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Title:  Deja Vu  (SG-1 SVS Episode 3:)
Author/pseudonym: NemKess
Fandom: StarGate SG-1
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: PG13
E-mail address for feedback:: nemsmuses@msn.com

Disclaimers: Jack and Danny belong to me?  I could only wish.  Nope, not mine.  No copyright infringement is intended and no money is made.  This is purely to silence the voices in my head.  ^_^

Notes:  This was originally for the SG1SVS, episode 3.  The project was never completed although several episodes were.  The Opener was a two-parter by an author named only 'nancy'.. I've been trying to find her and see if she has her opener posted somewhere since mine follows directly afterwards.  No luck so far.  So..  I've edited it as much as I could, but  a number of the references are still here.  What you need to know...  Daniel came back from ascension to save Jack's life on the new Tollan planet.  Jack was shot with a zat gun and was about to be hit with a killing blow when Daniel saved him.  Janet knows that Jack is in love with Daniel mostly because she provided counselor/friend support off record and away from base.  Teal'c just.. .knows.. I don't think nancy explained how.  Sam is suspicious thanks to the head Tollan who planted the seeds in her mind.  This deviates from canon starting right after the episode where Daniel ascends and the new guy was never part of the team.  

Summary:  Jack has only just gotten Daniel back from ascension... only to lose him again to a much worse fate.
Warnings: slash.. Possible OOCness   some mild cussing.  violence

"You wanna beer?" Jack asked as he took his jacket off and hung it up.

"Uh.. Yeah. Thanks," was the absent reply as Daniel took in the room.  In the time since he'd last been to Jack's home, the place had undergone some serious changes. "Ja-ack?" he drawled.

His friend had the grace to blush as he handed over the bottle.

"Hey, it was General Hammond's orders!"

"General Hammond ordered you to take all my things?"

"I don't have them all.  Teal'c and Carter have some of it and the SGC stuff went back to the mountain."  Seeing that Daniel was unsatisfied but amused at his diversionary tactic, he shrugged and came clean.  " Well... I sort of... missed you." It took a second for the colonel to make enough room for them to sit together on the couch.  "When they ordered us to clear out your place, I kept everything I could fit into the truck. I know Carter has your piano and I think that Teal'c took a painting or two to hang in his room."

"I'm sorry, Jack."

Jack shrugged. "You're here now. That's all that matters."

But it wasn't. Daniel could see the evidence of a couple month's worth of pain and sleepless nights on his companions face. Added to the new lines from his recent tangle with the zat gun on  the Tollans new planet and Jack looked every day of his forty five (?) years. Daniel had never seen a more cherished sight.  

He opened the offered beer and perched on the edge of the couch that Jack had just cleared, careful not to actually touch Jack.  His friend had only just been released from the infirmary and into his care a few hours before hand and he didn't want to cause anymore pain if he could help it.  He'd caused enough for everyone  already.  

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Danny, I'm not gonna break," Jack groused as he pulled Daniel back to settle into the cushions and up against his side.  

The archeologist grinned faintly before taking a sip of beer and promptly wrinkled his nose.  "God, I forgot how nasty this stuff is."  He ducked the playful swat that was directed at the back of his head and took the chance to nestle under the raised arm with his head against Jack's shoulder.

"Hey, don't knock the beer."    The pair sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, soaking up the reality of each other before Jack spoke again.  "I'm glad you're back Daniel."

"I'm glad to be here, Jack.  Ascension was.. an incredible experience.  One that I'm glad I had, but I missed you all too much to fully appreciate it." 

"I won't say I'm sorry, cuz I'm not.  I mean, I'm glad it saved you from the radiation poisoning and all, but I hated that it took you away."

He wondered if he should tell Jack that he still had the choice to ascend but, remembering the look on Jack's face in the infirmary after he'd woken up, decided against it.  It would only cause the man unnecessary worry.  

"Daniel...  I-  I've had time to- and .. that is- I wanted to tell you-" Jack floundered for a moment as the words he wanted seemed to escape him.

Pulling away, he sat his beer down and turned back to look at the other man.  "It's okay, Jack.  There's no need to rush or say everything there is to say tonight.  We've got time."

A sudden fierce expression came over Jack's face.  "Do we?  Do we really?  I've thought that before and look what happened!"  He was getting worked up now, the upset of the last few months spilling out.  "You might be the original come-back kid, Danny, but even a cat only has nine lives and everyone's luck runs out someday.  The next time you might not come back.  And then where will I be?  Out of my mind with grief cuz I had a chance to say it and didn't?"  

"Jack, I can't promise nothing will happen.  I can promise that I wouldn't leave willingly."

The next words cut deep.

"Like this time?  Like throwing yourself in front of Ra's staff weapon to save my sorry ass?  Like telling me to leave you on Apophis's ship?  Give me a second and I'm sure I can come up with a few more!  The truth is that you throw yourself from one fatal situation to the next with little to no thought about anything or anyone."

"That's not fair Jack and you know it."  

"Ah, Christ Danny."  Jack leaned forward and rested his head in his hands.  "You're right.  It's not fair and I don't really mean it.  It's just..."  He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes.  "You scare me sometimes, Daniel.  You always act first and think later and a lot of times it gets you into trouble."

"Jack-"

The other man just continued on, ignoring his attempt to interrupt.  "I'm just an old colonel with bad knees.  I do love you, but this constant up and down, dead and alive is bad for my heart, Danny.  I'm not sure how long I can stay on the roller coaster without losing it."  He looked up, pinning Daniel with a look that told everything.  The pain and grief, the exhaustion and relief.  The love.  "Do you understand that Daniel?"

"I will try to be more careful."

A faint smile lit Jack's face as he settled himself back into the cushions and pulled Daniel against him.  Burying his face in the soft hair, he let out a sigh and hugged the younger man tightly, ignoring the protests of his still sore chest.  "That's all I ask Danny.  That's all I ask."

~*~*~

The next morning, the pair found themselves back in the SGC briefing room with Sam, Teal'c, General Hammond, and Dr. Frasier.

"How soon can SG-1 be cleared for full active duty, Doctor?"  Hammond asked bluntly.  "It's been too long since my best team was out and about."

"Well, sir, Teal'c and Sam both passed their physicals yesterday with flying colors and are ready.  Daniel is in better health now than he was before all this began.  He can also be released."  She paused and looked down at her files for a moment before glancing mildly at Jack.  "Colonel O'Neill, however, is still recovering from both the zat gun and the exhaustion and malnutrition he's allowed himself to succumb to in the last few months.  I would prefer if he took it easy for another week and nixed the gate travel for at least another month to allow his body to fully recuperate and to insure that he suffers no relapses.  However-" her voice overrode the general protestations, mostly Jack's, that met that comment.  "However, I am willing to reinstate him to active duty, including off-world missions, in a week provided he follows doctor's orders to the letter."

The General looked disappointed.  "You're sure it couldn't be sooner?  I had a mission that I thought Dr. Jackson would most appreciate."  He paused long enough to hand out the stack of mission folders he'd brought with him.  "This planet is designated PX8947.  Notice the hieroglyphs along the walls and the pillars?"  Everyone's attention turned to the reconnaissance photos.

Daniel ran a finger along one line of glyphs, his brow furrowed with concentration   Jack smirked as he watched the expression change to one of excitement.  "This is the language of the Ancients.  There were more?"

Hammond nodded.  "Yes, there's more glyphs around the Stargate, and most interesting of all is this,"  he passed around another set of photos.  These clearly showed an alien device of some sort that bore even more of the peculiar script.  "We believe it's a weapon of sort, though we can't be sure until translations are complete and Dr. Jackson is our expert here.  However, I don't want to split up SG-1 again unless absolutely necessary."

"Sir, I'd have liked to have kept Colonel O'Neill in the infirmary for another day or so.  I'm not fully comfortable reinstating him in just a week.  With the physical injury added to the recent emotional trauma and the fact that he hasn't been taking care of himself-"

"Come on, Doc.  I feel great!"  Jack would have loved to prove that, but unfortunately, his body was still feeling heavy and sluggish with twitches of pain if he turned suddenly.  And he had no intention of landing back into the doctor's tender mercies anytime soon.

"Sir," Sam spoke up, sending an amused glance the colonel's way.  He obviously wasn't fooling anyone.  "Can't the mission be put on hold for a week?  Just until SG-1 is able, sir?"

"Unfortunately, no.  Preliminary data from the probe showed shifting in the tectonic plates and a great deal of recent seismic activity.  The temples themselves seem to be holding up quite well, however, it was estimated that in four or five more days, the gate will be inaccessible.  Which means that we want the team through and back in three days."

"I'm sorry, sir.  Five days would be the minimum I would even consider and a week remains my recommendation."

