Chapter 10 ~ With the Honey …
Daniel was slammed heavily to the floor. Landing forcefully on the backs of his shoulders, he instantly he brought both feet down to try and take some of the impact off his lower back. But the collision still cause all the air to be expelled from his lungs in one loud sudden 'Ooff'.
The tight grip on his wrist, holding his arm out at an unnatural angle, immediately released as Leesia dropped down beside him and placed a gentle hand on his chest.
"Daniel, I am so sorry. Are you hurt?"
He met her eyes wide with concerned gaze and couldn't help the pride filled smile that tugged his lips. After all flipping someone nearly twice your body weight over your shoulder onto their back was quite an accomplishment (even if that said someone had been holding back).
"My self-esteem has just gone critical," he quipped, as he eased himself upright with a light groan.
"I'm okay," he reassured her with a strained voice, seriously wondering why he had been so adamant that she use him to demonstrate what she had learnt in manner of self-defence. Why hadn't he just taken her word for it when she had told him she was more than sufficient? 'Because when it comes to her safety, I have to be sure.' his sub-conscious stubbornly answered. 'Especially after…' He shook the thought from his mind. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. They had all this time together, alone, and he didn't want to waste a second of it.
"Are you sure?
He nodded and with a chuckle added, "I think it's safe to assume that you've more than mastered the basics."
"Teal'c is an excellent teacher." She blushed, modestly side-stepping his subtle compliment. "However this is not what I pictured us doing on our Honeymoon."
Daniel rolled his eyes at her. "I don't know," he pondered cheerfully, wrapping his arm around her waist, "rolling around on the floor together, getting all sweaty seems about on par with what I imagined."
The cheeky delight in his smiled triggered one of her own and she bent to kiss his waiting, wonton lips. "Later," she told him, making her word promise, as she tapped the tip of his nose. "We have unpacking to do."
Untangling herself, Leesia rose up, and snagging the brown paper bags they had deposited before their 'workout', headed towards the kitchen. "Cases," she called over her shoulder.
Daniel threw a sloppy salute towards her disappearing back. "Yes, ma'am," he replied tartly. He heard her giggle as he readjusted himself and got to his feet. Snatching their luggage from beside the front door, he made his way to the master bedroom.
In the few short weeks since Leesia had accepted the position as a member of SG-1, and due to her fierce desire to not be the weak link in the chain and let the team down, the former Ancient had thrown herself into the task of readying herself as much as humanly possible. She had started with reading over each report for every mission that every team had ever been on. When that input only took her a couple of hours she turned her attention to each and every training the SGC offered: Combat training, hand to hand, self-defence, weapons handling, tactical analysis, and knowing that her unique technopathy would be the most useful advantage she could provide the team she had also thoroughly studied up on all of the alien technologies the SGC had access to.
Daniel had kept a close eye on her throughout. Telling himself that he was making sure she didn't over do it, but he knew deep down that was a lie. He just couldn't be parted from her for too long at the present.
With only four days left until her first mission as a full member of SG-1, Daniel had decided that she needed a break (There was no telling when their next opportunity would be) and, taking Jack up on his offer to use his cabin, whisked her away for an impromptu long weekend away.
It had been Leesia who had insisted that, as it was their first holiday since their wedding, they call it a honeymoon. Not wanting to deny her anything, Daniel had agreed. But, not before he had made the point that the term 'Honeymoon' actually referred to the moonth, or month, following a wedding when the marriage was at it sweetest. As far as he was concerned the honeymoon holiday was still to come. He was thinking of possibly a cruise. A perfect way to introduce her to many of the different cultures and wonders Earth held, while still being heaped in tranquillity and plenty of time for just the two of them. Unfortunately, that would require a lot more free time than either of them could possibly spare at the present, so for now Jack's lakeside log cabin would be more than adequate.
Daniel swung both cases onto the bed, with a light bounce and unzipped the first one. He pulled out their toiletry bags and put them aside, he would take them to the bathroom when he was done. He pulled out his suit bag and hung it inside the closet, remembering as he did that he needed to look up a nice restaurant locally. Jack had recommended one, but Daniel didn't think 'The Sizzlin' Shack' was quite what he was looking for in terms of romantic dinning.
