-- Chapter Seven: A Family Divided?

"Geez, Danny," Jack said, leaning back in his chair. He held a piece of paper with lots of figures on it in his left hand. He raised his right hand to rub nervously against his forehead, his fingers messing with strands of his silver-gray hair. "I had no idea this was going to cost us a small fortune."

"It's an international flight, Jack."

"I don't think J-O can handle the family expense. Look at these calculations," Jack stated, holding out the paper for Daniel to take.

They were in Daniel's den, and Jack was at the desk with Daniel in the recliner next to it. Daniel reached out and took the paper, studying the numbers before he replied.

"I agree. We'll need to pay for the children ourselves."

"So much for your diamonds and fur," Jack said, his face bright with laughter.

"Funny, Jack."

The two had been pricing plane fares for the past two hours. Even with the babies flying free, it would cost thousands of dollars to take the entire family on this extended work trip.

"I like the Denver to London to Cairo option the best," Jack offered. "What about you?"

"Me, too. It's the shortest overall. I still wish the girls didn't have to be down in the cargo hold. We need to get a new crate, Jack. This is too long of a flight for them to use the one we have now."

"I'll take care of that."

"Thanks, Babe."

"Do we need two crates, Danny?"

"I think we can squeak by with one, which will be better because they'll be together, but we need to weigh Bij and Katie before you go shopping."

Daniel massaged Jack's shoulders as the older man sat in the chair in the den, still reviewing flight options. He leaned forward and kissed Jack on the cheek.

"You keep looking for the best deal. I'd better go check on the children. I love you, Jack."

"Love you, too, Angel."

It was after midnight. Jennifer had awoken and decided to go to the kitchen to get an apple to curb her hunger. She assumed everyone else would be asleep. The teenager was surprised to hear her brother's voice as she walked quietly down the hallway.

David was in the living room, sitting Indian style in front of the fireplace. He held in his hand the photograph of Charlie that was usually on the mantle. Next to him, asleep on their beanbag, were Bijou and Katie.

"He misses you. Dad likes sports a lot. I wish I were good at sports. I can't even hit a baseball. Everyone at the shelter made fun of me because I was so bad at it. I don't want to be you, Charlie; I can't be. I just want to ... I don't know. I'm sorry you died. Do you know my parents?"

The young boy wiped away a tear. Jennifer almost ran to him, but something held her back.

"Dad says I'm like Daddy. I like being like Daddy, but ... I want to make Dad proud of me, too. I'd like to learn baseball, but I'd only disappoint him. I tried to tell him. He told me to be myself, to be like Daddy. Why can't I be like both of them?"

Slowly, Jennifer walked back to her bedroom, her brother's words circulating through her mind.

"DANIEL! DANIEL, COME DOWN HERE!" Jack yelled from the entranceway.

"Jack, you just woke up the Munchkins," Daniel said in despair.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but they'll be okay."

Daniel was in shock at his husband's cavalier attitude and was about to argue when Jack kissed him and said, "Yell at me later. Look what came in the mail."

Jack held out one of the five hardbound arrivals that they had just received.

"It's Kayla's novel," Daniel said softly, taking the copy Jack had held out to him.

"Hot off the presses, Love, and about to head out to bookstores across the country."

"She'd be so happy." Daniel took the book to the sofa and sat down to flip through it. "Jack, they are sending us a couple of cases, aren't they?"

"Yep. Next week."

"Good." Daniel turned the book over to look at the back and let his fingers trace over Kayla's photo. "We won't forget you, Kayla, and neither will ... your children."

Daniel looked to Jack who nodded his approval.

"What's happening?" Jennifer asked as she entered the living room.

"Kayla's book just arrived," Jack answered.

"Oh cool. Can I read it now?"

"Yes," Daniel said, standing and handing it to his daughter. Daniel stood and walked over to Jack and kissed him. "I love you so much, so darn much, Jack."

"Love you, Angel."

They kissed again, their arms wrapping around each other.

"Are you two going to get all mushy again? Geez! Kiss, kiss, kiss. Get a room already!"

"Now that's a good idea, just as soon as we get the Munchkins settled down again."

Jack winked at his daughter, then led Daniel up the stairs, leaving Jennifer downstairs to read Kayla's novel.

Hmm. 'Journey of the Heart'. I bet it's about her adventures in Africa or India. She used to talk about her heart still being there, with the children and the native citizens. She sure went to a lot of places.

She opened the book and read the dedication to her parents.

Wow.

Taking a breath, Kayla turned to Chapter One and began to read.

The family was outside enjoying a fairly warm day for mid-April. Jack sat quietly on the patio steps where Daniel joined him, putting his arm through Jack's.

"Lots of love for your thoughts," Daniel said softly.

"Baseball season is here. Just ... thinking about baseball."

"Buy him the glove, Jack."

"I don't want him to think I'm trying to make him out to be Charlie. He doesn't like sports."

"You don't know that, Love, and neither does he." Daniel watched David as he played with Katie in her play yard. "What David knows is that he's just not very good at baseball ... yet."

"Daniel, if his father never taught him, maybe that's because David never showed any interest in baseball or any other sport. He'd just be doing it to please me."

"Jack, we don't know the details. The Mouseketeers haven't wanted to talk much about their parents, and we haven't forced it, except to encourage Jennifer to share her memories with David and Noa, and she's done that, but what I'm saying is that we don't really know what their life was like. Besides, he's only six-years-old. I think you should give him the option, unless ..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you really don't want to."

"Danny, I swear, the only thing I don't want to do is make David think that in order to be accepted he has to become an astronomer and a sports addict. The phone," Jack said, looking back over his shoulder at the ringing device. "I'll get it."

Jack got up and walked into the house leaving Daniel alone on the steps.

I don't know, Jack. Sports may not be my thing, but then again, my dad wasn't into sports, at least, I don't think he was. I wasn't seeking his approval when I began to follow him around the dig sites. I just wanted to know why he loved it so, and then I realized that I loved it, too. When we went to New York, he told me we were going to go see the Yankees play. I didn't even know what he was talking about, if we were going because we were in New York and that was a "must do" or if maybe he really loved baseball and just hadn't had a chance to share that with me because we were always outside the country. And then, then it was over. I just don't know. I think you're wrong, Love.

Daniel didn't know if his silent communication with Jack was received or not, and before he had a chance to check it out, Little Danny began to cry, demanding his attention.

It was the night before David's birthday, and Jennifer couldn't sleep. She looked at the clock -- 2 a.m. She struggled with her decision, but some force wouldn't let her stay in her room. She headed for her parent's master bedroom. It was closed.

The teenager knew the rules. She didn't know if they were asleep or engaged in ... things she didn't want to think about it. She considered turning around and going back to bed.

No, I have to tell them; it's important. Bravely, she knocked on the door. "Dad? Daddy? I need to talk to you. Please?" Jennifer's voice was low, and her face was close to the door as she tapped on it.

After a minute, Jack opened the door, sleepily rubbing his eyes.

"Jen, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, but this is really important. Can I come in?"

"Come on in, Sweetheart," Jack opened the door all the way and moved back to bed, climbing back in and getting under the covers, though he leaned up against the headboard.

"Jen?" Daniel said groggily.

"Give him a minute," Jack chuckled. "He's never been a quick one to wake up."

"J'ck, shut up."

"See!" Jack put his arm around Daniel to shake him gently. "Wake up, Danny. Jen needs to talk to us."

"I'm awake ... I think."

Daniel's eyes darted around the room as he tried to wake up and focus. He blinked several times as he scooted up to lean against the headboard, automatically leaning over against his husband.

"Gla...glasses," he mumbled to himself.

Jack leaned over Daniel and retrieved the wire-rimmed glasses from the nightstand.

"Here, Love."

"Ah, thanks," Daniel said, putting the glasses on and seeing the bedroom finally come into focus.

"I'm really sorry," the teenager said.

"It's okay," Daniel yawned, "What's ... yawn ... up?"

"Um, well, David's birthday is tomorrow, or I should say today."

"We know that. We've got it covered, big time," Jack smiled proudly as he responded.

"I don't think you do. I helped you bring in the bags, remember?"

"That's true," Daniel said as he realized that she had helped them to hide the gifts from her brother.

"Dad, I don't know how you feel about this, and I think it's important that you don't do anything just because of what I'm about to tell you, but I also know how sensitive you are ..."

"Sensitive? Me?" Jack asked, shocked.

"Jack, you're a marshmallow and a softie to anyone you decide to let know you. For years, that was limited to me. Now we have children, and they see that you are more marshmallow than grizzly bear."

Daniel yawned again as Jack shrugged.

"Anyway, a couple of nights ago, I woke up and was going to get something to eat ..." Jennifer relayed what she had seen and heard, about David's holding Charlie's picture and wondering why he couldn't be like both of his parents. "So ... I just thought you should know, that's all."

"Thanks, Jen. We appreciate you're telling us," Daniel spoke softly, leaning forward to hug the teenager. "Go back to bed, okay? Everything will be just fine."

"Did I do the right thing ... telling you?"

"Yes," Jack said simply, his eyes a bit misty from the story she had shared.

The girl nodded and left the room.

Jack sighed.

"You know, I told David that if he didn't learn anything else from us, he should learn that you are always right." He paused. "I heard what you said, Danny, about your dad and the Yankees. Maybe it is as simple as just not knowing because he's never really been exposed the right way." He nodded, affirming his decision to himself. Then he looked at Daniel who smiled, but hadn't said anything verbally. Of course, he didn't have to. "I love you, Angel."

"I love you, too."

David's birthday party was a big success. In the morning, Jack and Daniel had allowed him to invite over five friends. The six were treated to the standard birthday party, complete with goodies and games.

"Remember playing this at the SGC, Danny? You looked so cute, all dressed up," Jack whispered to Daniel as they watched the six children playing the chocolate game.

Daniel blushed and smiled as he watched David, dressed up in sunglasses, winter gloves, a boonie hat, and a scarf, guzzle down as much chocolate as possible before the next person had a turn. He shook his head.

"You were much cuter than I was, Jack, and so is David."

Nope, don't think so, Dannyboy. Our son is awfully cute, but no one could possibly be as cute as you.

After the party, there was a private affair just for the family. Of course, this included their extended family. Sam, Teal'c, Janet, Cassie and Dominic, Lou and Carolyn, and Megan had all been able to attend. David had taken a shine to Megan when she volunteered at the shelter, so Jack and Daniel decided he might like to have her at the party, and they were right. His face lit up when she arrived.

David was treated to his second birthday cake of the day, and a mound full of presents from everyone in attendance and a few who hadn't been able to come. He looked like a very happy little boy. The only thing he regretted was that his Grandpa Hammond couldn't attend due to work, but other than that, his day had been terrific.

That evening, when everyone had gone, and David was alone in his room, Jack knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Hi, Son. Did you have fun today?"

David nodded and smiled, but there was a light missing from his smile. He didn't see the box Jack had behind his back.

"There ... was one more thing I wanted to give you, but I wanted to do it when we were alone because I thought we should talk about it first."

"Okay."

David was sitting on his bed, Indian-style, staring down at several of his presents.

"You do like these?" Jack asked about the various kits, rocks and science doodads Daniel had purchased.

"They're great, Dad; I love them."

"If you don't, we can take them back."

"No! I can't wait until Daddy shows me how to use most of these; I can do lots of experiments, and there's so much to learn."

"He's pretty happy that you are interested in archaeology and some of the things that he is, too."

"I am, Dad, especially mythology, lithology, and anthropology."

"However, there is more to life than ..." Jack picked up the assortment of rocks, looking the collection over carefully, "... rocks, and I'm living proof of that. I thought you might like this."

Jack handed the package to David. Very carefully, David unwrapped the packaging. When he saw what was inside, his mouth opened, his eyes widened, and he gasped.

"Son, listen to me because this is important. I meant exactly what I said that day in the garage. I want you to be yourself. I made the mistake of assuming that all you wanted to be was ... a science nut, like my Danny; but my very intelligent husband reminded me that I didn't have a right to make that assumption. Your sister also pointed out the error of my ways," Jack added with a grin. He turned serious again. "There's no reason, David, that you can't play baseball or hockey or whatever sport you want and still be a full-fledged ..."

Jack paused, struggling to find the word he wanted.

"Geek?" David spoke up brightly, causing Jack to laugh and bob his head.

"Yeah, geek."

"I can be like you and Daddy if I want to?" the boy asked eagerly, his torso arched forward towards his father as he hoped for the answer he wanted.

"Yes, you can, and that's up to you, but it's also important for you to know that you can be anything you want. You don't have to be like either of us if you don't want to. Maybe you like music or erecting buildings or ... I don't know. It doesn't matter. Just be who you are."

