The Anunnaki

by MicheleB

Set just after Season 8, ignoring 99 percent of Seasons 9 and 10. Jack thinks he's going to retire again; the universe has other plans.

9. Chapter 9

Finding the Way Home
Anunnaki part 9
By Michele
Rating: NC-17 (Jack/Sam/Daniel)
Summary: Davy learns to fly, Anunnaki crash the O'Neill family picnic, Jack has a long talk with Michael, Daniel finds his Jack, and the beans are spilled on TV, and Daniel teaches Jack the D/s vocabulary.

Note: I am ignoring Season 9, so don't expect continuity from here on out.

T'Keet was taken back to the Anunnaki ship which was cloaked in a nearby field. By the time Jack and David returned with groceries, three more visitors had arrived, this time dressed in Earth clothing. They had brought proper clothing for Enki, Inanna, and Ninurta. Anyone looking in on the O'Neill cookout wouldn't have spotted anything out of the ordinary, except maybe the macaw digging into a bowl of freshly cut fruit. Michael was in a closed conference with Enki, and not looking happy. There was nothing Jack could do about that, some truths needed to be told. Several more cousins showed up, the word having gotten around that Jack was in town with his new wife. No one was buying the boyfriend story, not when it involved Jack. Sam was making the rounds, meeting and greeting.

"Shara," Jack greeted the warrior, clasping forearms.

"So, Jack, you finally caved in to your pretty over there," Shara said with a twinkle. Jack smiled and shoved the man away. Jack gave the bag of corn ears to David and sent the boy to shucking. Jack handed the meat to his father and joined the Anunnaki pow-wow which held Daniel. It was a slow journey, having to stop and greet family he hadn't seen in many years. He refused alien stories, promising after dinner theatre.

Daniel watched Davy with the corn, noting how out of breath the boy quickly became as he hauled what shouldn't have been too heavy a load.

"Jack, what's wrong with him?" Daniel asked once Jack made it to them.

"A lot," Jack said quietly. His cousins were avoiding the strange group of men and one woman, and the air of military that they gave. "David almost died several times before he was a year old. He was 8 weeks premature, weighed in at 3.2 pounds at birth. Soon after he got home, his entire body was one big blister. Head to foot, eczema so bad that his skin would crack and ooze plasma. Couldn't even keep clothes on him, not even diapers. His crib was covered in cloth diapers which were changed instead of changing him, and when he started to crawl, his playpen was covered in diapers. The rugs had to be taken out and replaced with hardwood floors. He didn't outgrow the rash until he was about 2 years old. By then, we discovered that he was allergic to just about everything. His baby food had to be organic and pulverized in a blender on a daily basis, none of the jar stuff. His food still needs to be completely organic, no additives, no preservatives, no artificial flavors or colors. Completely, one hundred percent natural. He's allergic to berries, dairy products, certain types of wheat, eggs, and nuts including soy. His soaps, from body and hair to clothing, also come from the natural foods store. He still breaks out with a body rash if there is anything in the soaps that can't be. So, because of the nutrition problem, he's very small and not as strong as he should be. He's a little slow, which sometimes happens with preemies, but he's very sweet and has a heart of pure gold."

"God, Jack," Daniel breathed. The warriors also expressed their sorrow for the child.

"His doctors said puberty may knock out some of the allergies," Jack said, watching his nephew pull at the corn husks.

"That's why you washed all our clothes in that new detergent before we packed," Daniel said, not having thought about Jack's reasons for the new organic detergent. Jack nodded.

"If I didn't none of us would have been able to hold him. Not even a hug. Most of the cousins that have regular contact with him also use the same detergents and shop at the same food store, especially if they know he's coming by."

"How do you test new products?" Daniel asked.

"Small dab on his arm. If there's an allergy, the spot turns red within minutes."

"Uncle Jack!" He turned. Matthew was holding up a football. "Come on and play!"

Jack excused himself and threw himself into a rough and tumble game of touch with a handful of cousins and his older nephew. Matthew had recovered his wits over the beating and howled in amusement when he was knocked on his butt. He mooned his cousins when they asked, showing them the purple bruises.

After dinner, there was a demand for the Alien Story. Jack gave the John Wayne version and had the family eating out of his hands. He confirmed Katie's tall tales of babysitting alien cubs. A couple of the older boys asked where they could sign up, and Jack happily directed them to the nearest recruitment station. He told the girls that they could also sign up; after all, it was Sam who led the air squadrons. That led into an excited round of girl-power, turning the center of attention over to Sam who used Gibil and Erra in a demonstration of hand-to-hand combat. To the family's horror, the men didn't hold back just because she was a girl. Sam gave a feral grin and sent Erra to the ground. He landed on his back with a heavy grunt.

Daniel held David on his lap as he watched in amusement, thankful that Jack had left him out of this particular show.

"Hey, Jack, what's this story of you and a guy!" one of the Nolan's called out. Everyone laughed. "Does your wife know?"

"Hell, yes, she knows," Jack immediately responded. "After what he did with her this morning, she'd better know. The man is insatiable; he needs two partners because he'd kill just one of us."

Daniel turned bright red and hid his face in a hand behind Davy's thin back as the family roared. He felt the boy plucked off his lap and was pulled to his feet. Jack dipped him and planted one on him. His cousins howled in shocked surprise and Daniel pushed Jack back against the porch and shoved his tongue down Jack's throat. Sam was no help, cheering Daniel on. Daniel pushed Jack away, grinning as he licked Jack's taste from his lips. Jack knew that look and went to sit with Sam, resigned to whatever had suddenly entered Daniel's brain. It was evening; anything could happen when Daniel's imp came out to play. Daniel skipped over to Ninurta and swung an arm around the man's shoulders.

"Can you drum?" he asked the warrior.