Returning to the suitcases, Daniel pulled out the sheets and bed linen that Leesia had packed and dropped them on the foot of the bed. What he found beneath caused his eyes to nearly bug out of their sockets. Seemingly on autopilot Daniel dipped his hand in to feel the silk and lacy undergarments that was all Leesia seemed to have packed it terms of clothing.
"Find anything you like?"
Daniel snapped his hand up, as if burned and spun to face Leesia, who stood relaxed beside him wearing a seductive and mischievous grin.
Swallowing thickly, his wide eyes pulled into a taken-aback frown. "Uh," he blinked at her and frowned, licking his drying lips.
Her grin fell. "You do not like them."
"No, no, no, it's not that," he quickly reassured her. "It's just I was planning on taking you out to dinner and I'm sure you'd be a bit chilly wearing this." He pulled out a little black number that left little to the imagination. Chilly wasn't the word, she'd get frostbite, hell she'd get arrested wearing that. "Plus, I doubt you'd be able to fight off the admirers if you went out wearing one of these. No matter how efficient your self defence skills have become."
"Oh I think they would be more than adequate," she replied casually, as she sauntered up alongside him and started assisting the unpacking.
"Really?" he questioned teasingly. Smiling, as an idea cropped into his mind, he backed up a couple of steps.
"Yes. And they are certainly more Honeymoon appropriate than what you have packed." she said with bemused annoyance as she pulled two stone tablets out and gave him a questioning look over her shoulder.
"Just a little light reading," he replied with a boyish grin, taking another step back.
"Light?" she questioned, testing their weight. "That is debatable."
As soon as she replaced them, he ran for her, intending to tackle her onto the bed. But, as he wrapped his arm around her slender waist he suddenly found himself flat on his back with his ass on the pillows and his legs crumpled up around the headboard.
Leesia smiling face appeared upside down in his field of vision. "Satisfied?" she asked with a smug and happy smile.
"Oh now you're gonna get it!" he said through a warning grin, speedily swinging his legs off the bed.
Leesia darted from the room, with her husband in hot pursuit, following her delighted squeals.
She knew she couldn't out run him (not that she wanted to), so once she reached the living room she spun to face him and brought her hands up in a playfully defensive gesture, her face alive with a delighted laugh. He caught hold of her and the pair tumbled down onto the thick carpet. Rolling over each other in a mass of limbs, Daniel managed to straddle Leesia's thighs and caught hold of her wrists, pinning them to the floor either side of her head.
"Get out of that!" he grinned down at her, panting.
The look she fixed him with speared through him like a jolt of lightening, hot and heavily with love, "What if I do not wish to?"
Daniel's smile grew wider. "Then I guess dinner is going to have to wait," he said, leaning over and capturing her grinning mouth with his own.
She pushed up longingly into his kiss and he eagerly released her wrists so he could cradle her head, holding her close.
The shrill ring of the telephone broke into their play.
Daniel groaned loudly in frustrated disappointment, as the breathless pair parted and threw matching glares at the persistently chirping phone.
"Allow me." Leesia smiled wickedly and a fraction of a second later the ringing ceased.
Daniel snorted out a happy chuckle and shaking his head lightly lowered back to her. "I really don't know how I coped before you came along."
…
Sam frowned at the suddenly silent receiver and shrugging replaced it in its cradle.
"Watchya doin'?"
Smiling to herself, pleased to hear his voice, Sam turned to see Jack casually leant against the wall just inside the doorway to her office. His arms were folded across his chest, eyes playful with a happy grin. She loved that carefree smile and it was impossible not to return it with one of her own.
"I was trying to get hold of Leesia, but there seems to be a problem with the line." She told him, then seeing his smile dropped quickly asked, "What about you?"
"It's lunchtime, Carter. I'm going for lunch." he told her, pushing off the wall, his relaxed manner faded. "Something wrong?"