Jack rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, but didn't protest.  Frasier had been pretty good to him in the dark time before they'd gotten their fourth back and he figured that not gainsaying her here was the least he could do.  Oh well, SG-1 would just have to wait-  Daniel's voice stopped the thought before it finished.

"General Hammond, maybe I could go with whatever team you do send?"

"No!"  Though Jack's was by far the most emphatic, the protest came from all his fellow members of SG-1.

"But Jack-"

"No buts Daniel.  We just got you back.  No way in hell you're gonna go traipsing around the galaxy without us around to keep you out of trouble."

"I concur, DanielJackson.  It would be unwise."

"I'm not helpless guys.  And it's not like I'd be going alone, right General?"  He turned to the older officer for the support he knew he wouldn't find with the others.  He didn't blame them, but it didn't mean he had to do what they wanted.

Hammond looked through his own briefing file.  "SG-2 was the second choice.  Ferretti's team."

"See Jack?  I'd be in good hands."

The colonel glared at him for a moment before turning his attention to General Hammond.  "Sir, please, I don't mean to sound like I don't trust Ferretti and his guys to take care of our archeologist, really.  I just have a bad feeling about this, sir.  I'd feel better if Daniel didn't go anywhere without the rest of SG-1.  At least for a while."

"General Hammond," Janet interrupted.  "I think we can expect for all of SG-1 to be feeling separation anxiety when it comes to Dr. Jackson for at least the next few months.  It might not be entirely wise to send him out without them for a while."

"But-"

She spoke over Daniel.  "Not for Dr. Jackson's sake, but for their own emotional well-being.  The fear is natural."

"General, with all due respect to Jack and Teal'c, I'd really like to go check this out with SG-2."  He was using his hands now, waving them about as he tried to make them understand.  

"Danny,"  Jack's voice was low and strained as he rubbed a hand across his brow.  "Please.  You promised."  He raised his head and gazed at the man across from him seriously.  It was low, he knew, but he also knew that if Dr. Daniel Jackson really turned up the persuasion, no one, least of all General Hammond had a chance of denying him anything.

Carter was quiet as she watched the silent conversation taking place between the two men and wondered what, exactly, Daniel had promised the colonel.  Whatever it was, he didn't look too pleased to have it thrown back in his face.  His hands had stilled, clenching into and he was glaring defiantly at Jack.  Jack's eyes on the other hand were pleading.  The entreaty in them was impossible to miss.  Sam didn't want Daniel to go alone either, but she understood his need to get back into the swing of things and his natural curiosity towards the ruins themselves.  She wanted to go herself, the device looked damn interesting to her scientist's nature.

Daniel frowned and wrinkled his brow before looking towards the General again.  "The MALP showed no life signs on the planet, right?"

"Dammit, Daniel!" Colonel O'Neill exploded.  "The MALPs been wrong before!"

The balding man looked back and forth between his two best people, sympathizing with both.  "That's right, Dr. Jackson.  No life signs reported.  Just the ruins.  It really isn't the best environment for sustaining life."

"A nice safe information gathering mission.  Nothing bad will happen, Jack.  Trust me."

A bark of laughter escaped as Jack shook his head and cupped his hands over his face.  "God Daniel," he said, defeat in his voice.  "Coming from you those are the two scariest words in the English language."  He dropped his hands and stared, as if mesmerized, at the table top for a second.  "Sir, at least let Teal'c and Carter go with him.  There's no reason for them to be stuck here worrying with me."

"Indeed," Teal'c added, nodding his approval.  "Accompanying DanielJackson would go far in alleviating all of our worries."

"Yes sir, I agree.  At the very least, we can help Daniel and keep busy, sir."  Sam liked the idea.  It was the best solution really.  The colonel would still be fussy, but not as badly if they were there to protect Daniel and it would give Daniel what he wanted too.  A win-win situation.

"Unfortunately, Major Carter, if SG-1 isn't the lead team on this, then  there are other things here at SGC which require your attention.  However, I have no problems in authorizing Teal'c to accompany Dr. Jackson and the rest of SG-2 to PX8947.  Is that acceptable, Colonel O'Neill, Dr. Jackson?"  It was nice of him to ask, since they really didn't have any say, and both agreed though Jack still looked unhappy with the whole thing.  "Good.  Dr. Jackson, Teal'c, the briefing with SG-2 will be at 1300 hours. Don't be late, son.  Dismissed."

Jack stood quickly and left the room at as quick a pace as he could manage without looking like he was running.  He ignored Daniel's call and pushed through a group of airmen loitering in the hallway waiting to speak to the general.  At that particular moment, his own emotions were too tangled for him to care if he upset the other man's.  And while he'd just as soon pretend the whole mess wasn't there, Jack knew that if he didn't work it out with himself before Daniel managed to corner him, he was going to end up saying something that they'd both regret.

So, he headed to the one place on base he figured no one would think to look for him.

~*~*~

If working at the SGC had taught Dr. Janet Frasier anything, it had taught her to expect the unexpected.

Still, it was hard for her to mask her surprise when she found a certain erstwhile colonel sitting at her desk with his feet propped up on one corner and his chin hanging down onto his chest.  She took a moment to study the man before her, taking in the almost silver hair and the still muscular, if slightly abused body.  Jack O'Neill was still a handsome man and if she didn't know for a fact that his affections were already securely fastened on someone else, she might have considered him for herself.  Her adopted daughter had already given her approval for the idea.

"Daniel's been looking for you," she said.

Jack sighed and rubbed one hand through the short hair, making it stick up even worse than usual.  "I know.  That's why I'm in here."

"Hiding won't solve anything, Colonel."

Finally he raised his head and looked at her.  The absolute misery in those deep brown orbs brought to mind the other occasions they'd talked about Daniel in the last few months.  

"I'm not hiding, Doc."  Another sigh escaped and he pushed himself to his feet, motioning for her to take her seat back.  He walked over to the doorway and leaned against the frame, looking out over the infirmary.  "I just didn't want to say anything stupid."

Well, she could certainly understand that.  But it probably wasn't a good idea for them to leave it too long.  It would only make things harder for Jack while Daniel was off-world.  "You do realize that they're supposed to leave in a couple of hours, don't you?"  

He nodded.  "I figured, since they've got such a short time table."

Janet waited a moment for him to say more, but he just stood there looking like someone had just kicked his puppy.  "So, don't you have better things to do than hang out in my office?"  she prompted pointedly.

"So I guess I should go find him and see what he wants, huh?"  The colonel was still unhappy, but at least he managed to dredge up a smile at her lack of subtlety.  "Thanks again, Doc.  Catch ya later."  He left with small wave tossed carelessly over his shoulder, his mind already moving ahead to the dreaded task of trying to explain his 'hiding' to Daniel.

"I'm sure we'll talk more, flyboy."  she murmured to herself softly as she watched him go.

~*~*~

The first person he managed to corner was Ferretti.  He liked the major, always had.  Being the only three survivors left of the original Stargate mission had created a bond that no one else at SGC could really grasp.  And no matter what he said, Jack knew that he could trust Ferretti with Daniel's welfare.  That didn't mean he had to like the fact that his friend-a man he loved and had only recently gotten back- was going off-world without him, or that he wasn't very glad that the general had agreed to let Teal'c go as added assurance.  It also didn't mean that he couldn't stress the importance of Ferretti's responsibility here.

"Major?  Got a second?"

"Colonel!  For you?  Always, sir."  Ferretti grinned and followed Jack into his office.  "Let me guess, this is about Dr. Jackson, right sir?"  At Jack's nod, he waited for the colonel to sit before taking the seat on the other side of the desk and continued.  "Did you know he's looking for you?"

"Yeah, Doc already told me.  I wanted to talk to you first."  Jack leaned forward, resting his chin on his clasped hands. 

For a long moment, he just stared at Ferretti trying to decide exactly what to say that wouldn't give anything away.  

He flexed his hands out before he steepled his fingers under his chin.  Then, with a sigh of resignation, he leaned back in his chair.  "Bring him back, Ferretti.  Consider it an order."

The picture of seriousness, the major snapped to attention and gave a smart salute.  "Yes, sir."

As he turned and left the room, Major Louis Ferretti recalled the haunted faces of the three remaining SG-1 members in those months after Dr. Jackson  had disappeared and before he'd returned.  Nothing else was needed to convince him to do his damnedest to keep the archeologist safe.  He never wanted to see that again.

~*~*~

The conversation with Teal'c was quite dignified since the large Jaffa shared his concerns.  Everyone else on the base might think O'Neill  was being paranoid but Teal'c simply thought it prudence.

"I agree, O'Neill, and I accept the responsibility of safeguarding your kalach while you are unable to do so.  I will protect DanielJackson with my life should it be necessary."

Jack frowned and rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to puzzle out the foreign word from the context of the rest of the sentence but couldn't quite grasp it.  There were times, when he really wished he had at least a part of Daniel's extensive linguistic talents.  What exactly did Teal'c know about his feelings for their friend?  Coming up with no ideas, he finally just asked outright.

