Promises To Keep
by Lady of Asheru
Rating: NC17
Pairing: J/D
Category: Humour, adventure, romance, cuddling
Date: December 2001
Disclaimer: Not mine alas, and no intention to kidnap though sorely tempted.
Note: dedicated to the inspirational and encouraging Quercus. This is my first story.
Summary: "So, I'm thinking, it's only a matter of time before we run into Elvis"
Spoilers: everything to season 5
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."Robert Frost
Jack was the last to reach the plateau; he'd have liked to kid himself it was because of his backward surveillance sweeps, but his knees told him otherwise. So far their trip had revealed no signs of life other than a few birds and the odd goat. The gate stood alone on a mountain top like Noah's Ark after the flood - maybe the ancients had loaded the animals up two by two and shipped them off somewhere else. Carter had diligently collected a backpack full of mineral samples but that was the only outcome so far from two days hiking at high altitude. Jack looked across to where Carter and Teal'c were already making camp for the night, their routine so practised it barely required speech. Daniel stood close to the plateau's edge, admiring the view of the valley below. Jack dropped his pack next to him, and raised an eyebrow.
"It's funny how much perspective has to do with touch," said Daniel, stretching an arm out as if to reach the mountain opposite. For once Jack understood him perfectly; distance measured in a hand-span, the line on a chart between two stargates, the six inches between his shoulder and Daniel's. So near and yet so far. The old ache flared briefly in the empty space beneath his breastbone.
They ate under the stars, and two moons. Every time Jack considered retiring (which was just about daily, and twice on Sundays) he imagined looking up at the same piece of sky night after night from the small end of a telescope. There were still too many places to see, even if most of them turned out to be nothing like the brochure.
"So, I'm thinking, it's only a matter of time before we run into Elvis," said Jack.
"Elvis is alive and well and living on P3X356?" queried Daniel, in his "why didn't anyone think to tell me?" voice.
"Think about it kids - these days, being a god just isn't going to kick it. Ya gotta get the teen vote. I'm betting, if absolute adoration is what the average Goa'uld is after, they're going to have to update the image. Why not rock stars?" asked Jack.
"You consider entertainers to be gods?" said Teal'c, whose exposure to cable television had not so far proved to be a conversion experience.
"Some people do, some of them. Think of Oprah," said Jack.
" No way, sir" said Sam, with a throaty chuckle.
"Actually it's not such a stupid idea. The human desire to believe in something - or someone - greater than ourselves could be considered both our greatest strength and our greatest flaw," said Daniel, the philosopher hero.
"There is no one greater than myself. Well, except for the combined force that is the SGC of course. And my dog," said Jack, sure of at least one thing.
"Maybe you should bring her along, sir" said Sam.
"Nah, she's no better at following orders than the rest of you," said Jack. "Talking of which, it's time to turn in. Who wants first watch?"
"I will," said Daniel, as usual leaving off the "sir". At first it had bugged Jack, Daniel behaving like a rich tourist on a space shuttle, but over time he'd grown to see it for what it was; a constant reminder that Daniel was a civilian adviser, not career military. Even Hammond only got the odd "sir" out of Daniel, said with the same careless intonation as "Good Father" to Kasuf. There were no shortcuts to gaining Daniel's consent; you either convinced him it was a good idea or gave up trying. Sometimes, thought Jack darkly, it would be quicker to use a zat gun. The only time he'd felt linguistically superior was when he'd downloaded the knowledge of the ancients by mistake, and that had damn near killed him. He could do with a little more leverage; a sudden revelation on Daniel's part that Jack was a sex god might do the trick. That, or hosting Hathor.
The three of them crawled into the tent, leaving Daniel sitting by the fire. The bed roll felt wonderful and Jack sank blissfully into sleep, Carter's back pressed up against his own, Teal'c stretched out across their feet like his labrador.
It was nearly dawn when Jack woke. He had been dreaming that Molly was licking his ear, a habit he was trying to discourage. Carter had transmuted into Daniel, who was curled round his back, his breathing slow and sweet. Teal'c was nowhere to be seen. Desire sparkled along Jack's skin like sunlight on water, ruffling the hairs on the back of his neck before dancing down his spine. His cock twitched, tapping his thigh. Only half awake, he pushed back against Daniel and was rewarded by a heavy arm curling round his stomach. Daniel was still asleep. "Just for a moment", Jack thought, "I'll just lie here for a moment," before sinking back into dreamless sleep.
