bed and kneeling between his legs, looked at him trying to assess how he was.

 

"Jack? How are you feeling?" he asked gently, a concerned expression on his face.

 

"Like crap," Jack replied, his voice weary.

 

"What happened in there, I...I can't say just how sorry I am. I just don't know what I must have been thinking."

 

"It's all right, don't worry." Stroking Jack's leg, Daniel gave him a smile of reassurance.

 

"It's not all right, I nearly raped you for cryin' out loud."

 

"You weren't yourself, Jack."

 

"But I was, Danny. The feelings I had drove me to hurt you when I shouldn't have. I was fully aware of what I was doing." Jack dropped his head and closed his eyes as his body started to tremble again.

 

"You're not a bad man. I'm sure there must be some other logical explanation for what happened. Maybe it was something you ate or...or it could be some weird effect of the obsidian."

 

"Listen to what I'm sayin' for once. What happened was about me not you or anything else, just me. I wasn't even thinking about you, I just wanted..." Jack waved his hand with a flick of his wrist, his forearms resting on his thighs and his hands dangling between them.

 

"Sex, yeah I got that," Daniel said grinning.

 

"This isn't funny, Daniel. I can't believe I had no self-control. It just wasn't there. I felt I could do anything, be anything."

 

"Well, there's my point. You have a great deal of self control."

 

"Not all the time though. Remember when I beat the shit out of you the first time we went to the Land of Light?"

 

"Jack, you...were...not...yourself! It wasn't your fault, like just now, that wasn't your fault either. Your eyes were different, they were completely black, no pupils, just black. It didn't look like you and it wasn't you, believe me."

 

"Well how come I remember it then if it wasn't me?"

 

"I don't know but we'll get the answers tomorrow. Why don't you try and get some rest?"

 

"I'm afraid, Daniel. What if I attack you again?"

 

Daniel wrapped his arms around Jack's waist and laid his head against his lover's chest, listening to his heart beating strongly.

 

"You won't. I trust you, Jack, I know you would never really hurt me, not knowingly anyway."

 

"Do you think you know me? I mean really know me."

 

"Well, not entirely but I know enough to love you."

 

Jack straightened up when he heard Daniel's confession. He'd never really thought about Daniel in terms of loving him. He just knew his friend was the most important person in his life, the only person who mattered to him. Was that love? He supposed it must be.

 

"Daniel..."

 

"Come on, Jack, try and get some rest. We can talk some more tomorrow," Daniel said quietly, pulling back and patting Jack on the arm.

 

Jack felt even more like crap now. Daniel was being so understanding; so forgiving it almost made him feel angry. If he were Daniel he'd probably have lashed out by now. Concentrating hard, Jack swallowed back his rising ire, as much against himself as Daniel.

 

"What are you doing, Jack?"

 

"Getting dressed."

 

"Why?"

 

"Because I feel cold, okay?" Jack snapped as he felt that warm glow increase and centre in the pit of his stomach to become a small hard knot.

 

Daniel's eyes widened as he measured the rapid change in Jack's mood and demeanour. There was definitely something wrong and he wondered if he should rouse Sam and Teal'c. As he ran through his options, Jack lay down heavily on his bed in full combat gear. He even had his boots on.

 

Guiltily, Daniel considered whether his trust in Jack was misplaced and chewing his lower lip, he looked at Jack who was obviously tense and agitated, almost like a coiled spring. Much as he hated to do it, Daniel decided that silence was the better part of valour and kept quiet. Right now, being with Jack was like treading on eggshells.

 

Gradually, Daniel drifted into a dreamless sleep, as did Jack. Next door to them, Sam in her room and Teal'c in his, were doing the same thing. Unknowingly, they had all succumbed to an airborne sleeping draught, as a drug mixed with the oil in the lamps that illuminated their quarters. Even Teal'c slumbered, unaware and unable to combat its effects.

 

An hour or so later, two men entered the building and quietly crept into Jack and Daniel's room. They thought their plan had been thwarted when Jack said that he and Daniel would share. They had assumed that because of Jack's status as leader, he would claim a room to himself. Despite the fact that Daniel was there, the drug had worked well and the archaeologist was unconscious as were all the other members of the Tau're contingent. The intruders collected together Jack's P90 and pack to place it just outside the front door of the building and next to a waiting donkey. The men picked up Jack and staggered out into the street. They had underestimated just how heavy an unconscious and dead-weighted body Jack could be.

 

Eventually, with some grunting and straining, the two managed to drape Jack's body across the donkey and the shorter of the kidnappers slung Jack's pack on his back, and set off for the Stargate.

