A Lifetime (Part 1/2)

by Sideburns

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ass/sideburns/lifetime001.php
Summary: Daniel - the separation of him from his teammates and trying to find a way to defeat Anubis
Info: This is an PU (parallel universe) in the sense that I have taken seasons four, most of five (no Meridian) and the *idea* of season 6 happening as if Daniel were there, BUT I've combined them. I also took what I saw in Season four, the gradual separation of Daniel from the team, and took it forward as if there'd been no Meridian. This story picks up not long after Window of Opportunity but continues on from there.
The following Quechua words appear in this story so I thought I'd better provide their meaning:
kawsaqe - general word for friend
yachachej yachayniyoj - wise teacher
sut'inchaj.- prophet
t'uku - lunatic
mi amigu - a more personal way of saying 'my friend'
CAVEAT: This story was at the betas when a wonderful author, Lady Grey, posted the second story in her series Day and Night. I bring this up because this is a case of two people writing a *very* similar scene. Our stories are not similar at all - in fact, nothing related and I definitely have no ninjas <G> BUT we do have one scene that are alike. I won't go into which scene so as not to spoil either story and I really struggled with removing my scene, but since the whole story leads up to it, I found, and my betas agreed, that it had to remain. I did change it though, to just one individual. I was stunned and even cried because her scene was and is so much better written than mine. Anyway, Lady Grey, I love you and I just wanted you to know that I wrote the scene in question back in November or October, so I hope you won't think I plagiarized yours. I truly did not! I can only say; two great minds <G> (unfortunately, one of those minds is mine and I'm barely here <G> You are by far the greater mind! <G>)

It was funny how a man could hold a hope in his heart and acknowledge it only when the hope was lost.

For months Daniel had held a secret yearning, one that he hadn't been all that comfortable actually giving a name. But now, now that the object of his yearning was impossible to attain, the name came easily.

Jack O'Neill.

Daniel was no stranger to same sex relationships, but still, discovering that he had feelings for his best friend had shocked the hell out of him. He'd honestly never expected to love anyone again after Shar'e. He had in fact, chosen not to love again, not to let anyone in. And no, he didn't count Kira, aka, Linea, Destroyer of Worlds. He'd been vulnerable, damn vulnerable, and lonely. No excuse, though. Which brought him back to Jack.

Hard to believe he'd fallen for the man.

Fallen for. Strange phrase, but then, the idea of loving Jack was pretty strange too.

He knew that he hadn't fallen for Shar'e. No, with her, he'd -- floated -- into love. It had been gradual and sweet, full of mornings waking to her warm, soft, willing body, her special sleepy smile, followed by a whispered, "Dan-yel" always said in that 'just for you' way. She never ceased surprising him with her sensual looks and touches, her possessiveness and her aggressive manner when they were alone. Her blend of shyness and eroticism had never failed to blow him away.

Needless to say, Jack was nothing like Shar'e. But then, the love he felt for the man wasn't sweet. In fact, now that he thought about his feelings, he realized his love for Jack hadn't come gradually. In thinking back over the last months, he could now pinpoint the exact moment it had landed on top of him like a mothership.

Jack and Teal'c had been trapped on board a Russian sub with a horde of rampaging replicators, and no way off. Jack was yelling at him to do it, to blow them up, to destroy the replicators before it was too late. But that meant destroying Jack as well.

The memory rushed back to him in a painful burst of odd Technicolor pictures. He could see Jack's face in the viewer, could hear him begging him to push the button, but Daniel was mentally screaming, "NO!" because it would mean - killing the man he loved.

Shaking himself out of the memory, Daniel lifted his coffee mug and took a sip, then stared at his watch. It was late, almost midnight, and Daniel gave a small wry smile. It seemed that time, like so many other things in his life, was slipping away from him.

He watched the second hand travel slowly around the face of the timepiece, and wished with all his heart to go back in time. To either skip the last eight days, or to somehow change what had happened on P4X-639, to change his death. Of course, he was the only one who knew that he'd died when Malikai had fired the weapon at him, but still, if he could go back, he'd make darn certain that he'd miss out on that little joy. He'd take the hint Malikai had tried so hard to give him and make like a leaf. By doing so, he'd be spared the agony of seeing Jack kiss Sam in the control room. By avoiding his death, he'd be able to skip seeing the 'look' Jack bestowed on Sam at the breakfast table after the time loop had ended.

Okay, so he should have been better prepared for Jack's feelings toward Sam; after all, hadn't he been told about the conversation between them when Sam had been trying so hard to keep Jack from having to undergo the Zartac detector? But then, it was altogether different to hear about a conversation then to actually see the physical evidence of Jack's true feelings regarding his 2IC.

In hearing from Teal'c why Sam and Jack had failed the Tok'ras version of a lie detector, he'd assumed they'd all have failed. SG-1 was close, very close. None of them would have been able to leave another behind to save their own life. But then he'd been on those damn stairs just as Jack had entered the control room, witnessed him hand the general his resignation, then tip Sam back and kiss her - oh, yeah, he'd understood the truth then.

Jack hadn't been able to leave the woman he loved. The woman he was in love with.

He shuffled that particular truth into the darkest recess of his mind.

Daniel suddenly realized that perhaps there might be another bonus to going back in time and avoiding his death; he'd also be able to miss his friend allowing him to be knocked down in the hall a couple of times too many. He was pretty sure such antics were a guy thing and definitely a military guy thing; a "laugh till it hurts 'cause the guy slipped on a body part" kind of military guy thing. Daniel had no trouble admitting that he wasn't into that kind of "guy thing." Watching someone get hit, and hit hard, and knowing that it was going to happen, and then letting it happen, had never been a "Daniel thing". He was also pretty sure that the problem lay with him rather than Jack.

If he'd been a different kind of guy with a different upbringing, an upbringing that hadn't included being the butt of jock jokes and being 'accidentally' tripped, not to mention pushed, shouldered and deliberately jostled. If his glasses hadn't been flung off more times than he could count, he'd have laughed the whole thing off -- probably. Yeah, the lack of appreciation for the joke was his problem, not Jack's.

On the other hand, Daniel still had the niggling feeling that Jack had - enjoyed -- seeing him take both tumbles. Enjoyed it not in a 'ha-ha' way, but in an almost perverse manner. As if it satisfied something raw in Jack, a kind of a payback for all of Daniel's lectures, prattlings and failures to jump when Jack yelled. Or for all the times Daniel argued with Jack, or seemed to find fault with him, or... for just being who he was. A geek.

All of which begged the question of why the hell Daniel loved Jack.

For the first time in days, Daniel smiled. It was kind of funny, not in a ha-ha way, but definitely in a perverse way.

Why did he love Jack? Let him count the ways. Now he chortled, then the chortles turned to chuckles, and finally, he was laughing. And if the laughter had a slight edge of hysteria to it, well, Daniel chalked it up to too many hours on the job and not enough sleep.

He slipped his watch back on, pushed time loops into the same dark corner as Jack's love for Sam, and got back to work.

~~~

Major Paul Davis was about to do the one thing he didn't want to do, namely going through the 'Gate. He held his military bearing in spite of the weakness in his knees, and prayed his nervousness didn't show. He glanced over at Daniel, and received exactly what he'd wanted: a grin. It wasn't one of Daniel's better smiles, in fact, it appeared to be a bit on the wan side, but still - it was the grin he'd been counting on. He nodded his head in return, then inwardly winced as General Hammond announced over the loudspeaker, "SG-1, you have a go, and good luck, Major Davis."

Okay, he'd done this before, once, and he could do it again. He gave what he hoped was a jaunty salute, a Colonel O'Neill kind of salute, and followed Daniel up the ramp. Halfway, he realized what a pleasure following Daniel could be. He immediately stomped down on his very unmilitary-like libido and concentrated on the shimmering blue in front of him. His body was about to become so many little atoms and who said they'd all come back in the exact same place and way? No one. Unless you counted Major Carter, and didn't everyone?

Paul went back to looking at the back - side - of Daniel Jackson.

~~~

"...and the medical advancements that we'd be able to share with you will aid your children, Ankat. What you call 'munshad,' we call 'measles', and we have vaccines that will prevent your children from contracting them."

"And in... return, you wish to ... what was the word again?" the Ukhat leader asked as he turned to face Daniel.

Leaning into the conversation, Daniel said, "Mine." Then in the language of the Ukhat, he said, "In other words, dig for the mineral our instruments have registered."

Ankat nodded in understanding. "I ... see," he said in his halting English. "And our," he turned to Daniel and said, "sheema?"

"Land," Daniel answered.

"Ah, yes. Land. Our... land... will be... clean?"

Major Davis nodded. "Absolutely. The methods used for this kind of mining will not harm your land, nor your environment."

Ankat looked at each member of SG-1, then back to Davis, then, finally to Daniel. "You are... not the... Yuron?"

"No, Major Davis is. I'm a simple scholar... a tumeron."

"Daniel?" Jack said, clearly asking for a translation.

"The speaker of... heart, is the closest translation for Yuron. The Ukhat believe that every tribe must have this Yuron, one who speaks with wisdom, speaks for all, and speaks only the truth, even when truth is not what the tribe wishes to hear. The Yuron is the reason the Ukhat have no wars. If there are disagreements, be it about land, or goods, or leadership, the Yurons of each Ukhat tribe come together and settle it. Each tribe is honor bound to abide by their decision. All of which you'd know, by the way, if you'd listened to my report in the briefing."

"You're kidding, right?" Jack said, a crooked smile on his face.

"Yes, Jack, I'm kidding."

"So let me get this straight... you just told them that Major Davis is our... is this...."

Jack sputtered to a stop and simply could not say the word. Daniel shrugged and nodded. "He speaks for us, for our government. That makes him the Yuron in their eyes."

Jack managed to stuff his disgust down and out of sight, knowing that the Ukhat didn't need to know about the Pentagon, the senator running rough shod over them, and the NID. Not to mention that it wasn't Davis' fault that he'd been assigned to the negotiations instead of SG-1. Hell, they were lucky to have been allowed to accompany him back to P3-whatever. Ankat's voice ended his sour thoughts.

"Then I believe... we have an... an...."

"An agreement, Ankat," Daniel supplied.

"Yes. An ... agreement."

Davis could barely contain his excitement as he pulled the appropriate documents from his pack and handed them to Daniel, who would make the necessary adjustments in both languages. Daniel quickly explained the paperwork to Ankat, and the two of them moved to a small table behind the circle of pillows they were all seated at. Bodies bent, heads almost touching, the two men conversed as Daniel wrote quickly. When he was done, and all explanations made, Ankat took the offered pen and signed. Davis joined them and added his signature beneath Ankat's.

They had their naquada mine.

~~~

Jack huffed a bit as he pulled off his boots. "Are you sure we need to do this, Daniel?"

Daniel peeked around the short, thin stone wall that separated their sleeping quarters and said, "Yes, Jack, I'm sure. It's a very important celebration and they have asked that we dress in the manner they deem appropriate."

"Teal'c doesn't have to wear this get-up," Jack whined.

"They respect his tribal robes, Jack, so stop whining and put it on," Daniel mumbled from the other side of the rock partition.

"I'm a colonel in the United States Air Force, Daniel. I do not whine."

"You do, continually. Now hurry up."

"O'Neill, I believe it would be an insult if you were to show up in your uniform," Teal'c said from behind another partition, this one on Jack's right.

"Et tu, Teal'c?"

"He too, Jack."

"All right, all right, I'm changing. But I am not wearing these... these... bedroom slippers. I'm putting my boots back on, and that's that."

When that announcement was met with silence, Jack said, "I can hear you rolling your eyes, Daniel."

"Good for you, Jack," Daniel said as he came around the wall. He glanced down at the clothes he was wearing and commented, "These are really comfortable. I don't know what the material is, but it's nothing like anything we have at home."

Jack stared.

The 'outfit' that had been given to Daniel was amazingly simple. The pants were nicely formfitting and in the palest blue imaginable. The shirt, a pull-over with a v-neck, was the same color as the pants. The sleeves ended just above the elbow and were cuffed and design-stitched with a white thread. The only 'fancy' part of the outfit was the vest. It was an indigo blue in what appeared to be a rich brocade. Jack felt his mouth go dry.

"Jack...."

Daniel glanced up from his clothing inspection when Jack didn't answer. Puzzled, he asked, "Jack? What's wrong?"

Jack closed his mouth. "Uh, nothing, nothing. You're right, that does look... comfortable. Maybe this won't be so bad after all."

Jack turned away and picked up the shirt that had been laid out on his bed. As he did, he noticed that his outfit was very similar to Daniel's, other than the color. In his case, the pants were a pale gray, the stitching on the shirt sleeves, black. His vest was also black, but definitely not brocade. His was leather, but as he ran his hand over it, he realized that it was the softest, smoothest leather he'd ever felt in his life. And the material for the pants and shirt were incredible. Yeah, he could handle this.

Looking back at the vision in blue, he said with a sniff, "Do you mind? I'd like a little privacy here?"

Daniel rolled his eyes and said, "Can you hear this, Jack?" Walking over to Teal'c, he said, "Come on, let's leave the man to his privacy."

"Proceed without me, DanielJackson. I will remain here and await O'Neill."

"Oh, right. Okay."

Daniel scratched his nose, pushed up his glasses, and finally walked out.

Once in the long drafty hallway, he paused and rested against the wall. Why the hell was he here? He felt his pulse throbbing and absently rubbed at his temple. Felt like another migraine. Damn, he could not afford one now. He turned and, reluctantly, went back inside their quarters.

"Don't mind me, Jack, I just need something out of my pack," he said as he walked by, deliberately averting his eyes. He moved quickly, skirting around the partition and over to his bed. His pack was on the floor and he lifted it, dug around inside, found the small packets of migraine medication, pulled out two and stuffed them into his pants pocket. He took a deep breath, then said, with what he hoped was the right amount of tease in his voice, "You decent? Can I come back out now?"

"A barrel of laughs, our Daniel," Jack said with a look at Teal'c. "I've never been accused of being decent, but I am dressed," he added.

Daniel walked around the partition, and his step faltered at his first look at Jack.

God, did anyone look better in black leather? Doubtful. And the soft pale gray of the shirt and pants, in unison with the vest, softened the character lines that Jack had earned over the years. Daniel figured Jack had never looked so good. He really needed to get out of there - fast. He gave a wave and made his escape. It was a safe bet they wouldn't be on his heels since Jack was still barefoot.

He walked quickly down the cool corridor, marveling at how a tribe so similar to the nomads of his world could have architecture like the ancient Egyptians. Homes and communal buildings were built of sun-baked rocks with corbel arches marking each entrance way. Like the Egyptians, the Ukhats dug into the earth, but unlike the Egyptians, they didn't fill the hole with rocks to create a foundation. Rather, they built up to the landline and slightly above so that you were always walking down into a building and up into the sunlight. Considering the heat of the planet, the architecture was brilliant. The buildings were always cool and it was very like walking out of one of the dog days of August in Colorado Springs and into a cool air-conditioned building.

The communal building that was currently serving as living quarters for SG-1 and Major Davis had been designed for the express purpose of housing guests. It was a large building with eight rooms, each sleeping three, with low walls that divided each sleeping room. In the center of the building was a large communal hall, which was also his current destination, as it was the site of the evening's festivities. As he continued around the building, the door on his left opened and Major Davis stepped out. Seeing Daniel, he grinned and saluted.

"Nice work today, Daniel. Very nice. Senator Kinsey might have thought he was taking the negotiations away from you and SG-1, but I knew better, as did General Hammond."

Coming abreast of the man, Daniel said, "I only helped with translating, Paul, you did the real negotiating. Kinsey may be a jerk, but he was right about putting you in charge."

They'd continued to walk toward the hall, but at Daniel's words, Paul stopped. With a hand on Daniel's arm, he said in his best Jack impersonation, "Tell me you're kidding?"

Daniel shook his head, and puzzled, said, "Why would I-"

Davis didn't let him finish since his question had done a flyby straight over Daniel's head. "Daniel, I did what you told me to do, I said what you told me to say, I-"

"Paul, you were honest, heartfelt, and sincere. The Ukhat knew that. They instinctively knew that you meant only good for them, and for us. It's as simple as that."

"Are you really this... this...."

Paul couldn't go any further. He'd worked with Daniel Jackson before, but this far exceeded any notions he'd had of Daniel's ego, or lack thereof. The man honestly had no idea that the contract with the Ukhats was due entirely to him.

Staring at him, Paul felt a familiar tingling, a feeling he tried, as a major in the Air Force, to keep at bay. He stared at the blue eyes across from him, at how brilliantly they blinked back at him, and without thought, blurted out, "When we get home, perhaps we could meet for dinner?"

He should have regretted the words the moment they hit the air, but the sweetly confused look on Daniel's face brought a smile to his own and he knew that he had every intention of following through on the invitation, given half the chance.

"I... sure," Daniel said some hesitation. "Why not?"

Grinning from ear to ear, Paul said, "Good,"

Smiling, they continued on their way.

~~~

The festivities were in full swing, SG-1 and Major Davis the center of attention. As Daniel sat on the comfortable cushions, legs crossed, he watched his teammates enjoying the evening. Even though all the members of SG-1 were seated at the table of honor with Ankat and three other tribal leaders, Daniel had found himself at the opposite end, separated by the Ukhats' leaders. He hadn't been surprised to see Jack take the seat next to Sam, nor to see them lean into each other all evening. What did surprise him was how much it still hurt.

It had been months since the time loop fiasco, months and months of trying to reclaim a little something of what he'd had with Jack, of trying to concentrate on the friendship, and the team. Unfortunately, it had also been some of the most trying periods in SG-1 history. He and Jack had spent much of their time fighting and arguing as they bumped heads and philosophies about everything from how to help the Enkarans to what constitutes a life worth saving, let alone studying. He supposed, to be fair, he'd have to admit that the differences between them had started to interfere with their friendship during their interactions with the Eurondans. Never had they been as far apart as when trying to determine how much to help the people who appeared to be descendants of Earth.

And did anyone need to say 'ice world' or 'Jona' and 'Carlin'? Oh, yeah, he and Jack got along just fine while believing they were someone else. Talk about hate at first sight. Jona had hated Carlin instantly and violently. Even toward the end, as hazy memories had resurfaced, Jona only came to a grudging acceptance of Carlin.

Freudian, anyone?

As he watched Jack and Sam now, both laughing, bodies touching, he had to admit that Sam had never looked lovelier. Her outfit was as simply constructed as his and Jack's, but instead of pants, she wore a long, billowing skirt. The color chosen for her skirt and blouse was a pale yellow, the silk vest, a sunny yellow. Not even on Simarka, wearing the dress the Shavadai had put her in, had she looked as beautiful. Her skin fairly glowed, her eyes never brighter. The Ukhats had chosen the colors well for both Jack and Sam. Glancing down the table, he had to acknowledge that Paul Davis looked pretty good in forest green.

As he let his gaze rest on Jack again, he noticed Shakat, another leader, leaning in to speak with Jack. Uh-oh, this should be good, he thought.

~~~

"Colonel, we would hear more of your ways."

Jack turned to his right and smiled. Shakat, the only tribal leader to miss most of the negotiations, was leaning toward him, his gaze alight with curiosity. As he looked at Shakat, he thought about the colors that had been chosen for him and his teammates -- okay, more specifically the colors chosen for Daniel. He knew, thanks to his archaeologist, that color was very important to the Ukhat, their belief being that people were governed by it, that their souls were visible via a primary shade that emanated from each soul.

Since Shakat's English was far more advanced than any of the others, Jack felt fairly confident in getting involved in a discussion with the man. He shifted his body toward the leader and said, "I'd like to learn more of your belief in how a person's soul is seen. How 'bout we trade information?" he offered.

Shakat nodded happily. "I would be most pleased to share our beliefs of the shurosh, or as you call it, the soul. We believe that an individual's soul is evident to us in the curok, or glow that surrounds us all."

"On Earth, we call that an aura," Jack said, glad that Daniel couldn't hear him. His reputation would be ruined, not that Daniel actually believed Jack to be stupid. But still, he had a rep to protect.

"Aura?" Shakat asked. "I like that word. I shall steal it," he added with a grin.

"Be my guest," Jack said as he lifted his goblet and saluted Shakat. After Shakat touched his glass to Jack's and they'd each sipped some of the sweet wine, Jack said, "So what do the colors tell you about a man's soul?"

"Ah, the color of a man's soul tells us everything. His future, his past, all that he is. For example, you, Colonel O'Neill. For you, we chose black, or 'burak' because your soul-"

"Let me guess: dark and full of unspeakable-"

Shakat held up a hand. "No, Colonel, not at all, although there is a darkness in you born of your past. A sadness as well. Oddly enough, burak is a color we seldom use as we have no real understanding of its nature, namely the nature of 'space', as you call it, and flight, or movement through space. None of my people have been through what you call the 'Stargate', nor have we reached our own skies yet. But the moment we met you, Colonel O'Neill, we understood that you are the miracle of flight. Flight beyond the skies of our world, beyond the blue that carries our birds.

"But burak is also a color that is absent of color, and thus has great power to banish negativity. We have witnessed this in your ...I believe you call it... 'humor'. Burak also signifies great wisdom hidden deep. Were we wrong?"

Jack found himself stunned. He managed to shrug noncommittally, but he sensed that he hadn't fooled the Ukhat. Time to move away from himself... quickly.

"So you chose the pale yellow-"

"Yroma is our word for this most wonderful color, and we chose it for your Major Carter because her soul sings of intelligence and is governed by it, while others, when exposed to it, find themselves illuminated by it. There is great stubbornness as well in your Major Carter, and this is never more apparent than in an oddly rigid belief system rooted in her scientific beliefs that can sometimes hamper her. Her soul sings of a complicated knowledge that governs her as well as telegraphing her inner... and outer... beauty."

Jack coughed into his fist and glanced to his left, praying that Sam was too busy talking to have heard Shakat. He was relieved to find her deep into a conversation with Major Davis. He turned back to Shakat. "That's very... interesting, Shakat."

"And true," he responded easily.

Smiling, Jack said quietly, "And true."

Shakat's gaze fixed on Davis as he said, "Your Major Davis was more difficult, his soul not as easily seen or understood. But as the talks progressed, he became clear to us."

"So he's in green, why?"

"There are ribbons of desires that run through his soul, ribbons in direct opposition to each other. He has great ambition, yet is unwilling to conform in order to attain that which he desires. But therein lies the strangeness. He desires to conform, so denies other desires. For us, grekat, or 'green' as you call it, represents prosperity, but also division. Major Davis is a soul divided."

Jack looked past Sam to Davis and bit back a low whistle. Who knew Davis could run so deep or be so conflicted? And yet, he took orders from Kinsey, but was loyal to Hammond and the SGC. Yeah, seemed as though green might fit after all. He turned back to Shakat and asked, "What of Teal'c? If you'd dressed him, what color would he be wearing?"

"Ah, he is simple. A fierce and loyal warrior. His soul would be represented by the curok rudt. Or... I believe you call it... red. It signifies health, strength, physical energy, sex, passion, courage, protection. It is associated with the fiery liquid that flows through our bodies, and thus, life and death, birth, and intense emotions. He is a good man to have by your side, is he not, O'Neill?"

"You nailed another one, Shakat. He is a very good man to have protecting your six."

Shakat raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. "Six?"

"Oh, uhm, backing us up? Protecting us from the rear?"

"Ah. Your... six."

Jack nodded and chuckled. This process of exchanging information and words was a lot more fun than he'd ever imagined. No wonder Daniel loved languages. Another question popped into his head and he asked, "You use many shades, but only two per individual. Why is that?"

Shakat folded his hands over his stomach and leaned back. "Do you not wish to know why we chose the curok that we did for Danal?"

Now that Shakat had come to the one individual Jack was truly interested in, he hid his interest behind a joke. "Oh, that one I have figured out. Blue is your representation for geeks," he said with a wink

Puzzled, Shakat said, "Geeks?"

"Uhm, sorry, inside joke."

"Ah, yes, your ... humor again," Shakat said with a smile. He then waved a hand at the table and the people around it, and asked, "Look at us all, Colonel. Do you see anyone else in baul, or anyone else with another curok other than Danal?"

Frowning, Jack looked ... and found that Daniel was, indeed, the only individual wearing a shade of blue and with a different color, in this case, the white thread, trimming the sleeves. Now his curiosity was definitely piqued.

"All right, why two curoks?"

"Baul represents the one element we can not live without: water. It is our life's blood. It brings us peace and healing, patience and ultimate happiness if we have unlimited access to it, if we listen to it, and if we do not try to change its ultimate course. Water purifies and creates. But it also represents the sky, a world we have yet to conquer or understand. But Danal has opened this world for you and your people, and now, because of his accomplishments, the world is open to us as well."

Shakat let the information sink in, then he unobtrusively pointed at Daniel's shirt. "The lighter shade represents a valued ability to my people; the ability to understand that which is beyond understanding for most. It also represents peace and protection, and more importantly, the power to perceive that which eludes all others."

Jack was dumbfounded. Never had anyone captured so thoroughly the individual that was Daniel Jackson.

"You noticed that with Danal, there is a wiute thread at the edge of his sleeve." At Jack's nod, he said, "This small thread is as important as the entire wardrobe," he said. "Wiute contains all curoks, and therefore can be all things. It can protect, discover, purify and heal. It symbolizes faith, hope, truth and sincerity. It represents the potential of us all. It is written that he who has the wiute soul is our future."

Holy shit.

"Let me get this right... you think that Dana... Daniel, is your future?"

"We do not see things in such a narrow manner. When I say 'our future', I mean... all. We, the Uhkat, have always been able to see beyond our world -- we see beyond tomorrow."

Okay, things had definitely entered the Twilight Zone. Good thing Jack was, if not comfortable in the zone, at least able to move around it, thanks to being a member of the SGC. He looked back at Daniel, and it seemed as though there actually was an indigo blue aura surrounding his friend.

"You see it, do you not?" Shakat asked softly. "You have always seen it, and it has frightened you, still frightens you. That so much should rest on the shoulders of one so troubled, so young. And you worry that such a responsibility will destroy him and you will lose him, Colonel."

Double holy shit. Okay, they'd passed the Twilight Zone and entered the Outer Limits.

Maybe they'd always been there.

"You may indeed lose him, but it is my opinion that the keeping of him, or the losing of him, rests solely within your power, Colonel."

Oh, yeah, Outer Limits.

~~~

Daniel's migraine was back. He fumbled in his pocket for the second packet, thanking God he'd thought to bring two. He'd taken the first one upon his arrival in the hall and it had at least helped him make it through the last four hours of food and revelry. He tore the packet open, shook the tiny pill into the palm of his hand and, since he only had wine, he swallowed it dry. If this one got any worse, he'd have to excuse himself.

Thirty minutes later, in the middle of the 'entertainment', his stomach revolted and he managed to get out without anyone taking notice. He doubted that he'd make it to his room, which was a good thing, communal that it was. He hardly needed Jack and Teal'c returning to the wonderful scent of vomit. He scrambled to make it up and out of the building, his head pounding, gagging, and trying his best to hold off until he was outside. He made it.

The little that he'd eaten came up and christened the backside of a rock pile.