The next time he woke, it was to the welcome smell of coffee and the sounds of breakfast being made. He was alone in the tent. He crawled to the opening and stuck his head out.
"Why didn't anyone wake me?"
"Good morning O'Neill. We thought you required additional rest." Oh God, he must be getting old to be indulged by his team. A vision of being pushed through the gate in a wheelchair by Teal'c came all too easily to mind.
"Besides, you look kind of cute when you drool, sir" said Sam, rubbing it in.
"OK kids, enough poking fun at the old man. Time to go home."
"You are not an old man," said Teal'c.
"Ah, but it depends whether you're counting in dog years. Every year of yours is worth seven of mine."
"I think you're very well preserved, sir," said Sam, loyally.
"It must be the dark arts - I mean black ops," added Daniel, a considering look on his face. Definitely time to go.
They packed up camp, and set off for the gate, which was only faintly discernable up above in the morning mist. Jack tried vainly not to think about the night before. The "night" Daniel had left a solid imprint of warmth along his back, the "day" Daniel was striding ahead with Carter, deep in conversation. Snatches of their exchange floated back to him.
"I don't really see how you can equate science with magic," said Sam.
" Science can be defined as the systematic investigation of natural or physical phenomena; magic is the art of influencing events by controlling nature spirits. In essence the end objectives are the same - to establish the rules governing the behaviour of matter and to anticipate or manipulate outcomes."
"So that would make witches the first scientists?"
"In a sense, yes."
"I've never thought of you as a witch," said Jack.
"That's good to know, sir."
"Down!" yelled Teal'c, running back towards them. As one, they hurled themselves flat to the ground.
The air around them seemed to decompress, as if let out of an airlock. A second later, there was a loud explosion. The ground beneath them trembled, and a fine dust rained down, covering them where they lay.
Jack was the first to stand up. A plume of smoke was billowing from the side of the mountain, less than quarter of a mile below them. There was a faint smell of burning rubber, and hot metal. As the smoke drifted away, he could just see the remains of a small ship, parts of which had disintegrated across the mountainside.
"Looks like we've got company," said Jack. The others got gingerly to their feet.
"We should see if there are any survivors," said Sam.
"OK. But we have no idea who - or what - we're dealing with, so look sharp."
As they got nearer to the crash site, a faint but familiar clicking sound brought Jack up short. Daniel cannoned into the back of him.
"Is that what I think it is?"
In answer, a small spider leg curled up through a gaping hole in the ship's side, followed by a metallic body. Replicators.
"Sir, there's someone still in there." A lone figure could just been seen, slumped over a console.
"Can we get inside?" said Daniel, looking over Jack's shoulder.
"If we're not seen as a threat, they should leave us alone. Teal'c, you're with me. Daniel, Carter, stay well back - we'll call if we need help."
Jack took a deep breath and headed towards the ship.
"The ship's design appears to be Tok'ra," said Teal'c, pointing towards a partially obscured symbol on one side. Replicators were swarming through the holes in its side, like bees in a honeycomb. Jack's skin crawled. As he ducked inside, he heard a soft voice murmuring "Auto destruct sequence initiated. Countdown will commence in 20 seconds". Just great. There was no one else inside except the injured pilot, a slightly built woman wearing a silver flight suit. She looked human as far as he could tell. She was also out cold, with a nasty looking head wound.
"Pick her up and run like hell," he said to Teal'c.
Jack turned and ran through the exit yelling, "It's going to blow!!" Up above, Carter and Daniel threw themselves to the ground again. His blood pounded in his ears in time to Teal'c's footsteps behind him. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3...he dived into the dirt, arms over his head. The ground seemed to lift up towards him, and a wave of heat passed overhead, followed by deafening crack. Tiny shards of metal showered across his back.
When he dared to raise his head, all that could be seen was a massive crater in the side of the mountain, the edge of which was only yards from where they lay. There was a distant rumble as echoes of the explosion rippled across the valley below. He scrabbled to his feet, suddenly aware of a thousand tiny needles sticking into his arms and legs.
Teal'c rolled to one side, where he had been covering the woman. A low, wavering moan came out of her mouth and she opened her eyes. Carter and Daniel skidded to a halt next to her, Daniel already leaning down towards her with concern in his eyes.
