Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, slash J/D First Time. 199K

SG-1 stumble into an alternative reality, apparently due to a malfunctioning Stargate. October 01

"My Lord, the stone circle has come to life, and a strange being has come forth." The messenger was breathing hard, his words staccato and machine gun like.

O'Neill nodded. "Describe the 'being'."

The messenger gasped for more breath, before speaking. "Like a turtle on wheels my Lord. It moved around, and left the circle, digging up soil as it went."

"You observed it the whole time, did it make any sounds?"

"No Lord, it stopped after some time, my commander told me to alert you, and is keeping watch some distance from the circle."

"Good." O'Neill stood, looking down at his council. "I need to check this out, continue without me."

As one the men bowed as he strode from the room. O'Neill was excited and expectant, he had been trapped here for at least six months, and however pleasant the people, or essential the job they had bequeathed him, he wanted to get home. Back to his command, and from there to search for his lover.

Six damn months, without sight, sound or touch. It was driving him mad, making him a little unpredictable, slightly edgy. The last time he had felt anything like this was after Charlie's death, although he still couldn't ever imagine feeling those depths of despair again.

Then he'd wanted to kill himself. Now he wanted to kill others, preferably Jaffa, and especially Goa'uld, oh especially one specific, nasty, sly, revolting slime ridden snakehead. A snake that wouldn't be expecting to see his face again, that was for sure.

He felt his grin become feral, and automatically began to breathe deeply, trying to calm himself. He knew he could be a dangerous man, hell he'd been trained to be a dangerous man, but occasionally he frightened even himself with his mood swings and anger. He knew what it was; it was the enforced waiting, the slow, reluctant acceptance that he was trapped. Somehow transported into an alternative universe in which fortunately for him, his duplicate must be dead.

He couldn't remember the explanation or the reasoning for the temporal displacement thingy that Dr Kendrick droned on about, but he'd seen the effect himself and did not want to be on the receiving end. As to his feelings of entrapment, the very few addresses he had committed to memory had taken him to worlds far different than in his universe, and to people who were neither willing, nor able to help him, and most certainly had not heard of Earth or the Tau'ri.

In all honesty, he'd been lucky not to be killed, and whilst he did not want to die, the alternative, living here on this planet, forever separated from his lover, his friends and the job he loved, was not something he was willing to accept with equanimity.

The messenger had described a MALP, god willing one of his teams had been caught in the loop and together they would work out how to get home. With a GDO they could take the chance of gating into command centre, but the likelihood of the Stargate still being buried in the sands of Egypt, had decided him against that particular tactic. He may be going crazy, but he wasn't suicidal, yet.

"My lord over here."

He moved forward, suddenly aware of how far he had walked during his internal musings.

"Four people have just left the circle sir, they have just sent the machine back."

He nodded, reaching for the binoculars, about the only piece of equipment he still had on him when he was pushed through the wormhole.

"Lord, one of them has your face." The speaker sounded incredulous.

He felt his heartbeat thundering through his head. My face? Oh shit, these aren't my people. He raised the binoculars to his eyes, focused and froze.
Dropping the binoculars into his Captain's hands he spoke emotionlessly.

"Have them brought to me at the palace. Do not attack them, or harm them, but be careful of the one with my face."

Turning he walked swiftly back the way he had come.

"It's a cool balmy eighty-two degrees, the clouds are white, the trees are green and the soil is brown, campers."

Jack was feeling relaxed and happy, not so relaxed that he had let go of his gun, or stopped his constant observations of the terrain in front of him, but happy enough to contemplate annoying his 'kids'.

"Does Stargate travel cloud the mind, Sam?"

"I believe I need more subjects than currently available to come to any firm conclusion on that one, Daniel, but the signs aren't looking good."

Right, the kids were having way too much fun at his expense now. "Remind me, Carter, why did we come here?"

His second in command hitched her backpack over her shoulder, and smiled cheerfully at him. "Signs of minerals in the soil, and possibility of tritium, sir," she reminded him.

"Lots of trees," added his helpful archaeologist, "and looking at the path around the Stargate, life, culture and possible allies."

He thought he caught a glimmer of a smile on Teal'c's face, but dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"Right then, we best be getting on our merry way then. Want to follow the path, Daniel?" A redundant question, when had Daniel not wanted to go harrying off to explore.

"Sure, Jack."

Boonie settled on his head, Daniel was ready. Jack gave the signal, took point and they were moving along the path heading towards... somewhere. A few minutes down the line Teal'c moved closer to him.

"We are being observed, O'Neill."

Jack halted the group as he looked for cover.

"At three o'clock, behind the trees." Teal'c added.

Jack watched as six men slowly filtered out from behind, the trees, he narrowed his eyes against the glare of the sun, fumbled for his sunglasses and assessed for possible threatening behaviour, seeing nothing obvious, he lowered his rifle slightly, and gestured towards the natives. "Right, okay, Daniel, I think you may be on now. They look more curious than dangerous."

Daniel nodded, stepping forward, holding his hand up in the almost universal signal for 'we come in peace'. "Hello," he ventured.

Jack watched closely, as a native walked forward. The man had a bow with the arrow notched, and a sword sheathed at his side. Right then, they weren't going to be obtaining weapons from these lot.

Daniel smiled at them. "Greetings, my name is Daniel Jackson," he indicated the rest of the team, "and these people are, Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, and Teal'c, we are peaceful explorers."

The native looked unimpressed. "Welcome," he said politely, his eyes flickering across them all. Jack felt that the eyes seemed to linger a little longer on him, than the others, which surprised him. Carter and Teal'c were normally the curiosities.

"English," he murmured. "You've got to love the convenience."

Daniel began his gentle questioning. Soon they were surrounded by the group of men, all polite and pleasant, but still giving him looks.

Jack felt a little spooked.

He let himself be jostled to the back of the group, watching his team interact as they walked, Daniel nodding, occasionally asking a question, Sam listening in on the conversation, her eyes darting over the clothes, weapons and jewellery, and Teal'c solid, silent and slightly aloof from the proceedings.

They'd walked about a mile, before they hit signs of habitation. His first impression was of a walled town, with smaller buildings huddling in the shadow of a tall, imposing, stone castle, solid and defensible, built to last. He almost expected to see a drawbridge and mounted knights.

"This way sir."

Jack nodded, his distraction had left him slightly adrift from his team, he hurried to catch them up, following them into a large hall, surprisingly well lit, large windows at every side, dispelling the illusion of safety, until one remembered the solid, thick wooden shutters at their side. The architect or owner had wanted comfort, light and security in his castle. Jack approved.

"Through here, sirs, madam."

Their escort stopped at the doors and ushered them through, Jack had just taken in the fact that this was more what he expected a castle hall to look like, when he caught sight of the man seated on the raised platform.

"Oh shit," he said quietly, unsurprised to find his team surrounded. They had the far superior weapons, but they were heavily out numbered.

"Drop your weapons," his double ordered. "Especially the Jaffa."

The venom in his voice as he spoke that word made Jack shiver. Something was badly wrong here.

His team looked at him, he shrugged. "Do as he says," he ordered. "We're going to have to talk ourselves out of this one." He looked pointedly as Daniel.

His double looked them over impassively, as they divested themselves of their guns. Daniel's face was a picture of confusion and bewilderment. Carter's was curious, while Teal'c presented his normal impassive countenance.

Turning to Daniel, Jack said quietly. "Well this is fun, anyone suggest we were expected?"

Daniel looked at him carefully, before smiling briefly. "No," he murmured, "although he certainly doesn't look surprised," He was quiet for a second. "I don't think I much like the look of this other you."

As he turned away, Jack noticed his double's eyes settle unblinkingly on Daniel's face.

"You, come here," the man demanded, indicating Daniel and gesturing a guard towards him.

Daniel looked up at him and back at Jack. "Polite, just like you," he said under his breath.

Jack smiled mirthlessly. "Just be careful, Daniel, something's up, and I don't just mean that he's got my face.

"Now."

Daniel nodded, slowly moving forward to stand nearer the man. The guard pushed him forward and on to his knees.

Jack cleared his throat. "Is that really necessary?" he asked, pointing at Daniel.

His double smiled, but his eyes remained stony.

"No, just practical for the moment, he will be allowed up soon."

They looked at each other for a second, until his double turned to look at Sam and Teal'c. The hatred in his double's eyes as he looked at Teal'c had Jack reaching for his absent gun.

"Take them away, put them in the cells for the time being."

Damn it, what had they done now? He had to do something, Daniel was looking worried, and he could sense that Teal'c had picked up on the hostility directed his way.

"Hey, what do you think you're up to? Talk to us, talk to me, you bastard." He waved his hands ineffectively.

His double ignored him. He waved his hand impatiently, and Jack, Teal'c and Sam were surrounded. "Get rid of them now." The man's voice barked the order.

Still struggling, and shouting, Jack was marched away from Daniel and his double.
They were thrust in a small, windowless cell and left in the gloom.

"Been here, done that, got the tee-shirt." Jack glared at the door and kicked it.

Teal'c looked momentarily puzzled, before settling himself against the wall, and contemplating Jack.

"Why should this other O'Neill be angry at us?"

"Especially you, Teal'c, he's almost homicidal when he looks at you."

Teal'c nodded. "I was aware of that, O'Neill."

Jack nodded. "And then why single out Daniel immediately? You'd have thought as leader he'd want to talk to me, been curious or something. I mean how often do you get to meet another you?"

"I agree, sir." Sam settled herself on the straw covered floor and hugged her legs.

Jack sighed. "Something's very wrong, I mean what's he doing in our universe anyway?"

"I rather think we might be in his, sir."

"Oh great, so I get to do the zappy, stretchy stuff."

Sam swallowed a smile. "Temporal entropic cascade failure, sir."

Jack glared at her. "That's just what I said, Carter."

Sam nodded. "Perhaps if he is in our universe then there's a distance effect. Perhaps the space-time continuum allows you to share a universe if the distance is measured in millions of light years. It's the increase in entropy that..."

Jack interrupted her. "I'm getting a headache, Carter."

Sam allowed the smile to be visible. "Just theorising, sir?"

"Well don't."

"How long have we got before O'Neill shows any effects, Major Carter?"

Sam looked at Teal'c. "About forty-eight hours.

Jack fidgeted. "What's he doing with Daniel?"

"Questioning him O'Neill."

Jack sighed, "I know that, Teal'c, but for what reason, and more importantly why Daniel?"

Daniel knelt uncomfortably on the cold floor. He hated kneeling for anyone, but to be made to kneel for a Jack O'Neill just seemed obscene.

Jack's double contemplated him in silence then raised his hand. "You can get up now."

Daniel stood silently, his eyes remaining in contact with the double as he did so hopefully conveying the anger he felt. A slight smile from the man seated above him, suggested that his anger had not gone unnoticed. He was distracted from his observation by a small retinue of servants carrying food and drink. A young man stood by Jack's double, offering food on a tray, and a young woman appeared offering wine.

Daniel stared at the food, people and activity in front of him, watching the way the servants were respectful around the ruler, as they went about their tasks. The man sat on his throne, oblivious to the activity around him, and watched Daniel. Raising his chin, Daniel again returned the stare. The man gave a faint smile and slowly supped the wine and ate a few of the pastries offered him, keeping his eyes locked on Daniel's face.

Eat, sip, eat, and sip the gaze never faltered.

Daniel was becoming slightly dizzy watching the hypnotic movements. Closing his eyes briefly, he tried to cover his unease.

The man laughed and gestured for the young man to take the tray towards Daniel.
"Do eat."

Daniel shook his head. "No thank you."

The man nodded. "Drink then?"

Daniel frowned. "Where are my friends?"

Jack's double smiled. "Safe, waiting to be questioned. Don't worry, I have no desire to harm any of you, I just want to talk to you individually. Do you want me to send them food?"

Daniel nodded, watching as the man gave his orders, and a servant slipped away. Daniel doubted that any of them would touch it, but at least he could assume that they were safe and unhurt, and that this man intended to keep them that way.

"So I ask again, can I interest you in a drink?"

Daniel nodded, what harm would it do? This Jack, no he wasn't Jack, he would think of him as O'Neill, that would be easier, was drinking, so poison seemed unlikely, and it might just make the man friendlier. "Okay," he said slightly distantly.

The man smiled, and took a glass from the tray. He offered it to Daniel, who took it and immediately felt awkward. He took a couple of mouthfuls just for something to do, then drank a few more mainly because the taste was unexpected, smooth, mellow and refreshing, before bending down and placing the glass on the floor, beside him.

