Lay Me Down
Author: thegeekgirl
Feedback: fanfic@thegeekgirl.com
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: R
Status: Complete
Category: H/C, First Time
Warning: Reference to war atrocities
Spoilers: Secrets, Forever In a Day
Challenge Response
Date Uploaded: 2002-08-02 10:06:22
Archive: Area 52, Alpha Gate
Special Notes:
Disclaimer: Sadly these characters are not mine, but Daniel haunts my dreams.
Author's Notes: Challenge was "The Mission Position". This fic contains descriptions of war atrocities but not in highly graphic detail. If you are particularly sensitive to this topic, please skip this fic. This fic is unbeta'd due to time constraints - sorry.
Summary: "Jack promise me. Promise me that when my time comes you will lay me down. Don't leave me like that...like them."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Lay Me Down ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Daniel squinted as he gently brushed around the tibia in front of him, chasing away particles of dust and sand. The sun beat down to warm his broad bare shoulders, yet he paid little attention to the heat, engrossed as he was in the task at hand.
Suddenly a shadow fell across the sand, distorting over the half exposed bone. Daniel squinted up, sheltering his eyes with his hand.
"Jack!" he said exasperated.
"Whatcha got there?" Daniel frowned and motioned for Jack to back away from the side of the narrow trench he was working in. Top sand chittered its way down the wooden struts that were bracing the side of the trench, making Daniel groan in frustration. He had given up trying to explain the etiquette and procedures of best archaeological practises to the older man.
"So?" Jack squatted down a foot away from the trench edge and took his faded baseball cap off, trying to ignore the half naked archaeologist below him. "Is that a whole one?"
Daniel stood, wiping his sweaty sandy hands on his shorts. "Yes, it looks to be an intact skeleton."
"Male or female?" Jack asked as he unhooked his canteen and threw it down to Daniel, who nodded in thanks.
"Male," he replied, gesturing vaguely in the abdominal region with the canteen before taking a long draught, then sealed it and tossed it back up to Jack. The Colonel shifted slightly and then pointed along the trench.
"How many in here, do ya think?"
"Not possible to tell from the geophys. Somewhere between eight and twelve. Won't know until I've counted all the skulls." Daniel stretched his arms and rotated his shoulders, before reaching up to tighten his bandana. Jack swallowed deeply as he watched Daniel's muscles ripple, covering the action in a small cough.
"Why skulls?" he asked.
"Less confusing than counting limbs when you are talking about a mass grave. A person only has one head."
Jack nodded, understanding the logic in that, before quipping, "You obviously never met my mother-in law..."
Daniel let the comment go by asking, "So what about Sam and Teal'c? Have they found the source of those naquada readings yet?"
"They're getting...closer." Jack said with a small grimace. He hated missions like this. Nothing for a Black Ops trained Colonel to do. Daniel nodded and then gently settled back into the chalk coloured sand to continue working. His strong thigh muscles were taut against his green issue shorts, supporting his solid six foot frame as he bent over his work. Jack felt his temperature rise by a few degrees. Damnit, the man was a modern day Adonis. For an instant, the Colonel was actually jealous of the skeleton. Shaking his head in disgust and frustration, he rose and left the younger man to his work.
On their first day on P3X-612, Daniel had located the potential burial area. By this morning, their second day on the desert-like planet, he had uncovered this first skeleton under only a couple of feet of sand. It had been obvious how the young man had died, the missing part of his spine and lower ribs were evidence enough.
Daniel sighed as he looked at the bones in front of him. It looked like this area was indeed a mass grave. The once local populace obviously did not have the time or the ability to bury their dead separately. Nor even lay them in a gentle repose, judging by the articulation of the skeleton in front of him. Daniel ran a gentle hand over the tibia. It was smooth to the touch, polished by the coarse sand moving against the bone's surface. The bones were bright white too. Daniel was unsure whether that was due to the physiological nature of the species he was excavating or whether it was due to exposure to the planet's powerful sun. He hoped that it was the former. Slight differences in joints and limb lengths indicated that these people were close to humans but ever so slightly different. Small changes in the gene pool he presumed.
For the rest of the day Daniel worked, pausing only to drink to prevent dehydration. Times like this reminded him of his childhood, the sand and the heat, lost in the craft of excavating. This is what he was trained for and this is what he excelled at.
By the time dinner came, he had uncovered two more skeletons, the light sand making progress relatively easy. The first was another male, this time with a damaged skull. Most of the back and the right side of the cranium were missing. Daniel frowned at the brutality of the injury. The two skeletons were overlaid, a jumble of upper limbs. The second skeleton, a female, was more disturbing than the first. Gently he worked his way around the pelvis and under the ribs brushing almost reverently.
It was Sam's voice that finally intruded on his intense concentration.
"Daniel? Daniel!?" she said, trying to peer over the side of the trench without getting too close to the edge.
"Huh?" he said looking up, blue eyes slightly confused at the interruption.
"Dinner's ready."
"Oh okay," he said still peering at the female skeleton.
"Say, is that a...?" her voice faltered as she tilted her head to try and work out the small pile of bones and succeeded. A wave of sorrow washed over the Major.
"Yes, yes it is." Daniel said sadly. He gently brushed over the tiny curved spine and small skull, resting in between the pelvis of the female skeleton.
"Oh," was around all that Sam could find in response. She called again, gently. "Daniel, you need to eat."
Sighing, he tucked his brush into the back of his shorts and began unrolling the tarpaulin to cover his work. If he left the trench uncovered it would be refilled by wind whipped sand by the next morning. Fastening the taup down he took Sam's proffered hand and climbed out of the end of the trench, his legs aching at the cramping situation they had been in all day. Daniel grimaced mentally noting that he was obviously out of practise at grubbing in the dirt.