"No, just wanted to check in, make sure they got there safe."
"And?" Jack questioned, knowing there was more to it than that.
Sam sighed looking embarrassed. "…And check over which technologies she had chance to master." she admitted shyly.
Jack sauntered over to her desk. "They're on their honeymoon, Carter. Now I know taking any form of time off is unfathomable in that workaholic mind of yours, but usually checking in with work is not high on the priorities list."
"I guess," Sam mused. "Did you see Daniel's face before they left. He looked practically giddy."
"Yeah, what's up with that? I didn't think Daniel got excited over anything that wasn't, you know, rock related."
Before she could stop herself, Sam blurted out, "They're probably at it like rabbits."
Jack's face fell. "Ah, I'm just about to eat!" he groaned out in distaste. "I so did not need that mental picture. My Grandfather built that cabin, I'll have you know. With his bare hands." he said holding out his own to accentuate his point.
Sam grinned cheekily. Jack huffed and needing a distraction, he pulled a pot of paperclips towards him and started linking them together. "Anyway, Daniel's taking his own sheets," he muttered, "Let them do their worse."
Sam couldn't help but tease him further. "Well that's good for the bed, but what about the shower, the kitchen counter, the dinning table, the couch, the-"
"Enough already! Yeesh."
Sam tucked her lips between her teeth to hold in the grin. There was something incredibly adorable about Jack when he was irritated and she almost couldn't help herself.
"Lunch?" he offered, tilting his head towards the open doorway. "It's on me."
As they wondered together out of Sam's lab, Jack mused, "Might be simpler to burn the place down."
"Insured?"
"Yeah."
"Might scare the fish."
"Ah, well, yes…about those fish…"
…
'A couple more hours.' Daniel told himself forcefully, with a silent frustrated sign. He could make it that long… He hoped. After all four o'clock in the morning was not a reasonable time to wake her. Especially given their late night 'activities' the previous evening.
He snuggled back down beneath the comforter and spooned himself around her. Closing his eyes, he desperately tried to ignore his arousal, blank his over active mind and slip back into the welcoming embrace of sleep. Already knowing that it would prove to be a fruitless attempt.
During the day Daniel could managed to keep somewhat control of his insistent need to keep a reassuring touch upon his wife, but during the night, when nightmares were frequently in charge, he couldn't help himself. He had held her close to his chest all night, with his arm around her and his hand nestled snugly between her breasts. Being able to feel her warmth, her every breath and heartbeat against his palm had kept him grounded. However, their tingles had been as taxing on his self control as ever. He knew he could only take so much before his more primal needs out weighed his more rational side. But if he could just hold on.
'Just two more hours…an hour at least…'
He nussled his face into her cascading brown locks and breathed in the scent of her hair. Orange blossom. Intoxicating. It wasn't helping him ease into sleep, but there was no way he was turning away from her. Away from her meant not feeling her heat…her life.
'At least another hour…Just one more. I can do that…Ah, to hell with it!'
"Lees," he breathed his hot breath across her neck, pushing himself closer still. Gently, he swept her hair back behind her shoulder, revelling more of her creamy skin so his unruly lips could kiss a path up her throat to that sure-fire spot behind her ear. "Wake up. I need you."
Leesia smiled knowingly into her pillow. Both declarations were inane.
"I can feel that," she said mischievously, swaying her hips to rub her bottom against him.
His lips were forced to halt their pleasurable journey so a moan could escape him, as his eyes rolled closed.
Leesia stole a brief glance at the bedside alarm clock, before pirouetting to face her aroused husband. He quickly took hold of her hips and pulled her close, grinding their bodies together.
"We made love less than three hours ago." she said, raising her chin, exposing her throat for his seeking lips to claim. He took full advantage. "This is becoming habit."
Grazing his mouth over her neck, following her pulse, Daniel briefly debated playing the Honeymoon card. But quickly realised no excuse would fool her.
"I'm sorry I've been so…" With his head still buried into her neck he paused to think of the right word.
