WARNING: R rated chapter ahead

Chapter 35. Arthur's Mantle

Daniel rubbed absently at the building tension in his temple while he scribbled out the next letter of the Ancient alphabet into his notebook. It was only a dull ache at the moment, but Daniel knew from experience that if he didn't take a break soon, it would develop into full-fledged tension migraine. Unfortunately, Daniel couldn't stop right now. Not when his fiancé and their team leader were currently trapped in an alternate dimension, unable to be seen or heard, unable to communicate except through this Ancient keyboard which, after some research, Daniel realised was actually Arthur's Mantle. Now all they had to do was figure out how to actually use it and reverse the process. Easy-peasy… right?

According to Sam – or maybe it was Mitchell, there was no way he could really be certain – there were instructions in their dimension that Daniel couldn't see. Of course, they were written in Ancient, which only Daniel could read. So, now Daniel had been sitting in front of the Mantle for three hours, painstakingly translating the message one letter at a time, and slowly growing a migraine.

"Okay, next word." Daniel muttered, starting the process of going through the entire Ancient alphabet for the 284th time.

"That's it!" Dr Lee shouted out from behind him, "My god, I finally figured out what Colonel Carter did to trigger the device!" Daniel turned away from his notebook to glance over at the excited scientist. "I had to run a reverse scan on all the energy fluctuations that we've been recording, put them through a program designed to…" He trailed off momentarily, obviously noting the blank look on Daniel's face. "Anyway, I isolated the algorithm she used to synchronise the energy emissions coming from the device."
Daniel nodded along, totally lost, and whatever language Bill was speaking was only making his headache worse. "What?!" He hissed in confusion.

Bill waved his hands around as if that would somehow help Daniel understand. "Don't you see? That means if I counteract Sam's algorithm from my computer, allow the emissions to return to their normal frequencies, that could reverse the process."

Daniel only raised a skeptical eyebrow, but Bill ignored his silent criticism and went back to tapping away at his laptop. "Oh, just give me a second." He muttered as Daniel stood, preparing to sprint for the fire extinguisher if need be. "That should do it." Bill said, looking inordinately pleased with himself. He hit the enter key, and Daniel was suddenly blinded by a bright, white light. He flinched away, raising his hand to try to shield his burning retinas.

The light finally faded, and Daniel slowly turned, blinking the dancing black spots from his vision. He stopped rubbing at his eyes the moment he spotted a familiar face standing next to his desk. "Sam?" He breathed, not quite sure if his eyes had properly adjusted.

"Daniel!" She exclaimed, beaming at him.

Grinning, he quickly crossed to her side, eagerly wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss into her hair. Ecstatic, he turned back to the balding scientist. "Bill, I will never doubt you again!" But Bill is not looking at him – in fact, he's looking right through him, a slightly terrified expression on his face.

"Oh, boy." The physicist muttered, looking vaguely around the room. "Err, Dr Jackson? Can you hear me?" Sam and Daniel exchanged a defeated glance. Bill threw his hands up in the air. "Okay, if you're still there, I still think I can reverse the process, it just might take a while. Don't worry, I'm on it." He smiled guiltily at the seemingly empty room and then went back to typing away at his computer.

"Is that supposed to be reassuring?" Daniel grimaced, pulling a face at Sam. She grinned, shaking her head. Then Daniel suddenly realised something. "Hey, where's Mitchell?"

"He went off-world with the extraction team to get Teal'c." She said, glancing up at him.

"What?"

She shrugged, shaking her head. "He was convinced he could help Teal'c. I couldn't talk him out of it."

"Great." Daniel sighed, rubbing again at his temple with his free hand. He felt Sam slip her arm around his waist, leaning into his one-armed hug.

"There's no sense in worrying about that now." She reasoned, "On the bright side, the translation will go a lot quicker now that you're here." She grinned up at him, batting her eyelashes in a way that could make him do just about anything. Daniel sighed, releasing Sam from his grasp and moving to stand in front of the wall of fuzzy orange Ancient text being projected from the Mantle. "Okay, let's see what we've got here."

Daniel flicked through page after page of Ancient writing, muttering his theories to Sam, who stood patiently listening at his side as he tried to decipher some of the stranger symbols. He rubbed a hand over his eyes when the symbols started to blur together, pinching the bridge of his nose and pressing his fingers against his eyes to try to relieve some of the pressure building behind the sockets.

"Daniel." Sam called gently, making him look up. "Maybe you should take a break, you aren't going to be able to help if you can't even see straight."