"Daniel, can you understand what she's saying? Don't get too..."
It was too late. In an instant, the woman had reached up and pulled Daniel's face to her own. In a travesty of a lover's embrace, a symbiote darted from her mouth to Daniel's. Daniel sprang back, then fell to his knees, his eyes wide with astonishment.
Oh shit. Not again. Not Daniel, the only one so far to have escaped this. Jack raised his gun, his hands shaking with fury. Daniel slowly stood up, his hands in front of him, entreating.
"You are of the Tau'ri, allies of the Tok'ra?"
"Yes, but that doesn't make us your overnight bags. God damn it, give Daniel back right now!"
"I cannot. My host was too badly injured for me to repair. Forgive me; I am only borrowing this body temporarily. I understand from Daniel's memory that this has happened to your team before, and I am sorry for this." He looked at Carter, whose lips had twisted in dismay at the memory. "I have information vital for the survival of the Tok'ra. Once I have delivered this, your friend will be released."
"How do we know you're not Goa' uld? Let us speak to Daniel," said Carter, also bringing her gun to bear.
"I cannot, without making the joining permanent. Your friend is sleeping, and will remain so until I leave him."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "To whom are we speaking?"
"I am Kintra. I was on a long-range reconnaissance mission scouting for a new base for the Tok'ra when my ship was attacked by the replicators. This was the nearest world with an active gate."
"If you're going back to the Tok'ra, we're coming with you."
"I cannot allow you to learn the location of our current base."
"We're allies, aren't we?" said Jack.
"It is too great a security risk."
"I'm not letting you take Daniel alone."
Kintra considered this for a moment. "Very well, you, O'Neill may come with me, but I must insist that your team does not accompany you, and none of you can know the gate co-ordinates."
Jack lowered his gun, motioning to Carter to do the same. "OK. Carter, Teal'c, you head back home and tell Hammond what's going on. How long are we likely to be gone?"
"No more than a few days, " said Kintra. "The debriefing can be done quickly but my transfer to a new host will take longer to arrange, if a host can be found."
"And if a host cannot be found?" said Carter.
"Then I will be placed in stasis once I have completed my mission."
"And Daniel?" said Jack.
"Daniel will be returned to you."
They walked back to the gate in silence, Jack still white with anger, Carter darting sympathetic looks at him and Kintra, Teal'c striding ahead. Kintra did not speak again until Sam and Teal'c had disappeared through the event horizon.
"I regret, I must blindfold you while I dial the base." Kintra took off Daniel's bandana and tied it round Jack's head. To Jack's surprise he felt Daniel's hand take his, and he was led up the steps through the gate. Blindfolded gate travel was even more disorientating than usual, and he found himself still gripping Daniel's hand as they emerged on the other side. Kintra gently disentangled his fingers and untied the blindfold. They were standing in an empty underground cavern. Faint lights indicated a tunnel sloping gently downwards to their right. There was a low rumbling sound, and the ground beneath their feet started to move, throwing Jack off balance.
"This transport will take us to the base," said Kintra, gesturing downwards at the moving platform, which was picking up speed. It felt like they were heading downhill on a giant skateboard.
"You might find it easier if you sit."
"I can't," said Jack, wincing. He twisted his body round to look at the back of his legs, which were still peppered with tiny shards of metal. Pinpricks of dried blood dotted his shirt and trousers. Now he thought about it, it hurt like hell.
"Forgive me, I had not realised you were hurt."
"It's nothing."
Kintra raised a hand to stroke Jack's cheek, softly running his fingers across stubbly skin. The touch was unquestionably seductive, and Jack involuntarily leaned into it, breathing in Daniel's scent, his lips glancing against Kintra's palm in an almost-kiss. But it's not Daniel, thought Jack, crestfallen, turning his head away.
Kintra smiled, a strange half-smile Jack had never seen on Daniel's face before, and let his hand fall to his side. "You are much loved," he said enigmatically, before turning back to their direction of travel.
What in the hell was that supposed to mean? Loved by whom? Jack closed his eyes, then thought better of it as the transport lurched to a stop. Two figures stepped out of the shadows to greet them.
"Kintra?" said the first man slightly uncertainly. "We received your dialling signal, but..."
