AN – This is a sequel to a fic I wrote a while ago called 'Illusion' so it would probably help if you read that one first, if you don't want to though all you really need to know is that Jack was having a relationship with Sam while she used a mimic device to look like Daniel.

Illusion is here for anyone who wants to read it

Rating– PG-13, for one word

Summary – Daniel confronts Jack regarding what he's seen. Jack/Daniel slash. Sequel to Illusion

Disclaimer – If I owned them they'd be living in an AU with no DADT.

Reality

Daniel knocked on the door hesitantly and watched as Jack flew to his feet as though he'd been burned.

"I wasn't sleeping!" Jack froze, "Daniel, hi…"

"Hi Jack."

"I… um…" Jack sank down into the seat behind the desk. "I've been waiting for you."

"You knew I was coming?"

"Well, I didn't know it was gonna be today but it was pretty easy to…" He sighed. "You want a transfer off SG1 right?" Daniel blinked, "No? You want me to transfer? You want me to leave the SGC?" Jack gulped as a possibility hit him. "You don't want me to retire?"

Daniel made his way into the room and closed the door behind him with a soft click.

"Come on Danny," Jack winced, "sorry, Daniel. Am I getting warm?"

Daniel stood in front of him with his hands round his back and Jack winced.

"You wanna hit me? I'm right aren't I? Don't suppose I can blame you." He stood up and held out his hands in the 'come on' gesture and screwed up his face.

A few seconds later when nothing had happened Jack opened one eye cautiously.

Daniel had crossed his arms and was watching him with a tolerant expression on his face.

"Daniel?"

"Why don't you sit down Jack."

"Okay Daniel." Jack agreed and dropped willingly into the chair.

"So, what exactly caused you to think that conducting a relationship with Sam-as-me on base was a good idea?" Daniel asked bluntly.

Jack's eyes bulged, "Daniel!" His eyes flickered to the security cameras in the office and Daniel's followed his gaze.

"I have a guarantee from Siler that the cameras in this office will be suffering from an unknown electrical fault for the next two hours, after which, the problem will rectify itself mysteriously."

Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose, a stony expression on his face and narrowed his gaze at the man in front of him.

"So why don't you explain Jack?"

"Explain… what, exactly?"

"Oh I don't know." Daniel steepled his fingers. "How about you explain how you ever thought that it was a good idea to fuck Sam on base while she looked like me!"

He was on his feet by the end, leaning over the desk and shouting into Jack's face. The Colonel closed his eyes.

"Well?" Daniel demanded.

Jack grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down, crushing their lips together mapping Daniel's mouth with his tongue as if opened slightly in shock.

It couldn't have lasted more than a second or two but by the time he let go they were both panting.

"Right." Daniel hissed, eyes bright with anger. "So how do I compare Jack? Am I a better kisser than she is? You gonna spin me some line about how it didn't mean anything!"

Jack shook his head, face set.

"What then?" Daniel's hands flailed wildly.

Suddenly Jack was standing too, face pushed into Daniel's. "It meant everything!" He hissed. "It meant everything because she looked like you and I knew it was all I was every going to get, I needed it, needed you."

"You didn't even ask!" Daniel shouted. "Why didn't you even ask?"

"Would you have said yes?"

"Well…"

"Well that's why I didn't ask. Sam suggested it and finally it looked as though I could have you, it didn't matter that it wasn't real Daniel, I was with you and you loved me."

"It wasn't real! You used me and you used Sam, you knew she was in love with you! How could you!"

"Because I loved you, I still do, looking at you and seeing you hurting is making me hurt, physically hurt Daniel and knowing I caused it just…" He crumbled suddenly, voice dropping and burying his face in his hands.

Daniel hesitated and placed his hand on Jack's shoulder gently.

"I always have to be strong," Jack murmured suddenly. "I fell in love with my civilian scientist, my male, civilian scientist. Who was I supposed to tell? Somewhere down the line Daniel you became the person I went to when I had a problem but I couldn't go to you with this. Do you know what it's like watching the person you're in love with everyday unable to tell them, unable to help them, unable to hold their hand when they get hurt because someone might read something into it?"

Daniel shook his head wordlessly.

"Yeah," Jack sank down further. "For what it's worth I'm sorry Daniel, you want me out, I'm gone. You want to be moved, fine, whatever you want, I guarantee it will happen."

