Jack's Immortal 8 by Admiral Q O

 Jack's Immortal 8

Relationships

by Admiral Q O 

What a drudging, miserable drive from Denver to Colorado Springs. Methos probably should have waited until after the commute traffic had ended, but he hadn't wanted to miss the opportunity to have dinner with Jack. Now that they were living under the same roof, they had dinner together more frequently, but, still, Jack's schedule had him stuck off world or at the base many evenings, and Methos' obligations at the University typically had him in Denver half the time. As a consequence, it was rare that they were both 'home' on a Thursday evening, but tonight was different.

Finally, Methos reached his exit, got off the freeway, and headed for his 'official' residence, roughly one mile from Jack's house, where he parked his Range Rover in the driveway next to Duncan's car. Methos then got out and walked casually to the front door, carrying his trench coat in one hand and laundry bag in the other in order to keep up appearances. He went through the same routine each time he returned to town – dropped off his laundry at his house, mixing it in with Duncan's so that he would inevitably wash it for him then made a quick change into workout clothes so that he could jog over to Jack's house. It was a system that had served him well and he saw no reason to vary his routine this evening, even though he'd only been gone for one day instead of his usual three or four.

As Methos approached the front door, he sensed Duncan was inside, as was normal given they were both immortals, but then he sensed something more. Duncan was not alone. There was another immortal with him. Damn it. Methos opted to bypass his laundry, it wasn't much anyway, and turned back to the driveway, intending to simply walk over to Jack's then he heard the front door open and a familiar voice coming from within the house.

"Hey, old man." The woman's voice was playful and sultry at the same time.

"Amanda," Methos sighed as he turned to face her. What the hell was she doing in town? And what kind of trouble was she bringing with her this time?

"Miss me?" Amanda smirked, as she looked him up and down. Damn, but Methos looked hot. She could only hope that she looked that good at 5,000 plus.

"Not particularly," Methos said as he walked to the front door and then stepped past her. "MacLeod," he said with a nod towards Duncan then he headed for the laundry room where he waited for Duncan to join him.

"Uh...hi," Duncan said with an odd look on his face. "You're back early. Uh...want a beer?"

"No. I'm not staying. When did she show up?" It was best to get all the cards on the table quickly so that Methos could plan a strategy for keeping out of Amanda's little scheme, whatever that may be this time around.

"About an hour ago. She tracked down Dawson and asked him where to find me."

"Of course she did," Methos said with a nod. Joe Dawson wasn't just their friend, he was also Duncan's Watcher, so naturally he would know where Duncan was at any given point in time since it was his job to observe and record Duncan's life for posterity. "What did you tell her?"

"That I had to relocate and that I'm posing as your housemate so no one finds out that you're living with Jack."

"Did you tell her that Jack and I got married?"

"No," Duncan sighed and shook his head. "I figure she doesn't need to know that part." With Amanda, it was best to not volunteer too much information. She had a way of using anything and everything to her advantage, and sometimes, even with the best intentions, she still managed to cause others grief by acting on information that she'd procured.

"True," Methos sighed and relaxed his stance. "What sort of trouble is she in this time?"

"None," Duncan said and received an incredulous look from Methos. "I swear. She came to bring me a housewarming gift, say hello, that sort of thing...she hadn't heard from me since I left New York in such a hurry...she was worried...."

"Ah, she wants another roll in the sheets," Methos said knowingly. Despite the fact that Amanda loved Duncan, as Methos and Joe were well aware, there were only two reasons that Amanda ever showed up on Duncan's doorstep, no matter where in the world that might be: either a – she was in trouble, or b – she wanted to get laid. She simply wasn't the type of person to be domesticated, settle down, get married – she had too much wanderlust flowing through her veins.

"Perhaps," Duncan said, sounding a bit annoyed. He loved Amanda and enjoyed their occasional tryst, but Methos was making it sound as if Duncan were Amanda's sex toy. "We haven't gotten that far yet...."

"Yes, well let me get out of the way before you do," Methos said and headed into the hall and back to his bedroom, leaving Duncan to rejoin Amanda in the living room.

"He seems upset," Amanda said as Duncan came into the room.

"He'll be fine."

"Maybe we should take him to dinner?"

"He has other plans," Duncan said firmly. "Another beer?"

"Sure," Amanda said with a smile and followed Duncan into the kitchen.

"Okay, I'm out of here," Methos said as he emerged from the back, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, and carrying a large athletic bag wherein he had his now empty laundry bag, along with his trench coat and sword.

"Been nice seeing you, too," Amanda smirked in response.

"Coming back tonight?" Duncan asked, wondering what Methos' schedule might be.

"I'll be taking my car early in the morning, won't bother coming inside then I'll be back with more laundry Sunday evening," Methos said, stating his intentions as he put his bag over his head and one shoulder, resting it diagonally along his back.

"Sunday evening...hmmm...should give us plenty of time," Amanda whispered and moved in more closely to Duncan while Methos headed toward the entryway then out the front door.

Duncan took a deep breath as he saw the gleam in Amanda's eyes. Methos had been right, as he so often was. Come Sunday, Duncan was going to be either very happy or very sore, or, possibly, both.

~ ~ ~

Methos arrived at Jack's house and paused on the driveway, setting his bag down so he could stretch. Jack's truck was nowhere to be seen, damn it. Methos searched his mind, recalling Jack's work schedule, and shook his head. This made no sense. SG-1 wasn't scheduled to go off world until the following week. Maybe something had come up unexpectedly? That wouldn't be so unbelievable at the S.G.C.

He finished stretching then took his bag in hand and went around back to the patio, all the while checking the area for any sign that the house was being monitored. Reasonably certain that he wasn't being watched, Methos then let himself in through the sliding glass door and made for the refrigerator, setting his bag down on the kitchen counter. He grabbed a beer, making a mental note that they were getting low on milk and bread again then he went to the hall closet and retrieved the small kit he and Jack used to sweep the house for surveillance equipment.

Once he was done with his sweep, which turned up nothing, and had the equipment put away, Methos was nearly through his beer, so he polished it off then took another one and reclaimed his bag before heading to the guest room where he dropped his bag down on the bed, and then stripped out of his clothes, leaving them in plain sight on the floor. If Jack had been there, they would have showered together in the master bathroom, but since he was alone, Methos took his 'visitor's kit' out from the linen cabinet and set up to shower and shave in the hall bathroom. This way, if anyone came dropping by unannounced, he would explain his presence by saying that he was staying the night at Jack's since Duncan was entertaining a female guest from out of town. Hell, with all the times Amanda had used Duncan over the centuries, Methos felt using her in this way was only fair, especially since the two of them were banging around in his house.

After a quick shower, Methos dried off and left the towel over the shower door then went to the guest bedroom and retrieved some clothes from the back of the closet. To the casual observer, the closet was used for nothing more than storage, including clothes that Jack for some reason never wore yet refused to part with. It was mingled with those clothes that Methos kept a functional wardrobe, nothing but the basics – shirts, jeans, and informal trousers. He selected a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved, blue Henley shirt then he padded off to the master bedroom for some clean underwear, which he kept nestled in the same drawer as Jack's.

Once dressed, Methos finished off his second beer then went back to the kitchen and tossed the bottle into the garbage. Seeing that the bag was near to overflowing, he took it out of its sliding basket under the sink and put a new one in its place then closed up the full bag, tying it as he made for the garbage can outside. As he lifted the lid for the can, he pursed his lips then let out a heavy sigh. Why wasn't Jack home yet? There was only one way to find out. He went back into the house, got his cell phone from his bag, and pressed the appropriate number on speed dial.

"O'Neill," Jack answered on the third ring, his voice distant, distracted.

"So you are in your office," Methos said with a tease in his voice.

"Yeah," Jack sighed as he leaned back in his chair, stretching the length of his body. Damn, but he was getting all kinked up being hunched over his desk for the past few hours. "Catching up on some files...trying to find my desk. I'm told it's under here somewhere," he joked.

"Ah," Methos said with a nod. "I was going to see if you wanted to have dinner. Duncan has a guest at our place, and I'm in town tonight..."

"Why's that?" Jack asked, sitting up straight in his chair. This wasn't a totally private line, so they had to be careful what was said, but, at the same time, if there was something wrong with his husband then Jack damn sure wanted to know.

"Daniel phoned me. He wants my help on a translation tomorrow...seems our Nevada friends are snatching the artifact in question and he only has until the end of business this week to handle it in person." The scientists and those in charge of Area 51 were forever pressuring the S.G.C. to hand over alien artifacts more quickly. If they had their way, Daniel, Sam and the other scientists at the S.G.C. would never get to study what was brought back through the Stargate because everything would be immediately shipped to Nevada where those eager scientists could get first crack at the items. Methos wondered sometimes just how much ego was in that facility. Was it that they wanted to be the ones credited for discovery of some new technology, or were they just like spoiled children, who hated waiting their turn?

"Ah," Jack said with a nod as he relaxed back in his seat upon hearing that Methos was unharmed. "I think he might have mentioned it over lunch." Daniel had gone on babbling quite a bit over lunch that day, and Jack could vaguely recall him referring to Doctor Pierson, which was the alias that Methos used these days, but as usual, Jack hadn't been paying very close attention to anything Daniel had said.

"Possibly," Methos said then paused before he continued. "So, are you free for dinner?"

"I will be once I finish this one set of cadet reviews."

"Ah...you know..." Methos bit his lip as he recalled something Daniel had said to him while on the phone earlier in the day.

"Know what?"

"There's a reference book in my office...I should probably review parts of it before tomorrow..."

"What's the title?" Jack asked while reaching for a pen and paper.

"I don't remember...but I'll know it when I see it...guess I'd better come by and grab it," Methos said while mentally running through the logistics of doing so. "Should I drop by your office?"

"Sure," Jack said, letting out a tiny laugh as he tossed his pen onto his desk and leaned back once again. "I should be finished in about a half hour or so. I'll be the one under the pile of paper. I'll leave an air hole so you can find me," he said while staring at the stacks of files before him. He really shouldn't have let things pile up like this, but he'd been incredibly busy since they'd started formulating plans for new training exercises to be conducted in conjunction with the Air Force Academy. As second-in-command of the S.G.C. and leader of the flagship team, Jack's input was required on all new trainees, whether SG-1 was the team working with them or not.

"Splendid. See you within the hour then." Methos waited until Jack had mumbled some half-coherent response and hung up then did likewise with his cell phone and headed back to the master bedroom where he took the keys for Jack's motorcycle. He then stopped in the guest room, grabbed his coat and sword, and then went into the garage and uncovered the motorcycle, which just sat there for the most part, rarely ever used. He dusted it off a bit and secured his coat to it, making sure his sword was well concealed then he used one of the remotes to let himself out and to close the garage door behind him before he headed off toward the base.

When Methos arrived at the front gate for the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, he stopped and pulled out his identification card while making a bit of small talk with the SFs. They were both familiar with him as Doctor Adam Pierson, so they gave the motorcycle no more than a cursory looking over then had him sign in and waved him through, much to Methos' relief. He'd had a story ready for them should they have discovered his sword, but they hadn't so now he could save it for another day.

He drove the motorcycle over to the parking area where he was assigned a space then left it there and headed directly for Jack's truck. Methos didn't want to leave his weapon out in the open on the bike and he knew there was no way he was going to get it past the next checkpoint, so he let himself into Jack's truck with his own key and stowed his coat and sword behind and slightly underneath the front seat. Here it would be safe and accessible if he should need it. After all, Jack was a full-bird colonel, second-in-command of the S.G.C. Who was going to dare mess with any vehicle parked in his space? Methos then made sure Jack's truck was locked and walked toward the entrance to the main building

After going through all the security hoops that had become second nature to him during his months of working part time at the facility, Methos bypassed the second elevator and took to the stairs, preferring the additional exercise. He exited on the floor for Jack's office and walked toward it then he saw that the door was slightly ajar, so Methos approached quietly, wanting to test whether Jack would sense his arrival without actually seeing or hearing him. A few weeks earlier, Jack had sensed Duncan's approach while he'd been yet out of range to anyone other than another immortal, and Jack and Methos still hadn't figured out how or why. Such hadn't happened again since, but Methos was very conscious of Jack's momentary ability to sense immortals, thus he'd taken to monitoring his husband accordingly.

Methos neared the door to Jack's office and listened attentively then he heard Jack groan and stepped inside, wondering what was wrong. He saw Jack sitting back in his seat with his eyes closed and a grimace on his face, but seemingly unharmed. What the hell?

"So close," Jack muttered under his breath then he heard Methos clear his throat and his eyes flew open. "Huh? Oh, hi," Jack stumbled as he glanced over at Methos.

"Hello," Methos said cautiously as he checked the camera above the door. As usual, Jack had it unplugged so that he could have privacy while he worked. "So close?" he asked as he sat down across from Jack.

"Bowling night...Joe almost got a turkey, but missed by one pin." He saw confusion on Methos' face. "A turkey, three strikes in a row," Jack explained.

"Yes, I'm familiar with the game," Methos said, sounding distracted. "I had no idea that Joe had taken it up since moving out here...seems rather odd that he would with his prosthetics," Methos said, not understanding what the hell Jack was talking about.

"Not Joe Dawson," Jack said, shaking his head as he tried to picture their friend attempting to bowl with his two prosthetic legs. The idea was preposterous given that the man needed a cane in order to simply walk. "Joe the barber," Jack clarified then bit his lip as Methos stared blankly at him. He hadn't told Methos about Joe? As he thought about it, Jack realized that he hadn't yet. Oops. "Sometimes when I'm on the base, usually in my office...I see Joe...in my mind. He's a barber, plain ordinary guy, making a living...Thursday nights he has bowling league...he's not too bad."

"Really," Methos sighed as a curious expression crossed his face. "Have you spoken with Janet about this?"

"No," Jack chuckled while shaking his head. "What's to talk about?" he asked with a shrug.

"The fact that you're having hallucinations...."

"They're not hallucinations...more like visions...or dreams," Jack corrected him. "Probably stress-related since they never happen other than when I'm here," he added in his typical nonchalant manner as he once more leaned back in his chair and stretched.

"Triggered by excessive paperwork?" Methos speculated, as his mind pondered this new phenomenon. If having these visions didn't bother Jack then Methos wasn't going to get flustered over them either.

"Probably...that seems to be when they usually happen," Jack said then smiled as he saw Joe's team win their game. It always made him feel good to see other people smile, even if only in his mind.

"And you don't find this worth reporting to your doctor?" Methos asked with a nudge in his voice.

"No," Jack stated firmly and pushed back from his desk. "I find them relaxing," he said as he rose to his feet.

"Really?" Methos asked as he rose to join him. "You must tell me more," he said, his inner scientist rearing up all the more, eager to investigate this new phenomenon more thoroughly. "I could make a career of case studies out of you, you know? The Aftershocks, sensing life forces, and now remote viewing," he whispered.

"Wrong order," Jack said with a laugh. "I was having visions of Joe before the other stuff, before I ever met you," he said then motioned toward the door. "Let's get out of here and I'll answer your questions at home." In his mind, Jack saw Joe and his buddies were packing up and that meant they'd be heading home. That was Jack's clue that it was time for him to do likewise, the evening's entertainment was now over for him. Joe's wife wasn't a dog, she was pretty enough, but when it came to the domestic scene, Jack preferred to partake of such with Methos at his side, not by passively watching someone else.

"Okay...oh, before I forget, we need to stop at the store for bread and milk," Methos said as he exited the room.