Kintra clasped the man's hand warmly. "Yes, Fir'ac, it is I. And I have much to tell you."
"Jack! " the second figure stretched out a hand. "What in God's name are you doing here?"
Jack had never felt so pleased to see a familiar face. "Yes, Jacob, it is I, and boy do I have much to tell you."
Fir'ac and Kintra headed off to the briefing room. Jacob took Jack down to the infirmary, where an unsmiling doctor injected him with what felt like horse tranquilliser before extracting the imbedded metal with a magnetic device. "Just don't point that thing at my teeth," said Jack, before slipping gratefully into oblivion.
Jack woke from a deep, black sleep to find himself tucked into bed in the infirmary. The sharp stinging pain had gone, replaced by a heavy lassitude. With great difficulty he turned his head to one side. "Daniel?" he said. Jacob looked up from his book. "He's going to be just fine - the transfer to another host went well. Go back to sleep."
The next time he awoke, his limbs felt less like they were full of ready-mix concrete. His brain still felt like soggy cereal, but that was fairly normal for first thing. There was no sign of Jacob, or the doctor. For a moment Jack wondered if he had dreamt Jacob's words, then he slowly made out the softly snoring figure of Daniel in the next bed. Jack swung his feet down onto the floor, his knees buckling slightly as he landed. He shuffled across to Daniel.
"Hey, Daniel," he said softly, touching him gently on the shoulder. Daniel raised one eyelid with great effort, like a sun-soaked lizard on a rock.
"Where........"
"It's OK. We're OK. Go back to sleep." Satisfied, Jack turned back to his own bed.
Two days later, they were released from the infirmary and ready to go home. Jacob accompanied them to the gate. Jack had registered a formal protest about Kintra's actions, but his anger had subsided slightly now that Daniel appeared to have come through it physically unharmed. Kintra had been to visit them earlier in her latest incarnation as a tall, raven-haired woman with a wicked twinkle in her eye. Not for the first time, Jack wondered how they kept track of this whole gender-swapping thing. Must be difficult choosing underwear. Mercifully, she did not refer to their previous conversation, and if Daniel remembered anything about it, he wasn't letting on. In fact, Daniel had not said much about anything since Jack had filled him in on his missing few hours.
Hammond was waiting for them back at the SGC. Carter and Teal'c had been called off world, but had left a message suggesting supper at Carter's the following night. After de-briefing, Hammond gave them the weekend off, subject to the all clear from Janet. Smart thinker, Hammond.
Thankfully, Janet was easily distracted by a description of the Tok'ra's magnetic device, having spent three hours removing bits of shrapnel from Teal'c by hand. Daniel's white blood cell count was slightly down, but he was allowed to go provided he took it easy, which included accepting a lift home from Jack.
They emerged, blinking, into a clear November night. It was Friday. They had been out for five days. Molly would need to be retrieved from next door, and most of the contents of the fridge replaced. They got into Jack's truck, Daniel still uncharacteristically silent.
"So how did it feel, sub-letting to the Tok'ra?" said Jack, glancing sideways at Daniel as he drove.
"To tell you the truth, I don't remember much about it. Except the moment when that thing went down my throat."
Jack shuddered. "Yeah. Not a good feeling." He paused, struggling to think of an up side. "Well, maybe you'll be able to operate Goa'uld technology - that could be useful."
"And tell who's carrying a symbiote."
"Preferably before they get too close."
There was another silence. The roads were quiet, and they were nearly at Daniel's flat.
" I keep thinking...how it must have been for Sha're. The moment when you realise what is happening, and that you're powerless to stop it. Kintra could have made me do anything, could have used my body...there was nothing I could do."
They turned into Daniel's street. "I know," said Jack. "That's why I came with you." He drew up outside Daniel's door.
"Will you be OK?" Jack allowed himself to pat Daniel's shoulder. Daniel shrugged, dislodging his hand. "I'll be fine."
"See you tomorrow at Carter's," Jack called after Daniel's retreating back. Damn, damn, damn.
Home. Molly bounded ahead of him, skittering across a pile of mail on the hall floor. At least he'd left the heating on. Jack poured himself a large whiskey and took it straight up to bed, kicking his shoes off as he went. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.
