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Jason paced back and forth in his small office, having given up on reading. He'd tried to digest the contents of the field reports from other teams, keeping up to date on all the information that was available to the SGC. As leader of SG-2, it was his responsibility. But today, it was impossible; worry was robbing him of his usual focus. Daniel was in trouble.

It had been three days since Daniel joined SG-11 on a dig. SG-1 hadn't been scheduled for any missions so Jack had authorized the temporary assignment. The unadulterated excitement Jason had witnessed in Daniel's eyes had been worth seeing, at least at the time. But eight hours ago, SG-11 had called in, having aborted their mineral and archaeological dig after being attacked by Goa'uld gliders.

Via MALP audio, there'd been the sound of weapons' fire and demands for the iris to be opened so they could come through. Seconds after Hammond's authorization, glider weapons' fire had zipped through the wormhole, hitting the blast walls and main window. There'd been little damage but the scorch marks and holes had served to back up SG-11's sound of alarm.

When the team appeared through the event horizon, Daniel hadn't been with them, and when the wormhole had shut down because no one else had been traveling the matter stream, the message was made quite clear: Daniel was missing.

At the time, Jason had been supervising the installation of the new armory on Level 12 so he knew nothing of what had happened until Jack, Sam, and Teal'c had hunted him down.

"I thought the planet had been surveyed!" Jason had exclaimed.

Teal'c had assured him that what had happened was not a situation that could have been foreseen by reconnaissance protocol. A ship had come to the planet, presumably to look for old naquada mines, and there was no way to detect it without sophisticated sensors, something the SGC did not use on missions, archaeological or otherwise.

The fact that gliders had appeared first told Teal'c that the Goa'uld were using standard protocol, which meant the Hatak vessel would be located several miles from the 'gate and that the gliders were sent to secure it. SG-11 and Daniel were camped only fifty yards away from the DHD and the attack had forced them to make a run for it, leaving their equipment behind.

Before Jason could ask, Sam had explained what they thought could have happened with Daniel.

"According to Major Caruthers, there are deep, vertical fissures created from long-dead volcanic activity. The sparse landscape is scarred with them. Major Caruthers thinks that Daniel may have been knocked into one while dodging glider fire. The Major said that he himself had nearly fallen in one on the way to the 'gate."

There had been no immediate rescue mission due to the hot zone and unknown number of Jaffa, but to Jason's--and Jack's--relief, Hammond hadn't been prepared to leave it at that. He's called the Groom Lake facility to request the new armed UAV with its remote targeting system. The only problem was that the computer system hadn't been finished and that it would take some time to get it done, never mind the hours it would take for transport from Nevada to Peterson.

So for the last eight hours, Jason's attention span was in the toilet. He knew it wasn't professional, knew that this was something that was bound to happen one day, but nevertheless, he was sick with worry. Pacing in his office, he suddenly stopped in the middle of the room, telling himself repeatedly that Daniel was fine. Problem was, it was now more a wish than a hopeful certainty. Too much time had passed and he was succumbing to fear.

"Fuck this shit," he growled at himself. He couldn't tolerate his own thoughts any longer. He needed back-up. A slap upside the head. And there was only one person who could do that.

Leaving his office, he was at Jack's door before he knew it. Knocking, he received a curt, swift reply.

"What?"

Jason quickly entered and closed the door, then turned to find Jack standing before his desk, staring at something on the surface. After a long minute, he finally looked over his shoulder and gave him his attention. The look on his face was so calm, it was almost indifferent, and all that did was piss Jason off. He wanted to yell at him, tell Jack he had no business being calm at a time like this. But he reminded himself why he'd come to him in the first damn place. Besides, yelling would have done no good. One, Jack never reacted well to people yelling at him. Two, theirs was a new relationship, which meant that it was probably not the best time to test how well Jack would react to being yelled at by someone he'd slept with, even if he understood why.

"It's been eight hours," he said, then swallowed anxiously.

Jack ground his teeth and walked over to him, placing a hand on Jason's shoulder and squeezing. "Don't go there. Daniel's fine. He's resourceful. The man has more lives than a cat."

"He's been missing for eight hours," Jason persisted, wanting Jack to hit him. Shove him. Something.

Jack glared at him, not liking the uncertainty in Jason's tone. "You listen to me. Don't you dare think he's not coming home. Don't you dare."

Jason flexed his jaw as he ground his teeth, then finally nodded. "I'm trying."

"Try harder," Jack growled.

Jason sighed and walked past, plopping himself down in the chair by the desk. "I need you to tell me it'll be fine. I'm going crazy with this waiting shit."

Jack walked over and sat on the edge of the desk next to him. Jason looked up and Jack leaned over, touching his shoulder again but this time, he squeezed firmly. "He's going to be fine. Hear me?"

Jason silently nodded, but averted his gaze to look instead at the framed photographs on the opposite wall. Jack felt the tension of Jason's body under his hand and it was at that moment that he truly understood just how much Jason loved Daniel. It wasn't that he hadn't known it beforehand, but he simply hadn't understood how deep it went. It wasn't the kind of love where you were able to hold your feelings in check when bad things happened. It was the kind of love where you went insane if that person died, where you'd risk everything to get them back. Giving up your life was automatic.

Jack understood that very, very well because he felt the same. The only difference between him and Jason was the way they approached the handling of emotion as well as how their experiences taught them to deal with crisis and grief. Jack's experiences were hardened by Charlie's death. Back then, when the pain had still been raw, he'd been ready to commit suicide. It scared him to realize that Jason might just react the same way if something happened to Daniel.

At that moment, Jack was hit with the overwhelming urge to take away Jason's fears, to reassure him with something other than comforting words. The strange thing was, the only thing that came to mind was something he'd never have imagined doing for him, and certainly not in his office. But things ... well, they were different now.

Since Daniel's birthday a week ago, they'd spent a lot of downtime hours together, more since Daniel had gone offworld. They were getting to know each other, but there was more to it than that, and not just because of the sexual intimacy shared with Daniel. Because of Daniel's uncanny foresight, Jack was beginning to grow fond of Jason, certainly more than he'd expected.

During Daniel's absence especially. Alone at home, there'd been times when Jack hadn't been able to get Jason out of his mind, thinking of words the man had spoken, at the sparkling challenge in his eyes whenever he had been teased about something. Sense memory made Jack remember the tingling warmth underneath his fingers whenever he'd touched Jason's arm or back. It had also made him feel good when Jason had responded positively to his touch or his voice. It was that recollection, that knowledge, which prompted Jack's unusual decision now.

He reached over and slid his hand behind Jason's neck, experiencing smug approval at the surprise in Jason's eyes. That smugness increased when he leaned over to kiss him, when Jason parted his lips readily, his eyes remaining open and watchful. Jack pressed more firmly and sought out his tongue and when Jason closed his eyes and gave it to him, Jack closed his.

For Jason, that surprise was more shock than anything. He'd come expecting stoicism and found something else entirely. His heart beat rapidly, partly from instant arousal, and he reached up to cup Jack's head. He knew what the man was doing and he appreciated it. So much so that he had no intention of stopping it. Yes, his mind whispered. I need this. It was a welcome escape.

The kiss was long and sweet, and he couldn't help but allow his body to respond accordingly. The longer Jack kept their kiss going, the more he relaxed, thinking only of the desire to pull Jack onto his lap, to press their groins together for a little friction time. He moaned and spread his legs, blindly seeking out his partner's chest, to feel his heat. He didn't dare reach for Jack's groin, for that delicious cock that lay hidden beneath, but it didn't stop him from wanting it. Right there, in the chair. Only with their positions reversed.

Meanwhile, Jack was surprised by his own reaction. The lust between them was different from his lust for Daniel and he kind of expected that. But the notable difference here was that Jason was new. While being with Daniel was also new, those were desires he was familiar with. He wasn't used to feeling this way for someone else, someone who elicited new feelings that were seductive and addictive. Perhaps that was why he kept thinking of Jason. He knew that their relationship revolved around Daniel, but their desires no longer did. He couldn't help his growing ... love? ... for Jason. Was that what really lay under the lust? Was it? What surprised Jack most was that he never thought that he'd need Jason's warm embrace as much as Jason appeared to need his.

He felt his arousal climbing very quickly and before this went too far, he had to step away from it. With Daniel gone, was it fair to seek comfort with Jason? It felt as if they were cheating on Daniel. Perhaps because Jason had the ability to wind him up as easily as Daniel could?

Jack slowly pulled back, sighing at the look of arousal--and calmer body language--that he'd created. Mission accomplished. So why did he feel like a sexual tease, leaving things between them unfinished? Letting Jason go, he began to wonder who now needed the tactile reassurance.

"That was ..." Jason began, showing confusion. "Odd."

"Odd?" Jack asked defensively, even though he agreed.

"You, me, your office," Jason said, getting to his feet. Jack remained sitting so looking down at him was just as ... "Odd."

"Anything else?" Jack asked, holding back the venom and hating that he felt disappointed. Jason's physical response hadn't been negative so what was this about? Was it a strange sense of humor he had yet to decipher? When Jason smiled, slowly, and stepped deliberately between his legs, Jack had his answer. "So that was meant to be, what, funny?"

"Not in the slightest. Haven't I ever told you that I like odd?" With that, he swiftly put his arms around Jack and kissed him back.

Without checking himself, Jack responded eagerly, loving the touch of Jason's hands on his back, the feel of his heat between his legs. But that feeling also made him want to open his trousers, to take this further. It was extremely tempting. Jason apparently agreed because he reached for the buttons. Unfortunately, Jack's long years of military repression interfered and he grabbed his lover's hand.

"Not now," he said, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment. When Jason froze, then took half a step back, and Jack saw the look of heady arousal on his flushed face, it made him want to take back what he'd said. "Sorry."

Jason let out a long, slow breath and laughed with equal embarrassment. "Don't be. You're right."

"Don't misread," Jack said, trying to lessen the rejection. "I would love to. But maybe we should wait until Daniel comes back."

Jason understood, but he couldn't get rid of the cocksucking images plaguing his brain. He licked his lips, then deliberately reached out to brush his thumb over Jack's, letting him know exactly what was on his mind. "Later then." When Jack gave him a nod, Jason returned it with a sudden look of guilt. "Mind if I ask you a question?"

"You're kidding, right?" Jack asked, gesturing between them, referring to what they'd just been doing.

Jason smiled briefly. "Did you stop this because of where we are or because Daniel's not here?"

Jack blinked at him, finding it weirdly comforting that Jason would have the same thought. "Both, I think."

"Is this cheating?" Jason asked, testing the idea. He didn't think so, but he wasn't actually sure.

"Truthfully, I don't know. Guess we should've discussed this possibility with Daniel."

"Funny how it never came up before," Jason said, jogging his brows. He then awarded Jack a smile, earning a suspicious look in the process. "One thing's for certain."

"What's that?" Jack asked, standing up.

"You succeeded in making me feel a little better, which was your intention, wasn't it?"

Jack grinned back and reached out to briefly palm Jason's cheek. "So we're good?"

Jason cleared his throat, wishing Jack would have left his hand there. "For now."

"He'll be okay," Jack told him, feeling the need to say it.

"Or we'll both kill him."

"Not funny."

"It is, a little," Jason said, trying to make Jack smile.

It worked, even as Jack held up his thumb and forefinger, indicating an inch apart. "About this much."

Daniel woke up with the most excruciatingly painful headache he'd experienced since being on the receiving end of a Goa'uld hand device. His head was pounding and there was a gut-churning sensation of vertigo. He opened his eyes and found himself upside-down at the entrance to a crevasse. His left ankle was caught in a mass of twisted roots and he knew that the roots had saved his life. If it hadn't been for them, he'd be lying dead at the bottom of the fissure.

The weight against his back told him his pack was still attached, but instead of being good news, it was hanging off-balance and the strap buckles were digging into him, adding more pain. There was wet heat at the back of his head; reaching up, he gingerly touched the wound found there. He couldn't be sure but it felt as if the bleeding had stopped, leaving behind a combination of drying and freshly clotted blood matting his hair.

He couldn't remember how the head injury had happened, but surmised that when he'd fallen, and the roots had trapped his foot, he must have gone down head first, slamming his head against the crevasse wall. Blinking, he tried to focus, despite the fact that his glasses were gone, probably knocked off from the impact. He'd have to order another pair; the eye clinic was going to start calling him by his first name.

Sighing with resignation of his situation, he ordered himself to remain calm even as he wondered why the hell he wasn't dead. The blood rushing to his head wasn't good; he very likely had a concussion and the nausea in his stomach was verification; the blurred vision wasn't. That he'd woken up at all was a good sign, however, which meant he should hopefully be able to find a way to get himself righted. Providing he didn't pass out once he'd started moving.

He squinted up at his painful ankle, but couldn't see it clearly. Judging from the weird angle, it looked broken. It certainly felt broken, and that was confirmed when he tried to move it. A nerve-shattering pain lanced up his leg and over his spine. He let out a gasp of pain and grit his teeth as grey spots appeared before his eyes and a sharp wave of dizziness and nausea washed over him. Daniel forced himself still, one hand on his head, the other over his stomach, and waited for the vertigo that engulfed him to pass. It wouldn't do his head any good to throw up.

He carefully looked around for something secure to grab hold of but there was nothing. He didn't feel anything behind him, but he didn't dare try to twist around and look. There was no telling how firmly the roots around his ankle were grounded. Any pull from his weight could send him plummeting. The only solution, it seemed, was to call for help. He knew there would be teams sent to look for him, so the least he could do was assist. He just hoped they were already on the move.

"Help! I'm down here! Help!"

As the pain and nausea returned, making him think twice about yelling further, Daniel finally remembered why he'd fallen. Jaffa. They'd been running from Jaffa and an explosion had knocked him off-balance.

"Shit," he whispered, berating himself. If they hadn't left, and weren't far away, he may have just signed his own death warrant. But on the off chance that they'd take him prisoner instead, he decided to keep yelling. One way or another, he had to get out of this crevasse. He really did not look forward to dying this way. Not at all. And Jack and Jason were going to kill him for making them worry.

The sick joke made him laugh and pain zinged through his head. "Shit." Still, it was funny. They wouldn't actually kill him, but just using the words made him laugh as he continued to shout his distress to whoever might be listening. He knew it was absurd, to laugh and yell for help at the same time, but the situation itself was ridiculous. He was hanging by his foot, hoping Jaffa would find him. It couldn't get any funnier than that.

. .

Daniel's voice was getting hoarse from shouting. "Dammit! Somebody! Anybody! Get me out of here!" He suddenly froze, his ears straining, as he thought he'd detected movement. Above, there were voices and sounds of running, all of them getting closer. Then came the clang of armor and the distinctive dialect of the Jaffa.