The man smiled, leant forward and asked. "What is your name?"

So the interrogation had started had it? "Daniel, Dr Daniel Jackson."

"Your companions?"

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c."

"Where do you come from and what are you doing here?"

Daniel frowned. "We're from Earth, and we're explorers, peaceful explorers."

The man nodded. "Why did you come to this planet?"

"Simply put, it was next on our list to explore, and the probe suggested that you had some interesting minerals in the soil"

He saw the man nod his head. "Something that ought to be checked out." He sat back in his chair and continued the questioning. "What did you intend to do here?"

Daniel shrugged his shoulder. "Meet, greet and hopefully obtain allies against the Goa'uld." He put a slight question on the last word.

O'Neill nodded, leaving the inferred question unanswered. "And what do you hope to gain yourself?"

Daniel frowned; he was getting a little personal here wasn't he? Was he going to be asking all of his team their personal motivation, because if this O'Neill was, he rather thought he'd like to be a fly on the wall when he questioned Jack. "Knowledge, learning, meaning of life stuff." Daniel shrugged. Make of that what you will, he thought.

O'Neill smiled. "So, what are you doing with a group of soldiers, Daniel?"

Daniel stiffened. "What do you mean by that?"

"You aren't a soldier, what do you do?"

Daniel frowned. "I'm a linguist and archaeologist. Sam's military but also an astrophysicist. Jack's our leader, a damn good one. Teal'c is our Goa'uld expert. I told you, we're a team of explorers, our speciality is first contact."

"I don't need to know about the others, especially the Jaffa." The man fairly spat the name "I will be asking them directly, I want to know why you as a civilian, are playing with the big boys."

Daniel was profoundly bewildered, and slightly irritated by the line of questioning
"I told you, I'm the linguist. I can swear at you in a number of languages. In fact at this particular point in time, I think I'd rather enjoy swearing at you in any number of languages."

The man's laughter rang out in the chamber. "I'm sure your team find you a great source of enjoyment, Daniel."

Daniel stared at him, baffled by his amusement. "No, I don't think so," he said slowly." Jack's our chief wit, but you can ask him that yourself, can't you."

O'Neill scowled, before nodding his head. "I can, but first explain why you came here with someone that looks like me."

Daniel shook his head. "No idea," he said truthfully, "but totally unexpected. Not something that happens very often. Jack's Jack, you're you, and even my minimal knowledge of alternative universes tells me that this means something's gone badly wrong." He looked questioningly at him "I assume your are Jack O'Neill, by the way?"

The man laughed and nodded. He contemplated Daniel before saying. "You don't seem too surprised about me."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "As I said, I'm surprised that you are here, but no I'm not surprised that you exist. I met one in an alternative universe sometime back." He frowned. "He didn't seem to like me much either."

O'Neill smiled. "Have I given you that impression Daniel?"

Daniel decided he wasn't going there, and thinking about the questioning, it didn't seem to be going anywhere either. He sighed. "Tell me, O'Neill, what do you want from me, from us?"

"Ah," O'Neill stood up and walked down to meet Daniel. "The crux of the matter, Daniel. Can you get me back to my SGC?"

Daniel frowned. "Whose universe are we in?" he asked carefully.

O'Neill smiled. "Now that's the billion dollar question, Daniel. It sure ain't mine, and I have a suspicion it isn't yours."

Daniel looked at him blankly. "You need to talk to Sam then."

O'Neil nodded. "The lovely Major Carter, or Sam, short for Samantha right?"

Daniel nodded. "Sam knows all there is to know about the workings of the Stargate."

O'Neill smiled. "Not just a pretty face then?"

Daniel grimaced. "I'd be very careful about saying anything like that in Sam's hearing, O'Neill."

O'Neill laughed. "Got you Daniel. I'll go make nice with her then. Finish your drink, then I will have one of my men escort you somewhere pleasant, to wait for your companions."

Daniel nodded, relieved that the somewhat strange conversation had finished. He tossed back the unwanted drink, and followed his escort, making a careful note of the route, so that once he was left unguarded, he could escape and find Jack. To be honest, he wanted nothing more than to hear the blessed normality of Jack being just Jack.

The room he finally arrived in, was plush, opulent even, possibly part of a suite of hopefully interlocking rooms, not that he could see any exit but the door he'd come through and the barred window on his left.

Thanking his escort, he sat on the nearest over stuffed couch, and waited for the man to leave. He heard the sound of a lock, and no following sound of retreating footsteps. So he was both locked in and guarded was he? He prowled round the room, unfortunately he had been correct in his first impression. There was no other route out, no inner connecting door, nothing. Stifling an unexpected yawn he sat back on the couch, he'd give them ten minutes of apparent acceptance and inactivity, then he was going to find a way out of here.

Having been led away from the small cell, Sam was unsure what she had expected to encounter. Sitting listening to explanations regarding a probable alternative universe coming from the mouth of her commander's double was both unnerving and worrying. She was having problems getting the problem straight. She was also having problems with the double. He looked and spoke like Jack, but something wasn't quite right. He worried her just a little; she sensed that he was possibly somewhat unstable.

"Can I summarise this, sir," she said carefully. "This is neither your universe, nor our universe. You have no idea how you got here, but you imagine that we will have the same difficulties returning home as you would have."

O'Neill nodded.

"You have not tried to gate to the SGC, as you do not have a GDO, nor do you know if there is a SGC in this universe, as none of the worlds you knew have any knowledge of Earth."

O'Neill sighed. "Could we get on with this, Major Carter?"

Sam glared at him. "I am trying to be logical, sir," she said icily. "If the SGC isn't functional, then we would probably gate direct to the Antarctic gate."

"Please." O'Neill held up his hand. "Could you run that pass me again, Antarctic gate?"

Sam nodded. "We found it by accident some years back, you never found it in your universe?"

O'Neill raised his eyebrows in annoyance. "I think I might have mentioned if I had," he said with justifiable sarcasm.

Sam remained unimpressed. "Well, if we attempt to gate to the SGC and it's not there, we end up in the Antarctic. There's a functioning DHD, or there was in my universe, but it's risky."

"And how does that help us?"

Sam sighed. "It might be more sensible to avoid Earth altogether and gate to the world where Daniel found the quantum mirror P3R-233, then hopefully we can use it to get to our universe. I assume you know of the quantum mirror?"

"Yeah," O'Neill nodded. "Danny found it in our universe."

Sam's head shot up. "You know a Daniel?"

O'Neill smiled. "Oh I know my Daniel."

Sam looked at him suspiciously, "So why did you act the way you did with us, when in reality you knew exactly what we represented?"

O'Neill shrugged. "You have a Jaffa on your team, I don't trust them, and anyway it's long story."

Sam frowned at him, but it was obvious that he wasn't going to say anything else.
"Teal'c is a valuable member of our team, he's helped save our lives many times."

O'Neill stared at her. "Whatever, " he said dismissively.

"You are very wrong, sir," Sam said angrily. "My Colonel O'Neill would never dismiss or treat anyone like you have."

O'Neill stared at her angrily for some minutes, his eyes wide and furious, until something seemed to give inside him. "I'm sorry, Major Carter," he said with some dignity. "Please will you continue with your explanation? I promise I'll listen."

The brief smile that followed this statement relaxed Sam. "You don't like me or my team much, do you?" she said amused.

"Oh I like you well enough," O'Neill smirked at her. "It's scientists I've always had a problem with."

Sam almost laughed. Colonel O'Neill had said something similar to her when they first met. "Okay, sir, I'll continue. We gate to P3R-233 and we use the quantum mirror to get into our universe, where hopefully the quantum mirror will be stored in Area 51. General Hammond ordered it destroyed, but I'm convinced I saw it last time we were there."

"General Hammond's your Commander?" O'Neill asked.

Sam nodded.

"He's a great guy," O'Neill continued. "I miss him, hell I miss everyone at the SGC, and I'm going crazy stuck here."

Sam nodded. "So I see, " she said neutrally.

Jack watched as first Sam and then Teal'c were taken from the cell. The guards were polite, but efficient. They assured him that no harm was intended, but that their ruler wanted to see his team individually. They were obviously a little uncomfortable with him. Jack didn't blame them. He sat on the straw covered floor and waited for his turn.

It was a long time coming. He'd expected to be reunited with his team, but obviously Sam and Teal'c were being kept elsewhere. It was with considerable relief, that he heard the tramp of boots in the corridor outside, and stood, readying himself for the encounter with his double. He was led away from the audience room and towards what he would have considered, the more private area of the palace. The guards opened a door and indicated that he should go inside. He walked stiffly in the entrance, and waited for the door close behind him.

Jack looked around. The carpets were thick and mainly a vivid red, the furniture, deep, large and comfortable. Light flickered in recesses, and from candles, placed around the made but unlit fire in the huge fireplace, it illuminated the numerous tapestries on the walls. Jack moved further into the room, catching sight of a huge four-poster bed. Why had he been brought to a bedroom? He walked steadily towards it, quickening his pace as he caught sight of Daniel, in the middle of the bed, covered loosely with sheets, obviously sound asleep.

Jack rubbed his eyes in shock, what the hell was Daniel doing fast asleep in the middle of a god-awful mission? And whose damn bed was he in?

Angrily Jack marched towards the bed, determined to rouse Dr Sleeping Beauty, until common sense dictated that whatever Daniel might be, he was never lazy, never slacked work, always pulled his weight, and therefore if he was sleeping in the middle of the day, it was because he had either been drugged or knocked unconscious.

His anger abated, and he took a long look at the sleeping figure. Daniel looked so relaxed and peaceful lying there. The stresses and strains of the last few months following Sha're's death, wiped from his face. Jack stared, all the feelings he had thought deeply and irretrievable hidden, surging to the surface. He bent down and touched Daniel's face, trailing his fingers over long eyelashes, soft lips and down into the neck. The urge to kiss those lips proved irresistible, and he gently brushed them with his mouth. He stood up, looking down with longing at the sleeping man.

"What have you got yourself into, Danny?" he murmured to himself.

He heard movement, and turned to watch his double walk towards him, a gun obvious in his hand. "What have you done to him?" he asked tensely.

O'Neill glanced down at Daniel and smiled. ""He drank some stuff that made him sleepy, there again he's never been too good at holding his drink has he?"

Jack drew a sharp breath. "What in god's name was all that about in the hall?"

O'Neill shrugged. "Tell me, are you and Daniel lovers?" he asked.

Jack looked at his double in angry astonishment. "What sort of question is that?" he growled. "You ask this of every one you encounter?"

O'Neill laughed. "No Colonel O'Neill, only those who travel with the double of my lover"

Somehow Jack had been expecting this, he couldn't even pretend to be shocked. "So where is your lover?" he asked in honest curiosity.

"Lost," O'Neill said simply. His eyes lingering on the sleeping man. "Hathor has him, and I need you and your team's help to get me back to my SGC so I can go after him."

Jack's rein on his temper slipped, he'd had it with his double. "Oh yeah, and tell me one reason why we should help an asshole like you?"

O'Neill smiled sadly. "Because I'm keeping Daniel Jackson here as insurance that you get back to me with a plan."

Jack looked at his double in astonishment. "The fuck you are," he said angrily. "Danny is on my team, he comes back with us."

O'Neill raised his gun. "O'Neill, I assume we are both special ops trained, stop being stupid and face facts, you and your team stumble into my little world, you weren't invited. According to your Major Carter, you have the means to get me back to my universe and SGC. I want your help, and I'm keeping this Daniel as hostage to ensure I get it."

Jack glared impotently at him, watching the gun, unerringly sighted at his heart. "You could have damn well asked."

O'Neill sighed. "And you would have said maybe and left. I have no doubt that Daniel here would have tried arguing for me, but I'm not taking that chance."

Jack looked over to Daniel, sprawled in the bed. "And your intentions for Daniel?"

O'Neill looked at him impatiently. "Daniel's a grown man, he'll decide what he will and won't do." He looked down at Daniel, and grinned. "My Daniel seduced me, very much with my full approval I might add, and if I'm honest I'd rather like to return the compliment with his double."

Jack felt like he'd been hit very hard. He clenched his fists and moved slightly on his feet. O'Neill's eyes snapped off the man on the bed and back to him.

"Back off."

"Leave Daniel alone," Jack hissed.

O'Neill looked amused. "Okay O'Neill, let me guess, you've known Daniel for what, four years, you've been friends for most of that time, what's the odds that you've desired him for almost two years? If I'm right, you tell me why the hell you haven't acted on your instincts?"

