Together by Pip

Together

By: Pip

CATEGORY: General, Romance

WARNINGS: None

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:

http://brabbit-hole.livejournal.com/

Distance

Jack didn't even look up at the sound of his front door opening. There was only one person it could be - only one person who the formalities of knocking had been lost on years ago. The sound of a bag being dropped in the hall was heard, then the familiar steps of standard-issue military boots on tiled floor.

The General turned towards the entryway, an expected flippant remark on his lips. He silenced his greeting as Daniel smiled and put a finger to his lips - a move that always had Jack keeping his mouth shut, much to the surprise of anyone who knew the outspoken man. Jack nodded in understanding as his younger friend pointed to the cell phone placed against his ear.

Daniel rolled his eyes as he walked into the kitchen, handing off a slim package to Jack before moving to the refrigerator. "I'll make sure to keep an eye out for any tigers looming to attack."

Jack raised an eyebrow at the statement, then smiled with pride as the first thing Daniel pulled from the fridge was a beer. It had taken a lot of rigorous training and coercing, but the archaeologist had finally come around to seeing the beauty in Jack's ways.

"Oh, it escaped from the zoo." Daniel said with amusement as he pulled up. He looked at Jack mischievously, twisting the top off his bottle with an expert's ease. He took a sip, then shook his head. "Did I say that? Now you're putting words in my mouth."

Jack bit back a laugh at the naughty smirk that played across Daniel's face. He could only imagine the possible things the person on the other end of the phone had said. Daniel took another sip from his bottle, then indicated to the package with it. He mouthed the words 'open it' to Jack.

The older man nodded. He put down his beer and laid the spoon down against the edge of the skillet, letting the vegetables simmer. Reaching for the light package, Jack carefully tore at the brown paper concealing what was inside. He knew from experience that gifts from Daniel were usually rare in value and high in age, meaning they were meant to be handled with care.

"Oh really?" Daniel asked into the phone as he watched Jack. He smiled warmly as his friend's face broke out into a happy grin at the sight of what he'd received. Daniel knew the moment he'd seen the old manuscript of hand-drawn ancient star maps that there was only one person who could appreciate it as much as he did, if not more.

Jack examined a few pages, then stepped up to Daniel.

"You're the best." He whispered loudly into Daniel's ear; bringing a hand to squeeze at the back of his friend's neck. Daniel grinned at him. Jack could hear the murmur of a female voice on the phone, and he watched as Daniel rolled his eyes. The heat he felt from the cell confirmed that Daniel had been on it a long time.

"Of course it's Jack!" Daniel sighed. "Where the hell did you think I was?" Jack stepped back a bit. "Oh yes, Vala - I stopped off in Washington to visit my other girlfriend."

The General turned back to the dinner he was making, a smirk coming to his lips. He caught out of the corner of his eyes Daniel shake his head some more.

"What does she look like?" He laughed, and eyed Jack up and down. "Oh, about six-one, silver hair..." Jack sent Daniel a warning glare, and Daniel just shrugged. His blue eyes closed quickly as his face scrunched up in a disgusted face.

"Ewww, that's just icky!" Daniel groaned. Jack silently inquired with his eyes, and the archaeologist just as quietly told him he really didn't want to know. The younger man placed the bottle to his lips again and drained it dry.

"You're driving me to drink!" Daniel laughed as he moved across the room to the trashcan. He dropped his bottle into the box next to it, getting a satisfying crash as the glass collided with the numerous other bottles in there. Turning back, he found Jack preparing their plates.

"Okay, dinner's ready."

Jack could hear the reluctance in Daniel's voice, and turned to watch his friend. A small smile came to his face as Daniel stuck his hand deep in the pocket of his jeans and looked down at the floor.

"I know..." Daniel sighed. "Hopefully we'll be up there by tomorrow evening...It is too long." He paused, and Jack figured Vala was talking - most likely listing all the things she planned for her and Daniel to do when they got to the cabin, knowing her. "Those all sound perfect."

Jack shook his head - he knew the pair far too well. There was another long pause, which meant Vala was trying to stall the inevitable goodbye. Daniel smiled as she rambled on at a breakneck pace.

"I miss you, baby." He finally said, and Jack could tell by the amusement that sparkled in those blue eyes that Daniel had cut her off with those four tender words. Though he would never admit it, just hearing Daniel use such an endearment had Jack's heart close to melting. It was such a joy to see his best friend so madly, and definitely happily, in love. And such a heartbreak to know that their jobs meant they couldn't always be together, though it was rare when they weren't.

