Epilogue: Home

 

Three Months Later

 

After the team meditation, Daniel tackled his therapy head-on.  He spent hours in the city library researching BPD and PTSD.  He brought home stacks of psychological books, learning about how the mind and emotions worked.  Why children that are brought up in the foster system quite often develop mental health problems.  Add to that, the figures of how children that are subjected to rape, often have major depressive disorder, BPD, PTSD, and the list goes on.

 

Dr. Fleming was pleased with his progress.  Daniel still had hard sessions and would quite often be completely drained afterwards.  Sometimes he would curl up in Jack’s strong arms and silently cry.  Jack never pushed him to talk about it, knowing that his distress was caused by a particularly hard memory that he had worked though.  Other times, Daniel would come home from his meeting positively wired with energy because he’d remembered a good memory.

 

He and Joey would go on long hikes in the Garden of the Gods parks.  Daniel felt more comfortable talking out in the open.  Sharing his fears and traumas from his childhood.  To him, it was like releasing these feelings for the wind whip them away.  It was freeing… exhilarating.

 

Daniel’s speech therapist released him with a fully recovered report.  She was amazed that he had recovered all the sounds so well after the injury that he sustained.  She even wanted to write a paper on him.  His sense of taste was still a little off, but he could live with that.  As long as coffee and chocolate walnut cookies tasted right, the rest was a moot point to him.

 

Jack had started back to work shortly after that team night.  He knew that Daniel had turned a corner and could be trusted to be on his own.  It was almost like having the ‘old Daniel’ back.  But with certain… pleasurable differences.

 

Most nights would find the two men cuddled together on the couch.  Jack watching whatever sports game that tickled his fancy and Daniel reading or journaling.  They had yet to completely consummate their relationship, but that was fine with both of them.  Slow and easy was the best coarse for a fledgling gay man and a traumatized one.

 

That of course didn’t mean that thing never got hot and steaming in various rooms of the house.  Sexual gratification was definitely part of their lives now.  For Daniel, the cuddling was his favorite thing to do.  He had never realized just how much he craved being held and touched.  He was always so stand-offish with people, even his friends, when it came to physical contact.  After reading that that was one of the symptoms of his childhood ordeals, he made a conscious effort to letting people get close to him.  Well, not everyone, but his family and friends.

 

So, nine months after his attack, Daniel was back on base and almost skipping to General Hammond’s office.  In his sweaty hands, he clutched a manila folder.  Jack couldn’t help but laugh at him.

 

“Jesus, Daniel,” he said resting a hand on his shoulder, “settle down.  You look like a kid running home from school with a straight ‘A’ report card.”

 

The younger man looked at him with a frown, “All my report cards were straight ‘A’s, Jack.”

 

“Figures,” he muttered rolling his eyes.  “Over achiever.”

 

Jack knocked on Hammond’s open door and strolled in with Daniel hot on his heels.

 

“General, this hyper-yoyo is here to see you,” O’Neill grinned.

 

George looked at the bouncing man with a laugh.  He was very happy to see Daniel in such high spirits.

 

“Gentlemen, I understand that you have something for me, Dr. Jackson.”

 

“Yes, sir!” Daniel stated, his voice almost an octave higher than normal.  With a huge grin, he handed the folder over.

 

As Hammond perused the release form giving the medical and psychological clearance for Daniel to go back to work, the younger man looked as if he was about to explode.

 

“Alright, Dr. Jackson,” George said happily, “Looks like SG-1 is back in rotation.  Welcome home.”

 

“Thank you, sir!” Daniel said proudly.

 

“There’s a stack of translations about as tall as me waiting for you to tackle in your office, son.  Enjoy,” he told him.

 

Jack had to laugh as Daniel sprinted out of the office.  “Anyone else they would’ve grumbled and cussed about that.”

 

“Jack, can you close the door for a moment,” Hammond asked.

 

“Ah-oh, this can’t be good.”

