Ex Tempore

"Good morning, my friends."

Priest Rumlna's voice invaded their dreams.

"It is time."

The two drowsy men staggered up from the bed.

"It's time for what exactly?" Daniel asked trying to get his brain to co-ote wte without its regular dose of caffeine.

"It is time for you to get ready for the sacrifice to the Gods."

"Again?" Jack cried out theatrically.

"I do not understand... I am talking about the Jaffa."

The answer woke them up with a start and slammed the cold reality right into their faces. Teal'c was about to be sacrificed and they still didn't have a plan to rescue him. There was not one good thing about this morning.

"Could you just give us a minute here?"

"Certainly. I took the liberty of ordering you some breakfast," the priest said as he signalled the boys carrying large trays to enter the room, "You just take your time and refresh yourselves. I shall be back when it is time to go."

Priest Rumlna and his young servants disappeared into the hallway.

"What are we going to do?" Daniel asked as he sat up on the edge of the bed and picked up his specs from the side table.

"We find Carter and free Teal'c and get the hell out of here is what we're gonna do!"

Jack jumped up and walked to the table where their fruity breakfast had been set.

"Jack..."

"I mean it, Daniel. It shouldn't be too hard to take down those 'guards' - if that's what you can call them - and I'd done it already if I'd had Carter here with me - no offence."

"None taken."

"And I doubt anyone in this place would be eager to help if we stopped to ask for directions to the jail."

"Punishment quarters."

"Whatever. So, the way I see it, we have to wait till the whole team is in one place before we can make our move."

"And that would be the rite of sacrifice."

"You're getting the hang of it, Danny-boy!"

Jack smiled brightly as he threw a peach to Daniel.

"And when I said I'd prefer to have Carter here, you do know I meant... well, you know what I meant."

Daniel gave him a quick grin. But then, sliding back into seriousness, he stood up and walked up to Jack.

"There's something I can do that Sam can't."

"Oh, you bet!" Jack laughed, almost choking on his peach, but then added more softly, "Look, I know there's a lot we're gonna have to settle, but could we just not go there, not right now?"

"No, I wasn't talking about us. I meant that I can get Teal'c out. I think I could do it, really, I do..."

"No! I don't wanna hear one word of that, got it?!"

Jack grabbed Daniel's arm and pulled him closer.

"Another sacrifice is the last thing we need right now," he said staring straight into the deep blue eyes.

"But it'd be just a little bluff, it wouldn't have to go that far..."

"And when she calls that bluff?! No, over my dead body! I will not have her touching you, not ever!"

The trembling of Jack's body couldn't escape the notice of the man standing right next to it.

"What about you?" Daniel asked quietly.

"What about me?"

"What about you...touching me?"

The silence felt like an eternity. And Daniel was the one to end it.

"I'm sorry, Jack, I shouldn't have brought it up..."

"You're right, this is not the best of times for that discussion."

Daniel let his gaze drop down to his feet and started to pull away from Jack's reach, when he was suddenly stopped.

"But then again, our time is running out and I'm not gonna get blasted by the Goa'uld with this thing hanging over me."

Jack let go of Daniel's arm and started pacing around the room, trying to get hold of the words needed to describe the mess inside his head.

"Look, I'm not sure what to make of this yet," Jack began cautiously, "Hell, I never thought of you that way and then all that just happened, like on its own... I didn't think about what I was doing, something in me just let go and then there was no stop to it. It was great, don't get me wrong here, but I'm just not sure what it was."

"So... was it just sex then?"

"Was it?"

"I'm asking you!"

"I don't know! God, Daniel! I'm not gonna go into soul searching, not now!" Jack cried out as he sat down on the bed.

"I'm sorry. We can do this later."

After putting down his barely touched breakfast, Daniel walked to Jack, who was rubbing his face vigorously with his hands, seeming to be trying to separate the skin of it from the rest of the body.

