The anthropologist watched him go, his face flushed with emotion, his breathing labored and deep, his eyes blinking to stem his tears of anger - and hurt. The Jaffa went across to him. Cupping the distraught man's face he asked, in a soft voice, "Are you alright, Daniel?" The blue eyes didn't divert from the steps where Jack had just disappeared up, despite the question. When Teal'c brushed his thumb over the soft cheek, only then did Daniel seem to jerk awake. He blinked as he looked into his lover's eyes. "What has happened here?" Teal'c asked.

"You didn't hear?"

"Some of it, but not all."

Daniel wondered how much. Did he hear Jack's heartless response about beating the Goa'ulds? By the look in Teal'c's eyes though, it seemed he may have been spared that insult.

"Do you know what HIV is?" Daniel asked before biting his lips together, hard enough that a dimple appeared on his cheek.

"It is a disease that attacks the immune system. We recently had training on it, did we not?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. He'd almost forgotten that. "Yeah, we did."

"What appears to be the problem? O'Neill told me that Philip has this disease."

"Yes," Daniel said then blinked as he added, "and I'm concerned that it might affect you.."

Teal'c gave a gentle smile. "As you know, Daniel, I do not have an immune system for the disease to attack."

"But what if it affects your larvae?" The fight weary man asked quietly.

Teal'c reassured him with a loving stroke of his thumb across his lips. "I have yet to come across a disease my larvae could not cure."

"But what if the..." He was silenced when Teal'c kissed him tenderly.

Pulling apart slowly he smiled at his concerned lover. "I will be alright, Daniel. Do not concern yourself.."

Blinking quickly Daniel swallowed then looked deep into his eyes. "How can I not be concerned..."

Teal'c's thumb swiped the small mouth again then he tilted his head and captured Daniel in another kiss, this time it was reciprocated -heartily. As they pulled apart Daniel lowered his face as he swiped his thumb across his bottom lip. "I'm also concerned about Phil. This.." He shook his head then sighed. "It's so unfair.."

"I have concerns for O'Neill. Could he not contract this disease? If you were concerned with my having contracted it, is it not possible that he will?"

Daniel bowed his head until his chin pressed onto his chest. "I know!" He groaned then threw his head back until he looked up at the ceiling. "This is a huge.. huge.. mess! If Jack does slip up.. " He said shaking his head at the horrible thought.

"Do not concern yourself, Daniel. I do not believe that O'Neill will permit that to happen."

Daniel wet his lips then cast his eyes back to the steps. "Not willingly, but accidents *do* happen. Look what happened in the bathroom.."

Teal'c saw the confusion and concern in his lover's blue eyes. He pulled him closer, engulfing the smaller man in his strong arms. He kissed Daniel's forehead tenderly.

"Then we will take him to the land of the Nox."

Daniel took a few moments then pulled back. "The Nox?"

Teal'c touched the tip of his index finger to the end of Daniel's nose. "So they can heal him. Do not fear, Daniel, if O'Neill is ever contaminated, we will find a way to repair him." Daniel allowed Teal'c to pull him closer , and he felt the already familiar sensation of the lips of Teal'c's pouch moving as the symbiot wriggled inside the pouch.

*

Jack tentatively pushed the bathroom door open and peered around it. He heard the quiet mumbling cease and then Philip looked around Janet to see him.

"Can I come in?"

The young man looked up at Janet and she raised her brow. "Yes," Philip said. Jack pushed the door shut behind him as he entered and sat on the edge of the bath. "How's it going?"

"He's going to be tender for a few days, but it should heal well. He's got good skin.." The doctor gave her patient a smile and his mouth twitched with one in return. Jack reached out and cautiously brushed some fringe from Philip's dark eyes while Janet was turned away, then as she turned back, he dropped his hand to his lap, lacing his fingers together.

"What happened out there?" Philip asked, wincing a little as Janet tied one of the last knots.

Jack stared at him a long moment then shrugged. "Daniel and I .. had words.."

Philip and Janet exchanged looks. "What about?"

Jack lowered his eyes as he shook his head. "It's not important. What about you?" He looked up at Janet now. "Do we know what happened yet?"

She gave a shrug as she started to cover the stitches in a bandage. "A combination of things. Philip hasn't eaten anything today. He's had a few full glasses of red wine *and* he's taking a very strong pain relief. It's my guess that he just went dizzy and fell..." She put her hands on her hips as she looked at her patient, wondering if he was happy with her assessment. He seemed to be.

"That's it? Nothing to worry about?"

Janet frowned. "I think there's a few things to be concerned about, Colonel. Philip's state of health is a very important issue..."

Jack looked at Philip quickly then at Janet. "We're careful.." he said, feeling like he had to justify himself to everyone tonight.

"I'm sure you are, but just to be on the safe side, I'm going to be running 'very' regular checks on you from now on."

He nodded his head sharply. "Do you have to tell the General?"

She shook her head. "No. Not at this stage."

Philip sighed as he sat back, his head resting on the top of the cistern. "I'm sorry, Jack."

The older man turned to look at him. "For.. what?"

Swallowing as he shrugged, he said, "everything."

Janet felt the tension in the room spike and turned towards her bag. Pointing to the smear of blood on the floor tiles she said, "I'd suggest cleaning that up before someone steps it onto your carpet.." Closing her bag, she told Jack, "I'll be outside."

He nodded then got up to shut the door behind her, flicking the lock on with his thumb nail. He came back to squat in front of Philip, and the younger man sat up.