"I am Inanna's High Priest, of course I can drum," was the dry response. His warriors found several buckets and paint cans, and began an impromptu drumming circle. Daniel went to David who was sitting on his nana's lap, watching the proceedings as he played with his feather.

"Davy, do you know why that feather is special?" he asked the boy, squatting down face to face. Maggie was flushed and Tom flustered from seeing the forbidden fruit of their younger son and Daniel. It was truly a surprise, having not quite believed that Jack's initial kissing of Daniel wasn't any more than pulling their legs. David shook his head at Daniel's question.

"Because feathers are for flying," Daniel said, giving the thin legs a shake. "Come on, I'll teach you how to fly. Sneakers off, and give your shirt to Nana. Good, boy. Come on."

Daniel kicked his own sneakers off and tossed his t-shirt over Jack's face, much to the further amusement of the family. There were a couple of feminine wolf-whistles directed at Daniel's well-defined chest as he took David out to the yard and showed him how to hold the feather in out-stretched hands, and stomp his feet along with the drummers as he twirled. Several of the more ambitious cousins followed and soon the yard was filled with dancers. Davy kept his eyes solidly on Daniel, hesitant at first. Daniel took his small hands and slowly led him. The drummers kept the beat simple so that the child could learn, and picked it up as they watched the boy begin to notice the power rumbling from them to the bare feet upon the Mother.

It was a treat for Daniel to have true Middle Easterners drumming, instead of pseudo-Native American or bad belly-dancers; although the beat was slightly different, North Africa vs. ancient Iraq, the drumming brought up memories of Egypt when he would walk through the markets with his parents or one of his keepers, or during digs with locals when he was still small and easily enthralled by the evening fires in the chilly nighttime desert air. Music was always present and quite often men would break into spontaneous, joyous dancing in the streets. It was natural for Daniel to join in, to be taken by the hands of an older man and taught to dance with the drums that rang out to Allah. Daniel could do no less in taking the young boy by the hands and being equally patient in teaching the child how to fly.

"I found a way, To steal the sun from the sky, Long live that day, That I decided to fly from the inside," Daniel sang to the child, remembering the chorus of a song that Nate had been recently growling out. He repeated it several times until he was sure the boy had the words. The rest of the words to the song really didn't apply, but Daniel found that the chorus echoed with him. The song was hard rock, very un-Jack like but which Nate had been learning to appreciate.

When Daniel sensed that Davy had learned how to listen on the inside, he released the boy's hands. The child moved clumsily, but he was moving, keeping his arms out as he twirled, hanging on to the fiery red-gold feather. David's self-consciousness was making room for the universe to dance with him, something children learned to do more easily than adults. Daniel turned and found himself facing the Queen of Heaven. She took him as partner and danced for him, Daniel echoing her in an ancient dance that tuned out everyone except themselves. The air crackled with energy as the drumming changed beat and rhythm into something that woke up the surrounding earth with an expectant heaviness, the drummers drumming for their Queen. Daniel kept his hands to himself as he danced as close to her as he could without actually touching her, keeping only eye contact. It had been a long time since he had danced with someone who knew the art of non-physical seduction. Like courtly love, the seduction would go no further than the dance with the drummers. And to be dancing with Inanna, the goddess of passion, Daniel was glad that the sun was going down because he'd probably have a bucket of ice thrown on him if the front of his jeans became noticeable.

Back at the tables, Jack and Sam looked at each other, knowing that they were in for an all-nighter once they got back to the hotel room. Michael, however, watched his nephew and young cousins with a plummeting heart as the pagan drums made their way into them. The immediate neighbors soon came over and joined in the dancing. A party at the O'Neill's was always an open invitation occasion. Michael didn't know where to start in deciding upon a subject for Sunday's sermon; aliens, pagan dancing, homosexuality, marriage vows….. Somewhere along the way, something had gone very wrong.

Michael got up and tapped Jack on the shoulder. They went around to the front and began down the sidewalk.

"I can see it on your face, Mikey," Jack said. "If you start a sermon with me, I'm turning around. I'm enjoying myself, don't ruin it." He took a sip from the beer bottle that he had taken with him. Daniel had the car keys.

Michael sighed, staring at the evening sky. "Jack, I don't want to ruin anything for you," he said. "I haven't seen you this happy in a long time; you're my brother and I love you and I do want you to be happy. I was so afraid for you after Charlie died, and tonight I can see that you are once more alive. There are aspects of this that I cannot accept, though, and you know that. I have this urge inside of me to send you and your friends away, and hustle everyone else down to church."

Although impatient with closed minds, Jack understood what his brother was saying. If life with Daniel had taught him anything, it was that sometimes one needed to think of others before acting or speaking, instead of immediately pulling a gun, so Jack waited until he could speak.

"Michael, few people know this, mom and dad don't know about it, but you were right to be afraid for me," Jack told him in quiet seriousness. "I literally had a gun to my head when two Air Force officers came knocking at my door to tell me that I was being recalled to active duty almost 11 years ago." Michael stopped, swaying slightly as he shut his eyes. Jack allowed the hug for a moment before continuing their walk. "Do you know what saved me from killing myself during or after that initial mission for Cheyenne Mountain? Because that was my plan, to complete my intentions at the end of the mission. Daniel saved me. He didn't know it at the time, but his love of life, his open heart, giving of himself to a people he didn't know, even in the face of death itself, it got to me. Opened my eyes. It was another year before I met him again. Our team was formed at that second meeting for this new project with the aliens. For years, I told myself that my affection for him was paternal. I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to kill him because he's so damned irritating, or if I wanted hug him every time he came home beaten to a pulp by an alien bully. It was a while before I admitted to myself that I just plain wanted to kiss him.

