Disclaimer: Sg1 isn't mine as you all know but Vannas and Zarkina and her people are.

Please review, tell me something you have loved about this fanfiction, whether it has to do with the team or my peeps, I would love to know.

Chapter Nineteen: Operation Fake-A-Death

Jack couldn't believe he was doing this, laying on a cold metal slab waiting for Erica to deliver the toxin into his system that would make him appear dead. Zarranth had been called back to the city for an emergency meeting and Erica had been in to see Jack and give him the details of her plan. Any prisoner who died at the hands of the leader or the resistance was to be taken out of the towns or outposts' immediately because a good portion of ZarCorp's power came from the public's belief that Zarranth was doing good for the people and dead POW's were not a good sign.

"Just relax, I am going to get you home," Erica whispered.

Jack nodded and there was a jab at his neck and the drug was administered straight into his blood stream. He felt the effects even before she'd removed the empty syringe. There was a chill slipping through his veins and he felt his breathing turn erratic. Erica was there, holding his hand gently in comfort as Jack started fighting the restraints holding him down. His lungs weren't puling enough air in and he could feel his heart speed up before slowing down. His eyes slipped shut as if they were too heavy to hold up anymore and then his struggles ceased completely as his body shut down. Every heartbeat was loud in Jack's ears.

One…

He didn't think he was breathing at all and he couldn't have moved even if he wanted to. There was no strength in his limbs, the muscles felt dead and as the slab moved, the air was like a secondary sensation like he was wearing heaving rubber all over his body.

Two…

It seemed like forever from one beat to the next, someone touched his throat and declared him dead, telling someone very far away to get the body off the property. There was too much at stake in this outpost for anyone to find the prisoner had been killed during interrogation.

Three…

The air seemed to be moving faster around his cloth covered body, Jack was suddenly glad he couldn't focus outside his body, sure the body bag around him would make the whole experience terrifying. He wanted to be in Daniel's arms so desperately. He drew a picture of his lover in his mind. Those blue eyes were the color of the clear sky and his hair soft as silk.

Four…

That body of Daniel's was to die for—figuratively thinking that is. Jack couldn't seem to help the mental joke. He would have chuckled if he could have. As it was, he went back to the mental picture of all those rippling muscles and how they strained when Jack placed his hands on them. He thought about the musky taste of Daniel's skin and the feeling of come home whenever he kisses Daniel or slid himself inside Daniel. The feeling of Daniel surrounding him, that was worth dying for and more importantly it was worth living for.

Five…

Someone was talking; it pulled Jack's focus from his mental appraisal of his beloved archeologist. "We have to teleport Jack, back to the island before I can bring you out of this! It's going to accelerate the toxins effects, it's going to hurt."

Jack wanted to nod, but couldn't then with lightning strike to every cell in his body, Jack felt another beat of his heart.

Six…

Daniel screamed at the feeling of his heart dying inside. He looked down at the infinity symbol on his wrist, as it turned grey, losing its vitality. The bonding mark had always looked alive but now it seemed to be dying and Daniel couldn't believe that his wish was being granted.

He slammed his fists into the unforgiving ground of the fighting arena where he'd been fighting anything that gave him a chance. Several people had stepped forward to fight him and he'd fought back but also allowed them to pummel his face and chest more than he ever would have any other time. Daniel was a good fighter, he could even best Jack every once in a while but these fights weren't about winning, and it was about pain.

Daniel watched the blood drip from his face as he cried out to the sky, "How could you do this to me!" he demanded in a blood-curdling scream. He didn't notice when the crowd who had come to watch scurried away from his pain. He felt the symbol pulsing on his wrist as if it was trying to survive. Daniel couldn't stand knowing he was watching the last beats of Jack's amazing heart and he couldn't do a thing to help him.

Someone ran up to him, he ignored whoever it was as the feet moved close to him.

"Daniel what happened to you?" Sam asked.

"He came here to fight some of the warriors," another voice responded.

"What? Daniel, what were you thinking?" Sam asked gently as she forced his face up. Daniel, instead of answering, showed the bond mark. Someone gripped his wrist gently.

"This doesn't mean he's gone, it looks like he is struggling but there's still time. Daniel, have faith." Zarkina's words were gentle and loving. Daniel pulled his hand away and slammed his fist into the ground again. "Daniel, I mean it, we got word from Erica. She has Jack with her."

Daniel took a deep breath and looked down at the pulsing on his wrist it wasn't his heartbeat, it was Jack's. There was hope?

"I need to see him, I don't believe you!" he yelled at the queen. Teal'c and Sam lifted him from the ground and Daniel recalled one of the strikes he took to his knee and faltered. "I think my legs busted," he ground out.

"Daniel what were you doing here?" Sam asked him as more people moved around to help Daniel off his feet.

"I just needed to not feel," Daniel whispered to Sam.

He slipped into painful unconsciousness from the jostling of his carriers. He didn't know how much time passed when he woke up again and he found himself strapped into a bed in the sterile room that Teal'c had been in for so long.

"Why am I strapped down?" he asked in a gravely voice, not really knowing if he was alone or not. SG-1 hardly ever let each other go through healing phases alone unless there was a problem or a cure to be found. He still didn't know if Jack was alive or here and the sooner he got an answer the sooner he could deal with the results.

"Because, my beloved, you were not making very wise choices," an equally tired voice stated from the chair next to the bed. Daniel turned his head and caught sight of a gaunt and blotchy Colonel Jack and his eyes immediately filled with tears.

"You're alive?" he cried out. His eyes roamed from the tears dried on Jack's face and the fact that there were no visible bruising or blood anywhere.

