So it was pointed out that there was no need for the Shavadai marriage to be annulled as there was no paperwork etc. signed. I'm just gonna go with creative licence and the fact that Daniel's marriage to Sha're was recognised by Earth. Any off-world marriage or ceremony would, therefore, be deemed as legally binding in my (and the SGC's) eyes, and therefore would need some kind of acknowledgement to end it.

This story is set at some point in season three.

#

Another day, another mission.

Another really weird off-world ceremony that somehow he and Carter got dragged into.

Later, much later, he'd wondered how exactly Daniel and Teal'c got out of it. His teammates somehow didn't get as involved in as many ceremonies and rituals as himself and Carter, and that was something that he decided needed to look into for the future.

In the present time, he was preoccupied with the ceremony himself and Carter were currently involved in, and the implications of it.

They'd been taken away to be dressed in the ceremonial garb the natives wore. Daniel–it was always Daniel–had encouraged them to go along with it, suggesting it would be offensive to the natives if they refused and since they wanted to keep on good terms with the friendly folk of P4x873 due to the tech they were willing to share, offending them was not a good idea.

So he and Carter were dressed up–thankfully in pretty normal clothes as far as alien planets went. Jack wore a pale cream tunic and loose tan coloured pants, while Carter was in a simple little shift dress thing the same colour as his top. The colour, uncomfortably reminiscent of a non-white wedding dress back on Earth–really suited her as did the subtle lines of the dress.

Not that Jack had noticed.

Of course not.

That was the type of thing he, as her Commanding Officer, was not supposed to notice.

Nope. Nada. Not at all.

(But he did notice. Just as he noticed the way the colour made her blue eyes pop the way the outfits they'd had to wear while undercover in Seth's cult had. And he noticed the fit of the dress hinted at the curves that it concealed without being too obvious about it. And the length of it bared her legs to his gaze, which was something that usually only happened when she was in her Dress Blues and he noticed...)

"And now, Colonel Jack," the Head Priestess smiled knowingly at him. Jack had the distinct impression that she could see a lot more than he was comfortable with her seeing. "You will place the garland on Major Samantha's head, then will take this rope and wrap it around her wrist."

The garland was a flower crown with a mixture of blooms that resembled daisies and sunflowers. Somehow, on Carter, they seemed to work. He took the garland from the High Priestess and was very careful to avoid looking Sam in the eye as he carefully placed it on top of her blond head. Next was the rope, which was really a thick ribbon again laced with the same kind of flowers. He was careful to wrap it loosely around her wrist–not too loose that it would come undone but not too tight that it would be abrasive against the delicate skin.

"Good, that's good." The High Priestess beamed in approval. "Now, Major Samantha. You must take the other end of the rope and tie it around Colonel Jack's wrist."

Colour rose in Carter's cheeks, and he noticed she was doing her best to avoid looking at his face, too. He knew she was as grateful as he that the attention of the village wasn't solely focused on them; there were many undergoing the same ceremonial rite but, as outsiders, they had the attention of the High Priestess who led them through the stages of the ceremony.

Daniel had queried if it was a marriage rite; the High Priestess hadn't understood the term. She'd explained it was a ceremony to affirm the friendship between the couples and their commitment to supporting one another through life's ups and downs. When it was put that way, and the nature of the Commanding Officer/Second in Command relationship was explained to the High Priestess, she had beamed at them and said they would be perfectly suited to the ceremony.

Now, most of the way through it, Jack wasn't so sure.

It certainly had a whiff of wedding about it to him.

He held himself still as Carter wound the ribbon around his wrist and tied it loosely. He could see her hands tremble slightly, and told himself she was just as uncomfortable with the High Priestess's scrutiny as he was.

Or maybe it was just that she, like he, was already thinking how the hell they were going to explain this to General Hammond...

"You are now united," the High Priestess declared after laying her own hands over theirs. "May you be blessed by the spirits and be forever secure in your union."

All around them, the newly united couples smiled at one another. Most of them, Jack noticed because he was determinedly not looking at Carter, began to kiss.

Awk-ward.

The High Priestess looked at them expectantly for a moment, then smiled knowingly as they continued to avoid one another's gaze. "You will need to remain bound until sunrise," she advised. "Once the suns have risen, you are free to release the ties that bind you, as they will remain in a spiritual sense, unseen but always felt."

"Great. That sounds... great." Jack managed, his smile polite but forced. His mind was already racing ahead, trying to figure out how he and Carter were possibly going to get any sleep if they had to stay tied up all night.

Tied up... with Carter... All night...

His brain was certainly going places it shouldn't be, so Jack turned to locate their teammates. His eyes narrowed at the grin on Daniel's face, and the blank but somehow amused expression on Teal'c's. Neither of them were going to be any help, he was sure.

Without thinking, he took a step towards them, realising belatedly that the ribbon binding his wrist to Carter's really wasn't that long.

Oh, yeah.

Oops.

His 2IC had to keep close to his side so they could walk without losing their balance. After two near missteps, Jack took the initiative and laced their hands together to make it easier. Carter didn't say anything, but returned his grip. Thankfully, the distance back to their camp was short, the ground was pretty even, and Daniel took point so didn't notice.

Teal'c did, though, and it was he who suggested moving their sleeping bags closer together so they could lie with the ribbon around their wrist; Jack argued that they were out of sight of the village so surely they could take it off.

"We shouldn't really risk that, Jack," Daniel said after exchanging a glance with Teal'c. "Someone might come by in the morning with breakfast like they have the last couple of mornings, and we really don't -"

"Want to offend them, we know," Jack finished, rolling his eyes. "Is their technology really worth all this? The dress-up and the play pretend and the really weird bondage?"

There was a pause as he–and they–realised what he'd said.

"It's rare to make allies who are willing to share their technology, Sir," Carter pointed out after the silence went on a little too long to be comfortable. She had been the one who'd recommended the alliance and the trade, after all. For the most part, their worlds were quite similar but the natives had demonstrated some amazing advanced medical technology that she knew would be welcomed back at the SGC.

"Right." He huffed a sigh, and motioned–with the hand that wasn't tied to hers–to the log that had been serving as a seating area next to the fire. "We might as well take first and second watch. Teal'c, you're third, then Daniel."

It was an uncomfortable night, both sitting on the log on watch trying not to reference the giant elephant in the room and when it came to actually settling down for the night. By silent agreement, they decided that they would never mention that they'd resumed the hand-holding by the campfire–for the sole reason it was more comfortable –and they would never, ever go into details about the nightmare that was trying to afford each other the privacy they needed when it came to answering the call of nature before crashing out on their sleeping bags.

They slept on their backs, closer than usual, joined hands on the ground between them. When they woke with their fingers entwined once again, it was another thing that wouldn't be mentioned in their official mission reports.

God knew General Hammond was going to have enough to contend with on hearing that they might've somehow managed to get married again...