This precedes Serpent's Venom. Jillian and Daniel say good bye just before he leaves, in their own special way.

I want to thank one of my employees who speaks Mandarin and was kind enough to translate the phrases I asked her for and never once asked me what I needed them for.

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Daniel was looking so intently at the books jammed into the shelves in his office that he was unaware of Jillian standing in the doorway watching him. She let her eyes roam leisurely from his tousled hair down his back. His spine slid down from broad shoulders into slim taut hips with strength and beauty and wicked attraction. Something stirred in her blood in response.

Jillian found Daniel sinfully enticing, though none of the reasons she loved him had anything to do with what could be seen in the mirror. That fact that his bright beautiful soul was encased in masculine appeal was just a bonus.

"Can I help you find something?" she asked.

Daniel jumped, startled, and Jillian wondered how he ever survived out there among the Goa'uld when he could get so intensely caught up in the mundane.

"When did you get back?" he asked.

"Over an hour ago. Didn't you hear the Gate?"

Jillian joined him at the bookcase and he pulled her in for a quick kiss.

"I did, but I wasn't expecting it to be you. SG8 just left this morning. You've only been gone a few hours. What happened?" Daniel inspected her anxiously. His fingers on her hip pulled her closer.

"I'm fine. Scotty broke his wrist and Mallory is nursing some broken ribs though."

Anxiety flared higher in his eyes.

"Jillian," his voice held a warning that she better tell him, and she better tell him now.

"There was a rock slide. The hillside above the dig site gave away. The site is fine!" She held up a hand to stave off his questions. "We didn't lose anything. What are you looking for?"

Daniel's gaze swept her one more time, ending with his blue eyes fixed on her face. For that single moment there was nothing complicated between. They knew the dangers associated with any archaeological dig, and certainly those were many times greater when the dig was on another planet.

"Are you really all right?" he asked.

Jillian had discovered that she couldn't keep anything from him when he was looking her right in the eyes.

Perhaps they were falling in love simply because the other could be lost so easily.

"I was scared. It happened so suddenly."

Daniel pulled her against his chest to cradle her in both arms, bringing her head to find safe rest in the curve of his shoulder. Jillian drew one shivering breath and tried banishing the memory Scotty disappearing in a hail of rocks and dust. She closed her eyes briefly and felt tears prick against her eyelids and hated herself for the weakness.

Instinctively Daniel held her closer, offering her comfort and soft kisses against her forehead and temple. Jillian sighed. God, he was so broad and strong and impossibly handsome even in something as plain as his green camo BDU.

"You're all safe now," he said, calmly.

She nodded, her hair rustling against his shirt. She put her hands on his forearms. Daniel stroked her back gently and she wondered if he knew how much his quiet touch was stirring the waves of pleasure spreading in her body, distracting her, making her want him more than she wanted her next breath.

"And on stand down for a while," she said, ruefully, hoping he misunderstood the catch in her voice, "though I'm hoping the General lets me go back just as the archaeological consultant."

Daniel let go of her with great reluctance. He liked the way she felt in his arms, lean and firm, somehow strong and delicate at the same time. He remembered how she had looked that morning in his kitchen, making coffee while wearing nothing but an irresistible burgundy camisole and matching panties.

She had seemed to weigh almost nothing when he swept her up in his arms and carried her back to the bedroom, coffee abandoned in favor of kisses and slow erotic intimacy.

That had only been six hours ago. A lot had happened in those hours, but having her back and seeing her again had something burning under his skin like a sudden fever. To cover his mounting desire he spoke quickly,

"In the meantime you can help me find everything in here that has anything to do with the Phoenicians."

She looked up, puzzled.

"Why?"

Daniel's hesitation was obvious. He wanted her help, but right now was probably not the time to tell her about his upcoming mission; or how dangerous it was likely to be. He and Jillian could never really give each other the future. They could only ever give each other now.

"It's just something I need," he hedged.

"You already have Beck's Ancient Phoenician Symbolisms. What else could you want on the subject besides that?"