"I'm not very good at sports, though. You might be ... disappointed."

David's body language showed his insecurity. His body was now more hunched as he sat, and his eyes looked downward at the gifts on the bed. When he had spoken, his voice was soft and tone tentative.

"No, I won't be disappointed; I'll be proud, Son." He saw David look up with such hope in his young eyes. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have a child's eyes look at me like that. I miss you, Charlie. After a moment, Jack added, "David, you aren't Charlie, and the truth is, I don't want you to even try to be him. He was my first born, and I ... I won't ever forget him. I loved Charlie more than life, and he'll always be a part of me, but David, I love you just as much, because you're you, and the really exciting thing is that you have years and years to figure out just exactly who you are."

"Are you sure he'd want me to have this?"

David held up Charlie's old baseball glove. Without hesitating, Jack nodded.

"I think he'd be proud to share it with you."

"It's still too big."

"I know, but you'll grow into it soon, and in the meantime, we'll go the sporting goods store and buy you one that fits right now."

David's smile was huge, but then it dimmed. Tentatively, he asked, "What if I'm not any good, Dad? Do you want me to give it back?"

"No, this is yours now. If you decide you don't like sports, you don't have to play, but you can keep this as ... a reminder to be yourself."

"And to remember Charlie?"

"I know he'd like that."

"Dad, will you teach me how to catch? I'm not very good. I duck. I don't mean to, but I do, and if I don't duck, the ball always falls out of my glove. Can you help me to catch better?"

"Sure."

"Now?"

"It's a bit late, David." Jack couldn't stand the look of disappointment on his son's face. "Nah, it's not that late. Okay, let's go."

The two stood up to leave, but just as they did Daniel appeared at the door.

"I didn't know you were up here," Daniel said to Jack.

"Yeah, had another present for David here."

"Look, Daddy."

David exhibited the glove, a broad smile on his face.

"I see." Daniel smiled at the David's happiness and then knelt down. "David, remember the pinata?" David nodded. "I want you to remember what I said that night. If you fall down, just get back up."

David thought and then deduced, "So if I drop the ball, try again?"

"Yes, as long as you are having fun, you do it, and don't let anyone stop you or tell you can't."

"Daddy, tomorrow will you help me set up my rock collection? I don't understand all the words yet."

"Yes, we can do that. Oh, and your dad had one more present he forgot to give you."

"I did?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Yes, you did."

"Another present?"

The boy's eyes were bright with wonder. He'd never had a birthday like this before.

"Here, this is for you," Daniel said, giving David a rather large box which the boy quickly unwrapped.

"Oh wow! I really wanted one of these. Oh, Dad, thank you. Will you tell me about the stars tonight after we play catch for a while?"

Jack nodded, unable to speak. Daniel reached over and caressed his husband's right cheek for a moment.

Never assume. Our little boy has so much love for both of us. Let's let him decide where his passions are.

Thank you, Angel.

"Daddy, will you come watch Dad and I play catch?"

"Of course, I will. I need to check on the Munchkins and the twins first, and then I'll be right down, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Daddy," David reached out and so Daniel knelt down again to embrace the boy.

"I love you, too."

David reached out for Jack's hand.

"Come on, Dad."

Jack grinned as he let David lead him downstairs. He had a difficult time learning how to throw and catch the baseball, but with the encouragement of his parents, he soon discovered that he did like to play catch. More than anything though, he loved that he had two parents who loved him so much that he knew he could be anything he wanted to be, and they'd still love him, no matter what. That night, the exhausted little boy closed his eyes and fell asleep with a big smile on his face.

Jack and Daniel stood with their arms around each other's waists, their heads leaning against each other's as they watched their sleeping son.

Daniel whispered, "Be whoever you want to be, David."

Jack added, "And no matter who that is, know that we love you."

The lovers returned to their bedroom and changed for bed.

"Jack?"

"Yes, Love."

"Lou's off for a couple of days, isn't he?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Sam's coming over tomorrow to watch the brood while we go to lunch with Megan."

"And?"

"And ... what if we took an extended lunch and dropped by Lou's?"

"Daniel, what's going on in that beautiful, crazy head of yours?"

The archaeologist smiled shyly as he answered, "It's been a while. I kinda forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"Basketball. Do you think we can ... shoot some hoops?"

Jack grinned as he scooped his husband into his arms and kissed him.

"You did like it during that crazy week, didn't you?"

Daniel nodded as he added, "And that night, when we dropped by the Ferretti's, I ... I had fun. I'm not very good, but ..."

"But you had fun." Daniel nodded again. "I'll call Lou in the morning and see what his plans are."

"I don't ever want to forget, Jack. That week ... I learned so much, but sometimes, it seems like nothing more than a dream."

The couple had been talking about the week when they had become children and believed they were brothers, courtesy of an alien device that served to remind adults of the value of play. It had been a magical time, and during that week, Daniel had learned to play basketball, courtesy of Lou Ferretti. Now, the younger man wanted to honor the lessons he had learned, and doing that meant playing basketball, even if he wasn't the best player in the world, or even on the block.

"Not Nu 'Ork Ity?" Noa asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Daniel who was holding her.

"No, we won't go back there. This is closer. I'll be in Los Angeles for four days. Is that okay?"

Chenoa nodded her head and then rested it against Daniel's shoulder. He held her closely. He'd had to make two other short two-day trips since the New York fiasco, but those were just one night jaunts, once to Salt Lake City and once to Dallas. This would be a longer separation. He was to meet Abayomi and Yazid for four days in Los Angeles.

The children had been "fine" while he had been gone, but they always needed to be reassured that Daniel hadn't gone to New York City again, and it seemed to be the hardest on Chenoa. Despite her youth, some part of her mind held on to the loss she'd suffered when her parents had died.

"Daddy, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jennifer asked.

"Sure, Honey."

"Alone."

Sensing Chenoa still needed some support, Daniel handed her to Jack and then accompanied Jennifer to the study.

"What's on your mind, Jen?"

"Daddy, I was just thinking. Actually, I thought about it earlier, and David and I discussed it."

Daniel waited patiently as Jennifer worked out how to express her idea. He could tell she had thought whatever it was out and was searching diligently for the right way to discuss it.

"It's just ... I think Chenoa needs a bit of extra reassurance. She was the youngest and just a baby when our parents died, but we don't really know what children remember. I've read about that and ... I don't mean to presume, Daddy. I mean, I'm not suggesting this just for me or anything."

"Jen, come here," Daniel patted the vacant spot next to him on the sofa. When she sat down, he reached out and took her hand. "Now, just tell me what you're thinking."

"David said he was okay with it. He wouldn't feel left out or anything, and I believe him. Daddy, Noa needs to see where you go and what you do when you leave. She gets frightened sometimes and just needs to know you're safe. I thought maybe we, she and I, could go with you to Los Angeles. I'd watch her while you had your meetings, but if she was there, with you, she could see that it's okay."

Daniel nodded.

"Interesting idea."

"Daddy, you don't have to take me. I think it would be great if Noa could go just with you, but since it's business, I thought you might be more open to it if I suggested that we both go so I could take care of her, but really, it's Noa who needs to be there."

Daniel leaned over and gave the teenager a kiss.

"I'll talk to Jack, okay?"

"Okay."

"Hey, there's my girl." Jack beamed at the sight of Chenoa who ran to him. He lifted her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "Did you have a good time?"

"Fun! Saw Mickeeeeey!"

"You did? You saw Mickey Mouse?"

Jack smiled, seeing Chenoa was wearing her Mickey Mouse ears. He looked at Daniel who shrugged.

"We were in Los Angeles, Jack. How could I not take her to see Mickey?"

Jack laughed, and asked, "Did you see Goofy?" I'll never forget that day with Goofy, Danny.

Gawd, it was embarrassing.

You were adorable.

Yeah, well, next time he can pick you up.

Chenoa nodded, and Jack laughed at his memory of a trip he and Daniel had taken to Disneyland almost a decade earlier, timing it with something his daughter had said about her adventure with Goofy. She cheerfully spent the next several minutes telling Jack about her adventures in Mickey's park. While she did that, Jack saw Daniel motion that he was going upstairs to see the babies. Jack nodded in acknowledgement and continued to listen to Chenoa tell him about her big trip. She was still chattering away when Daniel returned several minutes later.

Finally, Chenoa took a breath.

"I'm glad you had a good time, Sweetheart. I missed you tons, though."

Chenoa grinned broadly, and then the little girl went upstairs with Jennifer and David to tell them more about her special trip with her daddy, leaving their parents alone.

"Hey," Jack said, finally able to take Daniel into his arms.

"Hey," Daniel echoed.

For a moment, the two simply gazed into each other's eyes, and then they kissed.

"I missed you, Angel."

"I hate being apart from you, even for a day."

Jack held Daniel in his arms, and each caressed the other's back. It felt good to touch and be touched. They spent a few minutes letting their bodies speak, and then as they cuddled on the sofa, they discussed the trip.

"Was it difficult having Noa with you?"

"Not really. Yazid loved her, and she was the perfect young lady. She did exactly what I asked, when I asked it. Jack, was Jen disappointed that she didn't get to come with us?"

"No, she was fine. She assured me that she only offered to go because she thought it would make it easier for you to take Noa. She was happy to stay here. In fact, I let her stay over at Sheila's Friday night."

"A reward?"

"She's a good kid, Danny. She looks out for everyone, and even though I'd like to keep her locked up in her room forever where she'd be safe, I know we can't do that. Unless she messes up, she deserves our trust and leeway as much as possible."

"You're right, and I'm glad she didn't mind. I worried about that a little, but I think we made the right choice. I had Noa with me the entire time, and I think it'll be easier on her from now on when one of us has to go on a business trip."

"She sure is happy; looks great in Mickey's ears."

"Jack," Daniel spoke with a bit of regret, "I had to take Noa to Disneyland. She saw flyers in the suite, and she had been so well behaved and ..."

"I think it was a marvelous idea."

"I didn't like not letting you share that, but ..."

"I know, Angel. It's okay," Jack said, kissing Daniel's temple.

"Oh, Jack, guess what?" Daniel turned so that they could face each other. "I was talking to Yazid about the plane trip to Egypt, and he solved the problem for us."

"He did?"

"Abayomi has a private jet we can use. Isn't that great? I mean, we can go exactly when we want to, and it'll just be us, and the girls won't have to be alone in a cargo hold. It's very generous of him."

"Yeah, generous."

"Jack?"

"It's great, Love. I'm glad Abracadabra agreed."

"Abayomi, Jack." Daniel leered at his husband. "Besides, it was really Yazid who deserves the credit. He really loved Noa. I think that's what did it. At Disneyland, he ..."

"Whoa!" Jack moved off the sofa to a standing position. "Yazza went to Disneyland with MY daughter?"

"Yazid, and yes, he heard me talking to her about it and asked if he could go. I didn't see why not."

"You didn't?"

"No." Daniel stood. "Jack, what's the problem?"

"You took a strange man to Disneyland with MY daughter?"

"Our daughter, and he's not strange. Jack, I don't understand the problem here."

"Never mind. I'm going to go talk to Chenoa some more."

"Jack." Daniel stared at Jack's backside as the older man moved swiftly towards the hallway. "Jack!"

Daniel shook his head and decided to have a glass of wine. Hopefully, whatever was bothering his husband would disappear as quickly as it had surfaced.

Later that night, Daniel filled Jack in on some of the arrangements that he had made with Yazid.

"Yazid has a contact with a company there, and they've agreed to loan us some of the bigger pieces of equipment we may need. By renting from them, we avoid the cost and hassle of moving it, and he's gotten us a great deal. It's amazing the people he knows."

"Amazing," Jack repeated.

"We might have one problem. The main site where I think we're going to unearth some real treasures is awfully close to the heart of Abydos. There is the possibility that other companies might want to claim it or argue our right to dig there. Yazid made some calls over the weekend, though, and he thinks it'll be okay. Still, I'm not sure if that site or this one," Daniel pointed to a spot on the map, "will end up yielding the most telling finds."

"Why multiple sites?"

"Well, the main hotel is here, but Abayomi wants to build a couple of smaller motels or inns in a few other locations, but this one so close to the other sites is the only one he has chosen thus far."

"Maybe we should just concentrate on one job at a time."

"Probably, but it's a great chance to excavate a site right in Abydos. If Yazid can pull this off, it would be a great opportunity for us."

"Sweet."

Jack didn't like how Yazid was so helpful to Daniel, nor did he like the increasing number of phone calls between the two, especially since they often spoke in Arabic, and Jack had no clue what the two were talking about. He was beginning to wonder if this trip to Egypt was a good thing or not.