"I'm just as surprised by all this as you are," Daniel said quietly, "I was just worried this thing would somehow affect our friendship and that's the last thing I want. It happened and we both enjoyed it, so better just leave it at that. We can work out the rest as we go along."

"So, we're still buddies?" Jack asked as he tilted his head to meet the eyes of the man standing in front of him, and without thinking, his hands moved up to Daniel's waist and pulled him closer.

"Bestest buddies," came the reply.

Daniel's fingertips skimmed hesitatingly over Jack's open lips before moving on to hide in his short, thick hair and leaving the mouth free for a soft kiss.

"You know what?" Jack asked when the lips pulled away. "Your peach was sweeter than mine."

A warm smile was exchanged before Jack pressed his face against Daniel's stomach. Jack wanted to breathe in his scent, to feel the warmth of his skin, to know he was alive. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt this man, especially not Her.

"You know, it could be any minute now," he mumbled into Daniel's T-shirt, "The Goa'uld may already be orbiting this planet."

"I know. We'll get through this, Jack," Daniel said reassuringly.

"I'm trying like crazy to concentrate on the Goa'uld invasion and freeing Teal'c, and then all I have to do is to take one look at you and everything else goes down the drain."

"Jack, I do realise it could never be, that we could never be. You don't have to worry about it, no one will know."

"You think I care? 'Cos I don't, I really don't. And it's damn scary."

Jack's hands had moved on to Daniel's buttocks and were massaging them gently. His face still buried in the T-shirt, he cleared his throat to get out the rest of the words burning inside him.

"No mind-numbing psychobabble, if you please. I just want you, okay?"

"Well, that goes both ways. And I'm starting to believe that it goes further back than yesterday, at least for me it does." "I thought we weren't going to go there. And besides, you didn't see me shouting out any protests when that Rumlna guy mistook us for a couple, now did ya?"

"And how long did it take me to shove myself inside you?"

"Too long."

"Oh, that scream definitely didn't sound like I was being too slow for you!"

"Let's just drop this. The mission will be our priority as soon as that priest comes back and before that, I wanna catch some sights."

"Jack?" Daniel asked hearing his pants being unzipped.

"Yeah?"

"Um... what are you doing down there?"

"Oh, nothing," Jack answered casually.

Daniel bent his head down to take a look at the man sitting in front of him and gasped. The mere sight of Jack brushing his cheek against Daniel's flesh, licking it, kissing it, sent him balancing on the edge.

"Well, could you please stop doing that 'nothing'?"

"Why?"

"Oh, maybe because it's making me insane."

"And this differs from your normal self... how?"

"Very funny, Jack. Now stop."

Biting his bottom lip, Daniel managed to hold himself back to give his hand, still hiding in Jack's hair, time to act and pull the head away from his aching groin.

Jack was reluctant to lose the taste of Daniel's skin, making sure his hands, which were resting most comfortably on Daniel's behind, wouldn't let the man escape completely from his reach. Tilting his head back, Jack looked Daniel in the eye to find a reason for his refusal.

"Look, Dan... I really don't know how this thing works - or I know how it works, but I haven't ever... you know... given a blow-job... so if I'm doing something wrong here..."

"No, no, that's not it. You're being very... adept. Very."

"But you don't want me to go on?"

"Oh, I want you to go on, believe me..." Daniel said, swallowing hard, "It's just that I thought, that should the occasion arise for us to go beyond the friendship thing again, I would be the one doing most of the work, you know, to pay you back for the earlier..."

"First of all, you owe me nothing, zilch, nada. And second, you have no idea what it does for me to do this."

"Oh, I think I may have a hunch," Daniel said with a grin.

"It will probably get messy out there with that rite and I really need this... to have something beautiful... to make up for it."

"Um... if you so much as move that head of yours, I'll guarantee it will get messy in here as well."

"I'll promise to clean up."

"Well, in that case..." Daniel gave a little giggle.