He dreamt that he let himself into Daniel's flat. It was almost pitch black, but he did not turn the light on. He crept up into the dining area, starting in surprise when moonlight glanced across the eyes of a stone leopard. It was perfectly quiet. He turned the handle of Daniel's bedroom door, but Daniel's bedroom had turned into the flight deck of a Goa'uld mother ship. Daniel was asleep in an open sarcophagus. He tiptoed up to the edge of it, raised his gun and pointed it at Daniel's heart....
He woke up painfully aroused, and utterly horrified. Pulling on his tracksuit, he called Molly for an early morning run.
He had to get a grip. Left unchecked, his terrible desire to protect Daniel could kill him as surely as a round from his P90. "For each man kills the thing he loves." No, no, no. "Teach us to care and not to care, teach us to sit still."
Jack slowed to a halt, bending over to let more air into his lungs. He was being ridiculous, getting into a state over something which had not happened. A dream. Another phrase floated into his mind:
"Beware thoughts that come in the night. They aren't turned properly; they come askew, free of sense and restriction, deriving from the most remote of sources."
Molly raced back to him, barking at him to get a move on. He was just going to have to put all that stuff back in the box, get on with the day. He would see Daniel at Carter's that night; it would all be fine.
Walking up to Sam's door that evening he felt more like his old self, if a little tender round the edges where the skin was newly formed. This was his team, the only ones who really knew how weird their day jobs were. The original "A" team - an airman, an archaeologist, an astrophysicist, and an alien. It sort of made sense.
"So how come I didn't get invited to the naked wrestling with Jello?" said Sam, handing out snacks.
"You were hanging out with your invisible admirer," said Jack.
"I could have brought him along."
"Yeah, no one would have noticed."
"I'm not sure what he would have made of it," said Daniel.
"I found it a most illuminating insight into the ways of the Tau'ri," said Teal'c.
"Just don't try it at home," said Jack.
"What I want to know is, why can't I find someone normal for once," said Sam wistfully.
"As opposed to power-crazed ex-military types," said Daniel, looking at Jack.
"Or brainwashed assassins," said Jack.
"Or newly evolved life-forms," added Teal'c.
"I wouldn't say I'd been exactly lucky in that department either," said Daniel.
Sam cast Daniel a sympathetic look before pulling Teal'c into the kitchen to help retrieve the main course.
Jack and Daniel were left sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, in a suddenly silent room.
"You know.. you could always try something completely different, " said Jack.
He'd aimed for casual, but to his horror he felt a faint flush creep up his neck.
Daniel looked sideways at him, and he felt completely exposed, as surely as if he'd passed Daniel his heart with the potato chips.
Daniel frowned. "Well, there's always... sheep."
"Not likely to be used as hosts," said Jack, letting out a breath he had not realised he was holding.
"Pretty hard to be scary looking like a sheep," added Sam, setting a casserole on the table.
After dinner, they caught up with world news, drank a few beers, gossiped mildly about other SG teams and threw chocolate wrappers at each other. The week's events faded into the background; in a few months' time they'd probably mention them in passing and they'd be no stranger than anything else they'd lived through.
Jack drove back to his house humming a song from the latest CD Carter had bought, and feeling more at one with the world. Apart from the heart-stopping moment on the sofa the evening had been fun. He was lucky to have such friends, it was just greedy to think of anything else. He stopped off to buy more beer, and came home to find Daniel sitting on his front porch.
"Hey, Daniel. Did you lock yourself out again?"
"No, not this time. I came to talk to you."
"Ah," said Jack, butterflies starting in his stomach. He opened the door with one hand, juggling the beers with the other. Molly dashed past and bowled Daniel over.
Jack went into the kitchen and opened a cupboard, looking for beer glasses, trying not to think. Daniel came up behind him, still cold from the night air, and wrapped his arms around Jack, the sound of their leather jackets crunching together shockingly loud in the quiet kitchen. Daniel tucked his chin over Jack's shoulder. Jack had forgotten how to breathe.
"You are much loved," said Daniel, softly.
Jack turned round slowly, and cupped the back of Daniel's head, bringing him closer for the sweetest kiss, cold lips and warm, warm mouth. Daniel sighed against him, melting into the embrace.
Jack came up for air. "This wouldn't be because of my sheep-like qualities?"
Daniel slapped him, gently, on the rear. "Shut up and come to bed."