"Falling in love with Daniel was a surprise for me. I hadn't thought about a man like that before and I had certainly never done anything with a man before. What was even more of a surprise was falling in love with Sam at the same time. She was military, though, and I was her CO, so I kept to the regs and didn't go near her, either. Due to various circumstances last year, Sam and I finally got together. It didn't even occur to me to approach Daniel before that, I didn't know he had any interest in men. That knowledge came about 4 months ago, and it was accidental that we found out. He was seeing a Major, a male Major. Sam and I found out. We had only seen him with women before. He wasn't hiding, we just hadn't noticed. Things happened, some truths came out between me and Sam, and I approached Daniel. Don't blame any of this on him, Michael, I did all the initiating, from telling him how I felt to getting into his bed. Sam approved one hundred percent of the way, they sleep together, too."

Jack stopped, putting a hand on his brother's arm for a moment.

"You can't begin to understand what we've gone through together over the years," he said. "Take all the wars in Earth's history, wrap them together, and you might have a small inkling of wars off-world. Yes, Michael, I've spent most of my time in Colorado actually on other worlds doing everything from fighting wars to falling asleep during Daniel's excavations of old ruins. The three of us, really the four of us, our forth squad member is alien, have all taken hits for each other, and more than once. We have died for each other, Michael. Literally. Daniel was dead for a year, just a few years ago, and I can't begin to tell you how it nearly killed me. I'm the one who ordered the plug pulled. No, I can't tell you how he was returned. Extremely classified. I'm sorry to tell you that more than one resurrection has taken place; it's a common occurrence for us. When Daniel was dead for that year, his spirit kept me alive when a System Lord was torturing me to death for no reason other than I had pissed him off and it amused him to torture me before killing me, and it was only Daniel's spirit intervening with a member of our squad that help was sent to rescue me. No one knew where I was being held. Sam and I would be dead permanently, several times over, if it wasn't for Daniel. And the same extremes have happened between me and Sam, and between Sam and Daniel. That's how much we all love each other, Michael."

Jack paused, thinking. "I don't need your approval or blessings," he said with a shrug. "My faith is in Sam and Daniel. I do insist that you be polite with them. Do not dismiss Daniel because I will take him over blood family without even thinking twice. He makes me happy, Michael, happier than I have ever been in my life. Him and Sam. I need them.

Michael wasn't happy about it but Jack could see the resignation on his face.

"As for the alien stuff, get used to it," Jack informed him. "Thanks to Enlil, Earth's participation in the universe is now officially out of the closet. There will be some sort of announcement on TV shortly by the President and the Joint Chiefs. It's more than likely that I will be brought on board for damage control at some point. I'm fighting it at the moment. Temper tantrum. It's Daniel, though, that will be the main man. He's the one who figured things out. This wasn't the first time Earth has been under attack, and it was Daniel's talents that saved us. I may have led Earth's forces, but I couldn't have done it without him first breaking certain codes. He has a talent for falling into shit and emerging with diamonds. Don't let his pretty face or geek attitude blind you; he may not be military but he's had to become a warrior over the years and he's always among my first choices when gathering fighters to my side."

"Ok, I understand he's important to you," Michael acknowledged. "He seems to be more important than your wife."

"No," Jack shook his head. "We are discussing Daniel because it's killing you to give me a lecture on the topic of homosexuality. Sam is equally important to me; our blood, sweat, and tears have mingled together time and again. When I speak of times with Daniel, interpret that as including Sam, because she's always with us. I am in awe of her and I freely worship at her feet."

"And yet you don't worship elsewhere," Michael commented.

"Very few people involved in this are practicing a religion, Michael. The off-world contact quickly knocks it out of people. The base is filled with people who came on board as Christians, Jews, Muslims, and a few others. Most are no longer practicing. Anyone with a conflict either transfers out of the project or finds a way to deal with it. There are no chaplains on base. A couple have tried, but they transfer out soon after they get there because they can't reconcile their beliefs with the fact that there are aliens and alien technology on the base. The Christian God is unknown out there. The alien humans are from here originally but we've only met one small group that knew of the Christian God, and they were of a medieval sect, completely xenophobic. They almost sacrificed us as demons. Try telling off-worlders that the Christian God is the only god, and they won't hear anything different than anyone else telling them that their god is the only god. It's the calling card of the System Lords.

"Michael, I don't mean to say all this to hurt you," Jack said gently, taking his brother by the upper arms. He was stiff and his face deathly white. "My point is there is more to this universe than lies between the pages of a book. I deal in facts, Mike; if you want to discuss philosophy, it's Daniel you'll want to talk with. Email him, he'll love it."

Michael stood looking at the stars. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket, blew and wiped.

"He was dead for a year? Coma?" Michael asked huskily. Jack shook his head.

"He was accidentally poisoned on another planet when he ran into a lab to rescue a couple of scientists. Radioactivity. He died, Mike. We all watched him as the radioactivity overcame him. A video record of it does exist; I can probably get you a private viewing, if you're interested. When he died, his body disappeared before our eyes, leaving only the gauze that wrapped his wounds. He reappeared a year later while we were on an off-world mission. He was sent back to us on the planet we were visiting so that we could bring him home. Same thing happened a couple years ago. He was killed in the battle that killed Anubis. He was returned to us again. We call it Ascending when someone dies like that. And Descending when he returns. It's a higher state of being."

Michael sighed, holding his arms to the sky for a brief moment as he unwillingly contemplated Jack's words.

"Dear Lord, Jack, all these years I've been praying for the brother I thought was caged away becoming old and bitter, and all this time you've been playing Rambo with aliens."

"Please, Michael, not Rambo," Jack begged. "And all you had to do is drop your judgmental attitude and just talk to me."

"Did I judge you, Jacky?" Michael asked softly.

"I got divorced and the family stopped talking to me, going so far as to keep my own niece and nephews from me. You tell me who's judging whom."