Dinner was a bland affair of tinned spaghetti, a cup of stewed tea and a couple of strong mints. As the darkness drew closer, the others retired, leaving Daniel with first watch. It was the time he most preferred, anything was better than having to get up at four am. Besides it also gave him a quiet few hours to think over his day's work and jot down his findings in his ever-present journal. The desert grew cold in the evening once the sun had set so he pulled on his team jacket, pushing the sleeves over his elbows.
Hunching down close to the small fire, he opened his journal and began writing. The mild noises of from the other two died down as they settled in their tents. Teal'c sat motionless outside of Sam's tent, his eyes closed in deep meditation.
Daniel began trying to sort through his thoughts. Why were those people buried there? If indeed they had even been buried? Why did they all show horrific injuries? A battle? But it would be exceedingly rare that a heavily pregnant woman would have fought side by side with two young males.
He flicked back to the sketches of the injuries he had made and then his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He shivered and swore softly. Teal'c eyes flickered open.
"Are you unwell, DanielJackson?" he asked softly, not wanting to disturb their two slumbering team-mates. Daniel looked across the campfire to the Jaffa.
"Sorry Teal'c, I didn't mean to disturb you."
"If you are unwell, it is no disturbance."
Daniel frowned down at the journal, his forehead lined in thought. He moved quickly to Teal'c side and showed him the sketches. Teal'c tilted pages containing the delicate pencil diagrams towards the fire, admiring the craftsmanship of DanielJackson. The man had many talents, the warrior thought. On Chulak he would be referred to as a tu'pn'ata, a gentle soul.
Daniel laid a hand on Teal'c strong arm, tracing an area on the page with his other. "Teal'c, this bone formation here. That ring of marking. Is it.." His voice trailed off.
Teal'c nodded and closed his eyes briefly knowing the question DanielJackson was asking and the pain it would cause the young scholar when he replied.
"You are correct, DanielJackson. I have seen this phenomena before." Teal'c voice was sad and remorseful for a brief instant before it returned to his usual measured cadence. "This injury was caused by a blast from a staff weapon at close range."
Daniel sat down heavily onto the sand, snapping his journal shut. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"If that's true, Teal'c..."
"It is."
Daniel nodded, his face sombre. "That grave was an execution line."
"Such practises are not uncommon amongst System Lords."
Daniel pounded the sand with a fist in an angry whisper. "There were women there, Teal'c. They shot a pregnant woman!"
"The Gou'ald see hosts as animals, not as people. This you know DanielJackson. If she was with child she was of no use to the Gou'ald."
Compassion and anger warred through Daniel as he sat next to Teal'c, watching the hypnotic dances of the campfire flames. A bone tired weariness came over him as his thoughts turned melancholy. So many dead at the hands of the Gou'ald. How could they ever hope to stop them?
"I will take the rest of your watch. You should sleep." Teal'c rumbled softly.
Daniel opened his mouth to object but Teal'c just gestured to the tent. Slowly Daniel rose, brushed the sand from his bare legs. He briefly touched Teal'c shoulder in thanks and then ducked into the tent. It took a few seconds for his eyesight to re-adjust to the darkness. He could see Jack stretched out to his left. A dark eye had fluttered open the moment he had stepped into the tent.
"Daniel..." came the sleepy voice as he zipped up the front of the tent, seeking confirmation of the intruder.
"Yeah," he said softly.
The eye closed and Jack returned back to sleep. Untying his bandana he sat down to remove his boots and socks, soon to be followed by the jacket. Then Daniel quickly wriggled his way under his sleeping bag and a few minutes later sleep had overcome him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The light hurt his eyes and the sand grew heavy under his feet, rendering him unable to move. Daniel felt his horror grow, rising up in his throat to choke his breath as he watched them.
Sam and Jack stood there looking straight ahead, trying to be brave. They had said their goodbyes a heart wrenching moment before. Daniel looked along the line, recognising the faces there, Skarra, Lya, Martouf. Other friends, other loved ones. Their faces were ashen with fear. But it was the figure next to Jack that held his attention, that ripped a hoarse scream from his throat. Sha're stood next to Jack, a hand curled protectively over her large stomach. She looked over to him sadly, opening her mouth to say goodbye. But then Teal'c snapped the staff weapon open and death swept over them all in rapid bursts of energy.
"NOOOO!" He shouted falling to his knees, handfuls of useless sand gathered in his palms. Tears ran down his face as he watched them one by one topple into the sand. Rivers of red blood snaked down across the dune as their empty screams echoed in the air. "NO! GOD NO!"
Daniel could not stand it, not this, not them, not like that. He raised his distraught face gaze up to the Jaffa in shock. "Why?" Teal'c turned on his heel. "No, no. Don't leave me. Finish it. FINISH IT." But the tall man walked away, leaving Daniel to his soul shattering grief, to tears that tasted of sand in an empty world. A spirit shattered against an anvil of despair.
"Daniel..." the voice sounded on the wind.
"NO!"
"Daniel, wake up." The voice was stronger this time, commanding his attention.
With effort, he forced his eyes open to look up into the deeply concerned ones of Jack. "It was a nightmare Daniel. Focus on me, buddy. Deep breathes. You are safe. I'm here."
Daniel's hand snaked out and clamped around Jack's shoulder, as he listened to the soft comforting voice. He shuddered feeling the cold sweat, clammy on his body.
Jack eased them both up into a sitting position, his arm supporting Daniel's shaking form.
"Nightmare? Bad one?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Daniel replied shakily, wetting his dry lips. He ran a hand over his face. "Dead. All of you." Jack's arm tightened around Daniel's back. Jack knew the dream; it came to him in a variety of different ways. But always the same ending, he always looked down on the lifeless corpse of his best friend. Daniel's vacant eyes would stare up at him, a faint look of disappointment on his frozen face.