 

-o-

 

A watery beam of sunlight stole through the little window high up in Jack and Daniel's room. Snuffling gently, Daniel rolled over and without even opening his eyes, reached across to find Jack. Feeling the void where he'd expected to find his lover, Daniel's eyes snapped open and when he saw the empty bed next to him he sat bolt upright, shoving on his glasses in the process.

 

"Jack?" Daniel knew it was pointless calling for him as he glanced around their small room. He definitely wasn't there. Trying to rationalise his growing panic, Daniel thought Jack might all ready be up and out; he was an early riser by habit and preference. Just as he started to feel his reasoning explained Jack's absence, Daniel noticed that the older man's gear was gone too. This did not bode well and leaping out of bed he dressed as quickly as he could.

 

"Sam! Teal'c!" Daniel yelled, jumping between the two doors and knocking hard on each one in turn. Sam stuck her head out and still bleary eyed, ran her fingers through her bed hair.

 

"What's up, Daniel?"

 

"It's Jack, he's gone."

 

"Gone where, Daniel Jackson?" asked Teal'c as he zipped up his jacket.

 

"I don't know but he's gone."

 

"He's probably just up early, you know what he's like," Sam offered.

 

"No, his gear's gone as well, everything."

 

With that, Sam disappeared back into her room and within a minute she was dressed and inspecting the men's bedroom. Daniel was right, there was absolutely no sign that the colonel had ever been there, except that his bedding was stretched out across the floor.

 

"O'Neill was taken, Daniel Jackson. The bedding has been dragged towards the door."

 

"Can you tell how many?" Sam asked, staring at the mass of sheets and blankets.

 

"I cannot, except that there must have been at least two men. An unconscious O'Neill would represent a heavy weight."

 

Daniel could confirm that assumption. The last time he and Jack had shared a bed he'd woken in the early hours with Jack asleep and sprawled over his body.

 

"How do you know he was unconscious and not just asleep?" Daniel asked, still remembering Jack's warm and comatose body against his own.

 

"If he were asleep, he would have woken immediately an intruder entered your room. He is well attuned to unusual occurrences in the middle of the night, Daniel Jackson and even if he were awake, they could not have taken him easily. We all would have been made aware of his difficulties."

 

"We need to find him," Daniel choked, "last night he wasn't himself."

 

"Daniel?" Turning from her assessment of the debris left on the floor, Sam eyed the archaeologist carefully.

 

"He...he was agitated, anxious, a little wired I'd say," Daniel replied, not wanting to say anything about the episode in the shower room.

 

"Whatever, Daniel, you're right. We have to find him."

 

As they geared up and made ready to leave their quarters, they heard the front door open. It was Drestal.

 

"Good morning, honoured guests. I trust you slept well?"

 

"No," came Teal'c's emphatic reply. "I did not."

 

Daniel and Sam stared at the big Jaffa and then at each other.

 

"Teal'c?" they asked in unison.

 

"My symbiote was, as you say, out of sorts."

 

"I'm sorry to hear that," Drestal said looking around, "and where is Colonel O'Neill? Is he not ready yet? Perhaps I should come back later."

 

"No! He's not here, he's been kidnapped," Daniel interjected, the urgency in his voice ringing out as clearly as a bell.

 

"Kidnapped?"

 

"Is there an echo in here?" Daniel mumbled, his frustration growing as he glanced over his shoulder at Sam.

 

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean. How could Colonel O'Neill be kidnapped? What evidence do you have?"

 

Daniel's body tensed as he considered yelling at the man to stop being so dense and Sam stepped forward, resting her hand lightly on her team-mate's arm.

 

"Drestal, the colonel is not here and neither is his gear. None of us heard anything, which implies he must have been rendered unconscious to be taken without a struggle. Will you help us look for him?"

 

"Of course, of course," Drestal nodded, "I will call the town wardens to the square and have them search the streets and houses. Please, come with me and you can address them and give a description of your leader."

 

Thirty minutes later, the remaining members of SG1 were standing in the market place, surrounded by twenty five people, men and women who acted as the town's police force. They listened intently to Sam's words and registered with some sympathy, the worried expression on Daniel's face.

 

-o-

 

As Jack regained consciousness, he was immediately aware of being bound. Pulling at his ties he realised his wrists were immobile behind his back and his ankles were trussed together. He was lying on a filthy floor in pitch darkness. He didn't bother asking himself how he got there or why he was in this predicament. The first question was unfathomable and the second was just too obvious to expend energy on.