"Yes, sir," Jack said teasingly then he reconnected the camera before heading to the locker room with Methos following a courteous distance behind him. "You gonna get your reference thing-y?" Jack asked with a nudge in his voice after a couple of steps.

"Yes...thanks...meet you at the locker room," Methos said and headed off to his office.

Once he'd retrieved the book he needed, Methos went to the locker room and waited for Jack in the corridor, trading courteous smiles with people as they passed by and all the while pondering this latest revelation about his husband. Of all the people in the world for Methos to fall head-over-heels in love with, why had it been Jack O'Neill? And why couldn't he have met him sooner in life? Fate had given him a rare and most precious treasure in Jack, on so many levels. He was truly one-of-a-kind and these visions of some barber were but the latest peculiarity that Methos could add to the list of unique attributes that Jack possessed. There was no other person like him on the planet, or in the Universe so far as Methos knew, and that made Jack even more precious in Methos' eyes.

"Ready?" Jack asked as he came out dressed in light trousers, simple pullover shirt, and his brown leather jacket.

"Yes," Methos said and fell into step at Jack's side as they made for the elevator. "I drove the motorcycle over."

"Good. It needed a bit of a workout. If anyone asks, I loaned it to you," Jack said with a smile. As Methos nodded in response, Jack pressed the button to summon the elevator and held back a tiny sigh. He hadn't been expecting to see Methos tonight, but he was definitely not going to complain. A quick stop at the store then the evening would be theirs to do with as they pleased, and Jack could hardly wait.

~ ~ ~

Jack pulled onto his driveway and watched as Methos passed him on the motorcycle, taking it into the garage. Damn, but his ass looked sweet in those jeans, especially when he was leaning forward on the bike like he was. Jack kept an amorous eye on Methos as he stowed the motorcycle then he stepped up behind him and wrapped his arms around Methos' waist. No one could see them in the recessed area where the bike was stored and Jack couldn't wait any longer to have Methos in his arms.

"Welcome home, Doctor O'Neill," Jack whispered into Methos' left ear. He was never going to get tired of saying that. It flowed so naturally from his lips, felt so right and so wonderful.

"Thanks," Methos said and turned around, giving Jack a tiny grin. "Work tomorrow," he reminded him. They couldn't afford to start one of their all-night sex romps.

"I know," Jack said gently and caressed Methos' right cheek. "I won't push us too far along."

"Nor will I," Methos whispered and drew Jack in for a brief and tender kiss. "I swept earlier...nothing."

"I'll do it again while you put the groceries away," Jack said then took Methos' coat and sword from him and entered the house. "Bag's on the seat," he called back as if Methos couldn't have figured it out on his own.

Methos let out a tiny laugh and shook his head as he strolled over to the truck. Sometimes it seemed as if Jack was borderline paranoid, but given the secretive nature of the work he now did and had done for so many years, Methos couldn't really blame Jack for wanting to be cautious. It was never a bad idea to stay alert. He reached the truck, took out the grocery bag and his reference book then used his right elbow to press the switch for the power door locks before pushing the door shut with his right hip. Hopefully, he hadn't forgotten anything, but if he had that was too bad. It would have to wait until morning now.

Jack made his round of the house in quick order, running his check as if on autopilot. He hated to be so emphatic about checking for bugs every time they came home, but he didn't want to risk losing Methos. On one level, Jack knew he never would. If the worst ever happened and Methos had to flee, they would meet up at the chateau in France, but Jack enjoyed sharing his life with his husband, as it was, right now in Colorado Springs. True, they could always start a new life together elsewhere, and maybe someday they would, but Jack never wanted to be forced into doing so. If and when they moved on, he wanted it to be their choice to do so, both openly and at the same time.

As Jack put the equipment away, thankful once again that his search had found nothing, he paused and took a deep breath. His gut was screaming at him again, just as it had been all day, warning him that something horrible was about to happen, and try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling. What if the next time he stepped through the Stargate, he didn't make it back? What would happen to Methos? Who would look after him? Financially, he would be fine, and he was certainly old enough to take care of himself, but whom could Methos turn to for support? He couldn't discuss anything of a classified nature with either Duncan or Joe, no matter how close they were to both of them.

Jack pursed his lips as he considered that he should perhaps let Janet know that he and Methos were married. That way, she could be there for Methos to lean on if the need arose. She already knew he was an immortal.... No. Methos would never agree to that and Jack knew it. But if not Janet, then who? Who could Jack trust to look after his husband once he was gone? Thor? Maybe, but he was an alien, and had a secret agenda of some sort; Jack was sure of that....

"Snap out of it, O'Neill," Jack mumbled under his breath then he took another deep breath and sauntered off to the kitchen.

"All okay?" Methos asked as Jack entered the kitchen.

"Yep," Jack said and playfully swatted Methos on the rear. "You make the salad; I'll grill something?"

"No. You relax. I'll get dinner."

"Okay," Jack said with a smile and gave Methos a warm, lingering kiss while giving his ass a good firm squeeze. "Spoil me all you want," he said with a smirk as he stepped away.

"Hope I didn't break your arm when I twisted it," Methos said teasingly as Jack took two beers from the refrigerator.

"Nah...I'm used to it by now," Jack quipped then he opened both beers and sat one down on the counter by Methos before leaning against the opposite counter. "So, how'd it go at the University today?"

"Not bad."

"Good," Jack said and took a sip of his beer. "So, Nicole didn't try to kiss you again?" he asked with a tiny tease in his voice.

"No, thankfully," Methos said and shook his head. The previous Friday, one of his test subjects, Nicole Telecles, had shown up for their session wearing a low cut sundress with a push up bra and no panties on underneath it. If Methos hadn't been a married man and Nicole not merely in her early twenties, he would have been tempted to make a pass at her. However, Nicole hadn't let Methos' lack of interest dissuade her from advancing on him. Taking him by surprise, she'd pinned him to the wall and given him a sloppy kiss, pushing in with her tongue until Methos had nearly choked. It was obvious that she was one of the least experienced kissers that Methos had encountered over the millennia, but that was most likely due to her age. Methos was certain that she would develop her skills as she grew older and that she would forget all about him in time. He was nothing more than a passing infatuation to her – a crush, pure and simple.

"She is rather attractive," Jack said playfully. "You should be flattered that she wants you. I know I am." Jack couldn't help it; he felt a genuine swelling of pride that a sexy, vibrant, young woman wanted his husband.

"Can we not speak about Nicole?" Methos asked while picking up a knife to chop the tomato in front of him.

"No problem," Jack said with a smile and stepped up behind Methos. "I'll be in the living room," he whispered in Methos' right ear then gave him a peck on the side of his neck before he left him alone.

Methos let out a tiny sigh and continued with preparing their dinner. Perhaps he should drop Nicole as a test subject to avoid any further advances from her, but she was such an asset to his work. No one else was even close to matching Jack's readings in the area of sexual stimulation. Nicole, for whatever reason, had an elevated reading when exposed to the proper materials, and Methos was doing his best to collect and organize her data as quickly as possible so that he could compare it item by item with Jack's for some clue as to what they shared in common. He would just have to continue pretending that he had a lady friend, as he had told Nicole after her unsolicited kiss. She'd pouted at the time, but she'd seemed to believe him. Of course, Methos hadn't seen her again since, so only time would tell if she'd truly bought in on his fabrication.

Once done with the salad, Methos went into the freezer and pulled out a box of ready-made taquitos. It wasn't the healthiest of dinners to feed his husband, but it was quick and handy. He took a large dinner plate and covered it with as many as would fit then put the plate in the microwave and started the timer. Damn, but he was getting lazy in his old age. It used to be that he would never use one of these bloody contraptions to make dinner for his significant other – for guests, yes, but for his lover, no. Methos preferred to pay more tender loving care in preparing meals for those he held so dear. It was the way he had been with his 68 previous spouses – the ones he'd ever cooked for anyway. Oh well, it was only one meal and Jack wasn't the kind to be bothered by such things....

"Ready," Methos called out as he turned the taquitos and restarted the microwave. By the time he got the plates and the salad out to the dining table, Jack was just arriving, beer in hand, and taking his seat at the head. "Need a fresh one?" Methos asked with a wave toward Jack's beer.

"No, I'm fine. What dressing tonight?" Jack asked. It was Methos' habit to spring a salad dressing on him at random, usually homemade and very tasty.

"Whatever's in the fridge," Methos said and returned to the kitchen as he heard the microwave buzzer.

Jack pursed his lips as he looked after Methos. Microwave? That was unusual. Jack then watched as Methos returned with the taquitos and their utensils then he opened his mouth to speak but didn't get a chance as Methos snapped his fingers and darted back into the kitchen. A moment later he returned and took his seat as he placed two bottles of salad dressing and a fresh bottle of beer on the table.

"Looks like Thousand Island or Bacon Ranch," Methos said then began to serve the salad, first putting some on Jack's plate, and then on his own.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked calmly.

"Nothing. Why?" Methos asked as he considered both bottles of dressing.

"Microwave...store-bought dressing? Not that I mind...but...it's not like you," Jack said in his most diplomatic tone of voice.

Methos shrugged then chose the Bacon Ranch dressing and poured some onto his salad.

"Tell me," Jack said, his tone turning more authoritative.

"Nothing to tell," Methos said while taking a few of the taquitos and putting them on his plate. "I'm a little tired this evening...it was a positively horrid drive."

"You're sure that's all?" Jack asked, reaching out with his left hand and taking hold of Methos' right.

"So far as I know," Methos said with a tiny smile. "Really...I'm just tired...it was a long day."

"I hear that," Jack sighed then gave Methos' hand a gentle squeeze before he let it go and took a few taquitos for himself. "Maybe you should drive up on Wednesday nights instead of leaving so early on Thursday mornings."

"No." Methos shook his head as he opened his beer. "I'm not going to sacrifice spending the night with you in our bed. If you're away...that's a different story," he said then took a bite of his salad.

"Okay." Jack wasn't going to argue. He looked forward to sleeping with and waking up next to Methos every opportunity that they had. "So, this reference you'll be studying...." Jack trailed his voice off purposely, nudging Methos to share with him.

"Reviewing," Methos corrected him then took a swallow of beer to wash down his most recent bite of food. "An ancient form of Egyptian."

"Not one you helped to create?" Jack asked teasingly.

"Cute," Methos said with a smile. "I've been working with variations on Latin so much lately that I'm a bit rusty on my Egyptian."

"Ah," Jack said with a nod as if he truly understood, which he didn't. All the languages that Daniel and Methos worked with looked like Greek to Jack's eyes. Jack then reached across the table and took up the remote control for the stereo. Thanks to Sam, it had enough range to operate from the dining room even though his CD player was in the living room. He aimed it accordingly and turned on the player. A moment later, soft acoustic guitar could be heard filtering in from the other room.

"Nice," Methos said and traded a tiny smile with Jack then they finished their dinner, discussing Joe the barber and enjoying the music.

Once done eating, Jack downed the last of his beer then helped Methos clear the table and pushed him out of the kitchen, insisting on loading the dishwasher. Methos left willingly with a tiny laugh, grabbed his reference book from the table, turned down the volume on the stereo, and then settled in on the sofa in the living room. A few minutes later, Jack came in with a tall glass of ice water and took his seat in the corner of the sofa then raised his left arm, welcoming Methos to snuggle in alongside him. Jack then let out a tiny sigh as Methos pressed his back to Jack's side and raised his knees so that he was comfortably seated with his feet on the sofa and his book on his lap as if it were a sloped table. Damn, but Jack lived for moments like these...so relaxing...so wonderful....

Methos sat reading and listened to Jack's breathing, as it grew softer and softer. He didn't have to look to see the tiny smile on Jack's face, or how contented and relaxed he was; Methos could feel it and it brought a smile to his face as well. He cherished these moments when they could be together like this. Methos let out a tiny sigh then finished reviewing the relevant portions of the first chapter of his book, and then the second and the third, all the while hearing Jack's calm breathing behind him mixed with the soft music from the stereo. Working from home didn't get any better than this.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared on the far side of the coffee table, instantly getting both Jack's and Methos' attention.

"Greetings, O'Neills," Thor said in his typical diplomatic tone.

"Thor, buddy," Jack said with a smile and sat forward as Methos swung his feet to the floor and turned to face Thor. "How are you?" Jack asked as he used the remote to turn off the stereo.

"I am well."

"Want a beer?" Jack offered and received a tiny glare from Methos as he placed his book down on the table. "What?" Jack asked with a shrug.

Thor blinked his large eyes at Jack and Methos while searching his memory for the definition of the word 'beer'. Once recalled, Thor tilted his head to one side and looked curiously at Jack. "An intoxicant."

"Technically...." Jack bit his lip.

"Is that the new data?" Methos asked, as he saw that Thor was holding a small case, similar to the one he had brought to them before.

"It is, Doctor O'Neill," Thor said and held out the case, allowing Methos to come and take it from him. "Those are from my previous scans."

"Yes. Right," Methos said as he peered inside the case. There were two small discs this time. Last time there had been six, but those had included Thor's initial scans of Methos over a period of several days with only a small portion devoted to Jack's readings after Thor had tracked them leaving the base together for their trip to France. These were from Thor's first regular scan since Jack and Methos had agreed to be subjects for study. "So, two will be the usual number?" Methos asked curiously.

"One disc is for your readings, the other for Colonel O'Neill's. The opportunity did not present itself for me to scan the two of you in close proximity to one another."

"But if you had, that would be a third disc," Methos stated, making sure he understood Thor's implied message. The Asgard were well worthy of the title 'Masters of Subtle'.

"Correct."

"Interesting," Jack said, just to say something. Thor and Methos were both scientists at their cores and, once they got going, Jack was quickly left in the dust if he didn't force himself into the conversation.

"How will I tell them apart?" Methos asked as he checked the discs for markings and saw none. "You have them color coded like before?"

"Yes. Your life sign and all related data is in yellow and Colonel O'Neill's is in green."

"Got it," Methos said with a nod then put the case down on the table as he reclaimed his seat next to Jack. "Have a seat?" Methos offered, glancing at Thor, who was still standing in front of the television.

"I prefer to stand," Thor said, glancing briefly at the sofa and overstuffed chairs in the room. As a whole, Earth furniture was incredibly soft compared to that of the Asgard and provided highly inadequate support for his delicate skeletal structure.

"Okay," Jack said. He could have told Methos that Thor was going to say that. Jack had seen the solid, cold metal seat that passed for a command chair on board Thor's ship; talk about uncomfortable. It was like the Asgard were all masochists or something.

"About the data...uh...you didn't happen to include a glossary this time, did you?" Methos asked.

"No," Thor said as he blinked his large eyes. It wasn't part of their agreement to provide any explanation of the data – just the data, which Thor was generous enough to transfer to a compatible medium for them.

"Thought not," Methos sighed. Between Daniel's notes on the Asgard and his own work relying on context, Methos had managed to translate about eighty percent of the information Thor had given them before, but knowing what a word was did him no good if he didn't understand its meaning. "Could you provide me an Asgard dictionary then? I can translate the majority of the symbols, but I'm unfamiliar with some of the terms."

"I cannot," Thor said and blinked again. Sometimes humans could be just like younglings – never happy with what they received, always asking for more.

"Why not?" Jack asked. Methos' request didn't involve anything that would be a threat to Asgard security.

"It was only with great persuasion that I received permission from the High Council to provide what information I already do," Thor said in a measured tone of voice.

"You have no choice," Jack said, raising his voice slightly. "If you want to study us, we get access to your data – that was the deal."

"In exchange for your marriage under Asgard Law," Thor said and raised his right index finger, "a marriage, which is forbidden under your own laws."