Jack blinked away the morbid image. "Wanna talk about it?"
"Not really," Daniel said. It seemed that he still had issues with Teal'c over Sha're's death. Or at least his subconscious did. He had forgiven Teal'c, he was sure, he had tried so hard to obey Sha're's dying wish. He blinked in the darkness, suddenly aware of the heat radiating from Jack, as he sat next to him in the dark. "It was terrible, Jack. You, Sam...Sha're. All gone."
Jack's voice was soft. "Do you know what brought it on?"
Daniel nodded. "Before I crashed out, Teal'c confirmed my suspicions. The mass grave was the result of an Gou'ald execution line. The bodies were left there to rot in the sun."
Daniel drew up his knees, laying his head on them as his agile mind trying to sort the dream from reality. Nightmares like this one always refreshed the loss of Sha're. Just when he thought that the pain of loss receding, it would come crashing back through his subconscious. Tonight, the pain had been just as sharp as he had watched Jack's body tumble into the hot sand next to Sha're's. His breathing quickened once more in fear then he felt Jack's hand begin a comforting stroke his hair. A lingering gentle caress, comforting in its assurance.
"Easy, Daniel, easy."
Another wave of remembrance over took Daniel. He shuddered as a vivid image of his friends, all stiff and pale. Frozen in rigour mortis, a tumble of limbs in a mockery of friendly embrace. He gulped a breath, looking in the darkness at his friend.
"Jack promise me. Promise me that when my time comes you will lay me down. Don't leave me like that...like them."
Jack's throat tightened with a sudden rush of emotion as he pulled Daniel into a tight embrace, rocking him. "Dear God, Daniel. Never. I'll never leave you. Not like that." The thought made Jack's heart ache. His physical desire for Daniel had always been overshadowed by something deeper. Seeing him like this made him realise what that something was.
Daniel had decided long ago that he wanted Jack's touch to be the last thing he knew before the final darkness came. He wanted Jack to be the last living thing that touched him. A sob broke in the back of his throat, causing Jack to crush him closer. A rough hand ran up and down Daniel's back, trying to reassure the younger man. It felt good to be held like this. It had seemed a small eternity since Daniel had felt the warmth of another.
"I don't want to be alone any more Jack," he whispered into the dark. The words seemed to echo around the small tent, as the wind whipped around, as though taunting them of the events it had once seen all those years ago.
Daniel felt Jack's lips graze his hairline as the strong arms wrapped around his ribs.
"You're never alone Daniel," came the gruff, emotion laden reply. "Not while I'm here."
Daniel wriggled a bit to look up at Jack's face in the darkness. His voice was soft but serious. "No Jack. I mean...I don't want to be on my own anymore." The statement was accentuated by one of Daniel's hands drifting up to brush a thumb over Jack's cheek before cupping it gently.
Jack's eyes went wide before they fluttered shut, a silent "oh" escaping his lips. The world tilted on its axis as he realised that perhaps finally the cosmos had been kind to him, by converging their wants, their needs. The rough pad of Daniel's thumb brushed against Jack's lips, causing his heart to thump heavily in his chest. When Jack's eyes finally opened, Daniel could see the desire warring with confusion in their depths.
"Daniel..." he whispered, lowering his forehead to Daniel's. Daniel frowned slightly yet accepted the silent benediction. They stayed that way for a while, hands comforting, stroking, touching. Then Daniel shifted once more, bringing Jack's face close to his neck. The pressure of Daniel's hands changed, no longer moving to seek comfort but moving to arouse. He felt Jack's breath flutter against his neck and smiled. Yes! This was what he craved, what he needed to drive the pain away.
Daniel pressed his soft lips to Jack's sinewy neck, just where the grey hair gave way to tanned skin. He felt the shudder as it reverberated against his own body. Daniel pulled back slightly and Jack looked up, the action bringing their lips within a hairbreadth's of touching. Daniel waited, looking for a cue from the older man that he was not on his own in what he was seeking.
Cautiously Jack moved slightly, closing the gap, brushing his own lips against Daniel's pliant ones. After a few chaste kisses, he felt Daniel's mouth open under his own, inviting Jack in. Unable to refuse the addictive taste of pure Daniel, Jack surged against him devouring everything that Daniel was offering.
As Jack's greedy hands began roaming his body, Daniel kept one strong hand clamped around Jack's neck and his other grasping at his back. Jack's mouth fed upon Daniel's tongue, like a starving man feasting at a banquet. There was little finesse to the embrace, just a soul- searing kiss. A low growl of arousal formed in Jack's throat as he gently began to tip Daniel back to lie on the ground sheet beneath them. Reverently he laid him down, his calloused hands gentle, trusting his actions to speak louder than words as to what he felt about what was about to happen. The sand below moulded itself to Daniel as the combined weight of the two men pressed him down.
Jack pulled back for a moment to look at Daniel's flushed face, taking in hint of bruised lips and his rapid breathing in the darkness. Jack ran a clumsy yet gentle hand down the side of Daniel's face. Daniel could feel Jack's muscular body lying over his, a whisper from losing control. He reached up and touched the side of Jack's face, mirroring the gesture of the other man.
In a low voice he uttered a sentence that would change their friendship forever.
"Love me Jack. Please."
He saw Jack's eyes soften even as he felt his body harden. Then Jack's hands were working over his bare chest and his mouth renewed its attack. Daniel surged up to meet him and the two of them tried to drive away the pain and the fear in their frenzied loving. Daniel did not want to think any more. He wanted the to dissolve the pain in the act of loving Jack until he had no more strength left.