 

George smiled and pointed to the chair for Jack to sit down.  “Jack, I wanted to be the first to tell you about this.  It’s going to go public in a few weeks, but I thought you would like to know now.”

 

With a deep sigh, Jack closed his eyes waiting for bad news.

 

“The President has signed the repeal of DA/DT.  All people of whatever orientation will be able to serve openly in all branches of the Armed Forces.  This is retroactive and has been implemented as of today.”

 

Jack almost jumped into the air and screamed.  If he hadn’t been an officer, he would have.  Instead, he grinned at his CO and nodded with the all the self-restraint he could muster.  But that restraint was seriously put to the test at Hammond’s next words.

 

“You have the rest of the day to get things in order,” George told the suddenly confused man.  With a bright smile he said, “If you don’t go and ask that young man to marry you, I will have grave reservations about your sanity.  Dismissed.”

 

It took a full minute for the words to sink in.  Jack stood and left the office in a state of shock.  He barely knew he was even walking when he found himself outside his office door.  After he was safely ensconced in his little office, all the waiting fireworks went off in his head and he shouted in absolute joy, punching the air with his fists!  When he was able to calm his excitement, he grabbed his phone to make preparation for that evening.  There was a lot to get done in a short amount of time.

 

***

 

It’s amazing how much you can get done when properly motivated.  Jack was on the phone for most of the morning.  Then he left the base and went into town to get the things he needed for that night.  For once, he was more than willing to let Daniel work through the entire day and not bug the man about lunch or breaks.  This way Jack knew his lover wouldn’t know what he was up to.

 

He had enlisted Sam, Drew, and Joey in helping him out.  Pulling rank to get Drew out of work.  By the time Daniel would get home, everything would be ready.  The rest of his afternoon was spent on getting his big plans set.  The last place he stopped, was a jeweler.  Jack carefully studied the rings, looking for the perfect one.  He felt bad when he remembered the dinky little ring that he had gotten for Sara.

 

When Jack spotted the one he wanted, his heart skipped a beat.  With a warm, tingly feeling running

through his veins, he called the clerk over.  He had to see it up close.  It was white gold with a deep,

iridescent blue, just about the same color as Daniel’s eyes, on the inside.  Slanting cut-out lines around

the surface of the ring showing the same blue color.  It almost looked like the iris closing on an active

wormhole.  No matter the cost, that was it.  He knew that Daniel’s hands were about the same size as his,

maybe slightly thinner, so he had one ring sized to his hand and one a half size smaller.

 

As he left the store, package tucked safely in his inside jacket pocket, Jack headed home to set everything up.  He felt ten years younger and his heart was full to bursting.  He couldn’t wait for the evening and with it, the love of his life, to come.

 

***

 

Jack roamed his backyard, making sure the fire pit was stocked, the Chinese lanterns all working and that all the chairs he had were clean and in placed.  The sky was beginning to darken and a soft breeze ruffled his hair.

 

Joey showed up with his friend that owned a catering business.  She had pulled some of her friends in to help with cooking and setting up the tables.  Jack was flabbergasted that she was willing to do this at such short noticed, but Joey told him, Thursday nights weren’t that busy for her.

 

Shortly after they had everything set up, Drew came in with more chairs, a sound system, three kegs of beer, and some tiki touches.  The night was going to be perfect.  The spring weather was warm and the sky clear.  Jack nodded at the scene with satisfaction and knew it was time to call Daniel and let him know he had to be home at 19:00.  Then he called Sam and made sure she got him out the door by 18:00.

 

Jack sat down on his deck with a soda when it suddenly hit him.  He was going to ask Daniel to marry him.  In front of half the base.  The butterflies were swarming in his stomach now.  No doubts, just nerves.

 

“Relax, Jack,” Drew said as he sat with him, “this is going to be fantastic!”

 

“Yeah… it is,” he answered.  “Much better than the first time I asked someone to marry me.”