"In most places," Jack grumbled, knowing that Thor had done them a huge favor when he'd conducted their marriage ceremony. If Jack and Methos had gone through with their original plan to get married in The Netherlands, they would have risked being discovered some day, but by getting married under Asgard Law, no one on Earth could possibly stumble across the records.

"It is customary Asgard policy to not divulge information directly to lesser evolved species," Thor stated while looking directly at Methos, he seemed sharper than most humans, perhaps because he was a variant of the species. If he could pose his question in such a manner that Thor could actually answer it, perhaps it could benefit both their races. Of course, Thor couldn't come out and say that explicitly, so he continued to watch Methos, wishing that they had a telepathic bond – it really would make conveying information so much simpler.

"Oy," Jack sighed and leaned back on the sofa. He was getting so sick of hearing variations of the same line from other races...The Asgard, The Tollan, The Nox.... On the bright side, at least Thor hadn't referred to humans as 'primitive' this time, so, in a way that was an improvement.

"Thor," Methos said gently as his mind raced, pondering the small alien's words while he made eye contact with him. "How were you able to persuade the Council to allow us access to the data?"

"You are each unique beings worthy of study...and given that you are of my house through your marriage, I assured them that you would not divulge any of your findings to others without consulting with me first."

"Ah," Methos said with a nod. "And what if we did?"

"You would not. That would raise too many suspicions," Thor said with utmost confidence. He didn't want to dwell on the thought of what punishment would be meted out if Asgard intelligence were somehow to get into the wrong hands.

"True." Methos pursed his lips and glanced briefly at Jack, who was sitting quietly and watching. "What about an exchange of information? Would that be allowed?"

"An exchange," Thor echoed and opened his eyes slightly wider as he searched his mind for any reason that would prevent such. Initially, he wasn't recalling any such restriction. Possibly, Methos had just found the loophole that they needed for more open dialogue.

"You said that the Asgard have never encountered my kind before...you must have questions." Was that a gleam Methos saw in Thor's eyes?

"Several," Thor said as he continued to ponder Methos' suggestion. Exchanges of information, by definition, took place between peers. Although Methos was still inferior to Thor in many ways, there were unique physical attributes he possessed, which were clearly superior to Thor's. A case could be made that discussing that specific area was not against the standard Asgard policy concerning divulgence of information...and if it aided Thor in his research...the High Council surely couldn't object to that....

"So, what if I answer yours...you answer mine?" Methos asked with a nudge in his voice. Yes, there was definitely a gleam in Thor's eyes. He was intrigued by the proposal – good. Now if he would only bite at it.

"That would be acceptable...as you say...within reason."

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," Jack said, looking at the two of them. "Must everything with you two be a negotiation?" Methos opened his mouth to speak, but Jack raised his left hand, essentially shutting him up. "Are you two gonna tap dance all night or are you gonna talk?"

Thor saw Methos rolling his eyes then Thor blinked slowly before looking to Jack. "Tap dance? What relevance does a recreational activity have to do with the matter we are discussing?" Thor asked with his typical deadpan expression and tone.

"I give up," Jack sighed, shaking his head. He could waste hours trying to get Thor to understand for undoubtedly one question would lead to another and then another. Damn alien culture gaps. Jack could swear at times that things like humor and sarcasm had been genetically bred out of certain species.

"I'll start," Methos said then waited until he'd regained Thor's attention. By going first, Methos could set the parameters for the kind of information he was hoping to receive in return. "My kind are called immortals. We have lived on Earth for centuries, but we keep a very low profile...for the most part...that's likely why the Asgard haven't encountered us before."

"Continue," Thor said, giving Methos his undivided attention.

"Would you like to take notes?" Methos asked.

"Our conversation is being recorded."

"How's that?" Jack asked, but received a glare from Methos and decided to not press the matter – this time. Damn, Thor. Had he recorded every conversation he'd had with Jack and not bothered to tell him?

Methos then proceeded to give Thor an overview of immortals and The Game, which involved fights to the death. The victor then gained the strength and experience of the other immortal when he took his head and received The Quickening that came forth as a result.

"The Quickening," Thor echoed. "Intriguing."

"And that is the part I wanted to run by you," Methos said, seeing that he had Thor's inner scientist on the same page, as it were. "When you observed Jack and me make love then beamed us onto your ship..."

"That was fun," Jack uttered sarcastically. They'd been naked at the time with nothing to cover up with.

"Yes. Continue," Thor said.

"You did so because you thought that I had overtaken Jack. I studied the data at that point and I can see there was a spike of energy..."

"Correct. And then your life signs were both yellow, then both green, then they returned to normal."

"Exactly," Methos said excitedly. "It was like we were both immortal then both mortal then back to normal." Thor gave him a blank look, the gleam in his eyes turning off as if someone had thrown a switch. "Don't you see? It's similar to The Quickening...when an immortal takes on another essence, for a brief moment he senses the new one as separate before they merge."

"After your study of the data, your conclusion is that yours and Colonel O'Neill's essences merged?" Thor asked, wanting this stated for the record so that he could provide evidence to the High Council that this conclusion was reached by Methos independent of Thor's input.

"For a moment, yes," Methos said with a smile. The gleam had returned to Thor's eyes – excellent. "During the Aftershock," he added and received another blank stare from Thor. Oops, he'd skipped telling him about that part, hadn't he? "When Jack and I are intimate to the point that he reaches orgasm, we experience an electrical shock, similar to a small Quickening, but it's invigorating, not draining," he explained.

"It's like getting hit with a zat and having it rev you up instead of knocking you out," Jack said, hoping to put the experience in terms that Thor could more easily understand.

"Intriguing," Thor said in a contemplative tone. These Aftershocks and Quickenings were phenomena he'd never heard of before. He would have to take the new information that Methos was providing him and review his previously garnered data in light of it. Meanwhile, he retreated to the relative safety of being vague in his comments, since he could neither confirm nor deny Methos' theory. The last thing he wanted to do was admit ignorance in front of lesser beings, even ones he felt close to, as he did with Jack and Methos.

"So...do you think I could be right? That our essences merge briefly during an Aftershock?" Methos asked, wanting to hear more of Thor's thoughts on the matter.

"It is one possible interpretation of the data," Thor said and saw a frown crossing Methos' face, so he raised his right index finger once again to keep Methos from speaking. "Your theory merits further study," Thor said and was relieved to see both Jack and Methos give him a tiny smile. Why such a simple, human gesture touched him so, Thor wasn't quite sure, but so much of his interaction with Jack O'Neill left him boggled. Theirs was one of the oddest relationships that Thor had ever experienced.

"So," Methos began as he took hold of Jack's left hand with his right. "I'm thinking that you could monitor us tonight while we make love and record the data so we can compare it to that from before?" Methos knew it wasn't the best night for he and Jack to do such, but Thor didn't come by that often, so he had to take advantage of the opportunity.

"I regret that I do not have sufficient time, Doctor O'Neill," Thor said. "We have pressing matters on the Asgard home world."

"Perhaps next time?" Methos asked, trying to get a commitment from him.

"Perhaps. However, I am uncertain how long it will be before I return."

"Why?" Jack asked, genuinely concerned. He didn't like the expression on Thor's face one bit. If something was troubling the Asgard then that was of definite concern to Jack given that Earth was a party to The Protected Planets Treaty. If the Asgard's ability to provide protection against the Goa'uld invading Earth was being threatened...Jack needed to know.

"I must go," Thor said and glanced one last time at Jack, seeing his frustration. "Be well, O'Neills," he said then transported himself back to his ship to keep from breaking down and telling them of the troubles the Asgard faced. Perhaps one day he would be allowed to speak of such things with them, but for now he could not. He shook off the discomfort he felt at leaving them wondering then he checked to be sure he had their conversation archived and activated his engines to take his ship out of Earth's orbit, headed for home.

Meanwhile, Methos gently squeezed Jack's hand. He'd seen the look of fear in Thor's eyes, too. "He'll be fine."

"We hope," Jack sighed.

"Yes, well, there's nothing we can do...if he doesn't want our help, we can't force him to take it."

"True." Jack pursed his lips and pulled Methos more closely to him. "I just had a thought...while you were talking about the merging stuff."

"Yes?"

"What if you're right and we do merge? And when we do, I get some of your abilities? Like, say, sensing other immortals?"

"Could be." Methos' eyes lit up and a beaming smile crossed his face. Jack played the dumb flyboy role for all its worth most of the time, but on occasion he could cut to the chase and make a pertinent observation that eluded a more scientifically trained mind. "We had experienced several Aftershocks the night before Duncan dropped by the apartment..."

"Six," Jack said with a sly grin.

"You counted?"

"It was a new record," Jack said with a smirk.

"Yes, I suppose it was," Methos chuckled. "The effects of the Aftershocks could have compounded and lingered for a while then dissipated...."

"Which explains why it isn't gonna happen again," Jack said firmly.

"How can you be so sure?" Methos asked with a tiny grin. "We'll need to test this theory of yours...."

"Not tonight," Jack said and rose to his feet, pulling Methos up off the sofa with him. "Work tomorrow...we need our rest."

"Yes, sir," Methos said with a tiny laugh then fell into step just behind Jack as he led him off to their bedroom.

~ ~ ~

Jack lay, peacefully sleeping and felt Methos' hand sliding between his legs, gently coaxing his manhood to life. Jack smiled in response, but remained silent and kept his eyes closed while enjoying his husband's attentions. Damn, but married life was wonderful, and so good for Jack on so many levels. Jack then felt the pressure mounting in his groin and held his breath. No, it wasn't fair – he couldn't be coming so soon! Methos had barely started with his caresses. Jack hadn't felt his mouth on him yet, but his manhood was full and ready to burst – that's when Jack woke up.

"Crap," Jack quietly muttered under his breath. It hadn't been real, only a dream. The reality was that the pressure he felt was nature calling and Jack had to move – now. He gently slid away from Methos, breaking their bodily contact, and left him lying on his right side where he'd been snuggled against Jack's left arm. Fortunately, Jack managed to do so without waking him.

As Jack finished up in the bathroom, he glanced into the bedroom and ogled Methos, lying there so comfortably on their bed. They hadn't made love the night before because of work today, but Jack was definitely in the mood after the dream he'd just had. Perhaps he and Methos could squeeze in a quickie this morning? It would have to be only Methos reaching orgasm, since they wouldn't have time to recover completely from an Aftershock. Jack pursed his lips and then smiled as he went back to his side of the bed. He could come next time. Having Methos go over the edge at his hand would be enough for Jack this morning.

Jack slid back into his place, lining up face to face with Methos, studying his face, his gorgeous eyelashes, firm jaw line. He licked his lips in sweet anticipation then leaned in toward his husband, bringing them cheek-to-cheek and lifted his right hand to give Methos a tiny nudge. Suddenly, a rip-roaring snore assaulted Jack's left ear, startling him. He'd never heard Methos snore before. Oh well, first time for everything. Another snore then followed and it was even louder than the prior one and Jack found himself reflexively rubbing at his left ear.

"Ow," Jack said quietly. That last one had hurt his eardrum. He backed away slightly so he could see Methos better and gave him a good looking over. Jack was now more concerned than horny. Was it normal for immortals to snore? Jack shook his head as Methos then snored again, this time softer, shorter, but still definitely audible.

The alarm clock then sounded and Jack leaned back, reaching behind him to shut it off then he rolled to once more face Methos, expecting him to be awake, but was met with another snore. Okay. This was getting Jack's inner warning system into gear. Methos never slept through the alarm clock; the damn thing would wake the dead an entire galaxy away. Something was off.

"Hey, Gorgeous, time to wake up," Jack said gently as he nudged Methos' left shoulder, but there was no response. Jack paused a moment and licked his lips again then he ran his nose along the left side of Methos' neck, bringing his lips up to Methos' ear. "Methos, wake up." Again there was no response, so Jack took hold of the bedding and tossed it off of them toward the foot of the bed and spoke in an authoritative tone. "Doctor O'Neill, your presence is required in the land of the living."

"Huh?" Methos sputtered, blinking his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his torso in response to the chilly morning air that was hitting him. "What the bloody hell?"

"It's morning, time to wake up, get ready for work," Jack said then he gave Methos a tiny kiss on the lips. "You slept through the alarm clock."

"What?" Methos was confused. He sat up and glanced at the clock on the nightstand and squinted. "You forgot to turn it on last night," he accused.

"No...it was on and it went off just like it was supposed to...you slept through it," Jack said, shaking his head slightly. "You must have been deep in La-la Land. You were even snoring," he said with a tiny chuckle.

"Snoring?" Methos asked, scrunching his nose. "I don't snore."

"You never have before, but this morning...."

"Snoring...preposterous," Methos muttered then he sniffled a bit. "Tissue," he said then got out of bed, headed straight for the box of tissue they kept in the master bathroom, took one and blew his nose.

"Sounds like you're congested," Jack said, stating the obvious as he joined Methos, stopping to stand at his right side then he cringed as Methos opened the tissue and examined the discharge from his nose. "Ew...gah...do you have to study everything?" Jack asked, grossed out by Methos' action. His damn inner scientist was at it again.

"I'm checking for signs of infection," Methos grumbled then wadded the tissue and tossed it in the trashcan.

"Well?" Jack asked, wanting to know what Methos had determined.

"I'm fine. Something must have irritated my sinuses. It's probably time to clean the filter for the furnace," Methos said then waved Jack off while stepping to in front of the toilet. The truth was that there was a borderline sign of an infection, but in the absence of blood, Methos opted to not worry Jack. Immortals couldn't die from sinus infections, not permanently anyway.

"I'll replace it this weekend," Jack said, turning away slightly. Married life and togetherness aside, there were moments when he and Methos each required some privacy, even from each other.

"Good." Methos sniffled again then let out a sigh of frustration. Damn it. He hated being sick. Whoever made the observation that doctors were the worst patients had been right on the mark. Methos hadn't practiced medicine since the 1800s, but still, being sick positively annoyed him.

"We've got some pills in the medicine cabinet for that," Jack said gently and wasn't the least bit surprised when Methos shook his head. "Fine, sniffle all day," Jack said, throwing up his hands. "In the meantime...wash my back, Gorgeous?" he asked playfully as he stepped past Methos to the shower.

"I never pass up the opportunity to do that," Methos said with a grin then he waited until Jack was in the shower before blowing his nose once again. Hopefully, it was nothing more than a minor irritation brought on by dust. With their schedules, the house had collected a good layer of the nasty particles on most of the surfaces. Tonight, Methos would be sure he dusted the place thoroughly then Jack would take care of the filter this weekend and that would take care of that.

~ ~ ~

Daniel stared at his monitor, attempting to read the very same paragraph that he had now started three different times. And just as each time before, he didn't reach the end of it before he was interrupted. All this sniffling had to stop or he was going to get a gun and shoot someone. He slid off his stool, walked over to his desk and retrieved a box of antihistamines from one of the drawers then he took it back to the work area and tossed it onto the table.

"Take one of these, Adam."

"What?" Methos responded to his pseudonym by briefly glancing to one side of his laptop. He noted the box of antihistamines then returned his focus to the translation he was working on. "Thank you, Daniel, but as I told you this morning, I prefer to not ingest medications unless it is absolutely necessary."

"Trust me, it's necessary," Daniel said forcefully and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You've been sniffling off and on all day, incessantly for the last hour. I can't work with it anymore. Now either take the pill or get the hell out of here and go home."