"Clingy?" she offered through a hitched breath as he sucked on that sweet sensitive spot behind her ear.
He chuckled humourlessly through his nose at it tickled up her jaw. "Pretty much."
"Do not misunderstand me, I am not complaining about your increased desires, but I am getting concerned as to the reasoning behind them."
He really didn't want to get into this. Not now. Not while the tingles still coursing through his veins had only grown more demanding as she responded to his caresses. "Stop talking," he said softly, locking his lips onto her, preventing any possible argument. Although judging by her groan against his mouth and the way her body flexed to his he strongly doubted she objected.
Responding naturally to her husbands questing tongue, Leesia parted her lips and welcomed him deepening their kiss with a soft sigh.
There was something wrong, something that was troubling him, deeply, she could tell. Daniel was never usually this tactile. Openly affectionate - yes, but needy, clingy - never! He was much more likely to wrap his arms around himself rather than seek a comforting touch from another person, including his own wife. Yet in the last few weeks that had changed, remarkably so.
He had followed her around the base like a little lost puppy during all of her training, always seeking some form of contact whenever it was possible. While they ate in the mess hall he had wrapped his feet around hers under the table. When she had been studying in his office, his hand would be constantly, absently running up and down her spine while he worked. Even during the long drive to Jack's cabin he had held her hand or stroked her thigh the entire journey.
Whether he was aware of his actions or not, she couldn't be sure, however she could be sure that her husband had something troubling him. The question was: what? And how long would he suffer in silence?
She made a mental note to solve the dilemma…later. Right now she had a husband to satisfy.
…
Closing his office door softly behind him, Jack wondered into the briefing room and taking his seat, swivelled around to face three fifths of a not-quite-awake-yet SG-1.
"Two hours ago at approximately oh two hundred hours, SG-4 came in hot," he told them, getting straight down to business. "They were making a routine drop of tretonin on the rebel Jaffa camp on 161, when the base was attacked by a Kull warrior."
"A Kull?!" Mitchell exclaimed, all trace of weariness instantly vanishing.
Jack nodded. "It destroyed the base, killed anyone that got in its way and the Jaffa were forced to flee…SG-4 barely made it out of there alive. According to the Jaffa, this is the eighth attack in the last week."
"Didn't they have a limited life span?" Mitchell asked. "Shouldn't they have all died out by now?"
"Should have," Jack agreed, "but evidently they haven't."
"I don't see how this is possible. When we went to Tartarus we made sure the Queen and the technology being used was destroyed." Sam said. "And even if the technology could be repaired, the Queen is dead and without the infant symbiotes creating the Kulls would be impossible."
"What about another one?" Mitchell questioned. "Could they have found a replacement?"
"That would be highly unlikely," Teal'c told the Colonel. "Goa'uld Queens are extremely rare."
"Besides," Sam continued, "Anubis is dead. Who could be making them?"
"There's only one way to find out." Jack said.
"I take it we're going back to Tartarus?" Mitchell asked.
Jack nodded. "I can't keep sending good people out there defenceless and there's just not enough Nullifers to go around, but I'd like to be able to do this without interrupting Daniel and Leesia's Honeymoon, if at all possible."
"Would Daniel and Leesia Jackson not wish to be informed?" Teal'c said.
"I'm sure they would, but that would lead to them rushing back here and they've been through more than any couple deserve. They've earned this time."
Sam bit her bottom lip worriedly and reluctantly said, "Jack, the only safe way to that planet is the auto-pilot on Anubis's ship."
"Yeah?" Jack said, wondering what his girlfriend was driving at.
"And the only one who was able to get the ship working was Leesia." Sam continued hesitantly.
Collapsing back in his chair, Jack scrubbed his hands over his face harshly. "I knew you were going to say that." he said though a sigh.
…
Palms flattened on the view port, Leesia gazed silently out at the blue hue of hyperspace as it whisked by.
With the support and encouragement of the team, she had managed to get the ship re-started. It had taken a lot out of her and she was weary, but she would have time to regain her strength in the few days it would take for the homing beacon to take them to the planet.
