Title: Clear Vision

Author: Debi C

Feedback: dcole5@satx.rr.com

Author Website: None for the adult stuff yet, working on one, just Alpha Gate and Area 52 so far

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Jack/Daniel

Category: Slash, FNF Challenge: "There are none so blind"

Date: 1/4/2003

Status: Finished

Series: None

Season/Spoilers: Mainly scenes from The Light. Mentions of Forever in a Day, Shades of Grey, The Other Side, Upgrades, Divide and Conquer, The First Ones, Beneath the Surface, Tangent, The Curse, and Absolute Power.

Archive: Alpha Gate. Area 52. Anyone else please ask.

Synopsis: During the events of The Light, Sam sees the truth.

Notes: Unbetad, I love these challenge things.

Warnings: None that I can see.

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/ Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I do not own the characters and indeed am only playing with them for a little while. Jack and Daniel belong with each other, just ask them. I am not making any money from this and I'm still paying for everything I own so there's very little point in suing me. No copyright infringement whatsoever is intended. The story is for entertainment purposes only. At least I hope it's entertaining. The original characters, situations and story are mine. Please check with me first if you want to archive or link to this story.

Clear Vision

Debi C

Major Sam Carter got up from the briefing table and looked after her team chief and co-worker, Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson. The two men had gotten downright snarley to each other in the last few months and she was beginning to get concerned about their working relationship. It seemed to have started on, hmmm, when had it started?

The two men had always held diametrically opposing viewpoints about many things. maybe it had been during the sting operation that had driven the Colonel to his lying to Daniel about their friendship not having any foundation. Maybe it was on Enkara when Daniel had managed to get himself beamed up to the alien ship that they were trying to blow up. Or possibly on Euronda in their quest to get weapons technology, but something had driven a wedge between the two that was not only interfering with their legendary friendship but with the smooth working of their team. Now, it was even worse.

Daniel had just come back from a temporary duty assignment with SG-5. He had returned to make a report of what they had located at the Goa'uld palace he was examining. Then, the Colonel had told him about Barber's suicide. The younger man had seemed distraught to her. Of course, Daniel had been working closely with the Lieutenant and it would be normal for him to be upset over his death. And heaven knows, they had been having a stressful year. Daniel had just barely seemed to recover from his wife's death when they had almost lost the Colonel and Teal'c to a runaway death glider, then he was kidnapped by a Unas. They had all been mind wiped and convinced they were all slaves to a mining colony on an ice planet. Then, his college mentor had been killed, and his old girlfriend possessed by a Goa'uld. And not too long ago, his deceased wife's son had showed up on Abydos and then gave him some sort of teaching dream that had apparently shaken him up pretty badly.

******* "What else could go wrong?" Carter murmured to Teal'c.

"I do not know Majorcarter, but this latest occurrence is very distressing." Her teammate replied as they suited up to Mop 2 Hazmat conditions. Even Teal'c had decided to wear the gasmask this time out, something he usually eschewed because of his symbiote's protection. It showed how concerned he was that they were going into an unknown situation.

SG-5 was all confined to the Infirmary under Janet Fraiser's care. And now, the Colonel had brought Daniel back from his apartment in a semi-comatose condition. O'Neill had told them how he had literally pulled this friend off the outer edge of his balcony seconds before the younger man had released his grip on the banister and his own life. The resulting eight story drop to the busy city street below would have no doubt terminated one of the most dynamic people she had ever had the extreme pleasure to know and work with.

So now, they were headed to the planet of the pleasure planet to see what could be causing the problems with the SGC personnel that had been working there.

*******

"Come on, outta here." O'Neill berated his two team members. "Right now!"

They followed the Colonel out of the room with the light fountain.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c greeted their missing teammate.

"Yep, I had to bring him back. It was the only thing that was gonna keep him alive." The Colonel stated as he went to the younger man's side. Daniel was sitting on the pedistal of the Stargate with his head resting on his forearms. He didn't bother to look up at Carter and Teal'cs arrival, or maybe, he just couldn't yet.

"How long were you gone?" She asked, still a bit confused by the events. Carter felt like she had been wrapped in cotton batting and was just now tearing it away.

"A few hours ago, Hammond tried to call you." O'Neill replied, looking at her appraisingly.

"He did not." Teal'c said flatly.

Lorne piped up. "He did, I heard his voice." Confirming the Colonel's statement.

Carter was shocked. "Where were we?"

The boy answered again. "In there."

The Major looked at my frowning C. O. "I can't explain it, Sir."

He shrugged, looking back at Daniel. "Well, Fraiser thinks we're all addicted here to something that alters our brain chemistry, and dollars to donuts, it's that damned light." He gestured towards the optical fountain.

"Oh, I don't see how..." the words slipped out before she could stop them.

The Colonel looked at Lorne. "Hey, you knew didn't ya? That's why you're not allowed in there."

"My father said I was too young."

"Sir," Carter protested. "If it's the light itself, how did Daniel recover just by arriving on the planet?"

"I don't know Major but I want you to find out, otherwise we're stuck here indefinitely and that's not acceptable." He looked into the room with the light. "Ya know, screw it! We're turning the thing off." He got to his feet and brushed past the youngster as he stood at the doorway.

"NO!" Lorne cried out.

O'Neill turned and said to the boy. "You stay here." and entered the room. Carter and Teal'c following.

*******

Hours later, after being sucked into the light fountain's effect, Lorne showing them how to turn the fountain off, them suffering from withdrawal again when they had gone out to do a perimeter patrol, the three team mates finally came in to settle for the night.

As Carter and Teal'c entered the room, she saw that the Colonel had returned to Daniel's side. He was speaking softly to him and rubbing his back with a comforting hand. The younger man was sitting with his head between his knees, covering his face with his hands. He looked like he'd been recently ribboned...again. Finally, O'Neill ceased contact with a pat on the shoulder and Daniel looked up at him.

And what a look it was...the closest thing she could compare it with was one of sheer adoration. Then it hit her like a proverbial ton of brinks...Daniel loved him. Daniel, her friend, teammate and wonder twin was desperately in love with Jack O'Neill.

Then, she caught the return look from the Colonel. Yep, there it was, the same look. Where had she been? When had this happened? She glanced at Teal'c, who nodded at her confirming her suspicions. No, she wasn't imaging it. It was gone when she looked back, they became again two team mates, two friends...but she had not imagined the look that had crossed between them.

The Jaffa smiled at her epiphany and murmured softly so that only she could hear. "Do you not have a saying, Majorcarter...There are none so blind as those who will not see?"

She nodded at him, dumbly. So the feelings that they had spoke of having for each other during the Zatarc episode was not what she had thought it to be. Jack O'Neill had never loved her the way she had thought he had...the way she was concerned about. Oh, he meant it. He cared, way more than he was supposed to, but not like that. He cared way more for Teal'c than he was supposed to also. But with Daniel...it was a whole new ballgame.

Thank goodness!

fin