All night, all the next day, and the day after that, Chenoa ranted about her time in Los Angeles with her Daddy and Daddy's friend Yazid. She told Jack about their dinners together and how Yazid taught her a few words in Arabic, and how he went on some of the rides with her at Disneyland.

Jack wondered for a moment if Chenoa's apparent crush on Yazid had sent Teal'c packing, until the Jaffa had phoned to check on his young friend and she had gushed for hours about her phone call. Still, she had a lot to say about Yazid, none of which made Jack happy.

Yazid had called several times, asking about things they might need on the flight over to accommodate the babies and the beagles, and once he even talked to Chenoa for a couple of minutes.

Jack was not a happy camper. His Mr. Jealousy was surfacing again, and now that Chenoa was an added piece to the puzzle, it just made him more upset. Daniel was upset, too, that Jack was carrying on silently about being upset. They hadn't argued, but both were tense, Jack because of his anger and jealousy, and Daniel because Jack wasn't telling him what was wrong, although he suspected that his husband was indeed jealous ... again.

Finally, Daniel decided they had to clear the air. They couldn't go on pretending everything was fine when both knew something was off. It wasn't just themselves now, but the children, too. With the babies asleep, Jennifer and David in school, and Chenoa happily playing in the backyard with Bijou and Katie, Daniel approached Jack as he was reading a magazine in the study.

"Jack."

"Daniel."

The young man rolled his eyes at the formality in their voices.

"Okay, Jack, let's hear it."

"Hear what?"

"Hear whatever has you stewing."

"Stewing? The kitchen is that direction."

Jack pointed his fingers towards the room in question.

"Jack, you're upset."

"No kidding? Geez, you're sharp!"

"Like a razor, Love, and that means I know you're upset about something, and while I can pretty much guess what it is, I'd prefer you actually tell me."

"Since you just admitted you're a mind reader, Daniel," Jack rose from his spot on the sofa, "then we don't need to have this little discussion, do we?"

Jack walked past Daniel and out of the study, leaving Daniel standing there in shock. They hadn't argued, but they hadn't settled a thing. It was ridiculous.

"Jack," Daniel hurried after his spouse, catching up to him by the stairs in the living room, "we have to talk about this."

"What's to talk about? Abracadabra is solving all our problems. The Great Yazza is the Heaven's gift to archaeologists, and my daughter thinks he's the best thing since ... Teal'c. What could be wrong?"

"Don't you think ..."

"Actually, I'm trying not to think about it. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go and see if I can remind my daughter that Dad might just know how to show her a good time, too!"

Three more days passed, and the tension between the two hadn't diminished, though both tried to pretend everything was normal when they were around their children. Daniel spent hours on the phone with Yazid making preparations for the trip abroad and arrangements for the J-O Enterprises personnel. They also discussed some local Egyptians who would be hired to assist in the project.

Jack felt like a third wheel. He had learned a lot about his new occupation, but he didn't yet know enough to be on the front lines in arranging the organizational details of the evaluations and excavations. Mostly, he sulked about Yazid.

Chenoa loved it whenever Yazid asked to speak with her, and each time she came away with a new word he had taught her. When the toddler wasn't ranting about Teal'c or Yazid, she was going on and on about her daddy and their special time together in Los Angeles.

Daniel was angry, though admittedly, he wasn't sure why. He figured it was because Jack was stewing instead of talking to him, but Daniel didn't want to fight either, so he hadn't pressed his husband. Quietly, Daniel kept hoping Jack would get whatever it was out of his system, or at least talk to him, and they'd get back to normal. He was sure they would.

We just need to talk, calmly, that's all. We can do it. No arguments -- just ... talking.

So on and on they continued in their silent nightmare. Jack didn't fully understand his feelings which only increased his frustration.

I don't want to argue, Danny, but I feel so helpless. Maybe it's silly, but it is how I feel. I'm ... angry, but I love you and our family. Time. Maybe time will help.

Jack didn't want to argue, so he hadn't.

It was a vicious circle -- Daniel knew Jack was upset, but couldn't understand why, and it hurt that his husband wouldn't open up to him about whatever was wrong. He didn't want to argue. Jack was upset, but didn't want to rock the boat. He didn't want to argue either. The unrelenting circle of anger and misunderstanding flowed like a dangerous undercurrent in their daily family life.

As a result, their days were spent working on business or acting normal in front of their children. Their nights were spent going through the motions. They weren't sleeping as they normally did. Jack wasn't Daniel's pillow, nor was Daniel his lover's warm blanket. Instead, they slept with their backs to each other, on their sides, each looking at a barren wall.

Translation: both were miserable, neither slept well, and they were both tired and irritable.

Bijou and Katie, sensing the tension, decided to stay out of this non-argument and had spent the last couple of nights in with the Munchkins.

As for the children, as usually happens in situations like this, they knew something was wrong, in spite of their parent's best efforts. Finally, when the awkwardness continued into its third day, Jennifer decided it was time to intervene. She decided to start with Jack and a simple inquiry, and she if she could learn anything useful.

"Dad," Jennifer walked into the study slowly as she spoke, "are you okay?"

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're quiet, and one thing you never are is quiet."

"I'm thinking; trying to be more like Daniel. He thinks a lot."

Not a good start. Hmm, wonder what Dad is holding. "What's that?"

Jack was holding a small object in his hands.

"It's nothing. Just a piece of ... junk."

Jack tossed the item into the trash can and walked out. Jennifer retrieved it, knowing it was anything but a piece of junk. She hadn't missed the mistiness in her father's eyes nor the gentleness with which he had rubbed the object.

Okay, well, Jen, you accomplished nothing. Maybe they'll fix this on their own. I think I'd better hold on to this, though.

After a quiet dinner, the teenager went upstairs to work on homework. After a while, she became stumped on a math problem and went downstairs to ask Daniel for help. From the hallway, she heard her fathers talking.

"Daniel, I don't want to argue."

"Neither do I."

"Good, then we agree."

"We don't agree on anything, Jack."

"Why don't you call Yazid? I'm sure he'll agree with you to your satisfaction," Jack said, throwing his hands up into the air and walking to the furthest corner of the room.

"Jack, stop being paranoid."

Daniel stood firmly in place, just behind the sofa, near the fish tank. His arms were folded across his chest.

"I'm not going to argue, Daniel. Arguing just gets us into trouble. There's nothing wrong, okay? You're right, just like always, so let's just ... not argue."

"Jack, what planet are you living on?"

"Daniel, everything is fine." Jack moved towards the stairs. "Excuse me. I'm going to go check on the babies."

Turning that direction, Daniel flung his arms out in exasperation as he spoke, "Jack, we can't avoid this."

"What? You want to argue?"

"I want you to tell me what's wrong."

"If you don't know, then it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Jack."

Daniel sighed as he watched Jack head up the stairs.

"Maybe this was a mistake," Daniel spoke softly. "Maybe we shouldn't be doing this."

He decided to go out into the backyard for a breath of fresh air.

At that point, Jennifer emerged from the hallway, sad and confused at what she had heard. She looked up the stairs for a moment, but then decided to talk to Daniel.

Geez, I don't want to lose my parents ... again.

Outside, Daniel had stopped for a moment to pet Bijou and Katie and then aimlessly roamed the yard, his arms again crossed tightly across his chest.

I hate this. Gawd, Jack, we should know better. How did we let this get the better of us?

Lost in his despair, Daniel was standing still near the beagle's large doghouse when Jennifer approached him cautiously.

"Daddy, are you and Dad getting a divorce?"

The question caught Daniel totally off guard. He suddenly felt cold, frozen even, and he was sure his heart had stopped beating. As he turned to face his daughter, he stuttered his response.

"A ... a what?"

"You haven't been very happy lately, and I heard you say it was a mistake, and, um ... wait here. I'll be right back." Quickly, Jennifer ran to her room, got the object Jack had thrown away, and returned to the backyard. Daniel hadn't moved. She extended out her hand, displaying the object she had retrieved from the garbage can. "I think this is important, but earlier today, Dad just threw it away."

There was a slight tremor in her voice as she handed Daniel the object.

It basically confirmed for Daniel what was wrong. He felt numb now, knowing things had taken a nasty turn in their happy home life, but slowly, as he held the item, Daniel's strength and determination were reborn. The object he held was a reminder of his nation of two with Jack, and he wouldn't let anything interfere with their union.

"Daddy, what is that?"

"It's called an Odo Nnyew Fie Kwan," Daniel said about the three by three inch squared object that looked like granite. "It's an African symbol for love. Uh, it literally means love never loses its way home."

"Oh," Jennifer said softly, not really understanding.

"It's the power of love, Jen. I gave it to Jack a few years ago when we almost split up." He looked up at the frightened girl, and spoke reassuringly, "But that isn't what's happening now, Jen. We ... Jack gets jealous, and I get caught up in work, and sometimes we clash."

"You need to fight, don't you?" the teenager spoke with clarity of mind.

"Need to fight?" Daniel chuckled lightly. "Maybe we do. We're both trying so hard not to because ..."

Geez, this is so simple. "Because of us. Daddy, don't you see? You and Dad can't stop fighting just because you have children now. Sam and Kayla," the teenager paused, remembering the young woman who was no longer alive, but who would always be a part of their lives, "... they've both told me that you two argued from the day you met, that it was just part of who you are. If you stop being who you are, then maybe that's why ..."

"... Maybe that's why we're stuck in limbo, trying not to fight, and making ourselves miserable in the process because what we really need to do is ..."

"... yell and get it out of your systems so you can kiss and make up. Dad likes to make up. I'm just guessing, of course."

Daniel blushed seeing the knowing smile on his daughter's face. He embraced her.

"It's going to be okay. Jack and I love each other very much. We can't live without each other. I promise you that."

"Daddy, we won't fall apart if we hear you arguing sometimes. It's ... normal. We all fight, but it doesn't mean we don't love each other. We've fought. Just because I disagree with you, or don't like the way Dad treats a male friend of mine or something ... well, it doesn't mean I don't love you both ... or vice versa, right?"

Daniel nodded at the wisdom of his daughter, saying, "We just wanted to protect all of you."

"Then don't you have to do what you keep telling us? Be yourselves. Daddy, if we know it's normal, and we see the love that you and Dad have for each other, and believe me, we do. I mean, boy oh boy do we see it. Geez, it's excessive, positively embarrassing. I mean every time I turn around, you guys are kissing and making out. Honestly, sometimes ..."

"Jen, I get the idea," Daniel said, smiling.

"Daddy, my point is, that we won't crumble if you argue sometimes, because that's just part of being human, right? Besides, most of the time, what we see is love."

Daniel looked at the teenager. He brought his hand up and touched the side of her face.

"Have I told you, Jen, how proud I am that you're my daughter?"

"Aw, Daddy, don't go getting mushy on me."

"It's a father's prerogative to get mushy on occasion. I love you, Jen. Thanks."

"I love you, too, and Dad is positively bonkers about you."

"Don't worry, Jen. I'm ... bonkers about him, too. Everything will be okay now." Daniel took a cleansing breath. He and Jack had a lot to talk about, but he knew this was just a tiny dent, easily repaired with time and love, and they had plenty of that. "Hey, it's cold out here. Let's go inside."

Daniel put his arm around his daughter's shoulder and walked her inside the house, Bijou and Katie following them.

Three hours later, Daniel walked into the master bedroom. Jack was already in bed, facing the wall that adjoined the roof deck. His eyes were closed. Daniel changed into his pajamas, but instead of climbing into bed, he walked to Jack's side and sat down. He ran his fingers through the fine strands of Jack's hair, reveling in the feel of them. Jack tensed, but didn't flinch. Daniel then took the object Jack had thrown away and placed it in his lover's hand.

"I got the message," Daniel whispered softly as he held the object to Jack's hand.

Jack opened his eyes, cringing at the realization Daniel had found something that had been treasured between them, something Jack had thrown away. He immediately gave it back to Daniel, not able to deal with the sentimentality involved.

Then, in a casual tone, as if to dismiss any relevance the object had to whatever was going on between them now, Jack said, "You haven't been a workaholic."

"No, I haven't, but I haven't done a good job of including you on the talks with Yazid, and I should have."

"I don't speak Arabic well enough to keep up with you two."

"I know, and that's my fault. I didn't realize I was shutting you out like that. You also know that your jealousy is about to go out of control again, don't you? And that there's no basis for it?"

Jack rolled over to lay on his back.

"Do I?"

"Jack," Daniel chastised. "You're my husband. I love you, only you."

The older man let out a heavy sigh and a tiny groan, and finally said, "Yes, I know, but I go crazy watching you with other people, especially ones who look like Yazid."

"He's just a business associate."