"I love you." Daniel smiled and slowly snapped his phone closed. He looked up at Jack, and shrugged apologetically.

Jack just shook his head, letting his best friend know it was perfectly alright. He carried their plates over to him, and handed one to Daniel. "I think you need another beer."

Daniel nodded, thanking Jack with his bright blue eyes. Without question, he turned to head out the door that led to the back porch.

And in the silence of the kitchen, Jack made a quiet promise to get Daniel to the cabin before sunset the next evening.

Hey Baby

Excitement built up in his chest, and Jack was practically bouncing in his seat by the time he turned the truck onto the familiar dirt road. One that would lead a certain wayward archaeologist back to a love that he was silently aching for much sooner than he had expected.

Speaking of said archaeologist, Jack turned his gaze towards his friend. Daniel was asleep against the passenger door, Jack's worn leather jacket draped over his shoulder. The older man smiled widely. This was only going to make the moment of arrival so much sweeter - especially since the others weren't expecting them to arrive for another couple of hours.

Pulling into the very familiar clearing, Jack could see everyone was sitting at the end of the dock. They all looked up as he brought the truck to a stop by the other vehicles. Jack killed the ignition, and then turned his attention to Daniel.

"Hey, Sleepin' Beauty." He whispered to his slumbering friend. Daniel stirred a moment, and Jack poked his jacket-covered arm. "Wakey, wakey Dannyboy."

"Jack?" Daniel lifted his head up slowly, blinking at Jack tiredly.

Jack smiled, knowing Daniel hadn't figured out where they were yet. "You got someone who wants to see you."

Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion. "What?" He yawned as he moved to sit up. Jack just pointed out the windshield, and Daniel followed the direction his finger was indicated to. When his blue eyes landed on a familiar beautiful figure at the end of the dock, they widened. "We're here?" He mumbled. Vala grinned at him. "We're here!" He laughed, tossing off Jack's jacket.

With lighting-fast speed, Daniel had his seatbelt unclipped and the door open. He stood on the floor of the cab, placing one hand on the top of the door and the other on the roof of the truck. A grin broke out across his lips.

"Vala." He whispered happily. Vala squealed like a little girl, then shouted his name excitedly into the air, scaring up the birds from the lake's surface. She took off at a run back up the dock. Daniel jumped down from the truck, not bothering to close the door as he moved around it and started running himself.

The instant she was within reach, Vala launched into Daniel's expectant arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and his arms pressed tightly against her back as his hands came to tangle in her long, black hair.

Daniel laughed out a 'hey, baby' before Vala desperately captured his lips in a mind-melting kiss, her hands coming to cup his face. He returned the lip lock with an equal passion, pulling her even tighter against his chest. His strong fingers twisted in her thick locks.

"I missed you so much." Vala smiled into his beautiful blue eyes as they separated slowly. Daniel nodded in agreement, closing his eyes as Vala ran her finger over the curves of his face.

"I missed you too." He murmured, kissing her finger as it passed over his lips. "When I woke up to an empty bed, when no one was there to argue over breakfast, when I was frustrated and nobody was there to massage the irritation away..." Daniel kissed her lips again, this time more gently. "When I fell asleep to an empty bed, and the nightmares woke me up and you weren't there to chase them away."

Jack watched from beside the truck as Daniel slowly lowered Vala to the ground and pulled her into a fierce hug. He smiled as Daniel placed a tender kiss in her hair, letting his lips rest there. Looking up towards the warm afternoon sun, Jack sighed. Mission accomplished - He'd gotten Daniel back where he belonged before the sun went down.

Spacecadets

Beer bottles lay scattered about by the group of six who sat around the cabin's low coffee table, playing a very mean game of scrabble...with a twist. The twist being anybody who spelled a word higher than eight points had to take a quick shot from their own collection of beer.

Which, Daniel realized, would explain the delightful buzzed feeling swimming around his head. Because, no matter how hard he tried, almost every word he spelled would range in the twenty-ish area. Damn him and his vast vocabulary. He was just glad words in other languages weren't allowed.

Vala shifted in his lap as she placed her pieces on the board. Daniel gazed around her sleek form to see what she had spelled. Because of the huge advantage everyone had over her, nobody argued when Daniel said he'd help Vala. It meant that she got to sit in his lap, and he had no intention of letting her out of his reach.