If she could bring herself to rest that it.
Despite the fact that this mission had interrupted her and Daniel's honeymoon, had she been anywhere else she knew she would have been giddily excited about her first mission as a full member of SG-1, but she couldn't muster anywhere near those emotions here. She hadn't even been able to bring herself to look at the private quarters that Daniel and herself had been given for their journey. The other's way of trying to make up for them missing their honeymoon, she was sure. And yet despite the sweetness of the gesture, she just knew she wouldn't be able to enjoy herself.
Not here. Not on this ship.
This ship where had she been witness to Daniel's death and ascension up on the bridge and deep in the bowels, in the storage cells, she had had her infant son (the only baby she would ever have) torn from her.
A strong tremble rippled icily down her spine at the memories and she forced herself to remember that Daniel had come back. Her rock. Her love. Her support and comfort. The only man that had ever and would ever hold permanent residence within her heart. He had never given up the hope, however small that hope may be, that one day their son would be back with them also. Her sweet, stubborn husband. He would never give up.
As if on cue she felt a pair of strong arms encircle her waist from behind and she leaned back into Daniel's welcoming embrace.
"You wanted a cruise." she said, with a sad smile, her eyes still glued at the view ahead of her.
"This isn't the kind of ship I had in mind," Daniel said simply, pressing a kiss in her hair.
'Nor I' she stopped herself from replying just in time. Daniel didn't need to know the path of thoughts the unwelcome familiarity of the ship had sent her down. Not when she was in little doubt that the reminders were just as strong for him also.
"Tell me what you're thinking," he whispered imploringly.
After a long tense silence, and just when Daniel was about to plead again, she spoke. "I lost you both on this ship."
Her tone was hollow, detached. The same tone she had used for weeks after their sons kidnapping. It was one he had never wished to hear from her again, but he had assumed this may be the cause of her sudden closed off demeanour.
"I was going to wait to give you this," he said softly, pulling open the vecro on his tac-vest pocket and dripping his hand inside. Grateful he had had the foresight to bring it with him. "But the timing just seems right now."
He slipped the small velvet covered box into her hands.
Leesia turned in his arms, looking up at him with questioning eyes. "What is it?"
"Open it."
Gently she eased open the hinged lid and with a curious frown lifted a small pendent from the box. It was white gold shaped into a teardrop descending from twin stars. She flipped it over in her palm. "Our Stardrop?" She asked, reading the inscription from the back.
"You once told me that the even the stars cried for him," Daniel told her. "I can't begin to tell you how much solace that thought gave me. I hoped that maybe it could do the same for you."
A sob caught in her throat. Looking up it him, she smiled, releasing the tears that had been pooling in her eyes.
He gently swept her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "The evil doesn't come from a place, Lees. It comes from a person." He said, tugging the necklace that had once held his wedding band from beneath her t-shirt and carefully unhooked the clasp. Taking the pendent from her, he threaded the end through the back of the little stars, before fastening the chain back around her neck. "We're here to make sure that person doesn't leave a legacy."
She nodded in agreement. "You are right."
"Come on," he said, gently pulling her away from the window. "I've got something to show you."
He led her down the short angled corridor to the room that had been set aside for their use and twisted a jackal-headed symbol halfway along the golden hieroglyphed wall. With a hum of the mechanics the twin door slide smoothly away, revealing the luxurious space that they would be staying in for the trip.
Daniel watched for her reaction out of the corner of his eye. Hoping that the differences in this room compared to the rest of the ship would be large enough to help her forget where she was. Right now he would have given his right arm to be back in Jack's battered old cabin, by the lake, where the bugs bite but the fish didn't, rather than this ship. But he was doing his best to make the most out of a bad situation.