"Oh, in this case anything would be helpful," he said.

"In what case?"

Daniel felt a rush that was both frustration and joy. Her curious green cats-eyes were watching him suspiciously. She was just as quick as he was to want answers and to see when someone was trying to hide something.

"I'll tell you later," he promised.

He moved to the desk to add Phoenicians in History and Legend to the growing pile of books.

Jillian got between him and the desk and caught his wrists in her hands.

"Tell me now," she urged.

Daniel found himself pressed up against her, confronted by her frank, passionate gaze.

"I can't, Jill," he said.

Jillian searched his face and found only vulnerability and desire. Her heart broke for a moment and swallowed all her curiosity and better judgment. She stroked one hand over his hair, tickling the ends of it where it lay behind his ear. She reached up and drew him down into a kiss. Her fingertips brushed the back of his neck, firing sensations that made him gasp against her mouth.

Hot longing washed over them both. Daniel pressed forward, pushing her onto the desk, moving between her knees as they melted apart. Her hands strayed from his neck to his shoulders and down to the resilient bare flesh of his forearms.

It seemed impossible that it had only been hours since they had last been in each other's embrace. Daniel groaned again as his hands molded to her back and crushed her breasts against his chest.

He broke off abruptly, moving away if only by inches to put some distance between them.

"We can't do this here," he said, voice shaking.

A mischievous seductive smile teased at her mouth.

"Why not?" she asked, "You can't tell me you haven't thought about it."

"About what?" he asked, though he knew exactly 'what'.

She arched forward, brushing her hips against his. "Making love in your office, here, like we did in your office at the condo that time."

Daniel groaned again and kissed her. That was a memory he really shouldn't conjure if he was trying to control the heat pooling at the top of his thighs: Jillian opened and surrendered to him, across the top of his desk, convulsing in pleasure over and over and over against his mouth…

"We can't, Jill," he insisted, "It's bad enough we're at work much less…."

"Hey," she purred, brushing her fingertips against his inner thigh. "I'm on stand down. I've got hours. We could practice the Taoist massage techniques I've been teaching you."

Fire exploded in his groin. God in heaven, the last time they had done that he had blacked out. But when he had finally come to, he had been filled with a kind of euphoric energy and sense of connection he had never before experienced.

Then she had shown him how to do the same thing for her and life had never been the same again; reality shattered, as if they had gone flying into heaven together.

But this was far beyond physical need. Those needs, and more, had been satisfied in the early morning hours before they had come to the SGC and she had vanished through the event horizon. This was a craving to be with her one more time before he went off to do something incredibly stupid and incredibly dangerous; a reminder to himself of why he needed to be careful, of what he had waiting for him.

"Don't you have books in your quarters?" she murmured, kissing and nipping at the skin above his collar.

Distracted by the need to finish packing and the need to control his desire to push Jillian backwards onto the desk, Daniel didn't immediately focus on what she was saying.

"What?"

""The books in your quarters, there might be one you could use," she suggested.

Daniel traced his fingers down her spine and urged her forward again, tightly, hip to hip. She shivered and molded her body to his like puzzle pieces. God Daniel – tall, and solid and warm as the sun. It was enough to make her lose her own train of thought.

His voice muzzy and distracted he nuzzled against her neck and said,

"I don't think there's anything in my room that I would need for this mission."

"I still think you should check," she murmured, "And when you don't come right back I can go look for you."

Even blinded by desire, Daniel had enough functioning brain cells to realize what she was saying. It wouldn't do for them to go hurrying through the halls of the SGC, flushed and anxious as teenagers. But they had also worked themselves into a state they had to address, one way or the other. It wouldn't look odd at all if Daniel went to his own room, alone; and Jillian joining him there was common enough for no one to notice.

Only the promise of what waited for them in his room gave Daniel the strength to step back from her. He still moved in for one more kiss.

"Don't be too long," he urged; and then vanished out the door.