Vala looked expectantly at everyone, seeing if she'd done it right. After a short moment of silence as Daniel exchanged considering looks with Sam, Cam, and Teal'c on the opposite side of the table. He couldn't see Jack, who sat just beside him, because of Vala in his lap. She fidgeted impatiently, then finally everyone appraised her word at the same time.

Vala bounced up and down, and Daniel 'oomphed' playfully as she did so. He leaned in and kissed the back of her arm. She was too caught up in her moment to acknowledge it. Vala happily took a sip from her bottle as Sam announced the word had gained a total of eighteen points. As she started to boast about one day being to kick all their butts at their pathetic spelling game, Daniel smiled contentedly and rested his head against the seat of the couch. He rubbed his hand gently over Vala's back.

Feeling a light push against his right leg, Daniel lifted up his head and turned a hazy gaze on Jack. His friend, his BEST friend he thought happily, was giving him a look of amusement and concern.

"You okay?" Jack asked as he leaned in closer to Daniel.

The younger of the two nodded, giving Jack a smirk. "Peachy."

Jack smiled and nodded in return. "Buzzin' good, eh?"

"Oh yeah." Daniel lifted his beer bottle to tap gently against Jack's.

"Amen." Jack replied as the glass clinked together.

Their moment was broken as Cam announced he was running low on beverages. A chorus of 'me toos' followed, and Jack sat back up adding his own to the mix. Daniel rubbed a hand along Vala's side, indicating for her to get up.

"I'll get them." Daniel volunteered, lifting Vala with him as he pushed himself to a standing position. He picked up an armful of empty bottles. A silent message passed from him to her as he drew his free hand across her back.

Vala latched onto the hand as Daniel moved towards the kitchen. "I'll help you." She stated calmly.

"Does it take TWO of you to get a few beers?" Cam asked, and shook his head as the pair shot back 'YES!' simultaneously. He sipped the last dregs from his bottle and looked at the others. "I don't know what's worse - Princess complaining constantly because Jackson's not here, or the two of them feelin' each other up constantly."

Sam punched him in the arm. "Quit it! They haven't seen each other in a month..." She ignored the pained expression Cam gave her as he rubbed his arm, and gave a significant look to Jack. "I personally find it very romantic." She drank from her near empty bottle.

"Well, one thing's for sure." Jack stated as he moved to place some pieces on the board. "The minute we get back, I'm making a memo saying 'Under NO circumstances keep Spacemonkey and Spacesparrow apart any longer than..." He looked up at the others, who looked on expectantly. "Ever."

"Spacesparrow?" Sam smirked with a raise of her eyebrow.

Jack shrugged. "It fits..." He trailed off as a playful yelp and the sound of bottles crashing against each other drifted out from the kitchen.

Love Drunk

Vala found herself pleasantly pinned back against the counter. Daniel's body pushed tightly against hers suggestively, and she tilted her torso back some more so Daniel could look down at her.

"You get beer in my hair," She breathed as Daniel ran his hand up her side. "And I'll beat the crap out of you."

Daniel smirked playfully. "Promises, promises." He growled and leaned in to ghost his lips along her neck, hovering above her pulse point. She whimpered as he very subtly kissed the gentle throb.

"I mean it, Mister." Vala brought her head up and looked into his needy blue gaze. "I really don't want my hair smelling like that stuff."

Daniel shrugged. "Then I'll just wash it out." He mumbled distractedly as Vala licked her lips slowly. He wrapped his mouth around her bottom lip and gently sucked on it. Vala closed her eyes slowly, letting a moan slip past. Daniel smiled as he nibbled his teeth into her lip. It sent Vala over the edge and she pushed against him hard. Daniel moved to stand up straight, and Vala crashed her mouth to his.

Slightly thrown by her intensity, he stumbled back a few steps and quickly succumb to her hunger for him. Daniel closed his eyes as the buzz in his head skyrocketed to a whole new level. He sighed as Vala's warm tongue invaded his mouth, and her fingers dug into his hair. Lethargically, he brought one hand around her back. The other refused to respond as it sat against her stomach as she pushed into him.