Jack glared at him. "It's none of your damn business." He didn't bother refuting what O'Neill had said; it was sadly all too true. "You can't know that Daniel even thinks of me in that way, so why the hell should he respond to you?"

O'Neill shrugged. "I don't know that he will, but I'd sure like to try."

"You're one sick bastard O'Neill." Jack's frustration hissed out.

O'Neill shook his head. "I'm not," he said quietly. "I'm just very lonely and missing him and my friends like nothing else." He looked back at Daniel. "Your Daniel is so like him, yet I can see differences already. I don't want to replace my Daniel, but I do want to get to know another."

Jack laughed bitterly. "Fool yourself then, you just want to fuck your lover's alternate counterpart, make believe you're still with him."

O'Neill had Jack's arms pushed up his back, and his gun rammed against his head before he'd finished the sentence. Jack stayed very still.

"I don't want to fuck him." The other whispered angrily. "I want to spend time with him, soothe myself with his presence. Care for him like you should be damn well caring for him. Look at him now, he looks years younger asleep, awake he's carrying all that grief and hurt for Sha're in him still, assuming that he wed her and lost her like my Daniel did."

Jack looked slowly down at Daniel's sleeping form, silently acknowledging the truth of his words. Daniel had looked tried and worn even before Sha're's death. He sighed. "I have helped, we've all tried to help him, but Daniel is a difficult man to comfort. He doesn't open up to people easily."

O'Neill loosened his hold on Jack's arms. "True," he acknowledged. "But you could have helped more, I mean come on, face it, O'Neill, you've never tried."

Jack gritted his teeth. "What's it to do with you?" he said as evenly as possible. "He's not your Daniel, he doesn't belong in your universe, and he's most definitely not your lover. Let me take him back where he belongs."

O'Neill remained silent for some time, glancing at the man on the bed as he did so.
"No," he said eventually, shaking his head. "I should have handled this better, but what's done is done. You return home, your Major Carter and I have discussed all possibilities, just check with her."

A slow smile came over his face.

"To be honest, Major Carter did all the talking, I just agreed with her. I'll keep Daniel, and wait for you to get back to me."

He shook his head as Jack opened his mouth to argue. "I've decided, Colonel O'Neill, I will take you to your friends, and have you escorted to the Stargate. Your weapons and GDO's will be returned to you," he stopped and grinned, "minus Daniel's hand gun here of course, and you may go. I hope to hear from you within forty-eight hours, you can send a MALP through detailing the journey, anything just let me know you're back and that Daniel and I can follow. And in case you have any funny ideas, may I remind you, that whilst these people may not have your superior weapons, they know this terrain like the back of their hand. More importantly this isn't their battle or their responsibility, it's mine. Do you understand?"

Jack clenched his hands, taking a deep breath. "There's nothing wrong with my hearing."

O'Neill glanced at him. "I'm so please about that," he said insincerely. "I'll take that as a yes."

Jack sighed and nodded.

"Good, follow me, I'll take you to the rest of your team."

Jack stared at him in silence, moving slowly as the gun indicated the way forward.
His mind was running like a rat in a maze, and he felt angry and helpless. Absently he rubbed his arm, running through the conversation with his double. An unexpected push made him stumble, falling forward to rebound on the solid chest of Teal'c. He smiled his appreciation, righting himself to face his teammates.

"I'm returning your Colonel."

O'Neill smiled at Sam, who looked back stone faced. "You'll be leaving for the Stargate very soon so just hang on in there."

He nodded at the silent, disapproving trio and left.

Jack ran his fingers through his hair and looked at his friends. Tiredly he found a chair, and slumped down into it.

"What the hell is going on, sir? Where's Daniel?"

Jack sighed; rubbing his eyes he wondered exactly what he was going to tell them.
He looked up at Teal'c and Sam and shrugged.

"He says that Daniel is to stay as a hostage until we return, or confirm how we returned."

Sam gasped. "Why, I told him what we would do?"

Jack frowned. "I don't think he trusts us, he's rather paranoid if you ask me."

Sam nodded. "He knew all about us from the beginning, sir, and he certainly knows of Daniel."

Jack nodded again. "He told me, to be honest, Carter, I think he may be regretting his actions, although I could be fooling myself here. Whatever, Daniel's staying for the time being, so I hope you know what we're letting ourselves in for."

"As do I, Major Carter, I do not understand how we came to be in this situation, but I am very concerned to return to our SGC, this O'Neill's hostility toward me is unsettling."

Jack frowned. "Yeah, did he explain why he hates you so much?"

Teal'c inclined his head. "His hate is not so much for me as an individual, but for what I represent O'Neill."

Jack nodded. "I suppose to us you're Teal'c and that's that."

"Indeed," Teal'c said majestically.

Jack clamped down on a grin, and turned back to Sam. "What's this about getting us back to his SGC, Carter?"

"From our conversation it would seem that we are in neither our reality or his reality, but in a third totally different reality. I've suggested we gate to the planet where we found the Quantum mirror and use it to get us back home." Sam looked at Jack enquiringly as he held up a hand to stop her.

"Now hang on a minute here, Carter, you're buying all this bullshit about different realities?" Jack was incredulous

Sam nodded. "From what he says it seems plausible, sir."

Jack wasn't buying it. "You mean you believe the son of a bitch after the way he treated us? The guy's nutso."

Sam nodded again. "He may be a little screwed up, sir, but his reasoning is correct. Logically if this was our reality he would never have survived, and if this is his reality, how come he's never found anything remotely familiar on the planets he's gated to?"

Jack shrugged. "Got me there, Carter, but why not gate home just in case?"

Sam shook her head. "Too risky sir, we don't know what we could be getting into, or if the GDO would work."

"Worked for Daniel."

"I know, sir, but it's still a big chance, I thought gating to P3R-233 would be a slightly safer bet, and if the mirror is there then we'd know for sure this isn't our universe."

Jack was still unhappy. "Why not check out somewhere like the land of light, Abydos, Chulak, anywhere familiar?"

Sam nodded, "I saw that as an alternative, sir, but as I said, he's tried a number of places that we have in common, and found they'd never heard of Earth. He didn't try Abydos because he wasn't sure that the cover stone was off the Stargate or not."

Jack sighed. "Okay Carter, we play it your way, but any worries and we gate somewhere we know and trust immediately."

The journey through the Stargate was uneventful, the view decidedly unwelcoming. Jack shivered as his eyes wandered round the rooms, he could still remember losing Daniel, then finding him wounded and apparently delirious, going on about the fact that they were coming. Not one of his happier memories. He glanced away from the words on the wall.

Korush-nai

Turn back

Who'd want to stay here? He glanced at the articles nestling on the tables, automatically listing them, a urn, some kind of cone, tablets covered with funny marks, a mask, books. Okay, he'd hardly finished counting off half a table and he knew exactly who'd want to spend time here.

"Found it, sir."

Jack followed her voice, recognising the Quantum mirror immediately.

"So the guy was telling the truth."

Sam nodded. "Looks like it, sir. Remember we have numerous realities to look at, some totally different, some almost identical to our own. The one thing we are certain of is that the mirror is in Area 51."

"We hope it's in Area 51," Jack muttered.

He glanced around the rooms. "This looks spookily similar to the planet we gated to, with all the stuff still untouched."

"Few would spend time here once they had read the warning," Teal'c suggested.

"I wonder if this Earth suffered the same fate as the universe Daniel stumbled into?" Jack mused

"It may be that universe for all we know, sir."

Jack straightened his back, and looked at the remote control device.

"So we just start hunting?"

Sam nodded, "And thinking about what kind of questions we need to ask General Hammond to check that we're in the right reality, sir. Your double's Commander was also General Hammond so I have no doubt that we will find duplicates of ourselves."

Jack wiped his brow. "This is gonna take forever isn't it. Makes you wish for a nice pair of red shoes and a wish."

"Questions, sir," Sam reminded him.

Jack frowned and hunted for paper and pencil. "Right folks, suggestions please, personal to ourselves, and specific to the SGC."

Sir, we have Colonel Maybourne on the phone, he claims to have three impostors apparently masquerading as SG1."

General Hammond frowned. "Put him through. What's this all about, Colonel?" He continued frowning as he listened to the voice of a man he personally disliked very much, and knew that the dislike was returned, both for him and specifically for SG1.

"I see, they claim to have a problem returning from a mission. What mission?" He checked the address the man reeled off.

"Their information so far is correct. How did they get to you?" He was furious with the answer. "I thought I ordered that damn thing destroyed."

The voice at the end of the phone became defensive. He listened as patiently as possible before stating.

"I want to speak to Colonel O'Neill." He sighed with irritation as Maybourne began blustering. "I won't know that until I've spoken with him will I Colonel? put him on the phone now."

He waited for a second. "Colonel O'Neill, would you mind telling me what is going on?" He listened to the voice at the other end, a frown of uncertainty on his face. "Colonel Maybourne was correct not to tell you, you tell me and I'll confirm or deny it." He listened to the names and nodded to himself.

"That is correct, Colonel, SG1 consists of yourself, Major Samantha Carter, Dr Daniel Jackson and Teal'c, former Prime of Apophis. Now would you please explain the nature of these questions and why you are in Area 51 and not currently on you mission."

As he listened, he marvelled yet again how SG1 always seemed to be the team that ran into these bizarre difficulties. However, it sounded as plausible as many of the strange occurrences that happened on a far too regular basis in the mountain complex, and so far he was inclined to give this Jack O'Neill the benefit of the doubt.

"I see, yes I will answer your questions."

"We currently have fifteen teams." And sometimes that didn't seem enough.

"SG9, the leader is attorney Major Stan Kovachek." Good guy, good team, and SG1 did make regular use of their diplomatic skills come to think of it.

"SG3 are the marines, and used to be led by Colonel Makepeace." Until he betrayed the SGC so very badly.

"General Michael E Ryan is the current Chief of Staff." They were fortunate that he was so very positive about the Stargate programme.

"Lieutenant." He smiled at that one, yes he's been an ambitious Lieutenant in 1969, and when SG1 told him he'd make a General, he'd found it hard to believe.

"In hospital visiting my father, after his first heart attack." That had been rough, the excitement of the moon landing, transposed with the worry over his father's health.

"Dr Janet Faisier, she is a Captain." She would want to check out SG1 when they arrived on base that was certain.

"Senator Kinsey." The less said about the man who nearly did shut the programme down, the better.

"Thor." Colonel O'Neill's favourite grey alien.

The subject of the next questions made him stiffen slightly, but he kept his voice even. "He died from gun shot wounds. Your ex wife is Sara." Tragic, so tragic, to lose a child like that.

"Sha're, she is dead." Another damn tragedy, although he did occasionally wonder if Dr Jackson would still be with the programme if Sha're had been rescued.

"Drey'ac and his son Rya'c." At least Teal'c hadn't lost everything when he joined them.

"General Jacob Carter and her brother Mark." He'd known both Sam and Mark from childhood, but he never saw Mark now.

"He is now a Tok'ra." And yes I still have difficulty coming to terms with my old friend in that light.

"Cancer." But then perhaps anything was better than dying of cancer.

"Catherine Langford." Although actually, if he was being pedantic, it was her father who discovered the Stargate.

"Jolinar." The memories might be useful now, but that had been a very frightening experience for Major Carter, and for them all.

"Junior." A typical O'Neillism, somehow it made Teal'c's symbiot less frightening.

"Short." It certainly made Dr Jackson appear more military, although circumstances showed that the military mind set still appeared to be one culture that the good Doctor occasionally failed to understand.

"A very large and very nasty bug." Another bad mark on Maybourne's file as well as showing how Teal'c was viewed outside the confines of the SGC.

"Is that sufficient, Colonel O'Neill or do you need more evidence? Fine, I will sanction the removal of the mirror with you, and arrange for a flight from the base. You will remain under guard until Dr Fraisier has checked you. Understood?"

He acknowledged Colonel O'Neill's agreement, then requested Maybourne. If he gave his orders directly to the man, he could not pretend to have misunderstood. He wanted his first team back with him as soon as possible.

Three hours later, he had three members of him premier team in front of him, in varying states of exhaustion. Even the stoic and resilient Teal'c was showing more than a mild desire to rest. Dr Frasier had checked them thoroughly, their stories all matched, and the absence of Dr Jackson certainly lent more credibility to their story. He waved Jack to continue the explanations

"I'd never believed there could be so many, so similar." Jack said wearily. "Some were obviously wrong, wrong people, wrong place, Jaffa." He shuddered. "We even saw Daniel dressed like a Goa'uld walking towards the mirror."

