Chapter 5.

Saturday morning -

"Hey, Jack!"

"Daniel! Come in, what's up?"

"Um…thought I'd see if you needed some help…packing."

"Sure. Come on."

Daniel and Jack worked steadily for the next two hours packing the things that Jack wanted to take with him and the things he would be sending to storage. The home was beginning to look sad and bare as Jack glanced around the living room. "Daniel, want a beer?"

"Ah, no thanks, Jack. Maybe a Coke though."

"Yeah, maybe. I'll check." Jack disappeared into the kitchen and returned with his beer and a Sprite. "Uh, sorry Daniel, no Cokes…but I found one of Carter's Sprites. She won't mind." He smiled and handed the drink across to Daniel. "Let's go outside for a bit."

They sat quietly for a few minutes enjoying the fresh Colorado air and resting from the unfamiliar task of packing. Daniel's mind began to race over the events of the last few days and came to rest on the questions he had wanted to ask Jack. "So, Jack, what exactly will you be doing in Washington?"

"Just more of the same, I guess. Paperwork, planning security…you know." Jack waved his arms around in the air to enrich his words.

Daniel raised his eyebrows and pushed his glasses back up on his nose while tilting his head down just a bit, "You don't know, do you?"

Jack cocked his head to one side and for a moment, Daniel thought he would smile but the smile never quite made it to his face, it remained a passing thought as he said, "No, not really."

"Why, Jack?"

"Nothing left to do here, Danny…the knees are going and its more money, another star," he smiled jovially at Daniel, "new scenery, and new adventures…"

"Adventures. In Washington." Daniel wasn't asking. He was making statements with a heavy emphasis on disbelief. He waited for Jack to respond but he remained silent, staring at the most distant point his eyes could reach. "This isn't another one of your 'secret ops' is it? Cause that last one…"

"No, Daniel. Nothing like that – it's on the up and up, I swear. You know I'm still mad at you guys for buying into that…."

"Us? You were the one…acting like you…"

"You believed it!"

"Well, yeah, Jack, I saw you steal it! What did you expect?"

"I expected you to know me better! And, no, I didn't steal it."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Not! Now knock it off, Daniel or I'm putting you back to work."

"Ok." And barely taking a breath, he started up again, "So you keep Sprite here for Sam?"

"What? Yeah, sometimes. What about it?"

"Nothing. What about Sam?"

"She'll be here later."

"Un, no, that's not what I meant."

"What…?"

"The two of you…have you talked to her?"

"Daniel!" The warning tone in Jack's voice rose quickly, a lot quicker than normal, Daniel noticed.

"Oh, come on! Don't tell me you're going to leave here and not talk to her! Jack, how can you?"

"Daniel, don't start. She's happy with Paul, Pat, whoever…. just let it go."

"It's Pete…and I don't think she is."

"Well, it doesn't matter what you think, Daniel! What matters, is what Sam thinks! And she thinks she's happy…now I'm warning you – Let. It. Go."

"Jack!"

Jack immediately threw his hand up in the air with the palm facing Daniel. "No. No more."

Daniel shot Jack his sternest look and waited all of a second before speaking again, "Jack, don't do this. You're going to regret it later. Don't walk away from this, Jack"

"I'm not walking away, Daniel. I've been re-assigned."

"Talk to her, Jack. You may not get another chance."

"Not gonna happen. Sam is getting married and I'm going to Washington. End of story. It's for the best, she'll be happy."

"I don't think so, Jack."

"Well, I think…so."

"But you'll never be sure unless you talk to her. I've seen you face down Jaffa and System Lords, Jack, surely you can handle one woman."

"She's not just a woman, Daniel she's a Colonel, and she can kick my ass!"

Daniel grinned in spite of himself, "Yeah. Well, whose fault is that? And only when you let her. Are you afraid of her, Jack?"

"Scared to death, Danny." Daniel screwed his face into a scowl as he heard the sarcasm practically dripping from Jack's lips. He was definitely avoiding the issue and from the sound of it, intended to continue doing so.

"Don't give up on her, Jack."

"Don't have to…she already gave up on me. Come on, I need another beer."

