The first breath of air on a new planet was always an exhilarating experience, no matter that most members of the SGC teams were too well trained to show their reactions. The air surrounding the capitol city of Palolo on the main island of Haena was filled with tropical delights – rich florals and the crisp salt-scent of the breeze from the ocean. It was a city of elegant spires and towers shimmering silver and gold in the sunlight, rising up above trees with huge palm fronds. High in the sky, with multiple towers stretching for heaven itself was the capitol complex - Hale' Mailepai. Built into the sea cliff itself, this was the heart of the island and of the newly united Mau Lo'ans.
Between the island atmosphere and the fact that the city had a real functioning space port, Jillian was instantly bewitched by the place. Watching her mesmerized expression as they rode the open hover car to the building where they would be staying for the next few days, Daniel knew that he was more than glad he had stubbornly made this happen for her.
He looked over his shoulder at Sam, who was riding in the seat directly behind him. She was grinning broadly, blue eyes dancing.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"I think I just found my new favorite vacation destination," she laughed.
Daniel looked at Keeper Rand, seated beside Sam along the railing. He was goggle-eyed, staring transfixed at the city landscape. He was watching the small teams of robots directing the hovering traffic and roving up and down the streets cleaning.
Behind Sam and Keeper, the Whytes were staring with quiet wonder at the image of Mauna Po'okela Ahi 'Ai Honua. It dominated the skyline, casting a shadow that reached nearly to the shores of Haena. Its flanks were coated in silvery snow. Its peak was lost in the clouds. Daniel couldn't help but stare.
When she saw the direction Daniel and the Whytes were looking, their guide spoke up in halting, deliberate English
"We never see the peak of the mountain. It draws the clouds like the ground draws lightning."
"This is true of volcanoes all over the galaxy," Tanda Whyte remarked. "They make their own weather."
Their guide, Ka'eo, turned and watched Daniel as Tanda spoke. His hands moved with surety, adding the correct motions to accompany Tanda's words. Ka'eo had worked tirelessly to learn English in preparation for being the Earth liason. But it helped enormously when someone could give her the proper hand signs to make the message clear. Two members of Daniel's linguistic staff had already been assigned to Jillian's father while working on the treaty.
They rose up out of the main city and came at last to the capitol complex. The building they were taken to could easily have been a cross between a castle in Wales and a six star hotel. It was made of stone that looked like granite with accents that looked like marble. Their suite of rooms was on the third to last floor of an enormous tower. It took up the entire floor. They rode up the tower in the smoothest elevator any of them had ever encountered. Daniel could see Sam practically salivating as she tried to figure out the technology being used. When she caught him looking at her, she grinned, knowing he knew exactly what she was thinking.
There was a central room, circular but clearly intended to be a common area. A door directly across from the entrance was open to a terrace. A light breeze made a series of sheer curtains dance and ripple. Six other doors, three on each side, lined the walls.
The floors were patterned in an intricate geometric design and appeared to be made of varying shades of colorful slate. There were rugs scattered at random. The furniture was all of carved dark wood that was possibly teak, polished to gleaming. The fabrics were done tastefully in every color of the rainbow. The walls were dark stained wood to a chair rail and then marble-like tile. A mural of inlaid tiles on one wall showed a detailed image of life on the islands.
A narrow table against one wall held what was obviously food - fruit, something that might have been some kind of nuts, and a metal pitcher slick with moisture beside a collection of silver cups. There was a very comfy-looking leather sofa arrangement that ran along two of the walls. The place was lit with glowing globes all along the vaulted ceilings and some in sconces on the walls.
A quick inspection behind the doors revealed equally luxurious bedrooms. There was a brief, friendly argument about who got what view – all of those being equally luxurious as well. Daniel was satisfied to be on the opposite side of the tower from the imposing volcano. They could see the city and the ocean and Jillian was enchanted with it. She was even more enchanted to find that each room had its own bathroom with a tub that would comfortably seat four. Sam was likewise enamored, commenting that some comforts seemed to be universal.
They brought their gear inside the room they had chosen and, once it had hit the bench along the wall, Daniel scooped Jillian up in his arms like a new bridegroom and carried her, laughing, to the bed (which could also easily have held four.)
"Daniel!" She turned his name into exaltation, a cry of pure joy riding the breeze of her laughter.
He stretched out beside her, fitting the length of his body along hers, covering her, pinning her to the bed. He slipped both arms around her and leaned in with every intention of kissing her. She made him hesitate by purring, "I can't wait to get out on one of those beaches."
Daniel smiled, rubbed his nose against hers and feathered his lips along her jaw, the corner of her mouth, her cheeks and eyebrows and eyelids. He was tender, careful and yet the passion was obvious. Then he said in a throaty whisper, "I can't wait to get you into that tub."
She laughed again as their lips met but it quickly turned into a low groan. Hot, sensual awareness flooded them. Until Jillian, he had never known that desire, intensity and a sweet aching sensitivity to the needs and reactions of another being could all melt into one glorious sensation. It was as if his world had caught fire. Everything, everyone, was just a candle now – still warm but never enough.
He broke the kiss with gentle skill but stayed close to her, breathing with her.
The flush of desire had colored her cheeks by the time their lips parted – the natural effect of the kiss and the press of his body. She looked vulnerable and he could feel her body softening against his. There was yearning clear in her expression and in her green, lovely eyes.
"Can I ask you something?" he said, softly.
"What?"
"Why did you ask me if I'm happy?" He didn't give her a chance to answer, though she inhaled and seemed about to. "If I've done anything to make you doubt that I am…."
"No, you haven't," she said, quickly.
Daniel lifted up on one elbow and stared down into her eyes, his own eyes piercing behind his glasses.
"Then why did you ask?"
