EPILOGUE

Samantha Carter made the final adjustments to the bomb that was designed to implode the complex on Px3-989 and seal the fate of the Clones forever.  She worked in her usual efficient manner but even Daniel could tell that her heart wasn’t in it.  When he checked if she was all right she confessed that the thought of blowing up this world, with its potential and with the clones all still there, somewhere amongst the workings, felt like she was detonating a bomb in a real city with sleeping residents.

He’d understood her completely.  With a companionable pat on her shoulder he left her and Teal’c to their task and hobbled along the mesh walkway to locate his missing friend. 

The past twenty four hours had gone so quickly, with Daniel and Sam both in the infirmary for most of it, having tests and x-rays and scans to ensure they suffered no internal damage from the rampaging clone.  Daniel had tried not to think about the clone, and in doing that, he hoped to avoid thinking about the jealousy, and the need for it.  In short, he tried not to think about Jack, and what went on there.  His reason for avoiding thinking about it had nothing to do with anger, or outrage, but pure jealousy.  He wanted to think he was better than that.. better than the clone.. but his gut instincts were pretty much the same even if the resultant behavior differed immensely.  He wanted Jack.  Now it was a matter of letting Jack know that...

* 

Daniel found Jack sitting alone, high above the workings of the heart of the metal and mesh maze. He’d seen Jack look better. 

As he settled himself carefully beside his friend, easing his slightly stiffer left leg, still bandaged tightly, he gave a soft sigh of relief as the foot dangled, weightlessly, over the edge, high above the throb of power from deep below them.

“You okay?” Jack had asked without looking at him.

“Yeah,” Daniel told him on reflex then realized Jack meant physically so added, “Oh the foot? Yeah, that’s.. that’s fine.  I’ll mend.”

There was no audible response from the silent colonel.  He remained staring out across the vast complex, his chin on his folded arms.  Daniel didn’t know what to say first to him, and knew that, despite the clone being a carbon copy of himself, it was as if Jack had lost a whole other friend.  It helped Daniel to think in those terms as well.

Wetting his lips briefly, he asked, “How about you?”

In profile, Jack’s brow rose slightly. He took a moment then muttered, “I’ll mend.”  He scratched the tip of his nose with his thumb before sighing loudly and nestling his chin onto his folded arms again. 

Daniel smiled despite himself and leaned his folded arms onto the mid rail before him, much like Jack was doing.  He remained silent, giving Jack room to grieve. 

After a few moments, Jack said, “This was their place.” He could see Daniel take in what view there was from this vantage point then he shifted his gaze towards the tall tower in the center, with its stream of steam silenced now. Closing his eyes tightly Jack shifted his head to press his forehead against his folded arms and the sigh he release hissed loudly against the smooth, shiny surfaces around them.

Feelings Jack’s pain, Daniel whispered, “I’m sorry-” as if the ghosts might hear them.

Jack’s shoulders shook and for a moment Daniel wasn’t sure if he was laughing or crying.  The long neck arched up and back now and Jack stared at him with clear brown eyes, but the smile the crooked his lips was derisive.  “I think, Danny, that’s my line.”  He raised a hand and leaned his forehead against the ball of his hand as he sighed out loudly again. 

“I’m sorry for being confused,” Daniel spoke softly, ignoring Jack’s distress for a moment as he studied his hands while he spoke.  “I’m sorry for knowing what I wanted and letting other things get in the way of it..”

Jack tilted his head against the hand slightly and peered up at the man sitting tall beside him. 

Wetting his lips in a flash of tongue, Daniel went on to say, “I’m sorry, mostly, for not seeing you, Jack.”  He twisted slightly and met the harrowed eyes.  Jack straightened up slowly as he held the gaze between them.  He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn Daniel was telling him something here.

“Not your fault, Daniel.  I didn’t want to be seen.”

The anthropologists eyes shifted back and forth between Jack’s gaze as he said, passionately, “I thought I was over you..”

“Thought?”

Daniel’s long honey-brown lashes flickered rapidly over his gaze and again his eyes darted between Jack’s, as if trying to see as deeply within the colonel as was possible.  “I had a crush on you,” he confessed, so softly Jack watched the words form on his lips but they seemed to die before being released to the air. 

The depth of his voice even surprised Jack. It was low but soft; deep like thunder but with such gentleness that Jack almost didn’t believe he’d said it. It also made his cock twitch.  “Had a crush, Daniel?”

Daniel rolled his eyes slightly. “You know I did, Jack.  I’m sure he told you exactly how I felt about you….” He caught Jack’s eyes for a second then averted his gaze and gave a derisive snort as he muttered, “Don’t think for a minute I believed you were here because you were boning up on the secrets of cloning.”

Jack flinched at the linguist’s choice of words.  Deciding to leave the very obvious ‘open’ Jack asked instead, “What were we doing then?”

Daniel lowered his lashes for a moment then blinked and looked up once more. Swallowing hard, he said in a tight voice, “If he was twice the man I was back then, then you’d have been..” He was silenced by Jack’s finger over his lips. 