Leesia's mouth dropped open and her eyes grew wide, as she took in the changes that had been made to the room. The harsh overhead lighting had been doused, replaced by dozen and dozens of flickering candles, that threw scents of musk and citrus into the air. The glyphed walls had been completely covered by cream material, which joined to a point above a large four poster bed and created a large tent-like appearance, so different from the outside ship that it was impossible to believe they hadn't stepped back in time. They could just as easily have walk into Abydos or Malgena. In fact the only 'Goa'uld' influence to the room was the Zat's the couple wore holstered at their thigh.
"They all felt bad that we're missing our honeymoon." he said, dropping her hand so he could help her off with her pack. "So while we were on our way back to the mountain, Jack had a crew make a few changes for us." Daniel dropped the pack down by the closed doorway, where his own already sat, before unzipped her tac-vest and draped it over the top.
"This is ours…" he continued, as he glided the zipper of her jacket down, before unlatching her belt and adding it to the growing pile. "…For the duration of the trip."
He met her stunned gaze, silently judging her reaction. Would she be able to see past the 'where' and allow the freedom they had felt in Jack's cabin to continue? He hoped so…Really hoped so. He wasn't ready for their time together to be over. Not yet. He just needed a little more time. Time to get the fact that she was here and alive through the thick-headed obstinacy of his subconscious.
And it was so hard to concentrate on that thought while the tingles were super charging his libido.
'How is it possible that cool blue can appear so warm?' she wondered, looking up at the heat shimmering from his eyes. There was no mistaking that look in his eyes. It was the same one he had worn every morning since her return. Longing, desire and an underlining hint of … sadness?
Daniel's knuckles gently grazing down her cheek snapped her back to reality. "I know it's not what we had in mind, but-"
"-It is beautiful." she quickly interrupted. She couldn't deny him anything. Especially when he clearly needed it so badly. Speedily, she pushed herself up onto the tips of her toes, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"So, you think you could enjoy a proxy honeymoon here?"
"I believe so, but…"
"But what?"
She smiled sheepishly up at him. "But … I am a little tired." she admitted, pinching her bottom lip between her teeth. "Right now, I just wish to wash and then sleep."
"I thought you might say that." Daniel said with a nod, pleased that she had owned up. It was a lot easier than trying to drag the truth from her. He could feel it in the slight falter to her tingles. Re-starting the ship must have sapped a lot of her strength. Thankfully, he had anticipated that and had planned ahead.
Daniel toed off his boots, and after Leesia had followed suit, he lead her over to the side of the room. As he lifted a flap of the rich material up out of the way a strong floral scent assaulted her nostrils. Behind was another chamber, leading off from the main one. Clearly it as a washroom of some kind, but Leesia had never seen one like this.
The gilded bathroom was nothing short of glorious. Here the blood reds and vivid golds were softly muted, creating a relaxing feel, enhanced by the many vases and jugs that decorated the sides. The rich black flooring, smooth and polished to a mirror-like gleam was warm beneath their bare feet.
A small egg-shaped pool (being the size of a small bed, it was too big to be called a bath) was sunk into the floor and was the central focal point of the room. It was brimming with bubbles and Leesia realised this was the source of the glorious scents that she had been greedily inhaling. She gave Daniel a grateful smile and eagerly started tugging off her BDU's.
Daniel had to hand it to them, the Goa'uld knew how to travel in style. It was beautiful, but the view got significantly better as he watched his wife strip herself down and dip a testing toe into the water.
He couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face from the image before him. "Now there's a sight to behold," Daniel grinned.
With just her face and the tips of her pinking knees poking above the surface, Leesia blinked up at him from the mound of bubbles and threw him a smiled that matched his.
He sauntered across the highly perfumed room and sat down on his haunches, twirling his fingertips in the mass of foam. "Want some company?" he asked hopefully, with a devilish glint in his eye. Already stripping off his own clothing without waiting for her answer.
She pursed her lips as she pretended to ponder the offer over. "That depends." she told him, that mischievous smile that he loved tugging the corners of her mouth up playfully.
Throwing his clothes into a pile by the doorway, Daniel decided to play along with her little ruse and scooped up a pile of the scented bubbles into his palm. "On what?"
"On whether you will hog the bath as much as you do the bed."