"Typical," he sighed with resignation, closing his eyes briefly.

The Jaffa arrived at the entrance to the crevasse and orders were issued. A minute later, a rope was thrown down and a Jaffa rappelled into the hole to take a closer examination. Daniel gave him an intense look of sarcasm--which was about all he could muster at the moment. The Jaffa smirked back and called out that they'd caught a member of the Tau'ri. Daniel wanted to tell him that they'd found him, not caught him, but thoughts of correcting them were sharply cut off when the Jaffa tied a second rope around both of his ankles. As he was hoisted out of the crevasse, Daniel tried to bite off the screams, but he couldn't. The last thing he thought about before passing out from the pain was that he should have stocked painkillers in his med kit.

Jack's office phone rang, startling both himself and Jason, and he snatched it up. "O'Neill ... We're on our way." He hung up and grabbed his jacket. "Let's get geared up. The UAV is here."

"'Bout fuckin' time," Jason muttered, following him out the door.

. .

Jack waited impatiently in the Control Room while the computer-controlled UAV painted its targets. Behind him stood Teal'c, along with Jason's team, SG-2, and Major Griff's SG-6. Seated next to Sergeant Davis was Sam. The blast doors were already closed and missile one had already been launched. After receiving telemetry, it was directed to take out the Jaffa contingent around the gate.

Jack sighed heavily, hoping to God that Daniel's RDF signal hadn't been turned off or disabled, or that Teal'c was right and the Jaffa wouldn't have held him at the gate. If they were wrong, if Teal'c was wrong, then they'd just killed him.

"Carter, are you sure the sensors didn't pick up an RDF signal near the gate?"

"Positive, sir. And aside from being able to receive radio signals, the new telemetry sensors attached to the missiles are specifically designed to differentiate electrical signals from multiple lifeforms. Goa'uld and Jaffa have a very distinct signal and humans without those signals stand out."

"And you're sure it reads those human signals, conscious or unconscious?"

"Yes, sir. The only time the signals fall off the grid are when ..." She paused, chewing at her lip. "The targets are dead. Right now, we're no longer receiving any signals around the gate. And ... I don't believe that Daniel was among them, sir."

Swallowing, Jack exchanged worried looks with Hammond.

Hammond nodded, partly in response to Sam's explanation, then pointed at the screen in front of Sergeant Davis. "Give me an update, Major."

Sam pointed at the terrain map that was redrawing itself on the computer screen: neon green on a black background, resembling an old-fashioned computer game. There were four blinking triangles and one blinking square. "Just before impact at the gate, sir, the missile's sensors picked up lifesigns in the surrounding area no more than one hundred yards from the gate. There ..." She pointed at the triangles. "Those are Jaffa or Goa'uld. The square is, I'm hoping, Daniel."

"The sensors can't tell the difference between Jaffa or Goa'uld?"

"No, sir. They're designed to pick up on biological isotopes created from naquada."

"Won't do much good on Chaka's planet then," Jason commented.

"No," Sam said, "but those symbiotes aren't a threat until they come out of the water. Once a Goa'uld has spent time in a sarcophagus, the naquada become imprinted in their DNA."

Hammond nodded and redirected the conversation back to the computer screen. "Is there a possibility that the UAV missed another squadron of Jaffa, other than those four?"

Sam glanced at Jack before answering. "It's possible, sir. The missile's sensor range is limited to one and a half miles."

"Deploy the second missile."

As the missile was sent through the gate, Jason nervously tapped his fingers on his P-90 and Major Griff was about to tell him to knock it off when Sergeant Davis' voice cut through the room's tension.

"Second target painted, sir."

"Telemetry," Hammond said.

"To the west, sir," Sam said, watching the diagram appear on screen next to a scrolling column of numbers. "Twenty-five or more."

"Send the coordinates and fire," Hammond instructed. Sergeant Davis pressed the signal button and they watched on the screen as a large circular green spot landed on the left side of the screen and expanded for a few seconds before it disappeared. The screen then went blank since the missile was no longer sending telemetry.

"One of these days I'd like to see the end result of that thing," Jack grumbled. The others nodded their fervent agreement and Jack looked over his shoulder, eyeing Jason for a brief second before returning his attention to the screen.

Sam turned in her seat and gave Hammond a nod. "Area appears to be secured, sir. Should we launch the UAV for recon?"

"Do it."

Beyond the blast doors, there was a whirr of air and engine power, then the computer screen lit up and the UAV began to broadcast.

"We're clear, sir," Sam informed him. "At least for the present time."

Hammond nodded at Jack, Jason, and Griff. "Go."

"Yes, sir," came the echoed reply. Already dressed and properly armed, the teams moved quickly into the gateroom, up the ramp, and with SG-6 on point, they disappeared through the event horizon.

Daniel was awake and mad as hell.

He lay on his back, four Jaffa standing over him. One of them had a hold of his injured ankle, trying to get him to talk. It was bad enough that they'd pulled him up by his feet, but now his head felt ready to explode. If they expected any sort of cooperation, never mind polite responses, they were going to be gravely disappointed.

Daniel screamed as he ankle was twisted once more. Fire shot through his body, followed by waves of nausea, and the only reason he wasn't throwing up was because there was nothing in his stomach. Although, if the Jaffa got any closer, he could throw up a bit of bile and stomach acid onto their boots. Unfortunately, if their convenient form of torture kept up, he'd pass out again and the fine points of vomiting would no longer be an issue.

"You wanna know why I'm here, you parasitical assholes?" he spat through gritted teeth. "Here's why." Then pain or no pain, he swung his uninjured leg up sharply, connecting the side of his foot with the thigh of the Jaffa holding him. It brought that Jaffa down on his ass and gave Daniel something else to scream about as his foot dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. He rolled onto his side, trying to take the weight off his injured foot, all the while thanking Jason for teaching him that kick.

His thanks evaporated as he was given a sharp kick in return--one straight to the ribs. His field vest protected him slightly, but as Daniel doubled over and felt the fire in his chest as he breathed, he was certain they'd fractured a few. He lay very still, deciding that being healthy to fight later would be a better strategy. The Jaffa on his ass got up and told the other three to pick Daniel up and carry him to the ship. They were speaking a slightly different dialect, so Daniel wasn't sure he'd heard them correctly, but he'd understood enough. He'd also caught "our god" and "our lord" and shit, that got old.

His wrists had already been bound while he'd been unconscious and that was apparently secure enough for them since he was unable to walk. The biggest Jaffa hauled him to his feet, then threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Daniel grit his teeth as the jostling motion sent fresh pain through is head and body, and as they moved, the pain increased. It was getting so bad, he knew that tears would start flowing soon, but he would not make a sound. Not one goddamn sound. Screams were one thing. Sobbing was another.

One hundred yards or so behind him, Daniel thought he heard the familiar whoosh of the gate's wormhole, but wasn't sure. The pounding in his head was making hearing problematic. However, he was sure when he heard another whooshing sound - only this one was high-pitched and mechanized and very, very familiar.

He'd had a chance in the past to see the missile from a UAV test fired and he though he hadn't been all that grateful then, he was now. Despite the pain, he craned his head around to see, looking upside-down, and thought he saw a trail of smoke climbing into the sky. Uh oh. He hoped like hell that they were far enough away from the explosion that was going to take out that cannon.

"Uh, you might want to run," Daniel said, speaking in the Goa'uld dialect he knew very well. The Jaffa behind him blinked at him, partly in surprise at his use of the language, and partly wondering why this human was daring to speak to them. "Tau'ri missile," he further emphasized. They still didn't react - until the missile came down in a thundering explosion that shook the ground and scared the shit out of his kidnappers.

The explosion did what Daniel's warning did not: It made them panic. Daniel was immediately dropped to the ground and he cried out in pain, wishing he had a weapon to strike out with. He'd lost his sidearm down the crevasse, but he'd left his combat knife in his pack. The damn thing had been in the way. With a self-berating sigh, Daniel silently vowed that he'd never do that again.

Around him, the Jaffa were shouting and he decided to take advantage. He tried getting to his feet but another nasty wave of nausea hit him, blurring his vision. His ribs hurt but he could still breathe, telling him that they were probably just bruised. His ankle was severely broken, however. It hadn't been, but the Jaffa had changed that. If he was very lucky, he wouldn't have a limp when it healed.

Daniel's attention was drawn to the sound of the second missile and all he could do was lie on his belly, cover his head, and pray the damn thing wasn't heading for his position. The ground shook from the second explosion, which was thankfully on the other side of the large clearing where the stargate stood.

Daniel breathed out a sigh of relief and decided he'd low-crawl as best he could toward the 'gate because there was no way in hell that he'd wait for the rescue teams to come to him. Rubbing the rope around his wrists against a slab of stone, he was able to bust free. His skin was bruised and torn in a few places and it stung badly, but he was able to move better. It was a snail's pace, given the growing pain in his head and the extreme throbbing in his leg, but he was moving.

He'd expected the Jaffa to come get him, but they'd left him and were on the run. Daniel knew damn well that it didn't mean they were gone. They were going back to report and get reinforcements. The teams didn't have long and neither did he. He tried to move faster, but the head pain was blinding him, making him stop to pant and breathe. Going faster was obviously not an option.

He refused to give up, however, and slowly pushed his right foot into the ground, propelling himself forward with the assistance from his forearms. He was far beyond tired, he was getting that second wind that some people talk about. He'd felt that once, a long time ago during a dig in Guatemala. Running from bandits was never fun. Funny how he was still doing it.

Daniel had only crawled fifteen feet by the time he'd heard voices and boot heels on stone. He looked up toward the gate, vision blurred because of the loss of his glasses. Figures were running in many directions, some of them coming in his direction. He wanted to yell but his radio crackled, reminding him that he didn't need to.

"SG-1 Leader to Daniel Jackson, come in, over."

Jack's voice: irritated, angry, and very controlled. It never sounded so good. Closing his eyes, Daniel turned onto his back and keyed his radio. "I'm here, Jack. Hundred yards, south-southwest." His throat was dry and his voice ragged and he wished his canteen wasn't as lost as his glasses. "Bring water, will ya?"

"On our way," Jack replied.

Daniel rolled onto his side and held up his arm, trying to wave, hoping they would see him, but he had to stop the motion almost immediately. Pain shot through his chest, over his shoulder, his neck, and combined with the headache he already had, making it worse. He fell forward, forehead hitting the dirt as he was forced to take deep breaths against the nausea threatening to engulf him again. Spots and white squiggly lines began to dance in front of his eyes and he knew he couldn't move again without causing a blackout. He thought he heard the familiar voices of Jack, Teal'c, and Sam, coming closer to his position, and that was enough to make him roll onto his stomach and lift his head to look.

He just barely made out Teal'c's form, then someone flanked left, parallel to him, and though Daniel's vision was getting worse, he recognized the running gait: Jason.

He smiled with giddiness but didn't dare laugh as he thought the silliest thing: My boyfriends have come to rescue me. "Idiot," he mumbled to himself. "You're worse off than you thought."

Teal'c was soon beside him, kneeling on one knee. "Are you injured, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel couldn't help it. "My leg's busted, my head hurts like a sonofabitch, and my ribs are only bruised, but other than that, I'm just fine. How're you?"

"I am fine," Teal'c grinned, but his eyes communicated his worry.

Daniel smiled back. "I will be too, soon as you get me the hell out of here before those Jaffa come back."

"That would seem wise," Teal'c agreed as he holstered his zat and bent over, reaching between Daniel's legs and grabbing hold of a wrist. His intention was to pick him up in a fireman's carry, but Daniel grabbed the arm between his legs to stall him.

"This might not be a good idea, Teal'c. I'm pretty sure my ribs are bruised, but they may be fractured. If so, carrying me this way will make it worse if you have to run ... and I'm pretty sure you're gonna run."

Teal'c pressed his lips together, thinking it over, then removed his holds. "I could carry you in my arms, Daniel Jackson, if you prefer."

Daniel winced, but not just from the image that sent. "I'll look like a damsel in distress, but hey, better that than getting my ribs broken."

"Indeed," Teal'c said as Daniel rolled onto his side. Sliding his hands underneath his friend's back and knees, he picked him up with just a minimum of effort. "We must go," he said, scanning around him.

"Go," Daniel said as he slapped his arm, then held on with a grimace as Teal'c began to jog toward the stargate.

Everything happened rather quickly after that, yet it seemed like an eternity. The pain in his ankle was relegated to second place as the pounding in his head became the number one issue. As the pain grew worse and dizziness returned, Daniel was sure that he'd pass before they got to the 'gate. Perhaps it would be for the best, but he tried to fight it anyway, concentrating on his breathing as Teal'c had taught him to do a few years ago.

As Teal'c closed in on the 'gate, Daniel's caught movement to their left: the blurry image of a Jaffa getting up from the ground. He held a staff weapon, aiming it to fire, and though Daniel judged him to be about thirty yards away, he didn't want to take the chance.

"Teal'c, to your left!"

"I see him," Teal'c answered, but he didn't stop. "Can you reach my zatnikatel?"

"Already on it," Daniel said, reaching down between them toward Teal'c's thigh.

"Be careful," Teal'c said, trying not to lose his grip.

"Understood," Daniel replied as he plucked the zat from the holster, then brought it up behind Teal'c's hip, aimed, and fired repeatedly. Blind. Even if he'd had a clear line of sight, his blurred vision would have yielded the same accuracy.

In his peripheral vision, Teal'c knew that Daniel hadn't hit his target and at that moment, Daniel lost his grip on the weapon. "O'Neill! Major Carter!"

"Got him!" Jason called out, closing in behind them. He fired his P90 one-handed as he reached down to scoop up the zat Daniel had dropped. "Keep going!"

They passed the DHD, and Griff was there, having already dialed home. "We are there, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c told him as he ran up the steps and through the event horizon. Upon reaching the other side, Teal'c had to drop low to evade incoming Jaffa fire but he didn't stop until he was out of the line of fire. A medical gurney was waiting to the left and he quickly deposited Daniel onto it.

"Thanks," Daniel said, grimacing constantly.

"Injuries?" Janet asked.

"Broken ankle, head, ribs maybe."

A corpsman was already inserting a needle into his arm as Daniel looked toward the ramp, waiting for Jack and the others materialize. His heart was in his throat for ten seconds, then they were appearing, running or diving. "Thank god," he said.

"Can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?" Jack said, coming over to check on him. He ran his hand through Daniel's hair in a gesture of reassurance.

"Yeah, sorry," Daniel replied, eyes beginning to close. "Get the lights. I'm gonna throw--"

Janet gave Jack a reassuring look. "It's the pain, Colonel." She turned and ordered her corpsmen to get Daniel to the infirmary and was on their heels as they complied.