Jack shuffled out of his chair slowly and settled into the bed next to Daniel, releasing one hand then the other from the restraints. Daniel lifted his shaking hands gently and settled one of them on Jack's cheek gently. Jack was really there and he was smiling at Daniel, albeit it was a sad smile.

"Hey baby, what were you thinking, letting people beat you up?" Jack chided Daniel gently. Daniel had no illusions that if he weren't hurt right now, Jack would have been screaming bloody murder at him.

"I couldn't deal with the pain anymore, you weren't here and I knew you were getting hurt. I was useless!"

Jack lifted one of his hands and touched Daniel's face gently, "I needed you to be safe Danny, that's all I needed from you. Erica said that your leg is mended and everything else is just sore, you're going to be okay."

"What about you?" Daniel asked as he turned on his side and pulled Jack into his body gently. He could feel all his sore muscles; bruising all over his chest and he still didn't know what kind of shape Jack was in. He couldn't help himself though, he needed to climb into Jack's space and know deep inside that Jack wasn't going to disappear again.

"I was healed for the most part, my body is still fighting off the dregs of the toxin Erica gave me but she said I should be fine in a couple days."

What toxin?" Daniel mumbled into the skin of Jack's throat as he breathed his lover in. He reveled in the musky smell of his husband's skin, there was really nothing like it in the world and all Daniel wanted was to stay there for the rest of his life. Jack shuddered in response and Daniel listened to his overwhelming need and kissed Jack's skin. His tongue slipped between his lips and lapped at the pulse point at Jack's neck and he felt Jack's hand come to grip the back of Daniel's head gently. He could taste Jack's unique taste on his mouth and it broke some dam within him. He choked on the sob that threatened and Jack's arms tightened around Daniel's body.

"I know baby, I'm sorry I wasn't here." He mumbled the words into Daniel's hair, "I am so very sorry that you were left here thinking that I'd left you or cheated on you. Please forgive me Danny?"

Daniel shook his head frantically, "There is nothing to forgive Jack," Daniel cried. "I thought you were dead, I couldn't find a way to live without you."

Jack pulled Daniel's face away from his neck, "I'm alive love, and you don't have to worry about that." Daniel leaned forward and Jack took his mouth in a gentle kiss. Daniel could taste his tears in the kiss as their mouths learned each other's again. Daniel wrapped his hand around Jack's neck and slid his fingers through the short soft strands there. He licked the interior of Jack's mouth and sighed in sudden overwhelming happiness. Jack was alive and they were together. They were kissing and once again, to Daniel it felt as though he were coming home for the first time.

Jack pulled away gently, "You know if I had the strength, I would be having my way with you but I don't. My beautiful Danny, I am so glad you're alive. When they told me what you were doing, I was so scared you wouldn't wake up."

Daniel looked down at the bonding mark, finding it shimmering silver once more. He wrapped his unharmed leg around Jack's hip and pulled their bodies even closer. Jack groaned and Daniel immediately released him, "Did I hurt you?"

Jack shook his head and pulled Daniel closer again, "No love, I am just excited to have you so close to me."

Daniel sighed in relief and allowed himself to relax into Jack's arms. "I haven't really slept since you were taken."

Jack nodded and pulled Daniel's head into the crook of his neck, he settled into the first deep sleep in ages.

Jack held Daniel in his arms gently, feeling the younger man breath deeply as he slept and his hands didn't stop caressing Daniel's shoulders and back. His lips kissed Daniel's silky hair gently. It was true that Erica had been able to heal all the torture wounds and the toxin was almost completely out of his system but being awake for the last day had sapped his energy more than anything else. Erica healed Daniel right away but said that the mental and emotional turmoil of thinking he'd lost his husband had done more damage than anything. Daniel had been trapped in the depression of believing he'd lost Jack and could do nothing for him.

Even though Jack wanted desperately to slip into sleep along with his beloved, he needed to let everyone know that Daniel woke up. With another kiss to Daniel's forehead and a hand caressing his cheek, Jack disentangled himself from Daniel's arms and legs and stood to leave the room. At the door he looked back to the bed and realized that the younger man was more relaxed now than he'd seen him since getting home. Knowing for sure Jack was alive had given Daniel peace and a reason to live again, Jack didn't know if he could handle that kind of pressure. He was a military man and he didn't know if he could give that up but at the same time, he couldn't give up Daniel and if the warrior life was hurting Daniel then what choice did Jack really have. Daniel was more important than any desperate need to be important.

The truth was he was the most important person to Danny and that was all that mattered. With that in mind, he walked out of the room and closed the door quietly, hoping that Daniel would stay asleep for at least long enough that Jack could tell the people who needed to know.

He found Teal'c and Sam sitting outside the door, leaning into each other as they dozed. Jack leaned down and touched Sam's shoulder that snapped awake and commenced to drag Teal'c to his feet. "How is he?" she demanded.

"He's sleeping normally now, he woke up and we talked. He's going to be okay," Jack responded.

Sam hugged Jack gently, "Oh thank god for both of you being okay. I thought we were going to lose him because you were gone. We can go tell Desire and Lust that you both are alive and healing but Zarkina is awaiting word from you. She's down in the throne room."

"I won't leave him, if she wants to see one of us she can come here. If he wakes up and finds me gone then he's not going to respond well."

Sam nodded in understand, "T will you relay the message to the queen?" he nodded.

"I am pleased you and Daniel Jackson are both alive, O'Neill." Then he walked away, Sam kissed Jack's cheek gently before she walked away as well. Jack returned course to Daniel's side, settled in next to him and fell asleep with Daniel's limbs wrapped tightly around him.

And he was happy for the first time in months.