Summary: This is my destiny. In order to save us, I have to save you. Forgive me. Info:This is the long awaited ending. I hope it meets expectations, and holds the ending everyone was hoping for. Have a Happy Easter 2008.

"Daniel!" Jack cursed as he ran after his excited archaeologist. When he caught up with his lover, he was going to strangle that gorgeous neck of his. He hadn't even had a chance to see what had set Daniel off in the first place! One minute they had been walking along, quietly enjoying the day, and then suddenly his friend had raced off like a bat outta hell!

Damn it, the man knew better than to take off like that! They were on a strange planet, and if that weren't reason enough, it had been Daniel who had constantly warned him that they needed to stay together in order to be prepared for any further "Testing".

Jack was so lost in thought he didn't realize Daniel had stopped. They both went down as Jack barrelled into his partner. Daniel laughed as they lay panting on the ground.

"Hardly the time for it, Jack, but if you really want to," Daniel teased with a grin.

The million curses and lectures that had filled Jack's mind not moment ago disappeared. Instead he was captured by the dazzling blue eyes staring back at him, bright with excitement, panting with the strain of the run.

But it was the sound of that precious gift Daniel so rarely bestowed that stopped him. He wanted to capture it, to hold onto it and never let it stop. Without hesitating, Jack leaned down to capture those luscious lips. And time really did stop. For them, it was a moment in time that lasted forever and a day. The feeling of Daniel's arms sliding around his neck was bliss.

For forever and a day, they had complete freedom. Daniel was free now in a way he had never been on earth. His soul reached for Jack's and melded to him, two becoming one in an endless moment that was destined just for their love.

Finally, Jack moved away. Daniel's eyes were dazed, and it was such an erotic sight he couldn't resist stealing another quick kiss.

Leaning on his arms, he pinned his lover. "Now what the hell was that?" he demanded.

Daniel grinned. "I do believe that was called a kiss." He watched as Jack scowled. "Well, if you let me up, I'll show you. And if you don't, well, I can think of a few things to do down here".

Jack chuckled. "Such a dirty mind, Dr. Jackson." He stood, offering a hand to Daniel. "Plenty of time for that later. You've just cost us half a day. Which, by the way, was in the wrong direction"

Once on his feet, Daniel was near dancing with excitement. He'd barely caught it on his peripheral vision, and hadn't thought before running off.

"Come with me, Jack."

He led them through some light brush. Jack stood, amazed at the site in front of him. Ruins of an ancient city lay before them, expanding for almost 20 city blocks. The positioning of the sun made it seem almost ethereal.

"Wow."

Daniel grinned, but, Jack noticed, stayed in his one spot. Granted, fidgeting, but remaining where he was nonetheless. "Yeah. So?"

"So?"

"So, can I go, Jack?" Daniel begged. Jack had a flashback of Charlie begging to go to his friends birthday party even though he'd been grounded.

"You're actually asking me? Not only that, but waiting for an answer?"

Daniel frowned. "Jack, we've had this discussion. Whatever we do here, we have to do together. Now it's my job to figure out a way out of here, preferably alive, but it's your job to keep me alive."

Jack smiled gently, appreciating the peace offering for running off. "Okay, let's do a scout. Normally I'd have you stay here, but with these tests- I think we should go on together, but stay behind me, do you understand? And don't touch anything!"

"Hey! I'm not the one who landed us here," Daniel pointed out as he fell behind his lover. It was no surprise when all he got for an answer was a grunt. To the untrained eye, it looked like Jack was concentrating on the terrain. To one who spoke Jack Grunt fluently, it meant he hadn't appreciated the reminder.

They carefully explored the ruined city until they came across a building that even Jack recognized had to be a temple of some sort. He watched as Daniel took an involuntary step forward, but then stayed his place with a sheepish look.

They carefully entered the temple, and Jack knew the cause was immediately lost. Endless rows of chicken scratch lined the walls. He barely had a chance to look behind him before the flash that was Daniel was already moving forward, reading.

Come to think of it, the chicken scratch looked oddly familiar.

He carefully circled the temple, which seemed to, for the moment, consist of only this main chamber. He'd been around Daniel often enough to know that was unusual. He kept one ear on his mumbling linguist. It was a reassuring sound. Daniel always mumbled when he translated. Not always in English, and not always making any sense, but the man was never quiet in times like this.

Silence was usually a clear indication when something was wrong. That was often when he turned around to find his archaeologist missing.

When Jack arrived back to his lover, he noted that Daniel was very careful not to actually touch the walls. Though, come to think of it, Daniel had covered a lot of wall in very little time. And he didn't seem to be very happy about it.

"Daniel?"

"Okay, well, this confirms my theory that it's an Ancient device we're looking for. This was a city of the Ancients. This is their history. It tells of the 'Great Anguish'."

Jack wrinkled his nose. "That doesn't sound very good. Should we be leaving?"

Daniel shook his head. "Something on this planet made them sterile, Jack. There's generations of history here, but from what I can tell, it took them four generations to figure out what was happening to them. Fewer and fewer babes were born. 'Thus it is here, our sixteenth generation, that our race ends. Brothers and sisters the plague robbed us of, survivors we were'. Wow, sixteen generations! Brothers and sisters must mean other colonies of Ancients that hadn't escaped the plague."

"And?" Jack pressed when his lover dropped into silence.

