A/N If there is anyone still reading this you will be pleased to know we are getting near the ship. It had to happen eventually right? It's like a disease; I have to write thousands and thousands of chapters beforehand setting up the story…

You'll also be pleased to know this is almost like a real chapter. Wow.

Chapter 8

The morning broke softly over Lerwood Forest, Nott'am and the surrounding countryside. Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were unaware of this though, still locked in their dark cell in the sheriff's dungeons. Jack groaned and Daniel looked up from where he had been staring at the floor, thinking."Damn. Was hoping it was a dream. Or a nightmare. Whatever." He pulled himself up into sitting position and looked at Daniel in the eerie glow of the light.
"Daniel? Did you actually get any sleep last night?"
Daniel scowled and shook his head.
"Wow. Cheerful this morning aren't we!" Jack stood up and brushed down his combats, muttering about cold floors and his knee.

Daniel watched him silently. He had spent the night racking his brains for any knowledge that might be of any use, occasionally interrupted with thoughts of Sam. Towards morning he had pondered their fate, but he couldn't think of anything that could help them escape or reason with the Sheriff for their freedom. He was in a dark mood because of it.
"Ugly chap shown up yet? Offer us food or a schedule for the day?" Jack enquired in his 'good morning campers' voice.
Daniel shook his head again and Jack knelt down in front of him.
"Daniel, we've been in worse fixes; we will escape."
Daniel ran a hand through his hair and frowned. "I'm not worried about us Jack." He replied.
"Oh." Jack seemed shocked by this and rolled back onto his heels, baffled. "Well you should be - we have the death sentence hanging over us!" He smiled cheerfully. "Still. As I said, we've escaped from worse. Unless this sheriff turns out to be a Goa'uld," he considered. He studied the archaeologist in front of him, knowing full well Daniel was only half-listening to what he said.
"Danny boy, I ain't great with feelings and stuff," he shrugged dismissively, "but this wouldn't have anything to do with Sam and the sheriff would it?"

It took Daniel a moment to realise Jack wasn't talking about the Goa'uld any more. And a few more seconds to realise he had called Sam by her first name. He looked up to see Jack studying him, his face as usual masking any emotion.
"She's in a lot more danger than we are Jack." He said quietly.
"Well now. I'm not really seeing that. See I bet she's been fed, for one. Secondly, I bet she slept in a bed." He rubbed his back. "Thirdly, I bet she isn't gonna get hung this morning." Jack kept his voice jovial, years of military training warning him to keep out of sensitive subjects.
Daniel however did not have this training. "Jack, there are worse things than death."
Jack let his military mask slip a little, and his face showed the compassion he felt for his team mates. "Daniel. Carter is an intelligent woman. She is a trained soldier. She is not going to let some pompous sheriff get the better of her. And even if she did, well, she could take both of us out in a fight, easily."
Daniel nodded and jack smirked. "Well, you. I could beat her fine." Daniel smiled and Jack stood up, pleased with himself.
"Good, now we've got that sorted." He walked up to the bars. "OI!" He shouted loudly down the corridor.

x x x x x

While Daniel didn't really believe Jack's pep talk, he was grateful Jack had tried, and he consoled himself with the fact that while Sam would have to put up with the sheriff, hopefully she would be better looked after. Unless she fought back of course. Which he had to add, was a large possibility. He hoped the sheriff wouldn't try anything before he had wedded her. Daniel shuddered at the thought.He realised Jack was speaking again and focussed on what he was saying.
"Got some cheek. Doesn't he know we are on a tight deadline today? HELLO?"
"Err Jack. What are you doing? Surely you don't want that man to come and hasten us to our death?"
"Of course not. Just want to know some sort of time frame for proceedings. Need a plan don't we? And there's no harm in trying to get an appointment with the sheriff either." He span round as footsteps approached.

"Ahh good morning. I trust you slept well" Jack said a little too brightly.
The old man scowled at him, then cheered as he remembered their fate. "Aye, today's the day isn't it?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yes, about that. Can I see the sheriff this morning? Sooner rather than later."
"No." The old man smirked at him. "The sheriff made it clear that if he wants to see you, 'e will."
Jack shrugged. "Ok," He drawled out. "Could you tell me what's happening then?"
The old man looked up at the high window, apparently thinking.
"When you can see the sun outta that there window, we'll come to fetch yers."
Jack glanced at Daniel, who shrugged.
"Well. Thanks. How about some breakfast?"
The old man scoffed and disappeared back down the corridor. "It was worth a try." He turned round to see Daniel studying the window.