 

A bright light assaulted his senses as Jack heard and saw a large heavy door being flung open and taking the opportunity, glanced quickly around him to see he was in a cell with no means of escape except for the door. There were no windows, bars or grills anywhere. Judging by the quality of the light, Jack knew it was daytime and that the sun was at its zenith, he could feel the heat wafting in through the open door. That meant the walls were thick, blocking out light and heat and his brain was all ready calculating how much C4 he would need to blast his way out, if he could find some. He saw a silhouette of someone standing between him and the open door.

"Your weapons are very interesting," voice said, "and very powerful.

 

"Yeah well," Jack drawled, "it's my tax dollars at work, buddy."

 

Silence pervaded the cell and Jack was well enough trained and experienced in interrogation methods to bide his time and be patient. The man would speak again sooner or later and Jack wasn't going anywhere.

 

"I want to know how they're made."

 

"Ever heard of backwards engineering?"

 

Again, silence enveloped Jack's world until suddenly, rough hands grabbed at his jacket and pulled him to sit up.

 

"I am a patient man, Colonel O'Neill, I can wait until you are ready to give me what I want."

 

With that Jack's interrogator withdrew and as the door banged shut, he was left in darkness again.

 

"That was easy," he muttered aloud. "Too easy." Jack steeled himself for the softening-up process. He knew it would come, it always did.

 

-o-

 

As the wardens spread out across the town, SG1 were left alone with Drestal.

 

"We're going to check out the route to the Stargate," Sam announced, shouldering her pack.

 

"By yourselves? Is that wise? I should come with you," Drestal said nervously.

 

"I don't think so," Daniel said firmly. “We'll report back in a few hours if we don't find him.”

 

Drestal watched them go and wondered if he had an international or even inter planetary incident on his hands.

 

As they covered the distance to the Stargate as quickly as possible, Teal'c trained his tracker's eye on their route looking for any signs that O'Neill and his captors had passed that way.

 

"Stop!" he commanded.

 

Sam and Daniel spun around to see their colleague drop to one knee and study the waist high bracken at the side of their path.

 

"Look," he said, holding the SGC shoulder patch in his fingers.

 

They all knew for sure Jack had been taken towards the Stargate and with renewed determination they set off at a trot to their destination.

 

"No, sir, we haven't found him yet but we are pretty sure he was taken to the Stargate," Sam reported as she spoke to General Hammond.

 

"Report back in six hours, Major Carter," Hammond ordered.

 

"Yes, sir," she acknowledged and waited for the Gate to shut down.

 

"What have you got, Teal'c?"

 

"O'Neill was here, brought by a four legged animal. There were two men with him. He was still unconscious at this point."

 

"Was he taken through the Gate?" Daniel asked, afraid that if he were, they had no way of knowing where in the Galaxy he might have gone.

 

"That I do not know, Daniel Jackson."

 

"Teal'c, take a good look around the DHD and the steps to the Gate," Sam said as she surveyed the rocky and inhospitable landscape.

 

Desperately concerned for Jack's welfare, Daniel slumped down on one of the three large obsidian balls he'd seen the day before. Frustration and the lack of any real information were driving his crazy. Planting his elbows on his knees he leaned forward to rest his chin in his hands. After a few moments, anger gripped him and he kicked his boot heels backwards against the base of the solid glass sphere. Almost immediately, a holographic image projected itself between his legs to a spot at least a yard in front of him. It was a recording of the meeting between Winstyn and Craygeon. The team-mates gathered to watch and listen. Now they knew why Jack had been taken, they just needed to find out where.

 

-o-

 

Shuffling backwards and pushing off with his feet, Jack managed to come into contact with a wall. Leaning against it, he straightened out his legs and tried to relax his sore muscles a little.

 

Suddenly the cell door banged open again and the room was flooded with light, leaving Jack struggling to readjust his vision. He did so just in time to see a booted foot swinging in his direction and quickly he rolled his hips and fell sideways onto the floor in the hope of avoiding being kicked. It worked that time but he knew it wouldn't work again. Two men manhandled Jack to his feet and dragged him into the centre of his stinking and dank cell, yanking his arms over his head; they looped his bonds over a hook hanging by a chain from the ceiling. Jack lifted his head to look at the metal contraption above him and inwardly cursed. If it had been something solid it would have stopped his body moving around too much and thus less tiring for him. He could have used a solid attachment to rest. This mobile arrangement meant he would have to work hard to try and avoid muscle strain. He couldn't remain balanced and co-ordinated with his feet tied together.

 

Looking disdainfully at his captors, Jack's senses were on full alert as they drew a knife each from sheaths fastened to their waistbands. Jack recognised exactly what they were from the night before and Daniel's words of warning echoed in his mind.

 

Watch out for the blade, Jack, it's sharper than the finest steel.