Daniel cleared his throat, turning sad blue eyes to his lover. "They watched it happen, Jack. They were the last hope for their race. For twelve generations they watched their race die, and were unable to stop it. 'I am Jesuit, Last Son. It is my duty to leave this message, so that while we have passed from this plane, others will heed our message, and remember us'. This history must have been his life's work. Can you imagine watching the end of your world?"

Jack gave his partner a quick squeeze. He had always wondered how someone with such a sensitive soul could end up studying dead people and dead cultures for a living. He had once asked Daniel, and gotten "Someone has to remember them, Jack" as an answer.

"Does it say anything about the Tests?"

Daniel kept reading. He stayed silent long enough Jack was beginning to worry. Still, he didn't disturb him. He had asked a question, and knew Daniel would answer as soon as he found the right answer to give.

After what seemed like hours, Daniel stepped away from the last wall. Judging from the position of the sun, it had been hours.

"Okay. Jesuit lived long before the Iskat ever came, but there's a section here retelling the legend the Iskat told me. He must have continued his work even after he ascended. Amazing," Daniel drawled.

Jack sighed. "So, the Tests?"

"Right. Okay. The tests were put into place to protect the, something? I don't recognize the word. Whatever it was, it was a great achievement. Something about 'a sacrifice for the wealth of knowledge'."

"Another library?" Jack asked.

"No, I don't think so. I mean, from the legends of the Iskat, those Guardians still exist. They must have been stationed here even after they were ascended. Why would the Ancients still protect it if it were merely a library? They didn't feel the need to protect the others."

"True. Okay, so not a big honkin weapon, and not another brain sucker. Not sure I like the word sacrifice, either."

Daniel chuckled. "These were an enlightened race, Jack. I highly doubt it's meant literally. But there is something odd. It talks of the Tests being designed to make sure the- whatever it is- is kept out of undeserving hands. 'True knowledge comes from within, for death is a part of life, and to be reborn as our Speaker, He who would hold the gem must first see True. The path can be traveled but once, and thus beware your heart, for it will not serve you here'."

"Well, gee, riddles from the Ancients. Surprise surprise," Jack groaned. "Here's hoping you know what they mean?"

"I'm not sure. I'm positive we're close to the location. I can almost feel the stargate. We're still missing a Test, though. Unless..." Daniel dropped off in thought.

"Hey! Unless what?"

"Unless the last test is really at the end of the road. I always expected some riddle to be solved when we finally reached the gem, for lack of a better description. 'Beware your heart, for it will not serve you here'. Heart, feelings, love? Mercy! It has to be Mercy!" Daniel stated proudly.

Jack arched an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"Oh, nothing we didn't already know. If we die, we die. These Tests were designed to weed out the weak and greedy. Arkaya told me no one survives the Iskat Test. Basically, don't expect us to save your sorry asses if you get into trouble."

"And what about 'the path can be traveled but once' bit?" Jack asked.

"One way ticket. No turning back. 'Danger, Danger Jack O'Neill'." Daniel giggled.

"Oh ha ha. Very funny. So much for eloquence," Jack grumbled.

"Anyway, we should be safe here tonight. Let's camp out of the weather tonight. I swear I'm still hung over from our good bye party from the Iskat," Daniel chuckled.

Jack grinned as he started to lay out their small camp. "Great party, though, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Daniel smiled a little sadly, prompting Jack to fold the young man in his arms.

"You miss them? It's okay. I do too."

"It's more than that. I miss, well, it doesn't matter," Daniel sighed. Jack squeezed a little, resting his chin on the younger man's shoulder.

"You miss the life you could have had with them?"

Daniel nodded and turned his head so that his nose was pressed into Jack's cheek, breathing in the reassuring scent he had come to know so well.

"We could have had with them. A couple of months seemed like too short a time to have you all to myself. We were accepted in a way we could never be on Earth. We built some good memories there, Jack, even through the bad ones. I was so afraid I'd lost you, and then to have a glimpse at the life we could have had if we had stayed. Sometimes it seems like a cruel joke Fate played on us."

Jack remained silent. There wasn't anything he could say to that. They had stayed as long as they could. Daniel's injuries had healed quickly after their battle with each other, but Jack had wanted to make sure his partner was fully ready for whatever might hit them next. The Iskat had proven to be a secure place to heal.

At least, that was the reasons Jack had given himself. But there had been another part of him that would have stayed even longer if Daniel hadn't insisted they leave soon. He'd never seen his partner so happy. Daniel had laughed, learned to play, and it seemed as if his dark past had slipped away.

They had been made to feel as though they were a part of the Iskat. Jack had earned a lot of status as a hunter, while Daniel had learned even more about their cultures, legends and their knowledge of the herbs on the planet. At night they would snuggle down in their lodge and make love late into the night.

They had fallen into a habit of domesticity with the Iskat. Was that why Daniel has insisted it was time to leave? Because it had been torture for him, seeing what they could never have on Earth? It would never have occurred to Daniel to seriously consider staying. He might have dreamt about it from time to time, accepted things as they were while he could. But there would have been a large part of him feeling a desperate need to get back to their adopted Family on Earth.

In his own way, Daniel was as guilty of choosing duty over pleasure as he was. In that way, they weren't so different. Daniel would see it as a duty to return to Earth and let their friends know they were alive and well. And to bring back whatever this treasure turned out to be.

So, Jack settled for saying the only thing he could.

"I love you," he whispered. He felt Daniel smile against his cheek.

"And that's all I'll ever need."