"How long do you reckon we've got?" He asked, coming to stand beside him and look up at the window.
"An hour? Not long."
Jack glanced down at his watch. 08:31. "I think we'll have to assume T isn't going to get help to us in time. What do you know about hangings?"
Daniel looked at Jack, strangely amused by his question. "Well Jack, as you know, I study medieval death methods in my spare time…" He trailed off.
"Nothing then? 'Nothing' would've been fine. I shall presume then, that we shall be standing on trap doors. I imagine the rope will be the same as the stuff they bound us up with." Jack fingered the rope on the floor, muttering to himself.
Daniel didn't interfere with any input, letting Jack work in peace until his mind was struck by a thought.
"Do you think Sam will see the hanging?"
Jack looked up from the rope he was studying squinted at Daniel. "Firstly, there won't be a hanging. Secondly, are you sure you're alright? You've been acting strange since you're little nose job yesterday."
Daniel had forgotten about that. He gently touched his nose and was pleased to learn it didn't feel too abnormally large. Definitely hurt though. Well that explained it anyway. He kept thinking about Sam because of the knock he got on his head. Which, he realised, he got when defending her honour! It all fitted now.

Jack watched Daniel curiously. He'd been getting hints of something between his 2IC and his archaeologist for a couple of months now, but as neither of them appeared to acknowledge it, neither did he. Still, Daniel seemed to be taking an unnatural interest in Carter's fate. Especially given their own predicament.
"You know, Walter has a pool going about who Sam is going to end up dating on the base."
Daniel looked at him. "Yeah, I heard something about that," he replied carefully.
"I put money on you. Anonymously of course, otherwise they might thing I had insider information." Jack scrutinised Daniel, who blushed and looked at the floor.
"Jack… I think that's… well, unlikely."
"Ah ha! So you do admit that you'd like to?"
Daniel's head flew up. "What! I never said that!"
"You didn't have to. You forget who you are talking to. I like to think we all know each other pretty well now. How many times have we saved the world together?" Jack smiled. "Sooo?"
Daniel raised his eyebrows in query. "Sooo, what?"
"Sooo, when you gonna tell her?"
"What? Jack, shut up."
Jack watched Daniel, who had suddenly taken an interest in the cleanness of his glasses. "Carter's great you know. Well, obviously you know. My point is, you ought to tell her sooner rather than later."
"You know, I don't think this has anything to do with escaping." Daniel put his glasses back on and went to look up at the window.
Jack was somewhat surprised at Daniel's behaviour. He thought he was the one who shirked emotions. "Fine" he replied aloud. "But she won't wait forever." He went back to studying the rope.

"What?" Daniel turned to look down at Jack.
"You know, for someone who speaks twenty three languages, you sure say 'what' a lot." Jack smirked at Daniel.
"Jack!" Daniel groaned in exasperation. "What did you say?"
Jack grinned. "I said, for someone who speaks-"
"No, not that," Daniel interrupted. "Before that."
"Oh." Jack looked at the rope in his hands, enjoying the fact he knew something Daniel didn't. "I said she won't wait forever."
Daniel digested this piece of information. "Right. That's what I thought you said." He let out a deep breath. "But last time I checked, a certain Colonel was the favourite to win that pool."
Jack placed the rope on the floor, stood up, and put his hands in his pocket. "You really are an idiot Daniel." Daniel glared at him. "Well, you are! Give Carter some credit. What could she possibly see in me?"
"I did wonder."
It was Jack's turn to glare at Daniel. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that. I'm still your CO." Daniel smirked at him. "I'm nothing more than a friend to Sam. A good one, but nothing else. It's against regs anyway, as she well knows. And Jacob would kill her. And me."

As Daniel watched Jack list reasons why the pool was wrong, one question lingered in the back of his mind.
"And what do you think?" He interrupted.
Jack looked at Daniel, nonplussed. "Of Sam? Or of you two together?"
"Both" Daniel replied slowly.
"Huh." Jack contemplated the question. "She is an amazing person. Maybe under different circumstances-" He saw Daniel's eyebrows almost reach the ceiling and hurried on, "BUT I am never going to try. Anyway, what would we talk about? I like the Simpsons, she likes electro…magno…. Gizmos." He watched Daniel's eyebrows return to near normal levels. "At least you and Sam could geek out together," he finished.
Daniel smiled, his eyes drifting off Jack and up to the window.
"Err, Jack?"
Jack, trying to decide what he honestly thought of Sam and Daniel together (it seemed a bit weird actually), didn't notice Daniel's attention was no longer on him. Hearing footsteps approaching, he cleared his head and looked up at the window.
"I hope you appreciated this conversation Daniel, as it's probably the last one we'll have. I wouldn't have chosen the topic myself, and I certainly wouldn't have pictured that my last hour would be spent giving relationship advice to someone who really ought to know better."
Daniel smiled innocently at Jack. "No ideas then?"
"I don't even have a plan A, let alone plan B."
"Ahh" Daniel replied as they heard the lock click in their cell door.
"No harm in going down fighting though" Jack stated, turning round and throwing a right hook at the guard on the left. Daniel stood still, stunned and unsure whether this was the wisest course of action. Then he realised it was the only course of action, and threw himself on to the second guard, making a mental note to keep his nose out of contact with any flailing limbs.