 

They hacked at his jacket, shredding it within moments and throwing the ribbons of fabric behind them to scatter across the floor of the cell.

 

"Boy, is Uncle Sam gonna be pissed about this," Jack announced. The men ignored him and used their obsidian blades to cleanly slice through his regulation black t-shirt, stripping his torso naked. Then as quickly as they had entered his cell, they left and Jack was alone in the dark again.

 

Jack was surprised when someone entered the room again, just a few minutes later.

 

"Now, we'll start again, Colonel. Tell me about your weapons."

 

"Not that same old line of questioning again," Jack smiled, summoning up all his bravado.

 

"You can make this easy or hard. Tell me what I want to know otherwise you will undergo a very painful torture. I assume you can appreciate just how sharp our metal glass blades are. They are very effective weapons at close quarters and I could carve my initials into your flesh very easily, like a knife through butter.” Winstyn waved the blade slowly in Jack's face and rested the blade against his cheek. "If you survived it, O'Neill, you would have my name permanently engraved on your body, like a merchant marks his stock."

 

"Well, you'll just have to do what you have to do because I'm not telling you anything. Do your worst, fuckwit, it's all the same to me." Jack spat out the last few words. That warm glow was gathering in the pit of his stomach again and the thought of eventually snapping the man's neck fuelled his body and mind for the ordeal ahead.

 

Jack felt the obsidian blade cut his skin as Winstyn drew it slowly across his chest. He watched, as the point did no more than whisper across the surface of his skin cutting a two-inch long cut into his flesh. It stung like hell and bled profusely. Jack said nothing, staring at his tormentor, a fire behind his eyes that even Winstyn could not fail to notice.

 

"Resistance is futile, O'Neill."

 

At that, Jack choked out a laugh.

 

"You're kidding me, right? You get the Sci Fi channel this far out?"

 

For a moment, a look of puzzlement crossed Winstyn's face and he began to wonder if Craygeon had selected the wrong candidate for his inquiries. This man babbled like an idiot.

Tracing the contour of Jack's extended pectoral muscles with his fingertip, Winstyn's expression changed to one of curiosity. O'Neill was a fine specimen and though he was older, his body was lean and muscular and Winstyn felt his cock thicken. Maybe, he needed to change tack and try another approach to extract the information he wanted.

 

-o-

 

"Try the other two," Sam said quickly, waving the business end of her P90 at the two remaining obsidian balls.

 

Daniel was way ahead of her as he stood and kicked the next nearest sphere. Nothing happened.

 

"Teal'c, are there any signs that anyone was standing just here?" Daniel pointed to the exact spot on the ground where they'd seen the holographic recording projected. After a fast appraisal, Teal'c nodded.

 

"There is evidence of depressions in the grass. They were made by footwear."

 

"So, if the balls record what's in front of them, this other ball might show where Jack was taken," the archaeologist surmised and he lined himself up between the third sphere and the DHD. "I think we might get a Gate address, Sam." However, when Daniel tried to activate the ball, still nothing happened.

 

"You're theory isn't working, Daniel," Sam said through gritted teeth. She, like her team-mate, believed the spheres held the answer to O'Neill's destination but how to find the clues was yet another conundrum the planet had thrown at them.

 

"Maybe there's more than one activation device in the balls," Daniel murmured studying them closely. "We just have to be more methodical." Releasing the straps on his backpack and letting it drop to the ground, Daniel retrieved his notebook and tore a page from it. He followed the imaginary line from where the image had been projected, ripping a small piece from the paper, licked it and stuck it to the ball. "It'll stay there for a while," he said as he licked another square of paper and slapped it on the other ball," but it's gonna dry pretty quickly. We need to move fast." Using the butt of his 9mm, Daniel systematically tapped the glass orbs.

 

After about ten minutes, he had managed to cover the first ball with small pieces of torn paper. No other message had been recorded save that of a close up of an inquisitive child and someone's backside.

 

Daniel moved to the second sphere and started the process all over again. There was still nothing. By now Sam was sitting with her back against the stand of the DHD feeling depressed. As Daniel tapped his pistol against the third and final orb it activated and before them was the image of a limp and unconscious Jack, being carried in a firefighter's lift through the empty and inactive Stargate, down the steps on the other side and dumped on the ground between two rocky outcrops. Then they heard the unmistakeable sound of Goa'uld transporter rings. The two men who had kidnapped Jack stood beside his crumpled body and disappeared.

 

Daniel looked at Sam and Teal'c, the intensity of his gaze reflecting a mix of emotions from exhilaration to relief.

 

"Okay, now we know how the colonel was abducted and it's a good bet he's still on the planet. I'm going to contact the SGC and get General Hammond to send through the ring activation device."