Teal'c glanced around, presumably to assure himself that they were alone, but still lowered his voice slightly.  "Your soul."

"Teal'c.."  Jack knew he shouldn't be startled at the depth of insight the Jaffa had displayed with a single comment, but he was.  

"I am aware that the Tau'ri do not approve of unions such as the one between you and that discretion is required.  My silence is yours."  Teal'c paused. 

Jack smiled.  "Thanks, big guy.  And thanks for watching out for him.  It means a lot."

"As your friend, I could do no less.  Besides, I do not approve of DanielJackson's leaving SGC without the rest of our team.  It has been less than a week since his return from Ascension.  He should have more time to readjust."  

"Yeah well, you and me seem to be the only two who share that opinion.  The man is too damned stubborn for his own good."  Or my own, he added silently.  Loving Dr. Daniel Jackson was going to make him insane, he could already tell.  Having secured Teal'c's word, he bade his teammate good bye and turned to continue on his way.

"O'Neill,"  He glanced back at the call.  "Were you aware that DanielJackson has been looking for you since his briefing with SG-2 was completed?"

"Oh yeah.  Thanks."  The big man just inclined his head and left.

As Jack walked down the halls, three more airmen, a technician, and a marine all stopped him to let him know Daniel was looking for him before he ran into the general going into his office.

"Colonel O'Neill, Dr. Jackson is looking for you.  He should be in the locker room with SG-2 getting suited up."

"Yes sir, I was on my way to talk to him just now."  

He'd barely made it more than a few steps before the general's voice stopped him again.  "Jack, I'm sorry I couldn't hold the mission until you were back on active duty.  For what it's worth, I honestly don't believe Dr. Jackson will be in any danger from anything other than overexcitement. Now go on and find out what the man wants before he drives everyone on base up the wall looking for you."

The last comment was spoken with a smile and Jack found himself returning it along with a short salute.  "Yes, sir."

Jack walked on, his step lighter and his mood better than it had been since the meeting that morning.

"Hey Colonel!  Wait up!"  He slowed down and waited for Carter to catch up.  "If you're looking for Daniel, who's looking for you by the way, he's not down there.  He forgot some things and had to go back to his office to get them."

"Thanks, Carter."  

She just grinned at him and hurried on by.  "No problem sir!  I'll see you guys in the Gateroom!"

Jack sighed and went back the way he'd come before.  For Christ's sake Daniel, he thought irritably,  If you want someone to find you, you have to sit still.  Not go jackrabbiting around annoying everyone.

The door to Daniel's office was open and the man in question was digging through the various stacks of books.  Jack seized onto the opportunity to look his fill.  

He'd always admired his friend.  It was hard not to.  Once you got past the entire geek scientist thing there were just too many things to like.  He was sweet and nice, and not a little naive, but he was also stubborn and not afraid to stand up to anyone for what he believed in.  He took everything the air force dished out but didn't let them break him.  He was loyal to a fault.   He'd never given up on  Jack no matter how far he'd been pushed away.  He was smart, funny when he wanted to be, but serious and sympathetic when it was needed.  And okay, so he was gorgeous too.  Jack had never been completely blind to his friends looks, he'd just pushed it out of his mind.

Daniel had saved Jack's life more than once, but he'd also saved his soul.  The colonel smiled to himself as he recalled Teal'c's words.  His kalach.  He liked the sound of that.

"Hey Danny, heard you were lookin' for me."

"Jack!"  Daniel's head swung up so fast, Jack was sure he'd given himself whiplash.  "Where have you been?  I looked everywhere."

"Oh, here and there," he answered with a shrug and a faint smile. It certainly wouldn't do to give up his new quiet place.  "So, what's up?"

His nonchalance caused a scowl to settle over the other's features but Jack would be damned if he'd show how worried he still was.  

"What's up?!  I wanted to talk to you before I shipped out, Jack.  I know you're still angry about this mornings meeting, but-"

"I'm not," he interrupted.  "I wasn't angry then and I'm not now."

Daniel's face screwed up for a second as he puzzled it out.  "Then why did you go off in a huff like that?  Why didn't you stop when I called you from the meeting room and why have you been hiding ever since?"

He could have pointed out that he'd just spent the last forty five minutes looking for a certain archeologist who couldn't stay in one place to save his life, but was feeling generous enough not to. Instead, Jack moved over to the desk and started helping Daniel with the books.  He didn't look up at Daniel as he responded.  "I just needed some time to think, Danny.  I know you think I'm being paranoid and maybe I am, but I'm still worried and you of all people should know how irritable that makes me."  he paused long enough to smile up at his companion.  "I didn't want to take it out on anybody until I'd gotten a grip on it."

"And have you?"  

He shrugged.  "I'm not going to stop worrying until you get back, but I'm not going to tie you to your chair either."  A vision of Daniel tied to the chair, naked flitted across his mind and he filed it away for consideration at a later date.

The faint tinge of red that bloomed in Daniel's cheeks made him wonder if he hadn't had company for that particular thought.  

Both were silent as they finished up.  It only took another minute or so before Daniel was ready to join SG-2 at the gate.  Jack's brow wrinkled and he stuck his hand in the rear pockets of his pants.  Sighing, he briefly weighed their location against his worries and quickly dismissed the risks as he pulled Daniel close for an embrace.  Luckily, there had been more than one precedent of him hugging Daniel on base.

"You be careful and come back in one piece."

There was only a brief hesitation before Daniel hugged him back.  "I will, Jack."

~*~*~

Daniel forced himself to suppress a growl of annoyance as he stumbled over one of his shadows for about the hundredth time in the last several hours.  It wasn't really their fault.  No, Jack was the one who'd passed on the orders to baby-sit him and it was Jack that he fully intended  to take it up with just as soon as he got back.  He knew the other man was worried, but really enough was-

"DanielJackson.  I believe you should see this."  He glanced over the top of his glasses to where Teal'c stood, looking up at a section of the ceiling with a frown.  

Pushing his glasses back up, he joined his teammate and looked to see what had captured the Jaffa's attention.  It took a second to register what he was seeing but once it did, his jaw dropped.  "Is that-"

"It is indeed a ring transport mechanism."

"Well, what's it doing here?  I thought the Ancients..."  Daniel trailed off as something else occurred to him.  His brow wrinkled in confusion.  "Teal'c....  You've scouted most of the temple haven't you?"

"I have indeed, DanielJackson," the big Jaffa replied with a short nod.  "And no, I have found no anti-goa'uld devices.”

“I suppose the goa’uld could have figured a way around any original traps and..” he trailed off as his mind pondered the puzzle.  The planet’s coordinates hadn’t come from Abydos and he hadn’t thought the race of false gods would be a problem.  A shiver slid down his spine as he remembered Jack’s ‘bad feeling’, and he rubbed his arms lightly.  No, he thought.  Jack’s paranoia is just starting to rub off on me, that’s all.  Still, it didn’t hurt to ask.  “You didn’t notice any sign of recent use, did you?”

Please say no,  please say no.

“I did not.”  Yes!  “However, that in itself is not conclusive.”   Damn.

“Oh, well… Of course not.  Umm..  Any way we can tell for sure?” he asked hopefully.  

Before Teal'c could answer, they were interrupted by Ferretti and an excited woman.  "Johnson's pretty sure that the place has been abandoned for a while.  In fact, she has a theory about why it's coming apart."  Dr. Johnson bounced up on her toes and was about to launch into her spiel until Ferretti held a hand up.  "Which she will share with us in a minute.  It's time to phone home and there's no sense in sitting through this more than once," he continued on, blithely ignoring the irritated scowl the scientist member of his team was shooting him.  Daniel had to grin at the two.  Apparently he and Sam weren't the only ones who had to deal with the anti-scientist mindset.  "She can explain her mumbo jumbo and we can find out what the General wants us to do."

"It's not mumbo jumbo," the petite woman grumbled just loudly enough to be heard.  

Daniel could certainly sympathize, but on the other hand, he'd been cornered by Dr. Johnson himself (Jack swore she was just trying to impress him with her 'science mumbo jumbo', but the linguist didn't agree.)  The woman had even managed to bore him.  He could just imagine how people like Ferretti and Jack responded to her.

As the others moved to dial out, Daniel's gaze moved back to the ring device and he hugged himself tightly as another shiver shook him.

~*~*~

"Okay, okay.  Let me get this straight.  You don't think this is a weapon, but you do think it's what's causing the destabilization of the planet."  General Hammond rubbed his brow and sighed as SG-2's scientist answered.

"No sir, I don't think it's a weapon, and yes sir, I do think it's causing the tectonic shifting of the planet's crust.  I can't be a hundred percent sure without the proper tests but I think it was maybe some sort of atmosphere control device."