"No, I'm fine, I'm okay." He insisted, readjusting his glasses. Warm fingertips brushed over his cheek, turning his head to face her. "No. You're not." She took his hand, pulling him across the room and out the door before he could protest any further. "Where are we going?"

"Does it matter? We're invisible, remember? Just give that big brain of yours a break before it explodes." She grinned when he scowled at her. He sighed, resigning to his fate, and entwined his fingers with hers. His migraine was already starting to lift a little now that he was no longer staring at that same screen – not that he would ever admit that to Sam.

They wandered the halls, Daniel still silently mulling over the contents of the Ancient text. He didn't even notice they were headed to the Briefing room until they were halfway up the stairs. Daniel stood before the glass wall that overlooked the Stargate, staring down at the unusually empty Gateroom below. He felt Sam's hands slide up his back, her strong fingers pressing into his shoulders, kneading the tender flesh. He hadn't realised how tense he was until she started working at a particularly corded muscle in his neck, and he may have let out a deep moan, his chin falling to his chest and his eyes closed as her fingers worked their magic.

"Mmm. Sam. If you don't stop that, I'm never going to get any work done." He managed as her nails scraped over his scalp, sending him into a full-body shiver. He heard her chuckle beside him. "I think that was the point."

He opened his eyes and turned to her, noting the wry smile that twisted her lips and the way her eyes caught the glow of the fluorescent lighting overhead. "No, what I mean is…" He rephrased, placing a hand on her hips and manoeuvring her between him and the window in front of him, pressing his body flush against hers and hearing her gasp at his growing arousal. "Now I don't want to do any work."

The hands still around his neck pulled him down for a kiss, her lips soft and sweet and moving against his. His hands fit almost perfectly around her waist, and he pulled at the tank top tucked into her pants, needing to feel the warmth of her flesh under his palms.

General Landry's door swung open, and they leapt apart as the General marched out of his office, his head buried in the bunch of files in his hand. He swept down the stairs without even looking their way, and Sam and Daniel only had to glance at each other's shocked faces before they burst out laughing.

"Oh god, I forgot." Sam giggled, running a hand through her hair. Daniel rubbed at the back of his neck, still trying to calm his racing heart. "Yeah, never thought I'd say this but, thank god for being sucked into another dimension."

Sam only hummed, smirking up at him through her lashes. Daniel narrowed his eyes at her. "What?"

She shrugged, her smirk widening into a grin. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking, this whole being invisible thing might be considered a, uh, good opportunity." Daniel swallowed, his heart still beating at double-time, but for an entirely different reason now. "And, uh, what might that be?"

She shrugged again, her gaze searching his face almost hesitantly. "I don't know. Have you ever had any, um, fantasies?"

"About, uh, doing it on base?"

"Yeah."

"You mean aside from that time in my office when you had on that uniform?"

She snorted, momentarily forgetting her trepidation as she grinned. "Yeah, aside from that."

Daniel licked at his dry lips, gently grasping her hips and drawing her closer to him before he answered. "Yeah."

"And?"

"And?"

"And what are they?"

Daniel tried to swallow unsuccessfully. Were they really going to do this? He glanced behind him at the long, dark-wooden table. The table where they'd held hundreds of briefings and debriefings. Where they'd discussed plans and solutions, triumphs and failures. Where he'd first seen her in action, holding her own in a room full of men. He had admired her, even then.

"Here." He said softly, nodding his head toward the Briefing table. "I've sat here so many times while Jack was droning on, and daydreamed about doing it right here, on the table, watching the Stargate open in front of us."

Her lips split into a sultry grin, and any nervousness Daniel felt about spilling his guts simply melted away. He should have known he could confess anything to her and she would never judge, never shy away. "What about you?"

She nibbled at her bottom lip, and Daniel wanted to soothe the teeth marks with his tongue. She seemed to settle on a decision, and slipped her hand into his. "How about I just show you?"

She led him to the General's now empty office, releasing his hand as she wandered inside. Daniel followed her in.
She moved around the General's big, cushy, leather chair, and Daniel watched her as she ran her hand along the back of it, fingers dancing over black leather. "I've thought about sitting in this chair one day. If I would be able to handle it. If I would be good enough… worthy."

Daniel softened, crossing the room to take her hand in his. "Of course you would be, Sam." He held her sapphire gaze, his free hand rising to tuck a loop of hair behind her ear. "You would be a great leader. The SCG would be lucky to have you. Or Atlantis, for that matter. I would follow you into any battle, and so would everyone else here."
A slow smile pulled across her lips, her cheeks flushing prettily. She hesitated, glancing back at the chair, before finally settling down into it. Daniel couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Comfy?"

