"Daniel?"

"Hmmm?" The sound of his wife’s voice pulled him partly out of the history of the Su’tellian’s, an intriguing new race of people, who by all appearances were the descendents of Earth’s Sumerians, and back into the four walls of his office.

"How’s the translation going?"

"Good…there’s reference to the ‘yellow rocks the Earth God spat up from the ground and washed clean in the rivers’…I think it may be referring to a gold deposit."

"You going to recommend a second visit?"

"Yeah. If there is a vein of gold, then it could be worth our while to negotiate a mining treaty with the locals."

Daniel missed Annika’s grin at the absent way he responded.

His mind was only half paying attention to the conversation, however when he felt a familiar loving arm drape over his shoulder from behind, he automatically leant into her embrace.

"So we can use the gold to pay the light bill around here?" The general would be pleased. It would relieve some of the pressure he was under to reduce costs.

"Uh huh. Or use it to trade off-world." His free hand caressed her soft skin, though his eyes never left the scroll in front of him.

"Any idea when you’ll finish up for the day?"

Her quiet voice so close to his ear sent a ripple of desire coursing through him, though she hadn’t intended it to be seductive.

"About an hour."

"Do you have anything planned for tonight?"

"Nuh uh."

"Okay, I’ll leave you to it."

Gentle lips against the base of his neck caused another burst of heat, but before he could indulge in the sweet taste of her with a real kiss she was gone.

It took a full ten minutes for the nagging at the back of Daniel’s mind to become insistent enough for him to examine it. It came to him in fragments, dancing about his head in between the text he was deciphering. He hadn’t heard Annika enter, which if he was honest with himself wasn’t all that surprising when he was lost in a translation. However he’d been mostly aware by the time she’d left and he hadn’t heard her footfalls retreat. I must have been more in the zone than I thought.

With a sigh he returned his focus to the text to reread a particularly convoluted sentence. He never got to beyond the second word. Took another breath, this one deeper. A slightly musky smell of old books and the earthiness of recently dug up artifacts. No subtle scent of vanilla that tantalized him whenever Annika was near.

He swiveled his chair around, blinking at the empty room. Wait a second…What was Annika doing on base at all? She hadn’t come in today, she’d been helping Teal’c settle into his old house. Daniel chuckled as realization struck. The little minx had astral traveled to him and he hadn’t even noticed! Still smiling he turned back to the scroll. That little trick was handy, not to mention it would cut their local phone bill down to nothing.

There was a delightful bubble of mirth through their bond; gentle teasing at his ‘oblivion’, she’d been waiting for him to catch on. He responded with a sheepish tickle of his own even as he ran the conversation back through his mind. Had there been a reason for her unexpected visit? Her question, ‘Do you have anything planned for tonight?’ lit up like a beacon. An innocuous query if it came from anybody else. But as he was beginning to discover, Annika only asked it if she had something up her sleeve. As he recalled, the last time she’d uttered those words had been when she’d given him an early Christmas present. God, what a night that had been! He sent the warm pulse that was threatening to blow any chance of him being able to concentrate on finishing the translation back to her and felt her own desire with a healthy dose of anticipation bounce back. Oh, that was so not helping his current predicament! He had to get the translation done, SG-6 needed it for the morning.

Another dose of amusement and then he slowly felt her draw away. She knew precisely how amorous his thoughts had become, as much as she knew how important it was that he complete his work. It would have been so easy for her to bombard him with the power of her love and desire through their bond, making it impossible for him to concentrate on anything else, but she would never do that. Wouldn’t risk having to delay a mission because she simply wanted to make love to her husband. Wouldn’t deprive him of the joy of his work. For once in his life he was in a relationship where he didn’t feel like he had to choose between the woman he loved and the work that was his passion. Knowing that Annika truly understood and was in fact his staunchest ally when he found himself working through the night, made him love her all the more. And those sorts of thoughts were just making the fire he’d just begun to tamper down, flare up again.

He returned his attention to the scroll with renewed vigor. The sooner he finished his notes, the sooner he would find out what his inventive little wife had planned. Half an hour later he was entering the small outer office of the general’s assistant.

The lieutenant looked up from his desk as Daniel slid his preliminary report into the general’s inbox. "Good afternoon, Doctor Jackson."

"Yes, it is, Lieutenant," Daniel smiled at the man and spun on his heel to leave, only to have the general’s voice echo out, stopping him in mid stride.

"Ah, Doctor Jackson, just the man I wanted."

Daniel stifled a sigh. So much for a quick getaway. Reluctantly he did another about face, picked up the report he’d just released and entered the second door to see the base CO signing some paperwork at his desk. "Yes, sir?"