Daniel shook his head, "I don't want things to change."

Jack laughed without humour, "Well they did."

"Yeah… Jack."

"Hmmm."

"For what it's worth I…" He stuttered and then bit his lip. "Jack… since I doubt this relationship could get any more screwed up than it already is… can we try something?"

"Sure," Jack looked up. "What is it?"

Daniel took a deep breath. "I want you to kiss me, like you kissed her."

Jack frowned, "Daniel…"

"You've already kissed me once, please, you said whatever I want, well I want this."

Jack shook his head, "you don't want 'this'. You want knowledge, you're probably curious, I've seen your file Daniel. Sarah, Anna, Marie, Sha're, Shyla, Ke'ra, all very nice. Well, except from the obvious, but," he held up a finger, "more importantly, all very female."

"How about Steven?" Daniel asked, eyeing him, "Did you see Steven in the file? Or how about Michael? I haven't had a boyfriend since college but I'm hardly a blushing virgin Jack."

"You're…"

"Yes."

"I didn't know."

"Oh? Well, excuse me if I don't advertise the fact on a military base!"

In answer Jack stood up and moved around the desk, he wrapped one arm round Daniel's waist awkwardly and lent in.

This time when they pulled away Jack's hand was still stroking Daniel's face and Daniel's eyes were closed.

"I love you," Jack offered.

That seemed to startle Daniel out of his daze, he stepped back. "How many times have you said that Jack?" He turned and left the room without waiting for Jack's reply, leaving it unheard.

"To the right person? More times that I can count actually, this just happens to be the first time you've heard..."

Daniel didn't even turn around and as Jack watched something inside him snapped. 'No,' he told himself, 'I'm not going to let it end this way.'

"Daniel!"

Daniel stopped but didn't turn.

"Daniel, please just listen to me."

"Do you honestly think this is the best place to have this discussion Jack?"

"So let's go, go for a walk, we'll go for a beer, go for a meal, go for a coffee, just… please Daniel."

Daniel looked at him. He knew that if he agreed he'd give in, he'd never been able to stay mad at Jack. Knew they'd probably end up in similar positions to the ones he'd seen Jack and Sam in.

Knew that he'd probably end up saying something he'd regret.

Something stupid, probably along the lines of 'I love you too'…

He was supposed to be angry at him, he'd just assumed things about him, again! He'd used Sam's feelings against her but then again, she had used Jack's too, hadn't she?

And it wasn't like he didn't know anything about doing something stupid when he cared about someone.

Jack was still looking at him, he hadn't said anything and Daniel knew that if he walked away then Jack wouldn't say a word.

And Daniel would probably never see him again and it was surprising how much that idea made him sick to his stomach.

So he didn't love him yet, that didn't mean they couldn't try.

"Yeah, yeah okay then."

The relief on Jack's face was palpable. "Great, where do you want to go? We could go for steaks at O'Malley's or Starbucks for coffee or…"

"Or we could go to my place." Daniel blurted.

Jack looked surprised for a second before he began to smile, a sincere one, the first Daniel had seen in a long while. "Okay, you have better coffee than Starbucks anyway."

Daniel walked over to him and cuffed him on the shoulder gently, "I have beer too."

"Really!" The enthusiasm in Jack's voice changed to suspicion, "It's not that imported stuff is it?"

Daniel laughed. "No Jack, it's one hundred percent American."

"Sweet… thought you didn't drink that stuff."

"I don't."

"So who's it for?"

"You, you idiot."

"Oh, when did you get that?"

"Last week."

"You weren't talking to me last week."

"Yeah, well…"

Sam watched from the door of her lab as they walked away, oblivious to her presence. Jack's arm snaked round Daniel's shoulders in a manner he'd done a hundred times before which now held so much more significance, especially when Daniel leaned into it for a second before he pushed Jack away playfully.

"I really lost this time, didn't I?" She muttered under her breath.

Janet came up behind her and patted her on the arm. "I hate to break it to you Sugar, but there was no way you were ever going to win this one."

"Yeah, yeah I know." She watched them turn the corner, Jack ruffling Daniel's hair with no one any the wiser. The SF they passed was rolling his eyes at the two of them, the same old Jack and Daniel, but something about them was different, something in their smiles. "But at least someone did."