Jack slowly turned back toward the house and began to walk. He paused and half turned his head.

"In the morning, I'm calling the base and arranging for our ride home on a transport. If you want to visit us in Colorado, you are welcome to but be aware that the three of us are truly together. This is me, Michael; if you'd like to get to know me, you will need to accept my life as it is."

He knew his brother was about to descend into his own hell, and Jack was sorry for it. He had never intended for his family to find out what he had been up to, knew that the facts would disrupt the safety and comfort of their daily lives.

Jack breathed in the night time air of the neighborhood he grew up in, familiar homes, many with different families. There used to be a soda shop on the corner, a small grocery and meat market next to it. There was an empty lot there now, filled with litter. Some things change, others don't. The crowd of cousins in the back yard was still the same. The TV wasn't. Someone had brought out the TV and VCR, and put in a tape of the air battle. Sam was standing to the side, giving a running commentary on the action and who the ships belonged to, and turning up the sound to hear Jack's image snarling at the idiot helicopter that got in the way. Bleeps had taken the place of certain words. The cousins cheered their General Jack.

"Due credit, honey," he said over the rowdy noise. "Tell everyone where you are in all this."

"I was fighting, too," she said. Jack walked up to the TV and pointed to the small fighters in the dark sky.

"Sam is there," he said, following one of the jets with a finger. "She was leading the air squads. Those pretty little fighters are her babies, she helped to design them."

Sam got her cheers.

"And where's your boyo, Jack?" shouted a Ross.

"Back at the base," Jack said. "Katie happened to be visiting when all the started, so I sent her to the base for safety and had Daniel guarding her." He wasn't prepared to tell them she was actually off-world during the battle.

"Who are they?" someone called out. Jack gestured to Sam to continue her monologue and went to sit next to his mother, putting an arm around her shoulder. Daniel had exhausted himself from dancing and was in a chair with a sleepy David on his lap.

"Those are Jaffa rebels," Sam said, looking at the bad image of the command center. "They're alien allies. They were our first allies. That's Teal'c and his son, Rya'c. Teal'c is actually the fourth member of our squad, which consists of, or did before Jack was promoted, of Jack, me, Daniel, and Teal'c."

"He was at your wedding!" Maggie interrupted with astonishment.

"Yes, he was," Sam said with a smile. "Actually, there were a couple different ally groups represented at our wedding. Most of them are of human origin, remember?"

"Those look like big cats!" someone called out. Sam looked at the dark image of the ground battle.

"Those are called Sua," she said. "They are our newest allies but not of the human variety. Very nice people. Some of them were slaves on board the enemy ship, others were part of the crew of the smaller ship. Those who were not killed during this battle were rescued and sent home."

"Except a certain cub with a crush on Daniel," Jack murmured to his mom. She swatted at his leg.

"Did we lose a lot of people, Sam?" Tom asked her.

"A few," she said sadly. "Jack, what was the count?"

He had to think for a moment. "137 human, 5 Jaffa, 18 Sua, and 15 Anunnaki. One seventy five from our side. We picked up bodies of 243 from the enemy ship, we don't know if any were on board when it exploded," he said, nodding to the screen which showed the fireworks from space.

"Who were those ships that showed up at the end?" a neighbor asked.

"The larger ship belongs to our greatest ally, the Asgard," Sam said. "I can't tell you who the other one is. Classified." They tried to get it out of her, but Sam had learned to withstand interrogation from the best of them.

"What's that triangle thing on your ship, Sam?"

"Daniel?" she offered.

"It's the symbol for our planet," he said gently over the half-asleep child he was cradling. "We are Tau'ri, not Earth. That's what the symbol is called. We are the first planet, the homeworld of all the alien humans. They were originally taken from here thousands of years ago, from the Middle East as slaves for the Goa'uld, the bad guys. They were taken from mostly Egypt and North Africa. Some were later taken from Northern Europe. So the Tau'ri is a stylized pyramid and our single star. Or moon. There are arguments about it."

"So this really is a freedom fight like the internet says?" someone asked. Sam confirmed it.

"These are really nasty bad guys," she said. "They have no compassion and they cannot be reasoned with. They are complete sociopaths. No one in our history comes close to how bad these guys are. There are millions and millions of people out there, mostly of human origins, who are enslaved by the Goa'uld. The Jaffa are the main underlings for them, their officers and personal attendants. The Jaffa rebels, like our friend Teal'c, have overcome their slavery and are fighting to free their brethren. Jack was the first to show them the way; he freed Teal'c first. Teal'c used to be the second in command of a major System Lord. The System Lords aren't happy with Jack. No, actually, they're pissed at him. Seriously pissed."

Cousins stood and stomped their feet, howling in Celtic pride for their General Jack. He was glad it was dark so that they couldn't see his face clearly. He knew what Sam was doing; she was pushing the ball of public support. His chatty family would take the information and run with it, expounding on it with each telling in typical Irish fashion.

"What a minute, wait a minute!" someone called out. Jack looked over his shoulder to see Sean waving his hands for quiet. "How did you guys get to these other planets?" he asked suspiciously.

"Classified," Sam said. She got protests.

"That second ship," Sean guessed with a finger snap. "It's our own spaceship, isn't it? So, what….is Jack Captain Kirk or something?"

Sam laughed. "Actually, he thinks he's Luke Skywalker." Everyone laughed.

"Does that make you Leia?" Sean asked with a twinkle.

"Please," Sam huffed. "You saw my ship. I'm Han."

"I see," Sean nodded. "Daniel is Leia." Even Jack had to laugh at the image of masculine Daniel in a filmy white dress.

"Don't even think about it, Jack," Daniel called out. "My love for you does NOT run that deep." Jack held up a finger, laughing.

