Disclaimer: i dont own Stargate SG-1, i only wish i did

A/N: i know its beena while, please forgive me, im not sure about this chapter, so please review.

Jack silently watched Daniel.

'Jack?'

'Yes?'

'None of it means anything, I've tried, it just… it goes away.'

'Danny…'

'Why am I even talking to you, your dead'

With that Daniel returned to his silence.

Jack sighed. Standing up he went to the fridge and grabbed some beer. He knew Janet would kill him if she knew, but what she didn't know couldn't hurt her.

Returning to his sofa, he reached over and handed the beer into Daniels limp hand.

He sighed. 'Danny?'

Silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day Jack had tried to get Daniel to truly respond. So he took him fishing.

'Ah, Danny! The great outdoors, can't get much better than this eh? Nothing but trees and rocks, do you hear that Danny, ROCKS! Lots of 'em just waiting for your magic touch'

Silence, but Daniel looked up as if he had heard him.

Suddenly Daniel sighed, 'they aren't normally rocks, they are artefacts, however today they are indeed rocks, you never listen.'

Jack pushed the boat away from the dock and slowly steered it to the middle of the lake.

'Daniel please, open up to me, I can see your arms. I'm not blind; I know what you are doing.'

Daniel just stared at him.

'How can I prove I'm real?' Jack sighed.

'You can't'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam arrived that night, chocolate walnut cookies in tow.

Jack had told her about today's uneventful fishing trip and asked her to bring the reports on the mission. Janet was bringing the medical reports.

Jack had phoned Hammond earlier that day and requested the files to be allowed off base. Given the circumstances, the general had agreed.

The smell of burnt meat wafted through the air towards Sam, and she ruffled Daniels hair, 'smells like the Colonels cooking!'

Daniel glanced up at her, and she could have sworn she saw him smile.

Taking her chance she knelt beside him. 'Daniel I have the reports on the mission, please read them, I need you to believe we are real'

Janet glanced over, she saw Sam talking to Daniel, slowly walking over, she looked him in the eyes, 'I brought the medical reports, I tried to get the recordings of some of the transmissions as the team gated back, but they are still on base'

Daniel nodded.

Janet hated to see her favourite patient so silent, Cassandra ran over to Janet, 'what's wrong with Uncle Daniel?' she cried.

'He's not feeling good, sweetheart.' She replied.

Sam chipped in, 'why don't you try to cheer him up?'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the night continued, everyone quietly watched as Daniel seemed to open up more to Cassandra.

They all hoped it was for good.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once everyone was gone, Jack tried to help Daniel to his room. He was still injured.

But Daniel was as stubborn as always, and silently rebuffed Jacks offers of help.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once alone, Daniel scratched at his arms. He had drawn blood when he realised that Jack would see the scratches.

Part of him argued that, this Jack wasn't real, either way; he couldn't face the awkward conversation Jack would try to start if he saw his arms.

Sitting in his boxers he silently turned his attention to his thighs.

This was none of Jacks business. This was his and his alone. Each cut, dug into him deep, pulling at his soul, but strangely the sight of blood pooling on his thighs was comforting. He had control, he choose to do this, no-one else did.

A/N: reviews are love