Methos stopped his reading and turned to look directly at Daniel. He looked like such a little boy standing there with his arms crossed, his lower lip jutting out slightly, and his nostrils flaring. Methos then sniffled again and this time he actually noticed it. If he truly had been doing so all day, then Daniel's agitation was understandable, but Methos had been so preoccupied with his work that he hadn't realized he was. His nose hadn't been dripping, except a tiny bit after lunch, and he hadn't needed to blow it. Wait. Now that he was thinking about it....

"Tissue," Methos said and slid off his stool onto his feet, heading straight for the box of tissues that Daniel kept on his desk. He blew his nose and decided against checking the discharge, given that Daniel was just behind him. Instead, he gave his nose a quick wiping for good measure then tossed the used tissue into the trashcan. As he turned around, he came face to face with Daniel, who was holding up the box of antihistamines and waving it in the air.

"Take one or go," Daniel said, his tone making his words an ultimatum.

"Very well," Methos grumbled then he snatched the box from Daniel's hand and walked over to the coffeepot. "I'll just make a new pot then I'll take one with my first cup," he said, hoping to stall long enough that Daniel would drop the matter, but he wasn't buying into the tactic, damn him. He'd clearly learned something from his time working with Jack.

"Use water," Daniel ordered then he moved to between Methos and the coffeepot, removed the water reservoir and handed it to him. "You can fill this while you're at it," Daniel added then he dumped the old grounds while Methos begrudgingly took one of the pills and swallowed it down with some water. "Good," Daniel said then they traded places so that Daniel could finish setting up the pot.

Methos carried the box of pills off with him, reading the list of ingredients on the back of it as he returned to his workstation. It was a twenty-four hour, time-release, non-drowsy formula. Terrific, now Methos could have the unwelcome pleasure of not being able to get to sleep that night.

"Hey, guys, how's it goin'?" Jack asked cheerfully as he entered the room. One look at the glare in Methos' eyes and he had the answer to his question without a word needing to be spoken. "That bad, huh?" he asked, twitching his jaw to one side.

"The translation is going slowly but faster than it would have if Adam hadn't been able to come back and help out," Daniel said as he flipped on the switch for the coffeepot. "There's no way we're going to be able to finish it in the next half hour though," he added and walked back to reclaim his stool in front of his workstation.

"Right," Jack said with a nod then he quickly flipped the coffeepot off before it could start its brewing cycle. "That's what I figured, so let's all call it a day and go get some dinner."

Daniel and Methos both stared at Jack as if he'd lost mind. At least now they understood why he was in his civilian clothes instead of BDUs. "We were just making coffee," Methos said, sounding a touch annoyed.

"Yes, the warm liquid will help Adam with his cold," Daniel added.

"Cold?" Jack and Methos said in unison as they both looked at Daniel.

"I do not have a cold," Methos said in protest, his Welsh accent coming through heavier than usual given his frustration. "It's just an irritation of some sort...most likely dust-related," he said, brushing off the suggestion that he had contracted a virus. That was preposterous. Methos hadn't had a cold since the Revolutionary War in the American colonies when he'd been stranded in the icy cold mountains with a group of militiamen, while tending to their wounds. Unless the conditions were sudden and adverse as they had been in that case, his body was simply not overcome by the common cold. Of course, he could hardly explain that to Daniel, so he willfully held his tongue.

"Yeah...dust," Jack said with a shrug as he considered the possibility that Methos might in fact have a cold. What if Jack caught it from him? The two of them getting sick at the same time could prove to be problematic. Jack pushed that train of thought from his mind. His husband's health was more important than the inconvenience of explaining how they both had a cold at the same time.

"Fine, live in denial, Adam, just don't breathe too closely to me," Daniel said while rolling his eyes. "We have work to do, Jack. Nevada's expecting this to be shipped out tonight," Daniel reminded him.

"Right," Jack said with a nod. "It's already packed and on the way to Peterson for transport."

"What?" Daniel and Methos said in unison, causing Methos to shudder slightly. Having Jack think and say the same thing at the same time was welcome, but having Daniel do so was a tad troubling. The last thing Methos wanted was to be labeled a geek, but if he kept up this synchronicity with Daniel, the label was inevitably going to attach itself to him.

"Jack, the artifact is right here," Daniel said with a wave of his hand toward the center of the table where it sat, clear as day.

"Oh," Jack said and pursed his lips briefly. "Must have been a clerical error. I, personally saw the box being sent on its way," he said with a tiny grin.

"Sneaky," Methos said with a tiny laugh. "I wonder what was accidentally sent in its stead...."

"Some doohickey roughly the same size and weight that I dug out of storage...had markings on it...fit into the box perfectly," Jack said with a tiny wink then he smiled at Daniel. "I figure it'll take the Nevada boys at least a week to get their act together well enough to realize they've got the wrong item then contact Hammond. So...let's get you some dinner before your blood sugar dives on us again, and then you can work on the thing all weekend if you want."

"Okay," Daniel said with a tiny laugh as he began powering down his computer, prompting Methos to do likewise. "Thanks, Jack."

"Think nothing of it," Jack replied. "I just want to be sure I know where you'll be for the next few days, that's all."

"Purely selfish motivation, I'll buy that," Methos said, giving Jack a charming smile that caused a shiver to run down Jack's spine.

"What else?" Jack said then cleared his throat to keep from sighing. Damn, but just a simple look from Methos could get his stomach fluttering. "Just don't let word get around...I have a reputation as a hard-ass to maintain," he said jokingly.

"No comment," Methos said then went to the coat rack and grabbed his jacket. "Where to?"

"Your choice," Jack said.

"You buying, Jack?" Daniel asked cautiously. He'd been stuck with the bill before when they'd gone out to dinner and he didn't mind it, but he wanted to be clear about it up front.

"I'll buy," Methos offered.

"No...then we'd be eating in the Commissary," Jack said without missing a beat. "I'll buy. You two academics have that limited budget thing..." he said, purposefully letting his voice trail off. Truth was that both Daniel and Methos had more money than Jack did if you counted inheritance and other assets, but Jack still had the highest take home pay of the three, so he was more than happy to treat his two favorite men to dinner now and then. Besides, technically, Jack's money was community property with Methos' and vice versa, so actually it was the two of them treating Daniel to dinner, though the younger man had no way of knowing that.

"Italian...sit down...not pizza," Daniel said as he made for the corridor then he realized that he was wearing BDUs, not street clothes like the other two were. "I need to change...meet you at the locker room," he called back.

"Okay," Jack called out in response, but remained in the office as Methos stepped closer to him.

"I do not have a cold," Methos whispered, being sure that his voice wouldn't be picked up by the surveillance in the room, and keeping his mouth blocked from the view of the camera so that no one could watch the tape and read his lips.

"Whether you do or you don't, it won't kill you," Jack whispered back, taking the same precautions as Methos to ensure their conversation remained private. "You can take some medicine tonight, just in case."

"Daniel's already forced some on me," Methos said and took up the box to show it to Jack.

"Good stuff," Jack commented with a nod, his voice returning to normal then he headed for the door. "He should be getting into the elevator by the time we catch up to him."

"Yes, sir," Methos said with a chuckle as he tossed the box of pills back on the table then he fell into step behind Jack as they went out into the hall.

~ ~ ~

Methos sat in Jack's truck, sandwiched between Daniel to his right and Jack to his left, and took a deep breath to calm down as he once again felt a brief brushing of Jack's right knee against him. He'd known what Jack was up to from the moment he'd had him sit in the middle. The gleam in his eyes had given him away. It was a subtle form of foreplay, Jack's warm body pressed against Methos' side, their thighs in full contact, as they rode from the restaurant back to the base to pick up Daniel's and Methos' cars. After a nice relaxing dinner, Jack was horny and was now well on the way to making Methos the same. Thankfully, Methos was wearing a pair of trousers that were baggy enough that Daniel didn't seem to notice.

When they got to the base, they all showed their identification, Jack taking an unusually long time to fish his out of his right front pants pocket, joking that he'd accidentally placed it there for some unknown reason rather than in his shirt pocket as he typically did. Daniel rolled his eyes and let out a tiny sigh of frustration at the delay, but nothing more, while Methos simply smiled and made mental note of Jack's action. That was the last straw. After having Jack's hand brushing up and down his thigh, there was no turning back. He was going to be damn sure that Jack was naked and pinned to the mattress before either of them got any sleep.

As Jack came to a stop in the lot just past their cars, Daniel jumped out, eager to get some air and stretch his legs. As he turned away, Jack leaned in close to Methos' left ear. "Last one home bottoms first," he whispered, sounding like the little imp whom Methos loved so dearly. It was hardly a fair race, Methos had to go by his house and drop off his car before going home, but he didn't mind. He could cheat just as well as Jack could, if not better.

"Deal," Methos whispered back then he darted out of the truck, purposely leaving the passenger side door open so that Jack couldn't drive away. "Daniel, wait," he called out. "You were going to talk to Jack about that thing remember?"

"Right," Daniel said with a nod and stepped back to Jack's truck, leaning on the passenger side of the bench seat. "There's something I wanted to run by you before going to Hammond," he began.

"No need," Jack said, calmly, watching as Methos smirked at him then made for his car.

"I don't mind," Daniel said while adjusting his glasses. "I respect the chain of command..."

"Monday, guys," Methos called back then got to his car, inside it and off, waving to Jack as he drove by. Knowing Daniel as he did, Methos reasoned that his little chat with Jack should give him the head start he needed to at least make things somewhat even. But, whether it did or not didn't really matter. Seeing the vapor lock in Jack's eyes as Daniel had leaned into the truck had already been reward enough for Methos.

As Methos drove away, Jack watched Daniel's lips moving, not hearing half of what he was saying. Damn Methos. Couldn't he let Jack win for once? Did he always have to pull some underhanded dirty trick? Of course he did, every bit as much as Jack did. It was one of the qualities that Jack cherished in Methos – his playfulness. After a few minutes, Daniel began to hem and haw, so Jack cleared his throat, deciding it was time to end their little one-sided conversation.

"Sounds fine, Daniel. Go ahead and speak with Hammond when you're ready," Jack said as he started the engine and took the truck out of park.

"Okay," Daniel said sheepishly, seeing that Jack was anxious to leave. "See you Monday," he said then closed the door and stepped away.

"About damn time," Jack muttered under his breath then he drove slowly through the lot, out the front gate and kept to the posted speed limit until he was out of sight of the SFs. As soon as he was clear, he pressed on the accelerator and pushed the speed limit, staying five to ten miles above the posted speed, running yellow lights, and taking the shortest route he knew to get to his house. About six blocks away from his destination, he saw Methos walking at a brisk pace on the sidewalk and honked his horn at him as he sped by. He was going to win. Damn, but that felt good.

Methos looked as he heard the horn then laughed as he recognized Jack's truck. He was going to win – Methos was going to have to bottom first, but that suited him just fine. He'd still be able to pin Jack to the mattress at some point before the night was through.

By the time Methos made it to the house, Jack had the bed turned down and was sitting atop it, back against the headboard, completely naked. He was positively gorgeous and all Methos' for the taking – eventually.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Methos asked with a tease in his voice as he began to undress, doing a slow striptease. "Daniel says I have a cold."

"I'll live dangerously," Jack replied, his voice sultry as he watched Methos slowly pulling off piece after piece of clothing. He licked his lips and felt his manhood hardening more and more as Methos taunted him with the agonizingly slow removal of his clothing. By the time Methos was down to just his boxers, Jack was so hard, he felt he might scream if he didn't get to touch him soon. Then Methos sashayed over to the bedside and reached into his boxers, stroking his own erection, but keeping it confined behind the fabric. Jack could take no more. "Get those damn things off and ravage me already," Jack said with a sly grin.

"You're not enjoying the show?" Methos asked teasingly as he kept up his stroking, still not revealing his cock, keeping it covered.

"I enjoy it better when I get to participate," Jack said then he lunged for Methos, but just missed him, managing to pop the elastic on his boxers, but nothing more. "Methos...have mercy," Jack said with a tiny pout. "I've been ready for you since I woke up this morning."

"Really?" Methos asked, his Welsh accent coming through heavily as it often did when he was aroused. "Do tell," he ordered as he finally lowered his boxers to the floor.

"I dreamt about you," Jack said slowly as if in a trance, his eyes focused on Methos gorgeous, full cock, so hard and ready for him.

"Must have been some dream," Methos whispered in a sultry tone as he knelt at the foot of the bed, making eye contact with Jack. "Tell me more," he said then licked his lips.

"We were in bed, lying next to each other," Jack began, taking his time. It was his turn to be slow and tortuous.

"Were we naked?" Methos asked as he crawled up the bed and sat at Jack's left side.

"Oh, yeah," Jack sighed then placed his hand on Methos' inner thigh. "Then you ran your hand on my thigh."

"Yes?" Methos asked with a nudge in his voice.

"And you stroked me," Jack said as he took hold of Methos' cock and started to stroke.

"And then?" Methos took a deep breath as Jack's touch sent shivers throughout his body.

"I woke up," Jack said then moved in and nibbled on Methos' collarbone.

"No wonder you're so horny," Methos said with a tiny chuckle then he let out a sigh as Jack zeroed in on one of his most sensitive spots.

Methos closed his eyes and focused on Jack, his lips on his torso, his hand on his cock, and let the pleasure overtake him. Jack's motions were determined, he was in complete control, and Methos couldn't have been happier. Jack made his way along Methos' chest, placing tiny kisses and nibbling until he reached his right nipple. He gave it a brief lick then moved away, taking his lips and hands with him.

"What?" Methos asked as he opened his eyes then he saw Jack was getting a small container of lubricant from inside a washcloth on the nightstand. He'd taken time to warm it. "You're prepared," Methos said with a tease in his voice as he slid down to lie flat on his back.

"Yeah," Jack sighed then gave Methos a tiny kiss on the lips while he coated the fingers on his right hand. "Legs up," he whispered then slid his hand under Methos' right thigh and shifted his body until he could reach his entrance.

Jack then ran his tongue across Methos' navel, causing him to shiver slightly then he pressed two fingers inside Methos' entrance. He paused briefly for Methos to adjust then felt Methos gently rub the back of his head with his right hand. He was ready, so Jack pushed his fingers deep inside, searching for Methos' prostate. After a few passes he found it and Methos let out a deep moan at the contact.

"You are so fucking hot," Jack growled then returned his tongue to Methos' navel, teasing it as he continued preparing him.

Methos arched his head back, feeling dizzy already from Jack's attentions. He wasn't going to last long; he could feel it. "Take me," he whispered, his voice raspy.

"If you insist," Jack said with a smirk then he added a third finger and made a few quick passes to be sure that Methos was opened enough for him.

"Do me hard," Methos said, giving Jack a sly grin. "I want to feel you pounding my ass into the wall."

"I thought I was the one who was so fucking horny my dick was going to explode," Jack said with a smile and a tiny chuckle as he rose to his knees and got into position.

"I've caught up to you," Methos said and raised his legs up to Jack's shoulders.

"Hmm," Jack sighed. Just the contact of Methos' legs with his chest, the incredible heat and electricity flowing between their bodies was enough to cause Jack's erection to jerk with sweet anticipation. He lined up with Methos' entrance then pushed just the tip inside him and paused as they let out a shared moan. "So tight, and hot," Jack said in a gravely tone then he pushed all the way in and paused again as they let out another shared moan.

"And all yours, my love," Methos said then closed his eyes and braced himself.