"With your permission, Dr. Jackson... I'd like to go where no man has gone before."

"Oh, I think permission is granted. Yes, definitely granted."

Daniel gave deep sigh as Jack's face disappeared under his shirt again and the moist lips moved over his abs and down to...

"It is time, my friends!"

Priest Rumlna was standing in the doorway with the blush of embarrassment spreading rapidly over his face.

"Do you mind?!" Jack cried out, "We're in the middle of something here!"

"I beg your pardon, I did not mean to... You must excuse me, but it truly is time to go."

"O-kay," Daniel smiled as he tucked his shirt back in the pants, "I'll just have to relocate half a gallon of blood, and I'm on my way..."

"Half a gallon?" Jack whispered amused, "Wishful thinking, perhaps?"

"Speak for yourself."

"I meant, it felt more like a full gallon..."

Jack stood up and reached to take the grinning man's hand in his own, fingers sliding between fingers. They would get through this. Together. They would have to.

**************

"You will be sitting in the royal section. The best seats of the theatre," Rumlna said trying to cheer up the gloomy men as they walked through the halls and gardens of the palace.

"The theatre?" Daniel asked, preventing Jack from venting his mood with an unavoidably cutting remark.

"Yes," the priest said just as they entered the open space, "This is our theatre, our pride and joy!"

Daniel couldn't believe his eyes. It was a theatre all right, like a small-scale Coliseum, only with more Greek influence than the Romans had preserved. And the stands were full of people, men and women, all anxious to get the 'show' on the road.

"Jack, this is a gladiator fight. They were originally religious sacrifice rituals before developing into entertainment."

"So, you mean Teal'c will have to fight against someone? Till death?"

Daniel nodded as they were shown to their places right above the main entrance

"Yes, here your friend will battle and... well, die," Priest Rumlna said and cast his eyes down on the ground, "I am deeply sorry. I cannot help feeling that I'm partly to blame."

"Ya think?!"

"I know this is difficult for you, hearing the people rejoice over the death of your friend, but you must understand that it has been quite a while since the last time we had a decent sacrifice."

"So, you didn't... um, sacrifice the Goa'uld?"

"Oh, no. We used our magic to eliminate them, there was nothing left to sacrifice."

"Care to be more specific about that...?"

"I beg your pardon, I ought to be... um... somewhere else."

They were left on their own when Priest Rumlna excused himself and hurried down to the arena as much in order to supervise the last minute preparations, as he did just to get away from the prying questions. But the guards were still there, one on both side of them, with Zat guns in their hands.

"Jack, we have to stay calm and come up with a plan."

"I'm calm. Got a plan?"

"Teal'c's a warrior, this is what he does best. Maybe we have nothing to worry about."

"Not a good plan."

The excited crowd seemed to be settling down. The Queen had just entered the theatre.

"Look, Sam's there with Her," Daniel said and waved his hand at their team mate coming up the steps towards them.

The Queen and her party took their seats right in front of Jack and Daniel, allowing them to have a quick word with Sam.

"Any plan yet?" she asked.

"Funny you should mention that. We were just discussing it and I believe we settled on the improvisation," Jack replied, leaving Sam unable to determine whether he was serious or not.

"Guys..." Daniel said pointing down to the arena.

Teal'c was standing there, unarmed, looking disproportionately small in the middle of that vast open space. His gaze searched through the rows of spectators and found the other three members of his team. Only a look could be exchanged, since the audience had returned to the state of violent shouts when finally seeing the hated enemy, the soon-to-be offering to the Gods.

A sudden silence and then a barely visible nod from the Queen, telling them it was time to begin. Another figure appeared on the arena, a huge man carrying a three-foot sword in his hands to ensure the fight had an ending everyone was expecting.

Jack's mind was running on overdrive. There were only a handful of guards, and knowing they were anything but trained, he shouldn't have too much trouble taking them. If he could get his hands on that Zat gun the one of their 'bodyguards' on his left was carrying, and then zat the other fast enough to get Carter a gun, too, then they just might...