Daniel somehow made it back to the room, washed his mouth out, brushed his teeth, then collapsed on the bed, thankful for the cool, quiet darkness. Eyes closed, he worked on some of the techniques Janet had drilled into him when the migraines had started coming back. Fifteen minutes later, the throbbing had subsided enough for him to rise slowly, remove the clothing and slip into his black tee shirt. He crawled under the soft material that served as both a blanket and sheet, settled his head on the pillow, and waited for sleep to claim him.

~~~

The celebration seemed to be winding down, and by two in the morning, only a handful of Uhkats were left. Jack, better for the wine he'd imbibed in, needed the strong arm of Teal'c to maneuver his way back to their room. Sam had excused herself earlier, as had Major Davis. Walking back, Jack said, "You're red, Teal'c. Did you know that?"

Looking at his brown hand, Teal'c said, "I believe you are wrong, O'Neill. I am not red."

Jack wagged a finger in his face. "Oh, yes you are. Red is the color the Uhkats would have put you in if you did not have your own... what, royal robes? Red is a very good color for you. The Uhkats have you pegged, my friend."

"And do they have you ... pegged, O'Neill?"

Laughing, Jack said, "Oh, yeah. And no. Shakat rattled on about flight and space and a bunch of other gobbly-gook, but he had you and Carter down pat. Their spin on Davis was interesting, but he blew me out of the water with Daniel. Speaking of which, where is our errant archaeologist?"

"I believe he excused himself a bit before Major Carter."

"They're wusses, both of them."

Teal'c pushed at the door to their room and helped Jack inside. He sat his friend on his bed, lit several candles, then walked O'Neill over to his own bed, sat him down, and began the process of removing his clothing.

"Teal'c, what the hell are you doing?"

"It is altogether possible that you are unable to properly undress yourself."

"Pish tosh. I'm perfectly capable of... besides, I need you to check on Daniel. Is he over there?"

"He is. I can hear his breathing. He is asleep."

"Cheater, skipping out early like that."

"He worked very hard in the days leading up to our mission," Teal'c said as he pulled Jack's boots off.

"Yeah, yeah, he did. All that work, only to have the mission turned over to Davis."

"I do not believe that bothered DanielJackson."

"It wouldn't. But it bothered me. Kinsey is an ass and now that he's in charge of the NID, thanks to his chairing the Intelligence Oversight Committee... and is that not the best possible name? A committee of people for whom intelligence is an oversight. Yep, works for me."

Teal'c pulled off Jack's pants, then pushed him back until he was lying flat on the bed. He pulled up the covers and walked around the partition to his bed, Jack's words following him.

"Yep, the perfect name. And there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Kinsey is perfect for the committee. Just perfect."

As Teal'c changed, O'Neill kept up a steady stream of comments, but Teal'c was gratified to notice that the words were growing softer... with longer pauses in between. By the time he was ready for bed, the only sound was Jack's heavy breathing. Teal'c walked around the partition, past the sleeping man, and around the final partition to where DanielJackson slept.

The blanket was on the floor and Teal'c immediately picked it up. His friend was on his stomach, one arm dangling over the edge of the bed, his legs askew, his face buried in the pillow. Teal'c draped the covering over his friend, then rested the back of his hand against one pale cheek. Cool. That was good. He'd been worried that perhaps DanielJackson was becoming ill. He returned to his section, sat down, crossed his legs, and began the process of moving into kel-no-reem.

~~~

"Excellent job, everyone."

General Hammond rose and closed his folder, declaring by his actions, that the de-briefing was over. He started toward his office, then as if remembering something, turned back and said, "Doctor Jackson, Doctor Frasier mentioned that she'd like to see you again when we were finished here."

Surprised, Daniel looked up and said, "Me, sir?"

"Yes, Doctor, you. Don't get me into trouble with her, understand?"

"Er, no sir, I won't sir."

As soon as Hammond entered his office, Jack prodded Daniel on the back and said, "You been holding out on us, Daniel? You and Mama Frankenstein got a thing for needles?"

"Ha-ha, Jack. Very funny. Now I know why I need to see Janet again... it's because you keep me in stitches with your sharp wit."

"Sir, I do believe you've been one-upped," Sam quipped.

"Me? Never. Why, I can one-up Daniel with my eyes closed-"

"And you haven't... yet... exactly why?" Daniel asked with a smirk.

Jack waved a hand dismissively and said, "Not worth my time." With a smirk, he left, Sam trailing behind him.

Daniel thought that was par for the course.

He gathered up his notes and books, pushed back his chair, and was about to head down to the Infirmary when a voice behind him said, "I will accompany you, DanielJackson."

Damn, he'd almost forgotten Teal'c was still in the room. He shook his head and smiled. "No need, Teal'c. She's been trying some new medication on me and probably just wants to see how I'm doing. Can we say, 'boring'?"

"Boring."

Daniel squinted at his friend, caught the gleam of humor in the dark depths of Teal'c's eyes, and grinned in return. "You're getting damn good at this humor thing, Teal'c."

"I have observed the master for many years now."

Chuckling, Daniel nodded. "Yeah, Jack's the master, all right."

They started out and, once in the corridor, Daniel reiterated the fact that Teal'c didn't need to follow him to the Infirmary.

Bowing his head, Teal'c said, "Very well. I shall see you later."

Daniel gave him a slight wave and turned to his left as Teal'c went right. Daniel really had no desire to see Janet, but he knew better than to disregard an order from her, let alone a more gentle 'order' from Hammond.

~~~

"How many in the last ten days?"

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose and debated telling a small white lie.

"Daniel, the truth," Janet ordered.

Damn.

"I don't know, maybe... three?"

The look she gave him clearly said she was less than thrilled with his answer.

"How many on the latest mission?"

"Uhm... really only one."

Oh, good, that really sounded convincing... not.

Janet crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Care to explain, Daniel?"

"Oh, well, you know... the same one, it receded, then came back, then... you know...."

"Daniel, what am I going to do with you?" Janet asked, clearly exasperated.

Daniel shrugged sheepishly.

"Why do you suppose you're suddenly experiencing migraines again? What's changed?"

With another shrug, Daniel said, "I don't know. But that last set of pills worked pretty well."

"You're sure?"

He nodded in a way that he hoped looked reassuring.

"That's something, then. All right, this is what I want you to do for the next thirty days-"

Daniel groaned inwardly and listened as Janet insisted that he document any further migraines, what he was doing when they hit, what time of day, and where he was. He nodded and jumped off the bed. "Can I go now, mom?" he said with a grin.

"Get out of here," she said with a laugh.

He got out.

~~~

He almost had it....

And lost it as his office phone rang.

Throwing his pencil down, he walked over to the wall and picked up the receiver.

"Jackson."

Daniel, it's me, Paul. I was hoping we could have that dinner... maybe tonight?

Daniel leaned into the wall. He'd forgotten all about Paul. Even though he'd started out in the debriefing with SG-1, Paul had quickly been summoned away for a conference call with his boss, Senator Kinsey, who evidently hadn't been able to wait for General Hammond's report.

Daniel? Are you there?

"Oh, yeah, I'm here."

So... dinner?

One phrase kept playing in his head... 'why not?' so he said it.

"Why not?"

Great. I'll come down there around six, and we can head out?

"Sure. You up for Italian?"

If you're thinking of Caesar's, I most definitely could go Italian.

"Caesar's it is. See you in a few hours."

Hanging up, Daniel wondered what had possessed him to say yes. Besides... loneliness.

~~~

Daniel followed Paul down the mountain, still shocked that they were doing this. That he was doing this. By the time Paul had shown up in his office, Daniel had convinced himself that all Paul was looking for was a friend. One look at his face, however, told a different story. The man's eyes glittered as he'd checked Daniel out, clearly glad to see him dressed in civvies. Now, as he followed Paul, he had to admit that this was a 'date'.

He wasn't overly surprised about the date being with Paul, as he'd sensed a kindred spirit. His only surprise was that Paul had asked him out.

~~~

Daniel sipped his wine and looked around the restaurant. Paul had just excused himself following their dinner plates being removed by their waiter and Daniel was enjoying a few moments of silence. They'd been talking non-stop, albeit enjoyable talk, but it was equally nice to experience silence. The wine was good and had been an excellent compliment to their shared family-style meal of Caesar's famous cioppino, but he was looking forward to the rich coffee that would accompany their dessert of cannoli.

"Miss me?" Paul asked as his hand brushed Daniel's shoulder and he retook his seat.

Eyes sparkling, Daniel said, "No."

Clutching his heart, Paul said, "I'm mortally wounded."

"Not," Daniel responded with a grin.

Paul leaned forward, the candlelight reflecting an undeniable heat in his eyes as he said, "Yes...."

~~~

Daniel entered the SGC whistling and immediately stopped as he realized how silly he probably sounded. He replaced the whistling with a silly grin instead.

It had been weeks since his dinner with Paul -- and what had followed -- and while his problems at the SGC hadn't abated, nor had his conflicts with Jack, they'd all taken a back seat to the joys of sex with Paul. They met as often, and as discreetly, as possible and the sex was... terrific. Of course, some would say that any sex for Daniel at this point would have been terrific, it had been so long, not to mention even longer since he'd been with another man.

And that's what felt so good - sex with another man. Hot, sweaty sex; a man's dick in his mouth; his in a hot, tight ass; the feel of rippling muscles; the strength that came from having sex with a man. If Paul wasn't the right man, he was a man who held Daniel when he needed it, who looked at him with respect, and whose softly whispered words in the middle of the night soothed him back to sleep. Paul was surprisingly funny in bed and it was like a return to his youth, to his first experience with a man, to the wrestling, the fun, gymnastics, and playfulness.

Jack's barbs, when he actually saw the man, now bounced off Daniel, and if it seemed that SG-1 consisted of Jack, Sam, and Teal'c, well, when Daniel left the mountain on many a day, it was to meet Paul, to see the light come on in his eyes at his first glimpse of Daniel, and to feel his cool lips on his. And no, he didn't feel guilty about being with one man when his heart wanted another. He could never have Jack, which meant that he needed to move on, and Paul was everything he needed to move to.

Daniel was happy, as happy as it was possible to be under the circumstances, and for that, he was grateful.

~~~

Daniel looked at his watch, then at the restaurant door. Paul was only fifteen minutes late, but for an Air Force major, that was tantamount to days late. Something must have come up - but no, Paul would have called. They'd been back from Russia for days, and this was their first chance to meet up since returning. Daniel smiled at the memory of Teal'c walking through the 'Gate, completely unaware of all that had led up to his resurrection.

Grinning, Daniel glanced up and spotted Paul as he entered. He watched him shake off the hostess' attempt to take his long coat, and Daniel's heart fell. Something had come up, and Paul would not be staying.

He watched as Paul looked for him, spotted him, and started to make his way over to their table. As he came up to his chair, he said with a half-smile, "Hey, Daniel, sorry I'm late."

"That's okay. I take it something's come up?"

Paul glanced around the room, and noting that the table was in one of the darker corners, nodded in satisfaction, pulled out his chair and sat down.

"Not exactly," he finally answered, his eyes darting around the room again.

Something was definitely wrong, Daniel thought. He held up the bottle of wine he'd ordered and asked, "Shall I pour you a glass?"

Paul's gaze came back to the table and he said, "What? Wine? Oh, no, thank you. I... I can't... I'm not staying, Daniel."

The last part of Paul's sentence was said with a degree of finality that put Daniel on edge.

"I... I can't do this anymore, Daniel. I'm sorry. I thought... I thought I could," his eyes raked over the room again, "I thought... but I was wrong. This just isn't worth it to me and I need to think of my career. You know how important it is to me, and you know how the military feels about," he wiggled his finger between the two of them, "this, us, about... well, you know what I'm trying to say." He squared his shoulders and added, "This just isn't worth my career."

Daniel would have loved to say that he'd been expecting this conversation, but truth be told, he hadn't. He should have been, because it wasn't new to him. But once again, he'd been caught by surprise by a rejection, a choice that wasn't him.

Damn, when was he going to learn?

"Hey, I understand, Paul. No sweat. It was great while it lasted, and no, I can't believe I just said that. Trite, eh?"

Paul shook his head, pushed back his chair, and stood up. "I'm sorry, Daniel. Please, have dinner on me, okay?"

He tossed down two twenties and Daniel thought, 'How tasteless,' even as he shook his head. "No, I won't stay either."

"Please, I'd feel better...."

So that was Daniel's job now? To make Paul feel better about Daniel not being worth Paul's career? Sorry to disappoint. He got up quickly. "No, I have some work to do anyway, so I'll be heading back to the Mountain."

"Order to go, then?" Paul said, the pleading evident in his voice and eyes.

Daniel waved off the offer and watched with a perverse satisfaction as Paul picked up the money. Who knew he could be so petty?

"Well, then, I guess this is-"

"It's not good-bye, Paul. We'll see each other at the SGC, work with each other. And don't worry, we're okay, the friendship is intact."

That was evidently what Paul needed to hear. He expelled a long breath, and nodded.

Guess he wasn't so petty after all.

~~~

Daniel watched Paul head toward the base, and the plane that would take him back to Washington. He turned his car toward the nearest liquor store. Once in front of the Booze Brothers, he parked, ran inside, got a bottle of scotch, Jack's favorite, paid for it, then got back into his car and headed home. He supposed he could have headed back to the SGC, but he'd have felt too guilty drinking on government property.

Once inside the quiet of his apartment, he opened the bottle, poured what he assumed was a good shot, and downed it in one. As the liquid hit the back of his throat, he started coughing and sputtering, but he let it go down, and a moment later, poured another one.

He thought back to Sarah, now Osiris, and their parting so many years ago....

"It's not worth it, Daniel, it's just not worth it. I'm asking you not to go."

"Well, maybe I think it is. I believe in what I'm doing, Sarah. I know I can convince them. And it's only one lecture."

She climbed out of their bed and walked over to where he stood by the window. Placing a hand on his arm, she said, "There's no other way of saying this, Daniel, but straight out...you're the laughing stock of our profession and, by association, so am I. My God, Daniel, you've lost your apartment and if that isn't enough, Doctor Jordan has given you an ultimatum. Surely you can see that this trip isn't worth losing everything you have? Your theories just aren't worth it."

"Thanks for your support," he said, knowing his sarcasm wouldn't be lost on her.

"I've tried the supportive bit and now I'm saying I can't take it anymore. It's just not worth it, Daniel. My God, you're the most intelligent man I've ever known. How can you persist in your theory? You're throwing everything away. You're throwing us away."

He turned toward her. "This is what archaeology is all about, Sarah. It's suppositions, investigations, and finally, the attempts to prove our theories. How can you not see that? Or are you really saying that every time there's a bump in the road, we're not going to be worth it? Is that it, Sarah?"

"I'm saying that this particular bump is too much. Everyone thinks you're crazy, Daniel, even Doctor Jordan, and you know how he feels about you. If you keep this up, if you persist in expounding on these ridiculous theories of yours, you're going to lose any respect you've earned so far."

"You're asking me to be something that I'm not, Sarah."

"Then you're not the man I thought you were-"

"Meaning that I'm not worth the fuss, right?"

"That's not what I was going to say, but now that it's out there... damn you, Daniel Jackson. Damn you. You could be so much, you could be the one of the greatest archaeologists of our time. Why do you want to give all that up?"

"Evidently we don't see archaeology in exactly the same way."

Turning away, she pulled on her robe and started toward the bathroom. "Evidently not, Daniel."

So ended the fiery relationship. Of course, Sarah hadn't been the first to find Daniel 'not worth it'. There'd been a foster household or two, near the beginning, who'd found his nightmares, his silence, and his funny habit of hiding in the closet 'not worth the trouble'. And Paul Davis wasn't the first man to find an affair with Daniel to be 'not worth it'. Hell, Paul hadn't even been the second.

Daniel walked out onto his balcony, bottle and drink in hand, and sat down. He stayed there through the rest of the night.

~~~

The weeks and months crawled by as Daniel did what Daniel did best: work. He threw himself into translations, off-world missions with other teams, and eighteen hour days. SG-1 seemed to exist as a threesome, and no one seemed to mind. Except Daniel. Then SG-3 brought back several stone tablets from an abandoned city on P3X-302, tablets that were given to Daniel.

Three days after receiving the tablets, and while hard at work on the translations, he was ordered to report to the briefing room. Tossing his pen aside, he gathered up what he'd been able to put together, and headed upstairs. He was exhausted, but in an energetic, frenetic kind of way. He knew he was close, knew the tablets were important, and he hated this interruption.

Walking into the briefing room, he made a beeline for the coffee. He refilled his cup and took a seat, surprised that he was the first one to arrive. He enjoyed the quiet as he sipped the hot brew, wondering if the tablets were the reason for the meeting. He glanced over at the general's office, surprised that it was dark. So where was everyone?

A moment later, he received part of an answer as Jack, Sam, and Teal'c entered the room.

"Wow, red letter day, guys, Doctor Jackson got here before us," Jack said as he moved to the coffee and poured his own cup.

Teal'c and Sam sat down, both waving off Jack's invitation to join him in a cup. General Hammond came in next, and to Daniel's surprise, Jacob Carter was right on his heels. Jack took the chair to the right of Sam and Teal'c moved over one so that Jacob could sit next to his daughter. Hammond took his usual spot.

"Jacob, you requested this meeting," General Hammond said. "so maybe you'd like to get it started?"

"Thank you, George. I'm afraid the news isn't good-"

"Is it ever?" Jack asked. "Why don't you just cut to the chase and tell us what Earth has to do, and how the Tok'ra will fail to live up to their end of the bargain."

"Colonel O'Neill," Hammond warned.

Looking around the room, Jack said, "Am I wrong?"

"Oddly enough," Jacob said with a wry smile, "I'm here to share information. That's it, just share. But I warn you," he added, "you won't like it."

"Never do, Jacob, never do."

Ignoring the jab, Jacob said, "We've been aware of something happening within the ranks of the system lords for some time. In spite of our recent losses, we'd managed to get a spy within Yu's camp and as a result, we've discovered that the system lords have been under attack from an unknown nemesis. Three major Goa'uld have already fallen and the situation has become so dire, they actually held a top secret meeting in an attempt to identify this new enemy. The answer came from an unexpected source." Jacob glanced over at Daniel and added, "I'm afraid the information came from ... Osiris, Daniel. He attended the meeting as an emissary of a goa'uld believed long dead."

Daniel bent his head and found his pen suddenly fascinating, the memory of losing Sarah in Egypt too fresh.

"Do we have a name for this new guy?" Jack, ever practical, asked.

"Anubis," Jacob said simply.

Daniel knew without looking up that everyone had turned their attention to him as they waited for the information about Anubis that they knew he'd provide. Eyes still fastened on his pen, he said, "Supposed son of Set, although many feel Ra was his father. He was known as the god of the dead, was represented by the dark head of a jackal, and, oddly enough, was superceded by Osiris and relegated to a supporting role in guiding the dead to their final resting place. It must be quite galling for Osiris to be subservient to Anubis now. And the fact that she... he... is, doesn't bode well. Anubis must be extremely powerful."

"That's exactly what we've come to discover, Daniel," Jacob agreed. "So powerful that he's managed to bring on board one other strong Gou'ald, Zipacna. And prior to joining Anubis, Osiris had put together a pretty formidable army as well. An army that, like Zipacna's, now belongs to Anubis.

"Okay, so we have another Gou'ald to worry about, got it," Jack said. "But why do I think you're holding that second shoe in the air, ready to drop it on our heads?"

"Because I'm about to drop it?" Jacob answered with a half-smile.

"Dad, please?"

"Right. Evidently Anubis has collected five jewels. Alone, they're nothing, but when added to a sixth one-"

Daniel's head shot up and he said, "Eyes? As in the Eye of Horus, Eye of Apophis, Eye of-"

"We get it, Daniel, we get it," Jack interjected. "So there are six of them," he waved his hand in a 'gimme' gesture and said, "Let's get to the money page here, guys."

"Jack, you don't understand. The tablets SG-3 brought back," he held up his folder, "mention these Eyes. With some more time, I think I can find-"

"He's already found the last one, Daniel," Jacob announced quietly. "Now that he has all six, he's been able to create a weapon of horrific proportions. And he's already used it. He destroyed an entire planet, Baal's home world. Baal escaped, but lost the majority of his forces."

"Shit," Jack breathed out.

"That seems appropriate, Jack," Jacob said as he looked around the table.

"Uhm, what I'd been about to say was that the tablets seem to be about something that protects against what it calls, 'The Eye of Ra'."

Once again he was the center of attention. He shrugged. "With more time, I should be able to figure it out. "

"Time may be a commodity none of us have, Daniel," Jacob said softly. "Anubis is moving against the other system lords, but how long will it be before he moves against the Tok'ra? And Earth?"

"Hey, Daniel can do this," Jack said in a firm, 'take that, Jacob' voice. Then he looked at Daniel and asked, "Right, Daniel? You can do this?"

Looking a great deal like the Sphinx, Daniel just blinked back at him.

The meeting was adjourned with the understanding that Daniel would keep the general up to date with his translations, and that the SGC would contact Jacob if the news was good.

~~~

Daniel walked back to his office, his thoughts in turmoil. His head was pounding, accompanied by small jagged zips of light behind his eyes. Migraine... again. But Janet's medicine had been working pretty well, so he hurried his step. He had a lot of work ahead of him, and he wasn't going to let a migraine stop him.

Back in the quiet confines of his lab, he got one of the packets, tore it open, downed the pill with a swallow of cold coffee, and got back down to work.

~~~

"Daniel, tell me you're still not working on those tablets."

"I'm not working on those tablets," Daniel said without looking up.

"Yes, you are."

"Yes, I am."

"I thought I told you not to tell me that," Jack said as he approached Daniel's worktable.

"One of us lied."

"That didn't make any sense. And you look like death, Daniel."

"Then I don't have to worry about Anubis, do I?"

Jack took the pen out of Daniel's hand and said, "Come on, I'm taking you out of here. You need fresh air, good food, and some laughs, provided by yours truly. Get your jacket and let's go."

"Number one, I'm close here. Number two, since when do you... look, I repeat, I'm close to a breakthrough here, so give me some peace, okay?"

"So you really think the answer is in those tablets?"

"Yes, I do, and as Jacob said, time isn't on our side right now."

"Actually, he said time wasn't a commodity we have-"

"What, you remember what he says, but not me?"

"I remember everything you say, I just kind of relegate it to this area in my brain called the 'Daniel Corner', that's all."

"Huh-uh." He made a shooing motion with his hand and added, "Go. Bother Sam."

"I tried, she wasn't in her lab."

Daniel looked away, closed his eyes a moment, then said, "That leaves Teal'c, but let me guess, you went there after Sam and he was-"

"In the weight room, and you know how he gets when he's doing his exercises."

"Right."

"So... you sure you don't want to go-"

"I want you to go," Daniel said, his voice more harsh than he'd intended.

"Hey," Jack said, raising both hands in surrender. "I know when I'm not wanted. I'm outta here."

"Good, and close the door after you ... please."

"Closing doors I can do."

And Jack did. Loudly.

Daniel winced, rubbed his temples, then went back to work.

~~~

Daniel sat back and took off his glasses. He stared down at his notes, his scribbles blurring on the yellow paper. He almost had it. Actually, he had the important part, but the exact location was still eluding him. So much of translating something like this was knowing the people who'd done the writing. The people and their culture. Daniel just wasn't sure he knew enough about the Ancients yet. There was so much room for misinterpretation, and that worried him. He couldn't afford to make a mistake... not on this.

The phone on his wall buzzed and he got up and walked slowly over. He suspected it was Jack, calling to bug him since Daniel had kept his door closed for the last two days.

"Jackson."

Doctor, General Hammond has called a special meeting for fourteen hundred hours. He asks that you bring all that you have on your current work.

"Oh, okay... I'll be there."

Thank you, sir.

Daniel hung up and rested his back against the wall. What was up that the general would call a meeting so soon? He glanced at his watch and groaned. It was already one-thirty, which meant the meeting was very last minute, and he had little to no time to get his notes into some semblance of order. He hurried back to his desk.

~~~

"Doctor Jackson, I believe you know Doctor Kurt Jamison?" General Hammond asked.

Daniel had arrived on time for the meeting, and had been surprised to find only Hammond and two others present. He'd immediately recognized Jamison and had inwardly cringed.

"Doctor Jamison," he said as he nodded at the man.

"And this is Colonel Myron of the NID. He's replaced the late Colonel Simmons."

Not sure where this was going, Daniel simply nodded at the man and said, "I ... see."

"Doctor, I need you to provide a copy of all your notes on the tablets to Doctor Jamison. The NID thinks things will go faster if two of you are working on the translations. I assume you have copies with you?"

"Sir--"

Daniel started to object but Myron leaned forward and said, "Doctor Jamison is up on the language, Doctor Jackson. He's been studying your reports and findings for six years."

"Doctor, if you would?" Hammond asked gently.

One look at Hammond told Daniel this wasn't his doing, nor his choice, which meant that Daniel had no choice. He took out the copy he'd made for Hammond and slid it across the table to Jamison.

"Thank you, Doctor Jackson," Myron said stiffly. He then turned slightly in his seat and addressed Jamison. "Twenty four hours, Kurt?"

Jamison thumbed through the pages, then nodded slowly. "I think that's all I'll need, Ben."

"Fine. General? Another meeting at sixteen hundred hours tomorrow?"

"Fine. I'll inform Colonel O'Neill."

"Very good."

Jamison and Myron rose and quickly exited the room, leaving Hammond and Daniel alone.

"I'm sorry, son. The word came down from the President. I had no choice."

Closing his folder, Daniel rose. "I understand, sir."

Daniel hurried out, afraid the general would see more than he wanted anyone to see.

Walking back to his office, Daniel had the feeling that the final nail had just been hammered in his coffin - a coffin he hadn't even known was being built.

~~~

"I am certain that your work will far surpass Doctor Jamison's, DanielJackson," Teal'c said from where he stood on the other side of Daniel's worktable.

Daniel should have known it would get out.

"Thanks, Teal'c. I appreciate the... support."

"O'Neill says this is the work of Senator Kinsey. If he can-"

"Teal'c, it's okay." He glanced up from the book he was studying and smiled slightly.

"Then I shall leave you in peace, DanielJackson. But if you require my assistance-"

"Thank you, Teal'c. I'll yell."

Teal'c nodded solemnly, then left Daniel alone. He went back to work.

~~~

Daniel hurried down the corridor knowing he was late for the briefing, and knowing that the others would be waiting impatiently this time. As he turned the corner, he smacked into Paul and his papers went flying.

"Damn," he muttered as they both bent down to pick everything up.

"Sorry, Daniel. I'm late... well, I guess we both are-"

"No problem," he said as he scraped the last of the papers together and held out his arms so that Paul could dump what he'd collected into them, which he did.

As they both rose to their feet, Paul's hand brushed Daniel's and Daniel pulled quickly away.

"Daniel... I'm so sorry-"

"Never mind, Paul."

"But... look isn't there some way we... I'd like to... maybe we could-"

"Paul, it's okay."

Daniel looked around them both, and thanking God they were alone, said, "We have a meeting to attend and we're both late, okay? And I don't think it would be good idea if we got together for anything, all right?"

Paul ducked his head and rubbed at the back of his neck. "I feel like a total shit, here, Daniel. And not just for how ... things... ended between us. I'm sorry about this whole Jamison thing too."

"Paul, it's over because that's how you wanted it and as for Jamison, hey, no biggie, okay? Now, no one is going to say anything to you about being late, but Jack will hound me to death and never let me live it down, so do you mind?"

He made a motion with his hand, indicating that Paul needed to get out of his way which he did, and Daniel moved on, Paul quickly following. Neither of them saw Sam, who stepped around the corner, a frown on her face.

Paul and... Daniel?

~~~

"Sir, sorry I'm late, but-"

"Understood, Doctor Jackson. It seems you're not the only tardy one. But I see that you've brought Major Davis with you... and here comes Major Carter."

No one missed the sarcasm that edged his tone. As the late arrivals went to their seats, Hammond said, "Doctor Jackson, can you let us know what you found?"

Dropping his books and notes onto the table, he tried to catch his breath, but before he could speak, another voice said, "I'm sure Doctor Jackson has found the same thing I have, so why don't I go ahead and give him the chance to collect himself?"

"Doctor Jamison, that's a good idea. Proceed," Colonel Myron answered, then with a glance at General Hammond, he added, "If that's all right with you, sir?"

Hammond looked over at Daniel, then gave Myron a curt nod.

Daniel sat down, felt his heart constrict, and wondered if anyone else would find it ironic that one of the scientists who'd laughed him out of academia, was now sitting across from him, and about to do a report on tablets found on another planet, thanks to his notes?