Jack smiled again as he started to move, slowly at first until he got a good bearing then he increased his speed as quickly as he dared until he was ramming into Methos as hard and fast as he could. He kept up his pounding then he felt Methos' hands on his hips, guiding him to move even faster. Jack didn't think it possible, but somehow he managed to keep the pace that he wanted, letting Methos' hands guide his hips as he glided back and forth. Suddenly, Jack's head began to spin and his balls tightened.

"Methos," Jack cried out, and then he stilled deep inside him as he erupted.

"Yes...wonderful," Methos purred then guided Jack's right hand to his cock. "Almost there," he whispered.

Jack took a quick breath then stroked Methos, teasing his tip and felt a drop of pre-cum escape then the Aftershock hit and Jack felt Methos' release exploding as the shockwave coursed through them.

"Fuck," Methos gasped as the dual sensation nearly made him black out.

"You okay?" Jack asked once the tingling began to subside.

"Dizzy."

"Ta-da!" Jack said with pride.

"Imp," Methos said as he lowered his legs then he pulled Jack down to lie over top of him. "I'm not sure I'm up for a second round," he whispered while taking in Jack's scent, their sweat mixing together.

"You're sure?" Jack whispered then began to nibble on Methos' earlobe.

"Well," Methos sighed then shut his eyes tightly a few times in succession and his dizziness subsided. "I guess I could go one more," he said with a tiny chuckle.

"Excellent," Jack purred then he rolled them over so that Methos was on top.

"Besides, I owe you a good pinning down after your behavior in the truck," Methos whispered as the urge to nibble Jack's neck overtook him. He was always so horny after the initial Aftershock.

"That was the plan," Jack said with a smirk then he reached up and cupped Methos' face with both hands, lifting his head so he could see into his eyes. "I love you, Doctor O'Neill."

"And I you," Methos replied then he turned his head slightly to the left and licked Jack's right palm, eliciting a tiny moan from him as he got Round Two firmly underway.

~ ~ ~

Bronchitis! Didn't that beat all? And what made it even worse is that it meant that Amanda's diagnosis had been right, while Methos' had been wrong. Damn it. She was going to be unbearable to live with for the next few decades thanks to this.

Early Saturday morning Methos had felt a bit tired, but he'd driven back to the University without incident, and then barricaded himself in his office alone with his laptop and the latest data from Thor. He'd made good progress in translating the Asgard over to an obscure variation of Latin, which was the necessary first step before he could then proceed with actually studying the material. Then he'd developed a splitting headache around mid-afternoon so he'd stopped work for the day and had gone to his apartment in Denver to get some rest. The next thing he'd known, his cell phone had woken him on Sunday morning when he'd missed his regular online chat with Jack, who had called him, understandably concerned.

At that point, Methos had admitted to himself, and to Jack, that he did indeed have a cold virus wreaking havoc in his system. They'd talked a bit on the phone then Jack had told Methos to stay put and rest rather than driving back, and had even suggested that Methos phone Daniel and tell him that he was too sick to work the next day. Methos had brushed aside Jack's suggestions, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with him then he'd stayed in bed another hour before resuming his planned activities for the day. By that evening when he'd arrived with his laundry at his house in Colorado Springs, Methos had felt liked warmed over shit and according to Amanda and Duncan hadn't looked much better.

Methos had then given in to Amanda's protestations and put himself to bed in his room where he'd allowed her to fuss over him. That alone had been enough for Duncan to realize that Methos was seriously ill. Typically, he would never allow Amanda to order him around. Amanda had checked Methos out, taking his temperature, and then placing her head to his chest so she could monitor his breathing. After a few minutes, she'd backed away shaking her head and told Methos that he had bronchitis. Naturally, Methos hadn't believed her. True, Amanda had been a midwife once upon a time, so she knew the basics when it came to medicine, but Methos had actually earned a medical degree in Heidelberg in 1453, so he refused to accept her diagnosis, reiterating his own belief that he had a severe case of the common cold and nothing more. Amanda had then called him a stubborn, pig-headed old mule, and Methos had responded by shouting her out of the room and triggering a ten-minute coughing fit.

Now it was Monday morning and Janet was sitting behind her desk, across from Methos, telling him the very same thing, only she had the test results before her to prove it. There was no way that Methos could deny the truth any longer.

"Bronchitis," Methos whispered in disbelief then he coughed again, prompting Janet to hand him her bottle of water.

"I drank from this earlier, but I don't think that will matter much," Janet said gently then she smiled at him as he accepted the bottle and drank down a good swallow. "How long has it been since you were sick like this?" she asked curiously.

"My kind are not immune to disease, Doctor Fraiser. We merely do not succumb to it as easily as other humans," Methos replied, purposely not answering her question. He had been forced to tell her that he was an immortal when she'd seen his arm healing miraculously before her eyes after a lab accident, but he hadn't divulged his age to her then and he wasn't about to start giving her any clues now.

"How long?" Janet asked again.

"A very long time," Methos said and shook his head. "I came to you because you are the only doctor whom I can trust to treat me without handing me over to some scientific laboratory for experimentation and research. Please accept that for the compliment that it is and let that be enough," he said, hoping she would understand.

"Fine," Janet said with a tiny huff in her voice then she leaned forward and looked Methos directly in the eyes. "When did you first feel symptoms coming on?"

"Thursday evening. I was rather tired when Jack and I had dinner," Methos said then took another long drink of water while keeping an eye on her.

"Okay," Janet said and noted Jack's name on a piece of paper. "So, Colonel O'Neill, and naturally, Daniel, since you work with him," she said out loud as she wrote Daniel's name down beneath Jack's.

"What are you doing?" Methos asked curiously as he forced his body to sit up straighter in the chair.

"Making a list of any active personnel you've been in contact with. They'll need to be tested before I can allow them to go off world again. We can't risk them going through the Gate carrying a contagion. Some people on other planets don't have the same immunity to viruses that we do."

"Right," Methos sighed, knowing that Janet was right. "I sparred with Teal'c Friday morning and joined General Hammond for coffee in the Commissary after that," he said then finished off the water and tossed the bottle and lid into Janet's trashcan.

"Okay," Janet said as she noted those two names as well. She doubted that Teal'c would need treatment since the larval Goa'uld he carried inside him was able to heal him of all the common Earth viruses. Still, she would make a point of ordering Teal'c to conduct a session of kel-no-rim prior to his next trip off world, just to be sure that the little guy within had definitely taken care of any virus that might be present in his system. As for Hammond, he didn't go off world as a general rule, so Janet would merely advise him of the situation and prescribe a supplement of vitamin C, zinc, and Echinacea for him to take over the next week. Assuming Hammond had no symptoms develop, the supplement alone would be sufficient. "Anyone else?"

"Not here. At home...my housemate, Duncan, and his lady friend...they were with me last night...looked after me, but that's all. I was working alone at the University this weekend."

"I'll give you some of the same supplement that I'm going to prescribe for General Hammond. Have Duncan and his girlfriend take it for a week just in case. If they develop any symptoms, they should seek medical treatment right away before they end up as sick as you are."

"Thank you, Doctor," Methos said, trading a smile with her. Duncan and Amanda probably didn't need the supplement, but it wouldn't hurt them to take it. He then watched while Janet made a phone call to the Dispensary and gave her orders for the supplement as well as for antibiotics for Methos.

"Should be ready in about twenty minutes," Janet said as she hung up her phone then she reached into the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a small box of antiseptic wipes. "Come with me," she ordered and rose to her feet.

"Where?" Methos asked although he was standing as ordered.

"Your office. I want you to show me all the surfaces, mugs and such that you've handled since last Thursday so I can wipe them down. If Daniel's lucky enough that he hasn't caught this yet then I want to do my best to prevent him from getting it."

"Makes sense," Methos said with a nod. "We all owe you so much, Janet," he whispered.

"Just doing my job," Janet said casually, as she opened her office door and stepped outside with a smile on her face. It was always nice to be appreciated. She led the way to Daniel's office and was relieved to find Jack was there, visiting, since it meant one less stop she'd have to make.

Jack glanced at the doorway as he heard footsteps approaching and gave Janet a courteous smile then he saw Methos walking in behind her and licked his lips while holding his tongue. What the hell was Methos doing here when he was supposed to be in Denver resting to get over his cold? Jack hadn't even bothered to log in for a chat with him this morning, because he'd expected Methos to be sleeping in. Obviously, Methos hadn't listened to Jack's advice the day before and had chosen instead to keep pushing himself along. When Methos had left home on Saturday morning he'd merely looked tired, now he looked half dead. Damn stubborn....

Methos glanced at Jack briefly, seeing the displeasure in his eyes then suddenly coughed and felt his left eye watering so he made for Daniel's desk and quickly retrieved a tissue before he coughed again.

"Good morning?" Daniel said curiously as he looked at Janet, wondering why she was paying him a visit. "Shouldn't you be home with that cold, Adam? It sounds like it's gotten worse."

"It has," Janet said, getting both Daniel's and Jack's attention. "Doctor Pierson has bronchitis. He'll be going home once his prescription is ready," she announced then she held up the box of wipes she'd brought along. "We're going to need to wipe down this room then I need the two of you to submit a sample so I can check your systems for any sign of contagion."

"Right, Doc," Jack said, knowing better than to argue. "I'll help," he said and held out his hand, taking a few of the wipes from her. The sooner he was done with Janet, the sooner he could take a long lunch and go off base to speak with Methos. Hopefully, Jack would be calmed down by then and less likely to yell at his husband for being such a stubborn jackass.

Daniel rose to his feet and took some wipes from Janet as well then he and Jack used them to clean off all the surfaces in the office, which were commonly touched while Methos directed Janet to the few places along Daniel's shelves that he remembered having touched while he'd been working with him on the previous Friday. Finally, all that remained was the artifact that Daniel and Methos had been studying and Daniel snatched it from in front of Jack's hands as he reached for it.

"I'll take care of that," Daniel said, scrunching his nose somewhat. The last thing he needed was for Jack to rub off any of the markings on it, or damage it in some other way.

"Whatever," Jack said with a sigh then he looked over at Methos, who was now leaning against the wall next to the door, being careful not to touch his skin to any surface. Lucky for Methos, the part of Jack that wanted to cradle and care for him was gaining ground on the part that wanted to yell at him and kick him in the ass. "I'll drive you home," Jack offered.

"No need," Methos said and gave Jack a tiny smile. "Duncan and Amanda are waiting for me outside the front gate. They insisted on driving me over this morning so that I could consult with my regular physician. Then they made it clear that they're taking me home straight away and tying me to my bed if need be to get me to rest," he said and felt a sense of relief as Jack smiled back at him. This was good. Methos was miserable enough without having Jack pissed off at him.

"Ah, sounds like you're in good hands then," Jack said and mentally cancelled his plans for a long lunch. He'd wait until after he was done with work for the day then drop by Methos' house and check in on him.

"Amanda's in town?" Daniel asked curiously as he placed the artifact back on the table. "The same Amanda I met in New York?"

"Yes," Methos said with a tiny nod then he coughed again.

"I'll tell them to give you something for that cough, too," Janet said to Methos, seeing that the clean up of the room was finished. "I'll meet you at the Dispensary in five minutes. Colonel, Daniel, I want you in the Infirmary in fifteen."

"Yes, ma'am," the three men said staggeringly as Janet left the room. No one was stupid enough to cross the resident 'Doctor Napoleon'. She had more ways of causing discomfort at her disposal than anyone would care to imagine.

"So, Amanda is staying at your house?" Daniel asked once Janet was out of hearing range. "Uh...does this mean that she and you are..." Daniel snickered. "You know...together?"

"No," Methos said with a tiny smile. Daniel was simply adorable when he started scrunching his nose and fidgeting like he was. "Duncan and Amanda are close...they have been for some time. She came to visit him."

"Oh," Daniel said with a nod then pursed his lips. "Uh...how long have they been together?"

"What does it matter?" Jack asked sounding frustrated.

"Uh...well...she kind of hit on me in New York...and you, too, Jack as I recall," Daniel said, giving Jack a condescending look.

"She's a consummate flirt, Daniel," Methos said, fielding the question since he knew Amanda far better than anyone else in the room. "She can't help herself, no matter how much she and Duncan love one another."

"I thought I saw a spark between them," Daniel said in a contemplative tone. "So why don't they settle down and get married?"

"Marriage isn't suitable for everyone, Daniel. Many relationships are far too complex to fit into society's established norms," Methos said then he coughed again. "I should go."

"Yeah, we should too," Jack agreed and raised his eyebrows at Daniel. "Computer up or down? Decide so we can get a move on. You know how much I love the Infirmary," Jack said sarcastically. "Let's get there so we can appease the vampire and be done with it."

"Right," Daniel sighed then he put his computer into standby, which protected it with his password without actually shutting the applications and thus losing his place.

Jack looked to Methos, making eye contact while Daniel's focus was on his computer. They stared at one another for a long moment then Methos scrunched his reddened, swollen nose ever so slightly, making a face that he knew Jack found simply delightful. Jack smiled in response then slowly blinked. Without words they had conveyed their love to one another, and that was enough for now.

"Ready," Daniel said, breaking the moment between Jack and Methos then he waited until they had left the room before he turned off the light and followed them.

~ ~ ~

Methos lay sleeping in bed in the master bedroom of his house while Duncan and Amanda were in the hall bath taking a shower together. All three were so preoccupied that Jack was able to quietly let himself in without anyone being the wiser. He strolled into the kitchen, laid his jacket on the back of a chair then helped himself to a beer and leaned back against the counter next to stove and let out a deep breath. It wasn't even noon yet and he was drinking, but with what he'd just been through in the last twenty-four hours, he felt a beer was more than justified. Fortunately, Hammond had given all of SG-1 the rest of the day off and with Sam looking after Daniel; Jack had decided to check in on Methos.

Jack listened to the water flowing through the pipes then heard it suddenly stop. Someone would be coming out front soon. He'd just stay in the kitchen out of the way and wait since Amanda could easily be running around stark naked. Jack laughed quietly at that thought then he noticed a necklace sitting on the counter opposite him – a simple silver chain with a crystal on it, shaped like an obelisk. The way the sunlight hit it was just perfect, having a tiny prism effect, making a beautiful rainbow for Jack's viewing pleasure. A bird then landed outside, obscuring the sun's path and Jack frowned. He stepped across and picked up the necklace, taking hold of the crystal so that he could reposition it to once more catch the sun. As soon as he touched it, though, the crystal began to glow a soft yellow so Jack quickly placed it back and stepped away. The glowing faded rather quickly then Jack heard footsteps coming near and turned to face the doorway.

"Jack?" Amanda said as she rounded the corner dressed in only her silky, black underwear. "Nice to see you again," she said and walked over to the counter, taking her necklace in hand.

"You, too," Jack said awkwardly. Amanda was touching the crystal, but it wasn't glowing for her. Why?

"Jack," Duncan said as he joined them then he smacked Amanda on her rear. "Get dressed, Amanda."

"You're in your underwear," Amanda countered with sassiness in her tone.

"And Jack and I are both male," Duncan snapped back.

"And Jack is bi, so if I have to get dressed, so do you," Amanda said with a tiny pout.

"I came to see Methos, I'll just get out of the way," Jack said, but Amanda placed her right hand on his shoulder to keep him from leaving.

"You're not in the way. We were just about to go for brunch," Amanda said with a smile then she turned to face Duncan. "I only came out here to get my necklace."

"It's nice. Where'd you get it?" Jack asked curiously.

"From my first teacher, Rebecca. She had a large crystal that was made up of smaller pieces like this one. She gave a piece to each of her students once he or she was ready to go off on their own," Amanda answered.

"So...it's old?" Jack asked, not sure which questions were best to ask.