 

Within fifteen minutes, the three members of SG1 were standing close together readying themselves for the transporter rings to activate. Each had their weapons drawn in preparation for whatever they might find at the other end. Daniel prayed they would find Jack alive and he vowed that whatever happened, the two men he witnessed in the recording would answer for their deeds through the Cavitzeel justice system.

 

-o-

 

Jack's skin felt like a furnace as Winstyn cut his body with tiny incisions. His self-discipline was beginning to waver and in his weakened state, even the passion for revenge that had fortified him at the beginning of his torment was ebbing away, the only things that kept him going were his feelings for Daniel and an obstinate steak that had aided his survival throughout his military career.

 

It was obvious to Winstyn that Jack was not going to reveal anything of any benefit to him, even though the man's chest and back bore a dozen small stingingly painful nicks and cuts.

"Perhaps you would be more co-operative through pleasure rather than pain," Winstyn remarked as he used a gentle antiseptic spray to seal and treat Jack's wounds. After being offered a drink, Jack's warning bells were sounding like four minute warning klaxons as the other man ran exploratory fingertips down and across Jack's abdomen.

 

As the rings collapsed through the sandy floor of a small raised platform, SG1 was ready to meet an army of Jaffa. Instead they found themselves at one end of a paved courtyard, decorated with a few earthenware pots bearing a few sad looking plants. The courtyard was surround on all four sides by a two-storey building and as the sun reflected off the white washed walls, Sam and Daniel were forced to put on their sunglasses.

 

Moving silently, they split up to check the windows and doors, meeting up at the furthest end and agreeing that the ground floor at least, was empty. Entering through a wooden door they found themselves traversing a narrow dark passage. As they peered out at the other end, they saw a large farmyard with a number of outbuildings. The two men they had seen in the obsidian holographic projection were sitting on upturned crates, either side of an open door to one of the buildings.

 

Glancing at each other, SG1 agreed this had to be where Jack was being held and under cover of the collection of ramshackle buildings, they progressed carefully and silently to the adjacent building to their target. They still didn't have any real evidence that Jack was a prisoner there but all the right clues were there for a safe assumption.

"Hi, you don't happen to have the time do you?" Daniel asked the two goons guarding the door. As the two men rose from their crates, confused and threatened by the archaeologist's sudden appearance, Sam and Teal'c moved along either side of the building and felled them with a couple of zat guns.

 

With perfect timing, Daniel sashayed inside and tapped Winstyn on the shoulder and as he turned around, Teal'c landed a hefty blow to his jaw, sending the man senseless across the floor.

 

As the Jaffa dragged Winstyn outside to be bound and gagged along with his associates, Daniel released Jack from the ceiling hook, catching his body and carefully allowing Jack to sit. Grabbing the obsidian knife, Daniel cut Jack's bindings and held him by leaning his back against the wall with his knees up and cradling his lover between his legs, Jack's head resting against his chest.

 

"God, Jack, I thought I'd lost you."

 

"Y'know me, Daniel, I bounce back like a bad penny," Jack whispered, his voice cracked and dry.

 

"Look at you, you're covered in blood, what the hell did he do to you?"

 

"Just a close encounter with an obsidian blade, Danny, but I'm okay now. Have you got any spare clothes with you? I could do with a shirt of jacket."

 

"Sorry, I should have thought, just a minute," Daniel said, enthusiastically yanking off his jacket and helping Jack on with it.

 

Wincing, Jack attempted to stand and as he struggled to get upright, Daniel was at his side helping him.

 

"Jack?"

 

"What?"

 

"Why is your button undone and you're zipper...part way down?"

 

"Oh, ahh, well...it probably popped when they grabbed me."

 

"Did he...touch you?"

 

"No."

 

"Are you sure? He didn't do anything did he?"

 

"Danny," Jack said quietly, as he held his lover's shoulders, "he didn't do anything, okay?"

 

Daniel held Jack's gaze, still unconvinced. Would Jack tell him if Winstyn had messed with him? He decided to drop it for now. Jack got to his feet unsteadily with Daniel's help and he was grateful for the man's quiet strength. As they made their way out into the sunlight, Sam and Teal'c were making the area secure, namely tying up the prisoners. Teal'c had already checked out the large house and the other outbuildings and apart from a few chickens, there were no other life signs anywhere.

 

Winstyn and his two friends were seated back-to-back and bound together. They were not happy.

 

"Everything's secure, sir."

 

"Good, thanks, Carter."

 

With difficulty, Jack bent down to look Winstyn in the eye.

