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The Amadeus Effect	By : NeenaVarscona Category: Stargate: SG-1 > General Views: 6242 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate: SG1, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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That first morning on PIK 260 was disturbingly pleasant. Daniel had spent the last three days in Cheyenne Mountain living under a suffocating blanket of suspicion and barely-concealed animosity. Maybe the members of SG-2 were above the kind of homophobia shared by the bulk of the SGC�s military personnel, or maybe it was Jack�s presence that was making the difference, but Daniel had felt a tenuous relief since stepping through the �gate early that morning. Ferretti, Casey, Griff, and Pierce were being their usual, obnoxious selves, telling off-colour jokes and laughing as they trekked through the woods to the base camp they�d established on their first trip to the planet.

As they set up their tents, Daniel relaxed into the now-familiar routine and listened with half an ear to Jack and Teal�c�s conversation.

�No, no, no�I�m Homer,� Jack was saying.

�I believe General Hammond more closely resembles the character of Homer Simpson, O�Neill,� Teal�c stated with conviction.

�It�s not a question of appearances,� Jack argued, �it�s a personality thing.�

Teal�c raised an eyebrow. �By that reasoning Daniel Jackson should be Lisa Simpson, not Bart Simpson.�

�Daniel can�t be Lisa.�

�Why can he not?�

�Well, for one thing, he�s a guy, and for another thing, Carter is Lisa.�

�Your system is flawed, O�Neill,� Teal�c said authoritatively. �Captain Carter�s Star Wars analogy is clearly superior.�

Daniel shook his head with a smile as the argument raged on. He would have been happy to listen to the two of them bickering all day, but he had chores to do. Keeping within earshot, as Jack had told him countless times to do, he followed Sam�s lead and headed into the forest to gather kindling for the evening�s fire. It wasn�t that they really needed a fire�the planet was almost as warm at night as it was during the day, and their MREs didn�t require that they build one�but there was something about having a fire that made sleeping off-world seem less�alien. The familiar sound of logs crackling and popping in the red-burning glow of the flames helped negate the strangeness of camping out under an unfamiliar canopy of stars and a sky dotted with multiple moons.

Daniel was just bending to gather up his pile of kindling when he heard a man�s voice behind him.

�You�re a dead man, Jackson.�

He dropped the wood and spun around, but whoever had been there had vanished into the dense foliage leaving only swaying branches as proof he was ever there. Daniel�s heart was thudding almost painfully in his chest. It was ridiculous; he�d faced Goa�uld, been beaten, tortured�hell, he�d even been killed!�so why did the empty threats of a bunch of unenlightened jarheads scare him so much?

Daniel steeled himself, gathered up the kindling he�d dropped and stomped back to camp. He�d be damned if he was going to cave in to his fear�he�d already let the situation get out of hand by not doing something about it sooner. He barely stopped long enough at his team�s campsite to drop the wood onto the pile of kindling Sam had already collected before ploughing determinedly through the forest towards SG-2�s camp.

He heard Jack and Teal�c following behind him, heard Jack calling his name, but he didn�t slow down. If he stopped now, he might lose the courage to go through with it. He burst into the clearing where SG-2 had set up their tents and found Griff and Casey bent double, laughing themselves silly. He stalked up to them, his hands balled into fists, his jaw clenched so tight the muscles ached.

The two airmen didn�t notice him until he was right in front of them. And when they saw him, it only made them laugh all the harder. Jack and Teal�c pushed through the barrier of trees a moment later and suddenly the two soldiers didn�t seem to find the situation so funny.

�Just what the hell is going on here?� Jack demanded before Daniel could get a word out.

Casey quickly schooled his features into a respectful expression to answer his superior officer. �Nothing, Sir. Just having some fun.�

�Daniel?� Jack asked, knowing there was more to it than Casey would have him believe.

Daniel�s face heated up. He was still angry, still battling a fear that had dogged him since his school days, but now, on top of it all, he had the embarrassment of having been �rescued� by Jack. Again.

�It�s nothing, Jack,� he said, doing his best to keep his voice steady against the surge of emotions pressing to get out. He gave Jack a look that warned not to press the matter further, and thankfully Jack took the hint and let it drop.

As they turned to leave, Griff mumbled, �Fucking queer,� just loud enough for Daniel to hear.

Daniel paused, wanting more than anything to turn back around and tear a strip off the guy, but with Jack and Teal�c a mere few feet away, he knew it would come off as false bravado. So he kept walking, doing his best to ignore the snickering at his back.

When they reached their camp, Jack wheeled around so fast that Daniel nearly ran right into him.

�Alright�care to tell me what that was really all about?� asked Jack, his arms crossed sternly across his chest. �And don�t tell me it was �nothing�. The only time I�ve ever seen you that pissed off you had a Goa�uld pointing a weapon at your head.�

�I can handle it, Jack,� Daniel said, stubbornly crossing his arms in a mirror of Jack�s stance.

�And what is it, exactly, that you can handle?� Jack was not backing down, his gaze remaining steady and intense.

Daniel�s eyes blazed in answer to Jack�s unspoken challenge. �You wouldn�t understand.�

That was the wrong thing to say. Jack�s gaze hardened into a glare. �Try me.�

�Fine. You want to talk about this now?� Daniel asked, his arms gesticulating wildly, his eyes shining, his face reddening. He knew he was bordering on a tantrum, but sometimes Jack pushed all the wrong buttons. �You want to have this discussion here? In front of Teal�c and Sam?�

Carter had just entered the little clearing with an armful of wood and froze, staring at the odd tableau before her with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity.

�If it�s something that could affect the mission, then yes, I think they should hear it, too,� said Jack, lifting up on his toes as if the added height might tip the argument in his favour.