She wobbled her head uncertainly. He moved to stand behind her, his fingers threading through her golden hair. "It looks good on you." She tilted her head back to grin up at him. "You'd have to call me General, but." She teased, her blue eyes dancing.

Daniel's eyes trailed down the curve of her exposed neck, and he lowered his head to taste it. "Oh, I'd have no problem with that." He murmured darkly, excited by her sharp inhale. He moved around the chair to face her, leaning back against the General's desk and taking a moment to drink her in. Her hands were splayed over the armrests, one knee crossed over the other, the steady rise and fall of her breath drawing his eyes to the curve of her breasts. She held his gaze, dark and intense, daring him to proceed. She looked almost regal, her posture so confident, so in control, and it sent a tingle down Daniel's spine, bringing to life certain parts of his anatomy.

"So, did your fantasy involve me in any way, or just the chair?" He teased, smirking. She sank back into the chair, regarding him coolly, her hungry gaze looking him up and down.

"I'd imagine you, on your knees, helping me, ah, relax after a hard day of briefings and paperwork." She grinned wolfishly, and Daniel felt his pulse jump.

"Yessir, General Jackson-Carter." He obeyed, slowly dropping to his knees before her. She tilted her head like she was studying him, a smirk playing across her lips.

"Carter-Jackson, you mean."

Daniel gripped the sides of her chair to drag her towards him, settling himself between her knees. "Whatever you prefer, General." He grinned, stretching up on his knees as she bent her head to meet his kiss. Sam's hands wound through the lapels of his jacket and she shifted over him, forcing his head to tilt back. The sudden change in angle allowed her to easily slip her tongue into his mouth, and he groaned at the power shift.

He battled her tongue with his own, his breath coming in gasps between their open mouths, his headache already forgotten. He trailed his palms up her thighs, his thumbs tracing the inseam of her pants until they reached her belt. She released her hold on his jacket, allowing Daniel to trail his mouth down her throat instead, nipping and sucking at the delicate flesh while he worked off her belt. His hands slipped under her shirt and up her sides, sliding over the flat planes of her stomach and the taut muscles in her back as he reached up to unhook the clasp of her bra. He tugged the edge of her tank top down with his teeth, pushing the straps off her shoulders to reveal what lay beneath. Her nipples were already hard with arousal, and he took one dainty bud into his mouth, her soft sighs and hum of approval only serving to fan the fire in his groin.
Deft fingers popped the button on her trousers, and she lifted her hips for him, helping him to shimmy them and her boots off. Daniel released her breast with a soft pop and groaned when her arousal hit him. He lowered his head, trailing open-mouthed kisses up her thigh and deeply inhaling her scent.

He felt Sam's hand thread through his hair, her grip tightening, forcing his head up. She smiled down at him, her gaze so dark and predatory that it made Daniel twitch, his length straining painfully against the confines of his pants. "Why don't you demonstrate your linguistic skills, Dr Jackson?" She purred, and Daniel groaned loudly as his control broke.

He grabbed the back of her knees and yanked her towards him, pushing her knees apart as he finally delved into her centre. He moaned when he tasted her, almost drowning out her own cry. His tongue worked in familiar patterns, urged on by her soft gasps and sighs. Her fingers tightened in his hair, guiding him as her hips rolled in time with his ministrations. His expert fingers danced across her skin, finding all the overly-sensitised areas that made her gasp, before finally joining his tongue in bringing her to her peak.

Her hands pulled painfully at his hair as her whole body tightened, her hips pushing frantically against his hands and tongue as her back arched off the chair and she cried out. He slowed his speed, but did not pull away as she came down, shuddering against his mouth. Only when she was fully spent did he lean back onto his heels, watching her bare chest heave, her face flushed, her pupils blown wide.

With great effort, she flopped forward, bending to kiss him, her arms locking around his shoulders to hold herself up. "Mmm, even better than I'd imagined." She hummed when she pulled away, a dazed smirk on her face.

"Any way I can be of service, General." Daniel grinned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Sam's gaze flitted down to the obvious bulge in his trousers that Daniel had been studiously trying to ignore.

"I can think of one more."

Their lips met again, quickly becoming fervent with need. She slid his jacket from his shoulders, tugging at the shirt underneath until he obliged and broke their kiss long enough to pull it over his head. Daniel stood, dragging her up with him as their mouths joined again. His fingers caught in her hair, and he failed to suppress a groan as her hand found its way into his pants.