The colonel leaned in close, just close enough that Daniel was starting to blur, and his breath, as he spoke, wafted over the full, pouting lips, which was where Jack’s focus was.  “He was exactly the man you were back then.. still is.”  Jack looked into the shimmering blue pools.  “And you’re twice the man you were..”

Daniel shook his head, dislodging Jack’s finger and too fraught to notice that it fell right at the bend in his body, draped across his lap effortlessly.   “I was a coward, hiding how I felt…”

Jack’s thin lips curled into a slight smile before he said, “Like you were the only one.”

That made the anthropologist smile also then he covered his face with his hands as he gave a loud, frustrated groan.  “God, Jack,” he mumbled miserably from behind his hands, “what do we do now?”

“We do what we were sent here to do, blow this joint.” Jack said, grappling to his feet finally, and rubbing his bum numbed by the mesh.  Daniel struggled to his feet also, with some help from Jack and then he allowed the older man to drape his arm over his shoulder and assist him towards the gate. 

As they struggled, side-by-side, towards the gate Jack held Daniel firmly against his side by a tight grip across his back and his hand hooked over Daniel’s hipbone.  Even through the BDU’s the solid body within was evident, the long lean muscles moved under the fabric at Jack’s hand, the bone sharp under his palm. 

Determination had set Daniel’s jaw tight and his cheeks had buckled with dimples.  They shifted along the noisy mesh walkways, the sound of their heavy boots clanged like broken bells throughout the vault they were in, until, finally, they were at the DHD.

Sam looked up at her approaching friends and the smile she gave them was one of approval to see them so close after everything that had happened here.

“It’s ready,” she told them as Jack left Daniel against the railing and stepped towards the bomb. 

“And it will only blow this joint?” Jack asked, mindful of the clone’s comments about damaging the integrity of the planet should it have an adverse effect on the system. The Astrophysicist nodded.   Jack smiled.

“Daniel said you’d know what to do.”

Carter blinked at him then lowered her eyes. Jack rolled his head back slightly as he realized his mistake in mentioning the clone.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” the colonel grumbled as he picked up his gun, slung it over his shoulder and laid his arm along it.  Carter pressed each symbol for Earth and soon had the gate activated.  “You go,” Jack told her. 

Sam indicated to Teal’c to set the charge, and the Jaffa leaned down, flicked a switch and straightened up once more.  She hesitated a moment when she saw he wasn't preparing to go through.  “Sir, it’s only a ninety second charge.”

“I know, Carter. So move it!” 

As Daniel made his way to the dais Sam ducked and ran through the event horizon, followed by Teal’c.  Jack helped Daniel up the steps then said, gravely, “When we get home, maybe we ought to go somewhere and talk..” 

Daniel studied the forlorn face, nodded then allowed Jack to hold him against his hip once more.  Right before the event horizon Daniel paused and Jack sensed it.  He turned and looked at the blue eyes, shimmering in the light.  There was a small, sweet smile on Daniel’s lips. “Your place,” he told Jack. 

The older man frowned, puzzled by the look in Daniel’s eyes.  His heart was racing and his blood felt hot.  He knew it had nothing to do with the experiences with the clone; these feelings were being created by the man against him right now.  Jack raised a confused smile as he saw Daniel’s eyes crinkle at the edges with a broadening grin.

“Don’t look so worried Jack,” Daniel said, as he glanced at the mercurial wall before him then turned his face to look at Jack again.  “I’m the one that should be nervous..”

Jack’s frown deepened. “I’m so not getting you here..”

Daniel grinned as he stared at Jack’s lips.  “You’ve got that right.  With sixty seconds on the clock.. there’s not enough time for anything other than..”  With that, Daniel moved his hand to the back of Jack’s head and lured him close enough to press a tender kiss on Jack’s lips.  As they pulled back, Jack looked both bewildered and flushed.  His eyes were wide when he focused on Daniel again.

“Err…”

“Later..” Daniel grinned then jerked his head towards the event horizon.  “Now let’s get out of here before we get our asses blown off..”

“Well, if you put it that way…” Jack grinned.  "I'm on your six.."

Daniel laughed throatily.  "You bet you will be.." 

Jack frowned, puzzled yet aroused by Daniel's new attitude.  He grinned then stepped through the horizon with Daniel, mere seconds before the bomb they’d left behind blew, twisting all the metal and buckling all the concrete of the complex, vaporizing the once-heavy doors and whatever lay beyond them. 

Nothing remained of the cloning room, nothing remained of the majestic orb that hung from the ceiling and rotated to provide life to the clones, nothing remained of the room filled with shiny black tables, and nothing remained of the room that Daniel and Jack were laid to rest in together. 

The bomb had eradicated all of Harlan’s history, gutting the complex and leaving the main frame in place to avoid implosion of Px3-989. 

Meanwhile, back on Earth, something was building…..

<THE END, for real this time…. Promise ;-D>

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