"Is that the translation for SG-6?" Hammond took the file, and quickly scanned the concise notes. "Your opinion?"

Daniel remained standing while he gave a brief synopsis of the scroll and his conclusions, hoping that the general would notice the not so subtle hint that he was anxious to leave. "It’s all in the report, sir."

"I’ll send a geological survey team with SG-6 when they return tomorrow." He flipped the folder closed then reached for two more reports.

The archaeologist saw his hope to leave before sunset take a nosedive. Not showing his disappointment he took a seat to dutifully answer the questions the general had. He really was touched that Hammond valued his opinion so much, he just wished he had waited until tomorrow to go through the other SG team’s reports.

It was halfway through the second report that Hammond realized he was not holding his primary archaeologist’s full attention. The younger man was distracted, glancing at his watch for the third time in fifteen minutes, his opinions while succinct were delivered with supersonic speed. "Do you have somewhere else to be, Doctor Jackson?"

"Not exactly, sir." Daniel shifted uncomfortably. "I’m just eager to call it a day."

Hammond’s eyes flicked to his desk clock. It had just passed 1800, not really late considering the man was known for working into the wee hours of the morning. Then he caught the slight glint of the ring on Daniel’s left hand as he turned the page. Okay, it wasn’t late for Doctor Jackson, one of the base’s worst workaholics, it was however, late for Daniel, newly married husband. "I’m sorry, son. I didn’t realize the time. We can finish this up tomorrow."

"Thank you, General." Daniel was on his feet like a shot, not caring that the older man had guessed why he’d been so antsy. He walked reasonably sedately from the CO’s office then quickened his pace in the corridor, managing to jump into the elevator just as the doors were sliding closed.

"Perfect timing. I was just coming to see you," Janet smiled.

"Oh, really?" Daniel eyed the stack of folders the diminutive woman was balancing. Counted more than the general had just tried to go through with him. Once again saw his chance to get topside fizzle down the drain.

The doctor nodded. "I’m doing the report on the zatarc technology but I’m having trouble translating Freya and Anise’s notes. They seem to switch between Goa’uld and Freya’s native language."

He stifled the inclination to ask if it could wait until tomorrow, hearing the insecurity in her voice, taking in the dark circles under his friend’s eyes. Everyone had urged Janet to put the whole incident behind her, but that would be impossible to do until all the reports were finalized. She was still feeling guilty about her involvement, her confidence in herself having taken a massive blow. And he wouldn’t forgive himself if he brushed her off just so he could make love to his wife. "Which parts are you having problems with?"

Janet juggled the folders to one arm and pulled one out from the middle. "Mainly the sections referring to Martouf."

He flipped it open finding the relevant part, fishing his pen from his top pocket and began scanning the first of the twenty pages. Before the elevator had stopped at the med labs he was already jotting down the English translation of the highlighted portions. Though he carefully avoided looking at his watch, not wanting Janet to know how eager he was to finish and leave, his body clock told him it was thirty-eight minutes before he made it to the last page. He handed it back to her. "There, all done. Do you need a translation of my handwriting?"

A small smile touched her lips, and she started to read his scribbles.

While Janet’s attention was focused on the report he managed a peek at the wall clock. He figured, half an hour tops and he’d be walking through his front door, less if he pushed the speed limit.

She didn’t miss the look. "I’m keeping you from something." Her statement was tinged with guilt. "I’m sorry…"

"It’s nothing that can’t wait." Daniel was instantly contrite, ashamed at making Janet feel like a burden. "I’ve always got time for you…unless you’re planning on sticking me with one of those big honkin’ needles and then you won’t see me for dust." His quip coaxed a genuine grin from her. "Now, you’re sure you don’t need a translation of the translation?"

"No. It all makes sense to me."

Daniel leant against the desk, delaying his departure for a few more minutes to reassure Janet that he had nothing better to do. "Didn’t General Hammond give you a few days leave?"

She nodded, perching next to him. "He did. I just couldn’t go with this hanging over my head." She waved a hand at the report. "I want to get this over with and get things back to normal."

He knew that she wasn’t referring to the ‘things’ in general. The base had resumed normal duties for four days now. She was talking about getting things back to normal within herself. He gave her a one-armed hug. "Well, if you need help resetting equilibrium, all of us have been there a time or two."

"Thanks." She reread the notes again then asked hesitantly. "Do you mind if I keep going with this? With luck I can be finished up by eight."

Was the Pope Catholic? The wisecrack echoed in his head and he decided he really had been spending too much time around Jack. "Nope. I’ll leave you to it." He strolled casually from the room, giving a wave goodbye. Made sure he was completely out of sight from the window of Janet’s office door before increasing his speed.

