Lesasaur at Large

Title: Hostage

Words: approx 2 600

Pairing: Jack/Daniel

Genre: first time

Rating: adult for the picture prompt

Season: sometime after ‘Chain Reaction’

Notes: This trite little number was written in answer to this picture by Rosie, prompt #54 at jackdanielpromptfic. There is no sex, only implied violence and it deals mainly with the aftermath.
My thanks to Kayla for a quick beta but all mistakes are my own.

Hostage

“I know you’re not really asleep, Doctor Jackson,” Thug One declared softly, “but it hardly matters. It’s not you we’re interested in, not yet anyway."

Daniel didn’t move. He knew he was just the bait, but he was damned if he was going to give his captors anything, vulnerable state or not.

“You see, O’Neill has seriously pissed off some very powerful people. He needs to learn his place. Once he has, you’ll be free to go.”

Daniel highly doubted that since the thugs had made no effort to hide their identities. As to whom Jack had pissed off, the name Kinsey sprang immediately to mind.

“Of course that might take a little time, and you might have to suffer a little in the process, but... That’s out of my control. The ball’s entirely in O’Neill’s court, and the first deadline is just about up.”

Despite himself, Daniel felt a quiver of fear run through him at the same time as the door opened and Thug Two entered the room.

“Anything?” Thug One demanded.

“No, sir.”

“I was hoping you were going to say that,” Thug one gleefully declared, making Daniel feel instantly nauseous at the prospect of what was to follow. “Set up the camera.”

***

“Turn it OFF!” Jack yelled.

“Yes, sir,” Sam said with a grimace. “Perhaps if I analyze-”

Jack cut her off with an angry sound and the wave of his hand.

Sam took the tape and fled.

“Go with her, Teal’c,” Jack commanded.

Teal’c raised an eyebrow but then inclined his head and obeyed.

“What are you thinking, Jack?” Hammond asked quietly.

“I’m thinking I’m going to have to give them what they want, that’s what I’m thinking!” Jack said angrily.

“You know they’ll probably still kill him anyway.”

“What the hell else can I do? We still haven’t got a clue where they might be keeping him, and I don’t know how much more of that Daniel can take.”

“He’s strong, Colonel.”

“I know that. But he’s a civilian, God damnit!” Jack thumped his fist on the table, the explosion of pain a welcome respite from the agony in his head. “He shouldn’t have to go through things like this, not at the hands of our own people.”

“So let me play devil’s advocate again. You do what they want, you’re out of the program for good AND Doctor Jackson ends up dead. That’s not a risk I’m prepared to take.”

“They said they’d let him go!” Jack yelled.

“Do you really believe that, Colonel?” Hammond asked quietly.

“I have to!” Jack walked to the window and looked down at the stargate, willing his fear and anger under control. Eventually, he closed his eyes and shook his head. “No, I don’t.” He faced Hammond again. “But, sir, it’s Daniel...”

Hammond nodded. “I know. And we have every agency at our disposal working to locate him. They’re good people, Jack. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.”

Jack wasn’t so sure but he let his doubts go unvoiced. “I just wish there was something ‘I’ could do.”

“You could get some rest,” Hammond said in a gentle tone. “You could be needed at any time. In fact, I’ll make it an order. Get some rest, Colonel. The next deadline’s not for another four hours. I don’t want to see you until then.”

Jack opened his mouth.

“Unless I send for you.”

Jack sighed then looked directly at Hammond. “Let me ask you something, General. How much rest have ‘you’ had since this all started?”

Hammond averted his gaze. “Not much.” He then looked at Jack with a set expression. “But there’s no possibility of me going out in the field on any rescue mission. You, on the other hand...”

Just then, a young airman entered the room, and after saluting smartly said, “Excuse me, sirs, I have a phone call for Colonel O’Neill, from a Mr Hutch.”

“Put it through to here,” Jack immediately ordered as hope began to trickle through his veins.

“Colonel?” Hammond queried as the airman departed.

“It’s code, sir, from Maybourne...I hope.”

“HARRY Maybourne!” Hammond demanded in outrage.

Jack nodded and reached for the phone the second it sounded. “What have you got for me?”

***

“Jack,” Daniel said groggily.

“I’m here,” Jack immediately replied, rising to stand beside the bed, endeavoring to see past the battered face to the essence of Daniel beneath.

Daniel smiled weakly. “I knew you’d find me. Ow!” His face contorted, and he put one of his splinted hands that was completely bandaged except for the fingertips gingerly to his split and swollen bottom lip.

Jack mentally winced in silent sympathy, his barometer rising, but he fought to maintain a calm facade as he answered, “Not me, Maybourne.”

Daniel frowned. “As in-”

“Harry. Yeah. Apparently he ‘likes’ you.”

Daniel’s brow furrowed further. “That’s...nice.”

“Isn’t it though? But enough about him. How’re you doing?”

Daniel blinked several times, as if doing a mental assessment and then grimaced. “Basically, I hurt all over.”

“That good, huh?”