"Well," Jack drawled,  "it certainly seems to be falling down on the job."

Sam snorted and slapped at the Colonel's arm.

"No, I agree with Dr. Johnson, General.  I haven't managed to translate enough, really, but what I have does seem to point to a weather maker."  Jack had to grin as Daniel's earnest face appeared off to one side of the view screen.  

"And you think the goa'uld used this 'weather maker' to destroy the planet?"

Johnson frowned.  "I think that they probably tried to make it into a weapon- it shows signs that it was tampered with.  And maybe whatever it was that they did to it triggered a failsafe, or else they just put it on permanent earthquake mode.  As I said before, without the proper test I can't only hypothesize."

With her chin resting on one hand, Carter leaned forward with a thoughtful look on her face.  "It is possible, sir.  It sounds like something that the goa'uld would try.  I mean, if nothing else, being able to control the weather would make it easier to trick less educated natives that  they really were gods."

Daniel piped up again.  "There are still tribes today that will do just about anything to keep the gods happy so that the weather stays nice."

"Either way, sir, although I'd really like to study this in a real lab I'd advise against it.  I can't find a way to turn it off and supposing that it withstood gate travel it would probably bring down the mountain before it could be properly contained."

"And besides," Daniel said as he pushed up his glasses,  "it's not really the kind of power that needs to be sitting around on Earth waiting for someone to abuse it."

"There is that," Hammond agreed.  "All right, under the circumstances, I think it's unnecessary to put you people at further risk for something that's not a viable weapon on a planet that's going to be gone in a couple of days.  Pack it up and come back home SG-2."

"Yes, sir.  We'll-"

Jack straightened up as both noise and movement came from somewhere in the background.  There was the rat-a-tat-tat of weapons fire and the bright flashes of staff weapons.  Dr. Johnson's face took on a surprised expression as a blast caught her full in the back.

"Daniel?!" he couldn't have kept the alarm out of his voice even if he'd wanted to.  "Daniel!"

"Major Ferretti?  Teal'c?  Report!  What the hell is going on?"   The General's question was answered as a Jaffa fell dead in view of the camera.  "Someone close the wormhole!  Doctors!  We can't get to you!  Close the wormhole!"

The handful of people gathered in the control room waited in agony as the sounds of battle drifted further away from the still open wormhole.  Jack paced, muttering under his breath.  He'd known better.  He hadn't lived this long by ignoring his gut instincts.  

Battle sounds faded and was replaced by another noise, one that Jack recognized- the activation of a ring transport device.  A cloaked figure moved over in front of the MALP and confirmed what they'd feared.  The SG members had lost, all that was needed now was to know how badly and to whom.

"Lose something?"  The alien's distorted voice was vaguely familiar to Jack, but he couldn't place it.  Then the  hood of the cloak was pulled back and Sam balled her fists as Osiris was revealed.  "Shame on you all.  You told me that dear Dr. Jackson was dead.  It's not very nice to lie."

"Dammit you-  I'll kill you, bitch."

"Tut, tut, Col. O'Neill.  There's no need for profanity.  Not to worry.  I think I'll take the survivors with me.  They'll make perfect additions to my own army, don't you think?"

"You're not going to get away with this," the General ground out.  "You have to know we'll never allow you to take our soldiers."

Osiris just grinned.  "Catch me if you can,"  she sang out before disappearing from view.  Within moments the wormhole disengaged.

"General, request permission to go get our men, sir."

"Denied, Colonel."

"But General!" "Sir!"  "You can't-"

 Hammond held up a hand to quiet the protest that rang out from everyone.   "Osiris and her men are gone.  Most likely they've taken Dr. Jackson and the others with them.  If they haven't, then they're sitting there waiting for us to come through the wormhole.  We will open the wormhole and have a look around.  If there are no signs that the enemy has remained, then we'll send a retrieval team for whoever may be left."

"And the ones that Osiris took with her?"  Jack just knew Daniel was one of those.

"I have no idea."

~*~*~

"Colonel O'Neill?"

Jack's head jerked up as he was shaken out of his light doze.  "Wha-?"

"Teal'c is awake, sir.  He's asking for you."

He nodded his understanding, rubbed his eyes with balled fists, and thanked the nurse before making his way to Teal'c's bedside.  "Hey, big guy.  How ya feeling?"

"I am recovering, O'Neill."

Jack sighed and tried for a smile.  "That's good to hear.  We need to get you out of here so you can help us find the others."

"I am sorry, O'Neill.  I was not able to protect your kalach."  Teal'c actually looked upset- which meant that if he was anyone else, he'd have been in hysterics-, so the colonel hastened to reassure him.

"It's okay, Teal'c.  You did the best you could.  And it looks like you guys managed to give a pretty good showing.  Hell, it wouldn't have mattered if SG-1 had gone instead.  Just been a different set of captives and dead bodies."  He elaborated at Teal'c's questioning look.  "Dr. Johnson and Sergeant Basil were both killed.  Major Ferretti, Lt. Chang, and Daniel are missing presumed to be prisoners."

"What plan has been implemented to rescue them?"

A grimace crossed Jack's features.  "Hurry up and wait.  A lot of nothing.  We don't know where Osiris took them, so the Tok'ra are trying to help us find them.  Of course, they're still struggling from the last beating they took, so-"  He waved his hands in the air helplessly.

"So they are unable to provide adequate assistance."

"Bingo, got it one."

"And in the meantime-"

"In the meantime, Osiris is God knows where doing God knows what while we twiddle our thumbs until we get some word on a locale, after which we go in and rescue whatever's left."

The Jaffa was silent for a minute as he thought about that.  When he looked back up Jack could see the unhappiness and self-chastisement clearly.  "I do not like that plan O'Neill"

"Neither do I, big guy.  Neither do I."

~*~*~

His return to consciousness was both slow and painful for Daniel.  He moaned softly as various cuts and bruises made themselves known. Experience had taught him to remain motionless until he was sure sitting up and moving about wouldn't cause any ill effects and he used a few precious minutes to assess his physical condition.  

Nothing broken that he could tell. Despite being strapped down, he could move all his limbs slightly, so either he hadn't been zatted or else it had been long enough ago that the paralysis had worn off.

The thought made him pause a moment.  

What the hell had happened?  One minute he'd been standing there helping Dr. Johnson explained her theory and then...

And then the rings had beamed in a half a dozen Jaffa from somewhere.

Oh man, he groaned to himself.  Jack was never gonna let this go.  Actually, he'd be lucky if Jack ever let him out of sight again.  He could hear the 'I told you so's' all the way from Earth. 

"Awake in time to participate, eh, Daniel Jackson?"

At the softly cultured voice, his eyes flew open and he gapped at the beautiful face inches from his.

"Oh fuck," he breathed as he turned his head to watch a Jaffa approach with a needle.  There was a sting in his arm and then the world began to fade.

The last image seared on his mind was of Osiris' triumphant smirk.

~*~*~

Kel'mar grimaced as he helped put the drugged Tau'ri back into their cells.  The first injections Osiris had given them had not given the goa'uld whatever results he'd apparently expected.

In a rare fit of absolute rage, he'd torn into the prisoners with his own hands, something that was unheard of for any goa'uld.  As a rule, they didn't' like to get their hands dirty.

When the rage had calmed, ever so slightly, he had used the ribbon device.

Two of the Tau'ri had urinated on themselves.  The third was beyond delirious, his ravings see-sawing between  'Jack's gonna be pissed at me' and 'Jack's gonna save me and kill all of you'.  The very fact that he still held any coherency at all told Kel'mar that this was a man who'd tangled with a ribbon device more than once. Frequent exposure lessened the effects of the torture instrument.

The First Prime did not often allow himself to dwell on the doings of his master.  Becoming emotionally involved could only bring trouble on one's head- as it had Apophis's First Prime.  The Shol'va.

But as he cast a final glance over the trio of abused Tau'ri, he knew their ordeal was far from over.  And he couldn't stop the pity and shame that filled his heart.

~*~*~

At the SGC, things were tense and as the days passed, it only got worse.

The first couple of days were spent focusing on contacting the Tok'ra and making sure Junior was up to the task of fixing Teal'c.  

The next few after that were filled bandying about various rescue scenarios and contingency plans, preparing the necessary gear, and making sure the infirmary was stocked and ready for any possible injury or illness.

By the eighth day, things were looking entirely too grim for one Colonel Jack O'Neill.  He knew, in his heart, that Daniel was still alive out there somewhere and that they would rescue him, Ferretti and Chang too.  What he didn't know, and the uncertainty gave him plenty of nightmares when he actually managed to sleep, was what condition the men would be in.

How damaged would this time spent in Osiris's not so tender mercies leave the man he loved?

 "Colonel?"  He jumped slightly at the knock on his office door. 

He twirled his chair around and dropped the picture he'd been staring at facedown onto his desk.  "Come in, it's open."