In the dark, gusts of traitorous wind carried their muted cries into the night. Sam turned over in her sleeping bag, trying not ignore what she was hearing. Half jealous, half pleased that Jack and Daniel had finally found each other. Teal'c never wavered in his kel'no'reem other than to permit a small smile to grace his usually stoic face. After all the ordeals that both of his comrades in arms had gone through, they deserved to find peace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The warm, dusty morning came too quickly for the two men. Aching yet satisfied, Daniel turned in Jack's arms, to gaze at his new lover. Two dark brown eyes flickered open under his scrutiny. A slow smile graced Jack's face, Daniel felt one of his own echo in response.
"Hi," he said shyly.
"Hi there," Jack said in a sleep rough voice. Daniel stretched slightly, feeling his limbs ache as he reluctantly disentangled himself from the other man. He winced causing Jack to laugh gently into his cheek. "Sore?" he whispered.
Daniel nodded, "But in a good way."
Jack placed a soft kiss on the Daniel's hairline, joy at their intimacy filling his heart. His mind however had returned from its sojourn south. As much as they had needed last night, he had taken a great risk with them being off-world. He frowned slightly and pulled away to gather his clothes from various points in the tent.
"Jack?" Daniel questioned in a worried tone.
"Not for a moment," the older man replied, a smile on his face as he guessed the question Daniel wanted to ask. "Have you seen my sock?" Daniel reached for his glasses, swallowing to try and wet his dried throat. He looked about for a moment and then wordlessly handed Jack the crumpled item and pulled himself upright, groaning at his abused back muscles. Jack was dressed and turned to give Daniel a chaste kiss on the lips. "We'll talk later, Danny. I promise."
Daniel gave him an unsure smile, flushing at the contact.
"How about I go and put the coffee on?"
Daniel nodded as Jack ducked out to give the younger man some privacy as he changed. Daniel dressed more slowly than Jack had, taking time to try and assimilate what had happened last night. He'd never slept with a man before, yet it had felt so right to be held and loved by Jack. He hoped that Jack felt the same way. Yet the military maxim of "don't ask, don't tell" hovered at the forefront of his mind.
Daniel emerged from the tent, blinking in the already hot morning. Carter looked up from her breakfast and flushed, suddenly finding the sand beneath her feet interesting. Teal'c just gave him a small smile. Daniel guessed that they knew what had happened last night. His nightmare at least had been loud enough to wake even the soundest of sleepers, let alone what had followed.
"Morning," he mumbled, gratefully accepting the tin mug of steaming coffee Jack thrust at him. Today would be their last day on P3X-612.
"Okay team," Jack drawled. "We have to move out at thirteen hundred. Carter, Teal'c, see if you can locate your elusive naquada source. Daniel, you're with me." Daniel flushed again but said nothing as he gulped down his scalding coffee.
Around half an hour later, Daniel and Jack trudged back towards the site of the mass grave. Daniel was lost in sombre thoughts, his emotions in turmoil. Sighing he straightened his shoulders, trying to forget about last night and focus on the job at hand. Yet the very smell of Jack on his skin caused him to flush. Jack's gentle touch on his back brought him back to the present.
The two men stood over the taup-covered grave.
"Do you need to continue working?" Jack asked him. Daniel shook his head.
"No. We know how they died, no need to disturb their rest further." He wasn't sure whether he could look at the skeletons below without seeing the vivid images from his nightmare.
"Good." Jack began unhitching the top of the tarpaulin and motioned for Daniel to help him. Confused the archaeologist followed his lead. Once undone, Jack let the taup fall down over the trench. He motioned for Daniel to help him remove the struts that were holding back the side of the trench. As they freed the last board, sand cascaded down covering the dark tarpaulin, burying the skeletons below.
"I'm sorry Daniel," Jack began. Daniel looked up at him with wide eyes, wondered what Jack was going to say. Was he going to tell him that last night was a one-off? An aberration? But Jack continued, with sad eyes. "It's not much of a burial but it's all we can do." He laid a comforting hand on Daniel's shoulder.
The tenderness of Jack's gesture to the unknown dead caused a lump in Daniel's throat. He turned slightly so that Jack could not see the tears forming in his eyes. Jack gave him a moment and then pulled a strong arm across his shoulders.
"Did you want to mark the grave, Daniel?"
Daniel nodded and the two men picked up one of the wooden trench supports and set about driving it deeply into the shifting sand at one end of the mass grave. Daniel looked at the wood and Jack handed him his knife. He settled in the hot sand and with a sure hand began inscribing hieroglyphs upon the plank.
"What does it say?" Jack asked quietly, shading his eyes against the sun.
Daniel pointed, reading the glyphs. "Here lie the unnamed ones. May the true gods judge their souls kindly." The two men stood in front of the plank for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Daniel's were of those buried there beneath the hot sand and of the friends that still graced his life. Jack's were filled with lost comrades and the price of war upon the innocent. Daniel's hand sought Jack's and squeezed it gently once before they parted. The Colonel gave him a smile and then they headed back towards the camp. Daniel stopped a little way off and paused to look back. Jack said nothing but waited for Daniel to turn and continue walking beside him.
The two men spent the rest of the day packing up the camp while they were waiting for Teal'c and Carter to finish their work. Daniel sat down heavily on the MALP and took a long drink of warm water, watching Jack work. The older man looked up, feeling the scrutiny of the intense blue eyes.
Daniel nodded. "Thank you, Jack," he said simply.
"For what?"
"For being there."
"I'll always be there Daniel. Until the very end."
"I know."
"I don't want to be alone anymore either, Daniel."
"You're never alone Jack. I promise."
The End.
"With an ironclad fist I wake up and French kiss the morning,
While some marching band keeps its own beat
in my head while we're talking,
About all of the things that I long to believe,
About love and the truth and what you mean to me,
And the truth is, baby you're all that I need.
I want to lay you down on a bed of roses..."