“The thugs?”

“Dead...courtesy of Maybourne.”

“Good.”

Jack was surprised. “Well, ‘I’ could have done it but...”

“I’m glad you didn’t, but I’m not sorry they’re dead. You’re surprised aren’t you.”

Jack blew out a breath. “A little.”

Daniel shook his head slightly and immediately grimaced, holding a hand against it. “Remind me not to do that again.”

“Don’t do that again,” Jack obediently replied, endeavoring to lighten the mood a little.

Daniel threw him a saccharine smile and then his brow furrowed again. “What was I saying? Oh, yeah...the thugs. They were worse than the Goa’uld, Jack. The Goa’uld do what they do because it’s genetically programmed into their DNA. These animals did what they did because they enjoyed it. They were getting off on it.”

Jack closed his eyes, swamped by anger, guilt and remorse. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“It wasn’t YOUR fault.”

Daniel groaned, and Jack opened his eyes to see Daniel pressing fingers to his split lip again. Guilt stabbed deeper.

“What did they want you to do anyway?”

Jack averted his gaze, taking time to choose his words carefully. “They wanted me to go public with the fact that I’m...” he grimaced, “not completely straight.” He forced himself to look directly into Daniel’s eyes, seeing the immediate disbelief and incredulity.

“What? That’s ridiculous. As if anyone would ever believe...” Daniel broke off as, unable to maintain eye contact, Jack looked away. “Jack?”

“There’s more,” Jack forced himself to add.

“More?” Daniel echoed.

“They wanted me to implicate ‘you’ as...” Jack figured he didn’t need to elaborate further and waited for the shit to hit the fan.

“Well, that explains a lot.”

The words were so unexpected, Jack’s gaze was involuntarily drawn back to Daniel’s barely recognizable face. “How so?”

“Just some of the things they said. I thought they were referring to the geek factor. I didn’t realize...” Daniel tried to study Jack’s expression, but Jack averted his gaze again, and an awkward silence fell between them.

“So...” Daniel eventually said quietly. “It’s true then?”

Jack nodded. “And I would have done what they wanted, I swear. At least that way...” He broke off. “But Hammond wouldn’t let me. He said-”

“They’d probably kill me anyway?”

Jack nodded.

“He was right. They made no attempt to hide their faces. Whatever happened, I was a dead man. I owe Harry BIG time.”

Jack nodded again. “So do I.”

There was another awkward silence where in Jack studied the pattern on the counterpane before Daniel said, “Jack, I have to ask...”

Jack shook his head. “Don’t. Please.”

“After everything I’ve been through, you don’t think I deserve to know?”

Jack grimaced. Daniel sure knew how to guilt trip him, not that Daniel didn’t have a good reason. But Jack had a good reason for not wanting to answer. “I don’t want...” He stopped, his eyes searching for something other than Daniel’s face on which to focus. It was a pipedream to hope that nothing would change between them. His big secret was out of the bag with or without the added admission of attraction.

“You don’t want what, Jack?” Daniel asked softly.

The curtain suddenly opened and Janet breezed in. “Ah, Doctor Jackson, I see you’re awake.” She shot a look of displeasure in Jack’s direction.

Jack’s relief at the interruption was so great he barely registered it, although he tried to look suitably chastened as he said, “Sorry, Doc, I’ll leave you to it.” He then quickly made his escape, ignoring Daniel’s plea to wait.

***

Jack sat in the dark. He knew he was being a coward, but that was par for the course where this facet of his genetic make-up was concerned. He could battle a battalion of Jaffa without a moment’s hesitation, goad a Gou’uld into torturing him instead of his teammates without blinking an eye, but when it came to his attraction to men...

He wondered how Kinsey had found out...or had it just been a good guess? Not that it mattered. The minute the ultimatum had arrived along with the pictures of a naked and bound Daniel, he’d known it was all over red rover. His face had obviously given him away too, because Hammond had immediately ordered everyone else out and told Jack in no uncertain terms that he was not prepared to lose two of his best people from the program no matter what. It was obvious Hammond had believed that what had been insinuated between he and Daniel was fact, so Jack had quickly corrected him, not wanting Daniel’s good name besmirched in any way. Hammond had simply smiled at him in that way he did when he was humoring someone and told Jack that personally he didn’t give a damn what either of them did in private because they were good men end of story.

Jack hadn’t been completely comfortable with that outcome but had nevertheless left things at that, deeply touched by the general’s loyalty...also Carter's and Teal’c's. Neither had said a word. Teal’c had simply stayed silently by his side, and Carter had run around like a force of nature trying to find clues from the messages and anything else deemed relevant to the case. Obviously, they both wanted Daniel back safe and sound, but Jack knew it was more than that, and he was grateful for their unwavering support.

Suddenly, his musings were interrupted by pounding on the front door accompanied by a very loud, “Jack, let me in!”

Daniel? Jack was instantly both pleased at the prospect of seeing Daniel and terrified into immobility.