Daniel refused to pander to the obvious posturing and he, too, rose up on the balls of his feet so they were once again eye to eye. �If you really must know, it�s your Air Force friends, Jack.� The remark was punctuated with a finger jab to the colonel�s chest. �Apparently they�re taking the rumours about us very seriously.�

Jack took a step back, too busy contemplating what Daniel had said to realise he�d been the first to blink in their little argument. �Griff?� Jack asked, guessing the most likely culprit.

Daniel nodded. �Casey too, probably,� he muttered.

�Probably?� asked Jack, his brows rising.

�I was alone in the woods and I heard a voice, but I didn�t get a look at who it was,� Daniel admitted.

Jack cursed under his breath and shook his head in defeat. Without firm proof, they had nothing. They both knew it.

�I was going over there to confront them about it when you showed up. You saw them�you know as well as I do that they�re the ones behind the death threats.�

Jack�s jaw set in a firm scowl. �I�ll handle it,� he promised grimly.

Teal�c, who looked about ready to dismember the next person he came across, nodded in agreement. �They will pay most grievously for their behaviour.�

�No!� Daniel half-shouted with a little jump. �That�s exactly what I�m talking about!�

�Sorry�not following,� Jack replied sarcastically. �Are you saying you want to let them get away with it?�

�No, Jack,� Daniel answered, his eyes closing as he drew on his inner reserves of patience and tried to calm down. �What I�m saying is that this is my fight. It�s been my fight from the beginning.�

Jack looked like he wanted to shake him, but instead he started pacing. �Goddamn it, Daniel! When will you get it through that messed-up genius skull of yours that you�re a part of a team? We look after each other. It�s what we do.�

�I know that, Jack. I do,� said Daniel earnestly. �But what you don�t seem to understand is that, as much as I�m a part of SG-1, I�m not a part of the SGC�not really. I�m an anomaly�too entrenched with the military to fit in with the civilians and too much of a science geek to be taken seriously by the military. And now, with this?� Daniel shot an arm out, waving it in the direction of SG-2�s camp, �If I don�t stand up for myself�if I can�t fight my own battle on this one, then I might as well paint a bull�s eye on my back and call it a day!�

Jack had stopped pacing, and Daniel realized he had the undivided attention of his entire team. He shifted uneasily from foot to foot and re-crossed his arms, hugging himself in a way that always made him feel less exposed.

�You don�t have to prove yourself, Daniel,� said Sam, coming up to stand between Jack and Teal�c, creating a unified front. �You�ve done more for the SGC than anyone on the planet, and we all know it. If it weren�t for you, the population of Earth would have been killed or enslaved by Apophis.�

Daniel sighed, feeling the weight of his friends� concern settling squarely on his shoulders, and he slumped down to sit on the nearest log. �Look�I appreciate the pep talk, but it doesn�t change anything. I could single-handedly save the Earth a hundred times over and they�d still see me as a bumbling geek and a pervert who�s likely to get them killed in the field.�

Jack visibly bristled, but Daniel could see by the look in his eyes that he�d conceded the point. Jack grumbled deep in his throat as if he was fighting and losing an argument in his head. �Okay. You wanna handle this? I won�t stand in your way. Just�take it easy on them�remember, they�re our guys, not system lords. We need enough pieces left over to identify the remains.�

Daniel peered up at him with a hint of a smile. �Thank-you, Jack.�

Jack waved away the gratitude. �Just promise me you�ll be smart about it. If things go south, you call for backup. That�s what we�re here for. Got it?�

�Got it,� Daniel agreed, his eyes darting away from Jack�s when their joined gaze began heating up pleasantly.

~~~~~

That night, Daniel shared a tent with Sam. It was the first time they�d changed their off-world sleeping arrangements since they�d started going through the �gate together as a team, and Daniel was having a hard time falling asleep. He missed Jack. Even in the pitch blackness of the tent, he�d had a palpable presence that was soothing. Plus, they hadn�t had a chance to spend any time together since the Amadeus effect had worn off, and he needed to get him alone for a while to talk�to touch.

The truth was, he wanted Jack in a way that was new and terrifying for him. He wanted everything with Jack, and as he lay awake, blinking back the oppressive darkness and listening to intermittent rustling of Sam�s sleeping bag, he began to imagine what kind of a life the two of them could have together. God knew it would be an uphill battle to keep their relationship off the RADAR, but the benefits� Daniel grinned. Never before had he anticipated being with somebody the way he did with Jack.

Next to him, the rustling grew louder. �Daniel, are you awake?� Carter�s whispered question barely registered above the sound of the wind snapping at the canvas of their tent.

�Yeah, I�m awake,� Daniel whispered back. �Can�t sleep?�

�Just thinking��

Daniel waited for the rest of it, but when it didn�t come, he prompted, �About what?�

�You�re in love with him, aren�t you?� she asked bluntly. �I mean�it wasn�t just the organisms in your blood; not by the end.�

Daniel hesitated. He didn�t know how much of the truth Jack wanted to share with the rest of the team, but he trusted Sam with his life�he could trust her with their secret. �Yes,� he answered sincerely.

There was another pause, then, �That�s good. I mean�I�m happy for you. I just wanted you to know that.�

�Thanks, Sam,� Daniel said, and even he could hear the smile in his voice. �That means a lot.�

�Just be careful, okay?�

�Always.�

There was more rustling in the dark as Sam turned over. �Goodnight, Daniel�

��Night, Sam.�

It was strange, but Daniel felt a weight lift off his shoulders that he hadn�t even realised was there. As the last vestiges of wakefulness gave in to the pull of sleep, Daniel thought how lucky he was to be a part of this team. Even the dull fear of confronting Griff tomorrow couldn�t taint the feeling of peace that had come over him, knowing he had family to look out for him.
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The Amadeus Effect