"No, Daniel is Chewbacca," Sam said, smiling. "And Teal'c is Yoda. We don't have a Leia. Actually, considering how many proposals Jack has received on other planets, proposals of all kinds, from women, men, and others, I'd say he's more Lando, not Luke."

"I know where you sleep, Colonel Baby," he warned her over the laughter.

"Yes, you do, General Honey," she confirmed, smiling, and took the few steps to him to plant a kiss on his mouth.

"Jack, come on, man, tell us what it's like on other planets," someone called out. He stood and turned to face them, pulling Sam in front of him and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Not too different from here," he said. "Remember, most of the people we meet are of human origin, so the planets they were seeded on are compatible for human physiology. Some planets have multiple suns, which make them extremely hot, and many have more than one moon. Sky coloring is slightly different planet to planet, local wildlife is different per planet."

"What about languages?" "That's Daniel's department," Jack said. "He's our linguist. Most of the languages have their root in an Earth language, so they aren't too far off from what we already speak. Daniel speaks 23 Earth languages. How many non-human languages, Daniel?"

"About 7," he said, thinking about it. "Most I can't actually pronounce, but I can understand them. Or at least the general gist. And I'm counting 24 Earth languages, now that the Anunnaki have corrected my Sumerian."

The family was impressed. Said Anunnaki were sitting quietly in the back, still known as nothing more than military friends of Jack's. Michael was the only one who knew to connect Anunnaki with Inanna and Enki. Katie was obeying Jack and keeping her mouth shut about the Gate, being off-world, and her knowledge of exactly who Jack's visitors were. Jack had noticed her obedience to orders. He had also noticed her taking careful note of Sam's moves when she was playing with Erra and Gibil.

"Can you speak Gaelic?" someone asked in a dare. Daniel rattled off something completely throat twisting. He was cheered.

"Hey, what's that?" someone asked, pointing at the TV which was still on. The tape had stopped but the main station was on. Jack looked at the screen to see the station break for an announcement from the White House. He turned the sound up and looked at Sam. She gave a small shake of her head. She didn't know anything about it.

The moment General Maynard was introduced Daniel stood up carefully and took David into the house, putting the sleeping child to bed. When he came back down and out the back door, he stood near Jack and Sam as they all watched and listened. Sam's cell phone rang and she moved to the side of the yard to answer it. She was back a moment later.

"I need to go," she said quietly. "A car is on the way to pick me up. They want me at the Yard. It's just a precaution," she said in answer to Jack's silent inquiry. The Anunnaki quietly left, unseen by the family but giving a small nod to Jack.

The story Maynard was spinning was that Earth had its own spaceships, created from alien wreckage, and that we had been tooling through the universe for several years on exploration missions. The internet stories about System Lords was confirmed and Daniel was given the credit for discovering that the pyramids were the ancient landing sites and for translating the languages that were hidden among the hieroglyphs and on the alien wreckage. Part of Daniel's pre-recorded presentation was played, making it look as though he were live from an undisclosed site as he discussed human slaves, false gods, and what Earth had to do with it all. Major Davis came on after, giving his who's who speech, leaving out all mention of the Gate. Sam was given credit for the weapons and computer systems on board Earth's ships, and Jack was finally brought in as the leader of Earth's forces off-world. Ex-leader, since he had retired. Credit for treaties with allies was given to Jack and Daniel, and an explanation was given for the air battle over Colorado recently, calling it an unforeseen event that the ships chose that spot for their argument. It was likened to a fly-ball that went over the foul line. Jack had to hand it to them; he could see Maynard, Vidrine, and Davis' hands all over the story and they were protecting the truth of the SGC.

If anything came out of it all, Jack was glad that Daniel was finally given public vindication among his peers. Daniel never said much about it, but Jack knew it hurt Daniel's pride not to be able to jump up and shout, "I told you so!" Now he could. Daniel's cell phone rang. He turned it off without looking at it. The president came on, praised everyone involved, and assured the public that Earth was safe thanks to the efforts of General O'Neill and the fine men and women under his command at Project Blue Skies. Unfortunately, the general wasn't with them that evening. No explanation was given for where exactly the general was, what he was doing, or how an underground mountain base was building and flying spaceships. The President confirmed that four of the jets fighting for Earth were indeed Russian aircraft, and thanked the Russian government for their cooperation as an ally in the Project.

"Your major should be writing fiction," Jack whispered to Daniel.

"He isn't my major anymore," Daniel protested, tweaking Jack's butt.

Two SF guards came around the side of the house and saluted Sam and the general. She kissed Jack and Daniel, and excused herself.

"She's been called in," Jack told everyone.

The main report went off and the rest of the evening was spent with in newsrooms with various people discussing the information. A couple actually suggested that it was all a hoax. Religious leaders were brought in; they bemoaned the entire concept of aliens and gods, and called for their people to keep their faith. Scientists were brought on and argued about the physics of it all. Jack turned the TV off and turned to his family. They were silent as they looked at him. He could see the shock on their faces as the knowledge hit them that he really wasn't telling tall tales.

"You don't need to be afraid," he quietly told them. "There is no reason why daily life should come to a halt. Nothing has changed except the fact that we are not alone. We haven't been alone for thousands of years. We are on the outskirts of most of the inhabited worlds, sort of a backwater planet, and we are not technologically advanced enough to be much of a threat to anyone, so it is highly unlikely that we will be getting more visitors."

"Why did those guards come and get Sam?" Michael asked.

"It was just a precaution," Jack said. "They want her on base in case the public wigs out and the military is needed to control rioting."

"Those weren't just any guards," Sean said. "Those were Special Forces." Jack remembered that his cousin was a military buff who wasn't able to get into the military because of an inner ear imbalance.

"Yes, they were," Jack confirmed. "Sam is one of the few people on the planet that knows how the ships are built. She helped design them. All three of us get SF when we need an escort, because of our place in the Project."