 

"Enjoy yourself, didja?" Jack asked, menace growing in his voice as he prodded the Vastan with the toe of his boot. The warm glow redoubled its effects and Jack felt an all-pervasive blood lust rising in his veins. The desire to snap Winstyn's neck had returned and Jack grabbed him by the shoulders, ready to slip his long elegant fingers around the other man's throat.

 

"Jack? What are you doing?" Daniel enquired.

 

"I'm gonna do what I wanted to do several hours ago, Daniel. Out of my way while I do this." Jack's voice was thick with anger as his fingertips came into contact with the Vastan's warm and flushed neck.

 

"Jack, don't! Don't do this, you're better than this." Daniel's voice was insistent, pushing at Jack's heart and at his conscience as he watched his lover's internal struggle.

Jack's breathing was becoming laboured as he fought against his basest instincts, knowing that what he wanted to do was against all that he wished he were. Gently, Daniel touched Jack's arm, hoping somehow to take away his anger and Jack wanted to absorb Daniel's sense of right and justice.

 

With an almighty effort, Jack withdrew his hands and dropped to his knees, hanging his head as he fought to regain his breath. The internal heat dissipated and he shivered.

Beckoning to Sam and Teal'c, Daniel held Jack while his team-mates pulled their prisoners to their feet, readjusting their bonds so that they could all walk to the ring platform and get back to Cavitzeel and the Stargate.

 

-o-

 

Doctor Janet Fraiser conducted her examinations of SG1 with her usual caring efficiency, spending most of her time overseeing Jack's treatment.

 

"You're lucky, Colonel. Most of your wounds are superficial and will heal by themselves in about a week or so and you may only have a few discernable scars."

 

"Cool," Jack replied and let his head sink into the soft white pillows.

 

"Your blood samples show raised testosterone levels and adrenaline production and the colonel's is way above the rest of you," she announced to all four of her patients. "The three of you probably didn't feel a lot different but I'm surprised that you," she turned to Jack, "didn't rampage through the streets or take down a ten storey building by yourself, sir."

"There were times when I felt like it," he said sheepishly.

 

"I've also analysed that peach/melon fruit that Dr. Jackson brought back. I think you may be allergic to one of the enzymes, colonel. I understand you ate rather a lot of it and that might explain why your blood chemistry is out of whack. The levels will drop off in time, so I don't see any lasting effects. "

 

"Well, that's a relief," Jack added, more grateful than he would care to admit. Fighting against his deep-seated aggressiveness was just too tiring. Glancing over at Daniel, he grinned.

 

"What?"

 

"Nuthin'."

 

"Oh."

 

-o-

 

The Briefing Room - One week later

 

"Winstyn and his cronies were extradited from Vasta, and Craygeon and Drestal will appear with them before the Cavitzeel High Court in two weeks time. Major Kovacek's diplomatic team, SG9 will be accompanied by a couple of lawyers to represent the SGC."

 

"And I thought our huge honkin' budget was just to keep the lights on. Gonna have to request an increase if we're using lawyers, general."

 

"Take a seat, Jack," Hammond ordered, trying not to smile too much at Jack's wise cracking attitude.

 

"Thank you, sir. Mornin' kids."

 

Sam giggled, Daniel beamed and the corners of Teal'c's mouth twitched. His team was very pleased to see Jack back in the saddle.

 

"I've discharged Colonel O'Neill, general, he was disrupting my infirmary too much," Janet said, her eyes twinkling with humour as she handed the commanding officer her final medical report on Jack.

 

"Carter? Didja say Craygeon and Drestal were arrested?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"I'm not surprised about Craygeon but Drestal?"

 

"Drestal was Craygeon's partner. They were going to smuggle the obsidian into Vasta and were set to make a fortune as well as disrupting the trading balance, colonel."

"See, I knew Drestal couldn't be trusted. My gut kept telling me that the whole time."

 

"You're a good judge of character, Jack," Daniel affirmed.

 

"Yeah, I know," laughed Jack, teasing his lover with a covert look as he leaned back in his chair with a smug expression.

 

"Okay, people, job well done. I'll put SG1 back in the rotation. Right now you're on stand down for the next three days. Dismissed."

 

-o-

 

As soon as Jack's front door was closed and locked, he and Daniel fell into each other's arms and held one another tight.

 

"God, I've missed you," Daniel breathed into Jack's neck.

 

"I know ,and I'm sorry," Jack said quietly.

 

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

 

"For being an ass."

 

"I don't understand, you're never an ass, well almost never."

 

"I was on that damned planet, Daniel and you know it."

 

"You weren't yourself, Jack."

 

"Look, I don't wanna go over all that again. What you saw and what you were on the end of, was me. All me, and nothing but me. Whatever that substance was in my blood, it just amplified what was all ready there. It was just a bigger version of what I am, Daniel."