~~~

"So as you can see, I believe that we'll find this device on Abydos."

Kurt Jamison sat down, a slight smile on his face.

Jack looked at the man, then at Colonel Myron. Obviously both were in Kinsey's back pocket - must be a bit crowded back there. All of which was to say that Jack was immediately suspicious.

"Well, Abydos certainly makes this easier. Doctor Jackson, do you agree?"

Daniel glanced up and met the general's steady gaze. He looked over at Jamison, who smiled. Several things popped into his head to say, but what came out was, "It's been a while since we saw each other last, hasn't it, Kurt?"

The smile faded.

"When was it again? Oh, wait, I remember. My little speech about how the pyramids were built long before it was traditionally believed, right?"

"Apparently... you were correct, Doctor Jackson."

"Apparently." Daniel turned back to Hammond. "And no, sir, as it happens, I don't believe we'll find the device on Abydos. In my opinion, that's the last place the Ancients would have hidden such a device. From what I was able to decipher, the device was hidden in what the Ancients called, The Lost City, and I believe-"

"There are many who believe that the Abydos of Ancient Egypt is, in fact, the Lost City of Ani, Doctor Jackson," Jamison interrupted, one dark brow rising.

"Those 'people' are wrong," Daniel countered.

"I see you haven't changed in all these years, Doctor. Surely you can grant the possibility that the ruins at your Abydos represent the Lost City of Ani, and thus possibly the location of this device?"

"No, I can't. And you never understood that language is more than words, that translations are about people and cultures, and that having an intimate knowledge of them is required in order to correctly understand what they were trying to say. You jumped to an erroneous conclusion based on-"

"Doctor Jackson, you've been out of the loop for quite some time. The belief that our Abydos is the Lost City of Ani has grown. It's no longer the opinion of some, but the belief of many. And if our Abydos is the Lost City of Ani, then it makes very good sense that your Abydos is the Lost City mentioned in the tablets. I find it difficult to believe that if that Abydos was the Abydos, Osiris wouldn't know every inch of it."

Jack made a motion as if to dislodge water from his ear, then said, "You know, even for me, that made no sense whatsoever. Did anyone understand what Doctor Jamison just said?"

"It doesn't really matter, Colonel O'Neill," Myron said, "because the President has authorized a mission to Abydos to find the device needed to protect this planet from Anubis. You will lead it, and Doctor Jamison will accompany you."

"General Hammond, tell me-"

"You're set to depart at o-eight hundred tomorrow, Colonel," Hammond interrupted.

"Sir-"

"That's all."

"But sir-"

Daniel watched the interplay between Jack and Hammond, knew that Jack had been about to suggest another team be assigned to Daniel in order to follow through with his ideas, but he knew that the President wouldn't allow Hammond that choice. Money talked, and authorizing another team for Daniel when Jamison had convinced the President that he was right would be an unnecessary expense and one without justification.

His conclusions were proven when Hammond interrupted Jack.

"Colonel, I said that's all. You have your orders."

~~~

Daniel looked at his watch. Damn, he was behind, thanks to another headache. He pulled another book forward, opened it, and was about to delve back into the mysteries of the tablets when his door opened and Sam entered. She stopped just over the threshold, knocked on the now open door, and said tentatively, "Daniel?"

"Hey, Sam."

She walked in and over to the spare chair, and at his nod, sat down "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

She picked up a paperweight and started fiddling with it, her action so like Jack that it almost made Daniel laugh. She played with it for a moment, then put it down and said, "I saw you and Major Davis... earlier."

Daniel felt his heart plummet. He swallowed and said, "Oh?"

"I...I mean...."

She'd been staring at the rock, but now looked up and met his gaze. "I guess you two were-"

"What happened to 'Don't ask, don't tell', Sam?"

She blushed and picked up the rock again. Twirling it in her fingers, she said, "I can... delve... without mentioning names, you know. So... what happened?"

Daniel had been prepared to talk about a good many things with Sam, but this hadn't even been a glimmer on the horizon. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, then shrugged and said, "I wasn't worth the risk, okay?"

Blue eyes stared into his and Sam blushed again. "Oh. God, I'm so sorry, Daniel, so very sorry."

"You seem to be taking the idea of me with a-"

She waved her hand quickly and said, "I'm not blind... and besides-"

"Robert told you."

She grinned self-consciously and blushed for the third time. "Yes."

"Was that all, Sam, because I have a lot of work to do."

"Oh. Well... I was just wondering... I mean... I...."

"Spit it out, Sam."

She sighed heavily and said, "I... is it possible Doctor Jamison is right? I mean, I read some things on the net, and evidently-"

"He's not right."

"Oh? But couldn't... he could be, right?"

"Does it matter? You're going and you'll all know soon enough."

"His arguments, his notes... were... seemed... pretty sound. Pretty, you know, black and white."

"Well, there you go then. Black and white - says it all."

"Please, Daniel," she begged, "please understand. We have no choice, and if he's right, and he could be, then we're doing the correct thing here."

"Fine."

She stood up and shook her head. "You're not going to give an inch on this, are you? Is it at all possible that you're allowing your feelings about Jamison to color any valid points he might have?"

Daniel looked up at her and tilted his head. "Is that what you think?"

"I think it's possible, yes. From what he said, you two have never agreed on anything and-"

"Maybe you'd better go, Sam. As I said, I've got a lot of work to do, as I'm sure you do, so...."

He let his voice trail off and was relieved to see her nod.

"Right. Okay, so... see you tomorrow then. Bright and early."

Daniel said nothing and Sam started to edge her way to the door.

"Daniel, I'm ... if things don't go well, I'm sure that General Hammond will authorize-"

"Good-bye, Sam."

Ducking her head a bit, Sam nodded and walked out.

My, that went well. Not.

He looked down at his work and shook his head. No way would anyone believe him if he told them that he believed the device had been secreted right here ... on Earth.

He went back to work.

Five hours later, his theory was confirmed. He checked his watch, did some quick time-zone computing, and decided now would be a good time for a few phone calls.

~~~

"Doctor Jackson, if you're here to try to talk me-"

"I'm not. I know you have no choice, sir, and I know that you wouldn't get the authorization for a second exploratory team. The reason I'm here is to request a leave of absence."

Daniel stood in front of Hammond's desk, the appropriate form in his hand. He held it out to the general, who, with some hesitation, took it.

"Son...."

"And I'd like to be excused from the mission tomorrow. I don't think that will be a problem, I haven't actually been on a mission with SG-1 for some time, and I'm pretty certain Jamison won't want me-"

"Hold on, son, hold on."

"Sir, I'm tired. I need the time. It's been a rough several months, and Janet can tell you about the-"

"Migraines? Yes, I know, she's already informed me."

"Then you understand that some time away can only do me good, sir."

Hammond sat back and regarded Daniel, a worried expression on his face. "Are you sure, Daniel?"

Surprised at the use of his first name, Daniel found himself temporarily at a loss for words. He did manage a nod.

"Have you told Colonel O'Neill?"

"No, sir, but I don't think he'll mind. Like I said, it's been awhile since I was actually a part of SG-1."

Hammond stood, placed both hands flat on his desk, and leaned forward. "What if the device isn't found on Abydos? We'll need you then, Daniel."

"I'll stay in contact, but I've left a copy of my notes with Nyan, so should anything come up...."

He let his voice trail off and waited. Hammond closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and asked, "How long?"

"I'm not ... sure, sir."

Hammond sat back down again, his body language that of a man who'd lost a war. "Take as long as you need, son. As long as you need. But, I expect you back."

Daniel ducked his head and said, "Thank you, sir."

Back in his office, he stood for a moment and gathered his thoughts. He'd need... and....

Excitement warred with sorrow but the archaeologist won out. He quickly packed his notes and the few reference books he'd need, then turned off the lights and shut the door.

Daniel wasn't altogether certain he'd ever be back.

~~~

His flight was leaving out of Denver the next afternoon, so it only made sense to head out tonight, especially if he wanted to avoid contact with anyone... like Jack. It took him two hours to pack, check his passport and credentials, and ensure that his fish would be taken care of. He'd change his money at the airport.

Bags on the floor in the foyer, Daniel glanced back at his home... then hoisted his luggage up, opened the door, and ... snapped off the lights. He closed the door and headed toward the elevator.

In his car, he took a few moments to control his breathing, then started the engine and headed for I-25. He made one stop; for coffee.

It took him a little over an hour to reach Denver. He'd decided on staying at the Hilton Gardens Inn so he got off at Pena and drove until he could see the white spires of the hotel. Even in the dark, the view brought a smile to his face. The Hilton reminded him of the pyramids... had they been huge white tents. He pulled into the parking lot, and a few minutes later was walking into the lobby. Ten minutes after that, he was in his room.

He walked over to the windows and pulled open the drapes. No balcony. Just as well. He took his shaving kit out of his bag and put it in the bathroom, then got his folder out of his briefcase, along with his laptop, and put both on the desk. He checked the room service menu, picked up the phone... and called down to the bar. As he waited for them to pick up, his gaze came to rest on his laptop. He sighed, and when a voice came on asking how they could help him, he said, "Sorry, I meant to dial room service," and hung up. He sat down, opened up his computer, plugged it in to the room's DSL line, and waited for the world to come to him.

~~~

It will be good to see you again, mi amigu.

Daniel smiled and typed in Quechua, "How many years has it been?"

Thanks to AIM, his answer was immediate.

Eight long ones, Daniel.

"You have everything ready?"

Naturally. I received the wired money and all is in place. I will meet you at the airport and in forty minutes, you will be at The City of the White Men in Tiahuanaco.

There was a pause, but his chat box told him that Rodrigo 'Rico' Rubalcava, one of only two scientist friends who'd, if not believed in his theories, at least continued to respect him, was entering text. He waited, and a moment later....

You do understand that the war of drugs is close to where you wish to be, si?

Daniel typed, "Understood, but we should be safe, yes?"

Safe? That is not the word I would use, Daniel. You must be prepared for the fact that you might not be allowed into the ruins. All permits have been denied since my government decided to declare war on drugs.

"I'm not interested in the ruins, Rico. I'll be surveying an area just south of them."

Then we should be all right. Can you not tell me what this is all about?

"When I arrive, old friend," Daniel typed, "I will tell you all that I can. "

Fair enough. See you soon, Daniel.

"Good-night, Rico."

Daniel logged off and moved into his Word program. He pulled up his notes on the translation and began putting together all the clues to the location of what he hoped would be the device to protect them from Anubis' new weapon. Once done, he moved to his Map Publisher program and began constructing the map he'd use once he arrived in Tiahuanaco. He bounced back and forth between MP and existing maps and photos of the City of the White Men, overlaying photos onto the map, making notes, and creating one document that would serve his purpose. It was painstaking, but it kept his mind away from Colorado, and from Jack. It also kept him so busy that the thought of numbing his brain... and heart... with alcohol drifted away.

As he worked, he felt the excitement that came with discovery... a feeling he'd been missing for far too long.

~~~

At six in the morning, Daniel fell to Earth. He'd been working for hours, ignoring his stomach, his need for coffee, ignoring everything but the task at hand. Now, finally, his body began to rebel as the need for sustenance took over. He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, then reached for the phone, grateful for twenty-four room service. He ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, and sourdough toast, orange juice, and of course, an entire carafe of coffee. He knew he'd need his energy, so food was a must.

While waiting for the delivery of his breakfast, he went through everything he'd just completed, and satisfied, saved it, then powered off. Later, he'd use the business room at the airport to print it out, knowing that they had the necessary protection, not that he seriously believed that was needed. No one would know what to do with his map, should they get their hands on it.

He pushed himself away from the desk and walked slowly into the bathroom, his legs and back protesting so many hours in an uncomfortable chair, hunched over the desk. He flipped on the light, turned on the water, and cupping his hands, bent over and splashed his face several times. Eyes closed and dripping, he turned off the faucet and reached for a towel. Drying off, he checked out his reflection and winced. Dark circles underscored his weeks of work, unrest and misery. His pale face was punctuated by the beginnings of a dark beard, the shadow of which gave him a slightly haunted look. He debated shaving, but discarded the idea. He tossed the towel down on the counter, hit the light and walked back into his room. His stomach growled, and was matched by a tentative knock and a voice announcing, "Room service, sir."

He opened the door and the man, tray balanced on one hand, entered with a smile and carried the food over to the small table by the window. He set it down, opened the drapes, arranged the dishes and set the table, then took the cover off the plate and held out the chair. "Sir."

"Uhm, yes, thank you," Daniel said, unused to such service. He took his seat and the bill and a pen was handed to him. He signed, added a nice tip, and handed it back.

"Thank you, sir, and if you need anything, my name is Rick."

"Thank you, Rick."

The man gave him a little bow, that oddly enough, reminded him of Teal'c, and he was hit with a surge of homesickness. Suddenly the whole idea of looking for the device himself seemed ridiculous, especially since, in reality, he'd run away from home.

As the door snicked shut, Daniel put his head in his hands.

God, maybe Sam was right, maybe Daniel was reacting to the past, to Jamison's disparagement and to the being treated like a pariah by his friends and colleagues all those years ago. Maybe he was reacting to the fact that he wasn't needed at the SGC, that he was a useless piece of human machinery caught up in a military endeavor, and that he was still someone who people weren't going to listen to, even after six years of proving himself... more or less. And if so, then he'd have to accept the fact that Jamison was... right.

It was altogether possible that Kinsey's disdain for him was correct. After all, did anyone remember Pandora for unleashing hope? No, they only remembered her for unleashing all that other crap.

Eating lost its allure.

God, what the hell was he doing here?

What the hell was he... doing?

~~~

Jack slammed the locker door and sat down on the bench. He bent over to lace up his boots and thought this whole mission was a loser from the getgo. It was a colossal waste of time, in his opinion, but hell, since when did that count when Kinsey and the NID were involved? He straightened and wondered where the hell Daniel was. Even for him, he was late, and they were due in the 'Gate room in twenty minutes. He knew Carter was already there and working on last minute adjustments to some scientific doodad, and Teal'c had been leaving the locker room as he'd entered, so that only left Daniel. Who was nowhere to be seen.

"Colonel?"

He twisted on the bench, then immediately stood as he found himself looking at General Hammond. A distinctly uncomfortable Hammond.

"Sir?"

Hammond looked around, seemingly to assure himself that they were alone and, satisfied, walked further into the room. His blue eyes seemed to bore into Jack, and he had the sudden fear that something was very wrong.

"Jack...."

"Sir?"

"I... this isn't easy for me, but I suspect, thanks to the fact that you didn't blow into my office insisting that I at least jail Doctor Jackson, that he might not have told you that he's requested a leave of absence... and that I've granted it."

Jack now knew what the word 'dumbfounded' meant. He'd found the world of dumb. He couldn't breathe, think or speak. He could blink, so he did. The general took pity on him, sat down on the bench and said, "I tried to talk him out of it, but the truth is... Daniel isn't doing well, and with the number of migraines he's been experiencing-"

Jack moved out of dumb territory into thunderstruck country.

"WHAT?"

"Ah. So you weren't aware of the migraines either. That gives me another piece to the Doctor Jackson puzzle. Perhaps you can tell me how his commanding officer-"

A rising eyebrow stopped General Hammond mid-sentence. He rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Commanding officer and Daniel Jackson don't exactly belong in the same sentence, do they?"

"No, sir, they don't. But that aside, I know what you were going to say, and the fact is, I haven't seen much of Daniel lately and...."

His voice trailed off as the import of his words hit home.

"Yes, that would appear to be a great deal of the problem, wouldn't it, Jack? I have to tell you, I'm not sure what's gone wrong with SG-1, but I know that none of us are quite the same now. The SGC seems to have lost something, and I find that I want it back. How 'bout you?"

Jack bent his head and stared at the floor. The past circled in his brain and he could hear Daniel as he shared his opinion of the Stargate program....

"The SGC may be the single most important human endeavor for the future of mankind."

At the same time, he could see past meetings where the words Daniel used also managed to express his opinion of himself, if anyone bothered to listen.

"I know I'm a guest at this party...."

Did Daniel still feel that way? That he was simply a guest, and not a true member of the SGC, let alone a member of SG-1?

Other phrases, all Jack's, also came back to haunt him, and he realized that he'd spent a good deal of time belittling Daniel's contribution to the SGC without intending it.

He could remember his response when Daniel's pleas to go back to the Land of Light had been heard and Hammond had said, "The president agrees with you... he's asked that we evaluate the scientific and cultural value of each mission...."

Yeah, his response had been so very supportive and typical Jack O'Neill....

"Oh, for crying out loud...."

As he thought back on that moment, he could see so clearly how remarks like that, peppered throughout their friendship, would seem to be negating Daniel and who he was. If evaluating planets, cultures and ruins, was nonsense, than so was Daniel, which was exactly the message he'd been sending all these years. Jack, without realizing it, had been attacking more than Daniel's opinions, he'd been attacking Daniel, because Daniel was his philosophy. Jack, on the other hand, had simply been parroting a military philosophy that, if honest with himself, he didn't even believe in. All of which now begged the question: had he finally worn Daniel down? Had his actions eroded Daniel's trust, faith, and...even his confidence in himself? Was that what was missing?"

"Jack, you're going to be late and the mission isn't a go without both of us there," the general reminded gently.

Jack stood up and straightened his jacket. "Yes, sir, I do want it back," he said as if the question about SG-1 had just been asked.

He didn't bother to add that he also wanted Daniel back.

~~~

Having finally succumbed to his exhaustion, Daniel now tossed and turned, his sleep fitful. As General Hammond gave SG-1 a go, Daniel moaned in his sleep. As SG-1, Jamison, and Mayron walked up the ramp and into the wormhole, Daniel kicked off the covers and, still asleep, murmured one word: "Jack."

~~~

His 3:25 flight to Miami was uneventful and he arrived pretty close to the announced 9:30. He had almost a two-hour layover before his flight to La Paz, so he searched out the nearest bar, took a seat at an empty table, and ordered a scotch and water on the rocks. He was actually beginning to enjoy the taste. While waiting, he pulled a magazine out of his carry-on. His mind was racing and he hoped the articles, along with the alcohol, would get his attention focused on something other than Bolivia and the City of the White Men. In spite of his new misgivings, he was going ahead with his plan... after all, what did he have to lose?

Nothing.

At 10:45pm, American Airlines announced boarding for first class passengers for flight 922. Daniel downed the last of his drink, gathered up his belongings, and headed to gate 12.

~~~

When the plane touched down in La Paz, the sun wasn't up yet, but Daniel was, and had been throughout the entire flight. His nervous energy helped catapult him out of his seat before the plane rolled to a stop. He was first out the door and, as he entered the La Paz-El Alto International Airport, he spotted Rico immediately. He grinned, suddenly extremely happy to be in Bolivia.

"Daniel!"

"Rico, it's damn good to see you."

They hugged and when they parted, Rico immediately took his bag and slung it over his own shoulder. "You have more?"

Daniel nodded and Rico took his arm and began to lead him to baggage claim. Daniel grinned again. Rico had always been the 'take charge' guy on any dig they'd worked on. It was nice to see that nothing had changed.

They collected his luggage and Rico guided him outside, where a Land Rover, fully packed, stood at the curb, a special government placard keeping airport security away from the illegally parked vehicle. Rico ran around to the back, opened the gate and began to load Daniel's luggage.

"You hungry, kawsaqe?"

"Not really, just eager to get going," Daniel said as he handed Rico his last bag.

"Then we go."

He closed the gate and they climbed in. Daniel pulled the seatbelt across his chest and snapped it into place, and not a moment too soon. Rico peeled away from the curb and they were off. Good old Rico and his love of speed.

"You have cut your hair, Daniel," Rico observed as he cut off another car in order to speed up.

"Uh, yes," Daniel said as his fingers tightened on the door handle. "A few years back."

"You are well?"

The question was asked easily, Rico's eyes fixed on the road, but there was an undercurrent of something in his voice. Daniel nodded and said, "I'm fine."

"You do not... look fine."

"Thanks, Rico, old buddy, old kawsage. You know how to make a guy feel all warm and tingly inside."

"It is my job to make the women feel all tingly, as you well know. I leave the men to you." There was a slight pause, then he added, "And alas, most of the women as well. It has always puzzled me how you could be so oblivious to the tingles you were responsible for, my friend."

Daniel rolled his eyes and said, "How is it that we've not seen each other for God knows how many years, and yet, you pick up the conversation right where we left off the last time we were together?"

Laughing, Rico took the next corner at forty and said, "Si, you are right. I am hoping to reap the rewards once again of being associated with you. You will ignore the women, the men, and they will all look to me, and I will have my pick, as usual."

"And Isabella will skin you alive, and you'll sleep outside for weeks, and-"

"This is true."

"And how is the lovely Isabella?"

"She is pregnant again. Our third, and if not a boy, I will seriously consider visiting the local shaman."

"Are you still with the University?"

"No, my friend, I am now with the government. It is my job to protect the very cultures that I have spent a lifetime studying," he answered dryly.

Daniel looked at his friend in surprise, and not some irony, and asked, "You? With the government?"

"I am afraid so. Much of our heritage is being destroyed by the drug lords, so I did the only thing I could, I became a part of the solution. I learned well from a certain young archaeologist," he said with a smile.

"So one of the most brilliant minds is now a policeman?" Daniel asked with a grin.

"Nothing so simple, my friend. I work with a special branch of our government, in conjunction with the university, as well as anthropologists and archaeologists around the world. We have become a strong force." He turned his attention from the road and said, "Is it not ironic that we both ended up in the service of our governments?"

Daniel stared at his friend, then said, "Eyes back on the road, and you have been busy, Rico. That special branch you mentioned must be highly connected."

Rico looked back at the road, an enigmatic smile on his face.

A few moments passed and finally Daniel said, "Isabella must be very proud of you."

"She is, when she's not worrying."

"Dangerous then?"

Rico gave a self-deprecating shrug, then pointed to a bag on the console between them. "There is food, fruit and some of Isabella's bread, as well as some cheese. Please, eat. There is hot coffee in the thermos. It has not been so long that I do not remember your love of our coffee."

Ignoring the bag, Daniel immediately reached for the thermos. He unscrewed the top and pulled out the stopper, than looked around for something to drink out of.

"Glove compartment," Rico said with a grin.

Smiling, Daniel popped it open and pulled out one of the two mugs inside. He poured, and took his first sip, then groaned in pleasure.

"Nothing better, eh, old friend?"

Daniel nodded, too busy drinking to talk.

~~~

Jack sat on a rock, Skaara beside him. SG-1 had been on Abydos for twenty-four hours and the only good thing had been the chance to see his friend again, whom it seemed, was getting married.

"So when exactly did this happen, this falling in love?"

"We have known each other since childhood, O'Neill," Skaara said with a mischievous grin. "I wish to ask you to sha'loki, to stand beside me."

Surprised, Jack frowned. "I would have thought that you'd want Daniel to do this shylocky thing."

"I would wish my good brother to do aruki for me. There is no one I would trust more to ask the gods to bless our union."

"Ah, then I would be honored to be your best man, Skaara. When do I get to meet the blushing bride?"

"She is with her family in the Thirnoch village but they will be leaving to join us soon." He ducked his head and the long braids temporarily obscured his face as he asked softly, "I do not understand why Daniel is not here with you. Major Carter said that he was well. Have we done something to dishonor my good brother?"

"God, no, Skaara, no. Daniel simply needed some time. He's been working very hard...."

Jack realized how lame his words must sound because everyone knew that Daniel would never miss the chance to see his family, to return to Abydos. And yet... that was exactly what he'd done.

God. How bad must things truly be that Daniel would forgo an opportunity to visit Abydos? Not even that jerk, Jamison, would normally have been able to keep Daniel away. Jack twisted around and glanced over to where Jamison and his team were working, and he frowned. He was missing something here... something important.

~~~

Dawn had come in its usual spectacularly South American way and Daniel had watched, enraptured by the beauty. Now, almost forty minutes later, he sat up in interest once again. They had reached their destination.

Tiahuanaco could be seen from their vantage point on the road. It was spread out below, and as always, Daniel was amazed by the ruins. He let his gaze roam further out and he could just see the sparkling blue of Lake Titicacca to his north. As he glanced back at the ruins, he noticed the fence.

"Rico?"

He pointed at it, and Rico, in spite of negotiating the road, looked to his left.

"Ah, yes. A real deterrent to the criminals who traffic in drugs, eh?"

"I doubt that fence deters the animals, let alone man."

"It was our government's attempt to assuage us. We received that fence and two guards. However, there is a military operation only twenty miles from here so the guards have been relieved."

"Military action against?"

"Carlos Mobatay. He is one of the biggest smugglers in this region. They believe they have him cornered." He shot a look at Daniel and asked, "You would wish to turn back?"

"Such an operation isn't likely to interfere with my work. No matter how it goes, we probably won't be here more than a few days."

Rico smiled. "I am glad to hear you say that. I am very curious as to what has brought you back and am eager to work with you again."

"Will the workers you hired feel the same?"

"Pablo and Kio? What do you think?"

Daniel turned in his seat to stare at his friend. "Pablo? Kio? You... they...."

"Yes, Daniel, they are as eager as I to work with you again. You helped them choose all those years ago. Kio is now Doctor Kio Chunaya, Mayan cultures, his speciality, and Pablo, now out of the military and free to pursue his real love, is a few months away from his doctorate."

"My God, I had no idea... you never said anything in your emails, nothing...."

Rico shrugged, and by way of explanation, said, "They wished for it to be a surprise. They have hoped to work with you again. I am only sorry you did not need more assistance. There were several others eager to work with Daniel, the yachachej yachayniyoj and sut'inchaj."

Laughing, Daniel said, "I vaguely recall being called t'uku, Rico."

"But it was always said fondly. You were our lunatic."

"Oh, well then," Daniel said with a grin. He sobered as he reflected back to his months spent in Bolivia and Tiahuanaco. Finally he added, "God, I was so young in those days. Young and foolish."

"Young, yes, foolish, no. Dedicated and focused? Definitely, yes. You taught us all so much, Daniel. You left us better than you found us, and what more can be said of a man, even a very young twenty-year-old with two doctorates to his name? I now see these ruins with your eyes. I see their magic, and believe that the creators came from the stars. Isn't that a great deal for the young man that you were, to have taught the thirty-year-old scientist that I was?"

Daniel didn't answer, couldn't answer. He'd had no idea he'd left any kind of impact following his months in Bolivia. Then a thought struck him and, smiling, he said, "Well, that explains everything, Rico. I obviously used up all my influence on you, old friend."

Rico laughed, then turned the vehicle onto the rough road that paralleled the city's ruins. Daniel spotted a truck a hundred or so feet ahead and watched as two men jumped out and waved. Daniel's grin widened.

Rico stopped the Land Rover next to the truck and shut off the engine. Before opening his door, Daniel turned to him and said softly, "If I find what I'm looking for, we'll have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that this city was built by those not of this world. But it will be a fact you will be unable to share with anyone, Rico."

"I suspected as much," Rico said easily as he climbed out of the vehicle.

~~~

"So. Anything happening, Carter?"

Sam sat down next to Skaara and Jack, and shook her head. "Nothing. Jamison was certain he'd find the device in the map room."

"He should have asked me, I could have told him that it wouldn't be there," Jack said as he shielded his eyes and gazed over at the temple. "Does anyone here think that Daniel could be on this planet an entire year and not find all there was to find?"