 

Drew waited for more, but the other man was silent.  “Come on, spill!”

 

Jack looked down with a grin, “I asked Sara, my ex, to marry me just as I was getting onto a transport plane to Iraq.  She had to shout her answer to me over the engine noise.”

 

They laughed together.  Drew patted Jack on his shoulder, “This will definitely be better, I think.”

 

Jack grew pensive and fixed Drew with a pleading look, “What if he says no?”

 

The young man barked out a laugh, “Rrrrrrright!  I’ve never seen anyone more in love than Daniel is with you.  Except maybe me and Joey.”

 

Reassured, Jack leaned back and waited for people to begin to show up.

 

***

 

Daniel finally quit asking what was going on when Sam threatened him with bodily harm.  He sat in the passenger seat of her car and fidgeted.  He knew something was up when he left the base with her.  There was hardly anyone around and she was dressed up a bit.  Not like date dressed up, but she did have make up on. 

 

Earlier he had called General Hammond’s office to see what his deadline on the stack of translations was, but he was told that the general had already left the base.  Then he had gone down to see Janet before he headed to the locker room only to find the petite doctor was already gone.  Jack had left about mid-morning and Teal’c was nowhere to be found either.

 

It didn’t take him long to figure out that something was going on.  When Sam turned towards Jack’s house, Daniel saw loads of cars parked up and down the street.  Some were even parked on the grass in front of the house.  When Sam parked, she turned to her friend and saw his eyes wide and brows almost in his hairline.

 

“Come on, Daniel,” she said cheerily.  “I promised the colonel that I’d get you here on time.”

 

“Yeah… but time for what?” the man asked as he cautiously exited the car.  “Come on, Sam.  What the hell is going on?”

 

She took his hand in hers as they made their way around the house.  Music was playing and Daniel heard people talking and laughing.  When the turned the corner, he saw where the base personal had disappeared too.

 

Jack saw them and trotted up to Daniel, taking him in a bear hug.  Daniel sort-of hugged back, not wanting to display their relationship in front of so many people.  But Jack didn’t seem to mind.

 

As the older man took Daniel by the hand and led him into the center of the party, Joey pulled out a guitar and started playing.  Then he and Drew began to sing.

 

Hold on, to me as we go.
As we roll down this unfamiliar road.
And although this wave is stringing us along.
Just know you’re not alone,
Cause I’m going to make this place your home.

Settle down, it'll all be clear.
Don't pay no mind to the demons,
They fill you with fear.
The trouble it might drag you down.
If you get lost, you can always be found.

Just know you’re not alone,
Cause I’m going to make this place your home.

Settle down, it'll all be clear.
Don't pay no mind to the demons,
They fill you with fear.
The trouble it might drag you down.
If you get lost, you can always be found.

Just know you’re not alone,
Cause I’m going to make this place your home.***

 

When they finished singing, Joey kept playing softly as Daniel’s attention was drawn back to Jack.  With a huge smile, the older man went down on one knee.

 

Daniel couldn’t believe his eyes.  Right there, in front of half the base, Jack pulled out a small velvet box, opened it, and took Daniel’s hand in his.

 

“Daniel,” he said in strong voice, “We’ve been through a lot together.  Seen each other at the lowest points and shared in the triumphs.  I may be a crusty, old bastard, and you love me anyway.  In the past few months, I realized that I was in love with you too.  And now, I want to make that love official.

 

“Daniel Jackson,” he said with a slight hitch in his voice, “will you marry me?”

 

As the tears escaped his eyes, Daniel couldn’t for the life of him get his tongue to work.  The moment grew as everyone there held a collective breath.  It wasn’t until Sam nudged Daniel in the back that he managed to get his brain in gear.

 

“Yes!”

 

Jack stood up and pulled Daniel into his arms.  The kiss they shared, not only with each other, but with all their friends and family, was the most beautiful moment they would both remember forever.

 

The End