Jillian ran her fingers over the taut skin of his upper arm and down past his elbow to his wrist. She appeared to be taking a moment to think and he let her have it – even though the touch of her hand was titillating to the point of making his thoughts stutter.
"As long as I've known you, you've been on a front line team fighting to keep everyone you love safe."
"That's true," he acknowledged.
"I guess I'm just wondering what you're going to do now."
He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. "I'm going to live with my wife and lavish love and attention on her while we raise our children."
"And when you're not doing that?" she asked.
Daniel heard the serious tone of her voice and swallowed his need to keep this lighthearted. She meant it and if he was honest with himself she was right. He had been happy on Abydos and he had loved his wife. It hadn't stopped him from needing adventure. It hadn't stopped his fatal curiosity. He knew what Jillian was worried about. He knew she didn't believe, even for a moment, that he was suddenly ready for a life of peaceful research. As relieved as he was about the defeat of the Goa'uld and the destruction of the Replicators, his overheated brain would still need fuel.
He sighed a little. Jillian knew him much too well.
He cradled her cheek in his palm for a moment and then brushed her hair off her forehead.
"I can think of thirty planets off the top of my head that will still be funded, no matter what else the government decides to do with the budget. There are still countless Gate addresses we haven't dialed and I know we can count on the Langford-Littlefield Foundation for that funding. It won't hurt that Catherine offered me a seat on the Board just before she died. The defense budget is going to take a hit and Jack won't like it but the exploration budget should be safe."
"And you think we'll still get to go to all of them?"
"Well, the SGC, not us personally," he said.
When she looked hesitant he went on, "Jack's going to make sure, too, Jillian."
"Jack?" she twisted around onto her side, surprise on her face and in her voice. "I thought Sam said Jack was going to retire. He promised her."
During their recent time at Jack's cabin, Sam had confessed to Jillian that she and Jack were together and just waiting for his retirement to make their relationship public. Knowing both his wife and his team mate of eight years almost as well as they knew him, Daniel had figured it out. So now Sam knew that Jillian knew but not that Daniel did. Neither Sam, Jillian nor Daniel had any idea if Teal'c knew. Jack didn't know any of them knew for sure but suspected they all did.
Daniel took a deep breath and looked away.
"Jack's been asked to take Hammond's place in DC."
"What?"
"And he wants to do it."
"Is he crazy?"
"No, he just has certain goals for the SGC that he can accomplish in DC." When Daniel saw Jillian's eyes narrow in disapproval he went on quickly, "and he wants to have knee surgery. There's a new procedure that's minimally invasive and can be performed at GWU hospital."
"He promised Sam," Jillian said, flatly. "She is not going to be happy."
"Sam is going to Area 51 and Jack set that up for her."
"And she thinks he's going with her!"
That made Daniel pause. "She does?"
"YES!"
"She said that?"
"Yes," Jillian said.
"Damn," Daniel said softly.
Jillian sighed then too and fell onto her back again. "They really need to start talking to each other."
"Look, Jill, I want them to be okay too. But they're adults and they've got to work this out for themselves. I think Sam is more ambitious in her career than she's probably let on to you. She might be fine with all this and she'll understand if Jack has certain things he needs to finish."
"I hope you're right."
"I don't know really. I just know that messing with their relationship is not something I want to do."
"Why does love have to be so complicated?" Jillian sighed.
"I don't know. It took me three years to work up the courage to tell you I loved you and we turned out all right."
When she didn't agree with him right away he pressed, "Didn't we?"
Jillian took pity on him. She stoked his face and gave him a warm, tender smile. "Yes we turned out more than all right. I just….. I don't want to lose you. Just, whatever we do now, I need you to be safe out there, the same way you need me to be safe. I just feel as if ten minutes into this opportunity to be actual peaceful explorers you're going to be bored out of your mind. It scares me, Daniel."
Daniel didn't answer that, at least not directly. He felt his heart contract painfully around all the love he felt for her; and all the pain and fear and uncertainty and love and forgiveness that had been part of her relationship with him – all squeezed into that one throbbing beat of his heart.
Why did love have to be so complicated…?
He bent over and began feathering kisses on her face again.
"I think," he said, in between soft touches of his lips, "that I am married to someone I find utterly fascinating and she's very – very – good at finding ways to keep me from being bored."
His hand went up under her t-shirt, fingers swirled against the soft skin over her ribs and then higher until he had her breast cupped in his palm. Jillian sighed, closed her eyes and arched a little.
He kissed her lightly and was just shifting closer when someone knocked on the door. Daniel suppressed a groan.
"Daniel! Jillian!" Sam called from the other side of the heavy teak wood.
"What?" Daniel yelled.
"Jillian's dad is here!"
Jillian inhaled and exhaled slowly, sinking back into the thick mattress. Daniel collapsed against her for a moment, breathing in soft gasps.
"Your dad's here," he said, against her neck.
"Yeah, I heard. Rain check?"
"I'll hold you to that," he said, rubbing his cheek against her hair for a moment.
He helped her stand up and waited while she dug a brush out of her pack and fixed her hair so that it didn't quite look as if she had just gotten out of bed.
Just before they walked out the door, Daniel took her hand and held it tight.
"Jillian," he began and then had to stop the surge of words, too much, too important, no real way to reassure her that nothing in the galaxy was more important to him now than being with her, no matter how long and frantically he spoke.
She stopped him by reaching up to rest her palm on the side of his face. She smiled and the look in her eyes made all the words dry up and drift away.
Jillian knew and Daniel realized suddenly that he often spent hours with Jillian in silence. In a world that continually required Daniel to talk, explain, translate, describe, report and often forced him to do so in long-winded run on paragraphs – with Jillian he could be wordless….
And still be perfectly understood.
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