~ Bed of Roses, Jon Bon Jovi
TheGeekGirl Fanfic Archive can be found at http://members.lycos.co.uk/slashbunny/
Author: thegeekgirl
Feedback: fanfic@thegeekgirl.com
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: R
Status: Complete
Category: H/C, First Time
Warning: Reference to war atrocities
Spoilers: Secrets, Forever In a Day
Challenge Response
Date Uploaded: 2002-08-02 10:06:22
Archive: Area 52, Alpha Gate
Special Notes:
Disclaimer: Sadly these characters are not mine, but Daniel haunts my dreams.
Author's Notes: Challenge was "The Mission Position". This fic contains descriptions of war atrocities but not in highly graphic detail. If you are particularly sensitive to this topic, please skip this fic. This fic is unbeta'd due to time constraints - sorry.
Summary: "Jack promise me. Promise me that when my time comes you will lay me down. Don't leave me like that...like them."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Lay Me Down ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Daniel squinted as he gently brushed around the tibia in front of him, chasing away particles of dust and sand. The sun beat down to warm his broad bare shoulders, yet he paid little attention to the heat, engrossed as he was in the task at hand.
Suddenly a shadow fell across the sand, distorting over the half exposed bone. Daniel squinted up, sheltering his eyes with his hand.
"Jack!" he said exasperated.
"Whatcha got there?" Daniel frowned and motioned for Jack to back away from the side of the narrow trench he was working in. Top sand chittered its way down the wooden struts that were bracing the side of the trench, making Daniel groan in frustration. He had given up trying to explain the etiquette and procedures of best archaeological practises to the older man.
"So?" Jack squatted down a foot away from the trench edge and took his faded baseball cap off, trying to ignore the half naked archaeologist below him. "Is that a whole one?"
Daniel stood, wiping his sweaty sandy hands on his shorts. "Yes, it looks to be an intact skeleton."
"Male or female?" Jack asked as he unhooked his canteen and threw it down to Daniel, who nodded in thanks.
"Male," he replied, gesturing vaguely in the abdominal region with the canteen before taking a long draught, then sealed it and tossed it back up to Jack. The Colonel shifted slightly and then pointed along the trench.
"How many in here, do ya think?"
"Not possible to tell from the geophys. Somewhere between eight and twelve. Won't know until I've counted all the skulls." Daniel stretched his arms and rotated his shoulders, before reaching up to tighten his bandana. Jack swallowed deeply as he watched Daniel's muscles ripple, covering the action in a small cough.
"Why skulls?" he asked.
"Less confusing than counting limbs when you are talking about a mass grave. A person only has one head."
Jack nodded, understanding the logic in that, before quipping, "You obviously never met my mother-in law..."
Daniel let the comment go by asking, "So what about Sam and Teal'c? Have they found the source of those naquada readings yet?"
"They're getting...closer." Jack said with a small grimace. He hated missions like this. Nothing for a Black Ops trained Colonel to do. Daniel nodded and then gently settled back into the chalk coloured sand to continue working. His strong thigh muscles were taut against his green issue shorts, supporting his solid six foot frame as he bent over his work. Jack felt his temperature rise by a few degrees. Damnit, the man was a modern day Adonis. For an instant, the Colonel was actually jealous of the skeleton. Shaking his head in disgust and frustration, he rose and left the younger man to his work.
On their first day on P3X-612, Daniel had located the potential burial area. By this morning, their second day on the desert-like planet, he had uncovered this first skeleton under only a couple of feet of sand. It had been obvious how the young man had died, the missing part of his spine and lower ribs were evidence enough.
Daniel sighed as he looked at the bones in front of him. It looked like this area was indeed a mass grave. The once local populace obviously did not have the time or the ability to bury their dead separately. Nor even lay them in a gentle repose, judging by the articulation of the skeleton in front of him. Daniel ran a gentle hand over the tibia. It was smooth to the touch, polished by the coarse sand moving against the bone's surface. The bones were bright white too. Daniel was unsure whether that was due to the physiological nature of the species he was excavating or whether it was due to exposure to the planet's powerful sun. He hoped that it was the former. Slight differences in joints and limb lengths indicated that these people were close to humans but ever so slightly different. Small changes in the gene pool he presumed.
For the rest of the day Daniel worked, pausing only to drink to prevent dehydration. Times like this reminded him of his childhood, the sand and the heat, lost in the craft of excavating. This is what he was trained for and this is what he excelled at.
By the time dinner came, he had uncovered two more skeletons, the light sand making progress relatively easy. The first was another male, this time with a damaged skull. Most of the back and the right side of the cranium were missing. Daniel frowned at the brutality of the injury. The two skeletons were overlaid, a jumble of upper limbs. The second skeleton, a female, was more disturbing than the first. Gently he worked his way around the pelvis and under the ribs brushing almost reverently.
It was Sam's voice that finally intruded on his intense concentration.
"Daniel? Daniel!?" she said, trying to peer over the side of the trench without getting too close to the edge.
"Huh?" he said looking up, blue eyes slightly confused at the interruption.
"Dinner's ready."
"Oh okay," he said still peering at the female skeleton.
"Say, is that a...?" her voice faltered as she tilted her head to try and work out the small pile of bones and succeeded. A wave of sorrow washed over the Major.
"Yes, yes it is." Daniel said sadly. He gently brushed over the tiny curved spine and small skull, resting in between the pelvis of the female skeleton.
"Oh," was around all that Sam could find in response. She called again, gently. "Daniel, you need to eat."
Sighing, he tucked his brush into the back of his shorts and began unrolling the tarpaulin to cover his work. If he left the trench uncovered it would be refilled by wind whipped sand by the next morning. Fastening the taup down he took Sam's proffered hand and climbed out of the end of the trench, his legs aching at the cramping situation they had been in all day. Daniel grimaced mentally noting that he was obviously out of practise at grubbing in the dirt.
