Title: Another Unsuccessful Mission
Fandom: Stargate SG1
Characters: Jack/Daniel
Word Count: 770
Rating: PG13
Summary: 'We were under fire and running back to the gate. And it was just a horrible mission. This may sound strange, but I kinda missed you out there. '

Another Unsuccessful Mission

He sat down on their table and quietly spooned the porridge into his mouth, chewing every mouthful thoroughly before swallowing as if trying to take as much time as possible. The four walls that stood around him made him feel secure in a strange sort of way but it was too silent for his liking. It was lulling him into a false sense of security – the feeling of safety when in actual fact he knew he was sitting twenty floors below ground in the worlds most secret base, the worlds most threatened place.

He swallowed another spoonful and glanced around at the darkened room. Only hours earlier and they were under fire and running back to the gate, another unsuccessful mission.

He was always being told to make the next mission his last by his lover, but faced with settling down to a normal life, or going through the gate again, he really had no decision to make. His love for discovery severely overpowered his wish to settle down and live the rest of his life with his lover. The lover that would never be approved of by the military. The strict policy of same sex relationships within the ranks was hardly going to be changed by two men; and their desire to tell everyone could never become reality.

Daniel slowly stood and took his bowl over to the bin. He spun round to face the doorway and saw his lover standing in the doorway.

'How long have you been there?

'Only a few minutes, I didn't want to interrupt. You looked like you were thinking.'

Daniel moved over to the doorframe and placed his hands on the other man's chest.

'Bad day huh?' Jack asked, 'Can I walk you to your room?'

Daniel nodded and the two men walked, side by side, out of the commissary.

'So…' Jack began, 'You wanna tell me about it.'

'We were under fire and running back to the gate. And it was just a horrible mission. This may sound strange, but I kinda missed you out there. '

'Risking my life and dodging bullets?'

'No, not like that, you know what I mean.'

'I do.' Jack turned to face Daniel and reached behind him to press the elevator button.

'So… I am surprised that you're still here, I mean, not that I don't like it, I just thought you would have gone home. Your meeting was yesterday.'

'I just wanted to make sure you got home safely. Which you didn't so I guess I was right to stick around.'

They got into the elevator and waited silently. The elevator doors opened moments later and the two men walked off towards Daniel's quarters.

'I miss you.' Daniel blurted out, regretting saying it almost immediately.

'I know.' Jack replied, 'me too.'

Daniel smiled and ran his card through the lock outside his quarters. 'You coming in?'

'You offering?'

Daniel moved aside and let Jack in. He sat down on the bed and Daniel sat down beside him.

'Can I tell you something?' Daniel asked.

Jack placed a soothing hand on Daniel's thigh. 'Anything.'

'The villagers were friendly. Well some of them were. We were attacked by what seemed to be children Jack. We had no choice. We had to shoot back. I had to shoot back.' He swallowed hard. 'They were part of an alliance; the planet was in two halves, two civil leaderships. The friendly side verses the children, although they weren't children, they'd been genetically altered. Their age messed with. I tried to tell myself that as I shot at one little girl. She wasn't really ten. She was the enemy but god jack… she… she looked like Cassie.'

Jack laid an arm around Daniel's shoulder and brought him towards him. 'It wasn't her.'

'I know. But since we got back all I can see it that one girls face as she gasped and died… because of me.'

Silent tears fell and Daniel held Jack tighter.

'Mitchell's a good leader.'

'He's not you.'

'I know. Just, just bear with it. You've got Carter and T with you. They more than a match for me.'

Daniel smiled and pulled away from Jack. He stood and walked round the side of the bed.

Pulling back the covers, Daniel quietly mumbled, 'Stay with me.'

Jack silently pulled off his shoes and socks and moved round to the other side of the bed.

He quickly got into the bed and spooned up against Daniel's back.

'I'm glad you stayed behind to wait for me.' Daniel whispered.

Jack kissed the back of Daniel's neck, 'I always will.'

-End-