"Well done, people," Hammond said as Jack walked over to him, brushing off the dusty debris from the ground explosions.

"Piece of cake, sir. We brought our boy home."

"You did indeed. After Doctor Fraiser's given us medical clearance, we'll need to debrief him. In the meantime, I'll need your informal report in an hour."

"Yes, sir."

Jason came up alongside as they made their way out of the gateroom and toward the elevator. "Don't let Daniel hear you calling him 'boy' or you'll catch seven kinds of hell."

Jack nodded. "At least I'll be able to catch hell for it."

"At least," Jason said, allowing himself a sigh of relief.

Daniel opened his eyes slowly and found his left leg in traction, held up at the calf with his foot in a cushioned, toeless cloth boot. He looked around, trying to focus and realized that he was in one of the private rooms. No doubt that Janet's doing. She that Jack wouldn't be prone to career-ending PDAs but there was no telling what Jason would do.

Daniel sighed, wishing they were around. His throat was dry. Looking down, he found the usual IV, but when he turned his head, he realized that an immobilization collar was around his neck. His eyes widened with alarm just as Janet entered the room.

"Nice to see you're awake. How're you feeling?"

"Don't know yet," Daniel replied. "Why's this collar on my neck?"

"Don't worry, Daniel. Your neck is fine. But you've got some swelling on the back of your head from the laceration there."

"I hit my head pretty damn hard, Janet. Is there brain trauma?"

"'Fraid so," she nodded, "but it, and the laceration, should heal within a week. Your ribs and ankle will take a lot longer."

"Broken?" Daniel asked.

"Your ankle is, and four of the ribs on your left side are severely bruised. You're lucky."

"Guess I am, although I don't much feel that way right now." He closed his eyes as a sharp pain glanced off between his brows and zipped around to the top and back of his head. "Could I get some sunglasses? Or maybe you could dim the lights?"

"Head hurt?"

"Oh yeah."

"Scale?"

"From one to ten, 225."

She pressed a button attached to his IV. "For the pain," she said, holding it up for him to see. "Every four hours."

He wanted to nod in thanks but couldn't. "Thanks."

A few moments of silence, then he heard Janet say, "You gave us quite a scare."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"I know. How long am I gonna be out of commission?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"Six to eight weeks."

"Shit," he said, staring at the ceiling. "Jack's gonna be pissed."

She smiled tenderly at him. "He knows and he's fine. I gave him and the General a report on your injuries."

"Jason?"

"He knows, too."

Daniel sighed. "Good." He tried to look around the room but the collar reminded him why he couldn't and he gave an exasperated sigh. "When can I get out of here?"

She gave him a sympathetic look and he returned it with a puzzled one. "What?" he asked.

"When I'm satisfied that your concussion can be downgraded. Forty-eight hours, probably. And you'll be on medical leave, Daniel. You're not going to be on light duty."

"Oh come on, Janet," he complained. "I have to do something or I'll go insane."

She grinned. "I think the General is going to give you a network hook-up on your laptop so you can work from home."

Daniel sighed with relief. "Thank god." He cleared his throat, twice. "Could I have some water?" She poured him some ice water from the plastic jug on the nearby table and he sighed with relief. "Thank god it's not ice chips."

"No chips," she grinned, then held her index finger in front of his face. "Follow with your eyes, tell me if you get any pain or dizziness," she said as she moved her hand slowly forward, going from right to left and back to center. She watched him carefully for any signs and was happy when he told the truth.

"None."

"Good." She reached over and behind his neck, removing the collar. "Now, turn your head very slowly. Tell me if you get any pain or dizziness. And keep your eyes open." Daniel took a deep breath and followed her instructions. When he grimaced, she supported the back of his neck with her hand. "Dizziness or pain?"

He started to nod, then thought better of it, keeping his head still. "Both."

She sighed and put the collar back on. "If it doesn't clear up in forty-eight hours, you'll be going home with thing on."

Daniel didn't say anything. He simply closed his eyes. "Food?"

"Barely tolerable," she teased.

"Janet," he scolded.

"Anything you'd like, within dietary reason."

He managed a grin. "So no surf 'n turf?"

"Not in here," she winked. "You'll make the staff jealous."

Staring at the sling holding his leg up, he swallowed and reached under the blanket to his groin. No catheter. "Thank Christ."

"Oh yeah. Besides ..." She moved to a supply locker and pulled out a few pillows. Moving to the end of his bed, she carefully removed the sling and propped his leg up instead. "There. This'll be easier."

"For?" he asked.

"No catheter means you get the pan or the walk."

"The walk, Janet. Even if I have to crawl."

She stared at him very seriously. "If you promise not to do that, I'll leave a walker for you to use. But call a nurse or corpsman to help."

"Promise." He sighed. "Thanks for not putting in a catheter. The muscles are a bitch to retrain." He focused his attention on his foot. "How is it, really?"

"Broken in four places and the tendons are ripped. If you're healed in six weeks, I'll be very surprised."

"I have to be."

"You may not be."

"But I have to be. Jason's birthday is in six weeks. I made plans."

She chewed at her lip, looking hesitant. "Which reminds me, Daniel. You won't be able to do anything too strenuous for a while. If you get my meaning."

Daniel swallowed down the blush of embarrassment. "I kind of figured that out." Changing the subject slightly, he asked, "Can I at least have visitors till I get out of here?"

"Yes," Janet answered and glanced at the doorway. "In fact, you have a horde out there waiting to see you."

"A horde?" he asked, his face full of surprise.

"Your teammates, General Hammond, and Major Coburn."

Daniel made a face. "Hammond wants a report, doesn't he?"

"I'm afraid so. How's your head?"

"A bit better. But my thinking's a little slow."

"That's to be expected with any head injury and I've already told the General not to press you. If you'd like, I can bring your recorder."

"No, my memory's not that bad." He sighed, staring at the door. "You're not going to restrict my visits with Jack and Jason, are you?"

She shook her head, then grinned. "Wouldn't do any good anyway since they'd find a way to sneak in here and pull rank on my staff when I'm not here."

Daniel grinned. "The one advantage of a military hospital."

She narrowed her eyes at him with mock-severity. "A very narrow advantage."

"Yes, ma'am."

With a smile, she headed for the door. "I'll send the General in first."

He nodded, but wished Hammond could have left the questioning till tomorrow.

. .

Outside the room, Janet came face-to-face with five worried people. "He's awake."

"How's he doing, Doctor?" Hammond asked.

"He's got a little swelling on the back of his head from the laceration, and from the concussion he sustained. Four of his ribs are bruised and that field vest he wore probably saved them from being broken. His left ankle, however, is severely broken. Daniel's going to be out of commission for eight weeks, at least. If he's lucky."

The General nodded. "May we see him? We need to get his mission statement."

"Yes, sir. But remember what I said to you earlier. He's had a head injury so his memory may not be fully intact. Plus he's just been given some pain medication so his thought processes are slowed."

"Understood," Hammond replied, then strode into Daniel's room, followed by Jack.

Turning to Jason, Sam, and Teal'c, Janet added, "After the General's finished, you can go in, but don't stay too long." She placed her hand on Jason's arm and gave him one of her gentle smiles. "He's going to be fine."

"Thanks, Janet," Jason said softly, and after she walked down the hall, heading toward her office, he turned to Sam and Teal'c. "You guys, uh, should probably go in first. I'll wait."

Sam frowned at him. "Why?" She glanced around to make sure she wouldn't be overheard. "He'll want to see you first."

Jason crossed his arms and leaned against the wall opposite the door. "No. I'll just wait and ..." He suddenly looked around, feeling the urge to leave.

"Don't," Sam said, recognizing the flight response. She'd seen it many times before, with the Colonel, Teal'c, herself, Daniel. Now Jason. They all cared deeply for each other and hated to see each other hurt. The pain and worry would come after they knew the person they cared about was okay, and then came the desperate need to run like hell, to deny the emotions because they hurt so much and didn't want to have them repeated. "Don't hurt him by running away."

Jason blinked at her, hating how she had just as much experience as he did and that she'd call him on it instead of ignoring it as Jack would do. "It's hard," he said to them both. "I don't know what I'd do if ..." He swallowed, hard, then gestured at the door. "Just go in and see him first. I promise I'll stay here."

Sam walked over and grinned at him as she held up her hand, pinky crooked. "Pinky swear?"

He started laughing and grabbed her pinky with his own. "Swear." After he let go, he asked, "But tell me. When did we turn twelve?"

She snorted. "Made you laugh, didn't it?"

Jason chuckled as he nodded. "Nice, Sam."

"I thought so," she grinned broadly.

Jason looked over at Teal'c. "She ever do that to you?"

Teal'c looked at Sam, then lifted his chin. "Fortunately, no."

"Well at least now you know what it means," she grinned.

"Indeed," Jason and Teal'c said together, making her bark out a laugh before covering her mouth.

. .

The moment Jack entered the room, Daniel was filled with guilt and relief. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," Jack replied as he circled the bed and stood on the right side, opposite Hammond.

"Doctor Jackson," Hammond greeted.

"Thanks for the rescue, sir," Daniel told him with a wan smile.

"You're welcome," Hammond said with a thin-lipped smile.

"Daniel, what the hell happened?"

Hammond glanced at Jack, throwing him an admonishing look. "Major Caruthers gave us his report, Doctor Jackson, and Doctor Fraiser explained your injuries. Now, I'd love to wait until you're feeling better, but I'm afraid I can't. I need to know what happened."

Daniel nodded. "Understood, sir. I'd like to get it out of the way anyway. If I leave anything out, I'll write it down. Would that be okay?"

"You might need these," Jack said as he pulled Daniel's spare pair of glasses from his chest pocket and set them on his stomach.

"Thanks, Jack," Daniel replied, touching them but not picking them up. He sighed and grimaced slightly. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"How you became separated from SG-11," Hammond clarified.

Daniel sighed again. In other words, Hammond wanted to make sure he didn't just trip and fall. "I didn't trip and fall, sir."

"I didn't think you did, Doctor, but a preliminary report must be filed."

"Besides, you're not a clumsy idiot," Jack added.

Daniel smirked at him. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

"Okay, so, Major Caruthers and his team were heading toward the gate. I was right behind them and ..." He furrowed his brow, thinking back. When he spoke again, his words were carefully pronounced, as if he was describing a scene in his head that he could just barely make out. "I veered ... to my right ... to avoid the edge of this fissure ... two staff weapon blasts exploded on my right, then two more right behind me. The ground shook, I lost my balance and ..." He looked up at Hammond. "I didn't trip, but I guess I did fall, right into the fissure."

Hammond nodded sympathetically. "What happened next?"

"I actually remember that more clearly, although I wish I didn't. I don't remember falling in the crevasse. Just what happened after I woke up. I was upside-down, hanging by my ankle which somehow got caught in a mass of roots. I had no idea how long I was out but I figured you guys would start a search. So I called out for help, hoping you were nearby." He flashed a brief, painful smile. "The Jaffa got there first. After a bit of rough torture, they decided to haul me off to their master, but your little missile show put a stop to that."

"Did you recognize which Goa'uld they served?" Hammond asked.

Daniel shook his head. "They had a symbol on their foreheads that sort of resembled a fleur de lis and they used a slightly different Goa'uld dialect. I caught one word in ... five or six."

"Perhaps Teal'c could help you identify them," Hammond suggested.

"I'll tell him about it, see what we can figure out."

Hammond nodded, then let out a sigh and patted Daniel's shoulder. "Glad to have you back, Doctor Jackson."

"Thank you, sir," Daniel answered, thinking of what he'd be doing the next eight weeks. "Janet said I could get a network hook-up at home?"

"That's right," Hammond replied with a sympathetic grin. "I know you hate being away from your work for an extended period of time. The work won't be the same and it'll be on a limited basis, but it's all we can do until the Doctor clears you for light duty."

"It's appreciated, sir."

"I'll take my leave now," Hammond told him as he headed for the door. "If you need anything ..."

"Thanks again, sir," Daniel answered.

The moment Hammond was gone, he barely had a few seconds alone with Jack before Sam and Teal'c came in. He smiled at his teammates, but was puzzled by Jason's absence. "Where's Jason?"

"Waiting outside," Sam said.

"Why?" Daniel asked, frown appearing on his face.

"I think he's worried about showing too much emotion in front of us," Sam said, not bothering to mention the problem Jason had almost created.

Daniel didn't get it. "That's absurd. What's really going on?"

Sam cleared her throat as she glanced at Jack. "Sir, could you leave us alone for a moment?"

Jack frowned and looked at Daniel for clarification, but when he received a shrug, he sighed and headed for the door with Teal'c. After the two of them stepped out of the room, Sam gave Daniel a grim smile.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of the Colonel," Sam said hesitantly.

"Why?"

"Because Jason admitted something to me and Teal'c only because I guessed."

"Sam," Daniel said impatiently. "Whatever it is he admitted, Jack would probably know about it anyway."

Sam made a face. "Maybe. But you know how people in relationships keep secrets. Particularly people like the Colonel and Jason."

"Just spit it out," Daniel told her.

"Jason's ... he's actually afraid to see you."

Daniel's mouth dropped open with shock. "What? Why?"

"You know when someone we love gets in trouble and that scares the crap out of us because we're afraid of losing them?"

"Yeah," Daniel said, frowning.

"And you know how we sometimes run away to avoid feeling that kind of pain?"

Daniel sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "I can't believe he'd even want to do that."

"Me neither, but I recognized his body language, Daniel, and told him to not even go there."

Looking at her, Daniel reached out, offering his hand, and she took it. "Thanks. But ... I wish you hadn't been able to read him correctly."

She smiled thinly. "Me too. But it is what it is."

"Yeah," he said, sighing again. "Okay, this shit's gotta be straightened out first or I'll get even more stressed out."

"Meaning you want us to come back later?" she asked, brow arched.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not a problem," she said, laying her hand on his arm. "We get it. Me and Teal'c, I mean."

Daniel nodded. "Come back later?"

"Sure."

"Bring your chess board," he added with a grin.

"Feel like getting beat?"

"Sure, why not," he replied drily.

She smiled and bent over to kiss his cheek. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Me too," he answered with an embarrassed smile. When she started for the door, he said, "Tell Teal'c I'm sorry. I just need to straighten this shit out first."

"He knows, Daniel," she said, then smiled. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Me, too." To his satisfaction, she opened the door and kept it open as she pointed inside the room. "Get in there."

When Jason appeared, frowning at her as he stepped into the room, Sam held the door open until Jack entered the room too, then gave Daniel a nod before she shut the door, leaving them alone.

Daniel sighed, his focus on Jason. "I'm fine, see?"

Jason lost the confusion on his face and traded it for a grimace as he stood at the foot of Daniel's bed. "She told you."