Daniel bent his knees, his hands grasping her rear as he lifted her into his arms, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist and her arms around his neck. He manoeuvred them out of the office and into the Briefing room, their lips, tongue and teeth hungrily devouring each other. He laid her back on the long, wooden table, taking a moment to trail kisses down her neck, before being drawn back to her insatiable mouth.

Her nails dragged up his back to wind in his hair and he gasped, groaning when she turned his head to graze her teeth over his earlobe. "Daniel." She whispered breathlessly, her voice so full of need that Daniel struggled not to fall apart right then. He freed one hand to slip his pants down over his hips, not bothering to take the time to properly discard them before he was in her.

Their combined moan echoed in the empty Briefing room, and Daniel paused, taking a moment to regain his control and allow her to adjust. He moved in a slow, but deep, rhythmic pace, the table beneath them issuing a drawn-out creak with every movement. He captured her lips again, swallowing her gasps and moans. Sam's nails raked down his spine, clawing into his bare backside and he moaned against her tongue, scooping her leg up over his shoulder and doubling his pace. His name fell from her lips, soft gasps and mewls driving him mad with lust and need.

The familiar slow whir of the Stargate starting a dial-out procedure momentarily pulled their attention from each other. "Sam, look." Daniel muttered, watching as the inner ring began to rotate. Sam craned her neck back, trying to see out the window from her upside-down position. "Closer." She ordered, her devilish grin causing Daniel's breath to hitch.

Hurriedly, Daniel toed off his boots and kicked away his pants, wrapping his arms around her to lift her from the table. He shuffled over to the window, taking care not to slip out of her, and pressed her back against the glass.

"Chevron One encoded." Walter's crackly voice announced over the intercom as Daniel shifted Sam in his arms, hooking her legs in the crook of his elbows to deepen the position. Sam cried out as Daniel slipped in to the hilt, her toes curling in her striped socks.

"Chevron two encoded."
Sam craned her neck to glance over her shoulder as the second Gate symbol lit up, and Daniel nipped at the exposed skin.

"Chevron three encoded."
He sped up as her cries grew louder and their breaths grew shorter; skin, slicked with sweat, squeaked against the cool glass. If they were visible right now, anyone in the Gateroom who happened to look up would get quite an eyeful, and the thought turned Daniel on more than he cared to admit.

"Chevron four encoded."
Sam clawed at his bare shoulders, her head thrown back against the glass. "Oh god, Daniel, yes, there!" She uttered breathlessly, and something like a growl tore from Daniel's throat.

"Chevron five encoded."
She clamped down around him; tight, wet, heat almost making him lose his control but he fought against it, wanting to watch her face as she reached her peak. He was sure he would leave hand-shaped bruises on her hips as he moved faster, deeper, harder.

"Chevron six encoded."
Her hand fisted in his hair, her toes curling and her eyes screwed shut as her whole body went taut, the rolling of her hips becoming erratic. A strangled cry was torn from her lips as he rode her through her orgasm, and he groaned as she pulled him over the edge with her. "Ungh! Fuck, Sam!"

"Chevron seven, locked."
Their cries mingled with the loud, rumbling whoosh of the Stargate's vortex bursting into existence, and Daniel's vision momentarily whited-out on the shimmering, blue event horizon. He felt Sam's body convulse against him, and he held her until he was sure her legs would be able to hold her.

He set her down gently, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close, her head resting on his chest. He let his damp forehead fall against the cool glass, his hard, panting breaths fogging up the window and his heart racing. "That... that was..." He tried, his tongue sticking to the roof of his dry mouth.

"Amazing?" Sam supplied, tilting her face up towards his with a toothy grin.

"Yeah." He agreed obtusely, his linguistic skills abandoning him. She snuggled back into his chest, and he dropped his chin to rest lightly on her crown, his fingers curling in the damp ends of her hair. She fit so perfectly against him, her naked skin pressed flush to his; amalgamating into one.

"So," she broke through his contented musings, "any other restricted areas you had on your list?"

Daniel huffed a surprised laugh. "I think I'll need a few minutes, at least!" He grinned, meeting her upturned gaze. "But, if Bill's still working on reversing the Mantle, maybe we could work on christening the Gateroom."

She laughed, her face alight and so alive, and Daniel couldn't help but be stunned by her beauty. He brought his lips to her laughing mouth, engaging in a slow, languid kiss. He would work his way up to round two. For now, this was perfect.