"Are you going to be recalled, son?" his father asked.

"I don't know, Dad," he said. "It's a possibility. I don't want to be recalled, and at the moment, there really isn't a reason for them to bring me in. We aren't at war with anyone, and there are no indications that someone is going to invade. The Joint Chiefs have it covered. You saw General Maynard speak, he oversees the Project, General Vidrine is Sam's CO, and Major Davis works with Sam. I trust them to keep things in line. If something happens, one of them will call me. And the major is Daniel's ex-boyfriend, so if I DON'T hear about it, the major will." He jerked a thumb at Daniel and got a relaxing chuckle from the group.

On the way back to the hotel room for the evening, Jack called home and talked with Nate. He convinced his clone to fly up the next day and make himself known to the family. What Nate would actually be doing was keeping an eye on Megan and the kids while Andrew was put through the system and evaluated. Jack was going to call the local base and arrange a transport back home but Daniel requested that they drive home and get a little fresh air. Neither of them were in a rush, and it would keep the hounds from them for a while longer.

Daniel called the major for a private update and was assured that, although Daniel was wanted by the White House and the Pentagon for their own private Q&A, Paul could stall them for a few more weeks and use the recording that Daniel had made. They were still concerned about the gate not working. Jack took the phone and informed the major that the Asgard shut the gate down due to a lack of confidence in the current leadership. Yes, the Asgard had the right to shut down someone's gate, especially when it involved children playing with adult weapons.

They got to their hotel room and Jack collapsed face down onto the bed with a groan. Daniel stripped and got into the shower, standing under the spray as it pounded on the back of his neck. He heard Jack come in and pee before getting into the shower.

"Share," Jack said, moving Daniel away from the shower head. Jack quickly soaped his hair and rinsed while Daniel started to wash.

"Did I really tell my nephews the facts of life?" Jack asked in dismay.

"Yes, you did," Daniel confirmed with a chuckle. "And you did a good job, too."

Jack shook his head. "I remember telling Charlie where babies come from and I nearly had a coronary."

"See? It gets easier each time."

They soaped each other's back and Daniel was pleased when Jack stayed calm at the touch of a soapy finger between his ass cheeks. He put his hands on the tiled wall and relaxed, spreading his legs slightly.

"Don't stop," he asked. Daniel had only meant to help with clean-up. "It feels good, Danny."

Daniel slid his finger over Jack as he gently kissed the back of his neck. Jack took himself in one hand and stroked himself as the finger moved in and out of him. Daniel could see that it was just a tension release so he found Jack's prostate and played with it. Jack came quickly and they finished washing up. They dried off, brushed teeth, and Jack rummaged around in his kit.

"Do you feel up to fucking me?" Jack asked, holding up the lube.

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Do I feel up to…. What's the intent?"

"I just want to feel it, Daniel," Jack said, looking a little worn. "I'm feeling a little selfish, I just want to be fucked hard. I want to feel it, I want to yell a little."

"Ok," Daniel said with a nod. "As long as you are aware of what you are asking for. On your belly."

He put Jack over the edge of the bed and held him down with one hand while he mechanically prepped Jack with the other.

"We haven't done it like this before," Daniel said. "So, I think I'll feel better if you agree to use the safe words if you feel this is too much." Jack agreed and pressed his face into the bedding as he waited for Daniel. He understood Daniel's concern, foreseeing a possible flash-back, but he really did have an itch that only Daniel could scratch. He felt Daniel begin to press into him and he took a breath. Daniel was hard with him, gripping Jack's shoulder as he insistently pressed into him. Jack felt as though he were being torn but pressed back anyway. The sensation of Daniel entering him brought Jack into the here and now, keeping him centered and focused, putting everything else in the world out of his way. Daniel did as requested and Jack found himself being thoroughly fucked, taken hard. He half-expected to find himself in a panic attack but he knew it was Daniel. The quiet, dominant strength of Daniel was more of a surprise for Jack and he felt his own alpha male growling in response.

Daniel gripped Jack's short, iron gray hair with one fist, put a knee on the mattress, and pounded into Jack, using his ass for his own pleasure. Jack took the bedding between his fists as the pounding took his breath away. He gasped into the mattress and cried out as he felt himself come against the side of the bed. Daniel forced himself to continue his taking of Jack's ass through the clenching muscles, hissing and gritting his teeth at the pressure. He came hard in Jack, showering Jack's insides with his hot stickiness. He leaned over Jack's back, catching his breath. He licked the skin beneath him and kissed the back of Jack's neck.

"Did that hit the spot?" Daniel breathed hard in Jack's ear.

"Christ, Daniel," Jack gasped. "That felt like an all-nighter in one shot."

Daniel gave a weak chuckle and moved off of Jack. He stared at the ceiling as he caught his breath. Jack groaned as he moved up the bed and buried his face in the pillow.

"Did I hurt you?" Daniel asked after a few moments.

"Don't know," came a response from the pillow. "Don't think so."

Daniel groaned as he slowly moved, sitting up. He got the package of wipes and cleaned himself up and then the side of the bed before checking on Jack.

"A small tear," Daniel said. "It should be fine by morning." He tossed the wipes away and curled up next to Jack, nuzzling his shoulder.

"I think I'm ready to be on the other end of all that," Jack said, turning his face toward Daniel.

"What, now?" Daniel lifted his head to look incredulously at Jack.

"No," Jack chuckled. "Give me a few minutes."

Daniel groaned and turned onto his back. Jack wrapped an arm across Daniel's stomach and they settled in for the night.

He woke up in the early morning to find Jack in the bathroom, shaving, a towel around his waist, and his skin wet from the shower.

"Coffee is brewing," Jack assured the zombie. He got a grunt from the direction of the toilet before the shower was turned on. He heard Daniel snarl to himself as the cold water hit him for a quick wake-up. Daniel emerged from the shower to find Jack still in front of the mirror, looking closely at himself. He poked unhappily at areas that were beginning to sag and tugged at the gray chest hair before opening the towel and looking down.