Dinner was a bland affair of tinned spaghetti, a cup of stewed tea and a couple of strong mints. As the darkness drew closer, the others retired, leaving Daniel with first watch. It was the time he most preferred, anything was better than having to get up at four am. Besides it also gave him a quiet few hours to think over his day's work and jot down his findings in his ever-present journal. The desert grew cold in the evening once the sun had set so he pulled on his team jacket, pushing the sleeves over his elbows.
Hunching down close to the small fire, he opened his journal and began writing. The mild noises of from the other two died down as they settled in their tents. Teal'c sat motionless outside of Sam's tent, his eyes closed in deep meditation.
Daniel began trying to sort through his thoughts. Why were those people buried there? If indeed they had even been buried? Why did they all show horrific injuries? A battle? But it would be exceedingly rare that a heavily pregnant woman would have fought side by side with two young males.
He flicked back to the sketches of the injuries he had made and then his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He shivered and swore softly. Teal'c eyes flickered open.
"Are you unwell, DanielJackson?" he asked softly, not wanting to disturb their two slumbering team-mates. Daniel looked across the campfire to the Jaffa.
"Sorry Teal'c, I didn't mean to disturb you."
"If you are unwell, it is no disturbance."
Daniel frowned down at the journal, his forehead lined in thought. He moved quickly to Teal'c side and showed him the sketches. Teal'c tilted pages containing the delicate pencil diagrams towards the fire, admiring the craftsmanship of DanielJackson. The man had many talents, the warrior thought. On Chulak he would be referred to as a tu'pn'ata, a gentle soul.
Daniel laid a hand on Teal'c strong arm, tracing an area on the page with his other. "Teal'c, this bone formation here. That ring of marking. Is it.." His voice trailed off.
Teal'c nodded and closed his eyes briefly knowing the question DanielJackson was asking and the pain it would cause the young scholar when he replied.
"You are correct, DanielJackson. I have seen this phenomena before." Teal'c voice was sad and remorseful for a brief instant before it returned to his usual measured cadence. "This injury was caused by a blast from a staff weapon at close range."
Daniel sat down heavily onto the sand, snapping his journal shut. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"If that's true, Teal'c..."
"It is."
Daniel nodded, his face sombre. "That grave was an execution line."
"Such practises are not uncommon amongst System Lords."
Daniel pounded the sand with a fist in an angry whisper. "There were women there, Teal'c. They shot a pregnant woman!"
"The Gou'ald see hosts as animals, not as people. This you know DanielJackson. If she was with child she was of no use to the Gou'ald."
Compassion and anger warred through Daniel as he sat next to Teal'c, watching the hypnotic dances of the campfire flames. A bone tired weariness came over him as his thoughts turned melancholy. So many dead at the hands of the Gou'ald. How could they ever hope to stop them?
"I will take the rest of your watch. You should sleep." Teal'c rumbled softly.
Daniel opened his mouth to object but Teal'c just gestured to the tent. Slowly Daniel rose, brushed the sand from his bare legs. He briefly touched Teal'c shoulder in thanks and then ducked into the tent. It took a few seconds for his eyesight to re-adjust to the darkness. He could see Jack stretched out to his left. A dark eye had fluttered open the moment he had stepped into the tent.
"Daniel..." came the sleepy voice as he zipped up the front of the tent, seeking confirmation of the intruder.
"Yeah," he said softly.
The eye closed and Jack returned back to sleep. Untying his bandana he sat down to remove his boots and socks, soon to be followed by the jacket. Then Daniel quickly wriggled his way under his sleeping bag and a few minutes later sleep had overcome him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The light hurt his eyes and the sand grew heavy under his feet, rendering him unable to move. Daniel felt his horror grow, rising up in his throat to choke his breath as he watched them.
Sam and Jack stood there looking straight ahead, trying to be brave. They had said their goodbyes a heart wrenching moment before. Daniel looked along the line, recognising the faces there, Skarra, Lya, Martouf. Other friends, other loved ones. Their faces were ashen with fear. But it was the figure next to Jack that held his attention, that ripped a hoarse scream from his throat. Sha're stood next to Jack, a hand curled protectively over her large stomach. She looked over to him sadly, opening her mouth to say goodbye. But then Teal'c snapped the staff weapon open and death swept over them all in rapid bursts of energy.
"NOOOO!" He shouted falling to his knees, handfuls of useless sand gathered in his palms. Tears ran down his face as he watched them one by one topple into the sand. Rivers of red blood snaked down across the dune as their empty screams echoed in the air. "NO! GOD NO!"
Daniel could not stand it, not this, not them, not like that. He raised his distraught face gaze up to the Jaffa in shock. "Why?" Teal'c turned on his heel. "No, no. Don't leave me. Finish it. FINISH IT." But the tall man walked away, leaving Daniel to his soul shattering grief, to tears that tasted of sand in an empty world. A spirit shattered against an anvil of despair.
"Daniel..." the voice sounded on the wind.
"NO!"
"Daniel, wake up." The voice was stronger this time, commanding his attention.
With effort, he forced his eyes open to look up into the deeply concerned ones of Jack. "It was a nightmare Daniel. Focus on me, buddy. Deep breathes. You are safe. I'm here."
Daniel's hand snaked out and clamped around Jack's shoulder, as he listened to the soft comforting voice. He shuddered feeling the cold sweat, clammy on his body.
Jack eased them both up into a sitting position, his arm supporting Daniel's shaking form.
"Nightmare? Bad one?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Daniel replied shakily, wetting his dry lips. He ran a hand over his face. "Dead. All of you." Jack's arm tightened around Daniel's back. Jack knew the dream; it came to him in a variety of different ways. But always the same ending, he always looked down on the lifeless corpse of his best friend. Daniel's vacant eyes would stare up at him, a faint look of disappointment on his frozen face.