“Come on, Jack, let me in before I collapse on the doorstep.”

That galvanized him into action, and Jack immediately flicked on the lights and flew to the door, flinging it open to find Daniel leaning heavily against the doorframe. “Should you be out of the infirmary?” he asked in concern.

“No,” Daniel replied, “but I knew it was the only way I’d get to see you. Now help me get to a chair before I fall over.”

Without further urging, Jack threw himself under one of Daniel’s arms, and placed an arm around Daniel’s waist, apologizing profusely as Daniel groaned painfully at the pressure on his broken ribs and bruised torso. Jack assisted Daniel down the stairs and into the closest chair, watching in silent concern as Daniel settled himself into the most comfortable position with a series of groans. Off his own bat, Jack then sped to the kitchen to procure a glass of water.

Daniel accepted it gratefully, and while he was drinking, Jack eyed him warily. “Fraiser know you’re here?”

“Probably does now,” Daniel replied, handing back the glass.

“HOW did you get here?” Jack queried as he set the glass on the mantelpiece.

“Sam.”

“She’s gonna be in big trouble,” Jack said, just for something to say.

“She’s a big girl. Jack, can we just cut to the chase here?” Daniel said irritably.

With a sense of inevitability, Jack settled himself into the nearest chair. “And that would be...?” He looked everywhere except at Daniel.

“Jack!” Daniel practically shouted and then groaned.

Jack was immediately filled with remorse. He darted a glance at Daniel’s pain-filled features and decided to take the bull by the horns. “Look, Daniel, if you don’t want to work with me anymore, I understand.” He glanced at Daniel again to find him glaring furiously.

“You think I dragged myself out of the infirmary to tell you I don’t want to work with you anymore? What kind of an idiot are you?”

Jack was completely thrown and resorted to his usual deliberate expulsion of air. “You tell me.” He watched as the fury faded from Daniel’s disfigured face to be replaced by an expression of self-derision.

“What was I thinking?” Daniel said softly to the floor. He shook his head and then immediately groaned loudly, pressing the fingertips of both bandaged hands against his skull.

“Daniel, don’t do that again,” Jack offered helpfully.

Daniel glared.

“I’m just sayin’ what you...” Jack stopped with an internal wince. Sometimes he had no idea why he said/did the things he did. ‘Time and place,’ he reminded himself, watching anxiously as Daniel squeezed his eyes shut tightly for a moment and then looked directly into Jack’s eyes.

“Jack, I’ll make this simple. Are you attracted to me, yes or no?”

Jack immediately decided on prevarication. “Daniel-”

“Yes or no, Jack?”

With the sense of impending doom, Jack sighed. “Before I answer, I have to know... Are things going to change?”

“Oh, you betcha!” Daniel replied with feeling.

“I see.” Jack looked away. “Perhaps you’d better leave now then,” he said quietly. There was no reply, forcing Jack to eventually return his gaze to Daniel’s features. What he saw there was a total shock. Daniel looked almost...desolate.

“Nothing?” Daniel finally asked, his gaze on the floor.

Jack frowned. “What do you mean ‘nothing’?”

Daniel’s gaze flicked up but immediately lowered again. “I guess ‘I’m’ the idiot.” He fumbled around and somehow managed to retrieve his cell. “I’ll just call a cab and be out of your hair.”

“Daniel?”

Daniel began pressing buttons, and Jack suddenly began to wonder...

He got up and snatched the phone from Daniel’s hands, ignoring the annoyed, “Hey!” to squat in front of the chair. “Daniel,” he said quietly. Daniel remained silent and refused to meet his gaze, so Jack took all his courage in his hands and said quietly, “Yes.”

Daniel froze but then turned to look at Jack with an expression Jack couldn’t interpret. “Yes what?”

“Yes...please?” Jack said hopefully. There was no immediate reply so he held up the phone. “Still want to call a cab?” he asked warily.

Daniel blinked. “I can’t remember the number,” he said evenly, but then he reached out his arms and pulled Jack into a hug, immediately groaning and letting go again.

“You should be in bed,” Jack admonished sternly to hide his deep concern and overwhelming joy.

Daniel nodded. “Can you give me a hand?”

Jack immediately complied, and Daniel was quickly settled beneath the covers in the master bedroom. “Can I get you anything?” Jack asked.

Daniel extended a hand, and Jack was soon lying on top of the covers next to him. “Is there anywhere you ‘aren’t’ hurt?” Jack asked, aching to make a physical connection of some kind but knowing broken ribs and cut, swollen lips were definitely off limits.

Daniel reached out his hand again, and after a slight hesitation, Jack carefully grasped Daniel’s fingertips. “That hurt?”

Daniel smiled. “Not much.” He closed his eyes and then murmured, “Stay.”

As if there was any doubt! “Always,” Jack replied, watching Daniel’s smile broaden slightly then fade as his breathing evened out signaling that he’d fallen asleep.

Jack carefully carried Daniel’s fingers to his lips and kissed them gently. “Always,” he whispered again, and he smiled.