The door swung open to admit Janet.  Her eyes swept the room taking in it's general disorder, the upended photo frame, and the shot of scotch that was held loosely in his hand.  She raised a brow at the drink, but chose not to comment on it.  "How are you, Colonel?"

A patently false and overly bright smile appeared.  "Oh, just peachy keen, Doc.  You?"

"Jack."  He grimaced at her no-nonsense tone of voice but gave in, knowing she wouldn't just leave it.

"I barely sleep, when I do it's nightmares again- mostly about what Osiris might be doing to Daniel.  I've forced myself to eat so that you all can't use malnourishment against me again, but everything  tastes like dusty cardboard.  The migraines are back and bad enough that I've seriously considered dropping by the infirmary to see what you could do about them.  And my stress levels are pretty much off the board.  Other than that?  I'm just great."

"I'm sorry, Colonel.  I know this hard for you."  Moving to his side of the desk, she took the glass from his unresisting fingers and poured it back into it's bottle.  "I think you should save this for the homecoming celebration don't you?"

His eyes, brimming with misery, met hers for an endless moment before he nodded.  Rough hands came up to rub at his eyes and she had to lean down to hear his next words.  "Why can't the universe just leave us alone, Doc?  When will we have paid enough that we'll finally be allowed more than a minute of happiness?"

Choked with her own emotions, she had no answer for him.

~*~*~

The First Prime of Osiris growled faintly as he watched the Tau'ri that had been chosen as his master's new lo'taur.

The drugs had finally done their job.

Kel'mar didn't know what to feel.  On the one hand, there was fear hovering at the edges of his mind.  If Osiris decided to give the new lo'taur a symbiote and make him First Prime, then there was more in danger than just his own position.  To lose position as First Prime so early in his tenure was a death sentence and he had no desire to die.  On the other hand, he had heard of this Tau'ri.  Knew the lengths to which he had gone to avoid this very fate.  And Kel'mar still felt pity and kinship with a man who had not choice in his destiny.

Looking around, he noted the tall dark haired woman in the corner, also watching the Tau'ri. He'd been keeping track of that one for several days now, as she asked far too many questions about things she had no business with.  If his suspicions about her were correct.....

As a plan formed in his mind, he almost smiled.

~*~*~

Jack was dozing when the loud siren of the claxon sounded through the base.  He was up and running before wakefulness fully registered in his mind.  In less time than he'd ever made the trip, he skidded into the control room.

"Who is it?" the question was breathless as he tossed a half salute at the general before leaning over Davis' shoulder hopefully.

"IDC transmission is the Tok'ra, sir."

"Open the iris," General Hammond commanded.  Sam slid into the room much the same as Jack had while Teal'c made a slightly more dignified entrance behind her.

"Is it-" she asked, struggling to catch her breath.

Jack didn't need to let her finish to know what she was asking.  "Yes." 

"Did they-"

"God let's hope so."

"Indeed." Teal'c's sentiment was added to the fragmented conversation.

The trio fell silent as the iris opened and a familiar figure hurried through.  The colonel sighed in relief.  If Jacob was in a hurry then that meant he had something to share.  And right then, any news was good news.

~*~*~

"So they're alive?"  Jack didn't even wait for the human cum Tok'ra to get seated.

"Yes, Osiris is holding them aboard his  ship.  It'll be docked here," he motioned to a planet on the star chart, "for approximately twelve hours in two days.  That doesn't give us a lot of time."  Jacob spread out a handful of papers and transparencies.  "Our operative assures us that everything will be ready and we'll be getting her out at the same time."

That brought raised brows from everyone and the general stepped in.  "What exactly is going on, Jacob?  I wasn't aware that you had an operative on Osiris's ship."

The Tok'ra sighed.  "We don't.  We do, however, have an operative on a ship that joined Osiris's a few days ago.  We're pulling her out because she's new to the spy game and drew attention to herself while questioning the whereabouts of Dr. Jackson and the other Tau'ri."

"What sort of attention?" Jack drawled, sure he wasn't going to like anything that Jacob said.

"The kind of attention that drew the new  first prime of Osiris."

"What?!"  The horror in Sam's voice was evident.  "Dad, that means they'll know we're onto their location now.  They'll move them.  Or kill them."

But Jacob was already shaking his head.  "No.  The First Prime won't say anything.  He can't afford to.  As a matter of fact, he's helping us rescue them."  He raised a hand to calm the angry words exploding at him from all sides and Selmac took over.  His deeper rumble was matter of fact.  "The man is very new to his position.  Dr. Jackson has been given the position of lo'taur with the possibility of taking a symbiote and Kel'mar feels threatened.  He is willing to risk his lord's wrath to remove the source of that threat.  Because Dr. Jackson never leaves the side of Osiris, he cannot be directly attacked."

"So when he noticed someone interested in the people he wanted to get rid of, he seized the day."  Selmac nodded gravely at Jack's statement.  The colonel's mind caught a snag.  "How could Daniel have a place of honor as a prisoner?"

There was a pause and when their friend spoke again, Jacob was once again in charge.  "Because he's not a prisoner.  Osiris used the Tau'ri to test a new drug he's found.  Kel'mar is no scientist and wasn't sure of what exactly it did other than make the captives easy to control.  He's going to give Ferretti and Chang the antidote, but he can't give it to Daniel for the same reason he can't kill him.  He's also not positive it'll work on the other two."

"So we might have to fight our men to save them?"  Hammond's tone was grim.

"I'm afraid so.  Regardless, Daniel will fight you.  He may even put himself into a position where the only way to get Osiris is to go through him."

"Sweet."  The sour expression on Jack's face said it all.  This was not going to be easy on anyone.  He brightened a bit.  "Still, if he's 'favored' and doing what the snake tells him to, it isn't likely that she'll hurt him, right?  At least, until we can get there?"

"Osiris is unpredictable at best, as you know all goa'uld to be, but he does seem to be a little more in control than most.  I don't think we have to worry about him killing your friends.  The biggest threat the Tok'ra think they'll face until the rescue itself is possible unknown side-effects of the drugs.  As I said, Kel'mar doesn't have a clue exactly what it is or what it's supposed to do.  Our agent said he seemed puzzled about why Osiris would bother when there are easier less experimental ways of control.  We're assuming that it has other purposes and we'll be trying to get a sample of both it and the antidote when we rescue the captives."

"Well, I hope you're inside gal can do it before we get there," Jack drawled, his easy tone at odds with the dangerous glitter in his eyes.  "Cuz we won't risk the lives of our men for some sort of happy juice."

"Actually, Colonel," Sam interrupted before her father could respond.  "The samples might be absolutely necessary."

Dr. Frasier was nodding.  "She's right.  We have no idea what they've been exposed to.  We may need to analyze it just to neutralize any after effects they'll experience.  I mean, we don't want to rescue them only to have them die here because we can't figure out what's wrong with them."

Jack grumbled under his breath and shrugged but was careful to make no promises.  The lives of his men were his top priority, but if the Tok'ra operative hadn't gotten the samples, they'd try to do it. 

"Jack, our operative should already have the samples we need.  You shouldn't have to worry about it at all.  Just focus on the human extraction part of the mission.  Xinith will meet you here," he pointed out a section of ship's schematics designated storeroom.  "It's out of the way and not very high traffic.  If the antidote works, Ferretti and Chang will be there as well.  Osiris and Daniel will be here," he pointed to a loading dock.  "They'll be overseeing the transfer of supplies and Jaffa.  Osiris checks everything himself so that there are no surprises or foul ups.  I don't advise trying to get them there since the area will be crawling with Jaffa loyal to either him or Anubis.  It's asking for trouble.  Once the loading is complete and everything has been checked, Osiris and Daniel will head back to the communications bridge to contact Anubis and let him know of any problems and how long it will be before they're done.  As luck would have it, Kel'mar said, and Xinith confirmed, that the goa'uld just happens to prefer this quieter route.  All you have to do is ambush them there."

"What about guards?  Defenses?  I mean, what kind of firepower will we be going up against?"  Jack was in full covert ops planning mode, his mind jumping ahead looking for problems and solutions.

"Osiris is a little egotistical of his ability to take care of himself.  I doubt you'll see more than six Jaffa and Daniel with him.  Be aware that if Kel'mar is one of them, he will try to kill all of you, including Daniel.  If he could have an entire army there waiting then he would.  He wants the threat to his position dead, he's just settling for escaped."

Sam frowned and rubbed a hand through her hair as she glanced over the schematic.  "What's to stop him from doing just that?  I mean, why can't he just tell Osiris that there's a traitor and we're coming to rescue Daniel?"

"That he failed to immediately make his lord aware of a potential threat would bring shame to his name and he would lose any rank that he has," Teal'c answered.

The major sighed and flailed her hands in exasperation.  "Then why do it in the first place?  Why not report the Tok'ra immediately?"