"Our daughter seems to think he's the next best thing to Mickey Mouse."

"Jack, Noa loves you. You're her father. No one else can be you to her."

"Tell that to Teal'c ... or Yazid."

"She loves your stories about the stars. Don't you see how her little eyes light up when you walk into the room?"

"Do they?"

"Gawd, Jack. She's your daughter. Look at her next time. There's no comparison."

Jack took a breath and said softly, "I just feel like I'm on the outside. I'm sorry."

"I bought you something."

Daniel stood, went to the dresser, and returned with an envelope. He handed it to his lover.

"What's in there?"

"Open it and find out."

Jack sat up, leaning against the headboard of their large bed. He looked at Daniel and then ripped open the white envelope.

"Hotel reservations? Tickets to Disneyland?"

"I thought you could take the Mouseketeers for the weekend. They'd love for you to take them flying in Jo, and then you could just play for the entire weekend. We were only at Disneyland for a few hours. Noa didn't get to do as much as she wanted, and Jen and David have never been there at all. I thought ..."

"It might make me feel better?"

"Something like that. Jack, we're Noa's parents now, not Yazid or Teal'c. She's a little girl, and little girls have crushes."

"She has one on you."

"I'm one of her fathers, and she has one on you, too, but you're too ..."

"Jealous?"

"Jealous," Daniel agreed as he continued, "to see it. Maybe this will help."

"Danny, I love you. You know that."

"And I love you." Daniel paused, looking down at his hands. "Jack, we needed to argue."

"I didn't want to argue."

"Neither did I, but we kept it inside, and that was worse. I didn't want to rock the boat, so I didn't press you even though I knew I should have."

"Arguing isn't healthy, at least that's what they say."

"That's wrong, Jack. I don't know who the 'they' is who said that, but arguing is healthy. It's keeping things inside that makes people bitter and even makes them sick. Arguing helps us vent and clear the air, and for us; gawd, Jack, for us, it's almost second nature." Daniel thought for a moment, looking downward before returning to look into Jack's eyes. "A long time ago, you told me that we would always argue. I think maybe the problem is that sometimes we think we shouldn't, maybe even because we're living our dream now that somehow we think we shouldn't push our luck."

"Sounds logical. We say things when we argue, Danny ... things that hurt."

"But keeping things bottled up hurts, too. Jack," Daniel shook his head, shivering at the remembrance, "Our daughter asked me tonight if we were getting a divorce."

"WHAT?" Jack looked at Daniel in disbelief. "What did you say?"

"Exactly what you think I said. She's a wise one, Love. She told me that we needed to be ourselves, that we shouldn't change just because we have children now." Daniel let out a small chuckle. "She informed me that none of our children would fall apart if we argued from time to time because we're so ... in love," Daniel said with a smile, his eyes rolling from side to side as he thought about what Jennifer's words had been.

"She's a pretty sharp cookie, isn't she? We are talking about Jen?" Jack asked, knowing he'd feel horrible if it had been Chenoa who had asked the question about getting a divorce, even though he knew she was probably too young to ask such a question in the first place.

"Yes, Jen. She was scared. She's the one who found this and gave it to me." Daniel saw his husband cringe again, looking away for a moment. "You threw it away, Jack. I guess that told me more than anything else that I needed to step back and open my eyes."

"The power of love. That's what you said it represented. You told me to give it to you if ..."

"... If I ever forgot my priorities. I don't think I've done that exactly, but I was shutting you out in ways I wasn't aware of. I apologize for that, and I intend to fix it."

"You're just doing what's best for J-O Enterprises. I don't know enough technically to do what you're doing, Danny."

"What's best for our company is for us to love each other. I love you, Jack. I've missed you."

"Angel, I'm sorry. You know me, I'm such a jerk sometimes, but you're so right. I should have told you what was bugging me, but Danny, I knew it was dumb from the beginning."

"That's it, isn't it? You knew Mr. Jealousy was lurking, but that ..."

"That there was no basis for it, but ..."

Daniel smiled, his hand caressing Jack's cheek.

"Oh, Jack. You caught yourself from exploding in rage, from letting Mr. Jealousy convince you of something you knew wasn't true, but still, you felt left out. My Love, your feelings matter, even if you think they are dumb. You can't hold back; you have to share those feelings with me, so we can work through them ... together."

"They were dumb feelings, Danny."

"Jack, remember how I felt after that foothold situation at the SGC?"

Jack nodded, remembering the time Daniel had tried to run from him because he'd felt abandoned. That feeling was made worse by the fact that Daniel knew it was dumb but felt it nonetheless.

"Yeah, I remember."

"Feelings matter, Love. Even if they don't make sense, you need to tell me how you feel." Daniel put the object in the palm of Jack's hand, and then he closed his hand over Jack's. "Keep this. Use it again if you have to, but never give up on us, Jack, and whatever you do, don't shut me out like that again, not ever."

"I love you, Danny," Jack said as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Oh gawd."

Daniel pounced on his husband, desperate for his touch. It had been days, and it was time for some serious make-up sex.

"Jen, where's Dad and Daddy?"

"They're asleep."

"Still? It's 9 a.m. Dad's always up by now."

David started to go upstairs.

"David, get back here. Leave them alone. They're ... tired. They need to ... sleep," the teenager said as she smiled.

"But what about breakfast?"

"I'll fix it in a minute. You watch the babies, okay? I'm going to go upstairs and see what's keeping Noa."

She walked into the nursery where Noa was trying to put on her Mickey Mouse blouse that Daniel had purchased, but she wasn't doing well. Jennifer chuckled as her sister attempted to put her head through one of the sleeves.

"Here, Noa, let me help."

"Thank you, Jen," Noa said when she was finally dressed. "Noa hungry."

"Go on downstairs, and I'll make breakfast. Go on -- scoot."

Jennifer saw a few things of David's in the nursery, so she decided to put them away quickly. She picked up the various items and carried them into David's room.

A bit earlier, at 10:30 a.m., when Jack and Daniel had finally woken up, both surprised they had slept so late, but then again, they had had an active night, not falling asleep until almost 5 a.m. It was also the first night that they had slept well when they did fall asleep, thanks to their return to their normal sleeping positions. After showering and dressing, they anxiously walked into the nursery.

"Daniel? Our kids are missing."

"I doubt that. I'm guessing Jen has them downstairs. Look, the monitor is off."

"Why would she do that?"

"Um, well, she said something about us ... making up."

"Oh." Jack smiled as he took a blushing Daniel into his arms again. "Thank you, Love, for getting us back on track."

"You're welcome."

David's things put away, Jennifer was headed for the stairs when she heard her parents' voices. She grinned as she entered the room and saw Jack and Daniel with their arms around each other, kissing and caressing.

"Make-up sex?"

"Jennifer Renee Jackson-O'Neill, not in front of the babies," Jack spoke in a mock anger, his statement all the more ridiculous because there weren't any babies in the room.

She laughed, especially seeing the blush on Daniel's face.

"Everything is okay?" She observed her parents as they looked at each other, both with sloppy grins on their faces, their eyes positively shining with love. "Oh yeah, everything is okay," Jennifer said, answering her own question.

"Hey, Sam, it's Daniel. When you have a few minutes, would you give me a call? Thanks. Um, bye." Daniel hung up the phone and went over to the crib to pick up Ricky who had just started to cry. "Hungry, I'll bet."

He got Ricky's bottle and took the infant over to the sofa and sat down to begin feeding him.

"Anything exciting happening down here?" Jack chirped as he entered the living room, carrying Aislinn in his arms.

"Just feeding our son," Daniel responded with a smile. "How is she?" Daniel nodded towards Aislinn.

"Ah, she's fine. Those antibiotics do the trick every time."

"I hate it when she gets an ear infection. She seems to be sensitive to them."

"That reminds me. I talked with Syl about the ear infections and the trip."

"I was going to call her," Daniel admitted.

"She says it's not a problem. She'll give us a small supply of antibiotics in case something happens while we're there, and she made me promise to call if we had any questions at all, regardless of the time."

"She's a good friend."

Jack took a seat in his favorite chair, holding Aislinn so she could watch Daniel with Ricky.

"That she is."

"I left a message for Sam to call." He heard the grumble of his loveable grizzly bear. "Jack, Jen will love it."

"I'm not sure about this. I'm not even sure that Spears girl even qualifies as a singer. I think she lip synchs all the time; and she barely wears clothes. A few years back, she got married as a joke, then got hooked up with some ... oh forget it, I've lost track. All I know is that that gal isn't the most ..." Jack fumbled, looking for the right word.

Daniel laughed, understanding exactly what Jack was getting at, but felt they needed to be trusting of Jennifer's choices.

"Look, she's not my choice of a role model either, but Jen's had a pretty tough year, and in spite of all the bad stuff, look at the person she still is. She gave up that party, Jack, and she ... well, she saved us from staying on that miserable track we were on. I think she's earned the right to have a night out doing something that she wants, even if it's not our preferred choice."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you're right. At least Carter will be there to chaperone."

"We hope. It's short notice."

"Everything we do is short notice," Jack quipped. Some things never change, and somehow, Jack and Daniel managed to pull off minor miracles all the time. "But it's also the same weekend as my trip with David and Noa. You sure you're going to be okay with all the babies?"

"We'll be fine. I want you to go, Jack. I think maybe we should both take little trips with our children as well as the big family trips."

"Special time for all of us."

"Yes. Do you know what I mean?"

"I know exactly what you mean. We can take weekend trips sometimes so that each of our children has their own time with us and ..."

"...and us with them, which is just as important, Jack."

"You're right. I hate to admit it, Danny, but I felt like I wasn't just second choice with Noa, but way down on the list. I know that's crazy, but ..."

"But it's how you felt. You can't deny your own feelings; they're important."

Jack nodded his agreement.

"Yes, they are." Hearing the phone, Jack volunteered, "I'll get it, Love." Jack picked up the cordless phone from the counter and then returned to his chair, still holding Aislinn. "Carter, stop prattling. I'm sure all those ... nintendo things are very happy that you are having such a good time researching them."

"Yes, Sir. Um, Daniel called."

"Yeah, we have a favor to ask, and don't panic. It's not that bad, as long as you don't have an objection to ..."

"Jack, behave," Daniel warned.

Jack growled slightly, and then explained what they had in mind. Sam quickly agreed and volunteered to call Cassie at the university to see if she was available, too.

"Okay, what did I do?"

Jennifer sat on one of the stools at the kitchen counter. She was holding baby Jenny in her arms, having been summoned by her parents for a mini-meeting. She was convinced she was in trouble since her "call to appear" had come in the middle of doing her homework. Of course, with Jenny 'helping' the teenager to study, Jennifer hadn't really been accomplishing much anyway.

She hoped they weren't going to nag her about getting all her school work finished before they left for their Egypt trip. She knew how important that trip was to her parents and had been working diligently on making sure she was prepared to take her finals early. She wouldn't let them down.

Jack and Daniel were standing a few feet apart near the sofa. Daniel's hands were in his pant's pockets, and Jack's arms were folded across his chest.

"Jen, we, uh, know this last year has been full of ..." Daniel paused, looking at Jack.

"The good and the bad?" Jennifer said, trying to help her parents out.

Daniel smiled as he continued, "Yeah, and we'd like to do something special for your birthday."

"Oh?"

The teenager perked up. Maybe she wasn't in trouble after all.

"We have a friend of a friend," Jack laughed at the sound of his comment, "and the long and short of it is that we are sending you to spend a weekend with Carter and Cassie."

"Oh," Jennifer responded.

She was sure it would be fun, but she saw their two friends quite a bit and wasn't sure why her fathers seemed to be making such a big deal out of it.

"Sam is going to take you shopping at the mall on Saturday so you can buy something appropriate and fun, and we're trusting you to use your common sense, Jen."

"Um, Daddy, I go shopping all the time. I don't understand what the big deal is here."

"Sam and Cassie are taking you to a Britney Spears concert Saturday night, that is, if you want to go."

"What? Are you serious?" Jennifer's entire face was smiling. She bounced up off the stool, but both Jack and Daniel noticed she made sure her hold on the baby was secure. "Really? You're kidding me, aren't you? Oh wow!"

The two men listened as Jennifer rambled on about the "music" of Britney Spears and her excitement at finally getting to see her in concert. Her face was alight with pleasure as she freely walked the living room, laughing and extolling the virtues of the singer. Finally, she stopped.

"Sorry, but this is so cool. Thank you!"

"Jen, you did a really special thing for me recently, and for us, and Jack and I agree that you deserve a night out doing something that is important to you. We didn't think you'd want us there, so we asked Sam and Cassie if they'd go, and they agreed."