In a low, deep whisper, Jack said, "I'm the one that should be apologizing."

Shaking his head, Phil answered, "You can't help having feelings for someone else, the really stupid thing about this is I *knew* from the start how you felt. You didn't hide it from me Jack. Yet I didn't stop your advances - or my advances... I asked you for one more kiss..." Both men smiled sadly now as they recalled the searing kiss, with Philip sprawled over his drawing desk, pens and pencils brushed aside in wild abandonment. Jack could almost feel the charge he got that night as he felt the erection press into him for the first time. Phil's voice brought him back from his memory. "But I can't help how I feel now. I don't want anything to do with a man who is screwed up like that. I'm sorry. I know that's harsh, but ...." He shrugged, then said, "I've been there before. I've had my heart broken before.. and as hard as it is to leave you already..."

Jack stood quickly and had his hand over Philip's mouth as he slid onto the younger man's lap. Phil's eyes widened above the hand and Jack shook his head. "Please, baby... Can we discuss this another time..?" He slowly peeled his hand from the dry mouth then.

"No," Philip said, standing up and dumping Jack onto his own feet. "No," he said weakly again before stepping over the blood and going out of the room. The colonel headed through to the living room, stunned by the conversation he'd just had. The three others were sitting at the table, drinking coffee. Daniel got to his feet first.

"Jack?"

The distant brown eyes looked up, but didn't seem to really focus.

"Colonel? Are you alright?" Janet asked, getting to her feet too. He blinked but said nothing. She carefully slipped her arm across the wide back, guiding the quiet man to a chair then sat beside him.

"What's happened?" Daniel asked, sitting himself on the edge of the table. Jack said nothing, but frowned when he saw Daniel's concern. Didn't they just have a fight? Suddenly he was aware that Daniel was looking towards the front door. Turning slowly he saw Phil by the door, a duffle bag in his hands.

Jack rose to his feet and went to the door. "Don't do this..!" he whispered huskily.

Phil lowered his eyes. "Jack, this is really.. awkward enough - with the audience.." he said. The colonel wanted to touch him so much but didn't dare. "There's so much I want to say to you..." Tears were trapped in the bottom lashes.

Jack swallowed hard as he caught the door as Philip opened it. "I'll send them home. Stay!"

Shaking his head, Phil said. "You're going to need them for a while, I think. Well.. I hope.." he said, adjusting his words so he didn't sound too presumptuous that this might be hurting Jack a single iota of how much it was hurting him. He stepped through the door and onto the front porch.

"What I need is you!" Jack said, in a low deep whisper, following him outside. Phil shook his head and reached around Jack to tug the door until it was almost closed.

"No. We need some time apart. In a day or two, call me.. If you need to!"

"What about you?"

"Grae's at home... I'll be fine," he said, juggling his car keys in his hand.

Jack nodded and with every fiber of his being he wanted to grab Philip back and hold him. His stomach lurched at the thought of losing him in his life, but he was powerless to do anything about it at the moment. He remained at the front door until Phil had driven off in his car. Re-entering the house he was only vaguely aware of the others crowding around him.

"That looked ugly," Daniel said with concern.

Jack frowned and turned to look at him. "Didn't I ask you to leave?" The anthropologist nodded, then shrugged. Jack snorted and turned to go towards the kitchen. The three others watched him disappear through the door. "You know how you were saying earlier, Teal'c, about sending Jack to the Nox if he ever got infected?"

"I do.."

With a slight jut of his chin, the anthropologist said, "I wonder if they fix shattered hearts?" He went over to the kitchen door, pushing on it and going inside. Janet and Teal'c exchanged looks but didn't venture near the other room.

*

Jack eyed the man entering the room with mixed emotions as he stirred the dinner that had burned to the bottom of the pan.

"Listen," Daniel's voice was soft and caring in Jack's ear. "What the hell happened? You both seemed so happy today?"

Shaking his head, Jack stared at the meal that Philip had help prepare. He suddenly felt his body tremble and with every speck of strength he willed himself to not show his emotions. With a loud swallow he shrugged.

"He thinks I've got a fixation..."

"For?"

The older man just shrugged uneasily as he moved over to the fridge and pulled out a beer.   His eyes said it all.

"Oh." Daniel raised his brow. "Um.... Do you?"

Shaking his head again the colonel tossed the bottle lid into the sink as he leaned back on the fridge. The door opened and Janet popped her head into the room. She looked from Daniel to Jack, both at opposite ends of the room, then she stepped inside.

"I'm going to go home. I'd like to see Philip again, if I could..."

Jack raised a brow but said nothing. It spoke volumes to Daniel though. It told him that Jack would like to see him again but that was impossible!

"I'll need to check the stitches in a few days time.."

With a careless shrug, Jack said in a hoarse voice, "Can't help you, Doc..."

Daniel stepped over to her and dipped his head. "He's Graham Simmon's brother. I'll.. um.. I'll let Graham know.."

Janet's eyes went wide then she nodded. "I can do that." Looking at Jack in the corner of the room she said, "Night, Colonel."

"Yeah, Night.. and thanks..," he muttered and watched her go. Slowly his eyes met Daniel's once more.

"Teal'c and I 'will' go," Daniel told him and watched as Jack rolled his eyes slightly. "Well, you know my number..."

With a slight nod Jack looked across at him. Their eyes met again and they held the gaze for a long time. Finally Daniel lowered his face and left the room. Sucking in a deep, lungful of breath Jack waited until he heard the front door close before he exhaled, tears flooding his eyes now but he ignored them as he gulped down his beer.