Daniel's mouth dropped open in mock horror. "I do not hog the bed."
"You do."
She spluttered as she found her face covered in the scented foam. She swiped it away but it was quickly replaced by a second larger amount.
She desperately tried to swat him away, without luck.
"Okay! Okay!" she gaped through a mouthful of bubbles, sitting up to both protect her face and allow room for her tormentor to slid into the water behind her.
She wriggled backwards, slipping easily between his parted thighs and laid back on his chest. With a contentedly happy sigh, she snuggled back further into him.
…
The air was heavy with the scent of sulphur, leaving a metallic taste in his mouth.
His Egyptian Princess lay in the thick sticky pool of her own blood. It was black as the night. Even as he approached, Daniel knew she was dead. He knew there was no hope. But he went to her anyway, dropping to his knees.
As gently as he could, Daniel lifted the corpse, and laid her head on his lap.
Her unblinking whitened eyes stared through him. "This is your fault." she hissed. Her breath was a cold mist as it crept against his cheek, sending icicles down his spine.
"I know. I'm sorry."
"You let me die."
"No." Daniel shook his head, a silent plea for her to believe him.
"Just like you did with Sha're."
"N-no."
"And your son."
"No!"
"That's why she wont have your children." She spat. "No ones is safe with you."
"NOOOO!" he cried, tightly clenching his hands over his ears. He didn't want to hear this.
"Daniel?" Leesia was up, hovering over him.
He was thrashing hard, the cover twisted into knots around his legs, while he cried out, "Please! Please stop! No - it's not - Please, don't. No!"
Her usual trick of talking to him and holding him to snap him out of nightmares and allow him to sleep peacefully wasn't working as it normally did. It was time to up the ante.
Taking hold of his bucking form firmly by the shoulders, she shook him. "Daniel! Wake up. You are having a nightmare. You have to wake up. Daniel!"
His eyes popped open, wide and panicked. Panting hard and trembling with fear and shock, he speedily took in his surroundings before locking his eyes to her and letting out a relieved heavy sigh.
"Daniel?" The concern etched thickly in her voice stabbed at him. He didn't want her worry… or pity.
"I'm fine," he told her breathlessly, harshly brushing the embarrassing wetness from his eyes with his fists.
She frowned at him. "You are not fine, Daniel." she told him firmly. "We shall be arriving at Tartarus by morning. This is my first mission. I do not wish to go on it worrying about you. Please - please talk to me."
Daniel didn't want to go there. He didn't want to put voice to the reasons behind his actions. But if the past had taught him anything it was that she saw through most subterfuge straight to the hidden truth, and she wouldn't thank him for keeping her in the dark.
He dropped his head and started fiddling with the corner of the pillow case. "I watched you die." he told her, forcing the words out through his suddenly over tight throat.
"Daniel, look at me." she insisted, gently cupping his check and encouraging his head up to face her. Instantly he turned his blue eyes up to lock into the warmth of her brown. "It was not me. I am here and I am fine."
"I know. But I saw it… and there was nothing I could do but watch my worse nightmare play out before my own eyes…"
"I remember," she whispered mournfully. As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted them and wished she could take them back. This talk wasn't about her pain, it was about his.
She watched as he first frowned at her in confusion, then saw the moment her meaning dawned on him and his mouth dropped open in realisation while his brow twisted in pained understanding.
Daniel chastised himself. How could he have been so stupid? She wasn't talking about her alternates self's death, she was talking about his own. She had held him as the Ancient knowledge overtook his mind. She had listened to his final words before he had ascended. She had watched as he died. Powerless to stop what he had put into motion. Helpless against the outcome. "I'm sorry." he breathed out, guiltily.
She stroked his sweaty bangs off his equally sweaty forehead. "You have nothing to apologise for."
"How did you cope?" he asked, looking up at her hopefully. She had been through this. Why hadn't he seen it before?
"While you were gone?" she signed out a resigned breath. "I didn't… But once you came back, I put it behind me."