Jack blinked away the morbid image. "Wanna talk about it?"
"Not really," Daniel said. It seemed that he still had issues with Teal'c over Sha're's death. Or at least his subconscious did. He had forgiven Teal'c, he was sure, he had tried so hard to obey Sha're's dying wish. He blinked in the darkness, suddenly aware of the heat radiating from Jack, as he sat next to him in the dark. "It was terrible, Jack. You, Sam...Sha're. All gone."
Jack's voice was soft. "Do you know what brought it on?"
Daniel nodded. "Before I crashed out, Teal'c confirmed my suspicions. The mass grave was the result of an Gou'ald execution line. The bodies were left there to rot in the sun."
Daniel drew up his knees, laying his head on them as his agile mind trying to sort the dream from reality. Nightmares like this one always refreshed the loss of Sha're. Just when he thought that the pain of loss receding, it would come crashing back through his subconscious. Tonight, the pain had been just as sharp as he had watched Jack's body tumble into the hot sand next to Sha're's. His breathing quickened once more in fear then he felt Jack's hand begin a comforting stroke his hair. A lingering gentle caress, comforting in its assurance.
"Easy, Daniel, easy."
Another wave of remembrance over took Daniel. He shuddered as a vivid image of his friends, all stiff and pale. Frozen in rigour mortis, a tumble of limbs in a mockery of friendly embrace. He gulped a breath, looking in the darkness at his friend.
"Jack promise me. Promise me that when my time comes you will lay me down. Don't leave me like that...like them."
Jack's throat tightened with a sudden rush of emotion as he pulled Daniel into a tight embrace, rocking him. "Dear God, Daniel. Never. I'll never leave you. Not like that." The thought made Jack's heart ache. His physical desire for Daniel had always been overshadowed by something deeper. Seeing him like this made him realise what that something was.
Daniel had decided long ago that he wanted Jack's touch to be the last thing he knew before the final darkness came. He wanted Jack to be the last living thing that touched him. A sob broke in the back of his throat, causing Jack to crush him closer. A rough hand ran up and down Daniel's back, trying to reassure the younger man. It felt good to be held like this. It had seemed a small eternity since Daniel had felt the warmth of another.
"I don't want to be alone any more Jack," he whispered into the dark. The words seemed to echo around the small tent, as the wind whipped around, as though taunting them of the events it had once seen all those years ago.
Daniel felt Jack's lips graze his hairline as the strong arms wrapped around his ribs.
"You're never alone Daniel," came the gruff, emotion laden reply. "Not while I'm here."
Daniel wriggled a bit to look up at Jack's face in the darkness. His voice was soft but serious. "No Jack. I mean...I don't want to be on my own anymore." The statement was accentuated by one of Daniel's hands drifting up to brush a thumb over Jack's cheek before cupping it gently.
Jack's eyes went wide before they fluttered shut, a silent "oh" escaping his lips. The world tilted on its axis as he realised that perhaps finally the cosmos had been kind to him, by converging their wants, their needs. The rough pad of Daniel's thumb brushed against Jack's lips, causing his heart to thump heavily in his chest. When Jack's eyes finally opened, Daniel could see the desire warring with confusion in their depths.
"Daniel..." he whispered, lowering his forehead to Daniel's. Daniel frowned slightly yet accepted the silent benediction. They stayed that way for a while, hands comforting, stroking, touching. Then Daniel shifted once more, bringing Jack's face close to his neck. The pressure of Daniel's hands changed, no longer moving to seek comfort but moving to arouse. He felt Jack's breath flutter against his neck and smiled. Yes! This was what he craved, what he needed to drive the pain away.
Daniel pressed his soft lips to Jack's sinewy neck, just where the grey hair gave way to tanned skin. He felt the shudder as it reverberated against his own body. Daniel pulled back slightly and Jack looked up, the action bringing their lips within a hairbreadth's of touching. Daniel waited, looking for a cue from the older man that he was not on his own in what he was seeking.
Cautiously Jack moved slightly, closing the gap, brushing his own lips against Daniel's pliant ones. After a few chaste kisses, he felt Daniel's mouth open under his own, inviting Jack in. Unable to refuse the addictive taste of pure Daniel, Jack surged against him devouring everything that Daniel was offering.
As Jack's greedy hands began roaming his body, Daniel kept one strong hand clamped around Jack's neck and his other grasping at his back. Jack's mouth fed upon Daniel's tongue, like a starving man feasting at a banquet. There was little finesse to the embrace, just a soul- searing kiss. A low growl of arousal formed in Jack's throat as he gently began to tip Daniel back to lie on the ground sheet beneath them. Reverently he laid him down, his calloused hands gentle, trusting his actions to speak louder than words as to what he felt about what was about to happen. The sand below moulded itself to Daniel as the combined weight of the two men pressed him down.
Jack pulled back for a moment to look at Daniel's flushed face, taking in hint of bruised lips and his rapid breathing in the darkness. Jack ran a clumsy yet gentle hand down the side of Daniel's face. Daniel could feel Jack's muscular body lying over his, a whisper from losing control. He reached up and touched the side of Jack's face, mirroring the gesture of the other man.
In a low voice he uttered a sentence that would change their friendship forever.
"Love me Jack. Please."
He saw Jack's eyes soften even as he felt his body harden. Then Jack's hands were working over his bare chest and his mouth renewed its attack. Daniel surged up to meet him and the two of them tried to drive away the pain and the fear in their frenzied loving. Daniel did not want to think any more. He wanted the to dissolve the pain in the act of loving Jack until he had no more strength left.