Before either Sam or Skaara could, in fact, answer, Jamison and Myron marched over to Skaara. Jamison, hands on hips, asked, "Was there any other place that Doctor Jackson found, young man? Something you haven't shown us? Or a place unknown to Doctor Jackson?"

"All that we know, Daniel also knew. But there is a room in the pyramid-"

Myron pushed Jamison aside and said brusquely, "Take us there now."

It was clearly an order but Skaara looked to Jack for permission. Jack nodded and Skaara said, "Follow me."

Jack got up, held out a hand to Carter and gave her a tug up. They fell in next to Skaara and headed for Ra's pyramid.

~~~

Tents had been erected, their supplies unpacked and camp set up. A half-tent had been put together at Daniel's direction, and a table set up for his work space. The generator was humming and his laptop was plugged in. He stood just outside his workspace, Rico, Pablo and Kio before him.

"Okay, what we're looking for is basically a mound of stone that looks natural. It will be covered with vegetation, and will be one of three, all interconnected. It will be no further than four or five miles from the City of White Men, but in what direction, I don't know." He smiled as he looked at each man, and added, "Good thing there are four of us."

Rico made a show of counting heads, then said, "I'm taking the north-"

Kio said, "You wish the breezes of the lake, mi amigu. But then, you are older and this search will be hard on your bones."

Pablo nodded, stretched out an arm, popped a muscle, and said, "I am the strongest, I shall take the terrain of the East."

"No, you are simply the most foolish," Kio shot back. "The terrain to the South is the most difficult, therefore," he added proudly, "I shall take that direction."

"No, actually, I will," Daniel said with a faint smile.

"Daniel, Kio is correct, that direction is not only difficult, but-"

Daniel grabbed his canteen and pack, and said, "Then we'd best be going, don't you think?"

~~~

Jack lounged against the rock wall and watched the 'great' Doctor Jamison work, if one could call what he was doing... work. Jack certainly didn't think staring counted, but then, who knew what was going on in the man's head. Maybe he was actually thinking.

Nah.

Jamison scratched at his bare thigh, his Jungle Jim shorts riding up to reveal an expanse of white Jack really didn't want to see. The scientist turned around, then turned again. Jack tried to see the room as Jamison must see it, but he couldn't. For some reason, he could only see it as Daniel must have his first time. Jack could imagine his friend's awe, an awe that would have been overlaid by excitement, and a kind of odd joy and anticipation. He could picture Daniel wandering from wall to wall, touching a pictograph every now and then, running his fingers lovingly, but lightly, over the surfaces, blue eyes going dark with the kind of passion that Jack figured no human had ever seen directed at them... not even Shar'e. The look was more than the result of a scientific passion, it was the look born of a man who actually 'felt' history, became one with it, absorbed it, learned from it, and grew in direct proportion to the amount consumed.

Jamison simply didn't have a clue.

And speaking of the devil....

"Kid, what did Jackson do down here?"

Skaara's head turned unerringly toward Jack, who rested his arm on his P-90 and shrugged. "We all know Daniel loves playing a good game of Tiddly-winks in ruins, but hey, maybe he was different here on Abydos. "

Skaara looked back at Jamison and said, "He found several hidden compartments-"

He got nor further as Jamison moved to stand in front of him. He reached out and grabbed Skaara's arms, fingers gripping tightly. "What... where," he sputtered out as he gave Skaara a shake.

Jack moved so quickly, even Teal'c was surprised. He pressed his body against Jamison's back, placed his hand on Jamison's neck, thumb over the man's carotid, and said mildly,

"Take your hands off of him now."

Jamison's hands dropped as if shocked.

"That's better." Jack moved away and pulled Skaara to his side. "Now, what were you asking the future leader of these people?"

Jamison swallowed hard, then said, "Did he find anything... Mister... Skaara?"

"No, the compartments were not full. Daniel believed Ra had taken what had once been here, but when I told him that Ra was not the only god... false god... to visit, that a ... ship... had landed on the pyramid a few weeks before Daniel and O'Neill came here, he then believed that since we were not bothered by the visitors, they knew where and what they wished to find, and they found it."

"Would... you show me?" Jamison asked with forced politeness.

Skaara moved to the far wall, the one with the more colorful drawings. "It was here," he said as he pointed upward.

Jamison started to move, but he stopped and looked nervously over at Jack, who grinned like the Cheshire cat, then nodded slightly. Jamison almost ran over to the wall. Once there, he looked it over, then stepped up close and ran his hand over the wall. His touch was neither gentle, nor reverent, as Daniel's would have been, and Jack felt almost... insulted. After several moments, it was quite apparent that Jamison didn't have a clue how to unlock the secrets of the wall. Jack kicked up the Cheshire grin.

"I can feel the wider crack here and," Jamison murmured as his fingers traveled up, "here, but there's no spring trap, nothing to trigger it to open." He kept feeling up the wall, his face growing more and more red with his frustration, anger, and embarrassment.

Jack shot a look over at Carter, who just shrugged. He realized that she didn't get it. She didn't realize that the man in front of them was the equivalent of a tofu burger compared to Daniel's filet mignon. Jack approached the wall and, taking a leaf from the book of Daniel-watching, said, "If I remember correctly, Daniel said something once about how these were built to slide up or sideways, no springs, per se, just weights and pulleys?"

"Trust me, I've been in enough of these things to know that there's a spring here. All I have to do is find the right stone to compress."

"Ah," Jack said. He turned to Skaara and said, "Do you remember how Daniel got it opened?"

Skaara favored him with a beautiful smile, then pointed at the red sun painted near the top of the wall. "Daniel figured out that the sun was Ra, the rays the way to open the wall. He-"

Before Skaara could say anything else, Jamison snapped his fingers and said, "YES!" He pulled out his flashlight and aimed it at the sun... and nothing happened. He stepped even closer and... nothing happened.

"DAMN IT!"

Skaara started to speak, but Jack put out a hand to stop him. He walked over to the wall and stared at the sun. He could see Daniel standing here, staring up at it, could envision those blue eyes narrowing, his agile mind working out the puzzle....

"The rays are red," Jack said almost to himself.

"That is exactly what Daniel said," Skaara said, eyes wide with surprise.

Jack chuckled and said, "I've got to know how he did it, Skaara. I know damn well he didn't have this," he pointed to the red target beam on his P-90, "so how the hell did he do it?"

Laughing delightedly, Skaara hurried to Jack's side. He held up one of the colorful strips of cloth that made up his shirt. "He held this up in front of his flashlight."

The strip of cloth was red.

Jack shook his head in wonder, then aimed his target light at the sun.

Slowly... a piece of the wall slid up... revealing the compartment behind.

The empty compartment.

Carter gave a low whistle, and said, "Sir, does this mean that Anubis found one of the Eyes here?"

"Off hand, I'd say it's almost guaranteed. Which means Abydos is damn lucky Anubis didn't have all of the Eyes at that point, and that he didn't want anyone to know that he was alive."

"Yes, sir."

~~~

Daniel paused and wiped the sweat from his eyes. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out one of his bandanas. He wrapped it around his head and tied it in back, then grabbed his canteen, opened it, tipped it back, and allowed the stream of water to flow into his mouth and dribble down his chin. He capped the canteen and surveyed the area around him.

He'd been at it for over six hours but, so far, he'd found nothing that matched what he was looking for. He'd been checking in with the others every hour, and they too were coming up empty handed. He sighed, but the stubborn streak that a certain Air Force colonel found so aggravating, surfaced. He kept going.

Twenty minutes later, he hit pay dirt.

He'd been about to change direction when it struck him that he'd been going steadily downhill and had probably made a nice huge half circle.

The back of his neck started to tingle.

Heart rate spiking, he slowly turned to look at what he'd been descending... and caught his breath.

There they were... his crags.

Eyes shining, he walked forward until he stood inches from the more prominent of the three. It was covered with brush and vine-like plants, which he began to pull away until the face was almost completely clear. Eyes narrowing, he studied every inch of the rock, then slowly, tentatively, reached out and touched it. With a reverent hand, he smoothed over the surface... and frowned. It felt... off. He brushed lightly, carefully, lovingly, and particles fell away like peeling paint, more particles than should have. He stepped back and reached for the walkie-talkie.

~~~

The three men stared at the rock, then at Daniel.

"This is it?" Kio asked in disbelief.

Smiling dreamily, Daniel nodded. "This is it."

The three men stared at each other.

"T'uku," Pablo said with a grin.

Taking his working brushes from his pack, Daniel said, "I heard that, Pablo."

"Truth is truth, Daniel."

Smiling, Daniel held out the brushes and said, "Let's do it."

Each man took one, and moments later, each was brushing delicately at the craggy surface.

"This feels... different, Daniel," Rico finally said.

"That's because it is. If we were to study this stuff we're brushing off, we'd probably find it's not real rock, sand or dirt at all. Keep brushing."

Kio let some of it trickle into his open hand. He brought it up close and studied the material, then said, "It's almost as if ... as if it had been...."

"Sprayed on?" Daniel suggested with a grin.

"Si, sprayed on."

"It probably was," he said as he continued to brush away what was obviously a façade.

They went back to work. As more and more of the material came away, something else entirely was revealed. They worked faster.

After an hour, a smooth metal material stared back at them.

Daniel stepped back and frowned. No words, no pictographs, no designs of any kind adorned the surface. And thus... no clue as to how to open it.

He glanced upwards... and noticed that the top of the crag jutted out, but it appeared as one smooth curvature. Maybe....

"I'm going up," he announced.

"Up? UP?" Rico exclaimed, stunned.

Daniel faced him and nodded. He pointed at the crag to the left of the one they'd been working on and said, "Footholds, vines, I can make it to the top. I think the answer to opening this baby is up there."

Rico shielded his eyes and glanced up, then shook his head. "It's too dangerous, Daniel. We could go around, maybe approach from the other-"

"Been there, done that. It's a good two hours around, then a steady climb up for another two hours or more, and, unless I'm very much mistaken, I heard gunfire earlier."

Rico nodded. "You did. I suspect Mobatay is fighting back."

"Then we don't have all that much time, do we?"

"There is no way I can say, Daniel."

Daniel walked over to the other crag and started climbing.

The process was slow and laborious as he had to search out handholds and footholds, but it was actually easier than he'd thought when staring up at it from the ground. The height was no more than climbing a two story building, and as long as he didn't look down, as long as he focused on the apex, he was fine, his fear of heights taking a back seat to what he hoped to find at the top.

From below, the others watched, eyes wide, hands clenched. They gasped when, at one point, Daniel lost his footing, but he recovered quickly and continued upward.

It took him three quarters of an hour to reach the top, but at last he was hauling himself up and standing. He had to jump about a five foot crevice to reach his goal, and, with a running start, did so, easily. He walked to the edge and waved at Rico and the others, then dropped down and began to clear the brush away. Some of the vines proved more difficult to dispose of, so he pulled out his knife and began to slice them away. When all the greenery was gone, he started the process of removing the same kind of cover they'd faced down below, but this time the process went faster because the area was much smaller. It only took him twenty minutes to find and uncover the relief.

He sat back on his haunches, hands on his knees. He stared at the one inch thick, raised square with seven symbols... and smiled. The center symbol was flanked on each side by three others that obviously represented the six 'eyes' that Anubis now possessed. But it was the center symbol that captured his attention. He knew instinctively that if he pressed it - the temple below would open. It seemed fitting that he was looking at the glyph for Earth. He leaned over far enough to see over the edge and yelled down, "BACK UP, I'M GONNA OPEN IT!"

The three men did as told and Daniel sat back and gently pressed down on the top of the pyramid.

~~~

Rico waited, uncertain of what to expect. There was a kind of ... suction sound followed by a long hiss... then the face of the ... whatever it was... opened outward. He looked at his two friends, who stared back.

"Well, I'll be damned," Kio said. "It opened."

"You are surprised, Kio?" Rico asked, grinning.

"I shouldn't be," the man admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, ye of little faith in our sut'inchaj."

Rico looked up and yelled, "GET DOWN HERE PRONTO, T''UKU, WE'RE NOT GOING TO WAIT ALL DAY!"

A waving hand was his answer. Rico turned to Kio and said, "You two head to camp, break it down, and set up here, all right?"

"You got it," Pablo said. He slapped Kio on the back and said, "Let's go."

The two men headed off with the promise that they'd be back before dark. Rico turned his attention to Daniel, who was coming down the crag much faster than he'd gone up. By the time he was standing next to Rico, sweaty and breathing hard, Rico had water, a towel, their backpacks and his duffel bag. "Here, drink up, clean up, then we'll go in."

Eyes on the dark inviting opening, Daniel took the offered canteen, dumped a good portion of it over his head, then swallowed the rest. The towel came next and Daniel, attention still on the opening, swiped it over his face and hands, then took his pack from Rico and said, "Well?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Rico said.

Smiling, the two men flicked on their flashlights and started forward.

~~~

"It's here, I'm sure of it," Jamison said.

Colonel Myron's hard gaze flicked from Jamison to the wall behind him. "Why here?"

"Because the Eye of Ra was found here... at least... that's what I believe. What better place to hide the device that can neutralize the power of the Eyes, then where one of them was found?"

Myron shrugged, then with a curt nod at Jack, turned around and went back up to the main room. Jack sauntered over to Jamison, who managed not to flinch, and said, "You believe the Eye of Ra was found here? You? Nice one, Jamison. Who knew you were so honorable. And were you born this stupid or did your parents drop you on your head one, or fifty, times too many?"

Jamison's eyes narrowed, but he stepped back, muttered something under his breath, then began to inspect the walls again. Jack gave a jerk of his head and said, "Come on, Carter, Teal'c, Skaara, let's up back to the village. This idiot isn't going to find anything."

They left Jamison to his... work.

~~~

Rico followed his friend inside, both their flashlights lighting their way. Daniel stopped long enough to inspect the door, running his fingers up the side and giving a low whistle.

"What?"

"You don't think this metal is odd?" Daniel asked.

"I think it's like nothing I've ever seen, but," he flashed his light at Daniel, "I suspect you have."

"Oh, yeah, but if I told you, I'd have to ki-"

"Coming from you, it doesn't work, mi amigu."

Daniel smiled, then said, "It's an air lock."

"Si."

They turned as one and moved deeper inside. They found themselves in a large chamber, no other doors, just three walls and the entrance behind them. But on the wall before them, and to their right, were, even in the limited light, the most beautiful paintings either man had ever seen. Rico opened the duffle bag and lifted out a portable Fostoria halogen light set. He popped the legs of the pedestal, then with a few quick, well-practiced moves, set them up and turned them on. He repeated the process with the second set, but placed them in the opposite corner.

Now the full beauty of the pictures was revealed.

"Amazing," Daniel breathed out.

Rico moved to his side, then pivoted in order to see each wall. "I do not believe what I am seeing, Daniel. The artist... this rivals any artwork ever created. The colors are more vibrant than anything we have here. They almost seem alive and shining."

"The pigments are so deep and rich," Daniel said as he walked over to one of the walls. He held his hand up to the surface, but didn't touch. He chuckled and said, "Jack is always accusing me of being unable to avoid touching things - he should see me now."

"Why do you not touch it, Daniel?"

"Oils from my skin," he answered simply. "This is older than you can imagine, and thanks to the airlock, perfectly preserved. I want to keep it that way."

"Ah, of course. And who is this 'Jack'?"

"Colonel Jack O'Neill. We work together."

Rico nodded and said, "The file says Colonel 'Jonathon O'Neill'."

"You government people," Daniel said with a grin. "No matter where I go nowadays, there you are."

"There we are, my friend."

Daniel winced... and went back to studying the wall.

Sensing that he'd hit a sore spot, Rico rushed to change the subject. "How old are these, Daniel?"

"Old," came the quiet, almost whispered answer.

"You were right, were you not? And this... this was built by others not of this world, si?"

"Si."

He waved his hand at the center wall in front of them, and asked, "What are the pictures telling us?"

Daniel stepped back. "This first panel with the four columns represent the four great races." He indicated the column on the left and said, "This is the language of the Asgard, and this," he pointed at the next column, "the Nox, the Furlings, and finally, the last column, the Ancients, the race that I believe built Tiahuanaco and all of this."

He quickly gave Rico a brief rundown of his experiences with the Asgard, the Nox and the Ancients, and when he finished, Rico, obviously in awe, pointed to the fifth column, the one with only a single symbol on it, and asked, "And that?"

Taking in a deep breath, and exhaling, Daniel said, "That... that is, very possibly, the fifth race."

"Fifth race?"

Mesmerized, Daniel nodded slowly. He reached out his hand, then drew it quickly back, the temptation to touch the beauty almost too much to bear. "That symbol on the column is a symbol the Ancients used for ... Earth. We may be the... Fifth race."

Rico studied his friend, then looked back at the wall. "Why do I think this is the greatest archaeological find ever known, that no one will ever know about?"

Daniel stepped back until his shoulder just brushed against Rico's. "Because it is," he said.

Rico looked at the other walls and said, "But I know...."

"Yeah," Daniel breathed out. "And that's enough, isn't it?"

Rico looked at Daniel, who looked at him. They both grinned foolishly and said, "Yes."

"So what now, mi amigu?"

"Now... I find the other chambers. There should be three-"

"That's why the three crags?"

"Yes. And in one of them, I hope, we'll find what I came for."

"So go to it."

Daniel went.

His translations of the tablets told him that the walls in the chamber would point the way to where the device that would "protect against the six Eyes" was secreted, but he knew how vague the clue was likely to be. He started with the wall to his right... and immediately discarded it. It was too bright and full of celebration. The entire panel showed men, women and children, all dressed in loose, rainbow-colored clothing, dancing under a teal blue sky. In the background rose a stately city with tall, slender, streamlined buildings, all with an ethereal rosy glow. Daniel knew he was looking upon the Ancients as they'd once been, and his heart almost ached for them.

He moved back to the middle wall, looking again at the columns. He shook his head. The answer wasn't there. He turned his attention to the other two panels.

One, he knew, represented the devastating plague that had almost destroyed the Ancients. The artist chose to depict it by painting an incredibly beautiful garden, but one where darkness, in the form of a few deep purple, almost black, vines crawled out from under the dirt. They seemed to be reaching out with greedy tendrils, their intention clear: to choke the life out of the garden. As the eye was drawn up, more and more tendrils could be seen invading the garden, while in the distance, three people stood around what Daniel realized was a replica of the time control mechanism they'd found on P4X-639. He winced at the memory of the time loop, and looked away from the hopeless horror.

The third panel was the strangest of any in the chamber room. It seemed to blend the innocence of the first wall, with the dark foreboding of the second.

"I do not understand this one, Daniel. I sense hope, yet, something strange as well. The garden in this panel seems to be evolving, but into what, I haven't a clue."

"The Ancients were nearly destroyed by a plague. As their numbers decreased, their scientists worked on a kind of... time machine, in the hopes that they could go back in their history and stop the cataclysm. Unfortunately, their machine didn't work."

Drawn in by the tragic story, Rico asked almost breathlessly, "What happened to them?"

"They did what this garden is doing - they evolved. I guess you could say that they moved to a new plane of existence."

"So then the Ancients still exist?" Rico asked hopefully.

"They do."

Both men looked at the panel for a few moments longer, than Rico observed, "The evolution of the garden seems oddly... beautiful, doesn't it?"

"Yes. It's almost hard to tear my eyes away. It's almost as if I can see it happening...."

"Exactly," Rico whispered.

Daniel finally moved to the last wall, the wall shadowed by the door. He frowned at the simplicity of the painting. It was nothing like the other walls, and clearly not done by the same artist. In fact, this one seemed more like a child had been let loose with a set of paints.

"This doesn't fit at all," Rico said, echoing Daniel's thoughts.

"No, it doesn't. But it's oddly sweet, isn't it?"

Rico chuckled and said, "It is as if, while the artist was busy with the other two walls, he, or she, allowed their child to play over here."

Suddenly Daniel started to laugh. Rico, slightly taken back, said, "What? What?"

"This is it," Daniel managed to say. "This is the one."

"You are t'uku."

"No, no... just... young," he gasped out, still laughing. Then he walked up to the wall, because even through his laughter, he'd spotted the youthfully drawn symbol for Earth hidden among the many attempts at painting animals and flowers and stick figures. He raised his hand... pressed it against the symbol... and slowly the wall slide backward, revealing another passageway. Daniel turned and smiled. "Someone very wise once said, 'the young do not always do as they are told.'"

"What the hell does that mean?"

Turning on his flashlight, and starting inside, Daniel said, "You had to be there."

~~~

"It's open," Kio said unnecessarily.

"So observant."

"Should we go inside?"

"Oh, no, we should stay out here, where it's nice and warm and sunny and without shade."

"Right. We go inside."

"We do."

Pablo and Kio approached the opening, both wary. Kio gave Pablo a push inside, then followed him. Their lights flickered, but were overshadowed by an eerie glow from their left.

"A corridor," Kio said unnecessarily.

"Lights at the end of the tunnel," Pablo said just before he pushed Kio into the corridor.

They followed the glow, ducking as the roof sloped down.

"I hope this widens out... soon," Pablo whispered.

"It will," came an eerie reply from ahead.

"I hope that was Rico," Kio whispered.

"It was," came another eerie reply.

The tunnel widened and they entered another chamber. Their lights showed them flashes of bright swatches of color on the walls, as well as small niches filled with artifacts. They almost stopped, their archaeological bent demanding they investigate, but ahead of them, the light was even brighter and drew them like moths. Eventually, they could see Rico, arms crossed over his chest.

"Finally made it, guys?"

Pablo and Kio entered the third and final chamber, eyes wide with wonder. Kio spun around and, taking in everything at once, asked, "Ric, did you see those chambers?" At the same time, Pablo said, "My God, the colors, and those artifacts," but he was promptly interrupted by Kio, who said, "What is this place? I've never seen anything like it."

Pablo nodded his head hard and fast and asked, "Yeah, and that door? I know I've never seen anything like what that door is made out of...."

"Guys?" Rico drew a finger across his throat and nodded toward Daniel, who was inspecting the far wall, which was covered in ancient writings. Both men nodded, put fingers to their lips, then walked over to Daniel and peered over his shoulder.

Rico shook his head in disgust and said again, "Guys?"

Kio and Pablo shook their hands at him and followed Daniel as he moved a few inches to his right.

"Guys, leave him alone. Let's go out and set up while Daniel does his thing in here."

Kio nodded, but didn't move away. Pablo stepped to his right and gazed up at the wall and said, "I've never seen anything like this, Daniel."

"Ssh," Kio said as he continued to study the writings on the wall.

"Right. Ssh," Pablo agreed.

~~~

The sun was long gone and the air had cooled enough to stop the sweat. Daniel sat at the table they'd set up, the writings he'd filmed in the chamber now downloaded to his computer. He was studying the screen, several books open in front of him. The letters were beginning to run together and his vision was blurry, but Daniel kept going. He was close, he knew it, but he also knew time was running out. The gunfire that had occasionally punctuated the stillness of the night was increasing, and getting closer. Every muscle was tense and he could feel the beginning of a migraine, but he couldn't stop, couldn't rest.

Rico watched from his vantage point a few feet away, a rifle across his legs. Pablo too was armed, as was Kio. All three were worried, as much for the battle that seemed to be drawing closer, as for Daniel. He'd barely eaten dinner, and all of them could see the pain etched in his face, but they did nothing, sensing the importance of his work.

Rico knew that Daniel needed to translate the writings in order to find whatever he was looking for, and this he understood, but he was still wrapping his mind around the fact that Daniel could translate them. Sure, there was a vague resemblance to the writings he'd observed in Egypt, but he knew, in spite of his experience, that he wouldn't have a chance of translating anything worthwhile.

He doubted that anyone on Earth could translate the writings. Anyone other than Daniel.

~~~

"Daniel, you must rest."

"I will, just a few more minutes."

"Daniel," Rico said, his voice soft, "it is after midnight. Please, sleep for a few hours? This will all be here when you awake."

Daniel took off his glasses, rubbed at his eyes, then swiped his hand over his face. "Maybe you're right, Rico."

"I am always right, Daniel. Except when I am wrong, but I was wrong only once, because it turned out I was right. Now come with me and we'll get you into bed."

"I'm only going with you because I understood what you said, and that's a very bad thing."

"Yes, Daniel," Rico said as he helped the younger man stand. As he led him to the tent, Pablo moved ahead of him and got the sleeping bag ready.

Rico sat Daniel down on the cot, then knelt and pulled off his boots.

"Wake me in four hours, Rico, okay?"

"Four hours, you got it," he answered as he lifted Daniel's legs and got him settled.

"I mean it."

"I know. Four hours."

Pablo turned the lantern off and the two men exited the tent to Daniel's mumblings.

"He has not changed, has he, Ric?"

"No," Rico said, smiling. "He hasn't. And I suspect that this is a very good thing for all of us."

~~~

Daniel managed two hours of restless sleep before his mind, filled with ancient writings, brought him to full wakefulness. He stumbled around in the dark until he found his pack, then pulled out a package of the migraine pills he'd brought with him. He groaned as he realized it was the last packet. He took one, then made it back to his cot, sat down, and eschewing any light, yawned and put on his boots. He stood, stepped out of his tent, and walked over to his worktable. He picked up his notes, video camera and flashlight, then headed over to the chamber. The full moon was bright enough to forgo the flashlight until he got inside. He made his way to the last chamber room, turned on the halogen lights, then sat down cross-legged in front of the far wall.

He was deep in his translations when a cup appeared from over his shoulder and Rico said, "If you're going to give up sleeping, then you'll probably need this."

Daniel took the offering and smiled wanly. "Thanks. I hope I didn't disturb you?"

"No, it's my turn for guard duty."

"Everything seemed quiet," Daniel said after swallowing the much needed coffee.

"It is, for now. But I suspect things will heat up again at the dawn. According to my office, we could very well be in the middle of the fight by noon tomorrow. I've been ordered... to leave."

"Ordered? How can you... I mean, you're on vacation, right? How can they order-"

"I'm a government employee in the middle of military operation. What can I say?"

Daniel bent his head and studied the dark swirling liquid in the cup. Finally he said, "Give me... till ten, Rico. If I haven't been able to-"

"Daniel, I have no intention of leaving until you've found what you came for. Kio and Pablo feel the same."

His head shot up and he looked at his friend. "You'd stay in spite of orders?"

"I would. This is important, we know this. But hurrying would not be a bad idea," Rico finished with a smile.

"Right."

Daniel went back to his work, but he couldn't help comparing his experience with Rico, Kio and Pablo to the last months with his teammates.

SG-1 lost.

~~~

Jack stared up at the Abydonian sky and wondered where Daniel was at that moment. Was he at home, in bed? Or had he gone somewhere to 'get away from it all'? He looked back at the pyramid and the years were swept away by the desert wind. He could see Daniel standing on the steps with Ra, staff weapon held clumsily in his hand, blue eyes boring into his. The breeze swept that memory away and replaced it with a moment in the catacombs, a moment when Daniel had challenged him to live. And finally, the moment before he'd stepped back through the 'Gate. He could hear his own words... his promise.

"See ya 'round, Doctor Jackson."

God, he'd love to see Doctor Jackson right now. He needed to hear his voice, see his hands moving as he spoke, and watch his glasses bob up and down with his words. Being here, on Abydos, without him, was so wrong. And why was he realizing this ... now?