"Carter brought up the clothes issue, so we tacked on the shopping trip, but I expect ..." Jack pointed at certain areas of his daughter's body "skin to be ... covered."

Jennifer laughed as she moved to hug her fathers, still very careful of baby Jenny's location as she did so.

"Thank you both so much. Wow! Awesome!" Jennifer suddenly calmed. "Um, what about Disneyland? You were counting on me to go, too, weren't you, Dad?"

Jack smiled. He walked up to Jennifer and put his hands on her upper arms. When he spoke, his tone was positive and the smile remained on his face.

"Jen, I'd love for you to come with us to Disneyland, and if you'd rather come with us, then please, do, but Danny and I want you to have this opportunity, if you want it. I'm not going to feel slighted. You and I can take another trip together some time."

"We can?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure, we can."

"You really don't mind, Dad?"

"I'll miss you, but this is about you, and like I said, we'll have our own trip sometime soon."

"Thank you so much, Dad," she said as she eagerly hugged her father, making sure not to squeeze baby Jenny. "I love you."

"Love you, too, Sweetheart."

"Happy early birthday, Jen!" Daniel said, adding, "We may not be able to do much on your actual birthday because we'll be in Egypt, but ..."

"That's okay. This is so cool. I love you both," the teenager gushed. "Can I go call Sheila? And Mary and ..."

"Here, give me Jenny," Daniel requested. "Go on. One hour of phone time, okay?"

"Thanks, Daddy."

Full of excitement, Jennifer headed for her room.

"An hour?" Jack asked as he looked at Daniel quizzically.

"Jack, she could probably spend the next three days talking about it."

"Are you sure about this, Love?"

"She'll have a great time. She's not a child, Jack. We have to remember that ... and as long as she is being responsible, she's earned our trust. Wouldn't you agree?"

Jack nodded reluctantly, still not being totally secure with the idea of his daughter at a Britney Spears concert.

"Thanks, Cass, for agreeing to ... fish-sit!" Daniel chuckled at his choice of words.

"No problem, Uncle Daniel. School's almost out so it's not going to be a problem, and if I need to, I can have Mom help. You guys have a great time."

"We will. Give Janet our love."

"I will. Bye."

Daniel hung up the phone. He looked around and asked, "Are we ready?"

"As ready as we are ever going to be. The limos here yet?"

The couple had decided prior to the trip that with such a large number of children, five of whom were babies, as well as two dogs, that they wanted to make things as easy as possible, so they had arranged for limousines or other private transportation for most of their trip. They had briefly considered mini-buses, but decided against it since it was easier to strap baby seats into limos.

Daniel walked to the window and saw the two black cars approaching.

"Just driving up now."

"Okay kids, let's go!"

The Jackson-O'Neills, together with Sam and Teal'c, were on their way to Egypt at last.

Sixteen hours later, Abayomi's private jet touched down in Cairo. Somehow, everyone had survived the long flight, though they were all tired. A few of the staff from J-O had flown over as well and headed off on vacations before the dig began. The Jackson-O'Neills would be doing the same thing. They had ten days scheduled to explore Egypt before reporting to the main site near Abydos.

The first stop, however, was the Nile Hilton. Jack and Daniel had booked four connecting suites on the tenth floor. Teal'c had the room on one end, then Sam, and then the children, and finally Jack and Daniel. They had arranged for three extra-large cribs, one in each of the adult's rooms, so they wouldn't have to move them back and forth, plus Jack and Daniel had two additional 'regular' cribs in their room as well. It would be a tight fit, but for this short stay, the youngest Jackson-O'Neills would have to make do with slightly cramped sleeping arrangements.

It took quite a while to get everyone settled, but once the troops were in place, Sam hooked up the baby monitors so that no matter what room they were in, when turned on, the babies could be heard.

The sun was setting, and Daniel stood out on the balcony of the master suite. He felt Jack's arms wrap around his waist, so Daniel placed his hands on Jack's and leaned back into his husband's body.

"I can't believe we're really here."

"Believe it, Angel." Jack looked out at the Nile River that flowed before their eyes. "It does seem a little miraculous though, doesn't it?"

"A little. Eight children, two dogs, two dear friends ... it's a dream. Jack, this has to work. If J-O can pull this off, we'll be well on our way."

"We'll do it."

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too, Angel. Come on. We're exhausted, and we have some full days ahead of us. Why don't we try to sleep?"

"Where are the girls?"

"They were in with the twins. They aren't sure about this place yet."

"Our little protectors."

"Let's go to bed," Jack suggested.

"Tickles. Danny? Stop that!"

"Mmm ... what?"

Jack jerked up, and chuckled, "Oh, it's you!" as Bijou once again licked his foot which was sticking out from under the covers.

"Woof!"

"That time, eh? Okay. I'm coming. Be right back, Danny."

"Mmm ..."

Jack chuckled as he put on his pants and a thin white shirt. He put the harnesses on the two beagles, and then leaned over to kiss his husband. "Be right back. The girls need to go outside."

"Mmm ... wha?"

Daniel snuggled into his pillow and groaned slightly. Jack shook his head. His poor husband was still on the exhausted side. As it had worked out, Jack had managed to get quite a bit of sleep on the plane, as had their friends, but Daniel being Daniel, he had worried a little more about the children, including the beagles, and just hadn't been able to sleep much on the long flight from America to Egypt.

That's my Angel. It's okay now, Love. Everyone is safe. Sleep.

Jack placed another kiss on Daniel's forehead, smiling when he saw Daniel reflexively smiling at the tender touch; he checked the babies and then headed outside.

When Jack and the beagles returned fifteen minutes later, Daniel still hadn't moved, so Jack tossed off his clothes and got back into bed.

"I love you, Danny."

"Mmm ... wha?"

Smiling, Jack held his lover close and then let himself fall asleep for a bit longer.

"Okay, that's done." Jack sat down by Daniel on the loveseat after doing a check on the twins. "Listen, why don't you take David across the street to the Egyptian Museum?"

"I'll never get him out of there."

"We can go back quite a bit since it's right across the street."

"Maybe I should take ..."

"No, this should be one of those special times we talked about. David is just like you, Danny. Let him experience what that museum has to offer with someone who can help him see it with special eyes."

Daniel ran his hand along Jack's left cheek.

"I love you. We'll be back later."

They shared a tender kiss, and then another, and another before Daniel finally tore himself away from his husband and went to get David, who was in Teal'c's room, for their excursion.

"Did you buy out the gift shops?"

"Hardly." Jennifer went over and kissed her father. "Thank you, Dad, for letting me buy a few things."

"No problem. Did you stick to the budget?"

Jennifer smiled, acknowledging, "Fifteen dollars and under!"

"Way to go, Jen!"

As Jack picked up the toddler, he asked, "How'd you do, Princess?"

"Pretty," she said, holding out a bag proudly.

"We found a beautiful child's sarong. She looks adorable in it, Sir."

"Daddy and David still gone?"

"Oh yeah. I figure if they show up by dinner, we'll be doing good."

"Sir, didn't you say they were just going to the museum for a couple of hours?"

"That's what Daniel said," Jack answered with a smile.

"Oh, I see."

Sam tried to suppress her own chuckle.

Two hours later, David burst into the master suite.

"Dad! Jen! Noa! Wow, you just have to see this place. It's awesome!"

"Hey, Son." Jack picked up the enthusiastic boy, smiling at Daniel who walked in a bit sheepishly behind him. "So you had a good time?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Tell me all about it." Jack carried David over to the bed and tossed him down, and then sat down himself. "Go on, I'm listening."

"It was great. Most of the really fun stuff is on the upper floor."

"Fun stuff?"

"They have mummies there, lots of them, but they even had dogs and that ..." David looked at Bijou and Katie who were lying on one of their beanbags on the floor. "Um, I didn't like that part very much."

"Understandable, Son, but what about the fun stuff?"

"Oh, The Tutankamun Galleries were great."

"King Tut is always good for a bit of fun."

"Tut?" Chenoa asked.

David responded, his words tumbling out a mile a minute.

"He was a young Pharaoh, but he only ruled for nine years. They found his tomb in 1922. They had these big statues of Tutankhamun, his wig box ..."

"Wigs? Pharoahs wore wigs. Those hippies," Jack teased, only to see David scowl. "You know, he really is just like you," Jack said to Daniel who rolled his eyes but still said nothing.

"Dad!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. Go on."

"They had a lion throne and a solid gold death mask. It was great!"

David took a breath. He went on for several minutes about things he had seen. "... and there was a Jewelry Room that had belts, necklaces, and all kinds of things. They had this golden headband that Daddy liked a lot."

"Sounds like it was a big day."

"Daddy said I should ask you ..."

"I think I'll go check on the babies," Daniel suddenly said after not saying anything since David's ecstatic oration had begun.

"Daniel, stay."

Something in Daniel's expression and tone told Jack not to let his lover get away with walking out of the room.

"What did Daddy tell you to ask me?"

"They have this shrine. It's supposed to be really cool, but Daddy wouldn't take me in. He said I should ask you to take me. He said it could be more of our special time."

"I really should ..."

"Daniel, don't move."

Daniel attempted to at least get as far away from Jack as he could.

"I really want to go see it, Dad. Can we? Just you and me?"

Daniel was looking very nervous.

"Exactly what is this shrine?"

"It's for a beautiful goddess. Her name is, uh, Hathor."

"Hathor," Jack gulped. He looked across at his husband to make sure Daniel was really okay. Seeing that his lover was looking sheepish more than anything, he relaxed. "Daniel, Love?"

"Yes, Jack."

"Paybacks."

Daniel smiled, backed away, waving his left hand towards the other room as he spoke, "I'm going to go check on the babies now."

"You do that."

Sam failed in her attempt to not laugh.

"Oh, there's a story here," Jen said. "I can't wait to hear it."

"Not in your lifetime, Jennifer," Jack spoke sternly, causing Sam to laugh even harder.

"Jack, I'm sorry I lost track of the time," Daniel said as he snuggled into his Jack pillow at the end of the day.

"Don't worry, Love. I knew you would. I was prepared."

"You were?"

"Yep, had the day planned both ways. It worked out just fine for all of us, and David needed that time with you."

"I'm sorry about the Hathor thing, too. I just ... wasn't quite sure what to say to David, and I ... I didn't want to go in there."

Jack's hold on Daniel tightened slightly, but his tone was light as he responded, "Never fear, Angel." Snickering, he said, "Paybacks."

"Jack!"

"I love you, Danny."

"Jack."

"Go to sleep."

"But ..."

"Sleep."

"Jack, this time it's important." Daniel moved to look at Jack. "The whole dead goddess thing ... I see it in your eyes, the uncertainty, so I want you to understand."

"I'm listening."

"Hathor was a long time ago. She's a horrible part of our past, but she is the past. I ... I don't want to go and see the shrine, though. I don't want to go there or anywhere near anything that has anything to do with her because ... I hate her, and I just don't want to be close to anything that reminds me of that nightmare, but that being said, I'm really and truly fine." Daniel smiled reassuringly. "You don't have to worry, Babe, but thank you for worrying anyway."

Jack looked deeply into Daniel's eyes. They were the portals to his soul, and what Jack saw was love and happiness. There wasn't a trace of that old dead goddess. He understood Daniel just didn't want the reminder of the nightmare. It was in their past, and he didn't want to have to answer David's inevitable questions about the goddess that had once raped him.

"Okay," Jack acknowledged. Daniel relaxed and moved back to his position. Jack's hold was still tight, but Daniel didn't mind. He knew Jack would always protect him, and would always worry. It came with Jack's love. Then he heard the firm voice speak, "But I will get my revenge, Daniel. You just wait and see."

Humor was always Jack's best defense. Daniel chuckled, knowing they were good to go.

"I'm sure you will, Babe. Goodnight."

"Love you."

"Love you, too, so much."

"It will be fine, DanielJackson. I am ... experienced now with diaper changing."

"Okay, Teal'c. Sam will be back with the Munchkins in a couple of hours."

Jack, Daniel, and Sam headed out with the Mouseketeers and the Munchkins, leaving Teal'c with the twins and the two beagles. They were headed for the Fish Garden in Zamalek.

Jennifer marveled at the walkways that were paved with marble and the collection of six different kinds of palm trees that were at the entrance. The group discovered that the park had almost fallen to ruin before being restored in the early 2000's.

Over the next couple of hours, the party visited as many as they could of the forty-seven aquariums that featured Nile fish and imported species, some of which were extremely rare. Chenoa loved the colorful swimmers, and the Munchkins cooed at the fish quite a bit. Little Danny, in particular, seemed to be entranced by them.

"Sam, are you sure you can navigate the Munchkins okay?"