"Yep."

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

Daniel lifted his brows. "Jason?"

"I wasn't going to--" Jason began.

"Don't!" Daniel said, warning him not to lie. "Don't you fucking dare."

"What?" Jack asked angrily.

With a hard swallow, Jason crossed his arms defensively. "I got scared, Jack."

"Yeah," Jack said, expectantly. "So was I. And?"

"And I ... thought about bailing."

Jack stared at him. "Be more specific."

"On ..." Jason gestured between himself and Daniel. "Us."

Jack blinked at him. "That kind of scared?" When Jason nodded, Jack rolled his eyes. "For cryin' out loud."

"Okay, okay!" Jason said, scowling. "I fucked up. But goddamn it, I got scared. I know our jobs are dangerous and I've never had a problem with that. But I've never had someone out there. And for a moment, just a moment, I panicked. I'm over it now. Okay?" He walked over to the right side of the bed, opposite Jack, and gave Daniel a hard look. "I mean it."

Daniel reached out like he had with Janet, taking Jason's hand. "I love you. And I understand everything. Trust me. Just promise me that if you get weak-kneed again, you'll talk to me. Don't pull that crap Jack did."

"Hey," Jack protested with a scowl.

Daniel shot him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but Jason and I know what you're capable of and so do you."

Jack ground his teeth but he finally nodded and looked directly at Jason. "Guess we're both big enough to admit when we've fucked up."

"Thank christ, too," Daniel said, pulling at his collar. "If I had to ditch you two, I'd be a bitch for a very long time."

"Ha ha," Jason grinned. "Besides, who said you're not a bitch now?"

"Watch it," Daniel warned with a grin on his face.

Jack nudged Daniel's hip. "I think we'd have been fine anyway."

"Yeah, how's that?"

"Jack lectured me."

Daniel gave Jack a look of surprise. "You lectured him?"

"Noooo," Jack corrected and glared at Jason. "I told him not to think the worst."

"And yet you went all spazzy on me anyway?" Daniel asked, raising his brows.

Jason allowed the corner of his mouth as he looked at Jack. "Actually, I wasn't really listening."

Daniel snorted. "You're in trouble now." When Jason looked at him in alarm, he quickly added, "Not by me."

"Oh, right."

"You weren't listening?" Jack asked.

"I had a good excuse," Jason grinned.

"This should be good," Daniel said, getting a mock-glare from Jack.

"He kissed me."

Daniel narrowed his eyes. This was good news to him, but he had a feeling there was a 'but' attached. "But?" he asked.

"No 'but'," Jason replied, glancing at Jack and clearing his throat. "It's just that we were ... in his office at the time."

Jack's eyes promised punishment and it oddly aroused Jason. "Traitor."

"What?" Jason asked.

Daniel's mouth dropped open for a few seconds before he snapped it shut and grinned at them. "Well I hope you two weren't screwing around in there. That's better left to my office, or at home." They didn't reply. In fact, they looked surprised, and maybe a little guilty? Daniel tried to figure out what was going on as he looked from one man to the other. So they kissed, what was the big ... deal.

It suddenly hit him that Jason had mentioned the kiss as if it had been some sort of taboo. Which meant that neither of them had been together yet, without his presence. Why the hell not? He had planned to be offworld for a while. Had they planned on jerking off that whole time? Did they not like each other?

"Oh my god. Do you guys not like each other?"

Both of them were surprised. "We like each other fine," Jason said. "Why?"

"Have you guys been together at all since I've been gone?"

Jack cleared his throat. "We ... no."

"Kinda feels ..." Jason began, then trailed off at the frown on Daniel's face. He stared at him, astonished. "Wait, you don't mind if we are?"

Daniel rolled his eyes and brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "You have got to be kidding me."

"What?" Jack asked, giving Jason an accusatory look which Jason returned with a guiltless one. "Don't look at me," was the gist.

"Did it feel like cheating when you kissed?"

Jason swallowed. "No," he admitted, cautiously looking at Jack. "Just the opposite."

Jack took a slow breath. "No, I guess not."

Daniel sighed with frustration. Nothing he could say or do would make them fall in love. Jason was halfway there and he knew damn well that Jack was attracted to him. So what the hell was the problem? The only answer he could think of was that he was the problem. He tipped his head back as much as he could and stared at the ceiling. The sudden influx of guilt was making his cheeks turn pink and he couldn't look at them. "This is my fault. I pushed you into this relationship thinking you'd be receptive. I was wrong and I apologize." When they didn't say anything, he took that for agreement and sighed again, this time with self-recrimination and sadness. What the hell had he been thinking, expecting them to feel the same?

Hell of a thing to come home to, he mused sourly. But it was better to be given up on now rather than later. "Think I'd like to be alone."

"Excuse me?" Jack asked, frowning deeply. He was confused and when he looked at Jason, he saw the same look. "Why? What'd we do?"

"Nothing," Daniel said. That was the problem. He gave them a sheepish, embarrassed look. "Seriously, you didn't do anything wrong. It was me. I screwed up." He pressed his lips together and gestured toward the door. "Listen, I'd just really like to be alone so I can get used to the idea and come to grips."

"Daniel, what the fuck are you talking about?" Jason asked. When Daniel threw him a puzzled look, he added, "I'm not going anywhere till you tell me what the hell you're going on about."

"What he said," Jack echoed.

Daniel blinked at them both. "Shit, did all that worry scramble your brains? We're done." When their eyes went wide, he added, "As a threesome? Hello?" When their surprised increased, Daniel's confusion intensified into a scowl. "Well ... I don't get it. What's the problem? You don't want to be together when I'm not around so there's no point in having a three-way relationship. You should be relieved, not shocked, so now I'm the one who's confused and wanting to know what the hell is going on."

Jason sighed as he and Jack exchanged long looks of understanding. "It isn't that we don't want to be together, Daniel," he told him.

"Then what?"

"It just felt like ..."

"Cheating," Jack finished. "Like we were cheating on you because we didn't ... we didn't have, you know, permission."

Daniel's mouth dropped open again as he stared at them, completely dumbfounded. "I'm in love with a pair of idiots." When they threw him admonishing scowls, he didn't bat an eye. "Seriously, permission was implicit when I used the word relationship. As a couple or a trio, the same rules apply." He paused, then sighed regretfully. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you idiots, but for fuck's sake, I thought you knew what it meant to have a three-way relationship."

"Daniel," Jack started. "I've long ago learned to never assume anything where you're involved."

Daniel blinked at him. "You can't be serious," he stated.

"Yeah, I am."

"Okay, I admit that when it comes to how I do my work, I get why you do that, but where relationships are concerned? You have no basis for making the same ... assumption."

Jason grinned and shot Jack a smug look. "You so walked into that one."

Daniel bit his lips together as Jack looked at him with embarrassment. "Oh shut up," Jack told him, making him grin.

"Do you guys want this relationship?" he asked seriously. When his lovers exchanged glances, he added, "I mean being with me, with each other, no restrictions, the whole goddamn nine yards. That is, if you want to be with each other. If you don't then--"

"Don't go there again," Jason scolded as he took his hand. "And the answer is ..." He looked across the bed at Jack and felt a bit giddy. "Yes."

Jack stared back at him, then at Daniel, and nodded with a half-shrug. "Yeah, okay, sounds good to me."

"Don't strain anything with all that emotional outpouring," Daniel told him with heavy sarcasm.

"Daniel," Jack smirked at him sarcastically. "I might be a little more demonstrative if we were anywhere else."

"Might?" Daniel asked, teasing back. When Jack rolled his eyes, it made him grin. He only had one more thing to clarify. "One more thing. I don't expect monogamy, just conversation and notification. Remember, no secrets. So if you guys ever want to have sex with someone else ..." He was damn near gratified by the blush response from them both. "What? It's gotta be said," he shrugged, then purposely sighed with the sound of long-suffering. "'Cause I don't know about you, but I'm probably gonna get sick of you two in three or four--"

Jason clapped his hand over Daniel's mouth. "You even think about finishing that sentence and I swear I will end you."

Daniel reached up and grabbed his hand as he started to laugh softly, mindful of the pain that would come back. He then playfully nipped at Jason's middle finger. There was a moment of erotic tension between them, especially when Jason moved his thumb to caress his lover's chin.

"You keep doing that," he said, "and I'll do my damndest to get you hard and leave you that way."

"You wouldn't--" Daniel began.

"Aht!" Jack warned. "Don't finish that, either. You know damn well what happens when you dare him. Or me, for that matter."

Jason pulled his hand away, saving Daniel the trouble. He made sure that Daniel could see the serious look in his eyes, then said, "You know I love you, right?" Daniel smiled and nodded, and when that happened, Jason felt his throat burn with that effort to hold back emotion. The stress inside from nearly losing Daniel forced his eyes to water, but he held the tears at bay because there was no way he was losing it in front of Jack. He did, however, have no problem with telling Daniel how he felt.

"Well, I've loved you for a very long time, longer than you know. So when I do stupid stuff, or think about doing stupid stuff, it's only because I probably love you too damn much." He looked down, fingering the blanket on the bed, wondering why he'd needed to say that at all, but realized that he'd said it more for Jack's sake than Daniel's. A strong heat rose in his cheeks and he hoped that he hadn't just embarrassed himself.

Daniel took his hand again, tightening his grip and letting him know that he loved him back. He then turned his gaze on Jack and found the man staring at Jason with a hard intensity. Annoyingly, he couldn't read why. Did Jason's words bother him? That didn't seem likely. Was he surprised? No, that wasn't possible, either.

"What?" he asked him, and when Jack looked at him, he added, "What was that look at Jason for?"

Like Jason, Jack cleared his throat, and though he didn't know it, it was for the same damn reason. "I love you, too." He glanced at Jason, then back at Daniel. "And even though I told you that I've loved you for a while, it's been longer. Like Jason said, about the stupid stuff: It's only because I love you too much."

Daniel considered them both, thinking they looked like human bookends, then suddenly he caught the way they looked at each other. He hadn't actually seen it before: The beginnings of love. He'd seen them show care and concern, but love?

"What about the way you feel about each other?" he asked, preparing himself for the denials.

They looked at him sharply, then at each other, and immediately looked embarrassed, with pink cheeks and throat clearings. Daniel couldn't help but find it endearing and refused to hide the smile that spread across his face.

"Not gonna admit it, are you?" No response, as he expected. "Come on," Daniel drawled in that cajoling voice. "I can see it now. Of course, I saw it clearly last week." He was referring to the wonderful three-way they'd had on his birthday and they knew it, too.

"Just knock it off, okay?" Jack asked. He wanted to tell Daniel what he wanted to hear. Yes, he cared about Jason, and he definitely liked having sex with him, but he wasn't on familiar ground. He had no clue how this was gonna work, but he'd damn sure try.

Before Jack could say anything about it out loud, Jason suddenly yawned, widely. "Shit, sorry."

"Time for you to get some sleep," Daniel told them both as he pointed at the clock on the wall. It was 01:23. "Way past your bedtime."

Jack nodded, then jerked his chin toward the door. "Block that, would you?"

Jason walked around the bed and across the room, then leaned against the door. "Go ahead."

Jack grinned down at Daniel, then reached down to pet his hair before he bent over to kiss him. He intended it to be light, but the moment his lips touched Daniel's, he pressed in, opened his mouth, and kissed him deeply.

Jason watched, feeling a little anxious. It wasn't jealousy or lack of confidence. He simply wanted to kiss him, too. When Jack broke away and stepped back, Jason was relieved when he came over to trade places. For a brief moment, he'd thought that Jack was leaving until he shoved Jason toward the bed.

Grinning at him, Jason turned the smile on Daniel as he bent over. "Night." He kissed him slowly, sighing against his skin when he knew he had to stop.

"Night," Daniel said as Jason headed over to Jack. "I'll see you two later."

After they left him alone, Daniel sighed, wishing they could've stayed. He was, however, consoled by the fact that he'd be home in a few days and then he'd have them to himself without worrying about being seen.

In the elevator, Jason stood next to Jack feeling a mixture of emotion. At almost 1:30 in the morning, he was damn tired, and while was thinking about going to his quarters, he was also thinking about Jack going to his. And he wanted to stop him. Or rather, he wanted Jack to join him. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to want, but there were no cameras in the personnel quarters. This early in the morning, there weren't many SFs prowling the corridors. Although there'd be a record of Jack entering and leaving, by way of the corridor security camera.

"What're you thinking about so deeply?" Jack asked.

Jason realized he'd been staring at the line in the door and he blinked a few times before looking up and settling his gaze on Jack's face. "You, actually." When Jack lifted his scarred brow, he added, "Wondering how safe it is, at this time of night, to ask you into my quarters." When Jack looked both amused and surprised, Jason continued on. "I mean, if it were during the day, no one would question your presence in my quarters for an hour ... or so. But in the middle of the night, security might be looking and wondering and ..." He made a face, then sighed. "Probably not a good idea."

Jack gave him a shrug as they left the elevator on Level 25 and didn't say much of anything else. He was too busy considering Jason's offer. In fact, since leaving Daniel's infirmary room, he'd been thinking about that moment they'd shared in his office. The closer they got to Jason's quarters, which were around the corner from his own, he was beginning to think up pretty good answers just in case there were any questions.

Before they both realized it, they were at Jason's door. Sliding his key card through and opening the door, Jason looked over his shoulder and walked in, leaving the door open. Jack could either walk in or he could stand in the doorway and say goodnight. Jason was going to leave it up to him. He walked over to the bedside table and took off his watch, trying to concentrate on getting ready for bed instead of the sounds, or lack of them, behind him.

When the door closed, there was a second of panic, of disappointment, until he realized that Jack hadn't said goodnight. If he'd intended to return to his quarters, he would have. Jason turned slowly, and upon seeing Jack standing there, several feet away, with his hands in his pockets, he smiled cheekily. "You're staying then?"

Jack studied him for a few moments, watching as Jason began to unbutton his pants and untuck his shirt. "For a little bit," he finally replied, doing the same.

Jason sat down on the bed and bent over, unlacing his boots. There was an awkwardness in the room that bothered him, as if they were doing what was expected. He said nothing as he removed his boots, and Jack was just as silent. By the time Jason had stripped down to his grey shorts and t-shirt, with nothing else on but his dog tags, he'd had enough of the silence. He ran his fingers through his hair and cleared his throat.

Jack had had his back to him, but when he turned around, in t-shirt, shorts, and socks, Jason suddenly lost the urge to speak.

"Shit," he murmured, making Jack grin at him.

"What?" Jack asked, stepping closer.