Jack slapped Daniel on the knee and walked back into the house and frowning, Daniel followed him. He had heard the sadness and finality in Jack's voice. He recognized it and it sent a shiver down his spine. He was running away, just the way he had before the Abydos mission. Sam was going to marry Pete and that would be the end of it. 'That's why he's leaving. He can't just stand by and watch her marry Pete.'

"So, you'll be coming back for the wedding then?"Daniel attempted to make his voice as casual as possible and continued to walk as he waited for Jack's answer.

"Uh, maybe…maybe not. I'll just have to see how things go once I get to Washington."

Daniel shook his head and knew he wouldn't be seeing Jack at the wedding. He understood but still thought Jack was wrong. He knew the two of them well, he'd seen their interaction on too many occasions, seen what lengths they would go to trying to protect or rescue the other. He'd seen Sam's eyes light up as she caught sight of Jack. He'd watched them communicate silently for years, most recently at the command transfer ceremony. He couldn't say he understood the feelings they had for each other but he knew they existed. And he knew Jack was making a mistake. They were a part of each other, connected. He'd never seen that with Sam and Pete, it just wasn't there. Granted, they hadn't known each other as long as Sam and Jack, but it just seemed something was missing. For one thing he couldn't imagine that Pete would be able to handle the secrecy. That kind of secrecy was hard on the best of relationships and he didn't think this one stood a chance in hell – not for long anyway.

"Daniel? You coming?"

"Oh! Yeah, yeah I'm coming, Jack." He started back into the house with his heart a little heavier for his two friends. They seemed intent on destroying whatever crazy relationship they had or might have in the future. Such a waste, he thought, such a waste.

He thought of Sha're as he opened the door to the house and wondered what he would do, how far he would go to have her back again – he couldn't think of anything he wouldn't do - and it saddened him to watch these two pushing aside their own happiness so carelessly. He couldn't let that happen. There has to be a way, he thought, there just has to be a way for them to work this out.

"Did you speak with O'Neill, Daniel Jackson?"

"Yeah, I tried. He seems to have made up his mind and refuses to discuss it."

"Has he spoken with Colonel Carter?"

"I doubt it. He wouldn't give me a straight answer. What is it with those two, Teal'c? Why can't they just talk this out? We've seen it, both of us have, right?"

"Indeed, but the choices that O'Neill and Colonel Carter have made do not allow them to place themselves first. They are warriors. They have chosen that path freely and they will not be easily distracted. Perhaps we have misjudged their actions."

"Misjudged? I guess that's…possible, but I don't think so. I feel like I'm watching a train wreck that's about to happen and I'm powerless to stop it. Jack won't do well with this, Teal'c I've seen it before. I'm worried."

"I understand Daniel Jackson. You wish the best for your friends, but you can not choose for them."

"I just keep thinking what I would do if it were me. I hate to think I'd let a few regulations stand in the way. Jack falsified reports, lied, so that I could stay there with Sha're. He did that for me, but he won't do it for himself. Half the time he breaks regulations without even thinking about it! Why can't he solve this?"

"Any decision that O'Neill makes will most certainly affect Colonel Carter and he would never dishonor her. Matters of the heart are not so easily settled. O'Neill will do the right thing, I have no doubt of that."

"Yeah."

"It is also possible that they prefer not to endure the uncomfortable situation that followed their Za'tarc testing."

"What?"

"Did you not observe a change in their relationship following that incident?"

"Um…they seemed a bit 'distant' for a while."

"Indeed. They were troubled that they had admitted their feelings for each other. I am unsure if that was due to being forced to speak those feelings aloud or the fact that other people had become aware of the situation."

"They admitted they loved each other?"

"Not in those words."

"Why don't I know about this? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were not in the room, Daniel Jackson, you were required elsewhere and you were already aware of their feelings. Were you not?"

"Yeah…suspected. I didn't know they'd ever expressed them."

"No one who was in the room has spoken of it again."

"Right. Including Sam and Jack." The two friends fell silent as Daniel continued to drive toward O'Neill's house and their last team night together. Daniel continued to mull over the past remembering all the days the four of them had spent together and as his destination drew closer, he began to dread this final meeting.