"Stop it," Daniel told him, rubbing briskly at his wet skin.

"I'm old, Danny," Jack informed him.

"Shit happens, Jack, knock it off."

"I'm almost 55. That makes 60 in 5 years."

"And?" Daniel took Jack's face and turned it to face him. "Stop. You have two people who love you just as you are. We happen to find you extremely sexy, even if you don't. Sam is completely turned on by you to the point of making herself wet just by looking at you, and I happen to enjoy making love with you more than I ever have with anyone else."

He kissed Jack, taking his time, playing with a nipple buried in a chest full of hair. "Are you going to shut up and use your mouth for something more constructive?" Daniel asked, taking a nibble out of Jack's lips.

"You think I'm sexy?" Jack asked, looking into the blue eyes.

"If you break into Rod Stewart, I'm outta here."

Daniel took him by the hand and led him back into the bedroom. He lay back on the bed and tossed the pillow out of his way. He stroked himself and Jack lay across his legs, taking Daniel's cock in hand and licking at it. Daniel lay back and shut his eyes. Jack was still fairly inexperienced at it, but Daniel didn't care, he just enjoyed the fact that it was Jack sucking him. He spread his legs as Jack explored further, sucking at Daniel's balls and nipping playfully at the thin skin underneath. Daniel gasped and chuckled, knowing Jack took that from him. He had actually been paying attention during Daniel's loving ministrations. Jack sucked at the tip, licking at a string of pre-cum. He licked his way down again and spread Daniel open, delving in with his tongue. Daniel jerked and grabbed the bedding. He knew Jack was aware of how to do it, he had watched Jack rim Sam into a frenzy on more than one occasion, it was the rest that Jack hadn't done.

"Now, Jack," Daniel groaned. "Feel how loose I am? Lube yourself up really good, and me, and push in. Do it, Jack, come on."

Daniel stroked himself as he watched Jack through half closed eyes. He felt Jack between his legs and opened for him.

"That's it," Daniel encouraged him. "Use your fingers to push the tip in. There's a small pop… Ayyyy…. Yessss…. You know how to do the rest."

He wrapped his legs around Jack's, holding him as Jack hissed at the tightness. Jack paused for a moment to gather himself before completing his entry. Daniel gripped Jack's biceps, enjoying the feel of being stretched. He caressed Jack's arms and shoulders as he was made love to and kissed, tasting himself on Jack's lips, on his tongue.

"Look at me," Daniel gasped, taking Jack's face between his hands. When he had the passion glazed dark eyes on his, "You're not hurting me. It feels great. I can take a lot more, so just go for it."

Jack moaned and stopped his hesitating, putting himself into making love to Daniel, licking at hard nipples, pushing into Daniel and shaking his head at the tight heat. Daniel cried out as Jack hit his prostate. Jack concentrated as he attempted to find it again. He felt himself rub over a small nod and was pleased when Daniel cried out. Now that he knew where to find it with more than his fingers, Jack repositioned himself slightly and worked at the fireworks. Daniel swore at him and arched into him. Jack gasped and shuddered as he came inside Daniel for the first time. Daniel reached between them and stroked himself.

"Suck it, Jack," he groaned. "Suck me, do it do it….."

He felt Jack slide out of him and move down his torso until his cock was encompassed. Daniel gasped, arching, not far from coming. "Hard, Jack," he called out. "Suck hard, twist it, yeah…. Use your teeth. Oh, fuck!" Jack dug his teeth into the sensitive head, raking it roughly, and Daniel screeched, grabbing the sheets as he came. Jack swallowed, sucking until he got all the bitter fluid. Daniel pulled at his arms and Jack moved back up, covering Daniel with his body. They breathed hard, catching their breath, wrapping around each other.

"Oh, my God, Jack," Daniel finally got out, caressing arms, back, hair, face, taking himself from Jack's mouth. "Please tell me you liked that because I sure as hell did."

Jack smiled at him, touching Daniel's face, carding the brown hair. He kissed Daniel, taking possession. Daniel moaned, holding Jack tight as they pressed as much of themselves together as they could. They pulled apart slightly, gently kissing and licking at each other. Daniel smiled up at him, touching his face.

"There's the Jack I've been looking for," he said softly.

They showered together, coming once more as they stroked their cocks together, and made it down to the hotel's dining room before the breakfast bar closed.

"Daniel, you're language goes a bit south when you're on the bottom," Jack informed him with an amused look. Daniel bit into a sausage link, snapping his teeth with a grin.

"So I've been told," he said. "I've told you before, words do it to me. Try talking dirty to me sometime and see what happens. Words turn Sam on, too, you know."

Jack lifted an eyebrow. "Sam? Our PG-rated Sam? Since when?"

"Since that first night together," Daniel said. "Don't you remember how turned on she was just from me talking to her? The nastier the words I use when I'm with her, the harder she comes."

Jack put his fork down. "Are you serious?"

"I take it you don't talk that way with her," Daniel commented, amused.

"Well…no, I figured she'd smack the crap out of me," Jack said, blown over.

"Next time she's in a playful, do-me mood, try it," Daniel suggested. "Hold her arms down and go sailor on her. It's that secret part of her that she's been hiding. I would have mentioned it before, but I thought you figured it out after our first night."

"And that makes her…" Jack looked around.

"She turns into a cat in heat," Daniel said bluntly.

Jack thought about it, unable to picture it. "I'm not sure I can do that," he finally said. "I'll be honest, Danny, I've never been the kind to talk like that. Especially not within the hearing of a woman."

Daniel nodded. "It's ok," he said. "Not everyone gets into it. Playing with words is one of my fetishes, it doesn't have to be yours. Would it bother you to watch us in that type of scene?"