He made it all of three steps when Ferretti and Dodger rounded the corner, determined to entice Daniel into joining their weekly poker game. Took another five and a half minutes before he could extricate himself, only finally managing to do so by announcing that Jack had taught him the game. The men’s eagerness waned, having already been recently fleeced by Jack’s other student, Cassie.

The archaeologist was impatiently waiting for the lift, contemplating if he should just leave in his BDUs rather than going back down deeper into the base to the locker room and risk getting absconded by someone else, when the doors slid open to reveal Nyan. From the way his face lit up, Daniel knew the Bedrosian had been looking for him.

"Daniel, I was hoping to catch you before you left."

"Of course you were," Daniel sighed. Escaping from a Goa’uld ship was easier than getting out of the SGC today. It didn’t help when he felt Annika’s amusement at his frustration. He had an idea. If he was already busy talking with someone, fingers crossed no one else would interrupt. "But can we talk and walk?"

The man nodded. "I was going over the list of instructions from the Nydi’ians for when we go back tomorrow and just want to clarify a couple of things. Their wording is a bit vague."

"Okay, what are they requesting?"

Nyan launched into the first obscure reference from the ritualistic natives, keeping pace with Daniel as he made a beeline for the locker room. Daniel gave his interpretation while he changed, actually trying to drag out his explanations so that Nyan would have to follow him topside if he wanted Daniel’s opinion on the whole thing. Unfortunately for Daniel it turned out to be a short list. By the time he’d laced up his boots they were on to the last point.

"Thanks, Daniel." Nyan was grateful to have the second opinion, one that confirmed his own interpretation. "Hopefully they’ll let us stay more than three hours this time."

"Here’s hoping. Good luck tomorrow." With his ‘safety net’ gone, Daniel was ready to do a mad dash for the exit. He nearly barreled into Jack.

"Whoa, where’s the fire?"

Inside me, growing hotter by the millisecond, he wanted to growl, but refrained. "No where."

"You about ready to go?" Jack took in his friend’s civvies.

Jack O’Neill, the Master of understatement. "Ready to run out the door now." Literally. Daniel frowned. Jack sounded like they had made plans, one’s he didn’t remember making. His suspicions were confirmed by his friend’s next comment.

"Just give me a second to change."

"Uh, sure." He racked his mind to recall what they had been going to do, wondering if it was important or if he could beg out of it. Tried to dig for more information. "Sam’s not coming too?"

"Nope. She wants to get some more time in with that do-hickey. I’m gonna drop in to see how T survived Casper’s redecorating, run a few errands and then pick her up on the dot of ten." He paused. "Wonder if Teal’c managed to get a say in what he wanted where."

That jogged his memory. Jack and Sam had spent the day before helping move the bulkier items of furniture into Teal’c’s new home and had spent the night. The couple had ridden in with Daniel this morning, leaving Jack’s truck at Teal’c’s. So there were no ‘plans’ as such, just a simple drop off. "I’m sure he did," Daniel grinned. "Annika would have convinced him her suggestions were all his idea."

"Right, let’s go." Jack flicked his locker shut.

Daniel did his best not to move like a sprinter off the block, matching his steps with Jack’s lopping gait. Resisted the urge to hit the lift button more than once, in the illogical hope that it would make it arrive quicker. As the light flicked down indicating that it was approaching at a snail’s pace it occurred to Daniel that he hadn’t had much luck with this avenue of escape today. "Don’t suppose we could take the stairs?" he asked hopefully. No one took the stairs, he was guaranteed not to run into anyone else needing his opinion or help or advice.

"Are you nuts?" Jack’s expression was one of disbelief. Why in the world would Daniel want to walk up twenty-five flights of stairs when there was a perfectly good elevator just waiting to be used?

"Figured it’d be safer all round," Daniel groused. Because he doubted he’d be able to control the compulsion to strangle the next person who stood between him and the exit.

Jack quirked an eyebrow at the cryptic comment. "The lift is quicker."

"Yeah, you’d think that, wouldn’t you?" he grumbled, reluctantly stepping inside the carriage. Maybe no one would bother him if he was with Jack. Or maybe Murphy’s Law would jump in and the elevator would break down. Hoping he didn’t just jinx himself, Daniel changed the subject. "How’s Sam going with working out the weapon?"

"About as good as you with the instructions."

"That bad, huh?" he grimaced. A more difficult variant of Ancient he’d never come across. He understood the words, but putting them in context was an entirely different matter.

"You’ll figure it out." Jack was confident. "You always do."