Daniel was so caught up in everything that was Vala that his fogged mind barely registered someone clearing their throat from the doorway. As she pulled away abruptly, he stumbled forward a fraction at the loss of her contact. Vala placed a hand to his chest, and Daniel rested his forehead against her shoulder. She left him feeling lightheaded and giddy.

"You guys need a hand with them beers?" Jack asked calmly, and didn't miss the giggle Daniel tried to muffle into Vala's arm. He knew it wasn't the alcohol making Daniel off-kilter - he had something far more intoxicating to indulge in.

And she spoke up as if reading his mind for her cue. "I believe we do."

Jack nodded with a smile. He moved passed the pair to the fridge, grabbed two whole armfuls of his favorite beverage, and handed some off to Vala. Daniel remained with his head down against her.

"Come on kids...back out to play with the others." He ignored the amused snort from Daniel.

Vala pulled on her lover's hand as she moved to follow Jack. "You heard the man..."

Daniel sighed and reluctantly allowed Vala to drag him back to the living room. He was still so wrapped up in the kiss that he failed to notice her stop before the table, and gently backed into her.

"Easy, darling." Vala laughed as she placed a hand back against him.

Daniel blinked. "Uh, sorry...Your brake lights were out." He was surprised he managed to keep a straight face at the comment. The others were all giving him amused glances. He just shrugged and moved back to his spot against the couch.

"Yo Jackson..." Daniel looked at Cam as Vala lowered herself into his lap. "You drunk?"

Daniel smiled at the question. Yes, he was - but not from the beer. He was completely tipsy off a woman who muddled his brain far greater than anything that could come from a bottle or can. He was drunk - drunk off Vala.

He glanced at Jack, who smiled knowingly as he handed him a fresh beer. Daniel took it, looked back to Cam, and simply shrugged innocently.

We Got This

Daniel shot up in bed with an anguished cry.

'Fire, heat, death - She had been burning and he couldn't save her. She cried out-'

Daniel whimpered out a quiet sob as the sound echoed in his ears. He breathed rapidly as the images of scarred and blackened flesh flashed before his clenched eyes. God, he hadn't been strong enough to save her.

He flinched as a cool hand touched against his heated, sweat-slick skin. Turning his head, his wide blue eyes met with a shining familiar silver gaze, illuminated by the light of the moon shining through the window. What?

It took a long moment for his slightly fuzzy thoughts to connect the dots. He wasn't over in England like he had been for the past month. He'd come home. Jack had brought him here. Slowly the events of the past few days fell back into place - the phone call, the gift, the plane ride and drive, the overwhelming joy as Vala launched into his arms outside, the scrabble games, the beer, the kiss in the kitchen, the slightly weaving path to the master bedroom as he had fumbled to get her clothes off, the...sex, and then the dream.

The dream. He closed his eyes again as the harsh images invaded his mind again, along with that heart-shattering scream. He sobbed at the memory.

"It's okay." Hearing Vala's voice had another cry escaping past his lips. "It was just a nightmare."

Daniel brought his head down to rest against her chest. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm so sorry...you were burning a-and screaming-" He halted on the word and sobbed out some more.

Vala ran her hand over his damp hair. "Shhh, it's okay. You saved me." As Daniel shook his head minutely against her chest, Vala nodded against it. "Yes, darling. I'm right here because you were there to save me. You are always there to save me." She whispered, glancing up to a dark figure standing in the doorway. Vala didn't need any light to know exactly who it was.

"I love you." Daniel mumbled against her, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly. Vala placed a soft kiss into his hair as the figure approached.

"I love you, my Daniel." She took the damp washcloth from the outstretched hand. "Lay down, sweetheart." Daniel nodded and rested his head down in her lap. She leaned down, placed a tender kiss to his temple, and then started to run the cloth against his heated face.

Daniel sighed, not even questioning where Vala got the washcloth from. He closed his eyes and nuzzled into her thigh. Vala looked up as Jack moved to leave, and she reached out to take his hand.

"No." She whispered to concerned brown eyes. "Stay."

Jack shook his head and whispered back. "You got this."

Vala let out a hushed, humorless laugh. "Not really." She felt the tears well in her eyes, and she shut them tightly. The bed shifted a moment, and she felt a warm body settle in next to her. Vala rested her head on Jack's shoulder as he wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"J'ck?" Daniel mumbled, almost completely back to sleep.

"Go to sleep, Danny." Jack whispered. Daniel nodded against Vala and drifted off to sleep once more.

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