Jason shook his head as he looked Jack in the eye, letting him see that there was nothing but desire written on his face. He held out his hand, and the moment Jack took it, an electric current ran between them. "I think it's time to finish what we started earlier," he said, pulling Jack close enough so he could lift his shirt and press his face against his abdomen. He licked at the sparse coverage of hair before he zeroed in on his navel and caressed the firm muscle under his hands. When he moved them down over Jack's ass, his partner decided to take a little control.

Jack leaned down and kissed him, tongue searching for his. "Jack," Jason whispered, and slid his fingers inside the waistband of his lover's shorts. His lover's. The words made his mouth water almost as much as the proximity of his cock.

"What?" Jack asked as he reached down to caress Jason's chest. In his eyes there was a darkness that Jason had never seen pinned on him before.

He liked it. It caused a spike of heat to run down his spine and straight into his cock. Jack was unpredictable at the best of times and Jason knew that he had better learn to read him. This scrutiny was unnerving but welcome. "I want you," he said, gripping Jack's cock through his shorts.

"I'm not going anywhere," Jack replied, his voice heavy with need. He threaded his fingers through Jason's hair and his cock twitched when it was exposed to the open air. His gaze was locked with Jason's, glued there by fascination and lust as he watched him lick down his shaft. When Jason came back up and was about to engulf the head, he whispered, "That's the look."

"What look?" Jason asked coyly, pausing to run his stiffened tongue over the head.

"That one. That hungry wolf look."

"That's funny," Jason whispered. "You have the same look." He suddenly imagined lying on his back on top of the small desk in his room, ass hanging over the edge, legs over Jack's shoulders as he pounded into him ...

Mouth watering, he attacked, swallowing the cockhead and half the shaft.

"Shit," Jack said, grimacing because the act and pleasure were so acute, he'd come within minutes if he didn't do something. "Slow down," he said, then contradicted himself when he pushed Jason down on the bed and hovered over him. Reaching back, he pulled off his socks, then repositioned himself until he was facing the head of the bed. "Get under me."

"No problem," Jason said, still whispering his words. He wriggled around until his head was on the pillow, and his elbows were properly cushioned by the mattress. He looked up, wishing he'd thought to bring supplies, when Jack pushed back on his knees and swiftly removed his t-shirt, then his shorts, exposing his hard cock. Jason didn't waste time copying him and he shoved his shorts over his hips and kicked them to the floor.

Goosebumps rose over his naked skin as Jack crawled over him, his dog tags hanging down from his neck. His own lay between his pecs and he smiled with curiosity when Jack stared at them before letting his eyes roam over his body. This was possibly the sexiest he'd ever seen Jack O'Neill.

"Nice," Jack said, then bent down to take a nipple between his teeth, worrying it as he sucked. When Jason gasped and shuddered, he grabbed his waist and purposely confused him as he pulled back. "Switch."

They did. With Jack now lying on his back, he yanked at his lover, making Jason fall forward onto his forearms, then pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Thrusting his hips, he didn't need to wait long for Jason to do the same. Their heavy cocks brushed together, the pre-come swiping over the skin of their abdomens.

Jack reached up to take Jason's thick hair in his hands once more and wrapped his calves around Jason's, spreading both their legs. "We won't need any lube," he said.

"How's that?" Jason asked, mouth still tingling from the tantalizing appetizer he'd had minutes before. "I still want you in my mouth," he said as he bent down to nip over his lover's jaw.

"That's exactly what I mean. Just wanted to be clear."

Meaning there'd be no penetration, which was okay with Jason. He answered Jack's words by bringing his hands up to caress his chest, tweaking his nipples between thumb and forefinger. Jack inhaled softly, then pulled Jason down into a fierce kiss, his tongue immediately plunging into his eager mouth while his hands were directed over his ass, massaging his cheeks with firm fingers.

Both moaned into the long kiss, feeling the intensity of their lust rise higher. Panting, Jason slid his fingers under Jack's ass, fingertips teasing near his opening. He wanted so much to have penetration, but even better was what else he could demonstrate for Jack, to drive him crazy.

When Jack moaned and thrust his hips upward as if Jason were fucking him, Jason broke off the kiss and spoke lightly against his lips. "You want to fuck me, don't you, Jack?" he asked, nipping along his throat. "You need to fuck me?"

"Yes," Jack gasped, closing his eyes as he curled his right hand around Jack's cock, stroking in time to the man's rhythmic hips.

Jason grabbed his hair and whispered harshly into his ear. "I want to feel you deep inside my ass." The words were followed with a nip at an earlobe, tongue snaking out to lick behind. "I want to feel that long hard cock fill me while you thrust and pound and slam into me." He emphasized his words by taking Jack's hips in his hands, pulling him up to imitate the rough movements.

"And how about you fucking me?" Jack asked as he took Jason's dick in hand and began to stroke. He squeezed, pulling upward, rubbing his thumb into the glans, spreading the liquid that dripped down. Jason hissed from the sensitivity and kissed him savagely, sucking his tongue inside his mouth and moaning louder. Jack wholeheartedly received him, encouraging Jason by raising his legs and wrapping them around Jason's thighs, pulling them further apart. It spiked the lust, the need, in his partner, and Jason gasped and pulled up, staring down at him.

With a wicked idea, Jason let go of Jack's cock and stuck two fingers into his mouth, wetting them down. He slid them in and out of his mouth, teasing Jack, before he moved his hand between Jack's legs. Jack groaned deeply as a finger pressed against his ass and pushed in without resistance.

"Yes. I want to fuck you so much," Jason whispered, working his finger back and forth. His eyes were bright as he moved down Jack's body, forcing his hand from his cock. His lips moved with delight over Jack's abdomen, tongue swirling, catching flavors he wanted to remember forever. He pushed his finger deeper, searching for that wonderful little gland and when he found it, Jack let him know by grabbing his hair and the mattress at the same time.

"Fuck me," came the insistent whisper.

Jason smiled as he twisted his finger, rubbing the gland at each pass. When he moved over Jack's cock, he took the head into his mouth, sucking slowly before he took the entire length inside and achingly pulled up.

"Goddammit, I want you to fuck me," Jack groaned, thrusting his hips faster, encouraging Jason to do the same with his finger.

Jason made sounds of agreement as he settled more resolutely between Jack's legs, his free arm pushing under Jack to take hold around his hips, riding Jack's thrusting body until the man was panting loudly, gripping the sheets with white-knuckled, sweating hands.

"Fuck, you're good at that," Jack said, trying to find his breath, his eyes squeezed shut, knowing he was very close. Just a little more.

Jason immersed himself, needing to feel the pulse of the hot, silky skin under his tongue. Then it was there, the tingle under his tongue, and he hummed approval, quickening the movement of his mouth, his finger.

Jack felt his balls tighten with the heat that spread quickly throughout his body, and gripped the sheet so tightly in both fists that he nearly tore it. He used his forearms for leverage as he arched, pushing his hips up, feeling Jason drop his tongue and open his throat. With a long moan, Jack tensed his leg muscles and fucked Jason's mouth for all he was worth, mind and body intent on one solution to the exclusion of all else.

He came explosively, cursing in harsh whispers, aware of Jason's intermittent moaning, cut off each time he swallowed, drinking him down. Jack dropped his legs flat, panting through the receding pleasure, and blindly reached down, finding Jason's dog tags. He tugged, and tugged again, getting the man to move back up his body. When Jason reached him, a pleased look in his eyes, Jack grabbed him and turned them over, kissing him roughly. The taste of his semen in Jason's mouth urged him on, and without hesitation, he broke away and moved down his body.

"Oh god," Jason gasped as his body jerked away from the bites below his navel. Then his cock was in Jack's mouth and the pleasure drove him insane. He gripped the pillow under his head, fingers clutching desperately as he tried not to thrust hard, eager to fuck his lover's wet, warm mouth. "Yes," he managed with an intense flood of emotion.

Jack deftly played with his balls and stroked his perineum, teasing the puckered skin around his hole. He took him to the edge with his tongue, keeping him there, hovering almost to the point of pain. "Time to come, Jason," he said quickly, softly, pulling off Jason's cock to slick his fingers with spit before taking him back into his mouth. He bobbed up and down, faster and faster, while he pushed two fingers inside Jason's body.

It was Jason's turn to accommodate, pulling his knees to his chest and raising his ass off the bed. "Fuck me," he softly begged, and Jack complied, fucking him with deft, encouraging fingers while his cock was taken by his hot, hungry mouth. Then came that familiar hot spike of pleasure and Jason turned his head to bite into his pillow, muffling his shouts as he seemed to come forever, body wracked with spasm after spasm. Then Jack was over him, kissing him, holding him, and Jason returned the embrace desperately.

When the afterglow began to subside and they slowly pulled apart, Jason ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth, feeling the imprint of teeth marks left from Jack's hard kisses. He looked into his lover's eyes and tongued the inside of his mouth again, silently asking if Jack had the same problem. Jack replied with only a grin and closed his eyes. Nothing really needed to be said, Jason thought, as he closed his eyes as well. There was a sense of ease between them and perhaps the knowledge that this relationship thing just might work.

. . .

Only five hours later, tired but awake, both men made their way back to the infirmary to check on Daniel. They found him just as sleepy-eyed.

"Had breakfast yet?" Daniel asked them.

"About to go mainline some coffee," Jason said.

"Want us to grab you something?" Jack asked.

"Hell yes. Please." It was then that he realized there was something different about his lovers. At first, he thought it might be the pain meds, but the longer he observed them, the more he realized that the tension between them had gone. "What's goin' on?"

"What?" Jason asked as he walked around the bed and sat on the doctor's stool.

"Nothing, why?" Jack said, doing the same instead of taking the visitor's chair. Why the hell were these chairs always lower than the beds?

"You're acting different."

Jason and Jack exchanged looks across the bed. "Different than what?" Jack asked Daniel.

"Than you were last time I saw you."

Jason cleared his throat. "Oh. Right. Well ... let's just say that neither of us slept alone."

Daniel's brows rose slightly as he looked back and forth between them. "No shit?"

"No shit," Jack answered with the barest of smiles.

"And?"

"And," Jason drawled as he touched Daniel's forearm, sliding his hand over the skin in a gesture purposely meant as a caress. "We're fine," he finished. He clasped his fingers in Daniel's, then raised his hand to his lips and kissed his fingers. "Really," he added. He looked across at Jack, then seductively nibbled at Daniel's fingers.

"Don't even start," Jack warned.

Jason grinned devilishly and Daniel pulled his hand away. "Asshole."

"What?" Jason asked, brows raised.

"I'm on pain meds. Which means if you keep doing what you're doing, you'll get me hard and I won't be able to do anything about it."

Jason smiled, the wicked look refusing to leave. "Jack could always cover the door."

"Why am I the one covering the door?" Jack objected.

"Because I'll be the one going down on him," Jason said back, as if the answer were obvious.

"No, I think you'll be covering the door."

"No, you will."

"No--"

"Shut the fuck up, the two of you," Daniel sighed, but a smile was all over his face. "I'm not getting any fringe benefits in the infirmary so you'll just have to wait till I get home."

Jack stared back, his gaze penetrating. He then reached up and laid his hand on top of Daniel's covered leg, just above the knee. He didn't move it, not one millimeter. He just set it there. Then smiled.

"Fucking asshole," Daniel said, closing his eyes as the warmth of Jack's hand seemed to flow rapidly up his leg and into his dick.

"Plural," Jack replied, staring at Jason.

Three days later....

"Janet, when?" Daniel asked.

Janet rolled her eyes. "If you keep nagging me, you'll be here another two days just because."

"You wouldn't dare."

Janet raised a brow at him as she checked the pneumatic cast on his lower leg and adjusted the cloth boot that had been placed over it to protect his toes.

"Right," Daniel sighed. "Sorry."

"This afternoon," she answered after a long silent minute.

"Really?" he asked warily.

"Really," she smiled. "After the bloodwork comes back. It'll be a while since we have returning teams whose bloodwork needs to be done before yours."

"Understood."

"In the meantime, you can march yourself down the hall for a bath."

"Finally!" he said, pushing himself up.

Before he could swing his legs off the bed, she stalled him. "With help. I'll call a corpsman."

"No, please," Daniel groaned. "How about Jack and Jason?" When she smirked at him, he said, "No monkey business, I swear. And no offense, but I trust them more."

"Meaning what?" she frowned.

"Meaning that they'll be extra careful compared to someone ..." He lowered his voice to a whisper, even though it was unnecessary. "... I'm not involved with."

She narrowed her eyes, thinking it over. "If they're available, fine, they can help. But you don't need both of them."

"Maybe not, but it'll be easier than having them fight over the job."

She raised her brow at him. "They're competing?"

"Not ... exactly. They're doing it to wind me up."

Janet let out a short, disparaging laugh, and threw him an apologetic look. "Sorry, but you know that's how they let off stress and tension."

"One of the ways," he said in a dry undertone.

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing. Trust me. It's easier to just bring both." He then grinned. "Or you could tell one of them it's time for his tetanus and put him out for an hour instead?" He gave her a hopeful look which she shot down. "Worth a try."

Chuckling, she walked toward the door. "Just wait here, Daniel. I'll go get the caretakers."

"Hardy har har," he said just as the door opened and Jack and Jason nearly mowed her down.

"Shit, sorry, Janet," Jason said, hand on her arm.

"I was just going to call you two," she said, mostly to Jack. "He'll be released this afternoon. I'm waiting on blood work, but it's not a deciding factor. Right now, he wants a bath, so you gentlemen have been called to duty." When they gave her interesting looks which she fully interpreted as dirty, she shook her head. "Don't remove his cast and don't excite him. In any way."

"Dang," Jack said with a grin aimed solely at her.

"Use the physical therapy shower. It has plenty of grab bars." Janet then lowered her voice. "And I repeat, no excitement. Capiche?"

"Gotcha," Jason replied.

Janet nodded with satisfaction, then pointed at the crutches propped by the bed. "Make sure he uses those. He'll need his exercise." With that, she left the men alone.

When Jason retrieved the crutches and handed them over, Daniel snorted at the dirty look on his face. "If you two keep torturing me, I'll be going home alone."

"Yeah, about that ..." Jack said enigmatically.

"What?" Daniel asked, pausing mid-step.

"Let's get you in the bath first."

"I hope that's not a sign of things to come," Daniel smirked.

"What?" Jack asked, puzzled.

"When I want an explanation, you'll give me the song and dance."

"It's not a song and dance. It's a 'wait till we're alone'. The PT bath is the perfect place for that. Ironically."

Daniel didn't know what to make of that, but he accepted it anyway and let it go. After they reached the physical therapy bathing room and Jason locked the door, Daniel sat on a bench and began to take off his shirt. With it halfway off his body, he noted that Jack and Jason were also taking off their clothes and he paused. "What're you guys doing?"

"What?" Jack said. "We're not getting our clothes wet."