Daniel almost punched the air in glee when they made it passed the first checkpoint on level eleven without any further delays, and switched elevators. Was practically holding his breath until the doors opened on ground level and they signed out completely. Home free, he thought as he turned the ignition of his jeep.

Jack had observed the anticipation steadily rising in sync with their ride topside, the long legged strides across the car park and the way Daniel almost leapt behind the wheel. As the jeep bounced roughly over the last speed bump from the base, he couldn’t contain his smirk. "You seem a little anxious to get home."

"Jack, I have been married for a total of nine days, six of which have been spent working through the night, rather than making love to my wife. Why would I possibly be in a rush to get home?"

"Point taken." The colonel had to grip the roll bar to steady himself as tires screeched around a corner. "However, I’m sure that Casper would like you in one piece."

Daniel eased up on the accelerator, trying to cool his imagination at what Annika had planned. Not that that was easy considering Annika had worked out that he was now finally on his way and was taking great delight in teasing him with coy little bursts of her desire. Two could play at that game. He sent a dose of pure lust right back at her, felt it engulf her as she embraced his love, his need. It was a challenge to pay attention to both driving the car and the erotic game with his wife, but damn it was fun.

It was only Jack’s chuckle at his side that Daniel realized his friend had asked him a question. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Never mind. Clearly you need all of your powers of concentration not to run the stop sign you just flew through."

"I didn’t, did I?" He frowned, not remembering any stop signs along this stretch of road.

Jack rolled his eyes. "No, but the fact that you needed to ask that makes me think I should be driving."

"Well, no point, we’re here now, safe and sound." Daniel pulled into the driveway and was out of the car before Jack even had a chance to undo his seatbelt. "See you tomorrow." He barely heard Jack’s reply as he twisted the doorknob, his gaze darting around the entrance looking for Annika. Stepped inside but didn’t see her in the open area of the lounge. Caught movement from the staircase above and his breath hitched in his throat.

He perused his delectable wife from the toes up. Three inch black heels with a thin strap encasing her slender ankles. Stockings as delicate as a spider web clung to her shapely legs, clasped at her creamy thighs by white satin bows, the strip of suspender elastic disappearing into the frilly white lace of the shortest skirt he had ever had the pleasure to bear witness to. The ‘dress’ itself was the skimpiest, sexiest French maid’s outfit he’d ever seen. A lightly boned corset that cinched tightly at her waist. Her breasts, generous at the best of times, were now perfectly round mounds almost spilling out of the half-cup bodice, her nipples barely covered by the black satin. A black velvet choker with a cream cameo encircled her throat, a white frilled maid’s cap nestled in her hair that was loosely piled in a bun, a couple of ringlets framing her face. The smile she wore was cheeky yet seductive at the same time, her gorgeous violet eyes already darkened with desire. Every little detail did marvelous things to his already rampant libido.

"Bonsoir, Monsieur." She waved the old fashioned feather duster of ostrich feathers she held in one hand, at him.

Her husky voice sent a ripple of desire through him, deepening his own tone. "Bonsoir, Madame." He shrugged out of his jacket and without shifting his gaze from the lovely sight waiting coyly for him, he tossed it in the general vicinity of the coat rack.

She took one step down, softly asking how his day had been. "Allait-il comment votre jour?"

Before he could reply her eyes shifted over his shoulder, widened slightly, then her hand twisted in the familiar weave of the Nox trick and she disappeared.

Confused Daniel spun around, realized first that he hadn’t yet closed the door, second that Jack was walking up the front path.

The colonel tilted his head quizzically. "Ya’ know for someone who almost broke the sound barrier to get in, you haven’t made it very far."

"Is Teal’c not home?" Oh, this was just not fair! He’d made it home, had made it inside, had received one tantalizing glimpse of what Annika had planned, and still he was getting interrupted.

"Oh, he’s home," Jack sauntered onto the porch. "I peeked through the window, but he’s kelnoreem-ing, didn’t want to disturb him."

So you decided to disturb me? he silently groused. Felt Annika’s amusement at the further delay and despite his frustration, her merriment was contagious. He stepped aside from the door to let his friend in.

"Casper not around?"

"She’s not too far away," Daniel hedged, wondering himself precisely where she was in the room.

"Oh, before I forget and get myself in the bad books, Sam said that Annika had some herbal flowery jelly stuff for her."

"Right." He vaguely remembered the women discussing that bubble bath yesterday. "I think she’s left it in the study." He crossed the floor, as he did so he felt something soft brush against his cheek. Wow, Annika really must have been practicing how to be stealthy, he hadn’t heard even the creak of the stairs. Wait, had that been a feather or a finger?