"I don't know," Jack said with a shrug. "I admit that it turned me on the first night, but you really weren't talking sailor."

"Maybe it was the control that turned you on," Daniel suggested. Jack looked at him.

"Where do you get this stuff from?" he asked, waving his fork. "I know you aren't one of those BDSM people, so where?"

Daniel smiled and wiped his mouth. "I know people who are," he said. "It's just another language. I agree with some of the concepts, it's all a matter of putting them into action. You won't find me coming home with a whip and paddle, so you don't have to worry about that aspect. I do like some of the control games, though. The D/s, aspect, Dominance and submission. Sometimes it's a turn on. There's no pain involved, no humiliation, and it's a one time thing. Let's take you, for example. You are an alpha, we all know that. Alpha's need to be in control. Sometimes the weight of the world gets to them, and they request that someone Top them. It takes the weight from them, temporarily, and allows them to breathe and refocus. Last night, you requested to be Topped, so I did. I love you, that wasn't a problem. Although you were technically on the bottom, you were in command by informing me of your needs, which placed you back on Top. I am not an alpha. I can take command when I need to, but it isn't my natural place. I loved being with you this morning; I cannot begin to tell you how right it felt. Sam is not an alpha. She is completely turned on when one of us takes command of her, no matter how much of a rabbit mood she's in, and that's no disrespect towards her. We can't all be alphas, Jack, or we wouldn't be able to live together. You and Teal'c would not be able to live together."

"But you gave me an order this morning by telling me to…" he looked around again.

"No," Daniel shook his head. "I was instructing you on what to do in the situation of you coming before I did. The decision was yours. You could have used your hand, I could have done it myself. You needed to know my preferences in that sometimes I like it a little rough. I usually like my loving easy, sometimes the opposite. Biting into me was exactly what I needed this morning."

"I've noticed that you usually go rough, or adventurous, in the evening and easy in the morning," Jack commented.

Daniel laughed. "Something about the moon…. This morning I was feeling the need to be completely Topped and you biting me made me feel taken. I needed it."

"I thought I was too rough," Jack said thoughtfully. Daniel shook his head.

"I'll let you know if you're too rough," he said. "Remember, I've been doing this longer than you have, I can take a lot."

"I shouldn't ask this but…. You and Davis…?"

Daniel put money down on the table and they went out to find the car.

"I shouldn't respond, but I will," he said. "Paul is submissive. He is a hell of a lot more kinky than I am. I just have a few fetishes. He has needs that I cannot fulfill. I respect him and I respect his need to fulfill his needs, which is why we weren't tighter. Sometimes he needs to find someone to feed his needs."

Jack looked at him. "Are you trying not to say that he's the whips and paddles type?"

"Something like that," Daniel chuckled.

"I had this urge to turn you over and fuck you," Jack admitted.

Daniel smiled and took a hand, lacing their fingers. "You could have done that," he said. "If I wasn't in the mood for it, I would have said so."

Jack was thoughtful, quiet, as they drove out to his parents' house. Zu had disappeared again, and Jack was hoping he had returned to Colorado.

"Are we leaving today?" Jack asked.

"I'd like to," Daniel said. "If everyone doesn't know where we are, they soon will, and I don't think it would be fair to your parents to inundate them with the world on their doorstep."

Jack agreed. They reached his parents' house and found Nate sitting on the couch. Maggie was happily fluttering over him.

"It's 9am and you're being plied with milk and cookies?" Jack asked. "Mom, you have no shame." He kissed her cheek. The cheek was held up for Daniel, and he kissed her, too.

"You got up here pretty quick," Jack said to Nate.

"A thousand on your credit card goes a long way," he was told. "All the way to Minnesota."

"Great.

"Where are the kids?"

"Your father took Katie and Matthew home," Maggie said. "Megan is home, Andrew is being arraigned for a psych eval. Nate got here about an hour ago, Megan will be over with the kids for lunch to meet him. Davy is upstairs taking his bath. I was about to check on him, if you'd like to do it."

"Yes, Ma'am," Jack agreed and went up. David was playing with ships and making battle noises. Water was everywhere.

"Hey, buddy," Jack greeted him, crouching down next to the tub.

"Hi, Uncle Jack," he was greeted. Jack almost lifted the wet body out for a hug, he was so glad to hear it. The little guy was normally chatty, and yesterday's quiet was disturbing. Quiet time with Nana and Papa was all he needed.

"Did you meet your new cousin, Nate?"

"Uh huh," David nodded. "He looks like you. He has a earring."

"Yes, he does. He's going to stay here for a while and play with you and get to know everyone. Daniel and I need to go home today. After lunch. Aunt Sam had to leave last night."

"Can I go with you?"

Jack found the wash cloth and checked behind ears. "No, not this time," he said. "I'd like it if you came for a visit, though. I'll talk with your Mom and ask her."

His cell phone rang and Jack dried his hands before answering it.

"O'Neill." He listened for a moment and stopped himself from swearing near delicate ears. "We'll be there." He put his cell away and helped David wash his hair before getting the boy out and dried. It had been a long time since he had helped with bath time; more than once he and Charlie had gotten into trouble when Sara would walk in and find the room covered in water after Jack and his son got into a water splashing fight. He cleaned up the bathroom while David got himself dressed and then went downstairs.

"Mom, I'm sorry but we need to go," he said, giving her a hug. "I got a call a few minutes ago; Daniel and I need to fly out to Washington."

Daniel and Nate looked at him, both knowing better than to ask at that moment.

"And you can't tell me, can you?" Maggie asked.

"Sorry," Jack shook his head. "We have a command performance with the president. I can't say why."

His mother hmpfed. "Alright, but while you have his ear, tell him I'm not happy with his Medicare Package."