~~~~~~

Jack stared out over the lonely planet. There was a large technological gadget on the windswept plain, and that was about it besides trees and grass, sitting out in plain view looking like a rocket to the heavens. It was sheer providence for Carter, and sheer boredom for everyone else. Teal’c had taken a leisurely walk, widening the perimeter while Jack and Daniel sat in the shadow of a large tree. Daniel could feel himself starting to doze off feeling secure in Jack’s presence.

“So what do you want to talk about this time Daniel?” Jack stretched languidly out and lowered his hat over his eyes. He put his hands behind his head, sighing sighed sounding quite at ease.

“Actually, I’ve wanted to talk to you about something for a long time,” Daniel acknowledged uneasily. “But it’s hard to have guaranteed privacy like this.”

“That got my interest,” Jack countered,” shoot,”

“Have you ever contemplated getting married again?” Daniel asked sitting Indian style and picking at the grass.

“Well, that was out of left field. Someone catch your eye Daniel?” Jack pushed up his brim of his hat with his index finger, rolling his head to look at Daniel.

“That’s not the point Jack, at least not at the moment. Have you thought about it?” Daniel persisted casting a fleeting look sideways at his friend.

Jack sighed. “Come on Daniel. Who’d want me?”

Daniel shook his head. “Just suppose someone sought out a serious relationship with you, maybe even asked. Would you even consider it?”

“This really means a lot to you for me to give an honest answer, huh?” Jack tilted his head and Daniel nodded. Jack exhaled with a shaky breath. “I don’t know if I’m marriage material.” He looked out over the grassy plain. “Sara told me I didn’t know how to talk or express my feelings.”

“Is that why you don’t talk often?” Daniel felt like he was finally starting to understand the complex man.

“Maybe or maybe just the prospect of trying to express myself around genius one and two is intimidating.” Jack began to polish his P-90.

“Funny, you always seem to convey your thoughts very well around me. Sometimes too well,” Daniel smiled. Jack reached out and ruffled his hair affectionately.

“Do you do that to anyone else but me Jack?” Daniel tried to flatten his hair out again.

“Nope, just my Space Monkey!” Jack laughed.

“Okay, do you have any concept of how many rumors there are on base about us Jack?” Daniel asked pointedly. Jack instantly stopped laughing.

“Yeah, I knew. I didn’t think you did though. Are you bothered by it?” Jack looked seriously at Daniel, his brown eyes looking totally open and vulnerable.

“No, I just…well it brings me back to my um, initial question, that is, um,” Daniel was fumbling over his words, something Jack had always found endearing.

“About whether or not I’d ever thought of getting married again,” Jack reiterated. “I don’t follow Daniel.”

“Okay, let’s just say hypothetically that you didn’t want to spend the rest of your life alone.”

“Well, not if I can help it,” Jack admitted reluctantly.

“Right, well that person would have an exceptional problem in that you could not even talk about your job. So it would be easier and better for you if that person knew about the Stargate.”

“I’m not going to play house with Carter, Frasier or…” Daniel held a hand up.

“Bear with me Jack, please. So someone, ah, who knew all about your work then they would be a good, um, partner for you right?” Daniel was fumbling through his speech again, causing Jack to smile.

“Sure that would make being married a lot easier. There was a lot I could never talk about with Sara and that was before the Stargate program really took off. That was just Special Ops. Is there a point to this Daniel?”

“Just a little longer Jack, I promise. I know that you were held hostage in Iraq. There may have been instances where due to circumstances beyond your control, that for comfort you might have turned to a, um, …” Jack thought he noticed Daniel flushing slightly.

“Let me get this straight here Daniel. You want to know if I’ve been with a guy? There is ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ you know.” Jack wagged a finger.

“AH!” Daniel held up a finger, “Remember Jack, technically I’m not military, so that doesn’t apply to me in either way.”

“Either way?” Jack’s mouth dropped open a bit. “Daniel?”

Daniel hung his head and wrung his hands nervously. “I believe that you can’t appreciate real love until you’ve been burned, or what you have, until you say goodbye to it. By the same token you don’t know how good something can be until you give it a try. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that we have a lot between us Jack, friendship, trust and, um, I just thought that if I brought it up in a danger free zone that you might consider it.”

Jack gazed at Daniel in surprise. He put one arm over his chest and held his own face with the other just looking at the archeologist with amusement. “Why me?”

“It might sound more than a little crazy Jack but I feel at home around you and when I look at you,” Daniel hugged his knees to his chest. “I don’t like being alone anymore. I feel like I can’t face the day if I know you aren’t in it.”

“Danny, why did you ask about the marriage stuff?” Jack asked softly never taking his eyes off his best friend.

“Well, if things happen between us and it worked out then I wouldn’t want just one night; it would have to be long term. It’s just the kind of guy I am.” Daniel felt stupid; here he was laying out all of his cards on the table. It was impossible to take it back now.

Jack reached out a hand to cup Daniel’s chin, “You’re the best thing about me, Danny. I accept your marriage proposal, consider your self engaged.” With a smile Jack reached down under his shirt, yanked out his dog tags and put them over Daniel’s neck. Daniel touched the body heated tags with awe. “Won’t you get in trouble for giving these to me?”

“It will last until we get rings when we get home. Besides I would get in more trouble for doing this,” with lighting fast reflexes Jack grabbed the tags bringing Daniel closer and kissed him. Daniel gasped. Jack’s tongue quickly took advantage of the situation darting into Daniel’s mouth. The explosion of taste was electrifying.

“Jack,” Daniel moaned.

“Daniel.” Jack replied sounding strange. “Daniel, come on.”

“Jack.”

“Yeah come on Daniel it’s time to wake up and go home.” Daniel’s eyes popped up and he sat up quickly.

“Jack?” Brown eyes met his own.

“Yes Daniel. You must have been having a bad dream, calling out my name in your sleep like that. Anyway, Carter wants to bring back a team of techno-nerds to bring the gadget back to base.” Jack stood lowering a hand expectantly toward Daniel.

“What? It was a dream? I’m not getting married again?” Daniel looked very upset and Jack was trying to ascertain exactly why when Teal’c announced he had the gate dialed for home.

“Daniel it’s time to go home.”