"It dates back to the days of Methuselah," Amanda said and saw Duncan rolling his eyes.

"Not again," Duncan sighed. "That's only a myth."

"You can still say that after what happened on the bridge when we brought the pieces together?" Amanda asked in disbelief.

"I didn't see anything," Duncan countered.

"Well Methos and I did," Amanda said with a tiny huff.

"Then I can ask him about it," Jack said, jumping in to stop what looked to be a potentially heated debate.

"That would probably be best," Duncan sighed and pulled Amanda toward him. "He's in his room, we thought it best to let him sleep."

"Did he get much rest?" Jack asked while making his way past them to the doorway.

"Yeah...slept for five hours yesterday once we got him home then fell asleep again about nine hours ago now...should be feeling much better now that he's taken that medication and rested properly," Duncan answered.

"Is it normal for you guys to get colds like this?" Jack just had to ask since he had two immortals before him and Methos wasn't around to stop him from doing so.

"Not usually this bad, although it's not unheard of..." Duncan said, his voice drifting as he glanced towards Amanda. He had a wealth of experience to draw upon, having been born in the late 1500s, but Amanda had been born in the early 800s and had more medical training from being a midwife than Duncan had picked up on the battlefield.

"Usually it's not this severe unless something's worn down our immune system prior to exposure to the virus," Amanda said knowingly. "I've had some whoppers, but only when I've been weakened by something else first."

"Ah," Jack said with a nod. "Thanks for looking after him. I would have been here sooner but something came up at work and I couldn't get away."

"Anytime, Jack," Duncan said with a smile. "Now, you'd best get in there before he starts calling for you."

"I thought you said he's asleep," Jack answered as he pivoted toward the hall.

"Trust me...if you're in the house, it's only a matter of time before he wakes up," Duncan said with a tiny chuckle. "You're not an immortal, but he can tell when you're around...happens when you start living together...learn each other's step, that kind of thing."

"Jack? Is that you?" Methos' voice came down the hallway, as if on cue, faint due to the distance, but definitely audible.

"Told you," Duncan laughed then he took hold of Amanda by her right hand, turning them both toward the door. "We'll be gone in a few. Want us to get you guys anything?"

"No, thanks," Jack said then he looked down the hallway. "I'm here, Gorgeous...on my way," he called out then he waved at Duncan and Amanda before he headed to Methos' bedroom.

Methos sat up in his bed, shaking off the weird dream he'd just had then he saw Jack entering the room with a beer in hand and automatically looked at the clock. Wondering if perhaps it were wrong, he then glanced at the window, saw that the sun was not yet high enough for it to be noon and pursed his lips. What the hell had happened for Jack to be drinking so early? Contrary to the popular belief of some, Jack actually did drink non-alcoholic beverages most of the time when he was off duty.

"How are you feeling?" Jack asked as he came to stand at the side of the bed.

"Better," Methos said with a smile then he gave Jack a look of concern. "What's happened?"

"Duncan and Amanda will be going to brunch in a few minutes..." Jack let his voice trail off and saw Methos nod his understanding. "You want me to get you anything?"

"I could do with some coffee," Methos said, giving Jack another smile, barely. Whatever had happened, Jack wanted to wait until the others were gone. Having him make a pot of coffee would keep him occupied in the interim.

"Done," Jack said then leaned over and gave Methos a tender kiss on the forehead. "Be right back," he whispered then he took another sip of his beer as he left the room. By the time he'd made it back to the kitchen, the bottle was empty. He tossed it in the trash then set about getting the coffeepot going, making sure he pulled out two mugs. Coffee would be better for him, even though he was more in the mood for Scotch.

"See you later, Jack." Amanda's voice rang out as Duncan nudged her toward the entryway.

"We'll be out until evening...take your time," Duncan called back as he opened the front door then he patted Amanda on her buttocks, pushing her out of the house.

Jack let out a tiny laugh then stared at the counter where Amanda's necklace had been lying earlier. Part of him wanted to ask Methos about it over coffee, but that was a very small part. Those questions would likely take a great deal of time; they could wait. Bringing Methos up to speed on what had happened off world was of far greater importance.

The coffeepot gurgled as it finished its brewing cycle and Jack took up the two mugs, filling them to nearly the top with the steaming black liquid. He then took a deep breath and headed back to Methos' bedside. As he entered the room, he saw Methos sitting up with eyes closed and a frown on his face. He was engaged in some deep thinking again.

"What's up?" Jack asked as he sat on the edge of the bed, facing Methos.

"Just thinking," Methos said as he opened his eyes then he took a sip of coffee before bringing the mug to rest on his lap.

"About?" Jack asked with a nudge in his voice, looking for a brief delay in telling Methos the bad news he bore.

"Henry II."

"The King of England who had the big scandal with Thomas Beckett?" Jack asked, wondering why Methos would be thinking about someone who had died so long ago.

"Yes," Methos said with a smile. "It's so nice to have a husband who knows his English history."

"More like I know the movie," Jack chuckled. "Richard Burton, remember?"

"Right," Methos said with a slight chuckle. "Anyway, I just had the weirdest dream about old Henry."

"Oh?" Jack asked then took another sip of coffee.

"He had a most violent temper. I never witnessed it personally, but the chroniclers of the time said that when he went into one of his tirades that his eyes seemed to flash lightening." Methos paused for another sip from his mug while Jack did the same. "I had a dream that SG-1 went back in time to kill Henry after they found out that he was a Goa'uld."

"That would never happen. Carter and her whole time line integrity thing..." Jack drifted off as the all too familiar lecture ran through his mind.

"Of course not, but in my dream you did."

"And?"

"You kicked his ass," Methos said with a smile then his expression turned serious. Enough respite; it was time to find out what had upset Jack so terribly. "So, what has you drinking before noon?"

"Daniel," Jack said quietly then placed his mug on the nightstand. There was no more room for delay. It was time to talk about it, bring Methos into the loop, so to speak. Deep down, Jack knew he would feel better having done so, but that didn't make the task any easier.

"Is he injured?" Methos automatically asked in concern.

"He'll be all right. Carter took him home." Jack ran his hand along the length of his face and let out a sigh. "Daniel's wife, Sha're...we met up with her."

"And it didn't go well, I take it?" Things were worse than Methos had thought. Jack was hurting...whatever it was that had happened.

"No," Jack said, shaking his head as he turned his chin to the floor. "She's dead. The Goa'uld controlling her...Amonet...was attacking Daniel with one of those ribbon devices...Teal'c had no choice but to take her out with his staff weapon."

"Or Daniel would have died," Methos said quietly.

"I told him that we'd find her...that we'd save her..." Jack drifted off as he recalled the words he'd spoken to Daniel over two years prior.

"You did the best you could," Methos said gently.

"Some promises should never be made," Jack said, shaking his head.

"Perhaps," Methos sighed, seeing the guilt that Jack bore, aching in sympathy for him, not wanting to see his husband in any kind of pain. "Listen to me. The past cannot be changed and the future is uncertain; we only have the present to work with...so...we'll go visit Daniel...lend our support."

"I will once I'm done here," Jack said with another sigh then took hold of Methos' right hand. "But you're officially sick for the rest of the week."

"I could have a miraculous recovery," Methos said, but was faced with Jack's glare as he shook his head. Jack wasn't going to let him do such a thing...risk having others find out about his superior healing properties. Damn him, but he was right.

"That's why I didn't make it by last night. We were off world doing a rescue of the Abydonians that Amonet had taken. Kasuf somehow managed to get a message through the Gate."

"Sha're's father," Methos said, making sure he recalled correctly who Jack was speaking of.

"Yeah," Jack sighed as the events of the past several hours replayed in his mind. "We helped the others to return to Abydos...then we brought Sha're's body back to the S.G.C. for an autopsy...made sure the snake was really dead...had our debriefing, filed our reports....I got away as soon as I could..."

"I understand," Methos said gently squeezing Jack's hand. "You had a hell of a night. When's the last time you slept?"

"I'm fine," Jack said with a shrug. "Just your typical 30-something hour day," he joked.

Methos let go of Jack's hand, placed his mug down on the nightstand next to Jack's then slid over on the bed and down under the bedding. "Come here," Methos said tenderly as he raised his right arm, inviting Jack to join him.

Jack nodded then quickly stripped down to his underwear. As he rose to his feet, Methos pulled the covers back then Jack slid in under them, nestling into Methos' waiting shoulder, allowing his husband to cover him, thus drawing him into a warm, safe cocoon. When Methos held Jack like this, it was a safe haven, far away from the cares of the world and the nightmares that haunted Jack's memories. It was exactly what Jack needed at the moment, and Methos willingly gave it to him.

"Better?" Methos asked, as he felt Jack's warmth pressing firmly against him. Even though they were both wearing a t-shirt and shorts, given that Amanda was visiting, Methos could feel Jack's radiance as if they were both naked. As a precaution, Methos raised his left hand and checked Jack's forehead for signs of fever.

"Yes," Jack whispered. He reached up with his right hand and nudged Methos' hand away from his forehead. "I tested fine...no virus."

"Okay," Methos whispered back and gently caressed Jack's right cheek. "You're just so warm."

"Happens," Jack mumbled, a yawn nearly escaping from his lips.

"Will Daniel be leaving the Program?" Methos asked. The thought had automatically entered his mind. After all, Daniel's entire reason for joining the S.G.C. had been to find and recover his wife.

"No," Jack sighed. "He believes that Sha're sent a message to him through the ribbon device...that she wants him to find her son."

"Oh," Methos said quietly as Jack yawned. "Tell me more later," he whispered as he squeezed Jack more tightly to him. His body was getting heavier; he was falling asleep.

"Okay," Jack said, his voice barely audible then he shut his eyes as he took in Methos' scent. Methos felt Jack's body relax even more then closed his eyes as well. Within a few moments, they had both drifted off into a pleasant sleep.

~ ~ ~

Methos arrived at the base, refreshed and ready to face the week ahead of him, but without his usual sense of excitement. Normally, he welcomed his time each week working with Daniel because so many doors were out there to be opened as they studied various alien artifacts, however today things were different. Granted, Daniel had remained with the Program, taking only a brief leave of absence; he was still the lead archaeologist for the S.G.C., and a member of SG-1, but now he was also a husband in mourning.

That was a situation that Methos, unfortunately, knew all too well, having lost many spouses throughout the centuries. He thought back to how long he'd withdrawn from the rigors of day-to-day life while he'd mourned – it had varied with the circumstances, but in each case, it had been longer than Daniel had given himself. Sha're's funeral had been just two days prior and Methos was, at the very least, a touch apprehensive of how Daniel would behave considering this was his first full day back on the job.

"Good morning, Daniel," Methos said cordially as he entered their shared office. Daniel was in his seat, staring at his computer monitor, coffee mug in hand, as usual. So far, all seemed well and normal.

"Good morning, Adam," Daniel replied as if on autopilot. "Doctor Fraiser said you were cleared to return to work."

"Yes...since last week," Methos said with a smile. "Listen, I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the funeral. I didn't want to risk carrying any lingering germs through the Gate." The truth was that even if he'd wanted to go, both Jack and Janet would have taken measures to stop him. Each knew that his immortality was a secret that had to be hidden from their enemy – to have a Goa'uld take an immortal for a host was a nightmare none of them, especially Methos, wanted to risk happening.

"No apology required," Daniel said, turning his focus away from the monitor. "Actually, in a strange way, it was a relief that you couldn't come. Kasuf requested that I only bring those who were my 'brothers', as he put it. Basically, just the team...uh...Jack, Sam, and Teal'c. The Abydonians are a very quiet people..." His voice drifted off awkwardly.

"Then Fate worked things out for the common good," Methos said with a gentle smile as he made his way to the coffeepot. "Need a refill?" he asked as a courtesy.

"No, just got one," Daniel said then took a sip of coffee and returned to reading the text on his monitor.

Methos got his cup ready then moved to his workstation and started powering it up for the day, sipping at his coffee while he waited, entering his passwords as prompted.

"How did things go with Teal'c?" Methos asked curiously since he had been the one who'd fired the shot that had killed Sha're.

"Well," Daniel sighed. "Kasuf thanked him for ridding Sha're of the demon that had possessed her. To his mind, that was the only way that she could enter their version of heaven. Teal'c was visibly uncomfortable as Kasuf spoke with him, but he seemed to understand."

"Good," Methos said with a tiny smile and made a mental note to check on Teal'c later in the day.

If Teal'c was carrying around a sense of guilt like Jack still was to a degree, perhaps this was a potential opportunity for discovering a weakness in the Jaffa's fighting technique. At the very least, to spar with Teal'c while he was distracted by recent events would provide a different view of his abilities. Typically, Teal'c was incredibly focused when Methos went up against him. He had been sparring with Teal'c at least once a week for months now then showing Jack what he had learned in their subsequent private sparring session away from the base. In this way, Methos and Jack were both learning Teal'c's moves and developing countermeasures for them so that one day, hopefully soon, Jack would be able to best Teal'c in a fight.

"So, is Amanda still in town?" Daniel asked to continue the conversation. He was simply tired of living in silence. Jack and Sam had checked in on him for the first couple of days after Sha're's death then they'd stopped. Days had then gone by, Daniel sitting in solitude, each day blurring into the next until the funeral. Daniel had welcomed seeing his teammates there and they'd spent a brief bit of time together, but then their obligations had required that they all return to work, leaving Daniel to go home alone. Hammond would have let him stay at home for another week or more if he'd chosen to, but Daniel couldn't take the solitude anymore. He was itching for a dialogue with someone – almost anyone at this point.

"Yes. She decided to stay on so she could attend the symposium." Actually, the symposium was merely a side adventure for her...a chance to flirt with some young, handsome men. The main reason she was sticking around and accompanying Methos to the University was so he could get her readings in the laboratory, but he couldn't tell Daniel about that...not without risking unwelcome questions. Having readings from another immortal, especially a female, could prove to be quite helpful with Methos' analysis, at the very least with fine-tuning his baseline. And it was only going to cost him two pieces from his art collection – a Monet and a Matisse. Originally, Amanda had wanted two Monets and the Matisse, but Methos had haggled her price down a bit.

"Symposium?" Daniel asked, wondering what Methos was talking about.

"On Egyptology at the University...it's running for three days this year, starting this Friday," Methos said, looking at Daniel.

"Right," Daniel sighed. "I read about that...it's becoming quite popular."

"There's still room in the car if you care to join us," Methos said with a nudge in his voice.

"No...I'll pass this year," Daniel said, shaking his head.

"But it's where we first met," Methos said with a playful pout. "Besides, it would do you good to get away from here for a few days. You could stay with me...we'll give you the guest room and make Amanda sleep out on the sofa."

"Thanks, but I need to work on this backlog."

"As you wish," Methos said with a tiny sigh then took another sip of coffee. "So, which part of the backlog do I get?"

"None," Daniel said and pursed his lips. "I want you to work on finding Kheb."

"Kheb," Methos echoed. "The place where Osiris is said to have hidden from Seth once upon a time?"

"Yes. I made some preliminary notes last week from home. They should be in your email."

"Right," Methos said with a nod then he scrolled through his emails until he found the one from Daniel. He opened it then the attachment and saved it to his hard drive while taking another sip of coffee. "Good start you've got here."

"I had a few references at home," Daniel said while continuing with his own emails.

"Of course you do," Methos chuckled. "So, what exactly am I to do? Compile background information for a briefing?"

"No. I want you to work on finding it. I'll be working with you on it as much as possible."

"Daniel, Kheb is a myth," Methos said pointedly.