Sam took over. "We stepped through to seven almost identical universes. All of them with mirrors in Area 51. It was little things that told us we weren't in the right place, sir, such as Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were missing in action presumed dead in one, or one or the other of us not on the team. Colonel O'Neill had that telephone conversation with four other General Hammond's"

General Hammond looked at the exhausted Colonel with some sympathy. "And the questions?"

Jack sighed. "Carter warned me that we could have universes very similar to our own, and four of the teams had gated to the same planet as us, and were currently due back. They were the ones we obviously concentrated on. We wrote down a list of question, I began each conversation in the same manner, and slowly as we went through, differences arose."

Hammond nodded "I see. What I fail to understand is why this other O'Neill has kept Dr Jackson as a hostage."

Jack grimaced. "Because he's a damn fool."

Hammond waited,

"He didn't believe that I would help, especially after the way he treated us in the beginning, and Daniel was the only one of us that he was familiar with from his team."

General Hammond nodded. "So, what do you advise?"

"Sending the information as to how we returned through the gate to his planet's address. Hopefully he will return with Daniel, or send Daniel on and then look for his universe. Carter suggested that we leave the mirror on at our universe, otherwise Daniel would have to go through every option using the remote control device."

Hammond frowned. "I am not happy about leaving the mirrors linked for any length of time."

"I understand, sir, but if we send the message now, we should expect Daniel and the other O'Neill back with us within hours."

He yawned, covering his mouth apologetically. "We've been on the go for well over twenty-four hours, sir, none of the Maybournes we were unfortunate to come in contact with were helpful or fast. We were lucky to deal with alternatives of yourself in every reality but one, and whilst suspicious, they all listened to me, and gave us permission to return when it became obvious that we were not the right people." He shivered. "We're very grateful that you are willing to listen, sir, all of you."

General Hammond nodded, pleased at the compliment. He was fair, firm but fair, and nearly always willing to listen to a Colonel who whilst a little on the wild side, was a credit to his uniform and his calling. There was one thing he wanted to know before he let them have their well-earned rest. "This O'Neill, is he to be relied on?"

Jack grimaced and nodded. "Carter and I think he is a little off balanced through grief, worry and frustration. He told Teal'c very little, but he did mention that he was tortured by Hathor's Jaffa." He looked over apologetically at Teal'c. "I think he'd been hoping for his own people to find him. We were a terrible shock, and the inclusion of Teal'c on our team threw him. I've no desire to apologise for him, sir, his actions were totally unwarranted, and he acted like a total jerk, but I have no doubt that Daniel will make him see reason."

"I concur with, Colonel O'Neill, sir," Sam added. "I did get an apology out of him at one point."

"I see." General Hammond nodded. "One last thing did Colonel Maybourne explain how the mirror came to be intact and at Area 51?"

Jack shook his head. "He was pretty unwilling to help us out full stop, I didn't even bother to ask him."

General Hammond nodded. "Right, lets get this message sent, then you are dismissed. Remain in the complex for Dr Jackson's return, but otherwise please get yourself some rest."

Daniel woke suddenly. He felt a little fuzzy headed, but a cup of coffee would soon fix that. He stirred, stretched lightly and yawned. Myopically, he peered about him, somewhat surprised by his surroundings. "Where am I?" he muttered. "I don't recognise this place."

"Good you are awake," the pleasant sounding voice seemed to come from behind him. Daniel sat up quickly, as a woman moved to stand before him.

"The King asked me to let him know when you awoke. I will alert him now, then sort out some food for you."

Daniel stared at her in surprise. "Thank you, I think." He puzzled for a second. "What King?"

The woman smiled. "He will explain everything, Daniel, just stay here." She smiled again and left the room.

Daniel rubbed his eyes, and stood up slowly, looking around him for his glasses. Not finding them in the immediate vicinity he began to search the room, distracting himself almost immediately with a study of a beautiful tapestry, depicting a hunting scene, the colours vivid in the sunlight, streaming through the glass doors behind him. He left the tapestry and headed for doors, stepping out onto a balcony and, looking down on a huge courtyard and garden area, beautifully decorated both architecturally, and horticulturally. Squinting, he could make out the details of the fountain, a merman leaping from the sea, almost dolphin like in his grace. He leaned forward, trying to see more details, aware of the sound of children's laughter and the friendly hum of voices below him.

Wherever we are, this isn't a Goa'uld stronghold, he thought. Happy children's voices don't seem to be synonymous with the Goa'uld.

"Daniel?"

Daniel started at the familiar voice.

"Jack?"

"That's me."

"She said she was fetching the King, what..." Daniel stopped as he took in Jack's clothes, gone were the BDU's and cap, here was a Jack O'Neill dressed, with apparent comfort, in a long robe and tunic.

"Jack, what are you wearing?"

Jack grinned and looked down at himself. "Native dress."

Daniel tipped his head to the side and contemplated him for a few seconds. "You look good in it."

"Well thank you, Danny."

Daniel grinned, leaving the balcony, and walking back into the room. "I'm a little muddled, Jack, where the hell are we? And what's with the clothes?"

"You don't remember?"

Daniel frowned, something was missing here, he looked carefully at Jack, same great smile, same handsome face that always got his pulse racing, same grey hair. His frown intensified, come to think of it; the hair was probably longer than Jack usually had it. He stared at Jack, flushing as his memories begin to surface. This man was Jack's double. He clenched his fists as he remembered being forced to kneel, at this man's feet. Unconsciously he raised his chin and glared angrily at the impostor. "Where are my team O'Neill?"

O'Neill's eyes dropped. "I sent them back."

"They went without me?" Daniel was incredulous.

O'Neill nodded. "I gave them no choice, Daniel."

Daniel took a deep breath. "Will you please tell me why I am here, and not with my team."

O'Neill remained silent.

Daniel swallowed. "I'm your hostage aren't I? I don't return unless you return, am I right?"

O'Neill looked at him uncomfortably and nodded.

Daniel took a deep breath. "But why, I told you Sam would help. Couldn't you trust us?"

O'Neill grimaced. "After my unfortunate behaviour, Daniel, I felt I needed a guarantee. Personally I think your Jack would have happily left me to rot."

Daniel remained silent, agreeing with O'Neill's assessment of Jack's attitude. He wanted to know if his friends were safe, when this had all happened, what time of day it was, and why he'd been sleeping.

"Are my friends in any danger, O'Neill?"

O'Neill shook his head. "I don't know, but your Major Carter seemed to know what she was doing. She accepted my suggestion that we were in a third unspecified universe, and intended to skip gating back to Earth, and go via the Quantum mirror planet."

Daniel frowned. "Why not go back to Earth, or go to one of the planets we know well, just to check."

O'Neill sighed. "I told you, I've been checking out addresses I could remember, none of them had heard of Earth, so we can't guarantee that the Earth Stargate here is operational or safe."

Daniel nodded. "Well if Sam is convinced then there's a good possibility that everything will go to plan, but it's dangerous, you should have let me be with them."

O'Neill sighed. "I told you why, Daniel."

"So how long have they been gone?"

O'Neill checked his watch. "About twenty hours."

"And I've been sleeping for most of that?" Daniel was incredulous. "You drugged me didn't you?"

O'Neill nodded. "Yep, sorry, Danny, just more convenient than knocking you over the head and keeping you locked up. More fun to look at as well."

Daniel flushed, glaring at O'Neill, wishing he could find his glasses. "That's twice you've called me Danny, you know me, or of me quite well don't you, O'Neill?"

O'Neill smiled. "Oh yes Daniel, I know my Daniel Jackson very well indeed."

Daniel was furious "You knew who we were from the start, the interrogation, no wonder it didn't make sense, you didn't need information did you?"

O'Neill smiled. "I wanted to know how alike you and my Daniel were. Wanted to wind you up, and seemed to do so rather effectively I thought."

Daniel swallowed. "The kneeling, what the hell was that in aid of?"

O'Neill grinned. "I've always rather liked the idea of you kneeling naked in chains before me, as the likelihood of you, or my Daniel, I should say, agreeing to that is zilch, I just had this urge to ..." He trailed away as he took in Daniel's amazed expression.

Daniel didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head in wonder, trying hard not to let himself get distracted by the image. Flushing he realised he was not doing too good a job of it and had to turn away from O'Neill's suddenly amused gaze. He cleared his throat twice before managing to say, almost evenly.

"Do I take it that your relationship with your Daniel is somewhat different from my relationship with Jack? Or do you have these 'ideas' about many of your colleagues and friends?"

O'Neill laughed. "The Daniel I know is my lover, but I think you might have guessed that anyway, Daniel"

Daniel looked at him blankly, trying not to show the thrill the words gave him. Lovers, this Jack and his Daniel were lovers? So in some alternate universes, Jack loved him and not Sam. In some other universe a Daniel had similar feelings for Jack as he did, somehow that made him feel better, less confused by what he couldn't help feel were very inappropriate desires. God how he envied this Jack O'Neill and his Daniel Jackson. He tried to block out his feelings and deal with the situation before him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Quietly he asked.

"So where is your Daniel, why are you here, and why did you treat me and my team as you did?"

He waited for O'Neill to answer, still staring at the man. He watched, recognising all the familiar gestures and strategies that his Jack used when he was uncomfortable with talking. Unconsciously his face relaxed and he smiled, amused at the picture of misery and indecision in front of him, aware that he had caused it, and deep down inside him, enjoying every minute of it.

"You're enjoying this." O'Neill accused him.

Daniel blinked; the words echoed his own thoughts so well he almost thought he'd spoken aloud. He looked closely at O'Neill and nodded.

"You deserve it, O'Neill, for putting my friends at risk, for treating us all badly, for imprisoning us, for separating us, but mostly for leaving me worrying about their fate."

O'Neill flinched and swallowed. "Daniel, because of where we are the journey back would always be a risk. Perhaps if I had remembered the Quantum mirror planet's address I could have done all this myself. But I didn't, it took me long enough to find the address for this planet, and I don't retain information on Stargate addresses." 

He shrugged and looked uncomfortable. "I'd far rather leave that kind of stuff to the technicians and scientists. This way, your team can send us the information to return you home, and get me back to my reality. If we don't hear anything fairly soon, I promise you that together we will look for them."

He stopped and looked earnestly at Daniel.

"I couldn't send you back, Daniel, I couldn't chance losing the double of my lover, it would have felt like I had lost him all over again"

"But you could do it to my team," Daniel said accusingly.

O'Neill shrugged. "I don't have any connection with the rest of your team, Daniel. The Jaffa makes me think of my torturers and Daniel's captors, your Jack and I dislike each other, but I did like your Major Carter, even though she's a scientist."

He shuddered. "How the hell does your Jack cope with two damn scientists on his team?"

Daniel's face relaxed. The plaintive enquiry was so Jack-like.

"Surprisingly well, O'Neill, when he bothers to listen to us, although Sam being military is a huge plus point in her favour. So who do you have on your team?"

"You, or your double, Kawalsky and Ferretti."

Daniel nodded. "From the first mission to Abydos, right. We still have Ferretti, but Kawalsky was implanted without us knowing about it. Teal'c ended up having to kill him. It really hurt Jack, and to be honest I miss him, he was a fun guy."

Jack grinned. "He still is, Daniel."

"I wonder if out realities are very similar, tell me did I marry Sha're and stay on Abydos?"

Jack nodded. "You came back when Apophis took her for Amaunet. She's dead now, as I assume is your Sha're?"

Daniel blinked and nodded. "My Jack swore he'd get her and Skaara back, he never let me give up, but I think I'd become almost resigned to the fact that I was never going to go back to the simple life on Abydos with her."

He swallowed. "My friends are getting back aren't they?"

O'Neill sighed. "Daniel, do you trust your Major Carter?"

Daniel blinked again. "Of course I trust Sam, I trust all of my team."

"Well trust them to get back to us."

Daniel sighed and nodded. "Right, if that's the arrangement, but I'm telling you O'Neill, if we don't hear soon I'm going to... " He broke off, staring blindly at the window. A few minutes silence ensued, broken only by the faint sound of voices. Daniel brushed his hand across his face. "Can you see my glasses anywhere?"

O'Neill silently handed them to him.

Daniel wiped his eyes, pushed his glasses up his nose, and snuck a look at the silent waiting man. "Right, O'Neill," he managed, with enforced heartiness. "While we're waiting, why don't you tell me where your Daniel is, and how you ended up here, as King?"