He never had time to finish that thought. All he could realise was that the man beside him got up and before Jack could even get his mouth to open, he was already gone.

"Stop it! Stop!" Daniel was shouting as he ran down the stairs and jumped over the railing, landing on his knees in the arena, "Listen to me! This man is not your enemy! He fights against the false gods, just like you and me!"

Daniel was standing by Teal'c, shouting at the top of his lungs to get his message through the ever growing noise from the audience.

"Just listen to me! The Goa'uld are coming back, hundreds of them, and you will all die! But we can help you, we can get you out of here!"

"Guards! I want that man off the arena - now!" the royal order carried all the way down to Daniel's ears.

Queen Larthia was trembling from fury. How dare he defy her authority in this manner?! As beautiful as he was, this was entirely unacceptable.

But before any of the guards had time to reach the arena, Jack had found his way out of the daze his friend had caused them all, and taking advantage of the confusion around him, he attacked the nearest guard and succeeded in getting his Zat gun. Without more planning he took down the other one as well and accompanied with a fierce shout, he signalled Sam, who'd been alert to act when the time to 'improvise' would come and had already managed to disarm one guard, to join him in a double attack, and together they took down the rest of them, including the two carrying staff weapons and guarding the Queen. But then something stopped them.

Queen Larthia had risen from her seat and maintaining her royal serenity, she addressed the man pointing the gun at her.

"If you wish to keep your friend's lovely head attached to the rest of that fine body, you will surrender yourself immediately," she said, almost managing to smile despite the chaos surrounding her.

Jack turned to look down to the arena only to find Daniel, standing in front of the gladiator, with a sword being pressed against his throat. The tiniest of movement and he would be no more.

"Now, I take it you are willing to negotiate?" the Queen asked.

"You bitch..." Jack hissed through his teeth and leaving his self-control behind, he fired the Zat gun at her, once.

The pain sent the Queen to the floor, her face twisted and a low scream escaping from her lips. As much as Jack would've enjoyed watching her suffer, Daniel's life was still in danger, even more so due to this rupture in his self-possession. Without much consideration Jack turned away from her and aimed his gun at the arena. And as the Queen's voice cried out "Kill him! Kill him!", he fired it at the gladiator and his hostage, dropping them both down on the ground.

Jack felt every muscle in his body quiver as he watched the pain surge through Daniel. He forgot the Queen lying at his feet and the roaring crowd glued to their seats. Jack was racing down the steps with only one thing occupying his mind.

"Are you alght,ght, Dr. Jackson?" Teal'c asked as he helped the shocked man to sit up and finished the gladiator off with the man's own sword.

"You guys just love doing that to me, don't you?"

"Daniel, you okay?" Jack was already there, on his knees next to him.

Receiving a shaky nod from the man, he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into his arms. Blood. Jack trembled seeing him bleed from the small cut on his throat. Just to think it could've been a much bigger one, Daniel could have... But it wasn't, Daniel was fine, everything was all right.

"Sorry, Danny. You scared the daylights out of me," Jack whispered into his ear and to the amazement of the Jaffa standing right next to them and of Sam still guarding the Queen up in the stands, he took Daniel's head between his hands and placed a soft kiss on the shivering lips.

"Don't ever do that to me again," Jack muttered.

"My sentiments exactly," Daniel said trying to make a grin through the pain.

"Colonel?" Sam called out, not believing her eyes. There would certainly be a lot left out of the mission report.

Jack was back up on his feet and on his way up to her. When there, he walked straight up to the one to blame for Daniel's close call. Queen Larthia was already standing up, straightening her clothes seemingly untouched by everything that had happened.

"Look, here's the deal. The Goa'uld are coming back and this time it won't be any picnic either. I'm talking 'bout a full scale invasion here. Your people will have the choice to either become their slaves or to die. I personally couldn't care less, but.."