"You're right. I just - I." Shaking his head, he admitted, "I don't know how. How do you cope with something like this? How do you put it behind you?"
Compassionately, she stroked her hand down his cheek. "You have to admit it, Daniel."
"Admit what?
"That you are relieved it was her and not I that died."
"I-" Daniel froze, dumbfounded.
Once again his beautifully insightful wife had seen the hidden truth that even he himself hadn't seen. Because he was relieved. Thankful, even. Throw his arms up to the heavens and scream out praise to every god that ever was or would be, delighted, that it was not his Leesia that died. But how could he admit that? How could he admit that he felt any kind of positive feeling over a death? How could he choose one version of Leesia over another?
"Easier said then done." he grumbled.
"Daniel." Her tones was suddenly harsh and insistent. She took his face in both hands and forced him to look her straight in the eye. "This has to stop!"
"I'm trying." he said, mournfully dropping his gaze.
"No you are not!" she snapped, tightening her hold, forcing him look back up at her. "You are wallowing. Everyone is trying to appease you, including myself and yet none of the efforts are being appreciated, merely endured. I for one am not going to abide by this self pitying attitude any longer."
As she continued to chastise him, Daniel's face creased up and he pinched both lips between his teeth. He couldn't help it. 'Damn it, she's just so cute when she's angry.'
"This is not like you! You hardly sleep and when you do you are experiencing violent nightmares. You hardly leave my side anymore and when you do it is for as brief a time as possible. You keep me close physically, yet you push me aside, along with everything else, when it come to your emotional pain. I am getting most irked with it!"
And suddenly he couldn't hold it in any longer. He burst into laughter. Load belly clenching laughter that made his eyes water.
"I do not see what is so funny." Leesia demanded scowling at him.
That only made him laugh all the harder.
"I'm sorry - I'm sorry," he sniggered out, tightly holding his aching stomach. "It's just, It's just -" he snorted and was off again, rolling onto his back into another fit of loud guffaws.
Leesia rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help the smile that climbed onto her face. To hear him laughing - and not just a polite chuckle, but a full abandoned laughter. It was such a lovely sound.
He pulled her into his arms, chortling heartily into her neck. She followed suit, wrapping her arms around his shuddering waist, as he pulled her close.
"You know, you could have just said get over it." he snorted.
"Get over it!" Leesia quickly retorted with a mischievous grin.
He smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Cupping her face with both hands he briefly brought their lips together. "You really are amazing. Thank you."
"Thank you for letting me in…finally. You know you really are too stubborn for your own good sometimes."
His smile grew wider. "I don't know how you put up with me."
"Having to keep up with your insensible sexual appetite recently has been." She huffed out on over dramatic sigh. "… tiresome." She grinned cheekily, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Yet it is a challenge I would gladly take up again."
Chuckling in glee, Daniel shook his head. "I love you."
"I love you also."
"Just promise me something." he asked, his tone turning to serious.
"Anything." she instantly swore. Anything to keep that loving gaze upon his face rather than the pained one she had been witnessing for the past few weeks. Anything she could do to ease any suffering he had endured she would gladly do a thousand times over.
"Never, ever, under any circumstances, call me 'Honey'."
"I promise." she vowed, without hesitation. Although, now she considered it she could understand her other self's choice in her chosen pet name for him. The incredible sweetness made in the most unlikely of places did hold a resemblance to Daniel good nature, despite being surrounded by more hardened military types. She considered that maybe the Honeybee itself was probably more suited to him. The busy little insets that worked in perfect harmony with the other member of their hive, bore a similarity to how Daniel worked. Although he was searching for answers rather than nectar. The SGC defiantly had a 'hive-like' quality about it. Each member of the 'hive' ready to defend to the death if need be. Unlike them however, Daniel carried his sting in his tongue and not in the tail.
She giggled at the last thought.
"Now what's funny?" he quizzed, puzzled by her reaction.
She repeated her thought to him, wording it carefully and was grateful when he laughed out loud too.
"You do realise what that means?" he asked still chuckling. "Your theory would make Jack the Queen Bee."