Daniel jogged his brows. "Good point." After removing his shirt, he inched off his scrub pants, lifting one buttock, then the other. He looked down at the rib wrap just as Jason walked over to help him remove it. If he weren't very sore and filled with pain meds, he'd have taken the time to admire Jason's, and Jack's, nudity. It was okay to feel that way right now, but he knew that if he felt this way at home, he was going to get grouchy.

As they helped him to stand, Daniel looked over at the therapy tub and shook his head. "Help me to the shower, would you? I'm not in the mood for wrestling with a bathtub."

"Done," Jack said with a nod of agreement. "Not much use for folks with lame legs, is it?"

"Not right now anyway," Daniel said as they guided him to the open shower. Taking hold of the grab bars bolted to the wall, he waited as Jack turned on the water and adjusted the nozzle, then he tilted his head back and sighed with relief as the hot water cascaded over his hair and down his back. "Finally."

"No shit, huh?" Jason said, grinning at Jack. They both understood exactly what Daniel was feeling. However, his--and Jack's--grins vanished the moment Daniel turned his back to them and they caught their first glimpse of the black and blue bruises that decorated his back and buttocks.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," Jack swore harshly. Jason echoed his sentiments.

Daniel looked over his shoulder, frowning. "What?"

"You're black and blue," Jason said, scowling as he reached out to touch his lover's skin.

Daniel grimaced. "Yeah." He understood their concern as they inspected him, but he very quickly had to stop them. The feel of their hands was wonderful, but he was in no mood to get aroused. If they kept touching him, that time-honored response from his dick would arrive, ignoring the rest of his body's complaints. Clearing his throat, he pushed off their hands. "Thanks for the inspection, but that's enough."

"Sorry," Jason said. "Did we hurt you?"

"No," Daniel smirked at him. "You'll get me hard and I don't think my dick realizes that I'm not a hundred percent." When they grinned at him, he cleared his throat and ignored them. "The bruises mostly look worse than they feel. Except for the ones around my ribs."

"I remember how that goes," Jack said, "but we're gonna have to touch you to get you washed and out of here." When Daniel rolled his eyes, he threw a sarcastic grin. "I'm sure we'll be able to do this without waking up your dick."

"I'm sure," Daniel said back with equal sarcasm. "Just be careful, okay? And let's get this over with as fast as possible."

Once they started, it really was quick and efficient, but Daniel felt a few twitches of arousal anyway. How could he not? These were his lovers touching him, not some unfamiliar corpsmen--although he wouldn't have allowed anyone to touch him as thoroughly as Jason and Jack were doing. He knew they didn't mean to affect him, especially after his obvious request. In an effort to take his mind off it, he turned his attention to the other emotions filling his mind.

"I feel so fucking useless."

"Don't even go there," Jack scolded gently as they finished their washing. "You'll be right as rain in no time and wishing for the time off you're about to get."

Daniel sighed heavily. "Doesn't keep me from feeling like shit right now. I'll be spending this so-called time off hobbling about under medical scrutiny."

"I know you're frustrated, Daniel," Jason responded, his tone serious. "But better frustrated than dead."

Daniel looked at him and felt like a complete shit. He reached up to cup Jason's jaw. "I'm sorry I worried you." He glanced at Jack, eyes asking for forgiveness.

"Don't go there either," Jack said, brows furrowing. "This kind of crap is going to happen and we all know that. We just deal."

Daniel nodded with agreement, but he couldn't help feeling guilty. As much pain as he was in, he would rather be injured than go through the stress of worry. With a deep breath, he refrained from further complaint and let his lovers take care of him. After a few minutes, he finally noticed something different going on between Jason and Jack. There was a subtle but noticeable affection and he considered asking about it but decided it might be better to just observe.

As they walked over to the lockers to dry off and get dressed, Jack reached out and caught a drop of water from Jason's chin. Jason stared back at him and the two men shared a look that made Daniel smile. They were teasing each other, and it filled his heart with a mixture of relief and love. He'd been worried about them for a while, but had purposely hidden his concern, knowing that his interference would only make things worse. He didn't want them together out of guilt or a misguided sense of obligation. Now, it seemed as if they were growing close. He hoped it was so, and he had an idea that it was due in part to his absence and subsequent injury.

That part, he had to admit, was annoying. For the billionth time, he asked himself why it took a catastrophe to get them to like each other, never mind get together. He'd had a feeling that they would have come around on their own, eventually, because he'd seen their mutual respect, their mutual attraction. Jack was a bit reluctant; he didn't like having ideas handed to him unless they were work-related. He preferred to work things out on his own. This time, however, he seemed to be doing a little of both and Daniel couldn't be prouder of him. Although he'd never say it, not if he wanted Jack to keep moving forward.

Jason suddenly made a growling noise, knocking Daniel out of his thoughts, and he looked over to see Jack grinning his head off. "What're you doing?" he asked him.

"Teasing me," Jason said with mock-annoyance.

"I'm getting dressed," Jack said, as if that explained everything.

"Slowly, while looking at me," Jason clarified.

Daniel chuckled as he set his towel aside. "Get finished, would you, then help me get dressed?"

They quickly complied and after Daniel had his infirmary scrubs back on and his crutches positioned under his arms, he let out a pleased sigh.

Jack grinned. "Feel better?"

"Much, thanks."

"You're welcome," Jason added, opening the door.

"Only one thing is missing."

"What?" Jack asked.

Daniel sighed with amusement and moved ahead of them down the corridor. "Think about it. I'm sure it'll come to you."

. .

After Jack and Jason left him alone, Daniel succumbed to the sleep demanded by his physical exertion and the pain meds. A few hours later, he was awakened by Sam, who entered his room with a wheelchair.

"Hey you."

"Hey you," she said, grinning like a satisfied cat. "Guess what? You're getting sprung and I get to take you home."

"No shit?" he asked in surprise as he pushed himself up, then glared at the I.V. as it caught on the arm of the bed.

"No shit."

Daniel carefully lifted the I.V. as he swung his legs over the side in order to sit up and look at her. "I thought you had some experiments to run."

"I do, but I need a break and I'd like to see you home." She smiled at him, displaying her slight worry behind her green eyes.

"Thanks," he said, smiling back. "I'll be fine, you know."

"I know."

"Just sayin'."

She chuckled. "You sound like the Colonel."

Daniel groaned. "Don't let him hear you say that. You know how he is about his own catchwords."

She burst out laughing. "That a nice way of saying he hates his own cliches?"

Daniel started to laugh but his ribs painfully cut him off. When Sam frowned with worry, he automatically held up a hand. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just can't laugh too hard yet, that's all."

She smiled worriedly. "At least you can laugh."

There was a moment when her eyes misted and Daniel's grew round in response. "Don't do that. You'll get me all weepy and then we'll both be embarrassed because someone will walk in. They always walk in."

Sam smiled, then chuckled softly and nodded. "You're right. They do." Sniffing, she added, "Can't have that, can we?"

"Hell no. So ..."

"So," she said, clapping her hands together. "Let's get you outta here."

"Sounds damn good to me but I have to wait." He lifted his arm to remind her about the I.V.

"Right. Well, once that's done, we'll stop by your office, get your laptop and whatever else you want to take home. Then we'll stop by your locker and get your coat. You don't need it, since it's warm out, if a bit windy, but I figured you wouldn't want to go home wear just the scrubs and slippers."

Daniel made a face. "Good call."

She grimaced at the cast on his lower leg. "Guess you're gonna be wearing split scrubs for a while. Unless you prefer shorts."

Daniel loved the idea, but had no wish to destroy his own clothes. "Depends on whether or not I can get them on over the cast."

At that moment, Janet walked in carrying a small brown bag and both Sam and Daniel exchanged grins at her sudden appearance. "What?" Janet asked.

"Nothing," Daniel said quickly. "I was just wondering where my painkillers were."

Janet eyed him, then Sam. "Ah huh," she said doubtfully as she handed Sam the bag. Pulling over one of the medical trays, she began to remove his I.V. After pressing the cotton ball on his arm, she tilted her head and looked carefully into his eyes, then took out her penlight and blinded him with a quick test.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Making sure the concussion is healing."

"You can tell by blinding me?"

She grinned and pointed at her own eyes, fingers moving back and forth. "Equal and reactive."

"Right." He frowned then, having expected Jack and Jason to show up, and now that he was leaving, their absence was more keenly felt. "Have you seen Jack and Jason?"

"They're in a meeting with the General," Sam said quickly. "Going over future missions."

"Ah."

Daniel said nothing else as his feet touched the floor and they guided him into the wheelchair. Janet told him she'd check on him the next day, and Daniel nodded mutely. When the two women gave him worried looks, he smiled with reassurance, but he did not feel it. In his office, as Sam gathered up his computer and the few books and CDs he wanted, he said very little. It bothered him more than he'd thought it would that Jack and Jason weren't there to see him home. He knew it was a stupid, sulky thing to feel, but he couldn't seem to get rid of it.

Leaving the base in Sam's car, the feeling only intensified because he knew he'd be going home to an empty house. Five minutes later, however, it suddenly occurred to him that Sam had been just as quiet. He looked over, almost happy to have something else to think about.

"You're quiet."

She glanced at him, surprised, then smirked at him. "You're one to talk."

"Yeah, but I'm not usually and neither are you. Anything on your mind?" She shook her head diffidently, raising his curiosity. "You're sure?" he pushed.

When she didn't answer, he suddenly wondered if her silence had anything to do with his asking after Jack and Jason. They hadn't talked much after his birthday, after the revelation about Jack. Was she still mad perhaps?

"Mind if I ask you something?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Why do people preface subjects with that question?"

"Because it's habit," Daniel shrugged, giving her a sidelong look. "Okay, here it is. Are you okay about Jack?"

Sam did a double-take. "About ... what do you mean?"

"What we told you on my birthday, Sam," Daniel clarified.

"Oh," Sam replied. "That."

Inwardly, Daniel cringed. It didn't sound like she was okay. "I'm sorry." It was all he could think of to say.

"About?" she asked, frowning.

"Putting you in a position to keep your mouth shut. Goes against your oath, I suppose."

Her frown turned into a scowl. "Now hold on, Daniel. Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Take on unnecessary guilt." She sighed with heavy impatience. "I swear, sometimes you take on guilt like a martyr. Stop it."

He blinked at her. "You think I'm martyring myself?"

"Well come on," she said with exasperation. "Don't you? You blame yourself for Shau're, you blame yourself for everything else that happens around you. None of it is your fault."

Daniel frowned and looked away, wondering how the hell the subject got turned back on him. He then realized that Sam may have subconsciously--or consciously--turned the subject away from her. He let out a deep sigh and turned his gaze back to her. "Fair enough. But we're not talking about me, Sam. We're talking about your feelings about Jack and me. And Jason."

"Seemed to go hand in hand," she said, loosening the knot between her brows. "Just don't feel guilty about my reservations, okay?"

"You have reservations?" he asked, eyes widening.

"Daniel."

"Okay, I promise. Your turn."

Sam twisted her mouth, eyes on the road. "I'm ... already used to the idea, Daniel. Truth is, I suspected ... something. I just didn't know what." At his raised brows, she shook her head. "Not a relationship. Just feelings, and long before you got together."

"And the reservations?" he asked warily.

"Worry that all of you will be found out. Teal'c worries too."

Daniel nodded. "We're careful, Sam."

"I know. But just be a bit more, okay?"

He nodded soberly, then thought of something else and had to ask. "I do have a right to worry too."

"About?"

"Putting you in a position to keep the secret. It's why we, especially Jack, weren't thrilled about telling you. Teal'c is one thing, but you're another because of the Air Force. That's what I meant by oath."

"I know what you meant, Daniel. And don't worry. It's a secret I can keep."

"And what about others?" he asked, thinking carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"There'll be situations that come up where someone, usually a group because it's almost always a group, says something homophobic. You know I'll say something, but what about you? I hate--"

"Stop right there, Daniel. I don't tolerate bigotry of any kind, same as you. I correct people if they screw up and say the wrong thing. You've never been around to hear it, so you don't know, but trust me. I won't be suspected of harboring gay men in my basement." She turned a sarcastic smile on him and he grinned back.

"Point taken." When she looked back to the road, he added, "So we're good then?"

"We're good."

"And Teal'c?"

She gave him a half-smile. "He's iffy."

"Iffy?" Daniel asked, eyes widening again.

She snorted and began to giggle. "You really need to chill, Daniel. He's handling it fine. He's not used to it, but he's old enough and wise enough to be able to handle having gay or bisexual friends." She suddenly pigsnorted.

"What?"

"Actually, I think he's confused about the gay part. He said in Jaffa society, bisexuality is common among warriors. But being gay is not."

It was Daniel's turn to snort. "That he's aware of."

Sam grinned. "True. Sometimes people see only what they want to see."

Daniel sighed, losing his humor. Her words reminded him of something else. "I accept that you're okay about this, but what about when you're at my place or Jack's and ..."

"And?" she asked, brow raised.

"PDAs," he said, clearing his throat. "Are you okay with it?"

Sam blushed and cleared her throat as well. "Well, I'm not used to it, but I will get there. Just give me time. You know how I am about regular public displays of affection. Between straight people, I mean."

He smiled in remembrance. "Yeah, you were that way in front of Shau're and me."

She tossed up her hand. "There you go."

"But where Jack's concerned ... Sam, um, you had feelings for him." When she kept her eyes fixed on the road as the blush deepened, Daniel reached out and took one of her hands from the steering wheel. "Are you still in love with him?"

She turned sharply, staring at him, then stared back at the road in a panic, as if she were in danger of getting into an accident.

"I don't think I've ever been in love with the Colonel, Daniel."

"But you're not sure?"

She paused, chewing at her lip again. "To tell you the truth, I thought I had been till this last year. But I realized that I wasn't. I love him, yes. And wouldn't have minded a relationship with him. But it's different now. Because of you."

"But I thought--"

"No, I don't mean that. It was his bizarre behavior after we came back from that tropical planet where we took Thor. How he behaved toward me while we were there."

Daniel knew that she was referring to the way Jack flirted. It was natural, almost a defense mechanism, but what he'd done with Sam had been beyond professional behavior, even though Daniel understood why.

"Has he ever explained himself or apologized?" Daniel had to ask.

"Sort of. I get a little ticked off sometimes, but I let it go. I have to."

"Just so you know, you didn't do anything wrong. Jack was probably ..." Daniel paused, chewing at his lip. "He's bisexual, Sam. It impossible for him not to flirt. Back then, I also think he was having a hard time making a decision about his feelings."

"Not anymore."

It was Daniel's turn to blush and he tried to fight it down. "No."

"I think what confuses me most is what happened on that ice planet. He didn't remember who he was, and yet he was attracted to me, not you."