O'Neill nodded. "Fine, come sit down on this couch and I'll tell you."

Daniel moved across the room and perched on the couch looking enquiringly at him.

O'Neill rubbed his brow, sat back and began. "Daniel and I have been lovers for nearly two years now. Things were fine, until I started becoming, what Daniel describes as, irritatingly Alpha Male on him. We'd had a number of very lucky escapes and I was sick with the thought that I could lose him. I wanted him off the team and used more for consultancy. Daniel was furious that I should even suggest such a thing, as both Ferretti and Kawalsky were more than happy with the way things were. I eventually got General Hammond to agree with me that Danny needed a break following a run in with some nasty nanocytes left by Machello."

He looked questioningly at Daniel, who shuddered in recognition.

"Well as I said, Daniel was furious, he stormed out of my house and wouldn't answer my calls. Lets say things were bad, very bad"

Daniel shook his head in amazement. "What did you want, him bare foot, pregnant and waiting for you back home? Come on, if he's anything like me with similar experiences to me he's had to look after himself for years. How the hell did you expect him to react?"

Jack shrugged. "Let's just say this, Daniel, if you/he..." He grimaced in annoyance. "Hell lets just say you, if you had turned up at the SGC, essentially as you, but female, I can assure you that it wouldn't have taken me two years to understand that I loved you. Hell within two weeks you'd have been in my bed, two months we would have been married, and by now we'd have one kid, another on the way, and you doing consultancy on base."

Daniel stared at him open mouthed, thoroughly irritated by O'Neill's assumption of the other Daniel, should that be Danielle's, acquiescence in all of this. He closed his mouth in preparation for a stinging retort, when the ridiculous side of the whole encounter caught him off guard.

He took another look at O'Neill, who was watching him with some irritation, and burst into giggles. He didn't know who was more surprised, the man sitting next to him, or himself at the noise. He didn't normally giggle. But hell, this was not normal, no definitely not normal. The giggles continued unabated, becoming almost hysterical, until Daniel was left gasping for breath. He held a hand to aching side and tried to calm down. He had just got himself almost under control when the frown covering O'Neill's face set him off again. This time he ended up on the floor, his ribs aching, his throat dry and a very pissed off O'Neill hauling him to his feet.

"For Pete's sake, Daniel, get a grip on yourself."

Daniel straightened up, holding onto O'Neill, and found himself in a tight embrace facing the other man. Jack's face went suddenly blank, his eyes went wide, and before Daniel could move, his head was grabbed and he was being ruthlessly kissed. Stunned, Daniel stayed still, until the smell and closeness of O'Neill caught him, and he began to return the kiss, moving his hands to cup O'Neill's head, his tongue gently battling with O'Neill's. He couldn't tell how long the kiss went on for; he was too wrapped up in the pleasure of the new experience to be aware of time. But he soon realised when it stopped, as O'Neill's lips moved to trace down his neck and hands began to play across his butt. He broke away, breathing hard, before making a grab for the wandering hands.

"Jack stop." He pleaded breathlessly. "O'Neill, Jack, stop. This is wrong, we aren't the right people."

O'Neill allowed him to move away a little, before slowly tipping his head up, kissing him gently on the lips then letting go of him. He walked over to the balcony doors, leaning his head against a glass pane.

"I hate it when you're right, Danny." He said conversationally. "And you are nearly always right, you can't know how damn irritating that is."

Daniel sat back on the couch giving Jack a tentative smile. "I can guess."

O'Neill smiled, moving back to him. "I told your Jack I wanted to seduce you."

"You what?" Daniel's voice almost squeaked.

O'Neill grinned. "He was not amused, in fact he wanted to kill me, I think he feels that the privilege is his."

Daniel sat down quickly. "Jack wants to seduce me?" His heart was thundering, partly the after effects of the Kiss, but also with pleasant anticipation.

"He's got you bad." O'Neill said amused.

Daniel slumped into the sofa. He'd had enough surprises for today; he needed some time to assimilate exactly what had been said. He held up his hand. "Jack, O'Neill, I think I've had enough of the shock tactics." He wrapped his arms round himself and tried to look comfortable. "How about you go on with your story, we'd reached you wanting Daniel at home, safe and sound, like a good little boy."

"Fat chance of that," muttered O'Neill, sitting back down on the sofa. "Okay, well after a week of no contact, I found out that he'd requested permission to join an archaeological team excavating off world and got it. SG8 went as military back up, and I tried not to worry, hoping that we could sort things out when he got back. They'd been gone four days when we got an emergency call from SG8's Commander. Jaffa were on the planet, and seemed to be searching them out. They'd lost two archaeologists. I demanded that the rest of SG1 should go into help, SG3 came as back up, and we went on a Jaffa hunt."

He sighed deeply, staring into his hands.

"What none of us had realised, despite the MALP, was that the Jaffa had arrived off a ship, and we were surrounded. We beat a retreat back to the Stargate with most of the archaeologists and team members, we'd got the Event Horizon opened and were getting people through when Daniel screamed that he'd seen a colleague go down, he ran back to help, and got ambushed by a Jaffa. I was running after him, and had just caught up with them, when those damn transport rings came down over both of us. Next thing I knew, we were face to face with Hathor." His expression went bleak, and he closed his eyes.

Daniel felt a trickle of fear run down him.

Jack swallowed and continued. "She went over to Daniel and started stroking his hair. He looked like he wanted to be sick. She continued playing with him as I was grabbed and hauled towards her. Danny was motionless, held between the damn Jaffa, watching me with haunted eyes. She taunted me, seemed to know we meant something to each other. Thanked me for looking after him so well."

He clenched his fists. "Seemed like she still wanted Daniel as Daniel for the time being. Fulfilling his functions as her Beloved, helping her breed those god-awful snakes. She was running her fingers over his face, gloating over him, telling me she had chosen the one who she would implant in him, making him her Pharaoh."

He sighed. "Daniel never said a word, just looked at me. I of course gave her my all, at first she was amused, then she got angry. Told me she would have given me the gift of being a host would have enjoyed seeing me taken, but now she wanted revenge. Revenge for the ruination of her initial plans."

He stopped, apparently relieving the time, his face tight with disgust. "Told me that perhaps if I begged, she might yet use me, but for now she wanted to hear my screaming, wanted to hear me beg for her mercy. I told her to get a life." He laughed bitterly. "Her royal snakeness was not amused. I was dragged off, I could hear Daniel talking to her, quietly pleading with her, not begging, that's never been Daniel's style, rational persuasion I think he calls it. Wasted on those damn snakes." He was silent for some time.

Daniel watched him, compassion for the man almost overwhelming him, but he sat tight. O'Neill needed to finish his story.

O'Neill sighed, and continued. "Her Jaffa tortured me, even brought Daniel to watch." He closed his eyes momentarily. "That was hard, for both of us. Daniel said nothing, just kept looking at me, trying to give me strength, fighting for me, tried to comfort me, but they weren't letting him touch me. Eventually Hathor got bored, for long lived snakes they sure have a short attention span and very little patience."

He gave a humourless laugh. "She decided that she'd get all the information from Daniel, once the Goa'uld had matured, and he was transplanted. I think her snakeness decided she wanted a fitting send off for me. I was dragged to the Stargate, where she was waiting with Daniel. She told him to dial up Earth's address, he refused of course, without the GDO code we all knew exactly what was going to happen to yours truly. So she grabbed his hand, and made him do it with her, I've never seen Daniel so angry, frightened and desperate. Hell I was in the same state as well, thought my time was up."

He turned and gestured to the building. "I have no idea what happened, or how it happened. Just the old O'Neill Irish luck maybe, but I ended up here."

He laughed. "I came through the gate on the day of the old King's funeral. He'd died without an heir. My arrival was counted as decree by the dead king that I was to be his successor. Still haven't worked that one out, but they looked after me, healed me, mended me and took me in. I'm damn grateful to them; they're a good people. I've done my job, they seem pleased, but they know I'm desperate to search for my companions, and I don't think any of them really expect me to stay."

Hesitating slightly, following the kiss, Daniel rested his hand on O'Neill's arms, trying to convey his concern for the man. O'Neill shivered slightly, reaching up to clasp Daniel's hands, before continuing.

"They've even gone with me through the gate once I'd found out the address, and knew we could get back. Damn brave men, they trusted me for some reason."

Daniel smiled to himself. Jack O'Neill was a man you could trust in.

"But as I said, wherever we are it doesn't seem to equate to my universe. I've gated to safe addresses, and found nothing." He shrugged. "You turning up with O'Neill, alive, well, happy, and a member of a strange SG1, containing a Jaffa was more than I could handle. I wanted to punish you all for being okay, for not being from my universe, you for being him, yet not him, you saw the results. I wasn't really behaving rationally, and I have no idea why, but your O'Neill really grated on me."

Daniel sat back carefully, unsure as to what he should say. The silence played out, neither man appearing to want to break it. Daniel stirred. "I'm sorry," he said carefully. "Is there a chance of rescuing Daniel?"

O'Neill nodded. "I know where she was heading, the Jaffa talked amongst themselves when they thought I was unconscious, and if Daniel's a snake, well I'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, but I'm not giving up."

"I don't expect you will," Daniel said quietly. "That's one of the things I admire about my Jack, his tenacity and drive."

O'Neill stirred, and smiled. "Come on Daniel, I'll show you around whilst we're waiting. Unless you'd like to do a little more kissing?" He leered unconvincingly.

Daniel shook his head, amused.

The intercom woke him; thrusting his feet in his boots, Jack snatched his jacket and ran full pelt for the storage rooms, cursing at the lifts and relieved that it was night time and the corridors were relatively quiet.

He screeched to a halt by the storage room, containing the guarded quantum mirror, hearing the familiar voice assure the airmen that he was Dr Daniel Jackson, and that Colonel O'Neill would be expecting him. He sauntered in the room and smiled at the relief in Daniel's eyes.
"Good to see you, Daniel, Dr Frazier will be wanting to check you out as per normal, so it's the infirmary with you."

Daniel sighed and nodded, before turning towards the mirror and waving at the figure behind. With some anger he watched his double saunter through dressed in combats, his cap at a rakish angle. He ignored the armed soldiers, turning to grin at him.

"Nice to see you again, O'Neill." His double deadpanned.

Jack growled. "General Hammond wants to see you flyboy, and he's not amused."
A snort of laughter made him turn. "Got a problem, Daniel?"

Daniel turned an innocent face towards him, shaking his head. "No, Jack, none. I'll be off to see Janet."

Jack heard another snort, and the word 'flyboy'. He glared at the retreating back. "You know I kind of miss the shy, unconfident Daniel Jackson I first knew." He half muttered, waving the airman down, and ushering them out of the storage facility.

He turned to glare at his double, who looked too damn cocky by half, considering he was damn lucky that General Hammond was willing to spend any time and effort on the asshole.

"Going to turn the thing off, or waiting for anyone else to drop by?"

Jack ignored him, switching off the mirror by way of the remote control and pointing towards the door. "General Hammond wants to see you, so get going."

O'Neill shrugged his shoulders and began walking towards the infirmary; he stopped suddenly and with a gleam in his eye, grabbed Jack and whispered something. Jack stopped, stunned and flushed, eyeing his double with some amazement. Cleared his throat to speak, and then shut his mouth with a click.

"The General's office, now." He growled, irritated by the huge grin that crossed O'Neill's face

General Hammond looked closely at the pair of men in front of him and shook his head. "You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but this still gets me." He turned to Jack's double, putting on a full military glare. "Colonel O'Neill, I'm disappointed in you.

O'Neill nodded. "I can imagine, sir, I'm afraid my own General Hammond would feel exactly the same."

"Do you have a plausible excuse?"

O'Neill shook his head. "Grief and anger, sir I'm afraid. My baser instincts kicked in. Daniel has lectured me on them."

Jack sighed next to him muttering, "Smug smart ass," under his breath.

Hammond nodded, frowning at Jack. "My team have explained your request. Tell me, why should I spend time and effort on you?"

O'Neill looked at him pleadingly. "Because it's for Daniel as well, and if you're anything like my General Hammond, you have a soft spot for our boy wonder. I don't know if Daniel has been rescued, I hope to find out."

Hammond smiled briefly. "You may be right Colonel." He put his hands together and frowned at the standing man. "As I have implied, I do not approve of your tactics, despite your obvious difficulties, and if you had not accepted responsibility for your improper actions, I would have had no compulsion about leaving you to stew in your own little universe. Do I make myself clear."