"Daniel, did anyone ever tell you that you worry too much?" Daniel shrugged, and Sam laughed. "Okay, be paranoid, if you like. You have your cell. Just try to wait at least five minutes between phone calls."

"I'm not that bad." Sam stared. "Am I?"

Sam smiled, kissed her friend on the cheek, waved goodbye to her former CO and the Mouseketeers, and then headed back to the hotel with the Munchkins.

"This is great, Danny," Jack commented just before he placed a kiss on Daniel's temple.

They were sailing on a barge down a network of canals in Doctor Ragab's Pharonic Village, a theme park which brought Ancient Egypt to life. In the recreated village, more than one hundred actors brought history alive for the travelers. The performers recreated all parts of Egyptian life, including industries, games, arts, and moments from history and legend. Nothing of modern Egypt was present in the village.

The Mouseketeers loved the village recreations. Jennifer was fascinated by the pottery, sculpture, and weaving that was demonstrated, but Chenoa's favorite part was the playground. David's favorite part was the building of boats by the shipwrights, though he also liked watching the artisans work on temple paintings.

Jack and Daniel enjoyed the many exhibits that the village offered for exploration, from the King Tut tomb recreation to the Alexandria and Ptolemies exhibit.

It was a fun but full day. By the time they got back to the hotel, David and Chenoa barely had the energy to eat before collapsing into their beds. Jennifer helped to get her siblings to bed and then decided to read a book she had bought on life in Ancient Egypt.

"Carter?" Jack called out, knocking on Sam's door after dinner.

"Sir?"

"Would you mind watching the troops for a while? I'd like to take my husband for a little stroll along the Nile."

Sam smiled and nodded.

"I'm sure he'd like that."

"Thank you."

Jack walked back to the master bedroom. Daniel was typing away on the laptop, working on something, but Jack didn't know what. Jack hit the save button.

"Hey!" Daniel objected.

Jack quickly closed the laptop and pulled Daniel to him for a kiss. He whispered, "Let's go for a walk."

"Jack, we walked all day," Daniel whined.

"Oh, okay," Jack said, disappointment evident in his voice as he headed for the bed.

"Where'd you want to go?"

"Stroll along the Nile. We don't have to go far. It's a beautiful night, Danny."

Daniel perked up a little at that.

"What about ..."

"It's covered."

Daniel held out his hand, and Jack quickly took hold of it. The lovers strolled contently along the banks of the famous river. There was a full moon out, and the setting couldn't be more romantic if it were in a novel. After a while, they found a secluded spot and sat, holding hands as they watched the river flow.

"The moonlight dances off your hair. It's so beautiful."

"Gawd, Jack," Daniel responded, blushing.

"Can I help it if I'm madly in love with my husband?"

"You'd better be," Daniel said with a smile, leaning in for a kiss.

"Let's go back. You're tired, and tomorrow is going to be even crazier than today was."

"I feel so old," Daniel laughed.

"I don't even want to think about it," Jack teased as they returned to the hotel for a peaceful night's sleep.

"Okay, campers, this is going to be a big day and an exciting one. We're off to see the pyramids!"

Jack and Daniel loaded up the limo with their brood and their friends. Even the girls were going on this special trip. The work that Daniel had done for the Egyptian government to get permission for the beagles to accompany them to the dig site had been so gratefully received that department of Antiquities had given them permission to take the girls onto any of the archeological sites while they were there. As they drove up to the Giza Plateau, Daniel was in full lecture mode, though he tried to keep his comments as simple as possible:

"This is where the fourth dynasty kings, back in, um, well a long time ago, built three large pyramids and eight smaller ones along the edge of what is now Cairo. The ancient Egyptians called this place 'kher neter' or 'The West'. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is here. For thousands and thousands of years, Khufu's pyramid stood as the highest man-made structure in the world surpassed only in 1888."

"Wow, Daddy. This is so neat." David said, getting out of the limo.

"It sure is. I can never get over the greatness of this place. It was built with such incredible accuracy -- alignment, geometrical shape and proportions, and level to within a few millimeters. It's just ... amazing how it was constructed. It is the largest pyramid in Egypt.

Betcha it was one big mother ship that landed here.

Daniel looked at Jack and smiled.

Definitely.

"Big," Chenoa said in a tiny voice. Jack smiled as Teal'c picked up the toddler.

"There is nothing to fear ChenoaJackson-O'Neill. It is big, to be respected, but not to be feared."

The young girl rested her head against Teal'c's strong shoulder. He would hold her for most of the day as she remained awed by the magnitude of the giant structures.

Daniel's lecture continued as they gazed at the great Sphinx.

"This is called the Great Sphinx, and if you look over here," Daniel pointed, "you can see where the nose used to be. It's been ..."

"... altered?" Jack suggested the word.

"I guess you could say that ... back in the twelfth century. They think it was hacked off with some type of bar. The area beneath the headdress was done during the mid 1920's. The sphinx is sixty-five feet high and over one-hundred sixty-four feet long."

"Funny," Chenoa said.

No one noticed a husband and wife who had seemingly "joined" the Jackson-O'Neills, interested in hearing what Daniel had to say.

Daniel chuckled at Chenoa's comment, knowing how it must look to a child, but before he could respond, they were approached by a man.

"I can tell you everything about the sphinx."

"No, thank you. We really don't ..."

Daniel's words were cut off.

"Little girl, this is ..."

"It's supposed to be part man and part lion," Jack stated dryly.

"That's right," the man said. "The shapes are carved ..."

"... Directly into the limestone plateau. You can see the layering across the body," Daniel interjected.

Undaunted, the guide-wannabe pushed forward.

"Something unique about the Sphinx is that for a great part of its existence, it's been ..."

"... Covered up to its neck in sand," Daniel completed the sentence, unaware that a few more people had gathered around their small group. "In fact, it was covered up until the 1920's. There are many ancient writings that talk about the Sphinx being covered and having to be dug out."

The Jackson-O'Neills moved on. Jack finally noticed they seemed to have a following. There were at least three of the guides in the pack. In fact, they seemed to be working hard to try and get some of the group to veer off, but the small crowd stayed intact. Jack grinned. Quite unintentionally, Daniel had captured the attention of the people around him.

That's my Danny.

"And this," Daniel said to his family, "is Khafre's pyramid. He was Khufu's son and ruled Egypt for twenty-six years. He meticulously built his pyramid almost thirty-three feet higher on the plateau than his father's, and it's actually just shy of ten-feet shorter. It's the only pyramid at Giza that has some casing stone remaining."

"So it's bigger?" David asked.

"No, Son," Jack answered. "See, he just built it on higher ground so that it looked bigger, but it's really not."

"Oh, that wasn't nice."

"There was a lot of competition in the days of the Pharaohs. Each wanted to be greater than all others."

"They all seem so haunting? What are the pyramids for?" Jennifer asked.

Gawd, Jack.

Grin and bear it, Love. Go with the story.

Daniel took a breath. One of the guides figured this was his opportunity to jump in.

"I can tell you all ... for a price."

"Really, there isn't anything you can tell us that ..."

"But there is. Your friend, he does not know why ..."

Daniel sighed as he reluctantly began, "But I do. Some five-thousand years ago, Giza became the burial ground for Memphis which was then the Egyptian capital. During the fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, successive generations built the pyramids to serve as tombs for their dead kings. The king's close family and royal court were buried nearby."

Daniel saw the glare of the guide, but before he could react, a lady asked him, "Which pyramid is the oldest?"

Daniel was surprised at the question. This was the first time he noticed the crowd of people surrounding them.

"Um, actually the oldest is also the largest. It's called the Great Pyramid and was built by Khufu, uh, circa 2589 to about 2566 BC."

A college student in the crowd commented as he looked at the pyramids, "You know, I have never been able to accept the idea that all those years ago, the Egyptians were able to simply ... build these massive structures, and all just to bury their dead kings? It doesn't make sense to me, and I've been studying Ancient Egypt in college for the last couple of years."

"Well, there has been speculation that because of the precise placement of the tombs and the individual stones that perhaps the pyramids were built by some other, uh, gr...group." Daniel cleared his throat nervously.

"Oh, I've heard that," a man stated. "Angels or even devils. I even heard that aliens built the pyramids."

Jack and Daniel exchanged a look that said "not going there." So did Sam and Teal'c.

"Why would aliens build pyramids on Earth?" the college student asked.

"Oh, I know," David surprised his parents as he spoke up enthusiastically. "Pyramids were really built to be landing strips for the alien spaceships. They land on top of them. That's why they are built so precisely. Isn't that right, Daddy?"

Daniel thought he might actually faint. His eyes bulged, as did Jack's.

"Son, where did you hear that?" Jack asked.

"I read it on the internet. Daddy wrote it as a theory a long time ago. Daniel Jackson. Isn't that you, Daddy?"

"Oh, gawd."

Daniel looked at the surprised group. Sam was trying not to laugh, and Teal'c was looking as inscrutable as usual.

"Alien landing strips?" the guides roared in laughter.

"HEY, IT'S POSSIBLE!" Jennifer shouted at the laughing men.

She had no idea what her brother was talking about, but no way were strangers going to laugh at her father, and if her father said the pyramids were built by aliens to be landing strips, then they were, and that was that.

"Actually, that makes more sense than anything else I've read," the college student said.

"Why, though?" a woman asked.

"Wh...wh...why?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, why would aliens build these great things and then ... disappear?"

"Maybe they haven't, Ma'am," Jack answered. "Maybe they just left for a while."

"Look at all the UFO's," another man commented as the guides continued to laugh.

"I believe in UFO's," yet another woman said.

"So, these ships would land on the pyramids, full of aliens. That would explain the advanced technology."

The college student was thinking seriously about the concept.

"It ... could," Daniel said shyly.

"Where is this paper?" the student asked.

"I don't remember. I was just playing around on the computer and found it," David answered.

"But Sir," a man asked, "you wrote this paper?"

"Me?"

The man nodded.

Daniel gave a nervous affirmative nod.

"Here's my card. I'd be interested in reading it, if you could send me a copy sometime."

"Me, too," the college student said, writing down his information on a piece of paper.

By the time the crowd dispersed, a very stunned Daniel had twelve cards and addresses in his hand.

Jack, what do I do?

The paper is public domain, Danny. Send it.

But ...

Daniel, your theory is right. You aren't betraying anyone or anything by sending out copies of a theory you wrote more than a decade ago. Send it. Let them ask questions.

I love you.

Me, too.

You know something ironic? Years ago, I couldn't pay anyone to listen to my theory, and now, here we are, and ... it's just kinda funny.

I'm proud of you.

A question prevented Daniel from saying anything more at the moment, but he was truly stunned, and touched, by what had just occurred.

After some more lecture-mode type of information, Jack asked, "Danny, are you going to tell them?"

"Jack."

"Tell us what, Daddy?" Jennifer asked.

"Come on, Daniel. If you don't, I will."

"I sort of, kind of ... climbed it once."

"YOU CLIMBED THE PYRAMID?" David shouted.

"Shhh!" Daniel said, looking around to see if anyone was looking. "I was ... well, yes, I did."

"Daddy, I thought that was against the rules."

"Yeah, well, I was young and ... I broke the rules. It was an experience I'll never forget," Daniel said, gazing off at the large site.

"Daddy, what about that photo of you on the camel?" Jennifer asked.

"That was in front of the Great Pyramid. I really wasn't supposed to be there, either."

Jennifer smiled and Daniel shrugged, and then the family continued their trek through the Pyramids. They took photos for their family album as they explored, one of the highlights being their foray inside the Great Pyramid.

"Not much here to see, but this is like Indiana Jones," David had said enthusiastically.

Jennifer had climbed up some of the steps on the triangle of the pyramid, posing for a photo.

"It's incredibly awesome," she had shouted before the photo was snapped.

The real highlight, in a less serious venue, was the camel race. It was a spur of the minute venture, one finagled by Jack. They had spotted two men selling camel rides, and after letting the Mouseketeers each take a ride, Jack slipped the men some extra money.

"Okay, Dannyboy, let's see your stuff."

"Excuse me."

"Race you to the Pyramid."

"Jack, you've got to be kidding."

"Afraid, Daniel? Remember, your children are watching."

Daniel looked at the brood, all sporting giggles. He rolled his eyes as he moved to get on the camel closest to him.

"Jack, have you ever in your life been on a camel?"

"I've been on a horse. What's the difference?"

Daniel shook his head, a smirk on his face.

"Hey, there, fella. Go at your own pace. How about we visit the Pyramid?"

Daniel talked calmly to the humped creature while at the same time trying to stop from laughing as Jack struggled to get on the creature assigned to him.

