Working Order

Season: 8 (Tag for New Order)

Category: Drama, ship

Pairing: Jack/Daniel

Rating: R

Spoilers: Lost City, New Order

Warnings: Non-graphic slash

Disclaimer: The Stargate universe and its inhabitants are the sole property of MGM et al. I don't own them. I just like the play with them.

Tag for New Order – Part 2. Daniel's thoughts after Jack is brought home safe and sound.

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Daniel was driving faster than he should have been and once again had to consciously let up on the gas. He didn't want to slow down. It was times like this when he was sorry personal use of alien technology was forbidden. Otherwise he would have simply beamed himself to the house courtesy of the Asguard. So the neighbors would see. Who cares? The NID already knew about the technology so there was no reason to hide it and where the neighbors were concerned they could blame it on a power surge or something.

He sighed heavily and tried to loosen his grip on the steering wheel.

Jack was home. Weeks spent scouring every bit of information he could get his hands on hoping to get lucky and find the location of a planet that seemed to exist only in alien fairytales and Jack was home. He didn't care that they couldn't take any credit for the rescue. He also didn't care that the Asguard had decided to answer their request for help only because it had suddenly suited them. If it had been the goa'uld that had found a way to save him Daniel wouldn't have been any less grateful. He would have been a lot more confused and incredibly suspicious, but still grateful.

It seemed like a year since they had reluctantly left Jack hibernating in the Antarctic, putting him in stasis to stop the life from flowing completely out of him. Actually, it sort of depended on the moment. Some days it seemed like only hours, especially those moments when Daniel would stumble across something and be headed out the door of his office in search of Jack only to remember halfway down the hall that he wasn't there, hadn't been for weeks. Some days it felt a lot longer, especially at night lying in the silence of Jack's house, stretched out on a bed that seemed far too big. On the nights when Daniel hadn't been able to face the silence and had gone to his own house instead, it had seemed like years.

Life had gone on without Jack the way it tended to do, but despite his absence he had still been part of the team. As had become the routine, when one member of the quartet was gone they carried on like they normally did, but left an empty chair at the commissary table, an empty spot when they huddled around one of their desks, an empty place on the bench in the ready room. It was an unspoken agreement among the rest of group. No matter who was missing or why they were just gone temporarily. They'd be back. No reason to think otherwise. So they had carried on fully expecting Jack to return and fill the void left by the absence of his sarcasm and sometimes peevish humor.

And then quite unexpectedly he had. One minute Daniel had been announcing the fortunate, but mind boggling news that Ba'al had saved Earth from an impending attack by taking out a rival system lord. The next he had been on Thor's ship staring at a thawed if not conscious version of Jack. The day had only gotten more bizarre from there.

There hadn't been time for much of a reunion on the Asguard ship, just a few inconspicuous touches in the company of Teal'c and Thor, not that either one would have cared much if they'd taken a few moments to hold each other. However, the "no obvious signs of affection" rule was deeply engrained in both of them. The fact that Jack was very much himself and apparently in one piece had been only briefly celebrated before one replicator had led to a planet full of them, and the frantic search for Sam. Then it was back to the ship and back to Earth where Jack had been holed up in the infirmary while they ran tests to make sure everything on him was in working order and that he really was Jack O'Neill. Daniel hadn't needed the confirmation. The brief argument about whether or not Jack had really built the new anti-replicator weapon had been all the proof he needed.

It was Jack.

He and Sam had been released from the infirmary hours ago and Daniel had been relegated to his office to type up a mission report; a little light reading for Weir. Despite the incredibly short mission it had taken him twice as long to type it because he hadn't been able to focus. He hadn't wanted to be tucked away in his office rehashing a story that would have seemed completely based in fantasy were it not for the fact that that kind of insanity had become a way of life at the SGC. He wanted to be home with the newly resurrected Jack and spend a few hours reveling in him, reassuring himself that it wasn't just a dream.

Now, finally free to leave the base Daniel was scowling his way through every red light and trying to remind himself that being pulled over by the cops for speeding wouldn't improve his mood. It wasn't an emergency and he wouldn't be able to offer much of an explanation for driving like a maniac so it was better for all concerned if he kept it somewhere within reasonable proximity of the speed limit.

I'm sorry, officer, but my boyfriend was just released from stasis in Antarctica and we've been battling aliens all day and I'm a bit anxious to get home.

Yeah, that would go over well.

Over the past few weeks Daniel had been collecting little tidbits of news to tell Jack when they finally laid eyes on each other, most notably the spectacular firing of Vice President Kinsey. At the time they had seem vitally important, but now as he made the final turn on to Jack's street they held very little meaning. Suddenly Daniel didn't have anything pressing to say, he just needed to see Jack. Pulling up to the house and hustling out of the car he bounded up the front steps, eager anticipation rolling in his stomach. He had no big reunion plans. No scenes in his head demanding to be played out, just a very heart felt welcome home that would take whatever completely spontaneous form it wanted.

"Jack?" He called as he burst through the front door.

The lack of response only added to his anxiety. Jack had to be home, his truck was in the driveway. Maybe he was in the bedroom.

"Jack?" Daniel repeated as he headed down the hall.

"What?" Came a reply that was half curiosity, half mild annoyance as the man in question appeared from the living room.

Daniel couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he closed the distance between them and flung his arms around Jack. His head was full of clever greetings, but suddenly he didn't feel so clever. The cold fear he'd been living with for weeks that they wouldn't be able to save him surfaced from under his nearly overwhelming relief that they had, and suddenly he couldn't think of a thing to say. Daniel had almost lost him…again. He'd gotten incredibly lucky…again. Things could just as easily have gone the other way.

Apparently understanding the silence and Daniel's firm grip on him, Jack stood rocking him gently from side to side, a hand rested on the back of his head.

"It's ok, Danny. I'm here." Jack assured him.

"I missed you." Daniel finally mumbled.

"I got that." Jack smiled.

"I was afraid…"

"I know."

"I don't know what I'd do if…"

"I know."

"I'm glad you're home."

"Me, too." Jack admitted, finally releasing him. "I wish I could say that I missed you, too, but I honestly don't remember much after we ended up on that planet…wherever it was. By my count I've only been gone about half an hour."

"It's a little off."
"Figured." Jack smiled warmly, briefly stroking Daniel's face. "Come on. I've got a bag of Cool Ranch, a couple of beers, and a handful of Simpson's episodes to catch up on."

"Not exactly the reunion I'd imagined." Daniel scowled. "Or, when I think about it, maybe it was." He admitted following Jack back into the living room and settling into a recliner.