O'Neill shifted, stood further to attention and barked out. "Yes, sir."

Hammond relaxed slightly. "Good. Now I believe Major Carter is ready to help you. You will work with her until you find the appropriate reality and then leave."

O'Neill nodded, his face blank.

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Daniel came into the room.

"May I speak with you ,sir?" he asked.

General Hammond nodded.

Daniel fidgeted slightly looking at Jack, before asking. "May I accompany O'Neill to assist him in looking for the other Daniel?"

General Hammond frowned. "Why?"

Daniel shrugged. "We helped the other Sam, and Kawalsky, I suppose I'd like us to help another Daniel and Jack."

Jack glared at him. "Oh, so you want Carter and Teal'c and me to risk their lives for this other you as well. It's not on Daniel, for all we know all of us could be alive in O'Neill's reality, we couldn't risk it."

"Colonel O'Neill will have all the resources of his own SGC to assist him Dr Jackson. I fail to see the need for you or anyone from this facility to assist him." General Hammond said sharply.

Daniel nodded. "Yes, sir," he said quietly.

"You want to meet him don't you, Daniel?" O'Neill said amused.

Daniel flinched and nodded. "It would be very interesting, I'd love to compare notes, talk about things, but," he sighed and looked towards General Hammond. "Sorry, sir, stupid suggestion."

General Hammond nodded. "Understandable but impractical son," he said kindly. "Colonel O'Neill was about to leave us, so why don't you head down to meet Major Carter at the mirror.

Daniel nodded and left the room.

"What does he think with some times?" Jack said incredulously.

O'Neill looked sharply at him, before turning to General Hammond. "If I do get Daniel back, and if I get permission, could I bring my team here to exchange information. We have a scientific advisor who'd love to meet your Major Carter."

General Hammond considered it; whilst Jack looked glum, he didn't want to see his double again, thank you very much.

General Hammond nodded. "We'll keep the mirror here for about a month. If your team is ready and able, you'll be able to get though here as long as you find a sensible way of finding us. We will not be keeping it open. After that time, unless someone can come up with a foolproof method of keeping it secure, I'm having the thing destroyed."

He looked at Jack. "I know it saved your lives Jack, but it is too great a security risk in my estimation."

"I agree, sir," Jack said wholeheartedly. He had absolutely no interest in meeting any more of his or his team's doubles ever again.

"Right, escort Colonel O'Neill to the storage facility, and report to me when you've finished."

Daniel walked despondently towards the Quantum mirror and Sam, reflecting on the conversation. He supposed he was being selfish. He was curious, wanted to meet himself. Not in themselves any good reasons for asking for him and his team to accompany O'Neill.

He entered the storage room with a frown, looking up at Sam to see that she was observing him with some curiosity.

"Something up, Daniel?"

Daniel shook his head, then considered. "Actually yes, Sam, how did you feel about meeting the other Sam Carter, did you like her?"

Sam frowned. "A little uncomfortable to be honest. She seemed okay. I found the fact that she was married to Colonel O'Neill rather unsettling."

Daniel nodded, swallowed then blurted out. "Do you 'like' Jack that way?"

Sam looked at Daniel calmly, smiling faintly. "I like Colonel O'Neill, he's one of the best team leaders I have ever known, and he's a fun guy. I cannot, nor do I want to, have a relationship with him. Maybe I did once, but not now."

Daniel was curious. "What changed, Sam?"

Sam laughed. "We did, Daniel, oh for some time I felt very close to him, then Martouf kind of muddied the waters, and well. I'm not sure what I want Daniel, but I can see that a house and two kids is just not going to be sufficient for me any longer. I doubt that I'll want to stay on Earth when I finally retire."

Daniel smiled, "Hey, you're not thinking of deserting us. SG1 wouldn't be the same without all four of us."

"Daniel, quite honestly serving on SG1 with you, Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill has been the best and most exciting time of my life. I am not leaving."

Daniel smiled. "Good," he said simply. "I'd miss you like hell." He blinked rapidly before turning to face the mirror. "What are we going to do with this once the other Jack's gone through, keep it guarded or destroy it?"

Sam shrugged. "General Hammond ordered it destroyed before, thank god it wasn't, otherwise we'd be stuck in that other universe."

Daniel nodded. "I don't think I understand how that could have occurred."

Sam smiled. "I've tried to come up with a solution, but nothings working at the moment. To be honest it seems like the Stargate itself has a glitch, as it were."

Daniel considered for a second. "So when you dial the coordinates, you get drawn through the wormhole and displaced in an alternate reality, something akin to the way the mirror works."

Sam laughed. "That about sums it up, Daniel."

Daniel grinned. "You've no idea have you, Sam."

Sam grinned back and shrugged. "Lets say next time we meet Thor, I'm going to be asking some questions."

Movement outside heralded the entrance of Jack, O'Neill and Teal'c. Teal'c carried his staff weapon, and Jack cradled a MP-5.

Sam held the remote control and dialled up the mirror, rotating through a bewildering variety of scenes until she settled on what appeared to be a warehouse.

"We numbered the universes we stepped through to, just to make sure we weren't repeating ourselves as Area 51 looked almost identical in all of the universes we visited. The one I'm after was the third one we stepped through I think." She looked at Jack and Teal'c for confirmation.

"The one without you and Teal'c but with Daniel and me MIA?"

Sam nodded.

"You would be correct, Major Carter."

O'Neill leaned towards Daniel. "What is it with Teal'c using both names?" He asked quietly. "He constantly referred to you as Daniel Jackson when I was interrogating him."

Daniel smiled. "A sign of respect, although he does call you O'Neill."

O'Neill grimaced. "Figures," he muttered, glancing innocently at his frowning counterpart, before asking. "Did they have Ferretti and Kawalsky on the team?"

Jack nodded.

Sam stopped at one warehouse seeing the Roman numeral III was chalked on a crate facing the mirror. "Would you like to step through, sir?" she asked O'Neill.

O'Neill nodded, moved towards the mirror, "I'll do as you did, phone the General, check the circumstances, then return here to confirm?"

Sam shook her head. "Just wave at us, you don't need to come through."

"Right." O'Neill straightened his shoulders, touched the mirror and went through. They could see him on the other side; he gave a brief wave, before disappearing.

Jack sighed. "I suppose we better hang around and wait."

He kicked at a tarpaulin covering a piece of equipment.

"So how was he after we left, Daniel?" he asked casually.

Daniel grinned. "He's almost identical to you, Jack, and despite his behaviour, as honourable as you. He knew his actions weren't justified, and I think had he not been so shocked by our sudden appearance he would never have behaved as he did." He ignored Jack's snort of denial. "We talked, I reasoned, he listened, we waited and he showed me around." He shrugged.

"Very proper, Daniel Jackson, it is unfortunate he was not able to be so reasonable when we were brought before him." Teal'c's disapproval of O'Neill's actions was strong.

Daniel nodded. "Yep, he screwed up royally, I'm not defending him." He turned to Sam. "He liked you, but being a scientist kind of muddied it for him. He wondered how Jack survives with us both."

Sam raised her eyebrows and grinned.

"I told you he was similar to our, Jack."

"Now wait a minute here, Daniel."

Daniel ignored him. "His team consists of my double, Ferretti and Kawalsky. He found it hard to grasp the concept of having two scientists and a Jaffa on a team, but I think he's going to look your counterpart up, Sam, when he gets back home, and get her into the programme. I assured him that you'd be well worth having in the SGC in whatever capacity you were working."

"Aw, how sweet." Jack snarled. "Now can we quit talking about him, and discuss your request to assist him." Jack glanced at Sam and Teal'c. "You know he wanted to help and he wanted us along."

Teal'c nodded. "Daniel Jackson had already apprised me of his request."

"And you agreed?" Jack incredulity was very apparent.

"I informed him that I would be happy to undertake whatever you and General Hammond thought necessary." Teal'c corrected Jack.

Out manoeuvred, Jack turned to Sam. "Carter?"

Sam stiffened. "I was aware of Daniel's request."

"And?"

"I thought it unlikely that we would receive permission, sir."

Jack nodded, returning his glare to Daniel. "Do you ever think, Daniel?"

"Perpetually." Daniel returned the glare and refused to back down.

Movement by the mirror broke the conflict. O'Neill stepped through, smiling. "It's the one," He told Sam with relief. "I could hear Kawalsky as General Hammond broke the news, obviously they're going to be checking me out, but I'm going to go home."

He smiled at Sam. "Thank you, Major Carter, I'm sorry my behaviour has been less than gentlemanly to you and your colleagues."

"I'm used to it, sir," Sam replied, smiling sweetly.

O'Neill grinned, turning to Teal'c. "I extend my apologies to you also, Teal'c."

Teal'c inclined his head slowly.

O'Neill nodded, before turning to Jack. "It's been an experience, O'Neill."

Jack nodded, his lips tight.

O'Neill settled his hand on Daniel's shoulders and smiled at him. "I'm going to miss you, Dr Jackson, take very good care of yourself. " He pulled Daniel into a hug, letting go with some reluctance and stepping back towards the mirror. "Hope to be back sometime with my team, keep the mirror guarded."

"Keep safe, and give him time, Jack." Daniel said tightly. "He'll need it after being fucked around by Hathor."

"Will do, Danny." O'Neill saluted and disappeared, leaving the team looking at a reflection of themselves.

Jack sighed. "Right, glad we've got rid of him. Hammond wants us to do a full debrief, then we can get back on track."

Sam nodded, "I've got some ideas, but as I told Daniel I don't really understand what happened."

Jack sighed. "I've got a headache already," he muttered.

Daniel looked at his retreating back, and Sam's amused face and smiled.

"Looks like things are back to normal," he suggested.

Teal'c gave them an impenetrable stare, before following Jack to the debriefing room.

Four weeks down the line and Jack had still not talked to Daniel about the events on PX3 695. He wanted to, he had many unresolved questions, but, hell, how do you ask your friend if the other Jack had come on to him, and whether he had said anything about the conversation they had had while Daniel slept? Answer, he couldn't.

Other than that, things were back to normal or what passed for normality within the SGC. His team was fit and ready for action, he and Daniel were okay with each other. All in all a very happy state of affairs. It was just that, well he had been offered an opportunity to tell Daniel how special he was, and how much he cared for him. On second thoughts, that was way too scary. Next thing he'd be telling Daniel he loved him, oh god that would be just too much.

Jack sighed, straightened his shoulders and headed for the mess hall, coffee and breakfast, just the right thing for a brooding Colonel.

The rest of his team had beaten him too it. Daniel was nursing two coffees and a pile of pancakes, Teal'c was viewing his toast with apprehension, and Carter was talking rapidly in between bites of her croissant. He grabbed an omelette and sat down, moodily spiking a mushroom on the end of his fork.

"What's up, Teal'c?"

Teal'c switched his concentration from the toast to Jack. "Daniel Jackson encouraged me to eat peanut butter and jelly. I find the mixture somewhat distasteful."

Jack speared another forkful "Try a good old American greasy breakfast, Teal'c, gets you going."

"Clogs up your arteries Teal'c, don't believe him." Daniel grinned at his friend.

"We were just discussing other cultures' ideas of breakfast, which is why Sam's eating the croissants."

"They're okay." Sam commented. "I normally buy them from this good deli, but thought I'd chance them here."

Jack glanced at Daniel's plate. "You're sticking with the tried and tested."

Daniel grinned again. "That or fruit loops."

Jack pulled a face, and speared the mushroom that had attempted to escape his loaded fork. He had nearly finished when the intercom transmitted a request for SG1 to get down to the briefing room.

"Are we expecting anyone?" Daniel asked him.

"Not that I'm aware."

Teal'c looked once more at the sticky toast before him, and unhurriedly stood from the table.

Jack finished his plate, watched with amusement as Sam grabbed her last piece, continued eating, and motioned Daniel to join them.

Daniel was the first inside the briefing room, finding himself face to face with his double. A slightly thinner and long haired version admittedly, but definitely himself. He smiled in recognition, holding out his hand for a shake, looking round to spot O'Neill, comfortably settled in the chair next to General Hammond. "Good to see you again, O'Neill, and glad to see you found Daniel."

He moved his gaze past and froze as he saw Kawalsky. He headed towards him and shook his hand. "It's really great to see you, you've been missed." He said simply.

Kawalsky grinned up at him, "Like the hair, Daniel, can you try and persuade our Daniel that it would suit him."