"Okay. Here we go. Now would be good. I've got money riding on this race. Giddy up, camel. Giddy ... oh for crying out loud, get up!"

Daniel looked back over his shoulder at his partner's still-kneeling on the ground camel. He sighed at his husband's antics, then talked to his own camel some more.

"That's it, boy. Nice day for a jaunt, isn't it? Amazingly clear. It's not usually like this."

"Watch your back, Dannyboy, ole Jack is about to ... hey ... why'd you stop? Whoa, boy!"

"Jack, be careful!" Daniel shouted out as Jack's camel took a spin around in a circle.

"The Pyramid is that way, you beast!" Jack cackled annoyingly as he pointed to his right. In response, the camel sat down. "Get up you mangy beast."

Jack grumbled as he struggled to convince the camel to get up and continue their journey. Meanwhile, Daniel moved forward, enjoying the early evening air. He spoke softly to the animal.

"Soon, the lights will come on. This place is so reverent at night. I remember how sacred it felt to just stand out here and watch."

"I'm on your six, Dannnnnnnnnnnnnnn...yboy."

Daniel turned, and called out in alarm, "Jack?"

"Who knew," Jack laughed, "this thing was a bronco bull?"

Daniel turned his camel and they trotted over to Jack's position, the older man now flat on his back on the sandy surface. Daniel ordered his camel down and gently got off. He hurried to his husband.

"Jack, you didn't break anything ... important, did you?"

Jack's laughter roared through the air.

"Nothing important, Love. Help me up!" Daniel helped Jack to stand and clean off the desert sand from his clothes. "Those creatures are ornery, Daniel."

"You just have to be nice to them."

"I'll be nice to you instead," Jack said, pulling Daniel in for a kiss. The two turned and stared at the huge Pyramid in front of them. "It's just ... incredible, Danny."

Daniel leaned his head against Jack's shoulder as he quietly echoed the word, "Incredible."

"You won the race, My Love. What do you claim for your prize?"

Daniel turned to face Jack. He ran his hands up and down his lover's chest, and then he leaned forward for a kiss.

"You ... for eternity."

"Done."

It had been another full day that had left all the children exhausted ... and their parents, too. They returned to the hotel, and after a nice dinner, they all settled down for a long night's sleep.

"This is going to be fun," Jennifer said as she boarded the barge. "What is this called again, Dad?"

"A felucca. Royal feluccas like this one bore a larger-than-life image of the Pharaoh, seated on a throne. Big guy wanted everyone to know he was present in everything. The idea is he was keeping watch over the people even if he wasn't here in person."

"It was called his 'ka' which means spirit," Daniel added.

"So the barges carried the spirit of the Pharaoh?" Jennifer asked.

"That was the idea," Jack answered. "They really revered these things. The very first one is still around here somewhere."

Jack and Daniel had rented the Royal Cleopatra royal barge for a private cruise down the Nile. They boarded the vessel in Cairo and began by settling into the two cabins the vessel offered. The sailing ship was sixty-two feet long and twenty-four and one-half feet wide. The two cabins normally hosted a maximum of six adults, but they had brought along two cribs for the babies. Again, it would be cramped, but it was that, or nothing.

Jack and Daniel had a queen-size bed in their room. Sam and Teal'c each had double beds in the second cabin. There was also a sofa that opened into a bed. After some discussion, they decided that the Mouseketeers would share the sofa bed in Sam and Teal'c's room while the babies would be with Jack and Daniel.

"Okay, Girls," Jack asked Bijou and Katie, "You can pretty much go with whom you want at night, but I don't want you out on your own. Believe me, it would be a bit too easy to lose you ..."

"Lose?" Chenoa sniffled.

"No," Daniel went to his daughter and picked her up. She immediately threw her arms around him. "We're not going to lose them. Jack ..." Daniel warned.

"What? I didn't mean ..." Jack bent down to talk to the beagles. "You two want to stay in here with the babies or in the other room?"

Bijou looked into the other room and considered Jack's words. She didn't want to get lost. She nudged Katie and the two of them jumped up to Jack and Daniel's bed.

Jack smiled and went over and picked up the dogs.

"Don't worry. We won't lose you."

"They'll be safe, Noa," Daniel reassured his daughter.

In front of the cabins was a lounge area with plenty of seating and a bar. Upstairs on the sun deck were chaise lounges and a seating area with tables for their use.

They spent most of the day just settling in, getting used to the vessel. This first day of their cruise would end as they traveled toward Al-Badrashein. That night, as Jack and the others slept, Daniel wrote in his journal.

Excerpt from Daniel's Private Journal/
I have to chuckle. Bijou and Katie are practically glued to Jack and have been all day. I think he scared them with that line about losing them. This is so new for the girls, but they are being real troopers. I hope they are having as much fun as I am.

It's been magical, but I'm a little afraid, too. I wonder if Jack knows that inside there is a small piece of me that's scared about our destination. So many memories. I've learned to remember my parents with joy and gratitude for the time we did have as a family, but this place we're headed for tomorrow is where we spent so much time together.

When we went there, it was the beginning of the end of my life as a child. It was where they found that fatal coverstone, and it was the last time we were together as a family before going to New York City.

Part of me doesn't want to go back, and yet, I want to. It's just ... I don't. Stay close to me, Jack. Please. We haven't talked about this. I think you think we've excised all those ghosts, and we have. This is just ... residue. One more time, Jack ... please catch me and make sure I don't fall. I have everything now. I couldn't bear to lose any of it.
End of Daniel's Journal Entry

Daniel looked over at their sleeping babies.

They're all mine, mine and Jack's. All that love. He looked at Jack and smiled. Mine. All mine. Forever mine.

Then, he felt a lick on his hand. It was Bijou.

"I love you, too, Bij. I count on you a lot," Daniel said as he put his journal on the nightstand and picked up the mama beagle, holding her close. You knew that, Bij, didn't you? That's why you're here right this second. Love you..

Daniel kissed the beagle as he held her. He leaned back against the headboard of the bed and thought about all his joys and blessings. He felt happy and lucky. He only wished he wasn't dreading what was coming.

"Where are we going first, Daddy?" David asked as the family disembarked the Royal Cleopatra and headed for the waiting vehicle they had hired in advance.

"Saqqara. You'll love it, David. It has the stepped pyramid of Netjerykhet Djoser which was the first monumental stone structure in human history."

"Danny, aren't there fourteen or fifteen pyramids there?" Jack asked.

"Sixteen actually, which is more than anywhere else in Egypt."

"Climb?" Chenoa asked innocently.

"They aren't that kind of steps, Noa," Daniel explained. "They built the pyramid, and then they made it bigger. Each time they expanded it, it's called a step because you can see where the new part meets with the old."

"Oh," Chenoa yawned.

Jack suppressed a laugh at Chenoa's response to Daniel's comments.

"Sorry, Danny."

Ignoring his daughter's yawn and Jack's smugness, Daniel continued, "We won't have time to see all sixteen pyramids, but I think we need to visit the step pyramid because of its importance."

"What did you say this place was called?" Jack asked, not liking the name at all.

Daniel smiled as he answered, "The Pyramid of the Unas. It's actually the smallest of all the pyramids here."

"What's an unas?" Chenoa asked.

Daniel?

Daniel just smiled and shook his head at Jack, and then explained, "Unas was the last king of the fifth dynasty. His burial chamber actually has spells written on it that were intended to help him ascend to the heavens. They call those spells the Pyramid Texts."

"It doesn't look like much compared to the others," David noted.

"I know, and today it's known more for the Pyramid Texts than anything else, but once it was considered ... well, they called it 'Beautiful are Places of Unas'. It wasn't always ... rubble," Daniel said.

"Okay, time to go," Jack said. Don't like anything even remotely associated with an Unas.

Jack, geez.

Move along, Love.

After cramming in as much as possible in Saqqara, they headed for Dahshur. Daniel rambled on as much as he could about the history of the place. He talked about the Black Pyramid of Amememhet III where only the mudbrick slumped core remains, and he mentioned Sneferu's North Pyramid, explaining that it's also called the Red Pyramid, getting its name from the color of its locally quarried limestone. He also told his children that the casing of the Pyramid is almost totally gone.

As the end of the day approached, they stood in front of Sneferu's South Pyramid. Daniel was again in full lecture mode.

"The Bent Pyramid is a truly remarkable structure. It was built by Sneferu, father of Khufu, and is most notable for its bent shape, about halfway up, and has the most intact casings of all the pyramids in Egypt. There are two entrances, one on the north that visitors can access. It's above ground level. A descending corridor behind it opens into an underground chamber. There's a short passageway in the southeast that gives access to a vertical shaft, though it's partly destroyed now. The shaft is called the chimney because it's aligned precisely with the vertical axis of the pyramid."

As Daniel talked, the children continued to listen. As the children listened, Jack continued to watch.

"The second entrance is on the western face of the pyramid. It's a lot higher above ground. It has another descending corridor behind it. There ... I mean, it ... ends in the upper chamber. Some believe that Sneferu was buried in that chamber."

Daniel took a breath as he stared at the looming pyramid.

"Just south of the south side, but still on the pyramid axis, stands a small cult pyramid. The entrance, at ground level, is on the north side. It leads into a descending corridor, then ascends and comes out into a small corbel vaulted room. Some think this was a model for the Great Pyramid itself, but ... back to this one, the Bent Pyramid, there's a small chapel in the middle of it. Uh, I should say, on the eastern side, in the middle."

"Have you been here before, Daddy?" David asked.

Daniel nodded.

"A very long time ago. Daddy ... my daddy ... he, uh ..." Daniel suddenly lost his voice, but then he felt Jack's arms around him, supporting him.

"You'll love this story, kids. It's a hoot. Your daddy here was what ... six, maybe seven-years-old? He got scared by a camel and went running out here buck naked."

"Oh, Daniel, really?" Sam asked.

Daniel blushed and nodded as he answered, "It was very embarrassing. I thought Daddy would be angry. It interrupted his work, but he wasn't. He picked me up and held me. I'll never forget his smile at that moment."

"And then he put Daniel on the same camel that had scared him."

"I like that picture at home of Daddy on the camel," David said.

Chenoa laughed and agreed, "Daddy and camel funny."

"I was a lot older when that one was taken."

It was time. Jack saw the faraway look in his husband's eyes. He'd been closely watching Daniel all day. He knew this would be the place, but he just didn't know exactly when he'd have to put his plan into effect. Now, seeing the look, being so close that he could feel the increase of Daniel's heartbeat, and simply sensing the stronger emotion in his lover, Jack put his plans into action.

He motioned to Sam and Teal'c, a simple nod that said all it needed to. Sam placed the container she knew Jack wanted on the ground, and then she and Teal'c quietly steered all the children away.

The younger man didn't notice Jack's motion, or the departure of his friends and children. He was still staring at the pyramid too intensely to be aware of much else. The past was taunting him.

Jack's hands caressed Daniel's abdomen as he kissed the side of Daniel's neck.

"No ghosts, Danny. Your parents loved you so much. They're here, remember? With Charlie."

Daniel looked at Jack, his face turned to his side since Jack was behind him. He spoke so softly when he admitted, "I didn't think it would be this hard. I really didn't."

"I know, but it's okay. This place is symbolic, Love. It's happiness, but a happiness that was cut short. Tell me a story."

"What?"

"Tell me a story. I know about the camel. What else happened here?"

Daniel looked straight ahead, focusing on the pyramid again, so many thoughts beginning to rumble through his mind.

"I remember ... I ..."

"Easy, Love. It was a good time. You and your folks, a few camels," Jack chuckled, "friends. Tell me."

Jack squeezed his husband tightly. He wanted to make sure Daniel knew he was surrounded by all the love Jack had to offer. He held him close, his hands continuing to caress Daniel's abdomen as the younger man talked.

"I remember one night, Mommy and Daddy took me for a walk. Daddy said the pyramids were great things, maybe the greatest things in the universe. Mommy laughed and said he was wrong. They got in this ... fight. Finally, Daddy said well if the pyramids aren't the greatest things in the universe, then what was? Mommy smiled the sweetest smile, Jack."

"What did she say?"

"She said," Daniel paused, closing his eyes, "Our little Pharaoh, Mel."

Daniel bowed his head, unable to stop the tears. Jack held him very close.

"For what's it worth, I agree, Love."

Daniel turned around to face his husband.

"Daddy laughed, not a funny one, but a 'you got me' one. He picked me up and held me above his head and said Mommy was right, that nothing was greater than me."

Jack pulled Daniel to him, his hands moving up and down his lover's back and buttocks.

"I love you, Angel."

"Jack, where are the children?"

"Carter and Teal'c have them all corralled. They're going back to the hotel."

"What about us?"