 

"Maybe and the way you let Winstyn go, that was you as well."

 

"With your influence."

 

"No, Jack, I didn't do anything. You made the decision not to kill him."

 

"Yeah and my original decision was to snap his neck."

 

"You were under a lot of pressure, he was torturing you!"

 

"Yeah, well that's as maybe. The worst thing was what I tried to do to you, Danny." Jack's voice broke as he pulled the younger man to him. "I would have killed myself if I'd hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me and I know you never would, so will you stop talking like that?"

 

"I don't think you realise just how important you are to me."

 

"You can always show me," Daniel said suggestively.

 

"It's not as easy as that, Daniel. I'm scared it could happen again, y'know, that I could hurt you, that I could go off the rails."

 

Daniel took Jack's face in his hands and looked at him. "I'm not made of porcelain, I don't want you to treat me like something fragile or breakable. I'm a man like you, Jack. I have desires that drive me too. We're not all that different."

 

"Really?"

 

"Really."

 

Brushing his lips with his own, Daniel kissed Jack fiercely, trying to make him understand that he too, had a fire and a passion in him that could match Jack's. As they kissed they slowly rolled off the hall walls and staggered to Jack's bedroom.

 

"Want soft and gentle or fast and hard, Jack?"

 

"Fuck, Danny, when you put it like that, I'll have it all," panted Jack as he lay down on his bed next to Daniel."

 

"All?"

 

"Why not?"

 

"That might take a while, I've got a very long shopping list."

 

"We can start at the top and work our way down," Jack smiled, kissing Daniel again and again.

 

Fingering Daniel's necklace of four very large obsidian beads strung together on a leather thong, Jack kissed and laved his lover's neck.

 

"Big necklace," Jack commented. "Where d'ya get 'em?"

 

"They were a gift from the Cavitzeel."

 

"Nice," Jack breathed as he sucked Daniel's earlobe.

 

"Shower!"

 

"What?"

 

"Let's take a shower, Jack, together."

 

"I dunno, after the last time..."

 

"All the more reason to do it now. Come on, it'll be fine."

 

"Well, okay but only if you're sure."

 

"I'm sure."

 

Naked and semi-erect in anticipation the men padded to Jack's large shower room, Daniel flipping the lever to start the flow of water. Jack watched as the water cascaded over Daniel's smooth muscular body, making his skin shiny and slick. Letting out an involuntary moan, Jack moved under the water to join him. Daniel smiled, he loved to see Jack with wet hair, slicked back and incredibly arousing.

 

Taking a washcloth, Jack soaped it and turned Daniel to face the tiled wall while he ran the cloth slowly down his lover's back. The suds gathered and ran down the channel of his spine, pooling and then disappearing into the cleft of his buttocks. Standing close up to cover him, Jack slid the washcloth and his hands around to wipe Daniel's chest, paying special attention to his nipples.

 

"Turn around, Danny, I gotta feel 'em in my mouth," Jack breathed, his voice low and trembling.

 

Daniel flattened himself against the wall and stretched out his arms hips high, his palms against the tiles and as Jack bent to his task; Daniel watched the droplets bounce off his back. Using just the tip of his tongue, Jack circled the pink nubs, one at a time and suckled them to hardness. He knew he was holding back though, still scared about the strength of his feelings for Daniel.

 

"Oh god, Jack, you do that so well," panted Daniel as his pleasure centres began to heat up. "My turn, face the wall, Jack."

 

Moving quickly, Daniel had Jack facing the tiles before he knew what was happening and as his lover pressed his body against him, Jack guessed what he had in mind.

Daniel stroked his wet and naked body, until Jack thought he would explode. Trying to turn, Jack wanted to kiss Daniel, look into his perfect blue eyes and murmur words of love but Daniel grabbed his wrists and held them above his shoulders, as he bit down on his neck. As the pain and pleasure shot through him, Jack knew that he would have to give himself up to Daniel's strength and drive and that he too, could dominate when he chose to.

 

Demonstrating his intentions, Daniel rubbed his stiffened cock hard against Jack's buttocks as he continued to hold Jack firmly in his grip. As lust ignited his body, Jack still wanted to turn to face Daniel and as he tried, Daniel held him and wouldn't let him move. Feeling the power of his grip, Jack realised he couldn't move, Daniel had him well and truly pinned.

"You don't move unless I say so, Jack." A shiver of excitement ran through Jack's body as he heard the hard tone in Daniel's voice. "You do what I want because I can make you. You're not the only one with strength, Jack." He was taken aback by Daniel's show of force, he hadn't expected this, not from Daniel and although he found it very arousing, he also felt just a little afraid, the man was younger and probably fitter than Jack.