Damn, always late to the party, that was Jack O'Neill.

~~~

Rico looked at his watch. It was after six and the sun was up, the temperature outside already climbing. Daniel had barely stirred from his position on the ground in the last four hours and the only sound had been his pencil scratching across the surface of the yellow legal pad on his lap. Daniel had been alternating between the playback on his video camera, his notes, and the walls and Rico was beginning to think the man wasn't human.

"I think I've got it," Daniel suddenly announced.

Kio, who'd been lounging against the wall, straightened and said, "I'll go get Pablo, don't do anything till we get back."

He hurried out as Daniel, with some difficulty, got up. He braced himself against the wall and closed his eyes, but Rico could see the smile of satisfaction on his face. He relaxed somewhat, and a few minutes later Kio and Pablo hurried in. Daniel pushed himself away from the wall and walked to the opposite one. He tapped a small panel and said, "Watch this. If I've translated correctly, when I'm done, it should open."

Kio moved to where Daniel was standing and nodded. Pablo joined him while Daniel walked back to the other wall, his back to them. He glanced down at the notes in his hand, then up at the glyphs. He raised his arm, and with one finger, touched one square, then another, then up to a third, down and over for the fourth. He paused, checked his notes, then touched a fifth square, a sixth, and hand poised over a seventh square, said, "This should be it."

He pressed the seventh square and immediately turned around. The panel that Kio and Pablo were standing in front of... slid back.

Pablo jumped back with a muttered, "Whoa", while Kio immediately jumped forward, eager to see what was revealed. Before Daniel could stop him, Kio reached out to touch the small, round, gold and jeweled device now visible. His hand, however, bounced back.

"Hey! What the heck-"

Pablo, not one to be outdone, tried to touch the item, but he also hit something invisible. "Wow, it's like some kind of force field, but it doesn't hurt or anything." He reached over and touched what couldn't be seen, and kept right on touching it. "It's like... rubber, Daniel. I can feel it, and my finger just kind of bounces back from it."

Rico looked over at Daniel, who nodded. Rico moved the two men aside... and reached out.

"Very strange, Daniel," he concluded.

Daniel had been watching, and now joined them. "Touch it again, Rico," he asked as he bent down to peer at something below the compartment.

Rico did as instructed and Daniel said, "Keep your finger there."

"What is it?"

"Every time one of you touched the protective shield, a segment of the panel beneath, lit up. Give me a minute...."

Rico shrugged as Kio and Pablo now focused on the words that had miraculously appeared below the compartment.

Daniel moved under Rico's arm and ran a finger over the words as he murmured, "Only... the one... who has been...touched... by the Others, may pass."

Daniel moved away and straightened up. "You can put your hand down now," he said.

Rico let his arm drop and asked, "Do you know what it means?"

"I think so," Daniel murmured. "I think so."

He rubbed his eyes under his glasses and swayed a bit. Rico reached out immediately and helped support him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just tired. Look, I need to make a phone call. I think I know someone who can get through and retrieve that."

"All right, let's go."

Rico helped Daniel, Kio and Pablo following. Once out in the daylight, Kio ran ahead and grabbed Daniel's cell and handed it to him.

"Thanks, Kio." Shielding his eyes from the now bright sun, Daniel punched in the number at the SGC, and when someone answered, he said, "General Hammond, please, it's Doctor Jackson calling."

While he waited, he closed his eyes and thought about what they'd found. Oddly enough, the item behind the shield looked a bit like a Gou'ald healing device. It was obvious that it was meant to be held in the palm of the hand, but he'd noticed the small 'latches' on each side, which made it look as though it should attach to something else. Unfortunately, it appeared too small to protect against a weapon as apparently powerful as what Anubis now had at his disposal.

Doctor Jackson?

His eyes flew open at Hammond's voice. "Sir, yes, I... I think I've found it, General."

Care to be a bit more specific, son?

"The location of the device, sir. Well, actually, the device itself, or at least... a part of it. But I've run into a small snag and I need... well," he scratched the back of his head, turned away from the others, and said, "Jack. I need Jack, sir."

Give me your exact location, Doctor Jackson.

He turned back to Rico, covered the mouthpiece, and whispered, "Co-ordinates, I need our-"

"Got it. Give me a sec."

"Sir, I'm in Bolivia, about forty miles out of La Paz and south of Lake Titicacca. We're getting you the exact-"

Who's 'we'?

"I have... I called a good friend of mine, Doctor Rico Rubalcava. He's with the Bolivian government, sir. And there are two others here, both good friends, and very... trustworthy."

Doctor Jackson, I hope you know what you're doing.

Daniel closed his eyes until Rico's snapping fingers got his attention. He turned and took the paper Rico was holding out.

"Sir, I have the co-ordinates, if you're ready?"

I'm ready, son.

Daniel read them off, then waited, his gut clenching.

Colonel O'Neill is still on Abydos. Since it appears his search is useless, I'll radio him immediately. I think, however, I'll leave Myron and Jamison there.

Jaw clenching, but understanding that Hammond had no reason to believe that he'd actually found anything, Daniel said, "Yes, sir. And I should mention that time is of the essence. There's a slight... military issue here, and we could be overrun by-"

I'm aware of the situation, Doctor Jackson. I just didn't know you were in the middle of it. This will take a fine hand. And I wish you'd told me that you believed the device was right here on Earth.

Daniel once again turned his back on his friends and lowered his voice. "Sir, no one would have believed me, Jamison would still be on Abydos, and I'd... still be here."

The silence on the other end of the phone worried him. He rubbed his temple and wondered why jagged edged lights always came with migraines.

Doctor, we'll discuss this further upon your return. Be careful and I'll have the rest of your team there as quickly as humanly possible.

"Thank you, sir."

He disconnected and pocketed the phone. Looking back at the crag, he said softly, "Now we wait."

~~~

We need you back here, Colonel, and now.

Jack stared at the M.A.L.P. and, puzzled, nodded. He wasn't too upset about being called back, but still, what could have come up that required the return of SG-1?

"We're on our way, sir."

Very good. Let Myron know that SG-5 will take your place.

"Will do, sir."

~~~

The three men sat around the worktable, saying nothing. There was no more gunfire and a quick call to friends in the know had confirmed that the military would most definitely be making another move on Mobatay, this one promising to be the final, and conclusive, maneuver. They had, at best, twelve hours.

Inside the tent, Daniel lay sleeping, finally, but it had taken a great deal to get him to succumb to their demands that he rest. It had been obvious to all of them that Daniel had been in pain.

"What do you suppose this is all about, really?" Kio asked as he twisted his cup of coffee around in his hand.

"Whatever it is, it's important, Kio. Perhaps even ... critical," Rico said.

~~~

The wormhole exploded out, then settled, and a moment later, Jack, Carter and Teal'c walked through. Jack glanced up at the control room just as Hammond bent over, clicked on the mike, and said, "Colonel, my office after you've checked in with Doctor Frasier."

Jack gave him a small salute and all three walked down the ramp and out of the 'Gate room. At the stairs, before Jack headed up, Carter asked, "What could be up that we'd be called back?"

"As soon as I know, I'll let you in on it, Carter."

Carter, clearly curious, nodded and said, "We'll wait for you in the commissary, won't we Teal'c?

Teal'c's famous eyebrow rose sharply and Jack couldn't help but say, "Indeed."

~~~

Jack approached the general's open door. He paused, and when Hammond, who was on the phone, waved him in, he proceeded. He had a bad feeling, and that feeling had a name: Daniel Jackson. Jaw clenching, he stopped in front of the general's desk.

"Yes, thank you, Captain Salas... yes, I understand, and again, thank you for your assistance."

Hammond put the phone down and said, "Sit, Jack."

Jack pulled up the chair and sat down.

"Has Jamison found anything?"

"With all due respect, General, Jamison couldn't find his ass with a rearview mirror."

Biting back a grin, Hammond said, "Yes, well, I'll take that as a no." His eyes narrowed a bit, then he said, "It seems that Doctor Jackson has. Found something, that is."

"I... he was on... he requested a leave, sir. He went through the 'Gate?"

"No. It seems the protection we're looking for is right here on Earth. In Bolivia, to be more precise."

"Bolivia? Daniel is... what, in Bolivia?"

"He is. And he evidently needs... specifically... you."

Jack suddenly understood what he'd been missing before. Of course Daniel would go off on his own to find the device. Unable to sit any longer, he rose quickly and started pacing nervously. "He's in Bolivia. Daniel is in... in Bolivia." He turned and faced Hammond. "Why didn't he tell us? How hard would it have been to tell us?"

"He didn't think we'd believe him, that anyone would believe that this... this... whatever it is, would have been here, on Earth. And yes, I think that's an issue that deserves some investigation later, but for now, we need to get you to him. I've made all the arrangements, called in quite a few markers, and you're set to leave the base in one hour. Initially, I considered sending only you, but there's a slight wrinkle. It seems the Bolivian government is making a major move against Carlos Mobotay and they're only a few miles from Doctor Jackson's position. I think it would be very good idea if you took the rest of your team with you."

"Sir, how much danger is Daniel in?"

"The whole situation could blow up in less than twelve hours. Fortunately for Daniel, it seems Major Ferretti and his team have also decided to ... vacation... in Bolivia. Amazing coincidence, wouldn't you agree?"

Smiling, Jack agreed. "Just incredible, sir."

~~~

"So that's it. We're flying into Cochabamba, and the base that Clinton built, or should I say, the base he didn't build, and from there, we'll transfer to a Sea Stallion and less than an hour later, we'll be setting down a few miles from this Tiwecacca place of Daniel's. Any questions?"

"Sir, it's Tiahuanaco, near Lake Titicacca."

"Gee, thanks, Carter. I feel so much better now."

Jack looked at the six men and women in front of him, and said, "We leave in fifteen, and Ferretti, it's a real pleasure taking this -- vacation -- with you and your team. I'm looking forward to the volleyball tournament. SG-1 will cream you guys."

Lou Ferretti grinned and said, "SG-1 creaming SG-2 in volleyball? I don't think so, Colonel. But the miniature golf tourney has me worried."

~~~

They were piled into the military van that would take them to Schriever Air Force Base. A special flight had been 'arranged' by General Hammond, undoubtedly one of those favors he'd called in. The general stood at the right passenger door, and as Jack slipped on his seatbelt, Hammond said quietly, "Bring him back in one piece, Colonel."

Jack met the steadfast gaze... and nodded. "Wouldn't have it any other way, sir."

~~~

The flight to Bolivia and Cochabamba was made in relative silence. Most of SG-2 slept while Teal'c used the time to kel-no-reem in the back of the plane. Carter sat with Ferretti, which left Jack alone and with too much time to think. He'd been disturbed by Daniel's apparent leave of absence, but now, knowing that he'd really headed off by himself to find the device that could protect Earth from Anubis, he was downright upset. How had they all come to a point in their lives where Daniel would be forced to do something like this alone? He rested his chin in his hand, stared out the window and wondered why the hell he hadn't kissed Daniel during that stupid time loop. He'd wasted a perfectly good kiss on Carter. Come to think of it, he'd been wasting a whole lot of thoughts and 'what ifs' on Carter.

Jack sat up in his seat.

What the hell had he just thought? Had he just thought... what he'd thought?

He had.

Too much silver on top of his head, and bad knees. Yep, all responsible for his most recent thought. And Daniel. Daniel was responsible for his most recent thought. And Daniel's lips were responsible, and his eyes had to share in this as well. And let's not forget his voice or those damn legs that went on forever -- he supposed.

His mind took a virtual tour of Daniel's other side and -- assets, but Jack put the kibosh on that and concentrated on Daniel's eyebrows. Yeah, his eyebrows. Absolutely nothing sexy about Daniel's eyebrows. Okay, they were nicely shaped, and sure, sometimes they were as expressive as Daniel, and it did seem as though they moved in conjunction with his hands when he was on a verbal roll or just plain excited about something, and they did, kind of, set off his long lashes... sort of, but really, they weren't sexy or anything.

God, he missed Daniel. And he'd been missing him for months.

And whose fault is that?

"Colonel, we'll be landing in ten."

Jack looked up into the face of an airman who'd just saved him from killing his conscience, and nodded. "Thank you. Is there any news?"

The airman, understanding what was being asked, shook his head. "I'm afraid not, sir. All we know is that a little under an hour ago, the Bolivian military started what they're calling the final offensive against Mobatay."

"Thanks."

Swell. Leave it to Daniel to end up in the middle of the war on drugs.

Didn't anyone ever tell Daniel to just say no?

~~~

"The gunfire has started up again, Ric," Kio observed as he turned the page of the book he was reading.

"Yes, I noticed. I just hope it doesn't wake him," Rico said as he dealt a card to Pablo, then the final one to himself.

Pablo pulled two cards out of his hand, slid them over to Rico, and said, "He won't wake up, he's dead to the world."

Rico dealt him two new ones, then pulled out one of his, and gave himself a card. "Let's hope so. His eyes were screaming migraine. I've seen that look a few too many times with my wife."

Pablo dropped two matchsticks into the pile in the middle of the table and said, "He's too thin, Ric."

Rico added two matchsticks, then put in two more and nodded. "I know. Not that he's ever been a heavyweight, but still."

Pablo put in the call bet and as Rico laid down his cards, an eight high straight, he said, "I doubt that he's slept much in the last seventy-two hours, but then, sleep never was high on his list of priorities."

Pablo smiled and laid his cards down with a flourish as he said, "I remember well. He could exist on two hours, if that."

Rico looked at Pablo's flush and groaned, then said, "Of course, we remember the twenty year old Daniel, not that he's changed all that much."

Pablo raked in the matchsticks and challenged, "But he has. Can't you see it in his eyes? There's now a depth of hurt we only caught a glimpse of when we worked with him last, but what bothers me the most is the desperation."

Rico nodded, and as he put the cards away, said, "I saw him a week before the disastrous lecture, and there was no desperation. He'd left Doctor Jordan, or should I say, Doctor Jordan left him when he served Daniel with the choice of skipping the 'aliens built the pyramids' lecture, or giving up his associate position with Jordan; and he'd lost his apartment. But still, he was excited, certain that his theories would be embraced. But now, now even when faced with proof that Daniel's theories were true, even knowing that he's accepted somewhere, I see this desperation in his eyes, and I wonder... what put it there?"

"Or who," Pablo mused.

Suddenly Kio stood and walked to the edge of the open tent. "Do you hear that?"

Both Rico and Pablo joined him, and a moment later, a dark object appeared in the sky north of the crags.

"A helicopter," Pablo said.

"Ours or...."

"I believe ... it is American," Rico said. "I'm going to wake our sleeping beauty."

~~~

"Daniel? Daniel, your friends are here."

Rico gave Daniel's shoulder a slight shake and said again, "Daniel?"

"Wha'?"

"We've got company."

Bleary blue eyes opened and Daniel reached for his glasses. Rico guided his hand to the trunk that was serving as a nightstand. Sitting up, Daniel slipped them on, then swung his legs over the edge of the cot.

"Good company... or bad?"

"Can't you hear it? It's a chopper, and it's American."

Daniel ran a hand through his hair and stood up, swaying. Rico put out a hand to steady him, and, together, they walked out of the tent and into the afternoon sun. Daniel immediately shielded his eyes as he looked skyward. Kio pointed to Daniel's left, and now he could see the helicopter, which meant Jack.

In spite of everything that had happened in the last months, and in spite of knowing that it was Sam that Jack loved, he felt the stirrings of excitement at the thought of simply seeing his friend again. He was actually looking forward to some of Jack's signature snarkiness.

Life just wasn't the same without it.

~~~

Jack could now see the campsite, and four figures standing near a tent. As they drew closer, he could finally make out Daniel. He almost waved, which would have been ridiculous since Daniel couldn't see him. As he surveyed the area around the camp, he was grateful to find that much of it was flat, which meant they could land fairly close. Very close, in fact.

Oddly enough, he saw nothing that looked like... anything that might hold the key to staving off Anubis. Just hills off to the south, and the ruins of Tutucuckoocaca, or whatever it was called, to the west. Daniel's campsite was too far from the ruins, so he knew whatever he'd found, it wasn't there. For which Jack was very grateful. He had no desire to go tramping around in something he couldn't pronounce.

The ground came up fast, and moments later, they'd set down. Two men moved to the cargo doors and slid them open, then dropped the ramp. Jack unbuckled and stood, his team and SG-2 following suit. The two airmen went down the ramp, anchored it, and Jack started down, his gaze focused on Daniel.

~~~

Daniel watched as his friends approached, all dressed casually, but he didn't miss the rifle cases carried by the entire group. SG-1 and 2 looked like a group of men and women on vacation - with some serious hunting lined up.

"Doctor Daniel Jackson, I presume?" Jack asked with a smile.

"Colonel O'Neill, as I live and breathe," Daniel said with an almost matching smile.

He grinned at Teal'c, who nodded, his brown eyes crinkling with his barely there smile.

"Daniel," Sam said as she came up to him.

"Sam. I didn't expect all of you... just... Jack, but I'm glad you're all here."

"Hey, Doc, when the colonel said he was joining you on this little vacation in Bolivia, well, me and the crew just had to muscle our way in. We couldn't let SG-1 have all the fun, now could we?"

"No, Lou, guess not," Daniel said with a smile gone suddenly, and oddly, shy.

Jack looked at his archaeologist, at the faded denims and the pale blue denim shirt open at the collar, sleeves rolled up; at the dark stubble, the bloodshot eyes and the dark circles punctuating them. Finally Jack noticed the small lines that radiated out from the corners of Daniel's eyes, that always signaled pain. Acutely aware of the three men just behind Daniel, he pointed at Daniel's face, made a twirling motion with his finger, and said, "We don't shave on vacation?"

Daniel rubbed at his face and gave a small shrug. "Hey, what can I say?" He turned toward Rico and quickly introduced Jack and the others, then said, " Everyone, this is Doctor Rodrigo Rubalcava, or Rico to his friends, and this," he indicated Pablo, "is Pablo Cochin, and next to him, Doctor Kio Chunaya. The four of us have worked together before and they're completely trustworthy. Completely," he added with emphasis.

Jack regarded his friend for a moment, then said, "Okay, Daniel, point taken. So... you need me why?"

Daniel glanced over at Rico, then back to Jack, and said, "Well, I guess I have something to show you. Follow us."

Daniel headed toward the crags, Rico falling in on one side of him, Jack on the other. As they drew close enough to see the opening, Jack whistled and said, "Okay, that was definitely not visible from the air."

Daniel smiled and kept going. Once inside, he reached down, picked up one of the flashlights they'd left near the door, flicked it on, and turned it on the walls. Rico picked up the second one, and Pablo, who was bringing up the rear, picked up the last one. All three lights played over the beautiful walls.

"This isn't why you're here, but I thought you guys might like a quick look at the ... artwork," Daniel murmured.

"My God, Daniel," Sam almost whispered. "It's beautiful, and these colors," she looked back at him, "they're like nothing I've ever seen."

"I know. Incredible, isn't it?"

"But who?" she asked, eyes back on the walls.

"The Ancients," he said reverently. He turned his flashlight to his left, toward the other opening, and said, "Come on, the main show is this way."

With some difficulty, they all turned from the beauty on the walls to follow Daniel through another door and down a long corridor. They passed another chamber and Jack stuck his head inside. Voice echoing, he asked, "What's in here, Daniel?"

"We haven't really had time to catalogue it all yet, but the Ancients basically left a history of themselves in that chamber. Not unlike our own time capsules."

Jack wrinkled his nose, said, "Artifacts", sniffed, then continued down the cool hall.

Grinning, Daniel entered the final chamber and immediately turned on the portable lights, then stood next to the far wall and the jeweled device, Rico taking the other side.

"Whoa, that looks just like a Gou'ald healing device," Sam said without thinking.

"Ixnay the Gou'alday, Carter," Jack said.

Shaking his head, Daniel said, "Jack, I said they're completely trustworthy."

"Yeah, yeah, no offense, but-"

"Jack, chill."

Jack's scarred eyebrow rose. "Chill?"

"Chill."

Rico smiled at the two men. There were strange emotions zipping back and forth between Daniel and his colonel, along with the repartee, but there was also a deep friendship. Rico found himself wondering why Daniel would have come here alone, in the shape he was in, if he had this Air Force colonel, this friend?

"Okay, so, once again, why am I here, now that I'm ... chilling?"

Daniel nodded at Rico, who raised his hand and 'knocked' on the opening. The others watched as his hand bounced back.

"Force field," Daniel said simply.

"It's like rubber," Rico added.

Jack held up the rifle case that undoubtedly held his P-90, and said, "What, you want me to blast it? Like I didn't notice the rifles leaning against the tent?"

"No, Jack, we don't need you to blast it, or anything else," Daniel said with an impatient shake of his head. "Rico, do it again, but this time, Jack, look at the squares below the chamber."

Rico tapped the field again, and all eyes watched as several strange symbols lit up, and remained aglow as long as Rico kept his fingers on the shield.

"I assume you translated that?" Jack asked.

"I did. It says that only one who has been touched by The Others may pass," Daniel said with significant look at Jack.

"The Others meaning the Ancients?" Jack asked.

Daniel nodded.

"O-kay, so how does that translate to needing me?"

Daniel's glasses bobbed up and down with his facial expression as he said, "Jack?"

"Daniel?"

Exasperated, Daniel held up his hands and mimicked something slipping over his head as he said, "Hello? Does 'download' ring a bell, Colonel 'I'm so special according to the Asgard' O'Neill?"

Jack frowned, then glanced at the shielded device. "So you're saying that I'm ... what, touched?"

"Has there ever been any doubt, Jack?" Daniel said with smirk.

"Ha-ha." He stepped closer and peered at the compartment, then said, "I'm not so sure, Daniel...."

Sam moved in and knuckled the shield, then pulled her knife from its sheath and tried to cut into it. Nothing happened. She tried again, putting all her strength into it, and again, nothing happened.

"We tried everything short of dynamite," Rico said.

She turned and faced Jack. "Sir, I'm sure that eventually I could figure this out, but from the troop movements we observed from the air, I don't think we have that kind of time. You might as well give it a try."

"Okay, then," Jack said as Sam stepped away.

Rico glanced over at Daniel to smile, but instead, frowned. Daniel had withdrawn as surely as if he'd left the chamber. His blue eyes were full of a sadness Rico didn't understand, but he had the urge to move to his side, to protect him. Unfortunately, at that moment, O'Neill stepped up to the shield, effectively blocking Rico.

"You sure it doesn't hurt... or anything?" Jack said as he tentatively reached out his hand.

"No, sir, it doesn't hurt... or anything," Sam said with a smile.

"Not that I'd care," Jack assured the group. "Being the macho Air Force colonel that I am."

"Of course, sir," Sam grinned.

Daniel actually stepped back several feet then. Rico watched him, then watched as the one called Teal'c, stepped to his side, allowing their shoulders to brush. Rico realized that the dynamics of the group had changed. He didn't like it.

"Okay, here's goes nothing," Jack said as he moved his hand toward the shield. His finger touched it... and bounced back. "Wow, it is like rubber," he said in awe. Then realizing that he hadn't penetrated the shield, he turned to where Daniel stood, now several feet away. "Guess I'm not as 'touched' as you thought, Daniel."

Daniel rubbed at his forehead, trying to erase the pain, and the frown he knew he was currently wearing. "I don't understand it, you should have been able to penetrate the shield, Jack."

"I do not believe he is the 'touched' one, DanielJackson," Teal'c offered.

Daniel looked up into his face, then his own frown cleared. "Of course, it has to be Sam... no, she already tried." His shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I believe there is only one individual who has truly been touched by the Ancients, DanielJackson. And he is in this room."

Jack snapped his fingers. "Of course, Teal'c. Good work. Daniel, he's talking about you."

Daniel looked up, and puzzled, asked, "Why would it be me?"

"You have had far greater contact with the Ancients than any other individual, have you not, DanielJackson? Were you not touched by the one called Oma? Have you not directly interacted with them-"

"Teal'c," Daniel interrupted, "Sam had her own bit of interaction with Orlin, remember? And she-"

"And are you not the one," Teal'c went on as if Daniel had never spoken, "who understood before anyone else, that the Ancients built the-"

"I think that's enough, Teal'c," Jack warned with a glance at Rico and the others.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Jack, I told you they're-"

"I know. They're trustworthy, but let's not stretch it, all right?"

Rico moved away from the wall and walked over to Daniel as he said, "They are right here, and all three of us can hear perfectly well. And we're not stupid."

"Of course not, I didn't mean-"

"Yes, you did, Jack. I trust all three of these men with my life, and thus with the secrets of the SGC," Daniel challenged.

"Daniel, this is a discussion for another time. Right now, we need to find what you came here to find."

"Sir," Sam interrupted in an effort to get the conversation back on the shield. "Isn't it obvious that it can't be Daniel? He's most certainly already tried."

"Damn, you're right," Jack said.

Blinking rapidly, Daniel said, "Well, actually, I never, you know," he made a motion with his hand, "touched it. Rico did, and Kio, and Pablo, but... not me."

Jack cocked his head. "Daniel?"

Daniel stared at the compartment, eyes wide, then shook his head. "No, no, you're wrong, Teal'c."

Canting his head, Teal'c said, "Please prove it, DanielJackson."

"Go ahead, Daniel," Rico encouraged.

Shrugging, Daniel walked up and with rather more force than necessary, plunged his fist toward the device.

"OW!"

Daniel quickly pulled his hand back, and waving it in the air, said, "That HURT!" He started blowing on his bruised knuckles as he said between puffs, "I thought you said it didn't ...hurt?"

Jack, a grin on his face, stepped in close and said, "You hit the device, Daniel, so of course it hurt."

"But you guys said... I what?"

"Watch my lips, Archaeology Boy. You. Hit. The. Device."

Daniel looked back at the compartment, then at Jack. "I did?"

"You did. Care to remove that thing now?"

Daniel reached out, and with a kind of wonder, touched the round, gold, jeweled device. His fingers grasped it, then slowly, he withdrew it. As he held it up, Pablo, Kio and Rico started to clap, and SG-1, led by Lou Ferretti, followed suit.

Grinning, Jack slapped Daniel on the back, then said, "All this time and you were the answer, Danny boy."

Daniel wasn't listening. He'd turned it over and was peering at the back. "There's writing here... I'll need some time to translate...."

Hand on Daniel's shoulder, Jack said softly, "Of course you will."

~~~

Daniel sat in the dirt of the chamber, a legal pad on his lap. His head was bent low as he studied the back of the device and, occasionally, scribbled on the pad. It had been two hours since he'd plucked the object from the shielded compartment. Ferretti and his people were on guard outside, Sam was in the second chamber room inspecting the items housed there, and Teal'c was in the first chamber with Kio and Pablo, who were explaining all that Daniel had told them. Jack and Rico were both standing together, watching Daniel work... and watching each other. Finally Jack jerked his head and indicated that Rico should follow him.

He headed outside and several feet away from anyone who could hear them. As Rico came alongside of him, he said, "So. How long have you known Daniel?"

"You brought me out here to ask that?"

Jack shrugged... and waited.

"I've known him for over fifteen years. When I first met him, he was barely out of his teens. Does that answer your question?"

Jack glanced back at the chamber as he asked, his voice strange, "What was he like then?"

Rico studied the man a moment, then said, "He was all arms and legs, clumsy, quiet, but with more intelligence than anyone I'd ever met. His hair was longer and kept falling into his face, and he was all over the ruins of Tiahuanaco, fascinated by them in spite of the fact that his field of study was Egyptology. He was certain that Tiahuanaco was built by men from the stars. I came to believe in his theories."

That drew Jack's gaze back to Rico. "You believed him?"

"I did."

"Maybe I like you after all," Jack mused.

"I am so pleased," Rico said sarcastically.

They stood a moment, Jack somewhat self consciously, and finally Rico asked, "I do not understand. You and Daniel appear to be friends, and yet, he came here, alone, unwell... and I am uncertain as to why."

Jack glanced back at the crag, and said softly, "Sometimes... friends let their friends down. We get caught up in other things and allow the important people in our lives to take a backseat."

"So... then you move them back up front, do you not?"

"You try, Doctor, you try."

"It's Rico. And something tells me that trying for you is the same as succeeding. You do not strike me as a man who fails."

"Maybe not, but sometimes, the damage is too great to overcome."

Rico stepped closer to Jack and seared him with a piercing look. "Do you not know Daniel at all?"

"I think I know him better than anyone, actually."

"Then how can you say the damage is too great to overcome? Daniel doesn't operate that way, surely you must know this? There is nothing you can not make right where Daniel is concerned. He battles his own enemies, Colonel O'Neill, and assumes that injuries done to him by others are his own fault."

"Yeah, I've noticed that character quirk of his."

"Then you know that you can undo any damage you believe you have caused him, yes?"

Eyes fixed on the crag, Jack said, "No, I don't know that."

"Then I am truly sorry for you, Colonel." With that, Rico walked back inside the chamber.

Jack stood a moment, swiped a hand over his face and through his short hair, then he too re-entered the chamber.