In the dark, gusts of traitorous wind carried their muted cries into the night. Sam turned over in her sleeping bag, trying not ignore what she was hearing. Half jealous, half pleased that Jack and Daniel had finally found each other. Teal'c never wavered in his kel'no'reem other than to permit a small smile to grace his usually stoic face. After all the ordeals that both of his comrades in arms had gone through, they deserved to find peace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The warm, dusty morning came too quickly for the two men. Aching yet satisfied, Daniel turned in Jack's arms, to gaze at his new lover. Two dark brown eyes flickered open under his scrutiny. A slow smile graced Jack's face, Daniel felt one of his own echo in response.
"Hi," he said shyly.
"Hi there," Jack said in a sleep rough voice. Daniel stretched slightly, feeling his limbs ache as he reluctantly disentangled himself from the other man. He winced causing Jack to laugh gently into his cheek. "Sore?" he whispered.
Daniel nodded, "But in a good way."
Jack placed a soft kiss on the Daniel's hairline, joy at their intimacy filling his heart. His mind however had returned from its sojourn south. As much as they had needed last night, he had taken a great risk with them being off-world. He frowned slightly and pulled away to gather his clothes from various points in the tent.
"Jack?" Daniel questioned in a worried tone.
"Not for a moment," the older man replied, a smile on his face as he guessed the question Daniel wanted to ask. "Have you seen my sock?" Daniel reached for his glasses, swallowing to try and wet his dried throat. He looked about for a moment and then wordlessly handed Jack the crumpled item and pulled himself upright, groaning at his abused back muscles. Jack was dressed and turned to give Daniel a chaste kiss on the lips. "We'll talk later, Danny. I promise."
Daniel gave him an unsure smile, flushing at the contact.
"How about I go and put the coffee on?"
Daniel nodded as Jack ducked out to give the younger man some privacy as he changed. Daniel dressed more slowly than Jack had, taking time to try and assimilate what had happened last night. He'd never slept with a man before, yet it had felt so right to be held and loved by Jack. He hoped that Jack felt the same way. Yet the military maxim of "don't ask, don't tell" hovered at the forefront of his mind.
Daniel emerged from the tent, blinking in the already hot morning. Carter looked up from her breakfast and flushed, suddenly finding the sand beneath her feet interesting. Teal'c just gave him a small smile. Daniel guessed that they knew what had happened last night. His nightmare at least had been loud enough to wake even the soundest of sleepers, let alone what had followed.
"Morning," he mumbled, gratefully accepting the tin mug of steaming coffee Jack thrust at him. Today would be their last day on P3X-612.
"Okay team," Jack drawled. "We have to move out at thirteen hundred. Carter, Teal'c, see if you can locate your elusive naquada source. Daniel, you're with me." Daniel flushed again but said nothing as he gulped down his scalding coffee.
Around half an hour later, Daniel and Jack trudged back towards the site of the mass grave. Daniel was lost in sombre thoughts, his emotions in turmoil. Sighing he straightened his shoulders, trying to forget about last night and focus on the job at hand. Yet the very smell of Jack on his skin caused him to flush. Jack's gentle touch on his back brought him back to the present.
The two men stood over the taup-covered grave.
"Do you need to continue working?" Jack asked him. Daniel shook his head.
"No. We know how they died, no need to disturb their rest further." He wasn't sure whether he could look at the skeletons below without seeing the vivid images from his nightmare.
"Good." Jack began unhitching the top of the tarpaulin and motioned for Daniel to help him. Confused the archaeologist followed his lead. Once undone, Jack let the taup fall down over the trench. He motioned for Daniel to help him remove the struts that were holding back the side of the trench. As they freed the last board, sand cascaded down covering the dark tarpaulin, burying the skeletons below.
"I'm sorry Daniel," Jack began. Daniel looked up at him with wide eyes, wondered what Jack was going to say. Was he going to tell him that last night was a one-off? An aberration? But Jack continued, with sad eyes. "It's not much of a burial but it's all we can do." He laid a comforting hand on Daniel's shoulder.
The tenderness of Jack's gesture to the unknown dead caused a lump in Daniel's throat. He turned slightly so that Jack could not see the tears forming in his eyes. Jack gave him a moment and then pulled a strong arm across his shoulders.
"Did you want to mark the grave, Daniel?"
Daniel nodded and the two men picked up one of the wooden trench supports and set about driving it deeply into the shifting sand at one end of the mass grave. Daniel looked at the wood and Jack handed him his knife. He settled in the hot sand and with a sure hand began inscribing hieroglyphs upon the plank.
"What does it say?" Jack asked quietly, shading his eyes against the sun.
Daniel pointed, reading the glyphs. "Here lie the unnamed ones. May the true gods judge their souls kindly." The two men stood in front of the plank for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Daniel's were of those buried there beneath the hot sand and of the friends that still graced his life. Jack's were filled with lost comrades and the price of war upon the innocent. Daniel's hand sought Jack's and squeezed it gently once before they parted. The Colonel gave him a smile and then they headed back towards the camp. Daniel stopped a little way off and paused to look back. Jack said nothing but waited for Daniel to turn and continue walking beside him.
The two men spent the rest of the day packing up the camp while they were waiting for Teal'c and Carter to finish their work. Daniel sat down heavily on the MALP and took a long drink of warm water, watching Jack work. The older man looked up, feeling the scrutiny of the intense blue eyes.
Daniel nodded. "Thank you, Jack," he said simply.
"For what?"
"For being there."
"I'll always be there Daniel. Until the very end."
"I know."
"I don't want to be alone anymore either, Daniel."
"You're never alone Jack. I promise."
The End.
"With an ironclad fist I wake up and French kiss the morning,
While some marching band keeps its own beat
in my head while we're talking,
About all of the things that I long to believe,
About love and the truth and what you mean to me,
And the truth is, baby you're all that I need.
I want to lay you down on a bed of roses..."
~ Bed of Roses, Jon Bon Jovi
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