"That's what I used to think, about that and a lot of other things," Daniel said shaking his head. "Sha're told me that it's a real place. It's where her son was taken to be hidden from Heru'ur."

"Right...through the ribbon device...heard about that," Methos said then he took a deep breath. "Her son...the one whose father is Apophis?" he asked, feigning ignorance. Truth be known, Jack had already told him all about the Harcesis child, who given he was the offspring of two Goa'uld hosts, would carry within him all the knowledge of the Goa'uld. However, Methos hadn't been in attendance at the debriefing when Daniel had spoken at length on the matter, so officially he hadn't heard the whole story yet.

"Yes," Daniel said then he explained about the child being Harcesis, while Methos attentively listened, taking in each word that Daniel spoke, looking for anything that Jack might have omitted from his explanation.

"Fascinating," Methos said, truly intrigued, as the scholar that he was.

"General Hammond has agreed that finding the child is on our list of goals so that we can gain the knowledge he possesses, but The Pentagon still expects the missions schedule to be maintained and Nevada is back to their same old BS, demanding that the real artifact be sent this week," Daniel said with frustration in his voice.

"They finally figured out that Jack sent the wrong one," Methos chuckled. He was always amused by the harmless games that were played behind the scenes in government institutions. Mind you, Methos dreaded the serious games, the ones that cost lives and smacked of injustice, but the occasional bureaucratic snafu, whether by accident or on purpose as Jack had committed, those were a seemingly endless source of entertainment for those with access to see them.

"Yes, and from what I hear, were they pissed. I wish I could have seen the looks on their faces," Daniel said, letting out a tiny chuckle of his own. After over a week of moping, it felt good to laugh, if only a little. Being back at work was definitely good for him.

"Ah," Methos said with a nod. "So, while you're doing that, you want me to drop the translations and cataloguing and devote my time solely to finding Kheb."

"Precisely. Your job here is to assist me. That means The Pentagon has no say in what your daily activities are."

"The King of Loopholes strikes again," Methos said with a tease in his voice.

"What did he do this time?" Jack asked as he entered the room.

"The usual sneakiness," Methos said with a chuckle then he launched into the standard courtesies with Jack, each asking questions of the other about what had transpired since the previous Wednesday, which 'officially' had been the last time they'd seen each other. That morning, per their normal routine, Jack had left the house as Methos had been eating breakfast and purposely come to the base to have his breakfast in the Commissary, dining with Carter.

As they had their little chat, Jack paced around the room a bit, picking up a few new pieces and examining them briefly, avoiding any discussion of the funeral until Daniel mentioned it.

"It was really nice, Daniel," Jack said as he came to stand just behind him. "So, what's up for today?" he asked while placing his right hand on Daniel's left shoulder. Talking about funerals was one of most uncomfortable topics that Jack could think of.

"Right now...purging the junk emails," Daniel sighed. "I've got Adam working on finding Kheb."

"Right," Jack said with a nod. He patted Daniel's shoulder then took a deep breath and headed for the door. "Keep me advised," he called back and sauntered out into the corridor. Now that he'd checked on Methos, Jack had his own list of things to do for the day.

"His little pep talks are always so inspiring," Methos said teasingly with a wink.

"Yes," Daniel sighed. "Sometimes they're even on topic," he chuckled.

"Really?"

"Yep...stay here long enough, and you may hear one some day," Daniel said with another tiny laugh then he finished off the last of his coffee. "Want some more?" he asked as he slid off his stool to head for the coffeepot.

"No, thank you," Methos replied then he returned to checking his emails. There weren't many since he wasn't copied on things as prolifically as Daniel and Jack were, but he still found it best to get them out of the way before he started on his real work for the day. He opened the first message and pursed his lips as he tried to read it, his mind already at work on the possibility of finding Kheb. If Kheb truly did exist, it would be a discovery worthy of great academic acclaim; too bad their work was classified.

~ ~ ~

Methos woke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of beating drums coming from his living room. What the hell was Amanda doing up so early in the morning? He stretched a bit while glancing at the window. It was still dark outside. He then glanced at his bedroom door, seeing that it had been cracked open slightly, and shook his head as he heard the noise from the living room get louder. What was Amanda's game this morning? Was it absolutely necessary that she woke him, just because she was awake? Probably. Irking Methos seemed to be one of her favorite pastimes.

This whole trip together without Duncan along was proving to be a royal headache for Methos. Usually, Duncan was on hand to provide a buffer, a distraction even, so that Amanda merely traded a few barbs with Methos and that was that. Fortunately, the first day had been pleasant enough; Methos and Amanda had been in public the entire time, attending the symposium; so Amanda had behaved, for the most part. She'd been far too busy collecting phone numbers from willing young men to have been bothered with harassing Methos. Perhaps he should have allowed her to bring one of the young suitors back to the apartment with her the night before, as she had wanted to do. If he had, maybe she'd still be in bed now and Methos could still be asleep. Oh well, it was too late now.

Resigned to the fact that he was now completely wide awake, Methos threw back the covers then got up and shuffled out to the bathroom, wearing nothing but his boxers and a plain white t-shirt. He didn't bother with a robe even though Amanda was around, she'd seen him down to nothing but his boxers on more than one occasion already, and Jack understood that running around in his underwear in front of her was normal. So long as Amanda didn't try to make a move on him, she could ogle all she wanted. Methos was immune to her charms, had been for quite a while. And, as with Nicole's attention, Jack was proud to have Amanda gazing amorously at Methos. As Jack had put it, such attention merely 'reinforced his superior taste'.

"Hey, old man," Amanda called out, her voice strained.

Methos waited until he was done with the early morning necessities then he headed toward the living room as he gave his response. "Good morning, Amanda," he said with a touch of snippiness in his voice then he saw what she was doing and let out a deep laugh.

"What?" Amanda said, clearly annoyed. "Haven't you ever seen a woman working out before?"

"Yes, I have," Methos chuckled. "But not doing Tae Bo in silk underwear. Best be careful your upper assets don't bounce too hard...liable to hurt yourself." The drumbeat of the workout video was hard and fast as the images on the screen went through the rapid routine of punches and kicks, and Amanda was keeping up with them as best she could. She was actually doing quite well. "Seriously, shouldn't you be wearing a sports bra? Especially at your age?" he asked as he wandered into the kitchen.

"Your concern is touching," Amanda said sarcastically, her breathing a bit labored from talking while continuing her workout. "I'll wear one when you start wearing support for your balls."

Methos chuckled slightly, but didn't bother to respond, allowing Amanda to return her focus to her workout. He was familiar with the tape; it was his after all, so he knew that it had just begun and that the truly challenging portion was yet to come. She would need all her concentration for that, and that would give Methos a guaranteed block of private time. He wasn't going to let that opportunity pass him by.

He poured out his coffee, strolled back past the living room, ignoring Amanda as she kept up the routine, and went back into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He then glanced at the clock as he sat down on the bed and let out a tiny sigh. It was too early for an online chat with Jack, though, maybe he'd get lucky and Jack would be logging in early today. It was worth a try. Methos took a long sip of his coffee then placed the mug on the nightstand and was just about to retrieve his laptop when his cell phone rang. The caller ID indicated the call was from Jack's cell phone.

"Pierson," Methos answered. It was best to be safe since anyone could be using Jack's cell phone to call him.

"Good morning, Doc. Hope I didn't wake you," Jack said in his typical nonchalant manner.

"No, you didn't," Methos carefully replied. From the sounds in the background and Jack's choice of words, he was reasonably sure that Jack was phoning him from within the base and that someone else was in the room with him.

"Good. Listen, we hate to bother you, but we wanted to see if we could pick your brain a bit."

"We?" Methos asked. Jack's tone was far too calm for there to be a serious problem brewing, but still, something unusual had to be happening for him to bother phoning Methos concerning work on what was supposed to be a day off for both of them.

"Doctor Fraiser's got a biochemistry problem she's working on. Carter's helping her out, but they're stumped," Jack said giving a tiny smile to Janet and Sam. Two of the smartest women Jack knew were at a loss and were turning to his husband for assistance. Oh...if they only realized what a rush they were giving Jack by doing so; it would make this even more delicious. Maybe someday Jack would let them know about that part just so he could relive the moment.

"Oh?" Methos smiled at hearing the playfulness in Jack's voice. He was thoroughly enjoying this. "Should I phone you back on a more secure line?"

"Hang on," Jack said and held the phone away while he spoke with Janet about the logistics of connecting the two of them. Once they'd settled on a course of action, Jack waved to Janet and Sam as they left the room and raised his cell phone back to his ear. "They've gone to set up the speaker phone in Janet's office. It's a secure line, got that jamming stuff on it. They'll phone you back in a few minutes."

"Okay," Methos said with a tiny chuckle. Jack was so adorable when he played dumb, especially now, since Methos knew for a fact that Jack was well familiar with such 'jamming stuff'. After all, Jack was the one who had installed similar equipment on all their landlines, both at home and at Methos' other residences. "So, how'd you sleep last night, or did you?" Methos asked, knowing that they had a few minutes to speak before Janet's incoming call would interrupt them. 'Call Alert' was such a wonderful feature.

"Slept fine. You?"

"Well enough. Saw Nicole yesterday. Now I know how I became ill. She's been suffering with bronchitis as well."

"Ah," Jack said with a nod, recalling how Nicole's kiss had been just a few days prior to Methos getting sick. "Guess your immune system wasn't up to snuff when she kissed you."

"I suppose not," Methos sighed. "Perhaps the stress of work wore it down."

"Or maybe you were worn down from extracurricular activities," Jack said with a nudge in his voice, remembering that they had broken their own self-imposed rule about no sex on a work night during the week in question.

"Perhaps," Methos agreed then changed the subject before one of them accidentally said something inappropriate. "So, what gets you into work so early?"

"I came in to check on Daniel."

"What's wrong?"

"Long story," Jack sighed. "He met this gal while we were away. The two of them hit it off. He's been fussing over her for the last two days, rubbing his hand along her back and shoulders, flirting..."

"Sounds perfectly normal," Methos calmly replied. "Is she decent looking?"

"Yeah...I suppose." Jack let out a deep breath. "She came back with us...and I think he may have slept with her last night. He wasn't in his quarters when I got here, but the front gate doesn't show that he left either."

"I see," Methos said and paused for a brief moment. Daniel had just buried his wife and while flirting wasn't disturbing behavior, if he truly had slept with this woman then Methos could understand Jack's concern. "Perhaps you should speak with him."

"Yeah," Jack sighed, wishing he could speak more openly with Methos, but cell phone to cell phone wasn't a secure enough connection – not for what Jack had to say. "There's more involved than I can say."

"I see," Methos said quietly and waited through a long silence, allowing Jack to formulate the right words in his mind. He obviously needed to speak with someone about what was happening with this woman, whoever she was, and Methos was more than willing to be patient and cooperative while Jack figured out how to do so.

"She's not who she seems to be," Jack finally said, speaking softly. "She's trouble...big trouble," he sighed.

"Then all the more reason to speak with Daniel," Methos said then heard the beep indicating that he had another call incoming. "That will be Janet."

"Yeah," Jack sighed, not wanting to hang up. Just hearing Methos' voice for these few minutes had helped him immensely. He always appreciated Methos' guidance...his voice...his presence when at all possible. It wasn't that Jack couldn't still function and make decisions on his own; he could. If he ever got to the point that he couldn't, he'd resign his commission. Rather, it was that Jack simply cherished having his husband to turn to for a sounding board now and then. With Methos there were no secrets, no mincing words. He was the one person on the entire planet that Jack could be totally open and honest with. Of course, that also meant that Methos was the one person on the planet who could get away with slapping Jack upside the head and telling him when he was being a complete moron or asshole. It was a trade-off of sorts.

"Go find Daniel," Methos said, his voice full of authority; then he clicked over to catch the other call.

"Yes, sir," Jack said with a tiny chuckle. He then turned off his phone and let out a deep breath, as his thoughts shifted from Methos back to Daniel. Of all the women for Daniel to hook up with, why had he chosen one who was so potentially volatile? Because he was Doctor Daniel Jackson, that's why. For as long as Jack had known him, he'd had one glaring, annoying consistency about him. If there was trouble to be found, walked into, fallen into, or in any other manner gotten into – Daniel was sure to be in the center of it. At times Jack thought it truly amazing that Daniel was still alive after all he'd been through.

"Where the hell are you, Daniel?" Jack muttered under his breath as he put his phone away in his pocket then he stepped out of his office into the corridor and began a methodical search of the base. If it took him all day, he was going to find his best friend and have a little chat with him. What exactly he was going to say, Jack wasn't certain; he'd figure that out when the time came.

~ ~ ~

Methos dropped Amanda off with his laundry, shoving the bag at her as he booted her from the car. She'd worn down his very last nerve. Damn the cover story. He was going to drive over to Jack's house, park out front, and then go inside and wrap himself up in Jack's arms. Amanda had royally pissed him off – pure and simple. The only reason Methos had let her ride back with him was so he could fume at her some more and make her sweat.

After Amanda's workout the morning before, they'd had breakfast, dressed, attended the symposium, all going well, then everything had gone south. Amanda had spotted a home fashion store on the way back to the apartment Saturday evening then Sunday morning she'd excused herself from attending the last of the symposium, letting Methos go alone. He'd thought at the time that it had been a stroke of luck, and, accordingly, he'd stopped by his office after the last meeting to catch up on his emails. When he'd gotten back to the apartment, ready to pick up Amanda so they could head back to Colorado Springs, Methos had discovered that he hadn't been lucky at all. She had totally redecorated his apartment.

"I thought you'd like it," Amanda said with a pout as she sat with the passenger side door open and Methos' laundry bag on her lap. "I modeled it on your last apartment in France."

"Amanda," Methos growled then he shook his head. He hated it when she pouted. It was difficult yelling at someone who was doing a damn Bambi impression, innocent eyes, twitching nose. Damn it! She was ruining his rant, and that was making him even angrier.

"You don't like it?" Amanda asked sheepishly, playing the helpless little girl routine for all its worth, batting her eyelashes slightly.

"That's not the bloody point! You don't remodel someone's apartment without asking first."

"I wanted it to be a surprise. I really thought you'd like it," Amanda said with a sigh.

"You shouldn't have done it," Methos stated then let go of the steering wheel as he leaned back in his seat.

"I'm sorry, Methos," Amanda said quietly. She'd pushed too hard; she could see that now. "I'll make it up to you."

"You're damn right, you will," Methos grumbled. "First, you'll go back to Denver with me on Thursday morning and restore the apartment to the way it was."

"Okay," Amanda said with a nod.

"Then you're going to drop by my lab and pick me up for dinner."

"Sure, Methos, anywhere you want to go."

"Where doesn't matter. I have a student scheduled to be there that evening. I've given her the impression that I'm romantically involved with another woman to ebb her advances toward me."

"And you want me to pretend to be the other woman."

"Yes. So long as you do, I won't object to you visiting Duncan at my house as much as you want."

"I see," Amanda said, biting her lip. "And if I don't do you this little favor?"

"I'll tell the authorities in Aspen that you're responsible for the art theft that occurred there last month."

When Amanda had shown up unannounced, claiming to be in town purely out of concern for Duncan, Methos had done some checking around. Two nights prior to her arrival at his house, a private art museum in Aspen, Colorado had been robbed of several highly valuable items and one not quite as valuable – a relatively unknown Monet. Given the modus operandi fit with Amanda's previous robberies, not to mention her passion for Monet, Methos was reasonably certain that she had executed the job. He couldn't prove it, but she had no way of knowing that.