~~~

When Rico walked back into the chamber, Daniel was standing at the opposite wall and running his hand over the blocks. He could tell Daniel was onto something by the way the younger man stood, shoulders hunched, muscles tense. He continued to watch as Jack walked in.

"You figured it out?" Jack asked as he joined him at the wall.

"I think so," Daniel said. "Look up."

Before he could stop himself, Jack looked up. He grinned, whistled, and said, "Wow, a ceiling."

Chuckling, Daniel said, "Look closer. Anything seem... off, to you?"

Rico joined them and glanced upward. "It... there appears to be-"

"The corners don't meet where they should," Jack finished for Rico.

"Exactly. This wall is fake. The writing on the back of the this thing," he held up the device, "represents a riddle, and I think I've solved it. This wall is a fake and the whole thing is a giant puzzle."

Jack scratched the back of his head and said, "But they all look the same to me, Daniel. There aren't any symbols or markings...."

"No, but to answer the riddle, there doesn't have to be." Daniel moved to the corner and started counting upward. He counted six, then moved right six, then down six, then over seven. On the seventh square block, he pushed.

The wall receded, then swung inward and to the left. What was revealed was a ring set into a stone holder of sorts. It looked remarkably like the Stargate, only much smaller. So much so, it could easily have fit inside the Stargate.

"Okay, this is interesting," Jack said.

Daniel nodded, and with eyes wide, he moved into the chamber and walked slowly up to the ring. He touched it gently, and said, "It's ... it looks as though it's made of the same material as the 'Gate, Jack."

"But no symbols, so I'm guessing it's not a Stargate for midgets."

Daniel walked around to the back of the ring, and groaned.

"What? It wasn't that bad a quip."

"Actually, it was, but I was groaning because, of course, the back is covered by more writings. Probably the directions. And again, they've done a super job of combining several 'languages'. But the good news is... this is it, Jack. We can take it and this," he again held up the smaller device, "and get them both back to the SGC. I'll video the back and get started right away." He looked through the center and asked, "It'll fit, right?"

Understanding the question, Jack nodded. "It'll fit. We may have to run alongside, but, yeah, it'll fit." He moved toward the door and said, "I'll go get the guys and we'll see what we need to do to get this loaded up."

Jack hadn't taken two steps when they heard the shouting.

"COLONEL, WE NEED TO MOVE OUT - NOW!" Ferretti yelled from the outer chamber.

Puzzled, Jack hurried out and met Carter and Teal'c half-way.

"Sir, the Bolivian military is only a couple of miles away and Mobatay's people are scattering. We can expect to be overrun in less than an hour," Carter said breathlessly.

"Right. Get everyone in here. Daniel's found it, but it's a bit larger than anticipated. We need to remove it, load it and secure it."

Teal'c nodded and immediately turned around and headed back out while Carter hurried past Jack, headed for Daniel and the device.

~~~

"This is incredible, Daniel," Sam said as she walked around the ring. "But I don't see how it could possibly...."

Daniel lowered his video camera, watched Sam a moment, listened to her opinion, then tuned her out and ... slowly raised the camera and went back to taping the markings on the back of the ring.

~~~

Daniel stepped back and out of the way as the ring, now unlocked thanks to him, was carefully rolled down the makeshift ramp and onto the wheeled cart, courtesy of the Sea Stallion. Two marines began the quick process of tying down the ring with straps, and once secure, they rolled it out. Daniel gathered up his notes just as Jack said, "Okay, let's go, Daniel."

"I'm ready."

They headed out, but Jack should have known it wouldn't be that easy. Daniel, instead of continuing down the corridor and out, turned right into chamber number two. Jack fingered his P-90, which now rested against his chest, and considered using it to get Daniel the hell out and into the chopper. Instead, he turned back and entered the chamber.

"Daniel? Did we miss the part where we had just minutes left? Are we not hearing the sounds of battle?"

"We didn't, and we are," Daniel said somewhat abstractly.

"So why are we still here?"

"Because we need to find something. You think we're just going to leave that nice shiny door open for everyone and their uncle to see?"

"My uncle can't see two feet in front of him, but other than that... how the hell do you... sorry, do we... expect to find anything in here to... uhm, Daniel? What are you doing?"

Daniel had moved to a far corner and was picking up something that looked surprisingly like an old canister-type Hoover vacuum cleaner.

"I think this is what we're looking for," Daniel said as he inspected the item.

"We're going to vacuum up a bit, are we?"

Daniel inspected the long hose, then the body of the device. "Ah-ha, the on-off switch. Cool."

"Daniel, you're starting to worry me here."

"Starting? Only starting?" the younger man said as he passed Jack and exited the chamber.

Jack, frowning, followed as he said, "Okay, you always worry me, but would you mind sharing with -- us -- just what the hell that thing is?"

"Well, see, when we found the crag, the front was covered in a material that looked exactly like rock and dirt. We had to brush it off to reveal the door. I figure that the Ancients would have had to leave whatever they used to spray the door with, you know? Just in case they needed to cover it up again. And I think this," he held up the 'vacuum cleaner', "is it."

They were in the main chamber now, and Jack nodded as if he understood, which he most certainly did not. Daniel stopped at the door and indicated, with a sweeping motion of his hand, that Jack should preceded him out. Jack cocked his head. "Daniel?"

"I need to close the door? Hello?"

"Oh, right." Jack started out, then paused and asked, "And you know how?"

Daniel simply blinked at him.

"Right. You know how."

Jack walked outside and turned and faced the door. A moment later, Daniel exited and a second after that, the door slid shut with a soft sucking sound. Daniel immediately began spraying the front of the door. Just as he finished, sporadic machine gun fire could be heard. Jack judged that the battle was very close. He reached out and snagged Daniel's arm.

"Come on, everyone has already boarded the chopper. Let's get the hell out of Dodge."

"Go on, I'll be right behind you. I need to-"

Jack had heard that too many times. "Daniel, NOW."

"Jack, I have to go up," he pointed to the top of the crag. "I have to hide the panel that opens the chamber." He glanced over at the helicopter, the blades whirling silently, then back at Jack. "Can it pick me up from above?"

"Are you crazy?"

"Jack, I have to hide the panel."

"Hand me that thing," Jack said, disgust in his voice. "I'll go up."

"No offense, but I can do it a hell of a lot faster. Better knees, and I've already been up once."

Seeing Jack's indecision, Daniel added, "We didn't get a chance to really inspect the second chamber, Jack. We don't know what's in there. If someone lucks into finding that relief, and they touch any of the squares, they're bound to hit the right one, and that's it. Do we really want anyone-"

"Go, Daniel, but make it snappy."

Daniel hitched the canister over his shoulder and started climbing. Jack put on his sunglasses and watched as Daniel made his way up the side of the crag. He checked his watch and shook his head.

"COLONEL, MEN COMING UP FAST FROM THE EAST!" Carter yelled from the door of the chopper.

Jack could assume they weren't military. He turned east just as more gunfire, loud gunfire, erupted. He glanced up at Daniel, who'd made it only halfway, then over at the chopper. Damn.

"Daniel, so help me...."

Two marines, and two members of SG-2 jumped out of the chopper and ran toward him. Captain Elmore yelled, "GO, SIR. WE'LL PROVIDE COVER!"

Jack looked up at Daniel, who paused, glanced down, and mouthed, "Go," then started climbing even faster.

The marines and SG-2 came abreast and took up defensive positions. Jack knew he had no choice. He ran to the chopper.

From the ramp, he watched with the others as Daniel continued his climb. Two men broke through the brush on the other side of the crags, spotted the soldiers and immediately opened fire. Clearly the shooters weren't military, so the marines fired back. One man fell, the other started backing up -- until he spotted Daniel. Taking cover behind a tree, he aimed for Daniel's vulnerable back, and fired.

~~~

Daniel heard the rapid firing of weapons and knew without looking down that the battle had arrived. Since the marines were firing back, he knew it was Mobatay's men, not the Bolivian military. He only had a few feet to go....

Something slammed into the rock next to his right hand, spraying slivers of granite into his face and dislodging his hold. His foot slipped at the same time and only the firm grip of his other hand kept him from dropping like a stone. He somehow managed to swing back up, get a new foothold, and grab at another vine. He took two deep breaths, then hauled ass.

~~~

"DAMN IT!" Jack yelled as bullets hit the crag and Daniel almost fell. He started down the ramp, but Teal'c stopped him.

"I will go."

Teal'c jogged down the ramp and ran a few feet, then dropped to one knee, aimed his staff weapon at the crouching shooter, and fired. The man went down.

"Sir, look!"

Jack followed Carter's pointing finger. Daniel had made it to the top.

"Thank God," he said. "OKAY, TEAL'C, GET THOSE MARINES AND GET ABOARD! WE'LL GET DANIEL FROM ABOVE!"

Teal'c nodded, yelled at the others, and all five began backing toward the chopper. A minute later, they were lifting off just as more men broke through the bushes.

Two marines remained at the open door, ready to return fire if necessary. The chopper moved over to the crags and hovered as Ferretti and Teal'c lowered the ladder for Daniel, who was just finishing up the spraying. The men below hadn't seen him, and couldn't see him now, but as soon as he started climbing....

~~~

Daniel wiped his brow and turned off the machine. There was no longer any hint that a panel had existed. He kicked some brush over his handiwork, then stumbled back as the helicopter approached his location. The whirling blades blew loose brush into his face for a few moments, but then it rose higher until it was positioned directly overhead. He could see Ferretti, Teal'c, Jack and Sam, the first two ready to help him aboard, the second two ready to protect his back from the men below. The ladder came within reach....

~~~

"OKAY, CARTER, GET READY!" Jack yelled against the sound of the chopper.

Sam was in position and nodded. Both had their P-90's aimed on the clearing below, ready should any of the drug traffickers move forward.

"O'NEILL, TAKE MY PLACE!" Teal'c yelled.

Understanding immediately, Jack moved back, let Teal'c slide over, then he got down with Ferretti, ready to help Daniel.

~~~

Daniel reached up and managed to snag the bottom of the ladder. He gave an experimental tug, then yelled, "LOWER!"

The chopper lowered slightly and, hitching the canister around to his back, Daniel gave a slight jump. His fingers locked around the third rung up and he somehow found the strength to haul himself up, grab another rung, and yet another. He kept it up until he was high enough to actually climb the damn thing. Feet on the bottom rung, he stared up and into Jack's worried countenance.

"COME ON, DANIEL, GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR!"

Right. Ass. In gear.

Daniel started climbing.

~~~

Teal'c could see the figures below readying themselves to shoot at Daniel. He aimed his weapon and fired - once. As expected, the men fell back, in awe of the power unleashed by his staff. He glanced down and could see that his friend was over halfway up.

More men poured out from the brush, but before Teal'c could fire, Doctor Rubalcava tapped his shoulder and pointed. Now Teal'c could see the soldiers. He smiled grimly. The men below would be too busy with the Bolivian Army to bother with DanielJackson.

~~~

Jack held his breath. The canister on Daniel's back was swinging and hitting him continually, but Daniel kept climbing. After what seemed an eternity, Jack was reaching down, wrapping his fingers around Daniel's wrists, then hauling him up and into the chopper. He gripped the back of the man's jeans... and pulled. Daniel landed on top of him.

"Yes, well. Seems I made it," Daniel huffed into Jack's face.

Jack looked up at Daniel, and said, "Would seem so. You know," he added as the doors slid shut and the chopper started climbing, "I could have sworn you'd lost weight, but right now, I'm guessing... no."

Daniel scrambled up, and brushing off his jeans, said, "Sam, you might have some fun with the stuff in here." He handed her the canister. "It actually simulates a living material that fosters the growth of plants. It's what the Ancients used to hide the chamber."

He turned to Rico, Kio and Pablo, and said, "Hey guys, long time no see."

"You certainly know how to show a guy a good time, Daniel," Kio said with a grin.

Rico slapped Daniel on the back, waved away the dust that arose, and said, "I've been telling him that for years."

Jack rolled over, watched the interaction, frowned at the sudden surge of jealousy, and then grimaced when he realized that Daniel's friends, together with Daniel, were more like SG-1... than SG-1.

~~~

The landing at Cochabamba went smoothly, as did Jack's report to a Captain Salas of the Bolivian Army, and evidently a friend of Hammond's. He wisely left out any mention of alien weapon usage by an alien Jaffa named Teal'c. Watching Daniel say good-bye to his friends, that wasn't so easy. The only thing that redeemed the moment was the fact that Rico, Kio and Pablo were going to be allowed to work with the special team being sent in by the SGC to further investigate Daniel's find. Jack knew full well that it was Daniel's hope that all three would eventually be offered positions with the SGC.

But for now, they had to say good-bye.

"Don't worry, my friend. We will take good care of your discovery," Rico said with a smile. "But I will miss you, Daniel. This has been more fun than any of us have experienced in years."

"Just like old times then," Kio quipped. "Whenever Daniel was around, there'd be adventure."

Daniel shot a quick glance over his shoulder, put his finger to his lips, and said, "Ssh, not so loud. I have a reputation to protect, you know?"

Rico laughed and pulled the younger man into his arms. "Oh, I think that reputation has long since been destroyed, Daniel."

They hugged, then Daniel shook hands with Kio and Pablo. "I'm going to miss you guys, and thanks, for everything," he added meaningfully.

Jack tapped Daniel on the arm and said, "We've got to go, Daniel."

Daniel nodded, shared a final look with his friends, then joined Jack to walk toward the plane that would take them home. They climbed the steps, and as Jack went inside to join Sam and Teal'c. Daniel gave a wave, and a final look at Rico, Kio and Pablo, before going inside.

~~~

As tired as he was, Daniel found that, once again, he couldn't sleep on the flight. He should have been able to drop off immediately, after all, he'd found what he'd been looking for, but sleep continued to elude him, his curiosity his undoing. He reached under the seat in front of him and pulled out his pack. He took the video camera out, along with his journal, pen and two reference books. He glanced around and, satisfied that he wouldn't be bothering anyone, clipped his buddy light to the journal, turned on the camera, and started working on the translation.

From across the aisle, Jack stirred, twisted in his seat, and woke up. He rubbed his eyes, checked his watch, and realized he'd only been asleep for a little over an hour. In looking around, he noticed that he was the only one awake... if you didn't count Teal'c, who was deep in kel-no-reem. And Daniel. Who was deep in... writing.

Jack undid his seat belt and got up, stepped into the aisle and walked the two steps over to Daniel. Since no one was seated next to him, Jack sat down.

"Sleep would be good right about now, Daniel."

"Can't. Tried. Thought I'd get a head start on this."

"This being the stuff on the back of the ring?"

"Yeah, Jack. The 'stuff''."

"Carter doesn't think the ring can-"

"I know." Daniel kept writing.

Jack felt as though he'd just made a major error, but was clueless as to what it had been. He decided on a different tack.

"You have a headache, don't you?"

Daniel put the pen down and turned in his seat. "Jack, it's been a long day. I'm betting you have a headache."

"I do, and its name is Daniel. But that's hardly news."

A dull flush crept up Daniel's neck to his face. He picked up the pen and went back to work.

Perhaps another tack was needed.

"Did anyone clean that?"

"Clean what?"

Jack wiggled his finger at the side of Daniel's face. "That. Your face."

"I've been bathing on my own for years, Jack."

"I mean the cuts."

"Yes, I took care of it back at the base."

"Ah. Must hurt."

"Not really."

"Looks bad."

Daniel closed his eyes, counted to ten, then opened them. "Thanks, Jack."

"I was just saying... that's all."

Jack drummed his fingers on the armrest. Daniel clenched his jaw.

"Am I bothering you?"

"No, Jack, you're not. Your fingers are, but you're not."

Jack stopped. "Yes. Well. Guess I'll go back and try and get some shut-eye."

"Good idea."

"Or ... I could just sit here and sleep."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Jack stayed where he was, and while feigning sleep, he watched Daniel work... and received quite an education.

He learned that Daniel spoke silently to himself, lips moving softly as he puzzled out various symbols. He also had a habit of gently, almost soundlessly, tapping his pen when he was stuck, and his leg jiggled when he was on the brink of a breakthrough. He had an intimate knowledge of the books he was using and flipped quickly and efficiently through them until finding a particular reference.

Jack also learned that Daniel simply didn't stop, which in this case, meant that he had to have the greatest bladder known to man. Jack was going to have to clue Frasier in on the little miracle of science that was his archaeologist.

He would have loved to have discovered more, but after his third trip to the closet that served as a bathroom aboard the transport, he finally succumbed to real sleep.

~~~

Daniel looked at the small, jeweled device, then at the picture currently frozen on his video cam. If he understood correctly, it wasn't just the key, it was also a kind of an on-off switch, but how?

Damn. He gave a small shake of his head, and realized something heavy was pressing down on his shoulder. He glanced sideways....

Jack's head was on his shoulder.

Jack was asleep... on his shoulder.

Daniel very carefully transferred his pen to his left hand, grateful once again for being ambidextrous. He went back to work.

~~~

The landing at Schriever was completed without any problems, the ring transferred to a large Army truck just as easily. No one was surprised when Daniel insisted on riding in the truck with the object.

It had been decided to move the ring down to the lab next to Sam's so tables had already been set up. While Daniel worked on the translations, Sam and her crew would test, investigate, and basically have a ball. Daniel figured Siler was foaming at the mouth and wiping the froth away with fingers itching to get to work on the ring.

Now, as he followed the ring into the mountain, he wondered if it would all be taken away from him and given to Jamison. He also wondered if he'd be able to handle it if it were.

In the elevator, two silent marines and one mysterious junior Stargate wannabe his only company, Daniel gave silent voice to the thought that if his worse case scenario came to pass, it might be more than he could take.

The elevator slid open to reveal Jack, hand braced against the wall. As the marines wheeled the ring out and turned left, Jack snagged Daniel's shirt and steered him right.

"Uhm... Jack? I need to-"

Jack gave an exaggerated sniff and said, "Shower? Isn't that what you were going to say?"

Daniel blinked back at him and said, "Shower?"

"Shower, Daniel. Trust me on this."

Daniel allowed himself to be dragged to the locker rooms. Once there, Jack said as he gave Daniel a small push, "Go, be clean, be next to Godliness, the SGC will love you for it."

Daniel lifted his arm and sniffed. His nose scrunched up. "You know, I think I'll take a shower."

"No, really? What an idea."

Daniel turned and headed for the showers, stripping as he went, a feat that involved some pretty nifty moves as he got his boots and socks off as well. Jack looked heavenward, then followed along, picking up the discarded clothing as he went. He paused when he realized Daniel was about to step out of his jeans, then muttered, "Been there, seen that." He kept right on going until he had all of Daniel's dirty clothing in his arms.

With a start, he realized he was standing in the shower room, arms full, while a naked Daniel showered.

Oddly enough, he had absolutely no desire to leave.

Daniel was under the far shower, which left his back to Jack. He was standing under the rush of steamy hot water, head lowered, hands flat against the wall in front of him. It was obvious that he had no idea someone was watching him.

Jack once again found himself in dumbfounded land.

He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. For a man in his late forties, who'd been around the world, seen everything there was to see, including a tropical paradise on a planet with three moons, that was saying something.

A vague question about where Daniel's glasses were flitted across his mind, but his body was so involved with Daniel and his shower that he couldn't honestly give any time to answering it.

Lord, Daniel's legs really did go on forever. And had they always been so finely muscled? Had Daniel always possessed such broad shoulders and beautifully slim waist? As his gaze slipped lower, Jack stomped down on any mental comments or questions about Daniel's... Daniel's....

Aw, God.

His fingers clutched at the clothes as if they were those firm ... round....

Suddenly he could imagine his thumbs rubbing across Daniel's smooth pale skin, parting the near perfect cheeks....

God, it was hot in here.

Jack brought his gaze up to the small of Daniel's back and he realized he was having some difficulty breathing. He could almost sense how that tender sweet spot would feel beneath his lips.

"ATTENTION, COLONEL O'NEILL!"

Okay... yelling at himself hadn't worked. The soldier in him was just as enthralled with the wet and naked Daniel as the man was. He was thoroughly disgusted with both soldier and man. But not enough to leave.

His steadfast dedication to watching Daniel ended the moment Daniel reached for the soap. Jack figured he hadn't moved that fast since... 1996, and considering his hard on...

Back in the locker room, he juggled the dirty clothing while reaching for a laundry bag. Eyes closed, he got it open and stuffed everything inside, afraid that the urge to smell the musky sweat would be too much. He labeled the bag with one of Daniel's laundry tags and tossed it into the bin.

Okay, he really needed to control his breathing.

He sat down and, with arms resting on his thighs, tried to figure out what had just happened.

Jack was no stranger to lusting after men, to being with men -- although it had been a while -- but he was most definitely a stranger to lusting after Daniel.

Which begged another question; why was it so strange to be lusting after Daniel? Who better to lust after if not Daniel? Was there a more beautiful man, inside and out, anywhere? Not hardly.

Was there a better friend?

Not hardly.

Jack suddenly remembered a comment Daniel had made while trying to defend Kira.

"Who would you trust with your life more than anyone else in the world? Don't worry, I won't be offended if you don't pick me. Could it be TEAL'C?"

Jack also remembered his less than stellar response.

"Sure."

In reality, Jack realized that there was no one he trusted more than Daniel to watch out not just for him, but for the SGC as well.

Jack heard the shower shut off and found himself rudderless. Should he go, or stay?

Jack had the medals to prove his courage - so he ran.

~~~

Daniel toweled off, then slung the towel around his neck. He grabbed a second one, tied it around his waist, and headed out to the locker room. Walking over to his locker, he wasn't surprised to find Jack gone. The man had done his duty and protected the SGC from Daniel's manly sweat. Daniel dressed quickly, then grabbed his kit and headed to the sinks. He shaved and brushed his teeth, then packed everything back into his locker, dumped the towels, and headed to the lab. He had work to do.

~~~

Daniel's stomach rumbled, and Sam, from her perch on a rolling ladder, said, "Someone's hungry."

Daniel couldn't argue, thanks to his body.

"Go, eat, satisfy," she said as she held a vibrascope up to the ring.

He put his pen down, stretched, and decided that since he'd very likely hear again how the ring couldn't possibly stop any kind of attack from Anubis, eating would be a good thing.

"Want me to bring you anything, Sam?"

She waved him off, her attention glued to the ring. He remembered she'd taken a food break an hour earlier, so he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked out. He knew it was late, the quiet halls bearing testament to the fact, so he figured there probably wouldn't be anything good left in the commissary. He had chocolate in his office. He changed direction. A few minutes later he was munching happily on a Nestle Crunch bar. Probably not the healthiest food he could have chosen, but damn, it was good. Now all he needed was coffee. He glanced over his shoulder, debated starting his coffeemaker, then decided it was easier to simply go back to Sam's lab. He started to leave, remembered another candy bar he'd hidden, and walked over to the shelves. He lifted an ancient Egyptian box down, opened it, and plucked the bar out. He slipped it into his pocket and replaced the box, then left, closing the door after him.

Heading back to Sam's lab, he wondered how Rico and the others were doing with the chambers and all the goodies. He envied them. He knew what he was doing was important, that the ring was the key to protecting Earth, but still - he'd love to be back in Bolivia, with his -- friends.

Funny how Rico, Kio and Pablo seemed to be more....

No, he wouldn't go there. Sam and Teal'c were still his friends, and even Jack had been acting more like the friend he remembered. But being a good friend wasn't what made a good teammate, you needed respect for that, and that was an ingredient still missing. Not that he could blame them. He had far more failures to his credit than successes.

He wondered if he'd ever be able to garner their respect? Because he had to admit - it mattered. It mattered a great deal.

~~~

The silence was almost oppressive. Usually Daniel enjoyed it, but not now. Sam and her crew had left at midnight, with Sam trying to get Daniel to close shop for the night. He'd told her he would, but of course he'd been on a roll, and now, two hours later, was still at work. His translations were moving slowly, thanks to the strange manner in which the symbols were arranged, and he continued to have the feeling that he was missing an important clue. Maybe if he put his head down... just for a few minutes. Just to rest his eyes....

~~~

"He looks cute when he drools, doesn't he?"

"I do not see this... cute."

"Teal'c, you're impossible."

"Perhaps we should wake him?"

Sam placed a hand on Daniel's back and rubbed gently. "Daniel?"

Daniel jerked back, gulped, and said intelligently, "Wha'?"

"It's after eight in the morning, Daniel."

He sat up, blinked, rubbed his eyes, and said, "What time is it again?"

"After eight. And would I be right if I said you never left last night?"

"Uhm, well... see - yes." He got up, rubbed a hand over his face, and added, "And if you'll excuse me, I think I'll just," he pointed at the door, "go, you know...."

He beat a hasty retreat to take care of business.

~~~

Feeling decent again after using the bathroom and brushing his teeth, Daniel hurried back to the lab, ducked his head when Sam gave him a knowing look, gathered up his notes, the smaller device and his camera, then with a quick, "I'm going up top," he left, eager for some fresh air to clear out the cobwebs.

Once above ground, he walked over to one of his favorite spots about three-hundred yards away, sat down on a fallen log, and went back to work.

~~~

"Hey, where's Daniel?" Jack asked as he walked into the lab.

"He went up top, needed some fresh air," Sam responded.

He walked up behind her and tried to look over her shoulder at whatever she had under the microscope. "Whatcha got?"

"I managed to get some scrapings from the ring, but so far, no luck on identifying the material. And no, it's not made of the same metal as the Stargate, sir. Of all the new minerals we've come across in our travels through the 'Gate, this one takes the cake."

"So you've changed your mind?"

"Sir?" Sam asked, puzzled.

"About it being what we need to protect us from Anubis."

"Well, sir, just because it's something we haven't seen before, doesn't mean it can do anything for us. I'll be testing these scrapings later, see what they can withstand, but," she straightened, "the very fact that I could even scrape some of this off...."

She shrugged, her gesture saying more than words could.

"I take it you couldn't scrape anything off our 'Gate?"

"No, sir."

"So that's why Hammond hasn't called Jamison back yet."

Sam shrugged.

He studied the ring, thought back to his conversation with Daniel's friend, Rico, went even further back, to his ambivalence toward Daniel's theory that Jack could penetrate the shield and touch the device, and to the fact that it was only after Carter had urged him, that he'd done it.

His mind carried him even further back - to Kheb. To the moment when a barefoot Daniel had exited the building and asked them to put down their weapons. What had he said again? Oh, yeah.

"Jack, if you're ever going to trust me on anything, now is the time."

Jack could see the moment so clearly - Teal'c and Bra'tac lowering their weapons, but not Jack. And not Carter. Then Bra'tac had spoken....

"We must do it."

Jack had finally lowered his weapon, Carter following suit.

He finally got it. He glanced back at Carter, who was back to studying the ring, and he said, "Carter, let's give this a chance, all right? We've seen some pretty miraculous things in the last several years, so let's... just give this a chance. Give Daniel a chance."

"Sir?"

He waved his hand at the ring and repeated, "Just give it a chance, Major."

Jack left, his intent to find his archaeologist.