 

Jack let out another moan and with his voice shaking, leaned his forehead against the hard tiles. "Touch me, Danny."

 

"No. I'll touch you when I want to, if I want to."

 

"C'mon, Danny, stop playing now, you know what I need."

 

"I'm not playing Jack, haven't you figured that out yet?"

 

With that, Daniel thrust his hips forward, emphasising the point. His action took Jack's breath away and he struggled to break free but Daniel still held him immobile. Daniel now had to make a choice, to fuck Jack or to continue his hold. If he were to fuck him right now he'd have to switch to a one-handed grip on Jack's wrists because he knew that no matter how much he wanted to fuck him, he wouldn't do it without at least some preparation.

 

Taking a chance, Daniel changed his hold on Jack's wrists and reached for the conditioner, feeling stronger and stronger as Jack wriggled to loosen his grip.

 

"Not so fast, I'm not finished yet," growled Daniel as he up-ended the container to cover his fingers. "Spread your legs Jack. Do it now!"

 

Jack resisted, he wanted some part in all this and Daniel wasn't playing ball. Daniel sensed that Jack was beginning to learn that he could impose his will just as easily as Jack could and taking it further, he kicked Jack's feet to widen his stance. Pushing his fingers between Jack's buttocks he slid two fingers into his ass and smiled at Jack's response, hearing his breath hitch over the sound of the water.

 

"Like it, Jack? Huh?" His voice had a sinister quality to it that made Jack quiver. He was finding his fear almost as exciting as his pleasure.

 

Moving his fingers, Daniel began to work him, stimulated by Jack's groans and knowing that he was more than ready to take his cock.

 

"I'm gonna fuck you now, whether you're ready or not. You know why? Because I want to and because I can."

 

With lightning speed, Daniel released his grip on Jack's wrists, withdrew his fingers, spread his buttocks with one hand and held his cock with the other. As Jack felt his lover's dick pushing against him, he let out a relaxing breath and Daniel breached him, penetrating him deeply in one swift move. Rocking his hips with small movements, Daniel's cock stroked Jack's ass, undulating and deep. He snaked his arms around Jack's chest and sliding them over his wet skin, planted his hands up over his shoulders, gaining purchase to stroke faster.

 

After a few moments, Daniel stopped. "Bend over," he commanded, nudging Jack between his shoulder blades.

 

"The...the grab bar?" Jack all but whispered, hoping that Daniel would agree.

 

"Okay but you keep your hands on that bar, you don't take them off for any reason unless I say so. You got that?" As he spoke, Daniel poured conditioner over the obsidian necklace.

Nodding, Jack did as he was told, standing away from the bar and bracing his arms. He wondered if Daniel might spank him or just fuck him again where he stood. Instead, he felt an unusual sensation that he couldn't quite figure out for a moment. Then he knew what it was. Daniel had unfastened the obsidian necklace and was pushing the first large bead into Jack's ass.

 

"Oh my god, Danny, oh fuck."

 

"No talking, this is my show, not yours." Jack could hear a tone in Daniel's voice he'd never experienced before, assertive and in control, tinged with a suggestion of danger.

Daniel continued to push the beads up inside his lover as Jack let out a long, low-pitched groan with each one. Having inserted the final bead, Daniel pushed them high up to make contact with Jack's prostate and he growled, his breathing laboured.

 

"Jerk yourself off, I want to hear you come, so make it good and loud, Jack."

 

Daniel's words liberated Jack's mind and taking his rock hard shaft, he pumped it as the low growl in the back of his throat increased in pitch and volume. Massaging his balls, Jack continued to pull at his cock, his hips moving against Daniel's groin.

 

"Oh yeah, that's good, Jack, soooo good. Fucking come for me, show me, Jack, make me see how much you like this."

 

Daniel's words went off like a bomb in Jack's brain and as he jerked through his fist he climaxed, his cry of pleasure echoing and bouncing off the wet tiles. At the point of Jack's orgasm, Daniel pulled rapidly on the leather thong and withdrew the beads, increasing his pleasure and sending Jack into orbit. Before his mind and body could calm, Jack felt Daniel pushing against him again.

 

As he thrust his cock into Jack, Daniel was so close to orgasm but he knew there was just one last thing he had to do.

 

Supporting Jack's body, Daniel leaned into him, placing his mouth close to his lover's ear.

 

"I love you, Jack, with everything I have."

 

"I love you too, Danny, with everything I am."

 

As his orgasm overran his body and mind, Daniel held fast, not letting Jack go. He would never let Jack go.

 

-o-

 

The End