Everyone knew that SG1 was in the middle of getting ready for 'something big'. So Daniel hurrying through the halls and bouncing on his heels at the elevator door was nothing remarkable. He ducked into his room and closed the door and then simply stood there breathing heavily for a moment.

Okay, now what? There actually were books in his room, but he knew none of them were what he needed for this insane mission to reprogram a bomb. There were other things he did need though so he went searching for them to keep from going crazy waiting.

His dog tags he found tossed on the night stand. He was supposed to wear them, all the time, but considered that more of a suggestion. His watch was on the top of the dresser.

He turned when he heard the door opening. The moment he saw her desire shook him from head to toe, passing in hot rolling waves through his body and flooding him with desperate longing. Stunned by the intensity, Daniel dropped his watch on the floor. His hands shaking, he managed to carefully remove his glasses and place them on the dresser.

Jillian stood as if she had been turned to stone, gazing at him with fire burning in the depths of her forest dark eyes; too frozen by passion to even shut the door.

Wrenching his shirt over his head as he moved, Daniel strode across the carpet. He swept her against him with one hand as the other reached behind her to slam and lock the door. He backed her up until she was trapped between his hard body and the door. He bent his head and kissed her, consumed her.

A glorious, painful fall of emotions cascaded through her heart as he kissed her. Overwhelmed, tears filled Jillian's eyes as she met his kiss; the tender velvet of his tongue, the sweet fierceness of his mouth. A whisper of those tears fell on Daniel's cheek and he broke off instantly.

"What?" Concern flooded his features. He eased back so that she wasn't quite so trapped against the door.

"Oh god, Daniel, please, don't stop," she moaned.

Her hands found his belt as he kissed tears away from her eyelashes, his lips a gentle seduction on her cheekbones and temple. He offered her the gesture as an olive branch or a benediction for whatever had caused her eyes to well up before they even got started on anything serious. Jillian's heart skipped for a moment.

Daniel. Daniel. Sometimes still so uncertain, even when she was eager and willing and he was quivering within her.

Jillian slipped out of his arms suddenly and knelt. Daniel inhaled sharply. Her face was level with his rather remarkable erection but she ignored it to unlace his boots. He kicked them off as she stood again, along with the rest of his clothes. She pulled off her own shirt in one smooth fluid motion while she kicked off her non-regulation sneakers.

Pants quickly followed and Daniel was torn between dragging her back to press the hard length of him against her and holding her back just to look at her.

Because, sweet heavenly gods, she was beautiful. Hiding her in that awful olive drab BDU should be a criminal offense. He reached for her mindlessly, plucking at purple satin and lace until it was forgotten on the floor. There was nothing between them now but frantic flames that licked and flared wherever skin met skin. She was all silk and lace and firm, soft flesh under his hands, leaning forward, trusting his touch; craving his touch.

Her hands slid over his chest as if she had been famished for him, as if days had passed since the last time she touched him instead of a scant few hours. Trembling fingers moved over his shoulders and collarbone, over the muscles hard beneath his skin. She pressed her lips against the base of his throat and felt his pulse flutter.

Daniel's breathing hitched and skittered as she reached lower and began to stroke him until he was hot satin over steel. Beneath her fingers blood pooled and stirred him into scorching urgency. Her other hand cupped his neck, pulled him into a kiss.

"Oh god, baby, you're so hard," she murmured against his mouth. Her voice was rich with anticipation and appreciation.

"That's what you do to me," he choked, his breath leaving him in a scalded gasp.

He had to put one hand on the door to steady himself, eyes closed as she worked him into a frantic desire to please her.

"Jillian," he whispered, and then slipped into another language altogether, as if some things were easier to say if they weren't in English, "Wŏ de tiān a, băobĕi. Mănyì."

"Daniel, xīnshàng rén, jīngcǎi nánrén, yìng dehéqiángjiàn de."

Daniel was trying not to move, holding his hips still even though he longed to thrust forward.

"Jillian, mĕilì defùnŭ, wǒ de mā, mănyì."