~~~

He could have spent the night thinking about what had happened in the showers, not to mention his time loop regret, but being the man he was, he'd chosen to drown his thoughts in a bottle of good Scotch whiskey. But now, now he faced his feelings but not what to do about them. He hadn't come that far just yet. Right now, he just wanted to see Daniel. Maybe a few answers would come along.

When he got to the surface, he knew exactly where to go, and sure enough, there was Daniel, far enough away from the goings on of the mountain that they could talk easily and without fear of being overheard.

The morning was cool and crisp, with a slight breeze rifling through the trees. Sunlight danced its way through the branches, dotting the ground around Daniel. Jack stopped several feet away, suddenly unsure of what to do, so content to simply watch him for a moment. At least this time he didn't feel like some kind of pervert. Daniel was fully clothed. Damn it.

As the minutes ticked by, Jack found it amazing that Daniel didn't have a clue that he was being observed. Years of working with soldiers, and his internal sensors, still didn't register a thing.

Okay, that was probably unfair. If Jack were a Goa'uld, Daniel would undoubtedly be on top of the situation.

Jack squashed all sudden visions of Daniel on - top -- of anything.

The breeze picked up a bit and Daniel leaned forward, evidently protecting his papers by using his body as a buffer. Jack frowned as he caught Daniel's profile. What was wrong with this picture?

It took two minutes of study for Jack to figure it out. Daniel was what was wrong. Sitting on the log, shoulders hunched over, head bent, hand pushing the pen across the tablet perched on his crossed leg, Daniel was completely self-contained. It was as if... as if he'd journeyed to another plane of existence that kept him separate from his friends.

Jack felt his stomach turn at the realization, but at the same moment the proverbial bolt of lightning struck.

This was how it had always been for Daniel.

Always different, always separate, always forced into this... this... cocoon of himself.

Given all that he knew of Daniel, it was pretty easy to figure that his early years in foster homes had left him, more often than not, on the outside,. In later years, it was a no-brainer that Daniel had always been the different drummer. He seemed to have spent his life running against the flow of traffic and beating that weird drum. He fought against the accepted and railed against those who thought with unimaginative minds, never moving out of their self-imposed boxes. Obviously this cocoon thing he had going had been a form of self-preservation when he was younger, and protective coloring later. Jack also suspected that it was often a mixture of voluntary and involuntary, like now.

An involuntary act in the beginning as a result of his teammates living and moving around him for months, leaving him behind, ignoring his advice, discounting his expertise, and discarding his instincts. Voluntary now because in being left behind, he needed it in order to function and survive.

Two or three years ago Daniel Jackson would never have gone to Bolivia by himself. He'd have argued, nagged and talked incessantly until Hammond agreed to allow him to go - with SG-1 as his backup. But back then, Daniel had felt a part of SG-1.

Not knowing what to do to fix Daniel, and confused as hell, he shoved his hands in his pockets, turned around, and quietly headed back the way he'd come.

~~~

Daniel yawned and put his pen down. He glanced up and squinted into the sun, then turned his head and looked back at the approximate spot where Jack had recently been standing. Daniel had been fully aware of his presence, had waited for Jack to announce himself, and when he hadn't, when he'd finally walked away, Daniel hadn't been surprised. He checked his watch and decided to stay out for another hour.

~~~

"I take it the news isn't good?" he asked Carter from across his desk.

They were seated in his office, at Sam's request, and Jack was pretty sure he didn't want to hear what Sam was about to answer. He'd left a note in the lab, asking Daniel to see him once he came back down just in case Carter came up with something definitive. He sat back in his chair and added, "You have finished all your testing, right?"

Sam took a deep breath... and said, "Yes, sir. And while it is unique, well, in spite of your ... order... to give it a chance, we're all of the opinion that it simply can't be, by itself, a defense against Anubis."

Jack grasped at a straw and asked, "By itself? What about the smaller device, the one that looks like the healing thingy?"

"We think it's simply a key. We have no doubt that the ring does something, but...."

Jack had the urge to ask her who the infamous 'we' were, but he refrained. He was feeling too sick to his stomach. This wasn't what he'd wanted to hear, and he knew damn well it wasn't what Daniel would want to hear.

"I see," he finally said.

Sam stood up and said, "Who's... I can tell him... if you want?"

One word took root in his brain: Trust.

Shaking his head, Jack said, "That won't be necessary, Major. You see, I think he'll pull this out because he's right about that... whatever it is... and it will do exactly what its purported to do... or be... or ... whatever."

Sam looked shocked by his words, but she took it gamely and said, "Yes, sir."

She started for his door, but he stopped her. "Carter, just this once, do you think you can trust Daniel? Put your scientific theories aside, put what you think you know aside, and go with him?"

"I... sir, I-"

"Give it a try, Carter. Trust him."

Slowly she nodded. "All right, sir."

"Thank you."

~~~

Daniel needed one more book and, once out of the elevator, he had to pause in order to remember if it was in his office or at home.

Here. Definitely.

At his lab, he found a note on the door - from Jack. He peered at it, deciphered Jack's squiggles, and figured out that he wanted to see him. Daniel peeled the paper from his door, unlocked it, and once inside, went to his shelves, hunted for the book, and once found, it was tucked under his arm as he headed out.

~~~

He couldn't seem to wipe the smile from his face. Putting all his faith behind Daniel was simply... smile producing. He pulled a couple of reports out of his in-box, and started signing.

"Jack?"

The pen dropped from his fingers at the sound of Daniel's voice. He looked upto see his friend standing on the threshold of his office. Smile still in place, he asked, "Hey, Danny, you saw my note?"

Looking somewhat distracted, Daniel nodded. He held up the book and said, "I really need to get back to work, so," he wiggled his head, "what's up?"

"For heaven's sake, come on in."

Daniel looked at the book, then at Jack. Jack must have won because Daniel walked slowly inside, gaze traveling warily around the room. Jack could almost understand it considering that Daniel was rarely in his office. Hell, Jack was rarely in it. He was about to ask Daniel to sit down when the younger man's face split into a wide grin.

"You recreated it, Jack," he said as he walked over to the credenza and bookshelves that took up the south wall. He picked up a lovely pottery bowl and turned it in his hands. "You glazed it too," he said, admiration coloring his voice.

Jack felt a proud grin tug at the corners of his mouth - then it hit him.

His skin went cold and he could have sworn his heart had stopped.

Daniel was still twirling the bowl in his hands while Jack fought to find speech. He finally stood, unsteadily, and braced himself by placing his palms flat on his desk.

"How... how do you... I never told...."

Daniel's back stiffened, but his voice was deceptively calm as he answered, "You must have. How else would I know that you made this?" He put the bowl down, turned around, and asked, "So what did you need?"

His face, eyes, all spoke total innocence and yet Jack sensed the fear. It was deeply buried, but it was there and was equal to his own.

And it meant... that Daniel... that Daniel....

No. It was impossible, and inconceivable that Daniel could remember the ... that any part of the ... that Daniel, and Daniel alone, could remember....

The time loops.

"Somehow you know I made that, and yet it's impossible for you to know because I made it for the first time during the time loops, then recreated it afterwards. I never told a soul that I learned how to throw pottery during the loops, nor that I was still trying it."

Daniel's body language whispered calm, but again, Jack could sense the fear.

"Jack, you must have told me, you've just forgotten, that's all," he said with the kind of voice you use on children and mental patients.

"I never told you, I never told anyone." Jack moved around his desk and joined Daniel. "You remember," he said with finality.

"That's impossible, Jack. You know that," Daniel said with same deceptive calm.

"Yeah, I know that - but you remember."

They did their version of the ever popular childhood game of who can stare at the other the longest - and Jack won. Daniel's eyes finally drifted down and Jack guessed they were fixed on his shoes. He said the only thing that came to mind.

"How?"

"Does it matter?" Daniel said, head still down as he fidgeted with a paperweight on the credenza.

"It matters, considering...."

Another thought hit, a thought worse than anything he could imagine, and he had to voice it.

"Others... who else... if you remember... God, Carter," he finally exclaimed.

Daniel's head shot up as he rushed to assure Jack with, "No, Jack. No. She doesn't remember, and don't worry, I'll never tell her about... about the ... you know... the kissing thing." He took a step toward Jack, his expression earnest, and added, "I know how you feel, Jack, and you don't need to worry. I'd never say anything."

Jack was suddenly assaulted by everything that was Daniel. They were standing so close, and he could smell Daniel's aftershave, could see every emotion in his eyes, and he could see the way his lips were parting to reassure him again. He watched, fascinated, as Daniel's hand came up and rested on his forearm. The touch, that simple touch, seemed to burn through his sleeve... but Daniel had seen him kiss Sam.

And he wished he'd kissed Daniel instead.

And he'd seen him in the showers, had wanted him, as he wanted him now, wanted him more than he'd ever wanted anything or anyone.

Except -- Daniel had seen him kiss Sam.

"How?" he managed to ask when all he wanted to do was kiss Daniel.

"I was just on my way into the control room. I saw you walk in and hand Hammond your resignation, then... well, you know."

"No, how could you remember?" he said softly, his tender gaze caressing Daniel's face.

"Oh, that. Well, I have a theory, sort of, one that Sam would probably blow apart, but you see, when Malachai killed me-"

Jack thudded to Earth.

"Excuse me? What the hell do you mean - Malachai KILLED you?"

"Hey, don't yell. Look, when I started questioning him and getting too close, he shot me with that weapon, then dragged me out of sight-"

"I know that part, Daniel. Tell me the part I don't know, the part about how you getting killed -- again. Carter went to you immediately and she never-"

"She never had a chance, Jack. By the time she got to me, I was already out of... uhm, you know, floating above all of you. She started to check my vitals, but then you and Teal'c were hit by the electrical charge. That got her attention and she yelled your name, and of course, the loop started then."

Trying to deal with the idea that Daniel had died again, Jack absorbed his words... and found himself still confused.

"Okay, so you died. How does that translate into you remembering the loop?"

"Oh. Well, that one is kind of weird. See... when you and Teal'c started in on Malachai, I was... I was headed up, see? Only I saw you ... and you were in trouble, and I drifted down and over to you."

Jack waited, but Daniel's expression told him he was supposed to understand - which he didn't. "I don't understand."

"Uhm... my ... you know," he pointed up, "my soul was trapped in the loop too."

Again Jack waited, and again Daniel wore the same "get it now?" expression. Jack didn't get it and said so.

"I was dead, Jack. My soul was trapped in the loop, but in the loop, I was alive because it was the past. When the loop ended, the past me was then in the present, along with my soul, which, I suspect -- well, obviously it did, I mean, I'm not standing here without one, so yeah, my soul and the past me kind of combined when we walked back through the 'Gate. Once through, the past me met up with my soul and, well, obviously I remembered the loop."

Jack felt like he's just run a marathon. He took several breaths, then said, "Is that it?"

Daniel appeared to look up at his eyebrows as even, white teeth closed down on his bottom lip. "Mmm, yeah, that's it."

"I can't fucking believe that you died again. When are you going to stop?"

"I don't do it on purpose, Jack," he said in a reasonable tone.

"You know, I think you do." At the incredulous look on Daniel's face, Jack said, "No, really, I think you do it on purpose."

Daniel looked...stupefied. There was no other word. His mouth was hanging open and he was staring at Jack with a look of such utter disbelief that Jack almost laughed. Would have laughed if not for the fact that they were talking about his having been killed. Again.

Daniel finally closed his mouth and his expression went from stupefied to impatient. "That's ridiculous and you know it. On the other hand, if dying pisses you off, well, there could be some satisfaction in that for me. Now, if you have nothing else, Colonel, I have work to do."

Funny how a moment can take on a kind of surreal importance. Jack knew deep in his bones that if he let Daniel walk out now, he'd be saying good-bye to his last chance at... at what?

At a life with Daniel.

At life.

An incredible sense of calm stole over him -- and with a confidence he couldn't believe he possessed -- Jack stepped into Daniel's space. He watched as the younger man's eyes widened with suspicion, but he just smiled, a rather smug smile, as he moved closer still.

"Umm, Jack?"

Jack could feel Daniel's breath brush his face, could see his pupils dilating, and slowly, and with several pauses, Jack began to lower his head....

"Umm, Jack?" Daniel whispered again, his darkening eyes fixed on Jack's mouth.

"Mmm?" Jack murmured as he came within lip-reach of Daniel's mouth.

"Wha'... whatcha doin'?"

"Oh, umm, studying," he whispered.

Jack put his hand on Daniel's hip.

"Studying... what?" Daniel breathed out, his body subconsciously leaning forward and up to meet Jack.

Jack raised his left hand and touched Daniel's lower lip with his finger. "That," he said softly. He watched those lips form into a perfect, round 'o', and he couldn't stand it, he had to do it....

He kissed him.

Daniel kissed him back.

That surprised Jack more than anything else. And just as soon as they were done with the kissing thing, he'd ask him about it, but for now... man, this was nice.

No, no, nice was an understatement. Kissing Daniel Jackson, stroking that silky tongue, and being stroked in return, exploring each other's mouths... spectacular was the only word. And otherworldly. And unfuckingbelievable. That was a good word too.

The saliva-sharing session came to a slow and easy end, and in spite of the flushed appearance and swollen lips of the man whose mouth he'd so recently invaded, Jack felt the overwhelming need to say something... so he did.

"I've been wishing for weeks that it had been you I'd kissed during that damn loop, Danny." Daniel started to say something, but Jack held up a hand and said, "I know, I know, I kissed Sam. Chalk it up to attraction, to curiosity, to feelings I thought I had and the whole 'no consequences' thing, okay?"

"Jack? I was just going to say that I don't know what brought this on, and I'm grateful, mind you, but you're pretty good at the whole tonsil excavating thing yourself, that's all."

Jack smiled brilliantly and rubbed a thumb gently over Daniel's bottom lip. "Oh, yeah? Well, you're not bad yourself, Doctor Jackson."

"Yeah, well, it's been a few months. I was afraid I might have forgotten... things."

"Fortunately for me, you haven't forgotten a thing."

Daniel smiled lazily, then zeroed in on Jack's mouth. "Care to do some more... exploring?"

"My pleasure, Danny boy, my pleasure."

This time the kiss was hot and demanding as both men let everything they felt and needed, out. Daniel's kiss had a touch of desperation to it, a fact that, in spite of his rising passion, Jack felt. He poured every ounce of his love for the man into the kiss, and prayed Daniel would read the signals.

At some point it hit Jack that they were kissing in his office... at the SGC... in Cheyenne Mountain. Not a good thing. He started to pull away, and was heartened by the groan of disappointment that transmitted itself to him from Daniel. He rested his lips against Daniel's temple and murmured, "Office."

"You want to do it in your office?" Daniel murmured back, his smile pressed against Jack's jaw.

"Someday, sure, but today? I'm thinking... no."

"Chicken," Daniel said with a soft laugh.

Jack leaned back a bit so that he could see Daniel's face, and asked, "You seem to be taking all this rather well, Daniel. I'd have to assume you've been thinking about this for a bit, too?"

"Ya think?"

"Well, it was either that, or you're really desperate."

"That too," Daniel said with a chuckle.

Jack slipped his hand under Daniel's shirt and tee shirt, then slipped it between his waistband and warm skin. "Dare I bring up business?" he asked with a grin, his hand sliding further down.

Daniel arched slightly, and said, "This is an office. I think business is completely appropriate."

Fingers grazing the beautiful ass he'd seen in the showers, Jack asked, "Any progress?"

Daniel closed his eyes and gave a small sigh of contentment as he said, "I think I've got it, I just need to figure out how to use the smaller device. The book I brought in may have the reference I need... oh, that's nice," he murmured as Jack's hand gently gripped one cheek.

"Mmm. So you're pretty sure that ring is what we're looking for?" Jack asked as he slipped a finger between the two cheeks.

Daniel arched his body again, this time sharply and with a groan of pleasure. "Yesss," he managed to say.

Jack bent his head and started nibbling at Daniel's neck as he teased Daniel with his finger. He was rewarded with a quickening of Daniel's breathing and another sweet moan.

"Ja-ack... door... is it... locked?"

Cold water wouldn't have been more effective. And he was the one who'd done the reminding that they were in his office.

"Shit," he said, the pain of having to stop almost as bad as being hit by a staff weapon.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed as, reluctantly, he pulled away.

Jack had to release him, drawing his hand away with real regret. Daniel coughed slightly, blinked as the blood rushed back where it belonged, then smiled dazedly. Jack, his own blood moving back to his head, grinned happily. Time was on their side now.

"So why don't we go to your office and you do what you need to do with that book of yours, okay?"

His breathing returning to normal, Daniel shook his head. "You in my office will guarantee no work. I'm thinking... you stay here, I go to my office, and if all goes well, you'll hear me yell in jubilation when I crack this puzzle. Then you can come running."

Cocking his head, Jack said, "You know, I don't like that idea. Now that... now that we're... you know, I don't want to leave you alone for a second. Let me come with you. I promise to stay a discreet distance away, I'll be quiet, and I'll even bring some of my own work to do. What do you say?"

Daniel stared at him for a minute, then, surprisingly, said, "Okay."

Jack had the urge to yell, "YOOHAW!" but he refrained.

~~~

Daniel stared at the words in front of him... and they were meaningless. He was acutely conscious of Jack seated across from him and studiously reading and signing reports. In the last two hours, everything he'd ever wanted had been handed to him, and now he was stumped. He didn't have a clue how or why it had happened, but suddenly Daniel wasn't alone.

Maybe Jack was under the influence of some alien... something or other.

"Jack?"

"Mmm?"

He pushed his glasses back up his nose and asked, "Are you ... really you?"

Without looking up, Jack answered, "As opposed to?"

"I don't know... an alien, maybe?"

Jack put his pen down and regarded him with assessing eyes. "An alien? Because I kissed you?"

"Well, you have to admit, it doesn't make sense otherwise."

"Really? I couldn't have just wanted to, huh?"

"Out of the clear blue?"

"Matches your eyes."

Daniel scrunched up his nose, then gave Jack a very puzzled look. "That didn't make any sense."

"Sure it did. And are you done yet?"

"Done?"

Jack nodded at the work in front of Daniel. "Done. Translations. Stuff. Anubis."

"Oh. Uhm, almost."

"How can you be 'almost' done? You either have it translated, or you don't. Surely you have a clue by now?"

"I'm pretty sure I know what we're supposed to do with the ring, and I think I know how to actually get it to work, but there's a word here, 'Aroshak', that's got me puzzled. I think it's a reference to this," he held up the smaller device, "and something else it can do, but I'm just not sure. If I put all that I know of the Ancients to use, like the fact that they built the 'Gate system, it seems unlikely that they would create something that could only protect one planet. So when I...."

His voice trailed off as he realized that he was probably putting Jack into coma. He ducked his head and picked up his pen.

"Daniel? I want to hear the rest."

The words were simple, but the meaning behind them were worth their weight in gold. Daniel looked up and one eyebrow rose as if to say, "Really?" Jack nodded at the unasked question, and smiling, Daniel said, "Well, see, there's a word, "aro", which in Ancient Egyptian means connect and in a dialect of Mayan, means a connective-"

"I get it," Jack said softly, his eyes alight with understanding.

His smile broadening in gratitude, Daniel said, "Right, so, " he twirled the smaller device in his hand, "this is definitely the key to turning the ring on, but I think it may also help create a link... or a connection between our 'Gate and any other 'Gate. "

"So you're saying that once we get the device up and running, there's a way to connect the protection to other 'Gates?"

"Uhm... in a word: yes."

Jack stood up, put his papers in the folder, and said, "So what are we waiting for? Let's give Hammond the good news."

Daniel looked back down at his notes, then at Jack, and shrugged. "I could be wrong, Jack. Probably am wrong, which means I need to make sure about the meaning of Aroshak before-"

Jack stopped Daniel with a look of confidence in him that it nearly took his breath away.

"Daniel, my money is on you. All the way." Jack closed the book in front of Daniel, tucked his notes inside the journal, and said, "Come on, let's get cracking. We have a weird Gou'ald to beat."

Daniel had no choice but to follow.

~~~

The conference table was full. Jack sat in his usual seat with Daniel beside him, Teal'c sat on the other side, Sam next him, and General Hammond at the head of the table. At the opposite end of the table sat Colonel Myron, Doctor Jamison to his right.

Jamison was 'reviewing' Daniel's notes, a small frown creasing his forehead, while Myron sat back in the chair looking bored. Daniel had finished his 'presentation' and now waited for the reactions of those around the table.

Hammond cleared his throat and said, "So you're saying that we place the ring behind the 'Gate?"

"Yes, sir," Daniel replied, trying to keep his gaze from returning to Jamison.

"And that," Hammond indicated the small round device, " turns it on?"

"In a way, sir. It actually 'connects' our 'Gate to the ring, and thus activates the ring's power."

"That's not all it does, General," Jack added with an encouraging nod at Daniel. "It will also protect any planet that we're connected to via the 'Gate."

Hammond looked at Daniel and asked, "Is that correct, Doctor Jackson?"

"I... believe so, yes."

Jamison looked up and shook his head. "I highly doubt it, General Hammond. In looking over Doctor Jackson's notes, I would have to disagree with some of his conclusions which appear to be based on his translation of 'Aroshak'. I think we're looking at something else altogether. If we look at where this was all found, I think we'll find the answers. There's a derivative of the Mayan language called Kulcan, and in it, 'aro' means string. I'd have to say that with that kind of error, Doctor Jackson's entire hypothesis comes into question."

Jack leaned forward and hissed out, "Well, there's one damn fine way of finding out, isn't there?"

"Don't bite the messenger, Colonel O'Neill. I'm simply adding my expertise," Jamison said smugly.

"Expertise, Jamison? I hardly think so," Daniel said as he leaned forward. "I don't believe you have the faintest idea of the deeper meanings of the Kulcan dialect. Oh, you're right about how the word 'aro' can mean string, but Kulcan is a very complicated dialect with many hidden depths and meanings, so again, I find myself reminding you that a linguist must understand the people and their culture in order to truly grasp their language."

Ignoring the others, his anger focused solely on Jamison, Daniel said, eyes narrowed, "Now, in this case, the 'string' is actually the invisible connection that ties all mankind. The connection each has to another in battling evil. The common link here, in case you missed it, is 'connection' and 'evil'. So yes, I translated correctly."

"Well, I guess it comes down to you... or me, doesn't it?" Jamison asked coldly.

"Actually, it doesn't," Daniel said, a thread of steel in his voice. "First of all, whether the ring can help protect any planet we're connected to or not isn't the primary issue, and will be easily proved once we get the ring set up. Second, any pissing contest you foolishly choose to enter into with me when it comes to language will always end the same, namely with you covered in-"

Jack, hiding a grin, quickly put his hand on Daniel's arm, squeezed, and said, "Yes, well, I think our next step is, in fact, to get the ring into the 'Gate room, correct, General?"

"May I interject something into these proceedings, General?"

The question came from Colonel Myron, who'd been sitting quietly, but was now leaning forward.

"Of course, Colonel."

"I believe that Major Carter has stated that it's quite impossible for the ring found by Doctor Jackson to protect us. According to her, it has no properties capable of generating the kind of power required to defend against Anubis. So it seems to me this entire meeting is a colossal waste of time. Time that could be put to better use by Doctor Jamison in finding the real device."

Hammond looked over at Carter and said, "Major?"

Jack suddenly found himself holding his breath and praying his conversation with her had meant something. He just enough in his seat to see her, and groaned inwardly. Her head was down and that did not bode well. There was a lengthy pause, and finally she glanced up and met Hammond's gaze with her own.

"Sir, the fact that the ring was found exactly where Daniel figured it would be, combined with the fact that the writings on the back of the ring tell us how to utilize it, say to me that it will work, and work precisely as Daniel has explained it. I can't claim to know how, but then I suspect that isn't important right now."

Hammond shot a look across the table at Jacob, who nodded his agreement with his daughter's words. Rising to his feet, Hammond said, "Well, Major, I leave it to you and your team to get things set up. Doctor Jackson, the ball is in your court."

~~~

Almost everyone that had been present in the briefing room, now stood in the 'Gate room, the only missing individuals being Jamison and Myron, both recalled to Washington following a phone call to the President by General Hammond. It had been several hours since the briefing, hours used to set up the necessary equipment and scientists to measure any changes in space once the ring was activated. The 'mini-ring', as Jack called it, was now suspended two feet from the ground and directly behind the 'Gate.

Daniel stood next to it, the smaller device in his hand. He glanced up at the control room and said to Sergeant Davis, "Start dialing, but put in only the first six symbols for Earth."

Davis nodded, and started the dialing sequence. When Davis announced that the sixth chevron was locked in, Daniel stepped behind the mini-ring, Jack following. Slowly he reached up with the device and fitted it into a slot on the right side.

It was a perfect fit.

With a glance at Jack, Daniel started to turn the 'key'.

Daniel held his breath, and a moment later, of its own accord, the seventh chevron locked into place.

For several seconds, nothing else happened. Then a slight hum filled the room, followed by a vibration in the mini-ring. Jack grabbed at Daniel and started to pull him away, but Daniel resisted. Suddenly the ring lit up like a Christmas tree. At the same instant, Sam, holding one earphone in place, and seated at a console on the other side of the ramp, said, "General, NASA just confirmed a strange SE field has surrounded the planet. They're having trouble measuring it...."

She paused as she listened to whoever was at the other end, then added, "It's having no effect... on any instruments, there are no changes in radiation levels, or any other levels, and yet - it's there." She glanced up, her blue eyes sparkling, as she said, "And its point of origin is... here. This precise spot."

Hammond nodded and looked to Daniel. "Doctor?"

Daniel stepped away from the ring and said, "Sir, as long as the mini-ring is turned on, every planet we connect to should be protected."

Hammond nodded in understanding, then ordered, "Sergeant, shut her down."

Daniel disengaged the small device the minute the 'Gate shut down. The mini-ring dimmed, but remained lit.

And almost immediately, the 'Gate began to turn.

"UNAUTHORIZED GATE ACTIVATION!"

Several SF's ran into the 'Gate room as Jack pulled Daniel out from behind the 'Gate, and back towards the wall. Sam moved toward Teal'c just as the General commanded, "Close the iris!"

The shield slid shut, but a moment later Davis announced, "We're getting a signal, sir, from Abydos."

"Open the iris."

Jack and the others hurried out of the 'Gate room and up to the observation room. As they all slid into place, Davis said, "We're getting a transmission from the M.A.L.P., sir."

A moment later, Skaara's face appeared on screen. He looked pale and wan, his expression tight with worry. Unconsciously, Jack leaned in toward his friend as he asked, "Skaara, what's wrong?"

"O'NEILL, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! A GREAT SHIP IN THE SKY RAINS LIGHTNING DOWN UPON US!"

Jack whirled around to face Hammond, who, in anticipation of Jack's question, nodded and said, "You have a go, SG-1. I'll have SG-2 and 8 on deck in fifteen."

~~~

They burst through the 'Gate in full defensive mode. SG-8 went down and low, SG-2 took flanking positions on either side of the 'Gate, while SG-1 moved forward, Jack taking point, Teal'c, the rear.

All was silent within the pyramid.

Jack signaled that they should all move quietly and cautiously ahead. When they reached the opening, they stopped. Jack peered out... and saw nothing but desert, until he glanced upward.

A huge Goa'uld mother ship hovered over the planet.

"It seems like we have company, gang."

Lou stepped up to Jack's side and observed the obvious, "No cover to the city, Colonel."

"That is a true statement." Jack looked over his shoulder and said, "Suggestions, anyone?"

Daniel slipped his pack from his shoulders and let it drop to the ground. He knelt down in front of it, opened it, and shook something out. He took his jacket off and slipped the other item on over his head.