Daniel caught the annoyed look from his double and grinned back at Kawalsky. He turned to the other familiar face. "Saw you couple of days ago Ferretti, glad to see you're alive and well in both realities."

Ferretti grinned and shook his hand

"Kawalsky." Jack's voice hollered.

His Jack's pleasure at seeing the man put a huge grin on Kawalsky's face.

"It's really good to see you again." Jack grinned down at him.

"Can't say I've missed you, O'Neill." Kawalsky laughed. "The thought of two of you scares the shit out of me."

General Hammond cleared his throat, and the bantering stopped, whilst everyone took or resumed their seats. Introductions were made on both sides.

Ferretti grinned at everyone. The slightly nervous looking man was introduced as Dr Kendrick, their science advisor.

"Dr Kendrick has come specially to meet you, Major Carter. I hope that you will be able to share information.

Sam nodded.

O'Neill leaned towards Sam. "I've made enquiries about your double, and she's coming to the SGC on special transfer, as a scientific advisor."

Sam smiled. "Great, sir, she'll love it, especially if you let her travel."

General Hammond cleared his throat again.

"People we have just under forty-eight hours to compare notes, and advise each other. I would like both Dr Jackson's to spend time with each other, whilst Teal'c and you Jack can discuss things military with Colonel O'Neill, Kawalsky and Ferretti."

Jack nodded.

General Hammond rose. "I would like a short briefing at eighteen hundred hours." He nodded his dismissal.

Daniel ushered his double into his office, and watched as he wandered around the room, picking up a few items with obvious familiarity. Daniel felt relief, and a certain fondness for his other self. Considering Jack's hostility towards his own double, he'd wondered how he would feel, what he felt was a kind of brotherly love. It was weird.

The other Daniel smiled at him and sat down. They exchanged looks; his double fidgeted then leant forward and brushed his hair.

"This is bizarre, me with a military hair cut."

Daniel winced. "It's short not military and it's practical."

His double nodded. "I can see that." He smiled again at Daniel and wriggled in his chair.

"This is weird."

Daniel laughed. "It's good weird; I am so pleased that your Jack found you. He was going crazy worrying about you.

His double smiled a little. "Good old Jack. He and the team, with SG3 back up got me out of Hathor's clutches, and killed the bitch." He wrapped his arms tightly round him. "I was her slave, Daniel, not willingly, but she slowly destroyed all my hopes for rescue, prevented and foiled all my escapes, killed anyone who could or would befriend me." He sighed deeply.

"She kept me imprisoned for weeks, sent her Jaffa to abuse and hurt me, then made sure that she was the only one who gave me care, warmth and succour. I knew what she was doing to me, but I ended up crying in her arms anyway. She allowed me some freedom, and every time I tried to escape, sent me back to the cells, and it started again. No one was allowed to talk to me, except her."

He rocked in the chair. "I think I began to give up after three months, by then she had me where she wanted me, dependent on her, and living in the knowledge that finally she was going to turn me into a host for one of the things I hated most in the universe." He looked sadly at Daniel. "Was I weak and pathetic, Daniel?"

Daniel felt shocked. "No, oh no, hell she was slowly destroying you." He moved towards his double and knelt before his chair, resting his hand on his double's arm. "Please don't torture yourself, Daniel, she'd apparently killed Jack in front of you. Your team didn't know where you were. You'd attempted to do what all prisoners should do, escape, and when everything failed you, well you're only human, you survived as best you could."

He leant forward and enveloped his double in a warm hug, somehow able to do this, because he knew he would not be rejected. His double hugged him back and rested his head on his shoulder.

"Your Hathor is dead?"

Daniel laughed slightly. "Oh yes, a frozen Popsicle, care of Jack O'Neill."

His double shook slightly, and then laughed out loud. "He's a wonderful man in any universe."

Daniel shrugged his shoulders, and sat back on his knees.

His double let go of him, lifted his chin, leant forward and kissed him, with some passion.

Startled, Daniel remained passive, allowing his double access, and beginning to respond before he came to his senses and backed off. He looked at his double opened mouthed. "Whhhy did you do that?"

His double smiled. "My Jack said you were as good a kisser as me. Once I'd swallowed my jealousy, I decided I'd check you out."

Daniel closed his mouth with a snap, looked at his double dubiously, then pushed himself up from the floor and sat back in his chair. "Err, don't do that again will you please."

His double laughed. "Did my Jack tell you about his twin fetish?"

Daniel shook his head grimly. "No, and I don't want to know," he said emphatically. "Could we change the subject please?"

His double smiled gently. "You're not with your Jack are you?"

Daniel shook his head.

"So, lets get some coffee and then where shall we start?"

Daniel looked his double over carefully, saw true curiosity and interest, and relaxed. This was going to be fun.

Sam found Dr Kendrick a very warm, kind, and once he'd relaxed, a surprisingly witty man. They had talked at length about the Stargate, and time slip paradoxes, they'd given the naquadah and its military potential a good run for its money, and whilst they had loads more to discuss, Sam found herself just enjoying the man's company.

He was tall, charming and attractive. That he treated her with friendly respect, reminded her of Daniel. Daniel appeared to care for her for what she was, and never ever made her conscious that she was a woman in a man's world. Dr Kendrick, or Alec, did the same. Whilst he obviously appreciated her charms, he made no play for her. Sam was fascinated with the man, and she admitted to herself, rather charmed, she wondered if his double was hanging around unnoticed in the bowels of the SGC.

Dinner came and went, coffee was consumed, notes were taken, until, almost without warning, it was seventeen hundred hours, and they had just under an hour to justify their time to the General.

"Would you like to go out to eat this evening, if I'm allowed to take you off base?" Sam asked.

Alec smiled. "I would very much like that, Samantha."

Sam swallowed, gathered up her papers and tried to relax. Was she into one-night stands? She shrugged mentally, and got down to the business in hand.

Teal'c listened as the conversation ran yet again into 'Goa'uld we have licked'. This appeared to be a popular and non-contentious topic, and whilst it certainly had its merits, he felt it was not actually conducive to gathering the kind of information that General Hammond had requested.

"O'Neill, should we not explore our differing weaponry more appropriately." He managed to say, in a brief moment of silence.

Both O'Neill's looked up at him, one with silent amusement, one guiltily. The guilty looking one nodded.

"I know, Teal'c, it's just that reminiscing is so much more fun."

Teal'c nodded.

O'Neill's double looked hard at Teal'c. "How do you and Daniel get on? You did choose his wife for Amaunet."

Teal'c sighed, then looked appraisingly at O'Neill, aware of the shifting of the other men, but realising from his knowledge of their own O'Neill, that the question wasn't hostile.

"Daniel Jackson forgave me. He knew that I had little choice."

O'Neill nodded. "You are very much an integral part of this SG1?"

The question was more a statement of fact. Teal'c bowed gravely.

"I would like to have known you in my universe, Teal'c." He looked round at Ferretti and Kawalsky. "Not that I'm unhappy with my team, but I think both Ferretti and Kawalsky should spread their wings, get their own commands."

Kawalsky snorted. "You'd miss us, O'Neill, you and Daniel would end up bickering all the time, you need us along to knock some sense into the pair of you."

"Yeah, as if Kawalsky." O'Neill wasn't going to take this quietly.

Teal'c cleared his throat. "I think you would be wise to leave the in fighting until off duty."

Jack laughed. "Teal'c may not say much, gentlemen, but when he does it is worth listening to. Maybe General Hammond will allow you off base. I imagine the Daniels will want to carry on talking. Carter and your science guy are probably still sounding out the universe, and well, we can reminisce until the cows come home. I recommend a meal at somewhere like O'Malley's or taking into account the two of us," he nodded at his double," maybe a takeout at mine."

O'Neill nodded. "Seems okay. Let's carry on shall we?"

Teal'c listened in, occasionally offering information at Jack's request. By the time it was due for the debriefing, the topic had yet again slipped into the familiar territory of Goa'uld we have licked the ass of.

Teal'c sighed. The Tau'ri were at times both unfathomable and yet all too predictable.

They saw off their doubles almost a day and a half from the moment they met them, and as one SG1 drifted towards Daniel's office and the welcoming coffee that could always be relied upon. They sat in silence, coffee in hand, contemplating the previous hours.
Sam felt, rather dreamy and content, and jumped when Jack leaned toward her and asked.

"So, was the dinner good, and was Dr Kendrick helpful Carter?"

Sam blushed. "Alec was very informative. I would have liked far more time with him Sir."

Jack grinned and winked at her. "Bet you would, Carter, and he with you."

Sam blushed again, aware of Daniel glancing between her and Jack, his eyebrows raised questioningly. He obviously got the signal, because his face relaxed and he grinned at Sam.

"I thought he was a really nice guy Sam, is he on the SGC here?"

"Yes he is Daniel, I checked." Jack was grinning again.

Sam gulped her coffee, and covered her embarrassment with sarcasm. "How kind of you to look, sir."

Jack grinned back, apparently unphased by her hostility. "I rather like the laid back and relaxed Carter."

Sam glowered at him. "And how was it with you and the other Daniel?" she asked Daniel, trying to get the attention off herself.

"Strange but good. "Daniel said slowly. "We're alike, very alike, yet different. I suppose the circumstances must change us slightly. We liked each other, which was fortunate considering the circumstances, we had a great deal to talk about and a lot of information to exchange. I'd rather enjoy meeting him again sometime."

"You and the others, sir?"

Jack pulled a face. "I think He's an arrogant asshole, but Ferretti and Kawlasky were great."

Teal'c looked at Jack expressionlessly. "I found the other O'Neill very similar to our O'Neill."

Daniel snorted with amusement. "You do the verbal put downs so well, Teal'c."

Sam hid a smile as she watched Jack bite back what he had begun to say, before sighing and shrugging his shoulders.

"It was weird with us all at my place, I invited our Ferretti over, so we had two Jacks, two Daniels and two Ferretis. All in all an evening to remember."

"We missed you, Sam." Daniel said gently. "But I think a meal for two with Alec was possibly far more relaxed and civilised. Teal'c, Daniel and I took a break ourselves at one point, the sound got a little too intense, particularly throughout the hockey game!"

Sam laughed. "You'll have to fill me in some time, Daniel."

She stood up and stretched. "I know it's midday, but I feel like I've packed a week into a few days. I'm off to write up everything, then wind down. When is our next mission, sir?"

"General Hammond has given us a two day break before our next debriefing. I sure need a break from here."

"See you then." She smiled and waved goodbye.

Jack had been unsure about how to approach Daniel all day. He eventually left a note on his desk asking him to come over for a meal that evening and left the base. Meeting his double again had left him with too many questions to ignore. After the cheerful drunkenness of the evening disintegrated into sleeping bodies in every armchair and couch, and the two Daniels deciding to bunk in his spare room, he'd headed for the relative solace of his observatory, unsurprised when some minutes later his double joined him.

They'd said very little for some time, both staring out into space, both full of their own thoughts. Jack had been the one to break the silence. "Did you have much trouble getting him back?"

His double stirred and looked over towards the window of the spare room. "It wasn't too bad, but Daniel was in a bad way. The bitch had almost broken him, he couldn't believe I was actually alive." He stared silently out into the town sprawled before them.
"It's taken a bit of time to get him back together, but I would say that first sight of me cleaned away a lot. He still feels as guilty as hell for just surviving, but that's Daniel for you."

Jack nodded quietly.

Silence reined again, until O'Neill broke spoke. "You still haven't got it together with your Daniel have you?"

Jack shook his head.

"Why not?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know what he wants, and I keep telling myself that SG1 doesn't need its commander and civilian expert involved with each other."

O'Neill grunted. "Well my SG1 does not lose out. I'd never willingly sacrifice any of my team, and my love for Daniel doesn't in any way change that."

"Do Ferretti and Kawalsky know?"

"We've never talked about it, and Daniel and my behaviour hasn't changed, so it's unlikely."

"Would they mind?"

"Kawalsky would tease us like hell, Ferretti, I don't know."

Jack nodded.

"He loves you by the way."

Jack jumped. "Pardon?"

"Your Daniel, he hardly kissed me, and he said it wasn't right, we weren't the right people." O'Neill laughed. "He stalled me the whole time. I got him blushing a number of times, which was fun, but other than a wonderful too brief smooch, zilch." He looked across at Jack. "I hope you deserve him, because if you hurt him, I will kill you."

Jack gulped. "I wouldn't hurt Daniel for the world."