"Because while stopping a rescue plot would gain him favor, it would not rid him of DanielJackson."

Jacob nodded.  "Right, he'd still be faced with the problem of having Daniel threaten his position."

Silence reigned for a moment as the groups got control of their thoughts.  Then Jack nodded to himself and spread his papers out in front of him.  "So, let's go over hits again, step by step.  Starting with how we're getting there in the first place."

~*~*~

Kel'mar frowned as he watched over the two unconscious men he'd just given the antidote.

He didn't have much time before Lord Osiris expected him back to the bridge.  If the pair didn't wake up soon, he'd be forced to leave them here, gagged and bound, and hope no one discovered them.

His fear warred with his anger.  It wasn't that he thought the goa'uld were gods.  He'd seen plenty of evidence that proved they weren't- the bowing and scraping to the Asgard, for one.  But they were powerful, and defying them could be painful, even deadly.  The Jaffa was no fool.  He'd seen Anubis first hand and it had frightened him.  Maybe the creature wasn't a god, but he was certainly a demon.

It was best not to end up on the wrong side of such a creature.

As the First Prime of Osiris, once the demon Anubis had taken control of all that had once belonged to the other goa'uld, his place in the world would be set.  

And it would be a place of power and wealth beyond the imagination of any Jaffa.

Somehow, that thought didn't give him the peace it should have.

~*~*~

Sam was thoughtful as she gathered her gear.  In her mind's eye, she could see Nareem smiling wistfully, hear his awe in his voice. 

"Because that is how I imagined my own relationship to be. If I were ever lucky enough to find that level of commitment."

Jack and Daniel were committed to each other, she had to admit.  She'd never seen two people work so hard to maintain a friendship through so much hardship and so many obstacles.  They had always had a level to their interaction with each other that she'd never understood and had always mildly jealous of.  

"I have rarely been in the presence of such devotion."

Even though he'd once confessed to feeling more than he should for her, Sam knew that the same statement could be applied equally to the other members of their team.  As team leader Jack should have remained detached and aloof, but he hadn't done that with any of them.   He'd gone out of his way to make sure they all knew he was there for them.

She hadn't seen how the colonel acted when she was the one missing or hurt, but she had observed him when it happened to Daniel and Teal'c.  She had to admit, as obvious as his friendship with the Jaffa was, Jack had never come close to resigning over Teal'c.  And she'd never heard of him doing it for her.  Only Daniel.  And only Daniel had received a bone cracking way too sentimental hug and nickname in the middle of the Gateroom.

"It is hard to lose a lover."

"I looked in on all of you, Sam. But you were doing all right. I thought that if I appeared to you, it would cause more harm than good."

Daniel had been right.  She'd been more angry with Jack for letting Daniel go than anything else.  She'd grieved, because it had been like losing a brother, but she'd been working through it.  Jack.... hadn't.  Ferretti had made a comment somewhere in the middle of those two dark months that had struck her core, something about how it was almost like Jack had lost Charlie again.  And despite his continual insistence on calling them his kids, Sam didn't think he really thought of them as his children.

She scowled fiercely, mentally growling at Nareem for even suggesting that Daniel and Jack were lovers.

Because now that the idea was planted, she simply couldn't get rid of it and every little look, comment, and touch took on new meaning in her mind.  She was stuck with a question she couldn't ask the answer to, but couldn't ignore either.  It was like the famous pink elephant.  The more she tried not to think about it, the more conspicuous it became.

"You all right, Carter?"

Her eyes jerked over to meet his.  And what's up with that? she thought.  I've always been Carter.  No more, no less.  Daniel's been Jackson, Daniel, Danny, Doc, Spacemonkey, Plant Boy, Danny-boy and goodness knows what else.

A hand waved in front of her face.  "Carter?  You in there?"

"Huh?"  It took a her a moment to realize she'd spaced out again and Jack, Teal'c, and Janet were all looking at her with concern.  "Yes, sir.  I was just thinking, sir."

He cocked one brow and grinned faintly, the first thing she'd seen even resembling a smile from him since Daniel and the others had been taken.  "You know, Carter," he said conversationally as he lowered his gaze to check his weapon.  "The idea of you thinking is pretty scary stuff."

A grin of her own escaped as she swatted at him playfully.

Their companions relaxed as well.  For the first time in almost two weeks there was a light at the end of the tunnel.  

~*~*~

Teal'c watched as O'Neill paced around the small cargo ship.  His friend had grown increasingly restless and edgy as they drew nearer and nearer the planet where their rescue mission would begin.  

Turning his head slightly, he noticed that Major Carter was also watching their CO with frown of puzzlement and an air of general confusion.  He supposed she was still trying to figure out the answer to her 'unimportant' question without directly asking.  

If he'd been less in control of himself, he'd have shaken his head and sighed.  He would never understand the Tau'ri.  What right did any being have to tell another who they could or could not love?  It was too much like something the goa'uld would do, controlling the lives of their slaves, playing gods.  His thoughts touched briefly on Shan'auc, taken from him at the whim of a false god, before skittering away to settle back onto his friends.

The big Jaffa took a step back as O'Neill's latest circuit came close enough to put his feet in danger, and reached out a hand.  "O'Neill, if you do not cease this needless waste of energy, you will exhaust yourself before the mission."

The shorter man nodded and moved to sit down.  Under the concerned gazes of his companions, he began to practically vibrate and Teal'c began to count backwards.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

Jack jumped up and was off again.  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!  I just.."  His hands flailed as he searched for words to express himself.   He came to a halt in front of Teal'c again and started to say something before stopping again and sighing.  He turned back towards the cockpit where Jacob sat quietly, ignoring the restlessness behind him.  "Are we there yet?"

Teal'c raised a brow at the petulant tone of his voice and Major Carter and Jacob both snickered.

"No, Jack.  Soon though.  And Teal'c is right.  You should rest now while you still can.  Daniel and the others are going to need you as fresh as possible."

"Fine.  Whatever."  He marched over to one corner and lay down, his jacket tucked under his head.  He was silent and stiff, but at least the pacing had stopped.

~*~*~

Osiris smirked as he watched the Jaffa and other slaves scurrying about, loading his ship.  Things were going well.  Though they continued to fight, the other goa'uld lords were weakening.  His decision to join with Anubis had been the smart one.  It would take time and patience to amass an army big enough to take control.  Patience was something this particular goa'uld had an abundance of.  After all, he'd been trapped in a jar for a thousand years.  What was a few more?

He frowned as he noticed one of the slaves had stopped working and was leaning against a wall resting.

"Come here, Daniel."  His newest servant sidled up, a vaguely questioning look on his face.  Osiris pointed out the slacker.  "That one is not doing an adequate job.  Kill him."

With a faint bow of his head, the human raised the staff weapon he held and moved to complete his orders.

~*~*~

Jack watched with a certain amount of horror as his normally gentle anthropologist stood over the slave he'd just killed.  Drugged or not, he knew it would hurt Daniel to know what he'd done.  So, he thought.  I  just won't tell him.   He'd been the only one to see the incident since Teal'c and Sam had already moved ahead to check out the first corridor.

"Sir!"  he turned his head at the urgent whisper, to see Sam peeking around the corner.  Jack waved off her questioning look.  With effort, he moved his thoughts away from what was going on behind him to what was ahead.  They'd gotten onto the vessel without any real problems since most of the people scuttling about where too focused on pleasing Osiris, to worry about whether or not the others around them were supposed to be there or not.  It was, after all, the guards duty to stop invaders.  A quick chemical laced prick had helped to convince several that the masked Teal'c was escorting Tau'ri captives to the prisoner cells.

A few quick hand motions, and Sam darted around the next corner to check the next corridor.  An all clear signal and he moved to the point position for the next.  The old familiarity of it all, allowed him to focus and it only took a few minutes before they reached the rendezvous point.

Jack and Sam watched for enemies while Teal'c checked out the storage room.

"O'Neill, Major Carter."  The pair slipped back into the room and were greeted with a grin and a salute by the missing Major Ferretti and Lt. Chang.  "It would appear that the antidote was successful."

"Yes, sir.  Got one helluva headache, Colonel, but I can put up with it if it means gettin' outta this joint."  Ferretti rubbed his hands together, warming them, before taking the zat guns that Teal'c and Sam handed over. "That prime guy didn't say much 'cept that we needed to be ready for you guys, and that you'd tell us what to do from there."

"Osiris still has Daniel, and he's still drugged."  Jack edged his head out the door to check and see if anyone was coming down the hall.  "We're waiting for them to come by here.  We grab Danny, try to take out Osiris and his guards.  The shields are supposed to be down and Jacob will ring us to safety."  He pointed over to the ring transporter on the other side of the room.

Sam piped up.  "I don't think all seven of us will fit in one transport.  We'll probably have to get as many through in the first grab while a couple guard the rings, then follow with a second one."