"Colonel, I think Daniel has an idea," Feretti said with a grin.

Jack took one look at his archaeologist in his Abydonian robes and shook his head. "No, Daniel... just... no."

"Jack, I speak the language, I'll have my mike, and it's the only way."

"He's right, sir," Sam said.

Daniel pulled the hood of his robe up, took off his glasses and handed them to Jack... who finally, reluctantly, took them.

Lou handed him a couple of smoke bombs with the words, "Just in case," and Teal'c held out a zat gun, which he gratefully took and slipped into the back of his waistband.

Feeling helpless, Jack watched, and finally warned as Daniel started out, "You keep in constant touch, and at the first sign of anything, you make tracks and get your ass back here, understood?"

Daniel nodded even as he was walking out and into the bright sunlight. They watched him head down the ramp. When he reached the sand, he turned back and waved before proceeding on.

"I don't like this," Jack said as the figure that was Daniel grew smaller and smaller.

"It's the only way, O'Neill," Teal'c said softly.

"I know... I know."

~~~

Daniel walked through the desert, his mind racing. He had his suspicions about the ship that hovered above the city, and if he was right... they'd all see sooner rather than later whether the ring's defensive capabilities for Earth ... and any planet connected via the gate... like Abydos, actually worked.

As he crested the last dune before Nagada, he dropped down onto his stomach and squinted at the city below. Four Jaffa stood guard at the entrance. He figured they'd come down via a set of rings and it was a pretty good bet that in spite of not being able to see well enough to identify the emblems on their foreheads, they were in the service of Anubis. He glanced to the east, toward the catacombs, and tried to gauge his chances of getting to them.

Daniel? You better be able to hear this.

Smiling, Daniel said, "I hear you fine, Jack. There are four Jaffa guarding the entrance and while there is some damage to the city, it's not as much as I expected. I'm going to try and make it to the catacombs-"

His earpiece crackled and he could almost imagine that it was a direct result of Jack's anger. He waited, and a moment later a deceptively calm Jack came back to him.

Daniel, why would you want to do that?

"I think the ship belongs to Anubis. It's a good bet that he's found out about the defensive shield and he's here looking for the ring."

That's quite a leap in logic, there, Einstein.

"Not really, Anubis has been here once, to collect the Eye of Ra, so he could certainly have drawn the same conclusion as Jamison."

And you want to go to the catacombs, why?

"Jack, they're not in the pyramid, are they?" he asked, his tone reasonable.

No-o....

"So... the catacombs."

And you have this overwhelming need to go there... why?

Jack had him stumped there. He certainly couldn't help anyone....

Before he could make a decision, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Three Jaffa, including one who appeared to be a First Prime, crested a dune. They were pushing someone ahead of them, but Daniel couldn't make out who.

"Jack, whoever was in the catacombs, they're out now and headed back to Nagada."

You stay right where you are, Daniel, you hear me?

"Jack, it might be... it could be... Skaara. And if they didn't find what they were looking for, and we know they didn't... they could take it out on him. I've got to do something."

Damn it, Daniel, stay put, we're on our way.

Daniel watched as the Jaffa drew closer to the entrance to the city, a sense of foreboding filling him. He needed to buy time until Jack and the others arrived.

Slowly he rose... and started down the dune.

~~~

Skaara walked with a heavy gait. He knew he was about to die, he'd heard the instructions given by the one called Anubis. The Goa'uld was angry that his Jaffa had been unsuccessful in finding whatever they'd come to find, and all of Abydos would pay, starting with him. He was to be an example, a means to lull his people into believing that they would live... and then they would all be destroyed from above.

He could see his city, the guards, and a crowd of Abydonians on the other side of the entrance, his father in front. He did not wish to die in front of Kasuf, but as he had no choice in the matter, he would do it with his head held high.

Skaara was suddenly shoved hard by the tip of a staff weapon and he almost fell. He could see his friends straining to get past the guards, but helpless to do so. He was pushed out a few feet, but in full view of everyone. This was it.

~~~

Daniel was close, but the guards had yet to see him, so intent on whatever the hell they were doing. They'd moved Skaara so that he now faced the entrance to Nagada and they'd forced him to his knees. It looked too much like an execution for Daniel's comfort. He continued walking even as he plucked a smoke bomb from each pocket. Keeping them hidden under the folds of his robe, and hoping Jack and the others were closing in on the city, he stepped up his pace.

~~~

Kasuf hadn't felt this helpless in more days than he could count. The majority of the men were at the mines, and thus the Jaffa had easy control over the situation. Currently, they had his son on his knees and were readying themselves for what could only be Skaara's death. The Abydonians had evidently failed to provide, and now would pay with the death of Skaara.

His eyes met Skaara's, and the courage that flashed in the youthful gaze gave him little comfort. He glanced past his son... and his eyes widened.

A man... a lone man... was fast approaching. Kasuf frowned, unable to believe what he was seeing. In spite of the hood that covered so much, he recognized his good son,

Dan-yel.

He knew that Skaara had managed to get a message to O'Neill, but surely, surely his good son was not alone?

~~~

They were almost running, or at least as almost as the deep sands of Abydos allowed. Jack was scared, a deep down, heart-stopping scared. He couldn't lose Daniel now. Not when they'd finally ... done whatever they'd needed to do to be... whatever they were now.

There was no fucking way he was going to lose the man now. Just no fucking way.

~~~

He was less than fifty yards away when the First Prime spotted him and yelled, "JAFFA, KREE!" Two of the Jaffa immediately swung their staff weapons in his direction. He was approaching at an angle, one that he prayed would allow him to grab Skaara and make the protection of the city once all hell, a hell he planned on starting, broke loose.

Deciding to play it à la Jack O'Neill, Daniel said, "Yeah, yeah, don't you guys have anything original to say?"

He was almost close enough... his finger ready to release the latch on the smoke bomb.

A yell from another Jaffa caused everyone but Daniel to look back at the far dune... and the men running down it and toward them.

It was time.

Daniel flicked the latch and tossed the bomb to his right. It hit the sand, made a popping noise, and immediately the area was filled with billowing clouds of smoke. He tossed the second one even as he broke into a run toward Skaara. A Jaffa, more on instinct than the ability to see, turned his staff weapon toward Daniel and fired. The heat of it skimmed past him, searing his left arm. He fired the zat gun twice, and the man went down. He was within reach of Skaara, who was struggling in the arms of one of the Jaffa, thus too close not to be injured by the zat if Daniel fired. But Skaara, sensing Daniel's nearness, kicked back, his foot connecting with the Jaffa's leg. It was enough to allow Skaara his freedom. Daniel fired twice in quick succession as Skaara moved out of the way, then he grabbed him and hauled him backwards, toward the city.

Gunfire erupted and Daniel knew that Jack and the others were close enough to fire at the Jaffa. Hands reached out for them, tugging them into the protection of Nagada. Bodies closed in around them as closely as the smoke, but Daniel strove to see, to find Jack. He moved against the bodies, and it was a good thing he did. Two Jaffa backed through the entrance, then turned their staff weapons on the crowd. Daniel, vision impaired in the best of times and eyes watering from the smoke, fired twice at each... and both men went down.

An eerie silence fell.

Daniel felt Skaara's arm on his, knew that Kasuf was on his other side, and as the smoke cleared, Jack appeared, walking toward them, a smile on his face.

Saluting Daniel, he said, "Nice work, Doctor Jackson. Nice work."

Before Daniel could respond with his usual wit, several death gliders shot out from the mother ship. Jack yelled back over his shoulder, "EVERYONE INSIDE THE CITY!"

SG-2 and 8, along with Teal'c and Sam, starting running. The death gliders dipped and began firing....

But not one blast struck its mark - or anything else.

Frowning, Daniel stepped backwards, head up, eyes searching the sky.

"Daniel, get the hell back here," Jack ordered.

Daniel kept going. When he was several feet away from the protection of Nagada, he turned in a circle, still staring upward, and said, "There's something... a shield... the shield... it worked, it really worked, and it's even stopping the cannon fire from the gliders... the blasts simply dissipate."

He moved further out, the others now following, with Jack rushing to his side. Squinting at the sight above him, Daniel added, "And yet, the death gliders were able to enter the planet's atmosphere after we'd initiated the shield when we gated here, which means the shield must be... but that would be impossible...."

Sam, gaze fixed on the ship, said absently, "No, not impossible. I think the shield is delivered somewhat differently from the originating 'Gate, which would be us, to the connecting 'Gate, once we've dialed it. We know our shield extends out to our thermosphere, which means that a ship could get no closer to Earth than-"

"Three hundred and seventy-two miles," Jack said as he held a set of binoculars to his eyes.

"Exactly. But judging by what we're seeing here, it would appear that for secondary planets, the shield goes only as far as the troposphere, or approximately nine miles from the surface."

"Tropicalshere, or spaghettisphere, all that matters is that it works," Jack said.

"But will it stop the rings?" Daniel asked quietly.

"Not here, but I don't believe we've ever seen the rings work beyond, what, maybe nine or so miles? So ringing down to Earth won't be possible, Daniel."

Before Daniel could respond, heavier blasts could be seen as they were discharged from the ship itself. They too dissipated. The Abydonians gathered around the SG teams and began to cheer wildly as blast after blast failed to strike. After six failed tries, the firing stopped and silence fell. Daniel moved away from the group and started shaking his head. Jack, worried, said, "Daniel, what's up?"

"He's... going to try it now, Jack," Daniel said, sounding deeply prophetic.

At that exact moment, a strange sound seemed to come from the skies. Jack moved to Daniel's side. Stepping around the dead Jaffa, the Abydonians, along with the SG units, joined Daniel and Jack to stare at the sky... and the ship.

The sound grew, and now a ring of bright light could be seen on the bottom of the ship.

"You know, I'm guessing we're about to find out if that ring works against the Eye," Jack said.

Running a hand through his damp, sweaty hair, Daniel nodded. "I'm thinking you're right."

The light flickered, spread inward and formed a beam, which shot downward.

No one moved.

The beam seemed frozen as it hit the shield... but then it doubled up on itself... bounced back up... and struck the ship.

From that point on, it was chain reaction time. Explosions ripped through the ship as it began to drift away from Nagada. No one missed a smaller ship disengaging itself from the self-destructing one.

"Anubis," Teal'c intoned.

"No doubt. Those system lords really know how to run and live to fight another day," Jack said sarcastically. He turned and placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Seems it worked like a charm, Danny boy. A charm."

~~~

"You should have said something, Daniel."

"Like what? 'Oh, hey, everyone, a discharge from a staff weapon almost hit me, let's all moan and cry'?"

"The heat of the damn thing did hit you. This is a second degree burn, buddy."

Daniel gave a mock shiver and said, "Oooh, alert Janet, call out the EMT's, I have a burn. Will I live? Perhaps amputation is called for here?"

"I'll amputate your head, is what I'll amputate, Jackson," Jack said, trying not to laugh as he carefully applied the salve to the burned area.

Hammond had been informed of the success of the ring and its ability to protect and destroy, and Anubis' ship was now nothing more than a dark burning shell that had finally come to rest several miles from Nagada. Understanding that they were safe from almost any kind of attack, the city was celebrating, the sounds of the party surrounding Jack and Daniel. They were in Kasuf's home, everyone else out in the middle of the city enjoying the celebration.

Jack looked at the burn and said, "I wonder if I should bandage this?"

"No, let it breathe. The salve will protect it from infection until we get home," Daniel said as he pushed a worried hand away. "I'm okay, Jack," he added softly. "And so are you."

"Yeah, we are, aren't we?" Jack said tenderly. He brought his hand up and laid it against Daniel's cheek. "Not a bad day, was it?"

Leaning into the hand, Daniel said, "No, not a bad day at all."

Jack grinned, then leaned in, paused, and seeing the invitation sparkling in Daniel's eyes, he touched his lips to Daniel's. The kiss was brief, both conscious of the close proximity of... everyone. When Jack straightened, he said, "One of these days, we really need to have sex."

"Ya think?"

~~~

Kasuf, Skaara, and several Abydonians were gathered around SG-1 and 2 in front of the 'Gate, preparing to say good-bye, but loathe to do so. It had been two days since the destruction of Anubis' ship, days spent cleaning up after the attack and attending to the injured Abydonians. SG-8 would be staying behind even longer, their orders being to go through the wreckage and retrieve weapons and surviving technology. They stood off to the side, quietly watching.

"Can you not stay also, Dan-yel?" Skaara asked.

"Don't worry, Skaara, we'll be back for the wedding," Jack said, a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Skaara looked from one man to the other, noted their closeness, and grinning, said, "You will be 'bringing' O'Neill, Dan-yel?"

Jack took a couple of steps away from Daniel as he glanced around to make sure no one had heard Skaara's words. Satisfied that no one was close enough, he said firmly, "He'll bring everyone, Skaara."

"Of course," Skaara said quickly.

Daniel frowned, but at the same moment, Sam finished dialing Earth and the wormhole exploded outward. Daniel clasped arms with Skaara, then embraced Kasuf, who whispered against Daniel's hair, "Thank you, Good Son, thank you."

As they separated, Daniel said, "There is nothing to thank me for, Good Father. Take care."

Knowing better than to argue with his son, Kasuf simply said, "You will return for the wedding, that will find me content."

"We all will, Good Father."

SG-2, followed closely by Sam and Teal'c, walked into the wormhole. At the same time, Jack said, "Okay, Daniel, time to head home. It's been fun, Kasuf, gotta do it again real soon."

Shaking his head in mild exasperation, Daniel gave a final wave as he joined Jack, who, now that they were, for all intents and purposes, alone, said, "I'm counting down here, Daniel."

Approaching the wormhole, Daniel said, "To what?"

"Like you don't know?"

"You really have a one-track mind, Jack, but then, so do I," Daniel said with a leer.

Jack stepped in front of Daniel, and walking backwards toward the 'Gate, said, "And thank God for that...."

~~~

The General watched the wormhole burst outward, then settle back. He straightened his shoulders and prepared to welcome his people back home. SG-2 stepped through the wormhole first, huge grins on their faces, and all giving the thumbs up sign. Teal'c and Sam came through next, and on their heels, Colonel O'Neill and Daniel.

Hammond frowned at the fact that Jack was exiting - backwards - while waving his arm. Daniel was shaking his head in that typical "Jack, what am I going to do with you?" way of his -- and it was so ordinary -- so right, that it was all the more atypical given their relationship of the last several months. Hammond felt a surge of hope at the sight before him. Maybe he was going to get his flagship team back after all. Stepping forward, he said in a deliberately loud voice, "Welcome back, SG-1."

Hearing the General's voice, Jack almost tripped in his effort to turn around while Daniel simply froze in his tracks.

"Good job, Doctor Jackson," Hammond added.

Daniel's face went an interesting color of red and he looked so uncomfortable that Jack took pity and said, "Sir, we'd love to stay and chat, but we need to get Daniel to the Infirmary."

Hammond frowned in worry and asked, "Doctor Jackson?"

"It's nothing, sir."

"He needs to get his arm checked out. It got in the way of a staff blast."

Hammond nodded at Jack and said, "Get going then, all of you. Briefing at ten hundred hours tomorrow. And again, good job, everyone."

Jack hustled a slightly disgruntled Daniel down the ramp and out of the 'Gate room, the others following.

~~~

Daniel sat on the bed, eyes closed. Doctor Warner stood next to him and was in the process of checking out his burn. Daniel, like everyone else, had already been through the MRI procedure, but unlike the others, he was fast running out of gas. The past several days and nights were catching up to him and he was completely unaware that he was swaying where he sat. Jack, on the other side of him, quickly put his arm around Daniel to keep him from falling. "Whoa, Daniel, where do you think you're going?"

He opened his eyes and looked bleary-eyed at Jack. "Wha'?"

"You were just about to take a header into the doc there. You okay?"

"Me? Yeah, fine. Peachy. Dandy. Super." He followed his words with a wide yawn.

"Well, your arm looks good, but I'm not happy with the rest of your results. Your blood pressure is too low, you're down about twelve pounds, and your overall physical condition isn't great, Doctor Jackson. I'd like to keep you overnight and do a complete blood workup," Warner announced.

"Couldn't you take your blood now and let me go home? " At the look Warner gave him, Daniel said, "I admit I've been working hard, but so has everyone. I'll be fine."

"Look, Doc, how 'bout I take him to my place and make sure he eats, sleeps and does everything healthy. What do you say?"

Warner looked from one man to the other, noticed Daniel's eyes shift away, frowned a bit, glanced back over at Jack, who smiled his 'I'm the Colonel' smile.

Warner capitulated in the face of Jack's steely smile. "All right, Colonel, but I want him back in here tomorrow. Doctor Frasier will want to keep tabs on his progress."

"We'll be here," Jack promised. "We'll be here."

~~~

While Daniel put on his seatbelt, Jack thought back on Warner's recitation of Daniel's current health. His SUV was parked under one of the parking lot lights, so he could see Daniel clearly, and he found himself wondering how he could have missed it. Sure, he'd noticed how tired Daniel had looked back in Bolivia, but he'd chalked it up to the man's natural tendency to keep at a project until he had it cracked, which usually meant very little sleep. But now... now he really looked. Daniel had lost weight, and his skin color was as close to the descriptive phrase of 'pasty' that Jack immediately thought of the flour-water mixture that stood for glue when he was a kid. There was also a certain gauntness to Daniel that had him worried. He figured he really had his work cut out for him in getting Daniel back to top form.

"Jack? You waiting for Christmas?"

"Huh?"

"Car? Start? Home?"

"Ah. How many more shopping days till Christmas?"

"Jack, hello?"

"Right. Start the car." He reached over, turned the key, and a moment later, they were headed for the exit gate.

As they headed down the mountain, Jack said, "When are you going to learn, Doctor Jackson, that man does not exist on coffee and oxygen alone?"

"Are you implying something?" Daniel asked innocently.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Daniel, you're a grown man. You know damn well that you need food and sleep. You heard Warner, and let me tell you, Janet is not going to be kind to you tomorrow."

Daniel merely shrugged as he said, "Look, the stress is gone now, we've succeeded, the defense weapon was found, and all's well. Everything will be back to normal and I think Janet will recognize that fact. She knows how I can get when I'm working on something."

Jack had to admit that everything Daniel was saying sounded... plausible. But then he heard Warner's words again. Shaking his head, he said, "Nice try, Danny boy, but you don't lose twelve pounds in a few days."

There was nothing Daniel could say to that... so he didn't. He really didn't think bringing up his migraines would be overly conducive to what he hoped they'd be doing in about forty minutes.

~~~

Jack pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine. He smiled as he glanced over at his sleeping archaeologist. He'd managed to stop at Daniel's, sneak the younger man's keys out of his pocket, then get upstairs, grab several needed items, and get back down to the car without Daniel so much as twitching a limb. Still smiling, Jack carefully removed the seatbelt from around Daniel, then gave his shoulder a gentle shake.

"Wakey, wakey, Daniel."

Daniel shifted, heard the words and wondered why everyone always used them with him. He decided to ignore it, waved his hand aimlessly in the air, and said, "Go 'way."

Laughing, Jack said, "Come on, buddy, you'll be a lot more comfortable inside, if you know what I mean."

Lifting his head from the seat rest, he blinked blearily, looked around, adjusted his glasses, and said, "We're at your place?"

"Well, this is where we were headed so I'd be rather surprised if we'd ended up somewhere else."

"Oh. Right."

Daniel opened the door and stumbled out while Jack reached back and grabbed the overnight bag he'd put together for Daniel. Daniel stretched a bit, and when Jack joined him, he noticed the bag. He pointed at it and said, "Jack?"

"I stopped on our way and got you a few things. We may have to go in tomorrow for the debriefing, but after Janet sees you, I'm pretty sure she's going to insist on some serious downtime, during which I, your commanding officer, will nurse you back to health."

"Jack, there's nothing wrong with me that a couple of good meals, and twenty-four hours sleep won't cure." He moved in close to Jack and added softly, "Both of which will, hopefully, follow a bit of exercise."

Jack stopped dead and looked hard at Daniel. "Why you insatiable scientist, you," he said, only slightly amazed.

Daniel grinned, rubbed Jack's ass possessively, then started up the drive - whistling.

~~~

Daniel flushed the toilet, washed his hands, dried them, then checked out his reflection in the mirror. O-kay, so maybe he'd looked better, but there was one thing staring back at him that hadn't been there a couple of days ago, and that was the sparkle in his eyes. He grinned, turned off the bathroom light, then walked back into the bedroom. He stared at his bag, which was sitting on Jack's bed.

Jack's bed.

Maybe he should move his stuff into the guest room. Maybe. For now.

~~~

Jack stared at the interior of his refrigerator. He reached in and took out one of two lonely items, a moldy hunk of cheese. Turning it around in his hand, he said to himself, "And I thought this only happened on television. Who knew?" He took out the other item, a carton of milk. He sniffed it, and his eyes immediately watered. He waved his hand in the air in hopes of dispelling the odor of spoiled milk, then holding his nose, he walked the carton to the trash and dumped it.

"Okay, so sex, then the store, then I feed him."

Satisfied, he walked out into the living room and called out, "Daniel? You better not be sleeping...."

The ringing of the doorbell stopped any further efforts on his part to connect on a physical level with his archaeologist. He hurried to the door with every intention of quickly getting rid of the salesman who dared interrupt said efforts. He swung open the door... and found Sara standing on his porch.

"Sara?"

His ex-wife looked up at him, and her eyes immediately filled with tears. She brushed them away angrily and said, "I... drove by in hopes... and I saw your car. I left messages, but I guess-"

"I'm sorry, I just got back and I haven't checked my phone yet." He reached out and took her hand, then led her gently inside. After he closed the door, he asked, "Honey, what's wrong?"

The tenderness in his voice must have been her undoing because she immediately turned and wrapped her arms around him. Stunned at the uncharacteristic move, Jack slowly put his arms around her.

"Sara, what is it?"

Fingers gripping his shirt, she lifted her head and said, "Dad, it's dad. Oh, God, Jack, he had a heart attack three days ago. He's... he's ... and they said... and he doesn't even know I'm there...."

A sob caught in her throat and she ducked her head and rested against him as the tears flowed easily. Jack closed his eyes as he thought of the man who'd been his father-in-law and friend, then he rested his cheek on the top of Sara's head. "I'm so sorry, honey, so sorry."

"I can't... please, come with me to the hospital, please, Jack?"

~~~

Daniel heard the doorbell but ignored it thinking it was probably some kid selling something, a common occurrence in Jack's neighborhood. It was only when he heard the soft voices that he thought to check it out. He walked down the hall and... froze in his tracks.

Sara... in Jack's arms.

Neither had seen him yet, so he gave thought to quickly backtracking and was about to do just that when Sara stepped away from Jack and said, "Please?"

"Of course I'll go with you, Sara."

At that moment, Jack glanced up and caught Daniel's eye. Sensing that her ex-husband's attention was elsewhere, Sara turned around.

Daniel raised a hand and gave a half wave, uncertain of what to do.

"Sara, honey, you remember Doctor Jackson?"

"Of course," Sara managed to say.

"Daniel, my father-in-law has had a heart attack and I'm going to head over to the hospital with Sara."

Daniel stayed where he was, suddenly feeling very intrusive. He could see the shape Sara was in and his heart went out to her. "I'm so sorry, Sara. Look, I'll just," he pointed behind him, "take off, Jack." He started to back up as he added, "If there's anything any of us can do, just let us know...."

He glanced at Jack, saw the gratitude, smiled slightly, then turned around and headed back to the bedroom to get his stuff. He could hear Jack talking softly, trying to get Sara into the kitchen for some coffee before they left. He hurried his step, got inside, picked up the bag, and left without a backward glance. He managed to make it out of the house, quietly and easily and was halfway down the driveway before he remembered - no car.

Feeling like seven kinds of an idiot, he looked back at the house, thought about going back and having Jack drop him off on their way to the hospital, but then ... there was his bag, so he shook his head, and headed down the street, remembering that there was a bus stop only two blocks away.

As he walked, he prayed that he'd catch the bus before Jack and Sara came by.

~~~

Jack poured the coffee into the cup, added the sugar, then carried it over to Sara, who was seated at his kitchen table. She glanced up, smiled wanly, and said, "Thanks. I'm sorry about all histrionics earlier. It was just such a relief to actually see you." Her eyes suddenly widened and she added, "I didn't interrupt anything, did I? Were you two planning something?"

"No, no," he assured her. "We were... just going to hang out. He's been overworking a bit lately so... we were just going to, you know, hang out."

He knew it sounded lame, even to him, but what else could he say? "Gee, Sara, we were just going to fuck our brains out, that's all."

No, that probably wouldn't have gone over well. And damn, he really should call Teal'c and get him to look in on Daniel....

"Oh, shit."

"Jack?"

"Hang on a minute," he said as he headed out of the kitchen. "I just remembered... Daniel doesn't have his car here!"

He ran through the living room and out the front door, hoping against hope that Daniel hadn't gone far. When he hit the driveway, he checked right and left... and no Daniel.

"God, damn it," he muttered. "You couldn't have just come back into the house, could you, Jackson? Oh, no, not you." He sighed heavily and headed back inside. Maybe they'd find him on the way to the hospital.

~~~

Daniel let himself into his apartment, and based on his breathing and slight lightheadedness, Warner might have been right about his physical condition. The walk to the bus stop, and from, shouldn't have left him this weak. He got his jacket off, kicked his shoes into a corner, and wandered into the kitchen. He got some water out of the fridge, and while he unscrewed the cap, he considered food. He had the makings of a salad, but that didn't appeal at all. He rested his arm on the top of the fridge door and sighed. He hadn't been home enough to really trust anything in the refrigerator. He'd clean it out later and do some shopping, but for now, maybe a bowl of soup and bed. Yeah, that was the ticket. He closed the door, took a swig of water, then walked to the pantry. He grabbed a can of split pea soup. Fifteen minutes later, he took his mug of soup and walked into the living room. He sat down, put his feet up, and sipped his Anderson's.

He thought about Jack and Sara, and how they'd looked holding each other, Jack giving comfort, and Sara receiving it. He sipped his soup.

~~~

Jack sat in the small waiting room set aside for family of patients in the CICU. Sara sat next to him, her eyes closed, her hand gripping his. They had to wait for shift change before they'd be allowed in to see Mike, and Jack was trying to psych himself up. Mike had always been a big man, full of life and energy and humor, and to see him as he would undoubtedly look... scared the hell out of him.

The antiseptic smell hit him then.

As did the memory of sitting just like this -- for Charlie.

Jack pulled his hand free and almost jumped to his feet. Sara looked up, eyes reflecting her surprise. He tried to smile reassuringly as he said, "Bathroom. Be right back."

He almost ran.

Once inside the empty bathroom, he leaned against the door and tried to control his breathing. He could do this.

Calming, he walked over to the sink, turned on the water, and refreshed himself by wetting his face down. He pulled out a paper towel and mopped up the moisture, then crumbled the towel and tossed it. He glanced back at the mirror and grimaced. His stomach growled and he immediately thought of Daniel.

Damn.

He needed to call Teal'c, get the man to run interference for Daniel's stomach. Jack leaned against the sink, hands bracing him. Things hadn't worked out as planned, that was for sure. Time to rejoin Sara.

~~~

It was worse than he'd imagined. Mike looked almost frail in the bed. Jack led Sara over and watched as she immediately reached for Mike's hand. The news from the doctors hadn't been good. They'd been blunt in telling Sara that Mike wasn't responding, and the only thing keeping his heart pumping - was technology. They'd tried to prepare her, to help her understand that at the moment, Mike was alive, but they weren't far from the time when they'd be suggesting she allow them to turn off the machines.

Sara started talking quietly to her father and Jack, feeling only moderately invisible, sat down, ready to be there for her, to lend his support.

Next: Part 2