"You wouldn't," Amanda said, her voice turning serious, as did her expression. One look into his eyes told her that he would. Methos didn't make idle threats; he never had. "Fine," she harrumphed. "I suppose you'll be telling Duncan."

"Not unless you force me to," Methos said then shifted in his seat and put his hands back on the steering wheel. "I'll see you at 6:00 Thursday morning, be out front, don't keep me waiting," he said with dismissal in his tone.

"Our little secret?" Amanda asked, her eyes sparkling. Methos' terms were far more lenient than she'd expected.

"Don't press your luck, Amanda. Now get the hell out of the car before I change my mind and take your head," Methos grumbled.

"Later, old man," Amanda said and exited the car without further delay, taking a brief moment to retrieve her suitcase from the rear seat before she carried it and Methos' laundry into the house.

Methos watched Amanda bounce up to the front of the house then shook his head slightly as he backed out of the driveway. The décor she had chosen for his Denver apartment had been very much to his taste, she knew him well, but she should have asked first. Had she done so, Methos would have made it clear that said décor was the last he wanted just now. It was too soon since his last lover, Alexa, had died a few years earlier, wasting away in a hospital, so terribly young, even by mortal standards. He'd been living in an apartment in France when he'd met her, the décor the same as Amanda had remembered it. Walking into his apartment in Denver and seeing it again had stirred up too many painful memories – his wounds were still too fresh.

He made the short drive to Jack's house and parked outside at the curb. After sitting for a long moment, he drove away rather than going inside. The next moment, his cell phone rang – it was Jack calling him from inside the house.

"I'll be back," Methos said, not bothering with courtesy, knowing that the phone line would be secure.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, his concern obvious in his tone. "You pulled up then you left."

"I know." Methos pulled over to the curb and put the car in park as a tear escaped, trailing down his right cheek. "I need some time alone. I'll be home later. I'll tell you then." He couldn't speak with Jack just now, not when he was in such a volatile state of mind. He needed to regain his control first.

"Are you hurt?"

"Not injured...hurting..." Methos took a deep breath as another tear escaped. "Please, my love. I'll tell you everything when I get home."

"Okay," Jack said and shifted his jaw to one side, as he heard the pain in Methos' voice. He longed to do something to help him now rather than waiting until later, but since Methos wasn't injured Jack was going to respect his wishes. "Should I have anything in particular ready and waiting when you get here?" he asked, hoping to elicit some clue as to what had upset Methos so much.

"Just you," Methos said with a smile creeping onto his face. Just hearing Jack's voice was already helping him immensely. "I shan't be too long."

"Okay," Jack said again then waited for Methos to hang up before he did the same.

Methos put his cell phone away then pulled away from the curb and drove, seemingly aimlessly, until he realized that he was on the block where Daniel lived. His damn subconscious must have been guiding the car again. He let out a tiny sigh as he parked just down the street from Daniel's building then got out and strolled over, trading a tiny nod with the doorman as he entered. He would check in on Daniel, make sure he was all right. That would get his mind focused on something other than his own self-pity party, and then he'd be able to go home and speak more rationally with Jack.

He traveled up in the elevator, thankfully alone then exited on Daniel's floor, made directly for his apartment, and then knocked on the door. "Daniel, it's Adam," he called out so that his voice would carry into the apartment.

After a long moment, Daniel opened the door a crack then walked away without saying a word. Methos entered cautiously, his concern for Daniel pushing aside his other thoughts for the moment. "Daniel?" he called out as he closed and locked the door behind him.

"Down here...grab a beer if you want," Daniel said from the living room.

"Thanks, but I'll pass," Methos said as he came down the steps into the living room. He took off his coat and laid it on one of the armchairs, pursing his lips, as he looked at Daniel, who was slouched on the sofa, his glasses off and lying on the coffee table before him. "How many have you had?"

"Counting this one?" Daniel looked at the half-empty bottle in his hand. "Just half..." his voice trailed off as his eyes drifted, focused on nothing in particular.

"Yes, well I think you've had enough," Methos said as he sat next to Daniel and took the bottle from his hand, placing it on the coffee table. Damn, but he was a cheap date. Couldn't hold his alcohol in the least. Although, Methos strongly suspected that there was more causing Daniel's condition than merely a few ounces of beer.

"Yeah," Daniel chuckled. "I don't really like that stuff, you know...just keep it around for Jack..." his voice faded again.

Methos settled in next to Daniel and watched him, waiting for him to say something. After a long moment, he finally did and his words put Methos off his mark.

"Have you ever been married, Adam?"

"No," Methos lied. Officially, Adam Pierson was a confirmed bachelor.

"You wouldn't understand then," Daniel said with a sigh.

"I've lived with a few women...been in a serious relationship or two," Methos said with a nudge in his voice.

"It's not the same."

"Yes, it is, or rather was," Methos said then gave Daniel a tiny smile as he turned to make eye contact with him. "While I was living in Paris...there was a woman...we weren't together very long, but we were very close."

"What happened?"

"She died...the doctors couldn't find a cure for her illness," Methos said with a tiny quiver in his voice. To this day, he couldn't bring himself to state the name of the killer that had taken his precious Alexa away. He simply couldn't without his anger threatening to get out of control.

"I'm sorry, Adam," Daniel said while gently rubbing Methos' right shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's alright," Methos said then took a deep breath. "So, what's happened with you? I'm gone a few days and you're drinking?" he asked, pushing the focus back to Daniel's problem.

"I screwed up," Daniel said, shaking his head as he brought his hand back down to his lap. "Sha're's dead less than a month and I'm fucking some woman I just met," he said, sounding disgusted with himself.

"Surely, no one can fault you for seeking out comfort in the arms a woman," Methos said calmly.

"It was like I was seventeen again, all hormones and no brains," Daniel snapped, throwing his hands into the air, his anger stirring up and bursting forth. He'd been kicking himself internally for days. Now, he was finally letting it out into the open. "How can I say I was a faithful husband? How can I face Sha're's family ever again, knowing that I've disgraced her memory? I'm an asshole, Adam. A no-good, selfish asshole."

"I..." Methos began, but Daniel rose to his feet and began to pace, letting loose his fury as he went into full rant mode.

"I mean, maybe if I'd been drunk at the time that would have made a difference. She did kiss me first. She hadn't been intimate with anyone for over a year...she hadn't want to risk it on her planet...they all had amnesia..."

Daniel paused to bite his lip briefly and Methos didn't even try to speak this time. Clearly, Daniel wasn't finished yet.

"I could have left the room. I didn't have to kiss her back," Daniel said then he froze and stared at Methos. "But I didn't want to leave. I wanted to take advantage of her. I wanted to get fucking laid! After over three years of waiting...hoping that somehow..." His voice cracked. "Sha're was no sooner buried than my dick went on the prowl. What the hell is wrong with me?" he shouted as tears poured down his cheeks. "I...I..."

"You did what was natural," Methos said, rising to his feet. "Look at me," he ordered, taking hold of Daniel by the shoulders, and then waited for him to look him in the eyes. "You did nothing wrong. This woman reached out to you, she kissed you, you responded. Fate..."

"Don't lecture me about fate, Adam!" Daniel shouted as he pushed him away. "Fate didn't fail Sha're! I did!"

"Fine!" Methos snapped and pushed Daniel back, so hard that he fell onto the sofa. "You go ahead and have your pity party. Play the bloody martyr all you want, but it won't change a damn thing! It won't bring Sha're back. It won't erase the fact that she was host to a Goa'uld. You can't change that fact anymore than I can bring Alexa back!" A tear trailed down Methos' right cheek as the image of Alexa's sweet face flashed through his mind.

"But you try to fix it, Daniel, try all you want to undo the past! Be a selfish asshole! Waste away precious time of your brief stay on this Earth without regard for others!" Methos then leaned forward, his rage fully evident in his eyes, anger that was properly directed at Methos, himself, not Daniel, but it had been turned loose and there was no stopping it. "And then, when you end up living in squalor, waking up half naked in a gutter somewhere in such a drunken stupor that you can't recall your own name, you remember that it was by your choice and your own doing that you got there!"

Daniel sat in stunned silence. He'd never seen such anger from his friend before, the way his eyes darkened, his nostrils flaring. He was looking much like an angry bull – dangerous and unpredictable.

Methos saw the near terror in Daniel's eyes and took a deep breath, as he closed his own. This was precisely why he hadn't gone home yet. He hadn't wanted to blow up in front of Jack, so instead he'd now blown up in front of Daniel. This was just splendid. He'd made an utter fool of himself and come off as a complete asshole in front of a dear friend.

"Daniel, I'm sorry," Methos said quietly as he opened his eyes and took a step back.

"No." Daniel shook his head. "I'm the one who's sorry...I didn't realize..."

"I should go."

"No, sit down," Daniel said quietly while patting the sofa cushion next to him.

"No..." Methos shook his head and moved to get his coat.

"Sit down now or I'll put in the papers tomorrow morning to have you fired," Daniel threatened.

"You wouldn't," Methos said then saw Daniel's glare and knew he wasn't bluffing. "Fine," Methos harrumphed as he sat beside Daniel. "You've been around Jack for far too long. You're adopting his tactics."

"He does tend to rub off on people," Daniel sighed, staring straight ahead, again at nothing in particular.

"Quite," Methos sighed and joined Daniel in staring at the air that surrounded them, all sense of time vanishing.

"So, tell me about fate," Daniel said, finally breaking the long silence that had crept over them.

"Fate?" Methos asked then nodded as he recalled what he had been about to say earlier. "Right...Fate is a bitch who despises not getting her way. She knew that both you and this woman needed physical release, so she brought you together when you were both ripe and ready to burst."

"We burst alright," Daniel said with a tiny laugh. "It was so passionate, I felt so alive again...like I hadn't for so long...you know?"

"Yes," Methos said with a smile. "It was a necessary relationship, at just the right time for both of you."

"I wouldn't call a one-night-stand a relationship."

"Every interaction we have with another is a relationship, whether it be friendship, marriage, or whatever else Fate brings our way." Methos turned slightly and looked Daniel in the eyes. "Our relationships with others contribute in part to who we are. We learn from them, glean what we can, and then move forward."

"Maybe," Daniel said with a shrug.

"Listen to me, Daniel. Learn from the experience, grow stronger, fight another day, don't sit here and beat yourself up over things that you cannot change. It doesn't work. Trust me, I know."

"So I noticed," Daniel said. "Your outburst...that was your own experience, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

Daniel nodded then reached over with both hands and gently rubbed Methos' shoulders. "Thanks for listening and for the words of wisdom."

"You're welcome. And if you ever need someone to call you a selfish asshole again in the future..." Methos said with a tease in his voice.

"I've got Jack," Daniel said with a smug grin. "And now you as a backup," he added with a tiny wink.

Methos returned Daniel's grin then allowed him to draw him into a warm embrace. He felt Daniel's weight leaning on him as if he were passing off a burden, allowing Methos to share the load with him, so Methos remained still, letting Daniel embrace him for as long as he needed. When he finally let go, Methos pivoted his feet so he could get up.

"I really should be going. We have work tomorrow."

"Right," Daniel said with a nod. "See you there. Just pull the door shut; it's set to lock itself."

"See you then," Methos said then rose to his feet, took up his coat, and walked with a sense of relief toward the front door. He was still hurting a bit, but he felt much better, having released a bit of steam, knowing that he'd been able to help Daniel work through his pain. Fate had done it to Methos once more, placing him in the right place at the right time so that both he and Daniel could help one another. Now, all that was left was to explain it all to Jack.

Methos waited until he was at his house, his car parked in the driveway then he called home as he began walking in that direction. Jack picked up the phone on the first ring, obviously waiting for him to call.

"I'm on my way, Handsome. Have the bed turned down when I get there?"

"Sure," Jack said with a smile. "How long?"

"Not long. I'm just leaving my house on foot."

"Okay. See you soon," Jack said then hung up and headed for the bedroom. By the time he had the bed turned down and himself cleaned up for the night, down to just his boxers, he heard Methos coming in the front door and went into the hallway to meet him. "Hey," he said with a tender smile then stopped as they met up in front of the hall bath, Methos wrapping around him, hugging him like a teddy bear.

"I love you so much," Methos whispered then gave Jack a long, passionate kiss, letting all his pain escape through the action. Finally, he broke off sensing that Jack needed some air.

"I love you, too," Jack said, sounding confused. "What happened?" he asked, tenderly caressing Methos' left cheek.

"It started with Amanda...she redecorated my apartment..." Methos began then he guided Jack into the bedroom as he continued, telling him all about the décor Amanda had selected and how it had reminded him so very much of Alexa.

"Oh, Sweetheart," Jack said gently while pulling Methos in for another hug. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I'll take Wednesday afternoon off and go up to Denver and switch it back so you won't have to see it again."

"No," Methos said, shaking his head. "It's not your fault. Besides, I've already told Amanda that I'm picking her up on my way back Thursday morning so she can undo what she's done while I'm at the University for the day."

"Bet she loved that," Jack chuckled.

"Not quite," Methos said with a tiny smile then he undressed while he told Jack about the arrangement he'd made with Amanda for her to pretend to be his lady friend in front of Nicole.

"You think Nicole's gonna buy it?" Jack asked skeptically as both he and Methos took off their boxers and crawled into bed. "She's a pretty bright kid."

"Yes, she is, but the way Amanda and I bicker, it's almost as if we were an old married couple at times," Methos said as he snuggled into Jack's shoulder. "I don't think it will be difficult to convince her at all. Just hold Amanda's hand a few times, a small peck on the cheek."

"None on the lips," Jack said, making his feelings known on the matter. "You're a married man, remember?"

"How could I forget," Methos said with a smirk as he rose to look Jack in the eyes. "While I was out clearing my head, I stopped by Daniel's."

"Oh?" Jack asked, arching one eyebrow ala Teal'c. "Do tell."

"He was in a mood...so was I," Methos began then he ran his fingertips gently through Jack's chest hairs while he told him all that had happened at Daniel's – the shouting, the talking, the hug before he left. "I hadn't meant for it to happen. I had planned to calm down then come and talk things out with you," Methos said then felt Jack's fingertips on his lips and silenced as he got lost in Jack's deep brown eyes.

"It's alright," Jack said, sensing that Methos had been about to apologize. "You and Daniel have a common bond now. That's a good thing," he said as he brushed a stray hair from Methos' forehead.

"Yes," Methos said with a smile and a sense of relief. "I suppose it is."

"I know it is," Jack said with certainty in his tone. "I can't be around every time Daniel needs to be called a selfish asshole. It's not physically possible for just one person," he said teasingly.

Methos laughed, Jack joining him, and then they settled in for the night with Methos pressed firmly against Jack's left side, his head resting on his shoulder and his left hand still lingering midst his chest hairs. "Good night, my love," Methos whispered as he closed his eyes.

"Good night," Jack said and placed a kiss on the top of Methos' head before closing his eyes as well. As they drifted off to sleep, a smile came over Jack's face and a feeling of comfort came over him that he couldn't begin to express.

The death of Sha're had been a difficult time for all of them, but from it had come something incredibly good – Daniel and Methos had bonded in a way they couldn't have before. Jack now knew beyond a doubt that if something should happen to him while off on a mission, that Daniel would look after Methos without having to be asked, most likely without even realizing what he was doing it. And Daniel was the perfect person for the job, being Jack's best friend and teammate, not having to hedge words concerning the matter, since both he and Methos had the needed security clearance to know the truth of what had happened. It was the perfect solution – and for that Jack would be eternally grateful.

FIN