"Good."

Jack looked up at the stars, then back into his house. "I'm tired. I think I'm going to bed. The Daniels are both in the spare room, the rest of the house is taken, so it's either the floor or my room. Your choice."

And with that, he left the roof and climbed down into the house. He stood by the spare room, and decided to check in. He saw two identical faces, asleep on the pillows, the cheeks of one were still lined with tears, and the other Daniel, his Daniel, had his arms around his double. He stood for some time watching the sleepers, aware of the light tread of O'Neill as he joined him in the doorway. They stood silently for some time watching the two men sleep, until as one they left them to their privacy.

"As I said, my Daniel is still coming to terms with his time as Hathor's prisoner."

Jack nodded. "I'm glad that they can find comfort in each other. I doubt that we could."

His double grinned. "We both need to be top dog, O'Neill, two Alpha males fighting for supremacy. We'd never let our guards down. The Daniels don't think like that, so they can relax and care for each other."

He headed for the bedroom. "Can we share?"

Jack shrugged. "Not as intimately as our Daniels, but we're grown men, we should be able to camp out in the same space."

O'Neill laughed. "We'll see in the morning." And with that he stripped to his shorts and tee shirt and rolled into the bed.

Jack had followed, shut his eyes, and to his surprise, slept soundly, waking, slightly later than normal to the sounds of others making breakfast in his kitchen, and fighting to be first in his shower.

He'd not really thought about the conversation with O'Neill until the alternate SG1 team, and it's 'reluctant to leave' scientific advisor, departed. He'd considered letting sleeping dogs lie, but knew he'd found the last month difficult enough. He and Daniel needed to talk, well Daniel could talk, he'd listen and grunt appropriately, hence the dinner invite, and now he'd done the shopping, made the meal and was waiting for his 'date' to arrive.

The sound of the doorbell made him jump, he hurried over, pulled the door open and ushered Daniel in, subconsciously aware that Daniel looked and smelt damn good. Daniel handed him a six-pack, and a bottle of wine, and headed for the living area, settling himself down in an armchair, stretching like a cat.

"What an amazing two days."

Jack grunted his agreement, as he headed for the kitchen, checked the progress of the meal, and turned the cooker to low.

Coming back into the lounge he found Daniel relaxed, eyes almost closed, hands gently linked across his stomach, shoes kicked off, quietly waiting and thinking. He looked up as Jack entered, smiling his welcome.

"I liked him, he was okay, which was a real relief, I wondered if he'd annoy me as much as I obviously annoy you, but he didn't. We think alike, talk alike, reason alike, we are so alike it's spooky, but ultimately we are ourselves." He stopped and looked down at his fingers.

Jack settled on the couch. "O'Neill and I are so alike we annoyed the shit out of each other," he said ruefully. "We managed to share a bed, but no way could we have done so as comfortably as you and the other Daniel managed."

Daniel blushed faintly, looking inquiringly at Jack.

"We both wanted to check on you." He stopped looked at Daniel and grinned. "It was very cute."

Daniel's blush increased, and his face took on an irritated expression. "Daniel still needs reassurance about his time with Hathor, and who best to help him than a man that has experienced Hathor's advances. And if you think that was cute then you've got a screw lose."

Jack just grinned again. "Extremely cute, we both thought so."

Daniel shot another irritated look at him, before returning his attention to his hands. "Ever been called cute, Jack?"

"The last time was when I was three." Jack answered promptly.

Daniel grinned. "Liar."

Jack looked insulted. "I'll get my folks to show you the photos, I was such a sweet toddler."

Daniel snorted his disbelief. "Would you call yourself cute now?"

Jack laughed. "Hell no."

"Teal'c?"

"No way."

"Sam?"

Jack became thoughtful. "No I don't think so, she's one good looking lady, but somehow she's not cute, too dangerous to be cute."

"Janet?"

"Whoa, I wouldn't dare call Janet cute."

"So why think it's perfectly acceptable to label Daniel and myself as cute?"

Jack looked up at Daniel contemplatively. "Because Daniel, you have this element of shy innocence within you that is somehow very appealing and also endearing." He held up his hand as Daniel began to answer, in apparent negation, considering the expression on his face.

"Hold on, Danny, I know you aren't an innocent, nor are you naïve or necessarily shy, but you have something, something that makes people believe in you, care for you, want to protect and defend you. We all do it, even Carter. Although all of us know that when push comes to shove, you are there for us and capable of defending yourself."

He stopped, watching Daniel as he absorbed the remarks and thought them over. Jack decided to be brave. "What I don't know though, is when my like and respect for you, suddenly became a lot more complicated."

He glanced up at Daniel, who was now watching him with opened eyed wonder.

"I've always liked Carter/Sam, she's one fine woman, and I've been aware of my attraction to her, we've flirted, exchanged looks, and I know I could never leave her on a mission, or watch her die without something inside me hurting." He saw Daniel's eyebrows rise interrogatively.

"To be honest, I feel the same for you and Teal'c, but with Sam, it was easy to see it as romantic, sexual attraction, and for a time I did. I never quite knew how to categorise my feelings for you, Teal'c was easy, a fantastic comrade and brother. You however." He stopped and shook his head watching Daniel, watching him.

"You've become a very good friend, despite our very opposite viewpoints. You are important to me even when I want to drop you off the highest bridge because you annoy the hell out of me. I want you around, I want you around an awful lot, Daniel, and it must be obvious to you now that I want you like the other Jack wants his Daniel."

Daniel made a noise in the back of his throat and sat very still for a second, before pushing himself up to his feet and kneeling down beside the couch. "Thank you, Jack," he said quietly. "Thank you for being so honest."

He gave one of his quick, shy smiles, and reached for Jack's hand. "O'Neill told you about him and his Daniel?"

Jack nodded, his heart in his mouth.

Daniel smiled again. "Well Jack I think I want to be with you too."

"Think?"

Daniel smiled broadened. "Wrong word, I know I want the same as the other Jack and Daniel have."

Jack gulped. "Good," he said a little nervously. He reached for Daniel's hand and stared down into the eyes below him. He watched as Daniel's face took on the determined look he knew so well, and waited with curiosity to see what he was going to do. Within seconds he had his answer, Daniel knelt up, removed his glasses, reached for Jack's head and kissed him.

A simple touch of his lips, and gentle, swipe of his tongue, but Jack was lost. He reacted instinctively. He grasped Daniel's waist, slipped a hand under his thighs and pulled, keeping his mouth firmly clamped on Daniel's lips. With one smooth movement, Daniel was deposited across his lap, and along the couch. Jack was able to pull Daniel's head even further towards him, and allow one hand to start unbuttoning the shirt Daniel was wearing.

Daniel's only response was to moan a little, and wriggle into a more comfortable position. Jack smiled into his kiss, and had Daniel stripped of his shirt in seconds. Almost oblivious Daniel continued to explore his mouth, nibbling at his lips, and kissing and licking at his face and ears, until incipient anoxia demanded that he release Jack's mouth and breathe, but as soon as he had done so he returned to a full on oral assault, and Jack was content to let him, having far more nefarious activities to be getting on with.

He wasn't sure of the etiquette demanded for dating men, but he reasoned that he and Daniel definitely knew each other well enough to forgo the 'wooing' and get down to some serious skin on skin activity.

He had Daniel's jeans undone, and was sliding them down to gain access to his briefs, when Daniel shuddered, moaned Jack's name, then returned to his obsessive exploration of Jack mouth, although his hands were doing a little, very welcome, exploring of their own.

Jack had a very turned on and panting Daniel in his arms, and he was loving it. Somehow Daniel's semi nakedness against his clothed form was immensely erotic, he caressed Daniel's jean covered thigh before running his fingers along the edge of his briefs, slowly exploring until he found and rubbed Daniel's erection.

Daniel's response was loud and emphatic. He moaned deep in his throat, and pushed his hips forward.

Jack laughed, he found Daniel's ear and whispered. "If I'd known how damn hot you were, I'd have jumped you months ago."

Daniel moaned again and panted something Jack didn't catch. He opened large, dilated eyes to look into Jack's face, smiling with absolute pleasure, before looking down at himself in some confusion. "You've half undressed me!" He looked back up at Jack, amazement and some residual embarrassment deep in his eyes.

"You look fantastic." Jack said with emphasis, running his hands over Daniel's ass. "And personally I can't wait until you're completely undressed."

Daniel shivered and sighed deeply, turning his head to look up at Jack. "Is this one of those special ops tricks you're always boasting about?"

Jack laughed, kissing Daniel deeply before answering. "Nope, but I've got other even more interesting tricks up my sleeve."

Daniel took a little time to come back from the kiss, but he looked back at Jack and smiled. "I very much look forward to discovering the rest," He murmured sexily.

Jack's very erect cock, jumped at the seductive tone, and he remembered what O'Neill had said to him, back at the SGC, just after the flyboy incident. O'Neill had pulled him to a stop and whispered.

"Daniel is the sexiest, most responsive and inventive lover I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He doesn't know the meaning of shy in bed, and is willing to try almost anything." He'd laughed. "He won't admit it, but he loves me being dominant most of the time, mind you I make up for it out of the bedroom."

Jack had been shocked and aroused in equal measure at the time.

Looking down on the glorious form of his very willing and responsive partner, Jack smiled. It looked liked the Daniels had a great deal in common, and to be honest he was getting very keen to discover more about Dr Daniel Jackson, now his lover. He licked the ear below him, causing Daniel to shiver. "Let's take this to the bedroom, Daniel."

An innocent face looked up and asked, "What about the dinner?"

Jack grinned. "I'll make a meal out of you, Daniel Jackson, then we'll eat in bed if you're good."

Daniel grinned. "I'll be very good, Jack."

"I'm counting on it, Danny." Jack pulled Daniel into his arms, and kissed him deeply, before pushing them both up to their feet. He held Daniel away from him, and looked him up and down with pleasure, smiling at the flush in Daniel's cheeks. "Beautiful." He pronounced.

Daniel growled. "Less of the sweet talk Jack, and more action please."

Jack laughed. "Bedroom, gorgeous, and you can undress me there, mind you I'll be concentrating on other things so you'll have to be quick."

Daniel laughed, throwing his words back at him. "I'm counting on it Jack."

Jack drew Daniel back into his arms and kissed him deeply. He wrapped his arms round Daniel's waist and headed for the stairs.

They had a lot of things still to discuss, and decisions to make, but for now, he was going to revel in the glorious reality that was Daniel Jackson, and from the looks and sighs that were coming from the man in question, Daniel was about to enjoy every damn wonderful second of it.

Suddenly very happy, Jack had a friendly thought for his double. If not for him, he doubted that he and Daniel would ever have got this far. He grinned, he had no doubt that the other Jack and his Daniel were heading for bed in their own universe. Well he and his Daniel had a hell of a lot of time to make up, so...

He kicked the door of his bedroom open, thanked the fates that he'd cleaned up the room, gave Daniel a deep passionate kiss and tipped him onto his bed, watching him wiggle out of his jeans as he quickly divested himself of his own clothes. "Thought I'd save some time." He explained.

Daniel grinned, holding out his arms in welcome. Jack finished undressing, looked down with pleasure at the man lying on his bed, and knelt above him.

"So Daniel, where are we going now?" He asked, grinning down at the man.

"On a voyage of discovery." Daniel answered seriously, reaching up and pulling him down on top of him.

"So it appears." He stroked the face before him. "My own little yellow brick road to travel along."

Daniel grinned. "My very own ancient artefact to explore."

Jack laughed, kissing at the lips, rubbing up and down the smooth body below him. Daniel moaned again, and began to writhe. Jack grinned, and moved down to nip at Daniel's nipples. By the time he finished with Dr Jackson, he wouldn't have the energy to look at an artefact, never mind make cracks at his team leader and lover's expense. As Daniel kept saying, they were peaceful explorers. Well he was on a one-man mission, to, not quite so peacefully, explore the glorious flesh below him. Life was good, okay; they had a lot of working out ahead of them. Team-mates to consider, jobs to do, and secrets to maintain, but for now, Jack was very happy and very very aroused, for now nothing was more important than the man in his arms and bed, everything else could wait.

Jack pulled back to view the zoned out face below him, licked his lips, grinned at the dazed expression in the slowly opening eyes, let his eyes wonder down to the straining erection, and pounced.

The scream of surprised pleasure was all he had hoped for, he was going to make it his mission in life to hear that sound, and the moaning that had now replaced it, as often as possible.

Life was good.

The end.

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