"Seven?  Even with Dr. J that's only six."

"A Tok'ra operative will joining us."  Ferretti shrugged at Teal'c's statement.

A noise at the door caused the group to turn towards the door where Jack had a taller, well-built woman pinned with his P-90.    Her face against the frame, mostly hidden by a fall of dark sable hair.

"Tek ma'tec!  I am Xinith of the Tok'ra."

Still suspicious, Jack eased off slightly, allowing the woman to turn.  His jaw dropped and his eyes widened in surprise once he got a good look at the newcomer.  "Xena!"  Sam, Ferretti, and Chang snickered while Teal'c and Xinith shared a look of confusion.  "Where's Gabrielle?"

The Tok'ra cocked her head to one side and furrowed her forehead in a confused look.  "I am alone.  Were you expecting another of the Tau'ri?"

Elbowing her CO, Sam felt compelled to explain.  "No, he just means that you look like a character on one of our television programs."  The resemblance was startling.  

Xinith harrumphed faintly, but quickly put a stop to the colonel's guffaw's.  "I was able to acquire the needed samples as well as a bit more intelligence, but Osiris is only minutes behind me.  Dr. Jackson is with him, as are six guards, one of which is Kel'mar.  Killing them all would be preferable, but our goal is merely to get your friend and escape."

"We do know what we're doin', ya know?  Even if we are only human."  Jack struggled with his temper, all his earlier amusement gone.  Why did all of their so called allies treat them like imbeciles?  Who was it  who'd been smart enough to bury the gate and stop the goa'uld from preying on them in the first place?  The Tau'ri... 

Okay, he amended.  So we were dumb enough to open it back up..  Still it was the scientist's that did that and nobody expects them to have any sense.

"I'm sure."  Her tone said she was anything but.  

Any further comments were stalled when the sounds of heavily booted feet reached their ears.  The storeroom had two entrances with about twenty yards of hall way between them.  Jack, Ferretti, and Xinith took one doorway while Sam, Teal'c and Chang took the other.  

Jack waited until the footsteps passed before moving through the open doorway.  He got a bead on Osiris, sent up a quick prayer that she didn't have one of those personal shields and fired.  Then cursed as one of the Jaffa guards, Kel'mar he assumed, managed to get the snake out of the way in time.  The colonel was pleased to note that a red-gold head did slam into a wall though.  

Weapons fire reigned for an endless moment.

Four of the six guards fell before they even realized they were under attack.  The fifth was injured, but managed to pull one of his fallen comrades in front of him to act as a shield and the sixth dragged an unconscious Osiris down the hall to safety.

Teal'c and Sam were keeping the one guard pinned down on their end, Xinith was contacting Jacob while Ferretti and Chang helped her clear the ring area.  Which left Jack to face off against an armed Daniel.  They stood there, in a Mexican stand off.

"Come on, Danny.  Put down the staff."  There was no recognition in the pale blue eyes that were locked on his own.  Only a hardness that was so unlike the man he'd come to love.  "Dammit, Daniel.  Don't make me shoot you!"

Those hard eyes narrowed and Jack knew in a flash born of years as a combat soldier, that Daniel was about to fire.  He also knew he was probably going to die because there was no way in hell he could fire on someone so precious to him.

Apparently someone else had no such qualms and Jack jerked to one side as a zat blast was fired from somewhere behind him.

Daniel's fingers tightened on the trigger as he fell.

The blast caught Jack in the shoulder and his mind faded to blackness as the pain overwhelmed him.

Xinith scooped him up and over her shoulder in a fireman's carry before he hit the ground.  "I have him.  We must hurry, Kel'mar would have called for more guards by now."

The large Jaffa spared a concerned look for O'Neill, but focused his attention on the injured DanielJackson.  With much more care than the Tok'ra had shown for Jack, he pulled the unconscious anthropologist up against his chest and cradled him there, as he had once cradled Rya'c during his earliest years.  Standing swiftly, he assured himself the passage was still clear before joining his comrades. 

As Major Carter had speculated, there was not enough room for them all.  

Resolute, Teal'c handed his precious burden off to Ferretti and Chang before taking up his staff weapon and turning towards the door.

As the rings activated and his friends and comrades were whisked away to the waiting cargo ship, he could hear the beat of a single pair of boots running down the hall and towards him.  

The Jaffa soldier who'd saved Osiris and taken the false god to safety swung into the room, staff weapon ready to fire.

Caught in a standoff, the pair of warriors glared at one another.

Teal'c's breath caught as he recognized something in the other man's eyes.  He was looking at himself, seven years ago.  Not wanting to serve a being he knew wasn't a god, but unable to break a cycle started long before his own birth.

If he was wrong, he would not live to regret it.

But if he was right....

Teal'c lowered his weapon.

~*~*~

"Where's Teal'c?"  Both Jacob and Selmac liked the quiet Jaffa warrior, and were uneasy that he wasn't with the others.

"There wasn't enough room, Dad."  Sam blew her bangs out of her face as she retrieved the healing device her father had brought and gave it to Xinith.  "But he should be right behind us."

The female Tok'ra worked on Jack while Sam moved over to check on Daniel.

"Well, where is he?  We need to go now."  Jacob's tone was a little more sharp than he meant it to be, but he made no effort to apologize.  The longer they stayed close to Osiris's ship, the slimmer their chances of escape got.  

It was a long couple of minutes before the ring transporter was activated again and a somber Teal'c appeared before them.

"It would be best if we departed immediately."

The ship was moving before he'd finished his sentence.

~*~*~

Daniel raged against the stranger that had taken over his body.  But nothing he did was enough.  He wasn't strong enough.  He wasn't smart enough.  He just... wasn't enough.

He watched helplessly as the slaves fell away from him, terror and death in their eyes.

The sound of horrible laughter filled the air.  His own laughter, twisted grotesquely.... Evil.

Suddenly Jack was there.  Hands outstretched, love shining in his eyes.  'Come on, Danny.  Let's go home.'

And he wanted to.  He wanted to go with Jack more than anything else in the whole universe, but the stranger, the evil twisted stranger that looked like him but was not him just kept laughing.  Laughing at Jack... Laughing at him.

He struggled harder, knowing with absolute horror what would come next.  

No, please not Jack.  

Too weak, Daniel could only watch as the not-him stranger raised the staff weapon.  In the second that seemed to last an eternity, he watched as the love became betrayal.  

And then time sped up again as Jack was thrown by the force of the blast.  

'I killed Jack,' he murmured, gazing down at sightless brown eyes.  'I killed Jack.'

'I killed Jack.'

Daniel was hyperventilating as he came to, sitting up suddenly and looking about wildly, searching.

"Jack... Jack!"

"Daniel, calm down." He looked up to see Janet's no nonsense expression as she entered the room.  "You're still recovering from both the zat and the drugs."

"I killed Jack," he whimpered, still caught in the horror of his dream.

"No, Daniel.  Colonel O'Neill is  fine."  She smiled at him, happy to be giving some good news.  "Jacob brought a healing device with him for just such an emergency and the other Tok'ra, Xinith, used it on the Colonel's wounded shoulder.  He was awake and annoying everyone long before you guys got back.  He wanted to be here with you until you woke up, but the General figured it would be better to get the briefing out of the way as soon as possible.  They should be done soon."  Sagging with relief, Daniel offered no protest as the doctor checked his stats and responses.  "Can you tell me how the injections you were given effected you?  Or do you have any memory of it?"

His brow furrowed in concentration.  "It's all kind of fuzzy.  I remember Osiris and someone else giving me the drugs, but everything after that's kind of vague.  How is everyone else?"

Janet paused for a moment before pinning him with a serious look.  "Dr. Johnson and Sergeant Basil were both killed.  Major Ferretti and Lt. Chang were both drugged along with you, but were administered the antidote prior to the rescue, so they're up and about also.  Teal'c and Sam were both perfectly fine, not even a scratch for once.  Colonel O'Neill still has some soreness to his shoulder and his overall health isn't the best.  I've extended his down time to two weeks."

"Which I am still protesting vehemently."  Dr. Frasier rolled her eyes and Daniel turned to see Jack's almost obnoxiously happy face.  "'Bout time you woke up, Danny-boy.  So, Doc, how is he?  You gonna chain him up in here another day or can he go home now?"  

"Oh, you," Janet's tone was scolding, but there was laughter in her eyes.  "You'd better watch it mister."  Jack ducked the swat she aimed at him and held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Vehemently, Jack?"  Fierce joy welled up inside to see his friend so boyishly playful and above all, alive.

"Hey, I did go to school ya know.  I know lottsa good words."

"Really?"  Daniel let just the right amount of disbelief leak into his tone.

"Oh yeah, you outta see me play scrabble.  I kick everybody's butts."  He leaned down and pulled the sitting man into a tight hug.  "Missed you."

