The smell of the grill later that day had Daniel's mouth watering like the source of the Nile, and the sizzle as Jack threw the streaks on prompted him to lean back in his chair blissfully while watching the wind in the trees. It had been too long. Too long since he was at Jack's, listening to the radio, sitting in the sun, hearing the steaks sizzle. "Sam and Teal'c coming?"

"Actually, no. This was kind of spur of the moment. Besides, when's the last time we got to just talk?" He tried a smile.

Daniel's brows raised a fraction of an inch. "Uh, how about never?"

"Now, that's not true! We used to talk."

"Sure. You used to talk. To the tv. During a game."

"You sound so married. What about those nights out at O'Malleys?"

"Team nights. And you and Sam would go off to play pool."

"I – we . . . okay, fine, so we start over." Jack sat casually in the chair beside Daniel. "And you joined in those pool games, don't pretend like you didn't."

"Jack, I appreciate all this, but you know, it would come across as more convincing if you didn't try so hard every time I get hurt."

Jack stared. "You're saying I don't care unless you get hurt?"

Daniel looked at him evenly. "I'm saying you try too hard."

Jack thought about that. "Maybe." He eyed the grill. The last thing he wanted to do was get into a conversation about his lack of tact when friendship was on the line. "So, what's up with the shrimp?"

"Jack, the report. . ."

"Daniel, you. Your lips, not a piece of paper."

"Maybe I don't want to talk about this now, okay?"

"Humor me." His ire rose as Daniel looked away, and he scraped his chair around to face his friend. "Dammit, we could have lost you down there. And no, it isn't the first time you've been in a life threatening situation, but other than our lovely run-ins with the Goa'uld, this is the only time I can remember where someone wanted you dead. Now granted this isn't a local threat so I don't have to watch your back, but I still want to know what happened."

"As my commanding officer?"

Jack slapped Daniel with a glare. "Your commanding officer would have been satisfied with just reading the report."

"Guess you'll get pissed if I say I have to go back."

Jack sputtered. "Now see? Explain that!"

Daniel leaned his head back. "I can't."

"God, Daniel . . . "

"No – hear me out." Daniel sat up straight. "Something's going on down there. I believe I was genuinely hired in good faith, and I think something has happened since. And it has to do with the discovery of that temple."

"It usually does. I'm really beginning to hate temples." Jack popped his forehead with his palm. "Potatoes. Dammit, look, turn those steaks, will ya? Be right back."

Daniel stood and did as instructed, wincing in the heat that flared from the grill. The sizzling resumed, the aroma weighed the air with flavor. Daniel shut the lid and backed away as Jack emerged with two fat potatoes wrapped in foil. He opened the lid and laid them on the rack, then closed it and grabbed a beer from his cooler. He tossed one to Daniel, who caught it in a panic, one-handed. Shattered glass on the deck wouldn't be a good thing.

"You were saying?" Jack resumed his seat, raising the bottle to his lips.

Daniel sat on the edge of truth, facing Jack. "Okay." He gathered his thoughts, and nodded. "Okay. The fact is, I've had more time to think about this since I filed that initial report."

"Of course."

"Jack, just let me. . ."

"Fine." Jack waved for him to continue.

"What I found down there, before the place fell in on me, wasn't a temple. I believe it was a lab."

"Really?" Jack lowered his drink.

"Yeah, look, I really can't remember a lot yet, and I'm not sure exactly what it is you're asking me." Daniel fixed Jack with an open gaze. "Everything is in the report," he reiterated.

Jack allowed a heavy sigh to escape. He didn't like that Daniel kept watching him, studying him. It was like he was waiting for Jack to ask the right question. "Will you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"That peering into my soul bit."

"What?" Daniel laughed.

"Look, forget it." Jack rose to check on the steaks, feeling Daniel's eyes on his back.

"Jack, if I didn't know better, I'd say you have some guilt going on."

Jack allowed a glance over his shoulder. "What are you talking about."

The fact that his response wasn't a question meant he knew exactly what Daniel was talking about.

Daniel rose and stood beside his friend. He waited until the proximity and lack of discussion prompted Jack to look at him. "You couldn't have known. And even if you had, I mean, I'm here, right?"

"Yeah." Jack stared out toward his neighbor's yard, glad for the thick bushes that separated the properties. "Teal'c said you'd been talking to your shadow."

"Huh?"

"He says you told him that."

Daniel shook his head with a bemused smile. "I really don't remember."

"It means you were down there, alone." He stabbed at the steak. "Trapped." Stab. "Conscious. Just. . . laying there." Two more stabs and he pulled the steaks from the flame and set them on two plates. A quick poke at the potatoes showed they needed a good bit longer. He continued to poke, figuring if he punctured it enough it would behave and do what it was supposed to do.

Daniel tried to catch Jack's eye. "You came as quickly as you could. You and Teal'c, you both got me out of there. Now, I can't remember anything about that particular incident other than I hurt, and you were there, and that's enough."

"And Teal'c."

Daniel waved his hand. "No, no, just you at first. You were talking to me, remember? Said you needed help to move the beams. Guess that's when you went to get Teal'c."

Jack slowly turned. Daniel seemed to know what he was saying, his face held conviction. He turned to walk back to his chair, his lips pulling at the beer bottle. He winced with customary disdain at the taste. "Daniel, Teal'c was the first one down there. It was a while before I was even in that room with you conscious."

"No, I don't think so." His face lightened in memory. "You kept wanting me to dig." He raised a hand, showing the raw skin. "It was a while before you gave me a stick though, why did you do that anyway, tell me to dig? That hole I made wasn't anywhere near. . ."

"Daniel, I never told you to dig anything." Jack's soft, bewildered gaze settled on his friend's suddenly troubled face.

The young man hesitated, confusion marring his features. "You did, you . . . " Jack met his eyes, "didn't you?"

Jack looked away. "You were unconscious. Blood loss. Head trauma." There was a deep hesitation as he regarded his steak. "Probably thought you were going to die, god, there's no telling what went on in that mind of yours," he resumed quietly.

And now Daniel understood the prodding, why Jack refused to just let the report be enough. He wanted to know what it was like, what he went through while he was trapped. But apparently what he went through and what really happened were two totally different things. "I – I uh . . . "

"Forget it. I'm starving, these potatoes'll be a little longer, but we can start on the steaks."

"Jack, you were there with me. Whether in body or. . . . or spirit . . . you were there."

"And that's good enough for you?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

A smile touched Jack's eyes. He gestured to Daniel's dish, and they ate.