"You and I are going to stay here and share some more memories."

"We are?"

"Yep, we are. I have a little picnic dinner here, and we'll just pick a spot and ... remember."

Daniel pulled back for a moment.

"You knew? You planned it, didn't you?"

"Knew what?"

"How I'd react. I thought ... I mean ..."

Jack's hands cupped Daniel's face, his thumbs gently rubbing the tear tracks.

"Danny, I know you better than I know myself, and I know you need time here, so yes, I guess you can say I planned it. The kids knew, too."

"They did? What did you tell them?"

"That you spent time here with your parents and needed a little while to ... talk about it."

"Do you think they understood?"

"Yeah. Actually, David equated it to the how they feel about their parents; you know, being some place where you spent happy times with your parents, remembering the good and the bad. Daniel, he asked if sometime we could go back to their old house."

"You mean the Morgan house?"

"Yeah. He said one day they were there, the next they weren't."

"They never got to say goodbye?"

"No, it was done for them, just like with you."

"We need to take them there then."

"We will, but right now," Jack took Daniel by the hand, picking up the picnic basket with the other, and started to walk, "we spend some time with Melbourne and Claire and their little Pharaoh, their Danny, the greatest thing in all the universe for all of us."

"I love you so much, Jack."

"I love you, too, Angel."

Excerpt from Daniel's Private Journal/
Gawd, why was I surprised? My heart knows me so well. He makes everything better. He always knows the perfect thing to do. How does he know that? I don't care. I'm just happy he loves me.

It was perfect. I cried. I always cry, but My Jack, he held me, and the tears stopped, and then we laughed. I remembered some stories tonight that I hadn't recalled in years. Happy stories about Mommy and Daddy. I know Jack has memorized them. He remembers everything I tell him about my parents. He won't let me forget.

I love you, Jack. I love you. I think ... I think I'll show you.
End of Daniel's Journal Entry

"Jack?"

Daniel kissed his sleeping husband.

"Wha'? Something wrong?" Jack asked groggily.

"No. Come here."

Daniel got up out of bed. When Bijou and Katie looked up from their spot on the corner of the bed, Daniel put his finger in front of his lips and said "Shhh." He then turned on the baby monitors (one was never enough for the overly cautious couple), took his husband's hand, and led a very sleepy Jack into the bathroom.

"Danny, wha...mmmmph."

Jack had been on the edge of sleep when he felt the ravishing coming from his husband. Daniel wasted no time in answering all of Jack's questions about why he had been awakened in the middle of the night. He answered all of them with one long, lingering, full-of-desire kiss, which was followed by another ... and another ... and soon, Jack and Daniel held each other's sweating bodies in support.

"I didn't ... think ... we'd have a ... chance to do ... this ... here," Jack gasped.

"Love ... show ... thank," was all Daniel could say.

His brain cells were fried, and Jack considered that quite an accomplishment considering the small space they were in.

Jack prided himself in the language of Daniel, but he wasn't quite sure why he was being thanked. It didn't matter though. The only thing that did matter was that he had the greatest thing in the universe -- his Daniel, happy and satiated in his arms.

A short time later, just before Daniel fell asleep on his Jack pillow, he whispered, "Thank you for helping me remember the happy moments I spent at the pyramid with my parents. I needed that, so much."

"Angel, you don't have to thank me for loving you," Jack spoke with love, now understanding why he was being thanked in the bathroom.

Then they both fell into a peaceful sleep wrapped in each other's love.

The next day, the family lounged on the sun deck.

"ChenoaJacksonO'Neill, David..."

"Teal'c, why don't you call them what we do?"

The Jaffa thought for a moment, and nodded.

"MouseketeersJacksonO'Neill, would you like me to teach you a game that they used to play in ancient times?"

"Cool," Jennifer answered.

Teal'c and the children sat down at one of the tables, and he explained the game of Hounds and Jackals.

"Your father and I have played this many times."

"Which one?" Jennifer asked with a smile.

Teal'c considered his response. He smiled and said, "The cute one."

Jack spit out his beer.

"Geez, Big Guy, warn a guy before you say something like that."

"Is DanielJacksonO'Neill not cute?"

"Oh, he's cute; adorable even; sexy, in fact."

"Jack!"

Deciding he wanted some of that cute, adorable, and sexy body later, Jack decided he had better behave. He excused himself and went to change shirts and get a fresh beer.

"What happened to you, Sir?" Sam asked as she emerged from her cabin holding baby Jenny in her arms.

"Teal'c just called Daniel cute."

"He is, Sir."

"I know that, Carter ... but Teal'c said it."

Sam laughed.

"Actually, Sir, maybe I shouldn't say anything, but I heard Jennifer and Teal'c talking last night. She bet him five dollars he wouldn't say it."

"Oh, did she now?"

"She was sure Teal'c was too afraid of you to do it. Imagine that ... Teal'c afraid of you."

"Yeah, imagine," Jack snipped.

Sam gulped.

"I think I'll take Jenny topside now, Sir. Excuse me."

"Paybacks," Jack muttered as he went about his business.

The next day, the barge stopped at Beni Hasan, a small village, south of el-Minya. The plan was to visit the area where a group of rock-cut tombs were carved into the high limestone cliffs on the east bank of the Nile.

Jack was on the deck with most of the family eating breakfast. Daniel was still in the cabin with Aislinn.

"I wonder what's taking him so long."

"Do you want me to go check, Dad?"

"No, I'll do it. Watch the babies," he said, standing and going downstairs. Jack opened the cabin door. "Hey, what's going on?"

Daniel was holding the baby in his arms, and she was crying.

"Jack, I think she has another ear infection. She's been restless all morning, and now she won't stop crying."

"Hey, Ash. Not feeling so good?" Jack kissed his daughter on her forehead. "Do you want me to call Syl or just go ahead and give her some of the antibiotic she gave us?"

"I don't know. I'm ... not a doctor," Daniel said nervously.

Jack reached for his cell phone and dialed as Daniel continued to try and soothe their daughter.

"Thanks, Syl," Jack said at the conclusion of the call. "She thinks we should give her the medicine and ..."

"... that I worry too much?"

Jack stood, kissed Daniel, whispered "Don't change" and then opened the suitcase that had Aislinn's medication in it.

"Jack, we can't take her to the tombs."

"I'll stay."

Daniel sighed. He didn't want to go without Jack, but he had promised the others, David especially, that he'd show them the tombs. He didn't know what else to do. Jack went upstairs to inform everyone what was happening.

"O'Neill, perhaps I should stay with your daughter so that you may accompany the rest of your family."

"I ... I'd hate for you to miss this, Teal'c."

"Stay with T?"

Chenoa went to the Jaffa, tugging on his pants leg. He picked her up and smiled.

"You've really improved with the smile, Teal'c," Jack said lightheartedly.

After some discussion, it was decided that Teal'c would stay on the barge with Chenoa, the twins, and Aislinn. The rest of the family would continue on as planned.

"Wow, that's steep," Sam said, looking up towards the top of the hill were the tombs were.

"Danny, I'll stay with the Munchkins. Why don't you and the others go up?"

"Okay."

Daniel kissed Jack and their babies, and then led Jennifer, David, and Sam up the long steep flight of stone steps to the top. When they got to the top, they were treated to a magnificent view of the river valley.

When they were done there, the group visited another group of cliff tombs at Tell Al-Amana before returning to the barge. Jack and Daniel were happy that Aislinn seemed much better when they returned, the antibiotic and Tylenol she'd been given throughout the day doing their jobs well. They hoped she'd be good as new in a couple of days.

Their cruise down the Nile continued. They saw the green fields along side the historic channel where there was irrigation and periodic flooding, and beyond it the harshness of the desert. Until they reached their destination, the rest of their time on the Royal Cleopatra would be spent relaxing and enjoying the feel of being on the Nile.

"Daddy, what's this game?"

It was evening time. Teal'c was with the babies and the beagles, while Jack, Daniel, Sam, and the Mouseketeers were in the barge's library. There were many books there and some ancient Egyptian games. Daniel looked at the one Jennifer had pulled out.

"It's Mehen, Jen. The name means 'coiled one'. It was played on a spiral game board, usually in the form of a snake, with several slots or squares to be played on, six sets of differently colored marbles that were the playing pieces, and six special playing pieces in the form of a predatory animal, most often lions, but sometimes just dogs or even hippos."

"It looks like we could all play," Jennifer stated as she studied the game.

"You're right. This is actually the only multi-player ancient Egyptian board game we know about. The funny thing is the ancient Egyptians stopped playing the game just after 2000 BC., and no one really knows why, at least not for sure, though it may tie in with the Sun Cult."

"Sun Cult? What's that, Daddy?" David inquired.

"Well, the people at that time worshiped Re, who was the sun god. Mehen was the name for the serpent god. They, the people, believed Mehen was a huge serpent who wrapped Re in its coils when he set in the west and protected him on his journey, on the river of night, from the evil forces of the underworld. Somehow, though, the game and the god seemed to merge, and the game took on religious aspects. So, people began to look at the game and wonder. For example, the cuts that are on the snake's back on the game board would appear to actually kill the snake, and to those of the Sun Cult, that would be a bad thing."

Jennifer thumbed through the book that accompanied the game.

"This guy, Tim Kendall. He says, 'Mehen's role was essential, for if Re were not protected from these enemies, he might not rise in the morning, which would result in the cessation of all life. In Egyptian belief, 'life' applied not only to the living but also to the dead, who were believed to travel with the sun and to rise, reborn, with him at dawn."

"That's exactly it, so they stopped playing the game called Mehen and the serpent god became associated with a different game called Senet."

"I have an idea," Jack spoke up. "How about a game of gin?"

"Works for me, Dad."

Jennifer handed the book to Daniel as she went to sit down next to her siblings at the table. While David began shuffling the cards, Jack got up and walked over next to Daniel.

"Whatcha looking at, Love?"

"The game table for Mehen."

Whoa! Looks a little bit like a DHD, doesn't it?

Yeah, it does. I wonder if there's a connection.

"How about we play some gin?" Jack took the book and stuck it back on the shelf. We're on vacation. Actually, we're retired!

"I love you, Jack."

"Oh, no. Are we going to play, or are you two going to make out again?"

"Make out? Us? Imagine that!" Jack laughed, guiding Daniel over to the table for a friendly game of gin.

It was their last night aboard the barge. It had been a pleasant evening, the family chatting and playing games. The children had all gone downstairs, Sam and Teal'c keeping watch over them with the assistance of the two beagles.

Jack and Daniel had taken just five minutes to stand together watching the Nile. They hadn't had much time alone, and they knew once they got to the dig site, they would have even less for the duration of the dig ... if, indeed, they managed any.

A bit sadly, they agreed they needed to get to their cabin and free up Sam and Teal'c so the two could do whatever they wanted to for the night. They kissed, then walked down the stairs and opened their cabin door.

"Jack, where's the crib?"

Daniel began to panic.

"Calm down, Love. Look," Jack said as he picked up the note that had been left on their bed.

"Dear Dad and Daddy,

It's our last night, and I know how much you both love the Nile. You told us about your trip here years ago, and I thought you should have one night to yourselves. We've all squeezed into Sam and Teal'c's cabin. Please let us stay there. We're fine, and yes, if Ash's ear infection acts up I'll come get you, but let us give you this gift of time. Enjoy the night, the entire night.

Signed with loads of Love,

The Mouseketeers, The Munchkins, The Twins, The Girls, Sam, and Teal'c"

"Wow."

"And I'm not going to argue. Come on."

"Jack, we really shouldn't."

"But we SO are."

Jack took Daniel's hand and led him back up to a corner of the barge, where they cuddled together as the vessel continued its journey.

"It's better than the first time."

"We're happier. I didn't know it was possible to be this happy."

"Amen to that," Jack said before he kissed Daniel.

The two spent hours on the deck, and then returned to their cabin where for the first time and only time on their cruise, they locked their cabin door and made love until they were too exhausted to move. When they awoke the next morning, they felt refreshed and thankful for their family, and their family of friends.

After breakfast the next morning, the Jackson-O'Neills thanked the Captain of the barge, gathered up their belongings, and disembarked at Al-Balyana. Waiting for them was Megan Williams and a few of the J-O Enterprises employees. The family divided up into groups for the short trip to the dig site. They traveled a little over six miles in the four-wheel drive vehicles.

"This is it," Megan said, getting out of the Pajero.

"You ready, Danny?"

Jack took Daniel's hand, squeezing it, a smile on his face.

"Ready."

Exiting the vehicles, Jack and Daniel looked over the dig site, greeted the workers that had already arrived, and prepared for their first truly big adventure as CEO's of J-O Enterprises.

On to Chapter Eight...