His fingers traced over her skin and felt it shiver and burn under his touch. Stifling a sob of pleasure he bent forward to kiss her shoulder and neck. Her breathing was slow and shallow, making her breasts rise and fall against his chest.

"Rè'àiwŏ, băobĕi," she begged.

For the second time that day, Daniel swept her up in his arms and carried her to bed. Jillian closed her eyes as her head hit the pillow, his hand behind it, his fingers in her hair. His body was stretched the length of hers, leaning over it, hotter than the sun. Hot shivers raced down her spine. She rested against him, throbbing, honeyed, hot and aching.

Daniel trailed small kisses over her shoulder and up her neck, teasing behind her earlobe. He inhaled the heat and lavender rising from her while his hands strayed over lovely female curves, taunting and teasing and exploring. She turned and flung one leg over his hip.

Daniel kissed her body, savored her, taking and giving. Jillian moaned and whimpered, clutching the sheets, his shoulders, writhing. He suckled her warm apricot-soft skin with exquisite restraint, and then tantalized her with little flicks of his tongue and fingers.

"Wǒ de mā, Daniel," she begged again, helpless, arching up into his touch, "Xiànzài,mănyì, mănyì."

For a split second it seemed that he wanted to draw this out further, to make it last longer. She felt his hesitation and then he was urging her onto her back, sliding between her legs. Melted, hot and lovely, she opened for him, every piece of her craving his brightness.

Blind with need, intellect silenced, in one flawless slide he brought them together. They moved together like twin suns in orbit, like dancers. They moved in the endless rhythm of life, moving away and coming back together, never breaking wholly apart.

Her climax caught him off guard. One moment she was with him entirely and the next she had tumbled off some great height, crying his name and clinging to him, her face buried in his neck and shoulder. She pulsed around him, frantically, crying out as if she had been stricken to the heart.

Daniel ground his teeth together and fought for control. The great advantage of being a woman, he now knew, was that there could always be more; and he intended to give it to her. He stayed with her as she floated back to earth, moving just enough to satisfy his urgent need to do so.

He slid his hands into her hair and lifted her face so that he looked directly into her eyes. His own eyes shone – ocean wild with passion. Her green eyes were filled with power that excited him and sincerity that soothed him. Daniel pushed forward slowly until he was flush inside her and then began to rock his hips slowly. Her eyes fluttered closed. Her smile was slow, sexy and sublime.

"Gèngduō de?" he asked, kissing her eyelids.

"Shi, shi mănyì." Jillian whispered. Her voice was smokey.

She quivered and let his quiet caress recreate the waves of pleasure. Daniel wanted to give her the world, a time together that might have to last her a lifetime. She was helpless with bliss, refusing him nothing, matching him passion for passion, thrust for thrust, word for word. His mouth found hers again. She convulsed again in pure ecstasy and this time she dragged him with her.

Scorched, Daniel thrust hard and cried out. His climax hit him like thunder sundering a summer sky. Strong tremors obliterated his awareness. Aftershocks had him gasping for breath. His head dropped to her shoulder and rested there. His arms held her still cradled against his chest.

Slowly, slowly, the world came back into focus. Daniel rolled onto his side and carried her with him. Warm, soft and languorous she curled up into the curve of his body. He smoothed her hair behind her ear and then ran his hand fluidly down her spine, over the curve of her hip, drawing her close to him.

He cradled her in his embrace, both of them buoyant and incandescent, sated.

"Wŏ deShàngdì," he panted.

"Daniel?"

"Hmmm?"

Her hand came to light on his chest, softly.

"You'll be careful, won't you?"

The words came out quietly, so quietly he almost didn't hear them. Daniel flinched as if they had struck him physically. She knew somehow that wherever he was going, it was different. With all the wariness he would have used sneaking up on a Goa'uld stronghold, Daniel shifted so that he could look into her eyes. They were wide and dark green and held a demand for his promise that he couldn't deny.

He kissed her forehead.

"Of course," he whispered.

Jillian rested her head in the hollow of his shoulder and said,

"Hăo de."

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