In the study he found the small bottle. "Here it is." He held it up for Jack to see, and almost dropped it when invisible hands caressed his backside, one hand moving over his hip in a direct path towards his crotch. Daniel tossed the bottle to Jack to cover his slip, lightly batting her hand away. As much as he ached for her gentle touch, sporting an immediate hard-on in front of his friend was not something he wanted to do. And Lord knows it wouldn’t take much, he’d been fighting it off for almost two hours now, and after that enticing peep of her sexy body in that outfit, a touch was all that it would take…

A warm breeze at the back of his neck, followed by the whisper of lips.

Or that would do it too. He quickly returned to the living room, taking refuge in the overstuffed chair, thinking that Annika wouldn’t try anymore with Jack not one meter away, at the same time hoping that she would. For a few seconds, his senses on high alert were disappointed, then his forearm tingled at a new sensation, a soft brush. This time he was sure it was one of the feathers from the duster, for no finger could be so light…could it? It traveled up his arm, skipping over his sleeve to the front of his torso, skimming across his chest, brushing back and forth over one nipple. Daniel could only just feel it through the cotton of his t-shirt, found himself leaning forward to increase the contact. Abruptly he leant back, realizing how that sort of move would have looked to Jack sitting across from him.

Jack didn’t seem to notice his friend’s odd behavior. He was currently taking a wary sniff of the bubble bath. "Not exactly my cup of tea."

"Don’t think it’s intended for you." Daniel had to bite back a gasp as a finger…yes, he was sure it was a finger not a feather this time, grazed over the top of his left nipple.

"True." Jack flipped the lid closed. "I was thinking of taking Sam away for a few days."

"Sounds nice." He lifted one foot to rest across his knee, hoping the relaxed pose would hide the evidence of his arousal that he knew was there to stay until Annika had her wicked way with him. No point in denying it, he just wanted to hide it. It took all his effort to keep his face schooled in a normal expression. "Where’re you thinking of going?"

"Somewhere warm and tropical, where we won’t need to worry about layers of clothes," he mused. "But then again, getting warm and cozy by a fire sounds good too. What do you think?"

"Both have their advantages." Daniel really tried to concentrate on the conversation, even though every nerve ending was waiting for the next invisible caress. It had been an awfully long two seconds since she’d removed her finger and he was trying to anticipate where she’d move on to next. Oh, he was going to pay her back for this…and he had just the idea. He barely concealed a moan as soft lips nibbled the lobe of his ear, turning to silent kisses down the length of his neck. "At this time of year, how about Vegas?"

Jack pondered the idea. "Hot by day, cold by night."

"Best of both worlds." Daniel shifted a little uncomfortably. Jeans were not very accommodating to the still increasing arousal they encased. There was a subtle shift of emotion beneath his heart and he sensed Annika move away from him with determination.

"Thing is, none of us have had much luck in the time-off department," Jack continued on, absently he swiped at his nose as though clearing an itch.

"You could always do it spur of the moment," he suggested.

"What do you mean?" The colonel’s other hand swatted at his neck

"Any planned vacations go belly up, right?" Daniel could feel Annika’s amusement. Guessed that she was using one of the feathers to annoy Jack.

"Right." Jack swiped again at his nose. "You got gnats or something? Something’s flying around."

"Not that I know of." Daniel hid his smile as Jack waved both hands in front of his face to chase away the imaginary bug. "So next time Hammond gives us a few days downtime, jump on the internet and buy one of those last minute deals. You’ll be stretched out under the sun before the Fates realize you’ve gotten away."

"Now that plan has potential." Jack raised his hand again but stopped in mid swat, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Casper, is that you bugging the hell out of me?"

"Yes, Jack."

The colonel gave a start at hearing her disembodied voice coming from his left shoulder. "What’s with the Marco Polo act?"

"I’m not dressed for company."

He frowned in confusion. "I’ve seen you after a week long mission without even a bucket of water to wash in, doesn’t get much worse than that."

"Okay, let me rephrase that. I’m dressed for my husband."

Jack blinked letting that compute. His gaze only now really focusing on Daniel since their arrival at the house. Saw the slightly bashful yet amused, anticipatory gleam behind his glasses. Daniel looked like the cat who was going to eat the cream. And the light finally dawned. "Ohhh."

Daniel grinned at him. "And you wondered why I was in such a rush to get home."

"Er…I think T must be finished with the kelnoreem-thing by now." Jack sprang to his feet, shoving the bubble bath in his pocket. "Have a good night you two."

"We’re planning on it." Annika followed him to the door and firmly turned the key in the lock.

From his seat Daniel saw the phone receiver float off the hook and was placed on the table beside it. 

"There, now we won’t be interrupted. Now, where were we?"