"That was because he was still repressing his feelings. His subconscious still saw me as someone to stay away from." Daniel paused, remembering the hurt of that estrangement. "I need to ask you a very personal question."

She glanced at him, her guard up. "Okay," she said slowly.

"Did you and Jack ever ...?"

Sam's blush turned beet red and she averted her gaze, suddenly intent on watching the road and the sideview mirror. "No. No, Daniel, we never."

Daniel tried not to feel happy and relieved about the answer but he was. "Can I ask why not?"

The air grew tense with the silence as Sam clenched her jaw and thought about her answer. "Honestly. Two reasons. One, we never found a private place." She glanced at Daniel as her cheeks reddened again but forced her eye on the road. "Two, if we'd stayed down there much longer, however, I'm quite sure that we would have." She cleared her throat. "Those feelings, and the Colonel's, were what confused me later. I didn't know what was part of Jonah or what was part of the real Colonel O'Neill."

"Yeah, I can see how you'd have been confused."

"I'm sorry."

He frowned, staring at her. "Why? For having feelings for someone? No one should ever be sorry for that."

She felt the tension inside her ebb away. "It took me a while, Daniel, but over time, my romantic feelings for him went away, and part of it was because of his treatment of you. I was so mad."

Daniel nodded. "So was I."

"Tell me something?" Sam asked, and Daniel knew that given the subject, it would remain personal.

"I'll try."

She considered her words for a moment. "What caused the turn around in his feelings, making him see you as someone he loves?"

"Jason," Daniel said simply.

Sam's brows shot up. "Jason? How?"

"He saw me and Jason having dinner at that Chinese restaurant I like. He said it was because he saw me laughing, that it was Jason who was making me laugh. Jack said he couldn't remember ever seeing me laugh like that, not even when we were friends."

Sam jogged her brows. "I can see his point. Until you started going with Jason, you hardly ever laughed."

"None of us did, Sam," Daniel pointed out.

"What changed that?" she asked as she stared out at the road, raising the question more to herself than to Daniel.

Daniel gave her a lop-sided grin, one that always preceded a wry answer. "Sex probably."

Sam coughed and her hand flew out automatically, the back of it slapping him across the chest. "Daniel!"

"What?" he grinned. "You know what happens when frustration gets lifted, whether it's personal, sexual, or professional."

Sam had to admit he was right and she returned the wry smirk. "Fair point. So, Jason?"

"Right. Jack ... was jealous. And after he admitted to himself why, he came over and we talked, sorted things out."

"When was this?" she asked, frowning as she tried to remember when Jack's regular attitude toward Daniel had changed.

"During the infirmary renovations, when we were on stand-down."

"Oh." She paused, still frowning. "And he changed, just like that?"

"No, not just like that." He paused this time, considering his answer. "Trust was gone. It had to be re-earned."

He was going to explain further but a sharp throbbing distracted him and he winced.

"You okay?" she asked, looking at her watch before taking a right onto another road.

"I'm okay, Sam. Just the pain pills wearing off. Are you late for something?" he asked.

"No, why?"

"You've been looking at your watch all the way home."

"Nervous, I guess."

"Why, got a hot date?" he asked, kidding.

"Um, no. Janet's trying to set me up but I'm not all that interested. I hate blind dates."

Daniel really had been kidding, and felt Sam knew it, too, but her answer was a surprise. He also knew she was hiding something because her answer sounded rehearsed. As they took the turn to his house, it suddenly occurred to him that Sam wasn't driving very fast, yet she was acting as if she were in a hurry. Normally, she drove like a bat out of hell, especially when she was on her motorcycle. There were times where she'd driven him home in less time than he'd ever made it himself, and that included that time he was on the back of her bike--an experience he wasn't too interested in repeating.

He was about to ask her what was up when his house came within view. Vehicles were parked out front, one of them hers, and he immediately recognized the others. Raising a brow, he threw her a rebuking look. "I thought I was going home alone."

"You can't seriously believe we'd leave you on your own," she said as she parked the Jeep in the driveway.

He sighed, blaming the medication on his lack of clear thought. "I did expect a visit or two. Why am I getting the feeling that this is more than that?"

"Because it is," she said, remaining vague.

"I'm getting that," he said irritably, eyeing her silver-blue sports car. "Who drove your car?"

"Teal'c."

That surprised him since he'd had the feeling that Teal'c didn't really like her car. He then grinned to himself as she moved around and helped him out. Teal'c's reservations were more likely about her driving than the car. Taking the crutches from her, he winced again as the cast softly bumped the concrete.

"Let's go inside and I'll grab some water for your pain meds."

"Given how long you took to get here, I might need two," he said, pretending to glower and knowing she wasn't buying it. He was already sweating and figured he looked a bit pale. The worried look on her face confirmed it.

"Sorry about the surprise," she said, grabbing his things out of the backseat.

"It's okay," he said, and though he was still feeling a bit overwhelmed by the fact that people were in his house without his presence, he couldn't be mad. He certainly preferred taking care of himself, and the others knew that so that explained the deception, but this time, he really didn't mind. Hopping about on one foot hadn't been something he'd been looking forward to and having someone there to help mitigate that slightly would be a relief, not a burden.

At the disbelieving look on her face, he shot her an annoyed look. "I mean it, I'm fine. I'm relieved, actually." Jerking his chin at the house as the started for the door, he asked, "Who's here?"

"Just your friends," she said with a shy grin.

"You guys didn't need to hide the welcome home. So why exactly was I kept in the dark about the well-meaning home invasion?"

"Well, because it's more than that," she began, cautiously. "They've been redecorating. Grab bars in the bathroom and a few other things.

He raised a brow. "What's a few other things?" He looked at his front door and it immediately came to him that what she meant was that someone was going to be living with him: namely a nurse or corpsman. He refused to believe that, however, but to confirm it, he turned around swiftly to look at the street, unbalancing himself in the process. Sam quickly put an arm around his waist, saving him. "Who else is here?" he asked, searching for another vehicle.

She frowned. "No one, Daniel. Just the Colonel, Jason, and Teal'c."

He looked at her, peering closely into her blue-green eyes. "Then why are you acting as if there is?"

She blushed a little and gestured a nod at the house. "They're just moving furniture to help you get around. I didn't say anything because I know how I'd feel if I came home and found people redecorating."

Daniel made a face and thought of Orlin. "Actually, I know exactly how you'd feel, only that happened while you were in your house. I think maybe that's worse."

She jogged her brows and led him to the door. "Point is, they're not doing it just to leave you more room."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't really see the point when I'm here by myself."

"You're not going to be by yourself," Jack said from the door.

Daniel quickly swallowed the instant surge of relief at seeing the man. "What's that mean exactly?" he asked, but as he crossed the threshold, the question became more complicated. Inside, he found his furniture hadn't just been rearranged. His sofa had been replaced with a larger, wider one. He shot Sam a sour look. "Is this why you were so nervous?"

She cleared her throat. "I'll get you some water," and she moved away to leave Jack with the fallout.

Daniel eyed him. "Where's my sofa?"

"I took it to the dump," Jack answered straight-faced.

Daniel stared impatiently. "Liar."

"I did."

"Did not."

"Did so."

"Jack."

Jack gave him a lop-sided, sarcastic grin. "It's in storage, Daniel, unless you decide you want the other one back after your ankle's healed. Frankly, I like this one better. Yours was getting ratty."

Daniel sighed and rolled his eyes again. "No it wasn't. You just wanted an excuse to buy a new one." Jack gave him another lop-sided grin and decided not to answer that because it was partly true.

Heading over to the sofa, he gave it a cursory inspection. It was burgundy-brown in color, with thick, plush cushions, much softer than his old ones. He reluctantly conceded that for once, Jack had made a good choice. The comfort, however, was forgotten when his ankle sent out a rather painful complaint and he suddenly wasn't so concerned with decorating issues any more.

He levered himself down on the cushion, grimacing as he asked, "Where's Jason?" The answer, however, was preempted when Jack began fluffing regular pillows and placing them over the armrest. "Jack, I can do this myself--"

"Shut up, Daniel," Jack replied curtly, then looked up. "Carter--" he began to call, but she was there already with a tall glass of water and a bottle of medicine. Taking the bottle from her, he dispensed two pills and held them out. "Take your medicine."

Daniel snorted, tossed the pills in his mouth, and took the proffered glass of water. He looked away, letting his eyes focus on his stereo as he swallowed the large pills. He hated large pills and they sometimes made him gag. Having something else to focus on--something besides the concerned faces of his friends--was key to not chucking them back up.

With a sigh, he handed Sam the half-empty glass. "Thanks," he said, and leaned back against the pillows. Immediately making a face because they weren't adjusted correctly, he grabbed hold of the back of the couch so he could sit up and adjust them with his free hand, but Jack and Sam were already fussing with them.

"For god's sake, will you two just..." He broke off as a bolt of pain coursed through his leg and he gripped the sofa back much more tightly.

"Lay back, dammit," Jack growled softly.

"Yeah, yeah," Daniel groused, "but I could have done this mys--"

"I win," Jason said, interrupting, as he appeared at the back of the couch, looking down. Behind him stood Teal'c.

Daniel looked up, words left hanging in the air, and saw the deep concern and smudges of sleeplessness under his lover's eyes. Glancing at Jack, he saw the same thing and hated himself for not noticing before. Letting go of his vice grip on the back of the couch, he held out his hand for Jason to clasp. "Did you have a bet?" Daniel asked, though it wasn't the first question on his mind. This one just seemed simpler and a lot less private, given the company.

Jason smirked at Jack, then softened the look for Daniel. "He thought you'd wait at least ten minutes before declaring your independence. I said it would take you less than five."

Daniel rolled his eyes again as he looked over at Jack, now sitting on the coffee table across from him. "You can't resist, can you?"

"Nope," Jack said simply.

Daniel was tempted to grab them both, to reward them with deep, welcoming kisses instead of arguing or even thanking them. But the sight of Teal'c behind Jason stopped him and he instead smiled at his Jaffa friend before shooting both him and Jason with a puzzled look. "So what were you two up to when I came in?"

"Installing grab bars in the bathroom," Jason replied.

"They will hold your weight, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied. "I hope you find them useful."

Daniel let go of Jason and held out his hand to Teal'c, who reached over and took it. "Thanks."

"There is no need," Teal'c replied, emotion in his eyes.

"There is. For saving my ass, for helping out here, for everything."

"Again, there is no need," Teal'c said much more firmly.

Sam felt a lump rise in her throat as she nodded agreement, feeling the same. The spreading silence in the room, however, made her keenly aware that perhaps there were two too many people here. Observing the way Jack and Jason looked at Daniel, she couldn't help but feel extremely envious. It was a feeling she wasn't all that thrilled with, either. "We should go, Teal'c. Let Daniel get some rest." She then shot Jack and Jason a firm look. "Providing you two will let him get any."

Jack frowned, wondering if his conflicted feelings were showing. It probably wasn't a good idea to be thinking of taking Daniel to bed, but it was that or fuss over him, something he knew Daniel would resist. It was simply that he needed to do something, to show his care. He didn't think words would suffice. Focusing his frown on Sam, he asked, "What's that mean exactly?"

"It means 'don't hover', sir."

"Don't worry, Sam," Jason said, nodding at her. "He'll get his rest."

Teal'c slightly increased the pressure on Daniel's hand, using that to suffice as a hug. "If you need anything, Daniel Jackson..."

"I know," Daniel replied, squeezing back.

Sam went for the door, opening it to give Teal'c a more obvious hint. "We'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

Daniel angled his head back so he could look at her. "Thanks."

Looking between Jack and Jason, then back to Daniel, she winked at him. "Call me if you need a referee."

Daniel smiled, "I will."

After they left, Daniel gave his lovers a long look as a concerned frown appeared. "You two need some sleep."

"We need something more than that," Jason said, then wished he hadn't when comprehension drifted over Daniel's face, and with it, a bit of resentment. "Sorry."

Daniel sighed. "Fuck."

Jack exchanged quick looks with Jason and immediately shook his head. "Don't," he said, leaning forward to take Daniel's hand. "We can wait."

Jason threw him a dirty look, but he agreed with him. Coming round to kneel between them, he placed his hand over their clasped ones. "We can."

"It's not fair," Daniel replied, closing his eyes. He suddenly felt warm, but not just from the side-effects from the painkiller.

Jack moved, exchanging his seat on the coffee table to the edge of the sofa next to Daniel's legs. "No, it's not, but it's just the way it is."

Guiltily, Daniel made a face without opening his eyes. "At least you two can."

And there it was. The simple admission of what was at the core of his irritation. Not the hovering, not the fussing, not the lack of sleep.

Jason sighed and exchanged a shake of the head with Jack. "So can you," he told Daniel.

"Just not the usual stuff," Jack shrugged. "And we know that's not all there is to sex."

Daniel shook his head. "No, but it feels undone to me to leave it out."

"Daniel," Jason rebuked. "You know your restrictions. Besides, the last thing you need is Janet breathing down your neck."

Jack smirked. "No pun intended."

Daniel started to laugh but it was abruptly cut off by a yawn. "Shit."

Jason sighed. "Time for bed." When Jack threw him a knowing, dirty look, he added, "I meant for Daniel, wise ass." The friendly sparring words caused Daniel to laugh, though the pain made it short-lived.

"I'm on the couch. May as well stay here," he informed them.

"No," Jack said, shaking his head as he got up and bent over, one arm going around Daniel's waist as he pulled him up, forcing Daniel to his feet.

On Daniel's other side, Jason was there, and between them, they made it clear that putting up a fight was not an option. Daniel sighed, not having the energy to argue. He partially blamed the pills, but that didn't keep him from forming complaints in his head, ready to let loose at a moment's notice.

By the time they made it to the bedroom, however, all thoughts of arguing left him. He was exhausted, cranky, and wanting to lie down. The fact that he remained silent about it told his lovers all they needed to know. There was just one thing that caused him to even want to voice a complaint.

His bed was gone.

He slapped away his lover's attempts to remove his clothes and scowled at the new, much larger, bed. "Why do I have a new bed?"

"Because the old one was too small," Jack said.

"No it wasn't," Daniel said irritably.

"It was when you consider that it didn't fit three people," Jason said as he and Jack guided Daniel to the bed. "Now, stop bitching and let us help you get your clothes off."

Daniel's leg was throbbing and he petulantly grunted and moaned as they helped him change into a t-shirt and boxers. Heat suffused his cheeks during the process; he hated being changed by them. It was one thing for nurses to do it, but quite another for them. Perhaps it was simply something he wasn't used to having them do for him, but it still smacked of weakness on his part, however irrational that feeling was.