Winding his own arms around Jack's shoulders, careful of the one he vaguely remembered shooting, Daniel leaned into the hug.  "Missed you, too."

The delicate clearing of a throat reminded them of where they were and the pair separated just in time as Sam, Teal'c and General Hammond rounded the corner and entered the room.

~*~*~

Jack spent the rest of the afternoon, sitting on the bed across from Daniel, watching as their friends trickled in and out to welcome the prodigal linguist back into the fold.

Teal'c moved aside to join him at one point and they watched together as just about everyone who didn't have to be somewhere else made their way in and out of the small cuticle.  Sam was perched on Daniel's bedside and didn't appear to be in any hurry to move.

"Ya know, Dr. J, only you could go out for an easy first mission back and get kidnapped by aliens." 

 Though laughter met Ferretti's joking comment, the colonel had to suppress a shudder.  Of all of them, Daniel had the worst luck.  If he thought for a second he could get away with it, Jack would have had him saddled to a desk job.  A faint smile touched his lips as he thought about how well that would go over.  He'd end up with one helluva fight on his hands.  And then he frowned when he considered what that would do to his friend, being stuck here at SGC day in and day out, never getting to deal with cultures and ruins on a hands-on basis.

He couldn't do that to Daniel, not even for his own piece of mind.  

~*~*~

It was with a sense of deja vu that Daniel followed Jack into the house.  Here they were again, him struck dumb at the sight of Jack's inner sanctum littered with his stuff.  Both of them amazed that they were there, alive and whole.  Together.

"You wanna beer?"  He smiled faintly, but shook his head.  As much fun as it would be to tease Jack about his deplorable taste in brews, he just wasn't up to it.  "Well, at least the couch is clean this time since I haven't really been here in the last couple of weeks."

Shaking his head, Daniel walked over and picked up the empty beer bottles that still sat beside the couch.  It didn't look like Jack had come home at all since they'd left that morning.

'The next time you might not come back.  And then where will I be?  Out of my mind with grief cuz I had a chance to say it and didn't.'  Jack's words that night came screeching back at him, causing him to drop the bottles onto the sofa and it was pure instinct that led him to hurry into the kitchen.  Not even waiting for Jack to straighten up and move away from the fridge, he wrapped his arms around the slender waist and hugged tightly.

"I love you, Jack."

Hands pulled at his until he loosened his grip, then Jack was twisting around to gather the shaking man close.  "Shush.. It's okay, Danny.  We're both here.  We're both alive."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."  Daniel snuffled and rubbed his face against one strong shoulder, dampening the shirt with his tears.  "I love you."

"I know, Danny.  I know."  He crooned soft words for a few minutes, letting Daniel cry himself out, his own face suspiciously wet.  Then he leaned back enough so that brown eyes and blue could meet.

His hands came up and Jack used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tears.  "I love you, too."

Daniel's breath caught at the look of pure love he saw in Jack's eyes.  His own eyes  began to drift shut and he leaned forward, sure that Jack would meet him halfway.

That first kiss was soft, the barest caress of lips.  Despite that, it sent a wave of some of the most intense emotions he'd ever felt crashing through his body and ending somewhere in the vicinity of his chest.

Callous roughened hands tilted his head to one side and when Jack moved to deepen the kiss, Daniel was helpless to resist.

It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced, the feel of Jack's lips over his own.

Once it ended, he pulled back.

"You do realize," Jack started, his tone almost conversational.  "That you are never leaving my sight again.  And, the next time I get a hinky feeling about a mission, you will listen to me and not argue."

Daniel blinked for a moment, his mind still caught up in what had been one of the nicest most romantic moments of his admittedly unromantic life.  Once the comments finally made it through the fog, he rolled his eyes at Jack's unrepentant grin.

"I'd sure like to see you explain that to General Hammond."

"Oh, didn't you hear?  I'm under orders to hog tie you if necessary."  

"Somehow, I doubt that."

"Straight from the top, Danny.  Cross my heart and all that stuff."

The pair bickered playfully for a few minutes before settling onto the couch together.  He could tell Jack was watching him and braced for the inevitable conversation.  He wasn't at all sure he wanted to get into the hazy half memories that were floating around his head.  Even if only a portion of what he thought he remembered was true... a shudder swept through him.  He didn't want to think about it.

"You wanna talk about it?"  Jack's voice broke through his thoughts and Daniel sighed.  Of course his friend would know what was on his mind.

"Not particularly, but I suppose we have to, don't we?"  He leaned into Jack's broad shoulder, hiding his face.  

Jack shrugged.  "I think you'd feel better if you did."

"Jack O'Neill, offering to have a serious discussion?  Stop the presses."  Daniel feigned shock and chuckled as he felt a sharp tug on his hair.

"No smart ass.  This is Jack O'Neil offering to listen and perhaps dole out a little sage advice to his younger comrade."  The hands in his hair had stopped tugging and were instead stroking.  The motion was calming.  " I know I'm not a shrink-"

"Thank God."  His little comment was ignored.

"-but I am here and I do care.  Now quit trying to distract me."

Jack knew him too well.

"Jack."

"Wait, hold that thought."  Jack pushed the linguist up a bit then wriggled around until he was sitting with his back against one arm of the sofa, one long leg stretched along the back the other hanging off the cushions at the knee and braced against the floor with his right foot.  Then he tugged and pulled until he had Daniel sitting between his thighs, resting against his chest.

"Ja-ack, I'm not a child."  Even to his own ears, Daniel sounded petulant.  

"I never said you were, Danny."  Calloused, yet gentle hands readjusted the way his head was laying before Jack was satisfied with their position.  "I'll have you know that this is a standard comforting position."

Daniel relaxed as Jack began to lightly massage his neck and shoulders.  He didn't know much about comfort positions-  there'd never been an abundance of people just lining up around the block to comfort him.  Still, if anyone knew, it would be Jack.  He could easily picture the older man sitting right here on this couch holding Charlie in this same manner.

"Do you ever have those dreams where you're there and mostly aware, but you have no control over your own body?"

"Sometimes."

He shifted a bit and brought one hand up, briefly touching the spot where he was reasonably sure the staff blast had hit before dropping his arms and wrapping them around Jack's waist.  "It was a lot like that.  It's all fuzzy."

Jack made an encouraging sound, but other than that remained quiet.

"I think I killed some of the slaves, Jack."  His throat constricted and he had to stop.  The older man crooned softly.

"Wasn't your fault, Danny.  Even if everything you think you remember is true, it's still not your fault."

"I  know that Jack.  I mean, logically speaking, I was drugged and I know that."  His fists had crushed the soft blue material under his cheek and Daniel had to force them to unclench.  "I can't help but wonder though.  If I'd been stronger or smarter.. Dammit Jack- I should have been able to stop myself.  Even on drugs, I shouldn't have killed those people.  I shouldn't have-" his voice broke and he had to clear his throat before continuing.  "I shouldn't have shot you."

"Ah Danny-"

"I thought I'd killed you too.  And there wasn't anything I could do about it.  I was completely helpless."

The arms wrapped around him tightened fractionally.  "Daniel, you and I both know the kind of effects that alien influences-particularly Goa'uld ones- can have on a person.  The sarcophagus, zatarcs, drugs- whatever.  It wasn't your fault.  If you have to assign blame, put it where it's deserved.  This one was all on Osiris."

"Somehow that's not very comforting."  Jack sighed and stroked his hair lightly.

"I know."

"Do you ever forget their faces?"

He could hear the pain and memories in his friend's voice.  "No.  But after a while, the hurt isn't as close.  And sometimes... You can go entire days without thinking about it."

Daniel wasn't sure how to ask what was heaviest on his mind.  He wasn't even sure he wanted to ask.  Maybe not knowing was better.  Still, he'd never been able to leave any question unasked, no matter what the personal cost.  "What if....  Jack...  Ferretti and Chang didn't have the same problems with the drug that I did, I asked.  What if it was something in me?  Something that wanted to kill?"

"Oh for crying out loud.."  The exasperation in Jack's voice was clear.  "You?  A killer?  That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard."

He wasn't sure whether he should be offended or not.  "What do you mean?"

With a sudden movement, he found himself staring directly into fierce brown eyes.  "You listen to me and you listen good."  Jack shook him for emphasis.  "You are not, and never could be a killer.  I know you, Daniel Jackson.  I've seen you.  You have a hard enough time shooting someone in self-defense.  So don't give me anymore of this 'maybe I want to kill' crap.  Got it?"

He couldn't help smiling.  "Sure Jack.  I got it."

Jack gave a self-satisfied nod and harrumphed, murmuring under his breath about idiot scientists with no sense.  "Good.  Now shut up and snuggle.  You'll feel better."

Daniel was happy to oblige.  After all, how could he argue with such indisputable logic?