"We can help you," Sam cut in, "if you let us."

"So, what's it gonna be?"

The Queen had listened to Jack's briefing with the same royal dignity as before, as if nothing these strangers said or did could in any way diminish her authority.

"My people will need nothing yours has to offer. We took care of the false gods once and we will do it again."

"Hey, c'mon, the two of us just beat the crap out of your so-called guards," he said pointing to Sam and himself, "So, what are you gonna do when the really bad guys turn up?"

"We will be better prepared. No one will take us by surprise ever again. I will personally make sure of that."

"Please, your highness, you have to listen to us," Sam tried in her turn, "We've seen this happen before, we've seen what the Goa'uld are capable of doing. We can take your people with us, take you where you'll be safe from them, but we have to start the evacuation immediately, there's no time to lose."

"I appreciate your effort," Queen Larthia replied her, clearly more warmly than when addressing Jack, "but you have not witnessed the power of our magic. We will defend ourselves against this assumed attack and we shall be victorious."

"Fine. Suit yourselves."

Jack raised his hand as a sign of surrender. He really didn't give a shit about these people. He just wanted to go home. With Daniel.

"Now, if we could just get our belongings back..." Jack waved the Zat gun to emphasise the request.

A snap of fingers and the matter was already being attended to. She would waste no time in getting them out of her sight, out of her mind, for good.

When he saw the slave boys appear carrying their gear, Jack gave the Queen a quick smile and a mock bow.

"And we're off."

Jack turned on his heels and with Carter following right behind, they returned to Teal'c and Daniel to give the latter the assistance he was bound to need on their hike back to the Gate.

**************

"Daniel, if you'll do the honours and dial us home," Jack said when they had finally reached the Stargate.

The man started pushing the chevrons to send them back to earth, but was interrupted when they heard a horse somewhere near by, followed by a panting voice coming through the bushes.

"Wait! Please!"

"Priest Rumlna?"

"I felt I needed to come and bid you farewell," the priest said trying to catch his breath, "I knew you would come here, to the monument. So, you still assert that you travel through this?"

"Yep."

Jack wasn't all that delighted to see the priest again.

"Priest Rumlna," Daniel said seriously, "they are coming. And it won't be through the Gate, but by ships."

"Oh, our fleet is the finest there is! We will have no difficulty in repelling an attack from the sea."

"No, you do not understand," Teal'c approached the man, "These ships come from the sky, they travel through thers."rs."

Priest Rumlna took a few steps back. He still wasn't convinced of the Jaffa's benevolence.

"You are joking, are you not?" priest Rumlna said trying to form a sound resembling a laugh.

"We are not, are we," Teal'c echoed his choice of words.

"I wish we were," Daniel confirmed as he dialled the last chevron, causing the priest to jump a few inches above the ground as the wormhole flashed open.

"Oh, my!" he said grabbing his chest, "Wha-wha...?"

"It's kinda hard to explain," Daniel said, not wanting to excite the old man any more than was necessary, "Just don't try this on your own. We'll be checking on you later to see that everything is okay."

"I... I do not understand... how can this be?"

"Take care."

It was all Daniel could say and accompany it with a quick smile before walking up to the Gate. Sam and Teal'c had already gone through, leaving Jack alone on the platform, waiting for Daniel.

"All set?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I just hope history won't repeat itself or we'll lose the Etruscan culture for good," Daniel replied with sadness in his voice, "There's a term historians use, the Suicide of Etruria, referring to their almost deterministic submission to the rule of Rome."

"Well, miracles are known to happen, you know," Jack said softly and took Daniel's hand in his own.

"And I suppose we're the living proof of that?"

"You't s't sound too convinced. But if it's more proof you want, then more proof you will get. Oh, I'll give it to you, all right... over and over and..."

And together the men stepped through the Stargate.