Finally under the covers, the next blushing moment came when Jack and Jason stripped down and joined him, framing his body with theirs. "Thanks for the company, but I don't need you to see me to sleep," he said, his tone as weak as the argument.

"Shut up, Daniel," Jack said, repeating his annoyance. "We need to be here. For us, not you."

"How selfless of you," Daniel grumbled sarcastically, but he was in no mood to fight. They were, in fact, a boon to his self-esteem, so he reached to touch them, his hands telegraphing his acceptance of their presence. The heat from their bodies relaxed him further and with assistance from the painkillers, his eyelids began to droop. Turning his head to the left, toward Jason, the sunlight through the closed blinds reminded him that it was only late afternoon.

"Aren't you guys due back at the mountain?"

"Nope," Jack replied as he clasped Jason's hand and entwined their fingers.

"Why?" Daniel asked, blinking his eyes open. Jack's answer had bred curiosity.

"We talked with Hammond," Jack replied, pushing up on an elbow just as Jason did the same. "We both get to keep you company, especially since one of us staying here might just raise the wrong sort of questions. So, we convinced Hammond that two of us would be needed to help you since we tend to go offworld at different times. We got you a new sofa in case you need to crash there, but mostly for one of us. Plus there's another bed installed in your study. Both are ostensibly for me and Jason to sleep on."

Daniel lifted a corner of his mouth. "But in reality ..." He left the statement unfinished because he didn't need an answer, not with that answer lying underneath him and framed beside him. "So what you're saying is that you two actually have permission to live with me." He hadn't meant to frame it that way, but when they confirmed the words with a nod, his mouth dropped open. "You're serious?"

They were.

"Honestly, Hammond wasn't too keen on the idea," Jason informed him seriously. "But we managed to convince him that if we were here to help, instead of using up time running back and forth between our places and yours, you'd get better faster and SG-1 would be back on full time rotation. More importantly, we need to be here to help because we all know how impatient you are when you're not one hundred percent."

Daniel stared at Jack in surprise, picking out only one of the things Jason had said. "We're on stand-down?"

"Abbreviated stand-down," Jack corrected with a shrug. "No first contact missions. We're available for back-up and rescue and that's all."

Daniel closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Shit, I'm sorry."

"Medicine's taking effect," Jason joked.

"Fuck you," Daniel murmured, knowing Jason was right despite his flippant comment.

"I wish," Jason replied, then his fingers were on Daniel's chin, turning his face toward him as he leaned over to kiss him. It started out light, but the soft touch of his lips awakened Daniel's sleepy arousal. He reached up and threaded his fingers through Jason's hair, pulling at him as he opened his mouth and deepened the kiss.

He felt Jack's hand on his belly and with his free hand, he clasped it, then broke off Jason's kiss to turn and receive one from Jack. "Come here," he requested softly. Jack leaned over, almost tentatively, his eyes focused on Daniel's, then he was abruptly seized by the hair as Daniel telegraphed his emotions with another deep kiss.

Despite the effects of the painkiller, Daniel felt himself growing hard and he let go of Jason to lead Jack's hand there. Groaning softly into his mouth, Jack briefly touched his balls and the base of his cock before withdrawing his hand as well as the kiss.

"Careful," he said, licking his lips.

Daniel returned the groan with one of sympathy, remembering that they couldn't do what they liked. Still, he wanted something and it didn't necessarily involve him. "I won't be able to have sex, but you--" His words were stalled by Jack's finger over his lips.

"I was serious earlier. Jason and I decided that if you have to wait ..."

"Then we should probably wait, too," Jason finished.

"No," Daniel said in a defiant tone, and while his words were soft but resolved, his actions put on emphasis. Letting go of them, he moved his hands down to their groins, smugly satisfied when they allowed him to touch them. "What if I told you that it would turn me on to watch you?"

They stared down at him, then at each other, their mouths open as the shock of arousal hit them, created not just by Daniel's hands but also by the idea he'd just suggested.

"How's that fair?" Jason asked, but his cheeks were flushed and he swallowed as he stared at the movement under the covers on Jack's side of the bed.

"How's it fair to punish each other because I'm injured?" Daniel countered. He firmed the grip of both hands in the ensuing silence.

"Punishing?" Jack managed as he cleared his throat. He was very quickly losing his resolve and he knew damn well that he wanted to, and that he'd let Daniel lead him there as if to absolve himself of responsibility.

"Punishing," Daniel said, then looked at Jason with such need that he received a brief kiss before he continued. "You want to," he whispered. "You know I'm right."

Jason met Jack's gaze and Jack's dilated pupils only made his own flare. "I hate it when he's right."

"Hate's a strong word," Jack said, swallowing.

"How about a compromise?" Jason asked him, smiling mischievously.

"What'd you have in mind?" Jack replied, returning the expression.

"Meet my hand," Jason said as he reached for Daniel's erection.

Daniel gasped and closed his eyes as Jack obliged, and between them, they began to work him steadily. Kisses suddenly rained down upon his face, neck, and chest before Jack claimed his mouth, stealing the sounds escaping his lips. The swell of his cock increased with the caressing, rhythmic motion of fingers and palms.

"I've missed you," Jason whispered over his neck and clavicle, licking at the rise of flesh over bone and enjoying the groaning response released into Jack's continued kiss. "Don't make us worry like that again," he added, then caught a bit of flesh between his teeth and bit him just this side of pain in order to both stoke erotic fires and punish emotional fears. "If you ever do that ag--"

His words were cut off by a kiss, but not by Daniel. Jack's tongue was ardent and demanding, and with Daniel's hand wrapped around his cock again, Jason couldn't help but forget what his own was doing. Jack's hand, however, reminded him, and with a firmer grip, he seized the opportunity to get Daniel off. Not just to please him, not just to demonstrate his love and worry, but so that he could selfishly concede to Daniel's wishes and get to Jack. "Fuck me," he whispered, breaking off.

"Yes," Daniel said, resisting the urge to lift his hips in time with their hands. His leg was hurting so he compensated by letting his hands do as much work as his conflicted brain would allow. Damn them for their distractions.

"Let's take care of him first," Jack replied, increasing the speed of his hand.

"No," Daniel said, getting a better idea. "I want to get off watching you."

The action paused as his lovers looked down at him, considering the request.

"Don't get any ideas," Jack said slowly, seriously.

"I won't move," Daniel replied, and though his hands contradicted him, the rest of his body remained still.

"We're serious," Jason said, echoing Jack's concern as he pulled Daniel's face toward him. He kissed Daniel, hard, pressing his head deep into the pillow. Daniel moaned loudly, his hand stroking Jason more fervently, intent on getting him to the point where Jason would do anything he asked. When Jason broke their kiss, panting, he begged, "Please."

Jason was about to answer but Jack grunted, "Fuck it," and seized his mouth again. The kiss, and Jack's deft, sweet tongue amped up his desire. He'd do whatever they wanted now as long as that didn't stop.

"Yes," Daniel whispered, watching them, but a moment later, they surprised him as their kisses were turned on him, on his body. Jason made for one nipple, Jack for the other, and Daniel panted faster as his hands were forced to release their prizes. Threading through his lovers' hair, he let out a gasp of delight. "God."

His lovers' mouths caressed him thoroughly, finding new areas of exploration, including kissing every bruise along his body. When their lips reached his belly, Jack paused and looked up.

"Don't move," he warned, then his lovers descended their mouths on his cock.

Daniel cried out, roughly clutching at the bedding to keep from thrusting and writhing. Cursing, he let his head drop back, panting heavily as they licked and sucked, doing everything but taking him down their throats. Soon, it was maddeningly frustrating. "Fuck what I said, just get me off." In response, their hands did everything but. They reached up to tweak his nipples, rub his chest, caress his abdomen, taunt his thighs, and gently massage his balls. By the time Jason's mouth hovered near the head of his cock, Daniel was trembling. "Fucking please."

"Freeze," Jack reminded him as he wrapped his hand around the shaft and held it up for Jason eager mouth.

"Oh god, yes," Daniel gasped as he went rigid, watching as Jason engulfed the part of his cock above Jack's hand. He made love to it, sucking, licking, toying with the head and watching it swell and leak. Daniel began to whine between the shortened panting breath, murmuring "please, please" each time Jason's sucking increased in speed and pressure.

He didn't register what Jack was doing until he felt two slick fingers sliding past his balls. "Oh shit," he gasped, eyes wide. "Jack," he begged unnecessarily, whining slightly when the fingertips touched the puckered entrance. "Do it," he said as his legs were slowly and gently pried apart, then he let out a cry of arousal as Jack abruptly pushed two fingers inside and began to thrust.

Daniel closed his eyes and tossed his head back, straining almost painfully so that he wouldn't move his leg. It was so difficult, but at the same time, this was new, different, and something he needed to achieve. A kink created, and it was all he could do to keep it that way when Jack's fingers probed deep and touched the little mound that sent signals into his prostate. The effort to remain still seemed to accentuate the shudders and convulsions until Daniel lifted his head, chin on his chest, and breathed, "Jesus, that's it!"

Between Jason's sucking and Jack's twisting, tantalizing thrusts, Daniel could no longer hold back his orgasm. He reached for them, grabbing hands and arms as he came, hard, spilling quickly down Jason's throat. Jack pulled more out of him by his caresses and Jason's sucking mouth did the same, but soon they had to let go before Daniel's twitching body interfered with his control.

Lying back, gasping, he couldn't believe how much he was still aroused. This fact was made more apparent as they took turns kissing him, bringing him down from orbit. His cock remained at half-mast and when they realized it, he felt their smiles against his face.

"He still wants more," Jason said, nibbling at his ear.

"I believe you owe me a show," Daniel said, shrugging his shoulder and pulling his head away when Jason's nibbles began to tickle.

"I believe he's right," Jack said, leaning across to kiss his dark-haired lover, and he followed that movement with his body. Carefully crawling over Daniel, he pushed Jason onto his back and into the mattress, thrusting his hips to rub their cocks together.

"Yes," Jason said between kisses, and just as he began to think about searching for the lube, he felt the tube pressed into his hand by Daniel's. With a smile against Jack's lips, he flipped open the cap and squeezed a dollop onto his fingers. "Watch out for cold," he warned Jack as his fingers and palm began to work the slick substance onto Jack's dick. The cooling slightly deflated Jack's arousal, but it didn't take long for Jason to bring it back. "Want me?" he asked, spreading his legs and raising his knees.

Jack unerringly zeroed the head of his cock and without further foreplay, he pushed and entered in one long, slow stroke. Smiling wolfishly at Jason's head-tossing gasp, he asked, "That answer your question or do you need more?" When Jason simply closed his eyes, Jack made a growling sound and very quickly pulled his hips back and snapped them down.

Jason let out a satisfied gulp. "Yes," he said, laughing softly.

Jack groaned from the heat surrounding him, and he knew that the foreplay with Daniel would only shorten his time with Jason. He made a mental note to make up for it later, and given the response from Jason's body, he knew that he probably felt the same.

"No time to dawdle," he said in a whisper as he leaned down, kissing him lightly as he stared into his eyes. A warning. "Here goes. Ready?"

"Do it," Jason whispered back, keeping his eyes locked on Jack's as the quick, hard thrusts began. Encouragements filled the air as one slamming thrust after another plunged the two of them toward eventual release. It was intense and mind blowing, and Jason took Jack's hands in his, locking their fingers together over his head. He accepted Jack's kiss, his tongue sliding in, probing and searching, and after feeling Jack's hip adjust their angle one last time, he plunged his tongue inside. Again and again and again and again, mirroring Jack's relentless pursit of orgasm.

Next to them, Daniel watched. At first, his hand strayed automatically to his cock like a Pavlovian response. Observing them, pleased to see how they responded to each other, Daniel could only pray he healed quickly. This wasn't going to be a one-off event, and next time, while he watched, he'd be doing a hell of a lot more than just lying there with his hand on his cock. His cock twitched in agreement, and to his surprise, began to waken with more than just half-filled interest. It was the kinkiness of the situation. This was new, and first times always held more power.

The heat of passion and need built; the pleasure from their fucking soon spiked. It was time. The two men moaned loudly, unwilling to break eye contact as their bodies plummeted toward release.

Daniel watched, loving how the noises they made forced his cock to rouse more rapidly. Stroking eagerly, he stared with rapt, mesmerizing attention, waiting for the moment when they'd come and praying that his cock would respond accordingly.

At that moment, Jack looked over. And so did Jason.

Three pairs of eyes met.

"Harder," Jason gasped, reaching over to grab Daniel's left hand.

Wordlessly, Jack obeyed, having no need for words. He snapped his hips down, faster, deeper. The sight of Daniel jerking off and watching, increased the nearness of his orgasm. "Yes!" he cried out, the strangled, open-mouthed gasps going unnoticed while he bucked and thrust. Underneath him, Jason's hand on his cock blurred, matching Daniel's. "Do it!" he growled, almost an order and was satisfied when Jason looked away from Daniel and met his eyes. Complying.

Daniel groaned. "Yes!" he said, his tone demanding. "Fuck him hard!" They didn't seem to hear him, but Daniel didn't care. It was like watching live porn, only much better. There was a whine, almost a whimper, from Jason's throat, as his body rocked back and forth from the strength of Jack's. His hand worked furiously, then he was coming, and in reaction to the milky liquid squirting over his chest and belly, Jack was getting off too.

The sight of them made his hand quicken and tighten, urging the pearled liquid out of the head of his cock. His body jerked in response, but he didn't stop, couldn't stop. And still, he waited.

Till they looked at him again.

"Yes," he said in a softly strained voice just before he squeezed his eyes shut and threw his head back, spilling the pleasure out over his fist as he stilled his hand under the mushroomed head. He let the pleasure ride itself out and wished that he didn't have to get up to shower.

Except that thought disappeared as his conscious awareness drifted. He was at peace while hands caressed him, kisses greeted him, and a framing warm returned against his body. He smiled, unaware that their breathing had slowed, that perhaps they were already asleep. He hadn't actually realized that he already was.

Jack, meanwhile, took Jason's hand in his as they watched Daniel fall asleep. Like Daniel, he was also at peace, but there was a thrumming in his body that had nothing to do with his injured lover. It was all down to Jason.

Jason watched him, taking a deep breath and enjoying the smell of sex like a treasured fragrance. His arm was draped over Daniel's waist and moved it slightly to touch his fingers to Jack's. "I love you, Jack," he said, then let his eyes drift closed, feeling sated and content.

All things considered, Jack was somewhat shocked by the words, but not so much that Jason had said them but more about the fact that they brought out the need for him to say them back. Not knowing if Jason heard, he reached across Daniel to feel the thick silky, black hair. "Me too, Jason."

He smiled to himself as he joined his lovers in sleep, wondering why he had ever thought that loving two people would be so difficult.

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